Lifestyle Archives - Page 4 of 17 - Plattsville Natural Health Clinic

How to keep active in the Winter or Cold Weather

December 6, 2016 by elisha

Winter is not everyone’s favorite season. There are many different winter sports that one can partake in outside, but this is not always everyone’s cup of tea. This article will not include the various sports that you can partake in outside, but rather activities that you can do to keep active if you are not a fan of the season.

Walks: Walking outside can pose a challenge for some, but may provide the necessary activity needed to stay healthy. Always make sure to bundle up with a warm jacket, boots with traction, scarf, hat, mittens, and long johns (or janes). I find that my biggest motivation is walking my dog, and I tell myself it is good for both of us when I am feeling “too cold” for a walk. Self – talk is especially important here. Another option for walking is to go to a mall and do some laps around the mall to get your heart rate elevated. If you feel like the stores may be too much of a temptation, make sure to avoid bringing your wallet and just focus on the element of exercise.
Dancing: With the holidays on the way, it may be easy to dance around the house to your favorite tunes, or get up on the dance floor at a Christmas party. As long as you get moving and get your heart rate going this is what matters.
Stairs: If you really want to increase your heart rate, running or walking up and down the stairs repeatedly can be a good and tiring exercise to incorporate into your day.
Weights: Weight training is not just for people who want to be the next Arnold Schwarzenegger. When you do weight training/resistance training, it actually puts your body into a fat loss state. This alone can help you to get that physique you may be wanting. Weights do not need to be done in a gym with all of the state of the art gym equipment, but can even be done by grabbing a can of soup and going through some basic exercises such as the classic bicep curl. Remember, everyone has to start somewhere, and it is never too late to start.
Work – out videos: Work out videos provide a great way to get some cardio in and in some cases have a little bit of fun without feeling like you are exercising. A word of caution is to use a video that is at “your level of fitness”. For example, videos such as P90X or Insanity are not appropriate for everyone and you should speak to your health care provider before starting a “work-out routine”.

Have you benefited from reading this blog? Know someone that would benefit as well? Share, Like, Comment, or Tweet this article, and let me know what you think.

Some of the information provided above may not be appropriate for everyone, please consult with your doctor before trying any of the above. If you are interested in Naturopathic Medicine and wanting a different approach to your health care needs, contact Dr. Elisha Cook ND by calling 519-537-7058 and book your appointment today!

Three Most Powerful Therapeutic Tools for Mental Health (in my opinion)

December 1, 2016 by elisha

I am delayed in writing my blog because I wanted to have just the right timing. As some of you may know December 1 marks one year of official practice. I would like to take the time to reflect on three of the most powerful tools I have used and how they can help you get to where you want to go. I would also like to thank every patient that has walked through my doors. I have learned something from every person, and every story. I do not say this lightly and I truly mean it. It is through walking with each other that we ourselves can grow. Now, on to the three powerful therapeutic tools . . .

Control

Many people struggle with control and it can cause a lot of undo stress and anxiety. As some of my patients may know, having a type A personality can often result with these struggles with control. What I have found to be helpful is focusing on where your focus lies. If your focus is on what you cannot control, it can cause anxiety, fear, anger, and ultimately stress. However, if you focus on what you can control and shift your focus in these situations, it can help you to better manage these situations. A technique that I often use includes deep breathing and movement exercises (seat changes and hand washing). Control does not just stop here. Recognizing that you have the power to choose your mood should be a huge empowerment piece. You do not have to let your emotions dictate the day, but again shifting your focus can help (and yes I do recognize this is easier said than done, and some individuals may require further assistance in this area).

Positive Thinking

If you are a patient of mine, there is no doubt that you have heard about water, plants, crystal and sludge; and how our thoughts and words can either aid us or hinder us (i.e. Positive words cause crystallization on a molecular level where as negative words cause sludge). It is important to recognize that negative self-talk and thought is not without harm. Negative thought and talk can often lead to things such as increased blood pressure, stress, depression, anxiety, and inflammation – specifically in our neurons. When you have positive thought and talk, you can completely change not only your circumstances but how you feel about them. You can also decrease inflammation and make it easier to choose to be happy regardless of your situation.

Forgiveness

A lot of thinking begin to roll their eyes when I say the word forgiveness. However it is not always about forgiving someone else (though most of the time it can be), it can also mean forgiving ourselves. I find that more often than not there is an element of bitterness, anger, or resentment that people do not recognize is preventing them from having the life they want to have. In addition there are plenty of health effects that can manifest from an attitude of forgiveness (see my previous blog: https://www.plattsvilledoctor.ca/forgiveness-and-health/). If you are struggling with this, whether it is forgiving yourself or another, we can work on some exercises in my office that may help.

Have you benefited from reading this blog? Know someone that would benefit as well? Share, Like, Comment, or Tweet this article, and let me know what you think.

Health Benefits of Pet Ownership

October 11, 2016 by elisha

Some people choose to have pets for companionship and/or for work related purposes, while others choose to not have any at all. Many debate whether the stress of owning a pet is really worth all of the extra effort. The answer to this question is really dependent on the individual, but I will choose to focus on the potential positive outcomes that may come from owning a pet. Just because there are positive health benefits to owning a pet does not mean that just anyone should go out and get a dog/cat/fish/lizard/etc. Owning a pet requires commitment, patience, budgeting, and so much more. Also worth mentioning is that much of the research conferring that pets offer health benefits is based off of owning a cat or a dog. This does not mean that there are not any health benefits to owning fish, lizards, or other pets; but there may be different health benefits than those listed below. For example, there has been quite a bit of research behind fish tanks and how having one can actually decrease stress, promote relaxation and even decrease behavioural distress in children.

Owning a cat/dog can decrease:

Blood pressure by being in the same room as a pet or even just petting them
Cholesterol through even just petting your pet
Triglycerides
Feelings of loneliness
Risk of developing allergies in children by 33% but this is dependent on age and research is a bit mixed.
Stress
Depression
Risk of being or becoming obese (if you walk your dog and do not leave it to someone else)
Anxiety or behavioural distress in children
Doctor’s visits
Sick days

Owning a cat/dog can increase

Socialization
Chances for activity
Immune system strength
Recovery post – cardiovascular event
Empathy in children without siblings
Self – esteem in children without siblings
Participation in social and physical activities in children without siblings

Have you benefited from reading this blog? Know someone that would benefit as well? Share, Like, Comment, or Tweet this article, and let me know what you think.

References:

http://www.cdc.gov/healthypets/health-benefits/

http://center4research.org/healthy-living-prevention/pets-and-health-the-impact-of-companion-animals/

http://www.animalplanet.com/pets/benefits-of-pets/

Thanksgiving with a Food Sensitivity

October 4, 2016 by elisha

Thanksgiving is a wonderful time of year to reflect on the many things one is thankful for, but for some individuals it can be quite challenging. Individuals with a food allergy/sensitivity may struggle with figuring out what is safe to eat while trying to partake in the festivities. More can be done to accommodate when you are making the meal, but when you have less control over what meals are being planned it can pose quite the challenge.

Thanksgiving at Home

As mentioned above, having a bit more control over the meal that is planned is beneficial due to being able to prevent cross contamination, lack of selection, and contamination period. Making sure to thoroughly clean items such as cutting boards, utensils and counters before working on safe food items is important to prevent cross contamination. Making a variety of items that are safe help those individuals who cannot have certain foods feel more relaxed table because there are more options and less stress over what can or cannot be eaten. It is also worth considering the question, “is thanksgiving all about the turkey?” Do you need the traditional foods eaten at thanksgiving or can you create a new tradition for your family? This concept in itself might help to take the stress away from the holiday.

Thanksgiving Away

Celebrating thanksgiving at another individual’s home poses many challenges to avoiding food sensitivities. Some planning before the event is important on your part. Offer to bring a couple of safe foods in the event that you may not be able to eat certain food items. This also provides an opportunity to spice up or add a bit of variety to the meal. Some food sensitivities can be brought to the attention of the host, so they can attempt to provide a couple of safe foods, but it is best to not push the issue and demand everything be safe for you to consume. Offer to help them to prepare a safe meal if they struggle with how to avoid certain foods that you may be sensitive to. Ultimately, focus on what you can eat rather than becoming discouraged at what you can’t eat, and focus on the time spent with your loved ones and the reason for the holiday.

Thanksgiving Meal Swaps

Regular potatoes – sweet potatoes
Stuffing – stuffing made with gluten-free breads
Cranberry sauce – make cranberry sauce from scratch
Gravy – use arrow root powder/starch/flour instead of regular flour to thicken (2tbsp of arrow root powder to 1 cup of liquid)

Have you benefited from reading this blog? Know someone that would benefit as well? Share, Like, Comment, or Tweet this article, and let me know what you think.