Patient Education

The release of my new book! It is . . .

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At the beginning of this year I had set out to complete my book, and I am happy to say that I have accomplished that goal! My book is titled:

“The Ultimate Guide to the Elimination Diet: Tips and Recipes to Better Your Health and Approach the Diet with Confidence”.

Many of my patients have heard about the elimination diet, but not everyone is familiar with it, and so, let me shed some light on it. The elimination diet is a treatment option that helps individuals that are suffering from many different health concerns including

  • Pain
  • Anxiety 
  • Inability to lose weight 
  • Fatigue
  • Stress 
  • Arthritis 
  • Muscle Pain 
  • IBS (Irritable Bowel Syndrome) 
  • Constipation/Diarrhea
  • Brain Fog 

and the list goes on! That means if you want to lose weight, reduce pain, think clearer, and feel better overall, this diet may be right for you. The elimination diet is a way for individuals to identify which foods may be contributing to their health concerns, but also helps individuals to adopt more of a whole – foods diet.

Though this may sound simple enough, the diet is quite complex, complicated, and challenging. Many individuals struggle to follow it or incorporate it into their lifestyle even for a short time. I wrote this guide (and recipe) book as a way to help individuals overcome the hurdles of the diet. In the book, I have outlined meal plans, tips and tricks, many recipes for each meal (and sauces and dips!), and ultimately set out to help eliminate many of the struggles that individuals tend to encounter with the diet. I have based the book off of my clinical experience as well as my personal one. I was prescribed the elimination diet years prior by my ND before I became an ND and it was a struggle. I was miserable throughout it and could not figure out what I should eat. My diet was boring and basic, but I did complete it and I did learn a lot from the experience. I also learned my food sensitivities and improved my overall state of health from it. Following the experience, I set out to help others through the diet on their way to better their health. I have seen many individuals completely change their lives through this diet, and you can too!

If you have any one of the health concerns mentioned above and want to better your health, the elimination diet may be a treatment to consider. As I mention in the book, this diet is not for everyone or appropriate for everyone, and so, it is best to complete this diet with the supervision of a Naturopathic Doctor such as myself. If you are ready for change, send me an email or call our office (519-537-7058) to see if this is a good path for you to pursue. I offer complimentary 15 minute meet-and-greet sessions where you can meet me, ask your questions, and decide from there if you would like to see me or not (i.e. there is no obligation to book). You have nothing to lose by booking this session. Now is the time to take care of you.

In regards to my book, if you are interested in purchasing your copy, send me an email, call the clinic, or contact me through the Facebook page and I will gladly get you set up. In addition, I am offering the book as part of a package deal for those who may want to pursue food sensitivity testing. Both prices are outlined below.

  • The Ultimate Guide to the Elimination Diet: Tips and Recipes to Better Your Health and Approach the Diet with Confidence – $20 +HST per book (Total $22.60)
  • Blood Testing and Book Package (only available from August 1- August 30 2017) – get the food sensitivity testing (approximately $260 plus the book for an additional $15) (Total: Approximately $273)

If you have any questions about this treatment option, food sensitivity testing, or simply about how you can feel better today, do not hesitate to email me, message me, or contact our clinic and book your complimentary 15 minute meet-and-greet session today!

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!

 

Foods to Eat to Beat the Heat

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Tired Woman Sweating After RunningI preface this article with a brief explanation on Chinese medicine. In Chinese medicine, many of the pathologies are based on external influences. For example, if one is out in the rain too long, they could develop excess dampness internally leading to such symptoms as arthritis, a cold or a sore throat. As such, food is very important in combating these different external forces. With that being said, it is important to understand which foods are hot, cold, dry, or damp in nature and to consume them in a balanced way. In seasons such as summer, it is important to consume more foods that are cool or cold in nature to combat the external effect of heat on the system. The food list below is not explicit, but does give a good idea as to some different foods one can incorporate into their diet to stay cool during warmer temperatures.

  • Apple
  • Banana
  • Barley
  • Cucumber
  • Eggplant
  • Eggs
  • Grapes
  • Grape fruit
  • Ice
  • Kelp
  • Lettuce
  • Spinach
  • Mango
  • Melon
  • Mushroom
  • Pear
  • Peppermint
  • Peppermint Tea
  • Plum
  • Radish
  • Sesame oil
  • Sorbet
  • Soy
  • Tangerine
  • Tofu,
  • Green tea
  • Water chest nut
  • Water melon
  • Yogurt

In addition to these foods, some other ways of eating food that may help to beat the heat in the summer include eating raw fruits and vegetables rather than cooking them.

One important thing to note with this list is that just because there is a food item on this list does not mean everyone should eat these foods. Though it is warm out, not everyone needs these cooling foods. This is where an appropriate assessment by a Naturopathic Doctor would be warranted. In addition, eating certain foods can cause harm to certain individuals, and again may require guidance from a Naturopathic Doctor.

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!

References:

http://www.pingminghealth.com/article/581/warming-and-cooling-characteristics-of-common-foods/

5 Ways to Increase Metabolism

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Girl - Weight LossMany individuals are looking to different weight – loss techniques to help get ready for bikini season – this includes searching for different ways to increase your metabolism. Increasing metabolism can help with more than just weight loss – it can also help if an individual ate a trigger food and is experiencing uncomfortable symptoms such as bloating, gas, indigestion, or constipation. In regards to weight – loss, increasing metabolism can be useful for kick-starting your weight loss journey or for surpassing a plateau. As always, please consult with a health care professional before trying any of the below recommendations. If you are interested in losing weight please consult a health care provider such as myself to get the necessary support you need. Weight loss that is achieved too quickly can result in an individual gaining weight beyond where they initially started. If this is you, consider emailing me or calling the clinic to book your complimentary 15 min meet-and-greet session to talk about your goals.

  1. Hot water with lemon first thing in the morning – before having anything in the morning, have a hot water with lemon in it. The bitterness of this drink helps to stimulate the liver and kick start metabolism in a gentle manner, without the negative effects on blood sugar that coffee may have.
  2. Exercise in general – e.g. going for a 20 minute walk, jogging, etc. More specifically, weight or resistance training can be quite beneficial for increasing metabolism if you are exercising on a regular basis, but have plateaued with your weight. Any form of alteration to your regular routine with exercise; whether it is increasing a weight, switching to cardio from weight training, switching to weight training from cardio, etc; can result in increased metabolism.
  3. More frequent, smaller meals – having six smaller meals per day can be beneficial in increasing metabolism by keeping metabolism “active” for longer (when we eat, metabolism increases). Studies have also shown that being a “nibbler” versus “meal eating” may decrease risk of thyroid conditions, diabetes, and other metabolic disorders.
  4. Green tea – green tea can be beneficial for increasing metabolism that are not solely based on its caffeine content alone. Green tea consumption can results in such effects as increased fat oxidation and thermogenesis, both resulting in increased metabolism. The unfortunate drawback to green tea is that one would need to drink 5-6 cups of it per day to attain the metabolic effects from it.
  5. Intermittent fasting – intermittent fasting is not for everyone, but it can be beneficial in giving the gut time to heal and process contents, while boosting metabolism.

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!

References

https://books.google.ca/books?hl=en&lr=&id=Pg36CZA_Hv8C&oi=fnd&pg=PT1&dq=%22hot+water+and+lemon%22+AND+metabolism&ots=8_FtyFnLaL&sig=aCHECbmvxiNGzgMc87LJXWa6oZM&redir_esc=y#v=onepage&q=%22hot%20water%20and%20lemon%22%20AND%20metabolism&f=false

http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0026049596900505

http://ajcn.nutrition.org/content/8/5/682.short

http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/07315724.2007.10719626

http://ajcn.nutrition.org/content/70/6/1040.long/-

http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S225548231370451X

What happens when you start to put yourself first

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Autumn Girl enjoying nature on the field. Beauty Girl Outdoors rAt first glance, this blog title may seem suspiciously self – serving or selfish in nature, but let me give some context. I work with many individuals who are stressed out, burnt out, and are needing much care. The trend is not represented by one small act of not putting your health as a priority, but rather over the course of time it may be from putting your family first, your job first, or others needs before your own. From this article, I want you to explore your own life and consider: have I been putting my health and needs last? Finally, I want you to then consider what might happen if you start to consider yourself of value enough to put higher on your list of priorities. This article is not meant to condemn, to ridicule, or make individuals feel like they have not been taking care of their health, but is meant to inspire you to consider your own needs and do some more loving things for yourself.

I was that person

I would like to start out this article by admitting my own weaknesses: I was that person. I was that person that would make my husband a healthy lunch and neglect to make one for myself i.e. I would not eat at all. I was that person that put my career before my own personal mental and physical health. I would often go all day without eating and tell myself that “I do not have time to eat”. I would put off exercising thinking that my business needs needed to come first. I often put more efforts behind charity work than actually caring for myself and asking myself what my body needed for nourishment. To be honest, I did not think I deserved that type of care, and took my “health” and body for granted. As a result, I felt weak, emotional, burnt out, stressed out, tired, and depressed. My husband and I decided to make some drastic health changes – eat a whole foods diet and exercise daily. With these changes I made a comment to him that it was important I make his lunch and justified taking care of myself because it would help to take care of him. He then asked me, “Why don’t you do it for you”? For some reason, the question hit me differently this time and I decided to exercise for me. To eat for me. To take care of me, for me.

Why is it important to put your health as a priority?

There is an old saying “you cannot pour from an empty cup”. In short, you cannot take care of others if you have not been cared for or nourished yourself. You need to put your health as a priority to prevent burn out, but also to help you to better serve others.

Often, the excuse I hear is “I do not have time to take care of myself”. If you do not take the time for yourself now, it is possible that this time will be robbed from you in the future via doctor’s appointments, treatments, etc. due to poor health. By taking care of yourself now it does not necessarily prevent all illness, but it can help lessen the likelihood of becoming sick.  The other question I want you to ask yourself is, if you do not take care of yourself, who will? You are in charge of your health and no one can exercise for you or necessarily eat the right things for you. With this being said, some individuals need guidance as to how to best incorporate healthy changes into their lifestyle, and as such, it is important to seek help, but again at the end of the day, you are the only one that can follow through with the recommendations. (If you are needing help in this area please contact me).

What happens when you start to put your health first?

When you start to put your own health as a priority, you will start feeling better! It does not sound like this is an award-winning answer, but it is the right one. It may not be right away, but it will happen. When you start valuing yourself enough to eat, to eat well, to exercise, and to nourish yourself; your life will begin to change for the better. You will have the energy you need to help your family, to deal with your work load, and to take care of yourself. You may even begin to notice that you can handle stress better, thoughts are clearer, and your mood is more balanced. For others, you may expect to see better health outcomes that pertain to your particular case. Overall, you may even feel more motivated to achieve your goals.

Are you ready to make your health a priority?

If you are ready to take the plunge and take your health into your own hands, seek help. Contact myself or another health care professional today. Not tomorrow. Today. Find them on facebook or the internet and message them. Find their phone number and call. Results lie beyond the fence of excuses.

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!