Quick Tips

What’s in your Medicine Cabinet?

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Unshaven Middle aged man reading a prescription label in front o

 

I keep many different Natural Health Products in my medicine cabinet for my own health, as well as the health of my family. However, among those, I have found the top 5 that I would say have been quite beneficial to have in our home:

 

1. Tea Tree Oil

Tea Tree Oil can be useful to apply to the skin for relief of itching from bug bites, aiding with acne/pimple break outs, and relieving the symptoms of Athletes Foot. Please use caution with tea tree oil as it is an essential oil and should not be consumed orally, nor be used at greater doses than 5 drops.

2. Epsom Salts

Epsom Salts are great to keep in the home in case of muscular strains or injuries, skin infections, or simply to help you relax after a long day. They can be added to your bath or foot bath as needed.

3. Ginger Candies

It may seem odd to have candies in your medicine cabinet, but ginger candies can be useful when you or your child is having an “upset stomach”. They can help relieve feelings of nausea and help with digestion.

4. Arnica 200CH

Arnica is a homeopathic remedy that is used for anything causing trauma to the body. I will usually take a pellet of this for any event causing bruising, trauma, or shock to the body.

5. Castor Oil

Some of you might be thinking, “O great I heard about castor oil. No thank you I do not want to “clean out my system””. Well, that is not why this is on the list. I often apply castor oil to any joints or muscles experiencing any pain. I also use this if I am having a cold. I will apply the castor oil to my chest (kind of like Vicks) as well as to any lymph nodes that I find are inflamed. Another great use for castor oil is for reducing inflammation in the liver and promoting detox. For more information on Castor Oil and its use, please refer to my website, specifically to the section entitled Handouts, where there is a handout on “Castor Oil Packs”: https://www.plattsvilledoctor.ca/handouts-print-media/

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, please book an appointment with Elisha Cook at the RSNC today and let me help you achieve your health goals.

 

 

What to Eat When You Cannot Eat Anything

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RE - To Eat Or NotEliminating foods from your diet is very challenging, yet it can have many benefits to your health. Regardless of the benefits, eliminating foods can cause some distress when it comes topreparing meals or just eating in general. It leaves many saying “I cannot eat anything”. Hopefully this blog will provide some ideas on how to approach the elimination diet, or just making healthier food choices in general.

1. Fruits and Vegetables are your Friend

Though some diets might limit some of the vegetables or fruits you are allowed to eat, fruits and vegetables can be a good way to “fill you up”. Having plenty of fruits and vegetables pre – cut for snacks is a good way to avoid going to the snack items that you might not be allowed to have.

2. Cook Meals for the Week on Weekends or In Advance

Cooking meals for the week is a great way to avoid resorting to fast food items. It also takes away from the prep time that might be required with having more of a “whole – foods” type of diet. With this in mind, planning meals is another good way to avoid returning to old eating habits that might be more “convenient”.

3. Drink Water

Water is important to help you stay full, as well as help prevent you from going to those food options that are less than ideal. Water is also beneficial to help your body to detoxify during this time. Often, when we restrict the foods that we often consume, it can cause out bodies to go through a type of “withdrawal”. Drinking water helps our bodies to go through this process a bit more smoothly.

4. Experiment

Use these restrictions on your diet as a way to embrace new ways of food preparation. You might be surprised as to what you actually like (and don’t like). Using recipes on-line or in cook books, as well as spices and new products (maybe Brown Rice Pasta as opposed to Wheat – based pasta) can help you come up with creative ideas for meal planning.

5. Get Your Household Involved

As mentioned above, eliminating foods can be a challenging task for anyone. What might not help is when your loved ones are eating those foods you have eliminated, and you are the only one in your household adopting these diet changes. Depending on your household arrangements and those living in your household, I would encourage all of the members of your household to adopt the diet changes. It will help give you support during this time, as well as give more bonding in regards to meal preparation and planning.

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, please book an appointment with Elisha Cook at the RSNC today and let me help you achieve your health goals.

 

Spring: The Season of Detox Part 2 – Six Ways to Detox Everyday

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Head shower while running waterLast week I presented what a detox was. I received quite a bit of interest in detox’s, so I decided to give my viewers some easy ways to encourage the detoxification process in your own home. I would advise my readers to use caution, as the detoxification process can cause headaches along with other symptoms, do to the elimination of toxins. As always, please consult with your Health Care Provider before trying any of the following:

1.      Lemon in hot water

Start your day off by having a hot glass of water with lemon in it. Not only is this good for making you feel full but it also helps stimulate the liver (the detox center) to “clean up” your system.

2.      Exercise

Among the many health benefits that exercise can provide, it can also provide a way to detoxify our bodies. Exercise does so by promoting sweat, which is one of the ways our body removes wastes and toxins from the body.

3.      Dry Skin Brushing

Dry skin brushing is a method of stimulating the skin through an external stimulus such as a brush or cloth. By brushing away the dead skin, it allows the skin to “breathe” easier, thereby detoxifying it. For more information on how to perform dry skin brushing (as well as cautions to be aware of), refer to my Handout page at https://www.plattsvilledoctor.ca.

4.      Alternating Hot and Cold Shower

Alternating hot and cold showers are a simple addition to your morning or nightly routine. It simply involves alternating hot and cold water for therapeutic benefit (refer to my Handout page at https://www.plattsvilledoctor.ca to find detailed instructions). By alternating hot with cold, it shocks your immune and circulatory system into working. By doing this, it causes toxins to be removed from the body. Along with this benefit, it can also stimulate brain function, help with digestion, and increase metabolism.

5.      Eat more fruits and veggies

Fruits and vegetables have many nutrients, vitamins and minerals that are beneficial to health. Along with their nutritional value, they can also improve digestion. By improving “transit time” (i.e. helping you go to the washroom/defecate), they help your body to detox as going #2 is another way our body detoxifies.

6.      Castor Oil Packs to Abdomen

Finally, applying castor oil packs to the abdomen is a great way to encourage your body to detoxify. Though they can be messy, castor oil packs decrease inflammation and increase circulation, particularly in the liver is placed over it. This causes the liver to function properly and makes it better able to eliminate toxins. To learn more about how to perform a castor oil pack and the cautions associated with it, refer to my Handouts page at https://www.plattsvilledoctor.ca.

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, please book an appointment with Elisha Cook at the RSNC today and let me help you achieve your health goals.