Quick Tips Archives - Page 6 of 13 - Plattsville Natural Health Clinic

5 Ways to Practice Self-Care

June 21, 2016 by elisha

Today’s society is very go, go, go, and often, we leave ourselves to last due to the demands of life itself. This can leave us feeling burnt out, tired, drained, and overwhelmed. When we over burden ourselves and drive ourselves to the point of exhaustion, it can be difficult to bounce back. By practicing some “Self-care” every day, it can help to prevent this breaking point.

5 Ways to Practice Self-Care

Eat Well – your gut can be the gateway to overall health. By eating right, you can help your stress, mood, energy, sleep and overall health.
Exercise – exercise can be a great outlet for stress and aid with overall health. In addition, exercise can give you the energy you need to help meet your list of demands.
Ask for Help – Asking for help is not easy for a lot of people, but can make a big difference when you are feeling overwhelmed. Asking for help is not a sign of weakness. However, it does provide you with the potential for more support when you need it most. Asking for help may also include going to see a health care professional, such as myself a Naturopathic Doctor, to help you with stress, work-life balance, pain, mood, energy etc.
Pace Yourself – Many people rush to get things done saying that there is not enough hours in the day, there is too much to do, etc. If you constantly run in 5^th gear, you may find that you are worn out much quicker. Pacing yourself and accomplishing a set amount each day can provide space for you to recover. It is also important to forgive yourself for items you may not have accomplished because you took time for yourself (for example). Time for yourself is valuable recuperating time that is justified.
Leave Work at Work – For some families that run their own business, this is much easier said than done. What I mean by this is leave work-talk at work. Try not to bring the concerns of work home with you and leave it at the workplace. This can help decrease the burden that you may feel you carry when you get home and help separate work from home -life for those struggling to find a good work-life balance.

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!

How to Make a Cold Brew Tea or Iced Tea

June 14, 2016 by elisha

Cold Brew or Iced tea is made through steeping tea in cold water over several hours. Brewing tea in this way draws the flavours out more slowly and can alter the taste of the tea. In addition to this method, I will also brew a cup of tea as per normal, i.e. boil water and steep a tea bag, and let the concoction chill. I find that this way of brewing the tea extracts the essential oils which can be beneficial for health. Regardless of what method is used, ingredients and instructions are listed below, as well as a recipe for an iced tea. Teas that tend to work well with either way of making a cold tea include peppermint, hibiscus, lavender, lemon balm, and green tea.

Ingredients:

1-2 tea bags of the herb of your choice
8-16 ounces of water
Optional: Honey, lemon slice, or mint leaves

Instructions:

Cold Brewed Tea

Place the tea bag(s) in a pitcher of water, cover, and let steep in the fridge for 6-8 hours.
When tea is done steeping, strain any sediment from tea using a cheese cloth.
Serve tea over ice and add either honey, lemon slice, or mint leaves to taste.

Iced Tea

Boil water and let sit for 5 minutes.
Pour into pitcher with tea bags and let steep on counter until at room temperature – approximately 30 minutes.
Place in fridge and let steep for another 6 hours.
When tea is done steeping, strain any sediment from tea using a cheese cloth.
Serve tea over ice and add honey to taste, or other possible ingredients (i.e. mint, lemon).

Lemon-Balm/Lavender Iced Tea Recipe

Take one lemon balm tea bag and one lavender tea bag and place them in a pitcher of water.
Let steep for 6-8 hours covered in fridge.
Remove any sediment through straining through a cheese cloth once steeping is complete.
Serve over ice and add 2 tbsp of honey to taste.

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.

Source: Celebration Herbals

Ways to Increase your Water Intake

April 19, 2016 by elisha

Water is vital for so many different processes in the body, which would makes sense seen as how we are made of mostly water. When not adequately hydrated, one can experience such “side effects” as muscle cramps, headaches, low blood pressure, dizziness, constipation, poor concentration, etc. On average, an individual should consume 2 liters per day of water. This can be challenging for those on the go or with busy schedules. There are many great apps available to help individuals keep motivated to increase water intake, but in addition to those apps, this blog might have some tips and tricks to help you increase your water intake.

Start every day with a large glass of water.

When you very first wake up, have a bottle/glass of water waiting for you. When you go to sleep, you make be depriving yourself of water for 6-8 hours per night. By hydrating yourself when you first get up, you can help your body to bounce back from this deficit and come closer to reaching your daily water intake goal.

Have a glass of water before each meal.

For certain individuals with particular medical conditions, this may not be the best idea. However, for some this can provide a great way to increase your water intake and to help you feel fuller and decrease your portions at meal – time.

Following having a coffee, alcoholic beverage, or caffeinated tea, have a glass of water.

All of these beverages can dehydrate the body, so by consuming water with them, it is hoped that this would balance out the dehydrating effects of them.

Carry a reusable water bottle with you – at work and play.

Making water more readily available can help to encourage adequate water intake, and make water more readily available.

Have a drink of water every time you have a break or get up from your desk.

Having water at these various occasions and making a habit of it can help you get closer to your goal and help you to regain your concentration for the next bout of work that you have in store for the day.

When in doubt, set a reminder on your phone.

For some, a lot of these tactics do not work, and so, setting an alarm on your phone, computer, etc. to remind you to drink water ever hour or so can be a helpful tool to achieve adequate water intake.

What if you do not like water?

Of course not everyone is a big fan of water and may require some time to get used to the taste of it. If that is the case, some of the options below may help ease the process of switching to water for some.

Try adding fruits/vegetables to your water

Some water bottles have infusion baskets making this very easy, but otherwise you can simply cut up wedges of fruits such as strawberries, lemons, limes, oranges, or melons and add them to your water. You can even try adding such vegetables and items as cucumbers and mint leaves.

Drink herbal teas

Herbal teas can contribute to water intake as long as they are caffeine free. Such teas that could help increase your water intake include peppermint, chamomile, lemon, Echinacea, etc.

Drink coconut water

Coconut water can provide some individuals with a taste that they can tolerate as well as increase water intake.

Dilute your drinks with water

When all else fails, gradually adding more water to your already made drinks can provide a way to adjust to the taste of water in a tolerable way.

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.

Adrenal Support: Diet and Lifestyle Changes to Combat Stress

April 12, 2016 by elisha

The adrenal glands are located on-top of the kidneys, and are responsible for secretion of hormones related to stress (including cortisol). When stress is perceived in a positive way and is short-lasting, it can be beneficial. In fact, recent research has suggested that individuals who are stressed but have a positive association with that stress, are healthier than individuals who have no stress at all. When on the other end of the spectrum, where you may be overly stressed with a negative appraisal of it, your health could greatly suffer as a result. When stress is taken out of the context of moderation and not perceived well, many can run into problems. Stress that is long standing can cause stress hormones circulate for longer, causing destruction and harm to one’s body. This might look like increased blood pressure, increased weight or weight gain, increased blood sugar levels, depression, anxiety, chronic pain, indigestion, and the list goes on. Your diet and lifestyle can play a large role in how your organs manage this stress and how you manage stress on a mental – emotional level. These diet and lifestyle changes may include:

Dietary Changes

Consume lean protein with every meal
Avoid caffeine, alcohol, and high – sugar beverages such as Gatorade
Avoid processed sugars
Follow an anti-inflammatory diet
Consume adequate amounts of water
Eliminate sources of food sensitivities, or sources of inflammation, from the diet
Include a variety of fruits and vegetables in your diet – specifically peppers, dark-green leafy vegetables, oranges, guava and papaya.
Consume a breakfast that includes a carbohydrate combined with a protein

Many of these dietary factors are focused on balancing blood sugar levels, decreasing burden on organs for processing and digesting, decreasing stimulating foods which can trigger cortisol spikes and wear you out physically, decreasing sources of inflammation which can contribute to mental-emotional upset (i.e. depression, anxiety, stress).

Lifestyle Changes

Eat regularly timed meals
Practice mindful eating by taking time to eat and enjoy the food that is put in front of you, making sure to chew adequately
Manage your stress through various methods including:
- Journalling
- Meditation
- Yoga
- Reading
- Deep breathing
- Exercising
Adopt regular sleeping habits
Partake in regular exercise
Adopt a lifestyle of balance (work versus play)
Seek a health care provider to help you to combat the effects of stress i.e. Naturopathic Doctor, Counselor, Registered Massage Therapist, Medical Doctor, etc.

Many of these lifestyle factors help one to be able to manage stress effectively and the physical effects of stress. If you are in need of help to manage stress, support your adrenal glands, combat depression, combat anxiety, or to manage the effects of stress; please consider consulting myself or another health care provider. Do not suffer alone.

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.