Blood Pressure

Health Benefits of Pet Ownership

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petsSome 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.

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.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/

 

6 Reasons Why Fish Oil is Beneficial for Health

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Fish OilFish Oil supplements are one of the main supplements you will find on the market today. Many people take them simply because “I know it is good for me”, but do not fully understand the benefits to their health. This article is meant to bring to light some of the research on the supplement, and some ins and outs that are important to know for choosing the right supplement. Of course, when in doubt, please consult a naturopathic doctor to determine what supplement would best help you with your specific health needs.

Ratios

If you are a patient of mine, you already know that I think ratios are important when it comes to fish oil. In short, children need more DHA as their brains are developing, and adults need more EPA to sustain it. As a result, the ratio of EPA to DHA needs to be 2:1 or higher depending on your particular health concerns. For example, if EPA is 200mg is a capsule, I would like to see DHA at 100mg or less. Some individuals may want to try to obtain omega 3s through vegan sources such as flax and hemp, but these sources tend to not be able to obtain the same ratio of EPA:DHA that fish oil can.

Sourcing

Ideally smaller fish sources, such as sardines, act as a better source for omega 3’s due to the lower mercury content in these fish. However, all supplements have to meet a standard in regards to mercury content, and so, if you are purchasing a high quality fish oil supplement made in Canada, they need to comply with this standard.

6 Health Benefits

  1. Joint Health

One of the main uses of fish oil is for pain. Specifically, it can be beneficial for osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, gout, etc. Fish oil helps to lubricate your joints and decrease inflammation, both leading to decreased pain.

  1. Heart Health

Fish oil can be quite beneficial for overall heart health by firstly improving the function of the heart muscle itself. In addition, fish oil may help to increase HDL (good) cholesterol, decrease triglycerides, decrease blood pressure, decrease atherosclerosis (i.e. plaque build-up), and prevent stroke.

  1. Weight Management

Fish oil may help to improve weight by decreasing central adiposity when taking with exercise. It has also been shown to aid with conversion of muscle to lean muscle mass.

  1. Mental Health

As mentioned above, EPA and DHA both have a role to play in brain development and health. In short, fish oil may be beneficial for the following conditions: depression, anxiety, schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, and dementia.

  1. Skin Health

Fish oil can be beneficial for various skin conditions through its beneficial properties in addressing inflammation. That being said it may provide some relief to those suffering from acne, psoriasis, SLE, and eczema.

  1. Reproductive Health

In general, fish oil can help women who are trying to conceive, have conceived, and women who are not conceiving. In regards to pregnancy, fish oil may help increase chances of conception. Fish oil can also help to decrease inflammation overall which may contribute to premenstrual tension issues such as cramping. In addition, fish oil may prove to be beneficial for men experiencing erectile dysfunction due to is beneficial properties in heart health – specifically related to blood pressure, cholesterol, and atherosclerosis.

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!

Adrenal Support: Diet and Lifestyle Changes to Combat Stress

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Grunge image of a stressed overworked man studyingThe 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.

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!

Health Benefits of Walking

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Man running in a gym on a treadmill concept for exercising, fitnWalking has a vast array of health benefits that extend beyond the norm of exercise on its own. It can offer time for companionship if you are walking with someone, a time for distressing, or even time in nature. All of these on their own have their own merits and only increase the effectiveness of walking as a therapy. For this particular article, I am going to focus on three particular areas where walking has been shown time and time again to be quite beneficial: Mental Health, Heart Health, and Weight Management.

Mental Health

Walking can provide some relief for those experiencing various mental health concerns including anxiety, stress, and depression. Walking can provide an opportunity to get outside, to breathe in fresh air, and to debrief from the stress of the day. Specifically, in the area of depression, walking has been shown to improve self – esteem and depression overall; and those who do walk outside on a regular basis are less likely to report depression or symptoms of depression.

Heart Health

The heart is a vital organ that is impacted by so many different parameters including cholesterol, blood pressure, blood sugar, weight, etc. Each of these areas can be improved through walking and thus decrease the risk of heart disease. Studies on walking have suggested that it can increase HDL (good) cholesterol, decrease body weight, improve insulin sensitivity, decrease blood pressure, and decrease LDL (bad) cholesterol. Overall, as mentioned above, this translates into decreased risk of heart related disease and heart related death. The results were seen with walking more than 1 mile per day, walking more than 10,000 steps per day,

Overall Weight

Any discussion on walking is incomplete without discussion the health benefit of weight loss as a result of walking. Walking at least 30 minutes for 4-5 times per week can aid weight loss. In addition, research has shown that brisk walking is just as effective as high intensity jogging for weight loss. Walking may even be superior to jogging due to decreased potential injuries related to exercising.

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://jama.jamanetwork.com/article.aspx?articleid=393937

http://www.annalsofepidemiology.org/article/1047-2797(94)90072-8/abstract

http://storre.stir.ac.uk/bitstream/1893/4767/1/sys_rev_depression_and_walking_for%20STORRE.pdf

http://www.jclinepi.com/article/S0895-4356(06)00256-3/abstract

http://care.diabetesjournals.org/content/18/6/775.short

http://atvb.ahajournals.org/content/33/5/1085.short