Diet

Canada Food Guide Review

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Food PyramidThe Canadian Food Guide has been a go-to resource for year for individuals who are attempting to determine how their diet should be in order to optimize health. Recently, a friend of mine asked the question: Is the Canadian Food Guide accurate in its recommendations in your opinion? This question caused me to pursue and determine what my opinions were on the Canadian Food Guide, and if my recommendations to patients differed much. The answer I discovered is not so simple, and differs based on the role of the Canadian Food Guide, and my role in patient care.

To begin with, it is worth noting that the Canadian Food Guide is meant to be a public health measure, geared towards optimizing the health of the public as a whole. That being said, certain individuals would benefit from a more individualist diet. As Naturopathic Doctors (NDs), we approach care from a individualist perspective, where you are a unique individual with unique health needs. As a result, dietary recommendations that I might make for one individual, I may not make for another. That being said, I can give a very general view of and perspective on the Canadian Food Guide, and where it flourishes, and where it may fall a bit short.

The serving suggestions per day provides an area both for cheer and for concern. The vegetables and fruits that are recommended per day are approximately 7-8 or 7-10 per day for adults (depending on gender). This serving suggestion is fantastic and is what I often recommend for patients to consume. However, I tend to ask patients to get more of their 7-8 per day from vegetables as opposed to fruit. In the area of grain suggestions, 6-8 per day are recommended for adults, which I find to be a bit much. I would also suggest the same of milk and milk products. Currently, the recommendation is for 2-3 servings per day of milk and milk products, which could be a bit much for most individuals. In regards to meat and meat alternatives, the recommended daily amount is 2-3 servings per day, which I am fine with as long as the focus is more on meat alternatives such as nuts and seeds. Specifically in the Canadian Food Guide, they are trying to focus more on the meat alternatives which is beneficial overall.

In addition to the serving recommendations, the Canadian Food Guide provides additional information including portion examples, how to read nutrition labels, increasing exercise, decreasing screen time, very general nutritional supplementation for pregnancy, and very general nutritional supplementation for pregnancy. An area of concern, however, arises if an individual is not paying close enough attention to some of the recommendations for obtaining their recommended servings per day. For example, in the food guide, it suggests that 100% fruit juice can count as a serving of fruit (which is correct), but if an individual does not pay enough attention, they could think that consuming juice in general is conducive to overall health (when in all actuality it may not be).

Bottom Line: Overall, the Canadian Food Guide does provide a very broad and general guideline for healthy eating for the Canadian population as a whole. Unfortunately, this may not be enough for most individuals in order for them to obtain optimal health. As a result, it would be beneficial for individuals who are hoping to improve their overall health to speak to a Naturopathic Doctor or health care provider about dietary recommendations that are best for their body and overall well – being.

Have you benefitted 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, please book an appointment with Elisha Cook at the RSNC (416-498-9763), and let me help you achieve your health goals.

Elimination Diet – Friendly Tarts

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Elimination Diet Friendly Tart 2This recipe is one that I created in an attempt to make a tart that was gluten – free, dairy – free, egg – free, and ultimately free of sugar (I did add some natural sugars though). These tarts are a nice little treat for you sweet-tooths out there who might need a sweet fix during an elimination diet or restricted diet.

Ingredients:

  • 2 cups of berries (ideally blueberries, raspberries, and/or blackberries)
  • 3 tablespoons of honey (may need to add more if the mixture is too “tart”)
  • 1 cup of brown rice flour
  • 1 cup of water
  • 2 cups of pitted dates
  • 1 cup of brazil nuts
  • 1 cup of walnuts

Directions:

Filling

  1. Combine 2 cups of berries and 3 tablespoons of honey in a non-stick frying pan and heat until well combined.
  2. Add in flour, followed by slowly adding in the water.
  3. Heat until thick consistency is reached.

Tart Base

  1. Combine dates, brazil nuts, and walnuts in a food processor and mix until thoroughly combined.
  2. Shape the mixture into tart shapes, making sure to leave the center indented for the filling.
  3. Place the filling in the center of the tart base.
  4. Place the tarts in the freezer until approximately 30-60 minutes prior to serving.

Have you benefitted 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, please book an appointment with Elisha Cook at the RSNC (416-498-9763) today and let me help you achieve your health goals.

 

 

Naturopathic Approaches to Weight Loss

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Girl - Weight LossMany individuals struggle with weight loss, or simply want to lose a couple extra pounds. This process can be simple for some, and challenging for others. Weight loss can also differ between individuals based on various circumstances including having certain medical conditions, mobility issues, work conflicts, etc. However, there are treatments that can help, that can be provided through your naturopathic doctor. A Naturopathic doctor can use the following therapies to achieve therapeutic benefits for weight loss:

  • Traditional Chinese Medicine and Acupuncture
  • Botanical Medicine
  • Nutrition, Diet and Lifestyle
  • Hydrotherapy
  • Homeopathy
  • Physical Medicine

Ultimately, the goal of treatment will be to treat the root cause of disease. For the goal of weight loss, one might argue that there is no root cause, but this may not be true. There is a reason why individuals gain weight in the first place, whether it is due to stress, increased food intake, or developing a medical condition. As a result, the following list offers examples as to what goals might be developed for a treatment plan for an individual:

  • Treat any concurrent medical conditions
  • Correct for deficiencies
  • Reduce stress or Improve stress management
  • Improve coping mechanisms
  • Improve mood
  • Alter lifestyle and diet
  • Increase exercise
  • Increase metabolism
  • Improve mobility
  • Improve gut microbiology and digestion

How can Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) help?

TCM views the body differently than western medicine. TCM theory suggests that when there is an imbalance in the body system, disease manifests. Each “organ” is associated with an emotion: Heart with joy and is the center of one’s personality, liver with anger, spleen with worry, lungs with grief, and kidneys with fear. All of these emotions can contribute to stress, and therefore difficulties to lose weight. By correcting this disbalance, stress can be addressed, making it easier for some to lose weight. In addition, each organ can be affected by various factors from a TCM perspective, including dampness. Dampness can cause an overall sensation of heaviness and lethargy, as well as contribute to increased weight. By addressing any dampness in an individual’s system, it may help the individual to be able to lose weight.

Once a specific diagnosis is made, a treatment plan is created, and may involve using acupuncture, herbal formulas, diet, or lifestyle, all with the purpose of bringing the body back into a state of balance.

Specifically regarding acupuncture, acupuncture has been shown in some studies to be beneficial for decreasing appetite in individuals who are looking to lose weight. Specifically, in this particular study, 95% of individuals found that there appetite decreased with the aid of acupuncture (http://europepmc.org/abstract/med/9679359).

How can Botanical Medicine help?

Botanical formulas have similar effects to medications, often without the side effects, however this is not true for all herbs and plants. Specific herbs or plants will be selected based on their properties and combined based on the specific individual’s struggles with weight loss. For example, one person may need help with coping with stress in order to lose weight, where another individual may need more energy in order to lose weight. Some beneficial properties that some useful herbs may have include: nervine, anti – depressant effect, sedative, adaptogenic, and metabolism boosting effects.

Much research has been conducted on herbs used for weight loss, many of which should not be taken lightly. The research is positive for such herbs as caffeine and ephedra and their contribution to weight loss, however, many people can have ill health effects from their use (http://www.nature.com/ijo/journal/v30/n10/abs/0803283a.html).

How can Nutrition and Diet help?

One cannot talk about weight loss without talking about diet and nutrition. If an individual wants to lose weight, it is important for the individual to have some changes in their diet. Your naturopathic doctor can help you to make those changes, and make them realistic for your specific lifestyle. In addition, a naturopathic doctor can help you to correct for specific nutritional deficiencies, which may contribute to aiding in overall energy. Based on your specific case, several classes of action may be recommended for you, and thus foods or supplements recommended. These actions might include: anti-oxidant, mood – boosting, energy-boosting, or anti – inflammatory.

As one can imagine, much research has been conducted regarding diet and its role in weight loss. In one particular study, diet and exercise alone contributed to an 8% loss in body fat and 16% improvement in cardiovascular health (http://annals.org/article.aspx?articleid=713672).

How can Hydrotherapy help?

Hydrotherapy involves alternating hot and cold water applications to achieve the following goals: promote detoxification and relaxation, increase circulation, improve immune system functioning, promote digestion, increase metabolism, and decrease pain. Based on all of the following actions, hydrotherapy could be beneficial for weight loss by addressing the various contributing factors to weight gain. In addition, hydrotherapy may be beneficial for inducing weight loss in and of itself.

Hydrotherapy can be performed via a number of methods: constitutional hydrotherapy, sauna, peat bath, Epsom salt baths, or alternating hot and cold showers. These therapies may not be available at every naturopathic doctor’s clinic, but if you are interested in these therapies, they can be performed by myself, Elisha Cook, at the Robert Schad Naturopathic Clinic (416-498-9763).

Very little evidence has surfaced for the efficacy of hydrotherapy and its role in weight loss. However, from a mechanistic view, hydrotherapy could be beneficial for weight loss in helping with the body’s detoxification process. Specifically, saunas can provide a means to help individuals with weight loss and detoxification. In the following study, individuals who incorporated sauna treatments with their exercise regimes lost 3% more of body fat than those who exercised alone (http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0031938497003533).

How can Homeopathy help?

Homeopathy is an energy medicine that involves finite doses of a substance that are diluted in water, which amount to a higher therapeutic dose overall. In this form of medicine, individualized remedies are chosen based on the individual’s specific symptoms and presentation. Each person requires a different remedy based on their unique presentation. Homeopathy does not interact with any medications, making it quite useful especially if you are taking other medications.

There is very little research on the use of homeopathy for weight loss specifically, and the research is not very impressive, suggesting that there may be mild weight reductions (http://www.nature.com/ijo/journal/v29/n9/abs/0803008a.html). However, research does suggest homeopathy being beneficial for pain, stress, anxiety, and depression, all of which could contribute to weight gain and lack of weight loss (http://europepmc.org/abstract/MED/21733480). 

How can Physical Medicine help?

Physical medicine involves a number of different potential therapies. These therapies might include massage, naturopathic manipulation, ultrasound, laser therapy, electroacupuncture, or Gua Sha. The general effect of these therapies includes relaxation, increased circulation, decreased pain, increased metabolism, and decreased inflammation. Similar to what was mentioned above, weight loss can be obstructed by various factors that should be addressed. Specifically in regards to weight loss, research has shown that massage and manipulation can be beneficial in helping individuals to lose fat (http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1468-3083.2009.03355.x/abstract;jsessionid=0AE2C7CC7AC94828461CA98BABA80853.f02t02?deniedAccessCustomisedMessage=&userIsAuthenticated=false).

How can Lifestyle changes help?

Various lifestyle factors can play a role in weight gain. By helping individuals to improve sleep, scheduling, stress management, and adopt an exercise regime that fits their lifestyle, one can move closer to achieving their weight loss goals. Naturopathic doctors are trained to help individuals through lifestyle counselling, and can use methods such as motivational interviewing or cognitive behavioural therapy to do so.

Research is quite extensive regarding exercise and its role in weight loss. As mentioned above, one particular study suggests that individuals who partake in exercise alone can lose approximately 8% of their body fat (http://annals.org/article.aspx?articleid=713672).

Have you benefitted 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, please book an appointment with Elisha Cook at the RSNC (416-498-9763), and let me help you achieve your health goals.

 

Fasting Essentials

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Fasting black and whiteA fast is defined as the following by the medical dictionary: “is voluntarily not eating food for varying lengths of time.” It is used as a medical therapy and/or a spiritual practice. As some of you may know, my husband and I recently completed a 40 day fast, where we only ate 1 meal per day. This fast was the first one for which we embarked on such a task, and as a result, we learned much from it. It is my hope that this blog will help provide you with some resources and information to help you if you ever choose to complete a fast (of various types) yourself.

Plan  

A fast is not something to be taken lightly. It takes not only a physical toll, but a mental one as well. As a result, it is beneficial to plan before completing a fast of any kind. For example, when we completed our fast we were deciding whether we should eat one meal per day or fast meat for the duration. Because there were various holidays involved and social gatherings that we could not control, we chose to eat the one meal per day (after considerable thought and prayer) in order to prevent other’s plans from being interrupted by ours.

Be Prepared 

In addition to planning, it is important to be prepared. Specifically, temptations will arise to have what you are fasting, e.g. chocolate cravings if you are fasting chocolate. Having strategies in place before the fast such as making snacks less accessible by removing them from your home or from plain sight can help your fast be more successful.

Seek Medical Advice

It is important that you seek medical advice before fasting, especially if you have any medical conditions such as high or low blood pressure and diabetes. These medical conditions can be impacted by the lack of food or fluid in your diet, and so, speaking with your health care provider, or a naturopathic doctor, can help you plan what the best approach to your fast will be, in order to avoid serious complications.

Stay Hydrated

With any fast, it is important to stay hydrated. Your body is going through a detoxification process spiritually and physically, and water can help your body flush out any toxins. In addition, fasting can decrease the fluid you are consuming, and so, this could cause your blood pressure to go down, leading to dizziness. By ensuring you are having adequate water intake, you will be less likely to have these symptoms. For my fast, I used coconut water to help curb any blood sugar drops, and to give variety with hydration. In addition, it is beneficial to avoid excess consumption of caffeine or alcohol as these drinks tend to dehydrate the body, and put the body into a greater hydration deficit.

Inform Those Around You

When you are fasting, temptation is not only internal, but external as well. By informing your family and friends of what you are doing, it can help your fast be more successful through their support, and help decrease the temptation from their actions. For example, if you are avoiding chocolate, and your partner does not know this, they may offer you some chocolate or eat it in front of you, causing you to feel tempted to discontinue the fast.

Have you benefitted 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, please book an appointment with Elisha Cook at the RSNC (416-498-9763), and let me help you achieve your health goals.