Dr. Elisha Cook ND Archives - Page 23 of 24 - Plattsville Natural Health Clinic

Health Benefits of Peppermint

December 23, 2015 by elisha

With the holidays comes all of the tasty treats that often include candy canes and peppermint. However, as you may know, peppermint is not just a tasty accessory for all of the holiday baking. It can have some beneficial properties that can improve overall health. For instance, from a botanical medicine perspective, there are several ways that peppermint may be used. Often, I will prescribe it in tea form where an individual will be using the leaf. This herb can also be used as an essential oil and tincture. Each of these forms have different characteristics in themselves that may make them more useful for different situations than the other form. For example, if someone is has an infection in their lungs, breathing in an essential oil may be more effective than drinking a peppermint tea. Regardless, all forms are valid and carry beneficial properties for various conditions.

Main Actions

In botanical medicine, one of the main areas that we explore with her are a plant’s main actions. This aids in discovery of a plant’s whole potential. In regards to peppermint, it is a unique herb in the sense that it has many actions that can affect many different organ systems, from the liver to the lung.

Spasmolytic – relieves spasms
Carminative – helps with digestion
Cholagogue – aids with liver functioning
Anti-emetic – relieves nausea
Anti-microbial – kills bacteria
Mild Sedative – helps to put you to sleep
Diaphoretic – helps you to produce a fever and fight off infections
Analgesic – relieves pain

These main actions of peppermint can help us to determine what this herb could potentially help us with. The main indications for peppermint might include digestion, pain, sleep, and infections. However, the research surrounding this herb may reveal more around the benefits of this herb. Research has shown that peppermint in its various states, may help with the following conditions:

Irritable Bowel Syndrome – abdominal pain, abdominal distention, flatulence, cramping, and gastric emptying all improved
Non – ulcer dyspepsia
Post – operative nausea
Daytime sleepiness
Congestion
Wheezing in asthma
Tension – both mentally and within the muscles.

The information above in no way reflects the full potential of this herb or a comprehensive review of the research. However it does provide you with an idea of the potential of this herb to benefit one’s health. There are some cautions that individuals should be aware of though. For example, peppermint can cause an increase in GERD and acid reflux symptoms. Also, certain genetic syndromes disable an individual from effectively processing peppermint, making it potentially harmful for some. Finally, peppermint can inhibit iron absorption, and so, it should not be consume before or with meals. As always, I should mention that peppermint is not for everyone, and so, please contact your health care provider to determine if you should be consuming peppermint as part of your health plan.

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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!

Surviving Exam Season

December 15, 2015 by elisha

Exam time is a stressful and challenging time regardless of what educational institute you are in. As a result, healthy lifestyle and eating habits often “go down the drain”. Over the many exam periods I have had to endure, I have developed tips and tricks to help me stay “above water” when it came to my health and my needs. In addition to studying, it is my hope that developing these healthy habits will help you not only ace your exams, but survive the exam season.

Prepare healthy snacks in advance

Having snacks already made such as cut up vegetables and fruit will help you to avoid the temptation of going for “easy” snack food such as chips, candy, pastries, etc.

Prepare meals in advance

Similar to the point above, cooking meals in advance helps to avoid the temptation to eat out and grab that big mac as opposed to a salad. Often, I cook my meals on weekends in preparation for the week. This way, I know I have a quick and healthier choice to rely on.

Green tea

Green tea has a constituent in it called “theanine”. Theanine helps you to be able to focus without the jittery feeling that coffee can often give. As a result, green tea is great for those long study sessions.

Chamomile Tea (or a relaxing tea) before bed

Not only will this help you to sleep better, but it is also a therapeutic action that helps prepare your mind and body for bed. Which leads to my next point. . .

Sleep

Sleep is important not only for your health but also for your memory prior to exams. Research has shown that getting the 8 hours of sleep before an exam is more beneficial than “pulling an all-nighter”. So do your body and you a favor and sleep.

It is okay to take breaks

Giving yourself permission to take breaks is important. It helps change the way you are thinking and allows your brain to function better and be more productive.

Exercise

Exercise has many health benefits including helping our brains to function effectively, improving energy, and improving mood, all of which are important during exam time. As little as 20 minutes per day has shown to be enough to experience health benefits from exercise. Even if you go for a short walking around your residence or block for a break would be enough to help you refocus and gain a different perspective on your studying.

Deep breathing prior to exams

Finally, breathing is important. Deep breathing prior to exams can help calm you and focus you on what needs to be accomplished. With this in mind, remember to keep things in perspective by asking yourself, is this really a big deal? What would happen if I did fail (realistically)? Often putting things into perspective helps us when we are facing these challenging times.

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Gut – Brain Connection

December 8, 2015 by elisha

Recently, a lot of research has emerged suggesting that there is a connection between gut health and your mental health. Though this seems odd, in a way this does seem quite logical. Within our guts is an additional nervous system called the enteric nervous system that responds to hormones in the gut, and so, by association, one might think that this nervous system would connect to our central nervous system. Therefore, the health of the one nervous system might in turn affect the health of the other nervous system. This in theory is poorly understood, but much research has shown that this could be useful for treatment of mental health concerns.

To begin with, some mental health concerns are due to inflammation in the brain, specifically in neurons. When neurons are inflamed, the system cannot function the way that it was meant to. Some studies have shown that an inappropriately balanced gastro-intestinal system (in regards to microorganisms) can lead to increased inflammation in the gut, which is associated with increased anxiety. By correcting the inflammation and altering the gut micro-flora, the inflammation and resultant anxiety was decreased.

Some research has also shown the influence of the specific gut microorganisms on hormones. Specifically, it has shown these the micro-organisms secrete dopamine and serotonin. These two compounds that are secreted are hormones that are related to mood and energy. I like to call them your happy hormones, though to be honest, undermining the full potential of these two hormones.

Finally, research has also shown that the appropriate gut micro flora can help to decrease the stress hormone cortisol. This could be due to several mechanisms including improved mood, therefore improved tolerance to stress.

If you are concerned that your gut health could be impacting your mental health, or that your gut could be in a healthier state, do not hesitate to consult a naturopathic doctor or seek health. The concerns you have could be very simple in origin and fixed simply if addressed sooner than later.

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Bacterial Infections versus Viral Infections: What you need to know!

December 1, 2015 by elisha

This time of the year provides many avenues for individuals to fall under the weather. Most of the time, individuals struggle with the common cold, but symptoms and states can escalate into scenarios that are far worse. The treatment of these various states can drastically impact not only recovery but prevention of future infections as well. This is dependent on identifying whether a bacteria or a virus is the ultimate cause of the illness.

Bacterial Infections

As you might be able to guess, bacterial infections are caused by a bacteria. The cause or route of exposure depends on the type of bacteria. For example some bacteria can enter through ingestion (e.g. our food). When an individual is infected with a bacteria, a common symptom might include a high fever. Others symptoms depend on the presenting concern, e.g. if someone has diarrhea, they might experience blood in the diarrhea. From a primary care standpoint, it is important to address bacterial infections with an appropriate antibiotic. However, if the appropriate antibiotic is not chosen, this can lead to bacterial resistance. What this means is that a bacteria fights off the antibiotic and does not respond to the antibiotic in the future as a result. In short, the next time that you have a bacterial infection from the same bacteria, and use the same antibiotic, you will not be able to fight off the bacteria.

Viral Infections

Viral infections are caused by a virus. A virus may have similar presentations to a bacteria, but ultimately can be less aggressive in general. Often, a viral infection will cause a relatively lower increase in temperature when compared to a bacteria. In addition, depending on the viral infection, the sickness caused from it can be self – limiting, meaning that it will go away on its own once it has run its course. This is not the case for all viruses though. As a result, these infections do not need to be treated with antibiotics. Taking an antibiotic when it is not necessary can result in future resistance to antibiotics and cause the treatments to not work when it may be crucial that they do. Regardless, it is important to consult with your medical doctor as to how to best approach any colds, flus, or sicknesses you might have.

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