Energy

What is Hydrotherapy?

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What is Hydrotherapy?Head shower while running water

Water can be a very powerful tool for healing that is often underestimated. As Naturopathic Doctors, we use water therapy, called hydrotherapy, which involves applying different methods of water to the body to promote healing. This might involve alternating hot and cold water applications to an area, or even using a sauna to nourish our bodies. Hydrotherapy has an added benefit of being inexpensive, because most of the time it is just a matter of applying water to an area. Though it is just water, some of the treatments may not be good for certain patient populations based on its effect and pre-existing medical conditions. Therefore, it is best to consult with your Naturopathic Doctor before trying any hydrotherapy treatments on your own.

What does it cause in the body?

Overall, various hydrotherapy treatments can be used to cause the following effects in the body:

  • Reduce pain
  • Increase circulation
  • Promote detoxification
  • Promote healing of organs/tissues
  • Stimulate brain function
  • Relieve fatigue
  • Boost Immune system functioning
  • Promote digestion
  • Increase metabolism
  • Relieve congestion
  • Relieve coughs
  • Promotes relaxation

What are the different conditions it can help with?

Hydrotherapy can be used to help many different conditions including:

  • Digestive concerns such as constipation, diarrhea, indigestion, fatty liver, colic, tenesmus, etc.
  • Menstrual concerns such as irregular cycles, premenstrual tension, cramping (dysmenorrhea), etc.
  • Musculoskeletal concerns such as joint pain, muscle pain, muscle tears, ligament instability, etc.
  • Respiratory concerns such as the effects of allergies, congestion, coughs, frequent colds and flues, compromised immune systems etc.
  • Many other concerns such as weight loss goals, fatigue, detoxification and improving overall health.

For more information on hydrotherapy or the services I provide, consider calling the clinic at 519-537-7058, or message me via the contact portion of this website.

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!

 

Gratitude Practices

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GratitudeAs Thanksgiving approaches this weekend, it is important to consider what one is thankful for. However, as some may have heard before, an “attitude of gratitude” is a type of attitude that should be adopted year round. This type of grateful thinking on a regular basis can have many health benefits including, but not limited to:

  • Increased ability to achieve life goals.
  • Increased happiness
  • Strengthened and built relationships
  • Increase alertness and energy
  • Longer and better quality of sleep
  • Increased immunity
  • Increase overall physical health

For more detail on the mechanism and precise estimates on how much gratefulness can benefit your health, see my previous blog on the health benefits of being thankful. Now that we know what being thankful can do for our health, one needs to know how one can adopt this gratitude mindset. Different individuals may choose to do this differently. For some it will be more of an outward expression, for others it may be more internal. The bottom line is choose what suits you best, and go from there. The list below provides some examples of what has been researched and shown to have positive health benefits, but you do not need to limit thankfulness practices to these suggestions. Get creative and get thankful in the way you deem best! I challenge you to try and conduct a thankful exercise of your choice every day and see how it benefits you.

  1. Record happy events – improve well – being and positive emotions
  2. Express gratitude – improve well-being and positive emotions
  3. Give thanks to God for all you have both tangible and non-tangible – In some studies when expressed toward God caused decreased stress and improved health in stressful situations
  4. Record things grateful for – improve emotional well-being and interpersonal benefits
  5. Look in the mirror and say I appreciate you and am thankful for you – For the health benefits of positive self-talk and for some other self-affirmations you can speak over yourself, refer to my past blog on positive self-talk.

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, contact Elisha Cook via the contact portion of this website.

Sources:

http://ccn.aacnjournals.org/content/29/6/12.full

http://en.cnki.com.cn/Article_en/CJFDTOTAL-XLKX200903022.htm

http://psycnet.apa.org/journals/psp/84/2/377/

http://roa.sagepub.com/content/28/2/163.short

 

Helping your child to perform optimally at school

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The school year is well under way, and many parents can become concerned about their child’s performance in school. Some children may benefit significantly from small changes to their lifestyle and diet. The following tips may help your child to perform optimally in school:

Sleep Recommendations

  1. Sleep – this tip may seem very straight forward, but many children do not get enough sleep. Sleep is so important for children because this is when we process information, grow, and re-energize for the day ahead. If a child does not get enough sleep, they may become quite agitated in the classroom and potentially cause disruption. They may also be unable to concentrate because of the fatigue. Provided to the right is a chart that gives you an idea of how much sleep your child needs according to their age group, as recommended by the sleep foundation (Source: http://sleepfoundation.org/how-sleep-works/how-much-sleep-do-we-really-need) . To further drive home the point, research has been done in regards to sleep and school performance. The research has shown that shortened sleep, disrupted sleep schedules, late bed and rise times, and poor sleep quality all negatively impact academic performance.
  2. Exercise – Exercise is very important for your child. Exercise provides a way to boost mood, boost energy, re-focus, and give a sense of accomplishment depending on the form. By encouraging regular exercise, it allows your child to get the energy release they need and gives them an opportunity to “collect” themselves before re-focusing on school tasks. Research has shown that exercise and physical activity in school aged children can actually increase Grade Point Averages (GPA).
  3. Fruits and Vegetables – no discussion would be complete without discussing the benefits of fruits and vegetables. Fruits and vegetables can provide significant amounts of B vitamins, which are beneficial for brain functioning, mood, energy, stress, and concentration.
  4. Reduce Screen Time – screen time (i.e. televisions, cell phones, I pads, computers, etc.) could have a negative impact on your child’s future educational achievement. Some research has suggested that the more a child spends in front of a television, the less that they will achieve in the future in regards to degrees and educational achievement. I want to point out that some individuals do benefit from the use of different software to help engage with learning, and so, this recommendation needs to be adapted to your child’s specific needs.
  5. Parenting Style – interestingly enough, the way a child is parented can impact their achievement in school. Research has identified five “processes” that contribute to school achievement. They are: “verbal interactions between mother and children, expectation of parents for achievement, positive affective relationships between parents and children, parental beliefs and attributions about the child, and discipline and control strategies.” Of these processes, discipline and control strategies were the most strongly associated with school achievement.

If your child still experiences difficulty with concentration and focus in school, it is important for you to seek the help of a naturopathic doctor, pediatrician, or other health care provider. Some of the causes can be as simple as a nutritional deficiency, and some may require further evaluation.

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, contact Elisha Cook via the contact portion of this website.

Source: http://sleepfoundation.org/sites/default/files/STREPchanges_1.png

http://www.smrv-journal.com/article/S1087-0792(03)90003-7/abstract

http://www.ijbnpa.org/content/5/1/10/

Health Benefits of Sun Exposure

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Autumn Girl enjoying nature on the field. Beauty Girl Outdoors rMany public health campaigns are aimed at reducing sun exposure to address potential skin cancer risks and concerns. However, completely abstaining from sun exposure in general could be more detrimental to your health than good. As with many of the recommendations I give, everything in moderation. That being said, 10-15 minutes of direct sun exposure (including not having sun glasses on but obviously not looking directly into the sun) can have many different health benefits. Please be aware that this timing might be different for individuals who are sun – sensitive or those taking medications that increase your sensitivity to the sun. It is also important to use sun protection when the UV index is above 3.

This blog serves to provide you, my readers, with some information on how your health may improve from soaking up some sun.

Vitamin D Production

It is difficult to talk about sunlight exposure without talking about vitamin D. Our bodies need sunlight in order to produce vitamin D, which could benefit many conditions including depression, cancer, colds, illness, seasonal affective disorder (SAD), immune functioning.

Improved Sleep

With adequate sun exposure, we allow the natural processes and hormone regulation in our bodies to take place, specifically for melatonin. When we are exposed to sunlight (or artificial light) in the mornings, we are able to produce melatonin sooner in the evening, leading to an easier time falling asleep at night. This has been shown to be beneficial for insomnia, premenstrual syndrome, and SAD.

Mood Enhancement

Neurotransmitters are also impacted by sunlight, specifically serotonin. Serotinin is what I like to call a “happy neurotransmitter”. It helps to elevate mood and bring about mental clarity in general when it is in adequate supply. Serotonin is directly impacted by melatonin, and so, serotonin becomes higher when we receive enough sunlight exposure. As a result, the serotonin received could help with depression, SAD, poor energy, and poor concentration.

Immune System Regulation

Sun exposure can aid the immune system through many different mechanisms. Ultimately it helps the immune system remove immune cells that might attack your own body (self – reactive T cells) and thus prevent or help with the management of autoimmune conditions such as Rheumatoid Arthritis, Psoriasis, Vitiligo, Multiple Sclerosis, Cancer, and some forms of Hypothyroidism.

Decrease Oxidative Stress

Though too much sun exposure can cause oxidative stress, adequate amounts can help limit oxidative stress. This can help with gene repair and limit DNA damage.

Increase Endorphins

Direct sun exposure has also shown to increase blood levels of endorphins, which could help to decrease pain and improve mood overall.

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 contact Elisha Cook at the Contact portion of the website for more information.

Source: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2290997/