Monthly Archives: April 2016

Growth Hormone – What Is It And How Is It Tested?

The Growth Hormone  is gaining popularity these days especially among personal trainers and body builders who are looking to build lean body mass and decrease body fat, and those that are looking to defy  the aging process and stay youthful, so what is the growth hormone ( human growth hormone or somatotropin and what is the function of this hormone in our body ? How is it tested and what information does testing results offer on your health status?

Growth hormone (or Human Growth Hormone) , also known as somatotropin, is a 191 – amino acid peptide that is naturally released by the pituitary gland, is an anabolic hormone, which promotes muscle growth and the break down of body fat for energy as well, stimulates both bone and soft tissue growth. It also stimulates the secretion of somatomedins from the liver. Somatomedins, also called  insulin – like growth factors (IGFs) which are structurally related to insulin, act with the growth hormone to stimulate both bone growth and soft tissue growth.

How does the growth hormone affect our body?

Growth in humans is a continuous process that begins before birth. Without this hormone, children simply will not grow. The growth hormone is released through out life, but peaks in teenage years, and the biggest role for the growth hormone is in children. In adults, the largest pulse of growth hormone is released in the first 2 hours of sleep. Metabolically, the growth hormone is anabolic for proteins, directing energy and amino acids into protein synthesis, an essential part of tissue growth. It increases fat breakdown and glucose output from the liver.  The growth hormone also acts with the insulin like growth factors that stimulate bone and cartilage growth.  During exercise, this hormone is increased in the plasma and helps regulate metabolism along other hormones.

The amount of growth hormone released is affected by the following factors:

1. Hormones such as the thyroid hormone, insulin and sex steroid hormones.

2. Diet – with adequate proteins, caloric intake, vitamins and minerals.

3. Stress – Presence or absence there of stress affects the amount of cortisol released which has significant anti-growth and anti- metabolism effects.

4. Genetics.

5. Circadian rhythm. 

How is the growth hormone tested? 

The growth hormone can be tested through blood testing. We do offer testing for this hormone at our naturopathic clinic. For more information on testing the growth hormone and other hormones, please click here.

Nearly half the growth hormone released in the blood is bound to a plasma growth hormone binding protein, which protects the plasma growth hormone from being filtered in the urine, extending its half life from 7 – 18 minutes and works as a reservoir for the growth hormone in the blood. Somatomedin or insulin- like growth factor – IGF-1 is important because it is a reliable indicator of human growth hormone. IGF-1 needs to be within the expected range for this reason: Low IGF-1 levels indicate Adult Growth Hormone Deficiency associated with rapid aging, decreased muscle and bone mass, slowing cognition, low libido and poor quality of life.

By: Sushma Shah, Toronto Naturopath, at the Nature’s Intentions Naturopathic Clinic.

 

What Causes An Itchy Bottom?

Although an embarrassing subject to talk about, a lot of people do suffer for an itchy bottom (also known as pruritis ani). Its a very common condition in children quite often caused by pin worms and parasites, what causes it in adults and how do you treat it?

Here are some of the possible causes of anal itching:

  • Allergies to certain foods or contact allergies to chemicals found in body washes, detergents and soaps.
  • Candida or yeast infections – a very common cause and can be treated quite effectively using naturopathic medicine
  • Hemorrhoids
  • Intestinal parasites and pH imbalance (too much acidity ) in the gut causing dysbiosis   (imbalanced flora)
  • Local irritation or eczema
  • Rectal Fissures
  • Sexually transmitted diseases such as gonorrhoea
  • Scabies
  • Trichomoniasis

Once you have established the cause, you can treat it easily and effectively using various natural treatments. However in the mean time, you can try to following tips that would help soothe the itch:

  • Wiping well after a bowel movement with a cold wet wipe or tissue moistened with water.
  • Applying corn starch or natural baby powder without perfume to keep the area dry as moisture and heat encourages growth of yeast.
  • If you are suffering from hemorrhoids, its important to resolve the swelling first and as well, treat the hemorrhoids and their cause. If constipation is a concern, resolve that first.
  • Try to avoid foods that are acidic and spicy, especially when you have been feeling very itchy.
  • Try applying natural yogurt if you are feeling a burning sensation along with the itch.

The health tips mentioned above maybe very helpful. However, it is important to first identify the cause of the problem before treating any health problem and talk to your health specialist first to correctly diagnose your health issues. If you are interested in treating it using natural remedies and naturopathic medicine, please give us a call at the clinic to schedule an appointment.

By: Dr. Sushma Shah, Toronto Naturopath, at the Nature’s Intentions Naturopathic Clinic.

How To Care For Your Liver

Your liver is a very important organ with some key functions which include:

1. Metabolizing carbohydrates – Your liver stores glycogen and is a main source of plasma glucose.

2. Fat metabolism – Fats are broken down by an enzyme called lipase. Your liver is central breaking down fat.

3. Protein metabolism – The liver is a major site for protein metabolism and and synthesis and break down of protein.

4. Bile synthesis – The liver secretes bile containing bilirubin, cholesterol, electrolytes, and bile salts. In disease, abnormal bile metabolism is the basis of jaundice.

5. Storage – The liver stores glycogen, iron, copper, and fat soluble vitamins, which can become dangerously excessive in disease.

6. DETOXIFICATION –  The liver is responsible for detoxifying many metabolites, toxins, hormones and drugs. Its function is often impaired by what we put into our body. Optimal liver function is key to keep us healthy, vital and energetic. As a Naturopathic Doctor, i find that a lot of health concerns related to the liver are mostly related to inflammation of the liver due to chronic alcoholism, virus and drugs as well, gallstones.

Its very important to care for your liver and here are a few ways of achieving this naturally:

Let Food Be Your Medicine

There are many healing foods for the liver that contain powerful medicinal properties – dandelion, beet, burdock, endive, artichoke, onion, garlic, radish, apples, lemon, rhubarb, apple cider vinegar, ginger, turmeric – all organic of course.

Eat Well and Think Well

Eat plenty of fresh fruit and vegetables, legumes, nuts, seeds – raw food contains enzymes that help with digestion / assimilation, and the fiber is needed for optimal absorption. At least forty percent of the diet should be raw. And stop consuming things that are toxic to the liver such as sugar, saturated, hydrogenated or rancid fats, fried foods, alcohol, caffeine, pesticides, drugs, food additives.

Eliminate Anger, Hostility, and Frustration

Anger, and toxic stress (chemical and / or emotional) have detrimental effects on the liver and gall bladder. The liver reacts to negative emotions the same as it does toxins. Be grateful for what you have, and let go of resentment.

Get Moving and Laugh More Often

The body needs to move to eliminate toxins – find something you like to do that moves you and do it regularly. And find a way to get laughing like you really mean it.

Give Your Stressed Liver What it Needs to Regenerate

From the bitters, to tonics, to single herbs, vitamins, minerals, & amino acids, the liver needs them to function properly.

Eat When Relaxed and Don’t Stuff

The digestive system does not work well when body is stressed, so it is not a good idea to eat in a hurry or when you are upset. Eat only when you are hungry – your body tells you what it needs – and never stuff yourself full.

 By: Sushma Shah – Naturopathic Doctor at the Natures Intentions Naturopathic Clinic.

Benefits Of Chia Seeds

Chia seeds are seeds from the Chia plant, they do not have any much taste at all which makes it taste best in mixing with different source of foods to give it a little bit of flavor. I usually like to add mine to yogurt, cereal and soups. They tend to swell in water so i find adding them to a dessert – hot chocolate or smoothies just gives the drink that “oh, what is that” factor:)

Here are some of the benefits of chia seeds:

  • Lose weight without starving – when chia seed is exposed to water, you will get a mixture with a gel like consistency. Their unique gelling action will keep you feeling full for hours because chia gel slows down the digestion and absorption of carbohydrates in the system. Although it has a little to no taste, it is full of nutrients. And since the gel is made of water, it contains no calories—which would be perfect if wanting to lose a couple of pounds here and there.
  •  Boost Energy Levels – Chia seeds contains energy boosts and hydrophilic properties that help to regulate electrolytes. Since chia seeds are high in omega-3 fatty acids and ALA, as well as fiber, amino acids, antioxidants, minerals and many other nutrients – the complex carbohydrates found in this seed breaks down slowly that maintains energy levels for improved stamina and endurance leaving you to feeling more energized and stabilized moods.
  •  Improves Blood Sugar Level / reduced sugar cravings – the protein, fiber and complex carbohydrates found in chia seeds regulate blood sugar levels, so you feel full longer. The glycemic index of chia seeds is very low, so that makes the blood sugar levels not spike and crash as to when you have refined carbohydrates.
  •   Reduced Inflammation – since chia forms into a gel- like mixture when being exposed to water – it gives your digestive that soothing effect to reduce inflammation. Chia has both soluble fiber and insoluble fiber. The insoluble fiber helps cleans the intestinal tract. On the other hand, the soluble fiber can act as a probiotic and help feed the good bacteria in your digestive system.
  •  High in minerals – they are great source of a number of minerals your body needs to flourish. Calcium, phosphorus, manganese, zinc and manganese are all found in chia seeds — which are all vital for a healthy body.

 These are all just some of the health benefits that chia seeds offer. One of the biggest benefits of chia seeds is that they are high in fiber content and their lack of gluten, which is pretty much helpful for people who want a breakfast cereal but are gluten-sensitive.

For more information, please contact your naturopathic doctor or any health care provider. 

What Is Celiac Disease?

Celiac disease is an illness that is caused by an intolerance or sensitivity to GLUTEN, a substance found primarily in wheat, rye, barley, oats and spelt. Celiac disease can first appear in childhood or adulthood, and the symptoms can range from very mild to severe. The most severe symptoms seen with celiac disease are:

  • weight loss
  • bloating
  • diarrhea
  • abdominal pain and joint pain
  • vomiting

You can also have secondary effects of:

  • anemia to malabsorption in the intestines
  • muscle wasting and
  • problems related to nutritional deficiencies.

What causes these symptoms?

When a person with a gluten intolerance eats any foods containing gluten, a protein in the gluten called GLIADIN causes a reaction that results in damage to the intestinal wall, causing the villi in the small intestinal to flatten , which in turn leads to an inability to absorb most nutrients and eventually malnutrition.

Prognosis for Celiac Disease?

Some people experience no abdominal symptoms but can develop signs of nutritional deficiencies. Usually a blood allergy / intolerance test  will be adequate to diagnose an intolerance to gluten, however a biopsy of the small intestine will be necessary to rule out celiac disease. Once diagnosed, the condition can be managed extremely successfully by completely avoiding gluten products from the diet.

If you are suspecting that you may be suffering from an intolerance to gluten, or suspect celiac disease, call the clinic at 416 913 4325  to schedule a naturopathic  appointment for yourself, and we will be able to determine if you are in fact suffering from an intolerance to gluten or any other food and then treat your symptoms and the root cause of the health problem using nutrition and natural therapies.

By: Sushma Shah, Naturopathic Doctor, at the Nature’s Intentions Naturopathic Clinic.

 

Natural Solutions For Age Spots

Brown spots or age spots as we call them can appear on any part of the body that is over exposed to the sun. For very light skinned individuals, we see pigmented spots called freckles which come and go depending on the amount of sun exposure the skin receives. These age spots can appear commonly on the back of your hands, face and neck. Its important to check them frequently, and if they have changed in size, shape, and consistency, please have your health practitioner look at them to rule out skin cancer. However, prevention is key and in this case, protecting your skin against bot UVA and UVB rays is extremely important. Applying a sunscreen daily would be helpful, as well, wearing long loose clothing that would cover and protect the arms and hands, along with a hat would be ideal as well. Here are some ways to lighten existing spots:

1. Yogurt masks for age spots 

Yogurt has mild bleaching properties and can help lighten age spots and discoloration on the skin. Wash your face and skin with warm water and pat it dry. Then apply a thick layer of whole milk plain yoghurt, the fruity versions would make it too tempting:). You can add some honey to the yogurt to moisturize your skin as well.

Spread the layer on the affected areas and leave on for about 30 minutes and then rinse off with warm water. Try daily for a few months to notice a change.

2. Fading dark age spots 

Dab undiluted lemon juice on your age spots daily for three months for about 10 minutes. Lemon is  a powerful bleaching agent. Normally you should notice a difference in about three months. Lemon is a strong astringent as well, so it may be a little drying for the face, so moisturize with pure olive oil once you have washed your face off.

3. Strawberry Face Mask for Freckles and Age spots

A gentle, yummy smelling and effective way to lighten freckles and age spots. You can use frankincense essential oil to stimulate skin rejuvenation along with cosmetic clay.

Ingredients for the mask:

1  large ripe strawberry

2 tbsp. of plain yogurt 

2 drops of frankincense essential oil 

1/2 tsp of cosmetic clay 

Mash the strawberry and add the juice with the rest of the ingredients. Apply mixture to freshly washed skin and leave the mask in place for 20 minutes, then remove with a warm wet washcloth. Moisturize after.  Try the mask daily for oily skin, and every 2 – 3 days if you skin is dry.

These simple suggestions will help to naturally lighten age spots, however, it is important to make sure that the spots are in fact only age spots. Talk to you health care provider and get a thorough check for moles that may have changed in size or shape.

By: SUSHMA SHAH, Naturopathic Doctor, at the Nature’s Intentions Naturopathic Clinic.

 

 

Treating Eye Conditions Naturally

There are various eye conditions such as styes, pink eyes, conjunctivitis, black eyes and eye strain. With pink eye and conjunctivitis – there is sensitivity and redness in the eyes, there maybe some itching, a feeling of sand in the eyes, with tearing of the eyes. Eye strain is caused due to various reasons- such as overuse and staring at the computer too long, inadequate lighting, and straining the eyes, not resting and sleeping well, watching television  and reading in inadequate light for too long. Symptoms of eyestrain include fatigue, pressure and tenderness under the lids, headaches, and eye soreness and often blurry vision which seems to get worse with stress. Black eyes are usually caused when the tiny capillaries close to the surface of the skin around the eye leak blood into the surrounding tissue giving the eye a darkish looking color / hue around the around giving it a blackish color around the eye.

Here are some natural remedies to treat various eye conditions naturally:

Preventing eye strain:

Most people have a tendency to spend a great deal of time engaged in focusing on close up activities such activities such as reading, watching television, computer work. One simple way to prevent eye strain to take a break every 25 minutes and either massage the palms and place over them your eyes for a few minutes, or stare at a distant object for a couple of minutes. Try to have adequate lighting if you are going a spend some time reading, and try to cut down the amount of time you spend at either of these activities. If you do still experience eye strain, try to massage the temples with a little bit of lavender essential oil, which helps helps and de-stress the muscles around the eyes. You can also apply a cool compress on the eyes for about 15 minutes using cotton pads soaked in cold milk or sliced cucumbers, just like Queen Latifah did in “Last Holiday”.

Healing / Soothing Conjunctivitis:

A compress made of a regular earl grey or orange pekoe tea bag placed over the effected eye can be quite effective in calming the itching related to conjunctivitis, additional compresses made of calendula or goldenseal tea are great for relieving itching and speed up the healing process since calendula has healing antiviral and antibacterial properties. Apply the compress for 15 minutes at a time at least three times a day. Please talk to your health care provider before trying any of the above suggestions.

 Healing a black eye

 First and foremost, when dealing with a black eye is to bring down the swelling and the inflammation as well, ease the pain, so a cold compress with ice would be great over the first few hours along with some arnica gel, which is great for inflammation and to heal the injury. However be careful not to apply any arnica in the eye or over broken skin.

Over the next day or two, once the swelling has toned down a little, try to alternate between hot and cold compresses to improve circulation to the eye, and speed up the healing process as well. Apply a warm wash cloth for about three minutes, which will then be followed by a cold wash cloth for a minute. Repeat the process three times at least three times a day.

Please talk to your naturopathic practitioner before trying any natural remedies.

By: Sushma Shah, Naturopathic Doctor, at the Nature’s Intentions Naturopathic Clinic, in Toronto. 

 

Picking The Best Sunscreens For The Summer

The rate of skin cancer diagnoses among Americans has jumped by nearly a third and the melanoma incidence rate is up 159 percent! A variety of factors have likely contributed to that spike, including tanning fads, poor-quality sunscreens and general skin care laziness.

 As the sun beats down during the summer months, it’s important to protect your skin with an effective sunscreen. But with so many options on the market, it can be difficult to know what to buy. The choices can be overwhelming: sprays, gels and creams, all with SPF values ranging from 15 to 100 and with a long list of chemical ingredients that seem like a foreign language.

Here’s what you need to know to pick the best sunscreen for you and your family but before that, here are a few tips to protect yourself from sun damage:

• Avoid prolonged sun exposure between 11a.m. and 4p.m.

• Wear wide-brim hats, and clothes that cover you up.

• Do not forget about your eyes! Always wear sunglasses

• Re-apply sunscreen after swimming or heavy perspiration.

• Do not confuse temperature and UV! UV rays can be damaging to the skin, even if it’s cloudy or cold out.

Understanding SPF and UV Radiation

Sunscreens are rated by their sun protection factor (SPF), which measures their ability to block out UVB radiation. Though sunscreens with an SPF of up to 100 are now available, Health Canada says they don’t provide as much protection as you’d think. For example, SPF 15 sunscreen blocks 93 per cent of UVB rays, whereas, SPF 30 only provides an additional 4 per cent protection. So don’t worry about splurging for the bottle with the higher SPF, but make sure it’s at least 30, says the Canadian Dermatology Association.

Victoria Hudec, an outreach officer at Environment Canada, points out that there are two other types of UV radiation: UVA and UVC. UVC doesn’t reach the Earth because the atmosphere filters it out, but UVA does hit us, and has a number of harmful effects.

Long-term exposure of UVA can also prematurely age and wrinkle skin, says Hudec. Long-term exposure to UVB can cause skin cancer and eye cataracts, and both UVA and UVB rays cause sunburn.

Label checklist

Look for the following to make sure you’re getting proper skin protection:

• A CDA logo, which means the sunscreen has been evaluated and has met the guidelines of the Canadian Dermatology Association.

• A Drug Identification Number (DIN) or Natural Health Product Number (NPN) ensures the sunscreen is approved by Health Canada.

• An SPF of at least 30 for UVB protection.

• The words broad spectrum.

Zinc oxide – Dr. Rivers says this is a safe substance that offers both UVA and UVB protection.

• A UVA blocker*

So far, my favourite sunscreens for children and adults have been from Green Beaver and Alba Botanica, which are relatively fairly priced considering they are more natural and safer to use.

*Adapted from the Canadian Living Magazine 

By: Sushma Shah, Naturopathic Doctor, at the Nature’s Intentions Naturopathic Clinic.

Maintaining Healthy Eyes

Just as we try to maintain a healthy body, it is important to maintain the health of our window to our soul, our eyes. Without the health of our eyes, we are unable to see the sights around us, leaving us quite impaired, hence it is very important to take care of our eyes’ health just as we do the health of our body.

Nutrition for the eyes:

Like all other parts of the body, the eyes need to be nourished properly. Proper eye care includes a healthy diet containing sufficient amounts of vitamins and minerals. In order to promote good eyesight, you must make sure your diets contains the proper amounts of the B vitamins, vitamins A, C, and E and the minerals selenium and zinc.

Fresh fruits and vegetables are good sources of these vitamins and minerals; include plenty of these in your diet, especially yellow and yellow-orange foods such as carrots, yams, and cantaloupes. A well-balanced diet with plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables can help keep your eyes healthy.

Physical health for the eyes:

Unfortunately for most of us, our daily work requires us to stare at computers for long hours, creating a lot of strain on the eyes, here its very important to make sure that the eyes are not strained by too much intense close work or inadequate light.

When you are outdoors, exposure to sunlight can be damaging. Make sure that you have your sunglasses on.
The recommendation is that people who must deal with prolonged exposure should wear ultraviolet (UV) protective sunglasses that block both types of UV rays, UV-A and UV-B.

UV-A is ultraviolet radiation with a wavelength of 320-400 nanometers. It passes right through the earth’s ozone layer. UV-B is ultraviolet radiation, the ozone layer absorbs most of this radiation, but a small amount gets through and can cause cataracts, pterygia (benign lesions that grow on either side of the cornea), and skin cancer. This especially is true for children, and their sunglasses should be as good or better than those of an adult. In other words, buy real sunglasses, not the kiddy models. Look for polycarbonate lenses, which are light, shatterproof, and optically sound.

Here are some recommendations for the health of your eyes:

• Include the following in your diet: broccoli, raw cabbage, carrots, cauliflower, green vegetables, squash, sunflower seeds, and watercress.
• Drink fresh carrot juice, which is very high in Vitamin A – the vitamin for the eyes. This can help to prevent or alleviate some eye problems and skin problems such as acne!
• Eliminate sugar and white flour from your diet, not only do they acidify your body, they also leach the body of essential nutrients.
• If your wear glasses, wear clear spectacles that have been treated to keep out ultraviolet rays. This will help protect against damage from ultraviolet exposure. Avoid wearing tinted eyeglasses for this purpose, especially on regular basis; dark glasses prevent from needed light from entering the eyes. The functioning of the pineal gland, which plays an important role in the regulation of metabolism, behavior, and psychological functions, is largely governed by sunlight.
Never use hair dyes containing coal tar on the eyelashes or eyebrows; doing so can cause injury or blindness. Although coal tar dyes are legal, marketing them for the eyebrows and eyelashes is not.
• Be careful when using prescription or over-the-counter. Some may cause eye problems. Various drugs that can cause damage to the optic nerve, retina, or other vital parts of the eye as well, talk to your Medical Doctor to confirm if your medications may be affecting your eyes.
• Consult your health care provider or naturopathic doctor if you develop any of the following conditions: change in pupil size; eye pain or pain on eye movement; impaired vision; intolerance to light; known exposure to gonorrhea or Chlamydia; or swelling, tenderness, or redness around the eyes.
• If you have a baby or young child who exhibits any signs of eye infection. Have the child evaluated by your naturopath.
Adapted from the Prescription of Nutritional Healing

By: Sushma Shah, Naturopathic Doctor at the Nature’s Intentions Naturopathic Clinic

Liver Cleanse

A lot of people talk about liver cleanses and detoxing the liver in the Spring.

Why is it important to do liver cleanses or a liver detox?

Lets first talk about what the liver does for our body. The liver’s main job is to make sure that the body absorbs everything it needs and eliminates everything it doesn’t need – it is a major organ involved in digestion by emulsifying fats and assimilation, and it is vital in helping the body to eliminate toxic wastes as well break down our key reproductive hormones especially estrogen.

The liver performs over 500 known functions. That’s a lot of work for one organ to do even under the best of conditions; but unfortunately most people’s liver is not in good shape because of the stress filled world they live in, our diets and the toxins we are exposed to on a day to day basis.

Food additives, pesticides, pollution, drugs, anger, processed food – especially white flour, refined sugar, saturated, rancid and hydrogenated fats, smoked meats and alcohol are toxic to the delicate operation of liver cells. A three to seven day vegetable juice fast would help to quickly relive the body of much waste however if the other organs of detoxification are not functioning well, doing just any cleanse might be harmful for your body. Talk to you naturopath before starting any cleanses or detox. Click here for more information on detox / cleanses.

If your nourish your body well, and keeping your cleaning crew working properly and staying in a positive state of mind and let go of anger with various stress management techniques– your liver will keep you being a happy liver!

Here are a few simple suggestions you can try at home to improve the state of your liver as well, detoxify it gently:

1. Have 1/2 lime squeezed with warm water on rising

2. Mixed any fresh squeezed citrus juice – grapefruit, orange, lemon or lime – to make 300 ml (11oz) of juice (the more sour the better – as bitter tasting fruit and vegetables stimulate bile flow). This mixture can be watered to taste with distilled water. You can have this first thing in the morning before breakfast with some warm water.

3. Have more bitter vegetables such as dandelion in your salads as these help stimulate release of bile from the liver.

4. Have more liver cleansing foods such as beet roots and carrots, and avoid alcohol, caffeine and meats for the first few weeks of the Spring and the Fall.

 

To eliminate small gall bladder stones, use the recipe above the with the following steps:

1. Finely grate one or two cloves of fresh garlic and a small amount of fresh ginger – press to make juice – add this juice to the water and citrus juice mixture.

2. Pour 300 ml (11oz) of high-quality, cold-pressed, extra-virgin olive oil into a warm glass.

3. Every 15 minutes swallow 3 tablespoon of citrus juice mixture and 3 tablespoon of olive oil. Relax in between doses by lying down with a hot water bottle over liver area – this helps to release any sediment or small stones (gall stones)

Please talk to your naturopathic physician before attempting any cleanses or detox.

BY: SUSHMA SHAH, NATUROPATHIC DOCTOR AT THE NATURE’S INTENTIONS NATUROPATHIC CLINIC