All posts by Sushma Shah

Should Athletes Eating Massive Amounts Of Proteins During Exercise?

Most athletes usually consume different drinks with electrolytes and minerals which get depleted during their training exercise such as Gatorade and electrolyte gels, among others. We know that muscle cells break down during the course of the activity depending on the severity of the activity. So here is a question that has important implications in the blood chemistry and muscle synthesis and glycogen production for the athlete.

Typically, athletes consume protein at meals or as snacks, leaving the carbohydrates with electrolytes for exercise. Several studies have already shown that adding protein and amino acids to a carbohydrate supplement is no more effective for muscle glycogen synthesis than same amount of calories as carbohydrate. Research however is suggesting that some benefit for muscle protein synthesis may be gained from the consumption of small amounts of protein (as little as 5 – 6 grams) after weight training exercise. Muscle protein synthesis has been shown to be stimulated even more when a carbohydrate drink is consumed immediately before a weight training exercise.

No advantage however has been shown to consuming protein while exercising as the muscles only use certain amino acids during exercise for energy. This means that the rest of the amino acids will need to be broken down and may result in excess ammonia production, which could prove to more harmful and cause fatigue as well. So for the time being its safer to go with carbohydrate drinks with electrolytes while exercising.

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

What Is The Difference Between Regular OHIP And Naturopathic Testing?

Here is a loaded question …

“How does a random lay person who has never been to a naturopathic doctor and does not understand majority of the laboratory results that their regular doctors provide through OHIP feel when they go to a naturopath and when the naturopathic doctor after having reviewed their symptoms and case history suggests various tests which yes, may be quite expensive? Most of them feel that they are being scammed because of what they DO NOT UNDERSTAND.”

I have been reading articles from various websites and also I’ve been educating myself on how I am going to answer this question.

So, I thought this blog will be for those people and others who would like to better educate themselves on what types of tests are provided by naturopathic clinic and what is the difference between what a naturopathic clinic tests versus the regular testing that your regular MD can provide through OHIP.

The Major Differences Between Regular OHIP And Naturopathic Testing

Side view. Two female science working with microscopes in a laboratory.

 

SENSITIVITY OF THE TESTING

A naturopathic doctor is trained  in depth in laboratory diagnosis and is aware that the regular blood work most times is not sensitive to detect subclinical problems for example: a primary one we see at  our naturopathic clinic is subclinical thyroid dysfunction,  and we may suggest a more sensitive thyroid test which will not only detect if there is a thyroid problem happening or starting to happen, but would also look at other indices that would help the clinician better understand what might be going on with the client’s endocrine system. With the regular tests, quite often their reference ranges are so wide, that most times people will be in the normal range even though their body feels otherwise.

TYPE OF DIAGNOSTIC TESTS PROVIDED

Naturopathic doctors try to look for the root cause of the problem as opposed to what might be just causing the symptoms and hence tend to look the whole person, their environment presently and in the past, dietary factors, stress factors and overall lifestyle factors and then may recommend testing that may sound of the ordinary, for example, heavy metal testing using hair, or  saliva hormone testing to check bioavailable hormones, they also might suggest nutritional testing to see what vitamins or minerals may be lacking in the body.

Here is a list of others tests that our naturopathic clinic offers that are not provided by regular OHIP testing:

1. Allergy or immunology testing

2. Hormone or Endocrine testing

3. Metabolic testing and Nutritional testing/ toxic / heavy metal testing

4. Genetic testing

5. Gastrointestinal/ digestive testing

QUALITY OF THE TESTING PROVIDED

The tests provided by naturopaths are much more comprehensive than just the regular tests and may reveal quite a lot of information which would have otherwise not been known or understood. Since naturopaths take a lot of time to understand the underlying cause of the disease symptoms, quite often they might suggest testing for additional indices that might have been missed on routine check – ups.

You quite often read reviews of different practitioners providing all these expensive tests, but now hopefully you can understand the truth behind why it may be necessary to do more in depth testing as opposed to just recommending different treatments. As a naturopath, who believes in doing no harm and tries to address the fundamental cause of disease before treating it , I do believe that it is important to first get to the root cause of the problem, before treating it and this  most often requires additional tests that may be out of the ordinary but  provides scientifically – proven accurate information about the person, that would have been otherwise missed. At least I can sleep with an easier conscious knowing that I am helping my clients the best I can, with the best testing that is available out there, even though it may not be covered by OHIP. 🙂

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

A Natural Alternative For Icing Sugar

For those who bake a lot and love to eat yummy sugary treats,  but want to be health and calorie conscious:

Many delicious recipes call for icing sugar, among other ingredients, which looks and tastes great, but can add lots of empty calories per teaspoon. So what can one use instead of sugar. How about Stevia? Stevia is a plant sugar with zero calories, a safe and healthy alternative that tastes really sweet, and looks just like regular icing sugar. Powdered Stevia is available in health food stores everywhere and you can add additional ingredients such as cinnamon, cardamon, dried ginger and nutmeg powder along with the stevia to spice up what ever treat you are making.

So the next time you are baking, try Stevia and add a lot of guilt free sweet to your treats, let me know how it turns out.

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

Natural Alternative Therapies For Neck Strain

Neck strains usually develop quite gradually, and tend to come and go, and get progressively worse over time. In some instances, they can come on suddenly after an injury or whiplash, in which case neck pain can develop weeks or months after the initial injury. Faulty posture, stress and tension, working at a computer for long periods of time,  and repetitive motions are the number one cause for neck pain and muscle spasms and respond quite well to simple self – treatments.

How to prevent and treat necks strains and pains naturally

1. Using a heating pad – one that applies wet heat can help relieve pain and muscle spasms.

2. If your job requires repetitive motion, such as working at a computer for prolonged periods of time, make sure your keyboard and monitor are at a comfortable height to prevent neck strain.

3. Avoid sleeping uncomfortable firm pillows that hold the neck in an awkward flexed position.

4. Essential oils such as lavender oil, marjoram and eucalyptus are very helpful in releasing neck tension and easing minor neck aches. Homeopathic creams are quite helpful as well, depending on the severity of the neck strain. These can be massaged into the neck or they can be added to a hot relaxing bath with Epsom salts.

5. Massaging a painful neck with your fingers often provides quick relief. Simple stretching exercises, deep tissue massage therapy, Tuina massage and shiatsu may be very beneficial as well.

6. Relaxing therapies such as Meditation and Hatha Yoga, combined with deep breathing exercises may be very helpful in releasing neck tension.

7. Acupuncture has been shown to be extremely beneficial for neck strain and pain as well.

A very stiff neck that is very painful and difficult to move, accompanied by could be an indication of something else going on with the body. If you are experiencing this, it would be best to go the emergency right away.

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

Natural Solutions For Hair Loss

Thinning hair is often caused by an underlying problem – which could be hormonal- such as an under functioning thyroid gland, imbalance with female and male hormones, poor nutrient absorption and a lack of essential nutrients. If you are experiencing unusual amounts of hair loss or sustained hair loss, please consult with your naturopathic physician to get to the root of the problem (proper diagnosis) and natural treatment.

Listed below are a few natural solutions you can try for hair loss

1. FOOD FOR THE HAIR –  Remember your hair, skin and nails are the luxuries for the body, hence you have an abundance of all when you eat right and treat your body right. Sudden dieting with severe caloric restriction will cause significant weight loss but will also cause significant and severe hair loss. Skipping meals will do the same overtime especially breakfasts and lunches, which consist of the bulk of the food for the day. Its is very important to nourish the hair – with the right nutrients and proteins. HAVE A DIET THAT IS RICH IN GOOD SOURCES OF PROTEIN AND MINERALS. Good sources of vegetarian protein include fermented soy products, lentils, legumes and beans. Consider supplementing if you find it hard to have adequate sources of good minerals and proteins regularly.

2. MASSAGE YOUR SCALP FREQUENTLY – Various aromatherapy oils are available such as rosemary oil, which is great to improve circulation in the scalp and lavender oil, which is very relaxing for the scalp, when applied regularly will be beneficial for hair growth. Cedar wood oil is another one which is great for hair growth too. Other Ayurvedic oils such as brahmi, bhringraj and amla are great for cooling the scalp, decreasing hair loss and early graying and stimulating hair growth when applied regularly.

3. CONTROL STRESS – Stress can cause significant hair loss suddenly. Stress tightens you scalp muscles, which can inhibit blood circulation to your scalp. Relaxation, stress management, scalp massage and yoga along with meditation and deep breathing exercises are helpful. Its important however to get the root cause of the problem in order to resolve the hair loss issue completely.

4. GET MOVING – Aerobic exercise 30 – 40 minutes 3 – 4 times a week is a great way to relieve tension and improve blood circulation to the whole body, especially the extremities. A cold wet towel on the head for a minute after showering may also help to increase circulation to the scalp, just make sure you stay indoors until the scalp dries, as you do not want to catch a cold with the cold wet towel either.

5. HAIR GROWTH SHAMPOO – Essential oils in shampoos will help to stimulate hair growth as well. Rosemary, thyme and lavender are all excellent choices for this purpose. Keep the shampoo on for at least 3 minutes before rinsing it out.

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

Natural Help For Different Types Of PMS

Did you know that there are 4 distinct types of PMS that 80% of women suffer from? PMS is defined as a recurrent, cyclical set of physical and behavioral symptoms that can come on 7 – 14 days before the actual menstrual cycle. PMS usually occurs in women aged 25 – 35, but is quite often seen in women younger or older depending on the hormonal status and diet of the individual.

Types Of PMS

1. PMS A –  ANXIETY – This is the type of PMS where one experiences quite a bit of nervous tension. The major symptoms of this type of PMS include irritability, anxiety and mood swings. This type of PMS is usually caused by an imbalance in estrogen and progesterone. Up to 70 % of the females are affected by this type of PMS.

2. PMS C – CARBOHYDRATE CRAVING – This type of PMS, as the name says it, is related to carbohydrate cravings where the individual may crave warm breads, pastas, chocolate and “sweet stuff”.  Part of this type of PMS may include additional symptoms such as increased appetite, headaches, fatigue, dizziness, fainting and palpations. This type of PMS may be related to a deficiency in nutrients and certain vitamins, especially calcium or magnesium, in the body.

3. PMS D – DEPRESSION -This type of PMS is related to feeling down or depressed before the menstrual cycle begins, and women can experience up to 2 weeks of this in some cases. Of course, daily stressors can exacerbate how one feels at this particularly vulnerable time of the month. Hormone imbalances – having too much or too little of estrogen along with Vitamin deficiencies are to blame for PMS – D – DEPRESSION.

4. PMS – H – HYDRATION – In this type of PMS significant water weight gain is experienced by the female, and could exceed up to 6 pounds in a week. Bloating is quite often experienced as well, along with significant swelling in the hands and feet and breast tenderness and fullness. Diet is big factor in this type of PMS – especially high salt diets, lots of caffeine and stress is also a big factor.

Quite often women experience more than one type of PMS subgroup. Naturopathic medicine is great at identifying what imbalance in the body is causing the symptoms using saliva hormone testing and blood tests to identify nutrient and vitamin deficiencies, and then treating them holistically using natural remedies, diet and quite often acupuncture which quite often helps eliminate all the PMS, and successfully makes them a thing in the past.

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

What Is The Difference Between Food Intolerances And Allergies?

Food allergies are those that are quite often immune mediated – meaning that they could be life threatening quite often if they are anaphylactic. Food intolerance / sensitivities usually produce a milder reaction such as fatigue, or loose stools, flatulence, skin rashes, congestion among other symptoms. Mild allergies may produce similar reactions too.

With food allergies, the body’s immune system produces a class of antibodies called the IgE immunoglobulins, where as with food sensitivities or intolerance, the immune system produces a class of antibodies called IgG immunoglobulins, both of which are accurately tested using blood. Severe food allergies such as those that can cause anaphylactic reactions and can be tested using scratch tests, however, these tests quite often produce false positive results due to other factors that the individual might be undergoing such as stress, prescriptions they might be using, among others, and this can be quite traumatic for a person who shows positive to everything under the sun!

Both of these reactions are immune mediated so in order to treat them or get relief, most people use antihistamines and other allergy relief medication. However, to get true relief, you must look at what caused the immune system to cause a hypersensitive reaction / or dysfunction in the first place and treating the root cause will quite often treat the mild allergies and intolerances, but not severe anaphylactic allergies.

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

Is Arthritis Effected By Foods I Consume?

Arthritis is a condition which affects joints and bones, depending on the type other areas may be affected and quite often deformed by it. The – itis stands for inflammation in the area. There are various types of arthritis. The most common forms are osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis. Rheumatoid arthritis is one that affects your joints, can cause deformities of the joints and is significantly affected by the type of diet an individual has.

The vegetables in the night shade family particularly has a significant effect on the swelling and tenderness of the joints. The night shade family vegetables include tomatoes, potatoes, green peppers and eggplants. If you do suffer from arthritic type symptoms, and do have family members who suffer from rheumatoid arthritis, you may experience some relief by avoiding the night shade family vegetables from your diet for a while. Another factor that may affect the amount of inflammation is how acidic your diet is. The more processed and meaty your diet is, the more acidic the body becomes, which can also impact how much inflammation your body produces.

A diet that is high in green leafy vegetables, good quality fruits and grains will quite often help reduce the inflammation in the body. In practice, I have quite often found food intolerances and mild allergies can also cause quite a bit of inflammation in the body due to histamine release in the blood stream. If you suffer from any type of arthritis, take a look at the following factors:

1. Diet – how is your diet – a weekly diet diary of what you ate and how your joints felt will help you narrow down possible triggers in food.

2. Stress – how stressful is your life and what relaxation techniques are your using to help deal with day to day life and other stressors. REMEMBER – stress is not only work and family related, stress is anything that puts your body out of its normal state of being – this could include mental, emotional, psychological, physiological, environmental and dietary factors.

If you are having difficulty identifying what might be making your symptoms worse, talk to your naturopathic physician or your doctor about possibly looking into other causes that might be affecting you.

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

Protecting Your Pets In Summer

Being a pet owner myself, I felt this was an important reminder for me and for all of you out there who are pet owners and care for them dearly. As the summer months are approaching and most people will head out to cottages or getaways in the city for a few days. Here is one thing that you definitely want to be careful with especially if you are taking you pets with you.

1. Make sure the Air conditioning in the car is functioning well, and your pets are safe and out of the heat of the car. Having experienced this personally last summer, I can surely say I would not take pets in the car unless the AC is working well. Unlike us, pets are unable to maintain their homeostatic temperature as well as we do in the hot weather, which make them an easy target for dehydration and heat strokes. So please, if you see your pet hyperventilating with their tongue out, make sure to take them into a cooler and safe environment RIGHT AWAY!!!

2. If you are a smoker who tends to smoke outside the house, make sure you are not exposing your pet’s lungs to the second hand smoke. We usually think we are doing a god thing by not smoking in the house, however if you are smoking outdoors, while on your break or if you are taking your pet for a walk, please refrain from smoking if you have your pet around you.

3. Make sure you thoroughly wash your pets water and food dishes with mild soap and warm water before adding any cold water in. As the temperatures in the house get warmer, bacteria tend to divide and create more colonies because of the ideal warmth conditions on dishes etc. with left over food (wet food for pets) and water dishes.

Be caring pet owners. Pets love the outdoors, especially if they are outdoor animals or spend some time out doors generally. They tend to verbalize the desire to go out by either barking or meowing till they are heard, and for most people this can be very annoying. So the next time you get angry and do something rash trying to quiet the animal, just remember, this is the only way they can communicate with you about their needs, so please and act with a rational mind and go outdoors with your pet, it might do you some good to get some fresh air too!

Till next time, be safe and keep your pets safe too!

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

Protecting Your Health

Protecting Your Health In The Summer

Ah the patio furniture is out, the plants are starting to bloom and the smell of fresh cut grass and the birds are chirping. Sounds perfect doesn’t it? While it sounds idealistic, one of the things you must consider is the amount of sunlight you are getting and how much sun exposure you are getting. While its great to be outdoors in great weather, it important to have the right type of protection with your clothes and your sunscreen.

Here are some tips to stay safe in the summer while you are enjoying the outdoors:

1. Make sure you put on sunscreen. I generally prefer the natural ones with SPF over 50 especially for the face, as the sun’s rays are quite harsh on the delicate skin of the face and the body. Reapply ever 1/2 hour if you are doing intense physical activities outdoors.

2. Make sure you keep yourself hydrated, drink at least 1/2 your body weight in ounces for the day. Add a pinch of salt and some sugar, with lemon to balance your electrolytes as well.

3. Wear light colored cotton clothing – which is airy and does not absorb a lot of the heat. If you are in an area with lots of bugs, make sure you have good quality bug spray on you. There are wonderful natural products on the market that work wonderfully well to protect you from the bugs.

4. If you are feeling particularly hot, try to cool down by splashing lots of water on your head. You will notice a wonderful cooling sensation as the water evaporates.

5. Having lukewarm drinks will actually keep you cooler as it draws blood circulation away from the skin!

Please try and follow the tips above for a safe and fun summer! Enjoy!

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