All posts by Sushma Shah

Dealing With Grief

Healthy Me,

Quite often you see people who have gone through terrible ordeals, and following that depending on how they have dealt with the issue, they tend to come up with new health issues or symptoms that they did not experience few months prior to going through a period of grief. Dealing with grief is one of the hardest things to do emotionally because we are quite often clueless of what to expect and how to go about accepting the process. Here are a few simple suggestions that may be helpful

1. Try to focus on the positive – I know this is really hard to do for someone who has dealing with grief, but it is possible.

2. Stay calm and productive – It helps to focus on other things – Time does heal most wounds and this is particularly true for dealing with grief.

3. Join a grief counseling group – Sharing your ordeal with others who have been through a similar experience will help lighten what you feel and will also help you get through things.

4. Talk to those who care for you, support you and love you. Do not shut them out. They are all part of your support group, and are a shoulder for you to cry on so go on and give them that opportunity. If the tables were turned, you would be there for them too.

5. A small vacation might help with the pain and grief initially. Plan some time for you if you need but make sure your friends and family are a phone call away if need be.  Also prayer is something that can have a tremendous impact on what you are feeling and will help with coping/ dealing with grief.

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

Why Seek A Naturopathic Doctor?

Healthy Me,

Having seen my share of skeptics in practice, and having read various blogs about so called ” New Age” practitioners and healers, I thought i would write my two cents worth on what sets apart naturopaths from other ” healers”.

NATUROPATHIC DOCTORS are trained not only in pre-med sciences, but also healing therapies such as homeopathy, acupuncture, clinical nutrition, herbal or botanical medicine, among others. They also spend time studying pharmacology, about as much time as medical doctors spend in studying nutrition and herbal medicine. Naturopaths usually have an undergrad degree of some sort from a recognized university – be it science, art or computers, business and then usually go on to study another 4 years to practice Naturopathic Medicine.

Lot of other “healers” may or not have rigorous specialized training that naturopathic doctors go through or for that matter, most other healing modalities such as nutrition counseling do not require an undergraduate degree.

Naturopathic training does include extensive pathology and laboratory diagnosis to correctly and accurately diagnose the root of the problem using scientifically accurate and sensitive methods, which are quite often superior to what regular medical labs provide. Hence quite often preventing or catching health issues before they even start to manifest in the body as symptoms.

People quite often seek out naturopathic medicine when they have been failed by the medical system or are not getting the answers they are looking for, in regards to their health, or as a last resort. Naturopathic medicine is a way of life and healing – something that needs to be put in place as a way of thinking when it comes to healing. People need to understand that naturopathic medicine is a way of healing that allows your body to heal naturally, naturopaths may enhance healing using various natural therapies, to bring the body back to balance.

Its is very disappointing to read skeptic or quack blogs – trashing naturopathic doctors or healers, when people do not understand a simple concept – we are not “miracle healers” making ridiculous claims, we are here to help you with your healing and health by providing healthy alternatives, quite often working hand in hand with medical doctors to bring back you back to balance, and treating your health, unlike others. We, as naturopaths, actually take time out to listen to your health issues and try our best to help you heal using the healing power of nature.  So I really think before people say or write ridiculous things about naturopaths, maybe they visit one and see how their health might actually benefit, may be this will open their eyes and mind, and stop writing rubbish and influencing people away from the one thing that might actually help them.

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

Emotional Stress And Weight Gain Or Loss

Healthy Me, , , , ,

Weight loss is a tricky subject for most who have tried to yo-yo diet and follow starvation diets, with crazy workouts lasting hours on end.

Here are some things to think about when choosing a weight loss program that will benefit you holistically rather than just dropping the pounds. What caused the weight gain in the first place? What is the first factor that comes to mind – was it overeating? Was it a stressful event or turn of events that caused the weight gain, which also was compounded by other stress symptoms such as loss of sleep and fatigue? What was the stressor? Stressors could include anything that puts the body out of its normal state of being such as environment, diet change / modification, medications and emotional stress of varying degrees.

If in fact it was emotional stress related, here a few simple things that you can do that will significantly help improve your success at loosing the additional weight.

  1. Identify the emotional stress factor that caused this spiral with the weight and write it down.
  2. Rather than being stuck in past, come up with realistic strategies that are going to help motivate you to change your attitude towards certain things. Cognitive behavioral therapy would be great for this.
  3. Put your action plan to use. This might include a healthier diet change which will nourish your body with the nutrients that the body has a high demand for in times of stress. An exercise schedule might help, however, if there is a lack of motivation to start exercising because you have no energy, try to identify what you is causing the fatigue ( which could very well be hormone related if there was a prolonged period of stress), and talk to your Naturopathic Doctor about what tests need to be done to identify the root cause of the fatigue and weight gain.

Once this is established, and you start having more energy, you can get on an exercise plan, which will help with energy and stress management. Quite often however, its not so simple. The human mind is much more complex and we often need to change our mental behaviors in order to achieve some physical successes such as weight loss and break unhelpful and disruptive patterns that caused the problem in the first place and may cause a repetition in the future.

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

Improving Fertility Naturally

Healthy Me, , , ,

At our naturopathic clinic we have lots of patients that coming in to improve their overall reproductive health and as well improve chances to conceive. I applaud them because i really appreciate that they care enough about the energy or “Qi” that the baby will receive if and when its conceived, but also that the parents care enough about taking care of their health as well, so that they have an abundance of energy and health resources when the baby is born.

But here are some things that I urge most of the parents – to – be to think about especially if they are having difficulty getting pregnant and no cause for infertility is found. When clients have difficulty getting pregnant, they usually think about the physical causes but what about that emotional aspect that will in fact have a huge bearing on whether or not you will conceive.

Naturopathic medicine embodies the health of your mind, body and spirit, hence naturopaths look at all these aspects before treating you for infertility.

Here some questions to ponder about if you are having problems conceiving and there are no evident physical problems preventing pregnancy.

  1. What does it mean for you to have a child?
    A lot of people tend to follow their peers in what they do in life – especially when it comes to the big decisions of what is expected of one’s self. Are you one who follows what your peers did, e.g. build a home, get married, have children? If you answered YES, please really think long and hard about what you want as in your life, and are children part of that … if there is a natural longing to be a parent.
  2. What is having a child going to change in your life at this point?
  3. Are you feeling emotionally ready for that step in your life?

If you have answered of these questions with uncertainty or being unsure, ask yourself the following question:

How can my body be ready when mentally i am not prepared to have a child?

Other things to consider:

Your diet which would be effecting your hormones can definitely effect your fertility especially if you are eating hormone laden non organic meats
and dairy products, and drinking tap water.

Your environment – is there any overload of heavy metals in your surroundings? Do you have a power plant close to your home or do you have a home with old lead paint and pipes?

Your stress level – A lot of people think that there is no connection between fertility and stress, but there is a very strong connection. Whenever you are under lots of stress – and stress does not just relate to mental stress, it would be anything that puts your body out of its normal state of being, for example, a sudden drastic change in diet or a new medication, environmental stress, or an infection of viral, bacterial or fungal origin, this will effect your stress hormone, cortisol, which in turn will effect your reproductive hormones and your thyroid hormones, and it turn affect fertility.

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

Stretch Away Your Pain

Healthy Me, , , , ,

In the search of pain relief, too often we try all sorts of pain relief, going from doctor to doctor. Very often, however, simple lifestyle changes can prove to more effective in helping to overcome pain and improve health.

Here are a few stretches that you can try when you need some pain relief.

FOR YOUR BACK

Sit on a mat or on a firm mattress with your legs extended straight out. Slowly lean forward and reach your fingers toward your toes. Use a fluid motion.

FOR YOUR SHOULDERS AND ARMS

Reach one of your hands over the head and as far down your back as you can. You can use the opposite hand to push the elbow toward your back. Repeat with the opposite hand.

FOR YOUR NECK

Sit in a comfortable position. Relax your shoulders. Slowly bend your neck forward until your chin touches your neck. Without moving your shoulders, rotate your head and slowly touch your right shoulder with your chin. Bring your neck back to normal, and repeat rotation toward your left shoulder.

FOR YOUR LEGS:

Lie flat on your back with your legs fully extended. Bend one knee and grasp the leg just above the knee with both hands and slowly bring the knee close to your chest. Repeat with the other leg, and then do both the knees together.

CALF MUSCLES

Stand facing a wall with your feet about four inches apart and 10 – 12 inches away from the wall. Keep your back straight, lean forward and press your shoulders against the wall until your feel a pull or stretching of the calf muscles. Hold for 30 seconds and repeat three times.

FINALLY FOR THE WHOLE BODY

Lie flat on your back with your legs extended. Raise your arms above your head ad reach as far as you can while pointing your toes and stretching your legs. Hold for a count of five and repeat three times.

START BY REPEATING EACH OF THE FOLLOWING TWICE, AND GRADUALLY WORK UP TO 10 REPETITIONS PER SESSION

Still feeling pain, why not enjoy the benefits of acupuncture and massage at the Nature’s Intentions Naturopathic Clinic combined.

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

What Harmful Substances Do You Avoid By Eating Organic Food?

Healthy Me, , , , ,

There have been various debates about buying organic versus non-organic foods and whether it’s really worth it. Quite often we find that people tend to go for the non – organic foods simply because its cheaper and more readily available. Here are some facts that might sway you more towards purchasing organic product the next time you are in the supermarket.

Over 3000 high-risk toxins are routinely present in the North – American food supply, and are by law, excluded from organic food. These include, and are limited to:

1. HEAVY METALS: Although there is no control over what is already present in the soils, various heavy metals mercury, lead and cadmium such as enter the food supply through industrial pollution of soil and groundwater.

2. PESTICIDES: The largest group of toxins that ARE PROHIBITED IN ORGANIC PRODUCTS are synthetic pesticides.

Legal bans have tried to reduce the amounts and types of pesticides that go in the surface run off from lawns. Various pesticides have been classified as potential carcinogens (cancer-causing agents). The other major problem with pesticides is that they do not stay where they are applied, and are quite often found in drinking water.

3. SOLVENTS: Solvents are virtually present in all commercially processed foods in the form of additives. Various solvents, e.g. benzene and toluene are linked to many cancers. Benzene had also been associated with rheumatoid arthritis – an autoimmune condition involving pain and degeneration of in the joints.

4. OTHER SUBSTANCES that you avoiding when purchasing organic include HORMONES – that are used to fatten animals to produce more milk, eggs and meat.

So is cheaper quantity of food that much more attractive than less quality or should it be the other way around? I will let you be the judge.

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

Lifestyle Modifications To Decrease Emotional Eating

Healthy Me,

As the weather gets colder, most people have a tendency to stay in as to keep warm and comfortable. A warm cozy room, with the golden fire blazing in the brick fire place, your pet curled up beside your couch, and you sitting wrapped in a thick heavy blanket reading your favorite book, with that warm cup of cocoa / tea. Right! If life were only that picture perfect!

The truth or reality for most people is way different due to the lives we lead, our past experiences and the people we interact with. These tend to effect our moods and emotions and we quite often take comfort in eating as a way of coping with or handling these situations without realizing the detrimental effect this can have on our health, self esteem and our sense of being.

Here are a few lifestyle modifications you can make to change this emotional eating pattern:

  1. Eat only while sitting down in ONE designated area for meal times.
  2. Eat slowly and savor each morsel of food. Enjoy the colours, textures and aromas of the food.
  3. Put down your fork between bites and converse with others. Some of the best conversations we have are over our meals.
  4. Encourage the family to pick out healthier foods choices – here are some examples: have yoghurt instead of sour cream, have freshly cut up vegetables with your sandwich as opposed to having potato chips, try kelp granules instead of salt, try using a combination of olive oil and butter, as opposed to using plain butter.
  5. Instead of using large dinner plates, try to use smaller plates. This way you limit the portions of food to half of what you may have eaten otherwise.
  6. Instead of putting out bowls of food on the table, put them at a safe distance away from the table, and if you go back for seconds, ask yourself on the way if you really need to.
  7. Leave the table as soon as you are done eating or when your stomach is satisfied, you do not have to finish everything in your plate or all the food available.
  8. At a restaurant, try to ask for smaller portions, limit intake from the breadbasket to one roll, and ask for the dressing for salad on the side.

Additional tips while going grocery shopping:

  1. Go for groceries after a full meal.
  2. Preplan your meals and create shopping list based on the meals. Only purchase what you need for the meals.
  3. Limit the amount of money you take for shopping for grocery to the amount that you would need for your shopping list only.
  4. Try to avoid taking kids to the supermarket when you shop for groceries for your meals.
  5. Stick to the aisles that have your required food items. This way you save time and money, and have saved yourself from purchasing items that you will later regret for having in the house – sugary snack and salty chips.

Snacking too much?

  1. Substitute other activities for snacking.
  2. Postpone a desired snack for 10 – 15 minutes.
  3. Keep a bottle of water with you when you are watching television or doing other activities.
  4. Avoid snacking while watching television and other activities.
  5. Stock up the house with healthier food choices.
  6. Snack on fresh fruit and vegetables.
  7. Try to keep all food in cupboards where it can be seen.
  8. Don’t starve yourself. Treat your self to a small indulgence that you enjoy.

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

Healthy Resolutions For 2010

Healthy Me

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

2009 was a tough year for most of us in various aspects, the harsh winter, H1N1 virus, job losses, a tough economy, and hard decisions – should I or should I not vaccinate my child or my family?

Having survived it, lets make 2010 a memorable and a healthy one, and lets start it off with some healthy resolutions that are simple and easy to keep.

1. Plan the week ahead – Try to plan out your week in advance, especially if you have problems staying motivated and stick the plan.

2. Plan your meals ahead of time. This will give you a heads up while going grocery shopping as you will ideally only purchase food items for your planned meals and avoid picking up junk food and unnecessary items.

3. Schedule some time for yourself daily, even if its 15 – 20 minutes at the end of the workday. Use this time wisely for relaxation or do something you enjoy doing.

4. Spend some quality time with your friends, family and especially your pets – they provide unconditional love and support whenever we need hence the least we can do is to spend quality time with them.

5. Laugh often – It is good for your heart and your health.

6. Sleep more. Try to get an additional hour of sleep. If you get 6 hours of sleep each night, try to get an additional hour each night. You will feel more energized and better recharged the next day. If you feel more tired after adding an additional hour of sleep, this indicates that the body is overly exhausted, and may need more than just sleep to recharge.

7. Try to vacation more often, even if it is a vacation at home.

8. Try to let go of the past and move forward. Create a list of positive affirmations and positive attributes you possess. Try to focus on the positives. You can stay stuck to a past or grudges that do not do much besides bring you down and creating unhappiness or you can decide to be free and HAPPY!

Well folks, there we have them. Please try to follow these resolutions. Have a safe, happy and healthy 2010!

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

Basil Leaves Can Help Keep Swine Flu Away

Healthy Me, , ,

Ayurvedic practitioners claim wonder herb Basil can not only keep the dreaded swine flu at bay but also help in fast recovery of an afflicted person,

“The anti-flu property of Basil has been discovered by medical experts across the world quite recently. Basil improves the body’s overall defense mechanism including its ability to fight viral diseases. It was successfully used in combating Japanese Encephalitis and the same theory applies to swine flu,” Dr U. K. Tiwari, an herbal medicine practitioner says.

Apart from acting as a preventive medicine in case of swine flu, Basil can help the patient recover faster.

“Even when a person has already contracted swine flu, Basil can help in speeding up the recovery process and also help in strengthening the immune system of the body,” he claims.

Dr. Bhupesh Patel, a lecturer at Gujarat Ayurved University, Jamnagar is also of the view that Basil can play an important role in controlling swine flu.

“Basil can control swine flu and it should be taken in fresh form. Juice or paste of at least 20-25 medium sized leaves should be consumed twice a day on an empty stomach.”

This increases the resistance of the body and, thereby, reduces the chances of inviting swine flu,” believes Patel.

Bureau Report

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

Undiagnosed Hypothyroid Problems

Healthy Me, , , , , , ,

Have you been experiencing any of the following symptoms?

  • Slow pulse
  • Lethargy
  • Hoarse voice
  • Slowed speech
  • Puffy face
  • Drooping eyelids
  • Loss of eyebrows from the side
  • Intolerance to cold
  • Weight gain
  • Constipation
  • Dry, scaly, thick, coarse hair
  • Raised, thickened skin over the shins
  • Carpal tunnel syndrome
  • Confusion
  • Depression
  • Dementia
  • Headaches
  • Menstrual cramps or other menstrual disorders

In children:

  • Growth retardation
  • Delayed teething
  • Mental deficiency

Have you been to you regular doctor and had your thyroid tested but all the results were normal? If you answered yes to this question, then you are likely suffering from a subclinical hypothyroidism, which is quite often undiagnosed through the regular medical testing that your doctor may provide. So what to do now? Well, there are various tests that you can ask your naturopathic physician for  that may be able to detect this subclinical hypothyroid state. Subclinical hypothyroid states might also be caused on by an imbalance in other hormones such as your female hormone – estrogen or your stress hormone – cortisol, making diagnosis of functional hypothyroidism even more difficult. Women tend to gain weight when they enter perimenopause or menopause, which could be attributed to a change in various hormones, including a decrease in your metabolic rate.

The thyroid gland is responsible for maintaining and regulating the metabolic rate, hence indirectly, entering menopause or perimenopause may cause a functional hypothyroid state, which may not be detected through the regular medical laboratory tests. Talk to your naturopath to check for something called Reverse T3 – a hormone that may be imbalanced when you have functional hypothyroidism. Once your naturopath has diagnosed and done the proper assessments, and testing, they will usually help you balance your endocrine system naturally, which includes balancing your overall hormonal status including your thyroid.

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