Tag Archives: acupuncture

Naturopathic Medicine – Is It The Right Choice For You?

Healthy Me, , , ,

In order to answer that question, it is important to first understand what Naturopathic Medicine is and what the benefits of using naturopathic therapies are for your health.

Naturopathic Medicine is Alternative / Holistic Medicine. The main goal with Naturopathic Medicine is to address the root cause of the your health issues and symptoms, as opposed to just treating or bandaging the symptoms superficially.

Once the root cause is identified through a comprehensive intake and physical examination along with a physiological assessment, if need be, using scientifically accurate testing methods for general health, nutrient, hormonal, gut health status. Treatment is suggested based on the cause of the disease or imbalance. The naturopathic approach uses the true healing nature of natural therapies such as nutrition, diet, acupuncture, supplements, vitamins, herbs, and other healing therapies to treat the underlying root cause, which in turn, resolves the superficial symptoms, and also helps improve and optimize your health and wellbeing.

Here is an example of how Naturopathic Medicine differs from Traditional Medicine. For a skin condition like eczema – as opposed to just treating eczema superficially with a variety of creams to suppress the immune reaction, naturopathic treatment would be based on addressing the underlying root cause of the eczema – Allergies and a dysfunctional immune system. Once these are addressed with natural therapies, the eczema quite often clears outs very effectively and without the use of medicated creams which can quite often cause side effects with long term use without addressing the root cause of the symptoms.

What Are The Benefits Of Naturopathic Medicine?

The benefits to using Naturopathic Medicine are plain and simple:

  • Address and Treat the Root Cause of the symptoms
  • Improve your health and well-being naturally
  • Self awareness and education of how one’s body works and how imbalances can effect the body.
  • Prevent Illness and Disease by fostering a healthy lifestyle and reducing risk of chronic and degenerative diseases such as diabetes and heart disease
  • Individualized health care. Treatments are highly individualized and based on improving and and optimizing the person’s wellbeing – physically, mentally and emotionally, as opposed to a one treatment fits all approach.

So is Naturopathic Medicine the right choice for you? If you are looking to improve your over health and wellness, take charge of your wellbeing and want to prevent disease long term – then Naturopathic Medicine is the perfect choice for you.

 

Healthy Resolutions For 2012 – The Naturopathic Way

Healthy Me, , , ,

Happy New Year to everyone. The last year has been a difficult one for almost everyone in various aspects so lets hope this year is one that will bring lots of positivity and cheer to everyone. Here is how you can do your part to make this world and yours a better place naturally.

1. QUIT SMOKING.

Really it is time to kick of this dirty habit as its heavy on your lungs and your pockets. Try to quit smoking naturally using acupuncture, hypnosis and natural supplements. It works really well, but only if you are ready to quit!  You have probably wanted to do it for a variety of reasons: including health, family and friends, and the amount of toxins you accumulate in your lungs, and now is the time, so go ahead and take that step towards a new healthier and cleaner you ! Your naturopathic doctor can advise you on natural supplements and diets that will help your body with dealing with cravings, agitation and anxiety as a results of quitting and weight gain that can happen with quitting smoking.

2. GIVE UP DRINKING EXCESSIVELY

Having an occasional glass of wine here and there is fine, red wine is great for the heart, but anything in excess is not good. So you figured you drink excessively only over the weekends so its fine! No, as a matter of fact, that kind of drinking is more abusive and harmful towards your liver and harder to process than having a glass of red wine every second or third day, not to mention killing the few brain cells remaining. Its affecting your relationships in a harmful manner, and turning you into a person that people do not want to know anymore, so kick of this habit naturally or with the help of your naturopathic doctor. There are amazing natural supplements that will help you deal with the cravings and urges.

3. CUT OUT TOXIC RELATIONSHIPS IN YOUR LIFE THAT WEIGH YOU DOWN

We have all been through this. Its hard to break bonds with toxic people and abusive relationships as its just so much more easier to be miserable and unhappy as opposed to facing the unknown, right? No!  Unless you wish to live your life scared and unhappy, and always being put down, the alternative is easier and less painful, and frees you of toxicity in your life! If you are hanging on to the past and the relationships that failed and the disappointments, you are weighing yourself down the unnecessary emotions and stagnating energy that comes from it, so free yourself like the birds. If you find its hard to let go, try some free flow writing and write whatever comes in your mind, happy or sad, and when you stop, burn whatever you wrote about or tear it up and let the emotions attached to what you wrote go. If you practice this regularly, your mind and heart will feel lighter.

4. SLEEP MORE AND EAT HEALTHIER 

This is the easiest healthy resolution out of all of the above and you will feel so much better in terms of energy and mood once you apply it. If you are one of these people who gets about 4 – 6 hours of sleep a night and get away with eating whatever they want, and feel you do not need more sleep or improve their diet, well, think again. Even though you may feel invincible, your body is having to work overtime to help you feel that way and sooner or later, it gets fatigued, and then you will start to see all kinds of symptoms you did not have before such as weight gain in the waist, fatigue, waking up feeling not refreshed among others. If you are one of those people who suffers from insomnia or other sleeping issues, talk to your naturopathic doctor to see how you may be able to improve your sleep naturally.

You are what you eat, so remember, if you are putting in food into your body that is not healthy and nutritious, your body will lack vital vitamins and minerals that it needs to function optimally, as a lack of these key nutrients will cause various imbalances in the body, which in turn will cause various symptoms in the body.

5. STRESS LESS AND BREATHE MORE!

Stress. This word in it self is stressful! Do not get me wrong, there is healthy and positive stress too, but the majority of us seem to put undue amounts of stress on our bodies. Stress on the body can be caused not only by mental and emotional factors, but also by our environment, psychological, dietary and physiological factors. Learn to manage your stress better  naturally with moderate exercise, yoga and meditation, massage and acupuncture, and with the help of certain vitamins and minerals.  If you are under constant stress and there is no possible to change it, try to find strategies that will help you to manage your stress better and remember to breathe.

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

 

 

Naturopathic Suggestions For Smoking Cessation

Healthy Me, , , ,

Old habits die hard, and its especially difficult to cut out habits that are so addictive.

Here are a few suggestions that will help you tremendously when you are trying to cut down or quit smoking for good:

1. Change your lifestyle and cut out everything that makes you want to smoke

First and foremost, it is very important to cut down on other addictive substances, such as coffee and alcoholl, all of which can increase the desire to smoke. Most smokers associate coffee with smoking or alcohol with smoking, so chances are if you cut out other food or drink items that go hand and hand with smoking, you will decrease the number of cigarettes you smoke in a day. As well, cut out hanging around other smokers or encourage them to stop smoking with you if the former is not possible. Ask friends and family for support while you transition into a non-smoker and let them know that you may need them while you go through this process. Making your desire to quit smoking public will help.

2. Have an active lifestyle full of alternate activities

Let’s face it, when you have been smoking for a while, you will need to find an alternate hobby to occupy your hands and your time with when you decide to quit smoking. So you will need to stay busy to prevent boredom and to keep your mind off smoking. My recommendation is to find a sport or activity that you enjoy, so you can feel good about your health. Try to exercise regularly to help with the withdrawal symptoms, increase motivation and help release the tension you build up when you quit smoking. Exercise also helps with improving circulation and helps with the elimination of toxins that you would have collected as a smoker. Find temporary oral substitutes to deal with psychological ties attached to smoking.

3. Treating your body well

Once you decide to quit smoking or cut down the amount of cigarettes you smoke daily, the body will immediately go into repair mode trying to heal your system especially your lungs. So some of the things you can do to assist the body in its detoxification process is optimize your health are: getting plenty of rest and drinking enough fluids – stay hydrated. You may also do contrast hydrotherapy showers which are great for improving blood circulation in the body as well, improve toxin elimination from the body. Oral fixation substitutes could include munchies such as vegetable sticks (cucumbers, carrots, celery, zucchini), apples or pears, seeds and nuts, sunflower seeds (unsalted) in shells, popcorn sugarless hard candies or gum; or chewing or sucking on ice cubes, or licorice sticks. For your mind, do not forget to treat yourself for being successful at your goal of quitting smoking. With all the cigarette money you will save, you can purchase a new outfit or a new trip. Some of the other things you can do for your mind are:

  • Learning relaxation and breathing techniques and do them at least for 10 minutes a day
  • Practicing visualizations
  • Keeping a positive attitude toward health and life
  • Get positive health treatments, such as massage, teeth cleaning to remove cigarette stains, a yoga class or try some acupuncture for relaxation.

There are great programs available to help you with smoking cessation. If you need help with quitting smoking, check out our smoking cessation program, that offers acupuncture and hypnotherapy for help with dealing with the withdrawal symptoms and cravings as well, detoxification of the body.

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

Natural Ways Of Decreasing Stress In Life

Healthy Me, , , , ,

Life presents us with talks and turns which for most part are a learning experience and something to build on. If we had no ups or downs, no bends and turns, life would be boring or empty, which may be sufficient for some people, but not for most of us. We seek thrills and adventures in life, excitement and that rush, that drives us, but most of the time, they come at a price + interest- the interest being the amount of stress that these put on the body and the after effects. Most times I see patients who are stressed out because of work, family, kids, relationships, and so on. When asked about stress, most people say that they do not feel stressed, but when we test their bioavailable hormones using saliva, majority of the times, at stress glands are either overworked or fatigued.

So what are some of the simple ways of reducing stress in life?

1. Create a list of things to do weekly or every few days and make sure you schedule time for you in – even if its just for 15 minutes.

2. One task at a time or per day is okay. Most of us have a tendency to schedule too many things in our day, majority of the times this is unrealistic and then feel overwhelmed when we do not get them all done that day, so go easy on your self and treat yourself for that one accomplishment rather than stressing your self over not having finished all the tasks.

3. Tomorrow is another day, so if you did not finish something today, there is always tomorrow.

4. Try not to stretch yourself too thin in all directions – such as kids activities, work, extra curricular activities, additional commitments with friends and family. Its important to maintain good relationships with people, especially friends and family, but not at the cost of your health and peace. If you are not able to find time for you because of all sorts of external commitments, you will soon feel resentment towards activities that are generally supposed to be fun, such as spending time with friends and family, so try to find balance and a happy medium where everyone gets their share of your precious time, including you.

5. Its okay to say no! especially if you are so pressed for time.

Energetic treatments like acupuncture and Reiki work very help for relaxing the body and calming the mind.  Yoga classes can be very beneficial too –   especially if they have a meditation component to them. You can also look at our stress management program for more therapies and tips for stress relief. Come in for a relaxing deep tissue massage, which I find always does the trick.

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

Natural Alternative Therapies For Neck Strain

Healthy Me, , , , ,

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.

Facial Rejuvenation Using Acupuncture

Healthy Me, ,

If you are looking for a safe, effective, natural way to look and feel younger, try Facial Rejuvenation / Cosmetic Acupuncture.

Acupuncture provides a safe and alternative approach to reduce the signs of aging, along with improving health and energy status. In our clinic, women and men who have had facial acupuncture experienced a better state of being – more relaxed, refreshed and feeling and looking rejuvenated after the first session!!!

A facial rejuvenation using cosmetic acupuncture can improve muscle tone of the neck and the face, while addressing underlying imbalances that may have contributed to the process of aging. Acupuncture also helps to “lift” sagging jowls and chins, by strengthening and stimulating the circulation of “QI” or energy within the energy pathways on the face.

Facial acupuncture is great for anyone who may want to:

– Minimize the look of deep wrinkles,

– Minimize or eliminate fine lines around eyes and lips,

– Reduce sagging jowls and improve the look of doubled over chins

– Reduce redness or the inflammation on face with rosacea

– Improve the look of the skin by fading deep cystic acne and pimple scars

– Fade age spots, sun spots, liver spots

– Lift sagging skin, puffy or droopy eyelids and lift the eyes

– Improve collagen production

– Reduce frown / expression lines

– Even-out facial colour and tone

– Have a more youthful appearance

But it doesn’t end there; cosmetic acupuncture is also great for body enhancement like breast enlargement and reduction.  It also provides a safe and effective way to help reduce weight and decrease the amount of cellulite deposition in the body, sounds to good to be true, it is.

So the next time you are think about surgery or injections for the face, give cosmetic acupuncture a try, you wont be disappointed!

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

Treating Insomnia / Restless Sleep Related To Stress

Healthy Me, , , , , , ,

Quite often we have people at our naturopathic clinic who come in to be treated for insomnia or restless sleep.

What causes sudden insomnia and restless sleep?

Stress is a huge factor for most people. Especially for those individuals who tend to take work stress home, have a hard time managing stress, and tend to internalize it. In doing so, when they try to get to sleep, all the thoughts that weren’t dealt with during the day, come up at night and disturb the individual sleep – where they might have a very active and restless mind and cant stop thinking when they should have been sleeping.

A simple solution to this would be to try and journal all your thoughts before bedtime in your library or study area or any area away from the bedroom.

You could also try some form of deep breathing or mediation before bedtime to help you calm your mind and body down. Physical exercise during the day is also great for stress relief. Acupuncture and relaxation is what we found to be the most effective, along with certain supplements for sleeping ailments that are stress related.

A deficiency in certain key nutrients may also cause restlessness during sleeping hours, talk to your naturopath about perhaps checking your nutrient status, especially if you are using stimulants such as coffee to get you through the day.  You might also want to get your cortisol levels checked (a key hormone that allows the body to adapt to stress), especially if you are getting a second wind at night or are rather alert when you wake up in the middle of the night. Usually saliva hormone testing is the best way to check the cortisol levels. Talk to our Toronto naturopath to see if this would be applicable in your case.

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

Cellulite Melt Down

Healthy Me, , , , ,

Melting Away Cellulite Naturally

Orange peel syndrome, cottage cheese skin the mattress phenomenon, hail damage … WHAT IS A WOMEN SUPPOSED TO DO!

Cellulite is the unsightly dimpling, padded or “orange peel” appearance of the skin that appears after puberty in women and is probably one of the most aesthetically troubling concerns of women, more than wrinkles and aging skin. Majority of the cellulite is fat that has deposited in the cells of the stomach, arms, thighs and the buttocks region.

Cellulite is not related to being overweight; average and underweight people also get cellulite too!

CAUSES

Cellulite formation occurs due to a number of causes:

Diet and lifestyle being high on the list. Various changes in metabolism and physiology may cause cellulite or contribute to cellulite. Among these are a disorder of water metabolism, blood circulation issues and deposition in fat due to abnormal hyperpolymerization of the connective tissue.

Hormonal Factors

Hormones play a dominant role in the formation of cellulite. Estrogen is the most important hormone. Practically all females past the age of 20 display some degree of cellulite, some may have it earlier too. It is seen in males with androgen-deficient states – this means that cellulite formation appears to have a hormonal component to its presentation. Other hormones including insulin, the catecholamines adrenaline and noradrenaline, thyroid hormones, and prolactin have all been shown to participate in the development of cellulite.

Predisposing factors

Several genetic factors have been shown to be necessary for cellulite to develop. Gender, race, biotype, a hormone receptor allele that determines the receptor number and sensitivity, distribution of subcutaneous fat, and predisposition to circulatory insufficiency have all been shown to contribute to cellulite.

Diet

Diet has been shown to affect the development and amount of cellulite. Excessive amounts of fat, carbohydrates, salt, alcohol or too little fiber can all contribute to an increased cellulite.

Lifestyle

Smoking, lack of exercise, tight clothes, high heeled shoes, and sitting or standing in a single position of long periods have all been correlated with an increase in cellulite. A high stress lifestyle will cause an increase in the catecholamine hormones.

SO WHAT CAN YOU DO TO GET RID OF CELLULITE?

At our naturopathic clinic, I have found that acupuncture and massage with certain oils to have been extremely effective in smoothing out cellulite and the results can be seen right after the first visit!!

Of course, diet and lifestyle changes are extremely important in keeping cellulite away, so people don’t despair … there is hope!

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