Tag Archives: natural supplements

Guidelines For Choosing Natural Supplements

Healthy Me,

These days, when you go into a health store or even grocery stores, you see aisles that are full of different natural supplements from various different companies and of course price ranges, so how are you to choose the right supplement for you?

While there are no guidelines out there or criteria to pick from, here is a list of guidelines you might find helpful the next time you are looking to buy a natural supplement, be it vitamins or other herbal or dietary / nutritional supplements.

  • Read the ingredient list and make sure the ingredients are therapeutic dose ranges in order to have an affect on the body. In other words, enough of an ingredient has to be in the supplement to make the ingredient effective. Majority of the times, I find that in chewable gummies or adult vitamins, the ingredients are added to supplements are in very insufficient quantities, usually far  below the actual required daily dosage but the ingredient’s name is put on the label to attract buyers with flashy packaging, but not enough of the ingredients is found in the supplement to have any effect. Buyer Beware!
  • If possible, choose a professional brand that your naturopathic doctor (ND) has recommended as they generally base their recommendation on your specific health concerns. Your ND will generally recommend high end supplements not only for their efficacy but also because the nutritional supplement has been tested and certified by companies that have been certified through the governing bodies.
  • If possible, try to make sure the raw ingredients are organically produced and come from clean, uncontaminated sources, however these types of supplements will be more costly due to the process and quality of product.
  • If you cannot read the label, and all the information you need is not on it, you might want to more cautious as you should know exactly is in the supplement and what you are putting in your body.
  • If you decide to take a natural / nutritional supplement, make sure that you are taking it for health promotion and that that supplement has ingredients that promote your health.
  • There are many wonder supplements out there claiming all sorts of miracle cures. The supplement industry has taking the markets by storm, making billions of dollars in all kinds of supplements that they say does this that or the other.  Make sure that scientific claims as to the effectiveness of the supplement are made for the supplement itself, not for similar supplements. Do your research, talk to your naturopath, and if they okay it, you might consider purchasing. Do not fall into multi level marketing schemes of purchasing health products.

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

Constipation And Natural Supplements

Healthy Me,

For the majority of the people who have come into the clinic for help with constipation, I find almost all tried various forms of fiber and laxatives ranging from psyllium to senakot, which work great for a short amount of time, and then, you are back top square 1 – constipated!!!

So what is going on with the body?

Quite often people are unaware that going once to three times a day for a bowel movement is normal!

Some simple tricks to get your bowels moving:

1. DRINK ENOUGH WATER – I can’t stress point enough! How do you expect to have a good, normal bowel movement if you don’t drink enough water!!! Normal stools are soft, medium brown / light brown in color, well formed, with no undigested food except for the occasional corn bit, no mucus and no blood should be present in the stool

2. Make sure you are getting enough fiber – fresh fruits and vegetables and grains are a great source. These help to bulk up the stool and also reduce your cholesterol! Oatmeal with 1 heaping tablespoon of flax is a great way to get the fiber and feel energized in the morning!

3. Physical activity is a great way to get those bowels moving – so why not just go for a run or a brisk walk around the park. Need more suggestions? please call our Toronto naturopath to schedule a visit and find out what might be the natural solution for you to treat constipation naturally.

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

Naturopathic Help For The Seasonal Blues

Healthy Me, , ,

The cold dark days of the winter can leave many of us with a case of the winter blues. Some people are more vulnerable to a mild type of clinical depression brought on by a decrease in exposure to sunlight as we move through autumn and winter called Seasonal Affective Disorder, or SAD. About 25% of people are affected and four times more women than men suffer from the winter blues (and its more severe counterpart, Seasonal Affective Disorder).

What happens physiologically?

The winter blues are thought to be caused by changes in melatonin and serotonin levels, which can affect mood, hunger and sleep. Sufferers experience changes in their mood, energy level and ability to concentrate. Sound familiar? While not as severe as long-term depression, the winter blues can indeed affect the way we think, react and deal with everyday challenges.

Symptoms to watch out for:

  • Increased in fatigue that comes on with the season change
  • Difficulty waking up in the mornings as the days get shorter
  • Difficulty concentrating and thinking creatively in comparison to the summer months
  • Incorrectly blaming oneself for things that go wrong
  • Difficulty performing tasks that normally seem to be easy / enjoyable
  • Increased craving for carbohydrate-rich food particularly chocolate and candy

Naturopathic therapies will help tremendously to treat the Seasonal Affective Disorder, or SAD. As a naturopath, I have found that some combinations of herbs and acupuncture seem to wonders for treating SAD, along with some naturopathic / natural supplements.

Naturopathic Tips to beat the blues

1. Shine a Little Light into Your Life – Not just the smiling faces of your children, but literally more exposure to light, especially in the morning. Try a morning walk or sit by a large window to read the paper.

2. Run About – This does not include running errands! Aerobic exercise, which increases serotonin levels, has proven to help combat the winter blues. (One hour doing aerobic exercise outside (even with a cloudy sky overhead) has the same benefits as 2.5 hours of light treatment indoors. Take that walk, have a snowball fight, or schedule a day of skating, skiing, or sledding.

3. Eat the Right Carbohydrates – Craving sugar these days? Carbohydrate is effective in increasing serotonin levels—so your body knows what it’s doing. Try eating larger portions of complex carbohydrates, like whole grain pastas and brown rice, and healthy simple carbohydrates like fruit and stay away from unhealthy snacks that will cause momentary satisfaction, but ultimately decrease energy due the sudden spike in blood sugar levels.

4. Regulate your sleepy time – Oversleeping and fluctuations in your sleep-wake schedule can increase your levels of melatonin (bad). Try to set a regular bedtime and wake up at the same time each day, making sure you get the sleep you need. Try to get at least seven to eight hours a night.

5. Break Up Your Routine –Do something you wouldn’t normally do. Try an indoor rock climbing gym, treat your self- go for a manicure. Go out on a date with your husband and let the in-laws baby sit. Spend some time with your pets, they will love it and while you are at it, PLEASE DON’T SMOKE AROUND THEM!

6. Share your feelings – Don’t keep your frustrations bottled up. Confide in a trusted friend or family member. Often just talking about what’s bothering you can be a big relief. Your confidant may be able to offer a realistic perspective on what you’re going through. If you find that hard to do, how about a personal note book where you write (unburden) all your feelings good or bad.

7. Cut back on caffeine – If you’re having trouble sleeping, and limit your alcohol intake. Excessive consumption contributes to depression. Try some ginseng or Yerba Mate tea instead, it will not only give you an energy boost, but also help you get through the day without those sluggish dips after lunch.

8. Turn on the “light” – Light therapy lamps provide low intensity light therapy for sleep and mood disorders including Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD or Winter Depression) and they seem to work great. It is thought that light therapy works by lengthening the perceived day length, restoring the body clock to a summer mode. Properly timed light therapy influences neural pathways in the brain that use serotonin as their primary neurotransmitter. There are plenty available on the market, so be careful when purchasing one. Try a few of these tips and you should feel better around May, if you are not feeling better once the warmth of the sun arrives, you might want to go and talk to your naturopathic doctor about it.

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