HEALTH NEWSLETTER

At last the Fall Season is here! Hopefully the beautiful weather we have been enjoying this Summer continues for a little longer in the Fall, along with new health goals and of course a newsletter from our naturopathic clinic to you! We hope that the information provided will be of use to you and your loved ones and if you have any inquiries please feel free to give us a call at the clinic. Enjoy!!

In this newsletter:

• Clinic News - Cupping Therapy


• Strengthening Your Child’s Immune System


• Stretches to Improve Back Issues


• Tasty Citrus Salad with Fennel Vinaigrette and Sesame Clusters Recipe

CLINIC NEWS - CUPPING THERAPY

Relax, restore, and heal with Acupuncture and Cupping Therapy!

Since the recent mention of Cupping at the 2016 Olympics, we have had numerous inquires about Cupping and its benefits. Nature’s Intentions Naturopathic Clinic has been offering Acupuncture along with Cupping Therapy for a while now. Cupping along with acupuncture has amazing benefits for pain relief and quick recovery from injury, along with improved local circulation and blood flow.

Cupping therapy is effective against general malaise, such as chronic headaches, dizziness, stiff shoulders, fatigue, caused by anxiety, worry and body pain.

It is also effective against endogenous chronic diseases such as high blood pressure, neuralgia and rheumatism.

Cupping therapy is also suitable for the treatment of pain, inflammatory conditions, and for issues related to the digestive, circulatory and respiratory systems, various skin conditions including boils and eczema, which tends to get worse with heat, facial paralysis, weakness of the muscles, common colds, constipation and painful periods.

If you are suffering from muscle pain, soreness, headaches, muscular tightness (among many other issues) or are even looking to seek some relaxation, give us a call at (416) 913-4325 (HEAL) to make an appointment for a acupuncture and cupping therapy session.

Traditionally glass or plastic suction cups are placed on specific areas of your body, causing a mild suction which brings oxygen rich blood circulation to the area relieving sore, stiff muscles, and pain.

Curious to try it? When you schedule your next acupuncture session with us, just ask to add cupping therapy in the session and we can customize the acupuncture and cupping therapy session with our licensed naturopathic doctor accordingly. Your therapy session may include aromatherapy and relaxation music. If you are interested in just scheduling a cupping session, please call the clinic at 416 913 4325 (HEAL) or email us.

STRENGTHENING YOUR CHILD'S IMMUNE SYSTEM

As September rolls in and the school restarts for the Fall, parents often have to deal with not only the emotions of their children going back to school but also what they bring back from school in terms of illnesses.

If you are a parent, you know what I am taking about – it is all the sniffles and the colds one after another, and its even worse if they suffer from seasonal allergies.

Here are some suggestions to improve your children’s immune function so that they can naturally fight off colds and flus faster, if they catch them at all:

• A poor diet, overwork / stress and a lack of sleep lower resistance to the different viruses and bacteria. With the schedules changing from being more relaxed at home during the summer, staying up late and sleeping in to waking up early, getting ready, having a quick breakfast and then rushing out the door to get to school, new classrooms and different environments can be quite stressful for children. So for at least 1 week or so before school starts, gently start changing their daily routine – such as getting them to bed a little earlier, waking them up earlier, a short trip to the school before it starts to familiarize them and getting them used to the new changes. This would be very helpful to minimize their stress and in turn, your stress levels.


• In terms of diet, if your child has ongoing stuffiness or nasal congestion, go easy on the amount of dairy products they consume as these can worsen nasal congestion. If you are concerned about calcium, try a fortified almond milk or more broccoli, which is also high in Vitamin C for the immune function. Try to encourage them to have more fruits and vegetables for snacks with a hummus or spinach dip as opposed to sending them with sugar filled processed snacks which have no benefit and can depress immune function.


• As the weather starts to fluctuate from hot to warm to getting a little colder, protect the respiratory tract with lemon and mild ginger tea before bedtime. Kids quite often don’t like the taste of strong ginger, so I usually suggest to add a little Manuka honey – which is not only great for the immune system, but adds sweetness to the tea as well.

If you are interested in improving your children's immune function and overall health naturally come in for a quick visit and we can discuss what would the best natural treatment options and supplements for your child's health.

STRETCHES TO IMPROVE BACK ISSUES

Have you been suffering from back issues that prevent you from enjoying life to the fullest?

Prevention and treatment of back pain through various natural therapies and treatments deserves special attention as they are safe and effective for relieving and treating back pain. However, exercises and stretches are invaluable for the management of back pain.

Here is a list of stretches you can easily to prevent back injuries and pain:

Single Knee To Chest Stretch

Lie on the floor on your back and pull up one knee to your chest until a comfortable stretch can be felt in your lower back and hips. Hold for about ½ minute and repeat with the opposite knee. Repeat a couple of times a day.

Cat Stretch

Get on all fours with your back level. Slowly arch your back as though you are frightened. Hold for a count of 2. Repeat 5 – 10 times.

Pelvic Tilt

Lie on your back with your knees bent and your feet flat on the floor. Suck in your belly using your stomach muscles while you tilt your hip upwards, flattening your lower back against the floor. Hold for count of 10. Repeat 10 times.

Hamstring Stretch

Lie on your back. Bend your leg and put the other leg at a 45 degree angle on the leg, then bring your knee toward your chest, supporting the back of your thigh behind your knee. Try to straighten your knee until a comfortable stretch is felt on the back f your thigh. Hold for a 10 – 15 count and repeat with the opposite leg. Repeat 2 – 5 times.

Mid Back Stretch

Kneel on the floor. Extend your arms and torso forward, reaching as far as you can. Hold for a count of 10. Repeat 3 times.

Remember we here to help you with your health goals and optimal health and wellness, so if you need any of our services or need to schedule an appointment, call us at 416 913 4325 (HEAL) or feel free to email us.

TASTY CITRUS SALAD WITH FENNEL VINAIGRETTE AND SESAME CLUSTERS

Sesame Cluster Ingredients:

• 1 large egg white
• 3 tbsp sugar
• 1/2 tsp kosher salt
• 1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp ground cloves
• 1 cup sesame seeds

Dressing and Salad Ingredients:

• 1/3 cup olive oil
• ¼ small fennel bulb, finely chopped, plus ½ cup chopped fronds
• 1 small shallot, finely chopped
• 2 tbsp finely chopped peeled ginger
• 1 tsp fennel seeds, crushed
• ¼ cup white wine vinegar
• 2 tbsp honey
• kosher salt and ground black pepper
• 4 navel oranges, blood oranges, tangerines and/or grapefruit
• 3 cups mixed salad greens such as radicchio, frisee, and/or endive – about 1/2 pound)
• 1 cup of peppers of choice - washed and diced
• 1 cup fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves

Sesame Cluster Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Whisk egg white in a small bowl until it is slightly foamy.
3. Whisk in the sugar, salt, cinnamon, cloves and nutmeg.
4. Add sesame seeds and toss to coat.
5. Spoon sesame mixture into clumps onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and bake stirring occasionally until golden brown (10-12 minutes).
6. Let cool and set aside.

Dressing and Salad Instructions:

Dressing:

1. Heat oil in a medium skillet on medium heat.
2. Add chopped fennel, shallot, ginger, and fennel seeds.
3. Cook, stirring often, until tender (do not let it brown Cook for about 8-10 minutes).
4. Mix in the vinegar and honey.
5. Let cool and season with salt and pepper to desired taste.

Salad:

1. Finely grate 1 tsp orange zest from 1 orange and set it aside.
2. Cut and peel all white pith from all oranges and/or tangerines, grapefruit and discard.
3. Cut between the membranes to release the pieces into a bowl. Discard membranes.

Toss greens, parsley, fennel fronds, oranges/grapefruits or tangerines and dressing in a large bowl. Top with sesame clusters and orange zest.

As always we welcome and appreciate your feedback.

I hope you are enjoying this beautiful weather we have been blessed with and keeping healthy. Remember we here to help you with your health goals and optimal health and wellness, so if you need any of our services or need to schedule an appointment, call us at 416 913 4325 (HEAL) or feel free to email us.

* DISCLAIMER: The information on this article is the property of Dr. Sushma Shah, Naturopathic Doctor, and is not intended to treat, diagnose or cure any diseases or promote any services or products mentioned on the website.