When it comes to protein, not all is created equal! Proteins are large, complex molecules made from amino acids. They are responsible for doing most of the work that occurs in our cells, and for providing the material needed to build important structures. They are critical for the function and regulation of all the body’s tissues. They also play an important role in muscle tissue maintenance and strength. Protein is incredibly important for our bodies and minds, however when thinking about sources of protein, we often jump to thinking about beef, chicken, and pork. While organic, grass fed animal products can be beneficial for health, a large, 32 year study which looked at correlations between health and animal vs plant proteins found some interesting results! The study found that individuals who tend to have unhealthy lifestyle habits such as heavy drinking, smoking, lack of exercise were less likely to have negative health consequences and even less risk of death when their consumption of plant based proteins was higher. However, the more animal protein consumed by these types of individuals, the more risk of disease and death! This link was strongest for the processed meats. The connection is likely that many of these lifestyle habits can lead to inflammatory processes in the body which creates cardiovascular issues like atherosclerosis. This puts individuals at risk for heart disease, stroke, and heart attack. By consuming a higher amount of animal products, these inflammatory cascades may be pushed further and faster. By consuming higher amounts of plant based products often able to decrease inflammation, reduce cholesterol levels, and balance blood sugars - they may serve to compensate for some of the processes in the body. Interestingly, people with a healthier lifestyle did not seem to experience the negative effects of animal based proteins. However, it would certainly be worthwhile for even the healthiest of individuals to reap the benefits of plant based proteins! So what sort of plant proteins are best? Here are a few of my favourite ways to incorporate them into my diet:
1/4 cup chopped onion 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro 1 tablespoon minced garlic 2 teaspoons lower-sodium soy sauce 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper 1/4 cup panko (Japanese breadcrumbs) - OR - oatmeal! 1 large egg, lightly beaten Cooking spray 4 (1 1/2-ounce) hamburger buns 1/4 cup canola mayonnaise 1 teaspoon Sriracha (hot chile sauce) 1 teaspoon fresh lime juice 2 cups baby arugulaPreparation1. Preheat oven to 425°. 2. Place beans in a large bowl; lightly mash. Stir in onion and next 7 ingredients. Divide mixture into 4 portions; shape each into a 1/2-inch-thick patty. 3. Arrange patties on a baking sheet coated with cooking spray. Bake at 425° for 8 minutes; turn after 6 minutes. Add bun halves to pan; bake 3 minutes. 4. Combine mayonnaise, Sriracha, and juice; spread over bottom halves of buns. Top each serving with 1 patty, 1/2 cup arugula, and top halves of buns. Source: http://www.myrecipes.com/recipe/black-bean-burgers-0 Eat those Plants!! Enjoy!!
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A series of case studies have shown success in helping people with bipolar disorder who are not improving with medication get off of those medications, and stabilize long term using a combination of natural therapies and counselling. Bipolar disorder is one of the top 10 leading causes of disability globally with up to 6% of US population affected. Often little hope of recovery is provided for patients with bipolar disorder, and even the definitions of “recovery” or “improvement” vary. If improvement does not occur, patients are said to be “treatment resistant” and are most often found to be unable to sustain a content mood for any significant period of time. This bleak outlook is exactly why I feel passionately about Integrative Mental Health. More drugs than ever are being prescribed for mental health conditions and yet, more mental health conditions are being diagnosed and unsuccessfully treated than before. Furthermore, the side effects from these medications can be just as debilitating as the disease themselves. These medications are often not tested for their use together, especially for long term use– yet this is the staple of treatment. That being said, in certain situations, medications can be essential, and truly be life-saving. They can return a level of function that was lost with cycles of mania and depression. The issue is, there needs to be more. There needs to be more options, more of a whole person approach, and a more positive outlook on the potential of recovery for these individuals. Dr. Gurevich, a holistic psychiatrist is, fortunately, doing just that – providing more. He has recently published two case reports on the treatment of bipolar disorder specifically. He was able, through a series of integrative treatment phases, to allow patients to come off of their psychiatric medications through holistic treatments and these patients remained stable for over a year. Dr. Gurevich enlisted various approaches.The first approach was to address the possible underlying causes of an individual’s bipolar disorder. This is an important point, because it recognizes bipolar disorder for what it is – a pattern of symptoms, moods, and behaviours, rather than a specific neurochemical imbalance which has yet to be proven. Instead, he looked at psychological traumas, vitamin and mineral deficiencies, allergies, food sensitivities, chronic infections, and toxicities. To address these potential causes or triggers, various detoxification regimes, supplementation, counselling, and lifestyle changes were advised. Once these factors were in place, medications were able to be tapered under medical supervision. They were also tapered at the correct speed which is based on a number of factors – how long the person has been on the medication, how sensitive the patient might be, and so forth. As these medications were lowered, new supportive therapies were added in such as vitamins, minerals, botanicals, even homeopathics [A surprising find in a psychiatric office]! The final phase was to ensure long term stability. For some this meant ongoing counselling and support, for others acupuncture was helpful, for most supplements were continued. If issues arose, they were addressed quickly. Ultimately, the treatment approach was designed to address not only biological needs, but psychological, and spiritual as well. Some of the specific approaches used included:
Best part of all, was that it worked! The cases involved in these treatment plans were able to withdrawal from medications, achieve long term remission from bipolar symptoms, and all previous side effects from medications and withdrawal of medications were eliminated. While this approach was used with a relatively low number of patients so far, it is certainly promising, and intuitively should make sense to most people. By addressing the whole person, and using individualized approaches to that person’s unique story, you will have better outcomes. If you or someone you know is suffering with bipolar disorder and would like to learn more about how Naturopathic Mental Health may be able to help, please feel welcome to schedule a free 30 minute assessment with Dr. Ashley. To learn more about the study, visit: https://intpsychiatry.wildapricot.org/resources/Craig/Reprint%20BPD%20case%20series_Explore.pdf Saffron Crocus sativus A vibrant, warming herb often used in the culinary world for soups, curry, and stews, it has also gained a lot of attention in the research realm. Here are some of the interesting things this herb can do! Low Mood, Depression, and Anxiety In a double blind, randomized trial, saffron was compared to the popular anti-depressant Prozac. Not only was it found to be just as effective but patients did not experience many of the common side effects of anti-depressant medications. Other similar trials have shown saffron to be superior to other commonly prescribed anti-depressant medications. It works well for improving mood, reducing anxiety, but also improving general health status. It is an anti-oxidant, anti-inflammatory, and anti-atherosclerotic [meaning it prevents blood vessel clogging!]. These functions are important because they help to address some of the underlying causes of depression such as inflammation, and oxidative stress but these functions also reduce the risk of long term cardiovascular disease which is often increased with major depression. Indigestion, Stomach Pains, and Inflammation We are what we eat, but more so, we are what we absorb. Good digestion is one of the keys to good health. Without it, we get bloating, cramping, gas, pain, irregular bowel movements - but even worse, we start to damage our intestinal tract. Poor digestion leads to inflammation in the gut, disruption of the helpful bacteria, and reabsorbing toxins that our bodies are supposed to get rid of. Saffron can certainly be a player in the digestive game. It acts as a carminitive and an anti-inflammatory which means that it helps to calm and soothe the digestive lining. It has also been shown to reduce spasms within the intestines, allowing for proper digestion and absorption of food. This allows for a calm belly, and a happy body! Blood Sugar & Diabetic Support Saffron has been shown to help regulate blood sugars by improving insulin sensitivity. Insulin, over time, can become less sensitive with over exposure to sugar and sugar imbalances in the body. This process can turn into Type II Diabetes. Saffron not only improves insulin sensitivity, but it can also help to lower blood sugar levels making it helpful for pre-diabetics and diabetics. However, blood sugar dysregulation in general is a common theme in our over-processed, over-packaged, over-sugared way of eating; it's something I speak [and write] about often because it is such a powerful determining factor of our energy levels, mood, and overall health. Saffron, in addition to a healthy diet and lifestyle, can complement a blood sugar regulating plan. 3 in 1: Interestingly, low mood, poor digestion, and blood sugar dysregulation are a commonly found trio in my clinic! I love finding natural medicines that work on multiple systems of the body, and saffron certainly fits the bill! Give saffron a try in your kitchen to reap the benefits of this helpful herb on a daily basis, or speak to me, or your ND about whether saffron might be the right supplement for you! Yours in Health! Dr. Ashley STRESS! Did you know the term was originally coined in 1939 by a Canadian Endocrinologist. Last night at Goodness Me! we talked about the effects of stress, and what stress actually looks like in the body; as well as Natural Ways to reduce Stress. I really like the definition because I think it highlights exactly what we experience quite well! Let's Break it Down! "Non specific response of the body" - this describes that whether we have a physical stressor like an emergency situation like a fire for example, or a mental stressor like a work deadline - the body responds the same, non specific way. It increases our blood pressure, dilates our pupils, diverts blood and energy away from our digestive system and towards our muscles. While this may be great for the first scenario, this kind of reaction doesn't typically help us in our day to day stresses - yet it still occurs. "Demand for Change" - In the first scenario, the demand is that you escape the situation [fight or flight, if you will] which thereby changes the situation. In the second scenario, the demand is that you change the current situation of not having the work task completed, to a future situation of being done and heading home for the day. Interestingly, when there are multiple "demands for change", in other words, multiple life stresses, both our psychological interpretation, and our biochemical response becomes more primed to react. In plain English - Stress leads to more Stress! So how can we stop the stress cycle and reduce stress's effects on our bodies? 1. Heal the Gut: We’ve all had that gut feeling, or butterflies in our stomach from time to time and this is because the brain and the body talk. Our gut has been referred to as our second brain, and one of the big reasons for this is that
Heal the gut through: Eating whole, real food – as much as you can, as often as you can. It’s a reality for many people that this is not always possible, but it’s about making the choice when it is possible and learning about the foods and ways to incorporate more easily into busy lifestyles. It’s a simple suggestion, but can have really powerful impacts on your health. Reducing the sugar is an important one, and fortunately, one that happens naturally by cutting out some of the processed and packaged foods. Always try and watch out for how much sugar is added into your food choices! Good fiber is important for many aspects of our health, but it can be particularly helpful for improving digestion, and reducing risk of certain cancers and gastrointestinal conditions. Consume both insoluble and soluble fibers [bran, dark leafy greens, nuts and seeds, fruits, lentils] 2. Replace the nutrients that become depleted with stress! Magnesium: Magnesium is one of the most important minerals we have. It is important for relaxing our muscles, and has many functions in our central nervous system and cardiovascular system. It is also depleted with chronic stress! B Vitamins: the B vitamins in general are important for many cellular processes throughout the body. They can also be helpful for preventing burn out, improving mood, and replacing the extra amount that is required with chronic stress. Vitamin C: is a great antioxidant, and shown to reduce the negative effects of acute stress. 3. Consider adaptogen or nervine teas to help the body cope with stress! Nervines help to calm the nervous system, and typically contain vitamins and minerals which are nutritive for the body and mind. These include herbs such as :
As always, a Naturopathic Doctor can help assess your stress levels and figure out what herbs and supplements will be support you, in your unique circumstances! Yours in Health, Dr. Ashley Last night, we had a great talk at Goodness Me! here in Barrie, ON on ways to increase your energy levels, naturally. A big thank you to all those who came out! For those who couldn't make it this time, here are some of the highlights, and things to think about when trying to improve your own energy levels. 1. Fatigue is a symptom - not a diagnosis. Why one person is tired can vary from the next. By examining your energy input vs output you can find some clues! This means that the body is trying to tell you something, and that message may vary greatly from one person to the next! It's important to take a close look at your lifestyle, diet, stressors, energy drainers, and activities and think about how much fuel you're providing your body compared to how much you're demanding. An easy place to start: Try an activity log, and/or diet diary. We often give our memory a bit more credit than it deserves in this department. See how you're actually spending your time and energy, and what you're doing to replace the fuel. Please do this without judgement or self-criticism, but rather an open curiosity and willingness to learn and grow! 2. Keep those blood sugars balanced! Don't let your blood sugars drop by making sure you're fueling your body with proteins and fibres when you're consuming any carbohydrates [even fruits!]. This way, the blood sugars can remain steady, avoiding those spikes and drops which worsen fatigue, increase irritability, contribute to brain fog and worsening of vision and so on. 3. "Timing is everything": We often take our digestive process for granted, but when you really think about it, it's a big job! From releasing the digestive juice like our stomach acid, bile, and enzymes, to processing and absorption, to the muscular movements required to move the food through literally meters of intestine - that requires some work. When you're already tired and drained, adding this burden to the body cause lead to poor metabolism and use of the fuels, digestive issues like bloating, cramping, gas, and ultimately a worsening of energy. If you're low on energy, don't overburden your system with large, difficult to digest meals - feed it small, regular, easy to breakdown foods. Think soups, stews, warm salads, plant proteins [legumes, lentils], and so forth. 4. Food Sensitivities: Food sensitivities can cause an incredibly wide range of symptoms, so you may not even know you have them! We commonly think of digestive symptoms like bloating or indigestion as being the main way to tell if you have food sensitivities, but they can actually cause all sorts of issues including fatigue, mood change, brain fog, weight gain, joint pain and so on! Inflammation, failure to absorb and utilize nutrients, aggravations to the nervous system balance are a few reasons why food sensitivities can cause these symptoms and why they’re important to remove if you have them! If you’re unsure, try a mini elimination diet. This involves taking out foods that commonly cause sensitivities for a period of 2-3 weeks, then re-introduce them one at a time to see how your body reacts. You can see a Naturopathic doctor to guide you on this process, or to do food sensitivity testing. 5. Supplements: While diet is king, supplements can be incredibly helpful tools when used properly. Pretty well every health food store has some sort of “energy aisle” and this is because it is such a common issue in our society! However, as you’ve seen so far, energy balance is fairly complex, and so supplements work better to help with an energy plan, rather than solve it entirely. This means that supplements should be used to complement lifestyle and diet changes. They can be used to accelerate your healing process, to replace nutrients that may otherwise take a while to build back up, and to support the body's natural energy producing machinery. They can be used for both the short term and the long term, but typically it is best to consult with an ND if you are taking anything for a substantial amount of time. Here are a few commonly used energy supplements: 1. B Complex: The B vitamins are so often pushed as energy vitamins because they have many important roles in our cellular processes. They help make neurotransmitters, they are needed for ATP production, and they help us use fatty acids as fuel. People do tend to find they have a bit of a boost from using these vitamins and because they are water soluble they are relatively safe. 2. Vitamin C is often marketed for energy and immunity, and both have some validity to them. In terms of energy, Vitamin C is depleted with stress , and it can be used to improve function of the adrenal glands which are often overworked with fatigue. Requirements for vitamin c also go up when there is an infection, so it can help improve the function of white blood cells, which in turns helps to keep the immune system active, keeping you healthy and energized. 3. Green Powders: These often contain a mixture of vitamins and minerals from whole food sources, usually with some sort of natural caffeine additive. Although nothing beats the real thing, as long as these powders do not have hidden sugars, colourings, or other additives, I’m generally for anything that gets more nutrients into someone! 4, Rhodiola: Rhodiola is a hearty herb, with a long history of use in Russia. It is known for it’s abilities to increase both physical and mental strength. It has been studied in athletes for improving performance and reducing recovery time, and it has been studied in medical students showing an improvement in memory, recall, and test performance. It can also be particularly helpful for low mood and anxiety, because of it’s action of modulating neurotransmitters like serotonin. 5. Korean Ginseng: Ginseng has been used for 1000’s of years within the Asian culture. Because of it’s stimulating nature, it can be helpful for short term stress, relief from fatigue, and increased concentration. It has often been overused in Asian cultures for it’s properties, but it’s effects do not maintain with long term use – so it’s best used short term to uplift, while getting other diet and lifestyle factors into place. As always, please do not substitute this information for seeing a MD or an ND. If you have complex health problems, have chronic fatigue with other symptoms [weight, mood, skin, digestive, muscular changes] or if you're taking medications it is best to get a proper work up because there can be many clinical causes of fatigue! Thanks for reading! Yours in health, Dr. Ashley Meet Rosmarinus officinalis. More commonly known as Rosemary. While often thought of primarily for it's culinary uses, rosemary is also great for many different health concerns. Here are a few great ways to incorporate rosemary into your day-to-day. Digestive Functions: It's likely that one of the reasons rosemary is such so popular in the culinary world, derives from it's benefits on digestion. It's often used as a tincture before meals, as a tea, or used as a food itself. Botancials all have various actions associated with them. One of rosemary's main actions is that it acts as a Carminitive. Carminitive herbs are "Soothing" in Nature. This means along with soothing the digestive tract, reducing spasms, and relaxing smooth muscle, it can be soothing in other regards, particularly in the nervous system! Mood & Cognition Historically, rosemary has ties to both assisting with the treatment of depression, and was also spoken about in Shakespearean Times in the play Hamlet - ‘There’s rosemary, that’s for remembrance" The interest in using Rosemary for focus, memory, and concentration has only continued to grow, especially as an essential oil. Various studies have shown that diffusing and having access to smelling rosemary can enhance all of these faculties making it a great study buddy. If you become sore and stiff from too much mental processing - Rosemary continues to come in handy! Musculoskeletal Whether you have muscle pain, tension, injuries, arthritis or nerve pain like sciatica - rosemary can help! Because of it's actions on increasing circulation, and decreasing inflammation, topically applications to the area of concern can benefit! Bottom line: Herbs are Great! However, just because it's Natural does not mean it's perfectly safe for you. Using herbs as more than as a food or teas can be contraindicated for certain conditions, or health situations [Pregnancy is a big one!] If unsure, check with your Naturopathic Doctor, or come in for a walk-in appointment to review & optimize your supplements! Yours in Health, Dr. Ashley Nelson, ND Is the number of differential diagnoses for anxiety (and probably an underestimate!). This means that when someone has "anxious" symptoms, there are about 77 possibilities outside of generalized anxiety disorder that could be causing the anxious symptoms. Anxiety has one of longest list of possible causes out of all psychiatric disorders. That's why it's so important to get a proper work up to treat what's really going on! A few common causes I tend to keep an eye out for include: 1.Thyroid issues: either high or low levels of thyroid hormone can impact our other hormones, as well as our mood, stress coping skills, and nervous system reactions. 2. Cortisol Imbalances: Although we mostly here about cortisol in a negative light - it is, biologically, supposed to be our protector during times of acute stress. However, prolonged stressors coupled with the standard North American lifestyle can cause high or low levels of cortisol and both can cause issues in many aspects of our health - and you guessed it, anxiety levels! 3. Medications: Many commonly prescribed medications can cause, trigger, or worsen anxiety symptoms. It's important to understand the impact your medications may be having, and optimize your health to either lessen the dose, and/or reduce the burden the drug has on your system. 4. Nutrient Deficiencies: Low Vitamin B12, low iron, low B6, low protein, low vitamin D, low vitamin C.. you get the idea! These can all anxiety producing or provoking! 5. Blood Sugar Dysregulation: Drops in blood sugar, diets higher in refined carbohydrates and sugars, poor insulin regulation can all again contribute to anxiety. This is why it is so important to get a proper work-up. While some people do find benefit from conventional anti-anxiety medications, they often do not address these other mechanisms and reasons for anxiety. Psychotherapy and counselling can be wonderful tools as well, but if there are underlying biochemical, physical drivers of anxiety, it will be difficult to implement long lasting tools and techniques to cope with anxiety. This is why it's important to take care of yourself as a whole person, and here are some easy places to start: Easy places to start in the meantime: 1. Eat regular (and balanced) meals! This is especially important if you're prone to blood sugar drops. Make sure to choose fibers and proteins over refined carbs, and have these types of foods on hand throughout the day. This may look like: mixed nuts, hard boiled eggs, fiber bars, protein shakes, nut butters with fruit and vegetables. 2. Add Prebiotic foods to your diet regularly. These foods help to strengthen the gut-brain connection through development of a healthy gut flora. The gut-brain connection is extremely important because our gut produces neurotransmitters, and the bacteria in the gut can regulate inflammation. Drink some kombucha, add sauerkrat to your meals, try out some miso soup before meals outside of All-you-can-eat Sushi, swap the yogurt in your shakes for kefir. 3. Try a trial elimination of sugar, alcohol, caffeine! This may be tough but it can really show you the impact these types of things are having on your nervous system & cortisol stress responses. 4. Incorporate supportive herbal teas into your regular routine. Some great ones includes: Avena, Passionflower, Glycyrrhiza, Valarian, Lemon balm, Chamomile. **If you're trying herbs for yourself, it's best to start with teas. Tinctures [alcohol extracts of the herbs] have stronger properties. They work best when they are used for the proper reasons and indications so it's better for your health (and wallet) to have them prescribed by an ND or herbalist to make sure you're getting the right herb for your body! Thanks for reading! Please feel free to come in for a free 15 minute consult to learn more about Natural Medicines for Anxiety, Stress, and Mood! Hormone imbalances are quite common in women. They can cause a range of physical symptoms such as bloating, weight gain, fibrocystic breasts, fibroids, hypothyroidism and so forth. But they can also really mental and emotional health. They can impact mood, energy, and ability to cope with stress. How do hormones become imbalanced?
If you are not improving using these types of measures, see a Naturopathic Doctor for proper diagnosis and further support with Hormone Health.
nxiety is one of those terms we hear about, and perhaps experience, more and more these days. Living in an on-the-go, high demand society can certainly create an element of urgency in our daily lives. Most of us have many hats to wear and maintain. We have our career life, family life, social life, self-care life - staying on top of it all can be overwhelming! It’s not surprising many people take on the additional role of “Worrywart”! Interestingly, many of these chronic worriers will have reasons for holding onto and justifying their worries. Here a few of the common worrying misconceptions: 1. “Worrying helps my mind prepare for the day ahead”
Having a good lifestyle with regular sleep, exercise, and social support, plus a good diet with whole foods, lots of fruits and vegetables, & low processed/refined foods can be helpful for managing anxiety and worrying - in addition to understanding some of these mind traps! However, if you are starting to experience symptoms that are difficult to control and excessive on most days of the week, your Naturopathic Doctor may want to run some tests to see if a hormonal or nutritional cause may be triggering the worries & anxieties. These other symptoms may include: restlessness, fatigue, moodiness, difficulty concentrating, difficulty sleeping, or muscular pain. If these symptoms are interfering with your ability to function in life, please see a health care provider for additional support!
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