NATUROPATHIC APPROACH TO BREAST CANCER PREVENTION

In the wake of Angelina’s Jolie’s decision to undergo a double mastectomy to radically reduce her chances of developing breast cancer, many of you are probably wondering what you would do if faced with the same decision. The first step in determining your risk is to look at your family history, the more relatives you have with breast cancer or ovarian cancer (especially if they were pre-menopausal), the higher the risk for you. If you have a strong family history your doctor may suggest early screening such as genetic testing (to detect whether you have the BRCA-1 or BRCA-2 gene mutation), mammograms, ultrasounds and biopsies (when necessary).

Even if you don’t have a strong family history, there are other factors that contribute to your overall risk including being overweight, never having any children, smoking, drinking alcohol, poor nutrition, excess stress, exposure to xenoestrogens (from plastics, for example) and other chemicals in the environment, taking the birth control pill, insulin regulation issues, and chronic health conditions that increase overall inflammation in the body.   

Luckily, there are number of items on the “risk-list” that are in your control. While you may not be able to change your genetic make-up, you certainly can take your nutrition and lifestyle into your own hands to make positive changes in your life.

Nutrition plays an important role in preventing disease. If you consume the standard North American diet, you likely have chronic inflammation from a high intake of sugar and fat. My checklist for healthy eating is to eat mostly plant based foods, with lean protein and organic where possible. In fact, a study was done comparing the risks of female farmers on non-organic vs organic farms and those with working in the non-organic setting had a far higher risk of breast cancer than those women working on organic farms. While we as consumers don’t have that same initial exposure to farm chemicals, we still have to question the exposure we may be getting through the food. Organic food has also been shown to contain higher amounts of cancer fighting nutrients including anti-oxidants.

Another important nutrtitional consideration is consuming foods from the brassica family of vegetables. This includes cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower, Brussel sprouts, kale and collards. These contain high amounts of indole-3-carbinole, a molecule that has been shown to prevent breast cancer.  If you do not like eating these vegetables, it is available in supplement form.

You also should consider reviewing your intake of fats. Focus on high quality fats rich in omega 3 and 9 fatty acids like fish, flax seed, avocadoes, and raw olive oil. It is important not to heat your olive oil on high heat as it will destroy the helpful omega 9 fatty acids. Instead, use it as a base for salad dressings and opt for coconut or grape seed oil for your stir-frying. Ditch the mayonnaise and margarine as these are high in omega 6 oils, which can be very inflammatory.

You might notice that by switching to a plant-based diet you may start to lose some weight, which is an important factor in reducing your risk. Women who have a body mass index of over 28 and are post-menopausal, increase their risk by over 100%! So it is imperative that you start a healthy diet and exercise routine sooner than later if you find yourself in this category.

Stress is another underappreciated cause of disease in our society. Many people underestimate the amount of stress they have in their lives and the role in plays in disease. I would say that, on average, 80% of my patients acknowledge that they are stressed and the other 20% are in denial. Stress has a direct causal relationship with inflammation. Inflammation in turn leads to ideal conditions for disease (including cancer) to flourish. When working with an ND, stress always comes up and is a priority when talking about prevention. Too much stress hormones (like cortisol) make it hard for your body to balance your hormones appropriately, leading to excess estrogen in your body. Too much estrogen is one of the main reasons women get symptoms of PMS, cystic breast disease and cancer. Stress is an epidemic we can no longer ignore for this very reason.

Another easy thing for you to do is to overhaul your personal care products. Avoid products that contain parabens and BPA as these chemicals are known carcinogens. Read your labels and use resources like Adria Vasil’s EcoHolic Body blog for a check-list of chemicals to avoid in your home and beauty products.

The thought of getting breast cancer terrifies most of us, and the idea of having to make a choice between a radical proceedure and developing a deadly disease is an unfathomable one. For many of my patients, close friends and relatives, this has served as a wake up call to jump into action and take charge of their health. Anything we can do to prevent our risks for developing breast cancer seems like a no brainer, especially if it prevents us from having to deal with the scary alternative.

Dr Nicole Basque, Naturopathic Doctor, practices at Sequoia located at 114 Highfield St in Moncton (ph: 382.1560). She teaches breast cancer prevention courses at the Canadian College of Natural Nutrition and offers periodic seminars on women’s health. Fluent in French and English, Dr. Basque practices family medicine and is currently accepting new patients. Call for an appointment today or book your appointment online at www.drbasque.com. You can also follow her on Twitter and Facebook.

 

STRESS IS LINKED TO WOMEN’S HORMONES

STRESS IS LINKED TO WOMEN’S HORMONES

I attended a talk by a fellow naturopathic doctor the other day on the subject of female hormones and she started the conversation by quizzing the audience of what we thought the top 3 causes of stress were. We shouted out a number of options including money, work, kids and (many women shouted) men! Laughter aside, stress is one of those things that we underestimate when it comes to our health, especially our hormone health.

Stress, no matter what the cause, has an important physiological impact on your body. Understanding its role will help you better understand how to manage your symptoms, be it menopause, PMS, anxiety or even chronic fatigue syndrome. When we are stressed, your adrenal glands (two almond sized glands that sit on top of your kidneys) secrete the hormones epinephrine and norepinephrine as well as cortisol. These hormones help us with our “fight or flight” response during stressful situations. Our heart rate goes up, blood sugar goes up and blood flow increases to the brain and muscles in order to help us survive a perceived threat. This survival mechanism comes in handy when you have to run away from a perpetrator or get out of a burning building, but this day and age stress has become part of our everyday lives. Bills have to be paid whether or not we have the money to pay them, traffic makes us anxious and late for work, our boss is nagging us to get work done faster or the threat of job loss makes us lose sleep, we are not happy in our relationships, and so on. Over time even a low to moderate grade of chronic stress will tax your adrenal glands to the point that they become less efficient and less able to help you deal with life’s challenges. 

This is what many Naturopathic Doctors refer to as adrenal fatigue. Many symptoms can be experienced during adrenal fatigue, which ranges from mild to severe, including hormonal imbalances. Whether you are experiencing PMS, peri-menopause or full blown menopause, your adrenal glands are an important factor in how you feel overall.

Take perimenopause for example, this is the gradual cessation of menstrual periods, estrogen and progesterone (the two main female hormones) are starting to rise and fall which can trigger hot flashes, night sweats, headaches and mood swings. Progesterone’s key job is to balance out estrogen, but if you are stressed and your adrenals are secreting too much cortisol to deal with it, the cortisol actually blocks progesterone receptors and therefore progesterone cannot do its job. During long periods of stress, progesterone is actually “stolen” by the body to make more cortisol leading to a decreased production of estrogen and other hormones and therefore making symptoms of perimenopause worse. This is just one simplified example of the complex hormonal impact stress plays on our hormones but it does serve to illustrate how stress hormones essentially trump all other hormones in the body.

If you want to figure out how much your adrenal glands are stressed and how this is impacting you, see my blog http://nbasque.blogspot.ca/ for the ADRENAL STRESS INDICATOR test. In the mean time, try these lifestyle tips, as shared by Dr Schauch, to reduce the strain on your adrenal glands:

§  Develop healthy coping mechanisms. Try yoga, meditation and going for walks in nature. Try deep breathing at work or in the car when you feel tension coming on. Avoid stimulants like alcohol, coffee, smoking and emotional eating.

§  Sleep 8 hours a night. This is the time that your body regenerates and truly gets restored.

§  Journal. Get things off your chest. Bottling emotions up does not make them go away and is perceived as stress in the body.

§  Sing at the top of your lungs!

§  Watch comedies rather than dramas or crime shows. This alone will decrease your cortisol levels and help you relax.

For more ways to support your adrenals consult your Naturopathic Doctor for key supplements that can help you balance your hormones by addressing your adrenal glands.  Your ND will customize a prescription specific to you and address your case as a whole.

Dr Nicole Basque, Naturopathic Doctor, practices at The Pear Tree Naturopathic Clinic located at 1067 Champlain Street in Dieppe (857-1300). Fluent in French and English, Dr. Basque practices family medicine and is currently accepting new patients. Call for an appointment today and join us on facebook. You can also follow her on Twitter @nicolebasqueND and her blog at http://nbasque.blogspot.ca/

The Yin and Yang of the Seasons

By February we are deep into winter, it is hard to roll out of your warm blankets in the morning, the car chugs to start, and daylight hours are too few. Many of us feel low energy and yearn for summer. If we are superstitious we may cling to the hope that the groundhog will not see his shadow in the hopes that Spring will come earlier than later.

But, while we struggle with these seasonal challenges, it is important to recognize the natural rhythms of nature and how we are connected to them. Take, for example, the basic principles of Chinese Medicine: Yin and Yang. Yin and Yang exist in perfect harmony with one another, they are complete opposites. Without one, the other cannot exist. The concept can be applied in any context including weather, symptoms of an illness, emotions, etc. Yang is the energy of movement, action, warmth, building, speed. Yin is the energy of reflection, inaction, cold, nurturing, slowness. Applied to the seasons, summer is Yang because it is filled with warm temperatures and more light. It is also Yang because we tend to be more active in the summer, our gardens are in full bloom and there is life all around us. Winter on the other hand is more Yin because it is filled with colder temperatures, we stay indoors more, see less of the sun, our gardens are buried in snow (which, in a sense, is keeping the earth insulated, protected and therefore nourished).

Having Yin and Yang in nature helps us recognize that the seasons exist for a reason, that nature has a perfect plan for what it needs to grow and flourish, that there is a perfect harmony between Yin and Yang. It also helps us to understand why we might feel the way we do with the seasons. If you feel more active, upbeat, energetic, and happier in the summer, this makes sense because you are in tune with the Yang nature of summer. If you feel more introspective, slower paced and lower mood in the winter, this also makes sense because you are in tune with the Yin nature of winter. Now, this doesn't mean that experiencing depression or other serious mood disorders is normal or healthy, but think of your mood on your own spectrum and notice your own changes respective to the seasons. Remember, everything is relative and your body is unique.

Being mindful of the seasons, and your own experience of nature's rhythms and harmonies allows us to better understand how we are affected by our environment. It also helps us appreciate how balance is achieved. Keep record of how you respond and embrace it. You should not feel exactly the same year round if you live in a climate with more than one season. You will have fluctuations. It you start to notice patterns, or are concerned about some of your seasonal symptoms, seek out treatment.

ADRENAL STRESS INDICATOR

Excerpt from Dr Marita Schauch's book "Making Sense of Women's Health" 

Write the #1 beside symptoms you have had in the past, #2 for those that occur occasionally, #3 for those that occur often, #4 for those that occur frequently. Add up the total score: 

1. Blurred vision/spots in front of the eyes
2. Hormonal imbalances (i.e., thyroid problems)
3. History of asthma/bronchitis
4. Prolonged exposure to stress (job, family, illness, etc)
5. Headaches
6. Environment or chemical exposures or sensitivities
7. Hypoglycemia/blood sugar problems including mood swings
8. Food allergies
9. Poor concentration/memory problems
10. Low energy, excessive fatigue
11. Easily overwhelmed, inability to handle stress
12. Post-exertion fatigue
13. Dizziness upon standing
14. Inflammatory conditions (arthritis, etc)
15. Nervousness/anxiety, depression, irritability or anger
16. Shortness of breath/yawning 
17. Cold hands or feet
18. Low back pain, knee problems or sore muscles
19. Insomnia/frequent waking
20. Excessive urination
21. Excessive perspiration or no perspiration
22. Heart palpitations
23. Edema of extremities or general edema
24. Eyes light-sensitive
25. Cravings: sugar, salt or coffee and other stimulants
26. Alcohol intolerance
27. Recurrent colds or infections
28. Digestive problems, ulcers
29. Weight loss or gain
30. High or low blood pressure

TOTAL SCORE: 

Between 30-50 your adrenal are starting to weaken
Between 50-80 you need adrenal support
Between 80-100 you need extra adrenal support including glandulars
Over 100 - this is adrenal exhaustion and will require long term adrenal support

Naturopathic Flu Shot: Safe and Effective

NATUROPATHIC FLU SHOT: SAFE AND EFFECTIVE

Many Canadians choose not to get the conventional flu shot because either they have had adverse reactions to it in the past, have heard it doesn’t work, or they have had it and still gotten sick. The flu shot has been criticized as being ineffective as the viruses in the vaccine are chosen based on the previous years circulating viruses. There are over 500 viruses that can cause the flu and each year the World Health Organization chooses three to base the following year’s vaccine on. However, viruses constantly change and thus poses a fundamental challenge in terms of getting the proper virus isolated for the vaccine.

Despite this challenge, Health Canada recommends that people who are at high-risk for complications get the flu shot annually. Those people include those over the age of 65, children, pregnant women (who will be over 3 months pregnant during flu season), health care workers and those with respiratory diseases (such as asthma). The statistics cited from Health Canada state that for those over 65, for example, the efficacy of the vaccine was as low as 30%. Furthermore, the conventional flu shot takes a couple of weeks before the body has a chance to develop antibodies against the viral strains and only incurs short-term immunity (lasting approximately 2-3 months). So, if it only works some of the time and doesn’t have long lasting effects, it is no wonder people are looking to alternatives to support their immune systems.

The naturopathic flu shot is a comination of sterile homeopathic medicines that work to stimulate the body’s own defences. It is a combination of two products called Engystol and Gripp-Heel that are especially effective at preventing viral and bacterial infections. It has been used for over 35 years with demonstrated efficacy and can be used safely for the entire family. There are no known side effects and few reported adverse effects (compared to the conventional flu shot). It is best to get it early in the season (between October and December) and followed up by additional immune support as recommended by your naturopathic doctor. However, if you are feeling a little “under the weather” and still would like additional immune support the flu shot can help in acute situations to quell the symptoms of fever, headaches, runny nose and stuffiness. Research on the naturopathic flu shot has demonstrated that if people who have received the shot still get sick their symptoms are milder and their recovery time is much shorter than previous bouts.

Regardless of whether you choose the conventional or naturopathic flu shot, continue to practice proper hygiene to prevent the spread of the flu virus. Wash your hands frequently and cough into the elbow of your sleeve. The best approach is preventative therefore support yourself with a proper diet, plenty of rest and you should stay healthy the flu season.

YOUR SKIN HEALTH IS LINKED TO YOUR DIGESTION

If you suffer from eczema, psoriasis or any skin condition you know how frustrating it can be. Many treatments and personal care products address the symptoms of dry skin, flaking, itching and redness, but only provide short-term relief. Because the skin is a reflection of your internal health we must look to the gut to better understand what is at the root of your symptoms.

Your digestive system is a hub of activity, responible for the absorption of nutrients from your food, the excretion of unwanted waste and the metabolism of medications. Throughout the lining of the intestines there are billions of beneficial bacteria called flora that work to keep levels of unwanted pathogens, bacteria, parasites and yeasts low. However, many things can upset this balance including eating foods you are allergic or intolerant to, being constipated, being stressed, eating on the go, etc. Over time, if this “bacterial balance” is upset, there will be damage to the intestinal wall causing you to develop symptoms of digestive upset and/or skin conditions.

To illustrate my point, let’s say you are intolerant to gluten (but maybe haven’t realized it yet) and you eat two slices of whole-wheat toast for breakfast. Once the gluten reaches your intestines it will start to cause an inflammatory reaction because your body is intolerant to it. Inflammation causes the immune system to respond, leading to the formation of immune complexes that are deposited in the skin causing a variety of skin conditions. Some people may also experience bloating, gas, diarrhea and other digestive concerns and should be tested for irritable bowel disease (IBD) or irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) if this describes them. Identifying what foods may be aggravating your skin condition is best done with the guidance of a licensed naturopathic doctor who will do either blood testing or a food allergy elimination diet program with you to determine what foods you are intolerant to.

Once offending foods are identified and removed from the diet your symptoms should start to improve fairly rapidly. On top of removing foods, you can also do a number of things that will help rebalance the healthy flora in the gut including:

1)    Taking a probiotic supplement. Probiotics are healthy beneficial bacteria that will help repopulate your gut and control unwanted pathogens.

2)    Making sure you are regular. If you have issues with constipation, increase your water and fibre intake. Consider 1 teaspoon of ground flaxseed a day to provide fibre and health omega 3’s which will help decrease any inflammation.

3)    Get tested. If you think you have a number of food intolerances and are having trouble identifying them, see a licensed ND who will perform an IgG blood test for over 100 common foods.

4)    Consider supplements like L-glutamine and Quercetin for help with healing the lining of the gut that is damaged by inflammation.

Healing the gut takes time and requires patience. Skin conditions can be very uncomfortable to live with, especially if the lesions are in places on the body that are visible to others. While you address your gut health, you can consider these options to help with the symptoms:

1) Get a humidifier and place it near your bed. Buy one with a medicine well and use essential oil of lavender to help soothe the skin while you sleep. The moisture from the humidifier will help the skin from drying out which causes flaking and itching

2) Do a series of infrared sauna treatments. Infrared saunas use dry heat and provide the body with an opportunity to detoxify. This treatment alone has had a major impact on many of my patients who suffer with skin conditions.

3) Avoid steaming hot showers. Despite how much you might be tempted on a cold winter morning, the extreme heat will dry out your skin and make your symptoms worse.

4) Find a moisturizer that is free of unwanted parabens and alcohol that dry out the skin. Use the Ecoholic Body blog to find good products http://www.ecoholic.ca/books/mean15/

5) Increase your intake of fruits, vegetables and healthy omega 3 fats (including flax and fish oils). A whole foods diet is full of vitamins and minerals and anti-oxidants all needed for healthy skin.

6) Decrease your intake of saturated fat including red meat and dairy products. Saturated fats cause inflammation in the gut.

Skin conditions are treatable but you have to go below the surface to really get long lasting results. Whether you have been struggling with eczema for years or have a new diagnosis you can get results by improving digestion and making changes in your daily routine.

Dr Nicole Basque, Naturopathic Doctor, practices at The Pear Tree Naturopathic Clinic located at 1067 Champlain Street in Dieppe (857-1300). Fluent in French and English, Dr. Basque practices family medicine and is currently accepting new patients. Call for an appointment today and join us on facebook. You can also follow her on Twitter @nicolebasqueND and her blog at http://nbasque.blogspot.ca/

WHAT IS A DETOX and IS IT RIGHT FOR ME?

 It is estimated that, no matter where you live, the average person has over 250 chemicals in their tissues. It is a reality of our time that our environment, the food we eat and the number of medications we take all affect our bodies functioning.

Most of the time, the body is a very tightly regulated machine that is programmed to sort through what we put into it– keeping what is beneficial (like nutrients from our food) and getting rid of what isn’t (like metabolites from alcohol and medications). There are many ways the body naturally detoxifies including through the liver, kidneys, lungs and skin. Like any machine, however, the body is subject to wear and tear and requires a “tune up” every now and then. If you consider the growing amount of toxins we are exposed to including environmental toxins (such as car exhaust, pesticides, industrial pollutants), food (sugar, deli-meats, certain fish), alcohol, and plastics (to name a few) our detoxification mechanisms are inevitably going to be taxed. Our bodies start to get less efficient and eventually toxins start to build up, leading to a variety of symptoms.

A number of patients walk through our doors with  what we call “toxicity diseases” such as allergies, unexplained fatigue, skin disorders, thyroid problems, infertility, auto-immune disease and arthritis (to name a few). We must view these symptoms as warning lights on the dashboard and recognize that these are symptoms of our body’s attempt to deal with toxic overload. It is not to say that these conditions are always attributed to toxicity, but when we consider the role our environment plays in our health we quickly see how it is always related. You are what you eat, drink, wear, and breathe.

Even as a naturopathic doctor I am overwhelmed with the many detox/cleanse kits on the market. It is important to ask your ND which one is best for you, as they are not all created equal. Many of the over the counter kits also contain upwards of 20 or more ingredients that may or may not interact with medications and supplements you are taking. Some focus on improving digestion, others focus on liver health, others might be marketed as a “candida cleanse” for those prone to yeast overgrowth. As a general rule of thumb, it is best to do a detox under the supervision of your licensed naturopathic doctor to be sure your goals are being met safely.

For my patients, I tell them that the main features of a detoxification program should include:

§  Reducing toxin exposure through dietary and lifestyle changes

§  Improving digestion

§  Increasing the efficiency of toxin removal

§  Supporting the body with therapies like botanical medicine, homeopathics and infrared sauna sessions and always,

§  Stress management

They should not be geared towards rapid weight loss (by excessively restricting calories) or contain primarily laxatives as this stresses the body and is too aggressive. You should not feel overly weak or worse than before you started. While many people do experience a shift in their energy or a change in their symptoms, the point is not to deplete yourself, it should be to support and nourish yourself. For those who are pregnant or breast-feeding, have an auto-immune condition such as multiple sclerosis or are elderly, a detox is most likely not safe and best to avoid. There are other naturopathic treatments that are better suited for you.

If you would like to do a detoxification program, now is an ideal time, as the change of season is often a time when we tend to get sick or when our symptoms get worse. What do you have to lose (except some toxins!)?

Dr Nicole Basque, Naturopathic Doctor, practices at The Pear Tree Naturopathic Clinic located at 1067 Champlain Street in Dieppe (857-1300). Fluent in French and English, Dr. Basque practices family medicine and is currently accepting new patients. Call for an appointment today and join us on facebook. You can also follow her on Twitter @nicolebasqueND and her blog at http://nbasque.blogspot.ca/