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/

Listen to this podcast on the issues facing our profession

http://www.cbc.ca/whitecoat/episode/2012/09/21/your-body-your-choice-alternative-medicine-on-the-rise/

TOP 15 Cosmetic Chemicals to Avoid

These are the top 15 cosmetic chemicals to avoid for your health and for the environment. I would suggest taking time to look at the products you are currently using (shampoo, conditioner, soap, hand-soap, styling products, make-up, baby products, etc), reading the labels carefully and replacing any products that contain the following "mean 15" with cleaner products that pass the test.

Download the pocket guide for your wallet or bookmark this page to your iPhone http://www.ecoholic.ca/books/mean15/

1. BHA and BHT:
   Endocrine system-disrupting preservatives also linked to cancer.
2. DEA/MEA/TEA: (diethanolamine): 
   Can create carcinogenic nitrosamines when mixed with preservatives.
3. Formaldehyde-releasing preservatives:
   (DMDM hydantoin, diazolidinyl urea, imidazolidinyl urea, methenamine, quaternium-15 and Bronopol, a.k.a.2-bromo-2-nitropro- pane-1,3-diol
4. Oxybenzone (BP-3/ benzophenone) and octinoxate (octyl methoxycinnamate):
   Two sunscreen chemicals that may disrupt our hormone system and that can trigger allergic reactions.
5. Palm oil: 
   (or anything with “palm” or “palmate” in its name, like sodium palmate): Avoid unless it’s fair trade/organic
6. Parabens:
   Estrogenic preservatives also tied to damage to male reproductive system.
7. Parfum/fragrance:
   Laced with phthalates and other hormone disruptors and sensitizers. Note: some natural Euro brands with “parfums” are made with natural essential oils (it should say so on the label)
8. PEGs:
   (polyethylene glycol compounds, and anything with “-eth” in its name). These are often contaminated with carcinogenic 1,4-dioxane.
9. Petrolatum/paraffin/mineral oil/petroleum distillates: Green your bodycare by avoiding these petrochemicals
10. PPD:
    In all permanent hair dyes. Can also be called p-Aminoaniline; 1,4-benzenediamine;
    p-benzenediamine CI 76060; p-Diaminobenzene; 1,4-phenylenedia- mine; 1,4-diaminobenzene                                    In all permanent hair dyes. Linked to some cancers.
11. Phthalates: 
    Hormone-disrupting family of chemicals hidden behind the word “fragrance,” but you can look for the phrase “phthalate free.”
12. Retinyl palmitate:
    Keep this one out of the sun as it seems to speed up carcinogenic effect of UV rays in mice.
13. Siloxanes:
    Pass on cyclo- or “-methicone.” Cyclotetrasiloxane (D4) and cyclopentasiloxane (D5) are
    eco toxic siloxanes (silicone based polymers). Cyclomethicone is a mix of D4, D5 and D6 siloxanes.
14. Sodium laureth sulphate:
    Foaming agent in soaps and shampoos often contaminated with carcinogenic 1,4-dioxane.
15. Triclosan/triclocarban:
    Suspected thyroid disruptor and may contribute to antibacterial resistance.

Nature Cure

Photo by Charles LeGresley

There is something magical about being in nature. The sights, sounds and smells of the earth seem to lift our spirits and make us feel grounded, connected and whole. The smell of a pine tree, the crack of a snapping branch, the beauty of leaves changing colour, all of these serve as sources of inspiration and permit us to reflect on something bigger than ourselves.

As a naturopathic doctor it is my privilege to understand and share the healing gifts that nature offers us. Yet, I am quick to prescribe a nature in a bottle, rather than nature as itself, in its pure form. Now, not everything can be remedied by walking in the woods. But, as my elders have shown me, at the root of most health concerns is a pattern of disharmony or an imbalance that is always served by taking time to listen to the body, to hear what it is that is really going on and taking time out to be in nature offers us that opportunity. Furthermore, studies have shown that it does wonders for our stress levels. I know I feel calm when I am surrounded by trees and walking on a quiet path.

And so, a challenge. For my patients: find your nature cure! You will love it. Get out in the woods, walk along the beach, go somewhere secluded. For myself: practice what you preach. Focus less on nature in a bottle and more on nature.

Off for a walk in the woods I go!