Back to School, Back to Health!

Back to School, Back to Health!

Its hard to believe its already time for back to school. The summer was a great one. With the great weather, many Vancouverites enjoyed all that our beautiful city has to offer. Unfortunately, many of us may have tried to fit in too many things to enjoy summer, get work done and look after the kids. I am hearing a common complaint at this time of year. “I had such a great summer, but now I’m tired. I need the energy to tackle the start of Fall and back to school.”

I have some great suggestions that you can start to do now to increase your energy, improve your focus and memory, detoxify from the summer drinks and lose some weight. Keep reading!

If you are feeling tired in the morning, your energy is crashing around 2pm, you are craving carbs, gaining weight around your belly, or not sleeping well, your adrenal hormones may be out of balance from too much stress (or trying to do too much and getting overwhelmed). We offer at great test to check your adrenal hormones (Adrenocortex Stress Test) to see if you are getting burnt out. There are many great herbs that can help balance your adrenal hormones. My favorites include Rhodiola and Ashwaganda. Taken in combination, they can help improve your energy and reduce that belly fat that comes from too much stress. Both products are available at Vitalia Health Care.

To improve your memory, focus and mental alertness take a high quality fish oil supplement. Many of us are deficient in Omega 3 EFA’s, fish oil being the best source to boost brain power. A deficiency in EFA’s will also affect your hormones (think PMS), your skin (dull dry skin) and even cause hair loss.

Did you drink a few too many drinks over the summer? Most of us did 🙂 Fall is a great time to detoxify your body (especially your liver) from all the summer “indulgences”. One of the best detoxifiers I know of is Glutathione. It is known as the Master Antioxidant of our body. Take 1 tsp a day to improve your liver function, increase your immune system, reduce acne, give your skin that healthy glow and reverse sun damage to your skin.

Now, my nutrition tips to jumpstart weight loss. Many of us tend to make poor diet choices during the summer. BBQ’s, parties and travelling make it difficult to follow a healthy eating plan. Follow these simple guidelines to start losing fat pounds and improve your energy! Click here for Dr Alibhai’s healthy eating meal plan

To get a quick energy boost to help you get back on track I suggest coming in to Vitalia Health Care for a vitamin/mineral IV.

Yours in Health,

Dr Tasreen Alibhai, ND

Does the Rain Bring You Pain?

For many cooler temperatures and increased rain makes chronic pain and arthritis worse. This phenomenon has been studied and the research shows that it may have to do with changes in barometric pressure. When it’s warmer and drier the pressure is high. The increased pressure acts like a wrapping on the body, keeping fluids in the tissue. When the pressure drops it’s like the “wrapping” has been loosened, allowing for expansion, or fluid to move out of tissue into joint spaces.

Individuals who have inflammation due to injury, arthritis, food allergies, or other inflammatory conditions will notice an increase in pain as Inflammation increases tissue fluids.

Treating the cause of inflammation is the best way to reduce pain in the colder, rainier months. At Vitalia health clinic we often recommend food allergy testing as a starting place. Food sensitivities will increase inflammation in the body and can be responsible for exacerbating a host of conditions from arthritis to elevated blood pressure.

Another step is to remove foods that are known to be inflammatory such as sugar animal fats and refined grains.
Adding in anti-inflammatory foods and herbs will also be beneficial. Ginger and Turmeric are at the top of the list to reduce inflammation and promote blood flow.

Supplements known to help with pain include Vitamin D and Vitamin C.
And for those that need extra help or have pain due to injury and arthritis, Acupuncture and Prolotherapy are great treatment options.

If you’ve got pain, we have solutions.
Yours in health,
Dr. Natalie Waller, BSc. Kin., ND – successfully treating pain and injuries for over ten years.

 

What are Uterine Fibroids and what are the treatment options?

Uterine fibroids are benign growths that can develop in the uterus. They vary in size, ranging from small, pea-sized nodules to larger masses. They can grow into the uterine cavity, grow on the outside of the uterus, grow inside the muscle wall of the uterus. It is common to have more than one fibroid.

Uterine fibroids are most common in women between the ages of 30 and 50. It is estimated that up to 70% of women will develop at least one uterine fibroid at some point in their lifetime. The good news is not every woman will experience symptoms or require treatment.

What are the symptoms of having Uterine Fibroids?

Not all women experience symptoms if they have a Fibroid. For those women who do experience symptoms, these may include:

• heavy menstrual bleeding
• -longer menstrual cycles (prolonged bleeding)
• -pelvic pain or pressure
• -spotting at any time of the month
• -severe cramping and pain with a period
• -a woman may develop iron deficiency anemia due to heavy menstrual bleeding
• -some women experience constipation

What Causes Uterine Fibroids?

The exact cause of Fibroids is unknown. Genetics may play a role. If your mother had fibroids, you may have an increased risk of developing them.

Estrogen may play a role in the development of Uterine Fibroids. Estrogen is responsible for stimulating the growth and proliferation of the cells that make up the uterine lining so it may also stimulate the growth of fibroid tissue. Estrogen receptors are present in fibroid tissue, and the binding of estrogen to these receptors may stimulate the fibroids to grow.

A urine test known as the DUTCH test can identify elevated levels of Estrogen and its metabolites. Estrone (E1) and the metabolites 2-OH, 4-OH and 16-OH can bind to Estrogen receptors and may also contribute to the growth of Uterine Fibroids.

What are Treatment options for Uterine Fibroids?

Treatments for fibroids often target the body’s hormone levels to slow or stop the growth of the fibroids. These hormonal treatments may include medications that block the production of estrogen or reduce the levels of estrogen in the body. Surgery may also be considered, such as hysterectomy (remove the whole uterus) or myomectomy ( remove a portion of the uterus)

If surgery is not recommended, Naturopathic Medicine may offer treatment options to reduce bleeding. Fibroids may naturally shrink as a woman enters Menopause. Herbal tinctures may offer some relief with heavy bleeding. Testing and balancing Estrogen metabolites may also be used to reduce heavy bleeding and improve symptoms.

If 16-OH is elevated on a DUTCH test, it may be helpful to support the conversion to the more beneficial 2-OH pathway. Your Naturopathic Physician can work with you and develop a treatment plan customized for your hormone picture. Treatment may include diet recommendations, supporting liver detoxification pathways to favor the 2-OH pathway, using herbs and tinctures to slow down heavy bleeding, testing and correcting iron deficiency, discuss stress management strategies and recommend supplements.
Call us today for more information on treatment options for Uterine Fibroids.

Changing of the Seasons

The days are still warm and the sun is still shining, but nights are cooling down. After the summer season we have had, it is hard to imagine that winter, along with colds and flus, is looming. It is not quite time to pack away your favorite sandals, but it is time to start thinking about boosting your immune system so you are can breeze through cold and flu season.

• Try and get 8 hours of sleep a night. Sleep is when we repair and rebuild. If we are not getting enough sleep, stress levels will rise and the ability to fight off infections will be impaired.

• Limit sugar. This may be a tough one with Halloween around the bend, but sugar is known to increase inflammation and to suppress the immune system.

• Balance your stress levels. Stress is very suppressive on the immune system, but if you are balancing it with exercise, mediation and/ or Yoga you will be giving yourself a fighting chance.

• Eat a well balanced diet with lots of whole, real food, and vegetables to supply your body with a high amount of anti-oxidants, vitamins and minerals to stay strong.

• Take in Vitamin D and C.

• Keep your gut healthy with Probiotics. Most of your immune fighting tissue is in your gut, so if it’s not healthy, you will get sick.

Visit us at Vitalia Health Care to get your Naturopathic Immune Boosting shot for the adults or drops for the kids. Once a month is a general recommendation.

In health,

Dr. Natalie Waller, BSc. Kin., ND