Sticking to a health plan isn’t always easy. To be perfectly honest, it doesn’t take much for me to skip a workout when I’m glued to my computer screen completing work assignments, or pick less healthy lunch items to shove down my mouth when I haven’t made the time to prep healthier ones. (Planning is key.)
The secret to healthy glowing skin is staying well hydrated and protecting and feeding your skin from the inside out. If you are reading this article and you are in your early 20s, you may have smooth plump skin that seems resilient to the effects of the sun. You may heal quickly and never seem to have dry skin.
Summer is finally almost here in Vancouver. Its been a cold tough winter. With the sunshine and warmer weather we can now start enjoying all the summer activities Vancouver is so well known for.
Summer is the time most people want energy! The #1 complaint of patients to their doctors is a lack of energy. There is so much we want to do, but some of us lack the energy to enjoy all these activities. In this article I will be discussing Vitamin B12 and all of its benefits, the first being increasing your energy!
Vitamin B12 performs many important functions in the body. The main source is animal foods such as beef, chicken and egg yolks. Vegetarians and Vegans are at a higher risk of becoming deficient in vitamin B12.
Stomach acid is also very important for the release of B12 from foods. People with problems of low stomach acid or those taking medications to prevent heartburn (such as antacids) may also be a higher risk of B12 deficiency. Lastly there are certain medications such as diabetes medications that can lower absorption of B12. Check with your doctor or pharmacist.
Vitamin B12 is needed for many different functions in your body. They are necessary for your body to make proteins, balance neurotransmitters in your brain, helps your body to use folic acid which is essential for proper development and for the formation of your red blood cells, reduces heart disease risk, needed for memory, helps in the breakdown of fats for energy, needed for your nerves to function properly and essential for DNA replication and repair. Vitamin B12 has a lot of very important functions!
Low energy, shortness of breath, numbness in your feet, swollen red tongue, canker sores, constipation, dizziness, irritability, memory loss, weakness, ringing in ears, floaters in the eyes, and insomnia.
If you experience some of these symptoms with fatigue have your B12 levels checked. It’s a simple blood test your doctor can order.
If you have low vitamin B12 levels there are different types of B12 to supplement with. I recommend either hydroxyB12 or methylB12 to my patients. I find these work better than cyanocobolamin.
HydroxyB12 works well for those that experience low blood pressure, dizziness on standing and feeling weak. Methyl B12 works well on those who have low energy but do not experience the other symptoms. MethylB12 is also the choice for those who have a “methylation” problem that they have discovered through genetic testing (MTHFR, MTRR).
Have your B12 levels tested. If you fall below the range or towards the lower half of the normal range consider taking B12. It may be exactly what you need to increase your energy and get ready for all summer has to offer us in this beautiful city.
For more information on B12 call us today!
Yours in health,
Dr Tasreen Alibhai, ND
The bout of heat and sunshine we’ve been enjoying is a much-welcomed sign that summer is on its way!
But with food truck festivals and craft beer markets popping up every weekend, and ice cream parlours and fish & chips stands extending their hours, there are many opportunities to indulge a little too often, and we may end up unintentionally compromising our health goals.
Many people – particularly women in their 30s and into menopausal years – have an underactive thyroid without realising it. An underactive thyroid (or hypothyroidism) can be associated with lifestyle (such as high stress and poor diet) and genetic markers that may predispose people to it.
The answer is YES, the foods you eat can certainly make your seasonal allergies worse. Many individuals with pollen allergies experience immediate symptoms after eating certain foods. This is known as Oral-Allergy Syndrome and occurs because a plant protein gets mistaken for a pollen protein. Common symptoms of Oral-Allergy Syndrome (OAS) include: itchy and/or swollen lips and may also include the tongue, itchy roof of the mouth, scratchy and tingling throat, and watery, itchy eyes.
Since I was a baby I have experienced bouts of eczema. I remember using hydrocortisone cream almost daily to manage it, and going for allergy tests that always came back negative. I grew up believing that this was the skin I was given, and that was that. No big deal.
The best time of the year to detox the body is spring. With the longer daylight hours, the warming temperatures and the sprouting greens, it is the natural and appropriate time of the year for our bodies to eliminate the excesses of winter.
Despite what feels like an endless winter, spring is certainly on it’s way. Spring is the time of rebirth and is energetically appropriate then to set resolutions, cleanse our diets and, of course, doing a little spring cleaning. [Click here to read all about why Spring is my preferred time to celebrate New Year in the latest edition of Edible Magazine]
Dr. Tasreen Albhai N.D.
Naturopathic Medical Director
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Garlic, oregano, and thyme are herbs that have been used for their medicinal properties for centuries. Each of these herbs contains compounds that can aid in digestion in different ways.