Health Living
Trying to determine what foods you may be allergic to takes time. It also takes patience and help from a Naturopath Doctor practicing natural medicine. The doctor will give you nutritional counseling to figure out what foods are causing you problems.
Using an elimination diet
If you want to use the natural methods, then you can start with the elimination diet. You will have to keep a diary of the foods you are eating. You will also have to carefully read all food labels plus ask questions to servers about any food you have doubts about when eating out. You will monitor any symptoms you have during and after eating. If you have a reaction, remove the food from your list. If your symptoms disappear after removing it, then the food is suspect. By talking to the doctor during counseling the doctor will recommend replacement of same value nutrient foods. This is to make sure you are still eating healthy.
After a period of time, you will be asked, under supervision, to slowly add the eliminated foods back into your diet. By adding them one at a time and waiting to see if there is a reaction, you’ll be able to see what symptoms belong to what foods. When you do add foods back in and if you have a reaction, write down the symptoms. This food then is confirmed to be a trigger food. The doctor will then have you stop eating the suspect foods. If the symptoms clear up for good, then you know these are foods to avoid.
Other food issues
Some people are allergic to additives. The main ones which cause problems are: glutamates, preservatives, additive colors and flavors. When undergoing the elimination diet, these additives should be eaten sparingly. If necessary, the additives can be tested one at a time in foods you would like to try or eliminate.
If you have lactose, whey or casein intolerance, this can cause some issues in your diet as well. Lactose is a milk sugar that causes intestinal distress. Whey and casein are proteins in milk that cause food sensitivities. Drinking lactose free milk, does not prevent reactions to casein and whey. A common mistake is to drink lactose free, hoping it will correct a sensitivity to milk. Unfortunately it won’t. Other milk alternatives like hemp, almond coconut or soy milk may be suitable replacements.
Even if you have food intolerances, you can work around them and identify them with the help of a good Naturopath doctor. By working together you can find the source of the food problems, eliminate them and feel better.
Nutritional counseling can be extremely beneficial to your overall health. It can help you with a healthier lifestyle, advice to build up your immune system and generally just help you feel better.
Why is nutrition important?
Poor nutrition has a lot of side effects. You can feel tired all the time. You can have weight issues and digestion problems. Eating poorly can cause migraines, other types of headaches and high blood pressure. By having nutritional counseling you can change all that. You can get help with identifying the foods causing the issues. Eating the right foods can improve your overall health and let you live longer. A Naturopath doctor can help you with these new life choices.
What is nutritional counseling?
Nutritional counseling is counseling which helps you to achieve health goals and maintain them. Learning about nutrition and how it affects your body will help keep you healthy. By making an appointment with a Naturopath doctor, you will have taken the first step. In nutritional counseling, the doctor will get to the root of the problem as well as your concerns. A personalized chart of information will be made to fit your lifestyle and needs. There will be a discussion about what you are eating and where to change the foods you consume. You will learn the best foods which help to increase your energy levels as well as making you feel better. If weight loss is an issue, there will be help for that too.
What are the benefits of nutritional counseling?
The benefits of nutritional counseling are many. You will have increased energy because of a healthier lifestyle and correct food choices. You will sleep better and have an increased ability to concentrate. Your immune system will be strengthened. There will also be a lesser chance of diseases and disorders showing up. Also by improving your overall health, your doctor may be able to lower the strength of any prescription drugs you are on. By eating healthier you can experience weight loss and fat loss which will lower your cholesterol levels and blood pressure.
If you want to feel better and have more energy, schedule an appointment for nutritional counseling with your Naturopath doctor or family physician today.
It’s that time again, cold and flu season has come again.
If you think it’s a cold, and hope to skip that office visit, these are my suggestions for a speedier recovery. All suggestions, as well as a few more, are available at the office.
- Bio-vegetarian: At the first sign of a cold or sinus infection, take 2 capsules every hour during the waking hours for the first day and then take 5 doses the following day until you are well plus 3 days. These capsules are large and don’t taste great. They are absolutely contraindicated if you are pregnant or may be pregnant. If at the highest dose you developed a headache with a stiff neck, stop for that day
- If capsules are not an option for you, and you suspect you have a virus/cold then Elderberry Syrup is another option. This option is great for children too as it tastes nice. Elderberry doses for adults at 1/2 tsp 5 times per day, again take until you are feeling well plus 3 days. I often combine this with short term, high doses of Vitamin A and Vitamin D.
- Cough treatments depend on the type of cough. In the office we carry Herbal Cough Elixir by Wise Woman Herbal for a Dry cough (1/2 tsp up to 6 times per day). I suggest Khella compound for spastic coughs; the cough where you can’t quit coughing and it hurts (60 drops up to 4 times per day).
- My preferred homeopathic formula for colds and flues is Engystol by Heel. For an adult take 1 tablet every hour up to 12 times per day.
- Use the warming socks treatment for a good night sleep and to assist the fever.
- We also offer the standard Meyers IV and our Super Immune IV’s. These are 30 minute IV protocols that provide 25,000 mg of Vitamin C plus B vitamins and electrolytes. The Super-immune has added extracts of an anti-viral derived from Licorice Root.
If you are using any of the above, and not getting better, then you need to see a doctor.
Call 623.251.5518 to schedule an appointment with Dr. Jen immediately if:
- have a fever of 103F or more
- feel too ill to drink adequately
- have any of the signs of dehydration
- are still feverish after 72 hours
- have difficulty awakening, confusion or delirium
- have rash with fever
- have a stiff neck
- have difficulty breathing
- have a sore throat lasting more than 7 days
Prevention is best, wash your hands, get enough sleep, avoid sugar and eat your fruits and vegetables.
Best of health!
-Dr. Jen
Eating fermented foods is not something new in natural medicine. This is because people discovered long ago that fermenting organically grown food not only preserved certain foods naturally but maintained their health. Now fermentation actually works by using lactic acid bacteria to produce fermentation which when eaten breaks down the carbohydrates, proteins and fats in the food before it is consumed. Being one of the natural remedies for maintaining a healthy digestive system, it’s also one of the easiest to introduce into your daily food intake.
Why Probiotics?
For healthy eating, information about probiotics and other types of natural medicine can be taught to you by a Naturopath Doctor. This type of doctor practices homeopathic medicine and herbal medicine and can give you nutritional counseling. This is good to do because a person’s digestive system has a certain amount of microflora when we are born. The bacteria grow and develop as long as a balanced diet is eaten. With nutrition counseling, you will be taught the healthy way to eat such as consuming organic raw fruits and vegetables, probiotic foods, fermented and cultured foods so that the healthy bacteria grow instead of being destroyed. To help this happen, a Naturopath Doctor can give you a list of fermented foods to add to your diet which you can choose from to help solve your intestinal issues.
The doctor will also discuss with you any issues you may be having such as ways to support your immune to help defeat bacterial infection. The doctor can use natural remedies to help your body to increase its ability to heal itself.
Are fermented foods really helpful?
There are quite a few people who believe Homeopathic medicine and Botanical Medicine is only for health nuts or people who are into the New Age movement. This isn’t so. Natural medicine has been around for a long time and using fermentation in food has been around just as long. By the public becoming germaphobes though, the natural enzymes in our systems have been reduced. But since some bacteria are healthy to have in the body, consuming organically grown foods which have been fermented will encourage the growth of helpful enzymes, bacteria and yeasts so your body has a healthy microflora.
Homeopath treatments and natural medicine are very real and valid methods to treat illnesses. Probiotics and eating fermented foods are just two of those methods in these categories which can be used. With nutritional counseling by a Naturopath Doctor, feeling better soon is within your grasp.
With the high cost of prescription drugs, a lot of people are turning to natural, homeopathic and botanical medicine. Plants have been used in natural medicine for centuries for illness, health and wellness. If used correctly, they are safe with fewer side effects. If you are looking for botanical medicine, herbs, homeopathic remedies and supplements, they can be purchased through a Naturopath doctor. Your Naturopath doctor will take the time to make sure there aren’t going to be any interactions with medicines you may already be taking.
What are natural supplements used for?
There are a lot of illnesses and medical conditions which can be helped by using natural remedies. Homeopathic medicine and Botanical medicine, if used correctly, can be extremely effective. In dealing with this, here is a list of a few types of herbs and supplements and what they can be used for;
- Valerian is made from the dried roots of the plant. It can be used both as a sleep aid and anxiety.
- Lavender isn’t just for aromatherapy. If used in essential oils, in tinctures and teas, it can aid relaxation, anxiety and depression.
- B Vitamins are great for cell metabolism and helps to maintain the central nervous system.
- Vitamin D can help to treat seasonal affective disorder
- Ignatia is a common homeopathic remedy used in grief
These are just a few from long list herbs and supplements, your doctor can supply you with more.
What about side effects?
There can be some side effects if the supplements are taken in the wrong combination. Your Naturopath doctor can instruct you on the correct dosages and combinations. Also, if you buy your supplements and herbs from an unsafe source, there can be contaminants mixed in and along with the wrong ingredients added. The FDA has a requirement labels that all herbal supplements have to meet. The label should have listed the name of the supplement and who it was made by. It needs to have the complete list of ingredients, the serving size, amount and what the active ingredient is. Just because an herb is a natural medicine doesn’t make it less potent than a prescription drug, so don’t mix the herbs unless under supervision. If you are taking certain herbs, you may be asked to stop taking those 2 to 4 weeks before surgery so there aren’t any drug interactions or bleeding issues which could cause potential problems too.
Remember, the best and safest way to buy your herbs, vitamins and supplements is through a practicing naturopathic doctor, homeopath or a reputable health food store. That way you can be sure the information you receive is correct when choosing what natural supplement is best for you.