Tweaking the Rules

by Dr. Iva Lloyd, ND

Living a "naturopathic lifestyle" can seem daunting at times, especially as there is new and conflicting research and information available all the time.

Part of the wonderful thing and the challenge in today's world is that there is so much information on health and the "best thing" to do to achieve your health goals.  Hopefully the following sheds some light and provides some clarity:

What Hasn't Changed

Some healthy habits are still true, even though they are overlooked.  For example:

• Drink adequate water. Dehydration remains a common symptom associated with most conditions. Most people associate dry skin or eyes and dry throat with dehydration, but other symptoms that are generally caused by or aggravated by dehydration include heartburn, muscle pain, fatigue and mental fatigue.  A general rule of thumb is 1/2 your body weight in ounces per day.  You also want to take into consideration your exercise level and your diet. Individuals with kidney disease may need to limit the amount of water that they drink so that they do not overwork the kidneys.
• Eat your vegetables. Many people find vegetables boring or they are unsure what to do with them, but adequate vegetables are an essential component to any healthy diet regimen. Vegetables are full of minerals, fiber and water.  The aim is a minimum of three (3) cups a day. You really can't eat too many vegetables.
• Don't avoid any food group.  One of the biggest areas of conflicting information on the internet is about what diet or food is best.  Some diets recommend avoiding carbs (starch), others encourage avoiding most forms of protein and others suggest that avoiding fat is best. Often the rationale for these diets is about weight loss, not about health. The healthiest diet includes all food groups. Every nutrient has a specific role to play in the body and you can not maintain health if you do not include all of them.  Check out this website to learn more about the benefits and role of the different components of food.  For example, diets low in starch (grains, bread, root vegetables) are also generally low in fiber and fiber is essential for helping the body eliminate toxins and for maintaining normal bowel movement.  It is all about balance and proportions of each one.  

Modification Of "The Rules"

Hopefully the following helps you follow "the rules" a little easier:

• Avoid eating salads in the winter. One of the "rules" is that the temperature of your food should be opposite to the temperature outside.  This generally means that you should avoid cold, raw salads in the winter.  For many people, salads are their way of ensuring that they eat enough vegetables and some of the foods added to salads, like cucumbers and tomatoes, are also high in water and help with hydration. For those where dehydration is a common problem, avoiding cold and raw food may still be the best strategy. For those that feel better with salad, we would recommend that you stick to winter greens like cabbage and brussel sprouts or more bitter greens such as arugula, spinach or kale and add foods and spices that increase the warmth to the salad such as onions, ginger, radicchio, black pepper, grilled vegetables and cooked protein.  Sprouts are nutrient dense and have a high water content. Adding sprouts to your salad is a good idea, even in the winter.
• Minimize your consumption of fruit. Many of the "rules" around fruit are still true - you should eat three to four times more vegetables than fruit; don't end your day with fruit; if you struggle with blood sugar concerns ensure that your fruit is always part of a meal, not as a snack.  Some slight modifications include:
• The best fruit for most people includes berries (especially those that are blue or black) and apples (especially local apples)
• Bananas are best used if you have concerns with diarrhea or vomiting. There are much better fruit options that are lower in sugar and less likely to cause mucous and congestion.
• Choose fruit that is local, as much as possible

New Research

There is always new research and it can be confusing and conflicting. Here are a few of the highlights:

• Coffee can be good for you.  It is true that coffee is dehydrating and that it can deplete the body of needed minerals, but there are also some advantages including: helping with constipation, improving memory and cognition. Keep in mind, for many coffee can be a cause for insomnia, hypertension and mineral deficiency. Also, some people can not breakdown coffee and it can be associated with irritability, heartburn, dehydration and other symptoms. Some research promotes 3 or more coffee a day. I still believe that it is best to limit coffee to one or two a day, preferably before 2 pm. If you are going to drink coffee, it is important to know the full impact that it has on you. If you have hypertension, anxiety, insomnia or chronic dehydration you are probably best to find an alternative.
• Food reactions may be because of the chemicals in food.  There is a growing body of research that is linking people's reaction to food to the pesticides, herbicides and other chemicals sprayed or used on food. For example, there is a growing concern that many people that react to wheat-based products may in fact be reacting to the roundup or other chemicals used in the growing of the wheat.  
• Organic is better.  Some research has shown that the nutrient value of organic and non-organic is similar or the the same.  The main reason for choosing organic meats and food is to decrease your exposure to chemicals and environmental toxins.
• Choose antibiotic-free meats and dairy. 80% of the exposure to antibiotics comes from food; not from taking antibiotics. When choosing meats and dairy, ensure that they are grown / raised without any antibiotics.

Everyone is different and the best advice is to work with your naturopathic doctor to determine what is best for you, but I hope that the information above makes it easier to live a healthy life.

To book an appointment with Dr. Iva Lloyd, ND please contact the clinic at 905-940-2727.

Are You Concerned About Your Memory?

By Dr. Iva Lloyd, ND

Do you ever think that your memory is not as strong as it used to be?  You're probably right. Memory loss is becoming one of the greatest concerns in the 21st century. No longer is memory loss something associated just with those that are older, it is becoming a growing concern for those middle-aged and even younger.

According to the 2019 World Alzheimer's Report, memory loss - and Alzheimer's Disease specifically - is the most significant social and health concern of the twenty-first century.  With all the money spent on research, the one factor that everyone agrees on is that you want to focus on prevention and supporting overall brain health as much as you can, because there are really no prescription medications that work once memory loss becomes a problem.

How is Memory Loss Diagnosed?

True memory loss is difficult to diagnose. Most people have moments of forgetfulness. The challenge is knowing when those moments become too frequent or signify a deeper problem. Tools that are used to diagnose memory loss include:

• Observation. Paying attention to those moments of forgetfulness and determining whether or not they are concerning is generally the first step. Family and friends can be helpful in identifying a problem. 
• Questionnaires are often used by health professionals as a way of determining whether or not concerns of memory loss indicates an underlying pathology.
• Lab tests can help to identify metabolic conditions that contribute to memory loss such as chronic inflammation, high blood sugar or signs of chronic stress.  Common lab tests that are helpful to ask for include Vitamin B12, Vitamin D, Ferritin, HbA1C, Homocysteine and CBC. Testing for heavy metals, fatty acids levels, hormone levels and for the levels of mold in the body can also provide key information.
• Electroencephalography is generally reserved when an underlying problem is suspected.
• Brain scans are not very accurate at determining memory loss or dementia, but can identify if an underlying brain pathology is contributing to signs of memory loss.

It is important to remember that forgetting is, in some ways, healthy. Also, memories are a strange thing. They can be implanted, rehearsed, refurbished and modified over time. Not all memories are real and sometimes forgetting is the natural way that the body "prunes" memories that are not required or not accessed frequently.

It is also natural for accessing memories, words or events to take longer as you age. The struggle sometimes is determining whether or not signs of memory loss are natural or indicate a deeper problem.

Factors That Contribute to Memory Loss

Memory loss is not inevitable. There are a number factors that contribute to memory loss and many of them are things that you can easily address with lifestyle and dietary changes. Environmental factors require more effort both from an assessment perspective and treatment approach. Some of the common factors include:

• Over-medication and drug interactions
• Environmental toxins including heavy metals, environmental chemicals, proximity to cell-phone towers and the growing impact of wireless networks.
• Chronic dehydration
• Vitamin and nutritional deficiencies
• Diet high in sugar or simple carbohydrates
• Alcholism or excessive drinking
• History of frequent falls, head injuries or difficulty with balance
• History of recreational drug use
• History of chronic insomnia or poor sleeping patterns
• Excessive depression, stress or anxiety
• Multi-tasking and being active but not attentive
• Underlying infections
• Chronic conditions such as thyroid imbalances, diabetes or heart disease
• Chronic inflammation
• Family history of cognitive impairment, stroke, Parkinson's disease or dementia - especially if the onset was before the age of 60.

Your naturopathic doctor can assist in determining the best treatment options to address each factor that is relevant for you.

How Do You Prevent Memory Loss

For many people, memory loss can be prevented or at least delayed and slowed down.  The key is to address the factors that are relevant to you and to follow these simple steps:

• Stay active. Ongoing movement ensures adequate blood flow to the brain. It also helps to flush out toxins. Staying active is essential, not only for memory loss but every other health condition.
• Get adequate deep sleep. Sleep is essential to health. If you are struggling with your sleep, talk to your naturopathic doctor.
• Challenge your brain. Use-it-or-lose-it really does apply to cognitive health. Use your brain in as many ways as possible - solve puzzles, take a class, play board games, play cards, read, be creative and learn something new. There are a number of on-line programs that can also help. My favorite is www.lumosity.com 
• Stay engaged. Socialization is really important. Dementia is strongly associated with isolation and loneliness. The mind needs to engage with others. If you don't share those memories and stories you will lose them a lot faster.  
• Healthy nutrition. Nutritional deficiencies will always make memory loss worse. Your naturopathic doctor can assist in determining if you are eating adequate nutrients and if you are able to properly digest and metabolize them.
• Address underlying problems. Working with your naturopathic doctor to assist in the detoxing those environmental toxins and/or properly healing from head trauma, concussions and other factors that may be affect your memory over time.

Other treatment recommendations that your naturopathic doctor may recommend include:

• Antioxidants - there are specific antioxidants that cross the blood-brain-barrier and can assist in "cleaning up" the brain. Some common ones include: l-Carotine, melatonin, glutathione.
• Anti-inflammatories - if chronic inflammation is a problem, then it is important to include supplements that will decrease inflammation.  Turmeric, or Curcuma longa has been found to be effective in the prevention of dementia. 
• Omega- fatty acids - the brain is primarily fat. Ensuring adequate healthy fats, such as Omega-3 Fatty Acids is essential.
• Herbal remedies - there are a number of herbal remedies and gemmo-therapies that can assist with cognitive function including: Ginkgo (Gingko biloba), Turmeric (Curcuma longa) and Ginseng (Panax ginseng) and Gemmotherapies such as Alnus glutinosa
• Other therapies - acupuncture, homeopathy and other naturopathic therapies may also be beneficial.

Bottom Line

The bottom line is to take a look at your life and determine whether or not you are at risk of memory loss. Prevention is the key.  Once memory loss is really apparent it is difficult to reverse. For those that are young, I strongly encourage you to have our environmental burden assessed and addressed. If you have a history of contact sports it is important to be on an anti-inflammatory and to address any postural alignment concerns. If you know that your lifestyle is not great then start there. There is a lot that can be done - but, you want to start before symptoms become too severe.

For more information on preventing and treating memory loss talk to your naturopathic doctor.  Dr. Iva Lloyd, ND has a special interest in cognitive health.  If you have any questions, please contact her or call the clinic to book an appointment.

It is not about Work-Life Balance; It is about Prioritization and Coherence

by Dr. Iva Lloyd, ND

The concept of Work-Life Balance sounds great. It has been the catch-phrase for the last decade or so.  The lack of work-life balance has often become the justifcation for anxiety, stress, depression, just about anything.

Trying to achieve work-life balance often results in people trying to do more. Trying to put a little of their energy into many different things. The focus often becomes the length of time a person spends in any one task, not whether or not they enjoy the task, whether they are getting something valuable out of it or even whether it is really important to them.

As a naturopathic doctor, I often encounter patients that are struggling to achieve specific health goals, and working to include a healthy regimen into their life.  What I hear all the time is that they struggle because there are "too many things to do". Life has become about doing more, versus enjoying what you do, really experiencing what you're doing and choosing to do things that really matter. The challenge is that what a person often ends up doing does not bring them closer to what they want to achieve.

Achieving anything - whether it be health, success, recognition, etc - starts with knowing what you want to achieve (intention), making sure what you do is consistent with those goals (coherence) and prioritizing your time accordingly.

Intention

Your intentions drive everything; whether you are conscious of them or not. In fact, your subconscious intentions are often more impactful than your conscious ones. Intention is defined as one's purpose, aim, objective or goal. Intentions can be more important than actions. Next month I am going to expand more on the role of Intention in health and disease and in overall happiness and contentment in life.

Coherence

Coherence has two general meanings. It relates to things being logical and consistent and it relates to thing have a unifed focus. We think of it as the waves of your life being in sync. When it comes to health, coherence is about recognizing that there are many internal and external factors that influence health. Such as;

Copyright: Dr. Iva Lloyd, ND
2018

It can look overwhelming, but it is really about appreciating that a person's health is influenced by everything they encounter.  When you see yourself as part of the whole, versus being in "own bubble", it can actually make life easier.

Dr. Lloyd, ND copyright 2008

Coherence recognizes that all aspects of an individual are connected.  That a person's thoughts and emotions (i.e., the psychological) is intertwined with the functional and structural aspects of a person. That a person's thoughts affect how their body functions and likewise, a person's posture influences how they think and feel and how the body functions.

What is "right" for each person, whether we are talking diet, exercise, supplements, sleep, etc, depends on a person's age, their health status, their constitution, even the seasons and time of day.

The more you evaluate things based on their relevance and their applicability to you; the better.  For example, coffee and salt are not necessarily good or bad. It simply matters whether or not they are good for you. Whether or not your body type, your age and your current health status is enhanced or negatively impacted by them.  Too often the focus is on evaluating "things" - whether they be food, exercise, supplements or anything - as good or bad, versus looking at whether they are right, or in coherence, with a specific person.

I encourage you to catch yourself any time you are wondering if something is "good" or "bad" and change your thinking to whether or not it is "right for you" or whether the impact is even "relevant" for you.

Prioritization

There are so many things that can pull on your energy and time. Preparing food, exercise, household tasks, work, email, social media, news, commitments with family and friends, travel, and the list goes on and on. For most people, the issue is there are are too many things to do. And, at the end of a day or a month, there is that feeling that you still didn't do enough or you never got to what mattered.

There are some trues that you want to keep in mind:

• No matter who you are there is only 24 hours in a day, 7 days in a week.
• Everybody only has 100% of energy and not everybody's 100 is the same.
• Whatever you focus on gets done!

If you want to know what your priorities are; look at what you do and the order that you do them. What I often find is that when a person is listing their priorities and when they are listing what they do in a day or week, they often don't match. For example, a person will state that exercising or losing weight is their key priority, but they don't find the time to exercise or they still end up stress eating or snacking late at night. 

It is always a good idea to track what you get done and to get a sense of whether or not that is what you want to be defined by. Another good exercise is to make lists and check off what gets done. At the end of each week, check the list and review what got done and what was left unfinished. It is also helpful to highlight different tasks by colour - green for personal tasks, blue for household chores, red for work, etc. That way, you can more easily see where your focus and priorities lie.

There is a saying, "Whatever gets measured; gets done."  If you want to be more successful, in life, health, anything, spend time determining your priorities and then tracking what you do to determine if they match.

Dr. Iva Lloyd, ND is a naturopathic doctor with a special interest in the role of the mind in health and disease. Check out her website to find other articles and blogs that she has written. If you would like to book an appointment with her, please call the clinic at 905-940-2727.

Dealing with the Winter Blues

by Dr. Iva Lloyd, ND

Winter blues, or seasonal affective disorder (SAD), refers to bouts of depression and desire to sleep longer during specific periods of the year. SAD is most common in the winter months and is most prevalent in areas with decreased sunlight.  

Who is prone to Seasonal Affective Disorder?

• Those individuals who spend more time indoors when it is cold and decrease their outside activities in the winter.
• Those individuals who decrease their social activities and interaction with others in the winter months.
• There tends to be an association between low thyroid function and increased risk of SAD.
• High stress levels during the winter can increase the likelihood of SAD or can make it more extreme.
• Conditions such as insomnia, depression, mood disorders or pre-menstrual syndrome (PMS) are associated with increased risk.
• Getting a cold or flu in the winter can often trigger SAD, especially if it lingers. Some blogs that you may find helpful include:
• Prevention and Management of Colds and Flus
• The Essential At Home Flu Prevention Kit
• Protect Yourself Against Cold Sores

What Happens in the Mind

• The shortening of daylight hours in the winter causes a shift in normal circadian rhythms which leads to increased production of melatonin and cortisol.
• Melatonin is the hormone associated with sleep.  When melatonin increases a person's desire and ability to sleep longer is enhanced.
• Cortisol is considered the stress hormone. When it rises people tend to feel more edgy. For some people the rise in cortisol results in feelings of sadness, for others it results in feelings of agitation or frustration.
• Together an increase in melatonin and cortisol can result in a decrease in serotonin which is a mood-elevating neurotransmitter.

Symptoms of SAD

The two main symptoms that are always present include depression and increased desire to sleep. Other symptoms that may also be present include:

• lethargy
• daytime fatigue
• melancholy
• craving for carbohydrates
• overeating with increased appetite
• weight gain
• loss of sexual interest
• irritability

Natural Treatments for Seasonal Affective Disorder

Staying active and social is an essential part of limiting the risk or severity the SAD has on you. Other strategies or natural treatments include:

• When at home: Keep your drapes and blinds open. Sit near windows when relaxing or reading. On cloudy days, turn on bright lights - ideally full-spectrum lighting - in the room that you spend the most time.
• Stay active - Get outside as much as possible, especially in the early morning light. Aim for 1 hour in the sun each day.
• Dietary recommendations - there are a number of ways that diet can assist including:
• Decrease alcohol and caffeine - or at a minimum, ensure that you don't increase them in the winter.
• Eat by season. When it is cold outside, avoid cold, raw and dry food. Winter is a great time for soups, stews and casserole. Leave the smoothies and the salads for the summer.
• Check out our blog on Healthy Fall and Winter Eating
• Exercise - Stay active. Aim for 30 minutes of exercise at least three times a week, preferably outside. 
• Sleep - As much as possible stick to the same sleep regimen that you have in the summer, especially as it relates to the number of hours that you sleep.
• Vitamin D - Most people do better if they take Vitamin D in the winter months. To learn more about Vitamin D, read our blog titled, High Dose Vitamin D, is it safe and effective?
• Natural health products (NHPs) - There are a number of NHPs that are used to address SAD including: Melatonin, Tryptophan, Fish Oil, and others. 
• Herbs - St. John's Wort, Kava-kava and other herbs are often beneficial in the treatment of SAD.
• Light therapy - There are a number of ways increasing your exposure to natural light. There are light visors that you can wear for 15 - 20 minutes a day, specific light bulbs that you can use in your home, light units that you sit in front of and other instruments.  Light therapy can be very effective on its own or as an adjunct to other therapies.

If you think that you have a case of the "winter blues" and would like advice on how to deal with it naturally, speak to one of our naturopathic doctors by calling the clinic at 905-940-2727 to book an appointment.