Sunday, January 20, 2008

Complementary Alternative Medicine

Canada’s health care system is starting to integrate complementary alternative therapies with modern medicine. Although not covered by Alberta Health, people are finding relief with these ‘New Age’ therapies:

Types of Alternative Therapy:

  • Naturopathy
  • Massage therapy
  • Acupuncture
  • Chiropractic
  • Traditional Chinese Medicine
  • Reiki
  • Qigong
  • Reflexology
  • Homeopathy
  • Shamanism
  • Rolfing
  • Alexander Technique
  • Craniosacral Therapy
  • Mind body stress reduction
  • Ayurveda

Different things work for different people. At the very least, it’ll be a new experience. Who knows what’ll work for you.

The Association of Doctors Integrating Complementary Alternative Medicine (CAM) has three principles:

  1. All healing therapies have validity
  2. Prevention has equal weight as therapy.
  3. Patient participation, empowerment, self-management

How to be a bad patient:

  • Get many opinions
  • Research the disease
  • Try lots of therapies
  • Get better

Where you put your mind, there goes your experience. Remember that the locust of control is inside you and around you.

URGENT: Never alter prescribed medication without the supervision of your family doctor. Never take herbal medication if on prescribed medication without consulting your physician.

The traditional view of the ‘doctor as expert’ can breed dependency, helplessness, blame and apathy on the part of the patient as well as resentment and burnout for the doctor. Therefore, share responsibility for your health with the Medical doctor.

An ideal complementary and integrative approach occurs when the patient's doctors know about the complementary care, agree that it will not be harmful, and continue to monitor the patient's progress while keeping an eye on the effects of both the complementary and the conventional therapies.

For example, someone with cancer who has acupuncture to help with the side effects of chemotherapy would be taking a complementary approach.

Physicians who practice integrative medicine focus on the whole person. And, just as they must keep abreast of current research in conventional medicine, they also review the latest research results for complementary therapies. This ensures that the treatments don't conflict with each other and don't cause any harm to the patient.

For any proposed CAM therapy, it is important to consider:

  • Safety (appropriateness for particular conditions, producers' quality control for items such as herbal medicines, etc.)
  • Effectiveness
  • Cost in time and money in relation to potential benefit
  • Credentials of the practitioner

Friday, January 18, 2008

DEPRESSION

Depression is a troublesome and sometimes incapacitating condition that affects more than one million Canadians a year. Sadness is a normal occurrence. Depression often has no identifiable trigger and can last anywhere from a week to two years. If unrecognized and untreated, it may look like a prolonged bad mood, stealing your energy and joy. Not knowing why you’re in a ‘bad mood’ spirals the symptoms with self degradation and deepens the depression. Many people coping with undiagnosed depression, are relieved to realize that they’re not bad people, they’re just depressed and there is help.

Signs and Symptoms of depression:

  • Irritability & anger
  • Fatigue
  • Headaches
  • Weight gain
  • Indifference to favorite activities
  • Chronic Pain
  • Hopelessness & pointlessness

Some types of depression:

  • Seasonal Affected disorder
  • Bipolar
  • Postpartum
  • Perimenopausal

Depression is not just in your head. It’s in your organs and glands which control the level of over 40 hormones in your body plus your immune system. Hormones impact our stress response, our happiness, healthiness, even sleepiness. Too much or too little of any particular hormone will change our mood and clarity. That’s why it’s important to discuss medical treatment with your doctor if depression is affecting your daily life.

Medical therapy:

  • Psychiatry or counseling
  • Medication

Complementary Alternative Therapy:

  • Acupuncture to regulate hormones and reduce stress
  • Massage to reduce stress and increase well being
  • Tai Chi for exercise and meditation
  • Light Therapy

Give high priority to learning to unwind and to let go after a stressful encounter. Holding onto resentments and negative feelings is proven to reduce our immune system, which is trying to keep us healthy. Perceiving a situation differently will actually cause a different hormonal response in the body. When you feel depressed, make an extra effort to do things that make you feel good even if it’s difficult to get yourself motivated. Socializing with friends and positive people will actually improve your immune response.

Activities to Increase Good Feelings:

  • Exercise
  • Volunteer
  • Games
  • Music / Funny movies
  • Socialization

Research has recently identified inflammation (redness and swelling) as a precursor to depression. In fact, many anti-depressant medications actually include an anti-inflammatory agent. This is a major break through in understanding what triggers depression. Inflammation diseases include: Asthma, Allergies, gingivitis, Crohns & Ulcerative colitis. Inflammation also rises during the third trimester of pregnancy which commonly leads to postpartum depression.

You can reduce Inflammation by:

  • Eating an anti-inflammatory diet rich in colourful vegetables and healthy fats found in olives, avocados, cold water fish.
  • Supplementing with ultra-refined fish oil.
  • Reducing sugar and preservatives especially MSG.
  • Daily multi-vitamin rich in B vitamins.
  • Following prescribed treatment, if applicable.

Depression can be healed with the help of your doctor and self care. There are many on-line sources of information and support.

References:

“Proinflammatory cytokines and negative emotions”

Townsend Letter for Doctors and Patients, May, 2007 by Robert A. Anderson

Sunday, January 6, 2008

Alkaline vs. Acid Foods

Diseases Thrive in an ACIDIC Environment

Scientists report that over 150 or more degenerative diseases are caused by high acid levels!! Parasites, viruses, bad bacteria, and disease cannot live in an alkaline body.

Body fluids range between 4.5 and 7.5 pH (blood must maintain 7.35 to 7.45 pH). A 1-point drop on the pH scale is 10 times more acidic - from 7 to 6 is 10 times, from 7 to 5 is 100 times, from 7 to 2 is 100,000 times more acidic.

Therefore: Eat more Alkalizing foods and Less Acidic Foods

ALKALIZING FOODS

VEGETABLES
Garlic
Asparagus
Fermented Veggies
Watercress
Beets
Broccoli
Brussel sprouts
Cabbage
Carrot
Cauliflower
Celery
Chard
Chlorella
Collard Greens
Cucumber
Eggplant
Kale
Kohlrabi
Lettuce
Mushrooms
Mustard Greens
Dulce
Dandelions
Edible Flowers
Onions
Parsnips (high glycemic)
Peas
Peppers
Pumpkin
Rutabaga
Sea
Veggies
Spirulina
Sprouts
Squashes
Alfalfa
Barley Grass
Wheat Grass
Wild Greens
Nightshade Veggies


FRUITS
Apple
Apricot
Avocado
Banana (high glycemic)
Cantaloupe
Cherries
Currants
Dates/Figs
Grapes
Grapefruit
Lime
Honeydew Melon
Nectarine
Orange
Lemon
Peach
Pear
Pineapple
All Berries
Tangerine
Tomato
Tropical Fruits
Watermelon

PROTEIN
Eggs
Whey Protein Powder
Cottage Cheese
Chicken Breast
Yogurt
Almonds
Chestnuts
Tofu (fermented)
Flax Seeds
Pumpkin Seeds
Tempeh (fermented)
Squash Seeds
Sunflower Seeds
Millet
Sprouted Seeds
Nuts

OTHER
Apple Cider Vinegar
Bee Pollen
Lecithin Granules
Probiotic Cultures
Green Juices
Veggies Juices
Fresh Fruit Juice
Organic Milk
(unpasteurized)
Mineral Water
Alkaline Antioxidant Water
Green Tea
Herbal Tea
Dandelion Tea
Ginseng Tea
Banchi Tea
Kombucha

SWEETENERS
Stevia

SPICES/SEASONINGS
Cinnamon
Curry
Ginger
Mustard
Chili Pepper
Sea Salt
Miso
Tamari
All Herbs

ORIENTAL VEGETABLES
Maitake
Daikon
Dandelion Root
Shitake
Kombu
Reishi
Nori
Umeboshi
Wakame
Sea Veggies


ACIDIFYING FOODS

FATS & OILS
Avocado Oil
Canola Oil
Corn Oil
Hemp Seed Oil
Flax Oil
Lard
Olive Oil
Safflower Oil
Sesame Oil
Sunflower Oil

FRUITS
Cranberries

GRAINS
Rice Cakes
Wheat Cakes
Amaranth
Barley
Buckwheat
Corn
Oats (rolled)
Quinoi
Rice (all)
Rye
Spelt
Kamut
Wheat
Hemp Seed Flour

DAIRY
Cheese, Cow
Cheese, Goat
Cheese, Processed
Cheese, Sheep
Milk
Butter

NUTS & BUTTERS
Cashews
Brazil Nuts
Peanuts
Peanut Butter
Pecans
Tahini
Walnuts

ANIMAL PROTEIN
Beef
Carp
Clams
Fish
Lamb
Lobster
Mussels
Oyster
Pork
Rabbit
Salmon
Shrimp
Scallops
Tuna
Turkey
Venison

PASTA (WHITE)
Noodles
Macaroni
Spaghetti

OTHER
Distilled Vinegar
Wheat Germ
Potatoes

DRUGS & CHEMICALS
Chemicals
Drugs, Medicinal
Drugs, Psychedelic
Pesticides
Herbicides

ALCOHOL
Beer
Spirits
Hard Liquor
Wine

BEANS & LEGUMES
Black Beans
Chick Peas
Green Peas
Kidney Beans
Lentils
Lima Beans
Pinto Beans
Red Beans
Soy Beans
Soy Milk
White Beans
Rice Milk
Almond Milk







Saturday, January 5, 2008

Simple Stretches to avoid arm pain

Everything we do works our hands and arms. Keep them healthy and strong by doing some simple stretches every day:
  1. 1. Arm straight out in front of you, palm up, pull fingers down so palm gradually faces away from you.
  1. 2. Arm straight out in front of you, palm down, pull fingers up so that palm gradually faces away from you.
  1. 3. Arm straight out in front of you, palm down, let fingers drop so that palm gradually faces you.

There are many common causes of arm pain, such as:

  • Carpal Tunnel Syndrome
  • Tennis Elbow
  • Golfer’s Elbow
  • Frozen shoulder
  • Pinched nerve
  • Tired muscles

Any activity requiring a repetitive motion will overwork a muscle. A tired muscle will encourage you to compensate and may swell from muscle break-down. High risk jobs:

  • cashier
  • construction
  • dry walling
  • typing
  • cleaning

If the pain doesn’t go away and if it’s painful to do your normal activities, see your doctor. In depth testing and diagnosis is urgent to identify the true cause in order to treat the source effectively. Then the treatment can be focused on the cause rather than the symptom.

Meanwhile the following home remedies may minimize and possibly heal arm pain.

  1. Rest
  2. Stretch
  3. Apply alternating warm and cold over the forearm muscles, (those muscles just below the elbow).
  4. Massage therapy
  5. Acupuncture

Good health reflects a balanced lifestyle including exercise plus stretches, proper nutrition, rest and fun. Respect and honor your body for a long and happy life.