10/4/2014 4 Comments How to prevent allergiesUpdated May 31 2015 Now that the snow has melted, the sun is out, temperatures are rising, moods are happier and people are spending more time outside. But for some, there's an ugly side to the coming of spring....the return of allergy season. For those of you that are familiar with allergies, you know the classic symptoms all too well:
On top of the above mentioned approaches, naturopathic doctors offer specifically tailored plans to help you with your specific allergy symptoms. These plans may consist of botanicals, acupuncture, homeopathics, and supplements. There are many options to help you minimize these symptoms. These approaches can help curb the intensity of your allergy symptoms and get you back out enjoying your day. Consult with your healthcare provider for your best treatment and prevention options.
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9/3/2014 1 Comment What are probiotics?Usually the chat about probiotics comes up pretty often. A lot of people are aware of probiotics, but aren't always clear on exactly what probiotics are or what they do. I like to explain what probiotics are and how they can help the health of the individual. Quite a few people know about probiotics from yoghurt or from an ad they saw on TV. However, very few of my patients really know how probiotics can help their specific health concern. This is a great opportunity to learn and take charge of their health and make informed decisions. So let me take this opportunity to try and explain what probiotics are and how they work.
What are probiotics? Probiotics are small bacteria that are used to increase and or replace the good bacteria already present in the body. They promote a healthy digestive tract and support defense mechanisms. There are over 500 different strains of bacteria that live in your digestive tract. It is believed that there are 10X more bacteria in your body then there are normal cells. They combine to weigh roughly 1 kg. The genes from these organisms may be as much as 150 times larger than the total human gene content. That's a lot of bacteria!! The 4 most dominant classes of bacteria are: Bacteroidetes, Firmicutes, Proteobacteria,and Actinobacteria. There are many many different strains of probiotics for sale out there, each with a claim as to why that strain is the best (that is a whole different topic that should be discussed with your healthcare provider). It is believed that different strains of probiotics have different functions in the body. How do probiotics work? Probiotics have multiple functions in the body such as:
When can I use probiotics? Probiotics can be useful in many scenarios, here are the most common situations:
Thats the simple explanation of what probiotics are and how they work. Before picking any probiotics, consult with your healthcare provider to find the best strains for you and your health needs. 31/10/2013 0 Comments What Is B12 vitamin? What are B12 benefits And What's The Difference Between Cyanocobalamin vs MethylcobalaminUpdated Oct 2016: This link is a 15min video that summarizes even more about B12 and B12 deficiency. I've had quite a few patients ask me, "so what's the difference between all the different types of B12 and why does the cost vary so much, and why should i care?" Ive also had just as many patients tell me that they didn't know that there were different forms of B12. So I put this together to give everyone an idea of the functions of B12 and the differences between the 3 forms of B12. B12 Functions B12 (cobalamin) is one of the many water soluble vitamins that your body needs for good health. B12 is needed to promote digestion; nervous system health; fatty acid metabolism, protein metabolism and folic acid metabolism as well as many enzyme reactions in the body. "How can I know that Im low or deficient?" It is indicated in pernicious and macrocytic anemia. People with low stomach acid will likely absorb less because stomach acid and other factors aid in B12 absorption. It can also manifest in fatigue, cardiac problems, neurological disorders (memory loss, sensation changes, confusion, depression), orthostatic hypotension (feeling dizzy when you stand up quickly), and decreased immune function. It may also affect melatonin production leading to sleep issues. It is also indicated in people taking the oral contraceptive pill. The dosage and method of B12 administration should be discussed with your Naturopath or MD prior to starting the supplement. Some people have genetic defects that cause them to not convert B12 into the active format effectively. This can be evaluated by genetic testing. Testing your B12 Serum B12 (blood test) is the most common way to have your B12 levels evaluated. Since B12 is involved in so many processes in the body, I like to see the levels in the mid-high range on the blood test. Food sources According to the Dieticians of Canada, the majority of B12 in your diet comes from meat sources. Therefore people who don't consume meat should consider B12 supplementation. There are currently mixed reviews about algae and its use as a B12 source in the diet. So now that we know what B12 does and we know its food sources, "what's the difference between all the different B12 forms?" There are 3 main forms: Cyano, Methyl, and Hydroxy. Cyanocobalamin Is the synthetic form of cobalamin used in many supplements. It's popular because of its low cost and stability. It's usually found only in trace amounts in the body. Cyanocobalamin must be converted to the methylcobalamin form in order to become active in the body. Therefore it has no real function in the body other than to be broken down into an active form. When cyanocobalamin is metabolized, it dissociates leaving the cobalamin (B12) and a cyanide ion. Cyanide is a poison to humans. Due to the cyanide portion of this form of B12, it is contraindicated in smokers and people with kidney problems. It as also been mentioned to be avoided in children with autism (still being debated). Methylcobalamin This is the coenzyme form of B12 that is used in the metabolism of all the processes mentioned earlier. This form does not require conversion in the body and is therefore more direct in its actions as a supplement. The main difference here is that the methyl form of B12 costs more. However, now the cost difference between cyano and methyl is not so large. Hydroxycobalamin Is another form of B12 that is very similar to methylcobalamin. These two forms of B12 have shown very similar methods of action, absorption efficiency and effectiveness. The difference here is that Hydroxycobalamin lasts longer in your body. It is not put into the more bioactive form of Methyl right away so your body doesn't use it all up at once. The debate will continue on whether to choose cyano or methyl or hydroxy. For my patients, I will always choose methyl or hydroxy forms. For me, there is no point in trying to save money in choosing cyano if I don't absolutely need to. I suppose if something happens to the world's supply of methyl and hydroxy, making them extinct, then yes, I would use cyano. However, until that day comes, I really don't see the need to do so. As for the cyanide safety debate, rather than take a chance with my patients, I would rather just go with the form that is known to not have any concerns with cyanide. It just makes sense to not take the chance with your health. As of now the research claims there is no significant risk in choosing the cyano form, but we used to say the same things about plastics (phthalates, BPA), lead paint, leaded gas, asbestos, hand washing before surgery, and the use of cocaine in coca cola. So for the minimal difference in cost and the less risk of harm, I would go with methyl or hydroxy, it's more bioavailable and is the more natural form. This image is the classic "Vitruvian Man" by Leonardo DaVinci. To me, this image represents the human body and its ideal proportions, health and balance. Back when I started naturopathic med school, if you were to ask me what my definition of healing was, I would likely have gone with something very science textbook-esque. It may have read something like “healing is the restoration of damaged tissue to normal function.” Or maybe even “healing is the process by which the cells in the body regenerate and repair to reduce the size of a damaged or necrotic area.” However, now, my understanding of healing is more a form of evolution; evolving, changing, and always dynamic. Tracking this evolution is what has helped with my understanding of healing. As you can likely tell, I am a science major that is used to specific definitions and sets of regulated guidelines with very little room for interpretation. I’m used to things being defined clearly, constant. What I have come to realize is that “the only constant is change”. It has been attending the Canadian College of Naturopathic Medicine, listening to class presentations and doing the class readings that have helped me to realize that there is much more to the nature of healing than I had originally thought. The room for interpretation is what helps to give my understanding of healing its ability to evolve. It is in these four short years since starting in the ND program that I learnt that there is more to healing than textbooks would have you think. It involves more than just the physical aspects of healing, as this does not encompass the whole person. You have to remember that people are more than just the sum of their parts. It is this mentality that has helped me to realize that you need to look at all facets of healing. Healing can encompass the physical, mental, and spiritual path in which individuals need to accomplish their healing goal. As a future practitioner, I need to recognize that everyone is different and as such, I need to tailor my approach accordingly. The evolution of methods in which to treat follows directly with this ever evolving form of healing. To me, healing needs three key things in order to occur; First, you need an injury. The initial injury or inflammation, be it physical, mental or spiritual, causes this need to heal and is the first step in the process. In order to heal, we need to deviate from our normal health state, otherwise there would be no reason to heal. Secondly you need to have regeneration. The proliferation and regeneration portion of healing can then use various healing methods to encourage the process. The approach taken here is very subjective, appealing to each person’s body, need and desire to heal. The individual approach to healing allows you to grow as an individual whilst healing. Lastly, we need to mature, to integrate our healing into our being to be finally healed. I feel as though this could be the most difficult of the three steps. Difficult in the sense that I think it would be hard to know exactly when you’ve entered this final step. As we heal, our perception of the line between illness and health tends to return. However, knowing exactly when we transition into this phase is tough to discern. We have to listen to our bodies so that they can tell us that we have matured. The pace of this step is what differs us all. |
CategoriesAll Allergy B12 Botanicals Detox Diet Digestion Education Electrolyte Flu Healing Health Homeopathy Immune Health Lifestyle Liver Health Nature Naturopath Nutrition Probiotics Supplement Whistler AuthorDr Landon McLean is a Naturopathic doctor accepting new patients in Whistler BC Archives
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