Thursday, March 24, 2011

Promote a Healthy Stress Response!


Robert W. Horovitz, B.Sc., ND
Naturopathic Doctor
The Lifelong Wellness Company Inc.
Active Health Centre
5871 Hwy 7 E
Markham, ON L3P 1A3
Clinic: (905) 294-0454

e-mail: info@lifelongwellnesscentre.com
www.lifelongwellnesscentre.com
www.facebook.com/lifelongwellnesscentre
www.twitter.com/lifelongwell

What’s Slowing You Down?

Our society is over worked.  It is no secret that stress is a huge correlative killer.  In nature we have evolved to use our stress response to our advantage; to hunt, run away, and simply put, to survive.  A properly functioning stress response is essential to our continual promotion of lifelong wellness.  Problems arise when either too much stress hormone (cortisol) is produced or when we have been chronically stressed for so long that that body loses its ability to produce cortisol as well on a need basis.  How does one measure their ability to cope with stress and what treatment options are available? Before answering, it is important to better understand why proper cortisol control is so important. 

When cortisol is released, we experience certain reproducible physiological changes; our lungs begin to allow for increased oxygen capacity, our heart rate increases, our vision becomes more focused (to name a few). These qualities make for an excellent survival tool, which we still take advantage of today in some ways; athletic perseverance for example.   However, in a corporate setting (when someone is sitting for a large duration of their day), these physiological changes can actually do us harm.  Instead of running or using these changes advantageously, people tend to stay seated and internalize their frustrations/stressors for the remainder of their work day. 

If we do not have proper outlets for stress management, the physiological changes from increased cortisol can lead to elevations in blood pressure and blood sugar.  High blood pressure (hypertension) is called the silent killer, because over time it can lead to massive cardiovascular incidents such as heart attacks or strokes.  Increases in blood sugar lead to increased cravings for sweets and/or simple carbohydrates.  Ultimately, you can see how stress can contribute to weight gain and/or difficulty in losing desired weight. Weight gain is associated with increases in disease risk almost across the board, including diabetes.  

When assessing someone’s ability to cope with stress, there are several measures to be taken.  Symptoms such as low energy, trouble falling or staying asleep, moodiness may all be indicators that you are burdened with stress.  Speak to your licensed naturopathic doctor regarding a thorough case history and dietary analysis.  Time management and proper nutrition is essential for supporting stress.  Vitamin C and B5 in particular are both required by the adrenal glands to produce cortisol.  Eating green, leafy vegetables such as kale, collard greens, broccoli, and Brussels sprouts are all great sources.  Camu camu is one of the richest sources of vitamin C known.  

I offer my patients a four point salivary cortisol test that is worth considering.  Cortisol can be measured by your medical doctors through a blood sample; however this only tells you what the hormone is doing at that particular instant.  A four point salivary cortisol test measures cortisol at four different times of the day and plots a graph so that information regarding your daily cortisol output may be evaluated.  The connection between stress and sleep is quite apparent.  When looking at a four point cortisol result, the curve should show cortisol being highest in the morning and lowest in the evening.  Your primary sleep hormone melatonin has an inverse relationship with cortisol.  That is, it is highest in the evening and lowest in the morning. 

If a person is chronically stressed and loses their ability to adequately produce cortisol when the body needs it, this pattern is thrown off balance.  Indirectly people resort to artificial energy sources such as sugar and/or caffeine.  These can also dramatically interfere with good quality, restful sleep.  Cortisol is also by far one of the most powerful natural anti-inflammatory compounds produced by the body.  Since cortisol is typically highest in the morning, people tend to feel worse as the day progresses when they are not feeling well. 

Herbs can be used to help; notably herbs known as adaptogens.  Since there is a long list of adaptogens, each with their own unique properties and constituents, it is important that you always consult with a licensed naturopathic doctor regarding any herbs that you take.  It is vital to obtain proper assessment, dosing, duration, and probably most importantly, follow up as treatments typically change as a person progresses through phases.  Health food stores across the nation are instrumental to our overall well being, but they are not medical clinics.  A fantastic relationship with a knowledgeable health food store clerk/owner, should not take the place of your overseeing health care provider.  Seek out professional advice, inquire about salivary hormone testing, and most importantly don’t stress it. 

Tuesday, March 8, 2011

Promote Detoxification Life Long!

Robert W. Horovitz, B.Sc., ND
Naturopathic Doctor
The Lifelong Wellness Company Inc.
Active Health Centre
5871 Hwy 7 E
Markham, ON L3P 1A3
Clinic: (905) 294-0454

e-mail: info@lifelongwellnesscentre.com
www.lifelongwellnesscentre.com
www.facebook.com/lifelongwellnesscentre
www.twitter.com/lifelongwell

We live in a toxic world; a phrase that has transcended throughout the naturopathic community.  From pollutants in the air we breathe to additives and contaminants in the foods that we eat, and the toys that are children play with, it is no wonder that the topic of detoxification is hot.  Fish is fantastic for your health, but watch out for mercury in our oceans.  Farmed fish?  What about PCBs?  Herbal skin care products can be incredible promoters of healthy, younger looking skin, but watch out for those parabens, PPD’s, and lauryl sulphates.  Let us not forget about propylene glycol; does the sound of applying floor cleaner to your hands and face sound attractive to you?  How about cleaning products such as chlorine bleech, ammonia, etc., all add up to a stockpile that your body does not forget.  

Our bodies are continuously working to survive against the harshest molecular adversaries possible using the most advanced biology available.  Yet as time goes by, our bodies begin to change as a result of this constant bombardment.  We experience chronic inflammatory conditions, migraines, chemical sensitivitie,s and our abilities to cope with daily stressors become affected.  We begin to get fatigued much quicker; our general energy levels are much lower, and are sleeping patterns may be less than sub par.   Emerging research suggests that toxins/hormone disruptors from the environment can profoundly impact our neurotransmitters that affect mood, leading to symptoms of depression and anxiety to name a few.   

If you had access to a method that could measure a large portion of your potential toxic load, would you take advantage of it?  In my opinion, a comprehensive hair mineral analysis is worth a conversation with your licensed naturopathic doctor.  A hair mineral analysis measure long term stores of toxins such as lead, mercury, and aluminum which are implicated in a wide array of disease pathologies.  Someone who is concerned regarding their smoking habits or even exposure to second hand smoke for example might benefit from reading their cadmium levels, which is measured with this test.  Minerals are also important indicators of health.  Calcium, magnesium, sodium, and potassium (to name a few) are all great indicators of homeostatic balance, which can be correlated with immune function, proper inflammatory responses, and many more.  Minerals are also extremely important for overall promotion of lifelong wellness.  Hair, skin, nails, cardiovascular health, and even the aging process are highly dependent on the various minerals that we are exposed to in our environments and take in through our food.    In my opinion, a detoxification program should always include a proper, thorough case assessment to include various aspects of a person’s life.  A physical exam, dietary analysis, and proper advice given by someone who is qualified should be sought after.   

There are many potential health items that claim to detoxify and thus protect us all from these health deterrents.  People often go on fad short term ‘detox diets’ and/or supplement with a ‘detox in a box’.  The question that I get most often is ‘what should someone expect when undergoing a detoxification program’?  I pose the question back ‘what would you like to feel after a detoxification program?  There are many detoxification systems that promote the idea of ‘the healing crises’.  The idea is that as the body begins ridding itself of dangerous toxins, we begin feeling symptoms of bloating, gas, headaches, nausea; to name a few.  The claim is that our bodies becoming so effective at removing toxics (due to a product/herb that is being administered), that there is an initial build-up in our blood which causes undesirable symptoms that are self resolving.  Thus when the ‘healing crisis’ is over, the detoxification process is progressing positively.  In my opinion, the ‘healing crisis’ is a result of imbalance rather than successful detoxification.  It is the responsibility of both the general public as well as practitioners to be properly informed. 

The body detoxifies certain substances in phases.  Essentially there is the process of metabolizing toxins into different compounds (metabolites).  Subsequently, these potentially dangerous metabolites are converted into forms that can be excreted via our urine/waste.  There are tremendous checks and balances that our cells use that enable these processes to be carried out in synchrony; without dangerous symptoms of the so called ‘healing crisis’.  It is important for detoxification programs to treat the individual person instead of just the masses. 

Ask yourself; what are the most toxic elements in your life?  Speak to your licensed naturopathic doctor about treating those aspects that bother you the most.  Stress for example can be properly assessed and managed via individualized treatment protocols using herbs, nutrition, and acupuncture.  By addressing individual imbalances, you can detoxify your life smoothly and effortlessly.  After all; a comprehensive detoxification program should not be geared towards simply boosting your detoxification system, but rather helping your natural defences work in balance to promote lifelong wellness. 

As a licensed naturopathic doctor, Dr. Robert W. Horovitz offers hair mineral analysis and salivary hormone profiles.  For more of Robert’s lifelong health tips, you can follow him on twitter, facebook and read more articles on his blog: www.lifelongwellnesscentre.com.  His clinic is located at 5871 Highway 7 E, Suite 101 in Markham, ON.  Call for a free 15 min consultation today: 905-294-0454.