Naturopathic View Of The Human Life

Most women complain of one symptom or another when it comes to that time of the month –  1 – 2 weeks before the menstrual cycle. These symptoms are part of what we call the premenstrual syndrome and comprises of a number of symptoms such as emotional upsets and sensitivity, irritability, weight gain, water retentions, sore breasts, acne break outs, which can be very tender to touch, sugar cravings or salt cravings, increased appetite, reduced energy, lethargy and fatigue, bloating, constipation among others. While most women suffer in silence, others take over the counter medications, which are okay at best to keep the symptoms at bay.

Natural / naturopathic treatments for premenstrual syndrome are very effective in reducing and quite often eliminating the symptoms by treating root cause of the problem, that is balancing the hormones naturally as well, making lifestyle changes.  PMS symptoms are caused in part by our diet .Having foods that high in saturated fats, refined sugars and refined foods, salt, caffeine, alcohol, meats and dairy products that are not organic, are thought to have an impact on our hormones, estrogen in particular, and having high amounts of this hormone will cause various premenstrual symptoms such as weight gain, water retention, emotional upsets and sensitivity, among others. Talk to you naturopathic doctor about testing your hormones to see how balanced they are.

Here are a few natural suggestions that will help you treat your PMS symptoms naturally:

1. Avoid caffeine, alcohol and tobacco.  Instead try green tea ,rooibos tea or other herbal teas, sparkling water or warm water with lime squeezed into it.

2. Try to have a diet filled with fresh fruits and vegetables, along with whole grains, as opposed to refined foods such as breads and pastas.

3. Stay hydrated – you need to drink at least half your body weight in ounces of water daily.

4. Try to decrease your salt intake – instead try natural alternatives such as kelp granules and other seasonings without MSG as well.

5. Exercise is key to improve circulation in the body as well, great for stress management. I recommend moderate physical activity for 30 – 40 minutes, 3- 4 times a week. Try yoga, meditation or a pilates class for a change.

6. For those sugar cravings, try have frozen raisins or dates, which are great for iron – an element that is quite often low in women in tend to have heavier periods.

7. Feeling angry or sad? Instead of lashing out, try to do some free flow writing and then burn everything you wrote after reading it. This will help lighten your heart and mind, without hurting someone else’s feelings.

By: Sushma Shah, Naturopathic Doctor, at the Nature’s Intentions Naturopathic Clinic, in Toronto.

WHAT IS PCOS / POLYCYSTIC OVARIAN SYNDROME?

PCOS or Polycystic ovarian syndrome affects up to 10 % of the adult female population. Like the name suggests, PCOS occurs when there is formation of cysts on the ovaries. These cysts can vary in size, color and shape as well as what they contain. Some could be more solid, others more fluid, but most of them cause the similar symptoms. Most times, these cysts are found on pelvic ultrasound exams, and most females are generally aware that they have cysts.

SYMPTOMS CAUSED BY PCOS / POLYCYSTIC OVARIAN SYNDROME

For a minority  number of females, however, these cysts can cause all kinds of menstrual issues, such as mid cycle ovarian pain which feels like like a sharp pain on either the left or the right side of the lower abdomen, excruciating pain in the lower abdomen, if the cyst has burst, irregular menstrual cycles, infertility, bloating, weight gain in the mid section and overall weight gain, hair loss, acne past teen age years, and increased body and facial hair. Additional symptoms include insulin resistance or the metabolic syndrome, in which case the female has insulin resistance and pre diabetic symptoms of high sugars and high body fat levels. It is possible for a very thin female to have PCOS.

WHAT CAUSES POLYCYSTIC OVARIAN SYNDROME?

Usually an imbalance in female and male hormones will affect the production of the cysts. Diet and lifestyle, i believe play a huge role in the formation of the cysts, and stress often worsens the symptoms and this condition.

TREATMENT OPTIONS 

Your medical doctor may choose to treat PCOS using the birth control pill, and for diabetic drugs such as metformin for obese or overweight patients along with changes in lifestyle.

Various Natural treatments for Polycystic ovarian syndrome exist. As a naturopathic doctor, I usually treat PCOS in patients using natural herbs, certain supplements along with diet and lifestyle modifications. Here are some very simple lifestyle changes that would be very beneficial for PCOS:

1/ Eat organic meats especially chicken and beef.

As mentioned earlier, this condition is caused by an imbalance in hormones. Meat and poultry that is not organic is frequently laden with hormones to plump up the animal, which do not break down with cooking and will have deleterious health effects when ingested such as girls hitting puberty earlier and earlier in life.

2/ Cut down on dairy products. 

Based on traditional chinese medicine, dairy products create more phlegm and congestion in the body – which in turn can effect the production of the cysts. You do not have to take my word for it, try eliminating milk from your diet for three months, and see if it makes a difference. Chances are, more that likely you will see quite a change with your cycle and congestion in the body.

3/Avoid caffeine, alcohol and tobacco. 

I think this one goes without saying.

4/Increase your intake of leafy green vegetables and fruits, as well, as cruciferous vegetables in the Brassica family

Cruciferous vegetables such as broccoli, brussels sprouts, cauliflower, cabbage contain a compound called  indole 3 carbinol, which is great to detoxify harmful estrogens from the body and is very helpful in balancing hormones naturally.

5/Staying active physically. 

Moderate amounts of exercise 4 – 5 times a week for 30 – 40 minutes is great for health in general. Exercise has various added benefits of improving blood circulation, improving energy levels, as well as the beneficial effects on the heart. Exercise is a great way to improve your mental and overall health and a must for patients with PCOS.

Talk to your naturopathic doctor if you have been recently diagnosed with PCOS/ polycystic ovarian syndrome and want to treat it naturally. Your naturopath will most likely check your hormones  in order to establish a base line of your hormones and may recommend various supplements and diet changes based on your  intake.

By: Sushma Shah, Toronto Naturopathic Doctor, at the Nature’s Intentions Naturopathic Clinic.

Happy New Year to everyone. The last year has been a difficult one for almost everyone in various aspects so lets hope this year is one that will bring lots of positivity and cheer to everyone. Here is how you can do your part to make this world and yours a better place naturally.

1.QUIT SMOKING.

Really it is time to kick of this dirty habit as its heavy on your lungs and your pockets. Try to quit smoking naturally using acupuncture, hypnosis and natural supplements. It works really well, but only if you are ready to quit!  You have probably wanted to do it for a variety of reasons: including health, family and friends, and the amount of toxins you accumulate in your lungs, and now is the time, so go ahead and take that step towards a new healthier and cleaner you ! Your naturopathic doctor can advise you on natural supplements and diets that will help your body with dealing with cravings, agitation and anxiety as a results of quitting and weight gain that can happen with quitting smoking.

2. GIVE UP DRINKING EXCESSIVELY

Having an occasional glass of wine here and there is fine, red wine is great for the heart, but anything in excess is not good. So you figured you drink excessively only over the weekends so its fine! No, as a matter of fact, that kind of drinking is more abusive and harmful towards your liver and harder to process than having a glass of red wine every second or third day, not to mention killing the few brain cells remaining. Its affecting your relationships in a harmful manner, and turning you into a person that people do not want to know anymore, so kick of this habit naturally or with the help of your naturopathic doctor. There are amazing natural supplements that will help you deal with the cravings and urges.

3. CUT OUT TOXIC RELATIONSHIPS IN YOUR LIFE THAT WEIGH YOU DOWN

We have all been through this. Its hard to break  bonds with toxic people and abusive relationships as its just so much more easier to be miserable and unhappy as opposed to facing the unknown, right ? No!  Unless  you wish to live your life scared and unhappy, and always being put down, the alternative is easier and less painful, and frees you of toxicity in your life! If you are hanging on to the past and the relationships that failed and the disappointments, you are weighing yourself down the unnecessary emotions and stagnating energy that comes from it, so free yourself like the birds. If you find its hard to let go, try some free flow writing and write whatever comes in your mind, happy or sad, and when you stop, burn whatever you wrote about or tear it up and let the emotions attached to what you wrote go. If you practice this regularly, your mind and heart will feel lighter.

4. SLEEP MORE AND EAT HEALTHIER 

This is the easiest healthy resolution out of all of the above and you will feel so much better in terms of energy and mood once you apply it.If you are one of these people who gets about 4 – 6 hours of sleep a night and get away with eating whatever they want, and feel you do not need more sleep or improve their diet, well, think again. Even though you may feel invincible, your body is having to work overtime to help you feel that way and sooner or later, it gets fatigued, and then you will start to see all kinds of symptoms you did not have before such as weight gain in the waist, fatigue, waking up feeling not refreshed among others. If you are one of those people who suffers from insomnia or other sleeping issues, talk to your naturopathic doctor to see how you may be able to improve your sleep naturally.

You are what you eat, so remember, if you are putting in food into your body that is not healthy and nutritious, your body will lack vital vitamins and minerals that it needs to function optimally, as a lack of these key nutrients will cause various imbalances in the body, which in turn will cause various symptoms in the body.

5. STRESS LESS AND BREATHE MORE!

Stress. This word in it self is stressful! Do not get me wrong, there is healthy and positive stress too, but the majority of us seem to put undue amounts of stress on our bodies. Stress on the body can be caused not only by mental and emotional  factors, but also by our environment, psychological, dietary and physiological factors. Learn to manage your stress better  naturally with moderate exercise, yoga and meditation, massage and acupuncture, and with the help of certain vitamins and minerals.  If you are under constant stress and there is no possible to change it, try to find strategies that will help you to manage your stress better and remember to breathe.

By: Sushma Shah, Toronto Naturopathic Doctor, at the Nature’s Intentions Naturopathic Clinic.

With the holidays rolling in, there will be tablefuls of cakes and cookies in almost every household,  and all kinds of other tasty temptations all around us, so how do we loose weight or avoid weight gain over the holidays? listed below are some wondering strategies that you can apply to keep the weight gain at a minimal this time of the year.

1. Do not deny yourself everything and almost anything.  With all the tasty treats  around, it is hard to say no. So one thing you can do, is whatever it is that you feel like eating, eat a small portion of it  and by that i mean – just enough to satisfy your craving in the earlier part of the day, say about 100 calories worth. Treat it as a treat for you for the long busy day ahead of you and the calories you will burn running around all day.  This way you did not deny you wants and needs and did not over indulge in your guilty eating pleasures. its a win- win situation, but remember, only a SMALL portion.

2. Keep your regular meal times.  Most people will have some time off over the holidays, and most people try to catch up on their sleep during the time off. Sleeping in is okay as long as you still have your breakfast at a decent time. If you are going to be out and about all day, try not to skip any meals because skipping meals leads to overeating all kinds of foods later in the day.  If you don’t have time for a full meal, try to eat a healthy snack or meal replacement bar instead. Try to take some snacks with you if you are going to be spending the better part of the day in the malls with all kinds of temptations.

3. Read food labels when you are purchasing food items.  It is very important to pay attention to the portion size, the number of calories in each portion, and the amount of saturated fat in each portion.  Majority of the times our view of the ” supposed ” portion size is very different from the ” actual” portion size and the amount of calories that a portion size makes up and before you know it, you will have gained a pound of weight in a week by  just adding an extra 500 calories in your diet per day. Reading and understanding the calorie count and where the calories these calories are coming from – carbohydrates, protein and fats, helps you make the healthiest food choices. With smart food choices, you will have no problems loosing weight without even thinking about it!

4.  Make small substitutions in your diet when eating out to cut out extra unwanted calories.  With so many family dinners and lunches to attend where you might have little choice over the food that is served,  it is important  to mindful of what you eat especially because not many of us are going to run to the gym after to burn it off. So its important to remember to eat just enough rather than engorging your self  with a lot of food. Make small substitutions for example, drink water, diet soda, or unsweetened iced tea instead of high-calorie sugary drinks.  Choose low-calorie and low-fat versions of salad dressing, cheese, sour cream, and mayonnaise.  Go easy on fried foods – go for foods that are  baked, broiled, poached, or grilled instead. This way you can enjoy a great meal, be a gracious guest and be discreet about what you put into your mouth without offending your host. Oh, and please skip the seconds!

5. Share an entrée with a friend at sit-down restaurants.  If you are  going to be dining at  a restaurant, you have a lot of choice over what you order.  Try to share larger more calorie laden meals but order a personal salad or side of vegetables.  Ask restaurants to:  “Please hold the cheese,” “Leave the sauce on the side,”  “Use low-fat salad dressing,” and “Please substitute vegetables for French fries.”  As always try to avoid fried dishes. As well, avoid alcohol laden drinks and mixed drinks, instead settle for unsweetened iced tea or sparkling water and you will have saved your self from weight gain due to extra calories, and if you keep up with this pattern, you will in fact start to loose some weight naturally!

6. Avoid situations that trigger eating-  Replace the candy  or cookies on your desk with fruit or avoid walking near the office candy bowl.  Avoid eating while watching television, reading, or driving.  Many people do not recall what they’ve eaten while doing other things. Place a bowl of healthy fruits on your desk that you enjoy eating, this way you can avoid the cookies and the cakes passed around at the office. If this is unavoidable, take a quick walk,  or take the stairs and try to burn off and avoid the extra calories and in no time you will start burning off the excess weight with minimal input..

7. Avoid late night snacking at all costs! Feeling hungry at 9:00pm? Munch on some popcorn or snack on some fruits, but do not go raid the fridge for that last piece of pie worth 350 – 500 calories. You  can always have a small slice first thing in the morning.

Here are my simple natural suggestions for easy ways to loose weight and not gain weight over the holiday, However if your still need some help with weight loss, please check out our toronto naturopathic weight loss center.

By: Sushma Shah, Toronto Naturopathic Doctor, at the Nature’s Intentions Naturopathic Clinic, in Toronto.

As the weather gets colder and the  holidays draw near, most parents complain how their kids are always coming home with sniffles all the time, and how they seem to catch everything at the drop of a dime. Colds, coughs and influenza. Most parents complain that they themselves seem to catch all the everything their kids bring home too. It would be difficult  or nearly impossible to clear out all the microbes we come in contact with, it would be beneficial to improve the immune function se we are better prepared to fight off and ward off harmful microbes that can cause common illness such as colds and coughs.Here are some suggestions to boost your immune function naturally.

1. Practice hand washing. Very important and self explanatory. Through out the day we keep on touching all sorts of things that are laden with different microbes that can cause various illness, hence the simplest and easiest way is to wash your hands properly and often. If you are out and about, keep a hand sanitizer with you at all times.

2 Getting enough sleep.  Our lifestyles these days are so hectic from work, kids and lifestyles that we barely have enough time to look after ourselves,leave alone sleep, which is what gets compromised the most. Most people barely get 6 hours of sleep! Why is sleeping at least 7 or more hours important for your immune system to work properly? Your body needs rest to rejuvenate / replenish  and sleep is what does that for us. If we do not get enough sleep on a consistent basis, various hormones in our body get affected, one is particular – is the cortisol hormone – which helps the body adapt to stress. Stress is anything that puts the body out of its normal state of being and a consistent lack of sleep, does suppress our immune function, which leaves us more prone to getting sick often.

3.Eating fruits and vegetables laden with Vitamin C  - Vitamin C helps to boost the immune function and is important for adrenal glands to function properly . Adrenal glands help the body deal with stress. Dark coloured fruits and vegetables are high in Vitamin C, so having a diet that is rich in fresh fruits and vegetables helps to obtain this Vitamin naturally and in the right form and helps to fight off bugs and keep our body functioning properly.

4.Drinking lots of water –  Fluids help to eliminate all the toxins as well as thin out of mucus, especially when you have congestion. Various teas such as ginger, rose hips,  camomile and mint are not only good in taste but also have healing properties and are good for your immune function as well.

5.Exercise – Moderate amounts of exercise are good, not only for the heart and relieving stress but also to improve circulation of blood and your white blood cells are fight off microbes in the body.Its important as well to try to reduce our stress levels, as usually stress will suppress your immune function and leave you more prone to getting sick often. If you have been trying all sorts of natural remedies but still seem to get sick often, your adrenal glands may not be functioning optimally. Talk to your naturopath about testing your adrenal glands.

By: Sushma Shah, Toronto Naturopathic Doctor, at the Nature’s Intentions Naturopathic Clinic.

Each year we go through this time change 1 hour back and forth, but did you ever wonder how the body feels because of the time change? and how to our pets react to the time change ?

Our bodies have their internal clocks that are very much in tune with the day light and any change in the amount of day light we get, will definitely affect how the body perceives the day and the night, so as the days get shorter and daylight decreases, the body does go through an adjustment period. How long does adjustment period last? Usually a few weeks!

The body produces a sleeping hormone that called melatonin, which is produced in body at night after the sun goes down and the stress hormone- cortisol production declines at about 11:00 pm and peaks at about 2:00 am in the morning. As the time changes, an hour back and forth, it puts the body in a little bit of a confusion state for some time and it takes it some time to get used to the new times. However during this process, the body may go through symptoms of feeling tired and unrested, and quite often a feeling of just not feeling that well. Do not worry, as long as you keep to your routines and your scheduled sleeping times of 7 – 8 hours a night, the body will recover sooner than later. If you are chronically sleep deprived, then this transition will make it worse. Please check out the insomnia article for how to improve your sleep patterns naturally using naturopathic medicine.

What about our furry friends? Do they experience this too? I believe they absolutely do. Their schedules are really dependent on what our schedules look like, they are usually up before us and may or may not sleep after we go to bed, but they definitely are affected by what we do and at what time. Being a pet friend, i can attest to that. As the time to do things and leave for work changes, they to go through a short adjustment period, absolutely.

So to make the transition smoother naturally, try to drink more water  to keep you hydrated and try to get enough sleep, at least 7 – 8 hours a night. If you are feeling wiped or tired, try to increase the intake of fresh fruits and vegetables and this will help to improve the nutrient status in the body. Try to stay away from stimulants such as caffeine and refined sugars and carbohydrates, which will make you feel better for a short period of time, followed by a crash period. Moderate exercise would be helpful as well to improve your hormone levels and decrease your stress levels.

By: Sushma  Shah, Naturopathic Doctor in Toronto, at the Nature’s Intentions Naturopathic Clinic.

Everyone who has been trying to loose weight will try all sorts of different things that will help loose weight and hopefully fast, without much effort. But in truth it is important to loose weight gradually and hopefully keep it off.  Many restrictive diets will cause quick weight loss but in order to loose weight and keep it off, you need to first establish a lifestyle and diet that is feasible for a long time to come without skimping on healthy nutritious foods. Of course quantity is important and eating too much or too little will effect your metabolism as well. Here is a compilation of simple naturopathic weight loss tips from me to you:

1.  Establish regular meal times.  Try not to skip any meals because skipping meals leads to overeating later in the day.  If you don’t have time for a full meal, try to eat a healthy snack or meal replacement bar instead. When you skip a meal, your blood sugar drops and your stress hormone cortisol increase as result to increase the amount of blood sugar in the body, which in turn will also effect your lipid levels in the blood.  Its important to establish regular meal times and eat often.

2.  Make small substitutions in your diet to cut calories. Calories add up quickly especially when you are trying to be mindful about eating healthy. Whenever possible go for foods that are alternate to high calorie foods such as  water, diet soda, or unsweetened iced tea instead of high-calorie drinks.  Choose low-calorie and low-fat versions of salad dressing, cheese, sour cream, and mayonnaise.  Go easy on fried foods – bake, broil, poach, or grill your food instead. Instead of sugar, try stevia instead which is a plant sweetener with minimal calories and best of all its guilt free !!

3.  Read food labels when you are purchasing food items.  Did you know that most of us are not aware of how much a portion size amounts to?  Take a bowl of cereal for example. Most of us who are trying to be vigilant with the amount of empty calories we consume in a day would not think that a bowl of healthy cereal is too much right? Wrong. If you read the labels of the foods you purchase, you will be shocked to realize that what we consider a portion size is very different from what the manufacturer thinks mounts to a serving size. Hence pay very close attention to the portion size, the number of calories in each portion, and the amount of saturated fat in each portion.  This can help you make the healthiest food choices.

4.  Measure your servings to control the amount.  Usually when you are you hungry, you will fill up your plate to the nines and chomp as quickly as you can, without realizing you will have probably consumed way more calories than required for a sitting. What does your body do with the extra calories?  It usually uses some for energy, but the rest its stores away. So rather than eating with your eyes, pre- portion your servings so you are not overeating and skip the seconds. So when you feel like snacking on something such as chips or ice- cream, only take a handful or 1/2 a cup of chips and a scoop of ice- cream instead of grabbing the whole bag or tub.

5.  Identify “guilty pleasures” such as ice cream, cookies, or potato chips.  Continue to enjoy them by trying the low-calorie versions or eating less of the regular versions. Guilty pleasures usually come in to play when you are feeling down and upset, right?  We tend to go for all those yummy tasty treats that makes us feel so much better for a few minutes but only take a few hours of intense activity to burn off. So whenever you are feeling down and emotionally upset or charged, instead of grabbing that bag of cookies, pick up your sneakers and a water bottle and go for a jog instead and burn out that frustration instead. If you really feel like munching on something – try carrot sticks or celery sticks instead of carbohydrate rich foods. Try to pre plan what you are going to be eating as opposed to eating on the go and then just grabbing something on the way – such as fast food. This will save you time and money and unwanted calories!

6.Controlling calories when dining out.  This is a common question for many patients who feel that once they are put on a mindful diet, they cannot eat out and enjoy the social aspects of eating out and enjoying food. So here are a few tips: If you are eating at a fast-food restaurants, order kid size meals or“down-size” food and drinks instead of “super-sizing” them.  Check the nutrition portion of the food and make sure its a healthy option, healthy options are both tasty and nutritious, and of course guilt free. If you are eating with a friend or two, share the appetizers and meals, so you can enjoy more variety as well. If you order a salad, ask for the dressing on the side as opposed to on the salad, and pick low fat dressings. Try to make simple substitutions to your meals, and without realizing it, you will be down a dress size in no time and have lost some weight without even trying.

7. Avoid places and situations that trigger eating. If certain routes and neighborhoods trigger certain behaviors that are not healthy for you, then you are best avoiding them,  for example, if walking past the donut shop causes donut cravings, try changing your route.  Replace the candy on your desk with fruit or avoid walking near the office candy bowl.  Avoid eating while watching television, reading, or driving.  Quite often a lot of things we do are done even without thinking and this is the case when it comes to  putting food in the mouth/ snacking  when you are busy concentrating on other things, and before you know it, you have consumed more than you should have, so try to concentrate on one thing at a time, without mindless eating.

Need more info, please check out our weight loss page.

By: SUSHMA SHAH, TORONTO NATUROPATHIC DOCTOR, AT THE NATURE’S INTENTIONS NATUROPATHIC CLINIC.

As fall rolls around and the weather gets colder, people generally  stock up on all kinds of Vitamin C supplements from chewable to powders to pills hoping to stave off nasty colds and coughs lurking everywhere in the environment around us. Walking into a health food store to pick up some vitamins can be rather frustrating these days as you go through aisles filled with various supplements from so many different companies, each trying to compete  against one another claiming to be the better than the last one. This seems to be a common theme with simple  Vitamin C supplements- that are now available in 50 or more different forms, so what is the best one to purchase without breaking the bank with so many choices?

Here are a few simple things to remember when purchasing any type of Vitamin C.

Vitamin C, when found in fruits and vegetables, is bound to bioflavonoids. This type of Vitamin C is complete and has great benefits on the body such as improving immune function, improving the integrity of capillaries and structural tissues in the body such as skin and is great at sequestering free radicals form the body as an antioxidant. Whole food Vitamin C supplements work the best on the body. Vitamin C that is usually purchased from health food stores come in various forms such as plain ascorbic acid – separated from the bioflavonoids, which can sometimes be too acidic for the body,  and so now we also have  it esterified with Calcium – usually called Ester C.  This is a buffered form of C and less acidic for the body. The best form of Vitamin C is the one that contains bioflavonoids such as hesperidin and quercitin, making it a complete Vitamin C; the way nature intended it to be. Quite often, rosehips are added which are great source of Vitamin C, and are great for boosting the immune system and have anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties as well.

The more isolated forms of pharmaceutical ascorbic acid are okay but in order to get the complete effect of Vitamin C, the whole food supplements fare better.

Pills versus powders?  Powders or liquids are  easier to digest and  better absorbed into the blood streams, followed by capsules and caplets.

By SUSHMA SHAH, Naturopathic Doctor, at the Nature’s Intentions Naturopathic Clinic.

As the season changes, giving way to beautiful fall colors and crisp balmy nights, the external environment around us changes. The air becomes saturated with tiny allergen particles released from ragweed, triggering allergic symptoms in thousands of allergy sufferers such as runny nose, sneezing and itchy eyes among other symptoms amongst seasonal allergy sufferers.

Majority of the allergy sufferers turn to anti- histamines to feel better and get some reprieve of allergy symptoms for a few hours until the effects of the medicines wear off. In order to rid yourself of allergies, it is important to realize why the symptoms occur in the first place. An allergic reaction is caused by a dysfunctional immune system over reacting to the proteins of various food or environmental particles. Stress, diet, lifestyle and the amount of sleep will influence how your immune system functions. Here are a few tips to improve your immune function naturally:

1.Try to get a minimum of 7 hours of uninterrupted sleep daily. Sleep is crucial to allow the body to replenish and rejuvenate itself. A continuous lack of sleep will eventually lead to immune suppression and dysfunction, leaving you prone to getting sick more often. As well, allergies are caused by  an immune system dysfunction, and a lack of sleep will definitely indirectly affect how badly your body reacts to allergens.

2.Increase the amount of good fats – essential fatty acids in your diet  with nuts, seeds, oils and fish  (as long as you are not allergic to them). They help to decrease the inflammatory response and also decrease the histamine release in your blood stream, which usually causes the itchy hives and the rashes in the allergic reactions, among other symptoms.

3.Decrease your intake of foods that cause inflammation in your body – test your blood for food allergens, and once testing is done, eliminate problem foods from your diet. This will help not only improve your health, but also tone down the severity and frequency of the allergic reactions.

4. Keep your body hydrated! Drink lots of water to thin the secretions and ease phlegm expectoration.

5.Avoid mucus -producing foods such as dairy, bananas and oranges, which can thicken mucus and increase congestion.

6. Reduce your stress levels and improve your adrenal function, with a combination of B vitamins. These help not only with stress but also improve immune function as well as adrenal function and mood.

7. Vitamin C has anti – inflammatory properties. Increase your intake of Vitamin C during acute flare up to up to 1000mg four to five times a day for a few days. Its is important to make sure you take the right type of vitamin C. Please talk to our naturopath at our toronto naturopathic clinic before ingesting of any supplements.

8. Allergies are often related to the digestion and assimilation of nutrients from foods in the digestive system. Hence, optimizing digestive function as well as alkalinizing your diet will enhance the assimilation and utilization of nutrients, which in turn will help your immune function.  You can test your digestive capabilities with stool testing that we offer at our naturopathic clinic.

9.Avoiding foods that are known allergens such as wheat, eggs, milk, chocolates, nuts, seafood and citrus foods may improve respiratory allergy symptoms significantly. Try eliminating them for about two weeks and watch for an improvement.

By: Sushma Shah, Toronto Naturopathic Doctor, at the Nature’s Intentions Naturopathic Clinic.

Everyone in their own character and abilities tries to do right by what comes to them or by what they have learnt or what they see around them, but yet quite often people seem to do things that would harm or hurt others, and not really benefit them either, so how does one go about living their life with integrity?

Life is but a journey, that takes one from one point to another, with lots of stops in between to experience, enjoy, learn, repent, what ever our purpose maybe. So in order to live life with integrity, once must decide what is important in their life in terms of respect from others, whether they wish to be treated the same way as they would others, and remember what ever goes around comes around.

• Here is a simple example – if you are jealous about someone for what they have achieved and continue to achieve, you can either degrade your self and your morals, and write or talk bad about them or wish them ill,  hoping this will affect their success or try to bring them down with your untrue thoughts and actions, or you can learn something positive from these individuals who struggle hard to keep their honesty and keep their head above the water, and manage to get somewhere is life – this is called living with integrity in a small way.

Everything you send out into the universe will come back to you..in the way you sent it out, so the best way to really live your life with integrity is by being true to yourself and understanding that everything has a consequence, positive or negative and that what ever you have done, will eventually catch up to you naturally.

As a naturopathic doctor, I am glad i have been given this opportunity to lead my life in the least harmful day, helping people on their journey to recovering health and helping them heal one day at a time.. the only ulterior motive here for me is that i want to see them experience optimum health – mind, body and spirit. The greatest success for me is when clients come back feeling 90 – 100 % better with the changes they made in their life, without harming them in any way shape or form. Well, that is my 2 cents worth on living with integrity.

By: Sushma Shah, Naturopathic Doctor at the Natures Intentions Naturopathic Clinic in Toronto.