Naturopathic View Of The Human Life

Quite often we get calls at our naturopathic clinic in Toronto from concerned parents who are interested in getting their kids or themselves diagnosed for hyperactivity or attention deficit disorder. Majority of the times, your child’s teacher may suggest psychological assessments to diagnose either. Here are some of the symptoms that you would look out for in order to confirm diagnosis of attention deficit or hyperactivity.

Some of the symptoms of attention deficit disorder include and are not limited to:

• Lack of attention to details or makes careless mistakes
• Has difficulty sustaining attention in tasks or play activities for more that 15 – 20 minutes at a time
• Seems to avoid contact when spoken to
• Unable to follow instructions and fails to finish schoolwork, chores, or duties in the workplace and mind often wanders due to lack of attention.
• Difficulty with organizing tasks and activities
• Avoids, dislikes, or is reluctant to engage in any tasks that require sustained mental effort
• Misplaces necessary for tasks or activities often
• Is easily distracted by extraneous stimuli
• Is very forgetful in daily activities

Some of the symptoms of hyperactivity include:

• Constantly fidgets with hands or feet or squirms in seat with restless energy
• Unable to sit in one spot when required to.
• Runs or climbs excessively in inappropriate situations (in adolescents or adults, may be limited to subjective feelings of restlessness) very often embarrassing parents .
• Extremely needy and has difficulty playing or engaging in leisure activities quietly
• Endless energy, that often gets worse after eating certain foods, especially those with coloring, additives and dyes
• Talks excessively
• Blurts out answers before questions are completed
• Has difficulty awaiting turn
• Interrupts or intrudes on others
• Quite often very smart but very impatient.

Quite often there are combined types as well where the child or adult exhibits symptoms of both attention deficit disorder and hyperactivity. At our naturopathic clinic, we initially take a look at the symptoms of the client, along with that, we test for food allergies/ sensitivities, as these affect mood and behavior, as well as heavy metal tests. We also offer extensive nutritional testing for mineral and nutrient deficiencies that could affect  behavior.

Treatment  options for hyperactivity and attention deficit would include dietary modifications and natural supplements. Psychological counseling is recommended if required.

If you need more information or would like to schedule an appointment to see our naturopathic doctor, please call us at 416 913 4325.

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

A lot of the clients I see at our Nature’s Intentions Naturopathic Clinic on Yonge street  that come in for weight loss are often amazed when they see how much of a connection there is between hormones and weight gain or weight loss. Weight gain can be caused due to various factors which include, and are not limited to:

-inactivity or inability to exercise.

-poor eating habits and eating too late in the evenings.

- inadequate sleep or insomnia.

- various medications especially anti-depressants and birth control pills.

- stress and poor stress management.

- hormonal imbalances especially thyroid and reproductive hormones.

- menopause and peri-menopause.

Majority of the people who have had success with weight loss naturally will tell you how important it is to eat well  and have smaller meals through out the day, as opposed to three large meals, and of course exercise. This works well if there are no underlying hormonal abnormalities or imbalances that slow down the metabolic rate such as an under active thyroid. How would you know if you have any thyroid issues or other hormonal imbalances?

Well, usually if you have been trying to loose weight  by doing all the right things with diet and exercise, but have had limited success, and tend to gain weight easily, you might want to take a closer look at your hormones. Ask yourself the following questions:

- Do you have a tendency to gain more weight or stay at the same weight, as opposed to building muscle mass  or toning up even when you have been working out  consistently?

-Do you tend to gain a few pounds when you are close to you menstrual cycle / period?

- Do you tend to gain weight around you abdomen and the trunk of the body much faster than other areas?

- Are you unable to loose weight easily regardless of what you do to loose weight?

- Do you tend to retain a lot of water  prior to your menstrual cycle or in general?

If you answered yes to 1 or more of the above questions, it is possible that your weight gain maybe related to your reproductive hormones or thyroid. Talk to your naturopath about testing your hormones, as this may provide more insight into why your are gaining or not loosing weight easily. Need more information about about weight gain and hormones, click here.

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

Most people go through changes of libido during their lifespan puberty onwards. Some changes are natural, just the way nature intended, but sometimes this is not the case. A fluctuation in libido can occur  when people go through certain situations or circumstances in their life. These can range from  a physical accident to a depressive episode in life and the whole range in between. Certain physical illnesses and medications can also affect the libido levels.

I find that  females are more prone to a loss of libido earlier in life, as early as their 20′s, and majority of the times its related to their mental and emotional state - stress is the number one reason for a decrease in libido, following that would be a hormonal change, or body image issues. However, in older men and women, a change in libido is usually related to  stress, medications, andropause, peri- menopause and menopause. As the hormone levels dwindle down, so does the libido.

So how can you change it back to where it was or even improve libido naturally?

In order to improve your libido naturally, its important to first figure out what might have caused the change in the first place. So, take an inventory of your life currently and see what has changed.

-If you are unhappy in a relationship or are having stressful marital or relationship issues, your libido is definitely going to get affected.

- Are you overwhelmed or stressed ? If your mind is preoccupied all the time, there is no time for the body to get into the mood! If you have too much stress at work and home, and not enough time to spend with your partner, this will definitely affect your energy levels and in term your libido.

-Have your hormones changed? You would generally feel very different if this were the case. Talk to your naturopathic doctor ( ND) to run a hormone panel using saliva to test your bioavailable hormones especially testosterone to see if this is the cause for loss of libido. If this is the case, your naturopath can definitely help you by giving you guidance on natural herbs and supplements that would help bring up the libido and testosterone levels.

- Have you recently started a medication for lowering your blood pressure or cholesterol? These quite often tend to decrease your libido.

- Are you feeling anxious, depressed, moody, nervous and sad?  If this is the case, you need to speak to you  naturopathic physician to see if there is an imbalance in your neurotransmitters, hormones or if there is a significant lack of certain vitamins and minerals.

There are various herbs/ natural products available on the market that claim to boost your libido naturally, but it is important to talk your naturopath first as quite often, these herbs / natural products do much more than just increase your libido, so its important to be safe than sorry.

By: SUSHMA SHAH, TORONTO ND, AT THE NATURE’S INTENTION’S NATUROPATHIC CLINIC

What is the difference between Food Allergies and  Food Intolerances / Sensitivities?

An allergy is a specific biological response that is mediated by the immune system producing IgE antibodies. The symptoms of allergies include itching, hives, and rashes, swelling and gastrointestinal upset which are caused due to a mass release of histamine by mast cells. The symptoms usually appear a short time after the food is consumed with a few minutes to about an hour.

Allergy skin testing such as the skin prick test can identify the more serious anaphylactic allergies that can cause difficulty swallowing, however various medications and the state of your immune function will affect the results. Blood testing for allergies can readily identify milder food and environmental allergies.

However, not all negative reactions to food are caused by allergies. In fact, most negative reactions are not caused by allergies but by food intolerances/sensitivities. Food intolerances and reactions usually cause a different type of antibody production called IgG. Reactions to food sensitivities and intolerances can be quite significant in terms of digestive upsets ranging from indigestion to constipation , diarrhea, bloating, significant fatigue or sluggishness, lack of concentration, sleeping issues, irritable bowel disorder and so on.

Food intolerance / sensitivity reactions typically develop within a few hours after food ingestion. Gluten sensitivity is one such example, where many people notice that  they suffer from digestive issues  such as cramping, bloating, flatulence and maybe diarrhea after eating gluten products such as wheat, but when tested for celiac disease, the results are usually negative. These people most likely suffer from a mild gluten intolerance or  gluten allergy. Lactose intolerance is another widely known example of a food sensitivity  versus a food allergy.

If you are suffering from allergies or sensitivities, or are not sure, talk to your naturopathic doctor  about getting tested either.

Need more information on food allergies or food intolerances / sensitivity, please click here

From: Toronto N.D.,Sushma Shah, at Nature’s Intentions Naturopathic Clinic

These days, when you go into a health store or even grocery stores, you see aisles that are full of different natural supplements from various different companies and of course price ranges, so how are you to choose the right supplement for you?

While there are no guidelines out there or criteria to pick from, here is a list of guidelines you might find helpful the next time you are looking to buy a natural supplement, be it vitamins or other herbal or dietary/ nutritional supplements..

• Read the ingredient list and make sure the ingredients are therapeutic dose ranges in order to have an affect on the body. In other words, enough of an ingredient has to be in the supplement to make the ingredient effective. Majority of the times, I find that in chewable gummies or adult vitamins, the ingredients are added to supplements  are in very insufficient quantities, usually far  below the actual required daily dosage but the ingredient’s name is put on the label to attract buyers with flashy packaging, but not enough of the ingredients is found in the supplement to have any effect. Buyer Beware!

• If possible, choose a professional brand that your naturopathic doctor (ND) has recommended as they generally base their recommendation on your specific health concerns. Your ND will generally recommend high end supplements not only for their efficacy but also because the nutritional supplement has been tested and certified by companies that have been certified through the governing bodies.

• If possible, try to make sure the raw ingredients are organically produced and come from clean, uncontaminated sources, however these types of supplements will be more costly due to the process and quality of product.

• If you cannot read the label, and all the information you need is not on it, you might want to more cautious as you should know exactly is in the supplement and what you are putting in your body.

• If you decide to take a natural / nutritional supplement, make sure that you are taking it for health promotion and that that supplement has ingredients that promote your health.

• There are many wonder supplements out there claiming all sorts of miracle cures. The supplement industry has taking the markets by storm, making billions of dollars in all kinds of supplements that they say does this that or the other.  Make sure that scientific claims as to the effectiveness of the supplement are made for the supplement itself, not for similar supplements. Do your research, talk to your naturopath, and if they okay it, you might consider purchasing. Do not fall into multi level marketing schemes of purchasing health products.

By: SUSHMA SHAH, TORONTO ND, at the  NATURE’S INTENTIONS NATUROPATHIC CLINIC.

This is a debate that has been ongoing for a while with parents. As a naturopathic doctor, having treated many kids with ADD and ADHD, I would have to say ABSOLUTELY YES .. 1- 6 % of the children suffer from hyperactivity and or attention deficit disorder, and it can quite often continue to manifest into adult life, making life and life experiences for the parents,  siblings and the child very difficult. Once you eliminate food coloring and dyes ( red dyes to be more specific) that are found in food products,candy, cake mixes, and all sorts of junk food from the child’s diet, you can see an improvement in the child’s behavior and symptoms within days!

Of course,  naturopathic medicine also addresses other deficiencies the child may have – such as essential fatty acids and vitamins, is needed. Counseling for the family is quite often suggested as well, to cope with the attention deficit and hyperactive behavior of the child and come up with strategies that may help the family.

With constant ingestion of  food dyes and coloring from food products and candies, generally what I  see at our naturopathic clinic  in children in terms of symptoms ranges from aggressive behavior, rebellious behavior,to excitability, hyperactivity and restlessness. Food additives can also quite often cause or contribute to ADD and ADHD (HYPERACTIVITY)  symptoms in children. It is thought that food dyes and coloring excite the neurons, creating them to fire uncontrollably just like sugar does, hereby causing the irrational behavior and impulsive behavior seen as mischief or misbehaving, often landing to the child into trouble!!

If you know or are  a parent of a child who suffers from ADD ( ATTENTION DEFICIT) or ADHD ( HYPERACTIVITY DISORDER), you can try to simply eliminate food dyes and colorings or products that contain these completely from the diet  for a period of time and see the difference for yourself.

NEED MORE INFORMATION ON ATTENTION DEFICIENT OR HYPERACTIVITY DISORDER? CLICK HERE.

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

Spring time is finally here, and so are the allergens in the air that cause so many to suffer from runny nose , itchy eyes, sneezing and other more dramatic  symptoms such as hives and eczema flare ups.  Majority of the people will run to the pharmacy and pick up over the counter allergy medication such as Aerius or Claritin, others may ride it out until it becomes unbearable and finally break down and pick up that allergy medication eventually. But wait, there is another option to treating seasonal allergies and spring time allergies, treat them with natural or naturopathic remedies / medicines. Really?

Natural remedies or naturopathic remedies / medicines work wonder when it comes to preventing and treating allergies. The treatment is two fold – to improve or relieve allergy symptoms and also to improve the reaction of the immune system to allergens, hereby reducing the mast cell production and histamine release. There are various homeopathic / herbal remedies that we use as naturopathic doctors that have  immediate allergy symptom relief – in terms of improving sinus congestion, itching, runny nose etc without the side effects that over the counter allergy medication leave behind such as dryness and drowsiness.

Naturopathic Medicine focuses on the person as a whole, hence the naturopathic approach to treating allergies is based on healing the person by strengthening/ improving  immune function so it does not react like it does when the you have allergy symptoms, the reactions are reduced and quite often completely gone in a year or two. Diet  and Stress as well play huge role when it comes to how strong your reaction to allergens maybe, and naturopaths generally work on this aspect of your health as well.

So maybe this year, will be a year where you will be allergy free naturally.

Need more information? Please check out our ALLERGY page.

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

Life presents us with talks and turns which for most part are a learning experience and something to build on. If we had no ups or downs, no bends and turns, life would be boring or empty, which may be sufficient for some people, but not for most of us. We seek thrills and adventures in life, excitement and that rush, that drives us, but most of the time, they come at a price + interest- the interest being the amount of stress that these put on the body and the after effects. Most  times I see patients who are stressed out because of work, family, kids, relationships, and so on. When asked about stress, most people say that they do not feel stressed, but when we test their bioavailable hormones using saliva, majority of the times, at stress glands are either overworked or fatigued.

So what are some of the simple ways of reducing stress in life?

1. Create a list of things to do weekly or every few days and make sure you schedule time for you in – even if its just for 15 minutes.

2. One task at a time or per day is okay. Most of us have a tendency to schedule too many things in our day, majority of the times this is unrealistic and then feel overwhelmed when we do not get them all done that day, so go easy on your self and treat yourself for that one accomplishment rather than stressing your self over not having finished all the tasks.

3. Tomorrow is another day, so if you did not finish something today, there is always tomorrow.

4. Try not to stretch yourself too thin in all directions – such as kids activities, work, extra curricular activities, additional commitments with friends and family. Its important to maintain good relationships with people, especially friends and family, but not at the cost of your health and peace. If you are not able to find time for you because of all sorts of external commitments, you will soon feel resentment towards activities that are generally supposed to be fun, such as spending time with friends and family, so try to find balance and a happy medium where everyone gets their share of your precious time, including you.

5. Its okay to say no! especially if you are so pressed for time.

Energetic treatments like acupuncture work very help for relaxing the body and calming the mind.  Yoga classes can be very beneficial too –   especially if they have a meditation component to them. You can also look at our stress management program for more therapies and tips for stress relief. Come in for a relaxing deep tissue massage, which I find always does the trick.

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

Anybody who has gone through a bout of depression knows the highs and the real lows that come with it. Moods and thoughts wander like  the clouds and the winds chasing them, and during those deep valleys of low moments, nothing makes you feel better. NOTHING!! This is somewhat true. Depression could be caused by various factors, including a neurotransmitter imbalance or hormonal imbalance. Most often though, depression comes about as a result of circumstance or an unfortunate or unbearable situation that could range from bad acne in teenagers to the grief due to the loss of a loved one.

So how can we change that feeling of depression to feeling better/ normal again? For most people, that feeling of depression is an abnormal feeling and they way to ” fix” it, is by taking strong prescription medication that will numb your feelings and help you feel better again, but is that the right way of treating your body, your mind and your thoughts? For some people the answer maybe “Yes” anything that will make me feel better now. As humans, we have become so conditioned to immediate gratification that everything must happen now, but about those feelings that needed to be processed or dealt with? What happens to them? Most times they will get suppressed or compartmentalized to be dealt with later, but that later never comes, because of our lifestyles.

As a naturopath, one of my goals is to help heal individuals body, mind and spirit, hence my approach is quite  a bit different. In order to treat depression naturally – you need to understand what precipitated this symptom in the client.  There are various natural remedies that work really well to balance the neurotransmitter and hormonal imbalance, once we know that this is the root cause of the problem by testing blood for neurotransmitters/hormones. However, if the depression came about due to an unfortunate event or circumstance in life, such as the loss or grief of a loss of a loved one the approach is different. Psychotherapy and cognitive behavioural therapy is been a great adjunct therapy.

Acupuncture is another energetic therapy that is great for treating symptoms of depression naturally. However, there are other treatment options that will be beneficial to help cope with the symptoms of depression outside of clinical therapies. Journalling your thoughts, emotions and feelings often helps to bring out the pain and suffering, talking to friends and family is great as well. Volunteering your services is wonderful way to give that love/care again to someone who really needs and appreciates it and makes you feel better.

There is no quick fix to deep rooted feelings and emotions, but taking things in stride, one day at a time, will help you get closer to that ultimate goal, which is regaining your emotional health back to balance.

Need more information on treating depression naturally, please call us or visit us at http://www.naturesintentionsnaturopathy.com

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

Diverticulitis is a condition where the diverticula are perforated and become infected and inflamed. Diverticula are little sac like pouches ( grape or pea sized) that can protrude in the intestinal wall. Constipation sufferers generally suffer from these. Poor eating habits, smoking, stress, family history of diverticulitis, obesity, gall bladder disease increase the risk of this disease.  Having a diet that is low in fiber will generally contribute the formation of diverticulosis. Majority of the times, the patient is generally unaware of this condition, and are generally discovered during a colonoscopy. However, if they are infected or inflamed, the patient may experience cramping, indigestion, bloating or pain and tenderness in the lower left side of the abdomen depending on where they are located. Diverticulitis can be either acute or chronic.

The best way to keep them at bay or treat them is the natural way, as they are formed due to lifestyle and dietary factors. Some of the natural ways to treat or prevent these include:

1. Having a diet that is rich in fiber and lots of water. The daily required dosage for fiber is 25 – 30 grams per day. Most fruits and vegetables contains some amount of fiber so having a diet full of these will help you get the daily required dose of fiber. Remember that old saying – “an apple a day keeps the doctor away” – there is truth to that saying. Oat bran, ground flax and psyllium powder ( not husks) are a good source of fiber as well, however, these can sometimes be gas forming. Drink at least 8 – 10 glasses of water a day to soften stools.

2. Having a diet full of leafy green vegetables and dark colored fruits would be ideal.

3. Having a low carb diet with good sources of protein and decreasing animal protein /meat from the diet or eliminating it entirely may be helpful in the long run to keep the colon healthy, as having polyps of any kind increases the risk of colon cancer, especially if your diet contains deli meat which is high in nitrates.

4. Nuts and seeds can also be problematic as they can be hard to digest, and quite often get stuck in the diverticuli, leading to pain, inflammation and eventually inflammation, so make sure if you have any they are ground up completely.

5. Not straining to get the bowel movement out as the forceful pressure applied can weaken the intestinal wall, leaving it susceptible to weakness, which in turn will increase risk or polyp formation and inflammation.

If you need more information, please call us at 416 913 4325 or visit us at http://www.naturesintentionsnaturopathy.com

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

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