Naturopathic View Of The Human Life

The most effective treatment for allergies is to reduce your exposure, especially at home. There are several ways to do this: 
- clean up your environment. If you have skin allergies or any allergy symptoms, you can get relief by removing allergens from your environment. By cleaning up your environment, you can reduce dust, dust mites, chemical and environmental pollutants in your environment that cause symptoms.

In the Bedroom

• Encase pillows, comforters, mattresses, and box springs in zippered, allergen impermeable, dust proof casings. Avoid purchasing foam rubber pillows and mattresses as they are more likely to harbor molds.

• Wash blankets, sheets, pillowcases, and mattress pads every other week in hot water (130 degrees F+). Hot water kills dust mites. Cold or warm water does not. Throughout the House (Especially the Bedroom)

• If you have wall-to-wall carpeting in your bedroom, remove it if possible. In addition to being the single most chemically-treated household item, carpeting acts a host for a multitude of allergic agents. If this is not possible to remove wall-to-wall carpeting from your bedroom, periodically apply a solution of tannic acid to inactivate allergy-causing dust products that routinely emanate from carpeting.

• If you have a forced air heating system in your home, cover the air vents in your bedroom with air filters to clean the air at the point of entry. If you have a central air heating and/or cooling system, install an electrostatic filter to clean air before it is distributed throughout your house.

• Avoid using heavy curtains and/or Venetian blinds to cover bedroom windows. If possible, purchase window shades. Shades are less likely to accumulate irritants than curtains or blinds. If you use curtains in your bedroom, launder them frequently. If you use blinds, clean them often.

• If possible, purchase hardwood furniture instead of upholstered furniture. Soft furnishings are more likely to collect and harbor dust and other allergens than hardwood furnishings. If you purchase upholstered furniture, buy only furniture covered in leather or cloth and constructed with an additional allergen barrier.

• Install a high quality HEPA / charcoal air cleaner to remove airborne allergen particles, molds, animal dander and pollutants. The filter of the air cleaner should be sized to the room dimensions and the air cleaner should process four to six air exchanges per hour. Air cleaners should not be placed directly on carpeting as their exhaust may blow dust and other contaminants harbored in the carpeting into the air.

• Control heat and humidity with an air-conditioner. Use a dehumidifier to reduce moisture. Heat and humidity stimulate dust mite and mold growth. While dust mites reproduce rapidly in environments of 75-80% humidity, they cannot live in environments of less than 50% humidity.

A humidity level of 40% or less will eliminate dust mites. Use a gauge to monitor humidity levels in your home. Avoid over humidification of the air in the winter. If using a humidifier, change the water and clean the humidifier frequently to prevent mold growth.

As the winter rolls around slowly, most eczema sufferers may experience skin flare ups due to the fluctuating temperatures outdoors and indoors. Skin usually loses moisture, feels much drier and ends to get more itchy making eczema much worse in the winter.

Here are some natural / naturopathic treatments that may help in keeping the skin supple and eczema free for the winter and all year long.

- Keep your water intake steady. With the summer temperatures dropping steadily, most people tend not to drink as much water. Keep a bottle next to your desk and make sure you drink at least 1/2 your body weight in ounces. If drinking plain water is difficult, to some herbal teas instead – camomile (or chamomile), birch, dandelion, stinging nettle would be god choices.

- Try to avoid foods that are high in saturated fats and hydrogenated vegetable oils – such as fried foods, animals fats and heat processed vegetable oils. Try to use cold pressed oils  such as olive oil, which have the structure of the oils intact and are beneficial for your skin, hormones and overall health.

- Avoid alcohol and caffeine, which have a diuretic effect on the body, causing the body and skin to lose fluids and essential minerals.

- Eat a balanced diet with lots of fruits, vegetables, grains, seeds and nuts. Eat good quality proteins from vegetable sources. However, make sure that you are not sensitive to any of the above – get tested for sensitivities as food sensitivities can cause serious eczema flare-ups.

- Have lots of yellow and orange vegetables which are high in beta-carotene – a precursor of Vitamin A, which strengthens and protects skin tissue.

- Do not drink soft drinks and try to reduce your consumption of sugar and junk foods.

- Eat foods that are high in sulfur – such garlic, onions, eggs and asparagus. These foods keep the skin smooth and youthful.

- DO NOT SMOKE AND AVOID SECOND HAND SMOKE. Smoking constricts the tiny capillaries that nourish the skin, and in so doing deprives the skin of oxygen and nutrients.

- Use a humidifier to humidify your environment, especially in the winter.

- Try to bathe with mild to warm water, and avoid using very hot water. Also try to exfoliate your skin using a loofah sponge at least twice a week. Moisturize after showering with products that contain Vitamin E, which attract water to the skin to hold in moisture.

Quite often we have people at our naturopathic clinic who come in to be treated for insomnia and or restless sleep.

What causes sudden insomnia and restless sleep?

Stress is a huge factor for most people. Especially for those individuals who tend to take work stress home, have a hard time managing stress, and tend to internalize it. In doing so, when they try to get to sleep, all the thoughts that weren’t dealt with during the day, come up at night and disturb the individual sleep – where they might have a very active and restless mind and cant stop thinking when they should have been sleeping.

A simple solution to this would be to try and journal all your thoughts before bedtime in your library or study area or any area away from the bedroom.

You could also try some form of deep breathing or mediation before bedtime to help you calm your mind and body down. Physical exercise during the day is also great for stress relief. Acupuncture and relaxation is what we found to be the most effective,  along with certain supplements for sleeping ailments that are stress related.

A deficiency in certain key nutrients may also cause restlessness during sleeping hours, talk to your naturopath about perhaps checking your nutrient status, especially if you are using stimulants such as coffee to get you through the day.  You might also want to get your cortisol levels (a key hormone that allows the body to adapt to stress) checked, especially if you are getting a second wind at night or are rather alert when you wake up in the middle of the night. Usually saliva hormone testing is the best way to check the cortisol levels. Talk to our Toronto naturopath to see if this would be applicable in your case.

Sensitive skin especially needs a gentle touch. Try to avoid using any harsh products with strong chemicals, use the purest natural products you can find on the market, cleanse your skin with luke warm water as using hot water may dry out the skin quicker, and apply toners or moisturizers as protection that are made from gentle floral essences and minerals.

Here is a simple recipe to make a creamy scrub for dry and delicate skin:

• 1/2 cup of rolled oats (powdered)
• 1 1/2 tbsp of almonds
• 1 drop of rose essential oil
• 1 tbsp of heavy cream
• 1 tbsp of honey

Finely grind up the almonds and the oats in separate batches in a coffee grinder /blender. Mix the batches together and store in a covered container until you are ready to use them.

Add one drop of rose essential oil to scent the blend, if you like. To use it, combine one tablespoon of scrub mixture with one tablespoon of heavy cream and honey. Dampen your face with warm water, and massage the cream gently on to your skin with your fingertips.

Rinse well with warm water. Try to do this at least once a week. This will leave your skin feeling fresh and soft.

Walk into any drug store and you will notice shelves filled with expensive products that claim to refresh tired looking and puffy eyes. Eyes show age more quickly than the rest of the face because the skin beneath them is thin and lacks oil glands. Treat this skin very gently and use a light moisturizer daily to keep this skin soft and supple. Take short breaks during the day to relax your eyes.

Here is a simple eye exercise to soothe tired eyes and help relax the rest of the body.

Practice it often. Sit in a comfortable place with your feet flat to the ground. Rub your palms vigorously until they feel warm.  Close your eyes and cup your hands over your eyes. Adjust your palms to cover your eyes completely. Breathe in deeply to the count of five, and allow your mind to let go of all your stress and visualize a place that brings a warm and happy feeling. Do this for at least a minute, allowing the velvety darkness to soothe and refresh your eyes.

And the best part is it’s free!

Acute diarrhea is the body’s attempt to rid itself of toxins, irritants, parasitic infections in the intestinal tract. Acute diarrhea usually self limiting, and may come with other symptoms, such as nausea and vomiting, but it can be serious in young children especially because it can quickly cause dangerous dehydration.

In order to prevent this from happening, increase the fluid intake . Drink at least eight to ten glasses of fluids daily. I found that diluting pure apple juice with the fiber still in it was great to resolve diarrhea in kids. This would also help in replacing the lost potassium and is easily absorbed.

Traveler’s diarrhea usually results in increased frequency and amount of stool. The stools tend to become very loose, and one can have  four to five loose or watery bowel movements each day. Other commonly associated symptoms are nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, abdominal cramping, bloating, fever, urgency, and fatigue. Most cases resolve in 1-2 days without treatment. 90% of cases resolve within 1 week. One can avoid getting traveler’s diarrhea by drinking bottled water when away from home, eating properly cooked foods, washing you hands before eating, and only eating raw foods that can be peeled.

Usually when traveling, I found the following quite helpful. Taking yogurt / kefir before and on the trip, along with herbal teas  to minimize indigestion. Bananas are great to bind loose stools, so are apples.  Herbal teas such as peppermint tea works great for abdominal cramping. Talk to your naturopath before heading away to see if they can suggest certain natural or naturopathic supplements or homeopathic supplements that would help with prevention and treating diarrhea.

Stressful times call for healthful measures with regards to our diet to make sure that our adrenal glands work well and help our body adapt to stress well. The adrenals are an integral part of the endocrine system of hormones, and optimal function is crucial for the functioning of thyroid and reproductive hormones.

Avoid foods that tax your adrenal glands, particularly sugar, alcohol and caffeine, the very things we crave when under stress. Try to eat foods that are rich in nutrients, vitamins and essential fatty acids such as leafy greens, bright colored fruits and vegetables, nuts and seeds.

Keeping the body hydrated is extremely important as winter rolls around.

Try to get at least 8 glasses of water minimally.

There has been a lot of controversy about soy and its benefits for human consumption, so here are some things to think about:

Soybeans contain high amounts of protein, including all essential amino acids (the only such vegetable source). Soy beans are also a rich source of calcium, iron, zinc, phosphorus, magnesium, B-vitamins, omega 3 fatty acids and fiber.

Soy has compounds called isoflavones – Diadzein and Genistein, which are phytoestrogens. A phytoestrogen is a natural compound found in plants, including soy beans, legumes and whole grain cereals. Phytoestrogens mimic and supplement the action of the body’s own hormones, estrogen, i.e. it acts like a weak estrogen in the body. Fermentation increases the availability of isoflavones hence fermented soy products like natto, miso; tempeh; soy sauces; fermented tofu and soymilk are more beneficial for women. Phytoestrogens may also have anticancer.

Soy is beneficial for perimenopausal or post menopausal women, who are low on estrogen and have are not on any hormone replacement therapy, however should be used in caution with women who have had high estrogen in the past and have taken birth control pills, hormone replacement therapy or any form of synthetic estrogen, as too much estrogen in the body does increase chances of getting certain reproductive cancers, hence, the lesson here is – soy’s benefit as a phytoestrogen is relative.

Soybeans also contain phytates, organic acids present in the hulls of plant seeds; this binds to iron and calcium in the intestines, rendering these minerals useless for absorption. Hence too much soy with dairy or calcium rich foods with spinach or iron rich foods might not be the best food combination. Consume soy that has been fermented, as this breaks down various inorganic components and activates various enzymes and stops the effect of phytates.

Soybeans also contain potent enzyme-inhibitors. These inhibitors block uptake of trypsin and other enzymes which the body needs for protein digestion. Normal cooking does not de-activate these harmful anti-nutrients, which can cause serious gastric distress, reduced protein digestion and can lead to chronic deficiencies in amino acid uptake.
Fermentation of soy reduces these “anti -nutrients”.

Soybeans are legumes that are rich in dietary fiber.
Soybeans contain both soluble and insoluble fiber. Soy fiber may have many health benefits such as lowering cholesterol, improving blood sugar control in people with diabetes, as well as improving bowel function.

Many soy foods are naturally high in calcium. In addition, soy also contains magnesium and boron, which are important co-factors of calcium for bone health.

And with the phytoestrogen effect, it is great for protecting the bone density of women in menopause because of the mild estrogenic activity and its rich calcium content.

A very large percentage of soy – over 90% – is genetically modified and it also has one of the highest percentages contamination rates by pesticides of any of the foods we eat. Hence going organic would be the better choice.

A large number of people do not tolerate soy to begin with therefore it might be a good idea to be tested for sensitivities/ intolerance to soy before eating or drinking it or for that matter substituting soy for milk.

Women often complain about low libido or low sex drive when they enter their menopausal years and often ask for natural cures that would help bring up their sex drives and here is what I often ask them if its just hormonal changes that is causing this problem or other factors are at play, and here is what I have found.

Most couples at this stage in their life have families, jobs, kids and various stresses in their life that prevent them from thinking about how it used to be or how they used to feel towards each other when they were dating or got married. Daily chores like cooking, cleaning, laundry, dishes and lunches for the kids have taken over what used to be the time the couples would spend together. So here is some simple advice I give to some of my clients:

- Try to reconnect to the way it used to be – go out for a date night once or twice a month, if not per week.

- Get to know each other again away from the daily chores and commitments. Drop of the kids at the parents and take some time out for each other in your busy schedules

- Feel young again – dress up for your date the way you used to when you are still dating and before life took over.

- Is he too busy to take you to lunch? Well surprise him at work for a quick lunch.

- Drop a quick love note / card in his briefcase stating how you feel.

- Go for a nice relaxing massage at the end of the day so you can feel relaxed and pampered before your night out.

However, if the low libido is mostly related to the low hormone levels, talk to your naturopath about natural supplements that will help improve libido and lubrication.

1. Shampoo wisely.

Hot water, strong shampoos and hair products can damage and dry out your hair quickly, hence go for more moisturizing and nourishing shampoos that will help lock in the moisture. I have found Aloe Vera shampoos and conditioners to be great for moisture. Tea tree oil shampoos and conditioners are great for keeping the itch in your scalp at bay  Also try washing your hair with warm water rather than shocking and burning your follicles with hot scalding water.

2. Drink enough water.

Usually in this weather, depending on your constitution, most people find it hard to drink much water and this can dramatically effect the moisture in your hair. So don’t skimp on the water, try to get as much as you would in summer – at least 1/2 your body weight in ounces. If you like teas, you can drink more peppermint / chamomile tea or ginger tea.

3. Eat well.

You are what you eat and eventually what you absorb from it, hence eat a balanced diet. Root vegetables are abundant in this season – eat seasonal vegetables that are packed with vitamins and nutrients. Try to have at least 3 different colored vegetables per sitting. Walnuts, sesame seeds, almonds are a must.

4. Get your 8 hours of sleep each night and try to keep the stress away by getting gentle exercise daily or by practicing yoga and meditation.