Tag Archives: health

Healthy Dietary Changes For Your Health

Healthy Me, ,

Its easy to make small simple changes to your diet that will keep your heart and weight in a healthy range. Here are some of the recommended changes:

Decrease                                                    Increase
Calories                                             Fresh vegetables
Fats                                                     Fresh fruits
Saturated fats                                       Sprouts
Cholesterol                                          Drinking water
Red meats                                            Exercise
Dairy foods                                             Love
Refined sugar                           Complex carbohydrates
Refined flour                                            Fiber
Salt                                                      Whole grains
Processed foods                                     Legumes
Soda pop                                               Vegetable oils
Ice cream

Here is a list of foods classified in terms of their quality:

Unhealthy

Healthier

Ideal
Sodas Fruit juice Water, mineral water
Refined sugar Honey, raw sugar Small amounts of honey, molasses, date sugar
Saturated fat Unsaturated fat Low-fat diet
Refined oils Vegetables oils Cold-pressed olive oil
Shortening and margarine Butter or chemical-free margarine Other cold-pressed vegetable oils, such as flaxseed, canola, or sunflower
Refined flour Whole grain flour Home-ground flour
Refined grains Whole grains Organic whole grains
Processed foods Naturally prepared foods Whole foods
Additives and preservatives Natural foods Whole foods
Enriched or fortified product Natural nutrients Whole foods

Adapted from  “Staying healthy with nutrition”

For information on what protein supplements are right for your body , click here.

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

Improve Your Health Naturally

Healthy Me,
  • Consume less fat by avoiding foods that highly hydrogenated and processed.
  • Consuming less red meat, luncheon meat, bacon, hormone-fed, nitrate enriched cold cuts. Instead opt for free range and organic meats.
  • Consuming less milk and milk products that are not organic. Try almond, soy, oat, coconut or rice milk instead for a refreshing change.
  • Consume less deep fried foods. Instead try grilled or baked versions of foods.
  • Eat less refined flour products such as pastas and pastries.
  • Use less or avoid white sugar and simple sugar, try to satisfy that sugar craving with frozen dates or grapes, fresh cut up fruit . Use alternates to sugar such as stevia, agave syrup or raw honey.
  • Less salt and salty foods, such as crackers, pretzels, chips and pickled foods – try dehydrated kale chips instead.
  • Consume fewer calories and eat healthier foods that are packed full of nutrients and antioxidants.
  • Consume less coffee and alcohol. Instead try green or white tea or sparkling water with lime.
  • Smoke less or not at all. Trying to quit? We offer an amazing stop smoking program combining natural therapies.
  • Eat more fresh fruit and fresh vegetables, which are laden with nutrients and minerals for your body.
  • Eat more whole grain cereals rather than processed sugar laden cereals.
  • Eat more fiber foods—fresh fruits, vegetables and grains, if your body tolerates them well. Talk to your naturopath if you get bloated after consumption of these foods.
  • Eat more fresh deep ocean fish and free -range poultry to replace red meats.
  • Have more vegetable protein, such as nuts, seeds and beans and the sprouts of these foods to replace animal proteins.
  • Drink more filtered or spring water.
  • Drink more fruit and vegetables juices and herbal teas to replace coffee, black teas, soda pops and other stimulating beverages.
  • Get more regular, preferably daily exercise with some aerobics. Skipping and swimming are two great cardio activities that are inexpensive and great for the body.
  • Take better care of our air and land and keep our waters free of pollution.
  • Talk to your naturopathic doctor to see what else you could do to improve your health and diet specifically for you.

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

Being A Health Conscious Shopper

Healthy Me, , , , , ,

I know what you are thinking … I cannot afford it. Right? More than just being a good shopper, you could also be a health conscious shopper and save money while doing so. And here is how:

Realise that eating organic food prepared at home is cheaper than eating outside at a sit down restaurant or a fast food joint and its healthier. Convenience foods are actually more expensive then you think. Let me give you an example: Its cheaper to buy a peach, rather than having a low fat peach yogurt. Even natural health foods stores have deals, so look for them. And when you find them – usually monthly or weekly, stock up on them as they are too good to pass up.

Build your meals around:

1. HEALTHY SALADS – try different types of lettuce – romaine, radicchio, escarole, endives, fennel, dandelion) with other vegetables such as tomato, celery, red onions, peppers, avocados and olives.

2. NEW ANCIENT GRAINS – such as amaranth, buckwheat, quinoa, millet, teff, barley

3. HEALTHY NUTS AND SEEDS – Raw Pumpkin seeds, almonds, hemp nut, walnuts, brazil nuts not only give a great nutty flavor but are full of essential oils for the body and are  high in minerals.

4. HEALTHY VEGETABLES – Broccoli, cauliflower, radishes, sweet potatoes, potatoes, spinach, cauliflower, onions.

5. HEALTHY MEATS AND GRAIN FED EGGS – Free range chicken, wild game, organic eggs, are good healthy protein choices for the main meal.

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

Protecting Your Health

Protecting Your Health In The Summer

Healthy Me, ,

Ah the patio furniture is out, the plants are starting to bloom and the smell of fresh cut grass and the birds are chirping. Sounds perfect doesn’t it? While it sounds idealistic, one of the things you must consider is the amount of sunlight you are getting and how much sun exposure you are getting. While its great to be outdoors in great weather, it important to have the right type of protection with your clothes and your sunscreen.

Here are some tips to stay safe in the summer while you are enjoying the outdoors:

1. Make sure you put on sunscreen. I generally prefer the natural ones with SPF over 50 especially for the face, as the sun’s rays are quite harsh on the delicate skin of the face and the body. Reapply ever 1/2 hour if you are doing intense physical activities outdoors.

2. Make sure you keep yourself hydrated, drink at least 1/2 your body weight in ounces for the day. Add a pinch of salt and some sugar, with lemon to balance your electrolytes as well.

3. Wear light colored cotton clothing – which is airy and does not absorb a lot of the heat. If you are in an area with lots of bugs, make sure you have good quality bug spray on you. There are wonderful natural products on the market that work wonderfully well to protect you from the bugs.

4. If you are feeling particularly hot, try to cool down by splashing lots of water on your head. You will notice a wonderful cooling sensation as the water evaporates.

5. Having lukewarm drinks will actually keep you cooler as it draws blood circulation away from the skin!

Please try and follow the tips above for a safe and fun summer! Enjoy!

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

Staying Healthy And Positive Naturally

Healthy Me, ,

Naturopathic medicine is all about prevention and optimizing health as opposed to palliating / suppressing your immune function or health to achieve the desired outcome of a symptom.

What this means is if you had a cold (generally you shouldn’t if you were seeing a naturopathic doctor), but if you did, your naturopath would focus on strengthening your immune function as opposed to giving you various that would suppress the general reaction of the body.

They would also give natural remedies, such as homeopathic remedies or natural botanicals that would help alleviate your symptoms relatively quickly. Talking from personal experience, the recovery time is much shorter when you treat your body with natural remedies when it comes to colds and coughs, especially if you have been keeping your body healthy.

How does one stay positive naturally?

Quite often due to natural or external factors, we go through times when we feel very low, sad or depressed. If you are one of those people and find it hard to stay positive or focused, talk to your naturopath, who will ideally investigate what is causing this sadness or depression. They can test you for chemical / neurotransmitter imbalance, nutrient deficiencies and hormonal imbalances that could be responsible for your mood imbalance and then treat you with natural remedies, which do not cause the undesired side effects that antidepressants and mood enhancers would.

And the chances of reoccurrence are greatly reduced because you have treated the root of the problem, as opposed to just ignoring the root and putting a band-aid on the problem. Naturopathic medicine can also give you tools to manage your stress and stay positive.

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