HEALTH NEWSLETTER

I hope everyone is enjoying this beautiful weather. We have been blessed with this year with these temperatures. My favourite season of the year and so much to do - for your own health and the health of the house. I love the plentiful produce especially the fresh fruits and vegetables that available at this time of the year. Everyone is generally happier and more energetic as well. We will be available for all your natural health services through out the Summer for naturopathic health services, acupuncture, massage and Reiki treatments and courses, and if you need a supplement refill, please give us a call so that we can have them ready for pick up. Have a lovely summer. Enjoy our summer newsletter for some light and healthy reading.

In this newsletter:

• Should you be a Vegetarian for Better Health?


• Prevent Cruelty To Animals


• Save The Earth And Be More Eco-Conscious

Should You Be A Vegetarian for Better Health?

As the summer rolls around and with the hot spells we have had this year, most of us are out barbequing steaks and sipping down cold beer, trying to make the best of this hot humid weather.

Having had the various health scares from tainted meats and vegetables, as well having lots of clients with questions about being vegetarian or veganism, I decided to write this newsletter on vegetarianism, which is not only more heath conscious but also eco-conscious.

Having been a vegetarian all my life, and recently having seen how various videos on how animals / fish are mistreated before they reach your dinner table, I felt this would be a perfect opportunity to share my views on vegetarianism from a naturopathic perspective as well as a nutrition stand point.

There are so many good reasons for being having more plant based proteins in your diet or being vegetarian for your own health, animals welfare, the environment, that a better question might be, "Why Should You NOT Be Vegetarian?"

Benefits of Being a Vegetarian

If done correctly, with becoming vegetarian, you can:

• Significantly improve your health (mentally, physically, energetically and spiritually)
• Dramatically reduce your environmental footprint and be eco-conscious without sacrificing another’s living beings’ life to fill your plate and stomach.
• Greatly lessen the suffering of animals and fish – that are mostly slaughtered and killed in the most barbaric and inhuman ways to satisfy our cravings

Everyone makes choices based on their lifestyle and needs ofcourse, but I might ask you instead, if you are thinking about becoming vegetarian "What's stopping you from becoming vegetarian?"

Let's start with the basics - How long does it take to digest meat?

It takes anywhere from 24 to 72 hours to digest the protein in red meat. The digestion depends on a number of factors including: the person’s digestive tract, state of health, medications they are taking ( for example - acid blockers may further slow down protein digestion), what else you ate with the meat proteins, how your emotional state was when you ate and various other factors. For example, a hamburger with all the trimmings will take about 24 to 72 hours to digest and get through your digestive system.

Why does it take so long to digest? On average, it takes that amount of time for the digestive tract to do its job from start to finish. But, on the whole, it will take about one to three days to completely digest, or break down the food. Beef and other heaviwer meat proteins remain in the stomach muchlonger than fruits and vegetables. This consequently provides a feeling of fullness for a longer period of time. Eating too many cooked or processed foods over time effects the pancreas, and other digestive system organs, and inhibits enzymatic production required to digest this food. The lack of naturally produced enzymes from the pancreas and stomach will affect the ability to properly digest food creating symptoms of ingestion, feeling bloated or full after eating, have flatulence or gas, heart burn and constipation issues.

Improve your health and energy levels dramatically

The medical evidence is clear, consistent and overwhelming. Vegetarians and vegans:

• Are far less likely to get cancer, heart disease, diabetes, or osteoporosis because of the alkaline diet they have.
• Are far less likely to be overweight and have lots more stamina and energy.
• Consume far less antibiotics and hormones in their food .
• Have a good immune function.
• Are far less likely to develop estrogen related hormonal imbalances and growths such as fibroids and tumors.

The largest epidemiological study ever conducted (the China-Oxford-Cornell study) found that those eating high amounts of animal foods typically have seventeen times the death rate from heart disease, and, for women, five times the rate of breast cancer, than those who get 5% or less of their protein from animal foods.

Meat contains 14 times the amount of pesticides as plant foods, since pesticides get concentrated as they move up through the food chain, and since they're more easily stored in fatty tissues. The EPA discovered that the breast milk of vegetarian women contained far lower levels of pesticides than that of average Americans.

Will I get enough protein?

Yes. Vegetables, Seeds, Nuts, Grains, Lentils, Legumes, Beans can provide you with complete proteins and have every essential amino acid, and also an excess of what we need if combined properly. We've all heard that plant protein is "incomplete" compared to meat protein, and that plant foods have to be carefully combined to make a "complete" protein. This is just a rumor. Beans are a complete protein by themselves, but even carrots are a complete protein. Tomatoes and celery are a complete protein. Even iceberg lettuce is a complete protein. If you need a nutritional plan for your specific diet requirements, please come and consult with our naturopathic doctor , who will provide menus and recipes, along with your specific caloric / diet requirements based on your individual needs and comprehensive assessment.

Some final thoughts:

Having been a vegetarian always, I have never felt deprived or as though there aren’t enough food choices. For all of you out there who are considering becoming a vegetarian, the best time is Summer time, as the body will benefit from lighter foods – especially your digestion in this heat.

Please take on the challenge, I guarantee you will feel better, lighter and more at peace with yourself. Charity begins at home; do yours by saving a life.

PREVENT CRUELTY TO ANIMALS

Nobody wants animals to suffer, but it's easy to forget that when we eat them, that is what we're supporting. The easiest action a person can take to reduce animal suffering is to simply stop eating them.

Around eight billion animals are killed for food every year in the U.S. alone. Each meat-eating American eats the equivalent of about 24 animals per year. Animals are raised in cramped confinement operations. Chickens are crammed into cages with no free space, and are de- beaked to keep them from pecking each other to death.

Animals are pumped full of various powerful drugs and hormones to kill diseases resulting from filthy living conditions, and to make them grow or produce faster than nature intended.

When cows and chickens stop producing as much milk and eggs as the younger animals, they're unceremoniously slaughtered and made into low-grade meat (fast food and pet food). For some, vegetarianism is an easy way to refuse to participate in this cruelty.

Here are a few videos to watch to better understand how animals and fish are treated before they make it on your dinner plate:

• The End Of The Line
• Food Inc.
• The Animal People
• The Game Changers
• What the Health
• Cowspiracy
• Forks Over Knives
• Mission Blue

And here is a website that I have found to be a real eye opener and support: PETA

SAVE THE EARTH AND BE MORE ECO-CONSCIOUS

Eating vegetarian proteins saves more land, energy, and water than any other choice you can make. Cattle are the Number One agricultral source of green house gas emitters. Did you know that each cow belches about 220 pounds of methane per year, and not to mention the amount of waste they produce. Methane, though shorter lived than carbondioxide, is 28 times more potent in warming the atmosphere. Raising lifestock uses:

• several times as much land to grow the grain to feed them.
• several times as much energy to harvest the grain and transport it
• several times as much water to grow the grain and to water the animals
• several times as much pesticides, antibiotics and hormones.

Worldwide petroleum reserves would be exhausted in 11 years if the rest of the world ate like the developed nations. The least energy-efficient plant food is 10 times as efficient as the most efficient meat food. A nationwide switch to a pure vegetarian diet would allow us to cut our oil imports by 60%.

Over half of the water used in the U.S. is used to grow feed for livestock. It takes 100 times as much water to produce meat than to produce wheat. The water required to produce a day's diet for a typical American is 4,000 gallons. (It's 1,200 for vegetarians and 300 for vegans.)

U.S. Livestock produce 250,000 pounds of waste per second, 20 times as much as humans. A large feedlot produces as much waste as a large city, but without a sewage system which is then washed into rivers and lakes causing an increase in nitrates, phosphates, ammonia, and bacteria, and decreasing the oxygen content. This kills plant and animal life, and jelly blooms in unusual places. The meat industry account for three times as much harmful organic waste as the rest of the industries in the U.S. combined. With an evergrowing population, which will probably reach 10.5 billion by the year 2050, we need to make sure that our diets are not only sustainable but also healthy for the future. I think eating more vegetarian foods may be a good start. If you or a family member is thinking about becoming vegetarian or vegan, but not sure where to start, give us a call to schedule a naturopathic consultation.

For any questions, or concerns, or to schedule an initial naturopathic appointment, please contact us at 416 913 4325 (HEAL) or email us at [email protected]

* DISCLAIMER: The information on this article is the property of Dr. Sushma Shah, Naturopathic Doctor, and is not intended to treat, diagnose or cure any diseases or promote any services or products mentioned on the website.