SPRING HEALTH NEWSLETTER

In this newsletter:

• What Facial Products Should I Use For My Face?


• What Is The Anti Aging / Growth Hormone?


• Spring Cleansing For The Body


• Spring Cleansing For The Body

CARING FOR YOUR FACE

Whatever your skin type is – oily, dry, normal or sensitive, it is very important to have a daily skin care routine to keep the skin healthy and glowing and to keep your complexion radiant. Ideally it would be good to properly cleanse, tone and moisturize the skin daily, especially for acne prone skin, and treat your skin to a weekly or monthly facial with gentle ingredients.

Walk into a drug store these days or even health food stores, and you will see rows and rows of different face products leaving one confused as to which one should you use. Should you buy the most expensive ones as they claim to be the best or do miracles for the face, or should you go with the reasonably priced one that has the same benefits but different ingredients?

Well, as a Naturopathic Doctor, I see a lot of patients with skin issues especially acne, so here is what I suggest when it comes to purchasing different facial products:

1. Facial Cleansers

   Everyone should clean their face at least 2 times a day- on rising and before bed, and a 3rd time, if you are using any make up and other products on your face with warm water and a cleanser that works well for your skin and is gentle on your face and the environment.

   There are various cleansers and soaps available, which can be very harsh and strip all the moisture from the face, and hence too drying for the face – so my suggestion is to go with something that has few and gentle ingredients such as herbs, milk, yogurt, honey or oats.



2. Astringents and Toners

   Astringents and toners are generally used after a face wash to restore the pH balance of the skin, as well, tighten the skin pores and help with blemishes or very oily skin to remove extra oils from the face.

   There are natural astringents such as witch hazel, lemon, peppermint that can be used on their own or in combination based on the skin type. Toners are generally milder – and more soothing for the face – such as rose water, aloe, lavender and even camomile.



3. Moisturizers

   Moisturizers are meant to do exactly what they say – moisturize the skin, and keep it hydrated and plump, as opposed to dry and wrinkly. So a great moisturizer that you can use internally is water! Making sure you get your daily water intake will help with moisturizing you skin naturally all over the body especially in winter.

   Essential fatty acids are also important to keep the elasticity of the cells – hence a diet containing seeds, nuts and fish will also be beneficial to keep the moisture looked in the cells giving you a youthful healthy glow especially if you have a tendency to have dry skin. Choose natural moisturizers with great ingredients such as rose hip oil, cocoa butter, vitamin E.



4. Facial Masks

   Facial masks are a great way to give the face an instant glow feeling depending on the ingredients you use. Facial masks can be made at home with simple ingredients such as clay, papaya, honey, yogurt. These should ideally be done once a week or once every 2 weeks and are great for tightening up skin pores, decreasing oily skin and healing acne and blemishes.



5. Facial Acupuncture

   Thinking about trying facial rejuvenation with injections? Try facial acupuncture instead for a natural youthful uplift for the face and body! Facial rejuvenation acupuncture can provide a safe, effective and drug free approach to reducing the signs of aging.

WHAT IS MY GROWTH HORMONE / ANTI - AGING HORMONE STATUS?

The Growth Hormone is gaining popularity these days especially among personal trainers and body builders who are looking to build lean body mass and decrease body fat, and those that are looking to defy the aging process and stay youthful, so what is the growth hormone / human growth hormone or somatotropin and what is the function of this hormone in our body? How is it tested and what information does testing results offer on your health status?

Growth hormone (or Human Growth Hormone) also known as somatotropin, is a 191 – amino acid peptide that is naturally released by the pituitary gland, is an anabolic hormone, which promotes muscle growth and the break down of body fat for energy as well, stimulates both bone and soft tissue growth. It also stimulates the secretion of somatomedins from the liver. Somatomedins, also called insulin – like growth factors (IGFs) which are structurally related to insulin, act with the growth hormone to stimulate both bone growth and soft tissue growth.

How does the growth hormone affect our body?

Growth in humans is a continuous process that begins before birth. Without this hormone, children simply will not grow. The growth hormone is released through out life, but peaks in teenage years, and the biggest role for the growth hormone is in children. In adults, the largest pulse of growth hormone is released in the first 2 hours of sleep.

Metabolically, the growth hormone is anabolic for proteins, directing energy and amino acids into protein synthesis, an essential part of tissue growth. It increases fat breakdown and glucose output from the liver. The growth hormone also acts with the insulin like growth factors that stimulate bone and cartilage growth. During exercise, this hormone is increased in the plasma and helps regulate metabolism along other hormones.

The amount of growth hormone released is affected by the following factors:

1. Hormones such as the thyroid hormone, insulin and sex steroid hormones.


2. Diet – with adequate proteins, caloric intake, vitamins and minerals.


3. Stress – Presence or absence there of stress affects the amount of cortisol released,which has significant anti-growth and anti-metabolism effects.


4. Genetics


5. Circadian rhythm

   The growth hormone can be tested through blood testing. We do offer testing for this hormone at our naturopathic clinic.

   Nearly half the growth hormone released in the blood is bound to a plasma growth hormone binding protein, which protects the plasma growth hormone from being filtered in the urine, extending its half-life from 7 – 18 minutes and works as a reservoir for the growth hormone in the blood.

   Somatomedin or insulin - like growth factor - IGF-1 is important because it is a reliable indicator of human growth hormone. IGF-1 needs to be within the expected range for this reason: Low IGF-1 levels indicate Adult Growth Hormone Deficiency associated with rapid aging, decreased muscle and bone mass, slowing cognition, low libido and poor quality of life.

SPRING CLEANSING AND DETOXIFICATION FOR THE BODY

Spring is a great time for cleansing and rejuvenating the body. In our natural environment, we see rebirth and regenerating of new shoots and leaves on plants, after a long hibernation over the winter. Spring is the perfect opportunity to shake off your winter blues!

Get in tune with the all the new growth around you and make some positive changes in your life.

Start your Spring with one of our terrific individualized detoxification programs to clear out all the junk the body collected over the winter and give it the fresh start it deserves for the Spring.

SAUTED GARLIC ASPARAGUS AND BROWN RICE RECIPE

Ingredients:

• 2 tbsp of coconut oil
• 1 tsp of cumin seeds
• 2 large cloves of garlic (minced)
• 1 bunch of young asparagus (cut into 1 inch pieces and steamed lightly)
• 2 1/2 cups of cooked brown rice (cook the rice with 1/2 water and 1/2 vegetable broth for better flavour)
• seasoning to taste
• 1 tbsp of chopped coriander

Instructions:

Heat the coconut oil in a saucepan and add the cumin seeds. Let the seeds brown a little and add the garlic to the oil. Cook the garlic until it browns a little and then add in the steamed asparagus pieces. Stir the asparagus infrequently for about 5 minutes. Finally add the cooked brown rice and mix thoroughly. Add seasoning and fresh herbs to taste. Serve immediately and enjoy!

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.