Lifestyle Tips 8
Can Normalizing Our Health Cause Harm?
Why Normalizing Our Health May Cause Us More Harm Than Good?
We are all guilty of having the words – “but it’s always been like that” cross our lips, when we are justifying a health concern that someone has just pointed out is unusual, or ‘not normal’.
How many times have we, or someone we know, ignored an ‘early-warning’ health sign because we thought it was just normal? The answer, too many to count.
Patients tend to fall into two categories – those that well document every lump, bump, unusual stool or rash and share it, and those that didn’t realize something was going on until it was far worse than they ever expected (diabetes, cancers, autoimmunity).
It is hard to figure out what is the right balance, however, erring on the side of PITA (pain in the ass) is much better than ignoring something that could have irreversible health outcomes.
I consider these mini-health clues and observations to be the equivalent of cracker crumbs leaving a trail to find Hansel and Gretel.
How do you know if you are normalizing something that may be a more serious health concern?
Some common phrases include:
- I’ve always been like this. Often used to describe areas such as constipation, painful menstrual cycles, waking up at night, frequent urination, bloating, nausea, etc. Just because you have always been like this, doesn’t mean that you should always be like this.
- This runs in the family. While genetics can play a role in health, the stronger link to what is common with your mama is the food you eat, the house you grew up in, and the emotional experiences you have shared. These environmental factors play a significant role in how you both feel and need to be taken into consideration when evaluating your health.
- It’s a sign of me getting older. Crossing the 40-year-old starting line doesn’t mean that your body suddenly starts falling apart. In fact, it is more likely that the damage done leading up to your 40’s has finally created enough of a sign that you are taking notice. Whether it is aches and pains, hair loss or hormonal imbalance, these signs of aging aren’t life catching up to you, it’s you finally paying attention to the clues your body has been giving you all along.
- My doctor said it was normal. Different types of health professionals are looking for different health markers. Your family doctor is largely interested in supporting blood tests that clearly show you have diabetes, liver malfunctioning, high cholesterol, or any other overt symptom. They want your diagnosis to be clear and present before prescribing you a medication or referral to investigate further. As a ND, I look for trends and patterns of you headed in a direction well before you get there. If I can stop diabetes in its tracks, you can be sure that I will use everything I have in my toolbox to help you avoid a lifetime of medications. (Check out this blog on normalizing fatigue)
- My Aunt Bernice’s neighbour has the same thing – she saw it on Facebook, and she cured it by taking Apple Cider Vinegar three times a day. Sometimes information passed along has a ton of value and can be really helpful for a patient, but often times it doesn’t make things better. If you are following advice from anyone (including a health care provider) and after three months you aren’t seeing changes, it’s time to get a second (or third) opinion.
It is hard to know what is normal, when your comparisons are often yourself, your parent or sibling, and the internet. That is why engaging with a health practitioner that asks a ton of questions (a good sign is a long intake form) and sees a ton of patients, so they are able to tell you where you stand on the normal range.
If I had a dollar for every patient that comes in and says – but they told me I had IBS. Which for me means, “I have no idea why you have diarrhea but I am going to normalize it by giving it a name”. I’d be a rich woman.
If something bothers you, it’s not normal. If something happens to you, that isn’t happening to everyone else you know, it’s not normal.
My goal is to continue to share information snacks in social posts and blogs that will highlight some of the most common “normal/not normal” symptoms, I see every day.
I want to give you a benchmark to evaluate your own health, and support you in knowing when it’s time to call in someone to help you follow the clues to find Hansel and Gretel.
About Dr. Christina Carew
Dr. Christina Carew is a functional medical investigator who approaches health with an out-of-the-box problem solving attitude. Her patients love that she breaks what seems like complicated mumbo-jumbo into humorous stories, and digestible information nuggets. She witnesses that empowering patients to better understand their own health leads to better outcomes and healthier lives.
Christina became a naturopathic doctor after experiencing her own complex heath journey. Her passion to make health “easy to understand” was important for everyone. She is a forever learner, especially around the role our environment has on health, how our gut really is the center of many health concerns and that our mental wellness affects our daily living.
An international speaker, a published author, and an outdoor enthusiast. Her husband refers to her as a mermaid for her love of water sports and the ocean.
Follow her at @healingme.ND on Instagram for more health information tips.
If you know someone that could benefit from this information, please share it!
Thank you for helping me on my mission to share ‘health real talk’. My goal is to inspire more health ambassadors in the world, just like you.
Remember put on your own oxygen mask first!
Note: This blog provides general information and discussion about medicine, health and related subjects. The words and other content provided in this blog, and in any linked materials, are not intended and should not be construed as medical advice. If the reader or any other person has a medical concern, he or she should consult with an appropriately-licensed health care worker
It’s Time to Pack the Fear of Fat Away
Why do we all fear fat?
A little while ago, I saw a newscast that was sharing how exciting it was that ‘scientists’ have figure out how to make avocados low fat, have increased shelf life, and ripen faster.
My question, why would we need low fat avocados? I also have other questions. What are we doing to the avocados in a lab somewhere to make this all possible? Are there long-term effects of this genetic modification? However, I will hold those thoughts for another blog.
Healthy fat, the type we get from coconut oil, ghee, butter, nuts, milk, cheese, seeds and the aforementioned avocados is not only healthy for you, but it is essential for our bodies to thrive.
Fat is the Backbone of our Hormones!
Take hormones for example. They help us sleep soundly, regulate our stress, respond to danger, stimulate our libido, increase muscle mass and much more….
The ingredients required to make every one of these hormones is healthy fat and protein.
Often when I review diet diaries with patients, they have a wide selection of ‘on-the-go’, ‘quick’ and ‘comfort’ foods that comprise their diet. It’s easy to get carbs on the go. Favourites include: breads, fruits, cereal, crackers and granola bars. It’s even easier to become Carb-aholics or carb-aterians – these foods provide comfort and quick energy.
The big problem is that a diet so focused on one food category results in our bodies being starved for fat.
But Fat is Bad, Right? WRONG!
At least once a day, someone shares with me the assumption that fat in their diet is making them fat. Sure if your diet is full of lard and saturated fat it may contribute to weight gain, but healthy fat does the exact opposite.
Let’s breakdown how food is used in our body…
Carbohydrates
Carbohydrates breakdown to molecules of sugar/glucose for use in the body. Our bodies use them for short term energy requirements and stores them as fat. Carbs are good for short-term energy, but if you don’t use them they get stored in our body as fat tissue.
Protein
Protein breaks down into amino acids and provides our body medium to long-term energy. In addition to breaking down slower, proteins are responsible for the repair and replacement of everything from our hair to our neurotransmitters as well as hormones, muscles, skin, etc. The ingredients from protein breakdown are essential for DNA, the backbone of the body.
As people age, protein is more difficult to breakdown in the body because helpers like stomach acid are less abundant as we age. We see older adults shy away from eating a lot of protein. However, in this same age group we commonly see muscle wasting on their bodies. Their body to continue functioning still needs sources of protein to repair, replace, and run. Muscle tissue broken down provides these components. This phenomenon is not isn’t limited to older adults – it can happen to anyone that is protein deficient.
Fat
That leaves us with fat – most people think of fat as the layer of tissue that stands between you and your desired size of jeans, but would you be surprised to know that the largest single deposit of fat in our body’s is your BRAIN. Healthy fats comprise the materials that surround every cell in our body, our hormones, our neurotransmitters as well as the sheath that lines our nerve fibers.
We see fat in action in pregnant ‘soon to be’ moms. Everyone knows a mom (maybe it was themselves) who had terrible baby brain. The forgetfulness that makes them think they are losing their mind. In fact, they sort of are losing their mind. The fat their baby needs to create its cells, brain and body is coming from mom. So, when mom is experiencing ‘baby brain’ it is because baby is borrowing the fat from its mom’s brain to develop its own brain and body.
So What Does It All Mean?
Fat is important for our body’s development, maintenance and function. But we also know that diets focused on incorporating more fat in the diet have been shown to help people lose weight. Other fat benefits include reducing seizures in epileptics, improving endurance in athletes, improving memory and balancing hormones.
So, do we need a low fat avocado? Definitely not. Instead, we need to gain new perspective on fat – why we need it, what it can do for us and how our body feels when we eat it.
My recommendation is to incorporate some fat into every meal and snack. You may notice less fluctuation in energy and hunger, less brain fog and that you feel more in control.
Ideas for healthy fat options include:
Avocados. The full fat variety – can be incorporated into smoothies, topping your eggs, eaten as delicious guacamole. Use them to make avocado chocolate pudding…the options are limitless,
Nuts. They can be eaten alone or as a trail mix – walnuts, almonds, pistachios, etc.
Nut Butter. Nut butter is a great way to integrate both protein and fat into a snack such as accompanying and apple or carrot sticks. There are a wide variety of types including sunflower butter – which isn’t made from nuts but instead seeds for allergy-friendly snacks.
Olives and Olive Oil. This rich treat can be drizzled raw on top of veggies, salad or even just taken on a spoon to increase the healthy fat in your day.
Fish. All types of fish have healthy fat, some more then others – fish such as anchovies and salmon are rich in healthy fat. But really, any creature from the sea has excellent fat to help fuel your body.
Eggs! Eggs are good for you, especially the golden yolks – filled with phosphatidyl choline. Phos Choline one of the most essential brain fog eliminating components! Have your eggs and boost your brain.
BulletProof Coffee. This fat rich starter to your day can get your body humming in the morning. Click here for the official bulletproof coffee recipe.
Other thoughts – add coconut oil to your smoothie, dip your lunch time veggies in hummus, pop some trail mix into your backpack, sneak a little cheese, butter or dairy into your day…
The Author, Christina Carew, is a naturopathic doctor who practices functional and strategic medicine in Toronto and King City/ Vaughan. As a medical investigator, she is in the business of changing people’s lives.
Dr. Christina focuses on finding the biomedical reasons for symptoms that are often unique to each patient and helps her patients remove the obstacles that stand in the way of living a healthy vibrant life.
Want to know if her approach is right for you – sign up for a free 20-minute consult at https://healingme.ca/book-appointment-naturopathic-doctor/
Note: This blog provides general information and discussion about medicine, health and related subjects. The words and other content provided in this blog, and in any linked materials, are not intended and should not be construed as medical advice. If the reader or any other person has a medical concern, he or she should consult with an appropriately-licensed health care worker.
Don’t Let Jet Lag and Motion Sickness Foil Your Vacation Travels
I love traveling. Yet, sometimes the haunting reminder of jet lag, and motion sickness from my last trip, has me reconsidering those vacations across the pond. I don’t know about you, but I am not a fan of the spacey feeling you get from being away from the ground so long. I find that getting back to a regular schedule is always a battle.
Before you leave, which is when I hope you are reading this, is the time when you are planning for strategies you can use. Here are some useful tips to support you and your family during your vacation travels.
Jet Lag Strategies
Travel Timing Strategies. While I agree it seems like you lose less time when you travel over night, if possible traveling in daylight-to-daylight is better. The sun helps to set our circadian clock. When we are exposed to light in the middle of what our body considers night it has a greater impact on our circadian cycle (Duffy, 2009).
Flight Strategies. As soon as I get on a plane, I’m ready for a nap. However, napping during daylight and then waking up when its dark is going to through you into a jet wash for days. If you do need to nap on the flight try to limit it to 30 – 40 minutes maximum. Try to limit nap time to no longer than a nap at home. This avoids confusing your body to think it is settling in for its nightly rest.
Homeopathics. A safe, gentle system of medicine used for thousands of years. These traditional medicines work in many people to relieve symptoms of jet lag. Homeopathics are safe for children and pregnant women.
- Arnica – is useful for relieving exhaustion associated with travel. Dosing: two times a day on day of departure and arrival and use every 2 hours during flight (if awake)
- Cocculus – when you feel like you are still in motion and it makes it difficult to sleep
- Gelsemium – when the body feels exhausted and heavy (even the eyelids) helps to lift the sense of paralysis from flight
Earthing/Grounding (Zucker, 2010). When our body is prevented from checking in with the earth and gravity, it gets disoriented. This is part of why even when we land our bodies feel like we are still moving and flying.
So, how do you earth/ground? Kick off your shoes and walk around barefoot in the grass or sand for 20-30 minutes. Make it fun. Dance around and celebrate that you are on vacation (or arriving back home). If weather makes it difficult to get at one with the earth, some people recommend lying on the floor for 20 minutes. Try to create a large surface area with your body that can connect with gravity.
Motion Sickness, Nausea and That Not So Good Feeling in Your Tummy
By boat, car, flight, bus, or even in those 3D movies, that nauseous feeling is very real and can be very debilitating.
The good news is there are a number of strategies to battle motion sickness, and you have a year full of adventure travels to figure out which one(s) work best for you.
Nutrition. B vitamins play an effective role in helping to treat nausea from morning sickness as well as motion sickness. It is good to start nutrients at least 3 days prior to departure. Some people find taking B vitamins on an empty stomach can induce some nausea so it is always best to take them with food. Whether you ingest them as supplements or support them as food products, these vitamins have been shown to help reduce nausea.
- B6 (Pyridoxine) – rich sources of B6 include brown rice, peanuts, avocados, bananas
- B1 (Thiamine) – is critical for the nervous system and brain functioning individuals lacking in B1 may feel more anxious and irritable. Sources of B1 include: pork, beans, nuts and seeds
- B-Complex – you can select a broad spectrum B-Complex, be sure it includes B6 and B1
Botanicals. Carminative herbs can help to relax the body stopping abdominal/intestinal muscle pains, contractions and gripping pains, while reduce gas discomfort.
- Peppermint – having a soothing peppermint tea, or candy
- Ginger – taking some ginger tea, or ingesting a few ginger root capsules
- Chai Tea – Cardamom, ginger and cinnamon are all carminatives helpful in relieving nausea
Homeopathy. Many people find a good matching homeopathic to their symptoms can help to resolve them right away. Not sure which one to choose, try and recall how you (or your children) felt on during their last period of nausea. You can also combine a few of the remedies together and cover all basis.
How to take remedies for nausea:
Dissolve 2 pellets in water (approximately 1 cup). Stir to help break them up, or drop in a water bottle and shake. The amount of water doesn’t matter too much. Continually sip this while feeling unwell (every 10 minutes). Alternatively, you can dissolve the pellets under your tongue if the idea of drinking water is too much.
| Cocculus ** Most Common Remedy for Nausea – can be taken 2 days prior to prevent motion sicknes | Vertigo with motion sickness. Loathing food, car or seasickness, even watching moving objects. Better with swallowing |
| Borax | Upset by downward motion (elevator, airplane, stairs, rocking, lying down). Better with pressure, holding their side, and open air. |
| Bryonia | Nausea and vomiting with slightest motion, even looking at moving objects. Pressure like a stone in the stomach. Thirst for large amounts. |
| Ipecac | Horrible nausea, hanging down sensation in the stomach. Much salivation. Offensive Breath. Unrelieved even temporarily by vomiting. Nothing gives relief |
| Petroleum | Air, sea or motion sickness. Nausea with accumulated water in the mouth. Better from eating, lying with head high, in warm air. |
| Sepia | Horrible nausea and empty sensation in stomach. Nausea from the thought of food. |
| Tabacum | Deathly nausea, patient appears green or very pale. Weak and sweating with nausea and faintness. Dreads motion. Better with fresh cold air, closing eyes. |
Physical Medicine
- Does your child love to be held? Try adding an ice pack to base of skull and solar plexus for 20 minutes to relieve nausea.
Distraction Method
- Read or listen to music while riding.
- Try to keep eyes from outdoor scenery as it flashes past.
- Sip steamy, hot drinks or hold moist hot towels against the nose when riding. Especially if dry air in vehicle dries out nasal passages.
Acupressure Points
You can place ear seeds or the traveling copper bands on the acupuncture point PC6. This will help to release tension and should also help reduce nausea.
Starting from the wrist, measure down with three fingers as shown in the picture to the right. Where your third finger touches the middle of your wrist is the acupoint.
You can take the ear seed (similar to a poppyseed on a piece of tape) and apply it here with firm pressure, pressing against it can also help. You may find this mildly uncomfortable.
Only apply enough pressure to interrupt the normal blood flow but not too much that it causes pain. You can leave the seeds here until the fall off. Hold this pressure point and gently knead your thumb in a tight circular motion for about 2 minutes. Do this to both wrists and you will feel your anxiety and nausea descend immediately.
References
- Duffy, Jeanne F., and Charles A. Czeisler. “Effect of light on human circadian physiology.” Sleep medicine clinics2 (2009): 165-177. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2717723/#R122
- Zucker, Martin. “Earthing the Most Important Health Discovery Ever?” Townsend Letter, May 2010. http://www.townsendletter.com/May2010/earthing0510.html
Need Specific Strategies for Your Family?
Sign up for a free consult with me, click on the Book Appointment button in the navigation bar (or click here) and select 20 minute complimentary appointment (phone or in person), and we can discuss if naturopathic medicine is right for your family.
The Author, Christina Carew, is a naturopathic doctor who practices strategic medicine in Toronto.
As a medical investigator she focuses on finding the biomedical reasons for symptoms that are often unique to each patient.
She helps her patients remove the obstacles that stand in the way of living a healthy vibrant life. Christina focuses on empowering patients to make informed decisions on their health journey.
Note: This blog provides general information and discussion about medicine, health and related subjects. The words and other content provided in this blog, and in any linked materials, are not intended and should not be construed as medical advice. If the reader or any other person has a medical concern, he or she should consult with an appropriately-licensed health care worker.
Have You Booked Your 20 Minute Free Consult?
Should I Book In a Free Consult?
Have you heard the following…
- You look fine…
- Your lab work is fine…
- I can’t see anything wrong with you…
- This is normal…
As a medical investigator, I spend my time listening to how you are feeling, what your body is telling you and get deep into your history. I dig for clues to help me determine what part of your body isn’t functioning optimally. I am looking for when it started, and how can we get it going again.
Lab work often only shows us extremes. However, there is a wide range of space between not feeling great and having the extreme. I believe that helping people before they fall into irreversible damage is critical.
Why should we settle with good or average, when we could have great?
Curious if a Functional and Naturopathic Medicine approach might be a good fit for you? Book in a free consult that can be hosted in person or via phone.
I will connect with you, listen to your challenges and concerns. I will share my approach to regaining health. Our visits are always a conversation where there is plenty of time to ask questions and determine all the possible approaches.
Learn how this Naturopathic Doctor can address your specific health concerns, and what you can expect from treatment.
Book today, what are you waiting for? It’s time to feel great again!
Please Note: no treatments or therapies will be given during the free 20 minute consult. This meeting is used as meet and greet to ask questions and determine compatibility.
Who is Dr. Carew?
Dr. Christina Carew is a naturopathic doctor who practices strategic and functional medicine. She works alongside your existing medical team, to help dig further into the ‘why’ your body is functioning in this way.
As a medical investigator she focuses on finding the biomedical reasons for symptoms that are often unique to each patient. She helps her patients remove the obstacles that stand in the way of living a healthy vibrant life. Christina focuses on empowering patients to make informed decisions on their health journey.
Want to learn more about her, click here