Health Journey 3
A Friend Told Me To Detox – Is It Safe?
At least once a week, I get asked about the need to detox from a patient or a friend. Some of them read about it or saw it on TV, others were approached by a friend or colleague selling a detoxification product. Their concerns are always the same – is it safe? Is it effective?
What is a detox anyways?
When the word detox flies around it’s sometimes hard to grasp what does that really mean?
Detox is many ways is like the word ‘exercise’. It can mean a casual stroll in the park to one person, and an ultra marathon to another. Detox can mean everything from adding nutrients and herbs to support the body in removing toxins, to changing your diet or lifestyle habits. The word detox means different things to different people.
While there is a range of companies and people offering this much heralded health fixer, the question remains can it really help?
Our bodies are toxic, we live in cities filled with pollution from transportation on the ground and overhead. We live near farms that spray their fields with pesticides and use bio-solids as fertilizer. We live in home renovations or near construction sites. From the air we breathe, to the food and water we ingest, our body’s encounter toxicants on a daily basis.
What should a detox do?
There is no doubt in my mind that we all have some exposure to chemicals that are better suited to the outside of our bodies rather than inside.
Detoxes help the body to remove these unwanted toxicants. This approach can help to remove chemicals, solvents, metals and molds that are stopping our bodies from performing optimally. It sounds pretty good. Getting rid of brain fog, improving memory, regain dexterity while providing our bodies a chance to heal.
However, it isn’t that simple.
Our body naturally gets rid of unwanted guests. Those it doesn’t recognize, through our organs of elimination and in the form of sweat, breath, urine and bowel movements.
For a detox to be effective – helping you to feel better and causing no harm – there are a few things you need to take into consideration, before you chase down this unicorn.
- Ensure the organs that clear the body are running optimally. Your efforts to clear out stored toxins are done in vain if they siting in another site in the body, simply moving location. Often this generally results in you feeling worse and not better. This is because these toxins are now active and being reabsorbed instead of removed. To clear the body, you need to have the organs of elimination supporting you.
- Avoid creating a supplement/medication time bomb in the body. Sometimes the detox you are participating in, will impact the effect of Over the Counter, Recreational or Prescribed drugs or supplements. This can result in an over or under dose – which may make you feel unwell.
- Use the right product for your body. Just like every key doesn’t fit into every lock, a one size fits all detox product may not the right one for you. Different toxins bind with different ingredients. It is important to ensure the product you are using is right for your toxin exposure.
- Be aware of side effects. Detoxing can happen very slowly, so slow that some people may not notice it is happening, or can happen very quickly and can knock you on your keister. Releasing toxins into the body can make you feel like a 100 bucks, or a piece of hot garbage. Be careful – and always consult a professional that can help you pick a product that fits your needs and goals.
Common detox symptoms include:
- intense sweating
- skin eruptions/rashes or acne
- flu-like symptoms
- headaches
- severe fatigue
- nausea
- body pain
- diarrhea/constipation and more..
- Don’t Detox in Isolation. Taking a pill or drinking a solution to remove toxins is only going to help you if you also remove the source(s) of toxins in your life. You also need to support the systems that are eliminating them, so they don’t reabsorb them. Ask yourself the following questions. Are you changing the pressures that are on your body? Are you able to reduce further absorption of toxins? Is your body eliminating toxins or are you just refilling the space you are making?
Do we need to do it?
Toxicity is at the root of many health problems. Yes, I believe it is important to do it, but I think that it is important that you have a planned approach so that your efforts are successful.
The Author, Christina Carew, is a naturopathic doctor who practices functional and strategic medicine.
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.
What is a Naturopathic Doctor?
What is a Naturopathic Doctor?
I get this question a lot and it’s confusing. I get it. All the other healthcare practitioners their name says it all. I’ll explain Naturopathic medicine in context of how we are similar, and different, then your family doctor.
Our Training is Similar…
Naturopathic doctors are trained as primary healthcare providers, similar to your family medical doctor.
Our similar training teaches us physical diagnostic exams, laboratory testing, pharmaceuticals and IV treatment. We also learn phlebotomy (taking blood), reading x-rays and how to deliver babies.
We are able to provide breast exams, gynecology exams and digital rectal exams. Our training and testing is similar to conventional medical doctors. We actually take the same standardized patient practice exams.
Want to know more about our training comparisons, check out this post.
Our licensing requires us to write five days of international licensing, in addition to, provincial board exams and practical assessments.
Is Your Scope of Practice Different?
Each province or state creates a scope of practice for each type of health professional. The scope of practice dictates which of these skills can be used for treatment of patients in that location.
For example, Naturopathic Doctors in Ontario and British Columbia write the same prescribing exam for pharmaceuticals. Provincial regulations determine which drugs can be prescribed. It is a lengthy list in BC, and about a dozen in Ontario.
Naturopathic Doctors Have a Varied Toolkit
Alongside the medical training, NDs spend time learning about herbs, nutrition and acupuncture. Our training teaches us about all other alternative therapies as well. Click here to learn more about our approaches to treatment. Our training is based on working to treat the whole person.
Our solutions are focused on reducing symptoms. We do this based on determing the source of the problem. This involves investigating a little deeper into your whole life.
If your training is similar, how is naturopathic medicine different?
We focus on the why and how. I spend time focusing on why your body is acting the way it is. My goal is to think about how we can shift it into functioning optimally. We want to work together to eliminate your symptoms by figuring out what is causing them.
I want to try and avoid masking the problem or suppress it. The focus is return your body to functioning fully. Our goal is to have you feel great again.
Our Appointments are Different
Naturopathic Doctors and MDs approach the situation very differently. One difference is the amount of time we each have with you. A short MD appointment is focused on a single question or concern. This type of visit usually involves an investigative test or prescription to help resolve the concern.
A naturopathic / functional medicine appointment is quite a bit longer. My intake is 75-90 minutes. We cover off what you are struggling with. Our appointments also examine your life from head-to-toe. We chat about everything from sleep to toxin exposure, elimination (yep, we talk about poop) to stress levels.
All of these areas are important for us explore. This helps us to figure out what is going on, and how it affects various pieces of your life. It also helps in the development of a treatment plan that fits your needs.
What does this all mean to you as a patient?
It means, that I can work alongside your medical team which may include a conventional medical doctor, chiropractor, massage therapist, etc. I believe we can best work as a team to diagnose and treat conditions.
Have more questions please message them to me or post them here. I’d love to be able to share more about our approach to health.
The Author, Christina Carew, is a naturopathic doctor who practices functional and strategic medicine in Toronto.
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?
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
Creating Healthy Habits in 7 Easy Steps
Some research says forming a habit is simple and takes just 21 days of commitment. However, regardless of the time frame you subscribe to, creating a pattern in your mind and body takes the willingness to venture into new, unknown territory.
I personally believe forming new habits is a lot easier then getting rid of the old ones, but I am sure there are arguments on both sides. As the calendar turns we often find ourselves debating habits to make and break, usually involving a battle of wills such as participating in exercise, increasing water consumption and abandoning vices such as sweets, alcohol, etc.
Few people, however, tend to make a commitment to focusing on learning more about themselves. Digging deeper into the psyche of who we are (and who we want to be) with less focus on how others see us, or even how we see ourselves. Think of each person as an onion, as we learn more about ourselves, we peel back a layer that allows us to shine through as a clearer version of ourselves.
Use today as a do-over, a chance to reinvent our resolution and form a new habit – one that helps us get closer to who we want to be and understand more about who we are. Here are seven habit-forming tips to help you get to the next layer of being you.
1. Pick an activity/habit that is familiar to you.
The habit should build on something that is familiar to you but that you want to explore. You can explore it physically, such as how does my body feel when I coax it into these unusual shapes? Or emotionally, how does doing this activity make me feel about myself? What can I learn about myself from this activity?
Some habits that you might consider exploring could include: discovering [insert continent] cuisine, walking with a neighbor/colleague daily, or exploring a regular yoga practice, the possibilities are endless.
2. Make it daily.
Today is the day, so is tomorrow and don’t forget the day after that. If you find that you have time to do your new activity daily, commit to doing a part of it each day.
No time for dancing – have a dance party in your kitchen while making dinner. Limited time for a walk after work – get off one subway stop earlier and get a mini walk in on your way to work. No time for yoga – do a few poses before tucking yourself in or practice a few poses when you first wake up to set your mood for the day ahead.
3. Verbalize your commitment to a friend(s).
It can be scary to announce the pursuit of something new to the people in your life. Aside from being a motivator to get things, you may even recruit that person to join you in your journey.
Think about the commitments a close friend may have shared with you, and how you felt being a part of their journey. Share that same experience with someone else.
4. Hang your golden carrot.
We’ve all seen the cartoon where the animal races faster forward because they can see a carrot in front of them just out of their reach.
Using the same philosophy, what is your golden carrot? A day at the spa? A vintage bottle of wine? Having a night on the town with a loved one? Find something that feels like it would be a wonderful motivator and something you can look forward to on your journey to your newly formed habit.
5. If all else fails, consider it an experiment.
When scientists conduct an experiment and something goes horribly wrong, or they need to reboot, they simply start over again. If in your experiment to a new habit you find that it was too aggressive, not challenging enough, no longer of interests you, or needs something extra umpf, simply take that moment to call it an experiment and start over again.
6. Set a reasonable time frame.
Not too short, not to long, but just long enough that you can evaluate whether this is a habit you want to continue to grow or one that you are simply happy you tried out. I personally believe three weeks (or 21 days) is a good time period.
I’ve been on vacations where after three weeks I knew I was ready for home. Conversely, there have been times when I moved to a new city or house and the first three weeks were strange and I questioned myself and then something shifted and it was smooth sailing. It’s time to figure out your trial period and stick to it.
7. Do it for yourself.
Some of us do things for others all the time (and some people do it even more as a parent, caregiver or in careers focused on giving). Whatever you choose do it for the right reasons, and do it for yourself – to make you happy, to discover more about yourself, or simply to push your boundaries and open your mind.
Whatever the challenge is that you decide to take on, do it to explore your horizons, learn more about yourself and dream bigger then ever before. Take each moment for what it is, and learn from your experience. This month grow as a person, and see where your new habit can take you.
Liked this blog, you may also like: Isn’t it Time to Be Heard?
Ready to create some new habits? Book in for an appointment to co-create and approach right for you?
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.