elisha

Thank You

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Autumn Girl enjoying nature on the field. Beauty Girl Outdoors rThis photo probably sums up more than words the relief that I feel right now. Why might you ask? Well, I passed all of my licensing exams! So, what does that mean? Now I need to be approved for registration with the College of Naturopaths and apply for the appropriate insurance. Once this is complete, I am ready to practice as a Naturopathic Doctor and can then officially call myself a Doctor! This has been a long time coming and has required facing my own demons, overcoming past traumas, and discovering who I am aside from my profession. I have had successes, but also made some mistakes that have helped me in the long run. Ultimately, I am truly thankful for these experiences and for the practitioner they will have helped shaped me into. No “acceptance speech” would be without its “Thank you”, and so, what follows is my condensed list.

To start with, first and foremost is to do what most Grammy – award winning artists do, and that is, thank my Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. I do realize that I may receive judgement, criticism, disdain, etc. for this comment; but I truly cannot take the credit for what has transpired. My strength is in Him alone, and I could not have overcome what I have without Him. That being said, I have received so many prayers and support from my family and church family over the past 8 years, and I am truly grateful to have so much love surrounding me. My family has shaped me into the woman that I am, and I cannot thank them enough for pushing me when I needed it and encouraging me along the way, even if my own mother thought I was going to be a witch doctor 🙂 (it’s okay she is now my biggest fan).

Throughout this whole journey, I have had my faithful and loving husband by my side. I cannot say how truly blessed I am to have had him over the past 8 years to comfort me through the tears and walk with me through the pain, but also to rejoice with me in the victories.

Finally, as always, I want to thank all of the beautiful souls that I have met along the way, specifically, the patients that I have had the pleasure of working with. I have learned so much and have been so blessed by you all. Walking with you has helped shaped me into the practitioner I want to be and will be. Also, thank you and much love to you my readers for all of your constant support!

I will keep you all posted in the following weeks as to when I am accepting patients!

Have you benefitted from reading this blog? Know someone that would benefit as well? Share, Like, Comment, or Tweet this article, and let me know what you think.

Some of the information provided above may not be appropriate for everyone, please consult with your doctor before trying any of the above. If you are interested in Naturopathic Medicine and wanting a different approach to your health care needs, contact Elisha Cook via the contact portion of this website.

Health Benefits of Prayer

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Beautiful Summer GirlAcross cultural and religious backgrounds, prayer has been used to provide comfort, support, and healing for those in need. Prayer, can be defined as “a solemn request for help or expression of thanks addressed to God or an object of worship.” Many do not realize that prayer has been widely researched over the years due to its mysterious nature, as well as its beneficial impact. From the definition alone, one can see that prayer could be beneficial through the simple act of giving thanks (for the health benefits of thankfulness please see my blog on the health benefits of gratitude). Prayer can also provide a means for social support, which in itself, is quite beneficial for overall health.

Provided below are 7 health benefits of prayer. In addition to providing these 7 health benefits, I want to add a personal touch. I pray daily, and in the list of people I pray for are my patients. Know that if you have been or are a patient of mine I have and will continue to pray for you. I have seen firsthand the health benefits of prayer: I have seen healing from trauma, pain, anxiety, depression, and concerns in pregnancy. As a result, I consider prayer a type of complementary and alternative therapy (CAM therapy). I hope that this list of health benefits motivates you to consider prayer as a type of complementary therapy to your health regime.

Prayer can:

  1. Prolong survival of cancer survivors and chronic illness sufferers.
  2. Decrease pain scores.
  3. Decrease blood pressure.
  4. Improve immune functioning.
  5. Improve mental health parameters including more optimistic life orientation and lower levels of anxiety.
  6. Increase perceived social support and higher resilience to stress.
  7. Increase healing speed.

Have you benefitted from reading this blog? Know someone that would benefit as well? Share, Like, Comment, or Tweet this article, and let me know what you think.

Some of the information provided above may not be appropriate for everyone, please consult with your doctor before trying any of the above. If you are interested in Naturopathic Medicine and wanting a different approach to your health care needs, contact Elisha Cook via the contact portion of this website.

Sources

 

Why a lot of quick – fix weight loss programs and supplements DO NOT work

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Girl - Weight LossBillions of dollars are made in the weight loss industry. Many people strive to gain the perfect physique and pay much in order to reap the gains. Unfortunately, amongst many programs that do work to help people lose weight and keep it off, there are many programs that do not work in the long run. As a result, I hope to help debunk some of the mythical ideologies that some of these programs purport to work.

The Myths:

You can lose weight without diet changes and exercise. 

In order to maintain weight loss goals, you need to change your diet and increase exercise to a level that balances energy in and energy out. This differs between everyone, and so, you may require more or less calories, and more or less exercise than another individual.

You can lose a lot of weight all at once and keep it off.  

Unfortunately, this myth is the worst one of them all. In order to achieve weight loss that will last, an individual should not exceed losing 1-2 pounds per week. That being said, when an individual initially undertakes changing their diet and exercise patterns, they may undergo more than 1-2 pounds of weight loss per week, which is normal. Anything beyond the 1-2 pound weight loss puts an individual’s body into what I call “starvation mode”. As a result of this state, the body is more likely to accumulate weight because of fear of when it will get its “next meal”. In addition, if the individual “falls off the tracks” in regards to their weight loss program and gains back the weight they lost, they will most likely gain back more than what they initially lost, because once again, the body fears that it will not survive if put into another “starvation mode” and so uses the increased weight to protect itself.

You can go back to the way you were eating after discontinuing the program.  

As was mentioned above, without appropriate diet and lifestyle changes, one cannot maintain weight loss. Therefore if you are eating more restricted and suddenly go back to the way you were eating before, you are more likely to gain weight. That being said, that does not mean you can never have a treat or have a cheat day. As I tell many patients, everything in moderation, including exercising and diet. You have to adopt a diet and lifestyle that will ultimately be realistic for you.

You can severely restrict calories for some time and still be healthy.  

Once again, this myth is debunked by the explanation behind the debunking of the second myth. You will put your body into a starvation mode with severely restricted calories, resulting in an overall weight gain.

You can take a pill and it will help you to lose weight and keep it off.

Anything that causes you to lose more than 1-2 pounds per week is not sustainable. This includes various weight loss supplements. In addition, many of the weight loss supplements that do have profound effects have ingredients in them that can be harmful when taken long term. A naturopathic doctor may choose to put you on a supplement to help you through a plateau season, but beyond that, supplements will not help you maintain weight loss in a realistic manner.

Bottom Line: Aside from changing your diet, exercise and lifestyle, you cannot be guaranteed to maintain the weight loss that you gain. In order to keep it off, you need to maintain a lifestyle that consists of healthy dietary habits; adequate exercise; and appropriate lifestyle measures including adequate sleep, stress management, and everything in moderation. If you are interested in achieving weight loss that will work for you, consider contacting myself, and let me help you develop a weight loss strategy that will help you maintain the weight loss that you acquire.

Have you benefitted from reading this blog? Know someone that would benefit as well? Share, Like, Comment, or Tweet this article, and let me know what you think.

Some of the information provided above may not be appropriate for everyone, please consult with your doctor before trying any of the above. If you are interested in Naturopathic Medicine and wanting a different approach to your health care needs, contact Elisha Cook via the contact portion of this website.

Helping your child to perform optimally at school

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The school year is well under way, and many parents can become concerned about their child’s performance in school. Some children may benefit significantly from small changes to their lifestyle and diet. The following tips may help your child to perform optimally in school:

Sleep Recommendations

  1. Sleep – this tip may seem very straight forward, but many children do not get enough sleep. Sleep is so important for children because this is when we process information, grow, and re-energize for the day ahead. If a child does not get enough sleep, they may become quite agitated in the classroom and potentially cause disruption. They may also be unable to concentrate because of the fatigue. Provided to the right is a chart that gives you an idea of how much sleep your child needs according to their age group, as recommended by the sleep foundation (Source: http://sleepfoundation.org/how-sleep-works/how-much-sleep-do-we-really-need) . To further drive home the point, research has been done in regards to sleep and school performance. The research has shown that shortened sleep, disrupted sleep schedules, late bed and rise times, and poor sleep quality all negatively impact academic performance.
  2. Exercise – Exercise is very important for your child. Exercise provides a way to boost mood, boost energy, re-focus, and give a sense of accomplishment depending on the form. By encouraging regular exercise, it allows your child to get the energy release they need and gives them an opportunity to “collect” themselves before re-focusing on school tasks. Research has shown that exercise and physical activity in school aged children can actually increase Grade Point Averages (GPA).
  3. Fruits and Vegetables – no discussion would be complete without discussing the benefits of fruits and vegetables. Fruits and vegetables can provide significant amounts of B vitamins, which are beneficial for brain functioning, mood, energy, stress, and concentration.
  4. Reduce Screen Time – screen time (i.e. televisions, cell phones, I pads, computers, etc.) could have a negative impact on your child’s future educational achievement. Some research has suggested that the more a child spends in front of a television, the less that they will achieve in the future in regards to degrees and educational achievement. I want to point out that some individuals do benefit from the use of different software to help engage with learning, and so, this recommendation needs to be adapted to your child’s specific needs.
  5. Parenting Style – interestingly enough, the way a child is parented can impact their achievement in school. Research has identified five “processes” that contribute to school achievement. They are: “verbal interactions between mother and children, expectation of parents for achievement, positive affective relationships between parents and children, parental beliefs and attributions about the child, and discipline and control strategies.” Of these processes, discipline and control strategies were the most strongly associated with school achievement.

If your child still experiences difficulty with concentration and focus in school, it is important for you to seek the help of a naturopathic doctor, pediatrician, or other health care provider. Some of the causes can be as simple as a nutritional deficiency, and some may require further evaluation.

Have you benefitted from reading this blog? Know someone that would benefit as well? Share, Like, Comment, or Tweet this article, and let me know what you think.

Some of the information provided above may not be appropriate for everyone, please consult with your doctor before trying any of the above. If you are interested in Naturopathic Medicine and wanting a different approach to your health care needs, contact Elisha Cook via the contact portion of this website.

Source: http://sleepfoundation.org/sites/default/files/STREPchanges_1.png

http://www.smrv-journal.com/article/S1087-0792(03)90003-7/abstract

http://www.ijbnpa.org/content/5/1/10/