Health and Nutrition

Foods to Boost Male Health

by

Written By: Dr. Elisha Cook ND

November is generally known for promoting, encouraging, and discussing men’s health. With this in mind, what better way to celebrate with some foods that benefit male health! These foods are not only great for a balanced, healthy diet, but specifically help with prostate health, fertility, and balancing male hormones.

Pumpkin Seeds

Pumpkin seeds are a great source of fiber, and are high in magnesium and zinc. Specifically, in the research, pumpkin seeds have been linked to reducing the size of the prostate in BPH and reducing the consequences of it (improving erectile function and improving urine outflow) (1).

In the world of fertility, there is limited human research on the effect of pumpkin seeds on sperm characteristics, but in the animal world, it has shown to increase and improve sperm concentration, motility, and viability. With these promising improvements seen in the animal world, and the little to no side effects associated with eating pumpkin seeds, males looking to improve sperm parameters might consider adding pumpkin seeds to their diet (2). 

Cooked Tomatoes

Tomatoes contain many great nutrients and are high in an antioxidant lycopene. As tomatoes are cooked, the lycopene content increases. Research shows that males that consumed a diet higher in tomatoes, also had a reduced risk of developing prostate cancer (3). 

In regards to lycopene, it may reduce the growth of the prostate leading to reduced likelihood of BPH and cancer (4).  

In addition, regular tomato juice consumption has been linked to improved sperm motility in those struggling with infertility (5). 

Pomegranate

Pomegranate juice specifically is a great addition to a balanced diet, but when it comes to male health, it can also benefit fertility. Regular pomegranate juice consumption was shown to improve total motile sperm count (6). 

Overall, the best way to improve one’s health is through a well balanced diet, but for males, adding these foods more often might produce greater gains in regards to factors concerning male health.

Have you benefited 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 trying any of our services, working with any of our amazing practitioners, or are simply wanting a different approach to your health care needs, contact the Plattsville Natural Health Clinic by calling 226-232-7665 and book your appointment today! 

Resources:

  1. https://bmcurol.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12894-021-00910-8
  2. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0032579121003230
  3. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23883692/
  4. https://academic.oup.com/jn/article/133/11/3356/4817958?login=false
  5. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28049263/
  6. http://herbalgram.org/resources/herbclip/issues/bin_510/111421-510/.

Allergen-Free Banana Muffin and Bread Recipe

by

Finding recipes safe for those with food sensitivities or allergies can be quite tricky. Though bananas can be a trigger food for some individuals, this recipe takes an old favourite and makes it relatively tolerable for most individuals. This recipe is void of your traditional flours, eggs, and dairy! Try it for yourself and see how it measures up.

Banana Muffin Recipe

Ingredients:

  • 1 cup of Brown Rice /Almond Flour
  • 1 cup Quinoa flour (gives a moist batter)
  • 1/4 cup Sugar
  • 4 tsp. baking powder/tapioca starch
  • 1 tbsp. chia seeds ground
  • 3 tbsp. water
  • 2/3 cup Coconut Milk
  • 4-5 ripe bananas
  • 2 tbsp. Coconut oil melted
  • Optional: 1 cup of chocolate chips

Directions:

  • Preheat oven to 400 degrees
  • Blend and mix together flour, sugar, and baking powder/ tapioca starch.
  • In a separate bowl, take ground chia seeds and water and beat together until gel like consistency. Add in milk, mashed bananas, and melted coconut oil.
  • Combine together your “wet” and “dry” ingredients (i.e. your coconut oil mixture and flour mixture). Stir until well combined. If you want to add chocolate chips, add them at this point.
  • Line your muffin cups with muffin baking cups or grease your pan, and add approximately 1/4 cup of batter to each cup.
  • Bake in preheated oven for 30 minutes or until cooked through.
  • Yield: 12-16 muffins

Banana Bread Recipe

Ingredients:

  • 1 cup of Brown Rice /Almond Flour
  • ¾ cup Quinoa flour (gives a moist batter)
  • 2 tsp. baking powder/tapioca starch
  • ¼ tsp. baking soda/tapioca starch
  • 1/3 cup coconut oil
  • 2/3 cup sugar
  • 2 tbsp. chia seeds ground
  • 6 tbsp. water
  • 4-5 ripe bananas

Directions:

  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees
  • Blend and mix together flour, baking powder/ tapioca starch, and baking soda/ tapioca starch.
  • In a separate bowl, cream coconut oil and gradually beat in sugar.
  • In another bowl, take ground chia seeds and water and beat together until gel like consistency. Add this mixture to your coconut oil and sugar mix combining well.
  • Combine together your “wet” and “dry” ingredients (i.e. your coconut oil mixture and flour mixture).
  • Finally add in 4-5 ripe, well mashed bananas to mixture.
  • Pour your mixture into a 9” by 5” loaf ban that has been lined with parchment paper and let sit for 20 minutes.
  • Bake in preheated oven for 60 minutes or until cooked through.

Have you benefited 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 trying any of our services, working with any of our amazing practitioners, or are simply wanting a different approach to your health care needs, contact the Plattsville Natural Health Clinic by calling 226-232-7665 and book your appointment today! 

A Healthy Thanksgiving and Halloween: Lessons from the Season

by

Written by Dr. Elisha Cook ND

I am sure I have some of my readers rolling their eyes as they read the title of this blog. “Oh great another blog about how we shouldn’t over eat, we shouldn’t eat sugar, Halloween is the devil, and we are all doomed to diabetes if we participate”. No, this is not one of those blog, so please do not hesitate to read on.

Thanksgiving and Halloween can be particularly fun times of year. Whether it is fun in regards to the costumes or the meals/treats, I like to reflect on some other important messages we can take from this season.

Moderation

I think no “healthy Halloween” blog would be complete without mentioning moderation, but this proves the same for thanksgiving. Moderation does not simply mean do not have too much of the bad stuff. It also means do not do too much of the good stuff. What do I mean by this: it is important to recognize that, as Hippocrates once said, “It is the dose that makes the poison”. For example, if you exercise too much this can be almost as bad as not exercising enough. So, with this season, allow some indulgence, but do not overindulgence. Restrict where you need to – for example, only allow your children to have 1 treat per day – but also allow there to be some treats overall. At the end of the day, it is okay to treat ourselves.

Be Inspired

A lot of children are told during this time of year, “you can be whatever you want for Halloween, what would you like to be”. Sometimes there are restrictions, but the point still stands that you can dress the part of what you want to be. It does not mean that you turn into that character, but you can see the pride that emits from these little super heroes and princesses as they go house to house showing their costumes. I would encourage you to take the same attitude with your health. You can choose health and to be inspired. It is important that when it comes to your health, be inspired to rise above your condition and overindulge in hope. Hope can be one of the most effective treatments and increase chances of survival from many medical conditions.

Gratitude

With Thanksgiving and Halloween being so close in date, we can adopt the spirit of gratitude for both of them. Gratitude can be a family discussion during this time of year for so many reasons. Halloween is a holiday where children can often feel like they have an overabundance of candies and that is very exciting. Using these times as a teaching moment can be so powerful. Gratitude in itself can have so many health benefits which can be seen in my previous blog: http://www.naturopathicdoctorwoodstock.ca/health-benefits-of-gratitude/

At the end of this all, it is my hope that you are inspired by Halloween to keep moderation in mind, be inspired, and remain thankful. I hope you all have a safe Halloween if you celebrate!

Have you benefited 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 Dr. Elisha Cook ND by calling 226-232-7665 and book your appointment today! 

What is the difference between a Holistic Nutritionist and a Dietician?

by

Written by Christa Bakker RHN

I was recently asked, “What’s the difference between a Holistic Nutritionist and a Dietician?” To help answer, I have gathered some information provided by CSNN (Canadian School of Natural Nutrition), Cahn-Pro (Canadian Association of Holistic Nutrition Professionals), and CANNP (Canadian Association of Natural Nutrition Practitioners). As a Holistic Nutritionist, I can speak from my education, observations, and client experiences. CANNP has published an article highlighting the differences between a Registered Dietician (RD) and a Registered Holistic Nutritionist™ (also called, Certified Holistic Nutritional Consultant™ Professionals, Registered Holistic Nutritional Consultants™, Certified Holistic Nutritionist™). They broke topic down into three categories: Education, Recognition and Approach.

Education

A registered dietician has no doubt spent more time in a classroom than a holistic nutritionist. A registered dietician goes through a university-level program and completes a one-year internship at a medical institution. I completed a college-level program, my ‘internship’ or practical experience was gained by real-life clients and case studies. The university courses that a dietician is required to take are much more science-based, emphasizing chemistry and biology. The university program focuses on conducting and interpreting food studies, research, global food-related problems, and the intricacies of micro and macronutrients; their dietary program is based on ‘Canada’s Food Guide’. The school that I attended, the Canadian School of Natural Nutrition (CSNN), taught nutrition with an importance on the approach and information that a person can easily put into daily use. The holistic approach is that everyone’s body is unique, each with different circumstances and biochemistry. A holistic nutritionist will conduct consultations, use a client’s symptoms to guide and integrate alternative modalities. I build individualized programs using therapeutic dietary approaches. My education was ‘holistic’ in that it explored the connection between emotional, physiological, and environmental aspects of a person’s wellbeing. In short, the dietician’s approach focuses on the theoretical, where the holistic approach is more practical.

Recognition

Dieticians are a recognized and regulated industry in Canada; nutritionists are not. Rules set by the government monitor this regulation; this allows dieticians to work in government sectors, such as hospitals, while nutritionists focus more on the private sector. However, it is essential for a Holistic Nutritionist to belong to a regulatory body, such as CSNNAA, CANNP, or CAHN-Pro.  They provide ongoing training and education and assurance that the nutritionist is working within their scope of practice. Not being regulated by the government means that nutritionists don’t get the same recognition from insurance companies, leaving clients to pay out of pocket for their services. This cost may deter some, but paying for individualized nutritional consulting and education makes the experience more meaningful for most clients. Clients who pay for the services of a nutritionist take the information more seriously, becoming more compliant and therefore successful.

Approach

The mainstream medical approach is to focus on chasing disease and reducing symptoms. The holistic approach concentrates on avoiding poor health and reestablishing good health, educating how to bring the body back into balance, and catching imbalances in the early stages. As a Holistic Nutritionist, I encourage my client to learn so they can be in control of their own wellbeing. A Dietician is often found in a hospital providing food guidelines to their patients once they have been diagnosed with an illness. A dietician is trained to lessen symptoms while a nutritionist is trained to seek out the root cause of a client’s symptoms, bringing their body back onto balance. Symptom control will often fail in the long term unless the root cause is sought out. The holistic approach focuses on the whole person, education on food choices, lifestyle suggestions, and supplement recommendations. Each client is unique and requires unique recommendations. A nutritionist will recommend whole, natural, and as high-quality food as possible. For example, butter, a dietician may recommend that a client use margarine in its place. A nutritionist would not recommend to a client a processed food made in a factory with chemical “ingredients” as better for you than something that comes from nature. If a client is allergic or intolerant of dairy, there are many more options that don’t include a chemically processed product. (for example, coconut oil, avocado oil, or ghee)

Although there are apparent differences between a Dietician and a Nutritionist, I believe there is room for both. The important difference is that the client has the benefit of choice.

If you are interested in booking an appointment with a holistic nutritionist, call or text 226-232-7665, or contact Plattsville Natural Health Clinic to book your appointment today.