Smoothie Ingredients for Winter

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Fresh Vegetable SmoothieSmoothies are a great way to get extra fruits and vegetables into your diet without feeling the need to eat excessively. Though this is a great way to increase fruit and vegetable intake, it can be problematic to consume in winter months when you tend to be colder, and not really feel like having that morning smoothie. From a Traditional Chinese Medicine perspective, many of the ingredients that would be put in a smoothie, such as milk, raw fruits and vegetables, spinach, and various fruits, can also be cold or cool in nature, which contributes to overall feelings of chilliness (and ultimately not really wanting to have a smoothie in winter). As a result, this blog is intended to provide you with some examples of ingredients you can add into your smoothie during the winter months to help increase warmth or heat, and make your smoothie that much more enjoyable in winter.

Spices

  • Cinnamon – Hot/warm
  • Ginger – Hot
  • Nutmeg – warm

Fruits and Vegetables

  • Cherries – warm
  • Peaches – neutral/warm
  • Pomegranate – warm

Nuts and Seeds

  • Walnut – warm

Oils and Other

  • Coconut oil – warm
  • Cocoa – warm
  • Vanilla – warm
  • Honey – warm

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, please book an appointment with Elisha Cook at the RSNC (416-498-9763), and let me help you achieve your health goals.

 

Fasting Essentials

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Fasting black and whiteA fast is defined as the following by the medical dictionary: “is voluntarily not eating food for varying lengths of time.” It is used as a medical therapy and/or a spiritual practice. As some of you may know, my husband and I recently completed a 40 day fast, where we only ate 1 meal per day. This fast was the first one for which we embarked on such a task, and as a result, we learned much from it. It is my hope that this blog will help provide you with some resources and information to help you if you ever choose to complete a fast (of various types) yourself.

Plan  

A fast is not something to be taken lightly. It takes not only a physical toll, but a mental one as well. As a result, it is beneficial to plan before completing a fast of any kind. For example, when we completed our fast we were deciding whether we should eat one meal per day or fast meat for the duration. Because there were various holidays involved and social gatherings that we could not control, we chose to eat the one meal per day (after considerable thought and prayer) in order to prevent other’s plans from being interrupted by ours.

Be Prepared 

In addition to planning, it is important to be prepared. Specifically, temptations will arise to have what you are fasting, e.g. chocolate cravings if you are fasting chocolate. Having strategies in place before the fast such as making snacks less accessible by removing them from your home or from plain sight can help your fast be more successful.

Seek Medical Advice

It is important that you seek medical advice before fasting, especially if you have any medical conditions such as high or low blood pressure and diabetes. These medical conditions can be impacted by the lack of food or fluid in your diet, and so, speaking with your health care provider, or a naturopathic doctor, can help you plan what the best approach to your fast will be, in order to avoid serious complications.

Stay Hydrated

With any fast, it is important to stay hydrated. Your body is going through a detoxification process spiritually and physically, and water can help your body flush out any toxins. In addition, fasting can decrease the fluid you are consuming, and so, this could cause your blood pressure to go down, leading to dizziness. By ensuring you are having adequate water intake, you will be less likely to have these symptoms. For my fast, I used coconut water to help curb any blood sugar drops, and to give variety with hydration. In addition, it is beneficial to avoid excess consumption of caffeine or alcohol as these drinks tend to dehydrate the body, and put the body into a greater hydration deficit.

Inform Those Around You

When you are fasting, temptation is not only internal, but external as well. By informing your family and friends of what you are doing, it can help your fast be more successful through their support, and help decrease the temptation from their actions. For example, if you are avoiding chocolate, and your partner does not know this, they may offer you some chocolate or eat it in front of you, causing you to feel tempted to discontinue the fast.

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, please book an appointment with Elisha Cook at the RSNC (416-498-9763), and let me help you achieve your health goals.

Power Food: Ginger

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History

Ginger has long been used in many cultures such as China, Japan, and India. Since the 1500s, Ginger has been used for many ailments including asthma, colds, flus, and fatigue. Currently, ginger is commonly found in beverages, soaps, candles, cosmetics, and of course in many culinary dishes. As the Christmas season comes upon us, Ginger might be used in more baked goods or fragrances around the household. Though ginger normally accounts for less than 0.5% of the content in ginger – related baked goods, it is still worth mentioning the health benefits that can be derived from it.

Health Benefits

The health benefits of Ginger are quite extensive, and include effects on a variety of different organ systems.

  • Anti – emetic – alleviates nausea and vomiting
  • Anti – inflammatory – decreases inflammation
  • Anti – platelet agent – helps with blood disorders
  • Stimulant – helps combat fatigue, stress, and overwork
  • Carminative – helps promote digestion
  • Diaphoretic – helps bring down fevers
  • Anti – rheumatic – helps relieve pain
  • Anti – cancer – helps prevent cancer
  • Anti- oxidant – decreases oxidative stress
  • Bitter – increases digestion
  • Anti-spasmodic – decreases spasms in general
  • Hepatoprotective – protects the liver
  • Anti – microbial – fights off viruses and bacteria

Research

The research is quite extensive for ginger, including its benefit for chronic pain, PMS (Premenstrual Syndrome), menstrual cramps (Dysmenorrhea), nausea and vomiting (in cancer treatment, pregnancy, or in general), and in sickness. The research provided below is only a brief glance at the research that does exist for ginger and its medicinal use.

Ginger decreased nausea and vomiting in pregnancy within 1 day of treatment: (http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1046/j.0004-8666.2003.00039.x/abstract?deniedAccessCustomisedMessage=&userIsAuthenticated=false).

Ginger decreased PMS symptoms within 3 months: (http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4040198/).

Ginger decreased intensity of and duration of pain in menstrual cramping (dysmenorrhea) within 5 days: (http://www.biomedcentral.com/1472-6882/12/92/).

Cautions/Concerns

Though ginger can be quite useful medicinally, it can also be quite harmful in certain situations. Therefore, ginger should only be taken if advised by your health care provider. Specifically, ginger should be used with caution in those with diabetes (can cause blood sugars to dip too low), with gastrointestinal disorders (can irritate the stomach and esophagus), or on anti – coagulant or anti – platelet therapy.

In addition, some sources of ginger have been known to be contaminated with heavy metals and toxins, and so, one should always consider the source of their supplements or food products.

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, please book an appointment with Elisha Cook at the RSNC (416-498-9763), and let me help you achieve your health goals.

Top 5 Herbal Teas to Keep at Home

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Transparent cup of green tea with lime on wooden backgroundHerbal teas are great not only for their relaxing capacity, but also for their medicinal benefit. Having teas available at home for some common ailments provides a convenient way to have some home treatments, but also to save money and time. The following is a list of a few teas I have at home, that I have found to be beneficial with some common ailments.

Echinacea 

Echinacea is a great tea to keep at home when you feel like you might be coming down with a cold, or just feel the need to “boost” your immune system. It has the most benefits when it is taken right when you start to feel like you might be coming down with something. A great addition to this tea when you are trying to fight that cold is honey for its bacterial fighting capabilities!

Chamomile 

Chamomile is a nice tea to have at home for several reasons. Firstly, chamomile can be beneficial when you have an upset stomach, difficulty digesting food, constipation, or any other difficulties with your gastrointestinal tract. Its calming properties make it beneficial for soothing the gastrointestinal system as well as calming the mind. Specifically, chamomile can be beneficial if you are having a difficult time sleeping. Taking a cup of chamomile before bed might help to prepare your mind and body for sleep.

Green Tea 

I am sure many of you were anticipating this tea being on the list due to all of the hype that this tea often gets. All hype aside, this tea is great for many different circumstances based on its components helping to fight infections, stimulate the mind, and promote health. Green tea helps to kill off infective agents that might be attacking the body, and so is also beneficial when you feel a cold coming on. Green tea also has the unique ability of helping one to regain focus and attention without being as stimulating as coffee. Finally, green tea has many antioxidants making it beneficial for overall health.

Raspberry

Raspberry Leaf is a great tea for females to have on hand, especially when Mother Nature makes her monthly visits. Raspberry leaf tea can be helpful when experiencing cramping from your menstrual period.

Nettle  

Nettle is a great addition to your tea pantry for several reasons. Nettle is able to help “clean” the blood, making it beneficial for acne. For this reason, Nettle tea is also beneficial for helping those who suffer from allergies. As well, Nettle is a herb that has been promoted as a “male tonic”.

Have you  benefitted from reading this blog? Know someone that would benefit as well? Share, Like, Comment or Tweet about 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, please book an appointment with Elisha Cook at the RSNC today and let me help you achieve your health goals.