Tea Archives - Page 4 of 5 - Plattsville Natural Health Clinic

Super Spices: Thyme

May 17, 2016 by elisha

Thyme, also known as Thymus vulgaris, is a spice that is commonly used for culinary purposes. Considered more of a “Mediterranean” herb, this spice can be beneficial for more than just your cooking purposes.

Uses:

When used in cooking, this herb can actually increase the “life expectancy” of your left overs because of its potent effect at fighting off bacteria. This herb is able to fight off infections through its ability to kill bacteria, viruses, parasites, and fungus. For this reason, thyme can be beneficial for colds, coughs, bronchitis, and even bad breath. In addition, thyme can be quite beneficial for digestive health. This herb can increase the amount of acid in the stomach – which may aggravate some forms of GERD or acid reflux, but can also help with some forms of GERD or acid reflux. This can result in thyme’s benefit towards gas, bloating, colic, and IBS. Thyme should be used in moderation in pregnancy due to some sources suggesting that it can a “mild uterine stimulant”. However, in normal amounts found in foods, thyme consumption is considered relatively safe in pregnancy.

Actions:

From these many different potential uses for time, it may be obvious what the actions of this spice are, but it includes:

Expectorant – helps you to cough up phlegm. I like to remind patients that sometimes this herb makes things worse before it makes things better because it can trigger a cough

Anti – tussive – helps to alleviate coughing

Anti – spasmodic – helps to decrease muscle spasms

Anti – microbial – helps to fight off infections

Carminative – aids with digesting and breaking down food

Anti – inflammatory – fights off inflammation

Anti – oxidant – defends against oxidative damage

Why Dr. Elisha Cook ND might prescribe Thymus vulgaris as a tea

I tend to prescribe this herb to individuals who have a cough or are fighting a respiratory infection. As per usual, I do like to prescribe teas for their therapeutic value as a tea and their medicinal value. I do not recommend consuming thyme as a tea outside the structured guidance of a naturopathic doctor or health care provider. Please seek medical advice before consuming Thyme.

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 519-537-7058 and book your appointment today!

Health Benefits of Tea Consumption

February 23, 2016 by elisha

For centuries people have been drinking tea, both socially and medicinally. Formal research is somewhat limited in this area, but the traditional uses and case studies have encouraged this trend of tea drinking to be passed down throughout the years. In my opinion, the health benefits that can be acquired from tea are more than just from the herb that is used. Medicinal properties can extend from the time spent consuming tea with a friend, or even the act of preparing a cup of tea. In my opinion, the act of making a medicinal tea for one’s ailments could have a great placebo effect in itself, not to mention the health benefits that you would get from the tea.

Much of the research regarding tea consumption and health benefits looks at green or black tea. However, some of the findings below relate to tea consumption as a practice and not necessarily a specific type of tea.

Bone Health

Research has shown that among daily tea consumers, bone density was 2.8% thicker than those individuals who did not drink tea on a daily basis. In addition, the tea drinkers experienced far less bone loss than compared to the non-tea drinkers (1% versus 4% respectively).

Brain Health

Not only has tea been shown to impact cognition, but mood as well. Researcher found that individuals who consumed tea on a regular basis (i.e. daily), were less likely to be depressed. In regards to cognition and risk of dementia, individuals who consumed tea daily were at a decreased risk of cognitive decline or impairment. In addition, regular tea consumers have been shown to have a faster reaction time than those who did not consume tea regularly.

Cancer Prevention

Some research has shown that daily consumption of tea can decrease the risk of and protect against various forms of cancer, including colon, esophageal, and lung cancer.

Heart Health

The antioxidant capacity of tea makes it quite beneficial for heart health. Specifically, research has shown that those individuals who drank tea on a regular basis had lower blood pressure than those who did not. The more tea that individuals drank, the less likely they were to have high blood pressure. This effect was noted in green tea or oolong consumption. In addition, regular consumption of green or black tea has been shown to decrease risk of cardiovascular disease.

Other

In addition to the health benefits mentioned above, daily tea consumption has been shown to potentially protect against bacterial infections, dental cavities, and kidney stones. Tea may also present a positive benefit on decreasing body weight and body fat overall. In addition, tea consumption was suggested to decrease the risk of developing type II diabetes when consumed at 3-4 cups per day.

As some of you may know, I do offer organic, custom teas to my patients as a therapeutic tool to promote healing. If you are interested in having a custom made tea suited to your individual needs, consider booking an appointment with me to help you address your health goals.

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.

References:

http://nutritionreviews.oxfordjournals.org/content/58/1/1.abstract

http://ajcn.nutrition.org/content/86/4/1243.short

http://archinte.jamanetwork.com/article.aspx?articleid=217219

http://www.ajol.info/index.php/tjpr/article/view/14660

http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0098299710000737

http://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10654-005-0148-2#page-1

http://ajcn.nutrition.org/content/88/1/224.short

http://archinte.jamanetwork.com/article.aspx?articleid=485133

Surviving Exam Season

December 15, 2015 by elisha

Exam time is a stressful and challenging time regardless of what educational institute you are in. As a result, healthy lifestyle and eating habits often “go down the drain”. Over the many exam periods I have had to endure, I have developed tips and tricks to help me stay “above water” when it came to my health and my needs. In addition to studying, it is my hope that developing these healthy habits will help you not only ace your exams, but survive the exam season.

Prepare healthy snacks in advance

Having snacks already made such as cut up vegetables and fruit will help you to avoid the temptation of going for “easy” snack food such as chips, candy, pastries, etc.

Prepare meals in advance

Similar to the point above, cooking meals in advance helps to avoid the temptation to eat out and grab that big mac as opposed to a salad. Often, I cook my meals on weekends in preparation for the week. This way, I know I have a quick and healthier choice to rely on.

Green tea

Green tea has a constituent in it called “theanine”. Theanine helps you to be able to focus without the jittery feeling that coffee can often give. As a result, green tea is great for those long study sessions.

Chamomile Tea (or a relaxing tea) before bed

Not only will this help you to sleep better, but it is also a therapeutic action that helps prepare your mind and body for bed. Which leads to my next point. . .

Sleep

Sleep is important not only for your health but also for your memory prior to exams. Research has shown that getting the 8 hours of sleep before an exam is more beneficial than “pulling an all-nighter”. So do your body and you a favor and sleep.

It is okay to take breaks

Giving yourself permission to take breaks is important. It helps change the way you are thinking and allows your brain to function better and be more productive.

Exercise

Exercise has many health benefits including helping our brains to function effectively, improving energy, and improving mood, all of which are important during exam time. As little as 20 minutes per day has shown to be enough to experience health benefits from exercise. Even if you go for a short walking around your residence or block for a break would be enough to help you refocus and gain a different perspective on your studying.

Deep breathing prior to exams

Finally, breathing is important. Deep breathing prior to exams can help calm you and focus you on what needs to be accomplished. With this in mind, remember to keep things in perspective by asking yourself, is this really a big deal? What would happen if I did fail (realistically)? Often putting things into perspective helps us when we are facing these challenging times.

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.

Calming Down from a Panic/Anxious State

November 3, 2015 by elisha

Panic and anxiety can be challenging to live with and cope with, especially during acute episodes. Because of the nature of these different states, different individuals respond to different techniques to cope or manage these situations. This blog will provide some different techniques that may help some individuals to calm down from an acute panic/anxiety episode. That being said, this blog is not meant to replace any medical advice you may have been given by your health care provider, so please make sure to consult your health care provider before attempting these at home. In fact, some of these techniques could actually make someone feel worse, so please once again do not attempt any of these without seeking medical advice. Also, if you have a pre-existing condition that makes you susceptible to these types of acute states, please consult professional medical advice, whether it is a naturopathic doctor, counsellor, family doctor, psychologist, etc., to better prepare an emergency plan to best fit your needs.

Ways to Calm Down

Get out of the situation – This suggestion is not always possible, but if it is and can be done safely, attempt to get out of the situation you are in. This may not be best for everyone though, especially for individuals who are in the process of working through their anxiety. Being in an uncomfortable situation may be necessary for healing in their particular case.
Pray – Prayer can divert one’s focus from the problem to a solution, which can be helpful in these types of episodes.
Deep Breathing – For some, focusing on their breath during an acute attack can make the situation worse. However, for some individuals, it helps them to re-center and re-gather themselves.
Exercise – Even a short walk can help get your focus off of the situation at hand. In addition, exercise changes the activity in our brains and can actually help some to enter a relaxed state.
Literally get up and change seats, attempting to look at the situation from a different angle – When we get up and change our position, it changes the activity in our brains and allows us to literally see things from another perspective. In some situations, this may be enough to help us to re-gather and re-focus.
Drink a Calming Tea – Making a calming tea like chamomile can help us to physically reset to a calmer state.
Laugh – This last suggestion is easier said than done. However, laughing can help change the atmosphere that we have created or entered from tension to joy. This might involve reading some jokes online or watching a funny movie. Whatever it is, attempt to surround yourself with joy and laughter.

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.