01.28.08
Posted in Health News & Tips, Discussion at 12:52 am by drkristen
I have spent countless hours trying to tell people about the effects of artificial sweeteners, and people just aren’t getting it! “Artificial” is it’s name, so it can’t be good. I’ve had a difficult time specifically with Splenda, since it claims to be made from real sugar. Well, when you chlorinate your swimming pool, are you going to drink it and say, “but it’s made from real water!”?
Unfortunately I don’t have time to go into it this week, but I did want to post something before I forgot about the topic. I highly recommend reading what Dr Mercola has to say as he just did a TON of research on the artificial sweetener for his book, Sweet Deception.
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Posted in Health News & Tips, Discussion at 12:30 am by drkristen
Vitamin D seems to be the new go-to vitamin, helping anything from depression, skin conditions and low back pain to significantly reducing your cancer risk. But is it worth it to get it the “natural” way?
Our bodies produce vitamin D from exposure to sunlight. With all the fears of skin cancer about, and recent studies saying we are not able to produce vitamin D through sunblock, how can we get this glorious nutrient? Well, the average time it takes to get adequate amounts of vitamin D is about 20 minutes per day. Scientists and physicians are agreeing that the sun’s benefits greatly outweigh the risks. So, are we increasing our risk of skin cancer by getting 20 minutes of unfiltered sun per day? Well, that depends on your other risk factors:
- Have you had bad sunburns in your youth?
- Are you fair-skinned?
- Has anyone in your family, or have you ever had skin cancer?
If you said “yes” to any of these, then you do have a higher risk of skin cancer. 20 minutes of sunlight a day shouldn’t burn you to a crisp, and if it does, obviously, I’m not recommending it to you. But especially those of us in higher latitudes when we may not see the sun for weeks, vitamin D levels in our bodies can drop significantly.
There is an easy way to check your vitamin D levels - through a simple blood test. Ask your doctor to test your serum levels by testing the 25, hydroxy-vitamin D (also called Calcidiol or Calcifidiol) to see how much vitamin D your body is making. If it’s below 75, I would definitely recommend increasing your intake either through food or supplementation if you can’t get outside each day. If you do supplement, make sure you re-test your blood in about 3 months to make sure you’re not getting too much. This is not a water-soluble vitamin, so you don’t just pee out the excess, and too much vitamin D can be a problem, though it’s fairly difficult to get “too much.”
Sources of vitamin D:
- Sunlight ~ 20 min per day
- Cod liver oil - this type of fish oil also has some vitamin A, so check with your doc first if you are nursing, pregnant or plan on getting pregnant
- Salmon (preferably wild-caught Alaskan)
- Shrimp
- Sardines (also an excellent source of calcium!)
- Fortified cow’s milk (preferably organic)
- Cod (preferably wild-caught)
- Whole eggs (preferably organic)
To read more about this wonder vitamin, check out Mercola.com and for food sources information, check out World’s Healthiest Foods.
If you do decide to supplement, make sure you get a high-quality supplement that only uses the active form of vitamin D, called D3, or cholecalciferol. This is the form of vitamin D that you will get in the above food sources as well.
Happy vitamin D-ing! 
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01.23.08
Posted in Health News & Tips, Discussion at 3:47 am by drkristen
Even with all the hype about Gardasil, the new HPV vaccine, I still notice a great lack of education when it comes to this virus, so I thought I’d do a brief cheat sheet.
- HPV, or Human Papillomavirus, is the virus that causes genital warts, and has potential to cause cervical cancer
- This virus has nothing to do with Herpes, as it is a completely different virus
- There are many strains of HPV - high-risk strains that are more likely to cause cervical cancer, and low-risk strains that typically cause the physical warts - therefore, it tends to be the people without physical warts or other symptoms who pass along the dangerous strains
- You can get HPV warts in or around your anus as well, which also increases your risk of anal cancer
- There have been studies in the past few years linking HPV to an increased risk of throat cancer through oral sex exposure
- It is suspected that about 80% of women will develop HPV by the time they are 50 years old.
- This is not transmitted through sexual secretions, it is passed on through skin-on-skin contact - so condoms do help avoid exposure, but can’t avoid it 100% - this means anyone with genital to genital contact, genital to anus contact or genital to mouth contact could be exposed, intercourse is not necessary
- There is no cure for HPV as of yet, but there are precautions - women can now ask their OB/GYN to test them for strains of HPV with the same sample taken for a PAP smear. Normally, PAP smears will tell you if you have abnormal cells (called dysplasia), and if so, then they will test for the virus (which you most likely have if you have abnormal cells). So, why not test for the virus right off the bat, so you can change your lifestyle and hopefully avoid any cervical dysplasia if you do have the virus?
- Currently, there is no test that can test men for the virus, which is what makes it tricky - as stated above, usually, the high-risk strains don’t cause any symptoms, so there are a lot of men who have never had a wart who unknowingly think they are “clean.” Hopefully soon we will develop a way to screen men as we have with women.
- If you do find you have the HPV virus, it’s best to tell all your sexual partners if you can. There is a website that helps you send an anonymous email to your sexual partners if you need help.
- The risk factors for getting the virus are:
- Having sex before the age of 20
- Having multiple sexual partners (more than 3)
- Having unprotected sex
- That being said, anyone who has had genital-genital, genital-anal or genital-mouth contact with someone who has had the same contact with someone else, technically has a risk of HPV exposure
- Smoking - nicotine actually has an affinity for cervical cells, so it can affect your body’s natural defense against HPV
- There are 14,000 cases of cervical cancer diagnosed each year in the US (this statistic from iVillage cervical health) and approximately 1/3 of these cases actually die from cervical cancer within the same year (according to the CDC)
- Treatment is available and naturopathic protocols have proven very useful even with severe cervical dysplasia - ask your doctor about the availability of the vaccine, Gardasil, and whether or not it’s right for you - they are currently working on a vaccine for older women (Gardasil is currently only approved for women ages 9-26)
- For physical warts, cryotherapy (freezing) of the warts can not only get rid of the warts, but it can also stimulate the body’s immune system to fight the actual virus - in fact, some people never have another outbreak of warts after just one series of cryotherapy
So…maybe not so brief! The bottom line is, ask your doc to make sure you are doing all you can to prevent infection with HPV, and if you are positive for the virus, keep checking in with your doctor about new treatments available and lifestyle changes to help lower your risk of cancer.
Check out the CDC website for more info.
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01.21.08
Posted in Health News & Tips, Discussion at 9:24 am by drkristen
I don’t know about you, but I’ve been getting a TON of emails lately on this wonder food. Apparently it’s not new…in fact, it used to be used on a daily basis with the ancient Aztec, Mayan and Incan cultures.
Salba, also known as Chia seeds (yes, these are the “chia pet” seeds!), California sage, Chia sage and it’s latin name, Salvia hispanica, this amazing powerhouse of nutrition claims to have:
- 3 times more omega-3 fatty acids than salmon
- 4 times more dietary fiber than flax seeds
- 3 times more antioxidants than blueberries
- 15 times more magnesium than broccoli
- 7 times more vitamin C than an orange
- 6 times more calcium than whole milk
- 3 times more iron than spinach
- 50% more folic acid than asparagus
(this info comes from Salba USA nutrition facts)
All this from just 2 tablespoons per day? Seems crazy, but I just thought I’d share the hype. As an avid flaxseed “pusher,” I’m definitely going to try this new superfood and see if I feel a difference.
Where can I buy Salvia hispanica?
Well, there seem to be several places online that sell it. I always like to buy from a trusted source, and Mountain Rose Herbs does sell the organic seeds under the “Sprouting Seeds” section of their products. That reminds me…one of my nutritional resolutions for the year was to start sprouting more seeds…hmmm. I see some very nutritious sprouts in my salads and wraps in the near future! If you’re interested in sprouting your own seeds, again, check out Mountain Rose Herbs. They have a great, organic selection, plus all the accessories you will need to do the sprouting (though it’s very simple). They also have this great sprouting chart that gives you growing guidelines, recipes and more - way worth the $5 or $6 they charge for it.
Happy sprouting and superfooding! Let me know if you try it and we’ll compare notes
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01.18.08
Posted in Health News & Tips at 7:00 pm by drkristen
This is probably one of the most common questions I get:
“I know I’m supposed to take fish oil, but why?”
Well, let me tell you a few good reasons.
- It is “neuro-protective,” which means is supports brain function - it is even being studied currently for its effects on improving and preventing Alzheimer’s Disease
- It has been proven to reduce the risk of heart disease & stroke
- It has been proven to slow the insulin-resistance of Type II Diabetes
- It can reduce triglycerides by 25-30%
- It can reduce general inflammation and improve joint health by initiating your natural anti-inflammatory pathway
- It can improve your blood pressure and heart rate
- It can improve survival after a heart attack
- It can improve your mental focus and mood
- It’s freakin’ awesome
As you can see, I love fish oil. I think most people should take it as a daily supplement. Of course there are cases where you should not take fish oil, so always ask your physician first to see if it’s right for you!
If you are in the market for a good fish oil, but don’t know which brand is good, let me give you a few tips.
- The more expensive is not always the better quality
- Just because it’s from “wild caught” fish does not make it good quality
- Just because it’s sold in a gourmet or health food store does not make it good quality
- Always check the label and see if that company tests for heavy metals, preferably through a third party. This is extremely important. There is no point in taking fish oil if it’s soaked in heavy metals!
I have added a couple trusty brands under the Health & Wellness section of my Amazon recommendations if you want to check it out.
What is the difference between fish oil and cod liver oil?
Well, both are good for you. Cod liver oil comes from…you guessed it, the liver, so it has a bit more vitamin A and vitamin D than regular fish oil. Some fish oils supplement the vitamins A & D to make is more like cod liver oil, so check your labels.
What about the EPA and DHA - what the heck are those?
Well, EPA or eicosapentaenoic acid, and DHA, or docosahexaenoic acid, are both Omega-3 fatty acids that help support the metabolic pathway that controls inflammation. Our bodies regulate inflammation through prostaglandins, and omega-3 fatty acids support the specific prostaglandin (PGE3) that reduces inflammation in our bodies. Sometimes our bodies only want to produce the inflammatory prostaglandins, so supplementing with the anti-inflammatory precursors (the things that make the good prostaglandins) can help our bodies choose the right pathway. DHA specifically is the essential fatty acid that is being proven over and over to support brain health, from a baby’s brain development to Alzheimer’s.
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01.15.08
Posted in Health News & Tips, Discussion at 6:12 am by drkristen
We’ve all heard it…breakfast. It’s supposed to be the most important meal, but how do you focus on that if you’re not hungry, or you’re flying out the door at 60 mph?
Well, let me start by saying why it’s so important to start the day off with a good meal - it sets up your energy level and metabolism for the entire day. You need those nutrients to get through your day and stay focused, awake and energized. So how did we get into this schedule where we eat little to nothing all day and then have a huge dinner? Is sleep so treacherous that we need the bulk of our nutrients before we go to bed? I think not.
Breakfast should be your largest meal of the day to give you the stamina you need to get through your schedule.
Don’t have time? Well, then eat leftovers! There’s no rule that says breakfast is supposed to be sweet grains or eggs. In fact, I like to try and get my greens in during breakfast, so I don’t have jam them into dinner. This way, you can still cook in the evening and prepare a healthy meal. Only now, I want you to eat an actual serving size for dinner, saving your usual portion for breakfast the following day. Here is a reminder of actual portion sizes for adults and kids over age 5:
- Milk or yogurt - 1 cup
- Cheese - 1.5 ounces
- Meat, Fish, Poultry - 2 ounces
- Eggs - 2
- Beans/Tofu - 1 cup
- Fruit - 1 medium piece or 1/2 cup
- Veggies (raw) - 1 cup
- Veggies (cooked) - 1/2 cup
- Bread - 1 slice
- Cooked grains/pasta - 1/2 cup
Your body has so much so reset while you sleep, it doesn’t need to add the task of digesting a huge meal. I want you to take note of how much better you feel by eating a healthy, balanced breakfast from your dinner leftovers, with the largest portion being greens/veggies, then protein, and finally grains and fat.
Don’t feel like eating in the morning? At least give yourself a little protein, like a hard-boiled egg, yogurt and flax seeds, or a protein and fruit smoothie. Then focus your largest meal at lunch so it still nourishes you for the bulk of your day.
So, flip-flop your meals and see how you feel. I guarantee you’ll enjoy the results!
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01.11.08
Posted in Health News & Tips, Discussion, Recipes at 9:31 am by drkristen
I know what you must be thinking…ladybugs, butterflies, dragonflies…they are cute little fellas. But indeed, I am a naturopath, so I can’t get too far into this blog without bringing up the topic of poop! Our guts hold the fate of our immune systems, so it is in our best interest to keep our guts healthy. What better way to do that, than to make sure we have the right amount and species of gut bugs, also known as gut flora, or probiotics.
Surely you’ve heard of Lactobacillus acidophilus, the media monger of the bunch. Maybe even Bifidus? These are the good guys in the gut that keep our immune system functioning and our inflammatory processes under control. There is one other gem in the micro-world, however. One that can stump even Clostriduim difficile, the stubborn little bacteria responsible for antibiotic-induced diarrhea. The new “It-girl,” or guy…or, animal…is Saccharomyces boulardii!
Not only has it stopped antibiotic-induced diarrhea dead in its tracks, but it’s not even a bacteria, so you can take it with antibiotics in order to prevent diarrhea from occurring! This little guy is so powerful, it has even been shown to help with the seemingly endless diarrhea in HIV & AIDS patients. Not to mention diarrhea of other origins, food poisoning, Candida overgrowth, Irritable Bowel Syndrome and many other gut imbalances.
Are gut bugs really that important?
The answer is a resounding yes. When the good gut bugs aren’t fed well, or don’t have a very nice environment, they can die off, leaving our insides vulnerable to a takeover from the bad guys. These bad guys include E coli, Citrobacter, Shigella and the above C difficile and Candida. This may not cause infection right away, but it can cause stomach upset, diarrhea/vomiting, heartburn/indigestion, gas/bloating and the like. If you don’t think these guys are important, here’s an interesting factoid: One third of your fecal matter is bacteria! That’s right! Think about how small a microscopic bacterium is, and then think of…well…the volume you create per day. That’s billions of organisms that help us live healthy lives!
So, what is this little bug exactly?
Well, it is a yeast, which is totally different from a bacteria, which is why it’s effective while taking antibiotics. This yeast blooms rapidly to fill your gut, literally crowding out all the good and bad bacteria. A reboot for your belly, if you will. I like to picture it like that weather-stripping foam you spray into your window cracks before winter, expanding to fill up all the space.
But if it’s yeast, isn’t that a bad thing for my gut?
Not this species. When people think yeast, they automatically think of Candida albicans, the culprit of vaginal yeast infections, systemic overgrowth, thrush, diaper rash and other infectious processes. Candida is a pathogenic yeast, meaning disease-causing. Sacchro B is a non-pathogenic yeast, so even people who are allergic to yeast, or have Candida issues can tolerate it in their gut.
Where does it come from?
Sacchromyces is the same genus of the yeast in Brewer’s yeast, but a different species. Both species are beneficial. You may have seen Brewer’s yeast in grocery stores sold as a condiment or supplement (it’s especially good on popcorn!). Brewer’s yeast is a great source of B vitamins and I recommend it almost daily to people who hate eating their veggies. In fact, a friend of mine went on a retreat and came back with this great recipe, called Nirvana Sauce. I love drizzling it over kale, beets, chard and turnips over brown rice. Taste it, and you’ll see what I mean!
Nirvana Sauce
2/3 cup Braggs amino acids (you can find this condiment in any health food store or online - check out my Amazon.com recommendations page, under Kitchen & Food)
1 cup olive oil (I use refined extra virgin olive oil, because unrefined tastes a bit too olivey for me)
1/2 cup Brewer’s yeast
1/2 cup water
Juice of 2 lemons
3/4 cup of cashew pieces (raw, unsalted) - I grind these in the blender to a meal first for extra smooth consistency
2 tablespoons onion, minced
1 Large garlic clove, minced
Blend it all up in a blender and you’re set…it doesn’t warm up well when heated (it can separate) so serve at room temp! It fits perfectly in a quart jar, so if you don’t want that much, adjust the recipe as necessary. Store in the fridge and allow it to get to room temp before each use. I’ve used it over a month and it was fine storing that long.
Sorry…I got distracted by a good recipe… Anyway, Sacchro B is becoming one of the simplest treatment protocols in my practice and has done so much good with so many of my patients with tummy trouble, that I just had to put it in the spotlight for once! Not that I don’t love Lactobacillus and Bifidus and the other guys, but Sacchro B has my heart…or my gut, I should say!
As always, this is not a prescription for you all to go out and try this. This post is informational only, and there are cases where Sacchro B is not an appropriate treatment. Always discuss things with your physician first before taking anything, even if you can just buy it off a grocery shelf. Just because it’s “natural” doesn’t mean it’s “safe.” Natural medicine is very powerful and should always be used under the supervision of a naturopathic physician.
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01.10.08
Posted in Research at 7:29 pm by drkristen
CT scans have become a HUGE part of Western medicine. To have the technology to see through the layers of the body, no matter how small, has been a HUGE influence on diagnostic medicine. But as we all know…”with great power, comes great responsibility.” Is it worth it to help diagnostics if it is increasing our risk of cancer? These days, it is becoming harder to decrease our risks of cancer, since much of it comes from our environment. But in those small cases where we do have a choice, here is an interesting summary from the New England Journal of Medicine:
Computed tomography (CT) generates ionising radiation, so each scan carries a small but detectable increase in the lifetime risk of cancer. For most people, the diagnostic benefit of a scan outweighs the risk, but at least two experts are getting worried about the effects on the US population of a sharp rise in the use of computed tomography for diagnosis and screening. They estimate that 1-2% of all cancers in the US are attributable to radiation from CT scans.
Children are particularly vulnerable. They are more radiosensitive than adults and have more remaining years of life in which to develop cancer. In the US, 6-11% of scans are performed in children, often to diagnose or rule out appendicitis. Ultrasound might be a better option, say the experts.
Other questionable uses of CT, particularly multiple scans, include the investigation of seizures, chronic headaches, or blunt trauma. Using CT defensively is even harder to justify, but not uncommon. Anecdotal evidence indicates that up to a third of CT scans could be replaced by other diagnostic tests, or not done at all, say the experts. If that is true, about 20 million adults and more than a million children in the US are irradiated unnecessarily each year.
N Engl J Med 2007;357:2277-84
Now, I am NOT saying CT scans are bad. In fact, I believe in some cases, they are very necessary. However, it is the unnecessary moments I wanted to educate you about. You do have a choice in your health care. If you have a choice between a CT scan and MRI (Magnetic Resonance Imaging), choose the MRI if you want to avoid radiation exposure. MRIs use magnetic fields instead of radiation to create images, and often show greater detail when it comes to soft tissues. If you are faced with the choice of electronic imaging, make sure you ask your doctor of the risks and any other options before making your decision.
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01.08.08
Posted in Discussion at 6:47 am by drkristen
When I tell people I do IV therapy, I usually get a confused look. What does it mean? I can hook up IVs? What’s in those IVs? Is it that big of a deal? Well, I’ll tell you.
As you may know, naturopathic medicine focuses on whole health and uses natural substances (for the most part) to treat imbalances. Often, in the time of fast food, eating on the go, etc, our guts don’t function quite the way they were meant to. Therefore, we can take all the supplements we want, but if our guts aren’t able to absorb what we swallow - what’s the point? That’s where IV nutrition comes into place. If the gut isn’t doing it’s job, why not bypass it and put nutrients directly into our blood streams? This not only provides more absorption, but it also helps rehydrate.
Bypassing the gut isn’t the only time we use IV therapy. Sometimes, you just need to overwhelm your system with nutrients in order to get the body to respond. In cases like cancer, fibromyalgia and other chronic conditions, IV treatments can get the right nutrients to the right places quickly and with little to no side effects.
What’s in these IVs? Well, think of it like a super multivitamin/mineral. We use vitamins, minerals, amino acids, antioxidants, herbs and more. Whether you have a chronic condition, or even if you just need a kick to overcome those cold symptoms that have been coming on, ask your doc if IV therapy is right for you!
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01.07.08
Posted in Health News & Tips, Discussion at 4:49 am by drkristen
So, I created a space on Amazon that shows some recommendations for whole health living. Check it out! I’ll be adding to this periodically with my favorite products and books.
Happy shopping!
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