05.24.08
Posted in Discussion at 12:38 am by drkristen
As I sit in a comfy B&B on the southern coast of Maine (my first true vacation in years), I’m a bit perturbed about something I heard on a cooking show this morning…they were preparing for Memorial Day weekend, and coming up with red, white and blue goodies of all kinds…I started getting hungry just thinking of the juicy berries being used for a blueberry spritzer. Then I thought, wait a minute! Berries aren’t in season right now! Where am I going to get blueberries this time of year?? Well, obviously, the chain stores are full of them. However, we’ve been trying hard to eat local as much as possible, which also means eating seasonal. I don’t know if you’ve read Barbara Kingsolver’s Animal, Vegetable, Miracle, but it is truly inspiring. Plus, I love her terming the “eating local” to becoming a “locavore.” Not only is it supporting local (and mostly organic) farms, but it’s also getting back to seasonal eating, which is how things should be…how we were supposed to eat. Not that I don’t eat tomatoes all year round, but that first bite of that fresh, homegrown tomato in late July/early August is possibly my favorite day of the year.
Why pay for the gas and oil of processing and transporting a few plump and pithy blueberries this weekend, when we can just wait a few more weeks and have local, organic and much more flavorful berries that will taste even better if we have to wait to eat ‘em?
I challenge everyone to try and eat local as much as possible through these next few summer months (by far, the EASIEST time of year to eat seasonally, considering the variety available during the height of the growing season!).
…I just had a WONDERFUL baby green salad (no tomatoes!) with fresh goat cheese, and earlier I had a fresh lobster roll…all local and in season…and it wasn’t hard at all!
Let me know how you do.
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05.11.08
Posted in Health News & Tips, Discussion at 4:50 am by drkristen
I had a great question from a caller on our resource line, and I thought I’d post my response since heavy metals have become such a burden in our modern lives.
Why is whey protein so popular when it comes to heavy metal detoxification, and why can’t I just eat other protein?
Well, for starters, let me just say that whey protein contains the most concentrated amount of the amino acid cysteine that you’ll find from any other source of protein. Cysteine is one of the building blocks of super-antioxidant, glutathione. Glutathione is the star player in phase two of our detoxification process, which is the phase where potential carcinogenic by-products of phase one detoxification gets excreted from the body.
Confused? 
It may seem complicated, but basically, whey protein is a great way to support your body through the detoxification process. One thing everyone should know is that if you are planning on detoxing heavy metals, you MUST check in with your naturopath before anything. It is extremely helpful to get tested for your heavy metal burden before doing any type of chelation or detoxification process. This will show us just how much toxic heavy metals are in your system and guide us on how to safely and effectively detoxify those metals. There are a few ways your doc can test you for this:
- Hair analysis - the most common and cost effective, though not as accurate
- Urine Analysis - the most popular, and easy way to get accurate results. It is highly recommended to do a pre-challenge test and post-challenge test, if your doctor decides to use a chelator to provoke heavy metal release from your internal organs, where they like to hide.
- Blood test - controversial. Some people say it’s the most accurate, and others argue that since metals like to hide in organs and tissues, that the challenged urine test is best.
Once you have your results, we can figure out which detoxification process would be best for you. There are a few ways you can do this. The most common are:
- IV chelation treatment - Intravenous drips of vitamins to help the detox pathways, as well as DMPS and/or EDTA, two common chelators of the most common heavy metal culprits. These are typically done once a week, with a vitamin and mineral IV after every two chealations.
- Oral chelation - alternating an oral chelating agent (DMSA) with periods of oral mineral replacement (usually a multi-mineral)
- Supplement & lifestyle protocol - a combination of herbs, vitamins and minerals that support the body’s natural detoxification processes. Some herbs even act like chelators, only not as aggressive. You may also include physical detoxification in the form of hydrotherapy and/or saunas.
Mineral replacement is essential when you do any type of heavy metal detoxification, even if it’s herbal. Chelators of any kind bind up heavy metals, but they also bind those precious minerals that our bodies need for everyday living. This is why it’s imperative that you work with your naturopath closely to make sure you are not getting a mineral imbalance. If you try this yourself, which many often do with the amount of “natural” and “herbal” detoxification products so readily available, you could cause severe side effects, even death, depending on your medical history and mineral balance.
A lot of good can come from chelation therapy, but only if it’s monitored by a doctor that knows your specific medical history and personal needs. So, if you’ve had chronic issues that have not really responded to other treatment that include fatigue, brain fog, neurological problems, musculoskeletal complaints, pain…the list goes on…you might want to see a naturopath and get tested. Come visit me on my IV therapy or private shift and we’ll see if it’s right for you!
Just for a little proof of how well it works, here are recent results of a patient of mine who came to me for detoxification:
Here’s the before:
And here’s the after:
And this was only after 1 month of lifestyle recommendations and some supplementation based on this patient’s medical history! Imagine what a few more months will do!
Again, it is extremely important to work with you doc on this. Find a licensed ND in your area here!
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05.04.08
Posted in Discussion at 7:49 pm by drkristen
Now that spring is here, many of you are probably thinking about how to really get rid of those winter hibernation pounds, or to simply refresh for the warmer months. One thing that is popular in this neck of the woods is fasting or cleansing once Spring is here and frost is no longer in the air. There is a difference between the two:
Fasting – a period of time where only water or other liquids are taken (i.e. The Master Cleanse, juice fast, water fast)
Cleansing – a period of time where simple, nutritious, cleansing food, broths or smoothies are taken (liver cleansing herbs and root veggies, lean fish and veggies, vegetable or bone broths, medicinal smoothie powders)
I always like to recommend that people wait to fast until the weather is warmer. It’s amazing how much warmth food can give us, so if you fast when it’s still cold outside, it can sometimes do more harm than good. If you live in an area where cooler weather hangs around until late spring, I would recommend you try a cleanse in the Spring, and fast in the Fall. Fasting or cleansing in these months has happened for thousands of years as we mirror the flora of our world with the new beginnings of Spring, and the winding down of Fall.
Here are a few tips if you’re wanting to explore the world of fasting or cleansing:
Get a buddy. Fasting, or even cleansing can be hard on your will power if you don’t have a friend or family member joining you on your journey. If you live by yourself or none of your friends or family are interested, check out bulletin boards in your community, especially in health food stores or co-ops, or even craigslist or online message boards. The more support you have, the more successful your cleanse/fast will be.
Don’t advertise that you’re fasting/cleansing. Getting a buddy for support is one thing, but announcing it to the world that you’re on a severely restricted diet often times welcomes more challenges than you’re willing to accept. If a co-worker asks about your liquid concoction or bland-looking meal, you can tell them what you want. But so many people see the good you are doing and want to challenge your will power by luring your belly to sweets, or saying “oh, you can start that tomorrow, let’s go out.” Fasting/cleansing is a very personal and private choice, and not everyone may understand why you chose to experience it.
Keep your health in mind when choosing a fast/cleanse. If you have blood sugar issues, juice fasting probably isn’t the best thing you could do for your body because it’s like pure sugar going into your blood stream when it doesn’t have the fiber of the fruit to slow the sugar digestion. If this is the case, try a cleanse or broth fast. Always, ALWAYS check with your doctor before doing a fast, especially if you are taking any medication. Many medications need to be taken with food, and if you fast, you’re not going to be feeling very well! If you have a naturopath, even better! Most naturopaths have many different fasting or cleansing protocols and they can help you choose the right one for your health.
Ease into it. Even if you do decide to do a full-on fast, ease your body into it, rather than ending with a bang with pizza and alcohol the night before. Many fasts have what’s called a “bulking period,” where you eat as much raw veggies (we’re talking heads of lettuce a day!) as you can swallow in order to create a nice sweeping of the bowel to prepare for your period of rest. Even if you know you really want to fast, I often recommend people try a cleanse first, to see how their body responds.
Be prepared. Many people like to choose a raw diet or macrobiotic diet to cleanse their bodies, but don’t realize how much planning or kitchen appliances go into preparing their food. Always research the type of cleanse you want to do, and create meal plans, so that you’re not stuck after a hard day at work with nothing to eat or drink…that’s when the pizza delivery commercials look most devilish.
Set small goals. Don’t go overboard with unrealistic goals. If your purpose is to lose weight, or have more energy, then make sure your plan is supportive of those goals. If you decide to do a water fast, but think you’re going to be exercising your butt off to fit into that bikini, think again. These unrealistic goals will do much more harm than good and the frustration isn’t worth it. Also, if you break your fast or cleanse, don’t be hard on yourself. This is a process, and you can reassess what went wrong and be better prepared for next time.
Find a reputable source. Make sure if you do choose a plan that resonates with you, that there has been some research, especially if you are taking a medicinal powder or shake. Many “natural” products unfortunately aren’t made with quality in mind, so you want to make sure that if you are using a medicinal/cleansing protocol that it is from a reputable source with a verifying quality assurance program. This means that they test their products by third parties to make sure that what is on the label is in the product. Not only that, but reputable companies who have excellent quality assurance programs should give you the information if you call and request it. If they don’t even know what “quality assurance program” means…I think it’s sufficient to say that you shouldn’t use their products. Find a licensed naturopath in your area and see if they have a professional line of products – most NDs have a medicinary of quality products from reputable sources with excellent quality assurance backgrounds. Unfortunately, most of these reputable brands are only able to be sold by naturopathic doctors, and you won’t be able to find many in grocery stores or online.
To find a licensed naturopathic physician in your area, click here!
Pamper yourself. The time you take to cleanse your body should also be time that you worship it! Hydrotherapy such as saunas, towels, or even castor oil packs can help aid your detoxification processes, especially if you follow any hot treatments with a burst of cold! There’s nothing like taking a 10 minute sauna, then plunging into a cold nearby lake or pond to get that immune system going! Check out my patient education site to download hydrotherapy tips, or come see me on my hydrotherapy or private shift at the Natural Health Center! If you have the funds and the time, get pampered out an about with massages, facials, wraps, etc! This is your time to revive! Enjoy it!
To browse my Amazon recommendations for books or other supplies, click here!
So, happy cleansing or fasting for those of you willing to give it a try! Let us know how it works for you, if you do try it! I can tell you, I personally like to do cleanses myself…the only time I tried to fast was the Master Cleanse, and I only lasted 6 hours before I sat down to a plate of biscuits and gravy…FYI…NOT the thing you want to eat after drinking lemon juice, maple syrup and cayenne pepper!
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