By Dr Kelly McGuire

When one year ends and another begins its only natural to reflect on last year’s happenings and strive for improvement in the coming year. Looking back on history often helps us in preparing for the future. This is exceptionally true with regards to health.  Family history may be the most obvious aspect of one’s history affecting health but social, sexual, mental/emotional and lifestyle history also plays a large role in shaping one’s state of health. Reflecting back is an integral part of shaping our inner dialogue of goals, fears, and of course New Year’s resolutions.

The problem with resolutions is that they tend to be extreme, unachievable and leave us feeling disappointed with ourselves, when we inevitably fail. I’m proposing a new set of resolutions that are based directly on the naturopathic principles of medicine. Naturopathic Doctors have dedicated themselves to the original principles but with a spin they can apply to everyone! They are not meant to happen overnight but to support a gradual shift in consciousness and attitudes.

First do no harm – Don’t set yourself up for failure by resolving to go to the gym everyday when you currently don’t go at all. Go easy on yourself. Resolve to look into the type of exercise you love to do and brings the best result. This not only applies to exercise but diet, lifestyle and mental health as well. Setting realistic goals will prevent harmful negative feedback on our whole body. Remember that health is a continuum and we all exist at a unique place on that continuum.

Treat the cause – The root cause of our health concerns is not solely based on one factor like family history. Explore other potential factors like thought patterns, ingrained emotional patterns, diet and lifestyle history. Getting at the root takes some self-work and thought. Don’t simply accept your current state of health and treatment plan as the be-all end-all of solutions. Resolve to take a history lesson on your own health to help discover all possible causal factors and develop the best plan in moving forward.

Teach the principles of healthy living and preventative medicine – Knowledge is power! If you know something that has helped you or a loved one, share it with someone else! Whether it’s a new hot yoga class that has you feeling cleansed and energetic or a gluten free, dairy free recipe that doesn’t taste like cardboard, share it! Make it a resolution to teach each other important lessons when it comes to health and wellness.

Heal the whole person – It’s easy for history to repeat itself and fall into old habits of tending to only the most obvious issues of our health, symptoms. Remember that there’s more to health than physical symptoms. Resolve to take a more holistic approach to your wellbeing by considering all factors that are within your control to improve. Think about the spiritual, emotional, as well as physical areas of your-self that need healing attention.

Emphasize prevention – Instead of waiting until there are symptoms to treat, make sure you are taking a preventative approach by investigating your risk factors and adopting the healthy habits that will reduce the likelihood that your health will deteriorate. We are all getting older, but we can control the speed of our natural decline and the quality of life we experience by adopting preventative attitudes.

Support the healing power of nature – Our body knows how to be healthy, and wants to exist in a state of balance known as homeostasis. Look into the possible factors that may be an obstacle to your body’s own healing ability. These can be medications, habits like caffeine, smoking, sugar addiction or attitudes that re-enforce complacency instead of self responsibility. Resolve to remove the obstacles and work with nature to get back to a balanced state.

Remember, health does not change overnight. Don’t set yourself up for failure by making resolutions to become a brand new person in 2013. Instead, think about the principles you apply to your daily life and challenge yourself to adopt a naturopathic thought process over time. Resolve to get to the root!

• Erin decided to make a daily conscious effort to be grateful for all the awesome things and people in her life.
• Caren wants to appreciate her family and loved ones more and spend more time with them!
• Lisa will join dance class once a week.
• Steve is going to start Pilates one day per week!
• Lynda committed not to sweat the small stuff!
• Jason will drink a little less coffee and eat a lot more veggies!
• Dr Glory‘s resolution would be to take 2 minutes a day to focus on deep breathing.
• Dr Kelly will start hot yoga classes as part of a healthy detox.
• Dr Payam is going to do hot Yoga every week at Moksha Yoga studio.
• Michelle has decided to drink more water and walk at least once a week.
• Caroline will get rid of her Ziploc addiction and will rely more on reusable glass containers.

By Steve Nagy -RMT & Osteopathy (thesis writer)

With the change of seasons, I would like to offer some sound advice before the snow falls and have included some suggestions for clearing the pretty white snow from our driveways and sidewalks.

If you have preexisting back conditions, consider working in short durations so as not to fatigue or irritate your spine.  If there is any chance of irritating a bulged disc, use extreme caution and better yet, find a young strong individual who could use a few dollars.  It may be a wise investment.  If all is well, before heading outside, begin with some hip circles while indoors and your body is warm  This will energize your spine and put some additional blood into the muscles for fuel.  Gentle toe touches without bouncing at the bottom will also get you ready to tackle the flakes.

If you have a single or double driveway, begin with your spine relaxed and shovel blade on the ground at a slight angle.  Start from your garage door and mark a path down the mid-line to the street so as to cut the driveway into two halves. The angled shovel will allow the snow to glide to the side so that you are not pushing the entire amount in front of the shovel.  Now return to the top of the driveway with the same angled shovel technique.  Now you have a space.  The snow to each side of the space will be directed to that side of the driveway.  I like to think that the snow didn’t fall all at once, so you shouldn’t try to remove it all at once either.  If is is light and shallow, take a shovel width of snow and direct it from the halfway space to the driveway edge walking at a casual pace.  When reaching the end, with the strength of the legs and a gentle lift, direct the snow off the driveway.  Now turn around and walk to the mid-line and grab a shovel width from the mid-line to the edge, gentle lift and continue.  If the snow is too deep, use a half shovel width or less so that you can maintain a gentle walking speed without feeling any back strain.  If you anticipate a heavy snowfall, try to tackle your driveway in stages so that it doesn’t pile up too high.

• Remember to take your time.
• Work within your limits.
• Treat your back and heart with proper respect.
• Warm up before going outside.
• Lift with your legs and don’t try to heave the snow with your back.
• A gentle pace can make clearing snow healthy exercise.

Intravenous therapy (IV) is a wonderful tool that your naturopathic doctor can use to better your health.

Dr. McGuire recently received her certification for IV therapy and is excited to be able to provide this treatment to her patients at Core Link Wellness Centre and Kiani Naturopathic Clinic.

IVs have a wide range of clinical applications and can be used to treat a variety of conditions. Most notably they are extremely helpful to deliver vitamins and minerals directly to your cells! Think of it this way… when you take vitamin C orally, your gastrointestinal absorption gets in the way of delivering the full dose you took to your blood stream and ultimately your cells. You may think increasing the dose would give better effect but it usually results in higher urinary excretion (peeing it out) and perhaps diarrhea. By giving nutrients directly to the blood stream you by-pass the gastrointestinal tract and exponentially increase the availability of the nutrients for your cells to use. Plus you can avoid some of the side effects of high doses taken orally, such as diarrhea.

The common formula given is tailored to the individual but usually contains some combination of Magnesium, Calcium, B12, B6, B5, Bcomplex and vitamin C. Sometimes other nutrients are added or taken away depending on the individual and what they need treatment for. These nutrients are essential for your body to perform its normal functions!

Common indications for IV therapy:

• Athletic performance
• Muscle spasms and fatigue
• Asthma
• Migraines and other headaches
• Fibromyalgia
• Arthritis
• Depression
• Digestive issues
• Drug withdrawal
• Cardiovascular disease
• Infections in general
• Allergies and sinusitis

An initial assessment is necessary before treatments can begin. Laboratory screening tests may be necessary depending on your age and general level of health. Naturopathic health care has many tools to offer its patients and of course diet and lifestyle are primary changes as part of a complete treatment plan.

By  Jason Brandow – DOMP 

Osteopathy is an approach to healthcare that emphasizes the role of the musculoskeletal system in health and disease. It is practiced in Canada, the European Union, and Australia. Osteopathy is not to be confused osteopathic medicine in the United States. Osteopaths in Canada use a manual, hands on approach to assess and treat patients, whereas Osteopathic Physicians from the United States are medical doctors who treat with pharmaceutical drugs and surgery.

Osteopathy is a form of complementary medicine, emphasizing a holistic approach and the skilled use of a range of manual and physical treatment interventions in the prevention and treatment of disease. In practice, this most commonly relates to musculoskeletal problems such as back and neck pain, but is not contained to these issues. Osteopathic treatments have been proven to treat everything from Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS), and Asthma, to Gastric Reflux/Heartburn, as well as countless other chronic conditions. Osteopathic principles teach that treatment of the musculoskeletal system (bones, muscles and joints), along with the viscera (organs and related tissues) and craniosacral system, stimulates the recuperative powers of the body to fight the disease or chronic issues on its own, without the use of pharmaceutical drugs.

What can be treated using Osteopathy?

Osteopathy is a gentle, non-invasive therapeutic approach used to treat:

·         Back pain

·         Headache

·         Neck pain

·         Shoulder pain

·         Athletic or work related strain injuries

·         Muscle or ligament strains, ankle, elbow, knee

·         Pregnancy and childbirth, gestation, labor and post-partum

·         Muscle tension headache independent or associated with migraine

·         Sinusitis, allergic rhinitis, Otitis media

·         Infant colic, plagiocephaly

·         Osteoarthritis

·         Pneumonia, bronchitis, congestive heart failure

·         Gastric reflux/Heartburn

·         Anxiety and depression

·         Vertigo

by Dr. Kelly McGuire, ND

Holiday season is upon us. Many of us think it is ok to just throw in the towel at this point in the year and start fresh after ringing in the New Year with massive resolutions to stay fit and be healthier! The truth is, this type of attitude is what gets us in trouble in the first place, and year after year we’re still struggling to achieve our wellness goals.

I have a challenge for you. Take charge of your health starting right now. Enter 2013 with more energy, a healthier weight, and be on your way to achieving your personal goals.

First I want you to remember this equation; 500 calories less per day x 7 days = 3500 calories = 1 pound of fat! This equation may make it easier to imagine how long it can take you to reach your goal weight.

Of course it’s never as simple as the math may suggest because other factors such as your body’s unique metabolism, thyroid issues, problems with insulin control, food allergies and of course how active a lifestyle you live all play a role in your body’s individual ability to burn fat. I challenge you to follow these suggestions during the holiday season to have you feeling healthier than ever when the ball drops on December 31^st, 2012.

#1 ~Make a plan~ Each week sit down and plan out your groceries and healthy meal choices. Not sure if what you’re eating is healthy? Helpful resources for assessing your calorie and nutrient intake include; my fitness pal and fitday.com. Seeing a Naturopathic Doctor or a Nutritionist may be the preferred approach for those who are less DIY inclined. Your plan can also include key supplements such as B12, functional fiber and protein.

#2 ~Eat 3 meals per day including some protein~ Science shows that when we snack (even on celery) that the brain will not switch into fat burning mode without a minimum of 4 hours between meals. Eating smaller more frequent meals may be necessary initially to balance blood sugar in certain individuals but ultimately you want to adopt a plan of 3 moderate sized meals per day. Additionally, try eating until you are only 2/3 full and chewing your food well.

#3 ~Exercise more~ Exercise comes in many forms. The key is finding how you love to move and commit to moving for at least 180 minutes per week. Split it up however you want…Just do it. Already at this level? Switch up your routine or try increasing intensity. Try the Pilates at Core Link  !

#4 ~Organize and show off your fridge~ Always have healthy choices available at your gatherings. Some great ideas are; Organic Pumpkin Mini Truffles, vegetable platter with humus, edemame beans with sea salt, or kale chips. Eating delicious foods can be healthy too. Try hosting a potluck where everyone shares their favourite healthy recipes.

#5 ~Just say ‘no thanks’ to another drink~ Alcohol has more calories than equivalent protein or carbohydrates. If you choose to indulge be sure to have a full glass of water for every drink consumed. Better yet, offer to be the designated driver.

Best wishes for a holiday season filled with joy, happiness, and wellness.

By Erin Rothenburger RMT
Registered Massage Therapist

There are 2 main categories of stretching:

1. Static Stretching: The muscle is placed in a lengthened position and held for a period of time. The holding time may vary depending on the individual or the desired results.

2. Dynamic Stretching: Involves the lengthening of muscles through active free or passive (someone else does the work for you) movement. There is no hold, but rather a flow of movement into and out of the lengthened position.

Not every “body” is created equal. Some people are naturally more flexible than others. When an individual has limited mobility and feels an ongoing sense of tightness or stiffness, then static stretching is best used between activities. If an individual is quite mobile, but has the need to limber up, then dynamic stretching is best.

Just because a muscle hurts doesn’t mean that static stretching is the answer. When a muscle is injured, often it is best to cut back on static stretching while the healing takes  place, focusing on moderate gentle dynamic stretches and movements in the mean time.

Warming up prior to activity: Whether you are a professional athlete, or are stepping outside to shovel snow (hopefully not too soon), an appropriate warm up is important in order to avoid injury. A warm up should familiarize your muscles with the activity that you are about to perform. Go through similar motions to the activity with either light weights or with no resistance. Static stretching prior to a performance may actually reduce strength and slow the nervous system.

If you are not sure which stretches are best for you, or you would like more information on how to properly perform stretches, consult your health care professional at Core Link Wellness.

Saturday Nov 10th 10:00 am at Goodness Me! Burlington (2300 Fairview street)  click here to register

Join Dr. Kelly McGuire, ND for this informative new seminar. Kelly will explore the causes of fevers, and when to worry, as well as what to do. She will provide a naturopathic approach to treating fevers in babies and children!