Are you an athlete? Here’s what you need to know about taking care of your body

Are you an elite athlete, weekend warrior, avid cyclist or fitness fanatic? If so, you need to find a naturopathic sports medicine clinic to help you reach your peak performance level. A sports medicine clinic should be equipped to help you with two important aspects of training: nutrition and manual therapy.

Sport Nutrition:
Misguided nutritional choices can negatively affect muscle building and repair, endurance and power abilities, energy levels, gastrointestinal health, joint health, inflammation, injury recovery and immune health.
Here are some key things to consider when thinking about ideal sport nutrition.

Protein
Meeting daily protein requirements is essential for muscle repair and muscle building. Intense training without getting the right amino acids via diet or supplementation can result in prolonged recovery time, post-exercise muscle pain and instability. Additionally, protein is required for immune health, which means inadequate amounts could contribute to frequent colds and infections.

Daily protein intake for a training athlete is at least 1.2 g/kg body weight. This can be difficult to meet, so a good quality protein powder and branch chain amino acid supplement can help. When looking for a protein powder, look for a whey isolate with at least 20g of protein per serving.

Fat    
Healthy fats are important in the prevention and recovery of injury. Specifically, not consuming enough unsaturated fat in the form of omega-3 fatty acids can increase systemic inflammation, which may prolong healing time. In female athletes specifically, consuming healthy fats are important for the production of sex hormones, which influence menstruation, fertility and osteoporosis risk.

Healthy fats are unsaturated fats (omega-3 and 6 fatty acids). Great dietary sources include olive oil, fatty fish, eggs, lean meats, avocados, nuts and seeds. It’s also a good idea to supplement daily with a good quality fish oil. High dose fish oil can be especially helpful during acute inflammation (sprains/strains).

Whole Food Diet   
An athlete’s diet should be based around whole-foods, which means avoiding processed foods and refined sugars. A poor diet can increase inflammation in the body and aggravate the gastrointestinal system. A whole food diet is also high in antioxidants.
As much as possible, cook your food from fresh ingredients. Avoid anything packaged, processed or refined.

Supplements to Enhance Performance    
In addition to dietary recommendations, added supplements can be helpful during training.
Ask your sports medicine clinic about:
CoQ10 (antioxidant, important in cellular energy metabolism) B vitamins (important cofactor in many cellular reactions)Rhodiola(adaptogen to manage cortisol levels)

Sport Manual Therapy:
The solution to training-related pain and injury is rehabilitation using safe, effective and sustainable modalities. A naturopathic sports medicine clinic will help you prevent and quickly come back from injury.

Here are some effective manual therapies used to treat pain and injury…
Muscle Pain     
•    Hydrotherapy
•    Castor oil massage
•    Cupping
•    Active Release Therapy
•    Acupuncture
•    Trigger Point Release
Joint Pain
•    Electroacupuncture
•    Range of Motion Exercises
•    Anti-inflammatory supplementation (Curcumin, Fish Oil, Boswellia, etc.)
Injury Rehabilitation
•    Hydrotherapy
•    Acupuncture
•    Kin Taping
•    Rehabilitation exercises
•    Electroacupuncture
•    Massage
•    Manual work to break down scar tissue

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Weight Loss that Actually Works`

Weight management begins by focusing on your health. Effective strategies involve optimizing lifestyle factors, whole food eating, and establishing a regular exercise routine.

Weight loss is a hot topic these days, with new diet strategies appearing on bookshelves and the Internet on a daily basis. Did you know there are alternatives to fad diets? A naturopathic clinic toronto to effective weight management is the solution to achieving the body you want in a safe and sustainable way.

The first principle of naturopath weight loss is to not focus on weight loss. The key is to focus on improving your health. It’s not about calories, or portion sizes or the way you look. It’s about feeling your best and having your best health possible (and as an amazing consequence, looking your best as well).

The benefits of living at your healthy weight are astronomical. Weight management is at the heart of chronic disease prevention. Specifically, blood pressure, blood sugar levels, cholesterol, joint stress and body composition (relative make-up of fat vs. lean muscle) are all positively influenced by a healthy weight. Furthermore, your risk of cardiovascular disease, diabetes and osteoarthritis are greatly reduced.

So what differentiates naturopath weight loss from other strategies?

Treating the Whole Person:
A naturopath takes your overall health into consideration when coming up with an effective weight management strategy. This means they’ll consider your health history and rule out any secondary causes of potential weight gain. More than that, they’ll work with your lifestyle to come up with dietary and exercise regimes that can be practically and sustainably carried forward.

Expect an in-depth history of factors like sleep, stress, work-life, relationships and more. Weight management is influenced by so many unexpected factors, and it’s important to consider each one. For example, chronic stress increases cortisol (aka the stress hormone), which impacts metabolism and fat deposition.

Dietary Recommendations:
A naturopath weight loss regime begins with establishing healthy eating principles. Rather than focusing on specific foods and nutrients, it’s best to come up with general guidelines that are easy to follow in a variety of environments (home, work, social gatherings, etc.). These guidelines are whole-food eating.

Whole Food Eating:
•    Cook from fresh ingredients
•    Nothing processed or packaged
•    Avoid refined sugars (aka glucose, corn syrup, sugar cane, rice syrup)
•    Nothing deep fried

 An example:
Whole-Food   
A stew made with carrots, celery, barley, and vegetable broth.

Not Whole-Food
Kraft Dinner made with “sodium phosphate, sodium alginate and natural flavor”

The Ingredient Test: Look at the ingredients of what you’re eating and ask yourself “Is everything on this list a food I could eat on it’s own”. If you can say yes to every ingredient (not including spices), your food passes the test.

Exercise:
The final component to naturopath weight loss is establishing a regular exercise regime. You don’t have to become a marathon runner, but you should be getting 30-60 min of exercise 4-5 times a week. Exercise increases overall metabolism by shifting the body into an energy burning state. Additionally, weight training increases muscle mass, which not only increases fat burning, but benefits insulin sensitivity as well.


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Relieving your Pain from Fibromyalgia

Fibromyalgia is a debilitating and devastating disease characterized by chronic pain. Natural fibromyalgia treatments can provide some relief to those living through it daily.

Fibromyalgia (FM) is a functional somatic disorder characterized by the insidious onset of chronic, widespread musculoskeletal pain. Chronic fatigue is a commonly associated condition, which generally presents with debilitating and unrelenting exhaustion. Both conditions commonly present with other chronic ailments like headaches, depression, memory loss, brain fog and sleep disturbances. It’s estimated that around 2% of the population is affected with fibromyalgia.

In the world of medicine, FM is a relatively new disease and there’s a lot of controversy surrounding etiology. Some theories link fibro with anatomical changes in the brain, and more specifically, changes in volume of gray matter. Other proposed causes include mitochondrial dysfunction and an increased level of oxidative stress causing injury to peripheral nerves. Still, the question remains…What causes variable volumes of gray matter? Why do some people have increased levels of oxidative stress? The problem is, scientists don’t have a definitive answer yet. The root of fibromyalgia could be genetic, environmental or a part of the aging process.

Symptoms of Fibromyalgia:
•    Widespread muscle and skeletal pain, which diffuse tender points
•    Chronic fatigue
•    Headaches
•    Sleep disturbances
•    Memory loss
•    Cognitive delays
•    Reduced ability to complete activities of daily living

Possible causes of Fibromyalgia:
•    Altered brain anatomy resulting in abnormal volumes of gray matter
•    Mitochondrial dysfunction
•    Increased oxidative stress
•    Chronic infection
•    Abnormal immune functioning
•    Increased systemic inflammation

Fibromyalgia treatments are difficult to implement for a number of reasons, but mostly because the etiology is not yet fully understood. Analgesic drugs and antidepressants are commonly prescribed, but really only yield short-term relief. Therefore, it’s important to pursue natural fibromyalgia treatments. A combination of pharmaceutical and natural remedies is the best approach to effectively managing chronic pain long-term.

Fibromyalgia has devastating effects on the lives of those dealing with it. The pain and fatigue can be so huge, that even basic daily activities are unmanageable. The most important of all the proposed fibromyalgia treatments is to offer an understanding ear. Some doctors don’t believe fibro is a real condition. But this message has to stop. The pain is real, and the impact on quality of life is severe. Listen to the stories of these affected individuals to gain an understanding of what they live through on a daily basis.

Fibromyalgia treatments that have been suggested include:

•    Optimizing lifestyle risk factors by managing diet and exercise
•    Aerobic exercise
•    Thai Chi
•    Meditation
•    Acupuncture/Electroacupuncture
•    Magnesium
•    L-Carnitine
•    CoQ10
•    SAMe

Fibro has been associated with other lifestyle risk factors like smoking, obesity, high blood pressure and high blood sugar. Therefore, optimizing diet and exercise to minimize these risks is an important step. Exercise has also gained recognition as a helpful tool to alleviate muscle stiffness and pain. Mild intensity aerobic exercise (like walking) on a daily basis may help with pain management. Acupuncture, and other manual therapies may be helpful in reducing pain and providing temporary relief of symptoms. Finally, supplementation is an important part of fibromyalgia treatments. Magnesium helps to relax tight muscles, while L-Carnitine, CoQ10 and SAMe work to correct mitochondrial dysfunction and reduce oxidative stress.
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Managing Osteoarthritis Effectively and Naturally

Osteoarthritis affects a huge portion of the population, and impacts quality of life. With co-management using pharmacological and natural remedies, however, the impact of OA can be diminished to a manageable level.

Osteoarthritis (OA) is a degenerative joint condition characterized by debilitating joint pain and destruction of cartilage. It is one of the leading causes of disability and can severely impact quality of life and ability to perform activities of daily living. In addition to pain, osteoarthritis generally presents with join stiffness, swelling, limited range of motion and the development of osteophytes (bony growths). Risk factors for the disease include increasing age, obesity and history of trauma to the affected joint.

There are a variety of fibromyalgia treatments, both pharmacological and natural. A combination of pharmacological and non-pharmacological modalities is the most effective strategy in the management of this chronic joint condition.

First-line drug treatments are acetaminophen and NSAIDs (Ibuprofen, Naproxen, Celecoxib, etc.). Chronic ingestion of these pharmaceuticals, however, is associated with gastrointestinal, renal (kidney) and cardiovascular complications. Furthermore, analgesic tolerance can develop, meaning the same dose becomes less effective with time. Considering the risks of chronic pharma treatment, it is important that those living with OA know there are osteoarthritis natural remedies that can minimize the need for drug therapy, enhance the quality of treatment, compliment other therapies and slow long term progression of the condition.

Osteoarthritis natural remedies:

Curcuma longa (aka Curcumin)   
A derivative of the common spice turmeric, Curcumin is an anti-inflammatory and antioxidant. In combination with Boswellia (below), Curcumin has been shown to be as effective in the management of OA pain as first line medications.

Boswellia serrata    
Boswellic acids inhibit lipoxygenase pathways of arachidonic acid metabolism, which means it is an anti-inflammatory. It also prevents decreases in glycosaminoglycan levels, which is important to cartilage repair.

Ginger Root    
Anti-inflammatory at therapeutic dose. Better yet, has no side effects or reported adverse events.

SAMe (S-Adenosylmethionine)
Has been available by prescription in Europe for the treatment of OA since 1975. SAMe is a methyl donor, which is important in methylation reactions of cartilage formation.

Glucosamine & Chondroitin
Produced from oysters/crab shells and shark cartilage. These osteoarthritis natural remedies specifically target cartilage repair and formation. They stimulate the synthesis of glycosaminoglycans and proteoglycans, which are required for improving cartilage strength and integrity.

Electroacupuncture    
Provides effective pain relief by causing release of endorphins and signaling inhibitory pain pathways from the brain. Acupuncture is also good for releasing trigger points in the surrounding musculature of the affected joint. Active trigger points typically result from compensatory changes (change in muscle contraction as a result of the injured joint).

Whole-Food Diet
A healthy diet based around whole-foods will help control inflammation. Plant based diets are low in arachidonic acid, a mediator of inflammation. Furthermore, a diet high in fruits and vegetables is high in antioxidants.

Exercise    
If you have OA, don’t fear regular exercise. In fact, it’s important to stay active so mobility is maintained.
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Green Base Health Consulting: A Refreshing New Naturopathic Clinic

Introducing Green Base Health Consulting, a new naturopathic clinic aiming to revolutionize the practice of naturopathic medicine. We believe you deserve the health you want, and aim to provide nothing less.

Green Base Health Consulting is a new naturopathic clinic that opened in January 2015. This vibrant, urban-feel clinic space stands to revolutionize the naturopathic approach to your health care.  We promise you’ve never seen health care like this, and we encourage you to experience the benefits first hand.

The naturopathic clinic is located in downtown Kitchener (Ontario), an up-and-coming area surrounded by tech companies, healthy independent cafes, a medical center and beautiful re-furbished condos. Upon entering the space, the traditional stiff clinic vibe is immediately dissolved by a sense of calm and comfort. You’re offered a tea or water, and invited to sit and relax in the waiting room before your appointment time. Surrounded by current research and medical journals,Green Base marries comfort and daily lifestyle with healthy practices. You can live a young, urban life in today’s society and still embody your ideal health.

At Green Base we believe you deserve the health you want, and aim to provide nothing less. Our mission is to build the base of your health, thereby transforming it in an effective, practical and sustainable way. As with any structure, the base is the most important part and the strength of the base determines the strength of the structure itself. Your health is no different. The integrity of its base is determined by the quality of your lifestyle choices. In our busy lives, it’s easy to neglect this initial layer, but Green Base stands to affect change in health care by directing integration of healthy choices into everyday life.

Where does a naturopathic clinic fit in with the rest of your health care? In our current system, there is an emphasis on symptomatic treatments yielding short-term solution and possible complications. We acknowledge this as a necessary part of medicine. But, what if your symptoms could be addressed while you were working on long-term resolution? This is the space Green Base occupies. We build the base of your health, so you can work towards attaining the health you envision long-term. Green Base is a naturopathic clinic that offers a natural and sustainable adjunctive approach to enhance and optimize your current treatment plans and overall health. We do not stand for naturopathic medicine as an alternative to conventional treatments.

 Our team consists of highly trained, board certified naturopathic doctors. Green Base NDs each have an individual medical focus and are all dedicated and passionate about the art of naturopathic medicine toronto. A differentiating factor about this naturopathic clinic relative to others is our focused approach. Rather than treating as generalists, we commit to mastering specific areas. Individually we are the best in our field, and together we are capable of addressing your complete health picture. Green Base NDs see value in mastering specific areas rather than treating a broad spectrum at a mediocre level.Furthermore, Green Base practitioners practice what they preach. They embody the lifestyle they recommend on a daily basis. If we suggest it, we’ve tried it and found it to be effective.

Green Base Health Consulting provides high quality care. We practice evidence-based medicine and remain up-to-date with current research. We welcome questions and will explain and rationalize our treatment suggestions. Naturopathic Doctors tend to be misunderstood in terms of what they do and how they do it. Unfortunately, predispositions of ‘witch craft’ and non-research based medicine are sometimes correct, but not at Green Base. If you have a question, we will provide an explanation.

Green Base uniqueservices include:

•    Acupuncture
•    Chronic pain management (osteoarthritis, back pain, fibromyalgia)
•    Doula Support
•    Cosmetic acupuncture (facial rejuvenation acupuncture)
•    Nutritional counselling (for the management of chronic disease including diabetes and cardiovascular disease)
•    Pediatric care (eczema, allergy, asthma, vaccination support)
•    Pregnancy care (morning sickness, constipation, UTIs, lactation support)
•    Sport nutrition (pre and post workout, endurance vs. power nutritional recommendations)
•    Teen health (skin conditions, menstrual difficulties, mood disorders)
•    Naturopath weight loss
•    Women’s health (painful periods, infertility)

Green Base is a naturopathic clinic toronto aiming to empower change in every individual that comes through the door. Living any other way than with the health you want is less than what you deserve.

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Why Should you be Seeing a Naturopath?

Naturopathic Doctors use safe, minimally invasive and effective treatments to manage your health. NDs focus on preventative care and the management of chronic disease by building a strong foundation of healthy lifestyle practices.

Naturopathic Medicine dates back 2400 years to Hippocrates, a physician who spoke of the healing power of nature (CAND, 2015). From there, Dr. Benedict Lust founded the American School of Naturopathy in the early 1900’s. The practice found its way to Canada in 1978, with the beginning of the Ontario College of Naturopathic Medicine (CAND, 2015). From the time of Hippocrates, the practice has evolved to become an effective tool for the management and prevention of chronic disease,and has influenced the lives and health of many individuals.

Why should you be seeing a Naturopath? Put simply, because naturopathic doctors treat your specific health, as an individual. Furthermore, your naturopath represents your stand for long term, sustainable care. Naturopathic medicine moves beyond the short-term, to equip you with the knowledge and tools required to live with your best health possible.

The practice of Naturopathic Medicine is based on 5 principles:
•    First, do no harm.
•    To co-operate with the healing power of nature.
•    To address the fundamental cause of disease.
•    To heal the whole person through individualized treatment.
•    To teach the principles of healthy living and preventive medicine.

What this means is naturopathic doctors heal using natural, gentle and minimally invasive remedies, wherever possible. They treat the root cause of disease and focus on etiology rather than symptomatic treatment. Your naturopath will prepare a treatment plan that is entirely unique to your life and will take the time to educate each patient by teaching what it means to live with a healthy lifestyle. Naturopaths are uniquely trained to consider your individual health and work with you to bring your health to its full potential.

Naturopathic Doctors are trained in a 4-year intensive program, following completion of an undergraduate degree. There are two colleges in Canada: the Canadian College of Naturopathic Sports medicine Toronto, ON and Boucher Institute of Naturopathic Medicine in Vancouver, BC. The 4-year program consists of training in clinical medicine, naturopathic modalities, acupuncture, nutritional counselling and more. Most people don’t know that naturopaths are trained and certified to perform gynecological exams, requisition and interpret blood work, interpret radiology findings and receive more hours of training in pharmacology than traditional medical programs. Clinical application occurs in the 4th year of training, when students practice as interns in various naturopathic clinics.

When you go to see a naturopath, expect an initial appointment of 60-90 min in length. There is an extensive health history and general screening physical exam. A naturopath looks at every level impacting health, which means you will be asked questions about your emotional health, stress levels, diet, exercise, relationships and more. Depending on the nature of your case, follow up appointments are generally 30-60 min in length.

How does naturopathic medicine fit in with our health care system? Naturopathic medicine is not alternative, it is complimentary. Its strength lies in enhancing current treatment plans facilitated by medical doctors (MDs). For example, an MD is best suited to oversee the primary management ofdiabetes. However, a naturopath is best suited to provide the detailed nutritional counselling required to prevent long-term complications and comorbidities.MDs and NDs occupy separate roles in health care, both of which are integral to the management of your health.

When would you go see a Naturopath? Put simply, when you are dealing with a chronic condition and want to compliment current therapies with safe, effective and sustainable natural treatments. NDs focus on preventative care and the management of chronic disease by building a strong foundation of healthy lifestyle practices.Here are some examples of when to go see a naturopathic clinic toronto:

•    If you are interested in maintaining health, and living a healthy lifestyle.
•    Preventing chronic disease, especially if you have a known predisposition or family history.
•    To compliment treatment of a chronic disease (like diabetes, cardiovascular disease, metabolic syndrome, osteoarthritis, etc.)
•    To manage chronic conditions without pharmaceutical intervention (chronic pain, obesity, food sensitivities, etc.).
•    To learn about the principles of living a healthy life.
•    To manage conditions best treated with lifestyle change (weight management, poor sleep, high blood pressure, frequent colds,etc.).

Naturopathic Doctors focus on the basic level of health care. We stand to affect change in your health by managing lifestyle factors and using gentle, minimally invasive and safe therapies. When your foundation is strong, you have the best chance at living a strong, healthy life. If your health werea leaky bucket, Naturopathic Doctors would work on mending the hole, while Medical Doctors would work on replenishing the water. Both treatments are essential to effective care.

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Have you Tried Acupuncture for Managing Chronic Pain?

Acupuncture is the gentle insertion of thin needles into specifically targeted areas of the body. Its origin extends 2500 years as an integral tenant of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM). Today, however, its theory and practice have evolved beyond classical application towards effective pain management.

So how does it work? The theory behind acupuncture is extremely complex and multifaceted. Basically, it works via two main systems; the release of natural pain relieving chemicals (called endogenous opiates) and sensory nerve interactions signaling pain inhibition from the brain to the affected area.  

Natural, endogenous opiates are chemicals produced in the body that have a potent analgesic effect (reduce pain perception). They include endorphins, serotonin and epinephrine. Acupuncture insertion stimulates the release of these chemicals in the central nervous system, which results in a decreased perception of pain. Similarly, endogenous opiates have anti-inflammatory effects. Electroacupuncture elicits immediate pain relief by acting on sensory nerve pathways. Vibration information stimulates nociceptors (specialized pain receptors), which initiates an inhibitory pathway from the brain to the affected area. 

Needling technique is important for effective pain relief results. There are two main acupuncture techniques:

1.       Rapid Needling: Involves insertion of a needle into an identified trigger point (area of intense pain within a band of muscle) with manipulation (in and out motion) of the needle at a quick pace. This is the best technique for dissolving trigger points and relieving muscle pain.

2.       Electroacupuncture: Involves the connection of a mild electric current to the Acupuncture waterloo. It feels like a vibration in your muscle and may cause a slight muscle contraction response. This is the best technique to use for inflammation, chronic muscle pain and joint pain.

Acupuncture can help you with…

  

•          Myofascial Pain Syndrome (chronic muscle pain from trigger points) 
•          Chronic neck and back pain
•          Fibromyalgia
•          Osteoarthritis
•          Joint Pain
•          Tension headaches
•          Sciatica
•          Plantar Fasciitis
•          Post-operative pain
•          Diabetes related peripheral-neuropathy

Other pain treatments include pharmaceutical opioid management (e.g. Percocet, Naproxen, Ibuprofen, etc.), injectable opioids (e.g. morphine) and corrective surgery. As a minimally invasive technique, acupuncture should be considered as first-line treatment prior to implementing higher risk procedures. Furthermore, if extensive therapy is indicated (e.g. surgery), acupuncture should be used to compliment recovery. Additional benefits include decreased cost, avoidance of opiate-induced side effects and avoidance of analgesic tolerance (when the same dose of a medication is no longer effective).

Practitioners qualified to practice acupuncture include Naturopathic Doctors, TCM certified practitioners and some Chiropractors and Physiotherapists. However, Naturopathic Doctors uniquely receive 4 years of intense training in the practice itself. Furthermore, they have the anatomy and clinical background to couple traditional acupuncture with more advanced and current theories.

There’s another component to the efficacy of this treatment…it forces you to relax for 30-60 min while the needles are doing their work. When dealing with pain, stress management and self-care are key. Therefore, having time devoted to healing, and having a skilled practitioner take care of you will help. 

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