Something Old, Something New
October 11, 2011
Hi All,
Hope you had a great Thanksgiving. A couple of quick clinic updates you might find interesting, including a new resource by request!
-Tara
New Face: Lori Prest, RN
Please join us in welcoming Lori Prest, RN to the StoneTree Naturopathic Team. Lori is our new colon hydrotherapist and brings many years of experience in the world of complementary medicine to our team here in Collingwood.
StoneTree has been offering colon hydrotherapy for the past 3 years. This safe and effective treatment tool is a powerful method of detoxifying the liver, as the bowel is responsible for getting rid of the body’s fat soluble toxins.
Fall is one of the best times to detoxify to boost both your energy levels and immune function for the coming winter months. If you are interested in learning more about colon hydrotherapy contact the office at 705-444-5331.
Our Archived Articles, Now Online
We’ve written dozens of articles for various publications over the years, and we get frequent requests for them. You can now find the growing collection here:
http://stonetreeclinic.com/about/articles/
We’ll be adding more over the next week as we get everything compiled online.
Enjoy!
Ending the War on Salt
August 10, 2011
For years, salt has been an “enemy” in our diet. As naturopaths, we hold a somewhat different view of sodium (see below) and it’s one that’s beginning to gain more and more traction in the media.
Scientific American published a piece last month, “It’s Time to End the War on Salt” that suggests that there’s little evidence that reducing the salt in our diet has much long-term benefit.
From the article:
“This week a meta-analysis of seven studies involving a total of 6,250 subjects in the American Journal of Hypertension found no strong evidence that cutting salt intake reduces the risk for heart attacks, strokes or death in people with normal or high blood pressure. In May European researchers publishing in the Journal of the American Medical Association reported that the less sodium that study subjects excreted in their urine—an excellent measure of prior consumption—the greater their risk was of dying from heart disease. These findings call into question the common wisdom that excess salt is bad for you, but the evidence linking salt to heart disease has always been tenuous.”
For a naturopathic perspective on just why salt isn’t the big hairy deal that we’ve been making it out to be for years, I’ve included an article that appeared in The Collingwood Enterprise Bulletin last summer. Enjoy! - Tara
***
Making Sense of Sodium
by Tara Gignac, ND
A look at the daily news tells us sodium is implicated in such high profile health concerns as high blood pressure and heart disease. And to be fair, it’s true: sodium is a problem. But the reality is that it’s only half the problem.
Sodium does a lot of good in our body. It helps our nerves and muscles work properly, and maintains our pH and water balance. Without sufficient sodium, we’d die.
But here in North America we’re not in any danger of dying of a sodium deficiency. We’re putting back a whopping 3200 mg on average – more than triple our cavemen ancestors.
But there’s more to the story. It’s not just sodium, but the ratio of sodium to another mineral, potassium, that’s important for our health. Potassium is sodium’s soulmate – the two complement each other in the body, and while our high sodium intake does throw off the ratio, we’re also consuming about a quarter of the potassium that our ancient ancestors did. That makes the imbalance even worse.
It also means, though, that we can tackle the sodium problem from both ends: by reducing our sodium intake and increasing our potassium intake. The simple formula? Decrease your processed foods (high sodium) and increase your consumption of fresh fruits and vegetables, which tend to be higher in potassium, to a minimum of 10 servings a day.
Tara Gignac, ND practices at StoneTree Clinic in Collingwood, ON. You can learn more about your sodium levels by booking a complimentary visit with a naturopathic doctor at 444-5331, or www.StoneTreeClinic.com
A Different Perspective on Weight Gain
August 5, 2011
I read about an interesting study recently.
In the 1970′s, researchers removed the ovaries of healthy, normal weighted rats who had unlimited access to food. After the surgery the rats became ravenous, ate far more food then was necessary and became obese.
At first glance, this seems logical – eat more then you need, you get fat. Not that interesting.
It’s the follow-up study, though, that really makes for an interesting story. The researchers again removed the ovaries of healthy, normal weighted rats, but this time put them on a calorie restricted diet. According to conventional wisdom, this should have solved the weight gain problem. It didn’t. In fact, the rats still became obese. The difference was they also became completely sedentary. They only moved to eat.
It seems as if the rat’s new physiology (resulting from having the ovaries taken away) changed the amount of fat the body “wanted” to store – it changed the fat regulation. To reach the new fat “set point”, the rats compensated by eating more, or if that wasn’t an option, moving less.
The physiology, in other words, created the behaviour, the behaviours did not create the physiology. They ate more or moved less because they were storing fat…not the other way around.
Is Your Calcium Supplement Increasing Heart Attack Risk?
April 21, 2011
New research in the British Medical Journal, reported up to a 24% increased risk of heart attack in post-menopausal women taking calcium supplements. As most of my 50+ female patients are being told to take between 1200-1800mg of calcium a day by their MD’s, I know this research will result in a lot of questions.
The medical community is questioning the validity of the study, which is to be expected. It’s a long-accepted truth in conventional medicine that women need calcium in very high doses to build bone, and paradigm shifts happen very slowly in medicine.
Understanding Calcium
As a naturopathic doctor, this tentative finding isn’t as surprising. When you have an understanding of how the body works at a biochemical level, the possible calcium-heart attack connection may make some sense.
Calcium has many important functions in the body, but it doesn’t work alone. It actually works in concert with, or in balance with, other nutrients. When you put calcium in the body in much higher amounts than normal, the other nutrients may not be present in high enough amounts to either support or balance what the calcium is doing.
Calcium is a contractor of muscles. All muscles, including, of course, the heart. Magnesium, calcium’s more chilled-out brother, is the relaxer of muscles. These two nutrients work in concert to effectively contract and then subsequently relax our muscles. With this relationship in mind, it might not be a stretch to consider that if you supplement calcium by itself at very high doses, there may not be enough magnesium around to balance it out and help our muscles to relax.
Want to read more about the study? http://www.latimes.com/health/boostershots/la-calcium-heart-20110420,0,4042620.story
Questions about your current calcium supplements? Just contact the office at 705-444-5331 or feelbetter@stonetreeclinic.com.
-Tara
5 Natural Products That Can Interfere With Conventional Cancer Care
April 14, 2011
April is Cancer awareness month. Here’s our most recent article from the Collingwood Enterprise-Bulletin – please pass on to any friends or family that might find it helpful! – Tara
It’s easy to assume that natural solutions are also risk-free ones. But as the complexity of a health complaint increases, so do the stakes in self-prescribing. That’s certainly the case with cancer care.
There are supplements and nutrients that can affect cancer treatment, either by inadvertently promoting cancer growth, or by interfering with conventional care.
- St John’s Wort and some other herbs like Echinacea, Licorice, Ginseng and Gingko have been shown to interfere with the metabolism of chemotherapeutic drugs. This can be extremely dangerous because many chemotherapeutics have a narrow safe range of use. By taking these herbs you may inadvertently make those drugs ineffective or, worse still, toxic.
- Iron favors cancerous cell growth by forming free radicals and suppressing the immune system. Iron-rich sites in the body are often sites of primary cancer growth. There is evidence that the host cells and cancer cells fight over iron – the reason for this is largely unknown. Be cautious and choose multivitamins that are free of, or very low in, iron.
- Copper is essential for cancer cells to grow their own blood vessels to ensure they have a continuous supply of nutrients. Anti-copper drugs and diets have been shown to diminish the ability of tumors to make these blood vessels. Choose multivitamins that are low in or free from copper.
- Quercetin should not be taken with chemotherapeutics in the taxane family such as Taxol. It prevents the cancer cell from taxol-induced death, making the drugs less effective.
- Curcumin is indicated in many types of cancers, but can interfere with certain chemotherapeutics especially Adriamycin, and Cytoxan. It inhibits the activation of an enzyme essential to the drugs effectiveness.
Consult a doctor trained in supplement and nutrient interactions before taking any natural health product while undergoing conventional cancer treatment.
You can book a 15-min complimentary visit with a Collingwood naturopath to learn more about alternative cancer care by calling 705-444-5331.
Disease Clusters & Environmental Toxins
March 30, 2011
US Today reported this week on a study by the Natural Resources Defense Council in the US which identified possible “disease clusters” in various US states.
Disease clusters are disease incidences that are higher then national averages and cannot be due to chance along. Among the conditions mentioned were MS, cancer, ALS and various birth defects.
The purpose of the report is to look more closely at the link between environmental toxins and these increased disease incidence. You can find the US Today article here.
The evidence for the impact of everyday chemicals on our health continues to climb, as does public interest. If you‘d like learn more, keep your calendar open on Friday, May 13th, 7-9PM. We’ll be welcoming environmental medicine expert (and great speaker!) Dr. Walter Crinnion, author of Clean, Green and Lean to the Gayety Theatre in Collingwood.
Dr. Crinnion will speak on the connection between chemical exposure and cancer and chronic diseases. All proceeds go to support the environment network! Click here for more info and tickets.
Safely Navigating Cancer Care Alternatives
March 22, 2011
April is Cancer awareness month, and we have a couple of cancer-related events coming up – a free public talk on safe alternative cancer care, as well as a live event with environmental medicine expert Dr. Walter Crinnion at the Gayety Theatre in Collingwood.
I thought I’d share one of our recent newspaper articles on safely navigating the confusing waters of cancer care.
- Tara
*****
Speaking Up About Your Alternative Cancer Care
By Lia Sonnenburg, ND & Tara Gignac, ND
Nearly one half of cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy or radiation treatment are also using some type of complementary or alternative treatment as well.
It’s not a surprising statistic. A cancer diagnosis can be a frightening experience, and the journey through care can be no less harrowing. An option that provides help, hope and a sense of control can be a welcome option.
What you might find more surprising, though, is that the majority of those patients—some 75%—don’t tell their oncologist about their other care.
Why Patients Don’t Tell
Many patients report that their oncologist’s default response to alternatives is, “No.” It’s discouraging for patients, but it’s not unreasonable. Oncologists aren’t trained in how alternative treatments work or how they might interact or interfere with conventional care. The safe answer is to manage that risk by confining care to what they know best.
But patients want to default to yes. People want to do everything they can to heal and survive. So they take the supplement from the friend of a friend, and they don’t tell their oncologist because they don’t want to be told no.
Who To Tell
Many alternative cancer therapies are supported by great research, both inside and outside of conventional settings. Others are not. And some can be harmful to conventional treatment protocols. Knowing the difference takes more than a Google search. Going it alone is not a safe option.
Consider sharing both with your oncologist, and with a health care professional familiar with alternatives to make sure you get the best care possible.
If you or someone you know is confused by their care, or overwhelmed by their choices, you can attend our free session on March 30th at the clinic, or call 705-444-5331 to book a complimentary 15-minute appointment with a Collingwood naturopath. We’ll be happy to answer all your questions.
Collingwood Spring Running Clinic
February 28, 2011
2011 is the year I start running again. I took 2010 off and focused on building strength and flexibility with regular yoga, which worked beautifully. March 20 will mark the first day of spring, and the day I hit the trails.
For anyone interested in an organized running group, check out Maximum Physiotherapy’s Spring Running Clinic in Collingwood. Sue and Brock offer a great program. It starts March 22, 2011. To learn more, visit http://www.maximumphysiotherapy.com/News-And-Events/Spring-2011-Running-Clinic/a~2481–c~344601/article.html
If you don’t fancy running but like to read, check out Born to Run by Chris MacDougall. Yes, it may seem strange to read a book about running if you don’t run, but if you’re not even a little intrigued to put on running shoes after reading it, I’ll treat you to an organic energy bar at the clinic… 
-Tara
Vitamin D Testing: Is It Worth It?
February 22, 2011
The last decade has delivered countless observational studies linking low vitamin D to ailments like heart disease, multiple sclerosis, rheumatoid arthritis, juvenile diabetes, Parkinson’s, Alzheimer’s and even cancer.
Effective Dec 1 2010, however, OHIP stopped paying for the test. OHIP will now only cover the cost of vitamin D testing for patients with the following medical conditions:
- Osteoporosis and Osteopenia
- Rickets
- Malabsorption Syndromes
- Renal Disease
- Patients on medications that affect vitamin D metabolism
You can still get the test done – we offer it for about $50, and you can pay your MD, too. But patients at the clinic are asking two questions that I thought I could answer here: Why isn’t it covered? And Is it worth it to pay for it?
Why OHIP No Longer Covers Vitamin D Testing
The Ontario Health Technology Advisory Committee believes there is not enough evidence to support that measuring D levels helps enough people. When health care resources are limited, we have to make decisions about what gets funded and what doesn’t. Of course, it might be far cheaper to prevent conditions than to treat them, but for now that’s the situation.
It’s a reality of a publicly-funded health care system: you don’t always get what is important to you, you get what the system is willing and able to fund. That system can’t focus on the individual – there’s just not enough money to do so.
Should You Get Your Levels Tested?
Because of the growing connection to health issues like cancer, many people want to know what their levels are. Measuring your levels helps us decide whether you’re deficient, and how much to supplement. If you have questions, just contact us at 705-444-5331, or feelbetter@stonetreeclinic.com. Measuring your vitamin D levels may no longer be free in Ontario, but answers to your questions are.
Patient-Centered Care: How Our Well Woman Visit Was Born
February 9, 2011
Cervical cancer is the 3rd most common cancer in women aged 20-49, with peak incidence occurring age 40-50. This year, some 1300-1500 Canadian women will be diagnosed.
With proper screening, cervical cancer is a preventable disease, but of those who die from it this year, only about half will have had a recent pap test.
So why aren’t women getting paps?
Sometimes it’s because they don’t have a medical doctor, but mainly it’s because the process is uncomfortable. It’s easy to put off for another day. And another.
I spent years reminding patients that it was time for a visit to their doc for a “yearly” and many would put it off. I would offer to do the test myself, (ND’s are licensed in Ontario for pelvic and breast exams, and pap tests) but still there would be hesitation.
A year ago I sat down with some of the important women in my life and asked them this question:
What is it about the experience of your annual physical that you hate? Or, to put it more positively, what would you change about this experience that we all have to do, but don’t like to do?
Here are some of the comments I got:
“Do the sheets and gowns have to be paper?”
“Does everything have to be so cold?”
“There is never any easy way to ‘clean up’ and you leave the office feeling uncomfortable and looking for a washroom.”
“I’m worried that in the summer my feet might smell and it’s embarrassing.”
“Why does the light have to be so stark?”
“I wish I could get a copy of the results, not just ‘no news is good news’.”
Is this all that was standing between women and regular paps? Well-armed with some of the reasons why women were opting out or delaying paps, we set about creating a new “Well Woman” annual visit from the ground up.
The Well Women Visit at StoneTree Clinic was created around what patients actually needed and wanted. Your visit takes place in a softly lit room, with real linens and warm socks. All equipment used is warmed and lubricated, and at the end of your examination you receive a cup of hot raspberry leaf tea to soothe the uterus and calm the soul.
You should feel respected and comfortable…or as one woman said, “It’s never fun. But this is definitely as good as it gets!”
Discomfort is a lousy reason to avoid an annual exam. But it’s a reality. Spread the word to the women in your life: screening is important, and there are options to make it easier.
We offer Well Woman Days every few weeks – see our events page for details, or call the clinic at 705-444-5331.
