Recipe: Chick Pea, Cauliflower and Beef Curry
February 2, 2012
Thought I would share an easy recipe I made for my lunch last week. It heated up wonderfully and lasted all week in the fridge. It’s gluten free, dairy free, egg free and sugar free, but the biggest reason I share it is my daughter had a bowl and begged me to make more!
Brown the following in a pan:
- 1 medium onion, diced
- 1 clove garlic, crushed
- 1-1.5 lb organic, grass fed ground beef
Then add it, and everything below, to a crock-pot:
- ½ cauliflower, diced
- 1 can chick peas, drained
- ¾-1 c frozen organic peas
- 1 carton of organic vegetable stock
- ½ cup spaghetti sauce or 1 can tomato paste
- 1 heaping tbsp of Patak’s Madras curry paste
- 1 heaping tbsp of Patak’s Biriani curry paste
Cook on low overnight, or all day.
Serve with diced avocado. Add sour cream if you like. Enjoy!
-Tara
Six Different Opinions
January 17, 2012
A patient complained the other day that he had seen six different doctors, and received six different opinions about his problem. It’s a frustrating scenario, and not an uncommon complaint.
It’s also not that surprising. The human body is a complex web of physiology and biochemistry. To make it even more challenging, that web changes from individual to individual, and from day to day, depending on our environment or lifestyle choices.
And of course, doctors are only human. We only know what we know, and it’s impossible to know everything. As a result, our opinions are usually based on what we know best. Surgeons tend to cut. Medical doctors tend to drug. Naturopathic doctors tend to supplement. We’re all carrying our own hammers, and seeing most problems as nails.
What Varying Opinions Mean for You
This diversity of opinion, however, is something you can turn to your advantage.
- Listen to all… While not every opinion might be the right answer–in fact, they usually all can’t be–there may be wisdom in many of them that you can put to use.
- ….but be a healthy skeptic. Understand that doctors aren’t perfect, have their own biases, and are working with something incredibly complex. Don’t take anything as gospel truth. Don’t be afraid to ask questions, to heed alarm bells in your head, and to remember that, in the end, you get to decide what happens with your care.
- Look for the opinion you want. One friend, when told he was dying and should get his affairs in order, decided instead to get more opinions. Two doctors later he had what he wanted to hear: that he was going to live. And years later, he’s still here…
What we know about the body for sure? It needs good food, clean water, sunshine, exercise, fresh air, a purpose and connection to others. Opinions may differ, but I think that’s one you can take to the bank.
23 1/2 Hours: The Best Thing for Your Health
January 5, 2012
It’s the time of year where many of us have resolved to make changes in our lives. If your resolution is health related–to eat better, lose weight, stop smoking, de-stress, exercise more, (or all of the above), Dr. Mike Evans MD, makes a compelling case for one of these changes in this 7 min video . Enjoy!
5 Weeks to a Happy Stomach (Food Intolerance)
December 8, 2011
All doctors love when their patients get better, and as naturopathic doctors, we often get the joy of seeing people with long-standing symptoms heal.
A 55-year old man recently came into the clinic with symptoms of severe phlegm in his throat every time he ate. His stomach was always uncomfortable, he was sensitive to his environment, and he couldn’t swallow properly. Years of appointments, tests and discomfort had finally led him to our office.
A simple lab test helped us diagnose a severe food intolerance to diary, eggs and gluten. After five weeks of maintaining a diet free of those foods, all his symptoms resolved.
These were symptoms he had lived with for years. They were also symptoms that, according to conventional medicine, had nothing to do with food. But as we’re all discovering, food is medicine, and sometimes our chronic, longstanding health complaints are as simple as changing what we put in our mouths.
There’s really a simple 3 step process at work when it comes to a suspected food intolerance:
- Get a food intolerance test. The cost is reasonable, and while you can easily experiment on your own with adding and removing foods from your diet, the test narrows the field so you’re not randomly eliminating foods for months and months.
- Do an elimination diet. Remove any suspected foods for 4 weeks. Dairy, wheat, gluten, sugar, eggs, yeast are the most common culprits.
- Reintroduce the foods slowly. If you’ve eliminated multiple groups, you’ll need to reintroduce them one at a time. Watch your symptoms closely.
Once the body balances, some people are able to eventually tolerate foods they once couldn’t. Others may have to avoid them permanently. The end result in both cases is the same, though: a much happier stomach! 
Type II Diabetes: Disease or Lifestyle Choice?
June 8, 2011
I was at a lecture recently where the presenter stated, in very clear terms, the following:
Type 2 Diabetes is a lifestyle choice.
For many, that’s a statement that may be hard to hear. We’ve been trained to believe that Type II diabetes is “in our genes”. That we’ve either won or lost a genetic lottery.
It’s not true.
Study after study shows the link between lifestyle choices and development of diabetes. Like the link between the drinking of sugary drinks and diabetes, for example.
Do genes play a role? Certainly. They predispose us. They increase likelihood. But the problem is not our genes. The problem is our choices. If you are genetically tall and keep banging your head on a door frame, at some point you have to make a decision to duck.
The good news is that choices are just that. They’re decisions that we have the power to make.
If you’re diabetic, pre-diabetic, or know someone who is, you might be interested in Lia’s free Cooking for Diabetics class on Friday, June 10th at Loblaw from 6-8PM. You’ll learn how to cook and eat in a way that will help you make the right lifestyle choices when it comes to diabetes.
RSVP by visiting the customer service desk at Loblaw in Collingwood in person, or calling 445-4175 x4.
The Connection Between Toxins and Chronic Disease
April 28, 2011
In this American Health Journal special report, Dr. Walter Crinnion explains the buildup and impact of environmental toxins in the body, including the connection to Parkinson’s disease and the use of IV therapy as a treatment tool, as well as links to conditions like arthritis, lupus, Hashimoto’s thyroiditis, allergies and asthma.
You can hear Dr. Crinnion speak live in Collingwood on May 13 at 7PM. Tickets and details here. All proceeds go to support the local Environment Network.
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.
A Different Dirty Dozen: Food Additives
February 2, 2011
Last year we posted about the Dirty Dozen of produce, and how to choose fresh foods with fewer pesticides. If you’re wondering about food additives and their effects on the body, trainer and lifestyle coach Sarah Heipel from Good Energy posted this helpful little article on Facebook that we thought might be of interest:
Remember that healthy eating doesn’t have to be a complicated science. The best way to avoid these additives is to eat less processed food. Michael Pollan said it best in his book, In Defense of Food: Eat food that nature makes, not too much, mostly plants!
