Category: Health tips

Are You Saving for Your Health Retirement?

Posted on | by The StoneTree Team

In The Psychology of Money, author Morgan Housel wrote that wealth is what you don’t see.  

The outward signs we take for wealth—things like cars, watches, or houses—are not always what they seem. In fact, they may be signs of financial trouble. 

Creating wealth, it turns out, is far less interesting. It’s the luxury car you didn’t buy. It’s saving instead of spending. It’s the meals you made yourself, not the fancy dining out. 

Saving for retirement, it turns out, isn’t very glamorous. But it works. Eventually, you get to use that wealth later in life when you need it.

Investing in your health can feel pretty boring, too. It’s showing up for the walk every day, not the one-time trip to the spa. It’s drinking water instead of $18 cocktails. It’s the healthy meal you prepare at home, not the fancy lunch on the patio. 

The best health investing doesn’t make for a great movie. It’s repetitive, daily action. Walk every day. Cook every day. Take the same supplement. Get the same monthly IV. It’s not fancy. No one is rushing out to make The Wolf of Wall Street where everyone takes good care of themselves and shows up every day to prevent chronic disease.

But it works. 

Like financial savings, all the “health savings” from those small actions get invested in an invisible bank. And there they sit, waiting for future YOU to make a withdrawal when you need it.

Think of it as saving for your health retirement.  

So how’s your portfolio? 

Ask your Naturopathic Doctor—they can tell you.  

Isn’t it time someone cared about your health like you do?

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How I Never Get Sick

Posted on | by Tara Gignac, ND

People often say to me, “You never get sick!”  

This is true. I haven’t been meaningfully sick for years. No colds or flu. Haven’t missed a day of work…well, ever, I think.

Never is a big word, of course. The truth is a little more nuanced (more on that below.) And I wasn’t always this way. But basically, I’m just well all the time. Here’s how I do it.

1. Take Prevention Seriously

The fastest way to get over a cold is never to get it in the first place. 

Most patients I have seen over the years don’t realize just how much control they have over cold and flu prevention. Your immune system is dynamic. It changes based on your behavior and environment, and you can control much of that!

My essential tool for cold and flu prevention is my daily walk—every day, with very few exceptions. This is the best life hack that exists. If I walk outside every morning–rain or shine–I seem bulletproof for cold and flu season. It does seem to be that simple. 

I also eat whole foods, seek connection, and have a sense of purpose. Remember: The things that make you healthy are the same things that keep you healthy.

2. Listen to Your Body

Like everyone, I get run down. I feel heavy. I get sleepy on an evening when I might not usually. My throat might feel a little funny. For me, this is a kind of “pre-sick” stage. These are the early symptoms that my body is doing what it should–fighting off an infection like cold or flu.

This is the time to pay attention. A familiar story in the clinic is that patients feel the early symptoms of getting sick…and then ignore them. They keep grinding, staying up late, eating garbage, and stressing, and then they are surprised when they really get sick. 

3. Support your body

When your body speaks, it’s time to take action. To resolve a possible infection, I do all the things that support my immune system: I take the supplements, I do the IV, I eat a bowl of soup, I cancel my plans, and I go to bed early. And I do this until I know I’m getting better. (And I still do my daily walk, just a little more slowly!)

Rebounding doesn’t take long when your body is healthy and you’ve done the proactive care. I often get through an “illness” with little to no symptoms at all.  

The tools we use to support immune function are great, but the real health hack is to avoid getting sick in the first place. That’s the true way for cold and flu prevention. Listen to your body. And when it speaks up? Drink water, take a gentle walk in nature, eat soup, get an IV, take your supplements, and go to bed.  🙂

It’s mid-September, and the “back-to-school” colds and flu are back in season. If you would like help creating a strong immune system for this fall and winter, book now.

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Why We Love B12 Shots!

Posted on | by The StoneTree Team

Vitamin B12 plays many essential roles in your body. It’s involved in red blood cell formation, DNA synthesis, energy metabolism, and keeping your nervous system running. Without it, your body can’t work properly!

As we age, however, it’s more common to be B12 deficient. Worse still, it’s sneaky! The symptoms of B12 deficiency range widely from cognitive problems to balance issues or weakness. They can happen very quickly or very slowly. That makes it easy to miss and hard to diagnose.

So we love B12. But we also love questions. We’ve been compiling the most common ones we hear from patients–see below.

If you’re wondering if B12 shots are a fit for you, book a 15-minute complimentary “meet-the-doctor” visit with one of the StoneTree Naturopathic Doctors. We can help.:)

-The StoneTree Team

Why do we recommend a B12 shot over supplements? 

  • Faster, and better impact. B12 shots are injected directly into the muscle. Some people don’t absorb nutrients effectively through their gastrointestinal system, so injections allow us to bypass that and get to your bloodstream faster. 
  • Easier treatment. A monthly B12 shot almost always keeps levels where we want them. Some people find it easier to take a monthly shot than to remember to take an oral supplement every day. 

Why do we recommend monthly B12 shots for people over 50? 

  • Decreased Absorption. As people age, their bodies may become less efficient at absorbing vitamin B12 from food due to changes in stomach acid production or gastrointestinal function. This can increase the risk of B12 deficiency.
  • Increased Risk Factors. Older adults may have higher risk factors for B12 deficiency due to gastrointestinal disorders, dietary factors, or certain medications (like proton pump inhibitors or metformin) that can interfere with B12 absorption.
  • Neurological Health. Vitamin B12 plays a crucial role in maintaining neurological health. Deficiency can lead to symptoms such as memory problems, neuropathy, and mood disturbances. Since older adults are already at risk, ensuring adequate B12 levels can be important for maintaining cognitive function.
  • Prevention of Anemia. B12 deficiency can lead to megaloblastic anemia, which can cause fatigue, weakness, and other symptoms. Regular B12 supplementation can help prevent or manage anemia in older adults.
  • Easier Compliance. Monthly B12 shots provide a consistent and convenient way to ensure adequate B12 intake for older adults who may have difficulty maintaining a regular supplement regimen or who have conditions that affect B12 absorption.

Why is a monthly B12 shot good preventively? 

  • Consistent B12 Levels. A monthly B12 shot helps individuals maintain consistent levels of vitamin B12 in their bodies. This consistency helps ensure that they have an adequate supply of B12 to support various bodily functions, including nerve function, red blood cell production, and DNA synthesis.
  • Supporting Overall Health. Vitamin B12 plays a crucial role in numerous physiological processes, including energy metabolism, cognitive function, and nerve health. By maintaining optimal B12 levels preventively, individuals can support their overall health and well-being, potentially reducing the risk of conditions such as cognitive decline, neuropathy, and anemia.
  • Risk Reduction. Certain factors, such as age, medications, gastrointestinal disorders, and dietary habits, can increase the risk of vitamin B12 deficiency. Regular B12 shots can help mitigate this risk by providing a consistent source of the vitamin, regardless of individual factors that may affect absorption or intake.
  • Convenience and Compliance. Monthly B12 shots are a convenient and straightforward way to keep B12 levels where they should be. They are simply much easier for many patients. Easier means more consistent, and more consistent is better!

How do we measure B12? 

Your vitamin B12 levels are typically measured with an inexpensive blood test. The test specifically looks for the amount of B12 in your blood serum. 

But my doctor says my B12 lab values are too high?  

Testing B12 levels shortly after receiving a B12 shot can lead to artificially elevated results, as the injection introduces exogenous B12 into the bloodstream. 

Waiting several weeks after a B12 shot allows time for any injected B12 to be metabolized and cleared from your system, providing a more accurate reflection of your body’s B12 status.

Does the type of B12 shot matter?  

At StoneTree, we use methylcobalamin (methyl B12), a compounded form of B12. Medical offices generally use cyanocobalamine (cyano B12). 

Both are effective in addressing B12 deficiencies, but there are some differences between them:

  • Bioavailability: Methylcobalamin is considered to have higher bioavailability than cyanocobalamin. This means that methyl B12 is more readily absorbed and utilized by the body. Some research suggests that methyl B12 may be better retained in the body and may lead to higher B12 levels in tissues over time compared to cyano B12.
  • Methylation Support: Methylcobalamin is involved in the methylation process, which is essential for numerous biochemical reactions in the body, including DNA synthesis, neurotransmitter production, and detoxification. Some individuals may prefer methyl B12 supplementation, believing that it provides additional support for methylation processes.
  • Detoxification of Cyanide: Cyanocobalamin contains a cyanide molecule, which is naturally occurring and generally considered safe at the low doses found in supplements. However, some individuals may prefer to avoid cyanide exposure altogether. Methylcobalamin does not contain cyanide, making it a preferable option for those patients.

Can I do this type through my doctor?  

Most medical offices use cyano B12, which has more preservatives and lasts longer on a shelf. The methyl B12 we use needs to be compounded by a compounding pharmacy and as a result, has a shorter shelf life.  

Book a 15-minute complimentary “meet-the-doctor” visit with one of the StoneTree Naturopathic Doctors to find out if B12 shots are right for you!

Isn’t it time someone cared about your health like you do?

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The 4 Pillars of Longevity (What the Books Don’t Tell You)

Posted on | by Tara Gignac, ND

I’ve been doing a deep dive into longevity. 

As I watch my friends, family, and colleagues age, it’s clear that some are doing it better than others. Part of my deep dive is understanding the difference so I can pass it on to our patients.

And let’s be honest: I’m 52. That looks and feels a lot different than 32. I might be looking for the “holy grail” of anti-aging for myself, too. 🙂 

I’ve read the books, watched the documentaries, and scanned the research. Inevitably, the same themes come up over and over. You could easily name most of them if I asked. 

What the books never seem to tell us, however, is what interventions do the most for increasing your life span (or, more importantly, health span). Is eating blueberries just as important as daily exercise? Which is more important, your relationships or your cholesterol meds?

No one seems eager to say. Everyone is happy to tell you their seven things or five principles but will stop short of telling you which ones matter most and by how much.

In their defense, we aren’t entirely sure. Research is murky, and longevity is perhaps the murkiest. After all, it takes a lifetime to discover how long someone will live. Longevity research takes the longest of all.

But we know enough to make excellent guesses about what matters most.

In order of importance, the following four things are what you must do to age with as much overall health and wellness as possible. This list is in order. From most important to least. They all matter, but they’re not all equal. 

Here are the four pillars of longevity:

  1. MOVE your body. Every single day. This means daily ambient movement. It means weekly weight-bearing exercise. It means flexibility and mobility. It means getting off your butt every day, whether you want to or not. Whether it hurts or not. Whether you have the energy or not. You must move! 
  2. CONNECT to people and purpose. This means making relationships important and doing something of value. Continue to work. If you don’t want to work, then volunteer.  Don’t want to volunteer? Help out the younger generations of your family. Stay involved with people in a purposeful way. You need a reason to live longer.
  3. EAT whole food. You all know what I mean by this. It’s not rocket science. The simplest way to express this is to cook. Use fruits, vegetables, legumes, fish, meat, and whole grains to prepare your own food as much as humanly possible. Eat real food that you cook at home.
  4. TAKE your supplements & medications. There is plenty of good research supporting the value of what scientists call “exogenous compounds”. Talk to your ND to see if any are right for you. Help your body do its job.

Remember, these four things are in order of importance. 

Ask yourself:

  • Am I doing it backward? Many people have their focus flipped. They want the pill that grants long life, or the superfood that melts the weight away, but they are sedentary and unfulfilled. You can’t out-supplement your couch or your unhappiness. Work from the top down. If you’re not moving your body, don’t expect your vitamins to save you.
  • Am I focused on just one thing? There is no single compound, food, or 10-minute wall pilates routine that can undo aging for a sedentary, lonely human who lacks purpose and eats the standard North American diet. You need all four things, not just one of the things.

We’ve all heard the stories of the 99-year-old who drinks, smokes, and eats fries every day. What I can tell you after over 20 years in practice is that I have never met this person in real life. The oldsters I know who have amazing healthspans do ALL four things every day. And they started as early as they could. 

Four simple things. One long life. 

Isn’t it time someone cared about your health like you do?

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The Most Powerful Treatment for Depression?

Posted on | by The StoneTree Team

It’s Mental Health Week in Canada, and going for a “stupid walk” for our “stupid mental health” is a funny meme making the rounds. 

But there’s a powerful reason people are taking those stupid walks:

Those who exercise regularly are far less likely to experience depression. This is true for ALL ages and genders.  

New research pooling data from 41 studies of 2200 people with depression showed that any type of exercise reduces symptoms of depression. 

The meta-study showed people with depression who exercised in any way improved their symptoms by between 5-6.5 points depending on which depression scale was used. For reference, an improvement of 3 points is the best outcome for most pharmaceuticals.  

These numbers suggest that, for every two people with depression who start to exercise, one of them should experience “a large-magnitude reduction in depressive symptoms.” 

This FAR exceeds the benefits derived from medications.  

The Three Things that Help You Exercise More

So how can you get more of the depression wonder drug known as exercise? We’ve had 10,000 patients come through the doors here at StoneTree, and we know there are three things that make a difference:

  1. Schedule it. Treat it like you would any critically important thing in your life by putting it in the calendar. Most people underestimate just how powerful this simple step is. 
  2. Exercise with others. Create an accountability partner who expects you to show up. A friend, a family member. Even a coach.
  3. Start small but be consistent. Consistency beats all! You don’t have to walk 10,000 steps on your first. Just get out there for ten minutes, but make that 10 minutes a habit, every day.   

Each of those three is a habit-change lever. How many can you pull?

People also suggest you find an activity you like. That does indeed make exercise easier. The tricky part with depression is that often you don’t like anything. 

If you don’t feel like moving your body, try the strategies above. It’s more important to do it than to like it.

Depression can be serious. Talk to a regulated health professional if you are having thoughts of self-harm. Talk Suicide Canada is available 24/7/365 for calls, and 4 PM—12 AM ET for texts at 1-833-456-4566.

Sources:

https://bjsm.bmj.com/content/early/2023/02/14/bjsports-2022-106282.long

Isn’t it time someone cared about your health like you do?

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Seasonal Allergies and Your Indoor Air Quality

Posted on | by The StoneTree Team

When your immune system sees ordinarily harmless things like pollen and mold as harmful invaders, things can get a bit crazy. 

First, your immune system produces antibodies in response to the perceived threat. That process causes immune cells in your body to produce histamine, an inflammatory chemical that helps eliminate the invader.  

Unfortunately, the “help” doesn’t feel that helpful!

The histamine is what causes all your pesky allergy symptoms. All that itching, swelling, nasal congestion, sneezing, and sore throat is an inflammatory overload of your mucous membranes! It’s also why you might take an antihistamine to help relieve those symptoms.

But Why ME?

At this point, you may be wondering, “But why me? My friend doesn’t have seasonal allergies!”

Right you are. Some people are indeed more susceptible than others. And if you are one of those lucky people (hmmm), our approach is always to try to prevent allergies if we can. That means we want to find and address the cause of the immune overreaction while we’re helping with the symptoms. 

The Indoor Air Quality Connection

In addition to working on your digestive health and using one of our favourite allergy tools, IV Vitamin C, you might be surprised to know that your indoor air quality can also have a significant impact on seasonal allergy symptoms.  

Not only can pollens and mold spores make their way indoors, but indoor pollutants can make matters worse–things like dust, pet dander, particulate matter, and chemicals.  

  • Regular cleaning with a HEPA filter vacuum 
  • Using a HEPA air filter, particularly in your sleeping space
  • Using fragrance-free products. (Many fragrances contain volatile organic compounds, or VOCs. These chemicals are irritating to the mucous membranes in our respiratory systems, causing irritation or inflammation. That just adds fuel to the fire!)

If you want to go fragrance-free and help the planet, we love The Keep Refillery in Creemore, Meaford, and Toronto. They have unscented cleaning and personal care products, and you can refill your existing containers. 

And if you really love scented things? Try adding essential oils to your unscented products. You may still be aggravated by essential oil scents, but generally, they are very well tolerated. Some, like lavender, eucalyptus, peppermint, and lemon, may even help!

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Two Foundational Supplements for Heart Health

Posted on | by The StoneTree Team

#1: Vitamin K2

Vitamin K is one of those vitamins that most of us only know about from reading food labels. It’s actually found in two forms in your diet. Form K1 is found in green leafy veggies, and K2 is found in fermented foods.  

K2 is becoming more recognized as a valuable supplement.  

A large population study in Denmark showed– not surprisingly– that those who ate a diet high in K1 (or green leafy vegetables) had a lower risk of cardiovascular disease. But the study also found that those who took the K2 form of the vitamin also had decreased risk of cardiovascular disease caused by atherosclerosis.  

How K2 Helps Your Heart  

K2 is involved in bone health and calcium metabolism, and it helps decrease arterial stiffness and atherosclerosis by decreasing plaque disposition in the arteries

Now, Vitamin K deficiency is uncommon. But it can happen in people taking antibiotics or medicines that impede K metabolism or who have conditions that impair food absorption.

Note: more is not better. The research did not find that taking MORE K2 decreased the risk further.  

Try this article for more, including the benefits of taking K2 with Vitamin D,

#2: Fish Oil

Whether or not to supplement with fish oil has been debated in the literature for years after it was conclusively demonstrated that a diet high in fatty fish is associated with decreased risk of heart disease. 

This current review article in The Lancet shows a positive response in risk reduction when taking fish oil. (Note that not all fish oil supplements are created equal – which might be the cause of some of the studies not lining up.)

How Fish Oil Helps Your Heart

Fish oils reduce oxidative stress and decrease inflammation. But they can easily become rancid if not produced or stored properly. They are easily oxidized and, as a result, can do more harm than good if you don’t pick the right ones and store them carefully. Make sure you take a high-quality fish oil supplement that is stored in the fridge!

Need help with foundational supplements, lab testing, or supplement choices? We’re happy to help!

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To Drink or Not to Drink?

Posted on | by The StoneTree Team

Many happy wine-drinking Canadians woke up last month to find their world a little rocked by the release of new guidelines for alcohol consumption.

Conventional wisdom for years has been that drinking was fine up to a point—15 drinks a week for men, 10 for women.

There was even some thought that daily drinking—particularly wine—had some health benefits.  

Well, no more.

What we’ve always known is that alcohol at any dose is toxic to the human body.  The WHO released a position paper this year stating exactly that. It’s a bummer, but it’s true.  

A Focus on Risk

The new guidelines are about understanding and reducing risk rather than a simple cut-off number:

  • Zero risk = zero alcohol 
  • Low risk = 2 drinks per week. 
  • Moderate risk = 3-6 drinks per week 

Once you go over 6 drinks per week, the risk climbs with each drink.  

Risk of What? 

What risks are we talking about? The big ones include:

  • Cancer. There is no safe dose of alcohol when it comes to cancer, and its risk increases with each drink. Alcohol and cancer are so linked that there is increasing pressure to put warnings on labels just like we do with cigarettes.  
  • Heart disease and stroke. Increased risk at over 7 drinks per week, with risk increasing with each additional drink. 
  • Pregnancy. No safe dose.
  • Fertility. No safe dose.

It’s also worth mentioning addiction as a risk. Alcohol can be habit-forming. And that means the low-risk ranges can put some people at risk of moving up the risk ladder as their consumption increases.

Standard Drink Sizes

“Drink” is a vague term. Here’s how the Canadian Centre on Substance Use and Addiction (CCSA) defines a drink:

  • A 12-oz. (341 ml) bottle of 5 percent alcohol beer or cider
  • A 5-oz. (142 ml) glass of 12 percent alcohol wine
  • A 1.5-oz. (43 ml) shot glass of 40 percent alcohol spirits

Beer and cider tend to be easier to track as you drink them from a fixed-size container. Spirits and wine tend to be “free-poured” into glasses, and therefore harder to measure. If you’re wondering where you might be fooling yourself, that’s a good place to start.

How to Manage Your Drinking

It seems that, whether we like it or not, less booze is better, no matter which way you slice it. If you want to change your alcohol habits, this article from the CDC is an excellent place to start.

One recurring theme across all sources is to be conscious of your drinking—to set limits and actually count your drinks. An excellent tool for this is the TRY DRY app. (Apple/Android). It’s science-based, free, and has no ads. Give it a shot!

Isn’t it time someone cared about your health like you do?

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Do Artificial Sweeteners Lead to Weight Gain?

Posted on | by The StoneTree Team

Note: It’s habit change season! Last year, we did an entire five-post series on creating change in the New Year. If you’ve got a resolution you’re trying to keep, those short posts contain all our wisdom about habits and sustainable change.

Many of you will be kicking off the New Year looking to make diet changes, and an easy place to start is by looking at how much sugar you consume. 

One of the first things people often choose is to replace the sugar in their diet with an artificial sweetener, like aspartame or sucralose. These are considered to be non-nutritive sweeteners, and on the surface, they seem like an easy win: just replace sugar with sweetener, and you reduce your caloric load. Done!

Not so fast. Research is confirming what was already suspected about artificial sweeteners: they disrupt the gut microbiome of healthy people and impair their glucose tolerance. Or, put more simply: sweeteners might add to the very problems we’re trying to solve, like weight gain and insulin resistance.

How can a calorie-free sweetener lead to weight gain?

Sweeteners have always been considered “inert,” meaning they pass through the body and aren’t absorbed by the small intestine. But researchers are discovering that the sweeteners can actually travel into the colon and change the composition of the flora in susceptible people. That, in turn, can trigger abnormal blood glucose levels. 

What about stevia?

Stevia is a plant-based sweetener made from the leaves of the stevia rebaudiana plant. It is also considered a non-nutritive sweetener, but is it safer than its chemical cousins? The jury is still out, but this article will give you some factors to consider. 

Can I test my gut health?

Testing the microbiome is becoming more and more common as we discover just how big a role your gut bacteria play in overall health.  Here at StoneTree, we use a number of tests, including GI MAP. To learn more, contact us anytime.  

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Stress, Chronic Inflammation, and Long COVID

Posted on | by The StoneTree Team

A recent study in JAMA Psychiatry suggests that there’s a link between psychological distress—things like depression, anxiety, and loneliness—and long COVID. 

From a naturopathic perspective, there’s a pretty solid argument for why this makes sense (and why long COVID isn’t “all in your head”).

The reasoning looks like this:

  • Depression, anxiety, worry, and loneliness create stress
  • Prolonged stress can cause imbalances in your stress hormones—what we call adrenal dysregulation
  • This imbalance can lead to chronic immune dysregulation
  • This, in turn, can lead to chronic inflammation
  • Chronic inflammation is a risk factor for long COVID

This matters because it changes how we might prevent long-COVID. We can focus on stress, inflammation, and hormones, which is something NDs understand very well.

 Adrenal dysregulation and chronic inflammation are at the root of many symptoms we see in our patients.  It’s no surprise that this could be a root cause of long COVID as well.  

What can you do? Reduce your inflammation in the best ways we know of:

  • Eat right. Plenty of high-quality whole foods, like fiber, protein, fruits, and veggies.  These foods are anti-inflammatory in nature and help balance blood sugar, which is very good for our stress response.   
  • Exercise daily, especially outside in nature. Connection to nature is an instant stress reliever. Couple that with moving the body and the blood, and you have a panacea for the immune system and hormones 
  • Connect to others. Humans are pack animals. We do better when we are meaningfully connected to others.  Grab a green smoothie and go for a walk with a friend, and you’ve got a trifecta of movement, whole food, and connection!
  • Rest. No, for real, rest. Turn off the screens, put down the phone, go to bed early. Almost all of us need more sleep than we get—sleep helps recharge the hormones and resolve inflammation.

Long COVID may be relatively new, but inflammation isn’t. And after 20 years and more than 10,000 patients, we know inflammation! Connect with your ND to find out if your stress hormones and/or inflammatory markers are out of balance—we have tools that work.  

Isn’t it time someone cared about your health like you do?

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