This hilarious video was posted by someone in my Facebook community with the comment, “If only it were that simple.”

It’s a lighthearted poke at the challenge of helping ourselves, but there is some truth in it. Much of what I do in a day is helping people to understand that they must, “Stop it.” Stop eating a food that is not good for them. Stop sitting on the couch and not moving. Stop smoking. Stop thinking thoughts that are harmful and make them unhappy.

There are all kinds of reasons for why we do the things that we do, but sometimes we really do need to just…stop. Not always easy. But almost always true.  -Tara

There’s a Zen proverb that says:

Before Enlightenment, chop wood carry water.
After Enlightenment, chop wood carry water.

It’s occurred to me that for best health, we might just as easily replace “Enlightenment” with “retirement”.

It’s not uncommon for me to hear my patients, friends and family say things like, “We should move into a single story house when we retire so we don’t have to worry about stairs,” or “I’m not going to walk outside in the winter in case I fall.” On the surface, these statements seem sensible. But are they?

In the book Healthy at 100, John Robbins talks about the “long lived” ones around the world–the groups of people who not only live the longest, but also live the healthiest for the longest. What do they have in common? They remain vigorously active, socially relevant and engaged in day-to-day work and life well into their old age.

Of course, “staying active” isn’t exactly breaking news. The real secret of these cultures, I think, is that they continue to live in circumstances that demand they stay active and engaged. The live on the sides of mountains, don’t (or can’t) retire, and work, walk and live in tight communities until they very end. They live in a world that doesn’t let them retire, withdraw, eat crap, watch tv and do nothing.

Is it possible we need to follow that lead? To retire to seven-story homes, not one-story ones? Or to not retire at all? Maybe we need to create circumstances that force us to stay active and engaged, as opposed to ones that give us the option of letting ourselves deteriorate.

Maybe retirement shouldn’t be about having to do less. Maybe it should be about having to do more.

Chop wood, carry water. It might be that simple.

I recently read Wheat Belly by William Davis, MD, which claims that most of the obesity issue in our culture stems from the consumption of wheat. You don’t have to look far in my profession for agreement. Many of our patients at StoneTree have discovered that wheat is at the root of their most persistent health problems.

It made me wonder, though: Why do we eat so much of it?  In many ways, wheat itself isn’t really that tasty!

•  Is it really the pasta we like? Or is it the sauce and the parmesan cheese?
•  Do we really love wraps? Or is it just a convenient way to get other food from the plate to our mouths?
•  Are pancakes really that delicious? Or do they just do a great job of carrying syrup?
• Do we love cereal? Or just the sugar and milk and nuts and raisins?

The sandwich isn’t really about the bread, is it? It’s about delivering the  meat and condiments and garnishes to your mouth. The more I think about it, wheat is often just the spoon. It’s a way of carrying the stuff we really like to our mouths. And you wouldn’t eat a spoon, right?

Next time you’re eating, ask yourself, “Do I really want this wheat? Or am I eating the spoon?”

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

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.

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!

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:

1. 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.
2. Do an elimination diet. Remove any suspected foods for 4 weeks. Dairy, wheat, gluten, sugar, eggs, yeast are the most common culprits.
3. 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!

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.

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.

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