Vital Moments In Naturopathic Medicine Beth

Did you know that being “addicted” to/sensitive to sugar can be the root of multiple health conditions including
-        Weight gain
-        Brain fog
-        Lightheadedness
-        Anxiety, Depression
-        Irritability, “Hangry” Sensations
-        Sleep disturbances
-        Fatigue
-        Hormone imbalances (thyroid, insulin, progesterone, cortisol) 
Getting your sugar addiction in check can help address 3 key imbalances:
·       Carbohydrate Sensitivity: by regulating eating patterns and avoiding foods that convert to sugar quickly (high glycemic index foods)
·       Low Serotonin: by including protein and healthy carbohydrates at each meal to optimize tryptophan uptake in the brain (Serotonin is derived from the amino acid Tryptophan)
·       Low (Beta) Endorphin: by avoid patterns and foods that stimulate excessive beta-endorphin release (which leave you feeling even more depleted) 
Simple Steps you can take in recovering from your sugar addiction:
·       Try these steps, IN ORDER, only moving on to the next step once the previous is mastered. The purpose of these steps is to address the imbalances in the body and to better understand your relationship with sweets.
·       Once you grasp the role sugar plays in your life, it will become easier to moderate. Increased awareness, along with a healthy, optimally functioning body compensates for any predisposed weaknesses, making it less likely to succumb to sugar cravings and the addictive cycle that inevitably ensues. 
1)     Eat breakfast with protein: avoids beta-endorphin release that occurs when you skip breakfast, and also prevents the subsequent blood sugar crash and intense carb/sugar craving later on
2)     Journal what you eat and how you feel before/after: this has 2 purposes: 1) it can help you understand motivations to eating (feelings, habits, etc…). 2) it can help to realize how you feel during & after eating particular foods (hyperactivity, fatigue, depression, etc…)
3)     Eat 3 healthy meals per day with protein and a serving of healthy fat: providing regular protein helps stabilize blood sugar levels and increase tryptophan levels in the body. Healthy fat helps improve satiety and keeps you full longer. 
4)     Shift from white foods (bread, rice, pasta) to brown/whole grain foods: supports blood sugar stability and 
5)     Slowly reduce/eliminate sugars: to help balance blood sugar and prevent the hyper-hypoglycemia cycle that stimulates increase unnecessary snacking, binge eating, and can lead to metabolic syndrome, diabetes and numerous other health conditions
6)     Create a new life: long-term management for new habits & patterns. This doesn’t mean you can’t ever have treats, but you will gain a better understanding of how your body and brain respond, allowing you to be in control, not the sugar
 If you need support with this process or other help with managing your blood sugar/food addictions or eating habits, don’t hesitate to call the clinic to book your appointent with one of our Naturopathic Physicians. We are highly skilled in nutrition, dietary modification, helping manage blood sugar imbalance and prevent/manage metabolic syndrome/diabetes and weight loss strategies and would love to help you!
In health, 
Dr Katarine Holewa, ND RAc
 

Ever wondered why you couldn't lose those last few pounds? Or why your body seems to be resistant to loosing weight no matter how much you exercise or cut calories?
In this recording, Dr. Yim shares his insights from over 30 years of practicing as a naturopathic physician on how the health of your gut could be the answer to those two questions!!

Dr. Yim has reproduced his portion of the Metabolism: Everything You Need to Know seminar shared with Dr. K Holewa. Together they brought a stellar event to Nanaimo to discuss a growing epidemic of metabolic issues, breaking it down into understandable and actionable steps.

Important links:

What are functional tests?

Keep an eye on new blog for emerging topics and the latest in trends and health news.

Find out more about Dr. Yim, his areas of focus and educational background.

Want the powerpoint presentation from this episode?

Fertility is an important topic, especially for couples looking to or trying to get pregnant. In Canada, recent statistics show that 1 in 6 couples experience infertility with the causes being complex and multi layered.

We are speaking with Dr. Katarine Holewa, a Naturopathic Physician and Registered Acupuncturist about her approach to infertility. She has a special focus in this area from her prior career as a Registered Nurse in the NICU and post and anti partum care as well as from a naturopathic and Chinese medicine perspective. 

She answers the questions about what infertility is, how common a problem it is, what causes infertility in men and women and most importantly natural solutions to ensure a healthy and happy outcome for the whole family, including baby!

Other topics we cover:
+ appropriate testing and interpretation
+ hormones involved with successful conception and birth
+ how acupuncture works at achieving balance and is used at each stage from pre conception to delivery
+ what an appointment looks like
+ most importantly Dr. Holewa shares a couple of success stories!

Why is inflammation good and bad and what makes it so damaging to the brain? Your challenge today is to incorporate five to 10 servings of the foods listed in the chart provided every day with 75% of them coming from veg! 

Don't do veg? Okay, I get it, some people just don't like veggies. Don't give up on the challenge, get a greens drink, like Greens First that we use at our clinic and use that for topping up your daily challenge!! 

One of the most important things you can do for your brain is to drink enough water! Your challenge is to drink at least 2 litres a day!

Check your inbox for details on why and go to our group Facebook page to find more details and motivation!

Colon Therapy is an ancient form of therapy for detoxification, constipation, improving gut health and mobility and for gentle rehydration. 
Meet Lindsay Russell and Chantal David as they discuss some of the amazing results they've seen in their patients and what you can expect when adding colonics to your healthy living protocols! 

Follow Chantal @naturalnurse on instagram or check both Lindsay and Chantal's training and experience on www.colonicsnanaimo.com. You can also book online at www.vita-care.ca.