by | Mar 6, 2016 | Uncategorized
Vitamin B12 is used in DNA synthesis, red blood cell formation, various metabolic processes including conversion of fats and proteins into energy as well as functioning of the nervous and immune system. Intramuscular B12 or methylcobalamin injections, provide the body with the active form that can be utilized by the body immediately. It is very safe to administer in higher doses, as it is a water soluble vitamin and if not utilized by the body will be excreted readily.
Chronic Stress Treatment NW Calgary
Individuals that may benefit from B12 injections
- fatigue, depression or insomnia.
- poor digestion, Crohn’s or colitis often benefit as they have an impaired ability to absorb B12 from their food.
- elderly population, as B12 levels decline with advancing age
- vegetarians or vegans, vitamin B12 exists almost exclusively in animal foods
- individuals taking certain medications can deplete the body’s Vitamin B12: Metformin, phenobarbital, various anti-inflammatory medications, birth control pills, and antibiotics
- nerve pain/tingling
- chronic alcohol use
- detoxification
To learn more or to book with one of our Naturopathic Doctors call 403-452-6262.
by | Mar 3, 2016 | Uncategorized
In our fast paced technology accessible lifestyles we naturally incur stress. What happens to us when we to cross over the edge of dealing with it to being overwhelmed by it. How does that affect our bodies? Our bodies are meant for some stress but not constant stress. More importantly what is happening to our bodies ability to communicate when we are constantly stress. Every moment our body is receiving information coordinating it and deciding what to do with it. CranioSacral Therapy use light touch therapy to tune into this communicative part of the body called the nervous system. We look for tension patterns held in the nervous system that are creating too much chatter and preventing the system from dealing with stress. Our goal is to allow your body to come as close to balance as possible so that healing can occur.
Chronic Fatigue Treatment NW Calgary
Come in today and take an hour to allow your body the chance to DE-Stress and return to a more balanced state!
I look forward to working with you to assist you on your journey, in and towards health. Don’t miss out on my introductory specials!
First Time Service – One hour – $70
Course of Treatment – Summer Special (4 sessions) – $295
Joel Ashworth is a RCST (Registered Craniosacral Therapist) with the Pacific Association of Craniosacral Therapists (PACT) and a member in good standing with the Natural Healthcare Practitioners of Canada (NHPC).
by | Jan 19, 2016 | Uncategorized
The Veggie Challenge
Dr. Michelle Hagel ND
Eating enough vegetables everyday can be quite challenging. I hear from so many people that they know they should eat more vegetables and they want to, they just don’t know how. Here are 7 easy ways to incorporate more vegetables into your diet, and hide the taste from the pickiest of eaters.
Healthy Tips Northwest Calgary
1. Soups, Chillis and Stews: Think all the vegetables in a bowl of chicken noodle soup they are virtually undetectable. Homemade soups and stews are one of my favourite things, especially if the broth is made from scratch- there is so much valuable nutrition in bone broth. Then you can add all kinds of vegetables: carrots, tomatoes, celery, onions, sweet potatoes, zucchini, chopped up kale… use your imagination. When vegetables are in chili, soups, and stews, they get really soft and tasty.
2. Super Smoothies: My other favourite hider of the vegetables! I promise you that you won’t be able to taste a handful of spinach or kale in your smoothie if it is paired with some protein powder, berries, almond/coconut milk, nuts etc. Some people don’t like the texture of kale, just ensure that you have blended it enough. I’ve added all kinds of greens to my smoothies and even carrots and cooked beets without tasting any of them.
3. Availability: Have veggies on hand, stock up on them when you’re at the grocery store. Cut them up and have them ready to just grab when you reach into the fridge for a snack. Or cook extra the night before with dinner and have the leftovers available.
4. Get creative: Dehydrate or bake veggies so that they are crunchy and satisfy those chip cravings. Homemade baked kale chips, baked sweet potatoes fries, or baked green beans. Try cooking vegetables different ways try it raw, steamed, boiled, baked, roasted, BBQ, stir-fried, or pureed. Each method will taste completely different.
5. Sauces and Dips: If you don’t like the vegetables plain, try them with healthy dips, like salsa, guacamole, hummus, dressing or yogurt based dips.
6. Fancy up that salad: If salads aren’t your thing, think about trying different dressings, or making your own. Use spinach, kale and mixed greens instead of just lettuce. Add some nuts, seeds or protein (chicken, tuna, shrimp etc.)
7. Weekly New Veggie Challenge: Commit to one new vegetable a week, try eating the selected vegetable every or even every second day, we don’t want you to get sick of it. You will be surprise how after consuming a vegetable consistently you will start liking it even if you didn’t before.
Increase your intake of veggies and improve your health! If you have questions, contact us today! We would love to hear from you.
by | Jan 19, 2016 | Uncategorized
What is Mindful Eating?
Abigail Draper PhD RPsych
For many, eating has become a mindless activity that induces guilt rather than a natural, healthy, and pleasurable activity. Mindless eating involves:
- Eating when you are too full, and then feeling guilty
- Eating for emotional reasons such as stress or anxiety
- Grazing on food without thinking about it
- Mindlessly snacking in front of the tv
- Skipping meals and ignoring hunger signals
In contrast to mindless eating, mindful eating is a mindfulness practice which is a powerful tool for developing a healthier relationship with food. Mindful eating is not a diet. There are no menus or recipes. Mindful eating is eating with intention and attention:
- It involves eating with the intention of caring for yourself
- It involves being more aware of your eating habits, the sensations you experience when you eat and the thoughts and emotions you have about food.
Holistic Health Calgary
Many of those who struggle with food respond mindlessly to their unrecognised triggers, thoughts and feelings. Most often, the triggers that prompt overeating are unconscious processes that have been repeated for years. People act without realising it. Since people eat for reasons other than physical hunger, changing behaviour involves first asking the question “Why do I eat?”. This involves exploring triggers such as physical hunger, boredom, stress or fatigue. In the mindful eating cycle developed by Michelle May MD, further questions are asked to encourage clients to be more aware of the factors guiding their eating decisions. These include questions such as:
- “When do I eat?” The answer may depend on the clock, physical hunger cues or emotions.
- “What do I eat?” This questions examines the factors that people consider when choosing food, such as convenience, taste, comfort, and nutrition.
- “How do I eat?” Eating can be rushed, mindless, distracted or secretive.
- “How much so I eat?” Quantity may be decided by physical fullness cues, package size, or habit.
- “Where do I invest my energy?” Eating may be invigorating, cause sluggishness, or result in guilt and shame.
“Asking “Am I hungry?” puts a pause between the trigger and a response,” May says. “That gap breaks us out of ineffective, habitual patterns and gives us an opportunity to change old behaviours”. A number of programs have adopted mindful eating to treat eating disorders such as binge eating, type 2 diabetes, and weight loss. Studies reveal that eating mindfully reduces binge eating, improves depression, can result in weight loss, enhances glycemic control and lowers cortisol levels while improving inflammatory markers. One such study examined mindful eating in restaurants and revealed a significant reduction in weight, calories consumer, fat intake as well as an increase in self-confidence among subjects who participated in a six-week mindful eating program. Mindful eating continues to gain widespread support to promote weight control, improve eating behaviours, prevent chronic disease, and foster a healthy relationship with food.
Eat a Food Mindfully
Take a raisin, grape, strawberry, piece of cheese or chocolate. Observe the appearance and texture. Is there an aroma? What kind of changes do you notice in your body as you observe the food? Next, place a small amount of the food in your mouth and do not chew it. After 30 seconds, start chewing. Observe what you notice about the favour or texture before you started chewing and after you started chewing. How does this compare with your typical experience of eating?
Let us help you in maintaining a healthy quality of your life. Contact the clinic to book your initial consultation today!
Resources
Eat What You Love, Love What You Eat by Michelle May, MD
Eating Mindfully: How to End Mindless Eating and Enjoy a Balanced Relationship with Food by Susan Albers, PsyD, and Lilian Cheung, DSc, RD
Mindful Eating: A Guide to Rediscovering a Healthy and Joyful Relationship with Food by Jan Cozen Bays, MD
by | Jan 15, 2016 | Uncategorized
I am very excited to be joining Docere Wellness Clinic! I’d like to introduce myself by sharing my Naturopathic journey. It began when I was 9 years old, around November I started having stomach aches, mild headaches, fatigue, decreased appetite and no desire to do anything. After 4 months of missing school, visiting my family physician, blood tests and specialists- with every test result coming up negative, I was all of the sudden better. My drastic recovery was puzzling, but everyone breathed a huge sigh of relief – especially my parents and family physician. The following Nov/Dec my symptoms returned, back I went to my family doctor but still nothing showed up, despite my Doctors thorough and best efforts. Frustration and worry all flooded right back in.
I grew up on a grain farm north east of Calgary, both of my parents were raised on farms in the area- we had never heard of alternative medicine. My parents desperately tried to find a solution and began seeking alternative advice, a family friend suggested seeing an herbalist. In mid January I went to see this herbalist, within 5 minutes of looking at me and hearing my story he had a definitive diagnosis- Seasonal Affective Disorder or SAD. If you are not familiar with SAD it is also known as the winter blues, individuals experience depressive symptoms, but only at certain times of the year when they are not exposed to adequate sunlight. My prescription was a herbal tincture and directions on how to build a light box. Lucky me, my father is very handy and began building me my very own light box, it was 5 feet long and 2 feet wide and did not have UV protection so I began to look like I was hitting the tanning bed. I would sit under my lightbox every morning for 30 minutes and within a week or two was back to myself again! The disorder is now well known and you are able to purchase even pocket size lightboxes/ SAD lamps very easily. Every winter since I use my newer 10”x10” UV protective lightbox, and I have yet to experience those symptoms again.
Wellness Center Calgary
Jumping ahead a few years, still healthy and happy, I found myself in Lennoxville Quebec studying Neuroscience at Bishop’s University. The complexity of the brain and the mind-body connection fascinated me. I loved my program, but as I neared my convocation I had no idea what I was going to do with my degree. A degree in Neuroscience usually required you to continue on to do your Masters or PhD, I was considering this but it didn’t quite appeal to me. I began researching what my next move should be and I was all over the map; Audiologist, Speech Pathologist, Neuroscientist; Psychologist, Physiotherapist they all interested me. After a brief visit with my cousin in Toronto, whom was studying to be a Chiropractor, I started looking into alternative medicine, naturopathic medicine kept coming up. It was as if the profession had picked me; treating and educating people about their health through various natural modalities- like the ones that cured me. It was the closest thing to an epiphany I’ve ever had. So I applied to the Canadian College of Naturopathic Medicine in Toronto- I wont elaborate on that because that was a completely different journey. But here I am now, so excited to doing what I am most passionate about, helping, educating and healing people.
We offer many holistic modalities such as Naturopathic Medicine, Massage Therapy, Chiropractic and more! If you are interested in our healing treatment, contact us today!
