Category: Blog

Grow Your Own Lion’s Mane Mushrooms, Grow New Neurons!

Mushrooms are getting lots of attention lately, and for good reason. There are so many medicinal and immune-boosting benefits to different mushrooms, and they’re easy to grow and to cook with!

In this short video, Dr. Michael Mason-Wood, ND shares a simple way to grow a healthy harvest of Lion’s Mane mushroom (Hericium erinaceus) quickly and easily. A recent study sowed that Lion’s Mane extract increases signals in the brain that generate new neurons. It is because of this neuro-regenerative effect that Lion’s Mane is known for its helpfulness with memory, anxiety, cognitive function, and depression. It has also been shown to have anti-cancer, immuno-modulating, hypolipidemic, antioxidant and anti-diabetic properties.

What’s not to love? Mushrooms are best in hot-water extracts like soups and stews, because the active ingredients (most polysaccharides) are water-soluble. Try growing your own Lion’s Mane and make a beautiful fall soup for your brain!

Below is a nourishing mushroom soup recipe from whole foods chef and herbalist, Andrea Beaman. Substitute Lion’s Mane for either of the shiitake or maitake mushrooms. Mix and match to your taste and their availability.

Medicinal Mushrooms and Deep Roots Soup

If you’re not already eating edible medicinal mushrooms, this recipe for Medicinal Mushrooms and Deep Roots Soup would be a good idea to start. Especially, if your immune system is down or you’re struggling with blood sugar imbalances, high blood pressure, and/or cancer

Ingredients
Instructions
  1. Pick out the mushrooms and add additional water to get 4 cups total liquid. Put the liquid into a soup pot and turn the heat high.
  2. Chop the shitake and maitake mushrooms and add to the pot, with alaria and burdock root, and bring to a boil. Cover and reduce heat to simmer for 5-7 minutes.
  3. Add daikon root, ginger and tofu, and cook 2-3 minutes. Add enoki mushrooms and bok choy.
  4. Put miso paste into a bowl and add hot liquid from the soup to liquefy the miso. Add the miso to the soup and shut off the heat.
  5. Let sit 2-3 minutes. Garnish with minced scallions.

Photo from https://medium.com/optimal-living/health-benefits-of-lions-mane-mushroom-36051ee5fd0

Recipe from https://andreabeaman.com/medicinal-mushrooms-deep-roots-soup/

 

A Concerned Citizen on the Recent Change to PRP Laws in Alberta

Recently, the College of Naturopathic Doctors (CAND) has determined that Naturopathic Doctors are no longer permitted to perform PRP treatments. Naturally, this warrants concerns for patients in the province of Alberta that have benefitted, or will benefit from the treatments in the future. As a response to this determination by the CNDA, the following letter has been written by Dr. Christina Bjorndal, ND, as a citizen and patient of PRP treatments:

To Whom It May Concern,

I am writing to you as a concerned patient about the recent decision by the CNDA to no longer permit NDs to perform PRP. I have always used exercise as a key health practice to maintain my mental health. It has helped buoy me in times of depression and anxiety of which I have experienced for the last 35 years. I credit exercise as being the primary support that helped me regain my mental health after a suicide attempt in June 2009. Unfortunately, this was short lived as in February 2010 I had a complex meniscal tear in my right knee that stopped me in my tracks. I needed surgery as PRP was not an option at that time. It took over one year to get that surgery. During that time, I plunged back into a deep depression where I was plagued by suicidal thoughts. I could not function, work or care for my four year old son at that time.

The Mood Disorders Society of Canada put out a startling statistic in 2009: 1 in 5 Canadians will experience a mental illness in their lifetime1, including depression, mood disorder, anxiety disorder, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, attention deficit hyperactive disorders and dementia (with anxiety and depression being the most common by far). If 20% of our population will experience such an event, it is very likely you or someone you know is, has been, or will be affected by mental illness. Rates have been climbing in Canada steadily for several decades and are expected to continue increasing2. Within a generation, it is estimated that more than 8.9 million Canadians will be living with a mental illness.

Nearly 10% of our country’s population is using some form of prescription antidepressant medication3. This first-line conventional treatment is not cheap—a conservative estimate of the cost of mental illness in Canada in 2011 was $42.3 billion in direct costs and $6.3 billion in indirect costs2. With so many Canadians living with mental illness, together with such high treatment costs, it’s a wonder that one of the most effective, safe and inexpensive tools for mood regulation is so underused as a prescriptive treatment for mental illness: exercise.

But, what is one to do when they are injured and cannot exercise? I have an appointment for PRP this week  that has now been cancelled by my ND. This puts me at risk for another plunge into depression if I can’t use this life saving treatment, for which I pay out of my own pocket, to prevent injury and surgery. I credit PRP to saving my mental health. If the CNDA is about protecting public safety, I do not see how this decision is protecting my safety as an Albertan. It is not in support of my health, at all. With this decision, you are putting many Albertans at risk – of increased mental health, pain and potential opiate use, and increased surgery rates – all of which cost the Alberta Government money in increased disability claims and cost Albertans their loved ones as they spiral into pain, despair and depression. This happens. It happened to me in 2010. The ability to move one’s body in a pain free way is crucial to living life. PRP is the only reason that I have been able to maintain my level of exercise in recent years.

PRP is a safe procedure. There have been no reported deaths from PRP. Meanwhile, the opiate crisis is just that: a crisis. PRP benefits people. It prevents surgery which saves the government money in the long run. It gets people back to work, back to exercise and back to leading productive, healthy lives.

I am gravely concerned about the CNDA’s decision to restrict Naturopathic Doctors from performing PRP. I firmly believe the Government and CNDA is putting the public at greater risk by restricting NDs ability to perform this, literally, life saving procedure.

Christina Bjorndal, ND

References

Quick Facts on Mental Illness and Addictions in Canada (3rd Edition). (2009). Mood Disorders Society of Canada. http://www.mooddisorderscanada.ca/page/quick-facts

Smetanin, P., Stiff, D., Briante, C., Adair, C.E., Ahmad, S. and Khan, M. The Life and Economic Impact of Major Mental Illnesses in Canada: 2011 to 2041. RiskAnalytica, on behalf of the Mental Health Commission of Canada 2011. http://stg.mentalhealthcommission.ca/English/system/files/private/document/MHCC_Report_Base_Case_FINAL_ENG_0.pdf

Statistics / health at a glance / 2013 /. (2013). Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) Retrieved July 14, 2016, fromhttp://www.oecd-ilibrary.org/sites/health_glance-2013-en/04/10/g4-10-04.html?contentType=&itemId=/content/chapter/health_glance-2013-41-en&containerItemId=/content/serial/19991312&accessItemIds=/content/book/health_glance-2013-en&mimeType=text/html&_csp_=2f6481becc176514dc3acbdcffc1daaa

Preventing Falls

This article as been written by the Orthomolecular Medicine News Service and is posted with their permission. The peer-reviewed Orthomolecular Medicine News Service is a non-profit and non-commercial informational resource. Please subscribe to OMNS here  http://orthomolecular.org/subscribe.html and find archived articles here;  http://orthomolecular.org/resources/omns/index.shtml

Preventing Falls, a serious matter: One in four falls in the elderly proves fatal.

by Ralph K. Campbell, M.D.

If one looks around, it is easy to observe that aging is an individual thing, many times without a direct relationship to chronological age. Mental stress is a big factor in developing what we call aging. When we get worse in associating names with faces, this might foretell a need to think about the gradual decline in physical and mental functions. We say, “He is losing his grip”; yes, in muscles but also in ability and often in attitude. It is easy to observe problems that derive from diminishing sex hormone levels: hot flashes in women and some rearrangement of body fat around the waist, and an overly-emphasized diminished libido in men. The less obvious, but more significant, effect in men is diminished muscle strength and muscle wasting when testosterone levels fall. A similar effect of muscle weakening with age exists in women.[1] But we know that using muscles is an excellent way to slow the wasting process.

Nutrients help

It has been shown that, with age, one has a diminished ability to make creatinine, a precursor of ATP, responsible for muscle strength. Fortunately there is creatinine in supplement form; so it can be used in conjunction with the “use it or lose it” principle. [2-5] Other supplements of essential nutrients may also help, including the B vitamins, vitamin D, and omega-3 fatty acids. Excellent nutrition including adequate amounts of vitamins and essential nutrients is known to be important for maintaining weight, muscle mass, and cardiovascular health. [6-8] Vitamins C and E are necessary, especially in older people, to maintain skin, joints, muscles, blood vessels, and many organs including nerves and the brain. [9] And to get the most improvement with exercise, it’s important to eat enough protein.

Muscle sense

Proprioception is a kind of muscle sense through nerve endings in muscles that are stimulated by contraction. With age, we gradually lose the sense of proprioception. We have difficulty going down stairs while carrying a load that obscures our vision as we wonder “where did that next step go,” or “just where is my foot?” In our youth, proprioception automatically did the “looking” for us. Just walking on an uneven surface now can cause confusion. A substitute for healthy proprioception is a must for those experiencing aging, and that is having – and using – a hand rail next to steps. With one hand on a railing, one can feel better oriented in space. The ease of negotiating steps may vary. There will be times in which we are only comfortable when taking baby steps. So be it. After all, we are in our second childhood.

The eyes have it

Cataract formation (opacity of the lens of the eye) is common in older folks. We have enjoyed eye-dominance — the brain’s reliance on seeing the world around us — all our lives. When we change our focus from one object to the other, we almost instantaneously zero in with our dominant eye as the other eye follows. The greater the difference in visual acuity between the eyes, the longer the lag time that provides a moment of “where am I?” Proper depth perception depends on eyes, with similar acuity, working together. When vision is quite poor in one eye, we lose stereoscopic vision or depth perception. Again, an irregular surface can present a problem, as one might not detect the irregularity in time to avoid it. Adequate doses of essential nutrients from an excellent diet and supplements, including the B vitamins, and vitamins C, D, and E, omega-3 fatty acids, zinc, and magnesium, are essential to maintain health of the eyes as we age. [10]

Ears, brain and balance

An easy test to demonstrate that balance “ain’t what it used to be” is to try standing on just one leg. Since you might not do too well, try this in a place where you have something to grab onto if you start to fall. This deterioration of balance is made worse by a sudden change in position, probably due to deterioration of function of the semi-circular canals of the inner ear. These act like gyroscopes to tell you just where you are in space—something automatic that we often don’t think about. There may be a connection between hearing loss and the workings of the inner ear. So if you have hearing loss, it might be better to be checked out by an ENT doctor, who can also evaluate inner ear function, before being fitted with a hearing aid.

Blood circulation

Arising from a sleeping position too quickly may cause hypotension or even fainting. There are sensors in the carotid arteries (in the neck) that are designed to immediately kick in to avoid even momentary inadequate blood supply to the brain. However, these sensors don’t function as well in the elderly, and often the carotid arteries are not as open as they used to be. So make that position change more slowly. Take stock of what you safely can do and what you can’t. If you feel hesitant to get on a ladder, don’t.

Maybe you think like I do: I don’t as much fear falling as I do landing. I might slip on the ice. But I would much rather fall forward and risk breaking a wrist, than backwards and hit my head which can produce a concussion or, more subtly, cause bleeding entrapped by the covering of the brain (cephalohematoma) which may amount to real neurological trouble soon after. This problem develops much more readily in those on a daily aspirin regimen. The rigid, boney skull, of course, stops suddenly as it hits the hard surface, but the brain inside moves abruptly, which might cause blood vessels to tear. The bleeding may rapidly come to a stop unless enhanced by aspirin, which inhibits the first step in coagulation of blood—clumping of platelets.

Dietary recommendations

  • Eat a lower-carb diet, which will prevent bone mineral loss from too high sugar intake
  • Try intermittent fasting to increase growth hormone levels
  • Do squats and other weight-bearing exercises.

Summary

Your balance will be better sometimes than at others. Don’t worry about being slow, since the alternative spells trouble. Rather, just give full attention to the task at hand and be thankful for what you can do. You can focus on eating an excellent diet, which means eating colorful vegetables, nuts, unprocessed whole foods, moderate amounts of meat and fish, and adequate doses of supplements of essential nutrients. And you can get adequate, appropriate exercise.

“We get too soon old and too late smart,” says the old proverb. Movement with healthy awareness and healthy nutrition can help us get smarter a lot sooner and older maybe a tad later. Let us help you! Call 587-521-3595 to schedule an appointment today!

References:

References are available online at http://orthomolecular.org/resources/omns/v14n24.shtml

Self-esteem – where does it start?

Self-Esteem: The Very Beginning

Have you ever considered where or when self-esteem starts? It can start in utero.  Energetic and physiological states of the mother can imprint onto the fetus in the womb. For me, given that my biological mother’s pregnancy was unplanned and I was subsequently adopted, this entire process may have affected me. Essentially, it wired me a certain way: to be insecure, feel like I am not wanted or loved. Despite my adoptive parents’ best efforts to ensure I felt loved, I possessed a deeply profound sense of displacement that stemmed from within.

This commentary is in no way meant to criticize the process of adoption or those who choose it. This is, simply, my attempt to gain understanding about why I have the thoughts I have, the mental health challenges I have faced and where my lack of self-esteem might have originated.

Maternal Stress in Pregnancy

I open my book, Beyond the Label; 10 Steps to Improve your Mental Health with Naturopathic Medicine with research from Dr. Gabor Maté. He writes:

“The important point to explore here is how stresses during pregnancy can already begin to ‘program’ a predisposition to addiction in the developing human being. Such information places the whole issue of prenatal care in a new light and helps explain the well-known fact that adopted children are at greater risk for all kinds of problems that predispose to addictions.

 Dr. Gabor Maté continues, “Numerous studies in both animals and human beings have found that maternal stress or anxiety during pregnancy can lead to a broad range of problems in the offspring, from infantile colic to later learning difficulties and the establishment of behavioural and emotional patterns that increase a person’s predilection for addiction. Stress on the mother would result in higher levels of cortisol reaching the baby. Elevated cortisol is harmful to important brain structures, especially during periods of rapid brain development.”

Another comment from Dr. Maté states, “Any woman who has to give up her baby for adoption is, by definition, a stressed woman. She is stressed not just because she knows she’ll be separated from her baby, but primarily because if she wasn’t stressed in the first place, she would never have had to consider giving up her child: the pregnancy was unwanted, or the mother was poor, single or in a bad relationship, or she conceived involuntarily, or was a drug user or was raped or confronted by some other adversity.”

“Any of these situations would be enough to impose tremendous stress on any person, and for many months, the developing fetus would be exposed to high cortisol levels through the placenta. A proclivity for addiction is one possible consequence.”

Adoption and My Self- Esteem

In my case, my biological mother became pregnant with me when she was very young, She was moved to the other side of the country where she lived with her older sister until she gave birth. It is likely that the stress my biological mother was under exposed me to cortisol, the stress hormone, at higher levels than would be experienced in planned pregnancies.

This exposure may have set me up to be highly reactive and emotionally insecure – two sensitivities I have struggled with. Back in my late teens and early 20’s, I would test people to see if they would stay. I lacked communication skills and had a hard time expressing my feelings mostly because I didn’t understand the emotional turmoil swirling inside me. Part of me speculates that the manifestation of my bipolar disorder was because I couldn’t express what was going on.  Which then, turned into an energetic emotional volcano that had to erupt at some point.

The Good News: Changing Your Wiring

Why does all this research on pregnancy and stress-states matter? It’s important because if I didn’t know the mechanism, I wouldn’t know how to work with it and to change it. The good news is I have been able to rewire my brain thanks to the concepts of neuroplasticity and psychoneuroimmunology. The bad news is that it took me over thirty years to do so because this research was only just being developed. My hope is that you can learn from my experience and I can lend positive guidance to you in your journey to mental wellness.

Essentially, neuroplasticity means that your brain has a plastic or bendy quality to it and can change. You can create new neural pathways in your brain, essentially rewiring it to think in a new way. Psychoneuroimmunology shows us that thoughts, in turn, have a downstream effect on physiology via molecules called neuropeptides. These molecules can directly impact a variety of brain and body functions, including pain management, reward, food intake, immune function, metabolism, reproduction, social behaviours, learning, and more.

These concepts, along with other psychotherapeutic and naturopathic interventions, offer the prospect of emotional healing from our developmental traumas. It has been said that “adoption is the only trauma in which the adoptee is expected to be grateful”. For me, the majority of my emotional healing work revolves around getting over my fear of abandonment, rejection, and worthlessness. I have learned how to love, to let others in, and to accept a helping hand when it is offered.

Reach Out to Someone in Need

If you know someone that is struggling with bipolar disorder or their mental health in general, please share this blog with them. Think of it as a helping hand or hug that you are extending to them. I have made it my life’s work to help those that might be suffering. I have created many resources that can help. By sharing my personal journey, I hope to extend hope to others that they too can regain their mental health.

Sending you healing thoughts,

Dr. Chris, ND

Reference:

Maté, G. (2008). In the realm of hungry ghosts: close encounters with addiction. Toronto, ON: Knopf Canada

The Power of Nutrition Analysis

One of the services offered at Natural Terrain Naturopathic Clinic is the Nutrition Analysis. Using a diet journal of everything you eat and drink for a week, we can break down your nutrition intake of what you’re getting down to the exact amount of every macromolecule, vitamin, mineral and trace element.

Do you want to know if you’re getting enough vitamins, and specifically which ones you might need to supplement? Which amino acids are you lacking? Are you sure you’re getting enough iron, fibre, protein, calcium?  Or, are you taking handfuls of daily vitamins hoping that covers your bases without really knowing what you need?

We individualize it to your sex, age, requirements, and dietary restrictions to make sure you’re getting the best recommendations for you.

A diet analysis shows us the “behind the scenes” snapshot of how you are fueling your body. This allows us to make assessments of which vitamins and supplements will benefit you the most, but even more importantly, it helps us guide your diet changes that will make the most impact. 

Suggestions

Let’s take a look at the foods you’re eating, and make small changes that can lead to big health benefits in the long run. For example, below is a breakfast of scrambled egg wrap (eggs cooked in coconut oil) with cheese and salsa, a cup of milk, complete with comments and suggestions. Get the inside scoop on the foods you are already eating, and how to make them better!

Ingredient Concern Solution
White flour wrap/tortilla Refined carbohydrates (items made with sugar and white flour) interfere with optimal blood sugar control. These also contribute to your health concerns (depression, migraines) via gluten and gliadorphin sensitivity that can manifest as mood, energy, and inflammation issues. Use whole grain wraps with organic grains or corn, low refined carbohydrate content and, importantly, no added sugar. You may be surprised how many things have sugar added! Try brands like La Tortilla Factory Ivory Teff Gluten Free Wraps, or make your own with this recipe.
Scrambled eggs Unless organic, eggs contain hormones, so go for the most organic eggs you can get. The worst way to eat eggs is scrambled because the yolks oxidize when they are broken. Eggs are also high on many food intolerance tests so you my want to try an elimination diet with eggs.  As mentioned, scrambled is not the best option, so try to have boiled or poached eggs. Eggs are high in protein and a good source of vitamins and cholesterol so they are good to include in your diet!
Coconut oil Generally good to include. *Be very aware of the smoke point of your oils! This is the temperature above which an oil will smoke and create harmful free radicals. Refined coconut oil has a smoke point of 450F, whereas unrefined, dry expeller pressed, virgin coconut oil has a smoke point of 350F. Continue to use, but do not use if temperature will go above the smoke point.If frying eggs, cook in oil/fat with a high smoke point, such as avocado oil, or ghee (clarified butter) which smoke at 485F.
Cheese Is your cheese orange? If so, it contains chemicals as the orange colour in cheese is usually dye. Is your cheese organic? If not, it contains hormones. There are also possible food intolerances to proteins in dairy, again consider doing an elimination diet with all dairy products. Organic white cheese only. The more aged a cheese is, generally the less lactose there is. Try an organic sheep’s milk cheese to see if this is more tolerable than cow’s milk cheese.
Salsa Tomatoes are considered an inflammatory food for some people with intolerances (part of the night shade family). They are also on the EWG’s “dirty dozen” list of the 12 produce items most heavily sprayed with pesticides and chemicals. Salsa often contains sugar and non-organic corn. Check what you are eating by reading the label! Avoid tomatoes as they are an inflammatory food and dirty dozen list. If you really love them, eat them sparingly, but make sure they are organic and they they are well cooked as this helps to release helpful lycopene. Buy organic and avoid brands with added sugar and cheese.
Milk Unless organic, milk contains hormones that can act as endocrine disruptors and affect reproductive organs, fertility and other body processes. Milk is also an inflammatory food and can thicken the mucous secretions in your respiratory tract,  making you more susceptible to bouts of sinus infections, bronchitis and pneumonia. Use Alternative milk, almond, organic soy, coconut, rice, and tapioca milk are all decent suggestions. Milk is not required by human bodies and we even lose the ability to digest it properly as we get older. You can get your calcium in other ways!

Analyze your diet with us and get the inside scoop on what your body is getting, and what it’s lacking. Dr. Chris Bjorndal, ND also has a diet and recipe book called The Essential Diet: Eating for Mental Health that gives a complete 2-week meal plan, recipes and even shopping lists to make it even easier to start to eat clean, strong and healthy. Let’s make some positive changes to get you feeling better!

A Few of Our Favourite Things Part 1

One of the unique differences about Natural Terrain is that we are a husband and wife naturopathic team. As clinic owners, we care about you and your health. As parents, our number one concern is the health of our child (who is now 12.5!) and as a married couple that also work together, we strive daily to find “work/life” balance. An area of medicine that we are both passionate about is environmental medicine.  We try to keep our home as toxin-free as possible (to get an idea of how you are doing, take our Environmental Quiz). For the new year, we want to share a couple of the things we love because they help keep our family happy and healthy.

Stainless Steel Lunch Box

This stainless-steel lunch box contains four sections to ensure that you can pack a variety of snacks and have a balanced meal, even when you’re on the go! And it’s plastic-free! How great is that!

Instant Pot Pressure Cooker

This is Dr. Mason-Wood, ND’s new favorite thing! There are a few tools that we really love, one of our new favorite tools in the kitchen is the Instant Pot pressure cooker. Dr. Mason-Wood, ND uses it 2-3 times per week. The most recent recipe he made was this Vegan 15 Bean Soup. with a little change – he added 12 ground shitake mushrooms to the recipe for some extra immune boosting properties and it tasted great!

Glass Storage Containers

Glass storage containers are a great alternative to plastic containers. These glass storage containers are large and have a tight sealing lid which is perfect for storing your left overs! They are oven, dishwasher and microwaveable safe. We suggest reheating foods in the oven or on the stovetop. If you do use a microwave to reheat food, please never, ever put anything plastic in the microwave – even if it is just a lid that is not touching the food – the small particles can still be a problem for your health.

Stay tuned for next week’s blog where we feature more of our kitchen favorites!!

Natural Terrain’s Holiday Gift Guide

Give the gift of wellness this holiday season! There are many different gifts that you can give to loved ones to stay healthy. We, at Natural Terrain, have put together a list of our top gifts

  1. Beyond the Label by Dr. Christina Bjorndal, ND
    • Dr. Chris, ND has been praised for the power and wisdom she shares through her book “Beyond the Label”. A recent review in the International Society of Orthomolecular Medicine states that “Beyond The Label is at once a deeply intimate offering of personal struggle and growth, and a rousing “how-to” instructional guide for cultivating one’s own internal peace. Cutting-edge research and resources abound in this book to galvanize those with mental illness, and their loved ones.” This book is perfect for anyone looking to learn more about mental health and hear an inspiring story of how Dr. Chris, ND overcame her mental illness. Dr. Jonathan Prousky, ND praises Beyond The Label, “This book should be on the shelves of every person struggling with their moods”. Beyond the Label is available at the clinic, Chapters and on Kindle and Amazon: https://amzn.to/2QM4aOF; as well as at local bookstores (Audreys Bookstore and Ascendant books and Lifeforce Herbal Healing Centre in Fort McMurray). A portion of the proceeds from book sales goes towards a mental health scholarship (the Natural Terrain Naturopathic Award) at the Canadian College of Naturopathic Medicine.
  2. TrueDark Glasses
    • Overexposure to blue light wavelengths found in artificial light can damage the cells in our eyes over time.  It can also throw your circadian rhythm, off track —  making it difficult to get quality sleep at night and perform well during the day (whether it be at work or in an athletic capacity). TrueDark glasses reduces your exposure to harmful light – day or night – restoring your circadian rhythm and bringing balance to your mind and body. These glasses are available online. 
  3. Handmade Soap
    • Avoid toxins with handmade soaps made by Dr. Mason-Wood, ND. Available at the clinic from $6.50 – $7.50.
  4. Moving Beyond- A Journal to Self-discovery by Dr. Christina Bjorndal
    • A great gift to encourage an exploration into mental, emotional, spiritual and physical health through journaling. Dr. Chris, ND’s journal is available at the clinic or Chapters and Amazon: https://amzn.to/2E3Q6ct
  5. The Essential Diet: Eating for Mental Health 
    • The Essential Diet is a book that provides simple and healthy recipes that will ensure the body has the essential nutrients needed for mental health. Perfect for those who want to learn about how to support their mental health or for those who need some inspiration in the kitchen. The Essential Diet is available at the clinic, at Chapters, or on Kindle or Amazon: https://amzn.to/2E6QK8T,
  6. The Delicious Detox Cookbook by Dr. Carol Morley
    • A great idea for anyone that wants to start eating healthier! $25 – available at the clinic
  7.  Diet Analysis 
    • Give the gift of insight with a diet analysis. A diet analysis is a personalized break down of what you eat and what you may be missing from your diet. It also helps us guide your diet changes to make the most impact on your health.

We wish you a healthy and happy holiday season,

From the Natural Terrain team 🙂

Not All Iron Is Created Equal

A typical prescription when you are low in iron is to take an iron supplement. With so many supplements out there, it may be hard to choose, and so you might just go with the most popular product, Feramax. By the name, it sounds like it might just do the trick.

The company that owns Feramax boasts that it is the #1 recommended over-the-counter iron supplement in Canada, because of its high dose of iron and a supposed lowered toxicity profile. But when I looked at the ingredients in the actual supplement, I balked. I couldn’t believe that medical doctors and pharmacists recommended this product over others just because of its high doses, and overlooked the many harmful non-medicinal ingredients in it.

Let’s take a look at why iron isn’t the only thing to look at in iron supplements:

Each Feramax tablet contains:

Iron 40 mg. Other Ingredients: Calcium Carbonate, Cellulose Acetate, FD & C Red #40, FD & C Yellow #6, FD & C Blue No.2, Hypromellose, Magnesium Stearate, Maltodextrin, Microcrystalline Cellulose, Polydextrose, Polyethylene Glycol, Sodium Starch Glycolate, Titanium Dioxide, Triacetin.

There are 14 non-medicinal ingredients, 7 of which are proven to be directly harmful, 2 of which are potentially harmful, and 4 of which are inert at low doses, or potentially harmful if you are sensitive to it. Let’s take a closer look.

Calcium carbonate

This is a form of calcium found in some supplements and also in antacid tablets like Tums. While not directly harmful, even small amounts of this substance taken when not needed can impact stomach acid levels and affect digestion and absorption of food. For a deeper dive into why you should avoid antacid medication, read this article on The Burning Truth About Antacids.  Also, calcium carbonate is not the most absorbable form of calcium and it is better to assess your need for calcium supplementation with your ND based on your dietary consumption.

Cellulose acetate

This compound is part of the tablet coating. Cellulose acetate is also used in eyeglasses, cigarette filters, and playing cards.  The American Polymer Standards Corporation straight-up says it may be harmful if ingested.1 Why is it in medicine?

Artificial colours: FD & C Red #40, Yellow #6, Blue #2

These 3 artificial colours are perhaps the biggest culprits. Countless reports and studies have come out over recent years showing the harmful effects of food dyes. Specifically, artificial colours have been implicated as exacerbating attention deficit and hyperactivity disorders in children,2 allergies, learning impairment, and even cancer.3

Hypromellose

Basically, this is natural fibre that has been modified (ie is semi-synthetic), and is usually used as artificial tears in products like Visine®. But after feeding it to rats and not observing any big changes, the FDA approved it as a direct and indirect food additive4.

Magnesium Stearate

Like hypromellose, the purpose of magnesium stearate in medications is lubrication for manufacturing and also for moving along the digestive tract. It is mostly inert, and for this reason is found in many supplements and medications, although at high doses it has been linked with suppressed immunity, poor intestinal absorption, and contamination5.

Maltodextrin

This ingredient is a starch usually made from corn. Despite being “generally recognized as safe” and therefore approved as a food additive, it turns into sugar in the body and can raise the blood sugar and contribute to weight gain, insulin insensitivity, and diabetes6. Keep in mind as well, that corn is one of the top genetically modified foods and there has been no long term studies on the health implications of GMO products.

Microcrystalline cellulose

Microcrystalline cellulose (MCC) is refined wood pulp. While sounding strange, that’s not the part that is dangerous about MCC. MCC is actually a nanoparticle, meaning it’s so small that it enters cells freely, and once there, they accumulate over time and can clog up cell functions like cotton in a jar, leading to dysfunction and toxicity.  The smaller the particle, the more dangerous they are, so the FDA has banned all MCC smaller than 5 microns in size, but nanoparticle size regulation is sparse for manufacturing companies7.

Polydextrose

This is a non-digestible starch that ferments in the large intestine. Interestingly, the unique fermentation of polydextrose has been shown to positively affect the gut bacteria (ie improve the microbiome) and even improve mineral absorption in the large intestine. Because of this, it is possible that polydextrose is the most helpful ingredient besides iron in Feramax. However, in people that are sensitive to changes in the microbiome (eg those with SIBO or fibre sensitivity), polydextrose can cause intestinal gas, bloating, stomach cramps, and diarrhea8.

Polyethylene Glycol (PEG)

Simply put, this is a laxative put into the medicine because iron is known to be a little constipating to some people. Like polydextrose, it is a non-digestible fibre that pulls water into the colon to help hydrate stools. If you are sensitive to fibre and non-digestible starches, you can end up with gas, cramps, nausea, and diarrhea.

Sodium starch glycolate

This compound absorbs water quickly and helps tablets and pills dissolve. It’s fairly inert, except that it is made from either wheat or corn, which can trigger sensitivities in people with celiac disease or corn allergies.

Titanium dioxide

This is used as a colorant, and like the other artificial colours, it has a slew of health implications. Among them, it has been implicated in lowered immune system function, with some studies showing DNA damage by titanium dioxide nanoparticles, albeit marginal damage. It has also been shown to cause kidney damage in mice, and to induce small intestine inflammation9. Again, why do we have to sacrifice our health for the colour of our vitamins?

Triacetin

While being generally recognized as safe, in low-dose human studies, animal studies show that Triacetin is moderately toxic by all injection routes, with animals showing weakness, difficulty moving and breathing, muscular tremors, occasional convulsions and hemorrhage in the lung.

What does all that mean?

It is important to note that the dosages in the supplements are generally lower than what is seen in most of the toxicity studies. That being said, even though studies haven’t shown direct acute toxicity, there can be significant long-term chronic cumulative toxicity that leads to vague symptoms like fatigue, weight gain, indigestion, and malaise. Why risk it with your iron supplement that is meant to make you feel better in the long run?

Choose supplements with the least non-medicinal ingredients, or at least ones that don’t contain the worst of them, artificial colours, titanium dioxide, maltodextrin and triacetin.

For example, another iron supplement called Floradix has these non-medicinal ingredients:

Non-medicinal ingredients: extracts of carrot, stinging nettle, spinach, couch grass, bitter fennel, kelp, hibiscus; juice concentrates of pear, black grape, black currant, orange, blackberry, cherry and red beetroot; in a base of honey, extracts of rosehip, wheat germ and yeast, natural orange flavour, purified water and ascorbic acid (antioxidant). The only thing that could improve in this supplement from an ingredient perspective is “natural orange flavour”  – usually this is code for chemical.

There are other options for your health! We find it is best to determine why your iron is low in the first place. To get to the root of your health concerns work with a Naturopathic Doctor today!

References:
  1. American Polymer Standards Corporation, on Celluose Acetate http://www.ampolymer.com/SDS/CelluloseAcetateSDS.html
  2. Arnold, L. E., Lofthouse, N., & Hurt, E. (2012). Artificial food colors and attention-deficit/hyperactivity symptoms: conclusions to dye for. Neurotherapeutics, 9(3), 599-609.
  3. Stokes, M. (2010). How bad is red 40 and other food dyes? EatingWell.com blog, November/December 2010 http://www.eatingwell.com/article/16442/the-hidden-health-risks-of-food-dyes/
  4. Burdock, G. A. (2007). Safety assessment of hydroxypropyl methylcellulose as a food ingredient. Food and Chemical Toxicology, 45(12), 2341-2351.
  5. Axe on Magnesium stearate, 2017. https://draxe.com/magnesium-stearate/
  6. Hofman, D. L., Van Buul, V. J., & Brouns, F. J. (2016). Nutrition, health, and regulatory aspects of digestible maltodextrins. Critical reviews in food science and nutrition, 56(12), 2091-2100.
  7. Burdock, G (2007). Nanotechnology, Benefits vs toxic risks. New Hope Network. https://www.newhope.com/supply-news-amp-analysis/nanotechnology-benefits-vs-toxic-risks
  8. do Carmo, M., Walker, J., Novello, D., Caselato, V., Sgarbieri, V., Ouwehand, A., … & dos Santos, E. (2016). Polydextrose: physiological function, and effects on health. Nutrients, 8(9), 553.
  9. Yigsaw, 2016. 5 DANGEROUS INGREDIENTS IN YOUR VITAMINS AND DIETARY SUPPLEMENTS. American College of Healthcare Sciences. http://info.achs.edu/blog/5-dangerous-ingredients-in-your-vitamins-and-dietary-supplements

Birthday Spotlight: Dr. Michael Mason-Wood, ND

We are celebrating Dr. Michael Mason-Wood, ND – who Dr. Chris likes to refer to as her 20 in 1 guy as he can do just about anything- cook, clean, fix anything, make anything, and most importantly – we think he is an amazing ND. We did a mini interview:

1. Where did you grow up?

I grew up in Mayo which is a small town in the Yukon. One of Mayo’s claims to fame is boosting the coldest and hottest temperature in one year: -50C to +50C. Give or take a few, the population was approximately 500 people.  As a kid, I was exposed to many outdoor activities: hiking, canoeing, snowshoeing, camping, and several sports.  Given the limited amount of children (there were 12 kids in my grade 12 graduation class), everyone had to play every sport to have a team so we could compete in  Whitehorse and Dawson City.  In most events, we got clobbered, however, I was very good at running and badminton and we had an amazing curling team. We won several Yukon titles in these three sports.  I still love curling and curl two nights a week and I am the coach for my son’s curling team.  Growing up, my dad owned the local motel and my aunt owned the only hotel in town – this made for friendly family competition.  We lived in the basement of the motel and I have ironed far too many pillow cases than I care to count, painted the entire motel at least three times and I am an excellent toilet bowl scrubber (not that that helped much on my resume – LOL!).

2. What is your favourite thing about being an ND?

I love being a Naturopathic Doctor because we have so many tools in our tool kit (ie treatment options). This allows us to help patients with their health concerns, no matter how varied.  It is amazing to see patients smile and hear the stories of how they are feeling better – less pain, more energy, better sleep, clear skin, balanced hormones, pain free menstrual cycles, not getting sick every month etc. We are often the last resort for patients as they have been to many other health care providers before coming to see us and I am so happy that we are able to help improve their lives.  I recently had a patient who was told her only option was opioids for the ankle pain she was experiencing for the last 3 years.  After 2 Prolotherapy treatments she noticed an 80% reduction in pain—our medicine works and I wish more people knew about it!.

3. What are your hobbies outside of work? 

Outside of work, I am a budding artist and creative to my core. Similar to my sister, we both go to craft shows and think “oh I can make this or that” but never really have the time to do so.  I do like fixing broken things and I get great satisfaction of preventing something that would have ended up in the landfill by fixing it.  My wife refers to me as the Environmental Police. In fact, one of my specialities is Environment medicine.  Many people are simply not aware of the toxins they are exposed to on a daily basis through the food, air, water and packaging of food products and beverages. I enjoy organic gardening and the spoils that come with it: cooking and canning / preserving food from the garden.  I have several collections, some of which are continually being added to and others that are stagnant but I enjoy looking at.  The one I really enjoy is insect collecting and pinning.  This is thanks to my sister as she ended up enrolling me in an entomology course in university and I found it fascinating. In fact, one of my career choices was to become an entomologist. While I was studying naturopathic medicine, pottery became a favorite hobby of mine and great stress reliever, however, I haven’t made the time to figure where I can continue this passion here in Edmonton. I am looking forward to retirement years and setting up my own pottery/art studio.

What is Ozone Therapy?

Ozone therapy is a therapeutic treatment used to treat and prevent a wide range of conditions. Ozone (O3) is a gas made up of three oxygen molecules and is chemically similar to the oxygen we breath (O2). Because of its extra oxygen molecule, ozone is able to react with free radicals in the body, neutralizing them and leaving behind beneficial oxygen (O2). The oxygen stimulates the immune system, increases the amount of energy our cells produce and promotes circulation.

To find out more about ozone therapy, we interviewed Dr. Mason-Wood, ND, the ozone master of Natural Terrain.

What is ozone therapy used for? 

Ozone therapy can be used to both prevent and treat a number of different diseases including,

  • Chronic fungal conditions – Candida, Sarcoidosis, Chronic sinusitis (fungal)
  • Chronic viral conditions – Cold sores (HSV1), Genital herpes (HSV2), Chronic fatigue syndrome (HSV6), Shingles, Mononucleosis, HIV, Hepatitis, etc.
  • Bacterial infections – Acute colds, MRSA, Chronic sinusitis (bacterial), ear infections
  • Chelation adjunct – Chelozone
  • Preconditioning – prior to surgery, ozone therapy helps to reduce recovery time and the need for pain medications
  • Dental infections- treat / prevent infections leading to root canals

What does a typical ozone therapy session involve?

  • I have an oxygen tank hooked up to an ozone generator which splits one O2 and combines that ½ with another O2 to make the O3.
  • Usual administration is called MAH (Major AutoHemotherapy), an IV treatment that typically takes from 30min to 40min.
  • Other common routes to administer are Ear insufflation, IntraArticular for joints (prolozone), topical Ozonated olive oil, limb bagging for topical infections
  • Sessions typically involve 1 treatment a week for 10 weeks, but this can vary. Some acute cases only need one treatment and others need 3-5 treatments.

What effects should I expect to see using ozone therapy?

  • Kills bacteria, viruses, fungi/yeast and parasites
  • Stimulates the immune system to help speed healing
  • Improves circulation – stimulated microcirculation
  • Normalized hormone and enzyme production
  • Anti-inflammatory and helps reduce pain
  • Decreases stroke damage
  • Improves brain function and memory

What are the potential risks?

As with any treatment, there are risks. Listed below are some potential side effects of ozone therapy. However, with proper technique and an experienced practitioner as myself, these risks are very minimal. I have completed a lot of treatments and I have never had any of these side effects occur in patients.

  • Shortness of breath and other respiratory problems
  • Enzyme inactivation
  • Swelling of blood vessels
  • Poor circulation
  • Heart problems
  • Increased risk of stroke
  • Damage to eardrum via insufflation of the ear
  • Rupture of the bowels due to insufflation of the rectum
  • Risk of pulmonary embolism and death when given intravenously

To learn more about ozone therapy, visit our page. Talk to your Naturopathic Doctor to see if ozone therapy is right for you. Book your appointment today!