Category: Blog

The reason I became a Naturopathic Doctor (ND) is simple: I was sick and tired of being tired and sick. I had a high profile job reporting to a high profile CEO in the investment management industry and had been diagnosed with several health challenges: cancer, depression, anxiety, and high blood pressure due to stress. In addition, I was recovering from an eating disorder and an addiction to exercise given my talent as a track competitor at the National level and Ironman triathlete background.

I was used to the “traditional” medical model – go to your MD, get referred to specialist A, B, C or D and stay in the “system”. After 15 years of being in “the system” and not getting satisfactory results, I conceded to my friends requests and agreed that there MUST be another way to address all my health problems – including my physical, mental, emotional and spiritual states. I started seeing an ND in 1996, after waiting 2 years to get an appointment. And, I have not looked back. I even made an extremely difficult choice when I was 33 years of age and passed up an incredible job opportunity after asking myself one question: “If money didn’t matter, what would I be doing with my life, career-wise?” The answer came immediately to me: Become a Naturopathic Doctor and help people recover from the same illnesses you have dealt with using a balanced approach that involves more than simply suppressing symptoms with pharmaceuticals.

This issue of Connect is about your Mind, Body and Spirit – to date, Naturopathic Medicine is the only medical model that I know of, that addresses all these aspects in an individual. Naturopathic medicine refers to a distinct system of primary healthcare that uses natural methods and substances to support and stimulate the body’s inherent self-healing process. It is a system of medicine that is based on prevention and promotes the optimum health and wellness of individuals by taking into account the physical, mental, emotional and spiritual aspects of one’s life when diagnosing and developing a treatment plan.

Naturopathic doctors view individuals as an integral whole where symptoms are seen as warning signals of improper functioning or imbalances in the body and with one’s environment. The objective of Naturopathic medicine is to address the root or underlying cause of disease, rather than to simply treat or suppress symptoms and we work as leaders on your health care team, in conjunction with medical doctors and specialists, for your benefit. Give yourself the most important gift of a lifetime – the gift of health. Consult with a Naturopathic doctor today to optimize your health – do it for yourself, your family and perform better at work as a positive side effect!

Statistics report that 1 in 4 people experience depression or anxiety in their lifetime. The good news is that it is a very treatable condition. The naturopathic approach to depression and anxiety focuses on identifying and treating the cause using a combination of dietary, lifestyle and herbal/supplement recommendations, as well as cognitive-behavioural therapy.

Nowadays, the terms “depression” and “anxiety” are used loosely so both internal and external imbalances can be the cause. By internal influences I am referring to an imbalance in brain chemicals (neurotransmitters) that leads to distorted moods, thinking, and behaviour. That is why a person who seemingly has everything going for them with no apparent reason to be depressed or anxious can be.

There are many alternatives to treating depression and anxiety. Our diet has a significant influence on our brain’s behaviour. A poor diet, especially one high in junk food, is often a contributing factor.

The levels of neurotransmitters in our brain are controlled by what we eat. One very important neurotransmitter is serotonin – serotonin plays a role in mood, sleep, and appetite. Low levels of serotonin may result from diets too high in simple sugars/ carbohydrates (e.g., white sugar, white flour, sweets, and processed foods) and lead to depression, anxiety, and sleep disturbances.

Diets high in complex carbohydrates, on the other hand, help to increase serotonin and elevate mood. In general, eat a diet that is high in raw fruits and vegetables, whole grains (e.g., brown rice, oats, and millet), raw unsalted nuts and seeds, and legumes (e.g., chick peas, kidney beans, peas, lentils). Such a diet will ensure adequate amounts of complex carbohydrates to increase and balance serotonin levels in the brain.

I wanted to share something that might be a little “out there” with you about one of my views about depression and mental illness. One view I have is modeled after the “western” or “scientific” view that mental illness is a biochemical imbalance in the brain and if you give the body what it needs – ie neurotransmitter balancing of dopamine, norepinephrine, GABA, epinephrine, serotonin (via antidepressants and other drugs (pharmaceutical route) or niacin/folic acid/B6/tryptophan/EFA therapy (orthomolecular route)) – you will improve the patients mental state. In my practice, I have seen this with every patient I treat that has an imbalance in the mental realm as there is no denying the physical and causal connection of neurotransmitters and one’s mood state.

On the other hand, my “out-there” view is depression is a way by which our spirit is trying to get our attention because some aspect of our life (be it school, our direction, job, a relationship) is not moving in concert with our spirit or divine plan – we are moving west and our spirit is trying to get us to go north…so by looking at ourselves and taking the time to be silent, talk to others, open up about what we are feeling etc, we can address the underlying root of depression, anxiety, addiction, etc. Others believe that there is some underlying event that may have happened years ago (ie adoption, sexual abuse, emotional abuse, etc..) but I don’t think this is always the case. You don’t always need a reason to be depressed (hence the biochemical view).

Personally, I feel and have witnessed in my own life as well as the lives of my patients that there are ten levels of healing as I discuss in my book: Beyond the Label: 10 Steps to Improve your Mental Health with Naturopathic Medicine.

Outlined below, is a discussion from the Journal of Naturopathic Medicine 
regarding one of these levels of healing:

“in the process of healing we must first seek, then remove the cause. As the cause of illness is removed the natural tendency of the body is to improve function. The human being is not simply a physical entity. We have minds, we think. We have emotions, we feel and we translate these feelings into meaning. We are spiritual beings. Most of the early naturopathic writers, such as Lindlahr, Lust and Hahnemann, believed that illness began in the spiritual aspect of the person. I share this belief. Most of our education and therapeutic focus is on the physical aspect of the human being. It is crucial, in my opinion, that we direct more attention to the spiritual aspect. I believe we will see much more attention given to this area by our profession over the next few years. …….Causes of disease manifest in four groups or levels: spiritual, mental, emotional and physical. Of these four aspects, the spirit is the center; the next layer is the mental aspect of the person, then the emotions and the outermost layer is the physical. If there is a distortion on the spiritual level, it will create distortion through the system, like ripples from a stone thrown into a pond.

The knowledge of this spiritual aspect of reality is not well developed in our culture. We have no common language to discuss it. As a profession we acknowledge the existence of a spiritual aspect of the person, but do not teach a methodology to work with it. I believe that this is a peculiar phenomenon in our American culture, with our freedom of religion (or freedom from religion). Our profession must develop a language with which to discuss the spiritual aspect of healing without reference to religion.

For now, it is incumbent upon us as naturopathic physicians to acknowledge and to work in our own ways to recognize and pursue healing in this aspect of our patients’ lives. We can discuss with patients the presence of peace and trust in their lives, their spiritual practice, or absence of it and our perceptions of their health or happiness in these regards. This requires that we pursue our own personal spiritual development.

When a person refuses, or is unable to take those steps which can lead to healing from a crippling or terminal illness, this may be primarily a spiritual issue. The extent to which we can successfully address this, and to which the person can accept change on a spiritual level, will determine whether healing can occur. Illness is a great teacher. Death is not defeat.

It is neither our responsibility nor prerogative to prevent death or heal illness. It is our privilege and responsibility to work with the vis medicatrix and assist our patients in their healing process.

If one continually throws garbage out the kitchen window, there will eventually be flies to contend with. One can deal with the flies by spraying poison on them, and even spray the garbage pile itself. This is like using antibiotics or antidepressants. Or, one can clean up the garbage. Not only will the flies go away, but the kitchen will smell better. This is the naturopathic approach. Clean up the garbage. If you do, the flies won’t come back when the poison wears off. And the flies won’t build up a resistance to poison either.”

Interview with Dr. Christina Bjorndal, ND by Laurie Pawlik-Kienlen

Orthomolecular Medicine can be an effective treatment for mental and emotional health issues such as depression and anxiety – especially if they’re caused by hormonal or chemical imbalances in the body. This alternative healing therapy restores the optimum environment of the body by correcting imbalances or deficiencies in an individual’s biochemistry.

Here, naturopathic physician Dr. Christina Bjorndal, ND describes what Orthomolecular Medicine is, how it can effectively treat depression and other emotional health issues, and the impact it can have on mental health and well-being.

What is Orthomolecular Medicine?

By treating the “root” cause of physical or emotional health issues, Orthomolecular Medicine stabilizes the underlying nutritional/biochemical imbalances in the body. Natural substances, such as vitamins, minerals, amino acids, trace elements and fatty acids, are prescribed to restore optimal health and treat the hormonal or biochemical imbalances that can lead to depressed or anxious feelings.

“There are many levels to healing,” says Dr. Bjorndal, ND. “Orthomolecular Medicine works on a physical level, like pharmaceuticals. It’s a great, natural alternative to standard drug therapy for conditions in the mental realm, such as depression, anxiety, bipolar disorder, and schizophrenia.”

Getting help for depressed or anxious feelings can involve trying different types of treatments for depression, both conventional and alternative. The more individuals know about the ways to manage depression, the easier it may be to find the right treatment.

How This Natural Therapy Helps Treat Depression

Orthomolecular Medicine doesn’t just effectively manage feelings of depression, sadness, or anxiety. It can help with a wide variety of mental and emotional health issues. “I’ve incorporated Orthomolecular Medicine to successfully treat the following mental health conditions: depression, anxiety, bipolar disorder types I and II, eating disorders and insomnia,” says Dr. Bjorndal, ND. “For instance, I saw a 32-year-old male patient last summer who had suffered from depression for 15 years. After starting the Orthomolecular protocol, along with my counseling, his depression lifted within three months of treatment. He experienced his first ‘depression free’ Christmas in many years.”

Dr. Bjorndal, ND explains that nutritional biochemistry is a significant scientific factor in mental health issues. With regard to depression, serotonin is the “feel good” neurotransmitter, made naturally in the body from tryptophan, which many antidepressants seek to increase. Tryptophan is an essential amino acid that the human body can not manufacture itself; if individuals are deficient in that amino acid, they’ll also be deficient in serotonin.

“This is the basic science of how Orthomolecular Medicine can help with depression, and patients understand it,” says Dr. Bjorndal, ND. “Many people are tired of the side effects of antidepressants or other medications, and want a natural alternative that deals with the root of their depression or anxiety. They are tired of taking a drug that masks the symptoms but does nothing to change their underlying mental and behavioral states.”

Orthomolecular Medicine Also Incorporates Therapy or Counseling

Since physical and emotional health issues such as depression, bipolar, and anxiety are often multifactorial (more than one root cause), it’s important to address the behavioral, mental, emotional and spiritual levels of healing. Dr. Bjorndal, ND uses specific counseling techniques, such as Gestalt Psychotherapy, Compassion-Focused Therapy and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, to help people with mental or emotional health issues.

“This way,” she says, “optimal health is not only achievable, but maintained because people learn to change their underlying thought processes.” Effectively treating depressed or anxious feelings — or any emotional or mental health issues — can involve trial-and-error. For more information about managing anxious or sad feelings without taking antidepressants or other medications, read Natural Treatments for Depression.

This time of year has different meaning to many depending on your religious or spiritual background. A few years ago, I wrote an article called “The Healing is in the Feeling” and this article is a follow-up to that. In the first article, I talk about really feeling our feelings – both good and bad, happy and sad, painful or not – in order for true healing to occur. A part of this healing puzzle includes our capacity to forgive. I first learned about forgiveness when I memorized the Lords prayer in Sunday school at the age of 4 and the line “forgive us for our trespasses as we forgive those who trespassed against us” was recited. Some important questions to ask yourself this holiday season are: 1. Who in my life do I need to forgive? 2. Is there anyone that I am harboring resentment or ill-will towards – either consciously or subconsciously? 3. Who am I slightly angry at or bitter towards in my heart?

Forgiveness is not an easy thing for many. Partly because we may feel that in forgiving someone we feel we are saying “that’s okay…” – that their behavior or transgression is acceptable. This is not what forgiveness is. By forgiving, you are not condoning the behavior, you are releasing yourself from the trap of resentment. It is saying – “the way you treated me or your behavior is not necessarily excused; however, I release and forgive you, as well as myself”. In the Bible, it says “forgive them for they know not what they do” – that is what forgiveness is about. As many of you know, I have had my personal trials and tribulations with my health over the last 30+ years – and my family and friends have gone through some difficult times as a result of my challenges. I consider my true friends and family members to be the ones that are still by my side despite the hardships, struggles and difficulties that having an illness brings. What saddens me to my core is the inability of my family and friends to forgive events/actions that have happened in the past. If you are like me and have loved ones that are stuck in their inability to forgive and communicate, I urge you to read about forgiveness in “Women’s Bodies, Women’s Wisdom” by Dr. Christiane Northrup, M.D. (pages 630-637). To summarize, she writes: “Forgiveness frees us. It heals our bodies and our lives. But it is also the most difficult step we must take in our healing process. It takes a great deal of energy to keep someone out of our hearts. The twelve-step approach teaches that we make amends for ourselves, not necessarily for the other person. But when we make amends to those who have hurt us, both of us are freed. Forgiveness and making amends are completely linked. Holding a grudge and maintaining hatred or resentment hurts us at least as much as the other person.

Forgiveness moves our energy to the heart area, the fourth chakra. When the body’s energy moves there, we don’t take our wounds so personally – and we can heal. Forgiveness is the initiation of the heart, and it is very powerful. Scientific studies have shown, for example, that when we think with our hearts by taking a moment to focus on someone or something that we love unconditionally – like a puppy or a young child – the rhythm of our hearts evens out and becomes healthier. Hormone levels change and normalize as well. When people are taught to think with their hearts regularly, they can even reverse heart disease and other stress-related conditions. The electromagnetic field of the heart is forty times stronger than the electromagnetic field produced by the brain; to me, this means that every cell in our bodies – and in the bodies of those around us – can be positively influenced by the quality of our hearts when they are beating in synchrony with the energy of appreciation.”

I first learned of a powerful forgiveness exercise from Stephen Levine and it is one that I have practiced for many years. It has helped me to heal the hole in my heart that was eaten away by unresolved conflict in my relationships. From Iyanla Vanzant: “When you become so angry with a person that you want to shut them out of your life, you need to know that there is something going on with you that has nothing to do with them. At this level, anger is a response to your own judgments, the failed satisfaction of your own expectations, your failed attempts to gain control or your subconscious response to fear. If you want to establish and maintain peaceful relationships with other people surrender all judgments of who they are and who they are not.”

This holiday season, may you understand the meaning of the season and give the gift of forgiveness to those in your life that you may be withholding your love from. My gift to you is the  Forgiveness Meditation that I have found so helpful in my own journey towards optimal health.

With love, from our hearts to yours,

Natural Terrain Team

Winter has always been my favorite time of year – with the trees losing their leaves, the crisp cool days, the first snow fall and excitement of ski season. The turning back of the clocks at daylight savings time, however, brings the turning back of moods for many people. With exposure to less sunlight, especially in communities in Northern Canada, it can be more difficult to motivate yourself.

My husband grew up in the Yukon where there is very little sunlight during the winter and he never had a problem with Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD). However, many people do. If you’re like most people with SAD, your symptoms start in the fall and may continue into the winter and spring months, zapping your energy and making you feel depressed. It is helpful to know what the signs and symptoms are and once you understand the SAD picture, it is equally important to
know what you can do to help yourself.

How do you know if you suffer from the winter blues or SAD?

Seasonal affective disorder is a pattern of major depressive episodes that occur and remit with changes in seasons. The most recognized form of seasonal affective disorder, “winter depression,” is characterized by at least five of the following symptoms that are present during the same two-week period, nearly every day, and represent a change from previous functioning. At least one of the symptoms is either (1) depressed mood or (2) loss of interest or pleasure:

Not everyone with SAD has the same symptoms, but common symptoms of winter depression include the following:

• A change in appetite, especially a craving for sweet or starchy foods
• Weight gain
• A heavy feeling in the arms or legs
• Fatigue or loss of energy
• A tendency to oversleep or difficulty getting out of bed
• Diminished ability to think or concentrate, or indecisiveness
• Irritability
• Increased sensitivity to social rejection
• Avoidance of social situations
• Feelings of worthlessness or excessive or inappropriate guilt
• Loss of interest or pleasure in activities you used to enjoy
• Ongoing feelings of hopelessness or helplessness
• Physical problems, such as headaches and stomach aches
• Recurrent thoughts of death (not just fear of dying), recurrent suicidal ideation without a specific plan, or a suicide attempt or a specific plan for committing suicide.

Symptoms of SAD keep coming back and tend to come and go at about the same time every year. The changes in mood are not necessarily related to obvious seasonal stressors (like being regularly unemployed during the winter). To be formally diagnosed with SAD, you must have experienced the symptoms for the past 2 years.

If these symptoms ring true for you, a friend or loved one, the following suggestions are a good place to start.

Steps you can take to prevent or alleviate SAD

There are many effective self-help treatments for SAD. The first priority is to increase your daily exposure to natural sunlight by getting outside for a walk or regular exercise during the day. Be sure to expose your eyes to the light and remove your sunglasses. You can also try sitting next to a south-facing window at your home or office.

In some cases, the addition of light therapy to daily exposure is necessary to ensure adequate vitamin D production. In the winter months, we do not produce enough vitamin D because we are not outside for long enough in cold temperatures nor do we have much skin exposed when we are outside. Research has shown that vitamin D plays many key roles in the body – and improving mood is one of these. Light therapy has been shown to be an effective treatment for seasonal affective disorder. Another lighting suggestion is to replace commonly used light bulbs in your home with full or broad spectrum light bulbs. While more expensive than regular light bulbs, these bulbs provide light that is similar to natural
sunlight.

To help prevent SAD, a regular sleep schedule is extremely important to maintain. It may be helpful, for instance, to have your bedroom lights on a timer to turn on a half-hour before you wake. This may help in waking at a regular time every morning when it is still dark outside in the winter months.

Foods have a significant influence on the brain’s behaviour. A poor diet, especially one high in junk food, can contribute to depression. The levels of brain chemicals (known as neurotransmitters) are controlled by what we eat. These neurotransmitters regulate our behaviour and our mood. An important neurotransmitter implicated in depression is serotonin – which plays a role in mood, sleep, and appetite. Low levels of serotonin may result from diets too high in simple sugars/ carbohydrates (e.g., white sugar, white flour, sweets, processed foods) and leads to depression, anxiety,
and sleep disturbances. Diets high in complex carbohydrates (e.g., vegetables, whole grains, legumes/beans), on the other hand, help to increase serotonin and elevate mood.

If none of these suggestions seem to help your depressive symptoms after a few weeks, please consult a Naturopathic Doctor, Psychologist or Medical Doctor who can further assist you. Don’t be afraid to talk about this condition with a professional, it’s nothing to be ashamed or afraid of. With a little effort, the winter blues can be beaten.

How improving your bathroom habits can improve your overall health

Interview Conducted by: Alison Dunn

It’s a favorite subject for any seven-year-old, but for everyone else, talking about bowel movements is a pretty squeamish topic. “It’s kind of a taboo subject,” says Dr. Christina Bjorndal, ND, a naturopathic doctor with the Natural Terrain Naturopathic Clinic in Edmonton. After a certain age, no one seems to want to talk about their movements anymore, but by not doing so, we could be overlooking one of the best indicators of our health. “You can learn so much about your body just by taking the time to look at your stool,” Bjorndal, ND says. “Don’t wait until you get colon cancer before you clean up your bowel function. It’s a completely preventable cancer – but it’s also a deadly cancer.” Most people don’t know what a healthy bowel movement should look like or how often they should have one. The result is that many people are constipated and don’t even know it.

Signs of good health

How do you know if your bowels are functioning properly? According to Bjorndal, ND, a healthy movement occurs 12-18 hours after a regular-size meal. This is what doctors refer to as “transit time,” or the time it takes food to move from the mouth, through the intestines and out the anus.
Want to test your transit time? Try the beet test: Eat a lot of beets, then see how long it is before your bowel movement is a dark, red color. If it’s 12 – 18 hours later, you have a healthy transit time.
What else does a healthy movement entail? Bjorndal, ND says it should be in the shape of your colon, about the length of your forearm and in an s-shape. It should sink to the bottom of the toilet, be uniform in color and be smooth with few fissures or crevasses. There should be no blood or mucous in your stool, and there should not be a strong, foul or offensive odor. A strong odor could indicate an imbalance in the flora or bacteria in your intestine.
Finally, it should be relatively easy to have a bowel movement. You shouldn’t have to strain and it shouldn’t hurt at all or be either too hard or too loose.

What to do if you’re constipated

There are five major factors that cause constipation, Bjorndal, ND says. They are diet, stress level, exercise, liver function and dysbiosis (microbial imbalances in the body). “I find if I address those areas for patients, generally their bowels improve,” she says. “And the first three, diet, stress and exercise, all go together.” Here are a few tips to help you improve your bowel function:

1. Eat right. Avoid constipating foods like pizza, ice cream, white bread, cheese, red meat, white flour and dairy products. Instead, choose leafy greens, fruit, whole grains (brown rice, millet, quinoa, etc.), beets and flaxseed oil, to name a few. And don’t forget water – you should drink about half your body weight (in pounds) in ounces of filtered or spring water every day.
2. Optimize your digestion. Remember what your mother always told you: slow down and chew your food properly. Remember to eat in a relaxed atmosphere and drink liquids between meals rather than with meals. And, if you have ever had antibiotics, you may have an imbalance in your gut flora and could benefit by taking medicinal doses of probiotics.
3. Exercise daily. Whether it’s walking, biking, swimming, dancing, running, yoga or Pilates, try to get some activity every day to help reduce stress and ensure your colon is functioning properly.
4. Don’t ignore the call of nature. If you’ve got to go, go. Find the nearest bathroom when you have that urge to go. And try squatting, as it’s the most natural position for elimination. Put a stool or chair in front of you to rest your feet on.
5. Relax! Stress is a major factor in constipation, so try to find some time to relax. Whether that’s prayer, meditation, visualization or something else that helps you relax, just take some time to breathe and picture your digestive system working properly.