Category: Interesting

Sleep Hygiene: What you can do to help you sleep

What your body does during the day is just as important as what your body does during the night. Sleep is highly important for health and wellbeing. Ensuring you are getting the sleep you need is one of the best methods of self-care. Last week we provided 5 tips to help you have a better sleep, this week we have 5 more to get you sleeping optimally.

1. Sleep in a dark, cool and quiet room.

Setting up your bedroom in a way that helps the body carry out the natural sleep cycle can be very helpful for your sleep.  Keeping the room dark is important because when the body senses darkness, it produces melatonin which helps you fall asleep. The temperature in your room is also important for your sleep. Naturally, our body temperature drops before bed, so making the room cold will help mimic this natural effect and help you to fall asleep. Sleeping in a quiet room increases the amount of deep sleep and improves the quality of sleep.

2. Establish a relaxing routine before bed.

By doing relaxing activities, such as having a bath, reading, journaling, knitting or mediation, you decrease the amount of cortisol in your body. Cortisol is your stress hormone which works opposite to melatonin levels: when melatonin is high, cortisol is low and sleep is initiated. When melatonin is low, cortisol is high and you wake up.

3. Don’t lie in bed for more than 30 minutes.

If you are having trouble falling asleep or if you wake up in the middle of the night and can’t return to sleep, do not spend more than 30 minutes in bed awake.  Instead, get out of bed and do some relaxing activities, or perhaps carry out your relaxing bedtime routine.  Ensure you are keeping the lights low when you get up.

4. Go outside first thing in the morning.

The sleep-wake cycle established by the body is what wakes us up in the morning and helps us to fall asleep at night. It is called the circadian rhythm. One of the main drivers behind the circadian rhythm is the production of melatonin. Melatonin production is started when the body senses darkness and helps the body to fall asleep.  Conversely, melatonin production is inhibited when there is light. By going outside first thing in the morning, you are telling the body it is time to be awake and will help to cycle you back to sleep when it is dark out.

5. Do not eat a large meal before bed time but if hungry have a small, light, healthy snack.

Large meals may lead to reflux, heart burn and other digestive pains which may result in poor sleep. However, it is also important to eat if you need help regulating blood sugars.  Sometimes having low blood sugar after not eating can wake a person up at night. If you have this problem, eat a light snack with tryptophan. High protein snacks like turkey, fish, poultry, eggs, soy protein are the best as they can provide tryptophan needed to produce melatonin and serotonin.

You can read more of our sleeping tips here.

Photo by bruce mars on Unsplash

5 Tips for a Good Night’s Sleep

Sleep is an essential part of health and wellbeing.  In order to improve sleep quality, there are a number of different supplements that can be used. However, before supplements are prescribed, we must look at the foundation and the lifestyle elements that affect sleep. Healthy sleep habits are often referred to as sleep hygiene because similar to personal hygiene, sleep hygiene helps to maintain health and prevent illnesses. In this post, we will share with you our top 5 sleep hygiene tips.

1. Avoid Caffeine

This first tip may seem very obvious to you, but it is so important! Avoid caffeine-containing beverages or foods after 2 pm and if you are sensitive to caffeine avoid it after 12 noon. Some common caffeine-containing products include coffee, sodas,  some vitamin waters, chocolate, ice cream and even decaf coffee and tea has a bit of caffeine.  A recent study showed that in some people, caffeine is not metabolized efficiently and they can feel the effect long after consuming it. As such, an afternoon cup of coffee or tea will keep some people from falling asleep. Also, some medications, particularly diet pills contain caffeine. In addition to caffeine being a stimulant that can keep you up at night, it is also a bladder irritant that can wake you up in the night to use the washroom.

2. Keep a regular routine to train your biological clock.

Go to sleep and wake up at the same time each day, even on the weekends! Keeping a regular schedule helps the body know when it is supposed to sleep.

3. Do not use electronics 1-2 hours before bed.

Electronics, such as cell phones, tablets and televisions give off a blue light that affects melatonin production and the natural sleep-wake cycle. Avoiding the use of electronics 1-2 hours before bed, as well as dimming the lights help to encourage the body to prepare for sleep.

4. Use your bed only for sleep and sex

By limiting the activities that you do in bed, you are helping the mind make the association that when you are in bed, it is time to relax and go to sleep.  If you are used to watching TV or doing work in bed, you may find it harder to relax and to think of the bedroom as a place to sleep.

5. Don’t panic about a poor night’s sleep.

This makes your sleeping worse. Trust in the wisdom of your body that you are getting enough sleep.  Instead, use positive self-talk phrases before going to bed. Repeat a positive affirmation regarding sleep 10 times in a row and do this 3x/day. Here is an example of an affirmation you can repeat: “I trust in the wisdom of my body to get the sleep I need.”

 

Getting a good night’s sleep starts by regulating the body’s natural sleep-wake cycle. Simple lifestyle tips, such as the ones above help to improve sleep. There are many other sleep hygiene tips that can be done to help the body to get a good night’s sleep, which we will share over the next couple weeks. Making sleep a priority is an important choice in achieving overall wellness.

 

You can read more about why sleep is important here.

The Importance of Sleep

Sleep is an important part of your physical, mental and emotional health. How you feel during the day, is largely a result of how you sleep at night.

Sleep plays a role in controlling your hunger hormones: ghrelin which causes appetite and leptin which suppresses appetite. It affects your memory, concentration and focus. People with better sleep have a reduced risk of cardiovascular disease, diabetes and depression.

The body has a natural sleep cycle called the circadian rhythm. It is largely controlled by natural sunlight. The darkness stimulates the brain to release melatonin which initiates sleep. Sometimes the circadian rhythm can be disrupted which causes sleep issues.

Sleep is one of the pillars of health and it is very important to make sure that you are sleeping optimally. Sleep issues can occur with falling asleep, staying asleep, waking up at night, light sleeping, not feeling refreshed in the morning or snoring loudly. If you have any of these issues, book an appointment so we can help you on your path to health and wellbeing.

What is the Mediterranean Diet? And Is It Good for You?

Nutrition is one of the foundational building blocks of health. What we eat plays an incredibly important role in our digestion, mental health, hormone production and energy levels. At Natural Terrain, assessing a patient’s diet and nutritional intake is a common occurrence. Diet is an important way to make sure you are getting all the vitamins, minerals, proteins and nutrients you need to be healthy. The diets that are prescribed are often well-researched diets that are tailored to the needs of the patient. One diet that has a lot of good research behind it is the Mediterranean diet.

What is the Mediterranean Diet?

The Mediterranean Diet is a diet based on the daily servings of food groups. Often the Mediterranean diet is described in a pyramid, with different food groups put into different levels. The bottom of the pyramid is what should be eaten at every meal and the top of the pyramid are foods that should be eaten the least.

Base Level

On the base of the pyramid is vegetables, fruits, whole grains, herbs, legumes and healthy fats. Olive oil is encouraged as the main healthy fat, but nuts and seeds are also placed in this category. Legumes, such as beans, peas and lentils should replace meat products in at least 3 of your meals each week. Every meal should focus on this main category.

Level 2

The next level of the pyramid is fish and seafood. Fish is the main source of animal protein in the Mediterranean diet. It is high in Omega-3’s which are anti-inflammatory and great for your health. When selecting which types of fish to eat, it is best to choose fish with lower levels of mercury. You can look here for low mercury fish. In Edmonton, we recommend buying your fish from Ocean Odyssey Inland for some of the freshest, high-quality fish.

Level 3

The third level is Poultry, Eggs and Dairy which should be consumed in small amounts. Eat these types of foods once every couple days.

Top of the Pyramid

The last category, which should make up the lowest proportion of your diet is red meats and sweets. Choose lean cuts of meats when possible and consume these only a couple of times each month. Leave sugary foods for special occasions only.

Water is encouraged to be drank throughout the day. Moderate intake of red wine is allowed, with the maximum drinks per day being 1 for women and 2 for men.  While the emphasis is on food group selection, the Mediterranean Diet also suggest daily exercise and eating with others, which are good practices to start.

What are the health benefits?

The health benefits of the Mediterranean has been well studied. One of the most studied link is between the Mediterranean diet and the prevention of cardiovascular disease. Studies show that following a Mediterranean diet can reduce your risk of stroke, heart attacks and death from cardiovascular disease. It has also been shown to significantly reduce blood pressure.

Mediterranean diets also have been useful in preventing and treating diabetes. The Mediterranean diet can help lower glucose levels and improve insulin sensitivity.

Besides diabetes and cardiovascular disease, the Mediterranean diet has been helpful to improve sleep quality, manage PCOS, prevent cognitive decline, decrease the risk of depression and prevent some cancers.

Although the Mediterranean diet is considered a ‘diet’, it does not require any change in the amount of food intake. Working with a naturopathic doctor to tailor a diet like the Mediterranean diet can be an important step in preventative medicine and building the foundation of health.

References

  1. Schwingshackl L, Hoffmann G. Adherence to Mediterranean diet and risk of cancer: an updated systematic review and meta-analysis of observational studies. Cancer Medicine. 2015;4(12):1933-1947. doi:10.1002/cam4.539
  2. Shafiei F, Salari-Moghaddam A, Larijani B, Esmaillzadeh A. Adherence to the Mediterranean diet and risk of depression: a systematic review and updated meta-analysis of observational studies. Nutr Rev. 2019;77(4):230-239. doi:10.1093/nutrit/nuy070
  3. Martini D. Health Benefits of Mediterranean Diet. Nutrients. 2019;11(8). doi:10.3390/nu11081802
  4. Campanini MZ, Guallar-Castillón P, Rodríguez-Artalejo F, Lopez-Garcia E. Mediterranean Diet and Changes in Sleep Duration and Indicators of Sleep Quality in Older Adults. Sleep. 2017;40(3). doi:10.1093/sleep/zsw083
  5. Georgoulis M, Kontogianni M, Yiannakouris N. Mediterranean Diet and Diabetes: Prevention and Treatment. Nutrients. 2014;6(4):1406-1423. doi:10.3390/nu6041406
  6. Rees K, Takeda A, Martin N, et al. Mediterranean-style diet for the primary and secondary prevention of cardiovascular disease. Cochrane Heart Group, ed. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews. Published online March 13, 2019. doi:10.1002/14651858.CD009825.pub3
  7. Benson G, Pereira RF, Boucher JL. Rationale for the Use of a Mediterranean Diet in Diabetes Management. Diabetes Spectrum. 2011;24(1):36-40. doi:10.2337/diaspect.24.1.36

 

Ozone therapy: A diverse treatment option

Ozone therapy is a treatment used frequently in our clinic to help patients with a variety of different symptoms and conditions. Ozone is made up of 3 oxygen molecules. It is found naturally in the earth’s atmosphere and it can be produced with specialized equipment to be used therapeutically.  It is a strong antioxidant that donates an oxygen molecule to the body’s cells that need it to keep them healthy and strong. Ozone helps to keep the body in balance, can help with antiaging, and modulates the immune system. It has been used and researched for over 50 years in Europe.

At Natural Terrain, Dr. Mason-Wood, ND has studied and completed certifications allowing him to safely administer ozone therapy.

What is it used for?

Ozone therapy can be used for a number of different reasons. Some of the common uses include…

  • Bacterial infections
  • Chronic viral infections
  • Chronic Fungal infections
  • Dental infections
  • Chronic diseases
  • Cancers
  • Ulcers, wounds, rashes
  • Athletic performance
  • Anti-aging
  • Pain management
  • Inflammation
  • Brain fog

Administration

Ozone can be administered locally or systemically based on your needs. When ozone is administered systemically, it is administered through an IV. Ozone can also be injected locally, used in topical olive oil, or used as ear insufflation. 

Ozone therapy has provided a lot of relief for a lot of our patients. Consult a naturopathic doctor to find out if ozone therapy is right for you.

Korean-style Dandelion Salad

It’s hard not to notice the amount of yellow dandelions out there right now. Dandelions are more than a colourful addition to the yard, they are also great botanical herb and make a delicious salad.

Recently, we spent some time weeding, and instead of throwing away or composting the weeds, we were able to use the leaves for this salad. We love that this salad is environmentally friendly and that it had a delicious taste.

We hope you try and enjoy this salad.

Ingredients

  • Leaves of 4-5 large (8-10 small) dandelions washed and rinsed
  • 1 cup of chives (or green onions) thinly sliced
  • 4 cloves of garlic minced
  • 1-2 tbsps toasted sesame seeds (crushed or whole)
  • 3 tbsps soy sauce
  • 1 tbsp sesame oil
  • 2 tsps cane sugar
  • 1-2 tsps Korean red pepper powder (Gochugaru) – depending on how hot you like it
  • 2 tbsps apple cider vinegar

Instructions

  1. Wash and rinse the leaves thoroughly.
  2. Blanche 1-2 minutes and soak in cold water for 3-4 hours, the longer you soak, the less bitter it becomes.
  3. Wring out excess water in hands until most of the water is gone.
  4. Finely Chop.
  5. To make the dressing, mix together the soy sauce, sesame oil, sugar, Korean pepper powder and vinegar.
  6. In a large bowl, toss the greens, garlic and sesame seeds with dressing right before serving.

Using Hydrotherapy for Pain Relief

Hydrotherapy is the use of water for healing the body. Specifically, alternating hot and cold water therapy is hugely beneficial for pain relief and it’s free! 

Using hot and cold can help manage pain.  For acute pain (eg. sprained ankle in the first 48 hours), cold is always used, to keep swelling down.  But chronic pain doesn’t have the same kind of swelling as a very recent injury. Often, the issue is actually that the area is not getting enough circulation.

Circulation is necessary for healing chronic injury and damage because it brings fresh, healing blood with growth factors and platelets, and takes away cellular waste products and toxins. Injuries in tendons and other areas with poor circulation often heal poorly for the lack of fresh blood.

For this reason, many injuries and areas of damage benefit greatly from hydrotherapy.  Alternating exposure to cold and hot water is an excellent way to stimulate circulation and waste removal from an inflamed or injured area of the body and reduce pain.

How does it work?

Cold water makes the superficial blood vessels constrict, sending the blood into deeper tissue. Following that with hot water dilates the superficial vessels and draws it out again. Alternating hot and cold in buckets of water or in hot/cold showers is essentially acting like a pump in your muscles, moving the blood around and helping flush out areas that don’t get quite as much circulation. This is also an excellent technique for someone with cold hands and feet in the winter- alternating hot and cold showers can save you from the painful cold in the fingertips and toes.

When using alternating hot and cold hydrotherapy, it is important that you always start with hot and finish with cold. A basic hydrotherapy protocol looks like this:

  • Start hot (not scaling) for 3 minutes
  • Alternate between hot and cold every 3 minutes, going as cold as you can go without pain and as hot as you can go without scalding yourself.
  • Repeat for 8 cycles (4x each temp) and finish cold.

You can use buckets of water if it’s for ankles or feet, visit a spa or spring with hot and cool baths, or you can simply turn your shower to hot and cold.

What does it help treat?

  • Strains and sprains of the foot, ankle, elbow, knee, wrist, neck, or shoulder
  • Swelling (once the acute stage has passed)
  • Muscle spasms
  • Joint aches
  • Repetitive-strain injuries, such as tendonitis or tennis elbow
  • Sports injuries
  • Flare-ups of chronic conditions, such as arthritis or fibromyalgia
  • Some pains associated with cancer
  • Any other injury that causes swelling or aching

When to use contrast hydrotherapy

Use when an injury is a semi-chronic or chronic condition. This means when it’s been more than 72 hours after an injury and your body is not in acute inflammation. It’s particularly helpful for recurrent or very long-term “achey” pain, even pain that’s been there for months or years.

When not to use contrast hydrotherapy

Don’t use when there is any open skin wounds or risk of infection. Be cautious if there is decreased sensation or neuropathy (as in a diabetic foot, for example), because it may be harder to tell if the water is scalding or freezing the skin. Likewise be cautious if there are any heart or systemic conditions that react to varying temperatures, like cold urticaria (hives).

Learn more about pain management by booking a consult with Dr. Mason-Wood, ND and discuss your treatment options today.

3 Lifestyle Tips for Post-Concussion Syndrome

After a head injury, people may suffer from symptoms of concussions. These symptoms typically disappear between 7 and 10 days. But what happens when these symptoms persist?

 

This is known as post-concussion syndrome and it can last months and even years. Symptoms of post concussion syndrome include headaches, insomnia, dizziness, concentration difficulty, fatigue, memory difficulty, irritability, and intolerance of stress, emotion, or alcohol. There are several different approaches in which naturopathic doctors may take in treating post-concussion syndrome. Dr. Mason-Wood, ND has experience supporting those with concussions and post-concussion syndrome and will use a range of modalities to get his patients feeling better.

 

These are a couple of basic lifestyle tips that can help people with post-concussion syndrome.

  1. Limit Screen Time

    • Patients with post-concussion syndrome often have increased sensitivity to noise and light. The light given off from screens, such as T.Vs, computers, and cell phones is considered blue light.  Blue light activates a certain part of the back of your eye and brain which can aggravate symptoms. By reducing your screen time, you are letting your eyes rest and helping your brain recover. Reducing screen time may not be easy if your job or schooling requires you to be on a computer so there are several different ways you can get around this. You can use a red light filter on your screens (or in the meantime, turn night shift on your MacBook or iPhone) and try blue-blocking glasses.

  2. Exercise

    • Starting with light aerobic exercise after 1-2 days of the injury has been shown to speed up time to recovery and improve symptoms. It is believed that light exercising increases the ability of your brain to repair itself by increasing the amount of brain-derived neurotrophic factor. Make sure to pick activities that do not increase your risk of re-injury.

  3. Listen to your body

    • Be gentle with yourself. Listen to your body, and identify when it is telling you to rest. Step away from your computer, move into a dark room, if you are having bad symptoms with a certain food or drink, avoid it and don’t put too much pressure on yourself. Honour what your body is saying and rest when you need it. This can significantly help in your recovery.

For more ways to help manage your concussion or post-concussion syndrome book an appointment with Dr. Mason-Wood, ND

7 Tips for Healthy Ageing

Ageing is a natural and normal process. Although ageing can not be stopped, there are many different things you can do to prevent feeling old. Here are some practical tips you can apply to your everyday life to help ensure that you are healthy ageing.

1. Get 7-8 hours of sleep

Sleep plays an important in reducing mental and physical ageing. Sleep helps to consolidate memories, clear toxins, repair tissues and promote muscle growth. Decreased sleep has been linked to high inflammation rates, cognitive impairment and chronic disease which all play a role in unhealthy ageing. It is important to get a good nights rest and aim for 7-8 hours of sleep every night.

2. Exercise

Exercise helps to improve cardiovascular function, muscle strength, bone density, mental health and improves immune function. All of these are can result in increased longevity. Try to get at least 150 minutes of moderate intensity exercise each week.

3. Weight control

As we age, the risk for many different chronic illnesses increases. These risks can be further increased if a person is overweight or obese. These illnesses include type 2 diabetes, heart disease, stroke and mobility issues. To promote healthy ageing it is important to maintain a healthy weight. If you need help starting this process, check out our 8 tips for weight loss and call the clinic for an appointment (587-521-3595).

4. Eat Vegetables and Fruits

Fruits and Vegetables are high in antioxidants. As we age, the number of antioxidants in our body’s decrease. Eating antioxidants can help prevent chronic disease, and ageing processes that occur as a result of free radicals, as discussed in last week’s article. Some of the vegetables and fruits highest in antioxidants are blueberries, blackberries, kale, and spinach.

5. Not smoking or vaping

Free radicals can cause a lot of damage to our skin, hair and organs which are typically associated with getting old. One of the main sources of free radicals is smoking. When something is smoked (tobacco, marijuana, or even meat), there is an reaction called incomplete combustion that occurs. This creates free radicals that are linked with unhealthy ageing.

6. Limited alcohol consumption

Alcohol can increase the amount of inflammation in the body, which can lead to chronic disease and decreased organ, tissue and cellular function. Alcohol also decreases the immune function and depletes some vitamins, such as vitamin B1 (thiamine) which is important in turning our food into energy. In an older population, it is important to monitor alcohol intake closely as it can cause falls, which is one of the major causes of older adults having to move into more assisted living facilities. Ensure that you are limiting alcohol and drinking lots of water to best support healthy ageing.

7. Seldom snacking

Because one of the processes that occurs in ageing is glycation, it is important to monitor what is put in the body and how often. Consider limiting snacks, as it improves insulin sensitivity. This means that the body is able to take up and utilize the sugars to make energy for the cell. Therefore, there is less sugar in the blood to make Advanced Glycation End Products (AGEs) and cause damage to our cells. Try eating only at 2-3 times a day and eliminate any snacks you may be having in between.

Despite growing older every day, we want you to feel the best you’ve ever felt physically, mentally, emotionally and spiritually. Healthy ageing can start with these 6 easy tips. If you need more guidance, Dr. Mason-Wood,ND is happy to help.

Don’t Wait to Get Your Frozen Shoulder Treated

“Will I ever be able to reach that shelf in the kitchen?”

When you have a frozen shoulder, even simple everyday tasks like putting away your groceries are daunting, painful, or simply impossible.

Frozen shoulder can be extremely painful in its early stage; it becomes even more debilitating when the lack of range of motion sets in later on. Recovery from this condition can take months – sometimes years – for full recovery.

Although frozen shoulder is a very common condition, there are some things that are mysterious about it. Typically frozen shoulder tends to affect one side, usually the non-dominant side, but some develop the condition in both shoulders. In rare cases, patients develop frozen shoulder on the other side within five years.

It’s important to seek treatment early for frozen shoulder to avoid permanent damage to the joint. During the many months of decreased shoulder mobility the rotator cuff muscles weaken and the joint capsule tissue surrounding these muscles stiffens. This can place the shoulder at significant risk for cuff tears, arthritis, and possible osteopenia or thinning of the bones.

Without treatment, the shoulder joint can actually deteriorate to a point where full recovery becomes very difficult – if not impossible.

The risk of permanent damage however can be reduced with early physical therapy, with a focus on shoulder mobility under the guidance of a skilled health care professional. The therapist might recommend strengthening the rotator cuff muscles. A strong rotator cuff can help support your shoulder and allow it to move more freely. They might also give you exercises to work on your scapula. (One way to diagnose frozen shoulder is by observing if the scapula or shoulder blade moves excessively when you reach to the side or above you head.)

It’s important to keep mobilizing your shoulder – but don’t overdo it by making up strenuous exercises at the gym.

A Naturopathic Doctor might suggest prolotherapy – both non-surgical injection treatments that can greatly reduce pain and speed the healing process. In a prolotherapy treatment, dextrose is injected into the affected area to bring immune factors to the area and effectively stimulate the body’s own healing capacities.

Take it slow. Remember that your frozen shoulder didn’t develop overnight – it will take some time and patience to repair it with a little help from a skilled health care professional. Dr. Michael Mason-Wood, ND and the team at Natural Terrain Naturopathic Clinic are trained in alleviating joint pain. Click here to find out more about prolotherapy.