In Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), good health is governed by good “Qi” or vitality energy flow through channels, also called meridians. The Liver and Gallbladder meridians are paired channels that are intricately related to each other. The LImageiver and Gallbladder channel stores blood, maintains healthy flow of Qi throughout the whole body, and controls the muscles and tendons. It is important to recognize the liver and gallbladder meridians referred to in Chinese Medicine are not synonymous with the anatomical liver and gallbladder organs described in conventional medicine. One is referring to an energetic pathway, while the other is referring to an anatomical organ.
The liver and gallbladder channels are connected to the Wood element, and in Chinese Medicine principles, good balance is characterized by the harmony of the 5 Elements which are Fire, Earth, Metal, Water and Wood. Spring is the most active time of the Wood element and as we transition into spring, we may be notice a renewed and bountiful source of energy. Allergies, including eczema, asthma, rhinitis, seasonal allergies, hives, skin rashes are all symptoms of liver meridian pathology. These symptoms are caused by an upsurge of liver energy, and this surge happens most often in the spring. Often acupuncture points that help calm the liver meridian help with allergies.
One of the most effective times to do a detoxification is also the spring because it is the time that the body naturally enhances its detoxification systems due to the surge of Liver and Gallbladder energy. Regular detoxification helps keeps the liver and gallbladder channels healthy as well as adequate sleep is also a very important aspect. Ever wonder why you get a burst of energy if you pass your bedtime? Between 11pm and 1am is the most active time of the liver and gallbladder channel. The rise in energy is meant as a healing time for the body, but if someone chronically misses this crucial sleep time, they often feel progressively fatigued, causing liver and gallbladder blockage.
Physical symptoms of liver and gallbladder Qi blockage include headaches, fatigue, muscle and joint pains, irritability, heartburn, belching, eye conditions, digestive problems, skin and nasal allergies, weak nails, and menstrual cramps.
Emotional symptoms of liver and gallbladder Qi blockage include irritability, frustration, depressive feelings, impatience, sense of being stuck and lacking direction in life, and inability to make critical decisions.
How to Check for Meridian Imbalances and Blockages
There are many ways to assess the balance of Qi flow, with the most traditional method being pulse-taking which is a diagnostic method used by many Traditional Chinese Doctors and Naturopathic Doctors. By feeling the quality of the pulse, a skilled doctor will be able to access the health of each of the meridians and treat accordingly either with diet, herbs or acupuncture.
With modern technology, there’s also been the emergence of a more sophisticated system called the Acugraph which is an objective tool to measure actual energetic flow in each meridian. With this tool, it is possible to accurately access the internal energetic balance of an individual and to monitor progress during a treatment plan. Below is an example of an acugraph reading.
Once the Qi or energy imbalances are identified, they can be effectively treated by acupuncture using needle or laser.
Many people want to lose weight but they find themselves going through diets after diets without achieving or maintaining their desired results. Many advertised diets are unhealthy, unsustainable, and simply too hard for people to follow. Using green foods is a powerful way of correcting a person’s metabolism, detoxifying, and achieving the optimal body composition and weight.
One of the leading health issues we see today is obesity, which is linked to many other health issues including heart disease, diabetes, cancer, metabolic syndrome and other chronic illnesses. Canada’s obesity rates have tripled in less than 30 years, and major factors causing this are food and lifestyle choices, emergence of fast food restaurants, as well as processed and nutrient-poor foods.
The truth is, food is what we want but nutrition is what our body needs. Nutrients are the fundamental building blocks for our cells and they are what helps with all of our cellular processes. Food normally provides nutrients and calories, and there’s a difference between the type of foods and the amount of nutrients they possess. Nutrients are the fundamental building blocks for our cells and they are responsible in helping us with all of our metabolic and cellular functions. Nutrient-dense foods are those foods that have an abundance of nutrients but contain relatively low calories. Green foods are examples of nutrient-dense foods and they include fruits and vegetables, spirulina, oat grass, alfalfa, and wheat grass. Most people consume a diet that is nutrient-poor and calorie-rich. Nutrient-poor foods contain high amount of calories with relatively low nutrients such as processed foods, sugary foods, fast foods and so forth. In order to obtain the nutrients we need through nutrient-poor foods, our body has to eat more which ends up packing unnecessary calories into our body which ends up going into storage as fat, and a resulting increase in weight and body fat mass.
The 10-day Transformation Program is designed to detoxify and reset the body’s metabolism, cut cravings while building lean muscle mass and reducing fat mass by providing a very nutrient-dense diet and pre-digested amino acids. Using only organic, non-GMO, soy-free, and vegan super-green foods, the program is designed to restore health in a safe and nutritious manner.
For more information, call us at 905-604-8480 or email us at [email protected]
Homeopathy is an alternate therapy with its roots in 17th century Germany. Dr. Samuel Hahnemann, the founder of homeopathy, initially practiced conventional medicine but was disappointed with the existing crude and ineffective practices such as purging, blood-letting, and the potentially harmful poly-pharmacy measures it involved. He then developed homeopathy, the science of ‘Similia Similibus Curenter’. Although this principal was further researched by Hahnemann, it was first mentioned by Hippocrates, the father of modern medicine in his writings. ‘Similia Similibus Curenter’ in simpler words is the use of substances that are capable of producing a certain set of symptoms in a healthy individual, to treat similar conditions in the diseased state. An example of this is cinchona or quinine present in cinchona bark used in treating malaria conventionally. Hahnemann experimented by taking cinchona himself in small doses and realized that it produces malaria like symptoms of chills and abdominal cramps when taken by a healthy individual, thus proving his theory [1].
Homeopathic medicines are diluted into minimal or small doses through the process of potentization. This process retains the therapeutic or medicinal properties of the medicinal substances and cures with minimal or no side-effects. Treating allergies with homeopathy allergies are one of the commonest health problems today. Recent statistics state that respiratory allergies as the 5th commonest chronic diseases in adults, and 3rd commonest in children below 18 years of age [2].
Allergy is defined as a hypersensitivity disorder of the immune system [3]. The immune system produces a hypersensitive reaction to certain substances in the environment that are normally harmless. Such substances are known as allergens. House dust, animal fur, dust mites, pollen, insects, moulds, various food items such as peanuts, milk, seafood, eggs and soy, and some medicines generally cause allergic reactions. Allergens typically result in inflammatory symptoms such as swelling, redness, itching, rhinitis or running nose, conjunctivitis, sinusitis, eczema, hives or urticaria, asthma, and in severe cases anaphylactic shock. Individual response to these allergens varies in severity, duration and manifestation or symptoms. Allergies usually run in families, hence people with a genetic predisposition have an increased risk of developing an allergy. Conventional medicine uses desensitization therapy for the prevention of allergic reactions in people who are prone to certain allergies. This involves injections or sublingual ingestion of small doses derived from a specific allergen, by the affected individuals, thus gradually reducing ones sensitivity to that particular allergen. This concept is very alike the law of similars, which is the cornerstone of homeopathic science. In fact a homeopathic physician, C.H. Blackley from Scotland was the first to identify pollen as the cause of hay fever. Interestingly another homeopathic physician from San Francisco, Dr. Selfridge was one of the three physicians that founded the American Academy of Allergy [4].
A number of clinical trials done on the subject of treating allergies with homeopathy remedies have proved the efficacy of homeopathy, with considerable improvement in the symptoms of the subjects. A group of researchers from Germany conducted annual, randomized, placebo-controlled, and double-blind clinical trials using Galphima Glauca, a homeopathic remedy on more than 1000 subjects suffering from hay fever. These studies showed consistently effective and beneficial results in subjects taking the homeopathic remedy as compared to those taking placebo [5].
Homeopathic remedies for allergies:
Although acute allergic episodes can be treated effectively with some symptom specific homeopathy remedies, selective constitutional remedies based on individual and complete patient history can successfully treat the symptoms as well as the chronicity or long-term effects of deep-seated allergic reactions. Here are some remedies that are helpful in the treatment of allergic attacks.
Allium cepa: It is specially indicated in hay fever. Profuse, watery, and acrid nasal discharge resulting in redness and soreness of the nose and upper lip, a raw and hoarse throat, red, swollen, watery eyes that are sensitive to light, frequent sneezing and headache mostly in the forehead, better in the open air and worse on entering a warm room, are symptoms suggestive of allium cepa.
Sabadilla: Sabadilla relieves hay fever with spasmodic sneezing, running nose, watery and profuse nasal discharge, frontal headaches, and watery inflamed eyes, and a sore throat with painful swallowing, relieved by warm food or drinks.
Arsenicum album: Asthma accompanied with anxiety and restlessness, profuse, watery and burning nasal discharge alternating with nose block, respiratory symptoms accompanied by increased thirst for warm drinks, and labored breathing better on sitting upright, nightly aggravations from 12-2 am indicate arsenicum album.
Urtica urens: It is helpful in treating urticarial rash. Severe, violent itching with burning and stinging on the rash and a sensation of heat are suggestive of urtica urens. It also successfully treats allergies that alternate with rheumatism.
Histaminum: It is prepared from the enzyme histamine involved in generating allergic reactions. This is the drug of choice, when none of the indicated remedies relieve allergy.
Some remedies for allergen specific allergic reactions:
Solidago virgaurea is indicated for individuals sensitive to goldenrod and house dust mites.
Blatta orientalis is indicated for asthma arising from sensitivity to cockroaches.
Rhus toxicodendron is indicated for allergic reactions from poison ivy.
Homeopathy is a safe and effective alternative therapy for allergies. Conventional medicine only suppresses allergies, and seldom cures them. It is better to turn to this age-old system that has proven its efficacy time and again in altering the inherent disease tendencies, resulting in safe, natural, and complete cure of acute and chronic illnesses.
Citations:
1- Samuel Hahnemann. Organon of medicine, 6th edition, 1921
2- Allergy and Asthma foundation of America
3- Dorland’s Medical Dictionary
4- Cohen SG. The American Academy of Allergy: a historical review. Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology 1979.
5- Wiesenauer M, Ludtke R, A Meta-analysis of the Homeopathic Treatment of Pollinosis with Galphimia glauca, Forsch Komplementarmed, 3(1996):230-234.
Antibiotics have been in use since the early 1900’s and although considered as one of the greatest inventions in modern medicine, there are growing concerns due to their proliferative use in prescription drugs, over-the-counter topicals, agriculture and farming. The emergence of superbugs also known as drug-resistance bacteria is becoming so rampant, many are calling for a ban on the use of antibiotics in animal farming and our excessive antibiotic use especially in young children.
Antibiotics are commonly used in farming to promote animal growth. Many reported cases of severe human infections or even fatalities are caused by animal contact or consumption of animals, related to antibiotic-resistant bacteria. Infections are becoming increasingly severe and difficult to treat. Bacteria continually mutate to increase their resistance, making them stronger and more difficult to eradicate. As a result, more powerful antibiotics are then compounded to combat the growing problem, but this only fuels the problem further.
Antibiotics that use to be considered as being very potent a decade ago are now just common antibiotics. It is very common now that a patient with a common upper respiratory tract infection or urinary tract infection to be prescribed multiple antibiotics and even require hospitalization. There is also the problem of antibiotics being over-prescribed even to very young children. How often does someone go to see the doctor for a cold or sore throat, and be prescribed an antibiotic? Many of these common infections can be dealt with by the body’s own immune system effectively. But instead of allowing the body to deal with the infection, we have become increasingly drug reliant, which makes the immune system even weaker and less able to deal with common infections.
Antibiotics also eradicate the body’s probiotics or good bacteria, which constitutes an extremely important part of our natural immunity. People become more susceptible to yeast, viral and bacterial infections after taking antibiotics. There are many “natural antibiotics” and immune boosters that can be considered for common infections. The benefit of natural agents is that they rarely eradicate our probiotics and it is much more difficult for microbes to develop resistance to them. Next time you get an infection, try natural options before considering an antibiotic.
In the past few years, I have seen a huge spike in interest towards vegan diets as more and more people are being more conscious of their diet, the environment and their overall health. Adopting a vegan diet is often misunderstood as a fad diet, but the benefits of a vegan diet are immense, and even going vegan or vegetarian occasionally can be highly beneficial for health. Start by even going vegan once a week! Before making drastic changes to your diet however, it is always a good idea to seek advice to ensure your new diet fulfills all of your nutritional needs.
50 Reasons that a Vegan Diet Can Be Healthy:
Reduced saturated fats. Dairy products and meats contain a large amount of saturated fats. By reducing the amount of saturated fats from your diet, you’ll improve your cardiovascular health
Increased Fiber. A vegan diet is usually high in fiber which can help with bowel movements, prevent colon cancer, improve cholesterol profiles, and help remove toxins from the body.
Increased Magnesium. Nuts, seeds, and dark leafy greens are an excellent source of magnesium and often deficient in our diet as it gets depleted with stress and poor diets. Magnesium helps to relax our nervous system and nervous system, and helps us absorb calcium.
Increased Potassium. Potassium balances water and acidity in your body and stimulates the kidneys to eliminate toxins. Diets high in potassium have shown to reduce the risk of cardiovascular diseases and cancer.
Increased Folate. This B vitamin is an important part of a healthy diet. Folate helps with cell repair, generating red and white blood cells, and metabolizing amino acids.
Increased Antioxidants. Antioxidants are the protectors of our cells which helps to prevent cell damage and degenerative conditions. Most of our antioxidants are found in nuts and seeds, fruits and vegetables and whole grains.
Increased Vitamin C. Besides boosting your immune system, Vitamin C also helps keep your with tissue repair from injuries, prevent gingivitis, and also reduce allergy symptoms.
Increased Vitamin E. This powerful vitamin has benefits for your heart, skin, eyes, brain, and may even help prevent Alzheimer’s Disease. A diet high in grains, nuts, and dark leafy greens is full of Vitamin E.
Increased Phytochemicals. Plant-based foods provide phytochemicals which help to prevent cancer, degeneration, boost protective enzymes, and work with antioxidants in the body.
Vegetarian Protein Vegetarians obtain their protein from beans, nuts, peas, lentils which are low in saturated fats, full of fibre and nutrients. Vegetarian proteins are not inflammatory like meat proteins which can often exacerbate inflammatory conditions such as rheumatoid arthritis.
Disease Prevention. Eating a healthy vegan diet has shown to prevent a number of diseases.
Reduces Risk of Cardiovascular disease. Eating nuts and whole grains, while eliminating dairy products and meat, helps improve cardiovascular health. A British study indicates that a vegan diet reduces the risk of heart disease, Type 2 diabetes and the incidence of heart attack and stroke.
Improves Cholesterol. Eliminating any food that comes from an animal eliminates a huge source of bad cholesterol from the diet.
Reduces Blood pressure
Reduces risk of Type 2 diabetes
Reduces risk of Prostate cancer. A major study showed that men in the early stages of prostate cancer who switched to a vegan diet either stopped the progress of the cancer or may have even reversed the illness.
Reduces risk of Colon cancer. Eating a diet consisting of whole grains, along with fresh fruits and vegetables, can greatly reduce your chances of colon cancer.
Reduces risk of Breast cancer. Countries where women eat very little meat and animal products have a much lower rate of breast cancer than do the women in countries that consume more animal products.
Prevents Macular degeneration. Diets with lots of fresh fruits and vegetables, especially leafy greens, carrots, pumpkin, and sweet potatoes, can help prevent the onset of age-related macular degeneration.
Prevents Cataracts. Much the same way macular degeneration is headed off by a vegan diet, cataracts are also thought to be prevented through the intake of the same fruits and vegetables. Produce high in antioxidants are also believed to help prevent cataracts.
Improves Arthritis. Eliminating dairy consumption has long been connected with alleviating arthritis symptoms, but a new study indicates that a combination of gluten-free and vegan diet is very promising for improving the health of those suffering from rheumatoid arthritis.
Prevents Osteoporosis. Bone health depends on a balance of neither too much or too little protein, adequate calcium intake, high potassium, and low sodium. With a healthy vegan diet, all four of these points set a perfect scenario for preventing osteoporosis.
Improves Body Mass Index. A diet without meat usually lower BMIs and body weight.
Helps with Weight loss. Often a healthy vegan or vegetarian diet eliminates most of the unhealthy foods that tend to cause weight issues.
Improves Energy. When following a healthy vegan diet, you will find your energy is much higher because you are consuming more nutrient-dense foods instead of high calorie-low nutrient foods.
Healthier skin. The nuts and vitamins A and E from vegetables play a big role in healthy skin, so vegans will usually have good skin health. Many people who switch to a vegan diet will notice a remarkable reduction in blemishes as well.
Longer life span. Several studies indicate that those following a vegan or vegetarian lifestyle live an average of three to six years longer than those who do not.
Reduced Body odor. Eliminating dairy and red meat from the diet significantly reduces body odor. Going vegan means smelling better.
Helps Eliminate Bad breath. Vegans frequently experience a reduction in bad breath due to a healthier gut function.
Healthier Hair and Nails. Many who follow vegan diets report that their hair becomes stronger, has more body, and looks healthier.
Less PMS. When switching to a vegan diet, many women tell how PMS symptoms become much less intense or disappear altogether. The elimination of dairy is thought to help with those suffering with PMS.
Improves Endometriosis. A Vegan diet is much less inflammatory due to the absence of meat and dairy, and often helps to improve the pain and hormonal imbalances associated with endometriosis.
Reduces Migraines and Headaches. Migraine suffers who go on vegan diets frequently discover relief from their migraines.
Improves Allergies. Reduction in dairy, meat, and eggs is often tied to alleviation of allergy symptoms. Many vegans report much fewer runny noses and congestion problems.
Eliminates Animal proteins. The average American eats twice as much meat protein as necessary for a healthy diet and much of that is from red meat. Getting protein from beans and grains is much healthier and reduces the risk many health diseases.
Eliminates dairy. The human body is not designed to digest another animal’s milk but sadly, dairy products are advertised as being healthy by dairy companies. As many as 75% of people in the world are lactose intolerant and/or sensitive or intolerance and has shown to worsen conditions such as allergies, eczema, autoimmune disease, acne, and more.
Eliminates Eggs. Many nutritionists believe that the number of eggs in the American diet is too high and eggs have become one of the top allergens, with many children today being anaphylactic to eggs.
Reduces Mercury. Most of the fish and shellfish consumed have mercury and other toxins in it. While some fish have less than others, it is almost impossible not to be putting mercury or some other toxin into your body when you eat fish.
Reduces Sugar. Most people have heard that Americans consume way too much sugar. Relying on other sweeteners that are not synthetic, processed, or derived from animal products is a healthier way to eat. Many vegans do not eat processed sugar due to the fact that most of the cane sugar is refined through activated charcoal, most of which comes from animal bones.
Improves Animal Welfare. Many people begin a vegan diet out of concern for animals. Whether opposed to the conditions of animals intended for food or eating animals in general, knowing where and how livestock are raised increases our awareness and appreciation for them. It can help us to adapt more responsible habits such as minimizing portions, reducing wastage, supporting local famers and organic farmers.
Improve Human Welfare. Jobs in slaughterhouses and dairy farms are consistently ranked among the most dangerous in the U.S, and workers are often exposed to poor working environments.
Reduces E. coli. Contamination Most E.coli contamination comes from contaminated red meat and is the leading cause of bloody diarrhea. Young children, those with compromised immune systems, and elderly people can become extremely ill or die from E. coli. Eating vegan means completely avoiding the risk of E. coli infection.
Reduces Salmonella. Another gastrointestinal illness from animal products, salmonella food poisoning is closely related to E. coli. The most frequent way people contract salmonella food poisoning is through contact with raw eggs or raw chicken meat from chickens infected with salmonella. Again, going vegan means eliminating this risk altogether.
Mad cow disease. A fatal, non-treatable disease caused by eating animals infected with mad cow disease.
Reduces Hormone consumption. Eating animals that have been given hormones to speed growth (a common practice in the meat industry) means those hormones go into your body as well. Not only can this disrupt the natural balance of your hormones, but some of the hormones given to animals have shown to cause tumor growth in humans. Since 1950, girls are hitting puberty on average 4-7 years earlier and boy’s sperm counts have decreased by 25-50% due to the hormones present in non-organic meat and dairy products.
Reduces Antibiotics Consumption. Antibiotics are frequently given to feed animals, which can lead to bacterial resistance. Many of the antibiotics used to treat human infections are also used in feed animals and has led to the emergence of super-bugs.
Less consumption of Pesticides, Herbicides and Chemicals. Many vegan or vegetarian diets promote also the consumption of organic fruits and vegetables, reducing the intake of pesticides, herbicides and other chemicals which have been found to be toxic for the body and the environment.
Cost effective. Vegan recipes are often cheap, plentiful and tasty!
Support heathy ecosystems. Nitrates & pesticides used on crops grown to feed livestock end up in our rivers and vastly effect the health of micro environments and ecosystems.
Reduce global warming. the 1,300,000,000 cattle in the world emit 60,000,000 tons of methane per year (methane is a greenhouse gas which leads to global warming). Over 51% percent of man-made pollution comes from the meat industry and its byproducts, putting animal farming ahead of transportation in contributing to the greenhouse effect.
Health Canada defines Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) as a complex, lifelong condition…a spectrum disorder, defined by certain behaviours which come in combinations and in degrees of intensity that vary in each child and adult affected.
Below are some common symptoms associated with Autism:
Difficulty in communication
Social difficulties
Repetitive behaviors
Learning difficulties
Unusual interests or very limited interests
The Naturopathic Approach to Autism
Naturopathic medicine focuses on the causes of illnesses rather than the treatment of symptoms. In regards to Autism, the Naturopath is concerned firstly with its causes. One specific method for assessing and treating Autism is the DAN Protocol.
What is the DAN Protocol?
Conventional treatments focus on the person’s symptoms – hyperactivity, lack of attention, or difficulty communicating – rather than the causes of the disorder. Psychiatric medications are commonly used to treat these symptoms.
In contrast, the DAN (Defeat Autism Now) Protocol does not rely on psychiatric medications but uses medical testing to help determine the causes of Autism. The DAN method approaches Autism as a biomedical issue and assesses its roots and treats it in light of those causes. Practitioners believe that Autism can be linked to factors like toxins in the body, a weakened immune system, and food related issues.
Common Tests
A number of tests are used to evaluate the individual and determine how to treat them. Below are some specific tests:
Antimicrobial Testing – A large buildup of Candida albicans (a naturally occurring yeast found in the intestines, throat, mouth, and genitals), can cause a buildup of toxins. Research has shown a relationship between the overgrowth of this yeast and a number of problems and disorders, including Autism.
Oxalates Testing – These organic acids are found in certain foods or certain fungi (Aspergillus and Penicillium, and possibly Candida) and are a product of human metabolism. Reducing oxalates in the diet is linked to a reduction in the symptoms of Autism.
Metabolic Testing – The Organics Acid test gives picture of a person’s metabolism by examining 74 metabolites that are excreted through the urine.
Chemical Toxicity and Heavy Metal Testing – A buildup of toxic metals in the body, such as mercury, arsenic, and lead, can prevent normal brain development and functioning.
Naturopathic Therapies
Autism is a condition which has no cure, but can be managed. A number of naturopathic therapies have been found to be helpful in treating Autism including special diets and nutritional supplements.
Special diets have been shown to be effective in relieving some gastrointestinal issues associated with Autism and to improve other symptoms:
Low Oxalate diet – Restricting the diet to low oxalate foods and restricting the use of antibiotics.
Gluten & Casein free diet – Gluten is a protein found in grains, while casein is a protein found in dairy products.
Specific Carbohydrate diet – A diet free from simple sugars and grains.
Nutritional medicine and dietary supplements have also helped many children suffering from Autism. Examples include the additions of vitamins, such as B12, or dietary supplements, such as Omega-3 fatty acids.
Autism Programs in the Greater Toronto Area
The Greater Toronto Area is home to a number of organizations that focus on Autism in various ways. Here are a few of them along with some of the things that they offer:
The Geneva Center for Autism offers Social Skills Groups which teach children how to make and keep friends, play, and get along with others. Autism Ontario has a variety of speech related services to help children with Autism. The Shining Through Centre uses Applied Behaviour Analysis (ABA) therapy and one on one instruction in communication, academics, play, socialization, and self-care.
Specialized schools, such as Giant Steps Toronto, give autistic children an introduction to school while preparing them for transition into mainstream schools. Autism in Mind Children’s Charity (AIM) offers a Social Skills Program and Intensive Behaviour Intervention Therapy Program to families
Don’t Suffer Alone
For those families who have a loved one suffering from Autism, there are places to turn for help. Assist your loved one today to find the help that they need.
