Tag Archives: food sensitivities

How to make sure it is Organic.

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At our clinic Semiahmoo Wellness Centre in South Surrey/White Rock I am always recommending to my patients that when they are making healthy choices for themselves and their families to purchase organic, non genetically modified fruits and vegetables.Studies show not only does organically raised food taste better but many studies have shown that organic has a greater quantity of nutritional value. The next question patients ask is how can you tell if it is organic. Most stores don’t label if a food has been genetically modified and of course you are not going to be told what pesticides or herbicides were used in the farming practice of raising that produce. One way to tell how it is raised is by looking at the sticker. The code will give you valuable information. If the label has 4 digits, beginning with 4 then it is conventionally grown and may be sprayed with synthetic pesticides, not genetically modified. If is a 5 digit code beginning with a 9, this equals organic, not genetically modified. If it is a 5 digit, beginning with an 8 it is genetically modified produce. Even if we are eating healthy we may not be absorbing all the nutrients that are in our food. Naturopathic doctors are good at assessing what you may be lacking from your diet.

Can Gluten Sensitivity cause Multiple Sclerosis?

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Multiple Sclerosis is a debilitating autoimmune disease that destroys the insulation surrounding the nerves.  It can lead to a number of health problems and ultimately can cripple a person’s ability to walk.
Some of the early symptoms of MS include: Numbness, tingling, burning, pins and needle sensations and coldness of the hands and feet; brain fog, poor memory, weak muscles, fatigue, loss of co-ordination, slurred speech and visual disturbances.

 

If you have these symptoms you could also have a gluten sensitivity. Gluten has been shown to trigger the production of antibodies that attack the nervous system and cause demyelination.  Gluten has been shown to contribute to mineral and vitamin deficiencies.  These same nutrient deficits can disrupt the nervous system leading to increase chronic inflammation and neuropathy. Celiac testing can have too many false negative test results. Genetic testing is best to identify Gluten sensitivity.

 

Dr. Bill and Dr.Justyna have just returned from Seattle from a conference on Methylation, Genetic Testing and Nutritional Protocols to assist in correcting these issues.
 

 

 

Have You Had a Cocktail Lately?

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We are no longer only what we eat, we are also what we absorb. As we know, healthy eating and lifestyle are key in keeping our body balanced and well. However, increased nutritional demand, reduced absorption, lack of nutrition and can drastically reduce our body’s nutritional status and overall health. Increased nutritional demand can be associated with conditions such as chronic stress, insomnia, travel, pregnancy, athletic performance, viral and bacterial infections, and chronic illness. On the other hand, reduced absorption can result from a variety of common issues including acute or chronic stress, ulcers, allergies, diarrhea, constipation, inflammation (IBS, IBD, Crohn’s) and excess or deficient stomach acid.

Intravenous (IV) Vitamin & Mineral therapy is an excellent way to increase your nutritional status. IV Vitamin therapies, such as Myers’ Cocktails developed by Dr. John Myers, MD, use highly concentrated vitamin and mineral infusions that are administered intravenously. This ensures maximum absorption and delivery of nutrients at the cellular level, bypassing the digestive limitations discussed above.

Common vitamins and minerals used in Vitamin IV therapy include: Vitamin C, Vitamin B5, Vitamin B6, Vitamin B12, B complex, Magnesium and Calcium.

Intravenous (IV) Vitamin & Mineral therapy is an excellent way to increase your nutritional status. IV Vitamin therapies, such as Myers’ Cocktails developed by Dr. John Myers, MD, use highly concentrated vitamin and mineral infusions that are administered intravenously. This ensures maximum absorption and delivery of nutrients at the cellular level, bypassing the digestive limitations discussed above.

Common vitamins and minerals used in Vitamin IV therapy include: Vitamin C, Vitamin B5, Vitamin B6, Vitamin B12, B complex, Magnesium and Calcium.

IV therapy is especially useful in improving and treating conditions such as:

-colds and flus
-fatigue and high levels of stress
-Chronic Fatigue Syndrome
-Fibromyalgia
-allergies and hayfever
-malabsorption and digestive problems
-migraine headaches
-cancer
-cardiovascular dis.
-athletic recovery and endurance
-anti-aging

You Don’t Have to Suffer With Headaches

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There are many different types of headaches. Although not all headaches are the same, they all share at least one thing in common — they cause pain. But many headaches also cause other unwanted symptoms, including nausea and vomiting. A person’s medical history and the frequency and severity of the headache is important in distinguishing an uncomfortable but safe headache from a more serious one.

There are many types of headaches such as tension headaches, migraines, cluster, sinus headaches, trigeminal neuralgia, intracranial related, meningitis, and toxic headaches. The majority of headaches, however painful, are short-lived and not a cause of concern.  Headaches of intracranial origin and/or meningitis require immediate emergency attention. It is important to ensure that your headache is not due to a serious illness before considering the use of any complementary therapy.

At the Semiahmoo Wellness Center most of the headaches seen by the Naturopathic Physicians are due to either structural misalignment of the cranium or neck as well as muscle tension, allergies, chemical toxicity, other digestive disturbances or EMF toxicity.

Tension headaches can be a result of hypoadrenia from stress. Low adrenal function from the effects of stress on the body  can lead to low blood sugar headaches or can cause ligaments to be lax which can lead to instability in the neck leading to headaches. Providing support to the adrenal glands is paramount to resolution of these type of headaches as well as spinal and /or cranial manipulation.

If you suffer from migraine headaches your diet and digestion needs to assessed along with investigation into food sensitivities and allergies.

Certain supplements can also be beneficial to those affected by headaches. These include:

  1. feverfew, which may prevent or alleviate some types of headaches, including migraines, when taken over several weeks or months;
  2. riboflavin (a B vitamin) and a combined magnesium and calcium preparation, taken daily, may be effective for persistent migraines.

 

If you are looking to get off the pain medications and don’t want to suffer through the pain give us a call at the Semiahmoo Wellness Center.

Do You Have a Grain Brain?

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I just picked up  another book on the effects of gluten and grains on your brain health. If you have read the book ” Wheat Belly” by Dr. William Davis you will enjoy Dr. Perlmutter’s book ” Grain Brain”. He demonstrates that your brain health is not in your genes but in the food you eat. He suggests that the cornerstone of all degenerative conditions including  brain disorders, is inflammation, which can be triggered by carbs, especially those containing gluten and/or high sugar. He suggests a healthy brain diet consists of one that contains low carbohydrates (healthy low glycemic) and is high in “good fats”  He also covers how statin drugs may be erasing your memory and decreasing your energy. It may even be responsible for keeping your sex life under the shelf. Statins lower cholesterol and cholesterol is important for making testosterone. Low testosterone ( in both men and women)  effects your libido and ability to perform. Plenty of studies have confirmed this connection. Decreased libido is one of the most common complaints among statin users, and lab reports have repeatedly demonstrated low testosterone in statin consumers. The Semiahmoo Wellness Center in White Rock offers testing for Gluten Sensitivity and testosterone levels. See Dr. Perlmutter at: www.drperlmutter.com.

Allergies and GMO Foods.

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I have been testing and treating allergies and food intolerances for many years now. I am seeing an interesting pattern emerging in our office. That is the emergence of sensitivities to GMO grains, yet not testing positive for organic grains. Patients will come in and test negative for a grain like wheat (organic) and will come in the next appointment and say they are still reactive to that grain. We will then test them for the GMO related grain and they will test positive to it. Research is now emerging that rats fed GMO grains end up growing tumors. This is independant research that has not been supported by the GMO giants like Monsanto. Eight countries in Europe have now banned GMO food and yet North America has been so resistant or the pro GMO lobbyists have done a great job of gaining government support. It is time for us to stand up and be visable by buying organic and refusing to ingest GMO food products. We also owe it to our families.