Organ Systems

Just Breathe

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picture of lungs that says top tips to enhance healthy lung function
How to Have Healthy Lungs

How to Have Healthy Lungs

Healthy lung function is crucial to your very survival. Your lungs are a vital organ. If they are inflamed, filled with fluid, damaged or scarred your ability to absorb life-giving oxygen is impaired. When they are working fine, it’s easy to take your lungs for granted. Breathing is governed by your autonomic nervous system. This is the portion of your nervous system that runs on auto-pilot without you having to think about it, just like your heart.

Lung Anatomy and Function

Your lungs are pyramid-shaped organs that are located in your chest on the right and left side. In the front of your body, they extend from just above your collarbone at the top to about the sixth rib down. In your back, your lungs end around your tenth rib. They are connected to your windpipe or trachea by tubes called bronchi. You can envision the tubes for your lungs like an upside-down tree, the trachea is the trunk of the tree, that then divides into two branches or bronchi, which then divide into smaller branches or bronchioles.

On the bottom, your lungs are bordered by your diaphragm. The diaphragm is a flat, dome-shaped muscle that helps you breathe. Your right lung is shorter and wider than your left lung and is greater in volume.

Each lung is made up of smaller units called lobes with space between the lobes. The right lung consists of three lobes, while the left lung only has two lobes. Lobes are then divided into segments. Each segment receives air from its own tube or bronchus and gets blood from its own artery. Some lung diseases affect one or more of these segments. In some cases, the diseased segments can be surgically removed with little influence on neighboring segments.

As mentioned, the bronchi branch into the smaller branches or bronchioles. At the end of the smallest bronchioles are air sacs that are called alveoli. This is where CO2 or carbon dioxide, that is a waste product of your metabolism, gets exchanged for O2 or oxygen that is in the air we breathe.

In addition to exchanging CO2 for O2, your lungs also:

  1. Manage the pH of your blood by increasing or decreasing the amount of CO2 in the body
  2. Filter out small gas bubbles that may occur in your bloodstream and
  3. Help control your blood pressure through the conversion of angiotensin I to angiotensin II.

Best Practices For Lung Health

Understanding what you can do to help your lungs function at their best helps you in more ways than one. Here are some top lung tips you can do at home:

1. Practice Deep Breathing

Did you know that we normally only use about 50 percent of our lung capacity? Involving your entire lungs when you breathe keeps them healthy.

How You Breathe

Let’s take a moment to really examine how our breath works and how we can improve it. When you take a deep breath, your diaphragm, chest muscles and lungs work in harmony to draw in oxygen. When you exhale, you expel carbon dioxide. You’ve probably noticed that taking deeper breaths has a different effect on your body than taking short, shallow breaths. You may also notice that stress tends to make your breathing more shallow and that taking deep breaths helps you to relax.

Breathe With Your Whole Lung

Deeper breaths require greater involvement from more parts of your lungs. That means that the lower sections (where mucus tends to collect) are activated and mucus is dislodged. Deep breathing is an effective way to support good lung function for patients with asthma and other respiratory disorders.

Deep Breathing

What exactly does deep breathing mean? Try paying attention to the role your diaphragm plays as you inhale and exhale. It might help if you place a hand at the top of your belly. You should feel your belly expand as you inhale, and contract as you exhale. That simple awareness helps you to be more conscious of expanding your lungs.

Maintaining good posture with your shoulders back, chest open and a straight back gives your ribs the space to expand. As well, count slowly with each breath. Inhales and exhales should be equal counts.

As an added bonus, this breathing exercise relaxes you – and we all need more of that right now. Deep breathing lowers the production of stress hormones such as cortisol.

2. Stay Hydrated

Drinking enough water thins the mucus in your lungs. As well, proper hydration is necessary for maintaining good health overall so it should always be a priority.

3. Exercise

Exercise requires effort, oxygen and therefore deeper breaths. This also works your chest muscles and diaphragm in addition to supporting your physical health. Do whatever exercise feels good to you and that you enjoy so that you’ll stick to it.

HIIT Workouts For Lung Health

Some evidence suggests that interval training is a particularly good way to boost lung function. Alternating periods of intense exercise with periods of rest helps your lungs recover from the exertion as you continue to work out. As always, listen to your body and only do what works for you.

4. Use Your Nose to Breathe

Protect Your Lungs From Particulate Matter

Those little hairs in your nostrils, called nares, are there for a reason. They act as filters to keep the air you breathe clean. They also warm the air to minimize the shock to your lungs on a cold day. Breathing through your nose provides a buffer which helps to reduce the amount of extra “cleaning” work your lungs need to carry out.

5. Clean Up Your Cleaning

You’ve heard it before, but it’s worth repeating. If you’re not sure which products you should be using to clean your home, focus on keeping them clean by seeking out the healthiest cleaning supplies that have only natural ingredients.

Natural Cleaning Products

Baking soda, vinegar and water are tried and true cleaners. There are plenty of eco-friendly cleaning products available that use essential oils and natural ingredients. As much as possible, eliminate aerosol sprays and synthetic air fresheners which can be particularly irritating to your lungs.

6. Laugh More

Yes, it seems simple, but laughing truly is a great exercise to work your abdominal muscles, increase your lung capacity and oxygenate your blood. And let’s face it, comedic moments are the best medicine ever!

7. Fresh Air Indoors

As the weather warms up, remember to open up your windows and let the fresh air in. If you live in an area that is busy with traffic, try waiting until night time to freshen up your house. Indoor air filters are another way to ensure the air quality in your home is optimal. Particulate matter in city air create lung inflammation for some people.

8. If You Smoke, Stop, We Can Help

Having healthy lung function is always important, but now more than ever we need to make sure our lungs and lung capacity are working at peak levels. Research shows that your lung function starts to improve as early as 2 weeks after quitting smoking.

We are living with a lot of uncertainty right now. Taking proactive steps to optimize your health is important. There are many things that you can do to help improve your body’s resilience.

Wellness is achieved when your body is able to protect itself against imbalances, breakdowns, and foreign invaders. The human body has evolved powerful defense systems that help it to maintain optimal physical, mental and emotional states. Our lifestyle, past, and current health issues as well as our ability to manage stress and trauma all play a role in our state of health.

Supporting our body’s innate ability to heal is not a short term solution to a problem but rather a daily plan to stay strong and resilient.

If you are looking for help to get your health optimized and work towards your unique version of resilience and wellbeing, give us a call at 416-481-0222 we are here to help you. Our team is offering virtual services at the present time. You can work virtually with a chiropractor, psychotherapist, dietitian, or naturopathic doctor.

By Dr. Pamela Frank, BSc(Hons), Naturopathic Doctor

References

Breathing study on adults with asthma:

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/32212422

Diaphragm breathing and stress: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5455070/

Benefits of deep breathing exercises: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24937500

Hydration and pulmonary problems: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/14681718/

Exercise: https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2020/03/200331162314.htm

Smoking. https://www.livescience.com/coronavirus-covid-19-risk-and-smoking.html

Effects of quitting smoking

https://www.cancer.org/healthy/stay-away-from-tobacco/benefits-of-quitting-smoking-over-time.html

Do You Have Undiagnosed Thyroid Problems?

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woman with thyroid problems having a thyroid ultrasound
Do you have thyroid problems?

Your thyroid is your body’s gas pedal. It regulates the speed and performance of the rest of your system. Your energy levels, metabolism, and heart rate are all controlled by this small but vital, butterfly-shaped gland. Thyroid hormones are essential for growth, brain development, fertility and the production of energy. Thyroid hormones stimulate the production of new mitochondria. Mitochondria are the energy-generators in each of your cells. Without enough thyroid hormone, your mitochondria aren’t able to produce as much energy as they should. Having a slow or underactive thyroid is called hypothyroidism. At the other end of the spectrum, your body can go into “overdrive” if it produces too much thyroid hormone. This is called hyperthyroidism.

Thyroid Problems are Often Un-diagnosed

With so much impact on your overall health and well-being, maintaining healthy thyroid hormone levels is important. Did you know that one in eight women produce either too much or not enough thyroid hormone? Women are at higher risk for thyroid issues than men. Hormonal changes like pregnancy or menopause make women more vulnerable to thyroid issues. The risk for both genders increases with age. In fact, the stats for those with undiagnosed thyroid disease are shocking. One study found that 6.71% of the population has an undiagnosed thyroid problem. Of course, as naturopathic doctors, we dig deep to find the root of thyroid concerns rather than just attribute your symptoms to age or menopause.

TSH, The Thyroid Regulating Hormone

To understand how your thyroid can wreak havoc on your health, you need to understand how it works. Your thyroid sits in your neck. There it performs the vital task of secreting thyroid hormone. This in turn triggers a cascade of other hormones and processes throughout your body. The key point about thyroid hormone is that your body is very sensitive to the amounts it receives. Any imbalances can have far reaching repercussions.

The amount of hormone your thyroid secretes is controlled by the amount of thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH) in your blood. In other words, TSH is the “master” hormone that directs your thyroid. It’s produced by your pituitary gland in your brain.

Lab ranges for TSH are notoriously broad. You can have signs and symptoms of an underactive thyroid BEFORE your TSH falls outside this wide lab range. This is called subclinical hypothyroidism.

When Your Immune System Attacks Your Thyroid

Further complicating the health of your thyroid is the fact that it is vulnerable to immune system attacks. This causes autoimmunity or autoimmune thyroid problems. The autoimmune disorder Grave’s disease causes too much thyroid hormone to be produced. In contrast, the autoimmune disease Hashimoto’s causes your immune system to attack your thyroid, slowing down thyroid hormone production.

What causes auto-immune thyroid problems?

That’s a great question and one that doesn’t yet have a conclusive answer. Your immune system is programmed to recognize your body and to know NOT to attack it. In autoimmunity, the immune system appears to have gone rogue.

Researchers hypothesize that it may be that a virus gained access to your thyroid at some point when your immune system was low. Maybe you didn’t sleep well, you were super-stressed or you were not eating well, all things that can lower your immune function. This allowed an infectious agent, like a virus to enter your thyroid. Now that there is a virus inside your thyroid, your immune system attacks the thyroid tissue to get at the virus. There is extensive research showing that individuals with auto-immune thyroid often have Epstein-Barr virus in their thyroids. Epstein-Barr virus is the virus that causes mono. To help auto-immune thyroid, then, our naturopathic doctors aim to help your immune system tackle this virus so there is no longer a need to attack your thyroid.

Your thyroid can also become inflamed. This is called thyroiditis. Tackling this type of thyroid problem means addressing the source of the inflammation. Your thyroid may also develop nodules or small abnormal growths. Sometimes this is associated with thyroid auto-immunity. It is also associated with iodine excess and iodine deficiency.

Hypothyroidism: When Your Thyroid Slows Down

If your thyroid isn’t producing enough thyroid hormone, your body slows down. This results in a condition called hypothyroidism. Hypothyroidism causes many troublesome symptoms.The symptoms of hypothyroidism include:

Could You be Experiencing Hypothyroid Symptoms?

Despite this long list of issues, about 60 percent of people with hypothyroidism aren’t aware that they have it. One reason for this is that it’s easy to blame thyroid symptoms on other factors like lack of sleep, a poor diet or growing older. As well, thyroid symptoms tend to develop slowly. We often blame ourselves for weight gain when there is actually a medical explanation for it.

If you experience any of the symptoms above, it’s a good idea to dig deeper and figure out the root cause. Our naturopathic doctors can assist you with thorough thyroid testing. We do much more than just testing your TSH. These uncomfortable symptoms do not have to be part of your life.

Hyperthyroidism: The Consequences of an Overactive Thyroid

In contrast, when your body produces too much thyroid hormone, this condition is called hyperthyroidism. With hyperthyroidism, your body’s functions accelerate. Although this might sound appealing, many of the symptoms are debilitating. Some signs of hyperthyroidism include:

  • Feeling hot all the time
  • Anxiety
  • A rapid heartbeat or heart palpitations
  • Weight loss
  • Excessive sweating
  • Tremors
  • Restlessness
  • Missed periods
  • Insomnia
  • Hair loss
  • Osteopenia or osteoporosis

As with hypothyroidism, the symptoms of hyperthyroidism are often blamed on other issues, such as stress or anxiety.

Why Are Thyroid Problems Hard to Diagnose?

With so many symptoms, you would think that thyroid dysfunction would be easy to pick up. Not so. One challenging problem with identifying thyroid issues is that most doctors only run one test for your thyroid. They only test the amount of TSH in your blood. However, testing this one hormone doesn’t give the complete picture of your thyroid health. A more holistic approach which tests various hormone levels yields more information and leads to more effective treatment. This is what our ND’s do.

Prevention: How can you Prevent Thyroid Problems?

Unfortunately, the prevention of thyroid disease isn’t always possible. Sometimes genetics play a role in it. But, even if you have inherited the genes for thyroid problems, how much or how little you express those genes can be altered by certain health choices. Other risk factors for thyroid dysfunction include chronic stress and a personal or family history of autoimmune diseases. In addition, more research is pointing to the role of environmental factors in disrupting thyroid function. Our naturopathic doctors will address all the factors that contribute to thyroid issues when they are crafting your treatment plan.

Addressing the lifestyle factors that inflame your body helps to stabilize thyroid hormones whatever the cause of your imbalance.

6 DIY strategies for improving your thyroid health

Eat to protect your gut health

Maintaining enough good bacteria in your gut, keeps it healthy, protects your immune system and reduces your risk of autoimmune problems. Include lots of high-fiber foods in your diet every day. Broccoli, kale, and whole grains like quinoa make excellent high fiber options.

Reduce your stress

Stress interferes with thyroid function by slowing the production of TSH. It also increases the production of an inactive form of thyroid hormone, called reverse T3. Addressing your stress levels is important. If you can’t get rid of stress, exercise is a good way to both reduce its effects and improve your metabolism.

Cut your sugar intake

Your thyroid is a crucial component of your endocrine (hormonal) system. Sugar is managed by another vital organ in this interconnected system, your pancreas. The endocrine organs work together to keep your body working optimally. There is a complex relationship between diabetes and thyroid disease. One study identified thyroid dysfunction in 48% of diabetic patients. Clearly, better managing your glucose levels can help stabilize your thyroid.

Watch your iodine intake

Iodine is essential for good thyroid function, but too much also leads to thyroid problems. Iodized salt, seaweed, and some seafood contain high levels of iodine. Be careful not to overdo the seaweed snacks. I have seen at least one person who did and overdosed on iodine as a result.

Pay attention to how gluten makes you feel

People with Celiac disease are three times more likely to have a thyroid problem. Celiac disease interferes with the absorption of nutrients such as iodine. If you have trouble digesting gluten, consider eliminating it or get tested for Celiac disease. If it is negative, you may still have a gluten intolerance or sensitivity that our food allergy test will identify.

Look for high-fiber foods

High fiber foods are especially helpful if you’re hypothyroid. Having hypothyroidism can slow your digestive system and lead to constipation, so you want to focus on keeping things moving. As mentioned above, high-fiber foods help your good gut bacteria thrive. Fibrous foods fill you up so you eat less, which helps weight management. Fiber also slows down the rise in blood sugar that happens after a meal.

In general, the key is to focus on a whole-foods diet that will reduce inflammation. Avoiding artificial ingredients and regulating your blood sugar will reduce dietary stress and help maintain your thyroid health.

I’m Concerned About My Thyroid. What’s the Next Step?

When it comes to resolving thyroid issues, early detection is the key. It is much easier to deal with a thyroid problem when it is caught early. It’s also important to complete thorough thyroid testing. Evaluating thyroid hormone levels is complex and often not properly diagnosed within the conventional healthcare system. If you’re experiencing any of the above symptoms of thyroid disease – either hyperthyroidism or hypothyroidism – give us a call at 416-481-0222 or book an appointment online. Thyroid problems, diagnosed or undiagnosed, do not have to affect your daily life. Our naturopathic doctors can help.

Authored by Dr Pamela Frank, BSc(Hons), ND

Science-based Sources

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20030460

https://www.endocrineweb.com/conditions/thyroid/how-manage-stress-if-you-have-autoimmune-thyroid-disease

https://www.health.harvard.edu/staying-healthy/healthy-eating-for-a-healthy-thyroid

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/30060266

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16580033

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/27959843

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25931043

Gut or Digestion Problems?

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woman with gut issues

Digestion Trouble? It’s all in your Gut!

There’s a lot to talk about when it comes to your gut.  We’re still learning a lot about how the interaction between the digestive system and the rest of the body works. We know that the intestinal flora can affect your body’s ability to perform several critical functions, such as:

  • Absorbing and producing vitamins and minerals,
  • Regulating hormones,
  • Effective digestion,
  • Responding to the immune system, and
  • Eliminating toxins

For those who already suffer from gastrointestinal or digestion disorders such as IBS, Celiac disease, Crohn’s, ulcerative colitis, SIBO or leaky gut syndrome, the link between gut and mental health becomes more pronounced. Your gastrointestinal (GI) issues can be the root cause of many symptoms throughout your body.

Given how extensive the influence of the gut is, it’s clear that looking after our gut health is one of the most important ways we can look after our overall health. There are many ways to take care of your gut.  There are two factors that influence bowel flora directly: prebiotics and probiotics.

How does the connection between the gut and the body work?

In between the layers of your digestive tract is something called the enteric nervous system (ENS).  This is made up of two thin layers of over 100 million nerve cells lining your GI tract literally from top to bottom.

The ENS sends messages between your gut and your brain. That’s why the gut is often called the “second brain.” As you’ll see from the symptoms listed below, the messages that the second brain sends can be very persuasive!

How can you tell if your gut is imbalanced?

The ideal balance of gut bacteria is about 85% good bacteria to 15% bad bacteria out of about 100 trillion bacteria that naturally live in your gut.

This balance can be upset in the course of daily life by caffeine, processed foods, stress, long-term use of medications and definitely antibiotics. In fact, one course of antibiotics can leave your gut bacteria weaker for up to four years!

As we age, the natural decrease in our stomach acid (which plays an important role in the growth of good bacteria) enables bad bacteria to get stronger.

The main culprit of a bacteria imbalance, though, is overconsumption of sugars. To make an immediate positive impact on your gut, it’s essential to limit simple carbohydrates like sugars found in sodas, desserts, and processed foods like flour products.

There are all kinds of indicators of an imbalanced gastrointestinal system. These can be symptoms like:

  • Bloated, gassy and distended abdomen
  • Extreme bowel movement patterns like diarrhea or constipation (or fluctuation of both)
  • Skin conditions including acne, rashes, psoriasis and eczema flare-ups
  • Constant fatigue despite getting an adequate amount of sleep
  • ‘Down’, depressed or sad emotions, irritability
  • Candida or yeast overgrowth
  • Weight loss due to lack of appetite or cravings causing weight gain due to poorly absorbed nutrients

How can we help our gut communicate best?

You can help heal your gut by providing it with what it needs to keep the necessary balance of good and bad bacteria.  This helps your gut take care of its biggest job – regulating digestion. That way, the gut’s messages to the body and mind are clear, efficient, and healthy.

How? It comes down to maintaining a healthy diet, getting regular exercise and high-quality rest and supporting your gastrointestinal health with both prebiotics and probiotics!

Prebiotics vs Probiotics – What’s the difference?

Probiotics

These are the healthy, “good” bacteria that naturally live in the colon of our digestive systems. When consumed in the right amounts, probiotics can have great benefits to our health overall. Once in the colon, probiotic bacteria multiply, helping to regulate the balance between the good and bad bacteria that live there. You might be familiar with certain kinds of probiotics, as there are a few that have specific health benefits like Lactobacillus acidophilus.  The diversity of gut bacteria is what keeps us healthy.  That’s why it’s important to consume a variety of different strains.

There are some natural food sources for probiotics, largely they are in fermented foods. A few fantastic choices for probiotics are:

  • Kimchi
  • Unpasteurized sauerkraut – natural, made with salt, not vinegar
  • Kefir
  • Yogurt
  • Kombucha
  • Miso
  • Pickles

Prebiotics

Prebiotics are non-digestible carbohydrates that help probiotics grow and remain in your digestive system.  They’re known as “food” for your good bacteria.

Less information has been publicized about where you can find prebiotics, but that could be because you’ve been eating them this whole time! Prebiotics are a non-digestible fibre source that’s plentiful in lots of raw foods:

  • Garlic
  • Leeks
  • Onions (which still contain prebiotics once cooked)
  • Chicory root
  • Dandelion greens
  • Asparagus
  • Jerusalem artichoke
  • Jicama
  • Under-ripe bananas

Taking probiotics alone is a good beginning.  We want to encourage the colonies of bacteria to grow and support a healthy gastrointestinal system.  That’s why it’s important to eat prebiotics also to ensure that the probiotics can multiply and do their work effectively.

Consume a combination of prebiotic and probiotic foods on a daily basis, to help replenish and maintain a healthy digestive system for overall health.

Is a supplement necessary to have enough prebiotics and probiotics?

Getting your nutrition from whole foods is always the preferred route to optimal health, but sometimes you need a little help. In that case, look for:

Prebiotic supplements: Prebiotics are actually really easy to get in a well-balanced diet. Due to the nature of the fibre that they contain, that’s really the best way to get them. If you are looking for a little extra push, try using chicory root as a coffee substitute, or using a powdered acacia gum (gum arabic) in a morning smoothie. Having these kinds of foods in your diet can assure you that your gut bacteria are well-fed and cared for.

Probiotic supplements: You should be looking for a supplement containing CFU (Colony Forming Units) in the billions. The generally recommended dose can vary between 30 to 150 billion CFUs per day, taken in up to four doses. To maintain the diversity of gut bacteria, aim to supplement with different strains of good bacteria.

How long should I take probiotics?

You can safely stay on probiotics indefinitely.  We definitely recommend them if you’re on, or coming off of antibiotics, the birth control pill or radiation treatment.

If you choose to supplement, remember to take it at breakfast when the bacteria have the best chance of surviving the acidic environment of your gut. Whether or not supplementation is a regular part of your supplement regimen remember that taking probiotics after a course of antibiotics is one of the best ways to ensure your full and healthy recovery from the inside out.

Just as we take care of our muscles and our minds by feeding them the things that they need to stay strong and healthy, so too must we take care of our “second brain”.  We need to maintain our gut, by feeding it what it needs to perform in optimal health.

Prebiotics and probiotics are the two primary ways of keeping your digestion healthy, happy, and functioning optimally! Remember, while everyone can take prebiotics and probiotics, from children to pregnant people, to the elderly – everyone is unique.

We would love to help you determine which foods and supplements are best for you and your family. Please book an appointment to ask our naturopathic doctors for their recommendation of both the type and dosage that could be right for you.  We also offer many other options to improve your digestion.

What is Fatty Liver?

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picture of a healthy liver without fatty liver disease

Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease (NAFLD)

By Dr. Pamela Frank, BSc(Hons), ND

What is Fatty Liver (NAFLD)?

NAFLD is a condition where there are fat deposits in the liver in someone who is not an alcoholic.  The condition is thought to affect anywhere from 1 in 3 adults in the US and 1 in 10 children.  NAFLD is the leading cause of liver disease in Western countries.

Why is NAFLD a problem?

NAFLD itself is not necessarily serious but it can progress into another condition known as NASH (non-alcoholic steatohepatitis). The fat deposits create inflammation in the liver and over time can damage the liver, leading to scarring, cirrhosis of the liver and liver cancer. Severe liver cirrhosis can necessitate a liver transplant.

What are the symptoms of Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease?

You may have NAFLD and have no symptoms, the majority of people with the condition have no symptoms.  Children may have symptoms of abdominal pain and fatigue.  Your doctor may feel enlargement of your liver on physical exam.  

What causes Fatty Liver?

NAFLD is associated with Metabolic Syndrome – a group of symptoms (syndrome) that includes signs and symptoms such as high blood pressure, high cholesterol, insulin resistance, diabetes or pre-diabetes and being overweight.

How is NAFLD diagnosed?

A blood test for liver enzymes may be abnormal or not.  A liver ultrasound may show NAFLD.  NASH can only be diagnosed by liver biopsy.

What elses causes it?

Fat accumulation in the liver can also be caused by excess alcohol intake, certain medications, viral hepatitis, autoimmune liver disease, and metabolic or inherited liver disease.

What can be done about fatty liver disease?

In one study, mung bean sprouts that had been germinated for 4 days plus HIIT training improved sugar and fat metabolism, as well as liver function and cellular appearance in rats with NAFLD. Since insulin appears to play a significant role in fatty liver, adopting a low glycemic index, low glycemic load diet that requires less insulin is a good idea.  There are several other naturopathic interventions for fatty liver.

For more help with fatty liver disease, book an appointment now with one of our naturopathic doctors.

5 Factors Affecting Your Kidneys

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picture of kidneys, for kidney health

Maintaining the Health of Your Kidneys

Your kidneys sit close to your back, just beneath (protected by) the ribs in the midback. They are just under the red blobs in the diagram above (the red blobs are your adrenal glands). They filter about 140 liters of blood each day and produce about 1-2 liters of urine.  Their job is to remove waste products from the blood for excretion in the urine.

Factors that influence kidney health:

  1. Diet – inflammatory foods and high blood sugars will damage the kidneys.  Studies have shown that removing inflammatory foods and better managing blood sugar (especially for diabetics), can improve kidney function.  Foods that tend to provoke inflammation include: sugars, cooking oils, trans fats, red meat, processed meat, refined grains, additives like MSG plus any foods that you are sensitive to such as dairy, gluten, eggs, nuts or beans.
  2. Fiber intake – higher dietary fiber intake improves kidney function.
  3. Sugar and artificial sweetener intake – a recent study found that intake of greater than 2 artificially sweetened sodas per day lead to a decline in kidney function.
  4. Protein intake – high protein diets have been discouraged in the past as putting too much strain on the kidneys.  In healthy kidneys, protein consumption is not of concern.  In fact, one recent study showed that pregnant women with higher protein intake, produced children with better functioning kidneys. The only people who need be concerned with limiting protein intake, are those with kidney disease.
  5. Caffeine – there appears to be no association between caffeine intake and kidney disease.  In fact, one study found a lower risk for kidney stones in those who consumed more caffeine.

By Dr. Pamela Frank, BSc(Hons), ND

References:

Xu H, Huang X, Risérus U, Krishnamurthy VM, Cederholm T, Arnlöv J, Lindholm B, Sjögren P, Carrero JJ. Dietary fiber, kidney function, inflammation, and mortality risk. Clin J Am Soc Nephrol. 2014 Dec 5;9(12):2104-10. doi: 10.2215/CJN.02260314. Epub 2014 Oct 3.

Xu H1, Sjögren P, Ärnlöv J, Banerjee T, Cederholm T, Risérus U, Lindholm B, Lind L, Carrero JJ. A proinflammatory diet is associated with systemic inflammation and reduced kidney function in elderly adults. J Nutr. 2015 Apr;145(4):729-35. doi: 10.3945/jn.114.205187. Epub 2015 Jan 28.

Lin J1, Curhan GC. Associations of sugar and artificially sweetened soda with albuminuria and kidney function decline in women. Clin J Am Soc Nephrol. 2011 Jan;6(1):160-6. doi: 10.2215/CJN.03260410. Epub 2010 Sep 30.

Miliku K, Voortman T, van den Hooven EH, Hofman A, Franco OH, Jaddoe VW. First-trimester maternal protein intake and childhood kidney outcomes: the Generation R Study. Am J Clin Nutr. 2015 Jul;102(1):123-9. doi: 10.3945/ajcn.114.102228. Epub 2015 May 13.

Ferraro PM, Taylor EN, Gambaro G, Curhan GC. Caffeine intake and the risk of kidney stones. Am J Clin Nutr. 2014 Dec;100(6):1596-603. doi: 10.3945/ajcn.114.089987. Epub 2014 Oct 1.

What is a detox?

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what is a liver detox liver picture

Liver Detoxification

What is a detox?

Detoxification (detox) is the process whereby the liver breaks down toxins and body waste to prepare them for excretion either through the urine or the bowel.  There are two steps, known as phase I and phase II liver detoxification.  Waste must pass completely through both steps and then be excreted to be removed from your body.  The steps require certain nutrients to be performed properly including: vitamin B6, vitamin B12, active folic acid (5MTHF), indole-3-carbinol, glucarate, N-acetyl cysteine, glutathione, etc.

A detox involves supplying the specific nutrients required for complete, efficient liver detoxification and ensuring proper function of the organs of elimination – the liver, colon, kidneys and skin.

What are the benefits of doing a detox?

Toxins build up in our bodies through eating the wrong foods, pesticides/herbicides sprayed on our food, exposure to pollution through our environment and living an unhealthy lifestyle. Sometimes our bodies need assistance in getting rid of these toxins and this is the purpose of a detox.  The benefit of doing this is to remove toxins, chemicals and waste that may have adverse effects on our bodies.  Some are hormone disruptors, some may be cancer promoters, some affect fertility and some just make us feel sick or sluggish.

When is it a good time to do a detox?

Detoxes can be done at any time during the year if you want to address a certain condition. However, if you are looking to do a general cleanse, then the optimal times are spring and fall.

What are the side effects?

Everyone responds differently to detoxing. Some people who are more sensitive and/or have a lot of toxicity may experience headaches, low energy and moodiness but these symptoms usually clear up within the first week or two.

What detox is right for me?

There are many different detoxes available, although many of the health food store variety don’t do very much other than cause frequent bowel movements through laxative herbs and fiber supplements. These are not recommended nor particularly beneficial.

General liver/colon cleanses, digestive cleanses, Candida diets and heavy metal detoxes are some examples of detoxes that our naturopathic doctors may recommend depending on your specific condition.

What’s involved in a detox?

A detox usually involves making some necessary dietary modifications along with 1 or 2 nutritional and/or herbal supplements. They usually last about 3-6 weeks.