Immune System - Helping to Prevent the Cold and Flu (Viral infections).

To be clear, this is NOT prevention or treatment related to the current COVID-19/Coronavirus outbreak, this is general information that may help immune health, and general wellbeing.

I want to give you some Viral (Cold&Flu) Prevention tips, to keep you healthy and feeling optimal as the weather changes, your energy is going up and down, and the stress of too much work and not enough play, wears you down.  Keeping you healthy means better work performance, more quality time with friends and family, no missed vacations, & more time for the things you WANT to do. 

If you know me and my style of practice, you know that I like to get to the ROOT cause of how and why you're experiencing the symptoms ailing you.  So, instead of talking about how to feel better once you're sick, let us explore a couple of reasons why you may be getting sick, and work on helping to prevent infections.

Beyond washing your hands with soap & water prior to eating, and after you get home from a public place, the following tips can help to prevent viral infections….Here are a few tips!

1)Sleep
How good do you feel after a deep, restful nights sleep?  Not only does it feel good, but it does you good!  In one study, "Poor sleep efficiency(tossing and turning, lying awake) and sleeping less than 7hours/night in the weeks before an exposure to a virus were more likely to then get a cold".  
More Sleep = Less Likely to get a Cold. 

TIP for TODAY: Try getting an outdoor walk for >20mins a day, the fresh air, exposure to sunlight and exercise can help improve sleep.

2)Stress management:
Research shows, the more stressed you are, the more likely you are to;
(i) become a carrier, ie: ability to spread the virus to family and friends (up to 90% more) 
(ii) experience symptoms of a virus, ie: get the cold yourself (up to 50% more).  
Managing chronic stress is not only going to help prevent the common cold & flu, it is going to improve your overall health and the future of your health.  Stress truly is the root cause of so many symptoms and diseases, you have a duty to yourself to address stress.

TIP for TODAY Try doing 1 minute of ‘belly breaths’ (eyes closed, rest your back on the chair, feet on the floor, arms by your side), inhale through your nose and feel your belly gently rise, and fall, during moments of overwhelm. This can help to ground you by oxygenating your system, allowing for the anxiety/stress response to lower. HOT TIP: Daily walking, outdoors, while practicing deep breathing, is even better!

(3) Gut health
Your Gut Bacteria are king influencers of your overall immune system, and this includes helping to prevent cold and flu.  Treat them well!  The best way to improve the health of your gut bacteria is to FEED them - eat fruits and vegetables of all colours, and P.S don’t be afraid of root vegetables - gut bacteria need carbohydrates to survive. These carbohydrates are best obtained from vegetable sources for overall health - sweet potatoes, squash, beets, etc. Also, a professional quality Probiotic supplement (as well as Probiotic foods) can help to improve your gut microbiome, along with eating Prebiotic foods to help feed those good bacteria.

 TIP for TODAY: Try chewing your food 15x per bite of food. This can help to improve digestion as it signals stomach acid, enzymes and bile to secrete, as well as increases the surface area of your food for these liquids to work their magic.

(4) Vitamin Deficiencies
Low Vitamin D is linked to a higher susceptibility to infections, as it plays a major role in regulating your immune system. Low Vit D leaves you at a increased risk of the flu and respiratory tract infections, not to mention many other diseases. Did you know that OHIP no longer covers the testing for Vit D in healthy populations of people? Naturopathic Doctors have access to this important test.

TIP for TODAY: Get 15-20 mins of sunlight exposure on 80% of your body, daily, OR Check your Vitamin D levels via bloodwork and talk with me about supplementation. Remember, safety first - it is always recommended to test for a deficiency prior to supplementing.

Herbs that help to combat Viral Infections:

There are a number of Herbs that have research backing their use to help prevent viral infections, as well as helping to prevent said infections from getting worse once acquired.   

3 I will spotlight are; Echincea Angustifolia & Echincea Purpurea Roots, and Andrographis Paniculata.  These herbs have been shown to naturally enhance immune system response.  Many viruses have demonstrated sensitivity against these herbs. Remember, there are a lot of brands of herbal supplements out there, quality of the herbal preparation is paramount to ensure efficacy, during our visits together I can educate you on the highest quality preparations.

Overall, studies show that seeing a Naturopathic Doctor was shown to reduce the number days missed at work. Less days missed = more time for the things you need to do, and love to do. 

Of course, your foundational aspects of health (diet, exercise, mood/stress management) are paramount for cold and flu prevention. Getting these things straight on your own, isn't always easy.  For a personalized, comprehensive analysis of your health, let's talk.  My goal is to guide you to optimal health, by creating a plan that works for you and your lifestyle.  Let's make you a priority

DISCLAIMER: This information is not intended to diagnose, treat or manage illness, infections or disease. This is not intended as medical advice. Please do not make any changes to your prescribed medications or health regimes without first discussing with your healthcare provider.

DISCLAIMER: This information is not intended to diagnose, treat or manage the coronavirus. Please discuss with your healthcare provider if you have travelled outside of the country within the last 30 days, and are experiencing symptoms of infection such as runny nose, fever, sore throat, coughing, or any other signs of illness.

Research Citations :

1)Cohen, Sheldon et al. “Sleep habits and susceptibility to the common cold.” Archives of internal medicine vol. 169,1 (2009): 62-7. doi:10.1001/archinternmed.2008.505

2) Psychological Stress and Susceptibility to the Common Cold, Sheldon Cohen, Ph.D., David A.J. Tyrrell, M.D., and Andrew P. Smith, Ph.D.,N Engl J Med 1991; 325:606-612

3)Alternative medicine, worker health, and absenteeism in the United States,Department of Economics, University of Waterloo, 200 University Avenue West, Waterloo, ON N2L 3G1, Canada

Sleep & Insomnia

The life of the modern North American is interesting. A lot of modern illness is a result of what we call a 'broken lifestyle', and that is a lifestyle that is in opposition with our biology, as a result of modern technologies so readily available. Instead of having a lot of our health behaviours be predicated on survival behaviours, we now have an option to really not engage with things that keep us healthy. Like, getting our food, being outdoors, physical exercise, etc, and so, therefore, if you want to be healthy, you have to actively cultivate and maintain a personal health practice. This brings us to Insomnia and poor sleep; one of the first things that be thrown off with a busy, stressful lifestyle.

Insomnia can be defined as inability to get to sleep or stay asleep, for 3 or more nights a week, for 3 months or longer. This may be something you're familiar with, whether it be more of a chronic (long lasting) problem, or perhaps you're normally a good sleeper, but sleeping difficulties can be something you deal with once in awhile. Sleep is universally regarded as precious, we all love it and literally cannot go on without it! It's not something to be taken lightly either, our bodies and brains are not turned off during the sleep phase, in fact, this is a crucial time for repair and recovery. There are parts of the brain that become more active during the sleep phase than any other time in the 24 hour period. When we miss out on sleep, all kinds of things go awry and risks arise; ability to cope with stress, hormonal regulation, weight gain, premature aging, the list goes on.

What can you do about it?
Try the following for 21 days, and get back to me on how it helps.

1) Focus on resetting your body clock
The circadian rhythm (your clock) is set by light exposure. When we are exposed to indoor lighting, as well as TV/Computer lighting, and miss out on outdoor sunlight, our melatonin can be decreased by over 50%. Melatonin is a hormone that governs sleep. How can you fix it? Get OUTSIDE for 15 mins at 3 parts of the day; Sunrise (or early morning), Noon, and Sunset, *WITHOUT* sunglasses. You can maintain protection with a hat, but your eyes need to be exposed safely to sunlight (for a short amount of time) in order for your melatonin to be regulated. Therefore, increase your outdoor light exposure and decrease your indoor light exposure.

2) Regulate your Blood Sugar!
One cause for nighttime waking could be a dip in blood sugar. If your blood sugar gets too low, it will wake you up. Low blood sugar in the middle of the night can be a result of poorly managed sugars during the day; sporadic meals, not eating enough or eating too little, foods high in sugar and refined carbohydrates, and more. The obvious would be to improve your dietary choices, get a large, nutrient dense meal (think; eggs OR other protein, sweet potato with olive oil and vegetables) in the mornings, followed by smaller and smaller meals as the day goes on. Try adding in 2 handfuls of Organic European Pumpkin Seeds right before going to bed; these contain Tryptophan (amino acid that helps induce sleepiness) as well as healthy fats to keep your blood sugar stable as you sleep.

3) Stress
The age old saying "never go to bed angry" had your best interest at heart! Your brain likes when problems are solved and the coast is clear. Whatever problems arise during the awake period; and remember, problems can include things on the News Channel, movies/tv shows, personal arguments, work related issues, the list goes on! Of course, issues cannot always be solved immediately, so write it down on some paper, to get it out of your head. Insomnia is a sign of anxiety, as we tend to lie awake and ruminate over things, and then become anxious about not sleeping. Working on stress management is one way to get to the root cause of your insomnia.

4) Move your body!
In one study, 65% of people had improved sleep outcomes with just 20 minutes of exercise a day. A well-rounded way to improve sleep would be to aim for the 20 mins (or more!) of exercise with outdoor time. Try a 20 minute brisk outdoor walk daily. Remember, this can work in opposition if we jack up our adrenaline too late at night; avoid intense physical activity in the evenings as this may cause a rise in cortisol, and prevent you from sleeping well.

Whew! I know it's a lot to absorb, but my goal is to empower you by educating you. The more you know about your health and your body, the better you can take care of it. I know it can be overwhelming to take it all on yourself, so talk to your local Naturopathic Doctor about getting to the root cause of YOUR Insomnia. I am happy to help; I offer Complimentary Discovery Calls for all new, inquiring patients, as a way to get to know each other, and for me to outline how I can help guide you to optimal health. I have my clinic in beautiful Downtown Oakville and am currently accepting new patients.

BACK ON THE BRAIN TRAIN

31 JUL BACK ON THE BRAIN TRAIN

DR. ADRIENNE ZARIFIS | BSC. | NATUROPATHIC DOCTOR

A whole-body approach to optimize brain function, making the back-to-school and back-to-work transition that much easier.

‘You are what you eat’, has never been truer, and more telling of the future of your health. What you eat governs what your cells are made up of, and in turn, reflects how you feel, both mentally and physically. Inflammation is the root cause of so many illnesses and so the primary goal of prevention of any and all illness is to minimize inflammation.

Inflammation and the Brain

On the topic of Brain health, reducing inflammation is a top priority as inflammatory states can cause ailments from mental health disorders like anxiety, and depression, to chronic, degenerative diseases like Multiple Sclerosis and Alzheimer’s. Chronic low-grade inflammation can also arise from inflammatory foods, leaving you feeling foggy, unrested and out of it.

I’m sure you’re wondering now, how can I reduce my risk for these conditions? What can I take to reduce my risk? The most potent protocol in any condition, including neurodegenerative disease (diseases of the nervous system including the brain) and mental health, is diet and lifestyle intervention. Included in the dietary interventions is food-based supplementation such as dietary fat intake. Dietary guidelines to follow would be to reduce overall grain intake, as this favours an anti-inflammatory environment, and the brain thrives on a fat dominant, low carbohydrate diet.

The Mayo Clinic released a study In the Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease in 2012, which found that of the over 1000 subjects analyzed, those with the greater carbohydrate intake (vs fat) had a ~90% increase in risk of being mentally impaired and those with the higher intake of saturated fat (yes, I said saturated fat!) had a 36% reduced risk of becoming mentally impaired, and those who ate the fattest overall, had a 44% reduced risk.
In particular, Omega-3 fatty acids have been shown to reduce inflammation in the brain, improve cognitive function, improve anxiety and depression, and reduce the risk for many diseases, including brain related disease.

Unfortunately, they are essential, meaning we must get them through food/supplementation, as the body cannot produce them on our own. Eating cold water fish is your best bet such as salmon, mackerel, halibut, sardines, tuna, and herring. However, supplementation is necessary to reach the therapeutic doses. Finding a high quality, professional grade fish oil supplement Pure Encapsulations EPA/DHA Liquid with at least a 2:1 (or greater, such as 3:1) of EPA: DHA is of great importance, as fish oils can go rancid when the manufacturing process isn’t up to par.

Blood flow to the brain can also be compromised in various conditions, new lifestyle choices (with some help from our herbal friends) can make promising changes. 30 mins of brisk walking daily are effective for weight management, along with St. Francis Herb Farm Gingko tincture formula, which increases microcirculation in the brain.

Our Second Brain

Last but certainly not least, brain health cannot be mentioned without mentioning the human microbiome, which exists as the bacterial colonies in our gut, or ‘Second Brain’. Optimizing this will also be pivotal in maintaining a prolonged anti-inflammatory state. Removing inflammatory foods, repairing damage in the intestinal lining with I-Glutamine powder by Pure Encapsulations and homemade organic Bone Broth, adding in Probiotic 50B by Pure Encapsulations in the form of supplements and/or food based probiotics (fermented foods), will be the key to optimizing gut health, and in turn, brain health!

Dr. Adrienne Zarifis | BSc. | Naturopathic Doctor
Dr. Adrienne Zarifis, Naturopathic Doctor is passionate about Cardiovascular (heart) health and practices in downtown Oakville, Ontario, Canada. Dr. Zarifis helps guide her patients with a research-driven, patient goal-oriented style of practice and believes that the more empowered people feel about their own health, the stronger the community. You may visit www.DrAdrienneZarifisND.com and contact the clinic for further information, as she is always accepting and encouraging new patients.