She’s had over 15 years of experience in the fitness industry, teaching group exercise classes and working one-on-one with individuals.  Although her qualifications, experience, and warm demeanor made an impact, I was especially impressed by her ability to accommodate clients – she will come to you and the training can take place at a gym or in the great outdoors among the fresh air and natural lighting.  Part of a healthy lifestyle includes spending an hour outside in nature every day, and a personal training session with Nicole is a great way to get that done.

I like that she’s not a stick-in-the-mud, “do this or else” type of personal trainer that can often intimidate us from even getting started, but instead she works especially well with the female population by firmly encouraging and supporting their physical activity and work-out goals.

Check out her website – http://www.perfectfit.ws.   She can be reached for questions at nicole@perfectfit.ws

Make movement and exercise a part of your daily health regimen!

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The main advantage of IV therapy is that it bypasses the absorption required in the digestive tract.  Vitamin absorption issues are extremely common and can be caused by diet (i.e. vegetarians may be deficient in certain B vitamins and iron), birth control pill use, antibiotic use, low hydrochloric acid in the stomach, stress, dysbiosis (imbalanced gut flora), digestive disorders (for example, celiac disease, Crohn’s disease, ulcerative colitis, IBS, etc.), poor supplement quality, and nutrients competing for absorption.  Through intravenous injection of vitamins and minerals, higher than normal blood levels can be achieved, allowing for an immediate therapeutic response by correcting deficiencies that may be present.

They are excellent for treating the following:

• Boosting the immune system if you’re currently sick or tend to get more than one cold/illness per year
• Helping provide the necessary nutrients to support the adrenal glands which are chronically taxed when we’re under stress
• Slowing down cellular aging and boosting circulation to help eliminate toxins
• Increasing energy and helping to optimize organ function to speed up metabolism and aid in weight loss
• Conditions that have been studied and shown to improve with IV therapy: asthma, bronchitis, chronic fatigue syndrome, migraines, cardiovascular disease, cancer, depression, and more

For more information, I highly recommend Dr. Alan Gaby’s review on IV Myers.

The post My Favorite Immune Booster appeared first on Dr. Sacha Elliott.

As long as we stay within the limits of moderation, and make some attempts at cleansing our bodies in January, I like to think we circumvent permanent damage from our yearly holiday indulgences.  Most chronic, degenerative disease can be traced back to improper detoxification and the consequential inflammatory changes that follow, as our bodies struggle to maintain homeostasis.  Over the long term, with excessive indulging (alcohol, cigarettes, sweets, deep fried foods, caffeine, even medication and supplements) our detoxification capabilities tend to grow sluggish.  When I encounter patients with vague symptoms (fatigue, energy crashes, chronically sick, allergies, poor memory, aches and pain, multiple chemical sensitivities, mood swings, etc.), I know it’s time to open the emunctories and help unburden the toxic load.  I do this through different means – exercise and saunas to help induce sweating, dietary and lifestyle changes to move the bowels, herbs to help stimulate a sluggish liver and kidneys, and supplements to unregulated phase I and II detox pathways in the liver.

Another common issue that tends to arise with the chilly winter weather is cold and flu season.  I like to take the preventative approach when it comes to viral and bacterial infections, and I do this by looking at the common denominators that drag down our immune system.  This includes adequate sleep, fluid intake, exercise, fresh air, a nutrient-rich, antioxidant-dense diet, and stress management.  After this, I zone in on the immune system and possible causes that could be tying it up.  I first look to the gut.  Over 75% of our immune cells reside in lymph tissue surrounding our gastrointestinal tract to protect what is coming across the gut barrier.  Having an intestinal tract full of healthy, natural flora and devoid of pathogenic strains of bacteria, yeast, and parasites is paramount to a healthy, well-functioning immune system.  I find that food sensitivities, blood sugar irregularities (crashing after carb-rich meals is a good example of blood sugar imbalances!) and worn out adrenal glands all contribute to a weakened immune system, and luckily, all can be improved with a good dose of naturopathic medicine.

Extended health insurance plans often cover naturopathic medicine under the ‘paramedical services’ branch.  As the year-end is approaching fast, and extended health coverage doesn’t carry over to the new year, take advantage of this opportunity to put together a comprehensive individualized treatment plan and get a head start on your New Year’s resolution to improve your health!

The post ‘Tis the Season… appeared first on Dr. Sacha Elliott.

Find out:

• why at least 51% of your meal should be raw, not cooked
• how soil depletion has led to chronic malnourishment
• which major food group is destroyed by 15% during cooking
• how supplements can prevent and cure disease
• how MDs in the 1940′s used high doses of Vitamin C to treat viral disease
• and much more

Watch it now!

The post Food Matters appeared first on Dr. Sacha Elliott.

1. Be proactive – don’t wait until you’re diagnosed with a disease to take action.  Realize that no one else will look after your body better than you, so a) go for regular check-ups, b) get annual physical exams, c) follow the recommended screening exam schedule (gynecological exam which includes a PAP smear and breast exam, mammogram, or, better yet, thermography, colonoscopy, prostate exam, etc.) and d) request that regular blood work (once a year for most people is sufficient) be done by your medical or naturopathic doctor.
2. Follow a sound nutritional eating plan – indulge once in a while, but try to maintain healthy eating habits on most days.  The Mediterranean and anti-inflammatory diets tend to be the best for decreasing the incidence of degenerative disease, protecting the heart, reducing aging and maintaining cognitive function.  Find ways to incorporate more veggies into lunch and dinner (e.g. mushrooms, onions, and green peppers in chili; cherry tomatoes, cucumber, and romaine lettuce in Greek-style wraps with hummus, tzatziki and feta cheese crumbled on top; stir-fries with carrots, broccoli, snap peas, cauliflower and free-range chicken in a teriyaki sauce, etc.)  Fruits and veg are loaded with cancer-protective phytochemicals and antioxidants to help counteract cellular damage.
3. Soil depletion and poor eating habits have led us to become a society with a chronic vitamin and mineral deficiency.  Grab a high-potency multivitamin and mineral complex from your local health food store and ensure you’re getting the proper dosages to support optimal functioning.  Avoid drug store brands that have a tendency to sell lower quality supplements with fillers, dyes, and nutrients that have poor bioavailability.
4. Disease stems from the gut.  Hippocrates, the father of Western Medicine, knew this and taught it widely.  If you have any digestive complaints, including loose stool, constipation, excessive gas, cramping or bloating – make an appointment with a naturopathic physician to get the bottom of the issue.  When healthy, you should have a bowel movement once or twice a day with no straining; it should be well-formed, brown in color, and not disperse in the toilet.  Consider the use of probiotics to maintain a healthy digestive tract, and a higher therapeutic dose to correct any imbalances in digestive flora.
5. Body movement.  When you look deep inside the body, it’s hard not to notice the constant state of flux and movement, such as blood, immune cells, the lungs, lymph and digestive fluid, peristalsis, excitation of nerve cells…everything moves constantly, even when we sleep!  When we move our body, it aids in movement at the cellular level.  This has been studied and found to play a huge part in healthy aging.  Get movement on a daily basis – even if it’s just a twenty minute walk in nature while breathing in fresh air.  As a general rule of thumb, we should be aiming for 30 minutes of exercise most days of the week.

Stay tuned for Part II…

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Just to recap: symptoms of hypoglycemia (low blood sugar) are craving sweets or feeling sleepy after meals, needing caffeine for energy, eating in order to relieve fatigue, and feeling irritable, light-headed, forgetful, and jittery when skipping meals.

What you need to know:

• Always eat a high-quality protein breakfast. My favorite is a protein smoothie with a healthy oil added, but eggs, nuts, seeds, cheese, and meat are all good sources of protein.  If you’re waking up with no hunger or are even feeling nauseous, it’s more important than ever to ensure you get at least a small amount of protein into your system.
• Eat a small amount of protein every 2-3 hours. Never skip meals!  When you’re working all day or are on the run doing errands, it’s essential that you pre-plan and have some snack sizes of healthy protein available.
• Don’t over indulge on carbohydrates. In order to reverse hypoglycemia, you need to get to the root cause: carbs.  If you feel tired after a meal or are craving a sweet treat, it’s a sign you’ve eating too many carbs.  Carbs come in different forms – from simple to complex (ie. donuts or whole grains) – obviously the more whole form a carbohydrate is in, the better for you, but stick to smaller portions to avoid overloading your system.
• Never eat sweet treats without ensuring you have some protein, fiber or healthy fat alongside. These will slow down the rate at which your body is able to absorb the carbs, helping to curb a spike in blood sugar.  The goal here is to maintain a stable blood sugar and not have the roller coaster of highs and lows that is typical of most eating the standard North American diet.
• Avoid fruit juices and sweet vegetable juice (eg. carrot juice).  These two act like simple sugars and promote dysglycemia.
• Avoid sugary foods before bed. If your sweet tooth gets the best of you and you just can’t resist, eat your (small portioned!) dessert shortly after your meal so that the protein, fat and fiber in your dinner will slow down the absorption of carbs.
• Find out what food sensitivities and allergies you have.  A food allergy test in your naturopathic doctor’s office is a simple way to determine these, or, better yet, doing an elimination and challenge diet will illuminate which foods aren’t working well for your body.  Addressing food allergies, sensitivities, and intolerances is vital if you want to correct blood sugar imbalances for good.
• A well-balanced diet of vegetables, nuts, seeds, fish, meat, healthy oils and some fruit is the ideal diet for avoiding hypoglycemia and insulin resistance.

By stabilizing your blood sugar and maintaining healthy habits, you will go a long way to supporting your adrenal glands and protecting your thyroid as well as improve sleep, energy and mood.  Get started now!

The post Blood Sugar Balance appeared first on Dr. Sacha Elliott.

Anemia is a very common blood disorder that can strike both genders, but is more often diagnosed in women and teenage girls. It can be a temporary condition or it can be chronic, and it ranges in severity from mild to critical. Anemia can be easily diagnosed through a blood panel when the red blood cells (RBC) in the body are lower than the normal range.  When there is a deficient number of RBC, tissues such as muscle and brain are not able to receive adequate amounts of oxygen which may leave the body feeling tired and weak.

How do we become anemic? Well, the most common cause of anemia is a lack of iron in the body. A lack of iron can come about from heavy periods, pregnancy, ulcers, chronic bleeding (ie. in Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis), and from colon cancer. Vegetarians or those eating low iron-rich diets often lack adequate iron stores. Iron can be accumulated from both heme sources (such as meat products) and from non-heme sources (such as grains, vegetables and nuts and seeds).  Females, especially vegetarians and pregnant women, require higher levels of iron daily than men do.

So what are the symptoms of anemia? The main symptom you want to be aware of is fatigue – ask yourself if you’re tiring easier than you used to.  Other signs are weakness, pale skin, shortness of breath (especially on exertion), dizziness, headaches, and numb, or cold extremities.

There is good news! Anemia is easy to diagnose and most forms are easily treatable.  When you visit your naturopathic doctor with concerns regarding anemia, they will explore your medical history, complete a physical exam with you, and analyze a standard blood test which will include a complete blood count (CBC) and ferritin levels.

If you think you may suffer or are at risk for anemia, it’s important to get yourself checked as soon as possible.  If left untreated, anemia can lead to arrhythmias – rapid or abnormal heart beats, nerve damage, and decreased mental functioning.

Although anemia can be a cause for concern, is it not to be feared.  Our bodies generally produce symptoms, like anemia, to alert us that something is not right.   When you go to see your naturopathic physician, and if they find you are anemic, your doctor will most likely put you on a daily iron supplement to re-establish your iron stores.  It is often recommended to take vitamin C along with iron supplements or iron-rich foods since it is known to increase iron absorption in the gut.

Naturopathic physicians aim to treat the individual, so depending on what types of modalities fit well with you, recommendations for nutrition, herbs, homeopathy, or traditional Chinese medicine will be included in your treatment protocol.  For example, botanical herbs like yellow dock, nettle leaf, and dandelion root can be made into a tea to support and rebalance an anemic state.  Your naturopathic physician aims to work with you – educating you and treating your whole body in order to get you back on your feet again!

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Cold and flu season is (unfortunately!) just around the corner if it hasn’t already launched itself at you in full force.  The immune system is a powerful player in our body – keeping it in tip-top shape takes a bit of work.  Many people aren’t aware, but the functionality of our immune cells are very dependent on the health of our digestive tract; over 75% of our lymph nodes reside in and around our gut, protecting our body from any invaders sneaking across the intestinal wall into our blood stream.

Listed below are my top five tips on keeping the immune system strong and allowing your body to naturally resist catching a cold or a flu when it comes around.

1. Sleep – the most important gift you can give your body.  Most of our regeneration happens in the dark of night and sleep allows the immune cells to work at full capacity.
2. Wash your hands – this probably doesn’t need any more explanation!  Avoid purchasing soaps labeled “antimicrobial” (see previous blog post Germ-a-phobes) and instead wash frequently throughout the day – scrubbing with soap and hot water for 30 seconds.
3. Decrease sugar and processed foods (including alcohol).  Studies have shown 1 spoonful of sugar decreases immune system functioning for hours.  Instead, eat a diet high in antioxidants – a diet filled with a variety of colorful fruits and vegetables will naturally provide these.
4. Optimize your intestinal bacteria.  You can do this by eating plain, preferably organic (!!), yogurt and supplementing with probiotics.  These help regulate our natural flora, which ultimately plays a large role in strengthening our immune system.
5. Vitamin C, vitamin A, zinc and selenium are my favorite vitamins and minerals to help support the immune cells during the cold and flu season.  In high doses for short periods of time, these can stop a cold or flu in its tracks, but caution should be taken with high dosing – speak with your health care provider.

If you find yourself constantly sick or tend to catch whatever is going around, there are probably more issues at play.  Schedule a consult with a naturopathic physician in order to address the root cause so that you too can stay healthy year-round!

The post Cold & Flu Season appeared first on Dr. Sacha Elliott.

When it comes to your health, eating a nutritious diet and avoiding foods that promote illness is your first defense.  When I treat breast cancer patients or those who wish to prevent a reoccurrence, I always start by educating on the cancer-fighting diet guidelines listed below.

• The best diet to follow is one our grandparents ate many years ago: whole foods in their most natural state without the additives, preservatives, dyes and sweeteners that are commonly found in processed foods today.
• 50% of your meal should be made up of vegetables.  The other half can be a combination of lean protein (fish, chicken, turkey, eggs, beans, peas) and whole grain starches (brown rice, quinoa, millet, etc.)
• Green leafy vegetables and colourful fruits and veggies should be eaten on a daily basis. Cruciferous veg (kale, brussels sprouts, broccoli, cauliflower) have important cancer-fighting phytonutrients and should be rotated throughout the week.
• Ensure you’re getting a healthy fat in your diet on a daily basis.  This is often overlooked yet vital for every cell in our body.  Especially important are omega 3’s (found in cold water fish like salmon and in flax seeds and walnuts) as they moderate inflammation in our body (cancer is an inflammatory process).
• Raw onions, garlic, and leeks have powerful constituents that help upregulate the immune system to stay vigilant for cancerous cells.
• Grinding raw flax seeds on a daily basis is a good idea for several reasons: the fiber ensures waste products don’t build up in the colon, they increase a protein in the blood which binds and removes extra hormones, and they are a healthy source of fatty acids, essential for brain function, skin and cell signalling.
• Avoid sugar at all costs – it can wreak havoc on your blood sugar and subdues the fighting-potential of your immune cells.  Also important to avoid are caffeine, alcohol, processed foods, and white flour products.

Visit your naturopathic doctor or book an appointment with me today to ensure you live a long, cancer-free life.  Sign up for my free E-Newsletter for tips to feel better, look younger, and live longer!

The post Breast Cancer Nutrition appeared first on Dr. Sacha Elliott.

Most common causes:

1. Hashimoto’s disease – an autoimmune disorder.  Rule out by testing TPO and TGB antibodies.
2. Stress – test cortisol and DHEA levels; support adrenal glands and learn stress-reduction techniques.
3. Nutrient deficiencies – check for intestinal permeability through a urine test and for digestive function through microbe/parasite/candida testing; optimize digestive function with gut-healing protocol.
4. Blood sugar imbalance – check your fasting blood sugar and insulin levels; eat low-glycemic index foods and take blood-sugar balancing nutrients.
5. Inactivity – create a moderate exercise regime to increase blood flow to thyroid.
6. Certain medications (ie. birth control pill or hormone replacement therapy) – look at alternatives to help support the body naturally.
7. Hormonal fluctuations – check hormones through saliva, blood or urine testing (DHEA, cortisol, testosterone, IGF-1, estrogen, progesterone, insulin); pregnancy and estrogen dominance can trigger an autoimmune attack.
8. Heavy metal toxicity – do a hair or urine metal toxic test to rule out heavy metal involvement.

(all testing can be done by Dr. Elliott or another naturopathic doctor)

Basic treatment for everybody:

• Dietary changes to support healthy digestive function, reduce food allergies/sensitivities and decrease inflammation (which keeps the immune system hyperactive); increase kelp and omega 3 fatty acids and reduce consumption of goitrogens (see Dr. Elliott’s nutritional support hand out for hypothyroidism)
• Exercise program – benefits thyroid and all organs in the body; increase nutrient and oxygen delivery to tissues and helps excrete wastes
• Stress-reducing techniques to help balance cortisol and DHEA levels (cortisol adversely impacts immune system and lowered DHEA creates a greater susceptibility to hypothyroidism)
• General hormone balancing (including insulin, estrogen, progesterone) through the use of herbs, acupuncture, diet, and supplements

Treatment will be specifically tailored to you based on the causes of your hypothyroidism.  If you suspect thyroid issues, book an appointment today to start your journey toward better health.

An excellent resource for those dealing with hypothyroidism, specifically, Hashimoto’s disease: “Why do I still have thyroid symptoms” by Datis Kharrazian.

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