DrDesChat : Naturopath Burnaby & Virtual BC

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Metabolic Oatmeal Breakfast

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Steel Cut Oat Breakfast

Night before Soak steel cut oats overnight in water with lemon juice. Morning Rinse oats and combine in a pot with water and rice/almond milk. Bring to boil then cover at lower heat.  Add spices and fruit.  Continue to stir for approximately for 10 minutes.  Add 1 tsp of agave syrup if desired.  It is typically sweet enough when a ripe banana and vanilla almond/rice milk is used.

Instructions

Night before

  1. Soak steel cut oats overnight in water with lemon juice.

Morning

  1. Rinse oats and combine in a pot with water and rice/almond milk. Bring to boil then cover at lower heat.  Add spices and fruit.  Continue to stir for approximately for 10 minutes.  Add 1 tsp of agave syrup if desired.  It is typically sweet enough when a ripe banana and vanilla almond/rice milk is used.

Recipe Notes

Fact: Steel cut oats or rolled oats contain beta-glucan  A fibre that is beneficial for bowel regularity and also a fibre that has been shown to reduce cholesterol levels in the blood. 

 

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Four Practical Steps to detoxify your life everyday

This is the second part of the detoxification series.   To understand the definition of a toxin and how our body’s detoxification pathways work please read my previous article.  These are four practical steps one can take to live a more detoxified life!

Step one: Decrease your toxic exposure

  • Eliminate toxic household cleaners and opt for healthier alternatives.  Check out green cleaning recipes.
  • Eliminate toxic p ersonal care products.  Consider what you are absorbing through your skin. Check out “What are you soaking yourself in? What everybody should know about personal care products.”
  • Canadians spend an average of 90% of their time indoors! Indoor air tends to be of poorer quality than outdoor air.  Weather permitting open a window even if it is only for 5-10 minutes.
  • Include plants that improve air quality such as: spider plants (chlorophytum comosum), boston fern (nephrolepsis exatata bostoniensis), english ivy (hedera helix), striped dracaena (dracaema marginata).
  • Consider investing in the air you breathe by purchasing one of the leading air purifiers such as the IQAir.

Step two: Heal your elimination organs

  • Take a quality broad spectrum probiotic to support gut health.
  • Ensure you are having quality daily bowel movements.  Increase your dietary fiber or consider adding fiber supplements to your diet.
  • If you have chronic digestive concerns consider visiting a naturopathic physician to complete a strategic hypoallergenic diet and heal your gut- it is imperative to deal with the cause and minimize systemic problems that could ensue.

Step three: Nourish your detoxification system

  • Drink plenty of fluids such as herbal teas, green tea and lemon water.
  • Eat at least 8 servings of vegetables & fruits
  • Consume at least one serving of each grouping daily, they have specific compounds important in detoxification:
  • Brassica foods:Arugula, bok choy, broccoflower, broccoli, broccoli sprouts, brussels sprouts, cabbage, cauliflower, chard, collard greens, radish, horseradish, kale, kohlrabi, mustard greens, rutabaga, turnips, watercress
  • Thiols foods: Saikon radish, onion, garlic
  • Liver and kidney support: Asparagus, beets, artichokes, celery, celery root
  • Detoxifying leafy greens: Beet greens, bok choy, chard, cilantro, collard greens, dandelion greens, endive, escarole, parsley, radicchio
  • Increase blood flow and lymphatic circulation by exercising, participating in heat therapy such as infra red saunas and by skin brushing or lymphatic massaging.

Step four: De-stress and Detoxify your mind

  • Contrary to many beliefs, relaxation is an active process! Active relaxation is an intentional effort to activate your parasympathetic nervous system.  The parasympathetic nervous system is essential in restoring proper digestion and healing.
  • Marianne Wells Yoga Instructor can help you try meditation, relaxation breathing, restorative yoga.
  • Assess your thought patterns- are they positive and conducive to health or are they self-sabotaging?  This is likely one of the most overlooked and important sources of stress.  There are various self-discovery tools such as cognitive behavioural therapy that can be very powerful in bringing forth new awareness and behaviours.

Step five:  Consider a comprehensive metabolic detoxification annually or biannually

These four steps are basic detoxification techniques you can do on a daily basis safely on your own.  A more intensive detoxification strategy is often needed in many individuals with chronic fatigue syndrome, fibromyalgia, multiple chemical sensitivities, fatigue, muscle soreness and other various symptoms.  The length of a metabolic detoxification is determined by symptomology.  As a proactive measure I recommend doing a 10 day metabolic detoxification on an annual or biannual basis.  A metabolic detoxification takes detoxification to the next level by combining a scientifically formulated diet with prescription grade medical foods and macronutrient formula to comprehensively support the detoxification process.  This detoxification has been studied in women with pain syndrome and found to significantly improve their pain scores.

Incorporating Steps 1 through 4 on a daily basis is not only ensuring you have the right tools to detoxify, it is also ensuring habits that can have major impacts on chronic health disease.  Increasing vegetable consumption, increasing fiber in your diet, decreasing toxic environmental exposures and toxic cognitive self-talk can impact markers of disease well beyond topics discussed at hand.  Detoxification is an innate foundational process that is well deserving of an annual ultra-supportive, ultra-efficient, non-fasting detoxification.  Think of it as your body’s annual tune-up!

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Detoxification program- What are toxins and what does “Detox” really mean?

Many diets have classified themselves as ‘detox’ diets.  Such big differences between these ‘detox’ diets have lead to a phenomenon where the word ‘detox’ has practically lost its identity and has been associated with both positive and negative experience based on individual methods used.  What many do not realize is that there is actually a great potential for harm when an unsafe protocol is followed.

Our bodies have an innate ability to detoxify some of the toxins we interact with.  So why are we so toxic?  Our exposure to various chemicals has been growing at an exponential rate and have become ubiquitous in our daily living.  Several studies by The Environmental Group has identified a total of 167 chemicals in the blood and urine of the average individual.  Some chemicals with preliminary evidence to support carcinogenic (cancer promoting) and neurotoxic (damage to the nervous system) potential in the body.

Part I- What are toxins?

This article will be the first of several in a series on detoxification.  For the purpose of these articles, toxins will be defined as the cumulative affect of three elements: internal toxins, external toxins and toxic behaviours that negatively influence our detoxification system.

External Toxins
Environmental pollutants
Silver/mercury dental amalgams
Mercury contained in fish
Lead contained in old paints, blinds and canned goods
Aluminum contained in antiperspirant, deodorant, antacids
Constant mold exposure from improperly controlled rooms (basements, bathrooms, etc.),
Occupational exposure (Higher risk: miners, pottery artist, mechanics, pesticide exposure)
Poor air quality and sick building syndrome
Contaminated water, food
Inhalant smoke
Chemicals found in personal care products, household cleaners
Bisphenol A found in soft plastics
Phthalates
UV radiation

Internal Toxins
Chronic infections (chronic sinusitis, dysbiosis of the intestinal track)
Allergic reactions (immediate and delayed sensitivities)
Most common delayed type sensitivity (gluten, dairy, egg, corn)
Liver enzymes dys-balance
Medications
Long term use of tylenol is one of the leading causes of liver failure and prevents liver detoxification
Proton pump inhibitors (acid blockers) lead to subpar digestion and absorption of vitamins

Toxic behaviours
Dietary: Intake of trans fat, high fructose corn syrup, processed foods, refined flours
Excessive stress

Part II- Understanding the Basics:  Our major detoxification organs

The liver, the kidneys and gastrointestinal tract via the gall bladder are the major detoxification organs.  That’s right! You heard me, we have an innate ability to detox every single day without even thinking the word ‘detox diet’.

The Liver:
The liver is a crucial aspect of biotransformation of toxic compounds needed to be excreted.  It uses a two step enzymatic process in detoxifying.

Phase 1- the liver:
Step 1:
The first phase enzymes (cytochrome pathways) starts the biotransformation by turning fat soluble toxins into an intermediate toxin.  The problem is that this intermediate toxin is more hazardous to our bodies than the initial fat soluble toxin.

Step 2:
The second phase enzymes (conjugation pathways) finishes the job by taking hazardous intermediate toxin and turning into a water soluble toxin ready for phase 2 the excretion process.

Having a two step process leads to the potential of an imbalance.  Think of the liver as a factory with two conveyor belts.  If the first conveyor belt is creating garbage at rate greater than the second conveyor belt has the capacity to discard it, we are in some trouble!  If phase 1 enzymes are working faster than phase 2 enzymes you are creating a buildup of toxic intermediate byproducts that can react and damage DNA.
These liver enzymes can be positively and negatively influenced by factors like certain foods, drinks and hormones we consume or produce.  That means our diet can have an impact on the speed of these conveyor belts by either promoting a toxic intermediate build-up or promoting a synchronized balance.

Phase 2- the Gastrointestinal track and the kidneys:
Step 3:
The liver has now converted the toxins into a water soluble toxin ready for excretion into the kidneys and the gastrointestinal track via the gallbladder. Recent research has found that the receptors on the kidneys and gastrointestinal track, which allow the toxins to enter for excretion, are sensitive to pH. The physiology involved in this phase is quite complex, so here’s an analogy –The liver has transformed the garbage into a form (water soluble toxin) that is acceptable by the garbage truck in an environment (the right pH for excretion) that is acceptable by the garbage truck.  The garbage truck is now moving along your gastrointestinal track to the ‘dump’.  The difference is that in reality, your garbage truck is interacting with the billions of bacteria that exist in your digestive track.  If your garbage truck is too slow or the ratio of healthy to unhealthy bacteria living in your gastrointestinal track is off, some of your garbage may get transformed by the bacteria into a form your body can reabsorb!  That bacteria product would then need to travel trough the liver once again in order to be prepared for the dump yard.

Understanding the basics are an essential foundation in understanding how our actions can influence these pathways. Stay tuned for my next article on practical steps one can take to detoxify!

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What are you soaking yourself in? What everybody should know about personal care products in their bathroom.

Nutritional and exercise science have demonstrated that what we eat and what we do can make a huge difference in a multitude of disease end-point markers; but what about what we soak in?  Despite many advancements in science very little is known about chemicals we put on our skin and the impact that it has on our system.  Over 10 500 ingredients are used in personal care products.  The average person uses 10 different cosmetic and personal care products daily, each of which contain a plethora of chemical ingredients.  You must be thinking sure that is probably true but why should we worry?  They must be tested for safety and properly regulated, right?!?

The purpose of this article is to shed some light of what we do and don’t know about this subject and most importantly to give you some practical tips on how to decrease your exposure to some potentially harmful chemicals.

The reality about regulation

“Cosmetic products and ingredients are not subject to FDA premarket approval authority, with the exception of color additives. Cosmetic firms are responsible for substantiating the safety of their products and ingredients before marketing.”  -FDA

Bottom line:  Proving safety is the responsibility of the cosmetic firm.  The same firm who will be economically benefiting from this product.  Ideally, the manufacturer is accountable, responsible and is not influenced by the financial impact of these decisions.  The reality is that making unbiased decisions can be very difficult with the lack or minimal research that exists on these chemical ingredients.  The research has not been able to keep up with the 10 500 chemical ingredients in existence.  Does the lack of research equal safety?  Many would argue that it does not.  However,  it appears many cosmetic firms will say it does until proven otherwise.

Um,  but there are many chemicals that do show preliminary animal in-vivo studies that indicate potential carcinogenic and hormone disrupting properties.  A common response is that the exposure of the chemical ingredient in their product is not in any considerable quantity that is proven to be potentially dangerous to humans.   In addition,  this means that everyone is only concerned about one product at a time.  No one stops to think, “well if these chemicals are in most of the products, what is the synergistic exposure?” Not one manufacturer needs to consider overall exposure and synergistic risk. No one has to take specific responsibility.

So what role does the FDA play in cosmetic regulations?

“Must be made and packaged in clean factories. Cannot contain poison, rotten, or harmful ingredients.  May only use color additives that are FDA-approved.  Must have a clear, truthful label.” -FDA

In a dichotomous system, a product is either safe or harmful.  If safety is decided by the manufacturer then by default, a harmful ingredient  is greatly influenced by what they don’t consider safe.  See a problem with this?  This really only leaves the chemicals that have had the opportunity to be scrutinized by very good research to otherwise be labeled as harmful.  Since most don’t have the research to support their safety or lack of safety then many are considered safe until proven otherwise.  Well that’s great,  no lead in our personal care products.  Fewf!

“FDA does not test cosmetics before they are sold in stores. Companies must make sure their products and ingredients are safe before they sell them. FDA can take action against companies who break the law.” -FDA

Bottom line: This quote very clearly and eloquently states that there is no pre-market research required and safety is greatly defined by the cosmetic firms who create them.  A system that has been set up so that we must have the research to prove an ingredient unsafe rather than research to  prove safety prior to being on the market.

Well I’m located in Canada.  Things must be different, right?

“All cosmetics sold to consumers in Canada must meet the requirements of the Food and Drug Act, the current Cosmetic Regulations, and all other applicable legislation to ensure that they are safe to use and do not pose any health risk.” -Health Canada

A great part of our regulation is tightly dependent on that of the FDA.

Exposure and human absorption

What we know:

We are exposed to many of these chemical ingredients,  some are absorbed and some are found in human tissue- phthalates found in urine, parabens found in breast tumours and fragrance xylene found in human fat among others.

A study in 2000 analyzed perinatal exposure to phthalates and demonstrated that some but not all phthalates alter sexual differentiation in the male rat.  Changes such as reduced distance between the anus and genitalia, retained nipples, cleft phallus with hypospadia (abnormal location of the male urethra).

A study in 2006 found that women with occupational prenatal exposure to hormone disruptor were more likely to have a son with hypospodias.

A study in 2006 analyzed human semen quality and phthalate exposure and found as phthalate concentration increased, a reduction in the quality of semen was found.

What we don’t know:

We don’t know how the synergy of the chemicals are reacting in our body and how they impact our health or specific disease outcomes.  The concerns are that studies done with rats use chemical exposures greater than what is expected in humans.  In human studies, we lack long-term prospective studies.  In order for us to make any comments based on better research we would need quality chemical exposure data from 20 years ago and follow specific outcomes.  Unfortunately this quality data does not exist.  Our studies are done based on the information we have had for the past 20 years, despite it lack of specific parameters that would be helpful for today’s analysis.  What we can do today is urge that research be re-directed to seek answers for tomorrow.  We require research that will follow prenatal and life chemical exposure and analyze outcomes such as fertility, cancer and other diseases.  Current trends of concerns that are likely multifactorial but of great importance is the earlier age of menarche in girls and the decrease in sperm count in men.  Our reproductive health is being threatened.

What I know for sure is that none of us have deficiency in any of these chemicals and that if they are proven to be safe in the future you are unlikely to suffer consequences from having avoided them.  There is unconvincing evidence that the opposite will always be true.

Precautionary measures and empowering choices

Precautionary measures are an essential part of the solution as we wait for the evidence in the next few decades to build and establish a verdict.  Remember, it took over 100 years to say confidently that smoking was highly associated with lung cancer despite preliminary evidence 100 years prior. This leaves a multitude of products available for use.  There are manufacturers who do go the extra distance to use ingredients with a strong safety profile.

The environmental working group (EWG)  is a non for profit research and advocacy group.  They have created Skin Deep, a cosmetic database that ranks products based on ingredients and safety.  For specific information check out their database.

Here are some general simple tips recommended by the scientist at EWG.

  • Use fewer, simpler products.
  • Read the ingredient label and ignore claims.
  • Read label warnings. Look up the product review and safety rating on the cosmeticdatabase.com
  • Major ingredients to avoid: Fragrance and dyes, parabens, “PEG” and “eth”, triclosan and triclocarban, triethanolamine (TEA)

A tip of my own

  • Avoid loose powders including mineral powders.  There is some evidence that breathing these small particulates induce inflammation in our lungs that could cause long-term consequences.

Take a deep breath.  Environmental science can at times be overwhelming in a world where exposure can not be fully controlled.  The key take home message is to do the best that you can.  Think of the impact it could have on your overall exposure if you found safer alternatives for 8 out of the 10 daily products you use.  This doesn’t need to be an all or nothing.  What needs to change is our awareness that the chemical world we live in does and can impact our life to a degree that has yet to be fully elucidated.

______________________________________

Image Credit: Renjith Krishnan / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Barrett. Fertile grounds of inquiry: environmental effects on human reproduction. Environ Health Perspect (2006) vol. 114 (11) pp. A644-9

Gray et al. Perinatal exposure to the phthalates DEHP, BBP, and DINP, but not DEP, DMP, or DOTP, alters sexual differentiation of the male rat. Toxicol Sci (2000) vol. 58 (2) pp. 350-65

Main et al. Human breast milk contamination with phthalates and alterations of endogenous reproductive hormones in infants three months of age. Environ Health Perspect (2006) vol. 114 (2) pp. 270-6

Zhang et al. Phthalate exposure and human semen quality in Shanghai: a cross-sectional study. Biomed Environ Sci (2006) vol. 19 (3) pp. 205-9

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Top 5 solutions to improve your sleep!

Sleep is something everybody needs but not everybody gets it!  Sleeplessness affects 30-50% of the population and can lead to debilitating daytime drowsiness, poor concentration and difficulty with memory.  The in ability to fall asleep, frequent awakening from sleep, inability to maintain sleep and early morning awakening are all considered types of insomnia.

Sleep hygiene can play a monumental role in your effectiveness to sleep.

Solution #1: The environment

Bedroom environment

A proper assessment for a bed and pillow that allow you to sleep ergonomically may help in ensuring you are sleeping comfortably.  It is also important to assess the room for temperature and humidity.  The hot and humid of tropical weather is not desirable in your room.  Adjust if necessary.

Black out shades

 

Our sleep-wake cycle is regulated by our pineal gland.  The pineal gland secretes melatonin in response to darkness.  It is our body’s way of telling us “time for bed”.  With the advent of lighting on demand, our circadian sleep-wake cycle can be disrupted.  Avoiding light after sunset is not very practical or realistic.  Ensuring you use black out shades and ensuring your room is as dark as possible during the night can improve sleep.

 

Ear plugs

Many cringe at the thought of buying ear plugs.  Please give them a chance.  They come in various sizes and materials and thus the bad memory of “hear plugs” is most likely a biased one.  Check online, you can purchase a variety pack of ear plugs for approximately $10.  These will allow you to explore and decide what you like before investing in more expensive ones.  This is certainly worth the investment if you are a light sleeper.  Word of caution, make sure you can still hear the alarm clock and the fire/carbon monoxide alarm.  Some noises are worth waking up for!  This should however alleviate the snoring partner, the tap dancer upstairs and the soothing sound of the garbage truck outside.

Solution #2: The diet

Some individuals are more sensitive to certain substances than others.  Substances such as nicotine, caffeine and alcohol can negatively affect sleep.  Avoidance of caffeine and alcohol for at least a period of time is necessary to assess the degree to which it is contributing to your insomnia.  Eliminate it for 1 w eek.  The next time you consume these products make a sleep diary in order to analyze the impact it has on your sleep.  If you consume nicotine products consult with your primary care giver to start a smoking cessation program.  At the very least, avoidance of caffeine products after noon is a good idea.  Some individuals are slower caffeine metabolizers than others thus noon may not be early enough.  Also remember that chocolate is also a source of stimulation.

Solution #3:  Exercise

 

Lack of exercise can contribute to insomnia.  Ensure you are at the very least obtaining your minimal recommended 150 minutes a week, ideally 20 minutes a day.  Avoid exercise in the late evening, as this can be very stimulating.  Exercise can also decrease anxiety and improve mood and relaxation.  These are all positive contributors to promoting sleep.

Solution #4: The habit

 

Having a nightly routine can help, especially one that involves relaxing activities.  Working up until the very last minute before bed is certainly not the best way to decrease anxiety.

Write it down.  If something isn’t done before you go to bed make a task list or write it in your time management calendar.  Once written down, it is easier to forget about it for the next few sleepy-time hours.

Get up in the morning despite being tired and avoids naps.

Do not eat, work, read or watch TV in your room.  Allow your room to be a serenity retreat  associated with sleeping.  As you conquer your insomnia it may be possible at a later time to reintroduce certain things such as reading before bed in your bedroom.

If you can’t fall asleep get up and do something relaxing in another room.

If anxiety is contributing to your insomnia explore various relaxation therapies that work for you.  Perhaps a relaxing yoga posture, meditation, breathing exercises or writing exercises such as a gratitude journal.

Solution #5:  The underlying medical condition

Medications, acute crisis, depression, anxiety, hormonal pregnancy and menopause are some of many underlying causes that may be contributing to your insomnia.  If you have tried these tips and are still experiencing insomnia, go see your primary care provider as it could be an indicator of an underlying medical condition.  For chronic insomniacs, there are also naturopathic solutions that can support you to retrain your circadian rhythm while you get back on track.  Sleep is a restorative process and crucial to overall wellbeing.

Take a deep breath consider these tips and sleep on it!

____

Photo: Arvind Balaraman

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