Love It Body - INTENSE!

Join me at Love It Yoga for Love It Body INTENSE, our Spring Detox Program - a 21 day clean eating and exercise challenge.

This program is a spin off of our 8 Week Love It Body Program and is designed to kick start you into a clean eating and exercise regime. The program runs for 3 weeks and includes weekly information sessions to help keep you on track and a one month unlimited yoga membership at Love It Yoga.

Love It Body INTENSE is a diet and exercise challenge and so participants are encouraged to challenge themselves to as many or as few of the guidelines as possible. Participants are provided with dietary guidelines to follow as well as recipes and meal planning recommendations.

The benefits of this program are far reaching and will be unique to each individual and their health concerns as well as their commitment to the program. In previous programs participants have experienced weight loss, energy increases, fewer digestive complaints, reduced pain, lowered blood pressure and many other improvements to their health.

For more details please join us Wednesday May 1st at 8:30pm at Love It Yoga in Amherstburg for a free information session. The program will begin on May 4th (however, this date is flexible) and weekly meetings will be on Wednesdays at 8:30pm beginning Monday May 6th. The cost of the program is $120 (plus hst) and may be partially reimbursed by your extended health care provider. You may also phone the studio 519-736-4500 or email us for more information: drjanicedaviend@gmail.com or ena@loveityoga.com.

Individualized cleanse programs are also available through the office, during your naturopathic visit. For patients, additional liver cleanse supplementation is optional. Just give us a call!

Castor Oil - Topical Uses

Castor Oil is one of my favourite things. Its like my Naturopathic duct tape - fixes everything...well, almost.

Castor oil has many beneficial properties when used topically. Castor Oil is anti-inflammatory, it improves movement of the lymphatic system, supports detoxification by the liver and stimulates white blood cell production.

Castor oil can be used on the skin to reduce swelling from any cause and can decrease the redness of eczema, rashes and acne. It can also be used over stiff and sore joints to reduce inflammation, decrease pain and improve mobility.

Traditionally, Naturopathic Doctors recommend castor oil packs to be done over the abdomen.  In addition to the above benefits, this can also soothe an irritated digestive system, reduce menstrual cramping and support liver function.

To do a castor oil pack.:
1. Take a piece of flannel (or cotton) cloth that measures approximately the size of the abdomen.
2. Soak it in castor oil. The cloth should be saturated but not dripping with oil.
3. Place the cloth over the skin, covering the entire abdomen.
4. Placing a hot water bottle or heating pad over the cloth will aid the absorption of oil into the skin.
5. Relax with the cloth in place for 30-45 min.
6. Remove the cloth and place in a storage container for re-use. The skin should feel moisturized and not oily or greasy.
7. Do castor oil packs daily for maximum benefit. Add castor oil to cloth every couple of days, or as needed.

Note:
Castor oil is a potent laxative and should only be taken orally as directed by a physcian.
Check with your Naturopathic Doctor if you are pregnant or have been diagnosed with abdominal cancer. In these instances, heat should not be used.

Do you need to detox?

The simple answer is yes.

With all of the chemicals we are exposed to on a daily basis, it is a safe assumption that we are all carrying a toxic burden in our bodies. It is estimated that the average person has over 700 chemicals accumulated in the body.

Our toxic burden is made up of synthetic chemicals such as pesticides, solvents, plasticizers and heavy metals such as mercury, lead, cadmium, and arsenic - among many others. These chemicals can remain in the body for decades and can be passed on during pregnancy and breastfeeding. While their impact on the body may not be recognizable today, they may predispose us to disease later in life and will affect our generations to come.

The body systems most affected by environmental toxins are: the immune system, the hormonal system and the nervous system. Common symptoms of toxic overload are: allergies, auto-immune disorders, frequent infections, cancers, chemical sensitivities, fatigue, headaches, depression, brain fog, tremors, Parkinson's, thyroid conditions, menstrual changes, temperature dysregulation and infertility.

Our liver is the primary organ responsible for the processing of these harmful chemicals. The liver prepares each of these toxics for elimination via the kidneys and digestive system.

The unfortunate truth is that with the amount of chemicals we are exposed to on a daily basis, the liver becomes easily overwhelmed. In addition to this overwhelm, chemicals have the ability to decrease the function of the liver and hinder the detoxification process. This becomes a vicious cycle - the more chemicals we are exposed to, the less ability we have to process them which means a greater body burden that will further decreases our detoxification abilities.

The food we eat also plays a major role in the functioning of the liver. Foods such as green tea and vegetables in the broccoli family will enhance liver function while unhealthy fats and sugar will decrease liver function.

Another obstacle to the detoxification process are genetic polymorphisms. These are alterations in our liver enzyme systems that reduce our ability to detoxify. They may be inherited or a result of DNA damage (most likely caused by toxics). Some easily recognized genetic polymorphisms are found in those who are unable to drink caffeine in the afternoons, those who have ever had to reduce the dose of a medication or those unable to drink alcohol. Many other polymorphisms exist in the enzymes responsible for processing toxic chemicals.

The next problem lies in elimination via the kidneys and digestive system. There is a tremendous amount of re-absorption that occurs in these organs and without adequate intake of water or specific nutrients, or without regular bowel movements (at LEAST once/day) a large number of these toxic chemicals are taken back up into the body and unfortunately, stored.

A detoxification program will enhance your body's ability to process and eliminate these harmful toxins. With an enhanced ability to detox you may notice an improvement in your symptoms of ill health, increased energy, fewer headaches, hormonal balance, weight loss and a general sense of improved well-being.

Please beware of the mass marketed detox products or programs that exist and consult with a health professional before embarking on a cleanse.

The 10 Americans

Most of us are aware of Environmental Pollution and efforts are slowly being made to address this issue. Industrial air pollution has improved, our lakes and rivers are cleaner, we recycle, we carpool, and we generally make an effort to be more "green".

Despite all of this, we are still exposed to thousands of harmful chemicals each day. Pollution has changed over the years and has now become invisible. It time to look at Human Pollution - the toxic burden that exists in each of us. We need to continue efforts to clean our environment and start to focus on the steps we can take to rid ourselves of these pollutants.A small study was completed some years ago by the Environmental Working Group, an American non-profit organization that advocates for the protection of public health and the environment. The study involved 10 Americans and their toxic exposure. The embedded video describes this study and its implications.This is both a fascinating and scary video providing perspective on the seriousness of environmental toxins. I highly recommend watching The Ten Americans.

The take away message from this video is that we all have measurable levels of harmful chemicals in our body. While we need to support the initiatives of the Environmental Working Group and our Canadian Environmental Defense Group in their lobbying efforts for policy change, there are important lifestyle changes that we must make to decrease our own toxic exposure.

Rebounding for the Lymphatic System

Rebounding basically means bouncing on a mini trampoline and is an excellent way to improve the movement of the lymphatic system!

Movement of the lymphatic system is important for detoxification and immune system function. By improving lymphatic movement we can improve circulation of the immune system - important for warding off the everyday cold and flu as well as prevention of cancer.

The lymphatic system consists of vessels throughout the body however unlike the vascular system, the lymphatic system lacks a pump and one way valves to control movement. To move the lymphatic system we largely rely on the action of our muscles.

When the muscles of our body contract, they pump the lymphatic vessels and move the lymph fluid throughout the body.

While any type of exercise will improve lymphatic movement, rebounding is known as one of the most effective exercises in accomplishing this.

Try rebounding for 10 minutes each day and incorporate as much arm movement as you can. Aim for small, controlled bounces while swinging the arms as if swimming, doing jumping jacks, boxing, touching your elbows to your knees, etc.

Rebounding for 10 minutes has a cardio effect comparable to jogging for 30 minutes. Additional benefits to rebounding include: weight loss, improved energy levels, reduced risk of cardiovascular disease, improved oxygenation of the body and stress reduction.

The Importance of the Lymphatic System

The Lymphatic System is an additional circulatory system found throughout the entire body. It is composed of vessels, lymph nodes, lymphatic tissue, and several organs: the spleen, thymus and bone marrow.

The lymphatic system plays a very important part in our immune system function as well generalized detoxification of the body.

The cells of our immune system are produced by the lymphatic organs, are stored in the lymphatic tissue and are circulated throughout the body in lymph fluid. By improving the circulation of the lymphatic system, we can improve the function and circulation of our immune system. This is beneficial in warding off your everyday infections, colds and flus but also extremely important for the prevention of ALL cancers.

Improving circulation of the lymphatic system also supports the body's capacity to detoxify. By-products of our metabolism, toxins, and other wastes accumulate in the fluid surrounding our cells and tissues and the lymphatic system is responsible for mobilizing such waste products for elimination. Impaired movement of the lymphatic system can result in accumulation of these toxins and waste products and over time, can result in disease.

Stimulating lymphatic movement will improve immune system function and the body's ability to detoxify. This is a very important component of health promotion and disease prevention.

Five Fantastic Ways to Increase Lymphatic Circulation

1. Exercise
2. Contrast Showers
3. Dry Skin Brushing
4. Rebounding
5. Deep Breathing