Whoo! I need a cold shower.

... no, really.  It's called hydrotherapy, one of the oldest pillars of naturopathic medicine.  Hydrotherapy is simply any therapeutic use of water, and a simple practice you can adopt on a daily basis is called a contrast shower.  At the end of a normal warm shower, turn the water down to cool for about 30 seconds before turning it off.

Why on earth would you want to do that?

• This temperature contrast increases circulation to the vital organs, boosting the immune system.  A small study at Bastyr University found that contrast showers decreased the frequency of catching colds.
• Getting a cold rinse actually drives more blood flow deep to the core of the body, which keeps you warmer.  No more shivering when you step out of the shower.  (That's right -- I do this in the winter too!)
• It's a great way to wake yourself up in the morning.  It's like an adrenaline shot for your willpower.  If you can do this first thing in the morning, think of what else you can accomplish today!

As you get used to it, you can bump that final rinse colder and colder -- the more marked the temperature contrast, the greater the benefit.  If you have asthma, uncontrolled diabetes, Raynaud's disease, or any disturbance in temperature sensation, talk to your naturopathic doctor before undertaking this therapy.

Make a pledge to try this for one week -- what have you got to lose?

Come to the Urbana Sweet Corn Festival!

The Urbana Sweet Corn Festival is under way!  Come on out today (Saturday the 27th), and be sure to stop by the booth for Green Yoga Spa.  Pick up a brochure for Central Illinois Natural Health Clinic to find more information on how we can help you.

PCOS: An Emerging Women’s Health Issue

Polycystic ovarian syndrome, or PCOS, has become more common over the last couple of decades, affecting up to 12% of reproductive-age women.  The condition was named after its most prominent feature – cysts in the ovaries, which cause pain and cramping.  It is also one of the most frequent causes of female infertility.  Over time, we’ve come to understand PCOS as a complex metabolic disorder.

PCOS is not just about cysts – in fact, some women have this syndrome without actual ovarian cysts.  One of the main underlying issues is a problem with the body’s handling of blood sugar, called insulin resistance -- similar to diabetes.  This has consequences ranging from high cholesterol to weight gain.

There are also imbalances in hormones.  Women with PCOS often have higher than normal levels of male hormones, or androgens.  This can cause some of the disruptions that lead to fertility problems, as well as symptoms such as facial hair growth or acne.

The conventional approach to PCOS includes the diabetes drug metformin, and artificial hormones.  By contrast, naturopathic medicine seeks to find and treat the causes of disease rather than the symptoms.

We start with lifestyle.  It’s essential to shift from the standard American diet based on sugar and white flour to whole, natural foods.  Exercise is another key to improving insulin sensitivity.

Based on lab results, there may be specific nutritional and herbal supplements that can help support the body’s blood sugar and hormonal systems.  Vitamin D deficiency is quite common in PCOS; it’s critical to replenish vitamin D to treat this condition.

Additionally, naturopathic doctors look at the whole person, which means addressing emotional factors that are involved as well. 

This holistic approach will help not only with your PCOS symptoms, but put you on the road to lifelong optimal wellness.  With the improved fertility, that’s important, so you can be the healthiest mom you can.

Don’t Just Do Something – Sit There!

If you’ve been following my updates, you know that I’m a fan of exercise as a foundation of health, along with a healthy diet.  For a balanced life, we also need to address stress management.

Stress is an unavoidable part of life.  It’s not just unpleasant; it has very real biological effects on us.  Our bodies can’t tell the difference between being chased by a bear, or dealing with an unpleasant boss.  These modern stressors can persist for weeks, months, or years.  That can really take a toll on our health, unless we learn ways to deal with it.

When I ask most patients about what they do for relaxation, I get the expected answers:  TV, reading, video games, surfing the ‘Net.  While these can have their place, they do not really change our body’s response to the sources of stress.  Some coping mechanisms, such as smoking or excessive alcohol, are clearly even harmful for our physiology.

Is there an alternative?  Something that’s so foreign to our experience that most Americans never even consider it:  to take ourselves out of doing mode, and into being mode.  Meditation is a mindful state of awareness, without all the inputs of our overly-plugged in world.  Something as simple as sitting quietly and observing your own breathing for 5 minutes per day can literally transform your body.  Scientific studies have shown that meditation can be as helpful as medicines for conditions ranging from high blood pressure to irritable bowel syndrome.  As an active relaxation technique, meditation is not something exotic or associated with any particular religion; anyone of any belief system can learn and benefit from it.

If the idea of sitting and doing nothing is too much to handle, try a moving form of meditation, such as yoga, tai chi, or labyrinth walking.  You could even make a daily dog walk a practice in becoming aware of the present moment.

If you follow a healthy lifestyle, but still feel there’s something missing, don’t just do something – sit there!

Good night....

Sleep has long been considered by naturopathic doctors to be a foundation of health.  We all know that we can be grumpy without adequate sleep, but there's been an explosion of science in recent years that have linked poor quality sleep to everything from high blood pressure to chronic pain to obesity.  A recent article in The Seattle Times focused on the importance of maintaining a cool sleeping environment -- this is something I've told my patients for years.  In addition to this, ensure absolute darkness at night -- this helps to enhance your body's natural production of melatonin, the sleep hormone.  Shut off all screens (TV, computer, whatever electronic devices) at least 30-60 minutes before bedtime.

Insomnia plagues many in these hot months

Would you like that turkey with or without antibiotics?

The huge national recall on ground turkey in the past couple of weeks has turned the spotlight on important issues of food safety.  Not only was this turkey contaminated with the bacteria Salmonella, but many of these bacteria were resistant to common antibiotics.  How did this come about?

It is common practice in the poultry industry to administer low levels of antibiotics to birds, not because they are sick, or even to prevent infections.  It's simply to make them grow faster -- a purely economic motivation.  And the consequences are what we're facing now -- poultry potentially infected with super-bacteria that have built up a resistance to common antibiotics.  So when people contract these illnesses, we have to look farther afield for the right medicines to treat them.

One of the principles of naturopathic medicine is that prevention is better than cure.  So please practice safe food preparation techniques -- use separate knifes and cutting boards for raw poultry, and wash your hands before and after handling.  Cook thoroughly to an internal temperature of 165 degrees Fahrenheit.  Another precaution you can take is to choose organic poultry:  a new study found that these birds are much less likely to carry the resistant superbugs that are so common in conventionally-raised fowl.  Yet another reason to go organic!

Poultry raised organically is less resistant to antibiotics (Seattle Times)