As a Naturopathic Doctor, I am an expert in natural therapies. To learn about the conditions I treat and how I can help you, please see my services. Below you will find my blog, where I post health news. My goal is to help you achieve the best possible health so that you can live a better life. If you want to start feeling better right now, please contact me today.

Improving Your Arthritis

Posted on May 8, 2013 by Chris Habib ND in Arthritis, Exercise, Guest Author

Arthritis can be debilitating. Inflammation and stiffness in the joints can cause pain so excruciating that even turning over in bed will sometimes feel like a battle. Through the years, those suffering from arthritis will watch their mobility and independence decrease often to a point of chronic pain and dependence. There are currently over 100 different forms of arthritis . It’s important to take an active role when it comes to promoting your quality of life. Here are a few of the many ways you can get involved when it comes to promoting pain relief, personal independence, and healthy mobility.

Physiotherapy, for example, plays a vital role in managing arthritis. It can help you to maintain autonomy by improving your mobility, strength and flexibility. Physiotherapists have a detailed understanding of the body and movement. A physiotherapist can work with you to devise simple exercise programs that you can practice at home to help you build your strength and flexibility. Exercise is especially important for people with arthritis. It will assist in reducing joint pain and increasing mobility. A physiotherapist will offer advice, and design a customized treatment plan that may include; exercise, posture, hydrotherapy, massage, pain relief techniques (such as electrotherapy) and/or something called TENS (transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation) machines.

The less weight we put on our joints as they struggle for optimal mobility, the better. Some people will see their symptoms disappear if they lose 10 to 20 pounds, says Roy Altman, M.D., a rheumatologist and professor of medicine at the University of California Los Angeles. Aqua based athletics can be an excellent way to get your heart rate up, without putting extra pressure on your joints. Many people also find hydrotherapy to be soothing on joint pain, so this type of exercise could actually be a win/win.

Physicians, dieticians, personal trainers, and physiotherapists have all been touting the incredible benefits of including antioxidants in your day-to-day nutrition plan. In short, antioxidants work around the clock to protect your cells from free radicals. Free radicals are basically unstable molecules; their electron count is out of balance. This in turn, leads to oxidative stress, which brings on inflammation. Antioxidants in turn, work to protect your body from dangerous inflammation. Antioxidants can be found in food sources such as; chocolate (yes, chocolate!), berries, nuts, coffee (yes, coffee!), cooked vegetables, beans and colourful fruits. Make sure to consult a Naturopathic Doctor as part of your comprehensive treatment plan.

Dairy And Bone Health

Posted on March 22, 2013 by Chris Habib ND in Guest Author, Health Guidelines, Menopause

By Guest Author, Christine Redpath

For decades, health practitioners have advocated dairy products for keeping bones healthy as the body grows older. An increase in milk intake, for example, is often linked to maintaining strong bones. However, guidelines linking dairy intake to bone health have, until recently, remained somewhat vague. A new study has found that not all dairy products have the same impact on bone density, and different products are beneficial only to certain areas of the body. The study, which was carried out by the Institute for Aging Research (IFAR), concluded that the consumption of milk and yogurt is indeed beneficial for bone strength; both products were linked with higher bone mineral density (BMD). However, the research found that these benefits were only apparent in the hip – not the spine. At the other end of the scale, the study found that the consumption of cream could actually have a detrimental effect; cream and other related products, such as ice cream, were linked to lower overall bone mineral density. “Dairy foods provide several important nutrients that are beneficial for bone health,” said Shivani Sahni, Ph.D., of the Musculoskeletal Research Team at IFAR. “However, cream and its products such as ice cream have lower levels of these nutrients and have higher levels of fat and sugar.” The study analyzed data from a survey completed by 3,212 subjects. The participants’ dairy intake was then measured against their BMD measurements. The results of the study were most significant in middle aged men and women.

Not a cure for osteoporosis

Despite the seemingly positive results from this latest study, previous studies have warned that the bone strength achieved through increased milk and yogurt consumption is actually only beneficial in the short term. In fact, those people that increased BMD through milk consumption in early life actually ended up paying the price for it later on – in the form of brittle bones and osteoporosis. A previous Harvard study had followed 78,000 women over 12 years and found that those who drank milk more than three times per day were more prone to bone breakages than those that did not regularly drink milk. In addition, a 1994 study from Sydney, Australia, concluded that milk was actually one of the biggest causes of adult osteoporosis. “Dairy milk does increase bone density, but this comes at a terrible price,” said the study’s lead researcher, Russell Eaton. “Far from protecting bones, milk actually increases the risk of osteoporosis by eroding bone-making cells. Also, people with osteoporosis have a much higher incidence of heart disease and cancer, and the evidence is pointing at milk as the common factor.” Osteoporosis currently affects more than 10 million people in the United States alone, and a further 34 million American citizens suffer from low bone density. The condition is more common in women, and the risk of developing it increases with age. Many people do not realize the danger of osteoporosis on overall health; the grim fact is that one in four people that fracture their hips die within one year of obtaining the injury.

What can be done?

The results from the latest study are interesting because, although they appear to contradict those of previous studies, they indicate a strong link between nutrition and bone health. They also quash the common misconception that all dairy products are good for all bones. It is clear that there are benefits of dairy for bones. However, more research is needed to better determine the link between the two. What this latest study has done is open up a whole new area for research in terms of the link between nutrition and bone health. Various previous studies have found evidence to suggest that dairy products contain more than one nutrient that is beneficial to bone health. Further research will determine whether dairy can be included in treatments for bone conditions.

Pomegranate as an Appetite Suppressant

Posted on January 29, 2013 by Chris Habib ND in Guest Author, Weight Loss

By Guest Author: Christine Redpath

For many decades, pomegranates have been hailed as a super food. Full of natural goodness, the refreshing fruit contains an abundance of antioxidants; these vitamins and enzymes are, in part, responsible for keeping low density lipoprotein – otherwise known as bad cholesterol – from oxidizing and manifesting into various forms of heart disease. Over the years, pomegranates have also been proven to have numerous other health benefits, such as helping to reduce the risk of erectile dysfunction and helping to increase oxygen supply to the heart.

Linked to weight loss
Scientists also claim that this super fruit is an appetite suppressant. In 2007, a study published in the International Journal of Obesity found that the extract of a pomegranate leaf helped to reduce fat absorption as well as suppressing appetite in obese mice. The group of researchers supplemented the high fat diet of a group of induced overweight mice with 400 milligrams of pomegranate leaf extract per kilogram of body weight. The supplement was applied once per day for five weeks. After the five week period, the body weight of the mice decreased significantly. Tests on their blood showed that they also had a decreased risk of developing heart problems. The researchers also performed a second test where they supplemented the diets of the mice with 800 milligrams of pomegranate leaf extract; after the five week period, the mice were found to have reduced intestinal fat absorption.  The obese groups were compared with groups of average weight mice; in the latter group, the pomegranate extract was found to have little or no impact on appetite.

Reducing hunger
Until recently, there has not been much research into the effects of pomegranate extract on humans. However, the results of a new study by Queen Margaret University in Edinburgh, Scotland, have hinted that extracts of the super fruit could have the same impact on the human body. The scientists used a subject group of 29 volunteers, who were each given a pomegranate supplement to take once per day for three weeks. The supplement consisted of an extract that contained the seeds, pith and skin of the fruit. Throughout the experiment, this group reported that they were less hungry and also felt more satisfied after eating, when compared with a placebo group.

Increased satisfaction after meals
Scientists tested this theory by monitoring the eating habits of the groups. At the end of the three week period, the subjects were then given a glass of pomegranate juice prior to being given a plate of pasta. Before, during and after this exercise, the subjects documented their feelings of hunger at 15 minute intervals. They rated their hunger in terms of desire to eat, fullness and satisfaction after eating. The participants in group that took the pomegranate extract were significantly less hungry than those in the placebo group by an average of 12 percent. Those that were taking the pomegranate extract ate 22 percent less than those in the placebo group (consuming an average amount of 447 grams of the pasta dish, compared with an average of 574 grams in the placebo group). Twenty one percent of the pomegranate group also said that they had less desire to eat, 16 percent said they felt fuller, and 15 percent said that they were more satisfied. In an interesting twist to the findings, the pomegranate extract group also rated the taste of their food higher than the placebo group.

Contains polyphenols
It is thought that pomegranates are linked to appetite as they contain polyphenols, which are a form of suppressant. This could be significant for the weight loss and nutrition industries. The team at Queen Margaret University is now planning further studies to determine the exact reason that pomegranate extract has this effect on the body; it is hoping to provide further guidance for the health industry in how pomegranate can be used to help combat obesity. In addition to the positive implications for obesity, earlier studies have also claimed that the same vitamins and enzymes found in pomegranates could even have a role to play in preventing prostate cancer in men; one study implanted advanced cancer cells in mice and found that, when fed water laden with pomegranate juice, these mice developed smaller tumours. It is clear that, while further research is needed, the capabilities of the pomegranate have exciting potential.

Talent Egg Interview

Posted on January 14, 2013 by Chris Habib ND in Uncategorized

To read my Talent Egg interview, click here.