Vancouver Naturopathic

Ladies, we all know it. Menstrual cramps suck.  There’s no sugar coating what is inevitably a bad experience that comes every month.  Most people reach for medications that provide temporary pain relief when the going gets particularly tough. But speaking from experience, too much medication can lead to your body, specifically your gut, wearing out. But what’s a gal to do? Here are some home remedies you can try to get much needed relief from your menstrual cramps.

Across cultures, ginger is highly recommended and rated for its applications in soothing menstrual cramps.  Ginger can be taken in many forms, but fresh is always best.  Try grinding up about a teaspoon of fresh ginger, swallowing it and then drinking a glass of water immediately.  Personally, I prefer to add the teaspoon of fresh ginger to a glass of hot water and waiting for it to cool slightly before drinking all the contents.  Do this for each day that you’re in your menstrual cycle and you’ll experience comfort for sure.

A more exotic remedy is the banana flower. Cook the flower completely and eat it with curd. This will help reduce your pain and flow.

Eat leafy vegetables and whole grain foods for their magnesium content.  This way, you avoid the detriment that sometimes come along with taking magnesium supplements since too much of this mineral can lead to diarrhea and muscle weakness.

Fish lovers, here is some good news. Eating fatty fish containing omega 3 fatty acids helps reduce pain as well when consumed on a regular basis, instead of just when your menstrual cramps are here.  For those who prefer not to eat fish, omega 3 fatty acid supplements are now widely available and don’t worry, they don’t smell or tasty fishy at all.

Together with what you can eat to feel better, you can also increase you level of physical activity. Do what feels good, without overworking your body.  Try simple exercises that don’t require a gym membership, like walking, running, or aerobics and yoga. The good news for those lacking motivation in this area is that simply stretching can relieve pain in some individuals.

While the above are strategies you can test to relieve menstrual cramps, you must keep in mind that each person is unique and some remedies may work better on one person than another. Keep in mind before you suggest these to someone else that some people may be allergic to certain foods or herbal supplements.  At the end of the day, do what feels right to you and soon you’ll be on your way to relief from your monthly menstrual cramps.

If you want to discuss with a professional about menstrual and hormonal irregularities, book an appointment at Naturopath Vancouver, a Vancouver Naturopathic clinic,  at your earliest convenience.

Naturopath Vancouver BC

Allergy symptoms range from minor irritability to more severe degree of impairment in carrying on daily life at home, work, and play. Common approaches to seeking relief requires a quick trip to the local pharmacy where over-the-counter medications are often well stocked and recommended by friends and family alike. However, if you’re someone who prefers to reduce your intake of medications or you’re weary of what exactly is in those small white pills, you definitely have other options. Home remedies for allergies are more common than you think, with its effectiveness resulting in their ability to continue being passed down generations. See if any of the following appeal to you as remedies to relieving your allergies.

Apple Cider Vinegar
Don’t let the taste deter you. It’s highly recommended for its potency to treat allergies in addition to its beneficial effects towards weight loss, high blood pressure, and high cholesterol. To soothe your taste buds, try mixing two tablespoons of apple cider vinegar with juice or water every day and watch as your allergies improve.

Red Clover
This home remedy is available in many formats, with the most popular being red clover tea. Red clover wine and herbal supplements (in pill form) are also available.

Fruits & Vegetables
A easy place to start trying a home remedy to soothe allergy symptoms would probably be one of the following. Try squeezing fresh lime juice into your water, or drinking vegetable juices if you aren’t already. Bananas have also been recommended for their effectiveness in fighting allergies.

Acupuncture
This is where sterile needles are placed into the body with utmost precision by an experienced acupuncturist to help treat and relieve symptoms of allergies (in addition to its use in many other areas). Local health spas sometimes offer this to clients, but there are also specialized clinics for this type of treatment.

Other Tips to Reducing Allergies

1. If you have pets, try to limit their area of activity to away from where you spend the most time. Most of the time, this means keeping pets away from the bedroom and work/study room and spending quality time with them in common areas like the living room and kitchen. This will help reduce your exposure to this type of allergen.

2. Mold triggers allergies. Limit your home’s humidity levels by encouraging everyone to use the bathroom fan during and after showers, keeping windows open whenever possible and staying alert for signs of mold growth. If mold has already grown in your home, call a local company about proper removal and prevention strategies for the future. In the meantime, stay away from the affected areas as much as possible.

For more tips on how to get rid of your allergies naturally, book an appointment with naturopath vancouver here.
The above listed home remedies and tips work differently for different people. See what you’re enticed to try and look for new strategies to approach your allergies this season apart from reaching at the medicine cabinet. The possibilities with natural allergy remedies are endless, so rest assured – relief is on its way.

The Holistic Health Care Principles of Naturopathic Doctors

Naturopathic doctors base the practice of holistic health care on 6 principles of healing. These principles are based on the objective observation of the nature of health and disease, and continually reexamined in light of scientific analysis.

1. First Do No Harm: Safe and effective natural therapies are used to promote health and minimize the risk of harmful side-effects.

2. The Healing Power of Nature: Naturopathic medicine recognizes an inherent self-healing process in the person that is ordered and intelligent.  Naturopathic medical physicians act to identify and remove obstacles to healing and recovery, and stimulate the body’s self-healing mechanisms.

3. Discover and Treat the Cause: Naturopathic medical physicians seek to discover and address the underlying cause of a disease, as opposed to just treating symptoms.  Symptoms are not the root cause of illness.

4. Treat the Whole Person: Holistic medicine considers multiple factors of health and disease, taking into account physical, mental, emotional, genetic, environmental, social, spiritual and other factors.

5. Doctor as Teacher: The naturopathic doctor’s role is one of education and empowerment, encouraging personal responsibility.  Your naturopath is a doctor, teacher, counselor, coach, and partner in the quest for health and wellness.

6. Prevention: Prevention truly is the best cure.  Naturopathic doctors assess risk factors, determine susceptibility to disease, and define appropriate lifestyle modifications to halt or prevent illness.  The emphasis is on building health, not just fighting disease.

Education and Licensure for Naturopathic Doctors

Educated and licensed Naturopathic Doctors must attend a rigorous four-year graduate level medical program at an accredited naturopathic medical school.  Admissions requirements are comparable to those of conventional medical schools, which require a bachelor’s degree and pre-med courses. The ND course of study includes approximately 4,500 hours of academic and clinical training. The program leads to a Doctor of Naturopathic Medicine (ND) degree.

During the first two years of study, naturopathic doctors are trained in the same basic science and clinical applications as conventional medical students, including anatomy, physiology, biochemistry, pathology, and microbiology. In the second two years, ND students take courses in conventional medical fields such as cardiology, neurology, gynecology, pediatrics, and dermatology. Naturopathic doctors are also trained to interpret lab work, as well as pharmaceutical medications.

Extensive training in holistic health care, nontoxic therapies, disease prevention and optimizing wellness is also required. Naturopathic doctors must intern for two years under the close supervision of licensed doctors in a clinical setting.  This hands-on application of knowledge with actual patients complements and solidifies classroom learning into practical skills of health and healing.

Holistic Health Care Services Offered By Naturopathic Doctors

Naturopathic medicine involves a number of different holistic health care approaches and modalities.  Natural medicine and treatment programs are designed to support and strengthen the body’s healing abilities.

Supplement Streamlining and Guidance: Naturopathic doctors can help you negotiate the huge world of vitamins and supplements to make sure you get the best quality, form, and potency of recommended supplements.

All Natural Weight Loss: Naturopathic medial physicians can assist with all natural weight loss programs that provide individualized, structured support to help patients lose weight and maintain weight loss long-term.  Holistic nutrition teaches how to eat real foods in proper balance, lose fat while protecting muscle mass, and identify food allergies or sensitivities that may contribute weight gain.

Allergy Screening & Desensitization: Electrodermal Screening (EDS) and acupressure help desensitize patients to potential allergens. This holistic therapy is safe, non-invasive, inexpensive and highly effective.

Classical Homeopathic Medicine: Naturopathic doctors use homeopathic medicine to stimulate a healing response. It is very effective for both acute and chronic conditions.

Body Detoxification and Cleansing: In our modern world the burden of toxic pollution, drugs, pesticides, heavy metals, smoke, hormones, and food preservatives threaten to overwhelm our body’s natural detoxification mechanisms. Naturopathic medicine helps the body clear toxic build up.

Herbal Medicine: Plants have been used medicinally for thousands of years for their healing properties, and are the origins of many pharmaceutical drugs. Naturopathic doctors use plant and herbal medicine to facilitate natural healing.

Diet and Nutrition: The idea that food is the best medicine is a cornerstone of naturopathic medicine. Many medical conditions can be treated effectively through proper diet and nutritional supplements with fewer complications and side effects.

Hydrotherapy: Hydrotherapy is the use of water, ice, steam, and hot and cold temperatures to maintain and restore health.  Hydrotherapy is effective for a wide range of conditions and easily in self-care programs.

Lifestyle Counseling and Coaching: Mental and emotional wellness is integral to physical health.  Naturopathic doctors educate patients on healthy lifestyle practices including exercise, sleep, environmental exposures, and stress management. Naturopathic doctors formulate plans for optimal health and empower patients.

Mind-Body Medicine: Naturopathic doctors recognize the profound interconnection of mind and body, the body’s innate healing capabilities, and the role of self-responsibility in the healing process.  Mind/body medicine utilizes a wide range of modalities, including guided imagery and meditation.

Naturopathic doctors can help patients of all kinds create a holistic health care plan to heal chronic issues, prevent future illness and support a healthy lifestyle naturally. This whole body approach leads to long term wellness and better quality of life.