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Saturday, December 13, 2014

What is Natural Healthcare?

The human body is designed to work like a well-oiled, perfectly crafted machine. Each individual system, including the nervous, digestive endocrine systems to works with our organs in synergy to keep us in optimum health.

However, just like a machine needs maintenance and upkeep, so do our bodies. All too often, we wait until something “break” before we realize there is something wrong or take any steps to fix the problem. All too often those solutions are reactive. We take medicine, have surgery, visit multiple doctors, whatever we think will fix our issues.

However, there is a growing trend toward practicing natural, reactive medicine and taking steps to correct our diet and lifestyle that will prevent or slow down the development and medical conditions and the progression illness.  Around the world there is an increased interest in preventative medicine as well as an increased demand for Nutritional Supplements and Natural Healthcare Products.

In fact, 75% of Canadians currently use some form of non-drug therapy to manage or prevent a health condition.

What is Natural Healthcare?

So what does it mean to receive natural healthcare? Natural healthcare is holistic in nature meaning that the body and all of its systems are viewed a whole with the root causes of distressing symptoms being examined. For instance, many patients don’t simply have sore joints, weight gain and fatigue, they also have insulin resistance, a pre-diabetic condition that can be treated with diet and exercise. You can medicate the sore joints with Advil, work on the treadmill for hours and drink sugary caffeinated drinks to stay alert but in the end, you will end up treating a diseased pancreas that cannot process sugar any more with insulin.  In naturopathy, there are many interdependencies and the root cause of an issue is treated, as well as its symptoms with the intention of making the symptoms disappear altogether.

Natural Healthcare is More Popular Than Ever

To give you an example of how popular alternative health care services have become, in 2008, Americans spent $33.9 billion on complementary and alternative medicine practice and products.  According to NIH (National Institutes of Health New from information gathered from the National Center of Health Statistics this enormous amount of money was spent on herbal supplements, meditation, chiropractic services, acupuncture services and similar.[1]

For more information about the Healthy & Active Program please visit our website at www.healthy-active.com. You may also call us in Toronto at (41) 440-2217 and ask for Adrienne Wright Bulow or Dr. Michael Rahman or email us at adrienne@healthy-active.com


For more information about The Pinewood Institute for the Advancement of Natural Medicine courses including course outlines, detailed descriptions of courses and information about upcoming training sessions, please go www.pinewoodinstitute.com.  You can also send us an email using our email form at http://pinewoodinstitute.com/contact.aspx or call us at 416-656-8100. If you prefer to fax the number is 416-656-8107.







[1] Americans Spent 33.9 Billion Out-of-Pocket on Complementary and Alternative Medicine, NIH NEWS, February 20, 2013. Retrieved August 21, 2014. http://nccam.nih.gov/news/2009/073009.htm

Wednesday, December 10, 2014

Heal Inflammation With These 7 Foods!

Food can be a potent ally in the fight against inflammation or it can be your worst enemy. You may have been surfing and landed on this Pinewood Natural Health Centre because you have heard all about how avoiding certain foods and eating others can help relieve chronic conditions whether it be such as muscle and joint pain, bowel problems and fatigue.

Avoid High Glycemic Starches

Foods that cause inflammation and therefore chronic pain tend to be those that contain a lot of high glycemic starches. Examples of these starchy foods mashed potatoes, puddings, pasta, white bread and cakes.   Processed and refined sugars, flours and even some foods that you think are healthy like yams and beets can cause a chronic condition to persist.

High glycemic foods have the ability to destabilize your insulin and raise your blood sugar. The high level of insulin racing through your bloodstream as the result of eating these comfort foods can also raise levels of cortisol (the stress hormone), which puts your body in a state of physical alarm. If this happens daily your body can soon become chronically inflamed.

Anti-Inflammatory Foods

Foods that are ideal to eat because they do the triple duty of cleansing your system, blocking starches and sugars and healing your tissues are.

Apples: Apples are a versatile source of calcium D-glucerate that assists with  is liver detoxification and estrogen balance as well as helps the body utilize the glucose properly.

Asparagus: These delicious spears are a rich source of glutathione that helps ward off inflammation and invading pathogens as well as keeps your waist trim by boosting your thyroid

Blueberries and Blackberries: Dark colored berries can satisfy a craving for sweets and are high in superoxide dismutase, which can help reduce oxidative stress in the body and reduce inflammation.

Flax seeds: Flax is high in alpha linoleic acid, which is a type of helpful Omega 3 fat. They also contain immune modulators that help prevent inflammatory reactions.

Fish: Fish is a good source of omega-3 fatty acids that help increase metabolism and reduce inflammation in the body. Shellfish however can cause inflammation in the body for some people.

Ginger Root:  Ginger is a warming food that is high in arachadonic acid, which reduces pain and inflammation and helps boost your metabolic rate.

Turmeric: Turmeric is found in most curries and contains archadonic acid that can help reduce inflammation and kick your metabolism into high gear.

Not Sure Where to Start? Do These 3 Things!

You can help prevent inflammation by doing these three things:
  • Avoid alcohol and caffeine, which can irritate stomach walls and cause inflammation
  • Stay away from refined sugars such as the type you find in candies, sodas, cookies and white bread
  • Avoid allergenic foods such as wheat or soy that cause experience inflammation in the gut

Be aware that inflammation of any kind can slow down your metabolism but the worst cases of chronic inflammation are usually caused by the foods we eat. Before you blame the weather or age, make sure you have not eaten a food that provokes a reaction in your system.


For more information or to book a consultation about anti-aging, diet and weight loss programs or any health issue you may be experiencing, visit the Pinewood Natural Health Clinic website that has a list of full services and products at www.pinewood.ca or call our Toronto Office at  (416)-656- 8100.  We also have an office in Pickering, Ontario at (905)-427-0057. You can also email us at info@pinewoodhealth.ca and we would be happy to answer any question that you have about our holistic health services.

Sunday, December 7, 2014

Manual Therapy and Naturopathic Detoxifaction

By Christianne James, DO (MP), RMT, CMAP, BSc, BAH
Osteopath & Registered Massage Therapist

Manual therapy goes hand in hand with naturopathic detoxification treatments. It is a key component for optimal results in detoxification and can help cope with the symptoms of allergies and boost the immune system in order to get your body ready for optimal cleansing and health. An osteopath can use multiple therapies in order to help the body detox and the way we use these techniques and transition between them is a unique art that sets us apart from other manual practitioners. A few techniques for detoxification and allergy coping are:

1.    Cranio-sacral Therapy

This treatment technique is used to remove restrictions to the flow of
cerebrospinal fluid (CSF), which flows along the wall of the skull and spinal cord. The CSF nourishes the nerves and promotes nerve transmission throughout the body to all structures and tissues. If the flow is impeded the body can be susceptible to dysfunction in many areas. Nerves are needed in everything the body does including the regulation of digestion and related organs, such as the liver, known for its powerful waste clearing capability. Cranio-sacral treatments are a great way to augment detoxification regimes, aid in the body’s self-regulatory mechanisms and move you towards optimal health.  

2.    Lymphatic Activation
This modality is important for coping with allergies and detoxification. The body is designed with circulatory systems to bring in nutrients and hormones and the lymph system to carry away waste products through the squeezing of the lymph nodes. Lymphatic Activation works the lymph nodes and glands, facilitating movement of toxins out of the nodes and from there out of the body. Enhancing the immune system to better eliminate waste and fight allergens is an ideal way to get your body ready for spring.

Other techniques such as sinus drainage, myofascial release and visceral manipulation can all be helpful tools to aid in detoxification and coping with allergies. Book an appointment for more information and I hope to see you soon!

Christianne is a licensed Canadian Osteopath and Registered Massage Therapist. She is registered with the Ontario Federation of Osteopathic Practitioners and is registered with the Canadian Massage Therapists of Ontario. She is fully certified in Contemporary Medical Acupuncture which incorporates classical acupuncture and acupuncture with electro-stimulation. 


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