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Wednesday, August 27, 2014

Top 5 Affordable, Accessible Superfoods For Anti-Aging

If you are getting cosmetic injections, carboxytherapy or dermal fillers to improve your looks, you should keep in mind that aside from the treatments that you may be getting to look youthful, it is also important to eat the foods that support healing, cell regeneration, collagen production and tissue connectivity.

Here is a look at a Top 5 Affordable and Accessible superfoods that can keep you looking young. 

1. Green Tea

Green tea is one of the most powerful anti-aging foods known to man. Green tea contains the phytonutrients myricetin, epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG), and quercetin. They are the phytonutrients that work together in order to help your body burn fat by increasing its metabolism. These nutrients can also fight against the development of tumours and cancers.

The only thing to be careful about when drinking green tea is that it can prevent iron from being absorbed into your bloodstream. The best way to prevent this odd side-effect and ensure you are getting all the nutrients you need from you food is to drink green tea between meals as a pick-me-up or add a little lemon to it.

2. Kale

Kale, and other leafy greens like Swiss chard are chock full of antioxidants including the carotenoids lutein and zeaxanthin. This antioxidant combination decreases the risk of macular-related vision degeneration and protects them from sun-induced damage.  Kale also promotes youthfulness by improving your cardiovascular health, boosting your immune system, fight cancer through hormone moderation, regulating blood sugar levels, and aiding in digestion.

Slightly steaming kale or braising makes it easier for the body to assimilate the healing carotenoids.

3. Blueberries

Blueberries contain a significant amount of vitamin K, manganese, vitamin C, and fibre. They also have omega-3 fatty acids. They can help your eyes and can heal ulcers. The antioxidants found in blueberries not only combat aging and stress factors in the body, but also reduce the risk of degenerative diseases and cancers.

One cup of blueberries has only 85 calories, and less than one gram of good fat. The fibre they contain improves bowel function and helps eliminate bowel residue. The phytochemicals they contain aid in weight loss and reduce inflammation.

Blueberries can be eaten raw, blended into smoothies, sprinkled on oatmeal or baked into muffins.

4. Tomatoes

Lycopene, the pigment that makes tomatoes red, reduces their risk for cardiovascular disease, cancer and blindness. Lycopene is best absorbed through tomatoes that are cooked so it is a good idea to eat them stewed or as a sauce. 

Salsa is also a profoundly anti-aging food because the red peppers also add substantial amounts of disease-fighting Vitamin C to the mix of tomatoes. Onions and garlics add selenium, zinc and other important minerals to the food as well.

5. Squash

Bright orange squash is loaded with beta-carotene, which in turn converts to vitamin A in the body. This reduces the risks of cancers, cardiovascular disease and osteoporosis.  The lutein and lycopene found in produce also help protect the skin from sun damage and reduce wrinkling.

Squash is easily baked in the oven. It can be mashed up like a potato and served cold and cubed in a salad.

These foods are not exotic and can be found in any supermarket. Try to buy organic to optimize your nutritional gains and anti-aging benefits.

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, August 24, 2014

The Skinny on Eating Oats


Oats are a super food that even those with gluten sensitivities can generally eat because the gluten content is so low.  Oats can provide a healthy alternative to refined cereals that are packed with gluten. In addition to naturally being a whole grain, meaning that they have an almost full amino acid profile that can help your body build protein, oats provide a variety of weight loss and health benefits.

Oats Help With Weight Loss

For example, one study conducted at Vanderbilt University showed that reducing your calorie intake by 500 calories per day and eating two servings of oats for 12 weeks caused people to lower their LDL levels and decrease the circumference of their waist.

However, oats can do much more than that. Their high fiber content and filling quality makes them a choice food that will lower blood pressure, improve your heart function, and promote weight loss. Because of the soluble fiber, they slow digestion and increase the time for nutrients to absorb into your body, allowing you to get more nutrition from the foods you eat.

When people eat oat bran consistently, their blood sugar levels become lower overall. The slowing effect on the digestive system causes blood glucose levels to stabilize without the spikes or drops that can increase cravings.

Oatmeal is an excellent source of manganese and contains more than half of what you need in a day. One cup of oatmeal cooked in water also contains significant amounts of thiamin, iron, phosphorus, zinc, selenium, and magnesium.

Fortified, Instant and Steel Cut Oats

Steel Cut Oats Before Cooking
Oatmeal contains protein and can be an excellent way to start your day. It provides you with long-term energy and makes it easy to incorporate fresh fruits into your diet. Some studies even claim that oatmeal in your diet will improve your mood.

You should purchase “rolled,” “old-fashioned,” or “quick” oats. “Instant” oats have been prepared once and have lost some of its nutritional value from processing. If you purchase “instant” oats, make sure they are “fortified” so the nutrients have been added back to it afterward. “Instant” oats contain different levels of nutrients than the other forms of oats.

How to Prepare Oats

Most people prepare oatmeal for breakfast. For a change, try “steel-cut” oats. These are oats that have not been pressed or “rolled.” They tend to take longer to cook, but they have more texture.
Instead of buying instant oatmeal that contains fruit or spices and high amounts of sugar, buy the plain variety and add cinnamon and nutmeg, blueberries, or even semi-sweet chocolate pieces. Prepare it with milk and drink coffee or green tea to have a complete breakfast.

Although frequently people think of oat cereals as a breakfast food, they can also be eaten before a workout for a sustained energy boost. For snacks, sprinkle some oatmeal over your yogurt or muffins. Or, when you are craving something late at night, munch on a handful of homemade granola to help curve your hunger.
Make tasty chicken by processing oatmeal with whole-wheat flour and seasoned salt in a food processor until well combined and then coat your chicken with it before broiling or baking.


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.


Wednesday, August 20, 2014

Why It a Good Idea to Lose Weight Now!

Losing weight is not just about looking fantastic in a bikini or living up to that old saying “You can never be too thin or too rich.”  In fact, they should change that saying to “You can never be too healthy!”

Obesity is Expensive and Lowers Your Quality of Life

Aside from improving your health, being overweight can be quite expensive. It can be hard to find clothes that fit and when you do, they are offered by clothing stores that charge a little more for that extra bit of fabric that is needed to fit your girth.

Further, more obesity leads to a lot of diseases that have treatments that are not necessarily covered by OHIP or employee insurance plans.  Obesity leads to a whole whack of disorders including diabetes.  Joint problems, sleep apnea, respiratory diseases, reflux diseases, kidney diseases and even infertility. In many cases, these problems are eliminated if the person can find a way to lose weight.

Although managing the health effects of being overweight is costly, the effect the condition has on your overall quality of life is also expensive.  People who are overweight tend to go for walks less, swim less and even play with their children or grandchildren less.  The simplest activities, such as climbing three flights of stairs, can seem like an unattainable feat.  Many overweight individuals are unable to fit in a train seat or a theatre seat at a movie theater.

The immobility and social isolation that obesity or being overweight causes can also cause a vicious circle to be perpetuate itself. The more sedentary you are, the more weight you gain and the more inclined you are to stay in and so on.

Losing Just 10% Of Your Weight Is Helpful

Getting rid of even ten percent of your weight can improve how you feel and help you enjoy life again. By losing just 10 percent of your body weight, you can lower your cholesterol and reduce your blood pressure, says G. Ken Goodrick, PhD, psychologist and associate professor of medicine at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, Texas. High cholesterol and elevated blood pressure are two major risk factors for heart disease.

According to Karen Miller Kovach, a spokesman for Weight Watchers, “If you're overweight, you're at increased risk for type 2 diabetes, which means your body can't make enough, or properly use, insulin, a hormone that helps convert food to usable energy. By losing just 10 percent of your body weight, you'll improve your body's ability to use the insulin it makes, possibly preventing the onset of the disease,” Miller-Kovach also says. If you already have type 2 diabetes, shedding that 10 percent may improve your symptoms and possibly prevent complications, she adds.

Just a 10 percent weight loss increases feelings of vigor and vitality," says Miller-Kovach. "You'll feel better and have more energy."

Finally, we are our harshest judges. When we are overweight, we tend to be critical of ourselves. It can lower our self-esteem, cause fatigue and depression, stomach and sleep problems. Changing your eating habits can help you lose weight and develop a better self-image.

Here at the Pinewood Natural Health Clinic we have several plans and solutions to help you lose weight and feel better in general.

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


Wednesday, August 13, 2014

The Bacterial Vaginosis Antibiotic Connection


Bacterial Vaginosis is caused by an overgrowth of yeast and/or fungus in the vagina. It is a very uncomfortable condition that can cause itchiness, odor and discharge. Wouldn’t you like to get rid of this type of infection once and for all? You can if you can also get off of the merry-go-round that ensues if you keep running to an allopathic doctor for repeated antibiotic prescriptions to treat the symptoms.

Antibiotics Are Not the Answer

Most women who got to a regular doctor find themselves walking out the door with a prescription for antibiotics.  Antibiotics are not always effective at killing of the yeast and fungus that cause this uncomfortable condition.  In fact, Women who suffer from bacterial vaginosis often end up being sicker than they need be due to compromised immune systems triggered by an overgrowth of even more yeast.

In fact, if a yeast infection is chronic it is often a big  indicator that the she has taken a course or two of antibiotics without supplementing the lactobacteria that was killed off by the antibiotics.   The lactobacteria is the good yeast that grows in your gut and keeps the flora in the intestine in balance.

Whenever beneficial flora is killed off, it causes an overgrowth of yeast and fungus that thrives in the colon. Furthermore these organisms go forth and multiply everywhere in your body  that they can including in your vagina, bowel, urethra,, anus, skin. Anywhere it can find a place to grow, it will plant itself.

Yeast and Fungus Secrete Toxins

On top of causing odor and itchiness, yeast and fungal infections secrete toxins that enter your bloodstream and cause symptoms that feel similar to  a hangover.  The person might feel disoriented, dizzy, thirsty, lethargic, headachey, sore and foggy. In fact yeast infections can actually cause fermentation in the gut causing you to feel very unwell.  These toxins are a byproduct of yeast and fungal cell production in your gut and they create an inner environment in your reproductive and digestive system that can make you very sick.

 make their own vile secretions which are often toxic and can cuase symptoms of fogginess.  In fact many people who have BV also often feel like they have a hangover thanks to the extreme amount of yeast and bacteria excreting alcohols in their intestines as a byproduct of leeching off of you as a host.

These toxins smell quite bad and besides a fishy or unpleasant older coming from the vagina area, many people suffering this will also have bad breath.

Preventing Antibiotic Dependence

Acidopholus Yogurt
When you have B.V. (short for bacterial vaginosis) it is important to get on a regiment when you repl3nish the good bacteria in your gut and vagina as quickly as possible. This means taking yogurt supplements both internally  and orally.

If you are not being proactive  replenishing your intestinal bacteria after a dose of antibiotics, both with supplements and probiotic foods, you indirectly encouraging a recurrence of the infection. If you are not lactose intolerant it is highly recommended that you consume an acidophilus yogurt like Bio-K that even big grocery store chains like Sobey's and Loblaws sell now.

If you do not take lactobacteria in by consuming acidopholus yogurt or taking the friendly bacteria in pill form, then candida and other yeast infections can spread like wildfire through your system. Furthermore antibiotics have the long term effect of suppressing the immune system and making things worse.  The very drug you're taking to combat disease is impairing your only natural defense against it, both immediately and in the future.

This type of issue is a growing problem. People are pouring tons of antibiotics into their systems, often with no benefit except to the  big pharmaceuticals that make antibiotics.

For more information about how to treat B.V. 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 Centre 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.


Monday, August 11, 2014

Why High Protein Low Carb Diets Don’t Always Work

Many people who come to the Pinewood Natural Health Centre in Toronto to ask about a weight loss solution have actually lost weight through trying other diets. The only problem is that once they have lost the weight, they often gain it all back plus a few pounds moree  nThere are other options, including a largely successful low calorie diet accompanied by hCG (human chorionic gonadotropin)

The problem with High Protein Low Carbohydrate diets is that it is very hard on the urinary system and liver because it pushes your system into a state where it begins to eliminate ketones. These are acids that are produced when the body burns fat for energy.

Ketones  are also produced when the body is not producing insulin properly.  It is ketones that help you process sugar for your cells to use as energy. When is occurs, ketones form in the blood and if they are not excreted or if the body is overwhelmed by them you can get very sick, especially if you have been diagnosed with insulin resistance or diabetes.  A lot of people gaining weight in our society today are very insulin resistant which make a high protein low carb diet an unwise  choice for them.

How High Protein Low Carb Diets Became So Popular

This type of diet is not a new one. It was first developed in the sixties by Dr. Irwin Maxwell, M.D. in 1967. The idea of forcing the body into a state of ketosis by feeding it only protein  so that pounds became the basis for The Doctor’s Quick Weight Loss Diet, known more casually as the Stillman diet. The body would be tricked into releasing fat through the urine.

The Atkins diet, officially called the  Atkins Nutritional Approach is exactly the same thing. His book called Dr. Atkins’ Diet Revolution in 1972 was revamped as Dr. Atkins’ New Diet Revolution (2002).  The New Atkins for a New You (2010) is the most recent edition of the same diet.

Today the concept of losing fat by eating protein and no carbs is a big business and the basis of many supplement products and newer spinoff fad diets.

The Drawbacks of High Protein Low Carb Diets

These diets produce ketosis and this is just simply not the greatest state for the body to be in. It can cause fatigue, nausea and constipation, none of which fit into the definition of living a healthy and active lifestyle. Long term side effects are bone loss, heart problems and kidney damage.

To top it off, ketosis is not the greatest state for your body to be in. Ketosis is an abnormal body process that occurs during starvation due to lack of carbohydrate. Ketosis causes fatigue, constipation, nausea, and vomiting, none of which are part of a healthy lifestyle. Long-term side effects of include heart disease, bone loss, and kidney damage.

A nutritional analysis of the Atkins diet by the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine (http://www.pcrm.org/) concluded that this diet was much too high in saturated fat and cholesterol and too low in fiber to be healthy.  This is because there is a lot of cholesterol in all of the meat and butter approved of in the diet. Eating so much animal product also stresses out the liver, intestines and kidneys.

 It is also a very acidic diet that was analyzed as being deficient in   seven key vitamins and minerals including calcium, iron, vitamin C, vitamin A, folate, vitamin B12, and thiamine.  Alkaline diets are more healthy for you.

As to be expected they also found that this diet that is very heavy on butter and meat was very high in cholesterol and saturated fat and very low in fiber.  In fact if you stick religiously to an Atkins diet you are likely to only have two to seven grams of fiber a day when at least 35 grams is what is recommended.
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The problem is that eating this much meat it means including more toxic, artery clogging fat in your body.  The excess protein also stresses every organ in your body including the kidneys, intestines and liver. 

The Not So Great Results

The typical Atkins dieter loses a great deal of weight but only for a short while. The spin-off diets, like the South Beach diet are just as bad and include liberal use of toxic sugar substitutes like Splenda that also make the blood very acidic.

 It also does not help that the low level of carbs ingested while they do these diets makes people feel tired so they do not feel like exercising.

If you want to lose weight there are healthier options at your disposal. This includes hCG plus injections.

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 Centre 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.