Tuesday, June 27, 2017

6 Ways To Improve Your Liver’s Function For Better Living

6 Ways to improve your liver function | Annex Naturopathic Clinic | Toronto Naturopathic Doctor

Naturopathic doctors recognize that one of the most important organs of the body, but likely least known by their patients for its function, is the super organ - the LIVER.

The liver has so many functions, many of which are not obvious to us physically, unlike other major organs (lung= breathing, or stomach = feeling full/hungry).

When one thinks of the liver, one should think of the term DETOXIFICATION.

What Does The Liver Do?

The liver is a super organ that pretty much cleans out our entire body. The liver is the largest reservoir (storing blood and iron) and filtering system for blood, ridding the blood of impurities, before it is pumped back in to the bloodstream.

It is a major secretory organ, producing and releasing bile, which is necessary for proper digestion and absorption of fat-soluble nutrients, as well as the excretion of waste products. As a metabolic organ, the liver metabolizes and stores our everyday basic macronutrients such as carbohydrates, fats, and proteins.

The liver also activates/deactivates medication, hormones (such as estrogen), and toxic environmental chemicals (such as pesticides, BPA, food additives), through three stages of detoxification.

The liver is essential for the production of antioxidants, molecules that protect the body from oxidative damage from the toxins listed above.

Many health conditions, such as mood disorders, cardiovascular disease, hormonal disorders, cancer, and inflammatory disorders are started by oxidation, highlighting the importance of liver function to our long term health.

How Does An Unhealthy Liver Impact Me?

There are a number of daily habits that can slow down liver function.  The consumption of large amount of saturated and trans fats, excessive caffeine, sugar, and alcohol use, and foods high in preservatives can overwork the liver, draining the liver of its resources to function.

Also, these types of toxins do not provide anything useful to regenerate and rejuvenate the liver. Our daily exposure to environmental pollutants will do the same thing.  Once the liver function is compromised, many people can experience a number of symptoms such as fatigue, skin eruptions, poor digestion, and headaches.

For example, a congested/sluggish liver can also be related to digestive problems due to the poor production and secretion of bile necessary for digestion and breaking down fat soluble substances; after many years of sluggish bile, that stagnant bile can form in to stones.

The skin is also an organ of elimination and when the liver is unable to process toxins, and metabolic by-products, they will find other routes to be excreted, such as through the skin, manifesting as conditions like eczema and acne.

Poor liver function can also increase cholesterol levels, as regulatory mechanisms to stop endogenous production become compromised.

What Can I Do To Improve My Liver’s Function?

As our exposure to toxic environmental chemicals increases, we will be relying on the strength and health of our liver to keep us healthy and energetic.  Micronutrients (vitamins and minerals) we get through our diet are ESSENTIAL for our livers to function optimally.

If we continue to feed our bodies foods that do not possess any use for our bodies other than quick sugars and sustenance, and turn away foods that offer a melange of vitamins, minerals, our livers will not be able to keep up with toxic burden and our health will decline.

Improve Your Liver Function With Diet | Annex Naturopathic Clinic | Toronto Naturopathic Doctor

Along with a healthy, vegetable-rich diet, here are 6 ways to make sure you liver is functioning at its best.

  1. Lemon water

    It enhances liver enzyme function, encourages bile production, and is a good source of the antioxidant, vitamin C. Antioxidants protect oxidative damage of the liver by the very toxins the liver is required to process.

  2. B vitamins

    They serve as cofactors for enzymatic/metabolic processes in the liver, allowing the liver to function optimally. Food high in B vitamins include whole grains, legumes and of course veggies.

  3. Dark Leafy Greens

    Kale, dandelion greens, rapini, collard greens, swisschard, broccoli, are the superfoods for the liver. These vegetables exhibit a number properties that make them essential for optimal liver function.

    They tend to be bitter, a taste that stimulates the secretion of gastric/digestive juices. The general rule of thumb is the more BITTER the veggie is, the BETTER for your liver.

    They are rich in folate, vitamin C, vitamin K, magnesium, calcium and potassium, micronutrients important for liver function.  Lastly, leafy greens contain a rich amount of fibre, which takes some of the toxic burden off the liver’s back.

  4. Castor oil packs

    Applying castor oil over the liver with heat (instructions here) allows the oil to be absorbed through skin, and positively stimulates the liver function.

    It also enhances immune function, and promotes lymphatic drainage, both important in detoxification.

  5. Herbal medicine

    Sometimes, the toxic burden on the liver may be larger than what you can handle from just a healthy diet.  That’s when herbs come in to play.

    Hepatic herbs such as Milk Thistle, Dandelion root, Artichoke, Schisandra, Chelidonium, and Goldenseal, all have properties to protect the liver from environmental damage, repair damaged liver cells, as well as optimize liver function by directly enhancing metabolic processes of Phase I and II detoxification.

    It is important to consult with your healthcare practitioner before using these herbs.

  6. Eat and Be Clean

    At the very least, makes sure to check out the Dirty Dozen, a list of vegetables and fruits recommended to be consumed organic due to the heavy pesticide use in their non-organic farming practices.

    Also, make an attempt to eat hormone and antibiotic-free meats, and reduce your saturated and trans-fat intake by cutting out deep fried and processed foods.

    Try to avoid plastic use, heavy-chemical household cleaners and body products - there are a number of natural, organic and plant-based cleansers on the market these days that a fantastic job.

    This will reduced the daily toxic burdens on your liver, reserving it’s energy for chemical compounds you can’t avoid.

You can encourage optimal liver function by adding these few things in to your daily life.

It’s most important that we consume clean, low-processed, fresh, vegetable-rich diets in order to keep our health in this increasingly toxic world.

The key to health is maintaining optimal liver function as liver function affects every other organ in the body.

If you want to know more about how to clean up your daily lifestyle, and to optimize your liver function, book an appointment with one of our naturopaths and we can guide your way to a longer, healthier and energetic life.

Yours in Health,

Dr. Tanya Lee, N.D
Annex Naturopathic Clinic
572 Bloor St W #201, Toronto, ON M6G 1K1
-https://goo.gl/maps/uVRBvcyoUa62


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Tuesday, June 20, 2017

Get your Vitamin D this Summer to Keep Colds and Flus Away in the Fall and Winter

Get Your Vitamin D | Annex-Naturopathic-Clinic-Toronto-Naturopathic-Doctor-in-the-Annex-June03-01

With summer finally here, you have the next 3 months to stock up on the important essential Sunshine vitamin, otherwise known as Vitamin D.

What Is Vitamin D?

Vitamin D is actually not a vitamin but is a hormone with beneficial effects on the immune system. It is widely known that we are able to synthesize Vitamin D on our own with the help of the wonderful summer sun, but in the dreary fall and winter months, achieving optimal levels of this “miracle” vitamin is difficult for us living in the Northern Hemisphere.

Vitamin D is commonly known to aid in the absorption of calcium, which leads to optimal bone health and function, but new research demonstrates that this hormone does much more.

Along with calcium regulation, Vitamin D is also a powerful immune and hormone modulator, which makes it useful in treating conditions such as hypertension, cancer, depression (especially seasonal), and prevention of the common cold and flu.

It has been demonstrated that those with low vitamin D levels have a greater risk of catching cold and flu bugs, and with limited amounts of sun exposure during the dark winter months, your levels of D will significantly drop.

Vitamin D helps your body fight off these infections by reinforcing the protective surface barriers of the skin, lungs, and the gastrointestinal tract, preventing unwanted microbes from entering the body through these routes.

This is especially important in those who are most susceptible to infection, such as people with weak lungs, (asthmatics, smokers, etc..) and those with general immune dysfunction, usually stemming from poor diet and lifestyle habits.

Vitamin D also modulates the immune system by activating T-cells, cells which help recognize and promote the destruction of microbes, while decreasing inflammation caused by an over-active immune system.

How Much Vitamin D Should You Take?

So what are adequate amounts of Vitamin D? According to Health Canada, recommended adequate intakes of Vitamin D is set at 200 IU daily (400 – 600 IU for those >50 years of age).

However, recent research has found that 200 IU/day (even up to 800 IU) is ineffective in achieving adequate levels of vitamin D in the bloodstream. Therefore higher dosages of vitamin D (at least 1000 IU) should be recommended by health care professionals to obtain adequate levels in the blood stream.

While sunlight is one of the best ways of achieving optimal vitamin D levels so stock up this summer as optimal levels are difficult to achieve in the winter months, or if you’re stuck in the office all day.

All you need is 10 minutes in the mid-day sun in shorts in a T-shirt (without sunscreen) to get a mighty dose of vitamin D (10 000IU), but make sure to limit your time in the sun without sunblock to prevent skin damage.

For darker skinned individuals, it’s more difficult to produce vitamin D through sun exposure alone, therefore vitamin D should be obtained through diet, longer sun exposure (but not too long to avoid skin damage, likely around 15-20 minutes maximum) and/or though supplementation.

Get Your Vitamin D | Annex-Naturopathic-Clinic-Toronto-Naturopathic-Doctor-in-the-Annex-June03-01

Other Sources Of Vitamin D

For the month with low sun exposure, there are various sources of vitamin D you can obtain through diet, such as though fish, eggs and fortified dairy and soy products.

However, it is recommended to also use high quality vitamin D supplement in conjunction with diet, as diet alone may not reach the optimal dosage and/or some of the fortified foods (dairy and soy) may not agree with your digestive system.

This summer, make sure to spend some much-needed time in the sun to optimize your vitamin D levels for the fall and winter season, when sunlight is sparse and darkness prevails.  This will keep your immune system strong and protect your body from cold and flus.

Talk to a naturopathic doctor if you’re curious about how to supplement vitamin D in the winter.  Vitamin D testing is done in October in order to see what your status is going in to the low-light seasons, and a proper dose of vitamin D supplementation can be recommended based on your serum levels to maintain what you obtained in the summer

If you’re curious to learn more about this subject or would like to consult with one of our NDs feel free to
book a visit or contact us.

Yours in Health

Dr. Tanya Lee, N.D
Annex Naturopathic Clinic
572 Bloor St W #201, Toronto, ON M6G 1K1
-https://goo.gl/maps/uVRBvcyoUa62


References:

  1. Health Canada [homepage on the Internet]: [updated 2006 June 29; cited 2010 Feb 2]. Available from: http://www.hc-sc.gc.ca/fn-an/nutrition/vitamin/vita-d-eng.php
  2. Rucker D, Allan JA, Fick GH, Hanley DA:Vitamin D insufficiency in a population of healthy western Canadians. CMAJ. 166(12): 1517–1524, 2002
  3. Heaney RP, Davies KM, Chen TC, Holick MF, Barger-Lux MJ: Human serum 25-hydroxycholecalciferol response to extended oral dosing with cholecalciferol. Am. J. Clin. Nutr. 77: 204-210, 2003
  4. Schwalfenberg GK. A review of the critical role of vitamin D in the functioning of the immune system and the clinical implications of vitamin D deficiency. Mol Nutr Food Res. 2010 Sep 7. [Epub ahead of print]
  5. Harris SS Vitamin D and African Americans.J Nutr. 2006 Apr;136(4):1126-9.

 

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Tuesday, June 6, 2017

The Negative Effects of High Cortisol Levels

Annex-Naturopathic-Clinic-Toronto-Naturopathic-Doctor-in-the-Annex-June01-01

Cortisol is a commonly known hormone produced in the adrenal gland that sits on top of the kidney. Cortisol follows a daily pattern in which it rises rather rapidly in the first 10-30 minute after waking, increasing energy, then gradually decreases throughout the day so that it is low at night for sleep.

The cycle restarts the following morning.

In addition to being a factor in establishing diurnal rhythm, the production of cortisol is increased when the “fight or flight” response is triggered. This response is triggered in stressful situations.

What does cortisol do?

Cortisol effects metabolism by increasing blood sugar from the body’s stores. It also influences the immune system by preventing the release of substances in the body that cause inflammation.

When individuals are under chronic stress, cortisol can become persistently elevated and lead to symptoms including:

Anxiety, depression, irritability.

  • Elevated cortisol influences enzymes and receptors for neurotransmitters which have effects on mood and emotion.

Carbohydrate, fat and/or salt cravings.

  • Cortisol is one of the hormones that raises blood pressure, it modulates brain regions that stimulate hunger for sodium and energy rich food. High sugar and high fat foods quiet the stress response because they trigger a dopamine release as a way to self-soothe by making us feel temporarily better.

High blood sugar and insulin resistance.

  • Cortisol raises blood sugar by signalling the production of blood sugar by the liver while at the same time opposing the action of insulin. This means that although there is high blood sugar, the body isn’t able to use it.

Weight gain, especially in the abdominal region.

  • Cortisol opposes the actions of leptin, the hormone that tells us we are full after eating. At the same time, excess in blood sugaris converted to fat.

High blood pressure.

  • Cortisol triggers increased ingestion and retention of salt.

Annex-Naturopathic-Clinic-Toronto-Naturopathic-Doctor-in-the-Annex-June01-02

Insomnia and sleep disturbances

  • Cortisol can become dysregulated, rising in the evening (“10pm second wind” and difficulty falling asleep) and failing to spike in the morning (struggle getting up in the morning).

Hormonal imbalances and infertility.

  • Cortisol can inhibit the production of ovarian estrogen and progesterone. It can also decrease the frequency of ovulation.

Irritable bowel syndrome

  • Cortisol can cause decreased intestinal blood flow and altered movement of the gastrointestinal tract which leads to changes in the gut microflora.

If you suffer from any of the above symptoms and have a moderate degree of stress in your life- your cortisol levels may be a contributing factor.

Along with thorough intake, the naturopathic doctors at Annex Naturopathic Clinic use a specialized diagnostic test called an adrenal hormone profile to objectively assess cortisol production and metabolism.

Furthermore, NDs can help restore balance through lifestyle recommendations, herbal medicine and targeted nutritional supplementation.

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