Is Google your Doctor?

by Dr. Leena Athparia, ND

How often have you looked up your condition or googled your symptoms? You most likely have. In the process, you may have found that your symptoms could indicate a health risk and you have concerns spinning through your head.

In all of history, we have never had so much access to information, and today, we can access almost anything through the internet. Most people are using the internet as a tool to find out health information to understand their conditions or search for treatment options.

Information at your fingertips can be a powerful tool but only when applied properly. When it comes to health, there is a plethora of information available; some of it valuable and some of it unhelpful. So we need to distinguish what can be applied to us, and what is not relevant. This is what conscious healthcare is about, understanding what is relevant for your unique constitution rather that judging things as good or bad. For example, coffee may be "bad" for you because of its stimulating properties that make the nervous system hyperactive, yet there are many studies out there that show that caffeine can have beneficial effects on cognitive decline such as dementia. So is coffee good or bad? It  depends on your body, lifestyle, age, state of health and many more determinants of your health.
So how do you know what you should do? How can you distinguish the valuable from the useless?

The quality of information on the internet varies significantly since anyone can post anything and it can be challenging to distinguish medical information from personal opinions or sensationalized info or marketing that is trying to sell you a miracle pill or guaranteed cure. It may look or sound good, but is it good for you? Each individual is unique so you should always check with your ND to check if that product is suitable for you.

Benefits

Let's look at some of the ways you can use the internet for health advice and navigate through websites. You can:

• Learn the basic facts such as what is soluble vs. insoluble fibre, which foods are highest in pesticides and best to eat organic or what developments are happening each week in pregnancy.
• Research about a health condition and prepare questions before your appointment.
• Understand symptoms that need immediate care and prompt you to seek treatment.
• Gain access to a community of people with similar conditions in forums, reducing the feeling of isolation.

Cautions

Reserve web searches for the basics, not for serious concerns, multiple health issues or if you are several medications or supplements. Here are some guidelines on what to avoid:

• Online treatments may not be relevant and are symptom focused. Naturopathic medicine identifies the cause of the illness and treats according to the root cause. Online articles are often focused on a specific symptom or condition, whereas individualized medicine looks at how all the parts of the puzzle fit together. 
• Credibility of articles can vary and sometimes it is not easy to distinguish between medical pages from blogs with personal opinions. The pages that show up at the top of a web search are not necessarily the most reliable. 
• Avoid websites that are recommending a certain product or program.  It is likely biased towards selling a product and may not be relevant for you.
• If you are on multiple medications or supplements
• Researching symptoms creates anxiety. The more you search, the more you might find out that it could be cancer or a virus or a severe condition. Before you work yourself up, it's good to have a doctor do an assessment.

The internet is a great tool for information, but it can never replace an assessment by a real doctor and their experience. Naturopathic doctors spend over 7 years of formalized training to diagnose and treat a variety of conditions and when to refer you for serious conditions. Your ND is not only providing you with medical knowledge but is providing you with clinical experience to make informed choices about your health care. They can also help guide you to trustworthy sites with current, evidence-based information. Together as a team, you can work together to make the best decisions for your well-being.

Dr. Leena Athparia is a Naturopathic doctor & Ayurvedic practitioner at Naturopathic Foundations with a focus on joint health, pain and chronic disease. If you are healthy and looking into preventing disease or learning more about your constitution, Dr. Athparia can help you. Please call the clinic at 905-940-2727 to book an appointment.

Are Smoothies Ayurvedic ?

by Dr. Leena Athparia, ND

The smoothie craze is nowhere near slowing down. They are quick to make, easy to eat on the go and you can throw just about anything in. But did you know that there are a few reasons why smoothies may not be good for you – at least according to Ayurveda? Here are a few reasons why and what you can do about it.

1. Smoothies are cold

If the ingredients are coming from the fridge or freezer or you are adding ice you are killing your digestive fire. Especially first thing in the morning, your body is warming up and the digestive system needs heat to break down your food. When you drink something cold, it takes a while for your stomach to warm up again – essentially you are slowing down your digestion. Especially if you have low appetite or excess weight, you want to avoid slowing down your metabolism.

Solution: take out the ingredients the night before so everything is room temperature when you blend it, or if there are ingredients that are not as stable overnight, take them out first thing in the morning. Once you do this for a while, if you go back to a cold smoothie, you will likely feel the difference!

2. Too much sugar

Most people like smoothies because they taste good. Especially the ones loaded with banana, dates and fruits, in juice. The problem is you can be getting way too many grams of sugar in one smoothie (even if you are not adding any 'sugar') which will shoot up your blood sugar and put stress on your entire system. Even if you are not diabetic, dysglycemia, or imbalanced blood sugar is becoming a leading health concern and can make you more prone to diabetes and weight gain.

Solution: limit your fruits. Berries and apples are a better choice than banana, and ensure that you have some source of protein such as protein powder, walnuts, pumpkin seeds, tahini. Protein and healthy fats will help slow the release of sugar into your bloodstream.  Use water or alternative milks (almond, coconut) as a base instead of juice.

3. Kitchen sink phenomenon

It seems great because you can throw in everything that is supposedly good for you: greens, fish oil, proteins, antioxidants, turmeric etc.  In Ayurveda, food that is a medicine works differently depending on when you take it, what else with it and how you take it. A herb with water vs with honey will act differently in your system. So just because you have everything in the smoothie, doesn’t necessarily mean it’s going to be good for you.

Solution: Sometimes less is more. Try rotating ingredients in your smoothies and limit putting more than 5 different ingredients at a time. Work with your practitioner to see when is the best time to take your supplements.

4. Improper food combining

 According to Ayurveda certain foods shouldn’t be taken together because they digest differently. For example meat and melon are a bad combination – melon digests quickly and the sugars break down and ferment quickly leading to gas and meat takes longer to digest, so you are setting yourself up for a digestive disaster. If you are busy or don’t have a sensitive digestive system, you may not notice symptoms. In smoothies, a common combination to avoid is milk and fruits. 

Solution: stick to 1-2 types of fruits (avoid banana & orange juice) in a base of nut milk, plus a protein source and spices (cinnamon, ginger) for digestive strength.

5. Incompatable with your body type

 If you are familiar with your Ayurvedic body type, now’s the time to customize your smoothie! If you are a Vata type which is generally cold and has weak digestion, a cold smoothie will be a digestive nightmare. A Pitta type which has stronger digestion may get away with it. A Kapha type has slow metabolism to begin with and craves for sweeter foods but generally does better with lighter smoothies or green juices which are bitter and cleansing.

Solution:

Vata: room temperature smoothie with lots of ginger, cinnamon, clove or nutmeg. These are warming spices that can help your digestion. Since they have quick metabolisms, vatas can generally get away with more naturally sweet foods (like bananas or fruits in smoothies – but in moderation). In the winters, vatas should generally avoid smoothies altogether and go for warm liquidy foods such as oatmeal, soup or gangi (congee).

Pitta: tend to have a more heated up constitution so may often crave cold foods, but they should still stick with room temperature smoothies. Instead they can do cooling digestive spices like cardamom. They can do green powders (if they don’t get enough greens in their diet) and moderate fruit if they are active. Hydration is crucial for pittas, so a base of coconut water can be refreshing for them.

Kapha: to prevent weight gain which is common in this body type, Kaphas should avoid sweet smoothies. They do better with fresh green juices (celery, kale, spinach) or a smoothie without fruits. While nuts are good for protein, they tend to be heavy and fatty for kaphas, so use them sparingly. This body type does the worst on dairy so avoid milk or yogourt in smoothies for Kaphas. They need food that is light and fresh.

Still not convinced that you are able to give up your smoothie? There are ways you can make tasty and healthier combinations. Check out one of my colleague’s blog here for more recipes 

If you are still confused, work with your Ayurvedic practitioner to help give you customized ideas on what to it. There can be a lot of information out there and the only ‘right diet’ is the one that is customized to you!

Obstacles to Healing: Ayurvedic Do's & Don'ts

by Dr. Leena Athparia, ND

Health is a natural state of balance of harmony - anything that gets in the way of this is an obstacle to healing. You may be doing many things "right" to be healthy, but have you looked at what might be "in the way"? For example, maybe you prepared a delicious, well-balanced meal and suddenly, you get a call from a friend that is upset with you...and you have a tummy ache the rest of the day.

Obstacles to healing can be for example, emotions such as anger or jealousy or lifestyle habits such as eating inappropriate food for the time of day or season. Ayurveda has long recognized the importance of daily routines (dinacharya) and seasonal routines (ritucharya) to prevent disease. While some of these routines may have been considered as superstitious or old fashioned, there are many which have a scientific basis. You might be doing all the right things - eating organic, eating healthy, exercising, taking your supplements but, if certain lifestyle habits are out of alignment, it could be slowing you down. Let's look at a few of the lifestyle habits below and what to avoid:

Ayurvedic Don'ts

1. Ice Cold Smoothies

Smoothies seem like a convenient way to pack in fruits, veggies and proteins in one meal, but when they are loaded with ice or frozen berries it will put out your digestive fire. Digestion requires heat, provided by your metabolic activity and blood circulation to the stomach. Ayurveda considers the digestive fire (jatharagni) to be a driving force in breaking down food in your stomach so when you eat anything cold, digestion quickly slows down. If you are a vata or kapha type, it's like you already struggle from gas or bloating and cold will worsen it. In the morning, your digestive fire is just beginning to wake up. When you eat anything cold, it will take around an hour for it to return to normal temperature depending on your body type. It is best to have smoothies that are room temperature (thaw out berries the previous night or keep the ingredients out of the fridge before blending). Other suggestions include avoiding cold fruits in the morning for breakfast, ice water with meals, or ice cream after meals.

2. Eating While Distracted 

You digest best when you are relaxed. When you eating on the go, while walking, driving, or watching tv, your body is in sympathetic mode where the nervous system is activated. When you're distracted, you're less likely to pay attention to your chewing, notice signals from the body that you are full and enjoy the experience of the meal. Ayurveda suggests eating meals when relaxed, sitting down with minimal conversation to digest at your best. How often do you do this? The more you try this, the more likely you will feel satisfied from your meal.

3. Suppression of Natural Urges

How often to you stifle a sneeze, hold your bladder until it's bursting, hold back a yawn in public? Due to hectic schedules or social situations, you may find yourself holding back natural urges until a convenient time or until the urge is gone.  Natural urges like going to the bathroom, sneezing, yawning, crying, coughing, feeling hungry, thirsty or tired are natural signs from your body. Ayurveda has actually identified how suppressing specific urges can lead to imbalance and specific illnesses over time by disturbing the flow of doshas in the body and allowing toxins to accumulate (read more). In some cultures, belching after meals is considered a sign that you have eaten well and in other cultures, passing gas goes unnoticed in public. While it may seem unpleasant or socially inappropriate, it is important that you pay attention to what your body is telling you and allow a natural release when possible. Next time you feel like sneezing, try allowing it to happen and see how you feel.

4. Improper Food Timing

You might be eating the "right" food for your body type or health concern, but are your timings off? Your body is tuned to the natural cycles of the day. As the sun rises and reaches peak, so does your digestive strength. As the sun sets and night rolls in, metabolic activity slows down. Tuning your mealtimes according to your digestive strength allows the body to work at its best. When you eat when you are not hungry, or eat large meals at times when digestion is weak, or ignore hunger when you are busy, you are working against the natural forces of nature.

The recommendation is to eat a wholesome breakfast before you start your day, followed by a well balanced lunch between 11-1pm (largest meal at the peak of the day when digestion is at peak) a light afternoon snack, and an early dinner before sunset. For many people, breakfast and lunch are light and quick and they are starving by the evening and either end up eating a very heavy dinner, or snacking before dinner. If you consistently skip breakfast because you don't have time or are not hungry, this creates havoc with your stress hormones. Heavy and late dinners are difficult to digest and lead to bloating, sluggishness and weight gain. By simply adjusting the timings of your meal to optimize your digestion, you will notice that you feel lighter and healthier. Speak with your ayurvedic practitioner who can help guide you on an eating regime customized to you while supporting your digestion

5. Overstimulation of the Sense Organs

Your 5 sense organs are constantly receiving information from your surroundings through vision, hearing, taste, smell and touch. While the senses are crucial for survival, your body's resources are constantly processing this information. When the senses are overstimulated, you may experience sensory overload, and divert energy needed for healing the body. How do you do this? It means reduce screen time, computer games, tv, bright lights and anything which stimulates vision and consequently the the nervous system.

We live in an era where we constantly need to respond to sounds - such as cell phone beeps and calls which easily puts you into sympathetic mode where the body is unable to relax. Impressions through our senses are processed by the brain and leave an impression on the mind. When there is imbalance, this can lead to anxiety, ADHD, hyperactivity and general disturbance. In yoga and Ayurveda, there are several techniques to help you gain control over the 5 senses and currently, "float tanks" (which minimize noise, light and other stimuli) are becoming very popular due to their relaxation benefits.


When you can identify and remove obstacles in your diet and lifestyle, you are allowing the vital healing force of nature doing it's work. Living in disharmony with the environment, the people around us and within ourselves, is the first step of dis-ease. Work with your naturopathic doctor or Ayurvedic practitioner to help you identify obstacles to your health and find harmony in your daily routine.

Dr. Leena Athparia is a naturopathic doctor & Ayurvedic practitioner at Naturopathic Foundations with a focus in chronic disease. She applies Ayurvedic treatments to help you realign to your state of healthy balance. If you are healthy and looking into preventing disease or learning more about your constitution, Dr. Athparia can help you. Please call the clinic at 905-940-2727 to book an appointment.