An Ayurvedic Approach to Detox - Part 2

by Dr. Leena Athparia, ND

In part 1 of 'An Ayurvedic Approach to Detox', we explored the routes of toxin elimination, the concept of agni and ama and the three types of Ayurvedic detoxification. In part 2, we will explore the deeper aspects of Ayurvedic detoxification known as panchakarma.

To Detox or Not?

Everyone has heard about detoxification and most people are keen to do it. We all want to get rid of waste in the body, right? Before you jump into a cleanse, you need to ask yourself a few questions to ensure that it is appropriate for you.

• Are you able to take time off - from work or activities? You need to focus your energy on internal healing. Overtaxing yourself will distract you from the real detoxing activities.
• Is your body strong enough? Cleansing means hard work for your body and when toxins move, it can temporarily increase the burden on your body. If you have chronic conditions, fatigue or chronic stress your body may be in survival mode which won't allow deep healing to happen.
• Do you have emotional support? Cleansing can make your more tired, irritable or overwhelmed as your body eliminates. Ensure you have support to keep you motivated and on track.

Ama - Toxic Load

If you are cleared for a detox, based on the amount of toxic burden in your body, a cleansing program can be outlined by your Ayurvedic practitioner. There are many questionnaires that can help you assess such as the Ama Detox Questionnaire.

When the vata, pitta and kapha go out of balance in your system, and your digestive fire is dampened, toxic waste known in Ayurveda as ama, builds up in the GI tract. When it overflows, it enters the bloodstream, clogs the channels and deposits in the joints, muscles, organs and settles deeper in the tissues etc. It can manifest as symptoms of brain fog, fatigue, body odour, constipation, lack of clarity or mood imbalances. An easy way to check if you have high levels of ama in your body is by checking your tongue when you wake up for a thick white/grey/yellow coating. If you have this coating, it indicates that there are toxins in your digestive tract. This is common in people with candida infections, chronic antibiotic use or diabetes.

Once ama accumulation becomes chronic, a more thorough detox is needed to dislodge toxins from the tissues and move them out through the channels of elimination (bowels, skin, kidneys, etc.). This is the basis of panchakarma or Ayurvedic detox, a thorough Ayurvedic detox program.

What is Panchakarma?

Traditional panchakarma treatment is an intensive detox which generally lasts 3 weeks in a residential setting where you experience a variety of treatments such as abhyanga, herbal regimens tailored to your body type, and specific diet or fasting under supervision of Ayurvedic doctors. In this process, doshas are provoked to expel toxins which can initially amplify symptoms before they subside. For example if you have sinus congestion, you may temporarily experience increased mucus, or if you have digestive issues, you may experience diarrhea. This is your body's way of speeding up elimination of toxins but must be done under supervision to ensure your body is working in the right direction.

Traditional panchakarma requires specific facilities in a residential setting, very strict diet and lifestyle guidelines and commitment to travel to a centre in India or abroad for several weeks. You are in full-time treatment with a specific routine of waking up and sleeping, timed medicine throughout the day, customized plant-based meals, bodywork therapies and supervision with Ayurvedic doctors to tailor your program each day. There is often a preparation phase a few weeks before and a long term plan for several months after panchakarma. While this is very therapeutic to help reverse chronic diseases and remove deep seated toxins, it becomes challenging for most people in the modern lifestyle to commit to this kind of detox. (You can read more about my personal detox experience in an Ayurvedic centre in India here.)

Many of the systematic panchakarma therapies can be incorporated into simplified detox programs of 1 week or 1 month, tailored to your constitution and health concerns. These therapies include diet and herbs or supplements individualized to your condition and constitution by your Ayurvedic practitioner, along with Ayurvedic therapies such as:

• Gharshana: exfoliating cleansing massage
• Abhyanga: therapeutic oil massage
• Swedana: steam bath or sauna treatment to expel toxins
• Nasya: nasal oil application and face massage
• Basti: medicinal cleansing enemas
• Fasting or mono diet

These treatments are most effective when several therapies are done in close succession (once a day for 3, 5, 7 days or once a week during detox) along with a specific diet and an environment at home to support healing. These treatments are offered in the clinic or as self-care therapies under guidance by your Ayurvedic practitioner. Spring and fall are generally the best seasons for panchakarma. If you are interested in an Ayurvedic detox, speak to Dr. Leena Athparia, ND on what treatment plans can be customized for you with panchakarma therapies.


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.

Breathe Better with Self Care Techniques

By Dr. Leena Athparia, ND

How often do you tune into your own breathing? Have you noticed that your breathing changes depending on what you are doing and how you are feeling - happy, angry, excited? Are you breathing more through your right or left nostril? Shallow or deep?

Breathing involves more than just providing oxygen to the lungs; it provides qi or prana (life force) to your entire system and is a bridge between the body, mind and consciousness. From the moment you are born, until your last breath, breathing is an automatic activity that goes on continuously whether you are aware of it or not. The more you can bring it into your awareness, the more you can pick up on cues that your body is telling you. For example, if your nose is always stuffy after meals, it could indicate that you have sensitivities to certain foods or that digestion is sluggish. If your breathing is often shallow and rapid, this could be a reflection of tension in your body and mind.

The quality of your breathing determines your quality of life. Here are some self-care techniques that you can incorporate into your daily routine to help you breathe better. These can be adjusted based on your state of health, climate and current concerns.

Self Care Tips for Breathing

Neti Pot

Neti, which means "nasal cleansing", is an Ayurvedic technique that dates back to ancient India and was used by yogis to improve breathing. This is a daily cleansing routine that involves gently irrigating the nose and sinuses with warm saline water to help flush out excess mucous, dust particles and waste from the sinuses. It can reduce congestion, prevent colds, reduce dryness and open up your breathing. Neti practice can be done in the morning, daily or weekly and can be customized with antimicrobial herbs, homeopathics and even probiotics to help restore balance in the sinuses. If the neti pot intimidates you, or if have never tried neti pot, your ND can show you how to do it safely and effectively.

Nebulizer

For individuals who suffer from lung concerns such as chronic cough, sinusitis, COPD, mucous in the chest and asthma, the nebulizer is a tool to help deliver medicine directly to the lungs through inhalation. Glutathione is used in the nebulizer and is considered the best antioxidant to quench free radicals, increase immune function and decrease mucous in the respiratory tract. Glutathione is absorbed best through nebulized form or IV. Homeopathic remedies can be added to the nebulizer to relieve specific symptoms. This is a treatment that is done in clinic initially under supervision by your naturopathic doctor, and can then be done at home. It is painless, easy to administer and can be done even for children to open up the respiratory tract.

Steam Inhalation

One of the most popular DIY treatments for colds and coughs is steam inhalations. To do a steam inhalation, boil water, place into a bowl and sit with a towel over your head and inhale the steam through the nostrils for 5+ minutes. Warm steam helps relax breathing muscles, opens the bronchioles, lubricates the mucous membranes and loosens phlegm. Adding additional essential oils, such as eucalyptus, camphor or pine, can enhance the therapeutic effect. A short cut version can be done in the shower by applying a few drops of diluted essential oil into the tub and inhaling the steam in the shower in the morning. Essential oils can be customized based on your concerns. Oils with antimicrobial properties, such as tea tree, are good for fighting infections, and oils, such as camphor and eucalyptus, help open up breathing. In the clinic there are a variety of specific blends that can be used for infections, sinus issues and other respiratory issues. An add-on to the steam inhalation is the Ayurvedic nasya treatment which involves applying warm oil to the nasal passage and is often preceded or followed by steam inhalation to enhance the effect. Read more about nasya here.

Pranayam 

Exercises to help breathing are not a new concept. In the eastern traditions of yoga, Ayurveda and martial arts, specific techniques were refined over thousands of years to harmonize prana or qi and direct life energy to specific areas. This mastery over the breath is called pranayam. Alternate nostril breathing is one of these techniques which has become popularized and has been studied to reduce anxiety, promote mental clarity and much more. Increased energy, clarity, balanced breathing are some of the benefits. Pranayam can be practised by anyone, including children. If you can incorporate a minimum of 5 minutes in your daily routine to dedicate to bringing awareness to your breathing, the quality of your health will reflect the investment in your health. You can learn pranayam through many yoga or meditations instructors, or learn on your own with videos such as this one: Nadi Shuddhi

By paying more attention to your breathing and incorporating these tips, you can experience better breathing. If you have questions on your breathing, your ND can do an assessment and customize treatments and self-care techniques that you can do at home. Self care is the basis of a healthy lifestyle and the investment in wellness.


Dr. Leena Athparia is a naturopathic doctor & Ayurvedic practitioner at Naturopathic Foundations with a focus in 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.

An Ayurvedic Approach to Detox - Part 1

by Dr. Leena Athparia, ND

If we were to oversimplify what health is, there are essentially two aspects you need to address: your building blocks and nutrients and your ability to eliminate.

According to Ayurveda, just like in naturopathic medicine, eliminating toxins is a foundation to building good health. There are many routes of elimination known as emunctories through which toxins flow out of the body. This process is also known as 'drainage'. In Ayurveda there is an extensive understanding of how things move through the body.  Waste material or malas are eliminated through the srotas or channels.

The major routes of elimination are:

• bowels
• urination
• sweating
• breathing
• menses
• voice
• movement

When toxins build up and the routes of elimination are clogged, disease starts to manifest. Exposure to toxins can come from food, environment, body products, hormones, internal metabolites and stress. When your system is healthy, your body is able to detoxify efficiently. Read more about factors that affect an individual's ability to eliminate toxins here. Many supplements support detoxification but unfortunately often only recirculate toxins within the body. You need to work with your naturopathic doctor to ensure that toxins are released through the routes of elimination. For example a heavy metal detox supplement that you pick up in the health food store may help remove heavy metals in certain organs but unless there is something that binds it and pulls it out of the body,  it may only deposit in a different area of the body.

Ayurvedic Detox or Shodhana 

There are essentially 3 categories of Ayurvedic treatments:

• Rasayana: Rejuvenation and wellness maintenance. This is done to prevent disease and slow down the aging process.
• Samana: Dosha balancing treatments. This is done when disease is mild to moderate and focuses on pacifying vata, pitta and kapha.
• Shodhana: Cleansing therapies. This approach is done to drive disease out of the body by 'provoking the doshas'. (An example would be naysa therapy to provoke Kapha out of the sinuses. If you have done this treatment, initially you may feel more congested because Kapha dosha is being provoked, but once congestion clears up, you feel light.)

Many detox treatments in naturopathic medicine and Ayurveda are designed to 'shake up' and expel waste from the body and mind. Shodhana is the basis of panchakarma or 5 -fold detox in Ayurvedic medicine where imbalances are methodically stirred up and driven out of the body. When the body responds it is not always in ways that are always comfortable or pleasant. This is always done under supervision with customized treatments since everyone has a different pattern of imbalance. A typical example in the naturopathic setting might be loose stools or vomiting during a cleanse, or experiencing skin reactions. So before you panic next time you start a new treatment plan, check with your naturopathic doctor with what to watch for. If you block a natural route of elimination - let's say you pop an anti-vomiting pill or an anti-diarrhea pill - you may be hampering what the body is trying to eliminate. So understanding the routes of elimination can help you appreciate how the body is working for you instead of against you.

Depending how imbalanced you are, detox reactions may be absent, mild or stronger. Your ability to process and expel toxins is related to another concept that is prevalent in Ayurvedic medicine: agni & ama.

The Interplay of Agni & Ama

Another key concept in Ayurveda is agni which literally means 'fire' in Sanskrit. Agni is essentially your digestive fire or your ability to break down and transform nutrients while burning off waste products. While digestion is important to provide nutrients that the body can use, elimination of waste is equally as important to stay healthy. For example, if you are eating very healthy meals 3 times a day, but only have one bowel movement, no matter how good your food is, it can become toxic while it ferments in your gut. According to Ayurveda, waste material that your body can neither break down and use nor excrete is called ama or toxins. When your body accumulates ama, it becomes a breeding ground for disease such as cancer, obesity, heart attacks etc. When ama builds up, it can clog the channels in the body where nutrients aren't able to get absorbed properly and waste is unable to move out efficiently. A common example of ama translated into western medicine would be Candida or yeast infections, where the body becomes a breeding ground for yeast due to stress, sugar intake and other factors.

Agni not only applies to the principle of processing food, but also applies to how you process experiences, memories, emotions and sensory impressions. As we need to digest our food, we also need to 'digest' our daily experiences.

Signs of elevated ama or toxic waste:

• Thick coating on your tongue
• Excessive body odour
• Poor digestion or constipation
• Lack of appetite
• Frequent colds
• Brain "fog"
• Fatigue and lethargy
• Heaviness or congestion
• Lack of clarity and confidence

Accumulation of ama leads to imbalance and diseases, so it is crucial to cleanse ama on all levels. This can be done by unblocking the pathways of elimination while increasing agni. Many people who are new to Ayurveda and take dosha quizzes will find many tips to help balance their dosha (vata, pitta, kapha). While many of these suggestions are effective, dosha balancing can only work well if agni is balanced, so it is crucial that agni is addressed.

Ama in the first stage, tends to accumulate in the digestive tract. When it's identified at this point, it is easier to treat with diet, spices, herbs and lifestyle practices. Once it moves in the body and settles deeper into the tissues, more thorough cleansing is required. The main goal in any detox program is opening the routes of elimination and stirring up toxins so that they can be driven out of the body. We will explore Panchakarma in Part 2 next month.

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.

Is Change Causing your Anxiety?

Is Change Causing Your Anxiety?

by Dr. Leena Athparia, ND

Fall is a season of transition - from warm summer months of outdoor activity to the cold winter season of indoor activities. Change not only happens with the seasons, but is a continuous process with life situations, relationships and work. Take a moment and reflect on what is stable currently in your life right now...and what is changing. How does change feel? Do you cope well with change or does it make you feel unsteady? Do you feel afraid? Are you holding on or letting go?

For some people, change results in anxiety.  Often, feelings of worry and anxiety are reactions to thoughts of the future or fear of the unknown. You may experience instability, fear and a general sense of "holding on" as you step out of your comfort zone and face the unknown. Anxiety is a natural response to danger - or perceived threat. Your system is trying to protect you with the fight or flight response even though there may not be any actual danger.

It may be a change of season, change in career, change of life stage (ie. puberty, menopause) - whatever change you are going through can lead to anxiety characterized by signs such as running thoughts, chronic worry, elevated heart rate, shallow breathing, sweating, short temper and many other signs. While temporary anxiety is a normal reaction, when it impacts daily activities or continues for extended periods of time, it can be disruptive and reduce quality of life. Chronic anxiety can even lead to other conditions such as depression, irritable bowel syndrome, substance abuse and other conditions.

What are the symptoms of anxiety?

Anxiety can affect anyone at anytime and can be acute or chronic. The most common symptoms relate to:

• heart palpitations
• pain in the chest or tightness
• sighing or hyperventilation
• muscle tension - causing spasms, headaches or pain
• excessive sweating
• dizziness
• difficulty concentrating
• sleep disturbances

What causes anxiety?

Anxiety is often a complex issue with more than one factor. Sometimes you may be able to identify the cause, especially when it is related to a specific event, but for many with chronic anxiety, routine daily activities can provoke constant worry. Lifestyle factors and nutrition are a commons causes of nervous system imbalances. In addition, if you are on new medications, speak with your doctor since some pharmaceuticals such as stimulants, thyroid medication and analgesics can have side effects leading to anxiety. Many times, zooming the lens to re-examine your fears can help bring them to the surface so you can start working at the tip of the iceberg.

Ways to treat anxiety:

Naturopathic doctors treat the person, not just the condition, to restore balance. Your age, your health issues, prescriptions medications and symptoms are taken into account when creating a tailored health plan. Below are a few ways to help ease anxiety:

1. Address Lifestyle Factors
First identify any stimulants that may be in your diet or environment and eliminate them. Caffeine in the form of coffee or chocolate stimulates the nervous system and if you are prone to anxiety, cutting caffeine out is a first step. Drugs, alcohol, and even sugar can also contribute to anxiety. Other stimulants in your environment such as loud noise, cell phones, TVs put your body in fight-or-flight more. Reducing stimulants, in addition to adequate sleep, exercise, yoga, meditation and 'down time' support nervous system balance and allows your body to relax. It is also helpful to identify factors in your life which have changed, such as jobs: relationships, homes, routine, outlook on life etc. Write these down in chronological order for the past month or year(s). This can help narrow down some factors contributing to feeling unsettled. When you identify factors, you may notice the anxiety softening by simply bringing it to your attention.

2. Get Grounded through Bodywork
According to Ayurveda, anxiety is predominantly an imbalance of vata dosha, characterized by increased air & space elements and not enough earth element. During times of change, you may feel unsteady or like the ground below you is shifting as you try to hold your footing through life situations. Treating anxiety starts by supporting you to feel more grounded. There are many ways to do this. Grounding foods such as root vegetables, warm liquids, healthy fats and protein nourish and stabilize the body. Sitting, squatting or keeping your feet on the ground help you connect with the earth. Bodywork such as massage, cupping or acupuncture is very effective for treating anxiety by connecting you with your body. Ayurvedic oil massage or abhyanga is an excellent therapy for anxiety since it helps ground you and promotes deep relaxation.

3. Support Nutritional Factors
Common causes of anxiety on a physiological level are through nutrient deficiencies and food intolerances.  Food sensitivities and allergies can also stimulate adrenaline and make you feel anxious. Speak to your naturopathic doctor if testing for food sensitivities is beneficial for you. Many vitamins, minerals and amino acids are lacking in our food and lead to deficiencies. When the nervous system is lacking nutrients, it cannot perform its functions properly. Speak to your ND if supplements such as B vitamins, magnesium, glycine, inositol would suit your symptoms and constitution. There are numerous herbs that promote relaxation such as skullcap, lavender and lemon balm. How much to take, when and how can be tailored to your specific concerns.  

4. Seek Counselling

Managing anxiety on your own can make you feel like you are going in circles. Speaking about it with someone can help give you a different perspective and allow 'rambling thoughts' to find verbal expression. Sometimes speaking with friends and family can be supportive, but can also be a source of worry and fear of judgement. Consider working with a counsellor or psychotherapist to help identify triggers, especially if there is history of trauma or if you are having difficulty going through a life transition. Addressing the mental-emotional causes of anxiety along with supporting the nervous system with nutrients and bodywork can support you in a wholistic way if you are struggling with anxiety.

While temporary anxiety is a normal response and can be managed with self-care techniques, if anxiety is a chronic concern for you or if you find that it is affecting your daily activities, speak with your naturopathic doctor. There are many ways to assess causes of anxiety and develop a treatment plan that is customized using nutrition, supplements, botanical medicine, counselling, acupuncture, homeopathy and other therapies to bring balance to your system. As we wrap up this year, it is a good time to identify your challenges and stressors, and work through old patterns to make room for new growth. Take some time this fall to reflect on ways to stabilize yourself and open up to positive change. For many people, this can be challenging to do fully on your own, so work with your practitioner who can support you through times of change.


Dr. Leena Athparia is a naturopathic doctor & Ayurvedic practitioner at Naturopathic Foundations with a focus in 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.

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.