Dr. Tannaz Mokhtari: Naturopathic Blog

In light of spring cleaning and reducing plastic usage in our household I have been searching for alternatives for food storage and water bottles. It is rather easy to find glass containers for food storage and stainless steel bottles for adults and children! However non plastic sippy bottles for toddlers are not as easy to find. I was using glass bottles and as he is practicing his pitch they break into thousands of pieces! Finally it fell into our laps on his first birthday! A blue good quality stainless steel bottle with a special sippy tip and the most important part a LID! My 13month old loves to drink his water from this special bottle and since I found this product now I give one to any of my friends with toddlers and they all love it.

This company also has other products for food and drink storage so if you are looking visit www.noplastic.ca

For information on Bisphenol A please visit: www.environmentaldefence.ca/toxicnation/action/bisphenolfaq.htm

I have been out of touch for a couple of weeks attending to my newborn! Finally found a few minutes to myself to write a blog.  Just before he was born I had the “nesting syndrome”, I just wanted everything cleaned and cleaned over, getting rid of the clutter in the house.  This time of the year many people feel the need to do “spring cleaning” or as I call it “detox” their home.  We are all becoming more conscious about and taking steps to improve the environment outside.  But what about the environment within the four walls of our own homes? With double-glazed windows and air-tight doors, the air we breathe day and night can become a toxic brew of chemicals, most of which the average person can’t even pronounce.  Using toxic cleaning agents, air fresheners, toiletries, and lots of other day to day products, we expose ourselves and particularly our children to this toxic stew! According to Dr. Lynn Marshall of the Environmental Health Clinic at Toronto’s Women’s College Hospital, children are particularly vulnerable to these chemicals. “They eat, drink and breathe in more contaminants relative to their body size.  They are lower to the ground and explore with their hands and mouths.  Their ability to handle environmental pollutants is immature, at the same time as development of key organs and metabolic processes are rapidly occurring and can be interrupted by exposure to toxins, even at low levels, with permanent negative consequences.”

There are a number of illnesses which may be linked to the excess environmental toxins. The causes of environmental sensitivities/intolerances, chronic fatigue syndrome/myalgic encephalomyelitis (CFS/ME) and fibromyalgia, also pegged as “21st century illnesses,” are unknown. It is suspected that there are a number of factors at work, leading to the body’s inability to adapt to a combination of stressors. One of the stressors commonly linked with these conditions is our exposure to an increasing number of toxic chemicals.

Here are some useful tips to remember: 

·         Open a window and run a fan. Fresh air improves air quality much more effectively than an air freshener which can itself contain damaging chemicals.

·         Use a one-inch pleated filter in your furnace, rather than the usual flat surface filter, as there is more surface area to collect more dust particles. Remember to replace the filter regularly.

·         Clean furnace ducts every two years.

·         Avoid indoor smoking.

·         If you have a gas stove, make sure your exhaust fan is functioning properly, and that you use it every time you use the stove.

Switch to all-natural cleaners such as vinegar and baking soda or use a line of organic cleaning products; 

White vinegar - use to clean windows, counter tops, chrome, grease, floors, etc.
Baking soda - absorbs odours; good for cleaning ovens, sinks, etc.
Lemon juice- cleans windows, sinks, grease, etc.
Vegetable oil, lemon oil - can be used as a furniture polish
Borax - for cleaning toilets, tubs, floors
Plant-based dish soaps

There are also a growing number of commercially available, less-toxic products on the market. Canadian products that have been certified as safer for human health and the environment have an Ecolabel (three doves intertwined to form a maple leaf.)

Products to use sparingly or avoid:

·         Window and floor cleaners containing ammonia

·         Drain cleaners containing sodium hydroxide

·         Commercial air fresheners

·         Aerosol products

·         Anything with added fragrances or dyes

Also remember this is a great time for doing a “body detox”.
Wishing you a wonderful spring.

Just recently I have been at a corporate event and talked to people about the need for detoxification and the best time to detoxify. Most people had heard of detox but were not sure what it really meant.  Some believed they had a decent lifestyle therefore detox was not really beneficial for them.

So back to why detox, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency;

·         More than 4 billion pounds of chemicals were released into the ground in 2000, threatening our natural ground water sources.

·         Over 260 million pounds of chemicals were discharged into surface waters (i.e. lakes, rivers, and oceans).

·         Nearly 2 billion pounds of air emissions were pumped into the atmosphere.

·         Several thousand food additives are intentionally added to our food supply, and thousands more slip into our food supply unintentionally during harvesting, processing, or packaging.

·         Over 400 pesticides and herbicides are currently licensed for use on food crops, and every year over 2.5 billion pounds are dumped on crop lands, forests, lawns, and fields.

Extensive research shows that it is not a question of if we are carrying a burden of these toxins, but rather how much and to what extent they affect our health. 

·         Immunological toxicity may be a factor in the development of asthma, allergies, skin disorders, chronic infections, and cancer.

·         Neurological toxicity affects cognition, mood and overall mental functioning.

·         Endocrine toxicity affects reproduction, menstruation, libido, metabolic rate, stress tolerance, glucose regulation, and more.

The message: We all need to support our body’s natural function and enhance the detoxification ability of our body by: 

1)    Reducing the intake of and exposure to toxins
Washing fruits and vegetables before consuming them; Eating organic foods, particularly meats; Drinking a lot of purified water; Avoiding alcohol, tobacco, and drugs; Using prescription and over the counter medication only when necessary; Exercising regularly; Limiting your exposure to pesticides and herbicides; Using protective equipment when working with toxic substances.

2)   Support your body’s detoxification capacity
Your body is able to rid itself of harmful toxins through a process called detoxification. Unfortunately, this process is compromised in many individuals due to the great numbers of toxins their bodies must get rid of, as well as a lack of nutrients needed to fuel the entire detoxification process. Consuming a low-allergy potential source of nourishment along with nutritional factors known to enhance the body’s detoxification capacity can have a powerful effect on your body’s ability to cleanse itself.

Spring is the best time to enhance your detoxification capability and rejuvenate yourself. Get started on your program and enjoy your spring and summer feeling better than ever!

(Note: some material collected from 2006 advanced Nutrition Publications, Inc.)

As a society we are suffering more from chronic illnesses and degeneration than ever before! So why is it that despite our technologically advanced medical system and access to medications, we are seeing more cases of cancer, heart disease, osteoporosis, diabetes and arthritis just to name a few?

My thoughts are it is our lifestyle and dietary habits. This is the single most important criteria which we as individuals have complete control over and tend to undermine it! There is an overlay of various nutritional fads that have risen and fallen over the past few decades.  Most recently, the latest diet trend has been an interest in high-protein foods and a decrease in fresh fruits and vegetables.

The result is that high protein diets increase the net dietary acid load and acidify the urine pH. Conversely, diets high in fruits and vegetables are associated with a greater degree of alkalinity.  Over time, ingestion of a high dietary acid load can progress to a chronic low-grade level of metabolic acidosis.  A chronic acidic load can cause a number of health conditions such as osteoporosis and muscle wasting. 

Another aspect of the acid-alkaline balance is its role in detoxification, by either the acute removal of a drug or poison due to overdose or a nutritional protocol to support metabolic detoxification and decrease dietary toxins.  One approach to help maximize the detoxification capability of the body is to implement elimination diet high in whole fruits and cruciferous vegetables (broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage etc.) which contain myriad phytochemicals such as indole-3-carbinol and other essential elements for facilitating toxin biotransformation.  Additionally, these vegetables can favorably alkalize the urine pH. 

In addition to dietary changes, nutritional supplementation for a short-term course of 4-6 weeks with select botanicals can facilitate metabolic detoxification.  Also potassium citrate can be used effectively to alkalize urine and in turn affect our internal environment.

Managing stress properly and getting a good night rest in addition to a proper diet and exercise routine will help us achieve total wellness. Nurturing our soul, mind and body is a lifetime commitment and unbelievable rewarding!

As we get closer to spring I will devote more blogs to different approaches for cleansing and detoxification, so be sure to visit us regularly. Also if you are interested in more detailed information regarding this topic please visit my newsletter section at http://www.your-nd.com/html/news.htm.