January 2005

This newsletter is not to be used as a substitute for medical advice

• Happy New Year!
• Weight Gain is a Symptom. Are You Treating the Cause?
• Which is Heavier?
• Recipe: Super Sandwich
• Heart and Small Intestine Meridians = Conversion and Integration

The Pacific Wellness Institute
80 Bloor Street West, Suite 1100
Toronto, Ontario, M5S 2V1
Tel: 416-929-6958
Fax: 416-929-6365
e-mail:
website: www.pacificwellness.ca

Newsletter 

Happy New Year!

All the staff and practitioners of The Pacific Wellness Institute would like to wish our clients a happy, enjoyable, and healthy New Year.

Have you made your New Year resolutions yet? Although many people have different wishes and goals for the New Year, we all wish for good health. Please visit our informative website at www.pacificwellness.ca where you can find a variety of useful health and wellness information to help resolve your ongoing problems and achieve optimal health.



Break the Cycle
Minimize the anxiety & discomfort of nicotine withdrawal.
Many people ring in the New Year with the hope and resolve to quit smoking for good. However, chances are they will be making the same resolution next New Years. Why? They are unable to endure the symptoms associated with nicotine withdrawal. Acupuncture treatment can help. Read more at www.acupuncture-treatment.com/smoking_addiction.html.

Weight Gain is a Symptom.
Are You Treating the Cause?
By EeVon Ling BSc. ND

How do I lose weight?

That is the million dollar question that has fueled a multi-billion dollar industry that launches books, drugs, TV shows and the careers of new celebrities. Although many people claim to have the answer, the rates of obesity and obesity-related diseases still increase each year. And I'm sure as you read this article, you are thinking of all the unsuccessful weight loss attempts that you've tried, despite good intentions and a brain full of knowledge. So why can't you lose weight?

Perhaps you are asking the wrong question. You should be asking, "Why have I gained weight?" There are 2 things that influence weight: (Internal) physiology and (external) lifestyle.

Physiology refers to how your body functions, from the level of the organs down to the level of the cells. Optimal health requires organs and cells functioning properly and in balance. Weight gain occurs if dysfunction exists, especially with hormones, brain chemistry, metabolism and digestion. Therefore if you have an existing health problem or there are genetic trends in your family, chances are these are contributing to your weight gain.

Did you know? Weight gain can be a result of the following conditions: Hypothyroid, PMS, PCOS, irregular periods, menopause, chronic pain or fatigue, arthritis, depression, anxiety, insomnia, brain or glandular tumours, head injury, congestive heart disease, lung conditions, liver disease, allergies, candida and other fungal infections, low stomach acid production, digestive problems, constipation, etc, etc.

Lifestyle is a very broad term referring to everything else in your life that affects you-diet, exercise, stress, environment, medications, habits and behaviours, attitudes and beliefs etc. Optimal health requires balance among the things that deplete us and the things that replenish us. The normal functions of the body are in themselves depleting-this is the natural course of aging. Unfortunately modern life is very depleting-processed low-quality diets, stressful jobs and relationships, pollution and negative attitudes. Thus we have an even greater need to replenish our bodies if we want to be able to control our general health, let alone our weight.

Did you know? Weight gain can be a result of the following lifestyle factors: Excess stress, taking certain medications, deficiency of certain vitamins, shift work, irregular meal times, chronic exposure to low levels of toxins, not drinking enough water, inadequate sunlight, boredom, etc, etc.

The fundamental principle of Naturopathic Medicine is "Treat the Cause".

Once we identify all the contributing factors to your weight gain, only then can we start to determine ways to lose weight and re-establish balance to your body. In some cases the emphasis of treatment is not the weight itself, but the other health conditions that are causing the symptom of weight gain.

What can a naturopathic doctor do for you? Help make sense of all the information out there. Help you understand what your body needs. Help you be aware of your lifestyle habits and guide you on how to change them for the better. In some cases you may already know what to do; you can get help with cravings and dealing with stress.

If you are interested in your own personalized weight loss treatment plan, please contact the clinic to make an appointment with the naturopathic doctor.

Which is Heavier?
By EeVon Ling BSc ND

Which is heavier? A pound of fat or a pound of muscle?

Yes, it is a trick question. But if you are trying to lose weight, which would you rather lose? Of course you want to lose fat, but do you know for sure that you are losing ONLY fat? In our society's obsession and desperation to become a lower number on the scale and on the dress rack, you may be losing more than just unwanted weight.

Body composition is more important than body weight. Body composition refers to the make up of your body. Your body consists of muscle, fat, bones, connective tissue, fluid and waste products. Body composition analysis measures the amounts of these components in your body.

Did you know? A healthy body has healthy ratios or percentages of these components. For example, healthy women have about 22-28% body fat and healthy men have about 9-15% body fat.

Did you know? Pound for pound muscle weights more than fat. Muscle is a very metabolically active tissue that burns calories, even at rest. Fat is storage tissue that is not active. Thus two 180 pound men can look very different if one is more muscular than the other. The more muscular, yet slimmer man will be able to eat more calories than the other man who has a higher body fat percentage.

Did you know? A healthy body is at least 60% body water. Unfortunately, I commonly see dehydrated individuals who report that they don't feel thirsty, but they have constant hunger. Well, in actual fact, thirst is often mistaken for fatigue and hunger!

Therefore, before you decide to try a new weight control program, it is important to assess your body composition to define your starting point and monitor your progress. Healthy weight control means decreasing fat, building muscle and staying hydrated.

If you are interested in having your body composition analyzed, please contact the clinic and make an appointment with the naturopathic doctor.  

Recipe: Super Sandwich
By EeVon Ling, BSc, ND

Sandwiches are quick and easy, but processed bread and meats are full of chemicals and low in nutrients and fibre (even so-called 100% whole wheat bread). The following sandwich provides high-fibre, vitamins, minerals, protein, enzymes, and healthy fats, is meatless, sugar-free, dairy-free, and free of trans-fats and saturated oils. Sounds too good? You bet.

2 slices of Ezekiel bread* toasted
1 tbsp of guacamole (recipe below)
3 quarter-inch slices from a block of Pete's extra firm tofu (available from produce section of grocery store)
Alfalfa sprouts
Slice of tomato and cucumber
Mustard and black pepper to taste

Assemble sandwich. Enjoy.

Guacamole:
1 ripe avocado (a ripe avocado yields to gentle pressure but is not mushy)
1 tsp lemon juice
1 tomato chopped
Pinch of sea salt
1 clove of garlic chopped (optional)
Coriander chopped to taste (optional)

Cut avocado in half length-wise, remove seed and scoop out flesh into a small bowl. Add remaining ingredients and mash together with a fork until somewhat smooth texture. Guacamole can be kept in fridge in an air tight container for a few days.

* Ezekiel bread is a sprouted bread made with many different kinds of grains. The grains have been sprouted (like alfalfa sprouts) and then formed into a loaf of bread. Therefore it is not made with flour and there is no added sugar, salt, yeast, dairy or fat. It retains all the nutrients of the grain plus natural enzymes for easier digestion. Also, it is higher in fibre and protein than regular bread. Ezekiel bread is available from the freezer section of a health food store or the health food section of a grocery store.

Tip: Sprouts are a more nutritious alternative to lettuce. They are high in minerals, vitamins, protein and enzymes. Use them on salads, sandwiches, as a pizza topping, in smoothies and juices etc.

Avocados, although high in fat, it is the healthy kind and they are high in vitamin E, A, potassium and other trace minerals. They are a great substitute for butter or peanut butter.

Heart and Small Intestine meridians = Conversion and Integration
By Emily Robinson Dipl. ST, CST, CR

The heart meridian is responsible for converting external stimuli received from the five senses into the appropriate internal response. In Chinese classics the 'heart' is the "sovereign of the organs where consciousness /awareness originate".

Heart meridian imbalances are related to nervous tension, created from shock or fatigue, which can lead to tension in the solar plexus. This can cause symptoms of excess worry. People with this energetic imbalance can be prone to having blood rush to the head, sweaty palms and/ or heart problems.

The small intestine meridian receives food from the stomach and transforms it into nutrients for blood and tissue production. It aids the heart meridian by grounding Ki in the lower abdomen for calmness. This meridian is also related to ovary function and menstrual regularity.

Small intestine meridian imbalance can include anger, shock and excess emotional upset, resulting in lower abdomen blood stasis. This can lead to symptoms of low back pain, and chilled lower limbs. The imbalance of withholding emotions (i.e. anger or shock), can also cause neck and shoulder tension. This dysfunction can, in turn, lead to fatigue, irregular bowel movements (from poor digestion and assimilation), ovary dysfunction, menstrual irregularity, and/or migraine headache.

Meridian Exercise:

Sit on a cushioned surface with a straight back, the bottom of your feet touching and your legs relaxed outwards. Breathe deeply into your belly and clasp your toes. As you exhale relax your upper body between your knees, your elbows relaxing toward the floor. Take two deep breaths, relaxing further with each one. Return to the original position on the fourth exhalation. With future practice, this stretch will deepen for you and feel more comfortable as the legs relax further out - allowing the torso to relax further forward.