Women’s Health

Who is on Your Wellness Team?

 

Who is on your Wellness Team or, your “W-team”, as I like to call it. First of all, YOU should be the biggest player on your team and your biggest fan!  All that said, I love the following quote:

“Professionals have coaches – amateurs don’t.” Anonymous

You don’t have to do it alone, plus it’s much more fun to do it with others!  You can start by finding an accountability partner, someone who has similar goals as you. Encourage each other to stay on course with your Goals. You will also need  natural health care practitioners who will help you achieve your Wellness Goals. You could also find a life coach to uncover what area in your life needs the most attention and work jointly with your coach to develop new habits. If money is an issue, not to worry, you can get so much out of self-help books or courses for a minimal fee.  The internet is also loaded with information – just make sure you get the information from reputable sources. You just have to decide to make a change!

Here are a few health professionals that can be part of your “W” Team and a brief explanation of how they each can help you achieve and maintain your health and wellness:

How Will Chiropractic Care Help Me?

Chiropractic Care focuses on optimizing your body’s own ability to function at its best. It achieves this by removing interference with the nervous system. Chiropractic Care is a non-invasive and drug-free approach to health. Chiropractic does not include medications or prescription drugs.  A Wellness Chiropractor can help you maintain a healthy nervous system and help your body function optimally but will also focus on a person’s lifestyle in the physical, psychological and physiological dimensions.

You don’t need to be in pain to see a Chiropractor. Having a stress-free Nervous System allows you to perform at your full potential. The longer you go with an unhealthy Nervous System, the more devastating the effects are to your health and well-being. Often times, if we wait to have signs and symptoms, detrimental health consequences are already in progress. It’s important to see a Chiropractor who can maximize the efficiency of the Nervous System by correcting subluxations for better health, longevity and quality of life.

Athletes and high performers use Chiropractic care to be and stay at the top of their games. An optimal Nervous System can make the difference between first and second place in a race, or a perfect golf swing. Examples of athletes using Chiropractic care to perfect their performance are: Tiger Woods, Wayne Gretzky, Mary Lou Retton and Donovan Bailey.

What Will Naturopathic Medicine Do For Me?

Naturopathic Medicine is a unique system of primary health care which focuses on the core causes of various illnesses. It utilizes the following natural therapies for treatment: traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), botanical medicine, physical medicine (massage, hydrotherapy, etc.), nutrition, homeopathic medicine and lifestyle counselling. Lifestyle counselling is especially important because it allows you to isolate the negative factors which contribute to health, and eliminate them from your routine.

What Will Homeopathic Remedies Do For Me?

Homeopathic remedies (also known as Homeopathic) are a system of medicines based on three principles: Finding cures based specifically on symptoms, taking remedies in extremely diluted forms, and targeting multiple symptoms with a single remedy. Homeopathy is considered the second most widely used system of medicine in the world, for its holistic, natural, and safe methods. Furthermore, Homeopathy is correlated with what is referred to as the “law of susceptibility”- which implies that a negative state of mind can attract and produce disease and illness.

How Will Acupuncture Help Me?

Acupuncture is an ancient Chinese medicine that is said to adjust and alter the body’s flow of energy, and treat a variety of illnesses and health conditions. During the process, numerous thin, solid, metallic needles are inserted into areas of the body in order to reduce pain or induce anaesthesia. Acupuncture is said to greatly reduce headaches, and alleviate migraines through stimulating the body’s natural healing abilities.

How Will A Personal Trainer Help Me?

A Personal Trainer is a professionally trained guide with expertise in fitness, nutrition and healthy living. They can assist clients in creating and tailoring fitness plans which match their bodies and lifestyle. They offer instruction in various fitness routines, and are available to clients through local fitness facilities or by private appointment.

How Will A Life Coach Help Me?

A Life Coach is an individual trained to help clients determine and achieve personal goals. One must remember, however, that Life Coaches are not therapists nor consultants. They are merely hired to guide already healthy clients, wishing to improve their lives in a specific way. For example, a Life Coach may help an individual change their career path, or reach a weight loss goal. They do so by encouraging time and stress management.

How Will Massage Therapy Help Me?

Message therapy is a hands-on manipulation of the soft tissues of the body focusing specifically on the muscles, connective tissue, tendons, ligaments and joints.  Message therapy treatment has a therapeutic effect on the body and improves health and well-being by acting on the muscular, nervous an circulatory systems.  Physical function can be developed, maintain and improves an physical dysfunction and pain can be relieved or prevent thought the use o massage therapy.

How Will A Nutritionist Help Me?

A Nutritionist is tasked with creating and monitoring food intake, typically that of a specific person or group. Nutritionists help clients with specific food needs, allergies or health conditions maintain their health by eating correctly and taking supplements. Their work is sometimes linked with that of a Personal Trainer. For example, a client might be put on a specific diet if his or her goal was to lose weight or increase muscular strength.

What Will Reflexology Do For Me?

Reflexology is a therapeutic method of pain relief. It is said to relieve symptoms of stress, injury, and illness through stimulating predefined pressure points on the feet and hands. A reflexologist stimulates the nerves in the body and encourages the flow of blood, minimizing the sensation of pain as well as relieving it.

There are several other health and wellness fields and disciplines that are not listed here that could be beneficial to you.  Ask your friends and family who they are using locally and what type of results are they experiencing.

Go team go!

 

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Breast Health: What is Digital Infrared Thermography?

Familiarizing oneself with the various means to detect and diagnosis breast cancer is incredibly important, and will hopefully enable you, or the women in your life, to make more informed decisions when deciding how to go about breast cancer prevention and protection. Though I do not wish to deter you from using Mammography as your prevention method of choice, recent studies have indicated that a single mammogram has 1000 times the radiation of a chest x-ray. Sadly, this has lead to an increase in Ductal Carcinoma In Situ (DCIS) of 328% since mammography was introduced in 1983. The dangers associated with ionizing radiation also include risks of cell mutations, not to mention the risk of the mechanical pressure on the breast spreading the cells that are already troublesome.

One in every eight women will be diagnosed with breast cancer in their lifetime. Though combating cancer is never an easy battle, early detection has the ability to save lives. Within the last decade breast cancer awareness has influenced an increase in the amount of women utilizing the preventative and proactive measures offered by the health care system. The most common of the preventative tools being the Mammogram. Other preventative/diagnostic methods include the self-breast exam, the ultrasound, and Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI). Each of these methods is an adjunctive diagnostic tool, providing varying information: Not one of these methods is 100% accurate. Though I do not wish to discredit any of these breast examination methods, I wish to make you aware of another very effective and comfortable method that may end up detecting “abnormalities” in your breasts even earlier then the other methods.

Digital Infrared Imaging, also referred to as a thermography, is one of the latest technologies being used in the fight against breast cancer. It has the ability to detect or diagnosis breast cancer, as well as numerous other ailments such as fibrocystic disease, vascular disease, and infection. The non-invasive scan, shows the function, the physiology, and the metabolism of breast tissue; giving a clear picture of the functional activity in breast tissue.

According to Medical Thermography International Inc, digital infrared imaging scans provide the earliest evidence of breast disease. The sensitivity rate is 90%. This means in 90% of the cases, the scan accurately indicates a presence or absence of disease. That being said, digital infrared imaging has a 10% false positive rate; in 10% of the cases the results may suggest disease where there is none. In comparison, mammograms have a 25% false positive rate, meaning that in 25% of the cases results suggest disease where there is none. Moreover, 20% of the false negative rates occur in tests conducted on young women, due to the density of the breast tissue of women under 50 years of age. Though thermography may not be perfect, no medical testing method is. One must base their judgment on how the method compares to others.

How exactly does Digital Infrared Imaging work? Well, the scan measures infrared heat from your body and translates that into anatomical images. Usually abnormal cells are hotter because malignant tissue mass is greedy. To feed their rapid growth they produce a chemical that makes new blood vessels grow. This is called angiogenesis. The scan shows the heat difference between normal breast tissue and problem areas. In scientific terms, the normal breast tissue acts as the control against which any hot area are compared. It is important to remember that not all malignancies are hypervascular; that is, a small number do not show increase blood supply. Unless there are other signs, a thermography scan will not detect a non-hypervascular malignancy.

At this point in time you are probably thinking, “Digital Infrared Imaging sounds rather effective! But what exactly does it entail?” All in all there are three stages to the process.

•The first is the preparation stage which lasts around 20 minutes. During this stage you may be asked to fill out a breast history form about symptoms related to possible breast dysfunction and disease. Then, in a private room you will undress to the waist and let your breasts adjust to the cool room temperature (18-22°C). It takes about 10 minutes for the breast temperature to adjust.

•Afterwards, it is time for the Screening stage which lasts about 10 minutes. You will be asked to stand with your hands on your head about 10 feet in front of a digital infrared imaging camera. Three images will be taken: straight-on, and right and left partial side views. After, you will be asked to put both of your hands in cool water (about 10°c) for 1 minute. This is a cold challenge to your blood vessels. Normal blood vessels narrow and gradually become cooler with this challenge while abnormal vessels do not narrow and remain warmer. After the cold challenge, a second series of three scans will be taken to record the changes in the response of the blood vessels to the cold challenge.
•The last stage of the Digital Infrared Imaging process is the report stage. Your scans will be read and analyzed by a member of the American Board of Thermology, and later sent to you in the mail.

Major Benefits of Digital Infrared Imaging…
(According to the Medical Thermology International Inc)

Timely
Problems can be found before abnormalities are seen with mammograms.

Inclusive
Examines the whole chest, breasts, and armpit area

Good for All Ages & Stages
Good for all ages: puberty, pregnant, breastfeeding, pre-menopausal years and post-menopausal years

Good for All Breast Types
Good for all breast types: dense, pregnant, breastfeeding, fibrocystic, enhanced (implants) and women on oral hormone medication (BCP & HRT)

Painless
No squeezing, no pressure, no touching by equipment or technician

Risk-Free
No harmful rays emitted, so digital infrared imaging scan can be done as often as needed to monitor breast health and to guide treatment

Risk Indicator
Digital infrared imaging results are a better indicator of future breast disease, than a family history of disease

As previously mentioned thermography is not perfect—But what medical test is? . Unfortunately, the method is not yet covered by our health care system. Though you may not have the financial means to obtain a thermography, getting tested for breast cancer is vital for the assurance of ongoing health and wellness. Your health is, ultimately, in your hands—make sure that whatever breast health method you decide to use is right for you!

References:

1. www.mercola.com

2. Breast Health, A new approach to breast screening unsin digital infrared imaging – www.medthermoline.com

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Strength training…where are the women?

I just came back from the gym and it’s Sunday. I was chocked (yet again) to see that the weight room was busy enough but with only men? Why is it that the women mostly do the cardio machine and no weight training? So often I hear women say they don’t want to try strength training because they don’t want to get big and “bulky” like Arnold Schwarzenegger. I have news for you…it just won’t happen – women don’t have the testosterone levels required to get that big!
One of the many advantages of strength training is that it increases lean muscle mass. A greater lean muscle mass positively impacts the efficiency of our metabolism to burn calories. Here is the example I often give: two women weigh 150 pounds; one has 36 percent body fat and 98 pounds of muscle, the other has 22 percent body fat and 118 pounds of muscle. The one with the higher muscle mass will burn more calories. So even though the two women are the same weight, the one with the higher muscle mass will be able to have a higher caloric intake than the other woman while maintaining her weight. How great is that! But there’s more to it …strength training is empowering; it feels good to be strong!

13 Benefits of Strength Training

1. Increases strength of muscles, tendons and ligaments
2. Increases stability of joints
3. Increases muscle mass
4. Increases bone density and bone mass
5. Improves body composition
6. Improves motor coordination
7. Reduces the risk of osteoporosis
8. Reduces the signs and symptoms of chronic diseases such as Arthritis and Type 2 Diabetes
9. Improves sleep and reduces sleep disorders
10. Reduces depression
11. Improves flexibility
12. Reduces the number of falls in older adults
13. Reduces severity of injuries by strengthening supportive structures, developing muscle balance around joints and increasing your muscles’ ability to absorb energy

So what are you waiting for ladies? Are 13 benefits not enough to convince you? If you want to “tone-up”, grab some weights and start lifting. Don’t be shy! The benefits will be huge for both your health and your confidence. Not sure if you should do free weights or machine – keep on reading and find out about the pros and cons of both. Have fun and see you in the weight room!:)

Free-Weights vs. Machines
Strength training with free-weights, when done properly and with good form is generally more beneficial than training with machines. This is primarily because most machines can’t be adjusted perfectly for your size. This can cause you to a) do the exercise wrong; b) do it in a way that hurts you; and c) do it in a way that doesn’t benefit you. The range of motion is also more limited on machines. In comparison, the range of motion with free weights resembles the movements you do in everyday life: this will benefit you more. Still, there is controversy and disagreement over which is better; some personal trainers prefer machines as a safer alternative when clients aren’t used to lifting weights.

Free-Weight Pros
Increases the use of your stabilizing muscles, thereby increasing your core strength
The range of motion when using free-weights is similar to everyday activities
Hones your perception of balance and the location of your body in the space around you
It’s convenient and inexpensive!

Free-Weight Cons
Increases risk of injury if you don’t use proper form
You spend a lot of time changing weights
If your gym doesn’t have a lot of free-weights, you may spend a lot of time waiting for the ones you want

Machine Pros
Can be great for beginners
Offers an array of weight choices
Can prevent some injuries since the machines control the range of motion
Faster workouts – easier transition from one machine to another

Machine Cons
Increases the risk of overuse and injuries
Mistaken sense of safety – you can overload your muscles with too much weight
Locks your body in place with specific movement patterns – with free weights you can respect the body’s natural range of motion

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Are Your Taking Control Of Your Hormones?

In my 15 years in practice, I have encountered my fair share of patients having hot flashes right there on my table while getting adjusted. They are usually embarrassed and apologize profusely for being so damp. I smile and tell them that a little sweat never made me nervous as I have been going to the gym since I was 16 years old.

They usually proceed to ask me if I know of any “natural” things that they could take for their hot flashes, their insomnia or whatever pre- or post-menopausal symptoms they may have as they don’t want to get on Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT) as they know the side effects on health (increase risks of cancers, heart attacks, strokes and more).

I would have the usual basis answer of primrose oil and used to suggest soy but then it became not so sure that it was actually good for us (the non-fermented soy, that is). I decided to start digging deeper to find natural answers for my patients. Also, I wanted to prepare my younger patients to have an “easy” menopause as well and not wait to be “slammed” with it and have to deal with horrible symptoms. An added incentive: I have told several of my patients that I was going to “skip” menopause all together when it came to the symptoms because I have no time for it. Their answers…”Good luck with that Dr. Nathalie. Let me know how it goes”… That being said, I found the work of Dr. Joseph Collins through one of the best Nutraceutical companies in North America: Douglas Laboratories.

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drnathalie@drnathaliebeauchamp.com

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