by Dr. Talia Marcheggiani, ND | Nov 10, 2014 | Digestion, Homeopathy, Nutrition, Travel
“So, I hovered, I shat and I cried.” Recalled my friend S as she told me about her Christmas Eve on a Chinese train. You hover because there are only holes in the floor for toilets on Chinese trains. Ditto for Indian trains – although in second class they sometimes give you the “Western” option. But, trust me, you’ll still want to hover. She had diarrhea for 5 weeks in China, she told me. She now takes Immodium prophylactically while travelling in India. I told her that this wasn’t the way things ought to be done, but I guess past experience has left her traumatized.
Apart from one day of heartburn, which I cured with mango lassi, water and avoiding Nescafe, I felt pretty great during my month in India. The weather was 40 degrees and I drank 3-4 litres of water on the first day without requiring a washroom, but other than that, my health was in tiptop shape. Despite being told repeatedly that I would experience explosive diarrhea, or “Delhi Belly”, at least once on my journey, I felt incredibly comfortable. And all it took was packing a few key, natural items. Here was my strategy:
>Start taking multi-strain probiotics for one month before leaving on your trip to build up a healthy immune system and digestive flora.
>Take a heat-stable probiotic (I took Saccharomyces boulardi, a non-pathogenic yeast, which has been shown to prevent traveller’s diarrhea) daily while on your trip.
>Use vitamin C electrolyte powder to spruce up your water. Sweating out 3-4 litres of water a day will cause you to pump out necessary electrolytes such as potassium, sodium and magnesium causing muscle cramps, weakness and fatigue. Your water will need an extra kick to help replenish those lost ions.
>Have a homeopathic first aid kit on hand. You particularly want to have access to Arnica and Arsenicum album. Talk to your ND or homeopath for more info on which homeopathics you’ll need and at which potency.
>Bring along oregano oil. Shoot down colds before they progress, cure skin infections and combat cold sores with this antimicrobial cure-all. This can also kill intestinal pathogens that might cause diarrhea.
>Eat light. For a while I was nick-named “Dahl-ia” due to my frugal and practical tendency to order $0.25 lentil stew, or dahl at least once a day. This dish was not only cheap, but free from heavy spices and rich in fibre and protein. It was a great substitute for the greasy breads and rich, spicy curries, which can take a toll on the digestive system, especially in the stifling heat.
>Bring a ginger tincture to improve digestion and to treat nausea and motion sickness.
>Pare down your supplements. I took B-vitamins and magnesium – my two daily essentials. I tried to get the rest of my nutrients from food.
>Echinaceae for boosting the immune system, if you need it. It’s also safe to take in pregnancy.
>Have a list of potential go-to remedies, such as raw garlic, which is a great anti-microbial and anti-parasitic, that you know you’ll be able to access in the country you’re travelling to.
>Breathe. Breathing cures everything. At the first stomach grumblings, take a deep breath and find the nearest toilet. There is a direct connection between the mind and digestive system and anxiety has never been known to help optimize digestion. Getting stressed out over potential digestive issues will only make things worse. So just hover, shit and, if you need to, have a good cry. After a week of being home, you’ll miss Indian street food. Guaranteed.
Talk to you naturopathic doctor about preventing illness while travelling.
by Dr. Talia Marcheggiani, ND | Nov 3, 2013 | Addiction, Alcohol, Health, Homeopathy, Politics, Robert Schad Naturopathic Clinic
As many of you know, Toronto’s mayor, Rob Ford, is in the spotlight again. It seems that the famous “Crack Video” that was reported on in May, 2013, does exist, as confirmed by Toronto Chief of Police Bill Blair, who confiscated it in the drug raid, Project Traveller, a few months ago. From his numerous instances of public intoxication to his controversial, fiery politics, Rob Ford has always been a controversial mayor. He is being asked by colleagues – opponents and supporters alike – and the people of Toronto to step down from his role while he gets his life in order. While the jig seems to be up, he maintains irritatingly steadfast, refusing to take a leave of absence and even refusing to admit that he has a problem at all. It’s clear he needs some nature cure, ASAP.
Turning to one of the modalities of naturopathic medicine, homeopathy, I wonder if there isn’t a remedy that could help Mr. Ford un-stick himself from this awkward predicament and give him the strength to move forward.
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by Dr. Talia Marcheggiani, ND | Aug 28, 2013 | Acupuncture, Health, Homeopathy, Meditation, Nature, Nature Cure, Naturopathic Philosophy, Naturopathic Principles, Nutrition, Philosophy, Preventive Medicine
First things first: sunshine, fresh air and clean water.
Contrary to common belief naturopathic doctors are not just doctors who prescribe natural remedies to patients. (This means you can not avoid visiting a naturopathic doctor by going to a local health-food store and prescribing yourself a bunch of vitamins and supplements!) After all, as previously “naturopathic” therapies invade scientific literature, more up-to-date medical doctors are prescribing things like fish oil and probiotics to their patients. However, this doesn’t make them naturopathic doctors any more than prescribing rights make us medical doctors! Naturopathic doctors differ from the traditional medical model not so much in what we prescribe or our principles (do no harm, treat the whole person, prevent disease, doctor as teacher, support the body, treat the cause), which medical doctors arguably share with us, but in something called the Therapeutic Order.
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by Dr. Talia Marcheggiani, ND | May 22, 2012 | Animals, Balance, Finding yourself, Homeopathy, Meditation, Mindfulness, Nature
India’s homeopathic hero, R. Sankaran, developed a theory for dosing homeopathic remedies. Homeopathic remedies are substances that are highly diluted. It is thought that the more diluted the remedy the more potent the dose, because of the remedy’s ability to communicate with the body on higher energetic level.
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by Dr. Talia Marcheggiani, ND | Jan 31, 2012 | Asian Medicine, Ayurvedic Medicine, Family, Homeopathy, Law of attraction, Love, Spirituality
We’ve all heard the Golden Rule before: “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you”, and its many variations. But, how valid is this rule and it’s impact on leading a happy, healthy and morally sound life? I look at lessons in homeopathy and ayurvedic philosophy for insight.
Ayurvedic philosophy states that the reason for abstaining from morally unsound deeds (lying, stealing, killing, etc.) is because, once one begins to engage in these acts, one begins to create a world in which these acts become feasible. In essence, the ayurvedic philosophers claim that we create our own reality: once we begin to steal and lie, we create a reality in which stealing and lying becomes possible and we run the risk of other people beginning to steal and lie to us.
This concept of creating your own reality is inherent in homeopathic theory as well. In homeopathy, in order to understand the case that a patient presents with we must examine every minute detail about the patient. If someone expresses a frustration about something or someone that appears distinct from themself (“people are liars” or “you can’t trust anyone”) they are really expressing a statement about themselves. Our professor Dr. Nadia Bakir tells us that in order to recognize something about our environment we are really recognizing it from a point deep within ourself. If we didn’t already embody this characteristic then we wouldn’t be able to observe it in others – it wouldn’t be a part of our reality. In some ways it makes sense, those who embody the characteristic of cynicism tend to see the negative side of life, ignoring the positive and even managing to manifest negative outcomes in their own life situations.
This means that, in order to live in a world where people are honest, thoughtful and generally concerned about others we must first work to cultivate those characteristics in ourselves. As Gandhi says “Be the change you wish to see in the world”.
It must be said that these concepts can be dangerous if we take them a step further and claim that people who are the victims of unfortunate accidents or deadly diseases “brought it on themselves”. However, there is some evidence that suggests people who think positively about their cancer diagnoses, for example, experience greater quality of life and a better prognosis.
This philosophy is not meant to undermine those who have experienced loss or are going through a difficult time. It only serves as an inspiration for those who wish to cultivate a better world and take some responsibility for their outlook on life. It’s important to understand that we don’t each live in our glass bubble. Our personal views manifest as actions and our actions affect other people, which in turn affect how those people react to us. So, in a sense there is some truth to “doing unto others as you would have them do unto you.”
by Dr. Talia Marcheggiani, ND | Jan 12, 2012 | Homeopathy
Homeopathy is probably one of naturopathic medicine’s most controversial modalities.
Although it goes against virtually everything we are taught about medicine in our Western society, it can be a powerful healing tool. Our wonderful second year professor, Dr. Nadia Bakir, regales our homeopathy class with amazing stories about miraculous cures she achieved using homeopathy. Here are some of the key characteristics about this healing modality.
Homeopathy is an Energetic medicine. It follows the premise that, as living beings on this earth, we’re all connected to a larger energy field. This field dictates how we feel and how our bodies respond to outside stressors. The energy of the homeopathic remedy sends a message to the cells of our body and stimulates them to respond to the disease that is present. Mental symptoms are always given priority when choosing the correct remedy; the patient’s attitude and outlook towards their condition are more important in choosing a remedy than the actual condition itself, making homeopathy a highly individualized therapy.
During a homeopathic intake, the homeopathic or naturopathic doctor gathers detailed information about the energetic state of the patient and then matches that information with a remedy based on the Law of Similars: “like cures like”. For example, a patient with hay fever, characterized by watery eyes and a runny nose, may be given a remedy made from onion. When you cut into an onion your eyes water and your nose begins to run. The Law of Similars indicates that the remedy be given based on the symptoms it creates in a healthy individual. In a diseased individual, the remedy mimics the disease symptoms, providing the body with information about the patient’s disease state. This alerts the body to the presence of the disease and stimulates vitality, making the organism stronger and enabling it to fight the pathology.
Remedies are safe and gentle. Any noted side effects are healing responses as the body begins to respond to the disease that is affecting it. The symptoms are not toxic or dangerous (many manifest on the skin as the disease begins to clear, for example, a skin rash) and are only temporary. A homeopathic remedy can be given in the same dose to an infant as to an adult. Pregnant women can also safely take a homeopathic remedy.
Remedies can be made from anything; plant parts, animal parts, such as snake venom, minerals and “imponderables” (such as a remedy made from the energy of the North Star). The substances used to make a remedy are highly diluted to create a solution that some argue doesn’t actually contain any molecules of the original substance at all. This is probably the most controversial aspect of homeopathy because it goes against our medical notions about how pharmacology works. We are used to the understanding that a certain concentration of a medicine enters the body and activates cell receptors, creating a physiological response. In homeopathy, however, the diluted remedy carries the “information” from the substance used to create it and imparts that information to our body on an energetic level. Therefore, in homeopathy, the amount of substance present in the remedy is not pharmacologically relevant.
In homeopathy, a cure means that the body is removed from all susceptibility of recurrence of disease. To better understand this, let’s look at a common problem in our society: obesity.
Typically, when a patient is overweight, a naturopathic doctor (or any other doctor for that matter) will prescribe a change in diet and an exercise program. This all makes sense if we consider the cause of obesity to be an excess of calories. Based on this assumption, reducing caloric intake, improving nutrition and increasing caloric expenditure (through exercise) are all sensible recommendations and should be followed.
However, in homeopathy, even if the patient loses weight, we would not consider this to be “curing” them of their disease state (consider a yo-yo dieter who puts the weight back on right after losing it).
In order to fully cure the person, a detailed homeopathic interview or intake, which includes very personal, in-depth questions about physical symptoms, dreams, emotions and the mental state of the patient, as well as what their condition/symptoms means to them (do they feel protected by their weight? Does it make them feel heavy or lethargic? Do they feel the need to take up more space in the world? Etc.) is essential.
According to homeopathy, obesity is only a symptom of the person’s diseased state, which is an outer expression of an inner energetic state. In order to fully remove the disease, not just address the symptoms, the patient must be given a remedy that matches the specific manifestations of all aspects of their energetic state, especially their mental and emotional condition.
Having a homeopathic intake done at the Robert Schad Naturopathic Clinic (RSNC, the teaching clinic at the Canadian College of Naturopathic Medicine) was a very interesting experience for me. My intern asked me probing questions concerning aspects of my life and personality that I hadn’t even considered before. I realized where my thought processes stopped regarding certain areas of my life. When I began to answer my intern’s questions, things came out of my mouth that sounded foreign to me at first. However, I knew that, because they had come out of my mouth, they must be true on some level.
It’s not possible for patients to simply Google the symptoms that they want to address and take a remedy based on only treating those symptoms. In order for homeopathy to properly “cure” the individual, one must go to a practiced homeopathic or naturopathic doctor, receive a full intake and take the remedy prescribed, based on the overall energetic state that they present with.
*This article is not meant to diagnose or treat any disease or condition. Please consult a naturopathic or homeopathic doctor for a complete assessment and treatment plan.
