One of my favourite vitamins, after B6, is vitamin B12! (Magnesium is my fav mineral). I have recently bought 1000 mcg and 5000 mcg bottles of injectable methylcobalamin for my clinic. The vitamin contains no preservatives or additives. $15 gets you a quick burst of energy in your deltoid muscle.
Here are 12 things you should know about this snazzy, red vitamin.
1) Vitamin B12 is a water soluble B vitamin. It is excreted through the kidneys.
2) It is found naturally in animal products (meat, eggs, fish, dairy). Vegans do not get this from their diets and need to supplement.
3) Excess amounts of B12 are stored in the liver for up to 10 years.
4) B12 deficiency can result in neurological symptoms such as neuropathy: numbness and tingling, depression, dizziness, anemia and fatigue. Suboptimal levels can result in fatigue.
5) B12 absorption can be impaired in the elderly, those who have had gastrointestinal surgery and those with low stomach acid. It requires intrinsic factor, excreted in the stomach to be absorbed in the intestine.
6) B12 is cobalamin. Supplements of B12 come in three main forms: cyanocobalamin, hydroxycobalamin and methylcobalamin.
7) Methylcobalamin is the active form of B12, which is easily absorbed and passes the blood brain barrier, making it an effective treatment for depression and mental fatigue. Cyanocobalamin must be converted to hydroxycobalamin, which is then converted to methylcobalamin. Many people have inadequate enzymes to convert cyano and hydroxycobalamin to the active form. Therefore, supplementing with methylcobalamin is the best option. It also helps support methylation, which our bodies need for detoxification and mental functioning, among a myriad of other biological pathways. Getting a dose of methylcobalamin is like a 2-for-1 deal: you get a bioavailable form of vitamin B12 AND a methyl donor. Who wouldn’t want to get in on that?
8) B12 levels of under about 200 umols/L of blood is termed a B12 deficiency, where neurological symptoms begin to appear. However, for health, naturopathic doctors prefer B12 levels to be at least above 600 umols/L of blood, ideally 1000. Symptoms are often used as the primary guiding force for B12 supplementation. Some genetic variations result in impaired absorption of B12, resulting in high blood levels, but low levels available to cells. Therefore, testing serum B12 is not a very reliable marker of B12 status in the body. Other markers such as homocysteine and methlymalonic acid can help tell more of the story, or you can choose to supplement and listen to your body, seeing how B12 injections make you feel. B12 is non-toxic and there is no known upper limit.
9) Injections of B12 can be used to treat depression, obesity, weight gain, fatigue, fibromyalgia, autoimmune disease, multiple sclerosis and dementia among other conditions. In most people, B12 injections provide a welcome energy boost. A series of shots of 5000 mcg of methylcobalamin is a powerful treatment for depression; B12 helps the body make serotonin, the happy neurotransmitter.
10) People taking Metformin (a glucose-lowering medication for type II diabetes) should supplement with B12 as this medication depletes the vitamin.
11) Vitamin B12 is required to make red blood cells. Deficiency can cause anemia.
12) B12 also keeps homocysteine low. High homocysteine is an independent risk factor for heart disease and can cause inflammation in the body.
Contact me to learn more about getting B12 injections and injecting some energy into your holiday season!
“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.
I have been gluten-free since the Spring of 2012 when I moved out of my Italian grandmother (Nonna)’s house and stopped being confronted by a daily arsenal of pasta and bread.
Being gluten-free is not hard; it’s only when you combine it with a dairy-free existence (often mistaken for lactose intolerance) that it then becomes problematic. When you start avoiding two or more separate things, you become one of THOSE people in cafes inquiring about the ingredients in everything. You start to hear yourself saying things like “so, are those raw vegan nut ‘cookies’ made with wheat flour? Oh, no? Well then – Ah… spelt. Hm. I’ll just have a $2 apple, then. Thanks.”
I’ve had two coffees today and I’m not ashamed. Sometimes I even have three.
Today was a good day.
The caffeine flowing through my veins powers my legs down Yonge Street as my calves tighten – good thing I’m on magnesium – and my spine bends in response to the weight of my cross-body bag stuffed with supplies.
I am a naturopathic physician. On a Facebook page hosted by some peers in my profession, a young naturopathic doctor expressed distress at having her attempt to forge ties with one of her patients’ medical doctor thwarted. Needing her patient to obtain the diagnostic testing covered under provincial insurance only when ordered by a medical doctor, she wrote a letter to the patient’s MD, explaining the case, her assessment, the natural treatments that the patient was taking and her reasons for asking for diagnostic testing to be done. She expressed her hope to work collaboratively with this professional in order to provide better care for their mutual patient.
The response was less than ideal. The MD wrote a short, snappy letter, making clear his disinterest in “working collaboratively” with “alternative health practitioners”. He told her, bluntly, that he would not welcome further communications regarding their mutual patient.
Rookie mistake.
Whether a patient seeks consult from a naturopathic doctor or not, natural medicine is here to stay. The good news for medical doctors, however, is that naturopathic doctors can help make their lives easier and contribute significant benefits to patient management. Here are some reasons for working with naturopathic doctors:
1. Naturopathic doctors are highly trained.
NDs go through 4 years of undergraduate education, taking prerequisite courses in biochemistry, biology, psychology, physiology and chemistry. Naturopathic medical school consists of an additional 4 years of intense, full-time study that includes the completion of two licensing exams, one board exam, 3 clinical exams and a 12-month clinical internship working with patients in an out-patient setting. NDs are trained in medical diagnostics, physical exams and can perform procedures such as taking blood, injections, pelvic exams and prostate exams. With extra training NDs are being certified in IV therapies, minor surgery and pharmaceutical prescribing.
Naturopathic doctors speak the same language as medical doctors and our training and medical opinions can be trusted.
2. Patients that see naturopathic doctors in addition to medical doctors do better overall.
In a 2013 randomized clinical trial by the Canadian Medical Association Journal, it was found that high-risk patients decreased their risk of heart disease when using both naturopathic medicine and conventional treatments together rather than just conventional medicine alone. NDs have the time to teach patients how to make changes that benefit their long-term health. Adding a naturopathic doctor to your patient’s healthcare team can help decrease their risk of chronic diseases, such as cardiovascular disease, the leading cause of death among Canadians.
3. Naturopathic medicine decreases the burden on the healthcare system.
A colleague of mine practised as a registered nurse in Ontario for several years before deciding to begin studies at the Canadian College of Naturopathic Medicine and become licensed as a naturopathic doctor. When I asked her why she told me that she was tired of the “revolving door.” “The revolving door?” I asked, puzzled. She explained that, as a nurse she would often see the same patients time and time again – patients with diabetes who were having trouble managing their blood sugar and mental health patients, for instance – who would come into the emergency room, receive treatment and leave, only to return again after a short time. There was no one addressing the root cause of these patients’ ailments and, therefore, it was only a matter of time before they returned to the emergency room. Working with a naturopathic doctor helps patients take responsibility for their health, addresses the root cause of disease and assists patient in learning how to manage chronic disease more effectively, freeing up the emergency room for actual emergencies.
4. Naturopathic doctors address family physician shortages.
Many Canadians do not have a family doctor and many medical doctors are far too busy to take on new patients. Referring patients to be co-managed by a naturopathic doctor can reduce their need for doctors visits, reduce medical clinic wait-times and allow medical doctors to take on more patients on their rosters. Also, by focussing on lifestyle changes, finding the root cause of disease and anticipating health issues such as seasonal allergies, colds and flu or traveller’s diarrhea, NDs can help patients prevent disease. We can effectively take on the ailments that are not appropriately treated with pharmaceuticals (viral colds, for instance), freeing up time and space in medical clinics.
5. Naturopathic doctors can take on chronic, long-term cases.
Chronic acne, digestive concerns, musculoskeletal pain, fatigue and mental illness, cardiovascular disease, hormonal imbalances such as uterine fibroids, PMS, PCOS and endometriosis are all chronic conditions, difficult to treat with medications, that benefit hugely from lifestyle changes. Many patients who suffer from these conditions experience immense benefit when treated with gentle, natural therapies and lifestyle changes. Naturopathic doctors excel at treating chronic, long-standing conditions that are upsetting to patients but often aren’t “serious” enough to warrant conventional care or perhaps aren’t responding to conventional care.
6. There is someone managing drug-nutrient or drug-herb interactions.
It is estimated that more than 70% of Canadians have used a natural health product. That number is only increasing as the public recognizes the need for nutritional and herbal supplementation. However, interactions between natural remedies and medications are real. Naturopathic doctors are trained in pharmacology and are prepared to anticipate interactions and avoid products that have the potential to interfere with certain medications and medical procedures. Collaborating with an ND also means that there is a recorded history of all the natural products your patient is taking and your patient is far less likely to self-prescribe remedies that have the potential for harm.
7. NDs excel at providing stress relief.
“My doctor told me it’s just stress,” a family friend told me over dinner. No surprise. What can sound to some patients like a back-handed dismissal is actually a concrete truth; some sources estimate that 90% of physician visits are stress-related. Naturopathic doctors offer a wide range of therapies such as talk therapy, lifestyle counselling, homeopathy, acupuncture, botanical therapy and nutritional supplementation all of which are effective at helping reduce stress and improve the body’s response to stress. As a society we tend to focus on physical health and lifestyle and neglect the importance of mental health. Naturopathic doctors are well-positioned to offer that kind of care.
Dear medical doctor, we naturopathic doctors appreciate everything that you do. We would love the opportunity to work with you as part of a collaborative team for the benefit of our mutual patients. So please, no more of the above-mentioned letters.
In the words of Vanilla Ice, “Stop. Collaborate and Listen.” Your patients will thank you for it.
Creating a vision board is a great, right-brained way to identify your goals for the new year.
New Year’s Day has come and gone, meaning it’s time for me to dust myself off, put away the wool blanket I’ve been camping out under with a good book, wash my coffee cup, change out of my pyjama pants and move from a state of “being” to “doing” again (just a bit more doing). I’ve never been a huge fan of New Year’s resolutions; they’ve always seemed to me like a fatalistic fad that we have already given ourselves permission to break. Even before we set off on our trek, we know that most New Year’s resolutions are doomed to die out and so we often resign ourselves to failing before we begin.
That being said, the new year, while just a symbolic date on our calenders, does signal new beginnings. It’s the end of down time – most of us are heading back to school after a period of rest and rejuvenation. It marks the passing of the winter solstice; the days are beginning to get longer, the earth is gathering warmth and rekindling our inner fires, which bring with them the motivation we need to accomplish our deepest, most important goals. So, this first post of the new year is dedicated to goal setting. It’s one of the skills we naturopathic doctors (and naturopathic interns) implement often, because getting to the root cause of disease and walking the path of health is never as easy as saying “start running and eating kale”. It requires a certain amount of foresight and personal empowerment.
These muffins make a great breakfast, snack or dessert. They contain delicious carrots, flax seeds and warming spices that go perfectly with a hot coffee or tea on a lazy, wintry morning. Gluten and dairy free.
Now that the first snowflakes are blowing our way here in Canada, I am missing the warmth of South America even more. Since vegetables in Colombia, South America are often hard to come by in traditional dishes, I often find myself piling on the “hogao”, a delicious vegetable salsa. I’ve since come to associate the taste with travelling, smiling friends and happy memories in the Andean sunshine. Here is a recipe for the delicious Colombian food staple that can be used as a dip for fried plantain, yucca, crackers or tortilla chips. It can also be used as a topping to meat, soups or sandwiches. (more…)
There is nothing like a bowl of warm soup, with steaming vegetables, to help nurse the body through cold weather and a stressful season. Save the salads and cold wraps for summer and protect your immune and digestive system by indulging in easy-to-digest warming foods. This is a hearty soup with a healthy serving of protein and a decent helping of leafy greens. (more…)
In North America, we are faced with a problem that is unique to our side of the world: over-abundance of food. We lack the traditional foundations of eating, most of us have spent our childhood in classrooms and in front of televisions, not helping our grandmothers need dough for gnocchi or boiling tomatoes for canning for the winter. Few of us know how to make bread from scratch or ferment milk for yogurt. Our time is slim and the emergence of the empowered, working female has taken us out of the kitchen and into the supermarket or restaurant where food brands compete for our attention, promising us lucrative health claims, confusing the matter even more.
When I travel, people from other countries ask me what a typical “Canadian Dish” is. I, think of how my favourite food is Ethiopian injera and stews or how we often celebrate by going out for sushi, taking part in enjoying cuisine from two different countries I have yet to visit. This is one of many reasons why North Americans are confused about what to eat: we lack a gastronomical identity and, because we don’t have our roots to guide us, we’re left in the dark, reading labels and feeling utterly confused.
However, eating well is a simple equation coined by author Michael Pollen, “Eat food. Not too much. Mostly plants.” This healthy eating ideology outlines the importance of eating something called “whole foods”, the holy grail of healthy food, which basically include food that is minimally processed, in its whole, natural form.
Putting this philosophy into practice may not always be easy, however, so here are some simple rules:
One of my favourite vitamins, after B6, is vitamin B12! (Magnesium is my fav mineral). I have recently bought 1000 mcg and 5000 mcg bottles of injectable methylcobalamin for my clinic. The vitamin contains no preservatives or additives. $15 gets you a quick burst of energy in your deltoid muscle.
