Here's a video from ABC News of actual physical changes that occur to your body after eating a healthy meal vs. an unhealthy one. A must see!!!
I find that a lot of patients that come to me for weight loss or have cardiovascular diseases like diabetes, hypertension or high cholesterol know which foods are bad for them. There is a lot of information out there and I find that people just need someone that can put all of that into a doable plan that is easy to implement. And I am happy to say that we have excellent outcomes and success rates here at the clinic.
Yours in health,
Ian Koo, ND
Doctor of Naturopathic Medicine
Naturopathic Essentials Health Centre
"The care you want, the health you need"
Organic Food is Not Healthier?.....Oh Really???
A new study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition says that there is no current evidence to support the selection of organic over conventionally produced food because the former does not have nutritional superiority over the latter. There are differing scientific papers to debate that point, but this was a big scientific review paper looking at 162 papers over the last 50 years.
The researchers then say that it's not worth paying higher prices for organics over these perceived health benefits. They are referring to the fact that organics did not have higher nutrient content.
However, sometimes I think people rely too much on "scientific studies" instead of using common sense. Consuming organic foods also implies a reduced intake of pesticides and herbicides. Regardless of what "safe" levels of ingestion are, it just makes sense that one should avoid these if they can.
When choosing if you should eat organic or not, you do have to figure out if it fits into your budget. Many people are cost conscience when it comes to their health, until something bad happens. Then they are willing to spend whatever it takes to cure themselves. Why not spend on your health now and enjoy a better quality of life now and in the years to come. Of course, that might mean putting off that new big screen tv purchase!
Look out for the new logo for Canadian organics as posted in a previous post:
Canadian Organic Logo
A chart listing Top Foods to Buy Organic:
Organics Chart & Pesticide Load
Yours in health,
Ian Koo, ND
Doctor of Naturopathic Medicine
Naturopathic Essentials Health Centre
"The care you want, the health you need"
The researchers then say that it's not worth paying higher prices for organics over these perceived health benefits. They are referring to the fact that organics did not have higher nutrient content.
However, sometimes I think people rely too much on "scientific studies" instead of using common sense. Consuming organic foods also implies a reduced intake of pesticides and herbicides. Regardless of what "safe" levels of ingestion are, it just makes sense that one should avoid these if they can.
When choosing if you should eat organic or not, you do have to figure out if it fits into your budget. Many people are cost conscience when it comes to their health, until something bad happens. Then they are willing to spend whatever it takes to cure themselves. Why not spend on your health now and enjoy a better quality of life now and in the years to come. Of course, that might mean putting off that new big screen tv purchase!
Look out for the new logo for Canadian organics as posted in a previous post:
Canadian Organic Logo
A chart listing Top Foods to Buy Organic:
Organics Chart & Pesticide Load
Yours in health,
Ian Koo, ND
Doctor of Naturopathic Medicine
Naturopathic Essentials Health Centre
"The care you want, the health you need"
Tanning Beds Now Considered Top Carcinogen
The latest reports by the World Health Organization published in the medical journal Lancet Oncology has cast quite a shadow on the tanning bed industry.
For those of you keen to read the full article, the Lancet report can be read at the website below, but you need to be a paid subscriber.
http://www.thelancet.com/journals/lanonc/issue/current
The CBC also has a good summary.
Key points to take away from the new report:
- The World Health Organization has now classified tanning beds as a top carcinogen, alongside things like cigarettes, asbestos, hepatitis B virus, mustard gas
- Risk of skin melanoma is increased by 75% when people start using tanning beds before 30 yrs of age
- People younger than 18 yrs old should not be using tanning beds......this is a common practice in Northern Europe (France, Belgium, Sweden, Germany)
- Tanning beds emit a higher concentration (up to 10x more) UV rays more than the mid-day sun
My Take on Things:
I certainly don't think that everyone should be panicking about this report. It seems a little over the top to classify tanning beds on the same level as asbestos and mustard gas. Dermatologists in France have been recommending for some time now that people not exceed 10 tanning sessions per year. This does sound like prudent advice because it's the Frequency and Length of time that one spends in a tanning bed that probably increases your risk. Extended exposure to UV rays also causes pre-mature aging.
For those averse to reading scientific journals, I would recommend this quick video clip produced by the Associated Press:
http://www.thestar.com/videozone/673365
Yours in health,
Ian Koo, ND
Doctor of Naturopathic Medicine
Naturopathic Essentials Health Centre
"The care you want, the health you need"
For those of you keen to read the full article, the Lancet report can be read at the website below, but you need to be a paid subscriber.
http://www.thelancet.com/
The CBC also has a good summary.
Key points to take away from the new report:
- The World Health Organization has now classified tanning beds as a top carcinogen, alongside things like cigarettes, asbestos, hepatitis B virus, mustard gas
- Risk of skin melanoma is increased by 75% when people start using tanning beds before 30 yrs of age
- People younger than 18 yrs old should not be using tanning beds......this is a common practice in Northern Europe (France, Belgium, Sweden, Germany)
- Tanning beds emit a higher concentration (up to 10x more) UV rays more than the mid-day sun
My Take on Things:
I certainly don't think that everyone should be panicking about this report. It seems a little over the top to classify tanning beds on the same level as asbestos and mustard gas. Dermatologists in France have been recommending for some time now that people not exceed 10 tanning sessions per year. This does sound like prudent advice because it's the Frequency and Length of time that one spends in a tanning bed that probably increases your risk. Extended exposure to UV rays also causes pre-mature aging.
For those averse to reading scientific journals, I would recommend this quick video clip produced by the Associated Press:
http://www.thestar.com/
Yours in health,
Ian Koo, ND
Doctor of Naturopathic Medicine
Naturopathic Essentials Health Centre
"The care you want, the health you need"
In the News: Tamiflu resistance, Hot dogs and cancer, Euthanasia & Quebec, Heart disease
Tamiflu resistant H1N1 virus?
Canada and many other countries are stockpiling the anti-retroviral drug Tamiflu - considered the first line anti-retroviral drug against H1N1. Though not a reason to worry, there are now reported cases of Tamiflu-resistant-H1N1 in both Quebec, Canada and in Japan. There's only been 5 reported cases thus far.
Hot dogs with cancer warning labels?
Cancer Project, a national cancer awareness group in the U.S.A is suing hot dog manufacturers in an effort to force them to issue warning labels on their products. It is already well known that processed meats that contain nitrates, such as cold cuts & hot dogs increase the risk of certain cancers (ie. colon cancer) with regular consumption.
Cardiovascular disease is Canada's #1 Killer
In Canada, rates of high blood pressure was up 77 per cent between 1994 and 2005, diabetes was up 45 per cent over the same period, and obesity rates rose 18 per cent.
Euthanasia - the debate?
The Quebec College of Physicians have suggested that euthanasia could be an acceptable form of treatment for some terminally ill patients with no hope of recovery. This would be quite a change. Switzerland is currently the only country in the world where foreigners can be assisted with euthanasia.
Yours in health,
Ian Koo, ND
Doctor of Naturopathic Medicine
Naturopathic Essentials Health Centre
"The care you want, the health you need"
Canada and many other countries are stockpiling the anti-retroviral drug Tamiflu - considered the first line anti-retroviral drug against H1N1. Though not a reason to worry, there are now reported cases of Tamiflu-resistant-H1N1 in both Quebec, Canada and in Japan. There's only been 5 reported cases thus far.
Hot dogs with cancer warning labels?
Cancer Project, a national cancer awareness group in the U.S.A is suing hot dog manufacturers in an effort to force them to issue warning labels on their products. It is already well known that processed meats that contain nitrates, such as cold cuts & hot dogs increase the risk of certain cancers (ie. colon cancer) with regular consumption.
Cardiovascular disease is Canada's #1 Killer
In Canada, rates of high blood pressure was up 77 per cent between 1994 and 2005, diabetes was up 45 per cent over the same period, and obesity rates rose 18 per cent.
Euthanasia - the debate?
The Quebec College of Physicians have suggested that euthanasia could be an acceptable form of treatment for some terminally ill patients with no hope of recovery. This would be quite a change. Switzerland is currently the only country in the world where foreigners can be assisted with euthanasia.
In other countries like the Netherlands and Belgium, terminally ill residents are able to receive a doctor's assistance to die.
Yours in health,
Ian Koo, ND
Doctor of Naturopathic Medicine
Naturopathic Essentials Health Centre
"The care you want, the health you need"
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