2013-05-22T02:18:56-04:00 Dr. Meghan Walker http://www.huffingtonpost.ca/author/index.php?author=dr-meghan-walker Copyright 2008, HuffingtonPost.com, Inc. HuffingtonPost Blogger Feed for Dr. Meghan Walker Good old fashioned elbow grease. tag:www.huffingtonpost.com,2013:/theblog//3.3203878 2013-05-03T12:33:54-04:00 2013-05-03T12:34:02-04:00

Dr. Meghan Walker http://www.huffingtonpost.com/dr-meghan-walker/
The perpetual challenge for most parents is not keeping their child free of infection, but keeping them free of repetitive, unrelenting illnesses that pass through the family over and over again. For many, the benefit of day care comes at the expense of an abiding runny nose or frequent rounds of antibiotics for kids and their parents.

Parents bring children to my office desperate for a solution to the revolving door relationship between their child and the team of germs they meet at day care on a daily basis. Children's immune systems are in a maximal state of development in the pre-school years, carefully studying each microbial introduction and gaining strength with each round of exposure.

Despite this heightened training regime, the immature immune system of a preschooler generally lacks the capacity to fight infection with the same degree of efficiency as an adult. Supporting a child's immune system requires equal emphasis on removing those things that tend to weaken immune defenses while simultaneously tonifying, not just the child's, but the entire family's immune health.

Immune Taxers
Keeping both your own as well as your child's immune system in prime condition requires vigilance when it comes to food. Sugar and food colouring have both been shown to decrease the overall immune functionality of children. Whole foods, without added sugar, are imperative to preventing the subtle decline in immune defense that is vital to protecting your child's health.

Natural sugars such as fructose (found in fruit) or raw honey are certainly better choices, but I generally advise they be avoided in children when you suspect they are on the brink of infection. Processed foods, especially ones high in glucose and corn syrups are notably problematic for the immune system. As a general rule, if the food is white, made of refined flour or highly processed, it is high in sugar. If you can't remove these foods as part of an overall lifestyle, consider a more colourful, whole food option when you suspect your little person is coming down with an infection.

Antibiotic Support Team
We have all witnessed the pattern; a child gets sick, they require antibiotics, they get well, they go back to school, they get sick, they require antibiotics, they get well, they go back to school... The cycle can often feel like it is endless. Antibiotics have their time and place. They are an important feature of Western medicine and critical with highly progressive infections.

The problem with antibiotics, however, is that while they may deter the current infection, their depletion of healthy probiotics within the digestive system leaves the immune system vulnerable to the next attack. Probiotics have been shown repeatedly to optimize immune functionality in the face of infection. If antibiotics are indeed necessary, supplementing with a probiotic following the prescription's course is critical to interrupting the cycle. Probiotics are formulated for kids and adults and it is important that you select one with multiple strains and for the correct age group. Yogurt is also an excellent source of probiotics, but the healthy bacteria found in yogurt are not available in sufficient concentrations to adequately replete the digestive system. Consider yogurt as an adjunctive therapy, but additionally include a supplement for at least one month following your child (or your) next round of antibiotics.

Foods for Immune Health
Stimulating the immune system in the face of an impending infection is a good idea for most and easily accomplished without the need for supplementation. These are my favorite immune fighting options for kids.

Oranges -- These yummy, kid-friendly fruits provide a healthy dose of vitamin C. Juice your own or feed kids the orange directly. Store bought orange juice is too high in sugar when your little person is on the verge of a cold.

Garlic -- Although this can be a challenge for many kids, consider roasting some cloves or adding raw garlic to potatoes or homemade hummus.

Lentils -- Lentils are high in the immune supporting mineral called zinc. Add lentils to soup or cook them in your rice/quinoa to make them a little more palatable for kids.

Avocado -- ½ of an avocado meets your daily requirement for vitamin E, an important contributor to a steady immune system. If this is not something your kids will eat, consider mixing an avocado with 1/3C organic cocoa powder and 1 tbsp of raw honey. Mix together in a food processor or blender - you now have chocolate pudding... I promise, they'll eat it.

Ginger - Ginger is an important anti-microbial. Chop a small amount of ginger and make a tea. Allow it to cool before serving to kids. Ginger is especially helpful for nausea.

Keeping you child free from day-care induced illness is an ongoing process. Avoid the sugar, add a probiotic and strategically include immune fighting foods to your child's meal plan. With a little luck, vigilant hand washing and some careful planning, the relentless game of microbial tag may just be gone for good... or at least until next fall.]]> tag:www.huffingtonpost.com,2013:/theblog//3.3118236 2013-04-22T12:12:42-04:00 2013-04-22T12:08:24-04:00

Dr. Meghan Walker http://www.huffingtonpost.com/dr-meghan-walker/
As a naturopathic doctor, spring also coincides with a series of visits and questions related to spring cleanses, detoxification and lifestyle transformation. Cleansing and detoxing can be an intricate and complex process, individualized to the unique exposure history of the patient. It usually involves a change in diet, strategic supplementation and the elimination of physiological stressors found within the home.

For most people, temporary changes in diet and the short-term intake of supplements is the easy part of the program. There is no point in cleansing or detoxing however, if you continue to expose yourself to an onslaught of chemicals and physiological saboteurs.

While the summer months bring frequent concerns regarding outdoor air quality and our health, it is in fact the quality of our indoor air and exposures that present a larger challenge to our bodies. On Earth Day, it seems appropriate to review the most impactful changes we can make as part of our spring cleansing that will service not only our physical health, but our delicate planet at the same time.


Get Drastic with Plastic

BPA (Bis-phenol A) captured headlines last year and we all cheered when the federal government boldly banned its presence in baby bottles. BPA, used in the production of consumer plastics, glossy receipts and the lining of canned foods is a known endocrine (hormonal) disruptors. Pulitzer Prize winner and New York Times contributor, Nicholas Kristoff has referenced endocrine disruptors as the tobacco of our time, and I tend to agree.

Endocrine disruptors wreak havoc on our bodies and are implicated in the early onset of puberty, breast cancers, obesity, fertility challenges in humans and gender swapping metamorphoses in our ecosystem's most vulnerable creatures. There is no telling how deep the impact of plastics will go in terms of the effects on human and ecological health. Soft plastics, hard plastics, they are all potentially dangerous. Highly effective changes within your home include the avoidance of cellophane on your food, replacing your plastic containers with something made of glass or metal and never, ever heating your food on a plastic dish or container. While you are at it, buy yourself a re-usable water bottle and give the plastic version the boot, permanently.

Dry cleaning to the garage
There is something so nice about having someone else wash and iron your shirts. What isn't nice, however, is the endocrine disruption resulting from the 'off-gassing' of the dry cleaning agents within your closet. Perchloroethylene is the most notorious of the dry-cleaning chemicals. It is a known endocrine disruptor and a suspected carcinogen. "Green dry-cleaners" often have safer alternatives, but the off-gassing effect has still been shown to create problems for sensitive people. After the plastic from dry-cleaned clothing has been removed, off-gassing chemicals will remain on the clothes and will be released into the surrounding environment. Move your dry cleaning to the garage, basement, or, in the very least, beyond the borders of your bedroom for at least 1 week before it re-enters your closet.

Sack the Scents
Scented products contain a class of chemicals known as phthalates (pronounced thal-ates). Phthalates are used in plastics and scented items among many any other classes of consumer products. With the exception of natural essential oils, industry's capacity to make things smell like St. Lucia in your living room is a frightening proposition. In addition to the phthalates found in air fresheners, non-plant based candles present the added carcinogenic bonus of releasing petrochemicals into the air in your home. Breathing in a tail pipe is in sharp contrasted to the beautiful image you were hoping for as you surround your bubble bath with tea lights and rose petals (the rose petals are totally safe by the way). Beeswax and soy are two excellent options when it comes to candles, provided they are scented, if scented at all, with natural essential oils.

Can the Cleaners
If there is one thing you need to keep handy, in abundance, around your home it is white vinegar. Replace your glass and multi-purpose cleaning solutions with this one-size-fits-all alternative. With the exception of your toilet bowl, there are few surfaces that require a complete anti-microbial over-haul. Our collective obsession with living in microbe-free, lemon-scented kitchens has resulted in sparkling surfaces at the expense of our health. Cleaning products contain a variety of chemicals whose action within the body range from hormonal disruption to known carcinogenic implications. White vinegar is an easy, clean alternative to expensive, dangerous chemicals that end up in our lungs, on our skin and down our drains.

Try these simple alternatives:
Glass cleaner - 1 part white vinegar: 5 parts water.

Multi-purpose surface cleaner - 1 part white vinegar: 5 parts water (1L total): 1mL tea tree oil
Tea tree oil is a broad-spectrum anti microbial. It won't kill everything, but it will decrease the bacterial load on your counters and other surfaces.

Restoring your health, transforming your home or changing the world is not a quick fix; it is a series of events, decisions and commitments to honoring who you are and nurturing your potential as a planetary patron. Making any of the changes outlined above does not mean doing everything at once; it means that for five days in a row you have to make a decision, any decision that will spiral into the next positive step. Replacing your detergent, hanging your dry-cleaning in the garage or moving to your new potential begins with a single action. Take just one, in the right direction.

The journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step - Chinese Proverb

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Dr. Meghan Walker http://www.huffingtonpost.com/dr-meghan-walker/
They are all symptoms we would classify as common, but none of them are normal. We have grown up in a culture where we pop an anti-inflammatory to manage pain and an antacid to cope with post-consumptive heartburn. We do it over and over again, rarely stopping to ask, does this happen to everyone?

I spend my days talking to people about their health. We examine the big things that brought them through the door, but we dedicate an equal amount of time to checking-in on the small stuff. Bowel habits, menstrual cramps, pain during intercourse -- we discuss it all.

Remarkable in this investigation is not that we have the opportunity to discuss these matters, it is the amazement on people's faces when they realize that their weekly headaches, post-nasal drip or joint pain are a common, but not necessarily 'normal' part of our physiological experience.

Acknowledging these common symptoms does not negate the notion that the range of normal for a population can be varied, or that it is in fact expected that we will oscillate in and out of a state 'ideal' health. It is the chronic presence of 'common' symptoms that I am attempting to honour. Appropriate medical evaluations will help to elucidate when, as clinicians, we are seeing a variation of normal or just de-prioritizing something that is common.

The danger in mistaking common for normal is not usually that there is something larger lurking below the surface (although this can be the case); it is the fact that someone is missing out on the opportunity to operate at his or her highest potential.

I frequently create an association for my patients between the concept of an oil light and symptoms. When an oil light begins to flash on the dashboard of your car you are faced with several options. You can ignore it and drive a little further, cover it with tape, disconnect the cables all together or maybe you can try adding some oil at your next stop.

It is rare that when an oil light comes on that you would assume that it is just a normal occurrence. Without the simplistic insight of a dashboard, the human body has different mechanism of communicating when it requires attention. Your symptoms become your oil light.

My story, like so many of my patient's started with my own incapacity to differentiate common from normal. My symptoms were relatively innocuous. Gas, bloating, looser bowel movements -- everyone had those. I was also plagued with unrelenting leg cramps. For years I would massage my legs to keep them from cramping up while I slept and sat through classes. These are normal symptoms I was told and then began to tell myself.

It was not until someone challenged me to try a gluten-free diet that I realized that what I thought was normal for everyone, was really just common for me. Unsatisfied with simply the anecdotal removal of my favourite grains, I decided to follow through by seeing a gastroenterologist. Several tests and biopsies later, there was a diagnosis -- I had celiac disease. My common, seemingly normal symptoms were in fact my dashboard, politely trying to get me to pull over and seek assistance.

The importance of my story was not that I had an odd presentation of celiac disease; it is in recognizing the value in acknowledging the common symptoms we all carry around. In hindsight, my mother was horrified to learn of my diagnosis. As a kid she used to feed me bread or pasta as comfort foods when I was particularly distressed, at night, because of those 'common', but pesky growing pains in my legs.

Taking control of one's health means eating well, exercising and sleeping sufficiently, but it also means listening to what your body is whispering. Start to ask yourself, whether the common heartburn, cramping or headache are in fact your oil light, politely seeking attention.

5 common, but not necessarily normal symptoms:

1. Constipation: Despite what anyone tells you, one to two bowel movements per week is not normal. Aim for one per day, and at the least, every other day. Lack of fibre, dehydration and food sensitivities are commonly implicated in chronic constipation.

2. Heartburn: We all have it on occasion, but it doesn't mean it should be happening. Adjustments to diet -- including the amount of water you consume while eating -- can make a significant difference. Frequent reliance on antacids aren't fixing the problem, they are simply placing tape on the oil light.

3. Menstrual cramps: For many of us, menstrual cramps have become synonymous with womanhood. While they may be indicative of something deeper, pre-menstrual cramping is something frequently improved with simple lifestyle adjustments -- for some, the removal of dairy is particularly effective.

4. Eczema in children: As clinicians, we see this all the time. Mild eczema in children can frequently be eliminated without the need for corticosteroids by adjusting your little person's diet. Consider the eczema an early oil light signal.

5. Insomnia: Insomnia is frequently a symptom of something else, not necessarily an endpoint on it's own. Speak to your clinician about possible causes, including your need to create an effective stress management plan.

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Dr. Meghan Walker http://www.huffingtonpost.com/dr-meghan-walker/ your cup? I prefer mine to be at least half empty. If I suspect that it is filling too quickly or that I don't have enough wiggle room for almond milk at the top, I immediately hunker down to fix the problem. The last thing I want is for my cup to overflow.

When someone comes into my office detailing an ailment or condition, there is a natural inclination to describe the circumstances around which the symptom developed. With a gastrointestinal infection it is important to know whether you have recently been traveling or what you may have eaten over the last week.

With other complaints, the connection is less obvious. People don't often notice that the worsening of their headaches corresponds to the start of their new job, or that their joint pain came on after they recently renovated their home. The fact is, most people don't notice their cup is filling at all.

A family friend called me recently following an insurance physical to say that he had been declined coverage due to his elevated blood pressure. He was dumbstruck that there was even a problem. After 65 years of avoiding vegetables, libating with frivolity and acquiring electrolytes through potato chips, he couldn't comprehend the connection between the elevated blood pressure and his lifestyle. "It can't be related to what I consume" he said, "I have always eaten this way without a problem. "It's not a meteorite that breaks the camel's back I replied, it's a piece of straw."

Our bodies -- our cups, all start off as different shapes and sizes. Those with large cups can avoid vegetables and eat potato chips until they are 65 with relatively few health crises, while others have challenges from the beginning. I tend to find that most of us start out with a relatively empty cup, slowing filling it with poor food choices, a lack of sleep, environmental exposures and stress.

Those with larger, more robust cups, take these challenges in stride. These are the people that despite their poor diet, coffee dependence and exercise avoidance, continue to maintain their weight, good temperament and radiant skin. Don't be fooled however, a larger cup doesn't mean you are healthier, it means you get sick less often. In contrast, healthy choices such as exercise and whole foods, keep the fluid level in your cup at a steady level, allowing the body to manage and maintain in the face of physiological stressors.

I use the analogy of a cup in my practice because I have found an inherent disconnect between the choices people make and the consequences on their health. When I ask about an auto-immune condition, diabetes or hypertension, people tell me the day or month they were diagnosed as if that was the moment the disease began. In each of these cases however, the groundwork for the condition or the disease itself started long before, one physiologically stressful encounter after another.

We tend to judge our lifestyle choices based on whether or not they have enabled us to be "fine until now." The reality is, we are all fine until we aren't. In a study published online on February 26 2013 in the journal Cancer Research, the authors noted that increased body weight and decreased levels of physical activity were associated with an incremental risk for colorectal cancer in 54 per cent of the cases studied.

Colorectal cancer is a devastating disease, often detectable through routine colonoscopies and seemingly preventable in a significant number of cases. The researchers went on the point out that those who would benefit from the lifestyle and exercise investment had a genetic marker that would identify them to doctors early in life -- before their cup became too full. Would the genetic knowledge change the behaviour of most of these people? We have yet to find out.

Many appear to live oblivious to the size of our cup until we start to experience symptoms related to the overflow. Whether it is the state of the planet, our health or the national economy, we make our collective choices on credit until the bank calls or the camel breaks his back.

I don't know conclusively whether you will live longer because you chose to exercise, eat well or manage your stress in an effective manner. I am certain of one thing however, healthy lifestyle choices are likely to leave your cup in a stronger position to handle the unexpected stressors and well-placed indulgences that we all tend to scoop up along the way.

10 Important Lifestyle Actions to Reduce the Burden of Daily Life on your Body

1. Exercise and move your body regularly and with intention
2. Avoid processed foods
3. Acknowledge your sources of stress and implement effective outlets
4. Make time to sleep
5. Don't smoke
6. Limit your consumption of sugar
7. Eat a diversity of colourful vegetables
8. Wash your fruit and vegetables
9. Get outside for some fresh air
10. Take advantage of appropriate and preventative screening tests such as mammograms and colonoscopies

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Dr. Meghan Walker http://www.huffingtonpost.com/dr-meghan-walker/
As it pertains to the long-term perspective, when adults see me in my private practice, they are not coming because they want to live longer, they are investing their time and money because they are fed up with chronic headaches, menstrual cramps, ADD, digestive difficulties or fertility challenges. In each of these circumstances, without fail, we begin our clinical journey by addressing diet -- most of the time, reducing or eliminating the problem with lifestyle attention alone.

Although the management of menstrual cramps seems like a long way away for our 18-month-old, there is a more pressing concern lurking in corridors of real-time pediatric medicine. The one-time silent killer of adults, seemingly older adults, is stalking our offspring with the diligence of a vulture chasing an injured zebra. Early in the fall of 2012 an alarming headline hit the top rung of the medical literature: "Hypertension Rockets in U.S. Kids." Naturally I suspected this would be the most cutting edge news story to hit the U.S. airwaves in months. A serial killer was on the loose and it was no longer targeting adults, it was now after our children. You can only imagine my compounded horror as I flipped to cnn.com to review the most popular newsfeeds for the day, if it were not a breaking news headline, this was sure to be something people would be talking about. Alas, the Octomom's new boyfriend and Jenny McCarthy's seventh Playboy spread had trumped kids with heart disease.

For those of you not fully understanding the impact of this finding and others like it, allow me to reiterate, this is a BIG DEAL. Heart disease, high cholesterol, diabetes and hypertension were historically reserved for de-conditioned adults with genetic predispositions, chomping away on a standard North American Diets (SAD diet). In the published findings of the June 18, 2012 edition of Hypertension, the authors cited that nation-wide, pediatric hypertension-related hospitalizations had nearly doubled, from 1997 to 2006. Charges for inpatient care for hypertensive children increased by 50 per cent, to an estimated $3.1 billion over the 10 years.

All economics aside, kids are suffering unnecessarily. This is the first generation predicted to have shorter, more disease-laden life spans than their parents. While we may view our personal food choices as our right, our children deserve more respect. What will it take for us, the adults, to step up to the plate and demand better? Something better means education around food consumption, something better means less accessibility to processed foods, something better means we teach kids to value their bodies, not simply pop a pill or supplement to make the symptom; the eczema, the headache or the hypertension go away.

Step up my adult and parental colleagues, challenge yourself to squeeze a few more minutes out of your day to prepare some real food, play with your kids outdoors and talk to the little people in your life about their most valuable asset on the road to success, their health.

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