Feb 2011
The truth about fevers
by Kate Whimster, BCom, MIFHI, ND
I just read this article called “Lifting a veil of fear to see the benefits of fever” and I had to share it. This is a hot topic (excuse the pun!) among parents and healthcare providers that, despite logic, evidence, and experience, is still widely misunderstood.
Key messages:
The article cites the following research:
“Fever phobia: misconceptions of parents about fevers”
“Fever phobia revisited: have parental misconceptions about fever changed in 20 years?”
I also found a study called “Pediatric emergency department nurses' perspectives on fever in children” which concluded that “fever phobia and inconsistent treatment approaches occur among experienced pediatric emergency registered nurses. These phobias and inconsistencies subsequently could be conveyed to parents.” So it’s not just parents who are confused! Healthcare providers are perpetuating this misconception through ignorance: “‘Doctors are part of the problem,’ Schmitt said. Some of the phobia comes from doctors and nurses, he said, ‘doctors and nurses who weren’t taught about fever and all the wondrous things fever does in the animal kingdom.’”
I think another major reason that parents fear fever so much is that they are far too influenced by the sheer number and force of advertisements for medication to suppress fevers in children. I think I see at least one ad daily for children’s Tylenol or Advil these days - all sending a clear message that fever is not OK and you must medicate!
So what is a worried parent to do?
I just read this article called “Lifting a veil of fear to see the benefits of fever” and I had to share it. This is a hot topic (excuse the pun!) among parents and healthcare providers that, despite logic, evidence, and experience, is still widely misunderstood.
Key messages:
- Fever is a signal that the immune system is working. Fever is actually a useful tool of the immune system that helps your body fight infection.
- There is a widely held misconception that fevers are dangerous. “In fact, fever does not harm the brain or the body, though it does increase the need for fluids. Even untreated, fevers rarely rise higher than 104 or 105 degrees.”
- Despite ongoing efforts to educate parents, fever remains a major concern and causes a lot of panic.
The article cites the following research:
“Fever phobia: misconceptions of parents about fevers”
“Fever phobia revisited: have parental misconceptions about fever changed in 20 years?”
I also found a study called “Pediatric emergency department nurses' perspectives on fever in children” which concluded that “fever phobia and inconsistent treatment approaches occur among experienced pediatric emergency registered nurses. These phobias and inconsistencies subsequently could be conveyed to parents.” So it’s not just parents who are confused! Healthcare providers are perpetuating this misconception through ignorance: “‘Doctors are part of the problem,’ Schmitt said. Some of the phobia comes from doctors and nurses, he said, ‘doctors and nurses who weren’t taught about fever and all the wondrous things fever does in the animal kingdom.’”
I think another major reason that parents fear fever so much is that they are far too influenced by the sheer number and force of advertisements for medication to suppress fevers in children. I think I see at least one ad daily for children’s Tylenol or Advil these days - all sending a clear message that fever is not OK and you must medicate!
So what is a worried parent to do?
- Remember that the body is designed to heal itself. Symptoms (including fever) are part of this process, so be careful to support the body rather than suppress.
- Equip yourself to understand and manage illness at home where appropriate. This also means knowing when to seek professional help! A naturopathic doctor is a vital part of learning about your health and can equip you to take responsibility.
- Don’t seek medical advice from advertisements! Go to those who are educated and trained to address your issue, and always think critically about advice you receive.
Comments
Naturopathic doctor licensing in Colorado
21/Feb/11 07:55 PM Filed in: Natural medicine | Conventional medicine
by Kate Whimster, BCom, MIFHI, ND
Good article in the New York Times today about efforts (and opponents) to licensing NDs in Colorado (currently an unlicensed state).
Mark Cooper is spot-on when he says “The whole issue is fear-based ignorance.” I find that even in Ontario (a province which licenses NDs) most critics of naturopathic medicine are ignorant as to the training we have and treatment we provide. This is pretty ironic considering that these critics also demand evidence for naturopathic medicine yet neglect to seek out evidence of the claims that they are making against naturopathic medicine! If they took some time to learn about the profession, they would find lots of information in support of naturopathic doctors and the efficacy and safety of naturopathic medicine. In many cases, the evidence for naturopathic interventions (diet, lifestyle, botanical medicine, Asian medicine, homeopathy) is far more compelling than for the conventional medical treatments.
One of the biggest issues in unlicensed states/provinces is that there are also practitioners who can call themselves naturopathic doctors who have not had the same training required in licensed areas. In some cases, these groups have incredible lobbying powers and can block regulation for decades. As a naturopathic doctor who has spent years training and a fortune on tuition, I’m really glad I practice in a province that recognizes this and protects my ND title!
Find more information on my pages about naturopathic medicine and frequently asked questions. I’ve also written blogs entitled “Curriculum comparison,” “The power of natural medicine,” and “Alternative medicine debate.”
Good article in the New York Times today about efforts (and opponents) to licensing NDs in Colorado (currently an unlicensed state).
Mark Cooper is spot-on when he says “The whole issue is fear-based ignorance.” I find that even in Ontario (a province which licenses NDs) most critics of naturopathic medicine are ignorant as to the training we have and treatment we provide. This is pretty ironic considering that these critics also demand evidence for naturopathic medicine yet neglect to seek out evidence of the claims that they are making against naturopathic medicine! If they took some time to learn about the profession, they would find lots of information in support of naturopathic doctors and the efficacy and safety of naturopathic medicine. In many cases, the evidence for naturopathic interventions (diet, lifestyle, botanical medicine, Asian medicine, homeopathy) is far more compelling than for the conventional medical treatments.
One of the biggest issues in unlicensed states/provinces is that there are also practitioners who can call themselves naturopathic doctors who have not had the same training required in licensed areas. In some cases, these groups have incredible lobbying powers and can block regulation for decades. As a naturopathic doctor who has spent years training and a fortune on tuition, I’m really glad I practice in a province that recognizes this and protects my ND title!
Find more information on my pages about naturopathic medicine and frequently asked questions. I’ve also written blogs entitled “Curriculum comparison,” “The power of natural medicine,” and “Alternative medicine debate.”
Strengthening hair treatment
17/Feb/11 01:37 PM Filed in: Beauty
by Kate Whimster, BCom, MIFHI, ND
You may be familiar with Henna, aka Lawsonia inermis, as a herbal hair colour which also coats your hair to make it thicker, shinier, and stronger. Cassia obovata is a (nearly) colourless version of the same thing, so it’s a great treatment for your hair if you don’t want to colour with henna. I do this treatment every 4-6 weeks to keep my hair healthy and strong, especially since I have fine hair that can break easily.
I order my Cassia from Henna Sooq. They have tons of awesome info on their site, like directions and instructional videos for mixing and applying! They will also give you free samples of all kinds of stuff to try.
Cassia hair treatment
Caution:
Cassia can alter the colour of white, grey, or blond hair because it does have a golden colour. Also, I think it is not advised to use Henna or Cassia on coloured hair as the part of the hair that is coloured my react differently from the uncoloured part (roots). Do some more searching if you want to know more about this.
Additional ingredients:
Add 3-5 drops of an essential oil of your choice to your mixture. This is for scent primarily, as I find the smell of the Cassia a little “grassy” but you can also use essential oils as skin/hair treatment. Some suggestions:
Directions:
The first time I did this treatment, I made a mess! But now I’ve got it down to a much more reasonable process...
1. Wash your hair and towel dry, then put on an old t-shirt and shorts or pants.
2. Make holes in a garbage bag for your head and arms and put the garbage bag on over your clothes.
3. Get into the tub and apply mixture to your hair in sections, starting at the nape of your neck. I twist my hair up in a clip on top of my head and take out section working from back to front.
4. I use my hands to coat the section of hair I’m working on, then I comb through with a wide-toothed comb, then I apply a bit more paste before moving on.
5. Once your whole head is covered, twist your hair on top of your head.
6. Once you’re done, you will inevitably have paste on your face, in your ears, and in the tub. Use an old washcloth to wipe the paste off your face, ears, and hands and also wash the paste off the tub as it can stain on white (although this comes out with cleaning, so no worries).
7. Remove the garbage bag from yourself and toss it in the garbage.
8. Unroll a long strip of plastic wrap and twist into a kind of “rope” then loop this around the nape of your neck and up over your ears to tie at your forehead so it is acting as a kind of barrier all around your hairline. Wrap more plastic wrap around your head on top of this to cover all your hair.
9. Now just chill out for a while until your treatment is done!
You may be familiar with Henna, aka Lawsonia inermis, as a herbal hair colour which also coats your hair to make it thicker, shinier, and stronger. Cassia obovata is a (nearly) colourless version of the same thing, so it’s a great treatment for your hair if you don’t want to colour with henna. I do this treatment every 4-6 weeks to keep my hair healthy and strong, especially since I have fine hair that can break easily.
I order my Cassia from Henna Sooq. They have tons of awesome info on their site, like directions and instructional videos for mixing and applying! They will also give you free samples of all kinds of stuff to try.
Cassia hair treatment
Caution:
Cassia can alter the colour of white, grey, or blond hair because it does have a golden colour. Also, I think it is not advised to use Henna or Cassia on coloured hair as the part of the hair that is coloured my react differently from the uncoloured part (roots). Do some more searching if you want to know more about this.
Additional ingredients:
Add 3-5 drops of an essential oil of your choice to your mixture. This is for scent primarily, as I find the smell of the Cassia a little “grassy” but you can also use essential oils as skin/hair treatment. Some suggestions:
- Rosemary as a scalp treatment for dandruff and to increase circulation
- Lavender as an overall skin healing oil (for dermatitis, itching, oily skin, and nearly any other skin issues)
- Ylang ylang because it smells great (and is apparently an aphrodisiac!)
Directions:
The first time I did this treatment, I made a mess! But now I’ve got it down to a much more reasonable process...
1. Wash your hair and towel dry, then put on an old t-shirt and shorts or pants.
2. Make holes in a garbage bag for your head and arms and put the garbage bag on over your clothes.
3. Get into the tub and apply mixture to your hair in sections, starting at the nape of your neck. I twist my hair up in a clip on top of my head and take out section working from back to front.
4. I use my hands to coat the section of hair I’m working on, then I comb through with a wide-toothed comb, then I apply a bit more paste before moving on.
5. Once your whole head is covered, twist your hair on top of your head.
6. Once you’re done, you will inevitably have paste on your face, in your ears, and in the tub. Use an old washcloth to wipe the paste off your face, ears, and hands and also wash the paste off the tub as it can stain on white (although this comes out with cleaning, so no worries).
7. Remove the garbage bag from yourself and toss it in the garbage.
8. Unroll a long strip of plastic wrap and twist into a kind of “rope” then loop this around the nape of your neck and up over your ears to tie at your forehead so it is acting as a kind of barrier all around your hairline. Wrap more plastic wrap around your head on top of this to cover all your hair.
9. Now just chill out for a while until your treatment is done!
Easy blanched greens
13/Feb/11 08:34 AM Filed in: Recipes
by Kate Whimster, BCom, MIFHI, ND
Blanching is a method of cooking that technically means immersing food in boiling water followed by cold water to quickly stop the cooking process. I use a variation on this in which I boil greens for a short period of time, then allow them to cool. This is a great way to soften them a bit, remove any bitterness, but retain a crispy/firm texture, and preserve nutrients.
Blanched Greens
Ingredients:
Any greens you like! Great for greens that are tougher (kale, collards, mustard greens, etc) rather than tender (spinach, swiss chard). You can also cook broccoli this way.
Directions:
1. Fill a large pot with enough water to just cover greens. I use
about 2L of water to do one bunch of kale or broccoli.
2. Bring the pot of water to a boil.
3. While you are waiting for the water to boil, chop the greens up
into bite-sized pieces.
4. One the water is boiling, put the greens in, stir them around
for about 1 minute. The longer you boil the greens, the softer
they will be.
5. Pour the contents of the pot out through a strainer. Even better, put the strainer over a bowl to retain the “greens water” and use
this water as a base for making soup, broth, or boiling something else!
6. Spin the greens in a salad spinner to get rid of excess water,
and lay them out to dry on a double-layer of paper towel.
7. Eat the greens warm or store them in the fridge (lasts about
a week) in a covered container to use for salads.
Blanching is a method of cooking that technically means immersing food in boiling water followed by cold water to quickly stop the cooking process. I use a variation on this in which I boil greens for a short period of time, then allow them to cool. This is a great way to soften them a bit, remove any bitterness, but retain a crispy/firm texture, and preserve nutrients.
Blanched Greens
Ingredients:
Any greens you like! Great for greens that are tougher (kale, collards, mustard greens, etc) rather than tender (spinach, swiss chard). You can also cook broccoli this way.
Directions:
about 2L of water to do one bunch of kale or broccoli.
2. Bring the pot of water to a boil.
3. While you are waiting for the water to boil, chop the greens up
into bite-sized pieces.
4. One the water is boiling, put the greens in, stir them around
for about 1 minute. The longer you boil the greens, the softer
they will be.
5. Pour the contents of the pot out through a strainer. Even better, put the strainer over a bowl to retain the “greens water” and use
this water as a base for making soup, broth, or boiling something else!
6. Spin the greens in a salad spinner to get rid of excess water,
and lay them out to dry on a double-layer of paper towel.
7. Eat the greens warm or store them in the fridge (lasts about
a week) in a covered container to use for salads.
Treating irritable bowel syndrome
Guest post originally published by Chris Habib, ND
The first line therapy for Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) is diet modification. Most IBS patients have specific food triggers and their symptoms can improve significantly by identifying and removing the offending foods from their diet. A hypo-allergenic diet is recommended with gradual re-introduction of foods to identify any specific triggers.
Probiotic supplementation has been shown to be helpful in IBS. Intestinal bacterial overgrowth and an alteration in normal intestinal flora may be one contributing cause or mediator of IBS. Lactobacillus and bifidobacteria are two species that have been identified as being particularly helpful to combat this. Aside from renormalizing the flora, probiotics have also been shown to significantly improve global IBS symptoms and decrease abdominal pain. Peppermint oil has also been shown to be effective in treating IBS symptoms. Peppermint oil relaxes the tone of the gastrointestinal tract and thus may help address dysfunction in smooth muscle contraction, which may be particularly helpful in regulating bowel function. Finally, several studies have shown a link between IBS and an impairment of serotonin receptors. 5-HTP is a serotonin precursor whose supplementation increases serotonin in the body may be helpful in managing this impairment. A combination of these recommendations generally results in safe and effective management of IBS.
Kids need to get sick
by Kate Whimster, BCom, MIFHI, ND
Wow, there are so many topics to choose from when writing about kids and health! I have a lot of issues I want to explore, but I’m going to start with a couple of articles about kids and getting sick.
First up, a study called Short- and Long-term Risk of Infections as a Function of Group Child Care Attendance published in the Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine found that, as we all know, children start getting more infections when they start spending lots of time around other kids! And, when children start group child care before age 2 and a half, they get more infections at that time, but less infections during elementary school years. Again this makes total sense! Kids are programmed to expose themselves to all kinds of pathogens from a very early age and this is an important part of their “immune education” which is done during those crucial childhood years before puberty and must last a lifetime. So getting sick is not a bad thing at all, as long as parents know how to manage it in a health-promoting way being careful to avoid suppression. A naturopathic doctor is a great resource to learn how to manage common childhood infections.
The second study I want to share is called Antibiotic Exposure by 6 Months and Asthma and Allergy at 6 Years: Findings in a Cohort of 1,401 US Children published in the American Journal of Epidemiology and adds further information to the association between antibiotic use in infancy and the development of childhood asthma. This article called Early Antibiotic Use Can Lead to Increased Risk of Childhood Asthma does a great job of summarizing the findings and explaining the mechanism behind this effect, which may be that antibiotics have a major impact on the beneficial bacteria in the digestive tract, which are an important factor in immune response. When these bacteria are disrupted, the type of immune response mounted is altered, resulting in pathologies such as asthma. Something the article does not mention that is a great tool in preventing, mitigating, and treating this type of issue longer term is the use of probiotics. There is already loads of evidence that probiotics are effective in both the prevention and treatment of asthma and many other childhood illnesses. Perhaps I will explore the topic in more detail in a future blog...
The importance of building a healthy immune system and ensuring appropriate and effective immune response cannot be emphasized enough. Personally, based on the evidence that exists and continues to emerge, we are only just beginning to understand how our choices and medical treatments impact our immune systems in both the long and short term. This idea has implications far beyond asthma; it also ties into allergic, autoimmune diseases, vaccines, and many other issues.
Wow, there are so many topics to choose from when writing about kids and health! I have a lot of issues I want to explore, but I’m going to start with a couple of articles about kids and getting sick.
First up, a study called Short- and Long-term Risk of Infections as a Function of Group Child Care Attendance published in the Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine found that, as we all know, children start getting more infections when they start spending lots of time around other kids! And, when children start group child care before age 2 and a half, they get more infections at that time, but less infections during elementary school years. Again this makes total sense! Kids are programmed to expose themselves to all kinds of pathogens from a very early age and this is an important part of their “immune education” which is done during those crucial childhood years before puberty and must last a lifetime. So getting sick is not a bad thing at all, as long as parents know how to manage it in a health-promoting way being careful to avoid suppression. A naturopathic doctor is a great resource to learn how to manage common childhood infections.
The second study I want to share is called Antibiotic Exposure by 6 Months and Asthma and Allergy at 6 Years: Findings in a Cohort of 1,401 US Children published in the American Journal of Epidemiology and adds further information to the association between antibiotic use in infancy and the development of childhood asthma. This article called Early Antibiotic Use Can Lead to Increased Risk of Childhood Asthma does a great job of summarizing the findings and explaining the mechanism behind this effect, which may be that antibiotics have a major impact on the beneficial bacteria in the digestive tract, which are an important factor in immune response. When these bacteria are disrupted, the type of immune response mounted is altered, resulting in pathologies such as asthma. Something the article does not mention that is a great tool in preventing, mitigating, and treating this type of issue longer term is the use of probiotics. There is already loads of evidence that probiotics are effective in both the prevention and treatment of asthma and many other childhood illnesses. Perhaps I will explore the topic in more detail in a future blog...
The importance of building a healthy immune system and ensuring appropriate and effective immune response cannot be emphasized enough. Personally, based on the evidence that exists and continues to emerge, we are only just beginning to understand how our choices and medical treatments impact our immune systems in both the long and short term. This idea has implications far beyond asthma; it also ties into allergic, autoimmune diseases, vaccines, and many other issues.
Quinoa-oatmeal cookies
06/Feb/11 05:38 PM Filed in: Recipes
by Kate Whimster, BCom, MIFHI, ND
I think I came up with these cookies from a recipe somewhere and modified it a bit from there. I’ve been making them for several years and they are always a hit!
Quinoa-oatmeal (aka Quinoatmeal) Cookies
(makes about 36 small cookies)
Ingredients:
Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 300 degrees F.
2. Mix quinoa flakes, oats, almond meal, baking soda, and salt together in a medium bowl.
3. Mix ghee, vegetable glycerine, and egg together in a small bowl.
4. Blend wet and dry ingredients together until combined.
5. Add chocolate chips.
6. Spoon onto baking sheets lined with parchment paper and flatten a bit with a fork.
7. Bake for 10-15 minutes until golden.
8. Let cool for 5-10 minutes before removing from baking sheet.
Notes:
You can also make a chocolate version of these cookies by adding 1/4 cup cocoa. You can also add a bit more sweetener to taste.
I think I came up with these cookies from a recipe somewhere and modified it a bit from there. I’ve been making them for several years and they are always a hit!
Quinoa-oatmeal (aka Quinoatmeal) Cookies
(makes about 36 small cookies)
Ingredients:
- 1 cup rolled oats (I use Bob’s Red Mill Wheat-free Oats)
- 1 cup quinoa flakes (from Go Go Quinoa)
- 1 cup almond meal (Bob’s Red Mill again!)
- 1/2 cup ghee, melted (I make my own ghee using organic, cultured butter, see ghee recipe here) or butter - ghee is wetter than butter, so adjust accordingly
- 1/4 cup vegetable glycerine (very sweet but does not spike blood sugar - I get mine in large bottles from Azure Standard) or agave syrup - adjust according to desired sweetness
- 1 egg
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1/8 tsp salt
- 1/2 to 3/4 cup chocolate chips (I use Enjoy Life semi-sweet chocolate chips which are gluten, dairy, and nut-free)
Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 300 degrees F.
2. Mix quinoa flakes, oats, almond meal, baking soda, and salt together in a medium bowl.
3. Mix ghee, vegetable glycerine, and egg together in a small bowl.
4. Blend wet and dry ingredients together until combined.
5. Add chocolate chips.
6. Spoon onto baking sheets lined with parchment paper and flatten a bit with a fork.
7. Bake for 10-15 minutes until golden.
8. Let cool for 5-10 minutes before removing from baking sheet.
Notes:
You can also make a chocolate version of these cookies by adding 1/4 cup cocoa. You can also add a bit more sweetener to taste.
Great quote #24
05/Feb/11 07:21 AM Filed in: Quotes
“Our greatest glory is not in never failing, but in rising up every time we fail.” Ralph Waldo Emerson
Why you should take homeopathy seriously
02/Feb/11 12:55 PM Filed in: Homeopathy
by Kate Whimster, BCom, MIFHI, ND
The debate over homeopathy rages on! I just read this article in the Huffington Post in which Nobel Prize winner Luc Montagnier (the virologist who discovered the AIDS virus) explains why he supports homeopathy. The article cites a fair bit of research into homeopathy, which makes for a great read if you want to learn more. Thanks Theresa Jahn, ND for sending me the link!
The article makes some great points in favour of homeopathy that I wanted to highlight:
Reading through the comments on this article, I also found a link to this page on frequently asked questions about homeopathy. This is a really detailed Q&A on all the most-asked questions about homeopathy and is a great place to start if you want to learn about this wonderful modality. Enjoy!
The debate over homeopathy rages on! I just read this article in the Huffington Post in which Nobel Prize winner Luc Montagnier (the virologist who discovered the AIDS virus) explains why he supports homeopathy. The article cites a fair bit of research into homeopathy, which makes for a great read if you want to learn more. Thanks Theresa Jahn, ND for sending me the link!
The article makes some great points in favour of homeopathy that I wanted to highlight:
- “Most clinical research conducted on homeopathic medicines that has been published in peer-review journals have shown positive clinical results,(3, 4) especially in the treatment of respiratory allergies (5, 6), influenza, (7) fibromyalgia, (8, 9) rheumatoid arthritis, (10) childhood diarrhea, (11) post-surgical abdominal surgery recovery, (12) attention deficit disorder, (13) and reduction in the side effects of conventional cancer treatments. (14).”
- “In addition to clinical trials, several hundred basic science studies have confirmed the biological activity of homeopathic medicines. One type of basic science trials, called in vitro studies, found 67 experiments (1/3 of them replications) and nearly 3/4 of all replications were positive. (15, 16).”
- Homeopathy “gained widespread popularity in the U.S. and Europe during the 19th century due to the impressive results people experienced in the treatment of epidemics that raged during that time, including cholera, typhoid, yellow fever, scarlet fever, and influenza.”
- “High dilutions of something are not nothing. They are water structures which mimic the original molecules."
Reading through the comments on this article, I also found a link to this page on frequently asked questions about homeopathy. This is a really detailed Q&A on all the most-asked questions about homeopathy and is a great place to start if you want to learn about this wonderful modality. Enjoy!