Philosophy
You can change
02/Jan/13 09:02 PM
by Kate Whimster, BCom, MIFHI, ND
You hear it all the time “I’m too old to change” or “people never change” or some similar thing... I get tired of hearing this, especially since I witness people change their diet, lifestyle, and many other things all the time!
I read this great blog titled The Biggest Lie On Earth by life coach Tim Brownson on this very subject last year, but saved this up to link to this new year since this message fits great with those of you making New Year’s Resolutions! This blog really hit home with how I think about change.
The bottom line is, if you WANT something, YOU (and only you) can make it happen. Need help changing your health? Contact me!
You hear it all the time “I’m too old to change” or “people never change” or some similar thing... I get tired of hearing this, especially since I witness people change their diet, lifestyle, and many other things all the time!
I read this great blog titled The Biggest Lie On Earth by life coach Tim Brownson on this very subject last year, but saved this up to link to this new year since this message fits great with those of you making New Year’s Resolutions! This blog really hit home with how I think about change.
The bottom line is, if you WANT something, YOU (and only you) can make it happen. Need help changing your health? Contact me!
Comments
Get uncomfortable
18/Dec/12 03:09 PM
by Kate Whimster, BCom, MIFHI, ND
I read this great blog titled How Comfort is Killing You by Johnny B. Truant (guest posting on Tim Brownson’s site, A Daring Adventure) over a month ago, but I keep thinking about it (maybe because the title is so catchy?), so I wanted to share it with you!
This blog shares a great story about how Johnny B. Truant went from living in relative (yet unfulfilling) comfort to becoming incredibly UNcomfortable and how DIScomfort is an incredibly powerful motivator. We all know this (kind of), but it’s helpful to be reminded of the big sticks all around us that help us push ourselves for something better.
Enjoy!
I read this great blog titled How Comfort is Killing You by Johnny B. Truant (guest posting on Tim Brownson’s site, A Daring Adventure) over a month ago, but I keep thinking about it (maybe because the title is so catchy?), so I wanted to share it with you!
This blog shares a great story about how Johnny B. Truant went from living in relative (yet unfulfilling) comfort to becoming incredibly UNcomfortable and how DIScomfort is an incredibly powerful motivator. We all know this (kind of), but it’s helpful to be reminded of the big sticks all around us that help us push ourselves for something better.
Enjoy!
Cholesterol: a reality check
28/Nov/12 11:46 AM
by Kate Whimster, BCom, MIFHI, ND
This is the third year in a row I am giving community talks on cholesterol and it is clear that this topic is one of the most popular, year after year. I think this is because “high cholesterol” is one of the easiest medical conditions to diagnose and is aggressively treated. I mean, statin medications like Lipitor did not become the top-selling drug (1) (at $7.2 billion!) and simvastatin (94.1 million prescriptions!) the second most-prescribed drug (1) in the United States for no reason!
I’m writing this blog because I want to bring to light the reality of health and cholesterol and bust some of the myths in this area!
I was originally going to name this blog “The Cholesterol Myth” but I guess I’m not the only person who thought that was a catchy title, because I found this book, The Great Cholesterol Myth which covers the same topic. I haven’t read the book, but it looks interesting!
What is cholesterol?
When people talk about “cholesterol,” they are usually actually talking about fat in the blood, either carried by lipoproteins (proteins that escort fat around) or as lipids. There are three kinds:
Coronary atherosclerosis (aka “hardening of the arteries”) “occurs when fat, cholesterol, and other substances build up in the walls of arteries and form hard structures called plaques (2).” These plaques decrease blood flow through arteries by taking up space and making the artery walls less flexible. They can also grow so large they completely block blood flow or pieces of them can break off and also causes blockages. Blockages like this can cause heart attacks and strokes.
The extra-simple explanation for why your doctor and the media care so much about your cholesterol numbers is that they believe that high total cholesterol is an important risk factor that predicts atherosclerosis. Therefore, prescribing medication to lower cholesterol can prevent atherosclerosis and its consequences. This approach still ignores WHY cholesterol is elevated and how such causes can also contribute to atherosclerosis in many other ways... I’ll get to that later.
So, if plaques in arteries are a problem, how can we measure them? Turns out this is not so hard! There are good imaging techniques to help measure coronary plaques (plaques in the arteries feeding blood to the heart muscle), such as Electron Beam Tomography (EBT) and computed tomography (CT) angiography (3). The most risky plaques are calcified, which makes them easier to see via such imaging.
Reality check
So, the next logical question is, does elevated cholesterol correlate well with arterial plaques? And therefore, is cholesterol a useful measure to assess risk of coronary atherosclerosis? The answer is NO.
Last year I read a great article called “Does cholesterol drive coronary atherosclerosis?” (3) in Integrated Healthcare Practitioners magazine summarizing a great deal of evidence from many other sources over years. Here are a few highlights:
So what is up with anyone and everyone taking statin medications? Some young doctors start taking these medications “preventatively” and some doctors have gone as far as to suggest that every adult should be on them!
The reality is that statin medications block cholesterol production by interfering with a natural process in the body (ie: the way most pharmaceuticals work). This is not insignificant, as your body is created to work efficiently and healthily given a supportive environment. Changing this environment and important processes such as this not only ignores the real issue of WHY is the body producing higher levels of cholesterol but also leads to a huge list of adverse effects.
I recently read a blog “Possible pitfalls of statins” which highlights some of the important consequences of taking these medications - check that out for more info.
How can we better understand cardiovascular risk?
We’ve established that total cholesterol and LDL are not as useful for predicting risk as previously believed, so now what? Another great article “Novel cholesterol subtypes” in Integrated Healthcare Practitioners magazine looks at evidence for several lesser-known lipid markers to asses risk. Here is a brief summary of each from this article:
So many patients are worried about cholesterol and I am really disappointed to observe that often this fear and anxiety is fostered by their medical doctors. I’ve become tired of hearing that my patients feel forced or even “bullied” into taking statin medications while not being fully informed about the true risks and benefits of these medications. Most of all, I feel frustrated that as a society, we do not use cholesterol information as a CLUE to what is out of balance about a patient’s diet, lifestyle, health, etc and work on these issues instead, which actually make a major impact on long-term health and wellness.
High cholesterol, atherosclerosis, heart disease, etc are the result of a lifetime of choices and are almost entirely preventable. Naturopathic treatment in this area is highly personalized, but should take into account:
This is the third year in a row I am giving community talks on cholesterol and it is clear that this topic is one of the most popular, year after year. I think this is because “high cholesterol” is one of the easiest medical conditions to diagnose and is aggressively treated. I mean, statin medications like Lipitor did not become the top-selling drug (1) (at $7.2 billion!) and simvastatin (94.1 million prescriptions!) the second most-prescribed drug (1) in the United States for no reason!
I’m writing this blog because I want to bring to light the reality of health and cholesterol and bust some of the myths in this area!
I was originally going to name this blog “The Cholesterol Myth” but I guess I’m not the only person who thought that was a catchy title, because I found this book, The Great Cholesterol Myth which covers the same topic. I haven’t read the book, but it looks interesting!
What is cholesterol?
When people talk about “cholesterol,” they are usually actually talking about fat in the blood, either carried by lipoproteins (proteins that escort fat around) or as lipids. There are three kinds:
- LDL (low density lipoprotein): Often called “bad cholesterol,” this type of lipoprotein carries cholesterol from the liver to tissues, so the thinking is that it can “build up” where it shouldn’t be (ie: arteries).
- HDL (high density lipoprotein): Often called “good cholesterol”, this type of lipoprotein does the opposite of LDL; it carries cholesterol from tissues back to the liver where it is broken down or eliminated from the body. HDL is considered to be preventative of disease.
- Triglycerides: These are literally fats in the blood. Extra calories in the body are converted into triglycerides and stored in fat cells for a “rainy day” when your body might need more energy.
Coronary atherosclerosis (aka “hardening of the arteries”) “occurs when fat, cholesterol, and other substances build up in the walls of arteries and form hard structures called plaques (2).” These plaques decrease blood flow through arteries by taking up space and making the artery walls less flexible. They can also grow so large they completely block blood flow or pieces of them can break off and also causes blockages. Blockages like this can cause heart attacks and strokes.
The extra-simple explanation for why your doctor and the media care so much about your cholesterol numbers is that they believe that high total cholesterol is an important risk factor that predicts atherosclerosis. Therefore, prescribing medication to lower cholesterol can prevent atherosclerosis and its consequences. This approach still ignores WHY cholesterol is elevated and how such causes can also contribute to atherosclerosis in many other ways... I’ll get to that later.
So, if plaques in arteries are a problem, how can we measure them? Turns out this is not so hard! There are good imaging techniques to help measure coronary plaques (plaques in the arteries feeding blood to the heart muscle), such as Electron Beam Tomography (EBT) and computed tomography (CT) angiography (3). The most risky plaques are calcified, which makes them easier to see via such imaging.
Reality check
So, the next logical question is, does elevated cholesterol correlate well with arterial plaques? And therefore, is cholesterol a useful measure to assess risk of coronary atherosclerosis? The answer is NO.
Last year I read a great article called “Does cholesterol drive coronary atherosclerosis?” (3) in Integrated Healthcare Practitioners magazine summarizing a great deal of evidence from many other sources over years. Here are a few highlights:
- Total cholesterol and LDL cholesterol do not correlate with coronary artery calcium burden or total plaque burden (calcified or not).
- The commonly accepted idea that saturated fat in the diet leads to atherosclerosis has been repeatedly challenged and is not supported by research literature. This article points out that “increased saturated fat intake leads to a beneficial decrease in small dense LDL, and greater intake in saturated fat was found to reduce progression of coronary atherosclerosis (4).”
- Lower LDL does not reduce the prevalence or progression of coronary plaque.
- Treatment with statins does not affect coronary calcification.
- For women, men over 47, and the elderly in general, elevated cholesterol is a “very weak risk factor” for coronary heart disease or “not a risk factor at all.”
So what is up with anyone and everyone taking statin medications? Some young doctors start taking these medications “preventatively” and some doctors have gone as far as to suggest that every adult should be on them!
The reality is that statin medications block cholesterol production by interfering with a natural process in the body (ie: the way most pharmaceuticals work). This is not insignificant, as your body is created to work efficiently and healthily given a supportive environment. Changing this environment and important processes such as this not only ignores the real issue of WHY is the body producing higher levels of cholesterol but also leads to a huge list of adverse effects.
I recently read a blog “Possible pitfalls of statins” which highlights some of the important consequences of taking these medications - check that out for more info.
How can we better understand cardiovascular risk?
We’ve established that total cholesterol and LDL are not as useful for predicting risk as previously believed, so now what? Another great article “Novel cholesterol subtypes” in Integrated Healthcare Practitioners magazine looks at evidence for several lesser-known lipid markers to asses risk. Here is a brief summary of each from this article:
- Lipoprotein-associated phospholipase A2 (Lp-PLA2): Can be a strong predictor of cardiovascular events (eg: heart attack, stroke) and can be reduced via omega-3 fatty acid intake and weight loss.
- Apolipoprotein (Apo) B: Can more accurately pinpoint the number of LDL particles and therefore can better estimate risk.
- LDL particle concentration (LDL-P): Another measure of the number of LDL particles, as above.
- Lipoprotein(a) (Lp(a)): Number of these molecules is a strong predictor of cardiovascular risk, especially in patients with strong family history.
- LDL and HDL subfractions: Seek to understand more detail about size, density, and cholesterol content of LDL and HDL. These measurements appear to be less useful than other tests listed above.
- Extent of calcified plaque in arteries (measured as described above via EBT or CT)
- Hypertension (elevated blood pressure)
- Diabetes and insulin resistance (which is the result of long-term blood sugar dysregulation)
- Smoking
- Being overweight or obese (result of long-term excess calories stored as fat)
- Inflammation in the body (can be measured using tests such as high sensitivity CRP (hs-CRP))
- Lack of physical activity
- Stress (lots of evidence that stress plays a major role in developing heart disease)
- Mood (depression also increases risk of heart disease!)
So many patients are worried about cholesterol and I am really disappointed to observe that often this fear and anxiety is fostered by their medical doctors. I’ve become tired of hearing that my patients feel forced or even “bullied” into taking statin medications while not being fully informed about the true risks and benefits of these medications. Most of all, I feel frustrated that as a society, we do not use cholesterol information as a CLUE to what is out of balance about a patient’s diet, lifestyle, health, etc and work on these issues instead, which actually make a major impact on long-term health and wellness.
High cholesterol, atherosclerosis, heart disease, etc are the result of a lifetime of choices and are almost entirely preventable. Naturopathic treatment in this area is highly personalized, but should take into account:
- Nutrition and diet changes appropriate to the individual
- Weight reduction where necessary
- Consistent and challenging physical activity
- Appropriate stress and mood management
- Reversing conditions which promote heart disease, such as insulin resistance and inflammation in the body
- Healthy function of the liver, which produces cholesterol
- Treatment for other risk factors as listed earlier (eg: smoking cessation, blood pressure regulation)
- Appropriate nutritional and botanical supplementation for the individual
- http://www.webmd.com/news/20110420/the-10-most-prescribed-drugs
- http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmedhealth/PMH0001224/
- Ware WR. Does cholesterol drive coronary atherosclerosis? Integrated Healthcare Practitioners. 2011 Oct: 64-68.
- Accurso A, et al. Dietary carbohydrate restriction in type 2 diabetes mellitus and metabolic syndrome: time for a critical appraisal. Nutr Metab (Lond). 2008 Apr 8;5:9. PMID: 18397522
- Habib C, Rouchotas P. Novel cholesterol subtypes. Integrated Healthcare Practitioners. 2012 Oct: 53-57.
An ounce of prevention...
13/Nov/12 01:45 PM
by Kate Whimster, BCom, MIFHI, ND
In my monthly library talks and when speaking with patients, I find myself frequently emphasizing the incredible importance of prevention. Naturopathic medicine is all about prevention! So I thought I would share some key points here to help drive home just how valuable prevention is (and why it can be hard to practice it!).
How valuable is prevention?
We all theoretically agree it is better to prevent disease (or any other negative outcome). Treating existing health issues prevents future, chronic health issues. For example, addressing high blood pressure can prevent heart disease, treating inflammation today can make your body a less hospitable place for cancer to grow, and resolving immune imbalance can treat and prevent eczema, asthma, and allergies. Clearly you can save time, energy, and money later by making an investment in your health today.
Think for a moment of any nagging health issue you might have now… Pain, fatigue, medications you have to take, discomfort, etc. What would it be worth to you to not have it? To just be cured of it right now? As if it never happened? A lot, right? That would mean you don’t have to work so hard and you would feel better every day. And, how good would that feel? How gratifying would that be? Pretty amazing, right?
So, what would it be worth to you to have prevented that nagging issue before it happened? Take into account the financial cost, but also the value of your time and energy. Consider how that issue may have affected your job performance, earning potential, quality of life, relationships, and all the other ways it has changed your life. With these things in mind, prevention is incredibly valuable! Unfortunately, putting prevention into practice is still a challenge for so many of us.
Why is prevention hard to practice?
1. Prevention seems expensive:
In Canada we are accustomed to “free” healthcare. It isn’t really “free” but because we don’t pay directly out of pocket, it seems that way. Nor is it necessarily what we want in terms of long-term health outcomes – the conventional medical system doesn’t do prevention very well. In comparison, investing your disposable income in health NOW versus spending nothing NOW (but spending a lot more later) can seem expensive. However, making that up-front investment actually provides a higher return in quality of life, savings on medications, increased energy and productivity, and just plain enjoyment of life than any other way you can invest your money.
2. Prevention is delayed gratification:
Having pain and taking pain medication and getting quick relief is very tangible and immediate. Much of medicine works this way (medications for asthma, sleep, depression, anxiety, rashes, etc). It’s pretty great to have a problem, take a pill, and feel better!
More delayed gratification might be if you have an issue (eg: migraines, asthma, depression, or some other discomfort) and go see a naturopathic doctor who works with you on diet, lifestyle, and other ways to eventually eliminate your discomfort. Usually you can see some improvement in the short-term with naturopathic treatment and continue building on that to alleviate your symptoms. This is also tangible and measurable because you had a problem and then you don’t. Definitely takes more time, up-front cost, and commitment, but most people would agree the result has more value that suppressing the same symptoms with medication.
Prevention is the ultimate in delayed gratification since if you are successful, you will never know what might have been and you can’t measure something that doesn’t exist! So, prevention doesn’t have the same short-term pay-off that motivates people. And, prevention is very, very difficult to prove in the currently popular “double-blind randomized controlled trial” research paradigm.
Naturopathic medicine = prevention superstar
Most patients begin naturopathic treatment looking for solutions to problems they have now, such as high cholesterol, fatigue, pain, digestive issues, hormone issues, infertility, etc. This is wonderful because treating those issues naturopathically can not only resolve symptoms but because naturopathic medicine targets the root cause and focuses on establishing healthy habits, long-term more serious diseases can also be reduced or prevented over time. More bang for your buck!
In addition, most naturopathic treatments are CUMULATIVE. Most naturopathic treatments continue to yield big results the longer they are in place, because when you work improving the function and health of the body now, over time that improvement continues to grow and help create a physiological environment less conducive to disease and more conducive to healing.
Make your health a priority
A colleague of mine recently lamented that unfortunately the “poverty mentality” continues to affect those of us working for prevention. He pointed out that while many people freely spend on new tech gadgets, eating out, beauty products, purses/clothing/shoes, vacations, etc these same individuals will often complain about the price of naturopathic treatment and natural health products and only spend on their health within whatever benefits coverage they have (despite what may be necessary to achieve their goals).
I definitely observe this too and try to frame it in a slightly different way for myself and my patients, which is:
In my monthly library talks and when speaking with patients, I find myself frequently emphasizing the incredible importance of prevention. Naturopathic medicine is all about prevention! So I thought I would share some key points here to help drive home just how valuable prevention is (and why it can be hard to practice it!).
How valuable is prevention?
We all theoretically agree it is better to prevent disease (or any other negative outcome). Treating existing health issues prevents future, chronic health issues. For example, addressing high blood pressure can prevent heart disease, treating inflammation today can make your body a less hospitable place for cancer to grow, and resolving immune imbalance can treat and prevent eczema, asthma, and allergies. Clearly you can save time, energy, and money later by making an investment in your health today.
Think for a moment of any nagging health issue you might have now… Pain, fatigue, medications you have to take, discomfort, etc. What would it be worth to you to not have it? To just be cured of it right now? As if it never happened? A lot, right? That would mean you don’t have to work so hard and you would feel better every day. And, how good would that feel? How gratifying would that be? Pretty amazing, right?
So, what would it be worth to you to have prevented that nagging issue before it happened? Take into account the financial cost, but also the value of your time and energy. Consider how that issue may have affected your job performance, earning potential, quality of life, relationships, and all the other ways it has changed your life. With these things in mind, prevention is incredibly valuable! Unfortunately, putting prevention into practice is still a challenge for so many of us.
Why is prevention hard to practice?
1. Prevention seems expensive:
In Canada we are accustomed to “free” healthcare. It isn’t really “free” but because we don’t pay directly out of pocket, it seems that way. Nor is it necessarily what we want in terms of long-term health outcomes – the conventional medical system doesn’t do prevention very well. In comparison, investing your disposable income in health NOW versus spending nothing NOW (but spending a lot more later) can seem expensive. However, making that up-front investment actually provides a higher return in quality of life, savings on medications, increased energy and productivity, and just plain enjoyment of life than any other way you can invest your money.
2. Prevention is delayed gratification:
Having pain and taking pain medication and getting quick relief is very tangible and immediate. Much of medicine works this way (medications for asthma, sleep, depression, anxiety, rashes, etc). It’s pretty great to have a problem, take a pill, and feel better!
More delayed gratification might be if you have an issue (eg: migraines, asthma, depression, or some other discomfort) and go see a naturopathic doctor who works with you on diet, lifestyle, and other ways to eventually eliminate your discomfort. Usually you can see some improvement in the short-term with naturopathic treatment and continue building on that to alleviate your symptoms. This is also tangible and measurable because you had a problem and then you don’t. Definitely takes more time, up-front cost, and commitment, but most people would agree the result has more value that suppressing the same symptoms with medication.
Prevention is the ultimate in delayed gratification since if you are successful, you will never know what might have been and you can’t measure something that doesn’t exist! So, prevention doesn’t have the same short-term pay-off that motivates people. And, prevention is very, very difficult to prove in the currently popular “double-blind randomized controlled trial” research paradigm.
Naturopathic medicine = prevention superstar
Most patients begin naturopathic treatment looking for solutions to problems they have now, such as high cholesterol, fatigue, pain, digestive issues, hormone issues, infertility, etc. This is wonderful because treating those issues naturopathically can not only resolve symptoms but because naturopathic medicine targets the root cause and focuses on establishing healthy habits, long-term more serious diseases can also be reduced or prevented over time. More bang for your buck!
In addition, most naturopathic treatments are CUMULATIVE. Most naturopathic treatments continue to yield big results the longer they are in place, because when you work improving the function and health of the body now, over time that improvement continues to grow and help create a physiological environment less conducive to disease and more conducive to healing.
Make your health a priority
A colleague of mine recently lamented that unfortunately the “poverty mentality” continues to affect those of us working for prevention. He pointed out that while many people freely spend on new tech gadgets, eating out, beauty products, purses/clothing/shoes, vacations, etc these same individuals will often complain about the price of naturopathic treatment and natural health products and only spend on their health within whatever benefits coverage they have (despite what may be necessary to achieve their goals).
I definitely observe this too and try to frame it in a slightly different way for myself and my patients, which is:
- How high a priority is your health?
- Where does health fit into the context of your lifestyle and other priorities?
Learn from cancer survivors
03/Jan/12 01:22 PM
by Kate Whimster, BCom, MIFHI, ND
I love lists, so in that spirit I wanted to share this blog on Crazy Sexy Life called 10 Things I Learned From People Who Survive Cancer. What do people who recover from major illness have in common? Here are a few of my favourite points:
“Don’t take sh*t from people”:
Do you ever find yourself getting annoyed over the most irrelevant things? Does it really matter if you don’t get your friend the perfect wedding/baby shower/birthday gift or someone de-friends you on Facebook? Didn’t you used to think that adults didn’t care about such petty, childish problems? So, you can either tackle the issue (probably my go-to approach too much of the time) or just stop caring! Spend your time and energy on the stuff that matters. And if you have enough left over for those petty things, reconsider just how good you have it!
“Take care of your body”:
If you’re reading this blog, you may have already gotten this message from me! And to go along with this point, I would add that you should realize the true value of your health and be willing to invest in maintaining it. In Canada we are accustomed to “free” healthcare. It isn’t really “free” but because we don’t pay directly out of pocket, it seems that way. However, this “free” healthcare does little to prevent your future disease.
Think for a moment of any nagging health issue you might have now… Pain, fatigue, medications you have to take, etc. What would it be worth to you to not have it? To just be cured of it right now, as if it never happened. A lot, right? That would mean you don’t have to work so hard and you would probably feel better every day. It takes a lot more to reverse a process that is already in motion (and has been for many years) than to prevent it! So, take care of your body.
Do you really need another purse, pair of shoes, car, house, toy, or whatever? What you really NEED is your health. Prevention will save you time, money, energy, and will give you a better return than any other investment you can make.
I love lists, so in that spirit I wanted to share this blog on Crazy Sexy Life called 10 Things I Learned From People Who Survive Cancer. What do people who recover from major illness have in common? Here are a few of my favourite points:
“Don’t take sh*t from people”:
Do you ever find yourself getting annoyed over the most irrelevant things? Does it really matter if you don’t get your friend the perfect wedding/baby shower/birthday gift or someone de-friends you on Facebook? Didn’t you used to think that adults didn’t care about such petty, childish problems? So, you can either tackle the issue (probably my go-to approach too much of the time) or just stop caring! Spend your time and energy on the stuff that matters. And if you have enough left over for those petty things, reconsider just how good you have it!
“Take care of your body”:
If you’re reading this blog, you may have already gotten this message from me! And to go along with this point, I would add that you should realize the true value of your health and be willing to invest in maintaining it. In Canada we are accustomed to “free” healthcare. It isn’t really “free” but because we don’t pay directly out of pocket, it seems that way. However, this “free” healthcare does little to prevent your future disease.
Think for a moment of any nagging health issue you might have now… Pain, fatigue, medications you have to take, etc. What would it be worth to you to not have it? To just be cured of it right now, as if it never happened. A lot, right? That would mean you don’t have to work so hard and you would probably feel better every day. It takes a lot more to reverse a process that is already in motion (and has been for many years) than to prevent it! So, take care of your body.
Do you really need another purse, pair of shoes, car, house, toy, or whatever? What you really NEED is your health. Prevention will save you time, money, energy, and will give you a better return than any other investment you can make.
Achieve your goals with a vision board
26/Dec/11 09:57 AM
by Kate Whimster, BCom, MIFHI, ND
If you’ve read/watched The Secret or maybe other books about the power of attraction or intention, you’ve probably heard of a vision board. A vision board is simply a visual representation of your goals. It’s a tool to imagine what it is like to have what you seek and it can be a lot of fun to make! This time of year is when most people make New Year’s resolutions... How about this year, instead of making resolutions that you likely won’t keep, you instead set goals and make a vision board to help you manifest those goals? Here are 5 easy steps to making your vision board:
Step 1: Set goals
This is the most important step! If you don’t know what your goals are, how will you ever achieve them? You should probably spend the most time on this step because it shapes all the following steps. Your goals can relate to anything: career, relationships, health, finances, travel, investments, whatever. You might consider a different vision board for each if that suits you better.
Have you ever heard of that Harvard study on goal setting? Interviewers asked Harvard MBA students whether they had clear, written goals for their future and made plans to accomplish them. 84% had no goals, 13% had goals but they were not written, and 3% had clear, written goals and plans to accomplish them. 10 years later, the 13% with goals were earning, on average, twice as much as the 84% without goals. However, the 3% with clear, written goals were earning, on average, 10 times as much as the other 97%! This information is prolific in the business community as evidence of the power of committing your goals to paper. Unfortunately, this story has been debunked by Fast Company and several others!
However, that doesn’t mean that setting clear, written goals isn’t effective! There is actual research in this area, most notably this study by Gail Matthews. She found that those with written goals accomplished significantly more, those who shared their commitments publicly accomplished significantly more, and those who held themselves accountable accomplished significantly more.
This is all to say: goals are important, but so is DOING SOMETHING with those goals. A vision board is a key part of making your goals into something productive.
Step 2: Visualize and feel
This step is the most fun! All you need to do here is use your imagination! Remember that thing you used to use a lot as a kid when you played dress-up or make-believe? Time to pull it out of the dusty corner and get it working for you again.
Take some time AWAY from the computer, phone, office, kids, spouse, desk, etc to sit quietly and think about what it would be like to achieve your goals. What would your life look like if you got everything you wanted? How would you feel?
Write down some simple notes or even draw if that works better. You want to have some guiding ideas of what you need to put on your vision board that will show you what your goals look like and that will inspire you to feel the feeling of accomplishing your goals.
Step 3: Collect images and words
Now that you know what accomplishing your goals looks like and feels like, you need to find visuals that match. This step is also lots of fun because you get to be creative! When was the last time you did something creative? This step is like window-shopping for all the things you want in life.
Look in magazines for photos you like or even search online. Google Images is a great resource - simply type in what you want, like “cute puppy” and look through the images you get back for one that resonates with you. You can also use the web in other ways. Do you want a great car? Go to the manufacturer’s site and often you can design the car you want with all the features you want and print out the photo! Want a fantastic house? Go on MLS and search for the right house for you and print the listing! This also works for less material things, like a happy marriage and fulfilling family life. Look for photos of happy couples and smiling children. You can also use your own photos of yourself and others as long as they represent how you want to feel and what you want.
If you like to paint or draw, why not create your own images exactly the way you want? Why not use other things you love, like colours, textures, symbols, patterns, ribbons, paper, and great quotes or phrases?
I’ll give you a couple of examples of what I put on my vision board:
Your vision board can be made out of anything you want. First, you need something to put all your images and words on and this will determine what other supplies you need. Here are a few ideas:
Step 5: Create! And place.
Now that you have all you need, create your vision board! Arrange your images and words any way you like. Again, this is your chance to be creative in way you may not have been since primary school!
Place you vision board in a prominent place where you can look at it often, such as your office or bedroom. Use your vision board as a reminder of how your goals look and feel. Whenever you see it, take a moment to experience the feeling of realizing your goals. You can also use your vision board as a reminder to meditate on your goals.
If you’ve read/watched The Secret or maybe other books about the power of attraction or intention, you’ve probably heard of a vision board. A vision board is simply a visual representation of your goals. It’s a tool to imagine what it is like to have what you seek and it can be a lot of fun to make! This time of year is when most people make New Year’s resolutions... How about this year, instead of making resolutions that you likely won’t keep, you instead set goals and make a vision board to help you manifest those goals? Here are 5 easy steps to making your vision board:
- Set goals
- Visualize and feel
- Collect images/words
- Collect supplies
- Create and place
Step 1: Set goals
This is the most important step! If you don’t know what your goals are, how will you ever achieve them? You should probably spend the most time on this step because it shapes all the following steps. Your goals can relate to anything: career, relationships, health, finances, travel, investments, whatever. You might consider a different vision board for each if that suits you better.
Have you ever heard of that Harvard study on goal setting? Interviewers asked Harvard MBA students whether they had clear, written goals for their future and made plans to accomplish them. 84% had no goals, 13% had goals but they were not written, and 3% had clear, written goals and plans to accomplish them. 10 years later, the 13% with goals were earning, on average, twice as much as the 84% without goals. However, the 3% with clear, written goals were earning, on average, 10 times as much as the other 97%! This information is prolific in the business community as evidence of the power of committing your goals to paper. Unfortunately, this story has been debunked by Fast Company and several others!
However, that doesn’t mean that setting clear, written goals isn’t effective! There is actual research in this area, most notably this study by Gail Matthews. She found that those with written goals accomplished significantly more, those who shared their commitments publicly accomplished significantly more, and those who held themselves accountable accomplished significantly more.
This is all to say: goals are important, but so is DOING SOMETHING with those goals. A vision board is a key part of making your goals into something productive.
Step 2: Visualize and feel
This step is the most fun! All you need to do here is use your imagination! Remember that thing you used to use a lot as a kid when you played dress-up or make-believe? Time to pull it out of the dusty corner and get it working for you again.
Take some time AWAY from the computer, phone, office, kids, spouse, desk, etc to sit quietly and think about what it would be like to achieve your goals. What would your life look like if you got everything you wanted? How would you feel?
Write down some simple notes or even draw if that works better. You want to have some guiding ideas of what you need to put on your vision board that will show you what your goals look like and that will inspire you to feel the feeling of accomplishing your goals.
Step 3: Collect images and words
Now that you know what accomplishing your goals looks like and feels like, you need to find visuals that match. This step is also lots of fun because you get to be creative! When was the last time you did something creative? This step is like window-shopping for all the things you want in life.
Look in magazines for photos you like or even search online. Google Images is a great resource - simply type in what you want, like “cute puppy” and look through the images you get back for one that resonates with you. You can also use the web in other ways. Do you want a great car? Go to the manufacturer’s site and often you can design the car you want with all the features you want and print out the photo! Want a fantastic house? Go on MLS and search for the right house for you and print the listing! This also works for less material things, like a happy marriage and fulfilling family life. Look for photos of happy couples and smiling children. You can also use your own photos of yourself and others as long as they represent how you want to feel and what you want.
If you like to paint or draw, why not create your own images exactly the way you want? Why not use other things you love, like colours, textures, symbols, patterns, ribbons, paper, and great quotes or phrases?
I’ll give you a couple of examples of what I put on my vision board:
- I want to build my naturopathic practice and see more patients, so I made up an ideal weekly schedule in my calendar in which I put in how many new patient visits I want in a week and how many follow-up visits I want. I also put in there time to exercise, time for social events, and time off. Then I printed my schedule and put it on my vision board. When I made my vision board I was not that busy. The next month was my slowest month in practice ever, but then over the next 3 months I got busier and busier and now my weekly schedule looks like what is on my vision board!
- I went on MLS and searched for houses that fit certain criteria I want (number of bedrooms, neighbourhood, etc), but price was not a factor. I found a house I really liked and printed the listing and put it on my vision board. This house happens to be quite close to where I currently live, so it would be even better for me to go over there and take a look in person!
Your vision board can be made out of anything you want. First, you need something to put all your images and words on and this will determine what other supplies you need. Here are a few ideas:
- Corkboard and pins
- Posterboard and glue/tape
- Wall in your home and some way to stick things up (like sticky tack)
- Magnet board and magnets (this is what I used)
- Large picture frame, piece of cardboard to go in it, and glue/tape
- Fridge and magnets (this is great for kids to play with!)
Step 5: Create! And place.
Now that you have all you need, create your vision board! Arrange your images and words any way you like. Again, this is your chance to be creative in way you may not have been since primary school!
Place you vision board in a prominent place where you can look at it often, such as your office or bedroom. Use your vision board as a reminder of how your goals look and feel. Whenever you see it, take a moment to experience the feeling of realizing your goals. You can also use your vision board as a reminder to meditate on your goals.
Sister Act your health
03/Jun/11 08:16 AM
Here’s a fun video from the movie Sister Act that relates to health! My business coach Andy Belanger uses this video in his courses as a tool to explain naturopathic medicine:
Whoopi Goldberg’s character is like your ND. She analyzes the situation and determines that the choir (your body) is not working optimally, resulting in symptoms (bad singing!). But she can see that with a few adjustments, things can get better. She implements some organization, removes obstacles, fosters natural ability, and motivates them. The result in a few minutes is harmony! The choir still needs to practice, but just these few strategies have made them productive. This is what I do as a naturopathic doctor.
Enjoy!
Whoopi Goldberg’s character is like your ND. She analyzes the situation and determines that the choir (your body) is not working optimally, resulting in symptoms (bad singing!). But she can see that with a few adjustments, things can get better. She implements some organization, removes obstacles, fosters natural ability, and motivates them. The result in a few minutes is harmony! The choir still needs to practice, but just these few strategies have made them productive. This is what I do as a naturopathic doctor.
Enjoy!
What's it worth to ya?
24/May/11 07:31 PM
by Kate Whimster, BCom, MIFHI, ND
What is wellness worth?
If you ask a healthy person, they would probably give you a far different answer than someone who was once healthy and is now dealing with illness.
In Canada, we are accustomed to health care being “free”. It really isn’t free; we pay taxes to provide all of us (even those who don’t pay tax) with healthcare, but we don’t pay directly, so it seems free... Because we are used to getting the care we need as we need it without hassle (for the most part) and with no need to make a decision about our health based on money, it can be difficult to consider all the health care options for which we must pay out of pocket. Naturopathic medicine is one of these (along with massage therapy, chiropractic, osteopathic, physiotherapy, etc).
A lot of people ask me if/when naturopathic medicine will be covered by OHIP. I have no idea if this is even a possibility at this point, but the more important question is, should it be? Sure, this would cover the cost for everyone but it would also likely eliminate the most valuable aspect of naturopathic medicine, which is the ability to treat people individually. Under our provincial healthcare plan, medical doctors do not have this freedom; they are bound by “standard of care” and algorithms and “first-line” drug therapy for many chronic diseases.
Naturopathic doctors have the freedom to spend a lot of time with each patient and to create a personalized treatment plan for each. That means that one patient with diabetes may be treated entirely different from the next. Not only does this kind of care require longer visits, but it also requires a lot more time spent by the doctor outside the visit to research, analyze, and prepare an appropriate plan. My patients understand the value of their naturopathic treatment and view their insurance coverage as a helping hand. However, many chronic health issues will require treatment beyond what insurance will subsidize.
People will often tell me how much they think they could benefit from naturopathic care, but they can’t afford it. I think the actual number of people who truly can’t afford it is much smaller.
What is your health worth to you?
Most people don’t think twice about paying for clothing, purses, hair styling, entertainment, eating out, travel, etc and would never expect these “essentials” to be paid for by the government. Far too many people are eager to live beyond their means in a home that is more than they need, driving a car that is too expensive, and buying themselves and their kids enough toys to entertain many families. However, these same people balk at paying for healthcare, which is hands-down far more valuable and essential. Investment in your health is just another place for your discretionary spending, something that improves your quality of life and in fact is an investment in the most valuable asset you will ever own - your health.
But, but, but... What about people who can barely make ends meet, who are on disability, social assistance, etc? You know, the people who really need help with many aspects of their lives, especially health? That is where there is a problem. I challenge you to find a naturopathic doctor who doesn’t make exceptions for this kind of case in his or her practice. This helps some people, but not all. And that’s why places like this exist:
Consider what your health is worth, what health allows you to do in your life. Consider what you think is a reasonable investment to maintain that. Finally, consider what it will cost you (in money but also in quality of life) to regain health once it has suffered.
What is wellness worth?
If you ask a healthy person, they would probably give you a far different answer than someone who was once healthy and is now dealing with illness.
In Canada, we are accustomed to health care being “free”. It really isn’t free; we pay taxes to provide all of us (even those who don’t pay tax) with healthcare, but we don’t pay directly, so it seems free... Because we are used to getting the care we need as we need it without hassle (for the most part) and with no need to make a decision about our health based on money, it can be difficult to consider all the health care options for which we must pay out of pocket. Naturopathic medicine is one of these (along with massage therapy, chiropractic, osteopathic, physiotherapy, etc).
A lot of people ask me if/when naturopathic medicine will be covered by OHIP. I have no idea if this is even a possibility at this point, but the more important question is, should it be? Sure, this would cover the cost for everyone but it would also likely eliminate the most valuable aspect of naturopathic medicine, which is the ability to treat people individually. Under our provincial healthcare plan, medical doctors do not have this freedom; they are bound by “standard of care” and algorithms and “first-line” drug therapy for many chronic diseases.
Naturopathic doctors have the freedom to spend a lot of time with each patient and to create a personalized treatment plan for each. That means that one patient with diabetes may be treated entirely different from the next. Not only does this kind of care require longer visits, but it also requires a lot more time spent by the doctor outside the visit to research, analyze, and prepare an appropriate plan. My patients understand the value of their naturopathic treatment and view their insurance coverage as a helping hand. However, many chronic health issues will require treatment beyond what insurance will subsidize.
People will often tell me how much they think they could benefit from naturopathic care, but they can’t afford it. I think the actual number of people who truly can’t afford it is much smaller.
What is your health worth to you?
Most people don’t think twice about paying for clothing, purses, hair styling, entertainment, eating out, travel, etc and would never expect these “essentials” to be paid for by the government. Far too many people are eager to live beyond their means in a home that is more than they need, driving a car that is too expensive, and buying themselves and their kids enough toys to entertain many families. However, these same people balk at paying for healthcare, which is hands-down far more valuable and essential. Investment in your health is just another place for your discretionary spending, something that improves your quality of life and in fact is an investment in the most valuable asset you will ever own - your health.
But, but, but... What about people who can barely make ends meet, who are on disability, social assistance, etc? You know, the people who really need help with many aspects of their lives, especially health? That is where there is a problem. I challenge you to find a naturopathic doctor who doesn’t make exceptions for this kind of case in his or her practice. This helps some people, but not all. And that’s why places like this exist:
- Community PHA Naturopathic clinic at Sherbourne Health Centre
- Anishnawbe Health Toronto
- Lakeshore Area Multi-service Project naturopathic clinic
- Queen West Community Health Centre
- Parkdale Community Health Centre
Consider what your health is worth, what health allows you to do in your life. Consider what you think is a reasonable investment to maintain that. Finally, consider what it will cost you (in money but also in quality of life) to regain health once it has suffered.
Guest post: Self-compassion: a determinant of health
28/Apr/11 12:56 PM
Guest post originally published by Negin Misaghi, ND
In a recent article in Well, a health blog on The New York Times website, Tara Parker-Pope writes that “research suggests that giving ourselves a break and accepting our imperfections may be the first step toward better health. People who score high on tests of self-compassion have less depression and anxiety, and tend to be happier and more optimistic.”
Article is well worth the read! May I suggest you not just browse through it, but really try to understand it with an open mind and heart and see where and how you might need to apply this in your own life.
Here’s an excerpt from one of the researchers Dr. Neff, an associate professor of human development at the University of Texas at Austin: “[people] believe self-criticism is what keeps them in line. Most people have gotten it wrong because our culture says being hard on yourself is the way to be.’”
If you suffer from the detrimental effects of self-criticism practice being more compassionate towards yourself. Self-compassion entails being warm and understanding toward ourselves when we suffer, fail, or feel inadequate, rather than ignoring our pain or bombarding ourselves with self-criticism. Self-compassion also means holding our difficulties in mindful awareness and feeling connected to others while we suffer.
For various reasons (learnt responses and cultural norms) we have learnt to have compassion for others without realizing our unique ability as human beings to comfort ourselves. Alex Lickerman, MD in his blog “How to Comfort Yourself” describes what we know and describe as ‘self’ as being made up of a smaller self and a larger self: “The smaller self sometimes refers to the small-minded ego whose only concerns are selfish and at other times to the seemingly endless capacity we all have to believe wholeheartedly the various delusions that populate our thinking. The larger self, in contrast, is considered to be our best self, our most selfless self—our enlightened self.” He believes that our larger self is capable of giving the smaller self compassion.
Remember that the art of self-compassion is a learnt response, which can overtime become your only response through conscious practice.
How have you met your needs for self-compassion today? Why not practice directing some of that compassion which comes so naturally to us to our selves?
Lesson from Gollum
25/Apr/11 09:15 AM
by Kate Whimster, BCom, MIFHI, ND
Over the Christmas break a few months ago, I re-watched all the Lord of the Rings movies. I thought this scene with Gollum was a really powerful example of how most of us have 2 competing voices speaking to us.
One of those voices tells you that you can’t trust, you are not loved, not good enough... The other tells you the opposite. The “nasty” Gollum is right to some degree. The stern voice in your head can keep you protected and help you overcome many obstacles. But ultimately too much “medicine” is poison and allowing that voice to dominate will make your life miserable. You can tell the nasty voice to go away! You are the only person who can control what you tell yourself, so be careful to nurture the “kind” Gollum inside!
Over the Christmas break a few months ago, I re-watched all the Lord of the Rings movies. I thought this scene with Gollum was a really powerful example of how most of us have 2 competing voices speaking to us.
One of those voices tells you that you can’t trust, you are not loved, not good enough... The other tells you the opposite. The “nasty” Gollum is right to some degree. The stern voice in your head can keep you protected and help you overcome many obstacles. But ultimately too much “medicine” is poison and allowing that voice to dominate will make your life miserable. You can tell the nasty voice to go away! You are the only person who can control what you tell yourself, so be careful to nurture the “kind” Gollum inside!
How to be happy
21/Apr/11 10:39 AM
by Kate Whimster, BCom, MIFHI, ND
I regularly read a blog by Adventurous Kate (another Kate!) and her recent post entitled “I’ve Found The Secret To Happiness” really resonated with me! She writes about her life one year ago, in the wrong job with an unhealthy lifestyle and really, not living a life that fulfilled her. She has since completely changed her career and lifestyle, leading her to greater happiness. Her blog is so inspiring and upbeat, I always look forward to new posts!
So what on earth does a travel blog by a girl I’ve never met have to do with naturopathic medicine? I’ll get to that, but first I’ll explain why her post inspired this blog.
Even though her story is so different from mine, I relate because I too was living a life that looked really great but was not fulfilling. I had graduated from Queen’s with a degree in Commerce and landed my “dream job” with a major consumer packaged goods company. I made more money than I had ever had in my life and spent a lot of my free time spending that money on clothes, accessories, fancy dinners, wine, and just a lot of “stuff.” While I loved the people I worked with and even enjoyed the challenge of my job, I was not happy. I was not in a career that utilized my greatest talents, I did not have the freedom that I wanted, and I had a lot of stuff but not a lot of great experiences.
So, after lengthy research and consideration, I quit my job and went to naturopathic medical school. Several people in my life remarked that this was a crazy choice, since I had so much going for me and such a bright future. I had to move because I couldn’t afford the rent on my apartment. I could not live alone (as I had wanted to do for years) because it was too expensive. I gave up the company car, new clothes/shoes/toys all the time, and my time (to class, studying, and part-time work). I gave up material comfort, career prestige, and 4 years of my life. I took on health challenges, loneliness, exhaustion, and a massive student debt. However, even though those years were incredibly difficult in a lot of ways and I will spend many years to come burdened with debt and the incredible responsibility of naturopathic practice, I’m happier!
I spend my time doing things I enjoy and learning about what interests me. I get to run my own business, which I love, and write about my interests here! I get to meet interesting and diverse patients and then spend (probably too much of) my time researching, analyzing, and formulating treatment plans for them. This career change has also changed the rest of my life. I have met truly amazing people and have had enriching experiences I would not have had otherwise. I have a lot more control of my time, so I have the flexibility to live how I choose.
So let’s return to the question of why a naturopathic doctor has written a whole blog inspired by a post by a stranger travelling in Asia? The point is that a very important part of wellness is happiness. You can eat perfect, exercise perfect, and live a perfect life but if you aren’t happy, your health and well-being will suffer and this will one day manifest as disease. This is where you say “duh,” but I hope you also consider what makes you happy and how you can get more of that in your life.
I regularly read a blog by Adventurous Kate (another Kate!) and her recent post entitled “I’ve Found The Secret To Happiness” really resonated with me! She writes about her life one year ago, in the wrong job with an unhealthy lifestyle and really, not living a life that fulfilled her. She has since completely changed her career and lifestyle, leading her to greater happiness. Her blog is so inspiring and upbeat, I always look forward to new posts!
So what on earth does a travel blog by a girl I’ve never met have to do with naturopathic medicine? I’ll get to that, but first I’ll explain why her post inspired this blog.
Even though her story is so different from mine, I relate because I too was living a life that looked really great but was not fulfilling. I had graduated from Queen’s with a degree in Commerce and landed my “dream job” with a major consumer packaged goods company. I made more money than I had ever had in my life and spent a lot of my free time spending that money on clothes, accessories, fancy dinners, wine, and just a lot of “stuff.” While I loved the people I worked with and even enjoyed the challenge of my job, I was not happy. I was not in a career that utilized my greatest talents, I did not have the freedom that I wanted, and I had a lot of stuff but not a lot of great experiences.
So, after lengthy research and consideration, I quit my job and went to naturopathic medical school. Several people in my life remarked that this was a crazy choice, since I had so much going for me and such a bright future. I had to move because I couldn’t afford the rent on my apartment. I could not live alone (as I had wanted to do for years) because it was too expensive. I gave up the company car, new clothes/shoes/toys all the time, and my time (to class, studying, and part-time work). I gave up material comfort, career prestige, and 4 years of my life. I took on health challenges, loneliness, exhaustion, and a massive student debt. However, even though those years were incredibly difficult in a lot of ways and I will spend many years to come burdened with debt and the incredible responsibility of naturopathic practice, I’m happier!
I spend my time doing things I enjoy and learning about what interests me. I get to run my own business, which I love, and write about my interests here! I get to meet interesting and diverse patients and then spend (probably too much of) my time researching, analyzing, and formulating treatment plans for them. This career change has also changed the rest of my life. I have met truly amazing people and have had enriching experiences I would not have had otherwise. I have a lot more control of my time, so I have the flexibility to live how I choose.
So let’s return to the question of why a naturopathic doctor has written a whole blog inspired by a post by a stranger travelling in Asia? The point is that a very important part of wellness is happiness. You can eat perfect, exercise perfect, and live a perfect life but if you aren’t happy, your health and well-being will suffer and this will one day manifest as disease. This is where you say “duh,” but I hope you also consider what makes you happy and how you can get more of that in your life.
Naturopathic medicine: choice of the uninsured
17/Apr/11 08:39 AM
by Kate Whimster, BCom, MIFHI, ND
I just read a great blog by an Dr. Steve Nenninger, ND in New York called “Naturopathic Medicine is the Treatment of Choice for the Uninsured.”
In Canada we are fortunate enough not to have to deal with the same private insurance landscape (nightmare?) as in the US, but the parallel here is our provincial healthcare plan. Some of my patients have additional insurance through their workplace that provides some coverage for naturopathic medicine, but about half of them don’t, which means they pay 100% out-of-pocket. Regardless, for most chronic health concerns, and depending on the insurance plan (which you pay for as well!), most patients are paying a portion of the cost for naturopathic treatment themselves. So why is it worth it?
“The treatment you get from insurance is not the treatment that will get you better.”
Doctors in Canada are also bound by “standard of care” and those protocols for treating patients are based on their medical training. This medical training is based mostly on pharmaceutical medication and does not include much on nutrition, botanical medicine, lifestyle counselling, or other holistic and gentle therapies. Seeing an MD (for “free” in Canada, although we all know it’s not really free) is not the same as seeing an ND.
“The most expensive treatment is the one that doesn’t work.”
Naturopathic medicine is focused on true healing. As an ND I am constantly focused on our goal of wellness and I am fortunate enough to have the time to spend with patients to discuss honestly how our treatment is progressing. Being ill or even just not being truly well is far more expensive than just the cost for medications and treatments. As Dr. Nenninger says: “Nothing affects your ability to be a productive human being more than being ill.”
I just read a great blog by an Dr. Steve Nenninger, ND in New York called “Naturopathic Medicine is the Treatment of Choice for the Uninsured.”
In Canada we are fortunate enough not to have to deal with the same private insurance landscape (nightmare?) as in the US, but the parallel here is our provincial healthcare plan. Some of my patients have additional insurance through their workplace that provides some coverage for naturopathic medicine, but about half of them don’t, which means they pay 100% out-of-pocket. Regardless, for most chronic health concerns, and depending on the insurance plan (which you pay for as well!), most patients are paying a portion of the cost for naturopathic treatment themselves. So why is it worth it?
“The treatment you get from insurance is not the treatment that will get you better.”
Doctors in Canada are also bound by “standard of care” and those protocols for treating patients are based on their medical training. This medical training is based mostly on pharmaceutical medication and does not include much on nutrition, botanical medicine, lifestyle counselling, or other holistic and gentle therapies. Seeing an MD (for “free” in Canada, although we all know it’s not really free) is not the same as seeing an ND.
“The most expensive treatment is the one that doesn’t work.”
Naturopathic medicine is focused on true healing. As an ND I am constantly focused on our goal of wellness and I am fortunate enough to have the time to spend with patients to discuss honestly how our treatment is progressing. Being ill or even just not being truly well is far more expensive than just the cost for medications and treatments. As Dr. Nenninger says: “Nothing affects your ability to be a productive human being more than being ill.”
The power of practice
14/Mar/11 06:15 PM
by Kate Whimster, BCom, MIFHI, ND
Very often (probably daily) in my practice I discuss with patients the idea that whatever health goals they have require practice.
Nobody expects to be great at a sport or painting, or some other skill the first time they try it, so why do we expect ourselves to be perfect at eating healthy, exercising regularly, sleeping well, and implementing healthy habits immediately? Making great food choices for 6 days and then having a bad food day on the 7th doesn’t mean you can’t get back on the horse and make good food choices after that. It just means you need to keep practicing and the choices will get easier. The same goes for meditation. Most people try meditation a few times and give up because it is hard. But why did you expect it to be easy? Continuing to meditate regularly will help you get better and it will get easier. Yoga is called a “practice” because it isn’t about how well you do it, but the consistency of doing it... You get the idea...
Check out this blog from Crazy Sexy Life about the power of practice.
Very often (probably daily) in my practice I discuss with patients the idea that whatever health goals they have require practice.
Nobody expects to be great at a sport or painting, or some other skill the first time they try it, so why do we expect ourselves to be perfect at eating healthy, exercising regularly, sleeping well, and implementing healthy habits immediately? Making great food choices for 6 days and then having a bad food day on the 7th doesn’t mean you can’t get back on the horse and make good food choices after that. It just means you need to keep practicing and the choices will get easier. The same goes for meditation. Most people try meditation a few times and give up because it is hard. But why did you expect it to be easy? Continuing to meditate regularly will help you get better and it will get easier. Yoga is called a “practice” because it isn’t about how well you do it, but the consistency of doing it... You get the idea...
Check out this blog from Crazy Sexy Life about the power of practice.
Guest post: Healing with homeopathy
08/Mar/11 07:10 PM
Guest post by Helena Ovens, ND, FCAH, CCH, CBT
About me
My name is Helena Ovens and I am a registered Doctor of Naturopathy (since 1992) in the Province of Ontario, and a Homeopathic Specialist (graduate of the Canadian Academy of Homeopathy, 1995). I received the award for Excellence in Clinical Nutrition upon my graduation from the College. I first entered the Alternative Field in 1975 when I went to work (for 2-1/2 years) with severely emotionally disturbed children in a residential setting. Since 1978, I have personally explored numerous alternative methods of healing. I became a Shiatsu Therapist, Reflexologist and Iridologist. I also studied Clinical Nutrition, numerous detoxification protocols, Western Botanical Medicine, Trager, Esalen Massage, Bach Flower Remedies and finally, Homeopathy, which eventually became my specialty. I am also a Certified Bowen Health Therapist.
I have been teaching Homeopathic First Aid & Acute Prescribing for over 15 years... It’s a 30 hour course designed to educate alternative practitioners and the general public on what Homeopathy can do. My students, who previously have had very little or no knowledge of Homeopathy, are better educated than the “so-called” experts who are currently trying desperately to discredit Homeopathy by attempting to take an overdose of the medicine as they sit patiently waiting outside the Emergency Ward at their local Hospital. “It does nothing”, they exclaim. My response? Taking 1 pill or 100 pills at one time is only taking 1 dose of the medicine. Taking 1 pill at 100 different times is taking 100 doses.
About homeopathy
Homeopathic Medicine originated just over 200 years ago. Dr. Samuel Hahnemann, a German Physician, refused to practice the medicine of his time; namely, bloodletting and mercury (or arsenic) poisoning. At that time in Europe, malaria was a major killer. The Doctors were using the bark of the Cinchona Tree to treat malaria, which has a series of recurring symptoms; namely, first you get a chill, then a fever, then you break into a sweat, then you are exhausted, then you get a chill, then a fever, break out into a sweat, etc. These four symptoms happen again and again.
Dr. Hahnemann asked over and over again, WHY did this medicine seem to help the symptoms of this disease? No one could answer him, so being the SCIENTIST that he was, he decided to take a dose of the medicine to see what would happen. And shortly after taking the medicine in “overdose” (i.e., more than would be recommended for general treatment), he got a chill, then a fever, then broke out into a sweat, then was exhausted.
THUS, we have the very FIRST PROVING in Homeopathy. The definition of proving: The procedure of giving doses of a substance to healthy subjects in order to find what it causes in overdose and thus what it has the capacity to cure when given to ill people in potentized dose. (Potentized means made into a Homeopathic Remedy … see below).
Principles of Homeopathy
Hahnemann wrote an instruction book for Homeopathy called the Organon. The major Principles of Homeopathy are as follows;
- Similia Similubus Curantur. The first principle of Homeopathy is “Like cures Like” as outlined in the first proving. The cure of the sick is most easily, mildly and permanently affected by medicines that are themselves capable of producing in a healthy person, morbid symptoms similar to those of the sick. If you bypass the law, there is no response - the law demands that you have a high degree of similarity.
- The fundamental intrinsic cause of real disease is the untunement of the Vital Force. Vital Force is the source of life, that which differentiates a corpse from a living being. Real Chronic Disease is related to influences that we do not have direct control over regardless of lifestyle. Once we have the condition, changing lifestyle will only have minimal effect, and the disease will progress.
- The change and morbid conditions and function of tissues and organs in real disease are the result of a dynamic disturbance and not the cause of disease. Symptoms associated with a particular disease are actually an attempt by the body to return to a state of health, not the cause of the disease. When the body experiences too much stress, the “dis-ease” may manifest emotionally, mentally or physically. The “stress” that caused the problem to arise, actually disturbed the normal balance which we call “good health”. Harmony on all levels (i.e., mental, emotional, physical and spiritual) will confer good health.
- The totality of the symptoms, subjective and objective, as well as the etiological factors and characteristic aspects of the person are the sole indication for the choice of the remedy. All symptoms are important; what the patient reports, what the practitioner sees, what happened to “push” the person into pathology, and how the person presents as an individual guides the practitioner to the correct remedy.
- By constant individualization, we treat the person, not the disease. We use the symptoms of the person (objective and subjective) as a language in order to find the remedy. There is no one remedy for cancer because every person is a unique individual. In the 1800s, the Homeopathic Physicians were curing cancer successfully, one patient at a time. The Surgeons at that time rarely did surgery because Homeopathy worked so well.
- In order to secure the best practical results, medicines must be administered singly. Introducing more than one influence means that you do not know what is happening with the patient, nor how they interact. Give the best indicated remedy first, wait, observe and confirm.
- The only remedy meriting preference is always the one that is most similar to the totality of the characteristic symptoms of the disease being treated. This particular remedy is called the Similimum (aka, the correct remedy).
- The single remedy will be prescribed for its dynamic property in an optimal posology. Dynamic property refers to the healing capacity (i.e., the proving and posology means strength).
- To ascertain the sick-making properties of medicines, they must first be proven in the healthy, and secondly, confirmed through curing the sick. (Proving again).
- Like prevents Like, the same way that Like cures Like. Finding the “genius” of an epidemic and giving the correct remedy to those affected and curing their disease, can then be given to those that may become affected in the future in order to prevent the disease. Statistics of the Spanish Flu Epidemic of 1918/19 who that those treated allopathically had a 25% mortality rate. Those treated with Homeopathy had a 5% mortality rate.
How homeopathic remedies are made
- First, imagine 6 test tubes, each of which is filled with 99 drops of water.
- Now, imagine a botanical remedy in tincture form (e.g., Chamomilla). A botanical tincture is made by taking Chamomilla flowers, crushing them, putting them in an alcohol-based solution, letting the flowers sit in the alcohol in a dark room, and periodically shaking them, and then straining off the flowers after a few weeks. The active medicine ingredient is now in the alcohol (and this is called a tincture).
- We now take 1 drop of the botanical tincture of Chamomilla and put it in test tube #1 and shake it a number of times. 99 drops + 1 drop = 100. The symbol for 100 is “C”. This is the method that Hahnemann used to make Homeopathic Remedies. So, after putting 1 drop of the tincture into test tube #1 and SHAKING IT, we now have a “1CH” potency (potency meaning strength) of the Homeopathic Remedy Chamomilla. ( CH standing for Centessimal Hahnemann).
- THEN, we take 1 drop of Chamomilla 1CH and put it into 99 drops of water (test tube #2), SHAKE IT, and we have a “2CH” potency of the Homeopathic Remedy Chamomilla. Then one drop from test tube #2 into test tube #3, SHAKE, and VOILA, we have made 3CH potency of the Homeopathic Remedy Chamomilla, etc.
- After 12 dilutions, we have passed Avagadro’s number and there is no longer “anything discernible” in the 12th test tube. It is at this point that Allopathic Medical Doctors claim that Homeopathy is nothing more than a placebo. BUT, if we know how a remedy is made, we KNOW that a microscopic amount of Chamomilla went into each and every test tube.
- Think of Chamomila as a botanical remedy (or a lovely tea before bed). It calms the mind, soothes an upset stomach, and predisposes one for restful sleep. The PROVING of Chamomilla is quite another picture. We often use it for children who are in pain (be it from teething or ear infections). The quality of the pain associated with the proving is extreme, and the child wakes in the middle of the night screaming, is inconsolable and will only quiet when the parent picks up the child, and walks (and walks and walks).
Although we do NOT know the mechanism by which a Homeopathic Medicine works, there are numerous drugs where the mechanism is also unknown, and only by doing a series of CLINICAL TRIALS do we come to understand both the positive and negative symptoms and side-effects associated with such allopathic drugs.
HOMEOPATHIC MEDICINE IS SAFE, relatively inexpensive and there are minimal to no side-effects. All the remedies have been proven on HUMANS, and confirmed through many years of Clinical experience.
My story
And FINALLY, I have my own story to tell.
In December, 1992, just after I graduated from Naturopathic School, my Optometrist discovered that I had the first stage of Macular Degeneration. I had the pathology associated with the disease (i.e., drusen bodies which manifest as a discharge at the bad of the eye). I went for a second opinion, and this was confirmed by Ophthalmologist, Dr. Hans Hausler. Yes, I had the first stages of Macular Degeneration, and I also had 20/20 vision at that time. Macular Degeneration runs in my family. I had an Uncle and Aunt diagnosed with the disease, both became legally blind from the disease and I have a nephew who has Retinitis Pigmentosa, who is also legally blind. Being the Naturopath that I was, and after being told that there was NO CURE, and that the best that I could hope for was that the disease would not progress, I decided to go to my teacher for monthly constitutional homeopathic prescribing in May, 1993.
My Optometrist wanted to see me every six months to follow the progression of the disease. I went back to him in September, 1993, and my condition was stable (i.e., had not progressed). The following March, 1994, I went to another Ophthalmologist who had originally been recommended by my Optometrist. He didn’t see Macular Degeneration, he saw blepharitis, and I dismissed him because this disease had already been diagnosed twice. I continued to receive Homeopathic care. The following September (1994), I went back to my Optometrist and he looked in my eyes and said, “It’s gone. Whatever you’ve been doing, just keep doing it”.
This is a disease for which there is no cure and no treatment which will do more than stabilize the condition. When discussing this with my teacher, Dr. Andre Saine, he stated that the Homeopathic Physicians of the 1800s regularly cured Macular Degeneration.
And so I have come to know on a personal level, that if you catch something in the first stage (inflammatory stage), most diseases that are “untreatable’ can be cured.
What is cure?
The definition of CURE is important. It is not simply removing (either through drug or surgical intervention) the symptom. CURE means the recovery of health with a normalization in the abnormal level of SUSCEPTIBILITY whether it is acquired or inherited. When susceptibility is normalized, recovery is quick and the imbalance is corrected. Removing susceptibility to a disease means NEVER having it again. Cure is more than just symptom removal. Cure is permanent.
This is not the first time that Homeopathy has been threatened (by people who are threatened by its success and potential for healing). The Flexnor Report in the early 1900s stated that the future of medicine lay in biomedical researched based on the Germ Theory as proposed by Louis Pasteur; i.e., kill the bug, eradicate the disease. If this theory is correct, and an infected person walks through a room of 100 people and gives each one equal exposure to the virus, then all 100 people should get the disease. But as we know, maybe 5% to 10% will become ill and the rest will not. So in actuality, it is the “terrain” or to put it in more modern terms, the strength of the immune system and the overall health of the individual (mental, emotional, physical and spiritual) which allows a pathogen to enter and causes a “dis-ease”. So much for the Germ Theory. And I do believe that Louis Pasteur recanted on his deathbed and said it was in fact the terrain that was the most important factor with respect to the maintenance of good health. Again, terrain being the inner state of health of the individual.
Principles of naturopathic medicine
And finally, although I work every day and have for the past 19 years utilizing Classical Homeopathy, I apply the Principles of Naturopathic Medicine with each and every patient that I see. These are the principles that rule my practice, and these are the principles that every medical professional should follow in my personal opinion.
- Primum non noncore – FIRST DO NO HARM
- Tolle Causum – FIND AND TREAT THE CAUSE (i.e., don’t just take away the symptoms, fix the hole in the bottom of the rowboat and then you can stop bailing!!)
- Vis Medicatrix Naturae – USE THE HEALING POWER OF NATURE (i.e., stimulate and support the body’s inherent self-healing wisdom)
- Docere – DOCTOR AS TEACHER (this is one of my favourite ones, although actually, they are all my favourites)
- Holism – THE IDEA THAT EVERYTHING SURROUNDING YOU AFFECTS YOUR HEALTH (either positively or negatively)
- Prevention – THE MOST IMPORTANT PRINCIPLE IS PREVENTION, always has been, always will be.
Healthy household cleaning
19/Jan/11 09:18 PM
by Kate Whimster, BCom, MIFHI, ND
I am a true believer in living as non-toxic as possible and therefore I seek to make the best choices I can for those things that are within my control (which is a lot!). This includes the substances I put on my body, in my body, and what I bring into my home. Today I’ll share with you my household cleaning choices.
First, I think good cleaning tools can go a long way and reduce your need to buy products, which saves money, conserves water, and minimizes adding wastes to our environment. I use E-Cloths a lot and really love them. I have the Glass and Polishing cloth for windows and mirror which works with just water and I use the General Purpose cloth for everything else. For tougher jobs I use a regular cleaning brush that I’ve had for many years.
My #1 most useful and favourite cleaning product is Dr. Bronner’s Magic Soap! This stuff is really magic and they claim there are 18 uses. I’m not sure what all 18 are, but you can use it for all-purpose cleaning, laundry, dish soap, body wash, shampoo, and even toothpaste to name a few. I use it all over the house to clean surfaces, scrub the tub and toilet, or mop. It comes in lots of great scents and is organic, fair-trade, biodegradable, vegetable based. Apparently this is the top selling brand of soaps in North America! Who knew?
Something I’ve recently come to love is Nature Clean Oxy Stain Remover powder. I use it in the laundry for whitening, brightening, and stain removal, but I have also recently started using it to clean, as it works really well in the shower/tub and the toilet. I mix it with the Dr. Bronner’s soap and scrub the surface, then let it sit for a while before rinsing. This gets things very shiny clean!
Most of the time, these two products are enough for everything, but sometimes I like to use a spray cleaner, especially in the kitchen and bathroom if I’ve been procrastinating and haven’t cleaned in a while... Right now I’m using Parsley Plus spray, which literally has 3 ingredients! I kind of like the odd, parsley-like scent to this product and it works really great!
You may notice I don’t use any sanitizing or specific germ-killing products... For day-to-day life, I think these things are overkill and in fact prevent natural and useful immune “education.” Our bodies are incredibly well-designed to protect us from everyday exposure to pathogens like bacteria, viruses, etc. In fact, regular exposure to these things is incredibly important for our immune systems to develop and function properly. This is especially true for children, who are programmed to get themselves as dirty and grimy as they can! Basic good hygiene (like hand-washing), reducing the unnecessary spread of germs (like sneezing/coughing into your sleeve instead of all over the person next to you), and supporting the immune system (by eating healthy, getting enough rest, and dealing appropriately with illness) works with our body’s natural balance to keep us healthy. Exposure to man-made toxins and pollutants is far more disruptive to health than exposure to normal environmental pathogens!
There are some people who get sick easily/frequently and for those individuals it is important to investigate the causes behind that increased susceptibility (whether it be dietary intolerances, immune imbalance, overwork, energetic imbalance, unusual exposure, etc) and address that in order to solve the problem. This is what naturopathic medicine is all about!
I am a true believer in living as non-toxic as possible and therefore I seek to make the best choices I can for those things that are within my control (which is a lot!). This includes the substances I put on my body, in my body, and what I bring into my home. Today I’ll share with you my household cleaning choices.
First, I think good cleaning tools can go a long way and reduce your need to buy products, which saves money, conserves water, and minimizes adding wastes to our environment. I use E-Cloths a lot and really love them. I have the Glass and Polishing cloth for windows and mirror which works with just water and I use the General Purpose cloth for everything else. For tougher jobs I use a regular cleaning brush that I’ve had for many years.
My #1 most useful and favourite cleaning product is Dr. Bronner’s Magic Soap! This stuff is really magic and they claim there are 18 uses. I’m not sure what all 18 are, but you can use it for all-purpose cleaning, laundry, dish soap, body wash, shampoo, and even toothpaste to name a few. I use it all over the house to clean surfaces, scrub the tub and toilet, or mop. It comes in lots of great scents and is organic, fair-trade, biodegradable, vegetable based. Apparently this is the top selling brand of soaps in North America! Who knew?
Something I’ve recently come to love is Nature Clean Oxy Stain Remover powder. I use it in the laundry for whitening, brightening, and stain removal, but I have also recently started using it to clean, as it works really well in the shower/tub and the toilet. I mix it with the Dr. Bronner’s soap and scrub the surface, then let it sit for a while before rinsing. This gets things very shiny clean!
Most of the time, these two products are enough for everything, but sometimes I like to use a spray cleaner, especially in the kitchen and bathroom if I’ve been procrastinating and haven’t cleaned in a while... Right now I’m using Parsley Plus spray, which literally has 3 ingredients! I kind of like the odd, parsley-like scent to this product and it works really great!
You may notice I don’t use any sanitizing or specific germ-killing products... For day-to-day life, I think these things are overkill and in fact prevent natural and useful immune “education.” Our bodies are incredibly well-designed to protect us from everyday exposure to pathogens like bacteria, viruses, etc. In fact, regular exposure to these things is incredibly important for our immune systems to develop and function properly. This is especially true for children, who are programmed to get themselves as dirty and grimy as they can! Basic good hygiene (like hand-washing), reducing the unnecessary spread of germs (like sneezing/coughing into your sleeve instead of all over the person next to you), and supporting the immune system (by eating healthy, getting enough rest, and dealing appropriately with illness) works with our body’s natural balance to keep us healthy. Exposure to man-made toxins and pollutants is far more disruptive to health than exposure to normal environmental pathogens!
There are some people who get sick easily/frequently and for those individuals it is important to investigate the causes behind that increased susceptibility (whether it be dietary intolerances, immune imbalance, overwork, energetic imbalance, unusual exposure, etc) and address that in order to solve the problem. This is what naturopathic medicine is all about!
7 keys to achieving your resolutions
04/Jan/11 07:54 PM
by Kate Whimster, BCom, MIFHI, ND
Do you make New Year’s resolutions? A lot of people I know don’t, but personally I love it! Of course I don’t always keep them, but I love that feeling of having a fresh start and I find I get more momentum to make changes at this time of year. Here are some rules I abide by when making resolutions:
1. Keep it simple
First, don’t try to change lots of things at once! Choose a few things that will make a positive difference in your life and focus on those. Also, don’t try to make drastic changes all at once. Figure out some small changes that will start you on a good path. For example, I once resolved to floss every day. This resolution was not that hard to keep and it was a small step that has created a long-lasting habit.
2. Write it down
People who write down their goals are far more likely to actually achieve them. Think about what you want in life and why your resolutions will help you get there. Write down your resolutions and the reasons for them. This will help keep you motivated! For example, if you are trying to quit smoking, write out all the reasons why you want to do this (prevent disease, feel healthier, breathe easier, smell better, etc). When you find yourself having trouble keeping your resolution, go back to this list to remind yourself!
3. Get excited!
This is kind of a no-brainer... Choose things you actually want and hopefully that will be enjoyable to do or achieve! If you find you are resistant to what you are trying to do, ask yourself why? Maybe that choice is not right for you or (more likely) there are strong subconscious forces within you that really WANT to hang on to your old behaviour. Addressing this is key to success. For example, nearly every patient I see wants to lose weight and most of them know things they need to change to do this AND are capable of doing it. So what holds them back? Most often I find that there are many other factors at work that prevent patients from truly being able to make a different choice. Homeopathy is one amazing naturopathic treatment modality to help shift this and open up new choices.
4. Change your brain
Did you know that you can actually change the way your brain works? There are so many ways to do this, but here I’ll mention visualization and meditation, which can work together. Visualization is a tried and true tool for achieving goals. If you can visualize something, you can make it happen. Meditation can encompass so many different things, but at the root it is a way to become more conscious of your mind’s activities and exercise control over them. Meditation is a skill that you build over time that pays off in so many ways, physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually. A great book to start with is Meditation as Medicine by Dharma Singh Khalsa.
And when you change your brain, you change what comes to you in life. The law of attraction is a powerful tool that you can use to achieve your goals. For more info on the law of attraction and the power of choice, check on my blog on this topic.
5. Plan, plan, plan!
Planning makes things happen. In addition to setting goals, you need to figure out HOW you will achieve them. Write this down too... For example, several years ago I wanted to reduce my stress levels and improve my mental focus, so I decided to learn meditation. If I had just made my New Year’s resolution “to meditate more” I would not have done much differently. Instead, I made the resolution “to meditate for 10 minutes every day” and I was successful in doing this the entire year! Having this specific plan in place helped me make time each day for this and it quickly became a new habit.
6. Get help
As part of your plan to achieve your goals, you might need some help from others. Support is a key factor in success, so write down what you might need to keep your resolutions. For example, if your resolution is to exercise more, your spouse can help you by taking care of the kids or cooking dinner so you have time to work out and a personal trainer can help you learn to make the most of the equipment available to you at the gym. If your resolution is to change your eating habits, your naturopathic doctor is a great support to teach you how to eat healthier and create a plan of action to help you accomplish this. One of the principles of naturopathic medicine is Docere - Doctor as Teacher.
7. Don’t give up!
Practice truly does make perfect! Nobody is ever good at something the first time they do it, so if you fall off the resolution wagon, climb back on and try again. The more you practice your new behaviour or habit, the better you will become and the easier it will be to continue! For example, getting to bed earlier so I can get more sleep has been a resolution of mine in a few different years. This one required (and still requires!) me to plan my time and get in the habit of doing my “going to bed” routine. And I’ve gotten better and better at this as years go by. Once you do something enough times, it is a lot easier to come back to, even if you stray.
Do you make New Year’s resolutions? A lot of people I know don’t, but personally I love it! Of course I don’t always keep them, but I love that feeling of having a fresh start and I find I get more momentum to make changes at this time of year. Here are some rules I abide by when making resolutions:
1. Keep it simple
First, don’t try to change lots of things at once! Choose a few things that will make a positive difference in your life and focus on those. Also, don’t try to make drastic changes all at once. Figure out some small changes that will start you on a good path. For example, I once resolved to floss every day. This resolution was not that hard to keep and it was a small step that has created a long-lasting habit.
2. Write it down
People who write down their goals are far more likely to actually achieve them. Think about what you want in life and why your resolutions will help you get there. Write down your resolutions and the reasons for them. This will help keep you motivated! For example, if you are trying to quit smoking, write out all the reasons why you want to do this (prevent disease, feel healthier, breathe easier, smell better, etc). When you find yourself having trouble keeping your resolution, go back to this list to remind yourself!
3. Get excited!
This is kind of a no-brainer... Choose things you actually want and hopefully that will be enjoyable to do or achieve! If you find you are resistant to what you are trying to do, ask yourself why? Maybe that choice is not right for you or (more likely) there are strong subconscious forces within you that really WANT to hang on to your old behaviour. Addressing this is key to success. For example, nearly every patient I see wants to lose weight and most of them know things they need to change to do this AND are capable of doing it. So what holds them back? Most often I find that there are many other factors at work that prevent patients from truly being able to make a different choice. Homeopathy is one amazing naturopathic treatment modality to help shift this and open up new choices.
4. Change your brain
Did you know that you can actually change the way your brain works? There are so many ways to do this, but here I’ll mention visualization and meditation, which can work together. Visualization is a tried and true tool for achieving goals. If you can visualize something, you can make it happen. Meditation can encompass so many different things, but at the root it is a way to become more conscious of your mind’s activities and exercise control over them. Meditation is a skill that you build over time that pays off in so many ways, physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually. A great book to start with is Meditation as Medicine by Dharma Singh Khalsa.
And when you change your brain, you change what comes to you in life. The law of attraction is a powerful tool that you can use to achieve your goals. For more info on the law of attraction and the power of choice, check on my blog on this topic.
5. Plan, plan, plan!
Planning makes things happen. In addition to setting goals, you need to figure out HOW you will achieve them. Write this down too... For example, several years ago I wanted to reduce my stress levels and improve my mental focus, so I decided to learn meditation. If I had just made my New Year’s resolution “to meditate more” I would not have done much differently. Instead, I made the resolution “to meditate for 10 minutes every day” and I was successful in doing this the entire year! Having this specific plan in place helped me make time each day for this and it quickly became a new habit.
6. Get help
As part of your plan to achieve your goals, you might need some help from others. Support is a key factor in success, so write down what you might need to keep your resolutions. For example, if your resolution is to exercise more, your spouse can help you by taking care of the kids or cooking dinner so you have time to work out and a personal trainer can help you learn to make the most of the equipment available to you at the gym. If your resolution is to change your eating habits, your naturopathic doctor is a great support to teach you how to eat healthier and create a plan of action to help you accomplish this. One of the principles of naturopathic medicine is Docere - Doctor as Teacher.
7. Don’t give up!
Practice truly does make perfect! Nobody is ever good at something the first time they do it, so if you fall off the resolution wagon, climb back on and try again. The more you practice your new behaviour or habit, the better you will become and the easier it will be to continue! For example, getting to bed earlier so I can get more sleep has been a resolution of mine in a few different years. This one required (and still requires!) me to plan my time and get in the habit of doing my “going to bed” routine. And I’ve gotten better and better at this as years go by. Once you do something enough times, it is a lot easier to come back to, even if you stray.
Since when did natural become the alternative?
20/Dec/10 10:25 AM
by Kate Whimster, BCom, MIFHI, ND
Check out this blog by my colleague Ashley Mayer that asks the question “since when did natural become the alternative?”
I had to share this blog because it addresses a major shift in perception that has happened in society in a short period of time. Somehow in just a generation or two, most people have accepted advertising messages/manipulation that tells us that fake, altered, and lab-created foods are somehow equal to or even better than what nature has to offer. Although I have yet to read both of the Michael Pollan books I own, I know that one of his major messages is “eat food.” Even just sticking to this basic advice, meaning eat things in as close to their natural state as possible (unprocessed and free of preservatives, additives, flavours, colours, etc), would greatly benefit most people.
In this blog, Ashley addresses this question as well as the key points of: choose your sources of information carefully and employ your critical thinking skills to decide what is actually “healthy.”
Check out this blog by my colleague Ashley Mayer that asks the question “since when did natural become the alternative?”
I had to share this blog because it addresses a major shift in perception that has happened in society in a short period of time. Somehow in just a generation or two, most people have accepted advertising messages/manipulation that tells us that fake, altered, and lab-created foods are somehow equal to or even better than what nature has to offer. Although I have yet to read both of the Michael Pollan books I own, I know that one of his major messages is “eat food.” Even just sticking to this basic advice, meaning eat things in as close to their natural state as possible (unprocessed and free of preservatives, additives, flavours, colours, etc), would greatly benefit most people.
In this blog, Ashley addresses this question as well as the key points of: choose your sources of information carefully and employ your critical thinking skills to decide what is actually “healthy.”
Root cause beyond the physical
08/Nov/10 09:32 AM
by Kate Whimster, BCom, MIFHI, ND
One of the principles of naturopathic medicine is “identify and treat the cause” of illness. I think that every health care professional believes this, but we may differ in what we identify as the cause! This blog at Crazy Sexy Life focuses on stress and emotional pain as two important, but often overlooked, causes of illness.
This is why I love to work with a combination of modalities that work physiologically (such as nutrition, botanical medicine, lifestyle) and energetically (such as homeopathy, Asian medicine). Energy medicine can go far deeper into balancing stress, changing mental patterns, and healing emotional pain. In fact, all of these modalities have some impact on both body and soul. However, while you can achieve incredible results through dietary changes, supplementation, herbs, and lifestyle habits, addressing the deeper levels of mind, emotions, and spirit can lead to major shifts in susceptibility and vitality that can help a patient achieve wellness, which is beyond just physical health.
Look for more blogs on this topic soon!
One of the principles of naturopathic medicine is “identify and treat the cause” of illness. I think that every health care professional believes this, but we may differ in what we identify as the cause! This blog at Crazy Sexy Life focuses on stress and emotional pain as two important, but often overlooked, causes of illness.
This is why I love to work with a combination of modalities that work physiologically (such as nutrition, botanical medicine, lifestyle) and energetically (such as homeopathy, Asian medicine). Energy medicine can go far deeper into balancing stress, changing mental patterns, and healing emotional pain. In fact, all of these modalities have some impact on both body and soul. However, while you can achieve incredible results through dietary changes, supplementation, herbs, and lifestyle habits, addressing the deeper levels of mind, emotions, and spirit can lead to major shifts in susceptibility and vitality that can help a patient achieve wellness, which is beyond just physical health.
Look for more blogs on this topic soon!
Surviving cancer with true wellness
02/Nov/10 09:52 PM
by Kate Whimster, BCom, MIFHI, ND
On the first page of this website I explain that true wellness is so much more than simply being free of illness. It is a state of balance of all aspects of your being, and this requires a holistic approach. Wellness is not quite the same thing as being “healthy”. One can have a disease or poor physical health and still be “well” because wellness is feeling your best no matter what ups and downs life hands to you and doing your best to support your mind, body, and spirit. Wellness has more to do with intention and balance; it is something that anyone can achieve.
This blog from Crazy Sexy Life written by a man who is a six time cancer survivor does a great job of explaining this point! Plus he’s Canadian (from New Brunswick)!
On the first page of this website I explain that true wellness is so much more than simply being free of illness. It is a state of balance of all aspects of your being, and this requires a holistic approach. Wellness is not quite the same thing as being “healthy”. One can have a disease or poor physical health and still be “well” because wellness is feeling your best no matter what ups and downs life hands to you and doing your best to support your mind, body, and spirit. Wellness has more to do with intention and balance; it is something that anyone can achieve.
This blog from Crazy Sexy Life written by a man who is a six time cancer survivor does a great job of explaining this point! Plus he’s Canadian (from New Brunswick)!
The Story of Cosmetics
17/Aug/10 10:49 PM
A few weeks ago I shared The Story of Stuff and now there is a new video called The Story of Cosmetics. The makers of these videos have even more at their website, like The Story of Bottled Water and The Story of Electronics (coming soon).
A lot of people wonder why it matters so much what we put on our bodies or what chemicals are in the things we use everyday... My take on it is, why expose myself to harmful stuff if I don’t have to? There are lots of options for cleaning products, cosmetics, personal care, water bottles, food containers, fragrances, etc that are non-toxic and work great, so why not avoid what toxins you can? And why support companies that aren’t looking out for your health? There is so much in life we can’t control, I think we should do the best with what we can.
If you haven’t checked it out yet, the Environmental Working Group’s Skin Deep Cosmetic Safety Database is a great resource!
A lot of people wonder why it matters so much what we put on our bodies or what chemicals are in the things we use everyday... My take on it is, why expose myself to harmful stuff if I don’t have to? There are lots of options for cleaning products, cosmetics, personal care, water bottles, food containers, fragrances, etc that are non-toxic and work great, so why not avoid what toxins you can? And why support companies that aren’t looking out for your health? There is so much in life we can’t control, I think we should do the best with what we can.
If you haven’t checked it out yet, the Environmental Working Group’s Skin Deep Cosmetic Safety Database is a great resource!
Top 10 things to know before you're 30
30/Jul/10 02:19 PM
The Story of Stuff
13/Jul/10 06:30 PM
This video has been around since 2007 and is still relevant! Every time I watch it I am still disgusted with how disposable our “stuff” has become. It is hard to change the quality/disposability of the things we buy (cell phones, iPods, computers, appliances) but we can definitely disconnect from the “newer is better” mindset and make use of these things longer and recycle as much as possible.
Success
12/Apr/10 07:12 PM
21 Suggestions for Success
By H. Jackson Brown
1. Marry the right person. This one decision will determine 90% of your happiness or misery.
2. Work at something you enjoy and that’s worthy of your time and talent.
3. Give people more than they expect and do it cheerfully.
4. Become the most positive and enthusiastic person you know.
5. Be forgiving of yourself and others.
6. Be generous.
7. Have a grateful heart.
8. Persistence, persistence, persistence.
9. Discipline yourself to save money on even the most modest salary.
10. Treat everyone you meet like you want to be treated.
11. Commit yourself to constant improvement.
12. Commit yourself to quality.
13. Understand that happiness is not based on possessions, power or prestige, but on relationships with people you love and respect.
14. Be loyal.
15. Be honest.
16. Be a self-starter.
17. Be decisive even if it means you’ll sometimes be wrong.
18. Stop blaming others. Take responsibility for every area of your life.
19. Be bold and courageous. When you look back on your life, you’ll regret the things you didn’t do more than the ones you did.
20. Take good care of those you love.
21. Don’t do anything that wouldn’t make your Mom proud.
By H. Jackson Brown
1. Marry the right person. This one decision will determine 90% of your happiness or misery.
2. Work at something you enjoy and that’s worthy of your time and talent.
3. Give people more than they expect and do it cheerfully.
4. Become the most positive and enthusiastic person you know.
5. Be forgiving of yourself and others.
6. Be generous.
7. Have a grateful heart.
8. Persistence, persistence, persistence.
9. Discipline yourself to save money on even the most modest salary.
10. Treat everyone you meet like you want to be treated.
11. Commit yourself to constant improvement.
12. Commit yourself to quality.
13. Understand that happiness is not based on possessions, power or prestige, but on relationships with people you love and respect.
14. Be loyal.
15. Be honest.
16. Be a self-starter.
17. Be decisive even if it means you’ll sometimes be wrong.
18. Stop blaming others. Take responsibility for every area of your life.
19. Be bold and courageous. When you look back on your life, you’ll regret the things you didn’t do more than the ones you did.
20. Take good care of those you love.
21. Don’t do anything that wouldn’t make your Mom proud.
Lessons from India
11/Jul/09 11:48 AM
by Kate Whimster, BCom, MIFHI, ND
This blog was originally published on August 27, 2007 here.
The four major lessons I learned from travelling to India.
1. Be proud of yourself
I was the only naturopathic student in my month-long program. Every other person there was a student in medical school at mainstream colleges, mostly in the US. I was also one of the oldest people, having worked for years before returning to school for naturopathic medicine - most of these students had entered medical school right after university undergraduate programs. For all these reasons, I felt like the odd one out a lot of the time and this was hard for me since I was also dealing with culture shock in a new place. My interests, outlook, life experience, and attitude were so very different, even more so than I expected. What I am passionate about was either uninteresting or completely unknown to my companions. During this experience I realized how important it is to remain true to oneself and that it isn’t always necessary to prove yourself to other people.
2. Be patient (already!)
Having patience in India is key. Or else you will go insane. Things do not happen at the pace that you expect - some things are too fast (traffic!), but most things are very, very slow! For example, the distance from Delhi (where I arrived) to Dehradun is 235km. In Canada, driving this distance would take about 2.5 hours. This trip took about 8 hours by bus in India (including a stop for lunch). On my way back from Dehradun to Delhi, the trip took about 5 hours by train. So, it seems that due to poor road conditions, road closures/checkpoints, and traffic, travel by car takes about 3 times longer in India than Canada. Even travel by train (which is much nicer, except for the restrooms) takes about twice as long.
The distance from Dehradun (where I was for 2 of the 4 weeks) to Agra (where the Taj Mahal is) is 381km. In Canada, it would take about 4 hours to cover that distance. The weekend I did it, we travelled for 12 hours overnight by car. The trip went like this: left at 8pm from Dehradun and drove on bumpy, winding, congested, and LOUD roads until about 1am. Stopped for tea. At this tea stop some of us got out of the car to walk around and were instantly surrounded by random men asking us all kinds of personal questions! I got back in the car and stayed there. I managed to sleep for about 2 hours total by listening to my iPod, creating a pillow from a raincoat, putting on an eye mask, and wrapping my head in a scarf (I wish I had a photo of this!). We then continued travelling for a few more hours until we stopped at a closed gas station for a restroom break. We reached our hotel in Agra at about 8am. Quick change and breakfast, then spent the day sightseeing. Stayed in Agra that night, then left the next morning at around 7am. Our drivers tried to take a shorter route back, but it ended up being on worse roads, which ate up more time. We stopped a few times for tea and lunch, and got pretty near Dehradun by about 7pm. Then we got stuck in traffic due to either roadwork or partial flooding of the road. Our driver drove on the shoulder AROUND the traffic to another route and then on dark, winding, guard-railless mountain roads (nearly flying off a few times!) until we reached our destination by about 10pm. In total, 12 hours to Agra, 24 hours in Agra, then 15 hours back to Dehradun.
Another memorable story: I budgeted a certain amount of money for my trip, but that did not end up being enough, so I tried to use my bank card at a few Indian ATMs with no luck. So I tried talking to the banks - again no luck. Then I tried using my credit cards to get cash, but couldn't because I didn't have a PIN set up... So, I started to get a bit panicky - here I am in a foreign country running out of money! I would exchange traveller's cheques or US cash at a particular foreign exchange place and I heard that they could also do a credit card advance without a PIN, so I headed there. Usually I was served by the man who seemed like the owner or his wife, both of whom were professional, efficient, and friendly. However, this one day I rushed over there during a short break in my day (through deadly traffic amid dust and noise and chaos) desperate to get some cash before I left town for the weekend and was served by a different guy who was quite possibly the slowest human being I have ever encountered! He clearly had little idea how to do this transaction and I was so nervous that he couldn't do it, or the phone line would be down, or my credit card wouldn't go through, or whatever that I must have been shaking! I realized in this moment that this was a HUGE test of my patience! And that there was nothing I could do to make anything go faster or work better... And then I chose to stop worrying. Not an easy thing to do, for sure, but still possible! Everything worked out OK in the end and I managed to make it to my next destination on time, so worrying and being impatient would have been an unnecessary stress. I am so thankful for this and other experiences because they have given me much needed practice at being PATIENT, a skill I can definitely use in my life.
3. Remain calm/I am capable/go with the flow/be resourceful/have faith
During most of my month in India I had a cell phone provided by the program. However, on my last day in Dehradun before heading to Delhi to fly back to Canada, I no longer had my cell phone because we had to turn them in the previous day. Some other students, two coordinators, and I headed downtown to run various errands. I needed more cash (again!) while the others headed to an internet cafe and a cell phone store. I agreed to go get my cash then head to the internet cafe to meet back up with some of the others. Seems simple, right? Well, there are literally internet cafes one on top of another in this city and the one I THOUGHT I was supposed to go to was essentially empty. So where were my people? I couldn't exactly go searching for them, since I barely knew where I was or where to begin. At home if this happened to me, it wouldn't be such a big deal, but try to imagine being alone and kind of lost in a noisy, busy, chaotic, and crowded place where you can barely recognize places you know and most writing is in a language you can't read... Without my dear cell phone! Again, I realized in this moment that this was a test of my ability to fend for myself and figure myself out of my problem on my own (remain calm!). First I realized that if I could not find anyone, I could still go do the other things I needed to and head back to my house on my own (I am capable, so go with the flow!). I found and used a public phone for the first time to call one of the coordinators, whose phone number I thankfully had in my wallet (be resourceful!). Turns out the number I had was for a different coordinator (remain calm!), but he gave me the right number (have faith!). I went to a sweet shop to wait for him, but time passed and nobody showed... Was I at the wrong place? Totally possible given that businesses in India often have nearly identical names on the same street - they copycat each other frequently... By coincidence, the other coordinator I had been with earlier showed up at this shop and then a couple others did too (have faith!). Of course everything worked out fine...
4. Be prepared and keep learning
Prior to going to India, I did some research. Reading novels, how to get around, cautions, tips, packing lists, maps, history, culture, food, language, etc. While there, I REALLY wanted to learn more, so I asked my host family A LOT of questions at every opportunity. Politics, pop culture, clothing, food, arranged marriage, India perspectives on other countries, tips, language lessons, whatever. You name it, I asked it! I also decided that I would truly try to LIVE in India, instead of living as a Canadian in India. This means thinking in rupees (not dollars!): evaluating prices based on the market (and not how much cheaper things were than at home) and bargaining fairly (rather than throwing money around because I was a "rich” Westerner). This also meant learning and understanding customs in India and living by them - tipping, photos, attire, table manners, language, bargaining, attitudes, behaviour... I know that I did not manage to blend in too well, but I made an effort to be observant and adjust myself to my surroundings.
As I wrote in a previous blog, you cannot be certain that what you think is polite/rude is viewed the same way in foreign countries. This is what it means to be a conscientious traveller, I think. And I think this is where "rude Americans" (and other Westerners, although most foreigners will assume we are also American) get into trouble. I think most people are trying to be courteous and are unknowingly interpreted as rude because sometimes social norms are so different. It is important to make an effort to be polite, but on whose terms? What I think is much more difficult, but quite an important lesson, is to actually LEARN about the culture you visit and play by its rules rather than impose your own. This means avoiding value judgements ("India is so backwards") and instead making observations ("India is so different from my country"). Through observation, you can see HOW something is different. Through researching history and gaining experience, you can actually start to understand WHY. If cultures are like people, the NATURE influences are the attributes randomly granted to it (location, climate, geography, natural resources, etc). And not all countries start out with the same stuff (just as not all people do). And, just like with people, understanding NURTURE (history, interactions with neighbours, etc.) is a major puzzle piece too.
This blog was originally published on August 27, 2007 here.
The four major lessons I learned from travelling to India.
1. Be proud of yourself
I was the only naturopathic student in my month-long program. Every other person there was a student in medical school at mainstream colleges, mostly in the US. I was also one of the oldest people, having worked for years before returning to school for naturopathic medicine - most of these students had entered medical school right after university undergraduate programs. For all these reasons, I felt like the odd one out a lot of the time and this was hard for me since I was also dealing with culture shock in a new place. My interests, outlook, life experience, and attitude were so very different, even more so than I expected. What I am passionate about was either uninteresting or completely unknown to my companions. During this experience I realized how important it is to remain true to oneself and that it isn’t always necessary to prove yourself to other people.
2. Be patient (already!)
Having patience in India is key. Or else you will go insane. Things do not happen at the pace that you expect - some things are too fast (traffic!), but most things are very, very slow! For example, the distance from Delhi (where I arrived) to Dehradun is 235km. In Canada, driving this distance would take about 2.5 hours. This trip took about 8 hours by bus in India (including a stop for lunch). On my way back from Dehradun to Delhi, the trip took about 5 hours by train. So, it seems that due to poor road conditions, road closures/checkpoints, and traffic, travel by car takes about 3 times longer in India than Canada. Even travel by train (which is much nicer, except for the restrooms) takes about twice as long.
The distance from Dehradun (where I was for 2 of the 4 weeks) to Agra (where the Taj Mahal is) is 381km. In Canada, it would take about 4 hours to cover that distance. The weekend I did it, we travelled for 12 hours overnight by car. The trip went like this: left at 8pm from Dehradun and drove on bumpy, winding, congested, and LOUD roads until about 1am. Stopped for tea. At this tea stop some of us got out of the car to walk around and were instantly surrounded by random men asking us all kinds of personal questions! I got back in the car and stayed there. I managed to sleep for about 2 hours total by listening to my iPod, creating a pillow from a raincoat, putting on an eye mask, and wrapping my head in a scarf (I wish I had a photo of this!). We then continued travelling for a few more hours until we stopped at a closed gas station for a restroom break. We reached our hotel in Agra at about 8am. Quick change and breakfast, then spent the day sightseeing. Stayed in Agra that night, then left the next morning at around 7am. Our drivers tried to take a shorter route back, but it ended up being on worse roads, which ate up more time. We stopped a few times for tea and lunch, and got pretty near Dehradun by about 7pm. Then we got stuck in traffic due to either roadwork or partial flooding of the road. Our driver drove on the shoulder AROUND the traffic to another route and then on dark, winding, guard-railless mountain roads (nearly flying off a few times!) until we reached our destination by about 10pm. In total, 12 hours to Agra, 24 hours in Agra, then 15 hours back to Dehradun.
Another memorable story: I budgeted a certain amount of money for my trip, but that did not end up being enough, so I tried to use my bank card at a few Indian ATMs with no luck. So I tried talking to the banks - again no luck. Then I tried using my credit cards to get cash, but couldn't because I didn't have a PIN set up... So, I started to get a bit panicky - here I am in a foreign country running out of money! I would exchange traveller's cheques or US cash at a particular foreign exchange place and I heard that they could also do a credit card advance without a PIN, so I headed there. Usually I was served by the man who seemed like the owner or his wife, both of whom were professional, efficient, and friendly. However, this one day I rushed over there during a short break in my day (through deadly traffic amid dust and noise and chaos) desperate to get some cash before I left town for the weekend and was served by a different guy who was quite possibly the slowest human being I have ever encountered! He clearly had little idea how to do this transaction and I was so nervous that he couldn't do it, or the phone line would be down, or my credit card wouldn't go through, or whatever that I must have been shaking! I realized in this moment that this was a HUGE test of my patience! And that there was nothing I could do to make anything go faster or work better... And then I chose to stop worrying. Not an easy thing to do, for sure, but still possible! Everything worked out OK in the end and I managed to make it to my next destination on time, so worrying and being impatient would have been an unnecessary stress. I am so thankful for this and other experiences because they have given me much needed practice at being PATIENT, a skill I can definitely use in my life.
3. Remain calm/I am capable/go with the flow/be resourceful/have faith
During most of my month in India I had a cell phone provided by the program. However, on my last day in Dehradun before heading to Delhi to fly back to Canada, I no longer had my cell phone because we had to turn them in the previous day. Some other students, two coordinators, and I headed downtown to run various errands. I needed more cash (again!) while the others headed to an internet cafe and a cell phone store. I agreed to go get my cash then head to the internet cafe to meet back up with some of the others. Seems simple, right? Well, there are literally internet cafes one on top of another in this city and the one I THOUGHT I was supposed to go to was essentially empty. So where were my people? I couldn't exactly go searching for them, since I barely knew where I was or where to begin. At home if this happened to me, it wouldn't be such a big deal, but try to imagine being alone and kind of lost in a noisy, busy, chaotic, and crowded place where you can barely recognize places you know and most writing is in a language you can't read... Without my dear cell phone! Again, I realized in this moment that this was a test of my ability to fend for myself and figure myself out of my problem on my own (remain calm!). First I realized that if I could not find anyone, I could still go do the other things I needed to and head back to my house on my own (I am capable, so go with the flow!). I found and used a public phone for the first time to call one of the coordinators, whose phone number I thankfully had in my wallet (be resourceful!). Turns out the number I had was for a different coordinator (remain calm!), but he gave me the right number (have faith!). I went to a sweet shop to wait for him, but time passed and nobody showed... Was I at the wrong place? Totally possible given that businesses in India often have nearly identical names on the same street - they copycat each other frequently... By coincidence, the other coordinator I had been with earlier showed up at this shop and then a couple others did too (have faith!). Of course everything worked out fine...
4. Be prepared and keep learning
Prior to going to India, I did some research. Reading novels, how to get around, cautions, tips, packing lists, maps, history, culture, food, language, etc. While there, I REALLY wanted to learn more, so I asked my host family A LOT of questions at every opportunity. Politics, pop culture, clothing, food, arranged marriage, India perspectives on other countries, tips, language lessons, whatever. You name it, I asked it! I also decided that I would truly try to LIVE in India, instead of living as a Canadian in India. This means thinking in rupees (not dollars!): evaluating prices based on the market (and not how much cheaper things were than at home) and bargaining fairly (rather than throwing money around because I was a "rich” Westerner). This also meant learning and understanding customs in India and living by them - tipping, photos, attire, table manners, language, bargaining, attitudes, behaviour... I know that I did not manage to blend in too well, but I made an effort to be observant and adjust myself to my surroundings.
As I wrote in a previous blog, you cannot be certain that what you think is polite/rude is viewed the same way in foreign countries. This is what it means to be a conscientious traveller, I think. And I think this is where "rude Americans" (and other Westerners, although most foreigners will assume we are also American) get into trouble. I think most people are trying to be courteous and are unknowingly interpreted as rude because sometimes social norms are so different. It is important to make an effort to be polite, but on whose terms? What I think is much more difficult, but quite an important lesson, is to actually LEARN about the culture you visit and play by its rules rather than impose your own. This means avoiding value judgements ("India is so backwards") and instead making observations ("India is so different from my country"). Through observation, you can see HOW something is different. Through researching history and gaining experience, you can actually start to understand WHY. If cultures are like people, the NATURE influences are the attributes randomly granted to it (location, climate, geography, natural resources, etc). And not all countries start out with the same stuff (just as not all people do). And, just like with people, understanding NURTURE (history, interactions with neighbours, etc.) is a major puzzle piece too.
The power of choice
28/Jun/09 08:46 AM
by Kate Whimster, BCom, MIFHI, ND
This blog is slightly modified from its original posting on April 27, 2007 here.
The Secret is both a book and a movie that explains the law of attraction. This law states that we attract what we think about and/or feel. Two lines from the movie are: “thoughts become things” and “feeling creates the future”. Assuming that reality is influenced by our thoughts and feelings, it is important to identify, request, and visualize what we want to happen, rather than dwell on fears, worries, and what we don’t want. To put the law of attraction into practice, we must “ask, believe, and receive”. The Secret works in every arena: financial, intellectual, relational, spiritual, and physical. The Secret and the law of attraction are all about choice; we choose what we want through our feelings. When we clarify what we want we focus our energy on moving towards it. Choice is the most powerful tool in existence because it is the one power that everyone possesses and that can never be taken away from anyone.
During first year of naturopathic college, I read Power vs. Force by David Hawkins, which focuses on the idea that everything (and everyone) is connected to and therefore a vast collective knowledge is accessible to everyone. The book provides a guide to tapping into it via kinesiologic testing. However, there is also much discussion in this book about the difference between power and force, which I found fascinating. Force is an attempt to control what cannot be controlled. Power actually arises from within and is not applied to people or things, but instead attracts them or creates them. There are abundant examples of both force and power in the news and our lives every day. For instance, the current issue of whether torture or human rights violations are valid tools of interrogation. In this case, interrogators use force to gain valuable information that belongs to prisoners. The problem with this is that the prisoners, despite having all other rights and powers removed, still retain the power of choice. In this situation, the prisoners actually possess immense power, the power to share information or not, illuminated by the lengths to which interrogators will go to trying to overcome it.
Around the same time I read Atlas Shrugged by Ayn Rand. The major theme of this book is also choice. The prime movers of the world respond to the exploitation of their creative and productive power by choosing to remove themselves from mainstream society. Despite attempts to force them into cooperation, the power of choice cannot be taken away from them and it cannot be overcome.
Healing is intimately connected with the power of choice. Despite economic status, state of health, available resources, or intelligence, the law of attraction is a tool accessible to everyone, all the time. We must determine our own destiny, rather than rely on others (doctors, medications, family, friends, job, etc.) for happiness and health. This is not as easy as it sounds. The law of attraction is common sense, really, but actually becoming skilled in its use takes awareness, practice, and consistency. Apart from our outlook, attitude, or self-image, thoughts and feelings also manifest in vocabulary, speech, posture, daydreams, worry, fear, choices, and every other area of life. In order to change these manifestations, we must also become more self aware and practice a new way of being.
The corollary of the power of choice is the power of acceptance. While we have unlimited choice to control ourselves, there are many forces in the world that cannot be controlled. In the realm of health, this is especially important because perfect physical health may not be possible in all cases. To achieve true wellness (which may occur even in the presence of physical ailments), we must accept what it. The Serenity Prayer, most associated with Alcoholics Anonymous is just one example of how acceptance is used for healing: “God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference.”
This blog is slightly modified from its original posting on April 27, 2007 here.
The Secret is both a book and a movie that explains the law of attraction. This law states that we attract what we think about and/or feel. Two lines from the movie are: “thoughts become things” and “feeling creates the future”. Assuming that reality is influenced by our thoughts and feelings, it is important to identify, request, and visualize what we want to happen, rather than dwell on fears, worries, and what we don’t want. To put the law of attraction into practice, we must “ask, believe, and receive”. The Secret works in every arena: financial, intellectual, relational, spiritual, and physical. The Secret and the law of attraction are all about choice; we choose what we want through our feelings. When we clarify what we want we focus our energy on moving towards it. Choice is the most powerful tool in existence because it is the one power that everyone possesses and that can never be taken away from anyone.
During first year of naturopathic college, I read Power vs. Force by David Hawkins, which focuses on the idea that everything (and everyone) is connected to and therefore a vast collective knowledge is accessible to everyone. The book provides a guide to tapping into it via kinesiologic testing. However, there is also much discussion in this book about the difference between power and force, which I found fascinating. Force is an attempt to control what cannot be controlled. Power actually arises from within and is not applied to people or things, but instead attracts them or creates them. There are abundant examples of both force and power in the news and our lives every day. For instance, the current issue of whether torture or human rights violations are valid tools of interrogation. In this case, interrogators use force to gain valuable information that belongs to prisoners. The problem with this is that the prisoners, despite having all other rights and powers removed, still retain the power of choice. In this situation, the prisoners actually possess immense power, the power to share information or not, illuminated by the lengths to which interrogators will go to trying to overcome it.
Around the same time I read Atlas Shrugged by Ayn Rand. The major theme of this book is also choice. The prime movers of the world respond to the exploitation of their creative and productive power by choosing to remove themselves from mainstream society. Despite attempts to force them into cooperation, the power of choice cannot be taken away from them and it cannot be overcome.
Healing is intimately connected with the power of choice. Despite economic status, state of health, available resources, or intelligence, the law of attraction is a tool accessible to everyone, all the time. We must determine our own destiny, rather than rely on others (doctors, medications, family, friends, job, etc.) for happiness and health. This is not as easy as it sounds. The law of attraction is common sense, really, but actually becoming skilled in its use takes awareness, practice, and consistency. Apart from our outlook, attitude, or self-image, thoughts and feelings also manifest in vocabulary, speech, posture, daydreams, worry, fear, choices, and every other area of life. In order to change these manifestations, we must also become more self aware and practice a new way of being.
The corollary of the power of choice is the power of acceptance. While we have unlimited choice to control ourselves, there are many forces in the world that cannot be controlled. In the realm of health, this is especially important because perfect physical health may not be possible in all cases. To achieve true wellness (which may occur even in the presence of physical ailments), we must accept what it. The Serenity Prayer, most associated with Alcoholics Anonymous is just one example of how acceptance is used for healing: “God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference.”
Health is key to success
24/Jun/09 09:45 AM
by Kate Whimster, BCom, MIFHI, ND
What do you think is the most important quality of a successful entrepreneur?
Confidence?
Creativity?
Risk taking?
Would you believe that the most important trait is good health?
Not only must entrepreneurs work hard, often for long hours, but also they are usually self-employed, so they do not have an employer subsidized health insurance plan. Plus, every moment they are off work literally costs them income. So it actually makes a lot of sense that good health is key to success! These people can’t afford to take a sick day, much less develop chronic disease! This idea holds true for many other professions too, such as contract employees, performers, and other self-employed workers.
Naturopathic medicine can be a cost effective way for self-employed people to optimize their health today and stay healthy through prevention. In the short-term, it is far better to avoid coming down with every cold or flu going around, and in the long-term it is imperative to stay healthy and vital until retirement. Health is one of the most valuable assets we have and successful entrepreneurs recognize the value of investing in health rather than only treating disease.
Check out this list of common traits of successful entrepreneurs, based on research done by Southern Methodist University's Cox School of Business for more details.
What do you think is the most important quality of a successful entrepreneur?
Confidence?
Creativity?
Risk taking?
Would you believe that the most important trait is good health?
Not only must entrepreneurs work hard, often for long hours, but also they are usually self-employed, so they do not have an employer subsidized health insurance plan. Plus, every moment they are off work literally costs them income. So it actually makes a lot of sense that good health is key to success! These people can’t afford to take a sick day, much less develop chronic disease! This idea holds true for many other professions too, such as contract employees, performers, and other self-employed workers.
Naturopathic medicine can be a cost effective way for self-employed people to optimize their health today and stay healthy through prevention. In the short-term, it is far better to avoid coming down with every cold or flu going around, and in the long-term it is imperative to stay healthy and vital until retirement. Health is one of the most valuable assets we have and successful entrepreneurs recognize the value of investing in health rather than only treating disease.
Check out this list of common traits of successful entrepreneurs, based on research done by Southern Methodist University's Cox School of Business for more details.
Failure and imagination
01/Apr/09 07:46 PM