A recent and fascinating Ted Talk featured dermatologist Richard Weller who talks about the science of UV light and how it affects our health.  With humour and eloquence and simplicity, his talk demonstrates why people do not trust the media’s representation of medical discoveries sometimes.

Although our skin creates Vitamin D from cholesterol when exposed to UV light from the sun, sunlight may give us another unexpected benefit too. New research by his team shows that nitric oxide is a chemical released from relatively enormous stores in our skin.  When UV light interacts with nitrates/nitrites that are concentrated in the skin from green leafy vegetables in our diet, it produces nitrous oxide that in turn circulates into the body and reduces blood pressure, and as Dr. Weller agues, likely reduces our risk for cardiovascular disease.  Nitrous oxide is currently a common medical treatment for heart pain (angina) by causing dilation of blood vessels in the heart (and elsewhere).

Higher blood pressure due to lack of sun exposure may begin to explain why, Dr. Weller says, after adjusting for all other lifestyle risk factors, people who live in more northern geographic areas have more heart disease.     

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Not long ago, there was the age of being close to our food. We were farmers. We grew, prepared, and ate our traditional foods. The food we ate looked like food. It was “organic”, “local” and “healthful”; and it would have been absurd and irrelevant to describe food these ways then!

Then there came the age of convenience and science and security for many, which created canned food and processed and prepared foods, supplements and drugs. We have been suffering from this convenience though.  Eventually we have responded with the age of ‘organic” and “local”, gluten-free, dairy-free, sugar-free, fat-free, vegetarianism and food-ethics, super foods, medical foods, and neutraceuticals.

When we were on the land, we lived more active and healthful lives in many ways.  We must be careful not to romanticize the “old days” too much, since these were very vulnerable times. Indeed, we lived shorter lives due to infections and insecurity of food supply, however, we did not typically die of our modern day afflictions. Contemporary diseases are rooted in excesses of fat, sugar, salt and stress, and deficiencies of basic whole food nutrients, exercise and sleep! But ironically, never before have we been able to choose to eat well and live healthfully, with access to the very best of preventative medical attention and innovations!   

Come and learn about how foods can make your gut healthier at our our free community talk this Saturday, March 16th, 1:30pm - 2:30pm! Preregister by phoning us at 780-437-7723.

Gord Grant PhD, RAc talks about the amazing story of the symbiosis between YOU and your 1 kg of gut bacteria. You will learn what you can do to know them better and support them so you can both be healthier!  

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I listened to a great TED talk the other day by Carl Honore entitled, ”In Praise of Slowness”after his best selling book. As stated by TED, “Honore believes the western world’s emphasis on speed erodes health, productivity, and quality of life.”  I also recently heard him interviewed on CBC radio by broadcaster Alan Maitland, where Honore offers us a challenge to slow things down or at least find our “right” speed.  The default speed for many of us in this ultra-connected, hyper-consumerist, work-driven society is fast, so he orients his challenge toward slowing down.  Slowing down can not only improve our health and well being, but also our productivity, our energy, and our relationships.  Here is Honore’s 3 step challenge to help you discover your “right” speed:

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Coleman Smith is a herbalist and acupuncturist with the Acupuncture Turning Point on a practicum. He is excited to be completing his final year of studies as a practitioner of Traditional Chinese Medicine in Nelson, BC, at the Academy of Classical Oriental Sciences. TCM is a multi-dimensional medicine that utilizes: acupuncture, herbal medicine and nutrition therapy, as well as: moxibustion, cupping, mental-emotional therapy, counseling and acupressure massage.

Come and meet Coleman at our clinic, and get a complimentary consultation with him if you are interested in getting custom herbs designed for your situation.  Here in this article Coleman talks about a herbal prescription most people can take this time of year to prevent colds.  Read on about Jade Windscreen herbal formula…

“Although we have the ability to treat illness and disease, the most ideal treatment is prevention and maintenance to catch an imbalance before it reaches a state of disease. Our health is truly the greatest gift we can give ourselves.

This time of year, when it’s freezing outside, you are exposed to changing weather and viruses. This also tends to be a time of year when your immune system can become run down and is weakened from exposure to the wind and cold.

 For this we have a powerful ally: Jade Windscreen powder, a Chinese Herbal Formula that has been used traditionally to prevent colds and flu. Often Chinese Herbal Formulas can be composed of several herbs: 8-12 on average. This formula is beautiful and simple, only containing 3 herbs, it has a potent ability to boost the immune system, regulate the exterior and defensive level of the body as well as preventing pathogens and viruses from entering.

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These are the last two habits in the series of 10 holistic tips on creating a healthier skin by Jennifer Kotowick.

Habit 9: Balanced sun exposure and sunscreen. You want to get some but not too much not only for the creation of natural vitamin D, but because sun affects our mood and our hormones. UV light therapy is sometimes prescribed for certain skin problems(psoriasis, acne), in moderation, and can have dramatic effects. Talk to your doctor about this. Of course with more sun exposure, our risk of skin cancer increases. Also, too much exposure prematurely ages our skin and makes it wrinkly. If you are going to be out in the midday sun for a long time, cover up with clothing or use sun protection but insure to check the ingredients This is a good article to look at regarding sunscreens and protecting our skin.

Habit 10. Get professional assistance and advice, and be responsible and proactive. Make sure you are in health, and if there is a problem that you proactively consult a professional. We have an amazing and free medical system compared to other countries. Some hormonal disorders like hypothyroidism, endometriosis, etc can and should be diagnosed so you can understand your medical condition and treatment options. But also consider your complementary practitioners, like acupuncturists, herbologists, and naturopathic doctors, etc to help you with your whole health. Sometimes we help by reducing your stress, counselling you about nutrition and skin care, or helping you deal with that aching hip so you can get back to exercising again! We need generalists who see you as a whole and not just an isolated and disconnected set of symptoms and problems!

To sum up, I’ll say it again:these are not rules but ideas to explore and understand from your own experience and conclusions. Become more knowledge able about what makes your skin condition and health better or worse. I suggest tracking your diet and lifestyle in relation to symptoms if you are serious about your skin as a manifestation of your underlying health. Again, we have tracking sheets you can pick up at the clinic and we would be happy to get you on your way to knowing yourself better.

Here’s to a healthier you and healthier skin!

• Jennifer

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by Rebecca Kneebone RMT, Doula

For  as long as humans have existed, women have supported women through childbirth. In the 1930s, when childbirth moved from the home to the hospital for the majority, one-on-one support and knowledge from skilled midwives have been virtually lost.

Today, medical caregivers are responsible for assessing the physical health of the labouring woman and her unborn child. This coupled with the diagnosis and treatment of any complications that may arise keep these caregivers very busy and focused on dealing with the “abnormalities” of childbirth. As a result, the continuous one-on-one emotional support for the normal process of childbirth has been abandoned, yet this care is so critical to the outcome of a normal childbirth!

This is why doulas are becoming increasingly important and have been allowed into the domain of the hospital. Doctors, and modern midwives, usually only attend during the final stages of labour and birth, whereas the doula supports women throughout their pregnancy, labour and birth — and after too.  Doulas are trained and experienced in providing encouragement, reassurance, physical comfort, pain coping techniques and non-medical advice as well as access to medical information.

Truth is: most doulas are mothers. I am not. I took my training among 30 students, and only two of us were not mothers! I have a mother. I will likely have my own children some day, and I know this in my heart. And, I mothered other people’s children.  But what really qualifies me, or any of us doulas for that matter, is not our motherhood.  It is our humanity.  It is my unity of heart, mind and will; my capacity to connect, encourage and advocate – this is my integrity.

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Article by Gord Grant Ph.D, R.Ac.

What is human energy?!  Why is it that some days, for me, anything seems possible? Here I feel a huge YES and the capability to engage life’s important yet difficult problems.  Other times, even the most innocuous obstacle can be daunting and derail me. I believe it has a lot to do with how I manage my energy. 

The poet David Whyte says, “When you wake in the morning, the moment you begin to plan your day — the world is too small for you!”.  Daily agendas and trivia can shadow life’s deeper, more meaningful landscape. The throng of plans and busy-ness take hold of our energy, masking myriad opportunities and precious moments that pass us by each day. Our smart phones and computers have given us highly scheduled, highly connected, and busier lives.  Technology has helped us work more not less.  Technology has made our lives more complicated not simpler.  It can have a huge toll on our energy if we do not keep our priorities aligned with integrity to our thoughts, words, and actions.

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Alina Tousseeva is a medical doctor who practiced as a surgeon in Russia, who came to Canada and now practices acupuncture at our clinic.  She is fascinated by the world of acupuncture and how it works. Read her blog on her research regarding the scientific description of an acupuncture point.

The mystery of the acupuncture point seems to be gradually resolving from a scientific point of view.  Evidence for the therapeutic effect of acupuncture is growing too, but what makes a given location on the body special from another regarding its ability to stimulate a healing response? This article today is mainly concerned with the common physical attributes that seem to be associated with acupuncture points.

We can imagine that the discovery of the first acupoints were those that produced strong reactions. In distant traditions, blind children were cultured toward practices like acupuncture, since their skills of touch were highly refined, and they could “see” with their fingers.  Acupuncture points have a certain “feel” to them, and it is my attempt to demystify from a scientific point of view what we acupuncturists are actually feeling when we probe to find the sweet spot we have come to learn as acupuncture points. 

How do acupuncture points feel?  Aside from often being in an anatomical depression, when palpated, they can be achy or sore.  They are prone to be sensitized by any damaged tissue of the body, since chemicals from the damaged site can accumulate here.  In this theory, the cause  of the soreness can be any injury, including infection, over muscle exertion, trauma injury, or biochemical/ hormonal imbalances, since they can cause an irritation of the acupuncture point area.

What makes an acupuncture point special? The fine cellular details alone cannot explain why acupuncture points are different.   However, medical researchers have noticed these points are associated with nerves and vessels in complex physical areas of potential restriction or transition. Let’s look at the nervous system more closely to understand this.

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by Gord Grant

I want to talk about why we get sick.

What qualifies me to talk about this?  Well, on the surface, it is because I have extensive post-secondary training and research experience in pathology. I am a pathology and pharmacology instructor at MacEwan University, and I am an acupuncturist who is trained to help people get well.  But more deeply, what really qualifies me, is that like you I am a human being living my life.  Just as most of us experience, sooner or later, we struggle with our health or sickness. The concept goes far, far beyond the current medical focus of specific symptoms, disorders, and diseases or just growing old.  We know this, people in the medical system know this.  This is not about blaming science or the medical system, or ourselves, or anyone for that matter.  On the contrary, it is going beyond blame; it is looking at what each of us can do to better understand and take appropriate responsibility - healthcare consumers and providers and policy makers alike!

I went to a lecture last week by well known author, speaker and physician, Gabor Maté. He talked about the link between stress and disease, a subject from his bestseller book, “When the Body says NO - the costs of hidden stress”. I had remembered the book’s subtitle incorrectly - I thought it was  “the hidden costs of stress”, as in we know we are in stress, but we don’t realize the true costs of not looking after ourselves until we finally get sick.  But no, his message was more subtle than that.  “The costs of hidden stress” implies that stress factors beneath our radar can be linked to disease, and truly catch us unaware.

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This is the next in the series of 10 holistic tips on creating a healthier skin by Jennifer Kotowick.

Drink enough water.  Ensure you are adequately hydrated. Do you know if you are thirsty or not, or are you just drinking water because your are supposed to sometimes? Can you drink too much water?

Limit alcohol intake. Everything in moderation right? Alcohol is not only dehydrating but can hinder you liver`s function to detoxify.  

Exfoliate…but be gentle. This is an important part of radiant skin. I dare say less is more.  Once a week is plenty. You want to remove dead skin cells and increase blood flow. Over exfoliation could cause too much sebum production. Oatmeal and lavender blossoms are examples of gentle things you could on your skin.

the next time is about sun exposure and sunscreen….

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• facial rejuvenation