Category: Blog Posts

Reducing toxin exposure is key to a healthy and happy life. We cannot underestimate the power of a clean environment. The little things we do every day make a big difference throughout our life in terms of our health. So, we start with the basics – air, food, and water.

 

In this article we will focus on detoxification specifically as it relates to the liver, and actions you can take to support lowering your toxic load.

 

Toxin Exposure

 

Regarding the toxic load the body carries, think of your body as a bucket. We are all born with a certain size of bucket (primarily determined by genetics). For example, some of us may have genetic deficiencies in detoxification pathways that speed up the filling of one’s bucket. Our bodies tirelessly detoxify (empty) the bucket through daily cellular processes, with the skin, liver and digestive tract, lungs, and lymphatics doing the heavy lifting.

 

Everyone has been exposed to toxins; it is inevitable in the world we live in. In fact, from conception and living in utero, we’ve been exposed to toxins. Certain toxins and chemicals pass through cord blood from the mother to the developing fetus. The placenta does act as a selective barrier to prevent many toxic substances from crossing over to the fetus; however, there are some environmental toxins known to cross the placental barrier. Arsenic, cadmium, lead, and mercury are heavy metals that do get across the placenta. Even in small amounts, these toxicants can accumulate in fetal tissues and pose a risk to intrauterine growth and the developing brain.

 

Then when we’re born, we are exposed to even more toxins – if we’re breathing and living, we’re exposed. The abundance of chemicals, pesticides, air pollution, water contamination, heavy metals, biotoxins, stress, and trauma (and the list could continue…) collectively contribute to the bucket filling up. The bucket can only fill so full before it overflows, creating an inflammatory cascade, symptoms, and illness. When recovering from illness, many factors play a role in the speed at which it occurs – the body’s toxic load is a big one.

 

One of the main principles of Naturopathic Medicine is to strengthen the system’s terrain by removing obstacles that are preventing healing. This includes strengthening inborn factors, removing disturbing factors, and establishing health-promoting factors. If we think of health as the natural state of being and a “disturbance” as the trigger or the original problem, then identifying and reducing disturbances at the root is paramount to healing.

 

Toxins can be an obstacle to cure and can affect cellular membrane function, the cell’s ability to create energy, and the ability to detoxify and remove waste. Decreasing total body load, supporting detoxification, and implementing good nutrition will help the body recover rapidly from illness.

 

Reducing Toxin Exposure

 

One of the biggest things we can do to support detoxification is to reduce our toxic exposure in the first place.

 

Air

 

We understand now better than ever how air pollutants damage our health and the environment. It is known that many environmental toxicants are emitted through human activities and account for approximately 80% of today’s air pollution. Major sources are power stations, refineries, petrochemicals, fertilizer industries, industrial plants, municipal incineration, and automobile combustion from cars, planes, and trains. Additionally, cleaning chemicals, dry cleaning, building materials, VOCs (volatile organic compounds), radon, mold, and bacteria contribute to indoor toxicants. Natural sources include forest fires, dust storms, and burning for agriculture purposes.

 

A 2021 World Air Quality report found that only three percent of cities and no single country met the latest World Health Organization PM2.5 annual air quality guidelines. Indoor air pollutants are often 2-5 times higher than outdoor levels. Indoor air quality can be more dangerous because we spend 80% of our day inside. Unsurprisingly, having a good quality air filter in your home and office space would be highly beneficial to creating clean indoor air.

 

Some air purification devices our doctors use in their homes and office:

 

  • IQ Air – Hepa Health Pro Plus – IQ air also created an App-IQ Air Visual | Air Quality to track air quality information to help you lower your exposure to air pollutants.
  • Air Oasis – iAdaptAir UV Hepa

 

Food

 

Choose organic whenever possible. Eating certified organic will decrease the number of toxins coming into the body through pesticides and herbicides, as organic standards do not allow for the use of synthetic pesticides. Organic companies also do not allow for genetic modification (GMO) of food crops. GMOs are primarily found in processed foods, such as corn derivatives like corn syrup and corn oil, and less in fresh produce. However, a large majority of soybeans and soy-derived ingredients are genetically modified. Other produce to put on your watch list that may be genetically modified are zucchini, yellow squash, corn, papaya, apples, and potatoes. Processed foods with “certified organic” or “Non-GMO Project Verified” labels can be trusted to be GMO-free.

 

You can find a list of the top 12 dirtiest foods and 15 cleanest foods from the Environmental Working Group here. These lists highlight the most and least contaminated produce. These food lists change yearly based on the most heavily sprayed crops. Recent research from Harvard University shows that eating fruits and vegetables with high levels of pesticides decreases the overall beneficial effect of consumption. Harvard research has also shown that people who consume higher pesticide crops have lower fertility rates.

 

Water

 

Regardless of where you live, drinking water straight out of the tap may expose you to toxins that threaten your health. Commonly, toxins come into the water source through things like leaching off pipes (quality of pipes is a factor here), runoff from agriculture practices, improper disposal of pollutants, water treatment with chemicals and disinfectants, and environmental toxins, to name a few.

 

Water Contaminants:

 

  • Heavy metals and metalloids such as aluminum, arsenic, cadmium, lead, and mercury can severely impact health – increasing cancer and dementia risk, liver and kidney damage, birth defects, sleep, hormonal, and mood disturbances.
  • Pesticides, herbicides, and fertilizers have increased with the industrialization of agricultural practices. Chemicals inevitably make their way into water and soil. Notably, glyphosate is a herbicide known to disrupt the body’s endocrine system.
  • Other chemicals of note: Benzene, BPA’s, microplastics, and phthalates.
  • Pharmaceutics make their way into the water when excreted by humans and animals or are flushed down the toilet.

 

Since we drink water all day, every day, contaminated water can significantly contribute to filling up our buckets and increasing the overall toxic load that the liver must deal with. It is essential to drink the cleanest, purest water. Water filtration systems can support removing harmful toxins from your water source.

 

A water filter we love:

 

Kinetico Reverse Osmosis System (ROS) with Remineralization cartridge and Dechlorinator cartridge is our preferred choice for Canadians. Trail Appliances retails this system in Calgary.

 

Personal & Household Products

 

Personal care and many household products are made with numerous chemical ingredients, some toxic, carcinogenic, and even endocrine-disrupting. The average person applies up to 168 chemicals to the skin daily from personal care products and cosmetics. Luckily, resources are available to help you navigate clean and dirty products.

 

In 2004, the Environmental Working Group (EWG) launched the Skin Deep database to educate the public about personal care products and cosmetics ingredients. This is intended to help consumers understand the health concerns and risks related to certain ingredients.

 

In 2012, Think Dirty was launched as another resource for consumers to turn to and make shopping for clean products easy. The app allows you to compare products as you shop by scanning the bar code or searching the product on the app search bar. Think Dirty is the Rotten Tomatoes of all skincare and personal products and a trusted go-to source for toxin-free products.

 

Apps:

 

  • EWG’s Healthy Living
  • Think Dirty

 

Plastics

 

Researchers worry about the health effects of using plastics every day, especially to heat and store food. When plastics are heated or exposed to UV light, chemicals leech out from the plastic. Some of the chemicals found in plastics can also mimic estrogen. Of concern is BPA, which was once common in plastic water bottles but is still used to line most metal food cans. Other plastic sources include food packaging, children’s toys, detergents, and fabrics.

 

The solution is to use less plastic in your daily life. Slowly replace your plastic food containers, water bottles, etc., with glass.

 

 Additional lifestyle factors

 

Quit smoking and reduce alcohol consumption.

 

Detoxification Pathways

 

There are two detoxification pathways in the liver. Each pathway requires certain nutrients to function correctly and remove toxins from the body. Nutrients such as amino acids, glutathione, trace minerals, vitamin C, and B vitamins are essential for the liver. Nutritional deficiencies and poor diets can lead to a build-up of toxins which can overwhelm the pathways, deplete antioxidants that protect the liver, and eventually damage liver cells.

 

Phase One: Enzymes and Key Nutrients

 

Phase one of the liver detoxification uses enzymes and key nutrients to break toxins down into smaller units. The enzymes used are the cytochrome p450 enzymes. The speed at which these enzymes function is also determined by genetics and is influenced by exercise, heavy metals, and the availability of certain nutrients, either speeding up or inhibiting the enzymes’ function. This phase of liver detoxification produces even more toxic end-product metabolites that need to be removed quickly through phase two. This is why if phase one works correctly, but phase two is a little sluggish (or missing key nutrients), our bodies can run into problems, with toxins building up and creating inflammation and cellular damage.

 

Phase Two: Detoxification

 

Phase two is the conjugation (addition) phase of liver detoxification. This addition takes the toxic metabolites created in phase one and renders them less harmful to the body. This makes them easier to transport out for elimination through the stool and kidneys. There are many vital processes by which phase two does its magic. Depending on the type of toxin, the phase one liver pathway will push its bi-products down a specific pathway, where specialized enzymes work to add a specific substance to the phase one end-product metabolites. These particular substances must come from the diet, or the pathways will slow down.

 

Pathways of Phase Two Detoxification:

 

  • The Glutathione pathway (Glutathione Conjugation) – uses glutathione and the enzyme glutathione-s-transferase.
  • The Sulfation pathway– uses sulfate.
  • The Methylation pathway– uses methyl groups (from SAM – made from methionine, choline, B12, and folate (B9)) and methyl transferase enzymes. (Example: Catechol-O-methyl-transferase COMT)).
  • The Glucuronidation pathway– uses glucuronic acids and the enzyme UDP-glucuronyltransferase.
  • The Acetylation pathway– attaches an acetyl co-A through the enzyme N-alpha-acetyltransferase (NAT).
  • The Amino Acid Conjugation Pathway– uses amino acids such as glycine, taurine, glutamine, arginine, and ornithine and amino acid transferase enzymes. Glycine conjugation is the most common.

 

Ways to Support Glutathione Conjugation

 

Supplements:

 

  • Glutathione or glutathione precursors such as NAC (N-acetylcysteine)
  • Vitamins that recycle glutathione – Vitamin C and Vitamin E
  • Supporting other antioxidants to prevent glutathione depletion – alpha-lipoic acid, and omega three fatty acids
  • B-vitamins – play a role in proper enzyme function in glutathione synthesis
  • Selenium is a cofactor of glutathione peroxidase and increases the expression and activity of certain glutathione-related enzymes. It is also an antioxidant.

 

Nutrition:

 

  • Consume the colours of the rainbow. Various fruits and vegetables provide a phytonutrient diverse diet to strengthen the body’s defence against oxidative stress.
  • Cruciferous vegetables rich in sulphur (broccoli, broccoli sprouts, cauliflower, brussels sprouts, cabbages, and kale)
  • Citrus fruits (rich in limonoids and flavonoids) upregulate enzyme activity in glutathione production
  • Adequate protein diets to get enough cysteine, glycine, and glutamine – the amino acids that form glutathione
  • Sometimes, impaired protein digestion from reduced mucosal hydrochloric acid production or pancreatic enzyme function is a limiting factor to sufficient glutathione levels
  • Green tea – increases antioxidant protection and glutathione availability
  • Herbs: gingko, curcumin, rosemary, and milk thistle

 

How to Support Sulfation

 

Supplements:

 

  • N-acetyl cysteine (NAC)
  • Glutathione

 

Nutrition:

 

  • Consuming sulfur containing amino acids (cysteine, methionine, taurine) through dietary protein
  • Sulfur rich foods – cruciferous vegetables
  • Consuming more allium rich vegetables (garlic, onions: chives, leeks, shallots, etc.), and eggs

 

Supporting Methylation

 

Supplements:

 

  • Supplements that either donate methyl groups or support the formation of methyl groups: SAMe, methionine, methyl-B12, active folate (5-MTHF), B6, B2, magnesium, zinc and choline.

 

Ways to Support Glucuronidation

 

Supplements:

 

  • That induce UGT enzyme activity: curcumin, resveratrol, and quercetin.
  • That inhibit beta-glucuronidase activity: calcium-d-glucurate, and probiotics.

 

How to Support Acetylation

 

Vitamin C:

 

  • Nutrition: rose hips, cherries, plums, kiwi, guava, sweet bell peppers, strawberries, cantaloupe, kale, brussels sprouts, broccoli, and citrus fruits like oranges

 

B Vitamins:

 

  • Dark leafy greens, fish, meats, whole grains, nuts, and seeds

 

Supporting Amino Acid Conjugation

 

Nutrition:

 

  • Amino acids are the building blocks of protein and require a protein rich diet from various protein sources.

 

Contact Linden & Arc Vitality Institute

 

At Linden & Arc Vitality Institute, our Functional Medicine practice seeks to uncover and treat the root cause of your illness, healing you as a complete being, not just a collection of symptoms. Our Functional Medicine clinic provides highly personalized, integrated care based on assessments of your body’s key biological functions and how you live your life using evidence-based treatments.

 

To learn more about reducing toxins and getting back to feeling your best, contact Linden & Arc Vitality Institute HERE to get started on your naturopathic health journey.

 

Author

Dr. Ayla Lester, ND

 

References:

 

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What is Chronic Inflammatory Response Syndrome (CIRS)?

 

Chronic Inflammatory Response Syndrome (CIRS) is a multisystem, multi-symptom illness triggered by biotoxin exposure. A biotoxin is any living toxin. When exposed, the immune system can become stuck in an inflammatory state even when the exposure is removed.

 

24% of the population is genetically at risk to develop CIRS, due to alterations in their Human Leukocyte Antigen genes (HLA). There are specific HLA genes involved in CIRS and you only need to have one gene to be predisposed. For those genetically at risk for CIRS, chronic exposure to external infections, toxins, or inflammatory signals from within the body causes an ongoing innate immune response in the immune system.

 

The innate immune system, which is the non-specific first line of immune defense, turns on, as it should in response to any exposure. However, having one or more of the HLA genes will prevent a handover to the adaptive immune system. This means there is no antibody created and the innate immune system is never told to shutoff. As a result cytokines, the proteins produced by the immune system are over produced, and inflammation is triggered, regardless of whether the exposure is still there or not.

 

You have these genes your whole life, but they are only expressed when you have a combination of biotoxin exposures (one or many) and other stresses on the system, such as toxin exposures, stress, and food triggers. These environmental inputs will trigger the gene expression at different times – you can first be diagnosed as a child, or in your later years.

 

This dysregulation and inflammation can lead to damaged tissues and cells, alter gene expression, autoimmunity, and disrupt hypothalamic hormones (hormones produced in the brain), downstream hormones (hormones downstream from the brain), and peptides (small chains of amino acids). This causes many debilitating symptoms, which can affect every body system. Chronic Inflammatory Response Syndrome is a progressive illness that if left untreated can rob patients of their quality of life.

 

Triggers of Chronic Inflammatory Response Syndrome

 

CIRS is the result of downstream abnormalities that occur in the body from biotoxin exposure. A biotoxin is a toxic substance produced by living organisms.

 

A patient may be exposed to biotoxins from the mold and bacteria in water-damaged buildings, from diseases caused by tick bites, by consuming tropical fish, or even exposure to certain algae.

 

Knowing whether your Chronic Inflammatory Response Syndrome trigger is current is critical for proper recovery. That is why it is so important for physicians to get a thorough history from you before diagnosing or treating CIRS. In some cases we may not be able to figure out the exact trigger (or when it occurred), but we are most interested in ruling out current external exposures and internal infections.

 

CIRS triggers can be from any of the following:

 

  • Microbes, toxins and inflammagens from Water Damaged Buildings (WDB). The main 3 are mold, actinobacteria and endotoxin. We typically test for these inside the home.
  • Lyme disease and co-infections
  • Cyanobacteria (blue grey algae), often from freshwater exposures such as lakes
  • Apicomplexans like Babesia (parasite)
  • Pfiesteria, from exposure to ill fish – swimming
  • Ciguatera, from eating tropical fish
  • Red tide
  • Recluse spider bites
  • Mycobacteria
  • Traumatic brain injury can trigger similar downstream effects as CIRS

 

Symptoms of CIRS

 

Due to varied environmental stimuli and each individual’s unique genes, patients with Chronic Inflammatory Response Syndrome can present with wildly different symptoms. Because of the wide range of symptoms a CIRS diagnosis can be easily missed at family doctor visits, mostly because it is not looked for. Patients with CIRS are often misdiagnosed with allergies, anxiety, depression, PTSD, Alzheimer’s, Parkinsonism, Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, and many other conditions.

 

When CIRS is suspected, an easy screening symptom questionnaire & visual contrast sensitivity test can accurately delineate who may be at risk. This will then alert us to test further. Our Functional Medicine Physicians at Linden & Arc get to the root cause of your symptoms, so you can be sure you are receiving proper treatment.

 

CIRS is often suspected if:

 

  1. You have a complex multi system, multi symptom illness.
  2. You are not responding as expected to basic treatments, such as gut, hormone and nutrient treatments.
  3. You have atypical presentation of illness that may not necessarily fit into a clear diagnostic box in the conventional medical system
  4. You have multiple chemical sensitivities
  5. You have a known infective exposure, or home exposure

 

CIRS Symptoms:

 

  • Abdominal pain/diarrhea
  • Disorientation/confusion
  • Teary eyes
  • Metallic taste
  • Congested sinuses
  • Shortness of breath
  • Memory loss
  • Body aches/weakness
  • Headache/light Sensitivity
  • Brain fog/ difficulty concentrating
  • Skin sensitivities
  • Red eyes/blurred vision
  • Mood swings
  • Joint pain/cramps/stiffness
  • Numbness
  • Fatigue
  • Vertigo
  • Excessive thirst
  • Cough
  • Difficulty regulating body temperature
  • Increased urinary frequency
  • Appetite changes

 

Many Patients struggling with Chronic Inflammatory Response Syndrome may also deal with:

 

  • Histamine issues and Mast Cell Activation Syndrome (MCAS)
  • Electromagnetic / EMF sensitivity
  • Limbic system dysfunction
  • Over reactive nervous system (from Neuroinflammation)
  • Poor detoxification
  • Issues with gut health, hormones, nutrient imbalances, neurotransmitter imbalances

 

As discussed, CIRS is an inflammatory illness. However, we also now know that it causes significant disruption in the metabolism of the cell, including energy and protein production. It has transcriptomic effects, meaning it can also turn genes on and off. We see a specific pattern of gene dysregulation in CIRS at baseline, vs. after treatment. This is an extremely important part of correcting CIRS, as our goal is to prevent some of the complications that occur as a result of gene dysregulation.

 

Complications of Gene dysregulation include:

 

  • Insulin dysregulation
  • Metabolic acidosis
  • Low metabolism and energy production
  • Low protein production
  • Pulmonary hypertension
  • Effects on brain structure/ volume

 

Chronic Inflammatory Response Syndrome Diagnosis

 

The presentation of Chronic Inflammatory Response Syndrome varies between different people. That is why it is extremely important to have a thorough workup done when you are suffering with a wide range of symptoms. An in depth history of your entire ‘timeline”, your life story, your exposure history, and detailed lab investigations are needed. The various tests are necessary for a firm CIRS diagnosis and to properly track the success of treatments. We want to be sure we are on the right track and that you are responding to treatment and will continuously trouble shoot your individual illness. In complex illness, there is no room for guessing!

 

At Linden & Arc Vitality Institute the following Testing is done at baseline and repeatedly throughout the protocol:

 

1. Proteomic Lab Testing

 

Proteomic testing is how we make the diagnosis of CIRS, as per published literature. Below is a list of the labs, with short description of what they indicate:

 

  • Visual contrast sensitivity (VCS) test – this is an eye test measuring contrast, which decreases in people with CIRS
  • HLA testing tells us about your susceptibility to CIRS – are you one of the 24% of people with defective antigen presentation?
  • MSH – melanocyte stimulating hormone, is a key regulator of many important body functions
  • Capillary hypoperfusion: VEGF
  • Innate Inflammatory markers: MMP 9, C4a, C3a and TGF beta 1
  • Disruption of hormone feedback loops: ACTH/ cortisol; ADH or Copeptin/osmolality
  • Androgens and sex hormones
  • Leptin (leptin resistance)
  • Autoimmunity: Antigliadin antibodies and anti-cardiolipin antibodies
  • Abnormal clotting profiles: PAI I; vWF; D dimer; ESR
  • MARCONS nasal swabbing, for a resistant bacteria that sits in the sinus

 

2. GENIE (Genetic Expression, Inflammation Explained)

 

GENIE is a study of the transcriptome developed by James Ryan PhD at ProgeneX labs. Transcriptomic testing tells us how your genes are being expressed in response to environmental inputs. GENIE can tell us about your exposures, hypometabolism and insulin signaling, VIP (Vaso-Active Intestinal Peptide) and Ikaros function, coagulation risks, histamine production, brain and cognitive risks, and confirm a CIRS diagnosis. This test has proven to give us absolutely astonishing insights into your individual expression of the complex illness that is CIRS. It is used at baseline and in follow up to ensure resolution of the illness.

 

3. NeuroQuant Volumetric Brain MRI

 

Volumetric brain imaging is extremely useful in diagnosing the cause of CIRS and establishing the effect of CIRS on the brain. The function of the immune system is intricately linked with that of the nervous system, so we expect to see some changes in the brain in CIRS. Unlike a conventional MRI, it measures volumes of different brain areas with tremendous accuracy. The pattern of change in the volumes of different brain structures will vary depending on what the specific trigger is and if we can see a ‘fingerprint’ for CIRS on the brain. The volume changes, for example, will look very different if mold was your trigger, vs. endotoxin vs. Lyme disease. NeuroQuant will help to determine specifics of treatment and what the end point of treatment is for CIRS.

 

The combination of Proteomic labs, GENIE and NeuroQuant leaves us with solid objective data. You will know that you have a diagnosis of CIRS, without question. You will know what your individual trigger is, and you will have a baseline to track changes and evaluate the success of treatment using accurate data.

 

CIRS Treatment

 

Depending on how quickly we remove you from your exposures and how you respond to each treatment, it can take a year or more to show improvements. The goals of Chronic Inflammatory Response Syndrome treatment are to lower inflammagens, correct hormonal dysregulation, deal with autoimmunity, improve capillary hypoperfusion, eradicate commensal Staph in the nasal cavity, correct cellular immunity, and get you back to enjoying your life.

 

Once CIRS is diagnosed we follow the 12-step Shoemaker protocol as the core of therapy. It is important to follow this peer reviewed protocol for success of treatment. We may also suggest completing other therapies, which support your system and help with repair and possible side effects of the treatments. The most important part of the protocol initially is to remove you from the exposure/trigger for CIRS. This might involve referral to an Indoor Environmental Professional (IEP), who is the expert in home health as it relates to CIRS. They will individualize home testing and remediation based on your results and response to treatment. Removing from exposure also includes removing internal exposures, like infections. We treat Lyme and Lyme co-infections, virus, parasites for example, so that there is no ongoing trigger inside the system. This is individualized based on your testing.

 

Once we have ticked this first important box, we can begin to remove biotoxins from the system with binding therapy, which acts like an antibody and removes biotoxin from the system through the stool. The VCS test is used to track readiness for the next step, which is to eradicate MARCONS from the nasal cavity. Once we have done this we are able to assess progress through repeat testing and manage any ongoing inflammation where necessary.

 

The ultimate goal is to get you taking VIP, which is an important peptide used to calm inflammation, correct gene dysregulation and correct the brain changes associated with CIRS, amongst many other important functions. Management of other related issues and differential diagnoses occur alongside this core approach where needed. For example, Mast Cell Activation Syndrome can be treated, EMF remediation done and detoxification supported.

 

We have a strong focus on the limbic system, which is our emotional brain, as this is commonly an area affected by CIRS. In fact, many patients with CIRS suffer concomitantly with PTSD and other trauma related issues. As the brain-immune connection is so strong, it is important to manage both of these side by side.

 

We find the most successful healing journeys embrace a team approach that includes Indoor Environmental Professionals (IEP), a Health Coach, a Lymphatic Drainage Therapist, and a CIRS literate Physician. At Linden & Arc Vitality Institute, Dr. Murfin is a Chronic Inflammatory Response Syndrome Proficiency Diplomat. We encourage you to ask questions, get support where you can, and to trust that this evidence based treatment plan works, even though it may be challenging.

 

Contact Linden & Arc Vitality Institute

 

At the Institute we understand it can be very overwhelming to deal with the unpredictable and fluctuating symptoms caused by CIRS. That is why we are here to help you every step of the way. It’s time to break the cycle of unnecessary suffering with pro-active treatments that will change the arc of your life.

 

At Linden & Arc we can help you find freedom from pain, fatigue, memory loss, illness, and depression! If you are struggling with persistent health challenges contact us HERE to get started on your transformative health journey.

 

Author

Dr. Michelle Van Der Westhuizen, MD & CIRS Proficiency Diplomat

Cold Submersion Therapy or Cold Water Immersion (CWI) is an ancient hydrotherapy treatment. It relieves many ailments and chronic symptoms. People suffering from immune system or mood disorders, have trouble sleeping or have increased stress levels can benefit from this type of therapy. This form of hydrotherapy is similar to aquatic therapy, pool therapy, or balneotherapy. The use of water in various forms and at various temperatures produces amazing effects on the human body.

 

In Activating the Vagus Nerve: Part 1 – Breathe!, we explored the positive effects that breathwork has on our Vagus Nerve. How we breath affects our autonomic nervous system – which has two branches, sympathetic (fight or flight) and parasympathetic (rest and digest). You can think of the sympathetic as the gas pedal on your system and the parasympathetic as the brakes. Let’s now dive deeper into how we can manipulate the nervous system and make it stronger by introducing cold water immersion (CWI) therapy while we are breathing.

 

“Cold water? What the … ?!” You might exclaim, especially if you are  living in a cold climate like Calgary, Alberta.

 

Taking actionable steps like CWI therapy can help reduce stress levels. CWI is an ancient therapy used to relieve many ailments. People suffering from immune system or mood disorders, having trouble sleeping, or increasing stress levels can benefit from this type of therapy. Here we outline some reasons why CWI is so good for you. It enhances your immune function, boosts your metabolism, elevates your mood, and builds endurance. 


Reasons to try CWI


Enhance Your Immune Function

Cold Submersion Therapy stimulates immune function. It does this by stimulating the white blood cells. They then provoke the white blood cells to attack and destroy toxic substances in the lymph fluid. The cold water positively affects the lymphatic system, affecting the immune system by flushing waste and toxins.

 

Boost Your Metabolism

Cold Submersion Therapy helps to boost your metabolism, which can assist with weight loss efforts. This is not to be substituted for a healthy diet and regular exercise. This practice makes your body work harder to keep you warm, which inadvertently burns calories. It also affects the type of fat the body produces. According to a study done in 2009, brown fat (BAT), or good fat, mobilizes when your body becomes exposed to frigid temperatures. It works to keep us warm, thus eliminating white fat, which is the fat that sits around your thighs and waist.

 

Improve Sleep, Reduce Stress, & Elevate Mood

When we sleep, our bodies heal, so it is vital to get adequate restful sleep. CWI reduces muscle soreness and pain, which allows you to sleep more soundly. Quality sleep will, therefore, reduce stress levels and elevate your overall mood.

 

Build Endurance & Resilience

The thought of submerging your body in cold water makes most people cringe, but it is suitable for your body and your mind! It is a good practice in mental strength, endurance, and resilience which requires you to break out of your comfort zone. I learned that cold never stops being hard. It never gets easier, but your mind has become more resilient and robust. Immersing your entire body in ice water trains your brain to control your responses to stress, pain, and anxiety, instead of allowing your emotions to overwhelm you. Try reframing your thoughts with mindful breath and action by breathing through sensations and feelings that arise. CWI will allow your body and mind to work through a state of stress and enter a state of calm. Don’t forget to breathe, as this is so crucial. When our breathing is full and deep, the diaphragm moves through its entire range downward to massage the internal organs and tissues below it and then moves upward to massage the heart. Training the body to control the breath and negative mind chatter can be a total game-changer for anxiety and depression.

 

If cold water immersion still isn’t seeming like your thing, try ending your showers with cooler water temperatures. You can start slowly and build up to longer stints of colder temperatures. Breath through the discomfort and find a motto to help build your resilience, such as “I am more than my thoughts,” or “I choose to step into mindful, peaceful action”, and “I am stepping away from fear.”

 

The cold never stops being cold but taking actionable steps that you can implement into your daily/weekly routine will guide you towards taking back control over your health by increasing resilience in your mind and body. How powerful is that! Challenge yourself today by trying the Wim Hoff method of Cold Submersion Therapy along with deep diaphragmatic breathing for your overall health. Take the plunge!

 

Author:

Darla Montgomery

 

The holidays can be a beautiful time. The Christmas lights, Chanukah candles flickering in the windows, seeing children filled with joy and awe. Celebrating with family and friends and looking forward to well-deserved holiday time.

 

Why ruin all this beauty with the stress and worry about food? Dwelling on what and how much you will cook or eat and how many calories you will need to burn off the next day at the gym ruins the holidays before they begin.

 

Our Wish For You

 

Our holiday wish for you is to just relax, enjoy, and embrace the holiday experience. It only comes around once a year, so love it vs. stress it. Here are a few tips to get you through the holidays that will help put your body in the optimum state to receive.

 

  1. Eat with presence – enjoy the taste, smell, traditional recipes, take in the experience of eating, and simply be with your food.
  2. Eat slowly – this will improve digestion and prevent overeating.
  3. Eat quality food – you’ll feel so much better if do!
  4. Eat rhythmically – avoid saving up all day and then binging on a big dinner; pace yourself throughout the day
  5. Watch your chatter – observe your thoughts such as, “this food is going to make me gain weight,” “people are watching what I’m eating”,” this is so bad for me,” “this is so unhealthy,” etc. These toxic nutritional beliefs taint your food, eating experience, and put your body in a stress response where digestion and calorie burning turn off.
  6. Eat with pleasure, joy and, gratitude – this is the best way to put your body in the optimum state to digest, assimilate nutrients, and turn on metabolic power. It also guarantees a delicious meal!

 

Are You Preparing The Holiday Dinner?

 

If you are preparing a holiday dinner, remember that your guests taste and feel your energy. Create an inviting environment. Cook with love vs. stress, create with joy vs. resentment, and use special recipes that inspire you or carry on the family traditions. How you are feeling and what you are thinking as you are cooking gets infused into your food, so ensure that only the best ingredients of you get added.

 

So friends, the bottom line is this: the best thing you can do is to cook with pleasure, bake with joy, roast with laughter, eat with gratitude, and celebrate with love. May your body, mind, spirit, and soul be deeply nourished this holiday season.

This is an exciting time for the clinic. Guided by a long-term vision to make Functional Medicine more accessible, we are now poised to transition into a larger institute. Thanks to the work we have done together with you, our existing patients, we are ready to take the next step to spread vitality. We are transitioning Lynne Murfin MD to Linden & Arc Vitality Institute!

 

We opened our doors as a Functional Medicine practice in 2010 and have become a leading provider of Functional and Integrative medical care to thousands of patients. We have built a team of highly-skilled, experienced, and dedicated clinicians, practitioners, and administrative staff who are ready to support your individualized journey to better health and vitality.

 

We look forward to your visit with us and assisting you in taking your first steps to a happier, healthier, and more vigorous you. Our team at Linden & Arc Vitality Institute will empower you as an active participant in your own health. Our Functional Medicine practice provides highly personalized, integrated care through a comprehensive understanding of your body’s systems, helping you navigate the landscape of your healing journey.

 

We look forward to partnering with you on your healing journey toward a more healthy and vital you!

 

In health,

Dr. Lynne Murfin, MBChB LMCC CCFP ABAARM FAARM IFMCP

Founder, Medical Director, Physician

 

About Dr. Murfin:

Dr. Murfin is wholeheartedly focused on her life’s mission to help people heal and achieve extraordinary outcomes. She believes that health is more than merely the absence of disease. It is a total state of physical, mental, emotional, spiritual, and social wellbeing through the creation of a whole and meaningful life. Dr. Murfin leaves no stone unturned to determine the root cause of illness or imbalance. Dr. Murfin welcomes you to Linden & Arc Vitality Institute!

Are you hot flashing? Having headaches, memory loss, fatigue? And, the dreaded weight gain around the middle? You are not alone! 

 

Menopause can be a difficult time for many women. Symptoms additional to the above can include low libido and anxiety. It’s not the easiest time of life, but there are ways to approach the hormonal shifts. At Linden & Arc Vitality Institute, we are here to help.

 

What’s up with the hormones?

 

Hormonal changes begin as ovulation ceases – your progesterone decreases. The balanced ratio of estrogen to progesterone begins to tip toward estrogen. Estrogen is the hormone that makes you feel sexy, happy, and full of life. 

 

Sounds good right? So, what’s the problem? 

 

Changes in estrogen can also affect our thyroid hormones and cortisol levels. Excess estrogen may cause bloating, fatigue, headaches, poor sleep (see Smith, 2010, p. 7 or Somers, 2006, p. 38 for a full list). The balance of estrogen and progesterone is lost during hormonal shifts. The decline in progesterone, which is the hormone that makes you feel calm and relaxed, can cause you to feel more anxious, irritable, and depressed. Imbalances in hormones can impact your brain health, memory, and immune system. That’s why those pesky symptoms start to show themselves. 

 

With a functional medicine approach, where there is a partnership between physician and patient, the menopausal years and beyond can be the best time of your life. The best time of life? Yes, really! Your vital energy can be cultivated by working to balance your hormones. 

 

menopause-functional-medicine

 

How is it possible to live the best life during menopause?

 

Taking a functional medicine and holistic approach, women do not have to suffer the symptoms associated with this stage of life. Anxiety, stress, sleepless nights, and weight gain don’t have to be the fate of the middle years – and your physical middle! Here are some tips towards finding balance by adjusting your lifestyle factors with mind, body, spirit and soul at the center of your healing journey:

 

Body:  

  • eat a whole foods diet with as much organic fruit and vegetables as possible
  • make sure to eat enough lean protein and keep sugars to a minimum
  • add 10 to 15 minutes of body-focused stretching or exercise to your daily routine
  • add 3-minute breathing practice when you wake up and before bed

 

Mind: 

  • read a book about your menopausal health; the top two books we recommend and have in stock at Linden & Arc Vitality Institute, are: Ageless by Suzanne Somers and What You Must Know About Women’s Hormones: Your Guide to Natural Hormone Treatments for PMS, Menopause, Osteoporosis, PCOS, and More by Pamela Wartian Smith, MD, MPH.
  • talk to your physician about hormone replacement therapy and options to consider; read about bioidentical hormones in Somers’ book.

 

Spirit & Soul: 

  • practice each day that connects you to that which matters most
  • tune in a few minutes each day with practices such as: walking in nature, touching the leaves of a plant, prayer, meditation

 

With mindful planning and sustainable routines for body, mind, and spirit, post-menopausal women can come into the fullness of their power, creativity, and joy. 

 

Some bonuses of this time of our lives: Women in their fifties and beyond often talk about no longer worrying about pleasing others, finding their voices, and having the confidence to change intolerable situations. With a balanced body, a sharp mind, and full vitality, life after menopause has no limits. Getting through the trials of menopause can be an adventure and a deep dive into your self – body, mind, and soul. 

 

References:

Somers, S. (2006). Ageless: The naked truth about bioidentical hormones. Three Rivers Press.

 

Wartian Smith, P. (2010). What you must know about women’s hormones: Your guide to natural hormone treatments for PMS, menopause, Osteoporosis, PCOS and more. Square One Publishers.

 

Author

Lisa Itzcovitch, MA

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587-390-0180

[email protected]

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7015 Macleod Trail SW
Calgary, Alberta
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