Missed naturopathic medicine week?
If you would like to find out how naturopathic medicine can make an impact on your health, please call 613-290-6115 for a free 15 minute consultation to find out more about naturopathic medicine and how it can benefit you.
Ottawa Collaborative Care Centre is located at 102 Lewis St in downtown Ottawa.
A new study (May, 2015) in the International Journal of Obesity investigated the relationship between meal times and several factors known to be involved in maintaining a healthy weight (including: blood sugar levels, carbohydrate metabolism, resting energy expenditure and levels of certain hormones).
Key points:
The regularity of meal times may influence body weight and blood sugar control. The impact of irregular meal times on weight maintenance occurs both if a person has a drastic change in their eating pattern (for instance overnight shift workers who switch sleep/wake cycles) and if there are small changes in a person’s normal daytime eating schedule (for instance delaying the timing of a meal).
Why does this occur?
There appear to be multiple factors why eating meals at inconsistent times could impact weight. They include:
Take home message:
Meet with a Naturopathic Doctor to put together a plan regarding eating times and what foods to eat when, as eating healthy foods at regular intervals is important for maintaining a healthy weight.
Graham Beaton is a Naturopathic Doctor practicing in Ottawa. For more information on weight loss, healthy eating or Naturopathic Medicine, please call 613-290-6115.
A recent study (April, 2015) published in the Journal of General Internal Medicine examined the link between the use of statin medications for high cholesterol levels and a subsequent increased risk of diabetes and diabetic complications.
What was found:
-Statin use increased the risk of diabetes, diabetic complications and obesity.
Take home message:
If on a statin, it is important to have regular blood tests to determine if your blood sugar levels are affected. In addition, you should consult with a Naturopathic Doctor to put together a plan to ensure that you are reducing the effect of the statin on blood sugar (e.g. by planning to eat a healthy diet and increasing the level of physical activity).
Graham Beaton is a Naturopathic Doctor practicing in Ottawa. For more information about diabetes, cardiovascular disease, or Naturopathic Medicine, please call 613-290-6115.
A study published in the International Journal of Obesity looked at the link between vitamin D deficiency and obesity.
Key Points:
Obesity is thought to contribute to low vitamin D levels circulating in the blood in a few possible ways:
1- Due to the increased number of fat cells in obese individuals, vitamin D (a fat soluble vitamin) is taken up and stored in fat cells at a higher rate compared to lean individuals. After being absorbed into fat cells, vitamin D may be broken down by enzymes within fat cells at a faster rate than would occur in lean individuals
2- Synthesis of vitamin D in the liver may occur at a slower rate in obese individuals as compared to synthesis in lean individuals.
The article also suggests that vitamin D may contribute to obesity or possibly inhibit weight loss due to vitamin D’s role in the regulation and metabolism of fat cells and by possibly affecting the body’s resting metabolic rate.
Take home message:
While the link between obesity and vitamin D levels needs to be further investigated, if you are overweight and are having trouble losing weight, it may be worth consulting with a Naturopathic Doctor and having your levels of vitamin D checked.
Graham Beaton is a naturopathic doctor practicing in downtown Ottawa at the Ottawa Collaborative Care Centre. For more information or to book an appointment, please call 613-290-6115.
Graham Beaton BHSc, ND - Doctor of Naturopathic Medicine
102 Lewis Street - Ottawa, ON - K2P 0S7
Tel: 613-290-6115 - Fax: