Ottawa Naturopath – Graham Beaton BHSc, ND – Ottawa Doctor of Naturopathic Medicine

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Worth Reading: Link Between Vitamin D Deficiency and Obesity

Jun 11

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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.

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Age Related Cognitive Decline

Mar 22

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Description:

Memory, cognitive impairment, dementia and Alzheimer’s disease are common problems amongst the elderly. These conditions can impact on memory, language, reasoning and judgement. While there are many factors that contribute to the development of cognitive decline in the elderly, there are several steps that can be taken to reduce the risk of developing these conditions, and to reduce their impact on memory and mental functioning.

Please join us on Thursday February 19th to find out more about cognitive diseases and what you can do to reduce your risk.

Presenter:
Graham Beaton, BHSc, ND
Doctor of Naturopathic Medicine
Ottawa Collaborative Care Centres

Date and Time:
Thursday February 19th at 7 pm.

Registration:
To register for this free event, please contact the Sunnyside Public Library or call 613-290-6115.

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Health Seminar – Colorectal Cancer

Mar 22

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Description:

Colorectal cancer is the third most frequently diagnosed form of cancer in Canadian adults, affecting nearly 1 in 14 men and 1 in 15 women. It is possible to reduce one’s risk of developing colorectal cancer, and given its frequency, it is important to properly screen for its presence. Please join us to learn more about managing your colorectal health.

Topics of this seminar will include:

  • Anatomy of the digestive system
  • Description of colorectal cancer
  • Risk factors for the development of colorectal cancer
  • Prevention of colorectal cancer
  • Assessment and diagnosis
  • Description of management

Presenter:
Graham Beaton, BHSc, ND
Doctor of Naturopathic Medicine
Ottawa Collaborative Care Centres

Date and Time:
Thursday March 26th at 7 pm.

Registration:
To register for this free event, please contact the Sunnyside Public Library or call 613-290-6115.

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Pickled cabbage

Jan 18

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Ingredients

  • Large head of red or green cabbage
  • 1/3 cup salt

Directions

  • Sterilise glass jars and their seals.
  • Wash and dry cabbage. Quarter the cabbage, discard core then shred it finely.
  • Transfer shredded cabbage to a glass mixing bowl and sprinkle salt over top. Mix salt in with the cabbage. Weight down the cabbage to keep it submerged in the liquid that is/will be released from the cabbage.
  • Transfer to the sterile jar(s). Ensure that the cabbage is submerged in the liquid. If needed, add 1 tsp of salt in 1 cup of water to fill the jar, ensuring that the cabbage is submerged.
  • Cover the container with cheesecloth and tie it tightly (use rubber band or string).
  • Store in a cool place (temperature range 65 to 75 degrees F).
  • Let stand for 1 week to cure, cover, then refrigerate.
  • Pickled cabbage can last up to 2 weeks in refrigerator.

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Savory and Red Cabbage Salad

Jan 17

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Ingredients
Salad

  • Red cabbage – ½ head finely shredded
  • Savory cabbage – 5 to 10 leaves chopped
  • Mango – 1 cup in strips
  • Papaya – 1 cup in strips
  • Mint – ¼ cup chopped
  • Cilantro – 1.5 cups chopped
  • Toasted chopped almonds – 1 cup

Dressing

  • Juice from 1 lime
  • Maple syrup – 2 tablespoons
  • Olive oil – 4 table spoons
  • Garlic – 1 clove chopped or crushed
  • Salt and pepper

Directions

  • Combine ingredients for salad. Make dressing. Combine both and serve.

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    Savory cabbage salad with mint and cumin

    Jan 16

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    Ingredients
    Salad

    • Savory cabbage – 2/3 head of cabbage
    • Dandelion leaves (in Ottawa, they are available at Whole Foods) – 1 bunch
    • Mint leaves – 1 bunch

    Dressing

    • Olive oil – 2/3 cup
    • Cumin seeds – 2 tbsp
    • Juice from 1 lemon
    • Garlic – 1 clove crushed or chopped
    • Salt and pepper

    Directions:

    • Shred cabbage and chop dandelion and mint, combine. Make dressing. Add dressing to salad and serve.

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    Seared Red Cabbage Wedges

    Jan 14

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    This recipe is very simple to do, and can be served as a side to a wide variety of meats.

    Ingredients

    • Head of red cabbage
    • 3 Tablespoons of olive oil (extra virgin)
    • Salt and pepper

    Directions

    • Heat the olive oil in a cast iron frying pan over high heat.
    • While pan/oil is heating, cut cabbage into 8-10 wedges.
    • When pan/oil is hot, place wedges into pan in a single layer. Cook for 3 to 5 minutes until the cabbage is golden brown. Turn cabbage over and cook on opposite side, another 3-5 minutes
    • Season with salt and pepper

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    Lentil Salad with squash, carrots, beets and cabbage

    Jan 13

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    Ingredients for salad

    • Green lentils (puy lentils) – 2 cups
    • 1/4 head red cabbage
    • Acorn squash – 1 small, peeled and diced
    • Carrots – 2, peeled and diced
    • Beets – 2 medium, peeled and diced
    • Summer savory or thyme – 2 sprigs
    • Rosemary – 1 sprig
    • Garlic – 2 cloves chopped or crushed
    • Parsley – chopped
    • Bay leaf – 1
    • Salt and pepper

    Ingredients for dressing

    • Olive oil – ¼ cup
    • Juice from 1 freshly squeezed orange
    • Salt and pepper

    Directions

    • Heat oven to 400 degrees. Roast vegetables (squash, carrots, beets) in single layer in roasting pan with olive oil, salt, summer savory/thyme and rosemary for 25 minutes or until tender.
    • Combine 6 cups of water with the green lentils in a large pot and bring to a boil. Add a bay leaf and pepper. Do not salt. Reduce heat and simmer for 20 to 30 minutes until lentils are tender.
    • Make dressing.
    • Drain lentils and discard bay leaf.
    • Shred red cabbage and toss with olive oil (2-3 tablespoons).
    • Combine lentils, red cabbage, parsley, roasted vegetables and dressing.

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    In Season – Cabbage

    Jan 12

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    During the winter months, many Ottawans look to continue eating a healthy diet full of fresh fruits and vegetables. But, what is in season this time of year? Cabbage. Cabbage is a great meal option in the winter – it is in season, full of nutrients and can be used creatively in recipes. Varieties of cabbage include green, red, savory, and several Chinese cabbages.

    Green Cabbage
    Green cabbage has pale to dark exterior leaves with pale green to white interior leaves. It can be eaten raw, or cooked in stir fries, sautéed, boiled, added to soups, or made into a wrap. Eating green cabbage raw has a peppery flavor, while cooking it makes it taste sweeter.

    From a nutritional standpoint, green cabbage is high in vitamin C (32% RDA per cup), folate (10% RDA per cup), and fiber (2.1 g per cup).

    Red Cabbage
    Red cabbage has red to purple outer leaves (the color of the leaves influenced by the pH level of the soil where it was grown), with white streaks on the inside. Flavor characteristics of red cabbage are similar to green (peppery if eaten raw, sweeter when cooked). With cooking, the color of red cabbage will fade and may bleed into the other foods it is cooked with.

    Nutritionally, red cabbage has a higher content of vitamin C (84% RDA per cup) compared to green cabbage. It has a high content of vitamin A (22% RDA per cup) and is a great source of fiber (1.9 g per cup).

    Savory Cabbage
    Savory cabbage is shaped like green cabbage, with a lighter green or yellowy-green color. Savory cabbage leaves are more delicate and have a milder flavor than green cabbage.

    Like other cabbages, savory cabbage is high in vitamin C (36% RDA per cup), vitamin A (14% RDA per cup) and is a good source of dietary fiber (2.2 g per cup)

    Chinese cabbages
    There are many varieties of Chinese cabbages, which include bok choy, choy sum, gai choy and napa.

    From a nutritional perspective, bok choy has a high content of beta carotene (24% RDA per cup), vitamin C (49% RDA per cup), folate (17% RDA per cup), iron (22% RDA per cup), fiber (2.7 g per cup) and has a much higher content of potassium (631 mg per cup) compared to other types of cabbage.

    Choosing a head of cabbage
    Choose a firm, dense/heavy head of cabbage that has only a few loose outer crisp leaves. For storage, it is best to store it in a plastic bag in the crisper of the refrigerator.

    Cancer fighting cabbage
    Cabbage contains several chemicals that may play a role in fighting various forms of cancer. These include many types of indole and isothiocyanate chemicals, that may reduce incidence of colorectal, breast and prostate cancer.

    Read the rest of this entry »

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    Keeping Healthy New Year’s Resolutions

    Dec 25

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    At the start of the New Year many of us will make resolutions to improve our health. These resolutions can be pretty broad (e.g. get healthy) or specific (e.g. lose 10 lbs), but for many, they can be hard to keep. While maintenance of New Year’s resolutions can be difficult, there are several simple steps that can be taken to ensure that the desired healthy behaviours last, allowing the resolutions to be met and thus benefiting health.

    Make a resolution that is concrete and achievable
    First, make a resolution that is concrete. While resolutions to “be healthy” or to “eat healthier” sound good, you have to know exactly how you are defining them, otherwise it will be impossible to achieve the goal. For instance, if setting a goal to “eat healthier”, have a clear idea of what “healthy eating” means – i.e. the number of servings of fruits/vegetables, meat/alternatives, dietary intake of healthy fats, etc. that you would like to eat per day.

    Next, you want to make sure that the goal is achievable. For instance, is it reasonable to set a goal of getting in shape by going to the gym 5 times a week after work? Do you have the time or energy to devote to this goal? If so, great, if not, consider starting by doing some exercises at home, perhaps during lunch hour, or consider going to the gym 2-3 times per week and increase physical activity (i.e. walking) in normal daily life.

    Make a plan and focus on small changes that you can build on
    Now that a concrete and achievable goal is in place, it is important to make a plan to how you will achieve your goal. For instance, if the goal is “healthy eating”, a plan is needed which includes a meal plan (portions and serving size, recipes, etc), ensuring time for grocery shopping and food preparation, as well as scheduling in time to eat. In addition, a plan should include a way of monitoring progress. Keeping a diary can be an easy way to check in to evaluate progress.

    For many, it may also be best to plan for small changes and work on building on them, as drastic changes to a lifestyle are often more difficult to maintain. For example, if planning on eating a more healthy diet, it might be best to start by addressing one meal per day (breakfast) and building from there, or perhaps starting by adding in one serving of fruits/vegetables per day until the recommended daily amount is achieved.

    Making a plan should also include knowledge of triggers or cues for certain behaviours (positive or negative) that may influence change. For instance, if sugar cravings are present at 4 pm, plan for ways to deal with the craving without having a sugary snack (e.g.. have a healthy snack ready to eat, plan to go for small walk, etc.). Also, be aware of external factors that may influence your chance of success. For instance, the type and frequency of advertisements during the months of January or February may change in order to help with healthy changes (e.g. join a gym) or to keep you from them. One study showed that cigarette advertizing (when it was allowed) in print publications increased in the first few months of the year in order to affect people’s resolutions to quit smoking.

    Planning for setbacks
    In making any lifestyle change, one area that is often overlooked is planning how to deal with setbacks. We will not always be successful in making the change on the first attempt, thus it is important to plan for how to deal with challenges to our goals. The first thing to realize is that you are off course (i.e. have not been doing a behaviour/activity in the past few days/weeks). Then, the next step is to identify the obstacles that ‎influenced your ability to change and make a plan to overcome it in order to get back to the resolution.

    Feelings of guilt or perception of failure also plays a role in keeping New Year’s resolutions. While it is common to feel guilt about a perceived lack of success in meeting your goal, it does not mean that you have failed, or that you are unable to meet your goal. At this point, acknowledge your feelings of guilt, look at what/where the challenges are, take steps to address them and get back to the overall plan.

    Ask for help
    Lastly, consider asking for help. Making a change in our lives is often difficult and we often need help to navigate challenges and overcome beliefs or old habits. Talk to a friend, family member, spouse, or health care provider about the resolution and what support is needed in order to make the resolution last.

    Whether it is losing weight, quitting smoking, addressing stress, improving mental health or eating a healthier diet, there are many steps that can be taken to improve the chances of keeping the resolution, and thus benefiting health.

    If you have questions about how to keep your health related New Year’s resolutions, how nutrition, physical activity or naturopathic medicine can help you, please call 613-290-6115. Graham Beaton is a Doctor of Naturopathic Medicine in practice at Ottawa Collaborative Care Centres – 102 Lewis Street, Ottawa.