Monthly Archives: March 2023

The Loneliest Illness – Dealing With Depression

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If you are one of the millions who suffer with the blues or fear you are on the brink of depression, you are not alone, even if it feels like it. This article is a call to action for anyone struggling with feelings of depression, feelings of hopelessness and feelings of emotional isolation.

In this article we are going to cover seven strategic steps that will help fight against the spiral of depression. Although it won’t always be easy to implement them, you will find that after a short time, the pay off will be worth it.

1) Fight Isolation – Do a quick friend and family inventory and see who makes you feel better. Make deliberate plans to surround yourself with people that encourage and lift you up. If you can’t think of anyone in your family or social circles, there are always online communities/forums that create fantastic opportunities to connect.

2) Get Moving – Yes I know that everything in you wants to pull the covers over your head or watch Two and a Half Men reruns, but taking even 10 minutes to get up and run stairs, walk around the block or dance like a maniac will give you a more immediate hit of feel good chemicals than any anti-depressant on the market.

3) Watch Your ZZZs – The blues can be made worse by not getting enough sleep, or by getting too much. Getting 7-9 hours of quality sleep every night is a great goal. If you are having a hard time getting to sleep, try a natural supplement like melatonin or valerian root, to support your body’s ability to relax and ease into slumber. If you are getting too much sleep than set goals and cut back on it. Don’t take naps and commit to a wake up time every morning.

4) Get to the Root of the Problem – The fact that I am a counsellor may make me a little biased, but I have seen amazing results when individuals have taken responsibility for their feelings and taken action towards finding the cause of their feelings. This is a very empowering process and I have seen individuals stop depression in its tracks and transform their experience of life.

5) Nutrition – I know eat more vegetables…blah, blah, blah. This is how I felt too and then one day I started keeping a food journal for a course I was taking. I was shocked to notice that if I had a lot of sugar for more than three days in a row, I would begin to feel blue and lethargic. Food impact how we feel and there is a ton of scientific research to back it up, so make sure you are getting the nutrients you need. Also, be aware of how different foods impact you and consider allergy testing.

6) Natural Supplements – Before you hit the prescription anti-depressants, which can have a number of side effects, try a natural mood enhancer. Both GABA and L-5-HTP have been shown to be effective in supporting emotional health. There are also a number of herbal blends that are a combination of natural herbs proven to help mild depression and anxiety, such as Vitabase’s Mood Support or Dr. Weil’s Mood Support Formula.

7) Feed Your Spirit – This will look different for different people, but it is imperative to know what feeds your spirit. I have seen a number of people fall into depression by replacing a connection to their spirit with the business of life. I have also seen amazing leaps out of depression by individuals learning to establish a connection with their core. For some this is done in nature, through art or music, through developing a relationship with a higher power or by practicing living in the present. The list is endless, so grab a pen and paper and start writing down what makes you feel the most alive or grounded. What fills your cup?

None of the 7 strategies are quick fixes or solutions on their own, however using them, in the early stages of depression or in combination with the care of a physician, can be very effective. Depression does not have to be hopeless. For some, it can be an invitation to changes that will lead to a better, more fulfilling life.

Laser Teeth Whitening: A Dental Procedure to Make Your Teeth Shine Bright

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This dental procedure is a part of cosmetic dentistry and has quick and desired results. You just need one dental appointment and voila your teeth will be as good as new. Laser teeth whitening is the new found secret to get whiter and shinier teeth. Just like a dental implant helps get you new teeth similarly laser teeth whitening gives you 5-10 shades whiter teeth. This dental procedure has become a routine practice for dentist since 1996.

The use of laser in the teeth whitening procedure was included because many patients complained that the conventional method was yielding unsatisfactory result. They also complained that the method resulted in inflammation. Laser was used to target very specific areas so that such complications can be avoided.

The procedure of teeth whitening is slightly lengthy and involves long hours at the dental clinic. The reason why the procedure is lengthy because most of the time is spent to make sure that the surrounding teeth and tissues can be protected. Your dentist will apply beeswax on them to avoid any contact with laser.

Your dentist will decide the type of laser that he will be using to carry out the procedure. At this stage you need to discuss all your options with the cosmetic dentist so that he/she can tell you everything in detail. The most widely used laser for laser teeth whitening is argon laser. The use of laser in the whitening process is activating the chemicals which will be placed on your teeth. The light that is emitted increases the reaction rate of the chemical and that’s how color change happens.

After this step is completed your dentist will use fluoride on your teeth. This has two effects on your teeth: a) it strengthens your teeth and b) gives a white shiny luster. Laser teeth whitening is the most sought after treatment when it comes to teeth whitening. The reason is simple it is quick and accurate.

The effectiveness of this procedure depends on how well you maintain or take care of your teeth post the treatment. It is the responsibility of the dentist to make sure that the procedure is completed with amazing results. However once you leave the dental clinic it will be your responsibility to make sure that your teeth remains as white as they look post treatment. Make sure that you avoid soda, smoking, coffee, blueberries and tea. For the first week after you have gone through the laser teeth whitening avoid all these for optimum and long-lasting results.

Baby Slings Benefit Both Parent and Child

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Visit any park or mall and you will see them: parents with their babies strapped securely to their chests in a baby sling. Baby slings are chic and vogue today, so they almost seem like a new invention in the world of baby gear. However, baby slings are not a new invention. They have been used for centuries by women across the globe who needed to have their hands free while caring for their infants. Today’s baby slings simply offer a comfortable evolution of these older versions.

Benefits of Using a Sling for the Parent

Parents who use baby slings benefit from having their hands free while they care for their babies. This allows them to interact with their other children, shop, do certain types of housework, or even sit at the computer while holding their babies. They also benefit from developing a close, trusting relationship with their new babies.

Another benefit of baby slings for parents is the fact that today’s baby slings are easy on the back. Carrying your baby constantly on your hip or shoulder is very trying on the muscles of the back. When used properly, a baby sling distributes the baby’s weight more evenly, and even takes some of the weight in the fabric of the sling. This means you could carry your baby all day long without feeling muscle strain in your back. As a side benefit, new mothers’ backs get a break when using a baby sling because they are not constantly bending over to pick up their babies.

Breastfeeding mothers benefit from using a baby sling because they provide a way to nurse in public while remaining discrete. Also, holding a baby close to the skin helps the mother produce the hormones that lead to proper milk production.

Benefits of Using a Sling for Babies

Baby slings benefit the infant as much, if not more, than they benefit the mother. Today’s baby slings provide the proper support for a new baby’s neck and back. Unlike front and back carriers, a sling does not force the baby’s legs into an unnatural position, which is very important in the first few months.

Babies benefit from being held in a secure, cozy position that imitates the womb. This can help them transition much more peacefully from the world inside their mothers to the world outside. They also develop a positive bond with their parents or main caregivers, which help them develop emotionally. Babies who are worn in a sling cry much less often than other babies. They can sleep while close to mom, and once they are soundly sleeping mom can transition them easily into their crib for a good nap.

Parents of fussy babies find that a baby sling helps them calm their crying child. When a child is carried in a baby sling, he is constantly moving, much as he was in the womb. This, accompanied by the secure, close hold that is created with a baby sling, allows the baby to calm himself and often fall asleep. Babies who need to be held frequently due to gas or colic can be held without completely limiting the mother’s ability to function as a member of the family.

Some parents may wonder if carrying their baby in a sling will make them too attached. This does not happen. Surprisingly, toddlers who were worn in baby slings as babies are usually much more comfortable separating from their parents when they need to do so. Experts believe this is because of the many emotional benefits of using baby slings.

If you’re a new parent, a baby sling should be on your list of necessary baby gear. Most slings are relatively inexpensive, the benefits are many, and the bonding it provides is a great way to show your affection to your baby.

The Number One Vitamin for Combating Cancer

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In today’s medical community, it is taught that you need chemicals to overcome cancer. However, naturopathic oncologist are proving this wrong each and every day. The treatments being used in alternative cancer centers utilize vitamins and minerals to defeat cancerous cells.

There’s plenty of evidence gathered from studies showing the benefits of vitamin C in cancer patients. These results are typically seen when taken in high doses intravenously. Doing so can also exhibit other benefits for your cardiovascular system and heart.

Cancer Dies when Vitamin C is Consumed

It’s really surprising to learn that a common vitamin like this can have such a great effect against cancer. However, it takes more than a cup of orange juice to successfully defeat cancer. You have to take high concentrations of it using an IV. Some good results have been seen using oral liposomal vitamin C, which is cheaper and more convenient.

However, when you allow vitamin C to bypass your digestive tract, your body is able to absorb 500 times the amount (compared to oral). This is why IV vitamin therapy is exceptional and frequently used by naturopathic oncologists in alternative cancer treatment centers.

How it Works

This vitamin works better than others because it can selectively target the cells that are cancerous. The hydrogen peroxide it generates is what causes the cancer cells to perish. Studies also reveal that tumor cells aren’t able to remove the damage the hydrogen peroxide causes. So once they become damaged, they die.

High doses of vitamin C can be used without harming the normal cells, which can’t be said for chemotherapy and other toxic conventional cancer treatments. Normal cells are able to use various methods to remove the hydrogen peroxide, preventing toxic buildups.

It Also Reduces Inflammation

As we continue to learn more in the field of naturopathic oncology, we see that inflammation is one of the root problems of all illnesses. So if you’re able to reduce this, you can also reduce the disease. In one study, it showed that this vitamin is able to minimize chronic inflammation found inside of cancer patients. It also shows to prevent metastasis in 75 percent of patients.

Whether you’re looking to fight cancer or prevent it, using natural methods is key. You can learn more about how to improve your health using diet and nutrition when you consult with a naturopathic oncologist. Schedule an appointment today to see what you can do to improve your lifestyle and live cancer free!