The Detox Package @ The Health Loft

With the gorgeous weather that now seems like it is here to stay - this is a great time of year to think about Detoxifying the body in preparation for summer.  

Detoxing is important because overtime, there is unwanted built up inside the body from the foods we eat, and general stresses we are constantly dealing with. This build up is made by external toxins such as pharmaceutical drugs and pesticides, as well internal toxins that are formed as natural byproducts of daily functioning inside of the body.

The human body has an incredible ability to withstand the toxins it is exposed to, but unfortunately in today’s modern society, the extent of exposure is typically more than what the body can eliminate. These toxins accumulate in our tissues and can disrupt our health. Excess toxins the body have been linked to headaches, joint pain, asthma, mood and mental status changes, allergies, insomnia, ulcers, and constipation – the list goes on.


Detoxing will not only help clean out the body internally, and support liver, kidney function, bit it will also improve skin tone, aid in weight loss, and generally make you feel fantastic.

The Health Loft is now offering a special medically-supervised Detoxification Package. This package provides the necessary tools to aid the body in detoxifying, by formulating an individualized plan to reduce toxin exposure, enhance elimination of toxins, and the necessary tools to optimize your health. 


Included in your package:

• Initial Detoxification Specific Consult: A 1 to 1.5 hour comprehensive visit with The Health Loft’s Naturopathic Doctor – Dr. Cristina Allen, ND. This visit will include a thorough assessment and an individualized treatment plan, which will incorporate diet, lifestyle modifications, and a nutritional and supplement regimen.  
• Necessary nutraceutical and herbal supplementation for healthy detoxification is included in this package.
• One follow-up visit to assess progress and health status.

$300.00

Acupuncture may also be added to the Detoxification Package

• Four individualized acupuncture sessions to aid the detoxification process

$240.00


For more information, please call The Health Loft at 647 346 2281.

UV Radiation :: Toronto, Patios, and Sunblock vs Sunscreen

As I was sitting on a patio this past Sunday, enjoying what felt like one of the first nice days of the summer Toronto's had this year, the table next to me started a conversation about how they had recently heard about record ozone loss above the Arctic this past winter and how it will effect ultraviolet rays here in Toronto. I was advised to wear a lot of sunscreen this summer. 

This inspired me to write an article about how these climate changes affect our health. 

ULTRAVIOLET RADIATION

Ultraviolet (UV) radiation is a type of electromagnetic radiation that is not visible to the human eye. It is named “ultraviolet” because the electromagnetic rays are of higher frequencies than what humans identify as the colour violet.  

It is subdivided into different ranges according to wavelength, including ultraviolet A (UVA) or long wave, ultraviolet B (UVB) or medium wave, and ultraviolet C (UVC) or short wave. 

Sunlight is the greatest source of UV radiation. Other sources, which are man-made, include UV lamps, arc welding, and mercury vapour lamps. 

The sun's emission of UV rays is relevant because the sun emits ultraviolet radiation in the UVA, UVB, and UVC bands, and each band type has different effects on our health. 

Positive effects of skin exposure to the sun are attributed to UVB rays. UVB induces the production of vitamin D, which is responsible for maintenance of bone density, bone growth, and normal functioning of the nervous system.

Vitamin D also regulates immunity, cell proliferation, insulin secretion, and blood pressure. UV exposure has also been suggested to positively benefit cases of rickets, psoriasis, eczema, vitiligo, and lupus. 

Negative effects of sun exposure are associated with UVB and UVA rays. UVB rays reach the outer layer of the skin (epidermis) and too much UVB radiation exposure can cause direct DNA damage, sunburn, premature aging of the skin, and skin cancer. 

UVA reaches the middle layer of the skin (dermis) but is considered to be less harmful than UVB as it does not cause sunburns but can contribute to skin cancer through indirect DNA damage. Both UVA and UVB also destroy vitamin A in skin, which may cause further damage. 

Of the UV rays, UVC is the most dangerous type and is capable of causing mutagenic or carcinogenic effects but is not of concern in the context of sun exposure because it is filtered out by the atmosphere and does not reach the surface of the Earth. 

CLIMATE CHANGE AND OZONE DESTRUCTION

In recent years, climate change has been in the forefront of media (e.g. the movie An Inconvenient Truth). A result of climate change is the formation of ozone-destroying chemical reactions. As our emissions increase (from products such as refrigerators, aerosol spray cans, and fire extinguishers), green house gases trap heat close to the surface of the earth, preventing heat to reach the above stratosphere. This causes the temperature in the stratosphere to be cooler which encourages depletion of the ozone. 

This year, ozone loss in the arctic has reached a record high. 

OZONE DESTRUCTION AND ULTRAVIOLET RADIATION

Naturally, the Earth's ozone layer blocks the majority of UV radiation emitted by the sun by preventing it from penetrating through the atmosphere. Due to the destruction of the ozone layer, more UV radiation is reaching the surface of the earth, thus, increasing our exposure to UV rays. 

PREVENTION

With the destruction of the ozone, it is important to have appropriate protection from sun exposure to prevent the damaging effects of  UV radiation exposure.

Environmental Canada and World Health Organization developed the UV index: a measurement of the intensity of UV radiation from the sun that reaches the surface of different locations on the Earth. Note that intensity is variable, depending on  how high the angle of the sun is in the sky. 

It is important to note the UV Index daily before going outdoors, and implement protection as discussed.

UV INDEX 

• 0-2: UV radiation levels pose no danger to the average person, but it is recommended to wear sunglasses, sunscreen/sunblock if there is snow on the ground as it reflects UV radiation, or if you are particularly fair.
• 3-5: There is some risk of harm from unprotected sun exposure. Recommendations include  sunglasses and use of SPF 30+ sunscreen/sunblock.
• 6-7: There is a high risk of harm from unprotected sun exposure. Recommendations include sunglasses, use of SPF 30+ sunscreen/sunblock, covering the body with protective clothing, and avoiding sun exposure between 11:00AM to 4PM during the summer.
• 8-10: There is a very high risk of harm from unprotected sun exposure. Wear SPF 30+ sunscreen/sunblock, a shirt, sunglasses, and hat. Avoid sun exposure between 11:00AM and 4PM during the summer, and do not stay out in the sun for long periods of time.
• 11+: There is an extreme risk of harm from unprotected sun exposure. Take all precautions including sunglasses, SPF 30+ sunscreen/sunblock, cover the body with long-sleeve shirt, trousers, and a broad rimmed hat. Do not stay out in the sun for long periods of times, and avoid the sun during peak times. 

Toronto has already reached days with a UV Index of 9 and is expected to have 11+ days this summer! 

As summer approaches, it is important to determine what type (sunscreen or sunblock) and strength (SPF) of protection to use. There are many misconceptions of both. 

SUNSCREEN/SUNBLOCK

Contrary to popular belief, sunscreen and sunblock are not the same thing. There is a very important difference: sunscreen is a product that acts as a filter, allowing a certain range of UV light to be absorbed in the skin, and contains chemicals that absorb and reflect particular UV rays so that they do not reach the skin.  Sunblock contains materials such as titanium dioxide or zinc oxide that physically block and reflect UV rays, therefore acting as a wall between the skin and the sun. 

Sunscreen can protect against UVA and UVB rays, using chemicals such as avenobenzone, oxybenzone, and octocrylene. However, the cocktail of chemicals that are used, contain ingredients that are known or suspected carcinogens and/or hormone disrupters. 

The preferred form of protection is sunblock, because it can provide “broad spectrum UV protection” or in other words, blocks both UVA and UVB rays, without the use of carinogenic and hormone disrupting ingredients depending on the mineral used.

Titanium dioxide is one of the two main ingredients in sunblock, but sunblocks containing this mineral should not be applied to children's bodies on a regular basis, as it can cause DNA damage and can be carcinogenic. Zinc oxide is the only FDA approved sunblock for use on children under 6 months of age, as it is considered to be safe and furthermore, has anti-inflammatory properties. 

The only con of using zinc oxide is that the regular form of zinc oxide leaves a strong white residue on the skin which consumers may find unappealing. In order to compensate, zinc oxide sunblock now uses nano-sized particles, which raises the concern of skin absorption and phototoxicity in pregnant women. Recent research shows that nanoparticles can cross the human placenta, possibly exposing the developing fetus to zinc oxide, but the effects of this have not been studied. 

SUN PROTECTION FACTOR (SPF)

SPF is a measure of the effectiveness of sunscreen and sunblock. It represents the amount of UVB exposure required to cause a sunburn when applied to the skin, so the higher the SPF, the more protection it provides against ultraviolet radiation. 

Consumers typically misunderstand SPF, believing that for example, a SPF 15 means that they are able to stay in the sun for 15 hours without getting a sunburn (15 times longer), but this is not true. Although UV radiation exposure is related to time, there are other influential factors, including:

• time of day (in Canada, UV intensity is at its maximum between 12 and 1PM)
• season (spring and summer are most intense), 
• weather conditions (heavy cloud coverage absorb some UV radiation)
• skin type (melanin is the pigment that makes skin darker and absorbs UV radiation, so fairer skin has less melanin and thus less protection)
• amount applied and frequency of re-application of sunblock/sunscreen
• the activities in which one engages (such as swimming)
• the amount of skin absorption. 

It is also important to note that SPF is imperfect as it only considers UVB exposure, but UVA also causes invisible damage which can lead to cancer. 

SO WHAT MEANS OF PROTECTION SHOULD BE IMPLMENTED?

The WHO encourages 10-15 minutes of sun exposure per day to ensure Vitamin D production. If more time is spent in the sun, follow the recommendations according to the UV Index including minimizing exposure. If the UV Index is 3 or higher, sunblock of SPF 30+ which uses zinc oxide, that has not been modified to nanoparticles for use by pregnant women, apply according to skin type and intensity of UV Index, and reapply depending on activities and absorption. 

Dr. Cristina

Don’t let that ‘CREEP’ hurt your back again.

Why is it now a days more people are getting injured from just sitting around? It’s not like sitting is very strenuous...or... is it?

You don’t need a forceful physical trauma to hurt your back. In fact, most people suffer from low back pain because of repetitive or cumulative microtrauma instead of one large event.

It has become a very common way of life to sit the majority of the day. We sit while driving, sit at work, sit while we eat and sit when we come home to read or relax in front of the TV. That’s a lot of sitting in one day! Unfortunately we know that one of the worst things for your muscles is a static sustained posture (like sitting).

The term for this repetitive or cumulative trauma is called the ‘CREEP’ phenomenon. It is a complicated process of events that makes your back more susceptible to injury with prolonged sitting or slouching.
‘CREEP’ actually stands for Continuous and Repetitive Elongation of the Elastic Properties of Tissue.

 Wow, that’s a mouthful! Allow me to explain further.

When we sit and especially when we slouch down in our seat or lean forward into our computer screens, our spine goes into a forward flexed position. This forward flexion stretches the passive structures in our spine that hold everything together. These passive structures are ligaments, tendons and joint capsules that support our joints. In all these passive structures are little nerve endings called mechanoreceptors, which are designed to tell our brain where our body is in space.

Test your mechanoreceptors: standing, close your eyes and lean forward. As you begin to fall forward a stretching force is felt in the back of your ankles. This stretching stimulates the mechanoreceptors in your ankles and sends a message to your brain. Your brain hopefully then responds by signalling your leg to take a step forward. If you didn’t have any mechanoreceptors then the leg would respond too late and you would fall right to the ground. Hopefully that didn’t happen and you can thank your mechanoreceptors for saving your face.

In another example, just imagine trying to do the splits. The ligaments and tendons in our hips feel this extreme stretch and the mechanoreceptors send a signal to our brain to contract our muscles so that we don’t go any further. Without proper mechanoreceptors our joints would go way too far resulting in a tear in the tissue and damage to our joints. Another term for this feedback loop is call ‘Proprioception’ – and it basically means knowing where your body and joints are in space. Without proprioception our tissue would get injured.



Now back to our example of someone sitting at work all day. When we sit in a forward flexed position for an extended period of time the passive supporting structures (remember these are the ligament, tendons and joint capsules that help with proprioception) send a signal to our brain to turn on our back stabilizing muscles. After a while these muscles either fatigue or go into spasm, both of which leave the spine unstable.

 Over time the reflex that signals the muscles to turn on becomes less intense so there is actually less contraction of the supporting muscles. Without the muscular support the passive structures in our spine are overstretched and micro strains occur in the tissue. These micro tears are cumulative and result in increase laxity in the spine which leads to injury. So it isn’t the sheer force of the load that is put on the spine that injures your back, it is actually the long duration of a relatively low load that causes low back pain.

Studies have demonstrated that there is also an inflammatory reaction that takes place after being in a prolonged flexed position. The micro strain is signalling the body that it needs to heal itself and therefore over the next several hours inflammatory cells will come into the area to try and repair the tissue. This increase in inflammation will lead to increased pain and stiffness. Have you ever noticed that you are sore the next day after traveling or sitting all day? It is because there is actually inflammation in the spine and it builds as you sleep so you wake up feeling stiff and sore.

The other aspect of CREEP refers to cyclical loading, in other words - repetitive bending. An example is someone who works on an assembly line, repetitively bending down to lift a small carton over and over again. It isn’t that the item they are lifting is very heavy, it’s the fact that the bending action is being repeated and the forces on the spine all add up. The spine experiences the same process as with sustained sitting - the passive structures over time will get overstretched and lose its proprioceptive function which eventually leads to the failure of the stabilizing muscles and results in a back injury.

So what can you do if you sit all day or have a job that is very repetitive?

Here are some steps to avoid low back injury associated with CREEP

1. One of the best things to avoid injury is to really strengthen your spine stabilizing muscles (your core.) This will improve your muscle endurance so that they can support your spine over longer periods of time. There is a lot of misinformation about core training, so seek the advice of someone who is ‘core certified,’ like a trainer, doctor or other physical therapist.

2. Take frequent breaks. Get up and stretch every 30 minutes.

3. Drink plenty of water. It will keep your tissue hydrated and also force you to get up and walk to the bathroom more frequently.

4. After a prolonged forward flexion position. Stand upright and place your hand on your low back. Now gently bend backwards to reverse the pressure on the spine – repeat this 5-10 times.

5. If you have a repetitive job, minimize the amount of reaching and forward flexion you have to do. Get an ergonomic assessment done of your workspace and see if modifications can be made to avoid repetitive loading. Other solutions include rotating jobs throughout the day so that you engage different muscles.

6. Be careful not to overstress the spine with heavy loading after prolonged sitting or repetitive bending. Your spine will be a lot more susceptible after a long day of sitting so be careful heading home and then shovelling snow, raking leaves or even going straight to the gym to lift weights. Your stabilizing muscles will be fatigued and leave your spine susceptible to injury.

7. Add lastly, regularly visit a your Chiropractor, Massage therapist or Physiotherapist to get some manual work done on your low back before the symptoms even appear and remember, prevention is key!


Take care of those backs!

Dr. Lara