Strategies for Nausea in Pregnancy

There are several theories as to what causes nausea during pregnancy, but no one knows for certain why women experience it, or why some women experience it and others do not, or why there seems to be great variation in a woman’s experience between pregnancies.

Current theories include blood sugar fluctuations; the idea is that the nausea is worse when blood sugar dips. The other mainstay theory is related to the hormonal fluctuations; high levels of progesterone are replacing the typical balanced interplay between estrogen and progesterone, the system is adjusting to the presence of growth hormone in higher and higher levels. Or finally, that nausea is an evolutionary asset to protect unborn children from environmental hazards; which may explain why certain smells can really trigger nausea in many pregnant women.

The top naturopathic strategies I’ve used in practice take some trial and error, as all women are different, a treatment that works amazingly for one woman may not work for the next, my advice is to never throw in the towel before exploring all your options.

Start with nutrition. Eating enough is crucial, eating often, as often as every couple of hours is very helpful is reducing mild to moderate pregnancy nausea. Protein is very important to include whenever eating as it helps to keep blood sugar levels stable. If soda crackers on the night stand work, make sure to follow up with some nuts, seeds, meat, legumes or dairy to keep blood sugar levels more stable. The fast release sugar from starch in the crackers is helpful but it will trigger another dip in blood sugar if not properly balanced with protein. Too nauseous to eat? Start with another strategy until your feel up for small protein containing snack sized meals. As a Naturopath I am always focused on liver function, supporting the liver can help with blood sugar control as well other areas of metabolism. Eating plenty of fresh green vegetables and having fresh squeezed lemon in water first thing in the morning are gentle liver support techniques for expectant mamas. I also love to see moms at least three months before trying to conceive to cleanse the tissues and support liver and digestive function to prepare as much as possible for a smooth pregnancy.

My favorite botanical medicine for nausea is ginger. It is readily available in countless forms; capsules, tincture, ginger chews, lollipops, ginger ale, ginger tea, fresh ginger root. I encourage women to take it frequently throughout the day when nausea is bad. I love using this herb, as when it works for a woman; it generally works very fast, allowing it to be used as a preventative, or, as needed for occasional nausea. Remember, if a one of the sugar laden forms of ginger is chosen it should be combined with a snack size serving of protein or the whole cycle may be triggered again.

Vitamin B6, pyridoxine, is one of the two active ingredients in diclectin, the pharmaceutical anti-nauseant used during pregnancy. There is B6 in most prenatal vitamins but there may not be enough to exert a therapeutic effect, it can be safely taken in much higher amounts. Vitamin B6 helps with hormone breakdown in the liver, so theoretically this is why it helps prevent and treat nausea during pregnancy. B6 is readily available at pharmacies or health food stores. It should always be taken with food with the advise of your health care practitioner.

Acupuncture can also be very help for nausea during pregnancy. One point in particular pericardium 6 (PC 6) has helped enough pregnant women and sailors through bouts of nausea that a company has manufactured a device to keep the point steadily stimulated (C-bands). PC 6 is located on the inside of the wrist about two inches from the base of the palm, going towards the elbow. It is located by searching for a tender spot between the two mid-line tendons there. A women can apply pressure to this point when ever feeling a bout of nausea starting, or seek out a Naturopathic doctor or other licensed acupuncturist for a more comprehensive treatment approach.

Many women do still feel occasional nausea after the first trimester, and some experience it during their complete gestational period. The good news, of course, is that most cases of severe nausea have significantly relented by the end of the third or fourth month. Rest is by far the best strategy. A woman should stay active, but she should also relax and take it easy on herself as much as possible during this precious time.

Try Eating a Rainbow

Try Eating a Rainbow & other “colorful tips” for family immune boosting foods






The winter wind down
As the days shorten and our exposure to vitamin D providing sunshine and fresh air decreases, cold and flu season creeps in with all of it’s microbial critters. Many of my patients have had families caught in a seemingly never ending cycle of one bug “piggy backing” onto the next throughout the entire winter. While hand washing and other hygienic attempts to decrease the spread can be helpful, we as Naturopathic Doctors really focus on helping our patients to improve their immune resistance to infection. Three ways to increase that resistance is to increase fresh plant based foods to your diet, eat more omega three fatty acids, and add to your body’s bounty of beneficial bacteria.

Go eat a rainbow
When choosing fresh produce choose colorful, organic, not genetically modified whenever possible. The colors in food come from carotenoids and flavenoids, vital food chemicals for our immunity. All plant based foods contain plant cholesterol like structures called sterols & sterolins which act as immune modulators. Fresh and Frozen produce is also naturally high in anti-oxidants, the cellular repair molecules which are plentiful in dark pigmented fruit and vegetables. One relatively easy way to increase whole natural food consumption is to make sure you have two natural colors of food on your plate every time you eat. This is a fun way for kids to get excited about trying new produce too. When you go grocery shopping you should be sure you have several choices from each color group of the rainbow.
• Red- red pepper, strawberries, watermelon, apples, radishes, raspberries, grapefruit, plums, and tomatoes.
• Orange- mango, carrots, oranges, squash, pumpkin, sweet potato, peaches, apricots, bell peppers, cantaloupe, mangoes and yams.
• Yellow and Light green- yellow beans, yellow peppers, bananas, pineapple, avocado, bok choy, cabbage, celery, fennel, kiwi, pears, lemons, limes, onions, and zucchini.
• Green- lettuce, spinach, broccoli, green pepper, Swiss chard, asparagus, parsley, collard greens, peas, pear, cucumbers, leeks, Brussels sprouts, artichokes, and kale.
• Blue/ Violet/ purple- blueberries, blue kale, blue corn, grapes, beets, purple cabbage, blackberries, currants, eggplant, cherries, onions, and plums.
This ensures that you have good variety in your diet and that you are getting plenty of fruit, vegetables, and fiber. A great way to eat a rainbow with kids is to make skewers of colorful fruit or raw vegetables in the rainbow spectrum.

Want to take getting a full selection of fruits and vegetables one step further?
There are nine vegetable families: including one food from each family daily provides a full spectrum of phytochemicals necessary for optimum metabolism and immunity. Fitting in the full spectrum is easily achieved in salads, Stir fries or by juicing.
• Cabbage- includes broccoli, Brussels sprouts, mustard greens, cauliflower. Please note; members of this family should be lightly steamed so they won’t interfere with the proper functioning of the thyroid gland.
• Lettuce, sunflower
• Carrot/ parsley
• Beet/ Spinach
• Mint/ basil
• Tomato/ peppers
• Beans/ peas
• Cucumber/ Squash
• Onion/ garlic/leeks - garlic contains good organic selenium, imperative for immune system support.

Get your daily omega three fatty acids.
No doubt you’ve heard of omega three fats, how these fats are excellent for mood support, cardiovascular health, anti-inflammation. They are also excellent immune system balancers, supporting immune function without over stimulation. Omega three fatty acids are referred to as essential fats, meaning it is essential to ingest them. Our bodies cannot manufacture these fats from other components, You may have also heard that fish is the best food source of omega threes which is true. Cold water fish; salmon, tuna, mackerel, halibut, haddock, cod, sole, sardines, have the highest quantity. Plant foods high in omega threes include flax seeds, hemp seeds, walnuts, and chia seeds. All plant based omega threes have to be converted by an enzyme in our bodies before our bodies can use them properly, unfortunately some people have less of this enzyme making the conversion slow, or inadequate.

Do not forget your healthy bugs.
Did you know that a big part of our immune system resides in and around our intestinal tract. When you think about how important it is to fight off any microbes that come into our body through food, this makes perfect sense. Part of what helps to win this fight is not really part of our bodies at all, but is provided by beneficial bacteria residing in our intestine. Probiotics have been made into a household word by the manufacturers of certain yogurt brands, and it does hold true yoghurt is probably the best food source of probiotics available to us. If you or your family members do not tolerate dairy products well (I have read that at least fifty percent of the adult population has some degree of dairy intolerance) any fermented food such as miso paste, raw sauerkraut, cultured vegetables, kimchee all contain probiotics too.

Now let’s put it all together.
How can you make practical meals with all of these immune boosting components? Here are a few examples of menus to give you an idea of how to get started with combing the concepts; Sweet- homemade granola (with flax, hemp hearts and walnuts) parfait with yogurt or soyghurt, blueberries and blackberries, or a green smoothie with chia and kefir. Savory- Miso Soup with lots of veggies and chunks of cod fish, or local organic sausage with sauerkraut, red onion, arugula and a flax seed oil dressing.
Sometimes thinking about food as more than caloric sustenance allows us to start to explore how helpful it can be in maintaining our health and preventing disease. Modeling healthy food choices is the only way to get your children to eat well. Folks cannot expect their children to want those fresh organic veggies if they “don’t like them”. I challenge everyone to have three different colors from the rainbow of fresh foods everyday this winter, topped up with a daily serving of omega three and probiotic rich food. See it as an experimental effort to help in making your household healthier this winter.

You Give Me Fever.....

What to do if your child (older than 6 months) has a fever.

The definition of a fever is a raise in core body temperature and is measured as rectal temperatures greater than38°C, oral temperatures greater than 37.8°C, and under the arm

greater than 37.2°C. Many parents are surprised when I emphasize the importance of allowing a fever to run its course.  A fever is part of our body’s immune system. We want to encourage our little one’s immune systems to react to infection. A fever is designed to help fight off infection. Higher temperatures make our bodies into inhospitable sites for bacterial and viral replication. Conventional medicine and pharmaceutical advertisements teach us to lower a fever, or give acetaminophen, preventatively “just in case” your child may develop a fever. This constant suppression of the immune system’s natural response may be sending the wrong message. Naturopathic medicine aims to support the body’s ability to keep itself healthy. Fever is part of that health maintenance.  

A mild fever up to 39°C may require no treatment at all. Your child may be very uncomfortable, unable to rest, and have no appetite with a mild to moderate fever.

In children the degree of illness does not necessarily directly correlate to the temperature level. For example a child may quickly mount a fever of 39.4 °C in response to a common cold virus.

Generally with a fever of 39.4 or above, the child will look and feel quite ill. This is the range is wherein natural therapeutics can be used to moderate the fever and help make the child more comfortable, rather than suppressing the immune systems innate attempt to ward off infection.

When the fever reaches higher temperatures over 40°C, seeing your naturopathic doctor (or other primary care provider) is recommended. If you cannot reach your ND, a fever within this range may require acetaminophen to help you stay calm as a parent, and may be needed to keep your child comfortable enough to sleep, etc. In general a fever will not just keep going up, and a fever less than 41°C will not cause damage. A moderate to high fever lasting longer than three days should also be investigated. Any fever in a child under the age of six months is considered a medical emergency and should be seen by a physician as soon as possible.

To treat your child’s fever at home with natural remedies the most important thing is to ensure the child is getting lots of liquids to stay well hydrated. This is especially important if the fever is accompanied by diarrhea or vomiting. It is advisable to give sips of an electrolyte replacement throughout the duration of the fever.

Homemade Electrolyte replacement drink (sugar free, dye free, aspartame free)

1 tsp salt

1 tsp baking soda

1 tablespoon honey (if child is over 1 year) / maple syrup.

6 oz frozen 100 % juice concentrate (grape/ orange/ apple/ pineapple)

6 cups water

It is a good idea to have a small home apothecary that stocks several of these treatment options to have on hand when symptoms arise;

Botanical Teas: cat nip, peppermint, and yarrow all encourage sweating which can help a fever to break, give any of these teas in single or combination 1 cup every 4 hours, may sweeten with honey to taste.

Hydrotherapy: warming socks treatment; saturate pair of fitted cotton socks with very cold water, wring them out, put them on your child’s feet, put thick, dry wool socks on top. Leave both pairs on overnight or for 6-8 hours if the child is in bed during the day.

Homeopathy: Choose the remedy that fits your child’s symptom picture best. Dose 30C potency with 3 pellets every 2-3 hours until the fever breaks, then every 5-6 hours until all symptoms resolve.

Belladonna

Hot red skin, flushed face, dilated pupils, excited mentally, mouth and throat feel dry but child is not thirsty. Feels worse with pressure, light or motion.

Nux Vomica

Child has fever with chills, feels worse when touched, worse after eating, feels better from strong pressure and from naps. Child is especially irritable mentally.

Pulsatilla

Child is weepy, whiney, clingy, wants to be held, wants affection, makes you feel sorry for them.

Chamomile

Child has pain causing irritation causing an uncomfortable, inconsolable state. Often has one red cheek, fever often accompanied with green diarrhea.

As aforementioned, fever often causes much fear in the hearts and minds of parents of young children. It is important to remember that the fever is mounted to help with recovery, it is part of your child’s immune system. As always, if in doubt, call on the help of a medical professional.

Trying our best to avoid "whooping it up"

Southeastern New Brunswick has recently experienced an increase in the incidence of Whooping cough. The symptoms of whooping cough (pertussis) generally begin much like a mild cold, with head congestion, sneezing, running nose, low grade fever and mild cough.

In adults and young adults the cough may remain persistent with a hacking cough, ending in an air hungry “whoop” for 4-12 weeks. The condition in adults and older children is generally not life threatening. For babies and young children, whooping can become more serious, leading to difficulty eating, drinking, or sleeping.

The province of New Brunswick is encouraging everyone who comes into regular contact with babies and young children to be (re-) vaccinated for whooping cough, and to ensure that children’s vaccinations are up to date. Routine immunization for pertussis is given at 2, 4, 6, 18 months and again at 4 years. Immunity gained from immunization is thought to last 4-5 years, having had the whooping cough provides between 10-30 years of resistance to the illness. A woman who is breastfeeding her child, who had whooping cough in the past, will mount antibodies if re-exposed to the bacteria, and this immunity can be passed to her nursing infant.

Naturopathic philosophy focuses on prevention. Naturopathic treatment strengthens the person’s resistance to diseases versus reacting to the infectious organism itself. We do have medicines that can eradicate specific microbes once they’ve taken up residence, but we’d prefer to support our patient’s tissues, making them less hospitable to infection in the first place.

If you’ve contracted pertussis, have chosen not to vaccinate, or want to add to the prevention allotted by vaccination, naturopathic medicine always has something to offer. Supporting the immune system should come first and foremost in this discussion. If our defenses are strong enough we need not worry about which specific infections are going around. With a stronger immune system we may still “catch” infectious diseases, but our presentation will be milder and shorter in duration. A plan to support immune function is best developed on an individual to individual basis. Excellent nutritional intake is always the foundation for such a plan. Identification and elimination of food sensitivities, and chronic low grade infections can also alleviate burden on the immune system. There are many natural medicines combing herbs, homeopathy, vitamins, minerals and nutritional supplements formulated to address immune system vitality.

An acute whooping cough infection should be addressed with anti-biotics. Anti-biotic treatment can then be augmented by a combination of herbal medicines; a formula would include herbs to kill the bacteria, herbs to soothe the cough by fighting inflammation, as well as expectorants to facilitate clearing the mucous. Thus, an herbal formulation can offer support in fighting infection, but also to help the tissues to regain normal function.

Homeopathy is a system of medicine developing in the early ninetieth century at a time when whooping cough was much more common than it is today. Many of homeopathic remedies that were used to treat pertussis historically remain relevant choices for those seeking natural, safe solutions for the disease today; drosera, bryonia, rumex, and antimonium tart are all worth considering in this category.

Acupuncture is used to support specific organ and energy pathways (meridians) within the body. The lung meridian is responsible for the body’s connection with the outside world, using acupuncture to support and strengthen lung energy is a good adjunctive therapy when protecting against or treating pertussis.

Becoming aware of your health choices when an infection becomes more prevalent with our populations is a part of taking control of your own health. Weighing risk and reward in an educated manner can help to remove the fear of our hearty winters, and all the microbes that pass between therein.

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Powerful Foods to help keep your pace

 

 

I had the pleasure of delivering a talk to the Running Room Breast Cancer Survivor Clinic in Moncton last night. We had a nice chat about some trendy powerfoods and how best to enjoy them. Here are some notes from the evening;

 Chia- The Regulator

High in omega 3 fatty acids, fibre, Protein

My Favorite way: Soaked overnight with fresh lemon juice and a little natural sweetener for a first morning beverage.

Sprinkle on yogurt, add to a smoothie.

Kale- The Energizer

Lowers Cholesterol, aids detoxification, fights cancer and inflammation.

Steam kale for 5 minutes. To ensure quick and even cooking cut the leaves into 1/2" slices and the stems into 1/4" lengths. Let them sit for at least 5 minutes to enhance their health-promoting qualities before steaming. Steamed Kale can then be added to smoothies.

Blueberries- The Fountain of Youth

Can improve memory, are low glycemic index; helping with blood sugar control, high in anti-oxidants.

      Eat raw or fresh by the handful, add to smoothies, yoghurt, oatmeal, and bake with them.

Turmeric- The Inflammation fighter

Anti-inflammatory treatment for inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) such as Crohn's and ulcerative colitis, rheumatoid arthritis, cancer prevention, improves the liver's ability to detoxify chemicals, lowers cholesterol, protection against Alzheimer’s disease.
Add to stir fries, dips, salad dressings.

Kefir/ yoghurt- For Immunity

Prevention of vaginal yeast infections, improves the immune response, improves cholesterol profile, lowering LDL (bad) cholesterol while raising HDL (good) cholesterol, increases fat loss, boosts the growth and activity of the cells that build bone, helps fight colon cancer.

Survivor Shake

1 tsp chia, 2 cups kale, 1 cup blueberries, ¼ tsp turmeric, ½ cup yoghurt/ kefir

Put all ingredients in blender, add water, cool herbal tea to desired consistency, add ice or frozen banana for smoother texture.

 

Acute Naturopathic Care

For Kids

Ages 6 months-16 years

Ear aches	coughs	Sore throats
gastroenteritis	fever	viruses
Chicken pox	measles	mumps

Wednesdays 3-5pm (October-March)

30 minute visits for newcomers

 (15 minute visits with existing file)

Call ahead to reserve a spot or drop-in

857-1300           1067 Champlain St Dieppe

Khalsa Way Prenatal Yoga

with Blossom Bitting ND

Dance     Breathe    Practice     Meditate

Tuesdays 5 pm

 9 sessions October 2nd -November 27^th

Pre-conception & pregnancy yoga for all levels of practice.

Learn techniques that will help to bring comfort through all stages of the prenatal period; conception, pregnancy, birth and beyond.

Pre-registration $90     Drop-Ins $13/session

857-1300

The Pear Tree Clinic & Yoga Loft 1067 Champlain St Dieppe 

Big Snack Attack

As much as I hate to be the one to point this out, the kids will be heading back to school soon. A big part of my job as an ND is teaching parents how to go about keeping their kids immune systems strong as they head back into the viral melting pots we know as classrooms, playgrounds, and the school bus.

Many factors that strengthen or weaken our immunity to these ubiquitous bugs are influenced by the nutritional choices we make with our kids. Think of snack time. Most packaged snacks, even those that are “natural” and artificial color or flavor “free” are high in refined corn syrup or other sugars, preservatives, or seasoning salt (MSG). The basic rule I also use for nutritional advice is to choose foods closest to their whole, original state; think of how the ingredients came out of the ground or animal it grew on, and try to keep your little one’s snacks as close to that form as possible. Another key to ensuring our meals and snacks are supportive rather than deleterious to our immunity is to choose foods rich in a rainbow of natural colors. A full spectrum of colors represent flavenoids. Flavonoids are molecules in our fruits, vegetables, herbs, tea and coffee that confer beneficial effects on our health. They have antiviral, anti-allergic, anti-inflammatory, anti-tumor and antioxidant activities. Flavenoid rich, local, in season crops that you could spend an afternoon harvesting in the wild with your children include; blueberries, apples, elder berries, and rose hips for tea.One color in particular that I like to emphasize for kids snacks is green, especially in the form of leafy green vegetables. Most parents struggle to get leafy greens raw or cooked into the mouths of their school ages kids. If you have not gotten on the green smoothie band wagon, now is the time. Smoothies are a healthy, yummy way to get your kids to eat greens, offer with breakfast, afterschool or frozen into popsicles. Here is one recipe I found online; there are many more great suggestions at rawfamily.com/recipes.

Green Smoothie

2 mangoes

1 cup parsley

3-4 kale leaves

1-2 cups water or coconut juice

1 frozen banana

3-5 ice cubes

1/2 lime juiced

Pinch of sea salt

Place chopped mango, kale and parsley in a blender. Add coconut juice or water along with ice cubes, lime and banana. Blend until the mixture is smooth. Also, unless you have a vitamix or another super blender, make sure the thicker stem/rib parts of the kale are removed before blending.

Another thing to consider at snack time are food allergies and sensitivities, when packing snacks for school/ day care it can be hard to come up with ideas that provide nutrition, appeal and less “hazard”. Visit a naturopath if you are not certain if your child has sensitivities to certain foods, we can do testing or elimination diets to help sort out the puzzle of food reactions. Here are some low allergen packable snacks, modified from nourishingmeals.com’s article on snacks for travelling.

·                     Cherries

·                     Sugar snap peas

·                     Puffed dry cereals; brown rice, quinoa,

·                     apple slices with lime juice squeezed on them to prevent browning

·                     radishes

·                     cucumber slices

·                     carrot & celery sticks

·                     smoked salmon strips

·                     hummus

·                     homemade popcorn popped in coconut oil (packed in a paper bag)

·                     fruit leathers

·                     homemade high-protein muffins

·                     Sulfite free dried mango, figs, apricot, pine apple, raisins, and apple.  

·                     crackers (I like Mary's, WASA, and NUD food)

·                     Roasted soy “nuts” or garbanzo beans.

·                     Dates (1 for each person as a sweet treat).

I'll offer one last note on packable food. Although it is extremely hard to avoid, try to limit storing snacks in soft plastic containers. Find fabric snack bags at craft shows, keep your eyes peeled for stainless steel, and if age appropriate seek out glass. Hot food and foods high in natural fats can leech numerous environmental contaminants from soft plastic bags and containers. Happy Snacking and enjoy the last few weeks of this amazing summer as you get organized for autumn.