FAQ's from EnerChi Health's Expert Advisor of Naturopathy
Dr. Tasleem Kassam ND

1.What is naturopathic medicine?
Naturopathic medicine is a natural approach to health and healing that recognizes and respects the integrity of the whole person. Naturopathic Medicine approaches the treatment of disease by stimulating and supporting the individual's innate healing capacity. Treatments work with the patient's vital force, honoring the intelligence and integrity of the natural healing process.

The practice of Naturopathic Medicine emerges from six underlying principles of healing which distinguish it from other medical professions:

1. The healing power of nature - vis medicatrix naturae: The body has the inherent ability to create, maintain, and restore health. The healing process of nature is ordered and intelligent. The physician's role is to facilitate and support this process, to act to identify and remove obstacles to health and recovery, and to support the journey towards achieving optimal wellness for the body, mind and spirit.
2. Identify and treat the cause - tolle causam: Illness is the body's response to some causative agent.Recovery from illness follows the removal of underlying causes of disease. Symptoms are the body's expressions of its internal physiological processes and its attempt to heal itself; they are indicators but not the cause of disease. Symptoms, therefore, should not be suppressed by treatment. The physician must seek out the cause of disease, whether it be physical, mental, emotional or spiritual in origin. Treatment is then focussed at the root cause of disease rather than at symptomatic expression.
3. First do no harm - primum no nocere: Therapeutic actions should be gentle, noninvasive and synergistic with the healing process. The naturopathic physician's approach must support the actions of the body's natural healing power.
4. Treat the whole person - the multifactorial nature of health and disease:
   Health and disease are states which reflect a multitude of factors at work, including physical, spiritual, mental, emotional, genetic, environmental, social, and other factors. The naturopathic physician must consider all of these factors in formulating an individualized and comprehensive diagnosis and treatment for each person.
5. The physician as teacher - docere: "Docere" is Latin for the verb to teach. A doctor's primary role is to educate and encourage the patient to accept his/her responsibility for his/her own health. The establishment of a healthy interpersonal relationship between doctor and patient is essential for optimal results. The physician acts as a catalyst for healthful change, empowering and motivating the patient to assume responsibility. It is the patient, not the doctor, who ultimately creates/accomplishes healing. The physician must strive to inspire hope as well as understanding.
6. Prevention - prevention is the best "cure"
   Encouraging and reinforcing health-promoting behaviours should be the ultimate goal of any health care system. Assessing risk factors and taking appropriate interventions to prevent the onset of disease is an important aspect of wellness care. Naturopathic medicine's emphasis is on building health rather than on fighting disease. Increasing personal awareness of the body's signals allows a person to receive respond to any imbalance long before his/her body has had the time to develop any chronic degenerative health conditions.

2.What is the difference between homeopathy and naturopathy?
Homeopathy is a holistic system of medicine developed in the eighteenth century by German physician Samuel Hahnemann. Its focus is to promote health by reinforcing and strengthening the body's natural healing capacity, or vital force. Homeopathic medicines can be made from plant, animal or mineral products. The correct remedy is chosen based on the person's individual characteristics including his/her disease conditions, but not only the disease conditions in themselves.

No two individuals express a disease condition in exactly the same way, though they may be suffering from the same disease. Homeopathic remedies are used to treat people, not diseases. In homeopathy, the patient's individuality is paramount. In order to find the best remedy, it is essential for both the doctor and the patient to consider all aspects of the person's disease condition, as well as other factors that contribute to the patient's overall constitution. Many factors are considered, such as unusual symptoms, factors that aggravate or make the symptoms better, energy levels, likes and dislikes of foods and weather to name just a few.

Naturopathic medicine may be considered to be more of a general umbrella term for natural healing. Like homeopathy, its focus is wholistic, but employs numerous natural approaches and modalities for health promotion. That is to say, homeopaths use only homeopathic remedies in the treatment of patients. Naturopaths, however, incorporate the use of homeopathic remedies in addition to clinical nutrition, herbal medicines, homeopathy, Oriental medicine (acupuncture & herbs), detoxification, hydrotherapy and lifestyle counseling as part of their treatment plans. Primarily, naturopathic medicine focuses on prevention, addresses the cause of illness, and considers the whole person.

3. What is the importance of detoxification?
The greatest health care challenge of the twenty-first century is keeping our bodies functioning in an environment that is becoming increasingly polluted. Detoxification and cleansing programs have been key components of supporting good health since the beginnings of nature cure, even as far back as 420 BC with the teachings of Hippocrates. Gastrointestinal health is the cornerstone of optimal wellness.

Our food supply has undergone tremendous changes since the Agricultural Revolution, especially in the last century. Our bodies, literally, have not had enough time to adapt to these radical changes. Returning to our original eating patterns on a regular basis allows our bodies the opportunity to cleanse and renew itself.

The goal of detoxification is to eliminate the foods in our diets to which we have become addicted, both physically and emotionally. As creatures of habit, we subconsciously choose from the same few food items for our meals. Part of this behaviour may be attributed to the dominance of certain foods, advertising and the convenient nature of some of these foods. Periodically changing our eating habits gives our bodies a chance to rest from its normal digestive and detoxification functions, thereby giving it the opportunity to do some internal cleansing.

While regular detoxification is important as part of a general wellness program, your body may be giving you signals that it is time to detoxify. Some of these include:

Detoxification techniques include fasting, juice fasts, and diet modification with support for organs of elimination and detoxification. Fasting is very quick and can be very effective; however, it may be too quick and is not the best choice for everyone. Therefore, fasting should only be done under the supervision of a qualified health care professional.

Reasons to detoxify are numerous.

1. Regular detoxification improves health and vitality.
2. Detoxifying gives our overloaded digestive and eliminative organs a chance to rest and clear out any accumulated toxins.
3. Detoxyifying helps to clear addictions, improve symptoms, treat disease and prevent chronic disease.

Detoxifying on a regular basis is an important factor in keeping our bodies strong and well. Schedule a week of detoxifying at least twice a year as part of an ongoing commitment to health and wellness.

4. What constitutes a "toxin"?
When we talk of detoxification, there is usually some confusion about what constitutes a "toxin." Toxin is a word that is used loosely to describe any substance that creates irritating or harmful effects on the body. Without regular detoxification, these substances accumulate in our tissues and fat, and may cause inflammation, irritation and degeneration. Over time, the presence of these substances can lead to degenerative and chronic diseases such as arthritis, fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue syndrome and even cancer.

Toxins are generated from both our internal and external environment. Our body produces toxic substances as part of our regular metabolism and in response to stress. The bacteria and yeast that inhabit the colon also produces some toxins as part of their metabolisms. Smoking cigarettes and other substances and the regular consumption of alcohol and coffee as well as the the vast array of additives, hormones, antibiotics and chemicals that are present in our food, water and air all add to the overall toxic load. Another aspect to consider is the presence of heavy metals, which may contribute to overall poor health. Heavy metals can be found in mercury amalgam dental fillings, paints, solvents and chemicals which may be found in the workplace, and sometimes, even our food and water.

5. What is important to know about dietary fats?
Though we tend to think that dietary fat is one of the main culprits in causing poor health and disease, the reality is that not all fats are created equal. Fats, also called triglycerides, are made up of fatty acids attached to a glycerol unit. Fatty acids are made up of carbon and hydrogen molecules. The number of hydrogens present in the fat determines its level of saturation. If the fatty acid chain is already carrying the maximum number of hydrogens, then the fat is saturated. Saturated fats, principally found in meat and dairy products, are usually solid at room temperature and contribute to CAD.

There are two types of unsaturated fats - polyunsaturated and monounsaturated. The difference between them are the number of hydrogen molecules attached. If there is room for one more hydrogen molecule, it is said to be monounsaturated ("mono" meaning one). Olive oil is a monounsaturated fat. Polyunsaturated fats ("poly" meaning many) have room for more than one hydrogen molecule to be attached. Examples of polyunsaturated fats include sunflower, soybean and safflower oil. Because of their structure, unsaturated fats are more sensitive to react to oxygen, light or heat and are more prone to becoming rancid. Ideally, you would want to store these oils in dark containers and in cool places, such as a refrigerator. Increasing your consumption of unsaturated fats can actually decrease your risk of CAD.

There is a subgroup of polyunsaturated fatty acids, called essential fatty acids, which play an important role in promoting optimal health. Essential fatty acids, as their name implies, must be obtained in the diet because our bodies are not able to produce them. These are often referred to as omega-3 or omega-6 fatty acids, which denotes which carbon in the fatty acid chain that may accept additional hydrogen molecules. These include oils from fish, flaxseed, soybean, pumpkin seeds and walnuts. Eicosapentanoic acid (EPA) is an omega-3 fatty acid found in cold-water fish which has been shown to reduce the levels of "bad" cholesterol (LDL), raise levels of "good" cholesterol (HDL), and thins the blood which allows it to flow more freely in the blood vessels. This is just one of the many health benefits of including fish as a regular part of your diet.

At a time when people are living longer, it is important to consider how our dietary choices influence the quality of our health. Often making small changes in our habits can reap long-term rewards. Regularly including fish and other essential fatty acids in your diet are definitely one of those circumstances.

6. Is vitamin and mineral supplementation necessary?
Vitamins and minerals are key to proper functioning of your body's chemical reactions. They act as catalysts that drive the many reactions to keep your body working properly and efficiently. Current statistics indicate that about half of the adult population uses some time of dietary supplement on a regular basis. They are taken for a number of reasons - to revitalize, to treat certain health conditions, or even sometimes just as a "nutritional security blanket."

Is supplementation necessary?

The short answer to that is a resounding yes. At one time, I believed that it was possible to get your vitamins and minerals from a properly balanced diet. Unfortunately, that is no longer the case. Crops are grown in mineral-depleted soil, sprayed with pesticides and herbicides or genetically modified, or travel many miles and picked out of season before they make it to supermarket shelves. Processed foods are often stripped of a lot of their nutritional content as part of their production, and may have some, but usually not all, vitamins and minerals put back in post-production. Most of us are in such a stress-induced state, that even if our food did contain everything it was supposed to, we would not be able to digest well enough to be able to get them from our diet. Also, taking certain medications can cause our body's ability to absorb or lose certain vitamins and minerals. Alternately, taking certain supplements can also affect the efficacy of certain medications. Always be sure to check with your health care provider before changing your supplement and medication regime.

Does taking a supplement make up for poor dietary choices? You should always try to make the best dietary choices you can. Buy the best quality foods (and supplements) you can afford. Ideally, the most nutritious diets are high in produce that is organic (which have been shown to be higher in nutritional content than regularly grown produce), in season, locally grown and lots of variety. That's is a pretty tall order to fill, especially in Calgary where our growing season is relatively short. Poor dietary choices add to the overall toxic load, and despite supplementation, will take their toll on your overall health in time.

7. How do I choose an appropriate vitamin formula? Are all vitamins created equal?
There are primarily three things one has to consider when choosing a supplement - source, form and quality.

Naturally sourced vitamins are extracted exclusively from food sources and contain the same balance of nutrients found in nature. They are generally well tolerated, but caution is advised for people allergic to the food source from which the nutrient has been derived.

Synthetic vitamins are made chemically in the laboratory. Though identical in structure, natural sourced products are considered superior because your body is more able to recognize, assimilate, and utilize them since they do not exist in isolation, but as part of the fraction of nutrients that come from the food source. Synthetic vitamins also do not tend to be as well tolerated, especially by people sensitive to chemicals, since they are more likely to contain binders and fillers than their naturally derived counterparts.

Vitamins are available in a variety of forms - tablets, capsules, powders and liquids. Tablets are the most common type found, since they have the longest shelf life and their convenience. However, binders and fillers make them more difficult to digest, and one-a-day formulas are often not optimally absorbed.

Capsules are easier to swallow and more easily digested. They may be opened and sprinkled on foods or in smoothies. However, it is difficult to get the same amounts of ingredients in them, therefore dosing is usually at least twice a day (which more naturally mimics how we need our vitamins). Caution is advised however for the strict vegetarian since often the gelatin is made from beef or pork, though vegetarian capsules are available.

Powdered and liquid vitamins are perhaps the most easily digested forms. Not always as convenient or as palatable as tablets or capsules, they are ideal for those with weak digestion, children and infants, or others who have difficulty swallowing capsules/tablets.

Quality is probably the factor which is the most difficult to determine objectively. The reality is, as with many things, you get what you pay for. Buying large quantities of generically derived vitamins by the truckload may be inexpensive, but you are probably lacking in effectiveness what you are making up for in price. As with food, I always encourage people to buy the best quality supplements that you can afford. After all, it is your health in which you are investing!

8. What is the best way to treat the common cold?
Colds are the most commonly occurring infectious disease and cause the highest rate of absenteeism in the work/school place than any other illness.

There are over 300 viruses that cause colds. They are routinely warded off by the body's natural defenses. It is when other factors decrease your body's natural defenses that the virus will settle in and cause the commonly experienced upper respiratory illness we commonly call a cold. Frequently, it is physical tiredness, the onset of winter and poor dietary choices that tip the scale. Hand-to-hand contact is however, the most common route to infection.

Autumn and winter seem to herald the arrival of cold season. We tend to spend more time indoors during this time of year in forced heat environment which dry out the linings of our respiratory tracts, making them more susceptible. Special occasions during this time also increase our intake of sugary foods and snacks which further deplete our immune systems.

Simple Steps to a Quicker Recovery

1. Get adequate rest
2. Wash your hands frequently if you are sick or are in close contact with someone who is.
3. Drink plenty of fluids - water and herbal teas are best. They help hydrate your body, and make it easier to expel sticky mucus.
4. Increase your intake of garlic. An easy way to get it in would be to take a chopped clove and swallow in a teaspoon of honey. The garlic is a great antiviral and antibacterial, and the honey will soothe and irritated throat.
5. Avoid refined sugars and fruit juice - sugar will decrease your body's immune function.
6. Avoid foods to which you may be intolerant. Commonly, people are intolerant to dairy products which will increase their production of mucus.
7. Increase your intake of zinc (15 mg in lozenge form every 3-4 hours), vitamin C (500 - 2000 mg every 2 hours) and vitamin A (200 000 iu for five days). Studies show that all of these support your immune function and shorten the duration of a cold. Avoid high doses of vitamin A if you are pregnant.
8. Early intervention with homeopathic products such as Oscillococcinum or Ferrum phos have been shown to be clinically useful.

9. What is the difference between a cold and the flu?
Many people commonly and incorrectly confuse influenza (the flu) with the common cold. The flu is short for influenza, named after the family of viruses known to cause it. What we call a cold is actually an upper respiratory tract infection that can be caused by about 300 different types of viruses. Flu differs from the cold in that someone with the flu gets sick suddenly, looks much sicker, and feels much weaker than if the ailment were a common cold.

The common cold is a mild infection frequently caused by viruses other than the influenza virus. If you have a cold, you can have any or all of these symptoms: increased nasal discharge (a runny nose), difficulty breathing through the nose, sneezing, a scratchy throat, and cough. The ability to taste and to smell may be affected, hoarseness may develop, and the voice often develops a nasal quality. Adults may experience a slight fever, while infants and young children may develop a higher temperature. The symptoms of the average cold last about one week. However, in roughly one out of every four cases, the illness lasts up to two weeks. In general, cold symptoms-especially the cough, tend to be worse in smokers.

Flu symptoms are often more severe than cold symptoms. If you have the flu, you can have any or all of these symptoms: fever, muscle aches, headache, lack of energy, dry cough, sore throat, and possibly a runny nose. These symptoms usually last for several days for most people; however, they can last for as long as two weeks. People with lung disease or weakened immunity and the elderly are prone to severe and possibly fatal complications from the flu.

Some also confuse the flu illness with the term stomach flu. The latter is an illness associated with nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea and can be caused by bacteria or viruses, other than the flu. It is a stomach illness, whereas flu is an illness of the respiratory system in the body.

10. Is coral calcium better than other calcium supplements?
Coral calcium, manufactured from sea coral, is an aggressively marketed and very expensive form of calcium supplement. Despite what coral calcium manufacturers would have us believe, this form calcium is not better than other sources, nor is the cure of all modern day ills. It has been advertised to boost immune function and treat all sorts of conditions - from heart disease, autoimmune disease, Alzheimer's to cancer.

The marketing behind this supplement borrows its reputation from its origin, the Okinawa Islands, a chain of islands in Japan. These islands' populations are noted for their long and healthy lives. Coral calcium producers would have you believe their longevity is due to their drinking water, which contains coral calcium. Okinawans do live long and healthy lives, but it has more to more to do with their dietary and lifestyle choices than their drinking water. Their diets mostly consist of low-calorie, plant-based foods, with fish and soy foods and moderate amounts of healthy fats. They also enjoy regular physical activity and a stronger sense of community throughout their lives. Medicine is more preventive based with an integration of both Eastern and Western principles. Clearly, there are number of variables that contribute to their continued good health.

The type of calcium in coral and other shellfish are made of calcium carbonate, the most common and usually cheapest form of calcium supplement. So buyer beware, what you read isn't always what you get. The hype behind coral calcium is just that, hype.

11. Is there a naturopathic treatment for yeast infections?
Naturopaths consider yeast infections a sign of microbial imbalance. The organism involved is called Candida albicans, and is a normal part of the digestive flora. Yeast problems arise when candida grows faster than the other microbiological species in our guts, and throws the microbial population out of balance. Other signs of imbalance include weakened memory, fatigue, weight gain, sugar cravings, bloating, and any type of fungal growth on skin or nails. Some of the contributing factors to yeast infection include: use of oral contraceptives, recurrent antibiotic use, long-term over-consumption of simple carbohydrates, and recurrent use of cortisone.

Treatment first and foremost, requires eliminating all forms of sugar and fermented foods out of the diet. This includes breads, cheeses, vinegars, and alcohol products. I usually recommend people stick to protein (eggs, meats, poultry, and fish), whole grains (limited to ½ cup servings twice a day), vegetables (non-starchy ones preferred) and up to 2 pieces of fresh fruit daily. The idea is to continue to feed the host (that is you) while starving out the yeast.

Secondly, it is important to support the immune system. It is important to supplement with a source of probiotics. You can usually find them in health food stores or from your naturopath. Taking probiotics helps to counteract yeast by providing more of the "good bacteria" to help compete for food and space requirements in the digestive tract. You can also do a douche locally using powdered acidophilus in a bit of warm water which will help relieve local symptoms. Additionally, take vitamins A, C, E and selenium to support immune function to help resolve the yeast infection.

Thirdly, I recommend that you take something that actually helps to kill yeast. There are a myriad of natural remedies that are effective for this, notably: grapefruit seed extract, caprylic acid, bentonite clay, and herbs such as raw garlic, pau d'arco, cat's claw and Echinacea. Topically, diluted tea tree oil can also be used.

Perhaps the most important thing to consider is that especially in the case of yeast infections, prevention is far better (and less painful) than cure. So be selective about how and when you use antibiotics, cortisone and oral contraceptives. Supplement with probiotics regularly to keep your digestive flora balanced and as always, make the best dietary choices you can on a daily basis.

12. What are trans fats?

In the ever changing food industry, one of the most recent trends is the focus on trans fat. Recent legislation in both Canada and the US require food manufacturers to specify trans fat content in their products by January 2006. Trans fat is formed in food manufacturing when liquid oils are turned into solids, thereby increasing a product's shelf life. Another name for this process is partial hydrogenation, and is commonly found in ingredient lists of many processed and fast-food items, such as French fries, and any commercially produced goods containing shortening and/or margarine.

Research has linked the intake of trans fats to the rising incidence of heart disease and increased levels of low density lipoproteins (LDL or "bad" cholesterol) while decreasing levels of high density lipoproteins (HDL or "good" cholesterol) at rates double to that of intake of saturated fatty acids (commonly found in meat and dairy products). Other studies have linked it to diabetes and Alzheimer's disease.

There is good news however. In response to consumer demand, companies like Voortman Cookies, McCain's and Kellogg's are making concerted efforts to reduce or eliminate the trans fats in their products.

There are currently no new government regulations around what goes into fast foods. Your best bet is to consistently choose whole, unprocessed foods over their processed counterparts not only to protect yourself and your families from the adverse effects of trans fats in foods, but to promote better health in general.

Disclaimer: EnerChi Health is strictly a resource for information and education only on complementary and alternative health practices. The content on this site is not to be used for the purpose of diagnosing or treating medical conditions or to replace conventional medical treatment in any way. If you have a medical concern you must consult a qualified health care provider.

Copyright ©2001 EnerChi Health Inc. All Rights Reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part without permission is prohibited.