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Quinoa-Cranberry Salad with Chicken, Arugula and Pecans

11/28/2013

This recipe is one of my favourite fall/winter lunch dishes! It’s easy to make, and will serve ~6 meals.

Ingredients:
• 1 cup quinoa
• 2 chicken breasts
• 2 cups arugula
• 3 large celery stalks
• 1 bunch of green onion
• ¼ cup chopped pecans
• ¼ cup dried cranberries
• ¼ cup olive oil
• 1 lemon
• 4 tbsp white vinegar
• Salt and pepper
Note: replace chicken with crumbled goat cheese for vegetarian option.

Directions:
Bake the chicken breasts at 350°C for ~30 minutes. While the chicken is baking, cook 1 cup quinoa in 1 ½ cup water – heat to boil, then simmer for 10-15 minutes. Finely chop the green onion and celery. For the dressing combine the olive oil, fresh squeezed lemon juice, white vinegar and salt and pepper to taste. Once the chicken is done baking, cut into bite sized pieces. Combine the chicken, quinoa, celery, green onion, cranberry, pecans, and arugula. Drizzle with your vinaigrette-dressing, toss, and voila, you can now enjoy your delicious and nutritious meal!

Dr. Meghan Stobbs ND
Healing Cedar Wellness

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Understanding Stress Hormone Imbalance

11/13/2013

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Hormones are chemical messengers that communicate between different parts of the body. They are produced by glands and organs, and are secreted into the bloodstream to circulate. Hormones travel in the blood to specific organs and tissues to communicate their message. Only tissues that have receptors for the hormone in question will respond to that hormone. Hormones are one of the main tools our body uses to create balance or ‘homeostasis’ in the body. So, as you can imagine, if we have imbalances in our hormones, this stable environment will be shaken up, and we will not feel well.

The most common hormone imbalances I see in my practice are stress hormone imbalances, thyroid imbalances, and sex hormone imbalances (estrogen, progesterone, testosterone). This blog will specifically be focused on stress hormone imbalance, or what is known as ‘adrenal fatigue.’ In subsequent blogs I will address the issues of thyroid and sex hormone imbalances, so stay tuned!

What is adrenal fatigue?
Adrenal fatigue occurs when our adrenal glands cannot keep up with the demands placed on them by the total amount of stress in our lives. The primary role of our adrenal glands is to produce and regulate our stress hormone cortisol. They also produce sex hormones (estrogen, progesterone and testosterone), neurotransmitters (adrenaline and noradrenaline), and a blood pressure regulating hormone (aldosterone). With acute or chronic stress cortisol imbalances are first to be seen. Over time adrenal stress can lead to other hormone imbalances including imbalances in insulin, sex hormones, blood pressure hormones, and even thyroid hormone.

We live in a very busy, stressful, on-the-go society. We work long hours while juggling the demands of family life, we sacrifice sleep, we rely on coffee to keep us awake, and reach for sugary foods for an extra energy boost. Over time these habits affect us physically, mentally, emotionally and spiritually.

When we engage in stressful activities our bodies enter into a ‘fight or flight’ response. Cortisol is released from our adrenal glands to provide us with a burst of energy in order to ‘survive.’ It does so by breaking down our carbohydrate and protein stores, increasing blood sugar, and suppressing the immune system to conserve energy. Over time high cortisol can lead to insulin resistance, weaken our immune system, and lead to muscle wasting, if not properly addressed. It can also impact our thyroid and sex hormone balance. Eventually our adrenal glands may not be able to keep up with the stress in our lives, and cortisol levels will drop, leading to chronic mental and physical fatigue.

What are the symptoms of adrenal fatigue?
Symptoms of adrenal fatigue will depend on what type of cortisol imbalance you have, ie. whether you have high or low cortisol levels.

High Cortisol

Stressed feeling
Insomnia/sleep disturbances
Weight gain around waist
Hypothyroidism
Tired and wired feeling
Infertility/PMS/Menstrual Irregularities
Cravings
Irritability
Loss of muscle mass
Heart palpitations
High blood pressure
Insulin resistance
Shaky or lightheaded if a meal is missed
Frequent colds/flus
Low libido
Headaches
Loss of scalp hair
Bone loss

Low Cortisol

Fatigue
Aches and pains
Cold/low body temperature
Irritability
Heart palpitations
Allergies
Sugar cravings
Morning sluggishness
Low libido
Impaired memory
Chemical sensitivity
Low blood pressure
Dizziness upon standing

Naturally we have the highest levels of cortisol in the morning, and throughout the day our levels will slowly decline, with cortisol being lowest at night. If we have low cortisol in the morning we’ll have problems waking and will generally feel sluggish. If we have high cortisol at night on the other hand, we may have problems falling or staying asleep.

How do you test for adrenal fatigue?
In this stressed out world, I generally assume that most of my patients have some amount of adrenal fatigue. I listen to the symptoms and assess the lifestyle of my patients in order to determine whether or not they have an adrenal imbalance. In some cases I use salivary hormone testing to determine baseline levels of cortisol, and track treatment progress.

How do you treat adrenal fatigue?
The best way to treat adrenal fatigue is to address the underlying cause: STRESS. I encourage you to examine your personal daily stressors, slow down, and take your health back into your own hands. If you suffer from adrenal fatigue, the most important thing you can do is to establish a routine. Below are some of my suggestions for establishing an adrenal friendly routine.

Go to bed at the same time every night, and get at least 8 hours of sleep.
Do something relaxing every day (deep breathing, warm bath, nature walk, yoga, meditation, massage, acupuncture, etc.)
Learn to say NO when you’ve reached your limit.
Eat protein with every meal.
Don’t over-exercise. If you feel fatigued, scale down the intensity, or take a day or two off to recover.
Avoid processed foods, simple carbohydrates (cookies, muffins, cakes, white bread, pasta) and sugar.
Decrease or eliminate caffeine.
Consider supplementation with adaptogenic herbs, a vitamin B complex, or intravenous nutrient therapy.

Adaptogenic herbs help the body adapt and cope with stress. My favourite adaptogenic herbs are Licorice Root, Ginseng, Rhodiola, and Withania.

Intravenous nutrient therapy (ie. the Myer’s Cocktail) is a solution of B vitamins, vitamin C and magnesium that is infused directly into a vein. These vitamins nourish the adrenal glands, boost energy and help the body cope and manage stress. For more information on the Myer’s Cocktail click here.

If you’re curious about your own adrenal health, or would like further assistance in treating your adrenal fatigue, please don’t hesitate to contact me at DrStobbs@healingcedarwellness or at 604-469-1616.

If you’ve enjoyed this blog remember to SHARE it, LIKE it, and post any comments below!
Dr. Meghan Stobbs ND
Healing Cedar Wellness

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How to figure out YOUR perfect diet

11/6/2013

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Your best friend is raving about her new raw diet, so you decide to give it a try. But it doesn't work for you. Maybe it made you tired, or gain weight, or more health issues showed up suddenly. Why is that? Because your friend and you are completely different individuals.
Or perhaps, what worked for you in the past ten years, suddenly isn't. Why? Because each of us evolve, our body changes, our lifestyle changes, our jobs, or our location even. All of this plays a major role on our health and our body needs for nutrients.

So here's what you need to consider when it comes to YOUR diet:

What is your ethnic background?
Are you always cold? or always too hot?
Do you produce a lot of mucus and have greasy skin or hair? Or are you more on the dry side?
Where do you live? A damp place or a cold dry one?
What is your lifestyle? Do you exercise, or you sitting at work all day?
How is your health in general? Is your immune system okay?

Depending on your age, by now, you hopefully have figured out a few things that work, when it comes to your digestive system. Maybe you know certain foods give you heart burns, or diarrhea, or headaches. But you're still searching for a healthy diet that works for you. Try to aim for a diet that makes you feel energetic, clear minded and prevent you from getting sick. No matter what, the basic rule is to eat a wholesome real food diet, to buy local and in season.

Now, let's figure out YOUR best diet:

Your ethnic background will determine what foods suit you best. If you're from an asian descent, dairies will probably not agree with you, as the asian diet does not contain dairy. If you're from a danish or german descent, very spicy foods may not agree with your system. So look at your ancestors diet and stay close to it, for the most part.
Are you often cold, when others are just fine, do you live in a cold place? Avoid icy drinks and raw foods, add more warming foods instead. Are you hot all the time? Maybe menopause is playing havoc with your body, then avoid alcohol, and spicy dishes, add cooling foods instead.
If you're someone who has tendency to have excess mucus (nasal drip, stuffy nose, greasy scalp & skin, yeast infections, stuffy chest, cysts…), you may need to avoid all mucus forming foods for a while (i.e.: dairy, wheat, sugar). Add clear broth soups, lost of greens, asparagus, and kale. On the other hand, if you're dry (skin, stools, hair, dry mouth especially at night), then you may need watery foods such as cucumber, watermelon, apples, pears, and lubricating foods such as nuts and seeds, fatty fish (Salmon, halibut), and avocado.
Your lifestyle also can dictate what diet suits your body. For sedentary people (desk job, students, bus driver), eating small meals throughout the day is best. But if you're on your feet all the time (landscaper, hairdresser, delivery person), then have 3 sitting down meals/day.
And finally, look at your overall health, are you tired, do you get sick often, are headaches plaguing you daily? If your body is out of balance, you may need the help of a professional to get back into optimum health. Talk to your acupuncturist, naturopath, chiropractor, massage therapist or family doctor. You may need to tweak your diet, add supplements, and/or therapy in order to feel at your best again.

Life is a constant ebb and flow cycle. Adapting to change and listening to our bodies, will in the end benefit us tremendously. If you have any questions regarding this article, feel free to contact Healing Cedar Wellness or Clara via e-mail or phone.

Clara Cohen
Registered Acupuncturist, DTCM

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Quinoa-Cranberry Salad with Chicken, Arugula and Pecans

Understanding Stress Hormone Imbalance

How to figure out YOUR perfect diet

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