Is exercise in your schedule? Let’s do this activity to help you

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Exercising is by far one of the most amazing activities for health of the mind, body and soul. Surmounting research outlines the numerous benefits of activity, but why are most people not active? Here are some reasons as mentioned by my patients in my office: sedentary jobs, longer hours at work, lack of interest, fear of gyms, increased time spent on children’s extracurricular sports and increased time spent on social media.

Whatever the excuse, we must “make” time for exercise and keep it a priority in our lives. Did you notice that I used the word “make” instead of “find”? This is something I always tell my patients and coaching clients. If you don’t make the time, time will not be on your side.

Let’s do this now. Pull up your calender/agenda for the month. Look at windows of opportunity to get 30 minutes of activity in 3x per week to start. Mark it down. If you plan on joining a gym, you may want want to look at a 1 hour window 3x per week to take into consideration travelling time. I would try to alternate days so that you are spreading out your workouts every other day at least.

Are morning or evening workouts best? My answer is “when are you most likely to stay committed and have the time”. If evenings get busy and you find many interruptions and/or fatigue sets in, then you may want to choose early morning. If you are not a morning person then you may want to look at afternoon or evening workouts. I would warn you about working out too close to bedtime as this can raise cortisol levels and affect your ability to sleep. I would suggest leaving a 2 hour window between your workout and bedtime. Sleep is just as important for over all well-being.

Now that you have your 3x a week exercise times slotted, decide what you want to do in your time. I always tell my clients, if you like to box, then box. If you love to run outside, then run. If you love to dance, then dance. It is a well known fact that if you enjoy what you are doing, you are more likely to stick to it and get a positive endorphin release that leaves you wanting more!

Team sports is another great way to be active and social. I have always been involved in team sports, specifically soccer and let me tell you, playing 90 minute games is the best workout for my entire body! Team sports can keep you motivated and active (just say “no” to the beers after the game) 😉

Another thing I want you to do is let the people you live with know that this is what you are doing and that their support is going to go a long way. You may even have your family join you in this healthy change to being more active. This may also mean delegating responsibilities like dinner prep and clean up to afford you more time to get healthy.

You are all set! Let me know how you do. Commit to yourself. You will have no regrets! If you require any more help or have questions regarding exercise programs and weight loss, reach out. I used to be a personal trainer for many years and loved motivating people to push their limits, reach new goals and challenge their bodies for optimal results.

If you have been exercising for some time and notice no changes in your health or weight, there may be an underlying condition that needs to be assessed. I am happy to assess your hormonal health and thyroid function to ensure your body is balanced and you are not doing more damage by pushing yourself to work out.

Wishing you an active month ahead!

Dr. Jennifer Cisternino, ND

Intermittent Fasting…To do or not to do?

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Intermittent Fasting has been the “buzz words” these days as a way to shed some weight. I am having more and more patients seeking my advice about this form of eating.

For those that are not aware, intermittent fasting is more about timing your meals than it is about focusing on calories and what to eat. The theory behind this is that when you are abstaining from ingesting food for longer than 12 hours, your body can then begin to metabolize fat storage, restore insulin sensitivity, which can result in weight loss. Sounds simple enough? Right.

When it comes to intermittent fasting, there are different lengths of time and methods that people use. Some people fast for 16 hours a day and eat for 8 hours. Some fast for 14 hours and eat during a 10 hour period. Some people even do 24 hour fasts a couple of days a week and then return to a 16 hour fast and 8 hour feeding time.

Without really being conscious of it, I realized I was doing “intermittent fasting”. I noticed that the time between my last meal of the day and first meal of the day was 14 hours. I always knew eating too close to bedtime wasn’t a good thing and with a lack of appetite in the morning, I would eat around mid morning. I can honestly say, I feel good eating this way and my body weight has remained stable. I am not looking to lose weight as I am at a healthy weight.

I want to also let you know that this type of eating is not for everyone. It is not advised for people who are diabetics, have an eating disorder, adrenal insufficiency, athletes, pregnant and breastfeeding women.

In addition, even though intermittent fasting does not take into consideration what you eat, I think that it is extremely important to overall well-being. When you do have the window to eat, I urge you to eat nutritious, healthy foods that are balanced. Not getting enough minerals and vitamins is a problem in and of itself, so you may want to consult with me about healthy eating. I also think you need to be honest with yourself about how you feel if you try intermittent fasting and ask yourself if this is a “fad” or lifestyle change you can adhere to long-term. With all “fad diet trends” you don’t want to get sucked into something that will give you short term gains and affect you negatively in the long run.

I am open to helping you make the best choice for your individual body. We are all unique and have different needs. Some changes work better for others and some don’t. I pride myself on listening to each patient and trying to see what would help you best with your current health state.

Reach out for help,

Dr. Jen Cisternino, ND

Is Instagram Good for your Health? 5 reasons I say “NO”.

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@zen_drjen

Instagram scrolling has become a full time job/obsession for some people. I have cautiously used instagram to grow my following, but primarily I use it to educate and inspire people to take better care of their health. Thank you if you follow me.

For this weeks blog, I thought it would be a good idea to take a look at some things that may not be good for your health when it comes to instagram.

#1: Instagram can make you feel inadequate. This social media platform can be too much about “wanting what someone else has”. You may be knowingly or unknowingly in competition with others and yourself. This can create unnecessary stress on your mind and body. Now you may say that this does not bother you, but we are all humans and the effects of constantly seeing what others have and do can make you feel less than or wanting more, which breeds feelings of inadequacy. No matter how strong willed you think you are, it has some effect. This may make you feel anxious or even unhappy with your life. If you have made such a connection, then maybe it is time to “unfollow” some people who might make you feel this way and/or lessen the amount of time spent scrolling each day. I urge you to reconnect with yourself, your unique goals and stay focused on your well-being.

#2: Instagram has made people more sedentary. Instead of heading out to go to the gym or for a walk, most people have made instagram scrolling a hobby. Take a look at the daily average time you spend on instagram (found at top right of your profile page). If it is more than 30 minutes a day, I consider this excessive. Nevertheless, ask yourself if you can cut your time in half and use it to better your health and well-being. Some activities that I suggest are meditation, exercise, spending quality time with family and friends, picking up the phone and talking, going for a hike, reading, cooking healthy meals etc.

#3: Instagram can make one feel more anxious. As a culture, we have become technology obsessed. We want to be connected to the latest news, trends, videos and happenings in today’s world. This seems like a full time job. We already multi-task beyond our bodies capabilities and this can seem, for some, a chore to keep up and to be “in the know”. This can provoke feelings of anxiousness or addiction to the phone. Try taking an instagram holiday and see how you feel.

#4: Instagram scrolling can create back and neck pain. Looking down at your phone for an extended period of time can create improper posture and neck stiffness. If you suffer headaches and neck tension, you may want to consider how long you hold your head down in that position as it can be contributing to your pain.

#5: Instagram can affect your sleep. We all know the health damaging effects of not getting enough sleep. Most people like to scroll on instagram right before bed. Do you find you go to sleep later than you want because you are checking in with all your friends, celebrities and anyone else you follow? In addition, the bright screen on your phone decreases melatonin synthesis, which makes falling asleep difficult. I advise you to plan ahead and keep instagram out of the bedroom. The last thoughts before bed should be “Thank you God” not what other people are doing with their lives.

Now, I am not saying that Instagram is all bad, but I am noticing the damaging effects it can have on people when they are not conscious of their scrolling habits. I noticed some of the above effects personally and had to “check myself” to ensure that I was not affecting my health in any way. I hope this blog made you think about your instagram habits and if you find benefit in making any of the changes above, reach out and let me know.

In good health, Dr. Jen Cisternino, Naturopath

Are you getting enough Omega 3’s for your body?

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Fish oil supplements and the phrase “eat more omegas 3’s” has become more common these days. This is also because more research has been directed at Omega 3 fatty acids in the human body and its impact on well-being.

In this article I would like to help you better understand what Omega 3’s are, why they are good for us and what foods are rich in omega 3’s. Contrary to some weight loss diets out there, fats are essential to our bodies and we needs fats in order to function. Not all fats are good for our body, but in lieu of this article, Omega 3’s get the spotlight and the praise!

Omega 3: The term omega 3 fatty acids refers to long chain polyunsaturated fatty acids. The predominant omega-3 fatty acid in our typical diet is ALA, alpha linoleic acid, which is mainly consumed via plant-based sources (vegetable oils such as soybean and canola).

The omega 3 fatty acids that we can also consume are predominantly EPA and DHA. Since EPA and DHA are found mostly in fish/seafood, our low intake in North America, has most people walking around low in these anti-inflammatory fatty acids. Comparatively, people in Japan, whose intake is quite high, have higher levels and in contrast tend to be healthier. ALA, which is more commonly ingested in North America, can be converted to EPA and DHA in the human body by the liver; albeit, the conversion efficiency is limited and we must not rely on that for healthy amounts in the body. Thus, the most effective way to increase EPA and DHA is to consume them in fish, fish supplements, algae or algal oils enriched with EPA and DHA.

Heath Benefits:

Maintaining optimal levels of omega 3 fatty acids is important for a variety of reasons throughout life. Higher levels of EPA and DHA omega 3 fatty acids have been associated with a significantly lower risk of death due to cardiovascular disease and increase in life expectancy.

In adults, higher blood levels of EPA/DHA omega 3 have been associated with a significantly lower risk for psychological distress, depression, cognitive impairment, age-related dementia, certain cancers and various other inflammatory disorders.

Try consuming more of these foods each week which have a high amount of omega 3 fatty acids:

Fish such as mackarel, salmon, cod liver oil, herring, sardines, anchovies have high amounts.

Vegan options would be: seaweed and algea, chia seeds, hemp seeds, flaxseeds, walnuts.

Get your Omega 3 Levels Tested:

With research advancements, there is a way to test your body’s omega 3 levels, among other fatty acids in your blood. The level at which you score (high or low) is a very strong indicator of the risk for sudden cardiac death based on published studies from the Harvard School of Public Health in the New England Journal of Medicine. If you are interested in learning more, reach out.

Dr. Jen Cisterinino, ND

416-301-3477

[email protected]

Could Stress be affecting your Thyroid Health?

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Could Stress be affecting your Thyroid Health?
What you need to know to help you.

We are all aware of how chronic stress is bad for us, but most do not consider the implications it has on the thyroid gland specifically. Let me explain this process in your body.

Hormones are molecules released from one area of the body to carry messages to another area of the body. The main job of the thyroid is to produce the right amount of thyroid hormone to tell your cells how fast to burn energy. When the body is under stress, the adrenal glands are primarily responsible for producing the right amount of stress hormones that allow you to respond to stress.

When the body is under stress, the brain releases a hormone called corticotrophin-releasing hormone (CRH). This hormone tell the pituitary gland in the brain to send a message to the adrenal glands to make cortisol (the stress hormone). Both cortisol and CRH can inhibit thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH) and the conversion of T4 to T3. Every cell in the body uses T3 for healthy functioning. A decrease in T3 would yield these symptoms:

Fatigue, cold intolerance, weight gain, memory loss, poor concentration, depression, infertility, hair loss and more

This inhibition of your thyroid hormone takes place quietly, “behind the scenes”, for years without causing overt symptoms and change to your TSH. This is why so many women are caught off gaurd when they are diagnosed with a thyroid disorder. Everything seems to be going fine until they wake up and feel horrible. The reality is, if you have been experiencing chronic stress for years, stress hormones may have been inhibiting your thyroid. Some patients that I see remain in a subclinical hypothyroid state. This is a state in which your lab results are within normal but you appear to have all the symptoms. Thankfully there are ways to reset your stress response and re-establish healthier connections between your adrenals and thyroid gland.

The common test I order for my patients is a Comprehensive Thyroid Panel: This involves a reading of TSH, T4, T3, rT3, Thyroid Antibodies.

Reach out to get tested, so you may begin my thyroid recovery program.

Thank you for reading. Knowledge is Empowerment!

Dr. Jennifer Cisternino, ND

416-301-3477

[email protected]