With more than 80,000 chemicals already circulating in our environment, our bodies face a biochemical challenge where by our immune system is hypersensitive. Allergy is the result of your immune system’s over-reaction to pollens, grass, airborne fungi and many more. The allergen is introduced to the body and the body fights back by producing an excess of inflammatory chemicals, known as histamine. The bodies attempt to find and destroy the allergen brings on the familiar symptoms of runny nose, watery eyes and sneezing.

Bioflavonoids are compounds found in many fruits and vegetables that give them their colour. Quercetin is one bioflavanoid that effectively inhibits leukotriene and histamine release from mast cells. In addition to getting enough raw fruits and vegetables in the diet, you may take quercetin in supplemental form. Truly treating the cause of allergies requires a series of liver and body cleanses that remove the toxic burden from the body. This is the only way to restore the immune system to its original state and stop all allergies.

By: Dr Elias Markou, ND
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Increase Your Antioxidants With Blueberries
Bacterial eye infections can have visually devastating consequences. Flavonoids play a beneficial role in anti-bacterial eye health prevention and treatment. Flavonoids are powerful antioxidants that strengthen the breakdown of vitamin C in your body to treat bacterial infections. Almost all fruits are good sources of flavonoids. You should pick fruits with deeper more vibrant colours to get the best sources of flavonoids since fruit receives its colour from flavonoid pigments. Blueberries are great choice.

Boost Your Vitamin C With Broccoli
Broccoli isn’t always the ‘go to’ vegetable when it comes to eye health. It’s generally known in the cancer community to battle against free radicals that cause cancer; But it’s important for eye health too. In addition, broccoli is high in vitamin C, a powerful antioxidant that promotes collagen strength in eye tissues.

Up Your EFA’s With Cashews
Essential fatty acids, especially omega-3, don’t just improve your mood, they can protect against eye disease too. Low levels of EFA’s in the body may be linked to dry eyes. Cashews are a wonderful crunchy addition to any salad, stir-fry or are delicious and nutritious on their own.

By: Kasia Bednarek, R.H.N.

What Is the Goal Of Naturopathic, Natural And Integrative Cancer Care?

One of the key goals of integrative cancer care is to find the treatment approach(s) that provide the best chance for the patient to destroy cancer cells during active treatment, achieve long term remission and have the highest quality of life. This may include choosing the conventional treatment, which has the best outcomes, compared to potential side effects and risks. There is also a strong focus on making sure that the basic needs and well being of each patient is being met. This includes general nutrition, weight management, and reduction of side effects from conventional treatments. Once treatment options have been selected and a person basics needs are met, the focus can shift to changing the environment that led to the development of cancer and employing specific therapies that promote cancer cell destruction and prevent growth and spread.
The following is a list of ways that natural and complementary treatments can achieve the above goals.

· Directly cause cancer cells to self-destruct and die during active treatments
· Boost the overall immune system so that it is able to destroy cancer cells
· Reduce or prevent the toxicity and side effects caused by chemotherapy drugs and radiation therapy
· Improve nutrition and restore any deficiencies in order to improve cellular function
· Integrate the mind, body and spirit to promote healing at the deepest levels

Are Natural And Integrative Cancer Therapies Compatible With Conventional Treatment Options?

Our society is conditioned to think in shades of black and white, especially when it comes to medicine. Many people assume that having “natural” or “naturopathic” cancer treatment means that you automatically cannot also have standard cancer care. There is a large assumption by the public and medical profession that natural and conventional treatments are incompatible. The reality is that the research shows us nothing is further from the truth. Numerous studies have shown that natural agents actually improve the treatment outcomes and reduce the side effects of chemotherapy and radiation. An excellent review highlighting the safety of antioxidants with chemotherapy was published in 2008. Its showed that not only were antioxidant nutrients safe and did not negatively impact the effectiveness of chemotherapy treatments, they actually improved effectiveness and reduced side effects (Block et al. 2008). These findings where directly opposite to the commonly held belief that
antioxidants counteract the oxidative mechanism of chemotherapy and radiation.

One of the most common concerns patients have is that they were told by their oncologist to stop all natural supplements when on chemo or radiation. This contributes to uncertainty and confusion about using natural supplements and treatments. As discussed above, there is a growing body of evidence to suggest they are safe, reduce side effects and may even have a synergist effect. However, this does not confirm that all natural substances are safe to take along side conventional treatments. There are exceptions depending on the type of chemotherapy and other factors. There still needs to be more research done to confirm these findings. To be safe, please follow the advice of your primary physician unless you are also under the care of a certified Naturopathic physician. NDs are trained to guide patients to safely choose which natural therapies are safe with each conventional treatment.

What are the top natural cancer treatment options?

There are many different natural therapies that have been studied in cancer treatment. Most of this evidence has been done in test tube and animal studies. Fewer therapies have been studied in human trials, which is the gold standard of evidence. The following is a very brief description of my top natural and complementary therapies. I did not cover every single possible therapy such as diet and nutrition, curcumin, green tea or mushroom extracts but they also are very therapeutically important.

Fitness therapy and exercise
Physical activity may be considered one of the most powerful natural therapies for cancer prevention and treatment. Unfortunately, most patients are told to rest and relax in conventional settings. There are a number of vital changes (i.e. improvement in insulin function, mitochondrial growth) that occur within the body during exercise that improve cellular function and decrease cancer. Studies have shown exercise has been shown to improve fatigue, sleep disorders, and depression, which can limit quality of life in cancer patients. Breast cancer patients that had higher levels of physical activity had decreased breast cancer risk (Steindorf et al. 2013). The protective effects were found after just 30 – 60 minutes of moderate to vigorous exercise per day.

Melatonin
Melatonin is a neurohormone and potent antioxidant secreted from the pineal in the brain. It is best known to help with sleep and regulating circadian rhythms but it also been studied in with a number of cancers including lung and colon. It has been shown to extended survival time, reduce progression and improve chemotherapy treatment (Srinivasan et al 2008). However, the dose for melatonin in cancer is 10-20mg which is much higher than for insomnia.

Vitamin C
Vitamin C is one of the most well-known and widely used antioxidants. There is some confusion when it comes to vitamin C and cancer treatment. Oral and dietary supplementation has been showed to have beneficial effects on immune cells and to improve cancer prevention. However, oral doses are limited by absorption in the digestive tract. To achieve higher, anti-cancer doses, intravenous (IV) administration is needed. A key point about vitamin C is that at lower doses (below 15g) it acts primarily as an anti-oxidant but doses above 15g have a “pro-oxidant” effect. The pro-oxidant effect is essential into order to generate hydrogen peroxide, which selectively destroys cancer cells (Chen et al 2007). This dose is only achievable through IV infusions. Vitamin C has also been shown to be safe with the majority of chemotherapeutic agents and it improves quality of life by preventing damaging to healthy cells, therefore reducing unwanted side effects (Verrax and Calderon 2008). It is
also important to note that vitamin C therapy may not work for everyone and for every type of cancer. Consult your Naturopathic doctor at pureBalance Wellness centre to see if it is right for you.

Conclusion: How Do I Apply Natural And Integrative Cancer Care?

There is no doubt that people are looking for alternative and complementary ways to help treat and prevent cancer. There are a number of integrative cancer care options.
· Patients can choose to undergo conventional care and with the help of a trained physician or ND they can use natural therapies to support their treatment and reduce side effects.
· Patients that have already gone through chemo or radiation can use natural approaches to reduce and eliminate any lasting side effects, improve quality life and prevent reoccurrence.
· Some people choose to take steps to prevent cancer by changing their diet, activity level and lifestyle habits.
· There are even a number of patients that refuse standard treatments and use natural therapies as their primary treatment plan.

There are many ways to effectively and safely incorporate integrative and natural medicine into your cancer care plan. Through discussions with a trained ND at pureBalance wellness centre you can find treatments and protocols that can be tailored to fit your needs. As a ND that has a focus on cancer care, I encourage you to do your research and be open to changing your life. If you have any questions, please contact me to find out if certain treatments are right for you. Cancer can be a very frightening disease but many patients talk about it being a very transformative process. Embrace your healing journey and find a treatment approaches that addresses every aspect of your being.

References

Clapp RW, Jacobs MM, Loechler EL. Environmental and occupational causes of cancer: new evidence 2005-2007. Rev Environ Health. 2008 Jan-Mar;23(1):1-37.

Food, Nutrition and the Prevention of Cancer: A Global Perspective”, World Cancer Research Fund 2007.

American Cancer Society. Cancer Facts & Figures 2013. Atlanta: American Cancer Society; 2013.

Irigaray et al. Lifestyle-related factors and environmental agents causing cancer: an overview. Biomed Pharmacother. 2007 Dec;61(10):640-58. Epub 2007 Nov 20.

Block et al. Impact of antioxidant supplementation on chemotherapeutic toxicity: a systematic review of the evidence from randomized controlled trials. Int J Cancer. 2008 Sep 15;123(6):1227-39.

Steindorf et al. Physical activity and risk of breast cancer overall and by hormone receptor status: The European prospective investigation into cancer and nutrition. Int J Cancer. 2013 Apr 1;132(7):1667-78.

By: Dr. Paul Hrkal, ND
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Some of the great services that would make a wonderful gift include: an Indian Head Massage, Massage Therapy Treatment, Reiki Treatment, Naturopathic Full Body Assessment. Explore our services to see what else might be of interest.

Naturopathic Medicine Week is an annual celebration of the power of naturopathic medicine. Naturopathic Medicine Week 2013 takes place from May 6 – 12.

pureBalance Wellness Centre is running events covering juicing, cancer care and more Monday-Thursday. Check out our events here.

If you can’t make it to one of our events or have friends and family in other regions, refer them to this website for a listing of events in their area: http://www.ndontario.com/events/naturopathic-medicine-week/nmw-events/

• What do I want to accomplish?
• Am I on track?
• What do I need to do to move me forward?
• What action should I take next?
• Are my thoughts supporting me or sabotaging me?
• What obstacles are in my way?
• What support can I embrace or request?
• How am I celebrating?

Revisit where you are today and where you want to be. If you are not where you want to be then it’s time to take action and make things happen. We can choose to start over right now, why wait for a new year, new month or a new week. Seize the day!  Revisiting our goals and clearing out anything in our way allows us to start anew and refresh our minds. If we need a mental shift to clear the slate and approach things with a fresh outlook then the choice is ours to make. 
 
Starting fresh is most effective to focus our attention on what we are choosing to create be it a healthy and fit body, an abundant financial future, a better relationship or a new career.  Focusing on the unwanted only feeds it and prevents your desired goals to manifest and blossom.  Planting new seeds in our mind and starting afresh takes time to flourish. Remember to be kind to yourself and allow new habits and action to grow. People have a habit of getting down on themselves and sabotaging their desires and goals.  It’s like allowing the weeds to come out and strangle the beauty of the blossoming flowers.
 
Make the choice to start fresh and create new energy. Create a vacuum to clear away the dust and move forward in your chosen direction.  Once you move forward it allows you to come out of hibernation and start growth.
 
Here are some action steps to foster growth in your life:
 
·       Plant the seed and set or rejuvenate a goal
·       Clear out the mental clutter by being aware of negative thoughts and bad habits. STOP or change them to reflect what you want to achieve instead
·       Take action and fertilize your mind by doing one thing a day that moves you in the direction of your goal i.e. make a phone call, meditate, workout, attend a networking meeting, follow up with a potential client
·       Be kind to yourself when weeds get in your way and be prepared to pull them out and focus on your beauty
·       Celebrate your successes big and small which encourages you to flourish and grow
 
Each time we choose to start fresh it allows us to blossom and grow to be the best we are able to be.

By: Corey McCusker, Mental Performance Coach
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The idea behind an integrative approach is that since cancer is a multifactorial disease, affecting every aspect of a person, you need a multi-faceted treatment plan. The research now clearly shows that cancer patients have improved outcomes and reduced mortality when they use complementary techniques (such as fitness therapy, diet counseling, yoga, meditation etc.). Integrative cancer care combines the best of conventional treatments (i.e. new chemotherapy agents, surgical techniques etc.) supportive natural approaches (vitamins and nutrients) and mind-body-spirit practices.

By: Dr. Paul Hrkal, ND
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pureBalance prides itself and all the workshops and events it has been planning for patients at the clinic for over 3 years. This year we brought to you an amazing line up of workshops that has received a lot of positive response and has helped to change the lives of our participants.

Women's Wisdom Circle Supercharge has inspired many of our women patients at pureBalance to discover, honour and celebrate their authentic selves. Women’s Expert Michelle Pena has helped each woman discover the Wise Woman within herself, and then nurture, expand, develop and sustain that personal wisdom connection through her own life path. This event will be back this summer for a few free classes. If you are thinking about attending the next 6 week program in the fall of 2013, come try one class for free and see how this can change your life.

pureBalance Community Acupuncture has been a great success. Community Acupuncture is the Community approach to Traditional Chinese Medicine. In our community acupuncture events, the cost of a treatment is less because the acupuncturistʼs time and space are shared. Groups of five or six people receive acupuncture simultaneously, resting in a quiet clinic while their needles are in place. This will continue to be a great way to try acupuncture for the first time or continue an ongoing treatment with our highly trained professionals.

pureBalance now has Live Blood Analysis. Live Blood Analysis is a simple procedure for obtaining a quick and accurate assessment of your blood. With only a small blood sample, a Naturopathic Doctor is able to provide a composite of over 25 aspects from your live blood. Darkfield microscopy now allows us to observe multiple vitamin and mineral deficiencies, toxicity, tendencies toward allergic reaction, excess fat circulation, parasites, liver weakness and arteriosclerosis. Make an appointment with the clinic and come and discover what your body is telling you through your blood.

Finally, we would like to welcome our new nutritionist Kasia Bednerek. Kasia graduated from the Canadian School of Natural Nutrition as an R.H.N. She is also a Certified Feng Shui Practitioner and a graduate of the Canadian School of Feng Shui. Kasia is passionate about the internal (body) and interior (home & workspace) environment. She strives to create more awareness around the importance of proper nutrition to support digestive health, and significance of harmonious living for optimum well-being. Kasia is ready to help you put your life in order starting off with a healthy diet. Follow us on Twitter and Facebook as we continue to deliver amazing workshops, services and professionals.

Dr Elias Markou, ND
Naturopathic Doctor and Clinic Director
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In my practice I focus on helping the patient get the best combination of treatment available. No matter where the patient is in their treatment, we support them with the best integrative and natural therapies available. This can mean helping a patient prevent cancer or actively treat a cancer that has returned and they no longer want to do chemotherapy. It can also mean that a patient gets natural therapies along side their conventional treatments or we help get a patient ready for resection surgery or radiation. One of the strengths of natural medicine is that it can be tailored to the needs and desires of each person.

The goals of naturopathic and integrative cancer therapy are:

• Combine the best treatments from natural and conventional medicine – which natural and drugs treatments are best for you
• Directly cause cancer cells to self-destruct and die
• Reduce tumour size and prevent further spread (metastasis) of the cancer
• Boost the overall immune system so that it is able to destroy cancer cells
• Reduce the toxicity and side effects caused by chemotherapy drugs and radiation therapy
• Improve survival outcomes and patient quality of life
• Prevention of relapse after successful cancer treatment
• Learn techniques that promote dietary and lifestyle habits which prevent cancer
• Integrate the mind, body and spirit to promote healing at the deepest levels

To achieve the above goals, naturopathic and integrative cancer therapy uses the latest evidence-based therapies and interventions.

This list is not exhaustive and is not meant to be used as a “self-prescription” resource. Not every therapy may be right for each cancer or person. To find out the correct dosage and combination contact Dr Hrkal to book an appointment for a consult.

• High dose intravenous Vitamin C
• Vitamin D – includes testing and treatment to reach optimal levels
• Super-bioavailable Curcumin, Green tea and Resveratrol
• Intravenous Glutathione and alpha lipoic acid
• Mushroom extracts
• Melatonin
• Mistle toe extract from Germany
• Modified citrus pectin
• etc.

By: Dr. Paul Hrkal, ND

For more information please visit our Cancer Care page.

Image courtesy of Maggie Smith / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

An excellent review highlighting the safety of antioxidants with chemotherapy was published in 2008. It showed that not only were antioxidant nutrients safe and did not negatively impact the effectiveness of chemotherapy treatments, they actually improved effectiveness and reduced side effects (Block et al. 2008). Another review found that vitamin C, one of the most commonly used natural therapies, has also been shown to be safe with the majority of chemotherapeutic agents and it improves quality of life by preventing damaging to healthy cells, therefore reducing unwanted side effects (Verrax and Calderon 2008). These findings where directly opposite to the commonly held belief that antioxidants counteract the oxidative mechanism of chemotherapy and radiation. Recent findings show that chemo and radiation actually don’t directly kill the cancer cell immediately but rather fatally damage it before it undergoes natural apoptosis (cell death). Antioxidants and natural plant compounds, such as curcumin, actually help promote apoptosis of cancer cells thus having a complementary effect to chemo and radiation.

One of the most common concerns patients have is that they were told by their oncologist to stop all natural supplements when on chemo or radiation. This contributes to uncertainty and confusion about using natural supplements and treatments. As discussed above, there is a growing body of evidence to suggest they are safe, reduce side effects and may even have a synergist effect. However, this does not confirm that all natural substances are safe to take along side conventional treatments. There are exceptions depending on the type of chemotherapy and other factors. There still needs to be more research done to confirm these findings. To be safe, please follow the advice of your primary physician unless you are also under the care of a regulated Naturopathic Doctor. NDs are trained to guide patients to safely choose which natural therapies are safe with each conventional treatment.

So in summary,

1) Despite conventional thought, natural therapies CAN be used in the same period as chemo and radiation. The mechanisms are synergistic is many cases.
2) Natural therapies actually can improve the anti-cancer effect and prevent side-effects.
3) There are certain natural therapies that should not be take on the same day as your chemo or radiation.

Ask your ND at pureBalance Wellness Centre to be sure in your case.

By: Dr Paul Hrkal