tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-86997525089103308492026-04-04T08:19:17.507-04:00Naturopathic Medicine: A Fresh Perspective (Dr. Ian Koo, Naturopathic Doctor & Acupuncturist)An Etobicoke / Mississauga area Naturopathic Doctor's fresh perspective on health and wellness. A look at what affects your health to critical analysis of medical stories making the news.
"The care you want, the health you need."Dr. Ian Koo, Naturopathic Doctor, Registered Acupuncturisthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05729157411472028482noreply@blogger.comBlogger152125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8699752508910330849.post-57025682893981608882020-08-28T11:37:00.000-04:002020-08-28T11:37:10.297-04:00Acupuncture blunts inflammation & the dreaded cytokine storm - new research from Harvard.Harvard researchers have demonstrated that acupuncture can tame cytokine storms and the inflammation process. Cytokine storms have made the news lately as a lot of people have heard about this for the first time since Covid19 struck.Cytokines are a normal part of the immune response to infections or other diseases. A cytokine storm is when the body releases too many cytokines in a relatively Dr. Ian Koo, Naturopathic Doctor, Registered Acupuncturisthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05729157411472028482noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8699752508910330849.post-28837052313681233112018-02-03T10:02:00.003-05:002018-02-03T10:03:48.755-05:00Should you ice an injury? Most people are doing things wrong.I have had a lot of patients come in after seeing other health care practitioners still limping or hurting and complaining of no improvements. To their surprise, I usually tell them to stop icing their injuries. Chinese medicine usually advocates heat and movement. Have a look at this article in Macleans that discusses this exact topic.
http://www.macleans.ca/society/Dr. Ian Koo, Naturopathic Doctor, Registered Acupuncturisthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05729157411472028482noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8699752508910330849.post-51707580420657689602015-11-04T11:40:00.000-05:002015-11-04T11:40:15.807-05:00"Acupuncture Actually Works for Neck Pain""Acupuncture Actually Works for Neck Pain" is the title of an article I saw on Time.com. The patients who I've treated with acupuncture do not need this study to believe. But it's good to have science back me up these days so we can explain the mechanics of how it works. Acupuncture can loosen tight muscles and release pain-relieving endorphins. It works for conditions Dr. Ian Koo, Naturopathic Doctor, Registered Acupuncturisthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05729157411472028482noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8699752508910330849.post-76418522117126576152015-02-03T14:02:00.000-05:002015-02-03T14:02:00.192-05:00
The supplement industry is still the wild west. You can't always be confident in what you're getting in a bottle. Check out this NY Times piece about some brands found in some well known stores and you'll be shocked at what they find or don't find.
This
can often be the reason why some patients will tell me "I've tried that
herb or supplement but it doesn't work." It Dr. Ian Koo, Naturopathic Doctor, Registered Acupuncturisthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05729157411472028482noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8699752508910330849.post-78280334572802695872014-10-17T11:01:00.000-04:002014-10-17T11:02:32.978-04:00A medical doctor's view of naturopathic medicine!Dr. Katz, the president of the American College of Lifestyle Medicine and director of the Yale Prevention and Research Center explains naturopathic medicine and why he thinks naturopathic doctors are an integral part of the health care system.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/david-katz-md/the-nature-of-medicine-an_b_5965160.html
The times, they are a changing and many of my patients find that Dr. Ian Koo, Naturopathic Doctor, Registered Acupuncturisthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05729157411472028482noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8699752508910330849.post-22111350608593788852014-06-06T18:11:00.002-04:002014-06-06T18:13:52.572-04:00Detoxes and Fasting? Is it bunk?You've probably heard from many nutritionists/dieticians/MDs or other experts that fasting and detoxes is unproven and can probably harm you. But in many cultures or religions, it's done regularly w/ no real harm.
But now, scientists at the University of Southern California are actually advocating fasting. They've demonstrated that fasting for 3 days resets your immune system and Dr. Ian Koo, Naturopathic Doctor, Registered Acupuncturisthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05729157411472028482noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8699752508910330849.post-31079986132326922202014-04-03T17:30:00.001-04:002014-04-03T17:30:19.727-04:00The Science of HappinessThis is a great infographic showing everything you need to know about happiness. Enjoy!
http://my.happify.com/hd/science-of-happiness-infographic/
Yours in Health,
Ian Koo, ND
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www.NaturopathicEssentials.com
"The care you want, the health you need."
Dr. Ian Koo, Naturopathic Doctor, Registered Acupuncturisthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05729157411472028482noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8699752508910330849.post-71389981272519400742014-04-01T12:06:00.002-04:002014-04-01T12:06:57.703-04:007+ servings of Fruits & Veggies per day Saves Lives
As some of you may know, I usually tell my patients to get at least
8-10+ servings of mostly veggies and a bit of fruit every day even
though the guidelines have always been five to six servings.
Here's a study out of England today from 65,226 men and women showing the benefits of what I've been saying all along.
Read this BBC article, it's a quick read. I highly recommend itDr. Ian Koo, Naturopathic Doctor, Registered Acupuncturisthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05729157411472028482noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8699752508910330849.post-26501951347985318462013-09-18T12:21:00.001-04:002013-09-18T12:21:35.906-04:00Nutrient Deficiencies and your KidsGenerally in Canada and other Western countries, we don't pay too much attention to nutrient deficiencies. Most people slough it off because food is so abundant here. Scurvy and other maladies of pure deficiencies are rare.
But what about the concept of optimal states. Optimal amounts of vitamin d has been shown to reduce diabetes risks by 50%, breast cancer by 75%, Dr. Ian Koo, Naturopathic Doctor, Registered Acupuncturisthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05729157411472028482noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8699752508910330849.post-87565746266528654762013-06-19T14:22:00.000-04:002013-06-19T14:22:40.529-04:00Birth Control Pills - What you should know!It's one of the most widely used medications out there. There are a number of reasons why many young ladies take them including to prevent pregnancies, to manage painful cramps and to avoid having a period altogether.
While many people know about these positives, few know about the possible side effects, the worst of which are blood clots that have lead to a number of deaths as reported byDr. Ian Koo, Naturopathic Doctor, Registered Acupuncturisthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05729157411472028482noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8699752508910330849.post-24837831224751575672013-06-17T12:29:00.000-04:002013-06-18T10:24:53.165-04:00Statins - Should you really be on it?Statin are one of the most widely prescribed medications out there. They are used to lower high cholesterol levels. If you are on it, you should take a look at this CBC article and video. Researchers are starting to question its risks and benefits for cardiovascular disease prevention. It seems to help those who have had a heart attack, but not so much for those who have Dr. Ian Koo, Naturopathic Doctor, Registered Acupuncturisthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05729157411472028482noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8699752508910330849.post-85974725595808625762013-04-30T15:31:00.004-04:002013-04-30T15:33:29.928-04:00Prevention of Cardiovascular Disease using Naturopathic Therapies vs. Conventional TreatmentI didn't think this would happen for at least a decade more, but it did. The Canadian Medical Association's Journal (CMAJ) published a journal study comparing the treatment of Canada Post workers in Edmonton, Toronto & Vancouver using conventional treatment of cardiovascular disease versus naturopathic treatment.
And lo and behold, naturopathic treatment was more successful in reducingDr. Ian Koo, Naturopathic Doctor, Registered Acupuncturisthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05729157411472028482noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8699752508910330849.post-14599993792513382982013-04-25T11:49:00.001-04:002013-04-25T11:49:27.243-04:00Is a chocolate bar worth 3000 sit-ups? That's what it'll take to burn it off.I find that most people these days are unaware of what 100 calories or even 1000 calories really means. It seems like it's just a number. One is bigger than the other and we know that too many calories can be bad for you - that's what we've been told.
However there are ways to get through to patients and it's to re-phrase calories to number of minutes or hours needed of exercise to Dr. Ian Koo, Naturopathic Doctor, Registered Acupuncturisthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05729157411472028482noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8699752508910330849.post-22555732762372204572013-04-19T10:59:00.003-04:002013-04-19T11:14:19.668-04:00BPA and lead found in the urine and blood of CanadiansI remember a number of years ago hearing that polar bears in Canada's
arctic region had been found to have traces of toxic chemicals in
them. If bears in remote regions of Canada are toxic, what about us
humans?
A new report released by Health Canada shows
that children as young as three years old have traces of lead in their
blood and bisphenol A (BPA) in their urine. The Dr. Ian Koo, Naturopathic Doctor, Registered Acupuncturisthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05729157411472028482noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8699752508910330849.post-48624882522301668362012-10-15T10:48:00.000-04:002012-10-15T10:49:31.939-04:00Juicing - What you should know about what you're missing!Many patients ask me if it's ok if they drink their fruits and vegetables. Generally, science says that juicing is a good way to get some vitamins and nutrients, but the lack of fiber and the high glycemic (ie. high sugar) content may be an issue.
But I've always had a nagging suspicious that there was something else that we might be missing in this story and now I have proof. Research outDr. Ian Koo, Naturopathic Doctor, Registered Acupuncturisthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05729157411472028482noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8699752508910330849.post-42856884136904713532012-09-12T12:58:00.003-04:002012-10-15T10:45:47.765-04:00Acupuncture Works - Proof in largest study to dateThe largest study of acupuncture for chronic pain compares real acupuncture vs placebo vs. other treatments for pain relief and what they find is that acupuncture's effectiveness rate is 50%, placebo is 43% and other treatments is 30%.
So naturally the headlines are that acupuncture is only marginally more effective than placebo, which makes me wonder how people interpret information.
First of Dr. Ian Koo, Naturopathic Doctor, Registered Acupuncturisthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05729157411472028482noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8699752508910330849.post-34743751978189868492012-09-06T11:09:00.002-04:002012-09-06T11:28:06.942-04:00Organic foods: Are they healthier?So I've been hearing a lot about this new study , a meta-analysis by Stanford researchers concluding that organic foods are not really healthier than non-organic ones. Basically, they analyzed nutrient contents from the two and found that they were similar. And from that, they conclude that there's no difference and that's what the media is running with. Headlines everywhere are saying how Dr. Ian Koo, Naturopathic Doctor, Registered Acupuncturisthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05729157411472028482noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8699752508910330849.post-52027093041369156682012-08-28T11:26:00.006-04:002012-08-28T11:39:23.177-04:00Alkaline Diets - A quick summaryAlkaline diets seem to be all the rage these days in the U.S. The concept is pretty simple and as old as time. Pretty much, eat lots of veggies and fruits which are alkaline. Decrease consumption of large amounts of meats and processed foods which are acidic.Some patients have asked about alkalinizing waters machines and such and I always give the same answer: There are no short cuts, you Dr. Ian Koo, Naturopathic Doctor, Registered Acupuncturisthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05729157411472028482noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8699752508910330849.post-42127448343434244152012-02-01T11:41:00.002-05:002012-02-01T11:46:18.633-05:00Food Allergy, Food Sensitivity or Food Intolerance TestingUPDATE (Feb 1, 2012): Here's another article from the Toronto Star about this issue. For people with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD - ulcerative colitis or crohn's disease) or even irritable bowel disease (IBS), this test may be useful. IBS can cover the gamut from people who have lots of gas and bloating to people with constipation or diarrhea or even pain in the gastrointestinal Dr. Ian Koo, Naturopathic Doctor, Registered Acupuncturisthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05729157411472028482noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8699752508910330849.post-66721859726832966752011-11-04T11:30:00.005-04:002011-11-04T12:03:15.519-04:00Food Intolerance / Allergies & Laboratory TestingSome of my patients are already aware and have done laboratory tests for food allergies or for food intolerance/sensitivity. Sometimes, there have been dramatic results in health and well being because of the tests. This type of testing is not well known and is not covered by OHIP, but it would seem that even doctors at Sunnybrook Hospital are beginning to see value in such tests. A patient of Dr. Ian Koo, Naturopathic Doctor, Registered Acupuncturisthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05729157411472028482noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8699752508910330849.post-35881652369919412262011-08-31T12:56:00.003-04:002011-08-31T13:24:18.268-04:00Portion Sizes - They have gotten bigger along with our waist linesIn a report released this month in the Lancet, researchers from Columbia University state that half of U.S. adults will be "obese" by 2030 - that means 164 million Americans, a staggering statistic. Medically, being obese (BMI 30-35) is a different term than being overweight (BMI 25-29.9)
I've also noticed a couple of trends as we've gotten bigger. Some clothes sizes have become misleading. Dr. Ian Koo, Naturopathic Doctor, Registered Acupuncturisthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05729157411472028482noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8699752508910330849.post-61186221610936347812011-08-26T16:13:00.003-04:002011-08-26T16:29:17.073-04:00Who is looking at the BIG picture?Some of my patients have a number of conditions that are being managed separately by different specialists. My question is, who is looking at the BIG picture? The respirologist is prescribing his meds, the rheumatologist her meds, the GP has her meds and now the kidney specialist wants my patient to take more meds for her new kidney problem.
Is this the best course of action to take? How areDr. Ian Koo, Naturopathic Doctor, Registered Acupuncturisthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05729157411472028482noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8699752508910330849.post-80052579737680677032011-08-05T12:03:00.004-04:002011-08-05T12:12:14.247-04:00Insomnia - Something that may helpThere are a number of reasons why you might have trouble falling asleep at night. A common one involves late night computer use. That's because the blue light from your computer screens trick your brain into thinking that it's day time. It's one of the reasons why I often advise patients with insomnia to cut out the use of laptops, ipads and even smartphone use late at night.Another option forDr. Ian Koo, Naturopathic Doctor, Registered Acupuncturisthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05729157411472028482noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8699752508910330849.post-4150710712611909792011-06-29T11:53:00.004-04:002011-06-29T12:29:24.632-04:00Further Evidence showing that certain Antidepressant Medications Increase Risks of Birth DefectsObstet Gynecol. 2011;118:111-120.This is the latest study showing that Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors (SSRIs) increase the risk of heart defects in newborns. The first report to raise a red flag was published in the New England Journal of Medicine back in 1996 (Chambers et al. N Engl J Med. 1996;335:1010-1015).Women who use SSRIs, particularly fluoxetine and paroxetine for depression Dr. Ian Koo, Naturopathic Doctor, Registered Acupuncturisthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05729157411472028482noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8699752508910330849.post-28575821378878409492011-06-22T16:47:00.005-04:002011-06-22T17:38:40.398-04:00Do you know anyone on high dose Statin medications with high blood sugar? You'll want to read further.Researchers from the University of Glasgow report in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA 2011; 305:2556-2564) that people on high doses of statin medications increases the risk of diabetes by 12%. Statin drugs are often prescribed for those who have high cholesterol and are thus at an increased risk of cardiovascular diseases.This new report follows another study published lastDr. Ian Koo, Naturopathic Doctor, Registered Acupuncturisthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05729157411472028482noreply@blogger.com0