Naturopathic Medicine: A Fresh Perspective (Dr. Ian Koo, Naturopathic Doctor)

Food Allergy, Food Sensitivity or Food Intolerance Testing

2012-02-01T11:41:00.002-05:00

UPDATE (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

Food Intolerance / Allergies & Laboratory Testing

2011-11-04T11:30:00.005-04:00

Some 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

Portion Sizes - They have gotten bigger along with our waist lines

2011-08-31T12:56:00.003-04:00

In 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.

Who is looking at the BIG picture?

2011-08-26T16:13:00.003-04:00

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 are

Insomnia - Something that may help

2011-08-05T12:03:00.004-04:00

There 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 for

Further Evidence showing that certain Antidepressant Medications Increase Risks of Birth Defects

2011-06-29T11:53:00.004-04:00

Obstet 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

Do you know anyone on high dose Statin medications with high blood sugar? You'll want to read further.

2011-06-22T16:47:00.005-04:00

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 last

Acetaminophen & NSAID use - The Risks: Heart Attacks & Blood Cancers

2011-05-10T12:09:00.005-04:00

I read two interesting studies lately about acetaminophen (tylenol) and NSAIDs of the cox-2 variety ( rofecoxib, celecoxib, etc).We were told previously that cox-2 non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs can have adverse effects on the heart. The latest study in the journal Circulation arrives at the same conclusion. To sum up the study, the authors show that patients with prior heart attacks,

Fat Distribution: Apple vs. Pear Shape - Both are Bad says new Lancet Study

2011-03-14T18:26:00.004-04:00

In medicine, we're taught that women who are pear shaped (ie. with fat around the hips) are generally at lesser risks of cardiovascular disease than those who are apple shaped (ie. waist body fat). Though the body of evidence seems to suggest that, the March 2011 article in the Lancet seems to suggest otherwise - "So being an apple is no worse than being a pear. Both are bad" according to Dr.

2011 CDC Diabetes Statistics (America)

2011-03-01T10:51:00.002-05:00

Although these are new figures by the U.S. Centre for Disease Control. I would say that Canadian figures would be on par. We delude ourselves into thinking that we're a healthier nation.StatsNearly 26 million Americans have diabetes, but an estimated 79 million adults have prediabetes according to a new report issued by CDC.1. Approximately 8.3% of Americans of all ages are affected by

Fevers are Over-Treated

2011-02-28T12:44:00.001-05:00

Hello Everyone,At last, the Journal of Pediatrics agrees with what I and most naturopathic doctors have been advocating all along: Fevers are over-treated! I would say, fevers are over-treated in both adults and children. For some reason everyone is scared of seizures. Yes, there is a small percentage of the population that do have febrile seizures, but it's small. Fevers are a symptom

Blueberries in some packaged foods & cereals are FAKE

2011-01-24T16:17:00.001-05:00

I posted a video link to an investigative journalist piece about fake blueberries on the clinic's Facebook page some time ago and have received some comments. Apparently some of you are looking at the labels and are concurring with what you saw on this piece.I would encourage you all to watch or read this piece about FAKE blueberries in your foods and to make informed choices when purchasing

Chinese Medicine says to wait a couple of years between babies! Scientist may now be saying the same thing. . .

2011-01-10T14:55:00.005-05:00

I read an interesting study in the journal of Pediatrics that suggests that it may be prudent to wait 2 years between having children. The authors found that having babies less than two years apart increases the risk of the second child being diagnosed with autism. The researchers looked at birth over a decade (1992-2002) in the state of California.This is an interesting study, but doesn't

When the Body Says No - The Cost of Hidden Stress

2010-11-15T17:22:00.004-05:00

Dr. Gabor Mate, MD gave an excellent lecture at the Ontario Association of Naturopathic Doctors (OAND) convention this past weekend. I highly recommend anyone who hasn't heard him speak to pick up a copy of his book: "When the Body Says No - The Cost of Hidden Stress".You can find more information on him and the book here. He really gets you to put things into perspective.Yours in health,Ian

The Twinkie Diet - a nutrition professor's experiment

2010-11-12T14:23:00.002-05:00

Click to view the video.Definitely don't recommend this diet.Yours in health,Ian Koo, NDDoctor of Naturopathic MedicineNaturopathic Essentials Health Centre"The care you want, the health you need"

Food Allergies/Sensitivities & Migraines - The test you need to know about

2010-11-09T16:10:00.004-05:00

I sometimes get perplexed reactions when I tell patients that their migraines or headaches can be caused by the foods that they are eating. Of course, there are other causes as well, but today we'll focus on the food aspect. I invariably get an answer like this "my doctor/GP says there's no correlation between migraines/headaches and the food you eat".Luckily for me, new research published in

Stress & its toll on you!

2010-10-30T13:13:00.001-04:00

Most people take stress very lightly, especially when I bring it up, so sometimes (those of you who are skeptical), I have run salivary cortisol tests to show just how much stress is impacting your endocrine/hormone system.Take the time to read these two pieces. This series looks promising!http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/national/time-to-lead/work-life-balance/

ADHD diagnosis & your child's birthday - the correlation

2010-10-22T10:53:00.007-04:00

Two interesting articles published in the September issue in the Journal of Health Economics shows that children who were younger than their classmates were more likely to be diagnosed with ADHD and were more likely to be medicated for ADHD. This raises some intriguing points about diagnosis and expectations that we (parents & teachers) place on children. An older child will act

Why this one thing is a MUST if you want to lose FAT!

2010-10-07T12:50:00.006-04:00

I harp on this all the time with my patients who are trying to lose weight......so much so that I feel like a nag. But I know I'm doing the right thing so I keep on doing it hoping that it sinks in. Sometimes my nagging works and patients know that I'm going to ask about it so they just do it to please me. haha Whatever works right? So what is this magical thing that's so important for

Weight Loss: Why slow and steady is Best!

2010-09-15T12:03:00.004-04:00

I find that the goal of most patients who come in to lose weight at the clinic is to do it quickly. We've seen shows like the 'Biggest Loser' where the participants shed pounds like crazy and want to get the same results. First off, unless you have the whole day to exercise and have all of your meals made for you, it's not necessarily realistic to be dropping 20 pounds in a week.But there's

Temperature Forecasts: Are they measured in the sun or the shade?

2010-07-06T17:12:00.005-04:00

With summer time temperatures soaring here in the Greater Toronto Area, do you know if outdoor temperatures are measured in the sun or shade? As we've all experienced, the shade makes quite a difference.I found this piece of information interesting:http://ow.ly/27NPKYours in health,Ian Koo, NDDoctor of Naturopathic MedicineNaturopathic Essentials Health Centre"The care you want, the

Engineered foods: So tasty you can't resist?

2010-06-28T12:55:00.003-04:00

This news piece helps people understand why we may crave certain foods. However, we can't pass the blame. Ultimately, the buck stops with each one of us.See this video.Yours in health,Ian Koo, NDDoctor of Naturopathic MedicineNaturopathic Essentials Health Centre"The care you want, the health you need"

90% of Risk Factors for Stroke is Preventable through Lifestyle Change

2010-06-21T10:52:00.003-04:00

If you're a patient of mine, you've certainly had me ask about your diet, stress levels, physical activity levels and many more factors that contribute to your overall lifestyle picture. It's why we spend one hour with each other during the first visit. It also helps me to figure out why you're sick and how best I can help you.All of these lifestyle questions can seem tedious, but it's

TV food ads skewing our decisions on what we eat.

2010-06-17T13:47:00.000-04:00

A link to the Time Magazine article.Yours in health,Ian Koo, NDDoctor of Naturopathic MedicineNaturopathic Essentials Health Centre"The care you want, the health you need"

A possible link between asthma risk & the foods kids eat!

2010-06-06T10:40:00.002-04:00

A link between what kids eat and asthma? Food as medicine or for prevention......not so crazy of an idea!Yours in health,Ian Koo, NDDoctor of Naturopathic MedicineNaturopathic Essentials Health Centre"The care you want, the health you need"