Acupuncture for Men's Health

Men may experience a number of changes throughout their lives.  Some of these changes may be in the realm of sexual health (such as erectile dysfunction, premature ejaculation, and prostatitis) but many men also experience other health challenges, such as low back pain, depression, and insomnia.  Acupuncture is a safe and effective treatment for all of these conditions.  Through the use of fine needles at specific points along areas of the body, acupuncture works to stimulate the body’s own healing responses by addressing the root causes of disease, as does naturopathic medicine.  This makes these two health systems a wonderful fit.

 

As a naturopathic doctor certified in acupuncture the unique opportunity I have when using acupuncture is that I can utilize many other treatments at the same time.  Low back pain, depression, insomnia, and sexual dysfunction are all well treated with a combination of therapies…acupuncture plus nutrition, herbal medicine, supplementation, spinal adjustments, and/or pharmaceutical prescriptions.  Being certified in prescriptive authority, I have access to all of these treatments to best help my patients improve their health.  Naturopathic doctors can also order lab tests, perform physical exams, and customize treatment options to round out the best program for you.

 

Many men experience low back pain and know how impactful pain can be on their life and work.  Finding effective treatments is important.  Both traditional acupuncture and ear acupuncture can help improve low back pain and decrease the sensation of pain. This can lead to improved function and get you moving well again. Acupuncture used alongside other therapies such as spinal alignment and soft tissue massage may further increase the chance of success.

 

Depression, anxiety, stress, and insomnia are experienced by many people and still, it is difficult for many men to talk about it and seek help.  Acupuncture has been shown to reduce symptoms in some experiencing depression.  Ear acupuncture can be effective at reducing anxiety.  Stress is closely tied to mental health and has impacts on both sleep quality and mental wellbeing.  Both traditional and ear acupuncture work to reduce stress by improving parasympathetic tone (our “rest and digest” state), which may address the root cause for some with insomnia.  In conjunction with other strategies to promote mental wellbeing, like diet, exercise, herbal medicine, and supplementation, a combined protocol takes into account the unique situation affecting you.

 

Male sexual health concerns can also be addressed using acupuncture.  Studies have shown positive results in reducing urination difficulties in those with prostatitis (inflamed prostate).  It can also be effective at improving premature ejaculation and some types of erectile dysfunction.

 

The number of health concerns that acupuncture can be utilized for, either alone or in conjunction with other therapies, along with being safe and with few side effects, makes it an excellent treatment choice for many men’s health concerns.  To find out if acupuncture and naturopathic medicine is right for you, contact Dr. Peters for a free “meet and greet”.

 

Dr. Shawn Peters, ND is a naturopathic doctor practicing in downtown Courtenay.

Dr. Shawn Peters, ND is a naturopathic physician who works at the Macdonald Centre for Natural Medicine.

Call now to book an appointment or a “meet and greet” visit

As always, this is purely general health-related information and is not meant to substitute for a visit with a regulated healthcare practitioner.  Always consult your licensed naturopathic doctor or medical doctor should you have any questions or concerns

Hormone Testing: What it Really Reveals

In my naturopathic medical practice, I commonly have patients come in who want to have their hormones tested. They feel something isn’t right. They don’t feel their best, and they suspect that hormones are to blame, so they want to be tested. But hormone testing isn’t as simple as it seems. We have to find the right type of test for the individual. The good news is that there are more options than ever for investigating hormone imbalances in men and women. With the right information, we can target our therapies to directly address the core of the issue and get better results faster.



When premenopausal women have something clearly abnormal going on with their hormones, it’s a good idea to do blood hormone testing. For instance, if a woman rarely or never menstruates, we need to rule out conditions like pituitary tumors, autoimmune diseases of the ovaries, and Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (a.k.a. Anovulatory Androgen Excess). I generally run an extensive panel of pituitary and ovarian hormone levels in those cases.



If a woman is menstruating normally but still feels her hormones are off, the utility of blood testing is questionable. Testing must be timed with the cycle to make any sense of the numbers. But the reference ranges of what is considered normal are so large that most times women will be told they fall somewhere within what’s considered the “normal” range. That’s not helpful for someone who is infertile, or who suffers from serious PMS, low libido or chronic fatigue.



In cases where we need more information to get to the root of the hormone imbalance, urinary hormone panels are proving to provide a lot of nuanced information. The advantage of a comprehensive urinary hormone metabolite analysis is that it not only gives information about the typical hormones like estrogens, progesterone, androgens, cortisol and melatonin, but it also looks at their precursors or parent hormone. So if any levels are off, we can look upstream to see where the problem started. Urinary hormone testing also shows how the hormones are being metabolized or broken down. Sometimes it’s the breakdown products of the hormones that are the problem.



We also know that all the hormones are deeply connected. The thyroid, pituitary, ovarian/testicular, and adrenal hormones all affect each other. Urinary hormone testing can give insights as to the interplay of these four systems. Then we can target our efforts to get the greatest ripple effect on the whole hormone system.



Salivary hormone testing is another option for hormone testing, but it just isn’t the best way to test for hormones like estrogen and testosterone. I reserve this method for testing the adrenal hormones cortisol and DHEA. For people with insomnia, chronic fatigue, or anxiety, getting insight on the hypothalamus/pituitary/adrenal axis can shed light on these chronic issues. Since cortisol levels change throughout the day, it’s great to be able to collect a simple salivary sample four times a day. That said, urinary hormone metabolite panels also can be done four times a day, and they provide all that information and much more.



To monitor hormone levels in women who need to take prescription hormone replacement therapy in perimenopause and menopause, blood testing or even urinary testing can be utilized. Naturopathic physicians can order these lab tests for their patients, and extended health insurance often helps cover the costs. Our local Lifelabs offers both blood testing and urinary hormone testing.
So if you have been told your hormones are “normal” but you suspect that something is not quite right, there may be other ways to get answers.

Boosting Testosterone Naturally by Dr. Shawn Peters, ND

Testosterone is a sex hormone, often thought of as the “male” hormone (though males simply have more of it, as females have more estrogen).  Testosterone often provides the spark that can be fundamental to the experience of many men, like robust energy, libido, and strength.  Decreased levels of testosterone can result in low energy, reduced libido, a loss of muscle mass and increase in abdominal fat, as well as changes in mood and cognition.



Naturopathic doctors, through lab testing, physical exam, and thorough history taking, can work to diagnose the cause of decreased testosterone levels, so the correct treatment can be given.  A common cause is called Andropause, a term that refers to the changes in hormone levels with age (akin to changes during menopause in women).  Declining testosterone levels as we age are at least partly responsible for the changes many men experience in their 30’s, 40’s, and beyond.  Not only do levels of testosterone decrease as we age, but the amount of estrogen in relation to testosterone may increase.



A thorough investigation is important to determine the root cause.  In an initial appointment I determine which of the main factors may be playing a role for you…diet and exercise patterns, stress and sleep factors, as well as any underlying health conditions.  Decreased testosterone levels may be associated with certain conditions, like obesity, diabetes, and cardiovascular disease.  Removing any obstacles to you feeling great helps provide a solid foundation for your body to optimally regulate testosterone levels.



There are many tools to help men who are experiencing changes during this time.  Working to optimize diet & nutrients, exercise, and weight management (especially abdominal weight) are all key aspects of a successful plan.



At the same time, many herbal medicines are excellent at improving energy levels and sexual function while reducing irritability and mental fatigue associated with changes in testosterone.  Herbs used successfully may include Eleuthro, Rhodiola, Pine pollen, and many more.  Hops, while being a useful herbal medicine in certain situations, are abundant in beer and too much may worsen the situation.  Herbal licorice root too should be avoided in andropause.



Acupuncture is also shown to be beneficial for male sexual health and hormone balancing, as well as boosting energy.
As a licensed naturopathic doctor, I use any and all of these tools to help every person as an individual look and feel their best.  I strive to listen and educate, assessing your needs and goals so we can work together to keep you vital and healthy in the future.  We may not be able to stop testosterone levels from declining with age, but you and I can work together so you can feel strong and vital with good energy and libido, no matter your age.



As always, this is purely general health-related information and is not meant to substitute for a visit with a regulated healthcare practitioner.  Always consult your licensed naturopathic doctor or medical doctor should you have any questions or concerns.
Dr. Shawn Peters is a naturopathic physician.  He works at the MCNM in downtown Courtenay.

Hormone Tests: What They Really Reveal

In my naturopathic medical practice, I commonly have patients come in who want to have their hormones tested. They feel something isn’t right. They don’t feel their best, and they suspect that hormones are to blame, so they want to be tested. But hormone testing isn’t as simple as it seems. We have to find the right type of test for the individual. The good news is that there are more options than ever for investigating hormone imbalances in men and women. With the right information, we can target our therapies to directly address the core of the issue and get better results faster.

When premenopausal women have something clearly abnormal going on with their hormones, it’s a good idea to do blood hormone testing. For instance, if a woman rarely or never menstruates, we need to rule out conditions like pituitary tumors, autoimmune diseases of the ovaries, and Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (a.k.a. Anovulatory Androgen Excess). I generally run an extensive panel of pituitary and ovarian hormone levels in those cases.

If a woman is menstruating normally but still feels her hormones are off, the utility of blood testing is questionable. Testing must be timed with the cycle to make any sense of the numbers. But the reference ranges of what is considered normal are so large that most times women will be told they fall somewhere within what’s considered the “normal” range. That’s not helpful for someone who is infertile, or who suffers from serious PMS, low libido or chronic fatigue.

In cases where we need more information to get to the root of the hormone imbalance, urinary hormone panels are proving to provide a lot of nuanced information. The advantage of a comprehensive urinary hormone metabolite analysis is that it not only gives information about the typical hormones like estrogens, progesterone, androgens, cortisol and melatonin, but it also looks at their precursors or parent hormone. So if any levels are off, we can look upstream to see where the problem started. Urinary hormone testing also shows how the hormones are being metabolized or broken down. Sometimes it’s the breakdown products of the hormones that are the problem.



We also know that all the hormones are deeply connected. The thyroid, pituitary, ovarian/testicular, and adrenal hormones all affect each other. Urinary hormone testing can give insights as to the interplay of these four systems. Then we can target our efforts to get the greatest ripple effect on the whole hormone system.

Salivary hormone testing is another option for hormone testing, but it just isn’t the best way to test for hormones like estrogen and testosterone. I reserve this method for testing the adrenal hormones cortisol and DHEA. For people with insomnia, chronic fatigue, or anxiety, getting insight on the hypothalamus/pituitary/adrenal axis can shed light on these chronic issues. Since cortisol levels change throughout the day, it’s great to be able to collect a simple salivary sample four times a day. That said, urinary hormone metabolite panels also can be done four times a day, and they provide all that information and much more.

To monitor hormone levels in women who need to take prescription hormone replacement therapy in perimenopause and menopause, blood testing or even urinary testing can be utilized. Naturopathic physicians can order these lab tests for their patients, and extended health insurance often helps cover the costs.

So if you have been told your hormones are “normal” but you suspect that something is not quite right, there may be other ways to get answers.

Dr. Deidre Macdonald is a naturopathic physician who practices in downtown Courtenay. For telephone / video or in-person visits, contact (250) 897-0235

Finding Calm within the Storm

Life is full of twist and turns, good days and bad days, change and uncertainty. These are the things we cannot change. What we can change is how we deal with all the ups and downs of life. We can face our fears and work through them as best we can. We can call upon our highest thinking, and bring forth our deepest strength.  We can have hope that out of struggles, new and better ways of being will be discovered. As a naturopathic physician, I have studied psychology, various therapeutic modalities, attitudinal healing, a number of spiritual practices, and watched how thousands of my patients have risen to the challenges in their lives. From this experience, I offer you a seven step system for facing the difficult emotions of life. May it help you to navigate the storms of life to find a place of greater calm.

Step One: Pause and observe your mind and body. Just noticing your thoughts, feelings and body sensations in a curious way is the first step. Gently observe with non-judgmental inquiry. Just stopping, stepping back, and noticing that this train of thoughts and feelings is causing you stress allows you to separate from the process a little bit so you can look at it and question it. 

Step Two: Breathe. Bringing your mind’s focus to your breath helps to calm both the body and mind.  It’s amazing how just a few deep breaths can begin to shift fear, anger, anxiety and more. You may wish to try breathing in through the nose and out through the mouth, or even add a small sigh on the outbreath. Imagine the stress flowing out as your exhale. Feel your shoulders drop and feel your weight settle into your pelvis, legs and feet to help “ground” you. Apps like Insight Timer and Calm provide guided relaxation and breathing exercises to follow.

Step Three: Name the feeling. Often we get overwhelmed and just feel “stressed” in general. Here I invite you to be curious about what you are feeling in particular.  Is it grief, anxiety about the future, anger at someone, powerlessness, or fear of rejection? Try and mine down to what’s really going on and put a label to that particular pattern of body sensations, thoughts and feelings. Just naming and acknowledging the feeling is a step towards acceptance. And in the naming, we are again stepping back from the feeling to a place where we can work with it. 

Step Four: Self Compassion. Here is where we give ourselves the kindness and understanding that we often seek from outside ourselves. Dr. Kirsten Neff describes Self-Compassion Practice well in her TED talk, website and online guided exercises. You might say to yourself, “yes, of course you are feeling nervous about your health; how human is that? It’s so understandable.” Or you might say “how hard it is to feel so much uncertainty about the future or to adapt to so much change….” By leaning into the feelings instead of rejecting them, we are in a place to practice being with our feelings instead of wanting to escape, blame others, or act out in reflexive ways. 

When we are stressed and running on adrenalin, the survival part of the brain is activated and the frontal cortex, where more creative problem solving can be accessed, is shut down. We tend to react in patterns we developed as children: fight, flight, freeze or fawn.  The first four steps of this system are designed to calm the nervous system, balance the brain, and prepare us to move from reactivity to more helpful, resourceful ways of being.

Step Five: Question the thoughts that drive the feelings. Consider the possibility that behind every feeling is a thought. By identifying the thought, we can start to question it, and reframe it from a more adult, realistic, and resourceful mindset. Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) is the world’s most researched and successful therapy technique and it is a set of tools for dealing with life stresses in a better way. The website anxietycanada.com is an excellent way to learn about CBT and how it can help you deal better with day to day life. I love the list of questions under the section “Challenging Negative Thinking”, such as “Is this a hassle or a horror?”, “Am I confusing a possibility with a certainty?”, “Have I confused a thought with a fact?” and more.

Step Six: Affirm your strength.  A lot of anxiety is really a fear that you don’t have what it takes to deal with adversity: rejection, pain, death, humiliation, grief, change, etc. I invite you to think of examples of when you have been strong in the face of adversity before, and think of what you drew on in yourself. Or think of others who have found strength in times of trouble: people you know, your ancestors, or people around the world. By affirming your strength you can let go of trying to plan for every possible bad thing and how you would deal with it. You can simply trust that you will have the inner strength to face each challenge as it comes. You can focus more on the moment with self-talk like “Right here, right now, I am okay and I can deal with this moment”, “I am wise and strong”, “I am the source of the love and security I seek”. 

Step Seven: Let go and trust. It is often said that stress is the difference between expectations and reality. The outside world will always be full of challenges and changes. I humbly invite you to be open to the possibility that just maybe some meaning will come from these experience. Great growth rarely happens without great struggle.

These seven steps can be done in one minute or in a two-hour journaling session. They can be done alone or with a trusted person. You can reach out to me for a naturopathic consultation or to another counsellor. The more each of us can commit to staying grounded emotionally the more we can help uplift others. May you find your calm within the storm.

Dr. Deidre Macdonald is a naturopathic physician with a B.A. in psychology, who is offering in-person and telemedicine appointments. Extended health insurance applies, and discounts are available for those in need.

Call 250 897-0235

Hope for Parkinson’s Disease

Muhammad Ali and Michael J. Fox are famous people who have Parkinson’s disease, and one in 500 people in Canada will join their ranks. Parkinson’s disease (PD) is a degenerative neurological disease that slowly affects the ability to control movement.  Symptoms can include tremors, difficulty walking and speaking.  Early symptoms can include decreased thirst, loss of smell, constipation, anxiety and decreased arm swinging while walking. This condition was thought to be chronic and progressive and could only be managed with medications.  Now, with a deeper understanding of the factors that contribute to nerve cell damage, there are targeted strategies that can slow or even reverse the disease to some degree. Many of these principles are just smart preventative lifestyle strategies for all of us who want to protect our brains from degeneration.

Dr. Laurie Mischley is a naturopathic doctor who works with people with Parkinson’s disease in Seattle.  The average Parkinson’s patient has a symptom score of 500 at the time of diagnosis in a standardized test for Parkinson’s, and their score goes up by 38 points per year on average.  In contrast, Dr. Mischley’s patients have an average 200-300 point decrease in their score over one year of treatment.  Those numbers got my attention when she spoke at a recent brain health conference I attended.

Dr. Mischley is emphatic that Parkinson’s does not have to be a progressive, irreversible disease.  Progression can be slowed and sometimes reversed to a degree if we seek to understand what is stressing the neurons and remove those stresses while supporting optimal brain health with targeted lifestyle strategies and natural medicines.  Dr. Mischley says that by the time PD is diagnosed, the processes that created it have been in the works for twenty years or more.  Science has shown us that risk factors include drinking well water with high manganese or pesticide runoff, head trauma, heavy metal exposure (welders), dairy consumption, pesticide exposure, certain viral or fungal infections, intestinal microbiome imbalances, autoimmune processes, high iron, low B12, smoking, drinking and more.  If we can identify and target these neurological stress factors, we can improve brain health.

Lab tests can help us identify the stress factors associated with Parkinson’s disease.  These include inflammatory markers (CRP), blood sugar work up, iron, vitamin B12, food allergies, heavy metal testing, intestinal testing, brain auto-antibody testing, vitamin D, oxidative stress tests, (low) cholesterol, homocysteine, DHEA-S, thyroid function and more. Naturopathic physicians can order these types of lab tests and provide thorough analysis.

Dietary interventions include eating more plant-based foods, such as fruit, vegetables, nuts and seeds and healthy oils.  Fish and organic chicken are encouraged, while dairy, red meat, flour and sugar are discouraged. Exercise can play an important role in Parkinson’s treatment, and our local recreation centres are providing classes specifically for this condition. Natural medicines are also vital for creating an environment in the brain where the nerves can thrive. Coenzyme Q10 and fish oil are associated with better outcomes in PD.  Glutathione precursors provide protection against oxidative stress in the brain, which is critical for PD.  Targeting heavy metal elimination, autoimmune balancing, gut microbiome restoration, mitochondrial repair, and homocysteine-lowering are the types of individualized treatments on which naturopathic physicians can coach their patients.  Medications that promote dopamine are an important aspect of the management of PD, but knowing that you can also address the causative factors and take charge of the progression of this condition is empowering.

Hope for Parkinson's Disease

Muhammad Ali and Michael J. Fox are famous people who have Parkinson’s disease, and one in 500 people in Canada will join their ranks. Parkinson’s disease (PD) is a degenerative neurological disease that slowly affects the ability to control movement.  Symptoms can include tremors, difficulty walking and speaking.  Early symptoms can include decreased thirst, loss of smell, constipation, anxiety and decreased arm swinging while walking. This condition was thought to be chronic and progressive and could only be managed with medications.  Now, with a deeper understanding of the factors that contribute to nerve cell damage, there are targeted strategies that can slow or even reverse the disease to some degree. Many of these principles are just smart preventative lifestyle strategies for all of us who want to protect our brains from degeneration.



Dr. Laurie Mischley is a naturopathic doctor who works with people with Parkinson’s disease in Seattle.  The average Parkinson’s patient has a symptom score of 500 at the time of diagnosis in a standardized test for Parkinson’s, and their score goes up by 38 points per year on average.  In contrast, Dr. Mischley’s patients have an average 200-300 point decrease in their score over one year of treatment.  Those numbers got my attention when she spoke at a recent brain health conference I attended.



Dr. Mischley is emphatic that Parkinson’s does not have to be a progressive, irreversible disease.  Progression can be slowed and sometimes reversed to a degree if we seek to understand what is stressing the neurons and remove those stresses while supporting optimal brain health with targeted lifestyle strategies and natural medicines.  Dr. Mischley says that by the time PD is diagnosed, the processes that created it have been in the works for twenty years or more.  Science has shown us that risk factors include drinking well water with high manganese or pesticide runoff, head trauma, heavy metal exposure (welders), dairy consumption, pesticide exposure, certain viral or fungal infections, intestinal microbiome imbalances, autoimmune processes, high iron, low B12, smoking, drinking and more.  If we can identify and target these neurological stress factors, we can improve brain health.



Lab tests can help us identify the stress factors associated with Parkinson’s disease.  These include inflammatory markers (CRP), blood sugar work up, iron, vitamin B12, food allergies, heavy metal testing, intestinal testing, brain auto-antibody testing, vitamin D, oxidative stress tests, (low) cholesterol, homocysteine, DHEA-S, thyroid function and more. Naturopathic physicians can order these types of lab tests and provide thorough analysis.



Dietary interventions include eating more plant-based foods, such as fruit, vegetables, nuts and seeds and healthy oils.  Fish and organic chicken are encouraged, while dairy, red meat, flour and sugar are discouraged. Exercise can play an important role in Parkinson’s treatment, and our local recreation centres are providing classes specifically for this condition. Natural medicines are also vital for creating an environment in the brain where the nerves can thrive. Coenzyme Q10 and fish oil are associated with better outcomes in PD.  Glutathione precursors provide protection against oxidative stress in the brain, which is critical for PD.  Targeting heavy metal elimination, autoimmune balancing, gut microbiome restoration, mitochondrial repair, and homocysteine-lowering are the types of individualized treatments on which naturopathic physicians can coach their patients.  Medications that promote dopamine are an important aspect of the management of PD, but knowing that you can also address the causative factors and take charge of the progression of this condition is empowering.

Understanding Food Allergies and Sensitivities

Have you noticed that more and more people are avoiding certain foods for health reasons?  It turns out that food allergies and intolerances are more common than we once thought. Identifying and eliminating food allergies can solve a broad range of health problems.  I have had hundreds of patients find that once they learn to eat a diet free of their triggering foods, they can get off prescription medications and enjoy much better health.  It turns out good scientific studies are backing up this treatment method.

The symptoms of food allergies can be obvious, such as when people have anaphylactic reactions to peanuts or shellfish.  These food allergies are usually easy to identify.  Other allergic reactions are much subtler and can be delayed, making it challenging to figure out which foods are causing symptoms.  For instance, acid reflux is commonly aggravated by eating certain foods, but the reaction may come the next day.  I have had many patients who determine that dairy causes their sinus congestion, but it may take two days for their sinus headache to set in.  Therefore, to identify most food allergies, careful testing and dietary experiments are necessary.  Food reactions can range from fatigue, depression, post nasal drip, ear infections, constipation, diarrhea, skin issues, headaches, joint pain and more.  In my twenty years of naturopathic medical practice, I have found that helping people eliminate food allergies has been one of the most successful interventions that we can make to help people feel better with less medication.   I am happy that medical science is confirming my clinical experience in several studies on food allergies.

Children who get ear infections often have food allergies that cause excess mucous in their middle ear, setting them up for infection.  A clinical study showed that 94% of ear infection prone children who avoided their food allergies had fewer ear infections.

Many factors can cause migraine headaches, and food allergies can be one of them.  In a study of chronic migraine sufferers who avoided food allergies, 85% became headache free.  In another study, patients with rheumatoid arthritis who avoided food triggers fared much better than the placebo group who ate normally.  In a follow-up study 10 years later, of the 100 rheumatoid arthritis patients who avoided food allergies, one-third were still well on a food allergy free diet alone, without medication, which is remarkable.

Irritable bowel syndrome is a condition I see frequently and know it to respond well to naturopathic treatments, including food allergy elimination.  In a study published in the Lancet medical journal, 14 out of the 21 patients with IBS who went on a hypoallergenic diet for one week became symptom-free.

Celiac disease is a special type of food intolerance where the immune system not only reacts to gluten, but it can send out anti-bodies that affect healthy tissue, like the intestinal lining, the brain, the thyroid and more.  Screening for this food reaction is available through an MD or an ND through blood testing, and a diagnosis can be confirmed by a biopsy taken by a specialist.  Anyone with digestive issues should be tested, but so should people with autoimmune, neurologic and psychiatric conditions. For people with Celiac disease, avoiding gluten containing food, such as wheat, can be life changing.  While true Celiac disease is uncommon, more people have non-celiac gluten intolerance or a simple wheat intolerance.  These people also fare better off wheat and / or gluten containing foods.

While it may take some careful testing and experimenting to figure out which foods are contributing to a health issue, it is certainly worth the additional effort.  When I coach my patients on how to avoid their food allergies and enjoy healthy alternatives, they are often thrilled that something so simple can make such a difference to their wellbeing.

Dr. Deidre Macdonald is a naturopathic physician whose practice is in downtown Courtenay.

Call 250 897-0235

Preventing Illness while Travelling

Even though we live in one of the most beautiful parts of the world, many people from the Comox Valley travel abroad for business or pleasure.  Part of preventative medicine is planning ahead for a safe trip and making good choices while overseas.  How far you need to go to ensure a healthy travels depends a lot on where you are going of course.  For travel in North America and Western Europe, some common sense is all you need. Pack a first aid kit, make sure you have adequate travel medical insurance, and practice good street smarts.  Taking a self defense course is a wise move for travelers, as criminals often lurk in highly touristy areas and count on tourists having their guard down.



If you are travelling further abroad to developing countries, the Centre for Disease Control and Prevention has a website where you can learn which immunizations are recommended or required for the areas you’ll be visiting.  Travel medical clinics are also a great source of information.  Updating your basic immunizations may not be a bad idea especially if you are travelling to areas where the population may be under-vaccinated.



Preventing food and water borne disease is important if you don’t want to spend your holiday on the toilet or worse.  People on stomach acid blocking medication for acid reflux or other stomach issues are especially prone to these types of infections because stomach acid is the first line of defense against ingested bugs.  Working with a naturopathic physician to find alternatives to acid blocking

 medications may be a wise choice if you want to stay healthy while travelling.  Taking probiotics prior to a vacation can also bolter your body’s defenses against food and water borne illness.   I encourage my patients to pick up some electrolyte powder and I write them a prescription for antibiotics ahead of time to tuck into their suitcase just in case they get a nasty case of traveler’s diarrhea.



Mosquitoes can be much more than just an annoyance as they can transmit disease.  There are at least 17 known mosquito borne infections including Lyme disease, Zika, Malaria, and Dengue Fever. It is a good idea to pay attention to whether or not mosquitoes are known to live in the areas where you’ll be travelling. Try to cover up and use insect repellents.  DEET is well known, but Picardin has some advantages.  You can even invest in special clothing that has insect repellent infused in the fabric.  Local work wear stores may carry these clothes.  Choosing air conditioned accommodation can help too.  Where malaria is a risk, there are medications that can be taken to prevent the disease from taking hold.



Sometimes people forget to pack their common sense when travelling abroad.  Remember to practice hand washing, safe sex, and street smarts.  The number one cause of death while travelling is motor vehicle accidents.  Mopeds are especially dangerous and some travel health insurance won’t cover injuries related to mopeds.  With a little prevention and travel savvy, you can enjoy your amazing adventures abroad and come home with great stories instead of ill health.

Alzheimer’s Prevention and Treatment

Our brains are made up of an intricately interconnected web of neurons, run by electrical impulses that jump from cell to cell across gaps called synapses.  Chemical messengers help transmit those impulses, and this symphony of cells, chemicals and electricity results in all the thoughts, feelings and bodily functions that make us who we are. Age related memory loss and Alzheimer’s disease are examples of neurodegenerative conditions, and affect as many as 30% of the population over 70.  Drugs for Alzheimer’s disease have limited benefit, at best slowing progression.  The cause of Alzheimer’s is too complex for us to ever find a solution in a pill bottle. The brain is intimately connected to the rest of the body. Dysfunction in the body can damage the delicate components of the brain.  Cognitive decline is the result of a long trajectory of multiple stresses on the brain, many of which can be reduced by lifestyle change and natural medicine.


When scientists study the brains of people with Alzheimer’s they find amyloid plaques and neurofibrillary tangles from excess Tau protein. It is normal for these proteins to form, and the body has process to flush them out.  When excess amyloid and tau are formed, or not cleaned out, nerve signalling is impaired and shrinkage of key centres of the brain speeds up. Dementia was once thought to be progressive and irreversible.  We know now that buildup of amyloid plaques and neurofibrillary tangles are the result of years of stress on the brain such as neuroinflammation, oxidative stress, mitochondrial dysfunction (energy production in cells), high blood sugar / insulin, microbiome (intestinal bacteria) imbalances and more.  New research shows that these processes can be prevented and reversed which can preserve or improve cognitive function.  There are strategies that can also increase a healthy chemical in the brain called brain derived growth factor, promote neurogenesis (expansion of nerve cells), enhance the clearing of amyloid and Tau proteins (autophagy), and build new pathways in the brain (promote neuroplasticity).


I help my patients accomplish these goals by coaching them on how to create a lifestyle conducive to a healthy brain.  Food is your best brain medicine, so that’s where I start with my patients. Lack of sleep or use of pharmaceutical sleep aids are both associated with memory loss as it is during sleep that the brain clear amyloid.  Exercise increases brain-derived-growth-factor. Sustained aerobic exercise is particularly beneficial for preventing shrinkage of the brain’s memory centres. The gut-brain connection is important for brain health too, so improving digestion is key, as is stress reduction, and brain exercises.


I also educate my patients on the use of a few key natural medicines that have been researched to improve brain health.  For instance, a study of people taking the DHA component of fish oil showed an improvement in memory after six months. Resveratrol is a grape skin extract that helps to inhibit the creation of and promote the clearance of amyloid and tau, delaying the onset and progression of cognitive impairment. Curcumin, a turmeric extract, supports neuron regeneration, reduces neuroinflammation and helps clear amyloid plaques. Coenzyme Q10, Vitamin D and many other natural medicines also have shown benefits for dementia.  A ground-breaking study was conducted on 11 people diagnosed with early Alzheimer’s disease or cognitive impairment, most of whom had the Alzheimer’s gene.  They were given a multifactorial naturopathic protocol of lifestyle changes and natural medicines.  All but the one most advanced case had reduction in symptoms sufficient to reverse the diagnosis of Alzheimer’s and some showed increased brain volume on scans.  It is this multi-faceted approach to brain health that is necessary to keep our brains healthy and functioning well so we can live long and full lives.