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Antibiotics- The good, the bad, the ugly

3/30/2017

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We are so blessed that Western Medicine has developed antibiotics that can fight off the nastiest of infections and support our bodies during times of need. This is the good. Antibiotics are drugs that can target bacteria and either kill or inhibit the growth of bacteria.
They are NOT effective against viruses. This is where the bad comes in. Antibiotics can sometimes be mis-prescribed for a viral infection, in which case it is ineffective and can also lead to something called antibiotic resistance. Antibiotic resistance means that when your body actually needs the antibiotic it will no longer be effective because your body and the bacteria have become resistant to it.
Next comes the ugly. The ugly is that antibiotics along with all the good they can do have the ability to wreck havoc on our systems. They can kill off not only bad bacteria but also good bacteria that is supposed to be part of our gut in order to help us digest food, boost our immune system and even make certain important vitamins such as B vitamins and vitamin K. Antibiotics can change our whole microbiome which puts us at risk for other bacterial, viral, fungal infections, overgrowth of certain normal gut bacteria and fungi such as yeast and can also lead to a condition called Small Intestine Bacterial Overgrowth (SIBO). SIBO occurs when bacteria that is a normal part of our colon accidentally gets into our small intestine and causes all kinds of digestive symptoms such as gas, bloating, stomach pains, constipation or diarrhea, food sensitivities and even psychological symptoms such as depression or anxiety, mental fog and fatigue. Many patients also report yeast infections following antibiotic use for this exact reason. The yeast, which is a normal part of the vaginal flora has now been able to over grow and the over growth is detrimental and can cause unpleasant symptoms.

So what is the solution if you really do need to take an antibiotic? The answer is probiotics! Taking something called probiotics while taking an antibiotic and even some time after can help alleviate some of this damage. Probiotics are good bacteria that I mentioned before that help with digestion, support the immune system and make some very important vitamins. They can help decrease symptoms of bloating and gas and help with regular bowel movements. Many patients believe that eating yogurt advertised to have probiotics is sufficient in repopulating the gut. But yogurt often does not contain the proper bacteria or the proper amount of bacteria that is needed in order to be effective.  A probiotic supplement is the most effective way to make sure the good bacteria is put back into the system and can do its job to protect us from further infection and gastrointestinal symptoms. There are lots of different probiotic supplements out there and they contain different strains of bacteria and are from different sources. I help patients find out which probiotic would be most effective for their needs and their body.  Once taking the proper form and dose of probiotics I often see a dramatic decrease in patient's symptoms and improvement in their immune response. To book your appointment today you can call (905)906-9097 or email [email protected] and start on your journey to optimum health!


Dr. Claudia Truglia BSc. ND
Naturopathic Doctor
Stoney Creek Natural Wellness Center
50 King St. W
Stoney Creek, ON
(905)906-9097
[email protected] 
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The Adrenal Glands- Small but Mighty

3/21/2017

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The adrenal glands are two small triangle organs that sit just above the kidneys. They really don't get nearly enough recognition or credit for the amount of work they do and the amount of sanity they can provide us with. These two small organs are responsible for producing cortisol (our major stress hormone), estrogen, progesterone, testosterone and epinephrine. They also play a role in regulating blood pressure. So when these bad boys are tired or out of sorts, you better believe you are going to start feeling pretty under the weather.  I see it in practice almost daily. Patients come in feeling tired, depressed, anxious, sore and usually once we treat and support the adrenal glands all of their symptoms improve and eventually disappear.  How do they get tired? Well, think of the adrenals like your gas tank in your car. You fill up the tank and you start driving. You just keep on driving and driving and eventually you end up on empty. The same things happen to our adrenal glands. We utilize them day after day to deal with stress after stress and eventually they just get tired and start to slow down their production and output of these critical hormones. When their production starts to slow down our ability to deal with stress becomes impaired. We begin over- reacting to certain situations, we feel irritable and on edge. We feel like we hit a brick a wall around 2pm, followed by a feeling of exhaustion by 8-9pm.  Then around 11pm get a second wind that keeps us from being able to fall asleep as anxious thoughts race around our heads. Below are some of the most common and less common symptoms that could be your body trying to tell you your adrenals are in need of some TLC.   


Here are the most common Adrenal Fatigue symptoms:
    •    Difficulty getting up in the morning
    •    Inability to handle stress
    •    Regular and unexplained fatigue
    •    Cravings for salty foods
    •    Mild depression
    •    Insomnia
    •    Overuse of stimulants like caffeine
    •    A weak immune system

Less common symptoms
There are a large number of other complaints that are associated with Adrenal Fatigue. Many of these are linked directly to one of the more common complaints listed above. Depending on which stage of Adrenal Fatigue you have reached, you may be experiencing a handful or a large number of these symptoms.
    •    Asthma, allergies or respiratory complaints
    •    Dark circles under the eyes
    •    Dizziness
    •    Dry skin
    •    Extreme tiredness an hour after exercise
    •    Frequent urination
    •    Joint pain
    •    Lines in your fingertips
    •    Loss of muscle tone
    •    Low blood pressure
    •    Low blood sugar
    •    Low sex drive
    •    Lower back pain
    •    Numbness in your fingers / Poor circulation
    •    Weight gain
https://adrenalfatiguesolution.com/adrenal-fatigue-symptoms/
If the symptoms listed above seems like a description of yourself, you may be heading toward or in a state of adrenal fatigue. There are several naturopathic treatments that are very effective at treating adrenal fatigue including supplements, diet, exercise, stress reduction and acupuncture. To get a treatment plan specific for your needs book an appointment today and get started on your journey to healing. 


Dr. Truglia, Naturopathic Doctor
Stoney Creek Natural Wellness Center
50 King St. W, Stoney Creek, ON
905-906-9097
stoneycreekwellness.ca
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Balance...the struggle is real

3/7/2017

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I define optimum health as being in balance. It seems like such an easy concept. A little bit of everything, and lot of nothing. But why is it so hard to put into practice? One of the fundamental principles of Chinese Medicine is balance, yin and yang. You may have heard these terms before. It basically means for everything is life there is an opposite...for example when there is darkness there is light, sadness there is joy, hot there is cold, night there is day etc. This concept makes so much sense, so how do we incorporate this in to our every day lives? I have been trying to figure this out for past 6 years that I have been practicing naturopathic medicine.  My goal has been to achieve balance in my life. I don't believe in restriction or deprivation because that to me puts more stress on our bodies and minds. I believe in moderation. It has been a struggle at times and certainly takes a lot of work and effort on a daily basis.  Running a practice along with raising 3 young children, caring for a household and husband and trying to eat properly, exercise and take all my supplements can definitely be challenging and overwhelming some days.  Those are the days I sit back and really evaluate what I am doing. What are my priorities?  How do I do patient research, cook dinner and listen to my daughter do her home reading all at the same time? How do I clean my floors when my son needs to be nursed? How do I fold laundry and clean up the mess my daughter just made all over the couch? And then I take a deep breath, and realize there is only so many hours in a day and I need to do what I can and know that tomorrow is another day and everything else will get done. My children will only be this age for so long and have certain needs that take priority. I think about what I tell my patients. The negative effect that stress has on the body. And that is worse for your health than anything else. And so I leave my floors until the kids have gone to bed, and I delay cooking dinner for 5 mins to listen to my daughter read, and I take some quiet time when the kids are occupied to do my research or catch up on work. And then I feel satisfaction because I have been able to balance it all out.  I have a great support network (my husband, my parents, my mother in law, my sister, and my friends) which is so important. Accepting help was one of the first lessons I learned once I had children. It wasn't easy to let go of the control and admit I couldn't do it all on my own, but once I did, what a sense of relief. Again that helped me be able to achieve that balance between family time and me time which is so important. And so there you have it, this is a bit about my journey to discover the ability to achieve balance. It is something I have become much better at doing but I still have a long way to go to perfect this concept and I am ok with that. I know that as long as I keep this in my mind as my end goal then I just slowly work at it day by day and always come back to it when I start to feel overwhelmed or lost. Balance....just the word seems to have some sort of calmness and zen to it. I hope today you can find some way to incorporate some balance in to your day! 
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    Dr. Claudia Truglia

    I am a naturopathic doctor with a passion to help motivate and encourage people to feel healthy. My favourite part of my job, aside from watching people become healthier and happier before my eyes, is educating my patients. I love being able to spend enough time with patients that I can teach them how amazing the human body is and every part of our body ties into the next. It is so fascinating how our bodies have the ability to heal themselves and I love to watch people stare at me in awe as I start to make all of their health concerns make sense to them. It is the most rewarding feeling in the world to watch someone who is suffering so much come back and feel incredible after years and years of hopelessness. I love my job! It truly is my passion and my calling.

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