Natasha Turner, N.D. is a Toronto-based naturopathic doctor. She is the founder of the Clear Medicine wellness boutique and author of the bestselling book The Hormone Diet. Each week in her column for That's Fit.ca, Dr. Turner advises readers on how to remedy common health issues and improve their overall health.

Dr. Turner answers all your detox questions.

Beginning the fall with a cleanse or detox is a fantastic way to jump-start your weight loss process, clear your complexion, improve digestion and optimize wellness. Toxicity of the liver and the digestive system makes us feel bloated, tired and generally unwell, which makes it tough to begin an exercise program and to stay motivated.

Weight Loss and Toxicity
The majority of the toxins in our body are fat-soluble. This means they are stored in our fat cells and may be released into our system when we begin a weight loss and exercise program. Another important factor to consider is that being thin does not necessarily mean being healthy and that the steps used today to achieve your weight loss goals must be safe, well-planned and executed. Now, let's tackle a few questions you may have regarding detox so that you can get started and successfully complete your cleansing program.

How long should I stay on the detox?
A minimum of two weeks is best for a cleanse. However, individuals with chronic symptoms or conditions (arthritis, endometriosis, chronic fatigue, fibromyalgia, etc.) may wish to continue for four to six weeks. Before beginning, and in order to avoid cheating or falling off the program, it is best to eat the foods currently in your fridge that will not be allowed in your detox program. Plan your meals to prepare for the detox, shop for specific foods and supplements and make sure all your social commitments are out of the way. Revisit The Hormone Diet for a detailed detox plan.

Which supplements should I take?

Each week, holistic nutritionist Joy McCarthy tells us about a common health problem she's seen in her practice and how she came to a solution.

This Week's Client: Jessica, university student

The Problem: Jessica suffers from bouts of bulimia and anxiety.

The problem manifested in episodes of what Jessica described as uncontrollable eating followed by either vomiting or the use of laxatives to purge her body of what she had consumed. This is classic bulimia and the actions are usually accompanied by feeling out of control and then ashamed and guilty for the gorging that necessitated the purging. Often women with this condition suffer from anxiety, which is why Jessica originally came to see me and I helped her with both.

Jessica's episodes occurred about three to four times per month and increased during exam time or any stressful situation. Bulimia can lead to many health problems including anemia, electrolyte imbalance, erratic heartbeat, loss of muscle and bone mass, liver and kidney damage and in Jessica's case, worsening of her anxiety and digestive problems.

As a nutritionist, a client like this can be challenging to help because much of the change must come from within. I needed Jessica to put a 100 percent effort into healing her body. Women who develop eating disorders do so in an effort to feel better about themselves and to control something (their body), although the opposite is unfortunately the result. Instead, they develop a distorted image of their figures and feel disgusted with their bodies and constantly compare themselves to celebrities and their friends.

Bulimia, and other eating disorders, are topics worthy of an entire books and so here I will simply show you how I coached Jessica to better health. Every person who suffers from this is unique, so please do your research and work with a qualified practitioner.

Solutions after the jump.

Hi Doug,
Do you think we really need vitamin supplements? It seems to me that we never would have evolved to the point we are now if extra vitamins in our diets were necessary.
Lee


Hello Lee,

In an ideal world, we would get all our necessary nutrients from the foods that we eat and not need to supplement our diets with anything. Unfortunately, we don't live in an ideal world. In fact, we live so far from an ideal world that I personally think we all need to be supplementing.

To really assess this question, however, we need to look at who is asking. Does an indigenous person, living on the land their family has grown food on for generations, in a sustainable manner, in pristine soils, untouched by pollution and modern convenience foods need to be supplementing? Possibly not. Do you know anyone who's actually living this way? Not likely.

It would be nice if getting all the nutrients we need on a daily basis was something we didn't need to worry about, but our food, and our world, have changed considerably.

Natasha Turner, N.D. is a Toronto-based naturopathic doctor. She is the founder of the Clear Medicine wellness boutique and author of the bestselling book The Hormone Diet. Each week in her column for That's Fit.ca, Dr. Turner advises readers on how to remedy common health issues as well as improve their overall health.


If you ask a women if she has PMS, she might reply by saying, "No, but I'm sure my husband would say I do." Similarly, if you ask her if she experiences breast tenderness, irritability, cravings, water retention, weight gain, headaches, sleep disruption, acne breakouts, fatigue or other symptoms prior to her period, she might say, "Yes, I do, but isn't that normal?"

Countless women have no idea that their period should come and go, without symptoms, except the obvious - blood loss, each month. Some women even believe that PMS refers only to mood changes prior to their period, while others think the symptoms of water retention, sore breasts and irritability are normal.

These symptoms are not normal! Chronic symptoms prior to your period are not only troublesome, they're also detrimental and a clear indication of hormonal imbalance. This common misconception identifies two issues: Not only have we become so accustomed to hormonal imbalance that we are perhaps no longer able to identify balanced wellness, we are also out of touch with our bodies. This causes subtle messages conveyed by our symptoms to be missed and as a consequence, we also miss the opportunity to achieve better health.

What is PMS?
PMS (premenstrual syndrome) involves many different symptoms lasting a few days to weeks prior to the onset of menses. The symptoms, along with their intensity, can vary from month to month, but usually end after the first or second day of bleeding when the follicular phase of the menstrual cycle begins. The time before the menstrual flow, coinciding with PMS, is called the luteal phase. It begins at ovulation and continues until the first day of bleeding.

We know about 75 percent of women have PMS and that it's most likely to affect those between their late 20s and early 40s. Out of these sufferers, about eight to 10 percent require medical intervention to manage their mood and behavioral changes. Some women with premenstrual syndrome experience premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD). PMDD is a form of premenstrual syndrome associated with severe depression, hopelessness, anger, anxiety and low self-esteem.

Recognizing PMS
The symptoms of PMS are both mental and physical.

The following is an email conversation between one of our participants in the 30-Day Challenge, Carole and the Healthy Foodie. It's presented here so others participating in the challenge can get some helpful tips and advice. If you missed our other posts and want to follow the challenge, here are some resources to get you started:

Benefits of eliminating gluten, dairy, sugar, caffeine, alcohol and processed foods.
What you can and cannot eat
Getting started and getting off coffee
Recipe ideas and resources

Healthy Foodie: Hello Carole. How is everything is going. How are you finding the challenge?

Carole: I had told you that eliminating sugar would not be too difficult. Well, I am amazed at just how much hidden sugar I have been eating every day! Wow. From the dressing I put on my salad to the TV dinner (I know - not healthy) I often have for dinner. I am just amazed after checking out labels how much sugar there is in so many products. Your list of off-limit ingredients included avoiding fructose. Is that not the sugar found in fruit? This confuses me as I had thought that agave was a fruit nectar.

It's often touted by the holistic nutrition pundits that North America is a starving continent. It seems paradoxical that nations that have an out-of-control obesity problem could be said to be suffering from starvation, but there is logic behind the statement. With our nutrient-depleted foods coming from mineral-depleted soils, the over-processing of our foods and the artificial ingredients that replace real ingredients, the Western world is suffering from a starvation of nutrients!

In fact, it's reasonable to assume that this starvation is partially to blame for the obesity epidemic. People who eat nutrient-depleted food need to eat an excessive amount of it in order to satisfy the body's needs (although, it's usually a distended abdomen that stops a person from eating, not a true feeling of satiety). Ultimately, we eat excessive amounts of poor quality food in an effort to compensate for our cravings for nutrients and thus are gaining weight as a result.

A new study from the Journal of Cancer Research, supported by the US National Cancer Institute (NCI), published findings that show promise for the prevention of lung cancer. The study found that folate, multivitamins and green leafy vegetables may reduce the risk of lung cancer in current and former smokers.

The consumption of certain micronutrients may lessen a process called methylation, which has an effect on gene signaling. Since many genes in lung tumors, including those responsible for cell division and other significant cell processes, are methylated, researchers speculated that nutrients decreasing methylation may reduce risk of lung cancer.

The nutrients studied included a multivitamin rich in phytochemicals like vitamin C, carotenoids, lutein, folic acid, vitamin A and vitamin K. Researchers also showed that reduced gene methylation occurred with consumption of these micronutrients as components of green leafy vegetables.

Natasha Turner, N.D. is a Toronto-based naturopathic doctor. She is the founder of the Clear Medicine wellness boutique and author of the bestselling book The Hormone Diet. Each week in her column for That's Fit.ca, Dr. Turner advises readers on how to remedy common health issues as well as improve their overall health.

Have you ever been caught grabbing a bit of shut-eye at your desk? What was your excuse to your boss? New sleep research may be your best answer.

A 2002 study from Harvard University considered worker burnout over four days of training and the effect of napping. As the four days of training wore on, the workers began to experience burnout. But the good news is - the study found that workers who were allowed to take a 30-minute nap on the second day of a four-day training session experienced less decline in visual tasks. A one-hour nap was actually found to return performance back to normal in the last two sessions.

That is not to say that curling up for an hour or so at the office should be sanctioned, but keeping it to less than 30 minutes might not be so far-fetched. It seems that half-hour naps should not only be recognized as acceptable by companies, but also beneficial. This is old news to many European countries where afternoon siestas are standard practice and many shops close for an hour or so each afternoon.

Afternoon drowsiness is a major problem for many corporations: it is estimated that lost productivity costs billions of dollars every year. A possible solution is to allow 20 to 30 minutes of napping per day when it is deemed necessary, creating a work environment that may actually help boost workplace productivity rather than hinder it. In today's fast-paced society and tough economy, however, most companies frown on napping in the workplace rather than encourage it.

Can't squeeze in a nap? Use these nine tips to boost your energy and productivity during the day:

Each morning, we dish out a few links we love.

Predicitive texting might make your life easier, but apparently it's ruining young minds.

This just in: Exercise won't make you thin. Cue a mass exodus from the cardio room at gyms across the world.

Multivitamins: Necessary or not so much? Here's one expert's take.

Enough with the soda -- Just two fizzy drinks a day can seriously damage your liver.

When it comes to one night stands, women will only take home the best. Not surprisingly, men aren't nearly as picky.

Specifically, telomere length may set the limit for biological aging. Theoretically, any lifestyle change that affects telomere length also affects longevity. Previous studies have found that telomeres are highly susceptible to oxidative stress. This may explain how multivitamins are affecting the length of telomeres since multivitamin supplements represent a major source of micronutrient antioxidants which curb oxidative stress.