Summer is a time when the living is easy. The sun is shining, the birds are chirping, and all is well. It is a time when people largely feel balanced. It is useful to think about what balances you. What factors make you feel balanced? Ayurvedic medicine and its view of constitutional types is a great system to help balance you. Most people are a combination of at least 2 ayurvedic types- one is the primary, the other is the secondary type. The three types are vata, pitta and kapha. By understanding one’s predominant type, it is possible to choose the most appropriate dietary selections, appropriate lifestyle and environment. I will start by talking about the Vata dosha.

Vata types are the least likely to have a weight problem. They tend towards the thin side, despite eating a lot. They burn energy really quickly. Their energy levels can fluctuate as much as their appetites. Their energy comes in bursts and they can quickly expend it. They are the dosha most in need of balance.Vata types are typically very creative, even visionaries in some cases. They have alert, active minds. They can become bored easily and like mental stimulation.

 Vata imbalance on the physical plane may manifest as rough skin, arthritis, constipation, insomnia, excessive sensitivity and excitability. They may suffer from anxiety, fearfulness and excessive worry when out of balance. Vatas are most sensitive to stress so they must be mindful of limiting the amount of stress they are under. Vatas are most in need of balancing and balance helps them thrive.

Eating at regular times at frequent intervals helps Vatas stay in balance. They are not the types that will feel good when skipping meals. Rather they benefit from warm foods that have some oil content and do not stimulate gas (only some beans are tolerated by Vatas so avoid most). Vatas benefit from foods that are sweet, salty, and sour. They benefit from warming spices such as ginger, cumin and cinnamon because they tend to be on the chilly side when it comes to body temperature. In the hot summer months, they can it eat salads but will feel more balanced when making sure they have enough dressing on the salad.

Overwork can definitely bring a vata into imbalance. When feeling balanced, Vata types are creative, vivacious and enthusiastic.  Other things that aggravate Vata imbalance include cold, windy environments, traveling, and being on the run. Sleep, rest and meditation are key for Vatas. They need time to restore themselves and taking the time for these balancing activities is key. An environment that feels safe and secure benefits Vata.

Vata types should not do anything to extremes. Gentle exercise in the form of walking is favored over training for marathons. Hatha yoga is more calming for them then hot yoga. They may want to push it when they exercise but if they back off a little, they will feel more balanced. Moderation in everything  is key to living a tranquil life for Vata types. For more information on Vatas and how to balance Vatas including more detailed info on diet, please book an appointment to discuss or read Perfect Health by Deepak Chopra, M.D.

Homeopathy is my number one choice when treating children. Homeopathy is a system of medicine which involves treating children with highly diluted substances from either the plant, animal or mineral kingdoms with the ultimate goal of triggering the body’s own innate system of healing. Homeopathy is based on the principle of like cures like. This means if you take a substance which causes symptoms when taken in large doses, that same substance can be used in small amounts to treat those same symptoms to heal the state of imbalance. Remedies are prepared by the process of dilution and shaking. This method of preparation can be understood more from a quantum physics perspective; the substance becomes more powerful the more you shake and dilute it; the vibrational energy of the substance is potentized. Dr. Richard Gerber’s book ‘New Choices for Healing Ourselves’ is a good reference on vibrational medicine.

The reason homeopathy is my first choice in treating children is it is clinically effective, cost effective and safe. Children as little people are not as complicated to treat as adults. This is because their systems have not been as suppressed as much as adults. Homeopathic philosophy talks about the process of suppression. For instance, suppressing something that presents externally such as eczema with a steroid cream can drive the imbalance deeper into the body. For instance, many kids with eczema that are treated with steroid creams (which do make the symptoms go away temporarily) are not cured; the disturbance is not gone and may resurface as asthma later in the child’s life. Adults as a rule have experienced more suppression because they have been on many medications that are treating the symptoms versus getting to the root cause. Homeopathy treats the whole person on a deeper level.

Homeopathy takes the child’s mental, emotional and physical symptoms into account. By matching a single remedy to their whole picture, the child is treated with the most appropriate medicine for them. An important point to remember about homeopathy is the child might get temporarily worse before they get better. This temporary aggravation of symptoms is short lived and is often a clue that the right remedy has been chosen. I have seen so many children balanced by homeopathy that I feel that it is the most appropriate medicine for them. The medicine is easy for kids to take as well. They are given pellets that taste like sugar and easily dissolve in the mouth. Remember that the medicine should not be handled with fingers. It is best to administer the remedy to the child using the cap lid of the homeopathic tube to transfer five pellets to the mouth. Remedies are best dosed on an empty stomach, at least 15 minutes before you eat or drink anything. Adults often get tremendous benefit from homeopathy as well so remember to talk to your naturopathic doctor about homeopathy as a possible treatment modality for your health issues.

Probiotic bacteria aka good bacteria or beneficial bacteria are one of the most commonly prescribed supplements in my private practice. This is simply because I believe that most patients benefit from the addition of probiotic bacteria to their regimen; many patients don’t know the reasons for taking them in the first place. I see extremely effective results for taking them when there is any type of digestive related issue including diarrhea, constipation, bloating or IBS. IBS is potentially caused by an imbalance of natural flora. I choose the most indicated probiotic depending on the particular problem.

Over 500 species of bacteria colonize your inner gut mucosa. Over 80% of your immune system resides along your intestines. These bacteria protect us from any pathogens that come into your body via the air you breathe, the liquids you consume and the solid food you ingest. They do this by changing the pH of the intestines, crowding out other strains of bacteria, yeast or fungi by competitive inhibition, and releasing substances that kill other pathogens. These bacteria secrete enzymes that help you digest your food, synthesize B vitamins and Vitamin K, regulate your immune system from the level of your gut and help with absorption of vitamins and minerals into your bloodstream. They help promote the integrity of the intestinal lining reducing the tendency for food allergies.

Some of the most promising research focuses on the use of probiotic bacteria to reduce reactivity starting from the age of young babies. Newborn babies that were supplemented with specific types of beneficial bacteria saw their potential for developing allergies be reduced by 50% even in high risk populations. Probiotic bacteria stimulate the immune system in the upper GI tract to produce suppressor T cells which produces a gradual production of suppressive cytokines; this is especially beneficial to anyone that is dealing with an autoimmune disease. I often suspect a GI infection that I was hospitalized with (C. difficile in my teenage years) put me at risk for developing an autoimmune disease later on. I did not know about supplementing with probiotic bacteria post antibiotic use back then.

The upper GI mucosa replaces itself every 72 hours and the lower GI mucosa replaces itself every 12 days therefore this is an active system that needs ongoing attention. The most detrimental substances to the intestinal mucosa include antibiotics which can destroy 90% of the bacterial flora causing more resistant antibiotic resistant bacteria to overgrow (eg. clostridium difficile). If you are on a strain of antibiotic bacteria, I recommend supplementing with probiotic bacteria during the course of bacteria (away from the AB) and after you are finished for at least a month or six weeks. This will help restore the beneficial flora to your system and reduce the chances of having further immune setbacks.

Antibiotics and many prescription drugs like oral contraceptives destroy your good bacteria. Dietary factors like a higher intake of meat, processed foods and sugar can negatively affect beneficial bacteria. In contrast, fermented foods such as miso soup, tempeh, sauerkraut, kimchi, kefir, and yogurt can be beneficial additions to your diet. These foods support the growth of good bacteria in your intestines. Most people benefit from taking supplements at least part of the year; taking frequent courses of probiotic bacteria are perhaps necessary if you are taking prescription drugs that are getting rid of them in the next breath. If you have an altered bacterial flora, you will certainly experience some gas when you first start taking probiotics. This gas will disappear as your healthy bacteria start to flourish in your system. Always take probiotics with food as they will not make it pass the acid system of the stomach unless there is food in the stomach.