Reishi: What You Should Know

Reishi (Ganoderma lucidum) is a wonderful mushroom with multiple important uses. It’s native to China and grows on hardwood trees like oak. Historically, it was used as a calming herb and was known as the “elixir of immortality” because of the belief that it promoted longevity and supported many different systems in the body. Modern research suggests that it has hormone balancing properties as well as blood sugar and cardiovascular benefits but one of my favourite uses for this mushroom is in supporting the immune system and managing stress levels. 

Regulating the stress response 

Sometimes stress gets the better of us and we can’t seem to manage it as hard as we may try. This is when plants that calm the mind and regulate the nervous system can become a powerful tool. Reishi falls into a category of botanical medicine known as adaptogens. Adaptogens help the body adapt to stress. Reishi can help with stress related insomnia, overthinking, brain fog, depression and burnout.

Immune system regulation 

Reishi seems to have the ability to calm down a hyperreactive immune system. This is why it can be helpful for seasonal allergies and hives. With allergic responses, the immune system is inappropriately activated by various triggers which leads to excessive inflammation and histamine release. Reishi seems to reduce histamine release and stabilize the immune system.   

Interestingly it also can support a struggling immune system to help it fight off infections such as viruses. This makes it a great option for cold and flu prevention.

Because reishi regulates both the nervous system and the immune system, this makes it a good fit for those who often get infections when they’re stressed as well as those who get hyperactive immune reactions (such as hives or eczema flares) in response to stress.  

How to take it

Reishi comes in different forms such as powders, capsules and tinctures. It has a bitter taste which makes the powder less desirable and capsules more preferable. Both hot water extracts and alcohol extracts contain beneficial but different active ingredients. Your naturopathic doctor can help you choose the best product and dosing for you. 

If you’re in Ontario and you need support with managing stress and all of the different ways that it’s impacting your body, book a free 15 minute consultation to learn more about how a naturopathic doctor can help you. 

My Approach to Gluten

It’s a common cliché to think that naturopathic doctors put all their patients on a gluten free diet. The term gluten describes specific proteins in plants like wheat, rye and barley. Gluten gives foods made from these grains a unique texture that is hard to mimic. This is why gluten-free breads taste so different from the breads we’re used to.

I don’t believe everyone needs to be on a gluten free diet and I only recommend it when I think it’s necessary. I also don’t believe that only those with celiac disease need to consider reducing gluten intake. There is a growing body of research on non-celiac gluten sensitivity although this research is still controversial right now. Wheat and gluten sensitivities have been associated with skin conditions like eczema, irritable bowel syndrome, chronic pain and even mood disorders.  

I’ve seen a number of patients benefit from a trial of reducing gluten in their diet – even if they were already eating a healthy diet before. Personally, when I include gluten in my diet, I tend to get hives, seasonal allergies, my thyroid levels go out of whack, I get more fatigued, more “brain fog”, my mood suffers and I sometimes get mild joint pain. When I remove or even just reduce gluten, these symptoms all go away and I usually feel great.

It’s important to note that whenever I reduce my gluten, I try to avoid processed gluten free foods. A lot of these processed gluten free foods are not nutritionally valuable. I’ll have gluten free bread or gluten free treats here and there but for my staples, I prefer to stick to foods that are minimally processed and naturally gluten free like rice, sweet potato, quinoa, chickpeas, etc.

My latest gluten free stretch of time was 2017 - 2018. I was able to be almost gluten free for a big chunk of the year. I didn’t really miss it at all. However, towards the end of 2018, I started to feel deprived. As I mentioned in my article on intuitive eating, it’s really important to me that I eat healthy without feeling deprived. That’s why I decided to reintroduce gluten back into my life for now. I still try not to have it every day, but I am having it more than in 2017. The mild hives have returned, and I do feel a slight dip in my energy but I’m ok with temporarily paying this price so I can feel happy about my diet and less deprived. I know that in time I’ll be open to cutting gluten out again.

And that’s how it goes for me. I’m aware of my gluten intolerance and I fluctuate my level of gluten intake based on my motivation and sense of deprivation. My intolerance symptoms are mild enough that I can live with them when they come back. If they get more severe, then I might prefer to be more strict with my gluten avoidance.

The point is that the power is in my hands to use my awareness of my intolerance as I see fit. When I tell my patients that they may benefit from reducing certain foods in their diet, I will never sit there and judge them if they don’t follow my recommendations to a tee every single moment of their life. You have to know yourself and your relationship with food. You have to know what you’re willing to do and what you’re not ready for yet. I’ve had many patients tell me that they do want to change their diet but only to a certain extent. That’s ok. I will meet you where you’re at and we can change as much as you’re ready for and save the rest for another time.

My job is to arm you with the awareness of all the things that you can do to benefit your health. Your job is to communicate to me what you’re ready for and what you’re not ready for. Our job together is to use this information to build a plan that works for you on every level.

Stress Part 1: What it Does to the Skin

Stress affects everyone. You’d be surprised at all the bizarre ways stress can impact your body. If you’ve read my blog posts, you’ll know that working with mental health is a huge passion of mine. I’ve decided to write a series on stress to highlight how big of a role it plays in overall health. In the first few articles I’ll talk about different ways stress can impact the body. Then I’ll go over some ways you can lower stress on your own. This week, we’ll start at the surface and talk about how stress affects the skin. This is also known as the brain-skin connection. Read on to find out more!

Acne

Most of us can relate to having an inconvenient stress-breakout just before a big event. The stress-acne link has been studied for a long time. When the body is stressed, it releases all kinds of chemicals. Some of these stress chemicals act on the skin to increase sebum which clogs pores and leads to pimples. Some increase inflammation in and around skin cells which causes redness and pain. Stress may also weaken the immune system. This makes the skin more prone to infection by acne-causing bacteria.

Aging

There are a couple different theories on why the skin ages. One theory is that DNA damage, oxidation and inflammation age the skin. The stress hormones epinephrine, norepinephrine and cortisol have been found to increase DNA damage. They may also reduce skin cell regeneration. Stress can decrease the anti-oxidant functions in skin cells. These damages can lead to signs of aging like fine lines, dark spots and loss of elasticity.

Eczema and Psoriasis

Stress seems to alter the skin in eczema patients in ways that are not fully understood. These alterations impact skin inflammation, oxidation and repair. 

Psoriasis is a skin condition that involves itchy, scaly patches forming on the skin. It’s a condition driven by inflammation and immune reactions. In psoriasis patients, stress seems to increase the inflammation molecules in the body which aggravates the skin. The skin of psoriasis patients may also have higher levels of chemicals that respond to stress.

Hives

Stress has been shown to increase the activity of mast cells. Mast cells play a major roll in hive development and itchy skin.

Naturopathic medicine has a lot to offer when it comes to stress. Herbs, nutrition and acupuncture work wonders on stress levels. If you need help with your stress or your skin, book an appointment or free 15-minute consult.