High Cholesterol In Young Adults

We often associate high cholesterol levels with older adults. The reality is that millions of adults in North America who are under 40 years old have high cholesterol levels. 

It can be really jarring as a 30 year old to go for a routine check-up only to find out that your cholesterol levels are unexpectedly out of range. If you’re like many of my patients, your diet might not even be “that bad” which makes the test results even more frustrating. 

Of course, one reason for high cholesterol levels in young, otherwise healthy people is genetics. Some people were born with genetic mutations that just make it harder for their body to metabolize cholesterol. 

But this isn’t the case for everyone. Here are two risk factors that I find in many of my patients who are in their 30s and early 40s, eat reasonably balanced diets and still have high cholesterol levels: 

1. Sedentary Lifestyle 

Exercise keeps cholesterol levels in check in a number of ways. It boosts the production of good cholesterol and it helps your body utilize fat better. I have found that many of my patients may have decent diets, but they work all day at a desk and are often too tired during the week and too busy on weekends to even think about exercise. Many people have dogs to walk which definitely helps with getting steps in, but there is little vigorous cardiovascular or muscle-building exercise in their weekly routine. 

I’m not judging here. I spend a lot of time sitting when I’m in the office and it always takes effort to motivate myself to exercise. That being said, I do my best to keep my reasons for exercising at the forefront of my mind which helps me push myself to do 20 minutes of YouTube exercise most days. It doesn’t take much, start with 10-20 minutes a couple times a week and build from there. 

We want to aim for at least 150 minutes of moderate-vigorous cardiovascular exercise each week (e.g. brisk walking, swimming, cycling) plus 2 days a week of muscle building exercise like yoga or weight lifting. If walking your dog is not getting your heart beating faster and getting you panting a bit, it may not be vigorous enough. 

2. Stress

I’m not just blaming stress because I work in the mental health field. It is well accepted that stress can increase cholesterol levels. This is due to a couple different processes that happen in the body. Stress can increase the release of stress hormones (like cortisol) which in turn makes the body release more fat into the blood stream. Stress makes the body think that it’s gearing up for danger so it wants to have energy on hand in the blood stream. Long term, this can lead to elevated blood cholesterol levels in your test results and plaque formation in the arteries. 

Managing cholesterol takes a multi-pronged approach that may involve diet changes, exercise plans, stress and sleep support, medication and natural supplements. If you’re young and your cholesterol levels are high, try not to panic. Just think of this as an indicator that your body is asking for some extra help in certain areas. Luckily a lot can be done to manage cholesterol levels in many cases.

Why Stress Management Is Important For Diabetes Management

If you have diabetes, you’re probably thinking of ways to manage your diet, exercise more often, and you’re probably working with your doctor to manage your medications. Maybe you’re even trying some herbs and supplements to lower your blood sugar. 

But are you putting in serious effort to manage your stress levels?

Stress can cause spikes in blood sugar. When you’re stressed, your body is flooded with stress chemicals like cortisol and adrenaline. 

Cortisol reduces the ability of your muscles to soak sugar out of the blood stream. It also leads to the production of glucose in organs like the liver and decreases the ability of your pancreas to produce insulin. All of this keeps your blood sugar levels high.

In the short term, this stress-induced spike in blood sugar is beneficial to humans. It provides readily accessible energy for the body to help us survive dangerous situations. This was a survival mechanism that evolved within us and other animals. 

However, chronically high blood sugar leads to insulin resistance. Insulin tells your cells to make use of the sugar in your bloodstream. Insulin resistance is when your cells resist that command from insulin. It’s like insulin is knocking on the door telling your organs, muscles, and other tissues to let the sugar in but nobody’s answering the door. Insulin resistance is the underlying problem in type 2 diabetes.  

There is evidence that stress management can improve blood sugar and reduce HbA1c levels. Most studies use some sort of mindfulness training to help participants manage stress. It’s unfortunate that there are not more diverse studies in this area because people respond so differently to various stress management approaches. Not everyone likes meditation and there are many other ways to calm down your nervous system.

While high stress is certainly not the only important factor to consider for type 2 diabetes, it can make managing the condition more difficult. Whether you’re thinking about preventing diabetes or managing it, stress management should be an important part of your diabetes plan. 

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. 

Acupuncture for PTSD

Post-traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)  is a debilitating issue that impacts people from all walks of life. It can occur after a person experiences significant trauma such as an accident, a traumatic birthing experience, a frightening diagnosis, being the victim of or witness to a crime and many more possible experiences. Many of my patients with PTSD report that while their therapy and medications are helpful, they feel like they are not experiencing as much relief from their symptoms as they would like. 

I often like to incorporate acupuncture as part of my treatment plan for PTSD. It has the advantage of improving symptoms while not interacting with any medications my patients may be on or causing uncomfortable side effects. 

In 2023, the Frontiers in Behavioral Neuroscience journal published a scientific review of acupuncture for PTSD. The researchers stated that acupuncture helps with core PTSD symptoms and adds benefit for those already taking medication or undergoing psychological therapy. 

In my practice I’ve found that acupuncture helps to improve anxiety, tension, sleep, mood, and many other symptoms for my patients with PTSD. 

Why does acupuncture help with PTSD?

Multiple studies over the years have shown that acupuncture may help to calm the nervous system—especially the components of the nervous and hormone systems that are involved in the stress response such as the HPA (hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis). It seems to positively impact the way different parts of the brain talk to each other. It may reduce hyperactivity in parts of the brain involved in fear. PTSD is linked to increased nerve cell death in certain parts of the brain due to stress and acupuncture may protect nerve cells and prevent nerve death.

While it’s always challenging to study acupuncture in a research setting for various reasons, this information is exciting and promising. If you’re in Ontario and you have questions about acupuncture, book a free 15 minute phone consultation and we can discuss it further. My acupuncture services are incorporated into my overall treatment plan and are covered under naturopathic medicine benefits if you have them. 

Feeling Like The World Is Unreal

Have you ever gone about your day and suddenly felt like the scene unfolding around you felt more like a movie that you were watching rather than your actual reality? Or maybe it felt like you were in a dream. Things just felt different from the norm and…off. 

This may be derealization. 

What is Derealization

Derealization is often a symptom of a panic attack or it can be brought on by very high stress. It involves feeling like things around you are not real or are distorted in some way. This can lead to a feeling of detachment from your surroundings - like they are a screen that you’re watching. It can be a really scary experience that leads to feelings of panic and fears that you’re “losing your mind.”

The episode can last a few minutes, half an hour or even weeks. 

Derealization can be associated with other medical conditions as well so it’s important to mention this symptom to your doctor to get a full assessment. 

Treatment 

If derealization is happening during a panic attack or in response to stress and anxiety, then treating the stress and anxiety is key. This can be done with therapy, medication and natural remedies. In the moment, it’s often recommended to connect to the senses to try to ground back into reality. This includes smelling something, touching your own skin or an object or someone you trust, listening to the noises in your surroundings and counting objects that you see. A health care provider can help you come up with techniques that are tailored to your experience of derealization. 

If you want to learn more about holistic ways to manage your anxiety, click the button below to learn more about the Anxious to Empowered program.

How Stress Affects Your Memory

Brain fog is a common complaint that I see in my practice. It can involve a number of symptoms like feeling scattered and having a hard time focusing but one of the most frustrating symptoms is memory issues. By memory issues, I’m not referring to the more major lapses in memory that are observed in dementia. More severe memory loss needs to be thoroughly evaluated. Many of my patients have more subtle memory issues that nonetheless have a meaningful impact on their lives.

A number of factors can negatively affect memory. Stress is an important one to consider. Research in the field of neuroscience has found that chronic stress can change the structure of the brain. It can cause damage to nerve cells and reduced communication channels between nerve cells. These changes occur in parts of the brain that are important for memory such as the hippocampus.

Part of the blame may be due to one of the “stress hormones” called cortisol. Cortisol is released in response to stressful triggers to help the body cope until the trigger is removed. It is a normal, healthy response when cortisol is elevated appropriately. Things go haywire when people are exposed to constant stress that leads to long term elevation of cortisol. Elevated cortisol may be one of factors that changes the brain in a way that interferes with memory. Chronic stress can be very overstimulating to the brain which can make it harder for the brain to form memories.

There are a number of ways that I help my patients deal with memory issues related to stress. My treatment plans typically include devising a good nutrition plan, exercise plan, daily healthy habits and natural remedies to help the body cope with stress better and improve memory. If you need support with brain fog, memory issues and stress management, book a free 15 minute phone consultation to learn more about how I can help you.

What Causes a Skipped or Late Period (Besides Pregnancy)

It can be alarming when a period is missed - especially if you’re used to your period coming like “clockwork”. For some people, irregular periods are the norm. For others, it happens once in a while. Pregnancy needs to be ruled out whenever a period is late but this is not the only cause of a late or skipped period. Below are some other possible causes of a delayed period.

Stress

Stress can interfere with the natural hormonal fluctuations in the body which can in turn interfere with ovulation and the health of the uterus. Ovulation is the process of an egg being released from the ovary and it plays an important role in signaling changes in the uterus and, eventually, a period. Stress is a common cause of a missed period. Keep in mind that sometimes, even when we feel like we are not stressed and are handling our stress well, our bodies can still be impacted by stress. We’re not always the best judges of our stress levels. The body may tell us that we’re stressed before the minds does. 

Anovulatory Cycle 

Some months, ovulation may be skipped entirely. This is known as an anovulatory cycle. Ovulation is an important step that plays a role in maintaining the lining of the uterus and the subsequent shedding of the uterus lining (i.e. a period). Sometimes, ovulation happens later than normal which can push the period back. When ovulation doesn’t happen at all, a period will eventually come due to other hormonal changes but it will often be quite late. It’s normal to have a small amount of cycles without ovulation. Sometimes, a patient will tell me that that they’re period is NEVER late and they’re wondering why they are overdue for their period. In these cases, an anovulatory cycle may be the culprit. If ovulation is skipped regularly, there may be more going on and we’ll need to investigate further. Signs of ovulation include an increase in cervical mucous and body temperature about a week after the period ends (assuming a 7 day period).   

Thyroid Imbalance

High or low thyroid levels can lead to irregular menstrual cycles. The thyroid plays a major role in the health of the reproductive system.

Weight Loss and Very Intense Exercise 

Maintaining a healthy weight is important for hormonal health. Extreme weight loss can disrupt this delicate balance. The same goes for extreme exercise. These two things can put a pause on ovulation which can delay or stop the period. Usually this leads to longer term loss of periods rather than one late cycle. 

Perimenopause

As the body moves towards menopause, a number of changes occur including a drop in estrogen levels. This can lead to shorter or longer gaps between periods. Perimenopause can happen in the 40s but some women start to show signs of it in their 30s. 

Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome

PCOS tends to cause irregular cycles in general rather than the occasional missed period. In cases of PCOS, a number of factors such as elevated androgens and insulin resistance make it difficult for ovulation to happen. This in turn leads to irregular cycles. 

These are just a few of the many reasons why a period could be late or missed. If you would like to start working with a naturopathic doctor to get to the bottom of your period concerns, book a free 15 minute meet and greet and I’d be happy to give you more information about how my services can help.

Stress and Probiotics: Another Study Showing the Link

Our gut is supposed to have a healthy amount of good bacteria in it. Many things can disturb this balance and probiotics are one of many ways to get gut health back on track. This is important for digestive health, but it can also be important for mental health.

In 2018 a study was published in the Clinical Nutrition journal that aimed to find out if probiotics can help reduce stress, anxiety and their negative effects on the mind. About 100 stressed out adults were either given a specific probiotic to take for 12 weeks or a placebo. They were given questionnaires to measure their stress and anxiety levels before, during and at the end of treatment.

The researchers found that the adults taking the probiotic had reduced stress and anxiety levels by week 4. By week 12, signs of inflammation in the body reduced in these adults as well. Memory and certain cognitive skills also improved. These changes were significantly different from the adults taking a placebo who did not experience the same levels of improvement.

As I always say, the link between gut health and mental health is a booming area of research that is full of promise. This study is yet another reminder that we need to think bigger and think outside the box when it comes to managing anxiety and stress. It’s also a reminder that different systems in our body are deeply interconnected and should not be treated as if they’re in independent compartments.

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