Dr. Joel Guillemin discoursed over health issues and answered questions from the public about topics related to naturopathic medicine, integrative cancer care, weight issues, pain management and other relative subjects at the Assiniboia 55 Club on Sunday, March 15. Guillemin currently practises naturopathic medicine at the Moose Jaw Naturopathic Clinic.
Guillemin defined naturopathic medicine as 鈥淓verything that鈥檚 not pharmaceutical-based.鈥� Naturopathy is a classification of alternative medicine where attempts are made to either treat or avert the growth of diseases without using chemically-based pharmaceuticals 鈥� essentially an alternative path to medicine. Some naturopathic treatments incorporate ideas from Chinese medicine, including acupuncture and herbal remedies. Other techniques in naturopathy involve diet control, exercise and massage.听听
Guillemin began his talk by discussing the foundations of health. One of these primary foundations of naturopathy comes from understanding the diets of their patients 鈥� so much of naturopathy is designed around individual needs. He elaborated over bacteria鈥檚 functions in the human body. 鈥淲e are covered in bacteria from head to toe. Bacteria plays a huge role in gut science.鈥�
In naturopathy, diet and bacteria are interrelated, because as Guillemin noted, good bacteria aides us in digesting foods. The human body also contains neutral bacteria and bad bacteria. However, a solid diet foundation supports a person鈥檚 immune system when the proper nutrients are digested. Gut bacteria are helpful as these microscopic organisms assist the body by producing serotonin or 5-hydroxytryptamine. Serotonin is a monoamine neurotransmitter and performs complex biological functions in the body, such as modulating cognition, giving one a sense of wellbeing, assisting with learning, memory and other physiological progressions.
鈥淢ore than 80 per cent of our serotonin comes from gut bacteria,鈥� Guillemin explained. 鈥淎nd if we鈥檙e not getting enough good bacteria, we鈥檙e not producing enough serotonin.鈥�
Exercise is yet another principle foundation of good health. 鈥淭here鈥檚 many forms of exercise,鈥� Guillemin said. 鈥淭here鈥檚 yoga, meditating, stretching, gardening 鈥� anything that involves moving. We鈥檙e finding out how much exercise plays a role here. Exercise is good for breaking down the body and getting rid of the debris,鈥� he added.
Stress management is a lynchpin for an individual鈥檚 healthy lifestyle, according to Guillemin. Although stress itself wasn鈥檛 necessarily a negative aspect, he emphasized. 鈥淲e want to have stress in our lives 鈥� it gets our heartbeat going.鈥� Yet, monitoring stress levels is a vital aspect of good health, since overwelhming amounts of stress can institute profoundly negative consequences on the body. 鈥淪tress is always a physical manifestation that comes from our emotions,鈥� Guillemin further outlined.
In an effort to control negative stress, he recommended his audience to engage in word or number puzzles for mental relaxation. Also, journaling and regular five-minute writing exercises can reduce stress levels according Guillemin. In explaining these writing exercises, Guillemin told his listeners to write down some of the good things happening during the day to accentuate the positive aspects of daily living.
Attaining regular sleeping hours is also crucial for good health. 鈥淗ow many hours of sleep do you think you should get?鈥� the doctor asked. 鈥淯sually, seven to eight hours allows for adequate time for the body to repair itself,鈥� he answered. 鈥淪leep is important. When we鈥檙e stressed, we don鈥檛 sleep. When we don鈥檛 sleep, we get stressed.鈥�
Guillemin talked about melatonin 鈥� a hormone regulating the sleep鈥搘ake cycles, predominantly discharged by the pineal gland. Melatonin is usually released during the early part of the evening when cortisol secretion is decreased. Cortisol is useful, because this hormone controls blood sugar levels and regulates听metabolism, but the overproduction of cortisol leads to stress and anxiety. Guillemin believed the key to managing stress and achieving better sleep patterns necessitated better management of the body鈥檚 cortisol production.
Guillemin portrayed some of the procedures used at the naturopathic clinic, such as injecting cocktails of vitamins and minerals. The introduction of individualized diet plans with specified supplements also play critical functions in naturopathy.
Guillemin conversed over the westernized approach to acupuncture - the version he uses. Acupuncture assists healing by increasing the blood flow to areas of the body with injuries. Aside from injuries, Guillemin said acupuncture can be used for a range of issues, from hiccups to indigestion. The needles are small 鈥� they鈥檙e pliable and set inside tubes. The needles aren鈥檛 jabbed into limbs 鈥� they鈥檙e quickly tapped into the skin. 鈥淚t feels like a mosquito bite,鈥� Guillemin confirmed. 听听听听
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