Natural Treatments For Bee Stings

Bees are definitely our friends, as you’ll know if you’ve ever watched The Bee Movie, but they can also be painful foes.

Towards the beginning of autumn, bees can become more aggressive for a few different reasons, so it’s best to try to avoid them and be prepared in case of stings.

One of these reasons is "nectar dearth," which is when there is not enough nectar from nearby flowers to go around, and can cause attacks by competing hives to rob them of their nectar.

Compounding this problem, when nectar robbery occurs, bees will emit an alarm pheromone to warn their hive – however, this also triggers the alarm pheromone in the attacking insects, causing quite the fray.

If you notice a lot of dead bees around – or beneath – the entrance to a hive, this is likely what's happening.

Other animals, such as skunks, will also attack hives for their nectar, with similar results, and this often happens at summer’s end when nature is preparing and stocking up for the lean winter months.

Finally, the heat and humidity that are the hallmarks of late summer in Ontario affect bees by making them cranky, and more prone to stinging.

But what can you do if you experience a bee sting?

Are there natural treatments available?

Keep reading to find out.

Why Do Bees Sting?

Despite all this, bees and even wasps tend to not sting unless they feel provoked or attacked, making avoidance the best course of action.

Part of the reason for this is that certain species of bee have stingers with barbs on the end, which embeds in the victim's skin.

The only way these bees can escape after having stung you is to tear off part of their abdomen.

As well, when a colony loses its queen, they tend to get unduly aggressive; however, once a new queen is crowned, this behavior tends to clear up quickly.

This is not true for wasps, hornets, or yellowjackets, but in general these insects are unlikely to sting unless they perceive a truly dire threat.

What Happens When You're Stung By A Bee?

Bee stings are an initial sharp, burning, localized pain that will spread as the sting site swells.

They inject a small amount of venom into your system when they do so, which is what causes these reactions.

If you're stung, it's important to not scratch it, as this only serves to spread the injected venom further from the sting site.

Escalated symptoms include extreme redness and swelling that actually increases over the next several days (instead of receding).

Anaphylactic Reactions To Bee Stings

If you’ve never been stung before – and don’t know if you’re allergic – pay attention to the following, and call 911 immediately if you see these symptoms:

• Swelling of the throat and/or tongue
• Difficulty breathing
• Severe skin reactions, such as hives, flushed or pale skin, severe itching
• An unusually weak or rapid pulse
• Cramps, abdominal pain, nausea or vomiting, or diarrhea
• Loss of consciousness, including symptoms of dizziness

If you know you are allergic to insect stings, be sure to use your EpiPen (or similar device) immediately, then go to your nearest emergency room to seek follow-up medical attention.

As well, go to the emergency room if you're stung multiple times.

In these cases, even if you aren't allergic, the buildup of the toxic bee venom can cause problems and cause you to go into anaphylactic shock.

Natural Treatments For Bee Stings

The good news, especially if you’re camping, is that there are quite a few natural treatments that exist for insect stings.

These old-fashioned ‘home remedies’ have been passed down through several generations, and often utilize ingredients you already likely have stocked in your pantry.

Here’s a quick review on some natural treatments for bee stings to alleviate the pain and swelling quickly:

1. Remove The Stinger

If it’s a type of bee that leaves behind its stinger, you’ll want to start by removing that stinger from your skin.

Try to be very careful, so as to not break it off in the process of removing it; a pair of tweezers might seem intuitive, but actually serves to inject more venom into the skin.

The stingers that are left behind will look for a little black dot; remove it by scraping it away with a fingernail or credit card, and then wash the site thoroughly with soap and warm water.

2. Vinegar

Keep in mind that some stings (wasps and certain bee species) have alkaline venom, and others will have acidic venom.

For those that are alkaline, remember your high school science class, and reach for some vinegar.

Apple cider vinegar seems to be the most effective, though white vinegar will do as well.

When the pain is at its worst, you can pour the vinegar directly on the sting, and you should feel quick relief; if the pain comes back, consider soaking a cloth or Band-Aid in vinegar, and plaster it over the site for lasting relief.

3. Witch Hazel

Witch hazel is a great go-to for many skin issues, and bee stings are no different.

An astringent, it helps with the inflammation of the sting, and can be applied similarly to vinegar – either poured on, or applied to the skin via a bandage pad or piece of cloth soaked in the liquid.

You may very well have witch hazel in your medicine cabinet, as it can also be used for pimples, mosquito bites and other skin inflammations.

Witch hazel is made from the leaves and bark of the witch hazel plant, and can be bought from most local drug stores.

4. Aloe Vera Gel

Aloe Vera, a well-known treatment for sunburn, can be applied directly from a broken-off stem to the sting site.

Aloe helps soothe the skin, reduce inflammation and pain, and can be grown in your home for ready convenient treatment.

5. Calendula Cream

Calendula cream has been used for decades as an antiseptic to heal or ease skin irritations, including Chicken Pox.

Calendula cream works very well on insect irritations, including mosquito bites, and wasp or bee stings.

To use calendula on a bee sting, simply apply the cream to the sting site, and let the cream dry; don't wipe it off.

If the sting is under clothes or in an awkward spot, you’ll want to cover the cream with a bandage so that it can continue to do its work unhindered.

Contact The Mindful Healing Clinic

There are many skin issues your family ought to be prepared for, not the least of which is insect bites and bee stings.

While there exist chemical treatments, sometimes the natural treatments are preferable, especially when dealing with children.

The tips above will help you in an emergency, but there are other options that we can educate you on at the Mindful Healing Clinic.

Call us now – before an insect attack occurs – so we can help you prepare your home treatments and keep your family safe this summer.

Until next time,

Dr. Maria Cavallazzi, N.D

Mindful Healing Integrative Naturopathy
251 Queen St S Unit 4,
Mississauga, ON L5M 1L7
- https://goo.gl/maps/KYspifT7J232

Dr. Maria Cavallazzi is a medical doctor from Colombia where she practiced as a family physician for 8 years until she moved to Canada 16 years ago.

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To get additional ways on health, wellness, and alternative medicine, please visit us here: naturopathy in Mississauga

Why Do We Need Sleep, Anyway?

In some ways, sleep seems like a drawback rather than a benefit, from an evolutionary perspective at least.

After all, spending a third of your life in a situation where your defenses are completely lowered and you're vulnerable to attack doesn't seem like the best survival mechanism.

But, of course, without sleep, we'll have a difficult time, because it’s a big part of what helped us survive and evolve as a species.

What does sleep do?

And what are the consequences of sleep deprivation?

Keep reading to find out.

What Does Sleep Do?

All those experiences from your waking hours that your brain takes in are processed during your sleeping hours in a process called “consolidation”.

Brain function changes, and memories are moved from short term into long term memory.

As for our bodies, sleep is what allows it to rejuvenate and grow muscle, restore and repair tissue, and also regulate hormones.

How Much Sleep Do You Need?

While everyone is different, there are some science-backed guidelines that are good to follow.

• Infants need between 12 and 17 hours of sleep
• Toddlers from age one need 11-14 hours
• Preschoolers – from about age 5 – should be getting 10-13 hours
• School age children are recommended to get 9-11 hours
• Teenagers, though seemingly always sleeping, only need 8-10 hours
• Adults from age 18 should get 7-9 hours
• By the time you hit retirement age, sleep requirements are down to 7-8 hours per night

It’s been suggested that the reason you need more sleep in your youth is because your brain has more new information to process.

As well, your body is doing most of its growing at this stage, and sleep ensures proper development, so it’s not surprising that the younger you are, the more sleep you require.

What Happens When You Go Without Sleep?

There are more serious consequences of sleep deprivation than just forgetfulness, however.

Let’s have a look at some of the other effects, and why it’s important to prevent these.

1. Your Central Nervous System Is Disrupted

The Central Nervous System (CNS) relies on sleep to reboot and repair neural pathways that allow us to function optimally.

After about 16 hours, brain functions start to decline, and by about 20 hours awake, your average person will start to display drunk-like symptoms due to sleep deprivation.

This is when it becomes dangerous to drive vehicles, and accidents are much more likely to happen.

While you can’t ‘catch up’ on sleep for the number of hours you’re lacking, what experts will suggest is to try to have consistent sleeping habits, rather than adding to your ‘sleep bank’ after sustained sleep deprivation.

2. Your Immune System Is Compromised

When you are lacking sleep, your immune system is weakened, and has a harder time fighting off infections and viruses.

The immune system is comprised of several different types of cells and proteins; when we don’t get enough sleep, T-cells go down and cytokines (inflammation control) go up, which can lead to a suppressed ability to attack invading viruses.

As well, our body’s response to attacking your cold and flu strains is to have what’s called a fever response.

Your body can activate a fever response far more easily when you’re sleeping, so the longer you stay awake, the harder it is for your immune system to activate the steps necessary to prevent you from getting sick.

A 2015 paper by G. Costa in the journal Handbook of Clinical Neurology shows that overnight shift work has a number of different effects on your immune system, as well as gastrointestinal and cardiovascular disorders.

More on those later.

In particular, it points out that night shift workers are probably at a higher risk of developing cancer.

This is part of the reason why occupations with night-shifts have been listed as carcinogenic by the WHO, because of the impact of those disrupted sleep cycles.

3. Your Digestive System Hormones Fall Out Of Balance

Hormones are what control our feelings of hunger and satiety, but when we are sleep deprived, these are out of whack and can lead to weight gain.

If your body can’t signal to you that you’re full, then it’s more likely that you will overindulge in that dinner or late-night snack.

In addition, examples of a non-medical reasons for weight gain might be that you’re more likely to sleep in the following morning and skip your workout, or you might feel so tired that you don’t think you have the energy to go to the gym.

4. Your Endocrine Hormones Are Affected

Sleep deprivation has negative effects on endocrine and metabolic function, specifically cortisol production, also known as the ‘stress hormone’.

Disrupted sleep patterns also affect carbohydrate tolerance and impair glucose tolerance, both of which can cause the risk of diabetes to increase.

Returning to brain function, sleeplessness can also create ‘memory deficits’ that look a lot like Alzheimer’s, and indicate a possible rapid-aging process.

A normal sleeping pattern allows the brain to purge a toxic protein called beta amyloid; when that builds up, your chance of developing dementia later in life increases.

5. You're At Greater Risk For Cardiovascular Disease

Sleep deprivation hugely compromises your cardiovascular system – less than 5 hours a night increases your blood pressure, which can, in turn, increase your risk of heart attack.

When you sleep, your heart rate drops, giving your cardiovascular system a much-needed break; this allows your blood pressure to self-regulate.

Even losing a small amount of sleep can have adverse effects – a 2008 paper published in the New England Journal of Medicine found that the rate of acute myocardial infarctions (the medical term for heart attacks) increases significantly in the three days following the transition to spring daylight savings time, and we only lose one hour there.

Finally, keep in mind that inflammation is increased by lack of sleep, which is a factor in the progression of several diseases, including cardiovascular disease.

Contact the Mindful Healing Clinic

At the Mindful Healing Clinic, we educate our patients about the habits necessary to live a healthy life.

Call us now to discuss your sleeping habits and how they might be impacting your life and health.

As a Naturopathic Doctor with many years’ experience advising clients about their individual sleeping needs and habits, I can help you identify the best sleeping patterns for you and your system.

If you're new to naturopathic medicine and aren't sure how it can help, call us and book a FREE 15-minute introductory session.

During that time, we'll sit down and discuss your health concerns related to sleep or anything else, I'll answer any questions you may have, and from there we can talk about your options.

Contact us here at the Mindful Healing Clinic and find out how naturopathic medicine can help you address your sleep concerns.

Until next time,

Dr. Maria Cavallazzi, N.D

Mindful Healing Integrative Naturopathy
251 Queen St S Unit 4,
Mississauga, ON L5M 1L7
- https://goo.gl/maps/KYspifT7J232

Dr. Maria Cavallazzi is a medical doctor from Colombia where she practiced as a family physician for 8 years until she moved to Canada 16 years ago.

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To discover more information on health, wellness, and alternative medicine, please visit us here: naturopath in Mississauga

Exercise And Mental Health – An Intimate Connection

We've all heard at one point or another that exercise is good for you.

Whether it be breaking a sweat, getting your heartrate up, or picking up some weights, it's common knowledge that exercise is essential in our physical upkeep.

However, physical health is not the only health that may be affected by exercise.

If you want to find out how exercise and mental health are closely connected, continue reading.

Why Is Exercise So Important?

As mentioned before, exercise is a primary part of maintaining our physical health.

In prehistoric times, food wasn't as easy to come by as it is now, so our bodies evolved to store nutrients from our food away in the form of fat.

Our ancestors had to adapt to store away food in such a way that allowed them to travel long distances between meals.

Nowadays, we're lucky to have easier access to food, but the benefit of that easy access comes with the detriment of not having to exercise.

Although the idea of not having to exercise for your food might seem great, our bodies still need to balance out our food intake with adequate exercise.

Without it, our bodies will end up storing too much of the food we eat instead of burning it off, which in turn upsets many of the intricate balances our bodies have to maintain in order to stay healthy.

Knowing this, it's no surprise that mental health is affected by how much exercise we get.

Does It Matter What Type Of Exercise?

Many people get stuck on the type of exercise they think they should be doing.

For instance, many people think that attaining physical health only comes from the ability to run long distances, and so they turn to jogging for their form of exercise.

Inevitably, jogging doesn't stick for many people and they might give up.

Fortunately, most aerobic activity treats the body the same way; for instance, jogging, swimming, and cycling all can be beneficial modes of exercise.

Not only that, strength and resistance training can also do to your body similar things as aerobic exercise as well.

In other words, it really doesn't matter what type of exercise you do, so long as you're exercising.

If you're training for a specific sport or activity, you can get into all the different ways there are to optimize your fitness routine.

But if you're just exercising to stay healthy, don't overthink it – any exercise is better than no exercise.

How Exercise Supports Mental Health

Now, as easy as it is to believe that exercise helps us keep our food intake and storage balance in check, it might come as a surprise that exercise can help mental health immensely.

To be specific, high-intensity activities encountered during exercise improve the way we perceive ourselves, as well as improve the way we are able to think logically and conceptually.

This is because during exercise, you breathe faster and your heartbeat elevates.

This increases the amount of oxygen delivered to your entire body, including your brain, which can in turn give the brain a chance to refresh itself of its most important neurotransmitters.

Even just 20 minutes of higher than usual intensity activity like going for a brisk walk 3 times a week can show improvements to your mental health.

This means that even if conventional methods of exercise typically found in a gym don't appeal to you, there's something out there that you'll enjoy.

Exercise For People Who Hate Exercise

If you're not a huge fan of the idea of going to the gym, or don't feel like running around the block is your cup of tea, there's still other things you can do that are just as beneficial to your mental health.

Here are some activities you might not have considered or might not have realized do just as much for you as lifting weights might.

1. Yoga

Yoga is unique when it comes to exercise because it involves not just physical practices.

Yoga actually refers to a combination of physical, mental, and spiritual practices that can be found in different balances depending on the school of yoga you find.

It should then come to no surprise that yoga, with its physicality as well as its roots in meditation, can be a great choice for exercise for maintaining mental health.

2. Cycling

For those of you who dislike walking or running, cycling can be another great option.

Because cycling places less strain on your knees, it can be a popular alternative for exercise that still allows you to experience the outdoors.

Even if you dislike the idea of going outside, most gyms that have running machines will also have cycling machines as well.

And if you don't like the gym, there are always lots of second hand exercise bikes for sale on Craigslist.

3. Swimming

If you find getting hot and sweaty during exercise to be a reason you avoid it, swimming might be a great alternative for you.

Because there's less pressure on your joints, many people find this form of exercise particularly soothing, especially when you can reward yourself at the end by taking a dip in the hot tub.

You'd be surprised by the price, too; memberships at your local pool are often cheaper than your typical gym membership.

4. Dancing

Maybe what's stopping you from exercise is the repetitive nature of it.

If that's the case, dancing is your perfect solution.

Dancing in its many shapes and forms provides a wonderful outlet for people to express themselves to the types of music they already enjoy listening to.

The best part is that because you're learning throughout the exercise, time flies by and you'll even have a routine to take home with you most of the time.

5. Walking

For some of us, exercise might just seem like more stress on top of an already stressful lifestyle.

Walking can surprisingly be just as beneficial as other forms of exercise provided you maintain a steady and brisk pace.

You can even take some music or a podcast on the road to keep yourself entertained when you're walking on your own, or you can always bring a friend or two and explore your neighborhood together.

Contact The Mindful Healing Clinic

As a progressive medical practice, The Mindful Healing Clinic integrates the best of modern science with natural therapeutics, providing individualized plans to help you reach your health goals.

If you want to find out more about how your mental health can benefit from exercise but you just aren't sure where to start, ask us your questions at The Mindful Healing Clinic.

Until next time,

Dr. Maria Cavallazzi, N.D

Mindful Healing Integrative Naturopathy
251 Queen St S Unit 4,
Mississauga, ON L5M 1L7
- https://goo.gl/maps/KYspifT7J232

Dr. Maria Cavallazzi is a medical doctor from Colombia where she practiced as a family physician for 8 years until she moved to Canada 16 years ago.

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To learn more ways about health, wellness, and alternative medicine, please visit us here: naturopathic clinic in Streetsville

5 Ways Eating Too Much Sugar Hurts You

Sugar is present in many of the foods that we eat -- some of which may surprise you.

Pasta sauce, BBQ sauce, fruit juice, granola, cereal, and more common foods are loaded with sugar.

And, at the same time, some high-sugar foods -- like granola bars and low-fat yogurt -- are sold under the guise of being healthy.

Because of this, it can be easy to consume too much sugar, which can have many negative effects on your body.

At the Mindful Healing Clinic, we can consult with you to provide natural diet tips to help reduce your sugar intake.

How does sugar affect your body?

Keep reading to find out.

Why Do We Love Sugar?

Sugar makes up a hefty portion of the average diet -- added sugar accounts for up to 11% of adult diets and 17% of children’s diets.

However, dietary guidelines recommend 10% or less of your diet consisting of added sugar, while many healthcare professionals advocate for even less, or zero.

Added sugar is not beneficial to a healthy diet since it is composed of "empty calories" – that is, calories with no essential nutrients.

So why do we eat so much sugar?

Our predisposition to consume sugar may be evolutionary -- an evolutionary biologist at Harvard suggested that apes once survived on sugar-rich fruit because it had more energy.

The belief that sugar is addictive is controversial, but whether or not sugar is proven scientifically to be addictive, we do know that it is present in many foods and drinks.

Soft drinks are one of the main sources of sugar for many people – their consumption has increased by an estimated 500% over the last 70 years.

A recent study found that a 1% increase in soft drink consumption is associated with a 4.8% increase in obese adults per capita and 0.3% increase in diabetes in adults per capita.

Health Risks Of Sugar

Some sugar in your diet from natural sources, such as fruit, can be healthy.

But there are health risks associated with diets high in sugar.

1. Increased risk of heart disease

A recent study found a correlation between an increased percentage of calories composed of sugar and an increased risk of dying from heart disease.

In addition, diets high in sugar promote insulin resistance and diabetes, and patients with diabetes have higher rates of coronary atherosclerosis, or narrowing of the arteries.

2. Increased risk of obesity

Rates of obesity are continuously on the rise, and sugar -- especially when found in sugary drinks, which are high in fructose -- are considered a main culprit.

Drinking beverages high in sugar can cause:

● Increased desire for glucose due to consumption of fructose
● Resistance to leptin, a hormone which regulates hunger
● Accumulation of visceral fat, which is associated with heart disease and diabetes

Sugary food and drinks are filled with “empty” calories, so they do not make you feel full when consumed – instead, they leave you hungry just an hour or two after eating them.

3. Makes you age more quickly

AGEs – or advanced glycation end products – are formed when sugar and protein in your body react.

Diets high in sugar have been linked to an increased production of AGEs.

These AGEs damage collagen and elastin, losing firmness in the skin, worsening wrinkles, and speeding up skin’s aging process.

4. Causes you to experience low energy

When we consume sugar, our blood sugar and insulin levels increase, giving us a burst of energy.

But it doesn't last long before blood sugar sharply drops, causing a “crash”.

Eating healthier fats can keep your energy levels stable.

5. It can impair your memory

Diets high in sugar can lead to memory impairment and accelerated cognitive decline.

Furthermore, there is an association between glucose levels and dementia risk, although further research is required to determine exactly why.

Contact The Mindful Healing Clinic

There are natural diet solutions available that are low in sugar.

If you would like to reduce your sugar consumption levels, contact me, Dr. Maria Cavallazzi, at the Mindful Healing Clinic.

During your initial appointment, you'll get a chance to sit down with me where we can talk about your diet and any other health concerns you may have.

From there, we’ll create a treatment plan based on your unique health needs.

Contact the Mindful Healing Clinic to book your FREE 15-minute introductory session today.

Until next time,

Dr. Maria Cavallazzi, N.D

Mindful Healing Integrative Naturopathy
251 Queen St S Unit 4,
Mississauga, ON L5M 1L7
- https://goo.gl/maps/KYspifT7J232

Dr. Maria Cavallazzi is a medical doctor from Colombia where she practiced as a family physician for 8 years until she moved to Canada 16 years ago.

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To see additional ideas about health, wellness, and alternative medicine, please visit us here: naturopathy in Streetsville