Category: Health

Refreshing Sleep: How to wake up in the morning feeling refreshed in the winter

12/6/2016

Refreshing sleep article by Dr Justin Gallant ND

Waking up refreshed is rarely checked off as (Yes) on the review of systems that I give each new patient. There are quite a few things that I’ve seen work personally and clinically to achieve a refreshing sleep. If you have an underlying condition which is causing sleep issues or fatigue, those conditions should be addressed. I’ll discuss those conditions below, as well as strategies you can use to get a restful, refreshing sleep.

Here’s a sneak peak:

Misting humidifier
Leave the pets out
Timing is important
Snore stopper mouth guards
Conditions which can cause sleep conditions and fatigue
Environmental factors
Pumpkin seeds!
Sleep cycle app
Water
Get vertical
Protein
Coffee

Click "Read More" to read more about how to feel refreshed in the morning

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Vitamin D Deficiency: Symptoms, why it's so common and what to do about it.

11/19/2016

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Vitamin D deficiency information by Dr Justin Gallant ND

Vitamin D deficiency symptoms

Vitamin D deficiency has been coming back low in so many of my patients lately.

Getting your vitamin D tested before winter comes is a great idea because it’s only going to go downhill until summertime.

The main symptoms of a vitamin D deficiency are:

Fatigue
General poor sense of well-being
Discomfort in muscles, joints and bones
Muscle cramps, weakness or discomfort
Low mood, depression or Seasonal Affective Disorder (S.A.D)
Getting sick all of the time or taking a long time to recover from infections or viruses.
Low white blood cells (leukopenia), specifically low neutrophils (neutropenia).
Increased risk of several different cancers
Osteopenia or osteoporosis
Flaring of autoimmune conditions like eczema, psoriasis, rheumatoid arthritis, etc...
Cold sore or shingles breakouts
Hair loss
There are too many too list!

Click on "Read More" or scroll down to learn more about vitamin D deficiency

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Fatigue... There's a good chance you're not just being lazy

7/26/2016

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Fatigue... There's a good chance you're not just being lazy

Fatigue by Dr Justin Gallant ND

Fatigue...

I hear it all of the time after running proper blood work for a patient, “I thought I was just really lazy, it’s so nice to see why I have no energy on paper.”

There are many different causes of fatigue and in my practice I have so many patients claim that they are lazy, but once I run proper blood work, we realize what the true cause is.

Click read more if you'd like to read about the most common causes of fatigue, why they're often not diagnosed, and more.

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Why am I so cold and tired all the time? All about iron deficiency by Dr Justin Gallant ND

3/12/2016

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Iron deficiency can cause you to feel cold, tired and weak. Dr Justin Gallant ND

Iron deficiency: The most common reason for fatigue and feeling cold

Iron deficiency is one of the most common conditions I see in practice and also one of the most misdiagnosed. These patients are told their iron is fine by either their doctor or the receptionist but this is far from the truth.

Iron deficiency symptoms:

These symptoms can vary based on your iron levels. Some will just have one extreme version of a symptom and others will have a bunch of these symptoms.

Iron deficiency causes pale nailbeds as illustrated in the picture above.

Feeling tired all of the time
Feeling cold all of the time
Restless sleep
Weak nails
Pale nailbeds (refer to picture)
Restless leg syndrome
Muscles spasms
Shortness of breath when trying to exercise
Palpitations
Pale skin
Hair loss
Low blood pressure
Depression and post-partum depression
Chronic fatigue
Brain fog
Random sharp stabbing left-sided chest pain
Poor blood sugar control
Dark bags under eyes (pale skin reveals the dark veins in that area)
Heavy periods
painful periods
Easy bleeding
Easy bruising
Low motivation
Constipation

There's much more juicy information below, please click on "Read More" if you'd like to learn more information about iron deficiency. I discuss why it's so commonly undiagnosed, proper reference ranges, why certain iron supplements are terrible and others are amazing, causes of iron deficiency, why you feel cold when you have low iron and who should get their iron tested.

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Why Do I Get Itchy Dry Skin in the Winter?

11/26/2015

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Dry skin in the winter article - Naturopathic Doctor Justin Gallant.

Most of us dread the winter, partly due to being so itchy. Whatever heating mechanism we use, whether it’s a furnace, radiator, fire place or space heaters, they warm the air up by drying up the water molecules in the air. This means humidity is decreased. The reason we get so itchy is because the water molecules on our skin, in our eyes, our nasal passages and sinuses get dried up as well. This can lead to itchy skin, dandruff, dry eyes, raw bloody noses and sinus pain. Since the humidity is low and you don't drink liquids during your sleep, it's difficult to keep our skin moist.

For information on what to do about dry itchy skin please click on the read more button below.

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Your attitude can be the strongest medicine or the strongest poison

9/17/2015

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Whether it's sports, exams, relationships or cancer, your attitude is one of the most important tools that you have.

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How to be Health-Empowered

7/12/2013

It’s great to be health-conscious but since good health is something we strive for, for almost a whole century, it’s better to take it a couple steps further and be health-empowered! When you’re conscious about something, you are aware of it and it’s possible to make a choice about it. When you are empowered, you have full control over it and can make quality, lasting changes.

Here's a list of steps you can take to become empowered over your health (click on Read More for the full blog)

1. Keep copies of your blood work and understand it
2. Know your family history
3. Ignorance isn’t bliss when it comes to your health, the earlier you find an issue, the easier it is to treat.
4. Seek professional healthcare, don’t peruse internet forums or medical websites to diagnose and treat yourself.
5. Don’t be ashamed or embarassed of whatever condition you have.
6. Understand your condition.
7. Be as open as you can about what’s going on, we have a lot to learn from each other.
8. Be open-minded!
9. Know correct doses for supplements
10. Read labels
11. Join health-empowering websites
12. Keep your health records organized
13. If you have a chronic health condition, keep a journal
14. Get a Doctor that you like and is open-minded
15. Have a team of healthcare practitioners looking after you.
16. Try avoiding the food you love for a month
17. Come see me!

Refreshing Sleep: How to wake up in the morning feeling refreshed in the winter

Vitamin D Deficiency: Symptoms, why it's so common and what to do about it.

Vitamin D deficiency symptoms

Fatigue... There's a good chance you're not just being lazy

Fatigue... There's a good chance you're not just being lazy

Why am I so cold and tired all the time? All about iron deficiency by Dr Justin Gallant ND

Iron deficiency: The most common reason for fatigue and feeling cold

Iron deficiency symptoms:

Why Do I Get Itchy Dry Skin in the Winter?

Your attitude can be the strongest medicine or the strongest poison

How to be Health-Empowered

Dr Justin Gallant ND

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