IHC Webinar Series Exploring Aesthetic Treatments for Radiant Skin and Youthful Appearance Wednesday, August 23rd, 6:30-7:30 pm (via zoom) CLICK HERE TO REGISTER NOW Hosted by Dr. Erin Rurak, ND and Dr. Michelle Willis, ND The skin is the largest organ of the human body and undergoes numerous changes throughout a person’s life. In this webinar Dr. Erin Rurak, ND and Dr. Michelle Willis, ND will discuss the different stages of skin changes and address ways to better take care and support these changes as they occur throughout life. There will be a focus on middle age and beyond when deeper wrinkles and skin sagging become more apparent. In addition to lifestyle and targeted supplementation, Drs. Rurak and Willis will discuss how neuromodulators (Botox) and laser therapy can be especially helpful at unlocking the beauty from within. FREE & Limited spots, so register now! | Tessa Gelderman, B.Sc., is currently in her fourth year of Naturopathic Medical Studies at Boucher CCNM. She will be completing a 6-month externship at Integrated Health Clinic with Dr. Rurak, ND who has a focus in integrative cancer care and menopause. With a solid foundation from her undergraduate studies at Trinity Western University, Tessa has embarked on a journey to explore the profound impact of naturopathic medicine in integrative cancer care and women’s health. During her time as a pre-med undergraduate student, she had the opportunity to meet and connect with Dr. Rurak, ND. In her third year of Naturopathic Medical studies, Tessa then had the privilege of preceptoring with Dr. Rurak for many months, an experience she describes as foundational to her current knowledge and passions. Their shared interests led to discussions that sparked Tessa's curiosity and deepened her understanding of how naturopathic doctors can make a difference in cancer care. Tessa witnessed the impact that naturopathic medicine can have on individuals facing a cancer diagnosis. Motivated by the passing of a dear family member to cancer, Tessa is driven to learn more about how naturopathic medicine can provide invaluable support to those navigating such challenging circumstances. Tessa is also interested in women’s health which includes general primary care, contraceptive access and support, cancer screening, and supporting women through the menopausal transition. She recognizes the significance of access to empathetic care in improving the quality of life for women throughout all stages of life. In her free time, she loves to go to her ranch in the Coquihalla Summit and hike with her dogs, kayak the mountain lakes, garden, and swim in the river. She hopes to incorporate her love of nature into her future practice, emphasizing the healing that can come from returning to nature. Tessa eagerly looks forward to her externship at the Integrated Health Clinic alongside Dr. Rurak, where she aims to expand her knowledge, get involved in the operations of Integrated Health Clinic, and contribute positively to the care of patients. | Cosmetic Botox® Dear Valued Patients, We understand the desire to look and feel your best heading into the summer holiday and we are delighted to offer Cosmetic Neurotoxin treatments (Botox®, Dysport®, Nuceiva®). At Integrated Health Clinic, we have a team of experienced and highly trained Naturopathic Doctors who are certified in administering Cosmetic Botox®. We prioritize your safety and satisfaction, ensuring the procedure is performed with precision and care to achieve natural-looking, individualized results. By reducing the communication between the nerves and injected muscles, Cosmetic Botox® works to reduce dynamic wrinkles in the short term and also to prevent further development of lines over time. The procedure is quick, minimally invasive, and requires no downtime, allowing you to resume your daily activities with little interruption. If you're considering Cosmetic Botox® to boost your self-confidence, we encourage you to schedule a consultation with one of our certified Naturopathic Doctors. They will assess your unique needs, discuss safety, the potential outcomes, and create a customized treatment plan to help you achieve your aesthetic goals while prioritizing your comfort throughout the process. Our team will take the time to answer any questions you may have, provide detailed aftercare instructions, and ensure you feel confident and informed about your Cosmetic Botox® experience. Call to book an aesthetic screening appointment to see how this treatment might benefit you (604)888-8325. In health, Dr. Hillary Godin, ND | LAB TESTING Did you know that at IHC we offer stool testing? There has been lots of research in the past few years regarding the gut microbiome (trillions of microbes that line the human digestive-tract). It is estimated that these microbes outnumber human cells 10:1! These microbes develop and change throughout our lives and can be influenced by what we eat and drink, where we live and travel, and our pets, family, and friends. Overall, our gut health plays a huge role in our health. After all, it is where we absorb and digest nutrients from the foods we eat. It also has important relationships to many other systems in our body such as our mental health, immune system, skin health and cardiovascular system. Thus, if there is an imbalance in our gut that may be caused by underlying inflammation, bacterial overgrowth, viruses, parasites or yeast, there can be symptoms throughout the body. IHC offers many lab tests that take a deep dive in any abnormalities in the gut and contributing to their overall health. The test results can then be used to guide treatment. One of the principles of naturopathic medicine is ‘Identify and Treat the Cause’, and often, the gut is a good place to start. Talk to your Naturopathic Doctor today to see if analyzing your gut could be another step to achieving your health goals. PMID: 26770121 Dr. Sarah Denotter, ND, Resident in Naturopathic Oncology | From the Cancer Care Centre | Hyperthermia and the Immune Response Hyperthermia (HT) makes the immune system become actively engaged against tumours. Yes, HT actually induces anti-tumour immunity, creating a type of “personalized” treatment approach. One of the most eloquent papers summarizing the known immune responses to HT was just accepted for publication March 2012 (Frey B, Weiss EM, et al. Old and new facts about hyperthermia-induced modulations of the immune system. Int. J. Hyperthermia, 2012, 1–15, Early Online). When discussing HT, we are discussing a treatment that can kill cancer cells through several mechanisms, makes chemotherapy and radiotherapy work better, and stimulates an immune attack against the targeted lesion(s). In this post, I will endeavor to provide an overview of the immune responses described in Frey’s paper. First some basics… - Since the time of Dr. William Coley, researchers have been trying to find the optimal “vaccine” with which to treat cancers. If only we could think of a way to get the immune system to attack the tumour itself. The search for the ideal bug or autologous (made from self) vaccine is now at a frenzied pace, for good reason.
- Treatments such as dendritic cell vaccines, tumour-specific vaccines, and the various viruses and bacteria injected into patients; have been in use for decades. Since this idea of recruiting one’s own immune system to attack the tumour makes all the sense in the world.
- Immune stimulation by the use of HT treatment for malignancies requires minimum temperatures of 40 to 41 ℃, and for adequate amounts of time (known as the Arrhenius Relationship). Please note that all reference to HT treatment of cancer hereafter assumes optimized temperatures and times.
- For the understanding of this post, it is critical to know that there can be two types of immune response:
- Innate – immune response that is non-specific, generalized and immediate.
- Adaptive – immune response that is specific and targeted with cells that have been “educated” for a specific target.
Enter HT… - Heated tumour cells develop damaged and unfolded proteins on their surfaces which make these cells recognizable by the innate immune system
- These damaged proteins on the cell surfaces of tumour cells look very different than healthy cells, which alarms the immune system
- Innate cells (such as Natural killer cells (NK) and granulocytes) are immediately sent to the tumour, recognizing these damaged and unfolded proteins
- These NK cells and macrophages then activate dendritic cells (DC)
- DC’s present the heat damaged proteins “collected” by the NK cells and macrophages to T cells (from the Adaptive Immune System)
- HT also promotes the maturing and migration of these DCs to the lymph nodes
- In the lymph nodes the T cells become “activated” or “educated” against these unfolded proteins on heated cancer cells (in a MHC-dependent manner for my fellow molecular biology buffs)
- The activated T cells are called Cytotoxic T Lymphocytes which attack and kill tumour cells
- This immune response is probably the main reason for the “bystander effect” or “Abscopal effect” of HT; Improvements to tumours in distant areas from the treatment site, noted in many HT studies
These HT-induced immune responses against the tumour has this paper calling HT “in situ tumour vaccination.” The point is that heat makes cancer cells look distinct from healthy cells, and attract an immune response that is both immediate and long-lasting. This is exciting and incredibly interesting to me. I hope this leads to further interest in this fascinating topic for the reader as well. Click to View YouTube Video Yours in health, Dr. Gurdev Parmar, ND, FABNO(USA) | Oral Contraception and Depression A recent study found a correlation between an increase in depression and oral birth control use. It seemed to be the highest in the first few years of initiating oral contraceptives. Oral contraception refers to oral birth control pills. The birth control pill works by preventing ovulation, and therefore inhibits the cascade of hormones that happen during a woman’s cycle. This inhibition of a woman’s natural hormones is being shown to be linked to depression. https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/birth-control-pills-may-increase-the-risk-of-depression Preventing an unplanned pregnancy is paramount in certain phases of a woman’s life. There are options that prevent ovulation, and there are other effective options that allow a woman to maintain her own hormones and still be 99% protected from conceiving. These include copper and low dose hormone IUDs. It's important to spend time with a healthcare provider and learn what birth control options are available and ensure you understand what option may be best for you. Dr. Karen Parmar, ND | Antioxidants to Protect Against Radiation from Medical Imaging CT scans, mammograms, X-rays, and PET scans are all common forms of imaging that expose the patient to radiation. This exposure is a common concern as it can increase the risk of cancer. Dr. Sarah Soles, ND Click to Read Full Blog Post | | Doctor Favourite Receipes | Salmon Candy Here are my favourite pluses for salmon bites: high protein, locally sourced ingredients, kids will eat, salty (great for cravings and to help you stay hydrated on hot days), nut-free (so kids-camp friendly). Did I mention gluten-free and dairy free? This snack is the best - 5 pounds skin-on salmon pieces, cut into 1- to 2-inch thick strips
- 1 pound kosher salt
- 1 pound brown sugar
- 1 cup maple syrup
1.Mix the salt and brown sugar together. Find a lidded container large enough to hold the salmon. We used pyrex baking dishes with matching lids. Lay down a layer of the salt/sugar mixture about 1/4 inch deep. Put a layer of salmon down on this, skin side up. Cover the salmon with more salt/sugar mixture. If you need a second layer of salmon, make sure the layer of salt and sugar between them is thick enough so that the pieces of salmon are not touching. Basically you are burying the salmon in salt and sugar. Cover and let cure in the fridge at least 1-2 hours. The longer the cure the saltier it will be - we brined for 1.5hrs. 2. Remove the salmon from the cure, which will get wet, and briefly rinse the fish under cold water. Pat dry with a paper towel and set the salmon on a drying rack skin side down. Let this dry in a breezy place for 2 hours, or in the fridge, uncovered, overnight. We put the drying racks on cookie sheets and laid out the salmon bites then popped them in the fridge overnight. You are doing this to form a pellicle on the salmon, which helps it smoke properly. Don't skip this step! 3. Traditionally salmon candy is cold smoked for several days. If you can do this, go for it. Regardless, you want to bring the temperature up gradually over the course of an hour or so and let it sit at around 165°F to 200°F for at least 3 hours, and up to 6 hours if you like your salmon candy harder and smokier. We used our smoking bbq for around 3 hours. 4. Every 90 minutes to 2 hours, paint the salmon with the maple syrup. This also helps to remove any albumen -- the icky white stuff -- that can form between the fish flakes if your smoker gets a little too hot too fast. Fewer coats of maple syrup can help limit the sugary sweetness if you prefer less sweet bites. 5. When the salmon looks good and lacquered, typically about 3 to 4 hours, remove it to the drying racks again and paint it one last time with the maple syrup. Allow to cool to room temperature before storing. Salmon candy will last a week in the fridge, longer if vacuum sealed. It freezes well, too. Ours turned out delicious at a fraction of the cost of deli salmon bites. Enjoy! Dr. Nicole Duffee, ND based on: https://honest-food.net/salmon-candy-recipe/ | Hours of Operation - Fort Langley Monday & Tuesday - 9:00 am to 5:00 pm Wednesday - 9:00 am to 7:00 pm Thursday & Friday - 9:00 am to 5:00 pm Saturday - 10:00 am to 3:00 pm Hours of Operation - White Rock Monday - Friday - 9:00 am to 5:00 pm NEW - Saturday - 10:00 am to 3:00 pm On Line Follow-up Bookings For all existing patients, we suggest you take 5 minutes and register below for our online booking platform. This will give you better flexibility to book your appointments 24 hours/ day, 7 days a week at no cost. Click the registration requesst link below, on the clinic page click the send registration just below the login button. Click to Request Registration Link | We care about you. We approach every patient as a unique individual with needs specific to your health. Expect a caring approach from us all. Visit our website to learn more. | | | | |
