Dr. Meghan MacKinnon ND Women's Health Naturopathic Doctor | Newmarket, Aurora, King City, East Gwillimbury, Keswick, Sutton, Georgina, Bradford, Richmond Hill
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Mad About Matcha - My Favourite Superfood

19/10/2012

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Superpower Green Tea
By Meghan MacKinnon, BSc, ND
Markahm & Aurora Naturopathic Doctor

Those of you who see me as patients, know that I am a green tea 'pusher', having a  'more is always better' approach.  I wanted to share a few things about why I love green tea and my newest favourite - matcha!  Green tea has long been know for it's health promoting properties, having links to cancer and heart disease prevention, weight loss, as well as preventing diabetes and dementia and even has anti-aging properties due to it's high    anti-oxidant content.  Most of the benefit from green tea has been linked to a component in it called EGCG.  Matcha refers to green tea leaves that have been ground into a fine powder.  When prepared this way, the tea has more amino acids and increases the amount of EGCG and other nutritional ingredients in it dramatically, making it a superpower green tea!  

Does Green Tea Contain Caffeine?  Yes, all green tea (including matcha) contains a small amount of caffeine (roughly half that of coffee), so it can be used effectively as a caffeine substitute.  Green tea also has a component in it called l-theanine.  L-theanine creates a feeling of relaxation, improves focus and concentration without agitating the nervous system, meaning that you should feel calm and refreshed after drinking green tea, rather than the jittery feelings often associated with coffee.  

Where Can I Get Matcha?  Most health food stores should carry matcha products and believe it or not, this is actually what's used at Starbucks to make their Green Tea Lattes (although I can't comment on the quality or amount of EGCG in their matcha)!  Note:  Yes, it really is that expensive, but yes it really is that good.  Grinding the leaves is a slow and expensive process, taking up to one hour to produce one ounce of matcha.  

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Preventing and Treating Alzheimer's Dementia

16/1/2012

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What You Can Do To Keep Your Brain Sharp
Meghan MacKinnon, BSc,ND
Naturopathic Doctor in Aurora, ON and Markham, ON
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In the spirit of Alzheimer’s awareness month, I thought I would share some naturopathic thoughts on dementia and Alzheimer’s.  It is often forgotten that the brain is no different than our heart and can respond to things such as nutritional changes, stress reduction and exercise, which is where naturopathic medicine steps in.  An integrative and holistic approach can help to reverse many of the symptoms of AD and slow its progression.

Exercise- Those who engage in physical activity have a significantly lower rate of occurrence of AD because of increased blood flow to the brain.

Cognitive Exercises- Get out the Sudoku, crossword puzzles or my favourite- Scrabble!  Doing activities that challenge the brain can increase the growth of nerves in your brain helping to prevent degeneration.

Low Fat Diets- Keeping your fat consumption low is beneficial in treatment of AD while having high amounts of the healthy omega -3 fats.  This is often best obtained from a good quality fish oil supplement free of heavy metals and contamination commonly found in fish.

Antioxidants- Antioxidants such as B-vitamins, vitamin C and high amounts of fruits and vegetables are key to a successful integrative AD program.  People with AD have inflammation in their brain caused by a “pro-oxidant” environment and having high amounts of anti-oxidants will help to preserve brain cells.

What about Ginkgo biloba?
Many people ask me they should take Ginkgo  to prevent dementia.  Ginkgo has been shown to increase circulation to the brain and it acts as an antioxidant making it great to treat and prevent dementia at the right dose.  People who are on anti-coagulants should not take Ginkgo unless under the direction of their medical or naturopathic doctor.

Alzheimer’s Warning Signs
Recent memory loss that affects job skill
Difficulty performing familiar tasks
Problems with language
Disorientation to time and space
Poor or decreased judgement
Problems with abstract thinking

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    Dr. Meg MacKinnon Naturopathic Doctor
    Aurora
    Newmarket
    King City
    Richmond Hill
    Holland Landing
    Sharon/ Queensville
    Bradford
    Keswick/ Georgina

    Meghan has a passion for supporting others achieve their health goals.  She provides optimal care for her patients by applying a scientific approach to all treatments, while investigating all other factors that contribute to health and well-being.


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