Dr. Ashley Damm, ND

03/11/2020

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I will be closing down this page at the end of the month. If you'd like to continue to learn more health tips, education and/or more about what I do, please follow my Instagram account and connect with me on LinkedIn for up to date info, research, and content.

I hope you're all enjoying this beautiful day :)

10/31/2019

Do you feel refreshed first thing in the morning? How long does it take you to get going? How is the quality of your sleep?

Good sleep is foundational for health and prevention. And yet it’s astonishing the number of patients I see who report unrefreshing sleep. We know that good quality sleep is essential in many health concerns. This includes immune function, mental health, cardiovascular health, hormones, and many other things. It’s difficult to see sustainable changes in health if you don’t have a regular, good night’s sleep.

We are creatures of habit. Our bodies are regulated by an internal biological clock, also known as a circadian rhythm. This rhythm is an important way of letting us know when it’s time for sleep. Therefore, having some form of routine is an important way of letting our bodies know it’s time for bed. The routine you hold the hour before bed is especially important. The practices you hold during this time is known as sleep hygiene.

If you find you have unrefreshing mornings, a good place is to start is optimizing your sleep habits. Check out my blog to see my 10 tips for creating good sleep hygiene.

Your sleep hygiene plays a pivotal role in establishing good sleep quality. Learn my top 10 tips for optimizing your sleep routine for a refreshing sleep.

10/28/2019

Some days are a struggle. You wish the weekend was longer, you wish you had a bit more energy, you wish your to-do list was a tad shorter.

On days like that, I know my self-care game is off. There will always be things to do, and micro stressors apart of your day, filling up your cup. If you don’t have outlets in place to pause, reflect and release your stressors, your cup will become full.

Self-care doesn’t have to be fancy or expensive. It can mean cooking yourself a nutritious breakfast, going to bed early so your body can rest, getting some form of movement to get blood flow and move stagnation.

Be accountable. Listen to your body.

What kind of self-care do you have in place today?

10/22/2019

Lunch Break = the period in the middle of the day when people stop work to have lunch.

How many of you actually take a break in the middle of the day? Step away from your work and your phone, sit down and eat your meal, go outside for a walk, etc.?

It’s astounding how uncommon it is to actually take a break in the middle of the workday. However, it’s super important! We need a good balanced meal to nourish our body, some movement to get healthy blood flow and a step away from work to ground ourselves and reset. You may find your productivity actually increases when you step away and take a break.

Eating away from work also allows you to digest your food better, because your awareness is now focused on eating and not distracted by other things.

I encourage you to step away and take a break, for the full 30 minutes! And no time like the present to start; it’s a beautiful day today in Vancouver.

10/16/2019

VITAMIN D - Very common to see deficiencies here in Raincouver. Health Canada recommends a daily intake between 400-2000 IUs per day (depending on the risk) because vitamin D deficiencies are so common!

Intramuscular Vitamin D3 is a nice option for those who forget to take their dose, for those who have poor digestive and absorption issues, and for those who have refractory levels; they’ve supplemented for months with no changes to their levels.

To test or not to test Vitamin D? Some say because everyone is deficient, don’t bother testing. However, if there are clinical symptoms or specific health goals you’re working towards, and you’re unsure if your vitamin D levels are responding to your supplementation - testing may allow you to better target your dose or change up your strategy.

Vitamin D deficiency has been studied in playing a role in numerous things, including:

- Autoimmune disease
- Bone health
- Hormonal health
- Fertility
- Cardiovascular disease
- Diabetes
+ And many more

If your interested in learning more, give us a call : 604-678-8600

PMID:28580189

10/03/2019

Cold and flu season is here! Check out my top 10 tips to bounce back quickly:

Wash your hands - scrub with soap and water, thoroughly and often. Many people are fighting off colds/flus around us, best practice is prevention by washing hands.

Hydrate: warm fluids, sipped constantly throughout the day to help flush things out.

Warm nourishing foods: we don’t want our body working too hard by eating tough things to digest. However, we want nourishing foods that restore and provide essential nutrients to support our immune systems. Organic bone broth soups are a wonderful option.

Avoid sugar and processed foods - the goal is to minimize inflammation so your immune system can focus on fighting off any active infection. Sugar and processed foods are inflammatory.

Cold wet sock treatment - my absolute favorite. Wring out cold, wet socks and layer with wool socks over, right before bed. Great for pulling congestion and heat out and away from the head. Sounds terrible, but your body quickly warms the socks and it works fantastic.

Rest rest rest. Any vigorous activity or “pushing through” means your body is using resources for something other than fighting off your active infection. This will simply prolong your cold and flu. Listen to your body and rest.

Vitamins A, C, E, D, and minerals zinc and selenium are tools your immune system fight off an infection. These are great immune-boosting nutrients.

Herbs: Echinacea, Andrographis, and Holy basil are immune-supporting and antimicrobial herbs that help quickly fight off active infection.

IV Nutrient Therapy - a fantastic way to bypass your digestive system and get high dose nutrients directly to the bloodstream. Nutrients such as Vitamin C, B vitamins, zinc, selenium, etc. in a hydrating bag may boot your immune system and be an added benefit for some.

Disclaimer: always consult with your health care provider before adding in supplementation or herbs to make sure they are suitable for you.

Stay healthy!

08/22/2019

Supplements - QUALITY MATTERS

Supplements are nutrients or herbs encapsulated and taken for a therapeutic purpose. Not all supplements are created equally. Is your supplement not working for you? Ask yourself these questions:

DOSE: Is the dose correct? Many supplements are providing very low doses of nutrients. Supplements need to be doses at therapeutic levels - these are levels at which they have been studied to have an effect. If you’re not getting the right dose, your supplement is probably not working for you. Supplements should be taken at the correct time of day and for a designated amount of time. At these higher doses, you should be monitored by your ND or MD to ensure you’re taking the correct dose, safely.

INGREDIENTS: Can you absorb the supplements you’re taking? Many of the standard grocery store supplements contain nutrients that are poorly absorbed. This means - you’re not getting the benefits you’re looking for - you’re simply pooping it out. 🙊 Good quality supplements may cost a bit more - but you’re likely absorbing and utilizing the nutrients you’re taking.

QUALITY: Are you getting what they say you’re getting? A classic example is probiotic. How many live bacteria are actually present when you take them? One study looked at 52 products and only 5 accurately described the bacterial count. (meaning, many of the bacteria were dead by the time you took them). 🙉 Another example is fish oil. Your fish oil should not taste fishy. Fish oils are OILS - they are prone to oxidation and can become rancid. Fish are also reservoirs for contaminants - does your supplement brand check for and remove these contaminants?

Quality matters. Check your supplements to make sure you’re getting the right dose, the active ingredients and is a brand that prides themselves on good quality.

08/15/2019

Today I want to introduce you to your THYROID gland. 🦋

This butterfly shaped gland sits in front of your neck and impacts almost every cell in your body. It’s function is far and wide: it regulates your metabolism (how you burn your food and produce energy), your digestive function, or neurological and brain function, your cardiovascular system, your mood, your bone and tissue growth, your fertility etc.

Very important hormone in the body. Very commonly out of balance.

It’s estimated that between 8-10% of women suffer from hypothyroidism and this number is thought to be grossly underestimated.

Why? Reference range to determine “normal vs abnormal” thyroid levels are widely debated and VERY person-dependant. Two people can have the same levels of thyroid hormone (based on their lab results), but can clinically present VERY differently. This is why as a naturopathic doctor, I never treat the labs, I treat the person.

Some signs of HYPO-thyroidism (= LOW thyroid hormones): fatigue, difficulty losing weight, brain fog/poor concentration, low mood/depression, constipation, hair loss, cold all the time etc.

08/12/2019

It may seem like you’ve heard this a thousand times, and there is good reason for it.

💡 Refined foods are known as “fast” carbohydrates. Why? Because they are processed and pre-broken down for you. When you eat refined foods, your body can digest it QUICKLY into simple sugar (glucose) and it is absorbed into your blood. The can lead to a spike in your blood sugar QUICKLY.

💡Your body responds by releasing ‘insulin” from your pancreas. Insulin is a hormone that takes sugar from the blood and puts it into your cells to use for energy production.

💡When you eat refined foods, you get a QUICK spike in blood sugar, followed by a RAPID release of insulin, which quickly removes sugar from the blood. Sometimes your body over-shoots the amount of insulin released and results in “hypo-glycemia” (too much sugar was dumped into the cells = low blood sugar). This can give you a “crash” in energy, commonly experienced after eating.

👎🏾 Overtime, this pattern can lead to “insulin resistance”: when your cells stop listening to insulin. The sugar and insulin are left in the blood and can cause problems such as diabetes, inflammation, cardiovascular disease, fertility issues etc.

👎🏾 Additionally refined foods are stripped of nutrients and packed with additives. This provides little value to you. The additives need to be detoxed out, using up more of your nutrients. In addition to insulin resistance, overtime, you’ll feel sluggish, tired, have difficulty losing weight etc.

❌ The good news is that this is easily preventable. Avoid or significantly limit the consumption of refined/processed foods. Examples: white breads, pastas, cookies, crackers - basically anything in a box or packaging.

✅ Cook from scratch as much as possible, and stick to SLOW carbohydrates. Slow carbs take longer for your body to break down and result in a slow rise in blood sugar. This gives time for your body to detect and release the APPROPRIATE amount of insulin. Examples: veggies (!), legumes, whole grains etc.

👩🏾‍⚕️ General rule of thumb: stick to the outer aisles at the grocery store*

08/07/2019

Antioxidants and why they’re so important. //

Inflammation is a common cause of PAIN. This may include menstrual pain, muscle pain, arthritic pain, headaches, abdominal pain etc.

The process of inflammation generates “reactive oxygen species” or “free radicals”. These are highly reactive molecules necessary to combat things like bacterial or viral infections. However, chronic inflammation can lead to an excess of reactive oxygen species, and put “oxidative stress” on your system.

Oxidative stress can cause damage to your DNA, your cell membranes and your mitochondria (energy producing cells). As you can imagine, long term effects of this is not great.

Conventional treatments often involve taking anti-inflammatories (NSAIDS) such as ibuprofen. This doesn’t target the root cause of your symptoms and may be masking an underlying problem. Additionally - long term use of ibuprofen increases your risk of stomach ulcers and bleeds.

Understanding the root cause of your inflammation may help you regain balance and prevent you from taking drugs long term. Identifying CAUSES of inflammation and removing them is the first step. Common lifestyle causes of chronic inflammation include: diet high in refined/processed foods, stress, poor sleep, lack of exercise, alcohol/smoking.

The next step is getting enough ANTIOXIDANTS - to counter the inflammation.

Antioxidants (i.e. Vitamin C, E, A, Zinc, Selenium, Copper, glutathione) - are your body’s natural way of combating oxidative stress. Ensuring adequate intake of antioxidants is the next major way of reducing your excess inflammation.

Sources of antioxidants: colourful veggies and fruit.

How much antioxidants: this is person dependent, but generally aim to have HALF your plate full of colourful veggies per meal.

That can seem like a lot, and often requires mindful increases. Things that help:
(1) Make a big salad at the beginning of the week and store in the fridge
(2) Pre-cut and clean veggies on the day you purchase them. This extra step makes it easier throughout your busy week
(3) Serve your meals over a bed of greens
(4) Buy a blender - smoothies are a quick and easy way to get your antioxidants in the AM

PMID: 28669580, 28584491

07/24/2019

Did know that the moments leading up to your meal are one of the most important for optimizing digestion?

Engaging your senses during food preparation stimulates the “cephalic phase” of digestion. This causes the secretion of digestive enzymes and stomach acid BEFORE you eat.

Cooking meals from scratch, smelling your food, sampling a taste are some of the ways to get your cephalic phase going.

Proper food hygiene is one of the foundations for health as it powers up your digestive system, and encourages proper break down of your foods - so you actually ABSORB the nutrients from the food you’re eating. Check out my blog to read more about it.

Food hygiene is the most important step optimizing your digestion, healing your gut and getting the most nutrition from your food.

07/23/2019

Endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs) are chemicals that interfere with your hormonal system.
And unfortunately there is an abundance of them in our daily environment.

Our hormonal system is a carefully balanced communication network, and is interdependent with numerous systems (brain, hormonal glands, liver, gut etc.). This careful balance allows your hormones to perform their action and then get metabolized and excreted out.

With an excess of EDCs present in our environment, they are easily absorbed into the body. EDCs mimic naturally occurring hormones and can bind to receptors and confuse your natural hormonal system, disrupting the natural rhythm and balance of our hormonal pathways. Additionally, chronic exposure makes it difficult for our body to metabolize and excrete them out.

Numerous studies have demonstrated the role of BPA (one major EDC) in infertility, cardiovascular disease, thyroid imbalance, and many many more.

One major step you can take to reduce your exposure to EDCs is eliminate contact with plastic as much as you can. This doesn’t need to be stressful. I encourage you to be mindful of small changes you can make - which overtime go a long way!

5 steps to get you started:
(1) replace plastic water bottles with stainless steel or glass
(2) replace storage Tupperware containers or Ziploc bags with mason jars or glass containers
(3) keep reusable cloth bags in your car for shopping
(4) take a reusable steel or ceramic mug for when grabbing a coffee/tea
(5) change to solid soap bars - there are great options for shampoos and body soaps

https://www.ewg.org/ is a great resource to learn more. PMID: 26371021, 25813067, 12414890, 24392816