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Iodine Deficiency and Weight Loss

By Dr. Allana Polo

A lot of patients I see are frustrated with their weight loss efforts. Many have tried fad diets, and been promised by a billion dollar industry that they can lose weight quickly and effectively with a magic pill. I do offer a quick and effective weight loss method (our Pound a Day program - ask me about it!) but I caution patients at the start of the program, it isn’t always going to be easy. Weight loss takes some effort; I wish there was some magic to it instead.

Through these patient interactions, I have learned a lot about what promises are out there: herbs and supplements that promise nearly instantaneous results. While it is true that some vitamins, minerals and foods are highly effective at promoting healthy weight loss, and that some people are stuck in the efforts because of deficiencies or food sensitivities, it rarely happens that we see results just from supplementation alone. I don’t recommend diet pills.

It was in one of these patient interactions that I learned that some people are talking about iodine supplementation in the context of weight loss. I felt compelled to set the record straight: supplementing with iodine does not promote weight loss (unless you have a thyroid problem). Here is the article I wrote for Green Med Info.

 

Read Iodine Deficiency and Weight Loss: Is it the Next Big Thing?

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How to Get Rid of Foot Odour

by Dr. Allana Polo, ND

Mother Nature is turning up the heat here in New Westminster, BC and with the warmer weather comes sandal season. Baring your toes, and getting sweaty under the sun, also means that a certain something else can surface … embarrassing foot odour. This topic came up recently when a patient asked me this question,

My son has the worst foot odour I have ever experienced! What can we do to help keep his feet, stuck inside runners all day, smelling a little bit sweeter?

I shared the following prescription with this hopeful mom, and I know it can work for you too. Get rid of foot odour, for good, with these tips.

Wash the shoes.

I recommend putting the shoes through the dishwasher for a cycle. This will cleanse the shoe of existing odours and they should come out smelling quite fresh. Once you eliminate the existing odour, it is time to ward off future stink.

Wash the feet.

Soak the feet in diluted apple cider vinegar. The acidity of the vinegar will neutralize odour and cut through the bacteria that is causing the stench. You can do this every night as part of a maintenance routine.

Coat the feet in a natural deodorant, coconut oil combination and try natural tea tree oil powder.

Right out of the soak, I recommend coating the skin in coconut oil. This is a natural way to boost the skin’s own defenses against odour-causing bacteria. Each morning you can also coat the feet in a natural deodorant which will, in a similar way, work to protect the skin from the bacteria that causes a smell. Tea Tree Oil in a powder form is also a natural odour-fighter because it combats the bacteria. I recommend coating the skin in this powder each morning.

Grab some off-the-shelf foot odour solutions for your shoes.

Having your feet stuffed inside the same shoes all day creates the growth of odour-causing bacteria. Keeping the shoes smell-free is another good way to make sure you are protected from embarrassing smell. There are a lot of over-the-counter solutions at the drugstore, like sneaker balls, which fit into the shoe and act as a kind-of air freshener.

There really is no secret to combating odour, on any part of the body. Regular cleansing, and the help of natural odour-fighting products like coconut oil and apple cider vinegar, will keep any embarrassing stench at bay. The best part of this prescription, I haven’t recommended anything that may contain harmful chemicals not right for yourself, or your children.

 

Have any tips of your own. Be sure to share them with me!

 

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