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Managing Chronic Conditions Q&A
Skincare Certified: A Derm’s Guide to Better Skin with Dr. Muneeb Shah Can you share your advice for some chronic skin conditions?
Dr. Muneeb Shah Founder & CEO, DermCollective, LLC
There are many chronic conditions we treat in dermatology, like eczema and psoriasis. Seeking out effective treatment can improve most of these conditions. Here are my tips: • Find a dermatologist who can guide you on the right path. I know it’s difficult in Canada to find a dermatologist. Speaking to my colleagues, wait times can be over six months but if you have the privilege, they can definitely prescribe treatments that will help. • Stick to a skin routine. Whether it’s prescribed or a
Q&A
Learning About the World of Gut and Digestive Health with Abbey Sharp
As an RD, what advice do you have for Canadians struggling with chronic gut and digestive conditions like irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), gastroesophageal reflux disorder GERD, and ulcerative colitis? You don’t need to suffer a lone. A great dietitian who specializes in digestive health can be a key player in your health care journey. I myself have IBS, and working with a few of my colleagues who specialize in the area has given me so much more confidence over my body. We also know that the gut is intimately connected
Q&A
routine you find for yourself doing your own research, a routine can add balance to your life and help you see real improvement. For example, with conditions like eczema, cleansing with a gentle fragrance-free cleanser, avoiding hot showers, and moisturizing within five minutes of cleansing while the skin is still damp can really help if done consistently. • Stick to low-inflammatory foods. There’s not a lot of great research on how diet affects the skin, but we know that diets that are high in sugar can increase inflammation in conditions like acne and psoriasis. I always say what’s good for the heart is good for the skin. The Mediterranean diet is likely to be helpful. There’s even some evidence that intermittent fasting can be helpful for the skin. • Find support groups with similar conditions. My patients with conditions like hidradenitis suppurativa and psoriasis find a lot of help in these support groups on Facebook and other platforms. It’s a way to share tips and to find resources to help you.
to the brain and mental health, and of course when you’re struggling with a chronic digestive condition, it can be a vicious cycle. I strongly urge folks to invest in their mental health. A calm mind helps develop a calm gut.
Abbey Sharp Registered Dietitian & Founder, Abbey's Kitchen Inc.
Emily Johnson's Top Tips on Using Diet to Live Well with Arthritis What are some of the key messages you’d like to tell patients with inflammatory arthritis? The three things I would ask people to take away after reading this are
the following: • Be your own advocate: learn and get to know your body and your condition, ask the right questions, and figure out what you need for the best of your health. • Small or big, there’s always something you can do to help yourself. If it feels overwhelming, break it down one day at a time. • Be kind to you: have compassion and kindness for yourself, rest when you need to, say no when you need to, and take care of you.
Emily Johnson The Natural Remedy, @ArthritisFoodie
Read the full interviews with these influencers on managing chronic conditions on healthinsight.ca.
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