An Interview with Dr Ardyce Yik
20 Jan 2012 08:24:39 AM
For this month’s Wellness News, Kevin Fung spoke with Dr Yik on her passion for Naturopathy, helpful advice in weight management, and the power of laughter.
Kevin Fung: After graduating from the University of Toronto with a degree in Human Biology, you went on to study at the Canadian College of Naturopathic Medicine. Since when did you become interested in Naturopathy and what factors influenced your decision to become a Naturopath?
Ardyce Yik: I have always wanted to help people. My plan was to pursue a career in healthcare and conventional medicine. But an illness in the family led me to see the limitations in pharmaceutical drugs, especially when it comes to chronic illnesses. I began my own research in naturopathic medicine and found the holistic approach very promising in the longer term.
It’s the perfect blend of all the elements I have always been interested in, from healthy eating and fitness to helping people to address the root cause of problems, not just treat the symptoms. I also believe in the body’s natural healing ability, given the right support and building blocks for health. So I decided to become a Naturopath.
You mean Naturopathy is more effective than conventional medicine?
I don’t think one is better than the other, as both are very important. There’s a time for either system or both, depending on the situation. For example, if you have acute appendicitis, I’ll be sending you to the hospital. Conventional medicine is crucial for acute and life-threatening situations, whereas naturopathic medicine is more effective in treating chronic health problems.
One major difference from conventional medicine is that we want to identify the root causes of the chronic health problems. If a patient suffers from chronic pain or fatigue, we don’t use drugs to suppress the symptoms. We identify where the problem truly lies so we can address the root cause and help the patient get back to health.
Naturopathic doctors prefer to use a drugless approach as opposed to invasive medical procedures and pharmaceutical drugs, but we do use conventional diagnosis and lab tests—routine blood tests, IgE/IgG food intolerance blood tests, hair mineral analysis, heavy metal toxicity tests, salivary hormone tests, etc. I also use traditional Chinese medicine diagnostics for assessment.
You have treated people with all types of health conditions, from women’s and children’s health issues, fertility concerns, allergies, chronic fatigue, to heavy metal toxicity and even various types of cancer. But you also help people manage their weight problems. Can you tell us more about the Weight Loss 2.0 Program?
Besides healthy eating and lifestyle principles, the program focuses on dealing with the underlying issues—food cravings, medical conditions, emotions such as anger or stress that people may be expressing or hiding with food. The program includes one-on-one consultations to discuss any personal health concerns as well as to ensure that any hidden barriers to weight loss are addressed. Clinically tested supplements are used to enable participants to regulate appetite and cravings without feeling deprived. And then there is the added bonus of making new friends with similar goals and motivating one another every step of the way.
The program is suitable for people diagnosed with high cholesterol, type II diabetes, fatty liver or polycystic ovarian syndrome.
Why is it so difficult to manage the weight problem on our own?
First of all, some people may not be consciously aware of how much they eat. Sometimes a patient will complain about gaining weight and claim that s/he isn’t eating much. When I ask for a detailed 24-hour diet recall, it will go something like this: “I had coffee this morning. I only had a chicken salad for lunch. I had some Häagen-Dazs ice cream afterwards—it was hot outside… then a handful of almonds plus a banana in the afternoon—they’re healthy right? I think that’s—oh wait—and 2 chocolate chip cookies from a colleague. Hmm. I guess I ate more than I thought!”
If indeed they are not overeating, there could be functional or medical conditions that are causing them to gain or retain weight. If you have an underlying condition that affects your metabolism or weight, you won’t be able to lose weight despite efforts to eat less and exercise more. In fact you may even feel worse after such efforts. In this case, being overweight is merely the symptom. A healthcare practitioner can investigate the possible underlying health issues.
It is also a good idea to have professional supervision even when you are losing weight. In our bodies, toxins are stored in fat tissues. When you start to “burn fat”, these toxins get released into your blood stream. If you lose weight too quickly, excessive toxins will be released into your blood stream and this may create a variety of unhealthy symptoms and conditions such as headaches, flu-like symptoms, mucus production and joint pains.
Why are we seeing a rise in obesity in general?
There are many contributing factors, in addition to overeating, unhealthy diet and lack of exercise. Emotional issues such as stress and anger may play a role.
A few years ago, scientists in the U.S. identified a class of endocrine-disrupting chemicals that are making people fat. “Obesogens,” as they call it, are thought to act by hijacking the regulatory systems that control body weight. They are natural or synthetic compounds which mimic estrogen and they are found in our food water, the scientists explained.
How can we protect ourselves and reduce obesogen exposure?
There are a number of things we can do to lower obesogen exposure.
Nine out of ten commonly used pesticides are obesogens. Some foods have very high levels of pesticides—celery, apples, strawberries, blueberries, peaches, sweet bell peppers, kale, cherries, potatoes and grapes. Buy organic if you can, or you may choose to go non-organic for other foods which have low pesticide residue, like avocados, sweet potatoes, cabbage and kiwi fruit.
Many endocrine-disrupting chemicals are also found in fatty foods of animal origin as well as seafood. The Centre for Food Safety in Hong Kong advises avoiding excessive exposure to DDT, a hazardous toxin, from fatty foods of animal origin and consuming seafood in moderation.
Don’t heat your foods in plastic. The synthetic chemicals found in plastics are hormone disruptors. Not only do they promote fat storage in the body but they also increase the risk of early puberty and hormone-related ailments such as breast cancer and prostate cancer.
Filtering your water is also a good idea. A reverse osmosis or activated carbon/ ceramic water filter removes most pesticides, impurities, and industrial pollutants.
IMI is launching a new program focusing on prenatal care. There will be a series of free seminars and you are one of the presenters. Can you tell me more about the seminars?
Yes, a group of IMI practitioners will be giving seminars on various topics in prenatal care. My colleague Gianna Buonocore and I will be presenting on 16th February. Gianna will talk about the importance of emotional wellbeing during pregnancy and how acupuncture and other remedies can assist a healthy pregnancy and efficient labour. I will talk about the basics of pregnancy nutrition, how to prepare for a natural childbirth and alternatives to the epidural, as well as the benefits of breastfeeding.
Anyone interested can register at IMI reception or call 2523-7121.
Thank you, Dr Yik. Anything else that you want to tell Wellness News readers, perhaps some health advice?
Try laughing more. Laughter is a great antidote to stress, pain and conflict. It also strengthens social bonds and relationships. If you can’t find a reason to laugh or be happy, try counting your blessings- list aloud 3 things you are thankful for every morning (this is homework I assign to some of my patients!). I truly believe that laughter, joy, love and a positive attitude are not only integral parts of the healing process but also key to optimal wellness.
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Dr. Ardyce Yik is a board-certified naturopathic doctor who was educated and trained in Canada. She earned her Doctor of Naturopathic Medicine (ND) designation at the Canadian College of Naturopathic Medicine after completing her pre-medical studies at the University of Toronto. She is licensed and registered with the Board of Directors of Drugless Therapy (Naturopathy), the regulatory body for naturopathic medicine in Ontario, Canada.
Before her relocation to Hong Kong in 2008, Dr. Yik was Clinic Director of a successful health clinic in Toronto. Fluent in both English and Cantonese, she is dedicated to helping her patient achieve and maintain optimal health and wellness.
Dr. Yik writes regularly for various magazines and has also appeared as a naturopathic medical expert on Bloomberg Television. You can follow her health blog at http://drardyceyik.com.
