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To Zoom or not to Zoom?

By Monica Grainger, MSW, RSW Recently, a NY Times writer David Streitfeld published an article, “The Long, Unhappy History of Working From Home,” claiming people are more productive working at the office than working from home. Streitfeld cited research dating back to the early 1980’s to 2009 where prodigious companies, such as Google and IBM, declared there was greater productivity, team innovation, creativity, and availability if employees worked in the office compared to working from home. Research dating back 40 years investigating the plausibility of working from home versus in-office work is outdated and tangential with the advent of online video conferencing. Applications, such as Zoom, Face-time, and other online Hiipa compliant video conference technology, are more sophisticated in our present time and available to a larger population. Hence, team innovation and creativity, accountability, and availability are now made possible for many work groups to meet through video conferencing.  […]

By |2023-04-28T10:23:25-04:00July 29th, 2020|Anxiety, Mental Clarity, psychotherapy|Comments Off on To Zoom or not to Zoom?
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The Coronavirus and Your Anxious Children

By Monica Grainger, MSW, RSW This is an unusual time. Families are asked to stay at home and engage in social distancing due to the coronavirus (COVID-19). Families are becoming flooded with news from around the world about the deadly result of this virus. As we are becoming more anxious about COVID-19, the anxiety is mounting among our children. I have highlighted some behaviours which may lessen our childrens’ anxiety regarding the coronavirus. People are fearful and discussions about death are rampant. Children easily sense fear in other people. They need to be comforted and reassured that they are safe at home. In the next few days and weeks to come, help your children reduce their anxiety by adhering to the following recommendations: […]

By |2023-04-28T10:12:18-04:00March 24th, 2020|Anxiety, Cold and Flu Season, Mental Clarity, psychotherapy, Supporting Your Child|Comments Off on The Coronavirus and Your Anxious Children
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Corona Virus Prevention & Support – A Naturopathic Approach

By Dr. Angelina Riopel, ND Currently the Corona Virus (COVID-19) has become the center piece of every news story. My purpose in this article is to provide you with information on how keep your immune system strong. COVID-19 is classified as a pandemic by the WHO and the number of people infected is rising quickly around the globe. It’s important to recognize that the majority of individuals who are already or will become infected, will experience symptoms of a typical cold or flu. As with any respiratory infection, those at greater risk are the elderly (over 65) and those with underlying health conditions and lowered immunity. Without a known cure or vaccine it’s crucial for individuals to focus on two areas; immune system health and acute care. […]

By |2023-04-28T10:07:54-04:00March 14th, 2020|Cold and Flu Season, Naturopathic Medicine, ND Editorial, Nutrition|Comments Off on Corona Virus Prevention & Support – A Naturopathic Approach
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Cow Dairy Intolerance: The Evidence

By: Dr. Kathleen Regan, ND Humans have been consuming cow dairy for thousands of years. In fact, a recent archaeological dig from Britain showed that prehistoric farmers were consuming dairy products as early as 6,000 years ago – despite being lactose intolerant! And we are still at it! Humans consume dairy in volumes despite it being linked to a number of problematic health issues such as diarrhea, constipation, dermatitis, eczema, respiratory conditions and more. Cow dairy offers a creamy, satiating food that is readily accessible. Its nutritional profile is noteworthy with 1 cup of 2% milk offering 8g of protein, 5g of fat, 30% of daily calcium requirement as well as naturally occurring Vitamin A and B6. However, despite this healthy profile, milk seems to cause a lot of problems for a lot of people. In Canada, close to 7% of the population report a food allergy. At the top of the list of reported food allergens is dairy with 2% of the Canadian population reporting an actual Cow’s Milk Allergy (CMA). This is the highest reported food allergen in Canada! Anecdotally, from my clinical practice, many patients speculate that dairy is a trigger for their health concerns. However, they are often told that ‘there is no evidence’ that milk or dairy-based foods is an inflammatory or immune-triggering food – and so they don’t eliminate dairy. I am always surprised to hear this as there is plenty of evidence that milk is problematic. Here are a few reasons why:  […]

By |2023-04-20T10:31:16-04:00March 11th, 2020|Allergies, Digestion, Naturopathic Medicine, ND Editorial, Nutrition, Pediatric Health|Comments Off on Cow Dairy Intolerance: The Evidence
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‘Defecation Posture Modification Device’ AKA ‘The Squatty Potty’

By Dr. Kathleen Regan, ND Squatting during bowel movements (BMs) is commonly practiced in the Middle East, Africa, and Asia while western populations prefer to use the toilet. When people say they are ‘constipated’, they are often referring to not ‘going’ daily but are also often referring to a lengthy time spent attempting to poop, straining or incomplete poops. These last few problems lead to troubling issues such as pelvic floor issues, hemorrhoids or fissures, blood in the stool and, of course, stress. People become nervous to ‘go’ which worsens the problem. But there is hope in sight! […]

By |2023-04-20T10:50:04-04:00March 7th, 2020|Digestion, ND Editorial, Nutrition|Comments Off on ‘Defecation Posture Modification Device’ AKA ‘The Squatty Potty’
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Getting to the Root of Constipation

By Dr. Angelina Riopel We are what we eat, but we are also what we do not eliminate! Proper elimination of toxins and waste is as important as the food and nutrients that we take in. When we are constipated the toxins from the stool become reabsorbed and recycle through the body. Improper elimination of waste can lead to inflammation, chronic digestive concerns, allergies, skin rashes, eczema, fatigue as well as many other symptoms. What is a Normal Bowel Movement? Normal is a pretty loose term, but you should be having at least one bowel movement everyday and it should feel like you have completely evacuated your bowel. The stool should be formed, not hard or pellet-like, loose or watery. Blood and mucus is not normal. […]

By |2020-03-05T14:26:42-05:00March 5th, 2020|Digestion, ND Editorial|Comments Off on Getting to the Root of Constipation
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Women’s Heart Health

By: Dr. Keara Taylor, ND Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of morbidity and mortality among older post- menopausal women.  As women, the risk of cardiovascular disease is 2-3 times higher after menopause (1).  Statically, men are at a higher risk, however, as women age, their level of risk approaches that of men, and the lifetime risk for women may actually be higher because we live longer (2).  The risk of cardiovascular disease in women should not be underestimated, and because there appears to be a link between hormones and cardiovascular disease – we see rates increase significantly after menopause – we can and should be proactive in managing that risk, especially as we age. The average age of menopause in women is approximately 51, and is often accompanied by the immediate symptoms of hot flashes and night sweats. However, longer-term issues can also arise, such as cardiovascular disease, osteoporosis and cognitive impairment. The Study of Women’s Health Across the Nation (SWAN) looked at the correlation between a menopausal woman’s experience of vasomotor symptoms like hot flashes with cardiovascular risk factors.  It found that vascular aging, endothelial dysfunction and large artery stiffening seemed to increase in women during the menopausal transition and that women with hot flushes had higher rates of subclinical cardiovascular disease (1). As women enter menopause, treating symptoms with bioidentical hormone replacement therapy (BHRT) may be a good option, and should be discussed with a health care practitioner. While the use of BHRT in menopause is beyond the scope of this article, here are some dietary and lifestyle practices that you can implement right now that have been shown in the literature to reduce the risk of cardiovascular events: […]

By |2023-04-28T10:16:01-04:00February 26th, 2020|Cardiovascular Health, Naturopathic Medicine, ND Editorial, Nutrition, Women's Wellness|Comments Off on Women’s Heart Health
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Connecting Cancer & Nutrition

By Dr. Kathleen Regan, ND I have always found the connection between nutrition and health fascinating. I have written many articles on this topic but rarely addressed the connection between food and cancer. It is certainly something I think about and talk about to patients in the context of prevention and adopting an anti-inflammatory diet. Recently, I have been affected personally by a number of cancer diagnoses in my own family where there was no prior family history. In my reading, I have been alarmed by the increasing number of cases worldwide. The World Health Organization (WHO) predicts that the number of new cancer cases is expected to rise by approximately 70% over the next 20 years (1). There is no denying that the way we are living, the chemicals we are exposed to and consume, how we are farming and how we are managing our environment is influencing our global cancer risk. In addition, we are getting older as a population and cancer can be an age-related disease. Finally, our immune system is one of the most important defences we have against cancer and many of our modern practices work to suppress this important system. If you wrote a list of ALL the potential cancer-causing elements in our world, you would be overwhelmed and wouldn’t know where to start. This is why I like talking about lifestyle and food. You can modify your habits (with a little support) and you can control your own kitchen. Positive change starts at home and nutrition is an impactful, empowering place to begin. So, what are the facts? An estimated one third to one half of cancers could be prevented by healthy lifestyle choices such as eliminating tobacco [...]

By |2023-04-21T02:52:30-04:00February 5th, 2020|Cancer, Naturopathic Medicine, ND Editorial, Nutrition|Comments Off on Connecting Cancer & Nutrition
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The Hormone & Mental Health Connection

By: Dr. Keara Taylor, ND When it comes to addressing and optimizing mental health, it is vitally important to take a holistic approach, which may include looking at and addressing your hormonal health since hormones and mental health are intrinsically linked. As we know, PMS or premenstrual syndrome, is composed of both physical and psychological symptoms, which include low mood, anxiety, mood swings, social withdrawal etc. that occur in the two week period prior to menstrual bleeding and affect daily functioning. PMDD or premenstrual dysmorphic disorder is defined in the DSM-5 and includes severe mood and physical symptoms (1). We see an increase in low mood and anxiety in peri- and post-menopausal women (2). All of this shows us that mood changes can be linked to shifts in hormones, such as a decline in estrogen, and sometimes a rise in progesterone or progestogens, which can then affect neurotransmitters like serotonin, GABA, and dopamine(3). A good way to determine whether hormones are affecting your mood symptoms is to track your symptoms along with your cycle. There are many free apps out there that make this very easy. If you are undergoing a hormonal transition, for example, pregnancy, post -partum, or perimenopause, then it may be worthwhile to work with a health care practitioner who can help you determine whether your hormones are having an effect on your mental health. The importance of a proper diagnosis cannot be stressed enough to ensure that you get the proper care and treatment that you need (4). […]

By |2023-04-28T10:08:52-04:00January 28th, 2020|Hormone Health, Mental Clarity, Mind Body Medicine, Naturopathic Medicine, ND Editorial, Nutrition, Post Natal Care, Self Care, Sexual Health, Women's Wellness|Comments Off on The Hormone & Mental Health Connection
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Emotional Disconnection in the Workplace

By: Monica Grainger, RSW, MSW For years we have been bombarded with leadership mantras, motivational speakers, and gurus who espouse their innovative, evidence-based, best-practices meant to marvel and inspire the masses. Leaders who are excited to teach their employees new models, new strategies, new evaluations believe they will profit from greater teamwork, increase in production, and yield greater economic results. What leaders ignore is the toll it takes on their employees. Employees are feeling an incredible amount of pressure to perform, are faced with more work and fewer resources and have less emotional support. Consequently, there is a great emotional disconnection with leaders, managers and their employees.This emotional disconnection arises when employees sniff out their disingenuous leaders energetically offering new and improved strategies but in reality they are piling up more work, and forcing employees to continually outperform themselves. […]

By |2020-02-21T15:30:29-05:00January 15th, 2020|Uncategorized|Comments Off on Emotional Disconnection in the Workplace
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