By Dr. Kathleen Reagan, ND The holidays are around the corner and we are starting to think about how to manage through all the festive excess. Sometimes it is easier to add foods to our daily routine than it is to restrict. What is easier to add to a meal than a spice? Spices have a long tradition of pulling meals together for taste but they also have a history of medicinal use. Here are some spices you can add to bring a bit of health to your holiday. […]
By Dr. Kathleen Regan, Naturopathic Doctor We are coming up to that time of year, the dreaded cold & flu season! Staying healthy can be simpler than you think with a few small lifestyle changes. […]
By Xianmin Yu, R.Ac Have you considered starting off the year with some acupuncture? Preventative acupuncture treatment is one way to prevent illness throughout the year. What is prevention treatment? The conception of prevention has been raised in the traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) classic more than 2000 years ago. This prevention treatment idea is composed of two important meanings. First, it stresses the important notion of dealing with any potential or foreseeable illness by applying acupuncture, moxa, herbs in advance on your healthy bodies to prevent them from taking place. Second, it stresses an important notion of stopping the existing illness from transforming and transporting to other parts of your bodies by applying TCM treatment methods. A metaphor that could be used here is to prepare weapons ready before the war starts. […]
By Quinn McCutcheon, Hom With the winter months, comes cold weather, and with that comes cold and flu season. Cold and flu viruses thrive with less humidity and in cold weather. When this season is in effect, think Homeopathy. Homeopathy helps assist the body to relieve symptoms and support the immune system to return back to optimal health. […]
Managing the Cold & Flu naturally is about prevention and quick acute care at the first sign of illness. It helps to be prepared with these cold & flu packaged waiting in your medicine cabinet. PreOrder your supplement packages ahead of time with us and receive 15% off. Prevention Package Deep Immune Herbal Tincture 250 ml Unda Muccoccinum Chaga Blend or NFH Mushroom Blend Acute Care Package First Defence Herbal Tincture 250 ml Douglas Labs Zinc Lozenge Viriditas gargle or NFH Ascorbatate Innate Wellness Botanicals Cold & Flu Tea
By Dr. Angelina Riopel, ND This is the time of year that many of my patients ask about cold & flu prevention. With the holidays on the horizon the pace of life, pressure and late nights are increasing, which can increase your chances of getting sick. There is a lot that you can do to help defend yourself from getting sick and if you do get sick, help to lessen the duration and severity of the symptoms. There are two categories to address when it comes to cold’s & flu’s: 1) Prevention is the stage that we keep the immune system strong in order to prevent getting sick. 2) Acute Care is the stage that you have the opportunity to nip it in the bud and avoid a long, drawn-out illness! We begin treatment at the first sign of getting sick. […]
Dr. Kathleen Regan is one of the co-founders and naturopathic doctors at Innate Wellness. She works a lot with families and kids. We asked… what are the most common health question from families? Apparently, this is a tough question to answer because families come in for all sorts of things from basic nutrition advice to skin conditions. But, at this time of year, she gets asked a lot of questions about the cold & flu. Read more on our interview with Dr. Regan. Dr. Kathleen Regan, ND Can Naturopathic Medicine treat the Cold & Flu? Of course! Cold & flu treatment begins with prevention. This starts with the basics like staying active, eating balanced meals & seasonal foods, dressing appropriately for the weather and keeping stress managed. But when a cold or flu strikes, natural medicine is one of the best options to try first! Why? Most colds and flus are viral in origin – antibiotics don’t work here. But there are many wonderful herbs that have antiviral effects. These can be taken in soups or as teas, tinctures and supplements. Many people don’t know how effective naturopathic medicine can be in these cases so we often see patients after they have tried everything else. I like to remind my patients ahead of flu season to book in for a flu prevention visit or an acute check-in visit when the flu strikes before they try more conventional routes. […]
By Dr. Kathleen Regan, ND Immunity is about harmony between the person and their environment that involves a complex web of interactions including those with other people, culture, food, work, weather…. Everything! One might say that the immune system is about relationships or how the cells of the body relate to the outside world. A person dealing with an immune issue whether it is frequent illness or autoimmune conditions like rheumatoid arthritis or lupus MUST consider the relationship between their inner world and the outside environment. The Mind-Body-Immune System Connection An increasing body of research supports the idea that the mind and nervous system are capable of modulating immune response. The term ‘psychoneuroimmunology’ comes from the growing understanding that our thoughts, moods and emotions affect our neurological and endocrine systems that affect our immune function. The immune system communicates with our neurological and hormonal systems to activate or inhibit immune function. Physical illness and immune system issues can also affect our mental and emotional well being. This relationship goes both ways. […]
by Dr. Angelina Riopel, ND The change of seasons requires a conscious shift in how eat and care for ourselves in order to support vitality, immunity, metabolism and digestion. As we move from autumn to winter this is even more essential for individuals with colder constitutions and weak digestive systems. Improve Circulation Support Digestion Keep Your Wind Gate Covered Support Your Kidneys […]
By Dr. Kathleen Regan, ND Did you know that herpes can be worse in the winter? We are talking about both types of herpes - oral & genital. The cold weather places a big burden on the immune system which allows the herpes virus to thrive. The herpes virus lives in the nervous system where it hides from the immune system. But when our immune guard is down (during long, cold winters), the virus emerges. The best way to treat herpes naturally is by supporting the immune system. This will prevent the need for conventional medications during acute breakouts. Below is a summary of up-to-date facts on the virus, dietary tips, as well as chronic & acute naturopathic treatments for the herpes virus. Herpes FACTS Roughly62% of adolescents are infected with HSV-1 (Oral Herpes) Roughly 25% of the population test positive for HSV-2 (Genital Herpes) Only 10-20% of individuals who test positive by blood have actually had lesions (That means many people don't know they have the virus!) The first episode is usually the most severe and can involve lethargy, fever, headache and swollen glands (especially in the groin) Once exposed the virus will typically take 3-5 days to cause an outbreak (Although, the virus can incubate for much longer) Re-occurring infections are typically less severe The virus incubates in the nervous system where it lives until it is periodically reactivated The virus can 'shed' meaning that it can be transmitted from one person to another even when symptoms aren’t present (this is in 5-10% of infected individuals) The most serious complication from HSV-2 (Genital Herpes) is transmission from mother to her newborn child where the virus is most dangerous (this is often avoided with [...]
