Nutrition | Innate Wellness Naturopathic Medical Centre

The Damiana Chocolate Love Liquor Recipe

By Dr. Kathleen Regan, NDI’ve always loved working with herbal medicine, especially when it offers a chance to combine health with pleasure. With Valentine’s Day around the corner, I wanted to share something playful yet rooted in tradition—a delicious damiana chocolate liqueur. This blend features cacao, rose petals, and damiana, a plant historically used as an aphrodisiac to enhance connection and mood. It’s a taste-forward treat you can prepare in advance and pour straight from the jar on your next date night. Adapted by one of my favourite herbalists, Rosemary Gladstar, in her Family Herbal book.The main medicinal ingredient is ‘Damiana’, a herb known to relieve anxiety, improve libido, and treat erectile dysfunction or even female impotence. These traditional uses align closely with the principles of Naturopathic Medicine, which supports the body’s natural ability to heal through plant-based remedies and holistic care.1 Ounce of Damiana Leaves2 Cups of Brandy1.5 Cups of Spring Water1 Cup of HoneyVanilla ExtractAlmond ExtractRose WaterChocolate Syrup […]

By Dr. Kathleen Regan ND|2025-05-27T02:37:12-04:00February 4th, 2016|Nutrition, Sexual Health|Comments Off

Heart-Healthy Superfoods

‘Prevention is definitely the best medicine when it comes to heart health’. By Dr. Kathleen Regan, NDHealthy hearts are predicted by:Normal blood pressure (~120/80mmHG),Balanced lipid profile (Low Total Cholesterol, Low LDL, High HDL, Cholesterol Ratio)Body mass index between ~18 and 24.Cardiovascular problems such as hypertension, high cholesterol, and obesity are caused by a perfect storm of poor nutrition, high inflammation, and poor immune function. Much of this can be avoided or even remedied with diet and lifestyle, especially when incorporating heart-healthy superfoods into your daily meals.Balanced consumption of carbohydrates, protein, and fat feeds a hungry heart, fights inflammation, and balances the immune system. Specific vitamins and minerals are required daily for the heart to function, and most of these can be found in food. But what do these ‘heart-friendly’ foods do to protect our hearts? Whether you are in wellness mode or struggling with cardiovascular issues, understanding how your foods work will help you make the right choices. […]

By Dr. Kathleen Regan ND|2025-05-27T02:28:10-04:00February 4th, 2016|Cardiovascular Health, Nutrition|Comments Off

Herbal Bitters for Digestive Drama

With Dr. Angelina Riopel, ND As we move into holiday season restrictive diets go out the window, and rightfully so. Unfortunately with holiday indulging many are plagued with digestive drama, such as gastric reflux, gas, bloating and bowel changes such as constipation and diarrhea. Alcohol, fatty foods and excess sugar put stress on the liver, leading to “liver stagnation” and large, complex meals can lead to incomplete digestion, due to insufficient gastric juices. Traditionally herbal bitters and digestive cordials were taken to prevent indigestion and improve digestive efficiency. The flavor of bitter is one that the western diet is lacking, culturally our preference being for sweet, salty and fatty. Traditionally and in many other cultures bitter herbs, bitter greens and bitter aperitifs are taken before or after meals to improve digestion and avoid the unpleasant digestive symptoms that follow heavy meals. […]

By Dr. Angelina Riopel ND|2024-09-26T07:22:24-04:00December 8th, 2015|Digestion, Nutrition|Comments Off

Stomach Healing Holiday Recipe

With Liane Wansbrough, CNP Looking for a digestible recipe for your holiday potluck party? This delicious salad is warm and filling like a gratin but without the cheese hangover. Not to mention, the nutrients in this recipe are great stomach healers. The rich zinc content in pumpkin helps to heal the stomach lining. Garlic, natures’s great natural antibiotic, helps to combat bacterial overgrowth. While all-spice contains herbs which warm and strengthen digestion. If chickpeas give you gas, substitute with 1 cup of soaked and peeled almonds. […]

By Innate Wellness|2024-06-14T03:17:10-04:00December 8th, 2015|Nutrition, Recipes|Comments Off

Darkness, Rain & Cold. Prevent the Weather from affecting your Health.

by Dr. Kathleen Regan, ND Did you know that weather has a huge impact on health? From ‘catching cold’ to winter blues, the fall & winter bring darker hours, damp/cold rain and eventually, dry cold weather that can compromise our health if we aren’t prepared. Understanding seasonal changes is one of the most important steps you can take in cold & flu prevention and in maintaining health all-year long. Darkness We have evolved with the 24 hour light-dark cycle of our planet. Our exposure to sun and darkness influences all of our biorhythms from temperature regulation to sleep cycle to hormonal balance. Long-dark days are notorious for causing us to sleep longer, feel more fatigued, and ‘out-of-sorts’. Tip#1 There are always beautiful, sunny days in the fall and winter. Get outside during these times and expose yourself to the light. This will help to boost mood and physiological balance. Tip#2 Supplement with adrenal support. The adrenal gland sits on top of the kidneys and is responsible for the secretion of cortisol, which is one of the hormones affected by long-dark days. Depletion or imbalance in cortisol secretion can leave us feeling, tired, and overwhelmed with poor stress tolerance. Taking adrenal support will help to nourish this gland and regulate production of stress hormones helping us to manage our stress better. Tip#3 Supplement with melatonin as the season changes. Sometimes the worst part about change is our inability to adjust. The dark days come and we never really make the natural transition. Taking melatonin before bedtime sends a message to the brain that darkness has come and it is time for sleep. This helps us to achieve a deeper state of [...]

By Dr. Kathleen Regan ND|2024-06-24T08:50:36-04:00September 7th, 2015|Cold and Flu Season, Nutrition, Self Care|Comments Off

The Family Breakfast Smoothie Recipe

By Dr. Kathleen Regan, ND Looking for a quick, simple, healthy, delicious breakfast solution for the whole family? A breakfast smoothie is a great way to boost breakfast nutrition and get the family off to a great start! Understand the nutritional benefits and enjoy! […]

By Innate Wellness|2024-06-13T02:49:09-04:00July 25th, 2015|Nutrition, Recipes|Comments Off

Winter Warmer Squash & Kale Quinoa Salad

with Lisa Holowaychuk, Holistic Health & Life Coach Looking for a FRESH & HEALTHY recipe for the holidays? Look no further. This dish will keep you feeling warm and is a great addition to any holiday spread. Makes 4 to 6 servings as a main dish. Ingredients: 1 1/2 cups quinoa 3 cups water 2 teaspoons olive oil, divided 1 onion, chopped 2 garlic cloves, minced 1 1/2 cups peeled, cored and diced butternut squash 1 1/2 cups roughly chopped kale (previously washed and cleaned) 2 teaspoons fresh thyme, chopped vinaigrette Directions: In a large pot, bring the quinoa and water to a boil, reduce the heat and simmer, covered until all the water has been absorbed (about 20 minutes). Remove from the heat, fluff with a for and place in a large bowl to cool for 20 minutes. In the meantime, heat one teaspoons olive oil in a large skillet, add the onion and cook until it turns translucid. Add the garlic, butternut squash and kale. Cover with a lid and cook for about 10 minutes on medium-low heat. Remove the lid, check that the butternut squash is tender but not mushy or hard when you poke a piece with a knife. Add the thyme and continue cooking until the all the liquid creating by the cover has evaporated. Let cool to room temperature. Gently fold the cooked quinoa and the cooked vegetables together along with the vinaigrette. Serve room temperature or cold.

By Innate Wellness|2024-04-18T10:00:46-04:00November 27th, 2014|Nutrition, Recipes|Comments Off

Get Exposed to Sun Smart Tips!

The sun can be harmful but it is also healing. The benefits of sun exposure often get overlooked due to the risks. This why we need to be sun smart and treat our skin with a balance of skin supportive diet tips, healthy sun exposure, and toxin-free sun protection. We have been told for the last century about the hazards of sun exposure. UVA radiation penetrates deeply into the skin, where it can contribute to skin cancer by promoting DNA damage. Sunburn is caused by too much UVB radiation; this directly damages DNA and can promote various skin cancers. Both forms can damage collagen fibers, destroy vitamin A in skin, accelerate aging of the skin, and increase the risk of skin cancers. However, excessive ultraviolet ration exposure accounts for only 0.1% of the total global burden of disease in disability-adjusted life years (DALYs), according to the 2006 World Health Organization (WHO) report The Global Burden of Disease Due to Ultraviolet Radiation. In contrast, the same WHO report noted that the annual disease burden of 3.3 billion worldwide might result from very low levels of ultraviolet radiation exposure. What are the Benefits of Sun Exposure??? […]

By Dr. Kathleen Regan ND|2024-06-19T02:59:54-04:00June 3rd, 2014|Nutrition, Skin Hair & Nails|Comments Off

Detoxification: A Detox Guide to Body Cleanse

Article By: Dr. Nadia Kumentas NDWhat is Detoxification?Although you may be familiar with the term “detoxification” do you really know what it entails? Most people link doing a detox with weight loss, and while this isn’t necessarily false, there is a lot more to consider when we want to partake in a full-body detox. To start off, is doing a “detox” even necessary? The short answer is YES. In today’s world, we encounter around 2.5 billion pounds of toxic chemicals (including 6 million pounds of mercury alone) each year. Did you know that the average newborn baby has 287 known toxins in his or her umbilical cord blood? You can only imagine how many toxins you have been exposed to by this point in your life if we started with that level of toxic load!Here are some, but not all, of the factors that can contribute to your total toxic load (i.e., total amount of accumulated toxins in the body):Heavy metal exposure, ex. Mercury, lead, petrochemicals, residues, pesticides, and fertilizersAllergies ex. Food allergies, environmental allergies, moldsPoor diet ex. Eating a standard American diet that includes processed, high fat, high sugar, high salt foodsMedications ex. Remember that what goes into the body has to get processed; most pharmaceuticals have a toxic load on the bodyInternal toxins ex. bacteria, fungus, and yeast inside our own systems and intestines, as well as hormonal and metabolic toxins that we need to eliminateMental, emotional, and spiritual toxins, ex. Stress, anger, loneliness, irritability, hostility, etc., all have a profound effect on our body chemistry and all of which translate into toxins in our systemA little scary, right? The good news is that our bodies are well equipped to eliminate toxins on a day-to-day [...]

By Innate Wellness|2025-05-05T05:33:12-04:00April 26th, 2014|Detoxification/Cleanse, Digestion, Nutrition, Uncategorized|Comments Off

Ginger and Cinnamon Winter Tonic – Recipe + Health Benefits

By: Andrea Sarjeant, CNP Here’s a great recipe for a winter tonic that will warm you up wherever you take it! If you read Dr. Kathleen’s last post, you know that plenty of warming and immune boosting spices already live in your kitchen cupboard. Here’s a recipe for a steeped tea that you can make with simple ingredients. It will keep you warm and healthy during this cold weather: Ginger is a peripheral circulatory stimulant, which means that it’s great for people with cold hands or feet. Adding ginger to your food or sipping on ginger tea can even increase nutrient absorption. Cinnamon is a warming spice that will help to keep you from getting sick, thanks to its antimicrobial and antibacterial properties. And cinnamon can help to boost your mood. Ancient folklore says that the smell of cinnamon helps to ward off the winter blues. Ginger and Cinnamon Winter Tonic In a large mason jar or teapot, combine: 1” piece of ginger, sliced (peel it if it’s not organic) 1 cinnamon stick Honey, maple syrup or stevia to taste (although I don’t find that it needs it) Cover with boiling water and allow to steep until cool enough to drink. You can continue to top up with boiling water for several steeps. Enjoy!

By Andrea Sarjeant CNP|2024-06-19T03:07:31-04:00February 3rd, 2014|Cold and Flu Season, Nutrition, Recipes|Comments Off