By: Kerri Lambie Registered Homeopath & Holistic Nutritionist. Over the past few years there has been a shift towards a more holistic way of life. We go to farmers’ markets for fresh, local foods, to studios for mental and physical wellness and even to juice bars instead of pubs for our social gatherings. So, it is not surprising that parents are now searching for safe, natural ways to treat their greatest treasures, their children. […]
By: Lindsey Danisch MSW, RSW I’ve never thought of myself a health nut, but I do consider myself a conscience consumer. Suddenly, when I got pregnant, I found myself questioning my entire lifestyle. It started with the questions I was being asked about the kind of mother I wanted to be. When I didn’t know the answers, I started to get a little nervous. But that’s what research is for! But then, otherpeople started asking me questions too: Do I want an epidural? Will I use a midwife or a MD for the birth? Do I want to breastfeed? Am I already on a list for childcare? Will I use cloth or disposable diapers? Will I co-sleep? While I choose to believe most people asking the questions had good intentions and aren’t trying to judge my answers, it was hard not to judge myself. This being my first baby, I had not made these decisions before. This is where anxiety steps in. […]
By Dr. Kathleen Regan, ND Some of you may know that I recently welcomed my first child into the world with a natural birth at the Toronto Birth Centre. My husband and I, along with our amazing team of midwives shared the amazing moment that our first-born son entered the world. […]
Q&A with Dr. Keara Taylor Dr. Keara is joining the Innate Wellness Team in High Park. She is a High Park local and a new mom with a general family practice. She will be taking over Dr. Regan’s maternity leave and staying on to build her practice at Innate. Learn more about her style of practice! […]
Symptoms of PMS and Common Relief MethodsManaging PMS with acupuncture offers a natural, holistic approach to alleviating symptoms like mood swings, headaches, tender breasts, acne, cramps, and back pain. While many women accept these discomforts as part of their cycle, acupuncture for PMS relief provides a sustainable alternative that doesn’t rely solely on medication. By focusing on specific acupuncture points, this therapy helps balance hormones and release blocked energy, addressing both physical and emotional symptoms. When combined with lifestyle adjustments, acupuncture not only eases visible discomfort but also promotes long-term relief, enabling women to experience more comfortable cycles.Hormone Balancing Acupuncture for PMS SymptomsIn Traditional Chinese Medicine, the week before the expected arrival of your period is a very warm time. Core body temperature rises, acting like an incubator to prepare your body for a possible pregnancy. Some women do very well with a boost of warm energy, as heat has a tendency to rise and expand. But if the heat is left unchecked or there is underlying inflammation, possible symptoms may include throbbing headaches, irritability, and acne break-outs on the face, chest, and upper back. Diet Tips to Reduce PMS SymptomsFor these women, the following simple diet changes can be helpful:Neutralize the excessive heat by including the following in your diet:Fresh fruits and vegetablesGreen teaChamomile teaAvoid adding to the heat by reducing your intake:AlcoholFried or greasy foodsCoffeeHow Acupuncture Can Reduce PMS SymptomsYang also represents movement, so try to incorporate some activity into your daily routine at this time. Whether it is walking, dancing, cross-fit or swimming – anything that gets your body moving through a range of motion will be great. Some women actually feel very fatigued at this time of the month and can hardly [...]
By Xianmin Yu, Registered Acupuncturist What is perimenopause? Perimenopause refers to a period around menopause, which marks a transition period of female’s sexual function from maturity to decline or to the end of reproductive time. This transition period usually starts in the mid-40s, but some females might even start this process as early as their late-30s. Perimenopause is actually a normal process for females to have some physiological changes. Due to body constitution differences, and social and psychological factors, females who could not adapt to this physiological transition smoothly, would develop perimenopausal syndrome accordingly. Perimenopause involves a series of clinical symptoms caused by endocrine (i.e., reproductive endocrine and neuroendocrine) disorders and autonomic dysfunction which are triggered by decreased estrogen level. As ovarian function declines to complete loss, both blood estrogen and progesterone levels drop, which breaks up the balance of hypothalamus-pituitary-ovarian axis, and thus leads to autonomic dysfunction. Typical symptoms are irregular periods (i.e., the coming period is unpredictable as the length of time between two periods varies dramatically). Popular clinical symptoms include sleep disorders (i.e., insomnia, shallow sleep, easy to wake up, dreaminess), sweating after hot flashes, fatigue, palpitation, dizziness, ear ringing, irritability, depression, anxiety, joints pain (osteoarthritis), low back sore, and heel pain. Other common clinical symptoms include forgetful, breast fullness, abnormal skin sensations, knee weakness, decreased sexual desire, intercourse pain, etc. Thee symptoms vary in severity, and may show up partially or entirely in some severe cases. […]
Interview with Leigh-Anne Best, Registered Massage Therapist Leigh-Anne is one of the talented team of RMTs at Innate Wellness. Both as an RMT and as a mother, she has tackled many women’s health issues including pelvic floor health, pregnancy, labour and postpartum health. She is a wealth of information on how massage can be used for women specific concerns. We asked her to help us understand a little more about how this wonderful modality can be used for health & healing in women. Q1: How can massage therapy help to address women’s health? Massage Therapy is well known for its ability to promote relaxation, reduce stress and muscle tension, as well as for its role in rehabilitation and injury prevention. However, there is less of an understanding of the benefits of massage as a holistic approach to women’s health issues. What most people don’t know is that Massage Therapy is an effective modality for treating women’s health issues, including irregular menstrual cycles, menstrual disorders like PMS and PMDD, but also for aiding with fertility issues. Additionally, massage is an excellent means in which to support the ever-changing needs in women’s bodies during pregnancy, in preparation for birth and during labour, and, most importantly, as part of the postpartum picture for healing. […]
Q & A with Evelyn Cho, RMT, R.Ac Meet Evelyn! She is a new acupuncturist at Innate Wellness. She brings a great balance to our acupuncture practice with a background as a Registered Massage Therapist & Registered Acupuncturist. She blends the two therapies but only offers acupuncture sessions at Innate Wellness. Her knowledge gives her a great edge in the treatment of chronic fatigue, chronic pain and chronic stress. We sat down to ask her a few tips about managing these conditions with acupuncture. Evelyn practices on Wednesdays at our High Park location. Call the front desk to book an appointment! What is your focus in your acupuncture practice? My main focus is chronic pain and fatigue. I have worked as a Massage therapist for 10 years, so I have a lot of experience treating acute injuries, repetitive strains, and trauma from sports or accidents. Recently, I’ve turned my attention to chronic pain or fibromyalgia, which doesn’t always have an obvious cause or progression. The combination of massage therapy and acupuncture work very well together to alleviate pain and improve energy levels. In addition, I’ve worked with a lot of fertility cases, headaches/migraines, and facial rejuvenation. Can acupuncture be used to improve energy & motivation? It sure can! Many find the cold months very challenging, moods are depressed and energy is lower. It’s usually helpful to make a few lifestyle and dietary tweaks in conjunction with acupuncture treatments. I usually recommend a course of 10 weekly treatments to make a major shift, but people usually notice significant improvement by 5-6 treatments. […]
By: Taya Griffin, IBCLC – Taya Griffin is a Toronto Based International Board Certified Lactation Consultant. She prepares mothers for their breastfeeding journey in the prenatal period and provides in- home and hospital postpartum breastfeeding support. She can be reached at www.tayagriffin.com. The breastfeeding breast is amazing! Indications of the first changes it will go through begin as early as weeks into pregnancy. Breasts can feel tender and sore, the areola may darken and the Montgomery tubercles around the areola may become more raised. Many mothers also begin to see a crust-like formation on the nipples. This crusting is a minute amount of colostrum which is seeping out ever so slowly and drying on the tip of the nipple. Milk production doesn’t truly begin until the placenta is delivered. The progesterone and estrogen levels drop and milk production begins. After the milk has transitioned from colostrum to more mature milk, in and around the seventy two hour mark, one of the most common issues with breastfeeding breasts that I see as a Lactation Consultant (after sore nipples and low milk supply of course!) is blocked ducts. […]
By: Dr. Angelina Riopel, ND Self-breast examinations are a very important part of self-care, as women need to know what normal is so they can detect changes in the quality of their breast tissue. “Forty percent of diagnosed breast cancers are detected by women who feel a lump, so establishing a regular breast self-exam is very important.” John Hopkins medical center WHAT ARE YOU LOOKING FOR? “Normal” breast tissue will vary between women and change throughout the month due to the menstrual cycle. Note what your breast tissue feels like during the different stages of your cycle, as breast tissue is sensitive to hormonal fluctuations and can lead to breast tissue changes. Important changes to note and if any of the following are observed please seek medical evaluation: New lumps. Most breast lumps are not cancerous but should be examined by a medical professional for evaluation. Changes, irritation or redness in the breast tissue, skin and nipple Dimpling or thickening of the breast skin Discharge from the nipple […]
