Dr. Angela Hunt is an experienced Naturopathic Doctor and an integral part of the Kingston Integrated Healthcare team since 2015. She maintains a large family practice and treats a variety of health concerns including all aspects of hormone imbalance, autoimmune conditions, digestive concerns, and mental health. She is a Menopause Society Certified Practitioner.
We use the term menopause to mark the end of hormone production by a woman’s ovaries and the permanent end of her menstrual cycle. Perimenopause precedes menopause, and is characterized by irregular periods, hot flashes, mood swings, and various other symptoms related to a decline in ovarian hormone production. Initially, progesterone levels decrease, followed by estrogen. This hormonal shift can make perimenopause symptomatic for many women. Let’s debunk some common myths about perimenopause:
Even though we are still very much in winter, the gardener in me has started to plan. The snow and ice doesn’t deter me because I know this is the time of year that I start planting seeds, literally and figuratively. I will be planning out my garden, deciding which new plants I want to grow and which ones need to be removed from the roster. Flipping through seed catalogs with a warm tea and crackling fire is a wonderful pastime. Have I convinced you yet? If not, here are the top ten reasons I think you should start a vegetable garden this spring.
After a decade of 1:1 patient care, I have recently started a group medicine program for women going through menopause. After four months working with these women I have made some discoveries about the power of community and the need for it in our healthcare systems.
I have women come to see me from 40 to 70 years of age asking about Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT). Yet, hormones are not the right solution for every woman and not appropriate for all ages. Though every case must be treated individually (e.g. by exploring family history, personal history, and blood work results), there are some general guidelines for initiating HRT.
I have many women arrive at my office asking me to test their hormones in menopause. I often tell them that though I think blood work is a good idea, they may be surprised to learn that hormones aren’t on the top of my list. If a woman is menopausal, meaning it has been a full year without her period, then I can guess with good accuracy what her serum (blood) hormones are currently. Her estradiol (estrogen) and progesterone will both be low and her FSH and LH will be high. In complex hormone cases (e.g. endometriosis, PCOS, early menopause), I will sometimes order a comprehensive urine hormone test to get an overview of a woman’s hormone picture. This test is called a DUTCH test and is a topic for another article, but for most women it is fairly predictable where their reproductive hormones are at in menopause. Let’s break down these hormones for a better understanding.
I am a bit in awe of how fast things can change. There have been many examples of this lesson in the last month, but the most impactful one for me is that “nothing is certain”. I thought I had already learned this lesson, but watching the dramatic changes to society and our community over the last few weeks has made me realize that I am still learning this lesson. Learning how to let go of the need for things to be certain and to be in control. Remembering that all I truly control is my inner state of being and reaction to the outside world. Inside all this uncertainty is a glimmer of hope for healing, that glimmer comes from solitude.
Often when patients come to see a Naturopathic Doctor they ask, “What should I be eating”? They recognize that what they consume each day has a profound impact on how they are feeling and their overall health. However, when and how much they are eating may be just as important as what they are eating. What if one of the most impactful things you can do for your health is to actually eat less?
I need to start this article with sharing my person bias: I love gardening. This hasn’t always been the case but a few years ago we started our own vegetable garden. Now I have the gardening “bug”. I have been delighted to find just how much peace and calm digging in the dirt gives me, not to mention the loads of fresh, healthy produce. I think you should start a garden too…
We respectfully acknowledge that Kingston Integrated Healthcare is situated on ancestral Anishinaabe and Haudenosaunee Territory. Since time immemorial they have cared for these lands and waters, and we are grateful. We recognize that a healthy environment is essential to the wellbeing of all people and all life.
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Even though we are still very much in winter, the gardener in me has started to plan. The snow and ice doesn’t deter me because I know this is the time of year that I start planting seeds, literally and figuratively. I will be planning out my garden, deciding which new plants I want to grow and which ones need to be removed from the roster. Flipping through seed catalogs with a warm tea and crackling fire is a wonderful pastime. Have I convinced you yet? If not, here are the top ten reasons I think you should start a vegetable garden this spring. 
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Menopause Group Classes for Naturopathic Patients at KIHC
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I am a bit in awe of how fast things can change. There have been many examples of this lesson in the last month, but the most impactful one for me is that “nothing is certain”. I thought I had already learned this lesson, but watching the dramatic changes to society and our community over the last few weeks has made me realize that I am still learning this lesson. Learning how to let go of the need for things to be certain and to be in control. Remembering that all I truly control is my inner state of being and reaction to the outside world. Inside all this uncertainty is a glimmer of hope for healing, that glimmer comes from solitude. 
I need to start this article with sharing my person bias: I love gardening. This hasn’t always been the case but a few years ago we started our own vegetable garden. Now I have the gardening “bug”. I have been delighted to find just how much peace and calm digging in the dirt gives me, not to mention the loads of fresh, healthy produce. I think you should start a garden too…