BOOK: The Conscious Parent: Transforming Ourselves, Empowering Our Children by Shefali Tsabary
I was told about this book, ‘The Conscious Parent’ by Shefali Tsabary, a while ago and it sat in my “To Be Read” pile for a couple of years. It wasn’t until I heard her interview on Oprah’s SuperSoul Conversations podcast that I finally picked it up. I am happy I did.
The Healing Power of Tea
I love tea. One of my favorite daily things to do is to make myself a cup of tea and take a moment to slowly sip it. However, when I first started practicing as a Naturopathic Doctor I gave little respect to the humble herbal tea. It was when I did a residency at a first nations health clinic in downtown Toronto that I truly learned the healing power of a cup of tea. In naturopathic medicine we often use tinctures, which are alcohol extractions of plants.
As the beautiful summer slowly comes to an end many parents are preparing for the upcoming school season. With new lunch boxes and sharpened pencils also come new viruses and colds. There are many things we can do to strengthen our children’s immune systems, including ensuring that they get a good night’s sleep, eat a wholesome diet with plenty of fruits and vegetables, and keep their daily sugar intake below 30g. Supplemental supports can also be very helpful in keeping young immune systems strong. There are many, many options on the shelves. Here are two that I feel are essential.
Dear patients and friends,
It is with excitement that I share with you some happy news. This coming July I am expecting my second baby. I have already been overwhelmed with all the well wishes and kind words that many of you have shared with me over the past months.
As you bundle up in your parka and head out to warm up the car I know the last thing you are thinking about is seasonal allergies, but I want to talk about why maybe you should be. According to Asthma Canada, more than 1 out of every 5 Canadians suffer from respiratory allergies – not to mention the other common seasonal allergy symptoms of runny nose, itchy eyes, and fatigue. The majority of treatment strategies offered by conventional medicine focus on symptom management (e.g. antihistamines). What if we could address the root cause of seasonal allergies?
Menopause is a natural phase of a woman’s life but many of us aren’t clear about what is going on in our bodies during this time. Did you know that menopausal symptoms can begin as early as 35 years of age? Do you know what health conditions women are at increased risk for post-menopause? This seminar will go through it all.
Bio-identical hormones offer treatment options for menopausal symptoms such as insomnia and anxiety. They are considered a safer alternative to synthetic hormones but do carry their own risk. If you are considering hormonal therapy of any kind this talk is for you. Dr. Angela Hunt, Naturopathic Doctor, will be discussing all the ins and outs of bio-identical hormonal therapy. Come have your questions answered and find out if this treatment option could work for you.
Insulin is a hormone produced by our pancreas that helps sugar (i.e. glucose) enter our cells. It has a major impact on our metabolism and how our body gets energy. When our muscle, brain and tissue cells stop responding to insulin this causes a condition called insulin resistance. If our cells become resistant to insulin then our pancreas needs to create even more insulin to get the glucose inside those stubborn cells. This can become a slippery slope
Fatigue and low energy is one of the most common concerns that patients come to see me for. Sometimes the fatigue is a new symptom but for the majority of people, it is something they have been struggling with for years. In many cases it presents itself gradually, like a slow but steady decline. Now they find themselves with so little energy they can’t do the activities that they want and it is affecting their quality of life. There are many different root causes for low energy but one’s hormonal state is usually a major player. I want to briefly cover two hormonal issues that can lead to low energy.
When it comes to bone health, calcium and vitamin D3 are considered “must have” vitamins but it appears there is a new kid in town that could be just as essential. Vitamin K2 has been in the spotlight for osteoporosis (i.e. degeneration of bones) research for the last two decades and there is a lot to say about it. Not to be mistaken for its very close relative Vitamin K1, which plays a significant role in blood clotting, vitamin K2 seems to make our bones stronger.
A report from the Nurses Health Study showed that women supplementing with at least 110 mcg of K2 are 30 % LESS likely to break a hip than women who aren’t supplementing[1].
