Managing Menopause After Breast Cancer

Currently it’s estimated that around 25% of women diagnosed with breast cancer are pre-menopausal. This is an important reminder that if you were diagnosed with breast cancer at a younger age, you’re not alone and you’re not without resources. Today, more and more women are being faced with the question of whether they can manage their menopausal symptoms safely, or whether they have to just tough it out.

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Detox Tips For Surviving The Holidays

With the holiday season upon us, it can be hard to resist all the amazing meals, baked goods, and celebrations this time of year brings. Unfortunately however, indulging all December-long can wreak havoc on your health. You might notice your skin isn’t as clear, your digestion feels off, and you’re just generally feeling sluggish. So how do we make it through the holidays feeling well without sacrificing the holiday festivities?

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Naturopathic Cancer Care: Finding Safe Care and Understanding Your Options

Googling “complementary cancer care” brings up hundreds of websites, blogs, articles, and videos all claiming to have the answer, yet often contradicting one another. In a time when you’re already wrestling with a lot of complicated decisions you weren’t expecting to face, this can add to the stress and confusion. To help reduce this, let’s talk about what kind of treatment your Naturopathic Doctor (ND) can provide and how to find someone who is properly trained to offer safe and effective medical care.

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Cancer and Fertility Part 1: Understanding Your Fertility Options Before Treatment Begins

In Canada, around 10,000 people between 20-44 years of age are diagnosed with cancer every year and the good news is that 80% of those diagnosed survive. As a result of evolving detection and treatment options, many young Canadians are able to successfully complete their cancer treatments and live full lives. We are seeing more patients and couples asking not only about how they can have a family following cancer treatment, but how they can act preventatively to protect their fertility options before their cancer care plans begin.

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When Period Pain Isn’t Normal

Let’s face it, most of us ladies have experienced period pain at some point in our lives. Personally, I grew up believing period pain was a normal occurrence. But if you are regularly doubled over in pain, can’t get out of bed, can’t perform your regular daily activities, and you’ve missed work or school due to your periods, maybe it’s time to reconsider. If you’ve been experiencing period pain like I was, how and when do you determine it’s not normal?

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When Chemotherapy Damages our Gut

It’s no surprise that chemotherapy can wreak havoc on our digestive system. In fact, some of the most notorious side-effects of chemo are a direct result of irritation and damage to our gut! While our gut provides the physical space and movement, it is our microbiome determines how protected, active, and supported all the functions of our gut are. When we’re healthy, our microbiome is diverse and balanced, unfortunately this complex system is vulnerable to damage. Chemo drugs, although effective, can dramatically reduce the diversity of our microbiome and shift the types of bacteria present.

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Protecting Against Prostate Cancer

When we talk about hormone-receptive cancers most people jump to breast, cervical, or ovarian cancer in women. But in men, prostate cancer cannot be left out of the discussion. Prostate cancer is the second most common cancer in men, and is fuelled by unhealthy testosterone levels. To put it into perspective, it accounts for 21% of new cancer cases in men each year, and an average of 58 men are diagnosed with prostate cancer every single day. So, if you’re a man wanting to take action against these statistics, how can you decrease your risk and prevent against prostate cancer?

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Is It Really PCOS?

Polycystic ovarian syndrome, better known as PCOS, affects 5-10% of women of reproductive age. Having PCOS myself, I absolutely love treating PCOS. It responds SO well to natural treatments and women see big improvements with a few lifestyle changes. However, there’s a big problem plaguing the PCOS community: PCOS is being both overdiagnosed and underdiagnosed.

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Coming Off the Pill with Acne Prone Skin

For a staggering 14% of women using birth control, the primary reason for going on the pill is to control severe, cystic acne. Sadly however, many of us reach a point when it’s time to let go of the pill and face the reality of our acne returning. So whether you’re thinking of starting a family, or just ready for a change, how can you best support acne-prone skin while coming off birth control?

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