Kicking off the new year with a new blog covering a big topic! Is gluten actually bad for digestion? In this blog Dr. Almir does a great job of clarifying the role of gluten in digestive disorders, and answers the big question on everyone’s mind - do you really need to cut out gluten?
Read MoreAs a continuation to last week’s discussion, we know this time of year can be very stressful when it comes to food! This week we’re chatting about how to set yourself up nutritionally to cope with the stress and anxiety of the holidays. Here are a few simple nutritional tips to make this time a year a bit more manageable!
Read MoreThere is something about the holidays and holiday eating that holds a certain “stress” associated with it. If you find that you are feeling out of control with food, anxious around food, or if you are experiencing obsessions or compulsions around food, it does not have to be this way. Here are some simple things that you can try this holiday season to feel empowered around food, no matter what your actual food choices are.
Read MoreDid you know that there is an incredibly important hormone called insulin that is rarely tested in a typical fertility assessment? Insulin’s main job is to regulate our blood sugar levels and is therefore essential to our survival. However, too much insulin can cause long or missing cycles making it difficult to conceive, it can impact the implantation of an embryo and even contribute to an increased rate of miscarriages through multiple mechanisms.
Read MoreOne of the many nutrients gaining popularity over the last few years is Vitamin D. Vitamin D is often known as the “Sunshine Vitamin” due to our ability to acquire it from our skin’s exposure to sunlight. Sadly, during the winter months, our exposure to vitamin D plummets. Read on to learn about the importance of vitamin D and how you can protect yourself in the winter!
Read MoreTrying to get pregnant with a PCOS diagnosis can be a very challenging, emotional, and stress-driven time. There are some of us that get pregnant easily with PCOS, and then there are others, where month after month, nothing seems to be changing. PCOS is the leading cause of infertility in women – and this means it is generally more challenging to conceive with PCOS. BUT it’s also the condition most amenable to treatment, meaning we have the most options that are likely to yield benefit.
Read MorePerimenopause and menopause can be a highly unpleasant and uncomfortable time, often leading to feelings of lack of control over our bodies. Luckily, there’s a lot we can do to help support this transition with nutritional therapy.
Read MoreWhen we fall pregnant, we often assume certain self-care treatments and practices are just off the table. Many of us wrongly assume that massage therapy isn’t something that can be accessed safely while pregnant. Luckily, registered massage therapy is not only safe, but highly effective and potentially helpful to individuals who are pregnant!
Read MoreThere is a new hormonal term going around that you may or may have heard of; PMDD. PMDD stands for Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder. This is a diagnosis that refers to a group of PMS symptoms that become so intense that they have extreme mood implications, and severe impacts on quality of life. It can get so bad that for that period of the month it can feel like a depressive episode.
Read MoreIf you were diagnosed with a hormone-sensitive breast cancer before you went through menopause, likely Tamoxifen is part of your long-term support plan. Tamoxifen can be a foundational part of helping to prevent a recurrence. But what options are there for women who want to stay on Tamoxifen but continue to struggle with side-effects?
Read MoreMold exposure and related illness has become very important in the last few years, especially when it comes to many chronic and severe health issues. When present, the impact of mold on health cannot be understated. Unfortunately mold illness is often a challenge to figure out, as it can take some time to show up! Read on to learn more.
Read MoreWhen it comes to building a healthy gut, many people automatically jump to grabbing prebiotics, probiotics or adding more dietary fiber into their diets. However, if you’re struggling with IBS you may have found that these ‘go-to’ gut strategies either have no effect, or they actually make things worse. In this blog Dr. Almir dives into the do's and don'ts of treating IBS.
Read MoreThe best way to identify fertile days and increase the odds of conceiving each cycle is to track your cervical fluid. If you've never heard the phrase cervical fluid, you're not alone! Despite this being a strong marker of health and fertility, women are very rarely taught about the importance of cervical fluid in school or by their healthcare providers.
Read MorePCOS is a spectrum condition. That means some individuals with PCOS fall into that classic presentation of ‘trouble losing weight, not getting a regular period, losing hair, etc’. But on the other side of the spectrum, there’s a very different person. This is Lean PCOS. Sadly, lean PCOS is like the ‘forgotten’ PCOS. There’s very little we know about why it happens, how to improve diagnostics, and most importantly, how to go about treating this type of PCOS most effectively.
Read MoreAdjusting how we eat can do wonders for mental and physical health. But there is a time and place for every individual. You want to find the diet that serves YOU best at a time when you’re not going to drain your resources further. The best changes we can make are those that are sustainable.
Read MoreThe lymphatic system involves an extensive network of vessels, like arteries or veins, that passes through all our tissues to allow for the flow of lymph. Unfortunately, unlike the heart (or cardiovascular system), the lymphatic system does not have a pump to move lymphatic fluid around. So how can lymphatic massage help?
Read MoreWelcome to week 3 of exploring the link between our mental health and our hormones. Today we are looking at how our food choices and our cravings are linked to our hormonal health and blood sugar levels. Sometimes the things that we choose to eat are not always based on our conscious control but other processes that are happening in our bodies, including our hormones.
Read MoreWelcome to week two looking at connections between our hormones and our mental health. This week we are looking at how our relationship with food can impact our overall mental wellbeing as well as the balance and production of hormones in our bodies. This is something that is especially important in disordered eating.
Read MoreWelcome to our 3-part series exploring the link between our mental health and our hormones. Over the course of the next 3 weeks we are going to look at ways in which our mental health, reproductive hormones and eating patterns interact and influence the way that we are feeling on a daily basis.
Read MoreThe manifestation of autoimmunity and the occurrence of digestive dysfunction is a two way street. Having an autoimmune disease will create problems in your digestive system and having a poorly working gut can lead to autoimmunity, or make it worse.
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