An ever-expanding body of research now suggests that vitamin D is more a hormone that plays a fundamental role in all aspects of our fertility from supporting healthy ovulation, improving pregnancy rates, reducing miscarriage risk and even supporting mood in the post-partum period. Read on to learn more about why Vitamin D is so essential in fertility and reproductive health, and why you should get your levels tested!
Read MoreMercury is a heavy metal that is ubiquitous in the environment and has been known to contribute to a number of health issues and diseases such as hypothyroidism, autoimmune disease, cardiovascular disease and neurological issues. Read on to learn more about how mercury exposure might be affecting you!
Read MoreMany women with PCOS voice concerns over period pain. But we know period pain isn’t actually a characteristic sign of PCOS. So if you have PCOS and are struggling with period pain, what’s the connection? And how does this relate to endometriosis? Read on to learn more!
Read MoreAs a Naturopathic Doctor with a focus on Environmental Medicine, one of my favourite subjects to discuss is Detoxification and Elimination, because of how important each of these functions are to the body’s ability to stay healthy. I find that conversations around the body’s functions of detoxification and elimination are often minimalized and oversimplified, if not overlooked. In this blog, we’ll be going over some strategies to support our body’s natural detoxification processes!
Read MoreThe use of progesterone therapy to reduce miscarriage risk has been a topic of debate in the medical community for many years due to conflicting results in research. Recently, in November of 2021, the National Institute of Health and Care Excellence (NICE) made an exciting new recommendation! NICE now officially recommends progesterone therapy for women with early pregnancy bleeding and at least 1 previous miscarriage to reduce miscarriage risk. Read on to learn more!
Read MoreMany women don’t think about menopause, or perimenopause, until they are struggling with hot flashes, night sweats, or other hallmark signals of this hormonal shift. Unfortunately, perimenopause is rarely discussed until women are in the midst of changes that are no longer feeling manageable. It’s often in their first appointment that many women realize some (or most) of the symptoms they’ve been struggling with for years are related to this hormonal shift! Read on to learn more.
Read MoreKicking 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.
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