91% of Canadians have detectable levels of bisphenol A (BPA) in their urine according to recent data from the Canadian Health Measures Survey (CHMS). This study represents the first time BPA levels were measured at a national level in Canada. Urine samples from 5,600 Canadians aged 6 to 79 years were collected between March 2007 and February 2009 at 15 sites across Canada. Canadian Teens Have Highest BPA Levels The average Canadian has a mean ...
Featured Posts
-
40 Vegan Calcium SourcesWe all know that calcium is an essential mineral that is used by the body to build and maintain healthy bones and teeth. But did you know that calcium is also used for blood clotting, nerve conduction, muscle contraction, regulation of enzymes and cell membrane function? Th...
-
Food Allergy TestingEggs are a common food allergy Food allergy testing is one of the tools Naturopathic Doctors use to assess health in our patients. In Naturopathic Medicine our goal is to find the cause of symptoms of illness and disease. In some people the cause is the food we eat, and a s...
-
Treating Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome NaturallyPolycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) or “multiple ovarian cysts” affect many teenage girls and adult women. PCOS often begins shortly after puberty and can persist for years. It can be a frustrating, and sometimes painful condition. It can also make becoming pregnant d...
-
Tea for Fever in ChildrenFever is a natural defence mechanism that our body uses to fight off viral and bacterial infections. Increasing the body’s temperature allows our immune system to function optimally and makes it difficult for viruses and bacteria to replicate. In an adult the level of feve...
-
Gallstones: Diet and SupplementsI’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again – every pregnancy is different. And so too is the post-natal period, or months following the delivery of your baby. My son was born at the end of September and in the weeks since then I’ve developed a troubling new symptom ...
-
The Importance of Essential Fatty AcidsEssential fatty acids are just that – essential. Our body can produce most of the fats it needs (such as cholesterol, saturated and unsaturated fatty acids), however it can not produce omega-3 or omega-6 fatty acids. This makes them essential to consume in our diet. Omega-...
-
25 Uses for TeaObviously my favourite use for tea is as a delicious health-promoting beverage, but I love finding new ways to incorporate tea into my life. I scoured the internet to find other uses for tea – either loose tea leaves, new or used tea bags. I was amazed at the versatility o...
-
Natural Labour InductionAs every pregnant woman approaches the last weeks of pregnancy they can’t help but start thinking of ways to bring on labour and get the chance to meet their baby sooner. A pregnancy is considered full term at 37 weeks and the techniques discussed in this article should not be...
-
Natural First Aid Kit – Burning Man EditionAs one of my RMT friends prepares to embark on her yearly journey to Burning Man she asked if I could prepare a list of natural first aid supplies to support her during her time in the Nevada desert. This is that list – supplies for general first aid, for digestive health, h...
-
Natural Insect RepellentsAs a mother to a pre-schooler, a pregnant woman and a Naturopathic Doctor when I venture out of Toronto into the great outdoors (or even out into our backyard!) I am very mindful of avoiding pesky insects – and also avoiding poisonous insect repellents! The most common ingredi...
-
Heartburn in PregnancyEvery pregnancy is different. Sometimes VERY different! When I was pregnant with my first child I had few symptoms (aside from some swelling in my third trimester) and felt vital and healthy for the entire 9 months. This time around, things are different – and uncomf...
-
Candida Quiz – Is Yeast Your Problem?Candida (Candida albicans) is a yeast that is a normal part of our digestive flora (the bacteria that lives in our digestive tract) and in the vaginal region in women. Under certain circumstances the candida yeast can grow excessively and lead to symptoms that negatively impa...
Recent Posts
Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) uses four main pillars of treatment to manage illness and disease: acupuncture, botanical (herbal) medicine, healthy lifestyle and proper diet. Each of the imbalances that can lead to illness (hot/cold, yin/yang, interior/exterior, excess/deficiency) can be altered by eating foods that re-balance the systems of our body. Yin represents energy that is responsible for moistening and cooling our body. When yin i...
Oreos are a vegan indulgence What do Oreo cookies, Ritz crackers, Sour patch kid candies and Heinz ketchup all have in common? They are all vegan! Embarking on a vegan diet can be a daunting task. Most people assume that being a vegan means eating nothing but carrot sticks, blue-green algae and apple slices. But, despite being by nature a ‘restrictive’ diet – it does not have to be a boring diet! One of my favourite resources on vega...
A survey conducted in January 2010 by the UK-based Drug and Therapeutics Bulletin found that 75.5% of responding doctors feel they are poorly informed about herbal medicine. The DTB study was sent to a random sample ofDTB subscribers and a total of 164 responses were received. Approximately 50% of respondents were general physicians and 87.8% were based in the UK. Despite the low number of responses to the survey (only 14% of surveys were comp...
Eating Local in Ontario There are many virtues to eating local foods. The 100 Mile Diet lists the following reasons for eating local: Better taste – local foods are picked when they are ripe and come to you fresh and full of nutrients and flavour. Know what you’re eating – local farmers are able to provide you with information on what chemicals (or better yet – lack of chemicals!) are used on their foods. Environmentally friendly ...
You wouldn’t consider going through pregnancy without taking a multivitamin supplement. Did you know the teen years are second only to pregnancy in nutritional needs – but how many teens are taking a multivitamin supplement? Not enough! The NHANES and NHANES III (National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey) both concluded that: “The highest prevalence of unsatisfactory nutritional status occurs in the adolescent age group” Read ...
There is a lot of growth during the teen years. Emotional growth, intellectual growth, spiritual growth and, of course, physical growth. All of this growing can be exhausting (this is one of the reasons teens need so much sleep!) It also means that nutritional needs are increased to support all this growth and change. Teens need over 2 litres of water daily The teen years are second only to pregnancy and lactation for high nutrient requi...
Teen girls aren’t likely to be thinking about their risk for osteoporosis, but maybe they should be. Peak bone density is reached for most women in their early 20s, and what they are eating in their teen years has an enormous impact on the health of their bones later in life. Calcium is an essential mineral found in dairy products, leafy green vegetables (spinach, mustard greens, collard greens), almonds, tofu, broccoli, green beans, tofu, a...
Are you curious what a Naturopathic Doctor does? Do you want to know the difference between a Naturopath and a Homeopath? Do you have a health concern you think Naturopathic Medicine may be able to treat? Do you have questions about what happens while under the care of a Naturopathic Doctor? Have you been self-treating with natural therapies and want an educated, knowledgeable perspective on natural health and wellness? Are you sick, tired or...
No one will dispute the fact that the teen years can be a challenging time. School work, part-time jobs, sports, friends, chores, preparing for college – all of these things and many others make the teen years a very busy and demanding time. So how do teens cope when a health concern adds additional strain to an already overwhelming time? Many health problems can affect teenagers Health Concerns Affecting Teenagers Teenagers don’t have ...
Recent Comments