BIOMARKER TESTING: HOW TO STAY AHEAD OF DISEASE

Want to catch health issues before they start? Biomarker testing reveals early shifts in metabolism, hormones, and nutrition to guide prevention and longevity. In Ontario, naturopathic doctors offer targeted, personalized assessments beyond standard labs. Get actionable insights, track progress, and protect your long-term health—start your proactive wellness journey today read more here

 

COLD THERAPY FOR WOMEN: From Hormones to Muscles and Metabolism

 

Curious how cold therapy affects women’s hormones, metabolism, and muscle recovery? It can boost mood, improve sleep, and support metabolic health—but it also carries risks like hormone disruption if not approached mindfully. Learn how to use it safely and effectively. For personalized support tailored to your body, connect with Toronto Naturopathic Doctor, Dr. Courtney Holmberg today read more here

Do You Have a Hormonal Imbalance?

The term 'hormonal imbalance' gets thrown around a lot these days. If you've scrolled through social media or listened to any health related podcasts recently, you're sure to have come across this buzz word. But what are we actually referring to when we say hormonal imbalance read more here

 

Undisclosed Things About Milk And Some Hidden Facts

It has always been said that milk is like a complete food and everyone is made to believe from childhood that milk is the most essential food item for consuming calcium. Yes, calcium is very important for the body and good health but fulfilling all calcium needs from milk is not the best solution. All the companies nowadays focus on promoting and showcasing the importance of milk while it may sometimes have adverse harm to the human body. Know more about natural products from Naturopathic dr Toronto and get your facts right.

All the species majorly drink milk when they are in the infant stage unlike the human beings who tend to drink milk even till their old age. Naturopathic doctor in Toronto has also confirmed that drinking excess cow milk is not healthy for humans in long run. Cow milk is basically for the infant calf which gains 600lbs in a year and statistically, it is not advisable for human beings. After gaining the right size the infant calf no longer consumes milk and focuses on other edible things while humans keep drinking milk even till their old age.

Another point is that sometimes to increase the milk supply from cattle, people use a drug that can be harmful to the cow as well as the humans who drink that milk. Though Canada has a ban on the usage of any such drugs, still, its milk imports from the US and other countries can have such drugs which may lead to cancer. Naturopathic doctor in Toronto advises buying milk that has a label of 100percent packaging in Canada.

Since the early stages in life humans have been told that milk prevents bone loss and people with less intake of milk tend to have bone fractures more often than the people who have a high milk consumption. Contradicting the above statement, later research says that there is a negligible amount of relationship between bone health and milk. Further, studies have also proven that countries with the most milk consumption also have more incidents of loss of bone mass. Adding on, it is also analyzed that men with high milk consumption fall in the category of increased risk of prostate cancer. Naturopathic doctor in Toronto are highly experienced in any such cases, so please feel free to reach out in the case.

3 Less known facts -

1. People nowadays tend to believe that there is no substitute for cow milk but almond and coconut milk are genuine options in place of cow milk.
2. It is important to keep a balance between the sources of calcium and maintain an equivalent consumption of vegetables and fruits.
3. Don’t just be dependent on calcium from milk and also fulfill vitamin requirements in the body for better bone strength and density.

In a nutshell, you should keep the intake of milk to a certain extent only and further clarify your doubts on the same consult naturopathic doctor in Toronto.

To search for a naturopath you can check out websites like Google, Salespider and Facebook.

LOW FODMAP DIET FOR IRRITABLE BOWEL SYNDROME

 

​Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is the most common  gastrointestinal disorder worldwide, affecting more than 5 million Canadians each year (that's 1 in every 6 people). It includes symptoms such as indigestion, bloating, excessive gas, constipation, and/or diarrhea. However, a proper diet is one of the ways IBS can be managed. A common strategy has always been to incorporate ‘healthy’ food and avoid the ones that worsen the symptoms, however, some are surprised to find out that a food rice in fruits and vegetables can sometimes actually make symptoms worse. This is where we look at something called the low FODMAP diet, which has been clinically proven to help ¾ of IBS sufferers. Let’s learn more.

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In this diet plan, the food items are classified as low, moderate, and high food. People with IBS must avoid high foods and consume low foods to determine a decrease in symptoms.

However, if a person consumes low food excessively for long periods of time, it can also be harmful to gut microflora and increase your risk of nutrient deficiencies, so its always important to talk to your doctor, naturopath or dietician on how long to avoid these foods, when to determine benefit and how to reintroduce. 

How Does A Low FODMAP Diet Work?

A low FODMAPs diet aims to help you learn which foods (if any) you do not tolerate and are the trigger for your IBS. The diet consists of a 3 step processes, as follows:

1 - Elimination

This phase can range from 3 to 8 weeks, depending on the person’s health and condition. In this, the individual is required to eliminate all high FODMAP food from their diet. Remember, the FODMAP list is extensive and can restrict some key nutrients for some individuals, so it’s always best to work with a professional through this phase.

2 – Reintroduction

If after elimination, the symptoms significantly reduce or resolve, it’s safe to conclude that one or more high FODMAP foods are a trigger for IBS symptoms. You then must start incorporating FODMAP foods into your diet in a systematic way to determine the source of the intolerance. Generally a person must eat the FODMAP foods at least once every day to every other day for ~3 servings to identify the trigger foods, increasing the quantity of the food each time. Monitoring symptoms through exposures will help determine which sugar groups are safe and which ones are not.

3 – Maintenance

Now that the trigger food is traced, a person can return to their original diet while limiting the food that produces the IBS symptoms. At this point, most people are able to return to their original diet (minus a few possible avoidances) without symptoms.

Key Foods To Avoid

Vegetables: mushrooms, asparagus, cauliflower, beetroot, onions, and garlic

Fruits: cherries, mangoes, watermelon, peaches, pears, apples, and apricots.
 
Dairy: lactose containing cow milk, cottage cheese, yogurt, ricotta cheese, ice cream, and custard

Grains And Cereals: rye, wheat, kidney beans, soy products, lentils, and chickpeas.

Sweeteners: Honeys, agave nectar, high fructose corn syrup, cough medicine, sorbitol, and sugar-free gums. 

Many lists suggest slightly modified food restrictions, and the list you see above is very simplified. The most valuable resource I generally recommend for patients embarking on a FODMAP diet is the smartphone app made from Monash University called ‘Monash University FODMAP diet’. The guidelines out of Monash University tend to be the most detailed and well researched.

The Bottom Line

The low FODMAP diet plan is proven and has helped many people with Irritable bowel syndrome. However, make sure to contact a professional dietitian, or Naturopath Doctor who is versed on the FODMAP restrictions before following any diet plan. Many people stick with the low FODMAP diet for a long time because it eliminates IBS and improves overall well-being, however you must way out the benefits against the risk in every case.

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How Counselling Can Help Parents of a Son Who Is Gay

How would you cope if your son decided to come out and reveal he was gay? Would you welcome him with open arms, hugs, and kisses while telling him how much you love him and support him? Or would you find yourself in an emotional tailspin, where you cry, are upset, angry, or completely confused by his revelation?

Even if you are elated by his coming out, you could still experience conflicting emotions. This is completely normal. It does not mean you did anything wrong or that you are bad parents. It simply means you are struggling with your emotions.

You could even be experiencing grief. Grief can occur in this situation because you have lost something by your son declaring he is gay. For instance, it could be the image you had of your son getting married and having children with his wife someday.

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The Ketogenic diet and Your Microbiome

The Ketogenic diet is an extremely popular diet amongst the weight loss community. Originally brought to light for its promising research in epilepsy management, it quickly became a hopeful solution for those looking to quickly shed pounds without massive caloric restrictions. But like any trend, we must weigh all the pros and cons, while simultaneously accounting for the long-term impacts on our health.

First off, let’s break down what the ketogenic diet actually involves. The premises of the diet focuses on reducing carbohydrates to force the body into an anabolic (breakdown) state, known as ketogenesis. Ketogenesis is a metabolic process our bodies enter into when sources of glucose (both dietary and stored) cannot keep us with metabolic needs, forcing the body to produce ketone bodies from adipose tissue (aka fat) to use for energy in place of sugar. As you can imagine, this is favorable for weight loss for several reasons. In addition to fat now being used as fuel, the blood sugar staying so low sharply drops insulin secretion, which further reduces the stimulus for fat and sugar storage. As long as the body remains deprived of carbohydrates, ketosis is sustained and weight loss continues.

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AMAZING BENEFITS YOU MAY NOT ‘BEE’ AWARE OF

Honey bees, or apis mellifera, have been helping humans since the dawn of time. They’ve not only provided us with a long standing source of honey and wax, but have played an integral part in helping our agricultural growth and in sustaining our ecosystem. Honey has been a cornerstone to most pantry shelves as a natural food sweetener or agent to soothe a sore throat. But as it turns out, our little buzzing friends and the delicious liquid they provide us is even more helpful to our health than we once thought. Modern research has discovered many bee byproducts have proven benefits on everything from our gut microbiome to our immune system, and maybe even our fertility.

Honey
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Honey has been used for millennia as a sweet treat and natural sweetener. But the consumption of honey has benefits beyond its tasty profile. Because of its potent antimicrobial properties, certain types of honey, like manuka, have been used to treat wounds, prevent and heal gastric ulcers, and minimize digestive disruptions caused by inflammatory bowel disorders.

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FUNDAMENTALS OF THE AUTOIMMUNE PROTOCOL

Millions of people around the world live with autoimmune disorders, which is why it’s so important that our understanding of these disorders continues to grow rapidly. A growing body of research suggests that chronic illness responds best to a multifaceted methodology of diet and lifestyle changes that include a focus on anti-inflammatory nutrition, moderate exercise, adequate and plentiful sleep, and reasonably reducing stress. 

This approach to managing autoimmune disease has been termed ‘the Autoimmune Protocol’ (AIP) and may be the key to successfully managing autoimmune disorder symptoms. Read More

3 FACTS YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT CALORIES AND WEIGHT LOSS

Calories in versus calories out was the de facto weight loss equation for decades. To lose weight, you simply reduce the number of calories consumed while increasing the number of calories used. Yet, that the simple equation that we have adhered to as part of a healthy lifestyle may have been hindering our weight loss efforts. As our understanding of health and nutrition improved, so did what we know about the simple calorie – and this knowledge is changing the plate of the modern diet.

1. Not all calories are created equal. 
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One reason why strictly counting calories can be an ineffective way to lose weight is that not all calories are good calories. While the energy content of calories is essentially the same in that they are a unit of energy, calories derived from whole foods are more effectively processed by the body than those found in processed foods. In other words, where a particular calorie comes from will have varying effects on hunger, hormones, and weight.

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It is not just processed foods that can determine the value of a calorie. Calories obtained through healthy fats, proteins, and whole foods, like fruits and vegetables, can positively impact metabolism, curb hunger, and help optimize hormones. However, the same quantity of calories obtained from processed foods or sugar is metabolized more quickly and less effectively, resulting in increased hunger and hormone imbalance.

 2. Food labels do not tell the whole story.

The second reason that we do not see significant weight loss results from calorie counting comes down to the science of determining caloric content. For instance, in the United States, the Federal Food and Drug Administration allows manufacturers a fair amount of latitude in labeling precision – up to a 20% margin of error. What this means for consumers is that the food we eat may have more calories than is indicated on the label.

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IMPORTANT FINDINGS ON THE GUT-BRAIN CONNECTION

​For decades, the gut and brain were looked at as two separate entities. What we now know is that this couldn’t be further from the truth. Modern research is discovering that mood hormones play a direct role in the mechanisms of digestion (challenging the thought, are they truly just ‘mood’ hormones), and even more interestingly, the microbiome. 

 

If you’ve ever had a ‘gut-wrenching’ experience or felt ‘butterflies’ when stressed, you’re likely no stranger to the influences stress can have on the way our digestive tract feels.

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THYROID DYSFUNCTION: IS YOUR IMMUNE SYSTEM TO BLAME?

The thyroid gland is a small butterfly-shaped organ that is responsible for some vital roles in the body, from controlling our metabolism to regulating our brain development. The three main hormones involved in thyroid health are TSH (thyroid-stimulating hormone), T4 (triiodothyronine), and T3 (thyroxine).

Unfortunately for some, the thyroid ceases proper functioning and a whole host of symptoms often emerge. Determining what treatment will be best to treat a thyroid hormone imbalance begins by first determining what is the root cause of the dysfunction is. Read more here…

ADRENAL FATIGUE: WHAT IS IT, AND ARE YOU SUFFERING FROM IT?

Adrenal fatigue is a functional condition which can occur as a result of stressors of the body. We’re quick to identify with emotional stress, but we often forget that stress can also come from physical and environmental stressors. Adrenal fatigue occurs when the adrenals release higher levels of hormones into the body than normal as a response to a continues or persistent stimulus, resulting in an output of these hormones being greater than the production, and ultimate fatigue of the glands. They are considered fatigued since they are essentially drained of their active and stored hormones, and need time to recover.

Yet, recovery is limited and difficult when we continue to lead a busy and stressful lifestyle (which is what ultimately caused the problem in the first place). Rather than slowly starting to recover, the adrenals remain drained and strained. Furthermore, we add aggravators like limited and/or poor quality sleep (which prevents rebuilding and recovery), processed foods, alcohol and cigarettes (which create physical stressors to the system) and high caffeine intake to deal with the fatigue (which creates a further draining of the gland by increase cortisol output).

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