In some ways it seems like common sense that our overall health affects our mental health. But when you break it down, it can seem bizarre. How does my blood sugar or my heart health affect my mental health? How does my gut health influence anxiety? How does inflammation impact depression? A large study published… Read More

This is a common question that I’ve been getting lately especially with fall getting closer. As you may know, we get a good chunk of vitamin d from sun exposure. The Canadian guidelines state that 600 IU of vitamin d is needed daily to keep bones healthy. These guidelines take sun out of the equation…. Read More

Meditation and mindfulness have been scientifically shown to reduce stress, overwhelm and anxiety. There are a lot of different meditation apps out there, so I decided to give you my take on some of the most popular ones to help you decide which one you might want to try. Headspace Headspace has a very clean,… Read More

Do you ever feel like your body is telling you that you’re stressed even though you’re convinced that you don’t “feel” stressed? Have you ever gone on vacation and only then realized that you were more stressed before you left than you realized (or were willing to admit)? Stress is a sneaky thing. We can… Read More

Does it actually work? Every patient responds differently but the majority of my patients with anxiety benefit from the program and are happy they did it. Can I do the program if I’m on medication? Yes. I’ve worked with patients who are taking medication for their anxiety, patients who were taking medication in the past,… Read More

You just don’t feel like yourself when you’re facing anxiety. Going out, doing chores, running errands become a drain. You have to give yourself a pep talk just to get out the door and face the day. The thought of an upcoming social event fills you with apprehension rather than excitement. You overthink, expect the… Read More

Is food, weight and dieting a major source of anxiety for you? Are you trapped in that classic dieting cycle? The one where you carefully watch your diet, then later break the “rules”, feel guilty, “binge”, feel more guilty about binging and then promise yourself to watch your diet even more closely. If you’re completely… Read More

There are two types of menopause transitions that I typically see. For some women, it’s relatively smooth sailing. For others, it’s a frenzy of heat, sweating, irritability, insomnia, mood swings and feeling completely fed up. For some, these symptoms only last a year or two. Others feel like they’ve been dealing with these symptoms for… Read More

The way we look at mental health is changing, slowly but surely. We’re used to seeing something like anxiety being handled with a prescription for anxiety medication and no further investigation (except maybe a quick test for thyroid function and anemia status). Anxiety medication can be incredibly valuable for so many people. And sometimes further… Read More

My main focus as a naturopathic doctor is treating mental health conditions like anxiety. For this reason, some of my patients are surprised when they find out that I also do cosmetic acupuncture. Mental health and cosmetic concerns seem like they’re on the opposite ends of the health spectrum. So why do I do it?… Read More