Spring Cleaning Never Too Late

A quick look around your local, or online, cosmetics store will easily showcase how popular the emerging realm of clean-and-green skincare products has become. Over time, consumers have become increasingly invested in what ingredients are found or omitted in the skincare products they use.

As naturopathic doctors, we look at all aspects of an individual’s health. We consider their current health status and look at how they can improve their health. We also investigate risk factors that could affect their current level of health. We know of some of these risk factors: a diet high in processed foods, lack of exercise, stress, smoking, alcohol consumption, just to name a few.

Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is a common neurological concern. The estimated prevalence in children is approximately 5.29% worldwide. A Dutch study found that 70% of these children may continue to be affected as adults.^[2] Some features of ADHD include: increased inattention, impulsivity, and hyperactivity.

Due to the worldwide prevalence of farm workers dying or becoming ill, thus unable to work and support their family, the scientific community has begun taking a closer look at what is causing the disease and illnesses affecting them. All along, the pesticide manufacturers have been doing their own testing, but independent laboratories started doing tests to find out just how toxic these chemicals really are.

For many, eating disorders start subtly - with a side comment regarding their weight made by a peer or by observing a parent struggle with their body image - whatever it is, it doesn’t take long before they have become completely lost in it.

In this part of the world, it is common knowledge that smoking cigarettes is detrimental to health and that the effects of second-hand smoke are just as dangerous to family and friends.Government legislation has forced many people to quit smoking by making it more challenging to continue the addiction, enforcing a 20-feet (6 m) or 30 feet (9 m) boundary around most public buildings, and making it illegal to smoke within any public building.

Often times when we hear the word “infertility”, our mind immediately goes to a woman wanting to bear a child. Less often, perhaps, does one immediately think about the potential that a male reproductive issue could be the reason a couple is having problems conceiving.

Seasonal allergies, including allergic rhinitis, are thought to affect up to 20% of the population.[1] Allergy is a major cause of absenteeism and restricted activity in both children and adults. Allergy prevalence begins in infancy, peaking in childhood and adolescence, continuing in adulthood, and decreasing in the elderly.

There are many things that I enjoy, but on the top of this list, in a close call with spending time with my three awesome kids, is gardening. From the first few warm weather days of spring until the crisp autumn air sends me inside to warm up with my botanical references, you can find me in the garden. Whether it be with the vegetables, herbs, or various perennials that I have collected over the years, gardening fills me with a joy that I’m sure others can relate to.

A variety of natural agents are being explored for their use and applicability in the management of vitiligo, particularly in combination with conventional treatments such as phototherapy. Encompassing dietary, oral supplement, and even topical measures, we will explore a selection of such agents.

The sun rises, you open your eyes, let out a big yawn, and finally decide to get out of bed. Your day has started. Breakfast is consumed… or not (but hopefully has been). E‑mails and social media feeds are all checked. Now it’s finally time to “get ready.” Ladies, before you step out the door, through to the time you go back to sleep, you are estimated to use 12 personal‑care products, containing over 180 ingredients. For the men, you are estimated at 6 personal‑care products containing roughly 85 ingredients.[1]

This is a continuation of the first article on ways to limit toxin accumulation in everyday exposure.

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is the result of a series of intricate changes within the body that ultimately lead to rapid decline physically, cognitively, and, of course, emotionally. Let’s look at the stats.

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease, is a neuromuscular disease that is characterized by progressive nerve cell death leading to muscle weakness, paralysis and severe physical dysfunction. Approximately 2,500-3,000 Canadians currently live with this fatal disease.

Small intestinal bacterial overgrowth (SIBO) happens when overall bacterial population increases abnormally in the small intestine—especially types of bacteria not commonly found in that part of the digestive tract. Once they reside in the small intestine, they can cause numerous symptoms because they ferment foods like fibres and sugars, which would normally occur in the large intestine.

A cough is one of the most common reasons people visit their doctor. Coughs are annoying, they’re loud and can disrupt sleep for an entire household. With most viral infections, a cough can stick around up to 2 weeks after the infection has cleared. But when a cough lasts longer than 8 weeks, it warrants further investigation.[1]

What comes to mind when you hear the word “seizure?” Having a seizure and/or witnessing a seizure can be a scary event. When a seizure happens, the neurons in the brain excessively and abnormally fire anywhere from a few seconds to several minutes, which causes changes in bodily control, behavior, sensation, and perception.

As summer wears on, the long hot days fade into warm nights. For those of you who spend a lot of time outside, it can seem like you never really get a break from the heat. Hopefully, when you really get hot you can find some air conditioning, get into a shady spot, or cool off in some water. It is also important that you have plenty of cool water to drink, otherwise you can quickly become dehydrated and risk developing heat exhaustion or heat stroke.

Gingerbread, candy canes, festive holidays… snow shovelling, shivering at the bus stop, and dealing with a dead car battery. People tend to fall into two camps, they are either itching for winter, or are frustratingly itching because of winter!