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!

Toxins are all around us. Whether it’s the car fumes you inhale, the frozen dinner you eat, or the negative thoughts you have at work, toxins are everywhere.

Imagine that you are or a loved one is recently diagnosed with a medical condition; let’s say hypertension. Since you are deeply concerned, a family physician is consulted, who prescribes an antihypertensive (e.g. lisinopril) and a statin to address elevated cholesterol levels that was found on bloodwork. Some time later, during a follow up-consult with a cardiologist, you are told that a bypass surgery is recommended due to a narrowed coronary artery (blood vessel nourishing the heart).

Most of us have heard that skin is the largest organ of our body. Our skin plays a crucial role in protecting us from pathogens and the elements, helping us eliminate waste material, regulating our body temperature, and conveying messages through the sensation of touch. It is a complex organ that is affected by our inner and outer environments, and we cannot talk about skin without talking about other organ systems.

To begin discussing this topic, we should first review the mechanisms behind developing CVD, so that we can discuss ways to prevent it as well as reverse it once an individual has developed it. As mentioned previously, the development of CVD begins with atherosclerosis. This is the term used by medical professionals to describe the process of plaque (fat, cholesterol, etc.) formation and the subsequent hardening of the walls of the arteries.

A large portion of people who see naturopathic doctors come with a chief concern of digestive issues. After months of scopes and bloodwork, they are often left without answers from their medical doctor and seek a new perspective. Other times, their diagnostic imaging tests reveal something significant, yet the medical system is still at a loss for treatment options.

A common misunderstanding is that arthritis is a single disease; however, arthritis just refers to any joint pain or joint disease. In fact, arthritis consists of more than 100 different conditions, which range from relatively mild forms of tendonitis to more systemic forms, such as rheumatoid arthritis.

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.

Gastrointestinal reflux disease (GERD) is the backwards flow of stomach contents into the esophagus, often referred to as “heartburn” or “acid reflux.” GERD most commonly results from increased abdominal pressure or a dysfunction of the lower esophageal sphincter (LES), a bundle of muscles located at the end of the esophagus where it meets the stomach.

Do you ever feel bloated or constipated? Maybe you experience headaches or skin reactions that appear to have no known cause? Maybe you’re constantly tired, unable to concentrate or focus? The reason for these reactions may surprise you and have you looking no further than your dinner plate.

In a world where ideas about healthy eating and “fit” bodies are inundating the public constantly, it feels like it has become important to distinguish between a true, diagnosable eating disorder and a normal, societal consumption with thoughts of food and body—because they are not the same. What would be considered “normal” within a culture that has become incredibly abnormal around food/body is a topic for another day!

The core of diabetes prevention and treatment relies on diet modification and exercise. The outcomes delivered when such strategies are utilized are of a very large and important magnitude. Yet, the ability to include a supplemental strategy to enhance these outcomes is certainly desirable.

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.

Fluctuating sex hormones during the menstrual cycle can lead to changes in energy, mood, or physical symptoms, most commonly in the late luteal phase.

Inflammation has become a hot topic in the medical world, and the body of research around it continues to grow. We used to think that arthritis and joint inflammation began and ended in the joints, with no other influences or connections.