Sleep, sleep, sleep.  As a new mum talk about sleep a lot.  I do in my practice too.  People often say "I could handle the stress, pain, hot flushes etc. if I could just sleep".  Of course, the body functions so much better and everything is more manageable with a good nights sleep.  Unfortunately, sleep is a very complex process and disruptions are often anything but straight forward.  A wellness plan usually involves sleep hygiene, optimizing the sleeping environment, looking at stress and relaxation and occasionally supplement support.

However, sometimes we forget that we can get targeted nutritional therapy using foods.  Remember, eating salmon for Omega-3?  Have you thought about Jell-O for sleep?  The gelatin is a very high protein product with especially high amounts of glycine.  Glycine has often been used for support for ADHD and seizures disorders, but also has some interesting research about its benefits for sleep (especially perimenopausal) and daytime performance and fatigue (1,2).

So how do you use it?  The uses are pretty endless but below are some links to great recipes to get your creative juices flowing.  Happy cooking and happy sleeping!
~
Dr. Kellie

Really, easy and tasty fruit gummies or gels.  http://balancedbites.com/2013/07/easy-recipe-sweet-sour-gummy-gelatin-snacks.html

This is a great starter recipe for popsicles (thank you Dr Oz).  Tweak it with any fruit combos to suit your tastes.  Don't forget popsicles are a great way to hide kids supplements.  The gelatin content can be altered to adjust the texture and it really helps to hide any grittiness from powders.  http://www.doctoroz.com/videos/summer-sleep-solution-recipes.

References:

(1) Yamadera et al. "Glycine ingestion improves subjective sleep quality in human volunteers, correlating with polysomnographic changes". Sleep and Biological Rhythms Volume 5, Issue 2, pages 126–131, April 2007.

(2)Bannai M, Kawai N, Ono K, Nakahara K, Murakami N. "The effects of glycine on subjective daytime performance in partially sleep-resticted healthy volunteers".  Front Neurol. 2012 Apr 18;3:61. doi: 10.3389/fneur.2012.00061. eCollection 2012.

Victoria has a fantastic new online magazine called Victoria Mom.  It's a great website and sister Facebook page with tonnes of recipes, community connections and articles from various health practitioners and other local experts and mom bloggers. 

We recently did a mini interview and they have done a great article with the Top 10 reasons to see a Naturopathic Physician. 

Ten Reasons to See a Naturopathic Doctor

You’ve been to your doctor and have been given a clean bill of health. As far as they can tell, there is nothing “wrong” medically – but you don’t feel right – maybe you’re run down, generally fatigued, have a recurring headache that just won’t quit. You can’t place your finger on it, but you know you can feel better, you just don’t know how to get there on your own.

 

Dr. Kellie Ferguson of Koru Natural Health Centre said it best:

 

'The absolute top reason people come in is that they plain don't feel well.  

 

They have often been to their GP, who has done a really thorough job testing and ruling out scary causes and they have been pronounced "all fine", but they still don't feel fine.   So they come in and we look a little broader, not just for disease, but for the aspects or systems that aren't working at their best.  

 

Maybe we take away things that are preventing them from feeling fantastic, like dealing with stress management differently or modifying diet to avoid 18 cups of coffee, or we add things that may be lacking or necessary to help the body to work more effectively, like digestive enzymes or omega 3 oils.  Or we use herbal or other therapies to restore or heal systems like milk thistle for liver function. (One instructor called this the 3 "r"  Remove, Replenish or Restore).'

 

With help from Dr. Ferguson we’ve put together a list of the top 10 reasons to see a Naturopathic Physician. If you’ve been feeling ‘off’ for a while, maybe this list will compel you to book a consultation!

 

1. Focus on the cause not the symptoms –  A mantra of Naturopathic Medicine is seeking the root of why a person feels unwell, not just treating the symptoms. As Dr. Ferguson says: “Many are looking for ways to address reason they are unwell, so that they can try to get things like reflux or eczema under control without having to constantly rely on medications to manage the symptoms.” For example, my best friend struggled with acne her whole life, and only in adulthood was she able to finally narrow the cause down to gluten intolerance. No gluten, no problems! “Many of us {Naturopathic Doctors} also have prescriptive rights and so we can help patients if they do need conventional medications even if it’s just for a short time while they work on cause of the conditions” notes Dr. Ferguson.

- See more at: http://www.victoriamom.ca/baby-and-child/ten-reasons-see-naturopathic-doctor#sthash.H0kJ49U9.dpuf

 I've copied a portion of it here:

Ten Reasons to See a Naturopathic Doctor

You’ve been to your doctor and have been given a clean bill of health. As far as they can tell, there is nothing “wrong” medically – but you don’t feel right – maybe you’re run down, generally fatigued, have a recurring headache that just won’t quit. You can’t place your finger on it, but you know you can feel better, you just don’t know how to get there on your own.

 

Dr. Kellie Ferguson of Koru Natural Health Centre said it best:

 

'The absolute top reason people come in is that they plain don't feel well.  

 

They have often been to their GP, who has done a really thorough job testing and ruling out scary causes and they have been pronounced "all fine", but they still don't feel fine.   So they come in and we look a little broader, not just for disease, but for the aspects or systems that aren't working at their best.  

 

Maybe we take away things that are preventing them from feeling fantastic, like dealing with stress management differently or modifying diet to avoid 18 cups of coffee, or we add things that may be lacking or necessary to help the body to work more effectively, like digestive enzymes or omega 3 oils.  Or we use herbal or other therapies to restore or heal systems like milk thistle for liver function. (One instructor called this the 3 "r"  Remove, Replenish or Restore).'

 

With help from Dr. Ferguson we’ve put together a list of the top 10 reasons to see a Naturopathic Physician. If you’ve been feeling ‘off’ for a while, maybe this list will compel you to book a consultation!

 

1. Focus on the cause not the symptoms –  A mantra of Naturopathic Medicine is seeking the root of why a person feels unwell, not just treating the symptoms. As Dr. Ferguson says: “Many are looking for ways to address reason they are unwell, so that they can try to get things like reflux or eczema under control without having to constantly rely on medications to manage the symptoms.” For example, my best friend struggled with acne her whole life, and only in adulthood was she able to finally narrow the cause down to gluten intolerance. No gluten, no problems! “Many of us {Naturopathic Doctors} also have prescriptive rights and so we can help patients if they do need conventional medications even if it’s just for a short time while they work on cause of the conditions” notes Dr. Ferguson.

- See more at: http://www.victoriamom.ca/baby-and-child/ten-reasons-see-naturopathic-doctor#sthash.H0kJ49U9.dpuf

Ten Reasons to See a Naturopathic Doctor

You’ve been to your doctor and have been given a clean bill of health. As far as they can tell, there is nothing “wrong” medically – but you don’t feel right – maybe you’re run down, generally fatigued, have a recurring headache that just won’t quit. You can’t place your finger on it, but you know you can feel better, you just don’t know how to get there on your own.

 

Dr. Kellie Ferguson of Koru Natural Health Centre said it best:

 

'The absolute top reason people come in is that they plain don't feel well.  

 

They have often been to their GP, who has done a really thorough job testing and ruling out scary causes and they have been pronounced "all fine", but they still don't feel fine.   So they come in and we look a little broader, not just for disease, but for the aspects or systems that aren't working at their best.  

 

Maybe we take away things that are preventing them from feeling fantastic, like dealing with stress management differently or modifying diet to avoid 18 cups of coffee, or we add things that may be lacking or necessary to help the body to work more effectively, like digestive enzymes or omega 3 oils.  Or we use herbal or other therapies to restore or heal systems like milk thistle for liver function. (One instructor called this the 3 "r"  Remove, Replenish or Restore).'

 

- See more at: http://www.victoriamom.ca/baby-and-child/ten-reasons-see-naturopathic-doctor#sthash.H0kJ49U9.dpuf

Ten Reasons to See a Naturopathic Doctor

You’ve been to your doctor and have been given a clean bill of health. As far as they can tell, there is nothing “wrong” medically – but you don’t feel right – maybe you’re run down, generally fatigued, have a recurring headache that just won’t quit. You can’t place your finger on it, but you know you can feel better, you just don’t know how to get there on your own.

Dr. Kellie Ferguson of Koru Natural Health Centre said it best:

'The absolute top reason people come in is that they plain don't feel well.  

They have often been to their GP, who has done a really thorough job testing and ruling out scary causes and they have been pronounced "all fine", but they still don't feel fine.   So they come in and we look a little broader, not just for disease, but for the aspects or systems that aren't working at their best.  

Maybe we take away things that are preventing them from feeling fantastic, like dealing with stress management differently or modifying diet to avoid 18 cups of coffee, or we add things that may be lacking or necessary to help the body to work more effectively, like digestive enzymes or omega 3 oils.  Or we use herbal or other therapies to restore or heal systems like milk thistle for liver function. (One instructor called this the 3 "r"  Remove, Replenish or Restore).'

To read the rest of this great article.  Click here!

Ten Reasons to See a Naturopathic Doctor

You’ve been to your doctor and have been given a clean bill of health. As far as they can tell, there is nothing “wrong” medically – but you don’t feel right – maybe you’re run down, generally fatigued, have a recurring headache that just won’t quit. You can’t place your finger on it, but you know you can feel better, you just don’t know how to get there on your own.

 

Dr. Kellie Ferguson of Koru Natural Health Centre said it best:

 

'The absolute top reason people come in is that they plain don't feel well.  

 

They have often been to their GP, who has done a really thorough job testing and ruling out scary causes and they have been pronounced "all fine", but they still don't feel fine.   So they come in and we look a little broader, not just for disease, but for the aspects or systems that aren't working at their best.  

 

Maybe we take away things that are preventing them from feeling fantastic, like dealing with stress management differently or modifying diet to avoid 18 cups of coffee, or we add things that may be lacking or necessary to help the body to work more effectively, like digestive enzymes or omega 3 oils.  Or we use herbal or other therapies to restore or heal systems like milk thistle for liver function. (One instructor called this the 3 "r"  Remove, Replenish or Restore).'

 

- See more at: http://www.victoriamom.ca/baby-and-child/ten-reasons-see-naturopathic-doctor#sthash.H0kJ49U9.dpuf

Ten Reasons to See a Naturopathic Doctor

You’ve been to your doctor and have been given a clean bill of health. As far as they can tell, there is nothing “wrong” medically – but you don’t feel right – maybe you’re run down, generally fatigued, have a recurring headache that just won’t quit. You can’t place your finger on it, but you know you can feel better, you just don’t know how to get there on your own.

 

Dr. Kellie Ferguson of Koru Natural Health Centre said it best:

 

'The absolute top reason people come in is that they plain don't feel well.  

 

They have often been to their GP, who has done a really thorough job testing and ruling out scary causes and they have been pronounced "all fine", but they still don't feel fine.   So they come in and we look a little broader, not just for disease, but for the aspects or systems that aren't working at their best.  

 

Maybe we take away things that are preventing them from feeling fantastic, like dealing with stress management differently or modifying diet to avoid 18 cups of coffee, or we add things that may be lacking or necessary to help the body to work more effectively, like digestive enzymes or omega 3 oils.  Or we use herbal or other therapies to restore or heal systems like milk thistle for liver function. (One instructor called this the 3 "r"  Remove, Replenish or Restore).'

 

- See more at: http://www.victoriamom.ca/baby-and-child/ten-reasons-see-naturopathic-doctor#sthash.H0kJ49U9.dpuf

Ten Reasons to See a Naturopathic Doctor

You’ve been to your doctor and have been given a clean bill of health. As far as they can tell, there is nothing “wrong” medically – but you don’t feel right – maybe you’re run down, generally fatigued, have a recurring headache that just won’t quit. You can’t place your finger on it, but you know you can feel better, you just don’t know how to get there on your own.

 

Dr. Kellie Ferguson of Koru Natural Health Centre said it best:

 

'The absolute top reason people come in is that they plain don't feel well.  

 

They have often been to their GP, who has done a really thorough job testing and ruling out scary causes and they have been pronounced "all fine", but they still don't feel fine.   So they come in and we look a little broader, not just for disease, but for the aspects or systems that aren't working at their best.  

 

Maybe we take away things that are preventing them from feeling fantastic, like dealing with stress management differently or modifying diet to avoid 18 cups of coffee, or we add things that may be lacking or necessary to help the body to work more effectively, like digestive enzymes or omega 3 oils.  Or we use herbal or other therapies to restore or heal systems like milk thistle for liver function. (One instructor called this the 3 "r"  Remove, Replenish or Restore).'

 

- See more at: http://www.victoriamom.ca/baby-and-child/ten-reasons-see-naturopathic-doctor#sthash.H0kJ49U9.dpuf

Welcome Back!

Goodness, it's been a long time since my last post.  And I apologize for letting things go for so long.  We've had a lot of changes around the Clinic but more in our families. I gave birth to our amazing little boy in September.  Then in January, Mark (our outstanding Acupuncturist) had a new addition to his family with the birth of his little girl.  Life is a little (ok let's be honest it's totally and completely) different now, but after being back to work 3/4 time for almost 6 months, I think I've mostly got the swing of juggling home and work now.  And so I'll get back to my routine posts, but for now here's a picture of my little bandit to tide you over!