Between February and July is peak allergy season in British Columbia, although allergies can be bothersome year-round.  The “gold standard” for allergy testing is the Scratch/Prick Allergy Test.  A small prick is made on the most superficial layer of the skin and a drop of allergen is placed on the prick.  If the patient is allergic, a reaction will develop, usually in about 20 minutes.  Once your allergies have been identified you can either choose to avoid those allergens, if possible, or seek Sublingual Immunotherapy (SLIT) or Subcutaneous Immunotherapy (SCIT) to help build resistance to those allergens.  At Foundations Naturopathic Health I offer both Prick Allergy Testing and SLIT for patients.  

If you wake in the morning and feel stiff, like the tin man that needs some oil, you may have osteoarthritis, especially if it starts to improve if you move around.  Osteoarthritis (OA) is a degenerative and inflammatory condition, usually caused by simple wear-and-tear or from a previous trauma, that causes pain in the joints.  It can occur in any joint – knees, hands, spine, hip.  Fortunately, there are a number of naturopathic interventions that can be considered for osteoarthritis.  As a naturopathic doctor I always start with the diet, as that is the foundation of health.  From there we can use things like herbs, acupuncture, cold laser treatment, and supplementation, to help decrease the pain and get you back to doing the things you enjoy doing in your life.

We have two natural states for our nervous system: “fight or flight” (sympathetic) and “rest and digest” (parasympathetic).  In sympathetic mode the stress hormone cortisol increases and sends signals to tissues so we can get away – there’s no time to digest a meal or make a pit stop, this is the time to run! While we’re not often chased by predators in our life anymore, there are stressors that keep us in sympathetic mode – work, technology, etc... Being kept in this state affects our digestion, our sleep, our weight, and a myriad of other things.  All of our hormones are connected and when one is out of sorts there is a ripple effect throughout the entire system. If you think your hormones may be affecting your health, don’t stress, there are options to get you back in balance.

There is generally no accepted frequency for how many bowel movements you should have daily – anywhere from 3 times a day to 3 times a week. Bowel movements allow your body to discard stuff your body doesn’t need. You don’t want it hanging out in your colon. 
    What can be more indicative of health than frequency is consistency. Like Goldilocks, you want it to be just right – not too hard, not too soft, no straining, no mucous, no blood. Stool that is too liquid can indicate infection or inflammation in your lower gastrointestinal tract. If it's too hard, it can be difficult to pass and lead to hemorrhoids. Bowel movements are a great indicator of health and how well you're processing what you take in. 

The importance of diet cannot be understated.  It is the foundation of every facet of your health – immunity, sleep, energy, and more.  When you come to see me one of the first things we will discuss is your diet– it is the start of everything. Diet provides the building blocks of every system in your body and while it is sometimes not the only medicine we need, it’s the foundation of so much.  Together we will work through what will be the most sustainable diet for you, meeting you wherever you are at right now and making changes (if needed) at a pace that works for you.  Maybe your diet just needs a tweak or maybe a drastic shift, but regardless it is a journey that I will support you on.

In any other circumstance, pain would be considered a problem.  Women have put up with so much in regards to menstruation over time, and there is no need. Negative symptoms associated with your menstrual cycle could be an indication that there is an underlying condition or that something is out of balance – your hormones for example.  The hormonal cascade is incredibly complicated (I won’t bore you with the details here as I don’t have the space) and things like stress, diet, and seemingly unrelated health conditions can all have a profound effect.  The good news?  There is plenty that your friendly neighbourhood naturopathic doctor can do!