Paediatric Health - Supplements, Homeopathic remedies, and Essential Oils

Children's health is something I am extremely passionate about. I have three wonderful and healthy children. I can sympathize with people when they ask me what I feed my children, what time they go to bed, what supplements that I give them, and how I support their immune systems because it can be extremely confusing.

I don't believe that children should be on a huge amount of supplements. Their body's are very sensitive and it is quite easy for them to overdose on vitamins and minerals. Nutrition plays a larger role in our daily lives and I use essential oils and homeopathic remedies to support them if any issues come up. 

The only two supplements that they get on a daily basis are HMF Fit for School (a probiotic with Vitamin D and Vitamin C) and Cod Liver Oil (a fatty acid that is essential for proper brain development). They get this with their breakfast every morning before school.

Some of my favourite homeopathic remedies to keep on hand are Belladonna for fevers and earaches, Ignatia for anxiety, Aconitum for coughs and colds, Arsenicum for the onsite of colds, and Chamomilla for teething pain and sleeping issues. 

I love my essential oils and how they support my family. I use them for everything from naturally cleaning my house, to diffusing in the air. I have a diffuser in each of my children's rooms to help to purify the air and support their body's while they sleep. During the school year, I put the Thieves blend in their diffuser at night with Northern Lights Black Spruce. Both of those oils come in Young Living's starter kit and I use them on a daily basis. I diffuse both Orange and Vetiver when they get home from school and are playing with each other. If they have any stomach issues, I use DiGize. They each have a roller bottle that I have made to support their emotional health. They take these with them to school and are allowed to use them throughout the day. For more information on how to use essential oils safely with children, please send me an email. 

I hope that starts to answer a few questions for everyone. I will be posting (hopefully soon!) on what I feed my children on a daily basis. Have a wonderful day!

Smoothie Recipes

Smoothies can be a great way to get a meal in when you're on the run. It is often my lunch meal since I have a larger breakfast and dinner. 

Here are a few of my favourite recipes:

Inflammation Smoothie

• 1 banana
• 1 organic medjool date (pitted)
• 1/2 cup of cashew milk
• 1/2 cup of mango (can be frozen)
• 1 scoop of whey protein
• 1 scoop of Collagen Peptides
• 1/4 tsp of cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp of ginger
• 1/4 tsp of turmeric
• fill the rest to the top with water

Berry Goodness Smoothie

• 1 banana
• 1/2 cup of nut milk
• 1/2 cup of mixed organic berries
• 1 scoop of Greens and Reds powder
• 1 scoop of whey protein
• 1 scoop of Collagen Peptides
• fill the rest to the top with water

Green Smoothie

• 1 avocado
• 1 banana
• 1/2 cup of nut milk
• 1/2 cup of fresh spinach
• 1 scoop of Greens and Reds powder
• 1 tsp of powdered kale
• 1/2 tsp of matcha tea powder
• fill the rest to the top with cooled green tea

I hope you enjoy them. Let me know if you try any! 

Local Farmer's!

It's almost summertime but the fruits and veggies are already popping up! It is the perfect time to go out and meet your local farmer's and get your food as fresh as possible!

Here is a list that I took from one of my favourite local cafe's, and then I added a few more of my own. 

1. Blue Wheelbarrow Farm
2. The Blueberry Patch
3. Campbell's Orchard
4. Cloven Farm
5. County Bounty
6. Fiddlehead Farm
7. Hagermans Farms
8. Laundry Farms
9. Northport Farms
10. Vicki's Veggies
11. Stratton's Farms
12. Wicklow Way
13. Small Spade Gardening
14. Under the Sun Farm
15. Knuckle Down Farm

If there are any that I am missing (and I know there are!), please feel free to add them in the comments! 

Happy eating!

Women's Hormones - Part 3 Pregnancy

Every woman strives to have the healthiest pregnancy possible. You want to be the one that has the perfect little basketball shape at nine months and beautiful hair and skin that seems to glow from the inside. You want to breeze through without morning sickness, cankles, or any of the other unexplained issues that go along with it. After labour, you want to be able to zip up your jeans without looking like you're still carrying a baby. 

While this might just seem like it's an impossible goal, it's really not. It all comes down to nutrition. We are all told that the food that we eat matters when we're pregnant, but more from the standpoint of calories more than anything else. Calories do matter, but it's more the quality of the food that you want to pay attention to more than anything else. 

Make sure that you are eating enough fruits and vegetables. You might have some serious food cravings for a bit but its best not to indulge them all the time and instead focus on using them as "treats". A serving of fruits and vegetables equals 1 cup of cooked vegetables or fruit and 2 cups of raw greens. You should aim for 6-10 servings per day which can sound like a lot but it is achievable. 

Protein is also extremely important. It will give you enough energy to get through the day as well as provide the amino acids to help you and your baby grow. 5 ounces of a variety of proteins per day is suggested. 

If you are going to use supplements or essential oils during your pregnancy, please ask your health care provider before beginning. There are quite a few of them that can be dangerous if used when pregnant.

If you have any questions, please leave a comment below!

Women's Hormones - Part 2 - Menopause

Hot flashes. Mood swings. Weight gain. Anxiety. Those are some a of a few things that you are told to expect when you hit the big "M". Most women look to this stage of life as something to dread or even that it's a "disease" that needs to be fixed, but that's simply not true!

In a healthy woman, menopause can begin anywhere from the age of 45 to 55. It begins with a sporadic period (peri-menopause) until eventually, the periods stop altogether (menopause). 

Symptoms begin to show in peri-menopause and menopause when the estrogen and progesterone production in the body becomes erratic. Since the ovaries are responsible for making 90% of the estrogen prior to menopause, the dip in this hormone can cause many of the menopause symptoms such as weight gain, thinning of the hair, hot flashes, night sweats, dryness, and a higher risk of osteoporosis.  

While Hormone Replacement Therapy might seem like the best solution to this dip in hormones, they can come with their own complications such as a higher risk of certain types of cancers, heart disease, stroke, blood clots, and dementia. 

Maintaining a healthy lifestyle throughout adulthood is one of the best things that you can do to prepare your body for this stage of life. Eating plenty of vegetables, fruits, fats, and proteins can help your body through the change in hormones. While eliminating dietary fat can seem like an obvious thing to do to lower body fat, the opposite is actually true. Dietary fat can keep you full for longer and help with certain food cravings. 

Getting plenty of exercise is also an important part of maintaining a healthy hormonal system. Pick an activity that you enjoy and get moving! Not only will this help you maintain a healthy body weight, but the endorphins you create when you exercise will boost your mood and prevent depression and anxiety. 

For the menopausal symptoms, you can use a variety of herbs, homeopathic remedies and essential oils (please message me to see what brand I use and which specific oils would be helpful for you) to help your body through this time of life. 

Menopause is not something to dread but instead, it is just a different stage of life! 

If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to contact me! Next week I'll be posting about infertility, pregnancy, and post pregnancy. 

Women's Hormones - Part 1

For the next few weeks, I'm going to be writing about something that is very important for every woman but so misunderstood. Hormones.

I have so many women come to my office and complain about their hormones. It can be anything from irregular or heavy periods with severe cramping, to hot flashes that make you want to strip naked and stick your whole body in a snow bank. 

Hormones can be complex, confusing or even embarrassing, but they don't have to be! By understanding how the cycle works, you can start to correct your imbalances and have a healthy life.

This is what happens during the normal cycle:

http://www.precisionnutrition.com/fitness-menstrual-health

The "normal" cycle for a women should last 28 days, beginning with a period that lasts between 4-5 days, with a medium flow, no cramping, and should not be terribly uncomfortable. Menarche (your period) can begin anywhere between 10-16 years old, although it is becoming more common for it to start even earlier. You should have a period every 28 days (except for pregnancy and breastfeeding) until you begin menopause, when it will begin to slow and then will discontinue. 

Many different things can disrupt the hormones during your cycle. Birth control or synthetic hormones are one of the biggest factors. Environmental pollutants such as plastics and heavy metals also play a roll. Eating properly, exercising, maintaining a healthy body weight, and minimizing stress are large factors as well. 

The lure of birth control can be very strong. It seems like such an easy solution for being a girl! If you have any hormonal issues, it seems to be the quickest answer. Unfortunately, the side effects can be quite severe whether you are on a progestin-based pill or on the combined birth control pill. The side effects that I see most often are stomach pains, bloating, gas, mood swings, depression, anxiety, intestinal permeability, adrenal fatigue (HPA Axis), nutritional deficiencies, and candida overgrowth. The longer you are on the pill, the more widespread the symptoms can become. 

We live in a world that is not very friendly to our sensitive hormones. The chemicals in plastics (hello, cute water bottles!) mimic the estrogen that our body produces and can slow our own body's productions. These synthetic products can be stored in the fats of the body and used instead of our own estrogen. Diminishing the use of these products will help our hormones in the long run. Parabens can be found in many different cosmetics, including shampoos, conditioners, makeup, body wash and other hair products. They can also mimic the body's hormones and cause  hormonal imbalances. Using tampons or pads that are bleached with chlorine are another huge problem. The chlorine creates a chemical called dioxin which when put next to your skin, can make your period last long and be heavier (good marketing!) or even cause toxic shock syndrome. Switching to a natural, unbleached product or even using a menstrual cup is a better idea. 

Making a few lifestyle changes can make a positive impact on your hormones. If you feel like you have more serious imbalances, a blood test might be the best way to find out what exactly is happening so that you can begin to correct the issues. 

In my next post, I'll be talking about menopause. Please feel free to leave a comment if there's anything specific you'd like me to talk about!

Ditching the Winter Blues

January is here and with it comes an overwhelming sense that winter will never end. Some people struggle more with the shorter days and limited amount of sunlight. While a few grumpy days are inevitable (especially if you live in Canada!), too many more than that and you can start to feel like you have cabin fever.

Here are a few tips and tricks to beat the blues!

1) Take a good vitamin D3 supplement in the winter. Vitamin D is a fat soluble vitamin that is stored in the liver and the fatty tissues of the body. Quite a bit of vitamin d can be made by our own body's through a process of using sunlight. In the summers, you can absorb enough sunlight to create 10,000IUs of vitamin d! Some signs of deficiency are depression, osteoporosis, autoimmune diseases, arthritis, and some types of cancer. 

2) Eat properly. I know this can seem like an easy one, but January is where I get most of my "food" confessions. Christmas and New Years have passed but the junk food remains in the cupboard. Throw out all of the processed foods and fill your cupboards with plenty of fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, and good quality meats. 

3) Get some exercise! I know you might feel like you just want to sit on the couch all day, especially after a long day at work, but that might be the worst thing for you. The hardest part is getting up, after that, pick one of your favourite work outs and get moving! The endorphins made from exercising will make you much happier. 

4) Use essential oils. This is one of my absolute favourite ones. If you have ever come to my home office, you know that I always have a diffuser or two running. Different oils have been shown to enhance moods and create calming and peaceful environments. Some of my favourite ones are Lemon, Black Pepper, Orange, Peppermint, Northern Lights Black Spruce, Frankincense, Rose, and Cypress. (This is the brand that I use - www.youngliving.com)

Try a few of these tricks and let me know what you think! 

My Favourite Supplements

I am constantly asked which supplements I personally use for myself and for my family. That is hard to answer because it varies greatly from day to day and even the season.

But without fail, here are the top ones that I use every single day:

Probiotic: Did you know that we are more bacterial cells than human cells? Your immune system strength begins in the digestive tract and the bacteria cannot be underestimated. Fermented foods such as sauerkraut, kimchi, kombuchu, kefir and yogurt are important for adding extra good bacteria into your colon. 

Cod Liver Oil: A good quality cod liver oil is very important. It is full of vitamins, minerals and omega-3 fatty acids. There are many studies showing how they can be a good anti-inflammatory as well as supply extra Vitamin D and Vitamin A. 

Lemon Essential Oil: The studies on essential oils are amazing, and I choose to start my mornings by adding one drop of therapeutic grade essential oil to a glass of lukewarm water. I would never use a subpar essential oil as they can be extremely dangerous. (This is the company that I use: www.youngliving.com) Adding lemon to your water in the morning can stimulate your digestion and liver. It is also a good way to add extra Vitamin C into your diet. It can also stimulate your brain in the same way that coffee can. If you're choosing to ditch the coffee, this might be a good alternative. 

If you have any questions about the brands of supplements or essential oils that I use, please feel free to comment or send me an email. If you are unsure of taking a supplement, please consult with your health care provider. 

You Are What You Eat - Part 3: Protein

Proteins are literally the building blocks of our body. They are long chains of amino acids, which are molecules that we can get from our foods. Protein occurs in all foods but the best sources come from animal products like meat, fish, eggs, and dairy. The protein in meat is considered to be complete proteins since they contain all the essential amino acids. Vegans and vegetarians risk missing some of these essential amino acids unless they are very careful and combine foods to create complete protein sources. 

Protein can help us grow and maintain virtually every part of our body. If we do not consume enough or do not digest them properly, the symptoms can include low energy, poor muscle mass, digestive problems, a sluggish metabolism, and mood swings.

A high protein diet is one of my favourites to use for weight loss. Protein rich foods can make you feel full for longer which stops food cravings and snacking more effectively. It also helps to stabilize blood sugar levels which gives you more energy, helps your brain to focus better and builds muscle mass. 

If you're wondering how much protein to consume each day, try multiplying your weight by .5. This should give you a rough idea of how much you need every day. If you'd like to figure out how much protein is in certain foods, try the website www.nutritiondata.com. 

Try to get a wide variety of protein rich foods for the best benefits. Some of my favourite sources are grass-fed beef, eggs, whey protein (goat whey is best!), wild fish, organic chicken, organic yogurt or kefir, or soaked lentils and black beans. 

There are no benefits to eating only protein sources. In fact, this can be very dangerous for your body. As always, a well rounded diet full of carbohydrates, fats and proteins are the best. 

You Are What You Eat - Part 2: Carbohydrates

Carbohydrates are always something that seem to confuse most people. There is so much contradicting information about what is a good carb or a bad carb. Should avoid them at all costs or you should have them as the bulk of your diet? Are they all created equally or are there some that are better than others? 

First off - carbohydrates are the main source of fuel for our brain. Our body naturally breaks down carbs to become sugar to fuel the body. It's very helpful when you need to workout or need a quick pick me up of energy. 

All carbs are not created equally though. Complex carbs are the foods like sweet potatoes that break down into sugars over the course of time. Refined carbs like wheat, sugar, fruit juices or corn syrup break down into sugars almost instantly creating a good buzz but ultimately leave you feeling tired or worse - get stored into fat to be used by the body at a later time. They spike the blood sugar levels and can cause diabetes or other inflammatory diseases. 

Refined carbs are stripped of most of their nutrients. Think of breakfast cereals: they are so processed that they have to have vitamins and minerals added back into them. They've been put through machines to make them into attractive and appealing shapes and colours so that we'll want to eat them. The perfect Os in your cereal might look nice but are not natural at all and can hurt your body in the long run. 

The healthy option for carbohydrate foods are foods that are not refined. Vegetables and fruits are great sources of vitamins and minerals and do not cause blood sugar spike. They also taste much better!

With fall approaching, there are so many great fruits and vegetables that are available. Go visit your local farmer's market and buy straight from the farmer. Not only does it taste better, but you'll know that you are helping your body instead of hurting it!

You Are What You Eat - Part 1: Fats

I have heard that statement so many times and it is so very true! Unfortunately, people still don't pay as much attention to what they eat as they should.

Every bite of food that you put into your mouth effects how your body will function. 

Different types of foods break down to do different things in your body. Fats are the carriers, carbohydrates are the fuel sources, and proteins are the building blocks. Each one interacts with each other and we cannot survive without them. 

Many people believe that all fats are bad. This is not true! A low fat diet has actually been shown to cause quite a few health problems, including diabetes, heart disease and other inflammatory conditions. Your body needs and craves fats! 

One of the main functions of fats, is to carry your vitamins, minerals, and hormones to where they need to go in your body. You cannot absorb vitamin A, D, or K2 without a fat. Fats also carry your hormones to all the receptors in your body. If you suffer from hormonal imbalances, you might just need to add more fats into your body!

Some healthy sources of fats are oils such as coconut oil, olive oil, butter (yes, butter!), You can also get good fats from fish, nuts, seeds, chia, meat, and avocados. 

Unhealthy sources of fats that can damage the body come from vegetable oils such as canola, margarine, soybean, and corn, and anything labelled "hydrogenated". These are considered "unstable" oils and can go rancid very easily. When they go rancid, they create trans fats. These are the fats that can damage your heart and cause some serious inflammation in the body. 

If you are striving to be more healthy, add some more fat into your diet. Try adding two tablespoons of chia seeds or hemp seeds into your smoothie. Add grass fed butter on to your vegetables. Eat an avocado a day. Take a cod liver oil or fish oil capsule every day. Don't buy the leanest cuts of meat! 

If you have any questions, just let me know!

Welcome!

I am finally starting my website/blogging journey! 

My own health journey began when I was 14 and introduced to the power of herbs and supplements and nutrition. It sparked an interest in me to pursue a career of helping others to attain their health goals. 

Since then I have helped many people to understand the importance of lifestyle. When I say lifestyle, I don't simply mean taking a multi-vitamin or exercising every week. What I am talking about is all-encompassing. This includes what you eat, what you put on your body, what you smell in the air, how much exercise you are getting, and what stress you allow into your life. This all effects your quality of life and you cannot do one without it affecting the other.

This blog will be a place for me to discuss all of these different aspects and hopefully you'll be able to pick up some tips on what you can do for yourselves and for your families. 

If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to comment below!