by Dr. Talia Marcheggiani, ND | Feb 4, 2013 | Digestion, Food, Health, Therapeutic Diets
One of my favourite anti-health commercials on TV are the heartburn ones. My brother and I share a laugh while a woman is slapped by spicy spaghetti to prevent her from eating it and experiencing heartburn. The tagline asks, “Are your favourite foods fighting you? Fight back!” Why is this commercial so ridiculous? It’s the irony; if eating spicy, garbage food gives you heartburn then maybe, instead of “fighting back”… STOP EATING IT! Sometimes we take common sense for granted and, of course, using simple common sense would put Tums out of business.
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by Dr. Talia Marcheggiani, ND | Feb 1, 2013 | Cooking, Elimination Diet, Food, Food Sensitivities, Gluten Free, Holidays, Nutrition, Recipes
Pancakes for breakfast can only mean a few things: a lazy Sunday morning, the first morning of a long break (like Christmas) or vacation! All great things, it’s no wonder I love pancakes. There really is nothing like lazily flipping over a page of the thick weekend paper, sipping the forbidden juice of strongly-brewed arabica coffee beans and helping yourself to yet another delicious flapjack. Fortunately, you can have your pancakes (and eat them too) without encouraging full-body inflammation and upsetting your hormone balance. These babies are fit for any Elimination Diet and I’m pretty sure can fool your grandparents into thinking they’re the real (i.e.: wheat flour and actual whole-fat buttermilk) deal.
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by Dr. Talia Marcheggiani, ND | Jan 30, 2013 | Beauty, DIY, Health, Home Remedies, Self-care, Skin health
As I’ve shared before (to the delight of my readers, for sure) I have oily skin. Therefore I love toner. I find that a cleansing regime isn’t complete without it. At once it shrinks and cleanses pores, controls oil and evens skin tone and I find my skin looks dramatically better with it.
However, most commercial toners use less-than-desirable ingredients, like isopropyl alcohol or mineral oil, which dry out the skin and clog up pores, respectively. Fortunately, it’s easy and cheap to make your own, in your kitchen (where all the best beauty ingredients are found).
Just like I’m picky about what goes into my toner, I’m just as cautious about the kind of skincare technology I let near my face—especially when the conversation turns serious, like cancer prevention. While toners may keep the surface of oily skin in check, true skin health goes far deeper. That’s where supportive therapies like red light therapy come in. Gentle but powerful, this light-based treatment penetrates beneath the skin’s surface to energize cells, reduce inflammation, and even help in post-treatment skin recovery for cancer survivors.
Now, before you go imagining a complicated spa setup in your living room—don’t. Today’s red light therapy devices are sleek, compact, and user-friendly. If you’re looking to explore one, VitalRedLight.com, their website has a range of options that make starting this therapy from home a breeze. It’s not just for people who’ve faced skin cancer either—it’s for anyone wanting to nourish their skin from the inside out. Think of it as a wellness routine that doesn’t ask much of your time but gives a lot in return.
When it comes to achieving that flawless, even complexion, skincare alone sometimes isn’t enough—especially for those considering cosmetic procedures to refine their facial features. Rhinoplasty is one of the most popular procedures for enhancing facial symmetry and improving overall appearance. At the rhinoplasty center of long island, patients benefit from expert care and personalized consultations to ensure natural, harmonious results. Whether you’re addressing functional issues or refining your profile, combining a consistent skincare routine with professional surgical expertise can make a dramatic difference in your overall look and confidence.
Skin-Balancing Apple Cider Vinegar and Green Tea Facial Toner
You need:
An empty shampoo, pump or spray bottle.
2 bags of green tea, water and a kettle
Apple cider vinegar (preferably organic)
1/4 tsp of Vitamin E (in capsules or in a bottle)
Antibacterial, acne-fighting essential oils. I like tea tree and lavender.
Directions:
Brew a large cup of green tea and steep with 2 tea bags, to make the brew good and strong. Set aside to steep and cool. Green tea is anti-inflammatory, anti-bacterial, astringent (tightens pores and controls oil) and provides the skin with nourishing anti-oxidants to decrease the signs of aging.
Add in the apple cider vinegar so that it fills 1/10 to 1/4 of your shampoo or pump bottle. Apple cider vinegar controls skin pH, unclogs pores, controls oil production, kills bacteria and even decreases dark spots and wrinkles. Use a higher percentage for oilier skin and a lower percentage for dry skin.
Fill the spray bottle up with green tea until it’s about 3/4 full and add filtered water to top it off. Next, add in 1/4 tsp of vitamin E (or cut open ~5 capsules and squeeze them in). Vitamin E acts as a preservative and is nourishing to skin.
Next, add in a few drops of the lavender and tea tree essential oils, which are anti-bacterial and calming for skin.
1-2 times a day, after washing skin with a gentle cleanser, swipe your entire face with this toner using a cotton ball or pad. Do not rinse. Apply moisturizer afterwards, if needed. After a few days of using this toner after cleansing I noticed that my skin tone looked more even, my cystic acne calmed down and my skin cleared up. I’m definitely making this a permanent part of my cleansing regime.
Using a toner infused with apple cider vinegar and green tea can work wonders for calming inflammation, evening out skin tone, and managing cystic acne, especially when used consistently after cleansing. It’s no surprise that many people make it a staple in their skincare routine once they start seeing visible improvements. Rejuvenate your glow with customized facials available at Wellnest Aesthetic Lounge. But to truly lock in the benefits of a clarified complexion and maintain that fresh, balanced glow, it’s important to follow up with products that deeply nourish and hydrate the skin.
That’s where a hydrating face serum becomes an essential next step. Lightweight yet powerful, these serums deliver intense moisture and skin-replenishing nutrients without clogging pores, helping to restore and maintain a dewy, healthy look. When paired with a calming toner, a well-formulated serum can take your skincare results to the next level, supporting long-term clarity, suppleness, and resilience against environmental stressors.
by Dr. Talia Marcheggiani, ND | Jan 25, 2013 | Balance, Community, Family, Finding yourself, Gratitude, Happiness, Health, Mindfulness, Philosophy, Relationships
I’ve been reading a book I recommend to all of you: The Consolations of Philosophy by Alain de Botton. This book is, in one, a Western philosophy refresher course and self-help book, outlining a guide for living as dictated to us by 6 great philosophers. One of my favourite chapters examines the life and philosophy of Greek philosopher Epicurus and distills the lessons he shared with us about finding true happiness and fulfillment in our lives, while still living modestly.
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by Dr. Talia Marcheggiani, ND | Jan 23, 2013 | Beauty, DIY, Health, Home Remedies, Recipes, Women's health
Winter time is a time for chapped lips and that means a time for lip balm. I, for one, have been addicted to the stuff ever since I started buying Bonnebell Lip Smackers (glitter and all) in packs of 10 in a variety of flavours and colours. Now that my glitter days (short as they were) are over, I’m back to basic, creamy, natural balms. Since I’ve heard shocking statistics (not sure where they’re from) that the average woman eats 5-6 pounds of lipstick in her lifetime, let’s make sure that the stuff we put on our lips everyday is natural, non-toxic and, actually edible.
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by Dr. Talia Marcheggiani, ND | Jan 21, 2013 | Canadian College of Naturopathic Medicine, Finding yourself, Health, Naturopathic Philosophy, Philosophy, Stress, Student
After December finals, I had my first naturopathic preceptoring experience. At CCNM, we are required to sit in on a total of 100 patient visits with a practicing naturopathic doctor. From these visits comes the kind of learning that one can only obtain through experience. This particular session, however, served to be a pretty big eye-opener for me.
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by Dr. Talia Marcheggiani, ND | Jan 18, 2013 | Cooking, Dessert, Diet, Gluten Free, Holidays, Recipes
Wednesday was my mom’s birthday and, to celebrate, I made her a very chocolate-y gluten-free cake. Since cake and chocolate are not exactly naturopathic (although dark cocoa has been shown to modestly lower blood pressure), it’s important that, when eating and preparing dessert, we make sure we create a 10/10 on the delicious-ness scale. Making sure that birthday cakes are as chocolate-y and delicious as possible makes it worth it and justifies the extra sugar and calories. I hope this one was a 10.
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by Dr. Talia Marcheggiani, ND | Jan 16, 2013 | Beauty, DIY, Recipes, Skin health
I used to be a drugstore junkie. There was a Shopper’s Drugmart, our Canadian drug superstore, at the corner near our house while attending high school and there was one near my house while attending university. I’d slip in a few times a week, sometimes for legitimate items, such as toilet paper, but mostly to check out the new lip glosses or eye shadows. I spent long hours and dollars there, and ended up filling my body (and medicine cabinet) with a lot of useless junk.
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by Dr. Talia Marcheggiani, ND | Jan 14, 2013 | Art Therapy, Community, Culture, Healing Stories, Health, Music, South America
In Paraguay, South America there is a village, called Cateura, whose main industry is collecting and recycling the waste from the rest of the country. Being from a poor village that acts as Paraguay’s dumping grounds, the citizens of Cateura subsist mainly on sorting and recycling garbage. The documentary Landfill Harmonic, tells the story of Favio Chavez, a music teacher in Cateura, who decided to create a school music program using instruments made entirely of recycled garbage.
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