The Art & Practice Blog
When the Tests Come Back Negative
Many people come to see a naturopathic doctor only after they have already been to see everyone else, having run around the ring of the conventional medical establishment, all to have them conclude, "there's nothing wrong with you." Sometimes a patient might have...
What to Eat
For some weekend inspiration I compiled a simple poster on how to eat. What has become very complicated by popular diet books, Dr. Oz and billions of dollars of weight loss fads is really quite simple: eat real food. Follow these simple principles, one day at a time,...
Healthy Breakfast Ideas
Its seems that, for most people, the hardest part of starting a new diet is figuring out what to eat for breakfast. To help some of my RSNC patients on the road to hypoallergenic, healthier living, I compiled this handout to give them some inspiration for the most...
Arugula Goat Cheese Salad
Arugula is in season right now; everyone's gardens are blossoming with it and that's fantastic news. Its pretty, delicately shaped leaves and interesting, spicy bite combines well with any summer salad recipe. It provides flavour and punch to a nutrient-rich profile...
21 Days to Happiness
I recently came across this Ted Talk, by Shawn Anchor, recommended by a fellow student. The insightful, well-delivered, entertaining talk is important in the field of naturopathic medicine because it stresses the importance of positivity for living a life of health...
Chocolate Chip Chickpea Cookies
"Great cookies!" Someone exclaimed as I passed around the tupperware container. And, as is custom at the Canadian College of Naturopathic Medicine, home of the famous elimination diet, they added, "Are they gluten-free?" Little did this particular colleague know,...
On Wholeness
I am currently reading the book Full Catastrophe Living by Jon Kabat-Zinn, the founder of Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction, MBSR, a mindful meditation program that I am currently taking, and I came across this paragraph that I thought was worth sharing with all of...
How Walkable is Your Town?
As mentioned, walking is the best form of exercise there is. It allows us to move our bodies organically while interacting with our neighbourhood and the people in it. As you've probably noticed, however, some places are more fun to walk around in than others. Taking...
A Message to 1st, 2nd and 3rd Year Naturopathic Medical Students
Dear Students of Naturopathic Medicine in years 1, 2 and 3, I understand that at this point, and especially if you are currently at any stage in 3rd year, you might be wondering: is this all worth it? And, please, feel free to exhale because, from where I'm standing...
Navigating the Elimination Diet
So, your naturopathic doctor or 4th year intern has suggested that you do a 3-6 week elimination diet? While at this stage it might seem like a daunting task to give up all of your favourite foods, here is a run-down of some of the tools you'll need to get it right....
Triple Thick Tropical Green Smoothie
Resolving to be healthier? If you've ever related to the sentiment, "I'm going to start drinking green sh#% and jogging", here's your chance to start (well, minus the jogging). Introducing a summer-appropriate, thick and green (so it must be healthy) smoothie! This is...
Walk This Way
Despite having had a brief love affair with virtually every form of cardio exercise, I still remain attached to my one true love: walking. Once not even considered exercise in many gym circles, we now know it's one of the best forms of movement out there. Here's some...
To Coffee or Not To Coffee?
That is often the health question... On this blog I have openly admitted to loving coffee. Throughout the course of applying my studies in naturopathic medicine to my own life, I've been able to make necessary changes to my diet and have watched the way I eat evolve...
High Park Cherry Blossoms
Every year in High Park, in Toronto, thousands of tourists gather to see the cherry blossoms. These puffy white-pink clouds create a feeling of lightness and cast surreal shadows over the grass. Families park themselves for the day to enjoy the fluffy pink caves of...
A Mindful Commute
One of the reasons I chose to do my undergrad at Queen's University (in Kingston, Ontario) was the beauty of its campus. The ivy-covered limestone buildings filled with me a romantic vision of what a student's life should be. I imaged myself strolling to class among...
The Tiny House Revolution
What does space mean to you? Is it a necessity? A status symbol? A burden? A friend and I recently went to see a documentary at the Toronto Hot Docs festival called Tiny: A Story About Living Small. The doc follows a young couple who embark on the project of building...
Affordable Naturopathic Medicine in Toronto
As you probably know, my classmates and I have completed our 3rd year of naturopathic medical school and are about to embark on our 12-month clinical internship and final year as naturopathic medical students. My brilliant classmates and I start to practice tomorrow,...
How I Managed to Pass NPLEX 1: One Woman’s Success Story and Practical Tips
Congratulations on another completed academic year! Not to rain on everyone's parade but, for many of you, there is a giant basic sciences board exam looming in the not-so distant future. So, there are websites out there on tips for studying for NPLEX 1, but they are...
Ninety
The CCNM class of 2014 started our naturopathic medical education in September of 2010 (or Jan 2011, for the Janbabies). Since then we have written and performed exactly 90 exams (including our board exam, NPLEX 1, in the summer after 2nd year). 90 seems like a nice,...
Spring Detox with Hydrotherapy
Ask any religion or ancient culture: there is nothing more detoxifying than pure, clean water to wash away our sins, whether material or metaphorical. Therefore, no spring cleaning regimen is complete without implementing the detoxifying power of water. Using...