Barefoot Adventures in Tairona
The trail in Tairona National Park, from the entrance of the park to the campsite we stayed at, took 4 hours to hike. Burdened with heavy backpacks and cotton shirts sticking to our backs with humid sweat, we traipsed through the jungle. Straw hats scratching...
Naturopathic Medical Brigade to Guatemala
So, in February of 2013 I will be packing up my medical equipment and heading to Panajachel, Guatemala to embark on my first ever medical brigade with Naturopaths Without Borders (NWB) and Naturopathic Medicine for Global Health (NMGH)! I became hooked on volunteering...
Let Food Be Thy Medicine
Even when it reflects your passions, it's not often you find yourself in a truly inspiring lecture while studying for a post-graduate degree; hey, it's sad, but true. So, imagine my excitement at feeling completely touched by our third year Clinical Nutrition...
A Pizza of Inspiration: Blog Award + Recipe
First of all, let me thank Mark at Endless Love and Light for my 2nd Very Inspiring Blogger Award nomination. That makes 4 blog nominations! While I'm not exactly sure what these nominations really mean, I'm grateful for the recognition from the blogging community and...
Under Acupressure
One of my favourite courses, since I began my studies to become a naturopathic doctor, has been Asian Medicine. I am fascinated by the fact that this holistic form of medicine treated billions of people for the past 3000 years, how it remains a viable form of medicine...
Notes on the Community Healthcare Panel
Last Wednesday, November 14, a group of exceptionally socially-minded classmates and I held a Community Healthcare Panel. Despite the fact that it was held on a Wednesday night, the event proved to be nothing less than engaging and inspiring and, because of its...
Quotes from The Gathering: Chicago 2012
Every year the naturopathic student community holds a philosophical conference at one of the accredited naturopathic medical schools in North America. For three days, naturopathic medical students and "elders" - seasoned professionals in practice for about 20 years or...
The Empowerment Models in Community Healthcare (Wo)Manifesto
As we often hear in our classes, one of the biggest risk factors for a variety of chronic, debilitating diseases, from diabetes to ADHD, is low socioeconomic status. Sadly, even in a country like Canada, in the year 2012, we see that socioeconomic status continues to...
Sometimes we forget that the textbooks are about the people all around us…
I found this thought-provoking blog post from a 4th year North American medical student on the computerization of med school. As naturopathic medical students we like to think that we're the only healthcare professionals that actually "care" about people. However,...
Building Community with Cookies
While studying at the Lazy Daisy Cafe in Toronto's east end with some classmates, I came across this inspiring poster in front of the washrooms: As cities and bank accounts grow, we find ourselves becoming less social and our sense of community diminishing. We...
Body Love
This post was written in the summer of 2012. Although I hate Mayor Rob Ford, I have to hand it to the man; he must really have a strong sense of self to not get himself down over the very open disdain most Torontonians hold for him. I wonder if my ego would take that...
6 Tips for Mindful Eating
I eat fast. I love taking huge mouthfuls of food and I'm usually the first one finished at the table. Maybe it's because I'm Italian and have spent years becoming comfortable stuffing my mouth with large, heaping forkfuls, roped in spaghetti. Besides eating quickly,...
The Sunshine Award
I want to thank Leanne at Eat and Get Moving for my 3rd blog award: The Sunshine Award. Receiving this award today is fitting considering the fact that it's currently pouring rain outside. It's an honour to receive recognition from the blogging community, knowing...
Easy Pill
It's astounding when I reflect on the fact that three years of immersion in naturopathic medical philosophy haven't remedied the need for a quick-fix pill. The pill itself has changed, to become more "natural" (with the assumption that natural is far superior to a...
Autumn Colours
October 19, 2012 ends another successful midterm week at CCNM. Not including our NPLEX 1 board exam, which was written in August, our first midterm week of 3rd year ticks a grand total of 61 CCNM exams off our growing lists. This exam period was our lightest one yet...
Paleo Bread Recipe
Just for the record, I don't follow the Paleolithic diet, nor any diet for that matter. Not to a T, anyways. I enjoy eating legumes, I consume whole grains such as brown rice and quinoa, and I also enjoy eating root vegetables, most of which are eschewed on the...
Gluten and Dairy Free Berry Muffins
Now that it's midterm season, I'm officially on the baking wagon. Everyone knows that there is no better way to procrastinate than by filling your kitchen with the glorious smell of baked goods. After enviously eyeing a friend's Starbucks coffee cake, I decided it was...
7 Ways to Improve Your Health
While health magazines and other marketing campaigns often make it sound so complicated, the secrets to good health are simple: consume good food, drink water, exercise and reduce stress. We all intuitively know that obtaining great health is not found in a bottle,...
Paleo Pumpkin Pie
Happy Canadian Thanksgiving! One of the my favourite holidays, Thanksgiving is about practicing gratitude while getting together with family for delicious seasonal food, warming spices and, of course, eating pumpkin pie! I thank my classmate, L, for this delicious...
The “It’s Still Summer” Strawberry Spinach Salad
Since the summer I've been obsessed with this particular salad. It consists of strawberries, a handful of almonds and baby spinach (or mixed greens) and is dressed with a simple vinaigrette of balsamic vinegar and olive oil. My summer go-to lunch for most days of the...