A Naturopathic Dinner For Busy People
For the next three weeks I'm house-sitting at my parents', 1.5 hours away from the school. Not only are classes at CCNM long and tiresome, my commute time has also increased. I also have the added stress of having a small dog waiting for me when I get home. This...
The Long Distance Tunnel
I have been in a long-distance relationship with J since August 2010. Here is my reflection. It's a rollarcoaster of emotions - the oscillation between being OK with it - the "it's better this way, we're both so busy we wouldn't survive if we were physically together"...
Forest Bath
Now that we're into fall it seems like I have a to-do list a mile long. Fortunately, even in a city like Toronto, there is still the opportunity to find the space between all the things that have to be done and slow down by doing some Shinrin-yoku, or "forest...
DIY: Calendula Oil Infusion
One of my favourite herbs to treat skin is calendula, or marigold. The bright orange petals from this pretty flower helps soothe and moisturize minor cuts, burns, bruises and scratches, helping to increase the speed of wound-healing and decrease infection. Calendula...
Allergen-Free Pad Thai
The Elimination Diet doesn't have to be just about chicken and brown rice. Here's how to enjoy delicious Asian food-cart food from the comfort of your own home, without sacrificing your diet. This pad thai recipe is not only safe to eat, it actually contains...
Naturopathic Medicine, EBM and the Skeptic
It seems that, for every person who embraces the idea of holistic medicine with open arms and an open mind, there is at least one skeptic who refuses to acknowledge that alternative medical practices not only exist, but are growing in popularity, helping thousands of...
Colombian Nature Cure Photography
Treat yourself to some visual nature cure with green scenes from Colombian towns around Bogotá and Medellín. 2012. Parque de los Pies Descalzos, Medellín. Piedra El Peñón, Guatapé. Guatapé, Antioquia. Chia, Cundinamarca. Santa Fe de Antioquia,...
Two-Wheeled Wings
Back in May, when the four glorious months of summer lay before me like a vast, expansive ocean, I had the luxury of fantasy. I imaged myself, summer skirts flowing and carrying a basket full of flowers, gliding over pavement on my bicycle. When the weather is...
Colombia: a Tale of Three Dishes
It´s been a while since I´ve talked about food on this blog, which is a shame, since this blog is about naturopathic medicine and, as Hippocrates said, "let food be thy medicine." Any naturopathic doctor will tell you that a great diet is the key to health, happiness...
Back in Colombia
The first thing I notice about Bogotá, when descending the rickety stairs of the airplane, is the smell: a strange mixture of damp clay, lush green vegetation and diesel smoke. The altitude provides a lightheaded feeling of well-being and forceful palpitations...
Painting Self-Portraits
My art is mainly inspired by nature or by places I've traveled to or read about. It doesn't tend to emphasize detail and, when humans are included in the composition, they are usually faceless, depicted as chunky, cubist blocks of colour. People are rarely the main...
7 Reasons Why Summer Studying Doesn’t Have to Suck
It occurred to me during a lazy, yet productive, day at the Toronto Reference Library, among stacks of deliciously old-smelling books - this ain't so bad. Although I've taken to whining about it in previous posts, summer studying doesn't really have to be that...
Quiet Power
I have a confession to make. Sometimes when I see someone I know in a public place, usually at the end of a long day, I am often guilty of lowering my head and pretending I don't notice them, regardless of how good a hair day I've been having. It sounds horrible...
How to Improve Your Colon Health in 4 Easy Steps
I remember being weighed down by a horrifying feeling of inferiority during an Asian Medicine lecture one day. You see, I have always been proud of a strong and reliable digestive system until I learned that the Chinese believe that one should experience an...
Put Away Your Troubles…
Like many of my peers I feel like I spend every day eating lunch at the Mandarin buffet - I always seem to have too much on my plate. Working this summer, planning classes, trying to fit in 4+ daily hours of studying for board exams (NPLEX), devouring books, writing...
The Inspiring Blog Award!
I am pleased and excited to announce that I have been nominated for my second blog award! Just when I happened to be feeling a little disconnected and uninspired when it came to my blog writing, a new reader, by the name of Ruth, sent me some sweet nectar of...
Creating Aha! Moments in the Clinic
As a summer English as a Second Langauge (ESL) teacher I often attend teacher training workshops. In a recent training session I attended, a grammar workshop, it was impressed upon us the importance of creating a learning environment in which we allow students to...
Pop Open a Gluten-Free Cold One
Nothing quite says summer like the smell of a barbecue, a cool lakeside breeze, the stiff comfort of a wooden Muskoka chair, the company of a good book and, of course, a nice, cool bottle of bubbly beer. Sadly, gluten-free means call for gluten-free measures and this...
Serenity
Serenity, in New Age culture, usually depicts the complacent grin of someone who has risen "above it all". Clad in white robes, with a wooden chain of prayer beads strung around the neck, this serene being does 10-day meditation retreats, feels at home in lotus pose...
Toronto: Filled with PRIDE!
On Canada Day, Sunday, July 1, both temperatures and spirits were high as millions of Torontonians joined together to celebrate the biggest celebration of LGBT rights in North America: the Toronto Pride Parade! On the corner of Yonge and Gerrard of downtown Toronto, I...