Food at Seminars?!

Just got back from a really good seminar on women's health. Tori Hudson, an ND who is probably the leading naturopathic women's health practitioner in North America, is the speaker for this 2 day integrative health seminar.

From 9 am to 5 pm today she discussed the scientific research behind why we as NDs prescribe what we do for PMS, dysmenorrhea, interstitial cystitis, and PCOS, among other concerns. It was a good review of the research that has been done on many nutraceuticals and the mechanism of action of the supplements, that I use in my daily practice with many of my patients. It was also surprising and refreshing to see a couple of medical doctors and nurse practitioners at the seminar. Hopefully they relay information back to their colleagues that our medicine is actually very well researched and there's a method to our madness!

HOWEVER.... I along with many of the other attendees were surprised to see what breakfast and lunch entailed. Usually when I attend naturopathic seminars and conferences the food is very much catered to our healthy, nutritional ways i.e. soymilk is provided for tea and coffee, lots of fruit at breakfast, many different vegetable options, tofu or beans are usually an option etc. Today's breakfast was an interesting array of croissants and bagels, while lunch was a variety of deli sandwiches on white bread or baguettes. WOW.... we spent all day discussing how diet has such a huge impact on PMS, and dysmenorrhea... discussing how a highly refined sugar diet and high carbohydrate diet can contribute to many of the women's health concerns that we treat....

Note to self: eat breakfast before leaving home tomorrow and bring my own walnuts and fruit for snacks.