Dr. Tiffany Chats How She Got into Naturopathic Medicine

Welcome Dr. Tiffany to the blog today! Dr. Tiffany is practicing at the clinic on Tuesdays currently. Having grown up in a household where pharmaceuticals weren’t always the first prescription, I was never one for conventional medicine. As a graduate of biochemistry from McMaster University, I was still unsure of my career path. I was unquestionably interested in the health profession, and had contemplated medical school like most of my colleagues and (future) husband, however I knew this was not exactly right for me. I continued on with my education and completed my Master’s degree at Guelph University. A guest speaker in one of my classes was a Naturopathic Doctor and she opened my eyes to everything I’d been looking for. Unaware that this profession even existed, a light bulb went off and I knew this was my calling. The natural and holistic approach to health while still figuring out the underlying cause to disease was the ‘medical’ degree I needed. I completed my Naturopathic degree in 2011 and have never looked back.

Dr. Claire and Why She is an ND

Today on the ZH blog welcome Dr. Claire. Here she writes why she loves what she does. You can also now follow her on her own blog! Clairegirgisnd.com From a young age, I knew I wanted to be in healthcare, because I always had the instinct to take care of people, and I enjoyed doing it. When I was in university, and exploring my options, I found naturopathic medicine and realized it's where I belong! I love that naturopathic medicine gives me the opportunity to sit with my patients and hear them and learn about different aspects of their lives, health, and well-being. I love that no two cases are ever the same because I'm treating a person, not a symptom and the tools at my disposal are so varied. I love that it permits me to delve deeper and encourages me to get to the root of people's concerns, taking into consideration the whole person. I love that one of the goals of my profession is to educate my patients and the public and empower them to take care of themselves and their health!

Celiac Awareness

Here's a little something from our resident holistic nutritionist, Alexis Nilsen. She is available on Tuesdays and Thursdays here at Zawada Health. Health crazes and diet trends may come and go. But every so often there are advances in the nutrition and medical field that are true game changers, and with the month of May coming to an end so is Celiac Awareness month and I wanted to leave you with some food for thought… Celiac is a difficult disease to recognize and is often overlooked; the symptoms can be non-specific, even non-existent. I speak from experience because I struggled for years with my health before I found out that this nasty little protein was doing so much damage. The connection between gut and disease is real, sadly we often forget this fact and have now drifted to a quick fix mentality and it is clearly not working. If you have questions about the foods you're eating, or maybe you want to clean up your act in the kitchen I would love to help. “Because every time you eat or drink, you are either feeding disease or fighting it.” - Hippocrates

Mindshift Ninja?

Love the name of this company. It's why I took a second look at them. Health is not just the physical and this week's Bell #letstalk campaign reminded us of this. The WHO has said 'There is no health without mental health' and Mindshift Ninja helps their clients train the brain to achieve goals. Here's an interview with the owners. You can also find this article in our upcoming February Zawada Health newsletter. Interview with Ayla and Yashar of MINDSHIFT Ninja (http://mindshift.ninja) What is MINDSHIFT Ninja? MINDSHIFT Ninja is a brain-based coaching and leadership development company. We focus on optimizing human performance, empowering teams, and inspiring leadership. We create accessible, tangible, and sustainable brain-based programs to support our client’s growth. Why the mind? Your mind is your most powerful tool for breakthrough. We focus on the mind because it is a muscle, it can be trained and strengthened. You can transform your mind. Your world is shaped by your thinking. That is why MINDSHIFT Ninja focuses on empowering your thinking and helping you shape and sharpen your mind. Who do you work with? We offer dynamic, individual and group, coaching and workshops, for executives, entrepreneurs, creatives, and go-getters. We work with various clients from those interested in change management, leadership programs and starting new enterprises - all the way to relationship support, child labour and brain foods. In other words, brain-based coaching can empower your thinking and actions - for anyone, anywhere. You two have very different backgrounds how do you come together? We are both trained Brain-Based Executive Coaches. Our backgrounds in medicine and management help us combine the neurosciences, strategic planning, and mindfulness techniques to empower individuals and groups. Combining our talents allows us to help our clients do better by thinking better. Want to find out more? Learn more about Ayla and Yashar and MINDSHIFT Ninja. Follow them on twitter for some great tips. @MINDShiftNinja Check out Yashar’s spotlight interview conducted last month, stay tuned for Ayla’s spotlight on Feb 25th.

January Newsletter Sneak Peek -- Heartburn!!

Dr. Claire, one of the NDs here at Zawada Health has written a little something about heartburn for the January newsletter. Here you are! Heartburn, also known as reflux or a condition referred to as GERD (gastro-esophageal reflux disease), is that uncomfortable, burning sensation in your throat and chest that follows a meal. Some of you may have experienced it for the first time after a heavy holiday meal this season, and some of you may be dealing with it every day! Very often, it is just assumed that heartburn happens because there is too much acidity in the stomach, but this is not always the case. In fact, too little acidity in the stomach can also be a cause. The acidity in the stomach acts as a trigger for a small muscle called the esophageal sphincter to tighten and close the esophagus, to prevent stomach contents from coming back up. If there isn’t enough acidity to trigger this muscle, it doesn’t close properly and heartburn may result. This example is meant to highlight the importable of determining the root cause of a condition like heartburn. Most heartburn medications are aimed at reducing acidity, however, if low acidity is the root cause, these medications may be ineffective or even aggravate the condition. Your naturopathic doctor can help you to determine the cause of your heartburn by asking the right questions, performing physical examination and referring you for testing, where necessary. Once a cause has been determined, your ND can counsel you on diet and lifestyle to manage heartburn, and recommend appropriate treatments, including herbal and nutritional supplements, homeopathics and acupuncture to help treat the root cause for a long term resolution to your heartburn.

Happy New Year!

Happy New Year! One of my 2 favourite times of the year! I love September and January for the sole reason that these are great times to start new and get into new routines. I have always loved school and starting a new school year always was exciting… maybe it was the shopping trips to get new outfits and new backpacks and pencils etc. :) And of course January. Reflection. Resolutions. Goal setting. New to-do lists. All things I love. Reflection at the end of December, especially this year for me, was very important. I feel blessed. My husband always making me laugh and supporting me personally and professionally; and of course my two boys, Owen, and Ben, even though they still don’t sleep through the night. Lol. I also want to say thank you to all of you who have come to Zawada Health for one service or another or picked up product or just stopped by to say hello because you were in the area. It’s your support of my small business that has kept me going over the years. To all my patients: I learn from you just as you learn from me. I love listening to your health concerns, your struggles, all the stories. It all weaves together to make your story; a story that may keep me up at night prompting an email to you the next morning :) Thank you for trusting me with your health. I wish everyone a beautiful 2016, filled with good health and happiness. Carol Morley

Tips for Picking The Healthiest Chocolate :) Happy Valentine's Day!

The first point won't be a big surprise: choose dark chocolate. The darker the bar, the higher the cocoa mass percentage will be. Dark cocoa (at least 70%) will have more healthy polyphenols and antioxidants and less of the processed oils and sugars. If it doesn't list the percentage then don't buy it. Second point also won't be a surprise: read the ingredients. Whether its a cereal, granola bar, or chocolate it's all the same point…. The fewer the ingredients the better. Look for 3 or 4 ingredients in high quality chocolate: chocolate, cocoa butter/ cocoa mass, and/or cocoa liquor, plus sugar. If the bar contains any oil, milk or milk products, soya lecithin, emulsifiers, ‘natural flavour’, or preservatives don’t buy it. Buy organic whenever possible. Cacao plants are some of the most heavily sprayed crops in the world. Pesticide residues can end up in the final product. Find out how your chocolate was manufacture. It is important in determining how 'healthy' it is. Drying cacao beans in the sun instead of roasting them preserves many of the chocolate’s delicate nutrients. Make sure that their processing temperature is not over 110°F. Also look for if the chocolate has undergone “Dutching", an alkalization method that actually removes the polyphenols. The polyphenols, the healthy part, gives the characteristic bitter flavour to the finished product. Hope these tips give you something to think about over the next couple of days if you buy chocolate for your loved one, or yourself!!