Single? Or just over all the Hallmark Hullabaloo? Valentine’s Day doesn’t have to just be about romantic dinners and grand gestures for someone else. It’s also a wonderful opportunity to shower yourself with love and care. Whether you’re flying solo or part of a couple, taking the time to focus on your emotional and physical well-being can leave you feeling refreshed, empowered, and deeply connected to yourself. After all, self-love is the foundation for every other kind of love.
Read MoreValentine’s Day is the perfect opportunity to show your special person, or even just yourself, that how much you love them through the universal love language of food. But do you know what shows your love and care even more? If you whip up a menu that’s not only delicious but also heart-healthy and libido-boosting. After all, every bite we take is an investment in our wellbeing and our chance to love each other another day.
Read MoreThere’s something about the damp west coast air that can really chill you to your bones in the Winter months. I find even when i’m all bundled up, I still crave that inner warmth that can only come from a cozy warming meal, drink, or snack. Even better when it’s a nutrient dense one! I’ve rounded up 10 warming and nutritious recipes to try out this New Year.
Read MoreIn Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), winter is considered the season of the kidneys. It's believed that the cold weather places extra strain on this vital organ system, which governs energy reserves, fluid balance, and overall vitality. Winter is seen as a time to conserve energy and nurture the kidneys for long-term health. Let’s have a look and see some of the reasons our kidney’s might need some extra love in the winter months as well as look at tips for keeping kidneys healthy and happy!
Read MoreYou hear me talk a lot about the importance of eating whole foods, and foods with minimal ingredients for good health. This is something that might seem easy for cooking meals, but pose challenges when trying to think of snack ideas, especially while on the go. I wanted to put together a list of snack ideas using whole foods to sustain your and your family’s healthy eating through the day at work or school.
Read MoreAnd with that, the holidays are over. Hopefully you aren’t nursing too many after effects from over indulging. Even if you were able to cultivate balance, I know how good it can feel to get back into your regular swing of things after the endless parade of treats, holiday hubbub, and the strains of travel or hosting. It’s not uncommon to have some difficulties with going to the bathroom when you’re out of your routine. Many people experience constipation when travelling, for example and nothing kills your mood faster than the discomfort being a bit backed up can cause.
Read MoreWith the new year rolling in, the holidays ending, our thoughts begin to turn to our resolutions and what goals we would like to set for ourselves for our ‘new start’ It's become a bit of a running joke that many of our New Year’s resolutions peter out by about March, lost in the dust of unrealistic expectations, being too hard on ourselves, or a lack of motivation.If you’re sick of the hubbub and the let down and want to create a real and lasting change in your health in 2025– I’ve got a few New Year’s resolution ideas for you!
Read MoreThe holidays can be hard for those who are celiac, or simply gluten free. You might feel like you have to miss out on all of the ‘good stuff’ that everyone else gets to enjoy, but that doesn’t have to be true!! I’ve scoured around for some great gluten free Christmas treat ideas to satisfy all of your holiday desires. If you have family members who are gluten free, consider making a couple of these options for your holiday festivities.
Read MoreAhh the holidays… while we may love or hate this time of year, it never is all sugarplums and cozy socks like we wished it would be. Stresses like travel, your inlaws, and a million to do’s to make the magic happen can really take a toll, and we can find ourselves starting the new year exhausted, depleted, and coming down off of a big sugar crash. Never fear, Dr. Marita is here. I’ve hand picked my top 6 supplements for surviving the holiday season.
Read MoreThere’s nothing quite like the holidays to highlight how rampant sugar excess runs in our culture. While I'm all for a sweet treat, and enjoying the holiday magic, it can be really detrimental to our health goals to over indulge in the sweet treats. This is especially hard for women who are struggling with PCOS (Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome).
Read MoreOur collective relationship with our bodies is in an era of healing. We are remembering that health is not something that is determined by our waist size exclusively, we are focusing on nourishment, and prioritizing our mental health and our happiness. But I see all the time in my practice how the myths of how to lose weight linger amongst my patients. In fact, a lot of what we’ve been taught about weight loss is actually ineffective for long term, sustainable weight loss and weight management, and can even lead to weight gain due to hormonal disruption.
Read MoreEveryone’s conception journey looks different. Some women conceive unexpectedly, some just have a loose goal of having a baby and stop trying not to, others find themselves on a journey of diligently tracking their ovulations and trying for many cycles, and others still need to seek extra support with fertility doctors to make their dreams of motherhood a reality. No matter what your fertility and conception journey looks like, or even if you just know that someday you would like to have a baby, there are some steps you can take to help prepare your body for conception.
Read MoreThere is a biological reason your body is craving more food, especially more carbs this time of year. Once upon a time, we relied on hearty foods like plenty of fats and carbs to keep us warm and sustained through the winter when food was scarce. While we may have an unending supply of food available to us now, our bodies are still operating on this program. Which brings me to today’s focus: starchy vegetables.
Read MoreThe dark days really seem to creep up on us.. Especially as we hit daylight savings time. Suddenly you might find yourself driving to work in the dark, and driving home in the dark, wondering if you can even remember what the sun felt like on your face. It’s no secret that shorter days are linked with seasonal depression, lower energy, and that sluggish winter feeling we all seem to get. While a bit of seasonal slowing down is definitely part of our natural rhythms, for many of us, we don’t have the luxury of slowing down, or we want to be able to do so without feeling so BLAH.
Read MoreIn light of spooky season, I thought it was a good time to dive into the truly scary ways we commonly and routinely wreak havoc on our body’s health. The good news is, a few simple habit changes can go a long way in reversing the effects of these and laying the foundation for years of good health to come.
Read MoreBubble bubble toil and trouble. As the chill of Fall begins to set in, a host of seasonal illnesses seem to come with it. Especially if you’ve got kids bringing everything home. Before you reach for the cough syrup or the ibuprofen why not embrace the age old traditions of healing herbs? These brews not only offer medicinal qualities, but they also are quite yummy, soothing, and it can be fun to play with your inner witch during the Halloween season.
Read MoreWhile I’m a firm believer in treating oneself every now and again being an integral part of a healthy and balanced lifestyle, wouldn’t it be great if you knew your sweet treat was also supplying your body with essential nutrients and wasn’t going to wreak total havoc on your healthy eating momentum? That’s why I’ve rounded up some nutritious fall dessert ideas to try out for your thanksgiving holiday, or anytime you want to give yourself a little treat!
Read MoreWith the world at our fingertips, trends seem to rise and fall like a kid on a pogostick. One minute everyone’s saying skinny jeans are out, and the next minute they’re back. This can be especially confusing when it comes to health trends. The rise of ‘health influencers’ and the sparkling carrot of viral fame has led to claims circling around that promise to be the ultimate secret to perfect health… but what is the truth? Let’s sift through some of the top health trends we’ve seen so far in 2024 and I’ll weigh in on whether they’re worth your time, or just another passing trend.
Read MoreAs we begin the daydreaming of leaves starting to fall and the air getting that crisp, cool bite, we might look forward to cozy sweaters, pumpkin spice everything, and the upcoming holiday season. But if you’re one of the millions of Canadians who deal with arthritis, you might also be bracing yourself for the not-so-fun part of the season: increased joint pain.
Read MoreLast month we looked into the amazing benefits of local seasonal eating, and covered some delicious recipes for the bountiful August abundance. With the season of harvest upon us, I thought we’d look ahead at what’s in season this Fall and discover some more delicious recipes!
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