Articles

A diagnosis of Hypothyroidism, or underactive thyroid, means that your thyroid gland is not producing high enough hormone levels to carry out its many roles in the body.   Thyroid hormones play roles in a wider range of physical functions than most of us realise, so when those hormone levels get out of whack, the entire body can be affected. There can be a number of reasons this happens, ranging from nutritional deficiencies to radiation, with one of the more common reasons being an autoimm...Read more: Don’t Let Hashimoto’s Thyroiditis Zap Your Energy

Polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) can impact many aspects of a woman’s health, from her moods, her weight, to her chances of conception. This surprisingly common condition can be difficult to diagnose and treat. That’s partly because conventional medicine practices are often geared towards tackling the symptoms without truly getting to the underlying reasons. Functional/ Natural treatments for PCOS address this frustrating condition from all angles, addressing the whole system with a special...Read more: A Natural Approach To PCOS

The week before your period, it’s not unusual for many women to experience an unwanted transformation from Doctor Jekyll to Ms. Hyde. As our hormones shift, some of us will fall apart into sensitive sleep-deprived puddles. Other simmering souls will find themselves raging without warning. Then there are the mopey bloated hermits who will choose to wrap themselves in a blanket and binge-watch Netflix until Aunt Flow takes a hike. Whoever your PMS alter-ego might be, it’s hard not to feel out o...Read more: Is Your Period Controlling You? How to prevent PMS and balance out your hormones

Fertility. It’s something we often take for granted when we’re planning our lives. In fact, many women spend a lot of money and effort in preventing pregnancy until the timing is right for conception. However, even when the timing is right, our bodies don’t always cooperate. Recent years have seen a dramatic increase in infertility. One study found infertility rates increased from 5.4 percent in 1984  to 15.7 percent in 2011, a substantial increase in a short period of time. An Integrative A...Read more: Infertility Rates are Rising- What You Need to Know

When I last wrote, it had been almost 9 months without any luck of pregnancy. That is when I decided to go to Juno Fertility Clinic in Waterloo and get some cycle monitoring done. This is when they take blood and do an internal ultrasound every 2 days to see how the follicles are maturing and when you are ovulating. The process is quite tedious and tiresome. After having completed the cycle monitoring portion and all the blood work as well as my husband’s sperm analysis, we had a consultatio...Read more: My Fertility Update

Your thyroid is your body’s powerhouse. Your energy levels, metabolism, and heart rate are all controlled by this small, butterfly-shaped gland. Without enough thyroid hormone, your mitochondria aren’t able to produce the energy that your cells need for optimum performance. At the other end of the spectrum, your body can go into “overdrive” if it produces too much thyroid hormone.   Thyroid Issues are More Common Than you Think  With so much at stake with regards to your overall health, ma...Read more: Hyper or Hypothyroidism: Often Misdiagnosed

Growing numbers of women are dismayed to discover they didn’t leave acne behind when they finished high school. Yes, it might seem like a cruel joke, but it’s possible to have pimples and wrinkles at the same time. In fact, 54 percent of women over 25 experience some acne. And the numbers are expected to increase, with some skin care experts calling the increase in outbreaks in adult women “an epidemic.”   What’s behind the rise in problem pimples? Although we tend to associate acne with ...Read more: Why Is Adult Acne on the Rise?

Estrogen plays an important role through the course of our reproductive lives and beyond. It regulates our menstrual cycle, strengthens our bones, controls our cholesterol, and much more. When our estrogen levels drop, we experience menopausal symptoms. But even before menopause, varying levels of this vital hormone can wreak havoc. That’s because estrogen requires a delicate balance with other hormones. When that balance is disturbed, we can experience a wide range of frustrating symptoms.  ...Read more: Do you have Symptoms of High Estrogen?

Can your thyroid be the reason you can’t lose weight? Is your thyroid working properly? Should you get your thyroid tested? Did you know that a tiny, butterfly shaped gland nestled in your throat is responsible for producing and regulating some of the most important hormones in your body? This mighty gland is called the thyroid, and while it’s relatively small in size, it plays a large role in our endocrine (hormone) system. The thyroid gland produces hormones that interact with many othe...Read more: Is Your Thyroid Healthy?

Whether you are a woman whose periods are irregular, too heavy or too painful. Or whether you are a woman who has hot flashes, difficulties staying asleep and losing weight, the common denominator is hormone imbalances. Our most talked about hormones are: thyroid, estrogen, progesterone, testosterone, melatonin and cortisol. When one or more of these are out of balance, it can make us feel completely off. Getting your hormones checked can be a very valuable insight into your health. The best ...Read more: The Hormone Dance