Crafted Balance Naturopathic Clinic

FERTILITY Optimizing fertility, for most people, comes down to optimizing the foundations of health for both future mom and dad. We need to make the environment (your body!) as well as the egg and sperm, as healthy as possible to improve chances of conception. Our first order of business is to ensure your cycles are occurring regularly and are relatively painless! This may involve addressing underlying hormonal concerns, learning about the changes you go through each m...onth, and how other health concerns may impact your fertility. Understanding your own cycle will help you time intimacy in order to have the best chances of conception. Nutrient status is also a factor for both partners in order to ensure a high-quality environment to maximize the chance for pregnancy to occur. Enough calories (energy!), as well as macronutrients (carbs, fat and protein) and certain micronutrients. A high quality prenatal is generally recommended in the months prior to attempting to conceive. As is cutting back (ideally eliminating) alcohol and caffeine. Finally, foundationally supporting all the pillars of health for both partners is really important. We like to make sure both partners are moving, eating, resting, having a healthy mindset and feeling connected to themselves, each other, and the world in order to develop a healthy environment for conceiving as well as bringing your baby into the world. Have questions about fertility tracking, hormonal concerns or maximizing your fertility potential? Let’s chat. Book a 15 minute meet and greet to see how we can support you in your fertility goals. See more

What is in a care plan? We like to refer to our treatment plans as your personal care plan. But what does that really mean? We start off by identifying your concerns in order to keep them top of mind while we work on supporting you. We then identify your goals - in your own words.... From there, we dive into the plan. We give you an overview of our rationale - the WHY for our approach to your plan. We give our recommendations for supplements, herbs and treatments we think are the best to start with along with information about them, how to take them, side effects to watch for, and why we think they are important for YOU and your health goals. We also touch on the pillars of health: EAT, MOVE, THINK, REST and CONNECT and if there are goals or recommendations we can make around those. Sometimes this is what we have brainstormed together. It could be a resource such as a book, podcast or activity. Finally, we conclude with our expectations and timeline of what we hope to accomplish. We discuss what we will address next time and when that will be. Every plan is personalized for your case! We love creating these plans WITH YOU so that you feel confident and supported in making these steps. For more information ~ book a 15 minute complimentary call with us via the link in our bio

Stress isn’t necessarily a bad thing - a healthy dose can be the kick in the pants we need to get things done, try something new or stretch ourselves in healthy ways. Exercise is a form of stress on our bodies - but a healthy form. This is how we adapt. Stress can sometimes manifest in physical symptoms, even when we don’t feel that we are that overwhelmed. It can show up as difficulty sleeping, decreased immunity, trouble digesting, shifts in mood, changes to hormones, and ...even hair loss. Some research indicates that these stressful events can impact our health even months later - meaning a period of stress can manifest in our health way after it happens. Our psychological stress can greatly impact our physical health. Connecting the links can be challenging and not as intuitive as it may seem. Stress is something we ALL experience, whether or not we are impacted by physical manifestations. We sometimes forget that we are collectively going through a major stress - a global pandemic. The unknown is scary. As we adapt to our normal life it can be easy to forget that we have been living with uncertainty of future challenges in regards to changing norms and concern over the health of our loved ones. Naturopathic medicine is one way to address some of the physical manifestations of stress on our body. We can be one important part of your care team ~ link in bio if you want to book a call to learn more.

Rest is an incredibly important pillar of health that we often don’t value enough. Rest can look like many different things for different people. Sometimes it’s a break from work or a weekend away - or maybe just a good sleep! Other times it's a small moment in the day, a shared laugh with a stranger or a brief walk to clear our heads. It can be active, still or something that sets us up for success in the future such as taking time to organize our week or plan our meals. Rest can also be fun! It can be a good book, or funny tv, or a good conversation with a friend. . How do you rest?

Have you used your naturopathic benefits this year? . Most people have a few more months to take advantage of their insurance benefits. There’s a lot we can do with a few months - book a complimentary 15 minute meet and greet to see how we can work together to help you feel your best link in bio

~we turn 6 months old today!!!~ It's been such a wonderful experience, learning, growing and finding our place here on Dundas alongside the clinic. If you haven't been by come visit! We have masks ... #naturopath #toronto #wellness #dundaswest #littleportugalondundas #birthdayparty

newsletter is going out tomorrow! Head over to our website (link in bio ) to sign up. Check out our stories to vote on next weeks topics . We aim to provide a little information and inspiration and love getting your feedback

IRON DEFICIENCY . . . .... You’ve likely heard of iron deficiency as it is so prevalent in women. Symptoms of low energy, depression, difficulty concentrating, weakness, hair loss, brittle nails, pale skin, even low libido can be associated with low iron levels. People who menstruate are often the most impacted because they lose blood - and iron! - every month. Iron deficiency can also come from other forms of blood loss like from damage to our GI tract. Inflammatory conditions as well as simply not eating enough iron-containing foods can also contribute to low iron. This doesn’t mean that all young women should take an iron supplement. Too little iron isn’t good, but neither is too much! It can be very damaging to our livers to over do it. A lab test for this one is really important. Come chat with us to see if you might need to supplement and what we can do to optimize your energy.(link in bio ) #naturopath #wellness #dundaswest #lowenergy #hairloss #sleepycat #lowlibido #irondeficiency #labtest #optimalhealth

REJECTION OR REDIRECTION? . . . .... We were discussing the concept of failure the other day - as a business we try a lot of new ideas that don’t always pan out. What we recognized in this discussion is that most of our failures are actually just mistakes and opportunities to learn from. When we take the time to reflect, have a treat, and rest, we can then plan our next strategy. It doesn’t define us as people or a business. We see this a lot in terms of health as well - falling out of a movement regime, routine around rest or healthy cooking habits. Sometimes it just takes a bit of reflection, rest, being kind to yourself, and then making a plan to move on. How are you taking time to reflect and be kind to yourself this week?

periods - are yours normal? Art by @nadegeesalo . . .... Periods are a monthly insight into many complexities of your health! They should be monthly, 25-34 days, relatively pain free (not reliant on pain medications such as ibuprofen), shouldn’t be too heavy, and you shouldn’t have to miss work or school because of it. . If you aren’t getting a period, or your period falls into one of the above categories, there are things that can help - even if you are on hormonal birth control. . We LOVE to talk about and support hormones. If you want to learn more about what we can do for you, schedule a complimentary 15 minute chat via the link in our bio!

TRUSTING YOURSELF . . . Sometimes anxiety around our health can push us to want to add in the latest supplement, try a new fad diet or do some fancy testing. This desire to learn more our about ourselves and take care of ourselves to the best of our abilities is valid! In reality, however, so much of this care and exploration can be achieved through strong foundations of health (a great diet, movement, stress management, rest habits and a strong social circle). We can also ...learn a lot about ourselves from intentional testing and reflection that puts us in touch with ourselves and what we REALLY want. We find that a lot of patients have an idea about what they need and we are here to help navigate the overwhelming amount of information with them in the health world. Your practitioner should help you support your body and learn to trust yourself. YOU are the expert of your own life. See more

We are here. We are smizing. We have availability next week. . . Have a wonderful and safe weekend

We are looking for an incredible practitioner - RMT, physio, chiro, holistic nutritionist - to join our team . We are a new clinic with room to grow and build your practice on Dundas West (near Trinity Bellwoods Park). We are looking for someone who is warm, bright and loves working with people. Send us a DM or an email to [email protected] if you want to chat and see if this might be the right fit for you.

COFFEE - FRIEND OR FOE ? Here at Crafted Balance it is no secret that we LOVE coffee. In doing some research this week, we came across a meta-analysis study (big robust evidence) that increased coffee intake (decaf or regular!) can lead to a ten percent reduction of all cause mortality (ALL of the things that could lead to death). Our genetics and microbiome impact how we metabolize coffee and therefore how the metabolites (active molecules) impact us. Something to keep in... mind if you experience side effects from coffee (anxiety, palpitations, are pregnant, migraines etc). The downside - increased coffee may possibly increase risk of fracture and small increase in cholesterol. This is dependent on how you brew it (more on that later). We keep a nice stock of herbal teas (for you!) and for when we feel too buzzy from too much coffee! #naturopath #toronto #dundaswest #littleportugalbia #littleportugalondundas #coffeeislove #yum #healthbenefits #antioxidants #livelongerbetter

We do so much. Between work, spending time with our loved ones, exercise, and our passions it can be hard to take time for ourselves. We need the time to restore our bodies. Rest envelops mental, emotional and physical aspects and can range from improving our sleep, choosing restful activities, and taking time for ourselves to do the things that restore us.... What are you doing to slow down this week? #rest #naturopathicmedicine #wellness #craftedbalance #whatineed #intuitivecare #restanddigest #slowdown

Hey Toronto ladies, it’s HOT out today With increased heat, hydration is top of mind. While most sports research has moved to encouraging us to drink to thirst - that actually might not be in the best interest for women, depending on where they are in their menstrual cycle. When our hormone levels are high in our cycle (mid luteal phase - which is about a week before your period) progesterone and estrogen actually impact an area of our brain (hypothalamus) that helps cont...rol our hydration. Our hormones cause a reset in our body’s drive to drink - which is based on water volume in our blood and salt content - resulting in reduced thirst even if we are dehydrated. This response actually gets worse as we age. We can start by drinking to thirst, but might need to consider adding an electrolyte beverage if we are exercising in the heat for a prolonged time. Recipe for a homemade electrolyte beverage coming soon! See more

SUPPLEMENTS . . . .... Supplements can be great supports for your health, but they can also be overwhelming and costly when taken without proper intention. As part of our intake, we go over your supplements with you and tweak, explain, remove or add based on your individual needs. You should be empowered to know what you are taking and why you are taking it. If you have questions, pop over to our website to book a 15 minute call or chat to see if we are the right fit for you!

We see striking balance in your life as something imperfect and constantly changing. It’s the act of taking in your surroundings and making an intentional change for what you need in the moment. We have the opportunity to craft our health no matter what stage of life we are in. Sometimes supporting our health means supporting our social side, sometimes leaning in to work, or connecting deeper with our family. Sometimes it means trying a new form of movement, or a new recipe. Nothing is perfect or static, including our approach to health. We support crafting a life and a balance that works for YOU.

Sun protection for healthy glowing skin . . . .... With the sun out and here to stay, and many of us are spending more time outdoors, sunscreen has been on our minds. Sunscreen is important for cancer prevention but also preventing early signs of aging - wrinkles! For skin cancer prevention, it’s best to limit sun exposure. That means avoiding being in the sun between peak hours (10am-2pm) or if we are going to be in the sun, being prepared with appropriate coverage (hats, long sleeves, long pants). While this kind of attire doesn’t work for all activities (running at lunch in long sleeves), we can lean on sunscreen options to avoid harmful UV rays (this is important no matter what colour our skin!) How do we choose which sunscreen? The main consideration should come down to: what will I actually wear? In our minds, spending lots of money on a very natural sunscreen, that you don’t wear because it leaves a white cast is worse than buying a chemical sunscreen from a drug store that you wear. We like to look for a happy medium of something that is natural and clean (less harsh chemicals) but works and is easy to wear every day. Always look for broad-spectrum and reapply liberally throughout the day. We love looking at the ThinkDirty App or EWGs Healthy Living App to check out how sunscreens stand amongst each other in terms of harsh chemicals that contribute to hormone disruption and irritation. Using these can help you feel empowered and confident in your decision. Recommendations for sunscreens? What works for you might be different from us or your friends - your skin tone, how oily/dry your skin is and what activities you are doing will change which works best for YOU. Here’s a short list of ones we like/have heard are great from colleagues and friends: Thinkbaby, Coola, Black Girl Sunscreen. Tell us your favourites below!

We wanted to be quiet on instagram last week in an effort to create space for the voices that need to be heard, and learn from black activists, creators and voices. We are committed to listening, learning and being a part of creating a world that is actively anti-racist.

We are so excited to open our doors to you on Monday We will be taking every precaution and screening patients before they arrive for appointments. We are also pleased to announce we will now be offering cosmetic acupuncture ... Can you spot our furry friend in the window? (She will at home once we open) . . Link in bio to book

We met on the first day of school for Naturopathic Medicine! . . . Naturopathic medicine is an amazing support for optimizing your skin, gut, mental health, hormones and how we age. ... We love having various tools at our disposal (diet, supplements, botanicals, acupuncture and etc) to help work with you to craft a plan that works for you! Wondering more about how this great system of medicine can help you? Book a 15 minute call with either of us through the link in our bio. Happy Naturopathic Medicine Week! #natmedweek #naturopathicmedicine #skinhealthy #glowingskin #guthealth #toronto #dundaswest #littleportugalondundas

A quick tour of the clinic . . Open for telehealth and eagerly anticipating the day we can have you here in person . .... Link in bio . . #clinic #naturopathicmedicine #telehealth #wellness #health #makeover #naturopathicdoctor See more

Diarrhea? Constipation? Bloating? Pain? Is your digestion holding you back from feeling your best? . These symptoms are common but they aren’t normal for our digestion. Often these symptoms are diagnosed as irritable bowel syndrome - or IBS - when other conditions are ruled out. It can show up in a variety of ways for patients - some have looser stools, for some it’s constipation and others it’s a combination of the two. It can also mean bloating, digestive discomfort and f...requent upset stomach or reactions to food. . There are a few different theories about what may contribute to the development of IBS. This can include inflammation or a sensitivity to certain foods (which can lead to what we call leaky gut), dysregulation of gut motility (how the digestive system pushes food along), it could be due to changes in our microbiome (which may occur after an infection, antibiotics or changes in diet) There might even be a genetic component. Stress, emotional trauma and mental health can also play a major role in these symptoms. There’s even research that patients with IBS actually have higher sensitivity in their digestive organs - meaning they actually sense gas and bloating as more painful than other people do! . Improving your digestion can have an enormous impact on how you feel day to day and the health of your body - and mind - overall. . If you are experiencing any of these symptoms and want to take a deeper dive into feeling better, you can book through the link in our bio. See more