Dr. Amanda Milliquet, Naturopathic Doctor
602 12 Ave SW #120 T2R1J3 Calgary, AB, Canada

#throwback to graduating from the Canadian College of Naturopathic Medicine, five and a half years ago! . Going through this program drastically changed the way I view the world and the way I make decisions. I not only practice according to the principles of naturopathic medicine, I LIVE by them. . First, do no harm ... . Utilize the healing power of nature . Identify and treat the ROOT causes . Doctor as teacher . Treat the WHOLE person . Practice and teach PREVENTION . Lately I have been trying to apply these principles to our current situation. How can I, first and foremost, do no harm? . I’ve been struggling to answer this. I understand the goal of the recommendations being given to us, we need to protect the vulnerable. What I question is the lack of consideration for the long list of harm we are doing to everyone/everything else (mental health consequences, increased rates of suicide, increased domestic violence, loss of employment, detriments due to excessive hygiene, etc.) . I find it very hard to believe that we are intelligent enough to send people to the moon, yet we cannot figure out a better solution than the ones we’re currently being forced to use. . These are just some of my thoughts and concerns and questions - I would love to know yours! . #askquestions #thinkcritically #ownyourhealth #yyc #yycliving #yychealth #yychealthyliving #graduationday #tbt #throwbackthursday See more

As I prepare for my upcoming surgery, and as some of my patients are waiting and preparing for theirs, I am reminded of the fact that WE are responsible for our OWN health. Surgery could be helpful, a pill could be helpful, a vaccine could be helpful, but that doesn't mean you don't have to put in the work to get the most our of these therapies. . For mine and my patients’ surgery to be the most effectIve, we need to be diligent with pre-hab and re-hab. We need to support o...ur bodies with adequate micro and macronutrients, we need to prioritize sleep, we need to have patience, and we need to recognize our limitations and ask for help. . For my patients I see in-office, they are the seekers. They are the ones looking for answers and alternatives. They are the ones who recognize the work they need to do and do it. I may be there to guide them in the right direction, but they are the ones in the driver's seat, and I want you all to know that YOU are too! . #driversseat #surgerysupport #surgeryprep #ownyourhealth #dothework #prehab #rehab #medicalnutrition #immunesupport #yyc #yychealthyliving #yychealth See more

My shoulder surgery is two weeks from today and I am super excited! Being in a sling, and not being able to work or pick up Apollo for a month will suck, and I know the recovery process is going to take a lot of time and dedication, but it will all be worth it . I don’t need to be able to do muscle ups again, but I really want to! They’re fun and challenging and allow me to participate in the occasional competition. . I was looking back at some old videos today, using t...hem as motivation to be more diligent with pre-hab, so that I set myself up for as speedy of a recovery as possible! I can’t rely on the surgeon to do my healing for me, obtaining proper biomechanics and making sure my terrain is optimal is just as important! . #labraltear #shouldersurgery #prehab #muscleups #crossfit #terrain #yyc #yycfitness #yycliving #calgary #calgarylife See more

Thinking about this maple leaf and what it represents. I've always been very proud to be Canadian, and I still am, but with everything going on in the world, I've started to question the systems I've always assumed were "the best. . An article written by one of my professors from naturopathic medical school, summarized and explained so well what I haven't been able to put into words. Comparing 'square' and 'circular' systems. I'll try to summarize some main points: . The t...erm square is used to describe the economic, environmental and social organization established by dominant Eurocentric world-views. Square systems follow linear principles and display linear patterns and can only function through principles of competition and oppression. . Circular systems are more complex and relationship-based, characterized by reinforcing and balancing loops where an action in one part will result in changes throughout the entire system. Other words to describe circular systems are self-organized, decentralized, and interconnected. . When we consider the fact that Indigenous ways of living have always been circular, it becomes more apparent how much the Eurocentric world-views are far from superior, and colonial imperialism was maybe one of the worst things to happen to planet earth. . What does this have to do with our current situation? Well...everything. If we dig deep enough, we can see how reductionist ways of thinking got us where we are now, but is not going to get us out. We've separated human health from everything else, and the consequences have been devastating. . I know we are extremely far off from changing the systems this country and many others operate on, but we can at least start having conversations. Doing more of the same is only going to get us the same results. . #deepthoughts #systems #squaresystems #circularsystems #indigenousknowledge #worldhealth #selfreflection See more

I just discovered last night while writing a blog article for @proactivecalgary that there is some evidence that suggests taking collagen just a workout is helpful for tendon health. . I'd like to say that this picture is me tossing back some collagen protein pre-workout, but I'd be lying. This picture is from two years ago and I honestly can't remember what I'm actually drinking...but it seemed like an appropriate photo for this post. . It appears that it's benefi...cial to have higher levels of glycine (the main amino acid of collagen protein) in the blood stream, and increase blood flow to the tissue via exercise! . I usually add collagen protein to my whey isolate protein post-workout, but after discovering this new information, I'm switching things up! My tendons and ligaments certainly need all the help they can get, and I can say the same for a lot of the patients and athletes I've coached/worked with over the years! . PMID: 27852613 . #collagen #collagenprotein #tendonhealth #jointhealth #connectivetissue #jointpain #jointhealing #alwayslearning #EBM #flexing #throwbackthursday #tbt #yyc #yycliving #yychealth #yycfitness See more

Most people laughed at us when we said we were going to be using cloth diapers for Apollo. They said things like, you’ll last one month, the beginning is really, really messy, that’s so much work, goooood luck, you’re crazy, and don’t do it! . Well, we’re five months in and still going strong with cloth diapers! . I appreciated everyone’s concern, and would try to educate them on my reasons for choosing cloth:... save A LOT of money much cuter looking than disposables no weird toxic chemicals smothering my baby’s genitals WAY better for the environment . The last two reasons are the most important, and are very in line with my values. . My last post discussed the concept of One Health, (if you missed it check it out), and how our human health is connected to the health of the environment (and wildlife). There are a lot of modern conveniences available to us, many of which are affecting our health and the environment’s health in negative ways (eg. pre-packaged food). . There is a lot of work we need to do to reverse the damage we’ve done to Mother Earth. Cloth diapers is one small thing Jamie and I are doing to contribute. . Here are some disposable diaper stats for anyone on the fence about cloth: . - an estimated 27.4 billion disposable diapers are used every year in America, which end up in landfills . - by the time a baby is two and half, parents will have spent roughly $2500 on disposable diapers . - disposable diapers are made of a petroleum-based plastic shell, along with other endocrine-disrupting chemicals for the inner lining . If you have questions about cloth diapers, let me know! I did a lot of research before making this decision . #onehealth #environmentalmedicine #moderndayhippie #clothdiapers #happybaby #corevalues #xenoestrogens #fertility #postpartum #calgary #calgaryliving #yyc #yychealth #worldhealth #doyourpart See more

If we think about this idea of One Health; that our human health is linked to wildlife and environmental health, then we can appreciate that this pandemic has not been all bad. . In the words of ecologist Dan Salkeld, "As the lockdown has quashed travel and business, we have observed new trajectories of air quality (including pollution emissions), mass tourism, and wildlife behaviour. We have glimpsed the dramatic impacts on environmental health that are achievable if we mo...dify our actions." . Air quality affects our health, the health of wildlife, and the health of the environment. This is just one example, but it's very impactful. . Rather than constantly complaining about the pandemic, I have been trying to think deeply about it. How did we get here? What are the lessons we need to learn? What changes can I personally make to assist in the recovery? . Perhaps we all needed something drastic such as a world-wide pandemic to open our eyes to major issues we have the ability to solve; disrespect for our environment and wildlife, injustice of BIPOC, and disproportionate wealth, to name a few. . I certainly don't have all the answers, but I think we all need to start thinking differently. These are some of my thoughts to stir up some conversation! . What are you thoughts? What realizations have you made? I'd love to hear! . PS. I've linked the article quoted in my bio if you want to read it (it's short). . #onehealth #environmentalmedicine #airpollution #wildlife #selfreflection #worldhealth #socialinjustice #wealthinequality See more

Like, a lot. And not just for athletic performance either. . Do you ever feel like some days you can accomplish a ton and you’re just ON? But other days you struggle to get through the day? . Hormones. Cortisol, melatonin, estrogen, progesterone, testosterone...they all have a significant effect on your performance. Males have it a bit easier than us females, as their hormone fluctuates the same way everyday. Females have to consider daily fluctuations as well as monthly ...fluctuations. We dive deep into this in The Hormone-Performance Connection program. Have I told you all about it yet? . This program is the best way I can think of to thoroughly educate women about their hormones and how to get in sync with them. I will continue to share tidbits here, but the program is where it’s at y’all! . We start THIS MONDAY! Which is very soon, but it’s not too late to sign up. DM me or book a free info call via the link in my bio . #hormones #hormoneperformance #womenshealth #circadianrhythm #infradianrhythm #menstrualcycle #periodpower #femaleathletes #femaleempowerment #femaleperformance #estrogen #progesterone #testosterone #womanstrong See more

Just because you have a regular period, does not mean you are fertile or that you are ovulating monthly. Knowing whether or not you ovulate (and ovulate well!) is a skill us females are not taught in sex-ed class, but it is something we all should know how to do. . Ovulation is how we make progesterone. Anovulation and progesterone deficiency is something I see quite often in my practice, and something I've struggled with myself. Often we aren't concerned about it if we are...n't trying to conceive, but we should be - progesterone plays a VERY important role in our health! . Although fertility is not the focus of The Hormone-Performance Connection program, it is something we discuss in detail as it is critical to health and recovery. . When I realized I wasn't ovulating, I started implementing all my naturopathic tricks...this photo is evidence of my success . DM me for more info about the program! It starts this Monday! Eeeek! . #ovulation #progesterone #hormonebalance #hormoneperformance #womenshealth #womensfertility #fertility #femaleathletes #womenstrong #babybuilding #pregnancy #postpartum #postpartumjourney #femaleathletes See more

This is how I like to read research papers: printed, with a highlighter and a pen so I can mark it up and make notes . It’s always important to read research critically, especially research on regularly menstruating women. A very, VERY critical step in research on healthy, regular menstrual cycles is CONFIRMING OVULATION. It blows my mind that some articles don’t do this! The hormonal milieu changes VERY significantly post-ovulation. If a research article does not measure t...his, they can be way off with what phase of the cycle the subjects are in, which will of course skew results. . I talk about this on my second episode of the @femstrong_podcast (check out their page to find the episode if you want to listen!) and of course, the hormone-performance connection program is chock full of the best available evidence on all things female hormones! . The program launches in ONE WEEK! And will be offered at our pilot price (1/3rd of regular price), because we know how tight finances are right now and we don’t want cost to prevent anyone from being able to learn all this valuable knowledge . If you want to sign up, DM me or click the link in my bio to book a free insight call . #womenshealth #evidencebased #EBM #femaleathletes #femalehormones #menstrualcycle #periodpower #ovulation #femaleempowerment #womanstrong #womenssports #hormoneperformance #virtuallearning See more

This is basically what we’re taught as young females about our menstrual cycle. With the addition of a brief demonstration on how to use feminine hygiene products. . There is SO much more to the menstrual cycle than just having a period! We need to change what we’re teaching young females before they enter womanhood, and the attitude of which it’s presented. Having a period does not have to suck, it does not have to be painful, and it does not need to negatively affect your... life. . Because athletes are role models, teaching adult women to love their cycles and how to make the most of them is where I’m focusing my attention to help change this narrative. I want women to truly understand everything having a menstrual cycle has to offer. And to teach younger generations that being a woman is the best - regardless of what time of the month it is! . This is what The Hormone-Performance Connection program is all about. Education. Empowerment. Love for your body and all it has to offer. . If you’re interested in signing up, click the link in my bio to book a free insight-call. . #womenshealth #periodpower #femaleathletes #hormones #hormoneperformance #hormonepower #womanstrong #girlpower #virtuallearning #periodsdontsuck See more