Dr. Alecia Dodge, Naturopathic Doctor
131 Union Street E Waterloo, ON, Canada

Are you still on track with your New Year goals? Remember, it typically takes 40 days to make a new habit stick, so keep working on it! I invite you to keep reading! Learn my top 2 tips about how to overcome the roadblocks standing in your way of achieving your goals and making 2021 your best year. 1.Figure out your why. ... > Why do you want to achieve this goal? > What’s so important about achieving this goal? > What will happen if you do not achieve this goal? > How will your life be better if you do achieve this goal? Ask yourself these questions and answer them. Post your answers somewhere you will see them regularly, like on the fridge or in a calendar or a journal, as a consistent reminder to help you stay motivated. 2.Try some new tricks. > Relying on your willpower alone to achieve your goal, be it to lose weight, learn a new instrument, or just to brush your teeth every night is simply not enough... > Especially if you’re trying to modify some old bad habits. > Instead, take advantage of your mind’s tendency to follow habits by replacing the old habit with a new pattern. For example, if your goal was to lose weight by reducing your portion sizes (because your bad habit is a tendency to overeat), you might find it helpful to yes, prepare and serve small quantities only, but also to eat slowly and chew thoroughly. Swallowing all the food in your mouth before taking another bite. Without distraction. Eating in one room of the house only. Eating at the same times consistently through the week. Planning your meals ahead of time, and not shopping without a list. > Try leveraging your surroundings to make it easier to achieve your goal and more difficult to make excuses. > Think of all the possible ways you can use your environment and any other resources to your advantage, and write them down. I’d like to know, have you been successful with keeping your New Year resolution so far? What keeps you motivated to achieve your goals? What roadblocks have you overcome? ~Wishing you happiness and healthiness~ Dr. Alecia Dodge, ND #kwnaturopath #naturopathicmedicine #selfreflectiontime #ThoughtfulThursday #bestpractices #newyear #year2021 #resolution #smartgoals #roadblock

It’s such a buzzword, and it seems everyone has it, but what is stress really? Stress is your brain’s response to an event that is perceived as out-of-the-ordinary, outside your comfort zone, or as a real threat to your physical survival. Stressors, whatever their origin, stimulate the release of alarm molecules triggering physical reactions throughout the entire body that move you to take action. ... The stress response is an automatic response designed to be short-lived and protective. Sometimes referred to as the fight, flight, or freeze response, it can be a healthy reaction it ensures your physical survival by providing that short-term boost of energy necessary to perform appropriately. On the other hand, the activation of the stress response can work against you when every day is filled with physical, financial, family, social, and work challenges that seem to have no resolution. The next time you feel the physical effects of stress coming on, try to identify the stressor. Then go N.U.T.S. a simple formula developed by Sonia Lupien, PhD, to target the specific triggers responsible for how you are feeling in the moment. The basic premise is that a majority of stressors can be assigned to one of these four categories: novel, unexpected, threat to ego, and sense of control. These are the categories that typically take you outside your comfort zone outside the ordinary or expected. STEP 1: Recognize the next time you experience an upsetting emotion, such as feeling: > Uncomfortable > Angry > Sad > Disoriented > Suddenly sick to your stomach > Like you’re catching a cold STEP 2: Stop and ask yourself the following or similar questions: > Am I responding to a new experience? (Novel) > Am I responding to being surprised? (Unexpected) > Am I responding to being challenged around who I am or how I do things? (Threat to ego) > Am I responding to feeling helpless because there is nothing I can do about the situation at hand? (Sense of control) Recognizing what’s N.U.T.S. about stress helps you get clarity about the situation for better management turning the unknown into something known. Life is stressful, but the good news is your mind and body thrive on challenges. You are designed to be stress resilient solve problems, meet deadlines, compete, and overcome obstacles and adversity. Changing the way you think of stress in this way can help you embrace and enjoy activities that challenge mental processes. I’d like to know, what makes you go N.U.T.S.? How do you cope with stress? ~Wishing you happiness and healthiness~ Dr. Alecia Dodge, ND #kwnaturopath #naturopathicmedicine #selfreflectiontime #ThoughtfulThursday #bestpractices #cortisol #NUTS #stressed #coping #adrenalfatigue

Think of yourself as a rechargeable battery. Every day, you perform actions that charge you and drain you. Eating the right foods at the right times, exercising and moving for circulation and inflammation prevention, sleeping for recovery and repair, releasing stressors, and avoiding and eliminating toxins are all actions that charge you. On the other hand, poor health habits, work stress, family stress, anxiety, doubt, and a long list of other things, drain you.... Do you have enough energy-charging habits to balance out your energy-draining habits? In other words, are you burning out? Finding ourselves out of balance is becoming a new normal, but it’s not sustainable. Tip the balance back in your favour with adding healthy habits to your lifestyle: pay attention to how much you eat, move, sleep, and manage stress. Create boundaries for how much, when, and to whom you give your energy to. I’d like to know what are some habits that boost your energy back up? What do you do when your battery is low? ~Wishing you happiness and healthiness~ Dr. Alecia Dodge, ND #kwnaturopath #naturopathicmedicine #selfreflectiontime #ThoughtfulThursday #bestpractices #energyinenergyout #recharge #burnout

This is why I fell in love with naturopathic medicine. As a naturopathic doctor with 9 years of post-secondary education, I went to school and learned about anatomy and physiology and all things related to the human body and natural treatments. While I may know your anatomy better than you, your intuition knows what is in your body’s best interest better than any doctor possibly could. When you ask this question of yourself, you may be surprised at what comes up. You might a...nswer I need to make healthier food choices or I need to do yoga every night or I need to relax. But often times, people will take a pill and assume they will magically be healthy again. But if your body is consistently sleep deprived, nutrient deficient, lacks physical activity, and is in a constant state of stress, it will not be able to heal and regenerate itself as efficiently as it could, and is one pill a day really going to fix all these things? What your body needs in order to heal isn’t always just a pill. And this is where naturopathic medicine shines brightest with individualized treatments that focus on restoring you to optimal health. In treating the cause of your symptoms, naturopathic treatments take into account not only your physical symptoms, but also all the other factors that influence your body’s ability to heal from lifestyle factors like exercising, to diet and nutrition, to stress management and beyond. Right now, my body is telling me to drink more water; what is your body telling you? ~Wishing you happiness and healthiness~ Dr. Alecia Dodge, ND #kwnaturopath #naturopathicmedicine #selfreflectiontime #ThoughtfulThursday #bestpractices #treatthewholeperson #diseaseprevention #healthpromotion #vismedicatrixnaturae

I’ll never forget this one. It happened a few years ago when my boyfriend (now fiancé!), Brad, and I were living in Toronto. Brad was in desperate need of a haircut, and being the poor students we were, we decided to bust out the electric razor and give it a try. Brad has really thick hair and the razor kept getting clogged. I paused to take off the spacer and clean it out. Frustrated, Brad took the razor and tried to do it himself. A clump of hair fell down into his lap as i...t dawned on him that he had just used the razor without the spacer attached. The shock on his face was gut-wrenchingly hilarious and we both broke out laughing until we were crying. In the end, we buzzed his head and decided to leave the hair styling to the pros from then on. Laughter has long been considered good medicine. Research backs up this old adage. Laughter reduces the level of stress hormones like cortisol and epinephrine (adrenaline). It also increases the level of health-enhancing hormones like endorphins, and neurotransmitters. Laughter increases the number of antibody-producing cells and enhances the effectiveness of white blood cells in fighting infections. All this means a stronger immune system, as well as fewer physical effects of stress. Here are my 3 tips to laugh more: - Love your laugh I’m instantly thrown back to that scene in Mary Poppins where they sing that song, I love to laugh and she imitates giggles, chuckles, cackles and sputtering bursts. Everyone has their own way of expressing laughter that is unique to them. If you’re constantly worried that you’re being judged for the way you laugh, this can actually be detrimental and stop you from laughing more often. Embrace your quirk, snicker, guffaw, or laugh so much your belly jiggles it’s all uniquely you. - Look for humour Every day, make a conscious effort to seek out humorous things watch a funny video, read the comics section of the newspaper, listen to a funny podcast or whatever! When you start looking at the world through a lens of humour, you’ll find opportunities for laughter everywhere. Bonus: if you keep a journal of the funny things you encounter each day, you can go back to these when you’re feeling low and have this as your very own pick-me-up guide. - Tell your favourite funny story One of the best ways to laugh is to remember when something genuinely funny happened to you and share it with others. So here’s your chance to get some laughter in today tell me when did you last laugh so much it hurt? ~Wishing you happiness and healthiness~ Dr. Alecia Dodge, ND #kwnaturopath #naturopathicmedicine #selfreflectiontime #ThoughtfulThursday #bestpractices #laughterismedicine #marypoppins #ilovetolaugh

I’m guilty of doing this sometimes A mental ‘to-do list’ running on repeat through my mind Thoughts reflecting on my day Thoughts about the future... That song that played on the radio a million times today Some nights, it’s like you can’t get your brain to quiet down long enough for you to fall asleep. Also called racing thoughts, these can be a sign of a deeper issue like anxiety, but can happen to everyone from time to time. Rest assured (pun intended!), there are ways to get you back to sleeping soundly. Try out a couple of my suggestions below the next time you can’t sleep. Avoid looking at your phone before bed. The blue lights produced from electronic devices can decrease your body’s ability to make melatonin, the hormone that makes you feel sleepy. Focus on deep breathing through your nose. Exhale longer than you inhale. You can count your breaths if that helps too. Write it down. Keep a journal or agenda near your bedside so you can jot down those thoughts on paper. Essentially get them out of your brain and onto paper where you won’t forget them. Repeat a helpful mantra. It can wait until tomorrow I am calm and still My mind and body are ready for sleep I love and accept myself I feel every part of me relaxing If you’ve tried all of the above and you’re still struggling to get a good night’s sleep, then it’s time to dig a bit deeper to find the root of the problem. This is where I can help. It starts with a simple urine test and ends with a specially tailored treatment plan, just for you. 519-772-2116 // [email protected] Do you have tips/tricks to quiet your mind before sleep? Leave a comment on this post! ~Wishing you happiness and healthiness~ Dr. Alecia Dodge, ND #kwnaturopath #naturopathicmedicine #selfreflectiontime #ThoughtfulThursday #bestpractices #sleepmantra #songonrepeat

Are you achieving the goals you set for yourself? I ask every new patient, "What are your health goals?" Some want a clear complexion, others are looking for a better handle on their stress response, and the majority just want to know what the heck is going on with their body. This is the starting point. You've got to make goals in order to achieve them. ... Maybe you've already made goals for yourself, but how do you know you've achieved them? How long do you have to wait until you see the results? Something I teach my patients is how to be successful. You can’t just say oh I wanna get healthy it’s not specific enough, and when things are vague, we tend to use this as a way of getting out of doing what we originally set out to do. The more specific you make your goal, the more likely you are to actually achieve it. Successful goals are specific, measureable, action-oriented, realistic, and time sensitive (SMART). I WANT TO KNOW! --> What are your health goals? What steps are you taking to implement wellness moving forward? Leave your comments on this post! #kwnaturopath #naturopathicmedicine #smartgoals #selfreflectiontime #ThoughtfulThursday #bestpractices

I’m planning my meals for the week, should I eat X or Y? This is a question I get quite often from patients. They are unsure of the goodness of one food over another. And while there is no one-size-fits-all approach to this, my best answer to this question is to enjoy foods in moderation - so long as you're not having that same food EVERY day with EVERY meal you're okay to have it once in a while.... A good way to gauge if a food is "good" is to consider how quickly it will be converted into sugar. The faster a food turns to sugar, the quicker your blood sugar level will spike, and that is not a good thing because of the high demand it puts on your pancreas to produce insulin. You can use the "Glycemic Index" to find out this information for all kinds of carbohydrate-containing foods. The glycemic index ranges from 1-100. Foods are generally classified as Low (1-55), Medium (56-69), or High (70+) GI foods. Ideally you want to aim to have more low GI foods in your diet than medium or high GI foods. For example, rice has a GI score between 50-58 whereas cauliflower has a GI of 10. If you’re wondering about this for your own meals, you can just Google search "[name of food] glycemic index" and the answer should appear in the results. --> I’d love to know, how do you decide what to eat? Wishing you happiness and healthiness ~Dr. Alecia Dodge, ND~ #kwnaturopath #kwawesome #shoplocalkw #glycemicindex #whatshouldieat #naturopathicmedicine

Have you hugged someone recently? Who was it? How did it feel? With social distancing practices at the front of our minds, we have had reduced social interactions and are essentially touch-deprived. But the evidence is there to prove that regular hugs with those closest to us, even if brief, can have especially positive effects on our brain and body. Oxytocin is a chemical in our bodies that scientists sometimes call the cuddle hormone. This is because its levels rise whe...n we hug, touch, or sit close to someone else. Higher levels of oxytocin are associated with more happiness and less stress. Scientists have also studied the effects of hugs on lowering blood pressure, reducing fear and anxiety, as well as a mechanism for reducing pain. How many hugs do we need? According to the research, the more hugs we give the greater the positive effect. And the effects of hugging aren’t limited to just other humans pets, teddy bears, and pillows also boost our ‘happy hormones’ and foster connection with our surroundings. So get hugging, you’ll notice a difference right away! (Please remember to do so safely - ask permission, wear a mask, wash your hands, etc) I'd like to know --> How many hugs do you give/receive each day? How long should a hug last? Who gives the best hugs? Leave your comments on this post! ~ Wishing you happiness and healthiness ~ Dr. Alecia Dodge, ND #hugsheal #stressless #kwnaturopath #naturopathicmedicine #selfreflectiontime #ThoughtfulThursday #bestpractices

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My biggest accomplishment: completing 9 years post-secondary education and becoming a licenced naturopathic doctor - is definitely a source of pride for me! For some, it can be challenging to celebrate and recognize success when you are too busy solving problems, or you are unhappy with your current level of accomplishment. But, now is the time to prioritize recognizing and celebrating your daily successes, and here are 3 reasons why I insist you do so: #1: It positively affe...cts your mental health - Celebrating your wins not only feels great physically, but it reinforces the behavior you want to show up when you face a new challenge or opportunity. #2: Celebration is contagious and will strengthen your network - While celebrating your success, you have the added benefit of strengthening your network with those around you. Your own celebration is contagious and those around you want to share in your success, congratulate you, and get closer to you. #3: You'll feel like a winner, and winners keep winning - Success begets more success, so it's only natural to build upon existing momentum; especially during events of celebration. So I ask you, what have you already accomplished that you're proud of? TELL ME --> What is your answer? What steps will you take to implement wellness moving forward? Leave your comments on this post! #kwnaturopath #naturopathicmedicine #accomplishments #selfreflectiontime #ThoughtfulThursday #bestpractices

This is my festive take on a stuffed pepper Happy Halloween!

What one thing have you wanted to do but not yet been brave enough to try? I have a friend who went skydiving for her birthday, and since then it's been on my bucket list. But every time I've had the opportunity to do it, a bunch of 'what ifs' start running through my mind, and to date, I have not been skydiving. There isn't a pill that can give you more confidence (though some will argue that alcohol lowers inhibitions which can mimic bravery and confidence). ... Confidence and bravery come from within, fueled by your willpower and competence. You gain competence by learning and gaining knowledge. So for me, learning everything about skydiving - from the equipment to the statistics - improves my competence and gives me more confidence. BRB after I watch all the skydiving videos on youtube ;) I'd like to know, what are things you want to try but haven't yet? Or maybe you've already done something that put you out of your comfort zone; what helped you to be brave? Let me know with a comment on this post! #kwnaturopath #naturopathicmedicine #competenceequalsconfidence #selfreflectiontime #ThoughtfulThursday #bestpractices

This is your chance to live the life you wish you had. You see, many of us live our lives on autopilot. We are no longer piloting and steering our life and rather, we get into patterned and routined ways of living. The worst part is we stop challenging ourselves to live a meaningful life and we ‘settle’ for a comfortable life.... If you feel that you are living on autopilot, perhaps it’s time you asked yourself a few important questions. We often avoid asking ourselves ‘thought provoking’ questions because they could potentially push us out of our comfort zone. Once you become aware of the things in your life that require change you become conflicted and can no longer pretend that everything is fine the way it is. The good news is that it’s never too late to change the direction of your life, to do something meaningful and to feel completely fulfilled in life. Asking yourself these thought provoking questions is the first step to realizing what you need to change and do differently in your life. Make sure you really dig deep and don’t avoid difficult or conflicting emotions these are necessary to provoke the much needed change in your life. So I ask you, what did you do today to make someone smile? #kwnaturopath #naturopathicmedicine #mornings #selfreflectiontime #ThoughtfulThursday #bestpractices