Botanicals

How to Eliminate Water Retention before your Period

How awful does it feel to be bloated, swollen, puffy, and uncomfortable 1-2 weeks per month? A lot of women describe feeling this way at some point before their period comes; one source quoting over 50% of PMS sufferers1. Water retention can affect the face, hands, lower legs, and abdomen. Some women even notice that they regularly gain 4-5 lbs during this time before their period. Many women already try [...]

5 Proven ways to Promote a Smooth, Natural Labour

Did you know that you can potentially influence the type of labor you experience? Many women are opting to try as many natural avenues as possible, to have a birth experience that they can actually enjoy, and look back on with fond memories. This doesn’t mean trying to control the experience; but rather preparing the body and mind to go with what is naturally occurring. Here are 5 ways that [...]

5 Awesome Herbs to take During Pregnancy

Herbs are a wonderful and nourishing addition throughout a woman’s pregnancy. On top of a clean and nutritious diet, herbs can be used to provide a therapeutic effect; they provide more absorbable vitamins, minerals and antioxidants than taking supplemental isolated vitamins and minerals.1Pregnant women not only need more vitamins and minerals during pregnancy due to the nature of it, but also lose more. For example, “kidney function changes to handle [...]

Foundations of Fertility part 3: Hypothyroidism

The thyroid gland is part of the endocrine system, and is responsible for how quickly the body uses energy, makes proteins, and responds to other hormones. Thyroid hormones affect how fast or slow your brain, heart, muscles, liver, and other organs work. It is very important this gland is working optimally for a timely conception, pregnancy, and after the birth. Studies show that there is a “higher prevalence of [...]

Foundations of Fertility Part 1: Stress Management

Dr. Donata Girolamo, N.D. explains in this 5-part series how to build a strong foundation to improve conception rates, labour experiences, and have a healthy baby. Stress is commonly overlooked and not considered as an obstacle to natural conception. I’ve chosen to write about it as part 1 of Foundations of Fertility, because stress is now acknowledged as being the cause for many disease processes.1 Managing stress better and initiating [...]

The Callous Girl’s Guide to a Broken Heart

“The hottest love has the coldest end” - Socrates Pop culture has been built on love - on finding it, maintaining it, abusing it, idealizing it. On the repercussions of it. So it is not surprising that many patients describe the onset or exacerbation of their illness as starting after a break-up, a divorce, or worse! – unrequited love. At its best, a broken heart can be used as a [...]

Go to Top