For the past 4 years, I have been running an immune supportive program from September through April. This years' participants did just as well as all the other years. The goal is to: Take a proactive approach during the winter months, when sunshine is less, activity may be less, and nutrition and sleep may suffer from the series of holidays – Halloween, thanksgiving, Christmas and holiday parties, and new years [...]
Health Benefits of Constitutional Hydrotherapy By altering blood and lymph flow, circulation and detoxification can be enhanced, while inflammation and pain are decreased. Immune system activity, particularly white blood cell count, increases. Improvements in digestive system function, sleep quality, energy level, and stress response are often reported. Cell function improves, which can have a healing effects anywhere in the body. Medicine has long recognized the the mechanical effects of [...]
Fatigue is such a common concern for the women I see in my Naturopathic practice. It is also a marker of health that Naturopathic doctors use as part of a health intake. Being tired is often a catch 22; you know that eating better and exercising would make you feel better, but... you're too tired to do them! With some targeted individualized solutions, it doesn't have to be overwhelming. [...]
Two patients have had a Return of Old Symptoms this month, so I thought I would write about this amazing phenomenon that can happen to naturopathic patients. What is a Return of Old Symptoms? A Return of Old Symptoms is when, while someone is on their healing journey, they get symptoms of something they used to have chronically, many years ago. For example, Mrs. Apple came to her follow up [...]
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 [...]
The immune system is such an elegant symphony. Have you ever wondered why you get sick in the winter when you do all the right things, like eat healthy, take your vitamin D and Echinacea? If avoiding the cold, flu, bronchitis, strep, and sinus infections is important to you, consider a personalized approach with Dr. Donata Girolamo, Naturopathic Doctor. Many patients have been able to avoid illnesses and even increase [...]
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 [...]
Check out my latest blog post on the NaturalPath website. "Many women are delaying having kids due to “career priorities, advanced education, control over fertility, financial concerns, late and second marriages, and infertility”.1 Often, women start to feel pressure from medical professionals, family, and friends, telling them that it’s all downhill for fertility from 35 and on. I see many women who are stressed out, annoyed, sad, and not feeling [...]
Maintaining a tightly controlled insulin and blood sugar relationship is crucial for conception. This means ensuring the pancreas does not produce too much insulin in response to your meal. You may have a problem with blood sugar balance and insulin resistance if you have trouble with weight loss, have been diagnosed with Poly Cystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS), live a sedentary life, or have been consuming a diet high in sugars, [...]
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 [...]
