We feel a little dizzy saying it, but back-to-school health prep starts now! Investing in your child’s (and your own) health starts with the foundations. Here are 5 simple, sustainable steps that can go a long way in setting a strong foundation for a happy, healthy & resilient season. Get Your ZZZ’s, Please Summer sunsets and late nights ‘round the campfire aside, getting a good night’s rest is essential to having happy moods and ready-to-learn days. Sleep deprivation is associated with numerous disorders including immune dysfunction (increased risk of infection) and depression. One simple way to spot-check whether your child is getting the sleep they need is if they wake without the help of parent or alarm clock with … Read More
Conception Confidence
I share my experience with both vulnerability and sensitivity for those who have struggled deeply with infertility. I hope that my story is one of hope and possibility for anyone who’s struggling with their fertility journey and desires a different experience. -Dr. Liz A Decision About My Fertility Future A few years ago, I made a decision. I decided that I was NOT going to STRUGGLE with fertility. I know this might sound hard to believe. You might be thinking, “How can anyone who wants a baby possibly DECIDE not to struggle with fertility?” Yes, I’d experienced big emotions: vulnerability, sadness, disappointment, frustration (i.e., generally lost it a few times) when Aunt Flo came to visit. Yes, I’d suffered the … Read More
Herbal Support for Stressful Days – Gentle Nervines
Stress needs no introduction. Holding that ball of stress in our stomachs, chests, or minds sends our bodies into emergency mode – maybe you experience it through shifts in appetite, digestion, butterflies in your stomach, mental and physical exhaustion, loss of sleep, increased PMS – as your body struggles to defend itself. Stress is inevitable, and we’ll always live amongst its waves. Rather than resisting and ignoring the shifts stress causes in our bodies, causing more tension, how can we meet stress’ edges and learn instead to soften and support our bodies? Nervines are herbs that act on the nervous system, either in a relaxing, sedative, or stimulating way. Just like you might turn to coffee as a nervine … Read More
5 Ways to Boost Egg Quality & IVF Success
There’s a lot riding on an IVF cycle. Although IVF is the most advanced modern medical approach to infertility – and a godsend for thousands of now-parents – on average (assuming no other interventions such as the ones we’re about to discuss here) each couple has just about a 30% chance of bringing home a baby, after 4 IVF cycles. With each cycle costing an average of $15,000 – not to mention the physical and emotional toll of going through fertility treatments – we definitely want to make it count. Egg quality issues are among the top reasons for IVF failure. In this blog, we’re going to explore 5 ways to enhance follicle and egg quality in advance of IVF … Read More
Feeling Fertile: 4 Mindset Shifts to Enhance IVF Success
In this article, we explore how our mindset informs our physiology when it comes to hormone health, fertility, and our emotional experience. Plan Your Pre-Season Just as it takes three months for the body to complete an egg’s development before ovulation, it takes the same amount of time for the eggs that will be retrieved for IVF to be cultivated, and to respond to the medications that will be used to increase the number of eggs retrieved. Similarly, it takes three months to prepare sperm in the male reproductive system. During this three month preconception season, both eggs and sperm are sensitive to the quality of your diet and the level of stress you’re both under. Just as athletes prepare … Read More
4 Signs You Could Have Adrenal Fatigue
Fatigue. Overwhelm. Anxiety. Exhaustion. Depression. These are some of the most common concerns we hear from smart, capable, proactive, otherwise healthy women (and men) in our practice. If you can relate to these awful experiences that steal your quality of life, your energy, motivation, even your personality!!…you’re not alone. Adrenal fatigue – basically a condition where your stress tolerance and stamina-producing system just can’t keep up, is extremely common in modern life. Having dealt with all of the above, it’s a real passion of mine to be able to help other high-achieving, heart-based women hear from their body’s innate wisdom so they can actually turn these symptoms around. If there are some tell-tale signs it’s time to ask your doctor … Read More
How Women Grow, Heal & Thrive
I’m hearing a message loud & clear, from women in Guelph + globally. Smart, conscious, inspiring woman, I hear that you want more energy so you can achieve more in your family and work life, more clarity so you can be productive, present and passionate like you know you’re here to be, and more ease and joy in your life so you can enjoy your family and personal time. I am hearing you when you say you feel stressed, down, irritable, and anxious. When you feel down & discouraged when you’re caught up in the comparison trap. When everything just feels super hard. Like all women, you want to know you’re not alone. Good News: You’re Not Alone The female brain is wired for connection. We … Read More