As a naturopathic doctor, I see quite a number of patients who identify as Highly Sensitive (or HSP) – people who get easily overwhelmed by stimuli, and are more susceptible to the effects of life stress (see previous article “The Impact of Stress on the Highly Sensitive Person”) In these
I’m not going out on a limb when I say that North American urban culture is a stressful one. Many of us are working longer hours than 20 years ago with less time for relaxation; and couples are now expected to both hold down a full time job plus spend
Antibiotic treatment of bacterial infections has saved millions of lives and is considered one of the great public health successes of the 20th century. But the overuse of antibiotics has well-known consequences. Many bacteria mutate faster than we can develop new drugs, and there are now many strains of bacteria
As you may have heard, a new (awesome) study was released suggesting that viewing photos of adorable baby animals actually increases productivity. This is somewhat reassuring to a large number of office workers who spend work-time emailing cute photos to each other and frequently changing the desktop photos of their
This week, a study was released comparing the nutrient content of organic vs. conventionally grown tomatoes in Brazilian farms. Although the organic tomatoes were 40% smaller, the phenolic compounds were 139 per cent higher and vitamin C was 55 per cent higher in the organic produce. The farms were 1.5
A recent Oxford study on vegetarianism has been getting a lot of attention. Released January 30th, the study shows a 32% reduction in ischemic heart disease risk for people eating a vegetarian diet over an omnivorous one. The study was massive – close to 45,000 people were enrolled and were
According to Health Canada, Clostridium difficile is the leading cause of infectious diarrhea in Canadian hospitals and long-term health facilities. And 1 in 10 patients who contract the infection will die from it. In January of this year, a landmark study from the New England Journal of Medicine showed that
According to psychologist Dr. Cliff Arnill, the most depressing day of the year is the third Monday of January. This year “Blue Monday” was January 21st. Although the date seems rather arbitrary, it is no secret that many people’s moods tend to be lower at this time of year. So
In Aamjiwnaang First Nation, near Sarnia, Ontario, there aren’t enough boys to have a hockey team. And although there are three girls’ baseball teams, there is only one boys’ baseball team. This isn’t for lack of interest in sports, but because the community has seen a drastic decline in the
For those watching their waistline, the holiday season can be a minefield of temptations. More treats at work, and more parties with family, friends and food – all this takes stronger willpower than usual to make healthy food choices. Fortunately, there are strategies we can employ to maximize willpower which