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Learn how histamine intolerance differs from MCAS, what testing can tell you, and when to seek assessment with a Peterborough naturopathic doctor.

As we head into October, I’m still thinking about the incredible afternoon we shared at our screening of The M Factor 2: Before the Pause on September 20. It was so wonderful to see women, and the partners who support them, come together to learn, laugh, ask honest questions, and talk openly about perimenopause and menopause. I’m incredibly grateful to our panellists, our team, and everyone who joined us and helped make the event such a success More than anything, the aftern

October is ADHD Awareness Month, and following our recent screening of The (M) Factor 2: Before the Pause, there is an important part of the conversation I want to continue - The relationship between ADHD and changing hormones during perimenopause. For many women, ADHD doesn't suddenly appear in their 40s. Instead, perimenopause may make symptoms that were previously manageable much harder to compensate for. All the strategies we’ve developed over the years, suddenly are no

If you have followed my gardening stories this summer, you know that my vegetable garden did not begin auspiciously. My seedlings were a disaster, growth was slow, and I wasn’t entirely sure what would survive…if anything. Patience has paid off.

Your fall skin care routine matters, especially if you have eczema-prone skin. Here's 5 practical tips to support your skin as the seasons change.

My garden is going to be incredibly generous this year! It started off with some questionable leggy seedlings, but I am now growing some impressive tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers, carrots, celery, lettuce, and potatoes!! Not only is it giving me a bounty, it's also giving me a renewed appreciation for why tick checks should become part of everyone's evening routine! As tick populations grow across Ontario, and they will continue to do so into the fall, it's worth separating fa

As we enter the month of August, despite the fact that summer is still in full swing, parents may often begin thinking about September, and our children going back to school. We wonder how we can best prepare them to thrive throughout the school year. If you know me well, you’d know I love to talk about food and nutrition. (I won’t be discussing that here, but will cover it more thoroughly in an upcoming webinar - stay tuned!) I wanted to, however, take the time to talk about

If you’re reading this, you’ve been following along with my gardening adventures and my sad leggy seedlings. The most recent new term added to my vocabulary is “hardening-off”. I had never heard this term until the day I planned on relocating my green babies outside. I was hoping this would make them happier, just to learn that they have to be acclimatized to the elements in increasing increments of time starting with an hour or so. I got so upset that I had spent a few

Do you feel like your body has become more sensitive than it used to be? Do foods seem unpredictable, where something feels fine one day and bothers you the next? Do medications or supplements give you side effects that nobody else seems to experience? Do you feel itchy, flushed, congested, bloated, inflamed, or uncomfortable without a clear explanation? Do you get migraines, heart palpitations, brain fog, poor sleep, or episodes where your body feels anxious even when your m

“Should I take magnesium?” Honestly, that’s a bit like asking: “Should I take a medication?” Which one? For what? In which person? Because magnesium is not one-size-fits-all, and the form matters far more than most people realize. I spend a surprising amount of time helping patients choose the right magnesium because different forms target completely different symptoms and physiologic systems. Brain fog, constipation, insomnia, anxiety, muscle soreness, migraines, elevate

June is Cancer Survivor Month, and the first Sunday of June is recognized as National Cancer Survivors Day. But honestly, this note is not really for the people who have had cancer. It is for the people standing beside them. For the husbands watching their wives try to smile through hot flashes, insomnia, and exhaustion after treatment.

Breakouts and acne are rarely just a skin problem. Let's dig into what your body might actually be telling you.

After 14 years of practice, I’ve become less impressed by dramatic health transformations and more impressed by the quiet ones. The patient who starts walking daily and six months later no longer crashes every afternoon. The person who finally agrees to a sleep study after years of exhaustion and discovers they have not had restorative sleep in years. The woman recovering from cancer treatment who slowly rebuilds enough strength and energy to finally feel like herself again.

A few weeks ago, I wrote about being a little behind with planting my seedlings. I’m pleased to report they’re doing well! A few are also, apparently, “leggy.” A term I’ve only just learned, which sounds far more charming than it is. In practice, it means they’ve stretched a bit too eagerly toward the light and, in doing so, sacrificed some structural integrity.

When we think about health, we often focus on symptoms like fatigue, bloating, skin issues, weight changes, brain fog, hormone imbalances, or recurring infections. But increasingly, research shows that one of the most important places to look is somewhere many people (and practitioners) overlook: the gut microbiome. Your microbiome is the vast community of bacteria, fungi, viruses, and other microorganisms that live primarily in your digestive tract. These microbes are not ju

There are topics in medicine where the data evolve slowly and cautiously. And then there are topics where the data have been sitting, quite patiently, waiting for us to catch up. Hormone replacement therapy (HRT) after risk-reducing oophorectomy in BRCA mutation carriers falls squarely into the latter category. The evidence is not new. It is not particularly controversial. And yet, the clinical hesitation persists, and patients are being negatively impacted.

We tend to treat a cancer diagnosis as deeply personal information. And emotionally, that’s fair. Clinically, it isn’t. It’s family risk data. And when that information is withheld, often out of kindness, it quietly removes someone else’s opportunity for earlier detection, better surveillance, and in some cases, prevention entirely.

Have you started your seedlings yet? I’ll admit I’m a little behind schedule this year. Gardening at our house in Millbrook has been… aspirational. The soil isn’t ideal for backyard gardens, or at If you spend any amount of time on social media, you know that there is no shortage of people running commentary on how you should live your life, structure your day, spend your time and money, what you should believe in, and what is and is not “acceptable” based on their op

Weight changes in midlife can feel sudden, confusing, and often frustrating, especially when nothing about your routine seems to have changed. Many women find that the strategies that once worked no longer have the same impact, and weight begins to shift, particularly around the abdomen. Understanding these changes is the first step toward supporting your body in a way that is both effective and sustainable.

A recent study published in JAMA on March 2, 2026 has been circulating through the media with a headline suggesting that the use of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) in breast cancer is associated with worse survival. Headlines like this can cause significant concern for patients and families who are exploring ways to support their health during cancer treatment. However, when we look more carefully at how the study was designed, several concerns emerge that make t