Should You Try the Naturopathic Anxiety Program?

When seeking out care, it can be hard to know if a practitioner or program is right for you. Below I compiled a list to help you decide if the Naturopathic Anxiety Program is a good fit for you. Of course, this is not a complete list. I’ve been running the anxiety program for a while now and these are the most common reasons why my patients feel the program is right for them. You don’t need all the items in the list to join the program. Even if just one of the points below resonates with you, the program may be a good fit.

The program may be for you if:

-          You are experiencing anxiety and want to add to your existing treatment plan (even if that plan involves medications, counselling etc.)

-          You’ve tried different treatment options and are still unhappy with your current levels of anxiety

-          You are experiencing anxiety and want to work on it for the first time

-          You are working with your MD to come off your anxiety medications and want extra support while doing this

-          You are experiencing an uncomfortable level of stress even though you don’t have a diagnosed anxiety disorder

-          You want to discover how natural and wholistic approaches can impact your anxiety levels

-          You want one-on-one care with recommendations tailored to your unique circumstances

-          You’re overwhelmed by the natural treatment options that are available for anxiety and you want science-based recommendations from a qualified practitioner

-          You want a quality treatment plan that is not too overwhelming for where you are at in your life right now

-          You experience anxiety all the time or just sometimes

-          Your anxiety is impacting other areas of your health like your digestion, your period, your skin, your energy levels, your sleep etc. 

If you have questions you want answered before deciding to do the program, book a free 15-minute consultation. You can also read the frequently asked questions about the program by clicking here.

What is Inflammation

I’ll often talk about inflammation when I’m working with patients. Many patients ask me what I mean when I say “inflammation”. The classic signs of inflammation are redness, swelling, heat and pain. When people think about inflammation, they think of a red, hot and swollen ankle from an injury or a painful and red finger that has a splinter. But there are many instances when we don’t see inflammation in the obvious ways. For example, inflammation has been associated with chronic conditions like heart disease, endometriosis, obesity and even anxiety or depression.

Inflammation is one way your body responds to threats. When a virus attacks your throat, your immune system revs up and the inflammation response kicks in. Your body sends out specials cells and chemicals to target and destroy the threat (in this case, the virus). This shows up as swollen tonsils and a red and painful throat. If the immune system is your body’s army, inflammation is its attack strategy. A similar inflammatory process happens in chronic conditions.

When you’re constantly exposed to things like stressful situations, lack of sleep and a poor diet, your body can see all of this as a threat – just like how it sees a virus as a threat. The inflammation response I mentioned above kicks in. But this time, there is no specific virus or splinter to target. This is when we see things like inflammation affecting arteries and contributing to heart disease or inflammation affecting the brain and contributing to anxiety and depression.

If you can’t quite understand what components are involved in inflammation, think back to your Magic School Bus days (if you ever watched that show) and you’ll get a pretty good visual of inflammation. Inflammation involves different cells from your immune system as well as chemicals. White blood cells like macrophages and chemicals like TNF-a and interleukins seek to target and destroy threats in our bodies (which is a good thing). But sometimes they attack things that shouldn’t be attacked and that’s when inflammation can cause problems.

Reducing problematic inflammation is one important way that I treat many chronic health conditions. If you want to learn more about how inflammation impacts mental health, click HERE.

Your Overall Health Affects Your Mental Health

In some ways it seems like common sense that our overall health affects our mental health. But when you break it down, it can seem bizarre. How does my blood sugar or my heart health affect my mental health? How does my gut health influence anxiety? How does inflammation impact depression?

A large study published in 2018 added more evidence to the idea that mental health can’t be treated separately from overall health. In this study, published by the American Journal of Epidemiology, researchers looked at 12 studies of over 1.5 million women to see if there was an association between chronic health conditions and peripartum mental health conditions in mothers. Peripartum refers to before or after childbirth. Researchers found that mothers who had chronic health conditions like high blood pressure, diabetes, heart disease, migraines and other neurological conditions were more likely to have mental health conditions like anxiety and depression before childbirth or postpartum.

We can’t say that these physical health conditions caused mental health conditions in these women. We just know that they were associated with each other. The researchers concluded that more mental health resources should be available to mothers with chronic physical health conditions.

To me, this study is another piece of evidence telling us to expand our approach to mental health. To fully manage anxiety, we can’t only search for the drug, herb, nutrient or “superfood” that will correct a brain chemical level (serotonin, dopamine, norepinephrine etc.). It really may be helpful to look at restoring overall health in addition to supporting those brain chemicals to manage anxiety and depression.

This study only looks at perinatal mental health conditions and it doesn’t look at all the possible health conditions that could be associated with anxiety or depression. So, we really shouldn’t assume these findings apply to everyone. But, in my experience, when I work with someone who has depression or anxiety and I work on their overall health, we often get positive results. When we broaden our focus and treat the whole person, it opens up new opportunities for progress.

When Do I Start Taking Vitamin D?

This is a common question that I’ve been getting lately especially with fall getting closer.

As you may know, we get a good chunk of vitamin d from sun exposure. The Canadian guidelines state that 600 IU of vitamin d is needed daily to keep bones healthy. These guidelines take sun out of the equation. In other words, if you spent minimal time in the sun, your bones would still be fine with 600 IU of vitamin d/day according to these guidelines. One reason why sun exposure was not considered when making these guidelines was because it’s not clear how much things like smog, cloud coverage, skin colour, sunscreen use, time of day and even season affects our ability to get vitamin d from the sun. So “they” decided to play it safe and assume everyone was getting minimal sun.

The guidelines also do not take into consideration how much vitamin d is needed for other health outcomes besides bone health. The research behind how vitamin d affects health beyond the bones is promising, but it was not strong enough to make it into the guidelines. That being said, vitamin d has been shown in studies to play a role in fertility, thyroid health, mood, immunity and other conditions.

Many health care providers (including myself) find that vitamin d levels drop in the winter compared to the summer. Having your vitamin d levels tested is not always necessary but in some cases it’s worthwhile to get your levels tested by your naturopathic or medical doctor to determine if you are deficient in vitamin d – especially in winter.

So here’s my answer to the question of “when do I start taking vitamin d”: You need vitamin d year-round. You get it from egg yolks, fatty fish, supplements, fortified foods and sunshine. The Canadian guidelines recommend 600 IU/day year-round to protect your bones. Many health care providers will recommend more. The amount you need and whether you need more during certain times of the year depends on your health history and your vitamin d level.

Vitamin d is an important nutrient. Do not hesitate to ask about whether it’s worth supplementing and/or getting your levels tested.

Which Meditation Apps are the Best?

Meditation and mindfulness have been scientifically shown to reduce stress, overwhelm and anxiety. There are a lot of different meditation apps out there, so I decided to give you my take on some of the most popular ones to help you decide which one you might want to try.

Headspace

Headspace has a very clean, quality feel. It’s one of the most popular meditation apps. It has clever animations to teach you about meditation. It looks nice and is easy to use and you can choose between a male or female voice. Making an account gives you access to 10 free sessions and after that you can decide if you want to subscribe or just continue repeating the free sessions.

Calm

This is another highly popular meditation app. It has a lot of variety and several free meditations. It has a pleasant and comforting feel. There’s the option to have background music with your meditations (a feature that Headspace lacks). I love that this app also has a website version as well.

Insight Timer

This app probably has the most free meditations but the quality, voices used and topics vary widely. You can filter your meditations for things like duration, secular topics, spiritual topics, background music or no background music and so on - but the filters don’t always work as expected.

Smiling Mind

This is my go-to app for kids. It’s used a lot in schools in the UK. You can pick the meditation based on the age of the child. The instructor explains the meditation in a way that kids will understand. It’s full of free meditations.

Buddhify

This app allows you to pick different meditations for different situations (e.g. when you’re angry, when you’re waiting around etc.). You can get it for a small fee.  

Meditation and Relaxation (By Fitness 22)

This app reminds me a lot of Headspace. It’s very clean looking and straightforward. It has a fair amount of free meditations and it has the option for background music.

The best mediation app for you will depend on your personal preferences. Try some of these out for yourself and see which one is the best fit for you. If you’re ready to dig deeper and take the next step towards reducing your stress and anxiety, click HERE to learn more about my 8 Week Anxiety Program.  

(Disclaimer: I do not officially endorse anything mentioned on this page. These are just some of my favourite resources that I wanted to share with you. I don’t receive any personal gain by recommending these resources.)

Why You Should Know Your “Stress Signs”

Do you ever feel like your body is telling you that you’re stressed even though you’re convinced that you don’t “feel” stressed? Have you ever gone on vacation and only then realized that you were more stressed before you left than you realized (or were willing to admit)?

Stress is a sneaky thing. We can get so used to it that it becomes our new normal and we don’t even see it in ourselves anymore. While it’s important to not get stressed about being stressed (as was beautifully discussed in this viral TedTalk), I don’t believe that means we should stop managing stress. Knowing your “stress signs” is a valuable way to determine if you need to make some changes in your life to reduce stress. It’s especially useful if you find that you have a hard time determining if you are stressed or not.

Some people are very tapped into what their body does when they are stressed. But many people aren’t aware of how stress uniquely affects their bodies. Here are the most common connections between stress and physical symptoms that I see in my practice:

Digestion goes haywire – constipation, diarrhea, bloating, abdominal pain, nausea

Skin reactions – eczema or psoriasis flare ups, acne, hives

Wonky periods – missed periods, irregular periods, cramps, heavy flow, worsened PMS

Infections and inflammation – sties, frequent colds, shingles outbreaks, canker sores

Pain – migraines, tension headaches, tight and sore muscles

Mental/ emotional - feeling rushed and pressed for time, feeling “scattered”, irritability

This is not to say that stress is the cause of these symptoms, but many people find that they tend to experience these symptoms more during stressful periods and that reducing stress helps to reduce these symptoms.

Take some time to study your stress signs so you can get a better sense of when your body might be telling you that it needs some stress management. If you pick up on these signs early enough you can prevent them from getting out of hand.

My practice focuses heavily on mental health, especially anxiety. But I also see many patients who don’t have a diagnosis of anxiety but need support for coping with stress better. While I can’t take away the sources of your stress (caregiving, work deadlines, commuting, interpersonal issues etc.), I can help you cope with those stressors better so they don’t feel like so much of a weight on your mind or body. 

The Anxiety Relief System FAQ

Does it actually work?

Every patient responds differently but the majority of my patients with anxiety benefit from the program and are happy they did it.

Can I do the program if I’m on medication?

Yes. I’ve worked with patients who are taking medication for their anxiety, patients who were taking medication in the past, patients who are working with their MD to wean off medication and patients who do not require medication. I always make sure that I recommend remedies that do not interact with your medications. 

Is this program beneficial for kids?

Yes. I’ve worked with many children who have anxiety. Most children are not open to acupuncture so in that case we can do acupressure or just have regular visits in which I will give my recommendations without doing any acupuncture. 

Will I have to take a lot of supplements? Which supplements will I be taking?

If it’s relevant to your case, I may recommend nutritional or herbal supplements. If you prefer to not take supplements and focus more on diet and lifestyle, that’s perfectly fine. I don’t recommend that a patient be on more supplements than they are comfortable with or supplements that aren’t relevant to their case. The supplements that I will recommend will be individualized to your unique symptoms and health history.

Will we do any testing? How much does testing cost?

It depends on your case. I can offer blood work if a relevant test has not been done by your other health care providers. Some insurance companies cover testing from naturopathic doctors in addition to covering appointments. Call your company to find out. The cost of testing varies depending on the test. I will always let you know the price before you pay for a test.

Can the program help with depression?

Many of the recommendations that are part of the anxiety program can also be helpful for depression.

What does each week involve?

Please click HERE to read a breakdown of the topics covered in the program.

What if I can’t come every week for 8 weeks or I don’t want a program format?

Some of my patients love the structure of the eight week program. Others prefer a less structured approach. If you need support for your anxiety but you want a more flexible appointment format as opposed to an eight week program, I offer this option as well.

Can I pay for the entire program at once?

Naturopathic doctors in Ontario cannot collect lump-sum payments. You can pay for each individual session when you come in for it. The rates for the program are the same as my rates for any other naturopathic visit. To learn more about my rates click HERE.

How long are the visits?  

The first visit is always an hour. For follow up visits, I usually recommend hour long sessions if we’re doing acupuncture. If we’re not doing acupuncture or if hour long visits do not work for your budget or schedule, we can do half hour visits.

Do I have to come in person for the visits?

In addition to in-person visits, I offer phone and video appointments to anyone living in Ontario. Don’t hesitate to contact me if you would like to learn more about virtual appointments.

Is this covered by insurance?

These visits are covered under your naturopathic medicine coverage. You can call your insurance company to ask if you have coverage for in-person or virtual naturopathic medicine.

If you still have more questions about the anxiety program, you’re welcome to set up a free 15-minute consultation to go over those questions.

Sick of Always Being on a Diet? Consider Intuitive Eating

Are food, weight and dieting major sources of anxiety for you? Are you trapped in that classic dieting cycle? The one where you carefully watch your diet, then later break the “rules”, feel guilty, “binge”, feel more guilty about binging and then promise yourself to watch your diet even more closely. If you’re completely fed up with this cycle and you want to work on improving your relationship with food, I suggest considering intuitive eating.

Intuitive eating is all about letting go of rigid rules around food in order to improve a negative relationship with food. It’s about following your body’s hunger cues and being flexible with your food choices. If you want to learn more about what intuitive eating is and my own personal experience with it, check out my article HERE.

Today I want to focus more on the science behind intuitive eating. The concept of relaxing the rules around eating can be really intimidating so going over the science behind intuitive eating might help you feel more at ease about it. There aren’t many studies out there on the subject yet, but the ones that exist are promising.

So, lets run through some of the promising findings that have come out about intuitive eating:

-          Intuitive eating may promote a better body image than rigid diet control

-          In some studies, intuitive eating resulted in a greater drop in BMI or at least it did not cause any weight gain

-          Intuitive eating may be associated with improved eating behaviours

-          Psychological health has been shown to improve with intuitive eating

I suspect more interesting findings will come out over time. If you want to learn more about how to do intuitive eating, you can click HERE. Clicking this link will lead you to my “Favourites” page where I have a link to a great resource to get you started on your own research.  

As a naturopathic doctor who works extensively with conditions like anxiety and depression, I see how our mood can affect our food choices and how guilt around our food choices can negatively affect our mood. I enjoy working with patients who are ready to improve their relationship with food and I’m always happy to connect patients to fabulous counsellors and dietitians who share my passion for this subject. Time and time again I find that when we get our mindset to a healthier state, it’s so much easier to eat in a way that helps us feel amazing both physically and mentally.