Remedies

What you eat does contribute to how you feel! Naturopathic medicine can help individuals prevent and manage stress in a day and age when stress is more prevalent than ever. Stress is a normal response to situational pressures or demands.

With the changing of the seasons the summer heat begins to fade and numerous crops are harvested. We look forward to enjoying fall flavors including apples, pumpkins, squash, and sweet potatoes. Trees change from greens to vibrant yellows, oranges and reds. As much as there is to enjoy during the fall, there are also changes that can affect our health.

Honey is a simple sweet treat that can be enjoyed on its own or as a sweetener for cooking and baking. While honey is high in sugars, including fructose, it has a complex composition that includes enzymes, amino acids, proteins, flavonoids and phenolic acids among other components (Ahmed 2018). These compounds give honey potent antioxidant effects and are likely at least part of the reason honey has been used medicinally for thousands of years.

Interest in honey as medicine has been increasing with numerous studies supporting a number of beneficial effects. The medicinal effects of honey appear to include (Ahmed 2018):

This time of year, it’s not unusual for people to get sick. While hand washing is important to help prevent colds and flu, there are some natural approaches with research backing their use in reducing the incidence and/or severity of colds and flu.

Peak season for common colds are the winter and spring. A sore throat and running nose are often the first signs of a cold coming on, followed by sneezing and coughing. Nobody wants to be that person in bed with a fistful of tissues gazing out at the blue sky and sunshine. That’s the opposite of fun!

If you’ve never heard of Tocos, we’re about to open your eyes to this lesser-known superfood. Move over maca and anandamide (and any other powders and elixirs you may have in your cupboards); it’s time to make way for this nutrient powerhouse of rice bran.

Need a pick-me-up? Turn the kettle on and reach for your favourite teacup. Tea is much better for you than sodas, juices and cream or sugar-loaded coffee. A hot cup of herbal tea can wake you in the morning and relax you in the evening. Herbal tea comes with a wide range health benefits. They are a great source of vitamins and minerals, can soothe an upset stomach and insomnia and can put a troubled mind at ease. A steaming cup of herbal tea can help to relieve nausea, bloating and an array of common ailments.

Also known as adaptogenic herbs, adaptogens are a natural substance that helps the body adapt to stress. The idea of plants with health-enhancing properties has been around for thousands of years. Although the term “adaptogen” was coined in the 1940s, many of the herbs we know as adaptogens today were first used many generations ago in Ayurveda (one of the world’s oldest medical systems, originating in India) and in traditional Chinese medicine. These plants have adapted themselves in nature over time. They are grown in hot climates, cold climates, high elevations and low elevations and thus that’s how they get their name.

Anxiety has the potential to interfere with our daily lives. We are all prone to experiencing feelings of worry, nervousness or uneasiness at times. Consider these simple lifestyle changes that are natural remedies for these symptoms.

As one of the five ways in which we connect with the world around us, smell is a powerful trigger of memories, moreso than any of our other senses. We've all smelt something that has transported us back in time, experiencing vivid emotions as they were back then. When you get a whiff of pine trees, you're reminded of summer camp. When you smell freshly baked muffins, you may think of baking in your mom's kitchen. It is no coincidence smell is intimately linked with memory; there is science backing why we treasure these aromas. The part of our brain that processes smell, the olfactory bulb, is directly linked to the emotional centre of our brain, creating a sense of nostalgia with a simple sniff. Scents, unlike taste or touch, are directly correlated with past experiences. Memory-inducing powers aside, aromas have a significant impact on our mind and body. We've highlighted 7 scents that boost wellbeing through aromatherapy.