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Role of light in health and healing

By Dr. Laura M. Brown, ND

Natural Sunlight affects sleep cycles, mood, energy, blood pressure and the immune system. We need just the right amount.  Too much sunlight can damage skin, and increase risk of skin cancer. 

Sunlight:   Vitamin D, Blood Pressure, Mood and Cognitive Function

Sunlight UVB skin exposure promotes the change of cholesterol to vitamin D.  Regardless of whether it comes from sun, food (fatty fish, fish liver oils, beef liver, and egg …

High blood pressure, or hypertension, is a concern because it often has no symptoms and can lead to more serious health problems like coronary artery disease, vascular dementia, eye damage, stroke, kidney disease, peripheral artery disease and heart attack.

Blood pressure (BP) is the measurement of the pressure or force of blood pushing against blood vessel walls. Your BP reading has two numbers:

• The top number is the systolic blood pressure, which measures the pressure on your artery walls…

Artificial and Non-caloric Sweeteners

Over-consumption of high-fructose corn syrup, primarily in the form of soft-drinks and processed foods, contributes to high blood pressure, high blood sugar, and high tryglycerides (form of cholesterol), obesity, insulin resistance, metabolic syndrome, microbiome change, leaky gut, liver inflammation, fibrosis, fatty liver disease and liver cancer. A high sugar diet additionally contributes to inflammation in the hippocampus of the brain which affects spat…

Candida is yeast that naturally occurs in your body.

An over growth of Candida can show itself as bloating, gas, flatulence, skin rashes, sugar cravings, fatigue, mild depression, sensitivity to perfumes, smoke or chemicals, multiple food sensitivity, chronic prostatitis, sinusitis, other and fungal infections of the skin and nails. When Candida thrives, it can change from its yeast form to its fungal form. This is when it spreads its “roots” between your cells of your intestinal tract causing…

Join Dr. Laura M.Brown, ND and Amanda Gazzola in an in depth conversation on the impact of stress on gut health. :

https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/4-quadrants-of-gut-health-with-dr-laura-brown-nd/id1608810154?i=1000624650406

Health in Guelph is a podcast meant to bring the Guelph health community together. Hosted by Amanda Gazzola, she will be chatting with practitioners, nutritionists, coaches, and other members of our health community in weekly episodes.

This talk is all about gut…

Magnesium is fundamental to life. Yet almost fifty percent of the population is deficient.

What is magnesium?

The fourth most abundant mineral in humans, it supports over eight hundred roles in the body. Magnesium is found in high concentrations in our bones, heart, muscles and nerves, is carried around in red blood cells, helps make energy and genetic building blocks of life – DNA and RNA.

Signs of deficiency

It is difficult to measure magnesium in blood work. Serum magnesium is just what …

Seasonal Allergies?

Seasonal allergies, allergic rhinitis (AR) or hay fever, is inflammation inside the nose stimulated by pollen from trees, grass or weeds. Up to forty percent of the global population is affected.

Symptoms include itchy, red, watery eyes and nose, scratchy throat, sneezing and swelling of tissues.  Nasal congestion is the hallmark of the allergic response. In more than eighty percent of people with seasonal allergies breathing is affected, especially during sleep. This lead…

It’s often the hot summer months that makes us think of drinking enough water.  Truth is, hydration is an issue that needs to be considered in all seasons, for all ages.  That’s because the human body is 55% to 65% water, and is vital for life.  

Reasons for dehydration

Dehydration happens when more water is lost than is replaced. Water is lost through skin, lungs, kidneys and the gastrointestinal tract. Dehydration may complicate other medical problems and has the potential to cause signific…

A nutrient-dense, whole foods diet is critical to the health of an expectant mother and the fetal programming for her offspring for life. A healthy diet needs fresh and vibrant foods with a variety of vegetables, fruits, legumes, healthy fats with omega-3 fatty acids that include nuts and seeds, and fish. This is in place of processed foods, sugars and sweeteners.

Sugar, when stripped of fibre and concentrated and consumed in quantities greater than 5-10g (1-2 teaspoons) a day, has detrime…

DID YOU KNOW? Naturopathic Doctors are trained as primary care practitioners. Ontario, Canada faces a shortage of family doctors, and an ND can help fill the gap. You are able to book an appointment directly with a naturopathic doctor and obtain primary health care in a pay for service model. The approach to care involves the same kind of blood work, medical intake and physical assessment. Naturopathic care is individualized medicine. It looks for the root cause of the issue and corrects nutrit…