The Root Resource:

Becoming aware of ovulation can provide so much more information about a person’s menstrual cycle and hormonal health beyond trying to conceive.

Insulin resistance is a huge success limiting step in addressing the underlying cause of a lot of hormonal disruption in people with PCOS, acne, weight management issues, irregular periods, excessive hair growth, and poor energy. This is the key that puts people at risk for long term health outcomes, and is often overlooked.

…Ultimately, we cannot force our children to eat, whether they eat something or not is up to them. As parents we are responsible for what is served, the relationship with food we model, and the experience we cultivate. Our kids are in-charge of how much they eat if at all. When we understand this, we can define our goals, prioritize them, and work toward them with trust and confidence while letting any extraneous pressure go.

A concern some women face when using assisted reproductive technology is finding out they have a thin uterine lining. A uterine lining less than 7mm is associated with decreased implantation rates and increased miscarriage rates. A uterine lining >8mm is ideal with even greater success observed with uterine linings >14 mm. The uterine lining thickens in response to rising estrogen throughout the cycle. It makes sense then that one of the first-line treatments for a thin uterine lining is to prescribe estrogen before an embryo transfer. When the lining doesn’t thicken even when estrogen is given is when I usually see patients in my office. These are my top 3 go-to treatments for a thin uterine lining:

The best time to support fertility is before you start trying to conceive. A good rule of thumb is about 3-4 months beforehand – this is because it takes about 90-100 days for immature follicles to develop and for sperm to have a full life cycle. Generally speaking, the better the health of the sperm and eggs, the more likely a pregnancy will happen. Three months also gives a chance to take a look at any other contributing health factors and safely manage them before having to worry about certain product safety in the fertility stage. Some health factors that you’d want to ideally manage before trying to conceive include:

Strategically designing your morning routine allows you to regain control and roll out the rest of your day feeling less overwhelmed, with greater energy, and higher productivity.

This video is similar to what I present during a hypothyroidism patient consultation. I will be covering what your thyroid hormones are, how hypothyroidism is diagnosed (explaining what the blood work means!), as well as discussing conventional vs. desiccated thyroid treatment options.

Dr. Lauren (Wedlock) Brown, ND giving her recommendations for thriving through physical distancing and staying at home.

It’s about 2 months since New Year Resolutions were made and it’s a great time to reassess progress for the goals and plans that were set. Here’s the best advice - make it judgement free! Judgement and “shoulds” only layer in criticism and negativity. If we come from this yucky space we will either move …

January is cervical cancer awareness month. Cervical cancer is almost always preventable so bringing awareness to it is extremely important. In the past few decades, cervical cancer rates have decreased significantly due to available screening tests in developed countries but in the developing world cervical cancer still remains the leading cause of female cancer related …

The official start to fall is here and the change of season means that cold and flu season is just around the corner. Now is a great time to boost your immune system and one of the best ways to do that is to better manage stress. Most people have heard that stress impacts their …

We are not made up of ~70% water as you may have heard, we are OPTIMALLY made up of 70% water, and the brain is optimally made up of 90% water.

In my practice, I have found bio-identical hormones to be an effective treatment for women experiencing menopausal symptoms that are not responding to other methods of treatment. While this article has focused on the use bio-identical hormones during menopause, I have also found bio-identical hormone replacement therapy to be beneficial for certain woman struggling with fertility or severe pre-menstrual syndrome symptoms.

Adequate iron levels are incredibly important in pregnancy. Low levels can not only lead to fatigue and other anemia-related symptoms in Mama, but can also severely impact babe’s health.

Gastro Esophageal Reflux Disease (GERD), also known by some as Heartburn or Acid Reflux is growing to be very common in todays society. Most of us however experience the uncomfortable if not sometimes painful sensation, but really do not understand what is going on in our body.

Vitamin B12 plays an essential role throughout the body. Most notably, it assists in DNA formation, nerve protection, energy production and decreases the cardiovascular risk factor marker, homocysteine. Low B12 can lead to certain anemias, neurological disorders and higher risk of cardiovascular disease.

I have a deep fascination with mushrooms & herbs, that have the innate ability to heal the body. Specifically in this case, Cordyceps Sinensis and its role in healing kidney function. Cordyceps, also known as Chinese caterpillar fungus, has a wide variety of health benefits for cardiovascular, kidney, liver and respiratory concerns. It also has been shown to be helpful with low libido, impotence and hyperlipidemia (high cholesterol). All of these benefits are great, but specifically I was interested in its relationship to kidney function and the ability to manipulate testing markers that monitor the progression of Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD)….

Our team is  getting to THE ROOT OF FATIGUE. A common cause of fatigue that we see is hormone imbalance or deficiency. Our Naturopathic Doctors use thorough consultations and comprehensive lab testing to determine your hormone levels and make specific, individualized recommendations to help your body return to balance. Hormones that can cause fatigue when …

Sleep When feeling fatigued, one of the first questions you'll be asked is "How is your sleep?".  Is it taking you more than 10 minutes to fall asleep? Are you waking up or tossing and turning through the night? Do you wake feeling unrefreshed? Are you getting less than eight hours of sleep a night? …

Do you ever feel like you don't have enough energy to get through your day? Or needing that extra coffee just to cope? Consistently feeling tired can indicate that you may have some nutritional deficiencies that need to be investigated. That being said, low energy and fatigue are at the root of many different health issues …

Fatigue and low energy is one of the most common concerns see in my practice. Male and female patients of all ages come in feeling like no matter what they do they just can't seem to keep up with the demands of their daily lives.The foods you eat and the liquids you consume can either …

Sleep is integral for our overall health. When we do not sleep restfully we are not optimally functioning throughout our days. Getting to the root cause of why you are not sleeping well is addressing and diving into many different factors. Assessing your sleep patterns and asking yourself questions such as: are you having difficulty …

Too much stress effects practically every aspect of health as stressful experiences leave the body in physical, mental, and emotional tension. Stress prepares the body for "fight or flight" (sympathetic nervous system) by tensing muscles and constricting blood vessels which is beneficial if facing an emergency...temporarily. A prolonged stress-response creates limited movement and poor circulation.  Thus, lowering the immune …

How a scar forms & why it matters: Our tissues are organized into independent layers: Skin Fat Fascia Peritoneum (sac, holds organs) Fascia Organ After an incision has been made, these layers can stick together as they heal and no longer slide over each other due to adhesions, which bind tissues together that are not …

Ovulation is the time during the menstrual cycle when a mature egg is released from one of the ovaries. When couples are trying to conceive, it's crucial to understand when ovulation is happening so they can ensure that the sperm and mature egg can meet. There are a couple of ways to find out when …

At The Root Natural Health Clinic we help people of all ages, genders & health concerns but we also each have special skills & expertise in Women's Health that we would like to share with you. I am always amazed & grateful to be able to support a woman through Pre-conception & Fertility Care, a …

Walnuts These protein and fiber-packed nuts have been consistently proven to significantly lower total cholesterol and LDL ("bad") cholesterol levels. Walnuts are a great source of healthy (polyunsaturated) fats, and have also been shown to lower blood pressure. Almonds Studies have shown that almonds are not only able to lower LDL cholesterol levels from baseline, …

Herbal medicine has been a long-time mainstay as one of the many modalities we practice in Naturopathic Medicine. It has also been the inspiration and model for many well-known medications today; did you know aspirin used to come from white willow bark, or that the heart medication digoxin comes from the foxglove plant? Botanical medicine …

Having a healthy gut that is populated with the right microflora (the good bacteria) makes all the difference in a multitude of ways for your health. There has been an increasing amount of research that demonstrates just how important the gut-brain connection is for helping and preventing some health concerns such as anxiety, depression and …

Vitamin D, often called the "sunshine vitamin", becomes a popular topic of conversation every few years, often leaving the population wondering what it is and if it's something they should be supplementing. Very few dietary sources contain vitamin D but those that do include wild fish, liver, eggs, and fortified milk and cereals. Vitamin D …

This month we are all talking about Immune Systems and keeping families healthy this fall. Here is what I focus on as an Naturopathic Doctor experienced in health-care for kiddos, and a Mama. Little ones are going to get sick, it's part of their environment and developing immune systems. The goal is to prevent them …

Many of us are familiar with the idea that pregnancy can affect our digestion (hello morning sickness and constipation!), but what does digestion have to do with fertility before pregnancy even begins? The answer is LOTS!….

A food sensitivity is an immune system response that is triggered by a particular food we consume resulting in the formation of proteins called IgG antibodies (mainly). When we have an excess of these antibodies in our system it can cause inflammation in our body, resulting in a variety of symptoms such as digestive upset, …

Are you one of those people who experiences abdominal bloating no matter what you eat? Have you tried certain foods with no relief from abdominal discomfort? Have you been diagnosed with IBS but haven't noticed an improvement with probiotics? If any of this sounds like you, you could be living with a condition called small …

This month we are all talking about Gut Health. Not everyone likes talking about "bowel movements" (BM's), but sometimes the best way to know how the machinery is working, is by the product that it's making (and how often). Optimal digestion is free of any symptoms including heartburn, bloating, excessive gas, cramping, etc. and you …

Approximately 1 in 6 couples in Canada experience infertility at some point i their reproductive lives & the number is increasing. Acupuncture is a relatively safe and non-invasive way to improve your fertility outcomes. An irregular menstrual cycle is a common reason why a woman may run into trouble conceiving because she is not ovulating …

So, you've been told that you have "high blood pressure" or "high cholesterol"... but what does this mean? Did you know that it can mean something different for everyone? As Naturopathic Doctors, we are able to requisition blood work for cholesterol and inflammatory markers for the cardiovascular system, as well as assess blood pressure.Then, we …

I started my career in health care as a personal trainer. Even then I focused the most on nutrition with all of my clients. I designed templates for their nutrition journals and we would sit down together to evaluate what was working and what wasn’t to make the next week better than the previous one. …