Dr. Marita Weighs In On Trends in Health for 2024
With the world at our fingertips, trends seem to rise and fall like a kid on a pogostick. One minute everyone’s saying skinny jeans are out, and the next minute they’re back. This can be especially confusing when it comes to health trends. The rise of ‘health influencers’ and the sparkling carrot of viral fame has led to claims circling around that promise to be the ultimate secret to perfect health… but what is the truth? Let’s sift through some of the top health trends we’ve seen so far in 2024 and I’ll weigh in on whether they’re worth your time, or just another passing trend.
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Travel Health Tips: Staying Healthy on the Go
I recently returned from a trip to Portugal, and I’ll be honest, this trip really reinforced how much I love to travel! That being said, it can be hard to stay committed to healthy habits while jet setting or road tripping. With the busy travel season of summer upon us, I would love to share some of my favorite ways to enjoy travel while staying healthy.
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Dr. Marita’s Guide to Eating Healthy After 50
Whether you have already passed the 50 mark, or are fast approaching, healthy eating has never been more important. For many people, they might start to feel their bad habits start to catch up with them, or find their metabolism changes and what used to work is no longer working for them. While there’s some standing good health habits that cross the ages, there are some key focus areas that should take center stage in the later half of our lives to keep us healthy and ready for everything life has to offer during this exciting phase of life.
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Magnesium Miracle: Your Guide to this Magical Mineral
Magnesium. You may have heard it mentioned in regards to sleep, relaxation, or maybe chocolate, but did you know that it is one of the most crucial minerals your body needs to perform over 300 functions? Moreover, did you know that more than a third of Canadians are actually not consuming the recommended daily allowance (RDA) of magnesium, let alone the optimal amounts for their bodies to truly thrive? If we take a look at common health issues that plague many of us and compare them to the list of magnesium deficiency symptoms the picture is clear. It’s time to optimize our magnesium intake and stop feeling ‘bleh.’ This miracle mineral could just be the secret to feeling alive, energized, and ready to tackle the challenges of life.
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Dr. Marita’s Sun Safe Spring Break Guide
With the grey of Victoria’s nestled winter nook in the Olympic rain shadow looming heavy the last few months, many families are taking the Spring Break to escape to somewhere sunny. Happiness waits from the shot of Vitamin D these tropical vacations are sure to inject into the whole family, but let’s not forget our sun safe tips!
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From the Ground Up: Indoor Gardening for Year-Round Health on Vancouver Island
While Vancouver Island is still under the shadow of winter, the allure of pending spring can leave us itching to get out and work our green thumbs. However, winter gardening takes on a new dimension when brought indoors. Indoor gardening isn't just a remedy for winter blues; it's a therapeutic journey that nurtures your well-being, ensuring a continuous harvest of nutrient-rich, healing delights while also laying the foundation for your summer and fall bounty.
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Mindful Munching: The Art of Snacking with Intention
With on-the-go lifestyles and hectic schedules, the concept of mindful munching often takes a backseat. However, the art of snacking with intention can be a transformative practice, aligning your nutritional choices with health goals and fostering mindful eating habits. Let’s explore the importance of mindful snacking, providing strategies and ideas for nutrient-dense snacks that not only satisfy your cravings but also contribute to your overall well-being.
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8 Tips for Staying Healthy in Desk Jobs: Insights from a Naturopathic Doctor
In today's fast-paced world, many of us find ourselves spending hours at a desk, whether for work or study. While desk jobs have their advantages, they can also take a toll on our health if we're not mindful. As a Naturopathic Doctor, I've seen the impact of desk work on physical and mental well-being. Here are eight tips to help you maintain your health while working at a desk.
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Healthy Spring Break Ideas to Keep Kids Active and Entertained
With Spring Break around the corner, many parents are figuring out how to make the most of it. While many families choose to take this time for family holidays, if you’re not able to take a trip away, having some fun, engaging, and healthy activities in your back pocket will be a big help when you find your kids wondering ‘and now what?’ and cut down on mindless screen time to fill the gaps.
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Relationships & Our Health
Since it’s Valentine’s day this month, I thought that for this article I would focus on relationships. Whether or not you have a partner or celebrate this Hallmark holiday, it's a good time to appreciate all of our relationships, (romantic or not) as they are foundational to our wellbeing!
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The Benefits of Heat Therapy
As more fancy heat products are coming on the market, there are many things to consider. Let’s look into the benefits, why heat therapy works, what conditions it supports and which method might be right for you.
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Small Goals to Better Health: 2023 New Years Resolution Ideas
It’s easy to dream big, but usually living out our biggest dream reality results from all the little choices we made to get there. This coming New Year, I want to focus on small steps we can take towards better health. Sometimes known as the ‘Butterfly Effect’, small choices over time really do add up.
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Circadian Rhythm: Keeping Your Internal Clock Healthy in the Dead of Winter
Not only does the lack of light in the winter months affect our sleep, it also affects our mood, appetite and overall mental state as a byproduct. When it’s cold out, it may be tempting to lounge around and do less in the day, especially on dreary days, but napping too much can actually negatively affect our sleep. Let’s take a look at a few things that negatively affect our sleep-wake cycle and some solutions to try this winter.
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Hair loss: Causes, Prevention and Restoration
Hair loss is natural. Hair falls out and hair grows in, and while it is normal for the average human to lose 50 and 100 single hairs a day, when our health is out of balance, we may have more hair loss than usual. Many think that hair loss is only the concern of men, but it is estimated to affect more than 50% of women. Let’s take a look at some of the leading causes as well as prevention tips.
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How your Breath Can Serve You - A Discussion on Breathwork, Benefits and Practices.
Breathing in, breathing out… Did you know that the way we breathe affects all aspects of our lives? Science is showing that our breath is our greatest tool for a balanced life, and a calm mind. Let’s take a look at how the breath can serve you through a conscious breathwork practice.
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Back to School: Impacts of Screen Time & How to Cultivate Healthy Habits
As the summer fun continues on, there may be some rising anticipation in parents for the ‘Back to School’ transition from all the summer activities to more time on screens. It is becoming more widely known that screen time has adverse effects on ours and our children’s health. So how do we cultivate and model healthy habits before and after the day at school? Here are some of my screen managing tips for families:
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Dr. Marita’s Foundational Guide to Summer Self Care
Ahhh Summer– sunshine, BBQ’s, events galore, vacation mode. Self care is a balancing act no matter what time of year, but it can feel especially hard to keep up in the hustle and bustle and break from routine that comes with this season. As we all step into ‘summer mode’, I want to focus on helpful self care tips specific to this hot-weather season.
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Injury Prevention Day- Nutrition, and Practices for Injury Prevention
July 5th was National Injury Prevention Day, and with Summer being a more active time for many of us, I thought it was a great time to talk about how to prepare the body to prevent injury while staying active. Prevention truly is the best medicine, and I’ll cover some practices and nutrition to set your body up for resiliency.
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Father’s Day: A Quick Guide to Men’s Health
With Father’s Day just around the corner, I thought I’d take this annual opportunity to talk specifically about men’s health. If you are a dad, Happy Father’s Day! If you aren’t a dad, or just have a dad you’d like to continue making happy memories with, I invite you to share this with him this Father’s Day. After all, it is health that allows a dad to keep on doing all of the things we love the most about them. From heart health, mental health, and hormonal health, we’ve got the leading angles covered.
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Oral Health Month: Nutritional Support for Healthy Teeth and Gums
Smile! How do you take care of your teeth? Most people will answer that with brushing, flossing and trips to the dentist, but did you know that there are actually supplements that you can take to help further support your teeth and gums? As April is Oral Health Month, what better time to talk about keeping healthy smiles.
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