Healthy Relationships

Thank You

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Autumn Girl enjoying nature on the field. Beauty Girl Outdoors rThis photo probably sums up more than words the relief that I feel right now. Why might you ask? Well, I passed all of my licensing exams! So, what does that mean? Now I need to be approved for registration with the College of Naturopaths and apply for the appropriate insurance. Once this is complete, I am ready to practice as a Naturopathic Doctor and can then officially call myself a Doctor! This has been a long time coming and has required facing my own demons, overcoming past traumas, and discovering who I am aside from my profession. I have had successes, but also made some mistakes that have helped me in the long run. Ultimately, I am truly thankful for these experiences and for the practitioner they will have helped shaped me into. No “acceptance speech” would be without its “Thank you”, and so, what follows is my condensed list.

To start with, first and foremost is to do what most Grammy – award winning artists do, and that is, thank my Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. I do realize that I may receive judgement, criticism, disdain, etc. for this comment; but I truly cannot take the credit for what has transpired. My strength is in Him alone, and I could not have overcome what I have without Him. That being said, I have received so many prayers and support from my family and church family over the past 8 years, and I am truly grateful to have so much love surrounding me. My family has shaped me into the woman that I am, and I cannot thank them enough for pushing me when I needed it and encouraging me along the way, even if my own mother thought I was going to be a witch doctor 🙂 (it’s okay she is now my biggest fan).

Throughout this whole journey, I have had my faithful and loving husband by my side. I cannot say how truly blessed I am to have had him over the past 8 years to comfort me through the tears and walk with me through the pain, but also to rejoice with me in the victories.

Finally, as always, I want to thank all of the beautiful souls that I have met along the way, specifically, the patients that I have had the pleasure of working with. I have learned so much and have been so blessed by you all. Walking with you has helped shaped me into the practitioner I want to be and will be. Also, thank you and much love to you my readers for all of your constant support!

I will keep you all posted in the following weeks as to when I am accepting patients!

Have you benefitted from reading this blog? Know someone that would benefit as well? Share, Like, Comment, or Tweet this article, and let me know what you think.

Some of the information provided above may not be appropriate for everyone, please consult with your doctor before trying any of the above. If you are interested in Naturopathic Medicine and wanting a different approach to your health care needs, contact Elisha Cook via the contact portion of this website.

Essential Oils to Spice-up your Love Life

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Love: At SunsetWhat is an aphrodisiac? What does it do?

An aphrodisiac is a substance that increases sexual desire. Aphrodisiacs are assumed to work one of two ways: one is by impacting the mind, and the other is through affecting specific body parts. According to the FDA however, aphrodisiacs do not have enough research to suggest that they actually work, and rather the theory of their use is based on myth. On the other hand, individuals have reported experiencing benefit from their use, both currently and traditionally, making their use of potential interest.

Aphrodisiac Essential Oils

The following is a list of essential oils that have been used traditionally as aphrodisiacs in various cultures:

  • Jasmine
  • Lavender
  • Vanilla
  • Ginger
  • Cardamon

As suggested above, some of these essential oils have had impact based on their impact on the mind (i.e. the scent causes increased “interest”), while other essential oils have their impact through their physical impact.

Ways to use Essential Oils

Essential oils can be used in a number of ways in order to obtain their aphrodisiac quality. Before using the essential oil, they should be tested on skin, sheets, etc. in a small quantity in case there is a reaction to them. Once you have tested the essential oil, it can be used in various ways including: spraying them on sheets, spraying them in the air, using several drops in a bath, dabbing a small amount on the skin.

Caution with Essential Oils

Please use caution with essential oils. As mentioned above, you should always do a test strip on skin, material, or in the air before using it as some individuals may be sensitive to it. Essential oils should not be used in quantities more than 3-5 drops or as otherwise recommended by your health care provider. In this case, if you were using the essential oil as a spray, you should not exceed 3 – 5 drops in water, for example.

Have you benefitted from reading this blog? Know someone that would benefit as well? Share, Like, Comment, or Tweet this article, and let me know what you think.

Some of the information provided above may not be appropriate for everyone, please consult with your doctor before trying any of the above. If you are interested in Naturopathic Medicine and wanting a different approach to your health care needs, please book an appointment with Elisha Cook at the RSNC (416-498-9763), and let me help you achieve your health goals.

 

 

Book Review: The 5 Love Languages

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Love: At SunsetBefore my husband and I got married, we did pre-marriage counselling, upon which we were asked to read the book, “The 5 love languages” by Gary Chapman. Before this experience, I was sure that myself and my spouse had a solid relationship and that there were minimal areas that needed to be improved upon. After reading this book, not only did the dynamics of our relationship change, but how we understood one another and others. I now normally give this book as a gift to those getting married because of how impactful this book was in our relationship. You might be asking yourself, “Okay I get it, this is a great book, but what does this have to do with health? I thought you were training to be a Naturopathic Doctor not a Marriage counsellor?” The reason why I am including this in my blog is quite simple. What happens in our interpersonal lives, i.e. our relationships, has a profound effect on our health. If we are stressed because our marriages or relationships are falling apart, this can cause depression, anxiety, and even physical health diseases. Therefore, though it may not be obvious, our relationships can impact our health, and so, I invite you to read the review I have provided below regarding the book and what you can expect from reading it.

The premise of this book is that everyone has their own love language. This means that everyone shows love in specific ways, and knows that they are loved in others. If we do not speak each other’s languages, we can often leave the other person feeling unloved, or feel unloved ourselves. In order to keep each other feeling loved, you need to speak your partners love language. As foreshadowed by the title of the book, there are 5 love languages: Acts of Service, Quality time, Words of Affirmation, Physical Touch, and Gifts.

If we show love one way, and our partner receives it another way, this can often lead to conflict and mixed emotions. For example, let’s say Jim cuts the lawn for his partner Mary because his love language is Acts of Service. He feels as though he is showing Mary a sign of love because that is how he shows others that he loves them is through Acts of Service. However, what if Mary’s love language was words of affirmation? She would not necessarily see Jim cutting the grass as an act of love but maybe instead a duty. If we are unaware of how we each show love and receive love, it can sometimes cause unnecessary conflicts and misunderstandings.

This book helps you to discover what language you speak, what love language you receive (how you know you are loved), and what love language your partner receives. This book also provides you with some ways that you can speak your partner’s love language if you do not know how to show affection in that particular way. In some editions, there is also a quiz at the back to help you to identify what love language you or your partner speak.

Please note I do not have any association with this author or with the publisher’s. This is merely a review of the book based on my opinion and experience. Some of the information provided above may not be appropriate for everyone, please consult with your doctor before trying any of the above. If you are interested in Naturopathic Medicine and wanting a different approach to your health care needs, please book an appointment with Elisha Cook at the RSNC today and let me help you achieve your health goals.

 

Your Mind and Your Brain: What you did not know

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Abstract light human brain, vector illustrationRecently, I had the privilege of attending a conference where the guest speaker was Dr. Caroline Leaf, whom happens to be a cognitive neuroscientist. There were quite a few take home messages that I received from listening to her, that I have summarized into 5 key points, that I wanted to share with you, my readers:

  1. You are Fearfully and Wonderfully Made.

Your body is a wonderful, amazing piece of machinery that has the capacity for health and wholeness. You are unique and there is no one like you. Embrace this, and embrace who you are and who you were created to be.

  1. You have a great gift

Though most people might think that this strictly means talents, it actually doesn’t. Yes we all have skills and abilities that are wonderful and unique, but we also have a great gift within us which is the gift of choice. You have a choice as to whether you live your life happy or sad. Some people might immediately start to think “You have no idea what it is like to be me or live in my shoes.” And you are absolutely right, but you have a choice. You can choose to be sad, angry, envious, etc.; or you can choose to step out from your circumstances and choose to be happy, loving, caring, compassionate, and whole. No one said this was easy, or that it could be done overnight. But you do not have to wake up and be depressed just because you feel depressed. As Dr. Caroline Leaf eloquently put it, “Your mind contributes to the cause and healing of what ales you.”

  1. Negative Thoughts can be Destructive, Positive Thoughts can be Protective

Not only do negative thoughts lower your self-confidence and make you feel angry, depressed, or anxious; but they can also be physically destructive. Negative thoughts can cause inflammation in the brain (which could transcend to the body) and also cause destruction and decreased connection of brain cells. Positive thoughts have the benefit of not only making you feel better, but also of protecting your brain from damage, as well as causing the growth and increased connection between brain cells.

  1. Your Thoughts can Impact Others

Your thoughts have great potential beyond yourself. This can be explained through research in Quantum Physics (stay with me, I will not go into it too much). Basically, the way you act and think impacts those around you (and even those not around you). Quantum physics explains that basically time and space are endless, and our mind and thoughts are able to reach across this expanse, and impact one another, because of this common connection that we each possess. As a result, if we are angry, bitter, and ungrateful; this not only affects our bodies, but can also impact others.

  1. Stress is not the Enemy

Many people think that stress is a bad thing. This is actually not quite true. It is actually how we respond to stress that is either beneficial or destructive. If you remain positive in the face of struggles and stress, you are more likely to live longer according to recent research. On the other hand, if you tend to be negative in regards to your stress, you are more likely to die early.

The bottom line is, don’t you owe it to yourself to start changing your thinking? You do not have to continue to live in the critical mindset that you may have, and you can choose to change your thoughts and perceptions to those that will be health promoting.

Have you benefitted from reading this blog? Know someone that would benefit as well? Share, Like, Comment, or Tweet this article, and let me know what you think.

Some of the information provided above may not be appropriate for everyone, please consult with your doctor before trying any of the above. If you are interested in Naturopathic Medicine and wanting a different approach to your health care needs, please book an appointment with Elisha Cook at the RSNC today and let me help you achieve your health goals.