Ajax Harwood Clinic

02/01/2026

When Protection Becomes the Problem

Why diversity of exposure—not avoidance—may be how resilience is built

We often assume that safety comes from avoidance.

If something causes discomfort, reaction, or fear, the instinct is to remove it. Avoid the food. Avoid the cold. Avoid the trigger. Avoid the feeling.

At first, this often works. Symptoms decrease. Relief follows.

But over time, a quieter pattern can emerge:
the range of what the body and mind can tolerate begins to shrink.

The Body Learns What It Practices

We already understand this at the enzymatic level.

Lactose intolerance, for example, is often relative rather than absolute. The enzyme that digests lactose is produced in response to use. When lactose disappears from the diet, enzyme production falls. Small, unavoidable exposures then cause bigger reactions.

Avoidance, over time, reduces capacity.

Immunology tells a similar story. We once believed that avoiding peanuts prevented allergy. We now know that early, controlled exposure often teaches the immune system that an antigen is not dangerous.

Different systems. Same principle.

Diversity of Exposure Is How Tolerance Is Trained

This idea doesn’t stop with food.

There are schools in Japan that do not heat classrooms in winter. Children there appear to have fewer respiratory infections. One plausible explanation is simple physiology: repeated mild cold exposure strengthens thermoregulation and immune responsiveness.

The same logic may apply to light exposure. Constant sunglasses can reduce tolerance to brightness. Constant climate control may reduce tolerance to temperature variation.

The body adapts not to comfort, but to range.

The Psychological Parallel Is Hard to Miss

Psychology learned this lesson early.

When fear is avoided, it tends to grow.
When exposure is gradual and contained, fear often softens.

This is why people are encouraged to return to driving after a car accident when possible. Not because it’s pleasant — but because avoidance can allow fear to crystallize into phobia.

Exposure therapy works not by forcing bravery, but by restoring familiarity.

The nervous system learns: this is uncomfortable, but not dangerous.

Minor Reactions Are Not Always Problems

A key mistake we make is assuming that any reaction means harm.

Sometimes the body responds because it is learning.
Sometimes discomfort is part of adaptation.
Sometimes reactivity is not pathology — it is calibration in progress.

Of course, there are real allergies. Real contraindications. Real risks.

But not every response is a signal to retreat.

Overprotection Has a Cost

When exposure diversity decreases:
• diets narrow
• environments homogenize
• nervous systems become vigilant
• tolerance thresholds drop

People often become more sensitive, not less.

This shows up physically, immunologically, and psychologically.

A Different Orientation

Instead of asking only:
“What should I avoid?”

It may be worth also asking:
“What range is my body no longer practicing?”

Resilience is rarely built through elimination alone.
It is built through measured contact, graded exposure, and time.

The goal isn’t toughness.
It’s adaptability.

And adaptability requires diversity.

02/01/2026

“What vitamins should I be taking?”
This is one of the most common questions we get in clinic.

Here’s the short, practical answer.

The one supplement that most adults in Canada benefit from:
• Vitamin D3: 1,000–2,000 IU daily
Especially in fall, winter, and early spring.
It supports bone health, immune function, and mood.
For many people, this is the only routine supplement that makes sense.

What about multivitamins (“once-a-day” vitamins)?
For the average person with a reasonably varied diet:
• They’re not essential
• They’re usually low-dose insurance, not targeted treatment
• They don’t replace food, sleep, movement, or sunlight

They’re not harmful for most people — just often unnecessary.

Where supplements can quietly become a problem
Many people take supplements “just in case” and don’t realize:
• More is not better
• Some supplements block others (e.g., zinc → copper deficiency)
• Long-term, single-nutrient use can cause imbalance

Fatigue, anemia, nerve symptoms, and brain fog sometimes come from too much supplementation, not too little.

The most practical strategy (and the least glamorous):
• Eat a wide variety of foods
• Rotate proteins, vegetables, fruits, grains, legumes, nuts, seeds
• Let diversity — not perfection — do the work

This naturally supplies trace minerals and micronutrients in balanced proportions.

A note on food “intolerances”
Some people truly need to avoid certain foods — and that’s important to respect.
But many perceived intolerances are relative, not absolute.

In some cases:
• The gut can be gradually re-introduced to foods
• Tolerance can improve over time
• Avoidance forever isn’t always necessary

This is very individual — and worth discussing with your physician.

Bottom line
• Vitamin D: usually yes
• Everything else: depends on you
• Food variety beats supplement stacking
• If you’re unsure, bring your supplements to your appointment — we’re happy to review them with you

Your body is not missing a magic pill.
It’s usually asking for balance.

01/07/2026

When does high LDL lead to medication?

For the group you’ve identified (LDL ≥4.0, especially ≥5.0, or overdue repeats), medication is not automatic. It becomes appropriate under certain conditions.

Think in three overlapping lenses, not a single threshold.

⸻

1. How high is the LDL — and how long has it been high?

• LDL ≥5.0 mmol/L
• Strong signal for intervention, even in primary prevention
• Raises concern for familial hypercholesterolemia
• Often warrants medication unless there is a compelling reason not to
• Especially important in younger adults (high lifetime exposure)

• LDL 4.0–4.9
• Grey zone
• May or may not need medication
• Context matters (see below)

⸻

2. What else is going on medically? (Risk context)

Medication becomes more likely when elevated LDL is combined with:

• Diabetes
• Hypertension
• Smoking history
• Chronic kidney disease
• Inflammatory conditions
• Strong family history of premature heart disease
• Male s*x + increasing age
• Metabolic syndrome

These don’t “force” medication — they tilt the balance.

⸻

3. Has lifestyle optimization already been tried — or is it realistic?

This is where real life matters.

Before medication, we often consider:
• Diet patterns (not perfection, patterns)
• Physical activity
• Weight trajectory
• Alcohol intake
• Sleep
• Stress physiology

But:
• Some people do everything right and still have high LDL
• Genetics matters
• Waiting years for “perfect lifestyle” can quietly increase risk

Medication isn’t a failure — it’s a risk-reduction tool.

⸻

When medication is usually recommended

• LDL ≥5.0 (especially confirmed on repeat testing)
• LDL ≥4.0 + multiple risk factors
• LDL persistently high despite reasonable lifestyle efforts
• Strong family history suggesting inherited risk
• Evidence of vascular disease (secondary prevention — different category)

⸻

When medication may not be needed (yet)

• Borderline LDL with no other risk factors
• First abnormal result that hasn’t been repeated
• Clear reversible contributors (hypothyroidism, acute illness)
• Patient preference after informed discussion

⸻

The key principle (important for your social media piece)

This is not about chasing numbers.
It’s about reducing lifetime risk — thoughtfully, not reflexively.

⸻

Social media–ready version (calm, non-alarming)

You can post something like this:

⸻

High Cholesterol Doesn’t Automatically Mean Medication — But Sometimes It Should Be Discussed

When we talk about LDL (“bad cholesterol”), it’s easy to think in extremes:
Either “ignore it” or “start a pill immediately.”

Real medicine lives in between.

Very high LDL levels — especially LDL over 5.0 — can significantly increase lifetime risk of heart disease, even in people who feel well and have no symptoms. In some cases, this reflects inherited cholesterol patterns rather than lifestyle choices.

Medication is often considered when:
• LDL is very high
• LDL has been high for a long time
• Other risk factors are present (blood pressure, diabetes, smoking, family history)
• Lifestyle changes alone aren’t enough

Just as important: medication is not automatic.
It’s a conversation.

At Ajax Harwood Clinic, our goal isn’t to “treat a number.”
It’s to help people understand their risk and decide — together — how best to reduce it over time.

Some risks we learn to live with.
Others are highly modifiable.

Knowing which is which — and acting early — is one of the quiet strengths of preventive care.

01/07/2026

RSV Isn’t “Just a Cold” for Seniors — and We’re Reaching Out

Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV) is a common virus — but in older adults, it can lead to serious lung infections, hospitalizations, and prolonged recovery, especially during respiratory season.

That’s why there is now an RSV vaccine for adults — and why Ajax Harwood Clinic is being proactive.

Who should be thinking about the RSV vaccine?
• Adults 60 and older
• Anyone with chronic conditions (heart disease, lung disease, diabetes, kidney disease)
• People with weakened immune systems
• Seniors living with or caring for young children
• Anyone who wants to reduce their risk of serious respiratory illness

What’s covered in Ontario right now?
• The RSV vaccine is publicly funded in Ontario for certain seniors, including those aged 60+ living in long-term care and retirement homes
• Others may have private insurance coverage
• Even when it’s not publicly covered, the vaccine is still medically indicated for many people based on age and health — and worth discussing

Coverage rules can change, and individual situations vary — which is why a conversation matters.

What we’re doing
Our team is currently reaching out by phone to patients who may benefit from the RSV vaccine.
If you’re in this group, you may be hearing from us.

If you know someone 60+, or someone with chronic health conditions, please let them know — or encourage them to call us directly to book a visit.

Why this matters
There are many things in medicine we manage after the fact.
RSV isn’t one of them.

This is preventive care — reducing the risk of hospitalization, complications, and loss of independence.

What to do next
Book an appointment to talk about whether the RSV vaccine makes sense for you.
No pressure. No assumptions. Just clear information and shared decision-making.

If you’re eligible, we’ll guide you through coverage.
If you’re not publicly covered, we’ll still help you decide whether it’s right for you.

Prevention works best when we act before the illness arrives — and when we look out for one another.

01/07/2026

Today at Ajax Harwood Clinic: We’re Being Proactive.

Starting today, our team will be proactively calling patients as part of a focused cancer-prevention outreach.

We’re beginning with Tier 1:
Adults roughly 27–45 years old — a group that often missed HPV vaccination when it wasn’t routinely offered, and a group now seeing a rise in HPV-related cancers, particularly throat cancers.

There’s nothing “wrong.”
There’s no test result prompting this.
This is prevention — the quiet, unglamorous kind that actually works.

If you’re in this age group, you may hear from us.
If you know someone in this age group, let them know a call might be coming — or they can reach out to us directly.

We’re inviting people in for a short conversation to ask a simple question:
“Does HPV vaccination make sense for me?”

No pressure.
No assumptions.
Just clear information and shared decision-making.

Once Tier 1 is underway, we’ll move on to Tier 2 — parents of younger patients — because protecting one person often protects many others down the road.

There are many things in life and medicine we can’t fully control, and we learn to live with them.
But there are also things that are largely preventable.
Those are the places where our energy matters most.

One important note: while some people think HPV vaccination has an “upper age limit,” the reality is that there is no absolute upper age cutoff — eligibility depends on individual circumstances and benefit, and that’s exactly what these conversations are for.

Prevention works best when we do it together — clinicians, patients, families, and community.

If you’re our patient and want to get ahead of the call, feel free to contact the clinic.
If you’re not sure whether this applies to you, that’s okay too — asking the question is the whole point.

This is what proactive care looks like.

01/07/2026

HPV Is on the Rise.
Cancer Doesn’t Have to Be.

Here’s something that doesn’t get talked about enough:
HPV-related cancers are increasing — especially throat (oropharyngeal) cancers — and many affect people who never thought they were “at risk.”

HPV (human papillomavirus) is extremely common.
Most people are exposed at some point.
Most never know it.
But certain strains can quietly set the stage for cancers years — even decades — later.

The HPV vaccine is different from most vaccines.
This isn’t just infection prevention.
This is cancer prevention.

Why this matters now
• HPV-related throat cancers are rising faster than cervical cancer is declining
• These cancers often show up later in life, long after exposure
• There is no routine screening test for throat HPV cancer
• Prevention, not early detection, is our strongest tool

Who should be thinking about the HPV vaccine
• Children and teens — best protection before exposure
• Young adults who missed it earlier
• Adults up to age 45 — many still benefit
• People of all genders — HPV does not discriminate

A common belief is: “If I’ve been s*xually active, it’s too late.”
That’s often not true. The vaccine can still protect against strains you haven’t encountered.

This isn’t about fear.
It’s about foresight.

What we suggest
Have a conversation.
Ask whether the HPV vaccine makes sense for you or your child.
No pressure. No assumptions. Just clear information.

To book an appointment or discuss this further, contact Ajax Harwood Clinic or bring it up at your next visit.
Some of the most powerful medicine happens quietly — years before it’s ever needed.

01/06/2026

A warm hug for you . Happy Tuesday AHC!!

01/01/2026

Happy New Year AHC!

NYE reminders! 🎉

12/31/2025

12/24/2025

How Much Vitamin D Is Enough? 🤔

We get this question a lot at Ajax Harwood Clinic.

Someone is taking vitamin D — sometimes even 5,000 IU a day — and the blood test still comes back “below normal.”
Naturally, the next thought is: Do I need more? Am I doing something wrong?

Here’s the reassuring part 👇

For most people, vitamin D blood work isn’t actually necessary.
What matters more is simply taking a reasonable daily dose.

For the majority of adults:
• 2,000 IU per day is sufficient and safe
• Taking it regularly matters more than checking levels
• A blood test measures what’s circulating, not what’s stored or being used by your body

So if you’re already taking vitamin D and feeling well:
• A slightly “low” number often doesn’t mean anything is wrong
• Increasing the dose just to normalize a lab value usually isn’t needed
• We treat people, not numbers

In many cases, the best plan is the simplest one:
👉 Take 2,000 IU daily and carry on with life.

Of course, there are exceptions — certain medical conditions, absorption issues, or bone concerns may need a different approach. If that applies to you, we’re always happy to talk it through.

—
Ajax Harwood Clinic
Thoughtful care. Calm decisions.

12/17/2025