Dr. Adrienne Zarifis, BSc. Naturopathic Doctor - Oakville

09/23/2024

September… this and last. From the Coast 🌊, to Peaks 🏔️ and Bumps 👶🏼

07/15/2024

Why is my face dry, dull and hyperpigmented?!
•Well, if you swipe, you can see 1 of many underlying reasons! Here is an example of Hashimotos Thyroiditis, and it’s WAY more common than you think.

•Here you see me performing the Professional Medical Grade AlumierMD Glow Peel on a patient, an external treatment that I always love to pair with my internal treatment plans for this patient with HASHIMOTOS THYROIDITIS

•HIGH thyroid antibodies are almost never (like, never) tested when you ask for your thyroid to be checked out - that’s why it’s so important to be an advocate for your OWN health and take control of your health.

•Not only can these antibodies cause skin to be unruly, they are OFTEN the root cause of your fatigue, constipation, low mood or anxiety, insomnia, inability to gain muscle and shed fat, etc etc.

•Other things can compound these issues; like unruly blood sugars, low iron and HELLO -burnout! Again, almost never tested PROPERLY.

•Let’s get you TESTED and on the right path!

02/20/2022

Fresh, clean mornings ☀️. Feeling proud to be Canadian. Peaceful, United, Loving.

02/06/2022

Just Breathe 🤍🌞
Sit back in your chair, your mat, your floor. Relax the belly. Send the breath to the belly. Allow the shoulders to relax. Let the jaw fall open. Just seems easier on hikes, bikes and rocky cliffs.
Practice daily🤍
•

10/05/2021

Stress & your Immune System - https://mailchi.mp/75da48adc6e7/re-virus-prevention-tips-7906563

07/22/2021

High cortisol is the single most common hormonal problem I see in my practice, and high cortisol with low estrogen and/or progesterone is another common combination. This varies by age: low progesterone coupled with high cortisol is the most common hormone combination that I see in women younger than 35. Among women over age 45, I more commonly see cortisol either high or low together with low estrogens.

Low s*x hormones are inextricably linked to the prevalence of stress in the lives of modern women. Honestly, we all just need more protection from stress, from our wiring to overprovide, and from our tendency toward perfectionism. If you’re like me, you need a meditation coach to show up about once per hour to remind you to breathe deeply. While on the subject, I’d love for this coach to give me a reminder to laugh and to develop an affinity for the simple things, until I stop seeking to meet the needs of others full time.

Your adrenals and ovaries work together in an intricate dance. Estrogens and progesterone are made in both your adrenals and your ovaries, but will be shunted toward the production of more cortisol when a woman is under chronic stress. As a result, chronic stress leads to high cortisol levels and lower progesterone levels.

What can you do?

🔴If you have dysregulated cortisol/low estrogen:

Work on calming the overactivated brain while working on improving low estrogen levels:
✔️Avoid caffeine
✔️Cut out gluten
✔️Eat whole soy in moderation (> https://bit.ly/Gottfried_TheHormoneCure

04/07/2021

I think 99.999% of my meals are cooked at home. I used to rely on goodness me organic hot and salad bar on the way to work, but since the pandemic forced that portion of the store to close, everything is home made. There are simply no healthy options out there!

That’s why cooking at home is a revolutionary act. ⁣
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When we prepare our own meals, we can control what’s really going into our bodies, and we also get to buy ingredients that meet our standards and values, like humane treatment of farmworkers and animals.⁣
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Cooking at home is one of your most valuable and accessible tools for long-lasting health and disease prevention. ⁣
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It’s been found that the more people prepare their own meals at home, the healthier their diet is and the less likely they are to have obesity and type 2 diabetes. That’s because people eating at home generally consume more vegetables and are eating less fast food than those who normally eat out; they also end up consuming less sugar. ⁣
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And though cooking doesn’t come naturally to everyone, there are many skills and kitchen hacks that can help you find your footing in the kitchen and begin preparing nourishing meals at home more often. ⁣
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You can find recipes online, how-to videos on youtube and I explain a few simple skills in my new book, The Pegan Diet. Learn more at PeganDiet.com⁣

03/16/2021

03/13/2021

In mainstream medicine, there is often a total disconnect regarding the importance of nutrition in modulating estrogen, despite the data showing the dramatic impact factors such as fiber and gut dysbiosis can have on estrogen levels.

When people think of hormone production, they usually think of glands throughout the body like the thyroid, adrenals, and reproductive organs. But the gut microbiome may be the most important organ of the endocrine system. In fact, the gut microbiome may be more important than the other hormone-producing glands in your body. When your gut microbiome is healthy, it does its job well. But when it is unhealthy, it throws your hormones out of tune. As a result, in some women, estrogen can continue recirculating, leading to estrogen dominance.

You want a diet that promotes gut health and strengthens estrogen metabolism. Follow a plant-based diet, reduce red meat intake and avoid CAFO (concentrated animal feeding operation) meat at all costs. Alcohol can change the way a woman metabolizes estrogen so reduce or give up alcohol. Not a popular opinion, I know.

I get that for a post-menopausal woman suffering from intrusive vasomotor symptoms (hot flashes, night sweats), it’s not that bulking up her fiber intake is going to change the situation for her overnight. There is a time and a place for using estrogen therapy. However, optimizing nutrition and improving estrogen metabolic pathways could mean that a lower dose is needed or a shorter dose of hormone therapy. Nutrition will meet you in the middle😍

Resources:
📗My book THE HORMONE CURE https://bit.ly/Gottfried_TheHormoneCure
🎧Podcast with Functional Nutrition Alliance http://15minutematrix.com/197-mapping-estrogen-regulation-with-dr-sara-gottfried/

03/11/2021

Got to the clinic/office/second 🏡(I truly love it like my home) extra early to make time for my morning walk 🌊 around 8:45am... before a full day... incredible! Take care of yourself first, and then take care of others. Your ability to care for yourself will undoubtedly reflect on how you are able to support your loved ones, your clients, your patients, whomever it may be. Take the time, the space, the walks, the sleeps, the nourishing foods, for you. Wake up with the ☀️ , sleep with the sun 🌝. Does your career allow you this time? Do you allow yourself this time? If not, let’s talk. Often times we get overwhelmed with life, and our body burns out. Let’s talk about supporting you during this phase and get you back to feeling your best.

03/11/2021

Got to the clinic/office/second 🏡(I truly love it like my home) extra early for my morning walk 🌊 around 8:45am... before a full day... incredible! Take care of yourself first, and then take care of others. Your ability to care for yourself will undoubtedly reflect on how you are able to support your loved ones, your clients, your patients, whomever it may be. Take the time, the space, the walks, the sleeps, the nourishing foods, for you. Wake up with the ☀️ , sleep with the sun 🌝. Does your career allow you this time? Do you allow yourself this time? If not, let’s talk. Often times we get overwhelmed with life, and our body burns out. Let’s talk about supporting you during this phase and get you back to feeling your best.

03/10/2021

03/10/2021

I have said it before but this is worth repeating as it is one of the most important facts to remember about estrogen: you need to use it, then lose it.

The previous post outlined the two main pathways of estrogen metabolism: hydroxylation & conjugation. The binding process that takes place during the conjugation phase in the liver enables the estrogens to be excreted more easily in the bile, stool, and urine, which is great.

However, things can go awry with these inactivation steps. When estrogen metabolites end up in the intestines they can be REVERTED to their original form by certain bad kinds of gut bacteria that produce an enzyme called beta glucuronidase (BG). When BG gets mixed up in the situation, estrogens can re-enter the bloodstream to go for another trip around your body. You do not want this to happen as chances are the recycled estrogen will remain and accumulate in your body.

You want to get the estrogen metabolites out of your gut via your p**p and urine.

The main way to ensure that estrogen metabolites are excreted efficiently is to have a gut that is firing on all cylinders.

✔️Reduce sugar and alcohol to an absolute minimum or avoid it altogether.
✔️Reduce stress with exercise and relaxation.
✔️Feed your gut well with fresh veggies, including prebiotics like asparagus, garlic, onion, jicama, green bananas, seaweed, and flax seeds. Vegetables contain fiber and fiber is key when it comes to detoxification. It helps to remove toxins and keep things moving in the gut.

What are the ways to increase vegetable and fiber intake? Vegetable-based smoothies are a great way to meet your daily fiber intake and you can add a fiber powder to your shake to up the fiber some more.

03/06/2021

Not pictured : husband fixing something about to explode in the kitchen, and the cat (dare I call him “The Cat” and not by his proper name Sir Fig Newton, he would be livid if he saw this) watching intently. Still we enjoyed these 3 ingredient Oat/Banana/Egg waffles with organic raspberries and wild blueberries paired with my favourite spring inspired breakfast nook! It’s the little things ❤️🌷

03/06/2021

🤯😍

Voici l'Image la plus détaillée d'une cellule humaine à ce jour, obtenue par la radiographie, résonance magnétique nucléaire et par microscopie cryoelectronique.

01/14/2021

Your Healthcare is ESSENTIAL! As Regulated Healthcare Professionals, I, your Naturopathic Doctor of downtown Oakville, am here to support you during this stay at home order. Did you know I offer virtual care? Secure video appointments are available from the comfort of your home! Treatments can be picked up safely via curbside pickup Or delivered to your home. Let’s make time for you and your health, so you can feel your best and do your best.

12/22/2020

Open for refills & virtual appts during lockdown - https://mailchi.mp/54d5121defbd/open-for-refills-virtual-appts-during-lockdown

12/03/2020

I think this describes me pretty well!😂
little bit of evidence based medicine 🧬 , little bit of good vibin’ quartz ✨ , little bit of 🌞 sunshine!
Catching up on some great reads 📚 to guide my executives👨🏽‍💼👩🏼‍💼to optimal health....After my hour long hike of course ☀️🌲🏃🏽‍♀️