Dr. Emily Bennett, Naturopathic Doctor

12/08/2025

How are you doing when it comes to boundaries on your attention? Practice consent-based attention giving by turning off your notifications and reap benefits like more energy and increased focus 👍

12/04/2025

PSA! And of course there are things in my toolbox that can move the needle as well, but bare minimum I believe that you should have the opportunity to know what your OHIP funded doctor can offer you.

11/25/2025

Women and those AFAB have been historically overlooked in ADHD diagnosis because the criteria were built around young hyperactive boys, not the quieter more internalized presentation common in women. Many have learn to mask symptoms through perfectionism, people-pleasing, and over-preparing, and their struggles often get mislabeled as anxiety or depression. Hormonal shifts across the menstrual cycle, postpartum, and perimenopause can further blur the picture, leading clinicians to treat mood or hormonal symptoms without recognizing the underlying neurodivergence. As a result, countless women go undiagnosed until adulthood, often when their coping strategies finally hit a breaking point.

Here’s how I support patients during an ADHD assessment in my practice:

SCREENING
I use validated tools like the ASRS and BDEFS to map executive function, emotional regulation, and current impairment, not just whether you occasionally get distracted by your phone. We also look at whether these challenges started in childhood and how they’re affecting work, relationships, and your home life.

We also screen for depression, anxiety, disordered eating, substance use, sleep apnea, and burnout. For some, especially those with treatment-resistant depression, ADHD might be the missing piece to understand why pharamaceutical and lifestyle interventions haven’t been effective.

We explore hormonal and lifestyle context
The menstrual cycle, contraceptive use, postpartum stage, or perimenopause can all affect symptoms. We also talk through things like caffeine, cannabis, supplements, and what you’ve learned online about ADHD that feels relevant to your experience.

GOAL SETTING
From there, we move into care. That might include psychoeducation about how ADHD shows up in adults, CBT-style tools, coaching strategies, or discussion of medication options. I also provide resources you can trust (hi, CADDRA/CADDAC) and referrals when needed

11/21/2025

What are you waiting for?

11/19/2025

The symptoms of iron deficiency are various and more wide ranging than you think. Imagine all you needed to reduce your anxiety and ditch the brain fog was to get your ferritin levels up?

Get your ferritin tested.
Find a supplement that works for your digestion.
Take it.
Retest and repeat if necessary.

Feeling better could be easier than you think.

11/13/2025

If you didn’t supplement vitamin D last winter or spent all summer in a bathing suit soaking up the sun you might not know how much you should take. The good news? A quick blood test can help to clarify that. Reach out and we can set that up for you. 💉

07/24/2025

I took a 6-week meditation course at the Toronto Zen centre in 2011 that focused on mettabhavana or loving-kindness and at the start of every session we recited together the Karaniya Metta Sutta or the Buddha’s word on loving-kindness. I haven’t managed to keep up the practice (probably should get back to that!) but a phrase from the Metta Sutta has stayed in my head ever since I first heard it and I think of it often -

“…Contented and easily satisfied…”

It’s become a state I am always trying to move towards.

When I first dove into the learning about the neuroscience of habit formation, I was struck by how being intentional about what behaviours get to become automatic, i.e. habitual could help move me in that direction.

Here’s the thing: you are operating on autopilot for a lot of your life whether you like it or not. Over 40% of all your time is spent acting out of habit without conscious thought.

Wouldn’t it be nice to have a say on where that pilot goes?

HABITS ARE MAGIC is a 5-day free audio training running August 4-8, 2025.

Come find out what’s possible for you >>

05/28/2025

I used to tell patients to ditch their wearables. Now I wear a step-counting watch daily and check it all the time.

Here's the thing: I track my steps because every single additional step I take has the potential to contribute to better health outcomes over the course of my life.

👉 Research shows that just 2,000 extra steps a day can reduce your risk of heart disease by 10% and in people with diabetes, it can lower HbA1C and improve outcomes after surgery.

👉 One study even found that people who walked 7,500 steps/day before surgery were 51% less likely to have post-op complications.

Walking may seem like a simple act, but it’s one of the most evidence-based and sustainable ways to improve your health across the lifespan. Know your step count encourages small, repeatable actions that compound over time and that mindset shift makes all the difference.

Ready to move with intention? Book a free alignment appointment and let’s create a plan that works for you—something sustainable, empowering, and pressure-free >> https://dremilybennett.janeapp.com/

05/13/2025

🧃 Did you know that drinking just 10g of whey protein before dinner can help reduce blood sugar spikes and support long-term insulin function?

It’s one of the many gentle, research-backed tools I use in my clinic to help patients with insulin resistance, without blame, shame, or rigid diets.

💬 Curious about how this works? Read my latest article on insulin resistance here >>>

https://dremilybennett.com/blog/cracking-the-code-on-insulin-resistance

05/07/2025

If you've been told or suspected that you have insulin resistance and felt a little overwhelmed or even judged by either your doctor or a TikTok influencer, you’re not alone. It's something that often gets discussed in overly technical or stigmatizing ways both online and in conventional medical settings.

When I'm supporting someone with their metabolic health I make it a priority to use simple, effective, evidence-based strategies that fit in with their lives. I wrote a blog post all about it this week and I think you check it out. I pulled out some of my most unusual (and effective!) recommendations that you might not expect

▪️ Why when you eat matters (not just what)
▪️ A weirdly simple protein trick before meals
▪️ Why improving your sleep might be the place to start

READ IT HERE:

If you’ve heard the term insulin resistance and felt a little overwhelmed or even judged, you’re not alone. This is a topic that often gets discussed in overly technical or stigmatizing ways, online and in conventional medical settings. But insulin resistance is actually something many people de...

05/07/2025

🚫 Weight ≠ Health

The truth is that metabolic health doesn’t always correlate with body size. People in larger bodies can have excellent insulin sensitivity, and people in smaller bodies can struggle with it. Weight stigma in medicine is pervasive, harmful and it can prevent people from getting the care and information they need because they feel judged or dismissed.

In my practice, I take weight stigma seriously and use a Health at Every Size approach. That means I respect your body as it is today, and we work from a place of curiosity and compassion, not shame or blame.

❤️ You deserve care that honours your body.

11/06/2024

Did a lot of studying, wrote a competency exam and now it’s official: I’m a Menopause Society Certified Practitioner.

As a clinician who has supported hundreds of people navigating the complex health consequences of burnout, expanding my expertise in menopause and midlife health felt essential because there’s a reciprocal relationship between the symptoms of burnout and menopause. The symptoms of menopause can effect our ability to cope with high demands at work, and stress-related burnout and trigger and worsen menopause symptoms.

I’m so grateful to the for selecting me as one of its 2024 Canadian scholarships! It’s already changed how I practice and I’m excited to expand my knowledge even further into this topic.

Also - this is an invitation: if you or your dear ones have questions or concerns about navigating this natural transition, reach out and book an appointment! Let’s get into it.

😘