The Dempster Clinic - Dr. John Dempster, ND

The Dempster Clinic - Dr. John Dempster, ND Dr. John Dempster, ND - The Dempster Clinic - Facebook

You’ve cut sugar. Counted macros. Tried every plan out there. But the weight still won’t move, the bloating lingers, and...
01/06/2026

You’ve cut sugar. Counted macros. Tried every plan out there. But the weight still won’t move, the bloating lingers, and your cravings keep coming back.

The missing link might not be your workouts.
It might be your microbiome.

Fermented foods aren’t just a gut health trend - they’re metabolic regulators. These ancient, living foods help rebalance your gut, reduce inflammation, stabilize hormones, and retrain your body to release stubborn weight from the inside out.

Explore how fermented foods quietly reset your metabolism - and why your weight loss might depend on them - at the link in the comment section.

You’ve cleaned up your diet, tried fasting, and taken the best supplements - yet the fatigue lingers. The weight stays. ...
12/29/2025

You’ve cleaned up your diet, tried fasting, and taken the best supplements - yet the fatigue lingers. The weight stays. The brain fog won’t lift.

The problem isn’t your plan.
It’s a dysregulated nervous system.

When your body is stuck in survival mode, it pumps the brakes on healing - shutting down digestion, slowing metabolism, disrupting hormones, and holding on to weight as protection.

No detox or diet will fix this.
Not until your body feels safe again.

Explore how your nervous system could be the missing link in your healing - and how to finally move forward at the link in the comment section.

12/24/2025

IBD isn’t just “manage the flare” - it can be mapped and methodically healed. In this Gut Reset Summit episode, ND Mark Davis shares a 5-step roadmap clinicians (and patients!) can use: keep patients safe, reach clinical remission, confirm serologic remission (labs), verify histologic remission (biopsies), then maintain with smart monitoring.

What moves the needle: individualized diets (SCD, semi-vegetarian, or short elemental stints), targeted botanicals (e.g., wormwood + EGCG, curcumin), judicious meds (when needed), and next-gen microbial therapies - FMT (f***l microbiota transplant), select probiotics (beyond the usual), and even helminths. Track progress with monthly biomarkers (CRP, ESR, f***l calprotectin) and daily symptom check-ins to course-correct fast.

IBD care works best when integrative teams play together. Curious how this looks in real life?
Watch the full conversation via the link in bio.

12/24/2025

IBD isn’t just “manage the flare” - it can be mapped and methodically healed. In this Gut Reset Summit episode, ND Mark Davis shares a 5-step roadmap clinicians (and patients!) can use: keep patients safe, reach clinical remission, confirm serologic remission (labs), verify histologic remission (biopsies), then maintain with smart monitoring.

What moves the needle: individualized diets (SCD, semi-vegetarian, or short elemental stints), targeted botanicals (e.g., wormwood + EGCG, curcumin), judicious meds (when needed), and next-gen microbial therapies - FMT (f***l microbiota transplant), select probiotics (beyond the usual), and even helminths. Track progress with monthly biomarkers (CRP, ESR, f***l calprotectin) and daily symptom check-ins to course-correct fast.

IBD care works best when integrative teams play together. Curious how this looks in real life?
Watch the full conversation via the link in bio.

Weight loss resistance is often framed as a discipline problem.Not enough effort.Too much food.Too little willpower.But ...
12/22/2025

Weight loss resistance is often framed as a discipline problem.
Not enough effort.
Too much food.
Too little willpower.

But biology tells a different story.

The body does not resist fat loss because it is broken.
It resists because it is protective.

Fat tissue is not just storage.
It is a safety mechanism.

When the gut is inflamed, hormones are dysregulated, or the nervous system is locked in survival mode, the body receives a clear message: it is not safe to let go. In that state, fat is preserved as protection.

This is why aggressive dieting, excessive fasting, or pushing harder often backfires when inflammation, toxicity, or chronic stress are present. The body is wired for survival, not punishment.

Weight loss becomes possible only when the internal environment signals safety again.

A new article explores what is really happening beneath the surface when the body resists fat loss and how restoring metabolic safety allows progress to resume.

Read the full post via the link in the comment section.
Lasting change begins by working with the body, not fighting it.

Many people fill their plates with foods labeled as clean and nutritious.Leafy greens.Fermented foods.High-protein dairy...
12/19/2025

Many people fill their plates with foods labeled as clean and nutritious.
Leafy greens.
Fermented foods.
High-protein dairy alternatives.
Plant-based milks.

Yet bloating and digestive discomfort persist.

This experience is common, and it does not mean something is being done wrong.

“Healthy” foods can still trigger bloating when the digestive system is inflamed, imbalanced, or under stress. In that state, even nutrient-dense foods can overwhelm digestion and provoke distress signals.

This is not about restriction or avoiding entire food groups.
It is about repair.

When the gut environment is compromised, the issue is rarely the food itself. It is the system receiving it.

A new article explores why certain wholesome foods may worsen bloating, what is actually happening inside the gut, and how to restore digestive tolerance so eating feels nourishing again.

Read the full post via the link in the comment section.
When the body speaks, understanding the message is the first step toward healing.

12/17/2025

Hot flashes, stubborn weight, constipation, brain fog - your gut might be the missing link in menopause. In this Gut Reset Summit episode, integrative dietitian Esther Blum shares how the estrobolome (the gut bacteria that metabolize estrogen) can make or break symptoms - and why she almost always treats the gut first.

Top takeaways: prioritize daily poops, up your fiber + crucifers, consider bone broth & cooked veggies if you bloat, hit adequate protein (hello leucine) and strength train to protect muscle and bone. Press pause on alcohol to support sleep, microbiome, and estrogen clearance. For targeted care, Esther uses GI-MAP (think dysbiosis, beta-glucuronidase), DUTCH hormones, and strategic nutrients - plus trauma-informed stress work. Vaginal estrogen and self-advocacy? Game changers.

Ready to turn “menopause management” into “menopause mastery”?
Watch the full interview via the link in my bio.

12/17/2025

Hot flashes, stubborn weight, constipation, brain fog - your gut might be the missing link in menopause. In this Gut Reset Summit episode, integrative dietitian Esther Blum shares how the estrobolome (the gut bacteria that metabolize estrogen) can make or break symptoms - and why she almost always treats the gut first.

Top takeaways: prioritize daily poops, up your fiber + crucifers, consider bone broth & cooked veggies if you bloat, hit adequate protein (hello leucine) and strength train to protect muscle and bone. Press pause on alcohol to support sleep, microbiome, and estrogen clearance. For targeted care, Esther uses GI-MAP (think dysbiosis, beta-glucuronidase), DUTCH hormones, and strategic nutrients - plus trauma-informed stress work. Vaginal estrogen and self-advocacy? Game changers.

Ready to turn “menopause management” into “menopause mastery”?
Watch the full interview via the link in the comment section.

Digestive symptoms and chronic fatigue are frequently treated as separate problems.In reality, they are often driven by ...
12/15/2025

Digestive symptoms and chronic fatigue are frequently treated as separate problems.
In reality, they are often driven by the same underlying physiology.

Waking up groggy.
Dragging through the day.
Experiencing persistent bloating despite eating “clean.”

These are not signs of failure or broken willpower.

They often reflect a feedback loop between the gut and the stress response.

When the nervous system remains in a heightened state, digestive function slows.
When the gut becomes inflamed or imbalanced, signaling to the brain and hormonal systems is disrupted.

This gut-brain connection influences metabolism, mood, sleep, inflammation, and even lab markers long before a diagnosis appears.

Restrictive diets and forcing more discipline rarely resolve this pattern.
The body requires regulation, not punishment.

Calming the nervous system and restoring gut signaling is often the turning point.
The body is not working against you. It is attempting to protect you.

The full article explores how this loop develops and how to support a true physiological reset.

Read the full piece via the link in the comment section.

Sleep deprivation is often normalized.Late nights are framed as productivity.Rest is treated as optional.But inadequate ...
12/12/2025

Sleep deprivation is often normalized.
Late nights are framed as productivity.
Rest is treated as optional.

But inadequate sleep does more than create fatigue.

Chronic sleep disruption alters hormone signaling, slows metabolic function, and makes weight loss difficult regardless of diet quality or exercise intensity.

Sleep is not downtime.
It is one of the most biologically active repair periods the body has.

During deep sleep, the body recalibrates cortisol, insulin, thyroid hormones, estrogen, and other key regulators of metabolism and recovery. When sleep is short, fragmented, or misaligned with circadian rhythms, these systems cannot function properly.

Common symptoms often follow:
Persistent fatigue
Stubborn abdominal weight
Late-night cravings
“Tired but wired” energy
Difficulty recovering or healing

These are not motivation problems.
They are biological signals.

Until sleep is restored, the body often remains in a protective state, prioritizing survival over repair, fat loss, or hormone balance.

If progress feels stalled despite doing everything else “right,” it may be time to look at what is happening during sleep.

Read the full article via the link in the comment section.

12/10/2025

Up to 90% of adults aren’t metabolically healthy - yet your gut may be the hidden lever for weight, energy, and blood sugar.

In this Gut Reset Summit interview, Dr. John Dempster talks with Dr. Brian Mowll (Mastering Blood Sugar) about the gut-metabolism triad: how dysbiosis and leaky gut drive inflammation and insulin resistance - and how to turn it around with real-food fibre + diversity, quality protein, polyphenol-rich plants, movement, sleep, and stress care. They also cover boosting your body’s own GLP-1 signals (think Akkermansia/Bifido, fibre, protein) versus relying solely on quick fixes.

Could healing your microbiome be the shortcut to steadier blood sugar and sustainable weight loss?

Watch the full interview now on YouTube via the link in my bio.

12/10/2025

Up to 90% of adults aren’t metabolically healthy - yet your gut may be the hidden lever for weight, energy, and blood sugar.

In this Gut Reset Summit interview, Dr. John Dempster talks with Dr. Brian Mowll (Mastering Blood Sugar) about the gut-metabolism triad: how dysbiosis and leaky gut drive inflammation and insulin resistance - and how to turn it around with real-food fibre + diversity, quality protein, polyphenol-rich plants, movement, sleep, and stress care. They also cover boosting your body’s own GLP-1 signals (think Akkermansia/Bifido, fibre, protein) versus relying solely on quick fixes.

Could healing your microbiome be the shortcut to steadier blood sugar and sustainable weight loss?

Watch the full interview now on YouTube via the link in the comment section.

Address

97 Scollard Street
Toronto, ON
M5R1G4

Opening Hours

Monday 11am - 8pm
Tuesday 10am - 7pm
Wednesday 8am - 5pm
Thursday 8am - 5pm
Friday 9am - 1pm

Telephone

+14165519577

Website

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