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Dr. Laura Brass ND

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Canada
Toronto, ON
Dr. Laura Brass ND

I'm a Naturopathic Doctor and Functional Medicine Practitioner specializing in digestive health, IBS & SIBO.

I can help you achieve optimal health and guide you back to balanced well-being.

12/30/2025

The start of a new year often brings a desire for change — more energy, better digestion, clearer thinking, and a body that feels supported rather than reactive. 💙

If you’re still feeling off after the holidays, or you’ve been living with symptoms you’ve learned to “push through,” it may be time to look deeper. 🔎

True healing doesn’t come from quick fixes or one-size-fits-all plans. It comes from understanding what’s driving your symptoms — whether that’s gut imbalance, metabolic strain, hormonal shifts, inflammation, or stress physiology — and addressing those root causes with a personalized approach.

Supporting gut health can be a powerful place to start. Digestion, metabolism, immune balance, and energy regulation are deeply connected — and when one is off, others often follow.

If your goal this year is to feel better for real, not just temporarily, I’d love to support you. 🤝

Now booking initial consultations for the new year. Link in my bio. 🔗

12/27/2025

SHOW YOUR LIVER SOME LOVE ❤️ Liver health is often reduced to alcohol intake and “detoxing,” but that’s only part of the story. ➡️

Your liver is constantly managing total metabolic load — regulating blood sugar, processing hormones, clearing inflammatory byproducts, and responding to daily stressors. Alcohol can add to that burden, but it’s rarely the only contributor. 🍷

One marker we often assess clinically is GGT (gamma-glutamyl transferase). GGT is a highly sensitive indicator of liver and bile duct stress. Elevated levels don’t only show up with heavy drinking — they can also reflect metabolic strain, inflammation, insulin resistance, or impaired detox capacity.

After the holiday season — with richer foods, disrupted routines, higher stress, and often more alcohol — it’s common for the liver to feel the cumulative load.

If you’re thinking about getting a head start on your Dry January goals, supporting liver health can go beyond alcohol reduction alone. Helpful starting points may include:
🍎 Reducing inflammatory and ultra-processed foods
🍽️ Improving blood sugar regulation with regular, balanced meals
🧘‍♀️ Supporting stress regulation and sleep
🏋️‍♀️ Getting back into gentle, consistent movement

Small, supportive changes can make a meaningful difference — especially when layered together. If you’re looking for personalized support, use the link in my bio to book your free 10-minute discovery call! ⬆️

12/24/2025

Merry Christmas everyone! ☀️🎄

Wishing everyone a restful, relaxing, connection filled holiday season. So much to be grateful for! 💙

12/23/2025

Winter often means more time indoors — windows closed, doors shut, and less fresh air circulating. ❄️ That’s also when mold exposure can become easier to overlook.

Mold in the home can impact health more than many people realize. 🤧

When symptoms feel unexplained or persistent, I’ll often ask patients questions like:

Have you noticed any water damage or leaks?
Is there a history of flooding in the home?
Are there musty or damp smells that never fully go away?

When some of these boxes are checked, mold exposure becomes something worth investigating. 🔎

In certain cases, testing for mycotoxins may help determine whether mold exposure is contributing to ongoing symptoms, especially when progress has stalled despite other interventions.

If you’re feeling worse in the winter months and can’t pinpoint why, your indoor environment may be worth a closer look. Link in my bio to book your consultation to get to the root cause of your health concerns. ⬆️

functionalmedicine

12/22/2025

That lingering cough after a cold or flu isn’t always a sign that you’re “still sick.” 😷

For many people, post-viral symptoms persist because the airways remain inflamed, sensitive, and slow to fully repair—even after the virus itself has cleared.

Ongoing immune activation, oxidative stress, disrupted mucus clearance, and histamine-driven airway sensitivity can all keep symptoms going longer than expected.

This is why recovery often works best when support is phase-specific:

1️⃣ Early on, the focus is immune response and viral clearance
2️⃣ During active infection, reducing mucus buildup and oxidative stress matters most
3️⃣ In the recovery phase, calming airway hypersensitivity and supporting tissue repair becomes key

If you’re dealing with lingering respiratory symptoms, a personalized, mechanism-informed approach can help support a more complete recovery. ❤️‍🩹

Remember to always consult with your healthcare provider before starting or changing any supplements, and if you’d like individualized guidance, you can book an initial consultation via the link in bio. 🔗

Stay healthy everyone!

coldweather wellness

12/20/2025

Everytime winter rolls around, I always reshare one of my most-loved recipes on the blog: my Immune-Boosting Chicken Soup—aka the modern take on Jewish Penicillin. 🍲✨

It’s simple, nourishing, and yes… there’s actually science behind why it helps reduce inflammation and ease congestion when you’re fighting off a cold.

Alongside whole-food support, I also shared my go-to immune supplements in this blog (and don’t miss my last reel for more tips if you’re currently under the weather). These are the foundational tools I reach for whenever I need extra support.

Whether you’re in prevention mode or actively recovering, I hope this soup brings you the same comfort—and relief—that it’s brought to my family for years.

Stay well and take good care of yourselves 🤍 Link to my blog in the bio.

immunesupport healthyrecipes naturopath functionalmedicine

12/19/2025

Guys! Winter can be a sneaky stressor on the body — even when nothing feels “wrong.”

Shorter days, less sunlight, heavier schedules… it all adds up and can impact mood, energy, and stress levels.

A few simple ways I encourage patients to stay grounded this time of year:

✨Get outside when you can (yes, even in the cold — fresh air still counts!)

✨Start meals with protein to help keep blood sugar steady

✨Be consistent with vitamin D during the darker months

✨Use breathing exercises when stress creeps in

You don’t need perfection — just small, supportive habits that help your body do what it’s designed to do. ❄️✨

What’s one thing you’re focusing on this season to support your health? Let me know in the comments!

12/13/2025

Stomach acid plays a much bigger role in digestion than most people realize. 🧐

It helps break down protein, absorb essential minerals, support immune defence, and trigger downstream digestive enzymes.

When levels drop — which can happen with age, stress, or certain medications — digestion naturally becomes less efficient, and symptoms often start to show up. 🤧

If these signs feel familiar, it may be worth looking deeper into your digestive function and overall gut health. Proper assessment makes all the difference. Link in my bio to book you initial consult 🔗

12/12/2025

Anyone else get taken out by the bug going around? 😷🦠

Even with the best prevention, sometimes our immune system just gets overwhelmed. The moment I start feeling something coming on, I go into support mode: my go-to immune supplements, lots of hydration, and simple, nourishing whole foods (my chicken soup on the blog is still the MVP).

If you’re recovering too, I hope this gives you a little direction on what can help you bounce back more smoothly. Stay well, friends 💛

12/04/2025

So what’s the deal with probiotics — should you be taking one?

The answer: it depends. 🧐

Probiotics aren’t wellness “add-ons.” They’re closer to medicine, and the strain you choose needs to match your biology and your symptoms. A one-size-fits-all approach can make symptoms worse, not better.

Here’s what I mean:

Saccharomyces boulardii 🦠
A beneficial yeast strain — not a bacteria — and one of my favourites for patients with SIBO, IBS, post-antibiotic symptoms, or sensitive digestive systems.
It helps crowd out harmful yeast, supports the gut lining, and is generally well-tolerated even in reactive guts.

Akkermansia muciniphila 🧫
An emerging strain with exciting research behind it.
It supports metabolic health, improves GLP-1 receptor activity, and may help with blood sugar regulation and healthy weight management.

These examples highlight the bigger picture:
Probiotics work best when they’re chosen with precision — based on your symptoms, your gut environment, your health history, and your goals.

If you’re guessing, buying what’s trending, or choosing something random off the shelf, you’re not getting the full benefit (and sometimes you’re doing the opposite of what your gut needs).

✨ This is where personalized care matters.
If you want a targeted plan that actually fits your gut, your symptoms, and your goals — book an initial consultation. Link in bio.

12/02/2025

Neurodegenerative diseases don’t develop overnight — they unfold slowly over decades. 🧠

A new 2025 review brings together decades of science to show exactly how genetics, lifestyle, environmental exposures, and aging biology interact to shape the brain’s long-term trajectory.

One of the most important insights from this study is that neurodegeneration is not solely determined by genetics.

🧬 While genes like APOE4 can increase susceptibility, many of the pathways involved — chronic inflammation, mitochondrial dysfunction, toxin accumulation, oxidative stress, impaired protein clearance, and even gut dysbiosis — are influenced by everyday exposures and habits.

Environmental toxins such as pesticides, solvents, air pollution, and heavy metals can enter the body through inhalation, ingestion, or skin contact, eventually reaching the brain. 😳

Once there, they can trigger oxidative stress, microglial activation, and disruptions in neurotransmitter balance. Over time, these processes contribute to the abnormal protein accumulations seen in Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, and ALS.

The hopeful part? ⬇️

Many of these drivers are modifiable. The study highlights that supporting detoxification pathways, reducing toxin exposure, prioritizing nutrient-dense nutrition, managing chronic stress, improving sleep, and maintaining movement throughout life all play meaningful roles in protecting brain health. 🤝

Small daily choices genuinely influence how your brain ages — and it’s never too early (or too late) to start supporting these pathways.

Link in my bio to book your initial consult and finally take charge of your health. 🔗

PubMedKulcsárová, K., Piel, J.H.A. & Schaeffer, E. Environmental toxins in neurodegeneration - a narrative review. Neurol. Res. Pract. 7, 93 (2025). https://doi.org/10.1186/s42466-025-00452-6

11/30/2025

In a world that pulls us in a hundred different directions, staying true to who you are is one of the most important forms of health you can protect. 👊

Your nervous system feels the difference between living authentically and constantly shapeshifting to meet expectations. One nourishes you; the other drains you.

I see this all the time in practice — when people finally start honouring their own needs, their energy shifts, their stress softens, and their body responds.

Being yourself isn’t just a philosophical idea. It’s a physiological one.

Give yourself permission to show up as you — fully, unapologetically, and consistently. 💙

Address

Toronto, ON

Opening Hours

Tuesday	9am - 5pm
Wednesday	9am - 5pm
Thursday	9am - 5pm
Friday	9am - 5pm

Website

https://www.drlaurabrass.com/ibseguide

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