How to Make Your Favourite Baked Goods Allergen Free

How to Make Your Favourite Baked Goods Allergen Free

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Everyone loves baked things. They help fuel social gatherings, solo study sessions, go well with tea and coffee. What’s not to love? The problem, however, is that most are laden with sugar, wheat flour, usually processed and virtually all contain milk and eggs, which a growing number of people are developing intolerances to.

Gluten-free goods can be expensive and have the quality of cardboard. So, what’s a health-minded individual to do? No worries, many common recipes can be converted quite easily, depending on your dietary needs and preferences.

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How to Kill a Cold

How to Kill a Cold

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After feeling the rush of adrenaline from the completion of our 3rd Objective Structured Clinical Exam (OSCE), I woke the next day with that sharp tingling in my throat, indicating that I was about to get a cold. It seems my body loves to get sick at inconvenient times… Ok, I realize that that statement is unnaturopathic.  As naturopathic medical students, we’re always saying that we need to work with our bodies, never push ourselves to our limits, work with the healing power of nature, take time to rest and regenerate, etc. But, who the heck has time for that? I have 600 assignments due tomorrow, clinic shifts to shadow and practical exams, plus a Dog Therapy Day to plan. There’s just no time to be out of commission.

Luckily, there are ways to help the immune system kill those annoying bugs faster and more efficiently. Torching upper respiratory tract infections is really where naturopathic treatments have a chance to shine. When I get a cold and can’t afford a day or two off, I simply throw everything I can at it. No mercy. Hasta la vista, baby.

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7 Truths for Lasting Weight Loss

7 Truths for Lasting Weight Loss

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This article was first published in My Yoga Online

With the growing rates of obesity in our society, combined with the tendency for most people who successfully lose weight to gain it back only a short while later, it’s obvious that something is flawed in our society’s general weight-loss strategy.

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Coconut Cream Date Squares

Coconut Cream Date Squares

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Have you ever been invited to a dinner party and charged with the task of bringing dessert to one of those groups of people who always seem to be onto the next dietary fad? If not, you probably don’t have any naturopathic friends. If you have been in this situation,forced to peer at food labels, wondering how many words there are for “dairy”, I have a solution for you. This recipe is vegan, gluten-free, grain-free, paleo, raw and dairy-free, so it should satisfy everyone. In fact, the list that these things don’t contain is way longer than what they do, which are: coconut. nuts. dates. Unless you’re date-free, you can eat these. And, let’s face it, if you’re date-free you’re probably looking anyways, right? 😉

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DIY Vanilla Spice Sugar Scrub

DIY Vanilla Spice Sugar Scrub

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In search of something to tame unruly eye-brows I went back to Shopper’s Drugmart one day. I perused the “natural” cosmetic counter, peering at the ingredients list of face washes, moisturizers and acne creams. What constitutes “natural” ingredients? I wondered. Surely a case can be made that petroleum is natural because it was derived from the earth at one point. However, when it comes to cosmetics, for me, at least (and call me demanding), I believe that what goes on your body should also be safe to go in your body. After all, that’s where it will eventually end up; our skin is a giant sponge. Alas, even the “natural” products at most commercial drug stores and even many health food stores don’t fit that criteria (i.e.: being edible). Many of them still contain additives and preservatives. Many of them even contain harmful chemicals. And, of course, slapping the word “natural” on the product, despite being cheaper to make, automatically justifies a 90% price increase. Save yourselves.

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There’s No Place Like Home

There’s No Place Like Home

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La Guajira, Colombia

I am currently suffering from Guatemala withdrawal. The last few weeks have gone by in a flurry of exams and assignments. I find myself flipping through the pictures my classmates and I took while we were there, trying to relive the beautiful, eye-opening moments we shared. I find myself checking flights on Expedia.ca, looking for the next great experience. It’s hard to fight the urge to spread my wings and take off again.

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Paleo “Timbits” Recipe

Paleo “Timbits” Recipe

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Being on a diet makes it hard to snack, especially when on the road. Any true Canadian will tell you that no road trip is complete without a stop at Tim Horton’s, our favourite roadside coffee hub. And, of course, no Tim Horton’s coffee is truly satisfying without a delicious box of “Timbits”, or assorted doughnut holes, by its side. Every Friday, while teaching English in the summer, I would bring in a box of Timbits for my students to sample some “authentic Canadian cuisine”. They loved them, not surprisingly. Sadly, most people on a naturopathic diet – whichever naturopathic diet you follow – can’t eat Timbits, which are basically little balls of gluten and sugar. But don’t despair, this snack makes a delicious grain-free, whole foods substitute. And the best thing about these coconut-covered balls? They’re good for you!

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Rosemary and Olive Grain-Free Flatbread

Rosemary and Olive Grain-Free Flatbread

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This recipe is based on the one provided to me by my colleague Amy, who is currently putting together a cookbook. It’s a fabulous idea for a good-for-you flatbread made of 3 simple ingredients. When my cousin came to visit from Calgary, she brought homemade focaccia made with rosemary and olives. Not being able to eat gluten, I was tortured by that bread for the entire weekend. The sense of deprivation inspired the need to create a gluten-free version of her forbidden bread, using Amy’s grain free recipe as the bread base.

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