Why is it that sleep dysfunction seems to be so ubiquitous in North Americans of all ages? To answer that we must first understand why we sleep, why we need to power down and how our fast-paced modern lifestyle may not be conducive to getting the best sleep. The Circadian Rhythm Let’s start by going back to the biology of our natural on/off buttons, the creation of a diurnal (or daily active and inactive) rhythm known as our circadian clock. There is an internal rhythm related to an organism’s adaptation to light-dark or day-night cycles of the planet. “Chronobiology” is

As we age many systems and senses begin changing. Often the changes in these senses result in some very significant alterations and decreases in quality of life. It is estimated that approximately half a million Canadians are living with significant vision loss that impacts their quality of life. Ocular aging relates to structural, mechanical, and functional impairments in any of the structures of the eye from the cornea, the covering of the outer eye that offers both protection and light refraction, to the macula, the center of the retina in which age-related degeneration occurs. Conditions that are attributed to aging

Contextualizing the neuroendocrine system is no easy feat, as there are hundreds of signals and factors that enable each organ to communicate sending positive and negative feedback signals. Imagine if you will, each organ is centered on a teeter-totter in the middle of many scattered across a playground, with strings connecting them all. The tension in the strings is constantly changing as each organ needs to stay balanced. When lifestyle, and environmental factors push any organ in one direction, the strings help the other organs compensate releasing more or less of a hormone- while we have developed impressive resilience to

When it comes to joint health the conversation often centers around structural support – reinforcing, lubricating, and soothing the joint space. Healthy joints are protected and cushioned by layers of connective tissue called cartilage that allows them to move freely without any grinding or contact between the bone surfaces themselves.  A special fluid in the joint capsule, called synovial fluid, is also extremely important for joint function. It acts as a natural lubricant and cushions joint movement. In conditions such as osteoarthritis, injury, and even in aging, there is a reduction in synovial fluid and a loss of cartilage that

Oral Health and Overall Health The oral cavity is the starting point of our digestive tract, masticating and breaking down our food so we can begin to get nutrients. Beyond that, it is the first point of exposure to many pathogens; this vulnerability means we have developed the physiology and structure to keep us protected. We are going to review why oral health contributes to overall health and what you can do to fortify your first line of defense. Risky Business Our mouths and throat are designed to optimise function, meaning improve digestion and prevent infection. Most people associate our

As any good builder can attest, creating a strong foundation is imperative. Likewise, in health, we want to ensure that we are providing each bodily system with the key structures for proper physiology. See the thing is our bodies are very good at knowing what to do in the right circumstances. So, when we talk about health optimization, we are really talking about creating those “right” circumstances. Of course, we all have different needs depending on our dietary habits, current health status, environment, and genetic predispositions. That being said there are some universal principles we all need to take stock

What is blood pressure and how does it relate to health? Blood pressure is a measurement of how hard your heart has to work to pump blood out to the body. It calculates the volume of blood leaving your heart (cardiac output) by the resistance it faces when it leaves (peripheral resistance.) There are many contributing factors to make up this number: How healthy is your heart? How much blood volume do you have? Did you lose blood? How strong and flexible are your arteries? How old and what sex are you? What is your genetic susceptibility or risk? What

Cholesterol gets a pretty bad reputation in the self-care health circles but it may be time to revisit this ubiquitous molecule. Cholesterol is the backbone of steroid hormones, bile salts, vitamin D, and cell membranes. Without cholesterol, we would not be able to digest foods properly; our cell structure would not be able to withstand any changes in temperature, and a significant number of important hormones such as estrogen and testosterone could not be produced. So how can it be that bad? Well, like all good things it is best in moderation. High total cholesterol, triglycerides, LDL, and trans fats

When you hear magnesium do you immediately think of sports performance or cramping legs? You are not alone. So often we are conditioned to think of minerals as having one function, but the reality is that many minerals, particularly magnesium are very diverse and can be used for many health conditions. In fact, magnesium has over 300 different functions in the body from electrolyte regulation, neurotransmitter production and yes,  you guessed it, muscle contraction. In fact, it’s not just related to skeletal muscle contraction but all smooth muscle contraction as well. That means those small smooth muscles in your gut

Butyric Acid Production Butyric acid or butyrate (the ester form) is a main short chain fatty acid produced by friendly bacteria in the human gut when they feed off of certain carbohydrates, particularly non-starch fibres as well as resistant fibres. These 4- carbon fatty acids are the preferred source of energy for colonocytes ( colon cells). It is used preferentially over glucose, maintaining colonocyte activity. Butyric acids have some impressive benefits both locally and systemically as it is rapidly absorbed.   Prevent and Treat Leaky Gut ‘Leaky gut’ is the term used to describe what happens when food sensitivities, food