Author: Dr. Natasha Turner

Low Thyroid Hormone Can Mess With Metabolism and Weight

Filed under: Advice, Health, Hormone Diet

Natasha Turner, N.D. is a Toronto-based naturopathic doctor. She is the founder of the Clear Medicine wellness boutique and author of the bestselling book The Hormone Diet. Each week in her column for That’s Fit.ca, Dr. Turner advises readers on how … Read more

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May 19, 2010
8 Hormonal Imbalances That Stop You Losing Weight

Filed under: Advice, Health, Hormone Diet

Natasha Turner, N.D. is a Toronto-based naturopathic doctor. She is the founder of the Clear Medicine wellness boutique and author of the bestselling book The Hormone Diet. Each week in her column for That’s Fit.ca, Dr. Turner advises readers on how to remedy common health issues as well as improve their overall health.

Have you been unable to lose weight even with a healthy diet and exercise? Our bodies are wired to send us signals when something isn’t right, but often we’re too busy to hear them. The symptoms of hormonal imbalance are experienced by many every day. Recognizing and treating these subtle warnings is essential to weight loss, yet so many of us have been imbalanced for so long, we don’t even know what normal is anymore.

No matter how an imbalance manifests on the outside, the internal reality remains the same – all hormonal imbalances lead to difficulty losing weight and an increased risk of obesity. Unfortunately, the most common imbalances cannot be solved by dieting alone. In fact, they can prevent successful fat loss even when great diet and exercise plans are in place.If you have not been successful in the past, chances are, one or more the following hormonal imbalances could be the culprit:

1. Inflammation: Digestive disorders, allergies, autoimmune disease, arthritis, asthma, eczema, acne, abdominal fat, headaches, depression and sinus disorders are associated with chronic inflammation. This imbalance has also recently been recognized as the root cause of obesity and most diseases associated with aging. At the 2007 Postgraduate Nutrition Symposium at Harvard University, researchers revealed findings suggesting that inflammation and excess insulin are the major contributors to rising rates of type 2 diabetes and the overall fattening of North America.

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April 29, 2010
Why You Might Have Insomnia: 8 Natural Remedies to Get More Sleep

Filed under: Advice, Health, Hormone Diet

Natasha Turner, N.D. is a Toronto-based naturopathic doctor. She is the founder of the Clear Medicine wellness boutique and author of the bestselling book The Hormone Diet. Each week in her column for That’s Fit.ca, Dr. Turner advises readers on how … Read more

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April 21, 2010
10 Tips to Break Through a Weight Loss Plateau

Filed under: Advice, Health, Healthy Eating, Hormone Diet

Natasha Turner, N.D. is a Toronto-based naturopathic doctor. She is the founder of the Clear Medicine wellness boutique and author of the bestselling book The Hormone Diet. Each week in her column for That’s Fit.ca, Dr. Turner advises readers on how … Read more

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April 7, 2010
8 Power Ingredients for Super Healthy Smoothies

Filed under: Advice, Health, Healthy Eating, Hormone Diet

Natasha Turner, N.D. is a Toronto-based naturopathic doctor. She is the founder of the Clear Medicine wellness boutique and author of the bestselling book The Hormone Diet. Each week in her column for That’s Fit.ca, Dr. Turner advises readers on how to remedy common health issues as well as improve their overall health.

Here’s a simple thing you can do to tune-up your metabolism for spring: Have a protein shake each day for breakfast. Via this one simple tip you will enjoy better appetite control, increased fat-burning and blood sugar balance. I have seen the results time and time again in clinical practice. In fact, just last week one of my patients, a 54-year-old woman, changed only this one habit only in her diet and exercise regime and she gained four pounds of muscle and lost one pound of fat in two months!

When making your breakfast power treat, consider these eight superfoods or supplements to enhance its therapeutic effects:

1. The Foundation: Whey Protein Isolate

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April 1, 2010
Factors That Make You Want to Eat More and Ones That Quiet Your Cravings

Filed under: Advice, Health, Healthy Eating, Hormone Diet

Natasha Turner, N.D. is a Toronto-based naturopathic doctor. She is the founder of the Clear Medicine wellness boutique and author of the bestselling book The Hormone Diet. Each week in her column for That’s Fit.ca, Dr. Turner advises readers on how … Read more

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March 25, 2010
Ease Hot Flashes and Night Sweats Naturally: 8 Menopause Health Tips

Filed under: Advice, Happiness, Health, Hormone Diet

Natasha Turner, N.D. is a Toronto-based naturopathic doctor. She is the founder of the Clear Medicine wellness boutique and author of the bestselling book The Hormone Diet. Each week in her column for That’s Fit.ca, Dr. Turner advises readers on how … Read more

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March 18, 2010
Yes, You Can Have Your Chocolate, Red Wine and Coffee….in Moderation, of Course

Filed under: Advice, Health, Healthy Eating, Eat This

Natasha Turner, N.D. is a Toronto-based naturopathic doctor. She is the founder of the Clear Medicine wellness boutique and author of the bestselling book The Hormone Diet. Each week in her column for That’s Fit.ca, Dr. Turner advises readers on how … Read more

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March 10, 2010
Vitamins 101: Which Ones to Take and What to Avoid

Filed under: Advice, Health, Hormone Diet

Natasha Turner, N.D. is a Toronto-based naturopathic doctor. She is the founder of the Clear Medicine wellness boutique and author of the bestselling book The Hormone Diet. Each week in her column for That’s Fit.ca, Dr. Turner advises readers on how to remedy common health issues as well as improve their overall health.

Wondering if you should be taking daily vitamins? These days, there is overwhelming clinical evidence to show that vitamin deficiencies are associated with disease processes and the overall condition of our health. Vitamin, mineral, antioxidant and other essential micronutrient deficiencies suppress the function of the immune system and contribute to degenerative processes like arthritis, cancer, cardiovascular disease, accelerated aging or diabetes. With statistics showing 65 percent of Canadians take vitamins daily, word that supplements are health-promoting is definitely is getting out.

Determining Your Nutrient Status

There is often a big difference between the dose of a product you are taking, the amount present in your blood stream and most importantly, the level ultimately present within your cells. The nutrients within your cells are those involved with metabolism, healthy immunity, reproduction, detoxification, cellular regeneration and growth as well as many other body processes.

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March 4, 2010
Turn Your Beauty Sleep Into a Weight Loss Tactic

Filed under: Advice, Happiness, Health, Hormone Diet

Natasha Turner, N.D. is a Toronto-based naturopathic doctor. She is the founder of the Clear Medicine wellness boutique and author of the bestselling book The Hormone Diet. Each week in her column for That’s Fit.ca, Dr. Turner advises readers on how … Read more

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March 3, 2010
11 Ways to Curb Your Sweet Cravings, Naturally
Filed under: Advice, Healthy Eating, Hormone Diet

Natasha Turner, N.D. is a Toronto-based naturopathic doctor. She is the founder of the Clear Medicine wellness boutique and author of the bestselling book The Hormone Diet. Each week in her column for That’s Fit.ca, Dr. Turner advises readers on how to remedy common health issues as well as improve their overall health.

Many people suffer cravings for sweets – it can occur late at night, during a mid-day slump, or just before your menstrual cycle. The causes of these cravings can vary widely but among them are hormonal imbalances, especially low blood sugar (hypoglycemia) or low serotonin levels, as well as poor eating habits or unbalanced nutrition. Here are a few of my standby tips to help keep you on your diet plan while satisfying your urge to splurge.

To curb your cravings:
- Go for frozen fruit (berries only). Have a ¼ cup of these. It’s hard to eat too many and, because they are frozen, you have to eat slower.
- Drink herbal teas. Those with fruit flavours tend to be more satisfying.
- Glutamine: Open up a 500mg capsule under the tongue to beat your cravings.
More tips, after the jump…

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February 18, 2010
Female Hair Loss is Tramautic: Diet Tips and Vitamins That Can Help

Filed under: Happiness, Health, Hormone Diet

Natasha Turner, N.D. is a Toronto-based naturopathic doctor. She is the founder of the Clear Medicine wellness boutique and author of the bestselling book The Hormone Diet. Each week in her column for That’s Fit.ca, Dr. Turner advises readers on how to remedy common health issues as well as improve their overall health.

Losing your hair, especially as a female, is traumatic. For reasons of vanity, obviously, but then also because it’s something that you feel you have absolutely no control over. This problem affects millions of women leading to depression, anxiety, a loss of self-esteem and withdrawal from friends, family and daily activities. Losing your hair can mean losing your vitality and lust for life-it’s never something that should be taken lightly by your health care provider. Any sudden hair loss should be taken seriously. Some physicians might say: “It’s because you’re getting older” or “It’s because of your hormones,” but if you think you’re losing hair, your physician had better listen, because most likely, you are.

The most important issue for the successful treatment of hair loss is to determine the cause, of which there are many. Even the pattern of hair loss can help to establish the root source. For example, women may lose hair from the crown of the head-similar to male pattern baldness-with an elevation of testosterone levels whereas nutritional deficiencies may cause generalized hair loss over the whole head. Let’s look at a few of the possible causes and some options for proper treatment and assessment.

Continue reading Female Hair Loss is Tramautic: Diet Tips and Vitamins That Can Help

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February 12, 2010
Middle-Age Weight Gain: Six Natural Ways to Fight It

Filed under: Advice, Happiness, Health, Hormone Diet

Natasha Turner, N.D. is a Toronto-based naturopathic doctor. She is the founder of the Clear Medicine wellness boutique and author of the bestselling book The Hormone Diet. Each week in her column for That’s Fit.ca, Dr. Turner advises readers on how to remedy common health issues as well as improve their overall health.

The changes in a woman’s body between the ages of 35 and 55 could be referred to as the “midlife expansion.” It is a time when weight gain occurs more easily, fat accumulates around the waist and stomach rather than on the hips or thighs and maintaining weight or body shape becomes extra difficult. This change in body shape occurs primarily because of the alternations in hormone balance in addition to the normal effects of aging. There is a natural tendency to lose muscle every year after the age of 30 without a focused effort to maintain it. But, weight gain does not have to be inevitable!

Causes of Middle Age Weight Gain

For most women, shifts in weight begin before menopause (peri-menopause) when an average woman gains approximately one pound a year leading up to menopause. Many women believe that the changing levels of estrogen are the main cause of weight gain, but other factors are also at play:

Six ways to avoid middle age fat after the jump

Continue reading Middle-Age Weight Gain: Six Natural Ways to Fight It

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February 4, 2010
Best and Healthiest Fruits For Your Diet

Filed under: Advice, Health, Healthy Eating, Hormone Diet

Natasha Turner, N.D. is a Toronto-based naturopathic doctor. She is the founder of the Clear Medicine wellness boutique and author of the bestselling book The Hormone Diet. Each week in her column for That’s Fit.ca, Dr. Turner advises readers on how … Read more

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January 28, 2010
Is a Low-Carb Diet Slowing You Down? 7 Tips for Healthy Bowels

Filed under: Health, Healthy Eating, Hormone Diet

Natasha Turner, N.D. is a Toronto-based naturopathic doctor. She is the founder of the Clear Medicine wellness boutique and author of the bestselling book The Hormone Diet. Each week in her column for That’s Fit.ca, Dr. Turner advises readers on how … Read more

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January 20, 2010
Try Magnesium to Beat Fatigue, Anxiety and Chocolate Cravings

Filed under: Advice, Health, Hormone Diet

Natasha Turner, N.D. is a Toronto-based naturopathic doctor. She is the founder of the Clear Medicine wellness boutique and author of the bestselling book The Hormone Diet. Each week in her column for That’s Fit.ca, Dr. Turner advises readers on how to remedy common health issues as well as improve their overall health.

It’s that time of day again or maybe that time of the month, when your craving for chocolate arises and nothing else will do. But with your New Year’s resolution fresh in the works – what can you do about it?

Although cocoa (a main component in chocolate) is touted as healthy because of its antioxidant properties, most of us experience guilt or frustration when we give in to our cravings for rich, delicious chocolate.The good news is that your solution may be as simple as adding a daily magnesium supplement, which has no calories at all. But, don’t forget to pay attention to your cravings! They are a good sign that your body needs magnesium since chocolate is, in fact, one of the richest dietary sources of magnesium.

Studies have found, and my clinical experience has confirmed, that chocolate cravings and PMS symptoms improve with daily magnesium supplements. But that’s not all this mineral can help you with … keep reading to discover the many benefits of magnesium.

Continue reading Try Magnesium to Beat Fatigue, Anxiety and Chocolate Cravings

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January 15, 2010
Chronic Stress Causes Damage: 5 Ways to Protect Your Brain

Filed under: Advice, Happiness, Health, Hormone Diet

Natasha Turner, N.D. is a Toronto-based naturopathic doctor. She is the founder of the Clear Medicine wellness boutique and author of the bestselling book The Hormone Diet. Each week in her column for That’s Fit.ca, Dr. Turner advises readers on how to remedy common health issues as well as improve their overall health.

Most of us are all too familiar with the feeling of being stressed — your heart races, your breathing becomes rapid and shallow, your blood pressure rises and your hands become cold or clammy as blood flow is directed to your limbs to prepare for escape. However, most of the time there is no escape, as we sit in front of our computers or trapped in traffic!

This is our initial response to stress, otherwise known as an adrenalin rush or sympathetic nervous system response. The parasympathetic nervous system response, or relaxation response, is just the opposite; your breathing slows and deepens, your muscles relax, your blood pressure lowers, your pulse rate slows and blood flow is directed to the organs of digestion and elimination. If you always feel tense or anxious, your body will remain in a constant state of heightened arousal. As new studies have found, chronic stress, particularly psychological stress, is most detrimental to our health.

Effects of Chronic Stress after the jump…

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January 11, 2010
10 Nutrition Essentials to Keep Your Body Young

Filed under: Advice, Health, Hormone Diet

Natasha Turner, N.D. is a Toronto-based naturopathic doctor. She is the founder of the Clear Medicine wellness boutique and author of the bestselling book The Hormone Diet. Each week in her column for That’s Fit.ca, Dr. Turner advises readers on how to remedy common health issues as well as improve their overall health.

Many of us, especially women, dread the thought of aging. The changes in our hair, skin and body allow for only one conclusion: gravity is a cruel and nasty thing. But here is another, though more subtle, sign of aging that sneaks up on you: the switch from being called ‘Miss’ one day to ‘Ma’am’ the next. It’s a change that leaves you wondering, “is it my clothes, my ‘air’ of responsibility or my darn crow’s feet?”

Generally, not aging well means you look older than expected for your age. It is also safe to say that if you do not appear to be aging well on the outside, your insides are not aging well, either. Ultimately, this affects not only the way you look, but your natural body processes like reproduction and elimination, as well as your risk for diseases like cancer, diabetes or heart disease.

10 steps to help you look and feel younger, after the jump…

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December 30, 2009
Adult Acne Treatments: Diet and Supplements for Clearer Skin

Filed under: Advice, Health, Hormone Diet

Natasha Turner, N.D. is a Toronto-based naturopathic doctor. She is the founder of the Clear Medicine wellness boutique and author of the bestselling book The Hormone Diet. Each week in her column for That’s Fit.ca, Dr. Turner advises readers on how … Read more

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December 21, 2009