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Cancer Prevention Nutrition Guidelines and Nourishing Fall Recipes
By Dr. Erica Rizzolo, ND. Fall is a great time for hearty, warming soups, pumpkin-themed dishes, and easy meal prepping as the days get shorter. ...
Summer recipe! It’s all peachy smoothie
By Jessica Thibault, Holistic Nutritionist & Registered Orthomolecular Health Practitioner. Recipe! It's all peachy smoothie A quick little treat that's full of nutrients to eat! ...
Finding Your Way Through Pain – An Integrated Approach to Care
Dr. Danika Garby, ND, MS. Ac., Naturopathic Doctor. If you've ever tried to navigate the healthcare system while living with pain, you know it can ...
What If Your Migraine Isn’t Just a Headache?
Dr. Tare Matiza, MD, General Practitioner - Functional Medicine. A Functional & Neuromodulatory Approach to Migraine Care in Ottawa Migraine is a primary headache disorder ...
Nature as medicine: unlocking the health benefits of time in nature
By Dr. Ellen Conte, ND. A growing body of evidence highlights the powerful impact of spending time in nature on both physical and mental health. ...
New publications by our integrative oncology researchers!
Over the past decade, researchers at the Patterson Institute for Integrative Oncology Research have teamed up with several other researchers and clinics across North America ...
Unlock the Full Potential of Your Care: How Osteopathy Complements Any Other Practice
By Tarek Baklouti, Osteopathic Practitioner. If you've been benefiting from massage therapy, chiropractic or physiotherapy for pain relief, stress reduction, or injury recovery, you may ...
Reducing Your Risk of Esophageal Cancer
By Mark Legacy, CCRP and Dr. Erica Rizzolo, ND. Esophageal cancer can be a debilitating disease. According to the Canadian Cancer Society, only 16% of ...
The Importance of Breast Massage
By Amber Young, Registered Massage Therapist. Your whole self is important to consider in your care, every part of you contributes to the experience of ...
Perimenopause and Menopause: Understanding the Transition and How to Thrive
By Noha Zaghlol, Nurse Practitioner. Do You Need to Wait a Year After Your Last Period to Start Hormone Therapy? Absolutely not! This common misconception ...
Somatic Movement Therapy: A Body-Mind-Spirit Approach to Exercise
By Anna Crandlemire, CST-T, RCRT. Fitness Instructor and Somatic Groundwork Teacher, Certified Craniosacral Therapist, Registered Canadian Reflexology Therapist, Lymph Drainage Therapist. We're excited and pleased ...
The Role of Osteopathy in Treating Sciatica and Nerve Pain
By Tarek Baklouti Osteopathic Practitioner. Sciatica and nerve pain can be debilitating, affecting daily activities and quality of life. Osteopathy offers a holistic approach to ...
Oncology Association of Naturopathic Physicians Conference
By Dr. Erica Rizzolo, ND. Every year, the Oncology Association of Naturopathic Physicians (OncANP) holds a conference for integrative oncology providers. For those practicing integrative ...
How To Get the Most Out of Your Lymphatic Drainage Therapy Sessions
By Anna Crandlemire, CST-T, RCRT. Certified Craniosacral Therapist, Registered Canadian Reflexology Therapist, and Lymph Drainage Therapist. If you've never had a lymph drainage therapy session, ...
Stasis: The Rhythm of Winter
By Lisa Paterson, Yoga Therapist, Movement & Meditation Teacher, Retired Psychotherapist. Hello, dear people. I often feel a bit off at the start of a new ...
Strategies to Personalize Your Self-Care Practice
By Moira Hutchison, Intuitive Coach, Meditation & QiGong Teacher and Hypnotherapist. You and your friends probably have your own favorite coffee drinks and TV shows. ...
New Year’s Resolutions: Tips for a healthier 2025
By Mark Legacy, CCRP. Happy New Year! For many people, the new year is a time to set new personal goals and resolutions. If you ...
Maintaining a healthy relationship with food over the holiday season
By Dr. Erica Rizzolo, ND. When you think of eating disorders, what comes to mind? Although the media tends to portray stereotypical presentations of eating ...
Perspectives on Lymphatic Drainage Therapy
By Anna Crandlemire, CST-T, RCRT. Certified Craniosacral Therapist, Registered Canadian Reflexology Therapist, and Lymph Drainage Therapist. The applications of lymphatic drainage are so numerous I ...
The Patterson Institute at the 13th Annual INCAM Research Symposium
CCNM research staff and students from left to right: Vanessa Eedy, Dr. Monique Aucoin, ND, Mark Legacy, CCRP,Dr. Ellen Conte, ND, Dr. Erica Rizzolo, ND, ...
Is Exercise an Effective Treatment for Depression
By Mark Legacy, CCRP. October 10th was world mental health day, a day to raise awareness of mental health issues around the world. Mental health ...
Prostate Cancer Awareness
By Dr. Mohamed El Sayed, ND, MSc, PhD. Did you know that prostate cancer (PC) is the most common cancer in men? Most new cases ...
Exploring the Benefits of QiGong and Mindfulness
By Moira Hutchison, Intuitive Coach, Meditation & QiGong Teacher and Hypnotherapist. In our fast-paced world, maintaining a balance between mind, body, and soul can sometimes ...
Massage therapy offers the potential to soothe pain physically and emotionally
By Amber Young, Registered Massage Therapist. Registered Massage Therapist. Compassionate touch is one of the many sacred ways we can connect as beings; it is ...
World Lung Cancer Day
By Mark Legacy, CCRP and Dr. Erica Rizzolo, ND. August 1st is World Lung Cancer Day, a day to raise awareness, educate and advocate for ...
Recipes for health and wellness: trout and lentil salad
By Dr. Erica Rizzolo, ND. As naturopathic doctors and researchers with the Patterson Institute for Integrative Oncology Research, we are very interested in the effects ...
Summer Skin Health: A Naturopathic Guide to Healthy Glowing Skin
By Dr. Anna Bullen, ND. In the summer months when the weather is glorious it can be tempting to soak up as much sunshine ...
Men’s Health is a family health issue and June is Men’s Month
By Dr. Mohamed El Sayed, ND, MSc, PhD. "Recognizing and preventing men's health problems is not just a man's issue. Because of its impact ...
Massage Therapy and Mental Health
By Kelsey Magill, RMT. One in five Canadians will experience a mental health problem or illness in a given year, according to the Canadian ...
Celebrating Clinical Trials Day
By Mark Legacy, CCRP. May 20th is clinical trials day! A day for recognizing all the work done by clinical research professionals across the ...
Does Supplementing With Vitamin D Impact Cancer Incidence or Mortality?
By Dr. Erica Rizzolo, ND If you've seen a naturopathic doctor before, chances are you know a thing or two about vitamin D! Supplementing ...
Understanding SIBO: A Functional Medicine Approach
By Carolyn McGillis, B.Sc., MN, NP. Small Intestinal Bacterial Overgrowth (SIBO) is a condition where excessive bacteria populate the small intestine, leading to a ...
Your Essential Guide to Integrative Cancer Care Insights From the OncANP Conference
By Dr. Julie Robinson, ND. The yearly Oncology Association of Naturopathic Physicians (OncANP) conference is designed to further educate integrative cancer care providers, enhancing ...
Top Strategies to Reduce Cancer Risk Through Lifestyle
By Dr. Ellen Conte, ND. As most people know, cancer is common - in fact two in five Canadians will be diagnosed with the ...
How Chiropractic Uplifts Nervous System Function
By Dr. Sadie Laronde, B.A., D.C., Chiropractor. Have you ever had to think about all the things your brain and nerves are doing in a ...
Cervical Cancer Awareness: Spotlight on prevention
By Dr. Erica Rizzolo, ND. Did you know cervical cancer is one of the most preventable types of cancer? Read on to learn about what ...
Tips to Maintain Mental Well-Being During the Holidays
By Moira Hutchison, Consciously Creating Calmness Intuitive Coach & Meditation Teacher, QiGong Instructor. The holidays can be a challenging time for some. You may have concerns ...
Ease the November Blues!
By Susan Kingston, Registered Holistic Nutritionist. Hi Everyone, I thought this would be a great time to give some tips on easing those November blues. Many ...
Our Team at The Society for Integrative Oncology’s 20th Annual Conference
This September, researchers and practitioners at The Patterson Institute for Integrative Oncology Research and The Centre for Health Innovation (CHI) attended The Society for Integrative ...
Common and Treatable Women’s Health Issues
By Carrie Whittley, NP. HMB (Heavy menstrual bleeding) Do you have heavy or abnormally long periods? Do you suffer from fatigue? If you answered yes ...
OncANP Naturopathic Oncology Conference Highlights in Toronto, June 2023
By Mohamed Elsayed, MSc, PhD, ND; Erica Rizzolo, ND; Mark Legacy, BSc, CCRP. The Oncology Association of Naturopathic Physicians (OncANP) is a professional organization with a ...
Fertility and Cancer – Understanding the Issue and Options for Assisted Reproductive Technologies (ART)
By Naazish Shariff, MPH Graduate, School of Epidemiology and Public Health, Faculty of Medicine, University of Ottawa. Hello readers! My name is Naazish and I am ...
Why Consider an Elimination Diet?
Introducing Nurse Practitioner Lisa Underhill. Hello! I'm excited to join the team at the Centre for Health Innovation. My name is Lisa. I've been a ...
Making Sense of Research on Complementary Cancer Therapies.
By Nancy Hepp, CancerChoices Lead Researcher and Program Manager, with review by Laura Pole, RN, MSN, OCNS, and Andy Jackson, ND. Perhaps you've seen headlines ...
Grow Your Own!
By Susan Kingston, Registered Holistic Nutritionist. Hello everyone! With spring around the corner, we are all anxiously awaiting the warm and sunny weather 🙂 Today I ...
Finding Reliable Sources of Information on Cancer Care.
By Nancy Hepp, with contributions from Andy Jackson, ND, Laura Pole, RN, MSN, OCNS, and Miki Scheidel. Knowing what to trust when it comes to ...
7 Healing Practices: Being active in your cancer treatment and outcomes.
By Nancy Hepp, MS, CancerChoices Program Manager and Lead Researcher, with contributions from Miki Scheidel, CancerChoices Co-Founder and Creative Director. We expect that you've already ...
Happiest of Holidays & Delicious Treats!
By Susan Kingston, Registered Holistic Nutritionist. I would like to reach out today to say I hope you have the happiest of holidays, and enjoy lots ...
Summer Fun while Keeping it Clean.
By Susan Kingston, Registered Holistic Nutritionist. Hello Everyone! I hope you are enjoying your summer! I know I am! I love to share the ...
The Short and Skinny on Fats!
By Susan Kingston, Registered Holistic Nutritionist. Most times people have preconceptions about eating healthy, especially about fats. Recent research has proven that the 'fat makes ...
Self-Renewal through Sickness.
Finding the Gift in Illness and the Power in Healthy Nutrition. By Susan Kingston, Registered Holistic Nutritionist. With spring finally being in sight, I felt ...
Cancer patients need choices now more than ever before.
By Dr. Melanie Adrian, Executive Director, Be the Choice. Cancer is confusing. When I was diagnosed with advanced breast cancer in 2011, I was overwhelmed ...
Integrative Naturopathic Medicine in Ovarian Cancer.
By Dr. Caitlyn Keates, ND. On Saturday November 6th 2021, I had the pleasure of presenting as a Naturopathic Doctor at the Ovarian Cancer Canada ...
Milk and Breast Cancer.
By Dr. Ellen Conte (McDonell), ND. A recent study found that milk consumption increased the risk of breast cancer.(1) Understandably, this may be worrisome for ...
Myth: Massage therapy is not safe while living with cancer
By: Janet Penny, RMT. This long held myth is tenacious and often on the minds of people who are looking for the many benefits that ...
Authenticity is the New Positivity
By: Anne Pitman, OICC Yoga Therapist. Much has been written on how to "survive" cancer. "Fight the good fight", and "stay positive" are reflex recommendations ...
Massage Benefits for Patients with Cancer
By: Janet Penny, RMT. After years working as a massage therapist at OICC, there is one thing that continually amazes me: The willingness and perseverance ...
The Skill of Receiving
By: Anne Pitman, OICC Yoga Therapist It is better to give than to receive. At holiday time, we hear this repeated over and over. From ...
Book Review: The Bright Hour: A Memoir of Living and Dying by Nina Riggs
Review by Anne Pitman, OICC Yoga Therapist I ate this book. Really. Within a day I was done and sated. Perhaps this is a strange ...
Reflexology and Cancer
People often wonder how Reflexology can help those living with cancer. By: Kymberli Roberts, Reflexology Therapist For most of us, Reflexology is often thought of as ...
Massage Therapy for Gardeners
By: Janet Penny, RMT. How you can you tell a truly dedicated gardener? A beautiful flower garden or productive vegetable patch are the usual signs. ...
What if Death is Not a Failure?
By: Anne Pitman, Certified Yoga Therapist. Having worked with cancer, both professionally and personally over the last 15 years, I’ve spent thousands of hours with ...
Fish Oil and Prostate Cancer – Help or Harm?
By: Dr. Monique Aucoin, ND In 2013, you may have seen some striking headlines about fish oil that made it into the popular media. Statements ...
Exercise for People with Cancer: Evidence Based Recommendations
By: Julie Ennis, PhD. Few will dispute the power of physical activity to improve overall physical and mental health. It's challenging, if not impossible, to ...
Probing the World of Probiotics: Interview with an Expert
Interview by: Dr. Julie Ennis, PHD, OICC Research Fellow. With a growing understanding of just how large, diverse and important the populations of bacteria living ...
Navigating the world of complementary and alternative healthcare information.
By: Dr. Ellen McDonell, ND. The internet, television and bookstore host a wealth of health information. There has been a boom in documentaries, books and ...
Getting started as a runner or walker
By Ellen McDonell, ND and Julie Ennis, PhD. Keen to become a runner or walker? Here's some tips to help you get started! Before we get ...
How to Stop Worrying With Mindfulness
By Moira Hutchison, Certified Mindfulness Coach Many studies have been reaching the same conclusion… When it comes to using meditation to manage anxiety- Mindfulness can help ...
Gourmet Crock-pot Comfort Food: Pumpkin, Pine Nut and Sage Risotto.
Recipe by Kylie Delfino, RHN. Cold weather and shorter days bring out our desire for comfort foods. Here is a healthy slow cooker option, that ...
5 Techniques to Stay in the Present Moment
By Moira Hutchison, Certified Mindfulness Coach I'm sure you have heard about the power of staying in the present moment, however there are many who ...
A Closer Look at Ingredients in Personal Care and Household Products: Harnessing the Power of Computer Technology
By Julie Ennis PhD, OICC Research Fellow Take a moment and think about your morning routine and the number of household and personal care products ...
Finding Balance During the Holidays: The Power of the Yes Breath
By Rabia Wilcox, Conscious Living Coach During the holidays you may feel stressed and overwhelmed as if everything is speeding up with not enough time ...
2016 INCAM Research Symposium
By Julie Ennis PhD and Ellen McDonell ND Conference Recap: 2016 INCAM Research Symposium - Expanding Person-Centred Care through Integrative Health Research The Canadian Interdisciplinary ...
Massage therapy and cancer: at the time of diagnosis
By Janet Penny, RMT A diagnosis of cancer can stop you in your tracks. There is usually a lead-up to the diagnosis - tests, rounds ...
SIO’s International Conference: Advancing the Global Impact of Integrative Oncology
By Ellen Conte ND and Julie Ennis PhD The Society for Integrative Oncology (SIO) annual conference was held in Miami, Florida in early November. The ...
Watermelon & Peach Tomato Salsa
By Kylie Delfino, RHN Discover nutritional benefits of tomatoes! The antioxidants present in tomatoes are found to be protective against cancer development including colon, prostate, ...
Refreshing Asparagus and Apple Smoothie
By Kylie Delfino, RHN Discover 3 compelling reasons as to why you should add asparagus into your summer regime! Photo by Louis Hansel @shotsoflouis on ...
Nutrition tips to fuel your work-out!
By Ellen McDonell, ND and Julie Ennis, PhD. Don't I need more carbs? Do I need sports drinks or electrolyte replacement? What about beet root juice, ...
Vitamin D supplementation in advanced stage colorectal cancer
By Dr. Julie Ennis, PhD., OICC Research Fellow Observational research suggest that there is a link between low vitamin D status (based on blood levels ...
Finding the time and energy to exercise
By Ellen McDonell, ND and Julie Ennis, PhD. Tips for making exercise happen! "I just don't have the time or energy to exercise…" This phrase is ...
Canadian/US Integrative Oncology Study: Looking back on year one
By Julie Ennis, PhD, Research Fellow While progress continues to be made on many fronts for cancer prevention and treatment, cancer remains the leading cause ...
Tips for training to run or walk through the Ottawa winter
By Julie Ennis, PhD, Research Fellow and Dr. Ellen Conte ND As the temperature drops and snow fills the streets, the temptation to cozy up ...
Thoracic-POISE trial is building momentum
By Julie Ennis, PhD, Research Fellow The Thoracic Peri-Operative Integrative Surgical Care Evaluation (Thoracic POISE) study will investigate the use of integrative treatments for esophageal, gastric ...