You're keen to book your first appointment but you're not sure what it's going to be like. Let me demystify and debunk myths about your first visit to a Naturopathic Doctor and explain the facts. Let's start with what you'll experience when you visit Flow Functional Health Care.

You've been training hard, or maybe not, but regardless, your big race is coming up fast. Avoid common mistakes and take advantage of these tips to perform at your best in your first 10km run!

The day before:

Attend the pre-race expo and pick up your race bib, be sure to activate your bib or chip on your way out - ask at the race kit pick-up if this is necessary or not. You won't get an official time if you don't activate your bib! There will be lots of free samples of food, sport nutrition products and all kinds of gear to check out. This is especially common at marathon and half-marathon expos. Be sure that you avoid...

When it comes to hangovers, there's a lot of old wives tales that tell you what to do to feel better. Here are the top ways to recover from a hangover based on your body's physiology and function.

PREVENTION!

Sounds easy, right!? Don't get a hangover, don't feel sick. Right. Easier said that done, especially at this time of the year (yeah, I'm looking at you, you green-beer-drinking leprechauns).

Stop your hangover before it starts by staying hydrated. Drink 1 cup of water for every beer, shot or glass of wine you consume. Eventually, if you keep consuming alcohol, your body will shut down some of the hormones that help keep you hydrated...

Traditional sports drinks are filled with sugar, which can be OK if your blood sugar has gotten extremely low from endurance exercise. Data tells us that electrolyte replacement is not necessary and has little impact on performance for sports in duration of less than 90mins. If you get yourself dehydrated from either an infection (diarrhea, vomiting) or self-induced (exercise, alcohol), then here's an option for a healthy, low-sugar alternative to the traditional sports drink.

Every year when the weather changes we see an increase in viral infections, colds and seasonal flu. Keep yourself healthy with these easy tips.

Training is tiring. If you’re like most athletes I know, you’re burning the candle at both ends. Between summer socializing and dialing in your endurance training, the demands on you are high – but are you giving yourself a chance to recover?

This week I’m training light in anticipation of an upcoming training race. Two to three days out, I start preparing all my gear, ensuring everything is in top shape for race day.

Here’s my list of essential triathlon gear for race morning:

You heard me. This recipe is unapologetically decadent, delicious and nutritious.

Chock-full of fat (the good kind!), fiber and a wee bit of protein,these bad boys will keep you fueled through your workout and all the way to supper. An easily customizable recipe leaves room for you to add various nuts, seeds, dried fruit and so on. I originally found this recipe on my friend Jodi’s blog and have been playing with it for the past couple of years to create many tasty variations – these are a personal fave.

“What are 3 easy things I can do to get healthier right now?”

I get this question a lot, and the weird thing is, you probably already know the answer. Besides the obvious ‘eat more fruits and vegetables, drink more water, exercise, rest, meditate,’ I’m going to give you 3 quick tips to inject health into your day-to-day. This week it’s all about easy health tips that will take very little effort to add to your routine.

Often I am asked the secret to having clear, glowing, radiant skin without medication, harmful products or even *gasp* make up. The answer, truly, is the shits.