Functional Medicine | Women's Health
By Dr. Shawna Darou, ND The majority of my practice focuses on hormonal health - ranging from issues at puberty, with fertility, thyroid disorders, PCOS, endometriosis, irregular periods, perimenopause and menopause. I wanted to explain some of the common pitfalls in treating hormonal issues which can save a lot of time in assessment and …
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By Dr. Shawna Darou, ND Unexplained infertility is one of the most difficult diagnoses to receive because if provides little direction about next steps. I prefer to think of it as "not yet diagnosed." This checklist is designed to be a short-cut to help you to understand the possible causes of your fertility struggles. If we can understand a …
By Dr. Shawna Darou, ND Progesterone is a key hormone for women’s health, produced by the corpus luteum, only after ovulation. It has a tremendous influence on your mood (think PMS), sleep, period flow, fertility, and more. It is also important as the hormone that balances out our estrogen levels, keeping us out of an estrogen dominant state. What …
Continue Reading about Hormone imbalance spotlight: Luteal Phase Defect →
By Dr. Shawna Darou, ND What is endometriosis? With endometriosis, there is abnormal growth of uterine lining cells, in places outside of the uterus. These cells outside of the uterus are called ‘endometrial implants’ and they can attach themselves to the fallopian tubes, ovaries, intestines, bladder, outside of the uterus, and sometimes travel …
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By Dr. Shawna Darou, ND As a naturopath with a large hormone focus in my practice, I see many people with fertility struggles. The diagnosis that most commonly brings people to a me is ‘unexplained infertility’. This confusing diagnosis leaves women unsure of what to do next - should they move forward with invasive fertility treatments, or simply …
Continue Reading about 10 things I wish everyone knew about Unexplained Infertility →
By Dr. Shawna Darou, ND Supporting a healthy pregnancy begins with your care pre-conception. The idea that we can take steps preconception to improve the health of our future children is truly incredible, and with the enormous rise in childhood illnesses such as allergies, autism, asthma and ADHD, it has become essential. The good news is, …
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Choosing prenatal vitamins can be complicated, as the world of supplements is difficult to navigate. My criteria for selecting the best prenatal vitamins is as follows: Nutrient levels - how much of each individual vitamin and mineral is in a daily dose? Absorbability of nutrients - are the vitamins and minerals found in their most …
