Functional Medicine | Women's Health
By Dr. Shawna Darou, ND Sleep issues come up in my discussions with patients very frequently, and sleep is one of the most important health foundations for optimal health, and also to heal from any health issue. I will admit that there are cases where it is difficult to completely fix sleep struggles, as with menopause, concussion and chronic …
Continue Reading about My favourite sleep tips to rest, recover and repair →
By Dr. Shawna Darou, ND I’m writing this article because it’s a pattern I see quite regularly, where exercise or nutrition habits are taken too far, and then some type of hormone imbalance develops. This is usually more subtle than an overt eating disorder, where the imbalance of caloric intake and energy burned is more extreme. There can be too …
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 …
Continue Reading about 10 Common Mistakes in the Diagnosis and Treatment of Hormone Issues →
This article is inspired by a colleague, Lara Briden, ND in New Zealand. The quote above is from Lara, and I really love the idea of looking at the period as a way to learn about your overall health. What is your period trying to tell you? What is a normal period? Let's begin with what is considered normal for periods. Here are some useful …
Continue Reading about Your period is trying to tell you something →
By Dr. Shawna Darou, ND I have had many conversations over the past weeks with women noticing more changes and imbalances in their hormones. This is partly because life is different right now - the days look very similar so we notice how different we are through the month, and also because stress turns up the volume on all hormonal symptoms. …
Continue Reading about 10 steps you can take for Balanced Hormones →
By Dr. Shawna Darou, ND Oral contraceptive use is so common that we sometimes overlook the possible impact it can have on our health and physiology. It is important to recognize some of the possible downstream effects of hormonal contraceptives, especially when dealing with issues like anxiety and fatigue. This also becomes difficult to see, …
Continue Reading about Is your birth control pill causing anxiety and fatigue? →
By Dr. Shawna Darou, ND The 40’s for women tend to be a decade with the most significant hormone changes. Menstrual cycles, fertility and even the impact of stress can cause shifts in your hormones. It is extremely helpful to understand the mechanisms of what is happening, and also to test for hormone levels so we can treat the body accordingly. …
By Dr. Shawna Darou, ND Women's hormones are constantly shifting and changing, and some of these changes can be mapped out fairly predictably each decade. One of the most important shifts in the 30's is that your health and hormones are more reactive to stress levels, poor diet, lack of sleep, alcohol and caffeine than in the 20's, meaning you …
By Dr. Shawna Darou, ND Acne is one of the most common conditions I see in the clinic, with varying degrees of severity. It is one of the hardest things to live with as an adult, and it often causes my patients to make some fairly radical decisions with medications and hormonal treatments. As with most conditions, my approach as a …
Continue Reading about What does the location of your acne breakouts mean? →
