Sep 30, 2020 | ND Spotlight
Dr. Arnel Beaubrun graduated from the Canadian College of Naturopathic Medicine (CCNM) in 2003. He co-founded CCNM’s annual Men’s Health Awareness Week and Sports Medicine Speciality Clinic. He currently runs his own clinic, Integra Naturopathics, in Calgary where he treats both English and French speaking patients.
“I experienced firsthand the healing potential of Naturopathic Medicine in my life. I overcame a severe auto-immune disease in my early twenties with the help of naturopathy, after frustrating attempts with conventional treatment. It was a life-changing time for me that literally changed the trajectory of my future. My personal journey has greatly influenced my practice. While it continues to evolve as the years pass, it has always been rooted in my passion for endocrine and digestive health – the greatest factors in auto-immunity. My quest to discover the role of digestion in health allows me to help those with complex auto-immune disorders and learning spectrum disorders, through the healing power of food.”
Dr. Arnel Beaubrun feels deeply inspired by lifestyle medicine. “Raising our three children holistically fuels my desire to explore and expand my knowledge about how our habit life affects our wellness. We’ve chosen to educate our kids in the Waldorf school system, with a focus on low media (our kids don’t have iPads), creativity (art and music are a priority in their early years) and outdoor experience (there’s no such thing as bad weather, only bad clothing). As they grow older, we are witnessing firsthand the extraordinary influence lifestyle (from an early age) has on neurological and immune health. It’s been fascinating and has deeply changed how I deliver pediatric care to the young and preventative care to the rest of our clients.”
For Dr. Arnel Beaubrun, the most rewarding aspect of his career is that “Naturopathic Medicine has offered me the opportunity to expand beyond a fulfilling clinical practice. We’ve created and sold several successful companies – all of them woven together by natural health and wellness. We have been involved in the yoga industry, food industry (we created and founded Bruhe – a real food café) and now the supplement industry (Rumina Naturals). Natural medicine has been a fantastic stepping-stone for personal and professional growth. Having naturopathic knowledge is a huge advantage as an entrepreneur in the health and wellness space. I enjoy the diversity and challenges that come with the variety that I’ve created in my career. I have Naturopathic Medicine to thank.”
When it comes to maintaining a healthy work/life balance Dr. Beaubrun says: “This has required some creativity! As a busy father of three very active children, it’s become super important to immerse myself in their passions and interests – to stay present in their lives while keeping fit and finding some balance (not easy). I’ve learned to embrace climbing, mountain biking and parkour in the last few years – it’s a wild ride with them! Adaptability and flexibility don’t come naturally for me, but I’ve had to move beyond my comfort zones to allow room for new ways of maintaining life balance.”
Adapted from an email conversation on August 6th 2020 by Annick Meckes.
Sep 2, 2020 | ND Spotlight
Dr. Patricia Wales ND graduated with the first class of the Ontario College of Naturopathic Medicine (which later became CCNM) when the profession was still in its infancy in Canada. She has been in practice for almost four decades throughout which she has served on the board of naturopathic associations both on the provincial level in Ontario and Alberta, as well as on the national level with the Canadian Association of Naturopathic Doctors (CAND).
“I am most passionate about women’s health. There is such a broad scope and women are often the ones who have the greatest influence on the family unit. The most common reasons women come to me are for hormonal issues, digestive issues and food sensitivities, adrenal and thyroid problems, and for detoxification. Frequently when I treat women, we end up implementing strategies that can help the whole family. For example, when mom’s diet improves, often the whole family’s diet improves. You could say I have an interest in keeping families as a whole healthy through women.”
“Long before I became a naturopathic doctor, I worked as a research chemist at the Food and Drug Directorate in Ottawa developing methods for detecting pesticides in foods. I later realized, in my training as an ND, that while the regulatory system is focused on ‘what is the largest amount of a toxic substance one can tolerate and what is the minimum amount of nutrients one must have to survive’, naturopathic doctors focus on the exact opposite – how do we avoid toxins and optimize nutrient intake.”
“My journey to Naturopathic Medicine wasn’t as straightforward as it is for many students today, as there was no established naturopathic college in Canada at the time. I first trained as a chiropractor after observing the benefits that my father and many of his postal worker colleagues experienced through this treatment. However, by my second year I knew I wanted to do more. I began learning about Applied Kinesiology (AK), the theory behind which postulates a relationship between acupuncture meridians, muscles and organs. This opened my eyes to other methods of healing and, ultimately, to the world of Naturopathic Medicine.”
“I went on to teach AK and in-office lab testing at CCNM and for Professional Health Products, as well as to advocate for the naturopathic profession at a provincial and national level. In the late 1980s, I served as Chair of the Ontario Association of Naturopathic Doctors and launched a campaign to ensure Naturopathic Medicine would remain a regulated profession. After I moved to Alberta in 1996, we went through the same process of obtaining legislation here, which finally resulted in NDs becoming regulated health professionals in 2012. I also served on the board and as Chair of the CAND where I worked to maintain and update regulation of natural health products.”
“I have seen this profession evolve and expand throughout the years, from 40 NDs in my graduating class in Ontario to 2,500 NDs across Canada today. I believe it is crucial for all NDs to be part of their respective provincial association. The associations are the ones driving the profession forward in new areas, promoting the medicine and advocating for NDs. They support each of us in our practice, in education and through camaraderie.”
“I recently heard an interview with David Suzuki saying that he and many of his contemporaries have missed the opportunity to really be with and engage with ageing parents – to learn of their lives and valuable experiences – memories that are gone when they leave us. This mirrors our naturopathic profession – being with and learning from the elders in our profession provides an invaluable source of professional history and of experiential treatment methods, especially hands-on therapies. I feel a strong need to encourage and facilitate intergenerational interaction to reinforce the basis of our medicine.”
“What inspires me as a doctor is the possibility of people having more options to look at in terms of staying healthy, preventing disease and treating illness. New drugs always focus on disease, but NDs seek to identify which functions in the body aren’t working as well as they should and how to support those functions. There also needs to be a greater push to identify important early signs such as endocrine & hormonal imbalances, prediabetes & metabolic syndrome, which are often overlooked by conventional medicine. It is not enough to just treat a diagnosed disease; we need to be looking at and changing what leads to these issues. As well, NDs are uniquely equipped to promote recovery after injury and surgery and need to be better integrated into our health care system to provide that service.”
“I believe NDs can bring our training, skills and methodology in promoting health and healthy choices to a wider audience by cultivating more avenues for promoting Naturopathic Medicine and by keeping traditional naturopathic methods alive and relevant.”
May 19, 2020 | Blog, ND of the Month, ND Spotlight
I help women choose what works best for their health because ultimately, I trust that they know exactly what they need. Feeling connected is the result of understanding how your body works and having an informed choice.
I currently practice at Vive Integrative Health in NW Calgary focusing on cervical dysplasia, hormonal imbalances, pregnancy & postpartum support, period health, Holistic Pelvic Care^TM, and providing Empowered Paps. Empowered paps are my own version of pap exams designed to put you in charge of your cervical health.
I am one of a few practitioners in Alberta who provide Holistic Pelvic Care^TM – gentle, internal vaginal massage coupled with energetic and emotional balancing techniques. HPC is an excellent treatment for pelvic floor pain, urinary leakage, menstrual pain, painful sex and postpartum healing.
I also provide a unique treatment for cervical dysplasia called escharotic therapy. This technique involves applying a zinc-herbal solution topically onto the cervix to specifically isolate and target abnormal cells. This can be highly effective when combined with lifestyle changes and nutritional supplementation.
I want all my clients to feel that an appointment with me is like coming over for a cup of tea.
Fun Facts about Dr. Kate:
- She competed in her first triathlon in 2014 and is a self-described Triathlon Groupie
- She is a classically trained pianist and singer
- If provoked, she will get into an argument about how Star Trek is superior to Star Wars
- Her favourite musicals are Wicked and The Phantom of the Opera
Stay Connected:
403-984-3538
www.yourpelvicnd.com
drkate@yourpelvicnd.com
@yourpelvicnd
May 19, 2020 | ND Spotlight
“I knew I wanted to be a Naturopathic Doctor since grade 4”, says Dr. Briana Botsford ND. “I was eleven years old when I did a poster presentation for a class at school. That year’s theme was Complementary and Alternative Medicine, so I got to explore naturopathic medicine.”
Due to her own interests and background as an Ironman Triathlete, Dr. Botsford ND primary clientele are female athletes and women who are active. “I choose to regularly go to conferences on women’s health as well as athletic performance, and I am involved in the athletics and triathlon community.”
“Naturopathic medicine offers many treatment options for women with women’s health issues that are lacking in conventional medicine. A lot of women are told to “just take the birth control pill”, but the population is becoming increasingly unsatisfied with this blanket answer. As Naturopathic Doctors, we have a lot to offer to compliment conventional medicine, especially with hormonal issues.”
When Dr. Botsford ND is not in the clinic she can usually be found riding her bike or training for a triathlon. She is excited to be competing at the World Triathlon in Edmonton this coming August.
Green Apple Healthcare – http://www.bribotsford.com/
May 19, 2020 | ND Spotlight
“I always knew I wanted to be a physician,” says Dr. Samantha Clouthier ND. What got her into alternative medicine was a month-long trip to India she did in 2013 with Queen’s University. “That trip really opened my eyes to how valuable integrative medicine is.” Dr. Clouthier’s main interest and passion has always been mental health, but she also focuses on digestive concerns, pediatrics, and LGTBQ+ health.
Dr. Clouthier ND sees the individualization of care as naturopathic medicine’s greatest strength. “It is such a privilege to be able to sit down with a patient for 90 minutes and get their entire story and then work from there to treat the whole person – not just the disease. We work from all angles of a case and really spend time researching to understand the physiology behind an illness so that we can treat the root cause, not just the symptoms.”
Besides her work as an ND, Dr. Clouthier also sits on the Fort McMurray Pride Committee, enjoys doing yoga, “I completed my teacher training in Bali in 2016. I’m also moonlighting a little bit as a children’s book author, which is fun!”
Juniper Naturopathic – https://junipernaturopathic.com/
