doctor as teacher Archives - Quinte Naturopathic Centre

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5 mistakes people make going gluten-free **video**

A couple of months ago I did a Facebook live video on Gluten, Celiac disease, Non-celiac gluten sensitivity because so many people are confused when it comes to gluten. So today I wanted to give you a brief synopsis on what mistakes to avoid when it comes to going gluten-free. Check out my video below! […]

Do you feel like your brain never stops thinking?

I have a secret to tell you. I am in recovery. From being a workaholic. It's hard to change this pattern because sometimes I feel like my brain never stops thinking and there is just so much to do. Can you relate? One of the reasons I noticed this is my mother gave me a […]

Lessons from my tour of Mont Blanc

As many of you know I spent part of my time off this summer on a hiking tour of Mont Blanc. It consisted of seven days hiking plus one rest day. We walked approximately 20km a day with sometimes over 2000 metres in elevation changes. Needless to say it was tough. Last year I hiked […]

A twist on caesar salad **new recipe**

Is Caesar salad one of your old stand-bys in the salad department but you know you shouldn't be eating dairy, wheat, or gluten? Sometimes lack of knowledge is not the hurdle that is preventing you from making a change, it's decision fatigue. If I can't make my old recipe, what do I make instead? Here's […]

5 things you should know about concussions

Concussions are becoming big news not only in elite athletes but in high school sports as well. Increased awareness, better screening, and earlier diagnosis are all important factors in effective treatment, but what about the role of the internal milieu? Here are 5 things you should know about prevention and treatment of concussions from a […]

Updated fee schedule effective September 4, 2018

Please be aware that as of September 4th, 2018 Quinte Naturopathic Centre will be updating our Services & Fees. Please find the following updated prices for our services: Initial Naturopathic Medical Consult (90 min) $180 Follow Up Medical Consultation (60 min) […]

How to make healthy meals when you don’t have time

The biggest excuse that I hear about why you can't eat healthy is that you don't have enough time. Sound familiar? While it may be true that your time feels limited, you actually have the same number of hours in the day as everyone else. What's different is what you prioritize and where you choose to spend […]

Summer Hours at the Quinte Naturopathic Centre

Just a friendly reminder about our summer office hours for the month of August. We will be closed Monday August 6th – Friday August 10th. Dr. Michelle Durkin will be away on holiday from August 4th - September 3rd. Her regular office hours resume Tuesday, September 4th. Please note, if you are a regular patient […]

5 techniques you can use to reduce the need for willpower

Have you ever thought to yourself - this diet change would be so much easier if I had more willpower? Well, here a few things you need to know about willpower, and how wishing for more is like wishing money grew on trees. Willpower is not an all or nothing phenomenon. A lot of us […]

Is intermittent fasting good for you?

Today's post was triggered by a question I had recently on the Lorne Brooker Show. A caller asked my opinion on the health benefits of intermittent fasting and we had quite the discussion! I have been intermittent fasting on and off for approximately 6 months now and I really enjoy it and see the benefits. […]

A healthy summer dessert – slow cooker blueberry crumble

Does dessert and healthy belong in the same sentence? They do now! Here's my go-to dessert that fits the bill...slow cooker blueberry crumble! It not only tastes delicious, it take just 3 minutes to prepare. No joke. Here's a short video of me making this recipe with Carolyn from the Eat Real Food Academy while […]

Why I’m taking a month off…again this year

If you are a long time reader of my blog, or a long term patient, or both, you already know that I took a month off last summer. It ended up being one of the best decisions I have ever made. Not only was it a priority for my mental and physical health, it allowed […]

How to drink like your naturopath

So often I will have people ask me, or more often ask people who know me, “ does Dr. Durkin (Michelle) ever eat meat…have dessert…or have a few adult beverages…?” I think there is this preconceived notion that I don’t do any of these things, ever, and people are pleasantly surprised and relieved to find […]

Why a healthy gut = a healthy body

There is a reason why Hippocrates said all disease begins in the gut. The gastrointestinal (GI) tract is considered a foundational system in the body. It extends all the way from your mouth to your anus, and covers a surface area of about 1/10th of an acre. In order for it to function, it uses […]

Making your own salad dressing avoids using inflammatory oils

About three years ago I decided I should be making my own salad dressings. I resisted at first because I thought it would be too time consuming, even though I completely understood the benefit. Commercially prepared salad dressings contain a substantial amount of sugar and polyunsaturated oils - usually disguised under names such as high fructose […]

Videos about sleep, your thyroid, other hormones, and more!

Did you know that the doctors at QNC have made videos on the following topics that you can watch anytime you like? PMS, PMDD, and Research driven protocols Hormones and Belly Fat Everything you need to know about your Thyroid Yin Yoga The Chinese Medicine technique of Cupping for pain Get your Beauty Sleep That's […]

Why something that caused me the greatest pain was also the greatest gift

We always associate pain with something bad. But what if pain was our soul's only way of telling us the lesson that we need to learn? I really debated on whether or not I should write this post. As a doctor I am trained to keep my personal life private and maintain a professional boundary. […]

Why you should “sleep on it”

Having your own business means that you end up doing a lot of things that you never actually went to school for. I am professionally trained as a naturopathic doctor but we never learned anything about business and we certainly didn't learn anything about having a website or social media. It makes me feel old […]