What is the new normal? Isn't that the ultimate question these days? ...more
Dr. Tonia Archives
August 24, 2020•4 min read
I had to laugh. I often joke that telling people to eat their broccoli is not the best & highest use of me. ...more
Dr. Tonia Archives
June 17, 2020•2 min read
Fatigue. Weight gain. Inability to lose weight. Constipation. Hair Loss. Dry skin. Depression. Anxiety. Period troubles. Brain Fog. Poor immune function. ...more
Dr. Tonia Archives
June 01, 2020•1 min read
Hot flashes, sleep concerns, mood issues, brain fog. Menopause is a normal transition in a woman's life but can come with a lot of uncomfortable symptoms. ...more
Dr. Tonia Archives
May 18, 2020•1 min read
PMS, cramps, cravings. Ugh. Being a woman! Your monthly cycle can come with a lot of distress, pain, and mood swings. But is it necessary? ...more
Dr. Tonia Archives
May 18, 2020•1 min read
Digestive Distress. Gah! Bloating, gas, pain, constipation, diarrhea. This is all information that your body is not a happy camper. ...more
Dr. Tonia Archives
May 04, 2020•1 min read
These conversations with my colleague, Dr. Jeannie Doig, are so fun! In this chat we grabbed about how we support our patients to balance and boost their immune function. ...more
Dr. Tonia Archives
May 04, 2020•1 min read
My colleague, Dr. Jeannie Doig, and I chatted about how we support our patients who are having trouble sleeping, especially during times of stress, global pandemics, like self-isolation, and quarantin... ...more
Dr. Tonia Archives
April 23, 2020•1 min read
My colleague, Dr. Jeannie Doig, and I chatted about how we've been using naturopathic medicine and telemedicine to help people with anxiety and depression during stressful times, like self-isolation a... ...more
Dr. Tonia Archives
April 13, 2020•1 min read
My colleague, Dr. Jeannie Doig, and I chatted about our personal "Sanity Plans" during stressful times, like self-isolation and quarantine. ...more
Dr. Tonia Archives
April 13, 2020•1 min read
In times of uncertainty, I find it helpful to come back to the things I know for sure. What do I know to be true? ...more
Dr. Tonia Archives
March 24, 2020•2 min read
As I'm sure you're aware, things with COVID-19 are moving along very rapidly. There is a lot of uncertainty and a lot of unanswered questions. First and foremost, take care of yourself, and your lov... ...more
Dr. Tonia Archives
March 18, 2020•3 min read
I'm excited to introduce you to Alexa Linton, is one of my oldest friends. Not oldest in terms of age, but longest-time. We met when we were 11 and danced in a youth modern dance performance company. ...more
Dr. Tonia Archives
January 27, 2020•1 min read
A few weeks ago I was interviewed for Mind Body Radio. It's just a short segment and honestly (gulp!) ...more
Dr. Tonia Archives
November 10, 2019•1 min read
This is a heartwarming story. It's purpose is to offer hope and optimism about humanity. At the end of these words is the rousing conclusion told (and shown) via video. ...more
Dr. Tonia Archives
September 07, 2019•9 min read
In this video you'll learn how I dig in to a patient's case to discover the root cause of illness. ...more
Dr. Tonia Archives
August 30, 2019•0 min read
We silly human beings have a tendency to make really simple things extremely complicated. For example, most of my patients come to me not drinking enough water. ...more
Dr. Tonia Archives
July 31, 2019•1 min read
Recently while visiting my kittie, Maurice while he hung about outside I noticed all the beautiful, medicinal herbs in my front yard. ...more
Dr. Tonia Archives
July 30, 2019•1 min read
"Don't cry." "There's nothing to be mad about." "Everything is fine. There's no need to worry." "Turn your frown upside down." ...more
Dr. Tonia Archives
July 03, 2019•4 min read
Several weeks ago I saw a car accident. The man driving behind me changed lanes without looking and hit the woman in the lane beside us. ...more
Dr. Tonia Archives
June 21, 2019•5 min read
My friend and I went to a food truck festival (om nom nom). We found ourselves in the longest line for the truck that we thought would a) serve delicious food and b) provide us food that would make ou... ...more
Dr. Tonia Archives
May 27, 2019•2 min read
I've been talking about good food, good water, and good air as foundations for your physical well-being. ...more
Dr. Tonia Archives
May 23, 2019•7 min read
Life is just one big experiment! Don't ya think? We're constantly trying things and seeing what happens as a result. Hopefully, we're doing this consciously. ...more
Dr. Tonia Archives
May 08, 2019•4 min read
There are several phrases about food that are really useful when it comes to planning your food intake. ...more
Dr. Tonia Archives
May 02, 2019•1 min read
Today I woke up with a headache and I know exactly why! ...more
Dr. Tonia Archives
April 12, 2019•1 min read
Lately, we've been seeing a lot of resistance in our patients to making changes to their diets and lifestyles. It's interesting to me and I'm grateful because it invited me to go back to the foundatio... ...more
Dr. Tonia Archives
March 17, 2019•1 min read
Our human lives seem to be made up of periods of distress or disorder, followed by times of discovery, then eras of integration, leading finally to lessons and growth. Here are two examples. ...more
Dr. Tonia Archives
March 15, 2019•3 min read
As promised, here is a little video describing the remaining steps 5 in the Therapeutic Order. This is a systematic approach to taking the body out of disease mode and putting it into health or healin... ...more
Dr. Tonia Archives
March 14, 2019•1 min read
Have you ever had a medical test hoping you were finally going to get some answers about what is actually going on with your health? The reason for your headaches, or low energy or constipation? ...more
Dr. Tonia Archives
February 13, 2019•1 min read
I’ve been finding myself more and more dissatisfied with my job. I mentioned this briefly here. This seems ludicrous to me because I LOVE my work. ...more
Dr. Tonia Archives
January 30, 2019•8 min read
It can be tricky for patients to figure out what the best route to go when it comes to supplements. It can actually be a challenge for me and I've been practicing as a naturopathic doctor for over a d... ...more
Dr. Tonia Archives
January 29, 2019•1 min read
It was actually a bit of a shock. I was flipping through an old journal and came across a bunch of notes I had taken listening to free podcast. ...more
Dr. Tonia Archives
January 22, 2019•6 min read
Brains are the best. They do a lot for us. More than we can think about, and more than we know. But what happens when the brain gets injured? Maybe it's a car accident, or a fall at work, or a slip o... ...more
Dr. Tonia Archives
November 09, 2018•4 min read
Who loves sleep? I do I do! You do you do! Who gets enough sleep? Sadly, not most people. Statistics Canada reports that 55% of people ages 18 to 64 have trouble going to sleep or staying asleep. Tha... ...more
Dr. Tonia Archives
November 09, 2018•1 min read
It was a dark and stormy morning. Wait. That’s a lie. I just wanted it to sound dramatic. Let’s start over. ...more
Dr. Tonia Archives
November 07, 2018•4 min read
Today we tackle a big topic. It's all about getting your ZZZZZZZZZs. If you're too tired to catch what that means than you need this podcast more than ever. It's sleep baby! ...more
Dr. Tonia Archives
October 08, 2018•2 min read
I never thought I would be happy that someone said to me, "You're a good follow." I've spent most of my life priding myself on making alternative choices, voting for the underdog, and going against c... ...more
Dr. Tonia Archives
September 12, 2018•6 min read
What is choice? How do you know if you're making good choices? What does that even mean? How do your choices affect your health and well-being. Lets dive into these questions in today's podcast. ...more
Dr. Tonia Archives
September 12, 2018•1 min read
Kids are heading back to school and I'm finding myself more aware of issues facing teens and young adults. This episode of the Tonic Podcast we dive into birth control, and hormones. ...more
Dr. Tonia Archives
August 31, 2018•1 min read
Do you feel tired, irritable, stressed or like you're not functioning at your peak? Or maybe you feel like something's not quite right, but you cannot put your finger on what it is? ...more
Dr. Tonia Archives
August 15, 2018•5 min read
In our last podcast, we talked about naturopathic medicine and shared the main tenants of it. One of the most important ones is preventative and healthy living. This podcast takes a deep dive into tha... ...more
Dr. Tonia Archives
August 01, 2018•2 min read
Our thoughts matter. Our words matter. How we talk about ourselves matters. ...more
Dr. Tonia Archives
July 25, 2018•4 min read
What the heck is naturopathic medicine anyways? Fret not dear one... all will be explained here. ...more
Dr. Tonia Archives
July 18, 2018•1 min read
You know when something is alive in your consciousness and you see that thing everywhere? ...more
Dr. Tonia Archives
July 11, 2018•5 min read
In honour of Brain Injury Awareness month in Canada, we decided to have a conversation all about brain health. ...more
Dr. Tonia Archives
June 27, 2018•1 min read
Next week is summer solstice - the longest day of the year. On the western edges of Canada we're still in June-uary, but in a couple short weeks, we'll be in the throws of summer. This podcast is in h... ...more
Dr. Tonia Archives
June 13, 2018•1 min read
It's halfway through the year! Did you reach your goals? Did you keep the habit you start in January? If you've answered no to these questions, then you're in the right place. It's time to reassess yo... ...more
Dr. Tonia Archives
June 04, 2018•1 min read
It was 1:24:34 pm, on Tuesday, May 15 when I decided to be happy. Just for the sake of it. Not because of anything. Just because. Through the magic of video, I've been able to witness the moment where... ...more
Dr. Tonia Archives
May 30, 2018•4 min read
May in Canada marks Speech and Hearing Awareness month. That inspired me to have a conversation about communication. I see so many patients struggle with communicating their needs and expressing thems... ...more
Dr. Tonia Archives
May 18, 2018•2 min read
Tomorrow is Canada's National Day of Mourning, when we remember those who died, or were injured or made ill from their work. This podcast addresses how our bodies handle losses. ...more
Dr. Tonia Archives
April 25, 2018•1 min read
April 2018 marks Rosacea Awareness Month in Canada, and while we're not talking specifically about that issue in this podcast we are talking all about skin health and how to heal your skin naturally. ...more
Dr. Tonia Archives
April 13, 2018•1 min read
The title of this post could be the entire blog article, but I'll give you some context. ...more
Dr. Tonia Archives
April 04, 2018•5 min read
Thyroid health is a big topic, and a big part of my naturopathic practice. Today we explore it in Episode 8 of the Tonic Podcast. ...more
Dr. Tonia Archives
March 28, 2018•2 min read
If you've been reading these blogs or listening to my podcasts for a while you might be wondering, "Why does that girl spend so much time talking about stress?" ...more
Dr. Tonia Archives
March 21, 2018•5 min read
Happy International Women's Day (even though it's a few days late, I think it's important we celebrate women and their health)! ...more
Dr. Tonia Archives
March 14, 2018•1 min read
In honour of Psychology Awareness Month in February, this Tonic Podcast is all about changing your thoughts so you can change your life. ...more
Dr. Tonia Archives
March 01, 2018•1 min read
The World Health Organization defines health as, "a state of complete physical, mental, and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity." ...more
Dr. Tonia Archives
February 19, 2018•1 min read
Leaving the grocery store my eyes widened as the women’s produce rolled all over the parking lot, dozens of apples awkwardly bumping down the pavement, with gravity, that fierce mistress, as their acc... ...more
Dr. Tonia Archives
February 11, 2018•8 min read
I miss writing. I miss the habit, the practice, the publishing, the feedback and the growth that comes from writing. I miss sharing information that has improved my life, and very well might improve y... ...more
Dr. Tonia Archives
January 12, 2018•7 min read
Healthy eating is the foundation of good health. If you don't have your health, then you don't have anywhere to live. ...more
Dr. Tonia Archives
January 02, 2018•1 min read
Holiday crazy time! Wowzas. It's on. Personally, I have three parties this week alone! Oy. ...more
Dr. Tonia Archives
December 08, 2017•1 min read
I have these posters up in my office that are also a collaborative art project. The big pieces of paper have questions on them. Beside the poster is a box of felts. When people come to my office, if t... ...more
Dr. Tonia Archives
December 07, 2017•1 min read
There is a fun thing I do in the office. I post a question on a poster size piece of paper and conveniently leave some felts lying around. Our patients and clinic visitors fill the blank page with ins... ...more
Dr. Tonia Archives
December 06, 2017•1 min read
I recently closed the chapter of an illuminating (and extremely stressful) situation. It required a lot of time, a lot of energy, and unfortunately some money. Even though it came out of the blue it s... ...more
Dr. Tonia Archives
November 29, 2017•6 min read
The Big "S" ...more
Dr. Tonia Archives
November 23, 2017•0 min read
Blog 1 - Your Immune System ...more
Dr. Tonia Archives
October 24, 2017•1 min read
I put my hand up and when he called on me I said, "I have nothing to say." After pausing for my retreat mates to stop laughing I continued speaking. But... ...more
Dr. Tonia Archives
October 19, 2017•5 min read
Love. Joy. Peace. Integrity. Kindness. Love. Joy. Peace. Integrity. Kindness. With each step I kept repeating these words. Love. Joy. Peace. Integrity. Kindness. ...more
Dr. Tonia Archives
October 18, 2017•3 min read
I finished my book and it was time for another one. I was standing in front of my bookshelf and nothing was jumping out. You know the, "I have nothing to wear," thing except for books. ...more
Dr. Tonia Archives
August 31, 2017•3 min read
At a naturopathic conference at the end of April one of my favorite speakers presented on women's health. Dr. Jonathan Wright is a medical doctor practicing functional medicine (aka naturopathic medic... ...more
Dr. Tonia Archives
July 19, 2017•5 min read
A year ago I joined a women's dream circle. There are 6 of us, all healers. We meet once a month to witness and process each others' dreams. We call it "process" and not "analyze" because our approach... ...more
Dr. Tonia Archives
July 12, 2017•6 min read
I moved. Blah. No one likes moving. Even if the new spot is your beautiful, rural forever home, (aka an awesome move!) it's still a lot. A lot of coordinating, a lot of phone calls, a lot of experimen... ...more
Dr. Tonia Archives
June 22, 2017•5 min read
I've been out of town a lot lately. Once to Vancouver to become a God Mumma. A second time to Vancouver for a conference. Once to Seattle for a workshop slash many fun good times, and once to Toronto ... ...more
Dr. Tonia Archives
May 31, 2017•6 min read
Let's talk about the word, "deserve." Particularly around the topic of food. I find it interesting, the deserving of food. Especially food that doesn't make us feel good. This topic has been rattling... ...more
Dr. Tonia Archives
April 25, 2017•8 min read
Isn't this picture cool? I took it the other day and I just love it. I adore how the shadows of the beams from the fence kept the snow on the ground. As soon as I saw this on my walk with the dawgy ... ...more
Dr. Tonia Archives
March 11, 2017•6 min read
May this article be a healing article. May it reduce pain and suffering. May it bring more love, joy, and health into the world. It was clinic moving day. I was at the new clinic alone getting the mo... ...more
Dr. Tonia Archives
February 09, 2017•3 min read
I went salsa dancing last week for the first time in several weeks. It was over two months, which in the span of my 10- year salsa dancing stint is a pretty long time. Even over the course of my life... ...more
Dr. Tonia Archives
January 16, 2017•5 min read
This time of year always sparks nostalgia for me. And maybe for you too. Some questions I tend to ask myself (and you can ask yourself) include: What went well this year? What sucked? ...more
Dr. Tonia Archives
December 16, 2016•8 min read
You know those moments in life when you think to yourself, "Gosh! Everything is going so smoothly right now!" ...more
Dr. Tonia Archives
October 26, 2016•5 min read
Facebook kindly told me today is the United Nations International Day of Peace. Ironically that platform is not the most peaceful place to me to spend time and I try to minimize it as much as possib... ...more
Dr. Tonia Archives
September 21, 2016•4 min read
I recently took a little holiday to get some sister medicine. I love our visits. We laugh, craft, and generally get up to silly antics. One of the things I love about hanging out with her is actually... ...more
Dr. Tonia Archives
September 07, 2016•5 min read
"HOLY SH**!" I looked up from what I was doing and I said, "Everything okay?" "How long to these injections normally take to have an effect?" "Often within seconds. Is it feeling better?" A patien... ...more
Dr. Tonia Archives
August 07, 2016•5 min read
When I first meet patients they often bring in a bag of supplement bottles that they have collected over quite some time. They saw something on Dr. Oz, which they decide to buy. Then at the health foo... ...more
Dr. Tonia Archives
July 22, 2016•5 min read
You have probably heard a version of the quote, "That which is measured, improves." Quantum scientists recognize this phenomenon identified by Werner Heisenberg: When particles are observed their beh... ...more
Dr. Tonia Archives
July 08, 2016•3 min read
It's not what you know, it's what you do. I heard that quote from Todd Henry. I'm not sure if he said it first. When I google it all I get is people who said, "It's not what you know but who you know... ...more
Dr. Tonia Archives
June 22, 2016•7 min read
You know when you read a line or a paragraph over and over again with out actually taking in what you're reading? Sometimes this happens when you're tired. The other day my eyes kept scrolling over ... ...more
Dr. Tonia Archives
May 19, 2016•5 min read
Gawd I don't love running. For a number of reasons. It hurts. It's not in my blood. My short, stalky limbs just aren't designed for it. When I was in elementary school we had to run around the block ... ...more
Dr. Tonia Archives
May 06, 2016•6 min read
Anything is Possible One Stroke at a Time - Zentangle. Hold the phone. I need to back up. About a year ago I rediscovered colouring. Or you could say I discovered adult colouring. I like to think... ...more
Dr. Tonia Archives
April 20, 2016•4 min read
A few weeks back I had a headache. I rarely get them and certainly feel for those who suffer for them on the regular. I have a number of patients who come to me for this very reason. And there are c... ...more
Dr. Tonia Archives
April 15, 2016•4 min read
I overheard an awesome conversation last weekend. While hugging her hello, he said, "I haven't seen you in so long." She said, "Yes, I've been in Mexico for five weeks." He said, "You don't do thin... ...more
Dr. Tonia Archives
April 08, 2016•3 min read
My husband wasn't picking up so when she answered the phone, between sobs I was able to say, "CRISIS! HELP!" My mother-in-law said, "Who is this?" "Tonia." Breathe. Sob. "I can do this." Breathe. So... ...more
Dr. Tonia Archives
March 24, 2016•4 min read
Do you like Day Light Savings? Gah. I don't like time change day. It started a few years ago when I began to recognize that everything seem to be about 10° weird for the few days after time change da... ...more
Dr. Tonia Archives
March 18, 2016•6 min read
I can't believe I haven't written about this before. Wait. Let me back up. On the weekend my husband and I traipsed from the exotic rain forest where we live on an island in the Pacific to a differe... ...more
Dr. Tonia Archives
March 09, 2016•5 min read
I just went for a walk to help my brain come up with a new article to write for you. While I was out tromping about with my dawgy, one of my besties texted, "Hey Dr. T! Do you have any recommendations... ...more
Dr. Tonia Archives
February 17, 2016•3 min read
Gosh, I do envy the ability of my dog to shake off stress and move into the next present moment, wagging her tail and loving life. ...more
Dr. Tonia Archives
January 28, 2016•5 min read
My sister was visiting recently and she was staying in my sacred studio space. It's the space that I go to as soon as I get up to do my morning routine - before opening my email, checking my phone, go... ...more
Dr. Tonia Archives
January 20, 2016•7 min read
Early December I drove for 2 hours to see Gabrielle Bernstein speak. If you're not familiar with her, I do recommend checking her out. She is a certified Kundalini yoga and meditation teacher, best-s... ...more
Dr. Tonia Archives
January 07, 2016•6 min read
In my head, I've been constructing a revamp of an article I wrote for the Plan Facebook page a few weeks back. I wrote it at the time because that week 3 patients asked me about calcium supplementati... ...more
Dr. Tonia Archives
November 13, 2015•6 min read
I spent Sunday at a workshop all about touch, pleasure, giving, and receiving - topics I felt I had a pretty good handle on (yep, pun intended). I know how important touch is, so I was eager to go dee... ...more
Dr. Tonia Archives
October 30, 2015•6 min read
I had the pleasure of hearing Canadian astronaut Col. Chris Hadfield speak this week. There are so many nuggets of wisdom that have been rolling around in my brain formulating themselves into this ar... ...more
Dr. Tonia Archives
October 23, 2015•5 min read
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