And They’re Off!

And… they’re off!    It’s official. With the kick off for the Manitoba Marathon at Assiniboine Park the last week of April, we have entered into one of the busiest fundraising seasons.  Whether you run,  walk, cycle, or whatever from now until early Fall there is ample opportunity to tap into that energy for the benefit of others living with challenges that tax their physical, mental and emotional health in ways most of us can’t fathom.   Some of you may have come across the piece I wrote on this theme in the first year of WellNews, “Going the Distance.”

I’ve listed as many as I know of on a special page under EVENTS but if you know of others, please drop me a line at mireille@winnipegwellnews.ca.

I also hope you’ll have the chance to attend at least one of the lectures presented by local health professionals who are part of the Manitoba Naturopathic Association and Canadian Association of Naturopathic Doctors.   During National Naturopathic Medicine Week , May 7^th to 13^th, there are a number of events  meant to educate consumers about, and highlight the advances in, Naturopathic medicine.

Did you know?

• All Naturopathic Doctors are trained in nutrition, botanical medicine, acupuncture, homeopathy and lifestyle counseling.
• There are only two accredited schools in Canada; the Canadian College of Naturopathic medicine in Toronto and more recently, the Boucher Institute in Vancouver.
• There are 25 licensed Naturopathic Doctors in Manitoba.

During a brief phone interview with Melanie Leppelmann, N.D. of The Nature Doctors, she was able to comment on this particular branch of health care growing in popularity.

“I think there is a lot more awareness of naturopathic  medicine as an option,” she says. “With the burden on the public health care system, the average visit with a physician is down to about seven minutes.  For patients striving to be as healthy as they can be and not just avoid illness, that kind of time frame is not nearly adequate or what they are looking for.

One of the most important principles of naturopathic medicine is to educate while we treat and so we spend a lot of time explain what’s going on in the body, why we’re prescribing certain things and with that understanding patients are better equipped to help themselves and take an active role in their health management.

It’s important to note that naturopathic doctors are trained to be primary care givers, to be able to diagnose and to identify when a patient requires medical intervention beyond what they are licensed to provide.  Many people may not realize however that we have access to many of the sane diagnostic tests and facilities for sample analysis for instance.

There is a place and a need for both naturopathic doctors and medical doctors and patients are best served when we can work together.   Certainly I’ve had the experience where a patient’s medical doctor has contacted me to discuss treatments and there’s been a great degree of cooperation. It isn’t always the case, but I do think things are changing for the better.

As for the immediate future, Dr. Leppelmann says she doesn’t see any changes to coverage of naturopathic treatment under the current provincial health care system  although more and more private health insurance plans do cover treatment. Be sure to check if your plan does!”

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If you are new to Winnipeg WellNews… Welcome! We publish stories that are fun, informative and may even motivate you on the road to embracing a healthy lifestyle.

Browse through our growing collection of articles, then join us on our discussion board and let us know what you think. This is also the place we can share ideas, recipes, pet peeves, lessons learned, and more about everything health and wellness related. From time to time, I will also invite experts to participate in Q &A sessions.

The information on this site as in the print publication is not meant to be a substitute for professional medical advice. We encourage our readers to always conduct their own research into any treatments or programs and to consult with a medical professional prior to the start of same.

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Remember, if you have any comments or questions about the content found here, please don’t be shy about leaving a message below or by emailing me directly at mireille@winnipegwellnews.ca

Mireille Theriault, Publisher

 

With the weather having been so mild for most of  Winter, does Spring feel  ‘ anti-climactic’ ?  Not on your life! I’m ready to celebrate the thaw for real rather than wondering how far the weather will yo-yo from one extreme to the other.

To celebrate the approaching Spring, make sure to enter our latest draw for an Arbonne beauty package valued at $100! See our Contest page for details.

The thing I enjoy most about being a writer is the chance to research so many different topics and to speak with great people like Randy Horel.  I interviewed Randy for the article on tinnitus and found that this condition was so much more complex than I anticipated. The more I learned, the more I was pleased to pass on this information to WellNews readers.  If you’ve ever experienced persistent ‘ringing’ in your ears, stop by this post!

I don’t often pass the editorial hat to someone else but did just that for March – Juvenile Arthritis Month. Thank you to Tanya Misseghers of the Arthritis Society for the article on Colin Johnson.

The newst post for March had to do with the healing “proper- teas” of the world’s favorite beverage. Again, a topic with so much mor eto it than I would even attempt to cover in just one article, but a good