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Common Winter Lip Conditions

Winter Lip Conditions Ever notice you or your kiddos experiencing some major dry lips as the weather gets colder? You aren\’t alone. When the weather gets colder, I often notice more visits to the office with concerns with overly dry, cracked lips and skin, and the discomfort often prompts a visit. Probably the most… Continue reading Common Winter Lip Conditions

Winter Activities for the Family

We all know the six months of winter in Northern Ontario can be daunting to even the most seasoned parents, and sometimes even the thought of getting the kids outside sends chills down my spine. I know the evidence for getting into nature, the benefits of physical activity and the importance of family time together-… Continue reading Winter Activities for the Family

Managing Your Health Without A Primary Care Practitioner

If you find yourself without a primary care practitioner, you aren\’t alone. In our city in Northern Ontario, the cohort of retiring family physicians with larger practices are taking 1.5-2 new graduates to fill their practices. The importance of having a family practitioner is profound. Managing urgent issues, coordinating specialist referrals, preventative health care and… Continue reading Managing Your Health Without A Primary Care Practitioner

World Mental Health Day: Part 3, Tweens

Once in awhile I get a chance to think a lot about what my patients come to see me about. And let me tell you, there are a few themes I want to discuss here. Do you have teens in your life, those energetic, tech savvy, millennials whom I can barely keep up with, travelling… Continue reading World Mental Health Day: Part 3, Tweens

World Mental Health Day Part 2: Imposter Syndrome & Pandemic Stress

How do we even start. As I sit down to get some ideas on the page here, I\’m feeling that familiar knot in my stomach and heat rising to my cheeks. It\’s the age old imposter syndrome lighting a little doubt in my mind. Who am I to have the authority to write advice on… Continue reading World Mental Health Day Part 2: Imposter Syndrome & Pandemic Stress

World Mental Health Day: Part 1

(Author\’s Note: I wrote this last winter, before pandemics, before isolation and self- monitoring. But it has sat on my computer waiting for the right moment to be shared. Almost a year later, here we are) Popped my kids into bed. Let them snuggle into my big king sized bed because, how long are… Continue reading World Mental Health Day: Part 1

Back to School in 2020

Back to School 2020 There has been no shortage of mulling and debating and thinking leading up to this back to school time. Our household has been in full vacation mode (for the kids anyways) for the last 4-5 months. Bedtimes are at sunset, mornings include television, relaxed breakfasts, and pyjamas until noon sometimes. The… Continue reading Back to School in 2020

Health in the Media

Health in the Media Today, I spent some time on Twitter, sifting through the vast amount of medical information, shortened into only a few characters at a time, spouting information and misinformation about coronavirus, vaccination, weight loss, health and wellness. I encountered many profiles with \”MD\” after their name, challenging the pandemic response as \”political\”… Continue reading Health in the Media

Mastering the Telephone Doctor\’s Appointment

If I hear the word \”new-normal\” one more time, I don\’t know what I am going to do. New-normal makes me think about what was, in the past, and then reminds me of what I\’m missing, which is the exact trap many of us get caught in when reminiscing and staying in our heads and… Continue reading Mastering the Telephone Doctor\’s Appointment

5 Things to Know about Sunscreen

5 Things To Know About Sunscreen Let\’s start with the hard truths and head down from there. Sunscreen, when worn regularly, significantly reduces the development of squamous cell carcinoma, basal cell carcinoma, and melanoma. (1)(2) You need to apply the right amount (one shot glass should do the whole body, and reapply every few hours… Continue reading 5 Things to Know about Sunscreen