Reiki Certification Courses

Reiki classes, which are a combination of lecture, discussion and practice, take place once a week for three weeks. Additionally, students are encouraged to become more familiar with their new-found gifts between classes and to share insights and questions the following week.

Level 1: Saturday, March 24th & 31st, and April 14th

Level 2: Saturday, May 5th, 12th & 26th

For more information and to register, please click here or
call us at 905.465.4595.

Naturopathic Medicine: Detoxification for a Healthy Body

Dr. Samantha Ristimaki, BSc, ND (Doctor of Naturopathic Medicine)

In the past, detox usually entailed fasting and drinking fluids. This unfortunately depletes the body of valuable nutrients that are required for the liver’s detoxification pathways. Fasting may even cause the body to become more toxic.

Today, naturopaths and functional medicine practitioners who understand the complex functions of the metabolic pathways of the liver can help recommend an individualized detoxification program that enhances the function of the liver. Specific detox plans can be created to deal with your health concerns.

Our environment and food are filled with pollutants. The liver is the major organ responsible for removing toxins from the body. When the body is stressed, the elimination processes do not function optimally to remove toxins and toxins that remain in the body are stored in fat cells. Over time, this can be linked to chronic illness.

People with specific health concerns should consider doing a cleanse to remove the internal factors that irritate the body and promote inflammation. Healthy people should be proactive in their health care and do a cleanse in the fall and spring to improve the body’s overall function.

Even healthy people should consult a naturopath before embarking upon a cleansing regime to design a program that is neither too harsh nor too gentle. Programs can be tailored to last anywhere from a few days to a few weeks. They can be as simple as eating a specific regime of healthier foods or as complex as utilizing supplements, sweating, sauna treatments and skin brushing to help rid the body of unwanted toxins.

Health conditions that may benefits from Detox • Allergies, sinusitis, asthma • IBS, Crohn’s disease, colitis, constipation and digestive problems • Arthritis and fibromyalgia • Chronic headache, fatigue, muscle tension and pain • Acne, eczema, psoriasis • Infertility

Please call us at 905.465.4595 for more information
and to book your appointment with Dr. Samantha Ristimak.

For pricing information please click here.

40% of children and 20-30% of adults are suffering from ALLERGIES - Don’t be one of them!

By Dr. Brindusa Vanta, BSc, MD (Eur), HD (Hon), DHMS

Being a Medical Doctor and also a Homeopathic Doctor I have often been asked at this time of year: "What treatment would you choose for allergies?"

My answer is very simple: I would choose the most effective, long lasting, safest and of course, most natural treatment available.

THE PROBLEM:
A quick review of this condition:
Allergies are the result of inappropriate immune responses to normally harmless substances. Allergies, also called allergic rhinitis, can be seasonal or perennial (all-year-around symptoms). Allergens such as: grass, tree and flower polens, animal dandruff or molds, trigger symptoms in susceptible people; Allergy symptoms vary widely, from sneezing, watery eyes, and nasal congestion to severe rashes, swelling, and even shock. Allergies are also associated with eczema, sinusitis, ear infections and asthma (an estimated 38% of people with allergies will develop asthma).

If you suffer from allergies you are already familiar with conventional treatments and its results. Steroids provide more relief than antihistamines or nasal decongestants but they are also well known for side effects (weight gain, increased chance of infections, increased blood pressure, increased blood sugar, skin problems, mood changes, risk of stomach and duodenal ulcers, muscle weakness). Allergy shots are reserved for severe cases unresponsive to pharmacological agents.

THE SOLUTION:
Homeopathic Medicine is a branch of natural medicine that has a long history of success, being one of the most practiced form of medicine used worldwide (over 500 millions of people are using homeopathy worldwide). Homeopathic remedies are natural, free from any side effects and do not interfere with other forms of therapy. They are safe for everybody, including children, pregnant women, debilitated patients and pets. Rather than suppressing symptoms, Homeopathy seeks to stimulate the body’s defense mechanisms and processes so as to prevent and treat illness.

HOMEOPATHIC TREATMENT FOR ALLERGIES:
Any substance to which one is allergic can be made into a homeopathic remedy and used to desensitize the body. They are very effective and easy to use (pellets, tablets or drops). In case you don’t know exactly the substances you are allergic to other homeopathic remedies are available to treat acutely the symptoms of allergies.

Between allergy season a Homeopathic Doctor can prescribe you a so called "constitutional" remedy to eradicate allergy tendencies. Therefore, homeopathic treatment can remove the susceptibility, not just the symptoms, thus getting to the root of the problem.

Nutritional supplements can also help in reducing inflammation and supporting immune function: Quercetin, Bromelain, vitamins A, C and B complex.

SCIENTIFIC STUDIES ARE SUPPORTING THE EFFECTIVENESS OF HOMEOPATHY:
Homeopathic remedies are as effective as steroids for allergies, but free from any side effects. In 1991 British Medical Journal published the result of 107 controlled clinical studies effectuated over a 25 year period. 81 of these studies showed that homeopathy is beneficial in treating a wide range of medical conditions.

"Homeopathy helps 70% of patients with chronic disease" is the result of a recent 6 year study involving 6500 patients at Bristol Homeopathic Hospital and published in 2005.

Increasingly clinical studies are supporting the effectiveness of homeopathic medicine for many different conditions, including allergies.

"Homeopathy provoked a clear, significant and clinically relevant improvement in nasal inspiratory peak flow similar to that found with steroids" was the conclusion of a randomized, double blind and placebo controlled study that involved patients with perennial allergic rhinitis (British Medical Journal, august 2000).

GREAT CARE AT A GREAT FEE:
The cost of an initial visit to a licensed Homeopathic Doctor costs between $160- $400 in the Toronto/GTA area and doctors who have training in both conventional medicine and homeopathy tend to have higher fees. My regular fees for Classical Homeopathy are: $160 for initial visit and $70 for follow ups. Homeopathy like other specialized medical services is not insured under OHIP, however most extended healthcare plans are covering it.

Spring special: if you book your appointment before April 15, 2007 THE INITIAL ALLERGIES HOMEOPATHIC VISIT WITH ME WILL BE 1/3 the regular price - ONLY $60!

Please call us at 905.465.4595 for more information
and to book your appointment with Dr. Brindusa Vanta.

For pricing information please click here.