Journey to Naturopathy

Aspiring Naturopath. Fitness Geek. Health Fanatic. Instagram📷

[journeytonaturopathy]

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1WqOUBrA8YmR5QlnaKIhPAeg6KpfQ8iLp/view?usp=sharing

[journeytonaturopathy]

Vancouver Lessons

So...Vancouver blew my mind as you and everyone I know have heard me say countless times. The happiness, excitement, and peace I have felt during my week in Van made me realize that my desire to move out West is more than just an idea. I was lucky enough to have a chance to chat with two naturopathic doctors who I reached out to on my first day. Both offered me insight into the health climate and needs of patients in the Vancouver area. They were both very raw about both the good and the bad and offered me advice on where I should go from here. Overall, I have left Vancouver inspired to push my dreams forward, not only with moving out West, but also my personal and business aspirations that I may have minimized while I was in school. Like they say,” The time is NOW”.  

[journeytonaturopathy]

May 2, 2019

“We’re All in the Same Boat” is an exhibit at the Vancouver Aquarium depicting the crisis in our oceans. It accurately portrays the past, present and future characters in the evolution of plastic. 

Past -  man taking a polaroid picture of the plastic which was once glamourized and seen as revolutionary.

Present - women in the life preserver holding a plastic bottle representing the global complexities regarding oil, plastic, migration etc. 

Future - plastic boy and girl who document their reality with a hopeful intention of changing it via social media activism. 

My favourite part of the art was that the future boy and girl were made from plastic which seems ironic. According to the artist, this was purposefully done. “Plastic is in our food and in our water. It is now becoming harder to distinguish where our bodies end and where the synthetic world begins. But this can change. Everything can change for the better. And it can start here.” 

[journeytonaturopathy]

May 1, 2019

After getting to sleep at 10pm, tired from the travels and the time difference, I woke up at 6:30am and was ready to start my day. I rented a bike and headed to the sea wall trail through Stanley Park that BLEW. MY. MIND. I couldn’t stop smiling as I biked through 9km of beauty. Throughout the path I was surrounded by massive trees and the water and made stops along the way. My favourite being the beach where I read “The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F”, in the sand, overlooking the water and mountainous landscape. In other exciting news, I contacted two naturopaths who were originally Torontonians or studied at CCNM and now practice in Vancouver. I am talking to both of them this week and am so excited to learn from their path to where they are today. These are small steps I want to take now, early in my journey, so that I can open up doors and pursue my dream of calling this beautiful province my home.

[journeytonaturopathy]

 April 30, 2019

For years, I have had a burning desire to move to Vancouver. With naturopathy being quite widely accepted there, I pictured practicing at least for a few years out west, outside of where I have lived the past 23 years of my life. At this point, these ideas and dreams were developed based on images I had seen of Vancouver, my love for hiking, and stories I have heard from other travellers. Today, however, was the day that I finally arrived in my potential, future home. Last night before I slept I told myself to lower my standards and go into this trip without any expectations. When the plane was descending to land, I saw the peaks of the mountains and the lakes surrounding them. From merely an aerial view of Vancouver, I was already impressed -- blown away actually. Still trying to contain my excitement and expectations, I continued to have moments of awe from the airport train to a quick walk from my hostel. I have had multiple moments where my eyes have welled up with tears. I can’t explain these tears. Are they tears solely based off excitement and in awe of the beauty of this city? Or is there a part of me that also recognizes that this has increased my likelihood of moving out West, away from family, friends and comfortability. It’s too early to tell. I probably won’t truly know until I move. Surrounded by the ocean and mountains has given me this jolt of energy. I have been trying to get down to writing for this blog and have pushed it time and time again. But here I am, in the Buro Espresso Bar on Water St, so excited about what lies ahead in my journey.

[journeytonaturopathy]

Elimination Diet

I have just finished the 2 week elimination phase where I cut out all potential allergens/triggers. This included: eggs, dairy, red meats, citrus fruits, bananas, strawberries, soy, gluten, sweeteners etc. etc. etc. To be completely honest, this was hard at times, but overall it wasn’t as bad as I expected. It was also interesting that my cravings have been for savoury foods instead of my usual sweet tooth. For anyone interested in trying this out I stress the importance of PREPARING FOOD AHEAD OF TIME. You will struggle finding food at restaurants that don’t use the potential allergens, or who use a “no-no” oil, or salt instead of sea salt. Two words: MEAL PREP! 

The GOOD: 

-less fatigue, more productive, less bloating 

The BAD: 

-no convenience when eating, social settings, cravings 

[journeytonaturopathy]

Berry Blue Smoothie Bowl

1/2-2/3 c Frozen berries

1 c coconut milk

1/2 avocado

1 scoop greens

1 tbsp ground flax

Crunchy peanut butter

Shredded coconut

Granola of your choice

1) Blend the coconut milk, frozen berries, greens, flax and avocado. Add fruit/avacado for a thicker consistency.

2) Pour into large bowl and top with granola, coconut, and peanut butter.

3) Enjoy 😍

[journeytonaturopathy]

End of Orientation Week! So the first week at CCNM came to a close and now I have started my first week of classes. I am super excited to learn botanical medicine...plus it’s going to be an online lecture which means 2pm start instead of 9:30am ;). Dr. T in anatomy is an amazing prof with . Physiology is definitely going to be a challenge...but I’m up for it! This picture perfectly captures how important it will be for all of us to lean on each other when we need it. They will definitely play a huge role in supporting me and helping me get to where i need to be. 

xoxo Jess

[journeytonaturopathy]

Welcome Class of 2022! Today was my very first day at CCNM and first day of orientation week. The nerves were real and honestly at points I was very overwhelmed. Yet, today I was instilled with so much hope because of the amazing, positive, and welcoming community within this school. It was so easy to talk to not only people in my class, but teachers, staff, and even upper year students… something that is not always the case in all programs. Over the next couple of days, between school and work, I will be developing my personal mission statement to help keep me motivated and driven despite the hardships that I will face. Yes, this is not going to be easy, but I am so freaking excited to become a naturopath that any step in the process (this being a huge step) is exhilarating because it brings me that much closer to my dream.

-xoxo Jess

[journeytonaturopathy]

Exciting news!!

Hey everyone! I’m sorry I’ve been so M.I.A recently. I am going to be posting a lot more frequently to keep you guys engaged and excited. I got accepted into CCNM for the Doctor of Naturopathy in February so YAY!. I’ve been planning and working on various projects on the side. Stay tuned for more frequent posts, challenges, and personal updates to follow my journey.

xoxo Jess 

[journeytonaturopathy]

Coming close to the end of summer, I have come to realize the amount of b.s I have put in front of my own dreams, desires, and successes these past few months. Days kept passing without a drop of productivity other than my work which has drained me of all energy, but yet inspires me to continue on this health journey. I’m done accepting these obstacles. My excitement diminished for a brief period of time, but I’m over it. As Drake would says it’s really time to get my shit together. 

[journeytonaturopathy]

PREVENTION! This is the type of naturopath I would like to be. Not just one you visit for health problems, but one that you can trust with overall maintenance of health. One, like the doctors in the video, that will check up on patients and become a fundamental support in their journey to health. If you haven’t watched this movie, I highly recommend it. It opens your eyes to the healing power of food and many prevalent conditions which are entirely preventable. 

[journeytonaturopathy]

POST-M.I.A

Starting a job 4 days after finishing my last exam, probably wasn’t the smartest idea. Currently a chiropractic assistant for an amazing chiropractor focusing on the importance of correcting nerve supply, while also stressing the importance of diet, exercise, and mental well-being. While it hasn’t swayed my interest in naturopathy, it has definitely taught me a lot about the type of health care I want to offer my future patients AND some insight on the ins and outs of running my own practice. Current mood: empowered.

[empoweredwellnss-blog]

|| Empowered Journey || - A good reminder to embrace the path 🙏🏽 - “Life is a journey, not a destination.” - Ralph Waldo Emerson - #EmpoweredWellness #wisewords #wise #quote #ralphwaldoemerson #emerson #journey #life #learn #notadestination #livelife #smile #dream #dreams #practice #goals #goal #holistic #learning #livefully #knowledgeispower #lovelife #happiness #knowledge #purpose #quotes #love #wisdom #wellness #journeynotdestination -

[fitnesscall]

[atablefor1-blog]

Word.

[rosiitea]

[journeytonaturopathy]

POSITIVE VIBES