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Higher Health Naturopathic Centre & IV Lounge
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08/28/2026

Chewing ICE? Your iron might be low. 🧊 Repost Dr. Tara Campbell, ND 👌

It sounds strange, but a persistent craving for ice has a name: pagophagia, a form of pica.

And it can sometimes show up when your iron stores are running low.

Here’s where it gets interesting:

You can have low iron before you become anemic.

A standard CBC can tell us things like your hemoglobin and hematocrit.

But it doesn’t necessarily tell us how much iron you have stored.

That’s where ferritin comes in.

So you may be told your bloodwork is “normal” while still dealing with things like:

✅ fatigue
✅hair shedding
✅brain fog
✅restless legs
✅poor exercise recovery
✅craving or chewing ice

None of those symptoms automatically mean low iron.

There are plenty of other possible causes.

But if they sound familiar, it may be worth pulling up your last bloodwork and asking one simple question:

Was my ferritin actually checked?

And one important note: low ferritin doesn’t automatically mean you need an iron infusion.

Sometimes food is enough. Sometimes oral iron makes sense.

And sometimes the bigger question is why your iron is low in the first place.

If you’re not sure what your bloodwork means or what to check next, we offer a free 15-minute call with a licensed practitioner at Higher Health.

No pressure. Just a place to start.

Save this post, and send it to the person who is always crunching on ice. 🧊

08/01/2026

Exhausted, shedding more hair than usual, and always cold? This is for you. Repost Dr. Tara Campbell, ND

Low iron could be playing a role.

But here’s where many people get confused:

one iron number, or being told your results are “in range”,doesn’t always give you the full picture.

There are 3 blood-work markers worth looking at together:

🩸 Ferritin

This reflects the iron your body has stored.

🩸 Hemoglobin

This helps show whether low iron has progressed to anemia.

🩸 Transferrin saturation

This tells us how much iron is actually available for your body to use.

Your numbers matter, but so do your symptoms.

We also need to understand why your iron may be low, whether oral iron has helped, and whether it has caused side effects.

Because you shouldn’t have to keep guessing why you still feel exhausted.

Have recent blood work but aren’t sure what it means?

Book a complimentary iron screening consultation.

We’ll review your results with you.

Explain what the numbers mean in plain language, and help you understand the most appropriate next step.

Are you still following a Low FODMAP diet without reintroducing foods? Repost Irina Chan 👌Remember, Low FODMAP is meant ...
08/01/2026

Are you still following a Low FODMAP diet without reintroducing foods? Repost Irina Chan 👌

Remember, Low FODMAP is meant to be temporary. The reintroduction phase is where you learn your personal triggers, expand your diet, and build confidence around food.

07/25/2026

Heavy periods don’t just affect your quality of life, they can also deplete your iron stores over time. Repost Keara Taylor 👌.

If your periods are heavier or coming closer together, it’s important to have your iron & ferritin levels checked. Low iron can contribute to fatigue, brain fog, shortness of breath, headaches, and poor exercise tolerance.

And if you’ve tried iron supplements before and they upset your stomach, don’t give up. There are many different formulations available, and for some women, IV iron may be an appropriate option.

Test and Treat. Don’t just live with it 🤍

07/22/2026

One of the hardest parts of struggling with infertility wasn’t just the waiting, the grief, or the uncertainty—it was the advice. 🤷‍♀️. Repost Dr. Laura von Hagen, M.Sc, Fertility ND

“Just relax.”
“It’ll happen when you stop trying.”
“Maybe you’re too stressed.”
“Just go on vacation.”
“I know someone who got pregnant as soon as they stopped thinking about it.”
🙈
I know these comments are usually made with good intentions. People want to help. They want to fix something that feels impossible to fix.
But as someone who has experienced infertility—and now as a fertility-focused Naturopathic Doctor—I can tell you that these comments often add to the pain instead of easing it.
Infertility is not a problem that can be solved with clichés or unsolicited advice. What most people need isn’t another suggestion. They need someone who is willing to sit with them in the hard moments, without trying to make them feel better.
If someone you care about is struggling to conceive, resist the urge to offer advice or silver linings. Instead, try:
💛 “I’m so sorry you’re going through this.”
💛 “I’m here to listen.”
💛 “How can I support you?”

Sometimes the most healing thing you can do is simply listen.

If you’ve been on the receiving end of hurtful fertility advice, know you’re not alone. And if you love someone navigating infertility, your presence matters far more than your opinions.

Let’s normalize listening instead of fixing. ❤️

If this is everything you ate today, eating less may be the last thing your body needs.The scale can go down while your ...
07/15/2026

If this is everything you ate today, eating less may be the last thing your body needs.

The scale can go down while your body gets weaker.

That’s the part women are rarely warned about.

Coffee for breakfast.
A small salad for lunch.
A light dinner.

And somehow, you still think the answer is to eat less.🚨

But there comes a point when eating less stops being a strategy, and starts becoming underfueling.

Your body needs enough food and protein to maintain muscle.

And after 40, that muscle becomes even more important for your strength, bone health and metabolism.

When you consistently underfuel, you may feel tired, recover poorly and gradually lose muscle.

And if the weight eventually returns, the muscle you lost doesn’t automatically return with it.

You could end up near the same number on the scale, but with less muscle than when you started.

So before you cut another meal, ask yourself:

**Am I eating too much, or have I been giving my body too little for too long?**

If this sounds familiar, book a free consultation with our team at Higher Health.

We’ll help you take a closer look at what your body may actually need.

07/09/2026

What tests can help us investigate your digestive symptoms? 👇 Repost Irina Chan 👌.

🦠 GI-MAP Test: Uses a stool sample to assess your gut microbiome, looking at bacteria, parasites, yeast, digestive function, and markers of inflammation.

🍽️ Food Sensitivity Test: Helps identify foods that may be contributing to your symptoms. Results should always be interpreted alongside your symptoms and confirmed through a strategic food elimination and reintroduction process to determine whether you’re truly sensitive to certain foods.

💨 SIBO Breath Test: Measures gases in your breath to help determine whether bacterial overgrowth in the small intestine may be contributing to bloating, gas, reflux, abdominal discomfort, or changes in bowel habits.

These tests are tools that help us better understand what’s happening in your gut so we can create a personalized treatment plan that’s right for you!

🍁 Happy Canada Day from all of us at Higher Health! 🍁Patios, lake days, road trips, backyard everything.Summer in Canada...
07/01/2026

🍁 Happy Canada Day from all of us at Higher Health! 🍁

Patios, lake days, road trips, backyard everything.

Summer in Canada is short and we intend to enjoy every minute of it. (We earned it. Remember this past winter?)

But here’s the thing we tell our patients all the time: feeling good in the summer isn’t about being “perfect.”

It’s about not letting the good habits quietly slide while you’re having fun.

A few things worth keeping on your radar this summer season:

💧 Hydration — easy to forget when you’re busy living your best dock life
🥩 Protein at every meal — it keeps your energy steady and your muscles happy
☀️ Sunshine and shade — both matter
😴 Sleep — long days are great, but your body still keeps score

Enjoy Canada Day. Eat the food. See your friends and family.
Just don’t ghost your health while you’re at it. 😉

From our team to you; Happy Canada Day. 🇨🇦

P.s. we are open July 2 with regular business hours. Hope to see you soon.

Team HH

You win if you can match all the HH Dads to Daughters! Game on 🙌 🩷Dr. Laura von Hagen, M.Sc, Fertility ND Dr. Madeleine...
06/26/2026

You win if you can match all the HH Dads to Daughters! Game on 🙌 🩷

Dr. Laura von Hagen, M.Sc, Fertility ND
Dr. Madeleine Miconi, ND
Irina Chan Walker (not on insta)
Kristle Tidalgo
Cansu Yarımdağ
Jill Hillhouse
Dr. Tara Campbell, ND
Ellie June

Elevated ferritin in PCOS isn’t always as simple as “too much iron” 🔬✨ Repost Dr. Laura von Hagen, M.Sc, Fertility ND 👌....
06/15/2026

Elevated ferritin in PCOS isn’t always as simple as “too much iron” 🔬✨ Repost Dr. Laura von Hagen, M.Sc, Fertility ND 👌.

As a Toronto ND with a clinical focus on PCOS, I often explain that ferritin can rise in PCOS for multiple reasons; and understanding the “why” matters.
Here are 3 major drivers 👇

💥 Insulin resistance

This appears to be one of the biggest contributors. Higher insulin levels may increase iron absorption and storage in the body. Interestingly, studies show ferritin levels can improve when insulin sensitivity improves.

🩸 Irregular or missing periods

Many people with PCOS experience oligomenorrhea or amenorrhea, meaning less monthly blood loss — and therefore less iron loss over time.

🔥 Chronic low-grade inflammation

PCOS is associated with ongoing inflammation, which can raise ferritin as part of the body’s inflammatory response, even when true iron overload isn’t present.

This is why elevated ferritin should always be interpreted in context 🧠

Looking at markers like transferrin saturation, CRP, symptoms, and metabolic health can help paint a much clearer picture.

Let’s decipher your whole picture.

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