Dr. Sarah DiMunno, ND
85 the East Mall M8Z 5W4 Toronto, ON, Canada

Sunday is my favourite day! 1) It’s coffee day for me 2) It’s the day that I focus on refilling my cup Because you can’t pour from an empty cup . What’s your favourite Sunday ritual? Mine is slowly drinking coffee on the couch, going for a walk with a good podcast/music, and actually getting to read my book!

Hands up if you have ever lied to your employer about your period? . It would be totally normal and acceptable to tell your boss that you can’t come into work because of a headache or cold/flu. But period related illness is dealt with shame and secrecy even though it is something that about HALF the population experiences every single month (or has at some point) . Let’s normalize period talk! Do you have cramps? Do you feel anti-social and tired? Speak up! Period... related symptoms definitely get worse when you try to push past them, making you less productive at work! So it’s really in their best interest too. . If your period symptoms are so bad that they are leading to monthly sick days that’s too many days! DM me SICKDAYS if you want to chat about strategies around reducing sick days See more

The impact of the pandemic on friendships . I saw an article the other day titled this and it really stood out to me. Maybe it’s because I really freaking MISS my friends . BUT in general, I feel like we’ve morphed social distancing into social isolation. Our social circles are dwindling as time goes on and we are reaching out less and less.... . Community is SO important for overall health and sense of well-being. If you are feeling a little stagnant about finding community in the pandemic, here are some ideas that have gotten me connected (safely) recently. . Joining @makelemonadeco Get Sh*t Done Club I forgot how much I loved making new connections until I joined this virtual co-working space filled with like minded bad-ass babes You can join calls 4 days a week to keep motivated and connected Joining @herlightcollective for their community & connection event series okay this one hasn’t happened yet but I’m just so excited about it! Every Thursday evening for the next 4 weeks, you can join this Hamilton based group in the calls to make all the connections Virtual live work outs with @bootybymich These make me feel like I’m not alone when working out. Something nice about knowing others are doing it in real time with me . Honourable mention: calling a friend you haven’t spoken to in awhile and not letting the fact you have nothing going on get in the way! . I’m so curious! What are you doing to safely connect !? I’m so open for more ideas See more

A poop a day keeps the excess estrogen away . Estrogen is eliminated from the body through the colon. Constipation aka less than one bowel movement a day causes the estrogen your body is trying to get rid of to stick around and then reabsorb YUCK! This adds to the estrogen your body already has creating TOO much estrogen or estrogen dominance . If you have problems like:... heavy flow painful cramps mood swings prior to your period premenstrual headaches have #PCOS or #endometriosis . AND don’t have regular bowel movements, you NEED to get regular for your hormone health! . Did you know your gut and hormones are connected? See more

Celebrating my top 3 wins of 2020 1. PODCAST INTERVIEWS - my big goal for 2020 was to educate more and I found podcasts are a great way to do this. You can find my latest interview on @fertilityacademy talking all about unpacking #PCOS 2. PRESCRIBING LICENSE - I used that extra time in lock down to study hard and am happy to say I now have extended prescribing rights which include high dose Vitamin D, desiccated thyroid, and bio-identical progesterone and estrogen. ... 3. LAUNCHED A NEW WEBSITE - to be honest this one has been haunting me for a while but better late then never. Check out my new website www.sarahdimunno.com (or see my link in bio) and let me know what you think! My point is sometimes it takes slowing down and reflecting to remind us of the good around us too. Now I want to hear from you - comment below and let me know what wins you are celebrating too

Posted @withregram @doctormargotnd we're back! EPISODE TWO: "DOING THE WORK" @doctormargotnd and I will dive deep into what self care looks like to us, how we work through our shadows, how we show up and up level... It may even get a little witchy ... join us monday at 8pm - instagram live

It’s been shown that period tracking apps aren’t super accurate for identifying ovulation, especially when used alone ! . Instead, timing intercourse using your own signs and symptoms of ovulation makes it more likely to lead to pregnancy in normal individuals. . You should be looking out for: ... Changes in basal body temperature The presence of fertile cervical mucous - think egg white like Changes in your cervix - the donut at the top of your vaginal canal (also known as the place your doc would swab for a PAP test) Surges in LH seen on ovulation predictor kits . This can be so confusing to navigate. To help @goodpointwellness and I will be hosting an IG Live on Dec 8th @ 7 pm chatting about Naturally Supporting Your Fertility From Home #wfh See more

Very excited to announce I’ll be hosting a insta live series along with my naturopathic bestie and soul sista @doctormargotnd . We talk so much about these topics on our own time, we thought we would open up the conversation to all of you. . First up we’ll be chatting about what healthy living looks like to us, including our daily health hacks, and that our idea of health isn’t being perfect of the time. ... . Join us on Monday, nov 9th @ 8 pm See more

There has always been a little part of me that has shied away from owning the diagnosis of endometriosis . Here’s the thing - the gold stand of diagnosing endometriosis is surgery (and even that’s not 100%). It’s not seen visually with the naked eye or typically on ultrasound. Many women, including myself, don’t get to the point of getting the laparoscopic procedure. Many women are walking around undiagnosed. . Even with the debilitating cramps, missed events and sick days..., I question whether the amount of pain makes me worthy of the diagnosis. . A little while back, I had the pleasure of being interviewed by @thenourishedgoddess podcast where I shared my personal experience with endo and how naturopathic medicine helped me. . Please share with anyone you know who has had bad menstrual cramps or endometriosis! You can listen here or check my link in bio -> Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com//06-nourish-your-/id1500620078 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/episode/2KYuA6oed625tu8R4UxzgA

SURPRISE I’m talking periods again . This Friday I’m joining forces with @roreymoon crystal explorer to help you ignite your inner goddess . We’ll be covering the menstrual health basics you need to know to level up your self care. Did you know self care changes depending on what cycle day you are? (If you don’t know what a cycle day is then you DEFINITELY need to be there) ... . We’ll be pairing that with the expertise of @roreymoon who has been exploring the use of crystals and wants to help you figure out which crystals might help you with your period! Cool huh? . We’ll be hoping on IG Live at 7:00 pm Friday, June 19 . Put your favourite moon emoji in the comments if you plan on coming See more

Something I’ve heard a lot from my patients lately is that they have fallen out of their workout routines. Guess what? You aren’t alone!! . Speaking about working out can be particularly trigging for some and can create a lot of shame. The workout industry wants us to believe that in order to be worthy we need to do crazy exercises everyday. . That’s not my workout philosophy. My workout philosophy is to first and for most to do what feels good for your body and listen to wh...at it needs. TBH the only exercise I’ve gotten in the last 2 months is going on neighbourhood walks because my body didn’t feel like it could handle much more. . Recently, I’ve been craving more movement and this was my morning set up brought to you by @bootybymich I signed up for her new subscription yesterday because it was exactly what I needed to give myself that extra little push to get started. . Finding an exercise you are excited to do, finding an accountability partner (like a friend), adding on a walk after something you already do regularly are all great ways to get back to more movement. . But above all listen to what your body is telling you REST, jump, DANCE, nap - it’s all okay and you are still worthy at the end of the day no matter what! See more

Good news gradually re-opening for in-person appointments . As restrictions are lifted, we are heading back into our new normal. Things might not look exactly how they used to at the clinic but they are in place for our safety! . To ease back in I’m starting to open up my schedule for in-person appointments on Saturdays from 9 am to 1 pm for acupuncture only over the next few weeks. ... . I will keep open the rest of my schedule on Tuesday’s from 4-8 pm and Wednesday’s from 1-8 pm for naturopathic consultations via the phone or virtually. . I’m really excited to get back to seeing everyone with our new protocols in place :) See ya soon xx See more

I think everyone has dealt with this unprecedented time differently. It's been easy to chalk up how you've been feeling to the stress of it all...which is probably true. But what if I told you, that stress is one of the most under-rated culprits of hormonal imbalances. ... Here is a quick self-screen to see if you have cortisol dysregulation: - You are exhausted all the time or wired but tired - You have trouble falling asleep, or consistently wake up between 2-4 am - You get spotting with your menstrual cycle or your cycle length isn't consistent - You "crash" and feel worse after exercise - You feel unmotivated for seemingly simple tasks like making dinner - Your digestion is overall slow - You get heart palpitations and get easily overwhelmed - You are unable to do as much as you used to Does this sound familiar? Dysregulated levels of cortisol, our stress hormone, could be why you are feeling this way and it's NOT healed by going away to a tropical island. Or else you probably would have healed yourself by now... It takes intentional actions and it may actually require some additional help. As things get back to a new normal, it might a great time to start thinking about how you want to show up differently in this world. . Comment if you want to show up with you strong body and mind!

Who run the world - MOMS! . Happy Mother’s Day to all of the mamma bears out there! To the new moms, the ones on year 30 of parenting, the ones who we have lost, the ones that stepped in as moms, to those who lost a child, to every sense of the meaning of MOM You ladies are kicking butt! #mothersday

Had the pleasure of being interviewed yesterday and found out I’m not a boring friend of Bills Listen up on the Bill is Boring podcast for my interview on male and female hormones, periods and afternoon delight

I’m going to say something that might be an unpopular opinion... . . . You do not need to eat breakfast foods for breakfast ... . Specific, breakfast foods is a very North American concept. Typical foods that fit this category are highly processed and pumped full of sugar. Even things like instant oatmeal have a ton of added sugar in them. . I love love love eggs for breakfast but because I’m doing an elimination diet these are no bueno (might be brushing up on Spanish) haha So, what’s a girl to eat? . When patients feel limited in breakfast options, I challenge them to think outside the box and eat meals that they would typically save for later in the day. Like what about soup for breakfast, right @michellekaplerwellness ? . What you eat for breakfast is really just breaking your overnight fast..get it? The food you choose to start your day has the power to set you up for success . Would you ever do something as crazy as eat non-breakfast food for breakfast? See more

The most common elimination diet mistakes . If you missed it, my partner and I are taking advantage of social isolation to do an elimination diet. We’re eliminating the most common food sensitivities for 6 weeks and then we’ll introduce them one at a time to test if we react to them. But it got me thinking about my patients who have tried elimination diets without gaining any insight . Here are my do NOT’s when doing an elimination diet:... UNCOMMITTED REMOVAL - Not strictly avoiding foods or removing foods for long enough will make it very hard to notice a difference in symptoms. It takes 6 WEEKS for only half of your immune system to get rid of past food reactions so it’s so necessary to wait at least 6 weeks (but 12 is better) to re-introduce. Also, your body can react to even the smallest exposure so best to be very strict about foods you suspect as culprits. REPLACING WITH PROCESSED FOOD - There is such a learning curve when making any lifestyle change but please don’t replace with many fake products like fake cheese or meat. Those products are usually extremely processed and can cause more problems than the foods you eliminated in the first place. RUSHING THE RE-INTRODUCTION PHASE - I get it, you probably are missing some of your old faithfuls by the end of the elimination phase but re-introducing foods too quickly will ruin all the hard work you’ve put in the front end because it’ll be too hard to pin point reactions which is the whole point! . Also, forgetting to have fun with it. The pic above, with the exception of the tomato, is elimination diet friendly. It doesn’t mean you have to stop eating entirely. It’s an opportunity to explore new ways of eating to feel and look your best. . If you are guilty of the above, it may be worth doing again or you might be more suited to doing food sensitivity tested for a tailored approach See more

Sometimes our regular scheduled thought process needs to be interrupted and redirected . I’ll start - SPECTACULAR what’s yours? . .... . . Graphic from #MAWB See more

Modern morning hangs with my favourite NDs

Does this pic make me look like I have #endo? . I’m going to go ahead and say not at all! You can’t pick out #endometriosis sufferers just by looking at them. In fact, endo isn’t even that obvious to the medical system, with it taking an average of over 10 years to get a diagnosis!! . In case you don’t know, endometriosis is a condition where the inner layer of the uterus attaches to places where it shouldn’t causing DEBILITATING pain. For some it’s just around menstruation ...and for others it’s all goddamn month. . My point is I suffer along with many other women (10% of women have this) and you would never know just by looking at us. . So, I am telling you and will be for the month of March because it’s #endometrosisawarenessmonth My goal is to take you through my entire cycle and educate you on the self care I do totally dependant on each phase. If you don’t have endo and want to leverage your cycle this will still be helpful for you too See more

When you try to plan too many things for one day, and @doctormargotnd buys you a daily planner to help you #prioritize . Who else is guilty of this? I am a firm believer we can have it all, but maybe not all at once. It’s easy to get overwhelmed when trying to do it all, especially in one day. Picking your top 3 priorities can minimize overwhelm and increase focus. . Even this ND needs a reminder to keep it simple sometimes

Do you ever feel tired or bloated after drinking smoothies in the winter? . I just started using smoothies in my morning routine again but my constitution especially doesn’t love cold things in the winter. . In Asian medicine, winter is the time for eating warm and cooked foods because the temperature is cold outside. This influences our digestive system too, so eating cold and raw foods like SMOOTHIES in the winter can slow down the already cold digestive system causing ...digestive upset and fatigue! . So here is what I do to warm up my winter smoothie: Add warming spices like ginger, turmeric, or cinnamon Using cooked fruit and veggies - parboil spinach prior to blending or using unsweetened apple sauce (got this one from @torontowhole30) Swap out banana for avocado for smoothie thickening. Bananas are cold, damp, and sweet! Not good for you stomach in the winter. . Voila smoothie still tastes great and you did some work for your digestive system! You hopefully will feel better too! . Do you swap raw foods for cooked in the winter? See more