It really does take a village, below are a few connections that might just bring you where you need to be.
People ask me on the regular where to find a good Naturopath or Herbalist or "where in the city they can get ________?" This list is a resource for people who are looking for healthy, natural choices for shiz and rather than repeat it numerous times, I could send them to this page and BOOM! I live in Calgary, Canada and support local so Western Canada is heavily represented. This list is by no means exhaustive, rather it is a smattering of businesses and practitioners that I have personal experience with. I get no kickbacks from these businesses, I am only suggesting them because I like them. Contact me with feedback and suggestions.
Calgary and Area Holistic Lifestyle Resources
Real Food Sources:
Community-Supported Agriculture Calgary and area - If you don't forage or grow your own food, this is the best way to ensure that your food continues to be grown close to you (This is an Alberta link, do an Internet search to locate the CSA's close to you)
Slow Food Calgary - An organization that can put you in touch with all kinds of local food producers, look for the Slow Food chapter near you.
Amaranth Market – 3 locations in Calgary, one in St. Albert
Blush Lane – Calgary and Edmonton
The Light Cellar – Not only an awesome elixir bar, but also amazing food stuffs, especially raw, in-store made chocolate and ferments of all kinds and bulk nuts, seeds, dried fruits, super food powders herbs and their tinctures and teas plus personal care items. They also host diverse classes and workshops.
Whole Food Friendly Restaurants and Cafés:
The Coup – Vegetarian cuisine, sustainably sourced with an emphasis on local and yummy.
NoTable and The Nash – Locally-focused, whole foods driven with consciously-harvested animal foods.
Euphoria Café (Dalhousie) - Great drinks, Paleo and Gluten-Free Friendly
The Light Cellar (Bowness) - One of the best. Super foods, elixirs, fermented foods.
Amaranth 4th Street Market - At the gateway to Mission, pick up soup, a sandwich and salads
Community Natural Foods 10 Street - Whole Food buffet-style
Food Delivery and Meal Planning Services (Calgary and area:)
Food-Makers and Medicinal Proveyors: Let’s face it, with most of us living like time-crunched hamsters, sometimes we need some fast food. Here’s some small, local and efficient companies who are really making some good stuff that doesn't sacrifice quality:
New Earth Organics – Lots of medicinal mushrooms, but also herbs, pollens, dried berry powder, even popcorn. So good.
Okanagan Rawsome - A lovely little food-maker named Afke who, alongside her family, lives and creates in the, you guessed it! The Okanagan. Her raw, mostly organic, sprouted crisps can double as crackers, bread or cereal depending on your mood. (available at local Calgary retailers)
Emery Herbals - Not only are Colleen's tinctures and essential oil blends second to none, her herbal tea blends are pure magic. (not available at retail outlets in Calgary, order online)
Harmonic Arts – Great herbs and elixir mixes, like some of the best and located on Vancouver Island. (available at local retailers)
Oso Bueno - A super nice Bone Broth.
Animal Protein Providers: If you’re going to eat meat, please do yourself and the planet a favour - choose healthy and well-cared for animals and don’t eat meat every day. Responsible hunting is also a guaranteed way to ensure that you are consciously sourcing your animal products.
Butchers:
Go to the farmer’s market or ask around and find a farmer who raises animals ethically and compassionately. Here's a few I've used:
Slow Food Calgary – A great resource to find other local producers
Physical Education: A critical part of whole body nutrition is movement, we have access to some of the most beautiful natural areas in the world. Also some options for getting your groove on in indoor locales.
Tao of Peace - Calgary Martial Arts Studio
Yoga and Meditation: Some local studios that I like to frequent. I also like certain teachers so I follow them around so do check their sites’ schedule for various studio locations. There are so many yoga studios in Calgary, just check out your local studios if you are interested!
Akshobya Kadampa Buddhist Centre – a great little Buddhist Centre for meditation in Calgary and around Alberta.
Vidasana Living – Jenelle is a great yoga instructor and a holistic nutritionist as well!
Calgary And area NATURAL HEALTH PRACTITIONERS
Contact details can be ever-changing, do an internet search for their name and see what comes up!
Naturopathic
Chiropractic
Osteopathic
Raakhee Manro – Osteopathic Wellness Centre, (403) 243 5578
Traditional Chinese Medicine
Lisa Weleschuk, TCMD, R. Ac. - Auricular Medical practice
Katie Li-Broussard, TCMD, R. Ac. - Prenatal support
Neelam Sandhu, TCMD, R. Ac.
Chris Munstermann, R. Ac
Massage Therapy
Amber Caine, RMT – 403-510-6460
Miranda Buchanan, RMT
Herbalism
Colleen Emery, M.H. (Winlaw, B.C., does distance consultations)
Psychology and Coaching
Fearless Performance Coaching - Kelly Page, Certified Life Coach - one of my colleagues and someone who's wisdom I draw on regularly. Kelly is very skilled at helping navigate through fears and setbacks and is excellent and guiding goal-setting and moving ideas into motion.
Katie Turner, Registered Psychologist
Maggie Lindsay, Registered Psychologist
Holistic Nutrition
Obviously, you are here so you know that I am a Certified Holistic Nutritional Consultant. My practice emphasizes mindful family eating based on ancestry and current lifestyle conditions. I rely on clients developing their own intuitive foundation to achieve optimum individual and functional health. That said, I recognize that our individuality means we may work more effectively with other practitioners. I am fortunate enough to know a few amazing nutritional practitioners in Calgary and we each have certain areas in which we excel. My sole purpose is to help you and so whether you work with me or anyone in this resource list matters little, what really matters is that you realize your highest health-making potential. I am happy to recommend any of the following colleagues:
Amy Bondar - Amy is a Nutritional Therapist with expertise in Ayurveda, Eating Psychology and a deeply intuitive practitioner.
Dandelion Nutrition - Meghan Hickie specializes in upgrading meals and seasonal eating. She is also very knowledgeable in family nutrition, both pre- and post-natal.
Good Food and You - Luka Symons is a GAPS-certified practitioner and a master fermenteur. Luka makes careful and thoughtful recommendations with equal parts humour and inspiration. Her knowledge of microbiome, anti-inflammatory and histamine-modulating protocols is outstanding.
Emery Herbals - Colleen Emery has appeared about three times on this resource list, but her knowledge and wisdom around nutrition is vast and she has saved our family's health more than a few times, so it's justly deserved.
More Resources from around the web (in no particular order:)
FOOD NUTRITION:
Weston Price Foundation - Information on traditional foods and lifestyle.
Three Lily Provisions - Killer recipes and online classes from a sweet little family in Maine, USA.
Find A Spring - A great grassroots database for finding fresh springs so that you can harvest the purest water on earth, especially North American-focused, but they are expanding quickly. Locations are submitted by users.
Surthrival - Pretty sweet and well-curated herbs, supplements and accoutrements from a rewilding and nature-aligned perspective (American, so mind the exchange.)
Whole Life Nutrition – Beautiful recipes, beautiful advice.
Empowered Sustenance - Grain-free recipes and advice on clean living.
David Wolfe - Super Foods expert.
ECOLOGICAL, ENVIRONMENTAL NUTRITION:
www.ewg.org – Environmental Working Group – home of the Dirty Dozen and the Clean Fifteen
MENTAL, SPIRITUAL NUTRITION:
Dan Siegel - Wheel of Awareness
Thich Nhat Hanh - Plum Village
PHYSICAL NUTRITION:
Katy Bowman (Nutritious Movement) - Biomechanist and movement educator who, seriously, is so good. SO GOOD.
Stefano Tripney (Victoria, B.C. and online) This dude is one of my most favourite movement teachers. If you can work with him, do.
Brea Johnson (Heart and Bones Yoga, Edmonton and Internationally) Another absolute delight of a human being and movement warrior, Brea is redefining yoga, literally from the ground up.
MovNat - International Natural Movement teachers
PARENTING NUTRITION:
Tao of Peace Peaceful Parents Program - Calgary-based program out of Tao of Peace Martial Arts studio, also I highly recommend Instructor Chris Leigh-Smith's book Bully Proof
Ask the Planet (Biomimicry Institute) – this is a great resource for parents and teachers to look at ways to get our kids involved in nature and connected to the great mother, ol' planet earth.
Kim John Payne - Author of amazing books like Simplicity Parenting and The Soul of Discipline
Susan Stiffelman - Parenting in the digital age amongst other nuggets of wisdom
GENERAL LIFESTYLE NUTRITION:
Many of the above resources are full of lifestyle inspiration, but below are some who really teach about more than just food.
Emery Herbals - Did I mention what a useful well of information (and products) this one is?
Nutritious Movement: Also worth mentioning a few hundred times, Katy's podcasts and writings are enough to blow your mind, not just about physical movement, but the greater societal implications of a sedentary lifestyle.
Kim Anami: A sex and self-improvement educator who is 100% not for the faint of heart, she goes deep (yes, that is the right word,) into the world of sexual health, touching on the physical, mental and spiritual benefits of nourishing one's libido.
Daniel Vitalis: A thoughtful nutritional wisdom educator and re-wilding expert. His podcast is awesome as is his line of whole food supplements (via the aforementioned company, Surthrival)
Arthur Haines - Botanist, Neo-aboriginal Lifeway Advocate, Environmental Steward and Educator.
Living Libations - Nadine Artemis' skin and beauty care oils are absolutely divine, but not one to stop there, her dental care products are pretty sweet too. A Canadian company with American connections, these guys give good face, check out their online store. (For Calgarians, her products are also available at a Sunnyside Market and The Light Cellar.)
Heart of Nourishment – Halé Sofia Schatz is a lovely spiritual nutrition resource. Her cleanse is one of my favourites.