Gudrun Welder, Naturopathic Doctor

23/12/2025

December 2025 Newsletter-Emotional Connections and Health

Happy Holidays!

Merry Christmas!

The Clinic Reopens

Thursday,

January 8th, 2026

My embarrassment and the Holidays/

Christmas Connection

For many years my patients report to me that I am like a counselor. For years I was so embarrassed about this. I tried to discount the importance of feeling emotionally healthy. I wanted to be the “smart” Naturopath who helped people through “science”. I believed it was an exaggeration to say that emotional problems are the origin of physical health conditions.

By now I have tested this theory many times. I am acutely aware of how emotional health is the foundation for proper physical health

I have tried the “only science” route and watched my patients “heal” everything physically to the point that their physicians and specialists are saying there is no longer anything wrong... but they still feel and act as sick as when they were critically ill and they don’t improve.

I have also watched patients unwind certain beliefs and overcome outlandish diagnoses they were not supposed to get over. They feel great even when their symptoms say otherwise...and if they stay emotionally healthy, I watch the symptoms and health conditions gradually and almost effortlessly disappear.

What is the difference? How people feel about themselves and the emotional connections with or without others around them.

Here are some tips for different types of us this Holiday/Christmas Season:

Are you someone who consistently pours into other people at your own expense?

Consider whether you are enabling the people you are being “generous” to.

Consider whether your “generous” identity allows you to ignore your own uncomfortable thoughts.

Consider whether ignoring your health allows you a future to be the sick one who needs the help. This can be a very insidious and sticky unconscious plan that lurks beneath.

Are you someone who consistently worries about your own health or your own circumstances?

Consider whether you are blaming others for your own circumstances.

Consider whether you need other people or outside circumstances to change before you can change your own circumstances.

Consider being more generous to and curious about others in need (they may live in your household). You may get to see that you are not so alone in your struggles and that there are solutions you didn't know of.

Have you been trying to be the opposite of someone?

If you have been working your whole life to make sure you are not like someone else, you can now relax on that endeavor. You will likely never become someone who you have built yourself to be opposite of...unless you keep pushing this endeavor into the very place you were trying to avoid.

Do you feel lonely and alone during the holidays?

It can be so healing to really take stock of why you have separated yourself from others and make sure to only reach out to people who help you to stay centered. If you feel that you were in the wrong to separate yourself in the past, then do your best to make amends from your end and don’t worry about the outcome, just do your very best and know it’s enough.

Do you feel overwhelmed by people and responsibilities during the holidays?

It can be so healing to isolate yourself and focus on just yourself for just a moment.

May you find peace within yourselves that you can enjoy and/ or share with others.



Happy Holidays! Merry Christmas!

Happy New Year Everyone!



Sincerely

Dr Gudrun 

[email protected]

(289) 271-7033

02/12/2025

Newsletter November 2025:

Who needs immune support?

It is that time of year when some of us get frequent colds and flu. Many of my patients proudly tell me they “never” get sick. This is not something to be proud of. If you “never” get sick, this could be a sign that your immune system is actually too weak to mount a proper immune response.

How do we support our immune system
this time of year?
It is a beneficial process for our immune system to mount a healthy immune response 1-2 times per year. A healthy immune response is not a “sniffle” that goes away in a day or two. A robust immune response presents as fever, sinus congestion, chest cold, body aches, digestive symptoms, fatigue, etc lasting for more than 1-2 days. If you experience this process more often or less often than 1-2 times per year, you will likely benefit from more immune support. Here are some of my suggestions to help those who NEVER get sick or those who get sick more often than 1-2 times per year.

1. If you or your children are taking only 1000iu of vitamin D, consider increasing the amount of vitamin D. If your vitamin D is not liquid and emulsified into a creamy yogurt like color and consistency, then take your vitamin D with food.

2. Vitamin A or beta carotene is another fat soluble nutrient that is intrinsic to the immune system and often overlooked. Vitamin A is NOT typically a nutrient you need to take all year long. This time of year is a good time to integrate vitamin a into your supplementation.

3. Zinc, Selenium and Vitamin E are other immune supporting nutrients often overlooked and can also be integrated into your supplementation this time of year.

4. Although most of us wish we could get adequate nutrients from our food, we need to take stock of how much our food production has changed over the last 50 years. Most people require regular supplementation of vitamin C, magnesium, B complex and vitamin D throughout the year to support basic immune function.

5. Sometimes there is nothing “wrong” when you get sick. Continually taking a medicine that suppresses the immune response is really just putting off a process that eventually needs to happen. Feeling disappointed or frustrated in your immune system when it is working so hard, is not a great outlook. This belief often causes one to overlook the importance of supporting the immune system in doing its job. When your immune system asks you to slow down, it is best to rest and recover. Don’t forget to honor and value the process of your immune system mounting a cold or flu response.

As always, if you can't figure this out on your own, I am here to help.



Sincerely

Dr Gudrun 

[email protected]

02/12/2025

Newsletter October 2025:

Happy Thanksgiving everyone!

I would like to share the fabulous recipe for a chocolate quinoa cake. This is a classic. If you have not tasted a chocolate quinoa cake yet, suspend your initial thoughts. This cake is high in protein (for a cake), anti inflammatory and gluten free. It is so delicious, rich and moist. No one can taste that it is free from the grains that deplete your minerals.

This chocolate cake is life-changing! Super moist and ultra-decadent, you'd never know it was gluten-free!

02/12/2025

Sept 2025 Newsletter:

WHICH STAGE OF EXHAUSTION ARE YOU?
.. If you are stage 4, then most adaptogens you hear about in social currents will not help you.

There is a lot of information out there about "CORTISOL the fight or flight HORMONE" "STRESS" "BURNOUT". I see a lot of people trying to treat themselves with adaptogens like ashwagandha or ginseng in hopes of feeling better.

For the purpose of ease, I will simplify the cortisol dysregulation topic here and say that most adaptogens help by "lowering" cortisol. However many of you do not need your cortisol "lowered" any further because it was high for SO LONG, your cortisol is now actually TOO LOW. NOT TOO HIGH.

The two beginning stages of burnout look like stress, tension, insomnia, and the classic "wired but tired" presentation. That is when your cortisol is too "high".

Most of my patients are in the end stages (stage 3 or 4) of burnout. This looks like autoimmune developments, chronic fatigue and hormonal, metabolic and cognitive degradation. Often times these people have low blood pressure and their doctor has told them not to be afraid of salt but you can also have high blood pressure and be in the end stages of "burn out". These people benefit more from adequate minerals and mitochondrial medicine like b vitamins or coq10.

It's a big topic that I am still trying to understand after many years of experiencing, treating and studying. If you would like to learn more you could research "adrenal fatigue"(the older Naturopathic term) or "HPA axis dysfunction"(the newer functional medicine term). As always, if you can't figure this out on your own, I am here to help.

Administration email for booking appointments is: [email protected]

Booking link is:
https://mariposanaturopathicmedicine.janeapp.com

Clinic phone number is:
289-271-7033

Clinic location is:
46 Holland St East, Bradford
(Located on the south side of Holland St, just east of Simcoe Road)

Dr. Welder offers a very practical approach when addressing her patient’s needs. Grounded in current diagnostics, blood work and physicians reports, she helps her

02/12/2025

August 2025 Newsletter:

Are your hormones really the problem?

Right now male and female hormones are a Hot topic.

Why?

Medical Doctors have started saying that the previous science was wrong regarding the dangers of hormone replacement therapy.

Some nutritionists who seem to have a lot of time for social media and do not have the credentials to order foundational bloodwork claim that the hormone saliva tests they can order are more helpful than foundational bloodwork.

Personal trainers who have a lot of time for social media and also do not have the credentials to order foundational bloodwork claim that men need to take testosterone or other hormone precursors for good results.

What is missing?

"Fixing" hormone levels with hormones or hormone responsive treatments, is like washing your car in order to "fix" a broken engine and an empty gas tank.

Is assessing your body to "fix" it's own hormone balance difficult?

Nope! Blood tests that test the root causes of hormone imbalance are inexpensive and simple for me to order or your doctor can. Many of these blood tests cost less than $10 or are free from your family doctor. The DUTCH test that is sold by Nutritionists as an "answer to your hormone issues" costs around $600 and that test is still not addressing the root cause of hormone imbalance.

What are the main root causes of Hormone imbalance?

Inflammation, blood sugar or insulin signaling issues, nutrient deficiency, Liver conditions.

You can order comprehensive blood tests on all of these for around $100

Stop thinking your hormones are an "expensive mystery" and start helping yourself to feel better finally by looking at the FOUNDATIONS of health.

02/12/2025

June 2025 Newsletter:

Oat Milk is the New Margarine
There was a time when people were taught that margarine was more healthy for us than real butter. This “science” was taught to us through “scientists” who worked for companies like General Mills. Eating fake butter made from highly refined oils was NOT healthy for us. Although, it was definitely more healthy for General Mills’ pocket book!

If you are still choosing a spread made with canola oil like Becel or Earth Balance, I suggest you instead choose real butter, ghee or a vegan butter made from healthy oils that are not highly refined.

Unfortunately, the “cloaking” cheap ingredients as a “health food” trend still continues with oat milk. Oat milk is cheap to produce and companies can charge more for it because it is considered a “health” food.

While Casein in dairy can be inflammatory for many people, and lactose can be problematic for others, the proteins in oat milk do tend to be much more problematic than the regular cow milk you could pay less for.

I am not suggesting you continue dairy if you have an intolerance or allergy to casein, or do not have the enzymes to digest lactose.

I AM suggesting that you notice how oat milk makes you feel in comparison to whatever other choices you have available to you.

A move from regular cow milk to almond, coconut (soy no more than once per week) or other non-grain based milks, is generally a healthy move.

A move from cow milk to oat milk is not generally a move toward less inflammation.

Oat milk can generally show how it affects the body pretty quickly. Many foods do take 25 days for the exposure's inflammation to “peak” but oat milk can often effect how people feel that very day!

I recommend that we all try to critically think about what is being touted as “health” food and really pay attention to how you feel when you try these new “health” foods.

01/05/2025

Does your body know how to let your blood sugar go down?
What is your blood sugar doing while you fast or during the night when you sleep?

It is a good idea to figure out whether your blood sugar still drops in the evening or when you are fasting. Some of my patients are being told by their health practitioners to fast more or eat less but those suggestions are only causing their fasting blood sugar to increase and only worsening their symptoms of diabetes or weight loss resistance.

How do you tell whether your blood sugar is going up when you fast?

Compare your HBA1C (average blood sugar) to your fasting blood glucose (FBS fasting blood sugar) If your HBA1C is lower than your fasting blood sugar then likely your liver is using it's energy to create more sugar in your blood stream when your blood sugar tries to drop. This is a process called "gluconeogenesis". If that is happening it is actually time to eat more often and more healthy fats and protein throughout the whole day so that the liver will let your blood sugar do down again when you fast and in the evening when you sleep.

This process is also a reason why people wake up in the early hours of the morning becasue the body also creates cortisol when the liver is working to raise the blood sugar.

Some people will not do well eating less, exercizing more or taking medications that cause you to eat less. It's a good idea to make sure your blood sugar knows how to go down before you take on any of those changes

Sincerely

Dr Gudrun 

[email protected]

(289) 271-7033

NEW LOCATION - Refined Body (refinedbody.ca)

46 Holland St East, Bradford

(Located on the south side of Holland St, just east of Simcoe Road)

🗓️ Booking Appointments:

You can schedule your appointments online through our Jane Booking system: Book Now ,
https://mariposanaturopathicmedicine.janeapp.comto

to get started. If you prefer to book by phone or encounter any issues, feel free to call us at (289) 271-7033.

Expanded Clinic Hours:

Wednesday: 9 AM - 6 PM
Thursday: 9 AM - 6 PM
Friday: 9 AM - 6 PM
Saturday: 9 AM - 2 PM

🅿️ Parking:

We offer free parking spaces in front of the clinic.



Dr. Gudrun Welder

289-271-7033

[email protected]

Refined Body (refinedbody.ca)

46 Holland St East, Bradford

(Located on the south side of Holland St, just east of Simcoe Road)

⏰ Clinic Hours:

Wednesday: 9 AM - 6 PM
Thursday: 9 AM - 6 PM
Friday: 9 AM - 6 PM
Saturday: 9 AM - 2 PM

01/04/2025

We are thrilled to announce that Gudrun's new clinic in Bradford is officially opening April 1st 2025!

EXCITING ANNOUNCEMENT! Since I left the M&Y office location during the pandemic, I had not found another clinic "home" until now. I appreciate how many of you have stayed with me each move. I have finally found the clinic situation I can settle into because I am finally confident it will work best for me and my patients' needs. For the first time I will be working out of just one location. I will be joining other amazing practitioners at Refined Body (refinedbody.ca) Each practitioner at the new location will have their own personal administrative duties and my husband Chris has graciously taken on mine. See clinic info below.

Can you get adequate nutrients from the vitamins at a Pharmacy?
The quick answer is NO!

If you think buying Jamieson, Webber or Life brand supplements from Shoppers or Rexall will do the job, perhaps you should think again. Those brands, while affordable, typically have about 1/4 of the efficacy of similarly priced products from a good health food store.

Any locally owned health food store or supplement store, National Nutrition, Healthy planet, Natures Emporium, Nature's Signature, Ambrosia, etc would be a better choice. Some Costco supplements are good quality at a good price and some are a waste of your money. Even some products in a health food store are not good quality. If you are not seeing any results from the vitamins you are taking, then they are likely not working for you.

Of course I believe consulting a Naturopath is the best plan. If you are not seeing a Naturopath, I suggest you choose quality over quantity and learn the brands that are affordable, effective and dependable.

Three Canadian brands I trust that are easy to find at health food stores and are dependable in sourcing good quality materials and staying affordable are Natural Factors, Naka and New Roots. Naturopaths have access to "professional" brands that may be more effective and of course more expensive. If you are choosing your supplements without a Naturopath's help, I strongly suggest you move away from the typical supplement brands you find at a typical pharmacy or a bulk sale from costco.

Sincerely

Dr Gudrun 

[email protected]

(289) 271-7033

NEW LOCATION - Refined Body (refinedbody.ca)

46 Holland St East, Bradford

(Located on the south side of Holland St, just east of Simcoe Road)

🗓️ Booking Appointments:

You can schedule your appointments online through our Jane Booking system: Book Now — to get started. If you prefer to book by phone or encounter any issues, feel free to call us at (289) 271-7033.

⏰ Expanded Clinic Hours:

Wednesday: 9 AM - 6 PM
Thursday: 9 AM - 6 PM
Friday: 9 AM - 6 PM
Saturday: 9 AM - 2 PM

🅿️ Parking:

We offer free parking spaces in front of the clinic.