About Heidi Lescanec
I obtained my naturopathic medical degree in 2002 from the National College of Naturopathic Medicine in Portland, Oregon. Upon graduating from this full-time four year postgraduate program, I moved back to the interior where I had a beautiful piece of land in the Columbia Valley. Alongside establishing my own Naturopathic practice in Golden and Invermere, I helped build my cob home, lived off the grid, and converted an old house into a commercial building, clinic, and yoga studio before relocating to the coast. I currently practice naturopathic medicine – with a focus on digestive health and culinary nutrition.
How I came to study Naturopathic Medicine:
During my undergraduate studies in Anthropology and Native Studies at Trent University, I had the opportunity to work on some projects on traditional medicine with Dene First Nation in the NWT. It was through this practical experience of working with communities and seeing the transformative power of traditional styles of healing that addressed the health of the whole person, body, and mind (rather than merely focusing on the disease), that I was inspired to pursue studying naturopathic medicine. I went back to university (University of Calgary) to take the pre-med science requirements; and at the same time, while living in Canmore, I co-founded a backcountry adventure company, which I continued working with while practicing in the Kootenays.
How I came to focus on Culinary Nutrition:
Creating nutritious, nourishing, and beautiful food is my great passion. Through both my clinical work and my own personal life, I have gained a deep awareness of the fundamental role diet and nutrition play in health. I have been passionate about cooking healthy food since I was an adolescent. During university, I had the good fortune to work as a chef: to make my own daily passion into a career that has sustained me through all my studies and adventures over the years. I have cooked for back country, lodges, retreat centers, adventure trips, the movie industry, and with the Hollyhock Foundation on the incomparable, Cortes Island.
Blending my passion for cooking and medical knowledge, I aim to nourish healthy changes through culinary guidance and naturopathic counselling; helping patients put into practice the understanding that food is medicine. It is my belief that having the knowledge, skills, and inspiration to feed ourselves well is the foundation of preventative medicine and feeling optimal on all levels.
