VALLEY METABOLIC HEALTH OFFERS
Valley Metabolic Clinic
We provide comprehensive medical care for patients living with obesity through education, lifestyle change, and medical therapy.
T1D3C Clinic
Providing comprehensive care for patients living with type 1 DM focusing on collaboration, community, and connectivity.
Lifestyle
We connect you to unique opportunities to improve your health and well-being with therapeutic nutrition, mindfulness, and improved fitness.
Training
Increasing awareness and knowledge of obesity medicine, therapeutic nutrition and lifestyle interventions through teaching clinics, workshops, and conferences.
VALLEY METABOLIC HEALTH
There is a rising tide of type 2 diabetes and complications of obesity in Nova Scotia. Obesity and type 2 diabetes are not due to problems with will power or moral failings. They are not due to an individual’s fault. Further, if we are offered the proper support and guidance, we can shift toward a healthy pattern of eating, improve sleep, increase fitness, and improve our metabolic health and quality of life. Our health care system needs to be reoriented in order to support patients in their journey toward wellness. This approach, integrated with providing access to the full stack of medical and surgical options, is the reason Valley Metabolic Health was born.
We are now published in the Canadian Journal of Diabetes!
Valley Metabolic Health and the participants that went through the first “Valley Metabolic Program” were pioneers in bringing a ketogenic approach for patients living with type 2 diabetes in Canada. We tracked their remarkable progress and our paper is now available! Click here to read full paper.
DIRECTOR – VALLEY METABOLIC HEALTH
Meet Dr. Michael Mindrum
Dr. Mindrum practices general internal medicine. He has in depth experience managing acute complications of metabolic diseases such as type 2 diabetes. He also has experience seeing first hand the profound impact a shift in lifestyle can have in improving these metabolic illnesses. His interests are in metabolism, type 1 diabetes, type 2 diabetes, obesity, behavioural change and therapeutic nutrition. He is passionate about helping patients optimize their metabolic health with lifestyle, reducing medications when possible, and optimizing others in order to help others achieve their goals. He graduated from the University of Louisville School of Medicine and completed his residency training at the University of Hawaii, the University of Vermont, and Dalhousie University. He is a diplomate of the American Board of Obesity Medicine. He married Dr. Christa Mindrum, a family physician and Newfoundlander, which led to his migration north to Nova Scotia. He is a proud father of three beautiful children. A brief resume can be found here!
Let Us Help You Achieve Your Best Weight
“Live the healthiest life you can enjoy, not the healthiest life you can tolerate”.
~Yoni Freedhoff, MD, Obesity Medicine Specialist.
MEET THE TEAM
Eliana Witchell, RD
Lead Dietitian
Eliana Witchell is a professional dietitian, founder and Chief Eating Officer (CEO) of Eat ;Different RD. She partners with medical teams to help their patients improve not only lifespan, but healthspan. Her aim is for clients to reach their health goals by using a variety of emerging, evidence-based, food-first approaches that have been found to help reverse or put chronic disease into remission.
Melanie MacNeil, MD
Obesity Medicine Lead
Dr. MacNeil is a family physician practicing in the Annapolis Valley (https://livingwithweight.ca/). She is board certified in obesity medicine and is a bariatric educator. She graduated from the Northern Ontario School of Medicine (NOSM) in 2011 and completed her residency training in Family Medicine at NOSM in 2013. She has lived in Nova Scotia with her husband and 4 children since 2016.
Christa Mindrum, MD
Primary Care Clinical Lead
Dr. Mindrum is a locum family physician practicing in the Annapolis Valley. She is an advocate for patient-centred care and enjoys both the art and science of medicine. She graduated from Memorial University Medical School in 2003 and Memorial’s Family Medicine Residency Program in 2005. Christa is excited to support participants in this exciting journey toward self-empowerment and greater health.
Jonathon Fowles, PhD
Exercise is Medicine Lead
Dr. Jonathon Fowles’ is a professor of kinesiology at Acadia University and Chair of Exercise is Medicine Canada. His work through the Centre of Lifestyle Studies (CoLS) has focused on implementation of physical activity guidelines into clinical practice. He spearheaded initiatives with national and regional health organizations to increase capacity for physical activity counselling by health care providers. Dr. Fowles worked with the Diabetes Care Program of Nova Scotia in 2008 to develop the “Physical Activity and Exercise Toolkit” and developed workshops to train diabetes care providers on physical activity counselling in clinical practice.
Joelle Caplan, PhD
Psychology and Behavioural Change Lead
Dr. Caplan is a clinical psychologist currently in private practice in New Minas. She was previously a practicing therapist and coordinator of mental health services for Kings County. Dr. Caplan has a history of Type 2 Diabetes which she reversed with a diet first strategy with carbohydrate restriction beginning in 2017. Quite simply, it has changed her life! Dr. Caplan is excited to support others make a long term change.
Valley Metabolic Health Ambassadors
Patient Advocacy
This is about you – the patient. This is a link to patients who have walked the walk. They are knowledgeable and ready to help and advocate. This is about the patients voice and the ability to change the conversation and the system. If you would like to connect our advocates, please reach out to Valley Metabolic Health. If you are a patient and would like to be part of our network please let us know! We all need your voice. Please click anywhere in this module to access our ambassador program.
PARTNERS
VALLEY METABOLIC HEALTH
SUITE 250, 21 Roy Avenue, New Minas, Nova Scotia B4N 3R7
OFFICE PHONE: (902) 915-4435
OFFICE FAX: 1(855) 962-2375