Natures Health Centre

Natures Health Centre Health Supplement Store He was told the girl he wanted to meet wasn’t home from high school. Spicer has fond memories of working with health industry legends.

Lifelong passion and purpose

By: Carol Crenna

With a passion for healing that began in adolescence, Lovie Wesolowski-Spicer
has become an icon as health retailer and athletic performance coach. When the late Phil Brunner from Albi Naturals made a trip to the Prairies to introduce products to a new health retailer who’d contacted him, he arrived at the door of a teenager’s parents’ house. He par

ked his Winnebago and tried not to look surprised as he waited for her, eyed closely by the cautious parents. That was in 1977 when, at 17, Lovie Wesolowski-Spicer took daring steps to realize her dream to open a health store, cold-calling suppliers whose products she’d tried and trusted. With a $21,000 bank loan co-signed by her parents and another $7,000 from brother Jules, the enterprising youngster opened Nature’s Health Centre in Saskatoon’s Grosvenor Park Centre, a mall concept never attempted in Canada before. It opened under a business model and bookkeeping system that she developed in her grade 12 business class which she still uses today. Spicer has become a health and performance-nutrition pioneer, establishing the store in the same location for 35 years.

“I was fascinated by the human body at an early age, and asked for models or coloring books of the organs whenever I was offered a gift. Our family physician kept telling my parents about my affinity for healing, saying he conversed with me like a colleague when I was an adolescent,” states Spicer. Her strengths remain in chemistry – choosing product ingredients that are most effective, regardless of brand – and in building relationships with customers by giving health consultations. At the same time she opened Nature’s Health Centre, Spicer became a sports nutrition coach, using her body-building brother as a guinea pig. She explains, “I felt, ‘If I can help people who are sick, can you imagine what I could do with people who are well?’” His lean body mass grew so large that athletes wanted to know his secret. Spicer launched Performance Nutrition, a consulting company, and has worked with many famous athletes. She recounts notable names: Charles Servizio, in the Guinness Book of World Records for the most pushups (46,001 in 24 hours) was trained by her. Winnipeg Jets GM, Kevin Cheveldayoff has been a client since he played Juniors. Trainer-to-the-stars Grant Roberts, who trained Hilary Swank for Million Dollar Baby, was a customer at Spicer’s store when he was 15, and was then coached by her. Marcia Kilgore, owner of Bliss New York Spa, who has clients including Julia Roberts, worked for Spicer and continued getting advice while opening her business. Spicer advised Olympic bobsledder Jamie Cruikshank, Olympic decathloner Winchester Johnson, and Superbike racer Brett McCormick. She’s worked with NHL players Devin Setoguchi (Minnesota Wild) and Luke Schenn (Toronto Maple Leafs) since their teens. Agents asked Spicer to help increase the athletes’ muscle-to-fat ratio, enabling them to play in the NHL. In 2004, former Saskatoon Blades GM Brent McEwen (current scout for Los Angeles Kings) asked Spicer to work with the team. She recounts, “The team had been dead last even though they had Mike Green, Wacey Rabbit and Devin Setoguchi, who later became some of the NHL’s highest paid players.” She created individual off-season programs for 33 on-ice players and 28 prospects. As a result, in one off-season, the average muscle gain per player was 22 pounds, and speed or endurance gains were extraordinary. Now a Registered Nutritional Consultant (RNC), Certified Natural Health Practitioner (CNHP), and ISSA Specialist in Sports Nutrition, she lectures to national audiences. Orthomolecular pioneer Dr. Abram Hoffer and Order of Canada recipient and pediatric expert Dr. John Gerrard visited her often because their patients shopped her store. She was taught by icons Dr. Morton Walker, Dr. Bernard Jensen and Dr. Earl Mendell. She knew Udo Erasmus as a zoologist before he launched his product line and lectured at her store, and the late Charlie Fox, Kyolic’s founder, was “a phenomenal storyteller” during his store lectures. Jack Gahler, a construction worker who sold supplements part-time, didn’t have initial success with Spicer. “I didn’t like the products he sold, so wouldn’t buy them, and encouraged him to start a higher-end line. He did, and called it Natural Factors. Jack’s fibre is woven into the structure of the industry; grandson Michael stays true to his grandfather’s humbleness and integrity. ”

Spicer obtained a second business loan a decade ago when health products went mainstream –– her biggest-selling brand was introduced in the mall’s supermarket. “I invested in introducing products that no other store had to regenerate the lost business. It worked.”

Today, in her 50s, Spicer continues coaching and managing the store every day and now greets third-generation customers. How does she keep going, even after raising eighteen-year-old twins? She concludes, “There was never any choice. I was brought to where I need to be. I still feel 17, having the same passion, and living by the same philosophies.” Spicer has now committed to writing a book to “give back” to the hockey industry. https://www.cnhr.ca/issues/2017-jan-feb/mobile/index.html =1

We hope you can join us and please remember to register for the 2026 Betty-Ann and Wade Heggie Lecture in Integrative Me...
06/08/2026

We hope you can join us and please remember to register for the 2026 Betty-Ann and Wade Heggie Lecture in Integrative Medicine featuring Dr. Bryan MacLeod, on the topic of Finding Our Way Back in Healthcare: Practical and Evidence-Based Steps from Burnout and Moral Injury to Compassion Satisfaction



When: Saturday, June 20, 2026, 11:00 AM - 12:00 PM

Where: In-Person or Virtual, USask Health Science Building, E-Wing, Dubé Lecture Theatre

2026 Heggie Lecturer: Bryan MacLeod, MD FCFP



Bryan MacLeod is a Chronic Pain Physician and Full Professor at NOSM U and a very active researcher in clinician wellness. Bryan cut his teeth as a rural family doc in Marathon Ontario after graduating CCFP from NOMP back in The Dark Ages. And has since held clinical leadership roles as Medical Director Faculty Development (NOMP), Medical Director Palliative Care (TBRHSC), Medical Director Chronic Pain (SJCG), and Medical Director ECHO North. Bryan is a Recovering Over-Achiever and humble Mindful Self-Compassion enthusiast, melding his passion for a life in medicine with a need for all of us to have a healthier balanced way forward. When most balanced Bryan is a passionate cyclist, very involved in local theatre and helps run Thunder Bay’s only Improv Theatre Club (you are forewarned).



Thanks to the generous support of USask College of Medicine Donors, the 2026 Highlights in Medicine Lecture Series is free to attend for the general public. Everyone is welcome. Register here: Public Registration Link



Join us for a morning of thought‑provoking presentations that examine emerging perspectives in medicine, integrative health, and wellness. This lecture series features experts who will explore current trends, evidence‑informed practices, and integrated approaches to health and wellness within clinical, academic, and community settings.



Target Audience:

The target audience includes physicians, residents, clinicians, health sciences professionals, and practitioners from all medical and health care disciplines. It also invites researchers, learners, students, public health partners, alumni, and community members interested in health and wellness.



Please see event details in posters attached.



You may subscribe or unsubscribe for emails from the Centre for Integrative Medicine here: http://listman.usask.ca/subscriptions/manage_page.php?listname=cimtest1&action=subscribe





Donelda (Gowan) Leverick, BA (Hons), MSc, PhD

Associate Director,

Centre for Integrative Medicine

Adjunct Professor,

Department of Community Health & Epidemiology

College of Medicine, University of Saskatchewan

Email: [email protected]

Mobile: 1-306-270-4268



Past-Chair, Canadian Interdisciplinary Network of Complementary Medicine Researchers (INCAM)

Sprouts are some of the most nutrient-dense foods we can eat, and we don't even need a garden to grow them. Research pub...
05/18/2026

Sprouts are some of the most nutrient-dense foods we can eat, and we don't even need a garden to grow them. Research published in the International Journal of Applied Science found that sprouts carry the highest concentration of phytonutrients per calorie of any food. Phytonutrients are one of the compounds our bodies use to fight inflammation and support our long-term health, so this is great news for us!

Sprouting makes food easier on our digestive systems. The sprouting process breaks down anti-nutrients like phytic acid and lectins, improving the bioavailability of proteins and carbohydrates. Broccoli sprouts in particular have been shown in peer-reviewed studies to contain 10–100 times more glucoraphanin—the precursor to sulforaphane, which is is one of the most researched plant compounds for its role in cellular detoxification and immune support—than mature broccoli!

We carry Mumm's Sprouting Seeds. They're a Canadian, organically farmed brand trusted since 1987. One tablespoon of seed yields roughly a cup of fresh sprouts in just a few days. If you haven't tried sprouting your own seeds, come pick up a kit today!

05/03/2026
05/03/2026
From Costa Rica, with appreciation 🌿At Nature’s Health Centre, we believe every product has a story — the land it comes ...
05/01/2026

From Costa Rica, with appreciation 🌿
At Nature’s Health Centre, we believe every product has a story — the land it comes from

A closer look at where it begins.
We love sharing the stories behind the products that make their way to our shelves. These photos and video offer a glimpse into sugar production in Costa Rica and the work of the local people involved in the process.
We are grateful for the hands, heritage, and effort behind every step.

05/01/2026

Natural Factors Total Body Collagen is on our flyer sale running until the end of May! ✨ Great deals on multiple flavours!

Did you know that Total Body Collagen products:
- Help reduce fine lines and wrinkles
- Help reduce eye wrinkles in four weeks
- Features vitamin C, hyaluronic acid, glutamine, and biotin to help in collagen synthesis
- Helps maintain healthy skin, hair, nails, bones, teeth, and gums
- Helps reduce joint pain associated with osteoarthritis

04/29/2026

Where and Who makes the foods we get to enjoy everyday from countries all over the world 🌎 Today I saw banana farms near the Costa Rica–Panama border. 🍌
Bananas don’t just show up in stores—they’re grown in hot, humid climates and cared for every day. Each bunch is covered, cut by hand, carried through the fields, then cleaned and prepared to be shipped around the world.
Many of the workers live right in the communities around these farms, where daily life is closely tied to this work.
The job is intense—long days, heavy loads, and heat—just to bring this everyday fruit to our tables.
Easy to forget how much effort goes into something so common. Grateful to witness a small part of it today. 🌱

04/29/2026

Where and Who is working hard every day to bing us food from all over the world 🌎 Today in our travels we saw banana farms near the Costa Rica–Panama border. 🍌
Bananas don’t just show up in stores—they’re grown in hot, humid climates and cared for every day. Each bunch is covered, cut by hand, carried through the fields, then cleaned and prepared to be shipped around the world.
Many of the workers live right in the communities around these farms, where daily life is closely tied to this work.
The job is intense—long days, heavy loads, and heat—just to bring this everyday fruit to our tables.
Easy to forget how much effort goes into something so common. Grateful to witness a small part of it today. 🌱

With winter on its way out (finally), you might be hearing a lot about cleanses as we move into the warmer months. When ...
04/18/2026

With winter on its way out (finally), you might be hearing a lot about cleanses as we move into the warmer months. When the seasons change, our diets and daily habits change with them, and that can mean big changes inside our bodies as well. Following a cleanse program is a great way to refresh your body's internal rhythms and reset your needs for the new season's activities.

A new season is the perfect time for a fresh start! 🌷Shake off winter and spring into wellness with these great deals fr...
04/16/2026

A new season is the perfect time for a fresh start! 🌷

Shake off winter and spring into wellness with these great deals from April 17th - May 31st!

Address

48 Grosvenor Park Shopping Center
Saskatoon, SK
S7H0T8

Opening Hours

Monday 9:30am - 5pm
Tuesday 9:30am - 5pm
Wednesday 9:30am - 5pm
Thursday 9:30am - 5pm
Friday 9:30am - 5pm
Saturday 9:30am - 5pm

Telephone

+13063735322

Website

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