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Dr. Tara Weir, MD, CCFP
Founder, Dr. Tara’s Sunshine
My passion is to inspire and empower others to experience the joy, vitality, and richness of life. I embrace a truly holistic definition of health—one that integrates nourishment, movement, restorative sleep, emotional well-being, and connection. Time and again, I have witnessed the profound and often underestimated impact that food, physical activity, stress regulation, and supportive environments can have on overall well-being.
Dr. Tara’s Sunshine—my website, educational, and coaching platform—reflects the integration of my medical training, clinical experience, and lifelong interests in nutrition, fitness, cooking, and travel. I bring to this work nearly two decades of experience as a Canadian family physician and psychotherapist, alongside a deep appreciation for the mind–body–gut connection and the importance of community and lifestyle in modern health.
Raised in a small town in Southwestern Ontario, I attended Queen’s University, where I completed concurrent BA (Psychology) and BScH (Life Sciences) degrees, graduating with multiple honours and awards. An early interest in nutrition and preventive health inspired me to pursue coursework in health promotion and leadership within health systems.
I went on to attend the University of Toronto Faculty of Medicine, where I was elected to the Alpha Omega Alpha Honor Medical Society and awarded the Gladwin Ridings Memorial Scholarship in recognition of academic excellence, practicality, modesty, sensitivity, and reverence for human life. I graduated at the top of the Class of 2000 as the Governor General’s Gold Medalist.
My postgraduate training began in internal medicine before I transitioned into family medicine to focus on preventive care, psychotherapy, and whole-person medicine. In 2020, I stepped back from traditional medical practice to expand my work in nutrition, lifestyle medicine, recipe development, and health education. During this time, I completed the Foundations of Professional Coaching program through Adler/OISE and undertook formal nutrition training through the Institute of Holistic Nutrition. I am currently completing my final year and will graduate as a certified nutritionist in April 2026, further strengthening the integrative lens I bring to patient care.
Clinical focus and interests
My professional interests include:
Midlife women’s health, with a focus on perimenopause and menopause, supporting physical, cognitive, emotional, and sexual well-being through evidence-based menopause hormone therapy (MHT), lifestyle medicine, and individualized care
Nutrition, metabolic health, and adult weight management, using a biopsychosocial approach that integrates food, movement, sleep, stress physiology, psychological health, and medications when appropriate
Gut and microbiome health and its role in systemic and metabolic vitality
Healthspan optimization, addressing modifiable risk factors such as lipid and glucose metabolism, blood pressure, inflammation, sleep quality, stress resilience, cognitive function, emotional regulation, social connection, and sense of purpose—bridging biomedical and behavioural science to support both longevity and quality of life
I am an active member of The Menopause Society (United States) and the Canadian Menopause Society (CMS), and am currently participating in the CMS Master Class Program. I remain deeply committed to ongoing professional development through advanced clinical education, conferences, and continual review of the evolving menopause and midlife health literature.
Education, outreach, and referrals
Through this website and my social media platforms (@drtarasunshine), I share accessible, evidence-informed education on nutrition, metabolic health, menopause, and sustainable lifestyle practices. As a content creator and recipe developer, I have collaborated with several Canadian and U.S. organizations and brands, including Del Monte, Nuzest, Lakanto, Eaton Hemp, GoMacro, Rawcology, Good Food For Good, Further Food, and The Women’s Brain Health Initiative.
I am currently accepting referrals for adult weight management and perimenopausal and menopausal care at WellOne Medical Centre in Toronto. Care is referral-based and focused on thoughtful, comprehensive assessment and longitudinal support. In parallel, I offer advanced non-OHIP nutrition education and coaching services, available by self-referral.
Most importantly, I am the proud mother of three remarkable teenagers and am grateful to call Toronto, Canada home.