Do you believe poor air quality resides outdoors, in largely populated cities? Actually, we should look at the quality of air in our own homes, where we spend 90% of our time. Dust, mould, paint fumes, cleaning chemicals, and cigarette smoke get trapped indoors and harm our bodies over time. It’s important to remove stale air from our homes.
Change furnace filters regularly and have your duct system cleaned. Breathe easy and reduce your risk of illness by ensuring that ceiling vents aren’t blocked, and schedule annual maintenance appointments for your furnace and air conditioner before starting them up for the season.
Community News
Healthy Valentine’s Day
Is the person you care about constantly on the go and always juggling multiple tasks? The body is not capable of differentiating between life-threatening stress and minor stress. Accumulated stress can do more harm than you realize in today’s fast-paced lifestyle. Making the time to take care of the body is a critical skill. Not to mention that reducing stress levels can improve the immune system and aid in sleep quality. If your loved one is not capable of making time for themselves, why not give them the gift of a relaxing spa experience this Valentine’s Day?
The Mindful Valentine
Valentine’s Day… a day for celebrating love (and chocolate). Mindful eating is a way of practicing self-care around food. Make conscious decisions that leave you feeling better after eating, not worse. How do you show love for yourself around food? Write yourself a letter and count the ways you love or could love yourself. Things like paying attention to what you’re eating, listening to your body, learning from times you eat too much, and being aware of the reason you are eating. Every day is a day for showing yourself love around food. This Valentine’s Day, celebrate how you nourish your body and spirit.
Community Event
Self-Love & Acceptance Group. Eight sessions (once/week), dates and times will be based on registrants’ interest and availability. Sparham Counselling 204-806-9777
Soup up Your Gut
Our intestines are responsible for the breakdown and absorption of nutrients from the food and liquids we consume. In order to accomplish this, the gut lining must be semi-permeable. Sometimes this lining is more porous than it should be – a condition called leaky gut – which allows undigested food to enter the bloodstream. This causes inflammation, a potential root cause of most illness and disease including mental illness. One effective way to repair the gut lining (and warm up on a cold winter day) is to drink mineral and nutrient rich bone broth made from organic beef, chicken, or fish bones.
The Mind-Body Connection
Your body responds to the way you think, feel, and act. When you are stressed, anxious, or upset, your body reacts in a way that might tell you that something isn’t right. The mind and body are mirrors for each other and this connection can be a valuable way to discover underlying issues or blocks that are preventing healing. If you are having pain, discomfort, and/or tension in the body, then there is also some sort of pain, discomfort, and tension in the mind and emotions. The body is also communicating with you at all times.
Got Vitamin D?
One of the best sources of vitamin D occurs naturally from sunlight. However, those of us living in Winnipeg are in short supply of this natural resource in the winter months. Some symptoms of vitamin D deficiency include depression, reduced wound healing capacity, fatigue, or becoming sick often. During the winter months, consider asking your physician about taking a vitamin D supplement, or eating foods that are high in vitamin D, such as fish (tuna, mackerel, salmon, and cod liver oil), egg yolks, beef liver, cheese, and mushrooms. When summer arrives again, go outside for some fun in the sun!
Product Review: Avena Original’s E-Fusion
This powerful Vitamin E and amino acid complex is formulated to promote energy, health, healing and longevity complete with perfectly-balanced ratios of protein, carbohydrates and fat. This great-tasting, plant-based, 100% RAW whole food provides a variety of naturally-occurring essential nutrients including antioxidants, vitamins, pro-oxidant nutrients, phytonutrients, and tocotrienols. E-Fusion helps your body heal muscles after intense workouts, injury, trauma, and boosts the vitality of your internal organs.
Avena Originals, AvenaOriginals.com
Fitness and Cardiovascular Disease
Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is one of the leading causes of death in Canada and includes conditions such as angina, heart attack, and stroke. Specific cardiac rehabilitation programs prescribed by a physiotherapist can improve overall cardiac health, thus reducing the risk of subsequent heart attacks or strokes. It is critical to monitor your blood pressure and have your cholesterol routinely checked. Maintain an appropriate weight with a healthy diet and regular exercise, as extra weight places strain on the heart. If you start a fitness program, seek the advice of a professional (physician or physiotherapist). Begin all exercise programs at low intensity and gradually progress as your cardiac fitness improves.
Clean Eating Recipe: Hot Chocolate
Store bought hot chocolate “packets” contain massive amounts of sugar and even hydrogenated oils (an unexpected, undesirable ingredient). You can serve this with whipped cream made of organic heavy cream with a little bit of stevia.
1/3 c full fat coconut milk (unsweetened)
2/3 c boiling water
1 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder
1 tsp vanilla
15 drops liquid stevia
(optional) 1-2 drops peppermint oil, whipped cream, or cocoa nibs
Boil water on the stove. Add in all remaining ingredients. Stir well. Let cool a little bit, serve and enjoy!
Magnesium (Part 2)
Magnesium absorption, as well as magnesium deficiency in our diets, is problematic. The soil in most countries has been farmed to a point of magnesium depletion. Furthermore, magnesium salts are laxatives, so they can lead to a more rapid gut transit time, not allowing gut absorption.
When taken orally, magnesium may be absorbed inefficiently due to the a) laxative effect of oral doses; b) effect of other foods, vitamins, or minerals in the gut that lessen absorption; and c) individual differences.
Transdermal therapy, via footbaths or spray, creates “tissue saturation”, which allows magnesium to travel to the body’s tissues and cells at a high dose without losses through the gastrointestinal tract.
