Many homes are filled with chemicals that are quite harmful, even DANGEROUS to you, your family, and your pets. Scientists have now listed hundreds of these “hidden dangers” in household products. Some of these chemical ingredients are respiratory and skin irritants, or worse, and have been linked to neurotoxicity, reproductive disorders, and even CANCER! How are we supposed to clean our homes and protect our family from germs without these common products? It’s actually quite simple, we look to nature’s essential oils for the answers! For example, Clove & Cinnamon oil are POWERFUL anti-bacterial agents, Lavender is the ideal scent substitute for your laundry, and Tea Tree and Lemongrass essential oils work to purify the air. Wouldn’t you agree it is time to ditch the harmful products and switch to healthy ones in your home?
Sylvia Provenski, Young Living Essential Oils
Community News
Having Trouble Feeling Grateful?
Leading busy and hectic lives can quickly shift our focus away from the aspects of our lives that are truly valuable to us. We may take our loved ones for granted or start comparing ourselves to others, increasing resentment and envy and diminishing our own self-worth. How do we begin to feel grateful? Start by becoming more present. Slow down and see what’s actually in front of you. Appreciate the value even the simplest of things can bring to your life. These are the instances we often take for granted and toss aside to chase newer and more exciting options. As you do this, you will begin to cultivate your curiosity and question the truth of the stories you are telling yourself that keep you in a state of disillusionment.
Brent Tocher, www.chooseauthenticity.ca
Not All Oils Are the Same
When you go for a massage do you ever ask your therapist what kind of oil or lotion he/she uses? Do you care? Some therapists are purists and others are not. For example Holly Oil, which is petroleum based, tends to be used due to cost effectiveness. A popular and more natural option to try is fractionated coconut oil, which is a light carrier oil, fragrance free, and much better for your body. With fractionated coconut oil, the lauric acid component is removed leaving it liquid at room temperature. As with all oils and lotions, make sure you are purchasing from a trusted supplier. Quality and freshness differs greatly. Buy organic when you can and stick to natural ingredients whenever possible. Up to 85 % of the product is in the top three ingredients listed. Your body deserves the best!
Chelsea Nault, RMT
Pharmacists as Prescribers (Part 2)
Dermatitis is also referred to as Eczema. It is a broad term for a number of similar skin conditions. It can be either Atopic or Contact Dermatitis. Atopic Dermatitis is itchy and persisting (chronic) and is very common in young kids but may also happen to adults. Contact Dermatitis can allergic or irritant. Contact Dermatitis starts with an itch that develops into a rash and is brought upon by an allergic reaction. Once it is decided what type of Dermatitis a person has, then suitable treatment is recommended. For better prognosis, it is important that Dermatitis be treated immediately, delay may lead to the spread of Dermatitis and development of infection. Qualified pharmacists in Manitoba now have the authority to assess Dermatitis, recommend treatment, and follow up with patients. After detailed assessment and consideration of the risks and benefits to the patient, pharmacists have the authority to prescribe certain steroid based topical medication.
Dr Hajra H. Mirza, Pharm. D, Rossmere Pharmacy
Are You Planning Your Meals?
As the old saying goes, “when you fail to plan, you plan to fail.” This rings true with many things in life and certainly is true for eating healthy and losing weight. If you talk to any weight loss expert, he/she will tell you the most important thing is to plan your meals. It is one of the easiest things you can do to make your life healthier and better, but it is also one of the most common things that we neglect when our lives get busy. Planning meals helps manage your time. It can turn a hectic week into a nearly stress free one. It also helps improve your health and the health of your family. More importantly, planning your meals helps you avoid making those last minute, unhealthy choices. So plan ahead and succeed!
Eugene Tagle, www.munch-box.ca
Bowen Therapy: Your Answer to Natural Pain Relief
Bowen Therapy is a very gentle, safe, and unique form of bodywork. Essentially, it re-sets the body to heal itself. Bowen Therapy works through the nervous system to encourage a shift from “fight or flight” to “resting and healing.” After a treatment, many people experience a profound and deep feeling of relaxation, balance, and well-being. Bowen Therapy can be done on everyone, including: babies, pregnant women, elderly, and even individuals experiencing hypersensitivity or extreme pain. It is very effective for all types of muscle, joint, and nerve pain. Bowen Therapy can help with all kinds of chronic pain such as lower back, concussions, stroke, sports injury, and even Fibromyalgia. Bowen Therapy has proven to be highly effective, even when other therapies were unsuccessful. Has someone you known been told surgery is their only option? Don’t give up…. speak with a Bowenwork Practitioner about starting your healing journey today!
Bernadette Kozak – Certified Bowenwork Practitioner, www.winnipegpainrelief.ca
Fall Back into Exercise!
As summer slips into fall, we transition the carefree living we enjoyed over the summer back into our regular routine. For many that means recommitting to regular exercise, healthy eating, and weight management. Fall is a season of transition and a natural time for committing to a healthy lifestyle. The first step is to acknowledge that a healthy lifestyle should be a priority. When you remind yourself of how healthy habits improve your life, you’ll be more likely to stick with them. Secondly, schedule your exercise. Treat your workouts as seriously as you would a doctor’s appointment because they are, indeed, just as important to your health. Thirdly, catch the energy of cooler temperatures to become even more active. Seek out fall’s fresh fruits and veggies. Fall is an invigorating season. Tap into that energy and use it to craft your perfect, healthy rest-of-the-year routine.
Anita Wilson, www.curves.com
You’ve Got to Move Your Body!
Your body uses movement patterns to perform movement skills (e.g., running, throwing, lifting, etc.). The better your movement patterns, the more efficient and effective your movement skills. Functional Movement Screening (FMS) is a manual assessment protocol used to identify limitations or imbalances in functional movement patterns. Joint range of motion and muscle strength is assessed to identify the cause of poor performance in your functional movement. A deficiency in strength or movement can lead to a sudden injury or a repetitive strain. FMS can be beneficial for you if you are: an athlete (competitive or recreational) looking to prevent non contact injuries, an athlete looking to increase performance by improving your movement quality, or an active person looking to decrease your chance of overuse injury at home or work (or help resolve an existing injury).
Joseph Dyck MPT, dougchristiephysiotherapy.com
5 Tips for a Happy Home
Life and school are easier for kids who live in homes where good communication, healthy habits, and regular routines exist. Here are some strategies for good communication: 1. Talk Often. 2. Get to the point. 3. Express feelings clearly with ‘I’ statements. 4. Speak for yourself and not for others. 5. Focus on behaviors rather than traits. Effective communication serves as preventive maintenance, reassures family members that they care about each other and appreciate each other’s efforts. Great everyday communication is more efficient when you need to bring up issues, make requests when needed, and resolve conflict when it arises. Communication problems can raise any family’s stress level, leading to conflicts that strain relationships and reduce the general quality of family life. Good communication can help address conflict in a productive way, let family members be heard, and help them stay connected to one another. Family therapy can help families work on essential communication skills.
Judith Nuesch, www.nuyutherapies.com
Time to Enhance Your Mental Health
With fall and its back to school activities, the risk of feeling scattered and overwhelmed is high. Sometimes we even feel a little “crazy” and our mental health starts to waver. It’s hard to find time to relax even though we know that’s what will help to truly put things in perspective so we can accomplish what needs to be done. This, most probably, is an indicator that your right brain is over active. You may be tempted to take something to slow things down some, opening you to substance abuse or medication dependence. You can relax your brain in another way. In this scenario, Brainwave Optimization, which reads surface measures of brain electrical activity, would probably show you high-frequency asymmetry at the temporals. BWO, with its auditory tones to facilitate the auto-calibration of brain activity, will have you functioning more harmoniously, so you can make more conscious, rewarding decisions.
Joanne Couture, [email protected]
Importance of Homecare
While retirement homes and long-term care facilities do a phenomenal job of taking care of those who need a little more help in their daily life, these facilities understandably aren’t for everyone. Every individual should have the right to choose the care they receive and where and when they receive it. A health care agency provides people the ability to choose their care and remain independent in their own home. A health care agency will set up each individual with a certified health care provider whom they are comfortable with and who meets all of their healthcare needs. You shouldn’t have to worry if your loved ones are receiving proper care or being given every opportunity to live life to its fullest, home care gives you peace of mind and allows your loved ones to enjoy life to its fullest.
Eamon O’Brien, www.goldenhr.ca
