The ease of wheat flour production took it out of the lime light, but it’s making a comeback in a big way. Spelt, unchanged and unmodified for thousands of years is showing up all over the place – why? Because it’s an absolute powerhouse in the nutrition category – High protein (21 % of your RDD), all nine essential amino acids, high in fiber (30%) and, low in gluten. In addition to, due to its water solubility, it rates very high on the bioavailability scale. What does that mean for you? Your body is actually able to absorb a vast percentage of those nutrients, leading to significant health benefits with less of the unsavory irritants of other grains. Another fantastic feature? You can substitute it 1:1 for wheat flour in recipes! Give Spelt a try, it tastes great, and your body will thank you.
Community News
Essential Oils – A Natural Choice!
We know quality counts, and we’ve all experienced having what seemed like a good deal at the outset, turn into not such a good deal. Quality and purity are especially important when it comes to products that we use aromatically, on our person, or as dietary supplements. Sadly, essential oil quality and purity are not as carefully regulated as we might think. According to some experts, the majority of essential oils on the retail market are adulterated in some fashion. What qualifies an essential oil as being “pure therapeutic grade” is a recognized standard of independent third party testing that incorporates methods such as Gas Chromatography and Mass Spectrometry. Pure essential oils from particular plant species, grown in the optimum conditions, and provided through ethical processes are well worth the price. As with all purchase decisions, it pays to get educated first!
Manage Yourself, Not Your Time
We don’t manage our time; we manage ourselves. It’s a simple shift in perspective but it’s one that is essential to achieving one’s goals. So, rather than focusing outwardly at the clock and worrying about the scarcity of time, start looking inward. To become more productive and efficient consider focusing on three areas. The first is the clarity of your values and purpose. Being truly honest about what is essential will strengthen your commitment and help you eliminate habits, not in alignment. The second is your ability to assertively communicate your needs. A big part of this is becoming comfortable with saying no. The last is your fear of judgment or failure. Listen carefully to them, acknowledge them, and then start considering all of the actions you may take to avoid those fears. That’s where the real work lies.
Why is my Pelvic Floor so Important?
Your pelvic floor supports your bladder, bowel, and uterus, and gives you control over when you empty your bladder and bowel. Having a weak pelvic floor makes it harder for you to squeeze the muscles and sphincters at the bottom of your bladder to prevent urine from escaping. You may accidentally leak when you cough, sneeze or exercise (stress incontinence). It also means that your bowel, bladder and womb are not well supported, causing you to feel a heavy dragging sensation and pushing against the vaginal walls (prolapse). You may find sex less satisfying, and feel less sensitivity. You’ll need to keep your pelvic floor strong for the rest of your life, as hormonal changes after menopause can make pelvic floor problems more likely. Doing just a few pelvic floor exercises every day will help to treat bladder weakness or prolapse symptoms, and will help to prevent problems later on.
Chemical Free Bug Spray…great for all kinds of bugs…including HEAD LICE!
Fall is here and school is back in session and you might be wondering how to lessen the impact of using harsh chemicals in your insect arsenal. As soon as school is back so are the head lice. Yuck!! Did you know that there are natural plant based oils that can also do a great job of deterring bugs!. You may have heard about citronella for mosquitos, but did you know there are several additional essential oils that can also be an effective bug repellant? Clove, Rosemary, tea tree, eucalyptus, cedarwood, lavender, geranium and peppermint essential oils are also effective against an array of bugs.
Make your own Bugs-Be-Gone blend:
Create a blend using equal parts Tea Tree, Lemongrass, Citronella, Clove, Rosemary and Lavender essential oils in a dropper bottle or a bottle with an orifice reducer. Every morning massage one drop on the bottom of your feet. You can use it “neat” which is undiluted or you can dilute it with a carrier oil such as coconut oil or grape seed oil. For children under 4 years of age it is best to dilute with a carrier oil.
For added benefits rub a little along your hairline. The essential oils will be absorbed into your body and will act as a pheromone that will repel the bugs. You can find more recipes like this one in Jen O’Sullivan’s book: French Aromatherapy: Essential Oil Recipes and Usage Guide.
Don’t want to make your own blend?
I like using a blend called Purification by Young Living. This blend contains tea tree, citronella, rosemary, lemongrass, myrtle, and lavandin. All are repellants for both mosquitos and lice. Dilute with a carrier oil before application (grapeseed, almond oil, fractionated coconut oil are all good choices, most of which can be found in the cooking section at the grocery store).
Essential oils are powerful and should be treated with respect. While they are all natural, they can be harmful if not used appropriately.
As with starting any new regimen with essential oils, watch for any potential sensitivity. If a reaction occurs discontinue use until you can determine the source.
For more information on my favorite essential oils, you can visit www.CanadianMoms.ca or email me at [email protected]
Ginseng for Weight Loss
Ginseng does many things to help human health, but many people do not realize that ginseng is good for weight loss. It gives an energy boost and can help fight fatigue. Because of this, it allows for you to be more active. One of the big things that it does in the weight loss battle is by regulating blood sugar. It does this by reducing the amount of carbohydrate that is converted into fat. Also, it is important to point out that ginseng alone will not help lose weight if you engage in poor dietary choices. It is vital that a well-balanced diet is followed and that you are active. Otherwise, like the old English proverb says, “Don’t dig your grave with your own knife and fork.” One of the active ingredients in SlimROAST weight loss coffee from Valentus – The Healthiest Coffee on the Planet!
Harness the POWER of Probiotics
You take a daily multivitamin but are you also taking a daily probiotic? You should be! Probiotics help to increase immunity, improve digestion, ease constipation or diarrhea, combat yeast, and improve overall health. There are two main probiotic strains that we are familiar with, Lactobacillus for the small intestine and Bifidobacteria for the colon. When shopping for a probiotic, a good rule of thumb is to look for a multiple strain formula with lots of L’s for the “little” intestine and B’s for the “big” intestine. Ultimate Flora Critical Care 50 Billion probiotic contains therapeutic levels of both Lactobacilli and Bifidobacterium, making it an ideal choice. It uses a unique water-based enteric coating that delivers probiotics through the harsh environment of the stomach and into the intestinal tract where they can be utilized. Ultimate Flora Critical Care is the top selling probiotic in Canada because it works. Yogurt is not enough!
Salon Tanning for Wellness
Salon tanning is a safe and effective means to replace or enhance using the suns natural rays to aid in treatment of a variety of medical conditions. both sunlight and salon tanning emit UVB light rays which in turn stimulate the skin to produce vitamin D which is essential for the processing of calcium in our diet. This keeps our bones strong and is essential for preventing osteoporosis. exposure to these rays is also a common treatment for those suffering from the symptoms of psoriasis and eczema. people who have summer relief from these conditions benefit greatly from salon rays in the winter. consult your physician about using tanning as part of a treatment program for your skin disorder. Tracy Delmage,
Knit for Life!
Knitting is a great natural strategy to deal with anxiety, depression, and pain. The simplicity of rhythmic stitching can be very centering, and combines with eye movements, color, and texture to stimulate and focus the mind. Knitting can be picked up and stopped quickly, allowing it to provide precious calm in a whirlwind day. Relaxation activities with repetition have been shown to reduce anxiety, lower blood pressure, and heart rate, and ease stress-caused illnesses and complications. Socially, the chance to get together with other knitters, sharing a bit of food and friendship and comparing notes can go a long way to remove isolation and loneliness. So often the knitting group can provide an invaluable haven and supportive community that looks after its own. Finally, knitting creates a comfortable (and wearable) beauty which can be kept or given to those who need. Not a bad side effect of this wonderful therapy!
Should I Wait To Get Hearing Aids?
It may be tempting to hold on, but here are three good reasons not to 1. Your brain will thank you for it. The sooner you start using hearing aids, the better chance you will give your brain to adapt and re-learn sounds you may not have been hearing for a while. 2. Life’s better when you hear better. Research from the National Council on Aging shows that when people begin to use hearing aids, they experience improvements in their lives, including their mental health, sense of independence, social life and, yes, even their sex lives. 3. Hearing loss is linked to dementia. Seniors with untreated hearing loss are significantly more likely to develop dementia over time than those who retain their hearing, according to a recent study by Johns Hopkins University and the National Institute on Aging. Precise reasons aren’t yet known, but auditory deprivation may be an underlying cause.
Fall in Love with Your Life Again
A commonality amongst women at midlife is a lack of passion or life purpose. It’s at this time of life that we are biologically programmed to look for something else. That something else is usually found deep inside of us. Midlife is not a decline nor is it a crisis of women. It is simply a time for transition. Biologically at the pre–menopausal and menopausal stage of life women are programmed to withdraw from the outside world for a period of time, to pause from everyone, in order to do important work on oneself. A career that was once fulfilling may no longer be, a marriage can be changing, the home feels empty as children leave. Some women go through their transition alone. Others with a trusted friend or a book. While others enroll in groups designed just for this purpose, where wisdom of others is shared, and gifts are uncovered.
