Wellnessnews, Author at Wellnessnews

Clean Eating: Cantaloupe & Cucumber Salad

Here’s a refreshing side salad for a change of pace. It’s delicious served with a spicy grilled chicken, tofu, or fish. Or serve this over a bed of leafy greens with extra dressing on the side. Gently fold together 1/2 small cantaloupe and 1 medium cucumber (cut into 1/2 inch chunks), 1/2 cup crumbled feta, and 6 big basil leaves (sliced thinly). Whisk and add to salad: 1 tbsp olive oil, 2-3 tbsp balsamic vinegar, and freshly ground salt and pepper to taste. Top with 2 tbsp sunflower seeds. (This is the perfect place to showcase your gourmet balsamic vinegars and good quality olive oil. Skip the salt and sprinkle with a little Fleur de Sel for some drama!)

Lisa Kehler, OffYourPlateNutrition.ca

Book Club: The Dirt Cure

Growing Healthy Kids with Food Straight from Soil. In the tradition of Michael Pollan, Mark Hyman, and Andrew Weil, pioneering integrative pediatric neurologist Maya Shetreat-Klein, MD, reveals the shocking contents of children’s food, how it’s seriously harming their bodies and brains, and what we can do about it.

Maya Shetreat-Klein, MD, Dirtcure.com

Practice Safe Summering

Bonfires, barbecues, and beach days are what we’ve been waiting for all year long. But these beloved activities carry risks of illness that can put a damper on summer fun. Study up now so you can be your healthiest and happiest this season!

Sink or Swim: On a scorching hot day, taking your kids to a local pool is a fun way to spend the afternoon, but a not-so-fun way to get an infection. Recreational Water Illnesses (RWI) can be obtained by swallowing, breathing, or coming into contact with contaminated water. Infections from RWIs can cause a variety of symptoms, including gastrointestinal upset, eye and ear infections, respiratory difficulty, and skin rash. E. coli can even be contracted in swimming pools and water parks, and cause abdominal cramping, fever and severe diarrhea (CDC, 2017). While the benefits of a summer swim might outweigh the risks, it’s wise to arm your immune system to defend against any potential infection. Up your vitamin E and zinc from sources like almonds, and get adequate protein from lean meats, beans and organic soy. Adding an immune enhancing oil like black seed oil will help defend against infection. Black seed oil is antibacterial and antiviral, and has been shown to combat against several infectious organisms, including E. coli and Staphylococcus aureus (Nijab, 2014). It also has anti-fungal properties, which can also help clear up a pesky foot fungus you contract while walking barefoot by the pool!

Happy Camper: Embrace what nature has to offer while you’re camping, but not what might make you sick! When you’re out on your daily excursions in the woods, be sure to pack bottled water. Drinking river water can cause some unwanted diarrhea, as it can be infected with Giardia lamblia bacteria. Having an antibacterial remedy like oregano oil or black seed oil in your first aid can start killing off the bacteria until you get back home to a doctor. Roasting marshmallows on the campfire is the highlight of any camping trip! But giving your marshmallows a “French” char is highly carcinogenic. Offset these cancer-promoting compounds by eating lots of antioxidants from goji berries, wild blueberries, pecans, cilantro, and healthy oils like coconut, black seed, and olive.

Breathe Easy: Campfires aren’t everyone’s friend, as the smoke is actually one of the lesser-known triggers of asthma. Sit upwind from the smoke and keep at a good distance from the fire. Asthma and seasonal allergies can also be aggravated by changes in weather, like a sudden cool breeze. The wind also carries pollen and mould particles that can cause an attack (ACAAI, 2014). Nutrition can play a significant role in regulating asthma and allergies. Omega-3s can reduce markers of airway inflammation associated with attacks. Get sufficient omega-3s by eating fish or taking a supplement of fish oil or algae. Also ensure you’re nourishing your gut bacteria with probiotics from plain yoghurt, sauerkraut, and kefir. Probiotics help regulate your immune system to reduce flare-ups. Black seed oil is also great for those with asthma because it is a bronchodilator, which opens the airways in the lungs (Keyhanmanesh et al, 2014).

Sickly Sweet: Along with those delicious campfire marshmallows, celebratory summer treats like ice cream and frozen alcoholic beverages flood your system with sugar. High amounts of sugar, paired with lack of exercise, can lead to insulin resistance and eventually to diabetes. Be sure to get moderate exercise 3-5 times per week to improve your body’s blood sugar regulation. Take advantage of the summer season by biking, hiking, and swimming in the great outdoors! On top of exercising, structure your meals so that vegetables take up half your plate, protein takes up a quarter, and refined carbohydrates like pasta only take up a quarter. Be sure to have healthy fats like avocado and oil in your meal as well. The protein and fat will help regulate the blood sugar spike from the carbs and keep your insulin sensitivity healthy. When you know you’re going to indulge in sugary treats, you can decrease its toll on your body by taking black seed oil. This oil can improve insulin sensitivity and blood sugar regulation in diabetes! (Fararh, et al, 2002)

Summer Glow: Tank tops, short shorts and summer dresses show off some serious skin. Protect your largest organ by using sunscreen, wearing a hat and sunglasses, and staying hydrated. Eat plenty of tomatoes, which contain the skin-protecting antioxidant lycopene, and keep up with your omega-3s! You can also use black seed oil topically on your skin, hair and nails for a moisturizing and anti-aging beauty tonic, making you feel oh-so-pretty all summer long!

Cassie Irwin, Enerex Botanicals
Enerex.ca

Grilled Vegetables With Herbed Goat Cheese

Ingredients:

Mix of: eggplant, zucchini, onions, sweet potato, peppers. Italian or Greek Salad Dressing (regular or low-fat). Small block of goat cheese at room temperature (regular or low fat). Fresh garlic, roasted garlic or garlic powder. All-purpose salt-free herb and spice seasoning mix (or dried Italian seasoning).

Directions

Cut peppers in half and remove seeds. Slice the other vegetables in 1/4 inch slices.
Combine vegetables and enough dressing to coat everything in a resealable bag.Turn a few times to distribute dressing and refrigerate for at least an hour or overnight.
Blend goat cheese, garlic and seasoning mix (to taste) and refrigerate. For convenience you can use a garlic and herb soft cheese like Boursin instead of making your own.
Place veggies on oiled grill at medium heat. Cook 8 – 10 mins checking and turning often until done to your preference. Discard the dressing used for the marinade and use fresh dressing to baste occasionally if you like.)
Arrange warm vegetables on a platter or individual plates and top with a generous dollop of goat cheese. Drizzle with a little olive oil and top with fresh ground pepper if you like.
Serving options: serve at room temperature as part of antipasto plate or use in a sandwich with a good smear of goat cheese mix.

Lisa Kehler, Off Your Plate Nutrition, OffYourPlateNutrition.ca

Wellness – One Step at a Time!

Wellness is an active, lifelong process of making decisions to help you live a more balanced and fulfilled life. It is the result of deliberate effort of caring for ourselves; eating well, exercising, obtaining preventative medical care and treating chronic medical conditions. Why do we seek wellness? Healthier, happier people tend to live longer and have higher energy levels. A sense of wellness helps improve mood and can improve depression. A simple thing that can easily be incorporated into our day that will improve wellness is walking! It doesn’t matter if you can only make it half way down the street. Make a commitment to walk every day and before you know it, you will have made it right around the block. Invest in proper walking shoes and socks for added support and comfort.

I.Ostman
Facebook.com/VoxxSocksForALL

Essential Oils for Travel

Essential oils are great for travel. They are small enough to fit in your carry-on, and powerful enough for your needs on the go! Lavender is considered the “Swiss army knife” of oils. It can be used for minor skin irritations, cuts, burns, muscle and joint pain, headache, you name it! Thieves blend is great to support you while away. Apply to bottoms of feet daily. Add to spray bottle of water and spray any surface you would like clean. If you find certain forms of travel stressful, try applying Stress Away blend behind ears, on temples, across shoulders for some instant “Ahh”!

Denise MacKinnon, Young Living, Facebook.com/SimpleHealthIdeas

You’re Only as Healthy as Your Gut!

The importance of your gut biome to your overall health is something that scientific research has only recently brought to light. The microbiome is the healthy bacteria in your body and your gut. When your gut microbiome is balanced, you stay healthy and you have a lot of energy. Unfortunately this healthy bacteria is being attacked daily by poor diet, nutrient deficient foods, environmental toxins, and lifestyle stress. Signs of poor biome are gas, bloating, inability to lose weight, poor sleep, hormonal imbalances, poor concentration, joint pain, blood sugar imbalance, inflammation, depression and anxiety to list a few. On the upside, there is so much you can do to repair and help your biome to heal and restore good health. These include removing the sugar and processed foods from your diet and replacing them with vegetables and low-sugar fruits. Your gut will thank you!

Tammy Phye, R.A., EOT
LifestyleHarmony.ca

Fitting Self-Care into Your Busy Schedule

Self-care is often seen as selfish however, if we do not care for ourselves, we run the danger of losing who we are. We put our children, our family, work and friends ahead of our own needs. Who will they have if you lose YOU? Self-care does not have to be done alone. You can do it along with the other important people in your life. Self-care is more about how you feel when you are doing it rather than what you are doing. If you love to walk, take the children on a walk through the park. Get your friends together for a Mani, Pedi, Appies night for an evening of pampering without the expense of the spa. These are little things that you can do to help stay true to yourself. Loving yourself is the only sure fire way that life’s little ups and downs can be managed in a healthy and productive way.

Jaclyn Younger, RTC, InnerCare Therapeutic Counselling, Inner-Care.com

Like You, Air is Best When It’s Truly Free

Let’s face it, we all have odors we could do without but masking pet odors with the fake scent of “Red Velvet Chocolate Cake” is not how nature intended us to breathe. The air in any household is already being inundated with unhealthy chemicals (VOC’s) off-gassing from glues and building materials that make up your home’s interior. Fortunately, there are healthier alternatives to freshen air. The use of naturally derived charcoals is one solution that will absorb pre-existing chemicals and eliminate odors to leave your space scent-free. The most absorbent of these charcoals come from sustainable bamboo or coconut shells. After a year of deodorization use, they can be mixed into your garden soil to benefit your plant life. Breathing clean air is your right and charcoal is the natural choice to free your air of odors.

Christopher Tio, Owner
Aircoal.com

Pharmacist Makes House Calls

The Pharmacy at Home Program is perfect for people who struggle with managing their medications or have challenges visiting the pharmacy. For no additional charge, a pharmacist will visit you in your own home. The pharmacist will identify all the prescription and non-prescription medication that you are taking, discuss how the medications are best taken and create a medication management plan to address any issues that you may have. The immediate benefits of the Pharmacy at Home Program are improved quality of life, peace of mind for your family members who know that you are in good hands and increased collaboration with community health services. The long term benefits include being able to stay in your own home for a longer period of time, reduced number of hospital visits and admissions and improved quality of life for your caregiver.

Mel & Kristen Azcarraga, Owners/Pharmacists, Medicine Shoppe Pharmacy, 4186A Departure Bay Rd, Facebook.com/MS0332

Risk Factors Associated with Gambling

In today’s stress-riddled fast-paced world, with so many people suffering from anxiety and depression, how do you maintain your balance to avoid developing addictions such as gambling? It starts by being aware of risk factors associated with gambling addictions. These include having had a big win early in our gambling history, having had a recent loss or change, such as divorce or death of a loved one or having financial problems. Gambling becomes a concern if you find that you use it to escape from problems or to get relief from anxiety or if it is causes you to ignore your physical and emotional health. If some of the things are making you wonder if you have a problem with gambling, take heart. You have more control over your life than you may realize. In fact, recognizing that you may have a problem is powerful and can be the first step in reaching out for help.

Karen Hlady, Community Engagement & Prevention Service Provider, Gambling Awareness Program, BCResponsibleGambling.ca