Imagine starting every day hungry, unable to focus on what your teacher is saying over your growling stomach and pounding headache.

Unfortunately, for too many Canadian children, this is a reality. When a child is hungry it is hard to learn, and yet 1 million Canadian children, that’s 1 in 6, face hunger every year. Undernourished children have difficulty focusing on tasks, have lower self-esteem and are absent from school more often.

Breakfast for Learning is one of the largest national charities committed to ensuring students attend school well-nourished and ready to learn. Working to support communities in every province and territory, Breakfast for Learning helps schools start and sustain breakfast, lunch and snack programs each year. Since 1992, Breakfast for Learning has helped 3.6 million children and youth enjoy over 554 million healthy meals and snacks.

Keep your pets inside as much as possible during winter months!

Cats will curl up against almost anything to stay warm, including car engines. Cats caught in moving engine parts can be seriously hurt or killed. If you light a fire or plug in a space heater, remember that the warmth may be just as inviting to your pets. Keep an eye out to make sure that no tails or paws come in contact with flames, heating coils, or hot surfaces. Pets can either burn themselves or knock a heat source over and put the entire household in danger. Pets that go outside can pick up snow, ice, and ice melting chemicals in their footpads. To keep your pet’s pads from getting chapped and raw, wipe their feet with a washcloth when they come inside.

Remember … if you are cold outside, they probably are too!

Thoughts of Inspiration for the Beginning and End of the Day, by Tiffany Prochera

A Candle at Both Ends by Winnipeg author, Tiffany Prochera, is an inspiring, thought-provoking and humorous collection of prose and poetry to help you wake up in the morning with enthusiasm and focus, and go to sleep at night resolved and peaceful.

With morning cheers, tips on how you can get the most out of life and be the person you truly to want to be and musings on special occasions such as birthdays and anniversaries. A Candle at Both Ends allow you to take a moment to breathe, dream and create your life.

A little something to keep you warm and cozy this winter!

This is a creamy, delicious, soothing for the digestive system, helps build iron and perfect for a cold day.

Prep Time: 10 min (plus overnight soaking)
Serves: 2 – 3

Ingredients:

10 
medium dates, pitted and soaked.
1 tsp soaked fennel seeds.
25 soaked whole raw almonds or you can use cashews too!
2-3c warm water for the “milk” plus a cup boiling hot for blanching.
2 pinches cardamom.
1 pinch nutmeg.
2 pinches saffron (optional)

Directions:

Soak the pitted dates with fennel seeds and the almonds in separate bowls overnight. In the morning, drain and peel almonds. Pour some boiling hot water over almonds to blanch and then peel them easily (slip skins while the water is still hot or they stick again). *almond skins are hard to digest that is why they are skinned. Try it and see the difference! Blend with 3 cups fresh warm water and all other ingredients for 2 minutes or until smooth.

Comments and Tips: The added cardamom and nutmeg is delicious and really helps us handle the almond digestion and prevent water retention. Please be creative and add any spices you like to this.

As we age, we often feel the middle expanding.
Have you noticed we become shorter and wider? 

Fortunately, this is reversible! Block Therapy addresses the reasons tissue ages and safely and effectively teaches you how to take your body back to a more youthful place. Although it treats the whole body, it largely focuses on the foundational component, the rib cage and the core. This allows you to access proper diaphragmatic breathing, which creates the most optimal environment for the body to function. The results are improved digestion and elimination, and a waistline you will love.

It doesn’t matter your age, sex or physical condition, Block Therapy will teach you how to use your body the way it was designed, resulting in the healthiest version of yourself.