A nutritious diet, exercise and stress management are part of developing a healthy relationship with yourself. It did not take you one day to become overweight and out of shape, so you can’t expect to change overnight! Many of us live as “subconscious beings” reverting to unhealthy habits such as binge TV watching, processed foods and drinking alcohol daily. To truly change your health, you need to set slow, manageable goals. The choices you make on a daily basis determine the long term outcome. Consult a Holistic Health Practitioner to find out how you can achieve lifelong change by making small changes today.
New Community Support Rep
The GAM Info Rep is a new service offered by the BC Responsible & Problem Gambling Program. GAM Info Reps are part of your Gaming & Gambling support services. Like any advisor, the GAM Info Rep is there to support you with your distinct needs every step of the way. Whether you need to inquire about counselling services, legal services, housing, community health, debt management or any other support service, the GAM Info Rep is there to help. Your GAM Info Rep on Central Vancouver island is Tracy Tsui. 778-386-9955 or toll free 1-888-558-2857.
Clean Eating: Simple Vegan Eggnog
Ingredients: 1 15-ounce can coconut milk (400 ml), 1/2 cup raw cashews, 1/4 cup water, 3 tbsp maple syrup, 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg, 1/4 tsp ground cinnamon. Directions: Soak the cashews overnight or for at least 1 hour. Place all the ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth. Serve the eggnog chilled, so keep it in the fridge for at least 1 or 2 hours. Enjoy the Holiday Season!
Book Club: Making Sense of Mindfulness
Do you practise mindfulness? Manitoba-born author Keith Macpherson (BEd) is a mindfulness life coach and motivational speaker who has been inspiring audiences for more than twenty years.nown for his popular “daily intentions” on social media and his regular column “Keith’s Corner” in several corporate wellness magazines, Keith inspires thousands of people daily with his messages of mindfulness. This book is available now at your local book store.
Meet the Practitioner – Christine Shaw
With almost 30 years in the care industry, including 18 years as an LPN and 6 years providing foot care, your feet are in good hands with Christine. After completing the Nursing Foot Care Course at VIU, she found her passion treating Diabetics and feet at risk. A typical foot care treatment includes but is not limited to: Foot inspection and discussion of any identified foot issues, nail trimming/thinning including extremely thick or fungal nails, corn and callus removal and/or reduction. If desired, it can also include a foot wrap and/or application of moisturizer. She is offering specials this month.
Naturally Healthy Clinic, NaturallyHealthyClinic.ca
Energy & Information are the Key to Health
While traditional healthcare has primarily focused on physiology, we now realize that energy and information control biology. Frontier science proves that there is a regulating field of energy and information that operates at the subcellular level in the physical body. At NES Health, they call this the Human Body-Field (HBF) and have researched it for over 30 years. They have discovered that the root causes of physical problems are distortions and blockages in the body-field. A Bio-Energetic Assessment uses a state of the art computer to read the body-field. Decisions regarding treatment can be made from the information gathered.
Wolfgang Zilker, Certified NES BioEnergetic Practitioner, NaturallyHealthyClinic.ca
What is CBD?
Cannabidiol (CBD) is just one of over 85 naturally-occurring constituents identified in the hemp plant. Unlike THC, it won’t get you “high”, which makes it an appealing option. The most abundant non-psychoactive cannabinoid found in hemp, CBD is becoming increasingly popular due to highly publicized exposure in the media and the wide scope of its benefits on health and wellness. Clinical reports and mounds of test data showing little to no side effects and a lack of the psychoactivity typically associated with marijuana products and high THC levels have also contributed to CBD’s rise in popularity. CBD will not adversely affect sensory awareness, perception, consciousness, reaction time, or behavior.
New Addition to the Team
Warmest welcome to our newest addition to the veterinary team – Dr. Hebe Lin of Crescent Beach, BC. Dr. Lin brings years of experience breeding border collies to our team, and has special interest in ophthalmology as well. We have been fortunate enough to have her intern with us and get special training with our specialist referral team. For those of you wanting to communicate in Mandarin, that is Dr. Lin’s native tongue. Please help us welcome her to the practice as we build more relationships with you and your pets.
Restore Your Energy Circuits
The human body is an electrical being and the health of it depends on the energy currents that run through it. When the body suffers a trauma (sprain, fatigue, infection, etc.), it encapsulates itself in some manner for healing purposes (inflammation, swelling, spasm, etc.). Normally free-flowing currents are disrupted and will circumvent the area of trauma and travel around it. This happens because electrical currents always take the path of least resistance (best conduction), so the flow of electricity in the traumatized area is significantly reduced. Enhanced micro-current treatment applied appropriately to the involved tissues or organ pathways can restore and recover optimal self-regulation functions.
Hot and Cold
In Traditional Chinese Medical terms, we often describe body types as hot and cold. For example, catching a cold means a coldness has infiltrated the body. Food is also classified as hot or cold, so when you catch a cold, you can remedy it with hot foods. An example of a hot food would be ginger, which can be added to cooking or taken in capsule form for convenience. Eating too many hot foods or too many cold foods can result in an imbalance in the body. If symptoms aren’t alleviated, check in with a health practitioner.
Surgery for ACL Injuries
Anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury is commonly seen in sports such as soccer, rugby, and skiing. Although many individuals initially recover well, the ongoing instability often prevents return to sports and leads to further knee injury, and the risk of developing future osteoarthritis becomes increased. Bracing is rarely sufficient. Surgical reconstruction performed early, within 3-6 weeks, helps to minimize the risk of further injury. ACL surgery should be treated as an urgent matter: assessment, diagnosis, and surgery can usually be completed within a few weeks. The athlete, elite, or weekend-warrior can then start early rehabilitation to maximize the benefits of the knee reconstruction.


