If you can’t pronounce it, don’t consume it. A great reminder when doing your shopping for the week. Thankfully, with the big push on companies to properly label their products, this is becoming easier than ever. Unfortunately trying to avoid those long, unpronounceable ingredient names – generally chemical additives created to preserve food – can highly impact our usual shopping habits. Regular go-to pantry items are suddenly off the list. So what are some ways to be more contentious but still get to enjoy our favourite dishes? Cook at home more often, using whole recipes. Experiment. Make your own sauces and fresh dips. Buy organic, preservative free ingredients. Shop more frequently, purchasing smaller amounts and fresh. Source local producers – farmers, butchers, bakers, grocers – who can answer your questions about their products and ingredients. Expose yourself to the local food culture of your region, you may be surprised at the diversity you find.

Cakebread Artisan Bakery, www.cakebread.ca

Soma Yoga is a combination of somatic movements & yoga relaxation techniques. These movements and techniques are designed to bring mind body awareness resulting in decreased stress response and pain, increased movement, and enjoyment of life. These gentle, mindful movements are tools you can learn to practice daily to enhance the quality of your life. How you feel physically, determines how you feel mentally and vice versa. It’s a never-ending circle of influence! Throughout our lives, our body/mind responds to stressors and traumatic experiences by producing reflex muscle contractions. When these muscular reflexes are triggered repeatedly, habitual and involuntary muscle contractions develop. Eventually, Sensory Motor Amnesia develops, a memory loss of how certain muscle groups feel and how to control or relax them. The result is stiffness and pain, decreased movement, and postural changes. The gentle movements of Soma Yoga bring back voluntary control of muscles resulting in overall improved health.

Katie White RMT, courtenaymassagetherapy.com

When challenges override the fun in relationships, the question arises, “Is this really worth the struggle?” When you add in doubts, insecurities, and past hurts, one may question the relationship even more. In addition to regular day-to-day stressors, we wonder whether we have what it takes to live with another person or to love another being. Finding our way through the intricacies of an intimate relationship is hard work. When I sit with couples, I ask what drew them together in the first place. Answers include: “He made me laugh,” “She brought out the best in me,” or “I felt safe and at home.” The common thread in people’s answers is a feeling of connection. The simple truth is we love to love because love makes us feel our own warmth and innocence.   Love highlights our kindness, gratitude, trust, and openness. Love connects us with the things we value most; our rich, full presence with ourselves.

Caroline Bradfield, Registered Clinical Counsellor, www.comoxvalleycounselling.ca

With the fast pace of modern lifestyle, an increasing number of people suffer from headaches. There are several types of headaches: migraine, tension, cluster, and menstrual headaches. Some headaches are felt on top of the head, on the temples, or over the sinus cavities. Others radiate from the neck to the eyes, on the forehead, and the whole head. There are numerous causes for headaches to develop. The cause of a headache isn’t necessarily in the head. Problems in other parts of the body also contribute to headaches. They may be caused by an ear, sinus, or throat infection. In addition, headaches occur from whiplash, stress, tension, and hormones. Improper posture, weak digestion, and TMJ dysfunction also induce headaches. It’s necessary to identify what’s causing the headache in order to help relieve the pain. Since the causes and symptoms of headaches are so different, headaches need to be assessed and treated according to the individual’s condition.

Dr. Brigitte Tetrault Dr.TCM, RAc. Certified Advanced Practitioner NST, www.courtenayhealing.ca

Along my own journey of multidimensional healing and transformation, the greatest asset I have cultivated is a proactive mindset. Let’s face it; we live in a time where “instant fixes” are all around us. It’s easy to be conditioned into coasting along with mediocre or faltering health, finances, relationships, etc. It even seems normal and acceptable to run into problems and then complain about what “they” were unable to do for us! If this sounds a bit like you, refrain from useless blame and apathy.   If you hear a pessimistic voice inside saying, “It’s a little late in the game for me to (fill in the blank),” my suggestion to you is to look for the hidden blessings and untapped treasures in any situation. It’s easier to get to work once we realize that a long row to hoe simply means a bigger harvest!

Nelson Meggitt, www.optimumwellnessfactor.ca

The upcoming holiday season may promote excessive spending. The best way to cope with a materialistic time of year is not to fall prey to pressure from the retail world. At the end of the day, as long as there is Christmas, there will be gift-giving. How much money should you plan to set aside for this season? Many financial planners recommend spending no more than 1.5% of your annual income on holiday spending. For example, if your annual household income is $50,000 you should spend $750 or less on holiday gifts, travel, and entertainment. After you set a budget, aim to pay cash for your purchases, buy local, find sales, and avoid applying for department store credit cards that can put you further into debt. Remember what’s most important. The holidays are a time for making memories and spending time with family. Give yourself a break and remember the true meaning of the holidays!

Derek Chase, CPA, CA, CIRP, chasesekulich.com