Community News
Stop to Smell the Roses

With the summer season comes the expectation that the rush of day-to-day life can slow down. Beaches, barbecues, and vacations are all great ways to enjoy summer. Are you able to relax, quiet the mind, and actually achieve the relaxation response in your body that makes you feel like you have spent a week at a spa? As our culture becomes more technologically driven, with constant stimulus at our fingertips, people are becoming chronically anxious and stressed. Instead of achieving the relaxation response, we are experiencing the fight-or-flight response as a daily occurrence. Consider making a mental commitment to yourself this summer to take more time to literally smell the roses, enjoy the outdoors and beauty of nature, and BREATHE. Take the extra time to give yourself the space and calm you need to achieve the relaxation response. You’ll have a better summer for doing these simple things.

Maureen Becker
www.sourcewithin.com

Product Review: Zevia

These days’ people are becoming much more conscious of what they are putting into in their body, and are realizing that regular soda is just not good for us. Happily, there is a smarter, healthier alternative – Zevia. Created with the miracle sweetening ingredient stevia, which makes it all natural and have zero calories, Zevia is a more healthful soft drink. Stevia is a small green plant native to South America, originating from the sunflower family. It is sweeter than sugar, but with no caloric value or effect on blood sugar levels. The drinks also contain Monk Fruit which is a round fruit, and Erythritol which is a natural component of fruits, vegetables, and grains. Zevia is a non-GMO verified product and certified as Kosher by the Orthodox Union. By choosing only the safest and smartest ingredients for consumers Zevia is able to offer a completely gluten free, vegan beverage!

Nutrition Plus
www.nutritionplus.com

Texting Triggers

We may have new texting laws in Manitoba, with changing penalties for texting and driving, but are you aware of the load we place on our neck and spine when doing all that texting? We seem to have forgotten about the Occipital neuralgias; those annoying aches, often chronic headaches are more than likely due to your cellular phone use. Tablet users, voracious readers in bed and exam time students are no longer the only ones experiencing this pain. Looking down at your phone can increase the force on the spine by 6x! Avoid those constant tension trigger points; plan your time, get a headset and use your vehicle bluetooth to avoid these wicked postures… know your ergonomics at work, rest and play and your neck will thank you for it.

Concourse Physiotherapy
www.yourphysio.com

 

Proper Hydration is Key

Most of us strive to live a healthier lifestyle. Finding the right place to start is a challenge. Eating right, exercising regularly, and still making time for family, friends and our own needs can seem like overwhelming goals. Instead of attempting to conquer our health all at once, what if you started by setting more manageable goals? Making small changes today can lead to great health benefits down the road. One simple change would be to drink more water. We don’t function at full capacity when we’re dehydrated. Men are recommended to get 13 cups of water per day, and for women the recommendation is 9 cups per day. There are many ways to make sure you are drinking plenty of fluids. Food provides about 20% of water intake and many fruits and vegetables are more than 90% water. Monitor your fluid intake and you’ll be functioning better in no time.

Sandy Lefley, Juice Plus+
www.slefley.canada.juiceplus.com

Reiki for Pain Management

Pain is something that we all deal with at one time or another, and Reiki can be a very effective way of helping to manage the pain in your life. Chronic pain affects many people and may have a drastic affect on many areas of our life. It may last for months, or even years, it may come and go, and it may not always have a physical cause. Chronic pain can be difficult to manage, even with help of medical professionals. Reiki addresses the body, mind, & spirit – the physical and emotional body as a whole. Reiki helps to re-balance the energy flow in the body promoting relaxation and causing a reduction in physical tension. Emotionally, Reiki reduces stress and anxiety which promotes a deep state of relaxation. Reiki may not fully remove the pain, however this emotional recharge allows you to better manage the pain.

Nichole Guthrie
www.nicholeguthrie.com

 

Scalp Treatment

Is your scalp clean enough? The benefits of a clean scalp are endless. Imagine trying to grow award-winning tomatoes out of weed-infested clay… not a very successful endeavour. Same goes with your hair.

The sad truth is that very rarely has anyone ever suggested you should clean off your scalp. Your scalp can be host to a multitude of residues coming from multiple sources – environmental, hormonal, waxes and polymers from hair products, excess oil production and/or medicinal residues. All of these residues can clog your hair follicles and impede your hair growth. Twice yearly a residue treatment should be performed to reduce the amount of residue on your scalp. This will help you grow the best possible hair you can grow. Continuing the cleansing process at home and maintaining the cleanliness of your scalp is achieved with at-home products consisting of natural, Canadian, hand-made shampoos and scalp lotions.

City Looks
www.citylooks.ca

Silent Killer

Heart disease is the #1 killer in North America. Often referred to as the “Silent Killer,” half of those with heart disease will die without ever knowing they had it.

CARDIO SCREENS assesses your risk with 7 Separate Readings in one Screening:

1. EKG Type Reading- called Recognition. Looking for irregularities in heartbeat.

2. Echo Type Reading- called Ejection Time. Looking at the timing of the aortic valve and left ventricular contraction to ensure proper cardiac output of blood.

3. Circulation Analysis- Looking for restrictions of blood flow in the large, small, and peripheral arteries.

4. Arterial Elasticity- Looking for stiffening or arteriosclerosis of the aorta and large arteries.

5. Pulse Height- Looking for dehydration, blood pressure, and possible inflammation.

6. Pulse Rate- Resting heart rate.

7. Biological Age- Arterial age and chronological age don’t always match – you could be 50 years old with 30-year-old arteries or vice versa.

Scoop & Save
www.scoopandsave.com

Acupuncture

The ancient art of acupuncture works by stimulating our body’s neuroendocrine system to produce its own natural pain relieving chemicals, endorphins and serotonins, which help the body to heal itself. Stimulation occurs when fine needles are inserted into specific places on the body, known as acupoints.

Acupuncture is often used as an adjunct to physiotherapy treatment to alleviate both chronic and acute pain, swelling, muscle spasm and even headaches. It is used widely in sports physiotherapy, and is used to encourage and support a healthy active lifestyle. Acupoints can be picked to target various muscles, joints, promote energy or relaxation and more. Medical studies comparing physiotherapy treatment plans with and without using acupuncture found that those who had acupuncture, had faster results and longer lasting benefits. If pain is limiting your function in work, life or play, consider acupuncture as a possible adjunct to a good physiotherapy and exercise program.

Kristi Hunter, Prairie Trail Physiotherapy
www.prairietrailphysio.ca

Aromatic Treatment

An Aromatic Hot Stone Treatment is a natural therapy in which warmed stones are positioned on parts of the body to maximize the therapeutic benefit. Typically, a therapist allows the heated stones to rest on trigger points in your body before beginning the actual treatment. An essential oil blend mixed with a carrier oil is then applied directly to the skin and various massage strokes are performed using the hot stones in the Therapists hands. What are the benefits of an Aromatic Hot Stone Treatment? They are as follows: Muscle Relaxation – Pain Relief – Improved Circulation –Stress Release – Toxin Removal – Calms Emotions. The heat from the stones as well as the Essential Oil Blend helps your mind, body and spirit enjoy being cradled in Mother Nature’s arms.

Sue Mazur, Aromatic Earth Aromatherapy
www.aromaticearth.ca

Iliotibial Band Friction Syndrome

The iliotibial band is a strong band of connective tissue running from the pelvis to the tibia, just below the knee. Iliotibial Band Friction Syndrome (ITBFS) is an overuse injury caused by excessive rubbing of the band against a bony bump along the outside of the knee when the band is tight. Pain is generally felt along the outside of the knee and is aggravated by activities that involve repeated bending and straightening of the knee, such as running. It generally begins as a dull ache along the side of the knee that starts near the end of a session and disappears when you stop. If left unattended it will start earlier and get more intense. ITBFS generally does not get better on its own if the cause is not addressed and you continue to exercise. The best course of action is to get assessed by a sports physiotherapist.

Yvonne DeCaire, Action Physiotherapy & Wellness Clinic
www.actionphysio.net

Enjoy the present moment… it’s all you’ve got!

Living in the present moment means being fully present in the here and now instead of dwelling on the past or being anxious or worried about the future. It’s all about staying open to our senses paying attention to what you are doing and letting go of expectations, anticipations and outcomes. Most of us experience continuous distractions and ongoing clutter in our minds. By embracing the present, we can experience life in the moment instead of thinking about it from our head. Becoming more present makes us more open, playful, creative, attuned and connected to ourselves, each other, our intuition and environment. Staying in the present is about breathing in full life force into our being. When we can let go of old pain, hurt and resentments of our past it allows room for us to live more fully in the present with joy, spontaneity and an open heart.

D’Arcy Bruning-Haid, M.A. Counselling
www.souls-journey.com