Whatever sport you participate in, trainers recommend using different essential oils, both pre- and post-workout. Before any workout or therapy, use a muscle rub, and then reapply post-workout. A hand massage with essential oil before or after an event can help relieve tension. Pre-workout, some runners like to use peppermint essential oil to clear their airways. Apply four to five drops to the chest five minutes before exercise or an event. Post-workout, place four drops of lemon into 16 ounces of water and drink, then apply lemongrass oil to calves. Also, try Siberian fir, wintergreen, and frankincense essential oils during post-workout for muscle tension.
Community News
The Eyes and Ears Connection
As we age, we’re more susceptible to hearing loss and vision changes. According to the Canadian National Institute for the Blind (CNIB), you’re at greater risk of social isolation and reduced community participation if you have vision loss. The same goes for hearing loss. Having both a vision and a hearing problem can affect your ability to lip-read, which is detrimental to communicating with co-workers, family, and friends. A decreased ability to socialize is linked to a greater risk of dementia. However, Statistics Canada reports that 90 percent of people with hearing loss can improve communication with a properly fitting hearing aid, counselling, or environmental changes.
Tips for a Teething Puppy
Puppies are adorable, but teething can be a difficult time for both him and your family. Introducing your puppy to age-appropriate dog chew toys early can save your precious household items. Chew toys designed for puppies are a little smaller and softer than the adult toys are, because puppy teeth are more prone to fracture. Ensure your new dog is getting a properly balanced diet, including vitamins and minerals such as calcium, so that his new adult teeth can develop normally. Having two teeth crowded into a space meant for one can cause discomfort and possibly initiate some destructive tendencies in your pup.
Clean Eating: Turmeric Hamburgers
1 lb. of organic grass-fed ground beef, 1 egg, ½ cup of oatmeal or bread crumbs, 1 Tbsp. cracked black pepper, 1 Tbsp. turmeric, 1 Tbsp. Worcestershire sauce, 1 Tbsp. organic BBQ sauce, 1 chopped onion, 1 minced head of garlic. Mix together lightly. Form patties. Brush lightly with oil. Grill on low/med heat, 5 min. per side.
Daily Routine Important for Seniors
People are afraid of the unknown. If an older adult is losing control over their physical abilities, independence, or cognitive abilities, their world gets filled with more and more unknowns. Establishing routine is extremely important for seniors. A daily routine offers a level of stability that individuals often enjoy, as it allows them to settle into a schedule that they understand. Doing the same basic activities like eating, dressing, and bathing at the same time every day is known to improve sleep quality. A predictable routine also helps to reduce stress and anxiety.
Have You Tried Kefir?
Kefir is a unique cultured dairy product and one of the most probiotic-rich foods on the planet. Drinking Kefir has incredible medicinal benefits for your digestion and gut health. It’s tart and refreshing flavor is similar to a drinking-style yogurt, but it contains beneficial yeast as well as friendly probiotic bacteria found in yogurt. The naturally occurring bacteria and yeast in combine symbiotically to give superior health benefits when consumed regularly. It is loaded with valuable vitamins and minerals and contains easily digestible complete proteins. Drink up for benefits to your immune system and your bowels (see you later, IBS symptoms!)
On The Menu
There’s no question that our diet affects how we function physically, mentally, and emotionally. Planning meals amid a myriad of options can be a daunting task but it doesn’t have to be. Often, popular diets are unnecessarily restrictive and demand an all or nothing approach, making lasting change difficult to maintain. Instead of quitting all unhealthy dietary habits at once, work at replacing one unhealthy choice per week with a healthy one. Need a coach? Naturopaths, dietitians, and nutritionists are great partners to help you identify best choices and stay the course to the healthiest version of you possible.
Book Club:
Weight Loss for People Who Feel Too Much: A 4-Step, 8-Week Plan to Finally Lose the Weight, Manage Emotional Eating, and Find Your Fabulous Self, by Colette Baron-Reid. This 4-step, 8-week program will show you how to finally let go of what’s weighing you down, physically and emotionally. You will learn how to: – Reverse empathy overload and establish healthy boundaries. – Avoid the “noisy” trigger foods that lead to autopilot eating. – Deal with challenging situations and avoid your detours, from procrastination to perfectionism, that sabotage the success you deserve.
So, You Didn’t Have a Valentine?
Didn’t get shot by cupid on Valentine’s Day? Maybe you’re looking for love in all the wrong places. As a professional matchmaker with over 24 years of experience, I have facilitated thousands of successful love connections that are still going strong many years later. Receiving service tailored to you and your specific needs is always going to give you a better chance of getting what you want. Do you want to spend 30 minutes filling out an online questionnaire, or a couple of hours with a matchmaker trained in asking you the important questions and understanding you as an individual? Have a professional matchmaker be your cupid.
Cats and Essential Oils
There has been much talk recently about cats and essential oils. Are oils safe, or unsafe? What should you believe? The truth is essential oils are indeed a toxic threat to cats. They are rapidly absorbed both orally and through the skin, and are then metabolized in the liver. Cats lack an essential enzyme in their liver, and as such, have difficulty metabolizing and eliminating many essential oils. Cats are also very sensitive to phenols and phenolic compounds, which can be found in some essential oils. The higher the concentration of the essential oil (i.e., 100%), the greater the risk to the cat.
Fudgy Black Bean Brownies
• 1-1/2 cups black beans (drained and rinsed well)
• 2 tbsp. cocoa powder
• 1/2 cup oats
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• 1/3 cup pure maple syrup or honey
• pinch stevia or sweetener
• 1/4 cup coconut oil
• 2 tsp. pure vanilla extract
• 1/2 tsp. baking powder
• 2/3 cup chocolate chips
Preheat oven to 350 F. Combine all ingredients, except chocolate chips, in a good food processor, and blend until completely smooth. Stir in the chocolate chips, and then pour into a greased 8×8 pan. Cook 15-18 minutes, and then let cool at least 10 minutes. Enjoy! Your kids won’t even know they’re healthy!
