Our intestines are responsible for the breakdown and absorption of nutrients from the food and liquids we consume. In order to accomplish this, the gut lining must be semi-permeable. Sometimes this lining is more porous than it should be – a condition called leaky gut – which allows undigested food to enter the bloodstream. This causes inflammation, a potential root cause of most illness and disease including mental illness. One effective way to repair the gut lining (and warm up on a cold winter day) is to drink mineral and nutrient rich bone broth made from organic beef, chicken, or fish bones.
Community News
Got Vitamin D?
One of the best sources of vitamin D occurs naturally from sunlight. However, those of us living in Winnipeg are in short supply of this natural resource in the winter months. Some symptoms of vitamin D deficiency include depression, reduced wound healing capacity, fatigue, or becoming sick often. During the winter months, consider asking your physician about taking a vitamin D supplement, or eating foods that are high in vitamin D, such as fish (tuna, mackerel, salmon, and cod liver oil), egg yolks, beef liver, cheese, and mushrooms. When summer arrives again, go outside for some fun in the sun!
Clean Eating Recipe: Hot Chocolate
Store bought hot chocolate “packets” contain massive amounts of sugar and even hydrogenated oils (an unexpected, undesirable ingredient). You can serve this with whipped cream made of organic heavy cream with a little bit of stevia.
1/3 c full fat coconut milk (unsweetened)
2/3 c boiling water
1 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder
1 tsp vanilla
15 drops liquid stevia
(optional) 1-2 drops peppermint oil, whipped cream, or cocoa nibs
Boil water on the stove. Add in all remaining ingredients. Stir well. Let cool a little bit, serve and enjoy!
You’ve Got Massage Therapy Benefits!
You’ve worked hard throughout your life to get yourself into a position that allows you access to extended benefits. So why aren’t you using them? Benefits like massage therapy are utilized for the treatment of a variety of health issues ranging from stress to certain medical conditions. For example, health conditions including insomnia, TMJ, anxiety, and nerve pain can be treated using massage therapy. Medically backed benefits of a massage include decreased stress, improved circulation, and reduced pain. Plus, getting a massage is simply rejuvenating to your body and mind. So, wouldn’t it be nice if your insurance would cover your next massage? Taking care of yourself now keeps you happy, healthy, and continually productive for your employer.
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 also save your precious household items. Chew toys designated for puppies are a little smaller and softer than the adult toys because puppy teeth are more prone to fracture. Caring for a teething puppy also means caring for the puppy’s teeth. Ensure your new dog is getting a properly balanced diet, including vitamins and minerals such as calcium, so that his or her new adult, or permanent, 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.
Community Event
Self-Love & Acceptance Group. Eight sessions (once/week), dates and times will be based on registrants’ interest and availability. Sparham Counselling 204-806-9777
Quit Smoking with Laser Therapy
Is quitting smoking on your ‘New Years Resolution List’? Have you tried just about everything, with little success? Laser Therapy is clinically proven to help to control cravings and withdrawal symptoms. In clinical studies, patients report a noticeable reduction in cravings, and have a higher chance of success in quitting. The benefits of quitting smoking with laser over other interventions include no medications with unpleasant side effects, no unhealthy nicotine in your system in the form of patches, and pleasant side effects of relaxation which are a result of the endorphins released in response to the laser. Start the New Year as a nonsmoker, and making smoking a habit of the past. SmartChoice Laser Centre, SmartChoiceLaser.com
Burnout Relief
When life’s stresses have us burning the candle at both ends, quite often burnout has us looking for a way out, looking for something better… anything to get us out of the hopelessness and emptiness that entraps us. Instead of choosing an expensive leave of absence, a recent client opting for Brainwave Optimization declared: “I like this better because it allows me some integrated burnout relief that supports me in the here and now, helping my brain function better so I make better choices right in the midst of the emotional and physical exhaustion. All I need sometimes is to get away from it all – this does it!” La Loba, LaLobaTraumaRelease.com
Don’t Be the Water Filter!
Disinfecting our drinking water for more than a century with chlorine ensured it was free of the microorganisms that can cause serious diseases, such as typhoid fever. To this day, chlorine remains the most commonly used drinking water disinfectant. However, chlorine has been shown to promote a generation of free radicals within the body. Drinking tap water has been linked to bladder, breast and bowel cancer; and long-term effects of drinking, bathing, and swimming in chlorinated water has been shown to cause malignant melanoma. According to Dr. Rona, M.D., chlorinated water destroys most of the intestinal flora–friendly bacteria that help not only with the digestion of food, but with the production of vitamins B12 and K. Chlorinated water has been shown to destroy vitamin E and polyunsaturated fatty acids. All of these factors have been shown to result in skin irritations, including eczema, acne, and rashes. TotalWaterCleaners.com
Communication Tips for Dementia
1. Set a positive mood. Use warm facial expressions and tone of voice to help convey your message and show your feelings of affection.
2. Listen with your ears, eyes, and heart. Be patient in waiting for your loved one’s reply. Watch for nonverbal cues and respond appropriately.
3. Remember the good ol’ days. Reminiscing is a soothing activity. Many people with dementia may not remember what happened 30 minutes ago, but they can clearly recall their lives 30 years earlier.
4. Laugh a little or a lot! Use humour whenever possible. People with dementia tend to retain their social skills and are usually delighted to laugh along with you.
Alevtina (Alia) Tuhari, Reliable Home Care Agency Inc., ReliableHomeCare.ca
Financial Fitness
Many of us have multiple income streams from side businesses or part-time/seasonal jobs. It’s important that we track multiple income streams properly to ensure we don’t end up with a large bill at tax time. One way to do this is to use a spreadsheet that includes the following categories: Employer, Gross Income, Income Tax, CPP, EI, and Net Income for each stream of income. Total all streams so that you can calculate the total earnings, tax, CPP, and EI deducted so far. Then determine what the actual deductions should be based on the combined income. The Canada Revenue Agency has a Payroll Deductions online calculator that is useful for this (http://www.cra-arc.gc.ca/esrvc-srvce/tx/bsnss/pdoc-eng.html). A qualified accountant can also help with any questions you might have.
Brian Denysuik, CREDITAID.ca
