Community News
Benefit Your Whole Body with Strength Training

Strength training builds strong muscles! Build your total body strength so everyday activities of living become easier, whether that’s climbing the stairs, carrying groceries, or playing sports. With regular strength training, you not only gain muscle; you lose fat! The beauty of resistance training is that it boosts fat burning when you’re not exercising by increasing your resting metabolism. Strong muscles help support your joints and can prevent arthritis as well as ease joint pain. Your bones might seem inanimate but they are constantly changing. Cells called osteoclasts gobble up old bone tissue, while other cells called osteoblasts lay down new bone. Resistance exercise stresses your bones, which stimulates osteoblasts to come in and provide reinforcement with new tissue. Research tells us that self-esteem soars among those who commit to regular resistance workouts. Regular resistance training improves your health, your weight, your mood, and it gives you more energy.

Reprinted with permission Curves International 2015.

Curves Southdale, www.curves.com

The Modern Wig 

The word “wig” carries a bad rap. Times are changing and we have more appropriate words to describe these hair pieces. The future of hair can be referred to as Fashion Hair, Faux-Hair, or Hair Extensions. Hair pieces today are not like those wigs 40 years ago – there are so many more colors and styles to choose from. The hair itself is more move-able and of finer-quality. They can be shaped into different styles and customized with styling products and tools. They’re cool, comfortable and undetectable. For human hair wigs, I recommend 100% remy hair, which is of the finest-quality. I am challenging every woman to own as least one wig, and in doing that, we won’t have to wait until we lose hair, for whatever reason, to own a wig. This might also be a gesture of support for all the women who have no choice in this matter. Hair Today – Hair Tomorrow – Hair Always. Evelyn Valcourt is a Hair Consultation Specialist for over 28 Years.

Evelyn Valcourt, www.evelynswigs.com

Clean Eating: Quinoa “Breaded” Chicken Strips 

Ingredients:

Use organic products.
3-4 boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into strips,
⅔ cup flour,
1 tsp sea salt + ¼ tsp pepper,
3 eggs + 2 Tbsp water,
2 cups cooked quinoa.

Directions:

Preheat oven to 425 degrees and grease a baking sheet with Coconut Oil or Butter. In a small bowl whisk flour, salt, and pepper. In a second bowl whisk eggs and water. Place quinoa in a third bowl. Dredge chicken in flour mixture, then eggs, and lastly in the quinoa being sure to coat well.  Bake for 20 minutes until chicken is cooked. Serve with your favorite healthy dipping sauces!

Book Club: The Lucky Years 

How to Thrive in the Brave New World of Health. Bestselling author David Agus unveils the new world of medicine, one in which we can take control of our health like never before and doctors can fine-tune strategies and weapons to prevent illness. In this bestseller, he builds on that theme by showing why this is the luckiest time yet to be alive, giving you the keys to the new kingdom of wellness.

David Agus, www.davidagus.com

L-Carnitine & Chromium

L-Carnitine with Chromium is a blend of two nutrients that play important roles in the metabolism of fat. L-Carnitine is required for the breakdown of fats into energy, while chromium supports healthy glucose metabolism. Its main function is to help insulin carry sugar into muscle cells where it is stored as energy. A lack of chromium could cause fluctuating blood-sugar levels which trigger sugar cravings. As a carbohydrate dependent society, increasing the amount of L-Carnitine & Chromium in our diet in our formula’s proportions will assist the body’s ability to manage its carbohydrate cravings and, in turn, assist with a successful weight management protocol.

Brett & Andrea Griffin, www.myvalentus.com/Manitoba

8 Ways to Radiant Skin

1) From the holistic perspective, feeding yourself quality ingredients is the way to look and feel your best.
2) Talk nice to yourself. You are already a beautiful creature! When you know this from the heart, it shows on your skin. That kind of confidence cannot be bought.
3) Get to know yourself spiritually, you are part of limitless potential and you can do whatever your heart desires.
4) Believe in who you are.
5) Feed yourself with good books, music and loved ones.
6) Go into nature and take deep breaths. Sit and breathe, walk your dog and breath, ski and breath, do something to calm the mind and get oxygen into the body.
7) Take time for you.
8) Eat healthy, get exercise, and do not over do anything.

Lori Cohen, Optima Organics, www.immortellerevolution.ca

Cardio Screens Lifeline to Health 

February is Heart and Stroke Awareness Month. Remarkable progress has been made tackling cardiovascular disease in Canada over the past 60 years with death rates declining by more than 75 per cent. This has largely been due to research advances in surgical procedures, drug therapies and prevention efforts. Yet despite our progress, heart disease and stroke remain the leading causes of death here in Canada. An estimated 1.6 million Canadians are living with heart disease or the effects of a stroke. In 2011, more than 66,000 Canadians died from heart disease or stroke. That’s one person every 7 minutes. In that year, almost 14,000 Canadians died as the result of a heart attack. By adopting a healthier lifestyle, you can delay the onset of heart disease or stroke by as much as 14 years! Cardiovascular screening is a reliable way to know your possible risk factors for a heart attack or stroke. Get your screening done today!

Rick Drury, www.scoopandsave.com

What is Your Mouth Telling You?

The state of your mouth can offer valuable insights into your dental, oral and overall health.  Any bleeding when you brush your gums is a sign that you should see your dentist.  Unhealthy gums can affect your overall health.  Atherosclerosis, clogging of the arteries, has a strong link to gum disease.  Pain on biting might mean a cracked tooth.  Sugar sensitivity usually indicates a cavity.  Tenderness to cold might just need a change of toothpaste.  Tenderness to hot is likely to be more serious.  The pulp of your tooth can become inflamed for many reasons.  The only way to find out, for sure, what’s going on is to see your dentist.  Bad breath can be caused by poor oral hygiene.  A good electric toothbrush, flossing and scraping your tongue all help.  Throat infections also cause bad breath.  Don’t assume that problems will resolve by themselves.  See a dentist at least once a year. Remember: “You don’t have to floss all your teeth, just the ones you want to keep!” Dr.

George Cadigan, www.exclusvielydentures.ca

Budget Your Medication 

With Pharmacare deductibles once again beginning in April, we know that the cost of prescriptions is often difficult to manage for patients. Everyone should have access to good care and safe medication use. There are customized budget plans that are available. This allows you to remain on your medications and manage the expense throughout the year. Along with the budget, visiting pharmacists will visit you or your loved ones in the comfort of your own home on a regular basis. They will help you manage multiple or complex medications and collaborate with other members of your health care team to ensure your health needs are met. This gives you and your family peace of mind with the knowledge that this aspect of your life is taken care of and contributes to a positive quality of life. Better Health and Wellness can be achieved through medication management.

Care At Home Pharmacy, www.careathomepharmacy.ca

Fall Prevention for the Elderly

We have all fallen. Once, twice, or maybe even several times. But if you’re 65 years or older, falling can be detrimental. One out of every five falls will cause a serious injury such as a broken bone or a head injury. An older person who falls and hits their head should see their doctor A.S.A.P., as head injuries may be life-threatening. Did you know that falling once doubles your chance of falling again? Exercise to improve your balance and strengthen your muscles helps to prevent falls. Not wearing bifocal or multifocal glasses when you walk, especially on stairs, will make you less likely to fall. You can also make your home safer by removing loose rugs, adding handrails to stairs and hallways, and making sure you have adequate lighting in dark areas. Falls are not an inevitable part of life, even as a person gets older. You can take action to prevent falls.

Life Assure, www.lifeassure.com

Clean Eating: Quinoa “Breaded” Chicken Strips 

Ingredients: (Use organic products)

3-4 boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into strips
⅔ cup flour
1 tsp sea salt + ¼ tsp pepper
3 eggs + 2 Tbsp water
2 cups cooked quinoa

Directions:

Preheat oven to 425 degrees and grease a baking sheet with Coconut Oil or Butter. In a small bowl whisk flour, salt, and pepper. In a second bowl whisk eggs and water. Place quinoa in a third bowl. Dredge chicken in flour mixture, then eggs, and lastly in the quinoa being sure to coat well.  Bake for 20 minutes until chicken is cooked. Serve with your favorite healthy dipping sauces!