Empowering author Elizabeth Gilbert asks us to embrace our curiosity and let go of needless suffering. She shows us how to tackle what we most love, and how to face down what we most fear. She discusses the attitudes, approaches, and habits we need in order to live our most creative lives. Whether we are looking to write a book, make art, find new ways to address challenges in our work, Big Magic cracks open a world of wonder and joy.
Community News
Did You Know?
Blue corn has been popping up as an ingredient everywhere from tortilla chips to breakfast cereal. New research suggests that anthocyanins, the nutrients that give the corn its blue color, may help protect against metabolic syndrome, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and cancer!
www.newhope.com
Clean Eating: Spaghetti Squash “Mac ‘n’ Cheese”
Ingredients:
1 large spaghetti squash
3 tbsp coconut oil
3 tbsp spelt flour
2 cups unsweetened almond milk
3/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp onion or garlic powder
pinch ground black pepper
1 cup (4 oz) any hard cheese, shredded.
Red pepper flakes, to taste. Preheat oven to 375ºF. Wash squash, cut in half lengthwise and remove seeds with a spoon. Place cut side down on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and bake for 40-50 minutes. Let cool and separate into strands with a fork. Preheat medium pot on low-medium heat and melt oil. Whisk in flour and milk until smooth. Add salt, onion powder and pepper; whisk and let simmer for about 4 minutes or until sauce has slightly thickened. Add cheese and whisk again until smooth. Add squash and mix gently with a spoon to combine. Cover and let squash warm through for about 5 minutes. Enjoy!
Let’s do More “Firsts” this Valentine’s Day
Let this be your “First” Valentine’s Day where you celebrate you! Buy yourself flowers or treat yourself to a fancy meal. Do whatever it is that brings you joy! Firsts and/or exciting experiences create a new neural pathway and releases dopamine in the brain. As these pathways develop, it creates a new map of how we think. Many rewards like chocolate increase the level of dopamine. This sounds like a win-win – chocolates and new things to try! While experiencing things for the first time can be fun, there are a few more things that you can do to increase dopamine. Even things like accomplishing a to-do list; listening to music you really like; eating certain foods. Exercise is another large one, along with being creative, and no surprise – meditation. Recording your achievements toward a goal, like drawing a big heart on your calendar, releases dopamine. Here is to more “Firsts” in your life this year!
Patty Parsons, www.parsonstherapy.com
The Connection Between Your Eyes and Your Ears
As we age, we’re more susceptible to hearing loss and vision changes. Both conditions can creep up on us, making preventive measures essential to sustaining the quality of life we’re used to. 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 a vision loss. The same goes for hearing loss. Having both a vision and 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 fit hearing aid, counseling, or environmental changes.
Lisa Reid Audiology, www.lisareid.ca
Take Care of Yourself!
Self-Care is something that most of us forget about. We are so busy with work, family activities and all the demands of the day-to-day that we forget to take time for ourselves. We usually remember self-care only when we are already burnt out or sick, and then we have no choice but to take time out for ourselves. If we could only somehow incorporate some “me” time in our weekly activities. Pencil in an appointment with yourself even if it is only for a half hour. Sign up for an exercise class or meditation class once a week to help with stress. Maybe a painting class or dance or crafting class could help you unwind for a bit and change the scenery for you. And if it resonates with you, then make a point of going on a regular basis to relieve stress and to feel the therapeutic effects the therapy can do for you. You Deserve it!
Rositha Jeanson, RCRT/teacher, Balance and Harmony, www.rositha.ca
5 New Year’s Resolutions to Boost Your Health
It’s a new year and a perfect time to start good healthy habits. Here are five tips to drive your immune system into gear so you can live 2017 full of strength and vitality! 1. Exercise. The Canadian Diabetes Clinical Practice Guidelines recommend at least 150 minutes of cardio plus two sessions of resistance training per week. 2. Eat more fruits and vegetables. The Mediterranean diet has been proven to lower one’s risk for heart disease and improve longevity. 3. See your doctor for routine checkups. Screening early for disease can help prevent or lessen problems from the disease. 4. Get vaccinated. This allows your body to fight off infections. Check with your doctor, nurse or pharmacist to see whether you are up-to-date. 6. Reduce stress. Meditate, do yoga and get plenty of sleep. Make time to pamper yourself!
Care At Home Pharmacy, www.careathomepharmacy.ca
The Best Way to a Persons Heart
This Valentine’s day, you might be thinking the best way to a person’s heart is through their stomach. While this may or may not be true, research shows one of the best ways to optimal mental health is, indeed, through the stomach. What you eat is critical to the health of your entire body including brain health. Many of the nutrients we digest are essential building blocks of neurotransmitters (brain chemicals) that regulate mood, appetite, sleep, weight and a myriad of other processes that work to keep us functioning properly. Diets containing whole grains, fresh fruit, vegetables, legumes, nuts, seeds, lean meat, and fatty fish as well as probiotic-rich foods like pickles, sauerkraut, and kefir are associated with better physical and mental health. Omega 3 fatty acid and vitamin supplementation can play an integral role in our mental health, reducing symptoms of anxiety and depression. Always consult your healthcare provider before making lifestyle changes.
Sean Miller, Canadian Mental Health Association, mbwpg.cmha.ca
3 Ways to Boost Your Metabolism
Are you looking to kick-start your metabolism? Here are a few tips! 1. Build Muscle. Your body always burns calories, even when you’re doing nothing. Your resting metabolic rate is much higher if you have muscle. After a session of strength training, muscles are activated all over your body, raising your average daily metabolic rate. 2. Keep Drinking. Your body needs water to process calories. If you are even mildly dehydrated, your metabolism may slow down. To stay hydrated, drink a glass of water or other unsweetened beverage before every meal and snack. 3. Power Up With Protein. Your body burns many more calories digesting protein than it does with carbohydrates. As part of a balanced diet, replacing some carbs with lean, protein-rich foods can boost metabolism at mealtime. Good sources of protein include lean beef, turkey, fish, chicken, tofu, nuts, beans, eggs, and low-fat dairy products. Now get ready to become a lean, mean, calorie-burning machine!
www.disabilitytaxcreditwinnipeg.com
Book Club: The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up
The Japanese Art of Decluttering and Organizing by Marie Kondō. Despite constant efforts to declutter your home, do papers still accumulate like snowdrifts and clothes pile up like a tangled mess of noodles? Japanese cleaning consultant Marie Kondo takes tidying to a whole new level, promising that if you properly simplify and organize your home once, you’ll never have to do it again. The KonMari Method, with its revolutionary category-by-category system, leads to lasting results. www.goodreads.com
Home Remedies for a Cough
Did you know that onions can be used to cleanse airways and reduce congestion? Try a poultice of roasted onion to the chest every few hours. They can also be drunk as a warm broth. Cabbage also works well, as it has an extraordinary ability to draw out toxin. Crush the leaves with a rolling pin until the juice starts to appear. Place 3 or 4 leaves over the chest and cover with gauze. You can also drink the juice of a cabbage sweetened with a little bit of honey. Adapted from the book “The New Guide to Remedies” by Paragon Staff
