Community News
The Mindful Valentine

Valentine’s Day… a day for celebrating love (and chocolate). Mindful eating is a way of practicing self-care around food. Make conscious decisions that leave you feeling better after eating, not worse. How do you show love for yourself around food? Write yourself a letter and count the ways you love or could love yourself. Things like paying attention to what you’re eating, listening to your body, learning from times you eat too much, and being aware of the reason you are eating. Every day is a day for showing yourself love around food. This Valentine’s Day, celebrate how you nourish your body and spirit.

Healthy Valentine’s Day

Is the person you care about constantly on the go and always juggling multiple tasks? The body is not capable of differentiating between life-threatening stress and minor stress. Accumulated stress can do more harm than you realize in today’s fast-paced lifestyle. Making the time to take care of the body is a critical skill. Not to mention that reducing stress levels can improve the immune system and aid in sleep quality. If your loved one is not capable of making time for themselves, why not give them the gift of a relaxing spa experience this Valentine’s Day?

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!

REALLY Clean Away Allergens

Don’t get caught in a vicious circle of allergy flare-ups! Did you know that using the wrong cleaning products to minimize allergens like dust mites, pet dander, and mold can actually make your allergy symptoms worse? Here are the 10 most common toxic chemicals found in cleaning products that might be worsening your allergy symptoms: • Phthalates • Parabens • Lead • BPA/BPS • 14 Dioxane • SLS • PVC • Triclosan • Oxybenzone • Diazolidinyl or Imidazolidinyl Urea
Make sure you always read the labels of your cleaning products. With the right products, some elbow grease, and a regular cleaning regimen, you can find allergy relief in your home.

Soup up Your Gut

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.

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!

Product Review: Avena Original’s E-Fusion

This powerful Vitamin E and amino acid complex is formulated to promote energy, health, healing and longevity complete with perfectly-balanced ratios of protein, carbohydrates and fat. This great-tasting, plant-based, 100% RAW whole food provides a variety of naturally-occurring essential nutrients including antioxidants, vitamins, pro-oxidant nutrients, phytonutrients, and tocotrienols. E-Fusion helps your body heal muscles after intense workouts, injury, trauma, and boosts the vitality of your internal organs.
Avena Originals, AvenaOriginals.com

How Is Your Cardiovascular Health?

Did you know that you can have cardiovascular disease without experiencing any symptoms? Many people are not diagnosed until the condition worsens to the point where they have angina, stroke, or heart failure. That’s why it is important to start taking steps towards a healthy heart and arteries today. A good screening test for early signs of disease is Digital Pulsewave Analysis (DPA). This Health Canada approved, non-invasive method will show you how your cardiovascular system is working. This information can then be used to devise a specific program to improve your cardiovascular health before symptoms occur.

2018 Weight and Fitness Goals

Moving toward a healthier lifestyle isn’t easy…but few things that are truly worthwhile are. It all starts with the foundational Clean 9 program. This program is designed to help you remove stored toxins from your body and feel lighter and more energized. In just nine days, you can start feeling slimmer and healthier with the help of our supplement schedules, healthy meal options, and shake recipes that are so easy to follow! Let us help you stick to your resolution this year. Here’s to looking and feeling better in 2018.

Clean Ducts for Clean Air

When cleaning your home, don’t forget about your ductwork. Just because you don’t see inside your ducts doesn’t mean you don’t breathe what comes out of them. Each time your heating or air conditioning system comes on, debris in your ducts become airborne, resulting in poor indoor air quality. What are the benefits of duct cleaning?
Having your ducts cleaned helps:
• Improve the air quality in your home.
• Ensure your furnace and air conditioner operate at maximum efficiency. Dirty ventilation systems can lead to clogged air conditioner coils and furnace filters, as well as contaminated blower wheels that could result in a breakdown.

New Year Resolutions

It’s wonderful to want to make changes in your life. The problem is, change doesn’t happen overnight, and most resolutions end up being abandoned. Then we feel guilty about it. Consider, instead, small sustainable steps towards a healthier lifestyle. Being healthy isn’t just about what we eat and how much we weigh. Real wellness includes how we talk to ourselves, our outlook on life, and how we deal with stress. Feeling better can start with any of these things. See January as only the beginning of your wellness journey!