Growing Healthy Kids with Food Straight from Soil. In the tradition of Michael Pollan, Mark Hyman, and Andrew Weil, pioneering integrative pediatric neurologist Maya ShetreatKlein, MD, reveals the shocking contents of children’s food, how it’s seriously harming their bodies and brains, and what we can do about it. www.dirtcure.com
Community News
Natural Product Review: pureWash® Pro
pureWash® Pro is a breakthrough in home laundry purification. As it turns out, your laundry has been keeping a dirty little secret, (It’s really not that clean at all!). Detergent may leave clothes smelling clean, but it does not eliminate the mold and bacteria that builds up from sports activities, pets, and everyday living. pureWash® Pro cleans clothes with the disinfecting power of oxygen, not detergent. This same technology is used in Hospitals and Hotels. It’s clinically proven to eliminate 99.9% of bacteria and mold, plus it’s both safe for the environment and for family members of all ages! If you have sensitive skin, you will not get skin irritations as you do from detergent. Detergent build-up promotes mold growth and does not kill bacteria. Independent, scientific studies have proven pureWash® Pro kills 99.9% of both with cold water. The power of naturally oxygenated water eliminates dirt, bacteria, and mold better than detergent!
Kevin Shale, Low Environmental Impact Technologies, Leit.ca
3 Ways to Naturally Boost Your Immune System
It’s officially cold and flu season. Here are five simple things you can do to improve your body’s natural immunity: 1. Drink a TON of Water: Ensuring you are hydrated is an important part of keeping your immune system strong. Try to drink at least 1.5 to 2 litres of water each day to keep your body in tiptop shape and ready to fight cold and flu bugs. 2. Get a Good Night’s Sleep: The body regenerates and repairs itself while you sleep. Getting a proper night’s rest – between six and eight hours – is important for keeping your body’s natural defenses at optimum efficiency. 3. Take a Hot/Cold Shower: The next time you take a shower try alternating hot and cold water. Research shows the body’s immune system is stimulated when it tries to warm itself up in between the extreme temperature changes. White blood cell production is increased and endorphins are released that help you relax and relieve pain.
Brett Scott, www.disabilitytaxcredit.webs.com
What’s Your Third Option?
Making choices can be stressful. We weigh the pros and cons of both options and analyze them from all angles, waiting for clarity to emerge. Only, sometimes, it doesn’t. The only thing that emerges is a gnawing feeling of frustration from our inability to choose. This frustration is our sign that neither choice is the right one. They either don’t completely align with our values, or they make us feel like we are settling or taking an unnecessary risk. Unfortunately, we become so emotionally invested in our initial process that we fail to realize we always have a third option. This third option requires a fresh perspective, so take a step back, and get in touch with your core values to determine which one has been keeping you from moving forward. Your choice will soon become clear.
Brent Tocher, chooseauthenticity.ca
Knitting for Prevention of Alzheimer’s
A recent study at the Mayo Clinic found that learning to knit or crochet later in life as a cognitive exercise can reduce or delay the symptoms of Alzheimer’s by 30-50%. Learning new techniques together with hand-eye coordination builds neural networks that are very important in the prevention of Alzheimer’s. For those recently diagnosed with Alzheimer’s, learning to knit and crochet can be very helpful because of the repetitive motion so that the individual can remember how to create the stitches as the cognitive memory begins to fail. Learning to knit or crochet with a parent that has symptoms of this disease can also provide a way to communicate and connect as symptoms worsen. Keeping the hands busy while knitting or crocheting can help calm those experiencing Alzheimer’s and also give them a sense of purpose as they create projects.
Connie Harvey, www.theknit2scrap2store.com
Leave Your Stress Behind
Stress has a profound effect on the body and its ability to heal and function at an optimal level. When an individual experiences ongoing stress, it can overload the energetic circuits of the body, causing them to fail or be severely compromised. This is just like plugging in too many appliances into an outlet and tripping a circuit breaker in your home. The blown fuse must be reset. Often times the body cannot reset these blown circuits on its own, so the body then must continue to function in a less than ideal state. This ultimately leads to degeneration, illness, and pain in the body. This is a sign that your body is simply falling behind in the healing process. Stress-related illnesses include, but are not limited to: high blood pressure and heart rate, digestive disorders, hormone and endocrine imbalances, fatigue, infertility issues, and all manner of immune system disorders.
Robin Chant, www.robinchant.com
The Power of Touch
There are approximately 5 million mechanoreceptors in your skin and 3000 on the tip of your finger. Whenever we get touched or when we receive a massage, our body releases endorphins which are natural pain killers. Any type of touch can reduce the heart rate and set on a sense of relief. Mechanoreceptors trigger nerve impulses that also release serotonin which can lower chances for depression and lower blood pressure. Did you know that massage not only helps us relax, but it also gives our immune system a boost? Receiving Massage has been found to increase the number of white blood cells that help defend the body from disease. Do you suffer from sleep problems? When a body receives massage, it almost instantly relieves tension and the stress level in body is reduced. Furthermore, 60 minutes of massage have same effect on your body like 7 to 8 hours of good sleep. The antidote to a stressful day or health ailments could lie right at our fingertips.
Chelsea Nault, Soulful Instinct Massage Therapy
What is Low-Level Laser Therapy?
Low-Level Laser Therapy is a non-invasive treatment that may help to reduce pain related to injury. When it comes to therapeutic use, lasers are often referred to as Low-Level Laser Therapy (LLLT) or High Power Laser Therapy (HPLT). Highpower lasers are used in laser medicine to destroy or cut tissue, whereas low-power lasers are claimed to stimulate tissue and to encourage the cells to function. The Low-Level Laser Therapy utilizes red infrared light on areas of injury or wounds in order to mend the soft tissue and also to give relief from acute and chronic pain. This type of therapy accelerates your body’s own natural healing process through photo-bio-stimulation. Reduced therapy time quickens the reproduction of cells and their growth. It can be used on patients who suffer from a variety of acute and chronic conditions in order to help eliminate pain, swelling, reduce spasms, and increase functionality.
Innovative Medical Supplies, www.innovativemedicalsupplies.com
Diabetes: Preventable or Reversible?
Current medical ‘experts’ that treat diabetics and support organizations for diabetics claim that Type 2 diabetes can only be managed. They are ignoring the science that shows the diets that humans evolved with are the diets that allow us to thrive. The Standard American Diet is the root of most chronic health issues, including diabetes. People that permanently change their diet to one that supports their genetic heritage typically eliminate T2 diabetes or greatly reduce the effect of T1 diabetes. Do you want to continue on the path of ‘managing’ diabetes and accept the inevitable heart disease, kidney disease, blindness, amputation, and neuropathy? If not, enlist the help of a qualified health coach to educate you on what steps to take to allow your body to heal!
Tom White, enddiabetesmanitoba.ca, becomehealthy.ca
10 Ways to Cultivate Self-Acceptance
Be intentional. Articulate your goal of self-acceptance and dedicate yourself to it each day. Celebrate your strengths. Name one of your strengths each day. Create a support system. Surround yourself with people who accept and believe in you. Forgive yourself. Accept past mistakes, learn from them, and move on. Shush your inner critic. Be gentle to yourself and treat yourself the way you would a loved one. Grieve the loss of unrealized dreams. Acknowledge the loss and then move forward. Perform acts of kindness. Giving to others enriches your life. Be kind to yourself. It is not selfish to love yourself. You are worthy of self-compassion. Understand that acceptance is not resignation. Letting go of the things you cannot control allows you to grow. Speak to your highest self. Visualize your best self in times of stress. Tap into the wisdom that lies within you.
Canadian Mental Health Association Manitoba, www.winnipeg.cmha.ca
Avoid Financial Stress This Christmas
The upcoming holiday season may promote excessive spending. The best way to cope with a materialistic time of year is not to fall prey to pressure from the retail world. At the end of the day, as long as there is Christmas, there will be gift-giving. How much money should you plan to set aside for this season? Many financial planners recommend spending no more than 1.5% of your annual income on holiday spending. For example, if your annual household income is $50,000 you should spend $750 or less on holiday gifts, travel, and entertainment. After you set a budget, aim to pay cash for your purchases, buy local, find sales, and avoid applying for department store credit cards that can put you further into debt. Remember what’s most important. The holidays are a time for making memories and spending time with family. Give yourself a break and remember the true meaning of the holidays!
Ray Mihalicz, www.raylobookkeeping.ca
