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
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.
Cortisol May Be Destroying Your Life
If you have difficulty falling asleep before midnight, even when you feel very tired, or if you often feel like your sleep quality is poor, regardless of how long you sleep, it is likely that excessive nocturnal cortisol is interfering with your slumber. Cortisol, a kind of stress hormone, impairs brain cells’ utilization of glucose, the main fuel for the cells. When the brain’s fuel supply is interrupted by high cortisol levels, impairment of learning, memory, and mood can result. What’s more, this reduction in energy supply to brain cells weakens them, which may cause or aggravate dementia, and deteriorates the hunger centre in your brain, which can make you eat more than necessary.
Get Your Mouth Checked!
An oral health exam is critical to the maintenance of your overall wellbeing. You should have your mouth checked at least once a year for prevention and treatment of any ailments. Even if you don’t have any live teeth, it’s important to make sure there are no signs of infections or early signs of cancer, growths, or cysts, and that your dentures are fitting you well. Leaving problems untreated usually leads to pain, periodontal disease, or tooth loss, and could make treatment more difficult, so it’s best to deal with problems early, or, if possible, prevent them.
A Successful New Year’s Resolution
Have you often made a New Year’s resolution only to have your progress stall and the issue being addressed return to its previous state, or even worsen? Take control of your health with a sustainable plan. Exercising and cutting calories is NOT the way to lose weight. You can’t out-exercise your fork! It has been proven that consuming foods that are appropriate for your ancestral heritage supports your body and/or mind in healing from most any chronic health issue (including weight loss). Sleep, stress, exercise/play, and toxins are addressed in your healing plan. No fad diets, detoxes, cleanses, or hunger. Eat like your life depends on it, because it does!
Community Event
Tues., Feb. 13, Thurs., Feb. 15, Tues., Feb. 20 @ 9:30 – 11:30 a.m. & Tues., Mar. 13, Thurs., Mar. 15, Tues., Mar. 20 @ 6 – 8 p.m. Join us for a FREE 3-class series for people with type 2 diabetes or pre-diabetes. Room 209-280 Booth Drive. Access Winnipeg West.
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
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!
Book Club: Ageless Soul
Living a Full Life with Joy and Purpose by Thomas Moore. Aging is the process by which one becomes a more distinctive, complex, fulfilled, loving, and connected person. Using examples from his practice as a psychotherapist and teacher who lectures widely on the soul of medicine and spirituality, Moore argues for a new vision of aging: as a dramatic series of initiations, rather than a diminishing experience, one that each of us has the tools―experience, maturity, fulfillment―to live out. Ageless Soul will teach readers how to embrace the richness of experience and how to take life on, accept invitations to new vitality, and feel fulfilled as they get older.
Vegan Cashew “Cheese”
Are you interested in trying a vegan diet, but aren’t ready to give up all cheese? You must give this recipe a try! Here’s what you need: 3/4 cup raw cashews, 3 tablespoons nutritional yeast, 3/4 teaspoon sea salt, 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder, ½ tablespoon lemon juice, ¼ cup water, ½ teaspoon apple cider vinegar, black pepper to taste. Here’s how to do it: Place cashews in a bowl with warm water and soak for at least 2 hours. Drain and add to food processor along with all other ingredients. Pulse until thoroughly combined. Enjoy this “cheesy” alternative!
Adapted from www.eatliveandplay.com
Organic vs. Conventional Produce
Did you know that a healthy diet need not be comprised of organic food only? In fact, some organically grown and produced foods confer no greater health benefits than conventionally grown options. How do you decide? A general rule of thumb is to choose organic when it comes to soft or thin-skinned fruits and vegetables, nuts and seeds, and meats. Good conventional choices consist of most thick-skinned foods, and exceptions like kiwi, onions, cauliflower, cabbage, and asparagus. In all cases, frozen and fresh contain comparable nutrient content. When buying organic, look for the “certified organic” seal to ensure authenticity. Sean Miller, CMHA MB and Winnipeg, MBWPG.CMHA.ca
