Community News
Giving Back: Manitoba ALS

Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) otherwise known as Lou Gehrig’s Disease or Motor Neuron Disease (MND) is a fatal, rapidly progressive neuromuscular disease that affects approximately 3,000 Canadians and more than 289 Manitobans. Over the past twelve years, the Manitoba Walks for ALS have raised over $1.5 Million dollars to help support Research, Client Services and Education for Manitobans living with ALS/MND. Last year’s event in Winnipeg was a huge success with more than 1600 people participating, helping to raise over $210,000. This year’s goal is $250,000. Visit our website to register as an individual, team or just sponsor someone in the walk on June 20. Your donations allow the ALS Society of Manitoba to lend equipment and learning resources, and to offer services such as support groups, client services coordination, caregiver days, and more.

www.alsmb.ca

Clean Eating: Sweet Potato Brownies

A healthy alternative; Gluten free, not much maple syrup and full of a vegetable. What’s not too love?!

Ingredients:

1 large sweet potato, peeled and cubed
150g dark chocolate (or use raw cacoa poweder and 100g coconut oil)
50g coconut oil melted
100 ml maple syrup
2 eggs
100g ground hazlenuts or almonds
1/2 tsp baking powder
2 tbsp. (pref raw) cocoa powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp cinnamon or cardamom

Directions:

Preheat oven to 325ºF. Steam the sweet potato. Break the chocolate into pieces and melt over a saucepan of hot water. Drain sweet potato and mash well, set aside to cool. Take choc off heat and add melted coconut oil and maple syrup. Stir chocolate mixture into sweet potato mash, then add all the other ingredients. Bake in a lined tin for approx. 30 minutes. Allow to cool and cut into squares.

Kalee Mund
www.kaleemund.com

Looking for Help? Local Products & Services?

Are you looking for someone to help you with your health issues and don’t know where to turn? Are you looking for NEW health, wellness, lifestyle and business solutions? Locally grown organic foods? Products made in your province? How do you know who is right for you? Welcome to the home of Wellnessnews – Choices for Healthy Living™ – comprehensive Health and Wellness Directory. Our goal is to develop a resource that will serve as a gateway for holistic and eco-friendly ideas, products and services! This newly launched DIRECTORY is showcased on the Wellnessnews.ca website. Utilize this free guide and check back daily for your Community Based local businesses! We are an expanding local organization representing holistic professionals, practitioners and businesses. We encourage and promote healthy living, and support the professionals and businesses that make it possible. Together, we can make a difference!

Book Club: The Wheel of Healing with Ayurveda

Michelle S Fondin. Build Optimal Energy and Health in Body, Mind, and Spirit Ever wondered why you’re feeling out of balance, stressed-out, sick, and exhausted but still can’t sleep? Western medicine often ignores the underlying issues that can lead to fatigue, illness, and disease, but there is a way to revitalize your body and mind without drugs or dangerous side effects. Ayurveda, the “science of life,” is a complete wellness system that includes all that we associate with medical care – prevention of disease, observation, diagnosis, and treatment – as well as self-care practices that are generally absent from Western medicine. This truly holistic approach considers not just diet, exercise, and genetics but also relationships, life purpose, finances, environment, and past experiences. In this thorough and practical book, Michelle Fondin guides you gently through self-assessment questions designed to zero in on your needs and the best practices for addressing them, such as eating plans, addiction treatment, detoxification, and techniques for improving relationships. She outlines steps you can take, with minimal cost, to heal common ailments such as high blood pressure, heart disease, diabetes, excess weight, anxiety, and depression. These time-tested methods for body, mind, and spirit wellness offer benefits to anyone at any age.

www.michellefondin.com

Clutter Busting 101

Excessive clutter causes stress and often accompanies underlying health problems. Conditions like depression and chronic pain can make cleaning seem impossible, but small daily steps add up to big changes over time and boost feelings of wellness. Pick up as you go- check the room you’re in for items you can bring with you. Sort mail daily- pay and file bills, recycle newspapers/flyers, respond to and delete emails. Get rid of something old/unused/unworn with each new purchase that enters your home.

Break up large tasks- just do one shelf/cabinet/room at a time. If it’s smelly, sticky, empty, broken, looks weird, is expired, or covered in dust just get rid of it- you won’t miss it! Using baskets to de-clutter dressers/tables/counters helps your home appear tidier and makes cleaning quicker and easier. Enlist help from your kids, spouse or professionals.

Erin Gendreau
www.outshinecleaning.ca

Drink Water after a Massage

Drink plenty of water after a massage. Drinking sufficient water is important at any given time but drinking water after a massage is especially important because it helps the kidneys and other organs flush out the toxins that are released during the process. Massage therapy is also dehydrating, pumping interstitial fluids back into the lymphatic and circulatory systems and from there to the kidneys. Water also keeps the muscles and other tissues of the body hydrated and healthy. Coffee and tea, although considered fluids, are not a substitute for water because they are considered diuretics, meaning they promote the production of urine thus increasing the excretion of water from the body and causing further dehydration. Alcohol is also a diuretic. So plain old fashioned water is the best means of optimizing the benefits of your massage. Stay healthy!

Derrick Hebb
www.liquidmassage.ca

Add Strength Training!

Summer is coming! Be sure to enjoy your cardio activities outside such as walking, jogging, running, maybe even playing a recreational sport. But don’t forget to come see us for your Strength Training. You don’t want all the hard work you’ve put in to be unraveled. Maintain your strength and lean muscle mass by putting in a minimum of three 30-minute weight routines a week. Benefits to Strength Training: Aids in weight loss. Builds strength while remaining lean. Reduces risk of injury, back pain, & arthritis. Reduces the risk of heart disease. Reduces the risk of diabetes. Improves mobility. Improves mood, helps to fight depression, and reduces stress. Improves quality of sleep. Increases daily energy. Improves bone health.

Rachel DeCorby, Nutrition & Weight Loss Specialist
Image Fitness & Yoga for Women
www.imagefitnesscentre.com

The Benefits of Massage Therapy

The benefits of massage therapy have been documented throughout history dating back to 2000 BCE, in writing. From changing the viscosity of blood and plasma, to releasing chemicals and hormones throughout the body, the physiological and psychological effects are diverse and detailed. Physiologically, massage is effective in managing pain, circulation (blood flow and pressure), lymphatic flow and drainage, the musculoskeletal system (muscles, joints and posture), respiratory function and boosting the immune system. Psychological effects include reducing stress (which is a contributing factor to illness and disease), anxiety and depression and even increasing alertness. From reducing joint and muscle rigidity in people suffering from Parkinson’s disease to alleviating headaches in individuals experiencing temporomandibular joint dysfunction, massage therapy just may be the key to increasing a person’s quality of life. Research has even demonstrated the effectiveness of massage therapy in helping relieve some of the symptoms experienced by cancer patients.

Derrick Hebb
www.liquidmassage.ca

Lace Up with Team Diabetes

Canadian Diabetes Association is excited to announce “the Run” is coming to Winnipeg on Sunday, May 24th, at Assiniboine Park. This family-friendly run will feature a 15 km individual or relay run, a 10 km and a 5 km walk/run and a FREE Kids 200 m dash. Sign up today by visiting any Winnipeg Running Room location. Prizes will be awarded for top individual and team fundraisers. In addition, all fundraisers over $150 will be entered to win some great prizes. Canadian Diabetes Association Manitoba has a new Facebook page. Visit to see weekly updates on healthy living tips, research and our upcoming events.

Want to get involved in another way? Sign up to volunteer at the Lace Up with Team Diabetes by emailing claudette.match@diabetes.ca or make a donation online at diabetes.ca/donate. Help support the 116,000 Manitobans living with diabetes.

Pet Health: Canicross

Canicross is the sport of running with your dog. Let’s face it. When it comes to running, six legs are better than two. Running with your dog is a great way to enjoy the world, get fit, and bond with your dog. However, before you get started here are some tips.

Tip #1 – You want to check with your family doctor and your dog’s veterinarian to make sure you and your dog have no restrictions when it comes to running.

Tip #2 – Making sure you have the proper gear such as a running harness for your dog, a bungee tether that connects you and your dog and a thick belt that lessens the load on your lower back. Having proper clothing and shoes are excellent tools for preventing injuries.

Tip #3 – Do not be a weekend warrior. Start slow, be consistent and build up to a fitness goal for both human and dog.

Shalin Hustad
www.grassrootscanine.com

Clean Eating: Arugula & Strawberry Salad

Ingredients:

1 tbsp organic ghee
1 tbsp fennel seeds
1 tsp cardamom,
1 quart fresh strawberries, halved
2 bunches arugula
1 cucumber, chopped
2 tbsp honey or maple syrup
1 lemon, freshly juiced
2 tbsp warm water
1/2 tsp black pepper

Directions:

Heat ghee in small skillet over medium heat.
Add fennel seeds and roast until golden brown.
Add cardamom.
Combine ghee and fennel mixture with strawberries in salad bowl.
Wash arugula, tear and toss with strawberries.
Combine honey, lemon juice, water and black pepper in jar and shake well.
Pour over salad and serve.

Serves 6

Kalee Mund
www.kaleemund.com