Although its amount appears significant in kombucha, cane sugar is food for the culture. Cane sugar is sucrose, a disaccharide. Yeast converts sucrose into its monosaccharide components, fructose and glucose, resulting in a lower glycemic impact. The yeast further digests these simple sugars, producing carbon dioxide and ethanol. Most ethanol gasses off and some is food for beneficial bacteria, which produce acetic acid. There is typically very little sugar remaining by the time the sweet tea becomes kombucha. However, since sugar appears on the ingredient list in order of descending measure, regardless of its having been converted, this does cause some confusion.

April 7, 10:30 a.m. 28 DAY Food Evolution! Yoga 10 Studio. Pre-registration required: www.yoga10studio.com

Here are five ways you can keep your lymph system working in top order and experience better health: 1. Massage – Stimulates flow through the lymphatic capillaries that are located just under the skin. 2. Dry Brushing – Boosts lymph flow by stimulating sweat glands and supporting circulation below the skin. 3. Exercise and Yoga – Movement and muscle contraction will assist lymphatic circulation. 4. Anti-Inflammatory Diet – Consuming a healthy diet rich in antioxidants and full of healthy fats is critical to support a healthy immune system. 5. Hydrate – The lymphatic system is primarily composed of water and must be hydrated to function at the highest level.

April 10, 12-4 p.m. Come celebrate Courtenay Massage Therapy’s Birthday Party! There will be snacks, drinks, and prizes to be won! All are welcome!

Q: I’m going on a scuba diving vacation next month. I’m also getting more far-sighted and I’m not sure if I’m seeing as well as I would like for diving. What are my vision correction options? A: It would be nice, and likely safer, if you can see your gauges and paperwork clearly when you’re on an expedition. You’ve got a few options. If you’re able, disposable contact lenses would be the most functional and least expensive. You can wear them with your diving mask. Additionally, some contact lenses have built-in UV protection. Another option is having prescription lenses made for your dive mask, but you may be limited to which masks you can use, and you’d have to bring other glasses on the boat. Thirdly, you can think about laser vision correction. There’s not enough space here to discuss that, but you’re really short on time for that. Also, far-sightedness is generally much more difficult to correct with laser surgery that near-sightedness.

The reason chronic pain and degeneration only occur in joints and ligaments instead of other tissues, and why older people don’t heal as reliably as younger people do, has to do with decreased oxygen utilization. When there is trauma, the edema and inflammation cause a further localized decrease in oxygen utilization, which serves as a foundation for chronic pain and degeneration. The chronic pain leads to a further decrease in oxygen utilization. Break that cycle with ozone therapy, which maximizes oxygen absorption, so the cells and tissues can begin to do what they usually do so well – heal themselves.