Community News
Bringing Mobility to You

Here are some things to consider when looking to purchase a scooter to increase your mobility and gain more independence. 1) Take a test drive – to find the right dimensions and ensure a comfortable ride, it’s important to try some scooters out. 2) Ask for an in-home demo – in-home instruction can help ensure your safety and the correct operation of your scooter. 3) Stay safe – download a free scooter safety guide and ask your local scooter shop how the rules of being a pedestrian apply to scooter operators 4) Keep up with maintenance – perform daily maintenance and take your scooter in for regular professional maintenance.

Insomnia and Acupuncture

Sleep deprivation can play a role in the body’s inflammatory process, potentially increasing inflammatory molecules like cytokines, interleukin-6, and C-reactive protein (an inflammation marker that’s often elevated in people at risk for heart disease and diabetes). Chronic inflammation can lead to the development of diabetes, stroke, heart disease, Alzheimer’s disease, and cancer. Studies have shown that acupuncture may help to improve insomnia symptoms, total sleep time, and sleep efficiency, as well as symptoms of conditions that can affect sleep, such as restless leg syndrome, sleep apnea, pain, anxiety, and depression. Improving sleep may help to decrease inflammation in the body.

Feeling Nourished?

Often when we experience symptoms such as low energy, digestive issues, and cravings, we can’t figure out why. We tend to head towards restrictive diets, cutting out foods we enjoy and usually not seeing long-term changes to our symptoms. What if we take an additive approach instead of a restrictive one? What if we give our body all the nutrients it needs when it needs them? A nutrition consultation should tailor nutrition recommendations to your personal current health situation by “filling in the gaps” if they exist and sharing how to optimize your health through delicious and nutritious meals.

The Body Code

The Body Code is a system designed by Dr. Bradley Nelson which tests for energetic imbalances in the body and corrects them energetically. We use muscle testing to test for what the underlying imbalance may be and release the energies from the meridian system. You can choose to work on any issue you have, whether it is a health challenge, an emotional issue, lack of abundance or work you love, or a nagging feeling of being on the wrong path. Everything has energetic underpinnings. Your own subconscious mind is brilliant and will lead us on the right path to clearing obstacles. Most people feel lighter and clearer. Often with new outward shifts naturally occurring in their lives. We clear the hidden energies that cause the outward effects.

Dawn’s unique approach combines Body Code with her training as a mindfulness teacher, breath coach, and Conscious Empowerment Coaching to help clients not only remove imbalances but empower them to create new habits, no longer reacting to their environment, but responding with awareness.

Dawn Elgin, The Broken Squirrel, Owner / Operator

Reflexology and Immunity

When lymphatic circulation slows, waste and toxins can accumulate and immune cells may not circulate the way they should. This can weaken your immune system, compromising your body’s ability to fight infections and diseases. Stimulating the immune system-related organs helps to keep your lymphatic circulation going and avoid stagnant lymphatic fluid. Reflexology is a technique that focuses on the lymphatic reflexes on the feet. It can help to stimulate the lymphatic system’s functions and get rid of excess lymphatic fluid, as well as reduce stress and boost the production of endorphins, which are necessary for proper immune cell function.

March Brain Teasers

1. Name one meal you can never eat for breakfast? 2. What type of cheese is made backwards? 3. A mother has six children and five potatoes. How can she feed each an equal amount of potatoes? 4. What kind of apple is not an apple?

Book Club: The Science of Nutrition

Debunk the Diet Myths and Learn How to Eat Responsibly for Health and Happiness. By Rhiannon Lambert. Is a vegan diet healthier? Should I try going low-carb? Is it always a bad idea to skip a meal? Are superfoods all they’re cracked up to be? Is fat still bad for you? Can I eat to improve my chances of conceiving? Science of Nutrition cuts through the noise of conflicting diet advice with clear answers backed up by the very latest research. Pick up at your local bookstore.

Words to Live By

“If we could give every individual the right amount of nourishment and exercise, not too little and not too much, we would have the safest way to health.” – Hippocrates

COMMUNITY EVENTS

Feb. 7: Mindful Based Self Care. Join Occupational Therapist Martina Forster for a 4-week intro. to Mindful Self-Compassion (MSC). MSC combines the skills of mindfulness and self-compassion to enhance our emotional well-being. $75 Call 236.255.1979 for more info. BrokenSquirrel.ca
Feb. 17: 5:30 – 6:30pm. FREE Webinar. Find out the 5 Steps to YOUR BEST HEALTH? Recently helped over 120 in Comox Valley take control of their Health. Call 250-941-4999 for more information. Join us to learn the 5 steps and get your free health planner. White Cedar Wellness Clinic. WhiteCedarClinic.com
Feb 27: 12-3pm. Restore the Inner Goddess- This 3-hour workshop will include a sacred sharing circle, Yin/Restorative Yoga practice, suggested home practices and recipes to help tap into your divine inner feminine power. $50 Call 236.255.1979 for more info. BrokenSquirrel.ca