Community News
Clean Eating Recipe: Hot Chocolate

Store bought hot chocolate “packets” contain massive amounts of sugar and even hydrogenated oils (an unexpected, undesirable ingredient). You can serve this with whipped cream made of organic heavy cream with a little bit of stevia.
1/3 c full fat coconut milk (unsweetened)
2/3 c boiling water
1 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder
1 tsp vanilla
15 drops liquid stevia
(optional) 1-2 drops peppermint oil, whipped cream, or cocoa nibs
Boil water on the stove. Add in all remaining ingredients. Stir well. Let cool a little bit, serve and enjoy!

Tips for a Wealthier Year

Everyone wants to be a little richer, and here are a few habits that can be adopted to achieve this: First, save a little from each paycheque. Second, avoid credit card debt and the high interest rates, which can cost a lot over the year. Third, feast at home, not in restaurants. While it is fun to go out, make it a very special occasion, not an everyday habit. Fourth, grocery shop with a list and use coupons. Fifth, watch out for automatic renewals. These simple habits can help you become wealthier in 2018.

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.

3 Ways to Bio-Hack Your Health

1. Change your eating routine
Intermittent fasting is a great way to do this, and can be a way to lose weight, normalize insulin sensitivity, and balance hormones.
2. Ground yourself with nature
How often do you walk barefoot in the grass? Try grounding as your next bio-hack, as it can reduce inflammation by lowering stress on the body and can improve sleep.
3. Zone out
Meditation can be the ultimate brain hack if you do it regularly. If you feel that you can’t shut down your thoughts or stop your brain, try guided meditation.

Balanced Love

February brings love to mind, and that’s a good thing! Love creates, nourishes, rewards, and defines us. It affects how we communicate, both outwardly and inwardly. Influences from the parental, nurturing love of childhood; sexual intimate love of adulthood; demanding love of family and friends; and especially self-love might be out of balance and causing difficulties. Avoiding or suppressing old love issues clearly affects the present – your ‘baggage’.
Fortunately, even a small amount of awareness and acceptance about these love relationships can change the energy of a relationship. Don’t wait to connect with a counsellor.

Set the Stage for Your Child’s Future

Struggling with a child who is acting out? Or frustrated with school? Overly anxious or shutting down? Begin to bring some ease into your life together by finding a safe outlet for your child’s inner world through creative play and the arts. Imagine your child engaging with paint, puppets, or drums; the healing begins. Acquire tools that will support your child developmentally, strengthen your relationship, and help create a sense of peace and centeredness in your world at home. Rearranging your child’s stage now will deeply impact their coming years.

Keeping Your Cool

Under stress, our sense of wellbeing can suffer – we get overwhelmed and just don’t feel like we’re bouncing back. It doesn’t take much: a fight with a family member, an overbearing boss or sneaky coworker, an aging parent, unsatisfying work, money troubles – the list goes on. We can go from feeling able to cope, to feeling undermined, unsupported, misunderstood, unjustly set up, bullied, or just plain sad. It can be hard to figure out what to do to when you have many expectations to meet, from both others and yourself. Counselling provides a safe, soothing, and non-judgemental place to talk about your situation, explore your options, and develop new habits.

Exfoliate Naturally with Enzymes

What is an exfoliant? An exfoliant is a product that helps detach the outer layers of the skin, removing trapped debris and clearing the way for oils to flow naturally. Enzymatic exfoliation is a plant active based therapy, mainly from fruits. Why exfoliate? Exfoliation is an important tool against rough and dull skin. Also, dead cell proteins will clog the pores, increasing the chance of breakouts and acne. Enzymatic exfoliation is gentle and has anti-inflammatory properties, which makes it particularly good for sensitive skin. Enzymes work at a deeper level; improved smoothness and texture, and minimized lines and wrinkles result from regular enzyme exfoliation. Christopher Laidlaw, DMK Skincare, DmkSkinCentres.com

Singing to Your Baby

New parents often wonder how they can use music at home for their newborns, even if the parents don’t have any musical skills. Regardless of culture or place of birth, some aspects of childhood are universal. Lullabies were sung to us and all children sing, dance, and play rhyming games. That part of our lives may seem distant by the time we have children of our own, but there is a warehouse of songs, games, and music in our memories. Reconnect with the songs you once loved as a child and share them with your newborn. Your singing doesn’t have to be professional; it just has to come from your heart.

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

Don’t Be the Water Filter!

Disinfecting our drinking water for more than a century with chlorine ensured it was free of the microorganisms that can cause serious diseases, such as typhoid fever. To this day, chlorine remains the most commonly used drinking water disinfectant. However, chlorine has been shown to promote a generation of free radicals within the body. Drinking tap water has been linked to bladder, breast and bowel cancer; and long-term effects of drinking, bathing, and swimming in chlorinated water has been shown to cause malignant melanoma. According to Dr. Rona, M.D., chlorinated water destroys most of the intestinal flora–friendly bacteria that help not only with the digestion of food, but with the production of vitamins B12 and K. Chlorinated water has been shown to destroy vitamin E and polyunsaturated fatty acids. All of these factors have been shown to result in skin irritations, including eczema, acne, and rashes. TotalWaterCleaners.com