Empowering author Elizabeth Gilbert asks us to embrace our curiosity and let go of needless suffering. She shows us how to tackle what we most love, and how to face down what we most fear. She discusses the attitudes, approaches, and habits we need in order to live our most creative lives. Whether we are looking to write a book, make art, find new ways to address challenges in our work, Big Magic cracks open a world of wonder and joy.
Community News
Did You Know?
Blue corn has been popping up as an ingredient everywhere from tortilla chips to breakfast cereal. New research suggests that anthocyanins, the nutrients that give the corn its blue color, may help protect against metabolic syndrome, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and cancer!
www.newhope.com
Clean Eating: Spaghetti Squash “Mac ‘n’ Cheese”
Ingredients:
1 large spaghetti squash
3 tbsp coconut oil
3 tbsp spelt flour
2 cups unsweetened almond milk
3/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp onion or garlic powder
pinch ground black pepper
1 cup (4 oz) any hard cheese, shredded.
Red pepper flakes, to taste. Preheat oven to 375ºF. Wash squash, cut in half lengthwise and remove seeds with a spoon. Place cut side down on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and bake for 40-50 minutes. Let cool and separate into strands with a fork. Preheat medium pot on low-medium heat and melt oil. Whisk in flour and milk until smooth. Add salt, onion powder and pepper; whisk and let simmer for about 4 minutes or until sauce has slightly thickened. Add cheese and whisk again until smooth. Add squash and mix gently with a spoon to combine. Cover and let squash warm through for about 5 minutes. Enjoy!
Ask The Expert
Parents ask: “How can I use music at home with my child when I have no musical skills?” Regardless of culture or place of birth some aspects of childhood are universal. Different regions have different music, but all children sing! Fear or a lack of confidence may be getting in the way of a store of material that is likely there just beneath the surface. A little while ago a new mom from Thailand asked me for help find songs she could sing to her baby girl. As a music therapist, I am used to researching music from diverse regions of the world to serve clientele in their own language. She felt too shy to sing, so I suggested that she speak it in the rhythm that she remembered. She found herself singing in spite of herself because by then the song wanted to be sung! No skills are necessary. Sing with your heart!
Nejama Ferstman, Shiri Music Therapy Services, www.shirimysong.ca
Why People Do Not Get Well
Take your health into your own hands! The power of positivity can help you achieve health and prosperity in 2017 and beyond! Here are some reasons why I believe people are struggling to get better. Your MINDSET has everything to do with the ability your body has to heal itself. Stop these thinking negative patterns: “There is nothing I can do about my health,” “I am aging, and disease is normal,” “I have been convinced by someone of authority that this is normal.” “I believe my problem cannot be fixed.” “I like being sick – Brings lots of attention!” “I have not learned to love or forgive.” All of this fear and anger is feeding your illness – Let go of negative emotions! If you find yourself relating to one of the thoughts above and are not willing to change, reclaiming your health is much more challenging. Your mind is the most powerful tool. Use it to reach your health and wellness goals this year!
Louis Hoolaeff HR, HC, ACS, www.LeadingEdgeHealth.org
Lost in Translation
People often want to communicate better. Being clear with others helps keep our relationships running smoothly. But communication can get tricky – we can get threatened, defensive, overwhelmed, critical, get aggressive or passive aggressive, feel undermined, not feel heard, feel misunderstood, or not know what we want – so much happens when we try to talk through issues! Couples often have a few hot topics that they can’t easily talk about. Family relationships can often use better communication. Is your communication connection style working for you? It can feel uncomfortable to try talking in new ways. But in the end it is helpful to be able to say what you want, say what you mean, and feel reasonably confident that the other person will hear you. Good communication can improve your trust in yourself and in your relationship. Counselling provides a safe and non-judgmental place to find ways to communicate more efficiently.
Mary Munro, www.marymunro.ca
Reach Your Goals with Hypnotherapy
At some point in our adult life, most of us have set goals for ourselves. We somehow get distracted, and our willpower fades, whether the goal is to quit smoking, manage our weight, make a career change… the list is endless. A perfect example of this when people make New Year’s resolutions and are entirely focused on achieving their goals, but after a few weeks, their willpower fades and they fall back into old patterns of behavior. The reason that we can get off track is that our willpower is located in our conscious mind which makes up 5-10% of our potential mind power compared to our subconscious mind which makes up 90-95% of our potential mind power. Hypnotherapy works because hypnosis allows direct access to the subconscious mind and can change old, unwanted, outdated beliefs that cause us to fall back into negative patterns of behavior that keep us stuck.
Scott Metcalf, C.H.t, RCCH, www.abeautifulmindhypnotherapy.com
The Best Way to a Persons Heart
This Valentine’s day, you might be thinking the best way to a person’s heart is through their stomach. While this may or may not be true, research shows one of the best ways to optimal mental health is, indeed, through the stomach. What you eat is critical to the health of your entire body including brain health. Many of the nutrients we digest are essential building blocks of neurotransmitters (brain chemicals) that regulate mood, appetite, sleep, weight and a myriad of other processes that work to keep us functioning properly. Diets containing whole grains, fresh fruit, vegetables, legumes, nuts, seeds, lean meat, and fatty fish as well as probiotic-rich foods like pickles, sauerkraut, and kefir are associated with better physical and mental health. Omega 3 fatty acid and vitamin supplementation can play an integral role in our mental health, reducing symptoms of anxiety and depression. Always consult your healthcare provider before making lifestyle changes.
Canadian Mental Health Association, www.cmha.ca
Book Club: The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up
The Japanese Art of Decluttering and Organizing by Marie Kondō. Despite constant efforts to declutter your home, do papers still accumulate like snowdrifts and clothes pile up like a tangled mess of noodles? Japanese cleaning consultant Marie Kondo takes tidying to a whole new level, promising that if you properly simplify and organize your home once, you’ll never have to do it again. The KonMari Method, with its revolutionary category-by-category system, leads to lasting results. www.goodreads.com
Home Remedies for a Cough
Did you know that onions can be used to cleanse airways and reduce congestion? Try a poultice of roasted onion to the chest every few hours. They can also be drunk as a warm broth. Cabbage also works well, as it has an extraordinary ability to draw out toxin. Crush the leaves with a rolling pin until the juice starts to appear. Place 3 or 4 leaves over the chest and cover with gauze. You can also drink the juice of a cabbage sweetened with a little bit of honey. Adapted from the book “The New Guide to Remedies” by Paragon Staff
6 Ways to Alkalize Your Body
Did you know that your immunity is based on how alkaline your diet is? Having an overly acidic diet eventually leads to a weakened state, and our bodies become susceptible to disease. Here are six ways to alkalize – and healthify – your body! 1. Drink plenty of water. Drink half your body weight in ounces every day to keep your body systems regulated. For an extra boost in alkalinity – add lemon! 2. Trade coffee for tea. Green tea is highly alkaline. Try jasmine, Sencha or Matcha. 3. Kick that sugar habit. Use stevia, coconut sugar or small amounts of honey in place of sugar. 4. Eat more greens. Vegetables are highly alkaline and oxygen rich. Consume fresh green vegetables often as possible. 5. Move. Exercise to create more oxygen and qi flow in the body and to avoid stagnation. 6. Reduce stress. Meditate as often as possible, practice deep breathing, do yoga, and get plenty of sleep
