Have you ever tried to change a little bit, be patient with your progress, watch, see, feel, how small changes grow into bigger ones as you learn, absorb your changes and improved self.  Try quitting a bad habit or modifying an unhealthy one. By making small changes we move in the direction of bigger change, without the stress, conflict or higher risk of failure, pressure that big change requires. A healthy body builder needs years to transform their physique through steady workouts and nutrition. A vegan might not go off dairy or eggs right away but transition as they feel more in control and knowledgeable about food choices.  Treating yourself to professional massage if you are not used to it can really elevate self awareness, speed recovery, helping you focus on other healthy choices. Our biggest loser mentality discredits smaller efforts and how they lead to inspired and bigger changes. Remember the tortoise and the hare?

Roxanne Derkson RMT GCFP, www.vivitherapy.com

Starting the Change Process: Building on the 6 stages of changing habits (Pre-contemplation,Contemplation, Preparation, Action, Maintenance and Termination), it has been proven that without a plan or readiness, trying to change a habit is likely to fail. Motivation is key. You need compelling reasons why you want to change a habit. You must be aware of the pain associated with continuing on your current path, and the rewards of changing. “Should” is not compelling! To increase motivation, use others as inspiration. Model the behaviour of someone with the behaviour you want, or notice the ill effects of the habit you want to change. Talk about or journal in detail what you DON’T want to clarify your desire.  Include emotional elements; we all are attached to our habits. Next, detail what you DO want.  Then focus on inconsistencies between your current behaviour and your desired change. This will put you in touch with reality and increase your motivation!

Juhree Zimmerman R.N., B.Sc.N., M.Ed., C.P.C.C., O.R.S.C.C., Master Certified Coach, www.strategyforsynergy.ca

We all want to be valued in our relationship!  Ideally, couples can enjoy each other, get stuff done, and help each other feel emotionally safe.  Sometimes this is easy. But life for couples can be full of challenges to navigate — life stress, power struggles, irritating behaviours, parenting questions, time crunches — the list goes on.  We can struggle to be heard and get our point across effectively.  Under stress, we can treat our partner unhelpfully.  According to John Gottman, leader in the field of marital therapy, the most troublesome behaviours for couples are contempt, criticism, defensiveness, and withdrawal.  Counselling is a safe place to explore what’s going on and figure out how to change.  Counselling can help you understand each other better, handle your differences, stop destructive fighting, feel more resilient, and start having more fun.  Feel confident about your relationship!

Mary Munro, MA MC, www.marymunro.ca

We often think of music as song or melody, but what if there was no beat?  I don’t have the answer but I do have some ideas on the subject. Digestion (peristalsis), blood pumping through our veins (heart) and the breath of life (lungs) are just a few of the functional rhythms inside us that we rely upon to live. These were part of the symphony of sounds and motion that surrounded us as we formed inside of our own mothers. Is it a wonder, then, that humans have an intrinsic relationship with rhythm? We are always feeling the beat. Our bodies even anticipate the beat. When we are unwell, we sometimes say that we are feeling a bit ‘off’, ‘out of sorts’, ‘out of it’… It is a bit like losing one’s rhythm. We know when we have found it again. We feel more ‘in the groove’. Music therapy can be helpful in re-discovering that intrinsic rhythm when retrieving it seems a struggle.

Shiri Music Therapy, www.shirimusictherapy.ca

Being mindful. With the New Year out of the way and those pesky resolutions a thing of the past, we can now focus on what’s important.  But wasn’t that what the resolution was about?  Whether it was to lose those extra 10 lbs, or run 5km a day, the underlying consideration was being more mindful of those things you undertake in a day and adopting a change with purpose.  Matcha, with its amazing combination of caffeine and L-Theanine, helps us to be more mindful. In fact, it can be argued that being mindful is also the reason matcha exists. Rooted in the Japanese Tea Ceremony, itself an elegant exercise in mindfulness, matcha is, in effect, the physical manifestation of mindfulness.  Thus, drinking a perfectly made matcha creates within us a state of mindfulness, allowing us to focus and stay alert, while the act of creating matcha encourages mindfulness.  Enjoy matcha throughout your day and let it help you achieve your goals through mindfulness.

Tiffanie & Kip Home, www.justmatcha.com

Coconut oil in its virgin state is a highly saturated fat, which has given it a bad reputation by nutritionists and doctors. However, there are a few significant differences to other saturated fats. As a medium chain fatty acid, it is processed through the liver as an immediate source of energy. It is anti-bacterial, anti-viral and anti-fungal and provides protection for the heart, brain and immune system. Highly nutritive, it is one of the few foods that contains lauric acid (like mothers milk). BUT… It is important to note that coconut oil is a “drying” oil. Use it topically as a wonderful night oil for acne (it helps to kill surface bacteria and dry up and heal acne lesions), to help recover from infections, as an oil-pulling oil in the mouth (removes harmful bacteria), or as a lovely oil to put on the hair before blow-drying (it leaves the hair shiny without making it greasy). However, don’t rely on pure coconut oil as a skin moisturizer, hair conditioner or as toothpaste. It doesn’t hold moisture in the skin and hair (actually the opposite), or strengthen the teeth. After oil pulling make sure you brush with a demineralizing toothpaste to remove the coconut oil that is coating your teeth.

Karen Van Dyck, www.naturesfirstbeautybar.com

Noise Pollution is a contamination of the quality of the sound in the air. (Gasoline powered leaf blowers, construction sites) Air Pollution is a contamination of the physical and chemical properties of the air. (Exhaust from buses/planes, gasoline powered lawn mowers) Both types of pollution is a disruption of the normal, homeostatic quality of the environment and detrimental to the quality of life. Because of this connection, some have tried to dismiss studies linking air pollution to increased heart risks, blaming it on the noise in the area instead – and vice versa. Now new research has settled this point of contention, as it looked at air pollution and noise pollution simultaneously and found that each form of pollution was independently associated with heart risks, or hardening of the arteries. Both are believed to increase your cardiovascular disease risk including by causing an imbalance in your autonomic nervous system.

Richard Larkin, www.cleanairyardcare.ca

When complete extractions of your remaining teeth becomes unavoidable, an immediate denture is a solution. This process will help you avoid the embarrassment of being without teeth. Your denturist will initiate the procedure before the teeth are extracted. An impression is made of your existing teeth prior to the extraction surgery and is used as working model for the construction of your new dentures. From your models the denturist is able to copy and construct a denture, duplicating your original teeth with improvements to your appearance, if you so wish. At your extraction appointment, your immediate dentures are inserted avoiding the embarrassment of having no teeth during your healing period. The new dentures will however have to be relined after the healing process and this is not included in the price of the immediate dentures. Your denturist will advise you of the procedure that best meets your specific needs.

Kent Roberts RD, www.burnsidedentureclinic.com

Impossible Cure: The Promise of Homeopathy, by Dr. Amy Lanski. Amy Lanski, a NASA scientist, watched in disbelief as homeopathy did the impossible – cure her son, Max, of autism. As a result, she changed careers and became a highly regarded homeopath and wrote this best-selling book on the subject.

Dr. Anke Zimmermann, ND, www.drzimmermann.org

According to Traditional Chinese Medicine, excess of any type depletes the energy of the water element, the deepest energy stores in our bodies. Adrenal fatigue, so common in western cultures, is a good example of this. Our stress-filled lifestyles tend to override the natural rhythms of life and seriously diminish our energy resources. Winter is the peak season of the water element, so it’s the optimal time to observe, nurture, cultivate, and balance this energy within ourselves. Here are a few simple ways to maximize your winter health, and restore balance to your water element: Consume warm, nourishing, whole foods and liquids. Maintain regular sleep patterns. Limit your intake of caffeine, sugar, alcohol. Conserve your energy, and avoid running on empty. Create some quiet, contemplative space. “Let the waters settle and you will see the moon and the stars mirrored in your own being”. ~ Rumi.

Katrina W. Chappell, RN, Registered Acupuncturist

Have you heard of Meibomian Gland Dysfuntion? We all have glands located along the inner margin of our eyelids, which secrete a component called Meibum, which is an oily component of the tear film that helps keep tears from evaporating too quickly. MGD happens when the glands become blocked, leaving them unable to secrete. Some people are asymptomatic, but others may have dryness, burning, tearing, redness of the eyes and eyelids, blurriness and styes. One of the most important ways we can treat MGD is with heat. Warm compresses can be done daily, for about 15 minutes a day, using a wash cloth and warm water or a Bruder Mask which retains heat longer, followed by digital massage. Newer technology is evolving to help treat MGD. LipiFlow is a device used in office which can have a much longer lasting effect. Other treatment options include the use of lipid based artificial tears, and Omega-3 supplements. For more information see your Optometrist.

Dr. Nicholas Catchuk, IRIS Optometrist, www.iris.ca