VISTA Magazine Issue #64

Y O U R C A N A D I A N H E A LT H A N D W E L L N E S S C O N N E C T I O N vistamagonline.com

ISSUE 64 May / June 2009

CANADA’S

PREMIER HEALTH Part I

ENTER TO

PAGE 52

Remarkable Healing Secrets of the Silkworm

SUGAR : Good, Bad and Ugly

SPRING ALLERGY FEATURES

Interview with

Home Decorating Icon

DEBBIE TRAVIS

Organic Planet feature: Tips for Installing a Rainwater System

Discover how Silicea helped 45 year veins from developing, you might consider old hotel specialist Janine Wagner wearing compression stockings.” win the fight against cellulite and When I left his office, I felt devastated: I weak connective tissue: was 40 years old, overweight, and was sup“Even when I was only 20 years old I didn’t like what I saw in the mirror. A picture taken during a holiday really threw me for a loop: That young woman on the beach – with the small dimples in her thighs – that was supposed to be me? I was keeping an excellent diet, had a thin body, exercised regularly, and still there were already signs of what I was to see as my greatest physical flaw over the next years. While friends my age joked about cellulite, I stopped showing even my legs in public.

In my early twenties, I secretly tried all kinds of products to fight cellulite. I took dietary supplements, massaged my problem zones with lotions, subjected my body to rubdowns with massage gloves and other contraptions – spending terrific amounts of money. All to no avail. Worse still: After being pregnant with my son Mark, my stomach also lost shape. Finally, at 40, my upper arms started getting flabby, and because of the spider veins on my legs and a few pounds too many on my hips I started wearing pants only, both at work and at home.

When I consulted my doctor, he simply shrugged and said: “That’s something you’ll just have to live with. You have weak connective tissue. The only thing you can do is lead a healthy life and get a lot of physical exercise. In your case it might also help if you lost some weight. And should those spider veins on your legs develop into serious varicose veins, we might have to do some minor surgery. To prevent varicose

posed to wear compression stockings from now on! For a long time, sex with my husband had already been something I insisted on doing in the dark. Now just imagine me taking off my compression stockings before getting into bed! To me, this was the ultimate turn-off. But it would be another few years before the situation changed.

Two years ago my son told me “Mom, you need to get into the internet”, and gave me his old PC. There, I discovered a whole new world. I talked to people in forums, collected valuable tips and discovered a wealth of new information on cellulite.

Once again I went on an anti-cellulite shopping tour – well-prepared by tips from my internet acquaintances – and once again suffered many a disappointment, as I had when I was 20, until I came across a tip by a woman in a forum who reported that Original Silicea Balsam combined with physical exercise had produced sensational results.

I then found many other users in the Internet who were impressed by the tissue-strengthening silicon gel. Still, I was reluctant to believe what I read. I looked up information on the vital trace element silicon and found a great deal of scientific evidence for the positive influence of this substance on human health. So I started running on a regular basis and took a dose of Original Silicea Balsam every day.

I do admit, when nothing dramatic had happened after three weeks, I was disappointed. I seriously considered giving up.

the “After 6 weeks skin w llo sa withered, ed of my face look and er th oo brighter, sm the skin felt softer, plus ocks, tt along my bu h and thighs, stomac ing m arms was beco er.” rm fi ly increasing

But after about six weeks I did notice a change: The withered, sallow skin of my face looked brighter and smoother and felt softer. And even better: The skin along buttocks, thighs, stomach and arms was becoming increasingly firmer. I knew this could not only be attributed to my running exercises, for at the age of twenty I had also exercised intensively and still had cellulite on my buttocks and legs. My mind was made up: I was definitely going to keep up my daily ration of Original Silicea Balsam.

Today, at 45, I feel good in my skin. I have almost reached my personal weight loss goal and am no longer afraid to go to the public swimming-pool – my confidence has experienced such a tremendous boost that two months ago I even went out and bought myself the tiniest of bikinis. Sex is no longer an activity that requires the lights to be switched off. Last week my husband actually brought me red roses – something he hasn’t done for years.

I am convinced that I owe all this to Original Silicea Balsam. It is the best thing that has happened to me in the past years. My friends asked me “You’re looking so relaxed and young! How on earth do you do it?” I simply tell them my secret recipe: keep a healthy diet, exercise regularly, and take a dose of Original Silicea Balsam once a day. It’s my personal beauty formula!”

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contents Issue 64 | May / June 2009

12 Canada’s Premier Health

By Carol Crenna Interviews with premiers about their lifestyle

14 Alternatives to Painkilling Pills

By Michelle Kwon Relief without side effects

16 Training Hit a Wall?

By Brendan Brazier Achieve breakthroughs with the right food

18 Allergies: The Naturopathic Approach

34 7

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Editor’s Healthlines

By Carol Crenna Having a growth spurt?

Kids Need Protein

By Don Gauvreau way to get protein

A quick and easy

By Stefan Kuprowsky, ND Get rid of your allergies for good

By Serenity Aberdour, ND Get the facts on this mineral

Aging”

By Michelle Kwon Help for sun-damaged skin

22 Responsible Drinking?

Stainless Steel Containers

By Maureen Fontaine Choose them wisely

10 Calcium: Concerns and Questions

54

21 How to Prevent “Photo33 The Super-Fruit Oil

By Susan McLoughlin The healing properties of seabuckthorn

34 Clearing Midlife Clutter: Debbie Travis

24 Recipe for Health

By Carol Crenna Interview with home décor expert Debbie Travis

By Tracy Kaye Holly Cold gazpacho soup

26 Anti-Aging Skincare

By Shelly Lynn Nellis Steps to beautifying skin

28 The Link between Heart,

Joint and Sinus Problems

By Barrie Carlsen The connection between these challenges

30 Achieve Fitness and Better

24

Performance

By Joelle Lyew How amino acids increase your performance

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VISTA Magazine Issue 64

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www.vistamagonline.com

VISTA Publisher’s

word

M A G A Z I N E

Publisher:

Trent Nellis

Editor:

Carol Crenna

Marketing Director & Associate Editor:

Shelly-Lynn Nellis

Copy Editor:

Dan Tidsbury

Art Director:

Cindy Hughes

Graphic Design:

Chris Hart

Vice-President, Sales:

Paul Airut tel (778) 222-7775 e-mail paulairut@telus.net

cOVER CREDIT:

Tim Leyes

Contributing Writers: Alain Prud’homme, Barrie

Carlsen, Brad King, Brendan Brazier, Carol Crenna, Claude V Gallant, Cory Holly, Dr. David Suzuki, Don Gauvreau, Franco Cavaleri, Greg Seaman, Irene Thompson, Joel Thuna, Joelle Lyew, Leslie Perepeluk, Marva Ward, Maureen Fontaine, Michael Bloch, Michelle Kwon, Robbin Coedy, Serenity Aberdour, ND, Shelly Lynn Nellis, Sophia Stewart, Stefan Kuprowsky, ND, Susan McLoughlin, Tracy Kaye Holly, Zane Boronowski VISTA Magazine publishes bi-monthly issues and is distributed through the health food retailers of Canada. Send all questions, comments, and inquiries to: VISTA Magazine 13256 55A Avenue Surrey, BC CANADA V3X 3B3 Tel (604) 591-9991 or (877) 905-7771 Fax (604) 591-1989 e-mail vistamag@gmail.com www.vistamagonline.com VISTA Magazine assumes no responsibility for unsolicited material. Opinions expressed herein are those of the ­authors and advertisers and do not necessarily reflect those of the VISTA Magazine publisher, editors or staff. Readers are encouraged to consult with their health professional before embarking upon any exercise, medical or nutritional changes. Contents of VISTA Magazine are copyright 2009, all rights reserved. VISTA Magazine may not be reproduced in whole or in part by any means without written permission of the publisher.

To subscribe to VISTA Magazine and receive delivery to your home or office bimonthly, send $39.95 plus GST = $41.95. ­Include your address and we’ll ship you our next issue. Single copies are also available for $6.95 plus GST = $7.37.

Canadian Publications Mail Products Sales Agreement #40025872 ISSN #1715-8214 We acknowledge the financial support of the Government of Canada through the Canada Magazine Fund toward our editorial costs.

Spring has sprung.

O

k, is everyone ready? I want you all to take a deep breath in and fill your lungs with the cool fresh spring air. Ahhhhhh, isn’t that a great feeling? I know I say this every year but spring is my favourite season and it is in full swing here in the great white north. I always feel like the clean spring air gives us a wholesome new approach to the day ahead. So suck in as much as you can of this seasonal elixir of new life and enjoy!

This issue we have a couple of very interesting features that need to be read. First off, part one of our feature about Canada’s Premiers and their health. Editor Carol Crenna has interviewed some of our provincial leaders about what they do to keep their personal health up to speed with their busy lifestyles. This peek into the lives of our political heads of state makes us realize that these people are indeed human and they all face significant challenges in their daily schedules just like the rest of us.

Also in this issue, Canada’s home decorating icon Debbie Travis shares with us some of her personal stressors, family issues and her means of coping with a busy and demanding lifestyle. Debbie gives insight and advice on how priorities and change need to be a part of a successful existence and how important nutrition, exercise and family ties are to our happiness.

As sure as flowers blooming in spring comes the certainty of allergy season. This issue we have three different articles relating to seasonal allergies and what you can do to help your self endure this trying time of year. If you are affected by seasonal allergies we may have a solution and a path of relief for you that does not require a prescription.

According to the Natural News Update, which is a weekly news and information resource form the Natural Products Association, food supplements are proving recession-proof. As global capitalism continues to decimate many industries, the food supplements industry continues to flourish.

To me this says more and more people are realizing the importance of topping off their diets with nutrient rich supplements. This means our message is getting through to consumers and with more education and knowledge, we can all become healthier happier people.

We have received a great deal of feedback last issue from our readers regarding the Cherokee story of peace I wrote about. I would like to thank all of you who took the time to comment and enlighten me with your expanded versions of the tale of the two wolves that reside in our souls and how balance and harmony are so important in our lives. We truly do appreciate the correspondence we receive from or readers so keep those letters, surveys and e-mails coming in.

I will leave you with one thought today: If I know which path to travel to achieve optimal health, happiness and longevity, then I can never feel lost on my journey through life.

Trent E. Nellis, Publisher To contact Trent Nellis via e‑mail, write to thepub@shaw.ca Health Action Network Society

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VISTA Magazine Issue 64

contents 36 Choose a Better Way to be Beautiful

46 Grow a Younger Body

By Alain Prud’homme Increase your collagen

By Sophia Stewart Natural skincare products

38 Protein: The Secret to a Healthy Metabolism

By Brad King What is high performance protein?

40 Sugar: The Good, the Bad

and the Ugly

By Cory Holly Sugar alternatives

48 Water Retention and

Weight Gain

By Michelle Kwon Foods that help you lose weight and water

50 Send Bugs Packing

By Bruce Schenum Safe insect repellents

54 Three for the Road: Effective Allergy Relief

42 Allergies? Balance Your pH

By Joel Thuna Three natural allergy relievers

and Your Bacteria

By Robbin Coedy Don’t suffer with symptoms this spring

63 Indium: A Personal Story

By Leslie Perepeluk One woman’s health recovery

44 Prevent Alzheimer’s Disease

By Claude V Gallant Keep your brain healthy

64 Paperback Heroes

By Michelle Kwon Books that inspire healthy living

65 The Quality of Your Pet’s Life

By Franco Cavaleri What does your dog really need?

66 Anti-Aging and Alkaline Balance

By Marva Ward The easy way to add years to your life

30 57 Rainwater Collection

By Greg Seaman

take advantage of all of that rain

58 Reading and Talking Trash

By Shelly Lynn Nellis

Computer and cell phone waste

60 Green Baby: Eco-friendly Wipes

By Michael Bloch

Clean baby without dirtying the environment

61 It’s Time to Take Science Seriously

By Dr. David Suzuki

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What does scientific research bring?

VISTA Magazine Issue 64

Editor’s Healthlines

VISTA M A G A Z I N E

Carol Crenna, rhn

board o f advi so r s

Having a growth spurt?

I

Dr. Michael Colgan, PhD, CCN

Dr. Gloria Gilbère

Dr. Christian ­ uenette, DC G

Cory Holly, DN

Dr. Stefan Kuprowsky, BSc, MA, ND

Tomás Nimmo

Dr. Terry Willard, ClH, PhD

Dr. Zoltan Rona, MD

f gardening to you doesn’t mean picking beans pods or savouring ripe strawberries, perhaps it should. Vegetable gardening has gained celebrity status for not only satisfying creative sensibilities and a need for fresh air but as an important symbol. It’s getting almost as much publicity as it did during the Second World War – when over 20 million North Americans planted Victory Gardens to promote selfsufficiency – as current heads of government and screen stars grab garden gloves and trowels. You don’t need to forgo flowers, but consider adding organic vegetables that can climb, crawl or poke out between them.

The White House in Washington is digging dirt for its first organic vegetable garden. Alice Waters, a California chef known as the “mother of slow food” and other activists helped to convince the Obamas to clear a 1,100-square-foot patch on the lawn to grow Thai basil, hot peppers, collard greens, spinach and berries. Michelle Obama promised that her husband’s job won’t excuse him from weeding. The vegetables will be used by their cooks, but the garden is also meant to inspire people to eat whole, locallygrown, chemical-free food. The new eco-conscious Department of Agriculture secretary Tom Vilsack took a jackhammer to a patch of pavement outside his headquarters to create his own organic “people’s garden.” Let’s hope these ambitious moves will prompt similar plans by the Canadian government.

Though consumers are looking for more “authentic” food – a quarter of Canadians buy organic products once a week, up from 17 percent in 2000 –many are finding that local organic produce is too expensive or impossible to find in their town. The best alternative, of course, is to grow your own.

There are benefits to staking your claim closer to home. You witness the miracle of life firsthand by growing a seed, and appreciate the importance of eating seasonal foods. The same grow-your-own philosophy fueling the WW II Victory Gardens (that ended up producing 40 percent of all that was eaten in the US during those years) is prompting self-reliance again. The modern-day emphasis is directed toward foodies yearning for rich flavour; health advocates

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wanting to avoid pesticides and herbicides; and stressed novices seeking a garden path to peace.

Promoted by 100-Mile Diet Society and the Slow Food Movement, eating local – and even steps from your door – is vital. Many food purists seek out local produce before organic produce. In her 2001 memoir, This Organic Life nutritionist Joan Dye Gussow says her commitment to eating locally is driven by the taste and increased nutrients of live food, cost savings, and concern about the planet.

Several vitamins found in produce become depleted just days after being picked, yet may travel for two weeks and 2,400 kilometres before reaching your plate.

First-timers start small. If space or time restrictions permit only a container garden, many vegetables can be grown in containers as long as you have five hours of sunshine, a container with good drainage (raised a few centimetres off of the patio floor), ample root space, good soil (soil-less potting mix, sand and peat moss), non-chemical fertilizer, water, and the appropriate plant variety.

Eight-inch deep containers are good for shallow rooted veggies like lettuce, peppers, radishes and herbs; beans, beets, onions and tomatoes can be grown in a five gallon window box; half barrels or wooden tubs are ideal for tomatoes, pole beans, broccoli and cucumbers.

Consider edible landscaping (veggies and fruits performing double duty as ornamental plants) that can add as much interest as flowers.

Plant apple- or berry-bearing shrubs as a hedge; feature rhubarb amongst colourful grasses; interplant marigolds with beans and garlic with cabbage to discourage insect pests; sprinkle parsley between pansies; train snap peas to vine their way up raspberry canes; and use herbs as ground cover. Who says that vegetables must grow in precise rows and that beds of flowers must line your home’s entry?

Speaking of fresh, whole food, don’t miss Paul Pitchford, renowned author of the book Healing with Whole Foods: Asian Traditions and Modern Nutrition, at a two-day intensive nutrition and wellness workshop in Vancouver on May 9 and 10, 2009. Visit the website www.easterncurrents.ca for more info.

VISTA Magazine Issue 64

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Kids Need Protein

By Don Gauvreau

In addition to athletes, it seems like everyone and their grand‑ mother are using some type of protein powder. But what about kids? Is it okay for children and teenagers to use powdered protein products?

Why protein is important for kids

Before we discuss the specifics of protein powder, it is essential that you understand the importance of protein in a healthy diet. Protein is a macronutrient that’s needed by everyone, including children, on a daily basis. It is the structural building block of muscle tissue, hair, skin and nails and is imperative for immune function and enzyme reactions. Protein is extremely important for a child’s growth and development, and vital to build their immune system to help protect from illness. Protein also has several other major functions in the body: it is essential for repairing body cells, provides a source of energy, and controls many important metabolic processes. A healthy body needs adequate amounts of protein to function!

There are several different types of protein powders on the market. However, this article is going to focus on whey protein. Whey is a highquality protein that is naturally derived from milk, one that natural health care practitioners have recognized and recommended for years.

Whey protein can have significant effects on a child’s immune system in particular. Research shows that a component of whey, lactoferrin, has immune-enhancing and antioxidant properties.

Other research shows that immunoglobulins found in whey protein can increase immunity.

Whey protein can also help maintain a healthy system by increasing the body’s level of glutathione, an antioxidant required for optimal immune health.

Is it safe for kids?

Whey protein is a high-quality source of milk protein – a natural by-product of cheese making – that can safely be used by anyone that does not have any milk or dairy allergies, including young children and teenagers. In fact, the second most abundant component in whey protein is alpha-

lactalbumin, which is one of the main proteins found in human breast milk. Infant formulas often contain whey protein, including specialized formulas for premature babies. Since finicky eaters can sometimes miss essential nutrients, and very active children may feel that they don’t “have time” or “need” to sit down and eat healthy meals, quick and easy protein powder shakes and smoothies can fill the gap.

What exactly is whey protein?

If you didn’t already know, milk is made up of two types of protein, casein and whey. After milk is pasteurized, the curd (which is the casein) and the milk fat are separated in order to make cheese.

The liquid that remains after the curd and fat are removed is the whey. After the whey is separated from the curd and fat, it goes through filtration processes to purify it and remove lactose and any remaining milk fat. After the whey is filtered, it is dried and packaged. Whey protein has a higher “biological value” than casein and virtually every other source of protein in the world and, therefore, has greater nutritional benefits.

How to choose a protein supplement

When choosing a protein powder supplement for children, make sure the product is from a reputable company that follows regulations of good manufacturing practices (GMP), and that the product is made up of mainly whey protein isolates and/or whey protein concentrates and isn’t full of lesser quality fillers. The first one or two ingredients on the product’s ingredient list should be whey protein sources. Finally, since taste is vital to get kids to eat anything, choose a protein powder that tastes great without too much added sugar. This way your kids will be happy to have a healthy protein smoothie as opposed to

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VISTA Magazine Issue 64

Watch out for artificial sweeteners like aspartame, sucralose, Splenda or acesulfame K that are often used to sweeten whey protein powders.

an unhealthy alternative! Watch out for artificial sweeteners like aspartame, sucralose, Splenda or acesulfame K that are often used to sweeten whey protein powders.

The most important thing to remember is that whey protein is naturally derived from milk and is a component of all dairy products. Of course, if you or your children have any special concerns or allergies, then it is important to consult your family doctor or natural health care practitioner before using any dietary supplement.

Don Gauvreau, MSc., BA, CSCS, is recognized in the health and fitness industry as research expert and nutrition specialist.

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Calcium: Concerns and Questions

By Serenity Aberdour, ND

T

here is some confusion over calcium.

How should you take it? How much is too much? Who should be taking it?

Consider the following answers to some of the most frequently asked questions about this important mineral.

What does “elemental calcium” mean? “Elemental” means the actual amount of calcium in a supplement or source of calcium. Different calcium sources contain different amounts of elemental calcium. For example, calcium citrate is about 20 percent elemental calcium while calcium carbonate is about 40 percent elemental calcium.

Can I take all of my calcium all at once? It is better to take high amounts of calcium in divided doses throughout the day. The body can only absorb a certain amount of a nutrient at one time.

Also, people can experience nausea if they take all of their calcium supplements in one dose.

How do I know how much elemental calcium is in the product I am taking? Canadian labelling laws require that the amount of calcium listed on the supplement label is the amount of elemental calcium in the product. For example, if the label says “calcium citrate….300mg,” this means that there are 300 milligrams of elemental calcium per capsule/tablet. American products may list the weight of material on labels, not elemental calcium content, which can cause some confusion.

How much calcium is too much? This varies, but generally healthy adults can take up to 2,500 milligrams per day safely. However, most people do not need to take this much supplemental calcium and 1,000 to 1,200 milligrams per day is the most commonly recommended dose.

Can calcium interact with any of my medications? Calcium can interfere with the absorption of some medications, particularly thyroid medication and some antibiotics. For this reason, it is best not to take your medications and your calcium pills at the same time; separate them by several hours if possible.

Who should take calcium? Calcium supplements can be beneficial for people of all ages.

The following lists examples of cases where calcium may be helpful.

PMS symptoms

Calcium supplementation can help to reduce PMS symptoms including mood changes, pain, and water retention when taken in doses of 1,000 to 1,200 milligrams per day, the same dose recommended for bone health. Studies have shown good results after three months of treatment, particularly for pain symptoms. Other natural products that combine well with calcium for addressing PMS symptoms include chaste tree berry, vitamin E, magnesium and vitamin B6.

High blood pressure during pregnancy

Supplementing with 2,000 milligrams per day of calcium has been shown to help reduce high blood pressure and pre-eclampsia, particularly when given to women at high risk of these complications. In my own practice, I have also found that supplementation with calcium in the latter part of pregnancy can be very helpful for relieving leg cramps in pregnant patients.

Colon health

photo: snapphoto

Bone health

Most of us know about the importance of calcium for healthy bones. Women often think about what they can do to reduce their risk of osteoporosis, but men also need to be proactive.

According to Osteoporosis Canada, one in eight Canadian men over age 50 will also develop osteoporosis. Although this is not as high as the one-in-four rate for Canadian women, it is still high enough to take notice and action. Other nutrients to consider for supporting bone health include protein, magnesium, vitamin K, vitamin D and trace minerals such as zinc, copper and manganese. Exercise is also crucial; when it comes to bone density, use it or lose it!

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VISTA Magazine Issue 64

Higher dietary intake of calcium has been associated with a reduced risk of colon cancer, and studies of calcium supplementation in people with colorectal adenomas (precancerous polyps) have shown that it may reduce recurrence of these polyps, thereby reducing colon cancer risk.

Vitamin D also appears to play a role in colon health, influencing the effect of calcium on colon cancer risk.

There are some of the important facts about calcium. Now that you know how much to take and how it can help to improve and maintain your health, spread the word!

Dr. Serenity Aberdour, ND, is a naturopathic physician in Vancouver. She is involved in natural health research and has a general family practice at the Personal Health Solutions Clinic, which specializes in natural and preventative medicine. www.phs-clinic.com or (604) 877-1815.

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Canada’s Premier Health Being premier is a consuming and demanding job. Juggling each of our provinces’ unique chal‑ lenges and needs, particularly in today’s world, can seem like an overwhelming task. Premiers are people, too, who need to unwind and take care of their health. In this VISTA feature, four heads of provincial government tell us how they manage to balance their lifestyle. Part I focuses on western Canada and Part 2 in our July/August issue will focus on eastern Canada.

By Carol Crenna

BC Premier Gordon Campbell

“When I have spare time, I don’t organize activities; I’d rather play Scrabble. I’ve been active in sports since school; it’s a good way for kids to learn lessons about pursuing goals, dedication and focusing. But now I struggle to become more fit and find time to be active, to remember that part of my life. My friends tell me that I’m not a morning person. Though I could work out very early, I don’t get home to cook dinner until 10:00 p.m. so getting up at 5:00 a.m. to exercise isn’t for me. I love playing golf since you have to focus; it’s about what’s going on in your head. You can’t blame anyone else when you hit the ball into the woods – not that I ever do… Skiing is a favourite sport because, again, you must spend your time focusing on how you’re getting down the mountain. I’m not good – I still fall – but I push myself.

I also cycle at our home on the Sunshine Coast where there are lots of hills but roads are safe; it’s easier on my joints than running used to be and it doesn’t bother my plantar fasciitis.

How do I manage not to eat high-calorie meals at events or on the road? I just say, “No, I’m not going to do it.” It’s a big challenge for people in public life not to eat great-looking snacks constantly being served. I could eat an entire plate of deep fried shrimp if I put my mind to it, but I don’t. It’s easier for me to say no than to have a little. I don’t eat desserts even though I have a sweet tooth. It’s important in this line of work not to be on a sugar high during a meeting. At home I eat fish, pasta and salad. I know fish is good for me and it’s quick and easy to prepare. I like salads with lots of vegetables — the chopping is therapeutic. I try to avoid carbs and don’t have salt.

Nancy and I have downsized from a house to a 1,500 square foot condo, which has helped to simplify life since our boys have moved out and our dog died.

I’m not a fan of having lots of space because you have to maintain it even if you only usually use three rooms. This is comfortable, casual and has a panoramic ocean view, which I enjoy. In my childhood, I lived in a one-bedroom apartment with my mother and two brothers. It taught me that the size of the home doesn’t matter as long as you have a loving family. My mother was an exceptional person who never complained, and did everything she could to ensure that we had what we needed. I try to give my kids at least some of what she gave me.

Both the most positive and most challenging part of this job is that you never know what you’re going to face when you wake up in the morning; it’s exciting, but stressful. I never get

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enough sleep, though I love it. I try not to work right before bed so that I can sleep well and be ready for the morning. I read fiction and nonfiction books before bed, which puts me in another place.

After a hectic week, there’s nothing I like better than lying on the couch in the den reading a chapter or two, and then napping. I recently read The Gargoyle and The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society – a distraction from cabinet reports and speeches. I don’t work in the den but at the kitchen table, which is almost always covered with computer, reports and papers. Yes, Nancy tells me that it’s not good for my back.

What province do I like to spend time in other than my own? I have always lived on the ocean – a spectacular living thing – and it becomes an important part of life, so the Maritimes is the other place that I like to be.

What is the toughest part of my job? Though you face difficult circumstances, sometimes daily, if you’re fortunate enough to become premier you remember that you asked for the job. The most difficult challenge is change – which takes place no matter who is in government – and finding a way that a big organization like government can respond to citizens’ changing personal needs.

We’ve moved away from that because it’s such a big problem. The best part of being premier is the people you meet. Hearing inspired ideas about what they’d like to do and how they’d like to do it, and their community pride, is unquestionably what gives me the energy to go from one day to the next. My family and close friends have been very supportive, too, so if there is anything that has kept me healthy, it’s them. Without that support it would be very hard to do this job.”

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“To keep fit, since I don’t have much time for extracurricular activities, I work out on a treadmill and occasionally with weights. I don’t play it but like to watch hockey games – both the Oilers and Flames, of course.”

Alberta Premier Ed Stelmach

“To relax in my ‘spare time’ I enjoy walks in the country with the family, joined by our dogs and cats. I go for walks alone throughout the farm; we don’t have livestock, but I spend a lot of time filling the bird feeders and fixing fences. I don’t get to the farm very often – we also live in Edmonton – but I try to get there on weekends.

During the summer, I like to check on it because we’ve leased out the land, and I cut the grass and maintain the yard. Marie has a huge flower garden and small vegetable garden there.

We have four children, but they’re not kids anymore. We spend time together for dinners on the farm where they all like to come to relax, putter around, and play card games. It’s a profound responsibility to serve the province, and my life has changed because of it. There is pressure on the family, being away from the children and Marie. We remain close, but I have to schedule time to be with them. My parents raised five children in a two-room house, and I am the youngest. I was taught by them that family roots go deep and that you should take care to look after each other, and get along. I was also made aware by my mother and father how fortunate we were to be raised in Canada.

My time is not usually completely my own, even when I’m not working, since I never know when someone will stop me on the street or visit.

I balance that with reading – my down time in the evenings. I like histories and biographies.

The latest books I’ve read are John A, about how our first prime minister worked to build confederation, and Staying in the Game by Sydney Sharpe, about the Calgary-raised war hero and oil mogul Doc Seaman, who died recently. I have a copy that Doc signed. To really relax, I sing in a choir. I especially love Christmas carols.

Our choir visits hospitals, long-term care centres and seniors’ lodges. It inspires and rejuvenates people, particularly Alzheimer’s patients. It helps them to connect when we sing the older songs; it

brings tears to their eyes. We also go on holidays occasionally. My second favourite province to spend time in is BC. I won’t forget the fishing trip taken in the fall of 2006 at English Lake near Revelstoke, which was incredibly beautiful and peaceful.

To keep fit, since I don’t have much time for extracurricular activities, I work out on a treadmill and occasionally with weights. I don’t play it but like to watch hockey games – both the Oilers and Flames, of course. I watch what I eat, and don’t eat very much at events. Instead, I look forward to getting home and having a home-cooked meal. I like to cook when I get the

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chance, especially Sunday morning – omelettes and pancakes. One of my favourite dishes is blueberry perogies. I get six to seven hours of sleep every night. Is it enough? Sometimes I catch up on it.

The most difficult part of being premier is trying to visit all parts of Alberta, and to acknowledge all of the invitations to the events that I am invited to. It is so time consuming – Alberta is a very big province – but that’s what politics is all about. The best part of the job is meeting people and proudly telling others about what Albertans have achieved and continue to achieve.”

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hough we may not know their clinical names, most of us have used nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) for pain relief, or within a flu medicine.

Whether it’s Tylenol, Motrin or Advil, there are over 100 side effects for NSAIDs including heartburn, constipation, diarrhea, vomiting, hemorrhage, ulcer perforation and kidney failure. In fact, these seemingly safe and harmless mainstays in our medicine cabinet can cause death. NSAID-related gastrointestinal complications rank 15th among the most common causes of death in the US. No one wants to feel pain, and as the population ages, one in six of us now deals with pain at a given moment. Nevertheless, there are lifestyle factors that can drastically reduce the amount of physicial discomfort that you feel, prevent further pain, and offer only good side effects – including a better quality of life!

Eating the right foods can help ease pain.

Since tendons, ligaments, bones and muscles are made of collagen, eat whole grains and brightly coloured fruits and vegetables to slow the breakdown of collagen. Avoid white flour, sugar, caffeine and alcohol, which can cause inflammation. Eat omega-3 fatty acids to decrease inflammation, and avoid trans fats in processed and fried foods and saturated fats, which boost inflammatory cytokines.

It might be difficult to be active when you’re in pain, but exercise helps control inflammation and pain, and also delivers nutrients to your tissues and rids them of debris. Do low impact yoga, tai chi, cycling or walking. When you’re stressed, your body produces cortisol, which can lead to more inflammation. Relieve stress through meditation (proven to help reduce pain). Take a mineral bath, which can ease pain, aid nerve impulses, and calm you.

To deal with the pain that you feel right now – from arthritis, nerve pain, gout, musculoskeletal pain, injuries, backaches or sprains – natural topical pain relief creams go right to where it hurts, not even touching your gastrointestinal tract. Many are designed

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to reduce inflammation, promote circulation, help damaged cells recover, and act as a natural analgesic, without side effects. Active compounds in these creams are combined with “carriers” to pass the skin barrier, targeting deep into the pain area. Here are herbal ingredients that may be included: Menthol is a well known remedy for various ailments including sore throats and congestion, but it also has been proven to relieve muscle and joint aches and pains. Menthol, made from mint oil, has local anesthetic and counter-irritant qualities.

Arnica is also called “tumbler’s cure all,” reflecting its common medicinal use to heal bruises, sprains and sore muscles. It’s an antiinflammatory, analgesic and antiseptic used in homeopathic medicine for centuries.

Boswellia is a gum from a tree used in ayurvedic medicine. Boswellia is known to interfere with enzymes that contribute to inflammation including COX-2 (cycloxygenase-2), thereby reducing it.

Capsaicin is from cayenne pepper, and when applied topically it will first activate pain nerves, and then render them unresponsive. It depletes the body compound that transmits pain signals, creating an analgesic. Research shows that it can be helpful for fibromyalgia muscle pain, shinglesderived nerve pain, diabetic neuropathy, postsurgical pain and psoriasis.

Devils claw, a plant native to the Kalahari Desert, is commonly used in Europe for pain relief. The herb acts as an analgesic and antiinflammatory. Studies for low back pain found significant response rates using devil’s claw.

Ginger has been used to treat a variety of ailments including digestive issues, but is also effective for pain reduction. It has been shown to inhibit the COX-2 enzyme — the same enzyme that drugs inhibit to treat pain and inflammation. It is analgesic, anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial, and reduces fever.

White willow bark has one of the longest historical uses in Western medicine for pain relief, and it is used to create aspirin. In its natural form, it has analgesic, anti-inflammatory and fever-reducing properties.

VISTA Magazine Issue 64

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Training: Hit a Wall?

By Brendan Brazier

I

t’s common knowledge that the best way to become a better athlete is to put your body in a position in which it can physically and mentally handle progressively longer and more intense training. Along the road to athletic success lie many obstacles, but one hurdle I know every athlete (amateur or professional) can relate to is the sense that you’ve hit the wall in your training progress, and the frustration that comes from not knowing what you can change in your routine to reach a breakthrough.

As a professional Ironman triathlete, I can attest that achieving your peak performance involves hard work — months and years of focused nutrition, strength, cardio and endurance training that slowly bring you closer to your goals. While there’s no substitute for diligent training, I’ve found that you can increase the effectiveness of muscle, improve cardiovascular strength and reduce post-workout inflammation– which are the three key elements of fitness – using specific “functional” foods.

These natural nutritional “helpers” combine to directly complement your training efforts, and ongoing attention to balanced whole food nutrition give you an immediate boost in both mental and physical performance.

Increase your training return-on-investment

Whether you’re a boxer, a distance runner or a tennis player, endurance is an important facet of performance. The two physiological factors that have the most impact on endurance are cardiovascular fitness and muscular strength. Combined, the individual strength of each system is supportive of the efficiency of the other and has an exponential effect on endurance.

Your fitness objectives hinge on your heart’s efficiency in pumping large volumes of oxygenated blood to your muscles. The stronger and larger your heart, the fewer beats it takes to circulate the same amount of blood through your body, and the further you can push yourself before fatigue sets in. But that’s only half of the endurance equation. The other half is that the stronger your muscles, the lower the percentage of their maximum strength is required for each stride, moving you further with less energy.

When muscles don’t need to work as hard, they also don’t require as much oxygen rich blood, which in turn puts less demand on your heart, lowering the rate at which it beats.

Your training and nutrition routine probably already focuses on improving your cardiovascular and muscular strength. It makes sense, then, that boosting the effectiveness of these body systems naturally will help you to get more from your training. Use of functional foods allows to you a greater rate of return on the time and energy you invest in training.

Enhanced cardiovascular output

Increased blood flow reduces the energy requirements placed on your cardiovascular system, naturally enhancing your endurance and ability to perform intense physical work efficiently. Several natural, functional foods have the capacity to improve your circulation. One is rhodiola (an herb with ginseng-like benefits) which helps to dilate blood vessels, allowing for increased blood flow, and helps normalize your heart rate post-workout if taken before you begin a training session. An increase in red blood cells, which causes the blood to become thicker, affects optimal blood flow and your fitness level. Ginger improves cardiovascular endurance by keeping your blood at the ideal viscosity so it can be pumped efficiently throughout the body. Circulation can also be increased with the help of curcumin, an active compound in the spice turmeric. These nutritional circulation helpers aid in delivering blood and oxygen to working muscles, improving endurance by reducing the workload of the heart.

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Increased muscular efficacy

Greater strength does equal greater endurance. But, as with the heart, there are nutritional steps that can be taken beyond your regular strength training that will increase muscular efficacy.

Relaxed muscles perform with grace, free of annoying cramps and twinges — any athlete who warms up and stretches before a workout understands this. Enhancing the fluidity of the muscles, essentially allowing them to move with greater ease and therefore requiring less energy for each contraction, lets your muscles perform each movement with greater efficiency. There are functional food ingredients with the power to relax and enhance the fluidity of muscular motion. Kombucha (an enzyme and amino acid-rich tea fermented using microorganisms) is one example, acting as a natural muscle relaxant.

There’s more to muscle fluidity and efficacy than relaxation. Hydration and electrolyte balance also play an important role. If you don’t drink enough water, blood unhealthily thickens and increases the workload of your heart, leading to premature fatigue. Inadequate hydration will also result in muscle twinges and cramps. Since sweat is comprised of water and electrolytes, water alone will not fully restore fluid levels lost through sweat. Sodium and potassium play a vital function in optimal hydration.

Pre-workout drinks that include these are integral in replacing these electrolytes lost during training. The correct balance of electrolytes and fluid will help maintain hydration, critical for muscle function, heart efficacy and mental sharpness.

Faster recovery

No less important to achieving your next training breakthrough is how your body is able to recover from each workout. Recover faster and more effectively and you can train more frequently and realize performance results in less time.

Inflammation (your body’s natural response to the rigors of training) delays recovery. It decreases performance by making muscles unable to move smoothly, requiring more effort for each muscle contraction, causing the heart rate to rise and endurance to fall. Thus, if you can reduce inflammation, you can recover faster. Many whole foods help control post-workout inflammation. Seek out anything with chlorophyll. (Leafy greens like spinach and chlorella are ideal.) Chlorophyll is highly alkalineforming, and an alkaline body significantly reduces inflammation. Several functional food ingredients have the power to reduce inflammation if taken immediately before a training session: devil’s claw, ginger and turmeric have all been shown to prevent inflammation. Beyond fighting inflammation, devil’s claw has also been shown to promote fluid muscle contractions and temporarily reduce pain, thereby allowing you to push harder during physical activity and achieve a higher level of performance.

Used regularly, these nutritional helpers will complement your training and nutritional programme, enabling you to achieve your next performance breakthrough.

Brendan Brazier is a professional Ironman triathlete, two-time Canadian 50km Ultra Marathon Champion and author. Brendan’s follow-up to the best-selling book, The Thrive Diet is Thrive Fitness (Penguin Canada, 2009) which includes a step-by-step fitness programme. These are complemented by a free, online wellness programme available at Thrivein30.com.

VISTA Magazine Issue 64

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Allergies: The Naturopathic Approach

By Stefan Kuprowsky, ND

Allergies are increasing in de‑ veloped countries to the point where it is estimated that be‑ tween one-quarter and onethird of people have some form of allergy. Regular medications such as antihistamines and ste‑ roids are effective only at sup‑ pressing the symptoms of aller‑ gies, sometimes with unpleas‑ ant side effects. In this article, I will discuss how I approach the treatment of allergies based on my 25 years in practice with over 10,000 allergy patients.

T

here are three types of allergies affecting most people. Environmental or inhalant allergies are what most people know as hay fever. Hay fever comes from spring and summer pollens, dust and animal dander. Innate or fixed food allergies are those that come from common foods and create strong immediate reactions, like anaphylactic shock from peanuts that is potentially life threatening. Acquired allergies – called sensitivities or intolerances – occur when one food is over-consumed daily by someone with poor digestion. The third type of allergies is chemical sensitivities to many synthetic substances such as food additives, medications, household cleaners and many other manmade products.

Allergies are over-reactions of the body to substances like dust, pollen and food

photo: lise gange

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components that normally should not trigger a reaction in the body. The body mistakenly interprets the allergen as a threat and mounts a strong immune defense against it. This is known as a hypersensitivity reaction. It is not a sign of a weak immune system but a sign of an overreactive immune system. So simply “boosting” the immune system will not work to solve an allergy problem.

An interesting theory as to why allergies are so much more common in developed countries compared to less developed countries is called the “hygiene hypothesis.” Children in western countries benefit from better hygiene practises and therefore get fewer infections during childhood. It is thought that the IgE system – part of the immune response that causes allergy symptoms – was an evolutionary defense against intestinal parasites such as worms, which are still common in many third world countries. Since westerners aren’t getting these infections, the immune system focuses on allergens like house dust and pollens, which in reality are not a threat at all. This is an interesting idea, but it doesn’t take into account several other factors that are also occurring in modern societies such as the exposure to hundreds of synthetic chemicals through the food we eat, the air we breathe and the water we drink. I believe that this increased chemical exposure disrupts the immune system and makes it hyper-vigilant to harmless compounds in our environment.

Another important factor to consider is the inner ecology of the digestive system. The health of the gut depends on a delicate balance between numerous strains of beneficial probiotic bacteria. This balance is upset by the modern diet of refined foods, excessive sugar and protein, and the overuse of antibiotics. Several studies have shown that people with increased levels of clostridium difficile (an opportunistic bacteria common after antibiotic use) have increased allergy rates. People who have higher levels of the healthy bifido bacteria have lower allergy rates. Other studies show that mothers or babies who receive “good” lactobacillus bacteria during infancy have lower rates of allergic diseases like eczema or asthma. Babies who are not breast-fed also have higher rates of allergies, especially to formula milk.

Allergies are usually a warning that something is out of balance in the body. The way that I approach allergies as a naturopathic doctor is to determine what the imbalance is and how to correct it through diet and natural supplements.

I first determine what food sensitivities a person might have. Often, people do not even realize that they have food sensitivities, usually to foods that they eat often such as dairy, wheat and sugar. They may be feeling tired, achy or have digestive problems. To reduce allergies, you have to reduce your overall toxic load, which includes irritating foods. The lower the toxic load is on the body, the less likely it is that you’ll develop allergy symptoms and serious health problems.

“A true healing method for allergies assists the body’s attempts and restores balance” The second focus is on digestion. If food isn’t being digested completely, it can enter the bloodstream in larger than expected particles. The body can’t recognize these and therefore it mounts an allergic attack on the “invader.” This can cause “leaky gut syndrome,” a more serious type of digestive disturbance in which damage to the small intestine causes food particles to leak into the bloodstream, triggering allergic reactions.

Leaky gut is usually caused by candida yeast overgrowth, overuse of antibiotics and steroids and excessive alcohol. The solution is to stop taking substances that cause intestinal damage, and to take restorative nutrients to heal the lining of the intestines. Candida yeast overgrowth in the digestive tract is a common cause of many allergy problems. This is related to the gut ecology problem I discussed earlier where there are not enough healthy probiotic bacterial colonies in the small and large bowel. Restoring balance in the digestive tract by identifying and treating the underlying problem can significantly reduce the potential for allergy symptoms.

The third area of focus is detoxification.

Detoxification is a much more complex procedure than just taking a detox or cleanse kit once a year.

Our bodies have been exposed to thousands of chemicals – heavy metals, pesticides, solvents, hydrocarbons, dioxins – and, therefore, multiple strategies are needed to reduce the body’s burden to a manageable level. Individuals with relatively healthy immune and detoxification systems may experience relatively minor allergy symptoms.

Other people who are unable to cope with this chemical burden develop more serious diseases such as autoimmune disease and cancer.

Detoxification organs such as the liver, kidneys, colon, skin, lungs and the lymphatic system must be healthy and robust, and clearing excess toxins by detoxifying these organs greatly helps. The body must also have adequate quantities of the numerous nutrients needed to break down chemicals.

The fourth step is to assess the effects of stress on the adrenal glands. The adrenal glands respond to emergencies by the secretion of stress hormones such as cortisol and adrenalin or epinephrine. In severe allergic reactions such as anaphylaxis, where swelling closes off the air supply, the medical treatment is an immediate shot of epinephrine. Many people who are at risk of anaphylaxis carry an “Epi-Pen” containing epinephrine. Individuals who are exposed to chronic stress over a long period of time are subject to adrenal fatigue or burnout. This is the condition where the adrenal glands have become overworked and lose their functional

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capacity to keep up with everyday stress. Before reaching the burnout stage, many people start to experience more allergy symptoms because their adrenal glands can’t keep up with the daily production of stress hormones. Therefore, an early sign of adrenal fatigue is a worsening of allergy symptoms or the beginning of an entirely new allergic reaction. A case commonly seen is when a person suddenly develops hives for no apparent reason. The trigger may be a food allergy or a chemical that they have come into contact with. However, the trigger is not the cause of the allergy. The real cause may be long-term stress, which has resulted in adrenal fatigue and a decrease in adrenal hormone release. The solution is to find better ways to cope with daily stress and to rebuild the adrenal glands using nutrients such as pantothenic acid, Siberian ginseng, rhodiola, adrenal glandulars and licorice.

The fifth step used is desensitization.

Desensitization means giving a person very small doses of what they are allergic to in a very controlled manner under the tongue. We use dilute extracts of the allergen that are specially prepared for this purpose. This is a form of immunotherapy where we slowly educate the immune system to recognize and not to react to an allergen. This is similar in principle to how allergists treat allergies. Their method involves needles or allergy shots and can take years to get a good result. I find that the sublingual method is less painful and much faster because I can give several doses per visit. Many studies have shown that sublingual desensitization is an effective method of allergy treatment, and has recently been used to treat children with severe peanut allergies.

However, because of the risk of anaphylaxis, the treatment of these severe forms of allergies has been confined to a hospital setting.

Allergy symptoms can be treated by suppressing the symptom with antihistamines or natural alternatives. However, a long-lasting cure of the allergic problem requires a more comprehensive identification and treatment of the underlying causes. Allergies are a sign that the body is beginning to accumulate toxins. According to Dr. Reckeweg, a German homeopath, allergy symptoms are the body’s attempt to rid itself of these very toxins.

Therefore, a true healing method for allergies assists the body’s attempts and restores balance.

Dr Kuprowsky is a naturopathic physician in practice at the Vancouver Naturopathic Clinic in Vancouver and the EcoMed Retreat Clinic on Gabriola Island, BC. He can be reached at 604-738-2111 or by email at drk@ecomed.ca

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How to Prevent

“Photo-Aging”

By Michelle Kwon

W

hat is photo-aging? We’ve all seen it and probably have experienced it.

Photo-aging is simply another word for premature aging and damage to the skin caused by sun exposure. It refers to the often unsightly and sometimes harmful effects that include age spots, wrinkles, precancerous rough patches and melanoma.

The most obvious way to avoid these telltale signs is to stay out of the sun, but for our health (daily doses of vitamin D) and our moods, we all crave its warmth and light.

You can wear a hat and sunscreen to prevent further damage, but if the effects are already visible, you may need something more to remedy it.

Curcumin, the natural phytochemical which gives the spice turmeric its yellow colour, is becoming increasingly popular for its anti-inflammatory powers, particularly in the treatment of photo-damaged skin.

According to Dr. Madalene Heng MD, Professor of Medicine/Dermatology at the University of California, Los Angeles, School of Medicine, curcumin can repair sun-damaged skin, effectively treating fine lines and wrinkles, pre-lentigo malignas (slowest growing form of malignant skin cancer), pigmentation (age spots), actinic keratoses (precancerous rough patches), psoriasis and scars.

She explains that curcumin “short-circuits” the body’s response to assault that causes these symptoms. Every injury that damages the skin goes through the injury cycle, and by quenching this cycle, we can reverse or minimize the damage. Injuries result in inflammation (pain, redness and water accumulation) and five minutes post-injury, phosphorylase kinase is activated (a chemical reaction in the body).

Curcumin stops this activation, preventing the subsequent inflammatory symptoms which eventually lead to scarring.

In Dr. Heng’s treatment, curcumin is applied topically in gel form twice a day for days, weeks or months, depending on the condition being treated. While keloid scars are notorious for coming back with a vengeance after being surgically removed, Dr. Heng says that such lesions may not return if curcumin is applied for several weeks immediately following surgery.

However, curcumin should not be used for skin cancers, which should be treated surgically, she advises. Even though curcumin may kill a few cancer cells, not all cancers are susceptible to it.

It can also be taken orally. Leslie Baumann MD, Director of the University of Miami Cosmetic Medicine and Research Institute, Miami Beach, Florida, is a strong advocate of ingesting ginger and turmeric, and suggests adding curry to the diet, for example, as an antiaging approach.

Oregano, tomatoes, green tea, vitamin C and ginseng are also effective anti-inflammatories.

However, she relates that curry (which often includes the spices curry, ginger and turmeric) has the strongest and most effective anti-aging potential.

Dr. Heng notes that the topical gel best harnesses curcumin’s anti-inflammatory powers.

Only the topical form has the anti-phosphorylase kinase activity. Oral curcumin (and turmeric) is not absorbed into the blood stream.

Whether applied or eaten, when it comes to antioxidants, Dr. Baumann thinks that more is better. “I’m a strong believer in being exposed to as many different antioxidants as possible,” she explains, “because they can effectively neutralize free radicals which are at the root of speeding up the aging process, whether due to UV exposure, pollution or smoking. A network of different antioxidants is best because they work together, whether applied topically or from vitamins or food.”

According to both physicians, curcumin works on all skin types, especially fair ones.

“A cocktail of antioxidants, vitamins and minerals can help in photo-damaged and hormonally-aging skin,” Dr. Baumann states.

“Curcumin is excellent for wrinkles and can curb inflammation and the formation of free radicals. And supplements of curcumin can help a patient tolerate retin-A better through its anti-inflammatory effects. Supplementing curcumin with retinoids and green tea can only be beneficial in curbing the speed at which the skin ages.”

Curcumin and other antioxidants may not replace botox, fillers or surgical removal of dark spots but can surely serve a role in achieving younger-looking skin.

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Responsible Drinking?

Stainless Steel Containers

By Maureen Fontaine

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e are a “disposable society,” a throwaway culture that doesn’t consider our collective waste and, therefore, we are responsible for our planet’s current atrocities. New Brunswick writer Larry Lack reports in his article “The Bottled Water Madness” that approximately two billion gallons of bottled water were sold worldwide in 1990, but that total grew to an excess of 30 billion gallons in 2003. Canadian environmentalist David Suzuki states that the bottles made to hold those 30 billion gallons of water took close to 17 million barrels of oil to produce. These and other alarming statistics led 27 municipalities in six Canadian provinces to pass restrictions on sales of bottled water. Toronto city councillors including Glenn De Baeremaeker have called the sale of bottled water an “ecological disaster.”

From an environmental perspective, it is estimated that more than 85 percent of plastic water bottles find their way to landfills rather than the recycling bin. Greenpeace reports that plastic acts like a chemical sponge in our oceans and estimates that over a million birds, marine mammals and turtles die annually from this debris and contamination. The exceptionally high concentrations of suspended plastic and debris in our waters has become so alarming to scientists that they are dubbed the “Great Pacific Garbage Patch,” the “Eastern Garbage Patch” and the “Pacific Trash Vortex.”

What we can’t see is hurting us. In addition to concerns for our environment, reports suggest that bisphenol-A (BPA), found in plastic drinking bottles, mimics the female hormone estrogen and has been shown to cause defective cell division during development, even at extremely low doses. A growing number of studies have linked bisphenol-A to other kinds of reproductive and developmental damage in both women and men, says Frederick vom Saal, PhD, a developmental biologist at the University of Missouri. Recent research also suggests that this chemical may play a role in the development of other diseases because of its effect in causing insulin resistance.

Yet there appears to be much controversy within

governmental sanctioning committees; they are not completely convinced of the hazards of BPA. If you venture into any housewares store, you will undoubtedly notice the strong presence of stainless steel drinking bottles, the latest alternative to plastic and glass. Not only are they everywhere, the choices seem endless and leave you wondering if there is any difference between them beyond brand names and sleek styling. The new green-cultured consumer is lured by colourful eye-catching designs accompanied by brilliant marketing that potentially confuses even the most informed individual.

Indeed, there are important differences.

Some companies may use an inferior strength of stainless steel because it is less expensive and easier to bend. Potentially harmful heavy metals are often added to change qualities, making the material more malleable. Other companies might use aluminum, which is lightweight and often lined with baked on epoxy or ceramic material. Epoxies can be toxic and ceramics may easily crack. Both can potentially react with acidic beverages and start leaching long before they’re noticeable in taste or to the eye.

Your eco-friendly drinking container should state clearly that it is #304 food-grade stainless steel; otherwise it is very likely to be an inferior grade that is weaker in structure and may potentially discharge heavy metal particles into your drink. This #304 food-grade stainless steel also determines the resistance to contamination.

Electropolishing creates a smoother surface, making contamination and staining less likely.

Both chromium and nickel are added in a ratio of 18/8 (18 percent chromium and 8 percent nickel) to provide resistance to corrosion.

It is important to note that even the best stainless steel can be subject to occasional pitting and corrosion, which can easily be removed with a stainless steel cleanser. This does not mean that your container is defective. It is reported that even stainless steel may leach miniscule amounts of chromium and nickel if subjected to boiling and acid for extended periods of time. Cookware is also well known to do this.

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The “magnet test” – whether or not a magnet is attracted to your container – has been promoted as a test of quality. When metals are bent, charged ions accumulate because of mechanical separation. The fact that a magnet may stick to your container, therefore, is not indicative of an inferior product, rendering this test unreliable.

By using a quality stainless steel water bottle you support recycling. As the SSINA states, “over 50 percent of new stainless steel comes from old re-melted stainless steel scrap.” When choosing a stainless steel flask, insist that your container meet the following criteria: • • • • • • • • •

Durable and ultra-light Electropolished #304 stainless steel Fits your bottle holder Toxin-free and non-leaching Clean tasting Dishwasher safe (including lid) Is free of linings and coatings Third party tested Plastic used for the spouts is polypropylene, tested for chemical toxicity, and is bisphenol-A free, PVC free and phthalate free

Consider the type that you need. Single-walled stainless steel bottles are good for room temperature or cold beverages, and double-walled stainless steel flasks keep beverages inside hot or cold while insulating your hands from the temperature. Due to the impact of plastic, both personally and environmentally, it makes sense to carry #304 food-grade eco-friendly stainless steel drinking containers instead. Carry your own quality drinking water or beverage, and in doing so eliminate packaging and the high cost of manufacturing and transporting bottled water. “Responsible drinking” makes your eco-footprint smaller.

Maureen Fontaine, B. Ed, ECS, CN, MH, is a clinical nutritionist, master herbalist, consultant to natural health companies and educator who is a popular “online nutritionist.” For the last 15 years, Maureen has specialized in wellness and prevention as a speaker and writer who has written many articles and educational materials.

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Cold Gazpacho Soup

By Tracy Kaye Holly

G

azpacho is a cold, Spanish, tomatobased, raw vegetable soup. It originated in the southern region of Andalusia, and is widely consumed throughout Spain. The word gazpacho is believed to come from “caspa,” meaning “residue” or “fragments,” describing the small pieces of bread and vegetables in the original gazpacho soup.

Gazpacho soup is one of summer’s pleasures. It is cooling and refreshing, and a great appetizer to a summer barbeque. Gazpacho is bursting with the fresh flavours of tomatoes, red bell peppers, red onions, garlic and celery – raw vegetables that are rich in health-promoting antioxidants. It’s obviously best prepared in the summer when vegetables are the freshest and most flavourful. Those who have never eaten a cold soup are sometimes hesitant to try gazpacho but soon become fans of its intense flavours.

This is an excellent make-ahead dish for summer

parties. Serve it with grilled chicken or fish for a satisfying, healthy lunch or dinner. I like to serve gazpacho to guests in hollow red, yellow, orange and green peppers, cleaned out with the tops cut off and filled with the soup. It will add colour and creativity to your dinner table, and guests can munch on the pepper when they’ve finished eating the soup; no need to serve a salad. There are many variations to this soup. The one below is one of my favourites. Gazpacho can be pureed creamy smooth or include some chunks of vegetables. I always recommend using organic produce if possible.

Tomatoes are a rich source of several nutrients. They are well known for their high vitamin C content, but also contain significant amounts of vitamin A, B vitamins including niacin and riboflavin, magnesium, phosphorous and calcium. Tomatoes are also a good source of chromium, folate and fibre. In recent years

Gazpacho Soup 3 cups tomatoes (any type) ripe, seeded and diced 2 cups red bell pepper, diced medium 2 cups red onions, diced medium 1/2 cup celery, diced medium 2 cups cucumber, diced medium 2 teaspoons garlic, minced 1/4 cup red wine vinegar 2 cups organic vegetable or tomato juice (low salt) pinch cayenne 1 teaspoon cumin

Mix diced tomato, peppers, red onions, celery and cucumber in a medium bowl. Divide the mixture in half and separate in two bowls. Add garlic to one of the bowls and empty into blender. Add vinegar to the blender and puree until smooth. Add the vegetable juice, cayenne and cumin to the blender. Blend. Add the puree to the bowl of diced vegetables. This soup can be refrigerated overnight to bring out the flavours. Garnish with lemon and cilantro.

Nutritional Analysis Per serving - 55 calories Fat 1 g - 7% calories from fat Protein 2 g Carbohydrate 13 g Cholesterol 0 mg Sodium 237 mg

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a particular nutrient found in abundance in tomatoes called lycopene has made headlines for its disease fighting abilities. Unlike other canned foods, canned tomatoes retain most of their nutrients. In fact, cooked or canned tomatoes contain more lycopene than raw tomatoes.

If buying canned tomatoes choose varieties without added sodium.

Tracy Holly is a health and fitness enthusiast and an advocate of alternative natural medicine and sports nutrition products. She works as a fitness and lifestyle coach and is a public relations officer for Holly Health Services. Tracy is the author of The Athlete’s Cookbook.

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Anti-Aging Skincare

By Shelly Lynn Nellis Ford model Gabrielle von Canal, 55, has kept her career long after most models retire. Defiantly gray, and giving aging a sexy new look, von Ca‑ nal says she thinks a woman is most beautiful at 35, not 20, the age of most models, and that beauty doesn’t end. ‘’I’ve never been more successful and made more money than in the last few years,’’ she said in The New York Times. ‘’In Brooks Brothers ads, I think I look like a dog in the rain.

They shot me without reflecting light – and you need that to look good when you get older – and they touched up nothing. But they said, ‘No, you look wonderful; you look real.’ If anything, I feel that if I had more wrinkles, I’d get even more work.’’

S

he attributes much of her career staying power to a daily skincare regimen. While you may not have aspirations to strut down a fashion runway or be photographed for magazines, you can have a more youthful looking face if you take care of it.

Aging skin becomes thinner, rougher, drier and more sensitive, and will, therefore, bruise, burn and discolour more easily. Blemishes and flaws become more pronounced and healing takes longer. Skin loses it elasticity, which leads to wrinkles, and collagen, which causes muscles to sag. Therefore, every woman over 40 should: Gently cleanse. Never use soap to clean your skin again, and spend on high quality cream cleansers. If you don’t have makeup on, don’t use much cleanser; use mostly water. If you have dry or sensitive skin, don’t wash more than once per day, and forgo astringent toners if you’re over 40.

Pamper and repair. Mature skin needs to be treated for prior damage – lightening agent on age spots, plumping agents on crow’s feet, hydrating facial masks to tighten and add colour to lifeless

skin, a facial-toning machine to plump sagging muscles, and exfoliation to remove dead surface skin and expose new skin beneath. (Use masks or exfoliation only up to twice per week.) Sleep is your face’s best friend, so get plenty of it.

Moisturize. Moisturizing is vital. This includes not only applying moisturizer (with as few chemicals as possible), but also taking essential fatty acid supplements and drinking at least eight glasses of water per day. A humidifier in your bedroom will help to increase your skin’s moisture while getting your beauty sleep.

The way in which you apply products will impact skin. Apply products (formulated especially for

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aging skin and your skin type) after cleaning the skin. Benefits of some rejuvenating products are reduced if you use a moisturizer first. Use a light touch and don’t pull skin.

Protect. This is important for all stages of life. Sun damage in your youth significantly increases the risk of age spots, wrinkles and skin cancer later. Use a sun-blocking SPF on face and neck, and wear sunglasses to decrease wrinkleinducing squinting.

Shelly Lynn Nellis has been actively involved in the health industry for over 15 years, and is one of the co-founders and partners of VISTA Magazine. For more information go to www.askshelly.com

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The Link between Heart, Joint and Sinus Problems

By Barrie Carlsen

W

hat do aching joints, clogged arteries and a nasal headache have in common? They are all initially caused by inflammation. Our bodies have a love-hate relationship with inflammation. On one hand, it is a natural response necessary to protect the body from invading organisms. On the other hand, inflammation can limit joint function, and destroy bone, cartilage and other body structures.

Scientists and physicians have been trying to find a side-effect-free substance to reduce the pain and inflammation associated with many conditions including fibrocystic breast disease, rheumatoid arthritis, idiopathic edema, carpal tunnel syndrome and post-operative swelling. The search may be nearing an end thanks to the enzyme serrapeptase (or serratiopeptidase) produced by the silk worm. It is made in the intestines of the larval form of the silk moth to break down or “digest” cocoon walls.

Serrapeptase is an alternative to the non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) traditionally used to treat rheumatoid arthritis and osteoarthritis.

It’s also being used to the treat a variety of conditions including chronic sinusitis and postoperative inflammation, and some researchers believe the substance can play an important role in arterial plaque prevention and removal.

Besides reducing inflammation, and preventing swelling and fluid retention, serrapeptase also effectively reduces pain.

It blocks the release of pain-inducing amines from inflamed tissues. Physicians throughout Europe and Asia have recognized the anti-inflammatory and painblocking benefits of this substance and are using it in treatment as an alternative to ibuprofen and other NSAIDs.

fatty substances, cholesterol, cellular waste products, calcium and fibrin (a clotting material in the blood). The evidence to support serrapeptase’s role in preventing plaque build-up is mostly an-

Cardiovascular effects

Cystic breast disease

Hans Nieper, MD, an internist from Hannover, Germany, was one of the first to have studied the effects of serrapeptase on plaque accumulation in the arteries. Plaque is formed by deposits of

and a placebo group. Serrapeptase was superior to the placebo for improvement of breast pain and breast swelling.

Sinusitis

ecdotal. Further studies are needed, but Nieper’s research indicated that the protein-dissolving action of serrapeptase will gradually break down and remove atherosclerotic plaque.

Serrapeptase has also been used to treat fibrocystic breast disease. In a double-blind study, 70 patients complaining of breast engorgement were randomly divided into a treatment group

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Due to its anti-inflammatory properties, serrapeptase has been shown to benefit chronic sinusitis sufferers. In one study, 140 patients with ear, nose and throat problems were given either a placebo or serrapeptase. Patients taking serrapeptase experienced a significant reduction in severity of pain, amount of mucus secretion, and difficulty in swallowing after four days. Patients suffering from laryngitis, catarrhal rhinopharyngitis and sinusitis that were treated with serrapeptase also experienced a significant improvement of symptoms after four days. Traditionally, in respiratory diseases, drugs are prescribed to re-establish normal characteristics of mucus in order to restore respiratory function. Some of these drugs, however, cause a depletion of mucus; whereas serrapeptase alters the consistency of mucus without depleting it (it is vitally required to rid toxins from the system during cold, flu or allergic reaction and should not be decreased).

Regardless of whether serrapeptase is used for inflammatory diseases or to prevent plaque build-up on the arteries, it is well-tolerated. Due to its antiinflammatory capabilities and lack of side effects, it is a logical choice to replace harmful NSAIDs. Thanks to the tiny larvae of the silk moth, researchers have taken a step forward in finding relief for inflammatory disease sufferers.

Barrie Carlsen’s interest in nutrition began in the late 1950s as a competitive weight lifter. He is the contributing editor of The Nutrition Digest of Essential Nutrients. Barrie was inducted into the Canadian Health Food Association Hall of Fame in recognition of his contributions to the development of the health food industry.

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Achieve Fitness and Better Performance

By Joelle Lyew pain and cramping in your body. However, to appreciate the mechanisms of muscle recovery, you need to understand how amino acids are needed for muscle growth and maintenance.

Protein is a macronutrient, which is a nutrient required in adequate amounts for normal growth and development. In fact, protein is the basic component in every cell of the body. Amino acids are the building blocks from which protein molecules are made. There are nine amino acids that are generally regarded as essential, meaning that our bodies are not able to naturally produce these and we must get them through the food we ingest. This article will concentrate on “branchedchain” amino acids which are beneficial to muscle growth and recovery.

What are branched-chain amino acids?

photo: snapphoto

T

here is no doubt that most people are becoming motivated to take better care of their health, and many take natural supplements not just to prevent illness, but to improve fitness goals or performance while playing sports. But which nutrients truly help an exercise regimen and which are just marketing hype? What is best to take before and after fitness activity? How can you reduce “the burn” during weight training or build better muscle mass, strength and endurance for optimum performance? Let’s explore some of the ingredients for success.

Understanding the building blocks of protein

One of the greatest dilemmas that occur after strenuous exercise is the temporary muscular

The essential amino acids L-leucine, L-isoleucine, and L-valine all possess a similar molecular structure and, therefore, are referred to as branched-chain amino acids (BCAA). (The Lform of an amino acid is the naturally occurring form in the body.) BCAAs account for approximately 35 percent of the essential amino acids in muscle protein. That is a very large concentration of BCAA in the body considering that human muscle mass is approximately 40 percent of the body weight.

Avoiding muscle loss during exercise

During activity, the body breaks down protein and muscle tissue for use as an energy source. The greater the intensity of the exercise, the greater the need for energy and protein breakdown. In addition, during intense workouts, muscle tissue also becomes damaged resulting in a net loss of protein in the body. However, the body is able to use BCAAs directly by oxidizing them in the muscle tissue for energy, thus preventing muscle breakdown. Studies have shown that there is a large decrease in BCAA concentrations with anaerobic exercise such as weightlifting. Recent studies are now revealing that BCAAs act as pro-

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VISTA Magazine Issue 64

tein regulators in the body and are important for protein metabolism in the muscles.

L-leucine

L-leucine, the most researched BCAA, has been proven to have many beneficial effects on athletic performance. It helps preserve and produce lean muscle tissue, maintains blood sugar levels, preserves muscle glycogen (glucose sugar stored in muscle tissue to be used for muscle activity), and it may enhance mental ability which is thought to decrease during intense exercise.

L-isoleucine and L-valine

The other two BCAAs, L-isoleucine and L-valine, usually work in conjunction with L-leucine and should always be in well balanced proportions to each other. Both L-isoleucine and L-valine are vital for production of two other amino acids, glutamine and alanine, which are released in large quantities during exercise. Glutamine is the most abundant naturally occurring, nonessential amino acid in the body, found circulating in the blood and stored in skeletal muscles.

It becomes conditionally essential (requiring intake from food or supplements) during illness or injury. Alanine is also a non-essential amino acid, but it accounts for a substantial 7.8 percent of the structure of protein.

Branched-chained amino acids are metabolized directly in the muscle and can be converted into energy to prevent muscle breakdown. If you eat BCAAs in your diet, which are found mainly in meat and animal products, and supplement with BCAAs, the body does not have to break down muscle tissue as much to derive extra energy.

Joelle Lyew earned her honours Bachelor of Science degree at the University of Toronto and continued her education with a Masters degree in botany specializing in cell biology of plant structure and function and evolutionary plant morphology. She is an accomplished lab researcher and has published articles in various publications such as the American Journal of Botany.

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The Super-Fruit Oil

By Susan McLoughlin

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ou have probably heard about a popular herbal healer called seabuckthorn, a colourful bush that is used in a variety of natural health products. Seabuckthorn’s nutrient-rich berries cluster on thorny branches like brilliant orange jewels. Since it grows in the unforgiving landscapes of Siberia and Mongolia, the clear golden oil from the seed and the ruby red oil from the flesh of the berry are an unparalleled source of important phytonutrients.

First mentioned in the 8th century in the Tibetan medical classic rGyud Bzi (The Four Books of Pharmacopoeia) attributed to Tang Dynasty (618-907 AD), Seabuckthorn contains an astonishing array of nutrients in its fruit, seed, leaves and even bark. References to medicinal use of seabuckthorn were also found in the texts of ancient Greek scholars Theophrastus and Dioskorid.

Although seabuckthorn’s seed and berry oils have a long history of use in nutrition and skincare there is frequent confusion between the two. While they do have much in common there are notable differences in their nutrient content and uses.

Seabuckthorn berry oil

The rich red oil from the flesh of the berry is predominantly monounsaturated which, in practi-

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cal terms, means it hardens at cooler temperatures. The major fatty acids contained in it are omega-7 (palmitoleic) and palmitic acid. While the berry oil also contains omega-3, omega-6 and omega-9 fatty acids, the values of them are much lower than within the seed oil.

The most abundant vitamin in the berry oil is carotenoids, which are powerful antioxidants. Among the 41 carotenoids found so far in seabuckthorn are alpha, beta and gamma carotene, lutein, lycopene, cryptoxanthin, zeaxanthin, taraxanthin and phytofluin. Its low peroxide value makes it very stable (meaning that it doesn’t go rancid or become denatured quickly). Current studies on carotenoids demonstrate measurable impact on age-related macular degeneration, prostate cancer, cognitive performance and photo protection. The berry oil is also a valuable source of tocopherols, tocotrienols and plant sterols.

Seabuckthorn berry oil has an intense colour that limits its topical application, though it is good for the skin. It can be combined with seabuckthorn seed oil and applied directly to skin. The berry oil, like the seed oil, has demonstrated effectiveness in regenerating damaged skin and mucous membranes and is a prized ingredient in skincare products.

Seabuckthorn seed oil

High levels of essential fatty acids omega-3 (alpha linolenic) and omega-6 (linoleic) which are in a perfect 1:1 ratio characterize the oil of the seabuckthorn seed. It also contains omega-9, vitamin K, vitamin B12, tocopherols, tocotrienols, phospholipids and over 17 phytosterols, combined within a potent nutritional mix. Current research indicates that not only does it enhance immune activity and disease resistance, but it also destroys harmful free radicals found in our bodies. The seed oil is also demonstrating effectiveness for cardiovascular and gastrointestinal health. Its anti-inflammatory properties and regenerative activity on cells have proven effective in the treatment of skin problems; therefore, it is a premium ingredient in skincare products.

Susan McLoughlin, in partnership with her late husband, pioneered the use of seabuckthorn in Canada. Educated at UBC, she is currently engaged in the manufacture of nutraceuticals and cosmeceuticals. She can be reached at smcl@shaw.ca

VISTA Magazine Issue 64

Clearing Midlife Clutter: Debbie Travis

By Carol Crenna VISTA: Your book openly talks about your home life. Why is that important?

Debbie: We don’t allow ourselves to be normal anymore, or admit to others that we are. I have cried myself to sleep; I have told my children I loathe them; and I have thrown things at my husband during a fight and even wrecked a newly painted kitchen wall after a coffee mug missed him.

And that’s just being human.

VISTA: How do you relax?

Debbie: I love yoga – I’m not good at it but somewhere underneath all of me is a yoga body. I walk a lot. I do charity treks – popular in the UK – that travel through Third World countries to experience the adventure. And since food and tenting cost very little, more of the money raised goes to charity – about 75 percent. The rest is to get you there. Last summer I took 150 Canadians to hike Machu Picchu and raised money for children with arthritis; it’s probably the toughest thing I’ve ever done.

VISTA: Do you have stress?

Photo: Tim Leyes

Debbie Travis is a four-time Gemini-award winner with three successful home renovation TV shows.

In 1995 The Painted House was the first décor pro‑ gramme on TV in North America (Martha Stewart focused on food), and Facelift was the first reality show. Debbie owns two production companies, a line of condo designs, and three home product divisions.

But when she gives lectures, she inevitably fields more questions about raising a family while having a ca‑ reer than decorating. Her new book Not Guilty: My Guide to Working Hard, Raising Kids and Laughing through the Chaos answers those questions. Speak‑ ing with VISTA, Debbie discloses her secrets.

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Debbie: Flying gives me stress. Sometimes I think the only exercise I get is running through Pearson International. People often say, “I’m stressed,” but a lot of it we force on ourselves. For example, we don’t have to get as involved with our kids as we do. We’re stressed because they don’t do well in kindergarten; I’m still doing my son’s homework and he’s in university.

Maybe they don’t need to be playing the violin and they would be better off playing Scrabble. Family life is stressful but it is constantly changing, balancing highs and lows – one minute everybody is happily having dinner and the next minute doors are slamming as someone is sent crying to their room. Looking back, if I’d relaxed more I wouldn’t have felt so guilty; I shouldn’t have tried to force things on them since they are going to be who they are going to be! Simply ask, “Do I really have to be doing this?”

VISTA: Your two boys are older now.

Debbie: There is just as much stress because I’ve got less control than when they were under my roof. One went to Israel recently and I told him that if he didn’t call me every three days I would be on a flight to find him, and of course he didn’t. I worry when he rides his bicycle home at 4 a.m. when he’s drunk coming from a bar. I’m much clingier than my mother was with me.

VISTA: How do you let go of the reigns?

Debbie: It’s a heartbreaking day when your children turn on you. Small children boost your self esteem, but then the first criticism comes in the insecure teen years when they don’t feel good about themselves so vent on parents. They know what will send you running upstairs in a flood of tears. It’s important to walk away and take time for yourself, to have a job or hobby that is yours throughout their growing years. If life has been nothing but kids, it’s a frightening time for women when they no longer need you.

VISTA Magazine Issue 64

www.vistamagonline.com You can’t hang on, not letting them breathe. You need the strength and selfesteem to answer the question, “What am I going to do next?”

VISTA: And you?

Debbie: I originally launched my show out of a hobby simply because I was bored at home with two small kids and discovered while renovating what I could do with paint. I got the feeling that everybody could walk away from the chaos in their lives by doing this type of creative work. But changing careers to remain passionate is important. You have to stay fresh or you go mad.

VISTA: What will you do now that your children are gone?

Debbie: I am launching week-long women’s retreats in a 300-year-old villa in a national heritage site in Montepulciano, Italy for women to share time with other women. The first retreats begin this summer – with a maximum of 12 Canadians aged 40 to 55. Women need to talk to other women though we often no longer do it. Our mothers used to complain to each other over the picket fence, but today we rush around and then collapse, sacrificing the therapy of daily friendship.

VISTA: Do you have work stress?

Debbie: My work is good stress – full of adrenaline and daily challenges that won’t kill me. Unlike bad stress that we can’t control, we really do have control over daily stressors – if you’re unfit, you can lose weight and get exercise, if you don’t like your job, you can change it, if you’re time-strapped with four kids and too many commitments, you can cancel commitments.

VISTA: Don’t you find renovating stressful?

Debbie: Yes. And I feel much more stress renovating my own home than someone else’s! That said, doing the Facelift show is 10 times more stressful than a typical renovation because of the short timeframe — we’re often saying, “I didn’t mean to call you that.” The most stress is from worrying about injuries with people working with saws, electrical equipment, ladders and four large cameras crammed into small rooms. Sometimes crews are working 24 hours, having to sleep under a table because we’re late. There have been electrocutions, a broken arm, and fights with neighbours because we’re banging all night; policemen have arrived; one neighbour came with a shotgun. And sometimes it’s just tough trying to stop someone from crying or having a hissy-fit.

“Use your common sense; I think common sense is coming back again, though it had completely disappeared after our mothers had it.”

Debbie: Having a sense of humour and pacing yourself are important. You need a little stress every morning because if you don’t have it, then you’ve stagnated and you’re not growing. But if you’re exhausted because you’ve taken on too much, you can guarantee that your eleven-year-old is feeling the same. Use your common sense; I think common sense is coming back again, though it had completely disappeared after our mothers had it.

VISTA: How did you manage to keep your boys slim and healthy?

Debbie: I found that once they got into girls and sports they became so conscious of their bodies that they would eat well. Watching the boys go out on dates is painful — they spend hours gelling their hair and putting on face cream, and then they’re back an hour later because they had little to say to the girl.

VISTA: Why are people renovating so much now?

Debbie: When I started, only wealthy people had decorators. The majority of the population only considered renovating when the kids left for college. It was considered a chore. But then it became a hobby as we got more involved with technique and started to enjoy using our hands. It’s like gardening; you can hire someone to do it or you can put a big hat on and maintain it yourself, and at the end of the day you feel like you’ve lived when you relax after your work. It’s the same as cooking; for the kids it was a chore, but having a dinner party is now a fun social event, appreciated by everyone.

VISTA: You didn’t like to cook for your kids?

Debbie: I learned my lesson when I was preparing a different meal for everyone because they didn’t like certain things. When we were young we ate what our mother prepared — she said, “There it is; eat it.”

VISTA: Are you a healthy eater?

VISTA: Do you take your decorating advice in your own home?

Debbie: Yes. I don’t eat junk food. I eat a lot of vegetables and fruit, and we don’t eat much meat; I prefer beans. But I drink too much wine, especially when everyone is home during holidays, which I do to keep sane.

When I’ve gained weight and eaten wrong, I detox for a week with juice fasting at a retreat three times a year. The changes are amazing. I watch people de-flowering – getting skin problems and excess mucous – and by the seventh day they have glowing skin and a clear mind. A new company called Detox International was launched by a woman in Nova Scotia who bought the rights to the European method.

Debbie: Absolutely. I often sit on the stairs with a cup of tea and everywhere I look throughout my home makes me smile with pleasure. Visual pleasure can come from many things: a room that works for you, even if it simply allows kids to sit and play with toys, or a wall of family photographs that you spent five hours placing. Loving your home from every angle makes something inside you feel good just like a glass of wine or a bar of chocolate. I don’t like change, though, so several of my rooms haven’t been renovated since they were featured on TV shows years ago. When I see guests looking at them with a bewildered expression I think maybe it is time I did something new. I just finished renovating a powder room. I put in a bright yellow mosaic glass tile floor with black and white wallpaper and it looks fantastic.

VISTA: You recently celebrated your 50th birthday and look fabulous! Do you worry about staying slim for the show?

Debbie: Believe me, yes. Television used to put on 15 pounds; now it puts on 40. The new shows are filmed in wide screen. I’m 5 feet 9 inches tall and when filming with tall crew we all look the same size vertically and horizontally; I’m not going to hire short people anymore.

VISTA: How do you manage kids and career?

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VISTA: What was your dumbest furniture buy?

Debbie: I bought a sofa that I couldn’t get upstairs and it cost me money to take back. Before purchasing big items, I now borrow it first or map it out to make sure that it works with the room’s dimensions.

VISTA Magazine Issue 64

Choose a Better Way to be Beautiful

By Sophia Stewart

T

Available at most Health Food Stores

he messages that fill magazines and that are marketed on television tell us that beauty is often equated with vibrant, youthful skin.

Therefore, the desire to improve your skin would appear to be paramount to how you and others view your looks. How do you achieve beautiful, smooth and young-looking skin at any age? By giving skin what it needs and avoiding what it doesn’t.

Skin aging is influenced by genetic differences, hormonal changes including levels of estrogen and thyroxin, exposure to sun, wind and pollution, lack of sleep and poor diet. Your skin is your body’s protective coating after all, so some of these factors are just part of daily living. But you can greatly influence the health of your skin just as you can all of the other organs that it protects beneath it.

Consider more natural and non-surgical routes to a vibrant complexion through skincare ingredients that go back to the basics – simple plantbased ingredients – and have health benefits on their side. Look on skincare labels for the following ingredients that are backed by scientific research.

Low density rice peptides: Naturally found in rice, these peptides (parts of protein) have high water absorption ability, so are good for puffy eyes and puffy skin. They also stimulate the skin’s natural repair mechanisms, promoting a reduction in fine lines and increasing the production of new skin cells. Peptides act as a link between the dermis (lower skin layers) and epidermis (outer layer), increasing the skin cell’s ability to “communicate,” which is vital to regenerate new cells.

Marine collagen: This collagen is made from nutrient-rich sea algae. It replenishes connective tissue that supports the skin structure. This botanical ingredient also works to deeply hydrate dry, mature skin to keep cells healthy and resilient.

Squalane: This is used in some of the world’s most expensive beauty formulas to decrease dryness (since it is one of the most effective moisturizers available) and smooth scaly skin. Vegetable-based squalane prevents moisture loss and restores suppleness and flexibility by preventing water loss from the skin’s surface. This also increases absorption of other active ingredients in skincare products.

Rosehip oil: This seed oil penetrates the skin’s upper layers very quickly, making it a superb moisturizer. It supports the “keratin migration cycle” of the skin that is responsible for the natural regeneration of skin cells. Studies have shown an increase in renewed cells in the epidermis (uppermost layer) after using rosehip oil and the cells also produced more collagen and elastin, which make the skin look smoother and firmer. The natural process of removing old, dead skin is also enhanced by this oil.

Soy protein: The soy used for the skin is a cosmetic grade hydrolyzed soy protein. This quality vegetable-sourced protein creates a film that seals in moisture and protects the skin. Soy protein helps to minimize roughness and chapping of skin caused by dry air.

MSM (sulfur): Sulfur is called nature’s beauty mineral because it keeps the skin smooth. Sulfur is necessary for production of collagen (which

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Consider more natural and non-surgical routes to a vibrant complexion through skincare ingredients that go back to the basics – simple plant-based ingredients – and have health benefits on their side. prevents dryness and maintains elastin) in the skin and keratin protein, substances vital for skin, nail and hair health. Cystine makes up about 14 percent of skin and hair tissue. Sulfur is a component of cystine; therefore, it is necessary for healing and repair of most tissues in the body, especially those at risk of damage, including skin. Sulfur and cystine are also important for recovery from burns and surgical incisions. Because of its ability to protect against the harmful effects of the sun’s rays and pollution, sulfur slows the aging process.

Although there are many different treatments, products and surgeries that can assist in improving the look of your skin, the first step is to look after your complexion by having a healthy lifestyle, and by avoiding chemicals, whether they are in the air, in your food or in skincare products themselves.

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VISTA Magazine Issue 64

Available at your local health food stores

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Seeing is Protein: Believing... The Secret to a

Healthy Metabolism

By Brad King

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he secret to a supercharged metabolism can be summed up in three words – high performance protein. The advantages of achieving a strong metabolism extend far beyond just your ability to stand on a bathroom scale and watch the dial move in the proper direction. Other benefits include maintenance of your lean body mass (muscle), which further helps stimulate your metabolism, faster burning of your existing body fat, reduced food cravings, enhanced mood, reduced stress symptoms, enhanced immunity, healthier skin, hair and nails, and greater ability to experience deep, restorative sleep.

So what is high performance protein?

High performance protein is actually a group of proteins that are found naturally in whey from milk. However, they must be filtered and processed very carefully in order to deliver performance-based health benefits and reduce any of the unwanted fractions found in milk (casein, lactose and fat). These proteins contain high dosages of unique blends of amino acids (the building blocks of protein) that have been documented through research to positively impact various areas of your body’s biochemistry (as listed in the above benefits).

High performance proteins are certainly not just for those wanting to build muscle, although maintenance of muscle is one of the key underlying factors behind living longer in good health. According to research published in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society, loss of lean body mass (muscle) is the number one reason we prematurely age.

Therefore, anyone who is interested in taking their health to the highest level possible can benefit from incorporating these specialized proteins into their daily diet. After all, who wouldn’t want better performance in almost every area of their life?

One specific fraction of a true high performance protein is called alpha-lactalbumin. Alpha-lactalbumin is often referred to as “nature’s perfect protein” due to the fact that it is also found in mothers’ breast milk and is one of the key factors that makes breast feeding so important to a newborn’s development. Alpha-lactalbumin contains exceptionally high levels of the essential, and often lacking, amino acid called tryptophan (among many others). Your body needs tryptophan in order to make the neurotransmitter serotonin (think “happy brain chemical”), which is often quite low in those suffering from depression.

Established as a natural sleep aid, one that enables you to rise in the morning more alert and energetic, alpha-lactalbumin also helps enhance moods, lower stress levels, reduce cravings (for sweets), boost fat burning (especially when consumed before exercise) and aid in a better memory.

Swedish researchers have also discovered that alpha-lactalbumin is has a powerful anti-cancer effect on the body, causing cancer cells to self destruct without affecting healthy cells.

Another fraction of whey protein is glycomacropeptides or GMPs.

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When only the BEST protein will do!

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GMPs have been documented to help support immunity (they have anti-microbial, anti-bacterial and anti-viral properties), enhance cellular hydration (by attracting water to cells), and suppress an overactive appetite.

This protein is, therefore, beneficial for elderly people, athletes and those interested in losing excess body fat.

These high performance proteins also contain high levels of three essential amino acids (called branched-chain amino acids) that comprise at least a third of our skeletal muscle. BCAAs are essential to the repair mechanisms of the body and also aid in energy production. Japanese researchers have discovered that branched-chain amino acid supplements taken both before and after exercise can help to reduce exercise-induced muscle damage and support the growth and repair of muscle cells. Studies indicate that branched-chain amino acids exert their muscle-supporting functions by either manufacturing new proteins or by decreasing the breakdown of proteins in muscle tissue.

So if you’re in the market for a natural whey (pun intended!) to support your body’s ability to repair and replace worn out cells, high performance proteins are a good option.

NOTE: If you’re considering supplementing your diet with whey protein, read the product label carefully. Be sure that the product is 100 percent naturally sweetened –stevia is a good choice and is a natural herb that has been used as a sweetener for centuries – and that it contains a high percentage of alpha-lactalbumin and GMPs. Brad King, M.Sc, MFS, is author of 10 books, including the international bestseller Fat Wars, and Awaken Your Metabolism: Your Ultimate Guide to Abundant Energy, and the new book Beer Belly Blues: Becoming the Ultimate Male Again. Subscribe to his free monthly newsletter at www.AwakenYourBody.com

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VISTA Magazine Issue 64

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Sports Nutrition Update

Sugar: The Good, the Bad and the Ugly

By Cory Holly

F

or health reasons substantiated by clinical, medical, empirical and even moral evidence, I always stress the importance of avoiding refined sugar in the diet including, primarily, sucrose and corn syrup. AKA “white death,” refined table sugar consumed daily in copious amounts destroys insulin metabolism, impairs endocrine (hormonal) function, stops ascorbic acid absorption from the blood into cells, and essentially ruins children.

Obesity, diabetes and thousands of daily cardiac events, now as common as sliced cheese, are related in whole or in part to the consumption of this isolated, sterile, refined, dead, emptycalorie substance. A nation of addicts it seems we are.

There is plenty of naturally occurring sugar available in organic fruits, vegetables and whole sprouted grains. There are endless amounts of non-refined sugar contained in yams, sweet potatoes, brown rice, millet, oats, quinoa, amaranth, peas, lentils and legumes. “Biological gasoline” is what I call it – engine fuel.

A fact not commonly known is that carbohydrates are not essential to humans. That’s right. Humans can survive quite well without ever eating a single carbohydrate. For this we can thank Mother Nature, genetic mutation, natural selection and our innate ability to adapt. Homo sapiens are incredibly adaptable. That’s why we’re still here.

Humans can convert lactic acid and amino acids derived from tissue protein to glucose (blood sugar) through a process called gluconeogenesis, as well as glycerol, the

backbone of triglycerides (true fats). This is how our hunting ancestors survived for long periods solely on walrus, seal, buffalo, antelope, elk and whatever else they could spear, run off cliffs or pound on the head with a club.

I’m an Alberta boy and always enjoy a visit to Head-Smashed-In Buffalo Jump, in Fort Macleod. Head-Smashed-In Buffalo Jump is known around the world as a remarkable testimony of prehistoric life. It bears witness to a custom practised by native people of the North American plains for nearly 6,000 years. It was at this place where they killed bison for food by chasing them over a precipice and subsequently carving up the carcasses in the camp below.

Nothing was wasted. The practice of hunting and gathering, unlike modern agriculture, is ecologically sound and doesn’t destroy the environment.

Back to carbs, not all carbohydrates are bad (but the ones that are bad are really bad, as bad as bad can be.) The good ones – including those from fresh organic greens, yams, berries, radishes and celery sticks – are equally as good in contrast.

Why then does this no-brainer message remain completely unknown and untold to millions of children in the public education system? How many lives could be saved if children were told that eating most commercial breakfast cereals actually rots their little bodies from the inside out? Will the truth ever catch up with the politics?

Max Planck, founder of the quantum theory and one of the most important physicists of the

20th century said, “A new scientific truth does not triumph by convincing its opponents and making them see the light, but rather because its opponents eventually die, and a new generation grows up that is familiar with it.”

And so it goes. Millions continue to feed on sugar like flies and either die prematurely or suffer a terrible slow death. This is a terrible way to die.

One member of the sugar family that is actually good for us to take, especially as a dietary supplement, is D-ribose. Ribose is a naturally occurring five-carbon sugar. It is found in all living cells and, on average, our bodies contain about 1.6 milligrams of ribose per 100 millilitres of blood. Ribose is classified as a carbohydrate, and like most carbohydrates, it has a potential energy value of 4 calories per gram.

In humans, ribose is made from glucose and can be used to make glucose. Ribose is a constituent of riboflavin (vitamin B2), which helps our cells to use oxygen. Vitamin B2 is water-soluble and contributes to good vision and healthy hair, skin and nails. It is the vitamin responsible for the yellow-green fluorescent hue commonly seen in urine after taking a B-complex supplement.

Ribose also plays a structural role in the formation of deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) and ribonucleic acid (RNA). How important are these?

Nucleic acids are large organic molecules located in the nucleus or central portion of each cell.

DNA forms the genetic code inside each cell and contains the master blueprint of our hereditary characteristics. RNA translates

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instructions from the blueprint or template of DNA for transcription into proteins. Our cells are said to be mini-protein factories.

Perhaps the greatest and most important role of ribose to the athlete and fitness minded individual is its contribution to the formation of ATP (adenosine triphosphate). ATP is the primary energy source for all muscle contraction. Without ribose our cells couldnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t manufacture ATP, so to fully appreciate the significance of ribose, you must first understand the importance of ATP, considered indispensable to life.

In supplement form, ribose not only helps top up ATP levels throughout the entire body, but it also reduces the time it takes to restore ATP to normal resting levels after intense exercise. This is great news for every athlete engaged in training and sport, because efficient recovery is the hallmark of excellent health and physical condition. Case studies also attribute the use of ribose as a successful treatment for muscle cramping and the elimination of severe stiffness, pain and muscle soreness experienced in response to physical exertion.

Anyone working long hours under constant mental stress becomes prone to infection, chronic fatigue, adrenal burnout and cardiovascular disease. With prevention in mind, health products like ribose, creatine, glutamine, spirulina and whey protein isolate can play a key role, especially for baby boomers and seniors who can no longer rely on the resilience and coping mechanisms associated with youth.

Ribose is well known in the field of cardiology and has a profound medical application. Ribose improves heart function in patients with heart disease and improves recovery after surgery. It helps the heart and muscles make energy when oxygen is scarce, as in coronary artery disease or conditions associated with diminished blood flow (ischemia). So if you have angina, heart or artery disease, and have been advised by a physician to exercise on a treadmill or walk daily (or else), you should definitely consider ribose.

Taking ribose both before and after an ischemic event such as strenuous exercise will increase the benefit. Suggested dosage guidelines are 2 grams one-half to one hour before and 2 grams after exercise. Use this natural energy primer to keep cellular ATP levels at their highest and to protect your aging heart from damage.

Bottom line: Avoid sucrose. Eat buffalo. Take ribose. As always, stay wellâ&#x20AC;ŚCH Cory Holly is lecturing in Vancouver June 2009 on topics related to sports nutrition, human performance and motivation. Visit CoryHolly.com/Seminars for more info.

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VISTA Magazine Issue 64

Available at most Health Food Stores

Allergies?

Balance Your pH and Your Bacteria

By Robbin Coedy

M

illions of Canadians suffer from seasonal allergies. It is likely that you or someone you know dreads the coming of spring each year.

Many others suffer from constant allergies to food, animals, mold or dust, and they have become dependent on pharmaceutical medications for relief. When an allergen – something foreign which causes a reaction in the body – is encountered for the first time, white blood cells produce messengers. These messengers tell a second special type of white blood cell to make antibodies. Antibodies are usually very useful: they allow the body to raise a quicker immune response the next time the same foreign entity is encountered. That’s why you generally don’t get exactly the same illness twice. This is essential when your body is trying to protect you against bacteria and viruses. However, it becomes much more annoying when you get this response to harmless dog hair or tree pollen. With allergies, special white blood cells (called mast cells) mount an attack, sending out histamine,

which creates the symptoms that you’re familiar with such as swelling, itchy eyes and trouble breathing. An allergy sufferer generally has limited options: avoid the allergen (not always possible) or treat the symptoms. But are those the only options? In fact, there are natural ways to help reduce your body’s overreaction to allergens and experience fewer symptoms.

Prebiotics and probiotics

In almost every case, allergies stem from some sort of immune disorder in the gut. Inflammation, overrun of bad bacteria or yeast, or improper digestive function in the gut can lead to the whole body being more reactive to allergens – even as far away as the nose. Improving gut function by using probiotic and prebiotic supplements, and improving digestion by supporting the pancreas can help decrease the severity of allergy reactions because

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VISTA Magazine Issue 64

www.vistamagonline.com the immune system will then be able to react properly. Probiotics or “good bacteria” help to balance the growth of harmful bacteria which normally live inside your gut, but don’t cause problems because they are healthily balanced by good bacteria. Taking prebiotic supplements beforehand creates the right environment for the probiotics to grow. Additionally, removing pathogenic bacteria or yeast such as candida is very important to restoring immune function.

This can be done by undergoing a special diet and taking certain supplements that “kill off ” the overgrowth of yeast and other harmful bacteria.

edies or in combination can also be very helpful in relieving allergy symptoms. In combination they can help prevent allergies from occurring in the first place. Homeopathic remedies are generally very safe and can be taken by people of all ages. They often work very quickly to provide relief.

A treatment using pre- and probiotics, bicarbonates and homeopathic remedies can be extremely effective for allergy relief. These treatments don’t work just for seasonal allergies, but for food sensitivities, skin allergies, and everyday

allergies to pets, dust and mold. These proven natural alternatives to pharmaceutical medications will you allow you to be closer to nature and the things that you love, in springtime and all year long.

Robbin Coedy, BSc, MSc, completed her education in nutritional and nutraceutical sciences and human biology, and is currently responsible for research and education for a natural medicine company in Toronto.

Quercetin

It may also be necessary to take an alternative to pharmaceuticals to relieve your suffering if the symptoms persist. Quercetin is a bioflavonoid found in apples, tea, broccoli and aronia berries. It shows promise as an additive treatment for allergy sufferers due to its antihistamine effects. Vitamin C can also act as a partial antihistamine and help to improve immune system function.

Bicarbonates

An essential part of any allergy treatment – whether treating the symptoms or trying to prevent allergies from occurring – is becoming more alkaline. There is a growing understanding of how alkalinizing your body can help with a wide variety of diseases. Allergies are no exception. In almost every case, allergy sufferers are in an acidic state. By becoming more alkaline, the body is less reactive to allergens and, therefore, less likely to release histamine. Alkalinizing in this way may help prevent the allergies from occurring in the first place. This is a far better solution than treating the symptoms, especially with pharmaceutical products.

The best way to bring your body into an alkaline state is with mineral bicarbonates (such as calcium carbonate, sodium bicarbonate, and potassium bicarbonate). These ingredients are the same substances that your body uses naturally to bind and remove a large amount of acids from the body.

Sometimes, just by alkalinizing, you can help stop allergy symptoms from occurring.

Once your body is back in pH balance, you often can maintain this with an alkalinizing diet high in fruits and vegetables and low in animal protein.

Be closer to nature

effective relief from allergy symptoms reduces the body’s sensitivity to allergens non-drowsy and safe for children and adults

Homeopathic remedies

Homeopathic remedies – such as gelsemium, alumen chromicum, allium cepa, histaminum and/or acidum formicicum – as single rem-

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VISTA Magazine Issue 64

ask lorna

Questions & Answers with Canada’s Leading Women’s Natural Health Care Expert,

Lorna Vanderhaeghe

Over 80% of Women Can Ease Menopause Symptoms Without Taking Hormones Q: I’m in menopause and suffer terribly from hot flashes and night sweats. I’m scared to take hormone replacement therapy and bioidentical hormones. What do you recommend I try?

Q A

A: Women should be concerned with the side effects of synthetic HRT. The Women’s Health Initiative Study was halted in 2002 due to findings that synthetic HRT increased women’s risk of invasive breast cancers and also put women at risk of blood clots, stroke and heart disease. More recent studies have shown that the longer you take HRT, the greater the risk of breast cancer, and after five years’ use, the risk doubles annually. Younger women in their fifties were also shown to be at risk, despite what some doctors will tell you. HRT has also been linked to dementia, so as far as I’m concerned, it’s not worth the risk, especially when there are other options.

European doctors have been recommending herbal solutions for menopause symptoms for decades and the research is very clear – they are safe and just as effective in 80 per cent of users.

I recommend you try MenoSense®, an outstanding menopause formula that halts hot flashes, night sweats, mood swings, sleep disturbances, irritability, nervousness and more. MenoSense has been approved by Health Canada for its safety and efficacy, so you know you can trust the product. It contains five ingredients that work together to balance your hormones naturally—dong quai, chasteberry (vitex), black cohosh, gamma-oryzanol and hesperidin.

Black cohosh is the most researched herb for the treatment of menopause symptoms and replacement for standard hormone replacement therapy. It’s also been researched in women with estrogen-dominant breast cancer and found to be safe. Together with the other four ingredients, this formula really works!

You can read more about MenoSense® at www.hormonehelp.com

Prevent

Alzheimer’s Disease photo: lise gange

By Claude V Gallant

B

aby boomers make up the largest demographic in the Canadian population, and they are aging. By 2026, one in five Canadians will be age 65 or older. This is very worrisome because our aging population will cause significant stress on our healthcare system and the country’s economic support of it. The fact is that as the aging population increases, so does the need for medical services for chronic conditions such as Alzheimer’s disease. This disease is so complex that no single “magic bullet” is likely to prevent or cure it, but incorporating small daily changes will hopefully stop its progression.

Alzheimer’s disease is the most common form of dementia. It is a progressive degenerative disease that kills vital brain cells and is characterized by four major changes that occur in the brain. These are: 1. Plaque development. This plaque consists of proteins called betaamyloid. In Alzheimer’s disease, the level of these proteins is abnormally high. These proteins accumulate in the brain and aggregate together to form amyloid plaque.

2. Presence of neurofibrillary tangles. A type of protein called tau plays a critical role in the structure of the neurons in the brain, but in people with Alzheimer’s disease, the tau protein is affected by overactive enzymes. This results in the formation of cell-killing “tangles.”

3. Brain inflammation. Alzheimer’s disease is so challenging to the body that it causes an excessive response in the immune system which, instead of being protective as it usually is, actually promotes the death of healthy cells.

4. Widespread loss of brain cells. As nerve cells in your brain die, they disappear, and that part of your brain shrinks. This loss of brain cells affects your memory and ability to think.

Almost all of us know of someone who has been touched by this progressively debilitating disease. This past year alone an estimated 97,000 Canadians developed Alzheimer’s or related diseases. By the year 2031, the number of those diagnosed with this disease is expected to reach 750,000.

Alzheimer’s disease gets worse over time and while there is no cure,

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www.vistamagonline.com there are drugs available to help slow down the progression of this fatal disease.

Alzheimer’s will progressively affect your mental abilities, emotions, moods, behaviour and physical abilities. Witnessing the deterioration of a loved one is hard and creates a fear that this may happen to you one day. You have no control over risk factors such as aging and genetic makeup, but it is never too late to make lifestyle modifications that can improve your brain function and reduce your risk for Alzheimer’s disease.

Prevention is the key. Here is how:

1. Eat healthily. It’s never too late to start eating healthy food. Begin by adding fresh colourful fruits and vegetables to your diet such as artichokes, blackberries, blueberries and bell peppers that contain high levels of antioxidants.

Reduce your salt intake to help lower blood pressure and keep your heart and brain healthy. Increased blood pressure can damage blood vessels in the brain and reduce the amount of oxygen available to brain cells.

2. Bulk-up on omega-3. Studies have indicated that omega-3 may slow down or prevent Alzheimer’s disease. Omega-3 fatty acid is not produced by the body so you must consume foods rich in it such as fish or take fish oil supplements.

There are three types of this fatty acid, (ALA) alpha-linoleic acid, EPA (eicosapentaenoic acid) and DHA (docosahexaenoic acid) but the last two are more easily converted and assimilated by the body. Research has shown a diet rich in DHA slows the accumulation of two proteins (betaamyloid and tau) associated with changes in the brain linked to Alzheimer’s disease, myeloid plaque and neurofibrillary tangles.

3. Reduce cholesterol. Evidence suggests a link between high blood cholesterol and Alzheimer’s disease. There is some speculation that statins (used to treat high cholesterol) could reduce the risk of dementia. Experts at the National Institute of Health (NIH) are trying to identify which statins may slow the progression of Alzheimer’s disease.

4. Take vitamins. A) vitamin D – In a recent paper published in the Archive of Neurology (Arch. Neurol. 2008 Oct; 65 (10):1348-1352), the authors presented several pieces of evidence linking vitamin D deficiency to Parkinson and Alzheimer’s disease. Their study demonstrated the presence of high levels of the vitamin D receptor in the brain, which suggests vitamin D may be important for normal functions of these cells. Make sure you take your daily dose of 1,000 IU of vitamin D. B) vitamin B – The B vitamin folic acid (also called folate) plays a key role in helping the body make DNA and RNA. With the help of vitamins B6 and B12, it also helps the body process the amino acid homocysteine. Researchers believe elevated levels of homocysteine may increase the risk of developing Alzheimer’s, so the theory goes that people who take more of these three vitamins

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could reduce their homocysteine levels and thus expect to reduce their risk of developing the disease. C) vitamin E and selenium – Enhanced levels of these two natural antioxidant supplements may help control the cell damage characteristic to Alzheimer’s disease. Both are naturally occurring nutrients found in a variety of foods. There is an ongoing clinical study at the National Institute of Health to determine if vitamin E and/or selenium supplements can help prevent the memory loss associated with Alzheimer’s disease. D) ginkgo biloba – Ginkgo extract contains several compounds that may have positive effects on brain cells through its multiple antioxidative actions and antiamyloid effect. Traditionally used to treat and prevent Alzheimer’s disease and other types of dementia, ginkgo still generates a lot of controversy and more research is needed to really understand the full potential of this herb.

5. Exercise. Regular exercise may decrease the risk of dementia and Alzheimer’s disease by up to 40 percent, and may also help delay progression of the disease in people who develop symptoms.

6. Relax. Stress causes your body to release chemicals harmful to your cells, including those in the brain, which may increase memory loss in people at risk for developing Alzheimer’s disease. High stress also increases the level of cortisol circulating in the body, which impairs memory. Identify the source of your stress and try to minimize it.

7. Stimulate your brain. Challenge your brain with experiences that differ from your daily routine (like learning a new language or playing chess). This stimulation enhances brain activity and increases its network of connections. It doesn’t have to be complicated; simply changing the route you walk every day will stimulate your brain.

8. Be socially active. Always try to remain socially active by doing volunteer activities, traveling, planning family outings, or taking up a hobby. When you spend quality time with your family and friends, it sends healthy messages to your brain, helps reduce your stress level and keeps you happy.

9. Protect your head. Evidence suggests that brain injuries suffered during your lifetime increase your risk for developing Alzheimer’s disease. All those little “bumps to the head” add up later in life. Always keep your head protected, regardless of your age.

10. Stop smoking. This is an often-heard statement, but it is true! Smoking decreases the oxygen in your bloodstream, and therefore limits the oxygen to your brain. It also increases the level of toxins in your system (counteracting all those high antioxidant fruits and vegetables you are eating).

Nobody knows exactly what causes Alzheimer’s disease and other forms of dementia.

However, just because there is no cure it does not mean there is no hope. Live healthy; love freely; laugh often. An active healthy lifestyle is your best defense against this debilitating disease.

VISTA Magazine Issue 64

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Grow a Younger Body

By Alain Prud’homme

L

ongevity shouldn’t be just about staying alive longer. We all want to live a long time but we also want our years to be happy, healthy and meaningful. It’s called ageless aging as opposed to anti-aging because we know that we can’t stop aging, and we shouldn’t want to, but we can have an ageless body that changes little from year to year. The choices we make now, even the things we do this year, can halt and even reverse many typical signs of aging.

Biological aging – the comparative age of your body’s systems – is avoidable. By this time next year, you could have more energy, fewer aches and pains, and look younger than you did a decade ago. But you need to know how your body ages, and how to prevent symptoms of unhealthy aging. Research shows that you do not have to experience a gradual decline, and that you can stop and even reverse typical signs and symptoms of biological aging.

One of the best ways to age-proof your body is to restore the building blocks that create it.

Your body ages because changes occur in cells which affect their proper functioning. Eventually, cells die as a normal part of processes; either they don’t divide like they should or they’re damaged by harmful substances in the environment or within the body. Whether the body can efficiently rebuild and repair itself and create new cells is dependent upon its ability to build different types of protein. This process requires collagen, which is a construction worker in the body’s building (and rebuilding) project. Thus, one way that can you make the most of years to come is to protect your collagen.

Collagen is both the material and the glue that holds your body – skin, bone, muscles, cartilage and tendons – together. Collagen is a type of protein that is found in blood vessels, joints, hair and all connective tissue. It’s critical for tissue

structure, strength, and cell to cell relationships.

Any time the body has to build new cells, such as in the healing process, collagen is needed. As you age, you begin to lose the collagen that is present in your skin, which is why the skin begins to sag and lose shape, but this is just the most visible sign of depleted collagen. The body is made up of 25 percent collagen. If you were to lose all of the collagen even just within your skin, you would crumble. You’ll never lose all of your collagen, but enough will be lost to accelerate aging.

Your body manufactures its own collagen every day, but since production diminishes with age, the available supply quickly becomes less than enough. As production of collagen decreases, the resource that your cells need and the catalyst to help build tissue are reduced.

Deterioration of various body parts gradually follows. Things you have always done, like running or lifting, suddenly seem more difficult.

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VISTA Magazine Issue 64

www.vistamagonline.com Injuries that have never proven serious before begin to hurt. Other indicators of advancing age lurking within your body include decreasing muscle mass, joint pain, loss of bone density and weakening of your skeletal structure and connective tissues. The reduction in your skin’s collagen becomes more obvious as you develop wrinkles, furrows and brown spots, and poor elasticity and dryness.

To maintain healthy collagen, consider nutrients obtained in foods and supplements that can aid collagen and enhance the rebuilding process of your body. For example, collagen fibres have large amounts of two amino acids (building blocks of protein) called hydroxylysine and hydroxyproline, which may be important for forming collagen and providing strength and flexibility. It is logical to eat foods high in lysine and proline to potentially support collagen.

Animal foods are the primary source of both amino acids; egg whites and wheat germ are good vegetarian sources of proline, and low-fat dairy products, fish and legumes are significant sources of lysine. Vitamin C is a major aid in increasing collagen, and is required to change proline into hydroxyproline and lysine into hydroxylysine (their collagen forms). Vitamin C is an antioxidant, so it can help reduce skin and other tissue damage caused by free radicals.

Biological aging – the comparative age of your body’s systems – is avoidable. By this time next year, you could have more energy, fewer aches and pains, and look younger than you did a decade ago.

Garlic and two sulfur-containing nutrients, taurine and lipoid acid, may have the ability to support damaged collagen fibres. Phytonutrients are important in collagen-building. Catechins found in green tea have been shown to help prevent breakdown of collagen, and anthocyanidins found in cherries, blueberries and blackberries help collagen fibres link together to strengthen them.

Consider, too, what you should be avoiding to reduce collagen loss. Lifestyle factors such as smoking, drinking alcohol, sugar, coffee, infections, pollution, medications, stress and even excessive physical training can reduce your body’s collagen production. But with just a little effort, you can have control over your biological age and experience a full, active life.

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VISTA Magazine Issue 64

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Water Retention and Weight Gain

By Michelle Kwon

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oes your weight fluctuate a few pounds in just a couple of days? Are you stuck at that stubborn 10-pound plateau? Do you sometimes feel painful tension in your abdomen when it looks swollen, “swaying” or uneven? Do your ankles, fingers, breasts or feet look puffy often?

You’re probably retaining water. Weight gain is very often a combination of fat and water retention. It’s possible to retain and carry five to ten pounds of extra fluid. Water retention, or edema, makes you look heavier due to increased fluid in your body’s tissue (when water that normally circulates in blood vessels and lymph ducts is diverted into the channels around cells). It can also cause a sluggish metabolism, headaches, back pain and poor digestion. Since it slows digestion, you don’t properly use the food you eat for energy and don’t excrete waste quickly, which also causes weight gain.

Why do you get it? A high-sodium diet is a major culprit, especially from canned and processed foods. Dehydration is also a common cause since, if you don’t drink enough water, the body tries to conserve existing fluid to keep balanced. Food intolerance – a reaction to a certain food – can give you gas, congestion or water retention. This lowers your fat-burning capabilities because your body feels like the food is a foreign invader so it releases histamine to protect itself (by diluting the invader), creating water retention; if you stop eating the offending food, you can lose pounds of water. Some foods can decrease your kidneys’ ability to excrete water, too. Sugar-free foods that replace sugar with sorbitol, maltitol, xylitol or mannitol attract water into your gut, often causing abdominal discomfort and bloating. Protein deficiency and deficiencies of certain vitamins (including vitamins B1, B5 and B6) and minerals (such as potassium) also cause water retention, so low-calorie diets that lack nutrients are a culprit. Women are additionally at risk for water retention because of the rise and fall of hormone levels during menstruation, perimenopause and menopause. It may also be a symptom of an underlying medical condition including kidney, liver, thyroid and heart problems.

How do you reduce it? Drinking lots of fresh water helps get rid of water retention by keeping a healthy fluid balance, and flushing out salt, toxins and other bloaters. Eliminating bad fats, increasing fibre intake, eating lean protein, and getting daily heart-pumping exercise will help you to lose weight and retained water. Eating fresh whole foods, switching to five smaller meals rather than two or three large ones, and combating your sugar and salt addictions will help you to lose it permanently.

Certain foods aid the process, to get faster results. For example, three salad basics can restore healthy digestion, boost your metabolism, encourage normal body fluid balance, detoxify the body and facilitate weight loss. They are apple cider vinegar, globe artichokes and dandelion greens.

Apple cider vinegar: For centuries, apple cider vinegar has been used for its medicinal properties, which include alleviating allergies, acne, high cholesterol, flu, chronic fatigue, poor digestion, candida, high blood pressure, arthritis and gout. Apple cider vinegar also breaks down fat, suppresses appetite, decreases water retention, reduces the amount of insulin required in digestion, and stimulates metabolism, so is widely used for weight loss. It is also used to detoxify the body since it increases kidney and bladder function, promotes circulation, and helps to excrete

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VISTA Magazine Issue 64

Apple Cider ™ 600 FROM NEW NORDIC

toxins from tissue. Apple cider vinegar has anti-fungal, anti-bacterial and anti-viral properties. It’s also nutritious: scientists have recorded 90 different substances in it including minerals, trace elements, vitamins, enzymes, amino acids, potash and pectin.

Dandelions: Dandelion, considered an herb, works as a strong diuretic to help kidneys remove water. In an animal study, dandelion removed fluid as well as furosemide (Lasix), a powerful diuretic used for congestive heart failure. This potent plant is also a well known detoxifier. It stimulates gallbladder function, improves gastro-intestinal and bowel health; helps alleviate liver diseases; purifies blood, may dissolve kidney stones, reduces acne, lowers high blood pressure, prevents anemia, and lowers cholesterol.

Dandelions are nature’s richest green source of beta-carotene, and the third richest source of vitamin A of all foods. They’re high in potassium, iron, calcium, magnesium, phosphorus and B vitamins. Dandelions have been effective in promoting weight loss — controlled tests on laboratory rats indicated that a loss of up to 30 percent of body weight in 30 days was possible when the animals were fed dandelion extract with food.

Globe artichokes: Globe artichokes are one of the oldest known cultivated vegetables. They stimulate bile flow for increased digestion (and also reduce bloating, irritable bowel syndrome, indigestion, abdominal pain, constipation and gas). They have been shown to decrease blood fats and lower cholesterol, and stimulate liver function while protecting the liver from toxin damage. Globe artichokes are used for detoxification, and are considered an antioxidant. They’re rich in vitamins and minerals including vitamins A, B, C, potassium and manganese.

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VISTA Magazine Issue 64

HEALTHY WEIGHT LOSS WITH APPLE CIDER, DANDELION AND GLOBE ARTICHOKE Apple Cider 600 is an effective natural formula of apple cider vinegar, combined with dandelion extract and globe artichoke extracts, all designed to make you naturally slim down and feel lighter: • Apple cider vinegar - Traditionally used to stimulate metabolism, balance digestion and alleviate stomach disorders. Apple cider has detoxifying properties, optimizing kidney and bladder functions.

• Globe artichoke - Stimulates the detox processes of the liver, lowers blood cholesterol, is a protective antioxidant and is well-known to reduce digestive problems.

• Dandelion - Works as a strong diuretic, a detoxifier and an antioxidant. It has been used for decades for eliminating retained fluids, stored commonly among the fat cells and soft tissue.

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Send Bugs Packing Protect your family with safe insect repellents

By Bruce Schenum

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hoosing a safe, effective insect repellent is vital to your familyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s health. West Nile Virus was responsible for more than 1,000 deaths in the US and Canada over the past five years, according to the US Center for Disease Control. In 2007, the Public Health Agency of Canada reported 1,404 cases in Saskatchewan, 572 in Manitoba, and 318 in Alberta. British Columbia, Ontario, Quebec and New Brunswick also reported cases.

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Twenty million Canadians use insect repellents every year. However, there is evidence that DEET â&#x20AC;&#x201C; the active ingredient in most mosquito repellents â&#x20AC;&#x201C; can cause health problems. A study conducted by Duke University Medical Center pharmacologist Dr. Abou-Donia PhD reported that the chemical DEET causes brain cell death and behavioural changes in rats after frequent and prolonged use. While the chemicalâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s risks to humans are still being debated, Abou-Donia says his 30 years of research on pesticides clearly indicate the need for caution among the general public.

Children in particular are at risk for subtle brain changes caused by DEET because their skin easily absorbs it and chemicals affect their developing nervous systems, reports AbouDonia. Of the 17 cases of reported significant toxicity from DEET exposure in the US, 14 were in children under the age of eight. The most frequently reported symptoms of DEET toxicity in children were lethargy, headaches, tremors, involuntary movements, seizures and convulsions.

Essential plant oils: Natureâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s bug repellent

Fortunately, many essential plant oils provide adequate and safe protection from biting, stinging pests. Repellents based on these oils are gaining popularity with health conscious consumers.

Why do essential oils repel bugs? â&#x20AC;&#x153;Theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re very possibly the plantsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; protection against predators,â&#x20AC;? stated Mark Blumenthal of the American Botanical Council.

Among the oils used in natural repellents are citronella, cedarwood, lemongrass, pennyroyal,

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neem, peppermint and eucalyptus. However, some essential oil based repellents repel bugs far better than others. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Consumers should be very careful about which natural repellent they choose,â&#x20AC;? says Eve McClure, president of a company which makes one plant-oil based repellent. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve looked at the research and some natural repellents are very good, while others are relatively ineffective.â&#x20AC;?

Field studies at the University of Guelph confirm that natural repellents can be just as effective as DEET-based products. In one study, a formula based on citronella and four other essential oils was equally as effective as Off! Skintastic, a 7 percent DEET formula marketed as safe and gentle for children.

Plant-based repellents are safe and effective.

Use common sense, reapply the plant-oils often, and then go outdoors and have fun!

VISTA Magazine Issue 64

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Doctor Recommended Lehcare® is specifically designed to help alleviate aches and pains associated with sports injuries, sprains, back aches, muscles aches, and bruises in addition to minor arthritic pain and inflammation. Contains natural botanical ingredients and a patented warming agent to provide long lasting relief. Purely Canadian Made. www.cellderm.com. NPN # 80009468

Naka’s Nutri MULTI for men and Nutri MULTI for women are now available in pleasant tasting, super-sized, 900 ml formats with colourful new boxes. These advanced liquid multivitamin formulas allow for enhanced absorption by the body, delivering nutrients more efficiently to help promote your better health.

Nutri MULTI for men features the benefits of lycopene, stinging nettle, Siberian ginseng and amla. Nutri MULTI for women features 1000 IU of vitamin D, which studies suggest could help prevent major breast, colon and ovarian diseases. It also has blackcurrant oil, plus cranberry and boron. Try Nutri MULTI today! Naka Herbs & Vitamins Ltd. (416) 748-3073 www.nakaherbs.com.

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Functional support: Amaze Gel stimulates blood circulation, accelerates skin metabolism and provides nutrients from ginseng, aloe vera, royal jelly and germanium. Regular use of Amaze Gel will keep your skin healthy and smooth. Prevents blackheads, acne, oil plugs, enlarged pores, pimples, age spots and scars. Gentle enough to be used daily.

Visit your local health food store for a free demonstration. Viva Health Products, Proudly Canadian, www.vivahealth.ca.

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VISTA Magazine Issue 64

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Grow Young with HGH From the landmark book Grow Young with HGH comes the most powerful, over-thecounter health supplement in the history of man. Human growth hormone was first discovered in 1920 and has long been thought by the medical community to be necessary only to stimulate the body to full adult size and therefore unnecessary past the age of 20.

Recent studies, however, have overturned this notion completely, discovering instead that the natural decline of Human Growth Hormone (HGH), from ages 21 to 61 (the average age at which there is only a trace left in the body) and is the reason why the body ages and fails to regenerate itself to its 25 year-old biological age.

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There is a receptor site in almost every cell in the human body for HGH, so its regenerative and healing effects are very comprehensive.

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The new HGH releasers are winning converts from the synthetic HGH users as well, since GHR is just as effective (for anti-aging) is oral instead of self-injectable and is very affordable.

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Three for the Road: Get the Rest You Deserve

Effective Allergy Relief

By Joel Thuna

Reduce Stress & Pain Naturally A good night’s sleep free from stress, aches & pains is important in helping your body recover from the days’ wear and tear.

For more than 60 years Hyland’s Calms Forté has been nature’s answer to a good night’s sleep.

Relieving stress, tension and occasional sleeplessness.

Hyland’s Leg Cramps with Quinine will soothe the symptoms of cramps in legs and lower back, while Hyland’s Restful Legs helps to calm agitated legs so you get the rest you deserve.

For 20 percent of us, spring may be beautiful, but it is also the beginning of a season filled with sneezing, wheezing, weeping eyes and runny nose.

For allergy suffers, this is a time of misery. Allergies are abnormal, adverse physical reactions to specific substanc‑ es called allergens (or anti‑ gens). Sufferers react to small quantities of these allergens, which are harmless to others.

N

o one knows exactly why allergies develop, but heredity is a strong predictor. When one parent has allergies, their children have a 75 percent chance of developing allergies. When both parents have allergies, their children will almost certainly suffer from allergies. The second most common cause of allergies is poor digestion. If a food is not being properly digested, it can linger in your digestive tract, become an allergen, and trigger reactions.

Toxic overload, drugs, steroids, antibiotics and exposure to toxic chemicals all can be significant causes of allergies. When we exceed our body’s capacity to detoxify, these toxins are deposited throughout our body. This can cause a range of health problems including allergies. Left untreated, the cumulative effects of allergies weaken your entire body, especially digestion and immunity, increasing disease risk, reducing vitality and decreasing your quality of life. Allergies are typically grouped in categories

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according to the types of substances causing them or by the body parts they affect.

Skin allergies: Reactions to topical exposure (touch) by a specific allergen, these allergies are also known as contact dermatitis.

Respiratory allergies: The most common form is hay fever (allergic rhinitis). Typical symptoms include itchy eyes, nose and roof of mouth or throat, along with nasal congestion, coughing and sneezing.

Asthma: Although the causes are various, the chief ones include allergies to animal dander, dust mites, mold spores, pollen and environmental exposure.

Food allergies: An estimated 70 percent of people with food allergies are under 30; most are children under age six. Common allergies include nuts, dairy and soy.

When any allergen is introduced, it triggers an increase in immunoglobulin E (IgE) antibodies, causing your immune system to overreact and create inflammation. When IgE encounters allergens, it activates the release of inflammatory chemicals such as histamine in an effort to destroy or disable the allergen.

This attempt to seek-and-destroy the allergen causes the familiar symptoms of sneezing, runny nose and watery eyes. Antihistamines (the pharmaceutical answer to allergies) have a misleading name, which leads people to incorrectly believe they prevent histamine production. These drugs merely suppress the external symptoms and do nothing to treat the underlying cause. Antihistamines have numerous side effects including heart palpitations, lethargy, drowsiness, dizziness, insomnia and depression.

Regular antihistamine use may perpetuate allergies and hinder re-education of your immune system. There are better ways to treat allergies – safe, natural substances that work with your body to reduce allergies. They include:

Vitamin C

Vitamin C is not an antihistamine, but can be effective in reducing allergy symptoms without the drowsiness caused by many antihistamines.

Studies have shown that high levels of vitamin

VISTA Magazine Issue 64

photo: lise gange

C help reduce histamine release and speed histamine breakdown once it is released. Conversely, research shows that vitamin C deficiency can send histamine blood levels “through the roof,” worsening allergies and exaggerating their severity. Vitamin C may also help reduce some of the inflammation associated with chronic allergies.

Sterols

Sterols are plant compounds found to have a wide range of health benefits. They are beneficial in treating and preventing many health conditions and are particularly helpful in treating and preventing allergies. Clinical studies show that sterols have immune-modulating qualities, which help keep the immune system in balance.

Thus, they help to avoid immune system over-response (allergies) and the subsequent cumulative bodily damage caused by repeated allergic reactions. Sterols control allergic reactions by causing a decrease in IgE, with a resulting decrease in your body’s response to allergens. In addition, sterols minimize allergic inflammations by reducing the body’s production of the substances causing inflammation. Sterols are found in many foods including nuts, seeds and cereal grains.

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Oregano oil

Oregano oil is a powerful tonic and healer providing benefits to your entire body. In the case of allergies, oregano works to support and strengthen your immune system. Oregano improves digestion and helps the body eradicate invading pathogens, including bacteria, fungi and viruses, which can both cause and perpetuate allergic reactions. The combination of oregano oil, vitamin C and sterols is an ideal allergy preventive.

Since all of these substances are natural, they are non-habit forming and are safe, unlike antihistamines. Over time, these natural allergy fighters can tone your immune system to enable a reduction in the frequency and severity of allergies.

Remember that most allergic reactions are not serious. However, some (such as anaphylaxis) can result in an inability to breathe or a severe drop in blood pressure, and can be fatal. If your allergic reactions are severe, it is vital that you visit a medical doctor for immediate emergency medical treatment.

Breathe easy this allergy season with 3XUH Oǟ 1DWXUDO Oregano & Sterols

Joel Thuna, MH, is a fourth generation master herbalist with over 25 years experience in nutrition.

VISTA Magazine Issue 64

www.OreganoCures.com

Tips For Installing a Rainwater System

By Greg Seaman

In This Section: Reading and Talking Trash

By Shelly Lynn Nellis

Greening

By Michael Bloch

Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Time to Take Science Seriously

By Dr. David Suzuki 56

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Rainwater Collection

By Greg Seaman ins, so runoff should not be used for watering the vegetable garden or for potable purposes. Roofs made of slate, terra-cotta tile, copper, untreated wood shingles, concrete, and epoxy-painted metal are acceptable for collecting potable water.

2. Choose a barrel designed for holding water

Using an old garbage can for collecting rainwater may yield disappointing results. Rain barrels are designed with a wall thickness that can withstand freezing, expansion of freezing water, and distortion from the weight of the water and/or the effect of prolonged direct sunlight. Barrels used for water collection and storage should:

H

omeowners can conserve water both indoors and outdoors by adopting simple conservation strategies. But many people overlook the opportunity to collect and store rainwater for use in the yard, garden and outdoor cleaning projects.

Simple catchment systems with storage capacities of 40 to 100 gallons (150 to 380 litres), can be easily installed by the homeowner to collect rainwater for use in the yard and garden. This water is untreated; therefore, it is not intended for drinking or bathing. More complex systems can also be installed which involve large cisterns, with up to a 5,000 gallon (18,925 litre) capacity, a water pump and a treatment system if the water is intended for drinking or bathing.

Before purchasing a rain barrel, check to ensure that installing a rain catchment system is permissible in your municipality. Homeowners looking to install a simple rainwater catchment system using rain barrels can benefit from these tips:

1. Take roofing material into consideration

If you’re using the collected water for outdoor landscaping purposes, most roofing material will suffice. Be aware that asphalt shingles leach tox-

- Be opaque to inhibit algae growth - Not leach toxic materials - Be securely covered to prevent small children, pets and wildlife from drowning - Be screened to keep out debris - Be accessible for cleaning

3. Locate barrel with safety in mind

Never place a rain barrel near stairs or structures that would allow a child to crawl on top of the barrel. In addition, children should be discouraged from playing near rain barrels.

4. Raise rain barrels several inches

Rain barrels should be installed at or near ground level, on a level surface to prevent tipping when the barrel is full. The barrel can be set directly on the ground, but raising the rain barrel a small amount will allow more room to get a small bucket under the outlet spigot, which is located near the bottom of the barrel. Use cinder blocks, cement or a solid 4 inch (10 centimetre) block of rot-resistant wood such as cedar to raise the collection barrel a few inches off the ground. This blocking should be absolutely level, and protrude at least 1 inch (2.5 centimetres) all around the base of the barrel to ensure stability when the barrel is full. Once the blocking is in place, set the barrel in place and mark the height where the downspout will be cut to attach the elbow. Use a hacksaw to cut the downspout; it’s easier to make this cut if you leave the downspout wall straps in place. The outflow end of the

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elbow should be close to the filter screen. (Over time the barrel and its base will settle into the ground a bit.) As an added precaution against tipping, a small chain or line can be run around the barrel, near the top, and secured to an adjacent wall. (Rain barrels are stable by design, but installation should allow for the possibility of small children trying to pull themselves up the side of the barrel to see inside.)

5. Attach spigots and hose connections only “finger-tight”

When assembling the rain barrel, take care to screw in the spigots straight, to avoid crossthreading damage. Screw in only until fitting is finger-tight. Do not use a wrench or pliers because the excess force can cause thread damage, resulting in leaks.

6. Clean gutters periodically

Gutters should be cleaned and inspected twice a year, with extra attention given before a rainy spell. To ensure the cleanest delivery of water, gutters should be sloped enough to ensure continuous water flow, with no low spots which collect puddles. Debris will also collect in any low spots, then break down and add contaminants and particulate matter to the water and filter screen. Older gutters which use soldered seams are suspect because they may leach lead; gutters which have riveted seams are preferred.

Once your rain barrel is installed, remember to observe these basic precautions: Be sure to leave the overflow valve (nearest the top of the barrel) fully open at all times. A short hose can be attached to direct any overflow runoff to the existing downspout drainage pipe, or nearby shrubs or trees. Keep the inlet screen free of leaves and debris. And remember, never let people or animals drink from the rain barrel.

Greg Seaman is the founder of Eartheasy.com, a website focusing on environmentally sustainable living. Greg has over 25 years of off-grid living experience, which inspires much of Eartheasy’s content. Eartheasy.com has been recognized internationally for its contribution to environmental welfare, and chosen as content provider for The Weather Network, numerous publications and media outlets.

Reading and Talking Trash

By Shelly Lynn Nellis

T

hree to five years is a very short life expectancy, yet that is the average life of electronic devices like computers and cell phones. It doesn’t necessarily mean that they die; they simply become outdated. It’s hard not to replace them with sexier versions offering the latest features, especially when they’re so affordable. But what other household device – tool, fixture, appliance – do you not hesitate to trash in such a short time?

Wireless waste. It’s not surprising that 2.5 million tonnes of e-waste – computers, printers, scanners, mice, keyboards and cell phones – are dumped every single year. Planned obsolescence simply isn’t sustainable. You think you’ve done your part for the environment by choosing an energy-efficient computer, but what do you do with broken or obsolete electronics? They’re not your average garbage, containing toxic metals that have serious environmental consequences.

Out of sight, out of mind… getting out of hand. According to the US EPA (Environmental Protection Agency), in 2007, only 18 percent of discarded computers and 10 percent of cell phones were recycled. How many phones is that? In the US, 100 million cell phones are retired annually. What about retailers’ cell phone collection programmes? Since 1999, less than 1 percent of phones have been recovered by these programmes.

We’re no better. In her book Ecoholic, author Adria Vasil says that Canadians dump more than 272,000 tonnes of e-waste each year, and that consumer electronics contribute 40 percent of all the lead in landfills. Environment Canada’s Information Technology and Telecommunication Waste report states that in 2005, about 4,328 tonnes of phones and 67,324 tonnes of computer waste were dumped in Canada. Where does the garbage go? Often it’s shipped to China, Nigeria, India and Pakistan where thousands of

tonnes of our e-waste is now a detriment to their population and environment.

Is your PC poisoning the planet?

Computers and cell phones contain the metals lead, cadmium, chromium, cobalt, selenium, antimony, arsenic and mercury, which are listed by the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) as the most toxic substances known.

The lead (lead oxide is most alarming because it’s soluble) put into the Canadian waste stream in 2005 totaled 3,012 tonnes. It is used for computer monitor cathode ray tubes and for solder; older CRTs contain 4 pounds of lead (and as much as 7 pounds in really old ones), and newer CRTs contain 2 pounds of lead. Lead is known to cause neurological, cardiovascular and reproductive damage, and immune system and kidney problems.

Talking toxicity. Hazardous minerals pollute the air when burned in incinerators and leach into soil and water systems when buried in landfills.

Many of those found in electronics – including antimony, arsenic, beryllium, cadmium, copper, nickel and zinc – are “persistent” toxins that linger in the environment without breaking down. Lead and cadmium accumulate in the tissue of plants and animals, building up in the food chain to dangerous levels. Also toxic are brominated flame retardants widely used in plastic cases, printed wiring boards and cables in computers and cell phones to decrease fire hazards. They have been associated with cancer and disruption of the immune and endocrine systems. The rechargeable batteries powering cell phones and laptops also contain heavy metals. Lithium-ion and nickel-metal hydride batteries are replacing hazardous nickel-cadmium batteries in cell phones, but contain cobalt, zinc and copper that can be toxic to wildlife and humans.

There are several non-profit organizations across Canada that get involved in IT equipment

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reuse and recycling. Here are two: The Charitable Recycling Program is a national organization that reduces landfill waste by refurbishing and donating cell phones or recycling them to assist those in need. Refurbished phones are sent to developing countries and areas in Canada that lack landlines or where the cost of a new phone is prohibitive though it is a necessity for safety and communication.

These cell phones also offer 911 emergency communications in domestic violence situations, senior citizen facilities, and for medical patients waiting for organ transplants. Phones that cannot be refurbished are recycled. The Charitable Recycling Program accepts all cell phones regardless of age or condition, with its first mandate being to safeguard the environment.

As a member of this programme, you simply promote your cell phone collection to co-workers and friends and after collecting the phones, a donation payment (made for each cell phone collected) is processed by this organization for the charity of your choice. Pickup and delivery is free for 50 cell phones or more. You can also send your charger and accessories to help raise funds. When cell phones are refurbished, they are cleared and reprogrammed, alleviating worries about being charged for airtime or anyone having access to personal phone numbers. However, erase it yourself before sending it, too.

Charitable Recycling Program of Canada (905) 830-9607 www.charitablerecycling.ca c/o 17705 B Leslie Street, Unit 8 Newmarket, Ontario L3Y 3E3 The Electronic Recycling Association is a nonprofit organization that works with government approved recyclers to ensure all end of life computers are safely recycled, and that reusable items

placement schemes.

Certified Drive Wiping Studies have shown that the fear of sensitive data being recovered from old equipment is one of the biggest obstacles to reuse. This organization removes all data to the US Department of Defense standards as required and issues certificates of certified drive wiping.

Electronic Recycling Association www.era.ca Toll Free: 1-877-9-EWASTE

photo: lise gange

are refurbished, donated or resold. The ERA collects office equipment from major cities in Canada to refurbish or recycle it and gives your company money back — a typical organization can recover 5 percent of the initial cost of redundant IT equipment. Unwanted equipment is tested and given to charity or resold with the proceeds going to charity. The organization’s strict environmental policy ensures that everything the company processes is dealt with environmentally – no harmful components or waste is sent to a landfill. The ERA plans to become the first

emission-free, clean power, non-profit recycling organization, installing wind turbines, solar panels and hydrogen generators to power everything required. Its ongoing research and development efforts are also discovering new methods of reclaiming useful materials from e-waste.

Another person’s treasure? Let ERA donate your computer to a school, retirement home or overseas to extend your computer’s life and put it to good use in education. The ERA also trains and develops youth from sociallydisadvantaged backgrounds through its work

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Big biz efforts? Manufacturers and retailers are improving their take-back programmes. Sony of Canada Ltd. has a take-back programme for all its products: drop equipment at any non-retail collection site or bring handhelds to any Sony Style store. Office Depot offers three sizes of recycling boxes, $5, $10 and $15, that you load up with tech gadgets and drop off at any store, and free cell phone recycling. Staples takes everything, from desktops and printers to PDAs and digital cameras, to recycling partners, no matter where it was purchased, but there’s a fee of $10 per item.

Recycling e-waste impacts the economy and ecology. Precious metals (gold, silver, platinum and copper) are recovered when a computer is recycled, and 1 tonne of e-waste from computers contains more gold than 17 tonnes of gold ore. Recycling, therefore, conserves resources and creates revenue from scraps that would otherwise be discarded. A New York Times article stated that due to advancements in recycling technology, only one-half of 1 percent of the waste from electronics cannot be safely reused. The remaining 99.5 percent can be used to manufacture new products.

It is important to note that recycling is not a perfect solution and also releases toxic chemicals into air and water as a result of the recycling process. The most lasting impact will come from drawing attention to the issue at its source. Let companies know that they should introduce models that can be easily updated or modified as technology improves rather than having to throw out the entire device.

Shelly Lynn Nellis has been actively involved in the health industry for over 15 years, and is one of the co-founders and partners of VISTA Magazine. For more information go to www.askshelly.com

Green Baby: Eco-friendly Wipes

By Michael Bloch

I

often wonder how our parents got by in the days when there was no such thing as disposable diapers, let alone baby wipes. Wipes are very handy to have around, but I never gave much thought to the environment when I was using them. Heck, I didn’t even know what they were made of. I assumed it was some type of wood fibre.

The baby wipe

Diaper wipe packaging is plastic, and so are the wipes themselves. The material used in baby wipes can be made from silk, cotton, polyester, wool, rayon, polyester, polyethylene, and polypropylene or a combination, but price conscious consumers are likely getting a product that’s predominantly plastic – which is derived from crude oil. So, the first green tip is to never flush these down the toilet because they are not biodegradable or compostable and, for obvious reasons, they aren’t recyclable. Unfortunately, they need to go to landfills where they will spend many years before they break down.

The cleanser

Wipes can incorporate quite a chemical cocktail, including sodium diamphoacetate, coco phosphatidyl PG-dimonium chloride, propylene glycol, hydroxymethyl cellulose, and methyl and propyl paraben. There are not only implications for harm to human health with some of these chemicals, but as waste products, they can be toxic to aquatic and land ecosystems.

The packaging

Baby wipe packaging is predominantly plastic.

As outlined in my article “Recycling by the numbers”, not all plastics are created equal. Some can be recycled, others not. It’s important to check the tub for a little triangle with a number in it, which indicates the plastic resin code. If that number is 1 or 2, then it is easily recycled. If you’re not able to find packaging that can be recycled, try buying a brand that utilizes a container you can

reuse for another purpose. I came across some baby wipes the other day that had an interesting twist on packaging; it was chalk based, made from a mix of calcium carbonate (chalk) and plastic. However, I didn’t check to see if the packaging was recyclable given the chalk content.

Green baby wipe alternatives

For some people, totally avoiding plastic-based baby wipes may not be possible, particularly when traveling or out and about doing errands.

But when at home you can reduce consumption and save money to boot! You can use something as simple as a cloth diaper soaked in warm water, and then just throw it in with your diaper loads.

Some parents have come up with their own “rec-

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ipes” for making portable baby wipes.

There are some commercially available environmentally-friendly baby wipes that use cornbased fibre and are free of chemical additives — and they aren’t all that much more expensive. If you conduct a search for “green baby wipes” or “environmentally friendly baby wipes” on your favourite search engine, you’ll likely find these.

Also request that your supermarket stock them.

You’ll be helping out the companies that produce them, and the environment!

Michael Bloch publishes Green Living Tips, an online resource powered by renewable energy offering a wide variety of Earth friendly tips, green guides, advice, and environment related news to help consumers and businesses reduce costs, consumption and environmental impact. www.greenlivingtips.com

It’s Time to Take

Science Seriously L

ooking at the enormous changes the world has experienced over the past century, it’s clear that the most powerful force shaping our lives and society was not politics or economics but science when applied by business, the pharmaceutical and medical industries, and the military. Think of the impact of antibiotics, chainsaws, nuclear weapons, computers, oral contraceptives, cars, television — the list is long.

And what lies ahead? Human cloning, genetic engineering, artificial intelligence, nanotechnology, and space weapons, to say nothing of environmental issues such as climate change, deforestation and toxic pollution. How can any society make important decisions about these issues without being scientifically literate and informed?

Too often, the role of science in solving our social, medical and economic problems is poorly understood because the nature of scientific research, discovery, and application is not understood. The Globe and Mail recently reported that the federal government has radically reduced its support for science. Why should Canadians support scientific research?

First, good scientists make important discoveries, and to maintain a top group of scientists, we need a culture that supports and honours its researchers. That can’t happen when science funding becomes a political hockey puck slapped around by whichever party comes into power. We need generous long-term support for our top scientists so that they can create clusters of enthusiastic, inspired researchers.

Canadian scientists are a small fraction of all scientists, but they occupy front-row seats to the world’s best research because, if they’re good, they get invited to small meetings of experts, they are consulted about new insights, and they receive scientific papers before they are published. They become our eyes and ears to the discoveries being made worldwide.

Many people believe that we must identify important areas like cancer, energy or pollution and then direct the money to those areas so that we can look for solutions or new technologies.

By Dr. David Suzuki

That is not how science works. Scientists need money to do their work, and when funding is directed at specific areas, scientists will find ways to make their work relevant to those areas. It’s a game that’s played to get grant money. I did it when I was an active researcher. I was interested in genetic control of cell division. When cancerresearch money became available, I used the rationale that understanding the process of cell division would give us insights into the process by which cells begin to divide out of control as they become cancerous.

Scientists don’t go from experiment A to B to C to D to find a cure for cancer. That’s just how we write up our results for grant proposals.

Many scientists who have made important discoveries would have never qualified for research grants if the grants were specifically targeted. Let me give you two examples from my area of training, genetics.

In the 1960s, microbial scientists puzzled over an arcane area to do with bacteria and viral infection. They found that certain viruses could infect and kill bacterial hosts while other bac-

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teria seemed immune. How could the bacteria fend off viral infection? You might wonder who cares whether bacteria get sick. But out of this very esoteric work came the answer: Bacteria had enzymes that recognized specific stretches of viral DNA and cut them up. These “restriction enzymes” turned out to be vital tools for genetic engineering, something that could not have been predicted when this Nobel Prize-winning work was started.

I remember as a student in the 1950s slaving over research papers by a woman studying corn. Barbara McClintock was a meticulous scientist and we agonized over her experiments because they were so complex and elegant. She was studying genes in corn that had a peculiar property of changing locations on chromosomes. We never imagined that her work would lead to the discovery of “jumping genes” that are now a vital part of the toolbox geneticists use to modify gene behaviour. Dr. McClintock won a Nobel Prize for work that would never have qualified for grants had there been restrictions for applications.

I would urge politicians and scientists to resist rigidly restricting funding to specific research areas. Instead, they should support scientists who can be judged by their track records, by their papers and talks, in the knowledge that those scientists will have ideas, make observations, and hear about work that will be useful in some area that can’t be predicted. And we must have a culture in which science is as important a part of our education as reading, writing, math and music. Take David Suzuki’s Nature Challenge: www.davidsuzuki.org/NatureChallenge/ David Suzuki is the Chair of the David Suzuki Foundation, and is an award-winning scientist and broadcaster. He is host of the television series, The Nature of Things. He founded CBC radio’s Quirks and Quarks and presented documentary series, From Naked Ape to Superspecies and It’s a Matter of Survival. Dr. Suzuki has received a UNESCO prize for science, a United Nations Environment Program medal and the Order of Canada.

Editor Selects Genacol This high quality product is a topical gel with added Genacol® microbeads designed to relieve local muscular, rheumatic and arthritic pains. These microbeads are essential and in large part responsible for the excellent results of the product. Here is why: due to the bio activity of collagen, the laboratory concentrated on developing a new technology able to adequately isolate the Genacol® in order to maximize its bioactivity only when applied.

EcoShield for iPhone 3G EcoShield is made of a scratch resistant hard-plastic derived from recycled plastic bottles, and even the packaging is made from recycled materials. Agent 18’s EcoShield iPhone 3G case is one of the thinnest on the market yet it offers rugged protection that is second to none. The case’s high gloss finish matches that of the iPhone 3G and the interior pads protect the iPhone from being scratched.

Naka’s Nutri Prevent features Resveratrol An ounce of prevention is better than a pound of cure! Nutri Prevent is an effective vitamin formulation featuring the benefits of resveratrol (100 mg), co-Q10 (100 mg), alpha lipoic acid (200 mg), quercetin (150 mg) and B vitamins. It is an extra strength antioxidant and cardiovascular health support aid. Clinical studies suggest that increasing the antioxidant status of our blood serum may result in a reduced risk of many chronic degenerative diseases. Add Nutri Prevent to your daily supplement routine today and help to live healthy with Naka! Naka Herbs & Vitamins Ltd. (416) 748-3073 www.nakaherbs.com.

HFI-15G The HFI-15G are open-back, supra-aural headphones that deliver superior sonic clarity. Thanks to Ultrasone’s S-Logic™ technology, the new HFI-15G allows the user to experience a natural surround sound sensation without the use of digital processing. Additionally, S-Logic™ technology reduces sound pressure on the ear drum by up to 40%, resulting in a safer listening experience for the user. All of this is made possible by utilizing a decentralized driver position. Simply put, S-Logic™ directs sound to the listener’s outer ear as opposed to directing sound into the inner ear. The HFI-15G has a MSRP of $109.

Natural and Effective…Recovery®SA with Nutricol® Just like other members of your household, your pet may suffer from painful conditions due to injury. You can help to improve your pet’s quality of life by using Recovery®SA! It reinforces membrane and matrix of cell structure, halts damage that initiates inflammatory and spasmodic reactions and decreases trauma by increasing the cell’s resistance to damage and improving its ability to repair.

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www.vistamagonline.com

Indium: A Personal Story

By Leslie Perepeluk

Y

ou may never have heard of the mineral called indium, but that doesn’t mean that it’s not important to our health. Indium, the 7th rarest mineral on Earth, increases the body’s ability to absorb minerals and balances our hormones. It affects the hormonal activity of the pituitary, hypothalamus and pineal glands, and 40 endocrine systems which govern the hormones. Only tiny traces of this mineral are found in the food chain, but even one drop per 50 pounds of body weight can manifest a positive change in your health.

I consider myself living proof. In October 2007, I joyfully relocated to be with my son and grandchild. However, six months later, my son, who had moved for a job opportunity with his wife and baby boy, was killed by a tanker driver who ran a yield sign. Apart from suffering the excruciating loss, my stress level skyrocketed, triggering a nightmarish menopause. Consequently, I wasn’t sleeping, depression set in, and I felt myself spiraling

downward. I tried herbs, homeopathic remedies, and supplements to no avail.

Searching the internet, I found a testimonial by a woman who had been overwhelmed by menopausal symptoms until she started taking indium. I began to take it daily – three little drops in the morning – and within two weeks, not only did the hot flashes disappear, it was as though I’d been given a new lease on life. I was able to cope, focus and concentrate.

Within a few months, my menses returned to normal and my PMS symptoms abated. I had long since finished my bottle of indium, and never gave it a thought until my hot flashes returned last November. Within two weeks of resuming the indium, I was back on track.

I’m a great advocate of consuming “live” organic foods and drinking lots of purified water with a squeeze of lemon for alkalization. I don’t take vitamins or supplements on a regular basis, but I’d be hard pressed to give up indium, and must give it credit for the positive changes to my health. I’ve noticed that it has reduced my cravings for foods and beverages that are not of a healthy variety, which alleviates blood sugar fluctuations and contributes to maintaining a balanced weight.

In my experience, there have been no negative side effects in using indium, and it has provided me with a sense of well being. I feel that it strengthens the immune system because after being exposed to a host of nasty cold and flu bugs this winter, I escaped without even a sniffle. My sleep pattern has shown a definite improvement after months of waking incessantly.

Many of the ills that people suffer from are directly related to hormonal imbalance. My belief is that offending culprits including stress, meat and dairy products laced with hormones, and pseudo-hormones from soy products are largely responsible for detrimental effects on the glandular system. We are bombarded daily with numerous invisible attacks on our health, and for some of us, self-inflicted, less than healthful choices, so using a natural supplement that offers many benefits can mean the difference between just living and being joyfully, enthusiastically alive.

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www.vistamagonline.com

Paperback Heroes

Books that inspire healthy living

By Michelle Kwon The Beauty Diet: Looking Great Has Never Been So Delicious, by Lisa Drayer, RD, published by McGraw Hill

Ryerson, $26.95 Any woman interested in health knows that beauty is more about what you put into your body than onto it. Author Lisa Drayer, who calls herself a beauty nutritionist, prescribes a triple berry smoothie for a brighter smile, spinach and crab soup for sparkling eyes and a chocolate dipped banana for glowing skin. Since most beauty treatments are more about marketing than a makeover, Drayer sticks to the basics. Her list of top 10 beauty foods includes: wild salmon, low fat yogurt, oysters, blueberries, kiwi fruit, sweet potatoes, spinach, tomatoes, walnuts and dark chocolate.

For beautiful skin, she recommends drinking water, not alcohol, getting lots of sleep, and relaxing since stress causes worry and frown lines.

Her beauty Rx for acne includes avoiding refined carbs that cause inflammation, eating lots of fibre and foods containing zinc, beta carotene and omega-3, and deciphering which foods you have sensitivities to that cause flare-ups. For thicker, shinier hair, get plenty of iron for strong hair shafts, consume B vitamins which prevent brittle, weak hair, and eat zinc-, omega-3 and vitamin E-containing foods for a healthy scalp.

The book also includes a beauty diet with gourmet recipes like French Toast Stuffed with Ricotta, Kiwi and Peach, Artichoke Bruschetta Salad, Baked Crab Cake Pita Sandwiches with Yogurt Sauce, Chicken Tortilla Soup with Spinach, and Broiled Oysters Florentine with Mixed Greens.

The Journey: A Practical Guide to Healing Your Life and Setting Yourself Free, by Brandon Bays, published

by Atria Paperback, $16.00 Deepak Chopra says, “Brandon Bays takes her reader on a journey of astounding inspiration” in his review quote, and that she does. Diagnosed with a basketball sized tumour, the book discloses how she refused drugs and surgery and instead discovered her own route to healing – through her soul. Six and a half weeks later she was tumour-free, and found her own path to teach others her secrets to awakening their potential. The Journey’s simple “tools” have helped thousands of people tap into “their inner genius”, uncover repressed emotions, and resolve physical and emotional blocks and “cell memories” that lead to illness. Cell memories, which get stored inside each cell to tell them how to replicate, have been scientifically proven and discussed at length by Chopra — liver cells replicate every six weeks, for example, meaning that you have a new liver in that amount of time, but if your liver is already diseased, the reason it isn’t completely clear and healthy every six weeks is due to its cells’ memories. These memories are said to be trapped and, once released and reprogrammed, can allow the cells to reproduce in a healthy way.

Through step by step written and verbal exercises, author Bays helps you to get at the root cause of your issues, which is usually a memory from childhood, and then get completion from it. The book discloses her very personal and what, for most of us, would be considered very difficult journey and then helps you to experience a similar transformation to her own. Bays was extremely health conscious when she was diagnosed with the tumour, and since she was a motivational speaker with Anthony Robbins, had done a lot of personal growth work. But she discovered a trauma in her tumour that was holding her back from living a full life. This little

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book, and the workshops that Bays teaches internationally, are now used by medical doctors in South Africa and Australia, police trauma units in Soweto, and priests in Europe and the UK to help heal their community. It’s an incredibly inspiring read…

Food Allergy Survival Guide, by Vesanto Melina, Jo Stepaniak and Dina Aronson, published by Healthy Living Publications, $25.95 In this book, dieticians explain that it is possible to live without dairy, eggs, nightshade vegetables, gluten, shellfish, soy, corn, nuts, wheat, and yeast and still thoroughly enjoy every meal. This doesn’t require deprivation, but substitution. It discusses how to pinpoint foods you’re currently eating that are causing symptoms – everything from bloating, migraines and candida to ADHD, arthritis and celiac disease. This can be tricky, since the book says that 100 percent of us have some sort of food intolerance, perhaps caused by eating something indigestible as an infant, an inherited trait, overgrowth of bacteria in the gut, or a flu shot. When hunting for foods that don’t contain your chaos-causing culprit, know how to read food labels. Innocent-sounding labels contain foods given different terms; dairy might be listed as casein, lactoglobulin, lactose or high protein flour, egg may be called coagulant, ovalbumin, lecithin or emulsifier, corn may be listed as starch, dextrose, malt or invert sugar, and wheat is listed as hydrolyzed vegetable protein, semolina, graham and triticale.

It discusses where to find and how to use substitutes such as arrowroot starch, chickpea flour, coconut oil, quinoa, potato starch, teff and sorghum. Over 100 recipes offer decadent cakes, pie crusts and pizza dough; internationally inspired dips, dressings, sauces and spreads; and flavourful vegetarian main dishes such as chili, stew and quiche that won’t cause reactions.

VISTA Magazine Issue 64

The Quality of Your Pet’s Life

By Franco Cavaleri

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Aging is not a function of time. It is simply a function of biological wear and tear. Uncontrolled inflammation accelerates that wear and tear by preventing the natural restorative processes from doing their wonderful work in your pet. The result is that your pet ages before his or her time. Our pets’ cells are equipped with maintenance systems which can become sluggish with age, just like our own can.

Oxidation and inflammation both interfere with natural regeneration and maintenance if they are out of balance.

Giving your pet high quality food and supplementing with a balanced and biologically active fatty acid product will help improve their health. At the same time, supplement with the vitamins and minerals which are essential cofactors (helpers) that the cells need to process and guide these fatty acids. Phytonutrients and antioxidants further improve the cell’s ability to use these fatty acids in your pet’s body.

These different categories of nutrition can improve state of health when supplemented individually, but they really deliver a formidable impact when they are supplemented together.

Take control of your pet’s quality of life and ensure that they get proper nutrition. This science is thoroughly discussed in my new book Potential Within: Your Dog’s Health (ISBN: 9780-9731701-1-5).

Franco Cavaleri, BSc, nutritional biochemist, is a graduate of UBC. His scientific research and development have led to several awards in the Canadian health industry. He has a bestselling book, Potential Within: A Guide to Nutritional Empowerment; and his new book is Potential Within: Your Dog’s Health. Franco has won several bodybuilding titles including the pro-qualifier, IFBB North American Bodybuilding Championships.

TURN YOUR PETS' DREAM Name: Ch ar lie Age: 11 ye ars Loves:

to ru n an d play!

(of increased mobility & reduced joint pain)

Trademarks of BiologicVET, © 2008 Biologic Nutritional Research Inc.

ou want your pet to have the best quality of life possible. The money and time that are saved by feeding them convenient, less expensive food are sure to be spent several times over on veterinary bills and medical care.

As your pet ages, the antioxidant production in their cells declines, making it more difficult for them to tolerate adversity, and this includes their ability to tolerate poor nutrition and illness. The obvious solution to prevent their suffering is to choose the best quality nourishment possible from puppyhood. This means food that has not been processed or that at least preserves the most nutrient activity. Even this is not enough health insurance for your senior pet, however.

Based on what research has discovered, the age-related ailments in your senior are not likely age-related. All diseases are characterised by an underlying inflammation. This inflammation can be advanced and even prevented by dietary factors, primarily fatty acids and antioxidants.

Processed, oxidized foods contribute to this underlying inflammation to reduce your pet’s ability to tolerate disease. It also advances your pet’s biological age.

Processed food contributes to that underlying inflammation in two ways. One way is the results caused by damaged omega fatty acids in foods which are easily oxidized by processing. In their whole forms, these delicate molecules can help manage inflammation. In their damaged state, they contribute to uncontrolled oxidation (a negative reaction caused by oxygen) and inflammation. The other way processed foods contribute to inflammation is through the deficiency of active antioxidants which are destroyed during the processing. Biologically active antioxidants from whole fresh food would otherwise help to reduce oxidation and inflammation. These natural protectors and cell preservers are unavailable to cells if your pet eats processed food. The uncontrolled inflammation that ripples out to the periphery of the animal’s body because of this damaged food chemistry erodes tissues through its wave-like action. By increasing antioxidants and fatty acids in the cells, the inflammation is better controlled, and premature aging is prevented.

This is accomplished rather effortlessly through changes in diet, improved fatty acid intake and with vitamin, mineral and antioxidant supplements. Improvements in energy, recovery from daily physical exercise, skin condition, coat lustre and thickness, general strength and endurance, vigour and happiness occur quickly when these are added to the diet. These visible improvements are indications of much deeper metabolic improvement.

INTO REALITY

Visit testimonials at www.biologicVET.net to see how BioJOINT helped 11-year-old Charlie retain his youthful, pain-free spirit.

BioJOINT is a natural anti-inflammatory and joint regeneration complex, supplying a precise blend of glucosamine, MSM, lubricating fatty acids, potent anti-inflammatory herbs, plus easily assimilated chondroitin that activates the cells responsible for cartilage restoration.

� Relieves joint stiffness, swelling or tenderness and prevents premature cartilage wear.

� For immediate relief & long term healing.

Simply add naturally tasty BioJOINT to your pets’ food. When combined with BioFATS this dual nutritional product approach can provide immediate relief.

100%

Satisfaction Guaranteed.

1.888.379.3135 . NUTRITION FOR DOGS & CATS . www.biologicVET.net Advertisement: BiologicVET - “Turn your pets’ dream into reality: Joint”

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www.vistamagonline.com

Anti-Aging and Alkaline Balance

By Marva Ward

T

here has been a great deal of conversation around the water cooler about a new group of “super” foods that have an unheralded ability to slow down the aging process. Certainly a diet containing a variety of these antioxidant-rich foods can help to delay the aging process and combat disease. However, there may be a more effective way to take charge of your health and the aging process on a cellular level, and that is by controlling the acid-alkaline state of your body.

The health of a body is determined by the health of every one of its 75 million cells and how they function collectively. Cells communicate like a huge telecommunication system, sending electronic signals back and forth and in tandem from one cell to another, one organ to another, and one organ system to another. If this process becomes stifled or inhibited due to a poorly functioning regulatory system, then the cells become compromised.

What maintains communication between cells? It is the acid-alkaline system known as pH balance. In order to maintain a healthy body that is less susceptible to disease and aging, it is important to identify ways in which we are able to support optimum cellular pH levels. Food represents the best means to alter the acid-alkaline balance of the body.

The foods that we eat are digested and broken down into either an acid or an alkaline end-product called ash. When food is referred to as either alkaline-forming or acid-forming, the reference is to the pH level of ash that the particular food leaves behind in the body. The pH scale measures from the most acidic level of “0” to the most alkaline level of “14.”

For optimal health, we need to consume both types of foods; although eating predominantly alkaline-forming foods is best. Experts recommend that the ideal range for maintaining the correct acid-base balance is a diet consisting of 60 percent alkaline-forming to 40 percent acid-forming foods. The North American diet is often reversed and is sometimes as high as 80 percent acid-forming. This is where we begin to lose the battle with the aging process, and the state of optimal health begins to falter.

The optimal pH level of the blood, spinal fluid and intercellular fluid should be within a very limited pH range of 7.35 to 7.55. When internal fluids cannot maintain this level, usually due to the over consumption of acidic foods, the body will do everything possible to bring the system back to a more alkaline state. Generally, this means that it will start to rob the bones and organs of alkalizing minerals and electrolytes such as calcium, magnesium, sodium and potassium. Understandably, this leads to the breakdown of our health and may result in a condition called acidosis. It has been suggested by naturopathic medicine and modern medicine that acidosis is linked to many health issues including heart disease, osteoporosis and auto-immune disorders.

If we examine where foods lie on the pH scale, we discover that most uncooked fruits and vegetables, nuts and sprouted or cooked whole grains tend to keep our bodies in a more alkaline state. Animal products such as meat, cheese and eggs and processed foods, sugar and white flour products tend to contribute to an overly acidic environment in the body.

The solution seems quite simple. Reduce consumption of animal-source

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photo: lise gange

proteins; processed, packaged and chemical-laden snacks; and nutrientdeprived, convenience foods, and increase portions of live, nutrient-rich, raw fruits and vegetables; vegetarian protein (legumes like beans, lentils and chickpeas); and a variety of whole grains, raw nuts and seeds.

As we make a conscious effort to source protein from a more plantbased diet, there are many options available to us, from combining different grains, nuts and beans to adding a serving of vegetarian protein powder to our daily regimen. Vegan protein products are relatively new to the market and are quickly gaining popularity due to their health benefits and quick and easy use. They can be excellent sources of complete protein with the right combination of nutrients supplying all essential amino acids (the building blocks of protein that the body needs). Generally, they include pea, brown rice, hemp and flax powders along with nutrient-rich ingredients like chlorella, spirulina and maca. Vegan protein powders are also an excellent source of fibre and many other nutrients.

When you go into the office tomorrow, your conversation of choice around the water cooler may still be the latest news on the fountain of youth, but now it may also include the acid and alkaline component – and rightfully so!

Marva Ward, CNP, is a certified nutritionist.

VISTA Magazine Issue 64

I Love Vege DHA!

Vege DHAâ&#x201E;˘ is Fish Friendly.

Up until recently, concentrated DHA supplements were all made from fish. Alternatively, North Coast Naturals has developed Vege DHA using a vegetarian DHA made from algae. Cultivated in an FDA inspected facility, this algae goes through a series of sustainable, all-organic processes to create an oil that delivers the same amount of DHA as fish oil. In addition,Vege DHA is available inVeggie-Gelâ&#x201E;˘ vegetarian softgels made from the carrageenan in red seaweed, making it a completely animal-free DHA supplement.

With added EFAs from organic oils in a research supported ratio of 2.75: 1: 1 Omega 3 to Omega 6 to Omega 9,Vege DHA has no disagreeable odor, no fishy after taste and is 100% vegetarian.

Vege DHA is another sensible nutrition solution brought to you by North Coast Naturals.

Look for the North Coast Naturals line of products in fine Canadian health food stores. www.NorthCoastNaturals.com

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NOW introduces a NEW whole food meal supplement that redefines what it means to eat a balanced diet Whether your customers are vegan or not, there is a growing demand for convenience foods that are based on whole grains, fruits and vegetables, which support balanced nutrition. Busy, stressful lifestyles have contributed to modern acidifying diets that are unbalanced in pH, nitrogen, vitamins and minerals. The Tru-Food Vegan

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Meal Supplement helps maintain optimal pH and nitrogen balance to combat acidosis and promote optimal metabolic function and peak performance.

¹4HE OVER ACIDIFICATION OF THE BODY IS THE SINGLE UNDERLYING CAUSE OF ALL DISEASE ² Dr. Robert O.Young, author of the pH Miracle

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