Healthy Directions April/May 09

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LIP BALM RECIPES

LEMON CLEANSE

Tips to Improve

Digestion Find Sweet Success

Managing Diabetes Make it a Green

Mother’s Day

RAW FOODS & RECIPES

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HEALTHY DIRECTIONS APRIL/MAY 2009

In This Issue: DIGESTION SUGGESTIONS

Ways to Improve Digestion and Colon Health 10

TOP TIPS TO IMPROVE DIGESTION

Mindful Eating, Fibre and Probiotics 13

COLON HEALTH FOR FEELING GREAT

Tips to Improve Colon Health 16

46

LEMONS AND ALOE VERA

Cleanse and Alkalize Naturally 20

DIGESTIVE ENZYMES

Aids for Lactose Intolerance and Cystic Fibrosis 28

CROHN’S DISEASE

Seeking Natural Options?

44

EATING TO IMPROVE DIGESTION

Tips From The Table 55

COLON CANCER CHECK

Screening Saves Lives

NATURAL BEAUT Y Look and Feel Your Best 30

DETOXIFYING THE SKIN

Foods for Beautiful Skin

FIT FOR LIFE

Fitness Routines and Inspiration for All Ages

58

42

ABSOLUTELY GREAT ABS

Exercises for the Abdominals

MAKE IT NATURAL

Make Your Own Natural Products 46

LIP LOVERS

Make Your Own Lip Balm 56

M A K E I T A G R E E N M O T H E R ’ S D AY

Eco-Friendly Gift Ideas for Mom 8 9 61 65 67

EDITOR’S NOTE OUR CONTRIBUTORS HEALTHY OPTIONS SHOPPING GUIDE COURSES AND EVENTS GUIDE CLASSIFIEDS

ECO LIVING

Healthier Living in Environmental Harmony 58

GROW YOUR OWN FOOD

The No-Till, Easy Method to Start Gardening 66

EARTH TALK

Global Warming Solutions, Ocean Fertilization 68

G R E E N E A R T H ECO EVENTS

Join the Green Movement

F O O D PA S S I O N S

Igniting the Senses with Foods and Recipes 32

33

RAW FOOD RECIPES

Mock Tuna Salad Onion Bread 33

LIGHT & FRESH RECIPES

Cool Cucumber Soup Tarragon-Citrus White Fish Very Berry Tofu Smoothie Mediterranean Layered Dip 36

GO RAW!

Learn to Grow Your Own Sprouts

H E A LT H Y S T A R T S

Join the Journey to Better Health 22

FINDING SWEET SUCCESS

A Naturopathic Approach to Managing Diabetes 25

EATING TO LOSE WEIGHT

Weight Loss Strategies for Diabetes 39

HEART DISEASE

Identifying a Missing Link 52

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SICK AGAIN?

Try Infection Busters!

53

MUSSEL POWER

Extracts for Arthritis 62

HEALING IRRITABLE BOWEL SYNDROME

A Homeopathic Approach

T H E PA T H T O H A P P I N E S S Finding Joy and Inner Peace 27

TIPS FOR RELATIONSHIPS

Partners Under Financial Pressure 49

WHAT’S MY DOSHA?

Understanding An Ayurvedic Approach to Health 50

THE GENTLE ART OF AYURVEDIC CLEANSING

The Purif ication Technique of Basti 70

THE ART OF HEALING

Are You Taking the Time Necessary to Heal?

57

Editor ’s Note “W

armer days are here at last! As the ground starts to soften, it’s time to start thinking about which seeds need to be planted first and where the cherry tomatoes should go.

Three cheers for back-yard, organic, food gardening! It is economical, ecological, and educational.

A small package of seeds costs little to transport and no plastic packaging is required once the beans and lettuce are picked. From apples to zebra-coloured tomatoes, there’s a wealth of learning that takes place. Some of us learn by trial and error.

Others, observe resource books and take friendly tips.

Gardening is a great way to reduce stress, express your creativity and connect to the natural world. A garden is also a wonderful family project to share from beginning to end, with the planting of seeds to the popping open of peas.

Physically, it is also a great means of getting exercise offering strength, cardio and flexibility training for all ages. For those over 60, it also helps maintain hand strength and flexibility.

No where to grow? Many cities in Ontario have community gardens. Link up with a local community group in your neighbourhood to find out how to get involved. If there isn’t a community garden near you, find out how to start one.

Spring is a great time to try something new. Start your own container garden.

Try a new recipe. Grow your own sprouts, make your own lip balm or try some easy no-till gardening techniques. In this issue, we have many how-to articles to get you started.

Spring is also a traditional time of year for cleansing and detoxifying. That’s why this issue we have a focus on how to improve digestion. We also offer a cleansing lemon and aloe vera recipe, information about Ayurveda cleansing traditions and an article that incudes foods for detoxifying the skin.

I’ve put on the floral gardening gloves, and picked up a trowel. It’s time to get growing!

Yours in health and happiness,

April/May 2009 Vol. 10 No. 3 Circ: 100,000 At Healthy Directions we offer researched information that contributes to living a healthy life in mind, body and spirit, as well as, a more Earth-friendly existence.

Editor Charleen Wyman char@healthydirections.ca Contributing Writers Doug Cook RD, MHSc, CDE, Chris Pickrell ND, RoseMarie Pierce B.Sc.Pharm, Claude Gallant PhD Microbiology, Michele Sevier ND, DAc, Hope Warshaw and Joy Pape, Ariel and Shya Kane, Heather Caruso B.Sc., DHMS, HD, Allison Tannis BSc, MSc, RHN, Michelle Honda PhD, Thomas Nissen, Brad Schoenfeld, Joel Thuna, Kristin Fraser Cotte, Deepak Chopra MD, Matthew Remski, Tom Stokes PhD Biochemistry, BSc, JE Croft, Verna Mai, Lynn Colwell and Corey Colwell-Lipson, Russell Scott, Raisa Weisspapir HD, and Dini Petty Editorial: Written contributions and photos are welcome. However, all content is subject to editorial review.

Advertising Sales: Jon Cousins 1-877-276-1849 healthydirections@rogers.com Check out our website: www.HealthyDirections.ca

Charleen Wyman BA Journalism, BA English Editor, Healthy Directions char@healthydirections.ca

Become a fan or start a live discussion: Look us up at Healthy Directions Magazine on www.facebook.com.

Healthy Directions is an independent journal produced by Cousins Publishing, six times a year.

All content is copyrighted by Cousins Publishing. ISSN 1488-6308

IMPORTANT : Always seek the opinion of your medical doctor before starting any complementary health program. Any information contained herein is intended towards that purpose; thus Healthy Directions and its contributing writers will not be held liable should this advice not be followed.

8 Healthy Directions April/May 2009

OUR CONTRIBUTORS Doug Cook RD, MHSc, CDE is a Registered Dietitian and Certified Diabetes Educator who currently works at St. Michael’s Hospital in Toronto, and as a nutrition consultant. He practices a holistic and integrative approach providing sciencebased guidance on food and diet. He recently co-authored Nutrition for Canadians for Dummies (Wiley, 2008). Visit his website: www.wellnessnutrition.ca.

Dini Petty is a legendary, Canadian television and radio host.

At 22, wearing a trademark pink jumpsuit and working for Toronto radio station CKEY, she became the first female traffic reporter to pilot her own helicopter. At City TV's daily talk show CityLine, Petty established herself as one of Canada's foremost television talk show hosts.

Deepak Chopra MD, is is a best-selling author and cofounder of the Chopra Center for Wellbeing in Carlsbad, California. Deepak teaches the key practices of Ayurveda, yoga, and meditation. Call 888-736-6895 or visit chopra.com/renewal.

Allison Tannis MSc, RHN is a nutritional scientist and author of the best-seller Probiotic Rescue (Wiley, 2008). and Feed Your Skin, Starve Your Wrinkles (Fairwinds, 2009). Tannis is also a registered holistic nutritionist practicing in southern Ontario. Visit allisontannis.com.

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Top Tips to Improve

DIGESTION

By Doug Cook RD, MHSc., CDE Digestion is the process by which the body breaks down food in order to obtain nutrients needed for health. There are two aspects of digestion: the mechanical breakdown via chewing and the action of stomach contractions and the chemical by means of enzymes that are excreted in the mouth and by the pancreas, as well as, stomach acid.

The ultimate goal is to ensure that nutrients are made available for absorption.

DIGESTION 101 Digestion begins in the mouth with the mastication of food by our teeth, at the same time; an enzyme called amylase, that digests carbohydrate, is excreted by the salivary glands. Saliva helps to moisten and compact food so that your tongue can push it to the back of your mouth and you can swallow, sending the food down the slide of your gullet (esophagus) into your stomach. Food then enters the stomach where it encounters a potent blend of enzymes, hydrochloric acid, and mucus. One stomach enzyme – gastric alcohol dehydrogenase – digests small amounts of alcohol, an unusual nutrient that can be absorbed directly into your bloodstream 10 Healthy Directions April/May 2009

even before it’s been digested. The primary purpose of the stomach is to breakdown proteins and fats into their basic components: amino acids and fatty acids – the digestion of carbohydrate basically comes to a stop since the stomach acid neutralizes the enzyme amylase that was excreted with saliva.

Next stop, small intestines. A lot goes on in the 6m or 20 feet worth of tubing that makes up this important part of the journey. The gallbladder secretes bile which helps to digest fat. The pancreas releases all the enzymes needed for the digestion of fat, protein and carbohydrate in the partially digested food that leaves the stomach.

There are also enzymes found on the surface of the intestines, along the length of it, to further help digest these nutrients. The small intestine is divided into three sections. Absorption of nutrients occurs at different areas along the digestive tract.

Vitamin A, B1, the minerals iron, and calcium, simple sugars (the end products of carbohydrate digestion), amino acids (the end products of protein metabolism), and fatty acids (the end products of fat digestion) are absorbed in the first section of the small intestine the duodenum.

More of the simple sugars, amino acids and fatty acids, the water-soluble vitamins (vitamin C and the B vitamins, other than vitamin B12), the fat soluble vitamins D, E and K, the minerals copper, zinc, potassium, iodine, calcium, magnesium and phosphorus are absorbed in the jejunum. The jejunum is the middle section of the small intestine.

Vitamin B12, and the minerals chloride, sodium and potassium are absorbed at the ileum, which is the final section of the small intestine.

1

MINDFUL EATING

Slow down and chew slowly. Too often people eat in a rush, take large bites and swallow poorly, with mouthfuls along with air. The result: belching and a general uncomfortable feeling. Chewing is an important way to help make food more digestible by breaking it down into smaller pieces allowing both the salivary enzymes and stomach acids to do their job.

Eating is supposed to be enjoyable – relax!

2

SMALL FREQUENT MEALS ARE BEST

The hallmark of nutrition therapy is small frequent meals. Smaller amounts of food are better tolerated, you’re more likely to thoroughly chew your food when you have less to eat at one sitting, and a smaller volume of food in the stomach is better tolerated.

3

FLUIDS HELPFUL IN MODERATION

4

FIBRE IS DIGESTION FRIENDLY

Drinking fluids has not been proven to ‘dilute’ stomach acid or enzymes but limiting fluids at meal time will help to prevent feeling bloated or full. Drinking some water or other beverages with a meal can help to moisten food and make it easier to swallow.

Including a source of fibre at every meal will ensure you meet your daily fibre requirement (at least 25g for women and 35g for men). Fibre helps to prevent and relieve constipation by helping to move food through the digestive tract. Fibre also acts as a food supply (prebiotic) for the bacteria that lives in intestines which are need to help digest food and keep the bowels healthy. Be sure to include whole grain breads, cereals, rice and pasta, fruits and vegetables, pulses (chickpeas, lentils, beans and peas), as well as, nuts and seeds. Try ground flax and chia.

5

GINGER IS A ZINGER

Ginger has a long standing history for aiding all aspects of digestion including: indigestion, gas and bloating, nausea, diarrhea, and irritable bowel syndrome. It turns out there is some truth to this home remedy. A study in the European Journal of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, found that ginger stimulates digestion by speeding up the movement of food from the stomach into the upper small intestine. This is probably how ginger exerts it’s most wellknown benefit: reducing nausea. Try having one to two cups of home-made ginger tea a day or including dried or fresh ginger in your meals.

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Including a good source of probiotics, a brand that has supporting research, can help to ensure healthy digestion by keeping the number of good bacteria up, which in turn helps with the digestion of food and keeps the bad bacteria in check.

Doug Cook RD, MHSc, CDE is a Registered Dietitian/Nutritionist and Certified Diabetes Educator who currently works at St. Michael’s Hospital in Toronto, and as a nutrition consultant. He practices a holistic and integrative approach providing science-based guidance on food and diet along with nutritional supplements and natural health products where appropriate. He recently co-authored Nutrition for Canadians for Dummies (Wiley, 2008). Visit his website: www.wellnessnutrition.ca

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Colon Health for

Feeling Great!

By Chris Pickrell ND Your colon is a very popular place to live. An average adult has upwards of three pounds of bacteria living in the gut.

The good news is that most of these bacteria are your friends. They help you break down the things your small intestine may have missed, and make some very useful nutrients like Vitamin K. A large part of keeping your colon healthy involves keeping these good bacteria happy.

QUICK TIPS TO IMPROVE COLON HEALTH •Get five servings of vegetables every day •Increase your fibre • Exercise • Eat a good, organic, unsweetened, probiotic yogurt •Drink a lot of water Healthy Directions April/May 2009 13

INFLAMMATORY AND IRRITATING FOODS • Coffee • Alcohol • Sugar • Fried and/or greasy foods • Any foods with additives, preservatives or food dyes

WHAT IS THE COLON?

INCREASING FIBRE AND WATER INTAKE

Your colon, along with its little friend the rectum, is the end-part of a 30-foot tube that runs through your body. The colon’s basic job is to accept what’s left over after the small intestine is done absorbing all the nutrition from a meal, and transport that waste out of the body.

However, an awful lot of things happen in between: the colon is where your body puts its toxins. Your liver, in its wisdom, breaks down the things your body needs to get rid of and packs them into little bundles of bile, then ships them to the colon for removal. Once they get there, the colon breaks down the packets, the bile is reabsorbed for re-use (our bodies are models for recycling) and the remaining toxins are ferried out with the fibre.

Vegetables – our bodies need vegetables. To function at your optimum, your body needs about eight servings of vegetables a day, and most of us get less than two.

In addition to being a rich source of vitamins, minerals and micronutrients, vegetables are the ultimate natural source for fibre.

Think of fibre as a scrub brush for your insides; fibre is how your body binds and clears irritating and inflammatory compounds that are released into your colon, and as a bonus, fibre naturally stimulates the muscles of your colon to contract, allowing for effective elimination of unwanted materials.

Now that you’re increasing your fibre by eating more vegetables, you’re also going to want to increase your water intake.

Healthy stool is basically made up fibre and water, with all the things your body wants to get rid of bound up in between.

By simply increasing your fibre and water intake to optimum amounts, you can improve the health of your colon.

WHAT IS A HEALTHY COLON? A healthy colon is a regular colon. But what is “regular”?

Healthy digestion means one or two well-formed bowel movements a day, passed without straining. If this isn’t normal for you, it might be time to take a closer look at what’s happening to your insides.

Different foods require different processing times. For example, a well-balanced meal of steamed vegetables, brown rice and a healthy protein source is easily broken down and assimilated by your body. But what about harder-to-process meals? Problems start to occur when the foods you put into your body either: increase the amount of irritants and inflammatory compounds in your colon, or increase the amount of time those compounds get to hang around in your colon and make mischief.

14 Healthy Directions April/May 2009

TIMING FOR REGULARITY If you put the right things in, it’s only natural that the right things will come out. However, there are a few ways to help the process along; for example, your bowels love routine. If you find your bowels sometimes aren’t behaving quite as you’d like, try giving them a schedule. Pick a time that works for you – perhaps before your morning shower or after your evening meal, that naturally fits your schedule and when you can comfortably relax for 10-15 minutes – and make that your regular habit. After a week or so, bowel timings will start improving.

POTENTIAL IRRITANTS Most of us have a food we know (or don’t know) we’re sensitive to. Consuming these foods, in conjunction with other well known assailants like coffee, alcohol and foods high in preservatives, damages our body’s ability to digest and absorb nutrition.

If proteins or fats aren’t being properly broken down by your small intestine, they end up in the colon. And when things like proteins, fats or sugars end up in the colon, they make a delicious meal for the not-so-desirable bacteria in our gut.

This skews the balance of intestinal flora (the bacteria in our gut) unfavourably, leading to the build-up of gas and other harmful by-products that, over time, cause damage to the walls of the colon.

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The same conscious effort to improve the health of your colon brings greater health to all aspects of your life, and is one more step on the path that is healthy, happy living.

Chris Pickrell ND is a licensed naturopathic doctor, holds one of three national clinical residency positions at the Canadian College of Naturopathic Medicine and is a member of the Canadian Association of Naturopathic Doctors.

He currently practices at The Herbal Clinic and Dispensary in the High Park area.

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Cleanse and Alkalize Naturally with

Lemons & Aloe Vera

By RoseMarie Pierce B.Sc.Pharm Many of us as children heard the expression, “good morning – time to rise and shine.” And often, we did just that!

Now, with ever increasing stressloads, starting the day feeling vitalized or energetic can often be a challenge. Early morning fatigue, bad breath, coated tongue, indigestion, joint pain, water retention, weight gain and low moods – what do they have in common? All of these are signs of toxicity or acidic waste accumulating in the body.

An imbalanced diet high in acidic food (animal protein, sugar, colas, fried foods, caffeine, processed foods) causes far-reaching damage to one’s health. The body constantly attempts to rebalance itself, and return to its natural alkaline state.

The alkaline minerals: sodium, calcium, potassium and magnesium found in vital organs and the bones, are removed and used to return the body’s fluids to an alkaline state.

Over time, poor eating habits deplete the body of these valuable alkalizing minerals and acidic waste builds up in the cells and tissue.

Consquently, it becomes more difficult for the body to naturally cleanse and detoxify itself. This is where daily detoxification comes into play.

THE LIVER LOVES LEMONS! Starting each day with lemon juice in a glass of pure water has been referred to in medical text for hundreds of years, and known by our “grandmothers” as a beneficial, health-giving habit.

16 Healthy Directions April/May 2009

The morning is the natural cleansing period for the body. The lemon, one of nature’s powerhouse foods, is known to stimulate digestion, increase saliva flow, and support the liver and the production of bile – releasing congestion & toxins.

You can drink fresh lemon juice or lemon slices mixed with water throughout the day for further detoxification. Water is the key component here and you should ideally drink at least 64 ounces per day.

LEMONS AND ALOE VERA JUICE, THE PERFECT DUO FOR ALKALIZING Starting the day with water and lemon alkalizes the body due to the high mineral content found in lemon juice – potassium, calcium, magnesium and trace minerals.

The aloe leaf naturally consists of approximately 75 nutrients, including 9 different minerals. Supporting the body’s natural cleansing process, aloe vera juice also reduces gastrointestinal inflammation and heals ulcers. Making a healthy morning beverage upon waking, including lemon and aloe vera juice, can assist your body in removing toxins accumulated in the internal organs, and can help: • Cleanse the liver and other organs of elimination • Balance acidity/alkalinity and improve hydration • Reduce digestive stress and bloating • Repair the lining of the digestive tract • Support the body to rebuild and heal itself Simple, safe and extremely effective for cleansing, both lemon and aloe vera juice are acidic in the mouth but have an alkalizing effect in the body.

Replacing the morning coffee, or sweetened and processed drinks, with a delicious lemon and aloe vera juice recipe will provide the double benefit of eliminating the acid-forming drink and offer instead a health-giving alkalizing alternative.

For an extra bonus, add a heaping tablespoon of your favourite berry powder or super green-foods powder to your drink. Children and adults love the taste of lemon and berries.

RoseMarie Pierce, B.Sc.Pharm, is a holistic pharmacist with more than 40 years experience in both conventional and natural medicine. For more information on this popular writer, lecturer, and hormonal health specialist visit her website at www.sunstreams.ca.

Healthy Directions April/May 2009 19

Digestive Enzymes Make a Natural Choice!

By Claude Gallant PhD Microbiology The digestive system is the body’s engine, turning food into fuel and energy by breaking down complex proteins, fats and carbohydrates into smaller, simpler, and more usable forms. The body produces and uses digestive enzymes to help digest the food that you eat, making it small enough to be absorbed by your small intestine and travel to your bloodstream, allowing the body to absorb and use the nutrients, vitamins and minerals it needs.

The body can obtain enzymes both externally from the food you eat (enzymes from uncooked and unprocessed food) and internally from your digestive system (digestive enzymes). These digestive enzymes are secreted from cells lining the inner surface of your mouth, stomach, and small intestine. In addition, the liver, gallbladder, and the pancreas also produce enzymes and substances that aid digestion in your small intestine. Digestion starts in your mouth when you chew and swallow, continues through your stomach and finishes in your small intestines.

Raw food naturally contains enzymes that help you digest your food. The big problem with food-based enzymes is that the typical 20 Healthy Directions April/May 2009

North American diet consists mainly of cooked or heavily processed food, which contains no active enzymes.

Enzymes are extremely sensitive to very high or low temperatures, as well as, intense processing conditions. To compensate for the loss of enzymes in your food, your body needs to use valuable internal digestive enzymes in order to help you digest food.

Digestion of cooked and processed food stresses your body and takes more energy than the digestion of raw food. You also cannot assume that your digestive system is in top shape 100% of the time.

Lack of sleep, stress, alcohol and taking antibiotics can disrupt your digestive system and can leave you feeling bloated, sluggish and uncomfortable.

In addition, consumption of processed, fast foods put a greater strain on your digestive system and cause enlargement of the digestive organs. When this happens, your body has less energy to fight off infections and won’t be able to keep your immune system as strong.

CONDITIONS REQUIRING ENZYMES Enzyme supplementation is critical in the management of digestive conditions, such as, poor digestion, lactose non-persistence (lactose intolerance) exocrine pancreatic insufficiency, and cystic fibrosis. The intake of digestive enzymes can help make digestion easier and break down food to make it small enough for absorption.

The big conundrum is whether everyone’s digestive system would benefit from supplementing with digestive enzymes. Personally, I think that it can only assist your body and will not harm you. In the case of digestion, distinct forms of food require specific enzymes.

For example, proteases digest proteins, lipases break down fats or lipids, lactases help digest lactose in dairy products, amylases break down starches and cellulases break down fiber.

Enzyme supplements are extracted from plant/bacteria (i.e., vegan enzymes) or from the organs of pigs and cows (i.e., animalderived enzymes). There are several advantages to using the vegan enzymes versus the animal-derived enzymes. The first obvious reason is that vegan enzymes are completely free of animal products or by-products; so, everyone can use them. In addition, vegan enzymes work in all stages of digestion, and also have enzymatic activity across a broader pH range, temperature and substrate specificity. In contrast, the animal-derived enzymes are only active in the later stages of digestion and only work at a specific pH range and will be destroyed at low pH (like in the stomach) unless enterically coated. Finally, you can customize your digestive enzymes when they are derived from plant or microbial sources whereas pancreatic enzymes are limited to a pre-determined ratio of proteases (proteins), amylases (carbohydrates), and lipases (fats).

TIPS FOR A HEALTHIER DIGESTIVE SYSTEM The healthier you live your life, the less stress there is on your digestive system. Here are some easy things everyone can do to improve their health: • Eat a diet rich in fruits, vegetables and whole grains (high in vitamins, minerals, antioxidants and fibers).

• Eat more fiber - it reduces risk of digestive disorders, prevents constipation, lowers cholesterol, and aids in natural weight loss.

• Reduce the amount of saturated fat, salt and sugar (all types of sugar) eaten each day.

• Maintain the health of your colon by taking probiotics each day to help balance the pH of your colon and prevent the growth of harmful bacteria.

• Minimize the use of drugs and antibiotics by using natural remedies.

• Drink plenty of water to cleanse your body and prevent dehydration.

• Supplement the diet with digestive enzymes.

• Once in a while, put yourself first and set aside some time for regular exercise. It offers a healthy outlet and releases endorphins, which help you feel good.

Claude Gallant holds a Ph.D. in Microbiology from the University of Calgary. She also has post-doctoral training in Molecular Biology and Bacterial Pathogenesis. She published research papers in well-respected international journal in the field.

Find Sweet Success

MANAGING DIABETES

By Michele Sevier ND, DAc Insulin injections: forty-two-thousand, three-hundred-forty-two and counting. Finger pricks; over fifty thousand, and counting.

Annual cost of diabetes supplies; over $3,500. Natural health supplements; a few or more. Balanced blood sugars: priceless As a 10-year-old child diagnosed with insulin dependent diabetes, I have experienced the highs and lows; from good health to palliative care and back again. It has been a journey that has consumed more than three-quarters of my life. Diabetes has become my stimulus to continue to fight the odds to obtain better health and energy.

Through an understanding of its effective management to reduce the factors that contribute to long-term complications, I and others living with diabetes, have the ability to positively impact both quantity and quality of life.

Diabetes is a disease in which blood sugar levels are abnormally high (hyperglycemia) as the body is not producing enough insulin either due to an insufficiency of insulin or due to factors negatively influencing the action of insulin.

Insulin is a hormone that is vital for normal metabolism. It enables the body to use the glucose obtained from our foods.

Without insulin, glucose cannot be sufficiently absorbed from the blood stream and carried into the cells, where it is converted to 22 Healthy Directions April/May 2009

energy. Chronically high blood sugar levels and poor diabetes control is a state of biochemical anarchy leading to accelerated aging, various organ injuries and reduced life expectancy.

High blood sugars result in glycation (cross-linking of proteins and glucose creating AGE’s - advanced glycation end-products) whereby extra glucose molecules attach themselves to proteins, damaging the proteins’ structure and its ability to function. This process toughens tissues and negatively impacts elasticity affecting connective tissue, cartilage, muscles, arteries and organs while also deforming hormones which carry signals to activate and control organs. This chemical cascade causes chronic inflammation reducing immunity and posing an increasing threat to health.

Although glycation, inflammation and other processes are a normal part of the human aging process, it is super accelerated in diabetes.

SO, WHAT’S A GIRL (OR GUY) TO DO? Obviously, committing to a healthy diet rich in fresh fruits, vegetables, whole grains, healthy fats and lean quality protein is important. Working with your diabetes educator is also essential to understand the value of carbohydrate counting and insulin dosing.

But, there are a number of simple additions that can further support your health.

ESSENTIAL FATTY ACIDS Include foods rich in omega-3 essential fatty acids (EFAs) and consider a high-potency omega-3 fish oil supplement rich in EPA/DHA. These essential fatty acids possess anti-inflammatory properties, improve insulin sensitivity and can help regulate kidney function. Their health benefits extend even further, supporting cardiovascular and brain health while improving mood.

THE PERKS OF PROTEIN Consuming a small amount of protein at each meal helps prevent the spikes in blood sugar levels caused by carbohydrate consumption.

Whey protein is my favourite protein. One of the most alkaline proteins, whey is unique in its ability to optimize immune function, improve muscle strength and help prevent cardiovascular disease. I use whey protein as part of a breakfast smoothie with soy milk, fresh fruit, berry-based greens and flaxseed. It mentally improves my wellbeing, knowing the quality of food I am starting my day with.

ACID ACCUMULATION PH imbalance (acid accumulation) plays a role in the cause of degenerative diseases. An uncontrolled diabetic will be fighting an endless battle with pH disruption further causing detrimental effects on the body’s systems. Greens superfoods are an excellent addition to anyone’s daily regime as they provide precious antioxidants and nutrients. They are alkaline in nature to support pH balance.

However, I think it is important to stress that while greens are important to help alkalize, in a chronic degenerative condition like diabetes a multi-mineral formulation designed to specifically tackle pH is a must. Excess acids are stored in the connective tissue causing further inflammation. Acids are disassociated hydrogen ions that must be bound to bicarbonates in order to be reduced. So, any alkalizing product needs to be composed of carbonates (calcium carbonate, magnesium carbonate, sodium bicarbonate, potassium bicarbonate) for real efficacy.

NEEDED NUTRIENTS There are a number of excellent nutrients to help support the management of blood glucose levels. These include r-lipoic acid, corosolic acid, chromium, cinnamon, gymnema sylvestre to name but a few. They have their place and uses. Remember though as with any modality or natural health supplement, there is no magic remedy.

I have the power to influence how I feel each day and how long I may live. I live a lifestyle that improves my physical and emotional resilience. I made a personal commitment to continually work on ideal food choices, regular exercise, supplementation and lifestyle adaptations. I am not perfect, but these powerful allies help me continue to overcome the challenges of diabetes.

Michele Sevier ND, DAc is an educator and advocate of natural health and healing. As an independent advisor for Nutrition House, she is actively involved in many facets of integrative medicine including research, the formulation of specialized supplements and providing natural health solutions to the general public. Contact Michele through Nutrition House’s “Ask Our Expert” service at www.nutritionhouse.com.

MORE THAN TWO MILLION CANADIANS HAVE DIABETES Lifestyle changes can help prevent or delay the onset of type 2 diabetes. A healthy meal plan, weight control and physical activity are important prevention steps.

If aged 40 or over, you are at risk for type 2 diabetes and should be tested at least every three years.

Healthy Directions April/May 2009 23

Life is sweeter when you balance your blood sugar fight type 2 diabetes by restoring and maintaining normal blood glucose.

BLOOD SUGAR BALANCE is a natural solution of nutraceuticals, minerals and botanical extracts. It regulates your blood sugar and can prevent such consequences as fatigue and irritability, cataracts, nerve damage, and kidney dysfunction. BLOOD SUGAR BALANCE also addresses both hypoglycemia and hyperglycemia. Quite simply, it’s the perfect way to put the balance back into your life.

BLOOD SUGAR BALANCE contains scientifically proven amounts of vitamins, micronutrients, nutraceuticals and herbs developed to help in the prevention of the onset of type 2 diabetes.

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Eating to Lose Weight with

Diabetes

By Hope Warshaw and Joy Pape The latest nutrition recommendations from the American Diabetes Association (ADA) suggest there is no one combination of nutrients or a specific amount of the calorie-containing nutrients (carbohydrate, protein, and fat) shown to be superior in helping people with diabetes lose weight and keep it off more successfully.

In fact, ADA suggests either a low carbohydrate (under 130 grams/day) or low-fat (under 30% of calories/day) eating plan may be effective for short-term, weight-loss for up to one year.

People with diabetes can safely follow a low-carbohydrate eating plan for a year (the longest time for which a study is available), and these diets do help with weight-loss. Additionally, they can improve blood lipids. However, the long-term data (from six months and beyond), which track weight-loss and maintenance on low-carbohydrate diets, don’t show that people are able to follow these programs and maintain weight loss long-term. By one year,

research shows that a lot of people drop out of studies and can’t follow the plan, even when they get a lot of support from researchers.

Another problem with following low carb diets over the long term is that you may miss eating the amounts of fruits, vegetables, and whole grains that provide your body with essential energy and nutrients – vitamins, minerals, and fiber.

What will work best for you is a healthy eating plan that meshes well with your lifestyle and that you can follow day in and day out, now and for years to come. That’s not a diet, that’s an eating plan that is part of a real-life diabetes care plan.

Determine how many calories you need to eat each day to maintain your weight or lose weight. In general, you need 500-1,000 fewer calories to lose weight than you estimate you need to maintain your weight. If you carefully estimate portions and are faithful to eating fewer calories, you can lose 1–2 pounds per week.

Healthy Directions April/May 2009 25

Tips & Tactics To Keep the Weight Off • Slowly change food and activity habits.

• Make sure you want to lose weight for you, you are ready to do this, and you can commit to this being a longterm process.

• Have a realistic and achievable weight-loss goal in mind, and take the long view of this effort.

• Read up on options, and mix and match strategies to put together a plan that works for your life and lifestyle.

• Maintain ongoing contact with a health care provider, behavioral counselor, or other supporters.

• Manage environment and food cues.

• Eat between 25 and 30% of calories from fat and no more.

• Eat more high-fiber foods.

• Eat breakfast every day.

• Weigh yourself at least once a week, and if weight starts to increase, react by getting back to basics.

• Watch TV less than 10 hours per week.

• Keep records of various aspects of your plan. Keep records of different elements as needed.

• Get and stay physically active (the most common form of activity is walking) at least 30 minutes a day.

“Copyright © 2009 American Diabetes Association from “Real-Life Guide To Diabetes, Practical Answers to Your Diabetes Problems.” Reprinted with permission from the American Diabetes Association. Book purchases are available at leading bookstores and online retailers, including amazon.ca or indigo.ca.

26 Healthy Directions April/May 2009

Seven Years Can Be Too Late The Canadian Diabetes Association wants you to know that small lifestyle changes can make a big difference. The fact is, today only one in five people living with diabetes will survive heart disease. It is essential that Canadians living with and at risk of diabetes improve their chances of survival by making healthy lifestyle choices everyday.

Currently 2.4 million Canadians are affected by diabetes. By 2010 that number will rise to more than 3 million. In addition, more than 6 million Canadians are living with prediabetes, which increases their risk of developing type 2 diabetes.

Many people have undiagnosed diabetes for years but don’t know it. Studies have shown that, on average, people have type 2 diabetes for up to 7 years before diagnosis. During this time, high blood glucose levels can cause serious complications, including heart disease.

“Most Canadians aren’t aware that heart disease is a serious complication of diabetes,” said Ellen Malcolmson, President and CEO, Canadian Diabetes Association. “The good news is that we can all do better. In fact, Canadians can reduce their risk of developing type 2 diabetes by over 50 per cent by getting active, losing weight and eating right.”

Whether you are someone living with diabetes, or one of the millions of Canadians age 40 and over and at risk, visit getserious.ca to learn how you can reverse the trend.

The Canadian Diabetes Association works in communities across the country to promote the health of Canadians and eliminate diabetes through our strong nationwide network of volunteers, employees, healthcare professionals, researchers, partners and supporters. To learn more, visit diabetes.ca or call 1-800-BANTING (226-8464).

Tips for Relationships Under

Financial Pressure

By Ariel & Shya Kane Couples are facing additional challenges to maintain healthy relationships in a slower economy. With increased unemployment, fear of losing their financial footing, drastic financial losses and other stress factors, here are five tips to help couples facing economic or other struggles weather the storm.

1 2

DON'T BLAME EACH OTHER

In looking at your personal finances in your relationship, it doesn't matter how you got to where you are, what does matter is where you are now, since that is all you have.

DON'T BLAME YOURSELF

If you are unkind to yourself and picking on yourself for choices you think you should have/shouldn't have made, by extension you will be unkind to your partner. If you want to maintain a strong and healthy relationship in the midst of stressful and turbulent economic environment, being kind to yourself is one of the first places to start.

3 4

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WHAT YOU RESIST WILL PERSIST AND GROW STRONGER

If you focus on the downturn in the economy and are hard on yourself and/or your partner about the current situation, you will get stuck there and won't have a life or a relationship.

REALIZE TWO THINGS CAN’T OCCUPY THE SAME SPACE AT THE SAME TIME

You can engage in drama, bickering and the fear of the future or make a commitment to taking care of what is right in front of you and being there for your partner: one will upset and disturb you and the other will ground and center you. You can either put your attention on your fears or on taking care of the people and things around you.

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Infections Diseases Hepatitis, Lyme disease, candiasis, West Nile, herpes, AIDS, etc.

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DON'T PANIC, BREATHE

Panic is based in fear of a possible future, not in reality. When the future gets here, it will arrive as a moment of now. You are equipped to deal with whatever comes up in your relationship and your life in each moment. You are not equipped to deal with hypothetical futures. Breathing automatically brings you back into the moment. If you allow things to be exactly as they are, they will complete themselves and from that place, you can see what needs to be done. If you can say, "Oh look, we are arguing about the economy again," and get on with what you have to do you will become centered and effective again.

Ariel & Shya Kane are the authors of “How to Create a Magical Relationship” and “Working On Yourself Doesn't Work.”

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Natural Solutions for

Crohn’s Disease

THERE IS NO SINGLE CAUSE OF CROHN'S DISEASE. BUT, TREATING POTENTIAL CAUSES LIKE IMBALANCED INTESTINA FLORA, MAY HELP.

By Heather Caruso B.Sc., DHMS, HD Autoimmune conditions are becoming more and more prevalent today. They are illnesses characterized by the body’s immune system marking a particular organ as the enemy and attacking it. Crohn’s disease is an autoimmune inflammatory bowel disease. It is characterized by inflammation and can affect any part of the digestive tract from the mouth to the anus.

This disease causes ulcer-like lesions of the gastrointestinal tract’s mucous membrane lining. Symptoms include stools that are loose, contain fat and are bloody, weight-loss, gas, bloating, fevers and ulceration of the digestive tract.

There is no known single cause of Crohn’s disease. Some of the main factors that may contribute to autoimmune conditions are imbalanced intestinal flora, dysbiosis, leaky gut syndrome, improper 28 Healthy Directions April/May 2009

diet, and external toxic insults. Crohn’s disease is a serious condition and requires the help of a professional, especially if you are taking other prescription medications.

DIETARY MEASURES FOR CROHN’S DISEASE Crohn’s Disease is a condition that has a great deal of individuality. Food restrictions are implemented after food sensitivity testing.

However, most people are recommended to follow a low glycemic and fat diet, because it reduces inflammation, dysbiosis and prevents many other diseases. There are also many natural remedies for Crohn’s Disease.

B VITAMINS B complex is useful because it aids in toning the muscles of the gastrointestinal tract, nerves and acts to combat the effects of emotional stress. Vitamin B12 is typically low in those with Crohn’s disease.

FISH OIL Fish oil is good for pain, inflammation, gastrointestinal function and secretion, and immune system deficiency. An enteric coated fish oil capsule is advantageous because it releases in the intestinal tract, not the stomach, which is where it is most needed.

PROBIOTICS Every person has billions of bacteria in their intestinal tract. Most bacteria are beneficial and maintain health. However, a small percentage of bacteria in our intestines are harmful if they spread. If these bad bacteria overgrow, it may have negative health consequences, such as, immune dysfunction, infections, constipation and/or diarrhea.

Good flora helps to maintain the immune system and displace the bad bacteria in the gut. The most popular beneficial bacteria are lactobacillus acidophilus and bifidobacteria.

HOMEOPATHIC REMEDIES FOR CROHN’S DISEASE

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About 10,000 new cases of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) are diagnosed each year in Canada. Statistics to date show the incidence of Crohn's disease is increasing.

About 20 to 25 percent of those with Crohn’s also have a close relative with either Crohn's or ulcerative colitis.

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There are many homeopathic remedies for Crohn’s disease. They are safe and gentle for all ages and disorders. However, the remedies are matched to a person’s symptoms rather than their disease name.

There is a long list of common homeopathic remedies for this condition, such as, Aloe Socotrina, Arsenicum Album, Phosphorus and Mercurius Corrosivus just to name a few.

Heather Caruso is a public speaker, author and homeopath in private practice in Guelph, Ontario. Her new book is called “Your Drug Free Guide to Digestive Health, A Handbook of Homeopathic, Dietary and Other Natural Remedies for Common Digestive Disorders,” which contains information on 39 common digestive disorders and their natural solutions.

Visit: www.carusohomeopathy.com

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Detoxifying Your Skin

By Allison Tannis BSc MSc RHN Your skin reflects your internal health. A healthy person has glowing, radiant, smooth skin. Inflammation, scaling, or puffiness indicates that the body is having health problems. Many skin conditions that leave us with undesirable complexions can be alleviated with a proper diet.

loss in structure. For your face, this means puffiness, blemishes, and wrinkles. Avoiding toxins is a great way to defy aging. Nutrients in foods can also prevent toxins from damaging cells and promote detoxification processes in the skin, helping you look younger.

WHAT DOES FOOD HAVE TO DO WITH IT? SKIN: A UNIQUE ORGAN The skin is the largest of the body’s organs. It functions as a key sensing organ, an oil producer, a detox organ, a temperature regulator, and a protective covering. The skin has to do battle constantly to stay strong and fight the damaging forces that surround it. As the barrier between the body and the environment, it is subjected to a lot of abuse, including: ultraviolet rays from the sun (probably the most damaging factor the skin encounters each day); tanning and other sun exposure damage; cigarette smoke, cleaningproduct chemicals, both on clothing and in the air.

Toxic chemicals from the environment can damage skin cells, reducing their ability to function properly, and skin that cannot function properly results in increased inflammation, infection, and a 30 Healthy Directions April/May 2009

The body is made up of more than 100 billion cells, each of which is made up of fats and proteins. Carbohydrates offer these cells energy. These three components are necessary to support your body’s basic health. Plus, your cells, particularly your skin cells, need vitamins, minerals, and phytonutrients to perform optimally and look radiant.

The skin requires some nutrients in foods to prevent damage from toxins that it is exposed to daily. Toxins cause damage, making the skin’s structure fragile.

For example, collagen is the skin’s main structural component, and the body cannot make it without vitamin C. This spring eat foods rich in vitamin C, such as oranges, rhubarb, and strawberries to help your skin.

FOODS THAT DETOXIFY FOR BEAUTY All cruciferous vegetables, including Brussels sprouts, contain phytonutrients and optimize your skin cells’ ability to disarm and clear free radicals and other toxins. Today, researchers have concluded that eating cruciferous vegetables frequently (3 to 5 times per week) lowers the risk of prostate cancer, colorectal cancer, and lung cancer. If these miniature cabbages can help remove toxins that cause cancer, one can just imagine how many wrinklecausing toxins they are able to remove as well.

SUPER CHIC CHICKPEAS Chickpeas are a fantastic source of manganese – in just one cup, there is 85 percent of your daily recommended value. This trace mineral is required for energy production and also functions as an antioxidant, fighting free radicals that form when toxins are in your skin. The more toxins in your skin, the more likely it is to sag. Another trace mineral in chickpeas, molybdenum, can help. Molybdenum is an important part of sulfite oxidase, an enzyme responsible for detoxifying (removing) toxins called sulfites, which cause damage that reduces the smooth, tight appearance of your skin.

FAB FIBER Psyllium and the fiber it contains bulks up in the intestines, encourages proper bowel excretion and traps toxins (part of healthy detoxing), thus helping your skin look more clear and beautiful. There are more than eighty thousand toxic chemicals manufactured in North america. These toxins can be in our water and food supplies and in our cosmetics. When toxins enter your body, the liver filters them out of your blood and sends them, along with bile, into your intestines, where fiber can trap them and send them out of your body. Without fiber, however, these toxins can become reabsorbed and build up in your system, eventually damaging your skin and resulting in a dull complexion. Fiber, such as, that in psyllium, can help lower your body’s toxins levels. Just one tablespoon of whole husk provides about 9 grams of soluble fiber, more than one-third of the recommended daily intake.

Eat your way to more beautiful skin by including foods in your diet that help your body and your skin detoxify. Toxin exposure happens directly to your skin from your environment and daily activities. Plus, toxins tend to reside in the fatty layers of the skin (hence, saunas and skin scrubs are used in some detox plans). Help your skin stay toxin free and enjoy more natural beauty this spring.

Allison Tannis BSc MSc RHN is a Nutritional Consultant in southern Ontario and author of many books including Feed Your Skin, Starve Your Wrinkles (Fairwinds, 2009). Visit: allisontannis.com for more great articles and health information.

Healthy Directions April/May 2009 31

RAW FOOD RECIPES MOCK TUNA SALAD A hearty sunflower pâté with diced celery, scallions, dried dill, and dulse in a creamy nut-based mayo. Serves 4.

INGREDIENTS FOR THE SALAD:

FOR THE DRESSING:

3 cups of pre-soaked (2 to 4 hours) sunflower seeds, ground 3 to 4 celery stalks, diced 1/2 bunch green onions, diced 2 tablespoons dulse flakes 4 tablespoons dried dill

1 1/2 cups Thai coconut water 6 garlic cloves 1 cup fresh lemon juice 1 tablespoon sea salt 2 1/2 cups raw macadamia nuts, cashews, pine nuts, or combination 1/2 cup stone-ground mustard

DIRECTIONS In a large mixing bowl, combine all of the salad ingredients and toss to thoroughly mix. In a high-speed blender, combine all of the dressing ingredients and thoroughly blend. Pour the dressing over the salad, toss to mix well, and serve.

Serve as is, on a green salad, between two pieces of Onion Bread with stone-ground mustard, or in a collard green or romaine lettuce leaf as a wrap. Variations: for mock chicken salad, replace the dulse flakes and dried dill with two tablespoons each of dried thyme, oregano and sage.

Courtesy of Matt Amsden from his book “RAWvolution” available at Chapters, Indigo stores and at amazon.ca. Visit: rawvolution.com.

ONION BREAD A delicious, soft flat bread that you won’t believe is made using only five ingredients. Makes about 2 1/2 trays.

INGREDIENTS 1 large yellow onion 2 cups ground flax 2 cups ground sunflower seeds 3/4 cup Nama Shoyu® Raw Organic Unpasteurized Soy Sauce 3/4 cups olive oil

DIRECTIONS Peel and halve the onions. In a food processor, cut the onions using the slicing blade. Transfer the cut onions to a mixing bowl, add the remaining ingredients, and mix until the ingredients are thoroughly combined. Evenly spread 1 1/4 cups of the mixture on a dehydrator tray with a Teflex sheet. Dehydrate at 100° for 36 hours, removing the Teflex sheet after the first 24 hours. Once dehydrated, cut into 9 equal pieces (make 2 cuts horizontally; 2 cuts vertically.

Serve alone or as an accompaniment to any soup, salad or side dish.

Courtesy of Matt Amsden from his book “RAWvolution” available at Chapters, Indigo stores and at amazon.ca. Visit: rawvolution.com.

32 Healthy Directions April/May 2009

LIGHT & FRESH RECIPES

COOL CUCUMBER SOUP This soup is simple to prepare and the ingredients are very easy to find year-round. Recommended with a glass of white wine. Serves 6.

INGREDIENTS

DIRECTIONS

4 Ontario Greenhouse seedless cucumbers 1 medium onion 1 small clove of garlic 1/2 cup (125 mL) fresh parsley, stems removed 2 drops of Worcestershire sauce Dash of lemon juice 1 tbsp. (15 g) each thyme and oregano 2 cups (500 mL) sour cream Salt and pepper to taste

In a blender or food prcessor, combine the Ontario Greenhouse cucumbers, onion, garlic, and parsley in small batches. (Hint: Prechoppng makes the first three ingredients blend better.)

Add Worcestershire sauce, lemon juice, herbs and sour cream.

Puree and add salt and pepper to taste.

Chill before serving. Garnish with a few chopped chives, parsley, and/or a slice of lemon or cucumber.

Courtesy of Ontario Greenhouse Vegetable Growers.

Visit www.ontariogreenhouse.com Healthy Directions April/May 2009 33

LIGHT & FRESH RECIPES TARRAGON-CITRUS WHITE FISH The flavor of the citrus and tarragon is very clean and subtle.

INGREDIENTS 1 pink grapefruit 1 tangerine 1 blood orange, or regular orange 2 tablespoons chopped fresh tarragon Four (4 to 6 ounce) pieces mahi-mahi or other fish Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper 2 tablespoons olive oil

DIRECTIONS Remove the peel, pith, and outer membrane of each piece of fruit. Working over a bowl, slice each into segments and remove the seeds. Dice the segments into the bowl. Stir in the tarragon. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.

Season the mahi-mahi with salt and pepper. Heat the oil in a nonstick skillet over high heat. Sear the fish on each side until opaque in the center, about 3 to 4 minutes per side depending on thickness. Transfer the fish to serving plates, top with a large spoonful of the citrus salsa, and serve immediately.

Courtesy of Katie Lee Joel. Visit www.katieleejoel.com. Find more of Katie’s culinary creations, displayed in her book “The Comfort Table” (Simon & Schuster, 2008).

MANGO DRESSING FOR SALAD Use this dressing over organic spinach topped with thinly sliced mangoes.

A fresh salad dressing takes less than two minutes to make, it’s delicious, and it has no preservatives.

INGREDIENTS 1/4 cup mango juice 3 Tbsp. flaxseed oil or extra virgin olive oil 2 Tbsp. finely chopped mango 1 Tbsp. lemon juice 1 Tbsp. finely chopped fresh cilantro (optional) 1/4 tsp. Garam Masala Pinch salt and pepper

DIRECTIONS Combine all of the ingredients, and the dressing is ready. Use dressing over organic spinach topped with thinly sliced mangoes. Refrigerate leftovers in a glass jar for up to 5 days.

Courtesy of Bal Arneson author of “Everyday Indian,” which offers healthy, quick, and delicious dishes for family and friends. Originally from a small village in Punjab, India, Bal Arneson learned how to cook from her elders when she was just seven years old. When she was 20, Bal immigrated to Canada.

34 Healthy Directions April/May 2009

LIGHT & FRESH RECIPES VERY BERRY TOFU SMOOTHIE This smoothie is an excellent breakfast and snack drink.

INGREDIENTS 1/2 cup 1/2 cup 2 cups 2 tbsp.

3 tbsp.

1 tsp.

orange juice (freshly squeezed is a bonus) soft silken tofu frozen berries (use mixed or your favorite) flax meal honey vanilla

DIRECTIONS In a blender, combine the orange juice and tofu, and blend until smooth. If your blender has an opening at the top, keep blending, drop berries in and blend until mixture is very smooth and thick. You may occasionally have to stop the machine to stir things up. Add the flax meal, \sugar or honey and the vanilla. Blend to mix.

Visit: www.cookingkindforlife.com E-mail: cookingkindforlife@gmail.com Call: (647) 654-0023

FAST FACTS Tofu – also known as Soya Bean Curd – has been called the perfect food. It is high in protein, low in saturated fats and a good source of calcium, as well as, vitamin E. It is also cholesterol free.

MEDITERRANEAN LAYERED SPREAD This captivating dip layered with fantastic flavors is a show-stopper! Feel free to double this recipe and watch it disappear. Serve with toasted pita wedges.

INGREDIENTS 1 (7-ounce) container hummus 1 cup coarsely chopped fresh baby spinach 1/2 cup chopped tomatoes 1/2 cup chopped cucumber 1/4 cup chopped red onion 1/4 cup crumbled reduced-fat feta cheese 2 tablespoons sliced kalamata or black olives

DIRECTIONS Spread hummus on a 9-inch serving plate. Sprinkle evenly with remaining ingredients. Refrigerate until serving time.

Courtesy of Holly Clegg. For a stress-free kitchen and quick, healthy recipes, try Holly Clegg’s trim&TERRIFC™ cookbooks including her best-selling diabetic cookbook. For more great recipes, visit www.hollyclegg.com.

Healthy Directions April/May 2009 35

Go Raw

By Michelle Honda PhD

Culturally as human beings our evolution of food and its preparation is alarmingly opposed to our genetic makeup. Our inherent nature is to be predominately alkaline. We achieve this by eating a diet in accordance to our body’s natural law which includes 80% fruits and vegetables.

Our body requires food with the life force still intact in order for regeneration to take place and the functioning of our systems depend on many elements that are forever lost during the cooking process.

WHAT IS A RAW FOOD DIET? The raw food diet is based on whole, unprocessed and uncooked fresh foods. A typical food list includes fruit, vegetables, sprouts, seeds, nuts, beans, dried fruit, coconut milk, and seaweed. The percentage of raw food required to be considered a raw diet isn’t far off the normal healthy eating regime. Generally 75% of the diet must be living or raw and there are those individuals who choose 100% raw food intake.

HEALTH BENEFITS OF RAW AND ALKALINE FOODS Osteoporosis is directly linked to the acid/alkaline balance of the body. When we eat an acid food, such as, protein, it causes our system to become more acidic.

The parathyroid gland (regulates the body’s acid/alkaline balance) in turn robs our bones and tissues of calcium to bring the blood back to its healthy alkaline state.

This gland has full control, so much so that our skeletal system will be sacrificed to maintain our inherent balance. Therefore, the diet must be addressed to prevent bone loss or to reverse the pH imbalance.

Raw foods rejuvenate, cleanse, raise oxygen blood levels and energize our bodies. The aging process is slowed immensely and vitality is felt throughout your whole being. The body becomes light; bowel cleansing enhances, circulation is increased, mental clarity improves and a zest for life is renewed. Weight loss is virtually guaranteed as is beautiful skin and reduced risk of heart disease and cancer. Other concerns in the area of diabetes and high cholesterol/triglyceride levels are all benefited by a raw food diet.

36 Healthy Directions April/May 2009

KAMOURAI HX P NUTRITIONAL BENEFITS OF RAW FOOD AND SPROUTS Raw food and sprouts are very nutritious for our health providing us with a wide spectrum of colour which encompasses a great variety of phytochemicals and nutrients. Other benefits include fibre, antioxidants, protein, nitrosamines, bioflavonoids, vitamins, and minerals.

Sprouts are living foods that have concentrated amounts of phytochemicals and antioxidants that can protect us from disease and slow the aging process. For instance, saponins in alfalfa lower bad cholesterol and research at John Hopkins University School of Medicine, USA, have discovered that broccoli sprouts have high amounts of a natural cancer fighting compound.

A free mind in a protected body Potent antioxidant formula that promotes a healthy liver through detoxification and stimulation of the body's own phase II detoxification process.

JUICING AS A WAY TO INCREASE FRUIT AND VEGETABLE INTAKE Juicing may well be a cutting edge therapy to reclaim and maintain our health. Drinking raw juices is a fast way for the body to obtain vitamins and minerals and an easy way to boost daily intake of raw food and fruit and vegetables.

Cleansing and detoxifying are hot topics today. The best form of cleansing is through whole, unadulterated vegetable and fruit juices. This form of nutrition is already metabolically broken down by the fine root fibres for easy assimilation. Juicing is highly recommended for various cleansing programs because of its condensed nutritional value. One example is a lymph system cleanse, which is of particular importance since along with our liver, it is the detoxification system of our bodies. Our lymph is often overloaded with toxic material from air pollution, food additives and poison’s sprays. In order to clean the lymph stream, specific minerals must be available. Fortunately, minerals and other beneficial nutrients, such as, phytochemicals are abundantly available in vegetable and fruits juices.

Distributed in Ontario by CLM Health 905-828-8004

www.kamicanada.ca Healthy Directions April/May 2009 37

How to Grow Sprouts Jar or Cloth Sprouting Methods Obtain seed for sprouting and store in an insect proof container. Measure and inspect seed for stones, debris and broken seeds. Rinse seed unless the seed is too small. Soak seeds in either a glass jar or use a cloth method away from direct sunlight.

Soaking Times (8–12 hours) Millet, Lentil, Rye, Rice, Sesame, Wheat, Sunflower, Buckwheat, Fenugreek, Pumpkin, Radish, Cabbage, Corn, Mung Beans and Almond (4-6 hours) Alfalfa (2-4 hours) Amaranth, Quinoa and Oats When sprouting seeds, keep in a dark place at room temperature. Sprouts that are not consumed in the same day, store in the refrigerator and rinse every 24 hours. For longer growing periods, the jar method is less likely to mold compared to cloth.

Jar Method Use a wide mouth jar, such as, a canning jar that has a special plastic screened lid or purchase plastic mesh and improvise. Cover seed with water; soak for the recommended time suggested. When finished soak, invert jar, drain and rinse the seeds once. Prop jar up at a 45 degree angle for the water to drain and seeds to sprout. Rinse the seed 2 to 3 times a day.

After 2 to 5 days sprouts will be ready.

Cloth Method Use a flat bottomed container and 100% cotton or linen cloth used exclusively for sprouting. Soak seeds in shallow water for the recommended time.

When finished soak, empty seeds into a strainer and rinse. Line the bottom of container with a wet cotton cloth and spread seed on top. Take a second cloth or the remainder of the same cloth and put it on top of seed. You may add additional water. Later, if cloth is drying, sprinkle water on top or if very dry remove seeds, rinse and rewet cloth.

Raw juices are wonderful for raising the immune system, especially a vegetable formula. An immune boosting juice formula would include above ground and below ground plants, such as, carrots (the main ingredient), beet, dandelion, parsley, and occasionally add black radish or celery root. These foods are extremely valuable to your liver, kidney, immune system, blood and connective tissue. Typically fruits are not mixed with vegetables, however, for the above formula, one apple may be added. Preferably, all juices should be consumed within one hour of being made.

A breakfast fruit juice formula with protein may include the following: 2 cups freshly made fruit juice of choice, such as, apple, pineapple or berries; 1 tablespoon of your favourite nut or seed butter, 1/2 cup of fresh fruit; 1 tablespoon flax seed oil; optional 1 raw egg yolk or 1/2 cup of plain yogurt. If desired, sweeten with raw honey to taste.

COOKING METHODS OF RAW FOOD Cooking and preparation techniques enhance the variety and digestibility of an uncooked diet. Usually the following methods are employed: sprouting seeds, grains and beans; juicing fruits and vegetables; soaking nuts and reconstituting dried fruits; blending and dehydrating food. There is a misconception of preparation time when introducing either a raw food diet or incorporating more of the same. The fact is that in many instances, less time is required to prepare a delicious, nutritionally balanced meal. The substitution of foods being palatable for non-cooking is the biggest hurtle. Some common areas of adjustment are as follows: spaghetti is often replaced with spaghetti squash, thinly sliced zucchini, sprouted nut seeds, such as, almonds or carrot slivers; spaghetti sauce may be pesto (raw basil and olive oil), or crushed tomatoes, raw herbs, garlic and olive oil. Fats are usually replaced with cold pressed oils, coconut butter and avocado. Better cheese choices are from goats or made from nuts and seeds. Hummus with raw vegetables is a healthy snack and replacing starch wraps with a lettuce leaf are wonderful for lunch and benefits the waist line. For example, take a lettuce leaf, fill it with your favourite vegetables (try to include sprouts), spread on tahini, and a small amount of your favourite dressing.

CAUTION OF RAW DIET Particular attention should be paid to ensure adequate levels of B12 and protein. Raw food, juicing and sprouts will help anyone reach their highest level of health and well-being.

Any initiative made to include more raw food, fruits and vegetables into your daily intake is a measure taken towards better health.

Michelle Honda PhD is a holistic doctor practicing at Renew You Holistic Health located in Ancaster, Meadowlands. In addition, to her doctorate, she holds an advanced degree in nutrition (RNCP), is a Master Herbalist and an IIPA Certified Iridologist. Visit: www.renewyou.ca. Call: (905) 304-0111 www.michellehonda.com

Identifying a Missing Link for

HEART DISEASE Heavy Metals & Heart Disease

THERE IS A SILENT CONTRIBUTOR TO CARDIOVASCULAR DISEASES. ONCE IDENTIFIED AND DETERMINED, APPROACHES CAN BE TAKEN TO REDUCE RISK.

By Thomas Nissen When you think of someone at risk of heart disease, you likely picture someone who is severely overweight, who has a poor diet, high cholesterol, or hereditary conditions. You would be right.

However, there are many others at risk whom have none of those issues – maybe, even someone close to you.

Statistics Canada reports cardiovascular diseases kill more Canadians than any other disease.1 Heart disease and stroke affects each and every one of us, if not in a physical or emotional sense, then certainly in a monetary one. The cost to Canadian taxpayers: hospital expenses, physician services, reduced productivity and lost wages adds up to a staggering $18 billion every year. 2 Clearly, it is in all our best interests to learn more about heart disease causes and prevention.

Scientific research has made great strides in treatment and education related to heart disease. Diet, exercise, blood pressure monitoring and stress management have become common practice for those seeking to avoid heart problems, but there is another element frequently overlooked – a silent insidious contributor to heart disease and just about every other ailment known to man – heavy metals. Heavy metals can take a cumulative toll on our

cardiovascular systems; they are, in and of themselves, a weight which acts in counterbalance to even the healthiest of lifestyles.

Heavy metals – environmental toxins, the result of years of industrial pollution are all around us. They invade our bodies, erode our well-being, slowly eat away at our defenses and quietly incite disease. As early as 1974, the World Heath Organization suggested that at least 80% of all chronic diseases can be attributed to environmental pollution in one way or another.

Heavy metals, such as, cadmium, arsenic, aluminum, nickel, mercury, lead and cobalt are by-products of common industrial practice, and we are exposed in many ways. They are in the air we breathe, the food we eat, the water we drink, as well as, in amalgam fillings and some vaccination serums. Of all environmental pollutants, heavy metals pose the biggest threat to our health.

Naturopathic and forward-thinking practitioners know heavy metals likely play a role in many diseases. Robert A. Nash, MD, Chairman of the American Board of Clinical Metal Toxicology writes, “I was taught in neurology residency training in the early 1970s that when symptoms cannot readily be explained, look for

toxic metal poisoning.” 3 Healthy Directions April/May 2009 39

HEAVY METALS AND HEART HEALTH It is fairly easy to understand how diet and exercise affect our heart health, but what about heavy metals? In general, heavy metals change our body chemistry. They take the place of lighter beneficial metals like iron and magnesium and interfere with our systems normal functions, which creates distress in our organs and overall health.

Specifically, heavy metals cause damage to blood vessels which results in high blood pressure. They off-set our pH balance and cause inflammation and they have a direct relationship with cholesterol – not the ‘foreign’ cholesterol we absorb through foods, but the cholesterol our body generates as a natural defense mechanism to protect our nerves and brain. Inflammation caused by exposure to heavy metals triggers a corresponding rise in cholesterol.

Conventional medical practice often prescribes medications to lower cholesterol without investigating why the cholesterol levels are elevated to begin with. High cholesterol is in itself a symptom rather than a cause. We need to look deeper, to what caused the elevation of cholesterol in the first place, which more often than not, is heavy metals. Consider the evidence. A national health and nutrition examination survey conducted in the United States over a 12 year period showed an alarming correlation between exposure to lead and unnatural death.

Published in the medical journal Circulation in 2006, the American study aimed at tracking what diseases people developed and why they died.4 Researchers measured the blood lead levels of 13,946 adults. They found subjects with levels significantly below the 10 micrograms/deciliter considered ‘safe’ by the government were at high risk of heart attack, stroke and death. Eliminating all other risk factors, (ie. cholesterol, high blood pressure, smoking, inflammation) researchers extrapolated blood lead levels of just 2 micrograms/deciliter increased the risk of death from all causes by 25% and the risk of death from heart disease by 55%. Further, subjects had an 89% increase in the risk of stroke, and a 151% jump in the risk of heart attack! 5 In other words, nearly 40 percent of all North Americans are estimated to have blood levels of lead high enough to cause these problems!

DETERMINING HEAVY METAL LOAD Health practitioners, either conventional medical doctors or naturopaths, can arrange for toxicology testing to determine heavy metal load and ability to deal with it at the cellular level. Screening tests are also readily available for at home use. The truth is, most of us do have even small levels of heavy metals, which slowly accumulate through routine exposure, be it food, water and air, amalgam fillings or routine vaccinations. The difference is how well your body can cope with them or has the capacity to eliminate them.

APPROACHES TO AID HEAVY METAL LOAD Choosing certified organic foods, limiting exposure to environmental pollutants, and opting for light-cured composite fillings rather than silver-mercury amalgam dental treatments will minimize contact with new toxins. To eliminate chronic or sub-acute toxicity, special measures must be taken. Since heavy metals form new chemical compounds within our body, they are not merely flushed out – they need to be carried out with the aid of chelators.

40 Healthy Directions April/May 2009

PDF

The term ‘chelation’ comes from the greek word ‘chele’ meaning claw. It refers to a process in which chemical elements "grab" or bind to heavy metals and carry them safely out of our body tissues via the kidneys. Chelation therapy is commonly known to be conducted intravenously, however, Health Canada has approved new products which can be taken orally. Bear in mind, however, that just as heavy metal toxicity is often a result of sustained exposure and accumulation, detoxification processes also take time.

The most effective means of treatment for accumulated heavy metal toxicity is a comprehensive approach with attention to your body pH balance, effective digestion and elimination capacities, and your emotional/mental tendencies. Probiotics, omega-3 fatty acids, trace minerals and betaine HCL assist with optimizing digestive/elimination functions while yoga, meditation, sauna and trampoline can aid in creating physiological and emotional balance to support overall health.

Whether you have an existing heart disease condition or not, whether you are taking a proactive approach to health or just looking to educate yourself, do not discount the very real impact of heavy metals. Heavy metals accumulate in our bodies and eat away at our well being – they weigh heavy on our hearts, literally! They need not weigh heavy on your mind though; through education and action you can take care of your heart, and take control of your health.

References: 1) Statistics are based on 2004 data, Statistics Canada, Causes of Death 2004. Released 2006.

2) Public Health Agency of Canada, Economic Burden of Illness in Canada, 1998. Released 2002 3) Robert Nash, MD; Chairman of the American Board of Clinical Metal Toxicology; author ‘Metals in Medicine, Alternative Therapies’, July/August 2005.

4) Menke A, Muntner P, Batuman V, Silbergeld EK, Guallar E. Blood lead below 0.48 micromol/L (10 microg/dL) and mortality among US adults. Circulation. 2006 Sep 26;114(13):1388-94.

5) Why Lead Poisoning May be Causing Your Health Problems’ by Dr. Mark H. MD 6) Health Canada website (www.hc-sc.gc.ca); Lead Information Package - Some Commonly Asked Questions About Lead and Human Health (value converted from milligrams/liter to micrograms/deciliter) 7) Nash D, Magder L, Lustberg M, Sherwin RW, Rubin RJ, Kaufmann RB, Silbergeld, Blood lead, blood pressure, and hypertension in perimenopausal and postmenopausal women. JAMA. 2003 Mar 26;289(12):1523-32.

8) www.healthlinkbc.ca Healthy Directions April/May 2009 41

FIT FOR LIFE

Absolutely, Great Abs Yes, You Can Get Great Abs!

By Brad Schoenfeld

1

CRUNCH

This is the standard more for targeting the upper abdominal region.

Begin by lying face up on the floor.

Keep your knees bent to the ground or draped over a bench and your hands folded across your chest. Slowly raise your shoulders up and forward toward your chest, shortening the length of your trunk. Feel a contraction in the abdominal muscles, and then slowly reverse direction, returning to the start position.

42 Healthy Directions April/May 2009

The abdominals are the showcase muscles of your physique. Because they reside in the center of your body, the abs are the first place that draws attention when you wear a bikini. Midriff shirts, crop tops, and similar garments are designed to flaunt this sensual area. For many women, however, a flat, toned stomach is elusive due to genetic factors.

Women tend to find the lower abdominal region extremely problematic. As I am sure you are aware, your menstrual cycle results in a significant amount of water retention each month. Your body adapts to this event by stretching the lower abs outward. Childbearing can further cause the area to spread. Because the lower portion of the rectus abdominis is much thinner than the upper portion, it can apply only limited resistance to nine months of distension. Therefore, the lower abs become soft and pliable, ultimately resulting in a slight pelvic bulge.

Despite these considerations, targeted bodysculpting can help you develop a great set of abs. Once you strip away abdominal body fat, it is rather easy to bring out detail in this region. With a dedicated routine, your midsection will readily take shape, achieving a toned, washboard appearance.

From “Sculpting Her Body Perfect” by Brad Schoenfeld. Copyright © 2008 by Human Kinetics Publishers, Inc. Excerpted by permission of Human Kinetics, Champaign, IL. Available to order from Human Kinetics Canada at www.HumanKinetics.com or by calling 1-800-465-7301.

FIT FOR LIFE

2

REVERSE CRUNCH

This is a terrific move for targting the lower abs. Begin by lying back on a flat surface. Curl your knees in toward your stomach and raise your butt as high as possible while keeping your upper back pressed to the surface. Contract your abs and then reverse direction, returning to the start position.

3

JACKKNIFE

Begin by lying on your left side with your feet together. Make a fist with your right hand and keep it pressed to your right ear.

Raise your torso toward your right leg as far as possible. Contract your oblique muscles, and then slowly reverse direction and return to the start position.

After performing the desired number of repititions on the right, repeat the exercise on the left.

Photos From “Sculpting Her Body Perfect” by Brad Schoenfeld.

Copyright © 2008 by Human Kinetics Publishers, Inc. Excerpted by permission of Human Kinetics, Champaign, IL.

Healthy Directions April/May 2009 43

Healthy Eating to Improve Digestion What’s in Your Lunch?

By Joel Thuna It never fails to get my head shaking, but I have relatives who sit down to festive, family dinners who eat a good portion of their body weight in fat, protein and carbohydrates. This scenario is played out several times a year, each and every year. It reminds me, often we are our own worst enemies.

Don't get me wrong. I will sit and enjoy a good meal with the best of them, fork for fork. The difference is that over the years I have learned, often painfully, what my limits and limitations are.

Digestion of foods is a marvellously intricate series of delicately balanced biochemical interactions. Food supplies the body with the raw nutrients necessary to maintain life, yet is virtually useless until acted upon by our digestive system's vast array of enzymes and chemicals.

To have a healthy and happy digestive system, you need to treat it with respect and care. Without intending to, you can quite easily upset this system, throwing it into disarray and causing countless hours, days and possibly years of discomfort and pain.

First off you have to watch what you eat. We all know to avoid any foods or ingredients we are allergic to. Make sure that your diet is balanced, that is, not too high in any one food group or food components (fat, starch, sugars, protein, etc). Eat ample fresh fruits, 44 Healthy Directions April/May 2009

vegetables, whole grains and drink plenty of clean water. Avoid digestive irritants, the foods which are known to upset our digestive systems. Some of the more common irritants are caffeine, alcohol and many over the counter (OTC) medications.

Spices are a double edged sword. On one hand, if you are not used to them they are irritants. However, if you use them in appropriate amounts (just below the amount you can handle) they can be digestive stimulants, helping you to digest better.

CHEW PROPERLY Most of us are so eager to finish eating, to get on to the next task, that we forget to chew. Chewing is vital to digestion. It breaks down our food into much smaller pieces increasing the surface area for our enzymes and gastric juices to work on. Essentially, it makes your disgestive system’s job easier.

EAT SMALLER MEALS Eating smaller meals, more often is better than eating fewer large meals. Eating smaller gives your body smaller doses of food it can handle without being overwhelmed. Eating smaller portions also helps regulate your blood sugar level and hunger.

EAT EARLY Try to avoid eating late at night. Just like the rest of your body, your digestive system uses sleep time to relax and get refreshed for the nest day. Eating late at night puts a stress on your digestion when it should be resting.

LIMIT SALT INTAKE Try to avoid processed food, they often contain excessively high amounts of salt. Try to avoid too much sodium in your diet as it throws many systems, including your digestive system out of balance. Instead of table salt, Celtic salt or sea salt (all high in sodium) look in health stores for alternative natural salts containing only half the sodium when compared to other salts but still taste exactly like salt.

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REDUCE SATURATED AND TRANS-FATS The North American diet is far too rich in fats that stress our digestive systems and lead to numerous diseases. Try switching from triacylglycerol (3-branched-fat-molecule) cooking and salad oils, such as, olive, sunflower, canola, safflower, coconut, soy and many others to diacylglycerol (2-branched-fat-molecules) oils. These 2-branched cooking and salad oils are far lower in saturated fat (less than 1/3 that of extra virgin olive oil), are cholesterol and transfat free, are easier for your body to digest and they naturally help to lower your cholesterol and body fat which also helps your digestive system.

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PROBIOTICS Take a probiotic supplement each day. Probiotics are healthy bacteria that protect your body from infection, and digestive disorders. Be sure to chose one that is clinically proven to work and does not require refrigeration (they are heartier and last longer).

INSOLUBLE FIBER Ensure the food you eat is high in insoluble fiber (the vast majority of fiber in food is insoluble). Insoluble fiber helps move food and waste through you, keeping your digestive system moving.

SOLUBLE FIBER

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Take a soluble fiber supplement each day. They are taste-free and can be mixed in anything, even water without any taste or texture. This type of fiber soothes your digestive system and protects it from irritation. Some specific types of soluble fibre, primarily those made from different types of inulin are also prebiotics, which nourish the healthy bacteria in your colon. Try gradually increase your intake to at least 35 grams of total fiber (soluble and insoluble in a ratio of 1:1) each and every day. To make life easier you can get your soluble fiber and probiotics now blended together in some supplements. Again, look for high fiber amounts and taste-free products.

HE ALT HE

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ENZYMES As we age, our production of digestive enzymes decreases. This natural process causes our grief today with the foods we had no problems eating as children or teens. By supplementing with a good vegan blend of enzymes (protease, lipase, amylase, cellulase and lactase) we are helping make up for any shortfall we may have.

I am a firm believer in giving your body systems periodic tune ups to allow them to function better. With digestion, I set aside one week a year where I trim my diet dramatically.

The week starts with water, tea and supplements. Then I gradually start eating but only very simple foods that are bland and very easy to digest. This gentle cleanse serves to flush some of the accumulated “junk� from my system, as well as, giving my digestive system a chance to slowly recover and work up to the difficult job of taking care of me day in and day out.

The most important recommendation for healthy digestion is to make concious decisions about what you eat and to take the time to enjoy fresh, healthy, flavour-rich foods. The act of enjoying your food, makes it easier to digest, and to enjoy life.

HEALTHESWEET ! CALORIE FREE SWEETENER MADE FROM NATURAL SOURCES :ERO GLYCEMIC INDEX MAKES IT PERFECT FOR DIABETICS AND A HEART HEALTHY DIET

HEALTHEOIL 4HE ½RST COOKING AND SALAD OIL THAT IS ACTUALLY HEALTHY 7ITH THE LOWEST TRIGLYCERIDE LEVEL IT IS THE ONLY OIL THAT IS TRULY GOOD FOR YOUR HEART

HEALTHESALT 7ITH ALL THE TASTE OF REGULAR TABLE SALT BUT ONLY HALF THE SODIUM FOR YOUR HEART HEALTHY DIET

WWW BE(EALTHE COM Healthy Directions April/May 2009 45

Make Your Own Lip Balms

Lip Lovers

By Kristin Fraser Cotte As the saying goes… you are what you eat!

Petroleum is the active ingredient in many “name brand” lip balms. It’s estimated that the average woman consumes over 1 pound of lip product per year, by eating, drinking and licking her lips. Do you really want to be ingesting a petroleum-based lip product?

There are many natural alternatives that make it possible to soothe, condition and heal chapped lips without the side effects of harsh ingredients.

SELECTING INGREDIENTS Whether you choose to try and make your own lip balm, or are looking for a natural lip balm to purchase, it’s important to pick proper ingredients. The first question to ponder when selecting ingredients is, “Would I eat that?” Many natural carrier oils, also referred to as vegetable oils or base oils, are derived from fruits and plants, such as, avocado, coconut or grape seed. Carrier oils have different grades, so it’s important to educate yourself on the differences between food grade, expeller-pressed, organic and solvent extracted carrier oils. Solvent extracting is a process that requires the use of chemical solvents to remove the oil from the plant or fruit. Even some food grade oils are solvent extracted, so look carefully into what types of oils the manufacturer uses. If you are seeking the most natural choice, expeller-pressed and organic oils are the purest form.

Basic Coconut Lip Balm 1 tsp. of beeswax 2 tsps. of coconut oil 1 vitamin E capsule (puncture and squeeze into mix) 2-3 drops of coconut essence or flavour oil Heat beeswax, coconut oil and vitamin E in a double boiler, water bath or in a glass measuring cup in the microwave. Then, mix in flavouring.

While warm, pour into tins, tubes or containers of your choice using a plastic transfer pipette.

46 Healthy Directions April/May 2009

A Long Lasting, Sweeter Kiss Vitamin E Acetate is an antioxidant and extends the shelf life of your product. Vitamin E oil gelatin capsules can be punctured and squeezed into the mix.

If you prefer a sweet lip balm, add some honey.

Oranges & Honey Lip Balm 1/2 tsp. beeswax 2 tsp. olive oil 1/2 tsp. cocoa butter 1/2 tsp. honey 3 drops orange essential oil 1 vitamin E capsule (puncture and squeeze into mix) Heat the beeswax, oil and cocoa butter in a double boiler, water bath or in a glass measuring cup in the microwave until beeswax is melted, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat and stir in the honey and essential oil. Pinch open the vitamin E capsule and squeeze the contents into the mixture. Stir well. While warm, pour into tins, tubes or containers of your choice using a plastic transfer pipette.

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Healthy Directions April/May 2009 47

THE PROCESS

An easy to follow ratio guide for creating a firm lip balm for a tube or tub, use a ratio of about 2:4 solids to liquids.

Solids meaning wax & butters, liquids meaning oils.

If the final product too thick, add more oils.

If too thin, add more solids.

Carrier oils are combined with waxes and butters to create the end product we see in tubes and tins. These waxes or butters need to be melted down to a liquid form before combining with your carrier oils. A double boiler can be used to do this, or a glass measuring cup (such as pyrex) with short bursts in the microwave. If it’s your first time making natural lip balm, the double boiler method may be best as you can keep a close watch on consistency and monitor the temperature as the wax melts. Once your waxes and butters have melted, you can mix in carrier oils, flavour or essential oils and package the balms into containers before it hardens. You can experiment with different carrier oils and ratios to create your own signature blend.

•20% Beeswax

FLAVOR & FRAGRANCE

Lip Balm Recipe Ratios

•25% solid at room temperature oil (Coconut Oil, Palm Oil, Shea Butter, Lanolin)

•15% brittle at room temperature oil (Cocoa Butter, Palm Kernel Oil)

•40% liquid oil at room temperature (Sweet Almond Oil, Olive Oil, Castor Oil, Avocado Oil)

Another great option for making natural lip balm is to purchase a lip balm base and add your own essential oil, flavour or keep it simply unscented. The lip balm base will need to be melted using the double boiler or microwave method in order to add flavor and package into a lip balm container or tube.

For safety precautions, essential oils should not exceed 0.3% of the total formulation. Flavour oils can be used safety up to 1% of the formulation. Many flavor oils are not 100% natural, but are a small percentage of the formulation and can provide more flavor options than essential oils. Look for flavor oils that are approved for use in lip care products.

Making your own products can be a fun, creative experience, but keep in mind it does take time, monitoring and caution. If you are attempting to make a balm from scratch, keep it simple with a short ingredient list and a small test batch. If you are purchasing a natural lip balm or lip balm base, always read the ingredients on the label carefully.

Just because you are shopping at a natural store, doesn’t mean you’ll always find 100% natural products. Many brands that claim to be “natural” use petroleum and other harsh ingredients in their products, especially balms containing SPF. Kristin Fraser Cotte founded The Grapeseed Co. in Santa Barbara, California. Kristin formulates organic skin care products from grape seeds, a byproduct of wine making. She writes the Green Skincare Blog and shares recipes, info and inspiration to green your beauty routine. http://thegrapeseedcompany.com http://greenskincareblog.com

48 Healthy Directions April/May 2009

AN AYURVEDIC APPROACH

What’s My Dosha?

By Deepak Chopra, M.D. Ayurveda is a 5,000-year-old healing system that focuses on the individual’s unique mind-body type. The first question Ayurvedic doctors ask is, “Who is my patient? What is this person’s essential nature?” They look for clues that will reveal the patient’s constitutional type or “dosha.”

Doshas are most easily thought of as mind-body principles that govern our style of thinking and behaving. Vata dosha, woven from the elements of space and air, regulates movement and change in our minds and bodies. Pitta dosha, comprised of fire and water, governs digestion and metabolism. Kapha dosha, made from earth and water, protects the integrity and structure of our mind and body.

PITTA: TRANSFORMATION AND METABOLISM

THE THREE PRIMARY MIND-BODY TYPES

KAPHA: STRUCTURE AND FLUIDITY

All three doshas are present in every cell, tissue, and organ – for movement, metabolism, and protection are essential components of life. What makes life interesting is that although everyone has all three doshas, each of us mixes them together in a unique way, which determines the distinctive qualities of our mind and body. To find out your own mind-body type, take the Dosha Quiz at www.doshaquiz.chopra.com

People with a predominance of Kapha in their nature are solid, reliable, contented souls. But when Kapha builds to excess, weight gain, fluid retention, and allergies manifest in the body. Excess Kapha in the mind manifests as resistance to change and stubbornness. People with an excess of Kapha tend to hold on to things, jobs, and relationships long after they’re no longer nourishing or necessary.

To lighten the heaviness of Kapha, get yourself moving and start exercising today. Eat lighter, spicy foods, and clear out accumulated clutter from your home or office.

The principles of Ayurveda are ancient and timeless. As you look at yourself and the world through this window, unconscious patterns will enter into your awareness. Once you know your innate tendencies, you can make better choices to support harmony in body and mind.

VATA: MOVEMENT AND CHANGE If Vata dosha predominates, movement and change are characteristic of your nature. You will tend to always be on the go, with an energetic and creative mind. As long as Vata is in balance, you will be lively and enthusiastic, with a lean body.

If excessive stress in your life leads to your Vata force becoming imbalanced, your activity will start to feel out of control. Your mind may race and you may experience anxiety and insomnia and digestive problems. If you notice these early symptoms of a Vata imbalance, slow down, take time to meditate, don’t skip meals, and get to bed earlier. A regular routine helps ground Vata; so, you’re not carried away into the ethers.

A healthy Pitta constitution results in strong appetites and strong digestion of both information and experience. When Pitta becomes imbalanced, heat begins to rise in the body and mind.

Heartburn, ulcers, hypertension, and inflammatory conditions reflect excessive accumulation of the fire element.

Mentally, too much Pitta manifests as irritability and anger.

These symptoms are signals to “chill.” Stop packing in too many things to do in too little time. Reduce your competitive activities, decrease your consumption of alcohol (fire water), and go for a walk in a natural setting.

Deepak Chopra is a best-selling author and co-founder of the Chopra Center for Wellbeing in Carlsbad, California. Deepak teaches the key practices of Ayurveda, yoga, and meditation. Call 888-736-6895 or visit chopra.com/renewal.

Healthy Directions April/May 2009 49

The Gentle Art of Ayurvedic Cleansing

By Matthew Remski Everyone should learn to do Ayurvedic enema, or basti. It is the simplest purification technique of the oldest naturopathic system in human culture. Most importantly, basti is the most powerful tool for soothing and calming the general force of movement, communication, impulse, and thought-patterning in your whole being – the force of vata dosha.

Basti lubricates and encourages the colon’s own self-cleansing intelligence, and, in the process, calms the physiological root of every fear, anxiety, and doubt you have about the stability of your very presence in this world – all by nourishing vata dosha.

Vata dosha is the conjunction of the subtlest elements – air and space – that gather at the cusp of the material world and blow forth into the infinite forms and functions of life. It is responsible for the fashioning of the body in the womb, the spacious cavernosa of the lungs, the blinking of your eyes, those delicate peristaltic stirrings that we call the “call of nature,” and the speed with which the mind connects ideas to each other or to actions.

50 Healthy Directions April/May 2009

When vata dosha is out of balance – and in this culture we can assume that it always is, between the speed of life, the coldness of social alienation, the brittle static of a billion cell phones and nothing to say, the dryness of forced-air heating, the stagnancy of our closed-systems glass buildings, and the pervasive fear that ripples through our politics, economy and ecology – we are vulnerable to gas and bloating, insomnia, chaos in appetite/menses/sex, loneliness, dissociation from nature, and the strange belief that the universe is not only failing to support us, but actually waging a war of attrition.

And where does this mysterious vata dosha ‘live’? According to Ayurveda: in the breath, the bones, the nerves, yes, but primarily within the colon – an open, spacious tunnel of absorptive genius that dries the stool as it extracts the subtlest energies of our food. In the ancient texts, the colon is said to be the root of the tree of health, the organ from which all other organs derive their nutrition and vital impulse, and the focal point for the health and balance of vata dosha.

In Ayurveda, the notion of cleansing is subtler. The body is not a tangle of tubing that needs a good scrape. It is, rather, a web of intelligent forces that can become forgetful of their inherent power or disorderly in their patterns.

Certainly enema may remove some adherent fecal matter, but its main purpose is to nurture the mucoidal secretions and flora that allow the colon to calmly sip the joy of life like the root that it is.

The colon is a very emotional organ, and when it gets into one of its “moods” (which is invariably a precursor to one of our own) digestive issues from opposite ends of the spectrum manifest.

LETTING EVERYTHING GO Anxiety and fear promote the dry and contractile bowel of constipation, which is not just an inability to let go of stool, but also an inability to let go of the past. Warmth and oiliness and love are required. Anger and aggression promote the overheated and dilatory bowel that moves too often because it is too impatient to digest life, and needs to rush onwards, propelled by its inflamed appetite to devour the next meal of dramatic experience. Bitter tastes, astringency, mung sprouts, and moonlight are all advised.

But in both cases, periodic basti therapy, in the comfort of your own home, in the proper season, after taking a simple cleansing diet for several days and fasting moderately, after warm self-massage with oil and gentle sweating, will press the reset button on the nervous system, and nurture the root of your digestion. You’ll also sleep deeper than you ever have before.

Specific instructions for basti – which will differentiate between amounts of liquid applied, herbs and oil type used, length of retention, time to administer, and number of repetitions – depend on constitution, age, season, health history, and presenting symptoms.

The value of Ayurveda, in basti as in all things, is in recognizing that your pathway to health is as unique as you are, and that the dovetail of training and self-awareness is the golden road.

Matthew Remski is a certified Ayurvedic Health Educator (advanced level) through the American Institute of Vedic Studies. He runs Canada's only Ayurvedic Health Education Certification programme, is co-director of Yoga Festival Toronto, teaches at the Canadian College of Naturopathic Medicine (CE), and is co-owner of Renaissance Yoga and Ayurveda in downtown Toronto. Matthew supervises a springtime yogic cleansing programme every April.

The K-W Yoga Centre Increase the strength and flexibility of your body and mind with the Iyengar System of Hatha Yoga. Ease the stress of daily living as you learn yoga postures designed to help you progress gradually to achieve the precise body alignment that will enable harmony and balance of body, mind & soul.

Q&A WHAT ARE DOSHAS? In Ayurveda philosophy, five fundamental elements exist in the universe: space, air, fire, water and earth.

These elements also make up the human mind-body.

While the combinations vary, three main mind-body principles govern our style of thinking and behaving called doshas. Each is a combination of two elements.

Vata dosha consists of space and air. Pitta dosha is a combination of fire and water.

Kapha dosha consists of water and earth.

Personality and physical traits help determine which doshas you are dominant in.

In Ayurveda symptoms of dosha imbalance can manifest as illness and be treated.

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Healthy Directions April/May 2009 51

Sick Again?

Try Infection Busters

IF YOU ARE FREQUENT VICTIM OF INFECTION OR DISEASE BETA GLUCANS, SELENIUM, ZINC AND N-ACETYL-L-CYSTEINE MAY HELP.

By Tom Stokes PhD Biochemistry, BSc No one wants to be sick, but we all get run down from time to time. Some of us seem to catch every bug that comes around while others seem forever healthy. What makes some of us more susceptible to infection?

The answer lies not only in our different life styles but also in the body’s immune response.

We all know that we should wash our hands frequently and keep them away from the face where the eyes, nose and mouth are entry points for infection. We also know that eating nutrient rich foods and getting regular 52 Healthy Directions April/May 2009

exercise is important. Stress can also predispose us to disease. Learning to relax is subjective; what is found stressful for one person may not be nearly so stressful for another.

What can we do if we do not always eat right, get regular exercise or are unable to relax? The answer is we can fortify the immune response by supplementing with beta glucans, selenium, zinc and N-acetyl-Lcysteine. These nutrients are essential for a strong immune response to fight disease and infection. As we age, our body’s ability to

fight pathogens deteriorates, this makes supplementing the immune response all the more important.

INFECTIONS AND BIRD FLU Paul Clayton PhD says in his article Bird Flu and Beta Glucans: The beta glucans’ ability to activate macrophages has been extensively tested and has been shown to protect animals, such as, mice against otherwise fatal infections. Trials have shown the same substantial protective effects in human infections also. Looking at the references above shows that most of the key studies had already been completed by the mid1990s; but the work was not thought to be commercial and was not developed for clinical use. Antibiotics still ruled the roost and were highly profitable for the drug companies, while yeast/fungi extracts were cheap and belonged to everybody. This meant that none of the drug companies were interested in investing in them.

The US Army, however, was taking careful note. Starting in the late 1980s, it ran an exhaustive test programme to measure the immuno-protective effects of beta glucans and over 100 other immuno-stimulants, and as recently as 2004 reported that the beta glucans were the most effective of them all. Not only did they protect against infection with bacteria and viruses, they also conferred protection against radiation injury.

PREVENTION AND DURATION The collective use of beta glucans, selenium, zinc and N-acetyl-L-cysteine can help prevent a cold or flu from taking hold in the first place and will lessen the severity and duration of a cold or flu if it does take hold.

These natural ingredients will strengthen your immune response to reduce the incidents and severity of a number of bacterial and viral infections including zoster, shingles, cold sores and herpes outbreaks. Those diagnosed with HIV are well advised to fortify their immune response with beta glucans, selenium, zinc and N-acetyl-L-cysteine.

This does not mean we should ignore the basics of washing our hands, exercising and eating well – add beta glucans, selenium, zinc and N-acetyl-L-cysteine to this routine to fortify the immune response and enjoy supreme health.

Tom Stokes, PhD Biochemistry, BSc. is a natural products researcher. For more information visit: www.therapeutx.info.

Mussel Power for Arthritis

By JE Croft Many natural therapies use particular parts of animals to treat a similar part on the human body. Yet shellfish, which obviously have no bones or joints, have been shown to possess amazing benefits in treating human joint and bone problems.

Research shows that an extract from the New Zealand green-lipped mussel Perna canaliculus is effective in relieving the symptoms of both rheumatoid and osteo forms of arthritis. These important studies used laboratory and clinical trials, and treated both human and animal subjects.

NATURAL ANTI-INFLAMMATORY PROPERTIES The New Zealand green-lipped mussel extract studied has natural antiinflammatory properties. It works at a low or moderate level which is more effective because it addresses the disease slowly and progressively and, equally important, does not create serious adverse side-effects. Most of the anti-inflammatory activity in the mussel extract is due to a carbohydrate complex, which has the ability to stop neutrophils and T-cells from emigrating from blood vessels.

This means that your immune system’s soldier cells (neutrophils and T-cells) won’t be able to escape from the bloodstream to mistakenly attack the body’s own cells when an inflammatory stimulus is present. Though the function of neutrophils and T-cells is vital for human survival to ward off invaders, they can “overshoot” requirements, creating inflammation where it’s not appropriate. Reducing their activity therefore helps to lessen inflammation, and reduce arthritis symptoms. This same mechanism is performed by some anti-inflammatory drugs.

NATURAL MINERAL SALTS AND GASTEO-PROTECTIVE In addition, because it is from the sea, mussel extract contains natural mineral salts that are soluble and easily absorbed by the body. Some of these minerals, such as, boron, manganese and copper are anti-inflammatory in their own right.

Some mussel extracts have also been found to have natural gastro-protective properties. This means that not only does it not damage the delicate stomach lining as some drugs do; it actually provides protection. Thus, the mussel extract is able to relieve the inflammatory symptoms associated with arthritis while protecting the stomach from the damaging effect of some pain relieving medications.

Mussel extract also naturally contains glycosaminoglycans, which is the name for a group of polysaccharides (complex sugars). Glycosaminoglycans are used by the body to create compounds called proteoglycans. The proteoglycans have a very strong affinity for water molecules in the joints, to which they bind, and form very large, slippery molecules. The function of these large molecules is to act as shock absorbers and also as lubricants in the joints. These glycosaminoglycans found in the mussel extract may also help to rebuild the body’s cartilage.

Mussel extract also works well in combination with other ingredients, particularly unhydrolyzed type II collagen, cetyl-myristoleate and hyaluronic acid. It is the combined effect of the natural bioactive components in these ingredients that provide anti-inflammatory activity, protection for joints, cartilage and stomach lining, and natural lubrication to reduce the degenerative processes in the joints.

JE Croft LRCS, MRSNZ, FRSH, is a Licenciate of the Royal Society of Chemistry (London, UK), a Member of the Royal Society of New Zealand, Fellow of the Royal Society of Health (London, UK), a published author, and specialist in marine-based natural therapy.

Healthy Directions April/May 2009 53

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Colon Cancer Check

Screening Saves Lives ONTARIO HAS AMONG THE HIGHEST RATES OF COLORECTAL CANCER IN THE WORLD AND IT IS THE SECOND MOST COMMON CAUSE OF CANCER DEATHS. IF OVER 50, SCREENING IS IMPORTANT, EVERY TWO YEARS.

By Verna Mai, Director of Screening Learn about colorectal cancer risks, and remember to discuss screening options with your family health care provider. Most often colorectal cancer has no symptoms until the disease is further along.

That’s why screening is so important.

Ontario has among the highest rates of colorectal cancer in the world and it is the second most common cause of cancer deaths, after lung cancer. In 2008, an estimated 8,000 Ontarians were diagnosed with colorectal cancer and 3,250 died from the disease.

Both men and women are affected. However, if detected early through regular screening, there is good chance that colorectal cancer can be caught early enough to be cured. Being screened for colorectal cancer could mean the difference between life and death.

It has been almost one year since the Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care (MOHLTC) and Cancer Care Ontario launched ColonCancerCheck (CCC), the first population-based colorectal cancer screening program in Canada. ColonCancerCheck recommends screening using a Fecal Occult Blood Test (FOBT), every two years, for average risk Ontarians 50 years of age and older.

For those individuals who are at increased risk of colorectal cancer (i.e. with a parent, sibling or child with colorectal cancer) having a colonoscopy starting at age 50, or 10 years earlier than the relative’s age at diagnosis, whichever comes first is best.

An FOBT is a simple test that you can do at home that screens for colorectal cancer by detecting invisible amounts of blood in the stool. You will need to take very small samples of your stool on three

different days, within a 10-day period, using a test kit. Once they have been collected, you send them to the laboratory for testing using the envelope provided in the kit. At the laboratory, a technician will look for blood in the stool. If the test is positive, you will need to have a colonoscopy. If it’s negative, the test should be repeated again in two years.

A positive FOBT does not mean that you have colorectal cancer, research shows that approximately 1 in 10 individuals with a positive FOBT will be found to have colorectal cancer after undergoing further investigation.

Since April 1, 2008, FOBT kits have been widely available from family doctors or nurse practitioners. If you don’t have a family health care provider, you can request a kit from your local pharmacist or through Telehealth Ontario at 1-866-797-0000.

Between April 1, 2008 and December 31, 2008, Ontarians completed approximately 250,000 ColonCancerCheck FOBT kits.

This is a great start, but still not enough Ontarians are getting screened. It is essential if you are over the age of 50, to talk to your family doctor or nurse practitioner about your colorectal health and your screening options. Regular screening for colorectal cancer saves lives.

For more information about the program, visit www.ColonCancerCheck.ca or call 1-866-410-5853.

Healthy Directions April/May 2009 55

ECO GIFTS

Make it a Green

Mother’s Day

By Lynn Colwell and Corey Colwell-Lipson This Mother’s Day, how about considering both of your moms – your human one and Mother Earth – and seek out ways to show them both you care by giving gifts from your hands and heart.

Since 150 million Mother’s Day cards are sold every year, let’s start there. Instead of purchasing a card that was most likely made from a virgin tree (or a portion thereof), look to alternatives. Even adults who consider themselves artistically challenged can create something beautiful, inventive and meaningful. After all, who can express your feelings toward your mom better than you? Young children are the leaders in handmade/homemade. We suggest you shed your inhibitions and your self-defeating ideas related to that fifth grade art teacher who said, “You can’t draw,” and try. Join a couple of kids, gather a few supplies and see what you come up with.

A card doesn’t have to be made from paper. But, if you do use it, search your house for cardboard, newspaper, magazines and other pre-used alternatives to newly purchased. Boxes of every shape can be re-purposed into “cards” that contain memorabilia, for instance.

In fact, almost any item can carry your loving message, from a hat (You’re head and shoulders above the rest!) to a tea cup (You’re my cup of tea). Let your imagination run wild!

When it comes to gifts, thoughtfully handmade gifts win over 56 Healthy Directions April/May 2009

store bought every time. Among the most simple, yet “charming” gifts are charms made from items most people discard. Think about your mom and what she enjoys, then collect small items that represent her, a hobby or work. For instance, a bottle cap from a favorite drink, a face from a broken watch, seed pods from an area where she takes her daily walks. Is she a teacher? Gather a few pencil stubs. Once you’ve gathered your items, make simple charms from them.

HOW TO MAKE A PERSONALIZED CHARM BRACELET FOR YOUR MOM Drill or punch a small hole somewhere at what will be the top of the item when it hangs. Feed a piece of wire through the hole.

Make a very small loop with one side of the wire. You may have to experiment a bit to get the loop the right size so that a chain or ribbon can slide through. Wrap the other side of the wire around the bottom of the loop a few times and trim with a wire cutter.

Congratulations, you’ve made a charm!

Now slide it onto a length of chain or ribbon, and write a sweet message explaining the meaning behind the gift. Another idea: make this idea a tradition by giving her a handmade charm each year.

CRAFTY, ECO-FRIENDLY IDEAS Here are a few other ideas for handmade gifts for mom that don’t assume you hold a PhD in crafting. Glue (using strong adhesive) a small teapot with flat sides to the front of a plate. When the glue is dry, run a ribbon around the teapot and make a bow at the top. Fill the teapot with flowers to hang on a wall.

All moms love family photographs. Glue pictures to the outside of a mug, then fill to the brim with organic brownies or whatever treat she craves and that you can make yourself. Find a copy of a favorite book at a garage sale or thrift store. Make a bookmark from family photos, inscribe the book, and wrap in a beautiful piece of fabric. If you’ve got a sense of humor (and she does too), it’s fun to write your own commentary or insert photos unexpectedly throughout the book.

Try your hand at cooking up some of her favorite candy, bread, or other “special treats.” Remember to present it beautifully.

Fill a small box or jar with strips of paper. The strips can contain uplifting quotes, jokes, or simply compliments. Suggest she pull one out whenever she’s feeling in need of a positive moment.

Another idea that costs neither your pocketbook nor the planet: gifts of talent. If you play the guitar, write her a song. Like to garden? Give her a gift certificate for a month’s worth of weeding. (Okay, not so much fun for you, but we guarantee she’ll love you for it.) Give her a coupon book filled with offers to do chores she considers onerous, such as, washing dishes, cleaning out the fridge, washing her car, etc.

Any mom will love these gifts that thoughtfully speak to who she really is, yet cost so little in time or money. And of course, your other mother, Mother Earth will be pleased as well.

Lynn Colwell and Corey Colwell-Lipson are mother and daughter and co-authors of “Celebrate Green! Creating Eco-Savvy Holidays, Celebrations and Traditions for the Whole Family,” available at www.CelebrateGreen.net. Photos ©2008 I-Candi Studios.

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Healthy Directions April/May 2009 57

The No-Till, Easy Way To Start Gardening

Grow Your Own Food

By Russell Scott As we explore our options to eating a healthier and more nutritious diet, some of us have noticed a co-relation between the high distances that food has traveled to our table and its low nutritional value. Thomas F Pawlick in his book The End of Food investigated this phenomena and discovered that tomatoes shipped to Canada, were bred with these characteristics in mind: yield, large size, firmness or resilience to damage in shipping, disease resistance, heat tolerance, uniformity in shape and ripening time.

The priorities were based on having the largest and most tomatoes that can travel the furthest, without getting diseased or damaged during transportation. He was appalled to find that nowhere on the list of priorities were two of the most important characteristics to consumers: taste and nutrition.

The Globe and Mail on July 6, 2002 published a series of articles by Andre Picard on food nutrition and the conclusion was stark: a dramatic decline (average 50%) in the nutritional value of 58 Healthy Directions April/May 2009

fruit and vegetables over the last 50 years. This decline coincided exactly with the rise of large corporate agri-businesses that shipped their cheaper cosmetically better looking, nutritionally deficient produce to us at great distance.

Fortunately over the last 10 years there has been a reaction to this with the slow food movement, the hundred-mile diet and community-supported organic agriculture. The philosophy is simple: when you buy local food, you reduce your carbon-footprint of transportation, you support the local economy and your food is fresher and more nutritious.

Many people however are taking this one step further, or should we say one step shorter, from the hundred-mile diet to the thirty-foot diet: growing their own food in their backyard. When you grow your own food, you can be absolutely certain that it is fresh, nutritious and pesticide free. This can be done fairly easily with a method of no-till gardening, part of a system of self-reliance called permaculture.

In the no-till method, a garden can be created without the laborious effort of double digging or using a roto-tiller to disturb the soil and having to pick and shake out the ensuing clumps of sod.

THE NO-TILL METHOD Start off by marking out the area for your garden with stakes and string. Start small.

Remove the packing tape, break apart and lay down cardboard (non-waxed) so that the ends overlap. Make sure that any holes or strips in the cardboard are covered with smaller pieces of cardboard.

This will prevent weeds from growing through.

Shovel onto the cardboard about 1” of screened topsoil. On top of the soil shovel about 2”-3” of compost. On top of the compost place about 4” of mulch. Straw is best (avoid hay) but shredded paper or leaves can also be used.

You can immediately plant vegetable seedlings into the garden by parting the mulch. Potatoes can be planted into the soil and as they grow you can just cover them with more mulch and they will grow amazingly well right into the mulch.

With this permaculture method, nature is doing most of the work, not you. The weeds and grass breakdown into the soil under the cardboard; the mulch retains moisture, prevents weed growth and turns to compost and the earthworms till the soil. The next spring the cardboard has dissolved into the soil and you have a wonderfully fertile weedless garden.

The consequences are immense. You have reduced: the control of agri-business over your food supply, your food expenses and your carbon-footprint on the planet and in return you get more exercise and healthier food. These are some pretty powerful benefits within 30 feet of your back porch. Start off this spring by being a real revolutionary. Plant some tomatoes!

Russell Scott is a personal counsellor, self-actualization facilitator and organizes ecological awareness workshops. Check out his website at: www.TrueSourceSeminars.com. Find out more about permaculture courses in “Self-Reliant Living!” E-mail info@TrueSourceSeminars.com and request your free copy of “Blueprint for Green Living”.

Suggested Reading: “The End of Food,” Thomas Pawlick; “Edible Action,” Sally Miller; “No Work Garden Book,” Ruth Stout.

NO WHERE TO GROW? Try container gardening or link up with a community garden in your area.

If there isn’t a community garden in your area, find out how to start one!

Healthy Directions April/May 2009 59

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How to Heal

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By Raisa Weisspapir HD, DHMS, MD (Europe) Irritable Bowel Syndrome is a very common disorder of the digestive tract. The pain, cramping and urgent trips to the washroom can disrupt your business and home activities. The bloating and gas can make anyone feel uncomfortable and embarrassed.

It is estimated that IBS affects more than 2 million Canadians.

April has been declared as Canadian Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) Awareness month. It has been estimated that IBS in Canada, costs about $352 million in direct and over $1 billion in indirect health care costs each year!

But the good news is there are natural ways to relieve symptoms and greatly improve the quality of life.

WHAT IS IRRITABLE BOWEL SYNDROME? Normally, food is propelled by rhythmic contractions of the muscles of the small and large intestines. However, these contractions may become arrhythmic and non-synchronized leading to abdominal discomfort.

62 Healthy Directions April/May 2009

SCHOOLS AND PRODUCTS SIGNS AND SYMPTOMS • Cramping pain in abdomen • Bloating and excessive gas • Diarrhea with abdominal pain, with foul-smelling stools • Urge to move your bowels on waking up or right after meals • Feeling of incomplete emptying after bowel movements • Mucus in your stool • Loud belching

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WHAT CAUSES IBS? The exact cause of IBS is still unknown. It is a combination of different factors: environmental, stress-related, sensitivity to specific foods (coffee, tea or fat), hormonal fluctuations, slow recovery after surgery or childbirth, infections, and frequent use of antibiotics or steroids.

HOW DOES STRESS AFFECT IBS? Research suggests both acute and chronic stresses (deadlines, exams, job interviews, financial concerns, time pressures, or family issues) can make symptoms worse, because of the nervous and chemical communication between the brain and the gut.

EASY TIPS • Chew slow and thoroughly • Eat small portions but frequently • Avoid ice-cold foods and drinks on an empty stomach • Limit the amount of water with your meals • Meditate • Exercise • Sleep well • Keep a daily journal to clarify the connection between your symptoms and life events.

HOMEOPATHY CAN HELP Homeopathy considers the whole person and treats the deep cause of the problem, rather than just a symptom. It’s greatly appreciated by adults and children.

Below are just a few examples of homeopathic remedies that can be successfully used. Remember, they work the best only if prescribed for each person individually.

Colocynthis is indicated for cutting pains, making the person bend double or press on the abdomen. Pain can be worse before the diarrhea, after eating fruits, or while being angry.

Nux vomica is indicated for abdominal pains accompanied by tension and irritability. Other uses are for constipation accompanied by frequent ineffectual urging to pass stool.

Podophyllum is indicated when abdominal pain is accompanied by rumbling and profuse watery diarrhea. Rubbing the abdomen helps to relieve discomfort.

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Healthy Directions April/May 2009 63

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64 Healthy Directions April/May 2009

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TRUE AWAKENING - May 29 to June 2 Experience the profound peace, inner strength and deep fulfillment of your True Nature. Let go of old beliefs and embrace the magnificence of who you really are.

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CREATE A GARDEN OF EDEN IN YOUR OWN BACKYARD - July 18 to 25 Plant knowledge, Organic food production, No-till gardening, Companion planting, Edible landscaping, Orcharding, Forest gardens, Natural building, Let nature do the work! The Fundamentals of Permaculture with Gregoire Lamoureaux. Early enrollment discount. Call now!

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EARTH TALK

Sequestration and Ocean Fertilization

Global Warming Solutions Dear EarthTalk:

What are some of the leading proposed technological fixes for staving off global warming? -- James Harris While most of the world fixates on how to reduce the amount of carbon dioxide (CO2) and other greenhouse gases we emit into the atmosphere, scientists and engineers around the world are busy working on various “geo-engineering” technologies – many of which are highly theoretical – to mitigate global warming and its effects.

Many scientists oppose using new technology to fix problems created by old technology, but others view it as a quick and relatively inexpensive way to solve vexing environmental problems.

One of the theories proposed for reducing global warming involves deflecting heat away from the Earth’s surface with solar shields or satellites with movable reflectors. Computer models suggest that blocking eight percent of the sun’s Earth-bound radiation would effectively counteract the warming effect of our CO2 pollution. The idea was inspired by the cooling effects of large volcanic eruptions – such as Mt. Pinatubo in 1991 – that blast sulphate particles into the stratosphere. These particles reflect part of the sun’s radiation back into space, reducing the amount of heat that reaches the atmosphere.

Another technological fix involves “sequestration,” the storage of CO2 either deep underground or deep in the ocean. Some of the nation’s largest utilities, which are also “washing” coal to filter out impurities, are working on ways to capture the CO2 they emit and store it miles below the Earth’s surface. Costs have been prohibitive, but new regulations could force the issue in the near term.

66 Healthy Directions April/May 2009

Another leading theory, “ocean fertilization,” entails scattering iron powder throughout the world’s seas, providing nutrients to boost the amount of phytoplankton that thrive in the water’s upper layers.

Through photosynthesis, these plants absorb CO2, which in theory stays with them when they die and fall to the ocean floor.

Yet another take on altering the seas for the sake of the climate, “engineered weathering,” entails replacing some of the oceans’ carbonic acid with hydrochloric acid. This, the theory goes, accelerates the underwater storage of CO2 otherwise destined for the atmosphere. According to Harvard Earth and Planetary Science Ph.D. Kurt Zenz House, engineered weathering “dramatically accelerates a cleaning process that nature herself uses for greenhouse gas accumulation.”

While the cost of many of these so-called “geo-engineering” fixes would not necessarily be prohibitive in light of the cost of transforming our global energy economy, the risks of unintended consequences weigh heavily on even the researchers proposing them. “Personally, as a citizen not a scientist, I don’t like geoengineering because of the high environmental risk,” Ken Caldeira, a researcher at California’s Carnegie Institution of Washington, told New Scientist. “It’s toying with poorly understood complex systems.” But he also wonders: “Is it better to let the Greenland ice sheet collapse and let the polar bears drown their way to extinction, or to spray some sulphur particles in the stratosphere?”

GOT AN ENVIRONMENTAL QUESTION? Send it to: EarthTalk, c/o E/The Environmental Magazine, P.O. Box 5098, Westport, CT 06881; submit it at: www.emagazine.com/earthtalk/thisweek/, or e-mail: earthtalk@emagazine.com. Read past columns at: www.emagazine.com/earthtalk/archives.php.

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Eco Events

Green Earth

HALTON ECO FESTIVAL

EARTH WEEK

WHEN: Saturday, April 18,

WHEN: April 18-26 WHERE: Canada Wide

2009, 9:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.

WHERE: Oakville, ON Glen Abbey Rec Centre on Third Line This is a free to attend, environmental family fair for sustainability at Oakville’s Glen Abbey Rec Centre.

• 90 trade show exhibitors • 20 educational speakers • supervised kids eco fun area • good food • celebrate Earth Day with us For more information visit: www.haltonecofest.ca

18TH ANNUAL OAKVILLE EARTH WEEK CLEAN-UP

Sign up as an Earth Day Canada Accredited Coordinator to organize an activity, event or project in your community.

We’ll provide the resources, tips and encouragement. You can help the environment and inspire others too.

For more information: Contact Name: Edwina Gu Website: www.earthday.ca Phone: 416-599-1991 x 114 E-mail: communications@ earthday.ca

WHEN: Sat. April 25th, 2009 WHERE: Oakville, ON

Help clean up 30+ nature sites throughout Oakville.

For more information: Contact: Stephen Dankowich Web: oakvillepeacecentre.org Phone: (905) 849-5501 E-mail: volunteer@ oakvillepeacecentre.org

GARDENING BASICS WHEN: Sat., May 2 to Sun.

May 3, 2009 WHERE: Toronto, ON

Toronto Botanical Garden Hands-on learning for those who want to garden, but don't know where to begin or for those who need a refresher on the basics. Marion Jarvie will start with the fundamentals – how and why plants grow, why compost is important, what you can do to avoid pests and disease and what are the best tools for the job. www.torontobotanicalgarden.ca Phone: 416-397-1362 E-mail: programs@ torontobotanicalgarden.ca

FOR A MORE COMPLETE LISTING OF ECO EVENTS VISIT WWW.PLANETFRIENDLY.NET

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Healthy Directions April/May 2009 69

The Art of Healing ARE YOU TAKING THE TIME YOU NEED TO HEAL?

By Dini Petty Although we refer to alternative therapies as the healing arts, we seldom focus on the art of healing. The first time I became aware of it was interviewing a family doctor many years ago who said, "We don't know how to heal. We seldom, if ever, take the time because we feel we never have the time."

When I asked for an example he explained that, "When you've been sick with a cold or flu and then that first day arrives when you feel like yourself again, you get up, get busy, do too much and push yourself too far. Instead, the first day that you feel like yourself again, go back to bed and rest because the healing has begun and encouraging healing is the best thing to do." This is perfect advice for a cold, flu and minor illness, and something I relate to, because like most of us, the moment I start feeling like my old self, I'm up and at it again. Most of us realize the truth of the old maxim, "Your health is everything," and when we lose our health, temporarily, long-term or terminally, then the art of healing takes a different path.

I've always been amazed at the number of people who say their cancer, heart attack, stroke etc. was the best thing that ever happened to them. It's hard to believe that so much suffering is often viewed as a gift, but for many the healing journey becomes a discovery of what really matters.

70 Healthy Directions April/May 2009

Like most of us when I encountered my own health set back, I went through the stages of denial, anger, bargaining, depression, acceptance and then into the healing art of it all. Fortunately mine is a temporary problem that has taken a year or so to completely deal with.

In that time I have used the resources of traditional and every type of alternative and spiritual healing that made sense to me.

Explaining the art of healing in mere words is a daunting task but I believe my friend Victor did it beautifully in a hand written birthday card he sent me recently. Victor is an artist who has been on his own difficult healing journey for some twelve years now and the fact that he is still alive mystifies the medical profession. These are his words: My prayer for you is first to Get...Have...and Hold the strength it will take for you to recover.

Don't feel guilty about taking time for you!

Spend your time doing all those things you've always wanted to do.

Read that book you never had time to or yes, even draw that picture.

Healing doesn't have to be all bad. It's like life, it's what you make of it.

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