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146 Oliver Rd. Campbellford, ON 705-653-5962
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from the publisher In our wellness section, we talk about what it means to have gratitude in your life, and there’s no better time than the holidays to start a new habit and practise being grateful every day. In our home for the holidays section, we feature local shops and services that offer delectable healthy, holiday products. Buy local this season!
Some of my favourite Christmas gifts over the years have not been expensive or trendy, but rather gifts where much thought had been put into their selection. A few years back, when I worked at Alliance Atlantis, my mentor, Samantha, gave me a collection of vintage typeset letters. Each letter was in a different font. She knew my love for all things “print related” (magazines, advertising, photography) and knew this gift would be something I would love. I keep them on my night table, and every time I look at them I think of her, and reminisce about my time there. Similarly, a few years ago when I was Christmas shopping in Prince Edward County, my son was getting fidgety and his sighing was loud and clear. Viola, the store owner, went to her desk, retrieved a little wooden rabbit and placed it in my son’s hand. His face lit up and he held the trinket all day. It meant something to him; perhaps it was the simple kindness of Viola, or the handcrafted detail of the piece. It now sits on his night table, and I still see him admiring it from time to time. Thoughtfulness is a simple gift in itself. It warms your heart, causes endorphins to flow, and gives you memories to cherish. Whether young or old, it’s good for the soul. And it’s something you’ll never regret doing.
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The holidays are also a time to unwind, relax and enjoy. However, with entertainment and Christmas lists to tackle, it can be a time of stress. In our mindfulness section, we talk to local resident teacher Kelsang Denpa, from Kuluta Buddhist Centre in Kingston. Denpa shows us how meditating can help you de-stress and centre your being, allowing you to find calmness and clarity in this busy season. This is our last issue for 2014, and we celebrate bringing in the New Year by welcoming another local contributor to our line-up of writers. Monica Hemstock recently published her first children’s book, and it is available in soft cover and digital format through Balboa Press, Amazon and Barnes & Noble. As we look ahead to 2015, we are excited to be renovating our digital platform, and increasing our magazine distribution. The best is yet to come!
Publisher l Editor Features Copy Editor
Lori Mitchell Sharon Harrison
Print Design
Nicole Lucas
Digital Design
Megan Lyons
Contributors Dr. David Suzuki
Debra Wilson
Dr. Natasha Turner
Cindy Fougere
Dr. Kristina Bennett
Barb Marshall
Dr. Andrea Sorichetti
Laurie White
Dr. Michelle Durkin
Angie Brammer
Monica Hemstock
Ann Preston
Kelsang Denpa
Andrea Bull
Sandie Sidsworth Dyan Perry Sharon Harrison
Barb Gormley Diane Dowling Sharon Coon
Alexandria Barker
Advertising Bay of Quinte & Greater Kingston 613.920.1232
Lori Mitchell hlnpublisher@ cogeco.ca
Natural Network 613.336.3363
Barb Marshall bjmarshall@ hotmail.com
Have a very happy and healthy holiday season. healthy living now is published quarterly by LoLa Communications. www.hlnow.ca
All rights reserved. No reproduction in any form is permitted without written permission of the Publisher. Material contained in this publication is intended to be of informational and educational interest. If you have medical condition, seek the advice, supervision and assistance of a qualified health care professional. Views and information expressed in editorials, articles and advertising are solely those of the individuals and professionals providing them, and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the Publisher or affiliates, and as such, the Publisher will not assume the responsibility for loss or damage arising, directly or indirectly, from the content provided.
{features} green living....................................... 8-9 Let’s slow down, for the sake of ourselves and our planet
wellness......................................... 10-17 Living a life of gratitude
healthy eating............................... 18-21 Get Lean – Five ways to boost your metabolism Winter health tips – a preventative health survival kit
home for the holidays................... 22-25 Delectable local products and services
farm to table................................. 26-29 fitness............................................ 30-33 At home fitness resolutions
products new and now................. 34-37 The hottest products this season
mindfulness................................... 38-39 Meditation for a healthy mind
family strategies............................ 40-43 Emotionally surviving Christmas 101
healthy pets.................................. 44-45 Animal physiotherapy and chiropractic
Special Feature Contributors Dr. Natasha Turner, N.D. is a naturopathic doctor and author of the bestselling books The Hormone Diet, The Supercharged Hormone Diet and The Carb Sensitivity Program. She’s also the founder of the Toronto-based Clear Medicine Wellness Boutique and a regular guest on The Dr. Oz Show, The Marilyn Denis Show and a regular contributor to healthy living now magazine. David Suzuki, Co-Founder of the David Suzuki Foundation, is an awardwinning scientist, environmentalist and broadcaster. Dr. Suzuki is a geneticist. He graduated from Amherst College (Massachusetts) with an Honours BA in Biology, followed by a Ph.D. in Zoology from the University of Chicago.
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green living
Let’s slow down, for the sake of ourselves and our planet Written by Dr. David Suzuki, the David Suzuki Foundation
The Amazon rainforest is magnificent. Watching programs about it, we’re amazed by brilliant parrots and toucans, tapirs, anacondas and jaguars. But you’ll be disappointed if you go there expecting to be overwhelmed by a dazzling blur of activity. The jungle has plenty of vegetation - hanging vines, enormous trees, bromeliads and more - and a cacophony of insects and frogs. But much of the activity goes on at night or high up in the canopy. Film coverage of tropical forests doesn’t accurately reflect the reality of the ecosystems. They’re skillfully edited shots acquired over many months. Our media-nurtured impatience and urgent sense of time often prevent us from seeing how life truly unfolds. Nature needs time to adjust and adapt to biosphere changes. After life appeared on Earth, atmospheric oxygen gradually went from zero to 20 percent, oceans appeared and disappeared, mountains thrust upward and then eroded, continents moved on tectonic plates, climate cycled between ice ages and warm intervals, magnetic poles reversed and re-reversed. Life flourished because species and ecosystems evolved over time.
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The fossil record also indicates periods of rapid change, including mass extinctions when up to 95 percent of living things were wiped out. Each time, survivors changed, adapted to new conditions and flourished. Still, recovery took millions of years. Humans have been around for a mere 150,000 years. We’re an infant species, but our precocity has allowed us to expand exponentially. Now our technological power and consumptive demand are undermining the planet’s life-support systems on a geologic scale. We’ve become impatient. We’re so demanding that we’re unwilling to slow down and ensure our major projects are sustainable for human society and the biosphere. Over the past century, we’ve burned increasing amounts of finite fossil fuels that were stored and compressed over millions of years, exacerbating conditions that lead to climate chaos. We’ve clear-cut vast tracts of forest that have evolved over millennia, flooded huge areas under large dams, depleted our oceans with over-efficient fishing technology and spread vast quantities of toxic waste throughout the planet’s air, water and soil. Governments rationalize these actions by claiming to do proper environmental assessments, but continue to impose restrictive time limits on assessment processes while reducing the number of scientists and other staff who do the work.
green living
It takes time to acquire scientific information, and it can’t always be done on a strict timetable.
announced they will withdraw their investments in fossil fuels, including the Alberta oil sands.
If we truly desire a sustainable society, we require vibrant and abundant nature. To recognize that nature isn’t separate from us and to fully understand how it provides critical services, we need patience to learn its secrets. We can’t survive, let alone be healthy and flourish, without clean air, clean water, clean soil and food, photosynthesis and biodiversity. But we’re overwhelming nature - and ourselves - with the incessant demands of our rampedup consumer culture.
With the Blue Dot Tour, the David Suzuki Foundation and I are hoping to encourage all Canadians to become part of this growing movement to protect the air, water, soil and biodiversity we and our children and grandchildren need to survive and be healthy. Like nature, social movements sometimes take time to evolve and unfold. We don’t always see their impacts as they happen. If we expect a dazzling blur of activity and immediate results, we’ll be disappointed.
Fortunately, people are starting to remember that we’re part of nature, and that what we do to the natural world, we do to ourselves. They’re taking notice of the drastic impacts we’re having on Earth, our only home, and demanding that we show more care.
Let’s slow down, breathe, listen, look and feel. Only then will we understand our place in the world, and what we must do to live well on this small blue dot spinning in an enormous universe.
On September 21, 2014 in New York, more than 300,000 people turned out for what was billed as the largest climate march ever, one of 2,646 marches in 162 countries. Leaders of some of the world’s largest corporations are calling for climate action and carbon pricing, and distancing themselves from organizations that have worked to stall progress. Even the heirs of the Rockefeller Standard Oil fortune
To be published in 2015, David Suzuki’s Letters To My Grandchildren offers grandfatherly advice combined with remarkable autobiographical stories. Drawing on his own experiences, he explores life’s deep questions and offers up a lifetime of wisdom, inspiring us all to live with courage, conviction, and passion as we learn from the past and look confidently into the future. You can get an exclusive digital advance letter from the book by signing up for Greystone Books’ newsletter at; www.davidsuzukibooks.com Or, buy an exclusive excerpt, and all proceeds go to support the David Suzuki Foundation.
Dreaming of a Green Christmas? Get tips and ideas at greenquinte.com
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wellness
Living a Life of Gratitude: Benefits of Keeping a Gratitude Journal Written by Sharon Harrison
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“If the only prayer you ever say in your entire life is thank you, it will be enough.” — Meister Eckhart It isn’t always easy to be grateful, or to feel gratitude on a daily basis. Many people are too busy or too stressed to recognize and acknowledge gratitude in their everyday lives. Life passes them by as routine fills their day. It is important to take the time to think about gratitude, although often the opportunity is not always recognized, and the chance to experience a grateful moment remains elusive. We won’t always feel happy in our everyday lives, nor should we. It is okay to feel down once in a while, and it wouldn’t be normal to feel happy every day. As with many things in life, it’s all about finding the right balance. It is easy to focus on the negative. We seem somehow programmed to focus on the unfavourable things in life. Our energy goes toward the bad, and it seems easier to complain about who annoyed us or what went wrong in the day. Many people will say they don’t have the time to be grateful. They do. We all do. All it takes is just two minutes. Take those few minutes to concentrate and think about gratitude: it will make you feel better about yourself, and it is certain to change your life. Write down three things you are grateful for today. It can be anything—there are no wrong choices. Anyone can choose to feel thankful, grateful or appreciative.
You don’t have to practice religion, or have any form of spirituality in your life. Any of us can, and should, be acknowledging the good in our lives, even if only at a most basic level. It’s about experiencing grateful moments, and more importantly, recognizing and seizing those moments. Remember: it’s about choice. We can choose to be grateful. We can choose to lead a life of gratitude. Just as we can choose to be positive. I first discovered this approach to gratitude about fifteen years ago while watching an episode of The Oprah Winfrey Show. Oprah spoke about keeping a gratitude journal – something she had first started in 1996, and apparently continues to this day. Every day, she writes down five things that make her feel grateful. Shortly after that show, and at a particularly difficult and stressful time in my own life, I bought myself a little notebook. The small, chunky spiral-bound notebook has cheerful daisies on the cover, and I keep it in my night table drawer. My gratefulness journey began in the summer of 2000, and I haven’t looked back. As a rule, I don’t journal. My gratitude journal contains lists of things I am grateful for: watching the full moon rising, hearing a favourite song, seeing the first snowflake of winter. My journal entries are sporadic, and I write when the moment captures me: it may be weekly or every few months. I write about what I am grateful for, but I also find it just as inspiring and helpful to go back and read the words I wrote over many years. I am grateful for that too. It also acts as a reminder, as some of those wonderful moments are easily forgotten, lost with the passage of time.
You can make a gratitude journal whatever you want it to be, but it is the act of writing something down that has the greatest impact, reinforcing our thoughts and reminding us what is important. Write down anything you are grateful for: white fluffy clouds, good health, or the special love you share with someone. Or it may be the kindness of a stranger, the encouragement from a friend or the cheerful chirping of a chickadee. Or eating blueberries. It can be simple and basic, or deep and intimate – it’s your choice. It is about focusing on what we have, not about what we don’t have. But why be grateful? Choosing to lead a life of gratitude, thankfulness and appreciation will almost certainly change you as a person. And, It will change your life. It will help you deal with day-to-day events and it will make you feel happier, more tolerant and more appreciative of all things, and all situations. It’s all about attitude: how we feel about things, how we deal with things, and how we respond to the challenges in our daily lives. Feeling grateful and practising gratitude on a regular basis is one thing, but expressing gratitude is important too. It may be as simple as saying thank you to someone who holds the door open for you, a smile for the restaurant server or a handwritten note to a special person. You don’t have to practise being grateful every day, but make it a habit. Be consistent. Pick a time that works for you, even if it’s only once a week, and allow yourself to be grateful on all levels. Feeling gratitude on a regular basis will bring you many things, but mostly it will bring balance to your life.
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wellness
Ask the Akashic Records Written by Alexandria Barker
Do you have burning questions about your life? Are you unsure what path to follow or which decisions to make? You can always call a psychic, and cross your fingers their predictions will be accurate. Or you can go directly to the source with a professional trained in Akashic Records reading. The Akashic Records have existed since the dawn of time. They contain the energy imprint of every thought, action, emotion, and experience that has ever occurred, including your soul’s Book of Knowledge, which is a record of all its experiences in all its lifetimes. Called ‘The Book of Life’ in the Bible, it is located in the astral plane. Everyone has their own unique Record. While it is possible to access your own through extensive preparation, many people prefer to work with a trained and experienced professional who can open their Records and access the information on their behalf.
In an Akashic Records reading, someone who has experience and expertise in working with the Akashic Records opens your Record so that you can receive information from it. An Akashic Records consultation can be extremely valuable, because it offers specific information that arises directly from your personal soul journey. This is not a psychic reading, but rather a deep journey into your soul. The Akashic Records allow you to enhance your present life, heal your past, learn your soul purpose and life lesson, and discover your past lives and future possibilities, and more. With the help of your Record, you can take a quantum leap in your personal and spiritual development. There are virtually no limits to what can be achieved through this process. The infinite wisdom held in the Akashic Records can help you understand the challenges you are facing.
It can give fresh insights into why your life is going a certain way, and shows you how to use that information to make lasting changes. Imagine the peace of mind you will achieve, knowing you are making informed choices that are in your best interests as you: • discover your hidden talents and gifts; • deal health issues; • discover your life purpose; • resolve relationship issues; • meet your spiritual guides/teachers; • make the best business decisions; • resolve blocks to your abundance. I am a certified Akashic Records consultant. I have received extensive specialized training that enables me to access your personal Akashic Record, with your permission. Now, you can access your Akashic Record, through me, in the convenience of your own home. Contact me at 613475-3867 for details.
Gift of Health October was Autism Awareness Month, and a reminder of the many health issues facing our precious children. As the holiday season approaches, consider the Gift of Health and Wellness and choices that offer hope for a better quality of life. Energy Wellness recognizes energy as a vital, living force determining much about our health and happiness. The body heals by activating its natural healing energies, restoring energies that have become weak, disturbed or out of balance. A Wellness Home is designed to integrate these healthy influences into your lifestyle; like a greenhouse with an optimal environment where the occupants thrive. -Laurie White 613-766-1699
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TESTIMONIALS for Ancient Healings at Eagle Hill Cherylann has extraordinary gifts of presence, wisdom and healing. The space of comfort, calm, loving care she creates in her therapy room, and the profound gift of her healing hands, heart and spirit create a unique experience of healing. I have never experienced a massage or a body wrap that helped me and my body heal, both physically and emotionally, with more safety and with more love. Knowing Cherylann makes an enormous difference to my life. Birgit Langwisch, Picton I was recently fortunate enough to receive a seaweed body wrap and Esalen massage at Ancient Healings at Eagle Hill from Cherylann Brant. I cannot say enough fantastic things about my experience. I have had massages from other places, but nothing comes close to my experience at Ancient Healings. I felt completely comfortable and, dare I say, I was able to totally relax. The kind and caring atmosphere at the spa, coupled with Cherylann’s knowledge in her field, gave me my best massage experience to date. I will absolutely return soon. Denise, Tyendinaga Ancient Healings at Eagle Hill is the place to be when life gets in the way. The peaceful and relaxing atmosphere, along with the caring and gentle hands of Cherylann can put anyone at ease. I would most definitely recommend this spa. Colleen, Tyendinaga Cherylann is a healer through her hands. Amazing energy work with the use of meditation and music. I consider her the best in the field, not just because she’s trained, but because she utilizes her own spiritual knowing. She’s the bomb! Louise, Akwesasne
Stacey’s Face Painting Bringing smiles to children’s faces in Belleville and surrounding areas.
Ancient Healings Contact: Cherylann Brant 613-396-3600
Book your birthday party or special event today!
613-438-0152
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wellness
Want to Prevent Diabetes? Get this blood test with your naturopathic doctor Written by Dr. Michelle Durkin, ND, Quinte Naturopathic Centre
Diabetes is a chronic disease that nobody wants, but few people take seriously when it comes to prevention. How many times have you caught yourself saying, “that won’t happen to me, my bloodwork is always normal?” Many people have been led to believe that unless your fasting blood sugar is abnormal, you don’t have anything to worry about. Unfortunately, fasting blood sugar is only one marker that could be abnormal, and there are other early warning signs that become abnormal, even years before your blood sugar does. So what are these other markers? Here are the most important ones that I check regularly:
•
C-reactive protein (a marker of inflammation): There is mounting evidence indicating the role of inflammation plays in the development and continuation of pre-diabetes and diabetes. A study in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) found that people with a high C-reactive protein have a 1700 percent increased probability of developing diabetes.
•
Triglycerides (a type of lipid in your blood): When you eat, the body converts any calories it is not going to use right away into triglycerides. These triglycerides are then stored in your fat cells. Whenever someone has high levels of triglycerides it is usually an indicator that they are eating too much sugar or empty calories.
•
Hemoglobin A1C (a marker of how much sugar is attaching to your hemoglobin): This marker can often be abnormal, even if the fasting blood sugar is normal, because it reflects how much sugar has been in your blood in the last three months.
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All of these markers are part of the pre-screening blood work that I recommend for participants of my Eat Real Food Academy. I repeat the measurements one month after changing their diets to what I call “real food.” Participants typically will see a 50 percent improvement in their blood work in just one month. Now that’s what I call preventative medicine. Quinte Naturopathic Centre 173 Church St. Belleville, ON Dr. Michelle Durkin,ND & Associates www.quintenc.ca 613-966-9660
Join the Eat Real Food Academy
It is a 30-day, medicallysupervised group program, designed around one primary goal, helping you to take charge of your physical and mental health using food as medicine. If you are dissatisfied with your health and know how you really want to feel, we can give you the plan and support you need. See our website for more information today. www.quintenc.ca/erfa-sign-uppage/
wellness
Treatment Options for Tinnitus, Young and Old Written by Debra Wilson, M. Cl. Sc. Aud C., Registered CASLPO
It won’t be long until the holiday season is upon us. The sounds of bells - jingle bells, sleigh bells, hand bells and church bells - will fill the air. With all this ringing, it seems an appropriate time to discuss tinnitus. Tinnitus is a perception of sound in absence of an outside source. It often takes the form of ringing, but experiences of buzzing, whistling, cricket sounds, hissing and roaring are commonly described. It can be continuous, intermittent or pulsing, in one ear or both, or localized to the head. Loudness and pitch can vary from time-to-time or it can be constant. Anything that disrupts the normal functioning of the ear can trigger tinnitus. The long list of possible causes includes wax impaction, ear and sinus infections, head injury, some medications, jaw misalignment, ear diseases such as Meniere’s disease, fatigue, stress and, in rare cases, certain types of tumours. The most common cause of tinnitus is hearing loss, often due to aging, or noise exposure. Most people will experience short-lived tinnitus at some point in their lives, for example after a loud concert. There are some people who have normal hearing and also experience tinnitus.
I have had constant tinnitus in both ears for the last 30 years. It was acquired as a child and although I hear it every day, I am not bothered by it. Much like the majority of my clients, my tinnitus is noticeable in quiet situations and easily ignored when I’m preoccupied. The Tinnitus Association of Canada reports that 360,000 Canadians have some form of “annoying tinnitus,” with 150,000 reporting that it affects their daily lifestyle. Among the debilitating side effects are sleep disturbances, annoyance, stress, difficulty concentrating, anxiety and depression. While there is no cure for tinnitus, there are a number of treatment options, including medications to reduce severity, or to decrease anxiety. Ear level tinnitus masking devices, apps for your smartphone or bedside maskers can make the tinnitus less noticeable by covering it with an external sound source.
For those people with hearing loss, hearing aids are quite successful for reducing tinnitus as they provide sound stimulation for the brain and a masking effect by increasing the volume of speech and other environmental sounds. Some hearing aids can be programmed with a tinnitus masking option. If you experience tinnitus, it is important to discuss this with your physician. A hearing test will help to determine a cause. When exposed to excessive noise situations, always wear hearing protection to help prevent both hearing loss and tinnitus.
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wellness There are a wide number of essential oils available, each with its own healing properties. Here are a few examples:
What is Aromatherapy?
CEDARWOOD is often used as a calming agent to help alleviate stress and anxiety. It provides a spiritual lift. It also plays a role in aiding respiratory problems as well as skin issues and urinary tract infections.
Aromatherapy is the practice of using the natural oils extracted from flowers, bark, stems, leaves, roots or other parts of a plant to enhance psychological and physical wellbeing.
CHAMOMILE is a powerful calming agent, as well as antibiotic, antiseptic, antidepressant and overall mood lifter. Chamomile can battle inflammation, specifically urinary tract and digestive inflammation and acne. EUCALYPTUS is a powerful treatment against respiratory issues. It is used as an antiseptic, antispasmodic, decongestant, diuretic and stimulant. It also has cooling properties, which helps with muscle aches and pains. It also helps fight migraines and fevers.
The inhaled aroma from these “essential” oils is widely believed to stimulate brain function. Essential oils can also be absorbed through the skin, where they travel through the bloodstream and can promote whole-body healing.
JASMINE has been known to ease depression and
childbirth, in addition to enhance libido. It’s great for respiratory problems, addiction issues, and reducing tension and stress.
LEMON oil helps with everything from skin irritation
to digestion to circulation problems. It is a natural immunity booster and can even help reduce cellulite! Lemon oil helps to alleviate headaches and fever, and is a quick mood enhancer.
A form of alternative medicine, aromatherapy is gaining momentum. It is used for a variety of applications, including pain relief, mood enhancement and increased cognitive function.
PEPPERMINT oil has a number of therapeutic properties. It is a cooling agent that enhances mood, sharpens focus, combats irritation and redness, alleviates symptoms of congestion, and aids in digestion. *Before using essential oils consult your doctor to discuss possible side effects
Considering New Hearing Aids? Ask the expert Written by Northumberland Hearing Centres
Can hearing aids help me hear better?
There are many misconceptions, such as the notion that people can pop in a hearing aid and automatically adjust, not so. People are more likely to be disturbed by the “foreign sounds” at first, and overwhelmed by the change. The brain is the key to hearing better over a period of time as the brain needs to adjust and in some cases re-learn some of the missing sounds. So YES hearing aids can help you hear better.
Why are hearing aids so expensive?
Not all hearing aids are expensive. First and foremost like other medical devices, certain models are prescribed for different reasons. For patients who lead a more active lifestyle, who are in more demanding social environments, have difficulty hearing in background noise or prefer to listen to music with premium sound, then these devices typically cost more. On the other hand, if a patient’s lifestyle is based around the home environment and on one-on-one conversation, hearing aids can cost as little as $900 a pair*.
Why do you keep seeing hearing aids advertised for as low as $200? Many clinics are attempting to gather new patients through low-cost marketing techniques, and therefore they will advertise at ridiculously low prices to attract potential patients into their clinic.
Before purchasing, I recommend you ask yourself these simple questions:
Is the clinic reputable? Are they trusting? Are they sincere about your needs, or are they trying to sell you any hearing aid? Are they open every day if you have a problem? Are the support staff knowledgeable and helpful? Is the company locally owned and operated, or is it a chain? Finally, don’t be fooled by price and price alone! * After gov’t funding
• Complimentary Hearing Tests* • Digital Hearing Aids • Hearing Aid Consultations • Bluetooth Technology Experts • New Tinnitus Masker Hearing Aids No Referral Necessary • New Patients Welcome Toll Free 1.866.377.1797 16
*18 yrs older, contact clinic for details
Cobourg Brighton Campbellford
Toll Free 1.866.377.1797
Picton
Small and discreet
northumberlandhearing.ca
Trenton
wellness
Aquatic Massage Now there’s a concept. How does the oil stay put? Well, first of all there is no oil. Secondly, it is unlike any other therapy you have ever tried. As you lie back in warm water, supported by float bands on your legs, a pool noodle and the therapist, the warmth of the water encourages relaxation. Movement begins as the therapist gently stretches and turns your body. This slow, gentle movement triggers a deep relaxation allowing muscles to lengthen, joints to open and holding patterns within the body to unwind in ways that are simply not possible on land. Since the only resistance is provided by the water, rather than a table or the floor, there can be no ‘forcing’ a movement, or painful deep pressure that can be a problem with land-based therapies. This makes it a perfect therapy for conditions such as fibromyalgia and arthritis, which can be easily overworked. Painful joints are released from the pressures of gravity, allowing more movement. The warmth and fluid support of the water, relieves anxiety, easing symptoms such as insomnia. Most people experience the treatment as a ‘slow, gentle and timeless movement with a deep physical and psychological relaxation’. What’s not to love about that? Angie Brammer R.M.T. practises aquatic massage in Kingston. For more information contact New Horizons Therapy Centre at 613-549-5975.
To Cleanse or Not to Cleanse Written by Andrea Bull. Your Family Naturopath
Will you have the post-Christmas blahs? Will you have an overall “yuck” feeling from overindulging? Cleansing or ‘detoxing’ is the second most popular New Year’s resolution compared with signing up for a gym membership. However, most of us are completely unaware of the many ways to cleanse and detox. Did you know there are gut cleanses, liver cleanses, gut and liver combinations cleanses, detoxing and drainage?
Some involve changing your diet, some are homeopathic, some are botanical and some use nutraceuticals, while others use a combination of diet and natural medication. So how do you know which one you should choose? When we don’t feel well, we are often desperate to do something about it. We start by going to the local health food stores. We end up taking the advice of the sales associate at the local health food store, fitness trainer, nurse practitioners, medical doctors, co-workers, friends, and neighbours.
This is when most people get into trouble, and end up doing more damage and feeling worse than they did before the cleanse. Naturopathic doctors are experts in determining which cleanse or detox is right for you, or even if you require a cleanse at all. They are the only health professionals trained in homeopathy, botanicals, nutraceuticals, and nutrition, with medical knowledge of our body and physiology. Our gut is a very delicate ecosystem; if we upset this delicate balance, we could be doing more harm than good.
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Get Lean - Five ways to boost your metabolism in 2015 Written by Dr. Natasha Turner, ND. As seen on the Dr. Oz show!
1. Choose thermogenic foods
While they sound high-tech and scientific, thermic - or thermogenic foods literally heat you up and speed up your metabolism in a process called thermogenesis. The thermic effect happens as your body burns calories by digesting and absorbing the food you’ve just eaten. The very act of eating stimulates your metabolism. This is especially true when you eat protein, which has the highest thermic effect of any food group. The typical thermic effect of protein is 20-35 percent of energy consumed. For carbs, this number usually falls between five and 15 percent.
Feeling sluggish after the holidays? Your metabolism might need a boost to help expel those built-up toxins. Increase your energy level with these five tips for boosting your body’s thermogenic rate:
Bottom line: If you’re looking for ways to boost your level of thermogenesis, opt for cruciferous vegetables such as broccoli and other greens that burn calories during the digestion process. Spices and condiments such as cayenne, mustard and even hot salsa will also keep your metabolism revving.
HEARING SERVICES Carrying on Tim's name with pride. 18
I’ve mentioned the importance of this before, but it definitely deserves a spot in your New Year’s resolution plan. Eating at the same time every day, and at regular intervals, will keep your metabolism running like a well-oiled machine. In fact, one study found that the thermic effect of food decreased after an irregular meal pattern - even in healthy, lean women. The great news is that shedding a few pounds will help increase the thermic effect of food (basically how many calories you burn) in processing each meal. Irregular meal frequency has been shown to increase insulin resistance and produce higher fasting lipid (aka cholesterol) profiles. Bottom line: I recommend eating every three to four hours, to include three meals and two snacks daily.
A recent study also found that ginger enhances the thermic effect of food and promotes feelings of fullness in overweight men. Similarly, eating whole foods encourages a 50 percent higher thermic effect than processed foods, meaning you’ll boost your metabolism by opting for these healthier options.
TIM DAVIDSON
Registered ADP, WSIB, DVA
2. Keep to a regular schedule
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healthy eating 3. Learn to increase your thermic effect in the gym
Another metabolic benefit of protein is that it helps to metabolically support active muscle growth, especially if you are strength training. Essentially, this means strength training can increase the thermic effect. A study published in the Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise Journal found the thermic effect of the same meal was 73 percent greater after even just a single bout of resistance training. This certainly helps to illustrate why strength training is so important for optimal calorie burning. Those who do regular cardio, and in turn have a high aerobic capacity (known as VO2 max), burn more calories after eating, particularly after consuming a large meal, than individuals with a low VO2 max. The great news is that shedding a few pounds will help increase the thermic effect of food (basically how many calories you burn) in processing each meal. Bottom line: Keep this in mind if you have more muscle, your resting metabolic rate will be higher, which means you burn more calories. So get in your protein and your workouts.
4. Boost your internal thermostat
The thyroid controls the metabolic rate of every single cell in the body and also maintains body temperature. Without enough thyroid hormone, all our bodily functions will slow down. We feel tired and lethargic, gain weight, experience constipation, feel cold and are prone to depression. Nutritional deficiencies may prevent the proper function of thyroid hormone in the body. Iodine and tyrosine are necessary for the formation of thyroid hormone, while selenium is necessary for the normal function of the thyroid. Many individuals with decreased thyroid hormone levels also have a zinc deficiency. Both low iron and low vitamin D will contribute to reduced thyroid levels as well. Bottom line: Ensure you’re taking a comprehensive multivitamin daily to avoid any deficiencies. You may also want to top up your levels of tyrosine (500-1000 mg/day, however avoid this if you have high blood pressure), vitamin D (4,000-5,000 IU with breakfast) and zinc (15 mg/ day), especially in the winter.
5. Keep your liver happy
While muscle is your primary fatburning tissue, your liver is the master fat-burning organ. Compromised liver function not only interferes with the body’s ability to burn fat, but it also hinders the elimination of toxins. Bottom line: To keep your liver healthy be sure to get in eight glasses of water a day (preferably from an alkaline filter), adding freshly squeezed lemon for a cleansing effect and a dash of cayenne pepper for an enhanced thermic effect. You can also add a liver support product from your health food store that includes any combination of these nutrients: artichoke extract, milk thistle, cysteine, methionine, curcumin and N-Acetyl-Cysteine (NAC). Since both alcohol and many medications, such as Tylenol, are processed through the liver, keep these to a minimum where possible.
Of course, following the above points as well as eating well-balanced, high protein meals at regular intervals will also keep things running smoothly.
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healthy eating
Winter Health Tips: A Preventative Health Survival Kit Written by Dr. Natasha Turner, N.D. As seen on Dr. Oz!
With the holidays upon us, getting sick, stressed, injured or fatigued is probably the very last thing you’ve got time for. That’s why I have created a handy winter survival kit that will have you sailing through the season in optimal health. Print this out and post it somewhere so the entire family can see it.
1. Prevent colds and flus
• Take a good quality multivitamin and 2,000–5,000 IU vitamin D daily with food • Consume protein at every meal and snack • Eat two servings of low-glycemic fruits per day (ensure one is berries) • Consume half cup plain yogurt (preferably organic) daily, or two probiotics every morning upon rising
8. Improve your skin care
4. Beat anxiety or nervousness
• Take four drops of Rescue Remedy under your tongue, as needed • Take a high quality B-complex supplement once or twice daily • If you feel stressed and wired all day, take two capsules of Relora at night before bed, and one in the morning
5. Prevent over-training and aid recovery after exercise 2. Treat a cold
• Take 500–1000mg of vitamin C every few hours along with 1–2 tablets of echinacea or 2–4 drops of oregano oil under your tongue (be sure to chase this with water) • Rest. Stay home, sleep and allow your body time to recover • Put on wet socks on and go to bed (this is not just an old wives’ tale, it really works!) • Take two probiotic capsules upon rising, and two in the evening, on an empty stomach • Boost your vitamin D by taking 25,000–30,000IU, for three days only • Drink plenty of fluids—water, herbal teas, or pure juices with no sugar added (diluted half with water)
3. Fight poor concentration and focus • Take three capsules, or one teaspoon, of fish oil twice daily with food (must be kept in fridge if you purchase a liquid) • Take 2,000-4,000mg of B12 daily, either with or without food. Look for the terms “hydroxocobalamin” or “methylcobalamin” on the back of the label for best absorption 20
• Drink a whey-protein shake one or two times daily. Whey maintains muscle, aids immunity, and improves recovery after exercise • Use half to one scoop of a sugarfree post-workout drink with plenty of antioxidants in your water after each strength training or endurance workout
6. Treat bumps, bruises and injuries • Apply an arnica cream topically. I like Traumeel - it’s excellent for bumps, bruises, swelling, stiffness, and soreness, and also comes in tablet form
7. Stamp out acne breakouts
• Eliminate the following foods from your diet for three weeks to see if it helps improve your skin: dairy products (milk, yogurt, cheese, sour cream); sugar (pop, candies, muffins, pastries, etc); caffeine in the form of teas, coffee, and energy drinks • Drink plenty of water each day • Make sure you’re having a bowel movement each day. If not, use the remedies for constipation listed below
• Opt for organic or naturally-based products • My favourite brands include Burt’s Bees, Korres, Juice Beauty, and Naturopathica • Look for natural products free of methylparabens, propyl parabens, formaldehyde, imidazolidinyl urea, methylisothiazolinone, propylene glycol, paraffin, isopropyl alcohol, and sodium lauryl sulphate
9. If you drink alcohol, reduce the adverse effects
• Take a B-complex supplement with 1mg folic acid—one before drinking alcohol, and one after • Water, water, water, water, water!
10. Prevent constipation (less than one bowel movement each day)
• Add two tablespoons of ground flaxseeds to your diet daily, in smoothies or yogurt • Take a probiotic - two capsules on rising each morning, and two immediately before bed • Increase your intake of high-fibre foods such as fruits, vegetables, beans, and whole grains, and reduce your intake of binding foods such as cheese and bananas • Take a non-psyllium fibre supplement, once or twice daily, in a large glass of water • Drink plenty of water- two to three litres- each day • Add extra vitamin C and magnesium glycinate to improve bowel tolerance if things do not “get moving”
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home for the holidays
The River Bakery Café & Patio Season’s Greetings Breakfast, Lunch and Desserts Cookies, Tarts, Squares and more! Serving Breakfast, Lunch and Take Away Meals Come in and try our Weekend Brunch Specials! Thurs, Fri & Sat 8:00am to 4:00pm Sunday 10:00am to 4:00pm Come see our new menu: vegetarian-friendly Large groups please call ahead Holiday Platters Available Sunday 10:00am to 3:00pm Hours may vary as season gets busier. 11 Concession St. South Tamworth, ON 613.379.2972
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Eurkwoods
The No Grainer Baker
Is Our Food Healthy?
Helping You Go No Grain
Now that all the crops are harvested, do you know which ones are nonGMO?
It will be two years this fall since my cookbook, ‘The No Grainer Baker’ was released, and I have been overwhelmed with the number of books sold.
GMO stands for Genetically Modified Organisms. In Canada there is no requirement to label foods that contain GMO ingredients. Over 75% of our packaged foods contain GMO ingredients. These are basically crops that have been genetically modified to fight disease and pests. The most prevalent GMO foods are corn, sugar beets, soy, zucchini, yellow summer squash, eggs, milk, meat and canola. Look for non-GMO or organic food labels on products to eat healthier. You can obtain more information at www.nongmoproject.org
So many people now want to try a healthier way of eating, and many are looking for help to do it. Because of this, I continued to experiment with new recipes, and I am pleased to say I will be coming out with an expanded version of ‘The No Grainer Baker’ this coming season. I will be adding twenty new recipes as well as more photographs to make eating no-grain a no- brainer. A great gift idea! www.thenograinerbaker.com
The No Grainer Baker second edition is available with 20 new recipes. With new muffin recipes, a pizza crust that is to die for, grainless granola, banana bread, a sensational lemon loaf and more, you won‘t believe grain-free can taste so good and be so healthy!
One-stop shopping for all your health care needs and groceries... For over 30 years, Sigrid’s Natural Foods in Kingston has supplied customers with a variety of services, personal care items, bulk foods, gluten-free foods, supplements and health and wellness products, all complimented with a professional and knowledgeable staff, ready to assist when necessary. Soon, owner Mathew Baccari, will have more information on a long- awaited expansion in his present location, to offer an increased grocery line, farm fresh local produce in season and much more. Sigrid’s Natural Foods is proud to support local growers and agriculture by promoting eating local and buying local. “Going forward, we would like to thank our customers for their patronage over the years, and welcome everyone to come grow with us.” Watch for more information in the near future and find them on Facebook and Twitter.
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home for the holidays
Therapeutic diffusing necklaces and car diffusers, for use with essential oils or any other scent you love. Enjoy aromatic benefits for days while a portion of proceeds goes towards helping someone you love. Join us Tuesday evenings for weekly items up for grabs. See our Facebook page for details.
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home for the holiday
The Village Green. An Awesome Gift Store. We believe in treading lightly on the earth so offer cleaners, soaps and lotions from organic and natural sources, locally-produced foods, household goods (candles, soaps) and unique gifts. We also have funky, cool, vintage items (depression glass, type drawers). Shop here for items you can’t find in the big box stores. Gifts that mean something, and show people you care.
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farm to table
Local Food Needs Local Seed Written by Dianne Dowling, President, Local 316, National Farmers’ Union
A sustainable, self-reliant local food system needs locally-adapted and locally-available seed. Otherwise, we are dependent upon individuals and corporations to provide us with the essential beginning point of almost all of our food. Increasingly, we are being offered seeds that have characteristics we may not want or need, and that may not grow well in our local climate or soil. The Bauta Family Initiative on Canadian Seed Security lays out several reasons why people should be concerned about seeds: a. nine out of every ten bites of food begin with seed, so seed security is food security; b. globally, we have lost 75 percent of agricultural biodiversity in the last 100 years; c. 75 percent of the world’s food is derived from only 12 plant and five animal species; and d. due to corporate consolidation in the seed industry, three companies now control 53 percent of the global commercial seed market. The top ten seed companies account for 75 percent. Fortunately, throughout Ontario and Canada, there is a growing movement of people saving seeds at a personal and at a farm level, and sharing them with others in their region.
(Kingston, Frontenac and Lennox-Addington Counties)
One such project is the Kingston Area Seed Saving Initiative (KASSI). Started in 2011with four women committed to seed-saving and to building the local seed system. Eventually, this group became a working board of seven people, plus volunteers dedicated to KASSI’s mission of responsible stewardship of our seed heritage. KASSI’s goals are to ensure sustainable local food production by: • fostering a healthy regional seed system; • growing out and distributing heirloom and locally-adapted seed; • creating a vibrant network of regional growers; and • education and advocacy on the importance of preserving heritage seed. Simply put, KASSI works to remind people that seeds grow food. KASSI secured grants in 2013 and 2014 from the Ontario Natural Food Co-operative and from the Bauta Foundation, a collaboration of USC Canada, Seeds of Diversity Canada and the W. Garfield Weston Foundation. As a result, KASSI facilitated a number of seedproducing gardens, where gardeners and farmers were mentored in growing out seed for the 2015 season. As well, the group produced educational and advocacy materials and made several presentations in 2014. KASSI’s major annual public event is the popular Seedy Saturday, usually held on the second Saturday in March, where people are invited
to learn more about seeds and to buy and exchange seeds grown in Ontario. In November, KASSI will sponsor a farmer event, Planting for the Future, to explore the possibilities for a self-reliant seed production and distribution system in the Kingston region. Watch for the continuation and expansion of KASSI’s work in the future. In my mind, I visualize that, in five or ten years, there will be several regional seed businesses or co-ops, producing, storing and distributing locally-adapted seeds for farmers, market gardeners and home gardeners in this region. As stated on the Bauta website, “Together we can build a seed system that provides a solid foundation for food security, climate resilience, and vibrant local communities.” Resources:
www.SeedsGrowFood.org (KASSI’s website)
www.seedsecurity.ca (Bauta’s website)
www.seeds.ca
(website for Seeds of Diversity—a source of seeds and resources about seed saving)
www.nfu.ca
(website for the National Farmers’ Union, which advocates for small - and medium-sized family farms and is active on seed issues)
The Seed Underground, a Growing Revolution to Save Food, by Janisse Ray, 2012, Chelsea Green Publishing, Vermont - powerfully written by a poet who is also a life-long seed saver.
What are Organic Pesticides? The debate around organic pesticides arises from loose definitions. Organic advocates are talking about synthetic toxic pesticides that are prohibited in organic production. But opponents broaden the definition to include all the natural things that can be used to control a pest such as diatomaceous earth, a natural seashell powder used to control insects by physical damage, not by chemical poisoning. There is a world of difference here. Yes, improper use of these products can be harmful. Improper use of a tractor can also be harmful, yet tractors are allowed in organic production. In short, the comparison of pesticides is a distraction.
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farm to table
Climate Change points towards the need for better Water Management in Agriculture Written by Nathan Stevens
Farming can be tough business because of elements beyond their control. The weather is a wild variable that farmers need to cope with each and every year. As our climate continues to change, farmers will need to continue to adapt their management techniques if the sector is going to maintain a secure food supply for the world’s growing population. If we reflect on the last three years, we can see that there appears to be increasing inconsistency in the weather patterns that farmers in Ontario need to manage through each year. That reflection points towards the need for farmers to consider a more pro-active strategy to deal with high variability in the weather. In 2012, wide stretches of Ontario faced serious to devastating drought conditions, especially for pasture dependent industries. This resulted in many farmers having to purchase expensive hay from Western Canada. Yet, there were a few farmers that received timely rainfall in July that resulted in excellent production and if they were able to produce more than they needed, a very valuable crop to sell to other farmers.
In 2013, the overall rainfall for the year was generally very good, but there were areas of the province that received no rain in August, which stunted soybean production as pods failed to fill out due to lack of moisture. Two thousand and thirteen demonstrated a relatively normal year in terms of overall precipitation. Timing is a critical factor in ensuring that farmers’ considerable investment in seed, fertilizers and other inputs do not go to waste. This year, the lack of heat through July and August was a serious cause for concern for many farmers worried about their corn and soybean crops. There were fears that if the cool trend continued, an early frost in September could be disastrous for farmers in Ontario, as crops would stop growing under such circumstances. Farmers were tremendously fortunate that several very warm weeks in September provided a huge boost in the quality and quantity of their crops.
This growing inconsistency is why the Christian Farmers’ Federation is focused on the importance of water policy for agriculture. Timely application of water can be the difference between failure and success for many crops. Moreover, sustainable agriculture requires optimal use of water to ensure that farmers produce the best yields possible on a more and more limited land-base for agriculture. As the world around us changes, Ontario’s farmers need to adapt to changing circumstances.
Pure North Water Quality began operation in June of 1995. Since that time, the company has enjoyed a steady growth due to offering Consumers the highest quality Water Treatment Products and Services available. These quality Products and Services have made Pure North Water Quality a reliable resource, not only in the Water Treatment Industry, but also, the Natural Health Industry. Needless to say, we are extremely pleased to be able to offer them to you. Unfortunately, quality Water Treatment Equipment costs money and not all products are created equally. When getting prices, be sure you compare apples to apples. We believe the consumer should spend their hard earned money once and have the job done right the first time with quality Products and Installation. Contact Pure North Water Quality if you have any questions or concerns.
Bud Azzopardi • Pure North Water Quality • 1-800-915-5596 • www.PureNorthWater.com
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farm to table
Secure a Future for Food in Our Communities The focus of our Farm to Table pages is to promote and support eating local, and buying local. Articles from expert sources will promote local agriculture, growers, farmers, suppliers and manufacturers. Our ultimate goal is to build a sustainable infrastructure, and secure a food supply for the future of our communities. Our farmers and producers have the potential to expand, to supply an increasing customer demand. Educating the next generation is critical. We all win. Eating local is healthier, safer and benefits all of us. Christmas can be a truly blessed juxtaposition of memory and pleasure in the moment. Let Schell’s Market help you bring Christmas home with ‘fresh local wild’ offerings from the Butcher’s Corner, Schell’s Kitchen and Trugs Floral. Order your grass-fed, free-range poultry, ham and beef, as well as traditional tourtiere and mincemeat pies. Deck your halls with gorgeous festive florals too! Purchase a Gift Certificate from Schell’s Market or let us create your custom gift basket. Tra La La! This Holiday Season let Bread & Butter Bakery do the baking for you! We are baking all of your favourite Christmas treats daily. Don’t be disappointed, order ahead. Wishing you all the best this holiday season and thank you for your support this past year! Kupecz Family Farm has ethically raised lamb, eggs, chicken and turkey for a special holiday feast. Attention is placed on having a happy animal, grown in a sustainable way without drugs, chemicals or other mass production techniques. Nature’s way is the most sound and pleasing way. Loving Spoonful Food & Farms- Farmers are already generous and now we can say thank you. The Ontario Local Food Act includes a tax credit to farmers who contribute farm products to community food organizations like Loving Spoonful that distribute healthy food to meal programs, shelters and pantries for those in need. Farmers seeking more information on this can contact: executive director at lovingspoonful.org. For the rest of us, keep supporting your local farmers! For health, happiness and your local economy, there’s no better investment! At Silverbrook Garden Centre we have premium grade Fraser Fir and Balsam Christmas trees. Fresh evergreen and dogwood boughs. Great selection of antiques. When spring arrives, you can find a great selection of annual and perennial plants grown in our greenhouses.Wishing everyone a safe and happy holiday season. 3071 Rutledge Road, Sydenham, ON 613-376-7632 Wishing you health and happiness during this festive season. La Senda Eco Store has lots of unique gift options from S.A.D. solutions to eco-friendly stocking stuffers. If you have trouble deciding, La Senda Naturopathic Clinic offers gift certificates for naturopathic services as well. Happy Holidays! - Daralyn Bates, ND
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farm to table
Did you eat today? Thank a farmer. Seasons Greetings! Wishing our customers a Happy and Healthy New Year from all of us at Glenburnie Grocery. Haanover View Farms - We are an accountable family farm, producing ecologically raised pork, grass fed beef and rabbit just down the road. Value, flavour and peace of mind accompany each and every product we provide. We use local government inspected processing. Our farm inputs are sourced close to home. Our old school production methods ensure sustainability for our family farm and address concerns related to how and where your food is being produced. We selectively embrace innovative agricultural advances which allow us to provide high quality products while reducing our environmental footprint. We encourage open dialogue to discuss our farm’s vision and mission any time. During this holiday season I would like to give thanks to all of my clients and friends. Your business through the year has been truly appreciated, and I feel blessed to have had the opportunity to work with you. From myself and my wife, Gwynne, I wish you the best of the holiday season and peace and prosperity in the coming new Year. Robert Storring, Broker At Century 21 Lanthorn Real Estate Tamworth/ Napanee Having a hard time finding that special gift for someone this Christmas? Why not visit Russett Farms and purchase a Gift Certificate (any value available) and let them do the shopping. It’s worth the drive to the countryside. Call ahead if possible. Stirling, 613-395-3643 Peter Oetelaar - Root vegetables available through the winter: carrots, parsnips, winter potatoes, and much more. Stop by or call ahead to place an order. 1527 Bridge St. W, Napanee, ON 613-396-6298 Happy Holidays and the best of the season from all of us at Quinn’s Meats in Yarker, Ontario. Thank you for your patronage over the past 30 plus years and we look forward to serving you in the new year. Season greetings! Have a safe and healthy Holiday season! - Hay’s Custom Cutting, Campbellford, Ontario Honey Pie Hives & Herbals is pleased to announce that we make and sell mead at our farm in Prince Edward County. Mead is an ancient wine made from honey and herbs – traditionally served for holidays. Tastings available at our farm store: 705 County Rd. 24 - open weekends 9am-5pm until Christmas.
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fitness
At Home Fitn
Squats
• Get on your hands and knees with the exercise ball under your abdomen. • Lift and extend your opposite arm and leg off the floor at the same time. • Reach away from the centre of your body while balancing on the ball and keeping your hips stable. • Repeat 8 times on each side. Challenge: Hold the position longer.
Push-ups
Supine Bridges
• Stand with the exercise ball propped between your lower (lumbar) spine and a wall, pressing slightly into the ball. With hands at your sides or on hips, check that your feet are hip-width apart and slightly in front of you. • Bending at your knees and hips, slowly move into a sitting position with your knees over your ankles. Keep the ball in contact with your back as you move. • Return to standing position, keeping the ball in contact with your back as you move. • Repeat 8-15 times. Challenge: Lift one foot one or two inches off the floor, and try doing the exercise with one leg at a time. Switch and repeat with the other leg.
Birddogs
How many of us have made a fitness resolution at New Year’s? Did it work for you? A trained fitness professional is always a good idea, but some find the cost too daunting, especially after the holidays. The team at healthy living now experimented with dozens of exercise ball moves, and found these to be the most effective in terms of cost and convenience – an exercise ball begins at $15, and you can do the exercises in the privacy of your own home. This is an inexpensive way to get back in shape, strengthen your body and shed pounds over the long winter months.
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• Sit on the exercise ball with your hands on your hips or crossed on your chest. • Walk forward, gradually rolling the ball out until it supports your head and shoulders, instead of your buttocks. As you roll out, be sure to keep your weight on top of the ball. • Form a flat “tabletop” with your hips, shoulders, and knees aligned, and your feet flat on the floor, directly under your knees. • Without moving the ball, lower and lift your hips, tightening muscles in your buttocks and the back of your thighs. • Repeat 8-15 times. Challenge: Lie on your back with the ball under your feet and your arms on the floor, palms down. Gradually lift your back off the floor, then return to the floor with control.
• Lie face down with the exercise ball underneath your belly, with your palms flat on the floor. • Use your hands to walk out to a plank position, resting the ball anywhere from your hips to your ankles. (This should be a position that provides for a challenging push-up, but allows your spine to stay aligned - with ears, shoulders, and hips in a line.) • Bend your elbows to lower your upper body toward the floor, keeping your shoulders away from your ears and your abdominal muscles engaged. • Repeat 8-10 times. Challenge: Move the ball closer to your ankles.
If you have any medical problems, including high blood pressure or a heart condition,
Abdominal Tucks Hamstring Curls
• Lie on your back with the exercise ball under your heels and your palms flat on the floor. • Lift hips slightly and bend your knees to draw the ball toward your buttocks, without moving your hips. • Repeat 8-15 times. Challenge: Raise your hips higher as you pull the ball towards you.
Crunches
• Lie with your middle back on the exercise ball, feet flat on the floor shoulder-width apart, and hands behind your head. • Lift your upper body up, using your abdominal muscles, not your neck. Do not pull with your hands. • Repeat 8-15 times. Challenge: Begin with the ball lower on your back, which puts more body weight into your abdominals.
• Rest your belly on the exercise ball, with hands and toes on the floor. • Walk out your hands to a plank position with the ball under your ankles. • Then walk back, trying to keep the ball under your body. • Repeat 6-8 times. Challenge: Hold the plank position for a few breaths before returning
Balance
• Get into a push-up position with the exercise ball under your knees, with your palms flat on the floor. • Tuck your knees in toward your chest as the ball rolls toward your ankles. • Return to the starting position, staying balanced on the ball. • Repeat 8-10 times. Note: Use caution if you have high blood pressure or if this exercise causes wrist pain. Challenge: Alternate rotating your hips right and left as you tuck. Advanced challenge: Keeping your legs straight, move your hips toward the ceiling until the ball is at your ankles.
Walk-outs
ness Resolutions
• Sit on the exercise ball, with your hands on your hips. • Lengthen your spine as you imagine a string pulling the top of your head up. • Plant your feet together on the ground in front of the ball. • Lift one foot off the floor and hold for 3 to 5 seconds. Switch legs. • Repeat 8 times with each leg. Challenge: Position toes on the ground and heels up. Slowly lift the toes on one foot off the ground. Repeat with the other foot.
please consult your doctor prior to starting any fitness routine.
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fitness
Best Foot Forward: Get Moving with Urban Poling Written by Barb Gormley, Director of Education for Urban Poling Inc.
When a friend introduced Dan Overmyer to urban poling several years ago, he quickly became a huge fan. It was fun to do, relatively easy to learn and, best of all, the fullbody workout had a dramatic effect on his blood sugar levels. Urban poling (also known as Nordic walking) uses two high-tech telescoping walking poles which help to increase the heart rate, challenge the upper body and target the core muscles – think cross-country skiing without the skis. While men and women of all ages and fitness abilities are adding walking poles to their workouts, people with diabetes are also finding it an enjoyable and an effective way to manage their blood sugar and burn extra calories. “An hour of vigorous pole walking keeps my blood glucose down for a whole day and is often better than an hour-long workout at my fitness centre, or an hour of regular walking,” says Overmyer, who has type 2 diabetes. “My blood sugar level is always very good the next day.” Research supports Overmyer’s experience. Studies show when it comes to lowering blood sugar, people who practice activities such as urban poling – those who incorporate both aerobic exercise and resistance training – see better results than those who perform just one activity. “Propelling yourself forward with the poles gives you the aerobic benefits of regular walking, but it also gives you a resistance training workout for your arms, shoulders and core muscles,” says Kari Galasso, a Kingston-based urban poling instructor and owner of Fit to the Core personal training. “And because it involves more muscles than regular walking, it burns substantially more calories.”
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According to Mandy Shintani, an occupational therapist and co-owner of Urban Poling Inc., a Canadian company that designs and distributes walking poles and certifies instructors, the reasonable price (about $100) and convenience are other big benefits. “People love urban poling because you don’t have to drive to a club or even change your clothes. You just step out the door.”
Six Fast Facts About Urban Poling:
• A longtime hit in Europe. In Finland, 28 percent of adults walk with poles once a week. In Germany, 4.4 million people exercise with walking poles. • Ideal for everyone. Press down with less or more pressure on the base of the ergonomic handles to modify the speed and intensity of the workout. For those using poles for balance, the ACTIVATOR poles designed for safety and stability may be more suitable. • Take a lesson. The technique isn’t difficult, but is very different from the poling techniques used while skiing or hiking. Reap the full benefits by taking a lesson, join a class, or take the online self-management course called Fight Diabetes with Urban poling at www.urbanpoling.com
• Improve balance and posture. The poles provide stability and confidence and encourage good posture by pulling the shoulders back. • Say no to ski poles. Metal ski-pole tips send hazardous vibrations to the elbows and shoulders. Rubber boot tips, anti-vibration ferrule and ergonomic handles on urban poles absorb vibrations. • Easy on joints and burns megacalories. Using poles reduces stress on arthritic or painful hips and knees. Urban poling burns up to 46 percent more calories than standard walking. For information on the Fight Diabetes with Urban Poling online self-management course or to find urban poling classes and retailers in your area, visit www.urbanpoling. com . Urban and ACTIVATOR poles available in Kingston and Belleville at Shoppers Home Health Care, Motion Specialties, Trailhead, Medical Arts, and Kelly’s Home Health Care. If you have any medical problems, including high blood pressure or a heart condition, please consult your doctor prior to starting any fitness routine.
Come have some fun!
-Holiday and Season-Long Kids Camps -New Snow Grooming Machine -LED Lights for Night Skiing -State-of-the-art Snowmaking
99 Ski Club Lane, Batawa, Ontario www.batawaskihill.com Tel.: (613) 398 6568 admin@ batawaskihill.com
At Batawa Ski Hill, it’s always been about having fun, doing what you love, and creating memories to last a lifetime. In fact, it’s what we’ve been doing since we were first established in 1959 by employees of the nearby Bata Shoe Factory. Since then, it has become a much-loved gathering place for families and friends, as well as ski and snowboard enthusiasts from the Quinte Region and beyond. Come have some fun!
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Skin, Hair, Body, Mind
Helping you to see and be seen
FUN OR FUNCTION, INOVA OPTICIANS HAS STYLES FOR THE WHOLE FAMILY THIS SEASON
new & now Written by Dyan Perry
As temperatures drop, and the snow flies, it’s time to zip coats up—all the way up. It’s winter. You may think of it as your least favourite season, but it doesn’t have to be. Sure it’s cold; there are the usual runny noses, ugly Christmas sweaters and windburned cheeks to contend with. But if you make an effort to take care of yourself this season, you’ll be able to fully enjoy all the fun and festivities it brings. By the time spring rolls around, you’ll be able to reflect on the happy memories of the many holiday celebrations that took place over the winter—Christmas, New Year’s and Valentine’s—instead of the havoc it wreaked on your body from head to toe. Here’s how to keep winter from getting the better of you.
C and E. This amazing product is your skin’s ultimate defence against the harsh elements. If you are in need of maximum hydration, you should consider the THIRSTYMUD ™ Hydrating Treatment from GLAMGLOW. This product is most effective when used as an overnight sleep mask, and is suitable for all skin types - including oily skin - for both men and women. It hydrates, moisturizes, restores, replenishes and calms the skin. It can also improve overall skin balance for those with combination skin, resulting in an even complexion and the perfect glow. Apply an even coat to the face before bed nightly, leaving it on overnight and wake up to happier, healthier skin. marcelle.com glamglowmud.com
COME IN AND SEE OUR NEW ARRIVALS! Update your everyday look today! • Full UV Protection • Prescription and non-prescription sunglasses
Your Hair Your Skin
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The cold, dry air can strip your skin of its natural oils, leaving it tight, dehydrated and flaky. Be proactive and take preventative measures against dehydrated skin this season by using Marcelle’s Hydra-C 24H Energizing Hydrating Gel. It is fortified with antioxidants, cucumber and green tea extracts, as well as vitamins
Turn your damaged, frizzy hair into gorgeous locks for the upcoming holiday family photos. Start by choosing the right shampoo. Kerastase Bain Fluidealiste – SulfateFree Smoothing & Anti-Frizz Shampoo is specially developed for overprocessed hair, whether from colour treatments or regular straightening. Its sulfate-free formula is remarkably soft and creamy, and it produces a rich lather for a luxurious clean feeling every time. If you are the type of person who finds that your
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new & now
strands are consistently plagued with dryness, especially after styling with hot tools, quench their thirst with Arganics by NuMe Argan Oil. Rich in Vitamin E and fatty acids, this oil moisturizes and conditions your hair from the inside out, leaving it soft, healthy and shiny. Apply regularly to damp, freshly washed hair, using no more than a dime-sized amount. Run the product through your hair using your fingers, allow your hair to dry, or gently blow-dry, and then style accordingly.
YMCA Membership Join today and enjoy all the benefits of the YMCA ALL NEW Cross-Trainers, Treadmills with Personal Entertainment Systems NEW Free Weights, NEW Selectorized Weight Machines, Fitness Classes and Aquafit Classes and more changes coming in 2013 including: • 8 windows on the track level • new gym flooring and basketball backboards • rebuilt saunas • Membership Desk completely redesigned • improvements made to the areas leading to childcare • exterior painting and signage upgrades
kerastase.ca numeproducts.com
Your Mind
Your Body
Has the weather got you in a slump? Well don’t let it affect your posture. Introducing Lumo Lift, the innovative tech gadget that corrects your bad posture. This device is worn on your clothing, like a brooch or lapel pin, and vibrates when you are slouching throughout the day, serving as a reminder to roll your shoulders back and stand tall. Track your posture, steps, calories, and distance via the Lumo Lift app on your iPhone or iPad wherever you go. Apps are coming soon for Android and Windows. Correct your posture, boost your confidence, and tackle those New Year’s resolutions. It’s a new year; turn over a new leaf.
The winter blues and stress can get you down. Sometimes all you need in order to centre yourself, and get back to being you, is to take a deep breath, or to drink a hot cup of tea. Luckily Tealish has an entire collection of teas that focus on wellness, including their Stress Buster tea. It contains an ancient herb called tulsi (also known as “holy basil”) that enhances your body’s ability to resist stress. This is due to tulsi’s potential immune-supporting, antioxidant and adaptogenic properties. Mental health is a very important part of your overall health. So pour yourself a cup of tea, cozy up with a good book and have a moment all to yourself. The holidays are a hectic time of year, so don’t forget about you and your needs. There is only one you, so be sure to take care of yourself. tealish.com
Exciting times ahead in 2013 Join as a family; Adults receive all of the above and children receive access to the YMCA plus swim lessons and 2 dry land programs per 12 week session For more information contact one of our Membership Branches or visit our website www.ymcaofceo.ca
YMCA of Central East Ontario
Belleville and Quinte Region YMCA of Central East Ontario Belleville Branch 433and Victoria Avenue Region Belleville Quinte Belleville, Ontario K8N 2G1 Tel. 613 966-9622 • Fax 6131 962-9247 City of Quinte West Branch 50 Monogram Place Trenton, Ontario K8V 5P8 Tel. 613 394-9622 • Fax 613 394-8223
Belleville Branch 433 Victoria Avenue Belleville, Ontario K8N 2G1 Tel. 613 966-9622 Fax 6131 962-9247 City of Quinte West Branch 50 Monogram Place Trenton, Ontario K8V 5P8 Tel. 613 394-9622 Fax 613 394-8223 Rednersville Road & Hwy 62 www.thedressingroombelleville.ca
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products
new & now
Stila – Magnificent Metals Foil Finish Eye Shadow in Metallic Lilac Fun, metallic finish in a variety of colours to complement every festive attire.
Mimi Holliday by Damaris – Strawberry Split Silk Satin Triangle Bra and Comfort Peep Bottom Knickers This sexy fire-engine red collection is the perfect Valentine’s Day present, visit the website to view more pieces from the collection. Available at damaris.co.uk
Available at stilacosmetics.com
Temptu – Signature Starter Kit in Black Get the perfect airbrushed look you’ve always dreamed of at home – Foundation, blush and highlighter using AIRpod technology. Available at temptu.com
Ted Baker – Isslay Metallic Houndstooth Dress Houndstooth is very much in this season, dress in style with this super chic and feminine dress. Visit tedbaker.com to find a retailer near you
Yonka– Serum Vital Fight wrinkles, lines and dehydration with 24 essential amino acids boosting your skins vitality and radiance. Visit yonka.com to find a retailer near you
L’Oreal Paris - Elnett Satin Hairspray Lumiere Ultra Strong Hold Keep your hairstyle intact and in place no matter what the weather. Visit lorealparis.ca to find a retailer near you
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products
Thomas Sabo – Glam & Soul Watch, Chronograph (WA0202) Give the gift of time, with a beautiful and classic rose gold coloured timepiece.
new & now
All-Clad – D7 Slow Cooker Your new best friend for cooking holiday feasts - Perfect searing, browning, caramelizing and slow-cooking.
Visit thomassabo.com to find a retailer near you
Visit all-clad.ca to find a retailer near you
Mackage – Kay-F4 Long Winter Down Coat with Fur Hood in Ink A must-have to keep yourself warm in our cold Canadian winters. Visit mackage.com to find a retailer near you
Dyson – Hot+Cool (fan heater) AM05 in Black Nickel Whether you are hot or cold - Keep temperatures comfortable all year long with this two-in-one fan heater. Visit dysoncanada.ca to find a retailer near you
Roolen – BREATH Smart Ultrasonic Humidifier The most intelligent and eco-friendly humidifier ever made.
Libre – 10 oz. Travel Tea Mug Infuser Enjoy your favourite loose tea on the go. Visit libretea.com to find a retailer near you
Visit roolen.co to find a retailer near you
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mindfulness
Meditation for a Healthy Mind Written by Lori Mitchell
There are many things in life beyond our control. However, it is possible to take responsibility for our own state of mind - and to better our lives. According to Resident Teacher, Kelsang Denpa at the Kuluta Buddist Centre in Kingston, meditation is the most important thing we can do. Meditation teaches us how to heal our personal sorrows, anxieties, fears, hatred, and the general confusion that affect the human condition. “Think of the ocean on a stormy day with white, choppy waves. Then think of the ocean calm, rippled and flat. This is very much like the mind. When calm, the mind is a peaceful place. When the mind is unsettled, it is rough, wavy and stormy,” says Denpa. “We can only be happy if we are at peace, and we can only make good decisions if we have clarity and calmness.” “Kelsang” (which translates to “fortunate one”) is named after Geshe Kelsang Gyatso, Founder and Spiritual Director of the New Kadampa Tradition Meditation Centres to which Kuluta is a member. New Kadampa Tradition meditation centres can be found in 40 different countries. The organization’s main purpose is to encourage world peace, and help others find peace within their own heart.
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mindfulness
Kelsang Denpa is a mother and grandmother who, during a transitional time in her life in 2002, moved to Kingston and began to study. The years that followed convinced Denpa to be ordained a nun. “Meditation helped me and transformed my life. I wanted to do the same for others.” Three years ago, Denpa began to teach. “I belong to the people of the City of Kingston. I’ve taught a wide range of ages, from stressed-out Queen’s University students, to the senior community who continue to be healthy and live well.” Meditation is a means of transforming the mind. Buddhist meditation practices are techniques that encourage and develop concentration, clarity, emotional positivity, and an inner calm. By engaging with a particular meditation practice, you learn the patterns and habits of your mind, and the practice offers a means to cultivate new, more positive, ways of being. With regular work and patience, these nourishing and focused states of mind can deepen into profoundly peaceful and energized states of mind. Such experiences can have a transformative effect and can lead to a new understanding of life. Over the millennia, countless meditation practices have been developed in the Buddhist tradition. All of them may be described as ‘mind trainings,’ but they take many different approaches. The foundation of all of them, however, is the cultivation of a calm, lucid, peaceful and positive state of mind.
Only ten minutes of meditation a day will help you to: • rid the mind of distraction; • find your breath; and • discipline an uncontrolled mind by firmly and gently bringing it back to one peaceful object, such as love or compassion. Meditation is often misunderstood and can actually be done practically anywhere. An elevator on the way up to a meeting, or on a park bench during lunch. Here are some techniques that will show you the path to inner calm. Focus on an Object: Choose a point of focus and gently rest your gaze on it. Soften your gaze by relaxing your eye muscles while still mindfully looking at your selected object. Now take a slow, deep breath. Feel your lungs expand gradually. Hold the air inside you for a second or two, then exhale slowly and completely. As you breathe out, imagine your tension, both physical and mental, leaving your body with the air you have just exhaled. All the while, keep your focus on your selected object. If you find that your attention has wandered off, just bring it back to the chosen object. Repeat the breathing as many times as you like. Focus inward: Turn your focus inward and pay attention to the dialogue in your mind. If you find yourself bringing up past memories, gently snap an elastic on your right hand to remind yourself to stay in the present. If you are worrying about the future, snap the elastic on your left. The goal is to train yourself to be conscious to the chatter in your mind.
Focus on a view: Close your eyes and imagine a beautiful ocean view. Imagine a calm, rippled, endless body of water. See the vibrant horizon and the occasional bird gliding across the sky. Rest and relax completely in the water now. Stay in it as long as you like. When you are ready to emerge, visualize yourself being more relaxed and more confident to accept and face any challenge that might come your way. Schedule of classes: Lamrim (Classes are held Monday nights 7:00-8:30 pm)
Quinte Sports and Wellness Centre (Upstairs beside the elevator in the Training Room)
265 Cannifton Road, Belleville, ON. Kuluta (Monday afternoons 2:00-3:30 pm, Tuesday evenings 7:00-8:30 pm and Sunday mornings 11:00 am - 12:30 pm) See more at: www.kuluta.org Kuluta Buddist Centre 182 Wellington Street Kingston, Ontario K7L 3E4 613.544.1568 contact@kuluta.org
Kelsang Denpa at the Kuluta Buddist Centre
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A PLACE WHERE EVERYONE IS WELCOME! Dr. Kevin Dinsmore Motor Vehicle and WSIB claims accepted Back & Neck Pain Headaches, Sciatica Custom Foot Orthotics Light Therapy Sports Related Injuries
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CANADIAN MENTAL HEALTH ASSOCIATION, HASTINGS AND PRINCE EDWARD BRANCH 41 OCTAVIA STREET, BELLEVILLE, ON • K8P 3P1 TEL: (613) 969-8874 • FAX: (613) 969-8294 E-MAIL: SSIDSWORTH@HASTINGS-CMHA.ORG
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613-771-9555
family strategies
Taking The Pressure Off Christmas Celebrations Written by Sandie Sidsworth, Executive Director, Canadian Mental Health Association
Contrary to the song phrase “most wonderful time of the year”, for many the Christmas season brings anxiety, anger and frustration. So much of our interpretation of how we should celebrate Christmas comes from a media marketing perspective, and the demand to meet the wishes of everyone in our lives.
It could also be rotating the home that is hosting the traditional family gathering; or rotation of whose side of the family you attend during the day, instead of trying to see everyone. The earlier the discussion can happen, the earlier you can diminish the hurt feelings that invariably some family members may feel.
For most of us, it is an unrealistic expectation we strive to meet every year. When we fall short of those expectations, it leaves us feeling diminished in creating the perfect Christmas. There are some things to consider to reduce the pressure of the perfect Christmas and, instead, creating a Christmas celebration you enjoy.
It is that hurt and sense of obligation that prevents so many of us from identifying our needs at this time. Other competing interests make it hard to disappoint people who we care about. This leads to feelings of guilt, frustration and then finally thinking “I just want this day to be over.” It can sometimes escalate into anger, spillover that can take months of healing for everyone involved.
An enjoyable Christmas is one that comes from planning. For many of us, the demands can be overwhelming when trying to meet all of our family obligations within the short span of Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. For those with small children, many Christmas mornings begin with unwrapping gifts, and then immediately bundling up for travel. By the time the dinner is served, children are exhausted and cranky, and parents are overwhelmed. Make and discuss travel plans as early as possible, and prioritize what is important to your family.
The other aspect of Christmas is the emphasis on family. Many of us, at one time or another, have been in situations where we are alone on Christmas Day. For many, spending a day volunteering to serve Christmas dinner in various community settings fills the hours that seem to make the day stretch on forever.
My first Christmas Eve after divorce was without my three young daughters – and it was heartbreaking. A wonderful friend several hundred miles away took time out of her busy day to call me, and I will never forget how it made me feel to be included in someone’s celebration, because they recognized that the day was difficult for me. If you are going to be alone at Christmas, talk with others who might also be alone and plan a gathering. While it is difficult to ask someone if they are alone, it is amazing how many people will share their fear of being alone and welcome a chance to get together and celebrate the day. Small changes and focusing on the priorities that matter to you and your family will help guarantee a Christmas with less stress and anxiety. Celebrate a less than perfect Christmas your way.
Maybe it’s potluck in your home, with various extended family members bringing food items to lessen meal preparation time.
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family strategies
The Metamorphic Technique Written by Monica Hemstock
The metamorphic technique is described by some practitioners as a tool of empowerment. It began in the 1960s as a result of the work of British naturopath, Robert St. John. Gaston St. Pierre, who worked with St. John in the late 1970s, coined the phrase “the metamorphic technique.” This technique is a process that allows the Life Force to begin manifesting in the direction of its potential by dissolving physical, emotional and spiritual obstructions. Each cell in our body is a hologram of the whole body and contains energetic codes accumulated from preconception to the present. St. John, who was also a reflexologist, discovered that the points on the feet that correspond to the spinal reflex points in reflexology, also correspond to the prenatal developmental stages. He understood that by stimulating these reflex points, we somehow activate the recipient’s Life Force in a way that allows old negative patterns and obstructions to begin to fall away. St. Pierre later on added points on the hands and head. When an experience deeply affects us, the thoughts, emotions, and beliefs connected to that memory can set energy patterns in which we become stuck. In a sense, these keep us stuck in the past and we can’t move forward. The patterns are embedded into our spine and our skeletal structure. The light touches on the spinal reflex points activating these energy patterns, so they can be brought to the surface and released and transformed. Since touch is the most basic form of communication, the metamorphic technique is a way of communicating at a very deep level in a safe, gentle and non-invasive manner. The light touch on the feet, hands and head is easy to learn and apply, 42
and is pleasant to experience. It is performed with the client fully clothed in a quiet, clean and relaxing environment, while the recipient is either sitting in a chair or reclining on a massage table. It is the Life Force within that directs the process of a re-awakening, a self-healing quality or response. The practitioner is only a catalyst to facilitate this process and therefore does not diagnose or treat symptoms, but remains supportive and detached from the results while the Life Force, unbound by space or time, does what needs to be done both during and after the session. Changes reported are of a great variety, and some researchers say this technique has even helped children with autism. To find out more visit www.awakeningspirit.ca
family strategies
Bringing children and books together is a gift that lasts a lifetime Written by Monica Hemstock
Storytelling is a well-known way to promote the free thinking and the free play so crucial to a child’s emotional and behavioural growth. Some experts believe it is also important for the child’s intellectual development. Some of the adults in my memoir writing classes report that some of the greatest truths throughout history have been preserved in children’s games and stories. Many of them refer to how the stories from their childhood were often used as parenting tools, as well as a way to keep families together.
CHILDREN’S - FICTION
his first book in the series The Moose Lake Chronicles sets the stage for the unfolding adventures of Angela, Carrie, and Roland as they brave the winter weather, bullies, wolves, haunted houses and the oftentimes very embarrassing adults and siblings that are an everyday aspect of their lives in the Northern mining town of Moose Lake.
There is more to this one-hotel one-cinema town than meets the eye. Though set in the twenty-first century, Moose Lake is unique in that technology is limited and children do not text or carry cell phones. Families sit down together in the evenings and discuss things while eating dinner, and children run from house to house and garden to garden as though they are living in the 1950s. Nature is predominant and retains its mystery. In Moose Lake, the ordinary elements of everyday life are colourful in and of themselves. However, it soon becomes clear that while the majority of characters, especially the adults, are oblivious to the magic in their town, some of the children are seeing another realm; a realm that is not super-imposed or parallel, but co-exists and is merely invisible to the majority of adults.
MONICA HEMSTOCK is a Life-Writing teacher and an Angel Therapy ® Practitioner with a Master’s degree in English Literature. She is the author of numerous publications on wellness and writes the Kids Column for Healthy Living Now magazine. Monica is the owner of Awakening Spirit, a healing arts center in Ontario.
Good literature, whether for adults or for children, feeds our souls as well as our minds and hearts, encouraging us to dream and allowing us to awaken and to discover our authentic self. The ‘new children’ are not like any past generation, they are exceptionally self-aware, intuitive and psychic. Educators are finding these children do not fit into the scholarship of many child experts, nor do they fit any stereotypical labels. This is because the ‘new children’ mark a deep shift in evolutionary patterning. Cover Art Credit: Risa McEnaney AU Photo Credit: Hayley Crooks
U.S. $XX.XX
Monica Coral Hemstock
Besides reading to and with our children, many educators believe that books should be visible in our homes. Children benefit from having a place to display their own books in their bedrooms. A bookshelf holding the first book from granny, or the favourite book that you have passed on from your own childhood, helps to create a special space for family interactions around storytelling.
Most of us recognize the act of love and faith in storytelling, perhaps fewer of us recognize the depth of T this art form. Robin Moore educates us with this reminder: “Storytelling is a technique that was developed 50,000 years ago to allow humans to enter the dreaming state while they’re awake.”
Moose Lake
It is a wise parent who introduces a child to the magic and beauty of the written word. Reading aloud to our children helps to instill a love of reading, and fosters a discovery of the exciting world of literature.
I write books for children. I created a series for them entitled The Moose Lake Chronicles. The first book in the series, Moose Lake, introduces children, and their highly conscious parents, to a small fictional community in northern Canada where technology is limited and where some of the children beginning to recognize a world invisible to many adults. This world is one that is diverse, cooperative and speaks to those who listen to their natural instincts. After all, our ancestors did gather around a campfire telling the stories that held humanity together, but they also used their instincts (psychic abilities) to survive and evolve. Since the ‘new children’ are being called the first generation to view life first through a screen, and who sometimes feel alienated from nature, my books will take them comfortably out of their technological comfort zone and encourage them to connect first-hand with the world around them, with nature and with their deepest knowing. www.monicahemstock.ca MOOSE LAKE came out on October 6th, it is available to order on-line through Balboa Press, Amazon, Barnes & Noble and Chapters in Kingston.
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healthy pets
New Year’s Resolutions Written by Dr. Kristina Bennett
New Year’s resolutions are easy to make, but we all have experienced the failed attempts. There are many ways we can improve our health and happiness while including our pets. The following are a few ideas to help enhance different areas of your pet’s life in 2015.
Exercise –
Keeping your pets at a healthy weight reduces their risk of diabetes, heart and joint problems, and enhances their emotional well-being. A simple walk enables a dog to learn proper manners, provides one-on-one quality time, proper socialization, and exposure to different environments. For a cat, playing with a laser pointer or a crinkle ball will also do wonders for their overall physical and emotional health.
Health Check-Up –
The best way for your pets to stay ahead of potential health concerns is with a thorough health check done by your veterinarian. Annual examinations of the entire body system, including teeth, lungs, heart, eyes and body condition will be less costly than waiting for an issue to develop. Waiting for visible symptoms may lead to your pet suffering needlessly from preventable complications.
Good Nutrition -
Pets that eat poor quality food will not have the health reserves compared to those pets on a well-balanced, quality diet. The signs of poor nutrition can be seen in poor skin, hair coat, muscle tone, and obesity problems. It is difficult to choose a good quality pet food, which is why nutrition is often a focal point in most annual examinations. Also, pets are not humans, so a diet rich in table scraps is not a suitable choice, since it can lead to problems such as obesity and pancreatitis, both of which may lead to a myriad of other health risks and complications.
Good Grooming – Thorough and regular grooming that includes: nail trimming, ear cleaning, brushing teeth, coat brushing and even parasite control, will not only make your pet more pleasing to be around, but it is also the best way to ensure the health and well-being of your pet. Taking time to practise basic hygiene develops trust, and you will gain a better understanding of your pet‘s overall health. This will also alert you to any changes in your pet, because problems with nails and hair coat are often due to an underlying medical condition.
Love
and
Attention
Maintenance - Litter box scooping, yard clean up, cage cleaning, food and water bowl cleaning, as well as bed cleaning. A clean environment is a healthy one, but be sure to investigate the cleaning products you are using some animals can have sensitivities or allergies to certain laundry soaps and cleaners and some products may even be toxic. Poor sanitation can lead to behaviourial issues, such as litter box avoidance, or health problems from the spread of communicable diseases. Be a Voice -
Animals need us to be their voice. Spreading awareness of fundraisers for local shelters and rescue groups will not only build community support, but will help these organizations receive the financial support they need for animals to find forever homes and receive medical treatment.
Dr Kristina Bennett 213 Dundas St E Belleville 613-969-2273 www.fosterparkpethospital.com
Compassionate care for the pet you care so much about. 44
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Increasing the time you share together will not only help your pet feel included, it will nourish and create a stronger bond. It will help your dog establish their place in your family or help your cat overcome any anxiety they may have of people and handling. Nothing makes you forget the stresses of a bad day like a purring cat, or slobbery dog kisses.
healthy pets
Natural Solutions for Your Pet’s Aches and Pains Written by Dr. Andrea Sorichetti, DC, B.Sc., B.PHE, D.Ac., ART
Over the last decade, the field of animal health care has grown at an exponential rate. Many pet owners have realized that caring for their animal involves more than just ensuring they are spayed or neutered and have the proper vaccinations. We have seen a huge shift within the animal healthcare industry towards holistic and natural options for pets. Pet owners are taking a proactive approach when it comes to their animals health, ensuring they live longer and have healthier lives. With the emerging field of animal chiropractic, pet owners are appreciating new ways to help their animals achieve and maintain optimal health. Animal chiropractic offers a non-surgical, drug-free, and natural approach to correcting muscle, skeletal, joint (ligament,) disc, and nerve problems. It does not replace traditional veterinary medicine or surgery, but provides a complementary and, sometimes alternative, method of care. Veterinarians and animal chiropractors often work together to best serve the needs of the animal. While the term chiropractic is often associated with joint manipulations and adjustments, animal chiropractic is all-encompassing. Treatments involve joint mobilizations/ manipulations, myofascial release, soft tissue work, stretches and the prescription of rehabilitation exercises. The aim is to improve joint mobility, decrease muscle tension, decrease pain and improve the overall functioning of your pet.
Foot Angel 7
Chiropractic care can help a variety of issues including arthritis, muscle pain or weakness, nerve problems, disc herniations and secondary effects of hip or elbow dysplasia. Many pet owners find it difficult to tell if their pet is in pain or discomfort. The following is a list of common signs that your animal may need chiropractic care: • difficulty or reluctance getting up from a sitting or lying position • difficulty jumping on or off things (couches, chairs, lap) • difficulty or reluctance climbing stairs, inclines or declines • sensitivity to touch with evasive movements, such as dipping head or hollowing back when being petted • licking or chewing certain areas of the body
Dr. Andrea Sorichetti is a certified Animal Chiropractor recognized by the College of Animal Chiropractors (CoAC) and the American Veterinary Chiropractic Association (AVCA). She operates Quinte Animal Chiropractic, working out of three veterinary hospitals in the Quinte area: Bay Regional Veterinary Hospital, Hillcrest Animal Hospital, and Trenton Pet Hospital. She also has a mobile equine practice and works on people at Belleville Integrative Health Centre.
Animal chiropractic is not just for injured or sick animals. Healthy and athletic animals are prime candidates for chiropractic care. The goal is to be preventative and detect and correct faulty movement patterns that can lead to pain and loss of function. By restoring proper biomechanics, structural alignment and improving joint mobility, animal chiropractic can enhance your pet’s quality of life, ensuring active and healthy years.
Whether you have health issues or not you deserve happy healthy feet! A complete foot assessment will take care of;
SUSANNE CHATTEN RPN ADVANCED FOOTCARE NURSE I use Gluten free health products by:
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* Includes proper shoe fittings & ongoing manageable plans to care for your feet.
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NATUROPATHIC
Natural Solutions: Laurie White, RN for 28 years, Preventative Health Consultant, Certified Emotion Code Practitioner. For a complimentary consultation and Japanese massage call 613-766-1699 or ljwhite@kos.net
Grace Joubarne: Certified Clinical Hypnotherapist, Toll Free: 1-888-390-3553; Ottawa & Belleville, ON; verifiable training and success! www.graceplacewellness.com
Quinte Naturopathic Centre: Dr. Michelle Durkin, BSc, ND: Naturopathic Medicine, Bowen Therapy, Nutrition, Acupuncture; Belleville, ON; www.quintenc.ca; 613-9669660
HEALTH CONSULTANT/PRACTITIONER
HEARING CENTRES
Helix Hearing: 94 Brock Street 613-546-5282, 2437 Princess Street 613-542-9512. Book Today!
HEARING CENTRES
HOMEOPATHY
Helix Hearing: 147 Pinnacle Street Belleville and 64 Ontario Street Trenton: 613-966-6424
MASSAGE THERAPY
Tim Davidson: 470 Dundas St East, 613-9666653. New Stirling Clinic every Tuesday: 48 Mill Street.
CAMPBELLFORD
GLUTEN-FREE/GRAIN-FREE BAKING
The No Grainer Baker: An exciting New Cookbook by Ann Preston. Gluten-Free/ Grain-Free recipes; ideal for celiac, highfibre, low-carbohydrate and low-sodium diets; for more info please visit www. thenograinerbaker.com
HEARING CENTRES
Northumberland Hearing Centres Inc: Helping you hear better with trusted, friendly professionals, affordable fees, and 5 convenient locations to serve you; www. northumberlandhearing.ca; 1-866-377-1797 Helix Hearing: 146 Oliver Road 705-653-5962. Ask for information on “10 ways to start talking about hearing loss”
NATUROPATHIC
Your Family Naturopath: Dr. Andrea Bull, ND; 42 Front Street North; Campbellford, ON www.familynaturopath.com; 705-957-4226
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M.M. Townsend D.Ac, D.Hom: Homeopathic Medicine, Acupuncture, 25 years in Private Practice; Kingston, ON; Phone & Fax: 613546-3967
New Horizons Therapy Centre: Massage Therapy with RMTs, Hot Stone Massage, Aqua Massage, Myofascial Therapy, Colonics, Gift Certificates; 525 MacDonnell St., Kingston, ON; 613-549-5975
NATURAL/ORGANIC & WHOLE FOODS
Tara Natural Foods: Celebrating 40 years in business! Organic fruits, vegetables, meat & poultry, organic milk, yogurt & cheese, vegan & gluten-free products, wild fish, vitamin supplements, probiotics & more! 81 Princess Street, Kingston, ON; 613-546-4439
Christmas is just around the corner; stressful, yes. Take the stress out of shopping; check out “A Wee bit of Heather” on Facebook. We have gift certificates for “Reflexology”, or enjoy having your “tea leaves read” - buy two sessions, get the third ½ off! Handmade scarves - all unique, never two the same. Art for decoration on your door/wall in place of a wreath etc., each one unusual, original, wholly yours.
VITAMINS & NATURAL SUPPLEMENTS
Green Door Vitamins: Large selection of health and nutritional products & services; 201 Wellington Street, Kingston, ON; 888-5474584; www.greendoorvitamins.ca Sigrid’s Natural Foods: Bulk foods, vitamins & herbs, gluten-free foods, body building supplements; for over 30 years; Kingston, ON; 6l3-384-1756
NAPANEE
ARTISAN GALLERY
Synergy Artisan Gallery: Synergy Artisan Gallery presents the unique and dynamic work of dozens of talented artists and crafters, working within many medias; 3 Dundas St. Unit #3, Napanee, ON; 613-3089332
WILTON/ODESSA CHEESE FACTORY
Wilton Cheese Factory: Rennet-free; Cheddar & Variety Cheeses; no added preservatives; vegetarian friendly, Fresh Curds; Gift Boxes, Baskets & Gift Certificates; 287 Simmons Rd., RR2, Odessa, ON; www. wiltoncheese.ca; 613-386-7314
TYENDINAGA MOHAWK TERRITORY HOLISTIC DAY SPA
Ancient Healings at Eagle Hill: Thalassotherapy & Holisting Day Spa; 106B Johnson’s Lane, Tyeninaga Mohawk Territory; 613-396-3600; ancienthealings@ eagle-hill.net
613-208-1094 96 Division St Trenton
www.youmakemesmile.ca