Live in Balance magazine

2015

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2015

liveinbalance YOUR HEALTH + WELLNESS MAGAZINE

THE RESOLUTION EDITION!

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liveinbalance | The Resolution Edition

This is the time to make a change and become a better version of you.

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Live in Balance magazine WINTER EDITION

2015

CONTENT FEATURE: THE RESOLUTION 06 New year, new you!

HEALTH & PREVENTION 12 Stop the sickness 13 Why can’t we all get along?

14 How to achieve health and

sustainable weight loss

16 Caring for your feet NUTRITION & RECIPES 17 Eat your sunshine recipes 18 Supplementing for weight loss 20 Welcome to the farm 21 The non-GMO project 22 Celery root and rutabaga winter slaw

SUCCESS & HAPPINESS 25 Depression hurts 26 The no more diet, diet resolution 27 The red hat society 28 Reinvent beauty with self-compassion 29 Winter blaws HOME LIFE & RELATIONSHIPS 30 Monkey see, monkey do 32 All-in-one oasis 35 Winter art project: tablecloths 36 Investment strategies GREEN & CLEAN LIVING 38 Truly “living in balance” 49 Keeping your home clean

Monkey see, monkey do!

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BEAUTY & SELF CARE 42 Naturally beautiful 44 Recall and recare solutions FITNESS & RECREATION 45 Yoga therapy 46 Massage therapy 48 Chiropractic care PET HEALTH & WELLNESS 49 Doggy fashionistas

Great of

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The Non-GMO Project

All-In-One Oasis

+ Writing | Sonya Stell

+ Writing | Nancy Stell

The retailers who started the Non-GMO Project were motivated by a simple idea: they believed that consumers across North America should have access to clearlylabeled non-GMO foods and products, now and in the future. That conviction continues to guide the Non-GMO Project, as North America’s only independent verification for produce...

Creating your own backyard oasis has been trending now for a few years, but this year why not take it a step further and create something that helps you live your overall life to the fullest? When done right, you can take even the smallest space and create an oasis that provides you with everything you need to live in balance; an area to meditate...

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Brought to you by The Friendly Chef

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Feature

The Resolution Edition

New Year New You! spread your wings

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liveinbalance | The Resolution Edition

+ Writing | Sonya Stell

Feature

The Resolution Edition

Always bear in mind that your own resolution to succeed is more important than any other.

- Abraham Lincoln

E

ach January, roughly one in three Canadians resolve to better themselves in some way. A much smaller percentage of people actually make good on those resolutions. While about 75% of people stick to their goals for at least a week, less than half (46%) are still on target six months later, a 2002 study found.

A New Year Resolution is more than just saying “I need to lose ten pounds this year” it is about spreading your wings and trying to better yourself. Winter time for some of us, is a very tough time of the year as we battle the onset of depression, sadness and the winter blahs. Reconnecting with loved ones, eliminating stress, creating cost effective ways to become healthier, planning to go back to school and some other great ideas listed below, will help to alleviate some of the difficult parts about winter time.

This year, pick one of the following worthy resolutions, and stick with it. Here’s to your health!

Take up a new hobby: Hobbies make us passionate about something, make us get up in the morning and look forward to that one thing that we love to do. A hobby can be as simple as reading books or as dedicated as a weekly adult dance class; they are the things that we love to do and just because you are out of the school room, working nine-to-five and raising a family does not mean you have to stop doing what you love to do.

Take a look at what is offered locally to you, whether its a swimming class at the local community centre, zumba or yoga classes at the gym, dancing lessons, a book club or any other passion that you had growing up. You will make new friends and get in the routine of having familiar faces to spend time with, while doing something that you truly enjoy. Be brave and get back out there, it is easier than you think.

Weight loss and healthy eating: The fact that this is predominantly among the most popular resolutions suggests just how difficult it is to commit to. But you can succeed if you don’t expect overnight success. “You want results yesterday, and desperation mode kicks in,” says Pam Peeke, MD, author of Body for Life for Women. “Beware of the valley of quickie cures.”

Also, plan for bumps in the road. Use a food journal to keep track of what you eat and have a support system in place. “Around week four to six... people become excuse mills,” Dr. Peeke says. “That’s why it’s important to have someone there on a regular basis to get you through those rough times.” It’s hard to keep up the enthusiasm months after you’ve swept up the confetti, but it’s not impossible.

Reconnect with friends and family: Feel like old friends (or family) have fallen by the wayside? It’s good for your health to reconnect with them. Research suggests people with strong social ties live longer than those who don’t. In fact, a lack of social bonds can damage your health as much as alcohol abuse and smoking, and even more than obesity and lack of exercise, a 2010 study in the journal PLoS Medicine suggests.

In a technology-fixated era, it’s never been easier to stay in touch— or rejuvenate your relationship—with friends and family, so fire up Facebook and follow up with in-person visits.

It’s time to quit smoking: Fear that you’ve failed too many times to try again? Talk to any exsmoker, and you’ll see that multiple attempts are often the path to success. Try different methods to find out what works. And think of the cash you’ll save! (We know you know the enormous health benefit.) “It’s one of the harder habits to quit,” says Merle Myerson, MD, director of the Cardiovascular Disease Prevention Program at St. Luke’s and Roosevelt Hospitals, in New York City. “But I always tell people to think of how much money they will save.”

Create cost effective healthy lifestyle choices: Save money by making healthy lifestyle changes. Walk or ride your bike to work, or explore carpooling. (That means more money in your pocket and less air pollution.) Cut back on gym membership costs by exercising at home. Many fitness programs on video game systems like Nintendo’s Wii Fit Plus and Microsoft’s Xbox Kinect Your Shape Fitness Evolved can get you sweating. Take stock of what you have in the fridge and make a grocery list. Aimless supermarket shopping can lead to poor choices for your diet and wallet.

Eliminate some stress: A little pressure now and again won’t kill us; in fact, short bouts of stress give us an energy boost. But if stress is chronic, it can increase your risk of—or worsen—insomnia, depression, obesity, heart disease, and more. Long work hours, little sleep, no exercise, poor diet, and not spending time with family and friends can contribute to stress, says Roberta Lee, MD, an integrative medicine specialist at Beth Israel Medical Center, in New York City, and the author of The Super Stress Solution.

“Stress is an inevitable part of life,” she says. “Relaxation, sleep, socializing, and taking vacations are all things we tell ourselves we deserve but don’t allow ourselves to have. We tend to think our own bliss relies on bettering ourselves, but our happiness also increases when we help others, says Peter Kanaris, PhD, coordinator of public education for the New York State Psychological Association. And guess what? Happiness is good for your health. A 2010 study found that people with positive emotions were about 20% less likely than

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Feature

The Resolution Edition

try something new

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liveinbalance | The Resolution Edition

Feature

The Resolution Edition

If you asked me for my New Year Resolution, it would be to find out who I am.

- Cyril Cusack

their gloomier peers to have a heart attack or develop heart disease.

Other research suggests that positive emotions can make people more resilient and resourceful. “Someone who makes this sort of resolution is likely to obtain a tremendous personal benefit in the happiness department,” Kanaris says.

Go back to school: No matter how old you are, heading back to the classroom can help revamp your career, introduce you to new friends, and even boost your brainpower. A 2007 study found that middle-age adults who had gone back to school (including night school) sometime in the previous quarter century had stronger memories and verbal skills than those who did not. What’s more, several studies have linked higher educational attainment to a decreased risk of Alzheimer’s disease. “You are gaining a sense of accomplishment by gaining new knowledge, and you are out there meeting people and creating possibilities that were never there before,” Kanaris says.

Cut back on the drinking: While much has been written about the health benefits of a small amount of alcohol, too much tippling is still the bigger problem.

(In fact, binge drinking seems to be on the rise.) Drinking alcohol in excess affects the brain’s neurotransmitters and can increase the risk of depression, memory loss, or even seizures. Chronic heavy drinking boosts your risk of liver and heart disease, hypertension, stroke, and mental deterioration, and even cancers of the mouth, throat, liver, and breast.

Take a nap: You probably already know that a good night’s rest can do wonders for your mood — and appearance. But sleep is more beneficial to your health than you might realize. A lack of sleep has been linked to a greater risk of obesity and type 2 diabetes. And sleep is crucial for strengthening memories (a process called consolidation). So take a nap — and don’t feel guilty about it.

So this year, make a realistic resolution, one that is not overly ambitious is most likely a resolution that you can stick with. The best resolution - plan to live in balance in all aspects of your life and you will find that you are healthy and happy in this coming year!

Sticking to it: Now comes the hardest part, sticking to your new resolutions. Begin by making one change at a time; once you understand that you have only a limited amount of willpower, it is easy to understand why multiple resolutions are not likely to work. Most resolutions actually require many behaviour changes, some are relatively straightforward, but a successful weight-loss program or lifestyle change calls for more than just a decision to eat less.

Create sub-strategies that will boost your success rate. When creating your new and improved healthy lifestyle plan, write down everything that you will shop differently for and take it to the grocery store with you. Then create a list of new cooking methods, tape it into your cupboard and refer to it before every meal. Research some exercise routines or have a consultation at a local gym, plan how often you want to workout on and which days fit into your schedule, then decide what exercises you want to do each of the days. When I was going to the gym regularly, myself and a couple of workout buddies had a routine: Monday was dedicated to chest exercises, Tuesday was back exercises, Wednesday was a shoulder workout, and Thursday was cardio and leg day. We stuck to the same routine every single week, therefore never missing a valued workout and always having the same plan. This eliminates the stress of going to the gym and running around trying to figure out what to do.

Same idea goes for the addition of regular naps and adding a hobby into your life, plan out your schedule ahead of time, dedicate a half hour after work for a quick nap and stick to it every day. Choose another day or time slot for a new hobby and know that, that time is specifically meant for that activity.

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Publishers' Note

Live in Balance with your new

Insight

T

Resolution

he turn of the New Year, as always, has led to the development of “New Year’s Resolutions”. As the excitement of the holidays has worn off and everyone returns back to their daily routines, we come to the conclusion that we need to somehow better ourselves. After a few weeks or a few months, the novelty usually wears off and we slip back into our old habits and decide to try it again next year. This issue of Live In Balance magazine is dedicated to resolutions, but not your typical doomed-to-fail resolution, we have brought together many doable, healthy and productive changes that you can welcome into your life with open arms.

The Resolution Edition brings to you the concept of living the most healthy, happy lifestyle that everyone deserves to embrace. We discuss how to set obtainable goals that will better yourself in more ways than one. You do not have to lose twenty-pounds to have a “resolution”, the idea of a New Year’s resolution is to make your life better upon reflecting on what you were unhappy with the previous year. Some of us, disconnect with family and friends as the years go by and you grow apart; try reconnecting this year and expand your social circle. Start a new hobby, perhaps one that you enjoyed as a child and thought that you were “too old” to do now - you’re never too old to do anything. Consider ditching those unhealthy habits that weigh you down, like smoking or excessive drinking, reconnecting with people and having something new to look forward to can help with these bad habits. What Live In Balance is truly about, is living, eating and being in balance within all aspects of your life. Each section of the magazine brings a new twist on how you can achieve just that; Health and Prevention being the first to give you a new take on how to stay healthy and prevent common illnesses. Nutrition and Recipes is specifically dedicated to helping 10

liveinbalance | The Resolution Edition

you to eat nutritiously with fantastic editorials and recipes that are oh-so-delicious! Success and Happiness is just that, keeping you successful and happy with your goals and lifestyle. Home Life and Relationships is designed for your home and your family, giving you reputable contractors and businesses that can help you with your household.

Green and Clean Living continues on with bettering your home, as well as the environment.

The next three sections are ways that you can take care of yourself and your pets in: Beauty and Self Care, Fitness and Recreation, and Pet Health and Wellness; because you and your furry friends are just as important as living a healthy lifestyle.

Something exciting is happening here at Our Space Publishing and Live In Balance magazine.

We have launched Live In Balance TV #LIBTV to promote living in balance on a whole different level. Targeting our online fans with a brand-new YouTube channel LiveInBalance; subscribe today and enjoy segments with special guests bringing you informative research, delicious recipes, fitness tips and so much more. Segment One is airing now, so check it out! Featuring special guest Chef Jenny of Jentree Whole Health showing you how to create her delicious recipe featured on page twentythree of this issue. Also, follow us on Instagram @liveinbalancetv for sneak peeks of upcoming segments and daily healthy tips.

We are so pleased to be bringing you yet another issue of Live In Balance, continuing the passion that we all share in helping you to live a better, healthier, happier lifestyle. Flip through the pages of this edition and take in the information that you feel will help to better yourself, then plan to stick to it! We all deserve to live in balance.

Enjoy The Live in Balance Resolution Edition!

Nancy & Sonya Stell

Publishers' Note

Insight

Giving every member of the community the opportunity to live a healthy, positive and balanced life.

PUBLISHERS AND EDITORIAL DIRECTORS Sonya Stell and Nancy Stell

DESIGN AND CREATIVE DIRECTOR Sonya Stell

PHOTOGRAPHY Sonya Stell

CONTRIBUTING EDITORS HEALTH & PREVENTION

NUTRITION & RECIPES

SUCCESS & HAPPINESS

HOME LIFE & RELATIONSHIPS

Sonya Stell Sheralyn Roman Naturally Bulk Nancy Stell

Susan Wilson Luke Bernardi Aretha Black Sonya Stell Jenny Allen

Sonya Stell Kate Wharton Nancy Stell Andrea Seydel Aynsley Saxe

Nancy Stell Cathy Mount Corey Ferrier

BEAUTY & SELF CARE

FITNESS & RECREATION

PET HEALTH & WELLNESS

GREEN & CLEAN LIVING

Sonya Stell David Kostynyk

Rita Troia Sandra BorgSanghu Scott McCrimmon

Nancy Stell

Nancy Stell

TO PARTICIPATE IN OUR NEXT ISSUE CONTACT:

PUBLISHER/MARKETING: Nancy Stell

nancy@liveinbalancemagazine.com CREATIVE DIRECTOR:

Sonya Stell sonya@liveinbalancemagazine.com

HEADWATERS MARKETING REP: Stacey Valente

stacey@liveinbalancemagazine.com OUR TEAM MARKETING REP.

HEAD OFFICE

P.O. Box 482 Erin, Ontario, N0B 1T0 | (519) 833-7157

Stacey Valente

nancy@liveinbalancemagazine.com | sonya@liveinbalancemagazine.com

stacey@liveinbalancemagazine.com

EDITORIAL: Written contributions and photos are welcome. We appreciate content from our local professionals.

However, all content is subject to editorial review and becomes the property of Live In Balance magazine. Submit your editorial to info.ourspace@gmail.com EDITORIAL NOTE: The information provided in this magazine is for educational and informational purposes only. It should not be used as a substitute for the advice of a qualified and licensed practitioner or health care provider. The opinions expressed here are not necessarily those of Our Space Publishing, its affiliates, or divisional companies. Different views may appear in feature articles and publications that may not be the opinion of Live In Balance and its affiliates. Articles in Live In Balance magazine are copyrighted and must not be reprinted, duplicated, or transmitted without permission.

Printed in Canada by Our Space Publishing Copyright Š 2015 by Live In Balance magazine.

All rights reserved. No part of this magazine, including photography, may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means without the prior written permission of the publisher.

Printed on 30% post-consumer paper with vegetable oil based ink. 100% recyclable. Please share this publication with friends and family and recycle when finished.

Thank-You for Making a Difference!

www.liveinbalancemagazine.com | liveinbalance | The Resolution Edition

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Health

Prevention

Stop the sickness + Writing | Sonya Stell

We all want to avoid getting sick; however, most of the time it’s usually too late for us to guard against catching colds, flu, and other contagious illnesses.

That’s because we can be exposed to the illness before the person who has it shows any symptoms. For example, a family member may sneeze several times at the dinner table before coming down with a full-blown cold the next day. Even the early sneezes have probably exposed you and other members of your household to the cold virus. The flu can be contagious about a day prior to the onset of symptoms, and strep throat can be contagious as much as five days prior to onset. However, if someone in your household has a common cold or other contagious bugs, you can take some precautions to keep catchy infections from taking over your home. Here are some “staywell” strategies to prevent illness and keep catchy infections contained.

Top of Your List for Infection Protection: (Remember to always consult with your own doctor as to what measures are best for your own health care) immunizations have reduced or eliminated diseases such as smallpox, measles, mumps, rubella, diphtheria, tetanus, whooping cough (pertussis), and polio. But despite the success of vaccines, contagious diseases still often outwit the best efforts to control them. For instance, there is concern now about a resurgence of whooping cough, which is most contagious before the coughing actually starts. The best way to prevent whooping cough is still through vaccinations. The childhood vaccine is called DTaP, and there’s also a whooping cough booster vaccine for adolescents and adults ages 19 through 64 called Tdap. The booster not only protects against whooping cough, but also against tetanus and diphtheria.

The moral is: No matter what your age, talk to your doctor to see if you are current with all of your immunizations. You should also make sure you get a flu shot annually to protect yourself from influenza, and if you are in the group of people who need one, you should get the pneumococcal vaccine, as well. It can help protect you against pneumonia. Remember, though, while a flu shot is one of the best ways to avoid the flu, the vaccines aren’t always 100% effective. And flu, if you catch it, can lead to serious respiratory complications such as pneumonia or bacterial bronchitis. So, in addition to making sure you have all your immunizations and shots, you should also know about and use the following “stay-well” strategies to prevent illness and keep catchy infections contained. Preventing any illness, including the common cold, begins with the following six basic prevention strategies: Think of hand washing as a survival skill. Never touch your mouth, nose, or eyes without washing your hands. Teach your kids not to share food and other things that go in the mouth, as in guzzling milk from the carton or double dipping chips. Encourage family members to cover their mouths with a tissue when they cough or sneeze and to dispose of the tissue themselves.

No time to grab a tissue? Cough or sneeze into the inside of your elbow instead of your hands. Avoid sharing personal items like toiletries, towels, and pillows. Get proper rest and good nutrition to improve resistance and bolster immunity.

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Health

Prevention

Why can’t we all get

Health

Prevention

Along?

+ Writing | Sheralyn Roman

When faced with a serious health challenge, it’s likely you’d seek any and all advice to aid in recovery. Yet patients seeking access to both an MD and ND or RHN to combine treatment options are routinely discouraged from doing so. Typically referred to as Traditional verses Alternative medicine, these names imply an adversarial, “either/or” relationship rather than a complementary one. Doctors and pharmacists are reluctant to recommend any kind of alternative or homeopathic remedy and some (though we caution not all) holistic health care practitioners view pharmaceuticals as toxic. Like Mom encouraged us as kids, why can’t we all just get along? It seems in part, the answer depends both on your health care team and your willingness to advocate for the type of care you receive. Investigating alternatives for treating children for example, parents’ experiences vary widely. Having a sick child is stressful enough and forcing parents to choose between two health care management styles simply creates frustration.

Medical practitioners from all genres should be working together towards the mutually shared goal of patient health.

The issue is divisive. Examples supporting each position are sometimes aggressive.

Those looking for answers may find themselves overwhelmed by claims such as: complementary or alternative medicine “seeks to undermine…medical science to promote sectarian and ideological beliefs” or that “homeopathy …(is) contraindicated by scientific facts.” Such statements imply there is no possible way homeopathy could satisfy rigorous scientific study and that “alternative” health care apparently isn’t just about health.

Encouragingly however, we found “an observational study using 30 investigators with conventional medical licenses at six clinical sites in four countries…(who) compared the effectiveness of homeopathy with conventional medicine in a real world primary care setting.” With almost 500 participants, some receiving homeopathic and others

conventional treatments, the study measured several “primary outcomes criteria” and found that response to treatment was measured at 82.6% for homeopathic treatments compared to just 68% for those receiving conventional medicine. These findings suggest (albeit on a small scale) that homeopathic remedies do offer some relief, can be supported through research and shouldn’t be ignored. “Holism promotes the belief that these three elements of a human being (mind, body and spirit) must be treated together in order to achieve any notion of healing.” Typically, your MD also emphasizes the power of positive attitude in recovery. Why then are we not embracing this combined approach to patient care more often?

Rosalyn Dunn, Registered Nutritional Therapist and Antonio Behno, a Pharmacist in Brampton, are one example of a more progressive attitude. Based at HeartLake IDA, the duo has spent 3 years building a practice that integrates both a natural and pharmaceutical approach to wellbeing.

Noticing his patients were asking about supplements and recognizing a “huge gap between what we are taught at school and what we have come to know in pharmaceutical practice,” Antonio sought help from Rosalyn, RNCP and ROHP. Together, they help patients understand the relationship between qualified, safe and effective natural health products (those with an NPN Health Canada number) that can work together with, even sometimes replace, prescribed medication. As an example, Antonio has long understood the benefits of pairing Lipitor with CoQ10 to manage side effects and has recently seen a rise in Dr’s who include it on patient prescriptions. Rosalyn adds, in another welcome development, there is now a clinic in Brampton where Medical Doctors and Naturopaths work together, treating patients using a combination of therapies. Such examples surely pave the way for a future that considers the two approaches complementary, not “either/or.” We think Mom would be proud.

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Health

14

Prevention

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Health

liveinbalance | The Resolution Edition

Prevention

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Health

Prevention

Health

Prevention

caring for your feet

Carrying the weight of the world, or at least your whole body, your feet play a huge role in your overall wellness and looking after them should be on the top of your list of things to do. Foot problems can affect the way you walk which ultimately cause knee, hip and back pain. Washing off dirt, drying your feet well and applying a moisturizing foot cream nightly is a great way to keep your feet in good shape. A pumice stone is also useful in removing dry hard skin. Trimming your toenails carefully is also very important. When done properly, straight across, never at an angle or down the edges, you will help reduce ingrown toenails. Tight-fitting shoes, poor foot hygiene, nail infections and injuries can also cause ingrown toenails, which can be very painful.

To treat a mild ingrown toenail, trim the nail straight across to help prevent it from continuing to dig into the skin. You can then use a small amount of olive oil to soften the skin and gently push it away from the nail. Wear comfortable shoes that allow for lots of space around your toes and use painkillers if necessary. Sometimes your only option is surgery where a doctor will remove a section of the affected toenail or all of it. If left untreated, the toe can become infected. If you suffer from diabetes, it is very important that you 16

+ Writing | Nancy Stell

liveinbalance | The Resolution Edition

visit your GP right away as it could affect the healing of your toenail.

Footwear is the most important aspect of looking after your feet.

Did you know that you should shop for shoes in the afternoon?

Your feet swell as the day goes on and are at their largest during the afternoon. If they are comfortable then, they will always be.

High heels look great, but wearing them for a long period of time will wreak havoc on your feet. Problems ranging from blisters, corns and calluses to serious foot, knee and back pain can all be attributed to wearing high heals for too long. It is recommended that you only wear heals for three to eight hours and that the height of the heel should not exceed 5 centimeters. Take smaller steps, ensure the shoe fits properly and give your feet some extra special attention after wearing high heels.

If you are over 60, your foot care becomes even more important: your skin thins, your joints begin to stiffen and your feet become more susceptible to the cold. If you are having trouble looking after your feet see a professional chiropodist/podiatrist for help. Painful and uncomfortable feet aren’t a natural part of ageing and can be alleviated.

Nutrition

Recipes

Eat your

Nutrition

Recipes

sunshine recipes + Writing | Susan Wilson of Health E Nut

Eating more citrus fruits protects your body and keeps it healthy especially in winter. While citrus is most commonly known as a source of cold-fighting vitamin C, most citrus fruits also contain generous amounts of vitamins and minerals that are essential for normal growth, development and overall nutritional well-being. They include potassium, folate, calcium, thiamine, niacin, vitamin B6, phosphorus, magnesium, copper, riboflavin, pantothenic acid and a variety of phytochemicals. Citrus contains no fat or sodium and no cholesterol and is also low calorie. Organic citrus fruit is always best!

Ingredients:

• 4 cups of organic apple cider • 1 tsp of cloves • Juice of 1 lemon • Juice of 1 lime • Pinch of cayenne • Maple syrup to taste

Preparation:

Bring apple cider and cloves to a simmer in a medium saucepan, turn off heat and add lemon and lime, cover and let sit 5 minutes add cayenne pepper. Cover and let sit another 5 minutes. Sweeten to your taste.

This drink is perfect for cleansing the liver and a nice winter comfy drink. liveinbalance | The Resolution Edition

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Nutrition

Recipes

Nutrition

Recipes

Supplementing

for

weight loss

+ Writing | Luke Bernardi of Amped Nutrition

In the world of weight loss and dieting, there are hundreds of supplements, tools, equipment, diet , and exercise plans claiming to help you shed the pounds. When it comes to supplements it can be hard to determine what will truly provide results and what may be the next best marketing gimmick. Supplements are one of those weight loss aids that can be very attractive, daunting, unbelievable, and misleading all at the same time. Despite many misconceptions about these supplements, the fact of the matter is that there are many scams out there among the many amazingly beneficial products. It is quite simple to tell if a supplement is for real or just a scam simply by the products cost, dosage, brand reputation, active ingredients, and most importantly; science backed findings. If it comes in the form of a gummy or candy, has a very cheap price, or you picked it up at a grocery store; chances are the product will do little to aid your weight loss goals. Many consumers are often frightened of these supplements for fear of what they truly are. If you are purchasing from a legal business entity you can rest assure that the ingredients in all these supplements are safe, natural and found in everyday life. Often these supplements contain ingredients derived from herbs often found in Chinese medicine, fruits, vegetables, tree barks, and plant parts. So there is no need to be afraid of some foreign substance being in your weight loss supplement.

Weight loss supplements can generally be classified into two categories. Those that aid energy expenditure and calorie burning and those that decrease caloric intake or prevent the caloric impact on fat accumulation. In simple terms this is like “calories in Vs calories out.” They either help with increasing calories out, or decreasing calories in. Although it is far more complex than this, this is easiest for the average person to understand. The calories out category is often those supplements termed “ Fat Burners “ or Thermogenics.

These supplements are amazingly beneficial when properly dosed and formulated by a trusted company. Usually these products will contain patented ingredients from specific manufacturing and researching facilities. For example: L-Carnitine is a popular weight loss aiding supplement that helps to transport triglycerides 18

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Nutrition

Recipes

(fat) to the mitochondria (Cells in the body) so that they can be burned for energy. The most studied and science backed L-Carnitine is patented by the company that developed it as Carnipure*. Whether you purchase this on its own or in a multiple ingredient supplement you can at least know that that you are getting what has been used in the studies and proven effective in testing. This is not to mean all products without this are not as good, but it can ensure confidence in buying as a consumer.

Thermogenic supplements are also amongst some of the most scam worthy supplements out there. Many of them are simply just pure caffeine and stimulants, often not containing high enough dosages of the active ingredients to provide the results shown in studies. This is why you must do your research and insist on sourcing a trustworthy and knowledgeable source for your supplements. Thermogenic supplements can work wonders when you have a good product. They generally work fairly simply by increasing your metabolism so that you burn more calories. These supplements generally can allow for an average increase of calorie expenditure in the range of 250 - 350 calories at rest. So the basic principle with how this will work is that by taking the supplement and monitoring how much you eat in a day as to hit your BMR (basal metabolic rate) or maintenance calories; the extra calorie expenditure will put you in enough of a caloric deficit that you will be losing weight. While this may seem little in terms of calories, it is actually a safe number that is enough to equate to roughly a 1lb loss of weight in a week’s time while making sure you limit muscle loss.

By exercising with a supplement like this you can have an even greater increase in caloric expenditure, far greater than you would get by simply exercising without it. This is because now you have the metabolic boost increasing the number of calories you are burning during you exercise. This metabolic boost is also known as “thermogenesis”. This term is used to describe the increase in core body temperature and metabolism that as a result the body must burn more calories to try and cool itself back down to normal temperatures; Hence the name Thermogenic supplements.

These supplements become a great tool used by many everyday people, bodybuilders, models, and fitness competitors come trying to get in shape for a show or a shoot, or when trying to shed the last few pounds. This is because when following any diet you are ultimately limiting food/ calorie intake usually from carbohydrates or fat, so that the body can burn fat. When limiting calories and food your performance

Nutrition

Recipes

and energy will undoubtedly suffer, and this is where thermogenics become beloved by many.

These supplements often contain some form of stimulants that provide the extra energy you need to get through your workouts and burn a ton of calories whilst having little in the tank in terms of energy from food. The self termed “calories in supplement category” or prevention of calories in for use of a better term, is quite the opposite of thermogenic supplements and is often the most safe route for all people not looking to increase their heart rate or risk getting the jitters or nervous side effects from a Fat burner. These supplements work from many different mechanisms in the body to more or less reduce the number of calories the body takes in, or to ensure those calories taken in get used efficiently for energy and do not get stored as body fat. Many of these supplements have been featured on hundreds of TV. shows and magazines promoting their claims.

The problem is that many companies have taken advantage of this and have come out with sub optimal versions of these products. These being ones that do not contain full dosages or the patented, tested ingredients of those featured on these shows that have been backed by studies and protected by patent by the organizations who discovered and manufacture them. Protein and meal replacement shakes also can fall into this category of calories-in weight management supplements. These shakes are designed so that the individual consuming them is 100% in control of knowing that they are consuming a calorie controlled quality source of macronutrients - most beneficially from protein which helps to aid in fat burning and weight loss. Shakes like this work very simply to increase metabolism, help preserve and build lean tissue which in turn helps to burn more body fat, keep you feeling satiated so that you do not over eat, and to knowingly be able to control the calories you are consuming of which can be otherwise difficult when consuming other foods.

Weight loss is a great goal to embark on for improving overall health, fitness and quality of life, but when seeking help from products and supplements to assist in the effort it is important to make sure you are buying the right supplements produced by high quality, reputable brands and to seek out knowledgeable and experienced supplement and nutrition providers. Whether you’re looking to lose that holiday bulge, achieve a New Year’s resolution, or achieve your goal weight, proper supplementation can enhance your efforts and help you too successfully reach your goals.

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Nutrition

Recipes

+ Writing | Aretha Black of Everdale Farm

Welcome to the farm

Everdale’s mission is to be a farm-based organization that provides hands-on, solution-based food and farming education to build and engage local communities. To accomplish this, we deliver a wide range of hands-on learning programs on food and farming to people of all ages and backgrounds. Nestled in the hills just outside of Hillsburgh, Everdale is a picturesque 50 acre farm, with 10 acres in organic food production. Everdale was established as an organic farm in 1997 by Gavin Dandy and Karen Campbell, on the site of the former Everdale Place, Canada’s first free school. Today, we welcome thousands of visitors to our site every year to our event days, workshops, farmer training programs, school visits and farm camps. In 2013, in cooperation with several community partners, Everdale launched the Black Creek Community Farm project in Toronto. As the city’s largest urban farm, Black Creek Community Farm aims to engage, educate and empower diverse communities through the growing and sharing of food.

Getting Involved: Harvest Share: Everdale began offering the Harvest Share, a Community Shared Agriculture (CSA) program, in 1998. 13 members signed up to receive organic vegetables from our farm on a weekly basis during

that first season. Today, our Harvest Share welcomes over 400 members, with pick-ups in Hillsburgh and Toronto. By offering the Harvest Share program year-round, our members receive fresh, local, organic produce even during the coldest months of the year.

Educational and Farmer Training Programs: Through our hands-on, curriculum-based school programs, we aim to provide meaningful opportunities for children to learn in a vibrant, living classroom. Through farm trips, school visits and summer farm camp, kids learn about the importance of healthy soil, plants and animals in relation to the food we eat through interactive and fun activities. We also offer intensive farmer training to help participants gain comprehensive food growing skills and explore the world of sustainable local farming, and a farmer planning course to help farm dreams become successful businesses.

Events: We love welcoming our neighbours to the farm! The highlight event of our year is Carrot Fest, a family-friendly farm event held every September. Information about this and all of our events is available on our website. www.everdale.org

Enter Our

Contest For a chance to win four tickets to the annual Lobster Festival.

Brought to you by The Friendly Chef

Simply visit our website for contest rules and regulations at: www.liveinbalancemagazine.com Watch “Segment One: with Chef Jenny” on our LiveInBalance YouTube channel and tell us one of the benefits of red onion.

Email us your name and contact information at info.ourspace@gmail.com 20

liveinbalance | The Resolution Edition

LiveInBalance

project The Non-GMO

Nutrition

Recipes

+ Writing | Sonya Stell + Information | Non-GMO Project

The retailers who started the Non-GMO Project were motivated by a simple idea: they believed that consumers across North America should have access to clearly-labeled non-GMO foods and products, now and in the future. That conviction continues to guide the NonGMO Project, as North America’s only independent verification for produce made according to the best practices for GMO avoidance.

The Non-GMO Project Standard The Non-GMO Project Standard is a consensus-based docent that has been crafted with the insight and expertise of dozens of individuals, reflecting a dynamic range of perspectives. Beginning with the insight and expertise of dozens of individuals, truly reflecting the range of opinions of our citizens.

Beginning with a 60-day public comment period in October and November of 2007, ongoing public comment periods have been established as an important mechanism for keeping the Standard current and collaborative. For more information on the Non-GMO Project Standard and to see when their latest comment period will begin, visit www.nongmoproject.org/product-verification/nongmo-product-standard What does the Non-GMO Project Verified seal mean?

The verification seal indicates that the product bearing the seal has gone through the Non-GMO Project verification process. This verification is an assurance that a product has been produced according to census-based best practices for GMO avoidance. The current best practices for GMO avoidance are: Required ongoing testing of all at risk ingredients (any ingredient being grown commercially in GMO form must be tested prior to use in a verified product). Use an Action Threshold of 0.9%. This is an alignment with laws in the European Union (where any product containing more than 0.9% GMO must be labeled).

Absence of all GMOs is the target for all Non-GMO Project Standard compliant products; continuous improvement practices toward achieving this goal must be a part of the participant’s quality management systems. After the test, it is required that rigorous traceability and segregation practices are to be followed in order to ensure ingredient integrity through to the finished product. For lowrisk ingredients, they will conduct a review of ingredient specification

sheets to determine the absence of GMO risk. Verification is maintained through an annual audit, along with on site inspections for high-risk products.

GMO (genetically modified organisms) are a great concern for the environment and human health. Food allergies affect a large percentage of the population and are a significant health threat; allergic reactions in humans occur when a normally harmless protein enters the body and stimulates an immune response. If the protein in a GMO product comes from a source that is known to cause allergies in humans, or a source that has never been consumed as a human food, the concern is that protein could elicit an immune response.

A further concern of GMO products, is an increased toxicity. Most plants produce a substance that is toxic to humans, however, most of the plants that humans consume only produce toxins at levels low enough that they do not create any adverse health effects. There is a concern that inserting an exotic gene into a plant could cause it to produce toxins at a higher level, which could be very dangerous to humans. As well, genetically modified plants could possibly have a lower nutritional quality than its traditional counterpart, by making nutrients unavailable or indigestible to humans.

For example, phytate is a compound common in seeds and grains that binds with minerals and makes them unavailable to humans; an inserted gene could cause a plant to produce higher levels of phytate and decrease the mineral nutritional value of the plant.

If you are overwhelmed by the idea of changing your diet and have no clue where to begin, be sure to visit the www.nongmoproject. org and learn more about what GMOs are, what their project is accomplishing and how you can better your family’s diet. Take a step by step approach, begin by looking at what your family is eating for breakfast and continue on from there. Once you have developed a new routine in the grocery store and become familiar with safer products, it won’t be as difficult as you might think.

Non-GMO Project located at 1200 Harris Avenue, Suite #305, Bellingham WA for general questions visit our website at www.nongmoproject.org or email us at info@nongmoproject.org.

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Nutrition

Recipes

celery root & rutabaga Winter Slaw

+ Writing | Jenny Allen of Jentree Whole Health

Ingredients:

Celery root (celeriac) 1 small, finely sliced or shredded Rutabaga 1/2 medium, finely sliced or shredded Carrot 1 large, shredded Natural mayo 1/2 cup Red onion 1/4 medium, thinly sliced Raw Honey 2 tbsp Cider vinegar 1-2 tbsp Fresh tarragon 3 tbsp, chopped Dried currants 1/2 cup, optional Chopped pecans 1/2 cup, optional Sea salt & fresh ground black pepper to taste

Try this!

Directions:

Shred celery root, rutabaga and carrot with food processor or box grater. (or finely slice celery root/rutabaga with a sharp knife or mandolin).

In medium bowl, whisk together mayo, red onion, honey, vinegar, tarragon and a pinch of salt & pepper. Toss with veggie slaw, and taste.

Add more honey, salt or vinegar to taste.

Fold in currants and pecans. Allow to sit for a few minutes before serving for flavours to develop. Keep any leftovers tightly covered in your fridge for up to 2 days.

Jenny Allen is chef/owner at Jentree Whole Health in downtown Georgetown, ON. As an honours graduate of George Brown College’s Chef Training program and a student of the Canadian School of Natural nutrition, Jenny’s career in the food industry quickly grew into a passion for nutritious cuisine. Jenny is pleased to share her talent and passion for nutritious cuisine. With a focus on nutrition, her popular cooking classes at her *good food studio* offer healthy menus that reflect her whole foods approach. Her personal chef service & custom recipe plans featuring simple, natural ingredients are designed for today’s busy lifestyles. Jenny can be reached through her website at www.jentreewholefoods.com

Be a part of an online community dedicated to creating segments to help audiences learn how they can live in balance and inspire our world to be healthier and happier.

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Subscribe to our YouTube channel LiveInBalance and watch Segment One featuring this recipe with Chef Jenny!

liveinbalance | The Resolution Edition

Nutrition

liveinbalance | The Resolution Edition

Recipes

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Success

Happiness

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liveinbalance | The Resolution Edition

Success

Depression hurts Depression is one of the most common types of mental disorders, affecting about 340 million people worldwide. Interestingly, about half of all cases of depression go undiagnosed and untreated, yet depression is the most treatable form of mental illness. Depression occurs in all age groups, social classes and cultures. It is far more common in women, affecting 25 percent of women versus about 10 percent of men. Additionally, depression also affects one out of every 20 teenagers.

In Ontario, our cold winter days with shortened sunlight hours, often affects many peoples moods and can cause some of us to suffer from what is commonly referred to as S.A.D. (seasonally affective disorder).

Symptoms often include tiredness, depression and irritability and in extreme cases can be associated with thoughts of suicide. Treatments include regular exposure to bright lights, particularly fluorescent lights seem to really help with this condition.

It is very important to make a distinction between situational depression, which is a normal reaction to events around us, and clinical (also called endogenous) depression, which is triggered from within and is not related to external situations. Situational depression is quite common and normally follows stressful situations or losses.

Rather than suppressing these feelings, it is best to work through these periods with help from psychotherapists or counselors. Clinical depression is a medical diagnosis and often requires other forms of depression treatment.

Symptoms and Causes The core symptoms of depression include: A sullen mood. Feelings of hopelessness, guilt and anxiety. Loss of interest in things that used to be pleasurable. Change in appetite. Change in sleeping patterns.

Inability to concentrate. A lack of energy or feeling run-down Clinical depression can be triggered by a recent loss or other sad event, but then grows out of proportion to the situation and persists longer than appropriate, affecting your emotional health. While there are many theories about mood disorders, the actual causes of depression remain unclear. The current branch of medicine that addresses depression, psychiatry, is deeply founded in materialistic thinking, and believes that all mental problems stem from imbalances in brain chemistry. Hence, its total commitment to the use of drugs.

While it seems likely that some cases of depression may result from deficiencies or excess neurotransmitters, such as serotonin, it makes equal sense to suggest that mood disorders actually result in disordered brain biochemistry.

Those with a family history of depression are much more likely to experience its effects at some point in their lives. In addition, there

Happiness

+ Writing | Sonya Stell

are several factors that can precipitate depression: A recent loss or sad event such as the loss of a job, bereavement or social isolation. Side effects of certain drugs. Infections such as AIDS, mononucleosis and viral hepatitis. Premenstrual syndrome. Rheumatoid arthritis.

Certain types of cancer. Neurological disorders such as stroke, multiple Sclerosis and Parkinson’s disease. Nutritional deficiencies of B12 or B6 Recommended Lifestyle Changes for Depression Treatment In Buddhist philosophy, depression represents the inevitable consequence of seeking stimulation. The centuries old teachings suggest that we seek balance in our emotional health and lives, rather than continuously striving for the highs, and then complaining about the lows that follow.

Its basic recommendation encourages the daily practice of meditation, and this is perhaps the best way to address the root of depression and change it. This requires long-term commitment, however, as meditation does not produce immediate results.

Exercise. For more immediate, symptomatic depression treatment, there is no better method than regular aerobic exercise. Numerous studies have demonstrated the efficacy of a daily workout for improving emotional health and boosting self confidence. It is recommend thirty minutes of continuous activity, at least five days a week for best results.

Check your meds. Make sure you are not taking any over-thecounter or prescription medications that contribute to depression.

Avoid all antihistamines, tranquilizers, sleeping pills and narcotics if you have any tendency toward depression. You should also be cautious about the use of recreational drugs, notably alcohol as they may provide a temporary sense of relief, but are likely to intensify depression to dangerous levels if used regularly.

Cut caffeine. Addiction to coffee and other forms of caffeine often interferes with normal moods and can aggravate depression.

Try acupuncture. This modality has proven itself to be very useful in treating several mood disorders, including depression.

Seek professional help. Find a psychotherapist, mental health professional or grief counselor who can help you explore the elements contributing to your depression and facilitate recovery.

Cognitive behavioral therapy can be especially helpful. Speak to your physician to determine if you are a candidate for anti-depressant medication.

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Happiness

The No More Diet, Diet Resolution + Writing | Dr. Kate Wharton, BScH, ND. of Natural Balance

Do you wonder why every time you go on a diet, you wind up regaining the weight and sometimes even more? Then you’re in “bad company,” because most adult North Americans who diet fail to keep the weight off. As a Naturopathic Doctor, one of the most prominent reasons people seek my help is for difficulty with weight management. The common story is that “I’ve tried every diet out there, sometimes they work for a short time but I always end up gaining back the weight once I go back to eating ‘normally’”.

It’s sad how often I hear this, particularly when the answer is right under our noses – temporary diets do not work! When we follow a diet we get in the mindset of “I’m going to deprive myself for a short time in order to reach a goal (fit into a dress, look good on vacation, etc.), but eventually I’ll be able to go back to eating the way I’m used to”. The mindset that a diet is something you can ‘go on’ will never lead to permanent weight loss, or good health in general.

Permanent weight loss only results from a complete lifestyle change that involves learning healthy eating habits that are both enjoyable and sustainable, adequate sleep, stress management, exercise and a positive attitude with a focus on a strong and healthy body, not just a thinner one! Most of a weight management protocol concerns what goes on between your ears, as in what you know and how you use that knowledge to your advantage.

Don’t give food power. Food can’t “make” you eat it. A candy bar doesn’t hold you down, and force you to chew and swallow it!

YOU have the power to say no – say no to foods that reduce your health potential (full of toxic sugars, chemical additives, trans fats, inflammatory mediators, etc.), are unfulfilling (no nutritional value or leave you feeling unsatisfied/ looking for more) and foods you know make you feel unwell (fatigue, headaches, upset stomach, etc.).

Intense cravings can be signs of deeper imbalance, seek assistance!

The first step to achieving your body’s optimal weight and health is to become ‘mindful’ of what you are eating and how you are living.

Take a week and record all that you take in, drinks too and how you feel and function – energy, mood, bowel movements, sleep, any symptoms you have (headaches, upset stomach, joint pain, etc.) as well as when you exercise. It is also important to seek specialized medical help if you have been struggling with your weight for many years. It is amazing how often metabolic issues such as a sluggish thyroid or insulin resistance can be missed by standard blood testing.

Nutrient deficiencies like low iron, calcium, zinc, and vitamin B12 and yeast overgrowth in the digestive tract can also affect how your body uses calories and have a huge impact on appetite, food choices and regulation of food intake. In addition, type II food allergies/ food intolerances are highly linked to difficulty maintaining a healthy body weight. Because these types of reactions can be subtle they are often missed but the stress they cause on the body is a common reason for weight gain and increased fat storage. In that vein, high stress from any source – emotional (job or family worries), physiological (hormone imbalance, etc.) or physical (lack of sleep, illness, injury) leads to high levels of the hormone cortisol in the body. This hormone encourages fat deposition, particularly around the midsection, the area most implicated in increased risk of diabetes, heart disease, and other chronic illnesses.

Listen to your body - drop the idea of “good” and “bad” foods.

Wrong! Food does not possess human characteristics. Food can make you feel good or bad, but food is food: fatty food, salty food, high or low in protein, low in saturated fat, or high in fiber… you choose the foods that make you feel and function well. Don’t eat the same fruits and vegetables every day. That’s like playing only four numbers in the Quick Pick Five. You can’t win unless you fill in the whole card.

Increasing variety provides better nutrition and more phytochemicals (different nutrients found in different coloured foods) to keep you excited about healthy foods and prevent disease. Don’t think that all fats are bad. Extreme low fat diets have been popular for a long time, however, when we remove too much fat there are negative health consequences, as well as lack of satisfaction with food. Fats make us feel full and can be health-enhancing, reduce inflammatory stress responses and promote optimal hormone balance, mood and energy. Include foods high in omega fatty acids in your daily intake (coconut/ olive/ avocado/ grape seed/ hemp/ flax oils and fish, whole grains, avocado, nuts and seeds. Don’t skip meals. Not only will this make you more likely to gorge on unhealthy foods when you finally allow yourself to eat, you are doing your brain and metabolism a big disservice. Giving your body a consistent source of energy helps it to use foods more efficiently for body processes (like the fuel that it is) and store less as fat (waiting a long time between meals or skipping meals altogether triggers “starvation mode” in the body, increasing fat storage). Eating at regular intervals also avoids drastic peaks and declines in blood sugar levels, stable blood sugar levels help regulate immune function (high blood sugar can suppress the immune system), and decrease the amount of stress on the adrenal glands (avoid running on adrenaline and allowing us to cope with stressful situations better). Forget about trying to lose weight without exercise. It’s possible to lose weight without exercise, but most likely the weight is going to come right back on once you stop “dieting”, particularly if you have done a ‘crash diet’ in which you have starved your body so much that your body was forced to consume healthy lean body mass for energy. Increasing physical activity is associated with permanent weight loss and increased lean body mass (and better long term health and disease prevention). For weight loss you really need to be active at least 5 days per week, once you reach your goals you can generally maintain on 2 to 3 days per week. Find activities that you enjoy and make exercise a permanent part of your life.

For many it is actually the bad habits created by a ‘dieting’ mentality that promote weight gain and reduced health. Ditching the habits that you have created by ‘dieting’ is vital as these not only prevent you achieving and maintaining a healthy weight permanently but reduce your quality of life and overall health.

As you start a new year, instead of vowing to give things up, try a new temporary diet or lose that 10 pounds you’ve been fighting, commit to taking responsibility for your health and learning more about your body and what it is trying to tell you. Commit to a healthier, happier you!

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liveinbalance | The Resolution Edition

Success

Happiness

The red

hat society

+ Writing | Nancy Stell

+ Photography | Red Hat Society

Offering woman an amazing opportunity to connect, embrace life at any age and to thrive on the companionship of other women. The Red Hat Society today is an International Society connecting women from all over the world with a common goal: * Fun * Friendship * Freedom * Fulfillment * Fitness. Initially started for women 50 and over to help them embrace middle age, today it reaches all demographics with the “pink hat” designation for women under 50 and the “red hat” designation remaining for women 50 and over.

The structure of the society works for anyone as you decide how involved you want to be; with options to get involved at the level you are most comfortable with you can join a local chapter or start your very own. Membership is a nominal fee allowing the society to bring you an interactive website where you can find upcoming events, shop and connect with woman around the world.

In Our Space will be featuring The Red Hat Society as our special spot and sharing some of the great activities you can expect when becoming a Red Hatter. Watch for our spring issue coming this March and view us online: www.inourspacemagazine.com So if you are looking to change your life this year and start enjoying all the benefits that connecting with other women will bring you, join the Red Hat Society today and make 2015 the year you start living your life to the fullest. www.redhatsociety.com

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Happiness

Success

Reinvent Beauty with

Happiness

Self-Compassion + Writing | Andrea Seydel of Life Balance Publishing Group

Dove Canada reports that by the time women are 17, only 3 out of 10 girls like the way they look. Discover the extraordinary beauty in the ordinary and gifts in what could be perceived as mistakes.

The key to celebrating your beauty lies in the recognition of the sacred qualities found deep inside each one of us along with being self-compassionate.

Possessing little self-regard can lead people to become depressed, to fall short of their potential, or to place unrealistic expectations on oneself. A growing body of research, including studies by Berkeley’s Juliana Breines, suggest that self-compassion, rather than self esteem, may be the key to unlocking your true potential for greatness and appreciation for your beauty.

Self-compassion is a willingness to look at your own mistakes and shortcomings with kindness and understanding. In yoga, we call this Ahimsha or non-violence to self. When you are selfcompassionate in the face of difficulty, you neither judge yourself harshly, nor feel the need to put yourself down. It’s not surprising that self-compassion leads to higher levels of personal well-being, optimism and happiness, and to less anxiety and depression around acceptance and beauty.

Why is self-compassion so powerful? I use it all the time with my clients and it is powerful because it is non evaluative. In other words, your ego is out of the picture and you can confront your flaws and set backs head on. You can get a realistic sense of your strengths without affecting your self esteem and perception of beauty. Let’s make it 10 out of 10 girls like the way they look!

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Winter Blaws

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Happiness

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+ Writing | Aynsley Saxe, Canadian Singer-Songwriter & Reiki Teacher

There’s no denying it. The cold breath of Mother Winter is breathing down our backs again and we are surrounded in icy temperatures and shorter days. It’s easy to let the winter blues creep in while winter chilliness abounds. Here are five simple and easy tips to help you have a happier winter: 1. Fool Yourself If the cold days of winter are taking a toll and you are feeling lethargic, depleted or less than enthusiastic, fool yourself into feeling better with a few quick fake smiles.

Try doing five rapid ones in a row right now.

Because of the sheer ridiculousness of this exercise, and the endorphins that rocket to your brain, you likely won’t be able to stop a real smile from popping out! Try this quick fix anytime you want a little more skip in your step. If you do this while being watched by other people you may inspire even more laughter and lightness!

2. Floral Heaven Lilies, daffodils, daisies, gerberas – pick a gorgeous bouquet of your favourite flowers and bring them home today.

Place them around your living space and let their fragrances fill your senses. Flowers brighten the moods of all who gaze upon them and they remind us of the forthcoming arrival of Spring. Even in winter we should still stop and smell the roses.

3. Write It Out With the arrival of the brand new year upon us, winter is a wonderful time for self-reflection and planting seeds you would like to harvest in the coming year.

Take some time to write and explore your deepest wishes and desires. Here are a few questions you may want to ponder: If time and money were no issue, what would I be doing? What do I want to contribute to the world? To my family? To my friends? To my community? What is the most important change I need to make this year for my health and well-being? What is speaking to me that I’m ignoring? How can I feel _________ (i.e., more peaceful, happier, more energetic…)? If I had my perfect ____ (relationship, career, home, etc.), what would it look like? How would it feel? What are the best next steps for me to take today to help realize this? Try writing three full pages, without stopping or

censoring yourself, in response to a question you’re willing to explore. Let yourself write everything on your heart and mind and try not to judge yourself or be critical. Writing is a powerful way to get to the heart of your true feelings. Even if the answer doesn’t seem to be clear, just the process of writing itself will lend you new understanding. You are flushing out the old and making way for new ideas and options when you write out your feelings. For optimum benefits, try this exercise daily for a few weeks. You may also want to engage the help of a life coach or counselor to explore your deepest feelings. You are worth it.

4. Get Out(side) When it’s freezing outside most of us want to bundle up and get cozy with a hermit lifestyle. But if we decide to get outside for a little fresh air, we will feel refreshed and happier in body, mind and spirit. If you’ve been at the computer too long, or are having a difficult time unplugging from electronics, fresh air can give your mind a rest and get you out of your head and into your body. Leave your cell phone at home and go for a quick 30-minute walk to get your circulation moving.

When life gives us cold lemons, we must make lemonade and when we’re having fun, time always flies. If you grab your ice skates, skis or toboggan you may find yourself waving your mitts around and shouting “Stand back summer and your sweltering heat! I love you, winter!” If winter sports don’t send a smile to your lips re-apply Tip 1.

5. Adopt a Simple Ritual Engaging in a daily 15-minute ritual that brings you comfort, clarity and peace of mind can be a delightful way to wind through the season. You may find that committing to a short daily practice of meditation benefits you enormously. Writing in a gratitude journal can also be a wonderful way to feel more positive and appreciative about your life. If you are trying to establish a new habit, ask a friend to join you. Decide on a time frame and jump in. You may agree to do a mini 10-minute phone check-in twice a week with each other for accountability and support. Perhaps you will decide to commit to a daily ritual for four weeks and at the end of the last week you will have a celebratory lunch together.

Home Life

Monkeysee, Monkey do

Relationships

Provides energy

Anti-diabetic

Helps with sugar cravings

Lowers blood pressure

Helps circulation

Reduces risk of stroke

Protects skin against UV rays Anti-ulcer

LOW

CALORIE

30

NO

FAT

FULL OF FIBRE

liveinbalance | The Resolution Edition

Per One Banana Serving Size 118g 105 Calories 3g Fibre 1g Protein 2% Vitamin A 17% Vitamin C 1% Calcium 2% Iron

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Home Life

Relationships

All-in-one

oasis

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liveinbalance | The Resolution Edition

Home Life

Relationships

Home Life

Relationships

+ Writing | Nancy Stell

C

reating your own backyard oasis has been trending now for a few years, but this year why not take it a step further and create something that helps you live your overall life to the fullest?

When done right, you can take even the smallest space and create an oasis that provides you with everything you need to live in balance; an area to meditate, an area to grow fresh herbs and vegetables, and an area to relax after a long day at the office.

• Water features • Vertical gardens to utilize space and create visual impact • Miniature Zen gardens To create a miniature Zen garden, you need a small space that you fill with sand or gravel and then accessorize with a few rocks or plants. Using a small rake, you move the sand/gravel to create patterns that resemble ripples of water. This quiet practice will help you let go of whatever factors may be bothering you as you focus on the simple task of creating the patterns.

Adaptable to any size yard, Zen gardens are low maintenance, don’t cost a lot of money and add to the beauty of your home. A professional landscaper can help you design your Zen garden this year.

Water features are popular because people are realizing how relaxing they are especially after a long hard day. With fountains and features that fit into every budget available today; the soothing sound of flowing water will bring stress relief and relaxation to your oasis. Wall fountains take up very little space while garden fountains of all sizes can easily be incorporated into your landscape design. The soft flowing sound of water will also drown out other annoying sounds such as traffic or a barking dog.

Vertical gardening is a more recent trend allowing a better use of your limited garden space; however, you can also incorporate a vertical garden just to add another element of texture and beauty to your yard. Integrate beautiful flowers, fresh herbs; even some vegetables will grow well in a vertical garden. Outdoor art, garden feeders, unique furnishings and outdoor kitchens are all readily available to help you create the perfect backyard retreat for your daily enjoyment.

Commuting to a cottage often requires you to be stuck in heavy traffic just to get there and having the responsibility and upkeep of another property, just doesn’t scream relaxing to me.

Creating the perfect retreat right in your own backyard means you can enjoy it everyday and it will provide you with the relaxation we all need to live a healthier and happier lifestyle. Start planning your backyard oasis now so that you can start digging as soon as the ground thaws and be enjoying it early this spring!

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liveinbalance | The Resolution Edition

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WINTER ART PROJECT What you’ll need Tablecloth or Fabric

Relationships

tablecloths!

+ Writing | Cathy Mount of 4Cats Arts Studio Caledon

Create a tablecloth for every season with different colours and patterns!

It adds that extra special touch to your table settings.

Cardboard for stencils Scissors to cut stencil 3 Colours of Acrylic Paint 3 Small Sponges Metallic Paint Pens Imagination Fun and creativity

STEP 1: You can start with a plain table cloth or purchase the required amount of fabric to cover your table. Pick a theme. We used Christmas ornaments but feel free to do reindeer, snowman, Christmas trees, stars, the skies the limit! Pick out 3 simple shapes and create stencils, see photo.

STEP 2: Using 3 colours of acrylic paint and 3 sponges , dab the paint over the stencils randomly across your fabric. When the shapes are completely dry add details with a gold or silver paint pen. You can even glue sparkles or pieces of cut fabric too! Have fun with it.

STEP 3: That’s it...lay your cloth and set your fabulous creative, hand crafted table cloth!

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Home Life

Relationships

Relationships

Investment Strategies + Writing | Corey Ferrier of Investors Group

No one enjoys market volatility but it is an ever present consequent of investing in financial markets. Investors have come to learn that there are several ways to improve upon their investment experience especially when markets become turbulent as they have on numerous occasions the past few years. Regardless of your personality type, lifestyle or comfort level, the investment strategies discussed below will help you navigate through various market environments.

Keep emotions in check During periods of market uncertainty, it is common for some investors to get out of the market or to “park cash� into what they consider to be a safer investment option. Still, the evidence is conclusive that over long periods of time, constant switching between equities and fixed income or between any investments is a gamble. The reason it is a gamble is due to the difficulty that lies in two very important decisions that need to be addressed.

The first decision is exactly when to get out of the market. Typically this is a lost cause as once a move is even considered, it is often too late as the market has already declined.

The second decision is when to move back in, which is no easier. When investment decisions are guided by emotion, the tendency is to wait for a noticeably positive trend to emerge before taking action. By that time, it is usually too late, and the opportunity has passed by. Changes 36

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in your investment plan should be based on changes to your personal circumstances and your investment time horizon or risk tolerance.

They should not be driven by anxiety.

Focus on the long term Equity markets have inherent risk and as a result, market volatility is often very pronounced during short periods of time. However, with time, this volatility is substantially reduced. As shown in the following chart, in any one-year period, the returns of the Canadian market (S&P/TSX Composite index) have been as high as 86.9 per cent and as low as -39.2 per cent; a range of over 126 per cent. This is extreme volatility. However, if investors extend their time horizon, this volatility decreases significantly. For example, in any 20-year period, the returns of the equity markets have all been positive and have been in a much more narrow range. The five year returns and beyond for the moderate portfolio were positive 100 per cent of the time. This illustrates the advantages presented by a balanced portfolio in terms of risk reduction.

No one knows for certain how financial markets will behave during the next while.

Regardless, it is more important to be properly prepared for the future than to be able to predict it. Matching your investment strategy with your personal financial goals, timeline and comfort level with risk is crucial to achieving your investment goals and enhancing your peace of mind.

Home Life

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Green

Clean Living

Truly “living in balance” + Writing | Nancy Stell + Photography | Sonya Stell

Norma is living the lifestyle and proud of it! Live In Balance met up with an inspirational woman who is truly living in balance. Norma, like many of us who are busy looking after our families, had put on extra pounds over the years.

She let her own health slip by the wayside until one day she realized that she really just didn’t feel very well. Norma decided to take control of the situation herself. She met with a nutritionist and made the commitment to herself to start eating properly and to fit some exercise into her daily routine. The first thing she did was to eat seven small meals a day, starting each day with a banana. As the weight came off and her cravings subsided, she was able to eliminate some of the snacks, but still eats small amounts often, keeping her blood sugars stable. Her exercise regiment was simple too. She bought herself an exercise ball, some weights and uses her living room to do some regular exercises to help strengthen her body and build up her cardiovascular system. She attributes her overall success from listening to her body. No fancy or trendy diets, no expensive memberships, simply eating and moving everyday the good old fashion way. Make this year your year for taking care of yourself!

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Keeping your home clean Green

Clean Living

Green

Clean Living

+ Writing | Nancy Stell

Clean homes are healthier homes and you don’t want the very cleaning products you are using to be causing even more health problems.

Often filled with toxic chemicals, that is exactly what they are doing and have been attributed to sickness and ill health.

The Environmental Working Group (EWG) a non-profit, non-partisan organization that is dedicated to protecting human health and the environment has created a list with the most toxic products so you can remove them from your environment. You can visit their website for more information on these products: www. ewg.org Here are some great natural alternatives that you can use to clean your home and office without creating more toxins.

• White vinegar is a great natural cleaning alternative that kills germs and when mixed with water and put in a spray bottle, can replace all-purpose cleaners. Mix about nine parts of water to one part of white vinegar.

• To make a natural degreaser, spray hydrogen

peroxide followed by the water/vinegar solution from above on the greasy area. You can also use a grain alcohol for this cleaning purpose too.

• To clean up porcelain toilets and sinks, use a half bottle of white vinegar and pour it into the toilet, let it sit overnight and then scrub and flush in the morning.

• Floor cleaners can be replaced again with the vinegar solution or grain alcohol as well as lemon is also very practical. Baking soda can also clean and deodorize without being toxic.

The air we breathe within our homes also has many hidden toxins that are created by the products that we bring into them. Did you know that typically indoor air is two to five times more polluted than the outdoor air?

Well-insulated homes that help to keep us warm in the winter and cool in the summer also prevent fresh air from getting in so we are breathing over and over again the same stale air. By eliminating some of the toxins in your home you will help make your environment a healthier one. continued...

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Green

Clean Living

Green

continued... Your first rule should be no shoes in the house. Most dirt, pesticides and lead come in on your shoes so place floor mats at your entryway, check your shoes at the door and going barefoot or wear slippers will prevent these toxins from being tacked throughout your home.

Open your windows often, even in the cold winter months, it is recommended that you air out your home for ten to fifteen minutes every day.

Flame-retardant chemicals found in furniture and carpets can be carcinogenic so if you are planning to redo your floors this year, consider bamboo, cork or tiled floors instead of carpet. Organic cotton or wool rugs are a great alternative to synthetic carpets and solid wood furniture instead of particleboard is a much better choice. Try to find organic, untreated fabric for beddings, shower curtains and window coverings and use either No-VOC or low VOC paint.

Houseplants can be a great way to detoxify the air in your home while adding a sense of style and warmth to the area. Researcher Kamal Meattle discovered that three common plants when used strategically in your home, could greatly improve the quality of your air. They are:

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Clean Living

• Areca Palm known as “the Living Room Plant” is like having a daytime oxygen factory in your home. Meattle recommends having four shoulder height plants per person in your home.

• Mother-in-Law’s Tongue is “the Bedroom Plant” and is known as an evening oxygen factory. Meatle recommends have six to eight waist high plants per person.

• Money Plants are “the Specialist Plant” and it filters formaldehyde and other volatile organic chemicals from the air.

Other plants also recommend to help clean your air are purple waffle plant, English ivy, variegated wax plant, asparagus fern and the purple heart plant. Don’t forget, some plants are toxic to dogs and cats so always check before bringing them into a home with a pet.

These five plants when tested were found effective in reducing the levels of a number of common household VOC’s including benzene, toluene, octane, alpha-pinene and TCE. This year plan to reduce your exposure to these toxins to help you live a healthier lifestyle, but remember; don’t let it become an obsession.

No amounts of environmental toxins are as important as emotional toxicity. Live in balance and you will live well!

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Beauty

Self Care

Beauty

Self Care

Naturally Beautiful + Writing | Sonya Stell

Give yourself and your cosmetic bag a eco-friendly makeover. Go green, from your foundation to your eye shadow; choose products that are good for your body and environment. The good news is, there is now a plentiful selection of natural makeup choices with brands including: Pure + Simple, Jane Iredale Mineral Cosmetics, Revolution Organics and so many more. After you give your old chemical-filled collection the boot, here is a beautiful look that you can try on yourself.

The smokey eye, a growing trend over the past five or more years.

Opening up your eye and creating a dramatic look that works on nearly every eye shape. Here is how you can get the look: Step One Apply a base primer to your eyelid, go with a shade slightly lighter than your own skin tone so that your eyes look bright and awake.

Step Two Line your top lids. For those of us who are not exactly swift with liquid eyeliner but are tired of pencil wearing off part way through the day, try this. Line the top of your lid with a soft kohl pencil liner, then take your liquid liner and go over it until you are pleased with the results. Cotton swabs and a bottle of makeup remover on hand, also help out.

Step Three Choose a nearly-white shimmering highlighter or eyeshadow, and trace just under your eyebrow across your entire brow bone.

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Step Four Apply a medium colour across two-thirds of your eyelid from the outer corner inwards. Select either a grey, brown or coloured tone that matches with your own eye colour. Use a medium sized round brush and apply lightly, building up to the desire darkness.

Step Five Use the darkest shade from the same colour palette on the outer third of your eyelid. Slowly working it into the crease of your eye for definition. Make sure that it tapers off to create that “smokey� look.

Step Six Line beneath your eye and waterline. You can use the same technique in Step Two, or just use a kohl pencil for a softer look.

Step Seven Add a swipe of eyeshadow. Using the medium colour from Step Four, gently brush the eyeshadow from the outer corner to about half way across the eye. To finish the look off, clean it up with a cotton swab and apply mascara.

Give it a

TRY! It is a quick easy and fun way to spice up your look.

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Beauty

Self Care

Recall and

Beauty

Self Care

Solutions

Recare

+ Writing | David Kostynyk of The Kostynyk Denture Centre

Dentures are a custom made replacement for the natural teeth that you may be missing and are designed to allow you to eat and speak as naturally as possible . Whether you have a complete or a partial denture, looking after them is important to keep them looking good and fitting properly.

When your natural teeth and dentures are not cleaned properly, they can get a build-up of plaque. The bacteria in plaque can cause many problems from bad breath to cavities and gum disease, which can ultimately result in further tooth and bone loss. Gum disease has been linked to serious conditions such as heart disease and stroke, diabetes and respiratory illnesses.

If you have dentures or are about to get them, here are some facts that you need to know to keep your mouth healthy.

Properly fitting dentures will allow you the confidence you had with your natural teeth.

Remember, they don’t last forever as natural changes occur in the structure of your face and mouth, and your dentures will require adjustments to maintain a proper fit and function.

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Wearing dentures can also cause pressure on the surrounding gums and bone structure as well as any remaining natural teeth that are being used to support your partial dentures.

Proper cleaning will help prevent sore and irritated gums. A routine check-up, every year or so, is recommended to make sure your dentures are working right for you.

Denturists are specialists who design, construct, insert and fit dentures exclusively for their patients. Having a yearly check up with your Denturist to make sure your dentures have not become loose, will ensure you maintain a healthy smile. During this check up your denturist will adjust or replace your dentures making sure you have a comfortable fit. They will also professionally polish them helping to restore the glossy finish so they will look almost new again.

Between yearly checkups, proper cleaning of your dentures can be performed at home.

If you are having trouble chewing, have bad breath or your dentures just feel like they are loose, don’t wait for your annual checkup, schedule an appointment right away.

Yoga therapy Fitness

Recreation

Fitness

Recreation

+ Writing | Rita Troia, Registered Massage Therapy and Acupuncturist of Complete Integrative Care

Musculoskeletal injuries can decrease our quality of life, increase personal stress and affect our ability to continue to parttake in our activities of daily living. Alternative medicine and therapy can help achieve optimal wellness and performance; however, yoga therapy has also been shown beneficial in accelerating the stages of healing as well acts as a preventative measure with athletic performance. Some common conditions where alternative medicine and yoga therapy may help alleviate pain and decrease symptoms are: low back pain, nerve entrapment syndromes, headaches, osteoarthritis, repetitive strains and joint immobility and stiffness.

Yoga therapy acts on the whole system, physical, mental and emotional. The list is endless but here are few health benefits to help a speedy recovery.

To achieve optimal levels of decreased stress, it works on the nervous system by relaxing the sympathetic system and improve parasympathetic function, enriches your quality of sleep having deeper and more restful sleeps as the most healing takes place when the body is at rest, improves concentration and mental clarity in combination with mindfulness meditation, and releases tension in limbs due to physical and emotional stress that we carry on a daily basis. It supports

your adrenal glands, decreases blood sugar and blood pressure by helping your organs function properly. It strengthens your immune system, which can be weakened with injury and prevents cartilage and joint breakdown by supporting the connective tissues in the body.

What’s involved? Often participating in a semi-private or private sessions, yoga therapy hovers between a doctor’s visit and a stretching class addressing your specific health problems.

Working primarily with yoga moves, clients leave with instructions on a custom series of poses that are changed weekly depending on the progress of the patient. Based on the belief that yoga connects the mind, body and spirit, yoga therapy can go beyond the results that are possible with physical therapy, working as a complimentary therapy to physical therapy.

When combined with other healing methods, yoga therapy is collaborative and cumulative, working on the basis that relaxation leads to purification, strengthening the entire bodymind and allowing your natural energy to begin to heal specific problems.

Combining yoga therapy in conjunction with alternative medicinal remedies such as massage therapy, acupuncture, and naturopathic medicine can improve your overall quality of life and sustain an injury-free healthy body.

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Fitness

Recreation

Massage Therapy! + Writing | Sandra Borg-Sanghu, RMT of Calm Waters Day Spa & Laser Clinic

Massage therapists tend to be very busy throughout the winter season, especially after a big snow fall. This season be prepared and avoid injury by following a few simple rules.

usually due to repetitive strain. Neck and back. Snow can be heavy and while shoveling we usually overcompensate by straining these muscles.

Stretch The injuries I see most often after a big snowfall where clients have spent hours shoveling, are hip and low back strains and neck and shoulder pain. As a precaution you should always spend a few minutes before shoveling to do a few simple stretches to reduce muscle tension and make the job easier. Hamstring stretches are very important to lengthen the back of the legs, therefore also taking excessive pressure off of the low back. Low back stretches. The muscles of the low back are very strong but almost always tight and over worked.

Good Posture We usually start shoveling with the best intentions of keeping our posture correct, but somewhere down the driveway we usually throw posture out the window and plow through. Be sure your shovel is the right size for you and has ergonomic functions, don’t overload the shovel, and always bend at the knees not at the low back.

Pectoralis Major (Pecs). The Pec muscles found in the chest are also very strong and really get a good workout while shoveling, be sure to stretch these before, during, and after as injuries in this area are

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Get Regular Massages Massage therapy is just that - Therapy! It may seem like an indulgence to some, but it has so many wonderful benefits and can prevent many injuries. Ninety percent of the time clients will come in and say at some point during the treatment “oooh I didn’t even realize I was tight there”. Massage therapy can address so many issues we may not even realize we have yet, and prevention is the best medicine.

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Recreation

Chiropractic Fitness

Recreation

Care + Writing | Dr. Scott McCrimmon of Caledon

East Family Chiropractic

The practice of chiropractic focuses on the relationship between structure (primarily the spine and skeletal structures) and function (as coordinated by the nervous system, muscles and ligaments) and how that relationship affects the health and wellness of the patient.

In addition, chiropractors recognize the value involving the patient in their renewal of optimal health and responsibility of working in cooperation with other healthcare providers in the best interests of the patient.

Chiropractic care in our office can involve anything from spinal adjustments, muscles work, acupuncture, nutritional advice, and importantly, education about posture and exercises that patients can do to help them be as healthy as possible.

Chiropractic can help with a variety of conditions. When your spine is not working well or your posture’s not efficient, it can affect the function of every part of your body.

Common reasons that people know about that chiropractic can help are things like back and neck pain. Pain in your back or neck of any origin can be debilitating and hinder daily living activities. Often people are busy and put off treating minor soreness in their spine as they figure it will just go away. Symptoms will often go away, but the underlying problems remain, and this may cause problems to progress and return if not looked after. This time of year, a lot of people get stuck with shoveling lots of snow. This can put extra stress on the low back, neck, shoulders and arms. It is important to warm up and use proper lifting techniques to spare your body from unnecessary injury.

Another common condition that may be helped with chiropractic care is headaches.

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type headaches, often associated with too much sitting at computers and not using proper postures. Learning the cause of the headache is crucial in determining the best course of treatment to help reduce headache frequency or intensity.

Our office in particular has a special interest in helping people suffering from concussions and post-concussion syndrome. This could be an athlete with sports injuries, or everyday people who have suffered concussions from everyday living. Our office is part of the neurosurgeon led “KONKUSSION” program, and the combination of patient education, nutritional recommendations as well as acupuncture and chiropractic treatments can be very effective in helping patients return to sport or daily activities safely and effectively.

We offer baseline testing, which can be very helpful in assessing a patient’s progress should a head injury occur. A baseline test looks at someone’s current mental and physical status while they are healthy. Then, should a head injury occur, this test can be used as a comparison to help in determining when a patient is back to their pre-injury level of overall function and that it is safe for them to return to their sport or activity. Returning to an aggravating situation before complete healing is done, can lead to long-term postconcussion symptoms and significantly affect a patient’s quality of life.

Other injuries including problems with shoulders, elbows, wrists and hands can be helped also. Things like carpal tunnel syndrome, tendons problems and rotator cuff injuries may be helped. Lower extremity problems such as hip, knee, ankle and foot pains may be helped as well.

Should you have any health related questions, our office is always happy to answer them or do what we can to help you and your family stay as healthy as possible.

Pet Health

doggy

Wellness

fashion

Pet Health

Wellness

istas

+ Writing | Nancy Stell

There is no shortage of fashionable dog wear these days, but does your four-legged friend actually need clothes? Many dog owners have experienced first hand their dog shivering after being exposed to cold winter temperatures.

This is because not all dogs come equipped with an external layering system for the environments to which they find themselves living. So the fact is, some dogs may be extremely uncomfortable with the winter temperatures they are exposed to unless you put on a sweater or jacket to help them cope.

Small dogs and dogs with short or thin hair can certainly benefit from wearing a sweater even when inside your home, especially if you tend to keep your heat turned down while away at work. Breeds that have thick hair but are trimmed short, like poodles will also need help to keep warm. Older dogs with weaker immune systems and dogs that suffer from diseases like Cushing’s and Hypothyroidism also benefit.

Larger dogs with dense hair coats can become very uncomfortable if made to wear a sweater or coat, to the point of physically overheating.

Breeds like Siberian Husky’s, Malamute’s and Saint Bernard’s are genetically suited to colder climates so the need for additional outerwear for a healthy dog is more likely to make them feel uncomfortable than helpful. A little short hair Chihuahua or Greyhound on the other hand would do well with the extra outer insulation.

Once you have determined that your dog requires outerwear, you need to decide what type of sweater or coat would work best. Wool is very warm and one of the best insulating materials, however it can cause itching, making your dog more uncomfortable. You also need to measure your dog to make sure you get the right fit otherwise your dog will easily pull the piece off or possibly get it caught during

normal movement; you want it to be snug enough to stay on without being tight.

Take measurements of your dog’s neck, around the largest part of the chest and the distance from the neck to the waist, which is where the sweater or jacket should stop. The weight of you dog can also help you determine the correct size and many stores today will actually let you bring your dog in to try them on. It is especially important that the coat or sweater fits well around the armpits and neck ensuring there is enough freedom of movement, but not too much excess fabric.

Choose pieces that are easy to put on and off and check for any additional parts like zippers, buttons etc. that your dog could actually chew off and swallow. Some jackets are made with hooks to attach your leash to, but should be worn only when your dog is supervised and removed once he or she is left on their own.

Caring for your dog’s paws is also an important consideration especially in the winter as salt and de-icers can be toxic to your pet. Dogs are also susceptible to frostbite and hypothermia so use common sense as to how long your walks should be. Pet stores offer a good selection of dog boots that consist of a sock like boot with a Velcro strap to help keep them in place.

Some have soles to provide extra traction while keeping the paws dry and protected from harmful salts and de-icers.

Again make sure the boots are not so tight that they constrict the paw. Dog boots tend to be a little more difficult for your pet to get used to than the sweater or jacket you purchased, so start off with short periods in the house and gradually increase the length of time as they get used to them.

Now that your four-legged friend is ready for winter, get outside and enjoy a fresh snowfall, it will re-energize both of you and get you moving this year!

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