YEG FITNESS - Jan/Feb 2019

CARRIE DOLL & STEPHEN PETASKY, KANANASKIS GETAWAY + MORE!

ISSUE #28

PLUS

JA N | F E B 201 9 YEGFITNESS.CA

FITNESS + NUTRITION + WELLNESS

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contents 14 #IAMYEGFIT 19 TABATA WORKOUT

jan/feb 19 42 BEST OF YEGFITNESS AWARDS NOMINEES

22 LENA MILLS

44 FITNESS FOR ALL

24 STRENGTH TRAINING FOR ANY BODY

50 KANANASKIS GETAWAY

28 FINE TUNING WITH CLAYTON LEUNG

56 ADDING CBD TO YOUR FITNESS REGIME

FEATURE

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FITNESS FOR ALL COVER PHOTO BY DES ILES

We can help you tell your story.

ADVERTISE WITH US Contact info@yegfitness.ca for more information.

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editor’s note The fitness and wellness communities in Edmonton are stronger than ever. With so many different programs to keep people active and a multitude of options to treat people when they need to work out their aches and pains, we truly are lucky to live in this city.

With that in mind, we’re back again with the nominees for the Best of YEG Fitness Awards for 2018. Each year our readers nominate their favorite fitness studios, trainers and wellness providers to share who they believe are doing great things in YEG. On February 6, we’ll be announcing the winners of each category at our awards night and we hope you’ll be there to help celebrate the achievements of each nominee with us.

We’ve also gone a bit of a different route this month with our cover model. As most of you know, we are all about making fitness more about a lifestyle and less about a look. Our goal with YEG Fitness has always been to make fitness accessible to all in whatever works for you. It’s all about steering your own path and finding your fitness. Each of our cover models have their own stories and we’re excited to have them share theirs with you.

EDITOR TJ Sadler tj@yegfitness.ca CREATIVE DIRECTOR Joel Verhagen COMMUNITY DIRECTOR Nelson Moreno nelson@yegfitness.ca PHOTOGRAPHERS Jeffery Paul Kelly Des Iles EDITORIAL ASSISTANT Melissa Lilley

Printed in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada.

So as we turn the calendar year and start off into 2019, we hope you’ll follow along with us on a new journey into fitness. YEG Fitness will be stepping it up this year to keep providing the great content we always have been, while making sure you’re engaged to try new things and work towards your own goals. Because fitness is truly an individual achievement. One that we should each aim for in our own way and celebrate our achievements with each other along the way.

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No part of this publication may be copied or reprinted without the permission of YEG Fitness.

The fitness and nutritional information in this publication are not intended to replace professional medical advice. Readers are encouraged to consult a health professional before beginning or changing in their fitness or nutritional activities. Opinions expressed in this publication are those of the contributor and not those of YEG Fitness or its employees and associates. Advertising in this publication does not indicate an endorsement by YEG Fitness.

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Thank you FOR VOTING FOR US!

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contributors

Keenan Pascal

Jeffrey Paul Kelly

Melissa Lilley

Keenan is the CEO of Token Naturals, an Alberta-based cannabis company focusing on extraction that is currently building out a facility in Edmonton. Prior to cannabis, Keenan spent more than eight years in the financial industry paired with numerous entrepreneurial endeavours. Keenan has a Bachelor of Commerce from University of Alberta and an MBA from UBC Sauder School of Business, including a term as lecturer.

Jeffrey Paul Kelly has been a freelance associate photographer for YEG Fitness for the past three years. When he first started, he had only just purchased his first camera a few months prior, so his knowledge about photography (not to mention professional fitness photography) was limited.

Nonetheless, he was hungry for opportunities to grow and develop, both personally and professionally. While initially stressful and challenging, this bit of sweat accelerated his growth professionally and personally.

Melissa is a recent graduate from the Bachelor of Communications Studies program at MacEwan University. She is happiest when outside running—yes even in the snow, lifting weights or mid-vinyasa.

In the name of balance, Melissa also enjoys checking out new restaurants and the occasional craft beer with friends.

Winter Fitness Fun

Ski event for all ages and abilities.

Photo credit: JaN Studios

Sign up today and bring all your friends.

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February 8-10, 2019 Edmonton, Alberta

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Edmonton family owned & operated since 1962 Y EGF ITN E SS

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All the Natural Skin Care Products I Use to Fight Dry Skin in the Winter

By Simone Carcone

Over the weekend I got an email from two friends: “Tell us everything you put on your face now that it's winter!” Now that most of our radiators are rattling away, with each clank sucking the actual life out of our skin, I tend to drench myself in more oil than usual. But maybe most important is focusing on my skin's barrier function (this is the outermost layer of skin; if it's compromised, that's when your skin really starts to feel dry). A whole slew of things can mess with it: the heat inside, whatever is happening outside—cold temps, the wind, obviously the sun—and, of course, overly drying products (like cleansers or retinol) that, while necessary, can strip your skin of moisture. So with that goal of keeping that outer layer protected, and with a focus on only using natural options, here’s what I wrote back: Cleanser I'm super into oil cleansers all year round, but most definitely in the winter, when water coming anywhere near your skin can turn it into sandpaper. If I want a super treatment-y Sunday-skin-care-style deep cleanse, I’ll pump a few drops of the Kristina Holey + Marie Veronique oil cleanser (similar consistency to straight-up extra virgin olive oil) into my hand followed by the tiniest amount of the finely milled rice-powder exfoliant from Root Science. Then I (very gently) go to town; over exfoliation can eff your skin's barrier function. Next I scoop a bit of the Goop balm cleanser (this one’s more like pure butter) and massage my skin a little more, now with up, up, and around motion. Next I soak a soft muslin cloth in hot water and softly wipe everything off. Double hydration, double (gentle) exfoliation, and skin that now has that juicy, plump baby-skin consistency that I’m forever reaching for.

Toner Then I follow with a toner. A lot of people are like, "Why toner?" I used to be one of those people. Plus, the name is only a little bit tarnished by those nineties moisture-obliterating alcohol-based ones we all used to swab on religiously. More recent versions have shown up in mist form, but many of the water-based types can actually dry out your skin. Hypotonic from the Kristina Holey + Marie Veronique line does none of that. This one resets your skin’s pH level with humectants that balance the liquid content of skin cells. But in simpler terms: You know how your skin can feel really tight after you wash it? Toners add one more level of hydration, which makes skin more receptive for the serums that follow. Yes, a little tedious, but for longer-lasting hydration, worth it.

Serums After toner comes serum. Taking a very winter approach here, I like to layer on around two to three oils or serums. I wait a few minutes after patting on each one. One also works, but I tend to feel a little dry halfway through the day, so I like to add more. These are the ones I’m working through right now: The Kristina Holey + Marie Veronique Barrier Repair 10

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Serum (which supports barrier function that can be lost due to all those aggressors above), the Kristina Holey + Marie Veronique Barrier Lipid Complex (a mix of fatty acids, lipids, and cholesterol, this oil also mimics your skin's own lipid content like no other hydrator out there), and the Osea Advanced Protection Cream. The ultra-rich Organic Seaweed and botanical anti-aging moisturizer deeply hydrates and firms the skin while DPHP, an amino acid compound visibly evens skin tone and reduces the appearance of hyperpigmentation.

Eye Balm Then I'll pat on a balm around my eyes like Laurel Organics healing balm or May Lindstrom Blue Cocoon. Most eye creams get pilly, so I like balm better. It lasts hours longer, and I love the natural highlighter effect it gives me throughout the day.

Spot Treatments My biggest skin gripe is my natural tendency toward brown spots.

They love my skin! It sucks, and they are showing up with a higher frequency these days. Since hydroquinone (a common ingredient in hyperpigmentation products) is off the table with my natural routine, I like to pat on the arbutin- and kojic-acid-packed brightening serum from Sonage. You’ll see faster results if you use it like a spot treatment instead of all over.

Masks About once a week when I want to kind of rev things up texture- and glowwise, I’ll do a mask. I feel like my number-one reason for looking dull and blah and the opposite of hydrated in the winter is related to texture. True Botanicals Resurfacing Moisture Mask is great because you can do it for three minutes right after the shower. It softens everything instantly. Or I’ll use the Odacite Green Ceremony Cleanser: It’s not technically a mask, but the powder-to-foam formula still does a fine job softening my skin.

If I’m running out and have, like, zero minutes to do anything, I’ll swipe on one of Sonage's Glycolic Acid Peel Pads(they have an Oxy Pad vibe, and without fail people always compliment my skin on the mornings I use them).

Sunscreen The last step is a zinc-based sunscreen. I don’t like putting sunscreen on right away after all my other skin care, which invariably means I just forget to put it on. To get in a better habit, I leave my sunscreen right by my key bowl. I like Drunk Elephant SPF 30. Yes, the zinc, which is a physical blocker and an effective natural option, leaves a little bit of a white cast on my darker skin, but with a little blending it goes away. I mostly love that it doesn't give me breakouts. The last thing my routine needs is another drying product.

Vegan Apple Butternut Squash Soup

By Jen Maio, Yoga Instructor and Certified Holistic Nutritional Consultant This Vegan apple butternut squash soup will surely keep you warm and nourished this winter. Both butternut squash and apples are high in vitamin C and fibre. Butternut squash is especially helpful because it is also rich in vitamin E. Additionally, one cup of butternut squash contains a whopping 582 mg of magnesium—a nutrient that helps to regulate acids and bases in the body and helps to keep blood pressure consistent. This soup is great with a hearty salad or a nice slice of multigrain bread. And super easy to make!

INGREDIENTS 1 Medium butternut squash 1-3 tablespoons coconut oil 4 medium sized apples 1 medium onion 1 orange bell pepper 3-4 carrots 3-4 cloves of garlic 1-inch piece of ginger 1-2 tablespoons maple syrup 1 can premium coconut milk 1 tablespoons cumin 1 tablespoon coriander 1 tablespoon cinnamon 1/4 tsp nutmeg salt and pepper to taste Water or vegetable stock to cover veggies or to desired consistency Hot peppers (optional) 12

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METHOD Preheat oven to 350. Wash squash, then cut in half, take out seeds. Use a brush to lather coconut oil on squash, sprinkle with salt and pepper.

Bake cut side down for 30-45 mins. It should be soft when cooked.

Next cut onions, garlic, ginger, hot pepper. Saute onions in 1 tablespoon coconut oil until translucent.

Add garlic, ginger and hot pepper, and cook for a few mins. Next add chopped orange bell pepper and carrots. Core apples and chop into pieces. Scoop cooked squash out and add to pot, along with apples.

Next add all the spices. Stir continuously for a few minutes. Cover with water and let boil. Simmer for 10-15 mins. Take it off heat, and use a hand puree until the soup is smooth. Add the coconut milk and more water if desired consistency is not reached. Heat up on medium until it simmers.

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CARRIE DOLL & STEPHEN PETASKY

CEO & Founder of The Luxus Group

Podcast Host and Founder/Owner of Carrie Doll Consulting

1. It's Sunday morning, what are you most likely to be doing today?

CD: Generally, we are up by 8am (we do love our sleep. Getting the right amount and then some is a huge priority;-) Sometimes we do sacrifice sleep for wine lol. Once we are up and have our coffee and are generally at a 9:30am Orange Theory Fitness class.

SP: Up between 7-8am, no alarm on Sundays, then usually into a work project for 45-90 minutes before exercise. Orange Theory is the go-to place for us, especially on the weekends when we have the opportunity to work out together. We love hitting the gym together!

2. If you didn't do what you do for a living, what would you love to do?

CD: I’m doing EXACTLY what I love. Wait. I would love to host The Today Show.

SP: I am fortunate to have the opportunity to do what I love, every day. My favorite part of the role is helping people improve their travel lifestyles… and if that is all that I did, I would be totally fulfilled!

3. What music is on repeat on your playlist when at the gym or keeping active?

CD: I don’t listen to music while I’m working out because I’m either at Orange Theory fitness where the tunes are pumping, or I am with my personal trainer Paul Plakas at Custom Fit. That said, if I squeeze in a workout at home or go for a run it’s always music from the 80s. I’m a total Bon Jovi, Bryan Adams, anything from the ‘80’s fan.

SP: I have a few regular work-out playlists. Generally high-energy, fun to move to, Top 40 songs remixed over the past decade. Might go back 2 decades for some old-school Destiny’s Child! (Carrie laughs at me for this one…LOL). But lately I have been listening to podcasts as well, in particular for longer cardio days when I am not dying in HIIT class. Nice to get some knowledge out of your workout as well. It speeds up time and you feel like you got double the value from that hour on the treadmill!

4. If we were to peek in your gym bag right now, what would we find?

CD: No gym bag. I go to/from the gym from home. If you looked in my suitcase, the first thing I pack is my runners and at least half my bag is Lululemon workout gear.

SP: Indoor and outdoor runners, wrist wrap for boxing at Champs (not very good at it…but is fun!), recovery protein mix, and an iPod with pre-loaded mixes/podcasts. Everything you need for a killer workout!

5. What's your favourite thing about YEG? CD: It’s an entrepreneurial town and everyone supports each other.

There’s a real desire to help others and see them succeed SP: Without a doubt the entrepreneurial spirit. This is a city filled with innovators and pioneers…and I love that energy. This also extends to the fitness world as there are so many entrepreneurs here with great fitness studios. One day I want to try them all in the city!

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6. Where is your dream vacation destination?

CD: The Maldives. The smaller the island the better. Zero TV, zero wifi, zero phones. Just blue water, blue sky, white sand, salt water, constant sunshine, a few great books and I will likely drink my calories!!!

SP: Tie between the heat of an epic beach destination, being on the top of a mountain skiing, or the culture of Tuscany. If I had to pick one option…Costa Rica is my favorite as it gives a great combination of beach and adventure!

7. Burpees or stairs in the river valley. If you had the option to make your spouse do one to get even for forgetting your anniversary, which one would it be?

CD: Neither. I’d make him do chin ups. He’s good at themhe looks good doing then and I get to watch. I’d just make him do A LOT;-) SP: Burpees FO-SHO! Carrie hates them…so she would owe me a lot if she missed the anniversary!

8. What is at the top of your bucket list?

CD: Everest Base camp. I’ve been fascinated with that mountain since I was a kid.

SP: I have been fortunate to have been checking off bucket list items every year. I feel like if you wait too long there is a risk of it never happening, so I just keep booking them.

This past year was racing dirt bikes through the Sierra Nevada’s. The year before it was mountain biking in Southern Utah. 2019…not sure yet but likely a Northern Canada epic fishing experience and exploration adventure!

9. What is your favourite TV show?

CD: I don’t watch TV. I love “House of Cards” and “This is Us” on Netflix SP: Not really into TV. However, when Game of Thrones comes out…watch out! Westworld was pretty awesome too. Usually binge watching on long-flights while travelling for work.

10. What is your favourite way to stay fit and healthy?

CD: For me, it’s a lifestyle. No matter where I am or what I’m doing I stay true to the way we live. I exercise daily, I enjoy eating clean because I do battle a few gut issues and I love soaking up real Vitamin D. I’m not fanaticalbut it feels good to feel good, so I will go the extra mile to achieve that.

SP: For me it is the simple motivator that I know if I am eating clean and exercising regularly, generally I just feel better. I have more focus at work, more energy for the kids, and a stronger ability to be fully present no matter what the situation. That said, it is easy to fall off the program from time to time. Which is why living a healthy lifestyle has to be fun…and it is fun when you have people on the journey with you. Whether it is your spouse, kids, friends or colleagues…pick someone to be on this health journey with you. It makes it so much more enjoyable!

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Beyond the Winter Blues

By Melissa Lilley Winters in Edmonton are notorious for being long and relentless. Edmontonians are a hearty bunch, always striving to embrace the cold rather than hide from the icy embrace that holds the city captive from mid-November until April or May. The city does a great job hosting festivals like Ice on Whyte and the building of the infamous ice castle. Most people still engage in tons of outdoor sports like cross-country skiing and snowboarding.

In spite of the persistent resilience in the city many of us are no stranger to the winter blues. Ever notice yourself feeling sluggish and maybe a bit cranky for no reason at all? Or that you’re feeling depressed?

The winter months are tough on all of us—some more than others of course—we go to the work in the dark, we come home in the dark and if we are lucky enough to catch any sunlight there is a significant chance that the air outside is so cold it hurts our faces. It’s an inhospitable environment to say the least. It’s no wonder that so many people flee the cold in the deep, dark winter months and head to more temperate climates south of the border.

The weather has a large impact on our moods. Some people are more vulnerable to the changes in daylight hours and temperature than others.

If the change in your mood becomes noticeable and begins to interfere with your daily life you could be suffering from Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD).

Symptoms of SAD go far beyond the usual winter blues; often leaving sufferers debilitated and affecting their professional and personal lives.

Symptoms of SAD include, but are not limited to, a change in appetite— craving either very sweet or very starchy foods, weight gain, decreased energy, fatigue, oversleeping, inability to concentrate, irritability, avoiding social situations, and feeling anxiousness or helplessness. If you think you might be suffering from SAD be sure to consult your doctor for a proper diagnosis. It can be difficult to differentiate between SAD and other forms of depression so your doctor may ask if your depression symptoms have gotten worse during the winter, or if they improved during the change from spring to summer and if this pattern has occurred for at least two consecutive years. They may also ask if you have family members who are affected by SAD.

Health experts are still not sure exactly what causes SAD but lack of sunlight seems to be the most likely culprit. The decrease in exposure to sunlight can upset your circadian rhythm—also known as the 24-hour cycles that are powered by your body’s biological clocks; which are regulated by light or darkness. An upset in circadian rhythm can upset your sleeping patterns. This explains why you might feel like sleeping at 6 pm during the winter months. Disruption in sleep patterns can exacerbate the symptoms of SAD. Experts also indicate that there could be a decrease in serotonin. Which is the brain chemical responsible for regulating mood.

If you’re suffering from mild symptoms one of the most effective ways to combat SAD is regular physical activity. Exercise helps to stimulate the release of serotonin in your brain which positively affects your mood. The most effective way to boost serotonin in the winter is taking your exercise outdoors. During those brutal cold snaps exercising near a window would be a good modification. If you’re short on time or if your work out space doesn’t have windows a quick walk outside can make a world of difference.

Light therapy is one of the most common treatments for SAD. There are two common forms of light therapy:

• Bright light treatment involves placing a light box at near you at your desk or table while you go about your daily activities.

• The second type is dawn stimulation; a dim light goes on in the morning while you’re sleeping and gets incrementally brighter. Mimicking a sunrise.

Light therapy is normally prescribed for 30 minutes to two hours a day.

The amount of time prescribed will depend on how strong the light Is and whether or not you are brand new to the therapy. Your doctor may also recommend continuing therapy even if your symptoms begin to lessen in order to prevent a recurrence of the symptoms.

In some cases, a doctor may prescribe antidepressants to help ease symptoms.

As always, before beginning any treatment talk to your doctor so they can help you decide which course of therapy is best for you.

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ADVERTORIAL

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Face Lift:

Plastic surgery or Laser?

Is there a “golden middle”?

As long as there have been wrinkles and scars, someone has tried to smooth the skin. How many of us have tried pulling their face skin up standing in front of the mirror, wondering what would it look like if you could tighten it just a bit or even a lot. As the population ages, the demand for safe anti-aging procedures is sure to continue increasing.

Laser treatment offers great potential for long-lasting effects by stimulating collagen production in the skin. Over the past 15 years, laser technology has undergone a substantial evolution. Ablative devices are now very effective and considered to be a golden middle between invasive surgeries and non-invasive face lift procedures.

What is “The CO2 face lift” and why are all CO2 treatments not the same?

There is a variety of devices proudly carrying name CO2. Unfortunately, not all of them are the same. The difference is in technology, professional grade of the equipment, and the technique your treating physician will use. At our Centre, we implement 2 different techniques that are customized for our clients. The main determining factors are:

Frequently Asked Questions: Is the CO2 face lift right for me?

If person is in good health and has a fair skin tone that would benefit from some tightening and skin lifting procedures, the CO2 Face Lift can be an ideal option. It is imperative however to be able to manage expectations. The procedure has been proven very successful and has provided significant improvements to our clients. However, it is not a quick fix and is followed by an extended recovery time. Consultation is always required.

CO2 face Lift vs. Plastic Surgery?

The CO2 Face Lift is not plastic surgery. It is approached and categorised as a semi-surgical procedure, but there are no scalpels or sutures involved. It is a great option for those who are not prepared to consider a surgical face lift approach, but would still like to improve their appearance.

Is a CO2 Face Lift a permanent remedy?

The CO2 Face Lift is a corrective treatment. It has proven significant improvements of the quality of the skin in addition to its long lasting results. However as everyone ages differently, the longevity may vary. The CO2 Face Lift can be a gateway to additional milder skin treatments and youth maintenance. As such, when you engage in proper diet, life style, skin care and UVA/ UVB protection, you are likely to see a pronounced radiance of your skin health, and greater longevity of the treatment.

1. Patients’ skin type and condition.

2. Downtime that patient requires post surgery.

A common guideline for CO2 laser resurfacing is that there is about a week of downtime. The results are quite successful, but in the majority of the cases repeated treatments may be recommended or necessary to achieve desired results. This is the most typical CO2 procedure available in many aesthetic clinics and spas..

The second and most effective type of CO2 is CO2 face lift. It is not a regular resurfacing procedure, but more complex and surgery type of treatment. In our centre, we perform this procedure in our OR due to more invasive procedure technique. This level of treatment is 5-7 times stronger than a commonly known CO2. It significantly improves many skin conditions, such as, wrinkles, scarring, lax skin. This procedure is performed with IV sedation and a semi-surgical approach.

The results are significantly greater in comparison with multiple repeated average Laser Resurfacing procedures and for a fraction of the cost.

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Please call 780.437.7189 or email us at info@raoderm.com for more information.

TABATA Are you strapped for time? Are you wanting a workout that will give you an insane afterburn that will keep you burning calories for hours after you finish? Then Tabata might be the right workout for you. Also known as The Tabata Protocol, it is similar to High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT), but slightly different because the rest and work periods are shorter. Done in only eight rounds of 20 seconds of work and 10 seconds of rest for a total of four minute. Japanese physician and researcher, Dr. Izumi Tabata designed the Tabata Protocol. Dr. Tabata ran two research groups, one did one hour of moderate intensity exercise five times per week for six weeks. The other research group did a high intensity Tabata style workout once a day for six weeks. The group who did the Tabata training, improved aerobic endurance and anaerobic fitness levels by 28% more than the first group. That’s a difference of 1800 mins spent working out for the first group and only 120 mins spent working out for the second group over the course of the six weeks. Can you say time efficiency?!

So, you’ve read the proof, and you want to know what else Tabata can do for you, well let me tell you. Tabata can burn up to 15 calories per minute when done properly, which in turn increases your metabolism and helps you burn fat. The trick is, your 20 second work period should be an all-out

100% effort by you and the 10 seconds rest is used to allow your body to recover. Tabata done properly, teaches your body to tolerate lactic acid (the burning feeling you feel in your muscles while working out) and increases the threshold for anaerobic exercises, allowing your body to do more. When you increase your threshold for anaerobic (without oxygen) capacity, you are also increasing your aerobic (with oxygen) capacity (think all out sprints vs jogging). Another great thing about using Tabata for a workout, is that you don’t need a lot of equipment or space. You can do a lot of your workouts with just body weight exercises, so no gym membership is even required.

How do you do it? Below I have included a short Tabata workout to try out.

I recommend using a dynamic warm up before beginning your exercises, which I have also included. A dynamic warm up will help you warm up muscles, lube up your joints and provide a moderate stretch while doing so, helping prevent injury. Usually Tabata exercises are focused on larger muscle groups and aerobic or anaerobic exercises. For smaller muscle groups, you can alternate the rounds to keep from overworking one small muscle group.

Tabata Round:

20 secs work 10 secs rest x 8 sets = one Tabata round

Dymanic warm up:

Be sure to be cleared by physician before starting any new workout program. The Tabata program is not recommended for a beginner who is just starting to workout. Please exercise with caution.

1. Jogging in place 1 min 2. Forward arm circles/backward arm circles 30 secs each direction 3. Walking quad stretch 30 secs 4. Walking hamstring stretch 30 secs 5. Hip rotations 30 secs each direction

Round 1:

Alternate these two exercises Burpees for first 20 seconds Pushups for second 20 secs Rest for 1 full minute at the end of your 4 minute Tabata round.

PHOTOS BY JEFFERY PAUL KELLY PHOTOGRAPHY Y EGF ITN E SS

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Round 2:

Alternate these two exercises Skipping for first 20 seconds Squats for second 20 secs Rest 1 full minute

Round 3:

Alternate these two exercises Mountain climbers for first 20 secs Russian twist for second 20 seconds Rest 1 full minute

Cool down:

Static stretches Pec stretch 20-30 secs per side Quad stretch 20-30 secs per side Hamstring stretch 20-30 secs per side Butterfly stretch (for groin) 20-30 secs Ab stretch 20-30 secs Walking 5 mins 20

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Born out of a passion to empower people to bloom, over the past 5 years BLOOM Festival has created space where women, men and children from all walks of life can come together to literally bloom, be inspired, be challenged and be supported in a community of people who are really into living mindfully and well.

At Together We Bloom Society our aim to is to make mindful living accessible to all communities in cities that we serve. We do this simply by making mindfulness a fun, artistic, expressive and community experience.

Our goal is to create an experience where you are inspired by world renowned speakers, and have opportunity to connect with other likeminded people from yogis, to creative entrepreneurs & wellness experts from YEG and beyond.

FOR THOSE WHO BLOOM

BLOOM Festival offer you an incredible experience on and off the yoga mat, to move you into the space where creativity and inspiration meet.

Spend your day practising yoga, going on meditation walks, enjoying the Bloom Marketplace, or sit down with us in beautiful locations with live musicians and a lovely community of people aspiring to be the best version of themselves to make a difference in our world. Sessions cover a wide range of topics from Mindfulness, Wellness to Spontaneity, Creativity and Entrepreneurship.

This is for you, if you want to reconnect with ideas, dreams and goals you haven't quite acted upon. This is for you if you wish to design a life in total alignment to your heart.

This is for you, if you wish every cell in your body to be totally jumping for joy, to feel the peace and stillness of a life lived mindfully and this is for those who wish to BLOOM in all areas of your life.

COMMUNITY

We love the YEG community and beyond, and giving back is a main part of our mission. Those who attend BLOOM help give us the opportunity to extend the impact of BLOOM beyond the festival itself. Last year we featured our first annual Youth in BLOOM, one day of the festival dedicated to youth. We were shocked to learn 95% of Edmonton's inner city youth are living with trauma and adverse childhood experiences that impact their ability to learn, function, and feel safe in their respective communities. What really helps build resilience in children is continuing to build their positive relationships and sense of connection to a larger community.

Youth Bloom brings in Edmonton's inner city youth to give them an opportunity to explore with yoga, meditation and play expression.

APRIL 26-28, 2019

This year’s festival will be hosted at the bright and spacious Edmonton EXPO Centre. Tickets and further festival information can be found at​ www.itstimetobloom.com​. Don't be afraid to share your story, to be bold, and allow your life to BLOOM beyond your wildest dreams.

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PHOTOS BY DES ILES

LENA MILLS

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Born and raised in Edson, Alberta, Lena Mills used to dream about a career in Real Estate. “I was a born city girl growing up in a small town,” she says and used to visit her bother in Edmonton knowing that she belonged here. After graduating high school, she moved out to the big city, with only her car and a backpack! She met her husband Scott after being in Edmonton for only one week while serving tables on the patio at Brewsters Meadowlark. “I was so nervous, I spilled an entire tray of water glasses on myself,” she laughed “and I knew he was the one!”

In 2010, Lena obtained her real estate license and became a REALTOR. That was nine years ago. “I can’t believe it’s been almost a decade, feels like yesterday!” With previous work experience in sales, customer service and construction management, she hit the ground running! Since Lena was not from Edmonton, with no roots here, she knew she had to hustle.

Lena has built her business on honesty, integrity and trust, while creating meaningful relationships that carry on far past the closing date.

Lena was awarded the Re/Max Hall of Fame award for selling over $50 Million Dollars in Real Estate within her first 5 years of business. This is just one of the many achievements she is most proud of. She has also been recognized in the top 5% of Realtors in Edmonton.

Lena believes very strongly in giving back. She has been a proud supporter of the Stollery Children’s Hospital since becoming a realtor, donating a portion of every commission earned through the Children’s Miracle Network. Since becoming a Mom, Lena has been to the Stollery twice with their son Mason. Once, when he was 3 months old, they spent the night there after his inguinal hernia surgery. The second time when he was 15 months old, he took a fall at his day home and cut his forehead open, right between his eyebrows, needing 8 stitches. She can’t say enough about the amazing staff and how great the care is.

“I pulled our truck right into the ambulance emergency bay at the hospital and was completely hysterical. They took care of both of us,” she sighed “had Mason all fixed up, stitches and all, in under an hour!”

When one of her best friends became a board member for the Stollery Women’s Network, they began talking about possible events and how to raise money, and SIP FOR STOLLERY was born! They just wrapped up their 2nd red carpet event where they have raised $12,000 for the foundation, thanks to all their wonderful sponsors and supporters.

With all of this hard work, dedication and success, Lena has always devoted time for fitness and wellness.

Growing up, Lena was very active. At an early age starting in gymnastics, then figure skating and finally finding her passion as a dancer. Even as a teenager, a few dance classes a week weren’t enough fitness for her and she discovered the local gym, going a few days a week. She kept herself very busy between school, a part time job, dance classes and working out.

Lena competed in her first fitness competition in 2007 where she won both categories, Figure and Muscle Model for FAME (a tested natural show). She then went on to Figure at the Alberta Bodybuilding Association Provincial level show the following year and took 2nd place. Her husband even competed in Bodybuilding that same year and won his class.

Following this, Lena found a love for running, biking, & swimming. In 2013 she completed her first triathlon at the Leduc TRI. “Swimming is most challenging” she says “it’s all about form, gliding through the water with minimal effort and conserving your energy for the run and bike ahead!”

She went on the complete her 2nd triathlon the following year, not knowing this at the time, she was 5 weeks pregnant with Mason!

Two years ago, Lena discovered barre & rebounder bounce fitness. She is completely hooked, as it brings her back to her time in the dance studio and loves what it has done for her mind and body. She loves it all so much; she became a SOAR Instructor at Edmonton’s very first bounce fitness studio and is currently in training to lead barre classes too. You can find her at Studio B Fitness YEG. Lena and Scott are committed to getting their sweat on at least 3-4 times a week and are getting Mason started early too. At age 3.5, he is in swimming lessons, gymnastics and even snowboarding! They both have a passion for snowboarding after trying it for the first time 5 years ago, and they make an effort get out to the mountains at least once a month in the winter.

“We are trying to instill many great values into Mason by being role models ourselves,” she says. “Mason gets to see a happy, healthy and fit Mom & Dad because they work hard to support their family but also take time for themselves by eating right, working out, getting outdoors and living a healthy lifestyle.”

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Strength Training For Any Body

By Steffan Shelemy

Strength can be defined by four key components, body awareness, coordination, balance, and the ability to transfer weight. Improving your overall strength will allow you to improve your quality of life and allow ease for your day-to-day activities that involve repetitive movements such as pushing, pulling, squatting, lunging, and hinging.

These movements aren’t only imperative for daily chores around the house, they are also necessary for many leisurely activities. Improving strength allows you to enjoy leisurely activities and help keep you fit and healthy.

You don’t just get strong overnight; you have to work on strength regularly to create the change that you want to see in your body. In order for change to happen you should include a strength training regime in your exercise routine two to three times a week. Remember, be patient with yourself. Change takes time!

Here are some great moves to help you start your fitness journey. If you’re already in the swing of things, make sure you’ve got these moves down. If you can master these basics you’re well on your way to a stronger, healthier you.

PUSH UP This exercise is beneficial because it requires you to engage your whole body weight into your hands and feet before you perform the exercise.

One variations of the push up includes the knee push up.

Negative push up: This push up is perfect if you’re close to being able to perform a full pushup. Begin in the plank position. Weight should be balanced equally in your hands and feet. Slowly lower down performing the “eccentric” action of the push up.

Before pressing back up, purposely drop your knees to floor and perform a knee push up back up to the top of the move. Drive back up through your feet to begin again in the top position.

Once you can complete 10 quality Negative reps, you’re ready to start working the full push up.

Feeling strong? Try alternating between regular pushups and negative pushups.

PHOTOS BY JEFFERY PAUL KELLY PHOTOGRAPHY

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THE SINGLE-ARM DUMBBELL ROW 1. Stand to the right of your weight bench, holding a dumbbell in your right hand with your palm facing in.

2. Place your left knee and your left hand on top of the bench for support. Let your right arm hang down and a bit forward.

3. Pull your abdominals in and bend forward from the hips so that your back is naturally arched and roughly parallel to the floor, and your right knee is slightly bent.

4. Pull your right arm up until your elbow is pointing to the ceiling, your upper arm is parallel to the floor, and your hand comes to the outside of the ribcage.

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5. Lower the weight slowly back down.

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THE INVERTED BODYWEIGHT ROW 1. Position a bar in a rack to about waist height. You can also use a smith machine.

2. Take a wider than shoulder width grip on the bar and position yourself hanging underneath the bar. Your body should be straight with your heels on the ground with your arms fully extended. This will be your starting position.

3. Begin by flexing the elbow, pulling your chest towards the bar.

Retract your shoulder blades as you perform the movement.

4. Pause at the top of the motion, and return yourself to the start position.

5. Repeat for the desired number of repetitions.

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#teamoptimize Introducing the team at Optimize Physiotherapy & Sports Injury Clinic. We pride ourselves on having a multidisciplinary team. Our healthcare professionals are passionate, friendly and extremely well educated, and all want one thing: an Optimized patient!

Our team will work together to create the best treatment plan that works for YOU! In addition to Physiotherapy, we also offer Massage Therapy, Manual Osteopathy, Sports Medicine Consultation, and Nutrition Counselling.

Make Optimize your headquarters for all your injury prevention & rehabilitation needs!

Aaron Norris Physiotherapist

Arri McWatt Physiotherapist

Marissa Poon Physiotherapist

Holly Schroter Massage Therapist

Brittany Bouma Massage Therapist

Lisa Halipchuk Massage Therapist

Mélissa Hambrook Manual Osteopath

Dr. Felix Soibelman Medical Director

Jenny Brown Registered Dietitian

780- 455- 5068 / / o pt imize ph ys io . c o m mo bilize • s t a bilize • o pt imize

Fine Tuning with Clayton Leung

By Melissa Lilley PHOTOS BY JEFFERY PAUL KELLY PHOTOGRAPHY

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T

he human body is, in a lot of ways, similar to a musical instrument. It requires fine tuning and hours of interaction. The muscles can be manipulated in any number of ways to react a certain way to stimulation or to look a certain way. Athletes, like musicians, spend hours strengthening their muscles and honing in on their skills to be the best they can be at a particular sport. But what many people don’t realize is musicians too, need to stay on top of their physical fitness to keep their brains sharp and receptive to the demands of perfecting a musical instrument. It’s no secret that eating well and staying active does great things for a person’s overall health, but these factors are especially important for anyone trying to perform at a high level.

YEG Fitness recently caught up with Clayton Leung a local musician who has been part of the Edmonton Symphony Orchestra since 2013 and has been a dedicated musician since the tender age of three.

Leung first studied at the Langley Community Music School after his mother saw her friends’ daughter play the violin at a party. Leung’s first love was the violin, crafting one out of a cereal box and a bow. Leung would eventually transition to the viola in 2013 when he joined the ESO. Leung says most of his professional career has been built from his interaction with the viola. Leung’s musical agility is not unlike an athlete who is adept at transitioning from one sport to the next because of the fitness foundation laid in their original sport. Leung says his favourite part about being a professional musician is being able to connect with people. “It is so wonderful to be able to revel in all of the opportunities I have working with such inspiring colleagues both in the ESO, as well as my chamber music mates in YEG4, Trio de Moda and the Obsessions Octet. Something that excites me is getting together with such remarkable musicians who share some my goals and my passion; which is bringing music to people in all walks of life, whether it be in a concert hall, a stadium, a church, a care home or a night club,” he says.

He goes on to credit the youth orchestras he was part of for his growth, “Growing up as an energetic child, I never really enjoyed spending a lot of time in my room practicing alone but I seemed to thrive on work in a social environment. I was very fortunate to join various musical groups in my community ranging from several youth orchestras to smaller chamber music groups with additional activities like choir, ukulele and church organizations. It all contributed to my career of becoming a performing artist and musician.” says Leung.

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No doubt a musician of Leung’s caliber is tasked with a daunting schedule. A typical week for Leung during orchestral season consists of several hours of rehearsals and concertizing with his colleagues. Additionally, he also needs to rehearse individually for some of the ensembles he belongs to outside of the ESO that he performs within the local community and beyond. In addition to his hectic rehearsal schedule Leung maintains a regular exercise schedule where he works out in the gym four times a week. Prior to coming to Edmonton, Leung says he trained with a friend who was actively involved in competitive body building, but with his current work load that type of training isn’t realistic for Leung. When he can adhere to a regular schedule Leung prefers early morning workouts which leave him feeling invigorated and keep up his energy levels. He keeps his fuel pretty simple, hot overnight oats for breakfast, a protein-centered meal like steak and salad for lunch and dinner is usually similar to lunch but also accompanied by a complex carbohydrate like brown rice or sweet potatoes. Of course, there is a wiggle room for pizza or a banana cream pie in his diet.

In addition to his musical pursuits Leung says he has been thinking of sharing his knowledge of fitness with other athletes who are looking to fine tune their bodies through muscle tone—without damaging or straining their muscles. Leung approaches his goals with an open mind and a free spirit but often reminds himself to keep setting the bar just a little bit higher and to strive for something exceptional. In his musical career and pursuits Leung is proof that fine tuning your wellness routine yields great results.

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Winter Running

By Elise Nawrocki As we head into the winter months, our breath begins to freeze on our eyelids, and the snow begins to crunch beneath our feet. If you’re looking to brave these conditions to continue running through the winter I have some tips on gear and safety that to help stay warm and safe while running throughout the next several months.

My top three recommendations for winter running gear would be to ensure you are wearing enough layers, choose the right footwear, and running with winter friendly electronics.

When it comes to layering, you want to ensure that you are wearing at least two layers on the top and bottom half of your body! It is really important to wear enough clothes and to cover up all exposed skin; for example, I wear long socks to cover that space between my shoes and pants, and I also like to wear fleece lined tights as one of my bottom layers.

Wearing the correct running shoes for winter is really important to help avoid slipping. You want a shoe that can grip the ice and snow, and also one that is waterproof, or at least water resistant so that your feet stay warm and dry. When purchasing shoes, you should ask a knowledgeable shoe salesperson about their best winter options.

More than once I have come back from a winter run only to discover that my phone has died due to the cold. To prevent this annoying situation, when you are purchasing electronics, especially running watches, ensure that they are winter friendly and able to withstand cold temperatures. If possible You can also try keeping your phone close to your body to keep it from freezing.

Running during the winter can definitely be a safety hazard. To help keep you safe I want share my top three safety tips to help you avoid injury. They are, ways to avoid frostbite, utilize the daylight, and beware of uneven ground.

When the temperature drops to minus 20 Celsius (including the Windchill) is when frostbite can happen to any exposed skin such as the face, wrists and ankles. You should avoid running at these temperatures, or else ensure that no skin is exposed while you are running.

As the temperature drops, so do the daylight hours. If you are a morning or evening runner, when winter comes it is likely that you will end up running in the dark. It is important not to get caught in the dark unprepared, and if you are running after daylight hours, wear reflective gear and headlamps so people and drivers can see you.

Running on snow, ice, and ground that is uneven is almost unavoidable after the first snowfall but uneven surfaces can lead to sore hips, joints, and tendons. I struggled a few years ago with an Achilles injury and even though it was healed, the next winter I discovered that running on uneven snowy surfaces aggravated the tendon. If you have past injuries, I would suggest trying to run on flat surfaces when possible.

These tips are just a few that I have learned in my seven plus years of running both on my own and as a college athlete. There is nothing more beautiful than a crisp morning run in the winter with the sun shining and the snow sparkling; however, unfortunately accidents and injuries can happen to the best of us. I hope that you will utilize these tips in your own running so that we can all stay safe in the winter and keep enjoying all the benefits that running has on our mind and body. As 1957 Boston Marathon Champion John Kelley said, “We runners are all a little nutty, but we're good people who just want to enjoy our healthy, primitive challenge. Others may not understand running, but we do, and we cherish it."

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ADVERTORIAL

Five Foundations of Farmers’ Markets In the world of online grocery, amazon and dozens of brick and mortar options farmers markets might seem like the last holdout for hipsters and high fashion foods, but there is so much more to them. More and more we see strollers, children, families, pet owners, first daters and walk abouters. Farmers’ Markets continue to provide an opportunity for intersecting consumers and producers of all sorts. And as diverse as the crowds are at the markets, so are the vendors and their prices. It is at this intersection of people that five important things happen.

1. Embracing the Fringe

Farmers Markets’ are full of radicals and traditionalists. You can always find your meat and potatoes at the market, but over the years Farmers’ Markets have enabled businesses and ideas from the fringe. This is the first home of the new organic movement, vegan food products, fermented drinks, microgreens, artisan cheese, natural cleaning products and stunning local mushrooms. While more and more of these products are adopted by mainstream retailers they first existed at the Farmers’ Markets that have a history of setting trends and providing the stage for rejuvenating food and consumer culture.

2. Enabling Local opportunity and incubation

Because markets seek out the fringe, opportunities for small business to try out ideas and products first start at Farmers’ Markets. City Market is currently the home to Edmonton’s first Kombucha company (Boocha) and first cricket flour bakery (Camola Sustainable Foods). Providing a home for new ideas provides a stepping stone for vendors to start their own stores, convince retailers to carry their product or shift society’s attention to a new way of eating or living.

3. Reinforcing community and diversity

Damn it, it feels good to spend time at Farmers’ Markets. It is easy to get disillusioned about community in the current state of world affairs. That is why public spaces that thrive through diversity are so important. At City Market there are currently 11 vendors representing food from different nationalities and many more in the summer. Farmers’ Markets provide a common where people are engaged in likeminded conversation, fresh ideas and new learnings.

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4. ‘Local’ accountability

In 1903 when City Market began you can imagine that 100% of the product sold would have been local. Now we live in a globalized economy, which provides accountability challenges within our food system. If Taber corn is actually from Taber? Are the earliest BC cherries actually imported from Washington or Oregon? Fortunately, to be an approved Alberta's Farmers Market, each market must have 80% of its vendors from within Alberta that either “Make, Bake, Grow or Raise the products themselves".

It might not be the tightest definition of local but it means that if you go to City Hall you are guaranteed to be looking at local wears. The 20% is often reserved for seafood, wild foraged products, specialty product, BC fruit, or maybe the occasional hot dog stand.

5. Food Safety

It is hard to forget the recent recalls on romaine lettuce or tomatoes.

While I am not going to guarantee you that it is safer to buy things at Farmers' Markets, there are a couple of advantages. At markets you can ask the tough questions to those in charge of production whether it is a baker, smoker, butcher or farmer. Questions like, when was your irrigation water last tested? When was your last inspection? How do I know your process cooks/kills/prevents the growth of harmful bacteria? These questions keep us accountable in a way that is hard to mirror in other retail settings. Additionally, any high risk foods at the market like cheese, prepared meals, and meats all have required health inspections for the facilities that they prepare them at.

Want to visit us? Indoors and outdoors, City Market is within pedal or pedestrian reach. Bike lanes, LRT and bus routes all lead directly to us.

Thousands of parking stalls are also within a block or two of the market (Underground heated parking at City hall $0.50/hr.).

City Market operates outdoors every Saturday 9am-3pm May Long weekend until Thanksgiving weekend on 104st and 102ave. The indoor market operates Saturdays for the rest of the year inside City Hall under the Pyramid. https://city-market.ca/wp/

ADVERTORIAL

925 million In 2015 Alberta Farmers Markets sold an estimated 925 million worth of product direct to consumers, which is about a 28% increase from four years previous.

While approved farmers markets must meet the 80/20 split, public markets do not, but they often appear the same. Public markets are ironically often privately and range from flea markets to close facsimiles of a Farmers market. However, they are allowed to have any number of vendors that are resellers or from out of provinces.

For a list of approved Farmers' Markets check out http://www.albertafarmersmarket.com/

1903 City Market is the oldest Farmers Market in Edmonton. First named Rice Street Market in 1903 it started where current day Stanley Milner Library exists. Later City Market moved in the 1960s to 97st and more recently to 104st in 2004.

We are hosting a Spin event at City Market on February 9, 2019. Come spin with us then grab a croissant, cabbage or Kombucha post exercise.

Learn more at www.city-market.ca

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Ain’t Nothing Gonna Break My Stride

By Megan Hall

As Edmontonians, we know winter. Shovelling the driveway for the third time that day, scrapping ice off our windshields, sliding right into a fender bender…yep. We know winter. But we also know that there are so many gems hidden behind the snowstorms and the icy roads. Winter is magic if you let it be – and getting outside and taking advantage of what mother nature gives us is one of the ways to uncover the secrets behind the magic trick.

I was basically born on skis. In my early years, I wasn’t like most kids. I wasn’t on the soccer team and I was clueless about video games. I spent my evenings and weekends out on the cross country ski trails with my family – leaning into something that would later consume the greater part of my youth. My outfit of choice quickly became my bright yellow Salomon ski boots, my red and black Madshus skis signed by Olympic gold-medalist Beckie Scott, and my bamboo poles whose baskets would constantly get caught on the tips of my skis – but man did I love it.

When you think of cross country skiing, you likely think about someone in wool socks up to their knees, wearing boots fastened by metal straps onto long wooden boards, carrying a child on their back (the Birkebeiner anyone?). But in the past twenty years, xc skiing’s appeal has expanded – especially in cities with long winters. It’s no longer a sport where the poles are bamboo and you have to lock your boots into long, heavy wooden skis; it’s all about speed, agility, and is one h-e-double skis of a workout!

The sport is becoming increasingly popular – and for good reason. From its roots 5000 years ago in blustery Scandinavia, cross country skiing has evolved into an activity that everyone in your family can enjoy. Edmonton Nordic Ski Club offers lessons for people of all ages. Skiers train out of Gold Bar Park, with trails extending along the river valley into Rundle Park and up the infamous Esso Hill into Tiger Goldstick Park.

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Mild conditions bookend Edmonton’s winters, but with new snowmaking machines at Gold Bar Park, skiers can continue to train even with minimal snow.

If you’re looking for somewhere a little closer to home, the Victoria Golf Course and Park is tracked all winter, as well as the trails in Kinsmen Park and William Hawrelak Park. Riverside Golf Course, Hermitage Park, and Millcreek also have groomed trails throughout the winter months.

Places like Track ‘N Trail, Fast Trax, MEC, and Totem Outfitters have a great selection of skis, boots, and all of the essentials you need to get you striding. If you’re not quite sure if xc skiing is for you, Totem Outfitters also carries rentals. Or if you feel like heading out of town, check out Strathcona Wilderness Centre located just 30 minutes east of Edmonton, fully equipped with rentals.

It’s important to take care of our bodies and our minds, especially during the winter months. Cross country skiing offers something more than just the sweet taste of the great outdoors. Skiing gives you the ability to fly – hover – over the earth. Your breath begins to make a rhythm with the chopping of your poles into the snow, as you listen to the sound of winter under your feet. And even on your worst day, you can’t help but crave that familiar tune.

ADVERTORIAL

2019

A new page for your health and wellness

New year, new you, right?

We love the start of a new year. It’s like turning to a fresh page in your notebook — the canvas is blank and you have a whole 365 days to fill it. So how are you going to fill your notebook of health and wellness this year?

If you don’t mind, we have a few suggestions: 1. Seek out a health coach. Many of us have no problem looking to sports coaches, trainers, or doctors for specific advice on our health, but what about an individual who can help coach you through your unique wellness journey? How would it feel to have someone to speak with about all forms of health and wellness, rather than multiple different people? Part of the vision for Park Integrative Health includes health coaches for all of our clients.

We love the idea of having one trusted person to speak with about all your health and wellness needs; someone who points you in the right direction and offers support to help you reach your goals.

2. Try something new. A new year is the perfect opportunity to try new things — foods, routines, fitness plans — you name it!

What about trying new ways to treat what’s been ailing you? Ever considered alternative treatment for pain, stiff or sore muscles, or digestion issues? There are so many ways to treat these sorts of health problems through natural means and with long-term

results. Treatment options like Reiki, massage, and acupuncture can help relieve and eliminate all sorts of problems in the body.

All it takes is a little commitment, an open mind, and a decision that taking pills for the rest of your life isn’t your ideal option.

3. Take a thoughtful approach to your health. It’s so common for us to visit our family doctor, chat for a few minutes, maybe have a quick exam, grab a prescription slip and be on our way. But what if we took the time to have a meaningful conversation with our health care provider? What if we asked thoughtful questions about our health and explored a variety of different treatment options instead of the same old? Part of the vision for our clinic is to have health practitioners who take the time to really talk to their patients, to dig deep and get to the root of the problem, rather than provide a Band-Aid solution. Whether you’re visiting a health and wellness provider at Park Integrative or somewhere else, we encourage you to have more thoughtful conversations about your wellness this year.

As you turn the page on 2018 and start a fresh one for 2019, we encourage you to think differently about your wellness — what it truly means to you and how you can make improvements this year. The blank page in your 2019 health and wellness notebook is just itching to be filled. Why not let us help you create your most beautiful canvas yet?

Happy New Year, friends!

Unit 970, 3890 Sherwood Drive Sherwood Park, Alberta T8H 0Z9 (780) 570-8480 pihealth.ca @parkintegrative

Our Hours Monday – Friday 8:00 A.M. – 8:30 P.M. Saturday – Sunday 8:00 A.M. – 3:30 P.M.

Park Integrative Health

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Hey cyclists!

Great seasons are made in the off-season!

If you’re a cyclist spinning at home this winter could make one of the biggest differences to your next cycling season you’ve ever seen. It’ll help you get fitter, save time, and address injury prevention!

Getting fitter, saving time and injury prevention all happen during a spin workout since you don’t have to wait for lights, dodge cars, watch the road for hazards, and meet up with others for safety. There’s also NO coasting!

Even the pros do spin workouts all year round indoors on the trainer!

Also, you only need a minimum of gear to prep your own pain cave for optimizing your training.

Your own bike will work wonderfully; it needn’t be fancy or expensive! It does, however, need to: 1 – Work well and be properly maintained!

2 – You need to fit your bike. If you don’t your life on your bike with hard effort will be more misery than you can imagine; get a bike fitting!

PHOTOS BY JEFFERY PAUL KELLY PHOTOGRAPHY

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Your bike will also appreciate: 1 – A spin trainer tire – these are very durable and will last several seasons for most cyclists, and are available for both mountain and road bikes. Save yourself the aggravation of a buzzing rear mountain bike tire or the wallet pain of ruining a nice road bike tire by buying one of these – only one – for the rear tire of your bike.

2 – A rear wheel spin skewer – these are available cheaply and will fit the rear wheel into a bike trainer better than most wheel skewers, saving you on having to replace a ruined skewer and potentially saving you from sudden ‘carpet sprints’ should your bike dislodge itself from the trainer and rocket across the room!

Once your bike is outfitted you’ll also need a bike trainer to put it on.

You can save yourself money by getting a used bike trainer but even new they are not that expensive unless you purchase a ‘smart’ trainer.

Do yourself a favor and purchase a trainer (whatever trainer you decide) new with warranty at a store with a great return policy in case you have any issues. I personally have successfully used inexpensive trainers for decades with great effect, though I do also have access to very advanced trainers which I use primarily to test power, VO2Max, and other metrics.

You’ll also want a yoga mat to catch the sweat of your agony and in most cases you’ll also need a foot for the front tire of your bike to level it off so you aren’t riding in a ‘downhill’ position.

Now that your bike and trainer are ready, set yourself up for success with a fan, great music (unless you love to suffer in silence) a towel, and some water or fuel if you require it. For the most part as long as your nutrition is stable a typical workout of 60 minutes requires no fueling or hydration. As time and intensity increases fuel does become more relevant but remember: for hydration, simply drink when you’re thirsty!

Alright, at this point if you have ‘that friend’ who re-mortgaged their home to create the ultimate pain cave of cycle suffering or spent their entire student loan on a bike, I have great news for you. It’s not what you’ve got, but how you use it, that makes the biggest difference!

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Here’s what you need to know:

The basics of using your bike trainer: 1. Warm up first – 10-15 minutes – get sweaty!

2. Introduce some harder efforts for 30-60 seconds in the warm to prepare for the work coming up – you can either increase the resistance at your self-selected rpm (cadence) or you can increase your cadence (rpm) at a given resistance. Or both!

3. Get cycle strong! Longer sets of 4-10 minutes in the hardest gear you can handle at 40-60 rpm in early winter is necessary to be able to handle the power you’ll want to be pushing in later winter and early spring. 3+ sets please!

4. Recover between your sets! Longer recovery between sets 3-6 minutes means better performance of your work sets, and a better stimulus to change your body! Slow improvement in cycling is often too little hard work on the bike. Work hard! Rest hard as well!

That polarization will take you places you’ve never been with respect to fitness!

5. Get cadence variable! Work on sets that vary between 40-60 rpm, 70-90 rpm and 100+ rpm or do a few sets of each!

6. Get your sprint on! Those harder efforts in your warm up should turn into 10 or 20 second sprints as your body gets used to the fit of your bike and control of the gearing.

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How often should you spin?

Three times a week; optimally to a daily workout of 30-90 minutes, and in fact with cycling the training loads that most humans can tolerate is actually immense compared with other sport! If your goal is a better season next season, then three times a week will get you there!

How long?

60-90 minutes! Make it count!

What types of workouts?

1. Strength – every week, all year round, with an emphasis on building this in winter and maintaining this in summer. These workouts are more frequent in winter, less in summer.

2. Cadence variations. Get comfortable at all speeds of pedaling and improve power and efficiency as much as possible no matter what you ride or where you ride! This is a good idea all year round!

3. Peak effort work once a week, and then add in peak speed work as racing or event season approaches. Peak effort costs in terms of needing recovery but it will fundamentally change you.

If you’re looking for a new approach to your training, a bike fit, VO2Max Testing on your own bike, or even group training, places WEphysio Performance and Wellness can help you out Here’s to your best season yet!

Winter Eye Protection Does eye protection change when it’s cold outside?

By Jim Thompson – Thompson Optics

We know that eye protection doesn’t take a vacation when the seasons change. Active lifestyles necessitate a constant awareness of difficulties and dangers when engaged in what we love to do.

We all seem to have a pair of sunglasses in the car or on top of our heads.

Listen up people, they are actually more than a fashion statement! Winter time can bring a plethora of eye-health threatening conditions. Dry eye symptoms can be more than just annoying. The drop in relative humidity, wind, and environmental conditions can cause irritated corneal cells, dehydrated scleral tissue, blurry vision and permanent eye damage. Downhill or cross-country skiing expose your eyes to windy conditions. Be sure to keep the hot air vents away from your eyes on the way to the hill. Excessive wind exposure can cause the sclera (the white part of the eye) to be irritated, causing a thickening of the tissue that can lead to chronic dry eye symptoms. The sclera is covered by a transparent mucous membrane, the conjunctiva, that is easily damaged by dry conditions. Prolonged exposure to dry environments and unfiltered UV can lead to troublesome and unsightly yellow bumps called pinguecula.

Surgical removal may be the only cure.

Eye lubricants are as essential as skin cream in the winter. Just like dry hands, eyes need lubricating too. But be careful. Some over-the-counter drops may have the opposite effect if used improperly. If possible, stay away from drops that have preservatives. The benefit of increased comfort can slowly turn to red sore eyes if you develop a sensitivity to the preservative. There are many excellent unpreserved products that will provide almost immediate relief from dry eyes. Your best bet is to ask your eye care professional for their recommendations. Avoid eye drops that claim to eliminate red eyes. These products may contain a vasoconstrictor—components that shrink blood vessels—but don’t address the underlying causes of red eyes.

Choosing the proper eyewear is crucial to eye protection in the winter.

Two of the most important components are lens choice and frame selection. Sun wear is useless without quality lenses. It’s also best to stay

away from drugstore sunglasses. Poor lens quality can cause distortions leading to headaches and eye strain. The UV protection may be non-existent or just a coating on the front surface. When a dark lens covers your eyes, your pupils naturally dilate to allow more light in. If UV protection is minimal or inconsistent, you may actually get more harmful unfiltered UV into your eyes compared to wearing no sunglasses at all. A quality lens also has an anti-reflection coating on the inside surface to eliminate UV being reflected into your eyes. Sunglass frames are designed to provide coverage in all four directions, both sides and up and down. If bright light is sneaking in past the frame the best lens in the world won’t help.

Reflected UV is just as harmful as UV from above. A frame that wraps around the face well is important. Remember it’s the lens that delivers the protection. Not the name on the frame. In our practice, we ask what type of sunglass a person wears. Hearing the name on the won’t tell us how good the lens is. Designer frames don’t’ guarantee a quality lens.

Overexposure to harmful UVA and UVB radiation contributes to corneal damage, cataracts, macular degeneration and cancers of the eye and surrounding tissue.

Contact lenses can be useful for winter activities. Especially if they have effective UV protection. Currently, the only manufacturer that has 99 per cent UVA and UVB filtration is the Johnson and Johnson lenses. The world’s first photochromic (a lens that darkens when exposed to UV light) contact lens will be available early next year, providing an additional layer of protection to outdoor activities. Single-use, UV protecting lenses are particularly convenient for the part-time lens wearer. These lenses are comfortable, easy to use and affordable because you don’t have to worry about wasting lenses. If you wearing a two-week or a monthly lens, the clock is ticking as soon as you open the flat pack. Whether you wear the lens once or 14 times in a two-week period, it must be disposed of after that time. Contamination is a real concern as soaking solutions only disinfect, not sterilize.

And no, you don’t have to worry about your contacts freezing to your eyes in -20. Now get out there and enjoy our season!

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“Skipping” Cardio?

We Got Your Solution: Jump Rope

By Tony Nguyen and Nathan Bizeau From F.R.E.E. Fitness One of the most popular questions personal trainers will get from their clients is, “How do I make cardio fun?” There’s actually no simple answer. However, we do believe that cardio can be fun if you actually enjoy the cardio that you are doing.

One of the oldest training tools in the book is the jump rope. Yet, people often forget or overlook the benefits of skipping when they think about cardio workouts. People typically think of using treadmills, rowers and ellipticals when they have to complete their scheduled cardio.

Thanks to YEGFitness Magazine, we’re paying homage to the jump rope and giving skipping the respect it deserves. We’ll list three major benefits of including skipping into your weekly cardio routine and provide you with two workouts: a beginner and an advanced workout. Let’s jump right into it!

Accessible and Affordable

Skipping gives you the freedom to do your cardio workout almost anywhere because it’s mobile and affordable A skipping rope will run you between $10 and $30. You can skip in your garage, at the gym, or take your cardio outside so that you can enjoy the fresh air and enjoy the beautiful Edmonton weather. I’ll choose the River Valley view over being inside any day.

Improve Your Fitness

Skipping may help you burn more calories per hour if you’re looking to lose weight. Compared to other cardio machines it can help raise your heart rate two to three times faster than using an elliptical, stairmaster, or treadmill.

You’re also able to use different types of jump ropes to work on different areas of your fitness. To target speed and endurance, try using a lighter rope like a speed rope. To engage larger muscle to work on strength and burn more calories, try using weighted ropes.

Both variations of ropes provide benefits to your overall fitness and keep you moving forward.

Coordination and Reactive Strength

Skipping helps improve coordination which can further enhance spatial awareness, agility, and athletic ability. Skipping combines rhythm and timing which is known as “reactive strength”. Your brain and body must make quick adjustments to your rope’s speed, distance, and position relative to your body. It’s a great way to stay mentally engaged during your cardio workout.

PHOTOS BY JEFFERY PAUL KELLY PHOTOGRAPHY

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Challenging and Fun

Skipping can be one of the most challenging and enjoyable cardio workouts. Once you have overcome the initial challenge of learning how to skip and have gradually increased your tolerance to skipping for a few minutes at a time, there are countless variations and skills to learn. This could include single leg movements, crossovers, double-unders and yes, even triple-unders! Skipping may be used as a warm up to prepare for your workout, between sets to elevate your heart rate, or in a Tabata (four minutes: 20 seconds on, 10 seconds rest) to finish your workout. It’s a great cross-training tool to improve your cardio and to help supplement other fitness goals or sports like boxing (think Rocky Balboa).

Here are examples of two different workouts you can try:

Beginner Workout

1:2 Work to Rest (30 seconds work, 60 seconds rest) 1. Single-hop (regular hop with both feet together) 2. Boxer skip (single leg alternating) 3. Skier (jump side to side with your feet together) 4. Jumping Jacks (forward or sideways)

Advanced Workout

2:1 Work to Rest (60 seconds work, 30 seconds rest) 1. Double under (jump over rope twice with both feet together) 2. Single leg (repeat on each leg) 3. Rope crossovers 4. Feet crossovers

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Best Gym (Single Location) F.R.E.E. Fitness Little Sweatshop No More Excuses SVPT Athletics The Project

Best City Recreation Centre Clareview Community Recreation Centre Commonwealth Community Recreation Centre Kinsmen Sports Centre Millennium Place Terwillegar Community Recreation Centre

Best Gym (Multiple Locations) Evolve Goodlife LA Fitness Orange Theory World Health

Best Yoga Studio Bliss YogaSpa Buddha Belly Metta Edmonton Navina Yogalife Best Personal Trainer Cheryl Schneider Jordan Jeske Mike Scarcello Tony Nguyen Zita Dube-Lockhart

Best Crossfit Studio Black Tusk Athletics Crossfit Armoury Capital City Athletics Crossfit Movement Lab Rock Jungle Crossfit

Best Class Instructor Becky Robinson Dao Haddad Farha Shariff Jordan Law Meg Stevenson

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Best Spin Studio

Best Boxing/Martial Arts Studio

Cyclebar Hive Fit Co Spinunity Tru Ride YEG Cycle

Champs KPC Self Defense Next Level Martial Arts Panther Gym Precision Martial Arts Academy

Best Alternative Fitness

Best Free Fitness Group

Best Community Supporter

Aradia Fitness Circofit Studio B Sit Stay Squat Xtend Barre

City Yoga X F.R.E.E Fitness MEC November Project Running Room

Chris Liddle F.R.E.E. Fitness Farha Shariff Jordan Jeske Queerflex

Best Farmer’s Market Best Fitness Event Servus Edmonton Marathon Lululemon 10K Mud Hero Spartan Race X Warrior

Best Physiotherapist Adam Giesbrecht Arri McWatt Brent Kastelic Jade Huynh Kayla Nguyen

Callingwood Farmer’s Market City Market Downtown Old Strathcona Farmer's Market St Albert Farmer’s Market Terwillegar Farmer’s Market

Best Healthy Restaurant Cafe Mosaic Freshii KB & Co Noorish The Moth Café

Best Wholistic Service Provider Best Chiropractor Andrew Blonski Ashley Todd Dustie Steeves Kara Otuomagie Jordan MacIntyre

Amber Kupina Briana Botsford Monica Patt Sabrina Souto Wellness on Whyte

Best Spa/Medical Spa Best Massage Therapist Andrea Yacyshyn Brittany Bouma Kory Ring Dustin Ring Kendra Short

Bliss YogaSpa Hemingway Medical Spa Modern Gravity Float Studio Park Integrative Health Wellness On Whyte

We hope you’ll join us in February as we celebrate with all the nominees and award the title of the 2018 Best of YEG Fitness in each category.

Watch yegfitness.ca for announcements.

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For many people, fitness is something unachievable and intimidating. Often, it’s because they don’t feel they are athletic enough or they don’t feel comfortable in the typical gym setting of looking at yourself in a mirror and posting a selfie on Instagram. We all know it’s something we should be doing, but for whatever reason many aren’t able to commit to.

The term fitness has often been paired with the thought of jacked men or women doing squats and burpees for days or participating in an obstacle course race. Perhaps this is due to the education we received in school where in order to be “fit”, you needed to be able to run, jump, climb or play a sport. Today, thankfully, the meaning of fitness is starting to change.

We’re going to introduce you to eight Edmontonians who each have their own take on what fitness means. At the end of the day, what’s important is that you find something that works for you and it helps you be happy and healthy.

PHOTOS BY DES ILES

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Tanya committed herself to a life of fitness. After a few decades of commitment many elements in her life have been influenced by fitness. Today Tanya’s small frame is a mountain of life. To spend time with her is to smile, laugh, and “get it”. She inspires, motivates, and teaches. She is genuine to the soul.

Tanya was born with Down syndrome, yet Tanya’s disability, (does she have one?), is shadowed by a confident woman who wants to do so much. Never one to be content with the progress she has made she continues to search for more. To finish a workout means to start planning for the next one. She has a strong supporting cast: She is very close to her Mom and sister and is there to help all of us with our disadvantages; our challenges; our goals! ““Life Rewards Action”- Life gives me rewards but it’s up to me to take action to fulfil this life.”

It wasn’t until the death of my mother in 2007 that fitness became an integral part of my life. In the moments and months after her passing, I was thankful to have a growing yoga practice that provided me the space to work through the mental and physical grief that I was suffering. It was during this time of heartbreak that I lost 100lbs and realized that fitness was way more than just the embarrassing phys-ed workouts of my youth.

Waking up with a new lens on life, I realized that fitness is a state of living that helps us successfully manage the challenges that our hectic world throws at us. My own health journey showed me that fitness means needing to be physically healthy and mentally capable to thrive in my day to day. Flash forward 11 years, and I continue to challenge myself through various modalities of fitness (running, powerlifting, cycling, yoga), while ensuring that I schedule lots of time for recovery (chiro, massage), and a growing meditation practice.

There is no perfect way for everyone, but there is the opportunity to grow every day!

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Wellness to me means acquiring positive tools for my toolbox that allow me to handle life stressors and challenges that come my way...and believing that I am worth the fight. Some of my tools are connection with others, surrounding myself with community, taking my medication, regular appointments with my healthcare team, loving others and taking care of my body and mind.

Growing up, fitness was never a big priority in my life. We weren't a very sporty family and I had always been “the fat kid� in school.

I had tried many times to lose weight but I could never commit and the weight always just came back on. It wasn't until I was almost 350 lbs, depressed and unhappy did I finally realize I had to change or things were just going to get worse.

So in January of 2017, I decided enough was enough. I wanted to start loving (and LIVING) my life. So I committed with a longterm goal of losing 100 lbs, making smaller, short-term goals of 5-10 lbs at a time. I had also decided to document my progress through Instagram and Facebook. Through a combination of the accountability from social media, meeting TONS of new fitness professionals (many of whom I now call good friends), and my own determination, I smashed my 100lb goal and ended up losing 120lbs. But the best part of it all wasn't how I looked but rather how I FELT. I am happier. I am more energetic than I have ever been. I am more mentally capable of handling and dealing with stress. I am a better father and husband.

Fitness for me is no longer an option, it's a requirement.

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Fitness and wellness for me are access points to be the best version of myself. As a runner, I spent many hours on the pavement putting one foot in front of the other.

What I have come to realize is that these steps are just a small piece of a much bigger journey. That all those sweaty kilometers are a tool to be leveraged in a quest to learn something about who I am. For me, it’s never about the time on a clock, the number of kilometers or races I complete or hitting a certain pace, it is about allowing myself to feel joy in the process and to show up fully in my life. This is why I sweat.

Fitness is a part of my everyday life.. I found boxing at the age of 13 after being bullied and beat up in school. At the time I was using boxing as a way to get revenge and to get my confidence back, but as I continued to train and better myself physically and mentally my goals and focus changed; I knew life had something bigger ahead for me.

The fitness that boxing offers has completely altered my life for the better. It has giving me both confidence and the physical edge to feel healthy and powerful. Fitness has helped me push myself to the limits both mentally and physically and as a product you find out new things about yourself that you never thought were possible. Although fitness has made me feel super, at times it has also humbled me and brought me back to Earth to discover my greatest weaknesses which has only made me stronger. As a full time athlete I am constantly setting goals for myself to stay motivated and consistent with my training. I am now heavily involved in Edmonton’s fitness community and I couldn’t be happier to share my story and knowledge to help others overcome their bullies, whether is a person, work, school sports etc.. Stay fit, stay healthy and all things will fall into place.

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It’s one of my missions in life to get Nehiyaw Iskwewak (Cree women), in particular mothers - ACTIVE! More importantly to show up in their lives. Sometimes as mothers we get caught up in being responsible for other humans and we forget we have a responsibility to ourselves. We have a saying in Cree called Miyo-pimatsiwin meaning living a good life. I want that for myself and my Nehiyaw sisters. I was taught by an Elder that I cannot care for others to the best of my ability if I’m not well. I would need to heal first.

For me the healing began when I discovered the gym! It has brought me on a self-discovery journey of who I AM. I am determined. I am strong. I am resilient. I am survivor. I am a runner. That has taken me years to say. I have always held a negative self-image of myself that because I was bigger that I could not be a classified as a runner.

This summer I ran/jogged in a 34km healing journey from Kehewin Cree Nation to Blue Quills University (which used to be an Indian Residential School- IRS). My father was stolen from his mother at the age of 7 to the age of 11 and was forced into Blue Quills IRS. The reason why I decided to take on this journey was to help me in my healing journey of understanding my inter-generational trauma as a first generation survivor of IRS. It was a journey of tears and fears but it was also about freedom and releasing some of the anger and shame I have carried for years.

Throughout my healing journey over the past few years I have received a deeper sense of my worth. That is what propels me to RISE every morning at 4:00am to acknowledge that I have been given a gift called life and I get to the gym to honour my mobility.

Fitness and wellness are my tools for reinvention. It is not in the sense that I am making myself into someone different than how my parents raised me. Instead, it is the act of honing the skills that make me more capable of being my best self.

Fitness and being well have allowed me to raise my standards in all aspects of life. This lifestyle has led me to some of my best friends and biggest supporters.

I've been empowered over the past couple years to progress from someone who lost some weight and gained confidence into someone who is known for building other people up mentally and physically. If I won the lottery, I'd still go to the gym to be with my clients. I'd still want to be around all the same people, being in all the same communities. That's how much fitness and wellness mean to me. I'm home here.

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WHY YOU NEED TO TAKE A ROAD TRIP TO

kananaskis THIS WINTER

Just an hour west of Calgary, lies a place where civilization as you know it disappears. The beauty of the Rocky Mountains envelopes you , the air is scented with pine, and the reception bars on your cellphone wink out, one by one. You are officially on your own.

Kananaskis is often overlooked with nearby Canmore and Banff offering the comforts of big city life while enjoying the relaxation and scenery of the mountains. But after making a visit to Kananaskis Village and taking in the adventures the area has to offer, we're certain you will be back over and over again.

The YEG Fitness family took a 3 day adventure to the beautiful Pomeroy Kananaskis Mountain Lodge in the late fall when there were still leaves on the trees after a late summer snow fall. The drive in to Kananaskis Village is one that takes you off the busy Trans Canada Highway so you can appreciate the beauty of the area. It gives you the opportunity to leave the busy city life behind get a feel for the adventure that awaits.

DAY 1 Upon arrival at the Lodge, we were greeted by a friendly staff that helped us with our gear and settle into our room. We were booked into the Bi-Level Loft with 2 Queen Beds which was both modern and spacious. This bi-level loft includes two queen beds and bathroom on the upper level and separate downstairs living space with sofa bed, dining area, bathroom, and fireplace. The private balcony allows you to take in the awe-inspiring mountain views.

We checked in for the Thanksgiving long weekend and took in their take on an authentically Canadian campfire. A hosted evening social mixer; complete with apple cider and hot chocolate for the kids (and a bottle of Mission Hill Pinot Noir for the adults) where guests gathered to connect with the great outdoors and enjoy campfire snacks and live entertainment. Our visit was timed perfectly so we could enjoy the stories of Patagonia ambassador and high alpine climber Barry Blanchard. Barry spent the next hour sharing his stories of adventure exploring the local mountain ranges and his climbs around the world.

Jr. YEG Fitness had been hounding us the whole drive down to hit up the pool so we grabbed our suits and headed to the pool and hot tub area before heading to dinner.

Phase One of what looks to be an indoor waterpark was recently completed with the rest of the waterpark set to open this winter. From the looks of it, we'll be back to enjoy the full experience. For our visit, we enjoyed some time in the indoor pool then headed outdoors to enjoy the fresh air and a soak in the hot tub under the stars surrounded by the mountains. Beautiful...

Dinner on our first night was at Forte. Open for breakfast, lunch and dinner, the dining room is the perfect setting for a delicious, Italian style meal, in a casual and sophisticated space. We started with the steamed mussels and wood fired bread and caprese salad to start. The fresh mozzarella and heirloom tomatoes complemented the huge serving of mussels that our son fuelled up on. A bone in veal chop and braised beef short rib papardelle were the perfect way to enjoy our first evening in Kananaskis Country.

After dropping of Jr YEG Fitness in the room for the night, we headed down to Blacktail Bar for a nightcap. This was the perfect spot to wind down after a day on the road and exploring the trails in the area. Great cocktails and snacks (and the Oiler's game on TV).

FORTE

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DAY 2 We started the day off with room service after enjoying a great sleep. The beds in our suite were perfect with the pillow top mattresses that gave us the chance to have a good rest before the busy day ahead. Room-service awaited for us on our first day and the menu was filled with the comfort foods you try to cook for yourself on the weekend, but who doesn't love room service in a great hotel. The Woodsman was a great option for myself as I knew there would be a lot of hiking and outdoor exploring to be done that day. Pancakes with fresh berries did the trick for the rest of our group.

After breakfast, we were met by Claude who is the co-owner of Kananaskis Outfitters. We spent the next 3 hours enjoying the beauty of Kananaskis country on our hike up through Grotto Canyon. After a snowfall earlier in the week, everything was covered with a blanket of white and the waterfalls at the end of the trail had just started to freeze which created a beautiful photo opportunity (although this would be best leaving your camera at home so you could just enjoy the sights.)

Claude was an amazing guide sharing stories of the area and with his knowledge of the biology in the region, made for great conversation with this biology teacher. The walk is something that people of all fitness levels should be able to do taking your time and exploring the trails. The reason this trail is so well known is for the waterfall at the end. The water hadn't completely frozen, but apparently this is a great area in the winter for ice climbers to traverse the falls.

On our way back out, we met a group of local ecologists counting eagle migration through the area. A true testimony to conservation efforts in the area.

Later that afternoon after we returned to the Kananaskis Mouintain Lodge, we had what I believe was one of the main reasons to stay here. If you just get the chance to make it to the resort for one reason, make sure you check out the Kananaskis Nordic Spa. It can get a bit busy so be patient if there is a wait time. It's well worth it.

And if you have to wait, you can enjoy some charcuterie and a glass of wine at the attached Two Trees Bistro.

The best way to explain this experience is like a waterpark for adults. But better.... Surrounded by alpine forest and rugged mountain peaks, this approach to the Nordic Spa tradition takes its inspiration from the stimulating elements of the Canadian outdoors. Designed for modern-day trailblazers seeking equal parts stimulation, re-cooperation and balance, Kananaskis Nordic Spa is centred around an invigorating restoration of body, mind, and soul.

There is a sequence to follow in the spa which stimulates blood flow around the body, eliminates toxins, reduces stress, and gently increases the heart-rate for an instant feeling of head-to-toe wellbeing. First, start in the hot pool to warm you muscles and get the blood flowing. Then spend a few minutes in the warm pool that is just slightly cooler than the hot pool before plunging in to the cold plunge pool. With a temperature between 5-10 ยบC it will surely wake you up and invigorate your senses. After this, you can rest by one of their cauldron fire pits, in the Spa Lodge Lounge or on one of their winter hammocks. Then repeat.

There are also a number of other treatments and therapies in the spa including a pair of steam rooms with the most amazing aromatics to invigorate your senses. There is also a dry sauna and a scrub room for exfoliating using a salt scrub that is recommended for the end of your visit. After spending a few hours focusing on our own well-being, we headed off to a small group gentle flow yoga session to complete an afternoon of wellness.

A walk around the property was called for before heading to dinner that night at the star of the property - The Cedar Room. The Cedar Room features a seasonal menu of the finest and freshest regional ingredients.

Premium cuts of Canadian beef, fresh coastal seafood, and humanely raised poultry, are carefully crafted and without compromise. Service is impeccable and the dining experience is a great way to spend a final night at the lodge. Huge recommendation for the scallops and the bison rib eye... WOW... If you're enjoying a beverage (and why wouldn't you) I'd also recommend the Campfire Manhattan. The classics are making a comeback and this one was impressive with the cedar smoke finish.

Everything from the flavours and presentation here were top notch and we can't wait to visit again to enjoy another great meal.

DAY 3 Our final day in the area was a time I have been talking about constantly and recommending people do when they visit in the future. If you've never been in a cave, it can be a daunting experience. I am not a huge fan of enclosed spaces and even less of a fan of enclosed spaces in the dark...

What I thought would be a quick in and out to check out a big open space proved to be anything but that expectation.

After a breathtaking hike in that took about 30 minutes, we arrived at Rat's Nest Cave. Guided by the team from Canmore Cave Tours we challenged our fears and had an amazing time on their small group Adventure Tour. After a change into our caving gear and a thorough safety session, we rappelled 18m into the cave. Our son who is 12 has a fear of heights and took some coaxing (and a few tears) to get him to try, but our guide was amazing encouraging him and walking him through what to do to make him feel safe and comfortable. After he completed the repel, he was hooked and wanted to lead the way the rest of the tour.

You'll have the opportunity to push your limits in a warm-up squeeze, a challenge squeeze, and then the "Laundry Chute" – a section of the cave that adds a little extra challenge but a whole lot of extra fun. Everything about this adventure was open to your abilities and comfort level. We never felt pressured to try something we weren't comfortable doing and when we did step outside our comfort zone, we were guided through the process every step of the way.

The one part I was most afraid of (and proud I built up the courage to try) was a squeeze that was the size of a large microwave oven. Again, I didn't need to do it (and a number of others from our group chose to stay behind and explore the open spaces of the larger cave) but I wanted to test my fears. After crawling on your belly for about 10m, the space closes in and it becomes impossible to pass with your arms at your side to help you crawl through. My chest was on the floor and I could feel the roof touching my back. At one point, I thought I was stuck and panic started to set in. But I followed the instructions of our guide and he calmed me down so that I could wiggle my way through and make it to the other side. What an experience.

Before taking the return trip out, we had the opportunity to visit the impressive Grand Gallery – the largest known room in the cave, and enjoyed ancient cave formations in the Grotto.

This was truly the highlight of our time. Jr YEG Fitness had stories (and bragging rights) to tell his friends when he got back to school and will have a memory to last him a lifetime (and a dad who's super proud of him for working through his fears to experience something he likely never would have tried otherwise.

We couldn't have spent a better weekend together enjoying some family time while also taking care of our own wellness. Everything from the food and spa at the Kananaskis Mountain Lodge to the adventures with Kananaskis Outfitters and Canmore Cave Tours made for an experience well never forget. If you are heading to the area, we would highly recommend you check these places out and share your experiences with us.

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Surprising Health Benefits of Sleep

By Barry Canton Sleep makes you feel better, but its importance goes way beyond just boosting your mood or banishing under-eye circles. Adequate sleep is a key part of a healthy lifestyle, and can benefit your heart, weight, mind, and more.

Go ahead, snooze!

Sleep makes you feel better, but its importance goes way beyond just boosting your mood or banishing under-eye circles.

Adequate sleep is a key part of a healthy lifestyle, and can benefit your heart, weight, mind, and more.

"Sleep used to be kind of ignored, like parking our car in a garage and picking it up in the morning," says David Rapoport, MD, director of the NYU Sleep Disorders Program.

Not anymore. Here are some health benefits researchers have discovered about a good night’s sleep.

Improve memory Your mind is surprisingly busy while you snooze. During sleep you can strengthen memories or "practice" skills learned while you were awake (it’s a process called consolidation).

"If you are trying to learn something, whether it’s physical or mental, you learn it to a certain point with practice," says Dr. Rapoport, who is an associate professor at NYU Langone Medical Center. "But something happens while you sleep that makes you learn it better."

In other words if you’re trying to learn something new whether it’s Spanish or a new tennis swing, you’ll perform better after sleeping.

Live longer?

Too much or too little sleep is associated with a shorter lifespan although it’s not clear if it’s a cause or effect. (Illnesses may affect sleep patterns too.)

In a 2010 study of women ages 50 to 79, more deaths occurred in women who got less than five hours or more than six and a half hours of sleep per night.

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Sleep also affects quality of life.

"Many things that we take for granted are affected by sleep," says Raymonde Jean, MD, director of sleep medicine and associate director of critical care at St. Luke’s-Roosevelt Hospital Center in New York City. "If you sleep better, you can certainly live better. It’s pretty clear."

Curb inflammation Inflammation is linked to heart disease, stroke, diabetes, arthritis, and premature aging. Research indicates that people who get less sleep six or fewer hours a night have higher blood levels of inflammatory proteins than those who get more.

A 2010 study found that C-reactive protein, which is associated with heart attack risk, was higher in people who got six or fewer hours of sleep a night.

People who have sleep apnea or insomnia can have an improvement in blood pressure and inflammation with treatment of the sleep disorders, Dr. Rapoport says.

Spur creativity Get a good night’s sleep before getting out the easel and paintbrushes or the pen and paper.

In addition to consolidating memories, or making them stronger, your brain appears to reorganize and restructure them, which may result in more creativity as well.

Researchers at Harvard University and Boston College found that people seem to strengthen the emotional components of a memory during sleep, which may help spur the creative process.

Be a winner If you’re an athlete, there may be one simple way to improve your performance: sleep.

A Stanford University study found that college football players who tried to sleep at least 10 hours a night for seven to eight weeks improved their average sprint time and had less daytime fatigue and more stamina.

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The results of this study reflect previous findings seen in tennis players and swimmers.

Improve your grades Children between the ages of 10 and 16 who have sleep disordered breathing, which includes snoring, sleep apnea, and other types of interrupted breathing during sleep, are more likely to have problems with attention and learning, according to a 2010 study in the journal Sleep. This could lead to "significant functional impairment at school," the study authors wrote.

In another study, college students who didn’t get enough sleep had worse grades than those who did.

"If you’re trying to meet a deadline, you’re willing to sacrifice sleep," Dr. Rapoport says, "but it’s severe and reoccurring sleep deprivation that clearly impairs learning."

Sharpen attention A lack of sleep can result in ADHD-like symptoms in kids, Dr. Rapoport says.

"Kids don’t react the same way to sleep deprivation as adults do," he adds. "Whereas adults get sleepy, kids tend to get hyperactive."

A 2009 study in the journal Pediatrics found that children ages seven and eight who got less than about eight hours of sleep a night were more likely to be hyperactive, inattentive, and impulsive.

"We diagnose and measure sleep by measuring electrical changes in the brain," Dr. Rapoport says.

"So not surprisingly how we sleep affects the brain."

Have a healthy weight If you are thinking about going on a diet, you might want to plan an earlier bedtime too.

Researchers at the University of Chicago found that dieters who were well rested lost more fat (56% of their weight loss) than those who were sleep deprived, who lost more muscle mass. (They shed similar amounts of total weight regardless of sleep.)

Dieters in the study also felt hungrier when they got less sleep.

"Sleep and metabolism are controlled by the same sectors of the brain," Dr. Rapoport says. "When you are sleepy, certain hormones go up in your blood, and those same hormones drive appetite."

Lower stress When it comes to our health stress and sleep are nearly one and the same and both can affect cardiovascular health.

"Sleep can definitely reduce levels of stress, and with that people can have better control of their blood pressure," Dr. Jean says. "It’s also believed that sleep effects cholesterol levels, which plays a significant role in heart disease."

Avoid accidents The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration reported in 2009 that being tired accounted for the highest number of fatal single-car run-off-the-road crashes due to the driver’s performance even more than alcohol!

"Sleepiness is grossly underrated as a problem by most people, but the cost to society is enormous," Dr. Rapoport says. "Sleeplessness affects reaction time and decision making."

Insufficient sleep for just one night can be as detrimental to your driving ability as having an alcoholic drink.

Steer clear of depression Sleeping well means more to our overall well-being than simply avoiding irritability.

"A lack of sleep can contribute to depression," Dr. Jean says. "A good night’s sleep can really help a moody person decrease their anxiety. You get more emotional stability with good sleep."

If you think the long hours put in during the week are the cause of your anxiety or impatience, Dr. Rapoport warns that sleep cannot necessarily be made up during the weekend.

"If you sleep more on the weekends, you simply aren’t sleeping enough in the week," he says. "It’s all about finding a balance.

ADVERTORIAL

The New Year:

The perfect time to assess your health goals: Is it time to adopt a Low Carb Lifestyle?

By Dr. Blair O’Neill and Barbara O’Neill, RN, Ketocule Health Coaching

The Holidays are always a time of temptation, even for devout low carbers. Alcohol flows more freely. We are surrounded buffets from family and friends, who still adhere to high carb choices – and can’t understand why you won’t enjoy some Christmas pudding, cake or pie. Its easy to stray! Or perhaps you’ve been contemplating doing something different? You’re slowing down.

Your weight has crept up over time despite exercising and now, as the New Year arrives, you know you have to do something different! You remember that Einstein said “insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting a different result”.

Well, let us share a secret with you….Exercise does have many health benefits. Consistent weight loss just doesn’t happen to be one of them! This is especially true as our metabolism slows, as we age, or go through menopause (and guys there is a “menopause”, as well, especially as you gain more weight as you age. Calories in and calories out is a myth. It matters what you feed yourself. Continue in “carbogeddon” and you eat more ,and crave more, and gain more. Calorie restricting and exercising more may work for a short time, but your body catches on and slows metabolism so weight loss stalls and you are so hungry you just can’t resist those muffins and another diet is sabotaged.

Don’t feel bad about this! This is biology and following the wrong advice that’s been rampant for 40 years.

What does different look like? Its eating until your satisfied. Its losing your cravings for all things sweet. Its getting that energy back, sleeping better, feeling better, exercising better, and perhaps the best part, losing weight effortlessly.

The New Year is the time to break old bad habits and the perfect time to adopt good new habits! Or if you’ve fallen off the wagon, pick yourself up, brush yourself off and embrace all the good things you got right before the Holidays.

We are talking about embracing or re-embracing a low carb-high healthy fat lifestyle. As with any new habit, you must commit, ideally with a partner. Committing means deciding on a start

date, declaring your intentions, clearing your pantry and fridge of carbs and processed foods and stocking up with whole food and high fat food products. Find recipes and shop for the ingredients.

Bulk cook so you have lots of left overs for several meals because we are all busy. Experiment with recipes. Share recipes with friends.

If you’re just starting, then you can expect a period of adjustment as your body adjusts to a new fuel-ketones rather than sugar.

Anticipate it. We recommend 2-3 bouillon cubes a day to replace the salt you are no longer eating in processed foods. It combats the fatigue, and lower energy that new low carber’s often feel.

Magnesium supplements also help.

If you worry about trying this on your own, or you’ve tried it and your just not seeing the results, then you should find a qualified health coach, specializing in low carb lifestyles. There are many hidden carbs. Some people need to include forms of fasting to get started – time restricted eating, allowing 13-18 hours of daily fasting, or some will require several day fasts, and this is best done supervised. Those on medications, for instance for high blood pressure or diabetes, should consult their physicians because diabetic medication requirements often decrease dramatically on a low carb diet and BP meds can often be stopped over time.

Low carb lifestyles are ideal for endurance athletes who find they no longer require the waist pouches full of gooey sugary carbohydrates to fuel them through their training or their races.

It requires experimentation and can be helped by trainers and health coaches who understand the ketoadapted physiology.

For us the most important reasons to adopt a low carb lifestyle are the health benefits which continue to be discovered. Sugars and highly processed foods have made far too many of us sick and struggling with our weights. Its time to hop on the low carb band wagon and stay healthy for life!

@ketocule

Ketocule

info@ketocule.com

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Add CBD to a Well-Rounded Fitness Regime

By Keenan Pascal

Disclaimer: the author is not a medical professional. For any questions about the medical effects of cannabis, please ask your doctor.

Ever since cannabis was legalized in Canada, it’s become more and more common to hear someone share a story about how cannabis has helped improve their wellbeing. These positive experiences can be attributed to the cannabinoid molecules within the cannabis plant.

You have probably already heard about THC, the most well-known cannabinoid in cannabis, and the one that gives you that psychoactive feeling of being high. The lesser known – but increasingly popular – cousin of THC is called cannabidiol, or CBD. Unlike THC, CBD provides many of the benefits associated with cannabis without the psychoactive affects.

Over the past few years I’ve been lucky enough to work with members of the cannabis community. Their knowledge, combined with many anecdotal experiences recorded by those using CBD, introduced me early on to the powerful positive effects of cannabidiol. As someone who considers himself health-conscious, I was intrigued about the application opportunities for CBD. How can it help us be our most healthy selves, in all senses of the word?

CBD’s most celebrated effects are the reduction of pain, inflammation, stress and anxiety.

In the context of health, it’s clear that these applications are broad. Looking to fitness, we see distinct opportunities for CBD to assist in preparing the body for an upcoming workout or

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activity and then supporting in post-workout recovery. CBD has a number of properties that can support wellbeing when putting stress on the body during physical activity.

ANTI-INFLAMMATORY Multiple studies have shown that CBD decreases inflammation in the body and can improve inflammatory conditions such as arthritis.

What’s more, it decreases the body’s perception of inflammatory pain. CBD increases levels of anandamide and adenosine in the body, both neurotransmitters which reduce pain and inflammation.

PAIN-REDUCTION Studies show that CBD acts as an analgesic, which means it relieves pain. Along with decreasing inflammation that can cause pain, CBD blocks pain perception receptors in the brain. Using CBD could reduce muscle soreness after your workout, and many athletes apply topically in creams to alleviate aches and pains. Unfortunately, such creams are not yet legal for sale in Canada, but they can be made at home yourself using legal cannabis oils.

ANTI-CATABOLIC Researchers believe that CBD works as an anti-catabolic. Catabolic hormones, such as cortisol, break down muscle tissue. If you’re trying to build muscle, you’ll want to protect your muscles from catabolic breakdown. As an anti-catabolic, CBD decreases the level of catabolic hormones in the blood, which means it slows down that catabolic breakdown process.

This helps maintain muscle mass so you can gain more mass more easily.

IMPROVED SLEEP Muscle recovery happens when you sleep, and a good night’s rest is of critical importance to maintaining wellbeing and a healthy fitness regime. Studies have shown that people who take CBD slept more significantly than those who do not. After strenuous training, improving your sleep with CBD can assist with the entire recuperation process. Plus, who doesn’t want a good solid night of sleep?

IMPROVE MINDSET When you’re feeling low, it’s harder to motivate yourself to get active and push yourself physically. Studies have shown that treatment with CBD can significantly reduce anxiety, cognitive impairment and discomfort. In studies on mice, CBD had antidepressant effects in the brain.

Reduced anxiety and depression contribute to an overall sense of wellbeing and can help increase the motivation to get to the gym.

If you’re taking CBD to improve your physical wellbeing, you’re in good company. Many pro athletes are coming out in support of the cannabinoid as a viable alternative to opioids and other pharmaceuticals. It’s perhaps not a surprise that those in high-contact sports seek options to recover from physically intense games. Linebacker Derrick Morgan of the Tennessee Titans uses CBD oil regularly to treat pain and inflammation. Eugene Monroe, former Baltimore Ravens offensive tackle, takes CBD for his health and wellness and is a lead advocate for cannabis research and policy change in the NFL. Former Denver Broncos quarterback Jake Plummer says CBD eases the pain that comes from a decade in the league. Use isn’t limited to the NFL; MMA’s Nate Diaz includes CBD in his regime to help with the healing process and inflammation. Chris Camozzi, another MMA fighter, takes CBD as a regular component of his training after a severe knee injury and credits it with drastic improvements in his health and wellness. Because cannabinoids including CBD produced from cannabis remain illegal in most countries in the world, many who are using it are unwilling to proclaim so in a public setting. As regulations loosen internationally, we will see more athletes turn to CBD as a part of a well-rounded fitness regime.

@desilesphotography

PRO ATHLETES & CBD

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CBD PRODUCTS If you’re looking for recreational or medical CBD products, we always recommend that you buy your cannabis from legal suppliers.

AGLC will deliver recreational cannabis orders to your doorstep, and Edmonton has many legal dispensaries ready to help you.

For now, only dried cannabis flower, cannabis oils and cannabis capsules are legally allowed in Canada. Oils and capsules offer a cleaner consumption method as they don’t use combustion (smoke) to activate the cannabinoids. A range of CBD oils and capsules are available now in a variety of dosages. Talk to an expert in person or through the AGLC helpline to pick the product and dosage that’s best for you. In addition, do your own research. Licensed Producers selling in legal stores can’t tell you much on their packaging, but most producers will readily provide information on their website.

When you are putting stress on your body during a workout, you want to make sure that you’re recovering effectively. CBD has far-reaching applications that can assist in your pre-and post-workout regime and contribute to a greater sense of wellbeing.

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The Art of Aging Gracefully

By Ashley Theodore

In Nora Ephron's best-selling book, I Feel Bad About My Neck, she laments the sorry state of her 60-something neck: "Our faces are lies and our necks are the truth. You have to cut open a redwood tree to see how old it is, but you wouldn't have to if it had a neck," she writes.

"Every so often I read a book about age, and whoever's writing it says it's great to be old. It's great to be wise and sage and mellow; it's great to be at the point where you understand just what matters in life. I can't stand people who say things like this. What can they be thinking?

Don't they have necks?"

With rueful humor, she writes about smoothing her face with Restylane and Botox, reading in large type, and grieving the deaths of beloved friends. Ultimately, Ephron concludes, "The honest truth is that it's sad to be over sixty."

Yes, getting older is rife with emotional landmines, gerontologists say, including fears of losing one's independence or getting a serious illness. Aging gracefully isn't always easy, but attitude matters a lot, experts say.

"For some reason, our society is very obsessed with pointing out negative aspects of aging," says Susan Whitbourne, PhD, professor of psychology at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst. She is also the past president of the American Psychological Association's Division on Aging.

But Whitbourne cautions, "Don't get bogged down in all the hype about aging. Once you start thinking about it, it can drive you mad.

There's nothing you can do; the clock is going to tick away."

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Happy Camper

The Old Are Survivors

Of course, not all seniors are pessimistic.

Some, such as Kirt Spradlin, don't care a whit about what their necks look like.

It's true that aging brings hardships, but remember that the old are survivors -- a select group.

The great-grandfather is one of those vigorous and optimistic elders who astounds his peers.

Naturally, he tires more easily and has to take things slower, he says. But having battled prostate cancer, the California man relishes every single month that life affords him. When asked his age, he proudly replies, "79 and a half."

Wisdom, resilience and a mature perspective are often cited as the hard-won prizes of aging.

But growing old itself is an accomplishment.

The former electrical engineer took up a new hobby after retirement: mountain climbing.

He has climbed Mount Whitney and Kilimanjaro and trekked to Mount Everest's base camp.

Just last year, he and wife Donna went on a weeklong backpacking trip -- just the two of them alone in the wilderness. Donna is 80.

"People think we're nuts," he says. But for him, aging with a bad attitude is simply out of the question.

The Spradlins have grown old with astonishing grace and acceptance. But depression is a real threat among the old; some drift into isolation, bitterness, and a sense of meaninglessness.

Still others put up their dukes, determined to go down swinging. Face-lifts and tummy tucks?

Bring it on.

Experts who have worked with thousands of seniors share their insights into how you can navigate emotional challenges in order to age gracefully.

"But if you get to be older, you have survived a lot of the threats to your physical and psychological integrity that have affected other people who are no longer around," psychologist Whitbourne says.

Through good luck or good genes or both, the old have dodged fatal accidents, premature disease, and other things that kill the young.

"You are stronger, and you get to live longer," she says. "Most people think that's a benefit."

A dose of healthy denial can improve outlook in one's later years, she adds. "The people who do the best with aging aren't thinking that much about getting older. They're not really focusing on what's not working anymore. If you sit around mulling over the meaning of existence and how time is running out, you're building in a scenario where you're not going to age as successfully."

Accepting Changes Accept the inevitable changes of aging, rather than seeing them as aberrant crises.

During the course of his career, Illinois psychologist Mark Frazier, PsyD, has worked with thousands of older people "ages 65 to 105," he says.

Again and again, he's seen an important key to psychological health: accepting that your life won't stay the same. Aging changes everyone.

"If you live until you're 95 years old, you're probably not going to be living alone in a beautiful apartment and driving your car to the grocery store and picking up your dry cleaning and walking a mile to the park. But if you know that ahead of time, it's much easier to manage it," he says.

"To age gracefully, one needs to anticipate the changes that are inevitable," Frazier says. "People who think rigidly do not do that. As they encounter the natural changes and health status that are part of aging, these things are experienced as negative and adding a lot of stress and strain to their life. Rigid thinkers tend to get overwhelmed. They can't manage it, and they get depressed."

"Other people anticipate what's going to happen," he says. "It's more of a 'Yes, I knew this was coming and I know that I'll negotiate my way through it.'"

Avoiding Stereotypes Get over your own stereotypes about growing older.

Sue Ellen Cooper, 62, understands Ephron's dirge about "compensatory dressing" and obligatory hair dye. "It's not disgraceful to mourn the loss of your beauty," Cooper says.

"But it's going. So you may as well do what you can and then forget it because there's so much more to life than how you look and what other people think of you."

Almost a decade ago, Cooper started the Red Hat Society to celebrate women 50 and over. Red Hat now boasts 40,000 chapters in the U.S. and abroad. Most members wear red hats and purple dresses to the group's social outings.

But Cooper admits that when she was younger, she harbored prejudice against older people. "When I would meet people, I'd think, "She probably wouldn't be a potential friend for me because she's 20 years older -- just these things where we make a split-second judgment on appearance."

Having met thousands of older women through the Red Hat Society, she has replaced the stereotypical thinking with a positive view of aging gracefully. "First impression doesn't tell you a thing. Some of these people have had incredible lives and careers and still have a great sense of humor and a lot of intellect, and the culture will write them off: 'Oh, she's an old lady and she's overweight.'"

"OK, world, here we are: 'old women,'" Cooper says defiantly. "We're about gathering women together as they get older and having that companionship and friendship that makes it less scary for women in this culture. We're still cool."

Finding Meaningful Activities Continue to find meaning later in life.

"Retirement has always been a time when we see people withdraw from their roles," says Pauline Abbott, EdD, director of gerontology at the Institute of Gerontology, California State University, Fullerton. During this risky time, some older people succumb to depression and a sense of meaninglessness.

"Part of the challenge of aging gracefully is that you have to continue to find things that are important to you," Frazier says.

That can include travel, spiritual pursuits, hobbies, new social groups, lifelong learning, or recapturing time with family if one lacked the chance during the career years, experts say.

Plan for purposeful activities before you retire, Abbott says. "It should be a transition. It shouldn't be, 'Stop work one day and fall off a cliff.' It's time to follow where your passions lie."

Without meaningful goals, "You get into this whole attitude of 'Oh, my gosh, this woes me. My memory's going, I'm slow, all I do is go to wakes and funerals,'" Frazier says. "If you don't have important things out in front of you, there's enough about the aging process that is not positive and you can get caught up in what you don't like about it."

Coconut Lime Oatmeal with Mango Sauce Yields two servings

INGREDIENTS 1 cup of quick cooking rolled oats 1-3/4 cups water 1 tablespoons sweetened condensed coconut milk 2 teaspoons lime juice 1 tablespoon maple syrup 1 tablespoon dairy-free chocolate chips or shredded coconut Mango Sauce 1/2 cup frozen mango 1/4 cup water

Hearty Oatmeal Recipe

By Tina Saramaga

Tina is a local vegan foodie who has been following a plant-based lifestyle for the last 10 years. In that time she has noticed that Edmontonians are making the shift to a kinder, more sustainable diet; and as a result, the food scene in YEG has answered with an increase of plant-based options at local eateries. For more information on vegan options Tina’s Instagram @yegtina is a great resource. She took the time to share a nourishing oatmeal recipe that will keep you warm, and full, this winter. This quick, healthy, recipe proves that eating well and staying nourished doesn’t have to be complicated. The mango sauce is a great addition to the oats and couldn’t be easier to make.

INSTRUCTIONS 1. Boil water in a small saucepan 2. Once the water has come to a boil, stir in the quick-cooking oats.

3. Cook the oats for five minutes over medium heat, stirring occasionally.

4. Remove the oats from heat.

5. Stir in the sweetened condensed coconut milk, lime juice, and maple syrup.

6. In a blender or food processor, add 1/2 cup frozen mango and 1/4 cup of water and blend together until smooth.

7. Top oatmeal with mango sauce and dairy-free chocolate chips or shredded coconut. Or both!

8. Enjoy!

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MINDFUL GOAL SETTING in the NEW YEAR

By Sherry Nic

When I moved to Edmonton six years ago I found myself in a difficult headspace because I had been bullied. One day, I just found myself in a yoga class. Every morning, I would show up. Every day, for an hour, I found a safe space to just focus on myself and not think about anything else.

After each class, I spend a couple of minutes to pray, meditate and set intentions.

That year, I started an Instagram account which became my vison board and my journal.

Give yourself the chance to start fresh, on a clean slate. Rather than setting a yearlong goal, treat this as a life long journey towards promoting optimal health and overall sense of wellbeing.

Here are a few simple steps that have worked for me. Hopefully some of it resonates with you. These steps will serve as a template to mindfully motivate you and help you find your why and guide you to live your purpose.

It’s time to take control and make your goals all about you. I know some of us would make excuses like “oh, maybe when my kids are older; I’m not ready yet; I’m too tired, too busy, too stressed.” You can’t always control what happens around you, but there are things you can do to be in control of your life. Make that choice to change for the better, to feel the way you want to feel. This is about you taking responsibility for your own self, your own physical, mental, spiritual and emotional wellbeing. It’s time to stop being lost in thought about what others may think or say. It’s time to make a commitment to recognize the power within you.

Journal and manifest. Every day set a time to write in your journal. I do recommend doing it every morning. Try to wake up five minutes before your alarm. It’s not that hard. I promise!

Use this time to write down your affirmations and intentions. What do you desire to happen in your life? What do you want to achieve? Collect vibrant beautiful images and keep them in your journal or you can create your own vision board.

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Envision yourself completing your life goals. Do you like what you see? Every single step you take, can you say, “I am loving what I am becoming”?

Take action. Work hard for it! Keep yourself accountable at the end of the day by writing an action plan in your journal.

Chart your progress, your thoughts, and anything that you would like to change. Do you want to feel and live differently?

Self Love. Learn how to compliment and reward yourself when you deserve it instead of constantly criticizing yourself. So, set a time each day to love and pamper yourself.

Some ideas ideas include, lighting a candle, sage or a Palo Santo to cleanse the energy in your space, meditate and say a short prayer. Or listening to serene music or binaural beats on your headphones; closing your eyes to feel each vibration in your mind and body. Or you could draw a warm bath with essential oils and sprinkled with dried rose petals.

Goal setting is the easiest part. Actually showing up and being consistent is the hardest. We have all set goals in the past and those goals just may have been abandoned or forgotten. So, the big question is, how to motivate yourself to work towards mindful goals and practice sustainability.

This process is called retraining your brain. Do this in order to give attention to manifesting your intentions and setting a direction to focus on reaching your goals.

Retrain your brain because for a goal to be truly motivating it has to appeal to both your conscious and unconscious mind.

Remember, do not beat yourself up when your intentions have not manifested just yet, every day is a new day, breathe deep and reset. Listen to your body, listen to what your heart says.

It is your life, your choice.

Happy New Year and Blessed be!

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8 Kitchen Gadgets That Make Healthy Cooking Super-Easy

By Julie Upton RD As a dietitian, I know that healthy eating boils down to two words: meal prep! Without a plan and some advance preparation, we resort to the easiest—and usually least healthy—food choices, like ordering takeout, hitting the vending machine, or grabbing a prepared meal at your local supermarket.

But eating more than a few meals each week that are prepared away from home not only diminishes the quality of your diet, it also increases your odds of gaining weight. This explains why one of the most impactful ways to eat right and lose weight is to make entrees and snacks right in your very own kitchen If you’re looking to prepare and cook healthier meals in less time, here are eight kitchen tools that nutritionists swear by that can help.

Vitamix Explorian Blender

Instant Pot

By now, you’ve probably heard about the Instant Pot, the one-pot-wonder that whips up just about anything you can think of– but faster. Technically, it’s a seven-in-one multi-cooker that functions as a slow cooker, pressure cooker, steamer, rice cooker, and more that cooks food significantly faster than those other appliances.

"I use my Vitamix blender for everything from smoothies and soups to pesto, nut butters, hummus and other dips, and salad dressings,” says Katherine Brooking, RD, co-founder with me of Appetite for Health.

The motor is powerful enough to blend just about anything to whatever texture you want, making it a great option for green smoothies or veggie-based soups. Vitamix blenders are among the most expensive, but they get great reviews for ease of use, power, and reliability.

Vitamix - $399.95

Williams Sonoma - $129.95

OXO Good Grips Salad Spinner With a salad spinner to wash, clean, and dry your leafy greens, you might be inspired to eat more greens–and you won’t need to buy pricey bagged salads anymore. “My salad spinner saves time when making salads, as you don’t have to rinse and pat your greens dry by hand,” explains author and culinary consultant Vicki Shanta Retelny, RDN, founder of the blog Simple Cravings.

Real Food.

Williams Sonoma - $42.95

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Cuisinart Mini Prep Plus Food Processor Need oat or nut flour, minced herbs, or chopped veggies? “I like the mini food processor because it’s easier to use than the larger, more cumbersome food processors,” says dietitian and gluten-free blogger Kitty Brohier, RD. “It’s perfect for those little jobs I'd rather not do by hand like mincing bunches of herbs and making homemade protein/energy bars,” she adds.

Williams Sonoma - $54.95

Philips Micro Juicer Elite A juicer is a great way to help ensure you get all your daily vitamins in a glass, says Patricia Bannan, RDN, author of Eat Right When Time Is Tight. The problem with most juicers is that they don’t get all the liquid out of the product and you’re left with a bunch of pulp with so much liquid goodness going in the garbage. This model does the trick.

Philips - $359.96

Global Vegetable Knife If I could save only one item from my kitchen it would be my Global 7-inch veggie knife that I use every day to make prepping produce a cinch. Global knives are extremely durable, have a lifetime warranty, and feel balanced in your hand. The razor-sharp blade will slice and dice everything from melons to potatoes to pumpkin with minimal effort. The blade and handle are also designed to work equally well for lefties (like me!).

Williams Sonoma - $94.95

Microplane Rasp Grater A zester helps amp up the flavor of foods without adding extra fat or sugar, explains chef, nutritionist, and author of Clean Eating for Busy Families, Michelle Dudash, RDN. “I love to add lemon zest to seafood, and citrus zest is great to add to baked goods or to use in a marinade or vinaigrette." You can also easily grate carrots, hard cheese, chocolate, nutmeg, and ginger with the tool.

Williams Sonoma - $19.95

Cuisinart Smart Stick Hand Blender If you want a compact tool that can stand up to larger (read: pricier) conventional blenders, you’ll want an immersion blender. The portable, hand-held tool allows you to blend right in the bowl, cup, pot, or pan you’re using, so there’s no extra cleanup.

Use it for smoothies, tomato sauce, hummus, pesto, and veggie-based soups.

Cuisinart - $59.95 62

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Is Running Good For Our Hearts?

By Dr Angela McBrien MB BCh MD MRCPCH The benefits of running on cardiovascular health have been widely studied and are well recognised. Overall, runners benefit from longer lifespans and reduced mortality rates. We have lower rates of cardiac death, hypertension, coronary artery disease, stroke, obesity, diabetes and better lipid profiles than non-runners and even experience reduced rates of deaths from non-cardiac causes, including some cancers. These risks are lower in runners even taking account of the fact that we often have healthier lifestyles in other regards, such as better diets and lower rates of alcohol consumption. Additional benefits of running include lower rates of depression, feeling part of the local running community, the satisfaction of achieving athletic goals and the opportunity to raise money for charity through these achievements. It is relatively cheap compared with some other sports, doesn’t require highly specialised equipment and health benefits are noticed even with relatively low levels of light jogging per week. In general, running appears to be quite simply good for our health. However, is all running good for us? Recent studies suggest a detrimental impact of endurance training, which leads to the question of whether there is a level of running at which the health benefits are outweighed by the risks?

Endurance events are becoming increasingly popular. The demographic has changed in recent years to include a higher proportion of women and the average age of participants has also increased. Many of us are familiar with the tale of the first marathon runner, Pheidippides, who ran from Marathon to Athens in 490 BC, and died suddenly after delivering his triumphant message of victory in battle. Pheidippides is widely acknowledged as the first documented sudden cardiac death in an endurance runner. Sudden cardiac death is a known risk for endurance runners, with a high proportion of deaths in marathons happening in the final mile and a higher risk in males. An emerging body of evidence suggests that the benefits of running lessen at the training levels required for marathon and ultra-marathon training. There is evidence of an increased risk of arrhythmias (predominantly atrial fibrillation), sudden cardiac death, hypertension and even coronary artery disease for those who participate in chronic endurance running training. However, placing this in context, the mortality rates for those engaging in endurance running training are still lower than for those who do not exercise.

The causes of the increased cardiac risks associated with chronic endurance training compared with less intense running are not well understood. “Athletes heart” is a well-known phenomenon – those who engage

in high level sporting pursuits have larger heart chambers, thickened heart muscle, changes in resting heart rate and in the electrical conduction of the heart. Whether this is a beneficial adaptation to exercise or a maladaptive damaging process is up for debate. It is also known that there are temporary changes in heart function and increased levels of blood markers known to be associated with heart muscle damage shortly after completing marathon distance (or longer) events, which generally normalise within one week. What is less well understood is whether these short-term effects lead to long term changes, such as scarring of the heart muscle. How much running training is too much is a source of considerable debate.

The answer to this question is likely to be highly individual. For example, the risk of developing atrial fibrillation (a form of abnormal heart rhythm) appears to be highest in middle aged men who have participated for many years in endurance training and continue to compete at a master’s level. The risk is relatively low in young male athletes and risk for female endurance runners is much less well studied. The safety of running for any individual depends on a variety of factors and running is not recommended for those with certain conditions, such as cardiomyopathy or severe aortic stenosis, as the risk profile is considered unacceptable.

Many of us are simply unwilling to consider stopping long distance running training despite the perceived risk of endurance training because of its importance in our sense of physical and mental wellbeing. However there are some sensible steps that can be taken to mitigate risk – for example, a medical assessment prior to undertaking training for an endurance event (to produce a more personalised assessment of individual risk based on history, clinical examination and appropriate baseline investigations), stopping training and consulting a physician in the event of worrisome symptoms (including chest pain on exertion, palpitations or fainting symptoms, amongst others), incorporating appropriate rest periods into our training regimes and adopting cross-training to benefit from other forms of exercise.

In conclusion, running overall has excellent health benefits, both in terms of cardiovascular disease and general mortality risk. These advantages can be appreciated even with relatively low intensity and frequency running training. From a pure cardiovascular risk perspective, the cardiovascular health benefits of running are best in those training for shorter events, such as 5- and 10-kilometre races and lessen with increasing training volumes. At the extremes of endurance training, there are some increased risks which those who choose to participate in this type of event should consider and weigh up. If a person has a high risk personal or family history or has symptoms which may relate to running training, then they should consult a medical professional to determine the risk: benefit profile of continuing with this form of training.

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