Community News
How Long Will My Essential Oils Last?

From the sweet aroma of lavender to the stimulating fragrance of eucalyptus, essential oils ignite your senses. The shelf-life of an essential oil will vary depending on the type of oil, but when stored properly they should last an average of two to three years. Some essential oils such as sandalwood will actually get better with age. Assuming we are starting with a fresh therapeutic grade oil, the main factors which degrade the quality, safety and efficacy of an essential oil are environmental oxygen, heat and light. Essential oils high in terpenes, such citrus oils which are high in limonene, are especially prone to oxidization and will tend to have a shorter shelf-life than other oils. Replacing the caps securely after use and storing your oils away from sources of heat and light are the basic guidelines for maintaining the shelf-life of these valuable allies in your self-care and wellness routines.

Nelson Meggitt, Optimum Wellness Factor

www.optimumwellnessfactor.ca

Energy from the Heart

When energy from the heart intertwines with the energy field of a plant, communication can take place. By holding the image of the true form of a plant, by talking to it, one can trigger a plant to produce seeds from their historical origin. As a result, Masanobu Fukuoka found the true shape of fruit trees and learned to grow them from seed without the need to prune or the need of fertilizer, weeding or tilling of the soil. Imagine a world where it was common-place for people to communicate with plants to receive their healing, their information to assist one’s soul journey, and their growing qualities without the need for chemicals. People have been connecting with plants since the beginning of time, and now the world is awakening to the importance of this. It is time.

Gordon Weber, Spirit Gardens

www.spiritgardens.ca

Pet Health: Dangers in The Garden

So many of us humans take solace in our beautiful gardens. Our mild coastal climate encourages some amazing flora! It’s not a surprise that our furry companions also enjoy spending time outdoors with us. Alas, Mother Nature has spiked some of our most adored flowers with poisons. While this line of defense protects the plant’s survival, it doesn’t bode well for the curious cat that chomps down on a chrysanthemum flower, or the dog that decides your basket of lily bulbs is today’s snack. The list of toxic plants isn’t limited to the outdoors; some common indoor tropical plants are also dangerous to pets. Familiarize yourself with the plants known to be toxic to your companion animals, avoid placing or planting them in harms way around your home and garden. If you suspect your pet has ingested or been exposed to a toxic plant, contact your veterinarian immediately.

Dr. Ken Seaman, Dr. of Veterinary Medicine. Puntledge Veterinarian Clinic

www.puntledgevet.ca

Hay Fever and Allergy Relief!

A.Vogel Natural Allergy Homeopathic Remedy is for the treatment of sneezing, itchy nose and burning eyes. It not only lowers the allergic reaction, but also relieves symptoms. Allergies were almost never heard of 50 years ago but they are now among the most frequent health problems. Respiratory allergies, hay fever, allergic asthma, food allergies and urticaria are only some of the names given to this disease, now of epidemic proportions in our society. Many therapists blame environmental pollution, others blame chemical and devitalized food, some blame antibiotics, and some blame vaccines. Be that as it may, the current medical answer to an allergy is not satisfactory, antihistaminic and other allergy drugs bring a temporary relief – but no treatment. The real question is, If it is possible to acquire an allergy, shouldn’t it be possible to get rid of it?

Jeanie Bruneau, Certified Professional Cancer Coach, Registered Nutritional Consulting Practitioner, Jeanie’s Vitamin Centre

4 Popular Types of Massage

All massages are a treat, but there are four common types of massage.

  1. Swedish/Relaxation- Is very gentle and soothing to the entire body. It has been found through clinical trials to improve white blood cell counts (improve immunity) and decrease the stress hormone cortisol.
  2. Hot Stone Massage – In addition to being deeply relaxing, hot stone massage increases blood flow to muscles helping to reduce muscle pain, tension and spasm.
  3. Trigger Point Massage – A trigger point is a tight painful spot in a muscle that can refer pain. This type of therapy can be uncomfortable but the results are worth it. Chronic and acute pain can be reduced or eliminated using this deep pressure.
  4. Pregnancy Massage – Helps to reduce anxiety and muscle tension. Will also increase blood and lymph circulation and swelling. Can help improve sleep and reduce stress.

 

Courtenay Massage Therapy
www.courtenaymassagetherapy.com

Ask Your Eye Doctor

Q: What’s the best way to keep contact lenses clean? A: If you’re feeling like your contact lenses are not clean, I assume you are wearing common disposable biweekly or monthly contact lenses. This necessitates cleaning and storing the contact lenses with a multipurpose solution or hydrogen peroxide system. These solutions work fairly well, but sometimes the lenses remain unclean. Worse yet, any solution may cause some irritation over time. The solutions don’t really make slightly worn-out contact lenses feel any better. The best way to keep contact lenses clean is to use a single-use lens or a daily disposable lens. The risk of infection, inflammation and irritation is much lower with this type of lens, and the convenience is an extra bonus.

Dr. Alex Kennedy, Mosaic Vision Car

www.mosaicvisioncare.com

Benefits of Chlorogenic Acid

Chlorogenic Acid is the main active ingredient in the Green Coffee Bean. It is a powerful thermogenic fat burner and has been found to aid in weight loss and help slow down the body’s absorption of fat from our regular food intake. It increases metabolism which also helps in the weight loss process. It holds promise in many aspects of health and cognition similar to bioflavonoids and shares some effects similar to caffeine, but less potent. Studies show that Chlorogenic Acid may also decrease the absorption of dietary carbohydrate, as well as provide anti-oxidant and anti-inflammatory benefits. This may have benefits for people who are at high risk of diabetes and heart disease. It also helps regulate the flow of bile from the liver thereby reducing liver cancer and cirrhosis of the liver. The Healthiest Coffee on the Planet!

Brett Griffin

www.weightlosscoffeehub.com

You Deserve A Mobile Spa

Let the spa come to you! Imagine your very own mobile spa service. You deserve to be pampered in the comfort of your own home. Bask in the luxury of a day just for YOU and treat yourself to a complete make-over! At the end of the day, you can emerge with your hair coloured & styled, glowing skin from an organic Sea Flora facial and impeccable nails after a professional manicure and pedicure. Therapeutic treatments are available for those who suffer with disabilities or problems with their feet, back, neck, shoulders and face. No travel, no spectators, no parking. Be Queen for the day with a nice relaxing spa just for you – because you deserve it.

Dianne Duquette, Fully Licensed Esthetician & CMT

Technology’s Role in Wellness

Technology is developing at a mind-blowing pace, but we always have a choice about how we wish to engage with technology. We can ‘unplug’ when we need to re-generate and get back in touch with our natural selves, or we can use technology to streamline our lives and focus on the important things like family and health. We can also engage technology to enhance our health and well-being. This pertains to age-old ‘natural’ technologies such as meditation, yoga and mindfulness, as well as to emerging frequency-based technologies like neurofeedback. We are lucky to live in an age where we can choose how to target specific aspects of our physical and emotional health. Unplugging when we need to and engaging in both time-honored and cutting-edge technology can do wonders for our physical, mental and spiritual health and happiness.

Dr. Chris Hammer, PhD

www.valentusclinics.com

Balancing Space & Alignment

Balancing space in the joints between the bones of the limbs and between the vertebra of the spinal column happens during a Biodynamic treatment because the practitioner understands the shapes of every bone in the body and how they function together in movement. There is a particular rhythm that occurs between each bone shape when it’s unhampered by injury or stress. The practitioner seeks coherence in these rhythms of the bones and the relative movement of the bones to all other motilities (internal rhythms) of the body as a whole. By studying the coherence of the movements of our developmental movement patterns, the practitioner knows the feeling of how these rhythms were formed and how they produce an even distribution of work/effort/energy. By listening for the dynamics of movement the practitioner waits for this intelligence to get re-established if it’s been disturbed. Therefore, alignment really has to do with optimal efficiency for movement so that there’s both stability and freedom of motion.

Laurie Pryce, Biodynamic Body

www.biodynamicbody.ca

Technology’s Role in Wellness

Technology is developing at a mind-blowing pace, but we always have a choice on how we wish to engage with it. We can always “unplug” when we need to re-generate and get back in touch with our natural selves, or we can use technology to streamline our lives and focus on the important things in life like family and health. We can also engage technology to enhance our health and well-being. This pertains to such age-old “natural” technologies of meditation, yoga and mindfulness for example, as well as to emerging frequency-based technologies like neurofeedback. We are lucky to live in an age where we can choose how to target specific aspects of our physical and emotional health. Unplugging when we need to, and engaging in both time-honored and cutting-edge technology, can do wonders for our physical, mental, and spiritual health and happiness.

Dr. Chris Hammer, PhD.

www.valentusclinics.com