With so many quick weight loss tips and products on the market today, it’s easy to get confused. Try sticking with a real-food “diet” that will help you along your fitness journey. There are known foods that, when eaten with balanced meals, will help you shed those pounds. Cabbage is high in antioxidants, including vitamin C. It’s also high in fiber to keep you staying full for longer periods of time. Organic eggs are very high in protein, and contain a hormone that helps us burn fat, particularly around the abdomen. Yogurt is great because it’s not only delicious, but it’s full of probiotics. These good bacteria help get rid of the bad bacteria in your digestive tract. Keep in mind that when you eat, chew your food! Chewing will send a signal to your brain that you’re actually eating something solid. This helps your body to feel full faster.
Community News
The Power of Epsom
Epsom salt isn’t really a salt at all; it’s actually a mineral compound of magnesium and sulfate and is named after a spring in Epsom, England, where it occurs naturally. Magnesium plays many roles in the body including regulating muscle and nerve function and reducing inflammation. Sulfates help the body absorb nutrients and flush out the toxins. This effective combination makes Epsom salt a natural miracle for the mind, body, and soul. Some of the many healing benefits of Epsom salt include: Reduces stress, relieves pain and inflammation, prevents blood clots and hardening of your arteries, reduces symptoms of PMS, reduces morning sickness, help ease migraine headaches and much more! To experience the numerous health benefits of Epsom salt, take relaxing, stress-relieving baths three times weekly by adding 2 cups of Epsom salts to a warm bath and soaking for at least 15 minutes.
Castor Oil for Natural Hair Regrowth
Castor oil is an age old beauty treatment that has been kept in the dark, until now. This oil can be used on the scalp to help prevent and cure hair loss and it is effective at this for several reasons. It’s antibacterial and anti-fungal properties make it beneficial against follliculitus, dandruff and scalp infections and its ricinoleic acid content helps increase circulation to the scalp and improve hair growth. Ricinoleic acid is also said to help balance your natural pH which can also help replenish the scalp’s natural oils and undo some of the damage of harsh chemical hair products. The antioxidants in castor oil also support the keratin in hair and help make it stronger, smoother and less frizzy. Remember that castor oil is quite thick, and should be diluted with another oil, such as coconut oil in a 3:1 ratio. Massage into your scalp and hair, leave on for several minutes, and rinse!
What is a Formal Proposal?
Worrying about debt can strain your emotional well-being. A Formal Proposal offers an individual with the opportunity to arrange a settlement with their creditors while avoiding bankruptcy. Wage garnishments and other creditor actions will be stopped once the Proposal is filed. When an individual makes a Proposal, creditors are offered a percentage of what is owing to them, to be paid over a specified period of time. Once the majority of the creditors accept the Proposal, it is legally binding on all parties. A Consumer Proposal is a streamlined process available to individuals whose total debts do not exceed $250,000 (excluding any mortgage indebtedness on their personal residence). This type of Proposal does not require a meeting of creditors unless specifically requested by the creditors, and there is no automatic bankruptcy if the creditors reject the Proposal. Only a Licensed Trustee in Bankruptcy can act as the administrator or trustee of a Formal Proposal under the federal insolvency legislation.
John R. Fritz
www.deloitte.ca
Happy Holidays!
As we intend to be politically correct this Holiday Season, it seems to be a sensitive subject in regards to what to say to others in greeting and acknowledgement of the many cultural celebrations. What do you say to a store clerk close to Christmas if you don’t know if they celebrate it? Should you be offended if someone wishes you Happy Hanukkah and yet that isn’t your culture, but is theirs? Of course there is no way to predict what each person celebrates. Yet, why shouldn’t we as a society, and as Canadians, honor the multi-cultural country we have and not feel like one is to be more prominent than the other? With 2016 fast in its approach, we have the opportunity to embrace the fact that we live in a free country, able to celebrate whatever religious holiday we choose. So not knowing what you celebrate, I’ll try to cover my bases with “Happy Holidays and all the best in 2016”.
Maureen Becker
www.sourcewithin.com
Farmers Market in Your Home
Tower Garden® is a state-of-the-art vertical aeroponic growing system. It’s perfect for rooftops, patios, balconies, terraces – and even indoors! Tower Garden helps you eat more fruits and vegetables by letting you grow delicious vine-ripened produce right at your fingertips. Grow almost anything you like, including tomatoes, lettuce, basil, peppers, spinach, beans, cucumbers, melons and herbs. Increase your children’s interest in eating fresh fruits and vegetables by involving them in gardening. Tower Garden is easy to assemble and maintain, and it can be placed in any relatively sunny place. There’s no soil, no weeds, and no ground pests to worry about. Because of its unique aeroponic technology and vertical design, it uses less than 10% of the water and land required by traditional, soil-based agriculture. And it’s a smart choice, both environmentally and economically.
Sandy Lefley
www.slefley.canada.juiceplus.com
4 Tips to Help Balance Hormones
Hormones are your body’s chemical messengers. They travel in your bloodstream to tissues and organs. They work slowly, over time, and affect many different processes, including: Growth and development, Metabolism, Reproduction and Mood. If you have symptoms like fatigue, skin issues, weight gain, sleep problems, PMS, endometriosis, infertility or other issues, chances are you have a hormonal imbalance! Here are some tips to help balance you out:
1) Avoid polyunsaturated fats. Choose fats like coconut oil, olive oil and real butter.
2) Limit caffeine. This can be hard for some, but try to slowly replace your coffee with beneficial herbal tea.
3) Avoid toxins. This, again, can be a challenge as toxins are found in many household items. When cooking, using glass or non-coated metal pans and avoid plastics!
4) Sleep! This can singlehandedly improve hormones and is even linked to longer life, less chance of disease and optimizing weight.
Beat Chronic Inflammation with Cilantro
Cilantro, also known as Coriander or Chinese parsley, is one of the most effective natural detoxifying remedies for removing heavy metals and other harmful toxins from your body. It is particularly great for removing mercury. The chemical compounds in cilantro bind to toxic metals and loosen them from the tissue. Heavy metals have been connected with serious health problems, such as heart disease, kidney disease, lung disease, emotional problems and cancer. Cilantro itself is a great source of healthy minerals, like potassium, manganese, calcium, magnesium and iron. It also has awesome amounts of vitamin K and A. It has been shown to be an effective antifungal, antiseptic and anti-inflammatory, which all can help you detox your system and return to balance.
Plant-Based Eating
There is no doubt the report from the World Health Organization classifying numerous meat products as carcinogenic is stirring up a response in many of us. Although there has been lots of evidence to suggest a diet including meat can be detrimental to not only our health but also to that of the planet, many people find it difficult to adopt a more plant-based diet. Food is not just what we put in our bodies, it is fuel for daily activities, as well as tastes, flavours, and smells associated with memories. Making dietary changes can be challenging. You will have habits you need to break, and new cooking skills and information you need to learn. Having someone to be accountable to and who will provide knowledge and direction along the way is helpful in making successful dietary changes -this is where a health coach can be an invaluable resource.
Amanda Lily, Holistic Health Coach
www.amandalily.com
Carbs & Diabetes
Did you know that carbohydrate restriction has a greater effect on decreasing blood glucose levels compared to medications? Experts in diabetes care agree that the best predictor of diabetes complications in type 2 diabetes is elevated blood sugar. Old and new studies show that carbohydrate restriction is a better intervention for losing weight compared to calorie restriction. In addition carbohydrate restriction is the most effective method of reducing high triglycerides, a bad cholesterol and raising HDL, a good cholesterol. Many studies show that patients with type 2 diabetes on carbohydrate restricted diets are able to stop medications or reduce doses that translate into fewer side effects and lower medication cost. In most cases more medications are added as the disease progresses over time. Best of all, glucose lowering by carbohydrate restriction has no side effects compared to medications.
Mathilda Prinsloo
www.seniorcarepractice.com
Colouring is the New Mindfulness!
Who says this is solely a kids activity, the creation of colouring books for adults is brilliant. As we decide what colour to use next, everything slows down and we are unintentionally in the moment. Our hectic day suddenly becomes a kaleidoscope of beautiful colours and our brain slows down. The constant movie film that consumes our day, halts. A colouring book is the perfect gift for a friend or family member going through cancer. Colouring the pages eases all the stresses that accompany a diagnosis. Taking your colouring book to chemo or to a doctor’s appointment can calm you, rather than sitting there and becoming more anxious. All of a sudden you are transformed into thinking about the design, the movement of your fingers colouring within the lines. It is instant therapy, and a great gift to a loved one or to yourself.
Tara Torchia-Wells
www.theunexpectedgift.ca
