Conquer Cravings, Retrain Your Fat Cells, And Lose Weight Permanently by Dr. David Ludwig. Renowned endocrinologist, Dr. David Ludwig, explains why traditional diets don’t work and presents a new plan to help you lose weight without hunger. “Always Hungry?” turns dieting on its head with a three-phase program that ignores calories and targets fat cells directly. The recipes and meal plan include delicious high-fat foods (like nuts and nut butter, full-fat dairy, avocados, and dark chocolate), healthy proteins, and natural carbohydrates. The result? Fat cells release their excess calories, and you lose weight and inches without battling cravings and constant hunger. This is dieting without deprivation. This helpful book reveals a liberating new way to tame hunger and lose weight for good. Available at your local bookstore.
Community News
Exercise for Mental Health
After a long day of work, or chasing children, or just trying to fit life into your schedule, the last thing you might think about is being active. However, staying active is part of a healthy lifestyle, and it has the added benefit of helping us feel happy. When we are active, our brain releases a chemical called serotonin. This chemical helps us feel happier. Feeling down? Start with a low-intensity activity such as walking. Bring the dog or your family along to share the experience. Other great activities include biking, doing yard work, swimming, and throwing a ball around. Still having a hard time fitting in being active? Try to add a little bit of activity to your work routine, especially if you have an office job. Stand at your desk instead of sitting. Take time during the day to stretch. Remember, small changes over time can make a big difference!
Solutions For Sciatic Nerve Pain
Sciatica is leg pain caused by a pinched nerve in the lower back. The sciatic nerve sits underneath a muscle called the piriformis, which is located beneath the glutes. When the piriformis muscle gets tight, it pinches the sciatic nerve, causing tingling and numbness down into the leg. A Massage Therapist can help eliminate the pain by applying pressure to irritated and inflamed areas, or trigger points, in the piriformis muscle, as well as in muscles in the lower back and glutes. Moving is usually the last thing people want to do when they have sciatica pain, but it’s important to be physically active. Exercise increases blood flow to the disk and the nerve, helping to get rid of the chemicals causing the inflammation. Take 15- to 20-minute walks. If that hurts too much, give swimming or water aerobics a try; there’s not as much pressure on the back when you’re in the water.
The Importance of Foot Reflexology
The foot is a complex structure composed of bones, tendons, ligaments, and muscles. They bear and propel the weight of the body during walking and running, and help to maintain balance during changes in body position. It is not surprising that at some point you may experience foot pain. The cause of most foot pain are shoes that do not fit properly. High-heeled shoes can create problems in the toes and the balls of the feet. Wearing flip-flops or shoes with no support can also create foot pain. Plantar fasciitis can be a result of overuse of high-impact exercise and sports and poorly fitting shoes. Besides supportive footwear and getting insoles and orthotics when needed, a Foot Reflexology session can help. Taking good care of the feet, through regular reflexology treatments, exercise, proper footwear, foot care, and hygiene will contribute to keeping the foot strong and healthy.
Art is Wellness!
Remember, when you were a child, colouring and painting and singing and dancing? You didn’t care if you were good at it. You enjoyed it and that was all that mattered! As an adult, do you still express yourself through art? Creating art has real benefits for wellness, no matter what your age. It relieves stress, encourages mindfulness, provides a venue for self-expression and teaches us to let go of perfectionism and self-criticism. Creative hobbies offer so much more than the distraction we get from watching TV or browsing the Internet. They provide interest, leisure, focus, practice, confidence, growth and a respite from our daily grind. But for many people, the doors of art and creativity are closed at a young age, due to self-criticism, lack of opportunities or lack of understanding about the benefits art provides. The good news is that anyone can learn, at any age—it’s never too late. No experience required!
Do You Have A Shaman in Your Community?
Shamanic practices have always been a part of our human existence. Though they were once shunned, our world is now opening up to this ancient practice once again. Your local shaman dedicates their life to the well-being of the family, community, and all creations and does so through the ceremony, dance and healing methods passed down from their ancestors. The term “shaman” has recently been generalized throughout western society, and we now find it difficult to differentiate between western and eastern shamanic practices. However, regardless of the origin of the shaman, they all share a mutual respect and connection with nature. This commune with nature is the foundation of their spiritual practice, and it allows them to create internal and external harmony with all “creations” and “relations.”
Clean Eating Recipe: Strawberry Chia Jam
Chia seeds are packed with omega-3 fatty acids and protein. They will absorb several times their mass in liquid, creating a jelly-like substance in the process. Instead of cooking fruit down, relying on pectin, and adding sugar to help it set, all we need to do is mash up some fruit and stir in a few tablespoons of chia seeds! So easy! Ingredients: 2 cups chopped strawberries, 1-2 tbsp lemon juice, 1-2 tbsp honey, 2 tbsp chia seeds. Cook the berries on medium heat until they start to break down. Mash the fruit with the back of a spoon or a potato masher, leaving it as smooth or as lumpy as you like. Remove from heat and stir in 1 tbsp of the honey and lemon juice. Stir in the chia seeds. Let stand until thickened. If you’d like a thicker consistency, stir in more chia seeds 1 tsp at a time. The jam will thicken further and become more set once completely chilled.
Mental Health Resources
Did you know that the Canadian Mental Health Association has information online regarding different mental health issues? As well, your local Canadian Mental Health Association branch can answer any questions you may have and provide services to the public. Workshops and courses are another great way to learn about these issues. The Canadian Mental Health Association along with other organizations in your community offer this service. Research what organizations are around you and call them to find out times, dates and whether courses are available for free at a cost. Visit your local library to take advantage of free resources or head to a bookstore or shop online to purchase.
5 Reasons to Eat Flaxseed
Flaxseeds are the richest sources of Plant-based omega-3 fatty acids, called alpha-linolenic acid (ALA) in the world! 5 Benefits of consuming this super food are 1. High in Fibre – Fibre aids in digestion, prevents constipation and suppresses hunger. 2. Women’s Health – The lignans present in them help in battling high levels of estrogen and assist in balancing hormonal levels. 3. Healthy Hair & Skin – The ALA fats in flax seeds benefits the skin and hair by providing essential fats as well as b-vitamins which can help reduce dryness and flakiness. It can also improve symptoms of acne, rosacea, and eczema. 4. Lower Cholesterol – The soluble fiber content of flax seeds trap fat and cholesterol in the digestive system so that it unable to be absorbed. 5. Weight Loss – Since flax is full of healthy fats and fiber, it will help you feel satisfied longer so you will eat fewer calories overall which may lead to weight loss.
Book Club: Is Your Child’s Brain Starving?
By Michael R. Lyon MD and Christine Laurell, PhD
Michael Lyon went from overweight academic underachiever to graduating as the top male student in his high school a year later, thanks to a total change of diet and lifestyle. He ultimately became a medical doctor involved in research on nutrition. This book is an inspiring guide to better brain function through diet and lifestyle changes. The minor downfall is the promotion of supplements he has helped to develop, but it is still a valuable book for parents and has a good recipe section.
IQ and Nutrition
What if you could increase your child’s IQ with nutrition? Inhabitants of a tiny island off the coast of Japan have the highest IQ scores in the world and produce seven times as many geniuses as any other place in the world. Seniors living there don’t seem to struggle with cognitive decline either. The secret: DHA, an essential fatty acid found in fish, krill, squid and some algae. The brain is made mostly of fat, 60% of which is DHA. DHA is found in mother’s milk and has long been recognized as aiding IQ scores in children. Almost everyone nowadays is deficient in DHA. This may be one of the reasons for the increased rates of ADHD, learning disabilities and autism as well as increasing rates of Alzheimer’s disease and other age-related cognitive problems.
