Research suggests people who follow a Mediterranean diet lose 52% more weight than the standard low-fat diet because it isn’t just a fad or limited list of foods. It’s a lifestyle based on a balanced approach to your meals, which focuses on produce, healthy fats, whole grains, legumes, fish, and even some red wine. Committing to losing weight for three months using the Mediterranean diet as a base, along with three booster products and three lifestyle changes, guarantees results. And there is no meal skipping! Look and feel great for all of your holiday parties and events!
Lisa – Modere, LiveClean.Market
Community Notice
NOW HIRING. LOOKING FOR CAREGIVERS IN YOUR COMMUNITY!
We are a community-based agency that provides person and family-centered supports for people with diverse abilities on Vancouver Island.
We are now hiring for the following shifts in your area: Shelbourne/Hillside area.
We are a 24-hour/7 days a week group home with a number of different shifts to be filled. If you are caring, flexible, passionate, and motivated to learn, we want you to be part of our team! No experience is required, we train the right people! IntegraSupportServices.com
Send resumes to: [email protected]
Victoria’s Premier Seed Exchange & Garden Show
Feb. 17, 2018, 10 a.m.-3:30 p.m. Victoria Seedy Saturday hosted by the James Bay Market Society on You will find local seed, plants, and Master Gardeners, more than 65 local exhibitors, and 16 expert speakers at the Victoria Conference Centre, 720 Douglas Street. JamesBayMarket.com
What is Biohacking?
These days, it seems like you can hack nearly anything to get the most bang for your buck. If only we could hack our own bodies, right? Welcome to the world of biohacking! Biohacking is the process of making changes to your lifestyle in order to “hack” your body’s biology and feel your best. Everything we put into our bodies affects how we behave. By biohacking yourself, you can transform your body to feel like the best possible version of yourself. Come meet the experts at the 27th Annual Victoria Health Show to learn about the latest trends, products, and services to help you live your best life ever! PV Events, PVEvents.ca
Book Club:
The Power of Moments: Why Certain Experiences Have Extraordinary Impact
by Chip Heath, Dan Heath
Many of the defining moments in our lives are the result of accident or luck—but why would we leave our most meaningful, memorable moments to chance when we can create them? The Power of Moments shows us how to be the author of richer experiences.
3-Ingredient Almond Butter Cookies
These flour-less almond butter cookies are SO good, and made with only 3 ingredients (1 cup almond butter, 6 Tbsp raw sugar, and 1 large egg)! Preheat the oven to 350°F and spray two nonstick baking sheets lightly with cooking spray. In a medium bowl, mix the almond butter, sugar, and egg until well combined. Spoon 1 level tablespoon of the mixture about 1 inch apart onto baking sheets. Flatten the mounds with the tines of a fork, making a crosshatch pattern on the cookies. Bake until golden around the edges, about 10 minutes.
SkinnyTaste.com
A Puppy for Christmas!
A new pet can be a wonderful holiday gift, but it can also be a challenging surprise. There’s no denying the comfort and joy of a puppy in the house, but a new pet means a whole lot of responsibility that one should always consider beforehand. Also, remember that these little ones have just left their ‘mommy’, so try to keep the Christmas excitement on the quieter side, with lots of time for extra cuddles with puppy! It is important to be prepared for the financial and personal commitments of raising a puppy to become a happy and healthy member of your family, and the rewards are endless!
Happy Paws Pet Food, HappyPaws.ca
Happy Paws Pet Food, www.happypaws.ca
The Best Intention
December is simply a difficult month! Balancing negative stresses and positive happiness may seem impossible. One way to help yourself get through it is to pay special attention to your INTENTIONS; the thoughts you have before you act on them. During the first week of December, say aloud as often as you can, “I intend to experience some joy and laughter each day of this month”, and then VISUALIZE yourself laughing and feeling happy. You have increased the chances of this being YOUR REALITY by up to 75% more. Season’s Greetings!
Barbara Gilmore; bgilmorecounselling.com
Comfort for the patient and the caregiver
I sat in the hallway playing music softly on guitar in between the birth and delivery unit and the special care nursery. Occasionally I stood up with the guitar and moved closer to one unit or the other, so that the nurse’s station was within earshot of the music, but not too close that I’d be at all in the way. I stayed for about an hour at a time, playing and singing. I was careful to create only a background soundscape that did not disturb the concentration of either the staff or the patients. One day the supervisor in the special care nursery invited me to come in; She explained that the music seemed to have a calming effect on the staff and on the parents of the preemies, which in turn was excellent for the preemies. When I returned to the hallway a little while later, staff from the birth and delivery unit mentioned that they’d missed hearing the music in my absence and wished to have it more often. They said that it made it easier and more pleasant for them to perform their tasks and they had found themselves humming quietly while they worked and smiling more than usual. Nejama Ferstman, MTA Certified Music Therapist, ShiriMusicTherapy.ca
Gifts to Give Yourself
Christmas is the season of giving, of not only gifts, but also our time and energy. If we are not careful, we can quickly find ourselves overwhelmed by all the hustle and bustle of the season. To help you stay grounded and grateful, and truly make the most of each day, consider giving yourself the following gifts: presence, silence, and self-compassion. Presence will help you focus on the moment and keep your mind from wandering. Silence is essential for recharging your batteries and reflecting on all for which you are grateful. Self-compassion will help comfort you when the reality of the season does not match the idealized version you wish to be true.
Don’t Be the Water Filter!
Disinfecting our drinking water for more than a century with chlorine ensured it was free of the microorganisms that can cause serious diseases, such as typhoid fever. To this day, chlorine remains the most commonly used drinking water disinfectant. However, chlorine has been shown to promote a generation of free radicals within the body. Drinking tap water has been linked to bladder, breast and bowel cancer; and long-term effects of drinking, bathing, and swimming in chlorinated water has been shown to cause malignant melanoma. According to Dr. Rona, M.D., chlorinated water destroys most of the intestinal flora–friendly bacteria that help not only with the digestion of food, but with the production of vitamins B12 and K. Chlorinated water has been shown to destroy vitamin E and polyunsaturated fatty acids. All of these factors have been shown to result in skin irritations, including eczema, acne, and rashes. TotalWaterCleaners.com