Community News
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.

Foods for a Healthy Gut

Our bodies rely on microbiota (bacteria living in our colon) to maintain healthy digestion. There are many recipes available to help you increase your intake of fruits and veggies. Here are some foods that can help build and maintain your digestive system: 1. Artichokes – High in inulin fiber, healthy prebiotic potential. 2. Bananas – Restore health of the bacterial community, may reduce inflammation 3. Blueberries – Can modify microbiota to enhance immune function 4. Cruciferous vegetables – Contain sulfur-containing metabolites, which are broken down by microbes to release substances that reduce inflammation and lessen the risk of cancer. 5. Beans – Releases short-chain fatty acids strengthening your intestine cells, and improves absorption of micronutrients. 6. Polenta – High-fiber, corn-based complex carbohydrate has a fermentable component. Inject your gut with healthy live micro-organisms that crowd out unhealthy bacteria, and improve the absorption of minerals!

Trenna Reid, RCRT, Discover Reflexology, www.discoverreflexology.ca

The Power of a “Master Teacher”

Master teachers enter into our lives unannounced and create havoc in our worlds…until we can discover what they have come to teach us and the meaning they have in our lives. They come in the form of a child, sibling, parent, boss or employee, illness, job loss or accident. They situate themselves front and center in our lives and don’t make it easy to be discarded or released. They ask us to dig deep inside ourselves to discover the mirror they are reflecting and the message they provide, to learn how to unhook and detach ourselves from the internal struggle they create. As we discover the hidden gems inside, we can free ourselves from their holding that binds us and reclaim the disowned part of ourselves that welcomes integration and restored balance from within.

D’Arcy Bruning-Haid

www.souls-journey.com

Power of Phaseolamin

Whether you exercise or not, it seems that adding Phaseolamin as a method of weight loss, does work. Phaseolamin is a partial-protein substance extracted from white kidney beans. This ingredient combines with an enzyme in the body called alpha-amylase – which is involved in the digestion of starch – and helps to temporarily block its activities. Alpha-amylase is secreted in saliva and is produced in the pancreas, and is responsible for breaking down starch into simple sugars, which can then be absorbed in the small intestine. Blocking this digestive enzyme prevents the digestion of carbohydrates, which means they are able to pass largely undigested through the gastrointestinal tract. The end result is a decrease in the number of calories absorbed, thereby helping to promote weight loss. One of the active ingredients in SlimROAST weight loss coffee from Valentus. The Healthiest Coffee on the Planet!

Grant Nordman – Valentus Independent Representative

www.slimroast.biz

The Effects of Stress on Your Hair

It has been said that stress can make you go gray, or cause you to lose your hair. But can it? Hair loss due to stress can occur after a traumatic life event such as divorce, death or severe financial worries. This temporary hair loss, called ‘telogen effluvium,’ can also be caused by factors such as hormonal changes (think menopause or post-pregnancy), illness or poor diet. The significant stress of some sort may spark a change in your body’s routine physiological functions. Hair evolves in a cycle of growth (anagen); transition (catagen); and resting (telogen). Prolonged or extreme stress can cause hair to prematurely enter telogen and break off more easily. When you have a really stressful event, it can shock the hair cycle, pushing more hair into the shedding phase.

Jenna Wilcox, www.jennawilcox.monat.com

Pharmacy Budget

We know that the cost of prescriptions is often difficult to manage for patients. We want everyone to have access to good care and safe medication use – to accomplish this, a customized budget plan for clients. This allows you to remain on your medications and manage the expense throughout the year. Along with the budget, a visiting pharmacist will counsel you or your loved ones in the comfort of your own home on a regular basis. They will help you manage multiple or complex medications and collaborate with other members of your health care team to ensure your health needs are met. This gives you and your family peace of mind with the knowledge that this aspect of your life is taken care of and contributes to a positive quality of life. Better Health and Wellness can be achieved through medication management – call a visiting pharmacist to arrange a home visit.

Care at Home Pharmacy, www.careathomepharmacy.ca

Stress Often Leads to Disease

Little bits of ‘acute’ stress are normal, sometimes even healthy. It’s CHRONIC STRESS that often leads to disease. Headaches, fatigue, depression, anxiety, to name a few, are the first signs of ongoing chronic stress. These symptoms wreak havoc on our bodies and when coupled with an unhealthy lifestyle, exposure to molds, heavy metals, food intolerances, inflammation, infections and parasites within your body, this mixture is why chronic stress is linked to diseases like heart disease, cancer, and diabetes. Get down to the underlying cause of your stress by having your stress hormones tested and by adopting these healthy lifestyle tips: 1. Practice some deep breathing techniques. 2. Get plenty of sleep. 3. Eat fish at least twice per week or take an Omega 3 supplement. 4. Drink water! Eight glasses a day. 5. Avoid junk food!

Stacie Rasmussen RNCP, Blossom Nutrition, www.winnipegnutritionist.com

Clean Eating: Almond Date Energy Bites

1 cup Medjool Dates (de-pitted).

1 cup raw almonds.

1/4 cup unsweetened coconut or rolled oats.

1/4 cup raw cacao.

¼ tsp cinnamon. Pinch of sea salt.

1/2 tbsp vanilla. 1/2 tbsp maple syrup.

1 – 2 tbsp almond milk.

1. Place dates in food processor and pulse until it forms a ball. Break up the date ball with a spatula and add almonds, raw cacao, coconut and salt. 2. Process for 3-4 minutes 3. Add vanilla, almond milk and maple syrup 4. Process until mixture forms a ball. Add more almond milk if the mixture is not forming. 5. Roll mixture into balls and dip in shredded coconut if desired 6. Can be stored in an airtight container or frozen.

Stacie Rasmussen RNCP, Blossom Nutrition, www.winnipegnutritionist.com

Considering Dentures?

The first priority when considering dentures is to ensure that your mouth is healthy. Make sure you see a dentist first. Only a dentist is specially qualified to check for signs of oral cancer and other conditions of concern in the mouth. People are surprised to learn that a dentist is the most affordable denture option. A well made denture is virtually undetectable to the untrained eye. More advanced options to replace missing teeth include fixed bridges and implants. Only a dentist can prepare natural teeth for a fixed bridge. Only a dentist can place dental implants. Any dentures supported by or attached to implants should be made by a dentist. “Life is more fun when you have a beautiful smile.”

Dr. George Cadigan, Exclusively Dentures, www.exclusivelydentures.ca

Help is Available

Professionals can help! If you have a mental health concern, deciding to take that first step toward reaching out to a professional can seem daunting and scary. However taking that first step can open the door to feeling better. Who do you go to if you have a mental health concern? Your doctor can be a great professional to turn to. They may even refer you to other professionals to ensure you get the care you need. There are many different types of professionals that can help us. For example, counsellors can help you work on relationship issues, past life events and many other topics. Financial planners can help you save money or reduce debt. Reaching out to a professional doesn’t mean there’s something wrong with you, it means you’ve recognized a need for change and want someone to help you through it.

Canadian Mental Health Association, www.cmha.ca