Community News
Lose Weight the Smart Way 

If you want to weigh less, you’ve got to eat less, right? Well, if you take in too few calories, it can cause your body to lose muscle mass, which will decrease the rate of your metabolism. Plus, when you skimp on calories, your body slows the rate at which it burns calories to conserve the fuel it’s got. Under-fueling is just as risky as over-fueling and in an attempt for quick, noticeable weight loss, many people wrongfully believe that eating as few calories as possible is the best solution. Not only can this lead to numerous nutritional deficiencies, it can actually have the opposite effect on weight loss. Simply drinking more water may increase the rate at which healthy people burn calories. After drinking approximately two glasses of water your metabolic rate increases by 30 percent plus it helps to build your muscles! The more muscle you have, the more calories you burn.

Arthur Traitelovich, 

www.facebook.com/getbettertoday

L-Carnitine & Chromium

L-Carnitine with Chromium is a blend of two nutrients that play important roles in the metabolism of fat. L-Carnitine is required for the breakdown of fats into energy, while chromium supports healthy glucose metabolism. Its main function is to help insulin carry sugar into muscle cells where it is stored as energy. A lack of chromium could cause fluctuating blood-sugar levels which trigger sugar cravings. As a carbohydrate dependent society, increasing the amount of L-Carnitine & Chromium in our diet in our formula’s proportions will assist the body’s ability to manage its carbohydrate cravings and, in turn, assist with a successful weight management protocol.

Valentus – The Healthiest Coffee in the World.

Greg Doll
www.experiencevalentus.com/lakewinnipeg

Dry Needling for Pain 

Have you or someone who know been suffering with chronic muscular pain? Pain that is associated with nerve symptoms? Loss of range of motion in an area of your body?  Well it may be time to try a treatment technique called Dry Needling. Why do we feel pain?  Pain is a signal of tissue injury and inflammation (Acute Pain).  Chronic Pain occurs when there is an ongoing irritation to an area that causes inflammation. Chronic pain can also occur because of changes to the nervous system that causes increased firing of nerves (Neuropathic Pain). This type of pain can be attributed to unwell hyper sensitized nerves.   The term “hypersensitivity”  or, “super sensitivity” is a result of overactive and misfiring of nerves.  The end result is increased muscle trigger points and muscle shortening. Dry Needling is the use of a acupuncture needle that is inserted into muscular trigger points for a brief second then removed.  There is no solution inserted into the tissue and is the reason why it is called dry needling.  It is a technique that is used best for chronic pain with a Neuropathic origin.  It helps by desensitizing the nervous system by decompressing/ releasing the chemicals that cause the shortened muscular bands.  Usually you will require approximately 3 sessions to know if this type of treatment will work for you.  Though most people notice a change instantly. IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS REGARDING DRY NEEDLING OR WANT TO GIVE IT A TRY COME SEE ONE OF OUR QUALIFIED PHYSIOTHERAPISTS WHO ARE CERTIFIED IN DRY NEEDLING!

Lindsay Stevenson

www.prairietrailphysio.ca

Self Help for Headaches

Headaches are a common pain that ruins the days of many people. Here’s how to help yourself during a headache. Each should be done for 7-10 seconds and with firm pressure.

1. Take your thumbs or your middle finger and press into the sides of your temple, adding a slight circular motion.

2. Take your thumbs and press into the bridge of your nose, just underneath your forehead. Press towards each other and up into the forehead.

3. With both hands pull your skin just below your eyebrows and hold. Pull away from your face.

4. Press into the sides of your nose and move fingers away from your nose towards your cheekbones.

5. MOST IMPORTANT – drink lots of water. In addition to these, you can use a cold pack or foam roller at the base of the neck. For more help contact your wellness professional.

Trenna Reid, RCRT,
www.discoverreflexology.ca

Seniors at Risk 

Did you know that some medications put seniors at risk of falling? Recent data reports that 3000 seniors die each year as a result of medication-related problems of which 88% are considered preventable. 11% of Emergency room visits by seniors are drug related, and 20% of seniors in the community take medications that are considered inappropriate for their age. Many seniors fall through the cracks in the health care system. One of the reasons is that timely review of the complex health care needs of seniors is often not routinely done in community practice. A Senior Care Practitioner has advanced training and knowledge of how to prevent medication-related problems in the elderly. Expertise in Geriatric Pharmacy identify actual and potential medication-related problems, determine the relevance, safety and appropriateness of medications, suggest and implement safer alternatives and improve functionality and quality of life.

Mathilda Prinsloo
www.seniorcarepractice.com

4 Foods You Should Never Eat Again
  1. White flour. The body doesn’t even know how to properly digest this so-called food! Refined white flour has been bleached with chlorine and brominated with bromide, two poisonous chemicals that have been linked to organ damage.
  2. Frozen meals. Most conventionally-prepared meals are loaded with preservatives, hydrogenated oils and other artificial ingredients, not to mention the fact that most frozen meals have been heavily pre-cooked, rendering their nutrient content minimal at best.
  3. Microwaveable popcorn. This processed “food” is one of the unhealthiest foods you can eat. Practically every component of microwaveable popcorn, from the GMO corn kernels to the processed salt and chemicals used to enhance its flavor, is unhealthy and disease-promoting.
  4. Soy-based meat substitutes. Besides the fact that nearly all non-organic soy ingredients are of GM origin, most soy additives are processed using a toxic chemical known as hexane, which is linked to causing birth defects, reproductive problems, and cancer.
Those Cool Drinks of Summer 

Well, spring has sprung and, in typical Winnipeg style, those sweet drinks of summer seem oh so tempting. While refreshing and sweet, there are things you should know if you choose to treat yourself and your family to these treats. They are not good for you! They cause cavities, weight gain and contribute to type 2 diabetes. You would be shocked at how much sugar and how many calories are in these drinks and slushes. In short, enjoy these sweet treats in moderation. Rinse and brush often and remember the health benefits of a tall cool glass of water: Aaaahhh!

Dr. George Cadigan
www.exclusivelydentures.ca

Why Sprout Grains? 

Sprouting is a process that germinates grains, seeds or legumes. This process makes them more easily digestible and produces additional vitamins and minerals including vitamin C, vitamin B and Carotene. Another benefit of sprouting is the resulting decrease in phytic acid. Phytic acid is an enzyme inhibitor, which means that it blocks the absorption of vitamins and minerals and can also cause poor digestion and an unhealthy gut. This may explain why many people feel bloated, gassy or intolerant of beans and grains. Some people who believe that they are gluten intolerant actually do quite well with properly sprouted grains. Some have even linked phytic acid and improperly prepared grains to the rise in tooth decay. If you do eat grains, it’s best to soak or sprout them first. The way that you sprout any grain, seed or legume is the same, only the amount of time you sprout it changes.

Rick Drury
www.scoopandsave.com

Caregiver Pharmacy Support

It can be difficult to be a caregiver and manage multiple or complex medications for a loved one. It is important to ensure medications are taken appropriately to help maintain good health. A visiting pharmacist provides personal support with regular medication delivery and home consultations. The pharmacist reviews a client’s prescription drugs and over the counter medications to advise if there are any drug interactions and makes adjustments as necessary. This level of support can reduce emergency room visits and hospital stays and results in a strong, trusting relationship between clients, caregivers and pharmacists. The visiting pharmacist also provides seamless care for hospital discharge patients and works closely with other health care professionals to deliver a high level of care to the client. Care is tailored to specific individual needs such as assisting with blood pressure readings, adding medications to convenient packaging and making changes in a timely manner.

Care At Home Pharmacy
www.careathomepharmacy.ca

Putting a Windfall to Good Use

A financial windfall like a tax return is always exciting to receive, since usually, more money means more possibilities, and ideally, less stress. But how should you really put that extra cash to good use? Though saving or investing all of the money might seem like the most responsible thing to do – because what is more prudent than saving? – first consider how much interest you are paying each month on any debts you may be carrying. That interest will quickly cancel out any of the financial benefit you may reap from putting your new wad of cash into a savings account or investment.

So, what should you do instead?

You could look at your windfall as a great opportunity to pay down your high-interest debt. Credit card debt, or payday loans, are generally the best target for some of these financial resources, especially since those interest rates are generally over 6-8% and usually even higher than that. Even just paying off the cards with the smallest balance first can feel like progress and keep you motivated. Once you’ve paid off a card with a small balance, cut it up, cancel the account and that’s one less problem to deal with.  Starting small also means that once your small debts are taken care of, you’ve already freed up some funds for tackling your larger credit card debts next.

Though it may be tempting to use your entire windfall to pay down as much debt as you can, you might also consider keeping some of those funds in reserve for emergencies like an unforeseen but essential purchase (especially if you own a home, a vehicle, or both!) Though it may seem easy to throw future emergency purchases on a credit card (since you just paid it down with part of the windfall, right?) future-you will be glad you have that emergency fund, especially since it means avoiding even more credit-card interest.

Say you’ve used the windfall to pay down some of your debt while keeping some of the funds in reserve.  That’s great! Now that you can breathe a bit easier, why not make a plan to stay that way?  Luckily, there are a number of steps you can take to manage future debt by adjusting your habits going forward, such as:

Setting reachable goals for your monthly payments. The more you can pay off monthly, the better, but paying even $5 more than the minimum amount is a great start.

Being mindful of putting future purchases on your cards. Pay with cash or debit as much as possible, and think of a purchase made without the looming risk of credit card interest as a way to also buy yourself peace of mind.

Looking at your budget to see where you might be able to trim expenses. Track your spending to see where you can distinguish between needs and wants, or figure out more cost-effective alternatives for every day necessities (like your lunch or morning brew – a bag of healthy snacks from your fridge and a thermos of coffee brought from home will go a long way, savings-wise!)

If this all seems overwhelming, or if you aren’t sure how best to go about paying down debt and figuring out a budget that works for you, you can always seek professional advice. Call the experts at LCTaylor to learn about all your all your options. We can help you put that financial windfall to good use, so you can really enjoy the long-term benefits of that extra cash.

LCTaylor Licensed Insolvency Trustees
www.lctaylor.com

Book Club: The Whole30

The 30-Day Guide to Total Health and Food Freedom. Melissa and Dallas Hartwig’s critically-acclaimed Whole30 program has helped thousands of people transform how they think about their food, bodies, and lives. Their approach leads to effortless weight loss and better health—along with stunning improvements in sleep quality, energy levels, mood, and self-esteem. The Whole30 offers a step-by-step plan to break unhealthy habits, reduce cravings, improve digestion, and strengthen your immune system.

www.whole30.com