Community News
Fireworks Safety and Dogs

Fireworks can be fun for humans, and with all of the coming summer weekends, they are inevitable. Dogs don’t always hold the same enthusiasm, however. Here are some tips for helping your dog cope with fireworks season. Make sure your dog is wearing identification or has a microchip in case they run away. Keep your dog indoors during the fireworks, as far away as possible from the noise. Place a thick blanket over their kennel to help muffle the sounds. Make sure the kennel is in an area where they will not overheat. Make sure your dog is tired by nighttime when the fireworks begin. Lots of exercise may be necessary during the day. Give your dog something yummy to chew on in their kennel, such as a Kong toy filled with goodies.

Lisa Tustin, Professional Pet Services

Product Spotlight: Garden of Life

In today’s fast-paced world, even with the best intentions, having a nutritious meal is sometimes simply impossible. Instead of settling for a quick fix such as fast food, consider a whole-food nutritional shake. Garden of Life’s RAW All-In-One Nutritional Shake provides a convenient way to achieve optimal nutrition! When it comes to whole-food nutritional shakes, USDA Certified Organic and Non-GMO Project Verified sources are of utmost importance to limit unnecessary exposure to toxic chemicals such as fertilizers, pesticides, and GMO products. Garden of Life’s RAW All-In-One Nutritional Shake is currently the only plant-based nutritional shake in Canada to have the dual certification. This delicious shake comes packed with 44 superfoods; 20 grams of plant-based, Certified USDA Organic and Non-GMO Project Verified protein; 21 whole-food vitamins and minerals; and less than 1 gram of sugar. It is also Certified Vegan, Certified Gluten Free, Informed-Choice Clean for Sport Certified, and Kosher.

Nathan Zassman, Aviva Health, AvivaHealth.com

Product Spotlight: Pure Anada

Summer is the perfect time to change up your beauty routine! Often, our skin improves as the humidity increases. For that reason, it’s best to keep things simple with a lightweight foundation. Pure Anada Tinted Moisturizer is great for normal to dry skin types. Its nourishing formula includes pomegranate and rosehip oil, and provides a sheer, radiant finish to give you a natural summer glow. If you struggle with oily skin, Pure Anada pressed mineral foundation is best, since it includes oil-absorbing minerals. A cheek colour is always beautiful in summer. Don’t neglect it! With shades named after flowers – Dahlia, Sweet Pea, Lotus, and Zinnia – you are bound to find a Pure Anada blush to love. A touch of sheer lip gloss, like the Pure Anada Berry Bliss Lip shines, will top off your carefree summer look.

Nathan Zassman, Aviva Health, AvivaHealth.com

Family Summer Camp

I Am Events, the not-for-profit organization responsible for the I Am Festival, brings a full weekend experience to families this summer on August 11-13th! I Am Family Camp brings together an impressive group of experts, ranging from family health practitioners, musicians, business leaders, and coaches.  Highlights include Canadian icon Fred Penner, who will open the event with a fireside chat and acoustic performance; Kellie Johnsen, a certified family and youth coach from Hawaii, who will host sessions that include a discovery workshop for family values and an improv workshop on communication; and Winnipeg mindfulness expert, musician, and yoga instructor, Keith Macpherson, who will join the group leading meditation and a youth session on creative expression. If you’re looking for a new way to create connections and memories with your family this summer, register for I Am Family Camp. There is a limit of 50 spots and registration is now open.

I Am Festival, Iamfesitval.net/familycamp

Ride Don’t Hide!

Spring is finally here and it’s the perfect time to get outside after a long, cold winter! Outdoor exercise is a great way to soak up the sun’s vitamin D, get your blood pumping, and reconnect with your community – all proven ways to boost your mental health. Need some motivation? Think about joining the Ride Don’t Hide movement, a Canada-wide community bike ride to build awareness for mental health. This year’s ride will be held at the Vimy Ridge Park, and its 21 km route will take you and our 300 riders through Winnipeg’s beautiful downtown. Ride Don’t Hide is for riders of all skill levels; it is not a race, but, rather, an opportunity to celebrate mental health and honour the recovery journeys of people who live with mental illness. Join the Ride Don’t Hide movement and celebrate mental health!

For details, visit: www.ridedonthide.com/mb/ride/winnipeg. Sean Miller, mbwpg.cmha.ca

Love Keeps You Healthy

Being in love not only gives you a bounce in your step, but it also has several proven health benefits. When you are in love, your brain produces a hormone, which is its own natural form of amphetamine called dopamine that contributes to feelings of elation, pleasure, optimism, energy, and a sense of well-being. Physical touch, such as hugging, handholding, and lovemaking, releases a hormone called oxytocin, which lowers stress hormones. Studies have demonstrated that people releasing these hormones have stronger immune systems, lower blood pressure, greater resistance to colds and flus, and decreased stress and depression. It has been documented that happily coupled people also tend to live longer. We have always known eating healthy foods help maintain a healthy body. Now there is no disputing that healthy relationships foster a long and healthy life. Finding your life partner has more benefits than we once realized.

Lianne Tregobov, Intuitive Matchmaker, CamelotIntroductions.com

Clean Eating: Veggie Burgers

1 lg. red onion

1 lg. bell pepper

3 carrots

1 sm. head cauliflower

1 lg. stalk broccoli

1 C almonds, soaked 12-24 hours.

1 C sunflower seeds, soaked 5-6 hours

1/4 C sesame seeds, soaked 5-6 hours

5 cloves garlic

2 T Braggs or to taste

1 t cumin

2 T dried Cilantro or 1-2 C fresh

Blend all ingredients and seasonings in a food processor. Form and put 1/2” thick patties on a teflex sheet and place trays in dehydrator. Dehydrate at 105º for 8-12 hours. Flip burgers after 4 hours and remove teflex sheets, continue to dehydrate for 4-5 hours.

VeganRawFoodRestaurant.com

Craving or Clue?

How many rice cakes does it take to satisfy a chocolate craving? About 10 followed by a gigantic chocolate bar. What if cravings are clues that you have a need that’s not being met? That instead of chocolate what you really need is rest, pain relief or someone to talk to? A craving that doesn’t come from hunger can’t be satisfied with food. How to know if you’re hungry for a Mars Bar or a nap? 1. Become aware of a sudden and intense craving. 2. Be curious. What’s going on right now? How am I feeling? Am I actually hungry? How hungry am I? What is my real need here? It may very well be a Mars Bar, but you don’t really know until you ask yourself. If it is, savour it without guilt and congratulate yourself on the mindful decision for real self-care.

Lisa Kehler, OffYourPlateNutrition.ca

Product Review: Organo Gold

Organo Gold is a leading coffee product enriched with 100 Percent Certified Organic Ganoderma Lucidum Red Mushrooms. Ganoderma Lucidum promotes health and wellness by increasing antioxidant levels, combat harmful free radicals and boosting the immune system. Ganoderma has been known for centuries for alkalizing and oxygenating the body to establish the foundation for a lifetime of good health, removing the basis for osteoporosis, arthritis, adultonset diabetes, heart disease, and many other degenerative conditions including cancer. Ganoderma is a super herb which rapidly oxygenates your body and automatically adjusts your Ph to a healthy balance at the cellular level. Experience the benefits of Ganoderma with a hot cup of freshly brewed coffee. Connoisseurs will appreciate the robust, smooth flavor. Awaken your senses and enrich your day with a classic cup of coffee that’s as flavorful as it is invigorating.

DrinkOrgano.ca

Feel Better with Bowenwork

A man in his mid-thirties came in for Bowenwork, but the way he walked made it look like he could be in his mid-eighties. He was wincing from the excruciating pain he was feeling in his lower back, and taking tiny steps to get into my office. When I asked how much pain he was in from 1-10, he said about a 12. He had a physical job, and it was taking a visible toll on his body. Initially, he was skeptical that anything could help, but he didn’t want to go for surgery, and he wanted something that wouldn’t crack or physically force movement to his body. After three gentle treatments, he couldn’t believe it. His back pain was gone, his knee pain had vanished, and his seasonal allergies were not acting up either. “I don’t know what you did,” he said…”but it worked!”

Bernadette Kozak/Certified Bowenwork Practitioner, WinnipegPainRelief.ca

Mary’s Story

“I don’t know who I am anymore, where I fit in, I just feel lost. I used to love my job, now I just feel detached. I can’t shut out thinking about my job after hours. Boundaries have become blurred, I’m having trouble sleeping, and I don’t feel safe anymore. Things I thought I dealt with in my own childhood are coming back. I am having a hard time watching the news or movies…I am an emotional wreck.” By becoming aware of the changes in her feelings and recognizing the signs of stress, and with help, Mary was able to engage in emotional self-care (counselling and balancing life), identify cognitive changes by paying attention to her thinking and knowing she is not alone, engage in healthy behaviours (boundaries and taking time off), and find ways to stay spiritually connected.

Patty Parsons, RSW, CCC, ParsonsTherapy.com