Community News
Be Stress-Free with Reflexology

Stress is definitely something that we all deal with. Chronic stress affects us in so many ways and influences our healing on an emotional and physical level. For most of us, stress is caused by work situations, home situation, parenting, lack of money, car problems, loss of a loved one, or other possibilities like health issues or post-traumatic stress. Our sympathetic nervous system provides the fight-or-flight response to stress. Sympathetic nerve stimulation increases the heart rate, blood pressure, and breathing rate. The gastro-intestinal tract is affected, blood sugar can have fluctuations, and the adrenal glands become weakened and eventually exhausted. When you have a reflexology session, the parasympathetic nervous system is improved, and the body is brought back to a normal, relaxed functioning. When our body is relaxed and rested, this is when the healing happens.

Rositha Jeanson, Balance and Harmony, www.rositha.ca

Set Yourself up to Succeed

Every year, masses of people—maybe even you—choose a list of resolutions for the New Year. Generally, these are habits they will try to do every day or habits they will try to avoid for as long as they can. Unfortunately, many of these resolutions are gone by the wayside or forgotten by February. A major reason for this is that it’s deceivingly difficult to develop or deny ingrained habits ‘cold turkey’. Set yourself up to succeed: Set small, attainable goals, and add more steps as you complete each one. Remember to reward yourself. This way, you gradually work your way toward the life you want and the necessary changes and experiencing much more ‘success’ along the way. Short, measurable goals and smart resolutions will reduce stress and anxiety in the New Year. This, in turn, will build self-esteem helping you to have the courage for those long-term goals.

Patty Parsons, www.parsonstherapy.com

Head off the Pain

Headaches and migraines can be caused by a number of factors, including hormones, lack of water, illness, etc. In many cases tension build-up within the neck and shoulder muscles can cause and trigger headaches. By kneading and working those muscles, we can, over time, diminish, help manage, and relieve the tension causing those headaches to occur. Your massage therapist can also show you some stretches targeting those specific muscles to help lengthen them out to decrease pulling and strain at the base of skull and more. As well as a little mint oil and lavender oil can go a long way. Just blend a couple drops of the oils with coconut oil or another oil base and rub on your temples, forehead, neck, and shoulders for some relief.

Chelsea Nault, RMT, Soulful Instinct Massage Therapy

5 Ways to Detoxify Your Body

Did you know that performing regular body cleanses and detoxes are an easy route to health and healing? We are in constant contact with harmful organisms and pollutants. They’re in our water, in our food, in the air we breathe… it’s very difficult to get away from them. The source of many health issues is the toxins that have built up in our bodies over the years. Fortunately, there are ways to counteract some toxins and pollutants. You can help your body perform these processes with the help of regular cleansing. Here are 5 ways to detoxify your body: 1. Exercise – you can literally sweat your toxins away! 2. Try tongue scraping – tongue coating reflects metabolic debris. 3. Drink water – Just not from the tap! 4. Add detoxifying foods to your diet – think garlic, raw veggies, and fruits 5. Dry skin brushing – the skin is known to be responsible for 15% of total body elimination. Use a natural bristle brush to gently exfoliate and stimulate your skin.

Dean Dalman, Valhalla Automated Spa, www.valhallaautomatedspa.com

The Balancing Act

Bowenwork is a very gentle, hands-on form of bodywork. It works holistically via the nervous system to balance, and align the body. Bowenwork uniquely initiates your body’s own innate healing mechanism, and can dramatically help people with their muscle, joint or nerve pain. People with frozen shoulder are amazed when they find their recurring headaches are also gone, and the pain they felt in their back, neck, and their carpal tunnel, have disappeared as well. Treating the body as a whole is imperative in being able to achieve long lasting results. In addition to physical pain relief, Bowenwork can effectively help with cognitive issues as well, such as stress, PTSD, depression, concussion or traumatic brain injury, tinnitus, vertigo, dizziness, energy blockages, and many others. Talk to a Bowenwork practitioner to learn more about balancing your body, and starting your healing journey today.

Bernadette Kozak, WinnipegPainRelief.ca

Marijuana & Alzheimer Connection?

A recent study showed significantly lower levels of blood flow in the brain for marijuana users than nonusers. It was found that the right hippocampus was the most affected, damaging regions of the brain important for memory and learning. These are the same areas affected by Alzheimer’s. Often used for regulating relaxation and controlling excitability, marijuana is more than a “feel good” aid; it brings well documented beneficial calming effects to the whole system. All in good measure, however! When overused or abused, marijuana can lead to dependency and mess with your memory and emotions. There are other non-invasive strategies for those who seek that sweet spot. Brainwave Optimization helps the brain function better by relaxing its frequencies. Once the frequencies between the brain lobes are balanced and harmony is established so the back to front thought process flows, that inner potential in all of us has a chance to blossom.

Joanne Couture, RMFT, RSW, La Loba, www.lalobatraumarelease.com

Goals Difficult to Achieve?

Many of us have goals we desire to achieve in health, relationships, and our career. What would you like to work on and improve in this new year? So often we struggle to actually accomplish our goals – we get part way and give up, or we have too many other things interfering with our efforts. In theory, desire + effort = achieving goals….. right? So why in reality is that so often very difficult to do? One very important thing I have learned is that any time we have a desire to achieve something but struggle to accomplish it, it means that we have hidden factors between our desires and accomplishing our goals. Many times these hidden factors are fear, doubt or beliefs based on past experiences. Success is so sweet and so much easier to achieve when you have cleared out these hidden factors that are making success difficult.

Shannon Russell, BodyMind Freedom Solutions, thedashmethod.com

Clean Eating: Gingerbread Coffee

2 Tbs Cinnamon, ground

1 Tbs Ginger, ground

1 Tbs Cloves, ground

1/2 Tbs Nutmeg, ground

1/8 tsp Salt

Instructions:

1. Add spices and salt to a jar and shake well.

2. Add about 1/2 teaspoon (or to taste) of the gingerbread mix to your regular or decaf coffee grounds before brewing.

This recipe is adapted from Kristine’s Kitchen. These spices are among the richest in wrinkle and disease-fighting antioxidants. Coffee cheers to that!

Lisa Kehler, www.offyourplatenutrition.ca

Dare NOT To Diet!

Make 2017 the year you jump off your plate and into your life! Dare not to diet. Make a radical shift from being “good” (dieting) to feeling good (living vibrantly)! It’s natural to want to have more energy and vitality! And want to move with ease and feel good in your body. But a diet won’t deliver. Not long term. Simple, enjoyable mindful eating, plus a shift from “have to be good” to “want to feel good,” CAN deliver a good thing! Here are a few shifts to consider for January 1: “I have to go on a diet, I feel gross” to “I have more energy and feel better in my body when I eat the foods I love with balance on my plate.” “I have to work out every day” to “I feel better, sleep better and move better when I’m active. I’m going to find an activity I enjoy.”

Lisa Kehler, www.offyourplatenutrition.ca

Book Club: Year of Yes!

How to Dance It Out, Stand in the Sun and Be Your Own Person, by Shonda Rhimes. Shonda was an expert at declining invitations others would leap to accept. With 3 children at home and 3 hit shows on TV, it was easy to say that she was too busy. But in truth, she was also afraid. Shonda’s introvert life revolved around burying herself in work, snuggling her children, and comforting herself with food. Shonda’s sister muttered something that was both a wake-up and a call to arms: You never say yes to anything! The comment sat like a grenade until it detonated. Then Shonda knew she had to embrace the challenge: for one year, she would say YES to everything that scared her.

Clean Eating: Banana Quinoa Breakfast Bars

1 cup steel cut oats

1 cup quinoa

1/2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp cinnamon, a pinch of sea salt

3 large ripe bananas, mashed

2 tbsp ground flaxseed

3 tbsp natural nut butter

1 tbsp coconut oil

2 tbsp pure maple syrup

Optional: 1/4-1/2 cup add-ins like chocolate chips, coconut, chopped dried fruit.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Spray or grease a 9 x 9 baking dish with coconut oil. In a large bowl combine oats, quinoa, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt. Add in bananas, flax, peanut butter, coconut oil and maple syrup. Stir until well-combined. Sprinkle with optional add-ins. Let batter sit for 10 mins to let flax absorb some liquid. Add batter to baking dish and spread out evenly. Bake for 25 mins or until edges are crisp and center is cooked through. Let sit for 20 mins before cutting into 9-12 squares and allow to cool completely. Store in an airtight container for up to 3 days or freeze for longer.