Community News
Legs—you gotta love ‘em

They get you up off the couch and walk you through the park. We use our legs every day, so it’s easy to take them for granted and assume they’ll be just fine—until you can’t take the mile hike along the trail, or you have trouble going up and down the stairs. Your leg muscles are powerhouses that work together to propel you up out of your chair, out the door, and down the road walking or running. They support your body and are actively making adjustments to keep you balanced and vertical. Your calves help stabilize your ankles, your hamstrings and quadriceps work together to support your knee. The bottom line—you’ll maintain or improve day-to-day function and enjoy the physical activities you love. Bonus: your legs will look lovelier at the beach or by the swimming pool this summer.

Anita Wilson, Curves Southdale
www.curves.com

The Unexpected Gift

As a cancer survivor, I understand how difficult the experience can be. First, you are dealing with a devastating diagnosis and the uncertainty of what the future may hold. On top of all the doctor appointments, there is the challenge to find products and services that are safe. For women, hair loss may occur and one might want a wig or a scarf to wear. During radiation, one’s skin may become hypersensitive; soothing skin care is required, but you don’t know where to find it. Visiting a number of places to find what you need is a struggle. Opening at the end of June, there will be a compassionate and convenient location, a one-stop shop, to find all your needs. From specific skin care lines created for cancer patients, non-toxic and non-carcinogenic cosmetic and nail care lines, wigs, prosthetics, and mastectomy clothing lines, safe aesthetics, massage, lymphatic drainage, and other supportive programs.

Tara Torchia-Wells
www.theunexpectedgift.ca

Manitoba Made: Summer Outdoor Spray

Survive Summer Outdoor Spray. Created to keep you cool and refreshed during the heat of summer with NO harsh chemicals! A delightful blend of essential oils, soy bean oil and Aloe Vera Juice! Simply spray on to exposed skin and massage well. Soy bean oil has been endorsed by Health Canada as an effective bug repellent and it also contains a natural SPF factor of 15. Great for camping, golfing, sitting around the outdoor fire, hiking and anytime you are outdoors! The essential oils help to keep the skin cool, decrease perspiration and can limit oil production of the skin. Safe for children and pets!

Sue Mazur
www.aromaticearth.ca

Wellness Tip

Try Tea Tree Oil – For athlete’s foot, reach for tea tree oil, an extract of the leaves of an Australian tree. It appears to have antiseptic properties and may work as well as or better than over-the-counter antifungal products. Apply a light coating of the oil to affected areas two to three times a day; continue for a week or two after symptoms disappear.

Sandy Lefley, Juice Plus
www.slefley.canada.juiceplus.com

Giving Back: Manitoba ALS

Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) otherwise known as Lou Gehrig’s Disease or Motor Neuron Disease (MND) is a fatal, rapidly progressive neuromuscular disease that affects approximately 3,000 Canadians and more than 289 Manitobans. Over the past twelve years, the Manitoba Walks for ALS have raised over $1.5 Million dollars to help support Research, Client Services and Education for Manitobans living with ALS/MND. Last year’s event in Winnipeg was a huge success with more than 1600 people participating, helping to raise over $210,000. This year’s goal is $250,000. Visit our website to register as an individual, team or just sponsor someone in the walk on June 20. Your donations allow the ALS Society of Manitoba to lend equipment and learning resources, and to offer services such as support groups, client services coordination, caregiver days, and more.

www.alsmb.ca

Clean Eating: Sweet Potato Brownies

A healthy alternative; Gluten free, not much maple syrup and full of a vegetable. What’s not too love?!

Ingredients:

1 large sweet potato, peeled and cubed
150g dark chocolate (or use raw cacoa poweder and 100g coconut oil)
50g coconut oil melted
100 ml maple syrup
2 eggs
100g ground hazlenuts or almonds
1/2 tsp baking powder
2 tbsp. (pref raw) cocoa powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp cinnamon or cardamom

Directions:

Preheat oven to 325ºF. Steam the sweet potato. Break the chocolate into pieces and melt over a saucepan of hot water. Drain sweet potato and mash well, set aside to cool. Take choc off heat and add melted coconut oil and maple syrup. Stir chocolate mixture into sweet potato mash, then add all the other ingredients. Bake in a lined tin for approx. 30 minutes. Allow to cool and cut into squares.

Kalee Mund
www.kaleemund.com

Looking for Help? Local Products & Services?

Are you looking for someone to help you with your health issues and don’t know where to turn? Are you looking for NEW health, wellness, lifestyle and business solutions? Locally grown organic foods? Products made in your province? How do you know who is right for you? Welcome to the home of Wellnessnews – Choices for Healthy Living™ – comprehensive Health and Wellness Directory. Our goal is to develop a resource that will serve as a gateway for holistic and eco-friendly ideas, products and services! This newly launched DIRECTORY is showcased on the Wellnessnews.ca website. Utilize this free guide and check back daily for your Community Based local businesses! We are an expanding local organization representing holistic professionals, practitioners and businesses. We encourage and promote healthy living, and support the professionals and businesses that make it possible. Together, we can make a difference!

Book Club: The Wheel of Healing with Ayurveda

Michelle S Fondin. Build Optimal Energy and Health in Body, Mind, and Spirit Ever wondered why you’re feeling out of balance, stressed-out, sick, and exhausted but still can’t sleep? Western medicine often ignores the underlying issues that can lead to fatigue, illness, and disease, but there is a way to revitalize your body and mind without drugs or dangerous side effects. Ayurveda, the “science of life,” is a complete wellness system that includes all that we associate with medical care – prevention of disease, observation, diagnosis, and treatment – as well as self-care practices that are generally absent from Western medicine. This truly holistic approach considers not just diet, exercise, and genetics but also relationships, life purpose, finances, environment, and past experiences. In this thorough and practical book, Michelle Fondin guides you gently through self-assessment questions designed to zero in on your needs and the best practices for addressing them, such as eating plans, addiction treatment, detoxification, and techniques for improving relationships. She outlines steps you can take, with minimal cost, to heal common ailments such as high blood pressure, heart disease, diabetes, excess weight, anxiety, and depression. These time-tested methods for body, mind, and spirit wellness offer benefits to anyone at any age.

www.michellefondin.com

Exercise is the Best Medicine!

It is cheap, you are not putting a foreign substance into your body, it is self-administered at a time that is convenient for you (24/7), it’s fun AND, oh yah, it helps to optimize the workings of nearly every bodily function. There must be a catch, you say, no “medicine” is that good!! Well, it is that good if you know the right exercises to do. You can’t just get a list of exercises from the Internet or from your friend and voila! You’re good to go. Exercise needs to be the right exercise for you. That means it needs to be appropriate for your physical status, your age, your goals, your health, and your aches and pains. It needs to be balanced so that you are not too strong and tight in some muscles and weak in others. To avoid negative side effects and get the best benefits from exercise, see a physiotherapist for the exercise program that is right for you.

Doug Christie Physiotherapy
www.dougchristiephysiotherapy.com

Live Pain Free

Pain is inevitable! Whether due to the aging process, congenital predisposition, or an unforeseen event such as an accident, illness, or injury, we all experience the discomfort of pain at some point in our lives. Chronic pain can affect our work, sleep and quality of life. That said, it is a comfort to know that pain can be treated!! Low Intensity Laser Therapy (LILT) is a safe Health Canada approved treatment, which can heal bone, cartilage and tissue. The treatment is painless and non-invasive, and has virtually no side effects. LILT is simply light energy, which penetrates the tissue, where it interacts with cells resulting in the restoration of normal cell function. In other words, LILT allows the body to heal itself naturally. Why live with pain? Make natural pain relief your first choice to improve your quality of life and live happy, healthy and pain free!!

Merrilyn Irvine
www.winnipegpaintreatmentcentre.com

Lace Up with Team Diabetes

Canadian Diabetes Association is excited to announce “the Run” is coming to Winnipeg on Sunday, May 24th, at Assiniboine Park. This family-friendly run will feature a 15 km individual or relay run, a 10 km and a 5 km walk/run and a FREE Kids 200 m dash. Sign up today by visiting any Winnipeg Running Room location. Prizes will be awarded for top individual and team fundraisers. In addition, all fundraisers over $150 will be entered to win some great prizes. Canadian Diabetes Association Manitoba has a new Facebook page. Visit to see weekly updates on healthy living tips, research and our upcoming events.

Want to get involved in another way? Sign up to volunteer at the Lace Up with Team Diabetes by emailing claudette.match@diabetes.ca or make a donation online at diabetes.ca/donate. Help support the 116,000 Manitobans living with diabetes.