Community News
Clean Eating: Spaghetti Squash “Mac ‘n’ Cheese”

Ingredients:

1 large spaghetti squash

3 tbsp coconut oil

3 tbsp spelt flour

2 cups unsweetened almond milk

3/4 tsp salt

1/2 tsp onion or garlic powder

pinch ground black pepper

1 cup (4 oz) any hard cheese, shredded.

Red pepper flakes, to taste. Preheat oven to 375ºF. Wash squash, cut in half lengthwise and remove seeds with a spoon. Place cut side down on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and bake for 40-50 minutes. Let cool and separate into strands with a fork. Preheat medium pot on low-medium heat and melt oil. Whisk in flour and milk until smooth. Add salt, onion powder and pepper; whisk and let simmer for about 4 minutes or until sauce has slightly thickened. Add cheese and whisk again until smooth. Add squash and mix gently with a spoon to combine. Cover and let squash warm through for about 5 minutes. Enjoy!

www.ifoodreal.com

The Mindful Valentine

Valentine’s Day.. a day for celebrating love (and chocolate). I often refer to mindful eating as a way of practicing self-care around food. Taking care of yourself by making conscious decisions that leave you feeling better after eating. Not worse. How do you show love for yourself around food? Write yourself a letter and count the ways you love thee or could love thee. “I eat sitting down. I pay attention to my first few bites. I chew thoroughly before my next bite. I eat anything without guilt. I ask myself if I’m hungry before I eat. I listen to my body to see how hungry I am before my first bite. When I eat too much, I just learn from it and move on. I eat for fuel, nourishment, and pleasure. Every day is a day for showing yourself love around food. Celebrate how you nourish your body and spirit.

Lisa Kehler, Off Your Plate Nutrition, www.offyourplatenutrition.ca

Take Care of Yourself!

Self-Care is something that most of us forget about. We are so busy with work, family activities and all the demands of the day-to-day that we forget to take time for ourselves. We usually remember self-care only when we are already burnt out or sick, and then we have no choice but to take time out for ourselves. If we could only somehow incorporate some “me” time in our weekly activities. Pencil in an appointment with yourself even if it is only for a half hour. Sign up for an exercise class or meditation class once a week to help with stress. Maybe a painting class or dance or crafting class could help you unwind for a bit and change the scenery for you. And if it resonates with you, then make a point of going on a regular basis to relieve stress and to feel the therapeutic effects the therapy can do for you. You Deserve it!

Rositha Jeanson, RCRT/teacher, Balance and Harmony, www.rositha.ca

Go Green!

Over the past year, more and more Manitobans are making the switch to renewable energy. With rising energy costs of 42% over a 9-year period and Hydro’s recently announced solar program, the appeal is higher than ever. Hydro incentives are making it easier to become an independent energy producer. Offering a rebate of $1 per watt installed and a loan with a low interest rate of 4.9% and up to $30k in financing. There are free assessments available to you so you can learn what it takes to go green today!

Lorena Mitchell, www.evolvegreen.ca

Product Review: doTERRA Essential Oils

Founded in 2008, doTERRA (a Latin derivative meaning “Gift of the Earth”) was built on the mission of sharing therapeuticgrade essential oils with the world. In addition to their intrinsic benefits to plants and their beautiful fragrance, essential oils have long been used for food preparation, beauty treatment, and health-care practices. New to essential oils? Try these best-sellers! Lavender: Lavender has a soothing effect on the body, and it is often used to ease the pain of headaches, help soothe a burn or sting and relax tense muscles. It is often added to products like candles because the scent of lavender calms the nerves and eliminates stress. Peppermint: Peppermint has healing and soothing properties, which make it useful for people with anxiety. It also is helpful as a digestive aid as well. Lemongrass: Lemongrass is often used in cooking and studies show Lemongrass can support digestive health and soothe aching muscles. It can be used for topics, aromatic, or dietary purposes.

Thea Juenke, Rejuvenate Massage Therapy

 

The Best Way to a Persons Heart

This Valentine’s day, you might be thinking the best way to a person’s heart is through their stomach. While this may or may not be true, research shows one of the best ways to optimal mental health is, indeed, through the stomach. What you eat is critical to the health of your entire body including brain health. Many of the nutrients we digest are essential building blocks of neurotransmitters (brain chemicals) that regulate mood, appetite, sleep, weight and a myriad of other processes that work to keep us functioning properly. Diets containing whole grains, fresh fruit, vegetables, legumes, nuts, seeds, lean meat, and fatty fish as well as probiotic-rich foods like pickles, sauerkraut, and kefir are associated with better physical and mental health. Omega 3 fatty acid and vitamin supplementation can play an integral role in our mental health, reducing symptoms of anxiety and depression. Always consult your healthcare provider before making lifestyle changes.

Sean Miller, Canadian Mental Health Association, mbwpg.cmha.ca

3 Ways to Boost Your Metabolism

Are you looking to kick-start your metabolism? Here are a few tips! 1. Build Muscle. Your body always burns calories, even when you’re doing nothing. Your resting metabolic rate is much higher if you have muscle. After a session of strength training, muscles are activated all over your body, raising your average daily metabolic rate. 2. Keep Drinking. Your body needs water to process calories. If you are even mildly dehydrated, your metabolism may slow down. To stay hydrated, drink a glass of water or other unsweetened beverage before every meal and snack. 3. Power Up With Protein. Your body burns many more calories digesting protein than it does with carbohydrates. As part of a balanced diet, replacing some carbs with lean, protein-rich foods can boost metabolism at mealtime. Good sources of protein include lean beef, turkey, fish, chicken, tofu, nuts, beans, eggs, and low-fat dairy products. Now get ready to become a lean, mean, calorie-burning machine!

www.disabilitytaxcreditwinnipeg.com

Book Club: The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up

The Japanese Art of Decluttering and Organizing by Marie Kondō. Despite constant efforts to declutter your home, do papers still accumulate like snowdrifts and clothes pile up like a tangled mess of noodles? Japanese cleaning consultant Marie Kondo takes tidying to a whole new level, promising that if you properly simplify and organize your home once, you’ll never have to do it again. The KonMari Method, with its revolutionary category-by-category system, leads to lasting results. www.goodreads.com

Home Remedies for a Cough

Did you know that onions can be used to cleanse airways and reduce congestion? Try a poultice of roasted onion to the chest every few hours. They can also be drunk as a warm broth. Cabbage also works well, as it has an extraordinary ability to draw out toxin. Crush the leaves with a rolling pin until the juice starts to appear. Place 3 or 4 leaves over the chest and cover with gauze. You can also drink the juice of a cabbage sweetened with a little bit of honey. Adapted from the book “The New Guide to Remedies” by Paragon Staff

6 Ways to Alkalize Your Body

Did you know that your immunity is based on how alkaline your diet is? Having an overly acidic diet eventually leads to a weakened state, and our bodies become susceptible to disease. Here are six ways to alkalize – and healthify – your body! 1. Drink plenty of water. Drink half your body weight in ounces every day to keep your body systems regulated. For an extra boost in alkalinity – add lemon! 2. Trade coffee for tea. Green tea is highly alkaline. Try jasmine, Sencha or Matcha. 3. Kick that sugar habit. Use stevia, coconut sugar or small amounts of honey in place of sugar. 4. Eat more greens. Vegetables are highly alkaline and oxygen rich. Consume fresh green vegetables often as possible. 5. Move. Exercise to create more oxygen and qi flow in the body and to avoid stagnation. 6. Reduce stress. Meditate as often as possible, practice deep breathing, do yoga, and get plenty of sleep

Autism and Homeopathy

Autism Spectrum Disorders are on the rise with one in 68 children now being diagnosed. These are serious, potentially life-long conditions, which place a great deal of financial and emotional stress on families and society at large. Homeopathy can help to reduce and manage common autistic symptoms that are hard on families, especially eating, digestive and sleep problems as well as behavioural issues such as rigidity and hyperactivity. Homeopathy can also be used to identify the numerous causative factors of autism. If the homeopathic form of a substance which contributed to the condition is given, the child may have a brief healing reaction and then improve. Such substances can include antibiotics, vaccines, pesticides, car exhaust fumes, medications during or before pregnancy and ultrasounds. If you have a child with autism or a related developmental disorder please consider homeopathy as part of a comprehensive treatment plan.

Dr. Anke Zimmermann, ND, FCAH, www.drzimmermann.org