Maintaining workplace mental health is vitally important. Stats show that most people spend the majority of their waking hours at work. Using break times is one effective way to improve overall mental health and boost productivity! Oftentimes, busy schedules and looming deadlines prevent us from taking breaks when we need them most. A short time away, doing something we enjoy, helps to reduce stress and emotional exhaustion, while providing a fresh focus and the necessary energy to accomplish tasks. Stretching, walking, listening to music, and reading or watching something funny are all ways to help lighten the load.
Combining Massage and Yoga
Yoga and massage aren’t the only ways to relieve stress and reduce pain. But when combined, they make the perfect combination for your health. Yoga classes and massage therapy are tailored to fit your personal needs. Depending on your schedule and desired results, you may want to enjoy a massage before or after a yoga session. Schedule your massage prior to attending yoga class to warm up and stretch your muscles. If you’re looking for a more relaxing experience, schedule your massage for after a yoga session, when you have more leisure time and can relax your mind, and possibly even drift off peacefully.
Connecting with Trees
“Nature Speak” by Ted Andrews provides a great resource in connecting with nature spirits through trees. A 40-foot tree releases 60 cubic feet of pure oxygen every day. Trees provide shelter for animals, and their roots provide a doorway to the faerie realm, giving us the opportunity to communicate with them. Find a favourite tree or plant a new one, nurture it, talk to it, and touch it. Quietly listen and look. Eventually, you will see tree spirits. Their magical attributes will tell you what you need to know on your life journey.
Product Review: Avena Original’s Superfood
Hand-harvested and sun-dried, Avena’s Original’s Super Foods choose deliver outstanding nutrition. They combine dense greens and herbs with the nutrition your body needs to thrive. A scoop of Superfood contains 100% RAW living foods such as Cellulase Enzymes, Alpha-Amylase Enzymes, Beta Carotene, Pineapple Fruit, Celery Seed, Kelp, Beet Root, Broccoli Stem/Flower, Kale Leaf, Irish Moss, Artichoke, Echinacea Root, Siberian Ginseng, Horsetail, Ginkgo Biloba Leaf, Barley Grass, Catalase, Whole Mushroom, Acerola Cherry Fruit, Maltase, Alfalfa Herb Top, Dulse Whole Plant, Pea Protein, Protease Enzymes, Milk Thistle, Tomato Fruit, Spinach, Dandelion Root, Lipase, Wheat Grass, & Phytase Enzymes. Every serving is the equivalent of eating a fresh salad or green smoothie!
Ask the Expert
Q: I’ve heard that there’s some benefit in using marijuana to treat eye disease. Is this true?
A: There have been earnest studies about the possible eye-pressure lowering effect from marijuana to help one specific eye disease, glaucoma. According to the Canadian Ophthalmological Society, the clinical utility of marijuana for the treatment of glaucoma is limited by the inability to separate the potential clinical action from the undesirable neuropsychological and behavioural effects. The Society does not support the medical use of marijuana for the treatment of glaucoma due to the short duration of action, the incidence of undesirable psychotropic and other systemic side effects and the absence of scientific evidence showing a beneficial effect on the course of the disease. In short, treatment with specific eye drops or surgery is far safer and more effective.
Kombucha and Candida
“Won’t the yeast in kombucha give me candida?” No, you don’t need to be concerned. The dominant yeast in non-GMO, organically nourished, commercially sourced kombucha culture is of a different family of yeast altogether. One particular academic study published in the Journal of Food Biochemistry even reveals antimicrobial activity demonstrated against a wide range of pathogenic bacteria and clinical candida species, with green tea-based kombucha demonstrating even higher antimicrobial potential than black tea kombucha. Source: Battikh, H., Chaieb, K., Bakhrouf, A., & Ammar, E. (2013). Antibacterial and antifungal activities of black and green kombucha teas. Journal of Food Biochemistry, 37(2), 231-236.
Every Breath You Take
Each of the 20 breaths you take per minute supplies essential oxygen to your body’s cells while dispelling carbon dioxide. This helps revitalize your entire body from the respiratory system to your digestive system. How you feel, your energy level, clarity of mind and mood is dependent on how well your bodily systems are functioning
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Breathing clean air that is free of unhealthy chemicals and gases helps maintain a healthy body and a happier mindset. Using products with activated charcoals in your home helps absorb odours and chemicals that prevent you from making every breath you take clean and revitalizing.
Trouble Falling Asleep?
If you have trouble falling asleep, here is something that you may not know. The National Sleep Foundation suggests that having warm feet when going to bed sends a signal to your brain that it is bedtime. Sleep research indicates a correlation between falling asleep quickly and increased blood dilation in our extremities. Wearing socks to bed warms your skin and dilates your blood vessels. Having a restful night is essential for a good day so go to bed wearing a clean pair of socks. Today there are socks with built in technology that will not only keep your feet warm but may provide relief from restless leg syndrome.
Community Event
March 12, 12:10-12:40 p.m., Lunch & Learn. Improve flexibility and reduce pain with gentle therapeutic yoga.
March 19, 12:10-12:40 p.m. Lunch & Learn. Reset Your Nervous System with Yoga Nida.
March 26, 12:10-12:40 p.m. Lunch & Learn. Reduce Low Back Pain & Sciatica with Massage.
Yoga 10 Studio, yoga10studio.com, 250-897-0069
Hallux Rigidus Treatment
When the big toe joint is fused (hallux rigidus) or limited in its movement, due to surgery, injury or arthritis, it changes the way a person walks. Subconsciously the body compensates for the lack of motion by either toeing in to push off the through the small toes, or toeing out to push off the inside of the big toe. This compensation can contribute to Morton’s neuroma, or pain in the knee, hip or low back. One of the most effective treatment options for this condition is to wear footwear with a rockered forefoot. This allows a more normal push off and a better walking dynamic.
Book Club: The Natural Makeover Diet
We all want to look our best, feel attractive and be healthy. Energy and appearance are important at any age. And now achieving these results is possible without unsafe quick-fix diets, risky surgical procedures or other invasive measures. Whether you want to increase your energy levels; improve your skin, hair or nails; or lose weight, your true beauty will shine through when you achieve optimal wellness from the inside out. By following Dr. Joey’s four steps to inner health and outer beauty, you will quickly see and feel long-lasting results.