Victoria’s Read

Summer is finally here and it’s time to enjoy warmth, fun and all of the sun and water we’ve been hoping for.

Summer can also be a time when we sometimes overdo it in our excitement to make the most of this short season. One thing I can never stress is GET ENOUGH WATER! Drink plenty, with a goal of getting 1oz. for every 2lbs of body weight every day and add at least another 16oz if it’s warm enough to make you perspire. It sounds like a lot, but there is plenty of evidence to support this. That old 8 glasses / day is just that… old. Also if you feel you are really thirsty and have been sweating a lot and suspect you are dehydrated, drink warm, not cold water. To efficiently absorb the water your body must warm the water to body temperature. Cold is refreshing but warm rehydrates faster. Stay away from sport drinks unless you are sweating (beading or dripping) or having been sweating for awhile. Most are very high in sodium and sugar and you likely don’t need the amounts they contain.

Try to eat more summer foods, such as cherries, pine apple, celery, water melon, cucumbers, artichokes, watercress to improve urination and help body with water retention. Hot weather increases sweating and reduces urination which might also lead to water retention and sometimes to a puffy face or feet and legs.

Along with heat, summer often brings bumps, bruises and sprains from all of the play. If hurt, ice the injury as soon as possible, as its effects diminish after 48hrs. Elevate and move the ice pack around “ice massage”. Ice for no more than 15-20min. and give a 45min. break to warm up. You can ice as frequently as you wish, so long as the area is warm to touch and has normal sensation before repeating.  Frost bite in summer? Yes. Do not allow ice to sit against the skin without a layer of protection. Either move the ice, “ice massage” or use a thin towel between the ice and skin.

Summer is also a great time to kick your exercise up a notch or two with a goal of keeping it there into the fall. In summer we are generally more active with summer fun like swimming, camping, canoeing etc. and often stop our fitness classes. I encourage you to keep up your yoga, dance, or other fitness classes. You’ll be impressed with your progress come fall.

Stay well, stay strong… you deserve it.

©Darren Renaud  Natural Health Practitioner

 The liver is one of the most important overall organs for wellness, and unfortunately it’s also one of our most abused ones. Your liver is responsible for cleansing the blood, moderating sugar and hormones. It is often at the root of women’s health issues.

We assault our liver with a fatty sugar laden diet that makes it sluggish and impedes its function.  A major component of our modern diets that’s overworking our liver seems to be added to almost every product, High Fructose Corn Syrup or HFCS. Your body runs on glucose, not fructose. Fructose is not bad; it’s the MASSIVE amounts we now get that are. Your body metabolized fructose in a much different way than glucose with the entire burden falling on the liver. So what can we do? Read the labels, and avoid HCFS sweetened products as much as possible. Almost 100% of regular soda pop is HCFS sweetened.

The liver is no exception when it comes to being affected by stress. From Acupressure we have a couple of useful points. Liver-14 (LV14), which is located below the breast approximately where the bra wire rests, closer to the center (sternum) and in a small indent between the ribs. Press in on these points and if they are tender, your liver could likely use a boost. Hold or gently massage these points till the pain subsides (1-5min). This point helps to regulate and balance the liver. If you are having menstrual difficulties, this is a great point to use frequently.

The next point is Liver-3 (LV3), which is on the foot between the first and second toe and about two finger widths back from the web. This is a powerful point for many health issues and especially for women. This is also a great point to help relieve headaches that reside behind the eyes. Hold or massage like the previous point. Using these points daily will strengthen the livers response and bring on quicker results to other efforts to help the liver.

From the herbal world, you can look to Milk Thistle to improve liver function. Health Canada recognizes it for its benefits and recommends 140-600 mg/day but check with your physician before taking it to see if it’s appropriate for you and what dosage to take.

Eat plenty of green veggies. Bitter vegetables like asparagus, swiss chard and spinach can have a cleansing effect on the liver.

Stay well, stay strong… you deserve it.

If you are interested in these approaches, email info@ohanawellness.ca or visit our website at www.ohanawellness.ca.

©Darren Renaud  Natural Health Practitioner

Often neglected, but never ignored, our feet will let us know if we are not caring for them.

Whether for fashion of fun, we sometimes choose the wrong footwear and end up with sore and aching feet. It may come as a surprise that feet are more than our cheapest transportation. They are the windows to our wellness. The healing art of reflexology has been practiced for thousands of years and is even depicted on the walls of Egyptian tombs. Our feet have over 8000 active nerve ends and many of the body’s energy meridians begin, end or travel around the foot.

The feet are also part of our built in heat management system. Are you too hot? Try sleeping with one foot outside of the covers or place bare feet on cool cement floor, rock or dangle them in the lake. For many, this might not be news but if it is, give it a try.

In Reflexology, the entire body is reflected in the feet with “reflex” areas that respond to unbalance in the part of the body they represent. Consequently, working or stimulating that part of the foot can have a reflex effect in the body part. A trained Reflexologist can help many conditions but you can do basic work yourself or with a friend.

Even without focusing on reflexology, a good foot massage is a wonderful gift. Some easy home tools for self-massage are rolling a golf ball under the foot, pausing and letting it work out tender muscle areas in the arches and a 500ml frozen bottle of water will help cool and sooth tired feet.

The feet are also a potential gateway to a good night sleep. In Ayurveda, the Indian holistic health system, rubbing you feet with sesame oil before bed aids sleep and helps to calm restless legs.

A foot bath in strong black tea helps calm strong foot odor. Making a paste of garlic powder and apple cider vinegar will help soften calluses and clear fungus. For foot odors try to avoid synthetic material in socks.

Take time to try these tips, and I’m sure you’ll see results.

By Darren Renaud

April is awareness month for two interrelated conditions, stress and irritable bowel syndrome or IBS.

Research has proven that both conditions are affected or helped by relieving one or the other.  For many people high or prolonged stress levels often causes symptom of IBS and conversely an IBS flare-up will increase stress levels.

Characteristic symptoms of IBS include any of the following:
·intermittent alternation of constipation and diarrhea which is frequently related to mood changes
·cramping pain in the lower abdomen which may be focused in the left or right  side
·location of pain may vary from site to site and attacks tend to be episodic and may be severe (spastic).
·hypersecretion of colonic mucus (mucus in the stools).
·more frequent bowel movements accompanied by pain.
·sometimes relief of pain with bowel movements.
·pain worse for eating.
·flatulence and distention and nausea
·stools are often small and round and may have the appearance of rabbit droppings or be thin or ribbon like or cigar-shaped.
·varying degrees of anxiety, depression, hostile feelings, fatigue and sleep disturbances which may also worsen the condition.

If you suspect you suffer from IBS, then a diagnosis by an MD is essential. The diagnosis is difficult as it is done by testing for and eliminating other serious conditions as possibilities. This is why these symptoms should not be ignored.

The good news is there are many natural an safe ways to help with IBS. One of the primary focuses is to reduce stress. It is a primary aggravator of IBS and is suspected as a major contributing cause. Two main lifestyle changes proven to help are:
·Diet regimen: high fiber diet, rich in cooked vegetables; avoidance of aggravating foods and any food sensitivities.
·Stress reduction techniques such as meditation, counseling, or yoga.

There are specific yoga poses and also full sequences of postures for relieving and preventing IBS symptoms as well as other digestive problems. Poses can be practiced individually as needed or you can follow the full sequences on a daily basis to maintain digestive stability. Besides the physical aspect of doing specific yoga poses to help IBS, the relaxation and anxiety relief one gets from yoga will not only add to the benefit, but accelerate recovery and resistance to future flare-ups.

Stay well, stay strong… you deserve it.

Getting restful sleep is one of the best ways for increasing wellness, but often there are factors like time changes, shift work, travel or a restless baby that interfere.  The good news is there is a lot you can do to minimize the disruptions.

Don’t go into the light! Literally. Keep the room as dark as possible. Our body responds to light all over it’s surface not just the eyes. Too much light or even turning on a bright light to go to the bathroom raises cortisol levels (a stress hormone). Your body must metabolize this in order to get back to a restful state. This means covering you clock radio too. The clock is another disrupter. When you glance at the clock, you have to focus on the numbers and then you brain has to translate the numbers into a time and make a judgment on what it just saw. This brings you far out of the restful state and it often takes a long time for the brain to calm down to full sleep.

Do not watch TV in the bedroom or before bed. The rapid images are a stimulator for the brain, and can trigger dream patterns that may disturb sleep, not to mention it’s a fairly bright light. Better yet remove the TV from the room altogether. There are studies underway that are showing a possible effect of strong electromagnetic fields on sleep. TVs and electric blankets seem to be the biggest influences.

If you travel across time zones, one of the key elements to getting back into rhythm is to take a day and get out in the local daylight as much as possible and then at dusk avoid as much artificial light as possible and sleep. You body will reset much quicker.

For extra help in relaxing, some gentle yoga, meditation or any activity that truly relaxes can help you prepare for sleep. You can also try herbal teas like chamomile or a protean rich snack in the late evening to carry you through the night. Limit caffeine past 3:00 pm, as it takes the body approximately six hours to metabolize half of the caffeine ingested, it’s “half life”.

One last tip from the science of Ayurveda, the Indian holistic health system, practiced for 1000s of years in India and now right alongside modern medicine in India. To help calm restless sleep for young or old try rubbing the feet from ankle down with sesame oil before bed. Put on some socks to protect the bed sheets. It’s natural, safe and worth a try. Feedback from many moms is that this often works great for the little ones.

Enjoy life, stay well, stay strong… you deserve it.                       

For more info,   e-mail: info@OhanaWellness.ca or visit our website www.OhanaWellness.ca.
©Darren Renaud  Natural Health Practitioner

Have a heart. Take heart… It’s no coincidence why we have so many sayings relating to the heart. In love or life it is one of the most important considerations and its health is essential. For women there are some key heart health tips that you can pay special attention to.

One of the best ways for women to ensure good cardio vascular health is to eliminate unhealthy fats from your diet, eat whole foods and engage in regular aerobic exercise. You’ve probably heard this before but what you may not realize is that you need some very important fats in your diet. Fats rich in Omega 3 is one of the most important but rather than scouring labels, you can easily add healthy oils by switching to a few good oils in your diet. Olive oil and rice bran oil are great for cooking and coconut or sesame is great for salad dressings. If you bake, you can use grape seed oil as a good all purpose oil. Avoid oils often made from GMO (Genetically Modified Organism) crops such as corn, soy and canola oil.

Another important factor related to heart health and healthy fats for women, is the link between these fats and healthy hormone levels. Many of these essential fats are the primary building blocks for hormones. Diets lacking in these fats show links to increased PMS or menopausal symptoms as well as increases levels of stress related indicators in the blood.

Another important dietary change is to avoid all refined sugar. Diets high in refined sugar are linked to higher levels of cholesterol, triglycerides and higher levels of blood glucose and insulin. All of these can lead to cardiovascular problems.

Most important of all is to get moving. Exercise is the strongest medicine you can take for heart health. “Cardio” exercise (exercise that raises your heart rate) and exercises that help to reduce stress combine to multiply the benefits. A great start is to get out and walk and a good goal is to get to 10,000 steps a day. It sounds like a lot but if you get a pedometer that counts them for you you’ll be surprised how many you do already.

Other clinically proven exercises for heart health are swimming and yoga. Yoga asanas or postures are isometric, which means they rely on holding muscle tension for a short time. This improves circulation and cardiovascular fitness and studies show that regular yoga practice (more than once a week) helps to normalize blood pressure.

It’s never too late to start and the payback adds years and enjoyment to your life.
Stay well, stay strong… you deserve it.

For more information, email info@ohanawellness.ca or visit www.OhanaWellness.ca.
©Darren Renaud – Natural Health Practitioner

Most people have suffered a headache at some point or know someone who has. Massage therapy can be used to aid relief of most headaches ranging anywhere from a nagging ache to a full-blown migraine.

Here are a few tips and tricks you can use on yourself for common types of headaches.

Tension/Stress:

Most people complain of this pain either at the base of their head or in their jaw.
Start by using both hands at the back of your neck near your shirt collar. Apply firm (but not painful) pressure upward toward your hairline then outward toward your ears in a “T” shape. For jaw pain, start in front of your ears and apply downward pressure following the jaw-line.

Sinus:

Applying pressure to two specific areas around your eyes will provide you with quick relief. Apply firm pressure (but not painful) for thirty seconds and alternate between the following locations.

1) Using your thumbs, find the small indent below your eyebrows and closest to the bridge of your nose. Apply pressure here for thirty seconds.

2) Using your index fingers, find the small indent approximately one finger width under your eye and closest to your nose. Apply pressure here as well.

3) Gently stroke across your forehead toward your temples, then across your cheeks toward your nose to transition from the first spot to the second.

Migraine:

The biggest trick for dealing with migraines is discovering your trigger. Most often, the triggers are chocolate, red wine, sleep deprivation, changes in hormones or barometric pressure. Massage therapy is generally not tolerated to the head/upper neck during a migraine because it increases the circulation to the head and intensifies the pain. It can, however, be applied to the feet or hands to help draw circulation away from your head. Sleeping or placing a cold can of pop or ice to the back of the head/upper neck region are good tools for dealing with migraines

Crystal Bergquist
Registered Massage Therapist.

Ohana Wellness Centre

Over 3 million individuals live with urologic conditions in Canada alone, affecting their quality of life and their overall life span, conditions like painful kidney stones, urinary tract infections and loss of bladder control.

If you suffer or have suffered from any of the above then a visit to your MD for a checkup is your first stop. In the mean time there are a few things you can do to help yourself.

To help with infection and kidney stone issues, you can start drinking cranberry juice. 100% juice, not the over sugared juice blends. It’s tart, but with a bit of water is drinkable. A specific type of tannin found only in cranberries interacts with the E. coli bacteria (the most common cause of UTI), preventing them from sticking to the walls of the bladder and causing infection. The recommended amount is 4-8oz. daily.

Another self help tool is to strengthen and exercise your pelvic floor. Yes exercise!

Your pelvic floor, its tone and strength are a big factor in bladder control and health. In yoga, the pelvic floor is integral to many poses and breath work and has been for thousands of years. A regular yoga class is a great way to strengthen this area along the rest of your body.

Another exercise you can do regularly are Kegels. To find the muscles for Kegels, you focus by tightening your pelvic floor like you are holding back gas or the urge to urinate.

Then:
~Contract your pelvic floor muscles, hold the contraction for three seconds then relax for three seconds. Repeat 10 times.
~Once you’ve perfected three-second muscle contractions, try it for four seconds at a time, alternating muscle contractions with a four-second rest period.
~Work up to keeping the muscles contracted for 10 seconds at a time, relaxing for 10 seconds between contractions.

To get the maximum benefit, focus on tightening only your pelvic floor muscles. Try not to flex the muscles in your abdomen, thighs or buttocks and try not to hold your breath.

Enjoy life, stay well, stay strong… you deserve it.

©Darren Renaud – Natural Health Practitioner www.OhanaWellness.ca.

There is a movement technique new to this area called NIA (nee-aah).  At first glance it seems odd to many people coming from a traditional North American fitness facility since we are barefoot AND moving.

Barefoot is not new to anyone who has done any sort of mat class like Yoga, Pilates or meditation. Barefoot is also not new to students of certain types of dance. Barefoot is new to people who want to reach their cardiovascular goals in a class but view mat classes as boring and dance classes as too athletic.

Students new to NIA admit that they are reluctant to believe that they will get to a good cardiovascular level if their feet are not protected. They do and are surprised.

The benefits of moving the body while barefoot are vast and can all be explained  through science but to start off simply the best benefit is that it is free.  There is no need to purchase expensive ill fitting shoes that can only be worn in class.

Barefoot is fun. When was the last time you got run around barefoot and play with your friends? NIA students do that every class. With the exception of certain medical conditions, barefoot is better for your body.  When shoeless, the soles of your feet are in direct contact with the floor and the body or the NIA teacher can immediately tell if the stance is uneven, tilting or feet are bearing the body weight equally.  An immediate correction in the stance, even if it is minor, can realign the whole body allowing muscles and bones to work together the way they were intended instead of working twice, once to compensate for mis-alignment then again to do their specific job for the movement.  This newly aligned body can now work at a greater range of motion for a longer duration and often at a better strength level.

All these micro adjustments are going on naturally while the student gets to play to the music, move the body, sweat, laugh, hoop and holler in a safe body friendly way.

Linda Papineau
Certified NIA Teacher. Ohana Wellness Centre

NO MEAT BALLS

INGREDIENTS
-1 1/2 cups dry mashed potatoes
-1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese (4 ounces)
-1 cup chopped pecans or cashews
-1 cup chopped onion
-2 tablespoons soy sauce
-1 teaspoon dried basil leaves
-4 eggs, beaten

DIRECTIONS
1. Heat oven to 350°F.
2. Mix all ingredients in large bowl. Shape into 1 1/2-inch balls. Place in greased pan.
3. Bake meatballs uncovered 20 to 25 minutes or until brown.

VEGETARIAN PATTIES

INGREDIENTS:
-1 (15 oz.) can kidney or pinto beans, drained, and rinsed
-Rolled oats (1 to 2 cups)
-1/2 C. all-purpose flour
-1 egg, beaten
-1/2 C. mushrooms, finely chopped
-1/2 C. onions or leeks, finely chopped
-1to2 carrot(s), shredded
-1/2 C. red bell pepper, chopped
-3 clove garlic, pressed or minced
-1 tbsp. soy sauce or Worcestershire
-1/2 tsp. salt
-Spices and herbs to taste

DIRECTIONS
1.Blend all ingredients (starting with one cup of oatmeal) in food processor or use a stick blender, until coarsely chopped. Add more oatmeal as needed, until patties hold together well.
2.Chill mixture for about an hour, then shape into smallish patties. Chill patties several hours or freeze and save until needed. If your patties want to fall apart, you’ll want to cook them in the oven.
3.Broil patties 4 to 6 inches from heat about 10 to 15 minutes until browned and heated throughout. If your patties hold together well, you can simply saute them in a skillet.
4.Heat a bit of olive oil and cook patties over med-high heat for 6 to 7 minutes a side, until crisp outside and cooked through.

Sources:
divinedinnerparty.com
bettycrocker.com