Lifewise Health & Wellness Bulletin - February 2014

It’s good to be reminded every once in a while that the sun doesn’t rise and set with our individual schedules, that the world won’t fall apart if we take a personal day, and that there are other people around us who are experiencing much more difficult challenges than we are, at any given time. On the contrary, it is also good to remember that each of our behaviours and actions affect those around us, in ways that we may be completely unaware. The second week in February has been unofficially designated "Random Act of Kindness Week". Let’s all try to bring some awareness to our actions as we go through our lives this month, and remember it’s the little things that often make a huge impact.


"How far you go in life depends on your being tender with the young, compassionate with the aged, sympathetic with the striving, and tolerant of the weak and strong, because someday in your life you will have been all of these." (George Washington Carver)


Yours in Health,
Dr. Karen Baker

CHECK OUT THESE EXCITING NEW CHANGES TO HOW WE ARE RUNNING CLASSES:


When it comes to healthy muscles and joints, our philosophy at Lifewise is "motion is lotion". Our goal is to help our students and patients develop strong supple bodies. In an effort to maximize your experience and encourage you to grow your yoga practice, we are changing our fee structure to a class pass system that will allow students to purchase and attend as many classes per week as fits their schedule – no more registered sessions! We will be adding additional classes and workshops to the schedule throughout the year (sold separately and registration still required for these ones); be sure to stay tuned for additions and updates!


Check out our class schedule & website for more details!

UPCOMING WORKSHOPS


FEB 8th: BACK TO BASICS
This gentle, guided four-week specialized back-care program, created and lead by RMT and Certified Iyengar Yoga Teacher, Dennis Newhook, is designed to help you learn how to better care for your back on a daily basis. You will learn exercises to safely reduce tension, increase mobility and build greater strength and body awareness. Handouts will be provided to guide participants in home practices between lessons. This program is suitable for those with chronic back pain or stiffness. No previous yoga experience is required.


4 week workshop
$88.oo + hst
Saturdays at 12:30pm (60min)
Begins: February 8, 2014


FEB 12th: DISCOVER YOGA
Join Gaye Barter, Certified Iyengar Yoga Teacher, in this safe and thorough six-week introductory program for the novice yogi who wants to have fun and start from square one. The classes will cover the fundamentals of yoga: breath, postural alignment, mobility, stability, strength, mental focus and deep relaxation. Upon completion of this program, you will have a preliminary understanding of the basic principles of yoga poses (asanas), a sense of how to modify the poses to your flexibility and ability level, along with some tools that can be applied to daily life.


6 week workshop
$126.oo + hst
Wednesdays at 7:15pm (75min)
Begins: February 12, 2014


*Registration deadline: 1 week prior to start date.

COMING SOON: Qigong Classes (Beginning the end of February – details to follow.)


Qigong is comprised of two words: "Qi" (energy or life force) and "Gong" meaning methods or exercise for strengthening or replenishing. Together, they translate roughly to breathe refinement or energy cultivation. This ancient practice is not only a wonderful low impact form of exercise and meditation; a regular Qigong practice can help you lower stress levels, control emotions, and increase self-awareness.


We would like to warmly welcome our new Qigong instructor, Zachary Lui, to the Lifewise Team. Zac has been a practitioner of Qigong and Meditation for many years; during this time he has apprenticed with various people within the discipline to hone his skills. Currently, he is in his final year of training to become a certified Acupuncturist. Zac brings his passion for working with others and living a balanced lifestyle together in his classes and has developed methods to make Qigong practical for the lay person. He has trained in Yang Style Taijichuan and Yin Style Baguazhang and has also run a year-long program on self-development as an instructor at the Quantum Life Science Institute. To date, many of the people he has trained report significant improvements in their life through the processes he teaches.

Try this simple lifestyle change with enormous health benefits...



Dennis Newhook, RMT & CYT



Commit to drinking water! Water aids in the transport of nutrients, detoxification, lubrication and cushioning. It maintains blood volume and aids in temperature regulation. It is the single most indispensable nutrient by far! Water makes up about 60% of the body’s weight and we begin to show signs of early dehydration (thirst, dry mouth, fatigue, headache, etc.) as soon as that figure begins to drop.



I find it helpful to fill a 1-litre container that I can use throughout the day to better monitor my intake. Seeing that container go down motivates me to keep drinking! The visual goal really helps. Like any new lifestyle change, it is best to start small: if you aren’t drinking any water, try for just a glass in the morning and one in the afternoon; gradually increase your intake each day.





Not sure how much water you really need? While your activity level, environment (temperature and humidity), and diet (including other beverages) all affect your required intake, most professionals agree that 2-litres/day is a good goal for healthy, active adults.



Here are a few suggestions if you struggle getting the water you need: try adding slices of citrus fruit (lemon, lime, or orange), cucumber, pineapple, or even mint leaves if you need a hint of flavour; start early – have your first glass before breakfast; if the taste of chlorine bothers you, let your water sit in a pitcher – the chlorine will evaporate; avoid storing your water in plastic containers – stainless steel or glass is best; be sure to regularly wash reusable bottles.

Lifewise Health & Wellness Bulletin - December 2013

Some call me an optimist, that may well be true; but, don’t underestimate the power of a positive mental attitude. Napoleon Hill wrote “Your mental attitude determines whether you find peace of mind, or go through life in a state of frustration or misery. It controls the success one achieves, the friends one makes, and the contributions one makes to posterity. It would be no great overstatement to say that mental attitude is EVERYTHING.” I wholeheartedly agree. If you operate under the assumption that the world is conspiring to give you the best life possible, miracles will begin to happen. Be grateful for your life, your friends, and your experiences; believe in yourself and in the greater good; love everything and everyone. Love your friends, your family your home, your city, your life. Give it a try. See what happens... you might start believing in miracles too!

Yours In Health,
Dr. Karen Baker

Exercise: The New Vital Sign
Karen Baker, BSc, DC

It is becoming more and more apparent in healthcare that we need to increase efforts around encouraging healthy lifestyle choices, correcting sedentary behaviour and creating a cultural shift towards physical activity. The dominant lifestyle of fast food and sedentary behaviour reflect the post-industrialized and technology driven age we live in, but the consequences are disastrous!

From the increasing amount of research being done in the industry, we know that regular aerobic exercises can have significant benefits in decreasing the risk of heart disease, diabetes and some cancers. It is also known to decrease disability associated with knee osteoarthritis, decrease the progression of dementia, delay cognitive decline, reduce anxiety and depression and is considered the best treatment for fatigue. Not surprisingly, regular exercise consistently improves quality of life.

A long term Cochrane Collaboration study, looked at outcomes over a 20 year period. Low fitness status was found to be more risky than smoking, diabetes and obesity combined. It was found, low cardio-respiratory fitness was found to be the most significant factor with respect to development of cardiovascular disease above all others.

Canadian Physical Activity Guidelines state that adults need to be getting 150 minutes of aerobic activity per week. To meet this target we need to be doing about 30 minutes of moderate to vigorous activity five times a week. Keep in mind that it is well established that more exercise will lead to further health benefits. Also, those 30 minutes can be broken up into smaller bouts of exercise and accumulate through the day. A recent initiative by the Canadian Chiropractic Association called Fit-in-15 (www.fitin15.ca) encourages people to get moving any way they can, in small doses.

Another national initiative, Exercise is Medicine Canada, guided by a task force of allied health professionals, aims to provide leadership in promoting physical activity as a chronic disease prevention and management strategy to improve the overall health of Canadians.

What is your Physical Activity Vital Sign? PA = X mins x 5 days = 5X mins/wk (Guideline: minimum 150 minutes/week). So, let’s get moving... It’s vital!

FIGHT THE FLU - Naturally!

Take Probiotics: These friendly flora help produce virus-fighting antibodies and aid in vitamin absorption. Nix sugar: Sugar dramatically decreases your immune function, so if you’re starting to feel ill, don’t go for anything sweet.

Sleep more: When you’re under the weather, shoot for a minimum of eight hours of sleep. Give yourself permission to catch some zzz’s!

Reduce stress: Illness thrives in a stressed body; so, to stave off sickness, make relaxing activities part of your weekly routine.

Sunshine for vitamin D: Your body needs vitamin D to activate pathogen fighting T-cells. Try some sunscreen-free exposure for 20 minutes between 8 & 10 am or between 4 & 6pm, when the sun isn't too harsh. And, lose those sunglasses - a great way to synthesize vitamin D is through your eyes!

Try Theives Oil: All the ingredients of this medieval blend of essential oils (cloves, lemon, cinnamon, eucalyptus, and rosemary) have germ-fighting properties that have been used to help ward-off infections for centuries. Try it in lieu of hand sanitizer or put a few drops in your humidifier.

Immunity Juice: At first sign of a sniffle, try this juice mix chock full of powerful, illness-fighting foods like parsley (combats infection), horseradish (great for clearing the sinuses) and garlic (major antiviral!). It’s guaranteed to get you back to tip-top shape faster than you can say, “Achoo!

 2 lemons
 1 bunch parsley
 1 inch-thick round horseradish root
 1 orange
 5 inch knob of ginger
 2 inch knob of turmeric
 1 large clove garlic
 1 cucumber
 2 stalks celery

Three Simple Tips for a Healthier Holiday
Dennis Newhook, RMT, CYT

1. Avoid the sugar rush and make sure desserts are splurge-worthy! Often times, the office cakes and coffee table chocolates are not really all that great. Think of your favourite holiday treats and plan to have them – in moderation – so that you remain mindful of the sugar you’re eating while at the same time saving yourself for those real “must-have” desserts.

2. Stay active. Can’t get to the gym or your regular fitness class? Don’t worry. A brisk 20 to 30-minute walk has many cardiovascular benefits. Besides, just being outside provides a little time to de-stress away from overly excited kids or bustling shopping malls.

3. Remind yourself daily of what is most important to you: family, friends, community, etc. The stress of the holidays can be huge. Keep the cooking and gift-giving as simple as possible so that you’re free to enjoy what matters most - the company of your loved ones.

Lifewise Health & Wellnes Bulletin - October 2013

Thank you to everyone who dropped by to say hello during the Mt. Pleasant Village Harvest Fair! The beautiful weather seemed to draw out tonnes of people. It was fun to chat with neighbours and enjoy the festivities. All in all, I would say the day was a great success!

We would like to take this opportunity to congratulate one of our resident massage therapists, Brian Burgess, for completing his Personal Training Certificate last month. As we know, regular exercise and an active lifestyle are key components of good health. This additional element will compliment his massage therapy practice and tremendously benefit our patients. To book a session with him,

please contact Mark at the front desk for assistance.

Yours In Health,

Dr. Karen Baker