Eating correctly, getting active and becoming healthy can seem daunting and like a lot of work to you. But really, it's no more work than managing a life of illness and fatigue. It’s not hard to be healthy, to be vital, to be proactive and to have a beautiful body, it’s a choice. Once you get started, you'll see it's not as hard as you thought to maintain healthy habits. Change is intimidating and can seem impossible, but you can change your mind, change your thinking and focus your energy on achieving what you want, not what you don’t want. You may not realize how your food choices are directly linked to your aches, pains and depleted vitality. Life is movement and movement is life!
Yours In Health,
Dr. Karen Baker
Monday, April 5, 2010
The WHOLE Shebang
(Sarah Dobec)
As a Certified Holistic Nutritionist I am often asked what my number one piece of health advice is. It’s a tough question to answer because we are all so different and have different needs. Unfortunately, there is no magic pill. There are heaps of nourishing foods that we should integrate into our lives in balance. Moderation really is the key – gee, how boring is that?! I can, however, provide this small nugget of advice to everyone. Transition your pantry and fridge from PROCESSED foods to WHOLE foods. Start cooking for yourself and stop relying on “insert brand name here” to feed you.
Whole foods are foods that we recognize in their most natural form - an apple versus applesauce, for example. Once a food has been processed we have to start reading labels to see what has been added such as sugar, preservatives and fillers. Food processing also often removes many of the healthy vitamins and minerals that our bodies require. Excess sugar + nutrient depleted food = foundation for illness and disease.
Experiment by taking all the processed foods out of your cupboards and the fridge to see how much you actually rely on them. Then consider each one and how you could replace it with a whole food alternative. An example would be replacing instant oatmeal with bulk oatmeal, cinnamon and chopped fruit.
“Food that lacks life, cannot sustain life” (Dr Rowland)
As a Certified Holistic Nutritionist I am often asked what my number one piece of health advice is. It’s a tough question to answer because we are all so different and have different needs. Unfortunately, there is no magic pill. There are heaps of nourishing foods that we should integrate into our lives in balance. Moderation really is the key – gee, how boring is that?! I can, however, provide this small nugget of advice to everyone. Transition your pantry and fridge from PROCESSED foods to WHOLE foods. Start cooking for yourself and stop relying on “insert brand name here” to feed you.
Whole foods are foods that we recognize in their most natural form - an apple versus applesauce, for example. Once a food has been processed we have to start reading labels to see what has been added such as sugar, preservatives and fillers. Food processing also often removes many of the healthy vitamins and minerals that our bodies require. Excess sugar + nutrient depleted food = foundation for illness and disease.
Experiment by taking all the processed foods out of your cupboards and the fridge to see how much you actually rely on them. Then consider each one and how you could replace it with a whole food alternative. An example would be replacing instant oatmeal with bulk oatmeal, cinnamon and chopped fruit.
“Food that lacks life, cannot sustain life” (Dr Rowland)
Trainer Tips – Stress & Exercise
(Julia Pilliar)
Many people believe that worthwhile exercise involves treadmills, weights, and large machines that necessitate a costly gym membership. This type of exercise can actually be counter-productive to exercise goals, whether they be weight loss, strength gains, stress management, or otherwise. This is because exercise is actually a stressor to the body.
Some stress is good and challenges our bodies to adapt to difficult conditions, making us stronger and more efficient. However, if we experience chronic stress (due to daily poor nutrition, worry about finances, or exposure to environmental toxins, for example), our bodies never have a chance to repair, adapt, and grow.
If you experience high levels of stress, running on the treadmill may in fact, make things worse, even if you experience a brief euphoric effect directly following. Two hours later you may find yourself exhausted, in a poor mood, or mentally foggy.
To reduce your stress and increase your energy levels, engage in deep breathing and meditative activities that calm the nervous system and help to balance catabolic (tissue breakdown) and anabolic (tissue repair) processes. Depending on your level of stress, you will find an appropriate balance of calming activities such as deep breathing, meditation, stretching, Qigong, and yoga, and more vigorous activities of aerobic conditioning and strength-training.
For further information regarding stress and exercise, come in and ask one of our health and wellness professionals.
Many people believe that worthwhile exercise involves treadmills, weights, and large machines that necessitate a costly gym membership. This type of exercise can actually be counter-productive to exercise goals, whether they be weight loss, strength gains, stress management, or otherwise. This is because exercise is actually a stressor to the body.
Some stress is good and challenges our bodies to adapt to difficult conditions, making us stronger and more efficient. However, if we experience chronic stress (due to daily poor nutrition, worry about finances, or exposure to environmental toxins, for example), our bodies never have a chance to repair, adapt, and grow.
If you experience high levels of stress, running on the treadmill may in fact, make things worse, even if you experience a brief euphoric effect directly following. Two hours later you may find yourself exhausted, in a poor mood, or mentally foggy.
To reduce your stress and increase your energy levels, engage in deep breathing and meditative activities that calm the nervous system and help to balance catabolic (tissue breakdown) and anabolic (tissue repair) processes. Depending on your level of stress, you will find an appropriate balance of calming activities such as deep breathing, meditation, stretching, Qigong, and yoga, and more vigorous activities of aerobic conditioning and strength-training.
For further information regarding stress and exercise, come in and ask one of our health and wellness professionals.
Point to Ponder
(Paul Lara)
Having the ability to focus all of your energy in one direction will give you skills you previously thought were unattainable. The act of meditation, whatever style you practice, is about one-pointedness. The mental control that comes with practicing one-pointedness can help you to be fully present in all aspects of your life, one moment at a time. This in itself is worthwhile grounds to give it a try.
Meditation is a word that carries with it images and perplexing concepts that, at first glance, may seem unattractive or simply unachievable. However, it doesn’t have to be; my approach to meditation is simple and practical. Over the past 12 years I have studied various styles of meditation and have learned how to incorporate “seemingly” abstract concepts into everyday life. By regularly practicing simple exercises over short periods of time, we can learn how to build mental control that will show results.
Physically speaking, benefits of a regular meditation practice include: improved sleep, better digestion, a strengthened immune system, vitality, and emotional stability. Incorporating mind and body, regular meditation has been shown to lower blood pressure and reduce chronic pain.
From calm and centered to sharp and present, meditation promotes internal awareness and environmental adaptability.
Having the ability to focus all of your energy in one direction will give you skills you previously thought were unattainable. The act of meditation, whatever style you practice, is about one-pointedness. The mental control that comes with practicing one-pointedness can help you to be fully present in all aspects of your life, one moment at a time. This in itself is worthwhile grounds to give it a try.
Meditation is a word that carries with it images and perplexing concepts that, at first glance, may seem unattractive or simply unachievable. However, it doesn’t have to be; my approach to meditation is simple and practical. Over the past 12 years I have studied various styles of meditation and have learned how to incorporate “seemingly” abstract concepts into everyday life. By regularly practicing simple exercises over short periods of time, we can learn how to build mental control that will show results.
Physically speaking, benefits of a regular meditation practice include: improved sleep, better digestion, a strengthened immune system, vitality, and emotional stability. Incorporating mind and body, regular meditation has been shown to lower blood pressure and reduce chronic pain.
From calm and centered to sharp and present, meditation promotes internal awareness and environmental adaptability.
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