Author:Vancouver Health Coach

The flu shot: What are your options?

There are several options for preventing the flu and it is important to me that my patients are educated about their options before they make a decision.  With any flu shot or vaccination, the decision is ultimately up to you, but your ND can help you make an informed choice. Why are we so worried about the flu? The flu is caused by the influenza virus, of which there are over 500 different strains The flu can cause symptoms of fever, cough, chills, sore throat, body aches, fatigue or headaches, which usually abate after 1 week It is spread by coughing, sneezing and direct...

Yoga Detoxification: Cleansing the Body the Natural Way

Do you find yourself affected by “lifestyle” health issues caused by stress and nervous disorders? Your body reacts negatively to stressors, building up toxins and chemicals and causing illness. A critical step in turning around your physical health is through detoxification, or by removing the harmful elements from your system. You may have seen advertisements for “detox wraps” or “detox health drinks,” but in truth, the most natural and straightforward method of detoxifying yourself is to engage in a healthful yoga program. Yoga not only cleanses your system, purging it of toxins; it also enables you to de-stress and addresses...

Finding Your Edge in Yoga

Finding Your Edge in Yoga Disappointment is just unrealized expectations. We only experience disappointment with an outcome if our expectation is greater than the reality which manifests. Thus, satisfaction is not realized by accomplishing a goal because of the goal itself; but, rather, satisfaction is relative to an outcome as measured against the desired expectation. Each asana (or pose) you perform during your yoga practice is perfect if done with intention and focus, and takes you to your edge – regardless of where your edge is at that time. “Your edge” is the limit to which you are able to push yourself...

Gym Etiquette: Don’t Be That Guy in the Gym

It’s that time of the year again when the newbie’s hit the gym with the best of intentions. Unfortunately a lot of freshmen gym goers are not so well versed in some basic “rules” of the weight lifting area. You've definitely seen one, you may know one, or you may even be one. I'm talking about that annoying guy (or girl) in the gym who either doesn’t know what they are doing or just plain ignores some basic rules. This is my list of the top five weight training no-no's. 1. Don’t be that guy doing curls in the squat rack It's called the...

Estimating Your Daily Caloric Needs

Calories; they are everywhere these days. We spend an awful lot of time and energy trying to count how many calories we consume per day, per meal, even per forkful. Yet many of us usually spend little if any time trying to figure out exactly how many calories we actually need, otherwise called our caloric needs. It's pretty easy to look up in any number of nutrition tables how many calories a certain food contains. It’s also pretty easy to add up all the calories you have eaten in a day to get your total daily caloric consumption. It's a little...

Controlling Diabetes with a Balanced Diet and Exercise

Lifestyle changes can make a profoundly positive difference when it comes to controlling diabetes, not only from day to day but also over the long term as well. Because many medications associated with diabetes can create complications — such as the link between the Actos and bladder cancer — many people with diabetes are trying to reduce their need for medications and insulin injections in favor of a natural, balanced approach to blood sugar control. A balanced diet, meaning one that contains the right nutrients in the right amounts, is quite capable of reducing the need for diabetes health medications over...

Run, Race and Set Goals

It's the start of a new year. What a great time to sit down and organize a running and racing schedule to keep you motivated and inspired all year long. Choosing one or two main goal races then organizing other races to support that goal keeps training fresh and fun. If your goal is to compete in your first race, run a marathon, or compete as an elite athlete you can benefit in many ways from goal setting. One of the benefits is you can visualize your goals, and re-read them weekly to remind yourself and stay motivated through tough training...

Five Ways to Incorporate Meditation into Your Work Day

Meditation is a practice in which an individual trains the mind or induces a mode of consciousness, either to realize some benefit or as an end in itself. Here are 5 ways you can incorporate this practice into your daily routine. 1. Silence before email. Morning meditation gives you a chance at clarity before your mind becomes busy with the thoughts and activities of the day. If your routine wake-up involves checking your inbox in bed, swap your mobile phone for a few minutes of morning silence. Have a comfortable cushion set up in a peaceful area of your home. Make it a...

Can’t Lose Weight? Is Your Autonomic Nervous System Balanced?

Many people think that in order to become healthy they must lose some weight. Actually the opposite is true. In order to lose weight, one must have good health. The truth of the second statement can be seen in gyms everywhere, where people honestly do put in their exercise time and eat a diet of rabbit food, and still despite all their efforts, the fat does not budge, or not to the point expected for the effort put in. The frustration in these people is palpable. Their trainers that are giving them killer workouts are also frustrated. What is going...

Which Yoga Practice fits You Best? Yoga for Different Needs

Although the positive effects of yoga on the human body can be significant, yoga should not be thought of as just another fitness program. Yoga is about uniting the whole person: body, mind, and spirit. It is not a competition, and yoga teachers are not like a typical fitness coach. Yoga teachers are also students, and they are always in the process of practicing and learning. Yoga is for people at any point on their journey to a healthier, happier, more productive lifestyle. Different styles of yoga are available for people with different needs. Within the various types of yoga,...