Author:Vancouver Health Coach

November 20, 2014 In Green & Healthy Living, News, Spotlight By Vancouver Health Coach

What You Need To Know About Stimulants and Skin

Most people depend on stimulants to get them through their day.  It may be that morning coffee to start the day, that sugary afternoon snack to keep going, or that glass of wine at night.  “Everyone has a vice” is something I hear all to regularly.  But what are these vices, or stimulants, doing to your skin?  Is your coffee the reason why your skin has acne?  Everyone is different, however I feel the need to highlight some important effects stimulants have on our bodies.  Specifically, the effects of coffee, alcohol, smoking and sugar on our skin. Coffee.  The aroma of...

November 20, 2014 In Spotlight, Video, Workouts By Vancouver Health Coach

Stability Ball Hamstring Curl: Exercise of the Week

The Stability Ball Hamstring Curl could possibly be the most effective hamstring exercise around. To perform this movement you will need a Stability ball and your body. Since the ball is unstable, your hamstrings and back muscles have to work hard to maintain your body position. Hamstring curls using the ball delivers great resistance to your hamstrings, and when done correctly this relatively “new kid on the block” is super effective. Goal: Keeping your hips up in line between your knees and your shoulders as you draw your heels in. Muscles involved: Hamstrings, stabilizer...

November 19, 2014 In Fitness, News, Spotlight By Vancouver Health Coach

Core Strengthening Isn’t Just Trendy; It’s a Vital Part of Training

One of those trendy fitness words that people like to use without understanding what they are talking about is the Core. Functional training is also a very misused word in the fitness industry. A common fitness misconception is that the abs are all that make up the core. Specifically, the part of the abs that you can see when you look in the mirror. Actually, the core is everything except the arms and legs (front and back of body). Thus, crunches aren't the only way to train the core. Unfortunately, in the gym  trainers often refer to the abs as the...

November 18, 2014 In Green & Healthy Living, News, Spotlight By Vancouver Health Coach

Check Your Baggage: Preventing Lifestyle Stress on Our Body

Many health problems are related to chronic day-to-day lifestyle stresses placed on the body – one being the unilateral use of purses, bags or backpacks. When carried on the same side, day after day – for many years, bags have an effect on posture and the muscular system; thus having an effect on your overall health. Women tend to wear their purse on the same shoulder, men carry their message bags slung on the same side and kids tend to have their backpack over one shoulder. Over time, this will cause muscles to become overdeveloped on the weight-bearing side. This results in...

November 18, 2014 In Emotional Health, Holistic Health, News, Spotlight By Vancouver Health Coach

The Healing Power of Conversation

Everybody has a story and it’s our stories that define who we are as people. Many of us may think our stories are not interesting or relevant enough to share with others, but this is a huge fallacy. Each person possesses within them a treasure trove of personal experience and stories rich in lessons I’m sure. Think about it. When someone passes away how do we remember them? We go back in time and tell stories of what life was like with them. It’s our stories--whether or good or bad--which in the end, gives our lives context and meaning. As a writer,...

November 17, 2014 In Food, Food and Recipes, News, Spotlight By Vancouver Health Coach

Gluten-Free Cinnamon Coconut Baked Apples

Archeological data indicates that humans have been enjoying the health benefits of apples since 6500 BC. The Europeans first brought the fruit to America over 400 year’s ago and we have been enjoying the nutritional benefits and its sweet taste ever since. This gluten-free and vegan Baked Cinnamon Coconut Apple dessert features freshly harvested apples available in natural markets right now. The baked apples are topped with Hail Merry Grawnola and shaved dried coconut before serving to Feed Your Body Royally! Does freshness matter when buying apples? Yes, because the fruit does not die when harvested. It remains a living organism that continues...

November 16, 2014 In Fitness, News, Spotlight, Workouts By Vancouver Health Coach

The ABCs of smart training: Part 2

Following the concepts outlined in the ABCs of smart training will help you increase your clients training potential, improve their skills and decrease injury potential. This is part 2 of a 3 part series. A2–AGILITY TRAINING AND ACCELERATION (QUICKNESS) DRILLS Sports require quick stops and starts, lateral movements, backpedaling, crossover turns, and pivots. Some form of agility and coordination training should be included as part of their daily sessions; you do not want to be an athlete who can play but cannot move. Points to remember when training for agility are these: 1). Always start with an athletic stance 2). Agility and...

November 16, 2014 In Emotional Health, Green & Healthy Living, News, Spotlight By Vancouver Health Coach

Payday: Learning to Accept Financial Uncertainty

With change being the only certainty in life, one would imagine that humans would adapt and become comfortable in this state of constant reformation. But, no; instead we anticipate that the bad moments are going to last forever, and we try to stop time when we find a warm spot in which to rest. Learning to accept uncertainty is a Buddhist teaching, but there’s no need to climb a mountain in order to challenge oneself with this lesson. In fact, there’s a very real-life ritual we go through every month that shows us quite quickly how we lack in this area....

November 15, 2014 In Fitness, Green & Healthy Living, News, Spotlight, Uncategorized By Vancouver Health Coach

The Importance of Purpose: What is the Purpose Behind Your Health Goals?

When meeting a client for the first time I always ask a few questions about their health goals going forward. This helps me determine if their goals are realistic and how they've gotten to the point of sitting and talking with me. I can usually tell a few minutes into our conversation how dedicated this person is going to be, how much energy and time it's going to take from me to help them and whether they'll actually achieve the health goals they've mentioned. The reality is, not everyone has the drive, determination, dedication and purpose driving him or her hard...

November 15, 2014 In Food and Recipes, News, Spotlight By Vancouver Health Coach

Recipes for Health: Sauteed Shrimp with Artichokes

Recently, Doctor Oz did a show on How to Stop Cancer Growing Inside of You, and brought Dr. William Li, a Cancer Researcher at the Center for Biomedical Research, on the show. In his work, Dr. Li studies the use of food as opposed to medicines manufactured in labs, because many foods have natural ingredients that inhibit the growth of cancer. One of the five foods that Li told Dr Oz can prevent cancer from growing inside of you was artichokes. Here is one of our artichoke dishes, we hope you enjoy and make sure to send us your feedback at...