News

May 15, 2014 In Green & Healthy Living, Holistic Health, News, Spotlight By Vancouver Health Coach

The History of Ayurveda

India covers almost 3.3 million square kilometers in South Asia, and according to plate tectonic theory, can be visualized as more or less a large triangular landmass pushing upwards into the Asian continent. The base of the triangle is its northern edge, the focal area of impact between these two continents. This massive collision over millions of years has resulted in the towering Himalayas: huge sharp folds of land that once nursed an inland sea between India and Asia called the Tethys. The southern section of juts into the Indian Ocean, with the island of Sri Lanka trailing along, the Arabian...

May 4, 2014 In Food and Recipes, Green & Healthy Living, News By Lisa Virtue

Why Avoid the Noodles? Healthy Vegetable Noodles

Why Avoid the Noodles? Healthy Vegetable Noodles Summer is a time for eating light, refreshing meals. In this season, I like to eat more raw foods, and feel inspired to create natural noodle dishes!! These noodles are different than typical store-bought, dried wheat noodles. I’m talking about fresh vegetable spirals! The only device you need is a spiralizer, though you could also make do with a peeler or grater. Vegetable noodles can be made from any firm vegetable or even fruit, such as carrot, beet, turnip, daikon, jicama, potato, squash, apple, or the most popular of all, zucchini. The larger the vegetable...

April 26, 2014 In Food and Recipes, News, Spotlight By Rich Ralph

Genetic Modification in the Food We Eat

Chances are you’ve heard the term “Genetic Engineering” or “genetically modified”. And chances are also that you’ve heard the many ways this incredible technology can benefit our society. But have you ever stopped to consider how this technology really works, what it is actually doing, and the potential dangers involved in tampering with the genetics of our food? I agree that the concepts and intentions behind genetic engineering are noble. But even the most noble ideas and causes must be closely examined in order to determine the risks and consequences. To understand the catastrophic possibilities of genetic modification, we must first understand...

April 8, 2014 In Green & Healthy Living, Holistic Health, News, Spotlight By Vancouver Health Coach

3 Healthy Things to Know About Breasts

I started to study and educate women on breast health almost five years ago and the more I learn, the simpler what I teach becomes. Most women do not conduct a self-breast exam, they have no idea what a self-breast massage is and most women are not comfortable with touching their breasts. With so much attention and focus on breast cancer, how is this possible? We are inundated with pink ribbons and pink products to honour “The Cure.” There are a plethora of walks, runs and fundraising events happening. With all this attention, should it not be that breast cancer rates...

March 26, 2014 In Food and Recipes, Green & Healthy Living, News, Spotlight By Vancouver Health Coach

Cucumber Matcha Pineapple Smoothie

I’ve been having such a blast today creating new recipes in my kitchen such as a pineapple smoothie and dancing to Easy-E. Such a blast, in fact, that I need to refuel before heading to a couple of yoga classes tonight. As I opened my fridge I got to thinking.. what would Easy E do? Just joshing you. I started to think about a quick combination I could make in my kitchen right now that would provide me with the most energy before class starts in a few short hours. As I dedicate more to my yoga practice, I’ve been paying attention to...

March 21, 2014 In Food and Recipes, Holistic Health, News, Spotlight By Vancouver Health Coach

Kitchari: A Healing Food in Ayurveda

Kitchari is the classical Ayurvedic panacea, eaten whenever there is ill health or during a therapeutic regimen such as panch karma and detoxification. Essentially made from rice, kitchari is a universal food found in other cultures, with similar sounding names such as ‘kushari’ in the Middle East and ‘congee’ in China. There are an infinite array of variations, and based on the herbs and spices chosen, can be prepared to reduce vata, pitta or kapha. The following recipe is definitely more Indian-inspired, using herbs and spices to enhance digestion. Prepared with whole grain mung and brown rice, kitchari has a...

March 15, 2014 In Food and Recipes, Green & Healthy Living, News, Spotlight By Lisa Virtue

Like Almond Milk? You Will Love Almond-Macadamia Milk

Almond milk is incredibly delicious. But almond-macadamia milk is beyond words. You have to taste it to understand the sacredness of this drink. And it’s no surprise really, since almonds were sacred to the Romans too—they would shower them upon newlyweds as a fertility charm. This is why we see them at present day weddings, (often covered in a thick shell of sugar, unfortunately). Almonds are rich in monounsaturated fat, dietary fiber, potassium, magnesium, calcium, iron, zinc and vitamin E, and they are 20% protein. Almonds are a source of amygdalin, also known as laetrile, a component said to fight cancer. Studies have also found almonds to be...

March 6, 2014 In News, Running, Spotlight, Workouts By Vancouver Health Coach

Interval Training for Fat Loss

Many people mistakenly believe that the best way to lose weight through exercise is to train at a very slow pace for a long time. This notion came from Scandinavian studies conducted in the 1960s that showed that the body used more fat when exercising very slowly than when training more intensely. Some people interpreted these results to mean that low-intensity exercise is better for losing fat. This notion is nonsense! You lose fat by burning more calories than you take in. You will burn many more calories training intensely than exercising slowly. The body does not metabolize fats by themselves....

March 5, 2014 In Fitness, News, Spotlight, Workouts By Vancouver Health Coach

The Dirty Dozen Workout

This month I wanted to share a workout that you can do almost anywhere. You’ll just need a bit of space to do the workout and possibly a yoga mat and some light weights depending on the exercises you choose. I call this workout "The Dirty Dozen Workout" Pick 12 exercises and do 12 reps of each exercise. Move from one exercise to the next with very little break in between the exercises, then take a break at the end of the 12 movements. Repeat the Dirty Dozen circuit 3-4 times depending on your fitness level. If you do single arm or single leg movements...

February 14, 2014 In Emotional Health, Fitness, News, Spotlight By Vancouver Health Coach

Mental Benefits of Exercise

The Mental Benefits of Exercise From improving your heart health to toning your tush, we all know about the numerous physical and aesthetic rewards of working out. Yet many of us don't realize that exercise can play a very important role in mental health also. In recent years, mounting research has showed the effects of exercise on cognition, memory, mood, self-confidence, stress levels and overall happiness. Here are the top five mental health benefits of exercise. Takes Your Stress Away Prolonged or intense stress can have a very damaging effect on both the body and mind. It has been linked as one of the...