Spotlight

September 15, 2014 In Food and Recipes, News, Spotlight By Rich Ralph

The Superfood Dilemma: Mangosteen

Pomegranate, Noni fruit, Acai Berry, and now the Mangosteen. Some days it feels like the latest superfruit trends change faster than iPhone upgrades! What is it about tropical fruit that makes us believe we can’t be truly healthy without it? I write on a regular basis about the value of the incredible local fruit and vegetables we have around us and their exceptional health benefits. I decided it was time to put one of the latest exotic food fads up against a typical local food so we can make an educated comparison for ourselves on the nutritional values. On one hand we...

September 14, 2014 In Food and Recipes, Green & Healthy Living, News, Spotlight By Crystal Di Domizio

Is Gluten Sabotaging Your Health?

According to new research from the Mayo Clinic, Celiac Disease affects approximately 1 in 100 people. When individuals with Celiac Disease consume gluten, which is a protein found in wheat, rye and barley, the absorptive surface of the small intestine is damaged. This greatly decreases the body’s ability to absorb nutrients causing vitamin and mineral deficiencies that deprive the brain, nervous system, bones and other organs of essential nourishment. Continued exposure to gluten creates an increased risk for developing secondary diseases and disorders including certain types of cancer. The development of Celiac Disease involves a combination of genetic, environmental and...

September 13, 2014 In News, Spotlight, Workouts By Vancouver Health Coach

How to build muscle without supplements: Part Two

Previously I talked about the science and concepts behind building muscle without the aid of supplements. It is a process that can be done but keep in mind that it will take some time. Before a few sample testosterone inducing workouts are broken down, here is a recap of what was previously talked about. 1). Testosterone will have many effects on the body, both directly and indirectly.  It will all have some effect on the growth of a muscle in some shape or form. 2). When it comes to program design, you want to follow the following guidelines: - Multi-joint exercises...

September 13, 2014 In Fitness, News, Spotlight, Workouts By Vancouver Health Coach

A Closer Look at Tabata Interval Training

Across the board, interval training has plenty of benefits. From fat loss, maintaining muscle, helping to strengthen aerobic and anaerobic metabolism personal trainers have prescribed this kind of training to their clients as well as the average gym goer. In summary, intervals usually consist of a high intensity bout of exercise followed by a low intensity bout (or a complete rest) and will repeat this for several rounds. For example, a person may run on the treadmill at a very fast speed for 30 seconds followed by a light jog or walk for 30 seconds and repeat that for 15-20...

September 12, 2014 In Eliminating Toxins, Fitness, News, Spotlight By Vancouver Health Coach

What Is Inflammation?

What is Inflammation? Inflammation is the body’s response to injury. Injury to soft tissues can arise from a number of sources. Physical traumas such as a strain, sprain or contusion are most common, whereas injuries can also occur from bacterial or viral infections, heat, or chemical injury. Trauma causes direct damage to cells in the immediate area of injury, causing bleeding. The bleeding initiates a cascade of events in the inflammatory process that promote healing of the injured tissue. Progression from acute to chronic inflammation can result from persistent injury or individual factors (eg. diabetes, corticosteroid use, blood disorders). How...

September 12, 2014 In Eliminating Toxins, Food and Recipes, Holistic Health, News, Spotlight By Vancouver Health Coach

Eating Smart with Irritable Bowel Syndrome

Knowing what foods to avoid can be just as crucial to your comfort as knowing what foods to eat if you have Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS). And if you are one of the 10–15% of Americans who have IBS, then this article is for you. There are several different subgroups of IBS, and many people with the condition react to foods differently as well. For instance, dairy products may upset the stomach and bowel movements of someone with IBS-D (with diarrhea) or with IBS and lactose intolerance, while dairy may be helpful for bowel regulation for someone with IBS-C (with constipation). Although...

September 11, 2014 In Green & Healthy Living, Holistic Health, News, Spotlight By Vancouver Health Coach

The Future of IBS Treatment: What’s in Store for Your Bowels?

Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) is one of a number of chronic conditions affecting millions of people about which very little is actually known. With no known cause, no specific mechanism, and no single set of symptoms, effective treatments for IBS have been slow in materializing. A cure for IBS is not currently available. But what are researchers doing to make progress? A variety of pharmaceuticals have been released in the past decades to address IBS symptoms, but side effects have often matched the condition’s own discomforts. These drugs have tried to target inflammation, brain-gut interaction, and gut motility, but millions of individuals...

September 11, 2014 In Eliminating Toxins, Holistic Health, News, Spotlight, Uncategorized By Vancouver Health Coach

Spring Detox With Fresh Dandelions

Dandelions are so common here in BC during springtime. Its Latin name is taraxacum officinale. Before I got involved in the natural health field I would weed dandelions out of my garden and throw them away. Now I treat every dandelion plant in my garden like the treasure that it is. Dandelions are completely edible, plus most importantly, consuming them will detoxify your liver and kidneys. It is a powerful diuretic which, unlike pharmaceutical diuretics, does not drain the body of potassium because it is also rich in potassium. Dandelions also contain vitamin A, calcium, and iron. Remember to avoid eating...

September 10, 2014 In Eliminating Toxins, Food, Food and Recipes, News, Spotlight By Vancouver Health Coach

Eating Ayurvedic: A Diet For Everyone

The concept behind food as medicine is that food is a spectrum between nourishment and healing, and given the very large spectrum of foods, there many valid approaches to diet. But when we talk about diet, we need to understand the difference between a diet that nourishes, and a diet that heals. We need to understand how the different qualities of food impacts our health, for good and for ill. There is no such thing as a wrong food, with perhaps the exception of highly processed, refined foods, but only because they are biologically inappropriate (e.g. microparticles). But almost all...

September 9, 2014 In Emotional Health, Green & Healthy Living, News, Spotlight By Vancouver Health Coach

Setting Boundries in Our Daily Lives

Setting boundaries is a term that has been floating through the pop-psychology circuit for some time now. As much as it appears like a sophisticated technique to adopt and practice within our relationships, quite simply it is the art of saying no, or setting limits on what you are willing to handle. Unfortunately, there are plenty of folks in the world who are either people-pleasers or afraid of disappointing and hurting others. Being a people-pleaser or worrying about how you affect others means you put yourself last. There’s nothing wrong with being a giving, selfless person, yet how can you bring...