Spotlight

June 7, 2014 In Fitness, News, Spotlight, Workouts By Vancouver Health Coach

The Exercise Band Workout

During the week I like to train in the gym but on the weekend if it’s nice outside I’d rather not be indoors. Instead I grab some of my favorite exercise equipment and head to the park to workout. Some of my favorite toys to use outside are TRX cables, a Skip-Rope and an Exercise-band. Today’s workout focuses on using an exercise band. Hopefully this post will help you realize that you don’t always need a fancy gym or a ton of equipment to get a great workout in. Get creative and have fun with the environment around you. You might surprise yourself with how great of...

June 3, 2014 In Fitness, News, Spotlight By Vancouver Health Coach

Pilates to Strengthen Your Core

For some people, exercise routines focus on weight loss or building muscle. For others, their mission is to increase strength, improve balance, stamina and flexibility. If the latter is your goal in the gym, then working your body ‘core’ is where you should spend your time. We rely on our bodies for everything: when we get out of bed in the morning, get dressed, go to work, play with the kids, and when we work up a sweat in the weight room. That’s why it’s important to take care of our body every day with regular exercise, nutritious food, lots of...

June 2, 2014 In Eliminating Toxins, Green & Healthy Living, News, Spotlight By Rich Ralph

Are Allergies Forever?

Most of the clients who come to see me are amazed when I tell them that I believe anyone can overcome their allergies. The biggest mistake you can make which will keep you suffering from allergies is to assume that you have to live with uncomfortable symptoms forever. Most people are told that “allergies run in the family,” or that they “just have to live with it”. But what we aren’t told is that given the right circumstances and environment, the body can re-establish homeostasis, therefore alleviating all suffering indefinitely! People who assume or accept the belief that they must suffer...

May 22, 2014 In Fitness, News, Spotlight, Workouts By Vancouver Health Coach

Unconventional Core Training: Effective Exercises for Your Core

Core training is more than thousands of crunches and side bends.  The other role of your stomach muscles is for stabilization of your spine.  Your core muscles will contract to prevent any unwanted bending which will help prevent injury.  Some of these exercises may be outside of the norm of your normal core training. Use some of these exercises to add into your routine.  You also get the added benefit of working multiple muscle groups.  Needless to say, you won’t have to worry about doing any crunches. 1. Single arm dumb bell (DB) bench press How to perform it: Lie down on your...

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...

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...