Spotlight

April 12, 2013 In Editor's Picks: Must Haves for Staying Healthy, Food and Recipes, Green & Healthy Living, News, Spotlight By Vancouver Health Coach

Grocery Shopping Sense with Global TV’s Melody Yong

As a health blogger, foodie and nutrition lover, I celebrated Nutrition Month in March by attending a food bloggers grocery store tour with Global TV’s dietician, Melody Yong. I am delighted to share with you a few highlights of the tour and some health tips that will make grocery shopping for healthy living easier for you and your family. In agreeance with Melody, the foundation of healthy eating begins with what you put in your grocery cart. However, grocery shopping is not always a simple task. If you have children and a busy schedule, it’s likely that you’re on a time crunch. And depending on the...

March 29, 2013 In Editor's Picks: Must Haves for Staying Healthy, Food and Recipes, News, Spotlight By Vancouver Health Coach

Natural, Organic & Non-GMO Foods: Why it Matters to You!

Are natural foods free of toxins? Do some organic foods contain GMO's? You have a right to know what is in the food you are feeding your family but, food labels are confusing and often misleading.  Read this article by Claudia Pillow, PhD, about the  the difference between "natural", "organic" and Non-GMO? Many people think the term “natural” is fairly similar to “organic, and in fact many think “natural” labels are more meaningful than “organic”.  This thinking is not correct. What does the label “NATURAL” mean to you? The term "natural" applies broadly to foods that are minimally processed and free of synthetic...

March 22, 2013 In Fitness, News, Spotlight, Workouts By Vancouver Health Coach

Largest, Longest, Smallest & Strongest Muscles in the Body

There are about 640 muscles in the body. They come in all shapes and sizes and perform many different functions. Here's a quick list of the largest, longest, smallest and strongest. Largest The Gluteus Maximus, one of three gluteal muscles, is located at the back of the hip and is commonly called the buttocks. It's main functions are hip extension and hip external rotation. Some great exercises to train the Gluteus Maximus muscles include squats, deadlifts and lunges. Longest The Sartorius are long thin muscles that run from the outside of the upper thigh down and across the leg to the inside of the...

March 6, 2013 In Fitness, News, Running, Spotlight By Vancouver Health Coach

How to Choose the Right Running Shoes for You

Whether you are running for fun or planning on becoming part of the Olympic team one day, it's vitally important to ensure that you are wearing appropriate and correctly-fitting running shoes. Too many runners make a poor selection due to a lack of understanding of their foot type, but with a little care and forethought, it is possible to select a pair of shoes that will enhance your performance without compromising the condition of your foot structure. Feet come in three main types, normal, flat and high-arched. After a bath or shower, take a look at your damp footprint on the...

March 4, 2013 In Green & Healthy Living, Holistic Health, News, Spotlight By Vancouver Health Coach

Tackling Fatigue in Multiple Sclerosis: Be In it to Win It

Nearly every person with Multiple Sclerosis (MS) also suffers from fatigue. As many as 9 in 10 experience fatigue that results in some way from multiple sclerosis. The causes of multiple sclerosis fatigue are not well understood, but some sources include problems associated with sleep disruption or depression. Others may experience fatigue that is induced by medications taken for other multiple sclerosis symptoms. Whatever the cause of your multiple sclerosis fatigue, take the advice of the Multiple Sclerosis International Federation and Healthline experts to reduce your fatigue. Keep in mind, however, that the sources of multiple sclerosis fatigue may vary from person to person—so the...

February 20, 2013 In Fitness, News, Spotlight By Vancouver Health Coach

Exercising in the Cold

Winter is upon us and as the mercury drops, most people dread the idea of being outside in freezing temperatures at all, let alone exercising in them. While working out in the cold can be invigorating, and according to some studies may even help you burn more calories, exercise outdoors can also be dangerous. So before you venture out into the arctic chill, here are a few tips to help you get prepared. Check Weather Forecast Even before you get ready to set foot outside, make sure to check the forecast. Don't forget to look at both the air temperature and the...

February 1, 2013 In Editor's Picks: Must Haves for Staying Healthy, Eliminating Toxins, Food, Food and Recipes, Green & Healthy Living, Holistic Health, News, Spotlight By Vancouver Health Coach

Vegan Noodle Soup for Cold and Flu Season

I love this soup for cold and flu season because it’s simple to make and packed full of immune supportive veggies and spices! I'll give you a quick lowdown before the recipe. Leafy green vegetables such as kale and swiss chard, along with broccoli and celery have a high amount of vitamin C, Mama Nature’s version of antibiotics. Vitamin A assists the liver with flushing toxins from the body to be safely eliminated and a healthy dose can be found in carrots. When you have a cold or flu, inflammation is part of your body’s immune response to fight off bacteria. (This is...

December 19, 2012 In Green & Healthy Living, News, Spotlight, Yoga By Vancouver Health Coach

Do You Sweat Too Much in Yoga?

While a true yoga practice incorporates more than just rigorous asana, there is no doubt that a heart-pumping Ashtanga Vinyasa or Power Yoga class is great for burning calories and shedding pounds. There are even more reasons to sweat when you do yoga, though, and the following are three good ones! The skin is the largest detoxing organ  It isn’t the liver, bladder or intestines, surprisingly. We live in an environment that is unfortunately filled with toxic chemicals. We take them in via the air we breathe, the food we eat, and the water we bathe in and drink. While you can...

December 14, 2012 In Editor's Picks: Must Haves for Staying Healthy, Eliminating Toxins, Green & Healthy Living, Holistic Health, Spotlight By Vancouver Health Coach

Dandruff: The Real Root Cause

Dandruff is a hyper-proliferative affliction of the skin of the scalp, meaning that for some reason the skin has a rapid rate of turnover and flakes off in excessive amounts. Although emboldened with it's own scientific name, Pityriasis Simplex Capillitii (complete with no less than eleven syllables and a double 'ii' thrown in for good measure), the term 'dandruff' is really more of a wastebasket diagnosis, meaning that any number of factors can cause it. But even if they don't fess up directly, those dandruff shampoo manufacturers are betting that it's caused by a fungal infection. Just go take a look...

October 22, 2012 In Food and Recipes, News, Spotlight By Vancouver Health Coach

The Ultimate Social Network: Our Bodies, Bacteria and Kombucha

In your body, bacteria cells out number your own cells by a factor of 10 to 1.  Some of these 100+ trillion bacteria possess genes that encode for beneficial compounds that the body cannot make on it’s own. Beneficial bacteria help with digestion, help our bodies make and absorb vitamins, and also help support a strong immune system. Other bacteria train the immune system not to overreact to outside threats and play a crucial role in the development and operation of your digestive tract. They also aid in the production of antibodies, proteins produced by the immune system to detect...