Spotlight

August 30, 2010 In Food and Recipes, News, Spotlight By Vancouver Health Coach

Health Effects of Drinking Soda

At any given lunch period at Old Union Elementary School in Southlake, Texas, 28 cans of carbonated soda (many wrapped in foil to keep cool) are being consumed amongst 106 third graders. In other words, 26% of the class is drinking soda at lunch. By the end of the day, 60% of all the third graders will have consumed at least one soda. Soft drinks have replaced milk as the drink of choice for these children. As parents we willingly comply, but the health effects to our children, and the financial burden to our health care system will be enormous. How...

July 26, 2010 In Food and Recipes, Spotlight, Uncategorized By Vancouver Health Coach

Gluten–Free Breakfast Burrito

A burrito, also named taco de harina, is a type of Mexican food. It often consists of a flour tortilla wrapped or folded around a filling. Southwestern cuisine, New Mexican cuisine, and Tex-Mex in particular, has popularized the breakfast burrito, in which elements of an American breakfast are wrapped inside a flour tortilla with green chile. While Tia Sophia's, a Mexican café in Santa Fe, New Mexico, claims to have invented the original breakfast burrito in 1975, Fitness Goop offers this gluten-free mouth watering option. Breakfast really is the most important meal of the day. Without it your metabolism will slow...

July 5, 2010 In Green & Healthy Living, News, Spotlight By Vancouver Health Coach

Personal Health: How Healthy Do You Think You Are?

More than 45 million Americans now belong to a health club, and $19 billion a year is spent on gym memberships. Unfortunately, some people will join a gym, but never make it through the front door. Still, as one major study - the Minnesota Heart Survey - found, more of us at least say we exercise regularly. The survey ran from 1980, when only 47% of respondents said they engaged in regular exercise, to 2000, when the figure had grown to 57%. And yet obesity figures have risen dramatically in the same period: a third...

July 5, 2010 In Green & Healthy Living, News, Spotlight, Supplements By Vancouver Health Coach

Turmeric vs. NSAIDs for Knee Osteoarthritis

In 2009, a human trial compared the effects of turmeric (Curcuma domestica) versus a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) for osteoarthritis of the knee joint. This randomized controlled study examined the safety profile and clinical efficacy of Curcuma domestica extracts for pain reduction and overall functional improvement in subjects with knee osteoarthritis. Subjects with a pain score of >= 5 were given either 800mg/day of ibuprofen or 2000mg of turmeric extracts for 6 weeks. The end points of the study were reduction in pain upon walking, pain climbing stairs, and knee function assessed by subjects walking up and down stairs. Results of...

March 29, 2010 In Fitness, News, Spotlight, Yoga By Vancouver Health Coach

The Cooler Side of Yoga: Yin Yoga

“Yin” yoga classes are popping up all over the place, but the style is often misunderstood by those who have yet to experience a session. The misunderstanding is, well, understandable since while passing by a class one witnesses serene looking people-pods doing seemingly nothing but tugging the tail of the cat for five or 10 minutes at a time. But anyone who has hung out in Sleeping Swan for any duration will be quick to tell you that yin yoga is definitely not going to rock you gently into Shavasana. Quite the contrary – yin yoga is deceptively aggressive in its...

October 24, 2009 In Fitness, News, Spotlight By Vancouver Health Coach

Introducing the Kettlebell

For all of you who are new to the word Kettlebell, it is not a completely new kid on the block in the fitness industry. Kettlebells have been used for nearly 100 years in countries such as Russia. More recently in North America, Kettlebell training is exploding in gyms due to its simplicity and it's effectiveness. What is a Kettlebell? The kettlebell is a strength training tool similar to the dumbbell only shaped differently and usually made out of cast iron. Resembling small bowling balls with thick, large handles the sizes of these weights begins at 4kg (8.8 lbs) and goes up...

July 20, 2009 In Green & Healthy Living, News, Spotlight By Vancouver Health Coach

Immune System: How does it Protect us from Chronic Illness?

For the immune system to work properly, two things must happen: first, the body must recognize that it is being threatened by foreign microorganisms. Second, the immune response must be activated quickly before many body tissue cells are destroyed by the invaders. In our environment, we are constantly exposed to viruses (such as those that cause colds and influenza), bacteria (such as those that cause pneumonia and food poisoning), parasites, and fungi. In a healthy individual, the immune system is efficient in the removal of these harmful organisms. However, when the immune system is overworked or weak due to chronic...