wellness Archives - Family Health Advocacy

Best Essential Oils – These Are More Than Just Herbs

July 22, 2020November 29, 2019 by Jo-Anne Richardson, RHN

The culture of medicine is changing. There has been a huge movement in the past decade towards natural healthcare. We see droves of people heading to their local health store in search of natural ways to take care of their health such as the best essential oils. Of course there is always a time and place for modern medicine, but the two can work hand in hand.

Essential oils are one of the many options available to anyone looking for a natural alternative. While the mainstream use of essential oils continues to grow, oils have been around for centuries. The Egyptians used plant extracts for health and religious reasons. In fact, Jean Valnet used oils to successfully treat injured soldiers in WWII. Today we use these as simple and effective solutions for wellness and a healthy lifestyle.

Be The Healer In Your Home

For those of you who may not be familiar with essential oils. You may be asking yourself, “How can these drops of oil help?”. Oil use is spreading like wildfire because more and more people are learning about research being done, and are finding out that essential oils are legit! Your life can be powerfully affected by these oils. Even if you don’t know much about them yet.

Essential oils are more than just herbs! They are volatile aromatic compounds that are up to 70 times more potent than herbs. Using essential oils may seem foreign, but with the right guidance they can be a simple and rewarding addition to every medicine cabinet. With proper use there are no side effects and they work quickly and effectively.

Click here to read, “5 Ways To Heal The Mind & Body By Using This One Oil!”.

Best Essential Oils

When your child wakens during the night with an upset stomach, you can feel confident reaching for essential oils to settle them. Bug bites, burns and most common ailments and so much more can be supported with these amazing drops of oil. For example;

Peppermint Essential Oil

A single drop of certified pure peppermint oil can be all you need to tackle your next headache, digestive or respiratory discomfort, or maybe just your bad breath!

Lavender Essential Oil

Lavender is widely know for its calming and relaxing qualities. However it is such a versatile oil that it is also used for many skin conditions such as;

It can be particularly useful with sleep and stress. With proper dilution essential oils can be used for everyone in the family.

Lemon Essential Oil

Lemon can be used to cleanse and purify the air using a cool-mist diffuser. It is an uplifting and energizing oil that can help improve mood. Lemon essential oil can naturally cleanse the body and aid in digestion. When combined with lavender and peppermint, it can support those with seasonal discomfort.

Choosing The Right Oils For You

There are more than 90 essentials oils. Each of which contains hundreds of different compounds, providing versatile abilities to combat threats. Understanding their potency and safe usage practices is important for everyone just starting out. There are many resources about essential oils that can help you on your journey. But note that not all essential oils are created equally. So do your research before picking up your next bottle.

For more information, click here to read, “Have you heard of this miracle oil? You should be using it!”

You may also enjoy, “What Exactly Is Homeopathy?”

Jo-Anne Richardson, RHN

Jo-Anne Richardson has almost a decade of experience managing a chiropractic office and educating patients on how chiropractic can allow your body to express optimal health. She is a Registered Holistic Nutritionist and holds a Degree in Communications. She loves to experiment with raw vegan recipes, loves to salsa dance, travel and learn new holistic health information to share tips with everyone who visits the office.

Wellness – 6 Essentials for a Vibrant Life

July 22, 2020July 16, 2018 by Mrs. Annette Presley, RD

In today’s fast-paced world, it can be difficult to find the time to look after ourselves. There appears that there is no time for wellness. Meal planning is a nuisance if we decide to do it all, and we often find ourselves scarfing down whatever is convenient, eating food to survive instead of to thrive. We find ourselves fatigued and wonder what is wrong, where does the day go?

We must learn to make ourselves a priority. We need to pay attention to what we do with our bodies because it is our health that gives us the quality of life we want. It is essential that in chasing after these things, we do not forget the organism that is helping us achieve all these things—our bodies.

1. Clean Eating

While it is completely okay to indulge in a favorite comfort food once in a while or bake some cookies to feel all warm and fuzzy, it is important to remember what our bodies really need among all the junk. Our bodies need clean, balanced diets that include fresh fruit and vegetables, clean proteins, and healthy fats.

2. Staying Active

Exercise is not scary. It comes in all forms, in all varieties, in all speeds and intensities. Walking, yoga, stretching, jogging, push-ups, jumping jacks; even gardening, playing with your kids, taking the stairs…anything that helps you move your body can be counted as exercise. Pack a pair of sneakers with you wherever you go, and you are sure to find more opportunities for exercise than you realize. If you find yourself with five or ten minutes, dance or do something with your body to re-energize you, instead of checking your social media. If your body is moving, your muscles are receiving fresh blood and oxygen that will rejuvenate you and release those happy endorphins.

3. Digital Detoxes

It is imperative that you step back from your technology every once in a while. Some psychologists say that humans are not intended to efficiently process human suffering and experience at the scale that social media allows. Take time to reconnect with people in person, practice solitude, and gain some perspective.

4. Pay attention to your feelings

What do you need? Do you need a run? Do you need a rest? Do you need a quiet night at home, or would your emotional health benefit from a night out with friends? Your body is always communicating with you; listen to you to guide your lifestyle. If you are not making healthy choices, your body will let you know. If you are not feeling like yourself, then listen to your feelings.

5. Mix it up

The only thing constant in life is change and change can be a good thing. Variety is important. Try something new for dinner, or go to a new exercise class instead of pedaling away on the stationary bike. Try a new route to work or pick up a new hobby. Just try something new to keep yourself moving forward. Experience is the exercise for the soul.

6. Rest

Everything falls into place when you take a break from work to play and rest. Schedule some time each week to do something fun, meditate, or just relax and make sure you get 7 to 8 hours of sleep. Rest is a great way to boost creativity and create balance and hormony.

21-Day Clean Eating (Wellness) Program

If you are ready to make you a priority so you can live a vibrant and exciting life full of possibilities, I invite you to join my 21-Day Clean Eating Program. It will begin on August 5th and the Facebook group is already loaded with material to get you started so you are ready to go in August.

Here is the link:

https://www.yourpersonalnutritioncoach.com/clean-eating

Mrs. Annette Presley, RD

Annette Presley RD, LD, is a functional nutritionist, author, speaker, and entrepreneur. She enjoys helping people live their lives well so they can stay out of hospitals and spend more time with their families and doing the things they love.

www.annettepresley.com

Vision and Health: Can’t have one without the other

July 22, 2020May 10, 2017 by Mark Del Cantero

I had worked at a homeless shelter for 2 years giving free chiropractic care to the down and out in Hamilton. The man in front of me had come in for back pain. I always asked these men the same question at their intake exam:

“What is the vision of what you want to do with your life?” His response tore my heart: “I have failed at everything I have ever tried and I’m not even sure if I want to live anymore.”

As you can imagine if people have LOW or NO vision, like the above example, their investment of time and money into health disciplines like nutrition, exercise, spinal health and relationships will probably be VERY LOW to NON-EXISTENT. Consequently, their health will be very poor, as it was with the above man. The BEST way to get healthy is to NEED good health because of your vision for amazing health.

If we NEED our bodies to be healthy in order to accomplish our BIG dreams, then we MUST take care of them.

Vision is EVERYTHING. As a chiropractor for 20 years now, I realize that the MOST important piece of information we can glean from the New Patient exam is precisely what I asked that man: “What is your vision for your life?” We then ask: “What do you miss MOST due to your poor health right now?”. Finally we ask, “If this condition was left alone for 5 years and did not improve how would that affect your life?”

EVERYONE has a vision and desire for CRISIS care. This puts us in a place of “no choice” meaning that we MUST fix the problem, no matter how long it takes or how much it costs. Crisis care may be the 30 year old Dad who can’t work as a mechanic due to sciatica. His wife and kids will starve if he can’t get his spine fixed. No choice. It may be the 65 year old widowed grandma who has hip pain and can’t play golf. Her Tuesday and Thursday night golf league is what she lives for and she can’t give it up. No choice. These people will ALWAYS proceed with their corrective care plan.

The BIG SOLID YELLOW differentiating line is this: once the crisis is gone, do people have a vision for ongoing wellness care? This may mean weekly or bi-weekly adjustments for life. The answer to this question depends on their belief. Will on-going wellness chiropractic in some REAL way help me achieve my dream of being healthy until I’m 90? If they can’t see how chiropractic may help do that then they will NOT continue into wellness care. This same decision making process will determine whether they work out for life and eat healthy food for life.

The first pre-requisite here is that you have a VISION for good health which means a compelling REASON as to why you need good health. This varies for everyone but could be grandkids, travel, ministry work, sports and golf, taking care of sick family etc.

The second pre-requisite is understanding how a healthy spine will get you there. A spine that has good mobility and structure IS that key to amazing health in older years. A spine that is immobile, mis-aligned, arthritic and decaying will rob people of their ability to fulfill their dreams especially in later years.

Recently at my clinic my patient, a 60 year old lady, had her adjustment and then sat on the table and announced that she got an award from her Gym. She had hit the 1800 mark. She had done 1800 workouts over a 13 year period of time. WOW!! It just so happens that she finished 10 years of wellness care with me; close to 300 adjustments. She is one of the healthiest and most joyful people I know. She always comes in with a smile and is praising our team and her husband and her kids and friends. She has a VISION for wellness and believes that chiropractic is a large part of the HOW to be optimally healthy.

Ultimately as humans we have two choices when a health challenge robs our ability to do what we love to do. The first choice is to LOWER our vision and NOT fix the health issue. An example would be the 70 year old who decides to quit golf because it causes him extreme back pain every time he plays.

The second choice is to MAINTAIN our vision and dream and to FIX the health issue. This would be the 70 year old man who follows through on a corrective care plan and then ongoing wellness care for 20 years and continues to play golf until he is 90!

The most important question for the patient is: “What vision do you believe will allow you to have the most abundant and healthy life possible?” Life-time wellness chiropractic care OR symptom-based crisis-relief care? If you believe life-time wellness care is best for you then find that chiropractor that also believes this.

Without a compelling vision for your life, you may not need good health. If you lose your health you lose everything. If you lose your vision you also lose everything. They both go hand in hand. You can’t have one without the other.

_________________________________

Guest Blog by Dr. Mark del Cantero

Dr. Mark Del Cantero has been a structural corrective chiropractor for 20 years now in Ancaster, Ontario. He has helped thousands of people to not only restore their health but to maintain it and achieve high levels of health and vitality. He not only takes an interest in spinal health but also in nutrition, exercise and stress management.

He graduated from the Canadian Memorial Chiropractic College as a Chiropractor in 1996 with clinical honours and has since taken all of the core courses in Chiropractic Biophysics Technique. He completed his undergraduate degree in Biology at the University of Toronto in 1990.

He has been a speaker at various venues including Warrior Coaching and dozens of groups locally in Hamilton.

He lives with his wife and three children in Ancaster, Ontario.

You can find Dr. Mark at:

Website: http://www.cedarspringschiro.com/

Social Media: Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/cedarspringschiro

Twitter: https://twitter.com/chirocedar

Instagram @cedarspringschiro

Mark Del Cantero

www.cedarspringschiro.com/

Exercises to Help Improve Your Posture

July 22, 2020February 15, 2017 by Jo-Anne Richardson, RHN

Virtually everything we do requires us to hunch forward – typing, cooking, driving, etc. When we slouch, our chest muscles shorten, our back muscles weaken, and our abdominal muscles grow slack. This muscle shortening is a cause of a wide range of uncomfortable symptoms. Fortunately, however, being mindful of our posture can prevent back pain, help us feel better, and even assist in projecting more confidence.

We hear a lot about “core” strength, but what exactly is the core? Put simply, it is the series of abdominal and lower back muscles that connect to your spine and pelvis. These muscles are involved in virtually every movement we perform, but like any other muscle group they can become unbalanced from lack of consistent use. Imbalances in strength and use can cause them to grow fatigued, get overstressed, and wither over time.

In order to improve posture, we must strengthen our core muscles through consistent, periodic training, without overdoing it. Finding routines which use resistant bands or dumbbells can be a great way to improve strength and flexibility but it’s important to realize the differences between resistance bands and dumbbells before incorporating them into your fitness routine.

Having the right routine to strengthen your core will assist in reversing the feeling of “tight” muscles, strengthen little-used muscles that have atrophied through lack of use, and keep consistently-used muscles from growing fatigued.

Try the following simple exercises on alternating days with one day off in-between. You may feel a bit sore on the first few days, but being consistent with this quick and easy routine will improve your posture and fortify your core and back muscles.

Core Exercises:

Lying Leg Raises

Lie down on your back with your legs straight. Put your hands by your sides or under your glutes with palms facing down (to support the lower back). Press your lower back to the floor as you lift your legs off the ground until they make a 90-degree angle from the floor. Slowly lower your legs back down towards the ground.

Curl Up/Crunches

Lie down on your back with your knees bent and feet flat on the ground. Put your hands across your chest or pointing forward by your sides. Keep your lower back pressed to the floor, slowly roll your head, shoulders, and upper back off the ground. With control, slowly roll back down.

Plank

Start with your elbows on the ground with palms facing down and fingers facing forward. Make sure that your shoulders are right above your elbows, and they are away from your ears (no shrugging). Your toes should be tucked under towards your shins. Keep your core tight and leg rigid. Try squeezing your thigh and glute muscles. Hold in this position for as long as you’re comfortable. You should not be feeling your lower back.

Back-Focused Exercises:

Superman:

Lie down on your stomach with your arms out overhead and your legs straight behind you. Lift your arms and legs off the ground simultaneously as you contract your back and glute muscles. Keep the motion slow and controlled. Your neck, head, and spine should be aligned. Slowly lower your arms and legs back down on the ground.

Shoulder Blade Pinch:

Stand or sit with your shoulders back, down, and relaxed. Squeeze your shoulder blades together as you open up your chest. Hold the pinch for 10 seconds.

Cobra Back Extension:

Lie on your stomach with your hands by your shoulders. Straighten your arms as you contract your back muscles in a back bend. Hold this pose for a second before slowly lowering back down.

Trainer’s Tips:

Pull ab muscles in and up toward your spine – try not to use your hips to move your lower core.
Use slow, controlled movements—don’t jerk your body through the movement.
Breathe evenly throughout the movement—don’t hold your breath.
Stop doing any activity that causes pain or makes pain worse!

Blog by Guest Author: Sally Leung – a fitness coach, certified personal trainer, fitness instructor, and nutrition and wellness specialist who is committed to helping others live their healthiest lives. She is also the host of Get Fit, Get Strong on Rogers TV and the creator of her signature program – The Bikini Body Method. Sally believes in sustainable changes, and she is passionate about helping everyone discover how to permanently improve their lives. For workout ideas, fitness tips, and recipes, check out her website www.SallyLeungFitness.com and follow her on social media: www.Facebook.com/SallyLeungFitness and www.Instagram.com/SallyLeungFitness

Jo-Anne Richardson, RHN