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LANGLEY! beENERGIZED! Foods that give you oomph! with guest PeggyKotsopoulos RHN.
Events
FREE Langley Public Wellness seminar!
Learn which vitamins and minerals add that spark to your step with Peggy Kotsopoulos, RHN. She’ll show you:
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Rockstar superfoods that boost energy
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How to increase serotonin
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Tasty treats that keep you upbeat
***IMPORTANT DATE CHANGE FROM POSTER***
In support of the Vancouver Canucks Stanley Cup Playoffs, we have moved the date to
Thursday, June 16th @ 7-9pm
TOP 10 CLEANSING TIPS FOR DAILY DETOX
The detoxification process in the body is composed of two phases, known as Phase I and Phase II. These phases are two different biochemical processes that enable the body to eliminate potentially harmful toxins and waste.
Phase I Detoxification: This phase of detoxification uses enzymes to convert non-polar or non-water-soluble chemicals. Phase I detoxification prepares the chemical so that it can be modified during Phase II, which will make the chemical water-soluble and allow it to be excreted naturally by the body. At least 50 enzymes in 10 families governed by 35 different genes allow Phase I to take place. The highest concentration of activity during Phase I occurs in the liver, which is the most active site of metabolism. The lungs and the kidneys are secondary organs of biotransformation, with about one-third of the liver’s detoxification capacity.
Phase II Detoxification: In Phase II detoxification, chemical groups are added, or conjugated, causing them to become water-soluble so they can be excreted through the kidneys or through bile. This phase utilizes amino acids, enzymes, minerals, essential fatty acids and antioxidants.
The efficiency of Phase I and Phase II is in direct correlation with adequate levels of vitamins, minerals, amino acids, and fatty acids. In addition to inadequate nutrient levels, these processes can be affected by foreign chemicals for which the body has no detoxifying mechanisms, such as heavy metals. Here are some daily tips to ensure proper transition from Phase I to Phase II detoxification, keeping your body functioning at optimal levels.
Organic, leafy green...
Do you keep your air clean?…want to win?
June 8th is Clean Air Day! Show our tell us how YOU keep your AIR CLEAN and you could win an environmentally friendly KOBO reader!
How? email your entry or images to media@naturesfare.com on or before June 8th, 2011!
THE INS AND OUTS OF INFLAMMATION
The key to managing inflammation is understanding the stages of healing and key conditions in which inflammation can intensify. Inflammation is the body’s way of communicating that something is wrong, and acts as a direct call to action for the body to initiate its healing response. The healing process is generally broken into three stages: inflammation, proliferation, and repair.
During the initial inflammatory phase, the immune system increases circulation to the injured area, which produces the classic redness and warmth that typifies soft tissue injury. The increased circulation also helps produce edema and causes the accompanying pain. Unfortunately, many see pain after an injury as bad and prescribe treatments such as anti-inflammatory drugs to stop the pain. Pain should signal that the immune response is working correctly. Stopping the above inflammatory reaction to any degree decreases the chances of complete healing.
During the proliferative phase, type I collagen is laid down by the fibroblasts to increase ligament and tendon strength. After about four weeks, seventy percent of the tensile strength of the tissue may be restored, with the average healing time being around six to eight weeks. This obviously depends on the amount of tissue damage and the productivity of the immune system, because the healthier the immune system, the quicker the ability to heal.
The repair phase of healing occurs when the body attempts to restructure the injury in an attempt to restore the body to a pre-injury state. Our tissues have memory, and the amount of healing can depend on the...
VITAMIN K & D
Why are so many Canadians plagued by a lack of calcium in the bones (osteoporosis) along with excess calcium in the arteries (atherosclerosis)? This is the “calcium paradox.” Researchers have finally uncovered the connection between these two very serious health conditions: Vitamin K (more specifically, Vitamin K2). Vitamin K is a group of fat-soluble vitamins first recognized for their role in blood clotting. For this reason, it had long been thought that deficiencies of Vitamin K were rare; otherwise, they would reveal themselves in some kind of bleeding disorder. However, new studies show that non-blood (non-hemostatic) Vitamin K deficiency in tissues such as bone and blood vessels exists widely in seemingly healthy adult populations. It has also been discovered that there are two forms of K Vitamins: Vitamin K1 (responsible for blood clotting), and Vitamin K2 (the form of Vitamin K for which most of our population is deficient). At the same time, the discovery of Vitamin K-dependant proteins in bone has revealed this vitamin’s most important function – aiding bone development by acting as a regulator and director of calcium in the tissues. In other words, Vitamin K is essential for guiding calcium towards the areas of the body where it is needed, such as the skeleton, and away from areas where it could have a negative effect, such as the cardiovascular system. Without Vitamin K2, the calcium we absorb (no matter how much and from what source) does not know where to go in our bodies and so...
FOOD WITH INTEGRITY
It is a sad reflection on our society that over 95% of the 650 million animals raised and slaughtered for food in Canada today are mass-produced on factory farms. The idyllic images of green pastures and roaming animals are now outdated, and have been replaced by filthy windowless sheds, tiny wire crates, and other cruel confinement systems. Animals that were once raised humanely and that enjoyed a relatively enjoyable existence now suffer neglect, mutilation, genetic manipulation, and drugs that cause chronic pain and death. Sadly, Canada’s anti-cruelty laws do not protect farm animals from suffering caused by factory farming systems provided they are considered standard industry practice. For example, it is legal to house seven laying hens in a cage the size of a microwave or to crate a pregnant sow for her entire adult life.
Common features of factory farming
- Large numbers of animals housed together indoors
- Intensive confinement for extended periods of time
- Extremes of overcrowding or isolation
- Mechanized feeding, watering, handling
- Insufficient room to turn around, lie down, groom, or express normal behaviours
- Premature separation of offspring and parents
- Use of antibiotics and hormones as growth promoters
- Surgical practices performed without anaesthetic, pain management, or proper veterinary
care, such as debeaking, tail docking, tooth cutting, de-horning, and castration
- Cannibalism and other stress-related disorders
(which has resulted in things like Mad Cow’s disease)
Factory Farming and Human Health
Pesticides, antibiotics, hormones, and other residues accumulate in animal products. The routine use of antibiotics in factory farm animals leads to the development...
