We all know smoking is bad for you in so many ways. Nicotine is absorbed by every cell of the body. It causes multi-organ damage such as heart disease, brain damage, and many lung diseases. If cancer
doesn’t get you, the smoke attacks the small air cells in the lungs, turning them into liquid rot or useless scar tissue. And … when you can’t breathe well, that hurries the journey through life often by decades. On a positive note, smoking has dropped significantly in the last ten years to 15% of the population in Canada with only 11% smoking daily.

Continue reading “Smoking- The New Anti-Social Behavior” →

1. Don’t skip meals – this is hard on overall metabolism and often contributes to weight gain due to over eating at the next meal.
2. When you feel full, STOP! and slow down. Allow yourself those few minutes (15-20) in the busy day for intake.
3. Snack smart! Avoid high sugar and high fat commercial snacks which set your cravings for more!
4. Avoid meals within 3-4 hours before bed.
5. Water, water and more water! 6-8 glasses per day (48-64oz) for good digestion, hydrated skin and brain health. This may be difficult to fit in a busy work schedule. For every sugary/caffeinated drink, chase it down with equal amounts of water. You don’t gain weight from water!
6. Watch portions – we eat far more than we need in one sitting. HINTS (a) Use a smaller plate for at least one meal per day. (b)Try to stick to a meat portion the size of the palm of your hand, cereal or pasta the size of your fist, one teaspoon of butter the size of your thumb, fruits 1-2 cups max in a day and veggies 2-3 cups in a day.
7. Vegetables-try to have two different kinds per meal. Generally less sugar content than what’s in fruit. This leads to better sugar/insulin stabilizing which leads to less cravings between meals.

Research has shown that the average adult uses around ten personal care products daily on their skin. Over time, the products that we use regularly and without a second thought (such as deodorants, toothpaste, body lotions, sunscreens, cosmetics and cleansers) can expose you to thousands of chemicals.

Unfortunately, the personal care product industry is unregulated and only a fraction of ingredients are ever tested for safety. Analysis carried out by the Environmental Working Group found that just 28 out of 7500 common cosmetics and toiletries had undergone testing for all of their ingredients! As you can imagine, reading the labels and learning about what is and isn’t healthy in personal care products is becoming increasingly important.

Continue reading “Do You Know What You Are Putting On Your Face and Body?” →