comox valley health and recreation guide

HEALTH ANDRECREATION GUIDEHEALTH ANDRECREATION GUIDE

COMOXValleyCOMOXValleyWWW.COMOXVALLEYHEALTHANDRECGUIDE.COM

Cold Feet... Warm Heart? page 10Making a Perfect Soup page 15Hypnotherapy,Natural & Empowering page 23Treat Your Headache Yourself! page 31

WINTER IN THE VALLEY 2011WINTER IN THE VALLEY 2011

250-338-0101 278 North Island Highway

Courtenay, BC

Automotive Service: 250-338-6553

Store HoursMonday to Friday: 8am - 9pm

Saturday: 8am - 8pm

Sunday: 9am - 6pm

Winter Fun Starts at Canadian Tire!

Rudy Sanchez, B.Sc.Pharm, RPH, Holistic Pharmacist with 30 years of Compounding Experience

marigold compounding pharmacy100-576 England Avenue, Courtenay BCTel 250 338 9623 OPEN Mon-Sat 9AM-6PM

There are many fish in the ocean...... but only one Marigold.

Choose Marigold for your:

Regular Prescriptions Bio-Identical HormonesSpecialty CompoundingVeterinary PrescriptionsPlus....your homeopathyour homeopathy, vitaminand supplement needs

ONE CALL TO USIS ALL IT TAKES

TO TRANSFER YOUR PRESCRIPTIONS

2 COMOX VALLEY HEALTH & RECREATION GUIDE

COMOX VALLEY HEALTH & RECREATION GUIDE 3

PUBLISHER: AllanGearCONTACT: Phone:250-339-0252 e-mail:[email protected]

EDITOR: CarolNeufeldLAYOUT: CraigvanderMerwe

ComoxValleyHealth&RecreationGuideispublished4timesayear.Allrightsarereserved.Noportionof thispublicationmaybe reproduced inwholeor inpart,without thewrittenconsentof thepublisher. Thepublisherdoesnotassumeanyresponsibility for,anddoesnotendorse,thecontentsofanyadvertisementherein,andallrepresentationsorwarrantiesmadeinsuchadvertisingarethoseoftheadvertiserandnotthepublisher.Thepublisherisnotliabletoanyadvertiserforanymisprint(s) inorabouttheadvertisementthatisnotthedirectfaultofthepublisher.And,insuchanevent,thelimitoftheliabilityshallnotexceedtheamountofthepublisherschargesforsuchadvertising.ArticlespublishedinComoxValleyHealth&RecreationGuidearenotnecessarilytheopinionofthepublisher.

YEARLYSUBSCRIPTIONSAVAILABLE-$20.00postagepaid

- SPRING ISSUE -FEBRUARY 15, 2012Submissions of articles on Recreation and Health in theComox Valley are required before February 1, 2012.

ADVERTISEMENT DEADLINE

Publisher's Note

COVER PHOTO: Ed Brooks, Backdoor Gallery and Studio

Photo at the "town square". Made with a tripod at midnight. (Camera: Canon G11).

Happy winter season to all.

As we head to a new year I would like to “thank you” for all the support and generous feedback that I have received from my faithful readers, advertisers and writers. Winter is upon us, bring-ing with it darkness, rain, wind and snow to our beau-tiful Valley, I am reminded that there are many other delights that we can enjoy.

I know many people like myself are negatively impact-ed by the long dark nights of winter. Winter can be a time for reflection, a time to recharge our minds and our bod-ies. I hope to spend much more time at the gym.

All the articles in this issue are here for your enjoy-ment and to help you overcome the winter blues. Take a moment and see what this Valley has to offer: there are so many joys in our own backyard and ways to make the winter blues better.

Take time for yourself, rejuvenate and enjoy the season. And remember spring will soon be here once again. Until next time.

ContentsLow Back/Sciatic Pain and Chinese Medicine . . . . . . 4

By Dr. Lisa Lundy

On Stress . . . Breathing, Self-Care, and CST . . . . . . . . 5By Catherine Dextrase

Nursing Foot Care Keeps You Active & On Your Feet 6By Anne Lai, LPN

Put a Little Motion in Your Daily Stretch . . . . . . . . . . 8By Stephen Boothman

Cold Feet… Warm Heart? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10By Trevor Pritoula

Mentor Your Children Well . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13By Wes Gietz

V A S T U S H A S T R A - SPACE . . . . . . . . 14By Sandra Sagarmurti Shotton

Making a Perfect Soup . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15By Christina Willard-Stepan

Common Sense Tips for the Common Cold . . . . . . 16By Rudy Sanchez, B.Sc.Pharm. RPH,

My Summer with St John's Wort . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18By Chanchal Cabrera

Rising Obesity Rates and Increased Fat Phobia . . . 20By Esther Kane

One Cause Of All Illness And Disease? . . . . . . . . . 21By Ted Yells

Swara Yoga . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22By Catherine Reid

Hypnotherapy – Natural and Empowering . . . . . . . . 23By Deborah Braun, BA, CCHt

What are emotional regulation skills? . . . . . . . . . . . 25By Danielle Lambrecht

Ancient Insights for a Healthy Winter Diet . . . . . . . . 26By Peter Day

Our Bodies Are Made to Move!! . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28By Raegan Spence, Recreation Programmer

Treat your headache yourself! . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31By Patti Doyle

Low Back/Sciatic Pain and Chinese Medicine

By Dr. Lisa Lundy

From a biomedical perspective, low back or sciatic pain almost always involves something structural – a disc issue, misalignment or inflammation of the vertebrae or sacroiliac joint, or muscle spasm in the low back or but-tocks. Any and all of these things can cause irritation to the sciatic nerve which exits the spine in the low back and runs down the leg. It is painful, irritating, can be long last-ing if not properly treated, and is very common especially this time of year. Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) observes that the increased frequency of this condition is also influenced by the cold damp weather we are exposed to in late fall and winter. In fact, many physical condi-tions that are diagnosed have a pattern of presentation that relates to time of year and weather – arthritis, aller-gies, colds, neck and shoulder pain and skin conditions are just a few more. TCM recognizes that while internal mechanical problems are usually found to explain pain patterns, individual imbalances in conjunction with exter-nal influences such as cold, damp, wind or heat combine to create many of these issues of imbalance, and many can be easily corrected once identified and properly treated.

Low back or sciatic pain can be explained from a TCM perspective as being the result of cold or damp blocking the circulation in the body, trauma causing stagnation in the circulation of energy (Qi) or blood, or from an underly-ing condition of deficiency in the body. Treatment of this condition can and should vary greatly for each person based on their individual presentation. Acupuncture is extremely effective in treating this condition and selection of points and technique will depend on the cause. Motor point needling is a style of acupuncture that addresses the muscle imbalances in the body and corrects each muscle group to assist in releasing spasm, lengthening shortened muscles which quickly relieve compression of the nerves, and also re establishes functional and balanced com-munication with the nervous system and muscle groups. Because acupuncture needles vary in length, many of the deeper muscles that are causing this type of pain are safe-

ly and easily released with this therapy. Other needling techniques can be focused on relaxing muscle groups that are pulling the skeletal system out of alignment, and also used locally to reduce inflammation in the joints or disc areas and promote healthy blood flow. In cases where needles are just too strong (often with children or very frail conditions) laser therapy can be used to stimulate most of these areas with great success. Though these former techniques are all addressing the main medical causes of such pain, many cases are not always responsive to this approach alone because there are usually issues of internal imbalance such as stagnation or deficiency. For that reason, acupuncture treatments will also utilize points in other parts of the body that are known to build strength where there is weakness, move areas that have become stagnant from cold, damp or poor circulation, or warm areas that are cold and blocked. In addition, many combinations of herbs are used internally to support underlying conditions or topically as salves or liniments to reduce pain, inflammation, relax spasm and promote circulation and warmth. Diet is also a very useful medi-cine and simple recommendations to avoid some foods and increase others at various times of year are made to support and maintain balance with our changing external environment. And of course, it just isn’t worth it without some massage. TCM uses many forms of massage (called TUI NA) to release the surface and also manipulate deep tissue areas that cause pain, and encourage renewed cir-culation and relaxation.

Because TCM uses a variety of tools to address condi-tions like sciatic pain, it can often reduce pain or need for medications in very few treatments. On its own, or in conjunction with other treatment modalities, it is a very effective approach for low back or sciatic pain and one that can restore your body’s balance and support you to stay active and well through our winter season.

Dr. Lisa Lundy has recently moved from Victoria after 20 years of practice and has joined Dr. Chris Gerow in his Comox Clinic. She can be reached at:250 650 0030 or [email protected]

Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine Centre 1671 Comox Avenue, ComoxDr. Chris Gerow is delighted to welcome long time friend and colleague Dr. Lisa Lundy to his practice of Chinese Medicine in Comox. With over 20 years of clinical experience in Victoria, she is thrilled to be living in the Comox Valley with her family and is available to share her enthusiasm and knowledge with new patients. She has worked with a wide variety of conditions over the years with particular interest and experience in musculo-skeletal problems, women’s health and obstetrics, pediatric care, and Chinese Dietary therapy.

For inquires or to schedule an appointment please contact us at: 250 339 7227 or [email protected] or [email protected]


On Stress... Breathing, Self-Care, and CST

By Catherine Dextrase

Life in today's world is very hectic. Self-care and reach-ing out for support from skilled therapists, counselors, family and friends is key to healing imbalances caused by long term wearing down of the whole system from stress.

There are many ways to build up states of relaxation that will enhance your health. The most important focus is on building up our sense of joy. This can be done on your own; focusing on strengthening and building a healthy lifestyle with nutritious food, lots of exercise, and balanc-ing work with relaxing time. Doing things you enjoy such as going for a walk in nature, sitting in the sunshine, lis-tening to music, laying down on the grass or even taking a warm soak in the tub will help soothe your whole being. Any self-care you do can also be complemented by a richly populated valley of healers, movers and shakers.

As far as healing alternatives go, most complementary therapies aim to bring balance and harmony to the whole person. Particularly effective at de-stressing and calm-ing the nervous system, CST works to strengthen states of spaciousness, flow, and relaxation in the whole body. The therapist works directly with the nervous system tis-sues using gentle, supportive touch to boost the body’s own ability to heal and recover. It is a collaborative dance

with the therapist and your body that will fortify your sense of peacefulness and well-being. CST has the effect of increasing body awareness, reinforcing the importance of self-care and bringing consciousness to our reactions in stressful situations.

Notice the Quality of your breath

And while all complementary therapies support and quicken the healing process, daily self-care is essential. Taking pauses regularly throughout our day can be effec-tive to help you check in on your stress. A perfect exercise is to focus on the breathe.

Notice the Quality of your breath. Notice the length of your breath, the expansiveness of it. Does it flow smooth-ly into your belly and into the upper chest as well as into the center of your chest? If you can extend the length of your breath, taking time to notice every part of your lungs that the breathe flows into. Notice all that moves in your body as you breath. There is an inherent motility of all the tissues in the body, and if we are holding our breath and not allowing for the expansiveness, nourishment, and release that comes with breathing, it can effect the body in a negative way.

In moments of high stress it is helpful to be present in all the senses: touch, hear, smell, feel, see. This can be very grounding and stabilizing for our whole system so that we can enjoy, expand, and relax into our lives with a healthy, vital expression.

Visit Catherine Dextrase's website for more info: http://www.catherinedextrase.com

Catherine Dextrase CST

Cranio SaCral Therapy

CST works to…

• release trauma• relieve tensions• restore tissue health

250.702.2080

http://www.catherinedextrase.com

#5, 145-19th Street, Courtenay, BC

PLEASE, CAREFULLY CHECK OVER THIS

PROOFWINTER 2006

NOW IN OUR FIFTH YEAR!

COMOX VALLEYHealth & Recreation Guide

YOUR APPROVAL IS REQUESTEDTHANK YOU!Signature

Your changes or approval to FAX 339-2210 orphone 339-0252 - ALLAN GEAR

“I will stop by and see you personally if you wish to discuss your advertisement.”

A wide range of insurance productstailored to your needs.

491 Cumberland Rd.Courtenay

Ph: 338-1401

1782 A Comox Ave.Comox

Ph: 339-4847

2713 Dunsmuir,Cumberland

Ph: 336-8524

Comox Valley

We’ll take care of it.

#109-364 8th St.Courtenay

250-338-1401

1782 A Comox Ave.Comox

250-339-4847

2713 Dunsmuir Ave.Cumberland

250-338-1401


Nursing Foot Care Keeps You Active and On Your Feet

By Anne Lai, LPN

Why Is Foot Care Important? Although most people are born with healthy feet, as we

grow older, three out of four Canadians will develop a foot problem that requires medical attention.

Regular foot care plays an important role in keeping you healthy and remaining active.

Feet that are healthy and pain free help you keep your balance which may prevent falls.

Foot related problems may result in a loss of indepen-dence and wellbeing.

a Foot Care nurse: » Has a complete understanding of the structure and function of the foot

» Is knowledgeable and understands diseases such as diabetes and poor circulation and how they effect the foot

» Follows strict infection control standards for cleaning and sterilizing instruments

» Is aware of health and safety while providing foot care » Works closely with other health care professionals and makes appropriate referrals

» Participates in educational opportunities to maintain and enhance competencies

» Is responsible and accountable for their actionsFoot care may be provided in the comfort and privacy of

your home, in residential care, at a clinic or in hospital. A percentage of Nursing Foot Care services may be covered by some of the health insurance plans such as Great West Life, Sun-Life or Veteran’s Affairs. Receipts are issued and may possibly be applied to the medical deduction portion of your personal income tax.

The Role of the Foot Care Nurse...

Prevention » Promote the maintenance of healthy feet.

Advocacy » Promote foot health and mobility. » Promote community resources. » Promote family involvement.

Treatment » A nursing health assessment including an assessment of the foot and lower extremities.

» Nail cutting and filing. » Management and care of corns, calluses and in-grown toenails.

» Working with clients to put together a plan that focuses on preventative measures with promoting self- care.

» On-going nursing assessment and evaluation. » Identifying the need for more specialized treatments and referring to the appropriate resources (i.e. Podiatrist, Orthotist, etc).

Education » Providing clients and caregivers with information spe-cific to foot care, changes to the foot, footwear, the importance of exercise and proper nutrition

» Providing appropriate handoutsA Foot Care Nurse is a regulated Professional who has

received additional education specific to the foot and lower limbs and practises according to their scope of practice.

A Foot Care Nurse also holds a current registration with their Professional regulatory body. In British Columbia this is the College of LPNs, the College of RNs and the College of Registered Psychiatric Nurses.

Do's anD Don'ts For healthy FeetDo wear proper fitting shoes that are supportive. Do

elevate your feet when sitting. Do walk. It is a great way

ANNE LAI LPNFoot Care Nurse

In Home Nursing Foot Care

phone 897-2538email - [email protected]


PROOFSUMMER 2007

NOW IN OUR SIXTH YEAR!





250-897-2538Featuring Fine Italian Cuisine

Wendy & Bill Meade (250) 890-7575140 Port Augusta, Comox BC V9M 3N6


Nursing Foot Care Keeps You Active and On Your Feet

to increase circulation, help prevent blood clots and keep your bones and muscles healthy. Do buy your shoes later in the afternoon as your feet may swell a bit over the day. Do wash and dry your feet well everyday especially between the toes. Do check your feet daily for cuts, bruises and blisters.

Don't wear tight socks, elastic or knee high stockings that restrict circulation. Don't cross your legs when sit-ting. Don't smoke—it decreases circulation and healing and increases the risk of amputations. Don't ignore any foot pains. Don't use over the counter preparations to treat corns, calluses and warts. Don't treat your own ingrown toenails, calluses or corns with scissors or a razor…see a Foot Care Nurse instead.

Anne Lai LPN is a Foot Care Nurse who has practised in the Comox Valley since 2002. She can be reached at: 250-897-2538

Comox Valley Hearing Care Centres

Convenient Caring Professional

COMOX C 105 1966 GUTHRIE

250 339-1180

Jeff and Sharon Germain, Owners

COURTENAY 519E FIFTH ST.

250 334-4044

CALL TODAY FOR A FREE HEARING TEST

Now with two locations in the valley to serve all your hearing needs

WWW.BELTONE.COM




250 339-1180



250 334-4044



WWW.BELTONE.COM




250 339-1180



250 334-4044



WWW.BELTONE.COM




250 339-1180



250 334-4044



WWW.BELTONE.COM




250 339-1180



250 334-4044



WWW.BELTONE.COM




250 339-1180



250 334-4044



WWW.BELTONE.COM




250 339-1180



250 334-4044



WWW.BELTONE.COM




250 339-1180



250 334-4044



WWW.BELTONE.COM




250 339-1180



250 334-4044



WWW.BELTONE.COM




250 339-1180



250 334-4044



WWW.BELTONE.COM

ConvenientCaring

Professional


Now with two locations in the valley to serve all your

hearing needs.

Courtenay519E Fifth Street

250-334-4044

ComoxC105 1966 Guthrie

250-339-1180



Put a Little Motion in Your Daily Stretch

We have all been told that we should be stretching regularly, and there is good reason for this. From the moment our feet touch the floor in the morning we begin a relentless struggle against grav-ity. It is our muscles and joints that take up this struggle, luck-ily they are superbly designed to do this. Walking, sitting, lift-ing, standing all require muscle tension as do the more vigorous activities of sport and exercise

that we engage in. The inherent reaction of muscles to tension is to short-

en. Shortened muscles will lead to problems, they can decrease the length of our stride as we walk or create a change in the position of our joints. This can cause prob-lems such as a sprained ligaments or faulty posture; our bodies will warn us of this by generating pain. The pain will hopefully not be ignored nor wil we assume that it will “just go away”. The body has evolved with the idea that we will take action when we are in pain.

The action that I am proposing is active range of motion that induces a safe, effective and efficient stretch.

Safety first. If you are stretching the weight bearing muscles of your lower extremities then you need to get off of your feet. Muscles cannot be contracting and gaining length at the same time. A ballet bar stretch of your ham-strings is not a stretch it is an eccentric contraction, your hamstring muscles are loaded and under tension to sup-port your pelvis in a weight bearing position. The safest stretches for your hamstrings, quadriceps, groin, or calf muscles all involve sitting or lying on the ground.

Effective stretching happens when the muscle being stretched is in a relaxed state and not a contracted state. You can ensure this by taking advantage of two reflexes that provide involuntary control of our muscular system. If you lie on your back and raise your leg the muscles

on the front of your leg, the quadriceps, are contracting which automatically sends a signal via your spinal cord that causes the muscles on the back of your leg, the ham-strings, to relax. This is a reflex action called reciprocal inhibition. It works all over the body, contracting a muscle on one side of a joint will cause the muscle on the opposite side to relax. This is a good thing as it allows for smooth graceful movements.

Safety firSt. if you are StretchiNg the weight beariNg

muScleS of your lower extremitieS theN you Need to

get off of your feet.There is another reflex that we need to understand for

effective stretching. It is the stretch reflex, which causes a muscle to contract to protect itself if it is moved too fast or too far; this too is a good thing as it protects our joints from damage during any activity. A tight shortened muscle with a compromised resting length will engage this reflex sooner than a muscle with a longer best resting length. So to stretch that muscle from a compromised rest-ing length to a best resting length we need to overcome the stretch reflex. Traditionally we have been told to hold a stretch at a constant length for a period of time anywhere from 15 seconds to 2 minutes, this causes the stretch reflex to fatigue and the muscle to eventually stretch. During this time it is important that you keep the tension on the stretch gentle enough as to not elicit the stretch reflex. However, a prolonged stretch can squeeze the blood out of the muscle cutting off the oxygen supply to it and increas-ing metabolic waste products that can cause muscle irrita-tion. It is a fine line between our perception of the stretch sensation and the sensation of muscle irritation.

There is another way to avoid the stretch reflex alto-gether. This is to hold the stretch for only a short time — no more than two seconds, repeating the stretch through

Stephen BoothmanRegistered Massage Therapist

e-mail: [email protected]: www.donmcraemla.bc.ca

Don McRae, M.L.A.(Comox Valley)

Phone: 250-703-2422Fax: 250-703-2425

437 Fifth StreetCourtenay, B.C. V9N 1J7

Meet with Don McRae at his Courtenay Office!Call or email for an appointment.


Put a Little Motion in Your Daily Stretch

a full range of motion eight to ten times. Gradual, gentle contracting and relaxing of the muscles helps to delay activation of the stretch reflex. The gentle, repetitive motion improves the circulation of blood and nutrients, supporting the healthy growth and repair of all the sur-rounding soft tissues. It also improves the circulation and drainage of lymph, helping to eliminate waste products. While you actively move your joints through their range of motion your muscles are warmed enhancing flexibility even further.

Exhaling as you move into a stretch and inhaling as you relax helps to increase the flow of oxygen to the muscle, and encourage the release of muscle tension. Breathing deeply like this is a very efficient way to stretch, do not skip this step.

There are about 169 different stretches for every single muscle in your body. As an example let’s use the ham-string muscles, a muscle group that is easily shortened with repetitive use. Lie on your back, use your quadriceps to slowly raise your straight leg into the air. Use a rope looped around your foot to assist you with slight tension in the last few degrees of movement. Pause for two sec-onds only (less is more) as you exhale. Return your leg to the floor and repeat eight to ten times, breathing deeply through each repetition. Be consistent with your daily stretching and see how you feel in a couple of days.

More help and information can be obtained at Bodyworx Physiotherapy where Stephen Boothman works as Registered Massage Therapist.(250) 339-5540 www.bodyworxphysio.com

Bright light therapy promotes health andwellness.

1782B Comox AvenueComox, BC V9M 3M8Phone: (250) 339-5050

The Day-Light features 10,000 LUX light intensity and is clinically tested and recommended by experts for:

• SAD and the Winter Blues• PMS and Antepartum Blues

• Jet Lag/Shift Work Adjustment• Circadian Sleep Disorders

DayLight_Slicks_for_MedicineShoppe_DayLight_Slicks_V_V1.qxp

Dr. Deidre MacdonaldNaturopathic Physician

250-897-0235www.getwellhere.com

State Of The Art Laser TherapyRapid healing of back pain, injuries, arthritis, wounds and more. With this painless technology, dramatic and lasting pain reduction can be achieved.

Attention Pain Sufferers:

FREE 15 Minute Consultation


By Trevor Pritoula, Certified Pedorthist

As the winter months approach, so does the cold and wet climate. For many individuals this can cause extreme-ly cold and uncomfortable sensation in the extremities, particularly the hands and feet.

Acute episodes of cold feet are typically the result of cold exposure resulting from extreme cold, lack of adequate protection and getting wet feet. Moisture, especially out-doors, is always colder than body temperature. Getting the feet wet or even excessive perspiration can lower the temperature inside footwear to match the outdoor condi-tions. This in turn, causes cold feet since the temperature is colder than your body. Extreme exposure increases blood to the major organs and reduces the blood flow to the extremities leaving the feet vulnerable. Frostbite occurs with tissue freezing (ice crystals form in skin and other tissues of the body), which causes permanent dam-age to blood vessels and other structures. Frostnip is also ice crystal formation in tissues but only in the very outer layer of the skin, which does not typically cause perma-nent damage.

Chronic cold feet are often related to one or more serious underlying medical conditions, including;

1. Peripheral Vascular Disease (PVD): is a narrowing or blockage of peripheral arteries due to a buildup of fat and cholesterol or damage (related to smoking, diabetes) within the artery walls, which limits blood flow to the extremities.

2. Peripheral Neuropathy: damage to the nerves of the limbs, especially the feet, which can be a complica-tion of diabetes, chronic alcohol abuse or vitamin defi-

Cold Feet… Warm Heart?

ciencies. Nerves on both sides of the body are typically affected. Common symptoms of this kind of neuropathy are numbness or insensitivity to pain or temperature, tingling, burning, or prickling, sharp pains or cramps, extreme sensitivity to touch, (even light touch), extremely hot or cold feet. Symptoms are usually worse in the eve-ning.

3. Raynaud’s Syndrome/Phenomenon: is vaso-reactive disorder, causing vasospastic attacks, which are random constrictions of the blood vessels in the fingers and toes. When the blood vessels constrict, blood cannot flow through them properly. This results in a change in hand and foot colour to white or blue as well as coldness and numbness. As feeling returns to the hands and feet, they become red and tingly. The exact cause of Raynaud's phenomenon is unknown, however, cold temperatures and increased periods of stress have been identified as triggers for the attacks

4. Hypothyroidism: damage to the thyroid gland can lower an individual’s metabolism and impact the body’s ability to use energy to produce warmth and general thermoregulation.

5. Tarsal Tunnel Syndrome/ Nerve, Vascular Compression: a type of compression neuropathy (injury due to compression of the nerve) and/or vascular com-

ANOTHER HAPPY CUSTOMER!

FORMERLY HENRY ORTHOTICS

OrthOtic SpecialiStS•LowerextremityBracing&SupportS

•cuStomFootorthoticS

•Footwear

110-2100 Guthrie road, comox250-339-5892

trevor pritoula, certified pedorthist, B. Kin

We refurbish old orthotics

Most Insurance Plans Accepted

Prevention today is the cure tomorrow.

Kelli PinkertonCertified Holistic Health PractitionerSpecializing in colon hydrotherapy and massage

[email protected]

Zen Health Haven 407 5th St. Courtenay BC V9N 1J7

Specializing in colon hydrotherapy and massage.

“There is help for a sluggish Colon”

Zen Health Haven, 407-5th St. Courtenay

250.702.0899 [email protected] www.anvaya.ca

Prevention today is the cure tomorrow.


Cold Feet… Warm Heart?

pression within the ankle and foot. 6. Pernicious Anemia: vitamin B12 deficiency can

cause a lack of healthy red blood cells, limiting the amount of oxygenated blood to tissues.

7. Medication Complications: some medications can cause changes in blood vessel size and therefore effect circulation.

8. Lack of mobility/bed rest: patients with muscular dystrophy, multiple sclerosis, severe arthritis and cerebral palsy are at risk of this condition due to lack of move-ment.

Possible Complications of Cold FeetBecause cold feet can be due to serious diseases, failure

to seek treatment can result in serious complications and permanent damage. Once the underlying cause is diag-nosed, it is important for you to follow the treatment plan that you and your health care professional design specifi-cally for you to reduce the risk of complications including:

» Dry, Cracked Skin - without adequate circulation, skin may thin and be vulnerable to fissures or cracking, which can cause infections.

» Loss of sleep - cold feet can result in disrupted sleep patterns.

» Chronic pain - associated with neuropathic and isch-emic pain.

» Permanent nerve damage - loss of sensation in the extremities.

» Increased risk of infection in the effected area - absess and cellulitis, which are localized pockets of infection

under the skin. » Gangrene - gangrene is death of tissue (necrosis) from extreme cold exposure or lack of blood flow.

» Loss of limb - limb amputations may be required if severe infection or blood flow to the extremity is severe-ly compromised and cannot be restored.

Treatment Options for Cold FeetTreatment is obviously focused on the underlying cause

of the condition and it is best to consult with your health care practitioner. It is important that you maintain core body temperature so warm clothing such as long johns or extra tights will trap heat. Patients should also have a pair of warm, dry or technical (specially designed for cold temperature) socks and footwear available. A hat is important because a great deal of body heat is lost through the scalp. Some people find it helpful to wear mittens and socks to bed during winter. Battery operated socks and boot warmers can provide an external source of heat. Use of slippers and minimizing exposure to cold makes for more comfort while in the home.

Use of hot water bottles or heat pads can be helpful to supply a heat source, however is contraindicated for people with PVD, diabetes and peripheral neuropathy.

Keep active. Improving circulation and blood flow through the muscles and tissues of the lower extremities can reduce symptoms and improve general arterial health.

Medication. Specific medications can improve blood flow or reduce neuropathic pain in order to help control symptoms.

To prevent PVD, patients with diabetes should focus on the basics for good diabetes control such as controlling blood glucose and choles-terol levels, quitting smoking (tobacco causes the blood vessels to constrict and makes attacks much more likely), main-taining good nutrition and exercise hab-its, and keeping blood pressure in a safe range.

Specific procedures (catheter, periph-eral arthroplasty or bypass) may be required in an attempt to restore blood flow to the extremities if severely com-promised.

If you are experiencing any symptoms discussed in this article, it is advised that you consult your health care practitioner to obtain a proper diagnoses and appro-priate treatment plan.

Contact Trevor Pritoula at SOS Orthotics for more info: 250-339-5892


Mentor Your Children Well

By Wes Gietz

What bit of real-life competency have you passed on to a younger person lately?

Whatever you know, pass it on. If you know how to check the air pressure in a tire, show someone how to do that. If you know how to make an antivirus medicine from Oregon Grape root, take someone with you next time. If you know how to plant and trellis peas, show someone that skill, and tell them stories while you do. If you can track a deer and kill it well, then make use of its meat, hide, organs, sinew and bones, take someone out.

We all need each other’s skills, but more than the skills, we need each other’s mentoring.

This isn’t about the skills learned in school, it’s about life. School should give our young people the essential and basic ideas and skills they need to make a go of it in society, and we need to remember and pass on that life is much more than “making a go”.

Young folks, pay attention. Older folks, develop your patience. Much older folks, remember how you learned.

I learned to garden from watching my father, and (sometimes reluctantly) by helping. Later, when I was ready to have my own garden and he wasn’t there, I read books to find answers to my questions.

There are three distinct ways of helping others learn. Let’s call them teaching, coaching, and mentoring. Teaching is telling someone something. The expectation is that they will make notes and go away to practice or study what you’ve passed on to them, and apply it when appropriate.

Coaching is more immediate: you make suggestions to the student about how to improve a specific skill, usually something that they are working with right now.

Mentoring is the most subtle of the three: you don’t tell the student anything, either about right now or about something they may use in the future. You simple do something that engages you, and allow them to become interested if they wish. Of course, you set “traps” for them, small things that will call to their curiosity. Or you may invite them to participate with you: “C’mon, let’s make some cookies!”, or “Could you give me a hand setting this pole up for the beans to climb?” If they ask about something, you ask a question right back: what they think, or what they’ve observed, or if they’d like to have a try. You tell stories about what you’re doing, from other times or places, and you bury useful information in those stories. You may (rarely) make a suggestion or provide a bit of factual information, but only when you have first allowed your student to try for himself or herself.

Ballet NacioNal de cuBa Limited Seating Available!February 7th @ 7:30pm

ScrapartS MuSic February 11th @ 7:30pm

JaMie adkiNS: circuS iNcogNituS February 12th @ 7:00pm

the good lovelieS & the huMaN StatueSmarch 9th @ 7:30pm

the elMer iSeler SiNgerSmarch 11th at 2:30pm

royal WiNNipeg Ballet’S SveNgali april 23rd, 24th at 7:30pm

call (250) 754-8550 for ticketsor buy oNliNe at www.porttheatre.com

125 Front Street, nanaimo, BC

The PorT TheaTre sPoTlighT series:

To get REAL answers about HEALTHY food for your furry family members, visit our Real Food Specialists at 463 5th Street or call us at 338.6716

= REAL responsibility

get REALget HEALtHy

REAL dog + REAL food


Mentor Your Children Well

What is the effect of these ways of learning on self-reliance and motivation? Let’s look first at mentoring. If the learner is encouraged, even required, to try a new activity or learn something factual or practical on his or her own, and if most of the time they’re doing it with someone they believe in, they will become self-confident (“I can do this!”) and will learn to trust their own interests and motivations. They will make mistakes; they may hurt themselves. You accept this because you want to empower them by allowing their learning. And you may be surprised by how quickly and how much you come to care for your students.

thiS iSN’t about the SkillS learNed iN School

Once a student is self-motivated, you become more of a coach, guiding them to new experiences and offering suggestions.

I first learned to track and hunt from older men in my life, then, when I became fascinated with tracking, Tom Brown Jr. showed me how to take tracking to a level I could not have imagined, and my passion now provides all the motivation I need. Since that time I have developed that skill through many hours of dirt time, and I’m still curious and still learning every time I go out.

The “teaching” technique is not concerned with the stu-dent’s curiosity or self-motivation. It is based on the idea that the teacher knows and the student needs to know. Whether the student agrees with this or not is irrelevant, usually because there is a certain amount of material to be passed on and “We don’t have all day.”

Coaching lies somewhere between these extremes. A key aspect of coaching, in my view, is that it doesn’t allow time for or is unwilling to take the risks of mistakes. In this, it shares a major deficiency of what I’m calling teach-ing: it prevents the student from learning through direct experience, unprotected and unlimited by the control (use a milder term if you wish, but please recognize the truth)

of the teacher or coach.We need more mentoring. We need to invite people to

learn, not force them. We need to ask them questions, tell them our own stories, and get out of their way. We need to engage them in a way that recalls the best of our own experiences, learning without knowing it because we were having so much fun.

I have a strong feeling for the natural world, and I believe that we all need to know that world better. So I look for ways to pass that on through mentoring. I look for ways to trade the Wall of Green (what many people see when they look at a forest – no details, just an impen-etrable green wall) for a personal connection with the birds and plants of my students’ back yards or the park down the street – or even the cracks in the sidewalk and the lamppost on the corner.

What will you pass on?

BUSINESSBUSINESS

PERSONALPERSONAL

HOURS 9- 5 M-F

WE PRINT COLOR PHOTOS ON GARMENTS

SCREENPRINTING & EMBROIDERYSCREENPRINTING & EMBROIDERY

250-339-6635

www.aeroartscreenprinting.ca

TEAMSTEAMS

CALL FOR FREE ESTIMATE

C

h

e

c

k

:

o

u

t

t

h

e

N

E

W

S

t

o

r

t

e

c

e

n

’

s

&

a

d

i

s

m

h

m

l

e

,

w

a

o

k

,

t

s

e

c

o

z

y

t

e

r

p

r

o

f

,

J

a

c

e

t

s

V

e

s

&

H

o

o

d

i

s

g

i

i

f

e

t

i

m

e

w

a

r

r

a

n

t

y

B

A

P

A

S

!

O

o

L

C

K

C

K

&

T

-

h

i

r

t

s

I

n

a

l

l

c

o

l

o

r

s

&

i

z

s

S

s

e

Wes GietzEmotional Freedom

It works! I have fifteen years of successful experience with myself and my clients.

EFT is highly effective with recovery from negative and abusive memories, fears, PTSD (military and other), anxiety; physical healing; relief from stress.

Rate $80/hr. If we don’t achieve significant results in the session, there is no charge.

www.windwalker.ca 250-339-3197 Comox


V A S T U S H A S T R A SPACE

By Sandra Sagarmurti Shotton

Space, being the original element, that from which all other matter arose, has a very noble place in this way of seeing things. In Sanscrit, the center area of a home or office is called the Brahmasthan, which means center of awareness.

This central area is home of the space element and in a Vastu home is left open and always clear of any clutter. Obstructions in this area will effect all parts of our lives including our opportunities and success. Walls, columns, toilets and doors in the central area are corrected with energy correction devices.

When I was very young I remember my father build-ing pyramids and hanging them over things like washers and dryers, presumably to make them work better, I never asked. This man was a Mechanical Engineer, feet firmly planted on the ground with a streak of visionary that kept him in a league of his own. I idolized him and still do. Now I find myself putting crystal pyramids over yantras to amplify their energy and influence and it feels so right.

What is a Yantra? In Yoga, Ayurveda and Vastu Shastra , Yantras are used in many ways. These ancient symbols from the Vedic Culture are geometric patterns that are the physical representation of Mantras, or sacred

sounds. These powerful symbols have the ability to trans-mit vibrations throughout the environment and are able to both attract positive influences and protect you from negative influences. They are able to balance the five ele-ments when placed in key spots called marma points.

An environment has marma and chakra points and a spine just like a body. Ayurveda, Vastu Shastra and Yoga implement many of the same tools to balance the elements and maximize the flow of energy to create health in the system, whether it is a human body or the ‘bigger body’ of the house which the human body lives in. In all these systems the space element holds a unique and essential role When we talk about space there can be a precon-ception that we are referring to ‘emptiness’, a void, space filled with nothing. . .but from the Vedic perspective it is understood that this space is in fact filled with energy and the energy it is filled with has intelligence. We leave space for the "Divine" qualities that in fact open us to the highest possibilities. In this way ‘clearing clutter’ takes on a responsibility for allowing our highest potential to have room to grow and be.

“VIsual symbols that support, balanCe anD enlIVen the FIVe elements are CalleD yantras. yantras are aCtually the physICal representatIon oF mantras or sounDs"

from The Way of Vastuby Robin and Michael MastroThe American Institute of Vastu Shastra

For more information, contact Sandra Sagarmurti Shotton, Vastu Consultant:[email protected]: 250-754-0939 Cell: 250-755-6779

Sandra Sagarmurti Shotton, Vastu ConsultantI S L A N D V A S T U S H A S T R A

www.islandyogavista.com [email protected]

Office: 250-754-0939 Cell: 250-755-6779

Vedic Wisdom to

Harmonize Your

Home & Business



Office: 250-754-0939 Cell: 250-755-6779

Vedic Wisdom to

Harmonize Your

Home & Business



Office: 250-754-0939 Cell: 250-755-6779

Vedic Wisdom to

Harmonize Your

Home & Business


PROOFWINTER 2007

NOW IN OUR NINTH YEAR!





A PART OF THE COMOX VALLEY FOR OVER 60 YEARS!

24 HOURS A DAY! 334-4464

Our people are our strength and they are what make us different!

The Personal Touch!

The Personal Touch!

The Personal Touch!

THE PEOPLE! THE PLACE!

The Personal Touch!

PIERCY'S - MT. WASHINGTONFuneral Home

440 England Avenue, Courtenay, BC V9N 2N1

More than JUST a Funeral Home.A place where a community gathers to remember and celebrate its history.

- “Caskets selection rooms are intimidating!”We listened.Presenting an environment free of in-timidation, where all of your options are clearly presented.

250-334-4464

As a Dignity Memorial provider, you are assured of our commitment to help you honour your loved one with dignity - and you are also entitled to the unique benefits and services only Dignity Memorial can offer.

Honouring memories. Celebrating lives.

Bereavement Travel Services100% Service GauranteeNational Transferability

Grief Management Library Personal Planning Guide

Also included with the Dignity Memorial Plans are the following benefits and services (some of which may be purchased seperately):

» 24-Hour Compassion Helpline » Estate Fraud Protection

» Aftercare PLanner » Child/Grandchild Protection Plan

The PeoPle! The Place! The Personal Touch!

» A LIfe Remembered book » Personalised Service Items » Black Leather Album

» Moving Memories DVD » Biography » Written and Audio Guest Book

Each Dignity Memorial Plan includes the Everlasting Memorial:


Making a Perfect Soup

By Christina Willard-Stepan

What could be more soothing than something simmer-ing on the stove and filling the air with the fragrant smells of vegetables? It's hard to top homemade soup — practi-cally the definition of comfort, the meaning of love. Soup crosses every culture and every time period: Italy, Japan, China, Africa — everywhere. Almost all cultures, and every time period have had some form of soup.

Here are some tips to help you make the perfect soup:

make your oWn stoCk IF you Can For bone broth start with a pile of bones, an onion, two

carrots, and two stalks of celery. For vegetable broth start with an onion, two carrots, and two stalks of celery. Sauté the veggies until browned and almost sticking to the bottom of the pan. When you add the water, be sure to scrape these ‘brownings’ into the liquid. (I saw this on a cooking show once as the key to a tasty broths and I have not looked back.) This basic formula provides the base for your soup stock. From here you can customize with seasonings and other yummy things to make it your own.

For a Creamy soup, try one oF these teChnIques:

Make a rue – this is fat cooked with flour and then used a thickener when liquid is added. (There are lots of good clear instructions for making rue on the internet.)

Add pasta or polenta (the starch thickens it.)Cream a cup of water with a cup of raw cashews in

blender and add to soup as your ‘cream’Simply blend the soup (or a portion of it) after it finishes

cooking

one FInal tIp – put the loVe In It. We have a theory that you can infuse the taste of your

cooking with your love. It’s worth a try (at the very least you’ll feel happy while you’re making it!)

Here is one of our favourite soup recipes:

Pumpkin, Pear Soup with Cashew and Ginger » 2 tsp butter » 2 leeks, sliced » 1 red onion, diced » 4 cloves garlic, minced » 4 of each carrots and parsnips, sliced » 4 Tbsp fresh ginger, minced » 2 ripe pears, diced » 1 tsp dried oregano » ½ cup dry white wine » 14-oz can of pumpkin purée, or equivalent in fresh, cooked pumpkin

» 12 oz raw cashews » 6 cups stock » Juice of two oranges » 1 tsp lemon juice » 4 Tbsp maple syrup » Dash of chili sauce or Tabasco » 3 tsp salt, or to taste » Dash of Worschester sauce to tasteThe above, like most recipes is just a guideline.

Improvisation is encouraged!Melt the butter in a heavy bottom stock pot. Add

sliced veggies, ginger and pear. Cook until tender. Add oregano, cashews, wine and pumpkin, stirring well. Stir in broth and simmer until all is tender. Remove from pot in stages into the blender to puree. Put back into pot. Stir in remaining ingredients. Do not boil at this point. This is even better leftover, as the flavours really ‘marry’.

Christina Willard-Stepan is the owner of Seeds Food Market in Cumberland: 250-336-0129.

Wholesome, affordable food in the heart of historic Cumberland.

Open 7 days on the corner of 3rd and Dunsmuir(250)336-0129 www.seedsfoodmarket.ca

or follow us on Facebook or Twitter

- Fresh produce - Local meat, poultry

and fish - Pantry items - Baked goods

Swimwear For The Whole FamilyFor All Your

Swimwear Needs!Poly Suits . Goggles

Holeys . MasksSnorkels . Fins

Courtenay Swim ShopComox Valley Aquatic Centre377 Lerwick Road, Courtenay

250.338.8465COMOX VALLEY HEALTH & RECREATION GUIDE 15

Common Sense Tips for the Common Cold

common sense suggestions. Encourage frequent hand-washing. Teach the benefits of not touching the mouth or the nose with the hands. These are the entry points of air-borne pathogens. One of the sources of transmission in a classroom is the community pencil sharpener. Encourage the maintenance and disinfection of hard surfaces such as this.

One simple preventitive habit for children and adults is to increase the hydration of the body. Our mucus mem-branes dry out as our environment dries out. When we heat our houses with electric heat or wood, and we spend more time indoors because of the cold weather, our mucus membranes dry out unless we drink sufficient water. The respiratory system, breathing in dry air and expiring moist air can loose two glasses of water. It is therefore vital for our resistance to respiratory disease that we drink adequate amounts of fluids.

For teenagers, it is important to realize the difference between being cool and being cold. Remember that the fashion you see on the mass media reflects a strong influ-ence from south of the border. It is perfectly fine to wear a t-shirt in November if you are in California. In BC, chances are, your body temperature will drop accordingly. As the body temperature drops, your body’s resources are spent in maintaining a minimum level for the systems to oper-ate. Your defenses against stresses will be compromised. A study on rats exposed to prolonged low temperatures showed that the defense against bacteria diminishes. And in my opinion, they are probably tougher than we are. There are smart ways to keep warm while keeping your fashion cool. Consider combining body armour with two layers of clothing, one being wool. You would be amazed how warm you keep.

So in summary, follow these common sense tips for a healthy winter: prepare early, eat the foods of the season, avoid the pencil sharpener, drink water, and remember we are not in California.

Rudy Sanchez is a pharmacist at Marigold Pharmacy:250-338-9623

By Rudy Sanchez, B.Sc.Pharm. RPH, Holistic Pharmacist

The cold and flu season is already here. It seems to be an annual fall event as the children go back to school and start the cycle, bringing the cold back to the household where the rest of the family will contract it. How do you prevent this from happening?

Next year, keep in mind that the prevention of colds starts in the summer. While you are squeezing in the last activities of summer (the last family trip, the last camping weekend) into the lazy days of August, think of preparing your household for the cold and flu season. Most immu-nity boosting regimens will take four weeks to peak, so the time to prepare for the back-to-school cold cycle is in the last month of summer. This small adjustment will pay dividends in the winter. You can start the children on a low dose regimen of Echinacea Drops or Elderberry Glycerite. For adults, Astragalus, Echinacea and Olive Leaf are good choices. You may also consider a five week course of Thymuline and Influenzinum, a once-a-week regimen that assists in the protection from colds and flus for up to six months.

As the fall season starts, balance your nutrition require-ments by switching from summer foods to autumn foods. It is not by coincidence that the plants that come out of the ground in the fall are nutritive and protective for our bodies. The berries that are plentiful in the fall are burst-ing with high levels of anti-oxidants. We have fantastic berries in our ecosystem that rival the antioxidant levels of the more esoteric Acai and Goji berries. Even the colours of the vegetables reflect the switch in the nutritive content of the food. The dark greens, bright oranges and deep purples reflect the high antioxidant content of food. They are less sweet and more bitter, because they are designed by nature to be sustaining for the winter. Summer foods are packed with sugar because we are more active during this time. This intuition of nature is a partnership between plants and animals that we can use to our advantage.

Once the kids are back in school, here are some simple

PurPle OniOn Delicatessen“Good food in the heart of Comox”

146 Port Augusta just down from Comox AvenueMon-Fri: 8am to 5:30Pm Sat-Sun: 9am to 4Pm

250-941-8899 Check us out on Facebook:

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Purple-Onion-Deli/166289933393699?ref=ts

atlas café

Celebrating 15 years of the simple things

250 338 9838 atlascafe.ca

250 6th St. in Downtown Courtenay


Alison Scott Reflexology

Improve circulation, alleviate pain, eliminate toxins, promote

homeostasis and wellbeing.

250-339-6854http://www.alisonscottreflexology.com

1472 Balmoral Ave. Comox [email protected]

107-1742 Cliffe AveCourtenay BCph: 897-1098email: [email protected]: www.sja.ca

St. John Ambulance

First Aid Kits THE PERFECT CHRISTMAS GIFT!

Saving lives at work, home and play

2012 OrlandoBuilt to put on a show.

CHEVROLET • BUICK • GMC

2145 CLIFFE AVENUE, COURTENAY250-334-2425

[email protected]

2012 SonicOpen up a world

of sensations.


My Summer with St John's Wort

hysteria, insomnia, and mild to moderate depression. There is also a lot of promising research in anti-cancer applications.

One of the quirky things about St John’s wort is the requirement for exposure to sunlight for activation of the hypericin molecule. Exposing the flowers in oil to sunlight on a window sill accelerates the process of extraction and hence reddening of the oil. In cancer therapy the photo-sensitivity allows it to be placed into tumors to guide in directed laser light that zaps the cancer from the inside with little or minimal collateral damage. Additionally the flavonoids and related compounds have anti-oxidant and anti-inflammatory activities that inhibit cancer.

And all of that is additional to the known and much-promoted anti-depressant effects. Some of the compounds act in the same pathways as selective serotonin receptors inhibitors (SSRI) – much milder than but similar pathways as Zoloft, Paxil and even Prozac. St John’s wort is recog-nized in several countries as an approved agent for treat-ing mild to moderate depression.

So for all these reasons I was happy to grow a whole row of 50 feet this season. It pushed up vigorously and formed lovely budding tops and we were all excited. And then – disaster! A Chrysolina beetle !

This beetle is quite beautiful but quite lethal, at least to St John’s wort. The only other time I encountered it was in a very hot climate where it ate its way through a 14 acre field of the plants in a couple of weeks and we were left with rows of bare stalks. Needless to say I panicked when it, and then more of course, appeared on the plants.

This beetle was introduced to North America in the early 20th century from Australia and was intended to eradicate Klamath weed’ as St John’s wort was then called. Farmers in the west did not like the plant because cattle won’t eat it and it covers hundreds of acres in Oregon, Washington and adjacent western states. The beetle was a great success and decimated the wild populations of the weed, but enough has always survived to be picked and now it is so popular much of it is grown commercially.

By Chanchal Cabrera, Clinical Herbalist

In my 25 years as a clinical herbalist I have picked a great deal of St John’s wort. Although my harvests in the past sometimes involved long excursions from my city based home to find clean and uncontaminated stands, I always enjoyed the magic of dropping yellow flower buds into almond or grape-seed oil and watching it, over sev-eral days, turn a deep wine-red color. This oil forms the base of a pain liniment for neuralgia and sciatica as well as sunburn lotion, shingles cream and ear oil. It is analgesic, anti-inflammatory, anti-viral and healing to the skin.

Actually there are two harvests – the yellow flower buds picked just before opening when they are speckled with wine-red oil glands that carry a medicinal pigment; and the flowering tops (4 – 8 inches) with one or two open flowers and lots of almost open buds. It is tradition-ally ready and harvested on June 24th, St John’s day, and the red speckles represent the blood that was shed as Salome cut his head off. As you can imagine, the window of opportunity for harvest is quite small so it is an herb that I was determined to grow myself as soon as I had an opportunity.

The flowering tops are used internally in the form of tea for nerve damage, demyelination, neuralgia, anxiety,

Make your own Christmas gifts! Practical workshops with Herbalist Chanchal Cabrera MSc

• Cordials & Elixirs: Nov 5, 10am-1pm, $65• Lotion, Potions & More: Nov 26, 10am-1pm, $45• Natural Skin Care: Dec 10, 10am-1pm, $45

For registration and more information contact:[email protected] 250-336-8767

Best in class fuel economy and towing

capaBility!250-334-3161

4901 North IslaNd hIghway, CourteNay GARF BAXANDALL FORD

4901 North Island Highway, Courtenay • 334-3161 DL 10773

FORD COUNTRYFORD COUNTRYBaxandall’s At the top of Mission Hill

gbford.comCourtenay

Headquarters Road

Back Road

Ryan

Roa

d

Island Hwy. Mission HillSuperstore

Campbell River

DL 10773

THE 2011 F150the #1 selling

Vehicle in canadaCome in and see

how we DESTROY the

competition!


My Summer with St John's Wort

And much commercial production runs the risk of pesti-cide application.

My 3 apprentices and I picked all the flowers we could want for oil and discarded the flower heads being munched by avid insects. We felt helpless and frustrated as our organic values won’t let us use a pesticide. The only thing we could do was to wash the plants from below with a strong hose of water and hope to knock the beetles off then wait for the plants to dry for harvest and hope the beetles didn’t find their way right back before picking the next day. We also lay the flowering tops on racks in the barn for a day in hopes the beetles would drop off sponta-neously before we put the racks into the dryer.

And then one day it got worse. The beetles must have laid eggs and the plants were covered in really tiny, wrig-gling black larvae. Again, the only thing we could do was to wash the plants off a couple more times.

And then, as if by a miracle, we seemed to reach an accord, the beetles and I. Some beetles survived and some babies no doubt too, but the proportion of spoiled plants was actually perhaps only 1 in 100, the beetles slowly diminished in number and no more damage was done. In the end we lost more to not being able to harvest and dry quick enough than we ever lost to the beetles.

I do believe that washing the plants as they grew was helpful and will certainly do it again next year if they come back with a vengeance.. We plan to make a sleepy time tea with St John’s wort, lemon balm and lavender, all hand harvested this summer, and I am especially glad we will have this great medicine to offer to people in need.

And what did I learn from this encounter with the insect world? The life of a farmer, be it food or medicine that is being grown, is subject to a thousand vagaries a week. You can control everything, do it all right, be on top of it and then Nature will do something else. It is the ultimate meditation practice because your livelihood depends on it. I am not a farmer, I grow only what I need for my clinic, but after this spring of fear and this summer of great harvest I do have greater appreciation for how

farmers must feel and the relentless optimism they need to cultivate (pun intended). To put a crop in the ground requires a leap of faith that it will grow and that you will be there to harvest it, and it renews us anew each time with wonder at the fecundity of Nature. And facing pos-sible crop loss is heart breaking but does not always have to turn out bad. In the permaculture style of growing and gardening, living with all the species in the ecological web is the intention. Beetles too have their place.

Chanchal Cabrera can be reached at: 250-336-8767

Sid Williams Theatre Society Presents:December 8 - A Journey into the Heart of Christmas with “Winterharp”

January 20 - “Unforgettable” - The Music of Nat King Cole

January 27 - The Dusty Flowerpot Cabaret

February 12 - The Sojourners

March 15 - Steven Page (Formerly of The Barenaked Ladies)

March 17 - BMFF - Radical Reels

March 18 - Vancouver Island Symphony

March 30 - Ballet Victoria’s - The Four Seasons

April 22 - Richard Scarry’s - Busytown

442 Cliffe Ave., Downtown Courtenay Tickets: 250-338-2430

Or order online: www.sidwilliamstheatre.com

Courtenay3195 Cliffe Ave(near Future

Shop)

Comox1966 Guthrie Rd

(in Highland Village)

The GRIFFIN PUBLiquor Store NOW OPEN

9 AM to 11 PM Daily

GREAT DAILY LUNCH AND DINNER SPECIALS1185 Kilmorley Road by the Base

LIVE MUSICFRIDAY

NAME THAT TUNE SATURDAY

And Liquor StoreThe GRIFFIN PUB

Liquor Store NOW OPEN9 AM to 11 PM Daily


LIVE MUSICFRIDAY


Shuttle Service Available To and From Home

Call 250-339-4466

The GRIFFIN PUBLiquor Store NOW OPEN

9 AM to 11 PM Daily


LIVE MUSICFRIDAY



Rising Obesity Rates and Increased Fat Phobia

I was in Arizona recently where I attended the Second Annual Binge Eating Disorder Conference put on by BEDA (www.bedaonline.com) . I got a lot out of Carolyn Coker-Ross’ talk entitled: ”Obesity and Binge Eating Disorder: Diagnosing and Treating with an Integrative Approach”. Dr. Coker-Ross is a well-known Eating Disorder and Integrative Medicine Consultant. I want to highlight some of her

wisdom in this article. One point she made which was eye-opening concerns

the diet industry. She asked us this question: “Do you know of any business with a 95% failure rate which has succeeded time and time again?” The answer of course, is the diet industry. She pointed out that the diet industry relies on our failure to make its profits.

The most interesting comparison she made was between obesity rates and fat phobia- both are rising exponentially right now, more than they ever have in human history. Here are some sobering statistics she gives on fat phobia:

» 1 in 4 college aged women uses unhealthy dieting mea-sures to lose weight

» Canadian Women’s Health network warns that girls as young as 5 and 6 are dieting

» Girls as young as 3 are already emotionally invested in being thin, to the point where some even will avoid touching game pieces that depict a fat individual

» As to why obesity is increasing, she points out the fol-lowing facts:

» From the 1970s to the 1990s, per capita calorie intake increased by 200 kcal per day. This adds up to one extra pound of weight every 17-18 days.

» Between 1970 and 1990, the US consumption of high-fructose corn syrup increased over 1000% and currently

40% of the sweeteners added to our foods and bever-ages come from high-fructose corn syrup. This increase runs parallel to the increase in obesity in the US.She reminded us that there are three distinct body

types: endomorphs, mesomorphs, and ectomorphs and that every one of us falls into one of these biological body shapes and that there isn’t a whole lot we can do about it. She also shed some light on the fact that scientific stud-ies are now conclusively showing that being fat is not unhealthy, but that being fat and not fit (or thin and not fit) is unhealthy. She is a big proponent of the “Health At Every Size” movement (www.haescommunity.org) which stresses focusing on overall health and fitness levels, rather than our weight or size.

I love this excerpt from Linda Bacon, PhD who is at the forefront of the Health at Every Size movement:

“Let’s face facts. We’ve lost the war on obesity. Fighting fat hasn’t made the fat go away. And being thinner, even if we knew how to successfully accomplish it, will not necessarily make us healthier or happier. The war on obesity has taken its toll. Extensive “collateral damage” has resulted: Food and body preoccupation, self-hatred, eating disorders, discrimination, poor health…few of us are at peace with our bodies, whether because we’re fat or because we fear becoming fat.

Health at Every Size is the new peace movement.Very simply, it acknowledges that good health can best

be realized independent of size considerations . It sup-ports people-of all sizes- in addressing health directly by adopting healthy behaviours.”

The bottom line? Let’s focus on health over some dress size we dream of fitting into…it could literally save your life.

Esther Kane, MSW is a Registered Clinical Counsellor working in Courtenay. She is the author of several books She can be reached at :(250) 338-1800 or [email protected]

Esther Kane, MSWRegistered Clinical Counsellor

Esther Kane, MSW Registered Clinical Counsellor

250-338-1800www.estherkane.com

Empowering women to become all that they dream

of being.

17


One Cause Of All Illness And Disease?

in protection mode deprived of the nourishment they need to stay healthy they will eventually die or become damaged. As well, our immune system is largely shut down, and our ability to think clearly is compromised due to the shift in blood flow away from our frontal thinking region of the brain. We can tolerate a certain amount of stress, but when our “barrel” starts to overflow, symptoms begin.

In his book, When the Body Says No, Dr. Gabor Maté chronicles the consequences of wrong beliefs behind vari-ous serious illnesses, and the types of early life events that created those beliefs. We all have some of these beliefs that can interfere with living the life we have the potential to create, as well as the state of health we develop. Beliefs cre-ate our point of view, and that in turn limits or enables the way we experience life, the fears we have, our self image, things we won’t do, beliefs we dare not challenge and so on. Many of our hidden beliefs are not really ours, they were given to us by significant others as we grew up.

So what can we do to help ourselves, before our bodies start to say no, or if they already have?

If you have self-esteem issues, feel victimized by life, have addiction issues, anxiety, phobias, fears, known or unknown traumas, etc, it is relatively easy to release old memories or wrong beliefs, utilizing some of the recently developed “Energy based” modalities available today. They are quite gentle, relatively quick, and do not require reliving traumatic events.

If you already have an illness, these techniques allow you to release the origins of any wrong beliefs causing stress and allow the immune system to begin to re-create your health.

Some of the modalities that I am aware of that can help release the effect of these cellular/sub-conscious memo-ries are: TAT (Tapas Acupressure Technique), The Healing Code, Matrix Energetics, Access Consciousness, NLP, Yuen Chinese Energetics, The Reconnection.

Ted Yells, Energy In Harmony: 250-339-2227

By Ted Yells

Is this Possible? The answer seems to be a resound-ing yes, and that thing is physiological stress! (We are not talking here about daily stress such as being late for an appointment, or caught in traffic, etc.) This is whole body stress that is the result of our fight, flight or freeze response being triggered, mainly by the perception of danger/threat, real or imagined. Even the U.S. Center for Disease Control now supports that 90% of all serious ill-ness is caused by stress.

Dr. Bruce Lipton says, based upon his research, that the thing that causes illness and disease is stress. And the thing that always causes stress is a wrong belief. Those wrong beliefs are embedded in our cellular memories. If you can heal that wrong belief, the stress goes away and the immune system in the body can heal everything, even genetic illnesses and disease. The wrong belief causes us to be afraid when we should not be afraid. What comes from fear? Anger, sadness, depression, manipulation, dishonesty, every crime that is ever committed, as well as fear of- success, failure, other things. Healing this can be life changing!

Our belief systems are created through our personal experiences and our basic survival programming, as well as those that can be inherited through cellular memories at conception. All of our life experience is recorded in our sub-conscious/cellular memory banks.

The main sources of memories which can result in very wrong beliefs about life and ourselves are: inherited cel-lular memories – past generation experiences in our DNA; pre-language and pre-conscious thought memories –up to age 6 or so; and traumatic event memories – at any time in our lives (extreme example is PTSD). Later in life an event or situation can activate these wrong beliefs and trigger the fight or flight or freeze response when there is no real threat!

Most of the memories that underlie wrong beliefs reside in what we call sub-conscious/cellular memory, and are not accessible through our conscious mind. Research has shown that 90% or more of a typical day is run by this sub-conscious aspect of our mind. It holds all of the “learned skill programming” and automatic response program-ming we have acquired, and these programs are often not even realized when they are running. This also means that the actions we take and the reactions we have based upon our wrong beliefs are largely not noticeable, they are just the way we are, and are experienced as normal for us. We simply do not recognize the underlying stress they create and as such we can find ourselves chronically stressed but not really aware of it.

A prolonged stress state, along with the accompanying physiological changes that go with it, will eventually lead to illness and disease. As our cells spend increasing time

Don’t Make Your Body Say NO!

www.EnergyInHarmony.ca · 250-339-2227

TAT (Tapas Acupressure Technique) EFT (Emotional Freedom Technique)

Matrix Energetics · Emotion Code · Quantum-Touch

Energy based counseling


Swara Yoga

Try this: Put your right thumb on your right nostril, and breathe gently in and out of the left nos-tril a few times. Close your left nostril with your ring finger, and do the same short gentle breath-ing with the right nostril. Most of the time one nostril will be more open than the other. This open-ness, or dominance, changes back and forth throughout the day and night. Which nostril has more air-

flow for you right now?“Swara Yoga is the science of nasal breath. It has rightly been

called the ancient technology of mind. Not a part of Hatha Yoga or other yogas, the science of Swara Yoga deals with the relation-ship between the nasal breath and the subtle nerves of the body, on the one hand, and the cycles of the Moon and the elements, on the other. It studies the nasal cycles – the nature of the breath flowing with the right and left nostrils. The teachings of Swara Yoga allow us to synchronize our breath, our life, with the uni-versal rhythm of the Moon. This alignment removes the effort and strain from our daily activities and brings good fortune.”

From Breath, Mind, and Consciousness by Harish Johari, 1989, ISBN 0-89281-252-4

If your left nostril is more open right now, this means the left side of your body is more active. This is the feminine side of your body, whether you’re a man or a woman. The left side of your body is influenced or controlled primarily by the right side of your brain, the hemisphere responsible for such things as music, reading faces, expressing or read-ing emotions, and global holistic processing.

If your right nostril is more open right now, the right (male) side of your body is more active. This means that your left brain is operating, the hemisphere associ-ated with such things as language skills, analytical time sequence processing, and skilled movement.

maNy aSpectS of daily life reSpoNd well to obServatioN

of the Swara.Have you ever started reading something, finished an

entire paragraph, and realized that you didn’t absorb any of it? Chances are, your left nostril was more open than the right, and your right brain was busily engaged in things having little to do with language.

Or maybe you made or bought a lovely cup of your favourite drink, and after a few sips, it sat untouched? Chances are, your right nostril was dominant, and eating would have been much more enjoyable than drinking.

Many aspects of daily life respond well to observation of the Swara. Going somewhere in the car with a friend? Whose right nostril is more open? They might be a safer driver in that moment.

Are you intending to practice a musical instrument today? Do it when your left nostril is open.

Swara Yoga is an elegantly simple and effective way of working with the body’s rhythms to bring increased ease and harmony to daily life.

For more information, call Catherine at: 250-898-8414www.catherinereid.ca

Catherine ReidB.A., R.Y.T.

Comox RecreationCOME PLAY WITH US!

Comox Community Centre COME PLAY WITH US! 1855 Noel Ave, [email protected] 250-339-2255 www.comoxrecreation.comComox Community Centre COME PLAY WITH US! 1855 Noel Ave, Comox

[email protected] 250-339-2255 www.comox.ca

Comox RecreationCOME PLAY WITH US!Comox Recreation

COME PLAY WITH US!

Comox Community Centre COME PLAY WITH US! 1855 Noel Ave, [email protected] 250-339-2255 www.comox.ca

FOREVER FITMIGHTY MIX

INFRARED SAUNA!FITNESS STUDIODROP INS!

Use it for...

MultipurposePunch Cards!

Earth and Heaven YogaFeel Better – Guaranteed

• HathaYoga–BeginnertoIntermediate

• LusciousMeditationforWomen

• PrivateSessions

• YogaSandals

Breathe, Stretch, Laugh, Transform!250-898-8414 www.catherinereid.ca


Hypnotherapy – Natural and Empowering

By Deborah Braun, BA, CCHt

Hypnosis is a “focused state of concentration in which a person’s normal critical or sceptical nature is bypassed – allowing acceptance of suggestions.” This description comes from the world famous Mayo Clinic in a Review of Clinical Findings published in 2005. The Review further states that:

“...patieNtS treated with hypNoSiS experieNce SubStaNtial

beNefitS for maNy differeNt medical coNditioNS.”

Focusing inward and invoking a self-hypnotic state is a perfectly natural way to unwind. We do it when we daydream, get involved in a good book, and even when we drop off to sleep at night. Endorphins and other “feel good” chemicals are naturally released, making it highly therapeutic. But what many people do not know is that this state is also empowering. We are far more likely to accept suggestions that are in line with our goals for change when in this state of mind. It is the essence of Hypnotherapy. Hypnotherapy has many applications, and is being recognized as one of the most effective, natural tools to combat pain and stress related symptoms. It does more than just manage symptoms – it often eradicates the root causes of physical and mental distress once and for all. Enhanced healing, habit control, weight reduction, stress & pain management and fear elimination are com-mon applications.

We often attempt to change our negative habits and thought patterns by using our conscious mind alone. But good intentions and self-discipline are often not enough to achieve deep and lasting results. The secret lies in access-ing the creative resources we all possess, deep within the subconscious mind. Hypnosis allows us to align with our own internal resources for optimal wellness and perma-nent change.

Imagine stripping away your normal “critical or skepti-cal nature” and quieting that voice of doubt in your head. This is the beauty of hypnosis. It allows us to bypass the negative thoughts that often sabotage us. So the next time you find yourself in a meditative, day-dreaming state of mind, use it to introduce a positive affirmation or power-ful imagery that supports your desired changes. In your mind’s eye, see, feel and experience your goal as if it has already been accomplished. Do this consistently for three weeks, and you will be amazed at the positive results.

Deborah Braun of Light Haus Therapy is a Certified Clinical Hypnotherapist practicing on and around Vancouver Island. For more information call: 250.650.4101 or visit her website at www.lighthaustherapy.com.

Zen Health Haven • 407A 5th St., Courtenay250.650.4101 • www.lighthaustherapy.com

Improve Health ~ Reduce Stress ~ Manage PainStop Smoking ~ Control Weight

Enhance Performance ~ Revitalize Well-Being

Deborah Braun, BA, CCHt, Reiki Master

$19.95

Available at Francis Jewellers320 Fifth Street, Courtenay 250-334-2611


546 Duncan Ave, Downtown Courtenay

Games & Grounds Coffee House•Computer & Console Gaming •Hourly Rates or Memberships Available •Card & Board Games •Tournaments •Party Room •Food & Drink

#4 - 239 Puntledge ROAD (across from the CRA in Courtenay)

[email protected]

Redesigned for 2012

New Location: 445 Crown Isle Boulevard

250-338-6761 www.courtenaytoyota.com

2012 Tacoma

Call 250-338-6829 or visit www.scubashark.com

In Mansfield Centre: 2270 Cliffe Avenue, Courtenay

Flying South this Winter?

Don’t forget your Snorkeling Gear, Board, Shorts & Sandals!Come see us before you go!

& Marine adventures


What are emotional regulation skills?

3. remember: you are not your emotion - do not necessarily act on emotion and remember times when you have felt different.

4. practice loving your emotion - don’t judge your emotion, practice willingness and lastly radically accept your emotion (it doesn’t mean you like it).

Sometimes the problem in emotions is that individuals cannot sense their body and body changes when action urges occur from their emotions (fight in anger, flight in fear). I want you to know that the behaviour (action) is not usually considered part of the emotion, the urge towards action is driven more from your interpretation of a situa-tion.

If you are interested or know of someone who would benefit from learning Emotional Regulation Skills, please contact Danielle Lambrecht at: PH. 250-898-9057www.daniellelambrecht.ca

By Danielle Lambrecht

What are emotional regulation skills? Earlier this fall, I shared what it means to have struggles with emotional dysregulation (not managing your emotions well). This edition I am going to be briefly talking about what emotional regulation skills are and how these skills can teach you to regulate your emotions. when you notice your emotional

suffering...try to let go and be mindful of your current emotion. How can you do this?

Try these following steps:

1. observe your emotion – note its presence, step back, and get unstuck from the emotion.

2. experience your emotion - as a wave, coming and going, try not to block emotion, try not to suppress emotion, don't try to get rid of emotion, don't push it away, don't try to keep emotion around, don't hold on to it, and don't amplify it.

Danielle LambrechtBSW, MC

Danielle Lambrecht, B.S.W. M.C.

Counselling: Individual Group Couples

Group ProgramsEmotional Regulation

Art Therapy Interpersonal Effectiveness

Addiction Relapse Prevention

250.898.9057280-B Anderton Road, Comox

http://www.daniellelambrecht.ca


Ancient Insights for a Healthy Winter Diet

Healers of both ancient times and the present day agree that food is our first medicine. According to the Nei Jing, a two thousand year old classic of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), when people eat a prop-er diet then their bones will be straight, their tendons soft, their energies and blood flowing, and they will have adequate energy. A proper diet is essential for lon-gevity.

But what does a proper, healthy diet look like? Nutritionists use Health Canada’s Food Guide, which is a good all-purpose starting point. TCM practitioners will then take a more comprehensive and personalized approach to nutrition. The ancient TCM system classifies foods by certain qualities, such as the food’s temperature (hot, warm, neutral, cool, and cold), and flavour (sweet, sour, bitter, salty, acrid). For instance, oats have warm, sweet and slightly bitter properties. In comparison, wheat is cool, sweet and slightly salty. In these examples the qualities of oats and wheat are subtle, whereas other foods have more obvious properties – chilies are, of course, hot

and acrid (acrid foods have a sharp, strong taste or smell, such as garlic).

Seasons and the local climate are also important factors to consider when choosing foods. Winter is generally a time to eat warm food, with acrid and sweet flavours. Meat eaters would benefit from venison, lamb and beef, which have warm thermal natures. Other good winter foods include black beans, steamed winter greens, whole grains and warm soups. Appropriate winter spices include star anise, cloves and fennel. Although all of these warm foods are beneficial in the winter, people should avoid eating large quantities of very spicy foods. As with most things in life, moderation is key.

what doeS a proper, healthy diet look like?

Vancouver Island residents must also consider our damp winter climate when choosing foods. Many health concerns are aggravated in the wintertime during the rainy season. Dampness from a TCM perspective, how-ever, relates to more than just the rain. Dampness is also a manifestation of signs and symptoms that result from what the ancient physicians saw as excessive humidity in the body. Excess body weight, edema, yeast infections,

Peter DayRegistered Acupuncturist

Your 1 stop shop for all your fitness needsYour 1 stop shop for all your fitness needs

Campbell RiveR250-286-4099 220 Dogwood Street

CouRtenay 250-334-0777 #102 - 1025 Cliff Ave

Phyllis Chubb M.A., C.A.P.Jyotish Kovid, CVAVedic Astrologer

Develop Consciousness & Self-knowledge

[email protected]


Ancient Insights for a Healthy Winter Diet

and feelings of heaviness and sluggishness can all be signs of what TCM practitioners consider related to dampness. To help combat dampness, bitter and/or aromatic foods can be chosen such as lettuce, celery, turnip, rye, and pumpkin. Foods that contribute to dampness should be reduced, including dairy products, eggs, and concentrated sweeteners.

The above dietary information would be helpful for most people. But in order to give the most benefit to their patients, acupuncturists tailor their advice to each person taking into consideration their health history and constitution. There is no one-size-fits-all diet, even when two people share the same health concerns. Insomnia, for example, can have many different causes. It is the acu-puncturist’s job to determine the specific cause of disease for each person, and fine-tune appropriate treatments and diet recommendations. The true strength of Traditional Chinese Medicine is in the prevention of disease, which begins with the food on our plates.

Peter Day, R.Ac., practices Traditional Chinese Medicine at Guthrie Acupuncture Clinic in Comox:250-339-3394 www.GuthrieAcupunctureClinic.com

Guthrie Acupuncture

Clinic

Guthrie Acupuncture

Guthrie Acupuncture Clinic

with Registered Acupuncturist Peter Day

Help your body heal itself naturally.Call today.

Guthrie Acupuncture Clinic

107, 2100 Guthrie Rd. Comox 250-‐339-‐3394

with Peter Day, Registered AcupuncturistHelp your body heal itself naturally.

Call today: 250-339-3394107, 2100 Guthrie Road, Comox

Foot Care Services Sheila Cameron, RN“Pampering Your Loved Ones with Happy Feet”

250-897-2153


Our Bodies Are Made to Move!!

» Improves blood cholesterol levels and reduces high blood pressure

» Improves your bone density, reducing the risk of osteo-porosis and fractures as you get older

» Helps manage stress » Reduces feelings of tension, stress, anxiety and depres-sion

» Provides an opportunity to be with friends of family » Sets a good example for your family » Maintains a healthy weight » Enhances sound sleep » Improves self image » Builds muscle strength Sounds good, but how do I do it?

» Choose a variety of physical activities you enjoy. Try different activities until you find the ones that feel right for you. Build them into your daily routine.

» Set a goal and make a plan — pick a time, pick a place and get active. Book a date with a friend to keep on track. Challenging yourself and your activity partner will help you both meet your goals.

» Spread your sessions of moderate to vigorous aerobic activity throughout the week. Do at least 10 minutes of physical activity at a time.

» Limit the time you spend watching TV or sitting in front of a computer during leisure time.

» Building physical activity into your daily routine can help you increase your activity levels. For example, walk to work or carry your groceries. Be creative, be active!

» If you have kids, check if the exercise facilities you are considering have childcare options. Yah, yah, but I don’t have the time! Here are some

ideas to help you build physical activities into your daily routine:

Set modest goals. Starts with a 10 minute walk – gradu-ally increase the time

By Raegan Spence, Recreation Programmer

Our bodies were made to move! Studies confirm that physical activity does not need to be strenuous or difficult to achieve health benefits. There are many ways to make physical activity a part of daily life and the good news is, If you’re not active now, adding any amount of physical activity can bring some health benefits. So, take a step in the right direction. Start now and slowly increase your physical activity to meet the recommended levels.

No matter your age, how unfit you feel or how long you have been inactive, studies show that starting a more active lifestyle now through regular, moderate physical activity can make you healthier and improve your life. Daily physical activity is a healthy habit for children because it helps keep a healthy weight and prevents high blood pressure and unhealthy cholesterol levels. Exercise is healthy for adults and seniors too because it can delay or help prevent chronic illnesses.

Who doesn’t want to look good, feel better and live lon-ger? Almost every day there are new reports on the posi-tive effects of physical activity. Just take a look at what a daily dose of physical activity can do:

» Cuts the risk of heart disease, diabetes and some types of cancer


PROOFWINTER 2006

NOW IN OUR FIFTH YEAR!





Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine Centre1671 Comox, Ave., Comox (250) 339-7227

Senior Trager®

Practitioner

Gracious Bodytherapy - Profound Relaxation,Enhanced Healing

Chris Bruels

®

Learn to Live More Comfortably

www.vanislevet.com 250-334-8400

Mon - Fri 8:00am to 8:00pmSaturday 8:00am to 4:00pm24hr emergency on call care

479-4th Street, Downtown Courtenay250-334-3656

www.brazencanadian.com

Soft ShellS2-layer jackets for the whole family

Screen Printing, Embroidery, Logos

and Branding.


Our Bodies Are Made to Move!!

Choose activities you enjoy (swimming, cycling, walk-ing, kayaking, etc). Find out about walking and cycling paths nearby and use them. Active Comox Valley pro-duces maps that highlight some of the excellent walking trails that are just waiting for you to experience them in your own neighborhood.

Join a group fitness class or use the “buddy system” to keep motivated.

Try a “drop-in” type class to start, that way you don’t have to make a long-term commitment.

Be ready for activity wherever you are – keep comfort-able clothes in your car and a pair of walking or running shoes in your car and office.

Play actively with your kids. So remember, it’s NEVER too late to get more active.

The time to be active is right now! Many Canadians find that physical activity also helps them to work more effi-ciently by relieving mental stress. Others find themselves more satisfied with life in general, the benefits are endless. Try it for yourself and then try it again!!

For more information on your physical activity options or to inquire about drop-in classes, call Courtenay Recreation at (250) 338-5371 or (250) 338-1000.

SLY Web Co

Susan L Young

Bookkeeping & Office Services

Bookkeeping for BusinessConstruction & TradesOffice ServicesMonthly ReportsHST WCBPayroll & RemittancesFinancial Statements

Susan L Young

250-897-8819 [email protected]

DOES YOUR BODY FEEL SHRINK- WRAPPED?

ROLFING is a manual therapy process which improves posture, relieves pain, and makes work, sports and everyday activities less physically stressful.

Check it out at www.rolferjoe.comJoe Bally, Certified Advanced Rolfer. 250-218-8483, 156 Manor Drive, Comox.


A private hands on approach to musculoskeletal disorders. Structural integration focuses on chronic tissue problems that limit flexibility and strength.

Patti J. Doyle “The Organic Mechanic”BScPt, BScP.Ed, OCS1915 Merino Place, Comox

250-650-1350

Patti Whacker’s Physiotherapy

If you have pain and dysfunction of a chronic or reoccurring nature - Patti Whacker is worth a try.

250-339-6940

Quality Styling for the Whole Family

- Open 7 Days a Week. Drop-ins Welcome. -ISO . Redken . Moroccan Oil . Tigi . Big Sexy . Milk Shake . Matrix

New Location!1743 Comox Ave

Come and join the Muay Thai family!➡➡ No➡experience➡needed➡

➡➡ Wide➡range➡of➡classes➡available➡for➡ages➡5➡and➡up➡and➡all➡fitness➡levels

➡➡ Great➡rates➡are➡available➡for➡individuals➡or➡the➡whole➡family

➡➡ Certified➡Instructors

Call for more info: 250-871-89972940 D Moray Ave in Courtenay (behind West Coast Home Theatres)

753 Fitzgerald Avenue, Courtenay, BC

334-3825 Tel/Faxemail: [email protected]

ENTRY SYSTEM

Island TechnologiesCOMPUTER SYSTEMS

Find out

why customers

tell friends

about us!

ATX Case and 350 Watt powerFoxcann 690 Series AM2 mainboard3200 AMD CPU512 MB - DDR2 RAM160 GB Hard DriveLG DVD RWFloppy DriveOptical Mouse & KB, SpeakersWindow Vista Home17” LCD Monitor

$698.00

UPGRADES

• Additional1.0 GM RAM

$75.00

Case + Power SupplyFoxcom MainboardAMD X255 DC-CPU500 GB Hard Drive 4 GB - DDR3 RAMLG DVD RWWindows 7 - HP

Box only $549.00

EnTRy SySTEM

755 Fitzgerald Avenue, Courtenay, BC

Tel: [email protected]

UPGRADESX-640 Quad Core

$49.00

HD UpgradesCall!

Gigabyte 880 Mainboard$35.00


Did you know that over 80% of headaches are caused by insuf-ficient blood flow to the brain from postural strains in the cervi-cal (neck) spine. This means if you can learn some of the pos-tures or positions that cause the symptoms then you can learn the actions and stretches to relieve them.

The neck is composed of seven spinal bones with a small canal

on either side to allow the vertebral arteries to travel safely up from the heart to supply the brain with oxygen. When the bones are in line the canal is at its greatest diameter and the artery can carry maximal blood flow. If the align-ment of one or more of these bones is off then the canal diameter is lessened which can result in a diminished flow to the head, ie. headache.

Sitting at a computer or desk for prolonged periods of time can cause the head and first vertebra to slide forward on the rest of the spinal segments. The shoulders slump and the chin protrudes in front of the body. This creates a slight kink in the artery before it enters the skull. The vessel is similar to a garden hose so when there is a bend

Treat your headache yourself!

in the tube the flow of fluid is compromised.If this posture is performed repeatedly for prolonged

periods of time the soft tissue at the base of the neck becomes shortened and the bones remain out of alignment and the headache persists. Staying in an upright posture will create a muscle fatigue and soreness at the base of the skull and sometimes the only way to get relief is getting off your feet and lying down flat on your back.

If you would like to check your cervical alignment in sitting, take a stick of 8 inches or longer (such as a long pencil) and rest one end on your chin and then ensure the pencil is perpendicular to the floor as it points towards your stomach. The pencil should hit the breast bone if the chin is not jutting forward. If the pencil falls in front of the breast bone the cervical spine is out of alignment and circulation to the head is compromised.

You may want to try this postural check as soon as you sit down at the computer and then 30 min later after you have been staring at the screen for awhile. Postural restrictions do not happen over night. Many chronic con-ditions take months or years to get so restricted making it impossible to hold the neck in proper alignment. Muscle soreness and headaches may become more frequent and harder to relieve with rest and medication.

There is a simple exercise to perform with the use of a small hand towel that most people can perform indepen-dently to alleviate the headache within minutes. Care must be taken with the angle of the pull to help realign the first and second vertebra so the joint surfaces do not become irritated so I recommend having a trained physio-therapist instruct you first.

Also having the soft tissue at the base of the skull released and other fascial mobilizations to the surround-ing tissue can be helpful in making the postural correction more permanent and easier to maintain. Alignment is the key to good health and achieving it through manual tech-niques and exercise is what I have found to be the most successful for most people.

Patti Doyle can be reached at: 250-650-1350

Patti Doyle BSc Pt Bsc P.ED, OCS

Brian Scott Studio GalleryCommission your own original!House Garden Boat Cabin View

Open daily from 11-4.8269 North Island Highway, Black Creek (across from the Black Creek Store)

250.337.1941www.brianscottfineart.com

INTERNATIONAL INSTITUTE OF

REFLEXOLOGY‘THE INGHAM METHOD’

A Gift of Health to yourself or someone you love. Therapeutic sessions now offered with an “Infrared Bio Mat”.Book a session or purchase a Gift Certificate.• Training Sessions Available!• C.E. Credits for RMT’sDeborah Dowker 250-890-3668

Beaufort Professional Building#205-1819 Beaufort Ave. Comox


comox valley health and recreation guide

Documents

winter blues

happy winter season

thecomox valley

long dark nights of

beautiful valley

natural empowering page

perfect soup page

spring issue