From the desk of Heather Munroe – Your Wellness Coach
Happy New Year! January arrives with a big celebration, new hopes, dreams and goals. Then, somehow it ends on a much more bland note. As Your Wellness Coach, I hope to steer you clear of those Winter Blues by staying focused on your health and overall wellness. January is a very busy month for me – 2 Wellness Shows! The first, on January 7th, put on by the Kanata Chamber of Commerce at Scotiabank Place and the second, on January 21st, the Orleans Health and Wellness Expo. I meet many people at these shows who have a lot of questions about wellness – you may be receiving this newsletter because we met at one of these events. In this newsletter, I hope to share answers to some of the questions I receive at these shows and other events. Happy, healthful reading!
Weight Management
Weight loss is a hot, hot topic this time of the year and there are plenty of programs and products out there to choose from – so many in fact that it becomes a bit of a
nightmare trying to choose where to begin. There are a number of things to bear in mind while you are being bombarded with advertisements and promises of magic potions and pills:
1. Diets do NOT work. First of all, diets are a very restricted and often unhealthy way of eating. You cannot eat that way for any extended period of time. Diets are often about deprivation – you feel deprived of your favourite things and faced with a huge list of DO NOTs. So what ultimately occurs? You start the diet with the best of intentions. You stick to it long enough to lose the weight you want to lose. Then you celebrate: “YES! I did it! I am DONE!” Then what? You are DONE, so you go right back to eating “normally” and enjoying all those things you deprived yourself of on your diet. Well, we all know where that leads!
2. Lifestyle change works. Did you know that your body naturally knows its own ideal weight and that it actually strives to achieve and maintain that weight? The problem is that we keep working against it. When we eat the right foods, ensure our bodies get all the essential nutrients, exercise properly and appreciate ourselves, our bodies will look after the rest. Sounds simple enough, but making the changes and sticking to them is not always that easy.
3. Coaching is the key. A Holistic Wellness Coach trained in nutrition can help you find the right program or design the right program for you. Each person is unique and no single product or program will work for everybody. Make the investment in working with a coach who will start you on the right program, support you with resources and suggestions, provide you with accountability, and adjust your program accordingly along the way.
For details on the weight management programs offered by Heather Munroe – Your Wellness Coach, click the buttons below:
The Sugar Busters Personalized Program
Protect yourself from the dreaded flu season
The very mention of flu season sends people scrambling to get a flu shot, stocking up on medications and tissues from their local pharmacy, and madly scrubbing their hands every possible chance they get. Stop the insanity! Ask yourself a few key questions:
What is flu season?
First of all, we know it hits in the late fall and winter every year – November to February – depending on where you live, of course. If you live in Australia, flu season is more likely to be June to September – that is winter season there. So, obviously flu season has something to do with weather patterns…or does it? How could the weather possibly cause outbreaks of the flu virus? How does the flu know it is flu season?
What causes the flu?
The truth is that weather does NOT cause the flu virus and a virus cannot read a calendar. The virus is always present and can only make you sick when your body is weakened by lack of nutrients and proper rest. Your body needs a lot of specific nutrients to maintain optimal functioning. Your body contains all the virus-fighting power you need – but you have to fuel it.
How do I fight off or avoid the flu?
The most important action to take is to ensure you are getting all your essential nutrients at optimal levels. The key nutrient that most of us are lacking in the winter months is Vitamin D – our body makes this from sunlight. Aha! Now, what do we lack in those winter months? SUNLIGHT! That is the true link to flu season. All you need to do is supplement your diet with a high-quality Vitamin D supplement during those darker months. Obviously, eating a clean, healthy diet high in brightly-colored anti-oxidant fruits & vegetables plus a high-quality multi-vitamin is a smart way to ensure your cells are nourished and ready for action. You also need to keep your healthy bacteria count up – get those probiotics into you! And, yes, hand-washing is ALWAYS a good idea.
Where can I get more info?
For more tips on keeping your immunity up click here Boosting immunity
For a great video, debunking the whole flu season and flu shot trend click here Video
For personalized support and advice on choosing your vitamins Contact Heather
Alligator skin?
Heating systems and bitter cold air takes its toll on our skin and hair. Nobody likes itchy, scaly, skin or dry, brittle hair. Here are some tips to avoid these issues:
1.Cool down your shower or bath - hot water makes dry skin and hair worse. Try a warm shower or bath instead of a hot one everyday.
2. Don’t use soap or washes that contain alcohol, parabens, or any ingredient with “benz” in its name. Alcohol dries everything out – I still cannot fathom why it is found in so many “moisturizing” products. Parabens are preservatives and have been linked to cancer. And ingredients with “benz” in its name are carcinogenic as well. I use Sensé Energizing Shower Gel and so does my family. It is a lightly citrus scented gel that lathers beautifully, rinses easily and leaves your skin soft and smooth. And there are NONE of those nasty ingredients listed above. Plus it works great as bubble bath, hand soap and shaving gel too! Talk about a versatile product!
3. Use a top-quality, non-greasy, chemical and preservative-free moisturizer. Nourishing your skin is just as important as nourishing the rest of your body. Remember that everything you put on your skin can be absorbed into your blood stream – that is exactly how the nicotine patch works.
4. Nourish your hair by choosing your shampoo and conditioner just as carefully as your other bath products. For luscious, beautiful hair try the Sensé hair care products – everyone in my family uses them and loves them. So does my hair stylist!
5. Drink plenty of fresh, pure water daily. Your skin gets dehydrated very easily in the winter. Drink at least 8 large glasses of pure water each day – the rest of your body will thank you for it too!
6. Nourish your body with fresh, whole, natural foods. What you eat affects your skin and hair – they use the nutrients from your body too!
7. Top secret ingredient to glowing skin and hair…..Omega 3s. A tablespoon of top-quality, fresh flax seed oil a day will do wonders for your hair and skin. Check your local health food store for the best selection. If you prefer your Omega 3s in capsule form, check out USANA’s BiOmega – fish oil capsules without the fishy taste or smell – Omega 3s without the mess of oil. I use flax seed oil plus the BiOmega everyday!
Sensé Product Info Omega 3Claim your 20% discount on USANA products – Just ask Heather! Contact Heather
Contact Heather directly to take advantage of this month’s SPECIAL
