Align’s E-Newsletter ~ March 2007 Issue
I hope you have survived the snow and blowing and all that makes this winter in Ontario! (Or elsewhere if that is the case – I know even my friends in B.C. got some of the white stuff this year!) After a long winter (really we’ve had snow for 5 weeks now) everyone is itching to get out and about, and fortunately I have many events to tell you about. Spring is coming and that makes a great time not only to spring clean your house, but your diet and lifestyle as well. Dig yourself out and take a class to benefit your health and wellbeing.
News and Noteworthy
There’s so much I want to share with you, but there’s only so much time to check your email before the boss comes, so I’ll make it brief(ish).
o The 10th Annual Owen Sound Health Fair is coming up on March 17 at the Harry Lumley Bayshore Community Center in Owen Sound. This FREE event runs from 10 am – 3 pm. Come say hi to me and the other ladies of the house at the Kinexions booth.
o There’s a great new resource for those of you looking for different alternative forms of health care. The Wellness Directory (www.thewellnessdirectory.ca) is a very concise database of wellness professionals in Grey Bruce and beyond. There is also a calendar of events, so check out what info or skill you can take in this weekend.
o I found the best article and website recently when researching my Detox class. More about the article below. The website www.lesstoxicguide.ca is a product of the Environmental Health Association of Nova Scotia. This interactive database lets me go a household or personal care type product category, pick which item I’m out of this week, and view lists of ‘best’, ‘good’ and ‘simply unscented’, and go to the store knowing I’m buying a product with the fewest harmful chemicals for my house, my body, and the environment. Become armed with knowledge – it’s your best defense in this world of decisions. Check out www.alignnutrition.com/links.php for more informative sites.
o We had a lot of interest in ‘8 Days a Week’, our Holistic Alternative Buffet I was doing in conjunction with the Rocky Raccoon Restaurant in Wiarton. Unfortunately winter in Wiarton is not the best time to get people out for lunch. We will be rescheduling for the spring – please give me (519-270-2794) or the restaurant (519-534-0100) a call to find out more details.
An Excerpt from ‘Unhappy Meals’ by Michael Pollan
This article was published in the New York Times last month. It’s a great eye opener about the role that food should play in our body, and how food decisions are made for us by government and big business. Information of which we should all be aware.
“Eat food. Not too much. Mostly plants.
That, more or less, is the short answer to the supposedly incredibly complicated and confusing question of what we humans should eat in order to be maximally healthy. I hate to give away the game right here at the beginning of a long essay, and I confess that I’m tempted to complicate matters in the interest of keeping things going for a few thousand more words. I’ll try to resist but will go ahead and add a couple more details to flesh out the advice. Like: A little meat won’t kill you, though it’s better approached as a side dish than as a main. And you’re much better off eating whole fresh foods than processed food products. That’s what I mean by the recommendation to eat ”food.” Once, food was all you could eat, but today there are lots of other edible foodlike substances in the supermarket. These novel products of food science often come in packages festooned with health claims, which brings me to a related rule of thumb: if you’re concerned about your health, you should probably avoid food products that make health claims. Why? Because a health claim on a food product is a good indication that it’s not really food, and food is what you want to eat.”
He’s very passionate in a blunt sort of way; quite refreshing. You can find the entire article at www.alignnutrition.com/UnhappyMealsbyMichaelPollan.pdf.
Upcoming events you don’t want to miss!
Infrared Sauna Info Session
We had such great response for the first 2 sessions (even in the snow!) that we’re offering this class on an ongoing basis. Hear about the benefits and proper usage of infrared saunas, including its great detoxification abilities. Learn about health benefits of detoxification and how best to support the release of toxins from your body.
o Monday March 5 or March 19 22 7-8:30 pm,
or Saturday March 31 10:30 am-12 pm
o $15.00 ~ includes ½ hour sauna session with supporting nutrients
Detox for Beginners
Again, back by popular demand! You hear how important it is to detox – to get rid of all the chemicals, metals, and other toxins that build up in our bodies over time. But do you really know how? This 3 week course for detox beginners will go over the whys and hows through diet and supplementation. You’ll also learn how to reduce toxin exposure in your daily life.
o Day – Wednesday March 21, 28, and April 4 1-3 pm
or Night – Thursday April 12, 19, and 26 7-9 pm
o $65 + gst ~ includes resource binder
Cooking for Cancer Prevention
Learn how you can protect yourself from cancer or build yourself back up after treatment through food and proper nutrition. Participate in this hands-on cooking class, have some great food, and go home with recipes that call for anti-cancer nutrients.
o Sunday March 25 1:30-4:30 pm
o $40 + gst ~ includes recipe workbook and snacks
Nutrition 101 – Back to Basics
Ready to know what your body really needs? Learn the basics of nutrition and healthy eating from a holistic standpoint. Learn about whole foods, label reading, not-so-super foods, and making baby step changes for the health of you and your family.
o Six weeks starting Tuesday March 27 7-9 pm
o $125 + gst ~ includes reference binder and recipes
All the above sessions are held at Kinexions Holistic Health Studio at 970 3rd Ave West in Owen Sound. Sign up at info@alignnutrition.com or 519-270-2794 to reserve your place.
I’ve attached a pdf file of the seminar info. If you have anywhere you can post it where interested people can see, I would be very appreciative. Please remember – if you are really interested in a particular session but these dates or times don’t work for you, let me know! When there is enough interest I am happy to offer alternate times. Or collect a group of friends together and I can come to you and present in the comfort of your own home or workplace!
Align Recipe of the Month – Thai-Spiced Pumpkin Soup
Ingredients
2 acorn, pumpkin, or other smallish winter squash
3 tbsp butter, room temperature
1 14-oz can coconut milk
1 tsp (or more) red Thai curry paste
2 tsp Celtic sea salt, plus extra for roasting
water
Preheat the oven at 375oF and place the oven racks in the middle. Carefully cut each squash in halves or quarters. Slather each piece of squash with butter, sprinkle generously with Celtic sea salt, place on a baking sheet skin sides down, and place in the oven. Roast for about an hour or until the squash in tender throughout.
When the pumpkin/squash are cool enough to handle, scoop it into a large pot over medium high heat. Add the coconut milk and curry paste and bring to a simmer. Remove from the heat and puree with a hand blender; you should have a very thick base at this point. Add water a cup at a time, pureeing between additions until the soup is the consistency you prefer – a light vegetable stock would work as well. Bring up to a simmer again and add the salt (and more curry paste if you like). Serves 6.
Adapted from Heidi Swanson, www.101cookbooks.com.
Nutritional Value of Select IngredientsWinter Squash – Squash is a powerhouse of beta-carotene (which gets converted to vitamin A in the body). It’s great for preserving eyesight, minimizing cataracts, and warding off infections, cancer, stoke, and heart disease. It can minimize the risk of lung cancer in those who smoke or are exposed to second hand smoke.Coconut Milk – Comprised of 25% coconut oil and 67% water, coconut milk has been part of a healthy tropical lifestyle for thousands of years, and is very stable for cooking. The oils from the coconut are mono-saturates of the omega 7 family. Contrary to popular belief, coconut oil actually helps raise good HDL cholesterol levels. Thailand, where coconut is found in virtually every dish, has the one of the lowest cancer rates in the world.Turmeric – Turmeric is one of the spices typically found in curry pastes and powders. This bright yellow member of the ginger family has a long list of health benefits. It is beneficial for those with flatulence, jaundice, menstrual difficulties, bruises, chest pain, colic, and rheumatoid arthritis. It is a powerful anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and anti-cancer spice. Add it to soups, dressings, stir-fries, pastas; it has a strong colour but not a strong taste.
Look for more recipes at www.alignnutrition.com/recipes.php. Let me know what kind of experience you have with anything you try – the good and the not-so-perfect results!
Enjoy your day and your life!
Thanks very much for letting me share my thoughts and information with you. It’s great to hear the positive feedback from people that even the littlest tidbit of information has helped in some way. Let me know what else I can pass on to you. Because of interest from clients, you can watch for grocery store and healthy food location tours coming very soon.
In the infamous words of Monty Python – ‘Always look on the bright side of life’. Live happy and healthy and positively for longevity. Hope to see you at the Health Fair March 17!
Ange
