Win a Supreme Day at the Spa!

Transcription

SPRING/SUMMER 2010
Spice Up
Your Life
BMX
Biking
Goal Getters
Hoop To It!
Happy
Hips
Forage
Fever
Win a Supreme Day at the Spa!
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spring/summer 2010
WHAT’S INSIDE
13
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2 HEALTHWISE OTTAWA Spring/Summer 2010
60
373 St. Laurent Blvd. (at Hemlock)
613-746-3500 www.celadonspa.ca
Gift Certificates
Spring/Summer 2010 HEALTHWISE OTTAWA 3
Celadon - HW - Mar 19-10 Final
E dit o r ’ S C o r ne r
Serving the greater Ottawa area since 2007
SPRING/SUMMER 2010
publisher
Judy Field
EDITOR
Kinneret Globerman
CONTRIBUTORS
Benita Baker
Jake Cole
Cynthia Nyman Engel
Kinneret Globerman
Lynda Hall
Rick Hellard
Murray Kronick
Frankie Leclair
Chuck Weeks
Richard W.R. Yasinski
DESIGN
Sandy Lynch
PHOTOGRAPHERS
Kronick Photography
Peter Polgar
Healthwise Ottawa is published seasonally
by Healthwise Publications Inc. and is
printed in Ottawa by Dollco Printing.
CONTACT US
Editorial Comments
[email protected]
s p r in g / s u m m e r 2 01 0 WHAT’S INSIDE
T
here’s nothing like warmer weather to make one
feel inspired. While some of you have made fitness
resolutions for 2010 and kept them, others of you
might still be thinking about developing some new fitness
habits. If the Olympics and Paralympics haven’t done the
trick and helped reignite that intention, we’re hoping our
spring/summer issue of Healthwise Ottawa will.
How about some inspirational stories to get you going down
that fitness track? Nada Milosevic and Neil Ryckman have
one to tell. They both overcame obstacles to reach a level of
fitness some of us can only aspire to. Vancouver surfer-cum-yogi
Eoin Finn inspires people wherever he goes with his blissology
and yoga workshops. Healthwise Ottawa met up with him
recently when he was here for a short visit.
If their stories don’t get you moving, perhaps Rick Hellard’s
tips will show you just how easy it is to get back on the fitness
track. Remember, too: Varying your fitness routine will bring
on faster results. So why not try something new? How about
hooping? We’ve got the scoop on this fitness craze. And have
you tried BMX Motocross? Young Cody Thurlbeck is taking
this extreme biking sport to a higher level.
We’ve also got stories on how to balance your pocketbooks,
your bodies, and your health. We hope you spring into
the season with renewed vigour... and a copy of Healthwise
Ottawa to help you navigate down the garden path! Enjoy
the season.
Kinneret Globerman
18
Goal Inspired 39
6
10
It’s easy to stay fit with these tips
13
Spice It Up
Healing spices the Ayurvedic way
The Thrill of BMX Motocross 18
One local boy’s ride to the top
of his sport
Scent Sense 23
Living with environmental
sensitivities
Coping With Pain
26
One local doctor is a pain detective
Today’s “New” Pharmacists
28
How they’re helping us lead
healthier lives
Advertising Enquiries
613-858-4804 or
[email protected]
Trish Stolte hoops it up.
See page 32 for the scoop.
www.healthwiseottawa.com
32
Hoop to It! A fun way to keep in shape
Stress Less Over Money Cover P hoto
Kronick Photography
All rights reserved. Reproduction of content in any form is strictly prohibited without the prior written consent of the
publisher. The information provided in this publication is for educational and informational purposes only. It is not a
substitute for the advice of a qualified and licensed health care provider. The views expressed herein are those of the writers
and advertisers, and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of Healthwise Publications Inc.
Occasionally, Healthwise Ottawa receives unsolicited material for publication. Healthwise Publications Inc. may edit,
use, or publish such material in whole or in part without compensation to the writer, unless otherwise pre-arranged.
Tips for living within your means
Forage Fever
39
Viva La Vino! 46
Naturally Green 50
Preventing Cancer 51
Minto Run for Reach 54
The Facts on Footwear 56
Health Wise Books 59
Hip Fit 60
Finding and preparing edible
wild food
Two locals push their boundaries
to get fit
Recipe for Fitness 54
36
Raise a glass to the health
benefits of wine
Rainbow Natural Foods wins
green award
How Prevent Cancer Now
is doing it
A fundraising success story
How to shop for proper footwear
Transform yourself with these
two books
Yoga to keep your hips happy
Advertisers’ Index by Category 62
reader's contest:
Win a Supreme Day at the Spa! Page 45
GOAL
GET TERS:
Two Locals Get Fit
By Benita Baker
D
etermination, dedication, and commitment… that’s what it takes to make a
dramatic change to your lifestyle. It is so easy to be complacent, to rationalize
poor eating habits and inactivity, to say “I should” but not do anything about it.
Meet two exemplary local residents who were motivated to challenge themselves
by going beyond their comfort zones to a place they never would have predicted.
From couch potato to endurance athlete, from overweight to fab and fit, their
transformations from inactivity to being healthy and in shape have changed their lives.
They look good, they feel good, and they have newfound energy and enthusiasm.
Here are their inspiring stories.
by enthusiastic, happy people who are
positive and supportive. If I knew then what
I know now, I would have started running a
long time ago.”
Along the way, Milosevic progressed from being
a recreational runner to becoming a competitive
racer. She has completed 40 races to date,
including 14 marathons — three of them, the
prestigious Boston Marathon.
When Milosevic’s running buddies began talking
about the Ironman, she was intrigued. On a
website catering to the running community,
she read a detailed and emotionally charged
firsthand account of competing in an Ironman
competition. It convinced her that the Ironman
would be her 50th birthday gift to herself.
Nada Milosevic
W
hen you hear Nada Milosevic
tell hers, there are two likely
reactions. The go-getters will
say, “Why not? You can do anything you
set your mind to.” The rest of us bewildered
amateur sports enthusiasts will ask, “How
does she do it?”
“I am not competitive, but I like to challenge
myself,” she says. “So why not try?”
There was a small problem, however. She couldn’t
swim. Undeterred, she began swimming lessons
and, with the same gusto that propelled her
running prowess, persevered.
Milosevic is training for the Lake Placid
Ironman triathlon — a 2.4-mile swim, a
112-mile bike loop, and a 26.2-mile run,
raced without a break. Participants have a
time limit of 17 hours to complete the race,
which will take place in July. Milosevic’s
goal is to finish in 16 hours.
Yet Milosevic, a self-described couch
potato, only began running six years ago.
With three young children, a husband,
and a full-time career as a dental assistant,
there just wasn’t time for fitness. A growing
dissatisfaction with the changes in her
body, however, as well as the prompting
of her doctor motivated her to get active.
chance, encountered a group of women
runners that welcomed her into their
gang. Much to her surprise, Milosevic
managed to keep up and, in no time,
she was hooked.
A friend at work introduced her to running.
She slowly began building stamina and, by
“Running got me into something I wasn’t
looking for,” she said. “I am surrounded
When her friend participated in an Ironman event
in British Columbia, Milosevic accompanied the
woman to support and encourage her. As she
watched her friend toil through the demanding
athletic challenges, Milosevic realized that
she would have to try something a little less
rigorous to build confidence for the Ironman.
She set her sights on a Half-Ironman, which
she successfully completed last summer in
New Hampshire.
“When it was over, I couldn’t believe
it,” she said. “It was such a big moment
for me. I was so emotional.” It was
especially moving for her to be cheered
Nada Milosevic at the
Philadelphia Marathon,
November 2007
Photos: Dragan Milosevic
on by her friends and family, and have
her idol, Ironman world champion
Chrissie Wellington, present her with the
finisher’s medal.
Training for the Ironman is intense.
Milosevic put in about 13 hours a week
during the winter, alternating activities
each day. She increased her training
this spring to about 25 hours weekly.
Fortunately, her husband Dragan is her
biggest fan. Milosevic’s commitment to
running is his as well. “He loves that I am
always enthusiastic and full of energy,”
says Milosevic.
Neil Ryckman
S
ometimes it takes a health
scare to propel us into seeking
a healthier lifestyle. Not so for
Neil Ryckman… at least, not at first. In
September 2004, he was diagnosed with
colon cancer. After three operations and
one and a half years off of work, he was
feeling great. Not only had he beaten
the cancer, but he had also dropped
100 pounds from his pre-illness,
260-pound body.
“I came out feeling good about myself,”
he said. “I looked great and I felt great.”
So life went back to normal. There were
no vows to stay slim, eat better, or exercise
more, and his weight gradually climbed
back up to 270 pounds. The real shocker
came a year ago when Ryckman was
diagnosed with prostate cancer. That’s
when he realized things had to change.
“I beat cancer the first time and didn’t
do anything about [my health],” says
Ryckman. “I realized that I had to do
something for myself. I just had to.”
The 61-year-old, who had never exercised
before, knew that he couldn’t begin a
fitness regimen alone. He began looking
for a gym that would support and motivate
him, and joined Greco Lean and Fit, a
training program offered by local fitness
guru Tony Greco.
It was difficult taking that first step, but
Ryckman persevered. Still, despite a
regular three-times-a-week workout
schedule, the weight was not dropping
off as fast as he’d hoped. Ryckman signed
on to Greco’s nutrition counselling and
changed his eating habits. No more
rich and starchy foods, and none of the
constant post-dinner to bedtime snacking.
Now it’s smoothies for breakfast, homemade wraps for lunch (instead of restaurant
eating), salad with chicken or fish for
dinner, and no pre-bedtime nibbles.
It’s working. Ryckman has lost 45 pounds
over seven months. His goal was to lose
a total of 70 pounds by April, the oneyear anniversary of beginning his new
healthy lifestyle.
“I like what has happened to me,” says the
jovial Ryckman. “I can see the benefits of
living healthy. I don’t look my age. I look
good and have more energy.”
Dragan looks after household chores so
she can train, and when her running group
undertakes 25K runs, he follows them by
car with water, supplies, and a change
of clothes.
With all that energy to burn, Ryckman
realized that being sedentary no longer
appealed to him. He took up golfing last
year, a sport he had never done before,
and when winter arrived, he sought out a
cold weather activity to replace golfing. On
the weekends, he went snowshoeing and
cross-country skiing instead of lounging
on the sofa. He also did some renovations
in his home, something that he would not
have had the energy for two years ago.
“It is a journey,” says Milosevic. “You
have to love it because there is lots of
sacrifice. Some days it is hard to even
put on my shoes. But as soon as I get out
there and get going, I feel great.”
Goal Getter Neil Ryckman working
out with personal trainer Adam Fata at
Greco Lean and Fit Centre, Kanata
“There is a glow about him,” says Judy
Field, publisher of Healthwise Ottawa
magazine, who has witnessed Ryckman’s
“before and after” metamorphosis. “The
weight loss and healthy lifestyle has
certainly transformed the man.”
“If I glow, it’s because I have new energy…
more energy,” remarks Ryckman.
An account executive at Dollco Printing
for 35 years, Ryckman is beginning to think
about retirement and spending more time
with his three grandchildren. Ultimately,
that is his motivation.
“I want to enter retirement as healthy as
I can be,” he says. “I know what it’s
like to not be healthy. I have the scars
to prove it. Without your health, you
HWO
have nothing.”
Photos: Kronick Photography
Recipe for Fitness
By Rick Hellard
This recipe serves one healthy
individual. Its ingredients are readily
available, and its methods are
easily obtained.
Ingredients
 2 to 3 physical activities or games
 2 to 4 hours of free time, spread over a week
 A dash of desire
 A touch of joie de vivre
© Nataq | Dreamstime.com
locations that are either convenient or
pleasing to you, or both.
Block the time off as busy and consider
it sacrosanct. Protect that time as much
as possible.
Invite people of similar commitment
and ability that you like and appreciate
to join you on a regular basis. Tell them
where you will be and when — if they
care to join you, all the better. This will
force you to show up, just in case some
of them do as well.
 2 or more like-minded individuals
for extra incentive
Stick to your schedule.
Method
Pick your activities. Choose things that require
your level of fitness, and that you like to do.
This will provide the desire and some motivation.
Mix things up as you feel inspired to
do — some days should be hard or
challenging days, some days should be
easy, and other days can be somewhere
in the middle.
In your day-timer, schedule your workout times
when they will be most suitable for you, in
Explore new areas together with your
fitness buddies.
For a better fit take a run to our store.
fit
Garnish with variety.
Additional
Suggestions
If possible, schedule your workout times
before anything else can get in the way,
like the morning. Once you are done,
you can go to work or do your chores
indefinitely, but at least the workout will
be over with.
HWO
Rick Hellard is a lifetime running and
triathlon enthusiast, having competed
internationally in every distance. As well, he is
a triathlon and running coach at Zone3sports
(www.zone3sports.com) and has coached
many runners, from beginner to experienced.
www.sports4.ca
In this sport, the right shoe is the most important
piece of equipment you’ll use.
At Sports4 and NB Ottawa, we have the expertise
to provide you with a great
< WIDTHS AVAILABLE >
fitting and the right shoe,
2A B D 2E 4E 6E
so 2010 can be a PB year!
149 Bank St. Ottawa
(between Laurier & Slater)
613.234.6562
Kanata Centrum Plaza
(near Chapters Kanata)
613.271.7597
Not all models come in all widths
Best of luck from all the staff
for the upcoming season.
© Photog2112 | Dreamstime.com
College Square
(Baseline & Woodroffe) New Balance
products only
613.224.2424
Spice Up Your Life
the Ayurvedic Way
By Lynda Hall
in any position
Over 70 Drop In Yoga Classes and
Workshops per week.
52 Armstrong St.
near the Parkdale Market
613-761-9642 (YOGA)
www.pranashanti.com
Ayurvedic nutritionist and Kundalini Yoga
teacher Christine Garand owns Shunnya
Centre (http://www.shunnyacentre.ca),
where you’ll find a selection of yoga
classes and Wednesday evening drop-in
ra
ph
y
Garand approaches her work with a healthy
balance of teaching and self-learning,
coaxing along her students in a
spirit of mutual exploration
and experimentation as
they discover their own
body’s particular needs,
and how to meet them.
Garand describes the
process as removing
the mental aspect and,
instead, trying to help
people feel their way
through. This is a relief,
given the complexity of
the Ayurvedic system.
Let me try to explain the
principles behind the system.
ron
In Ayurveda, everything in
s: K
P h o to
the universe, including humans,
is comprised of a unique combination of
five elements or states of matter: space,
air, water, fire, and earth. We experience,
describe, and attribute certain qualities to
each of these elements, such as “hot” for
fire, and “cold” for water and earth. There
are three recognized combinations of these
elements, which also have unique properties
and functions. These combinations are
called Doshas: Vata (space and air), Pitta
(fire and water), and Kapha (earth and
water). It is the goal of Ayurveda to avoid
illness by maintaining a healthy balance of
these Doshas in our bodies.
og
Peaceful
Powerful
Prosperous
Welcome to the flavourful
world of Ayurveda — an
ancient, holistic, natural
health care system
developed on the
Indian subcontinent
some 5,000 years
ago,
where
it
continues to be an
important part of
the primary health
care system. Here in
Ottawa, the philosophy
of
Ayurveda
has
mostly manifested itself
in an explosion of yoga
studios and a few Ayurvedic
doctors and nutrition counsellors.
classes on Ayurvedic nutrition and lifestyle.
Garand also offers more personalized
nutrition consultation and cooking
classes under the name Fearless Cooking
([email protected]).
ot
T
ry this: slice a dime-sized piece of
fresh ginger root, drop three to four
drops of fresh lemon juice onto it
and a pinch of pure salt. Chew well, being
mindful of the three tastes you are
experiencing — pungent, sour, and salty.
What you’ve just sampled is a natural
digestion aid.
P
ick
h
Healing Spices Chart
To bring it back down to earth, I asked
Garand to suggest a spring menu that
would benefit most constitutions. Although
happy to comply, she wasn’t going to let my
western reductionist reasoning get a quick
answer out of her. First, we had to consider
the qualities of spring. “What is it like to take
off your shoes in spring and walk out onto
the lawn?” she asked. “Cold. Wet. Soggy.
And my feet are sensitive from wearing
shoes all winter, so it’s a bit prickly.” And
from there our menu planning began.
If we consider our bodies as being in
harmony with the earth, then it’s natural
that in spring, we too feel bloated, heavy
from our winter eating, in need of warming
up, lightening up and drying out from
all that melting snow and spring rain.
Asafoetida (hing): Bay leaf:
Black mustard seeds: Black peppercorns:
Cardamom:
Cinnamon: Cloves: Coriander: Cumin:
Fennel: Fenugreek: Garlic: Ginger: Kombu (seaweed): Neem leaves:
Saffron: Turmeric: Garand suggests eating foods that
will kindle our digestive juices, draw
excess water from our system, and
lighten our load. We need the fire of
cumin and ginger, the astringency and
fibre of bitter greens, the circulatory
cleansing effect of mung beans — and, for
an aphrodisiac finale, chocolate truffles!
Garand’s spring menu features Kicharee,
the “chicken soup” of Ayurvedic cooking.
This recipe lends itself to experimentation,
but is basically a perfect protein
combination of rice and mung beans that
can be as thick or thin as your constitution
desires. She’s included a spice chart to
help you select your own spices,
according to the health properties attributed
to them. Don’t worry; you don’t need
to include them all. You can just stick to
her basic recipe and experiment with
future batches.
Rainbow Foods
1487 Richmond Road
Herb & Spice
375 Bank Street and
1310 Wellington Street
The Wheat Berry
206 Main Street
La Bôite à Grains
581 Saint Joseph Blvd.
in Hull
Sol Alimentaire Naturel
195 rue Principale
in Aylmer
calms Vata, aids assimilation, carminative (relieves flatulence)
warms, digestive
digestive, with warming effects
warms, digestive, carminative
calms and stimulates digestion
warms and sweetens, a digestive
quite heating, digestive
cooling, soothing, carminative and digestive
carminative, digestive, balances all Doshas
cools, sweetens, digestive
warming, digestive, reducer of mass
warming, strengthening, reduces toxins
warms, potent digestive stimulant
digestive, removes heavy metals
cooling, bitter, clears and removes wastes
cooling, tonifying, digestive, tri-Doshic
aids protein digestion, anti-inflammatory, good for joints
Now is the perfect time for a Spring Tune-Up!
Most of these ingredients can be
found in mainstream food stores, but
all of them are pretty much staples
at the following:
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© Petesaloutos | Dreamstime.com
For example, Vata substances have very
cool, light, dry, clear, and mobile properties.
Vata foods are described as astringent
and bitter in taste, and have the effect of
drawing out excess water from the body.
A person whose constitution is dominated
by Vata (which means “movement”) may be
described as slim, with dry skin and brittle
hair; having a tendency towards being cold;
having an irregular appetite; being creative,
quick learners, visionary, adaptable, and
hyperactive; and prone to anxiety,
constipation, and sleeplessness. In this case,
the role of an Ayurvedic nutritionist is to
assist the patient in countering the negative
tendencies caused by the dominance of
Vata, by choosing a diet of foods considered
more dense, moist, warm and grounding,
favouring the tastes of sweet, salty, and
sour. An excellent description of the other
two Doshas, how to determine your
own constitution and what foods to
avoid or favour is available online at
http://www.ayurveda.com, listed under
Online Resources.
Mention this ad
when booking your
initial assessment
& save $15.00
For our spring/summer
events, see
www.motionmatters.ca
170 Laurier Ave. W. (Ground Floor)
613-237-4343
Christine Garand’s Fearless Cooking
Spring Menu
Basic Kicharee
½ cup split yellow mung beans,
soaked & washed
¼ cup white basmati rice, well-rinsed
1 tsp coriander, seeds or powder
1 tsp cumin, seeds or powder
1 tsp fennel, seeds or powder
½ tsp turmeric powder
¼ tsp sea salt
⅛ tsp hing (asafoetida) or 1-inch piece
of fresh ginger
1 generous pinch of turmeric powder
1 stick kombu (optional)
4 to 5 cups water
2 tbsp ghee (clarified butter)
Freshly grated coconut or ginger, and
fresh coriander (optional)
Bring water to a boil. Add rice and
beans. Incorporate hing or fresh ginger,
1 tsp ghee, the generous pinch of turmeric
and the kombu (this combination forms
a very healing base for any soup). Cook
until beans are tender. Check occasionally
to make sure the combination doesn’t
cook dry and scald the mix.
In a frying pan, sauté the spices (coriander,
cumin, and fennel) in the ghee for 1 to 2
minutes. Add a spoonful of the cooked
rice and beans to the spices, coating
them well. Transfer the spice mixture back
into the rice and beans, and simmer for
5 minutes. Add sea salt.
Variation: Add vegetables such as
zucchini, asparagus, sweet potato,
broccoli, cauliflower, carrots, etc., about
15 minutes into the cooking time of
the beans and rice, before the spices
are incorporated into the soup.
Makes 4 modest portions, more if thinned
with additional water and served as
a soup.
Steamed Greens
1 bunch of any dark leaf green: chard,
kale, spinach, collards, beet greens,
bok choy, or dandelion leaves
1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
Place washed and cut greens into a
collapsible, stainless steel steaming
basket, in a pot, with a small amount of
water in it. Cover with a lid. Steam for
a few minutes until done to your taste.
Drizzle with lemon and olive oil
before serving.
Makes 4 modest portions.
¼ cup raw agave nectar
1 cup unsweetened dried coconut
½ cup raw cacao powder
(at health food stores)
¼ cup organic extra virgin coconut oil
splash vanilla extract
pinch sea salt
Blend all ingredients together. Adjust
consistency as desired (more dry
ingredients for a drier texture, more
liquid for a silkier sensation). Form
into 1-inch balls.
Makes about 18 truffles.
Garand offers a few general tips when
it comes to planning meals:

Eat your biggest meal at noon, when
the sun is high in the sky and your
digestive fire is strongest.

To help keep your Doshas in balance,
try to include all six tastes in every
meal: astringent, bitter (Vata), pungent,
sour (Pitta), salty, sweet (Kapha).

If you are going to indulge in a slice of
cheesy, gooey pizza or other food that
you know isn’t the best choice
for you, first eat a slice of fresh
ginger as described at the outset
of this article — it’ll help kick-start
your digestion.
Garnish with fresh coriander, grated
coconut, or freshly grated ginger. Let your
senses be your guide. This recipe and
the spice chart are simply guidelines to
nourish your body, mind, and spirit.
© Sonyae | Dreamstime.com
Chocolate Truffle
in the Raw
And the best advice for last: “Worse
than the food you eat is the guilt
you put around it.” If you are going to
indulge in another Chocolate Truffle
in the Raw, for the sake of your
health, enjoy it!
HWO
Bicycle Motocross… For the Thrill of It!
By Murray Kronick
BMX.
It might sound like a secret
code, but to bikers in the know it’s a
thrilling sport, one of racing bicycles on
small dirt tracks full of hilly terrain and
obstacles — with bumps, jumps, and the
occasional lumps from falls.
BMX, officially the abbreviation for
Bicycle Motocross, was originally created
in the 1970s in California. It’s a sport that
hundreds of people from four to forty,
male and female alike, are getting their
kicks from, riding around Ottawa’s BMX
dirt track in Orleans. And it’s a sport that
nine-year-old Cody Thurlbeck is mastering
and competing in, having moved up to
become ranked second in the province
in his age group.
Young Thurlbeck started riding bicycles
as a typical four-year-old — until one day,
on a ride with his mom, his bike’s training
wheels broke. That was when his mother
told him that he was going to have to learn
to ride without his training wheels because
“mommy can’t carry you home.” Thurlbeck
managed to bicycle home just fine and four
days later was riding a giant dirt pile on
the local soccer field with his dad.
Thurlbeck’s mother knew about a local
dirt track for bikes, and, not long after her
son’s ride with his father, brought Cody
and younger sister Paige there one day to
watch other riders. Thurlbeck thought it
was pretty cool and soon tried it out. He
was not at all intimidated by the fact that
the starting gate is high up at the top of a
hill. With his regular bike — a “Canadian
Tire special” — he rode that track for a year
and a half until his parents recognized his
level of interest in the sport and got him
something better: a BMX racing bicycle.
BMX bikes differ from mountain bikes.
They have thinner and less knobby tires,
smaller frame sizes, and longer frames. The
most noticeable difference is the gears; or
rather, the lack of them. Because there’s no
shifting, the bike has only one gear. There is
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a hand brake, mostly to reassure the
parents and keep the rider out of trouble.
With BMX, the only equipment you need
to get started is a bike, a full-face helmet,
a long-sleeved shirt, long pants, and gloves.
Thurlbeck loves the challenge of the race.
He uses jargon to describe the sport —
“tabletops,” “camel-backs,” “washboards,”
and “double-doubles” (not the Tim
Horton’s kind). It takes about as long to
describe the twists and turns and ups and
downs as it does to ride the track — about
60 seconds! — which is maintained by the
Ottawa BMX association. The 10-yearold volunteer-driven group, which also
sponsors the weekly practices and races in
the National Capital Region, are affiliated
with the American Bicycle Association,
which sets the rules of racing and promotes
the sport across North America.
Thurlbeck has taken advantage of this
affiliation, participating in races in New
Brunswick, New York State, and other
locations. It was in Horsehead, New York,
in July 2009 that he had one of his best
races, coming in second in his age category
in a tough field, and winning a trophy as
tall as he is. His parents bought him a blue
biking outfit as a reward, quickly earning
How To Get Started In
Bmx Racing
✔ See the movies On Any Sunday or
Joe Kid on a Stingray to see how the
sport got started.
✔ Watch the X Games extreme
sporting events on television or at
http://espn.go.com/action/bmx/index.
✔ Get a BMX or mountain bike at local
dealers (the Bike Dump or Canadian
Tire, for example) or online at
Canadian Bike Supply. Some
specialty brand names are Mongoose,
Diamondback, and Redline as well
as the more familiar Specialized,
Schwinn, and Giant, to name a few.
him the nickname “The Blue Missile.”
He has won a total of eight races, moving
up from the Novice to Intermediate level,
where the competition becomes tougher.
Thurlbeck’s sister, who takes after her big
brother as a skilful racer (although she
races with the girls), is also at the top of
the provincial rankings. The siblings don’t
race each other, though. “It’s better for the
home life,” says Thurlbeck’s mother.
BMX racing became an Olympic sport
in Beijing in 2008, in recognition of its
increasing mainstream appeal. It will return
to the London Olympics in 2012. Thurlbeck
dreams of making it to the Olympics some
day, and maybe even turning pro. BMX
competitions are lucrative, but you have to
be in the United States to make a go of it.
Unlike some team sports, nobody “sits on
the bench” with BMX racing. Every week
is a new challenge, with new riders showing
up, and a new first-, second-, and thirdplace winner with ribbons or trophies.
Points are collected to compete in monthly
championships. The racers never say “Oh,
I can never win,” because one never knows
who will or won’t be there on any given
week. This makes it very motivating.
If Thurlbeck has learned anything from
BMX racing, it’s this: “Pedal harder. Pay
attention to what other riders are doing,
but not the ones behind you. Concentrate.
When you’re in the air, really concentrate
on what you’re doing.”
With that attitude, the Olympics can’t be
far away.
HWO
✔ Make sure you take the side pegs off
if the bike comes with them. These are
for freestyle tricks, not for motocross.
✔ Get the right clothing and protective
equipment (long sleeves, long pants,
gloves, full-face helmet, shin and
elbow pads).
✔ Practise (carefully!) on dirt piles, up
and down hills, etc.
✔ Visit the www.ottawabmx.com website
to see about the local BMX track
and practice and race schedules.
✔ Try out a first race for free at the
Ottawa track to see how you like the
thrills of BMX racing.
Environmental
Sensitivities:
By Cynthia Nyman Engel
It’s Not In Your Head!
I
f a dinner companion is allergic to
fish, would you reserve a table at Fred’s
Fish Emporium? Never! You wouldn’t
dream of compromising someone’s health
and well-being.
Why then, on those occasions when we’re
asked to refrain from wearing perfume,
aftershave, or scented products, do many
of us roll our eyes and refuse to cooperate?
Likely, it’s because we’re unaware of just
how debilitating the condition called
environmental sensitivities (ES) is to
a growing segment of the population
living with it.
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Environmental sensitivities are very real…
ES describes a chronic syndrome whereby
a person experiences certain symptoms
when exposed to various chemical or other
environmental agents at low levels tolerated
by most people. The symptoms may range
in severity from mild to debilitating. And, in
a world where chemicals abound in almost
everything we touch, taste, see, feel, and
smell, one person’s applied scent can turn out
to be — and often is — another’s poison.
ES has also been called multiple
chemical sensitivity, chemical intolerance,
environmental hyper-sensitivity, environmental
illness, toxicant-induced loss of tolerance,
and idiopathic environmental intolerance.
People with ES are likely to feel fatigued or
groggy, have difficulty concentrating, feel
“spacey,” have a heightened sense of smell.
Approximately three per cent of Canadians
have been diagnosed with ES. While the
condition affects men, women, and children
of all ages, sixty to eighty per cent of those
diagnosed are women. The ES prevalence
increases with age.
rc
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Lep
i ne
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For many years, Dr. John Molot was virtually
a canary in the coal mine of environmental
medicine. “I used to be called a quack,” he
chuckles. “Now I’m an expert in courts of law.
“In the 1960s, they started to describe
environmental sensitivity but nobody was
diagnosing it,” says the seasoned ES specialist.
“It was denigrated in the 70s and 80s. The joke
is that in the 90s, the College of Physicians
and Surgeons was quite down on doctors
practising ecological medicine and then, in
2007, ES became a recognized disability by
the Human Rights Commission of Canada.”
ES wreaks havoc on life’s best-laid plans…
Kathryn Palmer was a talented young soprano
with a promising career when ES sabotaged
her hopes. Her performance dreams came to
an abrupt end in Quito, Ecuador. “I became
so violently ill that I couldn’t go on. I couldn’t
sing with the orchestra,” she says.
Quito wasn’t the first time she’d had symptoms,
but the episode prompted Palmer to consult
a doctor. On her first visit to environmental
medicine specialist Dr. Ross Mickelson, she
was advised to stop wearing perfume.
Palmer’s sensitivities prevent her from entering
a house under renovation and she has to move
out of her own home when renovations are
underway. For her, ES involves the onset of
sudden flu-like symptoms. “My face gets hot
and my glands swell,” she explains. “Certain
perfumes can set it off, or fresh paint, new
carpeting, the smell in a new car.
“My nose runs, I sneeze, and my eyes get
runny. I feel extremely ill. This is a systemic
reaction. It’s my liver saying, ‘I can’t process
these chemicals.’
“And, to this day, I don’t dare go to the
NAC,” she adds. “It’s too dangerous. I go
to small venues where I can change my seat
inconspicuously if someone is wearing a
scent that affects me.”
Jennifer McGregor’s ES causes her to live in
a kind of splendid isolation. Like Palmer, she
eschews the NAC and movies. “I miss being
able to enjoy culture in public venues, but
it’s too dangerous for me, so we’ve improved
our television, stereo, and in-home
entertainment systems,” she explains.
Originally, the McGregors lived in a city
town house but had to move when their new
neighbours turned out to be chain-smokers
who also used scented household products.
The couple pulled up stakes and set up house
in a rural, clean air setting.
At first, Jennifer McGregor consulted
an allergist about her migraines, cluster
headaches, instant nausea, and flu-like
symptoms triggered by odours.
“I was skeptical but I stopped wearing
perfume for three weeks and when I put it
on again, I had a terrible reaction. The things
that we are allergic to are the things we like
best,” she says ruefully.
“‘That’s not an allergy, dear,” he’d said.
“You’re being poisoned.”
For the past 25 years, Palmer has taught
singing. “My students have to sign an
agreement that they will not wear scented
products in my studio,” she says. “If anyone
shows up wearing scented products, they’re
not allowed in.”
If you suspect you have ES and are unable
to find a doctor with specific knowledge of
the condition, try to find one who has an
holistic approach and who understands and
sympathizes with how ES can affect the
many areas of your life. HWO
“And he was right,” says McGregor.
“When I found Dr. Molot, things began
to make sense.”
Did You Know?
 The chemicals used to make the scents
in products such as perfume, cologne,
hairspray, air fresheners, and cleaning
products linger in the air even when we can
no longer smell them.
 Using scented products in the workplace
increases the amount of chemicals in our
workplace air and may contribute to the
increasing sensitivity to these chemicals.
 A s we age, our olfactory (smelling) sense
declines and we may be using more scent
perceivable by others than we realize.
 The application of a scented product in a
small area, such as a washroom, can leave
a heavy concentration of chemicals in the
air for a long period. A highly sensitive
individual can be severely affected hours
after someone wearing minimal scent
has left.
What about Unscented Products?
Products labeled “unscented” or “fragrancefree,” which do not appear to contain scents,
cannot guarantee that no scent chemicals may
actually have been added to the product.
 According to Health Canada’s Cosmetics
Program, these terms mean that “there
have been no fragrances added to the
cosmetic product, or that a masking agent
has been added in order to hide the scent.”
 If the word fragrance or flavour is listed
as ingredients, then there is likely to be
fragrance in the product. If you are unsure
about a product, it may help to contact
the manufacturer for more information.
 More and more products now have truly
fragrance-free versions, which you can
find at your grocery or pharmacy.
Source: http://www.psc.gov.yk.ca/staffrelations/scentsensitivity.html
© Government of Yukon 2007
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It’s been 50 years since ES first reared its
symptomatic head. It didn’t have a name
then, nor was it a recognized condition and,
because many of its symptoms easily could
be construed as allergy-related, doctors
frequently referred symptomatic patients
to an allergist. When allergy tests came
back negative but the symptoms persisted,
sufferers were often referred to psychiatrists.
If you are looking for longterm prevention or short-term
relief from allergies, come and
talk to Rainbow staff.
Herbal, homeopathic
and supplemental remedies
can help you enjoy the
outdoor season.
For information and specials, visit our website at www.rainbowfoods.net
1487 Richmond Road at Carling
613-726-9200
Chronic Pain
Deconstructed
By Kinneret Globerman
C
hronic pain is a silent, worldwide
epidemic. The Chronic Pain
Association of Canada claims that
there are millions of Canadians who endure
chronic pain (18 per cent having severe chronic
pain), while the Canadian Pain coalition
cites an estimation of one in five Canadians.
Scary statistics indeed, especially when you
consider the enormous drain on the medical
system and the colossal expense incurred.
It’s no wonder, then, that Ottawa physiatrist
Dr. Hillel Finestone has seen his practice
swell over the years. Indeed, The Ottawa
Hospital Rehabilitation Centre and the
Elisabeth Bruyère Centre where Dr.
Finestone practises have long waiting
lists for patients seeking relief.
As a doctor of physical medicine and
rehabilitation, Dr. Finestone recognizes
that chronic pain is a complex
issue, requiring an interdisciplinary
approach. Physiatry, therefore,
enlists the help of other
health professionals —
orthotists, physiotherapists,
occupational therapists,
psychologists, dieticians,
social workers, to name
a few — to help patients
cope with chronic pain.
Dr. Finestone takes this
interdisciplinary approach one
step further. He adds an holistic
element, strongly believing that
understanding the mind/body
connection is crucial to healing,
specifically when it comes to
musculoskeletal pain.
“Knowing about the psychological and social
factors seems to be intrinsic to [the patient’s]
recovery,” says the doctor. “Counselling is a
component of the healing process. You need
to go to the root causes of pain.”
This, he feels, can have a profound effect on
treatment. While the mind/body connection
is not universally accepted by the mainstream
medical community, Dr. Finestone feels that
appreciating that connection would enable
doctors to better help their patients.
Mining for the body’s truth to understand
those components has rendered the doctor
a keen pain detective. Not all
pain has obvious causes.
He uses the example
of fibromyalgia patients.
While their pain cannot
be identified through
concrete means (X-rays,
for example), their pain
is as real to
them as
that of a migraine sufferer, yet the migraine
sufferer does not have to prove she is
suffering from a headache.
“When you cry, there may be 20,000 reasons
why,” he explains. “You could have won the
lottery. Maybe you ate raw onions. Or were
cold. It’s the same for fibromyalgia; there
are many different components to it.”
Dr. Finestone appreciates that the medical
system and the manner in which mental
health is delivered do not allow for the time
and resources required to embrace the mind/
body connection in adequately treating
chronic pain sufferers. “We need more of
a medical model that will map specifically
how to go about this...to use it as part of a
chronic pain treatment approach,” he says.
In the meantime, the doctor is hoping his
recently published book The Pain Detective:
Every Ache Tells A Story will provide patients
and doctors alike with a diagnostic tool. If
patients can figure out their personal pain
risk factors, they might better be able to
help themselves and their doctors get to
the root of the pain trigger. Dr. Finestone’s
diagnostic approach is to query patients
about their past and recent histories, this
experiential examination as relevant to his
full understanding of the condition as is the
physical examination that follows. The book
provides case studies which illustrate the
strong mind/body connection and offers a
diagnostic tool.
“The message to the patient is: It’s not in your
head. It’s in your muscles and ligaments and
spinal cord and brain, but your head can
make these tissues be painful structures so
don’t dismiss your head, either. Don’t give
up. Try to get the care you need.
“The message to the doctor: Don’t dismiss
the psychological factors and then blame the
patients' pain on them. We need to become
more interested in the psychological and
social factors affecting our patients to become
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better at treating their pain.”
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Pharmacists Today:
If a patient requires a different dosage
of a standard medication, a compounding
pharmacist can work with a doctor to
adjust the strength.
Helping People Lead
Healthier Lives
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By Benita Baker
I
rarely interact with my pharmacist.
Occasionally, she’ll explain a new
drug and its possible side effects, or
I’ll ask advice about an over-the-counter
remedy. But mostly, my pharmacist is the
anonymous person behind the counter
who dispenses medication.
this changing breed of pharmacist as “the
most accessible primary health care
practitioner.” Healthwise Ottawa spoke to
both pharmacists and patients to discover
firsthand why this accessibility makes
such a big difference in helping people
lead healthier lives.
Are you like me, or are you like Millie
Mirsky, whose pharmacist manages her
medication, proposes alternatives, questions
possible reactions, collaborates with her
doctor, and takes a personal interest in
her well-being?
Medication Compounding
Mirsky is one of a growing number of
people who interacts with their “evolved”
pharmacist — the one who plays a
collaborative role within the health care
system, educating and informing their
customers, working together with doctors
to determine what works best. The
Ontario Pharmacists’ Association describes
Scott Watson of Watson’s Pharmacy and
Wellness Centre and Kent McLeod of
NutriChem Compounding Pharmacy and
Clinic are both compounding pharmacists,
which means that, in addition to
dispensing prescription drugs, they can
also customize a medication to suit a
patient’s needs or develop alternate,
holistic approaches to fighting illness or
maintaining health.
Pharmacy client Garth Wilson began to
question the effectiveness of a prescription
drug in tablet form that he was taking, so
he asked Watson if there was an over-thecounter product he could take to get better
results. “Why not try the same drug in a
lozenge or spray?” Watson proposed.
“I went in with a problem and he provided
a solution that I never would have
considered,” says Wilson. “It was quite
inventive. A lot of people don’t realize that
this possibility exists.”
Supplements and Alternatives
Most of the people McLeod encounters
tell him that they don’t feel good
on their meds or that their
prescription drugs aren’t working.
He points out that, although
each person is different and
has different needs, most
prescription medication
is “one drug fits all.”
He firmly believes
that sometimes
a prescription
medication may
not be the most
effective way to
deal with a health
issue. He has taken
If a child won’t swallow a pill, for example,
a compounding pharmacist may transform
it into flavoured liquid or even a lollipop.
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compounding to another level, focusing
on non-pharmaceutical approaches to
treat illness.
McLeod invested heavily in state-of-theart diagnostic and laboratory equipment
that measures blood, urine, hormone levels,
brain, and adrenal functions. Based on
the deficiencies identified, McLeod will
customize vitamin, mineral, amino acid,
and protein supplements to meet a patient’s
unique requirements. At approximately
$500 per consultation, this service is not
cheap, and it is not covered by OHIP. But
success keeps his schedule full. “The better
people feel, the better for my business,”
says McLeod, who frequently hears “you
changed my life” from satisfied customers.
Many health consumers today prefer
to “go natural” rather than use
pharmaceutical treatments; hence, the
huge selection of nutritional supplements
on the market. That’s why some
pharmacies look like health food stores.
Watson’s customers frequently ask
him to recommend natural
alternatives to prescription
medication. He never tires
of hearing, “You know what? It worked!”
Sometimes it’s simple, like using omega oil
instead of hydrocortisone cream on a baby’s
rash or cranberry juice and D-mannose for a
urinary tract infection. Other times, when
dealing with symptoms of menopause,
seasonal allergies, or back pain, it’s trial
and error.
Customer Collaboration
Both Watson and McLeod work closely with
their patient’s doctors, who welcome rather
than resent the pharmacists’ efforts. Watson
calls it a triad — pharmacist/doctor/patient
working together for the best interests of
the patient.
As drug experts, the pharmacists pride
themselves on keeping up with research
findings and new products, an effort that
most physicians just don’t have the time to
undertake. Pharmacists also have a better
understanding of drug interactions and
side effects.
Millie Mirsky regularly consults with her
pharmacist, whom she trusts to provide her
with advice and information. “It is reassuring
to know that the pharmacist is available
if I have any questions or concerns.”
When she was prescribed a new drug,
Mirsky’s pharmacist, who was familiar with
Mirsky’s medications and medical history,
was concerned that it might cause a bad
reaction. So he consulted her doctor and,
together, they were able to obtain for her
a more effective drug at a reduced cost.
Educating Customers and
Doctors Alike
An important part of the services provided
by progressive pharmacists is providing
© Frankpey | Dreamstime.com
information to their customers, the
general public, and to doctors. McLeod
lectures extensively to professional groups
and associations. Watson is a contributor
to the “Ask the Expert” segment of
television’s ‘A’ Morning show. Both
pharmacists offer regular health seminars
in a variety of subjects aimed at disease
prevention and healthy living.
Sessions at Watson’s Pharmacy and
Wellness Centre have covered issues such
as coping with pain and how to maintain
strong bones. McLeod’s NutriChem
offers what it calls boot camps — concise
sessions focusing on specific health
issues. Seminars have covered topics such
as gluten-free eating, the best way to
move to prevent osteoporosis, and nutrition
to prevent diabetes.
While all pharmacists are committed to
the health and well-being of their patients,
some have chosen to take a more proactive
and hands-on approach in helping people
lead healthier lives. If you are taking
charge of your health, focusing on diet,
supplements, pharmaceutical alternatives,
and disease prevention, it makes sense
to take action based on collaboration
and the best available information.
So much the better for you, if your
pharmacist happens to be the source of
that information.
HWO
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4 Convenient Locations to Serve You in Ottawa
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The Scoop On Hooping
T!
P TO I
O
O
hy
W
By Benita Baker
ant an entertaining way to
exercise, guaranteed to make
you smile? Try hooping. Sure, it
might have been something kids did in the
past, but it’s now a hot, new fitness craze
and one that’s taking Ottawa by storm.
But beware: Hooping is addictive. Once
you start, you won’t want to stop.
“I love hooping because it's a refreshingly
fun form of fitness and it keeps me
smiling from start to finish,” says hooper
Kristine Karpinski.
Hooping is similar to what you might
remember as a kid, but with a big
difference. The hula hoops are bigger
and heavier than the thin plastic ones
found in toy stores, so they rotate more
slowly and are easier to keep spinning.
They’re also made from
plumbing tubing that
has been decorated
with a variety of tapes
that provide glitter,
grip, and sparkle.
“Glow” hoops feature
tiny LED lights and
batteries inside semitranslucent white tubing,
creating shimmering light
trails when the hoop spins.
There are even fire hoops for the
more expert devotees. Hoops average
42 inches in diameter, are much larger
than a child’s hoop, and weigh about one
to two pounds.
when I tell them I hoop,” she says.
“Believe me, it takes a little explaining...
and sometimes a demo!”
While it might seem a challenge, at
first, to learn the techniques, with
patience and practice you’re sure to pick
up hooping in no time. And don’t think
you’re too old or too awkward for it. At
Dovercourt Recreation Centre, the ages
of participants in the five hooping classes
offered range from teenagers to women
in their late 50’s.
According to Trish Stolte, a hooping
instructor at Dovercourt, the hoop is your
dance partner. “The hoop becomes an
extension of you,” she says. “At first it is like
a partner whose language you don’t speak,
but then you learn to make subtle
adjustments, so it moves with you.”
Both Staci Allington, a 20-year-old
student, and Sharon Ogilvie, a 53-yearold, have been hooping for over a year.
Allington describes hooping as “a fresh
and exciting way to get fit.” At first, Ogilvie
was concerned that she was too old to
hoop, but after she gave it a try she was
hooked. “People are genuinely surprised
So do you just loop the hoop over your body
and start swiveling your hips? Not quite.
Hooping is trick- and movement-driven,
and classes focus on techniques for moving
the hoop on different parts of the body —
waist, hip, chest, shoulders, neck, and thigh
— as well as flowing patterns off the body
in horizontal, vertical, and diagonal planes.
Keeping the hoop spinning on the body
requires a steady back and forth movement,
rather than rotating the hips. The goal is to
teach people to learn how to flex their torsos;
to flex their abs and extend back muscles to
create the push-pull, forward-back motion.
The benefits of hooping are numerous. It is a
heart-pumping, low-impact, cardio workout
that can burn 400 to 600 calories an hour.
Hooping targets the core — building
strength and toning abs, obliques, glutes,
quads, and arms — and improves posture,
balance, and flexibility.
Hooping enthusiasts also talk about the
calming and stress-relieving effects
of hooping. And they claim that it boosts
self-confidence, creativity, and sense of
rhythm. Stolte describes it as “transforming
and transporting” and says that some
people use hooping as a substitute
for meditation.
Sometimes, even the most ardent fitness
buff gets bored with the same old workout.
Since hooping is fun, it is easier to get
motivated. It’s a social activity that is
safe for all fitness levels, including pregnant
women. “One of the great things about
hooping is that it is an individual workout
and everyone works at their own pace,”
says hooper Irene Davis. “I couldn’t think
of something I’d rather do on a Sunday
HWO
morning than hoop.”
What do I wear when
hooping?
Where do I get a hoop?

oops are usually provided by the facility
H
offering the class. Dovercourt Recreation
Centre instructors sell custom-designed
hoops through Siren Hoops for practicing at
home ([email protected]).

ooping websites provide tutorials
H
for making your own hoop. Here are
a couple:
- http://www.jasonunbound.com/hoops.html
- http://www.ehow.com/how_2343281_
make-hula-hoop.html.

omfortable clothes are essential; the
C
less the better, since the hoop sticks
to skin.

oga or workout wear made of cotton
Y
or other natural fibres is recommended
because they have some grip. Dry-weave
and silky fabrics are slippery.

S leeveless tops are preferred for arm
and chest hooping.

Shoes are optional.
The 2010
CANCER PREVENTION CHALLENGE
Help Prevent Cancer Now in
The 2010 Cancer Prevention Challenge!
Join our team or form your own and participate
in a fun run or walk on May 29th or May 30th
in RUN Ottawa weekend.
Visit http://preventcancernow.ca/challenge
for more information.
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Stress Less Over Money:
Rules to Living Within Your Means
Rules to living within your means…
Rule #1: Buy only what you need and
can pay for now — just like your grandparents did.
By Richard W.R. Yasinski, CFP
T
he last few decades have been an
age of consumption. And while
many of us have more and do more
than our parents ever did, we’re also more
stressed than they were. Of the many
stresses throughout our lives, money worries
don't have to be one of them. Yet financial
stress seems to be at the top of the list.
Reducing financial stress can’t be based
on having more money. It really begins by
living within your means.
The reality is that you probably don’t have
unlimited funds, so living on the income
you have is the only option. I’m also guessing
that you don’t just want to survive; you
also want to enjoy and thrive for as long as
you’re around. Spending your money where
it really counts can make the difference
between a financially solvent future and
one that’s just the opposite. In other words,
making conscious spending decisions and
using money for true priorities — on what
you really need and on what you believe —
is important. Matching up what you really
want with what you can afford is the
route to true financial happiness.
© Kiankhoon | Dreamstime.com
If you keep that thinking in mind and
follow my money rules to live by, you’ll
have far less stress when it comes to money.
Debt management is the first thing to
wrestle with. There are two types of debt:
consumption debt and mortgage debt.
Consumption debt results from items that
haven’t really been paid for and probably
aren’t worth what they were paid in the first
place. You’ve been coerced, wooed, cajoled,
and sold by advertisers to buy stuff to make
you feel good. Okay, so you’ve bought into
that concept for a while, but for the sake
of your health, your relationships, and
your future financial security, you need
to stop thinking that having more stuff
equals happiness.
Living within your means begins with
internalizing the idea your parents or
grandparents had — that consumption debt
is bad debt and must be scorned. Everything
you buy depreciates…concert tickets, plasma
TVs, new cars. You may feel all these things
provide you with great memories or freedom
or relaxation and, for those reasons, may be
worthwhile. But you need to weigh the shortterm gratification of having these things
against the long-term stress of spending
your limited resources on them.
You need to consolidate consumption debt
onto the lowest cost credit card or line of
credit available and pay it off before you
buy anything other than what you need.
Then you have to decide that you won’t ever
have consumption debt again. You save the
old-fashioned way and pay for your wants
with the money you have saved.
Rule #2: Buy a home you can comfortably
pay for to be able to do the other things
that you need and want to do.
Mortgage debt is often considered good debt;
it’s money borrowed for a tax-free investment
— your home. Real estate has appreciated
at about six per cent over the last 20 years in
Ontario. However, too much mortgage used
to purchase too much home can be a stressor.
When interest rates increase (and they will!),
you may find yourself paying a lot more to
finance a big and expensive-to-maintain home.
I’m not so sure that “buying the biggest home
you can afford” is the best long-term strategy
anymore; not if it means you’re strapped for
cash for other immediate needs. We may see
a few decades where smaller, more affordable
homes will continue to be in demand, while
the demand for larger homes declines as baby
boomers downsize. A more prudent strategy
may be to purchase a smaller home so that you
can spend the right amount on other priorities.
Regardless, when it comes to a mortgage,
the best strategy is to plan paying off that
mortgage by retirement or sooner.
Rule #3: Invest in your retirement by
making sure you’ll have one!
Many of us see retirement as so far off that
we can’t give it much attention in the present.
Believe me, the years go by quickly, so decide
today that you’ll “pay yourself first” and
begin investing in your retirement. Plan
on not being a burden to your children or
Rule #4: Make sure you spend the rest of
your money on what’s really important.
As you probably don’t have unlimited income,
you will need to decide where and how much
to spend in all the areas that are important to
you. The sooner you decide, the sooner you’ll
be living your life the way you really want to.
For example, if family is important to you,
you’ll need to decide on which areas you want
to spend your money on to fulfill that priority.
Vacations and activities are important, but
so, too, are education funds, life insurance,
and long-term financial security. Decide
consciously how much you want to spend in
all the important areas of your life.
Rule #5: Know what’s coming in and
what’s going out.
No business, family, or individual can manage
their finances well without tracking money
coming in and money going out. I know
this is tedious and not much fun, but deep
down, you know you have to do this. You
can put together an electronic spreadsheet for
tracking your annual expenses or use the oldfashioned ledger-book system. However you
go about it, the important thing is to track
your expenses so that you know that less
money is going out than is coming in.
identified. The money is spent, but you’re not
sure how. This is called the “latte factor” —
money spent on day-to-day purchases that
really aren’t a priority. Spending is so much
a part of us and so automatic that we often
spend small amounts throughout the day
that add up to large amounts at the end of
the month. Although it may seem trivial,
watching this spending can help you save
much more than you think!
Living within your means may mean
spending less in some areas, but it can also
mean spending more where it really counts.
You just need to decide that you want to live
HWO
with less stress, and then do it.
Richard W.R. Yasinski, CFP, is an independent
Certified Financial Planner who founded
Financially Sound in 1996. He specializes in
personal comprehensive financial planning,
investments, tax, insurance, and estate matters.
See www.financiallysound.ca for more information.
W
hile spreadsheets are extremely
helpful in tracking items such as
budget expenditures, they can also be
tricky to draft.
Richard Yasinski can make things easier
for you. He’s done the layout work,
so to speak, and is willing to share
the template. He’s developed a simple
one-page spreadsheet you can use to
track your expenses for the entire year.
The spreadsheet allows you to track
your money with as much or as little
detail as you would like. Just contact
him for the template by email at
[email protected].
Forage Fever
By Lynda Hall
W
e haven’t always been an agrarian
society, cultivating grains, vegetables
and fruits, and raising our own
domesticated animals. Farmed food has filled
our larders and our bellies for only 10,000
years. Mankind has a longer culinary history
of sustaining itself by hunting and gathering,
and there are those amongst us, still, who
can guide us back into the forests, fields, and
wetlands in search of a free and tasty nosh.
Martha Webber is one of those people. With
an academic background in botany and
ecology, and years of experience teaching
biology and other nature-oriented subjects,
the almost 85-year-old shares her vast and
continually expanding knowledge of our local
ecosystems by running outdoor education
programs through her own enterprise, Look
and Listen.
One of the tactics Webber uses to build
appreciation for the natural world is to take
people on field trips to identify, harvest,
and prepare wild edible food. Each fall
she organizes a potluck dinner for past and
Photos: Tony Binkowski
society. Unless you have the most lucrative
pension, you’ll probably need to have savings
to cover retirement expenses and large
purchases such as cars, vacations, potential
health care bills, etc. Begin by creating
an automatic withdrawal from your bank
account to long-term savings, be it to a
Retirement Savings Plan or RSP, or to a TaxFree Savings Account or TFSA. Speak to a
financial advisor to figure out how to make
this work for you.
Martha Webber preparing to inflate " frog's belly."
present students, where recipes are swapped
and, if you’re lucky, bountiful foraging
locations revealed.
One of Webber’s springtime foraging
favourites is “frog’s belly,” known in the
perennial garden as Stonecrop (Sedum
purpureum). Like many wild edibles, it is
an escapee from the gardens of European
immigrants and is found along roadsides, in
fields, and other disturbed soils. The leaves
of this succulent are best eaten raw. Webber
gets kids’ attention by having them snap a
leaf off a stem, gently mashing the insides of
the leaf by massaging it between thumb and
index finger, and then putting it to their lips
Happy budgeting!
Rule #6: Watch the “latte factor.”
After tracking the money going out, you
may find that a significant amount can’t be
to blow in air until the leaf puffs up like a
frog’s belly. They are left to choose between
eating or playing with their food — or both!
The Ostrich Fern (Matteuccia struthiopteris)
is a wild edible familiar to many of us as
fiddleheads. Its curled fronds are sliced off at
the base of the plant and generally steamed.
While fiddleheads have hit mainstream
supermarkets, Webber warns that not all
of them, even fiddleheads sold in stores, are
necessarily from the Ostrich Fern — the
only one safest to eat.
Webber has taught thousands of people
how to identify fiddleheads in the wetlands
around Ottawa. She advises you look for a
deep groove found only along the stem of
the edible fiddlehead. There should be an
erect feather-shaped, dried brown stalk
growing from the same base, lacking any
small round balls attached to them — that is
the frond of Sensitive Fern, which grows in
the same location but isn’t safe to eat.
If foraging in a cloud of mosquitoes or by
mucking through a swamp just isn’t for
you, then you’ll want to thank Christophe
Marineau-Mes for providing local restaurants
and markets with a good selection of
wild edibles.
Marineau-Mes began foraging as a teenager
in the Aylmer, Quebec area, pursuing an
interest in medicinal plants. In his twenties,
his focus shifted to wild edibles. For him, the
motivation was simple: “The idea of going
out there [into nature] and getting free,
perfect food is a beautiful thing.” In 2001,
he launched Le Coprin and quickly
expanded from selling only wild harvested
Martha Webber in a circle of students on a
wild edible foods field trip.
foods to establishing his own facility for
cultivating specialty mushrooms.
He’s seen a dramatic increase in purchasing by
individuals and the city’s top-end restaurants,
including Beckta, Domus, Juniper, and
Murray Street Bistro. He attributes this to the
consciousness-raising local food movement
and the novelty of his products. Chef de
Cuisine David Coyne at The Urban Pear in the
Glebe would agree. Getting access to local wild
foods gives his menu an edge when it comes
to enticing discerning palates to his restaurant.
Coyne is excited about using native cattail
hearts (Typha latifolia) in his spring seasonal
menu, and relies on Le Coprin for the
harvesting. This involves wading into a marsh
or other body of standing water and pulling
loose the metre-high tender shoot from its root.
The bottom 20 centimetres or so contains a
tender inner core that is cut out and eaten raw,
or cooked. Le Coprin harvests five to ten kilograms of these shoots per week during June.
Forage Notes:
• Harvest only from clean land and water, free of pesticides, herbicides, fungicides,
industrial waste, and agricultural run-off.
• Identify plants with a good reference book or knowledgeable guide, not by taste!
• Never take more than the plant population can sustain.
• Ask permission before harvesting on private land.
Urban landscapes offer easily identifiable
urban “weeds” to satisfy your curiosity
for wild edibles. Young dandelion leaves
(Taraxacum officinale), picked on a chemicalfree lawn before the flower stalk appears, are
obvious ones. Lamb’s Quarters or Pigweed
(Chenopodium album) may be your garden
nemesis, but, harvested in spring, they add a
wallop of vitamins to a fresh salad or sauté.
Milkweed (Asclepias syriaca) may be classified
as a noxious weed by the City of Ottawa,
but snap off the early shoots, bring them to
a boil, drain completely, boil a second time
until tender, drain and toss with butter,
salt, and lemon, and you will see them in a
whole new light!
As the saying goes, “A weed is just a plant
in the wrong place.” Maybe the right place
HWO
is on your dinner plate!
For area field trips, courses, and youth
camps, contact Martha Webber at
www.dandelionjam.com. For mushroom
hunting: Les mycologues amateurs
de l'Outaouais at www.mao-qc.ca. For
Le Coprin products: www.lecoprin.ca.
For reference, Martha Webber
recommends the four-volume Canada’s
Edible Wild Plants Series guidebooks
published by National Museums of
Canada. Try www.Amazon.ca for used
copies. Still in print and available to
order online: Edible Garden Weeds of
Canada and Edible Wild Fruits and Nuts
of Canada, both of which can be ordered
through Fitzhenry & Whiteside Ltd.,
Publishers (www.fitzhenry.ca).
Christophe Marineau-Mes uses the
French Fleurbec series of pocket guides
available at www.fleurbec.com.
If you can't locate any of the National
Museum of Canada guides, you can
use Mrs. M. Grieve’s two-volume
book A Modern Herbal, online at
http://www.botanical.com.
David Coyne’s
Spring Recipes from The Urban Pear
Parmesan-Glazed Fiddleheads/
Warm Grain and Pickled Cattail
Shoots Salad/Rhubarb Gastrique
To clean fiddleheads: Shake fiddleheads
vigorously in a brown paper bag, then submerge
in three times the amount of water and
shake a bit, let settle, and remove. Trim base.
Preheat broiler setting in oven.
These three recipes together make for a lovely
light meal, perfect for a snack or weekend lunch.
Pickled Cattail Shoots
1 cup water
1 cup white wine vinegar
2 tbsp kosher salt
¼ cup sugar
½ tsp each peppercorns, coriander
seeds
2 bay leaves
2 cups cattail shoots
Rinse cattail shoots and place in a
non-reactive dish.
Bring all other ingredients to a boil
and pour over cattails. Bring to room
temperature and let sit overnight.
Grain Salad
1 cup red quinoa
1 cup barley
1 cup kamut
3 bay leaves
3 cloves garlic, peeled and whacked
with side of a knife
3 branches thyme (optional)
3 tsp kosher salt
½ cup olive oil or organic soy bean oil
3 tbsp lemon juice or vinegar
Salt and pepper to taste
1 cup pickled cattail hearts (or more if
you wish), sliced into small rounds
1 cup caramelized onions
To make caramelized onions: Cook 2 cups onions
over low heat in a small amount of oil until brown and
sweet, about 40 minutes.
Bring three separate pots of 4 cups water to the boil
with 1 tsp of salt, 1 clove of garlic, 1 bay leaf, and
1 branch thyme (optional). Add each grain to its own
pot and cook until “al dente.” The kamut will take an
hour or so and you may need to add more water throughout
its cooking process. When grains are soft, strain and pour
out onto a baking sheet to let cool. Combine grains in
a bowl with caramelized onion, pickled cattails, oil, and
lemon juice and season to taste with salt and pepper.
On a parchment-lined baking tray lay out
fiddleheads, form them into 4 five-inch circular
groupings, and top with Parmesan cheese.
Rhubarb Gastrique
1 cup diced rhubarb stems
¼ cup maple syrup
2 tbsp red wine vinegar
1 tsp thyme leaves
¼ cup vegetable oil
Bring maple syrup and vinegar to a boil. Add
rhubarb and cook until broken down. Add
thyme leaves, salt, and pepper.
Place in a blender and purée with vegetable oil.
To serve, arrange plate with grain salad
on bottom, fiddleheads atop, rhubarb
sauce around. Makes 4 servings.
Parmesan-Glazed Fiddleheads
2 cups fiddleheads
¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 clove garlic, minced
Juice of 1 lemon
Oil and butter for cooking
© Markstahl | Dreamstime.com
Photo: Peter Polgar
Over medium-high heat, warm a large sautée
pan or rondo large enough to accommodate
the fiddleheads without over-crowding the pan.
(Do this in two batches if you have no such
pan.) Add oil and butter, and once butter is
foaming rapidly and oil is shimmering, add
the fiddleheads, toss to coat in fat, season with
salt and pepper, and let sit for one minute. Toss
fiddleheads again and add garlic and lemon.
Once the fiddleheads are just cooked (I like
them on the firmer side), remove from pan.
Broil until cheese is melted and fragrant,
approximately 5 minutes.
READER's
CONTEST
Here's your
chance to WIN a Supreme Day
at the spa...
Simply look through the ads in this issue to
answer the following questions, and e-mail
your entry to:
[email protected]
by June 9, 2010.
Photos: Courtesy of Image Essentials
Indicate “Reader's Contest” in the subject line.
w w w.imageessentials.ca
Note: one entry per person please.
The selected winner will be contacted
by phone or e-mail. Good luck!
congratulations to our winner
Ottawa resident S. Keller was the winner of
the Reader's Contest in the winter 2009/2010
issue of Healthwise Ottawa. Our lucky winner
will enjoy a 2 night gourmet getaway for two
at the Bourget Inn & Spa.
CHARITABLE DONAT I O N
H
ealthwise Ottawa donates a percentage
of each issue’s advertising revenues to
a worthy cause. We would like to thank
our advertisers for their support in making
this possible.
Prevent Cancer Now is the beneficiary of this
issue’s donation. Please see the article on cancer
prevention on page 51 for more information
on this inspiring organization.
Please include your name, mailing address and
telephone number (your information is kept strictly
confidential; we do not share mailing lists).
Which advertiser...
1.Offers a spring tune-up for your body?
2. Is your destination for running, cycling, and hiking?
3. Focuses on natural living, beauty and healing?
4.Calls itself "your cottage in the city"?
5. Sells Select Apricots, Goji berries and sports mix?
6. Includes 6 photos of active living?
7. Features Ecco sandals?
8. Is the running shoe of bras... not the stiletto heel?
9. Offers an impressive gluten-free menu?
Viva la Vino!
DINE IN | TAKE-OUT
DELIVERY | CATERING
By Frankie Leclair
A
h, the joys of little indulgences —
sweets, fast food, afternoon
pints, an episode of The Bachelor.
Unfortunately, few of our indulgences are
beneficial in the long-run. That is, unless
you’re indulging in wine.
There is something comforting about
slipping into the centuries-old custom of
imbibing fermented grapes. Whether it’s to
sip a youthful Bordeaux on your porch, enjoy
the familiarity of a smooth Merlot with
old friends, or taste something new on a
blind date, wine is, as sommelier instructor
Liam Doody says, a great social lubricant.
Besides suiting all occasions, it’s a highly
argued fact that wine is healthy. From
fighting cancer and shielding or lowering
the effects of food poisoning to protecting
the heart and promoting feelings of pleasure,
wine is an underrated health booster. Think
of the French Paradox. The idea proposes
that despite having diets typically high in
© Misterryba | Dreamstime.com
saturated fats, the French live longer and
healthier lives with less instances of heart
disease than North Americans. The French,
of course, traditionally drink more wine
than Canadians and Americans.
For years it has been suggested that alcohol,
in general, is beneficial to heart health and
while there are benefits to drinking
both white and red wine, it is generally
accepted that red is the healthier choice
as it contains much higher levels of
antioxidants. That’s because red wine is
fermented with extended contact to the
grape skin. “This gives it its colour and also
introduces chemical compounds...that give
it the tannic mouth feel,” says Jay Hunt,
President of the National Capital Sommelier
Guild. That “tannic mouth-feel” is much
like the puckered feeling your mouth gets
after you’ve taken a sip of strong tea. As
well, the nutrients in the skins of red grapes
help fight cholesterol. This is why a little
extra skin contact goes a long way.
One such nutrient, resveratrol, is a strong
antioxidant, Hunt says, with properties
that could inhibit cancer growth and the
deterioration of cells. Editor-in-Chief of
Brix magazine and sommelier Nicole Vallée
further explains that resveratrol can help
offset some of the negative effects of highcalorie diets, “perhaps giving us insight as
to why French women rarely get fat.”
Being in Canada certainly has its own
benefits for wine production, as well the
inherent ones. “Cooler climates make
healthier wine,” says Doody, who is also
the Territory Manager for Diamond Estates
Wines and Spirits. He suggests drinking
Pinot Noir from the Niagara peninsula,
as Pinot Noir grapes are especially abundant
in health benefits.
Still, red is not the only heart saver.
Although it is better at keeping LDL, or
the bad cholesterol, at bay, Vallée explains
that both red and white wine increase
HDL, known as good cholesterol.
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Doody suggests checking out a list of
studies found on www.decanter.com
(the self-proclaimed “world’s best wine
magazine”) offering the pros and cons of
drinking wine for various ailments.
© Gdhathaway | Dreamstime.com
For example, studies on several types of
cancer showed that a glass of wine a day
could prevent the disease. Breast cancer in
particular can be prevented by resveratrol in
red wine, whereas the oak barrels red wine
180 PRESTON ST.
(2 BLOCKS SOUTH OF SOMERSET)
613.233.6239
Think You’re Allergic?
While wine can be a good choice for certain
health properties, Doody says it’s wise to
bear in mind that “for every study
that says wine is healthy for you,
there’s a study that says it’s
not.” For example, there are
some ailments that appear
to be negatively affected
by drinking wine, namely
acne and depression.
Although we all feel a
little more beautiful and
confident after a few
glasses of vino, the truth
is that it does nothing for
these real-life problems.
of a healthy diet,” says Di Buono. Even
though scientists are finding more and more
positive effects of wine, it has not become the
magic potion that will reverse the negative
effects of burgers and fries. However, Di
Buono says cooking with wine can reverse
the ill effects of some regularly cooked
foods (if it’s used as a substitution
for “bad” condiments such
as salt and other harmful
foods for the heart), but
only by substituting what
might normally be used
as seasoning.
And, of course, like
all good things in life,
there is one rule to be
followed closely. Although
doctors and sommeliers
may sometimes take a
different stance on the
And then there’s the everhealth benefits of wine, one
controversial argument: to
thing is universally agreed
drink or not to drink during
upon: wine is only healthy
pregnancy. Media reports cited
in moderation. This means
by Decanter magazine claim © Alxpin | Dreamstime.com one glass per day for women and
that drinking wine could lessen the
up to two glasses per day for men.
chances of behavioural problems, but it Don’t cancel out the benefits by going on
could also damage the unborn child. It is a binge. In fact, over-drinking will have a
highly recommended that women consult dramatically reversed effect on your health.
with a doctor if they are pregnant and
regular wine drinkers. As with coffee, it’s a So, as you enjoy your vino indulgence,
remember this: As with exercise, you can
matter of drinking in moderation.
feel like new if you drink wine in
Dr. Marco Di Buono is the Director moderation and follow a healthy lifestyle.
of Research for the Heart and Stroke As Doody says, those who drink it are
Foundation of Ontario. He cautions wine generally happier people.
drinkers to take all studies with a grain of
salt. “Wine is only healthy in the context Santé! Here’s to your health!
HWO
A
common deterrent from enjoying a
glass of wine is an allergic reaction.
People often react to the histamines,
sulphur (sulphites), or tannins, which act as
preservatives. They can cause headaches or
blotchy rashes, which is highly undesirable
in any social situation. Jay Hunt, President
of the National Capital Sommelier Guild,
suggests a simple preventative of taking
an antihistamine tablet prior to sipping
the wine or, better yet, seeking out wines
that are low in tannins.
One way to avoid tannins is to buy vintage.
In aged red wines, the tannins have broken
down over time; ergo the sometimes
crumb-like substance at the bottom of
some bottles. A wine drinker suffering
from allergies might be able to enjoy a
glass of aged red without a reaction.
A third option is to try a Gamay, like a
Beaujolais from France. These wines are
produced by carbonic maceration —
a technique used to ferment the juice
while still in the skin of the grape. With
this method, fewer tannins are released,
explains Liam Doody, the Territory
Manager for Diamond Estates Wines
and Spirits.
In white wine, the culprit of an allergic
reaction is likely sulphur. (Some red
wines contain sulphites, too, and some
bottles will state that on their labels.)
Not all white wines contain sulphur, so
to determine whether or not your wine of
choice is sulphuric, take a quick deep whiff
through your nose. If you sense a strong
sensation in the upper nostrils — quite like
when whiffing vinegar — the wine likely
contains sulphur.
Doody suggests trying a little experiment
if you are prone to allergic reactions. Buy
low-alcohol white wine and pour it into a
decanter one hour prior to serving. Because
sulphur is volatile, it should evaporate
while the wine breathes, thereby reducing
the negative reaction.
So allergy sufferers, take heart. The
time you raise a glass to health
happiness, you can most certainly
on the juice and enjoy sipping your
without reacting poorly.
“Be the change you want to see in the world”... Mahatma Ghandi
Easy to Say - Harder to Do!
Need some help with your goals, vision, purpose and
passions? Want to get unstuck and move ahead with
your career or your life?
I would be happy to work with you.
Alison Atkins
Master Level Coach, CMC
613-730-0931 [email protected]
next
and
pass
vino
© Skynesher | Dreamstime.com
is aged in can help protect against the risk
of lung cancer. Appendicitis can be eased
by the anti-inflammatory properties in red
wine; so can a common cold, and back pain.
30 YEARS OF
SATISFIED CLIENTS!
Kudos to One of
Our Advertisers!
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hile we were in the throes of
winter, one of Healthwise Ottawa’s
advertisers was being recognized
for staying green. Rainbow Natural Foods
received the Green Business Certified
accreditation last December 2009 — the
first health food store in Canada to
be recognized by the Ottawa-based
consultancy Greenvolution Inc.
When Michael and Janet Kaplan opened their
doors in 1978, the handlebar moustache
was in vogue, Elvis was alive, and smoking
was in fashion. Today the mustache has
been replaced by the goatee, Elvis “lives,”
and the ill effects of smoking and other
environmental pollutants has made us all
more ecologically aware. All along, though,
the Kaplans have stayed ahead of the game.
While they have never considered themselves
pioneers, it is evident that they have always
been sensitive to their environment before
being green became a movement.
They instituted the bring-your-ownbag program long before other stores
caught on, implementing recycling
before it became mandatory. They
even provided bike racks to their
customers and employees (and still
do), always aware of their carbon
footprint on this planet.
It’s wonderful that they have been
recognized for their forethought and
initiatives by becoming Green Business
Certified, as set by the international
standards of the Green Business League.
According to Greenvolution Inc.
President Carole Lair, accreditation is
Cancer Prevention:
Take Action
By Jake Cole
earned, not bought, and requires a steady
commitment. Greenvolution Inc. helps
its clients become more energy efficient
by adopting green business principles
and practices. Companies who undertake
the certification process must make the
necessary changes and implement the
recommendations, and attain a level of
green accomplishments before they become
a green certified business.
Rainbow Natural Foods is now one of many
companies internationally which recognize
the importance of reducing their carbon
footprint (and which is now internationally
recognized for its green efforts).
Healthwise Ottawa applauds Michael
and Janet Kaplan for their leadership in
employing and maintaining environmentally
sound business practices over these
many years.
HWO
I
t’s no secret: We all hope we don't get
cancer. Yet consider this: On a typical
day in the Ottawa region, 16 people
will be told by their doctors they have
cancer, according to the Ottawa
Regional Cancer Foundation. In
2009, some 75,000 people will have
died from cancer in Canada, with a
predicted 171,000 new cases; and
nearly half of all males and four in
10 females will get cancer in their
lifetimes, with one in four of us
dying from it (Canadian Cancer
Statistics 2009, Canadian Cancer Society).
Meanwhile, the search for the elusive cure
for cancer continues without major breakthroughs, leaving those with cancer to face
limited and often brutal treatment options.
Not great odds you say? Can we do more
than just hope? Yes, as a matter of fact.
Cancer is not an inevitable disease, nor
is it just bad luck. Scientific evidence
indicates that up to two-thirds of cancers
are preventable and this number, we’re
discovering, may actually exceed 80 per
cent. So you can do a lot to improve your
odds. Prevent Cancer Now (PCN) wants
to show you how.
Carole Lair of Greenvolution awarding
Rainbow Natural Foods owners Janet and
Michael Kaplan the Green Business certification.
The thing is, most people do not make the
connection between their environment —
everything that we are exposed to, in the
womb and after birth — and cancer. We'd
Photo: Chad Harber
like to change that. PCN, an Ottawabased organization with a national reach
and bold plans, will be bringing to our
community a powerful multi-media
presentation campaign to be launched this
spring. Prevention — the Real Cancer Cure
will document the many preventable causes
of cancer and highlight the changes needed
at the personal, community, and national
levels to reduce incidences of the disease
or, in some cases, eliminate it altogether.
The presentation may surprise some. It
may save lives. It will certainly challenge
people to take charge of their health and
Why Prevention? We Do It
for Love…
not just wait for disease to hit. It will be
authoritative and fully researched, with
credible data and powerful visuals to
communicate that message.
PCN will recruit volunteer presenters
from all ages and all walks of life — some
of whom may have personal experience
with cancer — and train them to deliver
the presentation in an informative,
credible, and inspirational manner. They
will bring this life-saving message to
public seminars at all kinds of venues in
our Ottawa community, from workplace
brown-bag lunches to town hall meetings.
PCN has secured support for the project
from the Ontario Trillium Foundation.
With that assistance and with help from
others, we expect to launch our first
presentations in Ottawa and Eastern
Ontario in May 2010. Next year, we
intend to expand the reach across the rest
of Ontario and then the entire country.
Few here in Ottawa have not been
touched by the massive human suffering
associated with cancer. Ottawa resident
Bob Brousseau witnessed his father die
from cancer. "Watching my father slowly
lose his battle raised the question that
I always have had about this disease of
cancer,” says Brousseau. “Why do we
spend so much money on curing cancer,
instead of prevention? While I believe that
research may help find a cure for cancer
one day, prevention is how we can beat
this dreaded disease right now."
Carole McCaskill from Fitzroy Harbour
chronicles her fight with cancer in her
book, What Color is my Ribbon? She tells
how she "quit cancer" by changing her
diet (to mostly whole, plant-based foods),
her lifestyle (she sees a naturopath and
receives Reiki), and her attitude (she
talks about giving back to the planet and
choosing to be more joyous and positive).
Like Bob and Carole, almost everyone
has a cancer story to tell. We'd like to tell
a much different one — about prevention.
We want to wake people up to the fact
that they can take concrete action now
to dramatically reduce the risk of ever
contracting cancer.
Watch for our public announcements
providing dates and places for our free
seminars taking place across the Ottawa
region. Learn more about cancer and how
to prevent it at www.preventcancernow.
ca. If you’d like to support or get
involved with our project, we'd like to
hear from you.
HWO
Jake Cole is Co-Chair of Prevent Cancer
Now. He can be reached at 613-755-0110
or [email protected].
Mary-Martha Hale and Don Desnoyer
s of Ottawa have been touched — no,
hit —
by cancer more than most of us. They
believe prevention is the only answer and
have
decided to throw their support behind
Prevent Cancer Now’s fundraising effor
ts.
Watch their progress on the PCN web
site www.preventcancernow.ca. Click
on the
link to the Cancer Prevention Challeng
e. Here is Mary-Martha Hale’s story:
I lost my father, my sister, and
my aunt to cancer. My niece und
erwent
treatment for leukemia at the age
of 15 and my sister-in-law is in trea
tment.
Don’s brother died of it, and his two
sisters went through the brutality of
cancer
treatment, including surgery, chemothe
rapy, and radiation. One of Don’s siste
rs has
since had a recurrence and is in palliativ
e care, and his Dad was recently diagnose
d.
Of 18 immediate family members,
we have had to watch six experien
ce the
horrors of cancer. We have mourned
the deaths of four of them and prep
are
for the loss of another loved one.
Since 1988, Don and I have supporte
d cancer research. In recent years, thou
gh,
we have tired of the search for a cure.
We don't want to cure cancer anymore.
We want
to prevent it.
As a young kinesiology graduate 30 year
s ago, I felt strongly that health prom
otion
and disease prevention were the answ
er, but no one was very interested
in
prevention — then or now!
Thank you for starting Prevent Cancer
Now. What can we do to help?
Prevent Cancer NOW!
What can you do right now to help prevent cancer in your life? Try these:
 Food: Eat organic produce, especially fruits whose peels are eaten, and avoid red meat.
Eat low on the food chain, choosing more fresh produce and grains and less meat.
 Cleaning products: Avoid using anything that carries a skull and crossbones.
Use baking soda and vinegar instead.
 Cellphones: Limit your calls as much as possible or use a headset to lower direct
microwave penetration to your brain.
 Non-stick cookware and stain repellents: Toss any old, cracked non-stick pans;
the chemical perfluorooctanoic acid or PFOA, used to make the non-stick coating,
has been linked to cancer. It is also present in stain-resistant clothing and waterproof
fabrics. Rainproof gear is OK, but not next to the skin.
 Personal care items: Avoid anything that contains parabens — butylparaben,
methylparaben — which in some studies have shown estrogenic activity and
which have also been found in human breast tumours.
 Open your eyes: Speak up and act up! Demand safe jobs, safe kids, and a safe environment.
Montage: Courtesy of Reach Canada
volunteer their time and expertise
to help resolve legal issues for
Reach’s clients. The organization
receives no public funding, so
the approximately $70,000 raised
annually by the Minto Run for
Reach allows Reach to service
thousands in legal areas such
as immigration, employment,
criminal and family law, mental
health, personal injury, and
landlord/tenant and business.
By Benita Baker
W
hen the first Run for Reach was
held 25 years ago, only 40 or 50
people showed up. At this year’s
event to be held on Sunday, April 25, more
than 1,200 participants are expected to
convene at Ottawa City Hall! Minto Run
for Reach is now one of the largest and
most established race events in Ottawa.
The event is the brainchild of Reach Canada,
a non-profit organization that seeks to
educate and inform lawyers, caregivers,
and the general public about the rights and
interests of people with disabilities (including
those who are deaf, hard of hearing,
have physical disabilities, mental health
issues, developmental disabilities, learning
disabilities, environmental sensitivities,
AIDS, or chronic pain). It hosts educational
workshops on disability issues and provides
legal referrals. Approximately 200 lawyers
The annual Minto Run for
Reach is a major fundraiser for
the organization. The growing
popularity of the race means
more corporate sponsors, as
well as the ability for Reach to
remain fiscally independent.
Back in 1985, at the same time
the running craze was taking off,
charities were just beginning to think outside
the box when it came to acquiring fundraising
dollars. There were only a few race events in
the Ottawa area, and the timing of the Run for
Reach — always occurring before the National
Capital Marathon race weekend — made it an
ideal training event for marathoners.
“I have been a runner for 30 years and
thought that this was a great way to start
the training season for the marathon
by participating in this fun event,” says
Cheryl Kardish-Levitan, a participant since
the race’s inception.
Reaching a Runner’s High
as to the Reach organization. Joe DuVall
has been the event’s Race Director since the
beginning, when Reach Executive Director
Paula Agulnik called asking him for help
in organizing it. His reason for coming
back each year is simple. “Reach people
do a lot of good work,” he says.
In addition to raising awareness of
Reach, DuVall’s goal for race day is to
ensure that the run is a positive experience
for participants. That means a well-managed
event with the little extras that runners have
come to expect — distance markers, water
stations, entertainment along the course,
no delays, prizes, and snacks.
According to devoted regulars, DuVall and
Race Chairperson Manny Agulnik have hit
upon the key to success. “Unlike many other
events, there's little sense of either athletic
hype or business profit motive,” says Bill
Williams, who has been running the race
since its inception. “It’s just a really solid
event that combines runners’ interests with
an underlying good cause and a great sense
of community on race day.”
“This is a fantastic race, very well organized,
and very welcoming,” adds frequent
participant Marsha Black. Ron Jande also
keeps coming back. “The preparation for
this run has always been a sign of springtime
for me.…The Run for Reach is a great event
and the money raised is for a great cause.”
Reach's Honourary Chairperson until his
death in 2002. The present Honourary
Chairperson is the Honourable John D.
Richard, former Chief Justice of the Federal
Court of Appeal (Retired).
The Minto Run for Reach takes place along
the Rideau Canal and features a variety
of race day events, including a 3K family
walk/run, a 5K and 10K run, and a 21.1K
half-marathon. There’s also a 5K Team
Challenge featuring teams from the
corporate,
business,
and
legal
communities, and a 5K Youth Challenge
for elementary and high school
students. For more information, go to
www.reach.ca. To register for the event,
log onto www.runningroom.com.
HWO
Helping Families See
Clearly Since 1913
gchutka / istockphoto
Dr. Michel Bastien
D r. h a r ry P r i z a n t
optometrists
®
Combine that with a good cause and a
committed team of volunteer organizers
and the event’s longevity was pretty much
a sure thing.
Over the years, many businesses have signed
on as title sponsors, including the Minto
Group, The Running Room, TD Canada Trust,
Enbridge Gas Distribution, Vittoria Trattoria
Restaurant, Tim Hortons, and back in the
high-tech heyday, Microsoft and JDS Fitel.
Many of the people involved in the run,
both runners and volunteer organizers, have
a strong commitment to the event as well
The Right Honourable Ramon Hnatyshyn,
former Minister of Justice, Attorney-General,
and Governor-General of Canada, was
services
Run for Reach Event:
Member
ThE CaNadiaN assOCiaTiON
Of OpTOMETrisTs
complete Family eye care
new Patients Welcome
Digital retinal Photography
laser surgery consultations
On-site lab
contact lenses & eye Glasses
Bilingual services
Tel.: (613) 236-6066 447 Cumberland St.
Email: [email protected] Ottawa, Ontario K1N 7J8
Spring Into Action
Advice is Nice
One of the most important decisions you
have to make is where to get shoe advice. If
you have recently been prescribed custom
foot “orthotics” (more accurately orthoses),
the shoe you put the device in is as equally
important as the orthosis itself. Based on a
biomechanics evaluation, a sports medicine
specialist or a certified pedorthist can make
shoe suggestions and direct you to shoe
retailers with knowledgeable staff.
The Ottawa Tennis &
Lawn Bowling Club
Your cottage in the city.
Check it Out
How do you evaluate support? With manual
tests you can do yourself.
© Berlinfoto | Dreamstime.com
and Stay One Step Ahead
of Injury
By Chuck Weeks
W
ith winter behind us, we’re all eager
to spring into outdoor activities.
Yet many of us aren’t always ready
to manage the seasonal transition without
hazarding some form of injury. Just moving
from the treadmill to asphalt can cause
problems. Golfers are especially prone to
injury, experiencing a very high incidence
of plantar fasciitis. This most common foot
problem, by far, can be very painful and take
months or more to resolve.
Before you spring into action, you might want
to replace your footwear. Doing it and doing
it correctly can go a long way in preventing
new (or managing old) aches and pains.
Ready? Or Not?
How do you know if your athletic footwear
has expired? By closely examining it.
✓ I nspect each shoe on a flat surface (e.g.,
tabletop) to ensure that the heel counter —
the rigid material surrounding the shoe’s
heel — is perpendicular to the surface.
An inwardly or outwardly distorted shoe is
a sign of shoe fatigue, or wear, as well as
an indication of your “mechanics” or the
way your body works.
✓ Inspect the midsoles. Creases there indicate
that the materials have fatigued.
✓ I nspect the outsole of the shoe — the
layer that hits the ground. If it’s noticeably
worn, the amount of traction and stability
will be compromised.
✓ Heel counter evaluation: Because the heel
counter is designed to help support the rear
of the foot during walking and running, the
stiffer and harder it is, the greater amount
of support it provides. (This is essential
for someone who excessively pronates.)
Evaluate its stiffness by squeezing both
sides of the heel counter’s middle section
together to see how easily it gives or resists.
✓ Torsional stability: This helps limit the
amount your foot will twist or turn while
you’re in motion. To evaluate, hold the shoe
with one hand underneath near the where
the ball of the foot rests (the widest part)
and the other hand underneath the back of
the shoe (below the heel counter). Twisting
the shoe should be quite difficult. A
flexible shoe will offer less stability.
✓ Bend test: Hold the shoe at opposite
ends and bend. Ideally, the shoe should
only bend at the ball of the foot. If the
shoe is flexible throughout, it will provide
less stability.
Have your best
outdoor season by
joining before May 1st.
Fun, friends and
fitness...all in one
beautiful location! New and
experienced players are always
welcomed and special rates apply
for First-Time tennis members.
WWW xOTLBC xCOM
✓ Removable insoles: It is preferable to have
easily removable insoles in the shoes to
allow for the addition of custom orthosis.
Evaluate the Fit
It is essential to find a reputable shoe retailer
when deciding what shoe is best, and to have
176 Cameron Avenue,
next to Brewer Park
© Cammeraydave | Dreamstime.com
Foot Facts
✓F
oot measurement:
When visiting a
reputable shoe retailer,
your feet are initially
measured with what is
known as a “Bannock
Device.” This device is
commonplace in most
stores and is used to
measure your foot size
(not your shoe size).
✓ Matching the foot to the shoe: Each
brand of shoe has slightly different shoe
sizing and "last" shapes. The last shape is
the basic shape of the shoe; some shoes
have a high instep or a low instep, with
each manufacturer often designing on a
particular last. This means that one shoe
may be of excellent design for one person,
but be a poor choice for another. A retailer
should be able to match the right shoe
shape to your foot shape. The best shoe for
you depends on your anatomy as well as
the mechanics of how you walk and run.
✓T
oe space: Allow for approximately 1/2"
to 5/8" of space (or half a thumb width)
beyond the length of your longest toe
when the shoe is on.
✓F
orefoot space: It is essential that the shoe
have sufficient volume in the forefoot (in
and around the toes and ball of your foot).
Insufficient volume can lead to a variety
of injuries, so make sure you can pinch
approximately 1/4" of the upper material
between your thumb and forefinger.
✓ Heel space: Remember — A stable heel
counter improves the level of support. You
can expect that with the new pair of shoes
and orthoses, there may be some initial
slippage in the heel. The key is to choose
a shoe that slips the least. One common
habit these days is to buy laced shoes with
the expectation that they can be worn like
loafers and be slipped on and off easily.
Usually, if a shoe stays on a foot without
needing to be snugly laced it means that
the shoe must be too short.
Footwear Maintenance
Once you have chosen the shoe that’s right
for you, you want to prolong its life.
✓ Keep two pairs of running/walking shoes
on hand. Rotate your shoes every couple
of days to give the midsole ample time to
recover. When the midsole has time to
“bounce back,” it will return to its original
height, and will provide optimal cushioning
and shock absorption.
✓ Shoes will last longer if you take the time
to undo the laces before removing the
shoe. This will preserve the shape and
HWO
performance of the heel counter.
Chuck Weeks is a Certified Pedorthist and Athletic
Therapist and the founder and owner of CWG
Footcare, Inc. Chuck has served as President of the
Pedorthic Association of Canada (PAC) and is a
recipient of PAC’s Award of Distinction. He has also
served as the Medical Coordinator for the National
Capital Marathon. In his spare time, Chuck
is currently collaborating on a web-based book
with one of North America’s top foot surgeons.
Health Wise Books
co
m
the shoe professionally fit. A common mistake
people make is that they choose a shoe based
on media reports and advertising. People also
have a false sense of perception that shoe sizes
for all companies are equivalent, yet they
can differ significantly from one company to
another. Consult with a knowledgeable and
skilled shoe retailer to determine your needs,
regardless of company brand.
©
|D
R o fa
r ea
ti
ms
m
e.
W
ade Imre Morissette’s claim to fame
might well be his famous twin sister,
Alanis. But he hasn’t relied on her star
status to make his own mark, even if it’s in a
manner that shies away from the spotlight.
Morissette is a yoga practitioner and teacher
who has studied with yoga masters in India
and North America.
Like yogi Eoin Finn
(see our article on
page 60), Morissette
accidentally found
yoga — or it found
him — in university.
He left his studies of
environmental
law
to throw himself into
reading about Eastern
mysticism and philosophy, finally heading to
ashrams in India. “I realized then that yoga
was as vast as the ocean,” he writes in his book
Transformative Yoga: Five Keys to Unlocking
Inner Bliss (New Harbinger Publications/
Raincoast Books, ISBN 978-1-57224-620-1).
Morissette asserts that his practice of yoga for
almost 20 years has brought him closer to his
true essence, and he has derived much joy and
calm from it. He wants others to enjoy the very
same benefits and has written this book to share
with readers his conviction that yoga is the
key to living a life of joy.
Not at all preachy and full of encouragement,
Transformative Yoga lays out a yoga practice
that includes correct deep breathing and
meditation, with easy-to-follow explanations
of yoga moves illustrated by black-and-white
photos. Morissette guides readers in three
routines geared to beginners, intermediate,
and advanced practitioners.
Now that you’ve got your body covered with
yoga practice, you’ll want to ensure your
outer layer is well taken care of. If you want
the low-down on good skin care, hurry to the
bookstore and pick up your copy of the new
paperback edition of Paula Begoun’s Don’t
Go to the Cosmetics Counter Without Me
(8 th edition, Beginning Press/Raincoast
Books, ISBN 978-1-877988-34-9).
Known as the cosmetics cop, consumer
advocate Begoun has built her own cosmetics
empire, has sold over 2.5 million books, and
has gained notoriety with her appearances on
CNN, Oprah, and a host of other television
shows. In this tome of a soft cover — it’s
huge, with 1,193 pages! — she offers solid
information and advice on thousands of
skin care and makeup products from A to Z,
deconstructing product ingredients and
rating the best to
worst in the industry.
Having rigorously
analyzed formulas and
ingredients against the
product claims, Begoun
challenges those claims,
rates products against
specific criteria she and
her team of analysts
have developed, and
offers advice on how
best to care for specific skin problems. She
also debunks buzzwords (hypoallergenic
can’t always be trusted because “there are no
standard testing restrictions or regulations
for determining whether a product qualifies
as meeting this claim”). If you want to know
what you’re putting on your face, this book’s
for you.
HWO
Eoin Making Hips Happy
Finn:
Finn is a better athlete at 42 than he was at 20
because of yoga.
I
f you’re happy and you know it, don’t
just clap your hands. Do a handstand.
Or a Warrior 2 Pose. Or just bliss out and
savour the moment. That’s what Eoin Finn
would do. In a recent cross-country tour,
the Vancouver-based yoga guru brought
his energy and serenity to the nation’s
capital to spread the “B” word (his blissology
philosophy) and introduce the city to
happy hips.
With so many of us in sedentary jobs and
slumping in front of computers for hours
on end, learning how to keep our hips in
alignment and relishing simple moments
are concepts we can all (and probably
should) embrace. Finn is hoping we will
with the release of his latest exercise DVD,
The Pursuit of Happy Hips. Aimed at both
yoga and non-yoga aficionados alike,
exercise buffs will learn how to free their
tight hips, develop greater flexibility, and
attain an overall feeling of well-being.
Many Ottawans are eager to do that, it
appears, given the sold-out workshops Finn
gave at both the Santosha Yoga studio in
Centretown and the Mountain Goat Yoga
Centre in Nepean last fall. That’s because
Finn is not your average yoga instructor.
He incorporates his strong values of social
change and awareness into his classes and his
positive energy is contagious. The west-coast
surfer-cum-yogi has channeled that same
energy into yogathon fundraisers to send
kids affected by HIV and AIDS to summer
camps. He has also developed yoga practice
for surfers, is the creator of the blissology
philosophy and the hammock moment, and
is in the process of developing an “Ocean
Worshiper” festival with David Suzuki
slated for the summer of 2011 in Toronto.
In-between his teachings and activities, Finn
has managed to create five DVDs.
His latest venture, the Happy Hips DVD,
came from the requests of Olympic athletes
who wanted something they could take on the
road with them. “The most common thing
about winter sports athletes is that they all
use their legs and hips,” says Finn. Skiing,
lugeing, curling all tighten up the hip area
and athletes’ bodies, shaped by their sports,
need to be unlocked from tightened muscle
groups. The DVD will help anyone needing
to open up their hips, either from too little
activity or excessive activity, and compliment
any cross-training program. The workouts
are also instructive for people wanting
Finn’s is a form of Ashtanga meets power
yoga: instead of a set series of postures, as
one does in Ashtanga, his power yoga classes
use varying moves. Finn’s DVD mirrors the
classes, offering an assortment of workouts
in varying lengths and with varying poses,
including an athlete’s guided visualization.
With hip-opening routines among others
and a variety of intensities and yoga levels
to choose from, the DVD is geared to
everyone, from beginner to the advanced.
It is both challenging and restorative and
follows Finn’s teaching approach and
mantra: “All levels. All good.”
The Vancouverite never set out to be a yoga
master. Studying philosophy at Dalhousie
and practicing yoga on the side, he thought
he would complete his Master’s, specialize
in the philosophy of love, and then become
a professor so that he could teach his
favourite subject to others. But Finn’s path
diverged away from university. Extreme
sports and travels abroad led him to
embrace yoga as a serious practitioner.
He may not have ended up a prof, but he
nevertheless became a teacher of love in his
own way as the promoter of blissology —
his own brand of philosophy — which seeks
to maximize life’s best experiences, be they
a nature appreciation moment or musings
in a hammock.
Finn says he’s better at sports now at 42
than he was 20 years ago and he attributes
this to his yoga practice and the emphasis on
hip alignment. “I’m more fluid, I’m faster,
I’m injury-free, smarter, and calmer because
of yoga,” he says. “With every passing year,
I am a better athlete.”
If you work through his latest offering,
you may not reach nirvana, but your hips
will certainly thank you for keeping them
flexible and happy. The DVD is available
at www.blissology.com.
HWO
The DVD routines compliment any
cross-training program.
Photos: Robin O'Neill Photography
to develop more flexibility and prevent
stiffening from long hours chair-bound;
and, for athletes, loosening up enough to
prevent over-tightening and injury.
A D V E R T I S E R S ’ I N D E X B Y C A T E GOR Y
bras (custom fit)
Comfy Posture Solutions TAB Bra . . . . . . . . 43
Healthy Bra Boutique . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27
coaching and facilitation
services
Alison Atkins . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49
Rendezvous Rupert . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29
financial planning
Financially Sound Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
FITNESS
Dovercourt Recreation Centre . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
FOOTcare
CWG Footcare Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31
FOOTWEAR
letellier shoes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
New Balance Ottawa / Sports 4 . . . . . . . . 10, 11
Health and wellness shows
Health & Wellness Ottawa . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
HEALTHy eating
Farm Boy Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
Rainbow Natural Foods . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25
Ristorante La Dolce Vita . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47
Holistic healing — retail
Planet Botanix . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41
optometrists
Bastien-Prizant OD . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55
pharmacies
NutriChem Compounding Pharmacy
& Clinic . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
Watson’s Pharmacy and Wellness
Centre . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Back Cover
physiotherapy
Killens Reid Physiotherapy Clinic . . . . . . . . 44
Motion Matters Physiotherapy and
Sports Injury Clinic . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
realtors
Bob Blake . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33
recreational activities
Dovercourt Recreation Centre . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
Ottawa Tennis & Lawn Bowling Club . . . . 57
Image Essentials is one of the few spas tailored to specialize in leading
edge anti-aging technologies, treatments, products and therapies. Your
time invested in this elegantly refurbished, downtown, Victorian home
feels like a retreat to the fountain of youth. That is what makes this spa so
unique to Ottawa.
Image Essentials offers facial therapies that rejuvenate and repair aging.
As for Image Essential’s facial treatments, you’ll notice immediate results
from Epicuren, top-of-the-line skin care products, carried by only three
spas in Canada. This special treatment effectively hydrates the skin, helps
to smooth away fine lines, evens skin tones and boosts radiance.
At Image Essentials, you’ll experience a spa atmosphere that transcends
the average pampering ritual. You’ll walk in and automatically feel
soothed. You’ll walk out looking refreshed.
runs/walks
The 2010 Cancer Prevention Challenge . . . 35
spas
Celadon Salon & Spa . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
Image Essentials . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63
sporting goods
Bushtukah . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35
Yoga
Planet Botanix . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41
PranaShanti Yoga Centre . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
Rama Lotus Yoga Centre . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2, 29
Windhorse Yoga . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39
Thank you for supporting our advertisers.
Watch for the fall issue available September 2010.
For a visible difference
436 MacLaren St.
Downtown Ottawa
Parking available
613-237-9393
www.imageessentials.ca
192 Main Street, Ottawa, (613) 238-1881
“We’ll take good care of you”
Scott Watson, Pharmacist and Owner
Offering a wide selection of quality health and beauty
products, sound advice, and personal service in a
beautiful environment, plus:
• Compounded medicines:
Bioidentical hormones, customized capsules, creams,
and suspensions, medicines for pets, and more; made
in-store in Watson’s state-of-the-art compounding lab
• High-quality supplements:
Carlson, Organika, Flora, Thorne, Metagenics, Douglas
Laboratories, AOR, Sisu, A.Vogel, Boiron, Heel, and
more
• Expanded all-natural section:
Alba Botanica, Avalon Organics, derma-e, Desert
Essence Organics, Green Beaver, JASON,
Kiss My Face, Seventh Generation, Zuii Certified
Organic Make-up, and more
• Gifts and Gourmet
• Free delivery
Visit www.watsonspharma.com for health tips, product
recommendations, upcoming events and clinics

Win a Supreme Day at the Spa!

Transcription

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