7 Signs You Have Adrenal Fatigue

Terry Wahls, M.D., is a functional medicine doctor, clinical professor, and a survivor of progressive multiple sclerosis who used her own protocol to heal. This week, we're sharing her expertise in a new series on adrenal fatigue and natural techniques to restore energy. To learn more, check out her new mindbodygreen class, How to Heal Adrenal Fatigue: The Food & Habits You Need for Optimal Health & Energy.

Are you energized, full of vitality, and ready to face the day's work and challenges? Or are you, like many of the patients who come to see me, frequently exhausted, relying on jolts of caffeine, energy drinks, and sugar to get through the day?

Many people go to their primary care provider and ask, "Why am I so fatigued? What can I do?" The health care professional typically does a physical examination and runs a few labs. Usually there is no obvious explanation. The patient is told "everything is fine" and instructed to check back in a couple of months. But that approach doesn't provide much help to the person suffering with fatigue.

In my clinic, we have a different approach. We are focused on teaching people the root cause of their health problems, including fatigue. We know that there's actually a great deal that is under our control.

One of the big drivers of fatigue is exhausted adrenal glands. If you don't get to the root of why the adrenals glands burned out, the exhaustion can't be stopped. So if you'd like to see your energy restored, you'll likely need an adrenal tune-up.

Understanding how your adrenal glands support your energy and what you can do to support your adrenal glands is part of how we address fatigue. In my clinic, we teach people that energy, fatigue, and mental clarity are all tied to the person's adrenals. Our adrenal glands produce hormones that make our bodies and brains stronger, faster, and more alert. But when the adrenal stress hormones are always elevated, the performance of the brain and body steadily deteriorate. That is how too many of us now live, with worsening fatigue as a result.

What are the big clues that your adrenals are at the root of your fatigue? Here are the most common signs:

1. You're exhausted by midmorning.
It's not normal to feel tired every morning. We're supposed to have energy that lasts from sunup to sundown.

2. You crash two hours after eating.
When you eat a diet high in carbohydrates, your blood sugar rises, leading to a rise in insulin, which causes the blood sugar to fall, leading to a "crash," with hunger, cravings, a drop in energy, and less mental clarity.

3. You need energy drinks to fuel your day.
If you reach for caffeinated energy drinks midmorning: This indicates that your adrenals may not be making the usual levels of adrenal hormones in the morning. The adrenal hormones are supposed to be higher in the morning and then gradually decline over the rest of the day.

If you reach for caffeinated energy drinks midafternoon: This suggests that the adrenal hormones may be dropping too quickly in the afternoon, leading to the afternoon fatigue and drop in mental alertness.

4. You have low blood cholesterol.
The adrenal hormones are made from cholesterol. If your blood cholesterol is too low, your adrenal glands can’t make enough of the adrenal hormones.

5. You're irritable or depressed.
If your adrenal stress hormones are always elevated, there can be increased inflammation in the brain. Chronic brain inflammation is associated with worsening memory, poorer moods, and earlier dementia.

6. You crave sugar.
One of the ways we compensate for having our adrenal hormone levels too high or too low is to eat more sugar.

7. You have no libido.
If our adrenal glands are chronically producing high levels of stress hormones, the adrenal glands are diverting the body's resources (cholesterol) away from making the sex hormones (testosterone and estrogen) to making stress hormones. As the sex hormone levels fall, so does your interest in sex, along with energy, mental clarity, muscle mass, bone strength, mood, and cognition.

Fatigue is a common problem, and it's often closely linked to our adrenals. Unfortunately, many health professionals are unfamiliar with how to assess and address adrenal fatigue. There is actually a lot you can do to heal your adrenal fatigue with the right diet and lifestyle choices.

Happy Spring!

With the arrival of spring, we have seen a big shift in the weather and energy in our communities. Tulips, daffodils, roses, greenery and other flowers are now in bloom. Alongside this natural beauty comes allergies, forgotten New Year resolutions, bygone healthy eating & drinking, and even the notorious spring colds and flu.

Some seasonal wisdom can ensure our health stays our #1 priority in this season of change. Spring is a time to shed our winter dormancy, cleanse our bodies, and give more attention to self awareness. According to Traditional Chinese Medicine, spring time belongs to the liver. The TCM liver functions include: storing blood for menstruation, ensuring smooth qi (energy) flow, opens to the eyes and manifests in the nails, controls the sinews (tendons & ligaments) for better movement and houses drive & emotions for planning and envisioning. The sister organ to the liver is the gallbladder. Symptoms of an imbalanced TCM liver and gallbladder include: irritability, frustration, joint pain, brittle nails, dizziness, difficulty making decisions, tension headaches, irregular menses, menstrual cramps, blurred vision, floaters, and seasonal allergies.

Getting up early and exercising will ensure a lightness and bring some warmth to your day to fight the dampness and stagnation of the season. Eating lighter foods cooked with pungent & aromatic herbs (fennel, rosemary, dill, basil, caraway) will enkindle a digestive fire that will purge any spring heaviness. You can imagine eating a big roast and potatoes will certainly clog up your digestion at this time of year. So this spring season try eating foods that will keep your TCM liver balanced like young green plants & sprouts. Check out this table of TCM Liver Food Cures from AcuPro Academy.



Although spring has this heavy and thick quality in the air, it is also the time of year in which the world around us is full of life. So with our health we can tap into this nurturing season and grow personally, expand our mind, and pursue our goals! Try journaling, daily meditation, and spending time out in nature. If all this talk of blooming flowers makes your nose stuffy and eyes itchy, come in for a visit at Living Wellness. Get natural allergy relief, an environmental allergy scratch test, or find out more about the curative treatment for allergies - Sublingual Immunotherapy (SLIT).

Warmly,
Dr. Emily Munn BSc, ND

ps. If you want to keep receiving my occasional newsletter straight to your inbox make sure you check your social or promotional folders or junk mail so you don't miss out!

pps. This spring newsletter was inspired by Live Yoga.

4 MINDFULNESS MEDITATIONS

SAVOUR YOUR MEALS • Be mindful during the first 3 bites of your meal. Really focus on the smell, texture, and taste. Savour the moment.

STOP TO OBSERVE • Take a moment each day to stop what you are doing and watch your surroundings, free of judgement. Simply observe.

BREATHE... JUST BREATHE • Simply sit and breathe in a quiet room for 10 minutes. Focus on the suble movements of your body at rest – how is your body moving and how does it feel.

VISUALIZE YOUR THOUGHTS • Empty your mind by envisioning your thoughts as objects, and through breathing and focus, on each one for a few seconds before pushing the ghoughts further and further away.

"Yoga is not for the flexible it's for the willing."   

Wellness Coaching, Surrey, BC

Just 4 You Wellness Coaching Sessions
"A goal without a plan is just a wish."

Just 4 You Wellness Studio facilitates healthy, sustainable behaviour change by challenging our clients to develop their inner wisdom, identify their values, and transform their goals into action. We make a difference in our clients’ knowledge, skill, self-efficacy to achieve behavioral change when facing fitness, health and nutritional challenges.

• We establish good relationships with our clients.
• Conduct motivational interviews focusing on your personal dreams, desires and goals.
• Present a well rounded wellness vision Just 4 You.
• We set attainable goal layers that reflects our clients needs and lay it out in a step by step and easy to follow plan.

Call today for your Just 4 You Wellness Coaching Session at 604.612.7538.

Depression and anxiety: Exercise eases symptoms

Depression symptoms often improve with exercise. Here are some realistic tips to help you get started and stay motivated.

When you have anxiety or depression, exercise often seems like the last thing you want to do. But once you get motivated, exercise can make a big difference.
Exercise helps prevent and improve a number of health problems, including high blood pressure, diabetes and arthritis. Research on anxiety, depression and exercise shows that the psychological and physical benefits of exercise can also help reduce anxiety and improve mood.
The links between anxiety, depression and exercise aren't entirely clear — but working out and other forms of physical activity can definitely ease symptoms of anxiety or depression and make you feel better. Exercise may also help keep anxiety and depression from coming back once you're feeling better.

How does exercise help depression and anxiety?

Regular exercise probably helps ease depression in a number of ways, which may include:

• Releasing feel-good brain chemicals that may ease depression (neurotransmitters, endorphins and endocannabinoids)
• Reducing immune system chemicals that can worsen depression
• Increasing body temperature, which may have calming effects

Regular exercise has many psychological and emotional benefits, too. It can help you:

• Gain confidence. Meeting exercise goals or challenges, even small ones, can boost your self-confidence. Getting in shape can also make you feel better about your appearance.
• Take your mind off worries. Exercise is a distraction that can get you away from the cycle of negative thoughts that feed anxiety and depression.
• Get more social interaction. Exercise and physical activity may give you the chance to meet or socialize with others. Just exchanging a friendly smile or greeting as you walk around your neighborhood can help your mood.
• Cope in a healthy way. Doing something positive to manage anxiety or depression is a healthy coping strategy. Trying to feel better by drinking alcohol, dwelling on how badly you feel, or hoping anxiety or depression will go away on its own can lead to worsening symptoms.

Is a structured exercise program the only option?

Some research shows that physical activity such as regular walking — not just formal exercise programs — may help improve mood. Physical activity and exercise are not the same thing, but both are beneficial to your health.

• Physical activity is any activity that contracts muscles and expends energy and can include work or household or leisure activities.
• Exercise is a planned, structured and repetitive body movement done to improve or maintain physical fitness.

The word "exercise" may make you think of running laps around the gym. But exercise includes a wide range of activities that boost your activity level to help you feel better.
Certainly running, lifting weights, playing basketball and other fitness activities that get your heart pumping can help. But so can physical activity such as gardening, washing your car, walking around the block or engaging in other less intense activities. Any physical activity that gets you off the couch and moving can help improve your mood.

You don't have to do all your exercise or other physical activity at once. Broaden how you think of exercise and find ways to add small amounts of physical activity throughout your day. For example, take the stairs instead of the elevator. Park a little farther away from work to fit in a short walk. Or, if you live close to your job, consider biking to work.

Oct. 10, 2014

Doing 30 minutes or more of exercise a day for three to five days a week may significantly improve depression symptoms. But smaller amounts of physical activity — as little as 10 to 15 minutes at a time — may make a difference. It may take less time exercising to improve your mood when you do more-vigorous activities, such as running or bicycling.
The mental health benefits of exercise and physical activity may last only if you stick with it over the long term — another good reason to focus on finding activities that you enjoy.

How do I get started — and stay motivated?

Starting and sticking with an exercise routine or regular physical activity can be a challenge. These steps can help:

• Identify what you enjoy doing. Figure out what type of physical activities you're most likely to do, and think about when and how you'd be most likely to follow through. For instance, would you be more likely to do some gardening in the evening, start your day with a jog, or go for a bike ride or play basketball with your children after school? Do what you enjoy to help you stick with it.
• Get your mental health provider's support. Talk to your doctor or other mental health provider for guidance and support. Discuss an exercise program or physical activity routine and how it fits into your overall treatment plan.
• Set reasonable goals. Your mission doesn't have to be walking for an hour five days a week. Think realistically about what you may be able to do and begin gradually. Tailor your plan to your own needs and abilities rather than trying to meet unrealistic guidelines that you're unlikely to meet.
• Don't think of exercise or physical activity as a chore. If exercise is just another "should" in your life that you don't think you're living up to, you'll associate it with failure. Rather, look at your exercise or physical activity schedule the same way you look at your therapy sessions or medication — as one of the tools to help you get better.
• Analyze your barriers. Figure out what's stopping you from being physically active or exercising. If you feel self-conscious, for instance, you may want to exercise at home. If you stick to goals better with a partner, find a friend to work out with or who enjoys the same physical activities that you do. If you don't have money to spend on exercise gear, do something that's cost-free, such as regular walking. If you think about what's stopping you from being physically active or exercising, you can probably find an alternative solution.
• Prepare for setbacks and obstacles. Give yourself credit for every step in the right direction, no matter how small. If you skip exercise one day, that doesn't mean you can't maintain an exercise routine and might as well quit. Just try again the next day. Stick with it.

Do I need to see my doctor?

Check with your doctor before starting a new exercise program to make sure it's safe for you. Talk to your doctor to find out which activities, how much exercise and what intensity level is OK for you. Your doctor will consider any medications you take and your health conditions. He or she may also have helpful advice about getting started and staying motivated.

If you exercise regularly but anxiety or depression symptoms still interfere with your daily living, see your doctor or other mental health provider. Exercise and physical activity are great ways to ease symptoms of anxiety or depression, but they aren't a substitute for psychotherapy or medications.

Article by Mayo Clinic Staff

Spanakopita Bites

2 green onions cut into thirds
2 medium garlic cloves
1 ½ C loosely packed flat leaf parsley
12 oz bag of frozen chopped spinach, defrosted
2 oz (roughly ½ C) crumbled light feta cheese
1 egg white
1/8 tsp salt
Pinch ground nutmeg
20 all natural whole wheat mini filo shells

Preheat oven to 450°F. Place filo shells side by side on a small baking sheet.

Add onions, garlic, and parsley to a food processor fitted with a chopping blade. Process until they are very finely chopped. Transfer the mixture to a medium mixing bowl and set aside.

Place the spinach in a fine strainer and squeeze as much moisture from it as possible. Then transfer the spinach to a clean, lint-free dish towel and squeeze until water is gone. Add it to the onion mixture along with feta cheese, egg white, salt, and nutmeg. Mix the filing until well combined.

Divide the mixture among the shells, forming it into tight balls and placing them so they are neatly mounded over and lightly packed into the shells.

Bake for about 8-10 minutes or until the shells are lightly golden brown and filling is hot through. Serve immediately. Serves four.

Per serving (5 bites): 143 calories, 8g protein; 18g carbs (2g sugar); 3g fat; 3mg cholesterol; 2g fiber; 443 mg sodium.

Recipe courtesy of Idea Food and Nutrition Tips Magazine, November-December 2015 edition.

Onsite Couples 20 Sessions Fitness Training

Onsite training for couples or two friends! Keep each other focused on fitness.

• 20 one hour sessions for two at Just 4 You Wellness Studio.

• 90 day expiry.

• Must adhere to policy of attending a minimum of 2 times/week. Daytime or weekend available.

• Plus attend FREE group fitness classes for the duration of your package.

• One time $30 Registration Fee.

Please call for your FREE couples training consultation (A $75 Value) at 604.599.5561 or email us.

$637.50/person+GST

Just 4 You Wellness Studio
6195-136 Street Surrey, BC
604.599.5561

Karen Sydenham is my personal trainer

"My name is Anne Warkentin, and I've been under Karen Sydenham's tutelage for almost five years. She is my personal trainer.

I am 84 years old; born in Dec. of 1930.

I've had some obstacles to overcome, and she has helped me a great deal.

In 2009, on July 20, my husband and I were going for a walk. Usually, George and I walk side by side; but for some reason that day I was behind him. I was hurrying to catch up, when he turned around to see what was keeping me back. I heard someone coming up from behind, and so I headed toward him just as he turned. I tripped over his feet, and landed on my left hip and thigh. I felt my bones break as I landed. The man coming from behind saw what happened; said he would call for help and ran back.

I spent 28 days in hospital, because I also came down with pancreatitis.

I have done well under Karen's supervision. She was very patient with me, and very encouraging. I can do 30 sit-ups, 20 push-ups, for example. She has taught me to lengthen my stride, walk with my shoulders level; helped me to overcome a sore shoulder, etc. I would recommend her to all friends and strangers who wish to live a healthier lifestyle. She has taught me more healthful eating habits.

Surrey Newton • Panorama Ridge • South Surrey

Is hot yoga good for you?

Article List: Is hot yoga good for you?

1. Hot Yoga: Booming, but It May Be Bad for You - Healthline

2. Hot Yoga: The Dangers and Myths You Need to Know - Amber Larsen

"The Myth of Sweating Toxins

Does your yoga instructor tell you that the sweating is good for you because you are releasing toxins from the body? Well, this statement is not 100% true. Most of what you are sweating is water, but there are other chemicals that make up sweat including salt, potassium, ammonia, and urea. True toxin elimination comes from the kidneys and liver, and some from the colon. Doing a ninety-minute hot yoga session and sweating to death is not releasing toxins. You really are just dehydrating yourself and losing only water weight. I hate the burst the bubble, but my statement is true to the facts of body’s biological systems. If you really want to eliminate toxins from the body, it's best to talk to your physician or purchase an over-the-counter liver, kidney, or colon cleanse made out of natural ingredients."

3. You Asked: Is Hot Yoga Good For You? - Time

4. Yoga: Is hotter better? - Berkeley Wellness

"Too hot to handle?
The safety of hot yoga depends on your fitness level and overall health, among other factors. But exercising in extreme heat can lead to dehydration and hyperthermia (elevated body temperature), both of which can cause nausea, dizziness, fainting, muscle cramping, and other symptoms. And if you become very dehydrated and drink too much water afterward without consuming electrolytes, you run the risk of developing hyponatremia (low blood sodium levels), which can also cause such symptoms as nausea and muscle cramping, along with general malaise and even seizures. That’s what happened to a 34-year-old woman who was hospitalized after she did a 90-minute hot yoga workout and then drank 3.5 liters of water, as was reported in the British Medical Journal Case Reports in 2012."

Reiki Sessions Available, Surrey, BC

Reiki is a Japanese stress reduction therapy used to promote deep relaxation and healing. It is administered by a qualified practitioner who works with a gentle “laying on hands" technique, utilizing the "life force energy” we all possess, to activate the natural healing processes of the body to restore physical and emotional well being.

Call the studio at 604.612.7538 to book your appointment.


Surrey Newton • South Surrey • Panorama Ridge • South Delta

How to do a plank?

1. Start by getting into a press up position.
2. Bend your elbows and rest your weight ono your forearms and not on your hands.
3. Your body should form a straight line from shoulders to ankles.
4. Engage your core by sucking your belly button into your spine.
5. Hold this position for the prescribed time.

Vicki and Lisa’s Personal Training Experience

"I just finished a great personal training workout with Karen Sydenham at Just for You Wellness. Hot and sweaty, happy with how my health and shape are changing, I figure this is the best time to say why I decided to start personal training.

2015 is a big year for my family. I turn 60, my daughter turns 25, and my son is getting married. I want to feel good; I want to look good. I also want to help my daughter, who has Down syndrome, get more fit. She’s going to be a bridesmaid in her brother’s wedding and she wants to shine even more than she already does.

I've been doing Zumba plus occasional Yoga and Pilates at Just 4 You Wellness since 2011, but I needed more. I got Lisa started with Zumba, but she needed more too.

I needed to lose about 25 pounds and strengthen my upper body. I could barely do a push-up and dreaded core exercises because they were so hard. Lisa had very little endurance and needed to lose about 25 pounds as well. I asked Karen to help make that happen.

Since January 2015, we've worked with Karen twice a week, and every session is different. Sometimes outside, sometimes in, there’s always a good mix of cardio and weights. In addition, we do Zumba two or three times a week for cardio. Karen regularly checks in on our lifestyle, nutrition, and general wellness as well.

So, after about six months, my son’s wedding approaches, and I’m happy that I've reached my weight goal. I'm much stronger overall and even enjoy those dreaded core exercises! Lisa has lost 10 pounds, likes feeling slimmer, and loves wearing her bridesmaid dress.

Karen has such enthusiasm for helping her clients get better, in every way: emotionally, mentally, and physically. We love her! We look forward to meeting new goals with her as we keep up the hard work." – Vicki and Lisa

Mission to End a Trend...

This week’s ACTION plan: BE salt and light (BE is an action word)

I am on a mission to end our current health/spiritual crisis. YES! WE ARE IN A HEALTH CRISIS! There are more anxious, stressed, addicted, depressed, obese, diabetic, hypertensive, heart diseased, etc. people now than ever before. Why? Why are these statistics growing in staggering numbers?

Here's the TRUTH: Because WE do not want to do the hard work of looking inward and making the necessary changes from the inside-out. This work is called REAL TRANSFORMATION and it requires courage, commitment and sacrifice.

Most people want a surface fix or the "quick fix". Our culture and society caters to, and thrives on that need (immediate gratification). Our desire for EASY and CONVENIENCE IS KILLING US. I want to stop this trend and it is going to take an army. So let's talk...who do we start with?

Well, we start with ourselves. Here's the truth – most of us don't want to look at ourselves too closely or too deeply. We don't like to be uncomfortable or to feel sad, ashamed, mad, etc. Self-examination might uncover ugly secrets or bad and shameful habits we don't want people to know about. This fear feeds an entire industry that is happy to profit off your desire to evade and avoid! The diet and cosmetic surgery industry is just one example and it is BOOMING. We aren't happy with who we are so we look to others to "fix us". We most certainly don't want to engage in long term hard work for long term gain. Just ask Dr. Bernstein how useless we Personal Trainers are (don't get me started on that ridiculous ad). The truth is... We want it NOW – we want the easy fix that requires no digging at all. This fear of facing our flaws and imperfections is a deep rooted spiritual problem and we can't fix the outside until we are ready to look at the "why we do what we do". We’ve got to go deep for REAL TRANSFORMATION.

In my line of work, I see all types of people, but what is most startling now is how unhappy people are (though they would probably disagree!). People generally come to me with great excitement and grand intentions at the beginning of their commitment, but as soon as they discover that they have to work hard and give things up, they start to sabotage themselves! This incongruent living is rampant. Our actions don't align with intention and then we wonder why we feel so unhappy! I hear SO MANY excuses. I hear all the reasons why it’s too hard or why people can’t eat healthy or exercise regularly. I hear it and see it every day and it drives me NUTS! So rather than complaining or just airing my rant, I am going to challenge everyone who reads, likes or comments on this post to do the following for the next 30 days.

1) Eat small portions of healthy food

There is enough information about what "healthy" is so I am not going to give you a list. What I am going for is eliminating the crap and eat smaller portions. I believe its big portions that are making us sick and unhealthy.

2) Exercise for at least 20 minutes every day for 30 days

This could mean walking, jogging, cycling, swimming, weight lifting, yoga, Pilates, dancing, whatever. As long as you move, sweat and feel it! Dedicate time, plan, and do it for 30 days. It should make you FEEL and LOOK better, I promise.

3) Journal

Your food intake, your moods, your thoughts and actions. Track what YOU DO for the next 30 days. If you really don't like to journal, at least track on a calendar or in a fitness app, your exercise output.

Karen Sydenham

Just for You Wellness Studio

Personal Training Testimonials

Real Responses by Real Personal Training Clients

of Just 4 You Wellness Studio, Surrey, BC

“Before starting personal training at Just 4 You Wellness Studio, my lifestyle was sedentary. I feel fantastic about my progress. I’m only going to do better, and knowing that makes me happy. I feel like a leader! I would definitely recommend Just 4 You!” – Sharon L

“After coming to the studio and seeing how happy everyone was, it made me want to join! I wanted to feel good about myself, and feel happy. I used to feel a lot of pressure from life, and I no longer feel that. I feel great, and personal training has had a huge positive impact on me. People are starting to say I look different, and they can notice I’ve lost weight!” – Rajni B

“There are a lot of differences between Just 4 You and the other gyms. At the big gyms, they don’t care how you are doing, or if you are coming or not. Their staff is just able to guide you to use the machines. At Just 4 You, they worry about you if you are not coming, and contact you to check in. They offer free consultations too! Since starting personal training, I have discovered I can do a plank, sit ups, and I have improved my eating habits.” – Sonia L

Surrey Newton • Panorama Ridge • South Delta

Small Group Fitness Training, Surrey, BC

Fitness training is better with a buddy or two (3-6 people). At Just 4 You Wellness Studio, our BCRPA certified personal trainer offers small group (3-6 people) sessions aimed at helping people achieve their specific fitness and health goals in our studio, your home, business or outdoors.

Gather your friends and family. Call for your FREE small group training consultation (A $75 Value) at 604.599.5561 or email us. Check out our small group training packages.

Plus all participants receive unlimited FREE group fitness classes at Just 4 You Wellness Studio for the duration of their training.

Small Group Training Participant Requirements
FORM YOUR OWN EXCLUSIVE FITNESS TRIBE!
We are looking for the following individuals, friends and/or family to form small fitness groups of (3-6 people):
• People can apply who thrive in a small group setting and commited to the team and it's objectives.
• Commitment to the same weekly routine for 45-90 days – depending on lenght of time they signed up for.
• Must attend classes 2 days per week.
• Participants enjoy the savings they get from "splitting the bill".
• Pay the one time $30 Registration Fee.

WE ARE LOOKING FOR TEAM PLAYERS
• Who are relaible, good collaborators and constructive communicators.
• Who enjoy a variety of challanges.
• Who treat other in a respectful, supportive and encouraging manner.
• Good listening skill is a must with good sense of humour and know how to have fun and work hard at the same time.
• Need to care about what the team is doing and to contribute to its success.

Your Personal Trainer Karen Sydenham
• Owner/Director of Health and Fitness
• BCRPA Personal Trainer
• BCRPA Supervisor of Fitness Leader
• Pilates/Bender Ball/TRX and Trigger Point Certified
• Yoga Instructor and Group Fitness Expert
• Canadian Red Cross First Aid Instructor Trainer
• Reiki Practitioner

Please call for your FREE small group personal training consultation at 604.599.5561 or email.

• Just 4 You Wellness Studio Personal Training Rates

Surrey Newton • Panorama Ridge • South Delta

Top 10 Ways to Inspire Others to Be Their Best

1. Be a good example. People watch what you do more than they listen to what you say. Be someone worth emulating.

2. Care about others. People don’t care about how much you know until they know how much you care. Ask questions. Take a genuine interest in people.

3. Encouragement. Everyone goes through tough times. When you support people and encourage them through these times, you’ll be inspiring them to see the best in themselves and in the situation.

4. Be inspired yourself. Look for people, ideas, environments and knowledge that you find inspiring and motivating.

5. Share from your own experience. You have more to share than you realize. Mine the rich experiences of your life and share your wisdom from your unique point of view. You may be the only one who can touch someone with your inspiring message.

6. Be vulnerable. Be willing to share your failures as well as your successes. Others will relate to you. They’ll understand that they’re not the only ones with challenges.

7. Tell stories. Facts tell and stories sell. They inspire, too. We learn best from parables and we all need to develop our own inspiring stories.

8. Be a good communicator. Increasing your ability to communicate effectively is a critical element for you to inspire others. Watch how you speak and what you say. Invest in your communication skills.

9. Challenge people. Many of us have had teachers who at times seemed more like tormentors than mentors. They challenged us to do our best, and we were better for it. Practice "carefrontation”- the careful and caring confrontation of others.

10. Read. It may not follow that all readers are leaders, but certainly all leaders are readers. Stay informed. Share what you read with others. Tell people about books that have inspired you. Share the knowledge.

Just for You Wellness Studio

T 604.599.5561 A 6195-136 Street Surrey, BC

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Spring Cleaning, Surrey, BC

SPRING CLEANING at JUST FOR YOU

De-clutter...

   Your closets

       Your drawers

           Your garage

               Your house

                    Your mind

                         Your heart

Make space...

    For useful things

          For storage

               For cars

                    For enjoyment

                          For gratitude

When you purge the old, unusable stuff, it makes room for new and useful items.

When you get rid of negative thinking and unhealthy patterns of behaviour, it makes space for healthy thoughts, gratitude, and new ways of being.

Time to start de-cluttering! Get rid of bad habits. Cultivate good habits. Step into spring with energy, gratitude, and no excess baggage!

How would that feel?

Article by Deb Judas - Creating Space

10 Documentaries that Will Make You Rethink Everything You Know About Food and Health, Surrey, BC

The unfortunate truth is that many food items that are produced in the United States are full of additives and chemicals. Unfortunately, Americans are eating lab-created and nutrient-stripped food that somehow got twisted around into being called healthy or normal. Because the food industry is a big business, many probably don’t know the facts about how their food is produced, and what ingredients in that food can do to our bodies.

Standard American fare like hamburgers, hot dogs, fries, fast food, and frozen snacks are typically unhealthy and laden with saturated fat. Even the brands that are deemed “skinny, slim, for weight loss, etc” are not good choices in comparison to real food. This point makes perfect sense after watching the bounty of health and food docs that have paved way for the local, organic, raw, and slow food movements. Here are 10 documentaries that will make you rethink everything you know about food and health.

1. Food, Inc. 

When this documentary debuted in 2009, it shocked viewers. Filmmaker Robert Kenner exposes the practices of global food production that is wrapped up in multinational corporate control, thus, placing profit over all else. We see the reality of large-scale food business, like poor health and safety conditions for animals and workers. This title is available for instant streaming on Netflix.

2. Forks Over Knives

Roger Ebert of the Chicago Sun-Times called this doc “ a film that can save your life,” and Dr. Oz said everyone needs to see it. The film examines the claim that most, if not all, of the degenerative diseases that afflict us can be controlled, or even reversed, by rejecting our present menu of animal-based and processed foods. This title is available for instant streaming on Netflix.

3. Vegucated

This documentary follows three meat-and-dairy-loving New Yorkers as they try to stick to a vegan diet for six weeks. After watching the film, try taking the “Vegucated” challenge yourself to better apply the documentary’s findings to your own healthy life. This title is available for instant streaming on Netflix.

4. Food Matters

This film makes the claim that the over-industrialization of food production is making the nation sicker and sicker, and looks at the proliferation of chemicals added to food touted as “healthy.” The film looks at the relationship between the lack of nutrients that Americans consume and our rising health care costs. Providing a thorough argument, the film gives solutions as well for the problems it presents. This title is available for instant streaming on Netflix.

5. Supersize Me

A well-known documentary by Morgan Spurlock, the film makes a simple argument that fast food makes us fat and unhealthy. To prove it, he takes a 30-day challenge where he can only eat food on the McDonalds menu, and he travels around the country to interview experts and regular Americans. If you’re looking for a kick to stop eating fast food, this doc is fantastic medicine.

6. Simply Raw: Reversing Diabetes in 30 Days

Holistic medical doctor Dr. Gabriel Cousens challenges six Americans suffering from diabetes to give up meat, dairy, sugar, alcohol, and other items and adopt an entirely organic, raw, vegan diet. The end goal is to cure their disease using raw plant foods. The documentary takes viewers on these peoples’ journeys and captures their medical, physical, and emotional changes on the diet plan. At the end, you’ll have realized the true impact that healthy eating can have on our bodies, not just for our appearance, but also to heal our ailments from the inside out.

7. Ingredients

Similar to Food, Inc., this documentary argues that food production needs to change. Filmmaker Robert Bates documents the rise of the local food movement, interviewing farmers and chefs who are passionate about producing local, fresh, healthy, and seasonal food. This film weighs industrial versus local food production, showing that local is the best option.

8. The Future of Food

This acclaimed documentary has spurred anti-GMO grassroots movements. This must-see film has been screened and talked about around the globe. It details how genetically engineered practices, seed patenting and food corporatization, like that of Monsanto, is scarily changing our food while Americans have no idea.

9. Hungry for Change

This documentary looks at commercial food production and gives little-known truths about food and nutrition that are missing from the mainstream food discourse. The film also de-bunks diet and weight loss myths, as well as explains ways to stop bad habits and get healthy.

10. Fat, Sick and Nearly Dead

This inspiring documentary chronicles Joe Cross’s mission to regain his health. Starting at 100 pounds overweight with an autoimmune disease and a body full of steroids, Cross vows to only eat fruit and vegetable juices for 30 days. He interviews more than 500 Americans about food, then meets a 429-pound truck driver with the same medical condition. The two connect and the end result of a beautiful film that will inspire you to make changes in your own life.

Article by One Green Planet

Healthy Body Image, Surrey, BC

"Healthy Body Image"! And it starts with you...

"I AM ENOUGH"

How often do we look in the mirror and say with heartfelt truth... "I am enough". Me... just the way I am. Who I am and how I look is good. I am enough.

However, according to my television, my radio, magazines I buy, and my participation in social media... I will never be enough or have enough. I will never make enough money or have nice enough clothes, or a big enough house. And most of all, I will never be thin enough or pretty enough. I suck.

How many of us feel that our own body is a disappointment - This amazing, complex anatomy that allows me to live and breathe and work and play and enjoy life? Instead of being grateful for my health or the aspects of my body I approve of, I think things like "I'm too fat, too skinny, my stomach sticks out, my hips are too wide, my nose is too big, my eyes too close together, my hair is too thin, too curly, too straight, too thick"...

Media has brainwashed us into never being satisfied. With anything.

This needs to change.

So here is the big question... why do I let total strangers influence my thinking and my way of being when my own family and friends love me the way I am? Why is media a bigger influence on me than people I actually know?

And why do I allow them to decide whether or not I'm the right size and shape or if I have the right hairstyle?

It is good to be enough. It keeps the universe in balance. In a world where "bigger is better, looking out for #1, and unless I am rich and famous, I am worth nothing" prevails, it is tough to just be enough. We live in a world of extremes and it is completely off kilter.

The result... dissatisfaction, disappointment, anger, depression, anxiety, jealousy, competitiveness... do any of those things sound good?

Being enough means accepting my limitations and embracing my strengths and goodness. Our culture has fed us a lie - telling us we can do and be anything we want if we simply make the effort. This is untrue. And all of us at some point or another will discover this untruth when we begin to bump into our failures.

There are some things I simply cannot do, no matter how hard I work at it. I just don't have what it takes. And that's okay.

Limitations are a good thing. They keep us humble and grateful. And they allow other people besides me to excel and have their moment of glory. I am not proposing that we become apathetic and lazy. I am merely suggesting that perhaps it's good to have limitations, for the sake of ourselves and certainly for the sake of others.

Our strengths lie in the acknowledgement of our true self. The self that dares to risk and fail, the self that has the courage to stand up for what is true and right, the self that refuses to succumb to society's picture of beauty, success, and happiness.

At the end of the day... it is our own self that we have to live with so it's time we began to love and accept ourselves as we are. Only then is it safe to get to work on becoming the best self we can possibly be.

I AM ENOUGH. And that is good.

Article by Deb Judas - Creating Space

FEBRUARY: "Living From the Heart" Month, Surrey, BC

What's your picture of health?
How someone looks... or how they live?
How do you know if your heart is healthy?
Did you know that there are 2 sides to the heart?

The heart not only pumps life into our body with every heartbeat, it is also the place where our sense of well being resides and both sides of the heart need to be cared for. If neglected, we will begin to experience symptoms that tell us we need to pay attention!

Physical symptoms like shortness of breath, lack of energy, fatigue or chest pain tell us we need to see a doctor.

But what about other symptoms like negative thinking, lack of playfulness, anxiety, resentment, feeling overwhelmed? Did you know these are heart-related as well? They point to something going on in the other part of our heart - the part where our well being lives.

A symptom points to an underlying issue that needs attention. When we are experiencing heart trouble, whether it is physical, emotional, spiritual or other, we need to address it. But it takes courage. Do you have the courage to get to the bottom of things and start living from the heart?