Berlin, Germany, 23/8/16 - Over recent decades beauty standards have altered to place a larger importance on bronzed, sun-kissed skin. Changing leisure habits have made regular use of sunbeds acceptable, and a culturally agreed importance of boasting a year-round tan as a sign of health - and expendable wealth - mean that tanning is more pervasive than ever before.
Sporting a gorgeous glowing skin tone may make some among us feel better about our looks, but the potential health effects have been widely reported on. Specifically in Canada, a recent study from dermatological platform Derma.plus showed that the country has the 19th highest diagnoses annually of skin cancer worldwide. And at this time of year, it’s not just those who use artificial tanning methods who need to be careful to keep their skin protected.
Below are five simple ways to ensure you don’t over-expose your skin this summer, boosting your chances of keeping skin healthy.
1. Wear practical clothing... A simple technique to avoid strong solar radiation is to wear sensible, skin-covering clothing, suitable for the environment around you. Loose fitting linens are very popular in summer, providing adequate ventilation as well as cover from the sun’s rays. Likewise, don’t underestimate the power a simple hat can have in protecting your face from the sun’s heat. At the beach or swimming pool don’t assume these garments need to come off before you get into the water; UV rays are more intense when refracted through liquid, so stay covered for as long as required.
...And adequate sun protection!
The most popular kind of sun protection is still the classic sunscreen. But make sure that you’re using the correct SPF for your skin type, as well as the right amount to actually protect the skin. To reach the SPF level on the bottle, adults should use at least 30-40ml sunscreen for the whole body. If you have sensitive skin, if its midsummer, of if you’re in a hotter country than your skin is ordinarily used to, be sure to raise your SPF factor accordingly, and always reapply several times throughout the day.
Allow skin to acclimatise
If your skin is not used to hot weather or intense sunlight be careful about subjecting it to these factors too quickly. Allow it time to become accustomed to more intense solar levels to avoid any nasty sensations or shocks. Keep sunbathing to shorter periods of time in the first instances, and avoid being in the sun too long during it’s peak, between 10am-4pm in the northern hemisphere.
Avoid sun beds
Straight-up great advice; sun beds should be avoided! It has been proven time and again that simulated solar radiation can drastically increase the risk of developing harmful diseases such as skin cancer. Such intense solar levels coupled with a lack of protection not only increase the risk of cancer, but also age the skin faster than usual. Some among us use sunbeds ahead of holidays in an attempt to acclimatise skin by creating a base layer of tan. However due to the intensity at which sunbeds work, this is not a sensible approach. A far better option is to follow the advice above and slowly acclimatise your skin whilst on location, timing exposure and ensuring skin is never exposed to levels which are too intense.
Take special precautions with children
As far as the usage of sunscreen on children’s skin goes, debates rage on regarding the age at which they can safely start to have it applied. Some experts state that babies under 6 months of age should never have it applied, whilst others argue children should never use it under the age of two. Whichever argument you’re more inclined to believe, most experts and parents agree that sunscreen should never be the first and only line of defence for children. Opt instead for physical barriers such as clothing, hats or umbrellas.
I recently spoke at the 2016 CanfitPro World Fitness Expo. My talk was Saturday August 13th in the main expo hall. I spoke about Hydration! Overall I think my talk was well received and I got a lot of good questions and feedback. This was my second time speaking at the expo and I hope that I can speak again next year! I love speaking engagements.
A little bit more not he event and Canfitpro:
Canfitpro brought together global experts on fitness, nutrition and healthy living in downtown Toronto earlier this month as part of the 2016 canfitpro world fitness expo. The annual event attracted fitness professionals, business owners and fitness enthusiasts, making it the largest fitness education event in the world.
Highlights included:
Opening keynote address by Hollywood celebrity trainer, Harley Pasternak
Industry awards for Canadian, Specialty, International and New presenter
Lifetime Achievment award to Beto Perez, creator of Zumba
Workouts lead by Jillian Michaels (BODYSHRED creator), Tony Horton (P90X creator), Shaun T (INSANITY creator),
Over 400 professional sessions on nutrition, personal training, group fitness, mind-body, active aging and more
An expo hall with 230+ companies specializing in fitness and wellness products and services
Closing keynote address by co-founder of WE Day, Craig Kielburger
"This was our best event to date. The calibre of education provided by our global experts and the amazing products and services available in the expo hall made this a world-class event and we can't wait to return next year with an even bigger event!" Rod Macdonald, canfitpro Vice-President
canfitpro also achieved their goal of raising $100,000 to build a playground for the Pacific Autism Family Centre, due in large part to the generous donations from world fitness expo delegates, business owners, presenters, volunteers and consumers, matched by canfitpro.
About canfitpro: canfitpro is the largest provider of education in the Canadian fitness industry. Founded in 1993, canfitpro delivers accessible, quality education, certifications, conferences, trade shows, and membership services. canfitpro's over 100,000 members include some of the world's finest fitness professionals, health club operators, industry suppliers, and fitness consumers. www.canfitpro.com
Hey guys! Alicia here! I know some of you have really busy schedules and can't make it into the gym to train all the time. I am the same way. Sometimes after clients, events, and meetings I have article deadlines to meet and have to rush home leaving no time for me to get my own training done. So I make use of whatever time I may have whether it be 5 or 30 minutes with quick at home work outs. The following are the train it right must have gym equipment for at home.
Exercise Bands
These are great for at home. You literally have endless options for exercises that you can do with them. You can tie them down to things, you can hold them, you can even do abdominal exercises with them. The full body options are endless.
Exercise Ball
No a days these are all manufactured to be anti-burst so you don't have to be afraid of getting one. Make sure to check the measurements because they come in different sizes and you want one that fits your height. These are great for exercises that activate your core (abdominals and back). They are also great for balance and core stabilization.
Yoga Mat
Weather you have carpet or not I suggest to invest in one of these. They are relatively inexpensive. If you want to do exercises on the ground they are great for cushioning or to prevent carpet burn depending on the exercises. You can do yoga, pilates, body weight exercises and even use weights on these. If you are using weights it also prevents your floor from getting scraped up by the weights (if they aren't rubberized).
Medicine Balls
I like to keep a variety of different weighted medicine balls. I use them from everything to squat press, slams, abs and I even do uneven push ups on them. They are a fun way to change up your routine and make a simple no weight exercises weighted. Its also fun to challenge myself weekly by increasing the weight.
Exercises Step (sometimes referred to as an aerobics step)
These are great to have at home with risers. That way you can change the height. You can do single leg glut bridges, elevated heel squats, step ups, push ups, abs and even get your cardio done with one of these bad boys.
Jump Rope
Little space is needed to utilize this gem. The jump rope is a fun way to get your cardio/plyometric work in and will have you sweating in a matter of minutes.
There are many more at home equipment you can purchase but I would say that these should be your go to pieces. You can use them independently or you can put them all together and create a fun at home circuit that can be 5 minutes to 60 minutes long. Have fun with the order and have fun changing up the exercises.
TRAIN IT RIGHT!
Alicia Bell - Fitness Trainer with exercise band.
Building A Healthy Child - Book Review
Many parents feed their children as if they are adults. The truth is, however, that organs and body systems mature at different times, which means nutrition needs at different ages vary.
In her new book, “Building a Healthy Child,” naturopathic doctor Melina Roberts outlines a revolutionary nutritional program that aims to change the way parents introduce foods to their children -- significantly improving the health of the future generation.
“If we introduce foods based on these key concepts, we can avoid common childhood illnesses like allergies, eczema and asthma, and also form the foundation of long-term health,” Roberts said.
I was lucky enough to receive a copy of her book. Although I do not have children I have many clients who do so I thought it would be a great opportunity for me to learn and be able to give better advice to my parenting clients. Most parents want whats best for their children and there are a lot of misconceptions out there. This book is great for learning that up and I would recommend it to any mom or dad out there looking to raise a healthy baby.
She covers a wide variety of topics including: First foods, problem foods, solid food introduction, supplements, remedies, liver and toxins and even includes healthy recipes for different ages. So grab a copy and get reading so that you can have a healthy baby!
Melina Roberts, N.D., is a naturopathic doctor and founder of Advanced Naturopathic Medical Centre in Calgary, Canada. She is a graduate of University of Waterloo and the Canadian College of Naturopathic Medicine, and is a leading authority in the field of naturopathic medicine. She currently resides in Calgary with her husband and daughter. For more information, visit http://advancednaturopathic.com.
Food is loaded with natural ingredients that will help reduce inflammation and keep you healthy. These natural ingredients can help address what might be causing inflammation and pain in the first place. Keeping your diet natural can help increase mobility. By adding in natural health supplements like Genuine Health FAST pain relief+, your body won’t quit unless you do.
Ginger
Ginger fights pain and inflammation on two different fronts. It can stop inflammation before it ever starts by inhibiting the formation of inflammatory compounds in your body, and it has anti-inflammatory effects that can help reverse the inflammation process once it starts.
Pineapple
Pineapples are a super-rich source of vitamin C, which helps fight the free radical damage that contributes to the joint pain and disability that can accompany osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis.
Salmon and Sardines
It’s the high concentration of anti-inflammatory omega-3 essential fatty acids that make cold-water fatty fish like salmon and sardines effective pain-fighting foods. Omega-3s may reduce risk of inflammatory-related chronic diseases, such as heart disease, cancer, and arthritis.
Garlic
Garlic is one of the oldest cultivated plants. We’ve been growing it for over 5,000 years! Garlic is rich in sulfur-containing compounds that give it its distinctive smell, but also its health benefits. These sulfur-containing compounds help protect you against both inflammation and oxidative stress.
Avocado
Yes, the avocado is fatty, but it is mostly monounsaturated (healthy) fats. And remember, it’s not fat that makes you fat. Sugar does. Avocado is a perfectly balanced food! it’s got healthy fat, fibre and protein! Avocados even have a special type of fats (phytosterols) that provide important anti-inflammatory benefits to our body systems.
The important thing to remember is that not all natural supplements are created equally. Ever heard of natural eggshell membrane? Sometimes referred to as NEM? Only Genuine Health products carry Biovaflex, a form of NEM.
What is BiovaFlex? - It is a natural health ingredient found in egg membrane that includes collagen, elastin, desmosine, isodesmosine, glucosamine and chondroitin. In a nutshell, it improves cartilage strength and elasticity helping to joints to be more mobile without pain.
For mild joint pain, FAST joint care+ includes all that you need and of course contains Biovaflex. For more severe pain and osteoarthiris, Genuine Health has fast arthritis relief+ which also contains Avovida (from avocados) and Bromelain (from pineapple) which are proven to increase that joint space while the BiovaFlex builds the cartilage back. They also have fast pain relief+ which is a great alternative to everyday pain medication and works in as little as two hours for headaches and cramps. All using whole food based ingredients!
FAST joint care+ provides effective relief from joint pain and inflammation – naturally. Made with the patented and proven ingredient Biovaflex® natural eggshell membrane, its formula provides the fastest, most effective way to improve mobility and range of motion due to osteoarthritis joint pain and joint stiffness.
Benefits:
· Fast, natural pain relief that works in 5 days
· Increases mobility and range of motion with noticeable reduction in inflammatory markers like C Reactive protein
· Helps build joint cartilage, while improving long-term joint health
· 1 veggie capsule per day
FAST pain relief+
FAST pain relief+ is the latest all-natural, clinical strength supplement to help relieve acute pain, such as headaches, back pain, muscle aches and chronic flare-ups. Made with the unique combination of Biovaflex® natural eggshell membrane, Devil's Claw (a natural anti-inflammatory ingredient), and White Willow Bark (nature’s Aspirin), FAST pain relief+ gives you the fastest, most targeted and effective way to manage your pain.
Benefits:
· Fast, natural pain relief that works in 2 hours
· Targets acute pain and can prevent chronic flare-ups
· Non-drowsy with no negative side effects reported
· 3 veggie capsules per day
If you guys are tuned into the Olympics like I am you must be feeling motivated to get your health and fitness not track! You don’t need to head to Rio for a taste of Gold this summer. Zespri® Green and SunGold Kiwifruit are a refreshing and nutritious snack that will keep you on top of your game.
I was lucky enough to find an amazing box full of kiwi at my door step this week! Nothing screams refreshing like fresh Gold Zespri kiwifruit! I was excited because my box came with a little kiwi scoop that makes eating them a whole lot easier! They even gave me a nice apron to wear will I cut up the delicious green fruit.
kiwi
Did you know:
With just one serving of Kiwi there are over 20 vital nutrients and boasting more vitamin C than an orange, kiwifruit plays an important role in boosting your performance and maximizing recovery during athletic activity.
The green fruit are also power up with potassium. Any professional athlete will tell you an important factor in achieving a successful workout is remaining hydrated. As the intensity of the workout increases, key electrolytes (like potassium) are lost through sweat glands. Two kiwifruit contain anequal amount of potassium as an extra-large banana, and will also improve performance while replenishing lost energy.
Kiwi also help with alkaline balance. Did you know it is essential your gut has the proper pH balance. Foods like kiwifruit, which are heavy in alkaline, allow you to neutralize your stomach’s acidity, which gives you more energy.
Kiwi fruit are also a good source of fibre. Not only does fiber lower cholesterol and help maintain a healthy weight; but a high-fibre diet is a big player in muscle growth, and will provide you with the energy you need to perform at your best. Two kiwifruit contain more fibre than a bowl of bran cereal. Now that's a lot of fibre!
Thanks again Zespri for brightening up my day and refreshing my palate!
Larabar Lemon - Add Zest To Your Life
What's Larabar?
Larabar was founded by Lara Merriken in May of 2000. She believed that food should be fun, enjoyable and good for you. She tinkered with recipes an d made her own Larabar bars. She discovered how natural foods enlivened her mind, body and spirit and wanted to share that with the world.
Trends have changed over the years and Larabar has become even more popular because people are actively seeking out foods that are not derived from artificial flavours, sugar or high sodium while they are still looking for great taste. The Lara bars are also gluten free, non-geo, dairy free, vegan and kosher! Each bar contains no more than 9 ingredients and they are minimally processes and as close to their natural state as possible.
I came home last week and to my surprise there was not 1 but 2 packages at my door. I was lucky enough to receive not only the new special edition flavour of Larabar Lemon, but a sample box of flavours including cashew, peanut butter, apple, coconut cream, peanut butter chocolate chip, cocoa coconut chew, chocolate chip, chocolate brownie and blueberry. On top of the samples I also got my very own lemons and tree! This was a little confusing. There also was a bag of dates, cashews and almonds in the box.
Why were all these things included in my package? Why to make my own bars! Thats how little additive ingredients there are in Larabars that I can literally make my own lemon bar with just a food processor, parchment paper, rolling pin and a knife! How cool is that!
There was a little instruction card telling me to place all of the ingredients provided in a food processor and pulse until blended. Once the dough is formed put it into a disc with my hands and roll out between two pieces of parchment paper to my desired thickness. Then cut off excess edges and slice them into bars!
Thank you Larabar for sending me this amazing package. My lemon tree is now soaking up the sun in my living room window and my boyfriend and I are going to enjoy the delicious bars and our homemade zesty lemon bars!
The lemon is available for a limited time only in local grocery stores and online. To find out more about Larabar visit www.larabar.ca
The folks over at Freeman Formula recently sent this Organic High Frequency Superfood for me to try out. Since super foods and greens are in my prep meal plan this was great for me. This formula is for the health conscience individual that is striving for optimal health according to them. And I couldn't agree more.
This high-frequency superfood is a combination of three of nutrient dense alkaline ingredients. It provides your body with over 96 ready to use powerful nutrients with vitamins, minerals, enzymes, plant proteins, carbohydrates, heart healthy fats, fibre. What a crazy combination! One of my favourite ingredients is chia seeds. Chia leaves you feeling full and is high in satiety. Thats great for me since I am on prep and am constantly feeling hunger. This actually prevents that.
Besides the chia which holds 9 times its weight in water to help with hydration. High Frequency Super Food Formula has 9x Protein of Yogurt 15x Potassium of Bananas 25x iron of spinach and 17x calcium of milk.
According to research the ingredients help improve immune function and are anti-viral, anti-fungal, anti-bacterial functions. They also are known to improve heart function, and circulation.
You can find out more information on their products and the superfood HERE. I really enjoyed the taste in my shakes and even mixed with just water!
Cubic Pharma’s Vitamin D For Indoor Lifestyles
Cubic Pharmaceuticals is a brand from the United Kingdom. They have recently made their Vitamin D supplements available across the United States. I was lucky enough to get sent some to try! I used them every day and felt an increase in my energy and alertness. The line of Cubicole Vitamin D3 came in a variety of strengths. I personally preferred the higher dosage for my active lifestyle. I actually just ran out of them and need more! I made them part of my supplement stack for all of my prep's.
“Vitamin D is well known for helping your body in a variety of ways... For example, it helps the body absorb calcium and phosphorus as well as support heart health.”
What I like the most is that all of the Cubic Pharmaceutical supplements are lactose, gluten, gelatin preservative, salt, and yeast free. It is also great for vegetarians and is Halal. Non of their products havebeen tested on animals.
Joy McCarthy is a certified Holistic Nutritionist and founder of the hugely popular healthy living blog www.joyoushealth.com . She is the author of the Canadian bestselling book Joyous Health: eat and Live well Without Dieting. Her second book, Joyous Detox, comes out in December 2016.
I recently was sent a copy of the salad guide from Joy. And since I am a figure athlete and I am in prep for a November show I have found it very useful in changing up my greens daily. The guide has beautiful pictures and the directions are easy to follow!
Get your free copy of Joy McCarthy's latest ebook, the 7-Day Sensational Salad Guide. It features seven all-new, exclusive recipes chock-full of superfoods, plant-based nutrition and all-around goodness! Something I know you probably appreciate.
