From the Founder: Alcohol

Sipping on cocktails or wine is something I enjoy a few times a month. Whether for relaxation purposes or as a social release during the times I catch up with my friends, having a drink is part of my life. However, there is a shot of irony with alcohol when it comes to living a balanced lifestyle.

It seems for most of us the scale is tipped too far when it comes to alcohol. Let’s not kid ourselves; we all tend to go a little too far with alcohol in some way, shape or form. Anyone who knows what a hangover feels like has put a boulder on the scale, which we know makes it very difficult to get the scale even with those odds.

I have had some really unforgettable hangovers where all I could think about was the next minute giving me some salvation from the horrible feeling. You may be wondering, why drink to the point where I feel like that the next day, and my answer to you is that when I am drinking I am serving another aspect of my well-being (as mentioned above).

When I think about wellness, I think about Balance- keeping everything in your life that makes you happy while learning how to make adjustments to keep the scale even to achieve goals. So for me when it comes to drinking alcohol, for the most part, I incorporate preventative measures to combat any of the extreme side effects of a happy hour gone wild.

First, I make sure I eat. Of those unforgettable hangovers 99% of them were the result of me not having enough food in my system giving the alcohol an all-access passport to travel throughout system wrecking havoc. On top of eating, I also eat a banana, take Vitamin B complex and OPC-3 (antioxidant with Pycnogenol) before or after my alcohol consumption. The banana is pretty hearty, plus the potassium rehydrates. In the home remedy world, Vitamin B is said to fight off the toxins in alcohol leading to that crushing headache due to its depletion. The antioxidant is just an overall back up fighting off free radical damage. I really notice a difference when I do not follow this regimen.

Now for my liver, I eat apples for breakfast during the work week. Even though it is a home remedy, I believe in the power of natural solutions. Twice a year I do a 7-day cleanse which includes a liver component that contains Milk Thistle, N-Acetyl-L-cysteine (amino acid), Dandelion Root, Garlic Bulb, Hawthorn Berry Extract, Schizandra Chinensis Fruit and Seed Extract, Yellow Dock Root, Burdock Root, Licorice Root, Barberry Bark and Root, Rosemary Leaf, Ginger Root, Green Tea Leaf Extract, Hyssop, Red Clover Flower, and Turmeric Root Extract.

If you’re a drinker like myself, consider how to be a ‘Well-Drinker’. Cheers!

Source: http://balanceboost.blogspot.com/

Downside of Supplements

Healthy Living
Food and Nutrition

The habit of choosing supplements over a balanced diet is on the rise among the growing population of health nuts. The growing fascination for the supplements stems from the belief that in addition to warding off a deficiency, they also help stave off various illnesses.

Ten Best Energy Foods

Healthy Living
Food and Nutrition

Ever wondered why some people eat less but are more energetic? The secret may lie in the kind of foods they consume. Foods that are high in carbohydrates with a little potion of protein but have no or low fats are often termed as energy foods.

Essential Fatty Acids are Essential for Health

Healthy Living
Food and Nutrition

Essential fatty acids (EFA) are the fatty acids that are required to create and repair cell membranes in the human body. These essential fatty acids cannot be obtained synthetically and they have to be obtained only through diet.

How Healthy are Canadian Eating Habits?

Healthy Living
Food and Nutrition

Walk into an eatery or wheel into a drive thru – you will be welcomed by mouth-watering images of sweet and sugary donuts, cookies, French fries, chicken wings, hamburgers … great!

Does Coffee Really Perk You Up?

Healthy Living - Food and Nutrition
Rizani Razeed

Are you one of those who just can’t start the day without their morning coffee? Do you love chocolate? Are you a pop junkie? You might be wondering what these three have in common. Well, it’s the caffeine content – a key ingredient in all of them.

Oil Change in Calgary

Healthy Living —Food & Nutrition
Arlen Panchoo

Calgary started 2008 by making history as the first Canadian city to ban the use of trans fats in restaurants. On January 1, all margarines, spreads, and oils used for cooking in restaurants were limited to a maximum of two percent trans fats of the total fat content in foods.

Whole Grains vs. Whole Wheat - What is Best For You?

Healthy Living — Food & Nutrition
Kim Edmundson, R.N.C.P., R.h.A.

We hear it all the time, “Eat more whole grains”. But what does this really mean? Most people think that eating more whole grains means simply eating more whole wheat.

Food and Nutrition

Healthy Living
Reaping the benefits of Rice Bran Oil
Food and Nutrition



Move over olive, there is new cooking oil in town – and some say it is healthier.

Rice bran oil (RBO) is produced from the bran of the rice kernel. RBO contains a variety of antioxidants that are beneficial to our health. Two of its components: gamma-oryzanol and tocotrienols have individually shown health benefits.

The oil has a nutty flavour and researchers agree it has an excellent lasting quality, meaning you save money and time. RBO is a specialty product found in countries such as Canada, United States, Japan, India, Korea, China and Indonesia. It costs more than most cooking oils, but its superior quality and health benefits provide many advantages.

What are the benefits?

Cooking oil is commonly used in many Canadian households. Health professionals always emphasize on the advantages of healthy oils over fatty oils. Rice bran oil is healthier because it has higher cholesterol reduction ability than its competitors. It increases HDL cholesterol, (known as good cholesterol) and lowers the production of LDL cholesterol (bad cholesterol) and triglycerides, which lower the risk of cardiovascular diseases. One study in California, USA showed every one per cent reduction in cholesterol meant a two per cent decrease in the risk of coronary heart disease. As well, another research indicates RBO does not produce allergic reactions, as many other oils do.

Disease prevention

Rice bran oil’s component Gamma-Oryzanol is high in antioxidants. Its antioxidant properties reduce plasma cholesterol and cholesterol absorption. It also decreases early atherosclerosis (a disease that affects the blood vessels in the arteries). It also increases fecal bile acid excretion, which helps in digestion.

Its other component Tocotrienols, found in the outer grain hull of the rice kernel, belong to the vitamin E family (known for its antioxidant properties) and can help in the prevention of cardiovascular diseases. A study, as quoted in the European Journal of Cancer Prevention, has shown that long-term use of tocotrienol might reduce overall cancer risks.

Everyday use

Rice Bran oil can be used for everyday cooking or to add a little flavour to your salad. Already some companies and restaurants are using RBO in their cooking. Unlike some oils, RBO doesn’t produce a lot of smoke at high temperature and as a result some Japanese restaurants use the oil when deep frying their tempura dishes. Canada’s very own, Mampster is one of the few companies dedicated to using RBO in all their products.

Look out for these products at your local grocery store and start enjoying a healthier version of snacks you already love.