H1N1 - the theme of my day!

So today seemed to be all about the H1N1 virus- on the news (of course) and at the clinic everyone was talking about it. The media is certainly scaring people because we don't have many details about why certain populations are getting sick, and why it can hit so quickly. Nor do we know much about the H1N1 vaccine and it's side effects. I had several patients call today about their homeopathic flu shot, and people are also taking home the Guna-Flu homeopathic flu treatment. I'm still advising people to stay healthy - practise good hygiene, sleep well, eat well, stay hydrated, avoid sugars, and support their immune system (many ways to do this). Don't forget to wipe down your door knobs, telephones and keyboards at home (tea tree oil or CleanEssentials Natural Cleaning spray is great for this). I'm still treating this like the seasonal flu, just doing the flu prevention a little earlier into the season than normal. Remember, get facts from various sources, don't just accept what you hear on your local news channel or the radio! Media tends to dramatize things, but the facts usually haven't changed!

Dr. Anna Falkowski HBSc, ND
Naturopathic Doctor & Clinic Director
Vitality for Life Health Center
www.vitalityforlife.ca

Dr. Anna Falkowski HBSc, ND
Naturopathic Doctor, Clinic Director
info@vitalityforlife.ca
www.vitalityforlife.ca
Twitter: @NaturoDoctor
We're On Facebook!

Baby & Toddler Expo Oct 17 & 18

Come visit the Olive Baby booth this saturday and sunday at the Barrie Baby & Toddler Expo at the Molson Centre! We will have amazing specials on all Olive Baby products and gift baskets made up with the entire set of Olive Baby products at a great discount. These gift baskets are ready to take to baby showers or make amazing Christmas gifts for any parent! This event will be fun for the kids as well, with live performances by Toopy & Binoo. Hope to see you all there!

Dr. Anna Falkowski HBSc, ND
Naturopathic Doctor & Clinic Director
Vitality for Life Health Center
www.vitalityforlife.ca

Dr. Anna Falkowski HBSc, ND
Naturopathic Doctor, Clinic Director
info@vitalityforlife.ca
www.vitalityforlife.ca
Twitter: @NaturoDoctor
We're On Facebook!

Green Tea Good for the GUT!

We have always known that green tea is one of the best medicinal foods - lowers cholesterol and blood pressure, aids digestion, speeds up metabolism and is a powerful antioxidant.
Now researchers at the National Cancer Center in Tokyo concluded that green tea’s antioxidants may protect against gastric cancer and may include compounds that fight bacteria that have been linked to stomach cancer. The studies followed more than 219,000 men and women 40 years and older, who were followed between 7 and 11 years. Overall, about four in five of the participants reported drinking green tea daily, with about one-third drinking five or more cups per day.

Make a cup of green tea a part of your day and experience the health benefits!

Dr. Anna Falkowski HBSc, ND
Naturopathic Doctor & Clinic Director
Vitality for Life Health Center
www.vitalityforlife.ca

Dr. Anna Falkowski HBSc, ND
Naturopathic Doctor, Clinic Director
info@vitalityforlife.ca
www.vitalityforlife.ca
Twitter: @NaturoDoctor
We're On Facebook!

Easy Dinner for a busy day!

Yesterday was a fun but busy day for our family, but I wanted to make sure we sat down to a healthy sunday night dinner (saturday we were at a birthday party and the kids didn't eat a lot the good stuff - it's all about balance!). I knew we would be out of the house in the afternoon and wouldn't be home until dinner time, so it meant I had to do some quick prep work during their afternoon nap. I cut a butternut squash in half and placed it cut side up in a large lasagna dish. I sprinkled with nutmeg and cinnamon, a pinch of salt and drizzled with olive oil. In the same dish I put a few sweet potatoes cut in half, cut side down. I set my oven on 'delay cook', so it would start about 45 min. before we came home. Cook this for 45 min. at 400C - you can add a pat of butter and a little brown sugar if you like. When we got home I quickly boiled a small pot of brussel sprouts (cut in half) until tender. This was served as is - very tasty. For protein, I cut a corner - I used pre-frozen turkey meatballs and warmed them up in my home-made tomato sauce. All in all, it was a great dinner, and I was happy that the little guys ate some orange and green veggies! It was quick and easy, it just took a little planning!

Dr. Anna Falkowski HBSc, ND
Naturopathic Doctor & Clinic Director
Vitality for Life Health Center
www.vitalityforlife.ca

Dr. Anna Falkowski HBSc, ND
Naturopathic Doctor, Clinic Director
info@vitalityforlife.ca
www.vitalityforlife.ca
Twitter: @NaturoDoctor
We're On Facebook!

Fabulous Garden Harvest Soup!

My friend Terri Ann inspired me to make a crockpot soup with things out of my garden. I have SOOO much swiss chard and kale that I don't know what to do with it, so this soup recipe was perfect (and EASY).
Throw the following ingredients into your crockpot and set for 4 hours on med/high:

-4 cloves garlic chopped
-1 large onion diced
-2-3 stalks celery chopped
-3 carrots diced
-1 large bunch of kale chopped
-1 large bunch of swiss chard chopped
-1 large sweet potato diced
-3-4 turkey sausages (take the casings off and crumble in the pot)
-Bragg's liquid seasoning (a good sized 'squirt', roughly 1/4 cup)
-1/2 tsp red chili flakes
-1 can red kidney beans
top up with water but not quite enough to cover all your greens, as they will wilt and make more water in your pot! Very comforting on a cold day...Enjoy!

Dr. Anna Falkowski HBSc ND
Naturopathic Doctor & Clinic Director
Vitality for Life Health Center
www.vitalityforlife.ca

Dr. Anna Falkowski HBSc, ND
Naturopathic Doctor, Clinic Director
info@vitalityforlife.ca
www.vitalityforlife.ca
Twitter: @NaturoDoctor
We're On Facebook!