Your Well Being Tip of the Day

Stop every now and then. Just stop and enjoy. Take a deep breath. Relax and take in the abundance of life.

Lavender Lemonade – Yum!

Last summer I started making Lavender Lemonade to add to my collection of refreshing summer drinks. And let me say this ... this is a fabulous summer drink! Lavender soothes and refreshes and I’m pretty happy with fresh squeezed lemon juice in just about anything! I hope you enjoy ... Lee

Ingredients

• 1 tray ice cubes
• 1/4 cup dried lavender
• 2 cups boiling water
• 1/4 to 3/4 cup sugar (to taste)
  *Raw honey is a healthy sugar substitute you could try.
• 8 lemons
• 5 cups cold water, or as needed

1. Place ice cubes into a 2 quart pitcher. Place the lavender into a bowl, and pour boiling water over it. Allow to steep for about 10 minutes, then strain out the lavender and discard. Mix the sugar into the hot lavender water, then pour into the pitcher with the ice.
    
2. Squeeze the juice from the lemons into the pitcher, getting as much juice as you can. Top off the pitcher with cold water, and stir. Taste, and adjust lemon juice or sugar if desired. Pour into tall glasses, pull up a lawn chair and a good book, and relax!

Summer Fun in BC, Vancouver and Your Neck of the Woods!

There are so many great opportunities for summer fun and refreshment in Beautiful BC and the lower mainland. Time and time again I hear myself and my friends say “we’re so blessed!” True. If you’re looking for inspiration or ideas, here are some excellent links, chock full of ideas for summer re-creation and fun in BC, Vancouver - wherever you find yourself! ... Lee

• Summer Fun Anywhere!
  30 Possibilities for Summer Fun
   
• 25 Free Things to Do in Vancouver this Summer!
   
• Your Complete Guide to BC Camping
   
• Great Vancouver Day Trips
   
• Find Family Fun in Vancouver

Summer Sun Safety

With summer upon us, Yale Medical Group physicians have an urgent warning: Be sun smart. Practicing good sun protection, including the use of sunscreen, could save your life, they say. "You don't want to go crawl under a rock or hide in the basement," says dermatologist Dr. David Leffell, CEO of Yale Medical Group and a member of Yale Cancer Center. "You want to be active and that usually is best done outdoors — simply use moderation and common sense." Leffell recommends the following:

• Avoid the sun between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. Leffell says, "That means stay in the shade and certainly don't schedule your kids' ball games at high noon."
   
• Wear a broad-brim hat, not a baseball cap, as attractive as they may be. "The majority of skin cancers are on the head and neck, so a brimmed hat that protects the ears as well as the nose is important," Leffell explains.
   
• While you’re active outdoors or swimming (between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m.), apply sunscreen every couple of hours.
   
• Wear sun protective eyeglasses to prevent cataracts.

 

Re-thinking Sunscreen with Dr. Andrew Weil

Using sunscreen does block production of vitamin D, which our bodies make by using ultraviolet rays of the sun. This suggests that the advice to use sunscreen whenever you're out-of-doors may be contributing to widespread deficiency of vitamin D, which we need for optimum health. In addition to its crucial role in bone-building (it facilitates calcium absorption and promotes bone mineralization), mounting evidence suggests that vitamin D also protects against multiple sclerosis and a number of types of cancer including lymphoma, colon cancer, lung cancer, and even skin cancer.

These new findings have led some researchers to suggest that we may have gone overboard by insisting that everyone wear sunscreen whenever in the sun. Even some dermatologists have begun to question whether current sunscreen recommendations should be modified. The problem is that no one is sure exactly how to modify them. So far, I've seen no alternative recommendations for sunscreen use. One possibility might be to wait until actually getting in the sun to apply sunscreen, or putting it on 15 minutes before exposure, rather than the recommended 30 minutes.

I recently changed my vitamin D recommendation from 1,000 IU per day to 2,000 IU per day because of compelling evidence that adults aren't getting enough. And 2,000 IU might still be a low recommendation. Other than supplements or the sun, we can obtain vitamin D from such foods as fortified milk and cereals as well as from eggs, salmon, tuna, mackerel, and sardines.

To make sure you're getting adequate vitamin D you could cut back slightly on sunscreen use. Don't bake on the beach, or spend a summer's day outdoors unprotected. Certainly, use sunscreen if you will be outdoors when the sun's radiation is at its most intense - especially between 10 am and 2 pm, near the summer solstice, and at high altitudes or low latitudes. But it may do you more good than harm to get out in the sun for 15 minutes or so without protection several days a week. Afterwards, go back inside and slather on the sunscreen.

Andrew Weil, M.D.

A historic change in healthcare in BC - A first in the World!

A historic change in healthcare in BC - A first in the World! Excellent news! InspireHealth (Canada's Not for Profit Integrative Cancer Care Centre here in Vancouver) has just received funding to expand services across the province. Five new locales will host a Centre (Abbotsford, Kelowna, Victoria, Prince George, and Virtual InspireHealth for remote areas). Bravo, bravo, bravo!

From InspireHealth:

For many years now, a common vision has united us. We've recognized that health is more than the treatment of illness. An optimal healthcare system includes the broader support of health. Together, we've recognized the essential role that patients themselves can play in their own health and healing. We know that supporting body, mind, spirit and health is as important as standard cancer treatment. Collectively, we have experienced the benefits of an integrative approach to care -one that values the whole person and the uniqueness of each individual. Together, with supporters such as you, we've strived to ensure that patients have access to the best cancer care possible -one that integrates treatment and health.

BC's Minister of Health, the Hon. Michael de Jong, has recently announced that the provincial government is funding the expansion of InspireHealth with the goal of providing access to integrative care for all British Columbians living with cancer - a first in the world!

» Learn More About InspireHealth

Lee

 

Coaches Corner

What is your heart calling you to do this summer? This is such a valuable question. When I close my eyes, take a deep breath and turn my attention toward my heart, I notice my inner wisdom telling me, compassionately, that it wants me to give myself two special gifts this summer: one is to spend time with dear friends, just hanging out, enjoying each other and good food/city events ... and the other is to take daily time out to sit in stillness and smile, noticing nature and activities around me with a sense of wonder and acceptance. Sounds like a prescription for balance to me. ... Lee

What is your heart calling you to do this summer? Your answer will be your answer … perfectly designed to nurture you beautifully this summer. What is one small step you could take today? Will you commit to this?

Congratulations for asking! You’re well on the way.

Coach Lee Contact Lee to request fees and chat about a specific coaching plan designed to match your goals and budget. Find out more about Lee’s coaching.

Coach Lee