Your Well Being Tip of the Day



Carefully tend the garden of your mind. As you think so goes your life. Grow an attitude of gratitude and your life will improve.

 

The Gift of InspireHealth – Canada's Foremost Integrated Cancer Care Centre, in Vancouver, BC


During the past year, my mom has been experiencing some pretty significant health challenges; challenges that have opened up opportunities for something even greater for her. It's been an awesome and humbling experience to watch her respond, learn, reach out for help and grow. And I've sure experienced my own share of opportunities for growth in my role of support person, companion and daughter - aiming to balance those roles with my own self-care, life and work, etc. Wow. And I know I'm not alone. There are so many of us doing our best to show up for our loved ones and live that balance in our own way right now.

One thing that Mom and I are doing together is helping her to explore both traditional and alternative (or complementary) ways to address some skin cancer. And what a gift we’ve discovered in Vancouver’s InspireHealth, Canada’s foremost integrated cancer care centre. InspireHealth is a not-for-profit organization, whose medical doctors have provided guidance to over 5,000 patients to integrate research-backed natural approaches into their cancer treatment and recovery.

After sitting in on one of their informal Fireside Chats, mom and I decided to sign up for the two day InspireHealth LIFE Program (I attended as her support person). The LIFE Program is an innovative two-day education and experiential program facilitated by InspireHealth medical doctors and staff. Working with a person's conventional cancer treatments, the program engages people in their own health through nutrition, exercise, emotional and spiritual support, supplements, and other ways to support optimal immune system function. Mom and I both fully enjoyed and benefited from the two day program, and met some really great people who quickly became friends along the way.

It felt so good to see her open up and feel fully supported by the caring professionals and friends she made there. It also felt great to see her light up when she realized that she already knew something that they were sharing (which happened fairly often as she is a voracious reader and learner!). And the truly integrative approach to health that InspireHealth embodies was a beautiful thing for me to witness. To see so much of what I teach and know to be true about health (and much I didn't know of course, especially in terms of current cancer research) shared so freely by highly qualified and caring professionals fueled my heart with hope for a much brighter health care future for all of us.

Since then, mom has met with a physician at InspireHealth for a 90 minute session, where she learned even more – specifically how she could support her own health journey more effectively in a variety of ways. I was blessed to sit in and observe/support here too. Now she's following up with some actions (one of which is to attend Laughter Yoga) and later she will meet with the same physician again for a shorter visit. At the same time, she continues to listen to and consider the advice of her Dermatologist, who is suggesting a more traditional treatment.

I really can't say enough about the value of service that InspireHealth provides. And it's important to let you know that they are committed to providing this unique service at the most affordable rate possible. Many of their services are free for the person with a Cancer diagnosis (the physician visits I mentioned are covered by BC Medical) and some are free for support people too. Those that do cost are very low cost considering the quality of service. I'm thrilled to share this service with you, in the hopes that you may benefit, and that you'll share it with a friend, family member or colleague that might be interested in learning more. Thank you to InspireHealth!

PS: Mom is feeling better all the time, especially emotionally and spiritually. She tells me that she feels "free-er", lighter, and more hopeful. Wonderful. There's some powerful health outcomes right there! She and I are both incredibly grateful for all the support we’ve received – from friends, family, and many talented, caring and innovative health professionals. No matter where this journey takes her next, we’ve both been blessed by it, probably more than we know!

 

Healthy and Delicious Food!

Dark Chocolate Macaroons - A Fabulous Holiday Treat

These have become one of my all time favourite sweet treats! They make any day feel like a holiday. And not only that, they are incredibly easy to make and super healthy to boot. Can you beat that? I don't think so. Enjoy!

Makes approximately 3 dozen

3/4 cup honey
3/4 cup dark cocoa powder
2 cups dried, unsweetened coconut
3/4 cup coarsely chopped walnuts

Prepare a cookie sheet or tray with a layer of waxed or parchment paper, or grease with coconut oil. Chop and measure nuts. Measure cocoa powder and honey into a heavy saucepan (helpful hint: when measuring honey, lightly oil the measuring cup so honey pours out more easily). Mix well and stir over medium-low heat until bubbly and simmer 2-3 minutes. Remove from heat and add coconut and nuts. Cool several minutes (enough for handling). Drop by teaspoons onto the prepared cookie sheet and let sit for at least half an hour to set (if you can that is… sometimes I can’t wait quite that long!).

*PS: I use unpasteurized honey which is available in health food stores – it is easier to digest and has more nutrients as well.

Recipe by Victoria Laine in Health by Chocolate, 2008.
 

Quinoa Tabouli Salad

This has quickly become a new favorite lunch item for me, thanks to Inspire Health! And, in case you’re wondering what quinoa is, it’s known as a super grain. Super because it’s a complete protein (with all the amino acids), and it has high amounts of calcium, iron, magnesium and vitamins B and E. It’s very easy to digest, gluten-free and allergy-free. It’s also easy to prepare.

1 cup dry quinoa
1-2 cups water
1 bunch green onions
1 bunch cilantro (&/or parsley or fresh mint)
1 cucumber and/or red, yellow or orange pepper
2 large or 3 medium tomatoes
Juice of 1 lemon
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil (cold pressed)
1 clove garlic
Salt to taste

*Optional: Add garbanzo beans (I add them simply because I love them in just about anything). You could also make it into a complete meal by adding nuts, seeds, cooked chicken or fish.

If possible, soak quinoa 6-10 hours on counter in plenty of water (I put some out to soak before I go to bed). Drain, and cook in 1 cup of water until all water is absorbed. If quinoa is not soaked, wash and cook in 2 cups water until all water is absorbed. Chill.

Finely chop green onions and cilantro (or parsley/mint) and put into a large bowl. Add small cubes of tomatoes and cucumbers/peppers. In a separate small bowl, combine lemon juice, olive oil, salt, and optional garlic. Pour over the other mix and toss. When quinoa is chilled, add to the large bowl and enjoy!

From Inspire Health – See the Cookbook for Cancer Free Living by Sally Errey, a National Best Seller (*percentage of all sales donated to Inspire Health!)

 

Wellness Retreats & Spiritual Centers

One of my wonderful coaching clients recently asked me if I could recommend some good wellness and/or spiritual retreat centers. I knew of two that I could recommend highly, but decided to do a little research and was reminded of a couple of others that I’d heard good things about … so I put together this little list that I’ll share with you here. Of course there are many others out there, but here are four picks for you to ponder if you feel led. We sure are blessed to be surrounded with such incredible opportunities for spiritual and personal refreshment!

Hollyhock is a leading Retreat Centre on Cortes Island (northern gulf Islands of BC).

Westminster Abbey, Mission. Peace and quiet are just around the corner for those of us in need of a little rest and relaxation.

Yasodhara Ashram, Kootenay Bay, BC. This is an eco-friendly yoga community about 40 kilometres northeast of Nelson, BC. It has attracted spiritual travelers from all over the world.

Omega Institute, New York. Omega awakens the best in the human spirit and hosts teachers and students from around the world.

 

Integrated Cancer Care Research News

(from Intouch: The Official Newsletter of InspireHealth – Winter 2008)

Healthy Diet Promotes Recurrence-Free Survival

Previous studies have shown that diet can help to prevent the development of colon cancer. This study examined the effects of diet on patients who had a history of colon cancer. Over 1,000 patients with stage III colon cancer were enrolled in this randomized trial. From the food questionnaires they filled out, the authors identified two major dietary patterns: Prudent and Western. Prudent eaters consumed mostly fruits, vegetables, poultry, and fish. In contrast, Western eaters ate a lot of meat, fat, refined grains, and desserts. Five years after the initial questionnaire, those patients who followed the Western dietary pattern were more likely to have had a colon cancer recurrence. This study demonstrates that eating a healthy diet that is rich in fruits and vegetables reduces the recurrence of cancer and promotes survival.

(Source: J Am Med Assoc 2007;298(7):754-64).