eMbody Fitness Blog

Strengthen your Immune System with Personalized Nutrition

3/21/2020

by Katie Hamilton, eMbody Fitness Registered Holistic Nutritionist, B.Kin, CNP

With or without a pandemic happening, immune system compromises are not something to just brush aside. The immune system is your body's defense and this world is full of offensive toxins, bacteria and viruses that have our immune systems in overdrive.

At this stage in the game, the only thing we can really do is to boost our immune systems because we cannot keep ourselves "self-quarantined" forever. Just as chances are most people have had the flu in their life, the way this new strain spreads chances are we will all at some point come into contact with it. It is not something to be afraid of, but peacefully preparing for through intentionally choosing to invest in what will support your immune system to thrive.

10 Signs of a Weakened Immune System

It's common for you to get colds or other "minor sickness" throughout year
High stress levels
Frequent digestive issues
Allergies (seasonal or specific)
Wounds slow to heal
Skin rashes, eczema, or other skin troubles
Frequent infections (ears, eyes, ect.)
Feel tired all the time
Have had or have “autoimmune disease”
Random "aches & pains", achy joints, cold hands, numbness in hands/feet, trouble swallowing, sun sensitivity, hair loss, dry eyes

Things You Can do to Boost Your Immune System Right Now

Eat high fruit and veggie meals
Get 8 minimum hours of sleep a night
Meditate (calms stress hormones which lowers your immune strength)
Breathe deeply and mindfully throughout the day.
Up your vitamin C & D + selenium and zinc (through your foods or supplements)
Shake and move your body every day - get a sweat going
Drink more water
Drink fresh citrus/ginger/turmeric juice daily
Smile at strangers
Spend time in nature

For a lot of people if you're marking off multiple signs that you're immune system is compromised it will take time, potentially years depending on how much degradation there is.

If you're feeling like you want to give your immune system an extra boost reach out to Katie Hamilton, our health and transformation coach who will work with your specific needs to design an immune boosting protocol for you. Learn more about our holistic nutrition programs. Click here.

For a limited time, Katie is offering a special Immunity Boosting 3-session package at 30% off.

Regular price: $600, now just $420.

click to register or request more information

New Year - New Pantry!

1/21/2019

By Debra Basch, eMbody Fitness
Registered Holistic Nutritionist
Certified Personal Trainer

This year, make a resolution that could seriously tackle top yearly goals: lose body fat, get more energy, start exercising, find balance, and enjoy more sleep. What do these have in common besides requiring planning and commitment? They are all components of a healthy lifestyle. Here is an easy guide to help you start the New Year off with a stronger commitment to a healthier lifestyle. Begin with cleaning out your pantry. By eliminating overly processed foods, non-essential “health” foods and getting back to basic clean eating, I believe my plan is a step in the right direction.

DITCH...

Any grain product with <3 g of fiber.
Simulated flavour convenience foods such as quick-cooking rice, flavoured noodle soups, dye-coloured cereals, diet soft drinks
Commercially made baked goods: cookies, granola bars, cakes
Fruit-flavoured “gels”
Spices containing sodium and/or MSG
Butter-flavoured cooking spray
Foods where the ingredient lists are mostly: preservatives, poor quality oils (trans, fractionated, hydrogenated), artificial ingredients, sugar, sodium
Instant flavoured oatmeal: ½ a day’s worth of added sugar in one package)
Low-fat and/or flavoured rice cakes: high on refined carbohydrates, light on fibre, sugar, sodium and even MSG if flavoured
Organic on the label does not automatically mean it’s healthy. Organic canned chicken noodle soup can have a day’s worth of sodium in one can.
Gluten-free crackers, cookies, bars. Food products that are gluten free and not calorie free! Many contain just as much fat, sugar, sodium and fibre-free flours as their gluten-containing cousins!
Sweetened yogurt, soy or almond milks. Yogurt naturally contains lactose (sugar) and with added flavourings, one 2/3 cup of yogurt could deliver as much as 4.5 teaspoons of sugar! Boxed soy, rice or almond milk is best consumed unsweetened. The added sugar contributes to added pounds. Use in smoothies and flavour with fresh or frozen fruit. **Rice and almond milk are both very poor sources of protein – bump up the nutrition with an added protein source.

These foods can contribute to bloating, gas, headaches, constipation, acne, irritability, fatigue, weight gain, and intense cravings. Don’t be fooled by marketing. Gluten free foods are for people who have celiac or gluten-intolerant. Even celiac should not be loading up on gf “treats”. Organic on a label is not a free pass.

5 Things You Should Do Every Day to Live a Healthy Life

6/28/2018

Living a healthy life doesn’t mean you have to make major changes to your day to day or start drinking green smoothies or even join a CrossFit gym. Healthy living simply means incorporating healthy habits into your daily life. These will differ from person to person based on someone’s current habits. Try integrating any of the following 5 items to help you lead a more balanced energized life.

1. Mindful Meditation

Mindful meditation is meant to help you to focus on your present setting and state of mind. Studies have shown that when you train your brain to be mindful, it reworks its physical structure resulting in improved cognitive functioning.

This can take as little as 5 minutes of your time, FIVE MINUTES! Here is how to start:

Find a comfortable spot to sit, preferably in a room with no distractions, the lights on or in natural lighting.
Straighten your upper body.
Notice what your arms and legs are doing and don’t stiffen.
Feel your breath.
Notice when your mind wanders and try focusing on your breath again.

What's Your Number?

4/6/2018

By Debra Basch, eMbody Fitness
Registered Holistic Nutritionist
Certified Personal Trainer

We live in a password protected society. Every day, we are expected to remember passwords, sequences and numbers. Failure to punch in the correct code can have dire results. Access denied!! Why is it then so many
of us don’t know our top 5 health numbers? These numbers are clear indicators of whether or not we are doing a good job of trying to stay healthy. Knowing these numbers means that you know your body and that gives you the POWER to change it.

Explore Winter Fitness with Snowshoeing

2/26/2018

By Andy Smith,
Fitness Director, eMbody Fitness

As snow descends from the heavens my reaction is one of excitement and joy. Living in Canada means winter, and being Canadian means getting out and enjoying the winter.

Initially Snowshoes were developed as a means of winter transportation. It has since transformed into a sport and the popularity of the sport has risen by over 50% since 2008. There are now many trails, races and ways to enjoy the beautiful Canadian scenery from the platform of this great gear.

For those of you looking forward to spending more time on your snowshoes the following exercises will help strengthen the hip flexors, the quadriceps, the hamstrings and gluteals to help with the added work in lifting the leg to clear the snowshoe with each step. It will also target key muscle areas in the upper extremities as well as the abdominal muscles. The focus of the exercises is on functional activities that directly relate to joint and muscle actions that will be used when snowshoeing.

Try for 2 sets of 15 repetitions of each exercise: Don’t hesitate to ask a trainer for help with the exercices.

High Step Ups:
While standing on the floor, place your left foot on the plyometric box or stair 14 -17” in height. Use your left leg to lift yourself to standing position and then slowly lower back down to the floor for 15 repetitions. Repeat with the right leg

Lateral Step Down:
From a 6” box on your left leg bend the left leg so the knee stays over the toes. Lower your right leg while sitting back with your hips and extending the right foot forward.

Walking Lunges:
Step out with the left leg in front of right, and slowly lower your body weight down, centered between both feet. Body weight is split roughly 50/50 to front and back feet. Lower down until each knee is bent 90 degrees and use both legs to raise your torso up again.

Stability Ball Single Leg Squat:
Balance on the stability ball with the left leg, lower down as far as you can while retaining balance. Repeat on the right leg.

Prone Stability Ball Back Extensions:
With your toes on the floor and your abdomen over a stability ball, hold a 3 or 5 lb weight in each hand. Raise the arms from the shoulders, lifting the weight in each hand. Raise the hips, with elbows slightly bent and extend the upper back keeping the head level.

Supine Leg Bridge with Abduction:
Begin by lying on your back on the floor, knees bent and feet on the floor. Place your fingers from one hand on the lower abdomen and slowly lift your hips and lumber spine off the floor up to the shoulder blade area. Lift and straighten your left leg so you are balanced just on the right and move the leg laterally to the side and back 15 times. Repeat for the right leg.

Plank:
Begin by lying on your stomach on the floor, with elbows directly under your shoulders and forearms forward on the floor, palms down. Lift your body off the floor, keeping your abdominal muscles contracted and squeeze your gluteals. Hold for one minute.

The three levers to living a long and healthy life by Shaun Francis, Medcan

2/12/2018

We are big fans of Shaun Francis, CEO of Medcan. We hope you enjoy this article as much as we did. Read on!

A few years back, the World Congress of Cardiology staged a remarkable debate that illustrates the extent that expert recommendations can differ at the foremost edge of scientific research. On one side of the stage was McMaster University’s Dr. Salim Yusuf, who had co-authored a study on sodium consumption that found that too little salt can be almost as dangerous as too much. Opposing Dr. Yusuf was the University of Sydney’s Dr. Bruce Neal, a salt outlier who argued that we should all eat less than 2,300 mg of sodium per day—far below average.

New Year... How are those resolutions coming along?

1/13/2018

The best part about the new year is the feeling of new beginnings and leaving the clutter of 2017 behind us. We as human beings love fresh starts. Wiping the slate clean. Pressing restart. A facelift for the soul. The excitement of new possibilities is here! Are you ready? How will you celebrate and change?

So why is going to the gym more one of our top resolutions? Well, we usually let that slip the most, and because of that, our healthy life style takes a bit of a hit. Not to fear! Lets get the ball rolling this year with some tips on keeping that motivation going all year around.

WELLNESS AND HEALTHY LIVING

1/11/2018

The Definition of Wellness
Wellness is an active process of becoming aware of and making choices toward a healthy and fulfilling life. Wellness is more than being free from illness, it is a dynamic process of change and growth. "A state of complete physical, mental, and social well-being, and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity." - The World Health Organization

This year we are focusing on healthy living, lifestyle and wellness. Why? Because we can not grow and reach our goals without taking care of our selves first!

This blog is to encourage all our members to take some well deserved “me time” through out the week. Whether it is for ten minutes or a whole morning to recharge, we know a busy life can mean stress, fatigue and unfortunately a lack of self care. Each week we encourage you to take time to relax and re-centre. Focusing on what it is that makes you happy and well. On top of talking about wellness, we hope to leave you with some goals, challenges and even a recipe or two! Using these tools for mindfulness will help you stay focused on what you want and how you can get there, the healthy way. Understanding that wellness comes in all shapes and sizes.

Benefits of Wellness
-Improve and maintain motivation
-Cuts your risk of cancer
-Control stress and sleep patterns
-Improve diet
-Posture
-Gaining new perspectives
-Focus and goals
-Maintain positive outlook and gain confidence
-Short and long-term health benefits
-Better control over cholesterol and blood pressure
-Reduce your risk of chronic diseases

Relax right now!
Not only does this assure you of a complete and rounded breath, but it forces you to focus purely on the act of breathing - invaluable if you’re trying to un-clutter your mind to concentrate on a race, a business meeting, or whatever reality you find yourself in. If you do this for three or four minutes at a stretch, you’ll lower your stress level, both mental and physical. The old ticker will thank you for it and the lungs will finally get a well-deserved break from the sporadic and tension-fraught air-gulping to which you’ve been subjecting them.

Try out this exercise to relax and increase your mindfulness. Slowly breathe in and out as the triangle expands and contracts.