It’s the time of year where many of us have resolved to make changes in our lives. If your resolution is health related–to eat better, lose weight, stop smoking, de-stress, exercise more, (or all of the above), Dr. Mike Evans MD, makes a compelling case for one of these changes in this 7 min video .  Enjoy!

In this American Health Journal special report, Dr. Walter Crinnion explains the buildup and impact of environmental toxins in the body, including the connection to Parkinson’s disease and the use of IV therapy as a treatment tool, as well as links to conditions like arthritis, lupus, Hashimoto’s thyroiditis, allergies and asthma.

You can hear Dr. Crinnion speak live in Collingwood on May 13 at 7PM. Tickets and details here. All proceeds go to support the local Environment Network.

The CBC reported this week on a study in which they found women undergoing in vitro fertilization were more likely to have a successful pregnancy if they had an opportunity to have a good laugh right after implantation. You can find details here.

IVF isn’t the only way that laughter can help. It’s also been shown to increase immune function, decrease stress hormones and even decrease pain.

So, in the interest of good health, here’s a video to help get some laughter in your weekend.  Enjoy! (If you can’t view it, you can find it here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HnGw5SmFOlo )

At the ripe old age of 11, Birke Baehr is planning a career as an organic farmer. In this TED talk, he gives us his thoughts on what’s wrong with our food system. This little dynamo made me smile for our future!

If you can’t see the video, you’ll find it at:

http://www.ted.com/talks/birke_baehr_what_s_wrong_with_our_food_system.html

If you’d like to find and support local food, visit:

• 100 Mile Store in Creemore  – www.100milestore.ca
• 100 Mile Market in Meaford –  www.the100milemarket.com
• Blue Ridge Meats in Collingwood.- http://www.mycollingwood.ca/blueridgemeats.asp
• The New Farm in Creemore  – www.thenewfarm.ca

Happy healthy eating! – Tara

A colleague sent me this story from 60 Minutes New Zealand.  It’s a 17-minute video about a family who used high dose vitamin C when their father was dying of swine flu. Interesting video, if you have a few minutes. Plus, when do you get hear a 60 Minutes-style documentary with a Kiwi accent?

Enjoy!

-Tara

Living Proof: Vitamin C – Miracle Cure?

Last week was “Fat Talk Free Week” in the US, a a campaign to bring awareness to how common conversations can contribute to poor body image, low self-esteem, and eating disorders.. What a great idea! During the week, participants at 35 college campuses across the US tray to eliminate statements about weight, fat, clothes, and other negative self-image topics.

There’s good reason for the campaign. Statistics show that body dissatisfaction leads to eating fewer fruits and vegetables, and even doing less exercise – it seems we really are what we believe. Focusing on your weight and how much you hate yourself for it will never get a carrot in your month (or at least not one that isn’t followed by a bag of cookies). Focusing on health, and your right to be healthy and vibrant, is the only way help facilitate healthy lifestyle choices.

If you need a more compelling reason to not trash talk yourself, read the book, Like Mother, Like Daughter by Debra Waterhouse.  It’s an eye opener and will very much change how you talk about yourself, your weight and your choices. And check out the video below (or click here to view).

-Tara

We had our second StoneTree movie night here in Colingwood last Thursday. We watched the second half of the documentary, Healing Cancer from the Inside Out, which challenges many of our accepted beliefs about disease, healing and diet.  Definitely worth a watch for everyone.

The evening was a great success, with 12 people showing up for green tea, organic popcorn and an excellent discussion after the film.

See below for a clip from the film. You can order the DVD at http://www.ravediet.com/

-Tara

It may seem like life in the Collingwood area is full of fresh air. Ski hills in Thornbury, fresh winds in Wasaga Beach – they all make us think our air is clean, but that’s not always the case, especially in the winter, and particularly indoors.

It’s been so nice lately to have a day here and there to open the windows and get some fresh air into the house, and it’s got me thinking, “Wouldn’t it be nice to have this great indoor air quality all year ’round?”

This video from the TED talks just might be the answer.

Researcher and activist Kamal Meattle shows how an arrangement of three common houseplants, used in specific spots in a home or office building, can result in measurably cleaner indoor air.

Meattle’s done some amazing things in his New Delhi office, and you can replicate the results at home, which include increasing oxygen, scrubbing CO2, and removing toxins. The video is only 4 minutes long, so it’s a quick and easy watch. We’re going to test these out in our house and see how they do!

If you can’t see the video above, you can also watch it on the TED site, with some interesting links and commentary from viewers:

http://www.ted.com/index.php/talks/kamal_meattle_on_how_to_grow_your_own_fresh_air.html