2015vitality cover

EE FR

2016

7 Eat Your Way to a Longer Life

19 Do-ing Nothing Delivers Results

10 Catch the Wave to Peace

21 Focusing on Financial Wellness

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Table of Contents Editor's Note.................................................................................. 6 Eat Your Way to a Longer Life...................................................... 7 Mind Your Body............................................................................. 8 Grocery Store Dishes Out Wellness............................................. 9 Catch the Wave to Peace............................................................ 10 3 Delicious and Easy Ways to Fuel Your Day............................11 Pleiades Expands Healing Services in Radium....................... 12 Quick Fitness Fix........................................................................ 13 Understanding Substance Use.................................................. 15 Integrating a Healthy Community............................................. 17 Get Started with Yoga!............................................................... 17 Seniors' Lifestyle Community Offers Opportunity to Thrive.. 18 Do-Ing Nothing Delivers Results............................................. 19 New Store Bolsters Health at Home......................................... 20 Focusing on Financial Wellness................................................ 21

Advertising Index Fusion Wellness Spa..................................................................... 2 Valley Foods................................................................................... 3 Fairmont Hot Springs Resort....................................................... 4 Crazy Soles..................................................................................... 6 Dr. Mike Baker............................................................................... 6 Grant’s Foods................................................................................. 7 Meditation with Allison Bowen.................................................... 7 High Altitude Therapy................................................................... 8 Shiny Water for Health.................................................................. 9 Pleiades Spa & Wellness........................................................... 10 Valley Fitness Centre.................................................................. 10 Zumba Fitness.............................................................................11 Luminescence Salon...................................................................11 Traditional Thai Massage........................................................... 12 Fiona Millar................................................................................. 12 Hellerwork................................................................................... 13 Renaissance Wellness Centre.................................................... 13 Hospice Society of the Columbia Valley................................... 14 Evolution Wellness, Pure Wellbeing......................................... 14 East Kootenay Addiction Services Society............................... 15 Family Dynamix.......................................................................... 16 All Dolled Up............................................................................... 16 Do Nothing Floatation Centre Inc............................................. 19 Pharmasave................................................................................ 20 Sunlife Financial......................................................................... 21 Biodynamic Craniosacral Therapy............................................. 22 Mountain Om Yoga & Wellness Studio.................................... 23 Golden Life.................................................................................. 24

Wellness Services

(page 22) Valley Hair Styling and Shear Edge Hair Studio Tanning Hair Benders Hair… A Salon Therapeutic Yoga Bare Hands Day Spa

N E W S PA P E R

Box 868, #8, 1008 – 8th Avenue, Invermere, B.C., V0A 1K0 250-341-6299 • 1-855-377-0312 info@columbiavalleypioneer.com www.columbiavalleypioneer.com

› Kimberly Olson holds Natarajasana (Dancer's pose) in the sacred circle along Westside Road with Lake Windermere and the B.C. Rockies in the distance.

Columbia Valley Vitality Health Magazine is published annually by The Columbia Valley Pioneer Newspaper, Misko Publishing Limited Partnership.

Publisher Editor Writers

Dean Midyette Nicole Trigg Adele Engel, Allison Bowen, Breanne Massey, Erin Luyendyk, James Rose, Dr. Keith Weber, Nicole Trigg, Tamela Hart, Theresa Bartraw Graphic Designer Theresa Kains Sales Associate Angela Miller Photography Angela Miller, Breanne Massey, Kimberley Rae Sanderson, Nicole Trigg This material, written or artistic, may not be reprinted or electronically reproduced in any way without the written consent of the publisher. The opinions and statements in articles, columns and advertising are not necessarily those of the publisher or staff of Columbia Valley Homes & Lifestyles. It is agreed by any display advertiser requesting space that the owner's responsibility, if any, for errors or omissions of any kind, is limited to the amount paid by the advertiser for that portion of the space as occupied by the incorrect item and there shall be no liability in any event greater than the Columbia Valley Vitality • 5 • Vol 1: 2016 amount paid for the advertisement.

› Photo by Nicole Trigg

Cover Photography: Nicole Trigg

Nature Art: Theresa Kains Model: Kimberly Olson, wearing a New Balance Strappy Long Tank ($49.99), an Icebreaker W's Dart LS Half Zip Cruise ($159.99) and Brooks Greenlight Tights ($85), all supplied by the Crazy Soles Run/Yoga/ Nordic Store in downtown Invermere (see ad on page 6). Kimberly Olson works as a Thai massage practitioner and yoga teacher in the Columbia Valley. For more insight into her passion for Eastern healing arts and her offerings, visit www.kimberlyolson.ca or call her at 250-688-1051.

Editor's note Welcome to the first issue | Nicole Trigg

I

1045B 7th Ave, Downtown Invermere Ph: 250-342-2074 • www.crazysoles.ca • Weekly Group Trail Runs • Unique Products • Funky Events (ex: Movember Mile – mustache/underwear run) • Happy and Helpful Staff • Locally owned We’ve been running since 1992 but we decided to open a store in 2008! Since then it’s been Crazy!

Find and treat the cause of your health condition with

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• Free 15 minute meet and greet appointments for those curious about what Naturopathic Medicine has to offer

Dr. Mike Baker, ND | 250-342-1457 | www.drmikebaker.ca Columbia Valley Vitality • 6 • Vol 1: 2016

t seems strange to introduce the Columbia Valley’s first health magazine when there is already so much going on in the region in the way of health and wellness that you'd think a health magazine would have become part of the community tapestry years ago. Nevertheless, Vitality is here at last and fulfills the vital role of bringing together many of the local experts and practitioners under one umbrella and conveying their individualized approaches to wellness in a unified way.

There isn’t one method to getting healthy — or staying healthy — that will work for everyone. Each individual has their own unique challenges, situations, genetics, strengths and limitations. But for this wide assortment of factors that contribute to health, or lack thereof, there is also a wide assortment of research, philosophies, treatments, methodologies and support systems to help people not only cope, but heal their way to vitality in their lives.

The following pages are jam-packed with this information to help you feel better and live better day-to-day. Anyone who lives in the Columbia Valley knows they live in one of the most beautiful places in the world, with endless water, clean air and nature — the basics to living a healthy life. If you want to feel good, you are in the right place. Add to these building blocks exercise, a healthy diet, meditation, yoga and a plethora of wellness services to keep you balanced and at peace, and you are on your way to not only taking care of yourself, but the world around you.

A special thanks to Vitality graphic designer Theresa Kains for her spectacular nature art gracing the front cover and to our cover model, Thai massage practitioner and yoga teacher Kimberly Olson.

It took three tries, but we managed to pull of the perfect photo exuding all the beauty the Columbia Valley has to offer in the quest for vitality and balanced living.

We'd love to hear your feedback. In the meantime, happy reading!

Eat Your Way to a Longer Life T

A whole food plant-based diet has been proven to reverse a long list of diseases | Dr. Keith Weber

he terms health care and medical care are often used interchangeably, but, in reality, they are vastly different.

Medical care is taught in medical school and often involves life-saving medical treatments and surgical procedures. Setting a broken bone, removing an infected appendix or treating an aggressive pneumonia can prolong lives, but none of these things will make you healthy.

Health care is a personal responsibility and although medical practitioners may advise on health care, it is an individual’s responsibility to maintain their own health.

Most people know that to be healthy we need to exercise, manage stress, not smoke, drink lots of water and brush our teeth. Where people tend to get confused today is on what foods to eat, which is a devastating roadblock as nutrition is the cornerstone to health.

If you look at the top 15 causes of death in North America, diet is the primary cause of 14 of them. Only number seven on the list, trauma, is not a diet-related disease. Although there are other factors involved, such as genetics, your genes are a distant second to the food you eat as the cause of disease.

It is easy to blame genes, but then you become a helpless victim by focusing on something you cannot control. It is better to take the approach of “you are what you eat” whereby with everything that you eat or drink, you are either feeding disease or you are fighting it.

There are certain foods that cause inflammation in the body, and inflammation is the fertile soil for diseases such as heart disease and cancer.

The food you eat can either be the safest and most powerful medicine, or the slowest form of poison. Even Thomas Edison, in 1902, predicted: "the doctor of the future will no longer treat the human frame with drugs, but rather will cure and prevent disease with nutrition."

What to eat is not taught in medical school.

I stumbled onto this concept a few years ago while looking for more information to help a couple of family members diagnosed with autoimmune diseases. The amount of research available blew me away and reading on this subject has become my passion and consumed my studies for the last five years. The future that Thomas Edison predicted is here.

Doctors such as Caldwell Esselstyn, Colin Campbell, Joel Fuhrman, Dean Ornish, Neil Barnard and Michael Greger, to name a few, have proven that food is the cause — and solution — to the disease epidemic that affects North America today.

There is only one diet that has been proven to reverse heart disease, which is the number one killer of both men and women in North America

today. It has also been proven to reverse high blood pressure and diabetes, as well as a long list of other diseases. This diet is a whole food plantbased (WFPB) diet, and includes no animal products or processed food. Another term used often is vegan, but you can be a vegan who eats nothing but beer and French fries, which won't make you healthy.

The focus of this way of eating is to eat whole foods in their unprocessed state, and millions of people today have adopted this lifestyle to prevent disease and add decades of healthy years to their lives. This list includes many high profile athletes such as NFL linebackers and endurance athletes. Many people turn to this lifestyle after becoming sick, or to reverse disease, but most people find that after they live like this for a few months, they feel so good that they never go back. This “feeling” is what it feels like to be healthy.

There are many who feel that a diet without processed food and animal products is too extreme. One common treatment for heart disease is having your sternum cut in half and your rib cage split open so that a surgeon can sew a vein from your leg onto your heart.

Compared to open heart surgery, a diet full of vegetables, legumes, whole grains, fruit, seeds and nuts starts to sound less extreme.

Some people change the way they eat overnight, like quitting smoking cold turkey.

Others ease into it by gradually reducing their intake of animal products and increasing their consumption of plants.

There are always excuses to not eat healthy; life is busy after all. However, for those who don't have time to eat healthy today will need to make time for illness tomorrow. The best way to break down the barriers of change is with knowledge.

Look online for the doctors mentioned above, or on the shelves of bookstores. These health pioneers have changed the way I live my life, and the way I practice medicine.

The next step is to give a WFPB diet a try for 30 days and see how you feel. Living a WFPB lifestyle is the best way to reverse disease and achieve true health.

Dr. Keith Weber is a family physician at the Chisel Peak Medical Clinic in Invermere, located at 417 10th Avenue.

Intuitive Readings, Energy Healing, Meditation and Workshop Facilitator Allison Bowen Dip BA, Certified AEP, Reiki Master- 25 years Experience 250-341-5788 Abowen222@live.ca

Vitamins, Herbs and Personal Care Available at

503 7th Ave, Invermere, BC V0A 1K0 • 250-342-7308 Columbia Valley Vitality • 7 • Vol 1: 2016

Mind Your Body

Challenge the way you talk with yourself | Adele Engel

B

ody-mind-spirit medicine is far from new.

It is not only found in the realms of shamans and medicine women; it is found in the world of Harvard medical doctors who study integrative medicine.

Do you need some recognizable names to give body-mind-spirit medicine credibility? Here are a few to chew on: Dr. Andrew Weiss, Louise Hay, Dr. Bruce Lipton, Aristotle, Albert Einstein, Dr. Deepak Chopra, Dr. Christine Northrop, and those are just a few off the top of my head.

Eight years ago, I found myself in a very vulnerable state of deteriorating health, liver failure, cancer, depression, rheumatoid arthritis and that doesn’t take into account the side effects from prescription drugs, which required

more prescription drugs with more side effects.

You get the picture, I’m sure. Some days the whole thing was so out of control that the best approach seemed to be a sleeping pill downed with a glass of red wine. My mind was like an orchestra warming up — chaos. My body wasn’t co-operating with my mind or emotions, and my spirit was simply absent; so where does one start in such a messed up state? How do you stop the orchestra warm up, start the symphony playing and land in the lap of health, peace and calm?

My approach may not have been typical, but there are diamonds to be mined from it. Many will want to skip some steps and take a more direct approach. In hindsight, so would I. I’ll fast track things for you with a list — one

that’s not completely inclusive but it will let you know my level of exploration: the Dalai Lama, Vatican journeys, biofeedback, counselling of various sorts, superfoods, nutrition schools, yoga, meditation, lifestyle changes, medication, chanting, personal trainers, webinars, podcasts, colonics, conferences, Hay House cruises — are you still with me?

What was the “Aha!” moment that stopped the madness? I realized I had to tame the unstoppable chatter in my mind. It became time to challenge my thoughts, get in the driver’s seat of my mind, and stop the movie and soundtrack in the background of my life that never turned off. I moved away from the limiting “why me?” thinking to a “why not me?” mindset that invites in possibility.

Over 70 trillion cells are listening to your thoughts and that is only the beginning of where your thoughts travel. Some things to consider: We are only as happy as our thoughts.

We are only as healthy as our thoughts. We don’t have to believe our thoughts. We need not be controlled by our thoughts. We are not our thoughts! Challenge the way you talk with yourself, in your mind, out loud, on a cellular level, about your aches and pains, about your relationships and the state of the world.

Pay attention to your thoughts. Call them out on their BS. Smile at their creativity. Watch them.

Ignore them. Breathe through them. Choose what gets to take up real estate in your mind.

Your body is giving you messages. The best way to deal with pain of any type is to move through it. We live with a model of pain/fear avoidance. Listen to the messages you are being given. Watch how you word your condition. Your body, mind and spirit all want to heal when they are in pain. Pain is a signal that something needs attention. "Dis-ease" is a message that something needs attention. Discomfort, depression, anxiety and sleep deprivation also are messages that need attention — your attention. Obviously, if you just lost a finger, you need the immediate attention of a doctor and should be heading straight to the hospital and not to a meditation group. Find the right method and professionals to help you get to the root of the problem. Then, as the personal management team of your health project, formulate a plan to move into a balanced state: A — Access what you are experiencing; B — Breathe deeply and calmly (three deep inhales through the nose and exhales through the mouth); C — Choose what needs to happen to move you from a state of contraction to a state of expansion; D — Decide on a first step; E — Explore your possibilities and execute your plan.

Adele Engel, BA/Bed, is a certified nutrition and lifestyle coach, a biofeedback therapist and the director of Evolution Wellness. Contact her at adele@evolutionwell.ca or 250-341-3403.

Visit evolutionyoga.ca.

Columbia Valley Vitality • 8 • Vol 1: 2016

Grocery Store Dishes Out Wellness | James Rose

L

Family business ahead of the curve

ocated on the corner of healthy and happy best describes Valley Foods in Invermere.

A family-run business, Valley Foods puts its focus on providing healthy food alternatives and owner Sydney-Anne Porter has launched the grocery store’s newest initiative for healthy eating: Lite and Easy Meals.

The Lite and Easy program is designed to raise awareness about healthy eating choices and offers truly nutritious and delicious food. It features a line of meals prepared by the store’s four chefs, using foods stocked on the store’s shelves.

Each item is made with all fresh ingredients and looks to fulfill a healthier demand in the valley.

“Invermere is a great place to get healthy with the support available for a healthy lifestyle,” said Sydney-Anne. “Sadly, what sometimes is neglected is our nutrition.”

The valley already provides outstanding resources for improving physical and mental health. With the introduction of Lite and Easy, healthy, convenient and affordable foods are now more accessible.

“In the first two months of eating Lite and Easy, I have lost 30 pounds,” said SydneyAnne. “It all started with a revelation that eating right was a huge part of my overall health.

Whenever I found myself working really hard over long periods of time, my eating habits would worsen and I would put on weight.”

› Sydney-Anne Porter, Greg Lapointe and Eric Lapointe are dedicated to offering healthy options to their customers, both on the shelves and in the Valley Foods deli.

Realizing this, Sydney-Anne took control and became proactive with the food she was putting in her body.

“At that point, I knew Lite and Easy was essential. So many people want to eat better, but get really busy with work and other commitments,” she said. “It’s at that point where they usually turn to less healthy options prepared more conveniently.”

Valley Foods also goes out of its way to raise awareness and help educate people on better eating choices. For example, Sydney-Anne’s son Eric opted to colour code the shelf labels to make it easier for people to find gluten-free or organic foods.

“If there is a green shelf label, that means it is certified organic and if there is an orange label, it is gluten-free. Some have a green and orange

label, which means they are both gluten-free and organic,” explained Sydney-Anne, noting that nutritional labelling for in-store bakery and deli items was also being rolled out.

“The way we label is not mandatory,” she added, “but we see it as a way to educate to our customers, and of course we like to be ahead of the curve.”

In total, Valley Foods has over 900 certified gluten-free items in store and carries over 800 certified organic items.

“What we put in our bodies is unbelievably important to our overall health and wellness,” Sydney-Anne said, “and I am glad that we do our best to serve our community by offering more healthy choices.

To learn more, find “AG Valley Foods” on Facebook or call them at 250-342-3330.

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Catch the Wave to Peace Tune in to your brainwaves to change your reality | Alison Bowen

W

e are in sensory overload. Answer the phone, send a text, buy groceries, get gas, work, news, war, global warming, terrorists and refugees. Then, of course, we must get the latest and greatest iPhone.

We are programmed from birth through our parents (they did their best), education, government, health and legal systems. React, follow the rules, be good, don’t sin and pay your taxes. Phew, tired yet?

How do we get from here to there?

How do we get from chaos to peace, from victims of the external world to empowered, loving beings?

We change from within. We access our inner wisdom, our truth — because that’s all that counts.

Science has proven we have four main brain waves, or frequencies, that create our current state of conscious awareness. These states of awareness combined with our programmed beliefs, in turn, create the perception of our external reality.

We run through life on a pre-programmed, sub-conscious tape in the Beta brainwave state.

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In Beta, we live through our ego. Hence, war on a global level, and materialism and power struggles on an individual level. In Beta consciousness, we live through the external world and physical matter. We are dependent on external sources for approval of who we are. In Beta, we operate with our five physical senses.

When we walk in nature, become creative or daydream, we enter the Alpha brainwave state. Ever had the experience of driving down a road and arriving at our destination with no memory of driving?

While sleeping, under general anesthetic or in a coma, we experience Delta brainwave state. Apart from dreams, we have no conscious recall in this state of consciousness.

Now for the sweet spot: Theta brainwave state.

Theta is the state of consciousness we experience when we are between awake and asleep, that fleeting moment when we remember our dreams and they vanish into thin air. When disciplined through meditation, we can access this level of awareness while conscious. The outcome is a deep feeling of peace, self-love, manifestation of physical matter and the end of victimhood. We begin to experience selfempowerment and insight into the use of our intuition and non-physical senses.

Meditation is a tool we master over time to reach the Theta brainwave state. We spend our lives mastering the Beta waves and the outcome is not looking good for humanity.

Where do we begin? Find a quiet spot where you won’t be disturbed and lie down. Breathe deeply, feel the Earth below you and relax your body. Set forth an intention. Be still and take your awareness within. Start with five minutes a day and work up to 30 over time. Initially, you will hear the pre-programmed tape running in the background. “What’s for dinner? Did I feed the cat? This is too hard.”

Eventually the mind will quiet and you will experience peace. Individual peace leads to global peace — I promise.

“If all children learned to meditate by age eight, there would be peace on Earth.” ~ Dalai Lama Allison Bowen (Dip. BA) is a professional meditation teacher, intuitive healer, workshop facilitator and Reiki master. Contact her at abowen222@live.ca, 250341-5788 or visit her blog at newearthhealing.wordpress.com.

3 Delicious and Easy Ways to Fuel Your Day Throw these nutritious treats together in just minutes | Erin Luyendyk

W

hat if there was a way that you could make fast and delicious healthy meals and snacks easily at home that could help you have more energy, feel better, look better and lose weight? Now you can!

These three healthy recipes are super easy to throw together in just a few minutes. They taste amazing (chocolate hazelnut truffles anyone?) and keep you feeling full and energized all day long. This is your “no excuses” guide to eating well, even while living an action-packed life.

Power Glow Smoothie

Energize and glow from the inside out with this delicious and filling green smoothie.

1 small banana 1/3 cup frozen pineapple 1 handful each of baby spinach and kale 2 tsp raw hemp hearts or chia seeds ¾ cup unsweetened coconut or almond milk or coconut water • Add all ingredients into a high speed blender and blend until completely smooth. Serve immediately.

Kale Caesar Salad

This hearty superfood salad has a reputation of evolving even the most confirmed kale haters into dark leafy green lovers. salad 1 large bunch of kale, destemmed and sliced into thin, bite-sized strips Sprinkle of coarse Himalayan rock salt

raw caesar dressing 1/3 cup raw pine nuts, soaked overnight, rinsed and drained 1/2-1 small garlic clove (to taste) 1 1/2-2 tbsp fresh lemon juice 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil 1 1/2 tsp coconut aminos or organic tamari 1 medjool date, pitted or 2 tsp raw honey Fresh black pepper and Himalayan salt to taste • Place sliced kale in a large bowl and sprinkle with a little coarse salt. With clean hands, massage the kale until it becomes a tender dark green and resembles cooked greens. Set aside.

• Add all of the dressing ingredients into a high speed blender. Blend on high until smooth and creamy. Adjust seasoning to taste, keeping in mind that the kale has already been salted.

• Pour the dressing over the massaged kale and toss until evenly coated. Pour the salad into a large serving bowl, and garnish with fresh lemon wedges.

If desired, add chopped cooked chicken or turkey or wild salmon for extra protein.

Raw Chocolate Hazelnut Truffles

1/2 cup water 1/2 C raw cacao or carob powder 1 1/2 tsp vanilla bean powder or pure vanilla extract 1/4-1/2 tsp fine sea salt (to taste, start with the smaller amount and adjust as needed) Optional garnish: chopped cacao nibs or cacao powder, finely chopped raw hazelnuts, or shredded unsweetened coconut for rolling •Combine all ingredients into a food processor and pulse until the ingredients start to come together. • Process on high until the mixture is thick, glossy and silky-smooth, about 3-5 minutes.

• Transfer the mixture into a bowl and chill for 30-60 minutes, until the mixture is solid enough to roll into truffles, but not so firm that it is difficult to work with. Spoon teaspoon-sized amounts of the mixture and roll into small truffles with your hands. This is easiest if your hands are cool and slightly damp to prevent melting and sticking. Once the truffle has been formed, roll in any desired garnishes or leave plain. Refrigerate until serving and enjoy!

Get your chocolate fix with these decadent silky smooth truffles that you won’t believe are naturally free of gluten, dairy, and refined sugar.

1 cup pitted very fresh, soft medjool dates 1/2 cup raw unsweetened hazelnut butter (or almond butter) 1/4 cup coconut oil, melted

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Erin Luyendyk is a Registered Holistic Nutritionist, raw chef and nutrition educator specializing in women’s health and beauty foods. For more information and free recipes, visit www.thenutritionista.ca.

› Diane Petrinac displays Invermere-based Om Organics Skin and Hair Care products in the lobby of Pleiades Spa, which are both used and sold on site. › Photos by Breanne Massey

Pleiades Expands Healing Services in Radium T

A transformative environment next to healing waters | Breanne Massey

he chaotic state of life can cause some to fret about their future, but Pleiades Spa and Wellness owner Diane Petrinac hopes to tame people’s internal struggles through a unique treatment approach.

She will be using alternative health modalities to help others grow personally in a transformative environment.

“My vision is to move into different types of teachings and day-long getaways, and we’re going to work toward weekend retreats and cleanses,” said Diane. “For example, I have a friend who is a raw chef so bringing those types of facilitators into (Pleiades) means we’re offering safe, controlled environments for cleanses with spa services to make a complete

combination with yoga.”

The wellness spa at the Radium Hot Springs facility in Kootenay National Park offers massage (Swedish, deep tissue, reflexology, shiatsu, thai-yoga massage, hot stone, foot massage, chakra aromatherapy massage and aromatouch); wellness and nutrition counselling (Ayurveda, Ayurvedic acupressure, Shirodhara, abhyanga and integrative nutritional consultations); energy balancing treatments (reflexology, cranial sacral therapy and reiki); and spa packages (body wraps, soaks and scrubs, and full body dry airbrushing).

There are between 10 to 12 therapists working on site during its busiest season (summer) and two co-ordinators available to help make

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Columbia Valley Vitality • 12 • Vol 1: 2016

appointments and walk-ins run smoothly.

For the summer of 2016, Diane highly anticipates making a connection with her clients through retreats that focus on yoga (vinyasa flow and Ashtanga-based classes) for all levels; weekend getaways that focus on the whole body such as biking retreats (snowshoeing, skiing and skating during the winter), and art or yoga therapy.

“These are beautiful teachings to bring into the community and for people travelling from afar,” she explained.

Her biggest challenge in operating the spa has been encouraging both locals and tourists alike to check out what’s offered on the wellness menu.

“I want to see more locals utilizing the facility because it’s such an amazing facility with healing waters on site,” said Diane. “I’ve been trying to get the locals in the door, especially during the winter when it’s a quiet time as opposed to the holidays when we’re seeing a lot of tourists… that’s why I keep going back to doing these retreats and offering these teachings for the community.”

She took over as the operator of Pleiades Wellness Spa on July 1st, 2014.

“The facility was closed for about eight to 10 months before I walked in, and I kept the name,” she explained. “The one change I made was making wellness more of the focus.”

Diane has worked in the health and wellness industry for close to 20 years, and is continually searching for the best approaches to healing in Ayurvedic medicine, wellness retreats, massage therapy, body care, nutrition and yoga.

“Yoga is going to become one of the stronger foundations in our wellness spa,” she said.

“These retreats will help teach people how to make healthy choices.”

Pleiades is open year-round, currently operating between noon and 8 p.m. from Tuesdays to Saturdays, and from noon until 6 p.m. on Sundays. It will be closed on Mondays.

For more information, visit www. pleiadesradiumspa.com or call 250-347-2288.

Quick Fitness Fix No gym required | Tamela Hart o you want to get started in fitness but just can’t get to the gym? Here is a very simple routine to help you get started. It is exactly how I started. I had no equipment except for my kitchen chair and a little space in my hallway.

It takes a mere 10 to 15 minutes and you’ll feel energized as you get your body moving.

EXERCISES

Repeat this sequence 2 times (5 minutes) or 3 times (10 minutes).

1. SQUAT TO CHAIR

> Place a chair behind you about one foot away. > Stand with feet hip width apart and toes slightly turned out. > Push the hips back and sit back until your sit bones just touch the edge of the chair. > Stand back up as you push through the heels. > Repeat 12 times.

R E N A I S S A N C E

WARM UP

> Go up and down a set of stairs 3-4 times. No stairs? Walk in place doing “high knees” (knees up to the chest) for about 1 minute. > Stand with feet hip width apart and rotate the arms around the body, and then up and over the head, and then down to the sides of the body.

Repeat 5 times.

2. PUSH UPS (3 options)

OPTION 1. From the floor with extended legs (full push up) OPTION 2. From the knees OPTION 3. With hands on the chair and extended legs (easiest) > Keep the body in a plank position. > Go as low as you are able keeping the body very tightly in the plank position. > Repeat 5-10 times.

3. STEP UPS ON CHAIR

> Place a chair in front of you. > Step up with the right foot and step down with the left foot. > Then lead with the left foot and step down with the right foot. > 22 > Do a total of 12 times. › Photos by Angela Miller

D

Tamela Hart is a fitness, meditation and personal development and certified yoga instructor.

Reach her at the Valley Fitness Centre at 250342-2131 or contact her at 250-342-5136 and tamela5hart@gmail.com.

Y

OU NEVER HAVE

–

AND PROBABLY NEVER WILL

–

SEE A PERFECTLY BALANCED BODY

–

BUT...WE CERTAINLY CAN APPROACH THIS IDEAL ~ Ida Rolf

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TRY HELLERWORK® STRUCTURAL INTEGRATION CALL JEAN-LUC CORTAT

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Columbia Valley Vitality • 13 • Vol 1: 2016

E VO L U T I O N WELLNESS PURE WELLBEING panorama, bc canada

Bereavement Programs

What is Hospice and How Can We Help?

The Hospice Society of the Columbia Valley understands that from the time of a terminal illness diagnosis families are on a journey. Many people assume Hospice assistance is only available when a client is at the end stage and palliative however we are available to support clients and their families from the time of diagnosis, through the first year of bereavement with in home visitations.

For those needing support you can access our services directly or have your GP or Home Health Nurse fill out a referral form. If you are in a long term care facility, your residential care coordinator can fill out the form on your behalf.

To provide visitation services we are always looking for interested volunteers to join our team If you are interested in any of our programs or joining our team either as a member or as a volunteer, we would love to hear from you.

Please contact us at 250-688-1143 or info@hospicesocietycv.com

“Grief is a process, not an event. You can’t avoid it. You can’t rush it. It’s a walk, one step at a time, and it takes time for this necessary process to bring healing and wholeness back to your life.” – Michael and Brenda Pink The Hospice Society of the Columbia Valley is dedicated to walking this journey with you. We offer a series of bereavement programs designed to support those struggling with the intense emotions associated with grief, loss and bereavement. Programs include…

• Visitation in the home or at another location (on-going) • 12-week bereavement support group (will start again in January in both Invermere and Fairmont) • Walk and Talk Groups (various communities dependent on need June - October.)

• Resource centre and lending library Open Mon - Fri 12 -4 p.m.

All programs are free of charge.

Please call for more information.

Phone: (250) 688-1143 Address: Unit 103, 926 7th Ave, Box 925 Invermere, BC V0A 1K0 Website: www.hospicesocietycv.com

Columbia Valley Vitality • 14 • Vol 1: 2016

Providing an inspiring environment that fosters personal connections and awareness, as well as a true sense of exploration and rejuvenation. With a variety of treatments and therapies you’re encouraged to find new depths of physical, spiritual and emotional wellness.

• Customized CACI Micro-current Facials • Indigo Biofeedback Health Assessments • John of God Crystal Healing Bed Therapy • Essential Nutrition Superfood mix • Aura Soma Consultations • Personal Growth Events • Workshops

“I’ve learned the true value of what yoga, the healing arts and nutrition have to offer. I am dedicated to bring the knowledge forward. I DESIGN healing!”

Adele Engel Owner/Therapist

ALL SERVICES ARE BY APPOINTMENT ONLY Email: adele@evolutionwell.ca Tel: (250) 341-3403 Panorama, BC Canada 1892 Greywolf Drive Box,Panorama, BC V0A 1T0 www.evolutionwell.ca • www. evolutionyoga.ca www.essentialnutrition.ca Check us out on Facebook

Understanding Substance Use A

t East Kootenay Addictions Services, we approach our work as reflective practitioners — prioritizing time and space for evaluation and contemplating new goals.

Recently, a main item for discussion has been: “What are the most important things to know about substance use?”

1. Our society is a drug-using culture. People around the world, across cultures and across time have used a wide variety of drugs — caffeine, tobacco, alcohol, cannabis and so on. While often used for medicinal reasons, most drugs have also been used for recreational, social and spiritual reasons. In Canada, the word “drug” can conjure images of psychoactive substances, drugs that alter perception or substances that are illegal, such as cocaine or heroin. However, any substance that changes the way we think and feel — prescription drugs, caffeine, tobacco and alcohol alike — is a drug.

2. Each of these drugs has its own unique effect on behaviour and emotion, and its own rituals and traditions for use. For example, for a variety of human activities, substances are used to enhance, alter or shape that activity. Religious ceremonies, sport, dancing, studying, eating and socializing are all examples. In the majority of

Here are the most important things to know | Theresa Bartraw

situations, why people use substances comes down to four general reasons: to feel good, to feel better, to do better or for social interaction. It’s that simple, right? No magic tonic — rather, a human experience driven by human motivation.

3. As it turns out, when we try to understand why some people develop problems with use and others don’t, it’s not so simple. The means by which substance use becomes unwanted or unintended is complex. What was historically understood as a recipe (one part genetics, one part personality, one part environment) over time has come to be understood as a mix of many developmental pathways through which unwanted and harmful substance use arises. Any human behaviour can be influenced by biology, the resources we have available, our families and social circles, the neighbourhoods and communities we belong to, and the media messages and public health policies we are impacted by. Interactions between any of these influences can mediate or exacerbate substance use patterns of an individual.

4. Add to the mix the fact that more than half of the people who seek help for a substance use concern also have a mental health concern. For example, a woman may use alcohol to cope with anxiety; however, the use of alcohol may worsen

LOOKING FOR A WAY OUT?

Lost in the maze of alcohol or other drug use?

East Kootenay Addiction Services Society can help.We provide free confidential counselling for individuals and families.

Please contact us at: Cranbrook & Kimberley (250) 489-4344 Invermere (250) 342-3868 Golden (250) 344-2000 Elk Valley (250) 423-4423 Creston (250) 428-5847 Toll Free 1-877-489-4344

www.ekass.com Columbia Valley Vitality • 15 • Vol 1: 2016

or exacerbate the feelings and symptoms of the anxiety. These complex links are still being understood and how they occur can vary or be unclear. These occurrences are some of the most complicated cases for our healthcare system.

5. In the past, the health care system has regarded harmful substance use as a disease that requires treatment and careful monitoring, just like diabetes or cancer. More recently, this idea of treating unwanted substance use as an illness has been replaced with the view that taking mood-altering substances happens, as William Pryor wrote, “as a means to treat the human condition.” As a result, addressing unwanted substance use means unlearning this human habit and also gaining a better understanding of the human condition.

Arguably, this is the work we're all tasked with on our journey toward living healthier lives.

Theresa Bartraw is the Regional Youth Substance Use Education Co-ordinator for East Kootenay Addiction Services Society, which provides free counselling and outreach programs. Visit ekass.com.

Resource, Development & Advocacy “Healthy Communities Start at Home” • • • • • • •

Family Counselling Affordable Housing Teen Mediation Employment Seniors Early Childhood Domestic Violence

4 locations to serve you Family Centre 1317 – 7th Avenue, Invermere

Employment Centre 1313 – 7th Avenue, Invermere

Women’s Centre 926 – 7th Avenue, Invermere

Satellite 8853 Grainger Road,Canal Flats

www.familydynamix.ca or call 250-342-5566

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Shop in Ambiente - solely owned by Family Dynamix – Profits support family wellness.

Invermere’s top destination for all things beauty!

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#9, 492 Arrow Road Invermere, BC

Achieving wholeness | Breanne Massey

M

ountain Om Yoga and Wellness Studio owner Kelly Carlson aims to help guide both locals and visitors alike into a holistic approach toward healthy lifestyles that connects the mind, body and spirit.

“The underlying wisdom of yoga is foundational for encouraging people to adopt a holistic perspective on their health,” said Kelly.

“Specific health challenges can drive people to a full disconnect from their whole body, mind and spirit; as well as their values and passions in life.”

The underlying premise of her approach to yoga is that people can overcome the health challenges by adopting an alternative approach that goes beyond the physical aspect of health.

“Yoga considers the emotional and spiritual aspects of health, which often helps bring healing in the form of emotional peace or a renewed sense of meaning and purpose,” said Kelly. “Practising yoga can lead to reflection and understanding of what guides our choices in life and encourages a more accepting, less reactive approach to life.”

A wide variety of yoga classes are offered at Mountain Om Yoga and Wellness Studio (formerly known as Defining Yoga) such as yin, restorative, power flow, dynamic flow, gentle, prenatal yoga classes and stand-up paddle (SUP) board yoga in the summer.

Mountain Om also maintains a focus on wellness retreats that offer nutrition counselling, naturopathy and massage.

The studio space, which is located at 503 7th Avenue in Invermere, is 1,500 square feet, and features two yoga rooms and one treatment room.

“Our programming and therapies focus on prevention and sustainable living practices for increasing the quality of your life,” Kelly explained. “We recognize that different alternative therapies are better suited for certain individuals and using complementary therapies can also be extremely effective.”

She is optimistic that by offering resources about healthy living, Mountain Om can help promote a community-based health practice.

“We are already using this approach in yoga, but now I see community health practice as the wave of the future,” she said.

Visit InvermereWellness.ca.

Get Started with Yoga!

S

A little commitment will go a long way | Kelly Carlson

tarting anything is often challenging, even when we know it’s good for us.

Until it is built into our subconscious and daily patterns, there can be that feeling of resistance or lack of motivation. The trick to starting yoga is to approach it like you are about to go on a magical trip where anything can happen. Once you get on your mat, implore your curious mind to watch, observe and feel exactly what you are doing. Start with a small commitment to just a few simple postures every day, at the same time, to form your routine. The following sequence is a great way to get started. In the

suggested poses, close your eyes, take 5-20 slow, long, deep breaths through the nose then repeat the pose on the other side. To inspire movements that feel great in your body, remember the quote: “Don’t move the way fear makes you move. Move the way love makes you move. Move the way joy makes you move.” ~ Osho Kelly Carlson is the owner of Mountain Om Yoga and Wellness Studio. She has over 600 hours of yoga teacher training, including Moksha and Yin yoga, and over 2,000 teaching hours.

Garudasana (Seated eagle)

Benefits: Calms your mind and diminishes any feelings of stress. > Sit in a comfortable seated position. > Extend your arms in front of your legs. > Cross your left elbow over the right elbow, left palm up and right palm down. > Bring your palms together lightly. > Lift your elbows to line up with your shoulders > Keep shoulders down.

Sucirandhrasana (Eye of the needle)

Benefits: Stretches the outer hips, stretches the low back and helps reduce pain caused by stiffness and inactivity. > Lie on your back. > Bend your knees and place your feet down on the mat. > Cross your right ankle on the left thigh and flex the right foot. > Thread your right arm through the space created between the legs, and interlace your fingers around the back of the left thigh. > Gently pull your left leg towards your chest.

Marichyasana III (Ray of light)

Benefits: Tones the belly organs, relieves lower back stiffness and keeps the intervertebral disks supple. > Sit with your legs extended in front. > Bend your right knee and put your heel firmly into the ground close to your pelvis. > Reach out through your left leg and flex your foot. > Place your right hand on the floor, behind your pelvis. Root down through your sitting bones and sit tall. > On an exhalation, turn your rib cage to the right, bend your left elbow and hook your left hand around the front of your right knee. > Inhale, extend your spine and draw the breath Columbia Valley Vitality • 17 • Vol 1: 2016

> Keep your head and shoulders relaxed on the mat. > Release any tension in the neck. › Photos by Angela Miller

Integrating a Healthy Community

into the abdomen, the back of the body and side ribs. > Exhale, soften your belly and deepen the twist. > Turn your head towards the right shoulder and gaze past your nose.

Seniors' Lifestyle Community Offers Opportunity to Thrive | James Rose

Independent Living made easy

W

› Photos by Angela Miller

hen Columbia Garden Village opened its doors 10 years ago, a new style of senior’s housing opened in Invermere, providing the opportunity to access the best in Independent Living.

Guided by a philosophy built on four pillars — independence, security, opportunity and vitality — the Village supports its residents in their quest to live the best life possible.

“Vitality is experiencing joy in life, and so we want to provide opportunities that do in fact provide that joy!” said community manager Adrienne Turner.

Independent Living incorporates modern design concepts to provide residents with accessibility, comfort, and security.

As part of Golden Life Management’s network of independent senior living residences throughout B.C. and Alberta, Columbia Garden Village residents benefit from housing and hospitality services, which include delicious meals, snacks, 24-hour emergency monitoring, housekeeping, transportation, and social and recreational activities.

According to Wayne Walters, one of the Village’s assisted living workers, Independent Living is not just about amenities but also about a heightened peace of mind.

“Mental health translates to physical health and, in the end, there is a symbiotic relationship between one’s mental and physical health,” he said.

“My living here has been nothing but a positive experience, not to mention the perfect location,” said Gloria Barck, a six-year resident.

“Everything that needed to be done at my previous home still needed to be done and I didn’t feel good about calling on my boys for help all the time,” Gloria recalled. “I felt it was a good choice to make the move and, equally important, that it was my own decision and not

someone else’s.”

“I would really like to emphasize that the people here are so great, accommodating and very good to us, treating us very, very respectfully,” she added.

Columbia Village Garden’s central location is another great reason for seniors to consider making the transition.

Invermere’s downtown is only a short walk away, making day-to-day living extremely convenient. If a resident decides that a walk is not their forte, the Village also has a shuttle bus to bring residents to shopping centers or to appointments.

The Village hosts local schools for weekly inter-generational activities, brings in special guests such as Reiki massages, and organizes residents to travel around the area to participate in the activities throughout the valley such as their annual boat cruise.

On top of fantastic community partnerships that have been forged are those that enhance services within the building.

“We work closely with Interior Health and have partnered with them to provide home support services,” Adrienne explained. “We’ve also set partnerships up with Pharmasave and the Invermere Physiotherapy Clinic to offer a greater variety of services for our residents.”

The staff at Columbia Garden Village believe that the happiest people are involved and living life to its fullest, regardless › Columbia Garden Village community of their circumstances. manager Adrienne Turner is dedicated to The Village promotes helping residents live life to the fullest. vitality for its residents by providing meaningful connections with peers, family, friends, and society.

Margaret Reid who has lived in the Village for five years, finds the quality of service exceptional: “The staff went out of their way to help me and I have no complaints whatsoever.”

Call 250-341-3350 or visit goldenlifemanagement.ca for more information or to book a tour.

Columbia Valley Vitality • 18 • Vol 1: 2016

Do-ing Nothing Delivers Results

› Photo by Angela Miller

Simple relaxation is surpassed to help you thrive in life | Nicole Trigg

› The Do Nothing team includes (back row, left to right) Erin Luyendyk, Amanda Lyn Dietrich, Meredith Hackler and Dustin Penner, with Sierra Franklin (left) and Jayne Yates-Muir in the front.

O

n the main street of downtown Invermere, an atmosphere of healing and rejuvenation awaits those who walk into the Do Nothing Floatation Centre.

In its second year of operations for 2016, the unique business offers healing modalities found nowhere else in the Columbia Valley.

“We have a gentle and powerful array of services to complement an individual’s holistic well-being,” said Meredith Hackler, who cofounded Do Nothing with her partner Dustin Penner. Customers are first greeted by the vibrant presence of the Resonate™ Organic

Juicery. The modern, eye-catching juice bar features (whenever possible) locally sourced, raw, organic freshly cold-pressed juices, smoothies and gourmet hot drinks from the menu, or customized according to whatever vitamin supplement your body is craving in the moment — and free from any toxins and genetic manipulation that have an adverse affect on health and well-being.

Resonate’s on-site nutritionist and the juice bar’s knowledgeable baristas are always available to discuss the tastiest combinations and explain the benefits of how juicing fast tracks your absorption of minerals, antioxidants and phytonutrients abundantly found in fruits and veggies. Offering one and three-day juice cleanses is another way Resonate™ Organic Juicery can take your health to the next level.

“We believe in the value of using organic, locally sourced ingredients, both nutritionally and as a profoundly practical way to enhance regional sustainability,” said Meredith. “As life-long residents, we care deeply about the big picture in the Columbia Valley.”

Further featured at the juice bar are tasty raw food snacks, such as chocolates, carrot cake and oatmeal cookies, using recipes that keep each ingredient in its “raw” natural state, ultimately retaining more nutritional value.

Beyond Resonate, the centre offers two custom float rooms that give the facility its name.

Each room features a tank filled with water (maintained at body temperature) that contains roughly 1,000 pounds of Epsom salts, allowing a person to float on the surface. Also called sensory deprivation or isolation tanks, each one is soundproof and pitch black, creating a space in which one can relax, free from sensory stimulation and the force of gravity. It’s in this environment that intense healing can take place.

"The benefits of floating increase and last longer the more often you float." Overall physical ease, heightened creativity and a noticeable decrease in anxiety are the major effects we hear most often. ” said Meredith. “It's like having rosy sunglasses on for a few days after each float.”

Floatation therapy has been proven to provide relief from headaches, back and neck pain as well as arthritis, scoliosis and fibromyalgia.

Conditions like depression, burn-out and ulcers can been alleviated by regular float sessions.

Other benefits include improved structural alignment and expedited healing of broken bones and strained joints. Do Nothing offers the choice of floating in complete restful silence and darkness or the comfort of glowing LED lights and your favourite soundtrack as well as other customized combinations. > 22

“In the heart of Invermere” 1036 7th ave connect with us at: (778) 526-5155, donothing.ca

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Our services include:-Float tanks -massage -nutrition

CONSULTATIONS -ENERGY HEALING -WORKSHOPS -ORGANIC JUICE & SMOOTHIES

Completely oRGANIC & GlUteN FRee!

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locally sourced produce most of the year

» » » » » » »

Cold-pressed raw juices Smoothies Handmade raw nut milks Specialty organic loose leaf tea blends Superfood drinking chocolates and coffees 1 & 3 day juice cleanse packages On-site nutrition consultations

Located in the lobby of Do Nothing Floatation Centre Inc. “In the heart of Invermere” 1036, 7th Ave 778·526·5155 Columbia Valley Vitality • 19 • Vol 1: 2016

in the heart of Invermere

› Photo by Angela Miller › Customers will appreciate the expert help of Erin Elliot (left) and Melanie Irwin at the Home Health Care Centre.

New Store Bolsters Health at Home

| James Rose

I

Living in comfort leads to a healthier life

nvermere’s Pharmasave prides itself on providing customers with everything they on the path to easy living and independence, two components critical to anyone’s overall wellness.

As of January 2016, co-owners Keith Irwin and Alicia Shanks have opened a new addition to their drugstore specializing in home health care products. It was a step that was “years in the making,” said Alicia, one that enables the Pharmasave team to assist their customers even more.

“Our goal is to help people live well within their own homes,” she added. “We try to provide the products and services that facilitate people remaining in their homes for as long as possible.”

According to Alicia and Keith, living in the most comfortable environment possible ultimately leads to a longer, healthier life.

“We wanted our customers north of Cranbrook all the way to Golden

to have a local option for their specialty home health care products, so we are really excited to fulfill this need and occupy the space in the Chisel Peak Medical Building’s lower level,” explained Alicia.

The retail focus of the Pharmasave Invermere Home Health Care Centre is on larger equipment sales, medical equipment and supplies, hospital supplies, scooters, walkers, bed and bathroom safety equipment, specially customized bracing, wheelchairs and lifts, and power wheelchairs.

Services provided by the new store will include compression garment fitting, in-home assessments for daily living aids, installations, and a selection of rentals that will include, among other things, wheelchairs, hospital beds and mattresses, knee scooters, walkers and breast pumps.

In order to realize their vision of fully meeting the Columbia Valley’s retail health care needs, Keith and Alicia recognized that Pharmasave needed to be more than the traditional drugstore.

As a result, the collaborative relationship between Pharmasave and other health care professionals in the valley is becoming “stronger than it already was,” commented Keith, whose wife, physiotherapist Melanie Irwin, along with experienced care aide Erin Elliot, make up the Home Health Care Centre’s friendly and knowledgeable staff.

“Both Erin and I are excited to share our expertise with our customers to assist them in finding the equipment best suited to their individual needs. Our priority is to keep our customers living safely and independently within their homes and helping their lifestyles remain active,” said Melanie. “As a physiotherapist working in the valley for the past 15 years, I know there are many people in the community who will benefit from having these products readily available close to home.”

Customers are encouraged to come in with any questions related to their health care needs. For those unable to make it into the store, “give us a call, and we will come to you,” Alicia said.

The Home Health Care Centre is located directly below Pharmasave Invermere. Contact them at 250-342-1242.

Live Well at Home

with Pharmasave Invermere Home Health Care Centre

Everything you need to discover the path to easy living and an independent lifestyle.

Home Health Care Sales and Service

• wheelchairs & walkers • bath chairs and benches • transfer equipment • wound care • incontinence products • urological products • bathroom safety equipment • aids of daily living

• compression therapy • braces and orthotics • ostomy supplies • nursing and pregnancy products • sun lamps • tens machines • sports therapy equipment ...And much more!

Did you know we also offer a rental program?

We offer a large selection of rental medical equipment.

Ask your Pha rmasave

Home Health Ca re Specialist!

Pharmasave Invermere Home Health Care Centre

Chisel Peak Medical Building - Lower Level Directly below Pharmasave Invermere 417 10th Avenue, Invermere | Ph: 250-342-1242

Columbia Valley Vitality • 20 • Vol 1: 2016

Focusing on Financial Wellness A proactive approach pays | James Rose

› Photo by Kimberley Rae Sanderson

› Stuart Tutty and Rhiannon Tutty are the father-daughter team at Stuart Tutty Financial Services.

W

hile exercising for your health seems to be growing in popularity year after year, studies have shown that among Canadians, there is a reluctance to discuss their financial health.

Knowing that stress can inhibit healthy living and that money is often the biggest source of stress in people’s lives, we need to start being as attentive to our financial well-being as we are to our physical well-being.

Stuart Tutty Financial Services' (STFS) Rhiannon Tutty adds, “everybody knows how to handle eating and exercising, but what typically gets forgotten is our financial wellness.”

Adequately addressing one’s financial wellbeing involves planning and an increased selfawareness. This starts with a conversation.

Your financial advisor will help you answer the tough questions on the financial needs of

your health care and help you to ensure that you are taking care of yourself and dealing with the risks in your life.

One type of risk that is often overlooked in Canada is critical illness. After all, does Canada not have one of the best publicly funded health care systems in the world? Why then should Canadians worry?

Unfortunately, there are alarming statistics involving critical illness. While no one expects to become ill, three out of four people in Canada are diagnosed with a critical illness by the time they are 65 years old. For couples, there is an 80 per cent chance of one of them experiencing a critical illness by the time they are 50 years old. These facts suggest that you should be planning for "when" you are affected by a diagnosis rather than "if" you are.

Critical illness insurance explained While being diagnosed with a critical illness like cancer, stroke, or heart attack could change your lifestyle, it doesn’t need to change your financial plans. Critical illness insurance can help reduce your financial worries so you can focus on recovery. The money can help you: manage day-to-day expenses and debt, cover expenses related to getting better and protect your retirement savings (or your retirement plan).

Stuart Tutty of STFS explains that “provincial health care, CPP and other government programs do not cover everything and typically stop short of providing for the non-medical expenses that arise during recovery.”

Rhiannon maintains that “(in the event of critical illness), you will have additional medical expenses, including possible travel, and time off work, on top of your regular expenses and you don't want to be depending on your savings or RRSPs to solve this issue.”

By obtaining Critical Illness Insurance, the risk of critical illness can be managed. In the event of being diagnosed with any one of 25 different conditions (including cancer, heart attack and stroke), those insured are awarded a tax free lump sum payment to cover anything they wish.

“With the payment you can use it to cover any medical expenses or you may use it to pay off your mortgage or debts, adapt your home to better accommodate a physical disability or seek alternative care. The choice is yours,” said Stuart, adding, “and if you are fortunate enough to remain in good health, our return of premium on cancellation benefit gives you an added measure of comfort.”

“Overall,” comments Rhiannon, “the cost of protecting yourself is much less than the amount you will receive in the event of critical illness, and if you feel you are unable to handle the allocation of funds to protect yourself, what are you going to do when the expense of getting sick happens?”

In the spirit of promoting healthy living, consider taking a proactive approach to managing your family’s finances, and to not be hesitant in protecting yourself against hazardous financial risk.

Our Family helping Your Family . . .

...take care of your Financial Well-Being

Protect your future. We can help.

Stuart Tutty* Stuart Tutty Financial Services Ltd. Tel: 250-342-9052 Life’s brighter under the sun *Mutual funds distributed by Sun Life Financial Investment Services (Canada) Inc. Sun Life Assurance Company of Canada is a member of the Sun Life Financial group of companies. © Sun Life Assurance Company of Canada, 2015.

Columbia Valley Vitality • 21 • Vol 1: 2016

Rhiannon Tutty

Stuart Tutty Financial Services Ltd. Cell 250-341-7171

<

4. TRICEP DIPS WITH A CHAIR

13

> Face the back to the chair. > Put the hands on the chair shoulder width apart. > Bend into the knees as you dip down, bending the elbows. > Do not go below 90 degrees in the elbows! > Repeat 10 times.

5. PLANK ON ELBOWS

Biodynamic Craniosacral Therapy

> Place a blanket (or folded yoga mat) on the floor and go onto your elbows. > Assume a plank position with the body. > Engage the abs and the legs right down to the feet to ensure the whole body is part of the plank. > If this is hard, count backwards (slowly!) from 20, then rest and repeat. > If this is not too hard, hold this plank and slowly take one leg a little out to the side and then back, and do the same with the other leg (these are called toe touches). > Repeat 10 times.

Always end with stretching!

A holistic approach to balancing the mind, body and spirit.

BCST is a gentle, non-invasive yet profound treatment that acknowledges the whole person.

It is an effective form of treating a wide range of illnesses, creating optimal conditions for health, vitality and well being. Safe for all ages and can be effective in acute or chronic illnesses. The intention of treatment is to enhance the body’s own self-healing and self-regulating capabilities.

Craniosacral therapy originated from osteopathy.

This biodynamic approach combines the scientific knowledge of its origins with felt sense awareness.

Megan Ballard is a certified practitioner megan.cranio@gmail.com 250.341.7056

< 19 The other niche services available at the centre include nutritional counselling with Resonate’s on-site nutritionist, the integrative massage discipline of Hellerwork, releasing cellular trauma through transformational coaching, and

Wellness Services Valley Hair Styling and tanning Walk-Ins Welcome Mon-Fri 9am - 6pm / Sat 9am - 5pm

. . a salon 5-1008 8th Ave.

Tel.: 250-342-4050 email: hair.asalon@gmail.com

Hair Benders Creating your perfect style for the perfect you.

Contact Dayna Dearin for your consulation today.

Unit A #712 10th Street, Invermere B.C. V0A 1K0 778-526-5020 Email: Shear_edge_hair@hotmail.com

Your guide to great services in the valley:

HAIR .

James

1313 7th Ave., Invermere, BC • 250-342-6355

correcting energy imbalances with intuitive energy healing including Reiki. Online bookings are available for all session types at donothing. ca. or contact the centre and Resonate™ Organic Juicery at 778-526-5151.

8835 Dunn Street Canal Flats BC V0B 1B0 For appointment call 250-349-5345 Email hairbender@outlook.com Shelley Marchand owner / stylist

Columbia Valley Vitality • 22 • Vol 1: 2016

YOUR FRIENDLY HEALTH SPA WITH SEVERAL MASSAGE STYLES TO CHOOSE FROM.

Book online from our website at barehandsdayspa.ca or

call 250-347-2121

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pe nin g

Ja nu ar

brilliant yoga inspired boutique offering clothing, books, essential oils, accessories and gifts

invermerewellness.ca

• 250-270-0056

Services offered: • yoga • massage • meditation • energy healing • wellness retreats • acupuncture • cranial sacral therapy • health inspired weekend packages • stand-up paddleboard yoga lessons

Inspiring your life with holistic & integrative lifestyle concepts.

503 7th Avenue Invermere Columbia Valley Vitality • 23 • Vol 1: 2016

y2 01 6

We are always looking for

great people to join us.

Come and work for the company voted Best Provider of Nursing Care in the Kootenays! Bright and inviting work spaces; innovative programs; and the newest equipment and technology are all part of our dedication to excellence.

Benefits •

• • • •

Opportunity for growth: More than 50% of our management team was hired from within!

Opportunities for Learning & Career Development Attractive Compensation Benefits Program Annual Employee Appreciation Program

Hiring Care Staff (RCA, ALW, LPN, & RN)

GOLDENLIFE.CA