The desire to improve our lives through good dietary habits is something we can all work towards. Serious health conditions such as celiac disease, dairy intolerance, diabetes, and weight issues can all be addressed through a balanced, nutritious, and smart approach to what we eat.

Each of us has a unique nutritional profile based on physical, psychological, and cultural  differences. When considering nutrition for optimal well-being one must consider their height, weight, physical activity levels, allergies, and health. We must know when to allow flexibility and where to be firm when preparing balanced meals.

In my practice as a nutritionist, I emphasize balanced meals – which includes both macro and micro nutrients – because deficiency in any one of them can lead to disease or imbalance in our delicate systems. We truly are what we eat!

Fruits, vegetables, and grains are rich in carbohydrates. Lack of carbohydrates can lead to lack of vitamins, minerals, and fiber. Whole grains are high in B vitamins which are essential to our diet. Low carb, high fibre, leafy greens are important to include in any meal plan, but continually repeating the same types of food may also cause other deficiencies, as well as lead to boredom with meals. Excessive carbohydrates can lead to weight gain, diabetes, mineral deficiency and tooth decay.

Protein deficiency can cause impaired immune functions, dry skin, edema and abdominal swelling. An excess of protein can also cause obesity and an increased risk of gout.

A deficiency of essential fatty acids can cause acne, hair loss, diarrhea, eczema, gallstones, infertility and learning disabilities. Conversely, excess fats in your diet can lead to high cholesterol, high triglyceride levels, obesity and heart disease.

Weight loss is the second most searched term in Google, yet many of us suffer from chronic conditions that are caused by our lifestyle and should be of greater concern overall. Diabetes, cholesterol, high blood pressure, hormonal imbalance, acid reflux, and IBS can (in most cases) be managed through balanced eating.

ActivEats Creates Nutritionally Balanced Meals for People on the Go

ActivEats is a new company that offers Toronto consumers healthy and delicious meals featuring meal plans created by myself, a Certified Nutritionist and Clinical Herbalist, along with Professional Brand Chef Casey Nichols, CD, SSM. The meals are calorie-wise, nutritionally balanced, and free of gluten and dairy, artificial colours, and additives. They are always low sodium too! ActivEats has something for everyone, from time-challenged professionals, to busy parents and students.

The team at ActivEats creates meals from scratch, using the finest of handpicked fresh ingredients. All meals are individually prepared, taking great care to provide a fantastic dining experience you will want to tell your friends about. We love what we do, and it shows in our food.

Choose from Vegan, Vegetarian, or Non-Vegetarian Options

Do you follow alternative eating lifestyles? ActivEats is for you! If you eat a Vegan lifestyle, you know how hard (and EXPENSIVE) it can be to make a great tasting meal. ActivEats does all the hard work for you, creating meals that are delicious and nutritious and never boring.

Offering both Original and Vegan meal plans, ActivEats offers meals with traditional meat proteins, or meals with delicious Vegan proteins. All meal plans are offered in 1500 or 2000 calorie options to suit everyone’s individual needs and tastes. Five-and seven-day plans are available, and all are available with the option to add breakfast! We have done all the hard work for you.

ActivEats offers direct-to-home delivery of delicious meals that make eating healthy, nutritious fast, easy and affordable.

Proudly Canadian, locally owned and operated, ActivEats is your neighborhood choice for all your nutritional needs. We look forward to joining you at your table soon!

For more information visit: www.activeats.ca email: info@activeats.ca, or call 1-800-394-6142

“What I like the most is that ActivEats’ meals are full of flavour and very nutritious and that’s important if you’re into a healthy lifestyle.” Simpleula

Nahid Ameen C.N.P & Lori Turner ActivEats Operations Manager

To help you regain a feeling of well-being and lightness, try these homeopathic natural remedies

It is not uncommon for us to suffer with digestive disorders, especially after the rich meals enjoyed during holidays and special occasions. To help restore the health and balance of your digestive system, and regain a feeling of well-being and lightness, there are effective natural solutions.

Nausea, gastric reflux, diarrhea, constipation, and heartburn are all symptoms and signs of digestive disorders. All of them are caused by an internal imbalance of our organism.

These disorders can occur after food excesses, during periods of stress, after taking certain drugs (such as antibiotics), or after infection with a virus or bacteria. In fact, digestive disorders are very common. According to the Canadian Digestive Health Foundation, more than 20 million Canadians suffer from digestive disorders every year!

If your digestive problems are chronic, without apparent cause, very painful, if they occur after a trip or if they last several days, it is necessary to consult a doctor.

Three Homeopathic Remedies To Restore Digestive Balance

If your digestive problems are mild, it's nice to know that natural remedies can help to soothe them. We have selected three complementary remedies for you to try. They can help to restore good digestion and calm your symptoms:

• Zinc Nickel Cobalt: This Oligotherapy complex plays a role in digestion by improving the assimilation and metabolism of food. At a dosage of one teaspoon each morning, for one to two months, this remedy can reduce digestive disorders, whatever they may be.

• Digestion H114 Homeocan: This homeopathic remedy improves the function of the liver and digestive tract thanks to its combination of ingredients with recognized benefits like: Nux Vomica, effective against gastric acidity; Dolichos pruriens, active against constipation; or Leptandra virginica to relieve diarrhea.

• Triple Action: This 100% natural remedy contains a cocktail of perfectly dosed ingredients to relieve constipation and inflammation of the digestive tract. These herbs include: marshmallow, licorice, and witch hazel, traditionally used in herbal medicine to relieve digestive disorders. And the added bonus is its pleasant lemon flavour!

Homeocan’s Tips to Relieve Digestive Disorders Naturally

In addition to taking these three remedies, be sure to try these strategies to help relieve and soothe your digestive disorders naturally:

– Against bloating: leave out sodas, soft drinks and chewing gums.

– Drink a chamomile infusion after your meal, it is recognized by the WHO for its antispasmodic and anti-inflammatory properties.

– For better digestion, take the time to chew your food and eat slowly.

– To fight against constipation and improve your digestion, Sweet Orange Essential Oil is a great ally! Sprinkled in the bath, or used in compresses or massages, it will help to stimulate your digestive system.

With these three Homeocan remedies and these natural tips, say goodbye to your digestive disorders and recover a feeling of well-being and lightness!

Thirty years ago, pharmacy graduate Michéle Boisvert founded Homeocan. Today, Homeocan is the largest Canadian natural remedies company with a state-of-the-art laboratory based in Montreal. Homeocan’s mission is to produce and distribute natural remedies for the health needs of the whole family, even our four-legged friends with HomeoVet. For more information or to order any of their products, visit: https://homeocan.ca/en/

After using CBD oil to successfully treat her own pain, Maggie Tamo started Clubfour20 to help others easily experience the benefits of cannabis

With the growth in the applications and uses of CBD oil, it is no longer surprising that a lot of people would want to make it at home. Whether it is for cancer or for cooking, oil extracted from cannabis can deliver an abundance of benefits.

Before anything else, let us start this post by discussing some of the benefits of CBD oil. Once you are aware of the things that it can do, you will have good reasons for making CBD oil on your own.

Cannabis Sativa is a natural herb that has its origins in Central Asia. Commonly known as “cannabis” or “marijuana”, it has been used by traditional cultures for many thousands of years to treat health conditions. Cannabis products are derived from the parts of the cannabis sativa plant that contain high levels of tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) - the cannabinoid most commonly known for its psychoactive properties. For this reason, cannabis products are often shrouded in controversy and heavily regulated in many countries around the world.

During recent decades there has been a concerted global push for the legalization of cannabis-derived products and their introduction into conventional medical treatment. So what benefits can this ancient herb provide and how might it be used to treat common ailments in the 21st century?

CBD for Stress and Anxiety

In our busy modern society, stress has risen to prominence as one of our most substantial health risks. Our ancestors experienced stress in short bursts, in times of excitement or danger, such as while pursuing prey or running from predators. Conversely, we have imposed upon ourselves an almost ever-present form of stress through a combination of many different lifestyle and dietary factors. Conventional prescription medications for chronic stress and anxiety can be dangerous, and some natural alternatives are ineffective. Enter, cannabis oil.

A study published in 2013 found that treatment with cannabinoids in the wake of some form of traumatic or stressful experience might help to control a subject's emotional responses. Researchers discovered that cannabinoids could be effective in minimizing stress receptors in the hippocampus - the part of the brain responsible for these emotional responses.

A more recent review which was published in 2015 observed that cannabis therapies were also effective in reducing stress and restlessness in military veterans who suffered from Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder.

These studies provide promising grounds for the use of cannabis oil in treating stress and anxiety.

Cannabis Oil for Asthma

For thousands of years, cannabis has been used to treat respiratory ailments in traditional Chinese and Indian cultures. Thanks to its natural anti-inflammatory properties and analgesic effects - including an ability to dilate the bronchial tubes, allowing a better flow of oxygen - cannabis oil might be an effective natural solution for the millions of people worldwide who currently suffer from asthma.

In the 1970s there were several studies carried out which investigated the bronchodilatory impacts of cannabis on people suffering from asthma. Many of the subjects involved showed very positive reactions to the treatment.

Heart Health

Cannabis oil contains antioxidant properties that could provide beneficial treatment for heart-related ailments.

Animal studies have demonstrated that treatment with cannabis oil may prevent some cardiovascular diseases, including atherosclerosis, heart attacks, and strokes. A 2014 British research team found that the results of these animal studies were also applicable to human heart conditions. They demonstrated that cannabinoids could cause the blood vessels to relax and dilate which allowed for improved circulation and reduced blood pressure.

Cannabis for Pain Relief

One of the most significant traditional uses of the cannabis plant was to ease pain, allowing a more comfortable state for healing. This application extends back thousands of years; however, there is now new evidence that cannabis products can be effective in alleviating discomfort by hindering neural transmissions in the body’s pain pathways. They also have the potential to ease most forms of inflammation, which is why many cancer patients choose to take them while undergoing chemotherapy.

A Canadian study which was published in 2010 demonstrated that cannabis could be used to treat those who were suffering from chronic pain. The study involved 23 adult subjects who were experiencing neuropathic pain as a result of surgery or trauma. Over the 2-week duration, subjects were selected at random and treated with cannabis in 4 different levels of potency. The results demonstrated that when taken 3 times each day, cannabis was able to significantly decrease the severity of pain, as well as improve sleeping patterns.

Skin Protection

Cannabis oil can be applied topically to promote healthy skin appearance. When used in this way, the oil can help stimulate the shedding of older skin cells and encourage the growth of new ones to replace them. It can also assist in the production of lipids, which help to combat chronic skin conditions including acne and psoriasis. Additionally, thanks to its ability to reduce stress, cannabis oil can help prevent some types of skin diseases that break out during times of anxiety such as eczema or rosacea.

Seizures

There is some evidence beginning to emerge from small-scale studies and anecdotal reports that cannabis oil might be effective in preventing seizures and could potentially become a treatment for epilepsy in the future.

Unfortunately, there is not enough evidence at this stage to warrant commercial use for these ailments and reviews of studies published so far have been unable to reach a decisive conclusion.

Cancer

Maggie Tamo used CBD oil to manage her cancer symptoms

Cancer is perhaps the most controversial disease in recorded history, with many alternative practitioners claiming that natural cures already exist. Understandably, there is a substantial amount of excitement surrounding the potential for cannabis oil to be used in cancer treatment.

Scientists have discovered that some cannabinoids have a variety of positive effects under laboratory conditions, including:

Although it is not yet commercially recognized as a cure, there is strong evidence to suggest that cannabis products can have very positive effects on the healing process for those suffering from cancer.

Maggie Tamo used CBD oil to manage her cancer symptoms, and from that started ClubFour20 to make learning and using cannabis as simple as possible. Read more on Margaret’s story on her website.

Maggie uses LEVO in her Infuser Kits.  First and foremost, LEVO is meant to be simple and easy for anyone to use – whether you’re medicating daily or just looking for an easy way to avoid over-processed, store-bought edibles and infused products.

LEVO is the latin root of alleviate. Clearly, they are true believers in the power of plants!

Visit clubfour20.ca to purchase the Infuser Kit and explore the vegan edible recipes.

How to Make CBD Oil

So how do you make your own CBD oil? We prefer to use the LEVO Oil Fuser.

National Access Cannabis has a great introduction video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rlsm5QKCwko on how to use it and the benefits of LEVO.

LEVO is meant for a wide variety of consumers- both in the cannabis and natural wellness space. They created a product that you could use to make lavender body scrubs with your family in the afternoon, and cannabis infused brownies in the evening with your friends. Because the interior pieces are dishwasher safe, contamination isn't an issue no matter what you're infusing with. First and foremost, LEVO is meant to be simple & easy for anyone to use- whether you're medicating daily or just looking for an easy way to avoid over-processed, store-bought edibles and infused products.

The Best Marijuana Strains to Use

If you are thinking of making your own CBD oil, you need to choose the right marijuana strain. This will have a huge impact on the effectiveness of the oil that will be produced. Generally, you have to choose a marijuana that is high in CBD and low in THC. That being said, these are some of the best options to consider: