Does winter have you in a rut? Do you feel like you are just going through the same routine day in day out? Come join us in our 1 week challenge! The purpose is simple; engaging our mind and body in proactive behavior. This challenge can be modified to your own standards and redesigned week after week with your creativity and personal goals.

Day 1 - Squat Challenge- Do 100 squats today! It doesn't have to be all at once but reach 100 before the end of the day.

Day 2 - Drink 8 glasses (2 L) of water today. Spice up your water by adding sliced cucumber, wedges of lime or lemon, and/ or fresh mint leaves.

Day 3 - PINS Challenge - Reflect to find one Positive, one Insightful, one Negative, and one Surprising experience you had today. What did you learn and how can you use this to become better tomorrow? 

Day 4 - Read for 20-30 minutes today. Start a new book or read an article of interest.

Day 5 - Give a compliment to one friend or family member, one colleague, and one random person today.

Day 6 - 2 Part Challenge - 
                            1) Get at least 7-8 hours of sleep tonight.
                            2) Devote 10 minutes to self-time. Focus on your breath, practice meditation, or reflect in silence during                                  this time. Be present, be still, be calm. 

Day 7 - Push, jump, sit challenge - Do 50 Push-ups, 50 Jumping Jacks, and 50 Sit-ups. You have 10 minutes to complete all 150. Finish by holding plank position for as long as you can!

By: Albert Huang, DC

It's a new year and its time to kick the bad habits and replace them with some new fancy ones! Always strive to be better then you were yesterday. Find your groove and get in a healthy routine with these 5 game changing attitudes.

1) Wake up early - The most productive people are early risers. Getting out of bed in the early hours of the day provides you more time to get things done. Use the first 30-60 minutes of your day for self time. Stimulate your mind and body with a routine of grooming, breakfast, daily news, reading or writing, and self-reflection. Avoid using the computer and cell phone, you have the rest of your day for that. Wake up on the right foot and conquer your day by planning out your objectives and daily goals!

2) Regular Exercise - Staying active is a vital component to a healthy lifestyle and a happy mind. Try exercising daily to stimulate brain activity, blood circulation, muscle growth, and nervous system development. If you can't work out daily strive for 4-5 times a week. Staying physically active has many health benefits such as, improved mood, weight control, stress relief, increased energy, heightened libido, better sleep, and reduced risk of illness and disease.

3) Positive Thinking - The grass is always green! Thoughts are subjective which means they can be controlled by your mind. Negative thoughts lead to negative outcomes which induce a stress response in your body. Eliminate limiting thoughts and replace them with positive thinking. There are always three sides to a story, the negative interpretation, the positive interpretation, and the best interpretation. French philosopher Rene Descartes said it best, "I think therefore I am." Start filling your mind with wishful thinking and the universe will respond with positive vibes.

4) Separate Work and Play - There comes a time when the best thing to do is to take a vacation or some time off of work. Working 5, 6, 7 days a week over an extended period will eventually lead to a burn out. You can't drive a car 24/7, 365 days a year without it breaking down, so how can you expect your body to do the same? Your body needs down time to recover. If you only focus on work your whole life, you lose your true purpose of being. Find the right balance between work and leisure. Travelling or self-exploration can revitalize your mind, spark creativity, and boost work productivity in the long run!

5) Quiet Time - We are constantly bombarded with never ending stimulus! Limit your tech time; reduce the amount of time in front of your television, laptop, and cell phone. The radiation and bright lights from these tech devices place undue strain on your eyes and brain activity. Slow down for even 5-10 minutes a day in a quiet place where you can focus on your breathing and self-awareness. Find stress relief and inner peace with meditation, yoga, tai chi, or proactive napping. Unwind with a book before bed to calm the mind and nourish your soul.

By: Erin Ziprick, RMT

Is your Resolution in the New Year to take better care of yourself? Instead of focusing on the outcomes, why not set your sights on the process in 2015 and making short term goals throughout the year to ensure you are successful.

Massage is a proactive approach to preventative medicine as much as exercise and eating healthy. You are making yourself a priority and caring for your body, mind and spirit.

By adding massage into your routine it will help increase health and overall wellness. Here are 5 ways massage helps:

1) Stress reduction:
“Experts estimate upwards of 90% of disease is stress related. And perhaps nothing ages us faster, internally and externally, than high stress.”

This can translate into
      * Decreased anxiety
          * Enhanced sleep quality
              * Increased energy
                 * Improved concentration
                     *Increased circulation
                         * Reduced fatigue

The emotional balance bodywork provides can often be just as valuable as the physical benefits.

2) Back Pain:
Back pain is an important health problem that affects the majority of the public and is the most common medical condition for which people use complementary and alternative medicine practices. Massage as been shown to be an effective treatment for back pain.

3) Strengthens your Immune System:
Massage therapy can strengthen your immune system by stimulating the lymph system, the body’s natural defense. And by using “long strokes, kneading, deep circular movements, vibration, and tapping” will improve the body’s hormonal response and immune function. An increase in white blood cells and naturally killer-cell activity better prepares the body to fight off invading cells.

4) Injury prevention
Regular massage treatments can help you get back to your activity sooner and help prevent any new injuries from occurring. Massage increases circulation to the muscles and tissues. With increased blood circulation, the nutrients are distributed throughout the body. An increase in circulation will then help repair tissues and quicken the healing process. Therefore, the muscles begin to relax and soften, increase joint mobility and range of motion, and decrease spasms and cramping.

5) Migraines and Headaches
“A 2008 pilot study involving 16 participants suggested that massage may be beneficial in reducing the frequency of tension type headaches as well as the intensity and duration of pain.” Massage treatments which are performed on a regular basis, can help keep the body at it’s optimal level of relaxation and stress relief. By focusing on the head, neck and shoulders, massage can decrease the pain and discomfort brought on by a migraine and headache. For more information about Headaches and migraines, please go to the following link. 

Overall, making short term goals and having a plan to incorporate massage treatments into your schedule will help you in feeling your best self throughout the upcoming year. Communicate with your massage therapist to customize a treatment plan that works the best in your schedule and stick with it. Consider it a necessary piece to your health and wellness in 2015!

References:
http://www.massagetherapy.com/learnmore/benefits.php 12/19/14 http://nccam.nih.gov/research/results/spotlight/070411.htm 12/19/14 http://nccam.nih.gov/research/results/spotlight/090110.htm 12/19/14 http://www.massagetherapy.com/learnmore/benefits.php 12/29/14

We’re back to our spring goals – this week, focusing on shaping up! There’s no question that exercise plays a vital role in a vibrant life. Cardiovascular and resistance training promote weight loss, reduce stress, improve mood & boost confidence – now that’s what I’m talking about!

However, if just hearing the word exercise makes you cringe, you can never seem to find the time or you just can’t seem to stick with it – it’s time to integrate these 3 tips and re-discover your movement potential. Plus the foods that will help fuel you to the fullest. You’ll be moving like a maniac, maaaaniac in no time!

1) Ask yourself: What type of movement do I actually enjoy doing?
Exercise does not need to happen in a gym, on a treadmill or in a fitness class. If that type of activity inspires you – by all means, go for it. If it doesn’t however, take a step back and think of what does. If you’re struggling to find the motivation to move, it’s most likely because you haven’t found what works for you. Make an effort to find out what does because when you do, not only will you stick with it, but look forward to it.

2) Set a realistic goal
This is HUGE (all caps huge).When coming up with a movement plan, ask yourself: on a scale from 1 – 10, how realistic is it that I will actually accomplish this goal? Then, scale back this goal until you reach 10. In doing so, you’re setting yourself up for success. Why? "Because small targets lead to small victories, and small victories can often trigger a positive spiral of behaviour." Heck yes!

3) Reward yourself
Each week you accomplish your movement goal – reward yourself. Small incentives play a key role in sustainable change. By reinforcing your positive behaviours with a reward, you are stimulating the pleasure centre of your brain, which will help provide motivation when needed most. What will your reward be?

Foods that Fuel
Pre activity: a snack made of mostly carbohydrates and protein.

□    Small baked potato topped with Greek Yogurt + dash of cinnamon
Post activity: a balanced meal of carbohydrates and protein, without the fat, to help repair muscles after exercise.
□    Protein shake: 1 c. coconut water, ½ c. berries, 1 scoop protein powder, 1 tbsp chia seeds

Claire LeGresley, RHN

By: Dr. Albert Huang, DC

At the beginning of the year, you might have set a few goals or new years resolutions to make this year the best one yet. Have you been sticking to your plans? Are you doing the things you said you were going to be doing? 

Well, the guilty matter is that most of us forget to challenge ourselves on a daily basis to achieve the goals we set forth. It's always a good idea to re-visit some of our thoughts and motives to keep the inspiration alive. 

Spend 5-10 minutes today and write out your personal, business, health, and fitness goals. Check them daily and go for it!

Repetition makes habits and habits shape the person you are. Instead of saying, 'I wish' or 'I want', start with I WILL.

Dr. Mike Evans illustrates a great visual video depiction on the negative impacts of a sedentary lifestyle on our health. Staying on top of our health by making responsible and preventative choices is the proactive way to achieve lifetime wellness. Exercise and physical activity stimulates our heart and bodily systems to stay in good function. Any amount of physical activity is better than none, so no more excuses, lets get active! 

If we all spent a little less time focusing on the negatives and more time on the positives, life would become much brighter for everyone. A smile is contagious so share one with someone today. Caution- smiles may turn into laughs! 
On the subject of happiness, exercise has been proven to boost the body's own natural "happy hormones" (dopamine, seratonin, endorphins). If happiness is not a good  enough reason to get you exercising daily, some other benefits of exercise include greater independence, weight loss/ management, stress relief, increased libido, improved sleep, and a decreased risk of cardiovascular diseases and cancers.
Disease and illness are unpleasant occurrences in life and can be further offset with a healthy, well-balanced diet. Eat more natural occurring foods such as fruits, vegetables, seeds, nuts, and organic meats. Eating healthy can help improve energy levels and increase the antioxidants in your body to fight off free radicals and toxins. They say, 'you are what you eat'.
Nothing in life comes easy and hard work does pays off. Commit to goals and projects and never settle for anything less than success and attainment. Hard work goes a long way and needs to be an ongoing action because there will always be challenges along the way. Work hard & play hard; find the balance between the two, otherwise you can find yourself burnt-out.
Nobody ever got anywhere worrying about things. Far too often stress accumulates in people's lives and results in anxiety and excessive worrying. Just remember the cup is always half full and the grass is always greener on the other side. There is always tomorrow and everything will be alright, so keep calm and carry on.  Go dance it off, find your passions, chase them, and live life to its fullest with love, happiness, and no regrets!


- Albert Huang, DC

Choice is the epiphany of freedom; freedom to do, to conquer, to take action or none at all. Choice is dictated by motive and your ability to make a decision. Making the right choice versus the easy choice however are two different things. Take for example, the choice to either go for a workout or not to go. The easy choice is to leave it for tomorrow, but the seemingly right choice is to mustard up the will power and complete the workout today.

In case you are lacking some ambition to get your fitness in today, welcome to the grind! Drown out the uncertainty, stop the hesitation, find your strength, and go for it. 

May this video provide you the extra little push to start today's workout and personal victory! The choice is yours...