elisha, Author at Plattsville Natural Health Clinic

Metaphors from the Fishing World: Lessons on Life and Health from the River

December 2, 2014September 9, 2014 by elisha

As some of you know, my husband and I are avid fishermen. We will often walk through rivers around the area we live or spend our holidays exploring new rivers, all in an attempt to catch “the big one” and just spend time in nature. Not only is the activity enjoyable and therapeutic, but being in nature helps to press the “reset” button for the following week. From the many adventures we have had, I have had time to reflect on life lessons that can be taught from the river.

It’s not the size of the fish, but the fight in the fish.

Many times when I have had a fish on, I would swear that the fish on the end of the line is much bigger than what it actually is, all because of the fight that it gives me. I think of this as encouragement. Your situation may be difficult. You might think you are weak or small, but you can fight. Keep on fighting when the odds are against you, because you never know when that fighting might help you get off of that hook!

Fake it ‘til you make it.

Recently, my husband taught me how to fly fish. It is challenging, but the rewards are worth it. There are many different tactics that you can do that you could not really do with your standard rod and reel. One of these tactics involves using flies. With your line, you are able to make you bait lightly land on the water and allow it to drift down river, giving the impression that your bait is a bug that fell into the water. These different tactics make me think of the phrase “Fake it ‘til you make it”, which makes me think back to many of the blogs I have written about emotions, depression and the control you do have over your circumstances. You do not have to let your circumstances control you. You can choose to be happy, and if you have to fake it for a while, well then so be it. Fake it until you make it.

Unforeseen Rocks

We do not walk in cloudy rivers too often, but when we do, it can be challenging if you do not know the river well. You may not know where the deep pockets are, or where the stones or rocks are placed. Sometimes you can trip, and if you do not correct for that stumble, you could fall in. How many times in your life have you not seen the rocks or deep pockets ahead, and completely fallen in? How did you respond? Did you give up and stay in the river, or did you get back up and keep walking? Or did you even walk the river in the first place because you couldn’t see where you were going? Did you not bother to take the risk?

The one that got away

You cannot have a blog about fishing without discussion of “the one that got away”. And so ensues one of my tales of the one that got away. My husband and I were fishing one of our favorite fishing places (sorry chaps a fisherman never tells), and I have a 2-3 pike my line that was giving me a good fight. Remarkably, he jumped out of the water (which looked amazing) and spit the hook. He got away. I had a choice (and so do you!). I could have called it quits, and packed it in for the day, or I could have kept fishing. Well, I kept fishing. My next cast happened to be what landed my biggest catch yet (the picture for this blog happens to be that fish). I landed a 20 inch small mouth bass (that is huge ladies and gentlemen)! If I would have gave up after the one that got away, I would have never caught my biggest “trophy”.

Sometimes the Best Catches are on Cloudy Days

Sometimes the greatest catches are caught on those cloudy days. I recall when I was younger and I would go Salmon fishing with my dad, that he always liked going on those cloudy days, and sure enough, we always did better on those days for some reason. Sometimes the lessons we learn and the biggest rewards can be gained in those “cloudy” moments in our lives, when things are not so good, and we are struggling. You will make it through, and you will be stronger for it.

Biting off more than you can chew

When my husband and I will go fishing for perch, we often have a problem with them swallowing the hook much farther down than we would like. This often causes aggravation for us, and, unfortunately, discomfort for the fish. Frankly, the fish bit off a bit more than he/she could chew, and has to deal with the consequences of those actions. Such is life.

Have you benefitted from reading this blog? Know someone that would benefit as well? Share, Like, Comment, or Tweet this article, and let me know what you think.

Some of the information provided above may not be appropriate for everyone, please consult with your doctor before trying any of the above. If you are interested in Naturopathic Medicine and wanting a different approach to your health care needs, please book an appointment with Elisha Cook at the RSNC (416-498-9763), and let me help you achieve your health goals.

Healthy Snack Ideas for Back-to-School

December 2, 2014September 3, 2014 by elisha

It’s that time of year again! Preparing your child for another year of learning can be challenging with keeping with all of the different trends and requirements. On top of all of this, you need to find healthy snacks that your children will actually eat and that are nut free. Hopefully this will help you with your preparing for healthy snacks and lunches.

Fruits and Vegetables
Raisins or Craisins
Nuts and seeds (within what is allowed at the school)
Craisin Bars (or Pumpkin Craisin Bars) – look for the recipe in my blog
Mary’s organic crackers and hummus
Lara bars – even experimenting and making your own
Dried fruit – maybe making your own trail mixes with your child’s favourite dried fruits and seeds
Muffins – try to avoid making muffins that are high in sugar or sweets.
Kale or Beet Chips

The following tips might help you to be able to create a lunch that your child will eat even though it is healthy

Cut fruits and vegetables into fun shapes
Use bright coloured fruits and vegetables
Allow your child to help you make the lunch – more likely to eat it
Have fun with snacks – eg ants on a log
Mix it up – expose your child to a variety of different fruits and vegetables or snack in order to keep them from getting bored.

Have you benefitted from reading this blog? Know someone that would benefit as well? Share, Like, Comment, or Tweet this article, and let me know what you think.

How to Paleo the Right Way – A Guest Blog By Katelyn Butler Birmingham

December 2, 2014August 26, 2014 by elisha

The Paleo diet has been on the market awhile now…people have had time to ‘digest it’ so to speak, but its more than just eating bacon and sausages every day. If you’re going to go Paleo, here are some important things to remember:

1) Eat Whole Foods. This means if it comes in a can, a box, vacuum sealed or says ‘just add water’ it should be avoided.

2) Fruit and Veggies are your friends: berries, apples, bananas, sweet potato, rutabaga, carrots etc

3) Drink water! Add citrus, cucumber or berries to make it more exciting.

4) Nuts and seeds are a great source of protein: Almonds, macadamia nuts, brazil nuts, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds…Go nuts!

5) Meat, seafood and eggs are encouraged – but be mindful of portion size – no bigger than the palm of your hand.

6) No Dairy!

7) No Grains – no breads, pasta, cereals or rice

8) Think of yourself as a Hunter/Gatherer – If you can’t hunt it or pick it from a tree/bush or from the ground, you probably can’t eat it.

9) Spice things up – all of the spices under the sun are allowed.

10) Have fun with food – create new recipe ideas!

Here is a Sample Day to get you started:

Breakfast:

One soft boiled egg
Two cups of combined steamed asparagus and red peppers
One cup of mixed berries
Herbal tea

Snack:

Handful of mixed pine nuts, walnuts and sunflower seeds
Water

Lunch:

Salmon salad with Apple slices.
Salad: lettuce, spinach, red onions, tomatoes, cucumber. Top with salmon and thinly sliced apple.
Dressing: Combine 2 Tbsp olive oil, black pepper and balsamic vinegar
Water with raspberries

Snack:

Piece of fruit of your choice
Water

Dinner:

Chicken breast with sautéed mushrooms, onions and bok choy
Side of mashed yams with cranberries and black pepper
Coconut milk to drink

The Paleo Diet has a lot to offer as far as eating well and feeling great – just remember the above and you’ll be well on your way!

Thank you to Elisha for allowing me to guest blog while she is away 🙂

Katelyn Butler-Birmingham, CCNM Naturopathic Medical Intern

@KTBB_ND

Healthy Shopping

December 2, 2014August 19, 2014 by elisha

Making healthy grocery shopping decisions can be hard, especially on a tight budget. There are ways that you can make healthier food choices when you are shopping for your groceries though.

Shop the Perimeter

Shopping the perimeter of the store is just that: shopping the outside sections of the store. The reason why this is suggested is because there tends to be more whole foods on the perimeter of the store and less products with high contents of sugar and preservatives. By keeping a conscious effort to try and avoid the middle sections if possible, you will be able to prepare meals that might be more nutritionally valuable.

No Coupons

There have been studies produced showing the negative impact that couponing can have on your health. This is because what tends to be promoted with coupons are foods that are not the healthiest choice.

Shop Sales

This may seem obvious, but shopping sales allows you to save some extra money, especially if you might be choosing some healthier products that might cost more.

Organic when you can

Ideally, choosing organic sources of products is more beneficial than your standard products, especially when it comes to meat. An area where you should avoid compromising on this, if possible, is with meats. Non-organic meats tend to contain hormones and possible preservatives that are less than ideal.

Frozen is okay

When you cannot afford to get organic, or when it is not available, standard products are completely acceptable to choose. This even includes buying frozen vegetables/fruits. Basically it comes down to any fruit or vegetable is better than none. So if you need to purchase frozen vegetables or fruits to save a couple extra dollars, then do so! Buying canned fruits and vegetables is fine as well, but it is important to make sure you are reading the label, and avoiding those that are packed with syrups or a lot of sugar.

Plan meals in advance

Planning your meals for the week will help keep you focused on what you are really there to get while grocery shopping. By doing this, you avoid purchasing products that you see and want, but do not really need.

Seasonal When Possible

Finally, buying seasonal fruits and vegetables is a good way to save some money (because it tends to be on sale), support local farmers, and purchase foods that might have more nutritional value (because the produce was more recently harvested, spent less time traveling, and so has retained more of its nutritional quality).

Some of these ideas are not necessarily cost effective, but, by adopting some of these habits, and keeping these things in mind while shopping, it may help you to choose healthier, higher quality foods.

Have you benefitted from reading this blog? Know someone that would benefit as well? Share, Like, Comment, or Tweet this article, and let me know what you think.

Some of the information provided above may not be appropriate for everyone, please consult with your doctor before trying any of the above. If you are interested in Naturopathic Medicine and wanting a different approach to your health care needs, please book an appointment with Elisha Cook at the RSNC today and let me help you achieve your health goals.