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Expanding Registered Massage Therapy at PNHC

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We are so excited to let our community know that our massage availability has expanded with the addition of another massage therapist to our team. We now have four massage therapists who are eager to help with your health needs. Our availability in the past for evenings was limited. We are now able to offer more morning, mid day, AND evening openings! Ready to book in with one of our RMTs? Call or text 226-232-7665 to book in, or email us at info.pnhc@gmail.com. Not ready yet but want to learn more about our RMTs? See below for more information. 

Cheryl McReynolds 

Right when her patients walk in the door, Cheryl makes them feel welcome and relaxed. Cheryl started her career working in medical administration in alternative medicine offices, expanded her passions to reflexology, and further pursued training as a registered massage therapist. Her beginnings in her career have made her specifically adept at making patients feel relaxed, safe, and cared for in their treatments. Cheryl has a remarkable way of holding space for her patients and providing just the right amount of therapeutic pressure. She brings additional training to our team in the area of lymphatic drainage. 

A fun fact about Cheryl is that she is a fantastic “sharer”. From deals to treats, she loves to brighten our days with small acts of kindness. 

Joshua Morrison 

Josh brings a great wealth of knowledge to our team with his experience working in teams alongside physiotherapists. He loves trying to solve a problem that has not been solved yet, or has been difficult to correct. Josh allows his knowledge with personal training to align with his skills as a registered massage therapist in order to produce therapeutic outcomes. Of all of our Registered Massage Therapists, he has the deepest pressure. He finds it rewarding to help his patients get back to a place of health and reduced pain. Whether it is on the sports field or in the workplace, he helps his patients achieve a better quality of life.

A fun fact that you may not know about Josh is that he is our clinic “scarer”. If you hear a random “yelp” out of our team, Josh is likely the culprit behind it. 

Amber Stere 

Amber is a familiar face at our clinic as she started her journey as one of PNHC’s medical administrators. She wanted to expand her impact on client care and dove into the world of Registered Massage Therapy. Amber is interested in getting to the root of what is causing a patient’s concerns. She is always looking to solve the puzzle of what is ailing them. She, like much of our team, also finds joy in brightening her patients’ day, and giving them hope for their situations. She absolutely loves helping individuals recovering from musculoskeletal injuries, struggling with acute or chronic pain, and looking to de-stress in life. 

A fun fact about Amber is that she has been known to be randomly, joyfully dancing and singing at our clinic, and has been caught by a patient/team member or two. 

Lorri Zimmerman

Though Lorri is not currently accepting new patients, she brings the perfect therapeutic touch to those she works with. Lorri initially began her career as a reflexologist, and expanded her approach to include registered massage therapy. This therapeutic combination is seen in her treatments, as she often combines the two to help her patients to achieve their health goals. Lorri’s holistic approach to care creates a treatment that helps a patient’s physical and mental/emotional well-being.  Lorri enjoys working with patients who struggle with frequent headaches and migraines, as she understands the struggle first hand. She believes that most of our ailments can be attributed to the stress response, and that by activating the parasympathetic nervous system through massage and reflexology, it can make a huge impact on our health.

A fun fact about Lorri is that she shows a lot of joy around holidays, often bringing fun props and dressing up to brighten spirits around holidays. 

All of our RMTs can work with a wide range of concerns and patient demographics, but also have certain areas they work really well in. Not sure who would be the best fit for your situation? Ask our team and we would be happy to direct you to the right fit for your specific concern!  

What happens when you start to put yourself first

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Autumn Girl enjoying nature on the field. Beauty Girl Outdoors rAt first glance, this blog title may seem suspiciously self – serving or selfish in nature, but let me give some context. I work with many individuals who are stressed out, burnt out, and are needing much care. The trend is not represented by one small act of not putting your health as a priority, but rather over the course of time it may be from putting your family first, your job first, or others needs before your own. From this article, I want you to explore your own life and consider: have I been putting my health and needs last? Finally, I want you to then consider what might happen if you start to consider yourself of value enough to put higher on your list of priorities. This article is not meant to condemn, to ridicule, or make individuals feel like they have not been taking care of their health, but is meant to inspire you to consider your own needs and do some more loving things for yourself.

I was that person

I would like to start out this article by admitting my own weaknesses: I was that person. I was that person that would make my husband a healthy lunch and neglect to make one for myself i.e. I would not eat at all. I was that person that put my career before my own personal mental and physical health. I would often go all day without eating and tell myself that “I do not have time to eat”. I would put off exercising thinking that my business needs needed to come first. I often put more efforts behind charity work than actually caring for myself and asking myself what my body needed for nourishment. To be honest, I did not think I deserved that type of care, and took my “health” and body for granted. As a result, I felt weak, emotional, burnt out, stressed out, tired, and depressed. My husband and I decided to make some drastic health changes – eat a whole foods diet and exercise daily. With these changes I made a comment to him that it was important I make his lunch and justified taking care of myself because it would help to take care of him. He then asked me, “Why don’t you do it for you”? For some reason, the question hit me differently this time and I decided to exercise for me. To eat for me. To take care of me, for me.

Why is it important to put your health as a priority?

There is an old saying “you cannot pour from an empty cup”. In short, you cannot take care of others if you have not been cared for or nourished yourself. You need to put your health as a priority to prevent burn out, but also to help you to better serve others.

Often, the excuse I hear is “I do not have time to take care of myself”. If you do not take the time for yourself now, it is possible that this time will be robbed from you in the future via doctor’s appointments, treatments, etc. due to poor health. By taking care of yourself now it does not necessarily prevent all illness, but it can help lessen the likelihood of becoming sick.  The other question I want you to ask yourself is, if you do not take care of yourself, who will? You are in charge of your health and no one can exercise for you or necessarily eat the right things for you. With this being said, some individuals need guidance as to how to best incorporate healthy changes into their lifestyle, and as such, it is important to seek help, but again at the end of the day, you are the only one that can follow through with the recommendations. (If you are needing help in this area please contact me).

What happens when you start to put your health first?

When you start to put your own health as a priority, you will start feeling better! It does not sound like this is an award-winning answer, but it is the right one. It may not be right away, but it will happen. When you start valuing yourself enough to eat, to eat well, to exercise, and to nourish yourself; your life will begin to change for the better. You will have the energy you need to help your family, to deal with your work load, and to take care of yourself. You may even begin to notice that you can handle stress better, thoughts are clearer, and your mood is more balanced. For others, you may expect to see better health outcomes that pertain to your particular case. Overall, you may even feel more motivated to achieve your goals.

Are you ready to make your health a priority?

If you are ready to take the plunge and take your health into your own hands, seek help. Contact myself or another health care professional today. Not tomorrow. Today. Find them on facebook or the internet and message them. Find their phone number and call. Results lie beyond the fence of excuses.

Have you benefited 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, contact Dr. Elisha Cook ND by calling 519-537-7058 and book your appointment today!

Health Benefits of Pet Ownership

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petsSome people choose to have pets for companionship and/or for work related purposes, while others choose to not have any at all. Many debate whether the stress of owning a pet is really worth all of the extra effort. The answer to this question is really dependent on the individual, but I will choose to focus on the potential positive outcomes that may come from owning a pet. Just because there are positive health benefits to owning a pet does not mean that just anyone should go out and get a dog/cat/fish/lizard/etc. Owning a pet requires commitment, patience, budgeting, and so much more. Also worth mentioning is that much of the research conferring that pets offer health benefits is based off of owning a cat or a dog. This does not mean that there are not any health benefits to owning fish, lizards, or other pets; but there may be different health benefits than those listed below. For example, there has been quite a bit of research behind fish tanks and how having one can actually decrease stress, promote relaxation and even decrease behavioural distress in children.

Owning a cat/dog can decrease:

  • Blood pressure by being in the same room as a pet or even just petting them
  • Cholesterol through even just petting your pet
  • Triglycerides
  • Feelings of loneliness
  • Risk of developing allergies in children by 33% but this is dependent on age and research is a bit mixed.
  • Stress
  • Depression
  • Risk of being or becoming obese (if you walk your dog and do not leave it to someone else)
  • Anxiety or behavioural distress in children
  • Doctor’s visits
  • Sick days

Owning a cat/dog can increase

  • Socialization
  • Chances for activity
  • Immune system strength
  • Recovery post – cardiovascular event
  • Empathy in children without siblings
  • Self – esteem in children without siblings
  • Participation in social and physical activities in children without siblings

Have you benefited 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, contact Dr. Elisha Cook ND by calling 519-537-7058 and book your appointment today!

References:

http://www.cdc.gov/healthypets/health-benefits/

http://center4research.org/healthy-living-prevention/pets-and-health-the-impact-of-companion-animals/

http://www.animalplanet.com/pets/benefits-of-pets/

 

Healthy Snack Ideas for Back-to-School

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Lunch box with sandwich,fruit and stationery on pink backgroundIt’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.

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.