The Heart is an amazing organ, it pumps to keep our body alive. It seems as Canadians we are paying a lot of attention to this key organ in the body. In our quest to maintain a healthy heart, here are five tips that will keep the heart strong.

1) Know your Numbers. Know your blood pressure and your cholesterol numbers, high blood pressure and cholesterol numbers increase the risk of heart attacks by 25 percent. Check your blood pressure at least once a week and cholesterol twice a year.

2) Stop smoking and drinking. Alcohol and cigarettes increase the risk of a heart attack and stroke. Alcohol is a know factor that can increase blood pressure in the body.

3) Exercise. Aerobic exercise helps improve muscle mass, more specifically it can strengthen the heart and decrease the risk of heart disease.

4) Heart Supplementation. There are amazing studies that demonstrate fish oil, phytosterols, coenzyme Q10 and soy isoflavones are all heart friendly.

5) Healthy diet. Foods high in antioxidants helps maintain healthy hearts. Antioxidants prevent blood vessel walls from hardening.

Educating people on how to maintain a healthy heart is our priority. By delivering the right information, this allows people to make the best choices. Make a healthy heart your priority.

Dr Elias Markou, ND

1) Whole Food Plant Based Protein Powders, so if you consume Isowhey protein to build muscle and meet your protein demand you might want to consider plant proteins. They are living foods, ethical, easier to digest and hypoallergenic.

2) Coconut Milk, is another alternative to cow’s milk, this milk comes from a fruit. It helps maintain skin, nerve and muscle health.

3) Bioavailable Curcumin, also known as turmeric is plant based polyphenol which has research suggesting it is good for cancer, inflammation and atherosclerosis.

4) Zinc is famous for it’s ability to boost the body’s immune system. Zinc plays a key role in collagen formation and healthy tissue support.

5) Echinacea, has been used by Native Americans for over 400 years to treat infection and it was known as a general “cure” tonic. It is excellent in helping address the common cold and flu.

This is my 2012 list of natural health products you might want to consider. Take some time to look at each natural product and see if they can help you with your health concerns.

Dr Elias Markou, ND

Are you open to starting some new traditions? Here are a few ideas to consider:

1- Make a family vision board, where everyone contributes to it; but make it less about actual items and more about family activities.

2- Volunteer at the local food bank or shelter.

3- Encourage everyone to donate one item they no longer use to the less fortunate for every new item they receive.

4- Spend some time visiting with the elderly at the local nursing home and spend time with those who have no family to visit them.

5- Sponsor a child through an organization, write them letters together as a family.

6- At the stroke of midnight each person in your family exchanges a hand written note or card to another member of the family to tell them what they appreciate the most about that person.

7- Make a regular habit of playing an old fashioned board game, turning off the TV and spending quality time together.

8- If you cut a tree down this year, take the time to plant some new ones.

9- Instead of birthday gifts in 2012, try raising money for your favourite charity or a great cause.

10- Most of all, enjoy your time together

By: Stephanie Markou – Director of Operations

4. Iodine
Iodine is best known for its major effects on thyroid function, it is the main component for the thyroid hormone thyroxine. Iodine also has effects on controlling the effects of estrogen on breast tissue, and protection the body against radioactivity exposure. [2]

3. Chromium
Chromium is known to enhance the action of Insulin in the body, a hormone critical for the metabolism and storage of carbohydrates, fat, and protein in the body. [3]

2. Selenium
Selenium is a powerful antioxidant that helps prevent cell damage from aggressive free radicals. Free radicals are know to contribute to the development of chronic disease like cancer and heart disease. Selenium helps regulate the thyroid and play a major role in boosting the immune system. [4]

1. Zinc
It is a critical component of over 24 different digestive enzymes. It helps in the healthy breakdown and storage of carbohydrates in the body. Zinc is famous for it’s ability to boost the body’s immune system. Zinc plays a key role in collagen formation and healthy tissue support.

Zinc is important and versatile in the body, this is why Zinc Citrate is my 2011 top mineral.

[1] Institute of Medicine. Food and Nutrition Board. Dietary Reference Intakes for Vitamin A, Vitamin K, Arsenic, Boron, Chromium, Copper, Iodine, Iron, Manganese, Molybdenum, Nickel, Silicon, Vanadium and Zinc. Washington, DC: National Academy Press, 2001.
[2] http://www.natural-health-information-centre.com/iodine.html
[3] Porte Jr. D, Sherwin RS, Baron A (editors). Ellengerg & Rifkin’s Diabetes Mellitus, 6th Edition. McGraw-Hill, New York, 2003.
[4] McKenzie RC, Rafferty TS, Beckett GJ. Selenium: an essential element for immune function. Immunol Today 1998;19:342-5.

Dr Elias Markou, ND

The patient was experiencing the following symptoms: night blindness and general tunnel vision. The patient has exhausted all of Germany’s top doctors to figure out how to heal their eye condition. The patient agreed to do the treatment, a strict protocol over a 6 week period. In the process the patient learned many things along the way.

In their initial intake we discovered the patient had a lifetime of poor eating habits; their diet was horrible. The patient was a smoker, engaged in drinking alcohol and coffee frequently. The patient never took vitamins and ate a lot of animal products like red meat.

With six weeks to work with a new protocol, we had our work cut out for us. We had work to do to begin the process of shifting the vitamin deficiency, do a chemical detox and teach the patient a new dietary lifestyle. The patient immediately stopped smoking, drinking coffee and alcohol.

We started off with regular high dose vitamin intravenous therapy three times per week. The cocktail consisted of large amounts of vitamin C, smaller dosages of vitamin B complex, zinc, selenium, extra B12, and B6. This part of the treatment helps fix a very vitamin deficient body.

We created a diet that removed all animal products from their life. The patient learned to eat vegetarian, dairy free and gluten free. In 6 weeks their body composition changed and they felt an overall feeling of wellness. The patient was now eating two meals that consisted heavily of raw vegetable and one meal that had plant based protein and cooked vegetables.

We introduced oral vitamins to the protocol – vitamin C in large amounts 8000mg per day and in addition, the patient also took the following nutrients for vision: Alpha-lipoic acid (200 mg), Bilberry (100 mg), Lutein (100 mg), Multi anthocyanidins (100 mg), d-Alpha-tocopherol acetate (17 IU), Astaxanthin (20 mg), Zeaxanthin (20 mg), Zinc citrate (50 mg), Niacin (5.1 mg), Selenium (18 mcg). We included an eye drop formulation made from N-acetyl-carnosine (NAC) 1.0%. Studies suggest that Carnosine revs up the proteasome – the cell’s “recycling center” for malformed proteins, in other words, Carnosine might actually help the body to eliminate glycated and other dysfunctional proteins.

In the six weeks of treatment, the patient reported back with three positive results. One involved disappearance of protein floaters in the eye, improvement in colour and an overall sense of well-being. This new change will require some more time to heal the eye. I will keep you posted.

Dr Elias Markou, ND

***This blog is not intended for self-diagnosis or treatment, please consult Dr. Markou or your own doctor before beginning any type of treatment or increasing your vitamin intake.

However, often times we perform our traditions with “revertigo”, which means we perform from habit. No presence of consciousness or heart provides the emotional and spiritual framework for families to flounder. Engaging in traditions and rituals where year after year unresolved issues are played out with the same results, begs the examination of how it is supporting the original purpose of the ritual and adding to the holiday experience.

We would all be healthier and happier if we took time to identify what we want the holidays to stand for in our families. Examine your traditions and ask yourself this transformative question, “ Does this activity contribute to me and my family flourishing?”. Then consciously invest your time and energy into the activities that reflect those values and you can put your heart into. You will experience a holiday rich in tradition and a family relaxed in body, mind and spirit.

“The health and well being of the family unit is only as healthy as the individuals in it.” – Pamyla Love

Pamyla Love is a Master of Vibrational Medicine with over 30 years experience in Energy Healing with a spiritual intuitive focus. Lives are transformed with her unique ability to understand the subtle energetic levels that health and dis-ease originate.

Book your free consultation by contacting the clinic to learn more.

Alcohol can be a major reason why your sleep suffers, so be sure to limit yourself at Holiday parties.
Aches and pains can also contribute, so take extra precautions when you’re shoveling all that snow. Caffeine may provide a morning pick-me-up, but too much can lead to sleepless nights.
Finally, stress and anxiety over Holiday travel and gift-giving can also disrupt sleep and lead to tossing and turning.

Sleep is important because it renews energy, boosts the immune system and repairs damage to your body. It also promotes growth, enhances memory and slows down the aging process.
Now there is a lot you can do to get the sleep you need. Unwind before bed with a cup of herbal tea or take a few minutes to collect your thoughts and meditate. When you do finally hit the hay, make sure you don’t sleep beside your phone. The electromagnetic radiation it emits can disrupt your sleep patterns! Finally, try darkening your bedroom to cut out any unnecessary light, which can stimulate a chemical that keeps you awake.

Try some of these things, and you’ll be sure to have sugar plums dancing in your head at night.

By: Dr. Emily FitzGerald, ND

Dr. FitzGerald is accepting new patients, contact the clinic to book an appointment.

Consuming Kids throws desperately needed light on the practices of a relentless multi-billion dollar marketing machine that now sells kids and their parents everything from junk food and violent video games to bogus educational products and the family car. Drawing on the insights of health care professionals, children’s advocates, and industry insiders, the film focuses on the explosive growth of child marketing in the wake of deregulation, showing how youth marketers have used the latest advances in psychology, anthropology, and neuroscience to transform American children into one of the most powerful and profitable consumer demographics in the world. Consuming kids pushes back against the wholesale commercialization of childhood, raising urgent questions about the ethics of children’s marketing and its impact on the health and well-being of kids.

View the trailer here.

Spaces are limited, register early!

To register via Meetup, click here.
To register via email, click here.

Flourish 15 is an exclusive system that offers you an opportunity to go from fading to flourishing in 15 minutes while seated. Flourish 15 is a truly unique system that offers you a deeper relaxation response than a one hour massage, yet leaves you alert so you have the potential to be at the top of your game.
It combines various ancient spiritual energy healing and massage techniques which can be applied safely and effectively on anyone at any age and compliments all other forms of treatment.

It was designed to be easy, affordable and effective for the whole family.

Book a FREE session on Wednesday December 7: 11am – 1pm, Monday December 12: 11am – 1pm and 5pm-6:30pm and Thursday December 15: 5pm-6:30pm.

Introductory price until Dec 23rd, 2011 – 3 sessions for $75, a savings of $25.

Inquire about our corporate group rate and we come to you.

• What is gluten? How can it affect the body?
• What are the most common symptoms? How can you get tested?
• Going Gluten Free in Toronto: A guide to eating out at restaurants
• Stocking your pantry
• Time to Taste! 5 recipes: Holiday Fruit and Nut Balls, Gingersnaps, S’mores Pudding, Almond Butter Rice Crisp Treats, Chocolate Dipped Chocolate Cookie Dough Balls
• Bring home a box of treats for your friends and families to try!
• One Live Demonstration

Cost: $10.00

Registration required. Please register either by contacting the clinic at 905-891-3865 or info@mypurebalance.ca or by registering through our “pureBalance Wellness Meetup Group”