Be Fit, Eat Right, Think Well, Go Green

Posted by CK in health, review, wellness

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Thanks to a fabulous deal, Amanda and I attended the 6th annual Health and Wellness Expo at the Shenkmen Arts Center in Orleans last week end.

Founded by Dr. Nathalie Beauchamp and Deborah MacDonald, the Expo brought together over 50 exhibitors to present local products and services related to health and wellness, such as the new Moksha Yoga in Orleans and Pantry Plus, a local health food store located on St-Joseph boulevard. Plus, various speakers discussed different facets of health and wellness throughout the day, such as Eating the Smart Way and Take Control of Your Hormones. They surely had something for everyone to enjoy!

It all sounded fabulous prior to our attendence, so we were quite excited to see what the event was all about! We mostly hoped to learn more about the various services offered around wellness and pick up a few samples (let's be honest here). Actually, not only were we able to pick up Dr. Beauchamp's book Wellness on the Go and get an amazing deal at her chiropractic clinic, but we also received a FREE box of Kellog's Corn Flakes!

Having been to the Shenkman for different kinds of events, I was a little reluctant about the location. I was curious to see how they would fit all their kioks (and the great amount of people who showed up) in a relatively small space. Having said that, they did a great job at spreading the kioks over the two floors, while leaving enough room for visitors to enjoy every one of them. The Ritchcraft theatre however was a little too small to accomodate the numerous audience members wanting to attend the very interesting seminars.

Amanda and I attended 2 seminars: Lianne Laing - Staying Healthy Even if You Are Busy (you can follow her on twitter for more tips!) and Dr. Nathalie Beauchamp - Take Control Of Your Hormones. Both seminars were very useful to provide important information about health and wellness. Here are few tips we picked up over the course of the day:

Lianne Laing speaking with Dr. Beauchamp about her
morning show spot, "Today's the Day"

1. At some point during your exercise routine, it's going to become important to have someone push you to your limits. It's easy for your body to remember the exercise you put it through, so your regular routine won't always cut it. A coach or a trainer can help you take your routine one step further.
2. Fruit should be the first thing you eat in the morning since they don't let the sugars from your upcoming meals sit in your body, and the fruit nutrients will actually get absorbed better. This means eating it before your other breakfast items.
3. Do not deprive yourself of the foods you love that make life happy. Simply eat them in moderation.
4. Rules to live by: "Do not pray for an easy life, pray to be a strong person"
5. Take care of yourself first. That way, you have the energy and the strength to take care of others.
6. "Take good care of your body, it's the only place you have to live." 
7. If you find yourself feeling too busy or too tired to go to the gym once you gotten home from work, try going directly from the job to the gym. Also, make sure to pack your bags the night before, so it's that much easier to get there.
8. Eat 5 grams of protein every morning for optimum health
9. Love the beef but watching your health? Grass-fed beef contains less saturated fat than grain-fed will, so try buying organic. 
10. Still too busy for the gym? Are you focussing on keeping your kids active, but slacking off in your own physical activity as a result? Instead of staying for your child's full practice or activity, take half the time to go for a brisk walk outside, or around the complex. Or, take turns with other parents in watching the kids, so you can alternate who gets a quick sweat on, and who fills in the cheering section.

We really would've liked to partake in the film viewing of Forks Over Knives but our busy lives unfortunately had to take over.

All in all, it's an event I'd recommend for those who are looking to start a healthy lifestyle but aren't sure where to start. Great tips, great discoveries, and great times! (Some pretty good samples too...thanks ginger people :) )