City Life’s Health & Wellness Experts enlighten us on what to do to stay young, feel healthy, and be happier!

Get Angry, it’s Healthy! – By Stephanie D’Angelo

Go on, let it out! Getting angry, despite common misconceptions, is good for you. Psychotherapist Stephen van Beek elaborates on why letting out your true feelings can actually be healthy for you.

With all of the fighting and stress that can result from anger, it’s easy to see why most of us assume that anger is bad for our health. However, it may be just the opposite. It is what we do with this anger that affects our overall well-being. Although we are often told to “walk it off” or “turn the other cheek” when we are upset, we are actually making the experience worse for ourselves because we are masking up our true feelings.

Stephen van Beek is the Founder of the Toronto Therapy Network and a psychotherapist with a specialty in anger management. van Beek explains that some anger is actually helpful to us because it helps us combat real injustices and cruelties that we have experienced. When we do get angry, simply trying to calm down isn’t always the best solution. “It might be better to accept and recognize that you are angry, experience it, and have the anger pass through you,” he says, “because anger doesn’t last long, it will go away on its own…if you bottle it up, you will cause it to intensify and pop up elsewhere.”

Stephen van Beek - Psychotherapist
Stephen van Beek, MA (Tripos), DCTP, Member CAPT, has worked as a teacher, a consultant, an organizer of different ventures (like the Toronto Therapy Network Web site) and for many years as a therapist, but the same fundamentals have applied. “I think each of us has a life theme, an authentic psychic destiny to fulfill that means who we are and grounds us in existence.” When that life theme gets lost and obscured we pay a huge emotional price, until we recover it. Stephen@therapytoronto.ca

The idea is to deal with the anger in a mature and honest matter instead of ignoring it or lashing out at a scapegoat. “We don’t want to carry our anger, so we dump it on someone who won’t fight back,” says van Beek. According to van Beek, the best thing to do in these situations is to apologize and try to figure out why we blamed this person, instead of the person who made us angry.

If we notice ourselves becoming irritated with someone, we have to be honest with ourselves, consider what the other is saying and decide whether we will confront that person. “People need to take more conscious control of their emotional life and not act too immediately,” explains van Beek. Another helpful tip: learn how to prevent an argument from getting out of hand. “When you are in an argument or spat, don’t place blame on the other, instead focus on how you feel and avoid talking down to the other person,” he says.

For those who have greater difficulty controlling their temper, therapy can help to teach them to gain control over their emotions and cultivate a sense of humour about life’s events.
www.torontotherapy.com

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Mommy Makeover: How to Regain Your Self-Confidence after Giving Birth
- By Sera Ozel

Giving birth can be one of the most emotionally satisfying moments in a woman’s life. But physically, it can do damage to her self-esteem. Thankfully, there are many options for getting your pre-baby body back. Dr. McLean of the McLean Clinic prescribes the perfect mommy makeover.

After having a child, all sorts of thoughts run through the mind of a new mother. How will I get my  figure back? How can I get rid of these stretch marks and extra skin? How will I manage to eat well and take care of myself, while putting my child’s health and well-being above mine?

Dr. McLean – Plastic Surgeon
Dr. Hugh McLean is a certified plastic surgeon by the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada,  and the American Board of Plastic Surgeons, Inc. He graduated from the Faculty of Medicine at the University of Toronto, and now specializes in plastic and cosmetic surgery. He opened The McLean Clinic in 1988. Whether it’s a new skincare regime, or a procedure that will tighten and lift your body back to its pre-baby state, the McLean Clinic offers a wide variety of services to help new moms look and feel better.

Dr. Hugh McLean is a plastic surgeon at McClean Clinic, and is certified by the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada. He sees many women who want assistance in getting their pre-baby body back. “It’s restoring some of the things they’ve lost after having their children,” says Dr. McLean of his work with new moms.

Some mothers embrace their new bodies, while some mothers don’t experience any significant changes to their bodies. But for others, it can be a long, hard struggle to flatten and lift everything back to its starting point. “Your mind immediately turns to the tummy, because when you have a baby the tummy stretches, and to the breasts, because maybe your breasts change, and when you nurse they change as well,” says Dr. McLean.

From a surgical point of view, the McLean clinic offers different options for women looking to get some work done. Depending on what is needed, Dr. McLean has a way of making it easy on his patients, so they can recover quickly with minimal pain and discomfort. McLean Clinic follows the motto: “Beauty Made Easy.”

“What we try to do when we do a tummy tuck and breast lift, is we try to make those procedures as easily tolerated as possible. If you hear about a tummy tuck, or talk to someone who has had a tummy tuck, they probably say they had to spend the night in the hospital and had to have a drain tube coming out of their abdomen to suck out fluid. It sounds pretty awful,” says Dr. McLean.

To make things easier, the McLean Clinic has eliminated discomfort by developing techniques that no longer require uncomfortable steps. These women after all, have families and children to spend time with. “We do everything in my private clinic, everyone goes home to their own bed, we don’t use stitches that have to be removed. We don’t expect people to lie around and do nothing. We expect them to get up and move about; we really try to make the experience not nearly as difficult as people conceive that it will be,” says Dr. McLean. www.mcleanclinic.com

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Happy Foods for Your Mood – By Debora Palmieri

Have you ever been tired, irritated, or in a bad mood without even knowing why? Has anyone ever told you that you’re always grumpy? If so, than you may need to ‘cheer up’ your diet!

You are what you eat. Not only can food affect the way you look,  it can also affect your mood. What you put into your body can have positive or negative effects on the way you feel. For instance, there are foods out there that can make you tired, angry and irritated, and then there are feel good foods that give you energy and have a positive impact on your emotions. Since there are enough grumpy people out there, I thought it would be nice to focus on “happy” foods; foods that will definitely put a smile on your face and make you feel great!

Debora Palmieri – Holistic Nutritionist
Debora Palmieri, BASc., RHN, RNCP, is a Registered Nutritional Consultant with a passion to help people achieve optimal health through diet, nutrition, and a healthy lifestyle. Debora’s practice, Healthy Choices, allows her the opportunity to help individuals on their path to wellness. For your own personal consultation, please contact Debora at debora@myhealthychoices.ca. Here are a few of those “happy” foods that you can begin adding to your diet to ensure you’re always at your best.

Yogurt: Yogurt is an excellent mood food, especially for women. Its high-calcium content makes it great for relieving premenstrual symptoms like depression, irritability, anxiety and general mood swings. Keep in mind however, when I say yogurt I’m referring to plain, preferably organic, yogurt. Try to avoid those that have been artificially sweetened and are full of fruit, as they tend to be higher in sugar and preservatives.

Figs: A good source of iron, figs give energy levels a boost. Iron is an important mineral, as it is essential for transporting oxygen to all cells within the body. The better your iron stores are, the more energy you will have.

Eggs: Eggs have gotten a bad reputation over the years, due to the belief that they raise cholesterol levels. However, eggs are actually a good source of many nutrients. Especially high in zinc, eggs assist in balancing blood sugar levels, thus making you feel more awake and giving you plenty of energy. This is why eggs are a great way to start your day! Again, choose organic whenever possible.

Walnuts: Walnuts are full of healthy fats called omega-3 fatty acids. Omega-3’s are important for healthy brain cells, as they help the brain to interpret moods and feelings. Deficiencies in these fats are often linked to depression, so add some walnuts to your diet to give your brain a boost.

Brown Rice: Brown rice, like all whole grains, it is full of nutrients and fibre, making it excellent fuel for your body. White rice has been stripped of all of its nutrients and when consumed is easily converted to sugar, thereby negatively affecting your blood sugar levels. Incorporating brown rice, as well as other grains into your diet will provide you with lasting energy to get you through your day.

Chocolate: There’s no doubt that chocolate makes just about everyone happy. High in magnesium, it helps to relax muscles, which is why women find it helpful for easing menstrual cramps. Chocolate also works as a natural antidepressant by releasing endorphins, your feel-good hormones. Enjoy only small amounts of dark chocolate made from at least 70 per cent real cocoa.

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Choice Determines Our Path – By Darlene Montgomery

One of my favorite movies How to Make an American Quilt, is a wonderful allegory about how our choices create our life. The narrator tells us at the end of the story that our good choices bring out the natural colours of the quilt, while our poor choices dull the colours. Making choices that enhance our life quality and are in integrity with our values can lead to a life like a beautiful tapestry, or a piece of art that shines with light and purity.

Choice-making however, can be difficult when our life has pressured us into a corner, especially when our fears are amplified and overshadowing our intuition. Choices made from a calm, peaceful place bring us to the right places and people, while choices made from fear or under pressure, lead to disaster.

Darlene Montgomery – Spritual Life Coach
Darlene Montgomery’s work as a life coach and author centres on directing others to their spiritual purpose. The focus of this work teaches the importance of developing a relationship with the spiritual force within us all. Darlene is a Spiritual Life Coach, who combines work with dreams, intuitive exploration, vision mapping and educational kinesiology to assist others in achieving their greatest life. Visit www.lifedreams.org For a Life Purpose Coaching Session, e-mail Darlene at Darlene@lifedreams.org

Rebazar Tarzs, a member of the order of the Varaigi Masters, says that, “The choices we makes at the end of a cycle, determine the path we will walk for a time in our next cycle.” Whether in business, or our personal lives, choices made from a place of honesty, integrity and love build, while choices made out of revenge, haste, or fear can only lead to failure.

In my work as a life-coach and author, I often meet people who have a hard time knowing what they want. Because we have so often been told, ‘don’t bother, that’s impossible, who are you kidding?’ we lose our sense of vision, drive and purpose. Dip your toe in the waters of exploring what you love before you attempt to try to know the big reason for your life. Go for walk near the water and listen to your heart. Read books that tune you in to the feeling of unity and calm, so that you can explore in a calm way what you want to choose for the rest of your life.

Recently, I was driving along a road, on a snowy winter day. In the sky, only 20 feet or so above my car, I saw a bald eagle with an enormous wingspan. The implications of seeing this majestic bird have coloured my life. He’s visited me several times since to tell me to lift myself above the cares and worries of my heart. Life is speaking to us in the animals who are messengers, in our dreams and in the voices of strangers who say a word or two that ignite us to action, and understanding about why we are here and where we need to go to next.

Listen to the voice within and know that your path is a story you are creating.

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Keep it Fun! Keep Focused! Keep Fit! Ways to Stay Motivated in your Exercise Routine! – By Sera Ozel

It’s easy to say you are going to start working out. And it’s even easier to plan a routine and begin working out. The real difficulty rests in keeping up the self-motivation to continue working out after the first month is over.

Everyone wants quick results. But the reality is, drastic changes don’t occur right away. Andrew Jones, a personal trainer and manager at Pure FX Fitness Studios motivates his clients by individualizing their goals. “You give them a goal to reach for and if they reach it they receive something. That’s how I do it to keep them motivated,” says Jones.

Andrew Jones - Co-founder / Personal Trainer
Andrew Jones is a highly accomplished former professional athlete who understands and exemplifies determination, diligence and commitment. www.purefxfitness.com

To stay on top of your fitness routine, keep your exercise exciting by working out with a partner, listening to music, and trying different things. Most fitness studios and gyms offer many different classes and group workout sessions that will help you stay focused and consistent. “I like to switch it every two weeks, that way they don’t get bored or plateau. People’s bodies will plateau because they get used to the same routine,” says Jones, whose fitness studio offers many different classes from Yoga to mixed martial arts, and will soon introduce a new dance class from Brazil.

Changing your eating habits is crucial when it comes to achieving the best results. “The food you choose to eat accounts for 70 percent of your weight loss,” says Jones. “You can do all the cardio, and all the weight training you want to do, but without a proper diet you’re cancelling out your fitness efforts.

At Pure FX, Jones and the other trainers help their clients by providing them with personalized eating plans. They also encourage their clients to workout a minimum of three days a week. “We don’t take away foods from them, we give them a list of foods and let them pick all the foods they like to eat, then we create a book for them and show them how and when to eat certain things. Then we encourage them to do weight training and cardio.” www.purefxfitness.com

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Intuition: A Sixth Sense – By Sera Ozel

Give meaning to life by expressing your intuition!  Dr. Katherine Opashinov unravels the mystery that surrounds intuition, and surprisingly, says that everyone is capable of experiencing that gut-feeling.

Everyone is intuitive. For some, their intuition is lost as they grow older and for others, it sticks with them. You cannot study intuition at college or university, it is something you are born with. Dr. Katherine Opashinov is opening a school in September called the Intuitive Centre, where small groups of adults can learn how to use their intuitive senses. Her four courses will focus on intuition for business,  everyday life, parenting and professional development.

Dr. Katherine Opashinov – Psychotherapist
Dr. Katherine Opashinov graduated from the University of Toronto with a bachelor of arts, and then completed four years of psychotherapy training at a private school. Today, she is a practicing psychotherapist in Toronto, as well as an Intuition Expert.

For Opashinov, her intuitive senses were noticed when she was in her late teens. “People started pointing it out to me and now that I look back I was already doing things that were particularly intuitive when I was young.” She says that she would just think about things and they would happen.

Today, Opashinov uses her intuition to help others. Her classes start with basic exercises, and after one two–hours, she says, most participants can guess their partner’s favourite food. She explains their ability to understand one another is based on their intuitive feelings, visions and thinking.

Opashinov describes intuition as getting information from an unseen source. Some might describe intuition as a sixth sense, however, many people cannot accept this. “You can be very logical and very intuitive, but if you believe that logic and intuition are exclusive then you will be resistant to taking in a new way of thinking,” she says.

Opashinov says there has been extensive research on intuitive thinking. For her to really believe and understand intuition, she studied its practicalities. Over the years, she has tested it out on herself and in her experience has realized that it is a tried and true sense. She believes that everyone has intuition, but has noticed that certain types of people can express it. “Every single person is born with intuition, we would not be able to get through a day without it,” says Opashinov. She explains that little things happen in day-to-day activities that prove intuition exists naturally in everyone. Have you ever been at a party and turned your shoulder because you felt someone staring at you and they were? That’s intuition, says Opashinov. www.katherineopashinov.com

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What if one day you could not hear? – By Sera Ozel

Have you noticed changes in your hearing? Do people constantly say you aren’t listening to them? You may be experiencing hearing loss, which is both preventable and treatable, says Tricia Ramlalsingh.

Many of us take our hearing for granted. There are two different types of hearing loss: noise-induced hearing loss, and age-related hearing loss. According to Tricia Ramlalsingh, M.Cl.Sc., Reg. CASLPO, Audiologist at Vaughan’s Listen Up Canada, people should get their hearing tested as soon as they notice problems. “The first sign of hearing loss is people being told by family members that the TV is too loud or they’re not hearing them. It’s a second or third party telling them, they don’t notice the hearing loss themselves,” says Ramlalsingh.

Tricia Ramlalsingh – Audiologist
Tricia Ramlalsingh is a certified audiologist registered by the College of Audiologists and Speech Language Pathologists of Ontario (CASLPO). She graduated from the University of Western Ontario with a Masters in Clinical Science. Tricia is currently the clinic manager and an audiologist at the Vaughan branch of Listen Up Canada.

The most common cause of noise induced hearing loss is noise pollution. “Many people who work in industrial type settings, factories – that’s a huge culprit for hearing loss. The fact that we live in a very noisy place, the city, is another reason for experiencing hearing loss,” says Ramlalsingh. In busy places, there is far more noise than you would think. Work regulations state that employers must provide their employees with appropriate hearing protection, however, in day-to-day activities, people are often unaware of the damage they are doing to their hearing. “Traditionally, people don’t think they work in a lot of noise,” explains Ramlalsingh.

To prevent hearing loss, “Turn down the stereo. (Noise-induced hearing loss) is the most preventable hearing loss,” says Ramlalsingh. “You have to be aware of the surroundings that you are in, in order to prevent (hearing loss). If you are mowing the lawn or using power tools for an extended period of time, it will contribute to noise-induced hearing loss. Using hearing protection such as headphone or ear moulds would be ideal.”

Getting your hearing tested is as easy as walking through the door at Listen Up Canada. A doctor’s referral is not required, and the tests can take an average of 30 minutes. Hearing tests take place in a sound booth and consist of three components; pure tone audiometry, speech audiometry and emittance testing. After your first test, if there are no problems, Ramlalsingh suggests getting your hearing tested every two to three years. Once hearing loss is detected, getting your hearing tested every year is recommended.

Listen Up Canada provides the most up-to-date hearing aids for people suffering from hearing loss. “The essential goal of a hearing aid is to aid in communication – the conversations one-on-one. More tricky situations are social settings where there is more noise involved,” says Ramlalsingh. According to Listen Up Canada, 85 per cent of Canadians do not use hearing aids once a hearing loss is detected. “Because of the negative connotations that hearing aids have had, people have different factors (for not wearing them). One is if you wear a hearing aid you are old, and second is the fact that hearing aids have traditionally not worked where there is a lot of noise.” www.listenupcanada.com