World Breastfeeding Week is celebrated every year from August 1st to 7th, in more than 170 countries to encourage breastfeeding and improve the health of babies around the world. World Breastfeeding Week commemorates the Declaration made by the World Health Organization and UNICEF policy-makers to protect, promote and support breastfeeding.

Breastfeeding is a great way to provide newborns with the nutrients they need. The World Health Organization recommends exclusive breastfeeding until a baby is at least six months old, and continued breastfeeding with the addition of nutritious complementary foods for up  to two years or beyond.

Many moms find that speciality nursing products and accessories make their lives easier. Well.ca supplies a wide assortment of nursing tools and accessories to support all moms!

Using a breast pump is an effective way to express milk for your baby. Breast pumps allow you the convenience of providing breast milk to your caregiver or assist your baby if they are having difficulties latching on. They are also handy if your baby has a short nursing strike. Milk storage bags and bottles allow mothers to easily store and freeze their breastmilk for later use.

Nursing pillows assist mothers to bring baby up to the right level and provide extra support while during nursing. Nursing pillows are also an essential tool to assist mothers in maintaining good posture during feeding.

It is very important for the nursing mother to take special care of their breasts for a comfortable nursing experience. Special breast care items such as Aleva Naturals Nursing balm and Medela Tender Care Lanolin Cream soothe and protect dry and cracked nipples and are safe for both mom and baby!

Nursing bras provide proper support and are an essential tool for the nursing mother. A good nursing should easily undo single-handedly since you are likely to have your baby in your arms when getting ready to feed. Overall, nursing bras needs to be comfortable, adjustable and give good support. Carriwell has a wide assortment of bras for suitable for any nursing mom!

Gail is one of Well.ca’s baby experts and a proud mom of a bouncing baby boy.

We wanted to offer our customers a little bonus before the craziness of holiday shopping begins.  We have never done a promotion like this before and we’re so excited. Saturday Nov 18 until Sunday Nov 20, 2011 (EST) we are giving all of our customers 10% off.  This is across the site and you enter WELL4FAMILY at checkout

There is some fine print for the offer.  You cannot stack the 10% with Baby Club discounts.  Also, the 10% is not valid on shipping fees or gift card purchases.

For those of you have never used a coupon code on our site.  Here’s where you enter it in the checkout:

Happy Shopping!

As a chiropractor part of my job is to stay on top of the current research and help my patients navigate fact from fiction. Here are three common misconceptions about healthy back practices and what you can do to avoid them.

Myth #1: Always exhale when lifting
“Exhale when lifting the weight up, inhale when letting the weight down.” This is how most of us are taught to exercise with weights. The problem with this approach is that your core muscles become accustomed to relaxing when lowering the weight which leaves the spine susceptible to injury. A more functional approach is to breathe independently of the exercise. Purposefully changing the timing of your breath through the movement trains your core to be stable no matter what phase of the lift it’s in. It can be challenging at first, but worth the effort.

Myth #2: A good chair prevents back pain
Ergonomically designed chairs are not as good for your back as you might hope. The fact of the matter is that there is no ‘best’ chair or single ‘best’ posture. Sitting for longer than thirty minutes causes your back to compress and deform leading to a build-up of micro-trauma. Over time these micro-traumas can leave you susceptible to a more major and symptomatic injury. So while it is a good idea to have a chair that helps support a non-slouching posture it is even more important to stand up and move around every 20-30 minutes.

Myth #3: Crunches are better than sit-ups
“I know that sit-ups are bad for me so I do crunches instead to keep my core in shape.” It’s true that crunches will help your muscles to get stronger but unfortunately your spine will get weaker. Core exercises including crunches, sit-ups, reverse crunches, back extensions, and twists put tremendous pressure on your low back. The pressure from the bending/twisting can cause the discs in you back to rupture. So instead, try exercises that challenge the muscles while keeping your spine in a neutral position – the plank, side plank, and glute-bridge are a great place to start.

Simple changes in how you move and exercise can make a big difference in how your back functions and feels. For more healthy tips you can follow me on twitter @ClearPathChiro, facebook facebook.com/ClearPathChiropractic, or at www.ClearPathChiropractic.com

As we move into the fall and are heading back to school, many parents are dreading the coughs and colds that come along with it. Children’s AccuDial is a family of eight analgesic, allergy, cough and cold pediatric medications available at Well.ca that are designed specifically for kids. With fun flavours including cherry, orange, grape, mint, and best of all, fruit punch, getting your child to take these medications might be easier than you think.

Accudial Pharmaceutical, Inc. is changing the way liquid medications are dosed globally! It is the only brand with a patented rotating weight-based dosing system designed to administer over-the-counter medications safely and effectively based on your child’s weight! The company was recently awarded the PTPA Winner’s Seal of Approval. Because independent parent volunteers evaluate these products in their own homes, PTPA winners are chosen based on merit and consumer experience – not on commercial considerations.

At Well.ca, we love celebrating the accomplishments of our friends. Congratulations Accudial!

Whether you’re at the cottage relaxing or just locked inside your Edmonton home (we’ve heard the stories of not being able to go outside without being attacked this summer), Well.ca is the place to order bug repellent and we’ll deliver it right to your front door!

Natural Mosquito Repellents:

I must admit that when the mosquitoes are biting, I tend to just bathe myself in DEET products but I understand how many Canadians feel differently.  Whether you’re dousing small children, you’re pregnant or you just try to avoid unnecessary chemicals, there are natural alternatives on the market.  Well.ca carries Buzz Away which includes pure, natural essential oils including cedarwood, citronella, peppermint, eucalyptus and lemongrass.

Some Canadians make their own natural mosquito repellent using a variety of essential oils.  There are many species of mosquitoes and different oils repel different ones.  Here are some of the oils that are commonly used:

• Citronella Oil
• Eucalyptus Oil
• Cinnamon Oil
• Castor Oil
• Rosemary Oil
• Cedarwood Oil
• Peppermint Oil
• Clove Oil
• Geranium Oil

Make sure not to forget a carrier oil such as Olive oil because these essential oils are potent and can hurt the skin.

DEET Mosquito Repellent:

Muskol is the brand that I remember from childhood and still use to this day.  What can you say about Muskol?  It smells bad but it works!

Mosquito Bite Treatment:

When you are covered in bites, all you want is something to take that itch away.  Calamine Lotion works as does After-bite.

We’d love to hear your treatments for mosquito bites.  Do you have natural remedies?

There are so many foods that are naturally gluten free.  Sometimes we get so excited about all the gluten free pastas, pizzas, breads, cereals, etc. that we forget about all the wonderful food that is naturally gluten free.

It’s fairly obvious that foods in the meat, dairy, fruits and veggies families are all safe and naturally gluten free.  Instead, I’ll stick to the grains and foods in the carb family… here goes (in no particular order):

1. Quinoa – the South American super food!  Is it a grain or a protein?  Or both?  Who knows, who cares!  Just kidding – if you’re interested, check out quinoa on Wikipedia.  Quinoa is versatile, easy to cook and a huge fad right now… which means it’s easy to find at a grocery store or at a restaurant.

2. Rice – Brown Rice, White Rice, Wild Rice, Basmati, Instant, etc, etc, etc.  Rice comes in many varieties and if you keep your pantry stocked with a few different types, even rice doesn’t have to be boring!

3. Spaghetti Squash – A friend had me over for dinner recently and made an awesome spaghetti squash with marinara dish.  Yum yum!  It was pretty easy to do and was a great alternative to the gluten free pastas that are a staple at my house.

4. Legumes – Don’t worry, I’m aware that legumes are not quite a grain…. but this is my blog post and I want to include them here!  Being of East Indian decent, I have grown up eating a lot of daal (lentils).  This is a super tasty and very healthy gluten free food.  Lots of protein too!

5. Foods made with chick pea flour & rice flour – There are many examples in East Indian cuisine where there are great foods made with chick pea flour or rice flour, or with flour made from another lentil.  Try having dosas (kinda like a big gluten free pancake stuffed with potatoes and peas, and served with daal) or anything made from besan (chick pea flour) next time you’re at an Indian restaurant!

Did I leave off a naturally gluten free grain that you love?  Leave me a comment or send me an email about it and I’ll be sure to check it out.

About me: I am a young professional living in Toronto and sharing what I’ve learned about living a gluten free life. Read my blog at http://happyceliac.wordpress.com/

The term superfoods is heard everywhere these days in Canada.  Whether you’re on a low carb, low fat or low everything diet, adding some of these foods to your daily meals can really help increase energy levels, improve your immune system and improve your overall health.  Here is my list of 5 Superfoods.
1. Avocadoes: They are full of the best kind of fat (monounsaturated oleic acid) and they block the absorption of bad fats (cholesterol). They’re are high in lutein for your eyes.  You can eat them fresh or use the oil (great for salads).

2. Acai: Acai is a fruit that comes from the Amazon.  It is a very, very powerful antioxidant and many people believe it is an amazing superfood.  Well.ca carries tons of products with Acai (some to eat and some not)

3. Pumpkin Seeds: Pumpkin seeds are high in fiber and protein they are also a rich source of minerals. I love eating the Eden Organic Spicy Pumpkin Seeds but you can also eat the pumpkin seed butter or take pumpkin seed oil in caplet form

4. Quinoa: Quinoa comes from the Andes where they refer to it as a “perfect food” due to the unique balance of amino acids.  Somewhat like couscous, I love adding it to soups but Well.ca carries lots of Quinoa options.

5. Pomegranate: Rich in vitamins C and B, potassium, folic acid and iron, pomegranate is another superfood that’s great to consume in the fresh form (albeit a little annoying to eat with all those little seeds).  But we also love eating this Pomegranate snack bar

Those are my favourites.  What are your favourite superfoods?