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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?

Sunburn happens to the best of us. As a person of East Indian decent, I didn’t think that I needed to wear sunscreen on the Victoria Day long weekend. As it turns out, I was wrong.

I was enjoying the sunshine at my cottage without a care in the world when my sister told me that my nose had a red tint. When I went inside and looked in the mirror, I realized that she wasn’t kidding. My face was turning red and it was unmistakably sunburn.

While applying sunscreen or seeking shade are the best ways to prevent sunburn, what do you do when you’re already burnt?

The first thing my mom told me was to apply aloe or moisturizing cream. This is a nice way to soothe the affected area once you’ve noticed the burn. Well.ca carries many creams with aloe in the after sun care category.

Another good thing to do is to keep the skin cool, with either cool water or a dampened cloth. Not only does a little cooling feel nice on a hot sunny day, but this can reduce the heat and swelling that your skin may have after a long day in the sun.

There are also many natural home remedies that might do the trick for you. Cucumbers, green tea compresses, or pure lavender oil may yield the results you’re looking for.

No matter what you choose, make sure you stay out of the sun as much as possible once you’ve been burnt… and more importantly, make sure you have sunscreen around for the next time you’re enjoying the sunny outdoors!

Our new Clearance Section is here to stay. To kick it off, we’re clearing out our virtual shelves with some amazing deals!

Right now we have some great prices that you’ll definitely find hard to resist. Nivea Sun Lip Balm is only $1.00, which is a 50% discount!  Aubrey Organics, CoverGirl, and Always are just some of the other brands with products on sale right now.

To see the entire category, you can check out all of our clearance items here or head on over to well.ca and type “Clearance” in the search bar to make the Clearance category appear in the drop down menu.

And as always, we have our Sales Section that features daily and weekly sales and specials!

And don’t forget, all Canadians get free shipping so I’d get shopping now!

Earth Day 2011 is on April 22nd, which coincides with Good Friday this year. With the weather getting nicer and gas prices constantly rising, it’s a great time to think about reducing your carbon footprint and becoming more active for the spring and summer months.

Walking, running and cycling are great ways to get around town during the summer. These exercises give you a chance to soak up some natural Vitamin D after being cooped up inside for so long. They’re also a great way to burn the calories for the spring and summer instead of forcing yourself to go to the gym. But how do you motivate yourself when your car is sitting on the driveway?

- Get a Pedometer or Heart Rate Monitor and track your exercises. It’s fun to see how many steps you’ve taken or calories you’ve burned in a day, and it really makes you want to be more active!

- Start a walking/runnning/cycling club with friends and make goals for your team. Once you’ve made the commitment to the club, it’s harder to let yourself off the hook.

- Try keeping a journal and recording the number of times that you were active. I personally keep a planner and always make a note to mark down my workouts! When I’ve been lazy one week, I make a point to make up for it the next week.

Do you try to be more active in the spring and summer months? Let us know what motivational tools work for you!