We wanted to let you know how much we appreciate your support throught this difficult year. As a token of our thanks we thought we would have a small holiday gathering. We hope you can join us!

Please fill out the contact form below if you would like to have a complimentary massage or acupuncture session that day and we will contact you back with the time slot available. Thank you!

Over the past week I have found myself referring to this video over and over in my patient visits, so I thought  I would share it with you, as well as post it as a reminder for myself!  

How will you help yourself maintain or achieve better health this week?

- Dr. Alexandra Hurtado, ND

Fall is the perfect time to make this soup! Squash contains many antioxidants, is an anti-inflammatory, is high in beta carotene ( the precursor to Vitamin A),  B vitamins, vitamin C and fiber.

Panax ginseng is a wonderful immune tonic, ecellent to include at the onset of fall to help ward off colds and flus! 

Panax is also used to improve energy, focus, concentration, response to stress, and can be found seasonally in Asian Grocery stores. It is optional and must be avoided if you are pregnant, breastfeeding, have an auto-immune condition or  are giving it to children. http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/druginfo/natural/1000.html

This is a great soup for kids as it is nutrient rich, with a smooth, creamy and delicious texture. (Omit the Ginseng for kids)

Ingredients
1 Acorn Squash (really any squash will do)
1 Onion, diced
2 Carrots, diced
2 cups Filtered water
1 Cup of Almond or Coconut Milk
1 Large clove of garlic ( or 2-3 small ones), minced
1 Thumb sized piece of Fresh Turmeric root, sliced  OR 1 Tbsp of Turmeric Powder
1.5  Thumb sized piece of Fresh Ginseng root., sliced
1 tsp Nutmeg
1 Tsp Cumin
1 Tbsp Coconut Oil
Salt & Black pepper to taste.

Directions
1. In a large pot, place squash and fill to about halfway with water and set to boil for 7-9 minutes, turning squash halfway until tender enough to stick a knife in.
2. Take squash out of water and cut a slice off the bottom.
3. Stand squash on a cutting board and cut the peel off. 
4. Cut Squash in half, scoop out seeds and set aside. see Recipie: Roasted Squash Seeds
5. In a large pot, heat coconut oil  over medium heat and add onion, carrots, garlic, turmeric, ginseng, nutmeg , cumin, salt ad pepper. Saute until onions are translucent. 
6. Cut Squash into 1 inch pieces and add into pot and stir. 
7. Add Milk and water and increase heat until it reaches a boil. Once it boils, lower to a simmer for 15 minutes. Add more liquid, salt and pepper as needed.
8. Blend all the ingredients together  until soup achieves a smooth, creamy consistency and serve hot.

Take advantage that pomegranates are in season to whip up this super easy, antioxidant rich, heart healthy salad! 

Did you know? Studies show pomegranate seeds improve blood flow, stop plaque formation, lower cholesterol, lower blood pressure and are a powerful antioxidant which counteract free radical damage!



Ingredients
1/2 cup Pomegranate seeds
1/2 cup Cilantro, chopped
1/2 Onion, sliced
1.5 Cups  Pea Shoots
3 Tbsp Feta, Crumbled OR Slivered Almonds ( 

Dressing
2 tbsp Apple Cider Vinegar
1 Tsp Aged Balsamic
2 Tbsp Olive Oil
Salt and pepper to taste.

Directions
Mix dressing ingredients together in a large bowl and add onions. Let sit 10 minutes. 
Seed the Pomegranate- see directions below.
Place all ingredients in the bowl.
Toss and serve!

No time to prepare breakfast in the morning? Try this recipe! Prepared in minutes the night before, just grab and go in the morning. 

(Though ideally you should be sitting down and enjoying your meals in a relaxed setting for optimal digestions... sorry, just had to remind you!)

Why is this a nutritious breakfast? 
Oats are nourishing to the nervous system and help balance you in time of stress. As a side bonus, the protein in this power packed breakfast will keep your blood sugar balanced throughout the morning and leads to less cravings and snacking at night! Plus, lots of antioxidants and nutrients from the berries. Oh, and its gluten and dairy free too!

Ingredients
3/4 cup rolled oats (Bob's Red Mill is Gluten free)
1/4 shredded coconut (unsweetened)
2 Tbsp goji berries
1/4 cup of chopped almonds 
2 Tbsp hemp or pumpkin seeds
1 cup of unsweetened Almond, Soy or Coconut milk
1 Tbsp cinnamon
A squeeze of raw honey or raw agave to taste, if desired.

For a Chocolate variation: add 1 tsp raw cacao nibs. 
For a Vanilla variation: add 1/2 tsp natural vanilla extract.
For a Mixed berry Variation: add fresh raspberries or blueberries in the morning.
For a Nutty Variation: add pecans, walnuts and cashews.
For a Tropical Variation: add dried pineapple, fresh mango.
For a Fall Harvest Variation: add a Tbsp pumpkin puree, dash of nutmeg and clove & chopped walnuts.
For a Warming Winter Variation: add dried cranberry, chopped pecans, dash of cardamom & candied ginger. 


Directions:
In a Mason jar, place all dry ingredients and give them a stir.

Add milk.

Cover and leave in fridge overnight.

Add a little extra milk in the morning if you like it more liquid.

Yes, its as simple as that!

Makes: 10-15 Preparation Time: 20-25 minutes

This wonderful high protein snack is mineral rich and high in fiber and B vitamins. Perfect choice to stabilize blood sugar and ward off cravings. Makes a nice appetizer or side dish for lunch, dinner or brunch.

Ingredients
1 package soba noodles (Buckwheat)
1 cup snow peas
1 red pepper
1 cup bean sprouts
1 cup pea sprouts
1/4 cup cilantro
1/4 cup cashews
2 stalks green onion
1/4 cup shredded carrots


Sauce
3/4 c coconut milk
1/3 c peanut butter
2 tsp brown sugar
1/2 tsp red thai curry paste
Salt to taste
 
Whisk the sauce ingredients together in a large bowl and set aside.

Cook soba noodles according to package instructions. Lightly steam snow peas as you are cooking the noodles (1-2 minutes). Run noodles and snow peas under cold water when they are finished cooking to cool them.

Thinly slice (Julienne) red pepper, carrots and snow peas into matchstick sized pieces.

Chop cilantro, pea sprouts, green onion, and cashews.
 
Mix all ingredients together in sauce bowl and serve it cold on a green leaf or in a bowl.
 
There you have it, an extremely tasty gluten and dairy free meal. Makes great leftovers too!

This week a recall came out that affects many of our patients so we thought we would help spread the word. Please continue to share!

 Health Canada has recalled several digestive enzymes due to the discovery that they have been contaminated by Chloramphenicol. Chloramphenicol is an inexpensive antibiotic which can cause rare, but serious side effects of bone marrow suppression and aplastic anemia. Chloramphenicol has also been know to create a resistance to antibiotics over time, thus its use was largely discontinued in developed countries, but continues to be used in underdeveloped nations.

If you are taking digestive enzymes, please check the recall list frequently as new batched are updated: 
http://healthycanadians.gc.ca/recall-alert-rappel-avis/hc-sc/2013/36355a-eng.php

Because the recall spans so many brands, many of them high quality brands like Metagenics, it is believed the contamination happened at the source of the raw materials. They are a handful of raw material suppliers of nutraceuticals in the world, many companies often use the same sources. In this case the supplier was Specialty enzymes & Biotechnologies.

What to do if you are taking a contaminated batch?
1. Stop taking it right away. 
2. Take a multi-strain probiotic short term to rebalance your intestinal flora.
3. If you are breastfeeding, Chloramphenicol passes through breast milk so possibly re-balancing baby's flora may be indicated.
4. Chloramphenicol is metabolized by the liver and excreted by the kidneys. Make sure your liver is in top shape, some dandelion leaf and root tea would be helpful as the root works on the liver and the leaf on the kidneys.
5. Drink lots of water to flush it out of your system.
6. If you are still worried, consult with your Naturopathic Doctor.

We came across this article this week "Asian Honey: Banned in Europe, Is Flooding U.S. Grocery Shelves" and thought we would share it with you as many of us may be unwittingly consuming these contaminated products. 
The article states that honey (and bee pollen) coming from India and China was contaminated with heavy metals and antibiotics. Honey from India was now banned in Europe, thus diverting its supply to North America where no ban is in place.

"Food safety investigators from the European Union barred all shipments of honey from India because of the presence of lead and illegal animal antibiotics.  Further, they found an even larger amount of honey apparently had been concocted without the help of bees, made from artificial sweeteners and then extensively filtered to remove any proof of contaminants or adulteration or indications of precisely where the honey actually originated.

An examination of international and government shipping tallies, customs documents and interviews with some of North America’s top honey importers and brokers documented the rampant honey laundering and that a record amount of the Chinese honey was being purchased by major U.S. packers." 

We all know by now that many products coming from Asia are contaminated and it makes sense that we try and avoid these products, unfortunately many of the pollen containing products on the market do not state the source of their raw materials. Just because a product is "Made in Canada" or "Made in the USA" does NOT mean that the raw materials originated in those countries, it just means that's where the product was put together. 


This is why at our Centre we have strict policies on what is sold in our dispensary. Our honey for instance, comes from Carlisle, Ontario, straight from the farm where it is collected and bottled. Our bee pollen comes from the same farm too, they are both raw, unprocessed and free of contaminants. The farm itself is a small family business that was started in 1981 and has been passed on through generations with about 750,000,000 hardworking bees on staff. 
We are proud to support small family businesses like ours, especially when we can reduce our ecological footprint by reducing the distance our products need to travel.

Our goal is to teach our patients and clients to ask questions, read labels, be smart consumers! 

Buying local isn't just about supporting the local economy or being patriotic, its about food safety and confidence in your food supply too!