New blogging place

Hello friends and readers. We have a great new website for The Healing Oasis with it's own blog. Check out www.thehealingoasis.ca/news for our latest recipes, courses, and health information. Thank you for all your support as we continue to grow and help our community.

Yours in Health,
Whitney Young, ND.

Upcoming Reiki Classes in Barrie

Learn to Channel Energy for Yourself and Others

Our Reiki Master, Anna Nicol presents classes at The Healing Oasis in Barrie.

Anna is a Scottish born nurse, registered reflexologist and reiki master. Please phone for more information or to register for the classes.

REIKI

Level 1 & 2

Sept 4th & 5th or Sept 13th & 14th

Master Level (3)

Oct. 9th & 10th

All classes will be held at The Healing Oasis, 25 Berczy Street Barrie.

Please call 705-735-0959 for more information.

Back to School Lunch Dilemma

Yes, I saw the first back-to-school commercial on TV as soon as August hit. The summer is going way too fast but let's squeeze as many more memories out of this one as possible.

However, we can't deny that school is upon us. I got a recent email newsletter from EWG - the Environmental Working Group - which I subscribe to. http://www.ewg.org/

Many Moms and Dads are becoming increasingly aware of the environmental impact on our health and their children's health. What can parents do to lessen the environmental toxic burden on their kids? Here are a few tips I found in that newsletter:

1. LUNCH BOXES

These hold food, so it is especially important that lunch boxes contain fewer toxic materials. Look for boxes with NO lead paint, PVC, BPA and antimicrobial chemicals. Some options are

- Cotton lunch bags

- BPA-free plastic

- Unpainted stainless steel boxes

Try reusing utensils from home and pack food in reusable, rather than disposable, containers.

- lightweight stainless steel

- #1, 2, 4, or 5 plastics

Buy a safer lunch box on Amazon and you will donate money to EWG by going to http://www.ewg.org/ website and click through to Amazon.

For more tips on lunch ideas read our past posts as well as check The Healing Oasis out on facebook.

Green Tip - Coconut oil...and then some!!

I have been experimenting off and on with consuming more of a raw diet for the last few months now. I will admit some weeks are more raw than others, but even just getting more fruits and veggies into my diet has made me feel much better.

One of the main oils used in the raw culture is Coconut oil because it is not processed and completely natural. In one of the books I found the author noted that she uses coconut oil, not only as a moisturizing natural alternative to shaving cream or gel, but also that she uses it as an eye makeup remover!! So of course, I had to try it...and yes it works, extremely well actually. It's also used as a good carrier oil for massage. So instead of buying a bottle of shaving cream and a tube of makeup remover - you can save all that packaging and just buy a large tub of coconut oil and use it for many different purposes. A nice environmentally friendly natural resource!

I shared my new found information with a girlfriend a few weeks ago and she just sent me a really great article on coconut oil and some health benefits of using it...including help with weight loss, immunity, and skin irritations. I thought I would share the link for the article as well...it makes for some very interesting reading and potentially a few more naturally healthy people!

http://www.organicfacts.net/organic-oils/organic-coconut-oil/health-benefits-of-coconut-oil.html

Happy reading!
Yours in health and wellness,
Lee Anne
The Healing Oasis Team

"Balance" is it a myth or reality? Reiki, is that a myth or reality?

By Jessy Morrison, Body Talk Practitioner and Reiki Master

Can we segment our time into thirds?

1/3 for the kids, for my job, for me... Well maybe 1/3 for my spouse, or my hobby, and my parents, and my job...

Oops forgot about housework, paying the bills, but the garden needs doing, and what about visiting friends...or um catching up on facebook and maybe a little TV.... oh ya I forgot to sleep, oh am I supposed to eat more than a shake too?!

I think the "How to..." books are missing the mark, it's not about fitting more into time segments; rather it is about doing less (but not neglecting things) about being present in the moment as we are doing (experiencing), about breathing deeper and not about fretting about what still needs to be done, or what might happen, or did happen.

Worry is meditating on the negative.
Faith ends when worry begins.
Worry ends when faith begins.

What gave me balance in my life when my Type A personality was in overdrive? "Reiki", that fine tuning of meditative unconditional love. If I could learn to use and be Reiki, anyone can. It's about living through the experience of life, health, illness, trauma, and drama in Alpha Waves, not the Beta cortisol state of fear. Fear is a great mobilizer, gets you out of danger fast... but with computers, TV's electromagnetic stress, relationship stress, financial stress, toxins & media hype, it is easy for us to lose sight of peace. Reiki energy is Peace.

Is your life in PEACE or in PIECES?
Looking for an ancient healing method to integrate into your modern lifestyle, join me on July 9th for the first stage of living in healing balance. Like pieces of a jig saw puzzle we live our lives in bits, what helps us synthesize and integrate it in Peace? REIKI.

Come find out if its is a myth or reality. For me it is the only reality.

FOr those of you who have taken Stage 1, but never used your Reiki Talent join us for Reiki Level 2 (beyond time and space) to begin to integrate your God given gift daily, for yourself, your pets, and your family.

July 9th & August 13th

RSVP Jessy 705-241-8680

C-Section Babies and Probiotics

Babies are born by cesarean section (c-section) for a variety of reasons such as a long labour at risk of infection and if the mother or the baby's health is at risk.

When a baby is born naturally and vaginally through the birth canal head first, it takes up the bacteria from the canal. The baby swallows this bacteria and it is deposited throughout its digestive tract. As gross as this might sound to you, this is an extremely important process for developing the baby's digestive tract and immune system.

Delivery by c-section is associated with a moderate risk increase of allergic rhinitis, asthma, hospitalization for asthma, and perhaps food allergies as found in a meta-analysis study by Bager et al in 2008 in the journal of Clinical and Experimental Allergy.

If your baby is delivered by c-section, there is still something you can do about it to help prevent these kinds of conditions from developing. Providing a high quality infant probiotic for a year can help to give your baby some of the good bacteria it needs for its digestive tract and immune system.

It is best to consult your naturopathic doctor or health care provider about this for a particular product that is best for your situation.

By Dr. Whitney Young, Doctor of Naturopathic Medicine at The Healing Oasis

Top 5 Reasons to See A Naturopathic Doctor in Barrie

1. You STILL don't feel well. All your tests are "normal" and your current health provider has taken you as far as he or she can. You are still not feeling well. A Naturopathic Doctor will help bring your body back into balance.

2. We work in partnership with you. You are the expert in you and how you feel. I am the expert in the detective work to figure out the underlying cause of your health issue. Working together, we will discover the root cause of WHY you are not well.

3. You don't like waiting to see the doctor. Your time spent in our waiting room is very little if at all. We realize your time is valuable and aim to be on time and give you the time you need to fully explain your health concerns and goals.

4. You have benefits. Most extended health care plans cover Naturopathic Medicine. Does yours? You can find out by giving your company a quick call.

5. You want to be drug-free. You don't want to take many medications that may or may not be causing other problems. Many people want to deal with their health concerns the natural way. A Naturopathic Doctor helps you sort through all the supplements and creates an individualized plan for you.

Call or email now for your complementary Meet-the-Doctor visit at The Healing Oasis with myself, Whitney Young, Naturopathic Doctor

705-722-1004 or info@whitneyyoung.ca

Going Raw: Zucchini and Asparagus with Sundried Tomato Sauce

The Raw food movement is hitting Barrie with a local Raw meet-up group and a few of The Healing Oasis members starting to incorporate more raw food recipes into our diets.

Tonight, I used a Raw Food Blog I found and created my own meal based on bits and pieces of other recipes. I cheated a little by steaming my asparagus to soften them a little. If you would like to be more Raw then use the raw asparagus and let the dish marinate longer.

1 large zucchini, sliced in skinny strips using a potatoe peeler
1/2 a red pepper, sliced thinly
8 asparagus stalks, broken into 1 inch pieces
5 sundried tomato slices, soaked in warm water for 15 minutes

Sauce:
Blend the following in a food processor
The soaked sundried tomatoes
1 tsp of apple cider vinegar
1 tbsp of chopped fresh rosemary
Add more water as needed

Toss veggies with some olive oil and sea salt then the sauce.

Eat right away or let marinate till later.

These are my rendition of the "Larabars" you can buy at the health food stores. They are delicious and packed full of healthy ingredients...and not as many as you would think! I used as many "RAW" ingredients as I could, including the nuts. You can have fun with these and experiment with adding different ingredients like coconut, dried cranberries or raisins, cocoa powder, and you can even add more protein with some hemp or soy-based protein powder. Enjoy!

Peanut-Coconut balls
- small handful of peanuts
- small handful of almods
- about 20 dates
- scoop of unsweetened coconut
- small drizzle of agave nectar or honey
(you might want to try adding some cocao powder to this one - I didn't have any unfortunately.)

In a food processor, add nuts and dates and process until bits are small. Add agave nectar and/or honey and drizzle over the mixture. You will have to experiment with the texture and add more agave nectar or honey so that the consistency will allow you to form the balls. Scoop out spoonfulls and with clean hands squeeze them into balls and I would put them in the fridge for a bit to let them set. You could also make a larger batch and press the mixture into a baking dish and then cut it into squares.

Cashew Balls
- about 16 - 20 dates
- large handful of raw cashews

Follow procedure above and enjoy!

4 Weeks to Wellness

All I can say is WOW! What an amazingly beautiful day it was yesterday. The sun was shining brightly all day and the city was just basking in it's glory! We started our "trek" at The Healing Oasis and like usual walked along Kempenfelt Drive and then back along the old railway tracks.

It's such a beautiful opportunity for us to be able to walk out our driveways and immerse ourselves in fresh air, a clean atmosphere, and such wonderful surroundings - we are really quite lucky to live in such a great city. Clearly, I don't get out enough and enjoy it because every time I do it always amazes me this way.

And that's the reason for our 4 Weeks to Wellness. It's to help people like me who are so caught up in the every day hussle and bustle of "life" that a Sunday morning walk is the only time I can enjoy some peace and a little bit of nature. If you'd like to join me next Sunday I'll be there waiting. :)

I also brought some healthy snacks which I will share the recipe
with you on our facebook page along with some more pictures. See you next time! :)

Yours in health and wellness,
Lee Anne
and THO Team

Green Tip - Natural Moth "Balls"

To prevent moths and other bugs from invading your closet, use dried lemon peel as a natural deterrent. I'm sure they're a lot safer to have around for the pets you do want in the house and it smells much better than those little white balls that always remind me of my Grandma's house!!


With much love for you and our planet,

Lee Anne & THO team

4 Weeks to Wellness

It's that time again when we get the urge to get outside and be more active and maybe try to lose a little bit of that extra winter weight.

At The Healing Oasis we have had such huge success and participation with the 4 Weeks to Wellness that we thought we'd keep up the trend and start it again this coming Sunday May 16th.

Anyone can join us for the approximate 4-5 K walk along Barrie's Kempenfelt drive and then back along the bike path.
We will meet at The Healing Oasis every Sunday morning at 10am sharp for the next 4 weeks (rain or shine or frost!!) and leave from there. We will have some healthy and tasty snacks to enjoy afterwards and we're always sharing the recipes so make sure to check the blog regularly.

Bring your friends and family or someone you know who needs a little support in getting more active and we can all help each other. See you on Sunday!

Yours in health and wellness,
Lee Anne and THO Team :)

Dominica - The Nature Island and Tree Candy

I just returned from a trip to the island of Dominica where my sister is attending medical school. It's a small island near St. Lucia with a very tropical feel. Stephanie, my sister has been there for almost two years. The thing she will miss the most is the ability to find your own food growing naturally all year round on trees in her backyard.

Here we have some avocados that are still growing. They are a different species than what we find in the grocery stores. She says they will grow to become half the size of her head and they have a more buttery and creamy flavour.

Avocados are a great source of good fats. These are great for children, people needing to gain extra weight, and athletes. For the typical person who doesn't want to gain weight, try to stick to about 1/2 an avocado a day.

Avocado ideas:

- Guacomole

- Sliced on a sandwich

- Cubed and put on top of a sandwich

- Blended with chickpeas and spices for a unique Hummus

- Avocado pie, a "raw food" recipe with almonds, avocados and cocoa powder

Although our avocados aren't the size of our heads, they are still a tastey way to get great nutrients in our diet.

Happy eating:) Whitney Young, ND

Cleanse with Your Friends - Day 12

Onion Spread

I'm meeting with the group of women shortly for our 3rd night of Cleanse with Your Friends. We've been cleansing around 12 days so far. I hope everyone is still doing well!

Here is a recipe for a dip I've made to bring to class tonight. It's from a book that is no longer in print called "CCNM's Simply Healthy Cookbook." This book was put together by students and staff from the Canadian College of Naturopathic Medicine in 2002. It's a great resource at home for me and I'm sorry that it's no longer in print. I will share some recipes from time to time to share the wisdom of my peers.

Cold Onion Spread

4 large onions, diced
1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
water
1 bay leaf
1 tsp dill weed
salt

- In a large skillet, heat olive oil over medium-high heat. Add onion, cook and stir for 1 minute.
- Add enough water to cover the onions
- Add the bay leaf, dill weed and salt according to taste
- Cover the pan and cook at medium-low for 35 minutes, or until onions are cooked.
- When onion is tender, uncover and increase temperature to medium-high. Allow onions to cook until they turn a golden-brown (mine didn't turn colour but I cooked it until a lot of the water evaporated
- Remove bay leaf
- At this point I decided to blend it with my hand blender.

Eat hot as a side dist or cold as a spread on rice crackers or cucumbers and carrots.

Going Green tip #3

Ditch your ride. Start walking or cycling or carpooling.

This is perfect for the beautiful Spring weather we've been experiencing lately. I know it might not be possible for everyone to do it everyday but leaving the car at home for even 1 day a week will help make a difference...not only for the environment but for your health as well! We all know regular exercise is key to help maintain a healthy body weight and healthy cardiovascular system. Not to mention the improvement in your mood once those "feel good" endorphins start being produced.

Happy "greening" whichever way you choose!

Yours in health,
The Healing Oasis team :)

Going Green tip #2

For a natural and environmentally friendly alternative to cleaning your teeth, skip your regular toothpaste and avoid the packaging waste. Instead try making your own.
Here's a recipe I found on http://www.howstuffworks.com/

Toothpaste: Mix 3 parts baking soda with 1 part salt. Add 3 teaspoons of glycerin. Add 10 to 20 drops of flavoring (peppermint, wintergreen, anise, or cinnamon) and enough water to make a paste. Spoon into a small, refillable squeeze bottle.

Going Green...

It's something everyone can do to help make a difference for our environment. Every little bit counts - even if it's a simple task like picking up a piece of trash on your walk.

In January I went to do my annual daily planner shopping and bought a recycled one that has little tips on how to make a "green" difference each week. I thought I would share them with you each week to possibly make a much larger impact in our community.

So enjoy the tips each week and if it inspires you to incorporate one or two into your life then we know we've made a difference together!

Yours in health (and the health of our environment),
Lee Anne
& The Healing Oasis Team


Tip #1 - Get your programmable thermostat now, if you haven't already. Programmable thermostats can save up to 1800 pounds of CO2 emissions every year.

Day 6 - Cleanse with Your Friends

Tea at a bar??

Yes, that's correct. I drank green tea at the bar portion of the Urban Dish this evening. I met up with some fellow young professionals (http://www.scypa.ca/) and since it's a restaurant I ordered a tea and stood my ground. Better to order tea then stand around and drink free water. I watched the delicious food pass by me, smelled the aromas and admired the beautiful presentation. Perhaps I will head there for lunch.....after the cleanse ;)

Brown Rice Cereal Breakfast:

Here is my breakfast from a few days ago. It's a brown rice porridge type breakfast. It is really quick to make. Boil 3 parts water, add 1 part of the cereal and turn to low. It cooks in about 4-7 minutes after that. I've added some grapes, sliced almonds and a sprinkle of stevia. I also poured a bit of unsweeted almond milk over top too. You can find brown rice cereals at your local health food stores or health food section of bigger grocery stores.

Snack time turned pasta sauce:

I made a black bean dip the other day.

1 can black beans rinsed well

juice from 1/2 to 1 full lemon

2 garlic cloves

Blend well then add chopped fresh cilantro

This is a great dip you can dip veggie sticks in and also brown rice crackers.

I then used the left-over dip and added it along with some hot water and a bit of olive oil to my rice pasta and steamed veggies. Mixed it well and I liked it. Give it a try and let me know.

The last thing about Cleansing is supporting your body with bodywork. Try out some lymphatic massage, aromatherapy massage or massage in general. The Healing Oasis offers all of these services.

Call us for tips on Cleansing and our Cleanse Program 705-722-1004

Happy Cleansing!!

Whitney

Day 3 - Cleanse with Your Friends

Days 1 and 2 went fairly well. My first challenge was going over to my friend, Nicole's house to watch a movie. Movies usually mean popcorn and this is a huge thing for me not to have popcorn. It's my one true love...besides Steve and Daisy.

So, I brought my own homemade guacomole and some brown rice cakes for a snack. We had tea (no wine) and she was very supportive:)

Last night I made a huge pot of Red Lentil Soup, which will be part of my lunches this week. I got the recipe from a fabulous whole foods book titled "Nourishing Traditions" By Sally Fallon. I will share a modified version of her Roman Lentil Soup. I used the chicken stock I made in my crockpot a few days ago with the bones from a whole chicken.

3 medium onions, peeled and sliced

3 carrots, peeled and sliced

3 tbsp of olive oil

8 cups of chicken stock or combination of stock and water

2 cups red lentils

1 tsp dried thyme

1/2 tsp dried green peppercorns

1/4 cup of fresh lemon juice

In a large stainless steell pot, cook onions and carrots in oil until tender (about 20-30 min). Add stock and lentils and bring to a boil. Skim off foam produced by the lentils. Reduce heat, cover and simmer for 30 minutes.

Puree the soup with a handheld blender

Add lemon juice and enjoy!

Stay tuned for the continued saga of the cleanse and more recipes:)

Whitney Young, ND

Cleanse with Your Friends begins!

I have begun instructing a great group of women with The City of Barrie program - Cleanse with Your Friends.
We are all starting our cleanse within the next few days. I'm gearing up to start tomorrow and came up with a new snack:)

Black bean avocado dip
- 1 can black beans, rinsed well
- 1 avocado
- 2 cloves of garlic
- juice of half a lemon

Blend all ingredients in a food processor. The colour is kind of greyish afterwards but it tastes great! Eat with carrot and celery sticks, cucumber and some brown rice crackers. Mmmm!

Day 1 for me starts tomorrow!!

- Whitney Young, ND