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Why I am a chiropractor

So I thought this topic would be appropriate at the start-ish of my new blog… Let’s take a journey together…. way way back in time – to where my son Leo thinks Dinosaurs roamed the Earth…. Yes, that’s right, all the way back to 1993.

I was in first year university at the University of Waterloo.  The good daughter of a pharmacist who had worked since she was 12 or 13 in a Shoppers Drug Mart  knew she wanted to be in healthcare somewhere but wasn’t sure where.

Fast forward to mid terms, or maybe it was first term finals – I really don’t know it was so so long ago (Dinosaurs you know).  Anyways, I digress, I had been studying like crazy, as usual, and had tremendous neck pain and headaches.  So much so that I would take about 100 Advil a month.

I look back on that now and think it is crazy but the fact is that there are so many people out there taking this much over the counter or even prescription medication for pain due to headaches or mechanical neck pain.

One of my friends suggested I see a chiropractor – I had never been and had no idea what to expect.  I did end up going with a friend of mine and after about 3 visits I was amazed that I no longer had headaches.  I mean at all. I knew this is what I wanted to do with my life.

Now, I do get the odd headache and I continue to see friends who are chiropractors but they are few and far between and rarely need any medication.

It was so simple and easy and, really it still is.  If this sounds like you – 100 Advil a month is not a great idea, any MD or other health practitioner will tell you so for sure. I can help you and would be honoured.  It’s not magic, its physical medicine using soft tissue techniques like massage and deep tissue, stretching and exercises as well as adjustments if they are warranted – You may be surprised that often headaches respond best to upper back adjustment so if you fall into the category of people who are nervous about neck adjustments I promise I can still help you.

By the way, in my office my rule is that we only provide treatment that is safe, effective and that you are 100% comfortable with.  It’s your body so you are in charge.  If you are not comfortable with something the dialogue is always open and I will find a way to help you that you are comfortable with that is still effective.

I would be honoured to help you.

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Thai Coconut-Squash Soup (GF)

I can’t help it – still just back from that amazing Womens retreat at Thirteen moons and had to try this amazing recipe – This one is gluten free and so tasty I can’t stand it.

My husband even liked it but he did say he thought something was a bit “off”.

Ok so admittedly I added the cilantro and he hates cilantro… yes he is one of those of the world to whom cilantro tastes like soap (more soup for me!)

While at Thirteen Moons we had a little “Cilantro Miracle” – Apparently Louise had never had a group of women who all liked cilantro before – there were 7 of us.

So anyways, you can leave the cilantro out if you like but wow I love it so in it went… super easy and so so tasty…. I get this again for lunch tomorrow too – yay!!!

Here is the recipe (with permission):

Thai Coconut-Squash Soup

4 cups vegetable stock

4 cups cubed butternut squash

1 tablespoon coconut oil

1 lb brown mushrooms thinly sliced

1 red bell pepper diced

1 small onion diced

1 tablespoon finely minced chili pepper (optional)

1 clove garlic finely chopped

2 teaspoons grated ginger

1 can coconut milk

juice from 1 lime

 

Put the stock and squash in a soup pot and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer, covered until the squash is tender, about 20 minutes.

While the squash is cooking, heat the oil in a skillet over medium heat and add the mushrooms, bell pepper, onion, chili pepper, garlic and ginger and sauté until the vegetables are slightly wilted – 5-10 minutes

Once the squash is tender, add the mushroom mixture to the soup pot and stir in the cilantro. Simmer for another 10 minutes and then stir in the coconut milk.  Simmer until heated through.

Before serving, stir in lime juice and garnish with chopped cilantro.

www.thirteenmoons.ca

 

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Thirteen Moons

Thirteen Moons is a Women’s Wellness retreat near Peterborough, Ontario.  This past weekend I attended this amazing place with 6 girlfriends in honour of my friend, Dr. Emily Howell’s 40th Birthday.

I have never been to a Wellness Retreat and I really had no idea what to expect.  On top of that this place is vegetarian.  I am not  a vegetarian.  So the things that went through my head about that ran from “I’m going to be hungry” to “Oh good, maybe I will lose some weight”.  Ya, ok no.   Run by Louise Racine, a certified Nutritional Practitioner, Thirteen Moons has been in operation for 16 years and let me tell you there was not a moment that I was hungry or, as my ‘Evil Mother-In-Law’ (EMIL for short) says “sufficiently suffonsified” (I haven’t been allowed to say “I’m stuffed” since I began eating at the EMIL’s table) . Lousie created the most amazing dishes from and several courses per meal.  She has published two cookbooks and if I get permission I will blog some recipes at a later date.

Back to my Wellness retreat experience…. two nights and three days with 6 fierce women getting to talk, receiving endless support (more on that later), having a foot soak and facial, doing yoga, communing with horses, learning a drumming song from a Metis woman named Adele (Louise’s sister), massage treatment (for me a thai herbal massage – brand new experience), walks in the woods, earthing (aka walking barefoot) on thick moss and a vegetarian cooking class.  How did we fit it all in and why on earth did I ever leave?

We were nurtured, well taken care of and nourished in a way that only other women can do for a woman.  I highly recommend it and I hope my friends keep our promise of going back at least once per year.

thirteenmoons.ca