Welcome!

Thank you for visiting! Walking the Walk is meant to be a source to assist you in your quest for a healthy, balanced lifestyle. Through my own lifestyle, I hope to give you creative ideas that make adopting a healthier, more holistic lifestyle as enjoyable and easy for you as possible!

Friday, July 20, 2012

Healthy Habits For A Good Life

Can't remember exactly where I found this, but consider it your anthem.


Health habits

Habits of a lifetime you should think about acquiring
● Don’t smoke
● Avoid sugar
● Eat vegetables rather than meat
● Enjoy a glass of red wine every day
● Drink tea
● Eat slowly
● Potter about rather than just sitting still
● Keep learning
● Avoid undue stress
● Keep in touch with friends
● Keep a positive attitude


Friday, July 13, 2012

The Fruits of My Labour

Behold, les fruits!

Yes, I made that gorgeous thing with the help of my fantastic sister.  I could never understand why people bought prepared fruit trays from the store when you could make something like the above, which is so much more beautiful.

Something I learned when I was visiting Japan is that when a dish looks beautiful, people are more likely to eat it.  With the above tray, I can ensure my guests get some organic watermelon, cantaloupe, honeydew, strawberries and grapes into their bellies and an aesthetically pleasing fruit sculpture into their eyes.

Make fruit the star at your next get-together and you're sure to win hearts.


Thursday, July 12, 2012

All You Ever Wanted To Know About Colon Hydrotherapy

What's my health secret? You'll never guess...

I've been in the natural health profession for quite some time now and I'm always eager to try the various therapies so that I can report to my future patients what works and what doesn't.  Today, I received a colon hydrotherapy treatment at the Fish Creek Naturopathic Clinic and am pleased to report that this therapy is definitely worth checking out!

It may sound like a weird therapy to willingly book yourself into, but I promise you that the way you feel afterwards will erase all the squeamishness you may be experiencing right now.  We are, after all, a very poo-phobic culture.  The point of the matter is, a colon hydrotherapy session fills the colon with water and then empties it in a series of cycles so that your colon is essentially evacuated.  Not only does this (obviously) empty your colon of all the impacted fecal matter, the water actually stimulates peristaltic muscle movement and re-trains your colon in its natural movements.  So, it not only means that this is a great therapy to relieve constipation but it is also widely used when undergoing a detoxification regime.

What I loved about this therapy (other than the incredible burst of energy afterwards) was how incredibly dignified it is.  You aren't sitting in a sink with some stranger hovering around your rear end.  Instead, you're lying back on a reclining chair enjoying pleasant conversation while receiving an abdominal massage.  There is no mess, since everything is hooked up to a tube in a closed circuit, and the only 'discomfort' you may experience is a slight building of pressure as the colon gently fills with water.

So, a checklist for finding a good colon hydrotherapist and having an enjoyable session:
1. Ask if they are certified! Ask where and when and then google it to make sure it's an accredited course/institution and not simply made up.  A certified colon hydrotherapist has to dedicate 100 hours to practice and must perform at least 25 colon hydrotherapy sessions before they graduate!

2. Ask what type of machine they use and google it to see if it is modern and hygienic.  This is also important to see that it is being widely manufactured and was not simply constructed in someone's basement.

3. Remember to breathe! Taking deep breaths will open up your abdoman to give your colon space to expand as well as stimulate your parasympathetic nervous system so you can quite literally "let go".

4. Take probiotics at least 1 week prior to your appointment and continue to take them afterwards.  The therapy may wash away some of your good bacteria along with all the impacted matter, so be sure to replenish your stock!

5. Eat light for a bit afterwards, to be nice to your colon.  Think fish, cooked vegetables and mindful chewing.

This therapy starts at around $75, depending on the city you live in, and usually lasts about 1 hour.  Next time you feel like treating yourself to something that makes you feel like a million bucks, why not give colon hydrotherapy a try?  I assure you, you won't be disappointed.

Fish Creek Naturopathic Clinic
380 Canyon Meadows Drive SE
Calgary, AB
403-271-4500

The Bone Cracker


It happened again! Every 2 years exactly, whether I've done some sort of strenuous exercise or not, an old back injury resurfaces in the form of a painful lower back.  I have a fantastic chiropractor in Toronto (he's actually a colleague) but I obviously needed someone in Calgary, ASAP.

Luckily, my aunt suggested Dr. Derrick Nolan DC and my back has been grateful ever since.  Dr. Nolan not only has a thorough knowledge of the body and how to properly adjust the various joints in it, but he also has wonderful bedside manner and explained exactly what he was doing and why.  Not to mention that after just one session this morning, my back already feels 1000 times better.  If you're in Calgary and you have a sore back, maybe make this your motto:



Dr. Derrick Nolan
3224 28th Street SW
Calgary, AB
403-240-4013

Friday, July 6, 2012

Happy First Day of Stampede!

One down, 9 more to go.  Let the madness begin.

One of the great things about the Calgary Stampede is that they usually attract a great line up of performers, namely musicians.  A few years ago I got to see the band OK GO on the Coca Cola stage and it was one of the better concerts I've been to, by far.  Not bad considering the show was completely free with admission.  Notoriously famous for their fantastic music videos, allow me to share this gem with you from their most current album.


Tuesday, July 3, 2012

Going to the zoo, zoo, zoo. How 'bout you, you, you?

I meant to post this quite some time ago....

Calgary is known for their world class zoo (it ranks up there with the one in San Diego!) and my mom has an annual pass, so I got free admission to go check out an attraction that I have been dying to see: the penguins!

I first fell in love with the penguin while being serenaded by the lull of Morgan Freeman's narrative while watching "The March of the Penguins".  That love only grew when I got to see the tiny wild ones that live off the south coast of Australia while I was living in Melbourne.  Now, finally, we were to be reunited again.  Check out my photos of that wonderful day below (it was an iPhone day, so I apologize about the poor quality in advance):

A display of the different breeds 

 Feeding time

 I swear he dove in just so I could snap the picture

Isn't he handsome?