June 4th, 2012

8pm @ The Fitness Firm

Building A Solid Nutritional Foundation Is
Vital To Your Overall Health…and maybe even your wealth too…read on!

There’s little doubt — today’s convenience-driven, fast-paced lifestyle leaves little time to prepare well-balanced meals, let alone assess if you’re getting the necessary nutrients your body needs on a daily basis.

There are many supplement choices out there, but we believe the choice is simple—one complete, clinically tested liquid nutrition formula that provides the necessary vitamins, minerals and whole food nutrients your body needs to perform its best in addition to antioxidants for the maintenance of good health; a formula that even comes in a healthy energy drink!

Introducing the Vemma Nutrition Program™ including the healthy energy drink Verve.

V-itamins E-ssential M-inerals M-angosteen fruit A-loe spells a powerful liquid formula that makes it easy to get the vitamins, minerals and antioxidants you need to form a solid nutritional foundation.* Each refreshing serving is bioavailable (body-ready), delicious and easy to drink!

The ”superfruit” mangosteen, has been used for centuries by Asian health practitioners for its tremendous nutritional benefits and delicious flavor.

When the antioxidant-rich power of mangosteen is combined with vitamins, plant-sourced minerals, organic glyconutrient-rich aloe vera and decaffeinated organic green tea, the result is this physician-formulated ultimate nutritional foundation.

Join The Fitness Firm June 4th, 2012 at 8pm, meet TV personality Connie Smith and find out how Vemma can transform your life through ultra-premium products, a strong, charitable commitment and a generous risk-free compensation plan. It can help you become healthier and happier. If you have a heart for helping people, it may just be the right opportunity for you!

Sign up at the front desk today!

We are here to help you stay on track!

Join The Fitness Firm’s 60 Day Commit to Get Fit Challenge – IT’S FREE!

Here’s what you need to know:

WHEN: June 1st – July 31st, 2012

COST: FREE

HOW: Register at the front desk and start receiving points!

Attendance = 2 points

Group Fitness Class = 2 points

Personal Training Demo (1 per month) = 5 points

Bring a Friend or Family Member = 10 points

THE BEST PART: Prizes will be awarded to the top 3 members with the most points

FIRST PRIZE: 6 Personal Training Sessions & a Gym Bag ($400 value)

SECOND PRIZE: Holistic Package including a 1 Hour Consultation with Kerri Sherk, RD, a 1 Hour Shiatsu Therapy Treatment with Kathleen Thompson and a 1 hour Aromatherapy Session with Wissam Daiger ($210 value)

THIRD PRIZE: $100 Gift Certificate to The Nines Brick Oven & Bar

All participants are invited to join us for a participation party at the end of the challenge!

Register at the front desk today!  See you at the gym…

Visit us to find out about our short term and no contract membership options…

Visit The Fitness Firm today!  Offer Expires May 31st, 2012

Goat cheese is great on whole grain crackers topped with antipasto or olive tapanade.  It is also an excellent compliment to fresh vegetables for a mid afternoon snack.  Adding goat cheese to sandwiches or wraps gives the meal more flavor as well as boosts the protein and nutrient content.  Below is a recipe for asparagus and goat cheese, a lovely combination also. Enjoy!!

Tossed Asparagus and Goat Cheese

Ingredients:

• 1 lb short pasta , (fusilli, penne or rotini)1 lb (454 g) short pasta, (fusilli, penne or rotini)
• 2 tbsp olive oil 2 tbsp (30 mL) olive oil
• 4 cloves garlic , minced
• 1 onion , chopped
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp pepper
• 1 sweet red pepper , diced
• 1-1/2 lb asparagus , woody ends snapped off and stalks cut in 1-inch (2.5 cm) pieces
• 1 cup soft goat cheese , cubed
• 2 tbsp chopped fresh chives
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh chives, for garnish

Preparation:

In large pot of boiling salted water, cook pasta for 10 to 12 minutes or until tender but firm. Drain and return to pot, reserving 1/2 cup (125 mL) cooking liquid.

Meanwhile, in large skillet, heat oil over medium heat. Add garlic, onion, and salt and pepper, red pepper and asparagus. Cover and cook, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are softened, 3 to 5 minutes.

Add 2 tbsp (25 mL) chives; cook, uncovered, for 3 minutes. Add cheese to pasta and toss well to coat, adding enough of the reserved cooking liquid to moisten if necessary. Sprinkle with remaining chives.

Nutrition information has never been more accessible than right now; millions of Canadians have ready access to the internet and social media is exploding with nutrition and food advice.

Some myths seem to hang on forever (the grapefruit diet!) while new myths pop up (gluten-free is the way to be!) as food and nutrition trends change. I question the validity of many of these popular myths.

These myths are created due to what people read about or hear about from a friend, a magazine or even a health professional. They try it out and create an experience. Their experience is passed on through word of mouth and then a whole new trend has been started.  And perhaps these myths or trends do work for some people, everyone is entitled to their own opinion.  The important concept to remember is that what works for one does not work for all.  Just because one person cuts gluten out of their diet and had great results doesn’t mean that all their friends should do the same.  On the flip side, 2 decades ago, when most studies claimed saturated fat was the culprit in the elevation of high cholesterol, I was educated to teach my clients to lower intake or even eliminate red meat, butter and eggs.  To be honest, I never really did tell my clients to cut down on these things, I just suggested they cut back.   But to cut these foods out??  Ironically, new studies are showing that the correlation is not as strong as it once appeared to be.  Seems to me that nothing in health and science is ever “conclusive”.    Again, re-emphasizing that moderation is the key.

Thirty-nine myths are featured in this year’s Nutrition Month Campaign. Dietitians from across Canada helped to identify the most popular myths that they hear regularly. All truths are evidence-based and supported by current scientific references. All truth statements have been reviewed by dietitians across Canada. All myths and truths are available for your perusal at Dietitians of Canada with a sampling in two fact sheets including activities and ideas to feature this dynamic theme in workplaces and communities across Canada.  Enjoy!!

And remember, the truth might work for you, or maybe the myth works for you…. just take everything with a grain of salt.

Please take a minute and visit

Burlington Readers Choice to register and cast your vote.

Thank you for your support!

Do you know that many companies now provide coverage for registered massage therapy under your extended health benefits plan?  Why suffer when you do not have to?  Check with your insurance provider today….you could be a few treatments away from living a pain free life.

What is Massage Therapy?

“The practice of massage therapy is the assessment of the soft tissue and joints of the body and the treatment and prevention of physical dysfunction and pain of the soft tissue and joints by manipulation to develop, maintain, rehabilitate or augment physical dysfunction, or relieve pain,”

(the official scope of Massage Therapy as outlined by the Massage Therapy Act of 1991).

The scope of practice for Massage therapy often resembles the goals of the clients who visit a therapist.  These include, improving function, decreasing pain, increasing flexibility and/or mobility.

This means that the Massage Therapist will use a varied approach to treatment depending on the needs of the client.  These methods include:

• exercise
• manual therapy
• assessment
• hydrotherapy
• electrical modalities
• stretching and relaxation techniques

What is Active Release Technique?

Active Release is a manual therapy technique that influences the muscles, tendons, ligaments and fascia, as well as other structures of the human body.  The application of the technique uses far less compressive force than traditional massage techniques that are used in rehabilitation.  Instead of compression, the therapist uses longitudinal tension and range of motion to facilitate the release.  The patient performs this range of motion actively (hence the term active release) while the therapist assists as needed.

Active Release Technique is a direct technique.  This means that the treatment is, to a certain extent, telling the restricted structure to give way to improved range of motion and improved function.  While the palpation and range of motion are both directly affecting the structure being treated, there is also an indirect effect to Active Release Technique.  This is called reciprocal inhibition.  This reciprocal inhibition works very much like a seesaw.  When one muscle is shortening the opposite muscle is lengthening.  When the patient actively lengthens the restricted structure the nervous system will tell the restricted structure to relax.

Due to the multi feature approach of Active Release Technique, therapists and patients alike are often surprised by how efficiently and quickly results are achieved.

What is Sports Injury Therapy?

Sports Injury therapy is an approach to rehabilitation that encompasses treatment from the moment of initial injury right up to training for high level sporting activities.  This means that Sports Injury Therapist is not just focusing on sports injuries; rather, the therapist is focusing on progressive rehabilitation and achievement of the highest level of function required for the individual.  Some individuals play golf or football effortlessly while others find going up and down the stairs to be as intense as running a marathon.

The Sports Injury Therapist looks at helping everyone become a winner at the sport of life!

Some of the techniques used by a Sports Injury Therapist may include:

• manual therapy
• electrical modalities
• assessment
• rehabilitative and performance exercise
• strength and conditioning
• three dimensional stretching
• chi cultivation
• breathing techniques and/or core and whole body stabilization

To book an appointment with Matt, visit the front desk, call 905.637.9220 or send us an email Stay Healthy!

It only takes 1 second to decide to make a change in your life.  We all know it’s the follow through that’s the difficult part.  If you change your thinking into I will do this or that, or I must do this or that, then the likely hood of actually doing it increases 100%.

We’ve all heard stories of people having a health scare and immediately making a change.  For some it’s the birth of grandchildren or a comment your child makes.

If you’ve ever heard Tony Robbins speak, you know he’s infectious.  He has a way of explaining things that makes you excited about making a change or doing what you should be doing.  He’s so excited about it for you that you have no choice but to jump on the bandwagon.

Here’s a clip of his work about making small changes, you’ll see what I mean!