August 2003

This newsletter is not to be used as a substitute for medical advice

• Congratulations to Noah and Fee Lin!!
• Schedule your free massage today
• Holiday Gift Certificates
• New Staff at The Pacific Wellness Institute
• Beating the winter blues
• Healthy Japanese Cooking

The Pacific Wellness Institute
80 Bloor Street West, Suite 1100
Toronto, Ontario, M5S 2V1
Tel: 416-929-6958
Fax: 416-929-6365
e-mail: info@pacificwellness.ca
website: www.pacificwellness.ca

Newsletter 

Pacific Wellness News
Congratulations!!

The Pacific Wellness Institute's Shiatsu therapist, Noah Bunnett recently married Fee Lin, the former clinical assistant, on September 20, 2003. Dr. Tim and Claudia Tanaka, and Shiatsu therapist, Yoshio Toyama attended the wedding reception. All the staff at The Pacific Wellness Institute would like to congratulate Noah and Fee Lin! We wish them a happy and joyful life together.

Holiday Gift Certificates Available!

Pamper loved ones with holiday gift certificates! The holiday season is fast approaching and as usual, we have holiday gift certificates, now on sale, that we offer at a special package price, for any services available at The Pacific Wellness Institute, such as massage and shiatsu therapy. Please drop by or call us for further details. 

New Staff at The Pacific Wellness Institute Welcome To Our New Staff!

We would like to extend a warm welcome to the new staff at The Pacific Wellness Institute, Eevon Ling and Victoria Davidson. These new members are a great addition to the clinic to better help serve you.

Eevon Ling, ND is a registered licensed Naturopathic Doctor who completed her training at the Canadian College of Naturopathic Medicine. She also has a BSc. in biology and psychology from McMaster University. She has experience in treating a wide range of health concerns: diabetes, heart conditions, depression and anxiety, sports medicine, chronic pain, seasonal allergies and the side effects of medication.

"I am very proud on becoming the first Naturopathic Doctor at the Pacific Wellness Institute. I want to share my enthusiasm and knowledge about health with you. Together we will work to achieve all of your health goals.

I am now accepting new patients from November 3, 2003. My hours of availability are:

Mondays 9am-3pm
Wednesdays 12pm-7pm
Thursdays 10am-3pm

I look forward to meeting you soon!"

Victoria Davidson is a 2nd year student at the Canadian College of Naturopathic Medicine. She will be working as a clinical and administrative assistant.

Beating The Winter Blues

Winter Blues is the common name for Seasonal Affective Disorder (S.A.D.), which is a sub-type of major depression. According to the U.S. National Mental Health Association, (2002), up to 25% of North Americans have some form of winter blues, and roughly twice as many women as men develop this condition. Most experience symptoms starting between the ages of twenty and forty, but even young children may be affected.

If you have winter blues, you may feel the need to sleep three to five hours longer than usual, lose interest in work, school, or social activities. You may find that you eat more, especially comfort foods like chocolate, or foods high in carbohydrates, such as pasta. You may gain weight between October and March, while December, January, and February are typically the worst months.

The frequency of winter blues rises with distance for the equator, as hours of daylight decline with the winter season. In the U.S. for example, winter blues is ten times more common in the northern states than in the south.

Children and teenagers also suffer from winter blues. Symptoms may include grades falling in the winter and rising in the spring, or poor relations at school during winter. Researchers in northern climates have found that as many as 90% of 12-15 year-olds report a lack of energy, depressed mood, or need for added sleep during winter. Both children and teenagers have been shown to respond well to light therapy.

Light therapy for winter blues usually consists of 15-60 minutes of light every morning during the dark, depressing winter days. Typically, you will recognize when you've received sufficient light therapy - most often by feeling of heightened alertness, energy, and/or mood.

Research has shown supplementing your exposure to light has benefits not only for Winter Blues and Jet Lag, but also for various circadian rhythm sleep disorders, Seasonal Affective Disorder (S.A.D.), Pre-Menstrual Syndrome (PMS), Bulimia Nervosa, Fatigue, and non-seasonal Major Depression.

Contact The Pacific Wellness Institute and find out how The Litebook® or Time Traveler™ can improve your energy, well-being, and mood for Winter Blues, Jet Lag, Shift Work, Fatigue Management, and Sleep Disorders.

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One or a combination of the following approaches may be useful to reset the biological rhythm:

• Acupuncture
• Resonant Frequency Breathing Exercise Training
• Light Therapy
• Nutritional supplementation and dietary modifications

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Healthy Japanese Cooking 
Haruko Ishihara, RNCP, CNP, CR.

Simmered Salmon with Vegetables

It has become fashionable to eat healthy these days. Fewer people eat animal meat and many people tend to switch their protein source from animal to fish. If you are one of them you are going in the right direction towards good health. Why fish is healthier than animal meat? It is because the kind of oil contained in fish. A number of fish contains good oil, Essential Fatty Acids, so called EFAs, which are essential to your body.

As you easily guess from the word "essential", EFAs are important. EFAs are essential because they cannot be created by the body and they must be supplied through the foods you eat or the supplements you take. EFAs have very important roles in various areas such as energy production, normal growth, immune function enhancement, oxygen transfer, healthy skin, nails, nerves blood, and more.

As mentioned above, a good source of EFAs is cold-water fish, including salmon, mackerel, sardine, lake trout, etc. When you purchase fish it is recommended that you pick wild caught fish over farm raised for its EFAs contents. By doing so, you can also avoid the antibiotics used in fish farms. Eating fish 1-2 times per week will provide a positive effect on your health, particularly on the cardiovascular system.

Salmon caught in the fall is abundant in healthy oil and is flavourful. Common cooking methods for salmon in North America are grilled or baked. In Japan fish including salmon are often simmered. The recipe below, Simmered Salmon, provides you with a mild yet satisfying taste and you can taste the flavour of the ingredients, not only the salmon but also the vegetables used in the dish.

With this recipe you can enjoy the taste of salmon and the wholesome effect of the oil.

Directions for Simmered Salmon with Vegetables
serves 2

- 2 small slices of salmon fillet

- 2 small potatoes or sweet potatoes (cut into small pieces and soak in water)

- 1 small carrot (cut into small pieces)

- 1/2 onions (cut in half and slice into 1cm pieces)

- A small amount of snow peas, green peas, or green beans (steam or boil lightly)

- Stock: 1/2cup water, 2 tablespoon tamari, 1/2 teaspoon maple syrup, 1/2 tablespoon sake, 1/2 tablespoon mirin

Put stock ingredients into a pot and bring to a boil. Add salmon and cook 5 minutes over a low to medium heat. Remove the salmon, leaving the stock in the pot.

Put potatoes and carrots into the pot and add enough water to cover the ingredients. Cook 10 minutes over a low heat. Add onion and put the cooked salmon back in to the pot and simmer for several minutes.Put the food in shallow bowls with liquid and put the cooked snow peas on top.