Inside The Polished Apple

Thank you to the information shared from Modern Loss (via Instagram) and @goodgriefnj With reports of stress levels rising as we continue to self-isolate, we at Elan Family Wellness Centre, thought it would be timely to focus on Mindfulness for the month of May and to provide you with resources for your mental well-being. Please let us know if we can provide more specific help to support you. For Access Mental Health in Alberta, visit  here. 7 Tips for Reducing Feelings of Isolation:  Name Your Emotion- It's an effective way to reduce and regulate difficult emotions. It may help you to feel more control and that you can manage them more effectively.  Seek Out Regular Social Interaction (phone, video, letter)-We may need to be more proactive in setting up those online "dates" and connections. Regular interactions can lessen the likelihood of feeling lonely or isolated.  Get Physical-include some measurable goals to be active and increase your heart r...

TeleHealth is available for both *New Chiropractic Patients* (new offering!) and patients under current chiropractic care. Many insurance providers are covering these appointments, so please check your insurance information. Sessions cost $45 per 15 minutes (plus $15 per 5 min increment over initial 15 minute session.) Please call or email the office and we can book your time: 403 217 5577 elanctr@telus.net Through TeleHealth we can converse about what is happening to understand your condition or concern, look at postural and movement imbalances, and recommend exercises, techniques or lifestyle recommendations that may help you. With all of your increased demands and stress, your physical health should be the one that allows you to respond with flexibility and adaptability.

A frequent question that I get asked by my chiropractic patients is, What can I do to make sure my diet supports my bone health and bone density? Here's some basic information to make sure you are getting the minimal levels required.   Is eating for “bone health” a concern for you? According to New York's Center for osteoporosis, 1 in 2 women over 50 will break a bone due to low bone mass or osteoporosis. While many of us have grown up on the idea that drinking milk is essential to have strong bones when we get older, and necessary so we don't develop osteopenia or osteoporosis. (“Brittle bones”), let's explore other areas of our diet where we may be able to get calcium and other factors contributing to bone health. Dairy does contain calcium and can be part of a healthy diet, but there may also be concerns with digestion or absorption for some people. The current Canadian Food Guide (2019) advises us to fill half of our plate with fruits and vegetables, a quar...

Thank you to Dr Robert Clarke, Network Spinal Chiropractor at Elan Family Wellness Centre in Bowness, Calgary, for this breath exercise to connect with our inner wisdom.  As the days get longer and the warmth of sun grows stronger, we can reflect on how this year/decade has started. Have you developed a trajectory to guide you forward? It’s less about goals, it’s more about direction. How would you like things to be unfolding for you as you move though the next year/decade? With a direction in mind its good to check in with your heart and see if you are on track. Sit with your hands over your heart,  breathe in your nose, out your mouth, bringing the breath to your heart space. While connecting with your heart reflect on your path forward does your path have a positive effect on how your heart feels?  If so great!  If not, how can your course correct to change your trajectory to have your direction be more congruent with your heart? Do this exercise ...

A friend once said to me, ”What are you going to do about it?”   This is a great question to ask.   Recently, our beloved grocery store The Bownesian was in the news because they need a bit more support from the community. We brainstormed at one of our Wednesday meetings here at Elan and we came up with the following:   During the month of February, make a purchase of $20 or more at the Bownesian and bring the receipt to us at Elan, you will be entered to win a 90 min massage. You will need to leave your name/number/email. There is no maximum times you can do this... it just betters your chances of winning the massage and shows warmth and love for an amazing local store. Happy shopping and good luck!  (yes, its a 90 minute massage! We upped the prize for you at the last minute). 

It's February & we're excited to Share the Warmth with you this month! It's heart awareness month and we hope some of our activities will help to warm your heart. We practiced FIKA last year with you in February~it's the art of the coffee break, and taking your time to connect and visit with your friends/ family/ or in our case community! Once a week, we will have coffee, tea and treats set up so you can enjoy FIKA with us, or a fellow practice member. Part of our Share the Warmth is to bring some more awareness to our local retail neighbors. We have an excellent grocery store, The Bownesian Grocer, just around the corner from us, offering non-perishables, produce, deli, and yummy chef-prepared meals. You may have seen in the media that their future is in jeopardy & they need more business, especially as we have more Big Box stores moving into the neighbourhood in the near future. To help support them, and to thank you for your business, we'll be...

Thank you to these words on novelty from Scott Hutchison, Registered Massage Therapist and Energy Rich Life Coach with Elan Family Wellness Centre, in Bowness, Calgary.  Often we arrive in January all full of hope for the new year.  The previous year gets described as tough or challenging or even a “dumpster fire”.  We look back and get hints of the good stuff… but mostly the rough stuff surfaces and that is where our attention and language to others is communicated.  And then we use hope as a strategy for our coming year.  Hope is lovely… and giving hope to others is fantastic… but it can be a lousy strategy without action and persistence towards something.  Not running away from those things that caused you the pain last year… but towards those hopes and dreams with efficient actions, razor sharp purpose and the ability to use energy to crystallize the thoughts in your head that will lead you down the path closer to your result… every day.  B...