Want to Get Fit? Don't go to the Gym!

By Beth Ann Knowles, BSc, P.T.S., N.W.S.

Maybe you don’t like the smell, perhaps the crowds irritate you, or maybe you’d rather watch paint dry than pedal a stationary bike for 5 minutes. Whatever the reason is, if you’re starting an exercise program and you don’t like going to the gym, DON’T GO. Now I know what you’re thinking; “great, the trainer is telling me to stay home. I think I’ll pick up a pop, chips, and the Star Wars Trilogy to keep me company on the couch this weekend.” Hold on! While you don’t have to go to the gym to be healthy, you do need to include healthy activities and exercise in your daily life. If you love your gym routine then use this article as a tool for spicing up your workout schedule. If you despise the gym, then read on and find out the many ways you can start adding gym-free health & fitness as well as years to your life.

Home gym equipment is a very easy item to find so if you’re motivated to workout in your home by yourself, look into purchasing some gear. You can find quality used equipment at yard sales, used sporting good stores, and on-line classifieds. Or if you’re looking for new, check out a sports store or Saturday afternoon infomercials. Once you have your equipment, I always recommend consulting a Certified Personal Trainer or Fitness Instructor for help setting up your program. Since you will be working out without supervision, you need to make sure your form is correct on all exercises. This will prevent injuries and promote results. As well, you and a trainer need to use the FITT principle to determine your program. FITT stands for Frequency, Intensity, Time, and Type. These four elements are crucial in the planning of a fitness program. Since everyone’s goals and starting points are different, each workout program must be individualized. How often, how hard, how long, and what exercises you need to do to achieve your goals are unique to your situation. Therefore, it is essential you work with a fitness professional to create a program that will maximize your results.

In my opinion, the best two pieces of gym equipment on the market right now are the big colourful stability balls and resistance bands (or stretch tubing). You can purchase one ball and 3 different strengths of tubing for under $70.00. Using both pieces of equipment you can have a very functional, effective, and challenging strength-training program. I find the tubing especially serviceable because it is easy to take places: vacation, to work, on a bike, or to the park. You can break up a 30-minute jog, walk, or bike ride with intervals of bicep curls, lat pull-downs, squats, and chest presses using the tubing. And the workout can be done around your neighbourhood, on a beach, in a park, or wherever you like best. Again, I recommend you to speak with a fitness professional to learn correct form, put together a program, and minimize injuries.

For cardiovascular training, you need to really contemplate what you enjoy doing. To strengthen your cardiovascular system you must do some type of aerobic activity; something that increases your heart rate to between 60 and 85% of your maximum (maximum heart rate in beats/minute=220-Age). Jogging is a very popular exercise but it is not enjoyed by all and it is not suited to all states of health. Cycling, swimming, roller-blading, martial arts, skipping, boxing training, outdoor cross-training classes, hiking, sports, walking, skating, and dancing are some of the many options for aerobic exercise. The more you like your workout, the more likely you’ll stick to it and see results. Sign up for an adult dance class; take your dog to the beach; if you don’t have a dog volunteer with the SPCA to be a dog walker; talk to staff at a local sporting goods store to find some beautiful trails within a half hour of your town; join a running or cycling club; take tennis lessons; start training at a boxing club…have I made my point yet? There are endless options available for you to have an enjoyable and effective aerobic program. Getting others involved in your regime can help as well. Training partners can provide motivation and keep you accountable, and it’s always nice to have someone to talk to when you’re working out.

Strength training isn’t limited to gym equipment either. Try climbing on an indoor rock wall to improve your strength. Learn to row or paddle, help a friend stack the three cords of wood in their driveway, tackle the ceiling paint job you’ve been putting off, or help an elderly neighbour with their gardening. There are many strengthening activities you can use to maintain an interesting routine.

If not having enough time has been your excuse try the following: write down how many hours a week you spend…
1. Sleeping
2. Working, getting ready for work, and commuting to and from work.

3. Eating and preparing meals.

4. Family time/volunteer work.

5. Leisure time.

6. Other commitments.

Now add up your total number of hours and subtract from 168 (number of hours in a week). This is how much time you have to commit to health and fitness. What are you doing with your time?

If you think creatively you can incorporate household fixtures into your workouts. Try triceps dips on the edge of your couch, start improving your push-ups by doing them with your hands 4 steps up on a staircase and as you get stronger place your hands on the lower steps, do lunges and squats during commercial breaks of your favourite television show, bicep curl apple juice cans. Now you have exercising options that require no gym equipment.

Again, I stress the need to work with a trainer in the initial stages of your program to determine what exercises and activities you will do based on your interests, finances, resources, and location. The most important thing to consider when planning an exercise program is to include more of the things you like and less of the things you are merely tolerating. If you are exercising day in and day out and just tolerating it, most likely you will get bored, hate it, not succeed, not see the results you wanted, and develop an aversion to all things health and fitness. Try some new things, find out what you like, and you’ll stick to it and be happier for it.

About the Author:
Beth Ann has a degree in Sciences from Dalhousie University and is a Personal Trainer and Nutrition and Wellness Specialist. Additionally, Beth Ann has a personal interest in holistic wellness and sustainable environmental practices and enjoys being the Canadian Sales Manager for Naturally Nova Scotia Health Products.

Winner of the Yoga Atlantic Conference 2009 Gift Basket!

Congratulations to Betty MacDonald of Wolfville!! She is the winner of our Yoga Atlantic Conference gift basket, valued at $175.

Herbal Tinctures Made Easy: Part 3 of 3

Tincturing using the Weight to Volume Method: Part 3 of 3

Weight to Volume Method
In our final entry on Herbal Tinctures Made Easy, we will share a method of tincturing that is more precise than the Folk Method. If using a mild herb in powder or whole dried form, such as Stinging Nettle or Dandelion, a 1:5 ratio (weight of dried herb to 100 ml of alcohol diluted with water to 25-45%) is recommended. Theoretically, you would be ingesting the equivalent of 20 grams of the dried herb. If using fresh Nettles, a 1:2 ratio (weight of fresh herb to 100 ml of 50-80% alcohol) would be efficient, providing approximately 50 gm of fresh Nettles.

Grind the dried herb into a coarse powder (with mortar and pestle), or use fresh; weigh and add to a bottle; prepare menstruum (use pure or dilute with water); add the measured menstruum to the powdered herb in the bottle; stir mixture thoroughly (herb should be completely wet, with no dry clumps); cap bottle tightly; shake tincture daily for 14 days, then allow it to sit one more day (or for 3 days and let sit for one day if using a fine powder); strain (with a fine strainer) the tincture, pouring the liquid off into another bottle; press the liquid out of the remaining powder (mark) into the bottle; filter (with a coffee filter) the tincture if any sediment is undesirable; cap bottle tightly and label.

Remember to label your bottles with the herb and menstruum types used, as well as the ratio strength and date you made them. A tincture made with powder extracts the active constituents very quickly. Shake the bottle of herb and alcohol daily to ensure the extraction activity is thorough. Three days is all it takes to have a potent herbal tincture when using fine powders. Fresh herb extractions take longer, about two weeks, shaken every day. A well made tincture can easily be store for several years, without losing potency. Remember, the bottle must be dark, and stored away from sunlight and heat to prevent degradation.

Dosages
Since the Folk Method for tincturing is more of a craft than a science, the dosage is generally measured in teaspoons (5 ml). A dose might vary from a ¼ to ½ teaspoon, 2 to 3 times per day for general health maintenance up to 2 teaspoons, 3 times per day for an acute illness, depending on the herb and health indication you intend it for.

Tinctures using the Weight to Volume Method are best administered using medicinal droppers, but it’s also fine to use the traditional measurements listed above. The dosage could vary considerably for mild herbs, from up to five droppersful, 2 to 3 times per day. For moderately intense herbs with a ratio of 1:5, such as Echinacea or St. John’s Wort, you could take a dosage ranging from 10 to 25 drops, 3 to 4 times a day. For stronger, more toxic herbs such as Cayenne, a 1:10 ratio is ideal. Because Cayenne is such a ‘hot’ herb, a dosage of a single drop might be sufficient. The beauty of making your own herbal tinctures at home is that you are free to experiment; just be mindful to research first and be respectful of the power these botanicals have to offer.

As you will come to find out, medicine making at home can be immensely gratifying. Herbalist and author of The Medicine-Maker’s Handbook, James Green sums the experience up wonderfully, “And like dancing, once you find the rhythm of the music and begin moving your body with it, you’ll never want to stop.” Be creative, experiment, and have fun! Our ancestors surely did, and for their incredible resourcefulness we have been blessed with the knowledge to make herbal tinctures at home. Best of all, it’s free! Wild plants offer us the invaluable potential for health and healing in our own back yards, as Mother Nature intended.



Cautionary note:
The information offered in this article is not intended as a substitute for medical advice. Please do not attempt self-medication without consulting your naturopath or medical doctor. Be cautious; homemade tinctures can vary in strength.

About the author:
Daina is the Product Manager for Naturally Nova Scotia. She joined the ‘family’ in 1998 with a background in horticulture and strong interest in traditional herbal medicine. Throughout the years she has worked the fields- planting and harvesting, production, research and development, and now enjoys directing packaging design, writing and editing, and contributing to various media resources.

Press Release: Naturally Nova Scotia Introduces its Research & Development Team

Please click on the PDF link below to view our latest Press Release!
http://www.prlog.org/10211072-naturally-nova-scotia-introduces-its-research-development-team.pdf

Herbal Tinctures Made Easy: Part 2 of 3

Tincturing using the Folk Method
by Daina Scarola

Folk Method
As mentioned in Herbal Tinctures Made Easy: Part 1, this is the easiest method of tincturing for the novice home herbalist. It is fast, fun, and doesn’t require complicated dilutions and measurements. If you live in Canada, some wild herbs growing in your area might include Red Clover, Dandelion, Horsetail, Nettles, Coltsfoot, and Plantain.

Take time to fully enjoy the process of getting to know the herbs in your area.
Delight your senses! As children we savored the sweet taste of Red Clover, plucking and nibbling each flower petal one at a time. Some plant parts will taste mild and green, while others will taste unpalatably bitter. Licorice root smells pleasantly as it should, while Valerian root thickens the air with a pungent perfume and could make you sleepy if inhaled too deeply.

· Harvest the herb fresh in season;
· wash them thoroughly to remove any lingering critters and debris;
· macerate the herb to break the cells, enabling the constituents to be released;
· stuff a container full of the macerated herb;
· fill the bottle to the rim with vodka (or other undiluted menstruum), covering the herb completely;
· cap the bottle tightly (seal must be air-tight);
· check the bottle after 12 hours and top up if herb has absorbed some of the menstruum;
· shake the tincture daily for 14 days, then allow it to sit one more day;
· strain (with a strainer or colander) the tincture, pouring the liquid off into another bottle;
· press (with a cheesecloth) the liquid out of the remaining pulp into the bottle;
· filter (with a coffee filter) the tincture if any sediment is undesirable;
· cap bottle tightly and label.

In our next post, we will share with you the last method in our short series- tincturing using the Weight to Volume Method.

~
Cautionary note:
The information offered in this article is not intended as a substitute for medical advice. Please do not attempt self-medication without consulting your naturopath or medical doctor. Be cautious; homemade tinctures can vary in strength.

About the author:
Daina is the Product Manager for Naturally Nova Scotia. She joined the ‘family’ in 1998 with a background in horticulture and strong interest in traditional herbal medicine. Throughout the years she has worked the fields- planting and harvesting, production, research and development, and now enjoys directing packaging design, writing and editing, and contributing to various media resources.

Echinacea photograph taken by Dr. Charles Hu.

Herbal Tinctures Made Easy: Part 1 of 3 Introduction

by Daina Scarola

Have you ever browsed through the supplement aisle of your local pharmacy and felt overwhelmed by all the exotic names on little glass bottles- Motherwort, Black Cohosh, Saw Palmetto…? Understanding herbs and their indications can be a little like learning a new language, elusive at first. But it doesn’t have to be. Since the beginning of life on Earth, plants have provided for all living things in great abundance. Our ancestors shared vital knowledge we depend on today to identify and use herbs for health and healing. We will show you how you can apply this knowledge to reap the benefits of the many medicinal herbs growing wild in your own back yard. With a few easy steps, you will learn how to prepare herbal tinctures inexpensively at home, and have fun discovering this new craft!

While many herbs are frowned upon as mere ‘weeds’, it is said that a cure for what ails you is often found growing nearby. Take the common Dandelion, for example. The entire plant is an excellent liver and kidney tonic, while also providing many essential nutrients. Considering the average North American diet, most of us could potentially benefit from this plant! Tinctures can be used topically or administered orally, and some herbs can be applied both ways, such as Echinacea. This plant’s flowers and roots have antibacterial properties. Taken internally, an Echinacea tincture would be beneficial for helping your immune system fight a cold, or it could be applied to a skin wound as a disinfectant to help it heal. Make sure you do your research before harvesting herbs; many have toxic look-alikes. Herb identification books are a great resource, the internet is a library at your fingertips, or you can seek out your local herbalist for advice. With practice identifying wild herbs in their natural environment, you will eventually come to know these lovely plants like old friends.

There are two basic tincturing methods we will discuss; one requires measurements, the other doesn’t. The traditional method, or Folk Method, is the easiest to prepare and is good for general personal use. Equipment is minimal and the resultant potency is variable. The bottles of tinctures you find on your local pharmacy shelves are manufactured using the Weight to Volume Method. This enables the potency to be measured and controlled, and is important when you prepare a tincture that will be used by others.

One manufacturer that began using the Folk Method in its infancy and switched to the Weight to Volume Method for preparing herbal tinctures for market is Naturally Nova Scotia Health Products Ltd. This unique company started out in one entrepreneurial woman’s kitchen and grew into a 400-acre farmstead. It is now a successful leading producer and processor of certified organic nutritional supplements, employing over 40 staff on the scenic eastern shore of Nova Scotia.

The founder and president of Naturally Nova Scotia, Nancy Smithers, began her love affair with herbs in 1993. Nancy began researching local wild plants under the apprenticeship of an herbalist friend. She foraged through the lands of Nova Scotia looking for medicinal herbs in marshes and woods, sometimes wondering if she had lost her mind. While she had deep family roots in nature, Nancy’s main inspiration came from her sister, a physiotherapist interested in natural healing remedies for use in her practice. Considering the centuries of traditional herbal knowledge passed down from early medicine man to modern practitioner, high quality organic remedies were difficult to source.

Nancy started out harvesting fresh herbs and packed them in amber glass bottles using the Folk Method, filling them to the rim with ethyl alcohol. “I had to put a secure lock on my wine cellar at home in order to legally be able to use ethanol. The liquor commission had to come and approve the cellar and the lock!” she laughs. Today the company continues to use ethyl alcohol as the main preservative, or menstruum, for their tinctures, as well as glycerin. However, more readily available alternatives for the home herbalist are vodka, gin, rum, wine, and vinegar. Choose healthy-looking herbs as these make the best quality tinctures. If you are unable to harvest herbs fresh, visit your local health food store. Many will offer the option to purchase small quantities of bulk dried herbs for adventurous medicine-makers like yourself!

Before you begin, collect all your tools and ingredients. You will need a strainer or colander, cheesecloth, and coffee filters. Containers to bottle your tincture should be made of enamel, glass, or clay- not metal. If using glass bottles, make sure they are dark-coloured to protect your tincture from sunlight. Bottles with a wide mouth are good for the tincturing process, while narrow-mouthed bottles are good for final storage and dispensing. Your local packaging supply company should have these in stock. If not, do a search on-line. Bottles and caps or droppers (pipettes) should be sterilized by washing in very hot water or steaming. Utensils should include either a mortar and pestle or a food processor. Nancy tried to chop yellow dock, a large dense tuberous root, with a kitchen knife which kept breaking, and left her hands so sore that she could not move them easily for days. Make sure you have the right tools! And prepare yourself for a bit of a mess. Nancy remembers “The kitchen looked like a disaster area with dirt and herb dropping everywhere.” A machete and a large chopping block outdoors would also work just fine, and is a great way to release stress.

In the following weeks, we will go over recipes for each method. The formula ratio of solid material (weight) to liquid menstruum (volume) can vary depending on which state the herb is in- powdered, whole dried, or fresh. It can also vary if you are using a strong medicinal herb (toxic) or a mild medicinal herb (non-toxic). Whole dried herb should be pulverized with a mortar and pestle to a moderately coarse powder. Fresh herbs are more efficiently extracted when macerated. You can use a mortar and pestle for fine leaves or flowers, a sharp machete for large roots, or a food processor for all. Make sure you work quickly and don’t let the fresh macerated herb sit too long; the medicinal constituents will oxidize quickly, resulting in a lower potency tincture.

In our next post, we will share with you the first method in our short series- tincturing using the Folk Method.

Cautionary note:
The information offered in this article is not intended as a substitute for medical advice. Please do not attempt self-medication without consulting your naturopath or medical doctor. Be cautious; homemade tinctures can vary in strength.

About the author:
Daina is the Product Manager for Naturally Nova Scotia. She joined the ‘family’ in 1998 with a background in horticulture and strong interest in traditional herbal medicine. Throughout the years she has worked the fields- planting and harvesting, production, research and development, and now enjoys directing packaging design, writing and editing, and contributing to various media resources.