Cafe of Life 32 Berwick Ave. Suite 201
647-352-2233
wellness@
cafe-of-life.com
TOPICS
- Café News – A review of recent events
- New - “Fuel Your Life” holistic seminar series
- About SRI – What is it? Let Grettal explain!
- New – four week SRI intensive healing workshop!
- 9 Holistic nutrition tips to Wellness
- A practice member shares a wonderful expression of a healing journey.
- New upcoming wellness seminars by Dr.Evan, Dr. Shaian and Dr. Allison.
SRI – Somato-Respiratory Integration
Healing
through 12 Basic Rhythms
By Grettal Gantwerger. S.R.I., C.S.T.
Our Bodies, Our Selves
When you touch an area of your body and you allow your
breath to flow into that area you are showing it compassion.
When you can be present with whatever you feel and let your
voice make the sound or tone it needs to, you are engaging
in an incredible journey of healing, self-acceptance and
self-knowledge. Somato Respiratory Integration is a protocol
that combines breath, touch and dialogue in such a way as to
reunite you safely and lovingly with repressed, shamed and
forgotten areas held in your body. It has been discovered that
tapping into our bodies can be therapeutically rewarding because
so much of our personal stories in the way of struggle, lost
dreams, and bruised spirits are waiting to be listened to. As a
body-mind therapy I find Somato Respiratory Integration will
actually change the tension system of the body to shift old ways
of
behaving and thinking.
NEW!
Grettal helped us launch our first “Fuel Your Life” day. It was such
an evolutionary day for people we have decided to team up with
Grettal and offer more SRI. We will be offering a 4-week SRI
intensive healing night. The four nights will be April 28th, May 5th,
12th and 26th from 7:00pm to 8:30pm. Investment in your health
is $120 for all four weeks. See Upcoming Events on our website
for more details.
9 HOLISTIC NUTRITION TIPS TO WELLNESS
Contact Sabrena at www.naturalnutritionnbeyond.com
1. Limit refined sugar - If you are going to use a sweetener, Stevia
is recommended first, then organic honey (Manuka honey contains
tee tree oil). Stevia has an almost neutral PH status and Honey has
an alkaline PH, whereas all other sweeteners are acidic-based.
Sugar also disturbs and slows down the metabolic activity of the
thyroid. Most disease lives in an acidic PH environment.
2. Eliminate the consumption of the following stressful substances
: cigarette smoke, alcohol, caffeine, and soft drinks.
3. Limit food additives and refined processed foods – The main
culprits are canned foods, preserved meats, dairy and “kids treats”
(later known as adult treats). Fuel your body with well-washed fruits
and veggies, whole grain breads and pasta, organic chicken and wild
fish.
4. Drink remineralised distilled water (eg. Aquafina) and distilled water
with minerals added. This is recommended over spring water and Brita
filtered water. Spring water, tap water, and Brita filtered water have the
potential for bacteria presence.
5. It is recommended that an adult drink 1.5 to 2 litres of remineralized
distilled water a day (1 litre for a child) Drinking commercial juice, coffee,
black tea, alcoholic beverages and soft drinks do not count and can
actually dehydrate the body increasing its need of pure water. Drink
cool to warm water, not cold temperatures. The body cannot use cold
water, on a cellular level, until the water reaches body temperature.
Cold water halts digestion and can dilute enzyme breakdown of food.
6. Food combining improves health. The basics are: always eat fruit
on its own, ˝ hours before a carbohydrate meal or three hours after a
protein meal. Combine protein with vegetables, combine carbohydrates
(grains/pasta) with vegetables (no protein) and eat rice with legumes
(balanced complete protein). It is recommended that you sip lukewarm
pure water as you eat.
the vegetables for a couple minutes, blanch them (cook in boiling water
for 30sec – 1min then put into cold water immediately, then serve), stir-fry
with water (drink surplus water or use as soup base), stew or make a soup.
If you eat the vegetable raw, chew thoroughly to improve digestion
(30 times average, until it is mushy).
8. Learn the glycemic index for foods. The glycemic index will help you
determine which foods breakdown quickly and cause an insulin surge in
your circulatory system. Surging and plummeting insulin levels stresses
the body. Foods that are have a GI < 50 cause mild fluctuations in your
insulin level. The important thing is to avoid reaching your glycemic load
consistently (can lead to hypoglycaemia, diabetes, thyroid issues, liver,
and kidney issues.
9. We expect a lot from our body so it is crucial to live intuitively to its
needs and trust its messages to create a harmonious mind/body
relationship. Give yourself 15-20 minutes to eat and savour a meal.
Eating on the run is not recommended, as the blood supply is not used
for digestion but for walking or running. Therefore, digestion and
absorption is adversely effected throughout the day and can cause
bloating, gas, fermentation, malabsorption and dysbiosis (malfunctioning
colon). Take the time to chew your food, relax and enjoy the process,
while breathing properly.
SHARING FROM A PRACTICE MEMBER
Sometimes the best things in life come to us when we are
not even looking for them. I came to the Café of Life to get
relief from chronic neck pain and stiffness in my back. I was
no longer comfortable being adjusted by my straight chiropractor
– my neck felt too fragile. I did not know anything about Network,
but the light touch aspect intrigued me.
I was certainly not expecting the changes that began to take place
almost immediately. The emotional release of the first weeks
caught me off guard. It was difficult, yet in my core I was certain
that this was the most important work I could be doing for myself.
So I persevered. The physical changes evolved more slowly and
gradually.
As I moved through the next months, the heaviness began to lift
from my nervous system. I began to feel lighter in my heart and
began to develop flexibility in my spine that I hadn’t felt in years.
Now as I approach six months as a practice member, I feel like a
poster girl for Network. Physically, improvement is still in progress.
My neck is much improved from where I started. My back feels really
good – I feel stronger, flexible and springy. Emotionally, psychologically
and spiritually I feel transformed. I have been a lifelong spiritual seeker,
having become a vegetarian and a meditator at age 16. The internal
growth I am experiencing has altered my reality. There is a deep felt
joy and happiness where there was no lack of happiness before. The
love, compassion and gratitude that I feel are almost overwhelming at
times.
Many people in my life have offered unsolicited comments on how I
have changed. I seem so calm, so peaceful, and so happy. They want
what I have found. My husband started seeing Evan a couple of months
ago. He’s not sure why, but he saw the changes in me. Our relationship,
which has always been wonderful, feels renewed as we approach our 25th
anniversary enjoying life as empty nesters.
Here’s the thing though. The extraneous things in my life have
not changed. Work stress, family stress, life’s pressures on me continue
at their normal level. It is I who has changed. I am still available to the
people in my life. They continue to unload on me and make demands
on me. Emotional stress just doesn’t stick to me the way it used to.
It seems to slide off instead of accumulating in my neck and back and
heart. I am so grateful for that.
I am also grateful to Evan and to Shaian for creating a beautiful and
safe place for people to come and experience growth and healing.
Their compassion, commitment and sensitivity allow each practice
member to feel unique and special. They encourage and support us
all on our journey toward wellness.
UPCOMING WELLNESS SEMINARS
Wellness Presentation called “You are Unlimited with Potential”, at the Café of Life, April 18thth, May 2nd and May 16th, 7:00pm – 8:00pm, Discover how to maximize the innate potential you were born with!
Wellness Presentation called “Unleash your Potential”, come to experience Dr. Allison’s inspirational and powerful message on the power of the human body, 7:30 – 8:30pm, Monday April 11th, Wednesday April 27th, May 11th and May 25th at the Café of Life.
Visit www.cafeoflifetoronto.com for our upcoming events and to learn more on how to live a wellness lifestyle.