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Canada's Wonderland (CW) has just opened! You know it's May in the Toronto area when construction starts and you see ads for the park's discounted season's passes!

Canada's Wonderland is full of so many great things to do, even if you don't go on the rides. There are shows, concerts, and places to buy terrible-for-you-but-yummy junk food for inflated prices!

But really, the rides are what you go for. They make you scared and excited, and sometimes, if you're not careful, you see that overpriced food for a second time!

I've written about amusement parks in the past, but it's worth repeating.

Did you know that the sudden stops and starts of a roller coaster, the collisions on the bumper cars, the spinning of the teacups, can all cause whiplash?

Sound crazy? All those rides cause your neck to go back and forth very quickly. That's how whiplash occurs. When your car hits something or someone hits you, your head accelerates and decelerates (starts and stops) so quickly that it causes injuries to the muscles, joints and ligaments of your neck.

Even though you've chosen to go on the ride, it can cause the same effect as an unplanned motor vehicle accident.

A day or two after your visit to Canada's Wonderland (or another amusement park), you may find you have a headache, dizziness, neck pain or even sleeplessness. These are amusement park induced symptoms and can indicate the presence of misalignment (aka subluxation) of your spine.

Taking care of it at an early stage can prevent future problems.

Chiropractic adjustments are gentle, drug free, all natural way to help symptoms and it's the only way to decrease nerve interference caused by a misalignment of the spine.

Image Credit: freedigitialphotos.net

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Did you know that most people wake up with neck pain? Did you also know that that pain could be due to your pillow? One way to find out is to check your pillow. Did the voice in your head just say, "What is she talking about??"

Pillows don't actually last forever and I have a quick way to check if it's time for a new one. Take your pillow and put it across your forearm. If it droops on both sides, it means it's time for a new one. It's too full of your sweat, tears, skin cells and dust mites to be any use to you anymore. (Gross, right?)

If the pillow stays straight on your forearm and doesn't droop at all, then your pillow is great and will live on for a little while longer.

It's a good idea to check all the pillows in your house once or twice a year.

If you've found out that it's time for a new pillow and you're not sure what to buy, check out my blog post to find out which pillow is right for your sleep position. It will help you make the right choice.

If you're still having neck pain after changing your pillow or you've learned that your pillow is fine but you still have pain, the pillow is not the cause of the problem. It's most likely a spinal issue. In this case, you want to get checked out by your friendly neighbourhood chiropractor!

Image Credit: John Kasawa/FreeDigitalPhotos.net

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The other day I was on the subway - perhaps the book I was reading was too interesting or I was very tired but for the first time ever, I missed my stop! Luckily I noticed my mistake by the next station and was able to back track my steps and be on my way again.

It is so much easier to correct something if you catch it early. If I had not realized my mistake right away, who knows how far down the line I would have gone and how long it would have taken me to get back to where I needed to be!

This is true for your health as well. It's easier to correct a health problem in its early stages rather than after it's been around for a long time and/or gotten worse. Most of the problems that the practitioners see in our wellness office didn't just happen overnight. They have taken quite a while to develop and because of that, it usually takes quite some time for the problem to resolve and for your body to heal.

By taking a pro active approach and addressing a problem early, when it first starts, it can take less time and effort to resolve the issue, saving you energy and money.

That's worth it, isn't it?

Image Credit: Maggie Smith/Free Digital Photos.net

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Is Chiropractic Safe During Pregnancy?
Chiropractic during pregnancy is an effective, drug free and safe treatment for both the mom and her baby. Chiropractic care can continue while you are pregnant, or you can begin a new chiropractic treatment program as early as the first month of pregnancy. Treatment will help you better deal with the many changes that are occurring with your body. 

The International Chiropractic Pediatric Association recommends that women receive chiropractic care throughout pregnancy in order to establish pelvic balance and optimize the room a baby has for development throughout the pregnancy. With a better balanced pelvis, babies enjoy a greater chance of moving into the correct position for birth which can result in an easier and safer delivery for both mom and baby.

What are the Benefits of Chiropractic Care during Pregnancy?
Chiropractic care during pregnancy can lead to a healthier overall pregnancy. Other benefits include controlling nausea symptoms, relieving back, neck and joint pain, reduce the risk of possible cesarean section, as well as reducing labour and delivery time. Chiropractors trained in the Webster Technique are able to perform adjustments using this technique when babies are presenting breech. Studies have shown an 82% success rate of babies turning vertex when the Webster Technique was used.

How do I get adjusted while pregnant?
Many chiropractors have either specially designed pillows or tables that allow the expectant mother to lay on her stomach safely and comfortably during her chiropractic adjustment. Women that are uncomfortable lying this way can still be adjusted by lying on their side.

Are there benefits to Chiropractic Care Post Pregnancy?
After your delivery, your body's supply of relaxin is reduced and your bones and ligaments begin to return to their original positions. Chiropractic adjustments help this process by making that everything is aligned. Chiropractic is an essential part of the postpartum process and is especially helpful if you've had a difficult pregnancy or birthing experience.

Chiropractic also helps your body deal with the added stresses that occur as you hold and take care of your baby. Additional bending, lifting, stretching and rocking will become part of your daily routine. 

Be sure to discuss as an option when you meet with your health care provider. If they are not aware of chiropractic care in pregnancy, ask them to find out it. Most chiropractors welcomchiropractic e the opportunity to partner with other health care providers to help pregnant women enjoy a positive pregnancy experience.

You can have the chace to meet Dr. Maya Pande, D.C. to ask about chiropractic care for pre- and post-partum as well as for infants at our Bellies to Bablies Naturally Open House event! April 27th from 10am-3pm will be a free day of workshops, door prizes, mini consultations, massage, and more! See our Facebook Event page or website for more info and to RSVP!

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Yoga is a popular way of getting in shape. There are so many options that people can usually find a class that fits their needs. However, because of yoga's relaxed nature, sometimes people can think there is minimal risk of getting hurt while practicing it. Unfortunately, that is not the case. In fact, there are certain areas that are more prone to injuries during yoga than others.  

Areas in particular to watch out for are:

• Neck:
  Pressure is put on the neck when certain poses such as "plow", "shoulder stand" and "headstand" are not done properly.  Please only do these poses under the supervision of an experienced instructor.
  
  
• Wrists:
  Poses that put extra weight on your wrists (like "downward dog") can flare up carpal tunnel, arthritis and other conditions.
  
  
• Knees:
  Make sure to listen to your body. Don't force your knees into positions like "lotus. You could possibility tear or over stretch the ligaments or cartilage in your knees and hips.
  
  
• Lower back:
  Bends and twists, if done incorrectly, can ersult in back strains and damage. Pay attention to your teacher and bend your knees to take the pressure off your knees.

To lessen the chance of injury or to decrease the impact of an injury, here are some tips:

• Go to a class taught by a qualified Yoga instructor
• Don't forget to stretch before you start any exercise programme, even yoga.
• More is not always better! Don't push past what's comfortable or overdo a stretch.
• If you are injured, modify the moves/poses for your body. Talk to your instructor for further help.
• This isn't a competition so don't compete with anyone, even yourself.  A stretch that was easy for you yesterday, may not be easy today.
• Take a break from yoga if you have an injury. It can help you get better faster, especially at the beginning when an injury is acute.

Chiropractic adjustments can help your yoga practice as well as help you prevent injuries by:

• Keeping your spine and joints in alignment.
• Increasing the flexibility of your spine and muscles.
• Decreasing the recovery time if you do injure yourself.

Remember, always, always, always listen to your body. If it's had enough, it will tell you.

Image Credit: Craftyjoe/FreeDigitalPhotos.net

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By Wei Su, Registered Holistic Nutritionist

Spring is a prime time to clean your home. Letting the fresh air in, and purging what you have stored away in the winter is what Spring time is for! Like cleaning your home, cleansing your body in the spring is a must!

Our bodies are naturally equipped and built to detoxify harmful substances. One of the most basic automatic functions of our bodies are to eliminate and neutralize unwanted toxins through our hardworking organs – our colon, liver, kidneys, lungs, lymph, and skin.

However, in our current day and age, we are continuously and relentlessly being bombarded with toxins! We are living in, breathing, drinking, eating, bathing, slathering and spraying on toxins constantly. Because of the high levels of toxins we are exposed too it becomes difficult for our bodies to keep up and process all the nit and grit out.

Although our bodies can naturally detoxify, the sheer amount of toxins we are exposed to is so great that some of these toxins are not being processed out. In order to protect itself, the body stores toxins in fat in order to keep it away from our internal organs. 

Toxins destroy the cells in our body, and when our “toxic load” because too high (especially living in a big city like Toronto), our immune system and bodies become compromised! Therefore it is best to cleanse your body with a total body detox at least once a year. 

External toxins are those produced outside of our bodies. Some examples include pollution, cosmetic products, chemicals in water, pesticides, herbicides, fungicides, emulsifiers, preservatives, flavorings, antimicrobials, trans fats, alcohol, tobacco, heavy metals, chemicals, drugs, and the list goes on and on.

Internal toxins are those that our bodies produce (yes we create toxins internally too!) For example, bacterial, yeast, and fungal overgrowth, viral infections, parasitic infections, stress, negative emotions, and byproducts of digestion can all create internal toxins.

Here are some signs and symptoms that you may need to cleanse your body:

• Aches & Pain (Arthritis, Gout, Join Pain)
• Skin Issues (Eczema, Acne, Psoriasis, etc)
• Headaches
• Allergies (Food Sensitivities, Environmental Sensitivities)
• Emotional Upset (Anxiety, Depression, Mood Swings)
• Low Concentration
• Fatigue
• Poor Quality of Digestion (Bloating, Acid Reflux, Gas)
• Digestive System Issues (Irritable Bowel, Colitis, Crohn’s, Diverticulitis)
• Menstrual Irregularity (PMS, painful periods)
• Hypertension
• Constipation
• Cardiovascular Problems (Heart Attack, Strokes, Clots)
• Frequent Infections

If you are interested in a total detox, please contact Wei at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or at Pande Family Wellness Centre for more details. Wei's nutrition client's have seen visible weight loss, clearer skin, and have reported having more energy, better concentration, improved mood and less irritability, and better sleep after detoxing.

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By Theresa Johnson DSHom UK, Classical Homeopath

The presence of allergies or hayfever indicates an underlying weakness or disordered immune system that requires careful constitutional treatment and management by a professional homeopath. Although it`s possible to alleviate symptoms with a few first-aid remedies, homeopaths prefer to treat the disease in the winter months, when you are symptom-free, in order to strengthen your resistance to pollens and other allergens. It`s important to treat this disease, as it can lead to further erosion of immune health and other chronic diseases.

Homeopathy is able to provide non-toxic treatment, with both permanent results and symptomatic relief. The remedies listed below are effective for acute symptoms and if taken repeatedly can diminish the frequency and severity of attacks. Where possible, avoid pollen, animal hair or other substances to which you know you are allergic and keep dust levels low at home. To soothe itchy, inflamed eyes, bathe them in a euphrasia or hypercal (calendula and hypericum) tincture – 2 drops in an eye bath of cool, boiled water.

Dosage: For acute allergy attacks, a remedy in a 6c, 12c or 30c potency may be taken frequently to alleviate symptoms. The appropriate remedy may also be taken daily, prior to symptoms, as a preventative.  

The Remedies:

Allium cepa (Red Onion)
Violent sneezing; watery acrid discharge corrodes nose and lips; one-sided symptoms
Burning, red, sensitive eyes; watery, bland discharge
Better for fresh air
Worse in a warm, stuffy room; in Spring and August
Headache, laryngitis, anxiety

Ambrosia (Ragweed)
Nose red and swollen from sneezing
Stuffed up nose and head or acrid, watery discharge
Itchy eyes with stringy mucous; smarting, burning, tearing
Difficulty breathing; wheezy cough

Arsenicum iodatum (Arsenic iodide)
Sneezing; hot, watery, irritating nasal discharge, which reddens upper lip
Post-nasal drip; hacking cough, short of breath
Restless, weak, chilly, but hates the heat

Napthalinum (Naptha)
Sudden allergy attacks, constant sneezing, acrid discharge
Inflamed, painful eyes with acrid discharge
Full, hot head; eruptions around the mouth

Sabadilla (Cevadilla seed)
Sneezing with watery discharge; itching and tingling in nose and mouth
Red, burning, tearing eyes
Sinusitis with frontal headache
Left sided sore throat
Worse for mown grass
Better for warm room

Wyethia (Poison Weed)
Violent sneezing; profuse flow of discharge; dryness in back of nose
Itching in back of nose, throat and soft palate; scratches it with tongue
Dry, burning throat; swollen uvula; hoarseness
Nervous, dizzy, weak, headachy

For more information on Homeopathic remedies or to book a consultation, please contact This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

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On the crowded bus today, there was a woman who refused to move down to make room because (she said) she had a broken back. However, while getting off the bus, I noticed that she was wearing two inch heeled wedge shoes. For those of you who don't know what those look like, see the picture below.

So what's wrong with two inch heels? High heels cause you to lean forward and to prevent you from falling, your head and upper body lean back. This increases the curvature of your lower back, which causes instability, aggravating any low back pain that you're having.

So a woman with a broken back should NOT have been wearing two inch wedge heels!

Now, I know what some of you are thinking when you read this: But Dr. Maya, they're wedges! It's not like they're stilettos or pumps! Wedges aren't bad!

Unfortunately, it's not the TYPE of heel, it's the HEIGHT of the heel. A 2 inch wedge heel is the same height as a 2 inch pump or stiletto.  (This reminds me of that kid's joke, What weighs more? A tonne of feathers or a tonne of lead?)  A wedge heel shoe can be more comfortable for your feet but will still increase the low back pain.

This isn't a commonly known fact, so many people don't realize that their choice in footwear could be part of the problem. But you can help spread the word! Do you know someone that this might help? Share this post and help spread the information!

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Lately there's been a lot of news about young athletes who are having heart attacks while playing on the field. Fabrice Muamba, 23, is luckily recovering but unfortunately D. Venkatesh, 27, did not make it. When someone is an athlete you assume that they are healthy. I mean, they work out, they eat well - why are they having a heart attack? Aside from any unknown factors, it seems so unreal. Maybe you've known someone who is symptom free, eats well and exercises regularly only to hear that they've died of a heart attack? 

The major cause of all diseases is inflammation, but inflammation can't always be felt. Before I get further into this, let me give you some background.

Most people think that chiropractors work with bones. That's actually not true. We work with the nervous system. The nervous system (which includes your brain, spinal cord, nerve roots and nerves) goes to every part of your body and has to function properly for everything in your body to work. When a nerve is pinched by a misaligned vertebra, inflammation develops and the nerve doesn't work as well.

Most people also think that if your nerve is inflammed or pinched, they would be able to feel it, because it would hurt.

But like I mentioned earlier, this often doesn't happen.  

To explain this some more, let's look at a cross-section of a nerve under a powerful microscope. You would see three main types of cells: Motor, chemical and sensory cells.

Motor cells control muscles, such as bicep and heart muscles.
Chemical cells deal with hormones, various nutrients and chemical reactions that happen in the body.
Sensory cells transmit all sensation, such as rough, smooth, ticklishness etc.

The diagram below depicts what a cross-section of a nerve would look like.

You can see that the three kinds of cells are not evenly divided. There are less sensory cells than there are chemical or motor. This means that there can be inflammation of almost the entire nerve without any involvement of the sensory cells (see below-the lightening bolts indicate inflammation) meaning that you can have a 'pinched nerve' and not feel any pain! Nerve inflammation can result in other symptoms and health concerns that may not be

felt at the moment. In fact, you can have inflammation throughout your nerves that's affecting other areas of your body, like your heart, and not feel any pain or symptoms until the inflammation has been there for a long time. Sometimes it's too late by then. This is one reason why someone who seems healthy, actually isn't.

The good news is chiropractors can detect where there's inflammation even if there's no pain in the area. So if you want to find out if you're really truly healthy, get your spine checked by a chiropractor today!

All images on this post were created by me.

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I probably should have posted this article last week but to be honest I'm still recovering from the lost hour that it didn't even occur to me to write about it until now!

How is it that losing one hour can make such a difference?  A little research gave me the answer.  

There's a chemical secreted in our bodies called melatonin.  Basically, melatonin makes us sleepy and it's triggered by darkness so since we have an extra hour of sunlight, we're not tired as early but we still have to get up at the same time!  

Aha!!  Mystery solved!

The good news is that the Daylight Saving Effect will only last so long because your body tends to adjust quickly to the hour change.   I can't wait.

Image Credit: David Castillo Dominici/FreeDigitalPhotos.net