Did you know… Grassfed is an unregulated term in Canada. A farmer can claim a product to be grass fed even when the animal spends a very short time feeding from their natural environment. Most often, cattle are raised using grains...

And the anticipation apexes! Be sure to check out Seedy Saturday events to chat with some like-minded folks, attend some workshops, gather some “seedy” information, pick up some seeds, and perhaps try something new this year.  Try to resist...

February is heart month. Not only should we celebrate the emotional heart, but we also need to honour the health of our anatomical heart. The heart, arteries, veins and blood make up the cardiovascular system. This system is primarily responsible for delivering oxygen and nutrients to...

Allergy season is approaching! Now is the time to gear up the immune system for the onslaught of pollens and grasses that invade our bodies, causing all those unpleasant side effects. There are many things you can do now, to help prevent or reduce symptoms, rather than waiting and...

  Spring is upon us and we naturally get the urge to air things out, lighten up, de-clutter, and clean things up. Spring is a great time to not only give your house and yard an overhaul, but also your body, your health, and your spirit. Many people start the process with...

Tissue Salts are minerals found in every cell of our body. They were discovered by Dr. Scheussler at the end of the 19th century. There are 12 tissue salts in total, each with its own unique properties and functions. If any one of these minerals are deficient or significantly out...

Increase Stomach Acid – apple cider vinegar before meals, and no other liquids before or during meals. Up your Vit. C levels – red peppers, berries, citrus, or plain old ascorbic acid Beets and Greens – eat ‘em, juice ‘em, just get ‘em in! Remember to drizzle them with lemon juice...

  Cardiovascular Disease (CVD) is in the top three causes of death every year for Canadians. Every 7 minutes someone dies from a CVD related disease (Stats Canada 2011). These are pretty scary statistics. Cardiovascular Disease is largely caused by inactivity, transfats, refined carbohydrates, overeating, and too much...

Every organ in the body needs the mineral magnesium, especially the heart and the kidneys. Our muscles are highly reliant on  magnesium for proper functioning and it also contributes to the makeup of teeth and bones. Most importantly, it activates enzymes, contributes to energy production, and helps regulate calcium...

  Greens. We’re told they’re good for us and to eat more of them. But many of us are left wondering how to get them in and how much to eat. From a Nutritionists point of view, a serving of raw leafy greens is about 2...

  Now before you start protesting, we are not saying you have to give up your beloved coffee! After all, we’re about sustainable changes, and we all know giving up coffee completely is not a sustainable act for most of us! What we are suggesting is that...

  No matter how healthy or balanced your diet may be, sugar cravings can overcome the best of intentions. What causes these powerful urges that so many of us feel helpless against? Hormones can play a huge role in the making of sugar cravings. High...

  We have more bacterial cells in our gut than we do in the rest of our body — about two to four pounds of it! Bacteria out number our body cells by 10 to 1. They are absolutely essential to life! The beneficial type of bacteria...

  The holidays have come and gone. We are often left feeling a little under the weather, full, and heavy. Start your year off with a gentle detox that will leave you feeling fresh and vibrant to face your resolutions! Every morning upon waking, before consuming anything else,...

  3 Tips To Help The Body Recover from Holiday Indulgences: 1. Electrolytes - Alcohol depletes the body of important electrolytes like sodium and potassium. After a night of too much drink, consume a mineral rich beverage before bed and first thing in the morning. Coconut water, or electrolyte...

  Let’s get things moving! This week our focus is on sustaining healthy bowel movements. A regular, daily bowel movement is of the utmost importance, yet is often ignored and “poo-pooed”. Your stool not only excretes waste matter, but also removes unwanted hormones and cholesterol from the...

  The process of lacto-fermentation is common in traditional diets in all indigenous cultures throughout the world. Each culture has its own cultured foods that are passed down from generation to generation. These foods are unique to the people that make them. We live in a...

Healthyway Natural Foods are paid sponsors of the Non-GMO project. What are GMO’s? Genetically Modified Organisms (GMO’s) are plants or animals created through the gene splicing techniques of biotechnology (also called genetic engineering, or GE). This experimental technology merges DNA from different species, creating...

Yarrow Willard,  master herbalist & owner of Harmonic Arts Botanical Dispensary was at Heatlhyway on September 27, 2012. Yarrow was sampling a new product of Harmonic Arts – Chaga Tea. Some highlights from Yarrow about Chaga are: This mushroom grows well in Canada on Birch trees. It...

  Exercise is a fundamental part of a healthy lifestyle. But often times with increased activity, the risk of injury also increases. Whether a weekend warrior, a trained athlete, or somewhere in between, everyone is susceptible to injury and inflammation. Before reaching for the bottle of...

Many people come into Healthyway looking for alternatives to eating wheat. So many in fact that it seems to be a dietary epidemic. Everywhere you go, people are cutting wheat out of their diets. Whether it’s a true allergy or sensitivity, the...

Foods to avoid/reduce/ eliminate Meat  (especially  non-organic meat) Processes & smoked meats Cow dairy products (organic & low fat if at all) Non-organic fruits & veggies that are high in pesticide use White rice, flour & pasta Alcohol & coffee Refined sugar – candy & treats Salt – canned foods, processed...

“…in the spring we sow the seeds which prepare the full harvest of ourselves.”   Eat Right for Spring... Eat less and try fasting to cleanse the body of the fats and heavy foods of winter. Bitter foods are excellent for cleansing the blood – rye, romaine, asparagus, amaranth,...

As summer fast approaches and we spend more time outside we immediately begin to think about protecting our skin from that dangerous sun! Humans have been living with the sun since time began and it’s only in the last decade or two that we’ve been...

Molkosan by A.Vogel is a lactofermented whey concentrate made from fresh organic Swiss Alpine dairy. After isolating the whey, it is fermented by adding L. Casei bacteria, creating a health enhancing, living food. It is free of lactose and casein so is suitable for those...

May is National Celiac Awareness Month. Celiac Disease is an autoimmune disorder that causes an allergic reaction to wheat and all other gluten grains.  It is a growing epidemic, with more and more people being diagnosed every year. Since the 1950's there are...

  Whole grains are high in fiber, vitamins & minerals.  They are low in fat & provide a good source of protein.  Rotate your grains to reap the benefits of each.  Some cooking directions recommend rinsing and straining your grains first to remove any foreign debris...

MCT stands for Medium Chain Triglycerides. They are found naturally in coconut and palm kernel oils. MCT's are a saturated fat, however, contrary to popular belief, they are not harmful to our health but are actually highly beneficial. MCT's do not raise blood lipid levels,...

Leaky Gut is a condition in which the small intestine becomes abnormally permeable and allows large protein molecules (polypeptides) and pathogens such as bacteria, fungi, and viruses into the bloodstream. The immune system recognizes these invaders as foreign and potentially dangerous and launches an immune attack on them. Depending...

We all love our carbs, most of our favorite foods are based around some form of carbohydrate. They provide us with energy, vitamins and minerals, amino acids, fiber, and they provide us with comfort. Recently another beneficial component of carbs has been discovered:...

Hormone imbalances in our society have become an epidemic. It is estimated that 85% of women have PMS symptoms and 85% of women experience hot flashes during perimenopause. However Japanese women experience hot flashes at about 1/3 the rate of us North American women and...

Ahhh, chocolate...who doesn't love it? It's mother nature's comfort food. It's sweet, creamy, melt in your mouth perfection. Taste aside, chocolate has some proven health benefits that go further than just simple indulgence. Cocoa is the foundation of chocolate. It is from cocoa that we find...

It’s back!! Health Canada has finally approved the return of this amazing nutrient. Carnitine is known for its ability to increase energy production in our cells by shuttling fatty acids into the mitochondria. While technically not an amino acid, it is made from the amino acids lysine and methionine,...

Weight loss is such a large topic with so many factors and variables. I'm going to try to keep it as simple as possible. For the scope of this article I will stick with the topic of diet alone. However weight loss for...

  Keep everything as simple as possible. Do not buy anything packaged or pre-made. Eat it as nature gave it to you. Remember ‘could you grow it, gather it or make it’ yourself? If you were living 150 years ago and had to provide all your...

It's still cold and dark but the process of dreaming, planning, and anticipation is exciting and heart-warming! Think about how much zucchini you will use, and what fruits and vegetables your family will actually eat. A little planning goes a long way toward saving time,...

Placing importance around meals and making them all a celebration is something that we should be doing on a regular basis but at Christmas time it’s a given! By making a meal something out of the ordinary we are saying “this food and these people...

Balancing blood sugar is the key to lasting energy and diminished food cravings. We can do this by eating smaller, more frequent meals during the day and always consuming some form of protein with every meal and snack. Don't go for longer than three hours...

L-Theanine is an amino acid that is predominantly found in green tea. As a supplement it is a popular and very effective remedy for anxiety and stress. Because it has the ability to cross the blood brain barrier, l-theanine works quickly to reduce both mental...

5 HTP, or 5-hydroxytryptophan, is a metabolite of the amino acid tryptophan. It is part of the metabolic pathway to serotonin and melatonin production. For this reason it is an excellent natural supplement for the treatment of Depression, Insomnia, Seasonal Affective Disorder, Fibromyalgia,...

The best way to avoid colds and flu is to be healthy so that you don’t get sick in the first place. A healthy terrain is incompatible with illness! Eat whole nutrient dense foods. Every time you put something in...

  Kale is a nutritional powerhouse you can easily keep in your garden year-round. Kale is an excellent source of vitamin A, vitamin K, lutein and zeaxanthin. This leafy vegetable also has notable amounts iron, calcium, and B vitamins, particularly vitamin B6. She has powerful antioxidant and...

October is Breast Cancer Awareness month. In Canada 1 out of every 9 women will be diagnosed with breast cancer in their lifetime and the time to start thinking about it is now. Very little focus is given to the fact that cancer is a preventable disease. It’s not...

Will, Zosia & I visited George & Marla out at Nature’s Way Organic Farm in August.  Marla led on a tour of the 6 acre farm and it was amazing.  There are rows & rows of blueberry plants much taller than...

As we head on back into the school year, whether you are an adult or a child, there are some important facts that you should know about to keep you thinking critically, recalling information easily and staying focused! The brain is 80% water so make sure you’re drinking enough water...

The liver is the largest and busiest internal organ in the body. It is tucked into the upper right part of the abdomen just below the diaphragm. Over 400 metabolic and regulatory tasks are required by it every day.  Some signs that your liver isn’t functioning as it should: Feeling...

Candida yeast is only one of many species of micro-organisms that inhabit our body. Unfortunately, it is opportunistic and takes over when there is a deficiency in healthy bacteria. This is usually caused by overuse of antibiotics or other drugs, (steroids, birth control pills, cortisone, progesterone, etc…), too much...

Pattison Farm’s Certified Organic produce has been a staple in our produce section for as long as I can remember and Gerry has been farming since…well forever, he recalls.  I believe they started farming in the late 1980’s. The farm is located in Black Creek...

Raw and superfoods are the ultimate fast food.  While traditional “fast” food leaves us feeling anything but fast, raw and superfoods really help us to pick up the pace and enable us to keep that pace. What I enjoy the most about raw...

It can be confusing for the average person as to what sort of foods they should and shouldn't eat for optimal health, especially when weight loss is a key goal. First of all, dieting is a very self limiting, self...

This spring has been a rough one for growers, but local and BC leafy greens are abundant at Healthyway! Leafy greens are arguably the most concentrated source of nutrition. They’re a rich source of minerals (including iron, calcium, potassium, and magnesium) and vitamins, including vitamins K,...

We met Danny & Maggie for a tour of their 80 acre ranch the  other day. The land has was bought by his family in the 1920's. He grew up on this land and learned about farming & livestock...

Sports supplements can be a confusing and daunting addition to your daily regimen. Do I need them? What's the best kind of protein? What are BCAA's? How do I support muscle recovery after exercise? I'm not an athlete, can I still benefit? These kinds...

All sunscreens are made with either mineral or chemical ingredients and protect the skin from harmful ultraviolet rays that could cause skin cancer and premature aging of the skin. Naturally occurring mineral sunscreens such as zinc oxide are recognized for being safe and hypoallergenic. Zinc...

Confused is how most people feel when reading about nutritional guidelines. What dietary changes to make? What foods to eat? Not to eat? What diet to follow? What cleanse to do? Low carb? Low fat? Atkins? South Beach? Palaeolithic? Vegan?

May has been designated as National Celiac Awareness Month. The goal is to raise awareness about what the disease is, how to recognize your symptoms and what to do about them. May is also known as Food Allergy Awareness month and...

  It is becoming increasingly clear that we are surrounded by a chemical soup that is impossible to escape from. The air we breathe, the water we drink, the food we eat, and the household & personal care products that we come in...

If you have a garden, then you’ll already know how wonderful it is to have your own fresh herbs to use in your kitchen, and if you don’t garden I urge you to have a small one of your own! The easiest...

 You’ve no doubt heard of doing a ‘cleanse’ but many of you have probably thought that it wasn’t something that you wanted to attempt. It takes a good deal of self discipline and for some it is definitely not easy the first time around. I won’t try convince you...