Get Free Baby Stuff

For those who are expecting, here are some sources that you can get free gifts and samples for your new-born. Freebies are always good!

TOILETRIES: 
1-800-222-0453 Playtex Product Coupons 
1 800 387 1300 Playtex joy of feeding program 
1 800 361 8068 Johnson & Johnson’s new parent pack 

DIAPERS: 
Huggies: http://www.huggies.com/na/offers/promo/mail/index.asp 

1-800-990-4448 Kimberly Clark (Huggies) huggies rebate form 

1-800-544-1847 Free Kimberley-Clark Product Coupons, Booklets and Information 

Pampers: http://www.pampers.com/en_CA/registr...register.jhtml 

FORMULA/BABY FOOD: 
1-800-872-2229 Free Heinz Earth's Best Baby Food Coupons and Booklet (press #2) 
Heinz baby food:http://www.heinzbaby.com 
Similac formula: http://www.abbott.ca/ 
1-800-518-2582 Similac Welcome Addition Club 
Good Start formula: http://www.nestle.ca/nestle-baby/en/index 
1-800-387-5536 Carnation Good Start Program 

1-800-523-6633 Free Beech-Nut "New Parent Pack" with Baby Food Coupons 

1-800-222-9123 Free Mead/Johnson Coupons toward Enfamil, Other Formulas 
Enfamil formula: http://www.enfamil.ca/en/steps/program.html 

1-800-443-7237 Free Gerber Baby Food Product Coupons and Information 

1-800-361-6323 Enfalac formula 
1 866 335 9080 Milupa promotional package (coupons, feeding spoon, baby on board) 

MEDICINE CHEST: 
Tylenol: http://www.tylenol.ca/english/produ...calculator.html 

1-800-962-5357 Free Tylenol Product Coupons for Tylenol Products of Your Choice 

1-800-361-6323 Tempra info and coupons 
1-800-292-4794 Free "Lansinoh" sample â€" Breastfeeding pads and Lanolin breast cream 
1-888-597-8017 Materna (prenatal vitamins) Expectant Mom Offer 

TOYS/BABY GEAR: 
1-800-526-3967 Free Johnsons & Johnsons "New Parent's Packet" of Baby Product Coupons 

1-800-356-2229 Free Evenflo Product Coupons, Booklets and Information 

1-800-356-BABY or 1-800-233-BABY Evenflo coupons and information 

1-800-533-6708 The 1st years product coupons 

1-800-432-KIDS Fisher Price Family Registry Program 
1-800-233-BABY Evenflo coupons 
1-800-301-1104 Welcome Wagon Baby Shower 
Avent bottles: http://www.aventbaby.com/queries/in...?strLanguage=uk 
1-800-436-2229 Ivory Snow laundry detergent info and coupons

Note: We do not have direct or indirect association to the above providers and do not hold liability to any of their services or products.

Eat Plenty of Apples During Pregnancy Can Reduce Chances to Develop Asthma for Babies

The University of Aberdeen project quizzed 2,000 mothers-to-be on their eating habits, then looked at their child's health over five years.

They found that those who ate four or more apples a week were half as likely to have an asthmatic child compared with those who ate one or fewer.

The study was presented at the American Thoracic Society conference.

The researchers also found a link between eating more fish in pregnancy, and a lower chance of their child developing the allergic skin condition eczema.

Women who ate one or more portions of any type of fish during pregnancy weekly had almost half the chance of having a child diagnosed with eczema within the first five years.
There are no firm clues as to why apples and fish might be able to produce this benefit - no other foodstuffs were linked to decreases in asthma or eczema.

However, apples are already linked to better lung health when taken by adults, perhaps due to their antioxidant properties, and oily fish in particular contain Omega-3 oils, which, it has been suggested, offer health benefits.

It is, however, notoriously difficult to uncover links between maternal diet and child health, given the numerous other factors which may be involved in the development of diseases such as asthma and eczema.

The Aberdeen team has a group of 2,000 women, who, more than five years ago, monitored their food intake during pregnancy, and then allowed researchers to see what happened to their children.

Ref: BBC News

Acupuncture Improves Fertility in Men, Too

Previous research has shown that acupuncture can improve fertility levels in women. Fewer studies on male infertility have been conducted, although evidence suggests that acupuncture can have an effect on sperm production and quality, without causing any changes in behavior or sexual desire. A recent trial published in Fertility and Sterility has shown just how effective acupuncture can be in the treatment of this condition, leading to significant increases in the number of normal sperm and equally significant reductions in structural defects.

In the study, 28 men who were diagnosed with idiopathic infertility received acupuncture twice a week over a period of 5 weeks. 

Semen samples were collected from each of the men after a 3-day period of sexual abstinence. Two samples were collected from each patient: one obtained the day before treatment began, the other after the last acupuncture treatment. Samples from the treatment group were then randomized with semen samples from 12 untreated control patients and analyzed.

Compared to the control group, motility levels increased significantly in semen samples in the men receiving acupuncture. While median motility levels increased from 32% to 37% in the control group, they increased from 44.5% to 50% in the acupuncture group.

The number and percentage of healthy sperm also increased dramatically in the acupuncture patients. At baseline, only 0.06% the sperm among men in the acupuncture group was considered "healthy," while the median number of healthy sperm calculated in ejaculate was 0.04 x 10 6 (40,000). After 10 sessions of treatments, the median percentage of healthy sperm had increased more than four-fold, to 0.26%, while the median number of healthy sperm per sample had reached 0.2 x 10 6 (200,000).

In addition, significant changes in sperm structure and quality were seen in the samples from the acupuncture group. Before treatment, only 22.5% of the sperm samples in the acupuncture patients contained normal-shaped acrosomes, a cap-like structure that develops over the anterior portion of a sperm cell's nucleus. After treatment, the median percentage of normal acrosome shapes showed a "statistically significant improvement" to 38.5%.

Similarly, the percentage of sperm with a normal axoneme pattern increased significantly among men receiving acupuncture. (The axoneme is a microscopic structure that contains a series of tubules arranged in a distinct pattern, and is believed to aid in sperm motility.) Prior to the start of the study, the correct axoneme pattern was present in 52% of sperm in the control group, but only 46.1% in the acupuncture group. After 5 weeks of therapy, the median percentage increased to 52.2% in acupuncture patients, but actually decreased to 38.2% in the control group.

The authors concluded that despite the inability of acupuncture to significantly reduce some sperm abnormalities, the treatment could be used to improve overall sperm quality, leading to the possibility of increased fertility.

References

1. Hopps CV, Goldstein M. Male infertility: the basics. Available online.
2. Levine D. Boxers or briefs: myths and facts about men's infertility. Available online.
3. Pei J, Strehler E, Noss U, et al. Quantitative evaluation of spermatozoa ultrastructure after acupuncture treatment for idiopathic male infertility. Fertility and Sterility July 2005;84(1):141-7.

Can Acupuncture Increase Success Rate of IVF Treatment?

At the October 2004 meeting of the American Society for Reproductive Medicine (ASRM) another study was presented that confirms the value of acupuncture to the success of IVF treatment. The research, done at Reproductive Medicine and Fertility Centre in Colorado Springs, studied 114 women undergoing IVF. Half of the women received acupuncture and the control group did not. The acupuncture group showed improved outcome in the following ways:

1. Acupuncture group 51% pregnancy rate compared to 36% in control group

2. Acupuncture group 08% miscarriage rate compared to 20% in control group

Acupuncture also was found to reduce the risk of tubal pregnancy and increase the live birth rate. The live birth rate for each IVF cycle was 23 % higher than the cycles for the control group.

Traditional Chinese Medicine Food Therapy

I'm back! After taking a long break, I finally set some time aside for posting health related tips and pointers for all the natural healing fans!


Throughout my practice, I got questions from my patients from time to time. The most popular questions are all about food, especially TCM Food Therapy. Traditional Chinese Medicine practitioners categorize all food in 5 main characters.

NEUTRAL
Black Bean
Soya Bean
Green Bean
Carrot
Cauliflower
Spinach
Cherry
Chicken
Egg
Peach
Plum
Apple
Orange
Pumpkin
Tomato
Sweet Potato
Raisin
Rice
Milk
Cheese


COLD
Banana
Pear
Cabbage
Kelp
Hawthorn
Peppermint
Cucumber
Tofu
Shrimp


COOL
Barley
Coconut
Grapes
Watermelon
Corn
Eggplant
Duck
Eel
Oyster


HOT
Chilli
Chocolate
Clove
Coffee
Curry
Mustard
Onion
Black Pepper
Roasted Peanut
Lichee
Mango
Passion Fruit
Liquor


WARM
Aniseed
Leek
Garlic
Ginger
Chive
Coriander
Shallot
Tangerine
Potato
Chestnut
Walnut
Wine
Turkey
Beef

Women’s Health &Traditional Chinese Medicine Workshop Saturday, September 25, 2010

Topic: Put Your Health Back in Your Hands - Natural Detoxification & Stress Management

In this workshop, you will learn:

Ø Definition and Characteristics Traditional Chinese Medicine (TMC)

Ø History of Basics of TMC

Ø Concept and definition of health and sub-health

Ø Facts about stress

Ø Stress management from TMC perspective

Ø Concept of body waste

Ø Detoxification in a natural way

For Registration, Please call

NYWC: 416-781-0479

Skin Food Therapy - Bulgarian Rose and Geranium Mask Recipe

To protect your skin from aging, simple foods can be nutritious to your skin.

Ingredients:

2 oz of green clay

3 tsp of cornflour

1 egg yolk
1 tsp of water
2 drops of geranium
1 drop of white Bulgarian rose

Instructions:

Mix all ingredients together

Apply mask on face and neck

Big success on certificate course at Medlink of Canada ~ 30+ students showed up!

Functional Food Therapy - Red Dates Tea recipe

This serves as a tonic for spleen deficiency, which is good for children who wet the bed and have a poor appetite.

Ingredients:

5g of pitted dried red dates

5g of Chinese loose red tea

Instructions:

Put Chinese red loose tea in boiling water for 3 minutes

Boil dried red dates in red tea for 10 minutes

Functional Food Therapy - Fresh Plum Tea recipe

This tea clears heat, drainsdampness, benefits the liver and relieves stress. It will be a very good summer drink.

Ingredients:

100 - 150g of fresh plums

1.5 cup of water

2g of green tea loose tea

25g of honey to taste

Instructions:

Boil plums in water for 3 minutes

Add green tea and honey

Bring all ingredients to boil This tea clears heat, drains dampness, benefits the liver and relieves stress. It will be a very good summer drink

Functional Food Therapy - Chrysanthemum Tea recipe

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This tea cleanses the liver and benefits the eyes. It is good for individuals with hypertension, blurred vision and headache.

Ingredients:

1 cup of green tea

10g of dried white chrysanthemum

Instructions:

Add dried white chrysanthemum into 1 cup of hot green tea

Functional Food Therapy - Lotus Seed Tea recipe

This dessert tea invigorates the spleen and kidneys, which is recommended for individuals with nephritis and edema.

Ingredients:

30g of dried lotus seeds

3 cups of water

2 tbsp of loose tea

10g brown sugar or honey to taste

Instructions:

Soak lotus seeds in warm water for 2 hours

Boil soaked lotus seeds with water and brown sugar until the seeds become soft

Add loose tea prior to serving

Christine will be teaching a certificate course at Medlink Academy of Canada for 4 weeks in August (see details below)

Weight Loss Juicing Series - Cabbage

Recent research has discovered in cabbage a valuable content called tartronic acid which inhibits the conversion of sugar and other carbohydrates into fat.

Cabbage is found to posses the maximum biological value with minimum calorific value (1 cup of cabbage contains only around 15 calories) - great food for weight loss! Moreover, it gives a lasting feeling of fullness in the stomach and is easily digestible.

Mango Cabbage Yogurt Drink

Ingredients:

3 pieces of Cabbage Leaves

1 Mango

1/2 Lemon

1 cup of Yogurt drink (Yoplait)

4 Ice cubes

1 tsp of Honey

Instructions:

Squeeze lemon

Cut up, mix and blend all other ingredients in a juice blender

Watermelon Cabbage Juice

Ingredients:

500g Watermelon

150g Cabbage

1/2 Lemon

4 Ice cubes

Instructions:

Squeeze lemon

Cut up, mix and blend all other ingredients in a juice blender

Great Success on today's workshop at North York Community House - featuring stress management

Thanks for joining me today. I hope the participants enjoyed the session and the prizes!

Put Your Health Back in Your Hands – Kick that Stress Away Workshop

Are you experiencing excessive stress in your daily life?

Feeling weak, painful and lack of coherence in your body?

Christine will be speaking

at North York Community House

On Thursday July 15 at 1:00pm

Self Relaxation Technique -- De-stress your tension now!

The word 'stress' is such a common term that we can hear it everywhere. In fact, everyone has a certain level of stress they have to deal with everyday. Stress from career, finance, relationship, study, and health etc. I would like to share with you a self relaxation technique or exercise that is beneficial to all of us. This exercise will relax your entire body and mind and is very easy to follow.

1. Sit comfortably and close your eyes
2. Take 3 slow, deep breaths
3. Clench your right fist and tighten your forearm and bicep
4. Technique - notice the tension in your arm as you keep your arm tense
5. Relax all the tension
6. Technique - feel the difference between your relaxed right arm and your left arm
7. Repeat the above with your left arm
8. Wrinkle your forehead as tight as possible and tense your facial muscles
9. Tightly close your eyes. Tense your cheeks and press your lips into an "O" shape
10. Relax and let go the tension
11. Technique - notice the tension in your cheeks, forehead, eyes, jaw, tongue and lips
12. Repeat the above with your throat, neck, shoulders, stomach, buttocks, thighs, calves, ankles and feet

Treat Eczema Itch with Acupuncture

Acupuncture at specific points showed a significant reduction in type I hypersensitivity itch in patients with atopic eczema.

German researchers from the Technical University of Munich had conducted the following clinical test: Thirty people with eczema were treated right after being exposed to an allergen such as dust mites or pollen. All patients went through three different test conditions. The first treatment condition was "point-specific" acupuncture targeted at areas designed to treat itchy skin (Quchi and Xuehai points). The second treatment condition was "placebo-point" acupuncture treatment where the points selected were not those used to treat itchy skin. The third test condition was no treatment following allergen exposure.

It turned out that the subjects all reported lower levels of itchiness after receiving the point-specific acupuncture compared to either placebo acupuncture or no treatment. Even more interesting, when they got a second exposure to the allergen after the point-specific acupuncture, their flare-ups were less severe.

Healthy drink for diabetes and hypertension sufferers - TOMATO & CUCUMBER JUICE

Ingredients:

1 English cucumber

1 Big tomato

Instructions:

Cut up all ingredients

Blend all ingredients in a juice blender

Health Benefits of Tomatoes:

Tomatoes contain a factor that inhibits platelets in blood from clumping together and forming blood clot. It's beneficial to diabetes and hypertension sufferers. It also contains the antioxidant lycopene. Scientific studies have suggested that lycopene consumption may protect against prostate cancer and breast cancer.

Health Benefits of Cucumbers:

Cucumbers contain potassium which makes it highly useful for conditions of high and low blood pressure. It also contains erepsin, the enzyme that helps to digest protein.

Turn your fan on!

Frying foods is the essence of Chinese or Cantonese cooking. Do you know that frying foods at high temperatures releases fumes that the International Agency for Research on Cancer describes as “probably carcinogenic,” and using non-stick cookware on high heat might also release cancer-causing chemicals.

Research from Norway has found that cooking on a gas stove produces more potentially harmful fumes than cooking at the same temperature on an electric range. The worst combo they concocted? Margarine on a gas stove. It is suggested using a fan, running it on high and letting it run for 15 more minutes after you’re done.