On this episode Dr. Melissa shares her insights from the first 10 episodes, and two ways moms are limiting themselves from adding excitement, challenge, growth and joy to their lives. She discusses why it’s important to do things that scare you a little bit, and why all moms deserve to give themselves credit for the emotional and physical demands of motherhood and all the great stuff they are doing everyday to support their family life. A short episode filled with inspiration to help you step up your game and rock your life a little more.
ERM 010 Lisa Wilby: Take Charge of Your Happiness, Celebrate the Little Things & Love Yourself First!
Lisa is a food and health enthusiast, and a single mom of 3 children, 2 teenage boys and one daughter who is attending university. She currently works full time for a non – profit organization as a teaching kitchen manager, teaching clients about healthy food and cooking on a budget and about how food relates to our health. She loves connecting with people and sharing good food and conversation.
On this episode we talked about Lisa’s journey in motherhood, her transition in relocating to another part of the country, starting a business, ending a business, and ultimately finding meaningful work that also allows her to be present for her children.
Lisa shared how her separation from the father of her children was a pivotal step in her own growth as a woman, how she has found happiness on her own, and the joy she finds in everyday moments. Lisa believes we are all in charge of our own happiness, certainly something she is modelling for her children and people around her. Great conversation on this episode, check it out!
Get In Your Garden!
Finally the weather is warming up and many people are getting ready to get their hands in the dirt to plant some seedlings, flowers and have some fun in their garden! Working outdoors in your garden and yard is a great form of physical activity, even better if it’s something you are passionate about. However every year people come into the practice because they have inevitably irritated their body or strained a muscle somehow! To protect your body and avoid injury, consider some of these tips when stepping out to get your garden started this season:
- While mowing the lawn, keep your head up and stand directly behind the mower so you can keep your hips and shoulders in line with your spine. Push the mower uphill rather than pulling. Always use both hands rather pushing or twisting with one.
- When working in the dirt, crouch down, sit on a stool, or squat instead of bending at the waist which can strain the joints in the low back.
- Bend your knees when lifting anything so that you can use the strength of your legs.
- Keep yard waste bags close to your body while lifting them.
- Hold a rake with one hand at shoulder height, one hand at waist level and walk or drag the pile.
Most importantly, vary your tasks and take breaks when necessary. Avoid staying in prolonged postures involving the lower back and neck.
Your best bet for protecting your back? Consider regular Chiropractic care! Waiting until symptoms appear before taking care of your body often can make the problems worse, ultimately causing them to take longer to heal. Chiropractors assess your posture and spinal joints to ensure they are moving properly and that your body is physically balanced. The results people experience from regular spinal care are profound, and the increases in their quality of life measurable….which allows you to keep playing in your garden or in any other hobby you enjoy!
ERM 009 Dr. Sabrina Bercovitch: Parenting With Intention, Working With Your Spouse & Learning From Illness
Dr. Sabrina Bercovitch is a mother of 3 beautiful, healthy, vibrant awesome children and a passionate Family Chiropractor. She sees lots of expectant Moms, children of all ages and families in the practice she owns and runs with her husband, Dr. Jason Bercovitch. She transforms lives every day with the LiveWell For Life program, a lifestyle program which teaches and guides people to Eat Well, Move Well, Think Well, Sleep Well and Be Connected Well through optimization of the Brain-Body Connection For Life. Sabrina can be reached her anytime at www.livewellhealth.com or drop her a line at drsabrina@livewellhealth.com.
On today’s episode Sabrina talks about motherhood, the partnership she has with her husband in both work and life, and how they have created a life balance that works for them. She also shares her story of dealing with Lyme Disease and how her health recovery has profoundly impacted her life, and the mother she is today. Sabrina is a dynamic entrepreneur and mother with lots of great tips in this episode today. Check it out!
ERM 008 Nikki Zavitz: Unschooling, Happy Accidents & Recovering From Perfectionism
Nikki is a Paleo-living, nature-loving mother of 3 girls ranging in age from 2-6 yrs, and is married to her best friend for almost 10 years. A passionate learner and unconventional thinker, Nikki has taken a very early retirement from teaching in the public school system and is now Unschooling her daughters. We talked about why she made that choice, and how that decision and other ‘happy accidents’ have flowed into her now living a life she loves. We also discussed some of the challenges she has faced as a mother, criticism about some of her parenting choices, finding acceptance and recovering from perfectionism. Nikki shares what gives her confidence as a woman, what inspires her, and the work it takes to continue to create balance within all of their lives. Nikki also runs her own small business creating pre-made healthy meals for families, and we talked about how she schedules her time effectively and the difference that healthy food has made in her family’s life. Nikki is a warm soul who has consciously created a lovely life for herself and her family. This is a great conversation! You can reach Nikki at zavitznikki@gmail.com.
ERM 007 Lia Sonnenburg: Creating Boundaries, Building Confidence & Taking Care of Basic Needs
Dr. Lia Sonnenburg is a Naturopathic Doctor who has practiced in Collingwood for 6 years. She’s a mother of two active, healthy and hilarious young boys under the age of 5. She’s passionate about helping people reach their health goals using the ‘physiology prevails over pathology approach’. By finding the root cause of the problem, the body can then do what it’s supposed to – naturally and faithfully. Her specialties include pediatrics, oncology, digestion, women’s health and fertility but she ends up running a fairly busy general practice as well.
On this episode she talks about how motherhood has shaped her confidence as a woman, given her tremendous joy, how she juggles running a business with two young children, keeping her marriage healthy, and taking care of herself. We also discussed some of the tips she gives her female patients, the importance of taking care of our basic needs, and how to create boundaries in your life for people’s opinions about how you raise your family.
Lia is a warm woman with lots of wisdom, you’ll hear it in her voice. Check out this episode!
I Love Purses But…
Some of you know I have a fondness for beautiful purses and handbags!
However, similar to carrying a heavy backpack, a heavy shoulder bag or purse can injure your back, neck and shoulders. Hand and shoulder bags also create poor posture by encouraging the carrier to lean to one side. This affects posture, balance and movement.
Here are my 10 helpful tips to protect your spine and muscles from a heavy handbag:
- Choose a handbag that is proportionate to your body size and no larger than what is needed. Your handbag should not weigh more than 10 per cent of your body weight up to a maximum of 15 pounds.
- The shoulder straps should be wide and adjustable. Ensure that the straps do not cut into your shoulder. Shoulder straps that dig into the muscles, put pressure on the nerves.
- If possible, select a strap that is long enough to place over your head so as to rest on the shoulder opposite the handbag. This will help distribute the weight of the bag more evenly.
- Choose a handbag that has several individual pockets instead of one large compartment. This will help to distribute the weight of the contents more evenly and keep them from shifting.
- Resist the urge to carry everything with you all day. Consider leaving less commonly used items behind. Keep that heavy laptop out of your bag!
- Change the size and weight of your wallet once in a while. You may also consider one wallet for your work and a different one for when you go out, as you may need different objects for both.
- Ensure the weight is evenly distributed in the purse by using all the pockets.
- Instead of always carrying your handbag on the same shoulder, switch sides often so each shoulder gets a rest.
- Square your shoulders – many women have a habit of lifting the shoulder on which the purse is carried to keep the straps from slipping.
- Try to maintain good posture. When standing, your head, shoulders, hips and ankles should line-up, one comfortably above the other. Your knees should be slightly bent and your feet should be shoulder-width apart or more.
If you can walk to lunch or a meeting, lock your purse in your desk or locker and carry only your cash and/or credit cards in a pocket. Remember that exercise is good for many reasons but it can also help prevent injury! Specific strengthening exercises for the back and abdominal or core area will help promote good posture, which will further help to condition muscles and prevent injury.
Dr. Melissa
ERM 006 Michelle Kusiar: Defining Moments, Transformations & Making Things Happen!
Michelle is a wife and mother of 2 beautiful girls, Ciara 12yrs and Camryn 2yrs. She works full-time in the recreation field assisting community groups with their programs and connecting families to those programs. When she’s not working or parenting, she’s helping others develop a healthy lifestyle. Today she shares her ideas about motherhood, some defining moments in her life and the dramatic impact it had on who she is as a woman and mother. We also chatted at length about her pursuit of health both physically and mentally, the importance of her workouts and nutrition, how she makes time for it, and most importantly, the personal challenges that got her motivated to make some changes in the first place. Michelle has a great commitment to making things happen in her life, and inspires others with her positivity!
ERM 005 Dr. Ali Miller: Being a Role Model for Girls, Peak Performance Strategies & Thriving in Chaos
Dr. Ali Miller is a fifteen year chiropractic professional with a strong affinity for women’s and children’s health and family wellness. Dr. Ali leads a balanced chiropractic lifestyle incorporating exercise, clean eating and meditation. It is her mission to raise the level of health in her community and she thrives on sharing information and inspiring change. Dr. Ali and her rockstar husband Adam live in Bolton with their three well-adjusted daughters Riley, Bailey and Zoe. They are her everything.
On this episode we talked about how she balances her practice and the lives of her 3 girls, how she has kept her 22 year relationship with her husband strong, and the importance of taking care of herself and how workouts, connecting with friends, are keys to making it all work. She also shares some of her experience in dealing with her own fears as a woman, facing challenges within her family, and how she dealt with them and got through them stronger. I particularly loved how she grounds herself consistently in thinking about what kind of example she wants to set for her daughters, the kinds of experiences she wants to give them to know that they are capable as women and deserving of a great life.
ERM 004 Dr. Justine Blainey Broker: The Value of Competitive Sports, Daily Rituals & Working Hard For What You Believe In
At the early age of 12 years old, Justine Blainey learned that the price of a value held dear can be loneliness and friendship, despair and elation, endless work and useful work, and the sometime sadness tinged with satisfaction of a life lived well, a life lived to serve. Her beliefs became action and five court cases later, the Ontario Human Rights Code was amended to remove legislated inequality in sports, and Justine hit the ice with the boys. Justine has not sat on the pride of her past achievements. Justine continues to believe passionately in equality.
Now Dr. Justine Blainey-Broker, Doctor of Chiropractic, she has spoken internationally about chiropractic, health and well-being. She provides entrepreneurial advice and inspiration to thousands of Health Professionals and runs a busy family practice in Brampton, Ontario.
Justine is a passionate doctor, but she is also a devoted wife, and mother to two teenagers! On this episode she shares her ideas about motherhood, we also talked about the value of competitive sports in her life and for both her children,
She also shares some of her experience in fighting for equality in the hockey world as a youth, the impact of being an activist, how that shaped her as a woman and continues to influence her today.
Justine is a very busy woman, on this episode she also shares how she manages their family’s busy schedule, the value of a few key daily rituals for her, the importance of having a support team, and some of her strategies to keeping her marriage strong.
Justine is a dynamo, is a powerhouse, a hard worker with strong values – check out her interview!