By: Dr. Melissa Carr Most of us love to eat, fewer of us love to cook, and none of us love to stare into a sink full of dirty dishes. One of the best ways to skimp on the mess without skimping on taste is with one-pot meals. They’re easy to prepare, super delicious, and good for you—with no major clean-up to worry about afterwards. Sounds too good to be true? Here’s a great guide to healthy one-pot meals that’ll help change the way you cook and eat, and get you back to loving your kitchen again. Load Up a Large Pot When it comes to preparing a one-pot meal, go big or go home. Having a large enough pot will let you add all the fixings you want without worrying about overload. Plus, you’ll probably have enough for leftovers, saving you even more time in the kitchen. Pick Your Protein Protein is a vital part of any diet, providing your body with the essential building blocks to develop, grow, repair, and function properly. But that doesn’t mean you should toss in just any old hunk of meat—or that it even needs to be meat at all for that matter. Choose organic free-range meats, wild fish, or some of the many yummy vegan options available, like legumes, nuts, and seeds. Vamp It Up with Veggies You may remember my earlier article on all the benefits of eating more veggies, from managing health conditions to lowering our environmental footprint. Besides being great for your overall health, a vegetable-rich diet has also been shown to decrease inflammation and reduce joint pain. So, don’t be shy. Load up your one-pot meal with plenty of veggie goodness, adding sweet potatoes, squash, beets, and carrots—whatever floats your boat. Grab Some Grain Eating whole grains (and gluten-free grains) have a ton of health benefits, including lowering your risk of type 2 diabetes, heart disease, and high blood pressure. Brown rice and millet are great sources of vital nutrients that support joint health, like fibre, B vitamins (thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, and folate), and minerals (iron, magnesium, and selenium). Additionally, quinoa and buckwheat are not actually grains, but are seeds that are cooked like grains, and as such are also great sources of protein and essential fatty acids. Don’t forget. For every cup of grain you use, add an extra cup of water into your pot. Flourish with Fats Our bodies need healthy fats. They help protect against heart disease, cancer, Alzheimer’s, inflammation, joint pain, and many other health conditions. Heathy fats are not only an important part of a nutritious eating plan, they also make your food taste great. When you’re finished putting together your one-pot meal, drizzle on some flax seed, chia seed, olive, or coconut oil. Adding healthy fats to your one-pot meal can improve your mood, boost your energy, and even help you lose weight. Step Lively with Supplements Of course, not everything health-wise can be achieved just through food. Natural health supplements can help you with your wellness goals. If you suffer from joint pain, take SierraSil! But take it timed away from your delicious one-pot meals so you can gain full benefits from both food and supplement. Have a recipe for a great one-pot meal? Let us know! Dr. Melissa Carr is a registered Doctor of Traditional Chinese Medicine with 15 years of clinical practice and a B.Sc. in Kinesiology. In addition to using acupuncture, Chinese herbs, supplements, biopuncture, and nutrition to treat pain, digestive issues, stress, fatigue, hormonal imbalance, and more, Dr.Carr is also a natural health and nutrition consultant, lecturer, and writer. www.activetcm.com.

By: Dr. Melissa Carr If there’s one passion I share with Traditional Chinese Medicine, it’s travelling. Packing my bags and venturing into the unknown is always exciting. Whether I’m heading out on a long overseas trip or a quick weekend getaway, nothing gives me a bigger rush than exploring somewhere new. Sure, travelling is amazing, but it can also be detrimental to your health. If you are one of the lucky few who can jet-set across the globe and never get sick or hurt, count your blessings. For the rest of us, staying healthy during our travels can be challenging. Here are 5 tips to help keep you healthy while on the road. Drink Plenty of Water Staying well hydrated while you’re travelling (and on the plane) is very important. It not only helps keep your body functioning at its peak, but also prevents you from becoming dehydrated from all that sunbaking, exploring, and wine tasting. To ensure you’re never without, carry a reusable bottle with you while you’re on-the-go. Get Enough Sleep Travelling can wreak havoc on your body’s internal clock. Red-eye flights, different time zones, and unfamiliar hotel beds, not to mention trying to pack in as much sightseeing as possible can make it tough to squeeze in some downtime. But you should. Quality sleep helps your body repair and recharge, keeping you healthy and ready for your next adventure. Keep Snacks Handy A great habit I picked up from my mom is that I always keep a stash of healthy snacks on hand when I’m out-and-about. Besides the obvious reason of avoiding going hungry, having some yummy snacks handy will help you cut back on stuffing your face with junk food, as well as saving you a ton of money. Bring your own goodies from home or stock up on some great snacks when you arrive at your destination. Either way, your body and your wallet will thank you. Walk Everywhere Just because you’re on a break doesn’t mean your body has to be. Vacationing is the perfect excuse to lace up a pair of comfy shoes and hit the streets. After all, there’s no better way to explore a new city than by walking. You’ll burn calories, and you won’t have to waste time and money stuck in a cab or waiting around for a bus to arrive either. Be Prepared to Manage Muscle and Joint Pain Travelling is a great chance to experience, explore, and expand your horizons. The last thing anyone wants is for muscle or joint pain to slow them down—just ask my husband. He is a fairly active guy who enjoys working out at the gym and cycling on his overpriced bike. But, like many active people, he’s also sustained numerous injuries that occasionally crop up, especially when we travel. A cramped plane ride, heavy luggage (neither of us can pack light), different bed, change in pillow, or even a stumble when we’re too busy looking at the sights and not paying attention to where we’re walking—all of these can result in pain. So, one of the things I make sure to pack is a bottle of SierraSil’s Pain Relief topical spray. Without it, both of us would be miserable—him in pain, and me listening to him being in pain. A couple of sprays of that and we can continue on our way! With these healthy travel tips, I hope you can enjoy your next journey. Happy trails! Dr. Melissa Carr is a registered Doctor of Traditional Chinese Medicine with 15 years of clinical practice and a B.Sc. in Kinesiology. In addition to using acupuncture, Chinese herbs, supplements, biopuncture, and nutrition to treat pain, digestive issues, stress, fatigue, hormonal imbalance, and more, Dr.Carr is also a natural health and nutrition consultant, lecturer, and writer. www.activetcm.com.

Spring has just arrived and even though it might not feel like it weather wise, it still marks the beginning of a fresh new season, warmer days and blooming flowers. Spring is a time of purification, healing and rejuvenation. Over the winter months, we tend to move less, indulge in one to many sweets and resort to staying indoors more than we would like. As we spring forward, many will implement a detox program to cleanse and embrace a new season. Some of these programs include fasting or drinking cold-pressed juices over a period of time. But are these detox programs necessary? Detoxification is the process of getting rid of toxins that may build up in the body. You are taking in toxins everyday through eating, drinking, breathing and consuming every day products. To rid of these toxins, your body is working hard every day to eliminate them through the skin, liver, intestine, lungs and kidneys. To maximize your body’s function and efficiency, there are a few daily habits you can implement.

Eat 5 to 7 servings of vegetables a day

The largest intestine’s main function is transporting waste material out of the body. Waste comes in the form of undigested food, bile and bacteria from the small intestine. The large intestine extracts water and any remaining nutrients from the waste material before sending it to the rectum for disposal, hence the need to “go number two” every day (ideally after every meal!). Plenty of fruits, vegetables and fermented foods, like sauerkraut, kefir, kombucha, pickles and kimchi are an important source of fiber and probiotics needed to keep the large intestine moving regularly.

Incorporate cold pressed juices

The liver is the main hub through which all chemicals from food, food additives, alcohol, medication and pesticides get filtered. What does the liver need to function at its best? Vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, protein and cruciferous vegetables (vegetables from the cabbage family, like Brussel sprouts, cauliflower, and bok choy)! Juicing is an excellent way of getting all of the liver’s building blocks. Remember to follow the 80/20 rule when juicing: 80% vegetables, 20% fruit; this will ensure that you get all the nutrients you need without going overboard on sugar.

Get outside and breathe fresh air

Oxygen is the most vital component humans need to live and is required by every cell in our body. Deep breathing clears out toxins that build up in the lungs from lack of exercise, poor posture and stress. It also helps improve lung performance and deliver more nourishing oxygen into our body. Blood that is rich in oxygen helps you feel better and gives you more energy. Now that it’s warming up, get outside and start breathing deeply!

Drink more water

Your kidneys filter all of your blood approximately 60 times a day. They eliminate water, minerals, hormones and toxins from your body through the urine. The amount of urine an individual produces depends on many factors, including how much water we consume. Ensuring enough water keeps the kidneys functioning properly. Clear and light yellow urine throughout the day signals adequate hydration. If your urine is dark yellow beyond the first morning void, you may not be drinking enough water. Aim for at least ounce of water per kilogram of body weight a day.

Dry skin brush

The skin is the largest human detoxification organ and is the boundary between ourselves and our environment. Our skin absorbs everything we expose it to, from body creams to fragrances, cosmetics and even impurities in our water. Sweating is an important route of toxin elimination. Exercising on a regular basis, aiming for 150 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic physical activity throughout the week along with plenty of water, supports good skin detoxification. Another way of eliminating toxins is through dry skin brushing. Dry skin brushing removes dead skin cells, improves circulation and lymphatic drainage, boosts your immune system and leaves your skin feeling soft and glowing. Using a naturally bristled brush, brush your skin in a circular pattern in the direction of the heart before showering once per day. The best way to detox the body is by incorporating daily positive habits that will maximize your body’s function and efficiency. Start small by integrating one habit a day and you’ll be surprise how these small changes make a big impact.