Estrogen & Progesterone
As the level of wisdom appears to increase for women over the years, (aka aging), the level of estrogen production gradually begins to decrease. During a woman’s reproductive years, estrogen and progesterone levels are programmed to support the possibility of reproduction. When estrogen, progesterone (and testosterone) are in the groove, they are in a harmonious balancing act. The amount of each hormone produced depends on a complex feedback system to the brain. Stress, and diet affect that feedback mechanism and it can throw that hormonal dance offbeat. The role of progesterone is critical...
Read MoreHolistic Healing and the Mind
Holistic Healing: Exploring the ‘Mind’ Aspect of the Body/Mind/Spirit Connection Holistic Healing and the Mind The Mind encompasses a huge part of our experience – far more than we are often aware of. It is the Mind aspect of ourselves that controls our inner landscape and which is reflected in our outer experience. Our perception will be coloured by our thoughts, beliefs, emotions and past experiences and will impact the health of the Body and the spiritual direction we take. Holistic Healing must take into account what happens in the mind. What is Mind? The Webster’s New...
Read MoreInternational Women’s Day event showcases diversity
A tea-time event celebrating International Women’s Day will be steeped in diversity. Celebration of women and diversity is at the heart of an International Women’s Day event Sunday (March 6) at Nanaimo’s Grand Hotel. International Women’s Day, which officially lands on Tuesday, is a globally recognized day to celebrate women and women’s rights. While its theme this year is ‘pledge for parity,’ an afternoon tea at the Grand Hotel is set to focus on diversity. With Syrian refugees making this city home, organizers wanted to look at culture and diversity in the community. Partial...
Read MorePlanning For The Unexpected
You’ve worked hard to make your business a success. There may have been times when you gambled on a business strategy and won – but, for the most part, you stuck to the meticulous business plan that has been your blueprint for growth and achievement. Now, it’s time for a new plan. What would happen to your business if you were taken away from it, even temporarily? Would it survive? If you’re like most small business owners, the odds are that your years of careful nurturing and building could come tumbling down without your energetic hands on the reins – because you are your...
Read MoreCanada needs to get serious
Laurie always has such wise messages. I felt the need to pass this on to Island Woman’s readers. Trish Summerhayes Owner/publisher. Canada needs to get serious if it’s going to address the unprecedented threat to our way of life that is climate change. The least-expensive, simplest and quickest way would be to restore forested lands and coastal marine ecosystems so they sequester carbon. Vancouver Island and the Salish Sea offer some of the easiest and best pickings to be had anywhere, and we’re long overdue. Promised and re-promised for 20 years, the need to mitigate our...
Read MoreOne Small Step, One Giant Leap
Society President Takes Three Month LOA for Community & Country, February 29th CEDAR – As a gift, to celebrate the 150th birthday of Canada, the president of a small non-profit society plans to give something he values almost more than anything else, his time. “This is the anniversary of our country’s founding, as well as a decade of great challenges throughout our society,” says Laurie Gourlay. “I wanted to be able to look back on my life and say that I tried to make a difference for the betterment of my community, as well as myself and my family. And when I...
Read MoreWomen-run marijuana group to launch Vancouver Island chapter.
As Trudeau’s promises to regulate the marijuana industry inch closer to reality, Canadian women want to ensure their voices will be heard. Women Grow, a professional network supporting female leaders and entrepreneurs in the cannabis industry, will officially launch its Vancouver Island chapter in early March. “There is a huge underground market right now on Vancouver Island,” said Gill Polard, the founder of Women Grow on Vancouver Island. “Women make up a huge part of that. They are veterans in the scene.” The female-oriented organization aims at connecting...
Read MoreSigns our Body is Giving us –
The standard answer from doctors to the question ‘’What is causing varicose veins?’’ is probably: Standing for long periods of time, pregnancy, age, being overweight, menopause, chronic heart conditions. Standing regularly for too long, especially on one leg, is definitely a factor. My mother had to put her weight on the left leg when working for hours on one specific machine. She had on the outside of that leg varicose veins, and needed at 84 years of age, a left side hip replacement. Therefore always put your weight equally on both legs. Always! BUT … there is something...
Read MoreWhat If ?
When I ponder the many directions I could take this article, I feel compelled to talk about our upcoming “Pink Day”, on February 24. Pink Day is the international day against bullying, discrimination, homophobia, transphobia, and transmisogyny across the world. This is a topic that has been speaking to me loud and clear for the last number of months. I have many poems that would fit well here, one is a new one, hot off the press but yet to be fully processed. I have also created a YouTube video show called “Tea with Carlie” and my first topic is called “Self-love: A Radical...
Read MoreMelanie Mark breaks barriers as B.C.’s first female aboriginal MLA
Melanie Mark, who once wrote of her shame at being native, has been sworn in as B.C.’s first female aboriginal legislature member – the latest chapter in a harrowing life in which she survived physical and sexual abuse. On Wednesday, drummers and dancers greeted the MLA for Vancouver-Mount Pleasant – one of two New Democrats who won by-elections this month. The other is Jodie Wickens, elected in Coquitlam-Burke Mountain. “Today just really cemented things,” Ms. Mark, a former deputy representative of B.C.’s Office of the Representative for Children and Youth, said in an...
Read MoreCourage To Be Vulnerable
When my girls’ father and I were neck deep in the dissolution of our marriage, I remember telling him how weak I felt for having allowed him to take such advantage of my patience, trust and forgiveness over our many years together. I really was struggling with how I had managed to let myself get to a place of feeling so small and unseen. As an intelligent and confident woman, it seemed unbelievable to me that I could have been so blind to what was going on right in front of me, never mind allowing it. To me, it was a sign of weakness that I couldn’t seem to stand up for myself and have my...
Read MoreFirst woman to lead B.C. logging group feels she has the chops.
Jacqui Beban is used to being the only woman in the room. Practically since birth, she has been exposed to the male-dominated and macho logging business. And last month she became the first female president in the 73-year history of the organization that speaks for the B.C. coast’s forestry industry. Nanaimo-born Beban, 40, was vice-president of the Truck Loggers Association for two years before her Jan. 14 election as president, for a two-year volunteer term. The non-profit represents more than 450 companies including independent sawmills, industry suppliers and independent harvesting...
Read MoreThe Power Of Words
My client had just finished describing a situation and I posed the question, ‘How did that strike you?’ That was 30 years ago and I’m grateful my clinical supervisor cautioned me that my choice of the words ‘How did that strike you?’ made it a leading question; ‘strike’ assumes a hit, an offense. It is not an open question. Words can have an aggressive quality and sometimes this is an important, almost desirable, trait. In his book, The Brain’s Way of Healing, Norman Doidges quotes prominent health professional Abraham Fuks on the use of language in medical practice:...
Read MoreOpportunity Knocks
I recently presented on my 7 Pillars of Happiness to a wonderful group of South Cowichan seniors. We all had a great time discussing happiness and why it’s important to think about and practice it (but NOT chase it!) at any age. And I made a new friend at this presentation too. Terry. Great fellow! From the moment I arrived and sat down (beside Terry), he seemed like such an easy person to talk to. It was as if I was supposed to sit next to Terry. We started to connect immediately. Terry shared a couple of stories about his career and how he was drawn to educating and helping others. We all...
Read MoreNanaimo women introduce tokens to help feed homeless.
Nanaimo may not have a subway system, but two women are hoping their token program goes a long way for the community. Cheryl Prince, co-owner of Prince Acres farm and a registered nurse, and Liz Kawahara, a Vancouver Island University student, are the organizers behind a new initiative that focuses on sharing healthy food. It is about to be implemented at one downtown restaurant. Beginning in a matter of days, individuals will be able to purchase a small plastic token from Gabriel’s Cafe, which can then be redeemed at a later date for a bowl of soup. The idea is intended to help out the...
Read MoreReflexology For Winter
Officially the days have become longer, but we are still in the winter months which means that certain parts of our bodies are taxed in different ways. Our habits change as we slow down in winter in order to build ourselves up with new resources for spring. In Chinese medicine, the winter season is ruled by water; this is considered the most Yin (feminine) season. The organs most affected during this time are the kidney and bladder. The Chinese believe that vital life energy – Ch’i – circulates in the body along meridians. In mapping out reflexes along meridian lines and through...
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