Body Co Health & Wellness

The celebrations continue at Body Co this week as we mark our 10 year anniversary.

One of the things client have shown a lot of interest in over the years is how they can support their health through nutrition so we thought it might be fun to share some of our favourite recipes with a focus on beautiful summer ingredients.

Unfortunately this one is WAY to big to fit into a simple list and we wanted you to have all the details so you could replicate these delicious meals for you and your family.

To help you out we've put together a free, downloadable guide to enjoy as we inch closer to fall. Head on over to the link below, our website our the link in our IG bio and get your free download today.

Some of the standouts include:

🍉 Watermelon Agua Fresca
🍜 No-Cook Pad Thai
🥗 Our favourite take on the Jennifer Aniston Salad
🍑 Seasonal Peach Crisp

You can grab the details for these and others 👇️:

https://bodycotoronto.com/summer-recipe-guide

What is standing between you and the future self you envision?

All of our programs, workshops and classes are 10% off this week as we celebrate our 10 year anniversary. Head to the PROGRAMS section of our website and make a decision your future self would be proud of.

A year ago today I gave up alcohol cold turkey and haven't had a drop since.

I don't talk about it much because when it comes to personal decisions, I'm a you-do-you kind of girl but over the course of the last year I've noticed a really strange phenomenon.

Nobody ever asked me why I chose to drink but as soon as I order a mocktail the questions come flying.

I think you need to want to change in order to create change so my reasons aren't going to be yours. The further I've gone down this road, the more it has reinforced my decision and I think there are simply things you don't know until you do. But also more and more research has come out that has been less swayed by media and marketing that I feel has given people a stronger position to make their own educated choices.

But since I get asked about my motivation so often, here are the factors that defined my choice:

🍷 My children are at an age where they are starting to do things independent of my husband and I. I want to make sure I can safely get them whenever and wherever they might need me.

🍷 I've had cancer once and got very lucky. Alcohol has firmly been established as a level 5 carcinogen and I am not willing to do anything to tempt fate.

🍷 Alcohol wildly disrupted my sleep even with minimal amounts. Knowing how important sleep is to longevity, I choose not to mess with my hard earned 7-8 hours.

🍷 I hated waking up Monday morning and feeling like crap. I've got too much good stuff to do to waste my precious time recovering. See you later foggy brain.

🍷 I feel about alcohol the way society now thinks about ci******es. I hope by the time my kids make their own choices it might no longer "be cool" but if it still is, I want them to have an example of an adult who doesn't rely on it to enjoy life. I hope that will factor into their choices to use it responsibly and know they have other options.

I know I'm not alone just by the sheer number of non-alcohol products available that aren't just juice or pop.

If you've are sober curious or have tried going alcohol free, let me know what has reinforced your decision 👇️

Over the last 10 years our team has prescribed a TON of exercises and while the prescriptions have been as diverse of our team themselves one core value always rings true.

Exercise has to be something you love otherwise it is never going to get done.

To make sure we are practicing what we preach, I asked our team to let me know their favourite type of movement. Flip through to see what they chose.

Were you as obsessed as we were with the Olympics?

Only 5% of children in organized sport will ever make it to an elite level but the lessons taught by sport are available to everyone and Paris 2024 was literally full of them.

If you been enjoying the games as much as my family has been, why not take it a step further and use them as a chance to explore some of the ways they challenged the current narrative of health and wellness with your kids.

Swipe through for a few conversation starters and feel free to add your own in the comments.

As we continue to celebrate our 10 year anniversary, we wanted to highlight some of our team's favourite local gems. Some aren't a secret but are just too good not to include while others are true hidden gems that we've been lucky to learn about from all of our longtime Junction clients.

In no particular order, here are the ones we've been privy to. What else would you add to our list:

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Thanks for making this neighbourhood so awesome!

Back by popular demand, our next Partner Massage Workshop will be taking place on Sunday, April 21 at 10:30 a.m.⁠
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Grab your partner, bestie or family member and join Registered Massage Therapist, Roger Cullman, in this interactive workshop ensuring that you never give a bad massage again.⁠
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Partners will learn:⁠
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💆 Safe and effective at home massage techniques⁠
🧘 Partner assisted stretches to alleviate pain and stiffness⁠
🎾 Fascial release techniques to stay limber & prevent injury⁠
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+ a complimentary gift to get you started at home⁠
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We only have room for 6 partner groups and our last class sold out very quickly.⁠
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If you would like to learn more and save your spot using the link below:⁠
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https://bodycotoronto.com/partner-massage⁠
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**Note: This workshop may be eligible for reimbursement from private benefit plans through Massage Therapy coverage.**⁠
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Who doesn't love a good hack?

After 10 years in business, our practitioners know that there are no magic bullets or quick fixes but they also have some pretty cool tips they've incorporated into their own health routines to make health and wellness a little bit easier.

As part of our 10 year anniversary celebration, we've asked them to share some of their favourite health hacks to inspire you to find the small habits that might just be the secret sauce to keeping you on track.

Have a health hack that you love?

Drop it in the comments below 👇️

This week my daughter came across me working out at our cottage and she asked me why I exercise every day.

My answer:

"I want to be strong enough to do everything I want to do and I want to live a really long time to squeeze out every single moment I can get with you."

The reality, and the research, show that a child's mental health is largely determined by their mother's health. It also demonstrates that children are far more likely to do what we model, not what we say.

So let this be your invitation to let them see you take care of yourself as part of THEIR daily routine.

Let them be bored while you make a choice for yourself.

Let them hear you talk about yourself with words that are confident and proud.

Because those are the lessons they need over the instructions that are easier to give.

They are watching.

The Junction might just be one of the friendliest neighbourhoods for small businesses. Since we opened our doors 10 yers ago, we've been fortunate to be supported and cheered on by our neighbours and small business colleagues.

We are so proud to make our home in a community where small businesses outnumber big brands. More than that we love being part of an area with thoughtfully curated shops, innovative entrepreneurs and let's face it...really great shopping.

Here are just a few of our team's favourite local shops:

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What did we miss? Who should we check out next for our local, small biz shopping and gifting needs?

Wishing a very happy birthday to our wonderful Osteopathic Manual Practitioner, Andrew.

Andrew may just be one of the kindest, most generous members of our team. He is constantly supporting his colleagues behind the scenes and is passionate about sharing his knowledge and skills with his clients.

I have so much gratitude for this gentle giant, his calm nature and his big heart.

He's not on social media so please take this as your sign to send him a quick birthday wish or pop by to wish him well.

If our coffee list brightened your Monday morning, our book list should nourish your weekend.

This month we turn 10! So for the next month we are going to be sharing 10 things we love about our community and love personally as a team, all of which that have shaped who we are as a team in this amazing neighbourhood.

It should come as no surprise, as life long learners and self-proclaimed nerds 🤓 our crew loves a good read. Here is a list of the ones that have made the most impact on our team over the last year.

What are you reading now? Drop it in the comments so others can add your favourites to their must read list for the summer.

🍦 It wouldn't be summer if we didn't have ice cream 🍨

In celebration of our 10 year anniversary this month, when you bring your kiddos into an appointment or when they tag along for moral support, they will receive a gift card for a kiddie cone on us from our neighbours at 🎉

Come on in and get them before we run out (or our team steals all the kiddie cones).

Parents, stay tuned, we have a fun surprise for you involving lots of amazing prizes from some of our favourite local spots.

This might just be one of our favourite favourites lists.

Next month we turn 10! So for the next month we are going to be sharing 10 things we love about our community and love personally as a team, all of which that have shaped who we are as a team in this amazing neighbourhood.

Fun fact; did you know we actually got our start in a fitness studio? RPM Fitness was our original home and some of the people we met there have become friends and colleagues for life, many of them now make up the studios that we recommend DAILY to our clients.

I think I love this list even more because it represents a wide range of ways our community can move their bodies and find joy in movement. So in no particular order, here is a our list of our top fitness studio recommendations:

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💪 (shameless plug? yes, super proud of our movement classes and instructors? also yes)
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Shout out to all of these amazing facilities who help our clients keep up their healthy habits for life and elevate the health and wellness of our community.

Who have we missed? Let us know so we can add them to our list of collaborators.

This post will 100% improve your Monday morning!

Next month we turn 10! So for the next month we are going to be sharing 10 things we love about our community and love personally as a team, all of which that have shaped who we are as a team in this amazing neighbourhood.

Next up is something our team absolutely couldn't live without....coffee!

We do have a Nespresso machine that sees some serious day to day action but with so many great options, we can't help but venture out.

In no particular order, here are our favourite spots to stay caffeinated in the Junction.

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Do you have a spot you love? Share it in the comments below so we can continue to explore this awesome neighbourhood we call home!

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Thanks Kate.....happy to end the week with this one because confidence truly is beautiful.

Did you hear the news?

Next month we turn 10! So for the next month we are going to be sharing 10 things we love about our community and love personally as a team, all of which that have shaped who we are as a team in this amazing neighbourhood.

Kicking us off....is of course food!!! There is no way our practitioners could work as hard as they do without some serious nourishment and thankfully the is stocked with incredible eateries.

In no particular order, here are a few of our favourites:

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🌮 .cantina
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🍕 Dundas Pizza
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🥑 .mexican.food

Who did we miss? Where should we try next? Drop your favourites in the comments below so we can continue to explore and eat our way through the Junction.

Calling all physiotherapists who are ready to work with a dream team and take their practice to the next level!!!

We are looking for our next unicorn to join our busy practice of multi-disciplinary practitioners. If you are focused on women's health and family health, enjoy being well compensated, working with passionate practitioners and building a thriving caseload....this might be the opportunity for you!!

We are currently accepting resumes for a part-time Physiotherapist. beginning in September and looking to work 2-3 daytime / afternoon shifts including a rotating Saturday shift. Given our current waitlists and caseload capacity, there is a strong potential for this to develop into a full time position.

You can review the full job description including compensation through the link in our IG bio.

We've got some BIG news.

Next month we are celebrating a very special birthday, 10 years in the Junction!!!!! 🎂🥂🎉

To be really honest, there is no way we would have made it this far or grown into what we've become today without the incredible support we've received from our community - clients and local businesses alike.

Next month we will be celebrating with lots of surprises, fun interactions, giveaways and appreciation events. We wanted to kick it off with a look at the imprint the neighbourhood has had on our team and give back some favourites to those of you who take the time to follow and engage with us daily as we lead up to the big day.

So stay tuned as we share our Body Co favourites and hopefully you add some of your own so we can continue to explore and participate in this wonderful community we call home.

If you haven't scheduled the vacation, downloaded a new book or allotted time for body work, consider this your invitation to invest in your health through rest.

Dirty feet, salty hair and the smell of sunscreen on a sleeping child, these are the tell tale signs of summer. We relish the days of disrupted schedules and long hours spent outside in the sun.

It is easy as a parent, on these beautiful long days, to forget that our kids don’t manage heat as well as adults. Tired kids are good kids but can also be hot kids. Little bodies aren’t able to dissipate heat as effectively and that means long camp days or a rambunctious play date can put children at risk for heat and sun overexposure.

In this week's blog we give our top 3 safety tips to protect your kids from overdoing it this summer.

You can read the full blog (3 minute read) here 👇️:

https://bodycotoronto.com/blog/kids-sun-and-heat-safety

Are your kids hydrating enough in the heat? Two ways to measure their hydration.

First the hard way.....

You've probably heard that to properly hydrate you should be drinking half your body weight in water. If we translate that to our kids that means an 80 pound child should roughly be drinking drinking 40 fluid ounces of water.

Here's the problem....Kids tend to be terrible historians. They are so busy having fun that they don't remember how many times they've filled their water bottle or that you've told them to do so in the first place.

Add hard to control variable like the ambient temperature, spillage and their activity levels and all of a sudden this formula might actually not be the best guide.

My suggestion is to follow the easy way......

I've never met a kid who doesn't love to talk about their p*e and p**p which makes them really good at the toilet method.

Teach them to look at the colour of their p*e. If it is dark or vibrant yellow they definitely need to hydrate. If it is straw coloured or almost clear, they are doing a good job.

I bet you'll be surprised about how enthusiastic they are about it and as a parent you will have just given them one more tool they can use towards maintaining a healthy body independently.

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How healthy is your reading list?

I just reviewed the New York Times Top 100 Books from the Last Century List.

As an avid reader, I was disappointed that I had actually only read 2/100. While I'm excited to dig into some of their suggestions, I suspect the disparity comes from a difference in interests.

At heart I am a nerd and truly passionate about health which means I'm drawn to books that explore well being and give context to how we treat our bodies.

If you share my love for learning, here are some recommendations from my last 3 years of reading to make your reading list a little "healthier." I guarantee there will be a few that surprise you:

The Art of Gathering by Priya Parker

Stress Less, Accomplish More: The 15-Minute Meditation Programme for Extraordinary Performance by Emily Fletcher

Braving the Wilderness by Brene Brown

This Naked Mind: Control Alcohol, Find Freedom, Discover Happiness & Change Your Life by Annie Grace

Come as You Are by Emily Nagoski

Atomic Habits by James Clear

Drop the Ball by Tiffany Dufu

Burnout: The Secret to Unlocking the Stress Cycle by Emily Nagoski

Peak 40: The New Science of Midlife Health.... by Mark Bubbs

What Happened To You by Bruce Perry

Atlas of the Heart by Brene Brown

Roar by Stacy Sims

The Happiness Advantage by Shawn Achor

Breath by James Nestor

American Detox: By Kerri Kelly

Think Again by Adam Grant

Outlive by Peter Attia

On Our Best Behaviour by Elise Loehnen

Hidden Potential by Adam Grant

Next Level by Stacy Sims

Under Pressure by Lisa Damour

All in Her Head by Elizabeth Comen

Why We Sleep by Matthew Walker

It is time we stop believing that muscle is just a vanity measure.

The evidence is ABUNDANTLY clear that resistance training, especially for women, is critical to diminishing your risk of all cause mortality while also improving your quality of life.

So if you thought lifting heavy was just for gym rats, here are a few other compelling reasons to add resistance training to your regimen:

💪 Improved insulin resistance
💪 Better retention of bone mineral density
💪 Improve metabolism
💪 Heightened positive body image
💪 Better functional outcomes with aging
💪 Better balance and decreased risk of falls
💪 Significant association with decreased risk of mortality
💪 Boosts mood and enhances mental health
💪 Contributes to balanced blood sugar regulation
💪 Decreases the rate of muscle loss associated with hormonal changes
💪 Preventative against and key in managing Type 2 Diabetes
💪 Increases confidence
💪 Increases participation in social and community activities
💪 Improves independence in activities of daily living with aging

Basically if you want to live a long, healthy, fulfilling life you need to be lifting and lifting heavy.

My advice - start now, get guidance if you are new to resistance training and progress safely.

Our women's strength classes lick off today and there are a few precious spots left. If you would like to start reaping the benefits of resistance training with clinical support and guidance, you can grab on of the last spots here:

https://bodycotoronto.com/womens-pt

One of my favourite things about our team is the really care.

They are passionate about the information they share. They go above above and beyond to make their clients comfortable and active participants in their own health. They care about where you are and finding solutions that are realistic, sustainable and achievable.

So nothing in the world makes me happier than hearing that same love expressed from our clients.

Way to go Tara! We are so grateful for you.

Our summer session of women's strength training kicks off next week and we have a few spots left.

If you've set the goal of building more lean muscle mass, improving bone mineral density or just setting up your future self for success, this is the class for you.

Delivered in a small group setting for individual feedback and modification and supported by our clinical team, our classes are the place to start building the habits that will support a lifetime.

Grab one of our last spots at https://bodycotoronto.com/womens-pt

The Nurse is In!

Did you know you can book a virtual appointment with our Nurse Practitioner?

Sara is available to help you manage any acute illness or injury, help create a plan for chronic wellness concerns or assist where you may need further diagnostic lab work or imaging.

In person appointments will be available the week of July 20th, but if you want to get something addressed ahead of the weekend, we have available appointments this evening.

Learn more through our website or by calling our team at (416) 572-0479.

Please note that while several services including referrals, diagnostic testing and prescriptions may be covered by OHIP, NPs are not able to bill OHIP for their time. Consultation fees do apply.

I hate to break it to you but.......

Crunches might not be the best exercise for your abdominals. I know....after years of trying everything from P90X to grinding out 100 reps at a time, I've learned the simple truth is that there are more effective exercises if core stability is your goal.

Here's why:

1 - Not many functional activities that require core strength happen lying on your back (I know - insert dirty joke here). But truth be told while the supine position might be a good starting point to learn how to locate those muscles it isn't very functional. It doesn't simulate activities like lifting a heavy car seat or getting up from a chair which are the type of activities that require core stabilization to protect our backs and ensure our longevity.

2 - Crunches are usually done on a stable surface and life in general is far from stable. We need our core engage most on uneven ground, shifting our weight or changing direction. We need it when we juggle loads that aren't close to our bodies or in for activities that aren't symmetrical. When we don't simulate those scenarios we also don't train for them.

3 - Crunches are abdominal heavy but your core is made up not only of your abdominals but also your diaphragm, pelvic floor and back extensors. Training one muscle disproportionally can put us at risk for injury or strain when its counterparts aren't balanced out. Moreover, studies using real time ultrasound show that most individuals who TEACH core stabilization exercises aren't recruiting the muscles properly themselves.

So now that I've crushed your 6-pack dreams what can you do?

My suggestion, understand your body so you know what is weak and where you need to work. You might be surprised that breath is often a far more effective exercise for your core and pretty much no one breaths correctly.

Intrigued? Ask any member of our team about it. We are exercise physiology nerds and would love to share some better suggestions.

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If you've been exercising outdoors lately, the following information is crucial to avoiding heat stroke - a serious condition that may require emergency care.

How Does Your Body Adapt to the Heat?

When we exercise in the heat, our core temperature is affected by three things; exercise itself, the ambient temperature and the humidity. As your core temperature rises so does your heart rate to send more blood to the skin and dissipate the heat from your body. This means that there is less available blood for your muscles, making them fatigue faster and less blood flow to power your circulatory system. (1)

Both can result in a decrease in performance. Laboratory testing has shown declines in performance starting as early as 15 minutes into exertion and at temperatures as low as 21℃. (2)

When temperature and humidity climb closer to our resting core temperature (37℃), body heat becomes harder to dissipate. This often coincides with sweat loss when we don’t take in adequate fluids.

The result can be the very dangerous situation of heat stroke.

In this week's blog we explore what you should know about heat stroke and how you can use the heat to create performance gains while staying sun safe.

Read the full blog here:

https://bodycotoronto.com/blog/exercising-in-the-heat

Let's face it, sometimes all we want to do in the summer is go for ice cream everyday - we should should know, the clinic is only 2 doors down from the best ice cream store in the Junction and the Cookies N' Cream is awesome. That's where community and accountability come in. They are the secret sauce to helping our clients stay on track with their health goals while making it fun.

Our small group classes have been helping our clients build strength, mobility and energy long past dealing with their injuries. Many participants have been working our with us for years because they know it is the best way to avoid our team. Here is what's available this summer:

Women's Strength Training - Tuesdays at 12:30 pm beginning July 16th
- Thursdays at 12:30 pm beginning July 18th
- Thursdays at 7 pm beginning August 15th

**Register at https://bodycotoronto.com/womens-pt

Prenatal Fitness - Tuesdays at 6:30 pm beginning August 13th

**Register at https://bodycotoronto.com/prenatal-fitness

Early bird rates will be applied automatically to all of our classes until July 5th and classes are filling quickly.

Now that we've got that settled, let's fire up the grill and dive head first into the best summer ever!