Step Forward to Better Health
640 12th Avenue SW, Suite 400 T2R 0H5 Calgary, AB, Canada

Many years ago, when I was still living in Denmark and working in the h We’ve made a few changes everyone (my daughters and their boyfriends) meets at our house, rather than sharing host duties. My husband Rene noted that that there are around 235 countries in the world and suggested that we print out all the names and put them in a jar. It’s so exciting to make the choice! The couple whose turn it was to choose the country is responsible for planning and cooking the meal,... which generally also includes learning something about the national culture along the way. (I recently got to learn about the foods of the French Southern and Antarctic Lands! That night we had Garlic-butter Frog Legs, Niçoise Salad, and frites. Yum!) Over time we’ve had such interesting foods as Metemgee (vegetable and fish stew from Guyana), Cevapi with Ajvar ( a type of kabab with a pepper sauce eaten in Bosnia), Käsknöpfle (cheese pasta) with Sausage (Liechtenstein), Pira Caldo (catfish soup from Uruguay), Kulwha (lamb stir fry) with Steamed Rice (Eritrea), Curried Lamb & Wild Rice (Grenada), Uzbeck Lagman ( lamb & noodle soup from Uzbekistan), Souvlai (Pork Shoulder) Kebab & Cypress Village Salad (Cypress), and Baked Fish (Iceland).

September 24th to 30th 2018 is World Reflexology Week, #wrw2018, a perfect occasion to celebrate all the healthy and restorative benefits that reflexology has to offer. Reflexology is an ancient healing system based on the principle that reflexes in the body, located in our face, hands, ears, and feet, map to our body’s glands and organs. Through the application of pressure on these reflexes, and using specific hand and finger techniques, reflexology therapy relieves stress ...and tension, supporting the body’s efforts to function optimally. In our daily lives we experience all sorts of discomfort, such as sore feet, lower back pain, muscle ache, headaches, stress, and fatigue. Experiencing ‘pain’ is the body’s way of telling us that something is wrong or off-balance and needs some attention. Our natural inclination is to tense-up and wince against pain, think of headaches, neck and shoulder pain, foot and muscle aches. The gentle pressure applied by a Reflexology Therapist clears blockages and opens energy pathways. The result? Energy flows freely throughout the body and releases all those lovely endorphins that mean relief from headaches and migraines, neck and shoulder pain, foot pain, and a whole host of other complaints. More and more people are seeking drug-free treatments and embracing reflexology, a safe and non-invasive modality. Stop bracing against pain and start healing; to do otherwise isn’t good for your body or your mental well being. De-stress your body, de-clutter your mind, and de-toxify your internal systems by contacting me today to learn about this alternative modality. Step forward to better health to become a happy and healthy soul.

This week on Tuesday night, my family and I enjoyed a delicious dinner from Ecuador, a small country on the northwest coast of South America. On one side it faces the Pacific Ocean, on the other it borders Colombia and Peru. To start, we enjoyed ceviche, made of fresh shrimp, field green salad, freshly squeezed limes and oranges, and lots of cilantro. It’s garnished with thinly sliced tomatoes, green and yellow peppers, and onions. Delish! We also cooked a boiled pork loin an...d side ribs with orange and pan juice sauce and accompanied by hominy or grits which we made by boiling dried corn kernels for several hours. What an amazing taste! Ecuador is now considered a paradise destination for many retired North Americans and Europeans, as it has a steady temperate climate, exhibits a great diversity between regions, and can be considered very cost effective. Despite being one of the smallest South American countries, Ecuador has plenty of attractions to offer, such as: smoldering volcanoes, rain forest reserves, indigenous markets, and of course the Galapagos Islands, a province of Ecuador located 1000 kilometers off its coast. Who wouldn’t like to explore all that this unique country has to offer? Next Tuesday, we’re exploring Zimbabwean cuisine!

Last night’s dinner, October 9th was another success, thanks to our two chefs Tamsin and Brady. This week they created a menu from Namibia. Originally called South West Africa, Namibia has Zambia and Angola on its northern border, Botswana to the east, South Africa to the southwest, and a glorious Atlantic coastline to the east. The name Namibia comes from the Namib Desert, the name of which means Vast Place. Our dinner consisted of ostrich stew and pap. A porridge made of ...white or yellow corn meal (mielie-meal), pap is also known as Ugali in Kenya and Satza in Zimbabwe. You can see it’s a staple in southern Africa, like potatoes or rice. When eaten with savoury meals, it has a much thicker consistency that allows diners to scoop up meat and gravy with the pap. For dessert we had a southwestern African dessert called Melktert, a custard pie in puff pastry. It’s to die for. Prior to its capture by South Africa in World War I, Namibia was a German colony. One can still find German colonial-era buildings in the capital Windhoek and in the coastal town of Swakompmund. The country gained independence in 1990. Despite its low population, Namibia is home to 13 different ethnic groups. One of these groups is the Himba, a nomadic and traditional people whose ways have changed little over the years due to their seclusion from outside influences. Namibia is one of only two countries in the world that has desert elephants! They’re not a separate species, but the IUCN has identified them as a high priority. They’ve adapted to their semi-desert environment by developing a smaller body mass, longer legs and larger feet. That enables them to travel for miles across sand dunes to reach water. In addition to desert elephants, Namibia is home to diverse wildlife that includes significant cheetah population and the world’s largest population of free-roaming black rhinos. There aren’t many of these left so it’s nice to know they have a place where they can roam free. Next Tuesday’s dinner will come from Ecuador!!!

Another delicious meal what had at the Kunzi residence last Tuesday, October 2nd. We had a simple but nourishing meal from Hong Kong which means fragrant harbor in Cantonese (the dialect of Chinese spoken in Hong Kong). We indulged in a pork shoulder with a marinade made of brown sugar, honey, Hoisin, soy sauce, and five-spice powder. I’ve never cooked with this blend before, and it was delicious! The pork was accompanied with white rice and gai lan kai, or Chinese broccol...i. Hong Kong Island steals the limelight, but there are actually 263 islands in Hong Kong. Some, like Lantau, Cheung Chau and Lamma, are accessible by ferry while others are totally uninhabited and virtually unreachable. I am a big fan of Dim Sum, and I’ve just found out that it originated in southern China and means touch the heart. These tiny bites of goodness were created as snack food for travelers and today are an essential part of local culture. Feng Shui is still common practice in Hong Kong, and I have to say I think it makes sense. Why wouldn’t we want to harmonize with our surroundings? Keeping a calm atmosphere in tune with nature can only make us happier and more relaxed, which can only be a good thing. Cathay Pacific is Hong Kong’s home airline and has won World’s Best Airline four times more than any other. I wouldn’t mind travelling with them sometime! If you’re planning your first trip, be warned that Hong Kong International Airport is the same size as 20 soccer fields! WOW, I thought that Pearson Airport was huge! I always manage to get lost there, so I can’t imagine navigating HKIA (especially not if I’m jet lagged)! Next Tuesday’s special will come from Namibia, in southwest Africa. I wonder what our menu will consist of and how it will compare to the food of the other African nations we’ve experienced. Stay tuned, and I’ll keep you posted!

Many years ago, when I was still living in Denmark and working in the h We’ve made a few changes everyone (my daughters and their boyfriends) meets at our house, rather than sharing host duties. My husband Rene noted that that there are around 235 countries in the world and suggested that we print out all the names and put them in a jar. It’s so exciting to make the choice! The couple whose turn it was to choose the country is responsible for planning and cooking the meal,... which generally also includes learning something about the national culture along the way. (I recently got to learn about the foods of the French Southern and Antarctic Lands! That night we had Garlic-butter Frog Legs, Niçoise Salad, and frites. Yum!) Over time we’ve had such interesting foods as Metemgee (vegetable and fish stew from Guyana), Cevapi with Ajvar ( a type of kabab with a pepper sauce eaten in Bosnia), Käsknöpfle (cheese pasta) with Sausage (Liechtenstein), Pira Caldo (catfish soup from Uruguay), Kulwha (lamb stir fry) with Steamed Rice (Eritrea), Curried Lamb & Wild Rice (Grenada), Uzbeck Lagman ( lamb & noodle soup from Uzbekistan), Souvlai (Pork Shoulder) Kebab & Cypress Village Salad (Cypress), and Baked Fish (Iceland).

September 24th to 30th 2018 is World Reflexology Week, #wrw2018, a perfect occasion to celebrate all the healthy and restorative benefits that reflexology has to offer. Reflexology is an ancient healing system based on the principle that reflexes in the body, located in our face, hands, ears, and feet, map to our body’s glands and organs. Through the application of pressure on these reflexes, and using specific hand and finger techniques, reflexology therapy relieves stress ...and tension, supporting the body’s efforts to function optimally. In our daily lives we experience all sorts of discomfort, such as sore feet, lower back pain, muscle ache, headaches, stress, and fatigue. Experiencing ‘pain’ is the body’s way of telling us that something is wrong or off-balance and needs some attention. Our natural inclination is to tense-up and wince against pain, think of headaches, neck and shoulder pain, foot and muscle aches. The gentle pressure applied by a Reflexology Therapist clears blockages and opens energy pathways. The result? Energy flows freely throughout the body and releases all those lovely endorphins that mean relief from headaches and migraines, neck and shoulder pain, foot pain, and a whole host of other complaints. More and more people are seeking drug-free treatments and embracing reflexology, a safe and non-invasive modality. Stop bracing against pain and start healing; to do otherwise isn’t good for your body or your mental well being. De-stress your body, de-clutter your mind, and de-toxify your internal systems by contacting me today to learn about this alternative modality. Step forward to better health to become a happy and healthy soul.