Call 416-456 HELP (4357) or email Alex Gellman for more information about Lifestyle and Wellness coaching and guidance, which Alex Gellman offers remotely and in-person in Toronto and via the new location in Nova Scotia (Wolfville).
For urgent matters requiring immediate attention, please email alex@alexgellman.com.
“Some of the tools that I use are homeopathy, nutrition, and emotional iridology—to help you reach your goals and realize your dreams!” Alex
Natural Health Practitioner and Wellness Coach Alexandra Gellman specializes in trusted, simple approaches to wellness, health, and nutrition that guide participants in how to improve lifestyle—and mental and physical well-being—in easy, do-able steps.
Alex offers over 30 years’ experience transforming the lives of clients and patients, An experienced facilitator, practitioner, and natural health and wellness guide with a background in hospitality and association liaison, She is the author of three books, has published research on medically-based natural health studies, and made appearances on major TV networks offering wellness guidance and advice. Alex opens the door to health and well being for many with her Steps to Wellness Workshops.
Alex was one of the speakers at the Lifestyle Medicine Webinar in London in July.
Alex will also meet clients one-on-one at the midtown Toronto family medical clinic where she has provided services for a number of years, or at the new location in Wolfville, Nova Scotia. However, during the time of concern over COVID-19 and while the clinic was closed, Alex was also able to work with individuals during phone consultations or other face-to-face 
online methods or calls and continues to offer this service. Please contact Alex for more information.
In the meantime, if you’d like to order natural health and nutritional supplements, please access via the Alex Gellman online store portal at Metagenics. If you have any questions about your needs or best options, contact Alex for information and guidance.
Many of us heard a version of these phrases from a parent or guardian when we were kids. Though we may have protested, even our child-size brains knew they had a point. Your parent’s main concern was that you thrive and grow into a healthy adult. Somehow, despite ignoring their advice whenever you could, you’re now a well-rounded adult. Or are you simply, well – a little too round? Are you nostalgic for childish things, now you’re an adult and facing real life stressors? Are you longing for the simple days when your big decision was apple vs. cookies? Do you seek comfort from comfort foods?
We all do this sometimes. But we know, as adults, that the food choices we make affect more than our waistlines. Our choices impact all aspects of life. We know that we need the phyto-nutrients and antioxidants found in fruits and veggies more than ever to help fight adult-sized stress and free radical damage on our aging bodies.
Making the right food choices will give you a fighting chance against premature aging and illness; The right food can contribute to a good night’s sleep and keep your intellect sharp all day by staving off low sugar blues. Identifying food sensitivities and avoiding those foods can aid weight loss and alleviate digestive problems. Proper food choices can help women sail through menopause. It can help all of us prevent chronic illness and cancers, stave off depression, obesity, and even improve your sex life.
Stress can contribute to wrong choices and generally wreak havoc, so it’s important to manage your stress. The first step towards management is to recognize there are different types of stress and different stress responses, and for every type of stress there are specific foods that can help you manage. By following the food suggestions for different types of stress, you’ll find it easier to ignore the stress impulse to reach for ice cream, cookies, wine, or whatever. That route hasn’t really worked for you in the past, so now it’s time to learn about food choices that do work. (Please note that before making any changes in nutritional intake or life style choices you should mention it to your Doctor or Health Practitioner.)
What is stress? “Stress is the body’s reaction to a change that requires a physical, mental, or emotional adjustment or response. Stress can come from any situation or thought that makes you feel frustrated, angry, nervous, or anxious. Stress is caused by an existing stress-causing factor or “stressor.” Therefore stress is multifaceted and can lead to frustration, anger, nervousness, sadness, or anxiety, or all of the above.
Serving Suggestion: steam Swiss chard lightly and serve drizzled with cold pressed olive oil and pressed garlic. A sprig of parsley after will clear the garlic breath. Parlsey also supports kidneys and helps release built up acids and fluids. When we are under stress we often hold on to more water and experience edema type symptoms. Drinking a brew of parsley tea boiled in water will help relieve these symptoms. Other benefits of parsley:• neutralizes carcinogens in cigarette smoke and and BBQ’d food• boosts energy in spite of stress because it has magnesium and calcium • helps sleep because it has tryptophan, an amino acid well know for its role in inducing relaxation and sleep (think: turkey dinner).
Fennel builds inner confidence through its aromatic constituents. Where there is stress and self-doubt, the stomach and digestive process will be affected. Fennel will calm that down. If your stomach is stable, you will find the strength within your abdominal core muscles to eliminate the self-doubt and take a stand. Fennel is a great appetite suppressant due to its high content of anethol volatile oil. This substance tells the brain you are full, and you may find yourself feeling satisfied with less food. In addition, fennel boosts the immune system to help overcome infections and help reduce inflammatory conditions. Serving Suggestion: Make yourself a raw fennel, beets, apple and kale salad. Sliver all thinly by hand or in a food processor. Dress with a generous dressing of lemon juice, flax oil and a dash of cumin. Apples also have a multitude of health benefits – eating just two apples a day can help lower cholesterol and blood pressure. Beets support the liver and skin cleansing.
• When we feel our loved one or loved ones shun us or turn their back on us, or our romantic partner leaves us.
We need to look within and examine our expectations. Most of the time the romantic and emotional expectations are unrealistic and the disappointment can only happen if your expectations are not realistic.
Example: I deal with a woman who dreams of her husband coming home for dinner.I ask her if he has ever come home for dinner in 15 years. She says, “Not yet.” But she continues to dream that things will change, and he will show up for dinner. Every night she sits at the dinner table until he rolls in around 1 to 3 in the morning. She leads with her unhappiness by living in a world of delusion.
You are aghast at this ridiculous example. You would be surprised how many people continue to believe the lies they tell themselves to keep themselves safe in dead end jobs and relationships. I often see the other side of the coin, too; There are people who only anticipate struggle, disappointment and problems. When good fortune comes to these people they are astonished and are waiting for the good thing to go sour and/or they begin to sabotage the situation to fulfill their belief that life is a struggle and wishes do not come true.
Emotional disappointments trigger a response that lowers immunity and often result in respiratory sysmtoms such as the flu, colds or other bronchial problems. Therefore, if your stressors are focused around emotional disappointments, it’s necessary to support the respiratory system. If you are experiencing this, eliminate all dairy products until the illness phase passes and add ginger and turmeric to your diet. Ginger acts a stimulant to improve circulation, it supports the inner lining of the digestive track, and helps overcome respiratory problems. Ginger is also a potent anti-inflammtory that helps reduce the symptoms of arthritis.
Serving Suggestions: • Use shredded or diced in stir fries• boil in water to make a tea• add to your juicer when making juice• remove core and seed of an apple, stuff it with ginger and bake• add to salad dressing with sesame oil• use in marinades and sauces
• When you are in a situation where another person is pushing you to change or go in a direction that is not familiar to you or is distasteful, or you find yourself in an argument or direct conflict.
Often conflict can be an internal argument. You find yourself endlessly mulling over things, weighing the pros and cons of a situation – such as whether to stay in a marriage or leave the marriage.
If your stress response is to express irritation or anger, then you need liver support. For this, look to
Artichokes and fresh lemons and limes.
Cooking an artichoke is simple, yet I meet many people who are intimidated at the thought and don’t know where to begin.
It’s easy – just steam for 45 minutes with a couple of sprigs of fresh rosemary. (Reserve the cooking water! This important step will be explained further). To serve the steamed artichoke, remove the leaves on by one and dip the bottom of the leaf in hummus or a light mixture of cold pressed virgin olive oil, fresh rosemary, fresh lemon juice, pressed garlic, and dry mustard. When you get to the center there is a round area with thistles in the middle. Cut out the thistle area and you have now reached the heart of the artichoke. This part is regarded as a culinary delicacy – fill with your favorite dressing and enjoy. While this is a pleasurable experience for the palate that helps the liver, to amp up the detox, drink 2 cups of the water reserved from steaming the artichoke. You may find it bitter but, along with rosemary, an aromatic herb, it cleanses and supports phase 1 and phase 2 of the liver detoxification process. You can add lemon to the mixture.
• Sitting in traffic that is going nowhere for hours
• Waiting to resolve a court case that is taking years.
• You feel helpless waiting for things to resolve themselves
The common component that leads to stress in all the above examples is the self-talk that results after the event. That self-talk will become our reality.
For instance, when we feel criticized at work we may tell ourselves, “Yep, I am an idiot, just like mom always said.” And then it’s all down hill from there.
The solution to the slippery slope is to become aware of the TRIGGER that sets off the negative and destructive and usually untrue, internal message. Recognizing the trigger will help you pause for an honest moment and hopefully reassess that knee-jerk reaction and substitute it for a more reasoned outlook, such as “everyone makes mistakes” and/or “what different/better approach will help avoid a repeat?”
The food to help stress that frustrates is romaine lettuce – often overlooked as old hat but a great contributor to your well being.
Romaine lettuce is another good energy booster on stressful days – a salad a day will keep the stress bugs away!
Romaine lettuce delivers, since it has high doses of chromium. This mineral helps keep blood sugar stable. If you are experiencing a blood sugar roller coaster you will be significantly more affected by the slightest stressors. Romains also contains B1, B2 and tryptophan which help the nervous system deal with stress. Include hemp hearts, raw sunflower seeds and sesame seeds in a salad to boost healthy essential fatty acids. (Remember, toasted or sugared nuts hinder the benefit of the nuts.)
• Results in fear
The food for fear is celery.
Plain old garden variety celery is often over-stepped for more glamourous and trendy vegetables, but celery is a real star. Check out what celery offers:
• Eat five small meals a day, each consisting of a protein, healthy carbohydrate, and healthy fat
• Plenty of fruits and vegetables• 30 minutes of exercise or movement each day
• Healthy nuts and seeds such as almonds, walnuts, sesame seeds, sunflower seeds
• Fish three times a week
• Lemon and warm water at wake up
• Filtered water – 12 to 14 glasses per day
Now is the time to start taking preventative steps that will lead to reversing the biological clock of life.
Please contact Alex Gellman to arrange a remote or in-person consultation appointment.
Even a little bit of meditation or taking a mindful approach to the day-to-day may extend your life, according to the experts! Recent studies have shown that
REBALANCING CHAKRA ENERGY
A fluid body or energy flow is connected to the ancient tradition of the seven chakras. When energy vortexes are blocked, we become blocked. Our bodies, emotions, and actions are not in harmony. Emotional, mental, and physical symptoms or imbalances—from fatigue to weakness, lack of confidence, creativity, or drive to digestive issues are traced to the blockage of specific chakras.
Some people use yoga to channel happiness, strength, and confidence to the chakra centers. Others turn to meditation to tap into the chakras to release energy flow. There are other measures you can take on a daily basis to help with your situation and outlook.
It’s helpful to have an understanding of your symptoms/concerns, and this will help to determine how to address and rebalance them.
Treatment to balance your Chakras always starts with you. Each chakra has associated colors, elements, and energy centers. You identify your imbalances or blocks, and we then seek to unblock—or unlock to allow the flow of positive energy.
“Alex brings the historical imperative and knowledge from her Yaqui grandmother and gurus/ teachers to skills in natural wellness to create ways to redirect, open, and channel energy flow. Designed to help ease all manner of conflicted relationships, work, creativity, and well-being, Chakra Rebalance starts with your identification of areas of concern. Alex holds individual sessions and workshops to help you get started.”
For more information, please contact Alex.
Whether acknowledged or not, we’ve all experienced at least a few gratifying “living in the moment” moments that were impromptu and remarkable for their impact. Think of a natural vista you may have stumbled upon – say, in the course of a hike – an awesome waterfall or a sunset that took your breath away. Or think of the magic of the first fall of giant snowflakes in winter – that always makes me pause. Such happy moments that take us outside of ourselves and yet connect us to the universe are what we seek in the pursuit of “mindfulness.”
Mindfulness has the power to enrich even the most mundane task with meaningfulness. Mindful experiences are stress-free and bring inner peace, and ultimately, greater productivity. I know this yet I still catch myself busy at multitasking with goal-oriented endeavours. I live in modern times—it’s hard not to do this.
But I remember to pause sometimes in my activities. I have had the good fortune to study with masters, so I take a deep breath, and I revisit their teachings. I also take heed of my own lessons – lessons that I’ve had the privilege to share formally as a presenter, counsellor, and motivational speaker.
At one coaching session, I had included a lesson on mindfulness. One participant said, after:
“ I learned from you that when I focus all my energy on the task at hand, I am filled with joy, inner peace, and the stress disappears.”
Such genuine praise really lit up the moment for me.
That is the gift of mindfulness. Through mindfulness, you can learn how to give yourself the gift of inner peace and joy – watch for upcoming workshops or counselling sessions or ask for personal guidance. Achieving mindfulness to enhance all aspects of your life–will affect your health and wellness (and what you find you can achieve!) in many ways.
Namaste
Hidden Food Sensitivities
A health consultation with me may involve testing with the Vega Allergy Testing System. This is a non-invasive (and painless) system to test food, chemical, and other intolerances and sensitivities, and isolate foods contributing to inflammation and digestive concerns. It helps identify foods and substances to which you may be sensitive, although not allergic. (This may also help with determining eating for wellness, as in the FODMAP approach to diet sensitivities.)
When able to follow a diet without sensitivities, most people notice an improvement in how they feel and function. Vega testing may reveal food sensitivities that you never knew you had, but could be responsible for stubborn ailments or health issues that you experience – like candida – or simply general feelings of lethargy, bloating, fatigue, etc.
Good health and energy levels can often be achieved by simply being more selective in your food choices. The results of over consumption of sugar, alcohol, and caffeine are well know to all of us. However, you may be surprised to learn that certain grains, fruits, vegetables, and nuts you assume to be healthy can actually cause problems with your particular physical make-up.
The Vega tests an extensive array of food including grains, dairy products, eggs, fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, meats, poultry, seafood, food additives, and miscellaneous foodstuffs such as caffeine, honey, sugar, yeast, alcohol, vinegar, etc.
To learn more about foods that might be triggering your ailments, and foods you need for optimal health, book an appointment for Vega testing by myself or another qualified health practitioner. Please let me know if you’re interested and I’ll send a Wellness Questionnaire.
Embrace this year—as we move into life beyond the pandemic in at least some small ways— as a time for renewal – a time to cleanse and regenerate. Happy health!
