CORPORATE WELLNESS PROGRAMS

.Dr. Charney's Clients Include...

Anshei Minsk Synagogue

Bellwood Health Services

Biovail Corporation

Chapters

Canada School of Public Service

Earl Haig Secondary School

Enersource Corporation

GWL Realty Advisor Ltd.

Heenan Blaikie Ltd.

HMV Canada Inc.

Indigo

Interac Association

Logistisolve

Loblaws

Miller Thompson LLP

Nike

 Omni Television

 PCL Constructors Canada Inc.

Penguin Books

Preferred Health Care

The Running room

SAS Institute (Canada) Inc.

Touch Wellness Centre

Weston Forest Group

Winners Head Office

Participants Feedback

Lunch and Learn Topics

POPULAR TOPICS

DETOXIFICATION AND CLEANSING

The tradition of cleansing comes from many authentic cultural healing systems from Ayuvedic and Sufi to Native American and European folk medicines. They all understood that the downward spiral from symptoms such as fatigue, poor circulation, constipation and headaches to serious chronic diseases such as heart disease, osteoporosis and cancer, begins with the accumulation and retention of waste and morbid matter in our bodies.

Learn simple, safe, easy and fun ways you can detoxify your bodies using foods, herbs, baths, skin brushing and other techniques. 

STRESS MANAGEMENT

Stress is something that almost anyone living in western cities can relate too.  Stress can be physical, emotional, psychological, environmental, or a combination of these.  What most of us don’t know is that our ADRENAL glands, two tiny organs the size of grapes, are largely responsible for trying to cope with all our stressors.  Adrenal fatigue is becoming epidemic.  It contributes significantly too many of our modern day health problems.  Adrenal fatigue can disrupt blood sugar levels, blood pressure, bone density, hormones, the respiratory tract, the nervous system, etc. Adrenal imbalances can contribute to poor immunity, weight gain, depression, chronic fatigue syndrome, fibromyalgia, allergies, asthma and frequent colds or the development of diseases such as osteoporosis, diabetes, etc. Learn about the stress body link in a way you never saw it!

CANCER PREVENTION

Cancer appears to be the dominant disease of this century, affecting so many of our lives either directly or though a friend or family member.  At the start of the 1900’s a mere 10 per cent of the population was afflicted with cancer.  According to the Canadian Cancer Society, Based on current incidence rates, 38% of women and 43% of men will develop cancer during their lifetimes. An estimated 145,500 new cases of cancer and 68,300 deaths will occur in Canada in 2004. There is little doubt in my mind that these startling statistics have everything to do with our stress, our foods and the chemicals in our environment.   Come and learn about how you can clean up your environment through healthy water, food, cosmetic, and other choices.

SURVIVING COLD AND FLU SEASON

Most of us can easily treat our colds and flues at home without a trip to the doctor.  Find out some great tips on creating an emergency kit for natural treatment of your colds and flues as well as find out when you should see a doctor. Learn about everything from soups, supplements, herbs and baths that you can use to help yourself recover from the office bug going around.

LUNCHTIME AT WORK

Do you experience that after lunch sleepiness?  Often times an unbalanced meal can send us into a heavy and unpleasant lull and we find ourselves sleeping through the afternoon office meeting.  Bringing a lunch with you to work can save you lots of money and give you full control over what you eat.  Come and learn how to prepare a tasty, balanced and interesting lunch.  If you have a cafeteria at work, come and learn how to make the best food choices. 

BREAKFAST ON THE GO

We have all been told breakfast is the most important meal of the day.  In my experience it is often the most neglected meal of the day.  If you are on the go go go, learn to make a fantastic and balanced meal to go in the form of a wonderful shake.  Most people eat breakfasts low in fibre, high in sugars and carbohydrates and lacking in essential nutrients to provide them with brain fuel for the day.  If you can take the time to eat at home learn how to make them varied, tasty, nutritious and balanced.  Get interesting ideas from super healthy pancakes to alternative whole grain cereals and more. 

AFTERNOON GROGGINESS… BRAIN FOODS AND MORE

Are you falling asleep at your desk after lunch?  You are definitely not alone. Come out and learn some great tips on how to prevent the afternoon slump.  This includes information about ‘brain foods’ that will help sustain your energy, air quality in the office, mini-exercise breaks, energy boosting teas, and more!

WEIGHT MANAGEMENT

If you always do what you have always done, you always get what you always got! So why are so many people still drawn to fad diets and quick fixes that are not only unhealthy but unsustainable?  Learn about all the factors that are key to weight loss that are not addressed in these oversimplified fad diets.  Find out how your thyroid gland, adrenal glands, hormones such as insulin are key to your healthy weight.  Find out what you can start doing today at home and at work to break out of the cycle of dieting and into the mode of healthy living and eating.

MESSAGES FROM THE BODY

I find peoples perception of their health to be a very external one.  We rely on our doctors and blood tests to tell us if we are doing well or not.  We have too much confidence in the power of authorities and laboratories to make decisions about our health for us.  No one is a stranger to the comment “My doctor says I’m perfectly health but I feel terrible”.  We all have the ability to take back power and responsibility for your health by learning to read our own bodies.  Through fun and interactive exercises such as traditional Chinese medicine tongue diagnosis, come find out how your body is an incredible diagnostic tool. 

MEDITATION

Few of us really understand the incredible impact stress has on our health, and how it can contribute very directly to diabetes, weight gain, high blood pressure and many other health problems.  Learn about the value of meditation as a tool for stress management.  Understand how this “art of living” can impact your life profoundly.   Learn the Vipassana meditation technique and get information as to how you can pursue meditation in the city of Toronto at no cost. 

FOUR PART NUTRITION SERIES

PART I: CARBOHYDRATES, THE GOOD THE BAD AND THE UGLY

Poor quality carbohydrates are one of the largest contributors to illness today including diabetes, heart disease, cancer and more.  At the same time, there are an expanding array of wonderful whole grains that are abundant in healing and nutritional qualities that can contribute to longevity and wellness.   Enjoy an interactive presentation to discover interesting alternative grains such as quinoa, amaranth and millet.   Learn how to pick out good quality whole grain based products and interesting and fast ways to prepare them and incorporate them into your eating plans. 

PART II: FATS THAT HEAL AND FATS THAT KILL

Fat has become a bad word to many of us.  Find out why this is only half the truth and how wonderfully healing fats can be.  Receive a very practical lesson on which fats we should eat, how much, and when.  Find out how the health value of fats depends on how you process them, store them and even how you use them.  Learn how to distinguish which fats are healthy for use as dressings, and which ones are appropriate to use for varying cooking temperatures.  Gain fabulous information about the beauty of interesting oils such as avocado, coconut, ghee and fish.

PART III: PROTEINS DONE RIGHT

Our high animal protein diets are putting us at risk for developing common chronic diseases such as some types of cancers, constipation, heart disease, osteoporosis and more.  Learn how much protein we really need and which types we should be eating.  Learn more about cooking and incorporating healing vegetarian proteins into your daily routines.  Come away knowing how to easily prepare foods using tempeh, tofu, miso, lentils, and more. 

PART IV:  PUTTING TOGETHER A BALANCED MEAL

Having acquired detailed knowledge about your three main food types you are now ready to learn how to prepare balanced meals using fats, carbohydrates and proteins in the right amounts and using the best quality.  Participants are asked to bring their own diet diaries so they can gain hands on and practical experience and learn how to modify their particular diets.  Part five is best delivered to smaller groups. 

CORE PRINCIPLES OF HEALTH – THE DIGESTIVE SYSTEM

This is a fabulous introductory talk that highlights very important basic rules and caveats about eating and our digestive health.  It teaches us how to identify when your digestive system is not working properly.  Furthermore, general principles of healthy eating habits are outlined.  It is a perfect introduction to the lectures on carbohydrates, fats and proteins.

HEALTH CONDITIONS

HIGH BLOOD PRESSURE

Lifestyle is a major factor in hypertension.  A study in 1956 found that hypertension did not even exist in 14 different pre-industrial societies, not even among the elderly.  The study showed that these same people developed hypertension on migrating to new countries such as the USA.  Some of the most common contributors are poor diet, sedentary lifestyles, stress and obesity.  If these are addressed appropriately, not only are many people able to come off their medications, but their health improves in many facets of life including diabetes, high cholesterol, weight and general sense of well being.  Come find out more!

DIABETES

In my experience, diabetes is one of the most poorly controlled and managed illnesses. This is partly due to lack of information and partly due to the use of outdated methods regarding a broad range of activities including dietary approaches, use of medications and management and prevention of side effects.  If you have diabetes,  are overweight, have diabetes in your family, or even just suffer from low blood sugar, come find out important information about stabilising your blood sugar through appropriate eating and exercise. 

BREAST HEALTH

Come and take control of your breast health.  This informative talk will give you great tips on what foods are key for breast health, what types of screening for breast cancer are available and what are their benefits and risks,  how to do a proper self-examination and what home treatments can you do to help support healthy breasts.

DEPRESSION AND ANXIETY

Along with fatigue and insomnia, anxiety and depression are the most common complaints I hear from my clients.   Without exaggeration, I would say they are epidemic problems and definitely a harsh reflection of our lives, choices and priorities.  Many people come to me looking for alternatives to their medications.  Come and find out what are some of the alternatives you should be aware of.

FIBROMYALGIA AND CHRONIC FATIGUE

These two conditions are rampant and effecting the lives of many of our family and friends.  They are poorly dealt with in western medicine, leaving many people feeling overwhelmed, confused and helpless.  Have personal experience with fibromyalgia and having had many clients with these problems I am convinced they are not so mysterious after all, and can be treated.    If you or a loved one has fibromyalgia or chronic fatigue come and learn how you can begin to break out of the cycle of pain and fatigue and begin to move forward. 

MENOPAUSE

Most North American women approaching fifty see menopause as the inevitable onset of hot flashes, mood swings, insomnia, weight gain and osteoporosis.  This definition is a cultural one, not a medical one.  It is founded on myths of inevitable decline as we enter our later years.  It is based on poor lifestyle and dietary habits in our culture.  Find out how you can sail through this period with grace and ease. 

OSTEOPOROSIS

By definition, osteoporosis is simply a decrease in bone density occurring when bone loss is greater than bone formation.  The following presentation will hopefully dispel the myth that this is simply a question of calcium or vitamin D deficiency.  In our abundant society the issues is more one of loss of important nutrients through overly acidic diets that promote the loss of many key nutrients for bone health.  A calcium supplement just won’t cut it. Learn what else you need to do.

CHOLESTEROL

Typical scenario:  Jane Doe has a high cholesterol reading at her yearly physical.  Her doctor puts her on a low cholesterol diet, sees no improvement, and puts her on a Statin drug.  Is a low cholesterol diet the only way to lower cholesterol?  Absolutely not!  In fact, most of our cholesterol is produced by our own bodies.  Learn how you can take control of your cholesterol by supporting your liver health and other vital organs that effect cholesterol production.

BOWEL HEALTH

Many of us suffer from poor gastrointestinal health from things such as constipation to more serious problems such as irritable bowel syndrome, Crohn’s and Colitis.  There are core tenants one should know about healthy bowel health.  Come and learn how to tell if your bowels are healthy and basic tips on how to address poor digestions.  Learn about how much fibre we need, what are good bowel movements, how do medications effect our digestive health, and more. 

Staff Wellness Program

These programs focus on supporting staff in the development of a healthy lifestyles to enable them to be happier, healthier and more productive.  The programming components are targeted to help employees achieve mental and physical well being.  Chronic health problems, most of which are related to poor lifestyle management such as bad diet, stress and anxiety, are related to almost all aspects of reduced employee productivity.

Benefits of Wellness Program

• increased satisfaction

• reduced absenteeism

• reduced injury & disability

• lower medical costs

• increased productivity

• increased motivation and focus

• higher moral and creativity

• recruit and retain the best employees

 Husky Injection Molding Systems (Bolton, Ontario) invested 4.4 million on employee health benefits with a comprehensive wellness program including on-site naturopathic doctors, fitness facilities and an unmatched organic cafeteria.  They were voted in the top 35 companies to work for in Canada by Canada Report on Business, in 1999.  The benefits were remarkable:

• saved 8.4 million in 1999
• drug costs cut by 18%
• voluntary turn over rate 5% below industry average
• absenteeism 3.3 days below industry average
• injury claims 1.2 per 200,000 hrs worked versus industry average of 7.3

         PROGRAMS AVAILABLE

·        Naturopathic Health Care On-site naturopathic physician to provide individualized comprehensive health care solutions to current and chronic health problems.   Problems such as obesity, stress, diabetes, depression, insomnia, chronic pain, female hormonal issues and fatigue are some examples of illnesses that have a tremendous effect on productivity. 

·        Lunch ’n Learn Fun and informative discussions on topics such as healthy food choices, stress management and treating colds and flu. 

·       Wellness Newsletter Monthly newsletters to keep employees informed about their wellness program, acknowledge employee health milestones, and provide insightful and interesting health tips.

·        Incentive Programs Develop practical and rewarding company incentives that encourage employees to take full advantage of the Staff Wellness Program. 

·        Wellness Fair  Annual on-site fair featuring guest speakers, hands-on workshops such as back assessments and stretching tips, etc.

·        Company Profiling  Surveys to gage employee interests in order to customize workshops that may be relevant to staff members.

·        Cafeteria Evaluation and Consultations to provide for better food choices.