Let’s introduce you to another one of our employees. Meet Athena, our talented team member at Barrhaven. She is Vietnamese and born and raised in Ottawa. She’s also one of our youngest team members! Athena is a senior in high school, who’s super excited to graduate this coming spring. Given how covid has changed our social gatherings, Athena hopes to have a normal graduation next year. Her plans after graduation include enrolling in the royal military college and studying psychology. 

Athena started working at Kardish as a co-op student in our accounting department and before completing her placement, she was offered a position at our Barrhaven store. By nature, Athena is driven and focused, so she wanted to work in an environment that encouraged her learning and expanded her knowledge in nutrition and wellbeing. 

“Kardish is a great fit for me,” says Athena. “I really enjoy coming to a workplace that has such a positive atmosphere.” 

Athena and her co-workers make a great team. They often set friendly competitions among themselves to enhance their learning.

Athena’s educational background consists of fitness related health and the health habits of youth. She speaks to many customers about the habits of their teenagers and relates and understands them quite well. From her personal experiences, she has also learnt how to recover from brain injuries and shares that knowledge and tips with customers who may be going through the same or similar injury. 

Athena is passionate about helping customers establish a health regimen that is a great fit for them. Many customers come to her to find a supplement that partners well with their daily activities. 

“I really enjoy when regular customers come back, and they tell me how I’ve improved their lifestyle or health habits,” says Athena.

Athena wanted to share some of her tips for staying healthy with you:

1. Try to get 30-minutes of physical exercise everyday, preferably in the morning.
2. Drink 1 Litre of water every morning. Athena, herself works out and meditates everyday. 
3. If you are trying to develop healthy habits - stay consistent with them. The results will show! keep a routine and work out in consistent increments!

Athena also recommends a supplement for managing stress and anxiety: Health First’s Ashwagandha, a preferable dose of 3-4 capsules or 500-1000 mg a day. 

Pop by our Barrhaven location for more health tips from Athena! 

The shift to working from home has disrupted so many people’s regular routines, changing how they do just about everything—including exercise. Whether you used to hit the gym in the mornings, walked at lunch with coworkers, or biked to work, the pandemic has probably thrown a wrench in your workout schedule.

Need to get back to exercising regularly? Here are some tips to help you get back on track.

Try a morning walk (or bike ride)

Without a morning commute to contend with, you likely have some time back in your day. Consider using it for some light exercise, like a walk or bike ride. Movement first thing in the morning will give you a little energy boost and help you start your day off on the right foot. Plus, who doesn’t love catching a gorgeous sunrise? 

Do a virtual workout

Luckily, we live in an age where you don’t have to leave your house to access a great workout—all you need is an internet connection. Take some time to check out the many classes available online and find the one that works for you. Whether you’re looking for yoga, Zumba, HIIT, dance, Pilates, cardio, or spin, if you can dream it, it probably exists on the internet.

Use what you have

Most people don't have a fully stocked gym in their basement with all the equipment they need. Thankfully, it’s not too difficult to convert a variety of household items to exercise equipment. A beach towel, for example, can make a great yoga mat, a wooden box can work for plyometrics, and a folding chair is perfect for tricep dips. Don’t have any dumbbells at home? For lighter weights, try using soup cans. For heavier options, fill empty milk jugs or laundry detergent bottles with sand. And if you need some serious weight, a big bag of flour or a couple cast iron frying pans might do the trick.

Take a stretch break

Working at a desk can cause all kinds of strain and tightness, especially in your shoulders, neck, back and hips. But the great thing about working from home is that you can pause to take stretch breaks without the judgement of any nosey coworkers. Carve out a couple breaks in your day for five to ten minutes of movement. You can look online for ideas or simply use your favourite stretches from the gym. 

Get a buddy

It can be tough to stick to an exercise routine by yourself. To help you stay accountable, enlist a buddy to join you for regular workouts. It could be someone you live with or a nearby friend or neighbor. Of course, just remember to maintain appropriate social distancing if you’re exercising with someone who isn’t from your immediate household.

However you choose to work out, don’t forget to give yourself time to get used to your new workout schedule. Especially in such a stressful time, it’s not easy to switch up your routines. However, staying active is an excellent way to combat anxiety—so it’s worth giving some of these ideas a go.

It's starting to get warmer ??So let's have some fun in the sun.

But, safety comes first! Why choose a natural sunscreen? ?

Natural sunscreens are simple. They contain the minerals zinc oxide and/or titanium dioxide to create a physical barrier on your skin which block and reflect harmful UVA and UVB rays.

Green Beaver's sun-care products are natural, biodegradable and chemical-free. Protect your skin, without the sticky residue and harmful chemicals, when you have fun in the sun!