Spring Cleansing Series

It’s cleansing and transformation month at The Light Cellar. The weather’s warming up and  young greens shoots and buds are popping out, signalling spring is here – our bodies most natural time to start cleansing and revitalizing.  Cleansing is a way to harness our bodies own natural intelligence to heal! Improving digestion, getting rid of winter weight and clearing mental fogginess – a spring cleanse can leave us with the clarity, energy and vitality we need to go into the coming season of abundance.

The Light Cellar has many amazing superfoods, tonic herbs and well chosen supplements that can help facilitate the process in a safe and balanced way.

Here is what the Light Cellar is offering on cleansing this Summer…

Personalized Nutritional Cleansing Programs, with before and after Biofeedback Treatments

Madeline MacKInnon, a certified nutritionist who works at The Light Cellar is offering 21 day personalized cleansing programs for those wanting more assistance and inspiration in nutritional cleansing. The program includes an optional before and after biofeedback treatment with Marie Dyer to assess your health, sugar load and any deficiencies that may need to be addressed to most effectively benefit from cleansing. This cleanse is nutritional based and utilizes herbs, super foods and other cleansing foods while eliminating any potential allergenic foods from the diet. For more info on the program and what Madeline offers check out her website or email her at madeline.mackinnon@gmail.com to book a free fifteen minute consult to see if you would be a fit.

Or, come by The Light Cellar for a free info session on Cleansing Strategies Thursday May 3rd at 7pm to meet Madeline and Marie who will answer any questions you have.

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Spring Cleansing Info Session

Thursday May 3rd

7-pm

FREE

Come learn about how to incorporate cleansing strategies into your daily routine with certified nutritionist Madeline MacKinnon and biofeedback practitioner Marie Dyer.

Madeline will go through some of the basics and core principles of her cleansing program such as the 8  super foods & herbs for cleansing and how to incorporate them into recipes. She will demo a few of her delicious and  super cleansing green drinks and cleansing tonic tea and elixir recipes. This will be a great chance to meet Madeline and ask any questions about her personalized cleansing programs and see if it would be a fit for you. Marie will be there to answer any questions on what biofeedback is and how it relates to cleansing.

The class will also include a portion on how to make your regular lifestyle more ‘cleanse friendly’. Come join us! Complementary root beer tea and detoxifying clay raw chocolate provided! Please call the shop to register.

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Creative & Artful Salad Making

Saturday, May 5th

1-2:30 pm

$15

Come to be inspired in taking your salads to the next level! We will go through some nourishing and delicious salad recipes and creation tactics using ingredients such as fresh herbs, hemp seeds, seaweeds, tahini & chickpea miso!

Madeline will go through her formula for creating the perfect superfood salad dressing! Also learn about the healing benefits of pumpkin, black sesame and chia seed oils.

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Alternative 1st Aid Weekend 

Sat & Sun May 5-6 10-5pm

w/ Blaine Andrusek

$200

This 12 hour workshop reviews some of the best herbal tinctures, homeopathics and essential oils to include in a 1st Aid kit, as well as suggestions on storage methods.  Conventional bandaging, CPR and etc. will NOT be covered.  On day two we will review slides and live specimens of some of the best wild plants to use when THERE IS NO FIRST AID KIT!

This is a timely workshop for the summer ahead.  A workbook is included. Blaine has been teaching various aspects of Herbalism for over 30 years, and brings us extensive back country experience.

Read More Here

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Medicinal Spring Soups & Broths

Thursday May 10th

6:30- 8:30 pm

$45

Madeline will demonstrate how to make many different nourishing soup and  broth’s using a variety of stocks and bases from scratch using various types of bones, plants and medicinal herbs. She will demonstrate some spring cleansing soups such as spring nettle top soup, medicinal miso soup & raw watermelon gazpacho.

Consuming medicinal broths every day can assist in healing the digestive tract, boosting the immune system and is a natural remedy for cellulite!

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Fermented Foods

Part 1 : Cultured Veg

Saturday May 12

1-4 pm

OR
Thursday  June 7th

6-9pm

$45

We have re-organized this class to focus on certain aspects of fermentation going more into depth into each specific topic per class. Part 1 is focused on cultured vegetables.

Join Madeline MacKinnon to delve into the art of fermentation and learn how to craft probiotic and enzyme rich Cultured Vegetables & Foods. Recipes will include raw Sauerkraut, Kimchi, Pickles, Nut Cheeze & Yogurt.

Class includes many samples, a hands-on sauerkraut making session and your very own jar from the batch.

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Intro to Superfoods

Sunday May 13th 1-4pm

$65

This is the class where you will learn about and experience some of the world’s top Superfoods.  The benefits, nutritional properties and how you can easily incorporate them into a variety of simple and delicious recipes will be covered.

Class includes tastings & recipes so you can experience the energy and health enhancing benefits of Maca, Goji, Cacao, Bee Pollen, Hemp Seeds, Coconut, Blue-Green Algae, Chia and more…

Recipe booklet is included as well as hands-on portion with super foods to take home.

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The Wisdom of the Cosmic Garden

Intro

Monday, May 14th 7pm

$10-15 sliding scale

with Alexandra - Garden Master

This seminar is designed to support and prepare you for the shift of consciousness and to remember that all life is sacred. You will learn the balance and harmony of practical gardening and spiritual being.

You will aslo be gifted some of Alex’s beautiful heirloom seed potatoes!

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Sugar Free Elixirs & Raw Ice Creams

Thursday May 24th

7-9 pm

$45

Join Madeline MacKinnon in learning how to create amazing drinks with stevia, birch xylotol. These drinks can be the saving grace for those with candida, viral issues or anyone wanting to expand their elixir repatour. These drinks are great for anyone on the body ecology diet! Madeline covers recipes such as the chaga cappuccino, probiotic green margarita &  chocolate fudge ice cream.

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Simple Sprouting

Saturday, May 26th 1pm

$15

with Denis Manzer

An edible exploration of the healthful benefits of sprouts. You will learn several ways to grow your own bounty of delicious sprouts at home as well as methods for soaking nuts & seeds.

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Alchemy of Cacao

Raw Chocolate Making

Sunday, May 27th

1-3pm

OR

Friday, June 15th

6-9pm

$65

Re-discover chocolate in its original whole-food form ~ Raw Cacao.

In this chocolate-filled 3 hour class, you will learn about raw chocolate, why it is so nourishing for you and how to create your very own chocolate super-foods, bars, fudges, sauces and mylks.

A hands-on portion will have you creating your very own chocolate from scratch that you will get to take home to enjoy and share.

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Chinese Tonic Herbs & Elixir Making

Tuesday May 29

6-9 pm

$65

Join Madeline MacKinnon in exploring the realm of Chinese Tonic Herbs
and their uses, benefits and properties all the while learning how to
craft amazingly delicious and nutritious superfood/superherb smoothies
and elixirs.

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Foraging Wild Plants for Food: Walk, Talk & Eat’em! with Blaine Andrusek

Sat June 30 & Sun July 1st

9-5pm

$250

This fun and action packed weekend begins with a full day in Edworthy Park, where the varied terrain offers many species to view in a compact space.  (Meet in the south parking lot near the railway tracks – Blaine has a silver/grey Toyota Sequoia)  On Sunday (yes, that’s Canada Day) we meet at Blaine’s home (227-3rd Ave NE) to raid gardens and prepare numerous yummy gourmet dishes – all, either featuring, or based entirely on wild plants.  Come hungry.

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The Medicinal Mushroom Symposium: The Science, Lore and Applications of Medicinal Mushrooms

Saturday July 28th

10-6pm

The John Dutton Theatre, Calgary, AB

Featuring:

David Wolfe, Terry Willard, Blaine Andrusek, Malcolm Saunders, Yarrow Willard and other special guest speakers!

Read More Here

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All classes include an abundance of samplings, your own edible creations to take home and a Light Cellar recipe booklet!

All classes are held at The Light Cellar’s Teaching Kitchen

Pre-registration is required by visiting or contacting the store.

Book a class for you and your friends, social network and/or business.
We can custom tailor events to suit your groups interests and needs.

Topics can include, but are not limited to:

• Raw Chocolate – Hands-on class for your group on the Art of Making Your Own Chocolate from scratch using Raw Organic Ingredients
• Nutrition – Whole Foods to Raw Foods
• Superfoods
• Raw Pie Making
• Fermented Foods – Kraut, Kim Chi, Mead and more…
• Fasting, Cleansing and Detoxification
• Raw Food Recipes – all kinds of wholefood, healthy and raw recipes – from desserts to snacks to meals – all gluten-free, dairy free, healthy, easy to prepare and 100% naturally good for you.

Email or call 403.453.1343 for rates and information

Different days inspire different elixirs, including:

Chocolate Chaga Latte

Jing Slinger

Blue Manna Lime-Aid, pictured below.

Hibiscus Rose Refresher,

Goji Lemonade with Camu Camu and MSM

Mate Latte

Cacao Elixir

Chicha Morada

Drop by & enjoy!

Reishi Cacao

Blue Manna Lime-Aid

Saturday & Sunday, May 5-6, 10-5pm

with Blaine Andrusek

$200

This 12 hour workshop reviews some of the best herbal tinctures, homeopathics and essential oils to include in a 1st Aid kit, as well as suggestions on storage methods.

Conventional bandaging, CPR and etc. will NOT be covered.

On day two we will review slides and live specimens of some of the best wild plants to use when THERE IS NO FIRST AID KIT!

This is a timely workshop for the summer ahead.  A workbook is included.

Blaine Andrusek has been teaching various aspects of Herbalism for over 30 years, and brings us extensive back country experience.

Email or call the shop 403.453.1343 to register.

Blaine Andrusek MH began working with plants in the mid 70′s. He studied extensively with Wild Rose College in Calgary, where he now teaches Herbology and other programs. Blaine’s affiliations include faculty membership with several colleges, institutions, and advisory boards throughout Western Canada, the U.S. and abroad. His personal and colorful lecturing style keeps education fun, yet extends his passion and reverence for the plant kingdom. Also a widely published photographer and writer, Blaine has illustrated numerous field guides and appeared in magazines as prestigious as Canadian Geographic.

In season, Blaine conducts Herb Walks throughout western Canada, introducing his students to hundreds of wild plants and their limitless uses. His version of ‘walking the talk’ has included wilderness treks of over 3 months living entirely off the land. It’s comforting to know his many stories are backed by first hand experience! As a guest speaker, Blaine has been well accepted by all age groups, from youngsters in summer camp, to excursions with Elder Hostel. He covers a wide array of health related topics such as Chronic Fatigue and Stress Management for service clubs, teaching and nursing staff, and corporate ‘wellness days’. He also has extensive experience in directing product launches and in-service training for both the health and beauty industries.

Since 1991, Blaine’s focus has shifted extensively towards working with essential oils. Now a practicing Herbalist and Aromatic Consultant, Blaine also produces his own line of fragrances, skin care products and therapeutic blends. His skillful and intuitive combinations of herbs, extracts, and volatile oils have benefited countless students and clients.

Blaine feels quite strongly that although the western medical model and the various complimentary fields vary widely in their views and methods, we truly need it all. Western medicine may handle ‘crisis management’ rather well, but it lacks in preventative and restorative areas. Let us embrace one another, put down our swords, and grow together for the improved well-being of everyone!

The Medicinal Mushroom Symposium

The Science, Lore and Applications of Medicinal Mushrooms

Saturday July 28th 10-6pm at the John Dutton Theatre, Calgary, AB

David Wolfe, Terry Willard, Blaine Andrusek, Malcolm Saunders, Yarrow Willard and more!

Join an eclectic array of world-renown & local experts exploring the realm of mushrooms and their unique & amazing medicinal properties.This is a special day where we will be journeying deep into the magic, mystery, folklore and science of Medicinal Mushrooms!

Perfect for the beginner and advanced students alike, there is something to be learned from every expert and every topic covered.

Featured lectures by:

David Wolfe, Dr. Terry Willard, Blaine Andrusek.

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Special workshop sessions, exploring step by step approaches to:

• Grow a variety of medicinal and culinary mushrooms at home safely, efficiently & inexpensively.

• Learn the basics of Mushroom morphology and principles for safe and proper ID

• Custom design and craft your own mushroom medicine tea’s, tincture’s, elixir’s & chocolates.

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More details in the weeks to come!

This will be a unique, enriching & inspirational event – not to be missed.

Lots of fun, gifts, prizes & activities …like the medicinal mushroom tea tasting booth!

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Registration

Regular Price, if purchased on the day at the door $117

Early Bird before June 30th $97

**Extra Special Pricing for the 1st 100 tickets are only $77  - if purchased between now and May 1st

Call, email or visit the Light Cellar to register

403 453 1343

info@thelightcellar.ca 

6326 Bowness Rd NW

Intro to Super Foods with special guest Malcolm Sanders from The Light Cellar in Calgary  and Yarrow Willard Cl.H/MH, on Thursday, April 12/12 6:30-9:30pm at Harmonic Arts in Cumberland

Intro to Super Foods is an informative and entertaining 3 hour intensive, where you will learn about and experience some of the world’s top Superfoods.  We will explore their benefits and nutritional properties, as well as learn how to easily incorporate Superfoods into a variety of simple and delicious recipes.

This class will be packed with tastings and samples. Come experience the energy and health enhancing benefits of Maca, Goji, Cacao, Bee Pollen, Hemp Seeds, Coconut, Chlorella, Chia and more…

Intro to Super Herbs is an Information packed 3 hour intensive, where we will be delving deep into the world of Super herbs. These herbs are plants that have multiple functions in the body, fortifying and enhancing our overall vitality. Through incorporating them into our lifestyle choices we can achieve a state of radiant health. In this class we will sample and blend many Super herbs, learn how to create personalized formulas, and discover some easy ways to use them as part of an overall health strategy. We will be covering herbs like: Ashwaganda, Astragalus, Chaga, Eleuthero, Fo-Ti, Ginseng, Holy Basil, Nettles, Reishi, and more…

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These workshops are valued at $50 each, but we will only be charging $30, plus if you take both you will get $10 off. Please register via email at sales@harmonicarts.ca, call us at 250-400-4044, or drop by the store if you would like to attend. Space is limited as it is an intimate hands on class.

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About the Teachers:

Yarrow Willard  is a Clinical/Master herbalist and co-owner of the Vancouver Island based Harmonic Arts Botanical Dispensary. Raised with an understanding of herbs and natural health, he is passionate about incorporating plant medicine in our daily lifestyle. His path and purpose is in creating a healthy relationships with the natural world and sharing . Through products and education, Yarrow hopes to assist our collective evolution towards a high vita cultivating health empowering practices with herbs, mushrooms, super-foods, advanced nutrition and more.

Malcolm Saunders  is an Intuitive Chef who specializes in the Alchemy of Superfoods and Superherbs. He has an expertise and passion for creating, and teaching others how to make many special energizing and healing creations, including raw chocolate, elixirs and fermented foods. Malcolm’s purpose and mission is to raise the individual & collective consciousness about food and nutrition, this is accomplished and carried out through the Light Cellar, a unique specialty super food boutique, raw chocolaterie, and teaching kitchen which he owns and operates in Bowness, Calgary.

100 Transformative Days!

Taking a tonic herb everyday is just like exercising. We “tone” our immune systems, our stress response and our body’s general operating systems so they are more effective in assisting the body’s own intelligence for generating radiant health.

Schizandra berries may seem like the new “it” thing but they are grounded in ancient wisdom and lore. Schizandra was historically consumed by the royal family in China and the Taoist “immoralists” who live high in the mountain regions of china. It is said that after the 100 days, Schizandra gives you a gift.

“If used for 100 days successively, Schizandra is said to purify the blood, sharpen the mind, improve memory, rejuvenate the Kidney energy (especially the sexual functions in both men and women), and cause the skin to become radiantly beautiful” ~ Ron Teeguarden.

For these reasons and many more, Schizandra berries are considered one of the superior chinese tonic herbs and have supported the health of so many people for centuries.

Taking Schizandra berries continually cultivates beauty on a deep level; brightening the eyes, clearing and moistening the skin & generates an overall healthy glow.

The Challenge???

Consume Schizandra berries every day for 100 days!

Here is a list of the different forms of Schizandra available at The Light Cellar and how much to consume for the challenge:

Teausing the raw berries. Drink 2 cups each day. Simmer for 10-15 minutes in a pot of boiling water. To enjoy, mix with other herbs or barks or try one of The Light Cellar’s blends.

-Chinese Beauty Tea is an all around tonic to consume ever day. This tea includes other superior chinese herbs, creating a beautiful synergy. Use for glowing skin, adrenal support and hormone balance.

-Three Sisters Tea for blood building, brain alertness and skin health

-Schizandra, Reishi & Licorice Tea increases mental function and provides stress relief

Extracted Powder Add to water (hot or cold), warm teas and smoothies. For the challenge take 2/3- 1 tsp of powder once or twice day.

-Jing Herbs Schizandra extract,

-Dragon Herbs Schizandra ee Tee

-Freeze dried raw Schizandra powder

Tinctures Take 3- 12 droppers of tincture a day. Take tincture under your tongue or add to warm tea.

-Jing Herbs 3 sisters tincture with longan fruit, goji & schizandra

-Dragon Herbs Goji- Schizandra drops 

Download this page as a PDF

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If you are interested in taking part in the challenge with a group of people please email info@thelightcellar.ca and ask us to add you to the list.

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You will receive email support full of education, wisdom and elixir recipes from Madeline.

The deadline to sign up is April 7th, so jump on board soon, to see and feel the results for yourself!

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Shisandra Berry: photo by 三上 勝生via Creative CommonsAttribution-Share Alike 2.1 Japan

Now you can learn how to create our Chocolate Chaga Vanilla Shake that we created and served at the Seed Event last weekend in Calgary…

We are offering a new series of classes for those of you inspired by David Wolfe at the recent Calgary SEED Event and are looking to take your health & nutrition to exciting new levels.

With these two classes you will learn how to:

•  Design Incredibly Delicious and Nutritious Elixirs
• Create Amazing and Energizing  Superfood Snacks
• Understand how to Integrate super foods & super herbs into your daily life
• Experience Enhanced Health for you and your Family.

“ADD – in”  the best superfoods and superherbs into your diet with grace, joy and ease.

Intro to Superfoods 

Saturday March 17th 1-4pm – FULL

New date added! Sunday April 22nd,  11-2pm

This is the class where you will learn about and experience some of the world’s top Superfoods.  The benefits, nutritional properties and how you can easily incorporate them into a variety of simple and delicious recipes will be covered.

Class includes tastings & recipes so you can experience the energy and health enhancing benefits of Maca, Goji, Cacao, Bee Pollen, Hemp Seeds, Coconut, Blue-Green Algae, Chia and more…

Recipe booklet is included as well as hands-on portion with super foods to take home.

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Intro to Superherbs

Thursday March 29th 7-9pm – FULL

New date added! Sunday April 22nd,  4-6pm

Heard about Chaga, Reishi, Ginseng, Goji, Astragalus, Ashwagandha, Holy Basil, etc… but have no idea how to use them?

We will teach you how to benefit from their tonic  properties in very delicious ways.

It is in this class we’ll share with you our fantastically delicious super Chocolate Chaga Vanilla Shake which was served at the Seed Event as well as latte-style drinks surpassing any Starbucks!

Each class is regularly valued at $65 for the three hour sessions. We are offering an introductory price of $50 for each session especially for those who are new to the Light Cellar and attended the Seed Event.

Plus if you register for both classes you will receive an additional $10 off the total.

These sessions will fill up quick as our class sizes are small to facilitate focused and hands-on learning experiences.

Call us to register:

403.453.1343

or visit the store:

6326 Bowness Rd NW

Check out more upcoming classes here

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The Light Cellar will be offering two free seminars on Thursday, January 19th with Clinical Herbalist Dianna Mayorga from Advantage Health Canada.

12 – 1 pm: How to Incorporate Herbs into your Daily Routine and the Benefits

Learn about traditional herbs like Shatavari for Women’s Health and Amla to Detoxify and Rejuvenate

1:00 – 2:00 pm: Whole Food Vitamin C with Camu Camu

Learn about the great of benefits of this Amazonian super berry

Dianna will also be in the shop from 11am-12pm to answer any questions you have regarding herbs from Organic Traditions

Explore the potent powers of the Amazon with Morgan Maher. January 21, 2012, 1 – 3pm

Registration: $45

Call: 403.453.1343 Email: info@thelightcellar.ca

In this in-depth class you will learn: 

The Art of Brewing; techniques and methods for effective brewing of Amazonian plants

How to develop optimal strategies to fit your health needs, as well as your schedule

Ways to strengthen and enhance your immunity

Some of the world’s top antiviral, antifungal, antibacterial, anticandidal and anti-inflammatory plants

How to support your Kidney and protect your Liver

Methods for cleansing and strengthening your digestive system

Alternatives to coffee and other conventional stimulants

How to nourish and increase clarity, energy, focus, memory and dream recall

Ways to dramatically increase libido

Paths towards developing genuine relationships with plants

Why Amazonian plants are so powerful and how this can translate to the “concrete jungle”

The benefits of South American foods, including Camu Camu, Maca and Lucuma

Legends, lore, myths and stories of Amazonian plants

Indigenous Amazonian cosmologies and how to approach illness on both physical and spiritual levels

Ways to support the sustainability and regeneration of the Amazon

We will explore the magic, mystery, research and wonders of Cat’s Claw, Wayusa, Chuchuhuasi, Chanca Piedra, Pau d’arco, Camu Camu, Acai, Yerba Mate, Maca, Lucuma and more…

$45

To register call: 403.453.1343 or Email: info@thelightcellar.ca

Participants will receive: 

The Art of Brewing – a mini-guide and resource for quick reference while brewing and strategizing. Available as a hard copy and/or PDF

Complimentary prints from Morgan’s Espiritu series; “images of plants, leaves, trees, jungles, forests, wild places & magic spaces”

Amazonian teas  throughout the class

Morgan Maher is an artist, designer and writer with a strong relationship with the Peruvian Amazon. He has written for Reality Sandwich and works with Evolver Intensives. He runs “Places In The Forest” with his partner Laura, a website featuring articles and interviews on plants, permaculture, food, health, art and adventure.