Thursday, May 3, 2018
Am I Allergic to Almond Flour and Coconut Flour?
Food allergies plague many of us in the Elana’s Pantry community and can be at the root of various health issues. Sometimes we’re concerned that the foods we eat in our clean diets may be a problem. That leads to a question that readers ask me fairly often, which is “am I allergic to almond flour and coconut flour?”
Unlocking Solutions to Health Puzzles
I’ve dealt with my fair share of food allergies and gained incredible knowledge on my journey back to health. As I’ve unlocked solutions to my own health puzzles I’ve become more agile at analyzing health challenges overall. Now that I’m well enough I love helping you find solutions to your health puzzles.
Am I Allergic to Almond Flour and Coconut Flour?
Let’s dive into the specifics of this question so we can unlock solutions and identify ways to move ahead:
Thank you for so much great information and recipes! Do you know of any reason that a person cannot tolerate even gluten-free Paleo flours? I don’t get sick, but I DO bloat up for almost 3 days almost like the grains or flours are causing me to retain water….. I usually eat Paleo and occasionally like to bake with almond flour and some coconut flour, etc. I don’t even do well with those. No one has been able to answer my question including my allergist/immunologist. Thank you!
My Journey Back to Health
The question, “Am I Allergic to Almond Flour and Coconut Flour?” may seem simple enough, but it has several components. The first step in moving forward is peeling back each layer of the issue so that we can simplify the question. That’s what I’ve done repeatedly on my journey back to health.
Back in 1998, when I went gluten-free, I knew that the traditional high-carb gluten-free diet would not help me heal. Shortly after that, I went on a grain-free diet, now referred to as the Paleo Diet, eliminating all grains because of inflammatory properties that can cause symptoms for weeks, if not months.
Are You Allergic to High-Carb Gluten-Free Flours?
Like my own experience, it could be that this reader’s bloating response is simply to grain-filled flours that are very taxing on the digestive system even when totally gluten-free. Following a Paleo Diet means eliminating typical gluten-free flours such as corn, rice, and potatoes. This reader mentions that they eat some paleo flours and some grain-based flours, which would refer to the traditional gluten-free flours I mention above and that could be a big part of the problem.
Am I Allergic to Almond Flour?
This reader also mentions that they may be allergic to baked goods with paleo flours like coconut flour and almond flour. It could be that they are reacting to the flours themselves, or possibly other ingredients such as the sweeteners that are often used along with these flours. That could indicate candida or a number of other maladies.
Am I Allergic to Coconut Flour?
Lately, I’ve heard from many readers who are allergic to coconut and coconut-based products. They cannot eat coconut flour, coconut oil, coconut butter, or coconut milk. Often, when we eat a food repeatedly, day-after-day, we can build up an intolerance to it. That’s why I don’t eat the same foods each day and keep my diet fresh with variety.
Identify Food Allergies with the Elimination Diet
I’ve found that the best way to identify food allergies is to do an elimination diet. This means eliminating all potential allergens and sticking to simple foods including unprocessed meats and green vegetables for 4-8 weeks until symptoms clear up. The next step is to add in suspicious foods one-by-one every 3 days to see if you have a reaction. That’s the way I’ve done the elimination diet, different practitioners may implement it with variations on this basic theme.
The Green House That Almost Killed Me
Have you seen my article, The Green House That Almost Killed Me? Sometimes we may have strange symptoms that seem to be one thing and end up another. Certain foods may trigger food allergies and exposure to toxins may exacerbate existing health issues as well.
Safe Personal Care Products
We know it’s important to eat organic and avoid pesticides. It’s equally critical to be mindful of what we put on our bodies. Since our skin is our largest organ, we can be thoughtful about what we’re feeding it too. I have superlative guides to my favorite Safer Sunscreens, the best Non-Toxic Makeup, and my top Safer Skincare picks to keep you healthy inside and out! Remember, to think out of the box and challenge conventional wisdom when it comes to your health.
What are your favorite health hacks? Leave a comment and let me know!
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Wednesday, May 2, 2018
Hudson Place One– Availability, Plans, Prices
At a Glance
- located at 777 Herald Street in downtown Victoria
- 25-storey residential tower
- Victoria’s tallest buidling
- 176 luxury condominiums
- panoramic downtown views
- 11,000 sq ft of amenities
- 1,500 sq ft of commercial space
- exceptional access to restaurants, shopping, leisure activities
An Elevated Urban Lifestyle
A landmark centerpiece in downtown Victoria’s skyline. Boasting the highest, elevated views of the city, Inner Harbour, and surrounding mountains, this luxurious, modern 25-storey residential tower offers a distinguished collection of 176 intelligently-designed 1-, 2- and 3-bedroom homes in the heart of a vibrant and established urban village.
Find Out About New Presales & Get Access to VIP Openings & Special Promotions!
Are you a realtor? Click here
The Hudson District is a vibrant, amenity-rich, pedestrian-friendly village with doorstep access to a unique mix of artisan shops, daily conveniences, services, and leisure and wellness activities that are the heart and soul of the community. Its central location in beautiful downtown Victoria provides easy access to transit. It is just a short walk from the city’s best boutiques, hotspots, scenic Inner Harbour, and neighbourhood attractions, including the city’s venue for world-class concerts, events, and sports. For the ultimate urban convenience and the highest elevated views downtown, Hudson District is the perfect place to live, work, socialize, and play.
Pricing for Hudson Place One
As sales have not yet begun, pricing is currently unavailable. Sign up to our VIP list above for priority access to Hudson Place One updates.
Floor Plans for Hudson Place One
Buyers can choose from the following homes:
- The Tower Collection (Levels 4 – 20)
- 453 sq ft Junior 1-bedrooms
- 1-bedrooms from 529 – 603 sq ft
- 2-bedrooms from 775 – 925 sq ft
- The Estate Collection (Levels 21 – 24)
- 2 bedrooms from 849 – 1,246 sq ft
- 1,112 sq ft 2-bedrooms + den
- 1,242 sq ft 3-bedrooms
- The Penthouse Collection (Level 25)
- In design phase. Details to follow.
With not a lot of units on the market in Victoria at the moment, interest is already strong for Hudson Place One. Therefore, I recommend that those with a serious interest to purchase should contact me today to discuss availability, plans, and prices according to your needs.
Amenities at Hudson Place One
Residents will enjoy the use of over 11,000 sq ft of indoor and outdoor amenities, including:
- Full-service concierge
- Cold/dry storage and electronic parcel delivery room
- Fitness studio, yoga area, infrared sauna, change rooms
- Creative studio, party, and hobby room
- Billiards room
- Business centre
- Dining and social lounge with gourmet chef’s kitchen
- Hotel-inspired guest suite
- Two intimate fire pit lounges
- Outdoor dining area with BBQ and harvest table
- Outdoor children’s play area with stepping stones and slide
- Fenced dog run
Parking and Storage
Six levels of underground parking will provide 245 vehicle stalls with 26 visitor spaces. There will also be 192 residential bicycle parking stalls. Six visitor bicycle stalls will be available at grade.
Maintenance Fees at Hudson Place One
Details included with pricing package.
Developer Team for Hudson Place One
Townline is a real estate development company focused primarily on the Lower Mainland and Vancouver Island in British Columbia, Canada. Since 1981, they have amassed a diverse project portfolio spanning market and non-market multi-family housing, rental apartments, single-family homes, heritage restoration, mixed, commercial, and retail developments. Through the firm’s various departments, they stay hands-on for the entire life of a project to ensure they create the kind of residential and commercial places people want as their own, such as 999 Seymour, 1335 Howe, and Calla at The Gardens.
Established in 1983, Rafii Architects is a Vancouver architectural firm offering comprehensive services in architecture, urban design, planning, and interior design. Rafii Architects provides client-focused consultation with a collaborative approach to each project. Their reputation is characterized by a proven ability to work with public officials and challenging client programs, while maintaining a timeless and refined design philosophy. Rafii’s extensive portfolio includes many well-received projects throughout the Greater Vancouver area, Vancouver Island, Alberta, and the US with particular recognition for high-rise residential and mixed-use projects.
Cristina Oberti, a respected interior designer whose name is well-known in Vancouver, will be applying her extensive knowledge and systematic design process to create a unified look for Hudson Place One that conveys a unique and coherent, yet stylish message.
Expected Completion for Hudson Place One
Mid-2020. Sales begin mid-2018.
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George by Marcon – Availability, Plans, Prices
At a Glance
- located on the 3000 & 3100 blocks of Saint George Street
- 2 x 6-storey woodframe condo buildings
- 11 x 3-storey townhome buildings
- 179 x 1- to 3-bedroom condominiums
- 73 x 3- & 4-bedroom townhouses
- short walk to Moody Centre Station
- near Rocky Point Park
- close to Brewery Row craft breweries
Modern Port Moody Homes
Coming soon to Moody Centre is George by Marcon, distinct 1- to 4-bedroom condos and townhomes, ranging in size from 472 to 1,627 sq ft. In the heart of the revitalization of Saint Johns Street, George is a short walk to shops, restaurants, galleries, and bakeries. Kayaking, biking, and hiking is just five minutes away at Rocky Point Park, opposite Brewery Row where you can relax afterwards in one of the popular craft brewery tasting rooms. Nearby Moody Centre Station offers convenient rapid transit connections to downtown Vancouver via the West Coast Express or other destinations in Metro Vancouver, like shopping at Coquitlam Centre, with Skytrain’s Evergreen Line. Yes, Port Moody.
Find Out About New Presales & Get Access to VIP Openings & Special Promotions!
Are you a realtor? Click here
Pricing for George
Priced from $399,900 to $599,900. Sign up to our VIP list above for priority access to George updates.
Floor Plans for George
George offers an exciting mix of new housing for Port Moody to be built in three phases. Phase One will see the construction of 179 condominium homes within two six-storey woodframe buildings on the north side of Saint George Street. These will consist of 104 1-bedrooms, 55 2-bedrooms, and 20 3-bedrooms, ranging in size from 472 to 1,627 sq ft.
On the south side of Saint George Street, Phase Two will consist of 37 3-bedroom townhomes within six 3-storey buildings. Phase Three will see the development of 36 3-bedroom townhomes within five 3-storey buildings, offering 13 3-bedroom 23 4-bedroom residences. Each townhouse has a balcony on the second floor, facing an internal driveway and a usable patio space fronting the street.
Those with a serious intent to purchase should contact me today to discuss availability, plans, and prices for this highly desirable living opportunity.
Amenities at George
A 1,139.7 sq ft shared indoor amenity space will be available for use by condominium residents. A large outdoor amenity space in front of the condominium building facing Saint George Street, includes a children’s play space, off-leash dog run, and a fire-pit lounge. The developer will also rehabilitate the Dallas Creek watershed running through the property, creating a natural habitat around the stream that includes planting 187 new trees, as well as a new 35,197 sq ft public park with a greenway trail and an open play area.
Parking and Storage
Residents of the two condominium buildings will be provided with 227 vehicle parking spaces, while visitors will have use of 36 parking stalls. Of these, 46 spaces will have electrical vehicle charging outlets. Bicycle storage will be available with 224 resident spaces. Another 12 bicycle stalls in racks will be provided for visitors. The western townhouse block will offer 74 resident and seven visitor vehicle parking spaces. The eastern townhouse block will have space for 72 resident and seven visitor vehicles.
Maintenance Fees at George
TBA.
Developer Team for George
Beginning life as a construction company has given Marcon Developments the experience to deliver homes not only of high standards, but also of high value. Homes built with extra attention to detail – where the fit and finish is just that much better. Marcon has developed some notable residences over the years, such as the first high-rise in Canada to achieve LEED certification. Building to these standards helps to future-proof your home, as well as allowing you to breathe easy from the first day you move in.
Shift Architecture has been chosen to design George. Shift is a high-performance practice with a track record of respected, inspired projects throughout Vancouver and the Lower Mainland. With proven expertise in multi-family housing, Shift boasts a diverse portfolio of residential, commercial, healthcare, and mixed-use developments. Renowned for its collaborative design process, Shift’s team of core personnel draws upon a deep collective well of experience spanning decades.
Expected Completion for George
TBA.
Are you interested in learning more about other homes in Coquitlam, Port Coquitlam, or Port Moody?
Check out these great Tri-Cities Presales!
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April 2018 Real Estate Board of Greater Vancouver Statistics Package with Charts & Graphs
Home sales down, listings up across Metro Vancouver
The Metro Vancouver housing market saw fewer home buyers and more home sellers in April.
The Real Estate Board of Greater Vancouver (REBGV) reports that residential property sales in the region totalled 2,579 in April 2018, a 27.4 per cent decrease from the 3,553 sales recorded in April 2017, and a 2.5 per cent increase compared to March 2018 when 2,517 homes sold.
Last month’s sales were 22.5 per cent below the 10-year April sales average.
“Market conditions are changing. Home sales declined in our region last month to a 17-year April low and home sellers have become more active than we’ve seen in the past three years,” Phil Moore, REBGV president said. “The mortgage requirements that the federal government implemented this year have, among other factors, diminished home buyers’ purchasing power and they’re being felt on the buyer side today.”
There were 5,820 detached, attached and apartment properties newly listed for sale on the Multiple Listing Service® (MLS®) in Metro Vancouver in April 2018. This represents an 18.6 per cent increase compared to the 4,907 homes listed in April 2017 and a 30.8 per cent increase compared to March 2018 when 4,450 homes were listed.
The total number of properties currently listed for sale on the MLS® system in Metro Vancouver is 9,822, a 25.7 per cent increase compared to April 2017 (7,813) and a 17.2 per cent increase compared to March 2018 (8,380).
“Home buyers have more breathing room this spring. They have more selection to choose from and less demand to compete against,” Moore said.
For all property types, the sales-to-active listings ratio for April 2018 is 26.3 per cent. By property type, the ratio is 14.1 per cent for detached homes, 36.1 per cent for townhomes, and 46.7 per cent for condominiums.
Generally, analysts say that downward pressure on home prices occurs when the ratio dips below the 12 per cent mark for a sustained period, while home prices often experience upward pressure when it surpasses 20 per cent over several months.
The MLS® Home Price Index composite benchmark price for all residential properties in Metro Vancouver is currently $1,092,000. This represents a 14.3 per cent increase over April 2017 and a 0.7 per cent increase compared to March 2018.
Sales of detached properties in April 2018 reached 807, a 33.4 per cent decrease from the 1,211 detached sales recorded in April 2017. The benchmark price for detached properties is $1,605,800. This represents a 5.1 per cent increase from April 2017 and a 0.2 per cent decrease compared to March 2018.
Sales of apartment properties reached 1,308 in April 2018, a 24 per cent decrease from the 1,722 sales in April 2017. The benchmark price of an apartment property is $701,000. This represents a 23.7 per cent increase from April 2017 and a 1.1 per cent increase compared to March 2018.
Attached property sales in April 2018 totalled 464, a 25.2 per cent decrease compared to the 620 sales in April 2017. The benchmark price of an attached unit is $854,200. This represents a 17.7 per cent increase from April 2017 and a 2.3 per cent increase compared to March 2018.
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Policing as Kindness
“Kindness: the quality of being friendly, generous, and considerate.”
Kindness
Needless to say, I think a lot about policing — doing it and now watching. And this week, a poem by Naomi Shihab Nye caught my eye as I was preparing to address another part of my life — my life as a pastor — it was one of those times when the two halves of my working life merged.
What is this kindness of which the prophets of old spoke? This kindness which Micah described; that which God requires of us:
“Do justice, love kindness, and walk humbly with God.”
Would not that also apply to those of us who chose policing as our life’s work? Was not kindness in our tool kit? Let’s think about this. What would it be like if police in America were noted for the quality of being kind; to be seen as being friendly, generous, and considerate to all others regardless of their station in life?
What would that be like? From time time, police do exhibit kindness in their work. More often than most folks think. A police officer gives a homeless man his shoes, another holds and comforts a person after having to notify them of a loved one’s death, while yet another officer, despite provocation and insult, calmly (and kindly) listens, acts with respect, and explains (perhaps yet again) the situation, why the person has been arrested, what will happen now…and so on… and so on…
Can a police officer act kindly in the process of making a physical arrested? I think so. Kindness can be exhibited by one’s self-control, not personalizing the situation; only using the minimum amount of force to overcome resistance — and, afterwards, explaining what and why the arrest was made.
I invite you to read and ponder the following poem by Naomi Shihab Nye and think about how kindness could become a way forward for police to begin to build the trust, respect, and support that has been lost, perhaps never established, in many of our nation’s communities.
In the poem, Nye asks us to identify our losses, our grief, as being a way into understanding the practice of kindness; to understand that a person lying dead in the street could be you.
The deepest thing inside of us is kindness. It is kindness which makes us human (and I would add, effective police officers). It is kindness that makes sense of our life — kindness to one another in the station house and our daily interactions with others.
Nye tells us that kindness seeks us and having found us gives us the choice to either embrace it as a friend… or as a shadow.
For those of you in the field practicing the craft of policing, how can kindness work for you? What more can be asked of our police than to do justice, love kindness, and practice humility?
Kindness
Before you know what kindness really is
you must lose things,
feel the future dissolve in a moment
like salt in a weakened broth.
What you held in your hand,
what you counted and carefully saved,
all this must go so you know
how desolate the landscape can be
between the regions of kindness.
How you ride and ride thinking the bus will never stop,
the passengers eating maize and chicken
will stare out the window forever.
Before you learn the tender gravity of kindness
you must travel where the Indian in a white poncho
lies dead by the side of the road.
You must see how this could be you,
how he too was someone
who journeyed through the night with plans
and the simple breath that kept him alive.
Before you know kindness as the deepest thing inside,
you must know sorrow as the other deepest thing.
You must wake up with sorrow.
You must speak to it till your voice
catches the thread of all sorrows
and you see the size of the cloth.
Then it is only kindness that makes sense anymore,
only kindness that ties your shoes
and sends you out into the day to gaze at bread,
only kindness that raises its head
from the crowd of the world to say
It is I you have been looking for,
and then goes with you everywhere
like a shadow or a friend.
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Tuesday, May 1, 2018
Presale condo assignments ARE NOT Shadow Flips and DO NOT push up real estate prices in Vancouver
Recent media articles on presale condo assignments of contract have been full of factual errors and have misrepresented presale assignments as shadow flips.
Presale condo assignments ARE NOT Shadow flipping.
Let’s clarify.
What is a Shadow Flip?
A shadow flip is when an existing property primarily a single family house or single family house lot is purchased by a buyer under false pretenses. The contract that was used to purchase the property has a clause in it saying that the buyer can assign the contract without the permission of the seller. This practice victimized unsophisticated sellers of single-family houses in areas that had lots of demand before the Advent of the foreign buyers tax. This practice of assigning existing properties without permission is now not allowed in British Columbia. If the buyer of an existing property wants to assign it prior to completion, they need to get the seller to sign a release saying they will allow on assignment of the contract to occur.
What is a Presale Condo Assignment of Contract?
A presale condo assignment of contract is when the buyer of a presale condo sells their rights or “assigns” their rights under the contract to another person. The original seller of the presale, the Developer or builder of the property has to give written permission to allow the assignment to occur.
Presale condo assignments regulated by legislation called the Real Estate Development and Marketing Act here in British Columbia.
Again, to assign a presale condo contract you need to get permission from the original seller which is the developer.
Developers here in British Columbia are some of the most sophisticated and richest people in the province and typically have the best lawyers in the province at their beck and call. There’s nothing Shadow about this. The written permission of some of the most sophisticated and well-off people in The Province who actually are actually building the property is required to let sale of the presale condo assignment.
To clarify nobody is taken advantage of and everyone who is party to the contract has to give their written permission for a transfer of ownership of the rights in the contract.
Use this form to find out how to sell your home sooner and for more money.
Presale Condo Assignments of Contract Increase Supply to Keep Prices Under Control?
Yes.
Presale condo assignments do not inflate of the price of real estate in Vancouver.
Presale condo assignments actually increase the supply of available properties at times when they are available for sale. This supply actually keeps prices stable or lower than they would be without presale condo assignments. The reason why presale condo assignments occur is because of a lack of supply and too much demand. This excess demand can be seen from the rise in prices we have seen in Vancouver recently.
Consider this:
A person buys a presale. That presale increases in value caused by increasing demand for property. Our person by assigning their presale condo is increasing property supply and are keep prices lower than they could have risen by making their assignment available for sale.
Why real estate prices are high and rising in Vancouver.
There are three major reasons why property prices are high in Vancouver and continue to rise.
- Demand caused by immigration – The federal government is projected to let 310,000 people immigrate to Canada in 2018. These people need somewhere to live. Canadians have a birth rate that is below replacement level. The vast majority of population gain in Canada is from immigration. A growing population who want to live in the nicer parts of the country likeVancouver results in demand for property. Increased demand equals increased prices when you have constricted supply which leads us to our next Point.
- Limited Supply – The Vancouver area has limited land available for development. We have the ocean to the West the mountains to the north and east in the US border to the South. There is a limited amount of land that can be developed on in this area. We are not Calgary or Toronto or Los Angeles where we can sprawl our way out of high property prices. We need to build up and that leads me to the next point about government and their role in inflating the price of real estate in Vancouver because of delays and their environmental and social agendas.
- City Government Caused Delays & Expensive Environmental + Social Agendas – City governments in the Vancouver area take a very long time to allow new projects to come online. This delay increases cost for the builders and developers of properties that is passed onto buyers. Every delay that occurs caused by government increases the cost for the builders of properties because of interest, holding costs, and other costs. Also if the focus of the cities in the region is on an environmental or social agenda rather than housing affordability, housing is not going to be cheap. High environmental standards are expensive. Social housing in the city of Vancouver is expensive. Those who buy properties and pay taxes in the Vancouver area are the ones who pay for this. Typically they pay for it in the form of higher housing costs.
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