smart | entrepreneurs


Finding her own balance led holistic nutritionist to a career as a health coach


Alive & Aware gives clients 24/7 access to a professional along their journey to health and wellness By Brenlee Coates


L


osing and keeping weight off might be a little easier if you had access to the teachings of Deepak Chopra every day.


Tat’s exactly what health coach Patricia Sliwany prom-


ises with her business, Alive & Aware. Trained by the world’s largest nutrition school, the Insti-


tute for Integrative Nutrition, where her teachers included the one and only Chopra, Sliwany says clients have “access to me whenever they need. “It’s 80 per cent about the accountable part,” says the


board-certified holistic nutritionist. “It makes you account- able for your goals. “A lot of my clients say they couldn’t have stuck to the


program without me.” Of course, she’s the model for a healthy lifestyle now, but


it wasn’t always that way for Sliwany. When she first had her daughter, she fell into the trap of


trying to play Supermom and be everything and everywhere at once. She developed Shingles when her daughter was six


months old, and decided she needed to rehaul her diet and behaviour. “I just did not take care of myself,” she remembers. “When


we do that, our bodies end up breaking down.” Taking a holistic approach to her healing, she realized she


could help others make the same changes in their lives, and see lasting impact. Armed with her nutrition training, she’s developed many


 Restaurant reflects the


warmth of its staff Continued from page 1


Thanks to the Manitoba Tuition Fee Income Tax Rebate...


For information about saving up to $25,000 on your Manitoba income tax, visit manitoba.ca/tuition


It pays to stay in Manitoba.


Steven Ackerman, Tallest Poppy partner and bartender.


sauce, cilantro, a fresh salsa verde, and pickled heirloom tomatoes from his mother’s backyard as a garnish – and lets the complementary flavours compete for the last impression. “I think (a cocktail) should take you several places,”


he observes. It does – and they’re all really good places. If you get the chance, ask Ackerman about his time


bartending at a popular watering hole in New York while he was there working as a photographer. “Photography – especially in a place like New York – it needs to be sup- plemented heavily,” he relays. He spent most Sunday evenings serving James Gandolfini while others were home watching him on HBO’s “Te Sopranos.” Truly, if you can sneak a few minutes of Syrie’s time on a


rare break, or hover over Ackerman’s well-stocked bar for any length of time, you are treated to easy conversation in about as comfortable a public setting as you can ask for. Te décor of the Poppy’s reinvention is still super cozy,


but more polished than its predecessor. Te wood grain is hand-painted onto the walls, the colourful drop-ceiling treatment is warm and understated, and gentle, homey lighting brims from lamps on two tucked-away tables. Comfort and familiarity radiates from the owners and


staff who help run the Poppy, many of whom have hopped over from the previous incarnation. Customers regularly remark that it feels like they’ve


never left. “It was good to take a break – but I was really, really


ready,” says Syrie. “It’s very comfortable for me to be back at it.” Te feeling is so mutual.


November 2014 www.smartbizwpg.com


Tuition Fee Income Tax Rebate 2014 Publication: SMART Biz, Ad S Ad size: 1/2 pg island (6.528x10.332") Insertion date: Nov & Dec 2014 Issues


Smart Biz 11


Staying close to friends and family. Owning your own home at a price you can afford. A tax rebate that allows you to save up to $25,000 on your Manitoba income tax. There is no


better time to build your future here at home.


Find out how you can receive a tax rebate for up to 60% of your tuition – as much as $2,500 a year. That extra cash will go a long way to paying back your student loans, saving for a house, or maybe even starting a family.


tailored approaches to assist people with losing weight or responding to stress-induced ailments like digestive issues or skin conditions. Her meal-planning program identifies what the optimal


diet would be to meet the client’s needs, and she will even act like a personal shopper for food. “Everyone has a unique blueprint. Tat’s where the personal coaching comes in,” she says. She often meets clients at health food stores like Vita


Health to introduce them to new products to incorporate into their diets, or does a full pantry makeover in their homes. Naturally, her approach is sort of the opposite of the fleet-


ing fad diets and liquid cleanses. “I think one of the reasons that diets do fail is that people


expect the quick fix and people aren’t making the lifestyle changes,” she says. “Until you really can curb what’s causing your addictions


and your cravings and stuff, it’s a bit hard to really make the change.” Tough she doesn’t completely reject cleanses, she said


they’re possible with whole foods, and should include eat- ing until you’re full. “I believe there’s a safe way and a not safe way to cleanse,” shares Sliwany.


“If you’re wanting to function during the day and work


out,” a whole food cleanse will have the same detoxifying result while keeping you energized. Sliwany doesn’t only do work one-on-one – she’s avail-


able for corporate workshops, schools, and small group endeavours. “It’s more cost-effective,” she says, of the group engagements. Wanting to impact as many people as she can, Sliwany


has developed programs that meet the needs of families and kids, adults ages 40 and up, teachers, athletes, and everything in between. She discovered her knack for developing nutritional pro-


grams while working with the women’s basketball team in university during her athletic therapy studies. Also a former advanced care paramedic, she’s found


her passion working with clients to live healthfully, and preventatively, and her own business affords her what she was missing in her life when her body broke down years ago – balance. “It allows me to do what I love… to help people, empower


them to make good choices… And it allows me the flexibility to nurture my family.” Visit aliveandaware.ca for more information on Sliwany's holistic health programs.


To claim your savings, simply complete the T1005 form when you file your Manitoba income tax.


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