As the weather gets cooler, the longing to get cozy and stay inside with loved ones increases. Having even one cigarette outside in the cold (and temperatures will keep dropping!) takes you away from this. Why not look for better ways to deal with stress and pain that allow you to stay inside and improve yoir health at the same time? Consider a cardio workout at the gym – this way you can blow off steam and pump healthy endorphins through your body. Then your loved ones will see you bettering yourself in ways that you may be proud they follow.
Community News
Trust Your Gut
Your immune system works hard to protect you from injury, illness, and disease. This process usually involves inflammation, a natural response to stress, tissue damage, and harmful stimuli like viruses, bacteria, and toxins. Inflammation functions similarly to an engine warning light, alerting you to the presence of a problem through symptoms such as heat, pain, redness, swelling, and/or loss of function. 85% of the immune system is located in our gut. An anti-inflammatory diet rich in vitamins A, C, and E and the mineral selenium provides your gut with the ingredients it needs to bolster immunity and achieve optimal mental and physical health.
Vata, Pitta, Kapha
Ayurveda, an ancient medicine system from India, uses the terms Vata, Pitta, and Kapha to describe imbalances that result in symptoms. For Vata symptoms, such as cold extremities, bloating, or gas, try soothing with warm, one-pot meals made of bone broth, basmati rice, root vegetables, spices, sesame oil, and apple cider vinegar. If your symptoms are Pitta in nature, such as rashes, inflammation, or loose stools, try meals with cooked green vegetables, barley or quinoa, cilantro, and fennel. Kapha symptoms such as excess mucous, congested sinuses, or sluggish digestion may be soothed with warm, light meals with sautéed vegetables, cooked millet, and spices like ginger and black pepper.
Get a Better Complexion with Dermaplaning
Dermaplaning is an effective and painless exfoliating treatment using a special blade to gently and efficiently scrape off any dead skin cells on your skin. The buildup of dead skin and vellus hairs can make your complexion appear dull and flaky. Dermaplaning not only improves skin texture and tone, but it allows for greater penetration of skincare products and creates a flawless canvas for makeup. You can expect to see an instant improvement in your skin, while the long-term effects are increased cell turnover, fewer wrinkles and dark spots, and reduction of acne scarring. The results can last up to four weeks, so you will be glowing all month long!
Detox with Distilled Water
Did you know that even some of the purest water on the planet is teeming with impurities? Fresh mountain spring water, for instance, is sometimes chock-full of microorganisms and heavy metals. Your tap water – which you probably expect to be safe – is also often full of chemicals. Trying to detoxify your body using water that contains these types of impurities seems a little counterproductive, doesn’t it? Distilled water revitalizes your body by flushing out toxins and enabling your body to function as it should. Try it – you may be surprised at how much more “alive” you’ll feel after increasing your daily level of distilled water! WorldOfWater.ca
Acupuncture for Menstrual Pain
Menstrual pain, also called dysmenorrhea, comes in many shapes and forms, and that is because each and every one of us is unique. There are several ways to combat menstrual pain; however, many of these methods come with uncomfortable side effects. A proper diagnosis with a registered traditional Chinese medicine practitioner can help balance out hormones with acupuncture treatment. By treating the body’s chi, the hormones will naturally balance themselves out. In a recent Australian study, acupuncture was found to provide significant menstrual pain relief, and the relief was increased by more frequent acupuncture sessions.
Pets and the Holiday Season
Christmas is coming and so are dangers for your pets. Cats like to climb Christmas trees and chew on garland and tinsel, and that can damage their intestines. Dogs like all of the foods we like – including leftovers and raw foods, and that can give them pancreatitis, diarrhea, and vomiting. Pets only want your love and attention as a present – GIVE it to them. And don’t forget, if you have been putting off a dental cleaning for your pet, book it now so that holiday company isn’t “blown away” by your pet’s bad breath.
Are You a Gripper?
Three common non-optimal strategies for transferring loads through the low back, pelvis, and hips are butt-gripping, back-gripping, and chest-gripping. Butt-grippers subconsciously tighten their butt, either on one or both sides of their pelvis, all day. Back-grippers subconsciously lift their chest to correct their posture all day. Chest-grippers subconsciously squeeze their chest or upper abdomen in an attempt to flatten their lower abdomen. All three of these non-optimal strategies can result in pain and discomfort. A physiotherapist can determine whether you fall into one of these three categories and can recommend exercises to counteract and prevent the use of such strategies.
A Pain in the Neck?
Have you heard of tech neck or text neck? Posture is becoming a significant health concern in modern times. Seventy percent of people today have sitting-based jobs and the use of mobile devices is increasing every year. The net result is poor posture called anterior head carriage. This posture pushes the head forward (the equivalent weight of a bowling ball), causing strain on the soft tissues of the neck and upper back. Poor posture can damage muscles, ligaments, joints, and nerves, causing joint dysfunction and pain. Imagine what happens when you sit at a desk for eight hours a day, week after week!
Knee Replacements Outside of Hospitals
Total knee replacement is the most definitive treatment for advanced osteoarthritis. This procedure is typically done in a hospital setting, with 3-5 days of hospital stay. In recent years, it has become clear that healthy individuals can be discharged from the hospital on the day of their surgery, to safely and conveniently recover at home. Having surgery done at a medical centre provides a welcome alternative to hospitals. This can help reduce complications associated with hospitalization, and for many patients, the convenience and comfort of being at home with family is much preferred over the rustle and bustle of a busy surgical ward.
Lasers for Smoking Cessation?
Tobacco, in the form of cigarettes, is the most addictive drug in the world. It is true that one of the benefits of smoking is the brief relief of internal tension; unfortunately, within 20 minutes the tension is back stronger than before, demanding another fix. Low level laser (soft laser) therapy is safe, easy, and can be highly effective – well documented 85 to 94% success rate, when it comes to quitting smoking. It is also an affordable option, as it costs less than buying one month’s worth of cigarettes (for the average smoker). Low level laser therapy sessions take about an hour and doesn’t require any pills, patches, or gum to be effective.
