SAD stands for Seasonal Affected Disorder, which is mainly attributed to the reduction in sunlight hours in winter and is your body’s reaction to the changes in season. With SAD you might feel sluggish or moody, have a loss of appetite, and even lose interest in activities you normally love. One way to combat these feelings and the wintertime blues is to get your body moving! Exercise, even light exercise, has been shown to improve mood and energy through increased blood flow and the release of certain endorphins, as well as improve sleep and alertness, and reduce anxiety and stress.
Community News
Getting Enough Magnesium
Our diets are providing less magnesium than they used to. The composition of what we eat and the quality of our foods has drastically changed over the past hundred years, and this has made it difficult for even the most health-conscious Canadians to get enough magnesium.
Magnesium is involved in many processes throughout the body. Overstimulating these processes will result in an increase in our magnesium requirements. For instance, when we suffer from high stress, our body produces a hormone protein called cortisol. Producing and regulating this hormone means spending and excreting more magnesium. High-sugar diets also cause more magnesium to be used.
Medication: Take with Questions!
Medication mix-ups can and do happen. Asking questions is a powerful action that can improve medication safety. It’s easy for even the average person to lose track of what they are taking and how often they are taking it. Ask your pharmacist and other members of your healthcare team about your medications. Be sure to ask questions every time a new medication is prescribed, given, or purchased. And finally, ask questions in the hospital, at the pharmacy, and during healthcare appointments. Questions save lives; it’s safe to ask.
Keeping Cold & Flu Bugs at Bay
At this time of year, I’m sure you know it’s important to get rest, eat healthy, and exercise so your immune system can function at its highest potential. However, life gets busy and the next thing we know, we’re under the weather with a cold or flu bug. For moments like these a little help to fight those bugs can provide your body much needed welcome relief. Consider a high-quality cold-pressed oregano oil and black seed oil. Look for a combination with vitamins A & D added to give your immune system the best tools to beat the bugs and jumpstart your immune system!
FALLing in Love
Fall is a great time to find love! It’s the time of year where leaves change colour and the air turns crisp. Single people often want to find someone to call their own to cozy up with and enjoy the life with. Although it’s sad to see the end of the summer as the nights draw in, autumn can bring with it opportunities to find, develop and deepen our relationships. As with all of nature, the fewer hours of sunlight also engender in us a desire to slow down, get cozy and turn our focus homewards. We are more likely to want to spend time indoors with a partner in the evenings and this brings with it the chance for more intimacy through conversation, cuddling and working on home projects together. Winter activities as well as hibernation are much more satisfying when it is shared with love!
When You’re Missing Teeth
Missing teeth due to an accident, genetics, disease, and other reasons can cause patients to experience various problems. People’s confidence can decrease from having teeth missing from their smile because they feel more self-conscious and insecure. Missing teeth can also cause people to chew differently, which may mean they are not breaking up food properly. This can result in choking problems, digestive problems, and issues with their jaw. Infections can develop in those who are missing teeth if bacteria collect in those areas, and speech can also be negatively affected. The good news is that the right dentures can eliminate these problems.
Catching Your Breath
Because breathing is an involuntary action, we rarely pay attention to the process. But did you know that how you breathe impacts your health? Deep nasal breathing can reduce stress, help you fall asleep faster, aid toxin removal, and lower blood pressure to a greater extent than mouth breathing can.
And did you know that your nasal passage serves as a biological air filter, humidifier, and air conditioner to cool the brain? So the next time you’re catching your breath, try deep breathing through your nose and note how much better you feel while going about your day.
Ways to Enjoy Meals for One
Living alone can be a truly positive experience and planning quality meals is a great way to achieve this.
Treat Yourself:
Make your meal an event. Choose your favourite flowers, pick fresh herbs and play your favourite songs.
If you want to try some cuisine that you wouldn’t typically prepare yourself, consider getting takeout. Exotic ingredients that you won’t use beyond one recipe can quickly go to waste, which can make eating out the budget-friendly option and you don’t even have to do the dishes!
Hip/Knee Replacement…Trouble Walking?
When people have restrictions, physically or mentally, they may to entitled to apply for a tax credit through the federal and provincial government. There are different ways for which a person can be eligible for the disability tax credit (DTC). In all cases, the impairment must be prolonged. Also, the person must meet one of the following criteria: Is markedly restricted in at least one of the basic activities of daily living. Is significantly restricted in two or more or the basic activities of daily living (can include a vision impairment). Needs life-sustaining therapy.
Proper Office Posture
To prevent musculoskeletal injuries (MSIs), such as sprains and strains at work it is important to set up your work environment so that it fits you. Some common workplace items including the chair, keyboard, mouse, and monitor can have a big impact on your body position. If any of these are not properly adjusted, you could be at risk of injury. Follow these general tips to help set up an ergonomic work station: – The top of your monitor should be at or just below eye level. – Your keyboard should be centered in front of you. – Wrists should be flat and straight. – Your upper back should be fully supported. – Feet should be flat on the floor.
Probi-outed
Those probiotics that once helped you so much are not the long-term solution they have been marketed to be. As an intervention or a bridge from A to B, yes, they are great. Unfortunately what is less known about probiotics is that they only have a transient effect. They do not help rebuild your gut flora. Dietary changes, strategic supplementation and stress management are usually required to fully restore a functional environment in which your own micro-flora can replenish and rebalance itself. If you’ve been taking probitoics for years it’s time to rip off the bandaid and heal the imbalance that the probiotics have been sweeping under the rug.
