Community News
Matchmaking Testimonial

“I joined Camelot Introductions and found the love of my life! If it wasn’t for Lianne’s persistence, and her innate ability for matching people, then I would still be floundering. On-line dating was a waste of my time. Camelot was exactly what I was looking for – a professional service dedicated to matching people with similar interests and dreams. Getting married in November – I’ve never been happier! Thanks Lianne!”
~Brian. Camelot Introductions, CamelotIntroductions.com

Get a Better Sleep with Ganban-Yoku

For most people who are suffering from insomnia, the sympathetic nervous system is overly active when the body is trying to fall asleep at night – making it hard to fall asleep or resulting in poor sleep. Ganban-yoku (Japanese thermal therapy) can help improve quality of sleep by tuning the nervous system. The deep, gentle warmth during the session, uniquely keeps the body in the active state while relaxing the mind. This equally engages both sympathetic nervous system and parasympathetic nervous system instead of one of the two overly being active for over one hour. Having the nervous system function at this sweet spot for a prolonged time helps to ease the symptoms of insomnia. Some users were able to achieve good quality sleep for up to five days post session. Mieko Morisawa, Pocca Poca Spa, PoccaPocaSpa.com

Communication Tips for Dementia

1. Set a positive mood. Use warm facial expressions and tone of voice to help convey your message and show your feelings of affection.
2. Listen with your ears, eyes, and heart. Be patient in waiting for your loved one’s reply. Watch for nonverbal cues and respond appropriately.
3. Remember the good ol’ days. Reminiscing is a soothing activity. Many people with dementia may not remember what happened 30 minutes ago, but they can clearly recall their lives 30 years earlier.
4. Laugh a little or a lot! Use humour whenever possible. People with dementia tend to retain their social skills and are usually delighted to laugh along with you.
Alevtina (Alia) Tuhari, Reliable Home Care Agency Inc., ReliableHomeCare.ca

Don’t Be the Water Filter!

Disinfecting our drinking water for more than a century with chlorine ensured it was free of the microorganisms that can cause serious diseases, such as typhoid fever. To this day, chlorine remains the most commonly used drinking water disinfectant. However, chlorine has been shown to promote a generation of free radicals within the body. Drinking tap water has been linked to bladder, breast and bowel cancer; and long-term effects of drinking, bathing, and swimming in chlorinated water has been shown to cause malignant melanoma. According to Dr. Rona, M.D., chlorinated water destroys most of the intestinal flora–friendly bacteria that help not only with the digestion of food, but with the production of vitamins B12 and K. Chlorinated water has been shown to destroy vitamin E and polyunsaturated fatty acids. All of these factors have been shown to result in skin irritations, including eczema, acne, and rashes. TotalWaterCleaners.com

Get More From New Year’s Resolutions

If you’re planning to adopt a healthier lifestyle this year, know that no matter what type of stress-handling techniques you use, how well you eat, or how much exercise and sleep you get, to achieve your goals and get the most out of your efforts, your body must be functioning optimally. You could be eating healthy and exercising, but if your thyroid, adrenals, or digestive system are not working efficiently, you are not going to burn calories or build muscle. Options like specialized nutritional testing, biofeedback, and digital pulsewave analysis can help you get the information you need. Centre for Alternative Healing, AltHealing.ca

RAPID Adhesion Release Technique

RAPID Adhesion Release is a new soft tissue movement-based therapeutic technique that addresses the central nervous system’s role in releasing tension and restrictions within muscles, tendons, ligaments, fascia, and nerves. Over-used muscles from acute conditions (pulls, tears, collisions, etc.), accumulation of small tears (micro traumas), and not getting enough oxygen (hypoxia) can cause your body to produce tough, dense scar tissue, which binds up and ties down tissues that need to move freely. Muscles become shorter and weaker, tension on tendons causes tendonitis, and nerves can become trapped, causing reduced range of motion, loss of strength, and pain, as well as tingling, numbness, and weakness. Brent Konantz, Ortho., RMT LCSP C PED (C), HealthWest Prothotics, MyHealthWest.com

Financial Fitness

Many of us have multiple income streams from side businesses or part-time/seasonal jobs. It’s important that we track multiple income streams properly to ensure we don’t end up with a large bill at tax time. One way to do this is to use a spreadsheet that includes the following categories: Employer, Gross Income, Income Tax, CPP, EI, and Net Income for each stream of income. Total all streams so that you can calculate the total earnings, tax, CPP, and EI deducted so far. Then determine what the actual deductions should be based on the combined income. The Canada Revenue Agency has a Payroll Deductions online calculator that is useful for this (http://www.cra-arc.gc.ca/esrvc-srvce/tx/bsnss/pdoc-eng.html). A qualified accountant can also help with any questions you might have.
Brian Denysuik, CREDITAID.ca

No “Quick Fix” for Hearing Concerns

There’s more to hearing loss than just hearing aids. The growing market for over-the-counter amplification devices has concerned the Speech-Language and Audiology Canada (SAC) and Canadian Academy of Audiology (CAA) associations. According to these associations, hearing loss can be affected by a number of factors such as earwax, genetics, illness, medication, trauma, noise exposure, and age. Determining the underlying cause of one’s hearing loss through a complete hearing assessment should be the first step in your hearing healthcare. Purchasing an over-the-counter amplifier ignores the possibility that further medical assistance may be necessary. Don’t self-diagnose. If you have questions about your hearing, see a certified hearing specialist. Enhanced Hearing Centres, EnhancedHearingCentres.com

Leggings for Chronic Illness

If you live with a chronic illness that causes pain, sensitivity, bloating, swelling, or nausea, it’s not always possible to throw on a pair of jeans or slacks. Many types of pants are made with coarse material and have seams that can dig into your skin and waistbands that can press into your stomach.
Leggings and yoga pants can be tight and uncomfortable for some; however, for many others in the chronic illness community, they may be the only types of pants that are bearable some days. Finding the perfect pair of leggings involves the right material, length, shape, thickness, snugness, elasticity… it all depends on what feels best to you. Shelley Harcus, She’s Got Leggs, ShesGotLeggs.com

Brushing Your Pet’s Teeth

Pets need to be slowly introduced to the process of brushing their teeth, just like you’d introduce hygiene to your child, which can be challenging as well. Try getting your pet to lick toothpaste off of your finger. As they become comfortable with that, rub the paste on their gums. Again, when your pet accepts this, start introducing a toothbrush. As with any training process, it’s important to reward your pet for good behaviour. Some pets enjoy affection or rewards and praise, and other pets want the food reward. Being proactive about dental health can help save your pet from unnecessary pain and more serious complications. Jamie Hercun, Best West Pet Foods, BestWest.ca