The holiday season is exciting, but it can also be a stressful time for seniors. Busy family gatherings can be tiring, and the holidays can bring up feelings of anxiety, depression, and even grief. Seniors can make the holiday season less stressful by: 1) Making time for yourself. It may be tempting to accept every holiday invitation you get, but it’s important to leave yourself some downtime. 2) Letting family know what you need. If you have dietary restrictions, mobility needs, etc., be sure to talk to your loved ones. 3) Staying present and positive. Enjoy the little things.
Thai Massage and Acupressure
Thai massage combines stretching with acupressure. Acupressure applies the same principles as acupuncture to promote relaxation and wellness and to treat disease, but uses pressure with thumbs, elbows or knees instead of needles. Thai massage therapists use their fingers, palms, elbows or feet to apply pressure along pressure points and along ten energy channels called sen sib. The goal of acupressure is to restore health and balance to the body’s channels of energy and to regulate opposing forces of negative energy and positive energy.
What is Integrative Microscopy?
Integrative microscopy has been our most successful tool in health assessment for over 25 years and works by analyzing one drop of unprocessed blood under a high magnification microscope in real time. While conventional treatment provides invaluable quantitative measurement, integrative microscopy is a powerful tool that looks at nutritional and cellular health. Along with a physical assessment and symptomology review, integrative microscopy helps to identify underlying causes of health issues, such as digestive efficiency, infection, excess fat circulation, or immune function. An initial comprehensive appointment takes 1.5 hours and follow-up appointments take 1 hour of one-on-one patient-practitioner interaction to ensure your practitioner can develop a personalized and complete wellness plan for you.
Is Keto for Me?
If you are struggling with low energy, lack of confidence and extra weight on your body, the Keto lifestyle might be right for you! Doing Keto ‘The Right Way’ can be a powerful solution to many health issues and can take off those extra unwanted Covid pounds. Doing keto ‘The Right Way’ does not involve pills or powders, but simply focuses on administering whole foods the right way. It means eating the right amount of fat, protein, and carbs within your calorie count to help you reach your health and weight loss goals. Working with a Certified Keto Coach means simple solutions and a focused understanding of the Ketogenic lifestyle. There is no need for intense research or guesswork to reach your macro or calorie counts, as you can simply follow the plan that has been tailored to you!
I Would Love Voxx Socks for Christmas
Our father hated soft packages at Christmas time. We were not that fond of them either because they were usually socks. Socks are ranked number 2 on the list of things we DO NOT want to find under the tree. Today, anyone who works on their feet all day, the hiker and skier out in nature or the senior working hard to maintain their mobility would be thrilled to receive a pair of Voxx socks. Their benefits include enhanced pain relief and management, especially PDN pain, enhanced postural stability and balance, improved mobility and higher energy levels. Dad loved Voxx socks and wore them 24 hours per day.
How to Improve Your Memory
Internal strategies are things we ‘do inside our brain’ to remember things. This includes paying attention by focusing on what is being said and reducing any background distractions. Another method is organizing information in small chunks of five or six ‘bits’ of information together. Making visual pictures is an effective strategy to remember things. ‘A picture is worth 1,000 words.’ We remember pictures and images better than words. Thinking of a picture activates the right hemisphere of the brain; just thinking of a word uses mainly your left brain.
Community Profile: Gardens at Qualicum Beach
The Gardens at Qualicum Beach offers boutique retirement living in the picturesque beauty of Qualicum Beach in the heart of town with shopping, golfing, dining and beaches nearby. Unlimited access to scheduled life enrichment programs in recreation, leisure, social arts, entertainment and fitness allows you to participate in as much as you want or to take quiet time for yourself. Their resident-focused philosophy and personalized care and support, provides a loving, caring environment that help you feel at home. With three levels of care to choose from including Independent Living, Assisted Living and Residential Care, they can help you live a life of choice.
Holidays After a Loved One has Passed
The first holiday season after losing a loved one can be a very difficult time. It is important to acknowledge that things are going to be different and the holidays will never be the same as they once were. But they needn’t be endured alone. Hold your memories of loved ones close and connect with other people during these cold winter days. There will be opportunities to make the holidays meaningful; be open to the change and accept it for what it is – a new opportunity to create stronger family bonds and traditions.
Online Gambling Support
When the weather grows cooler, rainier, and drearier, we tend to retreat into our homes and apartments. The coronavirus seems to be gaining ground as we have now been hit with the second wave of Covid-19. As Christmas, Hanukkah and other seasonal holidays grow closer, online gambling becomes an attractive companion for the internet-savvy. When people gamble out of boredom, loneliness, or the desire to make money, the risks of gambling beyond their financial or temporal boundaries increase. If you or someone you love is struggling, please go to https://bit.ly/3nxYiFV directly. A Gambling Outreach Support worker will contact you within 24 hours.
Choosing a Mental Health Practitioner
Mental health practitioners in BC range in knowledge, expertise and experience. When seeking assistance, this range of ability can make it difficult to understand a practitioner’s level of competence. This is why regulation of this profession is so important. To better protect the public, a proposal has been put forward to BC government to form a regulatory body of Counselling Therapists. This is similar to how other provinces have done it. Meanwhile, when looking for assistance, it is important to research the mental health professionals. Discuss their level of education, experience, certifications/registrations and to what associations and/or colleges they belong.
Winter Falls
‘Tis the season for freezing temperatures and slippery conditions that can lead to falls, falls that can result in serious injuries. In addition to obvious hazardous environmental conditions, the winter months bring with them unique characteristics and combinations of conditions that contribute to a higher risk of falling. Hypothermia, vitamin D deficiencies, and bringing winter risks indoors is among them. Work to help prevent winter falls by wearing foot wear that provides a good grip, dressing warmly – try layering your clothes, talk to your doctor about vitamin D supplements, and clean up any puddles from any weather you’ve tracked inside your home.


