Community News
Caregiver Pharmacy Support

It can be difficult to be a caregiver and manage multiple or complex medications for a loved one. It is important to ensure medications are taken appropriately to help maintain good health. A visiting pharmacist provides personal support with regular medication delivery and home consultations. The pharmacist reviews a client’s prescription drugs and over the counter medications to advise if there are any drug interactions, and makes adjustments as necessary. This level of support can reduce emergency room visits and hospital stays, and results in strong, trusting relationships between clients, caregivers, and pharmacists. The visiting pharmacist also provides seamless care for hospital discharge patients and works closely with other health professionals to deliver a high level of care to the client. Care is tailored to specific individual needs such as assisting with blood pressure readings, adding medications as needed to adherence packaging, and making changes in an efficient manner.

Teresa Giesbrecht
CareAtHomePharmacy.ca

Tune-Up Your Brain!

Your brain is the engine that drives you – so it’s important to keep it well-tuned. Fat – or lipid – consumption is essential for the healthy growth, development, and function of your brain. In fact, 60% of your brain’s dry weight is fat. Several types of plant and animal fats are used for brain-building material, though one lipid reigns supreme: omega-3 fatty acids derived from salmon, sardines, krill oil, and plant-based Ahiflower oil. There are many benefits of omega-3: it increases cognitive functioning and decreases symptoms of depression, anxiety and aggression. It is also shown to be a protective factor against cognitive decline and dementia in older adults; and it is an essential component of a healthy diet for pregnant women, leading to better health outcomes in newborns. Consider adding omega-3s to your diet as an evidence-based way to tune-up your brain for optimal mental health.

Sean Miller, CMHA Manitoba and Winnipeg

mbwpg.cmha.ca

Book Club: Why Can’t I get Better?

Solving the Mystery of Lyme and Chronic Disease by Dr. Richard Horowitz. Looks at pain, fatigue, memory and concentration problems, sleep disorders, and much more. Lyme disease and its related conditions are incredibly complicated. You can take the questionnaire yourself, and start doing your own detective work with this book as your guide.

LymeDisease.org

Allergy Relief with NAET®

NAET® was discovered by Dr. Devi S. Nambudripad in November of 1983. Nambudripad’s Allergy Elimination Techniques, also known as NAET, are non-invasive, drugfree, natural solutions to alleviate allergies of all types using a blend of selective energy balancing, testing, and treatment procedures. The variety of techniques applied includes acupuncture/acupressure, chiropractic, nutritional, and kinesiological disciplines of medicine. We know that many symptoms, such as headaches, backache, joint pain, indigestion, or cough, are often triggered by food and environmental sensitivities. If left untreated, these reactions might eventually cause illness. This therapy often alleviates adverse reactions to eggs, milk, peanuts, penicillin, aspirin, mushrooms, shellfish, latex, grass, ragweed, and flowers. In addition, people who suffer from allergens such as perfume, animal dander, animal epithelial, makeup, chemicals, cigarette smoke, pathogens, heat, cold, and other environmental substances also find relief. Reference: www.naet.com.

Dr. Maria Sabrina DiBernardo, Village Chiropractic Centre

Find Calm in Chaos

A great teacher once told us that a meditation practice is like weaving a parachute. Eventually, you will need it, and you don’t want to have to learn to weave on your way down. We take comfort in thinking we have control over most aspects of our lives, and in many cases, we do. But when something out of our control happens, it can send us on a downward spiral. Meditation is like parachute weaving, and floating helps you meditate with ease. We get it. Meditation can be difficult. You might even think meditation is boring. But we like to think, if you can’t spend 90 minutes with yourself, who else is going to want to? This is the reason self-care is such an important pillar of wellness. Because the only thing we truly have control over is ourselves. If you can find the calm, you can control the chaos. Brad Dauk, Floatcalm.com

Brad Dauk, Floatcalm.com

Grab Bars for Safety                                                                                                 

Whether it’s in the kitchen, bathroom, bedroom, entranceways, or near the stairs, safety grab bars are a benefit to any home or office. They provide safety in areas like the bathroom and around stairs, where a majority of slips and falls occur. Safety grab bars can also be used for assistance when getting in and out of bed, or up and down from a chair or sofa. As we age, moving around can become more difficult. Grab bars are a great way to provide security within your home or office, while maintaining and promoting independence. Safety is a concern for every home and business owner, and safety grab bars are an efficient first step towards a safer home and work environment. If you are considering placing safety bars, always do your research, as there are many makes and models to fit a range of specific needs.

Renew Mobility, RenewMobility.ca

Happy Pride, Winnipeg!

Many people wonder why Pride still happens around the world now that same-sex marriage is legal. Although same-sex marriage is legal in Canada, many places in the world are incarcerating and even sending people to death camps for their perceived sexual preference. This is unimaginable to Canadians. Pride is about celebrating our freedom and the love we share as humans, and trying to create a safe world for present and future generations. It’s a time to celebrate who we are and how far we’ve come in society, and the people who have taken those courageous steps to help us get to where we are today. Whether you are a member of the LGBTTQQIAAP community or not, we currently live in a country where we have the freedom, and for the most part the safety, to be ourselves. There is great PRIDE in that.

Heather Cameron, LiberatedConnections.com

Massage for Restoration

Huna Kane is a restorative body massage with a rocking action. “Pain is information” is the premise that applies to Huna Kane. Negative thoughts and emotional trauma, when repressed, cause body pain, burnout, and disease, which can be resolved and healed. The tight masses of constricted tissue are actually the body’s way of telling its owner what is emotionally out of balance so the person can make the necessary changes. Huna Kane incorporates all types of massage, many forms of polarity, and shiatsu to clear the auras and chakras. It is a passive way to release the body of old baggage. The massage relaxes painful spots in the body as the person breathes deeply. Love for self and others is reinforced, thereby releasing the fears that constrict life, detoxifying the body, activating the body’s immune system, and increasing the life force (mana) available.

Monique L. Dorge BHEc, BEd., mmlConsulting.ca

Changes Bring About Transformation

Sometimes life brings us changes we don’t see coming…illness, death, a job loss. It can change our lives in an instant. It shocks us by closing the door to the old familiar pathways and forces us to lighten and release old patterns and coping ways we’ve grown accustomed to that no longer work. These are the times that grow our soul and expand our patience levels to new heights. It invites us to release deep fear, grief, disappointment, and hurt that holds us stuck, and begins to free things up in our lives. It forces us to look at the old stories we tell ourselves about not being able to do it, deserve it, or receive it, and slowly welcomes in a new path that begins to transform and heal old wounds and bring new gifts and learnings we didn’t even know were possible!

D’Arcy Bruning-Haid, Souls-Journey.com

Focus on Bettering Health

Focus can play an important role in success or victory. This principle applies to all areas, including exams, businesses, and athletics. How can we improve focus? First, by improving the quality of sleep. Without sound sleep, you cannot focus enough. Getting less sleep to study longer does not mean you will get better grades. Secondly, by taking nutrients for better focus. About two years ago, the Jets were defeated by the Ducks by 4-0 in the playoff first round. I thought the Jets could have won at least a game with nutritional supplements. Californians tend to take more nutritional supplements than Winnipeggers do. It may just be a wild guess, but a scientifically feasible one. The change caused by a nutritional supplement is small, but the small change can make a big difference. It can be a game changer or a life changer.

Yong Han Lee, Re-Vitamins of Charleswood, Facebook.com/revitamins

Fireworks Safety and Dogs

Fireworks can be fun for humans, and with all of the coming summer weekends, they are inevitable. Dogs don’t always hold the same enthusiasm, however. Here are some tips for helping your dog cope with fireworks season. Make sure your dog is wearing identification or has a microchip in case they run away. Keep your dog indoors during the fireworks, as far away as possible from the noise. Place a thick blanket over their kennel to help muffle the sounds. Make sure the kennel is in an area where they will not overheat. Make sure your dog is tired by nighttime when the fireworks begin. Lots of exercise may be necessary during the day. Give your dog something yummy to chew on in their kennel, such as a Kong toy filled with goodies.

Lisa Tustin, Professional Pet Services