Community News
Profile: Harbour City Dental Hygiene

Harbour City Dental Hygiene, the first private dental hygiene practice in Nanaimo, has been operating since 2003. They are proud to provide exceptional preventive and therapeutic dental hygiene care for the whole family. What sets them apart is the quality of their staff, excellent, compassionate service and attention to detail. Dental Hygiene Practitioner Heather Cooper has a gentle touch and over 25 years of experience. Along with Meghan Suiker, Heather also provides mobile services for clients living in Long Term Care Facilities and First Nation communities. Their goal is to help clients maintain superior oral health while improving overall well-being.

Hailey’s Horoscope

On March 21, the New Moon in Aries arrives, with Aries being the first zodiac sign. Mixed with the New Moon energy, this makes for a very big opportunity for NEW BEGINNINGS. The potent Aries vibe gives you a chance to make those important personal changes in your life. It’s the perfect time to focus on your personal goals, all while being authentic, assertive, and confident. This is your opportunity to move forward in new beginnings towards your goals through experience and action!

Meditation for Mental Wellness

The benefits of sitting quietly and going within are profound. The deep state of rest produced by meditation triggers the brain to release neurotransmitters like dopamine, serotonin, oxytocin, and endorphins. These chemicals play many roles related to well-being, including increasing feelings of happiness, decreasing feelings of pain, and reducing the side effects of stress. Studies have found that meditation and mindfulness can decrease symptoms related to depression, anxiety, PTSD, and other mood-related disorders, without side-effects that might be experienced while taking medications. Meditation can play an important role in maintaining and improving your mental health and well-being safely and effectively.

Wealth & Well-Being

Questions for Your Financial Advisor. It’s important to meet with your financial advisor annually to ensure everything is on track. Here are some key questions to ask. 1) How have my portfolio and net worth performed? Ask about performance and influencing factors. 2) Are all of my goals still on track? If not, get an explanation and plan to address this. 3) Do I need to make any changes to my plan? Share any life or goal changes. 4) Is my plan making the most of tax strategies? 5) What should I concentrate on in the coming year? Get a clear plan of action.

The Dental Diet

Nutrition plays a major role in dental health, helping to ensure gums, teeth and tissue are healthy and free from tooth decay, gum disease and other issues. It’s important to eat a healthy, balanced diet for dental health, which includes enough protein, calcium, iron, zinc, phosphorus, folate, and omega-3 fats. Vitamins A, B, C, and D are also important, as are antioxidants. Some great things to include in your dental diet are probiotics from fermented foods, cranberries, soy products, CoQ10, echinacea, garlic, ginger, ginseng, arginine, and green tea. It’s best to avoid heavily processed foods, especially ones high in sugar.

Puzzles for a Strong Mind

Puzzling is a mental workout that stimulates both sides of the brain. Studies have shown that jigsaw puzzles can help improve visual-spatial reasoning, short-term memory, and problem-solving skills, as well as reduce the rate cognitive decline and dementia. Puzzling can also help improve your mood by boosting dopamine production. It also helps reinforce connections between brain cells, improving mental speed and thought processes. Engaging yourself in puzzle-making can serve as an exercise in mindfulness and help relieve stress. Puzzles are also a great way to exercise the small muscles in fingers and eyes, which is especially true for those with arthritis or who have experienced a stroke.

Ask The Expert

Q: I often see glowing rings around lights. Someone told me this isn’t normal, is that true?

A: Halos around lights are from haziness somewhere. If it’s not because of something in the atmosphere, then this may be from foggy or scratched spectacle lenses, old contact lenses, swollen corneas, or opacities within the eye, like cataracts. Time for a checkup!

Class IV Laser for Chronic Pain

Chronic Pain? Acute Injury and a lot of swelling? Try Class IV Deep Tissue Laser which kick starts your body’s own healing capacity 2-3 times! It’s clinically proven by the World Health Organization to reduce pain and restore function to tissues. Injuries need blood flow and circulation to heal and laser does just that. Common ailments that have proven successful are: muscle strains, tendon injuries such as rotator cuff tears, as well as joint sprains. Even acute swelling or bruises can be treated with laser to accelerate the healing process and decrease scar tissue formation!

Benefits of a Raindrop Massage

A Raindrop Massage uses essential oils to help with the realignment and detoxification of the spinal column. During a massage, the oils used on the feet and back help detox the body systems, improve emotional well-being, improve immune system functions and reduce stress and minor anxiety. Pure essential oils have the ability to enter our cell walls because they are from nature and their molecules are extremely tiny. One single drop of essential oil has 40 million trillion molecules. This means that they can reach a virus that lives inside our cells and provide health benefits on a cellular level.

Nutritional Needs for Seniors

As you age, your nutritional needs change, which is why it’s important to adjust your diet accordingly to improve the way you think and feel. Eating a diet that is high in fibre and rich in fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and legumes promotes a healthy digestive tract, prevents constipation and maintains healthy body weight. Antioxidant-rich foods, such as berries, cabbage, beans, and spinach help to fight against free radicals and boost immune function. Foods that are rich in omega-3 fatty acids such as fish, walnuts and flaxseeds help improve cognitive function. Following a well-balanced diet is crucial to leading a long, happy and healthy life.