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 helps 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.
Strategies to Manage Stress
Awareness and management of personal stress is very important as we continue to navigate through the COVID-19 pandemic. Here are the symptoms and tips to help reduce your stress level for two common stresses. Physical Stress -Symptoms may include feeling tired, headache, neck & shoulder tightness and stomach pain. Exercising at home 3–5 times per week for at least 30 minutes can reduce stress and anxiety, and improve our mood and overall health. Mental Stress – symptoms may include decrease in concentration and in short-term trouble making decisions, overthinking or going blank. Prioritizing ‘timeout’ breaks can help with maintaining mental function balance.
Getting Online
About 71 percent of seniors are online every day. Of those who are online, their main reason is to stay connected with family and friends. Whether it’s joining forums or sharing photos and stories with loved ones, social media and email allows seniors with limited mobility the opportunity to interact with others. If you’re interested in getting online but don’t know where to start, community centres and local senior groups often have programs to teach seniors about the internet and how to participate in online communities. Spending time with others benefits our mental and emotional health. It is important as we age to continue to stay socially connected to friends and loved ones.
Food Allergy Testing
If you experience fatigue, brain fog, poor concentration, muscle cramps, IBS, inflammation, allergies, anxiety, depression, food sensitivities – Vega Testing might be a good option for you. Vega Testing works with an electrodermal device that is designed to use the acupuncture points in the hand to find any imbalances in the body. When referring to being in balance, the body transmits a vibration unique to each person and resonates it, everything is in harmony. If there is an imbalance, this vibration will show a change and the Vega device determines the area in the body that needs support to help find balance again.
Vitamin D, COVID & Red Light Therapy!
We get Vitamin D from the sun. Our average outdoor time is 7%! Not enough time to get sunshine vital for regulating calcium and phosphorus absorption and facilitating normal immune system function (COVID & more). Also, we are advised to avoid the sun at all costs because of skin damage and cancers. Add living north of the 45th parallel where it’s physically impossible to get enough sunlight, what to do? Twenty minutes of red light therapy synthesizes the all-important vitamin D. The treatment is non-invasive and painless, it is completely safe to use. Studies show overwhelming support its effectiveness.
Tight Skin is Always In
As we get older, our bodies start to produce less collagen and store more fat—this is what eventually leads to wrinkles, sagging, cellulite and other signs of aging. Body shaping treatments using radio frequency technology naturally boost collagen production and break down fat cells, which diminishes fine lines and wrinkles, tightens sagging skin, smoothens out cellulite, and makes the body look slimmer, sculpted, and more toned. Radio frequency is proven safe and effective for all skin tones. It can be done throughout the summer and you can return to your daily activities immediately afterward.
Business Spotlight: Solbrü
Whether you’re alcohol-free for the moment or done with alcohol completely, we’re honored to be your guide. Solbrü is building a community of like-minded people who support each other. We’ve crafted our nourishing elixirs to infuse your body, mind, and spirit with a potent blend of functional mushrooms and herbs that can elevate your mood, restore peak performance, and inspire connection. Together we can reduce the stigma of addiction through advocacy and innovation. So whether you’re “Sober Curious” or “Sober Serious,” I want Solbrü elixirs to help guide you back to health and achieve a deeper, more fulfilling life.
New in Comox: Get Fit in 30
Located in the Comox Mall and owned by Darcelle Hartling, Get Fit in 30 (formerly Curves) has something to offer every woman. The low impact exercise is a proven formula for a huge range of women; add circuit strength training to the mix and you have a well-balanced multi-muscle group workout! The equipment here are resistance-based and give your muscle groups a workout in both directions. The circuit is 30 seconds on a machine, then 30 seconds cardio on a mat. It’s a quick and easy format that is done in under 30 minutes!
The Sandwich Generation
Are you a caregiver to your children and your aging parents? If so, you’re part of the “sandwich generation,” a group of adults who are “sandwiched” between caregiving responsibilities for their young and elderly loved ones. This generation of caregivers has its own unique stresses and challenges, spending on average about three hours per day on unpaid care while also working full-time. These challenges can take a toll on this group’s health, finances, and emotions. Thankfully, home care agencies can help relieve some of the stress by providing quality care for senior loved ones in their own homes.
Whispers
Injury and symptom aggravation often follow ‘too much’. This ‘too much’ happens when we push ourselves past the bandwidth or endurance that our body has for the activity at hand. The good news is our bodies do start to tell us as we approach this line – we just need to learn to recognize these signals. It may be a slight buildup of tension, or a small and innocent ‘twinge’… Ignore the whispers and we wind up paying for it – Sometimes in a big way. Not sure what to watch for? I can help.
Retirement Community Living
With all of the fears about Covid-19, people are struggling to make a decision about moving into a retirement community. It is reassuring to know about the extra cleaning, extra staff, adherence to wearing masks and social distancing rules. Yet it is the fear of the unknown that makes it hard to make a decision. What will happen when I move in? Can I leave? Can I see loved ones? May I have visitors? How are concerns handled? Reach out to the communities, ask your questions so that you can rest assured that you have all the facts to able to make an informed decision.


