When you die, where would you like your final resting place to be? With your partner? With your parents or children? Your answer may change based on your age and life stage. If you are like most, you have not yet made up your mind. This is a conversation that should take place sooner rather than later. If your plans have been made, you want to ensure that they are up-to-date. These days, many Canadians are moving farther away, living longer and changing family traditions. This reinforces the need to review and update your end-of-life plans every five-to-ten years or so, or when major life events happen.
Community News
World Hypertension Day
World Hypertension Day is Friday, May 17. It is an initiative of the World Hypertension League, an affiliate of the International Society of Hypertension. The purpose of the day is to raise awareness of hypertension and to prevent and control this silent killer. The theme for this this year is Know Your Numbers. Do you know yours? The “textbook” normal blood pressure is 120/80 mmHg. Optimal blood pressure can vary and is based on several factors including your cardiovascular risk and age. Speak to your health care professional to learn about your optimal blood pressure numbers.
Ask The Expert
Q: My husband insists he has good vision because of all the carrots he is fond of eating. Is there any truth to this?
A: Yes, but probably not in the way he thinks. People truly deficient in Vitamin A or beta-carotene (as found in carrots) can suffer from poor night vision, but this is a real rarity in our community. Beta-carotene supplements were, up to recently, recommended to reduce the risk of age-related macular degeneration. Unfortunately, increased beta-carotene supplement consumption can increase the risk of cancer in smokers. Lutein and Zeaxanthin are related, but safer, supplements.
The First Step to Lasting Change
The hardest part of journey is that first step. Motivating yourself to taking that evening walk or that early morning run when the bed or couch is calling is one of the most important things you can do for yourself (and for those you love). Why you ask? Well, inertia, yup inertia! Getting that body moving, taking a few more steps a day will pay off immensely. In fact, the benefits of 30 mins of walking pays off in decreasing the likelihood of getting a chronic illness by an average of 30%! So it really is small steps to sustainable change!
Physiotherapy and the Golf Swing
Golfers today place a greater emphasis on physical fitness than their predecessors. This has been reflected in sport performance but also plays a role in injury prevention. The Titleist Performance Institute (TPI) is an organization that studies the relationship between the human body and the golf swing. A golf specific movement screen is used by TPI certified professionals to assess body movements as they relate to the golf swing. A TPI physiotherapist takes the findings from a screen to develop an individualized treatment and exercise program which will help maximize efficiency and decrease stress on the body during the swing.
Kids in the Kitchen
Worried that your little ones don’t have enough variety in their diet? Here are some helpful tips to make meal times more enjoyable for everyone. Having children involved in the cooking process can be a good way to get your kids excited about foods, they are more likely to try a food that they had a hand in preparing. Children may need to be exposed to a new food up to fifteen times before they try it, give them time! Children also learn from watching others, sitting down and eating meals and snacks with them shows them that a variety of foods can be enjoyed.
New to Acupuncture? What to Expect..
During your first exam, your acupuncturist will spend time getting to know you and your health concerns. You may be asked a wide range of questions about your symptoms, eating, exercise, sleep habits, emotional state and anything that may offer insight into your health.
Your practitioner will also employ diagnostic tools that are unique to acupuncture and TCM such as tongue and pulse diagnosis.
You will receive a comprehensive diagnosis and a treatment plan that will explain your underlying imbalance, your time line of care and what types of treatment you will receive. Possible treatments may include using pins, using lasers, using AcuGraph, cupping, moxibustion, and ointments.
What is Ozone Therapy?
Ozonotherapy or Prolozone Therapy is the use of medical grade ozone, a highly reactive form of pure oxygen, to create a curative response in the body. The body has the potential to renew and regenerate itself. When it becomes sick it is because this potential has been blocked. The reactive properties of ozone stimulate the body to remove many of these impediments thus allowing the body to do what it does best – heal itself. Ozone speeds healing, detoxification and enhances brain function. It activates the immune system; it stimulates damaged joints and degenerative discs to regenerate and it can dramatically reduce or even eliminate many cases of chronic pain.
New in Your Community
Are you or a loved one looking for in-home health care services? Now serving Comox Valley, Bayshore HealthCare is one of Canada’s leading providers of home and community health care services. A proudly Canadian company since 1966, Bayshore HealthCare is dedicated to enhancing the quality of life, dignity and independence of all Canadians, by providing customized care plans and solutions that allow clients to remain in the comfort of their own home. With Bayshore, it’s all about living life, independently with the right care and support to meet your needs.
Micro-Needling for Beautiful Skin
Proper functioning of our skin cells is the foundation of healthy skin, and healthy skin is beautiful skin! As our outermost defence layer, our skin is susceptible to damage: scars caused by acne and burns, stretch marks, hyperpigmentation, and of course wrinkles and fine lines. Micro-needling reduces wrinkles, pore size, and acne scars by treating the root of this damage. During a treatment, special micro-needles are used to create thousands of micro lesions in the dermis, and this stimulates growth factors that induce collagen and elastin production in the skin, improving the function of the cells and thus the texture and appearance!
Physiotherapy After Cancer
One in eight women will be diagnosed with breast cancer in their life and will undergo treatment and surgery that can affect their mobility and strength. Physiotherapy is a useful intervention after any stage of diagnosis. If physiotherapy can be done before surgery or other treatments, this can help prepare the body for healing later on. When recovering from surgery, physiotherapy can assist with pain management, mobility, and strength, and can include exercises done at home. Physiotherapists can also recommend exercises that increase energy levels when going through treatments like chemotherapy. Think of physiotherapy as another way to heal and move on from cancer.
