Self-care is key to good health and happiness. Its many benefits include lowering blood pressure, slows aging, improves sleep and provides effective ways to deal with stress. It will help you experience more energy, mental clarity and inner peace. It supports you both internally and externally to take back control of your life. Self-care was once considered selfish but not anymore. Studies show that it is essential for good health. Massage is fantastic for self-care because you can let go of the worries and burdens of life. Simple breathing exercises and meditation are other great options.
Tammy Phye, R.A., EOT, Lifestyle Harmony LifestyleHarmony.ca
Community News
Active Programs for the Whole Family
We hope that one of your healthy habits for 2018 includes being more active. If so, please take a moment this month to check out the City of Nanaimo Activity Guide which has programs for every family member starting in January. It is available online or pick up a copy at our recreation centres. From all of us here at Parks and Recreation, we wish you and your family a happy, healthy and active new year.
City of Nanaimo, Nanaimo.ca
What Diet to Choose?
In the 1830s Presbyterian minister Sylvester Graham touted a vegetarian diet that excluded spices, condiments and alcohol. There was the grapefruit diet of the 1930s, the cabbage-soup diet of the 1950s and at the turn of the 20th century, American President William Howard Taft adopted a diet of low fat, low calorie, after he got stuck in a White House bathtub! It also became fashionable to chew food until liquefied, sometimes up to 722 times before swallowing! In the 1960s housewife, and ‘Weight Watchers’ originator Jean Nidetch, began weekly support meetings after struggling with her cookie addiction. What most of these diets had in common was the idea that to lose weight you should eat fewer calories. However, this doesn’t account for the specific dietary needs of the dieter. Your best bet is to find a diet that works for you, not the diet that works for your neighbour!
Light the Weigh Wellness Centre, LightWeighWellness.com
A Neighbour Who Cares
We recently received a phone call at the office. The conversation went like this:
Caller: Do you have a service where you call seniors everyday?
Reply: Yes, we do it is called “Friendly Phones”.
Caller: What is the cost for this program?
Reply: It is a Free Service.
Caller: Can anyone get on the list?
Reply: Yes, you just have to come into our office.
Caller: I have an elderly neighbour, who lives alone and would benefit from having a Friendly Phone Call.
Reply: Great please come into the office. It is such a thoughtful and kind act to ensure that your elderly neighbour is safe and cared for.
Shortly thereafter, two men walked in to sign up. Do you know someone?
Sarah Davidge, SouthCowichanCommunityPolicing.ca
Fall Prevention Tips
Falls in the home are all too common. By making a few modifications to slippery floors, poor lighting, loose rugs, electrical cords and clutter, you can prevent dangerous situations. Visit each room in your home. Then look at the space objectively and ask: Is this safe? Are there objects or items that present a fall risk? If so, think about the many ways to create a safer home: wear non slip socks or slippers, use night lights in dark hallways, remove throw rugs, keep electrical cords safely hidden behind furniture and organize your projects so they are off the floor and out of walkways.
Denise Metcalfe, ED, ComoxValleyLifeline.com
Healthy Lifestyle Reboot
The Christmas season can be hard on our resolve to maintain a healthy lifestyle. We tend to overeat, indulge in sweets and drink a little more alcohol than normal. Let’s face it, the holidays puts a strain on us and our body’s natural ability to fight toxins. To help your body recover from the holidays, eat healthy foods loaded with antioxidants, phytochemicals and valuable nutrients. These will detox your system and help you feel refreshed for the start of a new year. You may also want to consider adding supplements. Your local health food store can help you chose the best ones for you.
Sherry Andrews, Owner, Essential Remedies, EssentialRemedies.ca
Teaching Gambling Sense to Children
Gambling in the 21st Century has become a sophisticated, and in some cases, a more subtle wagering activity. The Responsible & Problem Gambling Program and the Centre for Addictions Research have partnered to create lesson plans for the BC’s new K-12 curriculum. Teachings include themes such as: 1 Every human society appears to have accepted gambling in some form; 2 Gambling can be fun but can also lead to significant harm; 3 As humans, we need to learn how to manage gambling and; 4 We can learn how to control gambling by examining the different ways people have thought about it, engaging in critical self-reflection and listening to each other.
Karen Hlady, Community Engagement & Prevention Service Provider, BCResponsibleGambling.ca
Keep Your Home Healthy this Winter
“Close the door, you are letting in the cold air”. Our homes are built to be energy efficient and we diligently seal any cracks that may be allowing cold drafts into the house. Unfortunately, this also seals off our home from fresh air. In turn this increases the concentration of VOCs from the use of cleaning products, traditional air fresheners and scented personal products. To keep your air healthy, try unscented products, add certain indoor plants and open windows when seasonally possible. There are also a growing number of natural, scent-free air fresheners that absorb both odours and chemicals.
Book Club:
The Power of Moments: Why Certain Experiences Have Extraordinary Impact
by Chip Heath, Dan Heath
Many of the defining moments in our lives are the result of accident or luck—but why would we leave our most meaningful, memorable moments to chance when we can create them? The Power of Moments shows us how to be the author of richer experiences.
3-Ingredient Almond Butter Cookies
These flour-less almond butter cookies are SO good, and made with only 3 ingredients (1 cup almond butter, 6 Tbsp raw sugar, and 1 large egg)! Preheat the oven to 350°F and spray two nonstick baking sheets lightly with cooking spray. In a medium bowl, mix the almond butter, sugar, and egg until well combined. Spoon 1 level tablespoon of the mixture about 1 inch apart onto baking sheets. Flatten the mounds with the tines of a fork, making a crosshatch pattern on the cookies. Bake until golden around the edges, about 10 minutes.
SkinnyTaste.com
Comfort for the patient and the caregiver
I sat in the hallway playing music softly on guitar in between the birth and delivery unit and the special care nursery. Occasionally I stood up with the guitar and moved closer to one unit or the other, so that the nurse’s station was within earshot of the music, but not too close that I’d be at all in the way. I stayed for about an hour at a time, playing and singing. I was careful to create only a background soundscape that did not disturb the concentration of either the staff or the patients. One day the supervisor in the special care nursery invited me to come in; She explained that the music seemed to have a calming effect on the staff and on the parents of the preemies, which in turn was excellent for the preemies. When I returned to the hallway a little while later, staff from the birth and delivery unit mentioned that they’d missed hearing the music in my absence and wished to have it more often. They said that it made it easier and more pleasant for them to perform their tasks and they had found themselves humming quietly while they worked and smiling more than usual. Nejama Ferstman, MTA Certified Music Therapist, ShiriMusicTherapy.ca
