Community News
The Queen of Essential Oils

You may not have heard of Frankincense being referred to as “The King of Essential Oils,” but perhaps you can guess which one is called “The Queen.” If you said Lavender, you are correct! Lavender Angustifolia is commonly called English Lavender or True Lavender and has also been dubbed as The Universal Oil. Well known and loved for its calming effects, it may also provide symptomatic relief of burns, acne, boils, minor skin irritations, and cuts. It may also reduce the appearance of skin imperfections. Use in cooking to soften citrus flavors and add a flavorful twist to marinades, baked goods, and desserts. Add a few drops to a spray bottle with water to mist pillows, bedding, your linen closet or mattress. Rub a few drops on bottoms of feet, temples or add to bath water as part of your nightly routine.

Nelson Meggitt, OptimumWellnessFactor.ca

Health Benefits of Weight Loss

Research shows that if you lose at least 10% of your unhealthy body weight, the chances of your general health improving are enormous. Weight loss may improve survival in those who have an obesity related illness, especially Type 2 Diabetes. Even losing just 10% of your body weigh can decrease your blood sugar levels and can also prevent your chances of becoming diabetic, if weight loss is sustained. Weight loss helps all of your vital organs function properly, making what you once thought as a simple body process, such as breathing, a lot easier to do. People who suffer from obstructive sleep apnea can experience improved sleeping patterns and less daytime sleepiness. You can reduce your risk of heart disease, cancer, stroke, dementia, and more, just by losing 10%.

SuccessWeightLoss.ca

Ask The Expert

Q: Why are most spectacle lenses plastic now? Isn’t glass better?

A: Actually, plastic has some real advantages over glass. First off, plastic lenses are lighter. Plastic lenses are also less likely to shatter than glass and this makes them perfect for children and to use during sports and other physical activity. They are much safer; in fact the CSA removed certification for glass safety lenses in 1987. Optically, plastic lenses can be more easily coated and shaped to enhance the vision in many lens designs, especially progressives. Also, photochromic plastic lenses (transitions) function and look better than their photogrey glass counterparts. Plastic lenses are also better at shielding your eyes against harmful UV rays.

Dr. Alex Kennedy, Mosaic Vision Care, MosaicVisionCare.com

Psoriatic Arthritis: Supplemental Treatment

Approximately 14% of psoriasis sufferers (a chronic skin condition that causes red patches on the body) will develop psoriatic arthritis, a form of inflammatory arthritis. The symptoms of psoriatic arthritis range from mild involvement of the fingers and toes to burning, stiffness and pain in the lower spine and sacrum. When the joints of the toes and ankles are involved deformity may occur which results in pain when weight bearing and discomfort wearing footwear. Custom insoles (orthotics) and extra-depth footwear may offer improved foot comfort by relieving high-pressure areas on the soles of the feet and toes. In some cases, orthotics can be designed to correct joint alignment to reduce ligament strain. As well, there are shoe modifications that are available to improve shoe comfort or ease walking stress. Ask your doctor for a referral and make an appointment with a Pedorthist to see how orthotics and footwear can relieve your foot pain.

B.D. Mitchell Prosthetics and Orthotics, MitchellPandO.com

Massage Therapy for Carpal Tunnel Syndrome?

CTS is described as compression to the median nerve within the carpal tunnel. The carpal tunnel being the space between the carpal (wrist) bones and the transverse carpal ligament which lies beneath the skin on the inside of your wrist. The medial nerve shares this space with the tendons of the muscles that flex your wrist and fingers. Symptoms include numbness and tingling and/or a burning sensation in the thumb, index finger, middle finger, and half of the palm on the thumb side, and a loss of dexterity in that hand. Causes of CTS include injury with swelling of the wrist, overuse of the forearm muscles, and position of the wrist while sleeping. Massage therapy can be a great non-invasive way to treat CTS. Your massage therapist will help you to discover the reason for your CTS, provide appropriate hands-on treatment, provide you with instructions for self-care, and refer you to another practitioner if necessary.

Randi Noyes RMT, CourtenayMassageTherapy.com

Back Pain Recommendations

American College of Physicians List Acupuncture as Top Treatment for Back Pain

The American College of Physicians (ACP) released a new set of recommendations for people with acute and subacute back pain. If you have back pain you may want to avoid medication and move more, get acupuncture, massage, or manual therapy. We also recommend Egoscue, Dynamic Neuromuscular Stabilization (DNS) and QiGong. The ACP review lots of research looking at different over-the-counter medication all the way up to opioids. What they found was that medication didn’t really help. What we are seeing is that as research develops our job is to figure out which works best for the person sitting in front of us. For patients with chronic back pain – The ACP recommends initially no drug therapy but exercise, multidisciplinary rehabilitation with acupuncture, yoga, tai chi, and motor control exercise, contrast relaxation exercise, progress relaxation, biofeedback, low-level laser, cognitive behavior and manual therapy. Now, this is exactly what we have recommended for the past 25 years… Exercise, Acupuncture, Chinese herbal medicine, mindful stress reduction, Qigong, Osteopathic manual therapy plus Regenerative Injection Therapy.

Dr.Ross Ralph Dr.TCM, RAc. DOMP, Advance Neurofunctional Sports Performance Specialist
Courtenay Healing Centre
www.courtenayhealing.ca

Clean Eating: Blueberry Cottage Cheese Pancakes

Start your day (although nothing wrong with pancakes for supper!) with this protein boosted treat with blueberries to pack an antioxidant punch. Maximize nutrition by topping with a lightly sweetened greek yogurt and chopped nuts for more protein, fiber and omega-3 healthy fat:

1⅓ cup wholewheat flour

⅓ cup sugar

1½ tsp baking powder

½ tsp baking soda

½ tsp salt

2 large eggs

1 cup cottage cheese

¾ cup milk

2 tsp freshly grated lemon zest

1 tsp vanilla extract

2 cup blueberries

Whisk together dry ingredients. In a separate bowl whisk eggs, cottage cheese, milk, lemon zest and vanilla until well blended. Combine dry and wet ingredients and stir until just combined. Fold in blueberries. Cook 1/4 cup at a time in a lightly oiled skillet at medium heat until bottom is golden brown (3-4 minutes). Flip, cook the other side and enjoy! Adapted from EatingWell (Best Blueberry Pancakes eatingwell.com/recipe/248514/best-blueberry-pancakes).

Lisa Kehler, OffYourPlateNutrition.ca

Water Yourself to Grow Your Health

When it comes to healthy beverages, water has no equal. This tasteless, odorless thirst quencher is essential to your every physiological process and makes up approximately 45-80% of our body mass. Because we lose water as we age, it becomes increasingly important to stay hydrated, a task accomplished by both drinking and eating. Two-thirds of our body’s water volume is found within our cells, making them like mini water balloons. When adequately filled, they are effective in alleviating headaches, improving memory, flushing out toxins, regulating body temperature, hydrating skin, lubricating joints, and – importantly – reducing inflammation which is believed to be the root of nearly all illness and disease including mental illness. If you are looking for an evidence-based and cost-effective way to improve your physical and mental health, look no further: water is truly a life source.

Canadian Mental Health Association, www.mbwpg.cmha.ca

Clean Eating: Chocolate Avocado Pudding

Soft, creamy, sweet and chocolatey – this plant-based, gluten and dairy-free pudding will surely satisfy.

All you need is:

1 and a half ripe Avocados, peeled and pitted

1/3 cup of 100% pure cacao powder

1/3 cup pure maple syrup or honey

1/4 cup coconut milk

2 tsp vanilla essence

Place all ingredients in a blender or food processor and blend until smooth. Serve immediately, and enjoy!

Importance of Proper Denture Cleaning

As dentures age, they tend to collect microbes that may affect our overall health.  Micro-organisms harvested in the appliances may affect our lungs, liver and other organs leading to health complications. It is important to clean partial and complete dentures at home on a regular basis. Take out your appliance each night before going to bed and place it in a cleaning solution.  This will give your gums the chance to replenish and breathe again, maintaining proper blood circulation and overall health.   This is particularly important if your immune system is jeopardized or you’ve been on antibiotics for a long time. Be sure to visit your denture care centre for a professional cleaning and sterilization of your appliance every six months.

Ahmed A. Omar
nanaimodentureclinic.ca

Spring Cleanses – Naturally

Spring is just around the corner. This tends to get us thinking about “spring cleaning” whether it is home, career or our body. Traditionally, our ancestors did not have the choice or the convenience to go to the local store to purchase their food. Instead they were avid “Seasonal Eaters”, putting away food for the winter until nature would start providing once again in the spring. The availability of food corresponded exactly with what our bodies required to be healthy. Fall foods are rich in minerals and stable vitamins to sustain us throughout the winter. These include root vegetables, squash, seeds and wild game. Spring is when our bodies start to release the stores of nutrients and toxins from the dense foods and nature provides us with fresh greens to help detoxify our bodies naturally. Foods like dandelions, nettles and many succulents are natural liver cleansers.

Cheryl Prince RHN, LPN
cherylprince.com