As people age, proper nutrition can become a challenge. For example, seniors may have smaller appetites, making it difficult to eat enough to ensure good nutrition. They may also have health conditions that change their sense of taste or smell, making some foods unappealing. In addition, seniors who once cooked big, healthy meals for family can find themselves uninspired by the thought of cooking for one or two. But good nutrition is important at every stage of life. Seniors should focus on eating a variety of foods, particularly fruits and vegetables, with some whole grains and protein to help ensure they are getting the nutrients they need.
Community News
Community Spotlight: Blossoms Senior Care
Locally owned and run, Blossoms Senior Care is a senior home care provider with over 35 years of experience. They offer a wide range of services for older adults who are no longer able to care for themselves and do not wish to leave their homes. Having the ability to stay at home lets individuals retain independence, pride, and self-esteem. Blossoms Senior Care has highly qualified and trained caregivers/healthcare aides who are ready to help you and your loved ones with a variety of daily activities such as companionship, housekeeping, meal planning, medication reminders, personal care, respite care and scheduling and attending doctors’ appointments.
The Science Behind Acupuncture
What does science have to say about acupuncture? In a 2012 publication of Jama/Internal Medicine, a meta-analysis of nearly 18,000 randomized patients provided the most robust evidence to date that acupuncture is a reasonable referral option for patients with chronic pain like non-specific back or neck pain, shoulder pain, chronic headache, musculoskeletal disorders, and osteoarthritis. Another study published in a 2013 issue of The Clinical Journal of Pain involving 1,139 patients showed that acupuncture may be more effective than medication for symptom improvement in lower back pain. Acupuncture is a safe and effective therapy when performed by a certified acupuncturist.
Smart in Everything but Reading?
Children who are considered bright underachievers often have vision problems that make reading difficult. Sometimes they’re described as auditory learners because they can remember things they’ve heard much faster and easier than anything they’ve read. A clear sign that a vision problem may be at the root of your child’s difficulties is poor performance on written or standardized tests. It may surprise you to learn that many children who have vision problems interfering with learning actually have 20/20 eyesight (with or without glasses). A Developmental Vision Evaluation is needed to determine if a vision problem is interfering with reading.
Vision Problems or ADD/ADHD?
Eye coordination and eye movement disorders have very similar symptoms to ADD/ADHD. When you have a child who has difficulty concentrating in school or at home, especially with reading or writing assignments, it is vital that you rule out the possibility that a vision problem may be contributing to your child’s difficulties, before you assume that it’s ADD/ADHD. Not all eye doctors test for vision problems that interfere with reading, learning, and paying attention. To find a doctor near you who provides this type of testing, visit the website for the College of Optometrists in Vision Development, www.covd.org.
Year-Round Eye Protection
Whether you wear contact lenses, glasses or neither, proper sun protection for your eyes is vital. The back of our eyes is made of very delicate tissues, which can be damaged by UV rays. Sun protection for your eyes is needed year-round and for all ages, from infants to the elderly. Be sure to get sunglasses to protect your eyes against UV exposure year-round, as protection isn’t needed only in summer. It is important to choose glasses that have 100% UVA and UVB protection, and there are a wide variety of sunglasses available which can be made in your prescription.
Why Get a Flu Shot?
Getting a flu shot is a great way to protect your health during flu season, so why not take advantage of free flu shots available from your healthcare provider? Flu vaccinations can help prevent many types of the influenza virus and are a safe way to keep yourself healthy in the fall and winter months. Each year, a new flu shot is provided that can help protect against that year’s most common flu viruses, so getting the flu shot annually is beneficial! Some other ways to protect yourself include washing your hands frequently and boosting your immune system.
Your Body is a Bank Account
Think of your body as a bank account. When you eat electron-rich alkaline food, you’re making a deposit in your account, maintaining and investing in your health, fitness, energy, vitality, and weight. When you eat proton-saturated acidic food, you’re making an energy withdrawal from your account. If you withdraw too much, your body will have trouble maintaining a positive balance (pH). When your account is completely depleted of electrons, you are dead. To keep a good balance, you need to limit your withdrawals and make plenty of deposits in the form of electron-rich alkaline food, good fats, and electron-rich water.
Do You Suffer From Hypertension?
Hypertension affects more than one in five Canadians. The Government of Canada states that it is the number one reason for taking medication. Unfortunately, many people have difficulty controlling their blood pressure even with conventional medical treatments. If the cause of your hypertension is due to plaque build-up in your arteries, very often it can be helped naturally. To determine if there is arterial narrowing and restricted blood flow, a simple, non-invasive test using digital pulsewave analysis can be performed. Depending on the results, specific nutritional formulations can be taken to open the arteries, thereby decreasing blood pressure.
FALL for Someone Special
The leaves changing colour and the crispness in the air can only mean one thing. It’s fall! Those carefree summer days of soaking up the sun turn to days that are meant for curling up with that special someone and getting cozy indoors. It’s a great time to look for love if you’re single, as the distractions that often come with summer activities have come and gone. Instead, fall is the time to focus on finding a connection. Most people, however, are unsure where to find love. Reach out to a professional Matchmaker. With a long cold winter ahead, you will be thankful that you did.
Alternative Help for Preventing Miscarriages
How can Traditional Chinese Medicine help with the prevention of a miscarriage? Within fertility research, acupuncture demonstrates beneficial hormonal responses with decreased miscarriage rates, raising the possibility that acupuncture may promote specific beneficial effects in early pregnancy. The combination of proper diet, meditation, and acupuncture helps promote circulation to the uterus, support healthy egg maturation, and ensure a healthy uterine lining, thereby enhancing your chances to sustain a healthy pregnancy. In addition, acupuncture assists the body in managing stress better and reduces anxiety, which can also help create a healthy environment for pregnancy.
