If you smoke and are looking to buy life insurance in Canada, you can expect to pay a much higher premium than a non-smoker does. On term policies, the premiums can be more than double, and on permanent plans, the difference in rates is less pronounced. The insurance definition of a smoker is a male or female who uses nicotine, including cigarettes, cigars, chewing tobacco, a nicotine patch, or nicotine gum. Remember that to qualify for preferred rates, the insurance company can look back up to 12 months. Rates can be up to double for smokers on term plans, but only about 25% higher on permanent plans.
Community News
Celebrate Aging!
We often hear the negative about seniors in our society, rather than celebrating them. Seniors offer wisdom and life experience integral to the fabric of a vibrant community. They contribute by shopping, using services (keeping people employed), and paying taxes. Seniors volunteer and make more charitable donations than any other age groups do. Many organizations could not function without them. Additionally, they help with babysitting and caregiving for spouses and friends, ultimately helping others to successfully “age in place”. Take the time to acknowledge the contributions made by seniors. By making our community more age-friendly, we can all play a role in inspiring more intergenerational understanding and connection.
Combining Medications
People often don’t think about over-the-counter (OTC) drugs when a health professional asks if they are taking any medications. OTC drugs can include things like pain relievers, allergy medications, and even herbal supplements. Mixing doctor-prescribed and OTC medications can present numerous problems related to dangerous drug interactions. Interactions can cause simple reactions such as rashes, or more serious reactions such as difficulty breathing or seizures. Certain ingredients in medications can also overlap, meaning the patient is ingesting more than the recommended amount of a certain ingredient. To prevent dangerous interactions between OTC and doctor-prescribed medications, tell your pharmacist or health professional about ALL drugs and natural products you are taking.
Do You Have a Valentine?
Do You Have a Valentine?
Are you single on Valentine’s Day? Although it is only a day, it is representative of where your love life is at. Finding yourself single can be very isolating in today’s couples’ oriented society. People often start out with online dating and become increasingly frustrated and disappointed with the games and lack of accountability. As a professional matchmaker with over 24 years of experience, I have facilitated thousands of successful love connections that are still going strong many years later. As a matter of fact, I just received a call from a couple I matched 22 years ago. They called to thank me and let me know I enabled them to live a life of love.
Book Club: The Natural Makeover Diet
We all want to look our best, feel attractive and be healthy. Energy and appearance are important at any age. And now achieving these results is possible without unsafe quick-fix diets, risky surgical procedures or other invasive measures. Whether you want to increase your energy levels; improve your skin, hair or nails; or lose weight, your true beauty will shine through when you achieve optimal wellness from the inside out. By following Dr. Joey’s four steps to inner health and outer beauty, you will quickly see and feel long-lasting results.
The Mindful Valentine
Valentine’s Day… a day for celebrating love (and chocolate). Mindful eating is a way of practicing self-care around food. Make conscious decisions that leave you feeling better after eating, not worse. How do you show love for yourself around food? Write yourself a letter and count the ways you love or could love yourself. Things like paying attention to what you’re eating, listening to your body, learning from times you eat too much, and being aware of the reason you are eating. Every day is a day for showing yourself love around food. This Valentine’s Day, celebrate how you nourish your body and spirit.
Clean Eating Recipe: Hot Chocolate
Store bought hot chocolate “packets” contain massive amounts of sugar and even hydrogenated oils (an unexpected, undesirable ingredient). You can serve this with whipped cream made of organic heavy cream with a little bit of stevia.
1/3 c full fat coconut milk (unsweetened)
2/3 c boiling water
1 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder
1 tsp vanilla
15 drops liquid stevia
(optional) 1-2 drops peppermint oil, whipped cream, or cocoa nibs
Boil water on the stove. Add in all remaining ingredients. Stir well. Let cool a little bit, serve and enjoy!
How Is Your Cardiovascular Health?
Did you know that you can have cardiovascular disease without experiencing any symptoms? Many people are not diagnosed until the condition worsens to the point where they have angina, stroke, or heart failure. That’s why it is important to start taking steps towards a healthy heart and arteries today. A good screening test for early signs of disease is Digital Pulsewave Analysis (DPA). This Health Canada approved, non-invasive method will show you how your cardiovascular system is working. This information can then be used to devise a specific program to improve your cardiovascular health before symptoms occur.
Get Your Mouth Checked!
An oral health exam is critical to the maintenance of your overall wellbeing. You should have your mouth checked at least once a year for prevention and treatment of any ailments. Even if you don’t have any live teeth, it’s important to make sure there are no signs of infections or early signs of cancer, growths, or cysts, and that your dentures are fitting you well. Leaving problems untreated usually leads to pain, periodontal disease, or tooth loss, and could make treatment more difficult, so it’s best to deal with problems early, or, if possible, prevent them.
Keep Your Hair During Chemotherapy
I am having chemotherapy; do I have to lose my hair? The simple answer is no. In many cases, scalp cooling can help you keep your hair. Scalp cooling has been around for over 50 years, and for the past 20 years, it has been widely used in Europe, where it is now the standard of care for the majority of cancer patients. Recently, the USA and most of the world have adopted the technology. It is also available across Canada. The success of scalp cooling depends on the type of chemotherapy, the dosage, and the individual patient. Ask your doctor if scalp cooling is right for you.
Teen Hearing Loss
Portable music players are great devices. But did you know they can produce sound loud enough to cause permanent hearing loss? Noise Induced Hearing Loss (NIHL) is steadily growing amongst young adults. NIHL results from loud and prolonged exposure to noise greater than 85 decibels. The damage is permanent, but often goes ignored because it is painless and occurs gradually over time, before people notice they are having hearing difficulties. Individual MP3 players, and the ones used by cell phones, can easily reach between 100 and 115 decibels. This means permanent damage to your hearing begins after only a few minutes. When using these devices, turn down the volume and protect your hearing.
