Acupuncture has shown promising potential in addressing cognitive decline. By improving cerebral blood flow, it enhances oxygen delivery and reduces stress hormones like cortisol while increasing serotonin, dopamine, and acetylcholine—specifically linked to memory. Acupuncture also promotes cholinergic and dopaminergic neural transmission, facilitates neurotrophin signaling and nerve growth factor, and protects cerebral neurons from apoptosis and oxidative damage. Furthermore, it regulates glucose metabolism, suppresses acetylcholinesterase, and decreases levels of amyloid beta proteins in the brain regions associated with cognitive decline. Research suggests that combining acupuncture with drug therapy may be more beneficial for individuals with Alzheimer’s disease than drug therapy alone, highlighting its complementary role in Western medicine.
Community News
Avoid Summer Food Poisoning
Foodborne illness peaks in the summer, as more people are cooking outside without the safety controls of a kitchen. Symptoms of food poisoning typically include nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, abdominal pain, and fever. The severity and duration of symptoms vary depending on the type and amount of contaminated food ingested. Common causes of food poisoning include improper food handling, inadequate cooking, cross-contamination, and consuming expired or spoiled food. It is essential to practice good hygiene, proper food storage, thorough cooking, and regular handwashing to prevent foodborne illnesses. If food poisoning is suspected, seeking medical attention, staying hydrated, and resting are crucial for recovery and avoiding complications.
Supporting Your Quitter
If your friend or loved one is trying to quit smoking, there are many ways in which you can support them on their journey. Familiarize yourself with the reasons quitting can be so difficult by reading articles, brochures, and other information. Understand your own relationship with smoking and ensure you are celebrating their successes, being supportive, and avoiding being too critical. Be positive when the person you know who is quitting wants to talk about their goals, setbacks, and other aspects of the process. Helping to distract your friend or loved one, or helping them to de-stress, can also be a great way to offer support.
7 Days of Self-Care
Self-care refers to any activity we do purposefully to take care of ourselves mentally, physically, and emotionally. On July 24 each year, people celebrate Self-Care Day – but any time is a great time to start practicing self-care. Why not try seven days of self-care to create new, healthy habits? Day 1: Unplug from technology for the day. Day 2: Declutter your physical space and mind. Day 3: Nourish yourself with food, water, sleep, and exercise. Day 4: Create something with your hands. Day 5: Listen to your feelings. Day 6: Express yourself to others. Day 7: Explore something new!
Consistency and Caregiving
Consistency is important when it comes to caregiving for a variety of reasons, including: 1) Developing trust – Your loved one will see the same face each time and get to know their caregiver. 2) Facilitating communication – Good communication between family and caregivers is essential to doing what’s best for your loved one. 3) Reducing accidents – Avoiding medication mishaps, etc. 4) Being aware of health changes – Recognizing what’s normal and not normal for your loved one. 5) Preventing scheduling conflicts – Knowing you won’t have to step in unexpectedly. 6) Providing peace of mind – Helping everyone feel good about home care.
Disability Tax Credit: Combating Inflation
The Disability Tax Credit (DTC) is a valuable tool in mitigating the impacts of inflation and rising costs of living for individuals with disabilities. By accessing this credit, individuals can receive financial relief that helps them manage their daily expenses. The DTC provides tax breaks for eligible individuals with disabilities, recognizing the additional costs associated with their condition. It offers a means to offset the financial burden imposed by inflation and increasing living expenses, such as medical costs, adaptive equipment, and specialized care. By claiming the DTC, individuals can access much-needed financial support, ensuring their ability to maintain a decent quality of life despite economic challenges.
Benefits of a Removable Partial Denture
A removable partial denture (RPD) replaces one or more missing teeth. Your denturist will personally design an RPD to help limit movement (tipping and migrating) of your natural teeth. The design will also provide even contact between teeth to allow for better grinding/chewing of your food for easier digestion. Metal partials are preferred, as they are structurally superior, thinner, and more hygienic than an acrylic partial. By replacing any missing natural teeth with an RPD, a natural appearance and speech clarity is restored, along with the ability to chew more efficiently.
Let Us Help You Quit!
Are you finally ready to get rid of your cigarettes, for good? No matter what other programs you have tried and no matter how long you have smoked, all you need is a strong desire to quit. At Smartchoice Laser, we apply a low-level laser to your body’s natural energy flow points to stimulate the release of endorphins in the body. These same chemicals are raised artificially when you smoke. Laser treatment causes the body to feel effects similar to what you get when you smoke, relieving the physical withdrawal symptoms. For most people, physical cravings will be significantly reduced or completely eradicated.
Part 3:
Lived Experience, Inner Network Support, and Peer Support.
Friends and Family
Your family and friends can be your greatest allies in the path to recovery. There are a few ways to approach them when asking for support. Even if they do not understand what you are going through, they’ll most likely want to help in any way they can. The best way to guide them is to simply tell them what you need. People naturally want to give advice and problem solve but let them know that they can help by just listening to you. Ask them to be patient with you when you feel low because recovery takes time.
Friends and family can serve as vital support systems, and they can help you answer questions or find someone who can answer your questions on recovery. If you are under your family’s insurance plan, you can talk to them about finding a doctor, therapist, or psychiatrist that is covered by insurance in your area. If you are in school, you can talk to a guidance counselor about your concerns and see what options there are for help. For more information on how to ask your friends and family for help, go to mental health screening at www.mhanational.org.
Peer Support
An important contributor to recovery, peer support is a supportive relationship between people who have a lived experience in common. The peer support worker provides emotional and social support to others who share a common experience.
Peer support is typically provided through non-profit organizations.
Did you know that Mood Disorders Association of Manitoba (MDAM) offers several online and in-person peer support groups throughout Manitoba? Our current peer support groups include*:
VIRTUAL Peer Support Groups
Age 12 – 29 Disordered Eating | Mon 4:30 – 5:30 pm
Age 12 – 29 Youth Self-Esteem | Mon 5:30 – 6:30 pm
Power to Parent | Mon 6:30 – 8:00 pm
Mixed Peer Support | Mon 6:30 – 7:30 pm
Soul Sisters | Tue 10:00 – 11:00 am
Youth Peer Support | Tue 6:00 – 7:30 pm
Women’s Disordered Eating | Tue 6:30 – 7:30 pm
Letting Go | Tue 6:30 – 8:00 pm
Friends & Family | Tue 7:00 – 8:00 pm
Unloading Zone | Wed 6:00 – 7:30 pm
Men’s Peer Support | Wed 6:30 – 7:30 pm
Women’s Peer Support | Thu 12:00 – 1:00 pm
Men’s Exchange | Thu 1:30 – 3:00 pm
Baby Blues & Better Days | Thu 6:30 – 7:30 pm
Bipolar Peer Support | Thu 6:30 – 8:00 pm
Interlake-Eastman Peer Support | Fri 6:30 – 7:30 pm
Mixed Peer Support | Sat 11:00 – 12:00 pm
Postpartum Peer Support | Sat 9:00 – 10:00 am
IN-PERSON Peer Support Groups
Men’s Support | Mon 5:30 – 6:30 pm
Age 12 – 29 Disordered Eating (Brandon) | Mon 4:30 – 5:30 pm
Youth Self-Esteem (Brandon) | Mon 5:30 – 6:30 pm
Senior’s Tea & Tales | Tue 1:30 – 3:30 pm
Mixed Coffee & Chat | Tue 5:30 – 6:30 pm
Mixed Bipolar | Tue 6:30 – 7:30 pm
Self-Help Book Club (Winnipeg) | Wed 6:00 – 7:00 pm
Men’s Activity Club (Brandon) | Wed 1:30 – 3:30 pm
Senior’s Tea & Tales (Selkirk) | Thu 12:00 – 2:30 pm
Depression & Anxiety | Thu 6:30 – 7:30 pm
Women’s Support | Thu 6:45 – 7:45 pm For more information and the most current listing of our peer support groups, please visit our website at: https://www.mooddisordersmanitoba.ca/services. Mood Disorders Association of Manitoba is committed to advocating for and supporting those with mental health issues.Donate Online: Memoriam and Tribute Donations
Donate In-person: 100-4 Fort Street, Winnipeg. MDAM SUPPORT LINES
Peer Support: 204-560-1461 • Toll-Free: 1-800-263-1460
Preventing Lyme Disease
There are several kinds of ticks crawling around Manitoba, including the Deer Tick which is responsible for transmitting Lyme Disease. Avoiding tick bites is the best way to prevent this. Here’s how you can keep yourself bite-free when spending time outdoors: 1) Wear closed-toe shoes, long sleeves, and pants. 2) Walk on pathways, staying clear of heavily wooded areas. 3) Use bug spray with DEET or picaridin. 4) After being outside, check yourself, children, gear, and pets for ticks, bathe, and put all clothes worn outdoors into a dryer for 10-20 minutes. If you find an embedded tick, gently remove it using tweezers by pulling close to the skin, avoiding squeezing the tick.
End the Self-Sabotage
Did you know your unconscious mind could be keeping you from having what you truly want in your life, and could even be sabotaging your best efforts? Most of us don’t realize that we make commitments to ourselves other than the ones we’re consciously aware of. These unconscious commitments fuel your thoughts and behaviours, and create your reality. They are what creates the gap between what you say you want and what you are actually experiencing. For example, when you were young, you experienced a difficult situation and didn’t know how to process it. You made a decision (consciously or unconsciously) to make it mean something about you or the world around you. This formed a belief as a coping mechanism and your mind believed it was necessary for survival. Maybe it’s “I’ll stay quiet so I won’t seem stupid” or “Good girls do what they’re told”. Even though these beliefs and decisions are old, they have stuck with you, been reinforced over time and prevent you from having the things you truly desire. Ready to expose and erase those unconscious commitments and choose new ones? This is the powerful work we do in the Shine True programs.
Lesley Steppler RHN, BSW, RSW | Shine True Wellness
