To be a smart eater, you need to take a more considered approach to what is on your plate. Some health advisors suggest Mindful Eating. This involves eating slowly without distraction and learning how to distinguish between actual hunger and non-hunger triggers. Since it takes roughly 20 minutes for the brain to get the message from your stomach that you are full, eating quickly means there is more chance of unnecessary food being consumed. Mindful eating is based on appreciating your food and understanding the link between how you consume it and how it contributes to your well-being.
Community News
Sleep Hygiene – Ending Insomnia
When insomnia is ongoing, try altering your sleep habits. There is ample clinical evidence supporting the effectiveness of a concept called Sleep Hygiene – recommendations that help with the specific aim of improving sleep quality. Even a few slight adjustments can help immensely. These can include having a bedtime routine and avoiding nicotine, caffeine and alcohol. Listen to soothing music, and schedule ‘worry’ time for the next day. Patients can phone Cerebra Health to get a sleep study sent directly to their home. The results are interpreted by a specialist at Cardio 1 Medical and the appropriate treatments are reviewed with each person one on one.
Ask Your Eye Doctor
Q: I’ve been wearing contact lenses for years. Now, they hurt every time I wear them. I think I have a bad batch. Should I ask for a refund? A: It would be wiser to get your eyes checked instead. If you have some contact lens-related inflammation in your eye, then it’s possible that every contact lens will feel bad. Your eye doctor will check for inflammation, infection, chemical sensitivity, and allergies, all of which require different treatments. This might be urgent too, since some of these problems can be very problematic for the health of your eyes.
Have a Smoke-Free 2022
Something about leaving an old year behind and looking ahead at the clean slate of a new one inspires most of us to try. We think about making lasting positive changes in our lives, and we do it with hope and enthusiasm. If you’re planning to start the new year without a cigarette in your hand, but have had no luck sticking with past New Year’s resolutions, consider laser therapy. Laser therapy can help to control cravings and withdrawal symptoms. In clinical studies, patients report a noticeable reduction in cravings, and have a higher chance of success in quitting.
Healthy Mouth, Healthy Life
We all want to be healthy, however many people disregard their oral cavity and teeth (whether real or false). The body is a holistic and interconnected system, one that can only function optimally if everything runs smoothly. Old or ill-fitting dentures can cause an array of health issues. From headaches, digestive problems, temporomandibular joint pain (TMJ), and hearing loss. Also social isolation may occur if you are unhappy with your smile because of missing teeth or old dentures. It’s imperative to see the right specialist for any health issues. When it comes to dentures see a denturist first.
Preventing Slips and Falls
Falls are more common among people over 65 years of age, so it’s especially important for seniors to take steps to reduce falls as much as possible. Making a few modifications in the home can prevent dangerous situations, such as slippery floors, poor lighting, loose rugs, electrical cords, and clutter. 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 falls risk? If so, think about the many ways to create a safer home: wear nonslip 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.
Clean Eating Recipe
Easy Red Lentil Soup. Ingredients: 2 tbsp olive oil. 2 carrots. 1 onion. 3 cloves garlic. 2 tsp each ground cumin & turmeric. 1/2 tsp each salt & pepper. 1/4 tsp cayenne. 1 pkg. 900 ml. vegetable broth. 1 cup dried red lentils. 1/4 cup chopped parsley. 3 tbsp. lemon juice. Directions: Heat oil in large saucepan. Cook carrots, onion, and garlic until starting to soften, 3 to 5 min. Stir in cumin, turmeric, salt, pepper, and cayenne. Cook 1 min. until fragrant. Stir in broth and lentils; bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low. Cover and cook 25 min. Stir in chopped parsley and lemon juice. Find more healthy recipes at Sobeys.com
Book Club
Set Boundaries, Find Peace:
A Guide to Reclaiming Yourself
By Nedra Glover Tawwab.
Healthy boundaries. We all know we should have them–in order to achieve work/life balance, cope with toxic people, and enjoy rewarding relationships with partners, friends, and family. But what do “healthy boundaries” really mean–and how can we successfully express our needs, say “no,” and be assertive without offending others? Licensed counselor, sought-after relationship expert, and one of the most influential therapists, Nedra Glover Tawwab demystifies this complex topic for today’s world. Set Boundaries, Find Peace presents simple-yet-powerful ways to establish healthy boundaries in all aspects of life.
Laughter is the Best Medicine
My Doctor told me I should cut more carbs. So, I bought a new pizza knife.
Hidden Gem Awaits at Lions Place
It’s a tall, unassuming, 18 story apartment building on Portage Avenue where countless commuters drive by it daily. It’s not far from the downtown core, and to most Winnipeggers the building labelled “Lions Place”, looks like any other 55+ residence.
Lions Place, under the Lions Housing Centres umbrella, has a unique and truly one-of-a-kind feature in their building, and you’ll find it tucked away in the back on the main floor, The Greenhouse, a little touch of nature that is also attached to a backyard garden for the resident’s enjoyment.
On any given day, if you wander through the space that boasts tall ceilings and plenty of natural light, there’s a very good chance you’ll find long-time resident Dorothy Wilk. Wilk moved into the building back in 2007, and it was because of this very amenity that she decided to call it home.
“Yes, the Greenhouse is what brought me here,” she laughs. “My son accidentally found this building, and thought yes, my mom would enjoy it here.”
Now, she’s not just enjoying it, Wilk has made it her “baby”.
She heads up a small group of volunteers and has taken it upon herself to make sure the space is attractive, clean, and of course full of foliage. Wilk oversees the buying of the plants, soil, fertilizers, and any supplies needed – all reimbursed, of course, by Lions Housing Centres.
After a new organizational structure was put in place in 2020, Lions Place has seen many improvements throughout the building – but the one Wilk is most happy about is the Greenhouse restoration project, where the renovations are now almost fully complete. A project that began this past summer now sees new cabinetry, flooring, lighting, and paint – the choice of colour an honour bestowed upon Wilk and a few other volunteers. It’s now given the space a new life after years of being overlooked by previous management.
“I was delighted because nothing had been done since I have been involved, which is approximately 15 years,” she muses, “other than what the volunteers had finished on their own.”
While she is never short of volunteers for the greenhouse, it’s the outside garden in the backyard that is a bit more work to recruit help. This area -slated for improvements of its’ own in the summer of 2022 – gets TLC from Lions Place maintenance staff who look after the outside plots, shrubbery, and weeds, all of course under a watchful eye from Wilk who has high standards. Nestled in amongst the shrubs is the Memory Garden, started by the residents in 2012. It’s a space devoted to friends who have passed away at Lions Place. Roses and lilies adorn the area, all courtesy of residents who provided the plants or the funds to honour them.
For Wilk, who turns 92 in February, there is nowhere else she’d rather be, and loves nothing more than taking the time to talk to residents and tour them around the greenhouse. She wouldn’t trade her work in the space for anything.
“It just makes me feel valued as a member of society, that I’m useful,” she smiles. “Doesn’t matter the age you are, you can always be useful.”
If you would like to donate to the Greenhouse restoration project, or the upcoming garden improvements please visit their website at www.lhc.ca.
– Michelle Lissel
Clean Homes and Safe Gatherings
December is a busy time for everyone, with activities like sports, shopping for the holidays and with the New Year soon approaching. Hosting family gatherings requires a lot of work and preparation, and cleaning is a big part of getting things ready for those events. Having cleaning professionals take care of getting your home sparkling clean and ready for your guests can help take some of the pressure off, so you can focus on other things. Keeping your guests safe and healthy is also important and high-touch disinfectant services can help keep your home bacteria and virus free so you can relax and enjoy the day!
