Community News
Ask the Expert:

At what age should I bring in my child for their first eye exam? I recommend that children have their first eye exam by the age of three, and then annually after that. Approximately five to ten percent of preschoolers and 25 percent of school-aged children have vision problems, and early diagnosis is essential. Testing can be modified to fit your child’s learning level and attention span. Many parents think that if their child can see small details, like a plane in the sky, that there is no reason to have their child examined. However, clear vision does not indicate healthy eyes, and vision is more than what you can see. It includes how you see, how the eyes work together, and how the brain interprets the information. Manitoba Health covers annual eye exams for children under 19.

Dr Ashley Britton, Independent Optometrist, Linden Ridge Eye Care, LReyecare.ca

Nature’s Embrace

As we spend a third of our lives in bed, choosing the right mattress is one of our most important health decisions. Made with certified organic Dunlop latex, organic cotton and pure virgin wool, Nature’s Embrace mattresses may be the world’s most comfortable, supportive, and health promoting mattress, helping you achieve the mind, body and immune system restoring benefits of deep, uninterrupted sleep. With an industry leading 25 year warranty, Nature’s Embrace mattresses create a hypo-allergenic sleep sanctuary that naturally inhibits the dust mites and bacteria that can cause allergic reactions. The firm yet comfortable natural latex foam cradles and supports sore and tired muscles, helping to alleviate back pain, while reducing the pressure points that cause tossing and turning by up to 80% when compared to mattresses with memory foam or pocket coils.

Nathan Zassman, Aviva Natural Health Solutions, AvivaHealth.com

Bathing Made Easy

There’s nothing like a nice warm bath to relax both the body and mind, but for people with mobility challenges, an unassisted bath may be difficult to enjoy. Bath lifts are a great costeffective way to promote independence, which allows people the freedom to stay at home. Bath lifts ensure the safety of yourself and/or your loved one, and they are very user-friendly. Newly designed products are lightweight, portable, and easy to set up or install. Bath lifts are available in a multitude of types and styles, some of which are designed to be installed on the wall, floor, or ceiling, while others are portable, free-standing models that do not require installation. If you struggle to get up and down from the bottom of the bathtub, but you still long to enjoy the soothing benefits of soaking in a warm bath, a bath chair lift could be the right solution for you.

Renew Mobility, RenewMobility.ca

Nutrition from the Sea

The vegetables we consume today are vastly different from those grown 50 years ago. With the use of fertilizers, the exhaustion of most minerals from the soil cannot be prevented. However, minerals are still quite abundant in the ocean. Seaweed is a highly nutritious vegetable that’s often overlooked as a meal option. As dark, leafy veggies go, seaweed is about as nutrient-dense as it gets. Eat about a gram of seaweed and your daily iodine needs are taken care of. Seaweed packs high amounts of calcium and protein, as well as a good amount of vitamins B12 and A, and it’s a great source of fibre. But not just any old fibre. Seaweed is mostly soluble fibre; the kind that turns into a gel, slowing down the digestive process, thus inhibiting the absorption of sugars and cholesterol. Still don’t like the taste? Taking a seaweed pill can help with that!

ReVitamins of Charleswood, Twitter.com/ReVitamins

Detoxing Your Body

Pollutants from the environment – in the air, water and foods that we eat – as well as wastes produced from normal bodily processes, can accumulate within the body and lead to a state of congestion. To help maintain a healthy balance of assimilation and elimination, the Wild Rose D-Tox Program is uniquely designed to enhance all aspects of the metabolism. It is a proven 12-day cleansing program that follows a healthy and satisfying meal plan. Emphasis is placed on supporting the function of the liver, the small intestine and the bowel (large intestine) to promote proper digestion and elimination of toxins and wastes. The Wild Rose Herbal D-Tox program is simple to use. It has excellent benefits for both young and old, and it is enjoyed by both the novice and the experienced cleanser as a hearty diet can still be maintained.

Nathan Zassman, Aviva Natural Health Solutions, AvivaHealth.com/WildRose

New Treatment for Inflammation

Near Infrared Light Therapy is a new treatment for inflammation, wounds that don’t heal, and soft tissue injuries. People with arthritis, carpal tunnel, fibromyalgia, sports injuries, and even diabetic skin ulcers are experiencing incredible pain relief and healing with this technology. Different from standard laser therapy, this Health Canada licensed medical device can penetrate the skin 3-4 cm deep, stimulating healing at the cellular level. In doing so, it increases circulation, oxygenation, and tissue perfusion. These combined effects result in decreased inflammation and muscular pain, and increased wound healing, even for chronic conditions that do not respond well to other types of treatment. Near Infrared Tissue Stimulation, now available in Manitoba, is being used in Ontario to treat arthritis, shoulder injuries, back pain, tendonitis, knee pain, chronic foot wounds, and fungal infections. Improve your health and get some relief today with N.I.R. Therapy.

Centre For Alternative Healing, AltHealing.ca

2 Things to Thrive

In addition to the necessary essentials of food, shelter, and safety, we humans require two important qualities in order for us to thrive. First is a healthy attachment and connection to someone in our lives who is able to fully see, hear, honour and celebrate our being without us having to accomplish or do anything in return, just by being YOU! In addition, we also need to listen to our deepest gut, our authentic embodied self that shares our inner knowing and guides us to trust where we need to go. Most of us are required to choose one over the other in order to be accepted, liked or taken care of in life. Both are needed and required to be developed and treasured so we can fully thrive and soar in life the way we are meant to be.

D’Arcy Bruning-Haid, Souls-Journey.com

Children and Financial Health

Are you ready to give your kids “the talk”? Many families struggle to teach their children about money management and financial health. A parent is the primary source for a child’s financial education, but most are reluctant to give the “money talk”, as they fear their own personal financial situations make them a poor role model. To open a discussion about finance, allow children to be responsible for saving and spending their own money. A small allowance and piggy bank provide opportunities to start learning about long-term financial stability. Together, you can learn how to save for a goal, balance income and expenses, budget purchases, and learn about the effects of interest. It is never too late for parents to set a positive example and nurture positive financial techniques. Take the first step towards a healthier future for you and your family by seeking help from a financial advisor.

Thomas Johnson, Financial Advisor, Cascade Financial Group

Diabetic? Other Health Issues?

Contrary to what you have likely heard, diabetes is not caused by a family genetic history or being overweight. As damaging as diabetes is, it is simply a metabolic condition caused by lifestyle – mostly diet. Humans are not meant to be sick. There is no reason for type 2 diabetes or prediabetes to exist, aside from lifestyle causes. Resolving your diabetic issue is as simple, and as difficult, as correcting your diet. This dietary change is not ‘diabetes specific’. It is a return to the foods that our bodies expect. Eating a corrected diet for your body halts, reverses, eliminates, or prevents most health issues of the body or mind. T1 diabetics experience less dependence on insulin with fewer complications. Sound too good to be true? “It’s better to walk alone, than with a crowd going in the wrong direction.” ~ Diane Grant.

Tom White, EndDiabetesManitoba.ca, BecomeHEALTHY.ca

Detoxing Your Body

Pollutants from the environment – in the air, water and foods that we eat – as well as wastes produced from normal bodily processes, can accumulate within the body and lead to a state of congestion. To help maintain a healthy balance of assimilation and elimination, the Wild Rose D-Tox Program is uniquely designed to enhance all aspects of the metabolism. It is a proven 12-day cleansing program that follows a healthy and satisfying meal plan. Emphasis is placed on supporting the function of the liver, the small intestine and the bowel (large intestine) to promote proper digestion and elimination of toxins and wastes. The Wild Rose Herbal D-Tox program is simple to use. It has excellent benefits for both young and old, and it is enjoyed by both the novice and the experienced cleanser as a hearty diet can still be maintained.

Nathan Zassman, Aviva Natural Health Solutions, AvivaHealth.com/WildRose

Love Connection

In today’s fast-paced society finding love can be a difficult task. Technology often replaces human to human contact, and actual socialization has decreased. Many people have resorted to the Internet in attempts to find love. Virtual dating can be a very daunting task with terribly mixed results. There are wonderful, quality, single people, of all ages in Manitoba who are at a loss as to where find love. A Matchmaker is often the answer. Matchmaking is an age-old profession that historically has brought love into peoples’ lives for centuries. An experienced Matchmaker hand picks and presents individuals who have been screened and are suited to their clients often resulting in long lasting love. Placing your heart in the hands of a good Matchmaker should lead to an amazing love connection with someone who is right for you.

Lianne Tregobov, Camelot Introductions, camelotintroductions.com