Good eye health isn’t just about having the right prescription, but also about understanding your vision. That’s why, at Factory Optical, we take a comprehensive approach to testing ensuring the best possible outcomes for our patients. A full eye exam includes comprehensive vision testing to determine your current prescription for glasses, and a thorough eye health check including diagnostic tests for glaucoma, cataracts, and macular degeneration. Comprehensive exams also include digital retinal imaging to diagnose and monitor conditions of the retina and optic nerve (diabetic retinopathy, hypertensive retinopathy, glaucoma, and various other retinal diseases). Book your eye exam today!

“The more you understand yourself, the more silence there is, the healthier you are.” – Maxime Lagacé

May is a time for renewal and taking stock of all that we hold dearly. At Fit 4 Life we know that mental health is the one thing that each individual holds or should hold close to their priorities. There are times in this life that we can slip and the darkness can take over. Physical activities, exercise, and routines can break us from those times. All the programs and options for your lifestyle, that we offer, are for all ages and abilities. So, we challenge you to put your mental health first this month and contact us today for a FREE TRIAL, at 306-693-5239.

Bloating. Gut issues. Body pain. Skin problems. Poor sleep. Anxiety. Moodiness and irritability.

Any of that sound familiar?

If you experience any of these issues on a regular basis, it might be time to ditch gluten. Gluten proteins most commonly affect the gut, damaging the gut lining and impacting virtually all other body systems. Fortunately, embracing a simple, healthy, gluten-free lifestyle doesn’t have to be a struggle. Working with a dedicated Nutrition Coach can help you cut through the noise and provide you with a customized gluten-free nutrition plan that supports your health and allows your body to heal naturally.

Here are the 5 essential steps you need to take to start your gluten-free journey off on the right path.

Step 1: Understanding the Basics of Gluten

Gluten is a type of protein found in grains like wheat, barley, and rye (these are the “official” sources, but some amount of gluten is found in all grains, which is why we teach our clients that a grain-free diet is the safest way to go gluten-free).

Gluten-containing ingredients are included in most of the foods that make up our modern diet. In sensitive people, this protein damages the gut lining and creates the bloating and digestive upsets that we’re all-too familiar with. But gluten can impact all body systems and unleash a myriad of other unpleasant or downright miserable symptoms, including skin problems like eczema, psoriasis, or dermatitis herpetiformis, sleep disorders or insomnia, mood swings and anxiety, body aches or headaches, and inflammation (just to name a few).

While the gluten-free diet is certainly popular, it might not be right for everyone. Before deciding to break up with gluten, it’s important to understand your symptoms, check in with your healthcare professional, and make an informed decision about your health.

Step 2: Creating a Safe Kitchen

Having a gluten-safe kitchen is essential for your health and mental wellbeing. Getting rid of the gluten in your home creates a safe space where you don’t have to think about protecting yourself from accidental ingestion or cross-contact.

If you live alone (or have a supportive partner), then gluten-proofing your home is pretty easy:

• Step 1: Get rid of all gluten-containing foods and kitchen items that cannot be properly cleaned.
• Step 2: Restock your kitchen with gluten-free foods and a few new kitchenware items.

For those who cohabitate with gluten-eaters, keeping a safe kitchen requires more effort. It’s not fair to demand that everyone around you stop eating gluten, but it is important to talk to the people you live with and let them know what you need. Work together to create safe kitchen routines and procedures for cleaning up. Most importantly, organize your kitchen so that there is a designated space for gluten-free foods and purchase multiples of any kitchen items that can’t be properly cleaned.

Step 3: Understanding What to Eat

It’s important to remember that some versions of a gluten-free diet are healthier than others. While there are hundreds of gluten-free alternatives to the breads, pasta, cereal, snacks, and baked items we’re used to, these alternative versions contain added starch, sugar, fat, and salt to make them taste and feel like the gluten-containing originals they’re meant to replace. As a result, these products lack nutrients and are harmful to your body (and your waistline) if they’re consumed in excess.

It’s best to avoid relying on the gluten-free alternatives to modern convenience foods. Instead, opt for healthy whole foods like fresh fruits and vegetables, lean meats, poultry, fish, eggs, nuts and seeds, legumes, organic oils, honey, vinegar, and herbs/spices. These foods are naturally gluten-free and provide the nutrients essential for healing your body.

When in doubt, remember that foods should be:

• Real – if you can’t pronounce the ingredients, put it back on the shelf
• Non-GMO (always) and organic (when possible)
• Minimally processed or not processed at all
• Free from chemicals, hormones, and steroids
• Low in calories, high in nutrients

Step 4: Dealing with Detox

Within the first ten days of going gluten-free, many people report experiencing withdrawal or flu-like symptoms, such as headaches, body pain, fatigue, brain fog, sleep disturbances, or mood changes. Your risk of gluten detox, and the severity of your symptoms, depends on several factors, including how gluten proteins affect you and the symptoms of your gluten sensitivity.

Step 5: Supporting Gut Health

Gluten most commonly attacks the gut, so it’s important to support your gut and digestive tract with healing nutrients and gut-healthy foods.

Damage to the gut lining can disrupt the gut microbiome and destroy populations of “good” bacteria in the gut. In addition to a good probiotic formula you can support healthy gut bacteria with fermented foods, such as sauerkraut, kimchi, brined pickles, kombucha, and apple cider vinegar. These foods provide essential probiotics to help support your gut but should be accompanied by prebiotic-containing foods like garlic, onions, leek, asparagus, apples, and flaxseeds. These foods contain prebiotic fiber to feed the good bacteria and help them thrive.

Other ways to support gut health include drinking lots of water, eating a fiber-rich diet, avoiding hard to digest foods (like dairy, starchy foods, and legumes), practicing daily movement, reducing stress, and getting adequate sleep.

It’s also recommended that you work with a Holistic Nutritionist or Nutrition Coach who can help you determine which nutrients are most beneficial for your specific situation. Ideally, your coach will customize a nutrition and supplement program for you that can support your body where you need it most.

For more information, visit www.practicalwellnessteam.com/blog

Educating our youth on animal behaviour is a program we have developed at MJHS. Understanding the needs of our pets teaches children responsibility, empathy, and compassion for their furry friends. It is so important to know the signs of our pet’s behaviour, as this is key to keeping our children safe. These learning tools will create awesome pet parents and responsible pet owners in the future. For more information on this fun, interactive learning program, please call the shelter 306-692-1517.

When you hear the words “independent retirement living”, what comes to mind? Do you think of *tasty home-cooked meals, *five-star plated celebrations, *fun-filled activities with friends, *weekly housekeeping and linen service and *24/7 emergency care when needed? This is what retirement living can offer and more. Whether relaxing in the privacy of your individualized senior apartment or indulging the company of others in a main living room, patio side lounge or dining room, you can be sure that your retirement will be a pleasurable one. Retirement is a time to relax and enjoy being with friends. After all, friendships are gifts to be treasured!

Our day-to-day lives often involve activities that require us to venture out into public, whether it’s going to the bank, attending medical appointments, shopping, or spending time with friends and family. For those who experience mobility challenges, simple errands can be more difficult and less convenient, especially when having to rely on others for transport. Mobility scooters can help you or your loved one regain a sense of independence and control as errands become easier and access to more destinations becomes possible again. Regaining mobility and independence can simplify our daily tasks and offer us more choices.

Surface Curls are fantastic products that help you get frizz-free, curly hair, whether you’re looking for styled-smooth or curl-defined looks. The products include ingredients such as certified organic cocoa butter, babassu oil, and amaranth that melt into the hair, smoothing brittle and frizzy curls immediately. Cocoa butter is rich in vitamin K and provides hair with healthy elasticity and control, while omega 3 and 6 fatty acids moisturize. With product options such as a shampoo, a hair masque, a mousse leave-in conditioner, a cleansing cream, and an oil gel, you’re sure to find just the thing for your hair!