Sitting outside at a coffee shop, relaxing on the deck and visiting beaches are all sure signs that summer is here. With summer come warmer temps and a need to stay hydrated. Watermelons are 92% water and packed with health boosting benefits like electrolytes, vitamins, and antioxidant-rich lycopene making it the ideal replenisher. Creating moments in how we spend our time connecting with self comes down to choices. Choosing a seedless melon means more time enjoying each mouthful and less time dealing with pesky seeds – an empowering, comfort-increasing choice. Cheers to warmer temps and hydrating your wellness this summer!
Community News
Travel Tip: Cindy Knows Travel
Traveling, for most, is an exciting and enlightening activity filled with rich experiences and a plethora of surprises. But it can also present challenges, especially in the context of maintaining one’s wellness routine. I recently had the opportunity to travel to Marrakesh, Morocco—a totally outside-the-box trip that I was equal parts excited and nervous about. Morocco, as a whole, has never been at the top of my bucket list. Keeping up with my healthy habits is relatively easy when I’m in, say, Costa Rica or the Virgin Islands, but Morocco presented new challenges. Here are five things you should know when travelling to a country like Morocco: 1. Pack healthy snacks. 2. Download a few meditations. 3. Indulge in a spa treatment. 4. Hydrate all the time. 5. Be flexible and kind to yourself.
Wilderness Edge for Wellness
Getting away from your daily stresses and focusing on your personal wellness is important, and Wilderness Edge Retreat and Conference Centre offers an easy and affordable way to do just that. Located just one hour from Winnipeg in beautiful Pinawa, Manitoba inside Whiteshell Provincial Park, Wilderness Edge hosts a variety of retreats for people of all ages and specializes in hosting groups. Experience the sights, sounds, and smells of the great outdoors as you reconnect with nature, get active with our many recreational offerings, and explore your inner world through quiet time and creative pursuits.
Staying Social as a Senior
As we get older, health conditions, mobility limitations or a lack of energy can keep us from being as socially active as we once were. A diminishing social life might happen gradually as close friends experience the same conditions and family members grow busy. We may not even notice how long it has been since we last spent time with a friend! Isolation has many physical and emotional health risks. Especially if you live by yourself, staying socially active is critical to enjoying a healthy lifestyle. Volunteer at a local organization, join a senior living community or find a group that focuses on similar interests (e.g., knitting, walking, baking, golfing). Get back to living your best life!
Disability Tax Credit for Type 1 Diabetes
The Disability Tax Credit is a program designed to help those with disabilities or their caregivers reduce the amount of income tax they pay, offsetting some of the significant medical and treatment expenses. What diabetes-related activities are covered? According to CRA, the following activities qualify in the 14-hour-per-week calculation:
• Checking blood glucose levels
• Preparing and administering the insulin
• Calibrating necessary equipment
• Testing ketones
• Keeping a log book of blood glucose levels
With children, the 14-hour-per-week eligibility criteria can usually be met by combining the parent and child’s time.
T1D is an expensive disease and the disability tax credit can provide some financial relief for those who qualify.
STELearning-Related Vision Disorders
While 20/20 vision is a great start, our vision is also related to how well our eyes work together with our brain to process visual information. Many children who suffer with vision problems can go undiagnosed, since learning-related vision disorders may not be revealed through a regular eye exam. Lack of eye movement control, focusing difficulties, poor visual memory, and much more can make learning seem overwhelming. Without fundamental visual skills, children may have more difficulty with reading, writing, and comprehension at school. A developmental optometrist diagnoses and provides treatment options for learning-related vision disorders.
The Diet/Mental Health Connection
Studies around the world are now confirming that diet affects mental health. Take one study, for example, where researchers in China and the U.S. found that when observing nearly 5,000 adults over the age of 60, those who were malnourished were 31% more likely to be depressed than those who weren’t malnourished. Another study of 500 participants over the age of 67 found that adding olive oil or mixed nuts to one’s diet can improve cognitive function. In a meta-analysis of over 34,000 people, researchers found that participants who followed a Mediterranean diet were less likely to develop cognitive disorders.
TrueHopeCanada.com
Drink Aloe for Weight Loss
Aloe Vera’s weight loss properties are becoming better known. This plant stands above the rest of nature’s products as a detoxifying agent that helps the body remove waste. This is largely due to one of its components called ‘aloin’, which taken in appropriate doses can help us achieve its beneficial cleansing properties. The Aloe plant also helps us burn fat by improving our metabolism and the production of fatty acids, which is undoubtedly a big help in the fight to rid our bodies of excess fat. Aloe promotes intestinal function and better allows us to eliminate toxins from the body.
Teach Healthy Choices Early
If we had half the knowledge we gain when we are older, as children, our childhood would have been different. It is known that as we get older, we make healthier decisions, usually due to a health issue or to prevent health issues. If we start teaching our children healthy choices at a young age, the choices soon become a healthy lifestyle for our children, which can create a longer, healthier life. This is especially important today, as a recent study conducted by Canadian Men’s Health Foundation has ranked Manitoba and Saskatchewan as the unhealthiest regions in Canada.
Meet Your Practitioner
Meet Megan Grant. Megan graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Psychiatric Nursing Degree from Brandon University in 2007. Over the last 11 years, she has worked as a Registered Psychiatric Nurse in acute psychiatric inpatient units, outpatient clinics, forensics, assertive outreach and medical psychiatry. She offers therapy for children, adolescents and adults. Megan’s specialty is in behaviour therapies that aim to balance thoughts, feelings, urges and behaviours. Her passion is Dialectical Behaviour Therapy (DBT). DBT is designed to treat individuals who are experiencing intense, sometimes debilitating emotions. Megan is committed in supporting her patients to practice acceptance and understanding while balancing the need to move forward into a place where they want to be.
Fresh Pea Shoot Pesto
2 cups fresh peashoot microgreens. ½ cup freshly grated parmesan. ½ cup extra virgin olive oil, ½ cup chopped almonds, 2-3 garlic cloves chopped, ¼ tsp sea salt, Squeeze of fresh lemon, Dash of pepper. Combine all ingredients, except the cheese, and blend until coarsely chopped. Remove from blending container and combine with cheese. Make a double batch and save some for later by freezing in small plastic containers or in an ice cube tray (transfer to a freezer bag once frozen.)
TheWholeAvocado.com PeasOutFarms.ca
