As another year draws to a close, we give thanks for the many blessings that we have received. We hosted our Women’s Wellness Expo once again after a two-and-a-half-year pause and look forward to hosting another Expo in February. We continue to publish this newsletter, along with four additional local ones here on the island, and continue to grow the WellnessHub, our local online resource. We thank our advertisers, readers, subscribers, distributors and community partners for helping us to continue to spread the wellness message. We wish everyone Peace, Happiness and Good Health this Holiday Season.
Community News
Focus on the Good Moments
As 2022 comes to an end, and we reflect on all that has happened, it is important to take note and remember the good moments along the way. With the challenges of the global pandemic and other external stressors that occurred through the year, it can be easy to forget those moments of joy and connection that were experienced. With the holiday season approaching, take a moment to remember those good moments, and reach out to share those memories with those you were with. Choose to focus on the good moments and share that with others.
Are You Taking Good Enough Care Of Your …?
The liver doesn’t get enough attention when it comes to our health and vitality. The health of your liver impacts most of the organs in your body. At any given moment, it holds over 10% of your body’s blood supply and, depending on its health, it filters roughly 1.5 liters of blood per minute. It stores our primary energy source (glycogen) and many vitamins. It is also a major detoxification organ (mycotoxins, chemicals, heavy metals…) and helps maintain a healthy hormone balance. Come for a Bio-Well Scan to check areas of stress and energetic imbalance in your body.
Remembrance Day Service
Our Veterans should never be forgotten. Honour them at this Service of Reflection on Friday, November 11th, 2022 from 1 pm to 3 pm at Cedar Valley Memorial Gardens, 2347 Cedar Road, Cedar. Veterans and The Royal Canadian Legion will be present. Special remarks will take place at 2pm. Light refreshments will be available. Everyone is welcome to this free community event. For more information call: (250) 722-2244. Remembrance Day ceremonies allow us to reflect and take a few moments out of our lives to say thank you to those who risked theirs and made the ultimate sacrifice to ensure our freedom.
Healthy Play Guidelines
As we head into the holiday season and emerge from Covid restrictions, our gambling habits may have been stretched beyond our usual boundaries. Gambling or sports betting to make money is always dangerous, as is gambling to escape our day-to-day preoccupations. If you are not sure if your gambling habits fall within healthy playing guidelines, check Canada’s Low-Risk Gambling Guidelines at GamblingGuideLines.ca. Using the 1-4-2 formula can help contextualize your play: No more than 1% of your income, a Maximum of 4 days per month and Only 2 types of gameplay. If you’re unsure, check out the self-assessment tool.
Are You Prepared for Flu Season?
Your pharmacist is the best person to help you be prepared for flu season. Here are three reasons to discuss the flu with your pharmacist. 1)They can answer all your questions about the flu shot and administer it in the pharmacy. 2)They know the flu virus can hit hard and they are equipped with the advice you need to feel better as soon as possible. 3)They can recommend over-the-counter remedies for your symptoms and ensure they don’t interact with your other medications. Book your flu shot today!
As Winter Comes
Most everyone on the West Coast knows, November brings with it more rain and overcast skies. Many people experience an effect on their mood during this time, which can certainly make things more difficult. Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) is a known phenomenon, where the winter weather affects moods and outlook on life. A couple strategies to help overcome these “winter blues” is to continue with those all-important self-care strategies of enjoyable activities, and the regular use of a full-spectrum light of some sort throughout your day! Fight back against the dreary with light!
Sleep Influences Food Choices
When we are tired, drained and recovering from a poor night’s sleep, we are more likely to reach for foods that are quick, premade and packed with sodium and unhealthy fats. We are much more likely to give in to our cravings. Think of the last time you had an awful night’s sleep. If you’re like participants in a Cleveland Clinic study, you probably gravitated toward high-fat and simple carbohydrate-rich foods. Sleep influences our food choices during waking hours. Pay attention to the foods you crave and gravitate towards when you’re tired and what it’s like after a good night’s sleep.
Tips for Fall Prevention
November is Falls Prevention month. Falls are a real concern for older adults. 85% of all injury hospitalizations among older adults are for falls. The following tips can reduce your risk: *Get regular exercise and physical activity. *Have your medications reviewed by a physician or pharmacist. Some medication combinations can cause dizziness. *Have your vision and hearing checked regularly. *Make your home safer – remove tripping hazards, improve lighting and keep important items within reach. In the event that a fall happens, getting help quickly is important. Lifeline’s Auto Alert button provides help 24/7 and automatically detects 95% of true falls.
Live Life to Its Fullest
A senior once said “The secret to having everything in life, is believing that you already have it.” There is something to that. Many seniors will tell you that the things that you thought mattered in your younger years were not really what mattered. It’s not the ‘things’ that matter. It’s the people, the experiences, the memories that you carry with you throughout your lifetime. Retirement communities are great places for retirees to continue to make new friends, have new experiences and make more wonderful memories. We should all strive every day to learn something new or meet someone new – it’s what keeps us young at heart!
Online Health and Wellness Resource
Wellnessnews Choices for Healthy Living® invites you to check out the Wellness Hub, your online Health and Wellness resource for Vancouver Island. The Wellness Hub features hundreds of local business and practitioners offering services and products. In addition, there are hundreds of health tips and articles on a variety of topics. It is easy to search, access and share information. While you are checking out the Wellness Hub, don’t forget to subscribe to receive a monthly email letting you know about events and the monthly contest. You can also read the digital version of our five island editons of the newsletter.
