There are certain indicators of financial difficulties, such as receiving frequent calls or letters from collection agencies, having no savings, spending all your money before payday, stalling one creditor to pay another, using your credit cards or other loans to pay for everyday expenses, failing to budget or make a financial plan, having trouble making the minimum payments on your credit cards, and not knowing what your real monthly expenses are. There are many options to help you solve your money problems — such as consolidating your loans or making a consumer proposal. Be sure to seek professional advice from a Licensed Insolvency Trustee before you make any decisions.

Derek L. Chase, CPA, CA, CIRP. Licensed Insolvency Trustee, ChaseSekulich.com

According to Truweight, drinking water should be a default morning routine for a healthy lifestyle. Water gives you a healthy start because it helps properly circulate nutrients in the body. Water serves as the body’s transportation system. It also helps with weight loss. By staying hydrated, one can prevent overeating, since many people confuse thirst for hunger. Drinking water as soon as you get up before eating is a good way to purify your internal system. This helps flush toxins from our body and cleanses the colon, enabling better absorption of nutrients from various foods. Water flushing helps the skin do its job of regulating the body’s temperature through sweating, renewing the body’s cells.

Stephen Dalley, MA, B.Ed., ComoxValleyHCG.com

Based on neuroscience, binaural tones are a safe way of healing your mind and restoring your brain to a healthy state. People with anxiety, depression, sleep disorders, low energy, chronic headaches, muscle pains, and so much more have put their problems in the past by listening to engineered binaural tracks through HQ binaural headphones. Athletes and students have also improved their performance by training using binaural tones. The possibilities of brain hemispheric optimization are seemingly endless, since getting your brain working just right is often what you need to let everything else unfold exactly how you need it to.

Nelson Meggitt, OptimumWellnessFactor.ca

Obesity rates among children and youth in Canada have nearly tripled in the last 30 years! Recent studies show that only 9% of Canadian kids ages 5 to 17 get the recommended 60 minutes per day of moderate to vigorous physical activity. Does your kid spend too much of their life lying around watching Netflix? Children and teenagers should participate in at least 60 minutes of physical activity per day. This can include walking to and from school, playing sports, or riding a bike. Parents should be setting a good example. Try to add physical activity to your daily routine and encourage your children to join you.

Alma Naranjo, Success Weight Loss, SuccessWeightLoss.ca

A integrated patient-centered clinic is the way of the future. A patient-centered clinic is a way of thinking and doing things that see patients as an equals, collaborating in planning and developing treatment strategies and options. Active listening and respecting patient’s values, while carefully communicating gives patients hope. Being heard and listened too are essentials for patients to build their trust and belief in their healing. We are passionate and have work hard at being knowledgeable about our medicine, techniques and, methods that we offer. However, our patient may not share our enthusiasm. In reality, patients only wants to know if we can help them confidently and effectively. Taking the time to listen to our patients, enables us to diagnosis and provide the services needed. With patient-centered care we ask what their expectations are; what are they expecting to get out of the consultation and treatments. The key is to listen closely for their answer.

Dr. Ross Ralph, Dr.TCM,R. Ac.,DOMP, CourtenayHealing.ca

Q: With back-to-school time happening, I was thinking of getting my kids eyes examined to see if they’re okay. Or is there adequate screenings at school?

A: I believe screenings are a very noble effort, and I am very grateful to these useful programs for catching some children’s eye problems that would likely have gone undetected for too long. However, I’d still recommend young children come in for a thorough exam of visual function and ocular health, ideally before preschool, to ensure treatable problems are detected as soon as possible.

Dr. Alex Kennedy, MosaicVisionCare.com

While any type of yoga can bring health benefits, therapeutic yoga involves employing a variety of yoga practices to try to improve a health condition or ease a natural process, such as pregnancy or menopause. A well-rounded class will use all of the following practices:

• Breathing Exercises (Pranayama): Involves a series of breathing exercises ranging from energizing to balancing breaths.

• Physical Postures (Asana): Focuses on yoga poses that address problem areas. For example, the “Legs Up the Wall” pose is used to treat things like anxiety and insomnia. In this pose, the person lays on his or her back with legs positioned up against the wall.

• Meditation: Relaxation and mindfulness are the focus of meditation when it is combined with yoga poses.

• Guided Imagery: Is used to calm the body and mind by providing a guided visualization intended to bring inner peace.

Katie White RMT, CYT, HTP, Courtenay Massage Therapy, CourtenayMassageTherapy.com

Let’s face it, we all have odors we could do without but masking pet odors with the fake scent of “Red Velvet Chocolate Cake” is not how nature intended us to breathe. The air in any household is already being inundated with unhealthy chemicals (VOC’s) off-gassing from glues and building materials that make up your home’s interior. Fortunately, there are healthier alternatives to freshen air. The use of naturally derived charcoals is one solution that will absorb pre-existing chemicals and eliminate odors to leave your space scent-free. The most absorbent of these charcoals come from sustainable bamboo or coconut shells. After a year of deodorization use, they can be mixed into your garden soil to benefit your plant life. Breathing clean air is your right and charcoal is the natural choice to free your air of odors.

Christopher Tio, Owner, Aircoal.com