Community News
Senior Summer Safety Tips

Skin cancer is one of the most common and preventable forms of cancer. Apply SPF of at least 30 to 50—every two to four hours you are outdoors or riding in a car. Routinely wearing a quality pair of sunglasses protects the eyes from cataracts, a condition common among older adults. Look for a pair with a label showing they block 100% of UVA and UVB rays. As we grow older, the body doesn’t adjust to changes in temperature and humidity as quickly as in younger days. This puts seniors at higher risk for dehydration and sun-related illnesses, like heat stroke – so make sure to keep hydrated!

A Yoga Therapy Journey

In western society, a Yoga class is often seen as a fitness venture, but 1:1 yoga therapy gives us the opportunity to take it deeper. It’s a melding of the mind, body and breath, and it’s an opportunity to clean up paths of communication between our brain and our muscles. As we move with more ease and efficacy, our muscles are better able to leverage our bodies. As a result, you WILL start to notice a lengthening of your muscles and a new-found strength and tone, but it’s a happy by-product of the journey, rather than the target.

A Recipe for Self-Care

Self-care isn’t just about applying a good quality cream on your skin after a hot day in the sun (although it’s a good idea!) Self-care is a long-term relationship with your health, starting with listening to your body’s unique needs. Connecting with your body to understand what it needs can be very empowering. Here is a recipe for self-care: Eat your fruits and vegetables, raw or lightly cooked. Add some clean protein to it and eat some carbohydrates – yes, CARBS are HEALTHY and important for hormone regulation and energy! Choose complex carbs over simple carbs. And finally, don’t forget to drink your water!

New in Comox: Get Fit in 30

Located in the Comox Mall and owned by Darcelle Hartling, Get Fit in 30 (formerly Curves) has something to offer every woman. The low impact exercise is a proven formula for a huge range of women; add circuit strength training to the mix and you have a well-balanced multi-muscle group workout! The equipment here are resistance-based and give your muscle groups a workout in both directions. The circuit is 30 seconds on a machine, then 30 seconds cardio on a mat. It’s a quick and easy format that is done in under 30 minutes!

The Sandwich Generation

Are you a caregiver to your children and your aging parents? If so, you’re part of the “sandwich generation,” a group of adults who are “sandwiched” between caregiving responsibilities for their young and elderly loved ones. This generation of caregivers has its own unique stresses and challenges, spending on average about three hours per day on unpaid care while also working full-time. These challenges can take a toll on this group’s health, finances, and emotions. Thankfully, home care agencies can help relieve some of the stress by providing quality care for senior loved ones in their own homes.

Whispers

Injury and symptom aggravation often follow ‘too much’. This ‘too much’ happens when we push ourselves past the bandwidth or endurance that our body has for the activity at hand. The good news is our bodies do start to tell us as we approach this line – we just need to learn to recognize these signals. It may be a slight buildup of tension, or a small and innocent ‘twinge’… Ignore the whispers and we wind up paying for it – Sometimes in a big way. Not sure what to watch for? I can help.

Retirement Community Living

With all of the fears about Covid-19, people are struggling to make a decision about moving into a retirement community. It is reassuring to know about the extra cleaning, extra staff, adherence to wearing masks and social distancing rules. Yet it is the fear of the unknown that makes it hard to make a decision. What will happen when I move in? Can I leave? Can I see loved ones? May I have visitors? How are concerns handled? Reach out to the communities, ask your questions so that you can rest assured that you have all the facts to able to make an informed decision.

Getting Online

About 71 percent of seniors are online every day. Of those who are online, their main reason is to stay connected with family and friends. Whether it’s joining forums or sharing photos and stories with loved ones, social media and email allows seniors with limited mobility the opportunity to interact with others. If you’re interested in getting online but don’t know where to start, community centres and local senior groups often have programs to teach seniors about the internet and how to participate in online communities. Spending time with others benefits our mental and emotional health. It is important as we age to continue to stay socially connected to friends and loved ones.

Food Allergy Testing

If you experience fatigue, brain fog, poor concentration, muscle cramps, IBS, inflammation, allergies, anxiety, depression, food sensitivities – Vega Testing might be a good option for you. Vega Testing works with an electrodermal device that is designed to use the acupuncture points in the hand to find any imbalances in the body. When referring to being in balance, the body transmits a vibration unique to each person and resonates it, everything is in harmony. If there is an imbalance, this vibration will show a change and the Vega device determines the area in the body that needs support to help find balance again.

Vitamin D, COVID & Red Light Therapy!

We get Vitamin D from the sun. Our average outdoor time is 7%! Not enough time to get sunshine vital for regulating calcium and phosphorus absorption and facilitating normal immune system function (COVID & more). Also, we are advised to avoid the sun at all costs because of skin damage and cancers. Add living north of the 45th parallel where it’s physically impossible to get enough sunlight, what to do? Twenty minutes of red light therapy synthesizes the all-important vitamin D. The treatment is non-invasive and painless, it is completely safe to use. Studies show overwhelming support its effectiveness.

Tight Skin is Always In

As we get older, our bodies start to produce less collagen and store more fat—this is what eventually leads to wrinkles, sagging, cellulite and other signs of aging. Body shaping treatments using radio frequency technology naturally boost collagen production and break down fat cells, which diminishes fine lines and wrinkles, tightens sagging skin, smoothens out cellulite, and makes the body look slimmer, sculpted, and more toned. Radio frequency is proven safe and effective for all skin tones. It can be done throughout the summer and you can return to your daily activities immediately afterward.