Respite care is a type of assistance that allows you to take a break from caregiving. This break can be for a few hours, a few days or even a week. Respite care can be provided by fellow family members, friends, volunteers, contacts through community groups or by a health care provider. Respite care allows you to recharge, reduce your stress and avoid caregiver burnout. It also enables you to spend time with other family members or take a vacation. A break from the caregiver role means that you can return the focus to ensuring your own health and wellness.

1 out of 3 women will develop cancer in their lifetime. One of the most important factors which can help prevent cancer is to lead a healthy lifestyle, one way to do that is to maintain a healthy body weight. Eat a balanced diet that is high in whole grains, fruit and vegetables and low in processed meat and salt. Strength training and cardio exercise help maintain a healthy body weight as well strengthen our immune system. We should aim for at least 30 minutes of activity 3 times a week. Make the right choices today to help prevent cancer tomorrow!

In Chinese Medicine, eating and living with the seasons is an important part of staying healthy. Autumn is a time to introduce heartier, denser food. Excellent choices include roasted root veggies, tubers and gourds. Think pumpkin, winter squash, yams and carrots — especially slow-cooked, roasted or in soups. In Chinese Medicine, it is widely believed that we are what we eat. And most dietary guidelines follow on from nature. If we ingest seasonal foods that are similar in nature to their external environment, we remain in harmony with the environmental, adapt better to changes in season, and stay healthy.

Do you know the difference between a Power of Attorney (POA) and an Enduring POA? The distinction is important. A POA ends if you become declared mentally incompetent as may happen from an illness or head injury in an accident. An enduring POA carries on and allows your appointed person the authority to manage your financial affairs if such a tragedy occurs. Like your will, a POA should be reviewed and updated every 5 years or right away if you’ve moved from another province. No matter your age, everyone should consider having an enduring POA in place.

Human beings are hardwired to be well. Our brains interact with our surroundings, sending signals to our bodies, which are intended to alert us to adapt, promoting survival. However sometimes we get stuck with our survival switch left on, which creates many problems within us physically and mentally. Once this happens, it can be difficult to turn off the switch, without these 5 important things: safety; family (or community); purpose; meaning; and challenge. When these are present, our brain can process the signals enough to relax our distress and returning us to healthy functioning.

Q: My friend said she got a sunburn on her eyes. Is this really possible?

a: Yes indeed, and she probably meant she suffered some acute discomfort. You most likely know that prolonged sun exposure puts you at risk for eye problems like cataracts, but ultra-violet rays from the sun can also irritate the cornea and conjunctiva – resulting in pain, blurry vision, grittiness, light sensitivity and watering, much like a welding flash or snow blindness. Like a sunburn, the discomfort occurs a few hours after the burn itself. One more reason to protect your eyes against the sun!

Resilience is defined as the capacity to recover quickly from difficulties. For some, this means bouncing back after sport, while for others, it’s getting off the floor after a fall. Resiliency also looks like keeping a positive outlook and overcoming the nervous system’s overprotective tendencies. No matter your relationship with the word, you have the power to create resiliency for yourself. You CAN feel better, recover faster, get stronger, change your outlook, harness your mind and, overall, enjoy your life and body to its fullest. Massage and mobility work can help calm your nervous system, reconnect body, breath, and mind, and discover potential.