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.

What makes us healthy and invulnerable to disease? Discover this for yourself right now. Hold your breath for 60 seconds. What happened? Clearly there is absolutely nothing as critical to our health as oxygen metabolism. Oxygen utilization is the single most important predictor of your risk for degenerative disease and premature aging. As we get older our cells become less able to efficiently use the oxygen we breathe, some as much as 50%! Ozone therapy activates the immune system, prevents free radical damage and helps the body detoxify, the ultimate preventative tool to stay healthy and happy into old age.

With cold and flu season on the way, you may be looking for ways to stay healthy. Acupuncture is a great way to help you recover from colds and flu viruses more quickly, and can even help prevent them in the first place! Getting acupuncture treatment can help elevate immune-boosting hormones for several days after treatment, helping to prevent and fight colds and flu viruses. It can also help to reduce body aches, fever, and chills, as well as relieve congestion and sore throats. Consider acupuncture treatment as part of your toolkit to stay well during cold and flu season!

Many children have flat feet but have no joint pain, but there are others who develop knee and/or arch pain that limits their ability to enjoy activities. If there is pain, and an obvious fallen arch, foot orthotics may be warranted considering family history and degree of severity. If there is no pain, yet there is an obvious fallen arch then the question is whether to correct or not. Many medical professionals believe that fallen arches will adversely affect the knees and hips and lead to early arthritic pain. Correcting the foot posture early on is then seen as a preventative measure for future knee and hip joint health.

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!