Community News
An Antioxidant Powerhouse

In the spectrum of nutrition, berries rank near the top, and among berries, none are more nutritious than the Aronia berry. That’s because powerful antioxidants in Aronia berries remove harmful free oxygen radicals from cells. Research shows that in diabetics, Aronia berry juice reduced blood glucose, and its extracts reduced inflammation and improved immunity. An extract of Aronia berries injected into highly malignant brain tumor cells killed malignant cells within 24 hours without harming healthy cells. And in hard-to-treat cancers, combining Aronia with chemotherapy improved the effectiveness of conventional drugs.

Self-care Is Important

Seniors can benefit from incorporating self-care into their daily routines. Self-care activities include; *Choosing healthy foods, * Daily exercise, *Interesting hobbies, *Spending time with others, *Taking time to relax and *Getting enough sleep. For seniors, having a routine and ongoing self-care support from others is vital. Habits are easier to maintain with consistent actions. Others can support your self-care goals by encouraging you to keep them up if you feel discouraged. They can also help you find ways to overcome any limitations that may arise as you age or walk alongside you as you build these routines into your life.

Train for Everyday Activities

Functional Training is a classification of exercise which involves training for activities performed in daily life and is designed to help individuals move and perform better in their everyday activities. These types of exercises typically involve the use of your full body and multiple muscle groups, and consistent adherence can lead to a range of benefits including improved energy, body composition, metabolic function and sleep, and decreases in fat mass, stress, depression and risk of lifestyle diseases. At F45, we do Functional Training. Trial memberships are available.

Complete Dental Care

Taking care of their patients’ teeth for life is important at the Westshore Dental Centre. The dental practice is devoted to restoring and enhancing the natural beauty of your smile. They offer a broad range of services, including: *Routine family dental care including cleaning, *Cosmetic dentistry, *Zoom!®/Sapphire™ bleaching and *One-appointment Crowns. For the comfort of their patients, they offer oral or IV sedation and a TV on the ceiling. Understanding that some patients may feel uneasy about their dental visits, the entire team is dedicated to providing excellent, personalized care and service to make your visits as comfortable and pleasant as possible.

Computer Vision Syndrome Relief

This syndrome (CVS) causes eye issues from the use of computers and other digital devices. Painful symptoms include *Eye irritation, *Blurred vision, *Headaches and *Muscle fatigue. Luckily, CVS is not permanent but it can affect your quality of life. To help alleviate CVS, rest your eyes at least 15 minutes after every 2 hours of computer use. Every 20 minutes, look into the distance at least 20 feet away from the computer or digital device. You are more likely to have CVS if you have other eye issues, if you need glasses or if you wear the wrong prescription for computer use. We can help.

Senior Brain Health

It’s important for people of all ages to keep their brains healthy with regular workouts, but especially so for seniors. Here are five ways you can keep your mind sharp as you age: 1) Play a game. Try a sudoku, crossword, or jigsaw puzzle, or play a game of cards with friends. 2) Get moving. Regular exercise increases blood flow to your brain and increases neurons. 3) Listen to or play music. Science shows that music is a great brain booster. 4) Eat right. A diet rich in healthy fats is crucial for cognitive health. 5) Learn something new. Keep your mind engaged!

May is a Great Time to Clean

May is a great time to spring clean your home and spruce up your exercise and eating habits. We welcome you to check out the Wellness Hub, our local, online Health and Wellness resource. The Wellness Hub features hundreds of health tips and articles on a variety of health and wellness topics along with a directory of hundreds of local businesses and practitioners offering services and products. It is easy to search, access and share information. While you are checking out the Wellness Hub, don’t forget to enter the May Contest for a chance to win Baseball Tickets.

Keep Gambling in Check

Have you heard of Canada’s Low-Risk Gambling Guidelines? They recommend keeping it under 1% of gross household income, four days/month or less and only two types of gambling. Also, consider the following which can increase your risk of developing a gambling problem: 1) If you struggle with mental health and addictions issues or have experienced gambling problems in your family, 2) If you are drawn to fast-paced games that involve frequent betting like slot machines, in-game sports betting, or many online forms of gambling, and/or 3) you’re playing for escapism or to make money. Check out GamblingGuidelines.ca #LRGG.

What’s in Your Smoothie?

Move over, goji berries: there’s a new superfood in town. Meet the Aronia berry! Aronia berries have outstanding nutritional and pharmacological properties which have been well documented. They contain high levels of antioxidants which research has shown helps in fighting cancer, reduces inflammation, and helps to reduce blood glucose in diabetics. In the spectrum of nutrition, berries rank near the top, and among berries, none are more nutritious than the Aronia berry. Aronia berries contain five times the antioxidant level of goji berries with no bitter aftertaste.

Boost Well-being with Fresh Air & Exercise

One of the best things about living on Vancouver Island is having nature right in our backyard. With summer just around the corner, it is a great time to take advantage of everything our island has to offer. Whether it is just a walk around the block or a hike up a mountain, the fresh air and exercise boost our well-being. So lace up your shoes and wear VoxxLife socks with HPT for enhanced balance and stability. Additional benefits include; enhanced pain relief and management, especially PDN pain and improved mobility.

Cause and Treatment of Dry Eye

Dry eye is a condition that occurs when your eyes do not produce enough tears. This condition can cause you to experience blurred vision, a burning sensation, red/irritated eyes and pain when wearing contact lenses. Common causes of dry eye include medical conditions, a smoky/windy/dry environment, eye fatigue or allergy/cold medications. If you are experiencing dry eye, speak to an optometrist who can help determine the cause and also recommend treatments which may include: *prescription eye drops or ointments, *warm eye compresses, *eyelid massage and the addition of omega-3 fatty acids to your diet.