Processed food, sedentary lives, lack of sleep, unceasing stress, dissolving relationships, and collapse of purpose take a massive toll on our health and enjoyment from life. Most healthcare costs are linked to lifestyle-related diseases and nearly all top causes of death are due to chronic conditions. Lifestyle medicine combines an acknowledgment of these facts with evidence that lifestyle interventions such as nutrition, physical activity, sleep, stress reduction, and smoking cessation can prevent, manage, and reverse disease. Using evidence-based medical assessments and leveraging personal health coaching, lifestyle medicine can help people take control of their health and optimize long-term vitality.

With golf season underway, it’s the perfect opportunity to look at how the game is a lot like investing. In both cases, you have to choose the right tool for the job. In golf, it’s about choosing the right club for the stroke, while in investing, it’s all about choosing the right investments for your portfolio. Much like golf, the focus in investing is on competing against yourself, rather than against an opponent, to succeed. Both activities also require relying on a partner to keep score and guide you, as well as developing patience and skills to help you win.

Encouraging students to exercise their brain in the summer months can help keep them sharp and better prepare them for back to school time in the fall. Practicing brain exercises that target a student’s ability to reason and process information quickly can help with difficulties in making connections when it comes to reading comprehension, math problems, and social situations, all of which are important for academic performance. For students with learning difficulties, keeping their brain on track ensures they will be able to perform at a similar level as their peers, setting them up for success when the school year starts up again.

Spring is a season for change. Spring is energizing. It makes us want to dust, and clean. To throw open windows to a fresh, cleansing breeze. We organize that garage, get rid of that clutter, and clear out that drawer. Spring is also the time to grab a pen and paper and do some inner spring cleaning. Are there patterns of thinking that we need to challenge? Are there habits that are holding us back? Are there goals we want to reach and mountains we still want to climb? Time to spring forward and get moving!

Trigger points are sensitive points in our soft tissue that can be painful. These muscle “knots” can occur anywhere in the body and patients may complain of tightness and pain in the upper back, neck and head area such as tension headaches or migraines. There are various ways of releasing the muscle tension and reducing aches and pains. Some of the common treatments are pressing and holding these trigger points with massage or dry needling techniques (IMS). Other effective but lesser known treatments to reduce the frequency and intensity of migraine headaches are trigger point injections or therapeutic Botox. Ask your doctor which options are best for you!

A chiropractic adjustment takes a misaligned joint of the spine and gently and specifically moves it towards a more neutral position. Joints become misaligned because of many common daily events – the effects of sitting, lifting, poor posture from using technology, and physical traumas all contribute to misalignment. The misaligned vertebrae cause strain on the surrounding soft tissues (muscles, ligaments, cartilage, and the delicate nerves that emerge from the spine), causing pain and dysfunction. A chiropractor can tailor the type of the adjustment to meet any patient’s needs, ranging from gentle manual techniques to low-force instrument adjustments.

Place ½ cup of roasted sesame seeds, squeeze ½ lemon, 1t sea salt and ¼ cup olive oil in a food processer. Blend until paste. Add; 5 cloves crushed garlic, ½t cayenne pepper, 2T chili flakes, ½t black pepper, squeeze in the other ½ lemon, and 1 can drained & rinsed organic chickpeas. Blend and slowly add approx. ¼ c water to the consistency. Garish with paprika.

Community Event: Eaton Arrowsmith White Rock is offering a 6-week Summer Cognitive Intensive Program from July 2- August 9th. Contact 604-264-8327 or email [email protected] to learn more!

Q: What is a neuroma?

A: Pain, numbness, or tingling in the forefoot, usually between and extending into the third and fourth toes, almost always indicates a neuroma, which is caused by the irritation of one or more nerves in the forefoot. This is usually the result of poor biomechanics. Try using a metatarsal pad or custom orthotics. Switching to running shoes with more motion control should be helpful. A podiatrist should be consulted to assess the degree of nerve damage.  It is best to wait until the pain subsides or is treated before engaging in long runs or lengthy activities.

Dr. Howard Green, Podiatrist, DrHowardGreen.com