Today, more than ever, people are searching online for local resources. Wellnessnews Choices for Healthy Living® is proud to present a One-Stop, Online Resource where our community can find local wellness information. Our Wellness Hub enables people in Red Deer and Surrounding Communities to easily find and support local businesses, read health tips and find out what is happening in the community. Check us out online at RedDeerWellnessnews.ca

Join us, May 11, for the 8th annual Red Deer PCN Women’s Fun Run at the LTCHS track and surrounding McKenzie trail system. With seven events from a 100m Diaper Dash to a 10km, there’s something for everyone. NEW this year is the Move Your Mood Family 3km, now the men can join the wonderful women in their life. Proceeds go to the Mustard Seed School Lunch Program. Check out details and sign up today at WomensFunRun.com.

Have you thought of donating blood but haven’t gotten around to it? Here what you need to know! The entire process takes approximately one hour, but only 10 of those minutes are actually spent donating blood. The average human has anywhere from 5 – 6 litres of blood in their body. One unit of blood is 450ml or about a 1/12 of your total blood volume. You body regenerates this volume within hours. Lastly, your unit will be used to help save a patient’s life within five days of its donation. Now that’s something worth trying!

Your carpets are a major investment, whether in your home, business or revenue property. Professional cleaning is essential for maintaining healthy, clean carpets. Our truck-mounted hot water extraction (steam cleaning) method is recommended by the major carpet mills and manufacturers. Our equipment is the newest in its category, and we use the most advanced cleaning methods and product available. The doctor is always in at our company, and ready to make house calls to give your carpets and upholstery a clean bill of health.

Everyone experiences anxiety from time to time, but we don’t have to live with it. Although usually triggered by something in our environment, our bodies have the power to manage the anxiety once they remember how to self-regulate our hormones. Acupuncture helps slow the production of hormones that cause anxiety, helping the body naturally regulate chemical balance. There are few, if any, side effects, and acupuncture can eventually replace anxiety medication for some individuals. While many people feel better and experience positive results after just one session, it typically takes a series of acupuncture treatments to create long-lasting change in the body.

Otherwise known as constant positive airway pressure, CPAP therapy is the gold standard choice in the treatment of obstructive sleep apnea with significantly higher success rates than corrective surgery or dental appliances in moderate to severe cases. A pressure is applied gently to the airway to relieve flaccid anatomical muscle tone during sleep through an externally affixed mask. The patient’s perception is that like a fan, that translates into an airway splint or pressure to keep the airway open during sleep. Through repetitive use and as their pre-treatment symptoms subside, improved breathing is achieved.

Have you been noticing that parts of words don’t come in clearly when you’re listening to others speak? Certain consonants in speech like /f/ /s/ /th/ and /k/ can be tougher to pick up on, which can lead to you guessing and getting words mixed up. This may be an indicator that you are starting to lose some hearing in the higher frequencies and that it may be time to get a hearing test. Early detection can help with daily clarity, and can also decrease fatigue from listening and the need to keep stimulating the brain’s auditory pathways.

We’re not actually craving a Snickers … we’re craving escape and distraction. Junk food won’t give you what you’re truly looking for, so when you’re craving something that sabotages your goals, ask yourself: “If I had one of those ‘EASY’ buttons to change something in my life right now, what would I change?” This puts the spotlight on what is actually the unresolved problem you’re trying to avoid. Identifying these issues will be the first step in mapping out a plan of action (instead of trying to satisfy an unmet need with junk food … which never works).

Did you know 1 in 5 Canadians have or have had a toenail fungus infection and 2/3 are embarrassed by this condition? If you have thick, yellow, brittle nails, chances are you have nail fungus or onychomycosis. Many of our patients have tried home remedies and found them to be ineffective. That can be a major disappointment. Advances in medical laser technologies have emerged changing the way we combat this condition. Safe and effective laser fungal nail treatment really works for removing fungal growths from your feet. It’s a quick, painless, and long-lasting process.