Want to know a great way to help with portion control and make yourself eat more slowly? Try cutting your food into smaller pieces! You’ll feel like you’re actually eating more food and it will slow you down as you eat. Any time I go out for sushi, I ask the chef to cut it into smaller pieces than they normally do. Give this a try at home or at restaurants and you’ll see a noticeable difference. In addition, put your fork down between bites. This little habit improves digestion and nutrient absorption, meaning fewer cravings later!

As we head full speed into winter, now is the time to work on a keystone habit, SLEEP. How many times have you nodded off in a meeting, felt sluggish while driving, or “hit the wall” in the afternoon? This is largely due to ignoring our body’s calls to rest. The best time frame for your body to rest is between 10 pm-6 am. Trouble falling asleep? Try a journal or notepad by your bed, remove all screens from your room, have a digestion-friendly light supper at 6 pm, and a breathing meditation to ease into slumber.

Plantar warts appear on the soles of your feet and toes and are spread by contact with moist, well-traveled surfaces like public showers and washrooms. Caused by HPV (type 1), the skin around the wart forms and thickens so it feels like a marble in your shoe. Prevention is key. I tell my patients to always wear flip flops in public change rooms and at the pool. Treatment varies depending on the physician, but it usually requires several visits two weeks apart. A wart can get better on its own after 2 years, but it can feel like a lot longer!

Caring for an aging parent can be both stressful and challenging. You want what’s best for them, but if you have concerns about the circumstances leading up to the preparation of their will, now is the time to deal with it while they have the capacity to effectively participate in the review and discussion with a lawyer. Often, the reluctance to have these discussions means that they are put off until the parent has lost capacity. At that point, it may be too late to ensure their actual wishes are carried out.

Did you know that falls are the most common cause of injury in Canada? According to a recent Canadian study, exercise can cut your chance of falling in half. If you are unsteady on your feet due to age or other health challenges, the Red Deer Primary Care Network’s Strong & Steady four-week program can help you. Learn exercises in a group setting to increase your strength, flexibility, and balance. Call 403-343-9100 to register. You can also ask your family doctor or PCN health care professional for a referral.

Modern living has many of us sitting for several hours a day, often staring down at a screen leading to sore necks and backs. Slumping prevents us from taking nice, deep breaths into the lungs, which scientists believe affects our heart health. In yoga classes, students are asked to have an “open–hearted” posture with the spine in its neutral, natural position, and the shoulders rolled down and back. Try a posture realignment right now – inhale and roll the shoulders forward and up towards the ears, then exhale and roll them down the back. Repeat 3 times and see how you feel!

How can you tell whether a retirement living community fosters a sense of belonging? The feeling a welcoming and inclusive environment creates sounds like this:
● Millie shares, “I am grateful for my home at the Hamlets; I feel valued and cared for.”
● Jeanette reveals, “I love our Knit Wit Club; volunteers Bonnie and Shirley are wonderful. I love all the outings on our bus and the smiling staff.”
● Dell declares, “I love how the staff are so friendly. I also love the full kitchens in the suites; the dishwasher and full-size fridge are a huge bonus! Really feels like home here.”

Mortar & Pesto is now an official Advanced Orthomolecular Research (AOR) Pro Dispensary. AOR’s line of products has a large volume of research supporting the health safety and effectiveness of each formulation. Well-researched and evidence-based therapies, these products offer some of the most effective natural options available in Canada. AOR offers a unique approach to personalized nutrition. Available through prescription only, Mortar & Pesto Natural Pharmacy will assess which AOR Pro line formulation will best suit your individual needs. Everyone’s biology is different, and it is so important to find out what your body needs to thrive.

Did you know that many Canadian adults have dangerous levels of mercury, lead, and cadmium in their bloodstream and that the average newborn has over 200 industrial chemicals, pollutants, and pesticides in their blood? From environmental pollutants, to our lotions, deodorants, fragrances, soaps, makeup, plastics, non-stick pans, laundry detergents, dryer sheets, cleaners, and even our food, all have toxic elements that are easily absorbed by the body. Since we are exposed to more toxins than ever before, consider making small changes in your daily routine and purchases – sometimes it’s the simplest of changes that make the difference.

Piper Creek Veterinary Clinic wants our pets to heal properly with reduced pain, so using a laser during surgery is a valuable asset in our practice. It helps in the recovery of our companions in two ways: less bleeding since the laser cauterizes when it cuts, plus less pain as it helps to seal nerve endings. These benefits result in quicker recovery times as well as reduced post-surgery pain. Although initially designed for spay and neuter surgeries, it is a nice tool for removing lumps of all types in addition to countless other applications for your animal needs.

Nov. 19-24. Mall hours. Bower Place – The Great Indoors Market, Old SEARS location. Visit with LOCAL health professionals, businesses and groups. See their displays, demos and presentations promoting all aspects of wellness – mind, body and soul! It’s an excellent chance to find a Christmas gift for others or for yourself…the gift of health. Be sure to drop by the Wellnessnews booth to say “hi” and enter to win some amazing draw prizes.