Community News
Book Club:

Developing the Art of Health Finding Health, Happiness, Balance, and Strength by Arthur Rosenfeld. The host of PBS’s Longevity Tai Chi and leading Western Tai Chi master, Arthur Rosenfeld, offers a groundbreaking guide to the myriad of mental and physical benefits of this ancient martial art. In this book, Arthur Rosenfeld gives us incredible information about Tai Chi, how it can help us in our daily lives, benefits, and easy exercises to start practicing this art.

Submitted by: Dr. Eduardo Barreto, www.naturedoctors.ca

PTSD Recovery and Exercise

Post Traumatic Stress Disorders (PTSD) are attributed to the body’s coping with experiencing or witnessing traumatic stress. PTSD can be ignited by a variety of events including emotional, physical, sexual violence, war, a car accident, being a full time caregiver, and more. Symptoms may include: nightmares, avoidance/numbing, estrangement from others, flash backs, and fear of constant danger. In addition people may experience poor sleep, body pain, low mood, depression, and a loss of a sense of self. Exercise works well in conjunction with other cognitive therapies for treatment of PTSD, and assists people to be more connected to themselves, through movement and breath and to be in the present moment. Exercise also releases endorphins into your bloodstream that act as the body’s natural painkillers – they make you feel GOOD.
Don Smith, www.vitallife.ca

Best Cold Sore Remedies

Cold sores are downright embarrassing. The more we try to hide them, the more obvious they become. Here are some good home remedies in case you find yourself with an unsightly cold sore. 1. Licorice – Try choosing a licorice whip. Studies show that glycyrrhizic acid, an ingredient in licorice, stops the cold sore virus cells dead in their tracks. Be sure it’s made from real licorice. 2 – Pure Vanilla Extract. Yes, the kind you use for baking. Many people swear by this! Soak a cotton pad and apply directly to a cold sore for a few minutes (3 times daily). 3. Hydrogen Peroxide – It disinfects and speeds up healing time. Soak a cotton ball and apply to the sore. Let it sit for about 5 minutes before rinsing off. 4. Peppermint oil – When applied directly to a cold sore, people have found that the sore healed faster than usual.

Clean Eating: Easy Healthy Borscht

Use fresh and organic ingredients. 4 cups of beef broth. 2 cups water. 2T Apple Cider Vinegar. Juice of 1 lemon. 2 cloves garlic. 3 carrots. 2T Coconut Oil. ½ head red cabbage. 1 cup green beans. 3 potatoes. 3 beets with stems and leaves. 1 onion. 4 fresh sprigs of dill. 2 bay leaves. 2 T Italian seasoning. Salt and pepper to taste. Chop ingredients in tiny pieces. 1 can kidney beans. Combine in a crockpot and cook on high for 4 hours. Alternately, cook on top of the stove until the vegetables are soft enough to eat. Enjoy!

4 Toxic Foods to Eliminate

Processed Meats: Can have up to 400 percent more sodium and 50 percent more preservatives than unprocessed meats. The worst part: Some contain nitrites and nitrates, chemical additives that have been linked to various cancers, but are still used to enhance color and promote taste. 2. Margarine: Is marketed as a cholesterol-free, healthy alternative to butter, but it’s the ultimate source of trans fats, which actually elevate cholesterol and damage blood vessel walls. Stick to real foods and eat real butter instead. 3. Artificial Sweeteners: Anything with the word “artificial” in it is chalked FULL of chemicals. These fake sweeteners cause symptoms that range from migraines to weight gain and even more serious conditions like cardiovascular disease. Unless you are diabetic, please stop using these sugar substitites immediately! 4. Microwave Popcorn: Bags, in particular, are often lined with a chemical called perfluorooctane sulfonic acid (PFOS), which has been shown to affect fertility, cancer risk, and kidney functioning.
www.disabilitytaxcreditwinnipeg.com

Fall Raking Tips

Fall brings so many changing colours, but once those beautiful leaves are on the ground, cleaning them up can be a chore. Keeping these tips in mind may help reduce injury while raking: Make sure to wear proper shoes with good grip to minimize the risk of slipping, as well as proper fitting gloves to avoid having to grip the rake too hard. Use proper yard tools and keep from over-reaching and leaning too far forward to help your back out. Switching sides with the rake allows you to share the work between both shoulder and sides of your back. Make sure to bend with your knees when picking up the leaves and bags. Breaks are also helpful, so take a rest when you need it. Don’t try to do too much at once. Divide your yard into sections and work on them over a period of days. Happy raking!
Sarah Bleichert, Physiotherapist, www.prairietrailphysio.ca

Going Bananas

Have you ever had someone tell you to eat bananas for potassium to help with leg cramps? Bananas give potassium its fame. However, there are many foods that can provide you with potassium and most likely you aren’t getting enough. Try adding the following to your diet: potatoes, squash, leafy greens, apricots, and salmon. This isn’t an exhaustive list, so continue to explore more options. This mineral is more impacting on our health than one might expect. It’s an electrolyte vital for cell and blood vessel health, as well as bone health. Potassium works together with sodium and magnesium. It’s mostly absorbed through the small intestine and, therefore, those with Crohn’s or IBD, may not absorb potassium into the body as needed. Your physician may recommend a supplement. Consult your doctor before starting a supplement to make sure it does not interfere with any current medications you are already taking.
Trenna Reid, RCRT, www.discoverreflexology.ca

How Much Vitamin D Do We Really Need?

Vitamin D ensures our body absorbs sufficient calcium. Calcium is required for metabolism, heart and muscle function, and, along with phosphorous, is a key component of bone structure. If your body does not get enough Vitamin D, you are at risk for developing bone abnormalities such as soft bones (osteomalacia) or fragile bones (osteoporosis). Although it has not been proven, Vitamin D may help to prevent falls, boost weight loss, fight infections (colds and flus) and reduce your risk for diseases such as multiple sclerosis. To obtain these potential benefits, most adults need to take 1000 I.U per day. You should never exceed more than 4000 I.U per day unless you are severely deficient, as diagnosed by your doctor. Your body also limits the amount of Vitamin D it gets from the sun, so it is safe to continue with supplementation well into the summer months.
Care At Home Pharmacy, careathomepharmacy.ca

Urgent Need for Plasma

Protein Therapies Did you know that a large number of patients depend on protein therapies derived from human plasma and blood donors in Canada? Donors are required because large volumes of plasma, the liquid portion of blood are needed to treat a wide variety of diseases. For example: 1200 plasma donations are required to treat one patient with hemophilia, a bleeding disorder. 130 donations to treat one patient with primary immunodeficiency, a condition where people cannot make functional antibodies to fight infections. 900 donations are required to treat one alpha-1 patient, a disorder that affects the lungs. These therapies replace missing or defective proteins in patients with rare disorders so they can lead healthier and otherwise normal lives. They typically require on-going infusions throughout their lives as they are chronic diseases so plasma is always required.
Bill Bees, Vice- President, Plasma Technology, www.plasma.prometic.com

Get Treats for Your Sweets

Halloween is just around the corner, and that means lots of candy for kids! Although chocolates and sweets are oh-so yummy, how do they affect our teeth? Bacteria in our mouth digest the sugars in candy, and produce a mild acid. This acid attacks the hard outer surface of the tooth, called the enamel. If these bacteria aren’t removed every day by brushing and flossing, the enamel gets soft and a cavity starts to form. Our recommendations? Have your child eat their candy during mealtime, when there is extra saliva that helps to wash away sugars, and keeps an even pH in their mouth. Reinforce brushing and flossing after each meal. Alternatively, instead of eating their candy, have them bring it to Reflections Dental Health Centre! From November 1-8, we will buy back Halloween candy for $1 per 1Lb.
Dr. Sarah Keating Sangalang, www.reflectionsdentalhealth.ca

The Thanksgiving Trap

Does this Thanksgiving scene sound familiar? Aunt Jo’s lips are moving but you aren’t listening; you’re fantasizing about five minutes alone with the Nanaimo bars on the table. You starved all day to “save up” calories in case you go overboard. Unfortunately, it’s the perfect trap for what you’re trying to prevent. I know how you feel because that was how I was on a diet, stressed out by holiday food I couldn’t escape. What’s the solution? My answer was to accept that, yes, I probably would eat more on Thanksgiving and, no, it wouldn’t “ruin everything.” I trusted that I could savor my favorite dishes without guilt and fear because I’d be satisfied with far less. I knew I didn’t need to eat everything before the Monday diet that was not going to happen. I learned to trust my body to balance out over a few days if I stuck to eating mindfully.
Lisa Kehler, RD, www.offyourplatenutrition.ca