It is important to understand clearly when to take medications and how to take them. Some prescription drugs have to be taken on an empty stomach while others are taken with food – check with your pharmacist to ensure you know what that means – (how long before or after a meal do you wait)? This helps with the appropriate absorption of the drug. Some medications should not be taken with other drugs as this can lead to reduced effectiveness. The timing of medications is also important regarding when to take them – morning vs. evening – to alleviate side effects. As well, it is key to follow the instructions on the number of times per day to take the medication. When you are prescribed new medications, ask your pharmacist to fully explain these medications so you have a good understanding of them. A full medication review of all your prescription drugs and over the counter products can further help you to see how they work together.
Community News
Urgent Need for Plasma Protein Therapies
Urgent and Ongoing 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 required 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, condition where people can not 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
Examples of diseases and their products are outlined in the table below:
| Disease | Product | Description of Condition |
| Hemophilia A | Factor VIII | Bleeding Disorder caused by a lack of Factor VIII clotting factor. Affects 1 in 10,000 people. |
| Hemophilia B | Factor IX | Bleeding Disorder caused by a lack of Factor IX clotting factor. Affects 1 in 25,000 people. |
| Von Willebrand Disease | Von Willebrand Factor VIII | Bleeding disorder due to a defective Factor VIII gene. Affects 1.2 million people worldwide. |
| Antithrombin Deficiency | Antithrombin III | Bleeding disorder due to a defective ATIII gene. |
| Primary Immunodeficiency (PID) | Immune Globulin Intravenous or subcutaneous | Genetic disorder where insufficient or defect immune globulin is produced, leading to susceptibility to infections. |
| Chronic Inflammatory Demyelinating Polyneuropathy (CIDP) | Immune Globulin Intravenous | Autoimmune disorder that affects the peripheral nervous system of both children and adults. Can lead to muscle weakness and paralysis. |
| Idiopathic Thrombocytopenic Purpura (ITP) | Immune Globulin Intravenous | Autoimmune disorder that affects blood platelet levels leading to bleeding disorders. |
| Kawasaki | Immune Globulin Intravenous | Primarily affects children under 5-years of age leading to heart disease. |
| Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disorder (COPD) | Alpha-1 Protease Inhibitor | Also called genetic emphysema that affects lung function. |
| Burns, Shock, Trauma, Major Surgery | Albumin | The major plasma protein is used for fluid replacement for a variety of disease conditions. |
| Infectious diseases like:
Rabies Tetanus Varicella Zoster Hepatitis B |
Hyperimmune globulin directed against a specific virus or bacteria | Used for treating ore preventing a variety of infectious diseases. |
| Hereditary angioedema | C1-esterdase inhibitor | A rare and potentially life threating condition characterized by acute attacks of swelling of face, airway, stomach and extremities. |
Clean Eating – Turkey and Sweet Potato Curry
Ingredients:
2 Tbsp finely chopped ginger;
2 Tbsp finely chopped garlic;
1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes;
2 Tbsp curry powder;
2 tsp garam masala;
1 cup plain greek yogurt;
1 lb cooked turkey breast, chopped;
1 Tbsp cooking oil;
1 yellow onion, chopped;
2 tomatoes, chopped;
1 lb sweet potatoes, chopped;
1 cup chickpeas;
1 Tbsp brown sugar.
Directions: Put ginger, garlic, red pepper flakes, curry powder, garam masala and yogurt into medium bowl and stir to combine. Set aside. Heat oil in large skillet over medium heat. Add onions and cook until translucent. Reduce heat; slowly add curry sauce being careful not to boil. Stir in turkey, tomato, sweet potato, chickpeas and sugar; cook until heated through. Serve with basmati rice or toasted pita bread. Delish!
Book Club – Always Hungry?
Conquer Cravings, Retrain Your Fat Cells, And Lose Weight Permanently by Dr. David Ludwig. Renowned endocrinologist, Dr. David Ludwig, explains why traditional diets don’t work and presents a new plan to help you lose weight without hunger. “Always Hungry?” turns dieting on its head with a three-phase program that ignores calories and targets fat cells directly. The recipes and meal plan include delicious high-fat foods (like nuts and nut butter, full-fat dairy, avocados, and dark chocolate), healthy proteins, and natural carbohydrates. The result? Fat cells release their excess calories, and you lose weight and inches without battling cravings and constant hunger. This is dieting without deprivation. This helpful book reveals a liberating new way to tame hunger and lose weight for good. Available at your local bookstore.
Exercise for Mental Health
After a long day of work, or chasing children, or just trying to fit life into your schedule, the last thing you might think about is being active. However, staying active is part of a healthy lifestyle, and it has the added benefit of helping us feel happy. When we are active, our brain releases a chemical called serotonin. This chemical helps us feel happier. Feeling down? Start with a low-intensity activity such as walking. Bring the dog or your family along to share the experience. Other great activities include biking, doing yard work, swimming, and throwing a ball around. Still having a hard time fitting in being active? Try to add a little bit of activity to your work routine, especially if you have an office job. Stand at your desk instead of sitting. Take time during the day to stretch. Remember, small changes over time can make a big difference!
Start Healthy Eating Habits Early
Eating healthy is sometimes easier said than done nowadays. We are surrounded by grab-and-go foods filled with preservatives, colors and artificial flavours. Involving kids in the food buying process and having easy healthy snacks such as fruits, veggies, cheese and crackers available also helps keep food battles to a minimum. For a healthy digestive system – have predictable meal and snack times, do not use dessert as a prize for finishing a meal, don’t force them to clean their plates as this causes the natural feelings of fullness to stop, which leads to overeating at meals and when bored. Kids should decide if they’re hungry, what they will eat from the foods served, and when they’re full. There is no need to snack at random times and realize that if they are not hungry, they can wait until the next snack or meal time.
Drive Right
ROAD TRIP! The car is packed, snacks ready, music cranked, you’re ready for a summer adventure! Then aches come, back tight, legs cramped, neck stiff. It’s a common problem you can help avoid with simple vehicle ergonomics. The back of the knees should be 2-3 fingers width away from the seat pan and the left knee at a 90-degree bend. Recline the backrest from vertical by about 2-3 inches; adjust lumbar support if you have it. With hands on the steering wheel at 9 and 3 o’clock, positions elbows should be at your side with a slight bend. Be close to the car/load you lift when packing/unpacking the car, no twisting motions and lift with your legs! Remember it’s your holiday, take breaks. Get out of the car every few hours to stretch and move. Enjoy your vacation, you earned it!
Benefits of Green Tea Extract
Green tea extract is a powerful fat burner loaded with beneficial antioxidants called catechins that help support immune function, cardiovascular health, and fat loss. Studies show that regular consumption of green tea extract has a positive effect on overall health and to your dietary habits. It also contains 2% to 4% caffeine, which affects thinking and alertness, increases urine output and may improve the function of brain messengers. The addition of caffeine to the potent mix of catechins revs up your production of noradrenaline, pumping you with feel good confidence, stimulating the nervous system, heart, and muscles by increasing the release of certain chemicals in the brain called neurotransmitters. To safely incorporate green tea extract into your weight loss regimen, consider drinking plenty of water. One of the active ingredients in SlimROAST weight loss coffee from Valentus – The Healthiest Coffee on the Planet!
Screen Addiction & Your Kids
You have over 230 moveable or semi-moveable joints in your body, and guess what they are designed to do? That’s right – MOVE! When joints are motionless for long periods of time they begin to lose normal function. Now look at the posture our kids have when they are looking at their devices. They often assume this gargoyle like pose for hours. Though it may seem like they are just wasting time, they are also damaging their spine. The Canadian Society of Pediatrics state infants aged 0-2 years should not have any exposure to technology, 3-5 years be restricted to one hour per day, and 6-18 years restricted to two hours per day. As we end the summer and move back into the school season, there is an inevitable change in our routine. Use that change as an opportunity to schedule time for your kids (and you) away from electronics.
Creating Balance; How Full Do You Need to Be?
Our lives are a blank slate…what we put in them is up to us. Logistics to make our lives operate well is essential, but the bigger question is how do we create a balance within to nourish ourselves and decrease the cortisol levels so that we don’t always run on adrenaline? When we schedule too many things in our lives, we rob ourselves of precious down time and an opportunity to replenish. Our quick texting and instant gratification world we live in demands us to be “on” and creates a fear of missing out, trying to please and wrestling with the guilt of saying: “no thank you I shall pass on that.” There is definitely an important skill to develop where we honour our obligations and expectations to others without neglecting a need to take care of ourselves.
Disability Tax Credits
There has been a lot of talk lately about the disability tax credit. You may have seen an ad in your community newspaper telling readers that they can get a considerable tax saving of $2500 per year, as well as sizable tax refund of up to $20,000 from Revenue Canada Agency (CRA). The basis of all of this is that it is dependent on a person having both a medical condition that meets the eligibility criteria for the program and taxable income enough to be able to use a tax credit. Most are skeptical of these ads, thinking that it can’t be true, that CRA will actually pay them back tax money they paid in past tax years based on the severity of their medical condition. Some will ask how is this possible and why haven’t I heard about this. Well, I can tell you that it’s true. Let me tell you a bit about the Disability tax credit program, and how it has helped thousands of Canadians save money on their income tax each as well as receive a nice tax refund.
The Disability Tax Credit (DTC) and the disability amount is a non-refundable tax credit that a person with a medical condition that meets the eligibility criteria can claim to reduce their yearly taxable income. When determined eligible to use the credit, a person may be able to claim the credit for future use or have it applied retroactively to past tax returns. The refund or tax reduction is based a person’s total payable tax amount and may be worth up to a $2,500 tax reduction or refund for each year they qualify. Before applying for the disability tax credit a person must have a medical condition that meets the eligibility criteria that CRA has set out. In assessing the medical condition, CRA looks at the effect that a person’s medical condition has on their daily activities and details specific activities that must be affected in order to be considered. The application process can be somewhat involved and may take some time to go through, but the outcome can be worth the effort.
Let me tell you my own experience with the disability tax credit. A number of years ago I went through a difficult period of time, experiencing pain in my daily activities. I had two hip replacements within an 8 month span, this after living with osteoarthritis for over 12 years prior. With help from a tax credit consultant, in 2009, I went through the disability tax credit process and received a tax refund of close to $20,000. Over the next 5 years, I was able to use the credit when I did my taxes and saw an additional $10,000 in tax savings.
Readers may ask how to go about applying for this substantial tax credit. While it is possible try and go through this process on your own, a person may be better off consulting with a professional who knows the policies and procedures that make up the disability tax credit program in order to maximize the benefits of this program. A tax credit advocate with experience at the DTC program will help clients assess their medical condition and financial situation in order to make sure they have a chance of meeting the criteria and are able to use the credit if they get it. An initial assessment can make a big difference in determining whether or not it would be worthwhile for a potential applicant, their spouse, or family member to go through the process of trying to gain eligibility for the DTC. Advocates help guide people through the DTC process by preparing the necessary preliminary documentation, review and submit the required paperwork to Canada Revenue Agency, follow the progress of the application from start to end, and make recommendations can help a person stay informed and involved in the process. Where there is a problem or delay, an advocate can resolve issues and keep the process moving forward. As a person who has gone through the disability tax credit process, I believe that each person who applies deserves the best chance of getting the Disability Tax Credit. For more information about the disability tax credit and how to apply, please feel free to call Brett Scott 1-844-453-5372
