Community News
Boost Your Mental Health This Winter

Winter months can be difficult for those experiencing a mental health challenge or illness, especially during and following the holiday season. There are, however, a myriad of evidence-based ways to boost your physical and mental well-being. One important tool is vitamin D. Research clearly shows the benefits of this powerful vitamin for improving body and thereby brain health. Our bodies synthesize this nutrient through exposure to the sun. However, during reduced daylight months we are unable to get what we need from our solar source. Because low levels of vitamin D are associated with depression, it may be beneficial to add vitamin D through your diet, light therapy, or a supplement. If taking a supplement, choose the “D3”version and consume with a fatty meal. Be sure to speak with your doctor before starting a nutritional supplement program. If low mood persists, contact your healthcare provider or local CMHA for additional information and resources.

Sean Miller, Canadian Mental Health Association, mbwpg.cmha.ca

6 Toxic Chemicals in Your Laundry Detergent

The laundry detergent you’re using may contain a cocktail of potent chemicals. Not only can these chemicals wreak havoc on your health, but they also are contaminating our waterways and harming the environment. Because laundry-care product manufacturers are not required to list all laundry detergent ingredients on packaging, it can be difficult for consumers to make informed choices. There are 7 toxic chemicals likely found in your store-bought detergents, according to the Environmental Working Group’s Skin Deep. Cosmetic Safety Reviews, research studies show that the chemicals in detergents link to allergies, irritation of the skin and eyes, organ toxicity, developmental/reproductive toxicity, neurotoxicity, endocrine disruption, ecotoxicology, and biochemical or cellular changes. Do your research as you may find out that it’s your laundry detergent that is causing your skin irritations or allergies.

Kevin Shale, Low Environmental Impact Technologies, leit.ca

Clean Eating: Squash That Apple Pie!

Squash for dessert? This is how to eat your veggies! Fast, healthy, easy, low-calorie and gluten-free – perfect to round out holiday eating. Ingredients: 1 medium cooked spaghetti squash, 2 apples chopped or sliced, 3 eggs, 1/2 cup brown sugar (or sweetener of choice), 1 tsp vanilla, 1 tsp lemon juice, 1 Tbsp cinnamon, 1/2 tsp nutmeg, 1/3 cup raisins or dried cranberries. Preheat oven to 375ºF. Spray an 8×8” baking dish with cooking spray. Whisk eggs, brown sugar, vanilla, and lemon juice. Chop cold squash into rice-size pieces. Add squash, apples, raisins, cinnamon and nutmeg and mix well. Add mix and distribute evenly in dish. Bake on middle rack for 45-60 minutes. Drizzle with maple syrup, sprinkle with toasted nuts and serve with plain Greek yogurt. Adapted from Cara Lyon’s Sweet Spaghetti Squash Kugel with Apples and Raisins, carascravings.com.

Lisa Kehler, www.offyourplatenutrition.ca

Step Into New Insoles

If we lead active lifestyles with sports and jobs, foot pain can begin to present itself out of nowhere. We all have a unique foot shape and sometimes adding a new insole orthotic to our existing shoes can provide a more tailored fit for our feet. Some of us may have high arches, while others may have flat feet. An orthotic can provide more support and contact while distributing force, while we are on our feet for several hours a day. We have 3 arches in our feet that work together to create a solid dome-like structure that supports the force applied by our body weight. A weakness or drop in any one or combination of these arches can compromise the integrity of the dome, and elicit pain. Replacing the standard insoles that come with new shoes, can help support the arches and decrease the risk of pain developing.

Heath Vermette, CAT(C), southsherbrook.com

The Gift of Relaxation

With all the expectations that come with the holiday season, the best gift you can give yourself or others is that of relaxation. Unfortunately, stress (acute or chronic) may cause people’s brains to become “stuck” in an over- or under-aroused state. When a person is stuck, they often will find it much more difficult (or nearly impossible) to reach a deeply relaxed state. This is where Brainwave Optimization can help. As the brain is mirrored back to itself, it facilitates a state of deep relaxation in the brain so that it can unlock its inner resources for healing and self-optimization. Brainwave Optimization is a holistic, non-invasive process that restores the brain to its natural highfunctioning state. With its state-of-the-art neurotechnology and software, Brainwave Optimization balances the brain. Since the brain controls every cell, every organ, every tissue and the entire autonomic nervous system, this has a direct effect on the entire body.

Joanne Couture, RMFT, RSW, www.lalobatraumarelease.com

Know Your Ergonomics!

The equipment you use on a daily basis should adjust to you, not vice versa. Adjust the seat in your car. Make sure your hips are higher than your knees. Get your computer monitor off your desk. It needs to be placed higher because on the desk, it’s way too low. Get in the habit of standing, not reaching for the printer. You should also stand when you answer the telephone (otherwise know as that “5 lbs. file”). Standing desks are becoming popular. However if you stand at work all day, make sure to shift and move. It’s also important to get a box to put one foot up on. Repetitive strain injuries are mostly “habitual.” Equipment and tools are only as good as the user’s technique. Know your ergonomics at work, home, and play and enjoy a much healthier and happier life!

Chris Bisignano, www.yourphysio.com

Bowenwork for Back Pain

Bowenwork is a very gentle, holistic, hands-on form of bodywork that essentially resets the body to heal itself. Bowen Therapy can be extremely effective with issues related to lower back pain, even when other therapies were unsuccessful. The Bowenwork Practitioner never forcefully manipulates the body into correction. On the contrary, the body is gently signalled through the nervous system by the practitioner’s moves, and then left to heal itself, with minimal intervention. Bowenwork restores balance of the entire body through the nervous system. Once muscles become balanced, blood flow, oxygen, and nutrients are increased, and toxins are released. Additionally, bones move back to where they should be, and pinched nerves are set free. Often there is pain relief in multiple areas of the body, resulting in a profound sense of well-being. Don’t give up! Talk to a Certified Bowenwork Practitioner about starting your healing journey today.

Bernadette Kozak, Certified Bowenwork Practitioner, www.WinnipegPainRelief.ca

Think Outside the Hoop!

The beloved Hula Hoop is making a comeback! Though not the way you may remember it. In the past 10 years this iconic children’s toy has evolved into a full body workout that not only burns 100 calories in 10 minutes, but also improves balance, coordination, flexibility and mobility. The hoop is best described as Playful Fitness; a non-competitive journey of learning and self-improvement. This high-energy creative outlet can be enjoyed at home while watching TV, or at work on your lunch break; making it the perfect instrument to stay motivated with your fitness goals. The awesomeness of the hoop doesn’t stop there! Remarkably, the hoop has a magical way of elevating your mood and boosting self-confidence. It has even been known to help those struggling with anxiety and depression. Best of all hooping doesn’t feel like exercise, it is play. So pick up a hoop; you sure to fall in love!

Karrie Blackburn, www.kurrentmotionhoops.com

Ask the Expert: How Long Do Dentures Last?

Dentures can still be perfectly solid after ten or twenty years, but that does not answer the question: How long do they last? The mouth changes constantly. The bones get smaller with age. If you have natural teeth, then the distance between your nose and your chin stays constant. If you have dentures, this distance gets smaller as the bones supporting your dentures shrink. Your upper teeth become less visible when you smile because of this shrinkage. The lower half of your face gets shorter for the same reason. New dentures can compensate for these changes. Your smile will be fuller and more natural, and your face will look younger. Wait too long, and the changes will be much larger and harder to adapt to. So the real question is: How long before my face needs to be supported better by new dentures? The answer: Five to eight years.

Dr. George Cadigan, www.exclusivelydentures.ca

Re-Think Omega Fatty Acids!

Fat could be your biggest ally in health maintenance and cardiovascular disease prevention. But we need to think about the RIGHT fats. Omega fatty acids are crucial for helping to lower bad cholesterol and triglycerides. They are essential to maintaining our nervous system and act as an anti-inflammatory to fight diseases like rheumatoid arthritis. Some forms of omega-3 can also reduce fat while improving lean body mass. But which omega fatty acids do we REALLY need?   The ones most North Americans need is omega-3 from FISH OIL, as the typical Western diet does not give enough of it. When you are looking for an omega-3 product from the pharmacy, keep in mind a few tips: 1. Look for omega-3s from fish oil instead of krill oil. This is because krill oil contains very little omega-3. 2. Look for ingredients of EPA/DHA as opposed to alpha-linolenic acid as EPA/DHA is the form of omega-3 that the body can use most efficiently.

Teresa Giesbrecht, www.careathomepharmacy.ca

Book Club: The Dirt Cure:

Growing Healthy Kids with Food Straight from Soil. In the tradition of Michael Pollan, Mark Hyman, and Andrew Weil, pioneering integrative pediatric neurologist Maya ShetreatKlein, MD, reveals the shocking contents of children’s food, how it’s seriously harming their bodies and brains, and what we can do about it. www.dirtcure.com