Community News
Something to Sleep On

Daydreaming about better health? Getting 7-9 hours of uninterrupted, deep sleep can help make those dreams come true. Some researchers claim that the health benefits of sleeping are equivalent to those of eating. When daylight fades, our bodies release melatonin, a natural sleep aid/hormone with powerful antioxidant properties that works to: 1) Reduce inflammation; 2) Foster mental and emotional resilience; 3) Boost immune system function; 4) Improve performance and memory; 5) Protect your heart; 6) Prevent cancer. Having trouble sleeping? Here are a few tips to help you nod off: 1) Darken your room. Melatonin release only happens in low light/dark conditions. Blue light from mobile devices, TV’s, etc. inhibits this process. 2) Avoid eating/drinking 2-3 hours before bedtime. 3) Keep a consistent sleep/wake schedule. 4) Engage in moderate to rigorous exercise. If you rarely feel well rested talk to your healthcare provider about natural and medicinal support.

Sean Miller, CMHA MB & WPG, mbwpg.cmha.ca

A Daughter’s Recommendation

Care At Home Pharmacy can help seniors remain in the comfort of their home by having quality care come to them. My parents have greatly benefitted from “visiting pharmacist” Yolanda Yeung’s involvement. She initially developed a medical profile for each of them and made recommendations to their doctor regarding medication changes. She visits my parents’ home weekly to monitor their progress and well-being, and provides their prescriptions and any other pharmaceutical needs, as recommended by their doctor. I am my parents’ primary caregiver but do not live in the city, so Yolanda and I communicate by email. She also regularly communicates with the doctor and nursing service involved with my parents’ care. It is a great comfort to me to know the Care At Home Pharmacy team provides a personalized and reputable service to seniors like my parents and is so willing to partner with other services in this type of care at home model. – Happy Daughter.

Care At Home Pharmacy, CareAtHomePharmacy.ca

Clean Eating: Lemon Tahini Dressing

This delicious dressing can be used for salad greens or as a sauce over rice, steamed vegetables, and baked potatoes.

2/3 cup plain almond or rice milk

5 tbsp lemon juice

1 clove garlic

½ tsp salt

½ cup tahini

1/8 tsp toasted sesame oil

Place all the ingredients in a blender and puree for 1 minute at high speed. Herbal D-TOX Cookbook for Cleansing by Dr. Terry Willard, CI.H.,Ph.D. AvivaHealth.com/WildRose

Book Club: Herbal D-Tox Cook Book for Cleansing by Dr. Terry Willard, PH.D.

Out with the old and in with the new. Detoxification is one of the central concepts of natural healing because it is impossible to build healthy new tissue without eliminating old cells and their by-products. This D-Tox program is designed for both meat eaters and vegetarians. The recipes in this book are designed to stimulate your own creativity and to show you that a delicious Meal Plan can accompany a detoxification diet.

Nathan Zassman, Aviva Natural Health Solutions, AvivaHealth.com/WildRose

Dimensions of Anxiety

Anxiety can have two faces; One helps us be cautious in an unsafe situation and the other that can be very crippling. Four personality traits can complicate and increase anxiety: Perfectionism, excessive need for approval, the tendency to ignore physical and psychological signs of stress and the excess need for control. These traits have likely developed in childhood through learned behaviour or developed out of a response to frequent criticisms, according to E.J. Bourne, Ph. D. in the Anxiety and Phobia Workbook. Anxiety can affect us mentally, physically, emotionally and spiritually. To enable us to grow and recover we have to reduce the physical reactions, eliminate avoidance behaviour and change the negative selftalk. This can be done by learning breathing techniques and expressing your feelings, re-connect on a spiritual level with meditation and by using assertive communication styles and healthy boundaries. Regular exercise and dietary changes can be extremely effective in reducing anxiety.

Patty Parsons, Counselling Therapist, ParsonsTherapy.com

Put the Spring Back in Your Step with Bowenwork

Lower body pain in the feet, ankles, knees, hips or lower back can really influence a person’s mobility, balance, and capacity to do things in their daily lives. It can also affect the alignment of their entire body, and even be contributing to pain in their upper body. Bowenwork looks at the body as one entire functioning unit. It gently signals the nervous system to reset the tension in the body to a more relaxed, normal resting state. Bowenwork improves circulation of blood and lymph in our bodies. This results in an increase of oxygen, and nutrients to muscles, the release of toxins, and long lasting pain relief. Bowenwork is a newer type of bodywork that started in Australia in the 1950’s and is quickly gaining popularity in Canada. Its primary focus is on the body’s innate ability to heal itself and working with the body holistically for effective pain relief.

Bernadette Kozak, Certified Bowenwork Practitioner, WinnipegPainRelief.ca

Sunscreen 101

Spring is in the air! It’s time to start thinking about sunscreen if you haven’t already. When selecting one, go for the “broad spectrum” protection. Sunscreens with this label protect against both UVA and UVB rays. Make sure your sunscreen has a sun protection factor of 30 or higher. The SPF number is the level of protection the sunscreen provides against harmful rays. Higher SPF numbers do mean more protection, but the higher you go, the smaller the difference becomes. Generally, an SPF over 50 doesn’t give much more added protection, and a higher SPF does NOT mean people can stay in the sun longer. Secondly, take a look at the ingredients. Physical blockers (titanium dioxide, zinc oxide) provide the best protection and cause less skin irritation than chemical sunscreens.

Care at Home Pharmacy, CareAtHomePharmacy.ca

Where Is Love?

You’ve decided enough is enough. You have plenty going for yourself and you want to share your life with someone special but where on earth are you going to find them? Times have changed. We live in an electronic world but computers don’t have hearts and you don’t know if the person behind the screen is authentic. You have asked your friends and coworkers if they know anyone right for you and you have been insulted by who they have suggested! A matchmaker specializes in finding love for people who are looking for one special partner. An effective matchmaker meets with all potential clients in person and determines who the right person is for them. A criminal record check should be conducted on each client. When choosing a match-maker it is important that you work with a service that has been in business for quite some time and has many success stories.

Lianne Tregobov, Camelot Introductions, camelotintroductions.com

Don’t Sweat the Setbacks

So your New Year’s Resolution was to adopt a healthier diet. Now that the first few months of 2017 have come and gone is your initial enthusiasm is starting to wane? We all have limited resources – time, energy and money and changing your lifestyle can challenge these resources and your resolve. To stay on track, focus on keeping it simple. Plan your meals for the week ahead, shop accordingly and do as much advanced prep work as possible. Keep a collection of recipes that are tasty, healthy, quick and cheap. Make double batches and freeze extras for quick meals. If everyone is hungry, serve a salad or green smoothie while cooking the rest of the meal. That way you can fill up on healthy stuff while the hot stuff is cooking. Focus on the positives and don’t sweat the setbacks. Have patience, you can do this!

Darlene Porter, KnowThyselfAsSoul.org

How Magnesium Oil Helped

“I have had rheumatoid arthritis for close to 40 years. I’ve started using the Magnesium Oil a month ago, by rubbing it in, twice a day — right away I noticed a difference. I’ve been not totally pain-free, but there has been a tremendous improvement. The magnesium oil provides me super pain management and works to improve the flexibility of my joints. I have found that my sleep has improved by several hours a night, I am experiencing more energy, and I ‘m able to function much better.” Carmen Kulik. 7 Benefits of using Magnesium Oil: 1. Important for heart health. 2. Helps increase energy by regulating energy levels. 3. Calm nerves by producing ‘happy hormones’ 4. Relieves Muscle Aches and Pains. 5. Health with digestion by relieving constipation. 6. Regulates levels of calcium and potassium. 7. Prevents migraine Headaches.

DnA Wellness, DnAWellness.ca

Water Yourself to Grow Your Health

When it comes to healthy beverages, water has no equal. This tasteless, odorless thirst quencher is essential to your every physiological process and makes up approximately 45-80% of our body mass. Because we lose water as we age, it becomes increasingly important to stay hydrated, a task accomplished by both drinking and eating. Two-thirds of our body’s water volume is found within our cells, making them like mini water balloons. When adequately filled, they are effective in alleviating headaches, improving memory, flushing out toxins, regulating body temperature, hydrating skin, lubricating joints, and – importantly – reducing inflammation which is believed to be the root of nearly all illness and disease including mental illness. If you are looking for an evidence-based and cost-effective way to improve your physical and mental health, look no further: water is truly a life source.

Canadian Mental Health Association, www.mbwpg.cmha.ca