Community News
Natural Product Review: Garden of Life

Dr. Formulated Probiotics are clinically studied probiotics for mood and relaxation support. In his latest book, Brain Maker, Dr. Perlmutter presents riveting and novel research revealing a strong connection between our mood and the bacteria living in our digestive tracts. The exact mechanisms through which bacteria modulate our mood have yet to be understood fully, however, studies have shown that our microflora affect certain neurotransmitters and hormones that regulate and influence our state of mind. The Dr. Formulated Mood+ was specifically formulated with 50 billion CFUs and 16 different strains of bacteria. It contains clinically studied Lactobacillus helveticus and Bifidobacterium longum in the same amount shown to significantly decrease cortisol levels and thus support a balanced mood, relaxation, and emotional wellbeing. The formula has additional organic Ashwagandha extract, an adaptogenic herb shown to further support stress management, and organic Alaskan blueberries for antioxidant support.

Aviva Natural Health Solutions
AvivaHealth.com

Aging and Alzheimer’s

People usually take memory loss from aging for granted. I confess, I was one of them. Things have changed since I heard my dad was diagnosed with late-onset Alzheimer’s disease. His dad – of course, my granddad – showed the symptom of the disease just before he died. Is it genetic? I came across a shocking scientific fact. Few will not suffer from the disease at 110. According to Rudy Tanzi, the most renowned Alzheimer’s researcher, the disease occurs in half of individuals at 85. According to statistics from the Alzheimer’s Association in Chicago, the disease occurs in 12% of men and 20% of women at 85. I guess this difference is because Professor Tanzi included patients in the very early stage and the association didn’t. I concluded from various articles that everyone had better begin taking preventive measures for Alzheimer’s at 65, at the latest.

Re Vitamins of Charleswood
Facebook.com/revitamins

Considering a Pet Sitter?

If you’re a pet owner who travels, arranging for care for your pets while you’re away can feel like an overwhelming decision. It’s important to look for caregivers who will not only provide for basic needs like food and water, but also companionship, reassurance, and playtime while you’re away. If you can find someone to come to your home, your pet gets to stay in his familiar surroundings, which is less stressful than taking him to a new location! When finding a pet sitter, it’s also important that you’re both on the same page about what’s expected and the fees involved for things like the number and length of visits per day, grooming and walking, accident cleanup, and taking the pet to a vet in case of emergency. You and your pet should feel comfortable about the care arrangements, so you (and your pet) can enjoy your vacation without worry!

Lisa Tustin, Professional Pet Services

Clean Eating: Grilled Corn and Avocado Succotash

Ingredients:

2 tbsp. vegetable oil
S&P
2 tbsp. lime juice
4 ears corn
½ pint cherry tomatoes, halved
1 bell pepper
¼ inch diced
½ red onion, finely chopped
1 avocado, chopped into ½ inch cubes
¼ c. fresh basil leaves

Directions:

While steaks are cooking, shuck corn, toss in vegetable oil and let cook on other side of grill. Once you have nice grill marks on corn, take off and slice kernels off with sharp knife. Mix with rest of ingredients, and serve.

Prairie Box, PrairieBox.com

Journaling Relieves Caregiver Anxiety

If you’re a caregiver for a senior loved one, have you considered journaling as a way to relieve caregiver anxiety? Experts recommend journaling as a way to sort out your feelings and count your blessings when life gets crazy. In fact, regular journaling may even improve your health. Writing down your worries may strengthen your immune cells, giving you a better chance of fighting off infections and staying healthy. Journaling may help you fulfill your most important roles with a positive outlook and plenty of energy. It helps to: 1. Reduce the intensity of stress and anger by writing these feelings down. 2. Solve problems through creativity and intuition. 3. Recognize productive (and unproductive) patterns in your life. 4. Track your progress and growth for increased confidence. 5. Sort out your feelings. Journaling gives you a “safe space” to share your thoughts and feelings without worrying about being judged or feeling guilty.

Alevtina (Alia) Tuhari, Reliable Home Care Agency, ReliableHomeCare.ca

Caregiver Pharmacy Support

It can be difficult to be a caregiver and manage multiple or complex medications for a loved one. It is important to ensure medications are taken appropriately to help maintain good health. A visiting pharmacist provides personal support with regular medication delivery and home consultations. The pharmacist reviews a client’s prescription drugs and over the counter medications to advise if there are any drug interactions, and makes adjustments as necessary. This level of support can reduce emergency room visits and hospital stays, and results in strong, trusting relationships between clients, caregivers, and pharmacists. The visiting pharmacist also provides seamless care for hospital discharge patients and works closely with other health professionals to deliver a high level of care to the client. Care is tailored to specific individual needs such as assisting with blood pressure readings, adding medications as needed to adherence packaging, and making changes in an efficient manner.

Teresa Giesbrecht
CareAtHomePharmacy.ca

Tune-Up Your Brain!

Your brain is the engine that drives you – so it’s important to keep it well-tuned. Fat – or lipid – consumption is essential for the healthy growth, development, and function of your brain. In fact, 60% of your brain’s dry weight is fat. Several types of plant and animal fats are used for brain-building material, though one lipid reigns supreme: omega-3 fatty acids derived from salmon, sardines, krill oil, and plant-based Ahiflower oil. There are many benefits of omega-3: it increases cognitive functioning and decreases symptoms of depression, anxiety and aggression. It is also shown to be a protective factor against cognitive decline and dementia in older adults; and it is an essential component of a healthy diet for pregnant women, leading to better health outcomes in newborns. Consider adding omega-3s to your diet as an evidence-based way to tune-up your brain for optimal mental health.

Sean Miller, CMHA Manitoba and Winnipeg

mbwpg.cmha.ca

Book Club: Why Can’t I get Better?

Solving the Mystery of Lyme and Chronic Disease by Dr. Richard Horowitz. Looks at pain, fatigue, memory and concentration problems, sleep disorders, and much more. Lyme disease and its related conditions are incredibly complicated. You can take the questionnaire yourself, and start doing your own detective work with this book as your guide.

LymeDisease.org

Focus on Bettering Health

Focus can play an important role in success or victory. This principle applies to all areas, including exams, businesses, and athletics. How can we improve focus? First, by improving the quality of sleep. Without sound sleep, you cannot focus enough. Getting less sleep to study longer does not mean you will get better grades. Secondly, by taking nutrients for better focus. About two years ago, the Jets were defeated by the Ducks by 4-0 in the playoff first round. I thought the Jets could have won at least a game with nutritional supplements. Californians tend to take more nutritional supplements than Winnipeggers do. It may just be a wild guess, but a scientifically feasible one. The change caused by a nutritional supplement is small, but the small change can make a big difference. It can be a game changer or a life changer.

Yong Han Lee, Re-Vitamins of Charleswood, Facebook.com/revitamins

Primal Health Coaching

A Primal Health Coach is a wellness expert who uses an integrated approach to educate, motivate, and guide clients towards maximum vitality using scientifically validated ancestral health principles. The aim of the Primal Health Coach is to help clients extract the most joy, satisfaction, and fulfillment from their lives by focusing on their values, needs, visions, and goals in an extremely personalized way. Aligning your diet and lifestyle closer to what nature intended allows your body and mind to heal to the best of its ability. Eat like your life depends on it, because it does!

Tom White, EndDiabetesManitoba.ca, becomeHEALTHY.ca

Avoiding Recurrent Ankle Sprains

You might often hear that if you sprain your ankle once, you are more likely to injure it again. Every time you sprain your ankle, the ligaments are overstretched and micro tearing of the ligaments might even occur. This disrupts the receptors in the ligaments that send information to your nervous system about ankle positioning. Proprioception, your body’s awareness of joint and limb position in space, is crucial in preventing injuries. With a decrease in proprioception, your nervous system receives less input from your ankle about its position on the ground, particularly when stepping on an unstable surface. The reduced input your nervous system receives about your ankle is what leads to those recurrent sprains. Focusing on exercises that improve balance and stability is key to regaining proprioception. Working on balancing exercises and adding progressions (eyes closed, unstable surfaces) is a great way to prevent recurrent ankle sprains.

Albert Amante, Certified Athletic Therapist, InnovativeMedicalSupplies.com