Community News
Getting Well Today and Staying Well in the 21st Century

Ask a dozen people or more what “wellness” means to them and you will get as many different answers related to alternative therapies, natural medicines, fitness, nutrition, and even spirituality. For Rick Thiessen, ‘wellness’ means all of these in addition to no small amount of pride in being behind one of the most successful health and wellness expos in Canada for the last twenty years. This annual consumer show features approximately 100 companies with thousands of products and services that are designed to promote a healthier and more fulfilling lifestyle as well as enhance or improve a person’s quality of life.

The Wellness Expo is all about choice: treatments, products and more. People should have a choice but they don’t even know what’s out there. Unfortunately when consumers are looking for answers, it’s usually under duress. As a visitor to this event, the Wellness Expo offers people to try products and services in a safe and less costly environment.

The 21 annual Winnipeg Wellness Expo comes to the RBC Convention Centre, February 20 – 22, 2015. Admission is $10 for an all-day pass that includes access to the trade show, displays and demonstrations as well as all of our seminars.

For full program details, see wellnessexpo.com

Smile…It’s Toothday!

Actually, it is Tooth month here at the Animal Hospital of Manitoba and we are having a pet dental special. If your cat or dog has bad breath, it could be time for a professional dental cleaning. Bad breath can be a sign of anything from gum disease to organ damage.

The same bacteria that can destroy your pet’s teeth can also enter the blood stream and damage internal organs. Bleeding gums and broken or rotten teeth can affect your pet’s appetite and behaviour. Keep your furry friend happy and healthy have a dental check done today!

Financial Well-Being

Happy New Year!

Have you committed yourself to any resolutions for 2015? For most of us, the top goals for the New Year revolve around getting healthier or improving our finances; specifically, to save more and reduce debt. A good financial plan will outline when, how and how much you should put towards savings and debt reduction. For example, some people benefit more from saving with an RRSP and using the additional tax refund to pay down debts. Some may have debts that generate tax savings and should be prioritized differently. Whether it’s allocating money or living healthier, having a well-documented plan of attack is the key to making this year’s resolution work!

Thomas Johnson – Cascade Financial Group

ThomasJohnsonMB@outlook.com

Ask Your Vet

Susan from St. Vital asks: “Why does my dog drag his butt across the floor”?

Veterinarian Dr. Zheng answers: “There are several reasons why your dog may be “scooting” as it is commonly known:

  1. Anal Sac Issues; sometimes these sacs become abscessed, blocked, or inflamed and ways to remedy can include; expressing the sacs, giving antibiotics to treat an infection, increasing dietary fiber, lancing or flushing the sacs.
  2. Worms; Tapeworms are another, though less common, reason dogs may start scooting, Tapeworms are easy to treat with a dose of oral or injectable medication from your veterinarian.
  3. Rectal Prolapse; a rectal prolapse can happen to your dog after severe diarrhea or from straining with constipation. Treatment for rectal prolapse varies.

If your dog is scooting or persistently licking at the anal area, or in any way appears to be uncomfortable, you should talk to your vet. Treatment is often quick and easy and can make your dog and you a lot happier!”

Animal Hospital of Manitoba

animalhospofmb.com

Giving Back: Mary Jane’s Cooking School

Mary Jane’s Cooking School, a not-for profit organization and registered charity was founded over 20 years ago, by a group of women concerned about the loss of basic life skills, and an over reliance on commercial foods. Recognizing food as the foundation to physical and mental health, the organization was created to reinforce the values of nutritional home-cooking and to re-educate people in the slow and simple art of cooking whole foods.

The origins of the school began with volunteer drop-in cooking classes in the inner city. A pioneer in the field of whole food education, Mary Jane’s Cooking School is a resource for non-corporate nutrition information and offers a wide range of classes. Some examples are: Cooking for diabetes, Vegetarian/Vegan Cooking, Bread Making and Soup Making. Environmental information is interwoven in the classes.

Volunteer services for technical support and help in preparing for classes and cleanup would be appreciated.

maryjanescookingschool.org

Book Club: Super Brain

By Deepak Chopra, MD & Rudy Tanzi, MD.

Learn the Super Brain dietary supplement – Ayurvedic Brain Support. Unleashing the Explosive Power of your Mind to Maximize Health, Happiness, and Spiritual Well-being. A manual for relating to the brain in a revolutionary new way, Super Brain shows you how to use your brain as a gateway for achieving health, happiness, and spiritual growth.

Super Brain explains by combining cutting-edge research and spiritual insights, demolishing the five most widespread myths about the brain that limit your potential, and then showing you methods to:

  • Use your brain instead of letting it use you
  • Create the ideal lifestyle for a healthy brain
  • Reduce the risks of aging
  • Promote happiness and well-being through the mind-body connection
  • Access the enlightened brain, the gateway to freedom and bliss
  • Overcome the most common challenges, such as memory loss, depression, anxiety, and obesity

The brain is not just the greatest gift that Nature has given us. It’s the gateway to an unlimited future that you can begin to live today.

deepakchopra.com

Early Winter Masala

A masala is any combination of spices blended and ground together.

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons cumin seeds
2 tablespoons caraway seeds
1 teaspoon yellow mustard seed
1 teaspoon turmeric powder
1 teaspoon garlic powder

Directions:

Roast the cumin, caraway and yellow mustard seed to a small pan and roast till the mustard seeds start to pop. Turn the heat off then add the spice powders to the blend. Put the blend into your mortar and pestle or spice grinder and grind the mixture. *Does not have to be ground into a fine powder.

Use on steamed vegetables, in stir fries, any soup or stew, in rice for added flavours or on popcorn! So yummy! Enjoy!

Kalee Mund is an Ayurvedic Counsellor, who teaches Ayurvedic Cooking Classes and other Ayurvedic Workshops.

kalee.mund@gmail.com

kaleemund.com

Health Spotlight: Comfort Keepers

Are you or a loved one looking for help maintaining an independent lifestyle? Comfort Keepers provides non-medical, in-home services for seniors and other adults in need of a helping hand with day to day activities, promoting a safe and enriched life for those under our care. The cornerstone of Comfort Keepers philosophy is a method we call Interactive Caregiving that promotes active engagement in daily activities. We know that physical and mental stimulation leads to a healthier, better quality of life.

We assist with a variety of daily tasks including meal preparation, light housekeeping, incidental transportation, personal care, errands and many others, while ensuring safety and independence. If you would like to enrich the life of a loved one, call Comfort Keepers to discuss how we can help, and receive a free in-home assessment.

204-488-4600

www.winnipeg.comfortkeepers.ca

Ever Wanted To Be a Hero?

My dad is 65 years old and on peritoneal dialysis. He was diagnosed with polycystic kidney disease in his mid 50’s, a genetic disease that attacks both kidneys until kidney failure. When you reach kidney failure, dialysis can only buy you so much time before your only option is to find a kidney donor. Unfortunately his chance of getting a deceased donor kidney is so low that a living donor is our only hope. No one in our family is capable of donating, either because we have been diagnosed with the disease ourselves or our health leaves us incapable of donating. We are now looking for a volunteer living kidney donor outside of our family. My dad needs a hero now so that he can be around to watch his five grandsons grow up.

For more information please visit our website at:  www.ralphskidneyquest.com

Whole Food Based Nutrition

The best way to reduce your risk of disease is to eat healthy. The right fuel in your body makes it run better. Fruits and vegetables are two key food groups known to contribute to better health. Juice Plus+ puts more of the valuable nutrition from fruits and vegetables back into your diet to improve health and wellness. The recommendation for a healthy diet is to fill half your plate at each meal with fruits and vegetables. Healthy eating takes time, planning, and can cost a lot of money. Rich in vitamins and antioxidants, Juice Plus+ products can help you fill that hole in your diet.

What to Expect Over Time – Improved immunity, better digestion, better sleep, fewer allergies, more energy, healthier hair, skin, nails and gums, improved circulation and heart health, peak athletic performance and recovery, reduced systemic inflammation, stronger anti-oxidant defence system, optimal mental, emotional and physical health.