PAD or Peripheral Arterial Disease is the narrowing of the arteries in the legs. The narrowing of the arteries (atherosclerosis) can limit blood flow and eventually block blood to the legs. If blood flow to legs is limited or blocked it can cause pain with walking or eventually at rest, skin discoloration, loss of hair growth, numbness, and even amputation of a toe or lower limb. Individuals with the following would be at greater risk of PAD: ≥ 65 years of age, Diabetes, Smokers, High Blood Pressure, History of heart disease and/or stroke.
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Mindful Eating
To be a smart eater, you need to take a more considered approach to what is on your plate. Some health advisors suggest Mindful Eating. This involves eating slowly without distraction and learning how to distinguish between actual hunger and non-hunger triggers. Since it takes roughly 20 minutes for the brain to get the message from your stomach that you are full, eating quickly means there is more chance of unnecessary food being consumed. Mindful eating is based on appreciating your food and understanding the link between how you consume it and how it contributes to your well-being.
Releasing What No Longer Serves You
Having the courage to let go of what is no longer needed or serves you in your life helps make the space for something new to emerge, even if you can not see it yet. Our expectations, worries and fears of what’s to come keep us bound from fully living in the present moment and enjoying the process, appreciating what we do have. Our world as we know it is changing at a rapid pace. Important to declutter and let go from the inside out so we can find an inner freedom, lighten the load and bring our best versions of ourselves to make our world a more loving place to be.
The Little Things That Matter
Often in life, the most meaningful moments are the moments spent with those who teach you something, with those who share laughs with you, and with those who support you no matter what. And within those moments, it’s the little things that become the most significant and valuable. Professional caregivers can be there for you, when you need a little extra hand around the house or someone to accompany you on your outings. Caregivers can help with the day-to-day tasks, so you have time to enjoy the little things in life, while remaining safe and independent in your own home.
A Good Night’s Sleep – Naturally!
A good night’s sleep does not come from a bottle because sleeping pills are not able to create natural, good quality, deep and refreshing sleep.
You may have already tried various strategies to manage sleeping problems or taking one or more medications to help you fall asleep or stay asleep. Interestingly, people who take sleeping pills are very often dissatisfied with their sleep despite taking one or more sleeping pills. On top of that, sleeping pills have longterm consequences. If you want deep, refreshing sleep, take a fresh approach. The research and medical community rank Cognitive behaviour therapy for sleep, which involves no remedies, the most effective and safest strategy. Happy zzzz!
Get a Yearly Denture Check-up
Your dentures should be checked on an annual basis to ensure you still have a correct fit. Your face and the tissues in your mouth change over the years, while your dentures are rigid and stay the same. Your appearance and comfort can be compromised the longer you delay receiving care from your denturist. Annual visits to your denture clinic can help ward off many potential problems including headaches, neck and joint pain, irritated gums, indigestion, problems with chewing, and even bone loss and occasionally changes in facial contour. Are you due for a check-up?
Workplace Wellness
Wellness is the state of being healthy in mind, body, and spirit. This approach to healthcare emphasizes preventing illness and prolonging life, as opposed to treating diseases, especially of deliberate effort. Workplace Wellness is any workplace health promotion activity or policy designed to support healthy behavior in the workplace and to improve health outcomes. People are an organization’s most valuable asset. Helping them stay healthy, considers the 8 dimensions of wellness for a holistic approach. It will keep your organization healthy, seeing reduced absenteeism, lateness and turnover due to illness and increased productivity, loyalty and commitment due to better health.
Hearing Loss and Heart Disease
It might come as a surprise, but there is a connection between heart health and hearing. Both rely on blood flow, so heart problems that cause plaque buildup in the arteries and restrict blood flow can potentially damage ears. Nerves in the ears can also be damaged by poor circulation. Studies have shown that the better someone’s cardiovascular health, the better their hearing tends to be. It’s important that older adults eat a healthy, balanced diet; get regular exercise; quit smoking and have their hearing tested every two years, to help maintain a healthy heart, and therefore healthy ears.
Brace Yourself
When you have knee osteoarthritis, the space between the bones in your knee becomes narrower as you lose cartilage. As your condition worsens, and without the protective layer of cartilage, the bones begin to come in direct contact with one another. The result – pain, inflammation, and reduced function of the knee. One solution to resolve these symptoms is to wear an off-loading knee brace. The function of these braces is to increase the space between the bones of the knee and to off-load the bone on bone contact. The outcome – decreased pain, decreased inflammation, and increased function of the knee. Talk to your doctor to see if an off-loading knee brace is right for you.
Acupuncture for Inflammatory Bowel Diseases
Inflammatory bowel diseases like ulcerative colitis and Crohn’s disease are typically treated with anti-inflammatory and
immunosuppressant drugs that work to stop inflammatory responses in the body. Studies have shown that acupuncture can be a helpful option alongside medication for potentially making patients’ symptoms less severe. Acupuncture patients often report that they experience less pain, fatigue, and gastrointestinal symptoms after acupuncture treatments, perhaps because acupuncture treats the mind, body, and spirit. Researchers have found that acupuncture can help increase hemoglobin levels and reduce C-reactive protein levels, which can aid in lowering inflammation in those with an inflammatory bowel disease.
What is Financial Planning?
We all have goals and dreams, however establishing a plan to achieve them is key. Your Financial Planner will put together your Personal Financial Action Plan (PFAP) that will provide a step-by-step strategy to achieve your goals. We look at all areas of budget and cashflow management providing guidance for savings. We then look at tax effectiveness; should you use a TFSA or an RRSP, etc. Then we factor in risk management, which is looking at what you want to happen if you should die, become disabled or get sick. The final area is “estate planning”, which is a way of planning for whatever you don’t spend.
