About 71% of seniors are online every day. Of those who are online, their main reason is to stay connected with family and friends. Whether it’s joining forums or sharing photos and stories with loved ones, social media and email allow seniors with limited mobility the opportunity to interact with others. If you’re interested in getting online but don’t know where to start, community centres and local senior groups often have programs to teach seniors about the internet and how to participate in online communities. It is important as we age to continue to stay socially connected to friends and loved ones.

Reiki is a gentle but powerful energy healing technique used for relaxation, stress reduction and balance that can promote healing on many levels. It is typically given by ‘laying on of hands’ as you lie on a massage table fully clothed. This higher frequency, positive energy flows through the hands of the practitioner into your energy field releasing ‘energy blockages’ by lifting and transforming lower frequency energies such as worry, fear, anger and anxiety. The deep relaxation experienced with Reiki can have many beneficial effects including more calm/stillness to the body & mind, better sleep, reduced stress & pain and reduction of overwhelm and anxiety.

What is the best diet strategy for weight loss? The answer depends on your weight loss goals. Unfortunately, the evidence is conflicting about what strategies work best. At the end of the day, the best diet for you is the one that you can faithfully follow for a lifetime to help you to reach your optimal weight and allows you to not feel hungry or deprived. Medications can also contribute to weight gain, so have a pharmacist review your medications to ensure a medication is not contributing to unwanted weight.

In holistic healthcare modalities such as naturopathy, nutrition, and herbalism, inflammation is often recognized as a root cause for many chronic and acute conditions. The four cardinal signs of inflammation include redness, heat, swelling, and pain, and these symptoms can depend on both the severity and location within the body. Inflammation can be easily detectable in acute injury such as a superficial wound or sudden sprain, where the area quickly swells and the pain is obvious. However, within certain systems, inflammation can be hard to detect.

It is certain that inflammation is linked to chronic pain from arthritis, gout, carpal tunnel, and other physical injury to the joints or muscles. Additionally, it contributes to digestive conditions such as irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), Crohn’s, ulcerative colitis, and diverticulitis. Autoimmune conditions such as celiac disease, rheumatoid arthritis, inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), and psoriasis are also effected. Emerging research is suggesting that inflammation within the brain can contribute to mental health conditions such as depression, anxiety, and mood disorders. Symptoms of the above conditions (and more) can often be managed, if not put into remission, by controlling this marker of disease.

For management of both pain and other chronic symptoms associated with inflammation, using food as medicine can be very effective. The first step is to minimize foods in the diet that promote inflammation. This includes any form of sugar – cane sugar, molasses, honey, maple syrup, agave, date syrup, dried fruit, and high-sugar fruits such as tropical fruits and melons.

Grains pose a similar issue, and also contain anti nutrients such as lectins, which further exasperate inflammation.

Next on the “avoid” list is processed vegetable oils, including refined sunflower oil, canola oil, soybean oil, safflower oil, peanut oil, and rice bran oil. These oils are extremely high in omega 6 fatty acids, are extracted using chemical solvents, and are often rancid or mildly toxic, all contributing to inflammation.

Focusing the diet on high quality, nutrient dense foods is key. Consume ample amounts of local, seasonal vegetables, smaller amounts of fruits, nuts and seeds, beans and legumes, high quality animal protein (grass fed beef, pastured pork, free range chicken and eggs, wild seafood, organ meats), and healthy fats from avocados, coconut oil, olives, and high quality saturated fats, such as tallow, pastures lard, and grass fed butter.

Another “food as medicine” approach to treating inflammation is using natural anti inflammatory foods and herbs. These foods include omega 3 rich foods such as fish, cod liver oil, and shellfish. In addition to omega 3’s, you may consider incorporating bone broth into your daily diet. Bone broth contains minerals, fat soluble vitamins, and anti inflammatory amino acids such as glycine and proline.

Numerous anti inflammatory herbs are available to use in cooking, elixirs, teas, and capsules. Turmeric be added to bone broth with a tablespoon of grass fed butter, and a pinch of both sea salt and black pepper. Alternatively, a paste of turmeric, coconut oil and black pepper can be made, to take by the teaspoonful twice daily. Note that although turmeric is natural, herbs are powerful drugs and should be treated as medicine. Individuals on blood thinners or other medication should check with their healthcare provider first.

Many conditions can be managed or improved by addressing inflammation, the root cause of many chronic health problems. This can be done through proper nutrition and implementing anti inflammatory foods and herbs.

Do you have a hard time relaxing or getting a good night’s sleep?  Are you always on the go and feel you barely have time to breathe?  Does it feel like your mind and your body are constantly ON and unable to be still?

Try Reiki!!!   Reiki brings a deep relaxation to the mind and body that is hard to experience in other practices when first starting out on your road to better health.  It is hard to relax when you just can’t get still!

Reiki is a gentle but powerful energy healing technique used for relaxation, stress reduction and balance that can promote healing on many levels.  It is typically given by ‘laying on of hands’ as you lie on a massage table fully clothed.  This higher frequency, positive energy flows through the hands of the practitioner into your energy field releasing ‘energy blockages’ by lifting and transforming lower frequency energies such as worry, fear, anger and anxiety.

This deep relaxation experienced with Reiki can have many beneficial effects such as:

• More calm/stillness to the body and mind
• Better sleep
• Increased clarity
• Improved decision-making
• Reduction of overwhelm and anxiety
• Reduction of stress and pain
• Opening to more love & compassion
• Shifting of old perceptions
• Dissolving of old habits/beliefs
• Increased intuition and trust in life

Many of these effects are immediate and last for days after your session and others are cumulative.  A great thing about Reiki is that you can learn to do it yourself for your own personal healing and it works well with any other practice you are doing or therapy you are receiving.  Give it a try today and find the stillness you need for better health!