Community News
Father’s Day Gift – Wellness

Does your dad have a closet full of Father’s Day ties? This year, show him that you care about his wellness and give him socks – VoxxLife socks. They have wearable technology that works with the brain to reduce pain, increase strength and endurance and enhance stability and balance. Knee-high socks with mild compression are great when standing for a long time or excess sitting. For the active walkers or runners, chose moisture-wicking socks to keep the feet cool in summer. Socks are available for pick-up or delivery in Central Vancouver Island or order directly from the website.

Sports Betting Support

Sports bettors, who tend to be young men, are the most vulnerable to problematic behavior, according to the NCPG’s National Survey on Gambling Attitudes and Gambling Experiences. The survey reveals that sports bettors are three times more likely to exhibit problem gambling behavior than other types of gamblers.” (Quoted from onlinepoker.com) Given the popularity of sports betting across North America, and Canada’s soon-to-be new law allowing single event sports betting (Canada.ca DoJ), vulnerable sports bettors may find themselves in a position to engage in more impulsive betting behaviour. Contact us for more info on how we can help!

Search for Meaning

Depression and anxiety are common experiences for many individuals. These conditions can create challenges that feel overwhelming and insurmountable at times. One way to approach this is through Existential approaches to counselling. In Victor Frankl’s book Man’s Search for Meaning, he writes how we can fill our lives with meaning by incorporating three main pillars: 1) the freedom to will – choosing your own path to follow; 2) the will to meaning – finding what is personally meaningful; and 3) the meaning to life – one’s personal meaning brought forward by the work or deed and their connection to others.

Information & Energy are Key to Health

“Have you ever considered that in a state of total wellness, the body’s cells and organs always know what to do, and do it perfectly? The latest science is revealing the mechanisms that allow the body’s optimal functioning, and also what can cause it to lose resilience and efficacy, and to even malfunction. All of the science, along with NES’s extensive research and testing, has demonstrated that the root cause of malfunction – as well as the source of optimal functioning – exists beneath the physiology of the body. We must look to the physics underlying our biochemistry.”

Community Partnerships & Resources

At Wellnessnews Choices for Healthy Living®, we are proud to be active in our communities. We promote events and activities that help bring health and well-being into people’s lives. This month, we have partnered with the Victoria HarbourCats and the Nanaimo NightOwls Baseball Clubs, The Victoria Goddess Run and the Aging Well Seniors Expo in Cowichan. Our health and wellness resources include our printed newsletters, our online WellnessHubVancouverIsland.ca, the “Wellness Wednesday” radio show on CHLY 101.7 FM or CHLY.ca and our Expos. Check out the Hub for more information and to enter our June contest.

Self-care Is Important

Seniors can benefit from incorporating self-care into their daily routines. Self-care activities include; *Choosing healthy foods, * Daily exercise, *Interesting hobbies, *Spending time with others, *Taking time to relax and *Getting enough sleep. For seniors, having a routine and ongoing self-care support from others is vital. Habits are easier to maintain with consistent actions. Others can support your self-care goals by encouraging you to keep them up if you feel discouraged. They can also help you find ways to overcome any limitations that may arise as you age or walk alongside you as you build these routines into your life.

An Antioxidant Powerhouse

In the spectrum of nutrition, berries rank near the top, and among berries, none are more nutritious than the Aronia berry. That’s because powerful antioxidants in Aronia berries remove harmful free oxygen radicals from cells. Research shows that in diabetics, Aronia berry juice reduced blood glucose, and its extracts reduced inflammation and improved immunity. An extract of Aronia berries injected into highly malignant brain tumor cells killed malignant cells within 24 hours without harming healthy cells. And in hard-to-treat cancers, combining Aronia with chemotherapy improved the effectiveness of conventional drugs.

Help for Ankle Pain

Ankle pain can be frustrating. What helps? Exercises for your knees, quads, and glutes help. Just like the song “The Skelton Dance” states: “Your heel bone connected to your ankle bone, Your ankle bone connected to your leg bone and so on…”. Everything is connected. Once you have resolved the ankle pain, keep doing the stretches and exercises to prevent the pain from returning. Work with a physiotherapist and a Pilates teacher to help with pain and discomfort through the whole chain. They can help keep you pain-free.

Pool Therapy for Joint Pain

Everyone needs to exercise to improve and maintain their general health. As we age, hip and knee joints can become painful from normal wear and tear! Mild Exercise therapy can help! Pool therapy is an excellent way to both manage pain and maintain strength, flexibility and mobility in joints and muscles. Warm water provides an environment that relaxes muscles allowing individuals to move with greater mobility and with less pain. Exercise and pool therapy pre-and post-surgery create greater surgery success and a more rapid recovery. There are many benefits to developing an at-home, gym or pool-based exercise routine. We are happy to help!

Clean Eating Recipe

“Crisper” Chopped Salad with Tahini Dressing: 1/4 cup lemon juice. 2 tbsp olive oil. 2 tbsp tahini paste. 2 cloves garlic, minced. 1/2 tsp each ground cumin and sea salt. 4 cups any combination chopped ‘crisper’ vegetables, such as celery, cucumbers, carrots, fennel, cabbage, radishes, broccoli and/or cauliflower. 1 cup halved grape tomatoes. 1 can chickpeas drained and rinsed. Directions: Whisk together lemon juice, oil, tahini paste, garlic, cumin, and salt. Toss with chopped “crisper” vegetables, tomatoes and chickpeas. Tip: Substitute chickpeas with lentils, and for a little spice, add a pinch of cayenne to dressing. Sprinkle salad with za’atar seasoning.

Senior Brain Health

It’s important for people of all ages to keep their brains healthy with regular workouts, but especially so for seniors. Here are five ways you can keep your mind sharp as you age: 1) Play a game. Try a sudoku, crossword, or jigsaw puzzle, or play a game of cards with friends. 2) Get moving. Regular exercise increases blood flow to your brain and increases neurons. 3) Listen to or play music. Science shows that music is a great brain booster. 4) Eat right. A diet rich in healthy fats is crucial for cognitive health. 5) Learn something new. Keep your mind engaged!