It is important for seniors to maintain strong connections with family and friends. Social connections can reduce feelings of loneliness and isolation and make life more enjoyable. Regular activities, such as having coffee with friends or going for a walk, can help. Friends and family can also offer emotional and practical support. If you are taking care of someone with dementia, or other ongoing health issues, it is important to make sure you have time for yourself. Maintain a balanced schedule and take time to do activities that make you happy, such as reading a book, listening to music, or spending time in nature.
Smart Eating Tips
Eating right plays a major part in a senior’s quality of life. Some important dietary factors that should be considered include: Sodium – OK in moderation, as long as the foods are high-quality. Fats – Monitor saturated and trans fatty acids, and lean more towards monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fatty acids (like omega-3s). Carbohydrates – Spread carbohydrates throughout the day to manage blood sugar. Protein – Increase protein intake to maintain muscle mass. Fibre – Eat plenty of fibre and drink plenty of water. Sugar – Consume in moderation. Vitamin D – Consider taking a daily vitamin D3 supplement if sun exposure and dairy intake are limited.
Remember 1-4-2
Have you heard of Canada’s Low-Risk Gambling Guidelines (#LRGG)? Guideline 1: Gamble no more than 1% of household income, e.g.: $60,000 annual gross income = $50/month. Guideline 2: Gamble no more than 4 days per month = roughly once a week. Guideline 3: Avoid regularly gambling at more than 2 types of games, including lotteries, sports betting, table games, slot machines, scratch tickets, horse racing, bingo, video lottery terminals (VLTs), and online gambling. Mental health & addictions, gambling type and reasons for gambling can make these guidelines difficult to follow. Reach out to VI Gaming Support! We’re here for you.
Move for Mentoring – Make a Difference
Feeling stuck? Need some motivation? Join us in Move for Mentoring and show local children that goals can be achieved! Choose any goal to move towards and share it on our website – or team up to have a BIG impact. Take on our Three-Week Challenge and get free access to classes and resources on fitness, goal-setting, mental health, financial planning and more. Register today – the first $15,000 raised will be matched by Peninsula Co-op. Feel good about making a difference for young people in our community while focusing on your wellness.
Welcome to Spring
Spring has arrived! This is a great time to enjoy the outdoors and attend community events. Check out the Wellness Hub, your local, online Health and Wellness resource for information that can help you make the most out of spring. It features hundreds of health tips and articles along with a directory of local businesses and practitioners offering services and products. Our health and wellness resource also includes our printed newsletters, “Wellness Wednesday” podcasts and community events. Check out the Hub for more information and to enter our April contest for a chance to win an Epicure Gift Basket.
April Brain Teasers
1. Lose me once I’ll come back stronger, lose me twice I’ll leave forever, what am I? 2. What is the difference between a person with a terrible toothache and a rainy day? 3. A Buddhist went to the dentist for a root canal, but he refused novocain, why?
Brain Teaser Answers
1. Teeth. 2. One is roaring with pain; the other is pouring with rain.
3. He wanted to transcend dental medication!
Puzzles for a Strong Mind
Puzzling is a mental workout that stimulates both sides of the brain. Studies have shown that jigsaw puzzles can help improve visual-spatial reasoning, short-term memory and problem-solving skills, as well as reduce the rate of cognitive decline and dementia. It can help improve your mood by boosting dopamine production. Puzzling helps reinforce connections between brain cells, improving mental speed and thought processes. Engaging yourself in puzzle-making can serve as an exercise in mindfulness and help relieve stress. Puzzles are a great way to exercise the small muscles in fingers and eyes especially for those with arthritis or who have experienced a stroke.
Keep Betting in Perspective
March Madness (NCAA Basketball) is one of the biggest sports betting events across North America. According to a study at AmericanGaming.org reported on 888Gambler.org, in 2019, 47M Americans gambled on March Madness, with an estimated $8.5B wagered. More than 40M participants filled in over 149M brackets, with 18M Americans wagering about $3.9B on sportsbooks alone. And these are strictly American statistics. In Canada, online sports betting was recently legalized (August 2021), however, 3rd party apps abound, offering sports betting enthusiasts many opportunities and types of gambling. Keep sports betting fun and in perspective. Don’t let a game you can’t control, control you.
Suffering From Indigestion?
Heavy meals can put a strain on your gallbladder and liver, especially if you are already under stress. In Chinese Medicine, these two organs are associated with emotions such as anger and frustration. How can you love and care for your liver and gallbladder? Avoid heavy, fatty and fried foods. Have routines to de-stress and healthy outlets for feelings of anger, irritation or fury. Love yourself and avoid self-criticism. Eating bitter foods such as radishes, grapefruits, lemons, limes, and dandelion greens or drinking dandelion tea can support bile production and help cleanse your liver and gallbladder.
Natural Pain Relief
Do you know that lack of stability and balance accounts for a large portion of foot, leg and back pain issues? Today, wellness consumers want products to enhance their quality of life and are asking for natural, safe solutions for more energy, pain relief and enhanced mobility. VoxxLife socks and insoles with HPT optimize the user’s stability and balance at the nervous system level and provide relief from aches and pains with drug-free proven technology. Voxx Human Performance Technology (HPT) is based on 45 Years of research in Neuromuscular Science, Chiropractic Neurology and Reflexology.