Community News
Making New Holiday Traditions

The first holiday season after a move to a senior community can sometimes be stressful and difficult for your senior loved one. Creating new traditions can help with the transition and make the holiday season less stressful for everyone. Although your family holiday events may have been held at your senior loved one’s home in the past, holding gatherings at another family member’s home going forward can make things easier. Have your senior loved one help with one or two tasks that keep them involved without overwhelming them and take advantage of the many holiday events.

Focus on the Good Moments

As 2022 comes to an end, and we reflect on all that has happened, it is important to take note and remember the good moments along the way. With the challenges of the global pandemic and other external stressors that occurred through the year, it can be easy to forget those moments of joy and connection that were experienced. With the holiday season approaching, take a moment to remember those good moments, and reach out to share those memories with those you were with. Choose to focus on the good moments and share that with others.

Aronia Berries are Powerful Antioxidants

Today more than ever, a healthy immune system is important. According to Healthline, Aronia berries may strengthen the immune system and even counteract some infections. Aronia –grown in BC – contains powerful antioxidants that remove harmful free oxygen radicals from cells. In the spectrum of nutrition, berries rank near the top, and among berries, none are more nutritious than the Aronia berry. Research shows that in diabetics, Aronia berry juice, when taken regularly, reduced blood glucose. Aronia extracts have also reduced inflammation and improved immunity. In hard-to-treat cancers, combining Aronia with chemotherapy improved the effectiveness of conventional drugs.

Profile: Jennifer Baker, Epicure

My journey with Epicure started when I went chemical free. I realized that what we put on and in our bodies is the key to a healthier life. When I was introduced to Epicure, I did my research. Epicure was started in 1997 by a dynamic mother/daughter team right here on Vancouver Island. They wanted to help struggling families of all sizes get healthy, clean food on the table affordably and quickly. Epicure products are gluten and nut-free, sugar and salt conscious and contain no fillers. Everything aligned for me – I love using and selling Epicure products.

Brain Teaser Answer

It takes one elf 5 minutes to make one doll. Therefore 100 elves making 100 dolls would, of course, still take 5 minutes!

Are You Taking Good Enough Care Of Your …?

The liver doesn’t get enough attention when it comes to our health and vitality. The health of your liver impacts most of the organs in your body. At any given moment, it holds over 10% of your body’s blood supply and, depending on its health, it filters roughly 1.5 liters of blood per minute. It stores our primary energy source (glycogen) and many vitamins. It is also a major detoxification organ (mycotoxins, chemicals, heavy metals…) and helps maintain a healthy hormone balance. Come for a Bio-Well Scan to check areas of stress and energetic imbalance in your body.

A Well-Balanced Diet

Eating a well-balanced diet can help you maintain a healthy weight and stay energized, as well as lower your risk of developing chronic health conditions. At Heart To Home Meals, we believe that life should get easier as you age, which is why Andrea, our Consultant Dietitian, works closely with our chefs to develop a menu featuring meals that help support the nutritional needs of seniors. Our diet coding system was created to help you choose the meals that meet your dietary needs, whether it’s ProteinAssist, Carb Control, Low Saturated Fat, Low Sodium, High Fibre, Vegetarian, or No Added Sugar.

Thank You & Happy Holidays

As another year draws to a close, we give thanks for the many blessings that we have received. We hosted our Women’s Wellness Expo once again after a two-and-a-half-year pause and look forward to hosting another Expo in February. We continue to publish this newsletter, along with four additional local ones here on the island, and continue to grow the WellnessHub, our local online resource. We thank our advertisers, readers, subscribers, distributors and community partners for helping us to continue to spread the wellness message. We wish everyone Peace, Happiness and Good Health this Holiday Season.

Book Club: The Science of Nutrition

Debunk the Diet Myths and Learn How to Eat Responsibly for Health and Happiness. By Rhiannon Lambert. Is a vegan diet healthier? Should I try going low-carb? Is it always a bad idea to skip a meal? Are superfoods all they’re cracked up to be? Is fat still bad for you? Can I eat to improve my chances of conceiving? Science of Nutrition cuts through the noise of conflicting diet advice with clear answers backed up by the very latest research. Pick up at your local bookstore.