Health Tips

It is easy to lose sight of the small things that make our lives better. Establishing a gratitude practice enhances mental wellbeing by bringing positive things to the forefront of thought on a regular basis. Try pausing before each meal for a few deep breaths or writing down things you are grateful for in a journal each day. A gratitude journal is an uplifting reference to return to when times get tough.

While taking advantage of summer heat, it is easy to quickly slip into a dehydrated state. Ensuring you are consuming enough water is vital to almost all body functions. Headaches, fatigue, and dizziness are all warning signs of dehydration as are muscle cramps, loss of appetite, and dark urine. At the first sign of these symptoms, seek shade and rehydrate.

Having plants in your home is not just aesthetic, it is good for your health. Studies show that houseplants boost mood, enhance air quality, reduce allergy symptoms, and relieve stress. These benefits come with very little effort besides watering duties. Fill your space with greenery of your choosing to create a brighter and healthier home.

Bioavailability refers to the ease with which vitamins and minerals are absorbed into the body. Different ingredients or formulations of the same type of supplement may have different bioavailability and suit different purposes. Consult a natural health practitioner or your local health food store to determine which supplements best meet your need.

“Be great in act, as you have been in thought” says William Shakespeare. Great thoughts must be put to action to be truly considered great. And healthy habits are only as good as their implementation. If you’d like to make changes in your health routine, take the first step today.

Sir William Osler once said “The person who takes medicine must recover twice, once from the disease and once from the medicine.”

Just because a medication has been prescribed to you, does not mean it is good or necessary. Ask your doctor what your options are. And educate yourself on the good, the bad, and the ugly of your prescribed drugs.

The average person consumes far too much sugar and carbohydrates. Additionally, while most people meet or exceed recommended daily fat intake, they do so by consuming saturated and trans fats from processed foods. Try reducing carbohydrates like bread, pasta and rice by half, and increasing healthy fats like avocado, nuts, seeds, and eggs. Use a fish oil supplement to get enough omega-3 essential fatty acids.

Most bug bites are harmless. However, some bugs are best avoided. Ticks, bedbugs, and fire ants are some examples. Mosquitos are annoying, but unless you are in areas where they transmit malaria, their bites will only cause itching. Bees are essential pollinators, so let them be and stay out of their way to avoid a painful sting.  When required for protection, bug repellants are effective, but don’t breathe in the spray and wash it off when you are finished exposure.

‘Fad’ diets are those which gain quick popularity claiming to reduce weight or enhance health often in short periods of time. But promises found on the Internet or through word-of-mouth should not always be trusted. These diets often lack research due to their fast rise to fame. Consult a health care professional before making any drastic changes to your diet. What works for one person may not be healthy for another.

UV ray exposure can damage the skin in 15 minutes.  Even if indoors by an open window, or in a car with the window down, the sun’s powerful rays can cause skin cell damage, leading to skin cancer.  The skin becomes more vulnerable with age. It’s no surprise that the most skin cancers occur in people over 65. The Gifford-Jones common sense approach to disease prevention means wearing sunscreen with a sun protective factor (SPF) of at least 30. Reapply at least every two hours.

A sedentary lifestyle is a massive detriment to health. Many studies have shown that reducing sitting time increases the chances of better cardiovascular health and lowers risk of diabetes, cancer and Alzheimer’s. Keep your body moving by finding activities you enjoy. And if you do find yourself sitting for long durations of time, how about chair yoga?

For more information:

Bend So You Don’t Break

Chair Yoga: An Interview With Kirsten Blokland

Stand Up To Read This Column

Monitor blood pressure regularly at home.  Monitors fitting the upper arm with digital readouts are generally the most accurate. Take readings in the morning before eating and again in the evening.  Repeat readings to ensure accuracy. Sit quietly making sure the arm is raised to heart level, using a pillow to elevate the arm. Tracking readings can help doctors diagnose if high blood pressure readings are an occasion fluctuation or a chronic problem. Active monitoring can also help determine the effectiveness of medications or lifestyle changes.

More than two years into the pandemic, “wash your hands” is deeply entrenched in societal vocabulary. Sir William Osler would agree: “Soap and water and common sense are the best disinfectants.” While hand sanitizer is wonderful in a pinch, nothing beats a proper hand wash.

William Shakespeare once said, “In the night, imagining some fear, how easy is a bush supposed a bear!” In the face of fear, uncertainty, or panic, medical scares of any kind can be inflated by imagination of the worst-case scenario. Although difficult, keep your eye on the bigger picture. And remember, in darkness, a mundane bush can most certainly appear to be a daunting bear.

To quote William Osler, “Let each day absorb all your interest, energy and enthusiasm. The best preparation for tomorrow is to live today superbly well.” Each day well spent will be the happy memory of tomorrow.

Read this week’s article on nostalgia here.

It’s been said that “societies get the blood pressure they deserve.” An estimated 75 million adult North Americans have hypertension. What is more frightening is that doctors are now seeing this disease in children who are obese and diabetic. Studies show that nearly 50 per cent of those being treated by prescription drugs discontinue medication due to unpleasant side-effects.  Help prevent high blood pressure and manage hypertension naturally first without the use of prescription medication. Nitric oxide is known to widen blood vessels.

Your bowel movements are an indication of what is going on inside your body. Constipated? You’d likely benefit from adding fibre to your diet and drinking more water. Loose stool? You may be consuming too much oil or triggering a food intolerance. Colour seem off? Consult your doctor to get a professional opinion.

A handful of almonds daily has been shown to reduce the risk of a cardiovascular event by 18%. Almonds are rich in polyunsaturated fatty acids which help to keep blood vessels soft and elastic. Remember, nuts are high in  calories, so eat them in moderation. At the end of the day, reach for a glass of red wine to boost high density lipoproteins or the “good” cholesterol. Think of it as a treat for the oat bran eaten for breakfast!

You do not have to be obese. Allowing visceral fat to build up around your organs is equivalent to strapping dynamite to your middle. And using prescription drugs to battle the onset of poor health is akin to flashing a roll of bills before a lawyer.  There’s a good chance you’ll live to regret it. Focus on diet, exercise, sleep, and other elements of healthy living. If you need help, look to natural supplements that boost your chances for good health.

Unripe Apples Protect from Threat of a Fatty Liver

Challenge Yourself to Better Glycemic Health

Reversing Pre-Diabetes with Glycemic Control

One of the best ways to cure many health problems would be to ban advertising telling people something is wrong with them. Advertising is injuring people and triggering false hopes. Good health is better achieved by avoiding the doctor and safely disposing half the pills in the medicine cabinet. Evolution did not plan for the chemical abuse of modern medicine and its effects on key organs like the kidney and liver. The desperate truth is that it is best to prevent disease, and only secondarily try to cure it.

A well-hydrated body produces pale yellow urine. Dehydration will cause a darkening of colour. Diet and medication can also affect the colour. If drinking plenty of water and urine remains dark or cloudy, consider bringing it up at your next medical appointment.

There are many cooking oils on the market, but extra virgin olive oil  is the healthy option. “Extra virgin” is an unrefined oil, not treated with chemicals. Extra virgin olive oil contains more of the natural vitamins and minerals found in olives, offering antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. It is high in monounsaturated fatty acids, containing about 75% by volume. When substituted for saturated fat, monounsaturated fats help lower your “bad” LDL cholesterol. 

You may tire of hearing your dentist ask you to floss daily, but the advice is sound. Brushing only cleans the surface of the teeth, missing about one third of surface area. It takes less than 36 hours for food between the teeth to turn to tartar that can only be removed by professional cleaning. Daily flossing keeps tartar buildup to a minimum, promotes healthy gums, and combats bad breath.

The term “talk therapy” refers to various forms of psychotherapy. Cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) is an example.  But treatments that improve mental health can take many other forms. If you feel mentally or emotionally stressed, consider alternatives such as sound, art, movement, or forest therapy. Look for professionals offering these alternative therapies in your area.  Try group therapy too, or invite a loved one to join you in various forms of partner therapy.

Skincare junkies, beware. Many beauty products are hardly healthy. Pores of the skin are direct gateways to the body. Misleading packaging and idealized promises are alluring, yet ingredients may detrimental. Avoid artificial fragrance, which can have all kinds of chemical components. Commonly used as preservatives to deter bacterial and mold growth, parabens are well known toxic chemicals often found in cosmetic products. Be your naturally beautiful self.