Community News
Put Yourself First 

Do you feel like you can say no to a request without guilt? Do you overcommit yourself, and push yourself to the point of exhaustion, only to resent the person/organization who asked for help? The only one who can improve self-care is your SELF. The easiest way to execute self-care is to learn to say no and have healthy boundaries. We are told by society that the ‘good people’ are those that give of themselves selflessly and tirelessly. These are the martyrs that are put on a pedestal. But martyrs they are, because they give so much for everyone else that they have no energy, health, or time left for themselves. With boundaries, you can still be a good person, help others, and yet know when to say no, without guilt.

Maureen Becker – the Channelling Chick, www.sourcewithin.com

Credit Card Debt Help

Credit cards are a helpful tool when used carefully. However, if your credit cards are maxed out and payments are straining your budget, it may be time to seek credit card debt help.

Here are four things you can do today to get your credit under control:

Make a Plan

A debt reduction plan is the perfect starting point. Start by determining how much you owe and how much your payments add up to each month. Examine your budget and adjust your spending to make cash available for debt elimination. Take extra time to analyze your spending habits. Trips to the ATM, overspending on groceries or other necessities, and too many shopping trips can sabotage the healthiest budget. Once you know where your money is going and when it’s coming in, set realistic credit card payoff goals. Add “debt reduction” to your new budget and redirect spending so that you can reach your goals. You can also use online debt reduction calculators to set deadlines and make a timetable.

Nix New Debt

While you work to pay off credit card debt, it’s best to stop using your cards. It can be hard to stash credit cards that have been your go-to source of extra cash, but putting them away speeds up the payoff process.

Here are some creative ways to keep your cards out of service:

  • Fill a small bowl with water, drop your cards in, and freeze them.
  • Delete credit card numbers from online shopping sites.
  • Remove your cards from your purse or wallet.
  • Cover the magnetic strip with duct tape.

If these tricks won’t keep you from using your cards, think about cutting them up. You can always ask for new ones when your credit cards are paid off.

Avoid the Minimum Payment Trap

There’s a reason many credit card companies put a low payment warning on your statement each month. The high interest rates associated with most cards, multiplied by the time it takes to pay off your balance, equals a huge interest charge. For example, if you have a credit card with a balance of $3,000 and a 21% interest rate, by making the minimum payment of $60 each month it will take you a little over 10 years to pay off your balance. During this time, you’ll end up paying approximately $7,200.00 in interest charges.

If you’re curious about how much your cards are costing you, search for payoff calculators on the internet. Adding just $5 to your minimum payment can save you money and time.

Get Professional Help if Needed

Juggling credit card payments, missing payments, and using one credit card to pay another are signs that you need credit card debt help. Don’t wait to seek professional advice—by acting quickly you can avoid damage to your credit rating and start working on a plan to get your debt under control.

A bankruptcy trustee can be a good advisor if your debts have become unmanageable. Trustees can help you determine which solution is the best fit for your situation. They can also refer you to other financial advisors who can help.

Kim Powell, Client Services Manager, LCTaylor Trustees in Bankruptcy
www.lctaylor.com

Heart Health Goals

We just had Heart Health Month, did you add some exercise? Change your diet? That soda pop tax is coming…we all can do these things, but whether it be our routines, everyday lives being too busy, too stressful, we just cannot find that ‘healthy, me time’. Walk more, stand more, try some yoga, reduce processed foods…Fit Bit anyone? Those fancy step counters can give you a lot of information about your heart health. But if you would just like to get on the treadmill more or walk the dog, this is how you know you’re working at a good pace: take the number 220, minus your age, gives you your relative max heart rate. 75% of that is a heart rate that you will begin to burn more calories, take your pulse over 10 secs, multiply by 6 and compare!

Chris Bisignan, www.yourphysio.com

Why a Diabetes Educator? 

Diabetes is a complex disease that affects many organs in the body. More than 50% of people who are newly diagnosed have signs of irreversible long-term complications: vision loss, kidney damage, nerve pain, erectile dysfunction, loss of sensation in hands and feet and gastrointestinal complaints. A Diabetes Educator has special training to assist those who are diagnosed with pre-diabetes, the newly diagnosed, and people with longstanding diabetes to self-manage. A Diabetes Educator is equipped with skills and knowledge to identify barriers to optimal blood sugar control that are different for each person and tailor a plan to suit each person’s needs in one-on-one and step-by-step fashion. After a few sessions you will be confident to self-manage and achieve your blood sugar targets. People say they feel better and have more energy even with marginal improvement of blood sugar control. Delay the progression of diabetes complications, not diabetes education!

Mathilda Prinsloo, B Pharm CGP CDE, www.seniorcarepractice.com

Ask your Dentist

Should you leave your dentures out at night?  Simple answer is yes.  If you cannot bear to go to bed toothless, then you must be ten times more careful to keep your dentures absolutely clean.  Brush dentures with soap or a denture cleaning paste.  Regular toothpaste is too abrasive for denture acrylic and will cause premature wear.  Brush over a sink full of water; that way, if you drop the denture, it will go splash instead of crack.  Brush your gums where they are in contact with the denture.  If they are sore or bleed then you must leave the dentures out overnight.  Soak the dentures in a cup of water with a couple of tablespoons of household bleach at least once or twice a week.  This will not harm the denture.  It will kill bacteria and spores and remove stubborn stains.  If your gums are sore or bleed for any length of time, please go and see your dentist.  You can always get new dentures; new gums are more of a challenge.

Dr. George Cadigan, www.exclusivelydentures.ca

10-Point Risk Assessment 

When do you know it’s time to get a medical alert system in your home? Take this short assessment to find out! If you answer “yes” to most of these, maybe it’s time to consider one!  Are you over the age of 55? Do you live alone? Do you lead an active lifestyle? Do you use a cane, walker or devices to assist you in walking? In the past year, have you fallen or been at risk of falling inside or outside the home? Do you take daily medication? Have you been hospitalized in the past 3 years? Do you sometimes feel weak or dizzy? In the past 12 months, have you been concerned about falling in the home? Is it important for you to continue living independently? With a medical alert unit, you can have peace of mind knowing that at any time, 24 hours a day 7 days a week, help is available at the push of a button.

www.lifeassure.com

Acupuncture for Menopause

Many menopausal women complain that “hot flash” is too mild a word for an experience that they say is more like jumping into a fire. Hot flashes can include feelings of intense heat, profuse sweating and rapid heartbeat. Fortunately, a new study suggests that acupuncture may help to reduce the severity and frequency of hot flashes with regular treatments. The most effective treatment for hot flashes is hormone therapy – the use of medication that contains estrogen or progesterone. However, such treatment can increase the risk of other health conditions, including stroke, heart disease and cancer. Many women also experience unwanted side effects from hormone therapy. This is why Acupuncture works so well as an alternative treatment. If you’re a woman experiencing painful hot flashes, give acupuncture a try!

Ling Zhao,  Registered Traditional Chinese Medicine Practitioner (R.TCM.P.) (CTCMA); C.M.D., Dr.Ac (CMAAC), Registered Massage Therapist (MTAM)

Get Even With Your Bra! 

For a woman who receives a breast cancer diagnosis, many things may go through their minds. If a mastectomy or a lumpectomy is required, there are alternatives to reconstruction. If reconstruction is not immediate, for the interim, there are options. A breast form or breast prosthesis can provide a balanced silhouette for all women. If a lumpectomy is required and your breasts are slightly uneven, or even a cup size different, Amoena partial shapers provide balance and confidence. The Amoena partial shapers are soft and natural looking, no one will know that you are wearing a partial breast form. They are made with Comfort+ technology, which allows you to stay warm or cool depending on your own temperature. Amoena partial forms and full breast forms are easy to wear, they simply slip into your bra to provide a smooth and symmetrical shape. Get even today!

Tara Torchia-Wells, www.theunexpectedgift.ca

Your Hair Needs Vitamins!

Did you ever wonder the impact of nutrition on your hair health? The results of a balanced, nutritionally-sound food plan are always obvious. We find poor nutrition impacts speed of hair growth, quality of hair and speed of the shedding cycle. Have you ever been on a crash diet? Ever noticed your hair was dull and lifeless? All side effects of poor nutrition. Once your nutrition gets better/ideal, your hair/skin/nails become strong and vibrant. Is it possible to ALWAYS eat perfectly? No. Capilia has recently launched their Vitalia tablets; uniquely designed with collagen and biotin, these nutritional supplements are ideal for hair growth.

www.citylooks.ca

Medication Reviews

Most people are aware that prescription medications can interact with each other, sometimes causing adverse side effects. However, over the counter products such as vitamins or herbal products can also interact with prescription medications – these interactions can potentially change the effectiveness of the drug and lead to harm, such as a fall. This in turn can lead to an emergency room visit or hospital stay. If you are on prescription drugs, it is important to have a discussion with your doctor or pharmacist before taking any over the counter products to ensure you are taking the right products at the right times. A pharmacist can also conduct a full medication review with all your prescription and over the counter products and advise you on safe medication use. If you are on a complex medication regime, a visiting pharmacist can help you monitor the effects of your medication in the comfort of your home.

Care At Home Pharmacy, www.careathomepharmacy.ca

Your Attitude Can Change Your Life

How we look and take in the world impacts every aspect of our lives. Our attitude is the foundation from which life springs off of. We can’t always control what comes our way, but we do have control over how we choose to take it in and use it. There is no secret recipe for happiness and contentment. Those who choose to move through life joyously have not been blessed wth more abundance, love, success or prosperity than another, instead they take the circumstances they’ve been handed and make it into something worthwhile and life giving. Our delight and despair comes from within. A subtle shift in attitude, can uncover so many hidden gifts that can change our lives. By choosing to love life no matter what crosses your path…you create an energy that allows every aspect of ourselves to grow and thrive!

D’Arcy Bruning-Haid, Masters in Counselling Psychology, www.souls-journey.com