Community News
5 Reasons to Eat Flaxseed

Flaxseeds are the richest sources of Plant-based omega-3 fatty acids, called alpha-linolenic acid (ALA) in the world! 5 Benefits of consuming this super food are 1. High in Fibre – Fibre aids in digestion, prevents constipation and suppresses hunger. 2. Women’s Health – The lignans present in them help in battling high levels of estrogen and assist in balancing hormonal levels. 3. Healthy Hair & Skin – The ALA fats in flax seeds benefits the skin and hair by providing essential fats as well as b-vitamins which can help reduce dryness and flakiness. It can also improve symptoms of acne, rosacea, and eczema. 4. Lower Cholesterol – The soluble fiber content of flax seeds trap fat and cholesterol in the digestive system so that it unable to be absorbed. 5. Weight Loss – Since flax is full of healthy fats and fiber, it will help you feel satisfied longer so you will eat fewer calories overall which may lead to weight loss.

Book Club: Is Your Child’s Brain Starving?

By Michael R. Lyon MD and Christine Laurell, PhD

Michael Lyon went from overweight academic underachiever to graduating as the top male student in his high school a year later, thanks to a total change of diet and lifestyle. He ultimately became a medical doctor involved in research on nutrition. This book is an inspiring guide to better brain function through diet and lifestyle changes. The minor downfall is the promotion of supplements he has helped to develop, but it is still a valuable book for parents and has a good recipe section.

IQ and Nutrition

What if you could increase your child’s IQ with nutrition? Inhabitants of a tiny island off the coast of Japan have the highest IQ scores in the world and produce seven times as many geniuses as any other place in the world. Seniors living there don’t seem to struggle with cognitive decline either. The secret: DHA, an essential fatty acid found in fish, krill, squid and some algae. The brain is made mostly of fat, 60% of which is DHA. DHA is found in mother’s milk and has long been recognized as aiding IQ scores in children. Almost everyone nowadays is deficient in DHA. This may be one of the reasons for the increased rates of ADHD, learning disabilities and autism as well as increasing rates of Alzheimer’s disease and other age-related cognitive problems.

Balance Classes?

Most people take balance for granted. They navigate without thinking, effort, or fear. For others, poor balance is a problem. Some struggle with long-term dizziness or imbalance. Others suffer balance-related falls and injuries. A new study concludes that exercise can reduce not only the odds of falling but the odds of sustaining fall-related injuries. As we age, our strength, flexibility, and proprioception decline, so does balance. Accomplishing day-to-day activities means you need to be steady on your feet. Walking, standing, sitting, and lifting all require balance and the better yours is, the easier those daily movements become. There are Balance Classes available that help you strengthen all of the lower-body muscles. Strong muscles, strong bones, and better balance will make you more mobile and less likely to fall.

Curves – Lakewood Blvd. www.curves.com

Pharmacy Budget

We know that the cost of prescriptions is often difficult to manage for patients. We want everyone to have access to good care and safe medication use – to accomplish this, a customized budget plan for clients. This allows you to remain on your medications and manage the expense throughout the year. Along with the budget, a visiting pharmacist will counsel you or your loved ones in the comfort of your own home on a regular basis. They will help you manage multiple or complex medications and collaborate with other members of your health care team to ensure your health needs are met. This gives you and your family peace of mind with the knowledge that this aspect of your life is taken care of and contributes to a positive quality of life. Better Health and Wellness can be achieved through medication management – call a visiting pharmacist to arrange a home visit.

Care at Home Pharmacy, www.careathomepharmacy.ca

Aging at Home

85% of seniors have done nothing to prepare their home for aging. What are the most unsafe areas of the home for seniors? Bathrooms and bedrooms lead the way followed by kitchens and stairs. Caregivers must take a critical look at the living environment. Adapting the home to prevent accidents and ensure optimal safety for your loved one is most important. Making necessary changes within the home environment may not only decrease physical hazards, but also reduce the amount of stress that is placed upon your loved one. Beneficial aids can help an older adult look after their home with dignity. These include chairlifts, ramps, rails, reaching tools, grabbers, and remote controls. Be aware of the day-to-day tasks your loved one may face and assess the risks accordingly. Minimizing risks and making a home safe for those is so important. Let’s support our loved ones in living healthy, independent, enjoyable lives in the comfort of their own homes.

Life Assure, www.lifeassure.com

Stress Often Leads to Disease

Little bits of ‘acute’ stress are normal, sometimes even healthy. It’s CHRONIC STRESS that often leads to disease. Headaches, fatigue, depression, anxiety, to name a few, are the first signs of ongoing chronic stress. These symptoms wreak havoc on our bodies and when coupled with an unhealthy lifestyle, exposure to molds, heavy metals, food intolerances, inflammation, infections and parasites within your body, this mixture is why chronic stress is linked to diseases like heart disease, cancer, and diabetes. Get down to the underlying cause of your stress by having your stress hormones tested and by adopting these healthy lifestyle tips: 1. Practice some deep breathing techniques. 2. Get plenty of sleep. 3. Eat fish at least twice per week or take an Omega 3 supplement. 4. Drink water! Eight glasses a day. 5. Avoid junk food!

Stacie Rasmussen RNCP, Blossom Nutrition, www.winnipegnutritionist.com

Clean Eating: Almond Date Energy Bites

1 cup Medjool Dates (de-pitted).

1 cup raw almonds.

1/4 cup unsweetened coconut or rolled oats.

1/4 cup raw cacao.

¼ tsp cinnamon. Pinch of sea salt.

1/2 tbsp vanilla. 1/2 tbsp maple syrup.

1 – 2 tbsp almond milk.

1. Place dates in food processor and pulse until it forms a ball. Break up the date ball with a spatula and add almonds, raw cacao, coconut and salt. 2. Process for 3-4 minutes 3. Add vanilla, almond milk and maple syrup 4. Process until mixture forms a ball. Add more almond milk if the mixture is not forming. 5. Roll mixture into balls and dip in shredded coconut if desired 6. Can be stored in an airtight container or frozen.

Stacie Rasmussen RNCP, Blossom Nutrition, www.winnipegnutritionist.com

Help is Available

Professionals can help! If you have a mental health concern, deciding to take that first step toward reaching out to a professional can seem daunting and scary. However taking that first step can open the door to feeling better. Who do you go to if you have a mental health concern? Your doctor can be a great professional to turn to. They may even refer you to other professionals to ensure you get the care you need. There are many different types of professionals that can help us. For example, counsellors can help you work on relationship issues, past life events and many other topics. Financial planners can help you save money or reduce debt. Reaching out to a professional doesn’t mean there’s something wrong with you, it means you’ve recognized a need for change and want someone to help you through it.

Canadian Mental Health Association, www.cmha.ca

Benefits of Cassiolamine

This multi-flavonoid compound helps in the prevention of cardiovascular disease and in the reduction of high blood pressure. Cassiolamine helps to maintain healthy blood vessels by reducing the adhesion (stickiness) of blood platelets, which promotes healthy blood flow. This important ingredient also serves as an anti-oxidant, which helps to maintain a healthy heart and improved immune system. What this natural legume-based extract is mostly known for is its powerful lipase-inhibiting features, which results in the prevention of fat absorption and an effective carbohydrate blocker.

Marc Quesnel, Valentus
www.experiencevalentus.com/healthyweight

Help Combat Osteoporosis with Exercise

Strengthening your bones is as important as strengthening your muscle. Exercise is essential to keeping your bones strong. It might seem like bone is solid, unchanging tissue, it constantly goes through remodeling, breaking down, as our body uses calcium, and building up. Once women hit menopause and estrogen levels plummet, the risk of osteoporosis skyrockets. That risk can be mitigated with calcium-rich foods and regular exercise. What is the best exercise for helping prevent osteoporosis? Exercises such as jogging or jumping rope force you to work against gravity and involve impact with the ground. We traditionally think of these high-impact activities as the best prevention against osteoporosis but strength training is also effective. Both activities put stress on the bone and create micro-trauma, which triggers bone remodeling and repair. Just as muscle gets stronger when it bears weight, so does bone. The Curves Circuit does double duty against osteoporosis because it includes both strength training exercises and cardio.

Curves International, 2016
www.curves.com