Boredom signals a child’s need for physical and/or mental activity to keep them occupied, and to release some energy. When children are bored, they are more likely to participate in negative behaviours, because they are not feeling physically or emotionally challenged. Luckily, there are many activities available in our city that children can partake in to release their energy and learn new components and skills. These include outdoor pools, parks and splash pads, community centres, and children’s entertainment centres. Attending summer camp or going to children-friendly museums can also help keep your child entertained throughout the summer.
Community News
Wilderness Edge for Your Wellness Needs
Imagine taking a break from it all and focusing on how you feel, both physically and mentally. Letting go of the stresses, chaos, and noise of day-to-day life. Getting away and focusing on your personal wellness is important, and Wilderness Edge Retreat and Conference Centre offers an easy and affordable way to do just that.
Connecting with Nature
Located just one hour from Winnipeg in beautiful Pinawa, Manitoba inside Whiteshell Provincial Park, Wilderness Edge hosts a variety of retreats for people of all ages and specializes in hosting groups. Being located in a provincial park means that the centre is surrounded by nature. The sights, sounds, and smells of the great outdoors are waiting for you just outside Wilderness Edge’s doors.
Surrounding the centre are wetlands, forests, nature trails, and a local sandy beach. Experiencing the calming effects of immersing yourself in nature can help you feel more grounded and at peace. Observing local wildlife such as deer and a variety of species of birds can make you feel more connected to the natural world around you, also helping to calm your mind.
Moving Your Body
These natural spaces are also a great place to participate in physical activity, which is critical to improving your overall wellbeing. Hiking, biking, kayaking, rafting, tubing, and canoeing, are just some of the great activities that await you at Wilderness Edge. For winter guests, we offer ice fishing, cross-country skiing, and snowshoeing. You can choose to take advantage of expert-guided activities, or do some exploring on your own.
Other activities available include golfing at a nearby golf course, horse riding at a nearby ranch, beach volleyball, tetherball, horseshoes, pool, ping-pong, and tennis at the nearby courts.
Finding Inner Peace
Those who are seeking a more relaxed wellness retreat will be happy to know that Wilderness Edge can accommodate those experiences as well. The centre offers a 13-person outdoor hot tub that overlooks Winnipeg River, a newly renovated 10-person sauna, and three firepits in the courtyard that also overlook Winnipeg River.
Solitude and serenity can be found at Wilderness Edge, and for those who are focusing on their spiritual and/or mental wellness, the centre offers a place to recharge, disconnect from the outside world, and channel your energy inward. If you would prefer not to leave your room during your stay, arrangements can be made to have your meals delivered to you, ensuring you have minimal outside distractions.
Reuniting with Loved Ones
Socializing and connecting to those closest to you also contributes to your overall wellness. The daily stresses and fast pace of life can sometimes get in the way of truly communicating with and enjoying the presence of your close friends and family members. Sharing stories, laughing, crying, and supporting one another are things we don’t always have the time, or the energy, to do.
Wilderness Edge offers a perfect opportunity to focus on your relationships, whether with a spouse or significant other, your immediate family, your extended family, or a group of close friends. Unplugging from the demands of daily life and learning more about one another is an important step in building stronger relationships.
You can participate in team-building activities like kayaking or team sports, which allow you to learn how to work together and solve problems, while also having fun. Or you can take a walk in the woods and find a renewed sense of adventure that will give you shared memories for years to come. Sometimes, just relaxing together, whether around a firepit or in a hot tub enjoying the view, can be a meaningful experience, allowing a peaceful opportunity for deeper conversations.
Exploring Your Creativity
Getting in touch with your creative side can be a great stress reducer and mood booster. Wilderness Edge offers a variety of creative activities, including painting on canvas, rock painting, cake decorating, flower arranging, clay sculpting, and making wind chimes. These classes offer guided instruction, as well as all of the materials needed to create your masterpiece.
If you prefer a less structured approach to finding your inner creativity, why not bring some art supplies with you and spend time during your retreat creating whatever you’d like? With plenty of inspiration in the form of plants, animals, trees, and water, drawing, painting, and photography should be a breeze. Or get a group together to work on a fun craft project.
Eating for Health
Another important aspect of wellness is eating right, and Wilderness Edge offers tasty, nutritious meals for all of our guests. Breakfast, lunch, dinner, and a night snack are all offered during your stay. A variety of foods are provided, all made fresh and served buffet-style so you can try a bit of everything. Our chefs are able to accommodate food allergies and dietary restrictions, provided these are mentioned ahead of time.
One reason many of us tend to overeat or not eat properly is because we’re so pressed for time or stressed that we turn to food as a source of comfort or see it as something that “has” to be taken care of. By getting away from our usual stressors, we have the opportunity to truly enjoy food and consider what we’re putting into our bodies. Wilderness Edge provides the time and space for you to remember how good healthy eating can actually make you feel.
Those who are looking to fast for spiritual or personal reasons can find a peaceful, supportive environment at Wilderness Edge. The serene environment is perfect for focusing on your fasting journey and taking the time that you need to rest.
If you’ve been looking for a chance to leave the daily grind behind and take some time to focus on your mind, body, and soul, consider booking a retreat at our centre. Gather a group of your closest friends who could also use a break, and come experience what Wilderness Edge has to offer. Visit https://www.wildernessedge.com/ and https://www.wildernessedge.com/retreats/, or contact us at 877-753-2535 or [email protected] for more information.
Go Seedless this Summer!
Sitting outside at a coffee shop, relaxing on the deck and visiting beaches are all sure signs that summer is here. With summer come warmer temps and a need to stay hydrated. Watermelons are 92% water and packed with health boosting benefits like electrolytes, vitamins, and antioxidant-rich lycopene making it the ideal replenisher. Creating moments in how we spend our time connecting with self comes down to choices. Choosing a seedless melon means more time enjoying each mouthful and less time dealing with pesky seeds – an empowering, comfort-increasing choice. Cheers to warmer temps and hydrating your wellness this summer!
Wilderness Edge for Wellness
Getting away from your daily stresses and focusing on your personal wellness is important, and Wilderness Edge Retreat and Conference Centre offers an easy and affordable way to do just that. Located just one hour from Winnipeg in beautiful Pinawa, Manitoba inside Whiteshell Provincial Park, Wilderness Edge hosts a variety of retreats for people of all ages and specializes in hosting groups. Experience the sights, sounds, and smells of the great outdoors as you reconnect with nature, get active with our many recreational offerings, and explore your inner world through quiet time and creative pursuits.
Travel Tip: Cindy Knows Travel
Traveling, for most, is an exciting and enlightening activity filled with rich experiences and a plethora of surprises. But it can also present challenges, especially in the context of maintaining one’s wellness routine. I recently had the opportunity to travel to Marrakesh, Morocco—a totally outside-the-box trip that I was equal parts excited and nervous about. Morocco, as a whole, has never been at the top of my bucket list. Keeping up with my healthy habits is relatively easy when I’m in, say, Costa Rica or the Virgin Islands, but Morocco presented new challenges. Here are five things you should know when travelling to a country like Morocco: 1. Pack healthy snacks. 2. Download a few meditations. 3. Indulge in a spa treatment. 4. Hydrate all the time. 5. Be flexible and kind to yourself.
STELearning-Related Vision Disorders
While 20/20 vision is a great start, our vision is also related to how well our eyes work together with our brain to process visual information. Many children who suffer with vision problems can go undiagnosed, since learning-related vision disorders may not be revealed through a regular eye exam. Lack of eye movement control, focusing difficulties, poor visual memory, and much more can make learning seem overwhelming. Without fundamental visual skills, children may have more difficulty with reading, writing, and comprehension at school. A developmental optometrist diagnoses and provides treatment options for learning-related vision disorders.
Disability Tax Credit for Type 1 Diabetes
The Disability Tax Credit is a program designed to help those with disabilities or their caregivers reduce the amount of income tax they pay, offsetting some of the significant medical and treatment expenses. What diabetes-related activities are covered? According to CRA, the following activities qualify in the 14-hour-per-week calculation:
• Checking blood glucose levels
• Preparing and administering the insulin
• Calibrating necessary equipment
• Testing ketones
• Keeping a log book of blood glucose levels
With children, the 14-hour-per-week eligibility criteria can usually be met by combining the parent and child’s time.
T1D is an expensive disease and the disability tax credit can provide some financial relief for those who qualify.
The Diet/Mental Health Connection
Studies around the world are now confirming that diet affects mental health. Take one study, for example, where researchers in China and the U.S. found that when observing nearly 5,000 adults over the age of 60, those who were malnourished were 31% more likely to be depressed than those who weren’t malnourished. Another study of 500 participants over the age of 67 found that adding olive oil or mixed nuts to one’s diet can improve cognitive function. In a meta-analysis of over 34,000 people, researchers found that participants who followed a Mediterranean diet were less likely to develop cognitive disorders.
TrueHopeCanada.com
Drink Aloe for Weight Loss
Aloe Vera’s weight loss properties are becoming better known. This plant stands above the rest of nature’s products as a detoxifying agent that helps the body remove waste. This is largely due to one of its components called ‘aloin’, which taken in appropriate doses can help us achieve its beneficial cleansing properties. The Aloe plant also helps us burn fat by improving our metabolism and the production of fatty acids, which is undoubtedly a big help in the fight to rid our bodies of excess fat. Aloe promotes intestinal function and better allows us to eliminate toxins from the body.
Teach Healthy Choices Early
If we had half the knowledge we gain when we are older, as children, our childhood would have been different. It is known that as we get older, we make healthier decisions, usually due to a health issue or to prevent health issues. If we start teaching our children healthy choices at a young age, the choices soon become a healthy lifestyle for our children, which can create a longer, healthier life. This is especially important today, as a recent study conducted by Canadian Men’s Health Foundation has ranked Manitoba and Saskatchewan as the unhealthiest regions in Canada.
Meet Your Practitioner
Meet Megan Grant. Megan graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Psychiatric Nursing Degree from Brandon University in 2007. Over the last 11 years, she has worked as a Registered Psychiatric Nurse in acute psychiatric inpatient units, outpatient clinics, forensics, assertive outreach and medical psychiatry. She offers therapy for children, adolescents and adults. Megan’s specialty is in behaviour therapies that aim to balance thoughts, feelings, urges and behaviours. Her passion is Dialectical Behaviour Therapy (DBT). DBT is designed to treat individuals who are experiencing intense, sometimes debilitating emotions. Megan is committed in supporting her patients to practice acceptance and understanding while balancing the need to move forward into a place where they want to be.
