Essential oils are amazing for enhancing relaxation. Simply smelling oils such as lavender, grapefruit, frankincense, neroli, cedarwood, or blends such as “Stress Away,” “Aromaease,” or “Deep Relief” can be enough to calm your nerves. You can add them to Epsom salts for a lovely bath, diffuse them, add your favorite to a spray bottle (plus water) and spray your linens. Try placing a drop on a cotton ball or clothes peg and placing it in your car vent. These are just a few ways to feel the beneficial effects of these pleasant aromas.

Foot Reflexology is the application of specific finger pressure techniques on feet, combined with acupressure with focus on reflex points and their connection to our body’s organs. It is a wonderful, natural, health therapy and analysis tool. It improves circulation of blood, encourages lymphatic drainage, rejuvenates life energy, and eases pain within other body parts. The body is fostered to detox and heal itself.

When was the last time you saw your denturist? Your face, jaws and tissue change over the years but your dental prosthesis is made of stable and rigid material that will not adapt to these changes. Here are some signs that your dental prosthesis need to be checked. *Problems chewing certain foods, *Thinning lips, sagging mouth or change in facial features, *Prosthesis loose or falling out when speaking or laughing *Discoloration and odor. These changes happen gradually and you may not notice them happening. Your denturist is the most qualified person to tell you when your dentures need to be replaced.

If you are experiencing persistent foot pain, you may need orthotics. Orthotics can help with structural problems caused by excessive pronation. Plantar fascitis (heel pain), metatarsalgia, neuromas, and dorsal arch pain can all be helped with a properly prescribed and constructed custom foot orthotics. Some knee, hip and lower back may also be relieved by orthotics. Your podiatrist will perform a gait analysis to study the function of your foot to determine if correction is required. If required, a 3D image or cast of each foot is taken and sent to a specialized laboratory for fabrication. A podiatrist is a regulated practitioner in BC who prescribes medical grade custom orthotics.

Blue light is artificially generated by energy efficient lighting, computers, tablets, and smartphones. Blue light exposure reaches the back of the eye and can lead to long term damage. Blue light also scatters more than regular light so focussing on digital devices can result in “Digital Eye Strain” with symptoms including blurred vision, dry eyes and headaches. It can also disrupt our sleep cycle when these devices are used less than two hours before bedtime. TrueBlue ® lenses contain pigments that filter blue light and protect eye tissues from damage as well as increase eye comfort and regulate sleep cycles.

Nutritional supplements play a big role in maintaining our health. But how do you navigate the maze of the hundreds of brands of health and nutrition products available in the marketplace? There are so many different sources offering products that it is difficult to figure out where and what to buy. Your local health food store is a good place to start. It is staffed by experts who keep up with what is new in the industry. They will take the time to find out your needs. Once this discussion has taken place, they will be able to recommend the best products for you.

Muscle and joint pain associated with sprains and strains can be very frustrating when striving to maintain an active lifestyle. Certain essential oils have been approved by Health Canada for use to help with relief of pain associated with sprains, strains and rheumatoid arthritis. Oils such as lavender, marjoram, clove, black pepper, eucalyptus globulus or peppermint, and blends such as Deep Relief and Aromaease are great mixed with a carrier oil such as coconut, and applied directly to the skin to help soothe muscle pain. The essential oils you choose should be pure and not topped up with synthetic additives and preservatives.

Chinese Medicine is one of the oldest recorded medical systems. Diagnosis comes through detailed questioning of an individual’s history and symptoms, feeling their pulses, observing their tongue and complexion, and palpating their abdomen. Treatment is based on this individualized diagnosis. Acupuncture treatment regulates and balances the flow of Qi, blood and fluids within the network of energetic pathways, called meridians, that connect the surface of the body to the organs and circulatory systems. In health, this flow is abundant and smooth, and we experience wellbeing and health in our body, mind, emotions and spirit.