Q. My New Year’s resolution is to take better care of my health. What do I need to do to maintain my eye health?
A. Nothing magical. Protect your eyes from the sun and other sources of UV light. Don’t smoke. Keep yourself healthy with diet and exercise, and make sure your family doctor is in the loop. Get your eyes examined – there are plenty of ways to optimize your vision and make your eyes feel more comfortable. Detecting a hidden eye disease or other health problem is another benefit of the examination.
Community News
What Are Your Healthy Habits?
A healthy lifestyle is our BEST medicine. It is important to develop diligent daily activities that are enjoyable with music, friends, or alone. The secret to health and well-being is to personalize your routine of healthy habits to fulfill your needs and to change them when necessary to suit your individual liking/physical limitations. There is no shortcut. You either do it or you don’t. Think about what you can do that is fun, such as walking outdoors in nature, which is automatically calming and energizing, therefore making walking a good daily habit.
New Year Resolutions
It’s wonderful to want to make changes in your life. The problem is, change doesn’t happen overnight, and most resolutions end up being abandoned. Then we feel guilty about it. Consider, instead, small sustainable steps towards a healthier lifestyle. Being healthy isn’t just about what we eat and how much we weigh. Real wellness includes how we talk to ourselves, our outlook on life, and how we deal with stress. Feeling better can start with any of these things. See January as only the beginning of your wellness journey!
4 Natural Ways to Boost Your Immunity
There are plenty of natural remedies to help you boost your immune system and stay healthy all winter long:
1. Focus on Vitamin D. Did you know that most people have low vitamin D levels? Even dangerously low, within a range that could severely limit your immune system.
2. Eat More Garlic. Garlic is one of the most potent of all superfoods that goes back thousands of years for treatment of illness.
3. Get Your Probiotics. 70% of your immune system lies in your gut flora and the health of the friendly organisms in there to protect you against pathogens and sickness.
4. Avoid ALL processed foods and sweetened soft drinks. This is no time to bombard your body with processed foods, fried foods, high-fructose corn syrup, refined sugars or chemical additives.
Book Club: Ageless Soul
Living a Full Life with Joy and Purpose by Thomas Moore. Aging is the process by which one becomes a more distinctive, complex, fulfilled, loving, and connected person. Using examples from his practice as a psychotherapist and teacher who lectures widely on the soul of medicine and spirituality, Moore argues for a new vision of aging: as a dramatic series of initiations, rather than a diminishing experience, one that each of us has the tools―experience, maturity, fulfillment―to live out. Ageless Soul will teach readers how to embrace the richness of experience and how to take life on, accept invitations to new vitality, and feel fulfilled as they get older.
Vegan Cashew “Cheese”
Are you interested in trying a vegan diet, but aren’t ready to give up all cheese? You must give this recipe a try! Here’s what you need: 3/4 cup raw cashews, 3 tablespoons nutritional yeast, 3/4 teaspoon sea salt, 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder, ½ tablespoon lemon juice, ¼ cup water, ½ teaspoon apple cider vinegar, black pepper to taste. Here’s how to do it: Place cashews in a bowl with warm water and soak for at least 2 hours. Drain and add to food processor along with all other ingredients. Pulse until thoroughly combined. Enjoy this “cheesy” alternative!
Adapted from www.eatliveandplay.com
Take Care of Your “Winter” Body
Winter is the darkest, dampest, and coldest time of year; however, this isn’t always a bad thing. In nature, winter is a time of hibernation. For people, it is a time of introspection. Following basic health recommendations for winter can keep you healthy. Dress appropriately (wool). Eat cooked or warmed foods, such as soups and stews, and use spices such as ginger or cinnamon. Avoid copious amounts of raw vegetables, juices, or chilled foods and beverages. Go to sleep earlier and sleep in later for rejuvenation.
Dr. Ross Ralph, Dr. TCM, R.Ac., DOMP., Courtenay Healing Centre, CourtenayHealing.ca
Living with Diabetic Neuropathy?
One of the complications that may occur with diabetes is a gradual loss of sensation in your feet. If this happens, you may become unable to feel small stones or pressure areas inside your shoes. Sores can develop without you knowing and can quickly become a serious problem. Prevention of sores and open wounds includes using seamless socks, seamless footwear, and custom molded foot orthotics to provide an even distribution of pressure under the feet and position the feet optimally inside the shoes. Ensuring your feet are protected against skin breakdown is the best course of action in keeping them healthy for years to come.
B.D. Mitchell Prosthetics and Orthotics, MitchellPandO.com
Benefits of Dog Ownership
Research supports the statement that ‘people who own dogs live longer’, and pet owners have some great advantages in balancing daily living. Your dog gets your day started with a much-needed walk, and possibly a couple more throughout the day. You are loved unconditionally by your furry friend. You take time to groom, train, talk to, and play with your dog – social interaction that can offset hours spent on the computer and phone. A dog can change your life, add to your life, give you a life, and extend your life! Not a bad thing to consider. Barbara Guidetti, Happy Paws Pet Food, HappyPaws.ca
Lose Weight & Still Enjoy Wine!
Research suggests people who follow a Mediterranean diet lose 52% more weight than the standard low-fat diet because it isn’t just a fad or limited list of foods. It’s a lifestyle based on a balanced approach to your meals, which focuses on produce, healthy fats, whole grains, legumes, fish, and even some red wine. Committing to losing weight for three months using the Mediterranean diet as a base, along with three booster products and three lifestyle changes, guarantees results. And there is no meal skipping! Look and feel great for all of your holiday parties and events!
Lisa – Modere, LiveClean.Market
Giving Back: Longing for Belonging
Most of us take for granted the community that surrounds us. We have family, friends, co-workers, neighbours – people who help us celebrate life’s milestones, look out for us, and connect us to the broader life of our community. These circles of belonging are essential to our quality of life and studies show that they strongly affect our mental and physical wellbeing. But what if your circumstances exclude you from the life of your community? Having a developmental disability can do just that and the folks at L’Arche Comox Valley are passionate about creating community that includes everyone – with and without developmental disabilities. The I Belong! Campaign is about creating a space where that can happen. Our goal is the construction of a Centre for belonging that also includes residences for those able to live independently. Join us – support us! L’Arche Comox Valley
