Health And Wellness Blog

  We all know what it feels like to be stressed out. Around 25% of Canadians report feeling ‘quite a bit’ to ‘extremely stressed’ most days (Source). People living with chronic illness are even more likely to experience higher levels of stress on a regular basis.

Consumers are trying to make healthier choices, and food companies are making it harder on them with misleading advertising. Consider a box of granola bars that says “naturally sweetened and “no sugar added” – when in fact you look to the ingredient list and see brown rice syrup and honey listed within the first four ingredients! This kind of false advertising makes us so frustrated for our clients!

When people talk about obesity, they are often focused on what people eat and how much they move. However, obesity is an incredibly complex chronic health condition! One piece that often gets missed in obesity-talk is the very important issue of weight bias (sometimes called weight stigma) and discrimination.

Improving nutrition can look daunting and overwhelming if we try to tackle everything at once. There is a lot to think about: Am I getting adequate protein? Is my breakfast balanced?

Dyslipi – Whaat?? Being diagnosed with high cholesterol, also known as dyslipidemia, can be scary, especially when you’re unsure what it is and how to manage it! Some cholesterol is made in the body, but it can also come from the foods we eat like meats, eggs, butter, and dairy.

Thinking about setting a New Year’s resolution this year?  According to a study done in 2020, the most popular resolutions were set on the topics of physical health, weight loss, and eating habits.  From this same study, after 1 year 55% considered themselves successful at keeping their resolutions.

The concept of resilience can be hard to define and its relevance to mental health is often missed. Dictionary definitions touch on the capacity to recovery quickly from challenges or setbacks.   I tend to think of resilience as our “bounce-back” factor.

By Kimberly Eckert, Registered Psychologist Eckert Psychology & Education Centre   Fresh starts are moments when we naturally activate and start making changes in our lives. As humans, we inspire ourselves with important anniversaries – like a milestone birthday or a new calendar year – to make meaningful changes. For me, my “fresh start” was the start of my summer vacation this year.

Both men and women benefit from eating healthy, balanced meals. However, men have slightly different nutritional needs that are important to address.   Zinc Zinc is a vital nutrient in our bodies that helps with gene expression, immunity, wound healing, and protein production.

Women, like men, should enjoy a variety of foods, including whole grains, lean protein, fruits, vegetables, and dairy. However, there are specific nutrient needs that are often forgotten:   Calcium Calcium is essential to help repair and build bone. Osteoporosis, a condition of too much bone loss or not enough build up of bone, is four times more likely in women than men and post-menopausal women are at an even greater risk.