It’s December and 2011 is coming to a close Another 12 months of highs, (middles) and lows: It was the Year of the Rabbit, ‘wascally’ and fun…? Hope it was a good one for you – second to none! The Official Opposition became the NDP BC-ers said, “No!” (or “Yes”?) to scrap the HST. Team [...]
Happy All-Inclusive Holidays! Diwali – (between mid-October and mid-November) “The Festival of Lights” is celebrated by families performing traditional activities together in their homes, by both Hindus and Jains. St. Nicholas Day – (December 6) Children in many European countries (eg. Belgium and the Netherlands) celebrate the legends of this saint, also known as Sinterklaas, [...]
There are many reasons why people volunteer. If you can find the time, the benefits can be immeasurable – to you, your family, and especially, your community: Connects you to others. Volunteering helps you connect with your community, make new friends, broaden your support network and improve your social skills. If you volunteer as a [...]
Anne and Eugene are volunteering as Medical Co-Directors for Burnaby 2012 BC Seniors Games, August 21 – 25. This year’s games are taking place August 16 – 20 in West Kootenay. Burnaby is looking for volunteers! Find out more at: www.tourismburnaby.com/volunteer
Well, it was a wild ride all the way to Game 7, but in the end we couldn’t bring it home. The fan support and enthusiasm was sensational, and we must give our boys in blue credit for working hard and persevering. Perseverance is the key to success: Have a clear goal and relate it [...]
妙手回春 妙 MIAO – magic (clever, healing) 手 SHOU – hands 回 HUI – restore 春 CHUN – spring (youth & health) This ancient Chinese proverb is an honour bestowed upon a medical professional with considerable skills. Hands that heal can bring us back to youthful health! Spring is a time of refreshing and reviving [...]
Feeling the End-of-Winter Blahs? Tired of the rain? Stuck in a rut? Try something new! Start simply to shake things up: wake up 15 minutes earlier and enjoy a hearty breakfast. Get off the Sky Train one stop early and walk home. Cook a dinner with farro and pancetta. Take a class. Join a Sun [...]
It’s December 2010, how was the year for you? Another grey hair, an extra pound or two? 12 months in a flash, it all goes by so fast. Seems like long ago, but these are from the recent past: The Olympics were grand and set a special tone in balmy Vancouver, the podium we did [...]
The Secret to Long Life … “Red meat and gin.” ~ Julia Child (1912 – 2004), on what her longevity is attributed to. Most of us would like to live a long and happy life. It’s really not a secret anymore. We’ve seen the studies, know what’s good for us, and although it seems trite, [...]
November is Diabetes Awareness Month 9 million Canadians live with diabetes or prediabetes. It is one of the most preventable diseases, but it is still growing at an alarming rate. If you have prediabetes (slightly elevated blood sugar levels that often become diabetes within 10 years), you likely don’t even know it. Having diabetes can [...]
Meditation is a valuable exercise. Just as exercising our muscles makes them stronger, more coordinated and have better muscle memory, our brains have the capacity to continuously grow stronger and healthier throughout our life. Exercising our brain causes structural and functional changes when it is challenged. Challenging the brain results in an increased number of [...]
The Times, They Are A-Changin’ Change is one of the few things in life that is inevitable. It is the nature of things to change – in fact, change is inherent to survival. With change usually comes stress from new routines, unknowns, and apprehension about the future. Even little changes, such as changing banks, can [...]
Wiser, Wealthier, Healthier? Every year people make resolutions on January 1st. And every year, the majority of people have forgotten about these resolutions by January 21st. Why? Unfortunately for us, the big plans made with a glass of champagne in hand aren’t usually the sorts of plans that lend themselves to actual visible change. It [...]
“Christmas gift suggestions: To your enemy, forgiveness. To an opponent, tolerance. To a friend, your heart. To a customer, service. To all, charity. To every child, a good example. To yourself, respect.” – Oren Arnold The December holiday season is meant to be a time of love and joy, family togetherness, and happiness. But sometimes [...]
The immune system is a set of biological structures and processes that prevent against disease by identifying and killing pathogens and tumor cells. Humans have a very sophisticated immune system which will adapt over time to recognize and kill specific pathogens more efficiently. This process is called acquired immunity, and will work to create an [...]
Dr. Ray Baker The season is upon us when patients start coming in complaining of insomnia, depression, irritability, anxiety, or addictions. For many of us this is a time of year when our level of stress is greater than our ability to cope. Stressors Memories of past painful experiences, sadness over facing this holiday [...]
Imagine a magical power that could help you live longer and healthier, with positive, lasting relationships and an increased sense of self-esteem. Sound good? Fortunately, this magical power is not just imaginary. Happiness has numerous health benefits – happy people can live up to 9 years longer, get sick less often, and tend to be [...]
Feeling blue this January? Seasonal Affective Disorder, or SAD, is a documented medical condition that causes a mood change with the change in seasons. These seasonal mood variations are believed to be related to the decreased amount of sunlight in the winter months. Symptoms of SAD include depression, hopelessness, anxiety, lethargy, social withdrawal, oversleeping, cravings [...]
Each year, about one third of Canadians make New Year’s resolutions. The problem is that year after year, most of these resolutions get derailed in a matter of weeks. Here are some tips for those who, every year, resolve to become healthier, wealthier, or somehow better. Make the Commitment Ask yourself if it’s 100% the [...]
The annual obsession of giving (and getting) the perfect gifts is upon us again! It’s easy to get frazzled by the hectic pace of the holiday season and as most of us are frantically tearing away at multi-coloured paper to find the answer to the all-important question, “Did I get what I wanted for Christmas?”, [...]
The holiday season is upon us, and for many this is the time of year when our stress levels hit an ultimate high. An integral part of handling stress comes ultimately from staying positive and taking care of yourself. It may seem a little inappropriate to be selfish at a time of giving, but we [...]
As the holiday season tests our spirit of peace and joy, and many of us become time-challenged, here’s a reminder that taking a quiet, purposeful moment may be our best bet to a Healthy and Happy New Year. A new study shows that meditation can boost your immune system and also lift your spirits. People [...]
Improve Your Health, Simply By Giving Thanks The custom of offering thanks is traditionally only celebrated once a year on Thanksgiving, but health care professionals are now urging people to express their gratitude throughout the entire year as the connection between gratitude and health is becoming more and more evident. Research has shown that feelings [...]
Studies show that your mental health directly affects your physical health. Certain opposing personality traits – optimism and pessimism – can influence not only your quality of life, but the length of it as well. Individuals (without psychiatric problems) who scored very high on a personality test pessimism scale had a 30% increased risk of [...]
Healthy Eating. Active Living. Positive Self & Body Image. See how much you know about the healthy pleasures of Vitality. Losing weight is a good way to improve your health. False. Losing weight will not necessarily improve your health. If you are at a healthy weight, losing and regaining weight (yo-yo dieting) is more harmful [...]
We hope you are enjoying your summer so far! Whether you have taken an exotic vacation or are simply taking a relaxing break from school or work, we hope these summer months have left you feeling rejuvenated! As summer is rapidly coming to an end and the majority of us are preparing to return to [...]
Health/′helth/n, a state of optimal well-being of the whole individual – physical, mental, and social, and not merely the absence of disease, which can be enhanced by nutrition, exercise, attitude and rest. As some of you may have noticed, this definition is artfully posted on one wall of our office. It reminds us to live [...]