June 29th - July 5th
Heat Stroke and Heat Exhaustion
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With hot weather making headlines and the long weekend finally upon us, the risk of heat stroke and exhaustion are running high. Heat exhaustion and dehydration are commonly the first steps toward heat stroke, and with any heat related illness prevention is the best treatment. Be sure to drink plenty of fluids, rest in the shade, and try to stay as cool as possible if you feel any of the symptoms of heat exhaustion coming on. This will ensure you never get to the heat stroke stage, and keep you in good shape to enjoy the holiday. For more information on heat related illness, check out this article.
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June 22nd - June 28th
Watch What You Wear
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As important as sunscreen for your skin, your eyes need protection when the sun shines to avoid harm. Your eyes without proper protection can get photokeratitis, which is similar to a sunburn for your eyes. Sunglasses offer great protection from the harmful UV rays emitted by the sun that cause photokeratitis, but not all lenses are created equal. A pair of poor quality sunglasses may shade your eyes, but since they don't necessarily block all the UV light from passing through they can still expose your eyes to damage. If you want to learn more about the importance of quality sunglasses, check out this link.
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June 15th - June 21st
Sunny Days
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Sunny days mean harmful UV rays, time to bust out the sunblock. When looking to purchase sunscreen, make sure you get at a minimum of SPF 30 and that the product contains ingredients that protect against Ultraviolet A (UVA) rays. While sunscreen is a very important step for skin protection, if you're spending the day outside it's also important to take to the shade periodically to give yourself a break. Be sure to check for the sticker of the Canadian Dermatology Association to ensure it's safe and effective. For more information on sunscreen, check out the Canadian Dermatology Association's FAQ.
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June 8th - June 14th
Take a Hike
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Huron county may look like all farms and fields on the surface, but hidden away amongst all the crops are 30 maintained hiking trails ready for you to explore. Hiking is a great way to get some fresh air, and the quiet, peaceful environment will help relieve stress after a long week at work. Many of the trails in the area are fairly flat, making them perfect for hikers of all athletic abilities. If you want find a trail for the weekend, the Huron county website (found here) provides information and a comprehensive PDF guide of all the nearby trails.
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June 1st - June 7th
Hooked on Walking
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It may sometimes seem that the only way to start living a healthier life is to make a bunch of major changes all at once. While this is perfectly fine for some, one of the better ways to start your fitness journey is by making small changes gradually overtime. Walking for just 30 minutes a day has numerous known health benefits, including improving cardiovascular health, reducing your risk of heart disease and stroke, strengthening your bones, and improving your balance. Just as important, setting aside time for any physical activity will help form a routine, and making your well-being a routine is the first step to leading a healthier life. If you want to learn more about the health benefits of walking, check out this article.
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May 25th - May 31st
The Safest Cyclist is the One You Can See
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Besides the helmet, one of the most important safety features you can have on a bike is the lights. While they're required within 30 minutes of dawn or dusk in Ontario, the extra visibility to traffic they provide ensures you can be seen no matter what the conditions. It doesn't hurt to run them whenever you ride, something red for the tail and white for the front can have a huge impact to your safety on the road. There are several important factors for choosing a good set of lights for your bike, check out this article to learn more!
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May 18th - May 24th
Alcohol and Cannabis, a Dangerous Mix
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With the long weekend here it's finally time to relax and unwind, and since the legalization of cannabis last fall you may be tempted to throw little green into your Victoria day celebrations. While cannabis and alcohol are generally safe on their own in moderation, their effects together stand to be a dangerous mix. Cannabis has anti-nauseant effects, which can suppress the impulse to vomit when you drink too much. This can increase the likelihood of alcohol poisoning, and with the short term memory effects of cannabis it's likely better to play it safe and stick with one or the other. If you want more information on this topic, here is an article by Alcohol.org, an American Addiction Centre resource.
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May 11th - May 17th
A Breath of Fresh Air
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The benefits of getting outside are well known, but even breathing the fresh outdoor can have a positive impact on your well-being. The feeling of soaking in the sun goes beyond the surface, helping to reduce stress, give you more energy, and help reduce your chances of becoming vitamin D deficient. Not only that, but a daily dose of fresh outdoor air and sun can actually help you sleep better when the sun goes down. So maybe instead of a bouquet of flowers this Mother's Day, spend some time outside and find your own! Check out this article by Livestrong if you'd like to know more.
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May 4th - May 10th
Lyme Disease and the Black-Legged Tick
The warm weather brings promise of a beautiful summer to come. Unfortunately it also brings with it the black-legged tick, the only tick in Ontario known to transmit bacteria that cause Lyme disease. Now that we're all spending more time outside, it's important to be on the lookout anytime you've walked through areas with long grass or through forests. Be sure to check your clothes, and search your body anytime after you've been in these areas. If you do find a tick, use tweezers to remove it, grabbing the tick as close to your skin as you can and pulling slowly but firmly straight out. Save the tick, and bring it in to your local health unit or doctor so it can be submitted for identification and testing. For more information on how to protect yourself, the Huron County Health Unit has an article dedicated to the black-legged tick and Lyme disease. Check it out here.
April 27th - May 3rd
Growing your Edible Garden
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With the last frost just around the corner, now's the perfect time to start planning out your summer garden. Gardening is an efficient and healthy way to put little extra food on your table over the summer months, while simultaneously helping to relieve stress. It's also a great way to get a little moderate exercise into your day, but make sure not to overdo it and be sure to protect yourself from the sun. It's easy to get lost in the sea of information available online, so for some simple tips for beginning your edible garden, check out this article.
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April 20th - April 26th
Sleep Debt
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Do you ever feel drained after an extra long night of sleep on the weekend and don't understand why? This feeling of tiredness could be attributed to a phenomenon known as sleep debt. One long sleep isn't enough to catch up on the short nights so many of us experience throughout the week. This sort of prolonged sleep deprivation can cause irritability, a fuzzy-headedness, and of course mental and physical fatigue. Lucky for us, mother nature is not a ruthless debt collector. You won't need to put in the same hours you lost, but prioritizing rest and increasing your nightly total for a couple weeks will help you get back to a fully rested state. While the long term effects of sleep debt are still debated in the scientific community, the Harvard Health Publishing website has some great tips on how to avoid it, as well as ways to address the sleep debt you may already have. Check it out here to get back in the black.
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April 13th - April 19th
Preparing your Bike for Spring
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With the snow gone, biking season is upon us once again! Cycling is a great way to keep active and can really help wake you up in the morning if you choose to commute by bike. If your bike is in particularly rough condition consider getting a tune-up at your local bike shop to stay running smooth and safe. If not, basic bike maintenance is actually pretty simple and can be done at home with little prior knowledge. There are a few main things to look over, to see them more in depth check out this article but briefly, you should: Clean the entire bike, check your chain for wear, check your brake pads and brake function, make sure your brake lines and shifter cables are clean and in good condition, and check the smoothness of your shifting. Replacing your chain when its worn is a very important step to save it from wearing your expensive gears. Additionally light duty oils like WD-40 multi-use can’t stand up to the heavy wear a bike chain puts them through, and can actually make things worse so be sure to use proper chain oil.
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April 6th - April 12th
Functional Food Series - Tomatoes
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The third and final functional food that will be covered in this series is the tomato. On average an American consumes about 18 pounds of tomatoes per year, and with good reason. Several epidemiological studies have reported that lycopene, the natural pigment that gives tomatoes their red colour, was related to a significant decrease in the risk of several forms of prostate cancer. Elevated amounts of lycopene in plasma have also been linked to a lower risk of developing cardiovascular disease. This also happens to be the perfect time of year to start your tomato plants in preparation for summer gardening. Even if you aren't much of a green thumb, a couple plants in the backyard can produce a surprisingly plentiful harvest when the time comes, offering a sustainable alternative to imported varieties. If you're interested in learning more, you can find the full study originally published in the Journal of Nutrition by Kirstie Canene-Adams et al. here.
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March 30th - April 5th
Functional Food Series - Oats
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There’s nothing quite like a bowl of oatmeal to warm you up after a day out in the cold. Oats, however you make them, taste great and are packed with soluble fiber. One type of fiber found in oats, called beta-glucan, has been shown to help lower bad cholesterol. Additionally a diet rich in whole grains like oats has also been associated with reducing your overall risk of developing colorectal cancer, helping to lower your blood pressure, and are often recommended for their beneficial effects on your digestive system. Oats can also help you feel more satisfied after eating, and evidence suggests that their regular consumption may be correlated with a lower Body Mass Index (BMI). If you want to learn more about the health benefits of oats, check out this article. One idea for your next bowl of oatmeal is to try something savoury. Adding a fried egg, avocado, and seasoning can make a filling and healthy start to your day without the usual added sugar or dairy.
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March 23rd - March 29th
Functional Food Series - Salmon
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Salmon is one of the most well-known functional foods. You’ve likely seen it advertised for its high concentration of Omega-3s which reportedly aid in things like reducing your risk for heart disease, and supporting healthy cholesterol levels. They are also found in few other foods, making salmon a great choice to up your intake. Beyond the Omega-3s, salmon contains selenium which has been shown to be important for healthy thyroid function. It is typically recommended that fatty fish like salmon is incorporated into our diets around 2 times per week, and can easily replace other protein sources in a meal. To learn more about some of the benefits of salmon, and for some recipes and recommendations for making salmon a healthy part of your diet, see this article posted by MedicalNewsToday. My favourite way to cook salmon is some salt and pepper on the outside, then sear and brown both sides for about 4-5 minutes on medium-high heat and you're good to go!
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March 16th - March 22nd
Functional Foods
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For the next couple of weeks we're going to kick off a series covering various functional foods. What are functional foods? Functional foods are defined as having benefits that go beyond basic nutrition. You probably know a few already, things like salmon, yogurt, oats, and tomatoes all fall under this definition for various reasons. For a more intensive review of several functional foods check out this article, but if you want your information a little more bite-sized, we're going to walk you through several different functional foods in a way that's a little easier to digest.
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March 9th - March 15th
An Alternative to your Morning Coffee
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Coffee. Second only to water in highest reported consumption according to Stats Canada, coffee is used all over the world for its stimulating properties. If that's not your cup of tea though, or if you find you get jittery and anxious from the caffeine, there is a healthy alternative. Interestingly, an apple a day might help you get out of bed in the morning. Apples provide you with natural sugars and vitamins that promote a similar wake-up response as caffeine. While an apple might not be able to replace that warm cup in the morning, it might help wake you up when your clock springs forward this weekend. To learn more about the benefits of both coffee and apples, check out this article. |
March 2nd - March 8th
The Importance of Proper Shut-eye
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It's pretty clear that sleep is vitally important to both your mental and physical well-being, but sleep deprivation has further reaching effects than many people realize. It can affect things like weight gain, blood pressure, and even mess with your hunger regulating hormones. This can cause you to subconsciously over-eat and reduce the feeling of fullness you would normally experience during and after a meal. It's important that you try and get at least 7 hours of sleep per night. Doing so can help you not only feel more rested, but can also give you a boost in motivation and willpower, allowing you to more easily meet your other health goals. For more tips on improving sleep, check out this article from the Mayoclinic.
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February 23rd - March 1st
Canada's New Food Guide
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Recently, Canada's food guide went through a rigorous overhaul, its first update in more than a decade. The new food guide has tons of helpful information to explore, and even goes beyond simple nutrition by touting the benefits of eating with others and encouraging everyone to cook for themselves more often. Cooking for yourself is a great way to learn new skills and techniques, allows you to rely less on processed foods, gives you the power to control the things you eat, and can even save you money! To learn more about the recent changes, and get helpful healthy eating tips, check out the revamped food guide HERE.
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February 16th - February 22nd
Small Changes Make a Big Difference
Photo by Clique Images on Unsplash
Our weekend wellness tip last week talked about getting active in the face of winter. Physical activity is vital to overall health and well-being, but as anyone who has started their journey knows, the first step is often the hardest. If you're having a hard time reaching your goals just remember it's okay to fail. A healthy lifestyle doesn't happen overnight and sometimes it can help to take a step back and re-evaluate your situation. Sometimes the key to big change is starting out small, and the mayo clinic has some tips to help you do just that. If you want to read up on using small changes in routine to make habits that last, you can find the article Here.
February 9th - February 15th
Fitness in the Face of Winter
With the temperatures low and the skies dark it's all too easy to curl up and hibernate on your couch. However if the winter blues have got you down then one of the best ways out of the slump is to get up and do something active! There are plenty of fun ways to keep your blood flowing through the coldest months of the year, both indoors and out. Whether you join a fitness at the local gym or take fitness into your own hands at home, the Heart and Stroke Foundation of Canada has some ideas to get you started. Check them out here.
February 2nd - February 8th
Ice Safety and Preventing Hypothermia
While the Polar Vortex may have blown over, bringing warmer weather for this weekend with its passing, it's important to keep in mind the hazards associated with ice and water. Did you know that water can take heat away from the body 25 times faster than air? It may be tempting to go out on a seemingly frozen lake or river, but even ice that seems thick can be surprisingly fragile with the right conditions. If you are going out on the ice, be sure to check its quality and thickness to make sure it can support your weight, and check out these links to make sure you're prepared.
January 27th - February 1st
Bell Let's Talk Day
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One in five Canadians will suffer from mental illness at some point in their lives. Of this group of people, two thirds of them will struggle in silence for fear of being judged or rejected. On January 30th, you can help end the stigma by participating in Bell Let's Talk day. If you aren't sure where to turn to, talking to your healthcare provider is a great way to start. There are also plenty of resources on the gateway website, or on the Bell Let's Talk website found at the link on the side. Together, we can break the silence and spark a conversation about mental health.
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July 20th - July 22nd
We can't always control the things happening to us and the things happening around us, but we can control how we respond to them!
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July 13th - July 15th
Weekend Wellness TipCycling is a great way to get outdoors in the summer and can benefit your health and longevity. To ensure you are riding for a long time, you must keep safety in mind! This week, Gateway would like to bring you some of the most up to date information on bike helmets, their importance, and new technological updates backed by reputable research.
Check out this article to learn more. |
Ride on!
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June 29th - July 1st
Click here to learn more about heat stroke.
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Weekend Wellness TipEnvironment Canada has released a heat advisory for the upcoming long weekend with temperatures reaching the mid 40s. In light of this, it is important to take the appropriate precautions when celebrating Canada day! Use the links provided to the left and right to learn more about heat stroke, warning signs of it, and preventative measures you can take during the first big heat wave of the summer.
Happy Canada Day! |
Click here to view the heat advisory.
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