August 2021

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Health

Aging and arthritis in Canada

A common myth amongst Canadians is that arthritis is a disease of aging, but this couldn’t be farther from the truth. While it is often worse as we age, early detection can help along with other tactics. So if you’re older, get your children tested as it can make a huge difference for them and yourself. Over 6 million Canadians are affected by arthritis and most commonly, osteoarthritis. Women also suffer more than men from what can be a debilitating chronic condition with over 60% of Canadians with arthritis being women. Women are affected most because their tendons and joints are more elastic due to childbirth and it is also believed that the drop in estrogen levels after menopause plays a key factor. For men, they are mostly affected in the hip joints. September is arthritis awareness month in Canada and the Canadian Arthritis Society is launching a national awareness

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Alex Hurst August 30, 2021
Longevity

Fighting climate change with Artificial Intelligence

In 2021 it would seem, we’ve reached an inflection point with regard to capitalism and climate change. In 2020, Bloomberg estimated some $500 Billion was being spent on technologies to fight climate change. Now, Artificial Intelligence (AI) is joining in. Now, governments and central banks are beginning to finance more technologies on the climate change front than ever before. This is good. First, a quick primer on AI. The term Artificial Intelligence is an umbrella term as AI is a combination of different technologies. They can be mixed and matched to work together or as stand-alone for various uses. For example, in search engines, two key AI tools are used; Natural Language Processing and Machine Learning. Then there’s neural networks and expert systems. There are other subsets and tools, so AI is a complicated mix of tools. When you think of AI in Hollywood terms such as the Terminator, that’s

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Simone Waters August 27, 2021
Mind

The animals will know

Paddling up the meandering tidal river near Parrsboro, NS on the Bay of Fundy, I saw eagles sitting in trees, flying overhead. The immatures, those without the distinctive white head and tail feathers, are even larger than the adults because their feathers are bigger. Moving inland with the tide, I hardly had to paddle as the river filled with seawater. My kayak glided underneath a tree branch where a large eagle watched me carefully. When I was almost underneath, he dropped from the branch and flew off. I was so close that I could hear the loud “whoosh whoosh” as his wings beat against the still air. A few minutes later, five small cormorants circled overhead looking for a landing spot. Usually, they are shy birds so I was surprised when they swooped down and landed just in front of the boat and stayed there for a little while. Then

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David Holt August 24, 2021
Health

Mindfulness: The Darker Side

There’s no doubt that mindfulness can and has helped millions of people. New research is showing there can also be a downside. From helping reduce anxiety and stress to being more focused, mindfluness has many benefits and has even been incorporated into prison programs in the U.S. and Canadian systems. New research from the University at Buffalo however, suggests that mindfulness can make us more selfish and impact our social behaviours. The research looked at a rang of what are called prosocial behaviours, or the range of behaviours we have when we’re around other people. From how we interact with others to the actions we may take in certain settings. In the research, Dr. Michael Poulin, an assistant professor of psychology looked at how people view themselves and their place in society. In Asian countries, people tend to see their relationships with others as interdependent versus in countries like Canada,

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Simone Waters August 22, 2021
Mind

The Sword of Clear Thinking

Once the weapon of choice for the warrior, the sword has acquired special symbolic meaning. From the Palace of Justice in Rome to the Tehran courthouse in Iran, justice has been depicted as a young woman (“Lady Justice”) holding a set of scales in one hand and a sword in the other. It’s easy to understand that the scales signify weighing up counter arguments. The sword is generally said to indicate that justice can be “swift” and “final” but that does not tell us much. In Western esotericism, too, the sword is associated with the intellect. There — in a world that often emphasizes feelings — the sword often has negative connotations. In the Tarot, for example, most sword cards indicate difficult circumstances. But why is the sword associated with justice and the intellect, or, we could say, with truth? There is more to this archaic weapon than we generally

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Angel Millar August 18, 2021
Healthy Recipes

Sweet Potato Pancakes

Perfect for refuelling after a workout or a big outdoor adventure anytime of the year! So delicious! Sweet potato pancakes Ingredients: 6 oz cooked sweet potato 2 ounces of JUST egg or similar vegan egg alternative 1 oz vegan egg whites ½ tbsp coconut flour 1/8 tsp cinnamon ½ oz whey protein  1 oz blueberries ½ tbsp coconut oil 2 tbsp 100% pure organic maple syrup To prepare Peel sweet potatoes and cut in chunks. Boil until soft (I prefer to cook enough sweet potatoes to last the week to save having to do this step every time). Pre-heat non-stick frying pan on medium heat with coconut oil. Combine all ingredients in the blender–except coconut oil, syrup and blueberries. Blend on high for 30 seconds. Pour batter in the frying pan and add blueberries. Cook until one side is done, flip and cook the other. Top with maple syrup and

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Ricky Goodall August 16, 2021
Health

Celiac Disease and Mental Health

Celiac disease is major public health problem worldwide. It’s an autoimmune condition that affects 1 in 100 people. However, most people with celiac disease don’t fully understand it, or even realise they have it! New research on the condition is emerging left, right, and centre. Scientists are working hard to learn what causes celiac disease, how best to diagnose it, and which mental and physical health consequences can arise if it isn’t managed appropriately. Before we get onto discussing some of the mental health challenges that celiac disease can provoke, first, let’s consider whosuch challenges apply to. In other words, who is classified as “celiac”? Many people claim to be gluten intolerant. However, this is very different to having an autoimmune reaction to gluten. One of the major differences is that the long-term health consequences of consuming gluten can be much more severe if you are celiac. Considerably more women

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Sophie Ash August 16, 2021
Fitness

How about exercise ”snacks”?

We often have this notion that exercising has to be at a set time and place everyday. We go to the gym or run at a set time. For some, that can be very helpful and useful, but you can also do exercise snacks. Recent research has shown that short bursts of activity can have the same effect over time on our health. It may also be of benefit to those with some exercise restrictions as we age. Says Dr. Martin Gibala, a kinesiology professor at McMaster University in Ontario “The big picture it’s just about activity, and there are lot’s of ways to build it into your day.” The federal government guidelines on weekly physical activity is at about 150 minutes total that includes some aerobic activity as well as bone and muscle strengthening exercises at least two times a week. And most of these activities can be done

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Simone Waters August 13, 2021
Longevity

The price of living

In his article The Future That Has Already Happened (The FUTURIST Magazine, November 1998), management theorist Peter Drucker wrote that it is “pointless to try to predict the future, let alone attempt to look ahead 75 years.” But, he said, it is possible “to identify major events that have already happened, irrevocably, and that therefore will have predictable effects.” It is possible, in other words, to identify and prepare for the future that has already happened. Drucker had a gift for clarity, for stating the obvious in a simple way that the rest of would take years to comprehend. “The dominant factor for business in the next two decades absent war, pestilence, or collision with a comet is not going to be economics or technology,” he wrote. “It will be demographics. The key factor for business will not be the overpopulation of the world, of which we have been warned

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David Holt August 9, 2021
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