September 2021

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Longevity

Do animals have a sense of humour?

Believe it or not, studies have shown that monkeys, dogs, rats, and some other animals do indeed laugh. Neural paths for laughter are deep in the brain and found in both humans and animals, which many accept as proof that laughing is integral to play and fun. A new study of 65 animals published in the journal Bioacoustics (that’s a thing) revealed each species had their own form of laughter. Infants and young children laugh instinctively during play, which shows that laughter is natural, not learned. A study showed how babies and young chimpanzees even have similar facial expressions when laughing. Chimpanzees pant during playtime, rats chirp when tickled, and dogs huff when having fun; these noises form social bonds with fellow animal playmates, just as shared laughter can strengthen bonds between humans. Laughter in animals is still under-studied and some researchers still aren’t convinced animals have a sense of humour,

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Yasmin Missaghian September 29, 2021
Mind

Importance of Seasonal Self-Care

The days are getting shorter, the summer heat is cooling off: fall is coming! For many of us, fall is associated with new routines and plans being put into action. What better time to commit to a self-care routine? What is “self-care”? Self-care is any activity we do to support our happiness, wellness, and health. We simply cannot function on empty. Regular practice helps us stay grounded during life’s inevitable ups and downs. A self-care routine Self-care is an individual practice. Finding out what works for you will take some discovery. For one person, self-care might mean attending a yoga class once a week and schedule in time for journaling each night before bed. I recommend starting a list of activities you love doing most. These activities should make you feel centred, happy, or contribute to your sense of wellness. Creative arts, spending time in nature, and exercising are all

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Jessica Clerke September 28, 2021
Mind

Norm Macdonald, meet Joe Donovan

Saturday Night Live, not its original name, launched like a thunderbolt in 1975, at least to the younger generation. Attending Hampshire College in western Massachusetts, I would stay up to watch Carson on an old black-and-white TV with a huge “Frankenstein (on) switch” that connected to the box by a tangle of wires, and sometimes “5 All Night.” The cheapest show you could imagine, 5 All Night ran from 1:00 to 5:00 a.m., featuring a library of older black-and-white movies and announcer George Fennel (“who never made an on-camera appearance”). There are only so many Charlie Chan movies you want to see in a week. Back in the day, 5 All Night may have contributed to a rise in marijuana sales in southern New England. Then came Saturday Night Live on NBC. It wasn’t standard network fare, almost the opposite. An inside joke for young people, it was too hip

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David Holt September 27, 2021
Health

How to understand proteins

Protein is an integral part of any healthy diet. Every time we exercise, our muscles are damaged. In order to repair them and make them stronger for our next workout, we need protein! Not to mention, protein is one of the most satiating macronutrients, and helps keep us full between meals and snacks. WHAT IS IT? AND WHY IS IT SO IMPORTANT? Protein is made of amino acids, and there are 22 of them. Your body is able to make 13 of them on its own, and are called “non- essential” amino acids. The other nine are “essential” amino acids, meaning you can get them from food, and food only. These amino acids are broken down and literally make you, you! They are rearranged in order to build and maintain your muscles, bones, blood and other organs. Protein makes up roughly 20% of our body weight, and is considered the second

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Natalie MacMillan September 27, 2021
Fitness

Your walking style and foot health

To the trained eye, your gait and even the soles of your shoes reveal a lot about the condition of your feet. Sheldon Gardner can often tell if your feet hurt by watching you walk, and even by examining the soles of your shoes. This is what you need to know about foot health. “If the treads are worn on the inside of the sole, underneath the toe, it means your foot pronates, or rolls in, when you walk,” says Gardner. “If the bottom of the sole is worn on the outside, it means the person’s foot is most likely supinating, or rolling out.” Halifax-based Gardner has been working as a certified pedorthist since 1996. He calls himself a “foot mechanic” because he is trained to assess a foot’s structural and biomechanical abnormalities and to help correct them. He explains that pronation can lead to arch, ankle, knee, hip and

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Christine Blanchette September 24, 2021
Mind

The science behind laughing

Laughter boosts immunity, mental health, learning and more. Seriously. Exercise, sleep, diet and stress-management are critical for immunity. But there’s a lesser known way you can boost your health (plus a whole lot of other things). In these uncertain times, laughing yourself silly may just be a smart thing to do. The science of laughter—though still preliminary—suggests that it has benefits for our health and psychological well-being. Here are just five examples from this emerging research: Physical Health. A review of the existing research suggests that humor and laughter may boost immune function.  Another study found that even just anticipating a funny event decreases potentially detrimental stress-related hormones. In another study, laughter was found to lower stress and inflammation and increase good cholesterol.  Mental Health. Laughter is wonderful for stress relief.  A review of research on laughter therapies suggests they can reduce anxiety, depression and perceived stress. Laughter makes you

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Dr. Emma Sappala September 22, 2021
Mind

Train your brain like an Olympian

Jean François Ménard’s new book teaches us how to have an Olympian mentality at work. You’re training some of the country’s elite athletes. Within that inner circle, there is a technical coach, a strength and conditioning coach to train their body, a physical therapist, chiropractor, nutritionist, and a mental-performance coach. Being a part of that inner circle is a huge responsibility considering that when an athlete reaches an elite level, what separates the winners from the rest of the field isn’t their physical preparation but how well they build that brain muscle strength and call upon it when their performance hits a curve. Like any coach in this arena, you’ve put in the work and navigated your way successfully at various international competitions – World Cups, Pan American Games, Commonwealth Games, etc. Each event is getting you closer to the holy grail – the Olympics. For the first time in

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Marylene Vestergom September 20, 2021
Health

Health benefits of bitter foods

We tend to avoid bitter foods because they are unpleasant, but overtime we develop a taste for them. Here’s why. Bitter foods… not exactly a palate pleaser unless they’re blended—and semi hidden—among layers of flavours and textures. Initially, you’ll tolerate them and over time, you’ll develop a taste for them and here’s why: because they are liver-loving foods. The liver is often called the “King of Organs” as everything we consume passes through this vital organ. When you consume bitter foods, it’s like throwing a lifeline to your liver. Energy levels rise, your immune system functions better and metabolism improves because excess toxins are eliminated. As well, bile production improves, which leads to better digestion along with a host of other benefits—all as a result of improved liver function. But getting your daily dose of bitter foods can be challenging. Their taste is pungent—your mouth puckers, cheeks rise and eyes

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Mary Savage September 14, 2021
Mind

Meditating with Eddie Murphy

If you think for a moment, there is a connection between meditation and comedy. First of all, they both require practice and a light touch. But it goes deeper than that. For the last six months I’ve been taking online meditation classes with Yogendra Mishra, who lives in Rishikesh, India in the foothills of the Himalaya mountains. He practices various styles and has been teaching for 35 years. Yogiji is not one of those celebrity yogis but he’s very wise. He has a light touch. In fact, he can be very funny. Doesn’t take himself too seriously. For the first few months it was a hard slog. I moved around the house, starting upstairs in the cold of winter, moving to the living room in spring, looking out the window and seeing the beautiful red fox, the jays and pheasants, then moving to the lower level where I start at

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David Holt September 14, 2021
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