October was a month of travel for me. I was away more than I was home. Which was awesome, but all that travel meant I missed my workouts and while I ate well, I also ate more than usual. Don’t even get me started on all the Irish Coffee and great wine, whiskey and beer in Ireland. That’s why I decided to take the Renew Life 30-day challenge promoting gut health. Basically that meant increasing my exercise and my water intake and adding probiotics to the mix again. Why probiotics? Well here’s what I have found. Saturday starts with a…
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Are you a caregiver for someone with unique needs or health care challenges? I see you. I know you miss many social events, or family gatherings. Perhaps you stopped work entirely to care for someone you love. Or you switched to part time, freelance or contract. Chances are good you have missed your own doctor’s and dentist’s appointments. Maybe, you woke up so bone weary one morning you drove down the street without your glasses. Maybe you forgot to take your own medicine. How do I know any of this? Been there, done that. For years my life has been…
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Many common foot problems can cause discomfort and pain. If you are like many people you probably ignore your feet until you have an issue or injury. But your feet are important to overall health and activity. From athlete’s foot to plantar’s warts – there are many issues that can crop up with your feet. I know thinking about foot problems can be a bit gross, but it’s good to know how to treat these issues when they arise. So here are a few common foot problems and some proven treatments you can count on should you come down with any of these.…
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Getting sick is the worst. Nobody enjoys cold and flu season, or even allergy season for that matter. I should know, my daughter and I get sick far too often. Ever since my children started preschool, they have been exceptional, maybe even gifted – at sharing germs. If there is a bug or flu circulating, my daughters and I WILL get it. We’re sickness magnets especially at this time of the year. Getting Sick is Just Part of Life For our family, getting sick during the fall and winter season is sort of inevitable. If you have kids you feel my…
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This post is sponsored by Bayer. To make sure these products are right for you, always read and follow the label. Well, cold and flu season is here. Every year, it’s the same story. Despite our best efforts, most of us will be forced to admit defeat and retreat to our sofas with a healthy supply of tissues and hot liquids. Trust me I am more than familiar with this. My youngest daughter started in with coughing almost immediately when she returned to school. She battled bronchitis for weeks, and a cold as well. Naturally we all ended up with…
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Because natural disasters and emergencies can happen at any time without warning, the best we can do is be prepared. Disasters don’t just affect the adults but children as well. Unlike toddlers, teenagers can actually be a great resource during an emergency. Whenever possible, they should be involved in disaster preparedness to better equip them on how to behave and respond to such unfortunate events. Here’s what every teen should know about emergency preparedness. How to Handle Different Weather-Related Emergencies Every teenager should be aware of the various weather disasters and how they should act during each: Tornado…
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How to stay regular is something that a lot of people want to know, especially at this time of year. Back to school means back to routines that we may have fallen out of over the summer break. The kids have to be up and ready for the school day, which means no more sleeping in. And that means parents have to plan their mornings around the hustle and bustle of back to school. For many Canadians, that means the already annoying and uncomfortable problem of constipation becomes even more of an issue as they rush to get the kids…
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Special needs families in Ontario struggle. If you are a special needs parent in Ontario, regardless of the diagnosis, you are struggling in some way. The emotional and physical burdens of parenting a child or youth with special needs, are draining. FULL STOP. Now add financial stress to that. Extra programs, time off work, specialty therapies – all of these cost a lot of money. Sometimes that is literally your grocery money. Other times it is your retirement plan. Financial costs are a huge strain to Ontario special needs families. There are some programs that help. Not everyone knows about…
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Avoid migraines by avoiding triggers. Because prevention really is worth a pound of cure when it comes to these debilitating headaches. Many people get migraines, but some might not know diet can play a role in these excruciatingly painful headaches – the kind of headaches that leave you locked in a dark quiet room, praying that the headache will go away. While the diet and migraine link is not a precise science, there is a lot of discussion and study around the fact that certain foods can worsen a pending migraine. I’ve found that one of the best ways to avoid…
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Preventing head lice is key when you have kids attending summer camps or heading back to school. Head lice are nasty. Once they take hold on your child’s head, they are tough to get rid of. They start to lay eggs almost immediately, and they multiply quickly. Children can contract head lice almost anywhere, since they spread fast, so it’s important for your child to know what not to do to avoid head lice. Prevention is the name of the game with head lice. Preventing Head Lice – Stopping an Infestation Before it Starts Here’s the thing that’s so important to…