Hobbies Help You Feel Better
By Peter Yurek Remember your childhood – days of riding your bike, fishing, playing sports, or just doodling? We know how important play is in the healthy development of our children; but did you know that play is...
Active Transport in St. Thomas – By Steve Bond
Active transport such as walking and cycling has been considered as an effective means to help improve physical and mental health. In fact, there is compelling evidence to show that youth and adolescents who remain active tend to...
It’s Fine to Feel Fine! – By Steve Bond
Imagine that you lived in the 1800s and smallpox is endemic. For every 10 people infected, three died and many were left scarred. Along comes a doctor who offers you an alternative that might save your life. “Variolation”,...
Screening For Cancer Can Be Life Saving – By Mahdi Khanafer
The estimated number of cancer incidents in Canada is clearly demonstrated in this illustration provided by The Cancer Society. As you can see it only includes the most common types of cancer and this led me to my...
Virtual Doctor During the Pandemic
COVID has changed our world dramatically. Gatherings are reduced or eliminated; social circles are shrunken, and even normal gestures like a good old-fashioned handshake are a thing of the past. Another normal activity which has been adapted is...
Embracing the Joys of Winter – Diane Alavie, Pharmacist
You’ve been cooped up at home for many months and you’re fed up with cocooning indoors. It’s time we embrace the joys of winter and open-air living. This year, many snowbirds are finding it too risky to head...
Keep on Staying Active
Right now, many of us are without a gym. This can be hard as it may have been in your daily routine, and gym equipment is expensive. But, it's important to keep putting one foot in front of...
How Gardening and Plants Help you to Feel Better
By Diane Alavie, Pharmacist Not only are gardens aesthetically nice, they are also good for the mind. According to the National Center for Disease Control, gardening for 30-45 minutes has a similar effect to performing a moderate cardiovascular...
Self-Care is Essential…Now more than Ever!
With COVID-19 (coronavirus) causing global concern, and health officials recommending quarantining to help decrease the spread of the disease, it’s easy to begin panicking. While being informed is important, it’s also crucial that we manage our personal well-being...
Positivity is the Key
When times seem bleak and filled with uncertainty, we often tend to dwell on the bad and totally disregard the good. With the current pandemic, it’s easy to get into a ‘doomsday’ mindset and neglect to acknowledge the...
One Life Lost is One Too Many
In 2001, an Australian woman named Sally J Finn initiated the first ever International Overdose Awareness day and on August 31st, we recognize the impact that overdoses have on friends and families. An ‘overdose’ refers to having too much of...
Can a Healthy Body and Active Mind Reduce your Risk of Dementia?
t's the age-old Question- Nature versus Nurture. We often question whether our environment or our genes has the greater impact on the developing of certain diseases. Thanks to a report published in July in the Journal of the American Medical...
“Our perfect companions never have fewer than four feet.” – Colette
Making a pet part of your family is a decision that should never be taken lightly. One must consider the time, effort, work and costs associated with caring for an animal. This is one endeavour that should not be taken...
Music and Your Health
“One good thing about music, when it hits you, you feel no pain.” — Bob Marley A talented musician, lyricist and perhaps scientist? There is some truth to his lyrics and there are other important health benefits of...
