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How Food Can Impact the Mind
If you have ever heard the term “stress eating,” then you should know it’s not just something that was made up. In fact, the mind plays a pretty significant role when it comes to the way we perceive food and the thought process behind eating, as hunger is partially controlled by part of your brain known as the hypothalamus; and while the research surrounding food and things like stress and depression is still considered to be somewhat inconclusive, there are still suggestions that there may be strong links. As mentioned, hunger is controlled by the hypothalamus. This is the part of the brain that regulates everything from body temperature to…
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The Sugar Epidemic: Sugar Addiction
Whenever you eat something that is sweet, the hippocampus (a horseshoe-shaped structure with a band of nerve fibres that connects the hippocampal structures in the left and right hemispheres of the brain) enables you to remember the taste. This then results in the formation of habits, causing you to want to reach for that sweet treat over and over again. This sets off a domino-like effect and causes your dopamine levels to rise. Dopamine is a type of neurotransmitter and hormone that plays a role in many different bodily functions, including movement, memory, motivation and pleasurable reward. Which is why, when you consume sugar, the brain thinks of it as…
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Healthy, Natural Ways to Find Pain Relief
Thousands of Canadians suffer from pain every day. Pain can be acute and a result of something like a scraped knee, sprained or broken bone, which will get better over time, or can be chronic and much more severe – such as fibromyalgia, arthritis, migraines, or other pain disorders. Regardless of the cause, the goal is to find relief. Over-the-counter pain relievers like acetaminophen and ibuprofen are typically the go-to medications of choice when it comes to those that are seeking pain relief. However, too much of these medications over a prolonged period of time can lead to other health complications such as kidney and liver problems, ulcers, and more.…
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How the Environment Can Impact Your Health
Pollution is one of the biggest concerns when it comes to our environment. As humans, we’re actually responsible for most of the pollution that gets released into the environment. What we don’t realize, however, is that breathing in all that pollution can actually have a detrimental impact on our health. Air pollution can be classified into two types: Visible or invisible. Things like smoke, dust and haze are considered “visible” pollutants and can oftentimes be smelled, while other pollutants like carbon monoxide are considered “invisible” as they are without color and odour. Another common example of air pollution is the burning of fossil fuels. For example, oil, coal, as well…
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How the Brain Changes as We Age
As our bodies develop, so do our brains. We adapt, we learn, we make memories, and become smarter. However, just as your body eventually changes over time, the brain goes through changes as well. The brain’s aging process begins in your late twenties, which results in neurons being lost. By the time you reach your sixties, the brain begins to shrink – and while this might sound startling, it’s a natural process that happens to everyone. When we are born, we’re born with the following: Billions of neurons, reflexes, and basic survival skills. As we grow up, those neurons get bigger and work harder, and also aide in everything from…
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Fighting Food Cravings
Fact: When we feel hungry, we eat. Also fact: We eat when we aren’t necessarily hungry but have certain cravings for foods, like salty potato chips or sugary sweets such as chocolate, cakes, and candy; and sometimes these temptations can be hard to resist. However, these food cravings are often an indicator that our bodies are missing something. Below are some of the most common reasons as to why we might experience food cravings, and what you can do to crush them and ultimately replace certain unhealthy foods with ones that are better for you. LACK OF WATER: Also known as dehydration, this can often manifest itself as hunger. Common reasons…
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Health Benefits of Walking
With all of the different types of exercise that one can do, along with the various types of exercise equipment and gym classes available to sign up for, there’s really no shortage of ways that we can keep fit. However, walking is one of the best workouts you can give your body as it really covers a lot of bases. Not only is it cost-effective, but it’s simple enough for anyone to do regardless of their fitness level. There are also a lot of bonus effects that regular walking can have on your overall health, including the mind! One of the biggest reasons why the body loves walking is because…
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Tendinitis
Tendinitis is a Repetitive Strain Injury (RSI) that causes inflammation or irritation of the tendon. It’s often caused by overuse of the wrist but may also be caused as a result of rheumatoid disease or infection. Anyone can develop tendinitis, though it’s more common in adults. As we age, our tendons become less elastic, making it much easier for them to tear. Along with the wrist, tendinitis can also occur in other areas of the body including the knees, hips, shoulders, and elbows. Partaking in certain activities such as writing, typing, painting, cleaning house, shovelling snow, raking, carpentry, and playing sports (such as tennis, baseball, basketball, or skiing) can also…
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How to Control High Blood Pressure
Nearly one in five Canadians (that’s approximately 4.6 million people) between the ages of 20 and 79 have hypertension – the medical term that is commonly used to describe high blood pressure. Blood pressure is when the force of your blood gets pumped from the heart and against the blood vessels, making it possible for the delivery of things like nutrients and oxygen to different organs and tissues in the body. However, when you develop hypertension, this means that there is too much pressure in your blood vessels – thus the term “high blood pressure” – and when you have high blood pressure, this can cause damage to those blood…
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Steps to Boost Your Mental Health
As a family physician, I don’t just advocate for patients to take care of their physical health – I also urge the importance of mental health, too. Even if you don’t realize it, so much of what we do and experience can impact us mentally, which is why, when talking about health, it’s important to not only focus on things like heart and/or bone health, but on whole health – that way you are benefiting both the mind and the body – and regardless of age or gender. Whether it’s a young child that is just developing, a teenager going through the many ups and downs that so often come…