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Tips to Living a Happy, Healthy Life
We all want to live the happiest, healthiest life possible. As a physician, I encourage people to make healthy lifestyle choices; including healthy eating habits, regular physical activity, and smoking cessation. By not eating healthy, not staying fit, and smoking, you are not taking care of your body – and in order to be happy, we also need to be healthy. When we think of the word “diet” we often correlate that to weight loss. However, weight loss and weight management are not the only benefits of healthy eating. While it is definitely part of it, the food you eat can also play a significant role in other aspects of…
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What Causes Hair Loss?
When it comes to hair thinning and hair loss, it isn’t just a natural part of the aging process – it’s also a natural cycle of our hair growth, rest, shedding and replacement process. In fact, we can shed anywhere from 50 to 100 hairs in a single day. That being said, there are certain medical conditions that can also attribute to the loss of hair, including hormonal changes (i.e., pregnancy, childbirth and menopause), certain medical conditions (i.e. thyroid disease, alopecia areata, scalp infections, lichen planus, stress/anxiety, vitamin deficiencies, dandruff/eczema), and medications (such as those used to treat cancer, high blood pressure, heart problems, arthritis, and depression.) Hair loss can cause…
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Health Benefits of Eating Breakfast
If you’re thinking about skipping breakfast this morning, you might want to reconsider! According to a study conducted by Mayo Clinic researchers, findings suggested that eating meals in the mornings may actually help keep you slimmer and promote weight loss, as those who ate breakfast compared to those who didn’t were less likely to gain weight and accumulate belly fat. The study, which analyzed the breakfast habits of approximately 350 individuals, found that those who ate breakfast on a regular basis gained an average of 3 pounds in a year, while those who only ate breakfast occasionally gained approximately 5 pounds, and those who skipped breakfast all together gained 8 to…
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How Sitting Contributes to Back Pain
Whether you’re at work, at school, or live a sedentary lifestyle, research has shown that sitting for extended amounts of time has been linked to a number of health concerns, including obesity, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and high blood sugar levels. According to a series of studies, those who sat for longer than 8 hours per day without any kind of physical activity were at as high a risk of dying compared to those who died from obesity and smoking-related illness (such as lung cancer.) Data from that same study, however, also showed that getting as little as 60 minutes of moderate exercise per day actually countered the effects…
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Tips to Help You Manage Diabetes
If you’ve just been diagnosed with diabetes, it can be tough to navigate – at least initially. For many, managing diabetes means having to make lifestyle changes; and while it’s certainly not a death sentence, it can still be a matter of life or death if you don’t take the appropriate measures to keep yourself healthy. The most common form of diabetes is Type II diabetes. Type II diabetes occurs when the body doesn’t use insulin properly – also known as insulin resistance. This can lead to a number of health problems including heart disease, stroke, neuropathy, and of course high blood sugar. Below are some important steps that you…
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The Link Between Food and Anxiety
If you’re someone who suffers from anxiety, you know how debilitating it can be. Anxiety is often caused by trauma, and also co-occurs with other mental health related conditions such as depression; but what you might not realize is that certain foods you eat may also be triggering those feelings of anxiousness. 1. Coffee This is a beverage that millions of Canadians rely on each and every day to give them that added boost of energy in the morning, as well as help them get through their days at work, as well as pull all-nighters to study for things like exam. There are both risks and benefits that come along…
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The Lymphatic System and Your Health
The lymphatic system is one of the most important systems within the body, playing a central role to your overall health. However, it is also one of the most overlooked systems. It’s complex, but it’s also intuitive in warding off infections, and much more. Within the lymphatic system are lymphatic vessels containing fluid-filled immune cells, in addition to as many as 600 pea-sized, bean-shaped glands known as lymph nodes. Together, these help to fight disease. While on the move, the immune cells scan for any potential threats to your body – such as a virus or bacterium. If a threat is detected, these cells trigger an increase in the number…
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Heartburn and Indigestion
While heartburn and indigestion are often used interchangeably, they are actually two different conditions – though both can be triggered by one common factor: The foods we eat. But first, we’ll discuss the difference between the two. Indigestion is a condition that consists of symptoms such as stomach pain, nausea and bloating, gas, belching, and sometimes even diarrhea; whereas heartburn consists of symptoms such as chest pain, a burning sensation in the chest and/or throat, the taste of sour/acidic fluid in the back of the throat (also known as regurgitation), and even the sensation of food being stuck in the throat. While heartburn and indigestion can be triggered by many…
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What the Body Needs in Order to Thrive
We all want to live as long a life as possible, and a healthy life at that, but in order for that to happen we need to make sure we’re doing everything we can to take care of our bodies both physically and mentally. Diet In order to stay healthy, we need to provide our bodies with good quality, nutrient-rich foods. The most important nutrients necessary to achieve that include carbohydrates, fats, proteins, vitamins and minerals. Without these 5 essential nutrients, or bodies simply wouldn’t survive. In order to get these nutrients, you also need to have a well-balanced diet. The best way to do this is to take a…
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Reducing Your Risk of Heart Disease
As many as 2.4 million Canadians over the age of 20 are living with heart disease, and about 12 Canadians die from heart disease every hour. It’s a big problem in North America and other parts of the world, but one that be combated by making some simple health and lifestyle changes. Before we get to that though, we’re going to take a look at the common types of heart disease that one can be diagnosed with. The term “heart disease” generally encompasses a wide range of cardiovascular problems, including arrhythmia (heart rhythm abnormality), atherosclerosis (hardening of the arteries), cardiomyopathy (hardening or weakening of the heart muscles), congenital heart defects…