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How Important are the Kidneys?
The kidneys – two bean-shaped organs that are located in the renal system – come with a wide range of important responsibilities and vital functions, including removing waste products from the body by passing urine, balancing the body’s fluids, releasing hormones that help regulate blood pressure, control the production of red blood cells, as well as promote strong and healthy bones through the production of vitamin D. However, when the kidneys don’t function as they should, this can cause them to develop significant damage could and lead to kidney disease. Diagnosing kidney disease can sometimes be difficult as it is often silent – meaning that much of your kidney function…
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How Certain Foods Can Benefit Your Health
Healthy eating isn’t necessarily a difficult thing to do once you get the hang of it, but are you aware of all the different ways in which certain foods can actually benefit your health? Below we take a look at the four main groups (vegetables and fruit, grain products, milk and alternatives, and meat and alternatives) and break down which foods within those groups are considered to be some of the healthiest, along with the many ways in which they can help you achieve an overall better quality of life. Vegetables and Fruit: In the old Food Guide, it was recommended that we get anywhere between 7 and 10 servings…
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Tips for Good Nutrition
While March may be Nutrition Month, having a healthy diet is something that we should always be focused on – because the healthier you eat, the better you will feel. As far as the benefits of good nutrition, there are many. For example, when you eat healthy, you can significantly reduce your risk of developing certain chronic diseases – including diabetes and even cancer. It’s also said that you can prevent both premature heart disease and diabetes by as much as 80% just by having a healthy diet and incorporating other healthy lifestyle factors into your daily routine, such as getting regular physical activity and avoiding bad habits, such as…
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Pancreatic Cancer Risk Factors and Symptoms
Pancreatic cancer is considered to be among the most common types of cancer that one can be diagnosed with. However, it is also often referred to as the “silent killer” due it to having little to no symptoms until the cancer has reached a much later stage; or, the symptoms will be quite vague and can often mimic other health conditions. As you may have heard, Canadian celebrity and ‘Jeopardy’ host Alex Trebek recently announced that he’d been diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. This announcement has not only helped open the dialogue on the deadly disease but is also helping to raise awareness. In Canada, an estimated 5,000 individuals are diagnosed…
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Stroke Signs and Other Important Information
There are as many as 62,000 strokes in Canada each year, with as many as 405,000 Canadians living with the effects following a stroke. A stroke can happen to anyone at any time. It is a type of attack that occurs in the brain as a result of the cut-off of blood flow, which ultimately deprives the brain cells of oxygen and causes them to die. As for how an individual is affected by a stroke, it depends on the type of stroke they’ve had. • Ischemic Stroke: This is the most common type of stroke and accounts for as many as 87% of them. It is the type of…
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The Dangers of Fad Diets
If you’re looking to lose weight, the most important thing you can do is change your eating habits. Unfortunately, one of the most common mistakes people make when it comes to trying to lose weight is turning to fad diets. Fad diets are promoted as being a quick-fix to weight loss, but this can actually be a very unhealthy way to lose weight, not to mention can put your health in serious jeopardy. Fad diets not only promote unhealthy eating habits, but many of them also don’t meet the recommended nutritional requirements we need on a daily basis as a lot of them are focused on complete elimination of certain…
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Pregnancy and Nutrition
It’s important that we all strive to have healthy, well-balanced diets no matter what – because the healthier you eat, the better your quality of life will be (i.e. you reduce the risk of things like obesity, cardiovascular disease, and diabetes.) Healthy eating is even more important when you are pregnant, as the foods you eat are what provide your baby with the nutrients it needs, which will affect its health as well as ensure you have the healthiest pregnancy possible. During pregnancy you have increased nutritional needs and will require more macronutrients (such as carbohydrates, proteins and fats) and micronutrients (such as vitamins and minerals.) When it comes to…
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Canada’s New Food Guide: What You Need to Know
Canada’s Food Guide has undergone a major overhaul, its first revision since 2007. The biggest change of all, perhaps, is that the food guide no longer focuses on food groups or recommended serving sizes. Instead, the emphasis is put on incorporating more plant-based foods our diets while also urging Canadians to educate themselves when it comes to making healthier food choices. As mentioned, it’s recommended that we include more plant-based foods in our diets. These include fruits, vegetables, plant-based protein, and whole grains. Fruits and vegetables are good for you as they are rich in important nutrients such as vitamins, minerals and fibre. While the new Canadian Food Guide is…
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Natural Remedies for an Irritated Scalp
If you suffer from an irritated scalp or notice that you have dandruff (white flakes) more often than not, there are a number of things that could be contributing to these common issues – from dry skin to the type of shampoo and conditioner you’re using to wash your hair with. Other common skin conditions such as dermatitis and eczema can also contribute to scalp irritation. In cases where scalp irritation becomes severe, you may need to be prescribed an ointment in order to get relief as well as possibly be referred to a dermatologist for further evaluation. However, there are also some natural remedies that you can try at…
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What is Your Ideal Weight?
We should all strive to maintain a healthy weight in order to prevent things like heart disease, high blood pressure and diabetes – all of which are linked to obesity. In order to do this, you not only need to ensure you’re getting regular physical activity, but make sure you’re eating the healthiest foods as possible, too. That means avoiding things like sugar, carbohydrates, and sodium – and swapping the otherwise unhealthy stuff with more nutrient-rich (and naturally sweet) fruits, vegetables, fibre, whole grains, and protein. Eating healthy will not only help you maintain a healthy weight but will also significantly reduce your risk of some of the aforementioned health…