Excess worry is associated with a sense of nervousness, difficulty concentrating, trouble relaxing, hyperawareness, restlessness, irritability and poor sleep. Worry can also manifest physically with increased hot flashes, fatigue, muscle aches, headaches, fast or irregular heartbeats, digestive issues (like heartburn, stomach pain, constipation or diarrhea), frequent urination, shortness of breath, chest pain, poor memory and increased blood pressure.

A large cause of anxiety at menopause is hormonal fluctuation, but there are often other contributing factors as well. Estrogen regulates the chemicals in the brain (serotonin, norepinephrine, dopamine and melatonin) that affect emotion and mood regulation. Progesterone is another hormone that has calming and sleep promoting effects. Life circumstances that often add to stress at mid-life include aging parents, career changes, teenage children or children leaving home. Consider the following tips to help alleviate the effects of anxiety on your quality of life:

Practice acceptance. Everyone experiences anxiety at some point in life. Anxiety can be helpful; it evolved to help manage any anticipated threats. Being anxious about being anxious makes everything worse. Remember that it is okay to feel this way.

Face any fears. Avoidance increases anxiety. By avoiding, a person doesn’t have a chance to find out that the perceived threat is actually not so bad.

Remember that anxiety is not harmful. Anxiety does not indicate that a person is “going crazy”. The feelings that are associated with anxiety are not pleasant, but any physical symptoms are not a sign of danger or oncoming illness.

Use distraction. If anxiety feels too disabling, distraction can help you get out of your own head. Activities such as doing a puzzle or watching a movie help to stop ruminating on the situation as much as possible.

Employ mindfulness techniques. Mindfulness helps to create distance between yourself and your thoughts, which relieves anxiety. It teaches you to view your thoughts as if you were watching a movie. This also helps the letting go of judgment.

Concentrate on breathing. Breathing from the abdomen, instead of the chest, brings intense feelings under better control. Counting with inhalation and exhalation also moves your focus away from your thoughts.

Recite positive affirmations out loud. This may seem silly at first, but the practice changes how the brain thinks over time. An example of a mantra could be: “I accept myself as I am in this moment”.

Have regular self-check-ins. Questioning whether a particular anxiety is justified brings perspective. Realizing others would probably not be as anxious about the same thing may allow you to let go. Be adventurous. Anxiety is often about control and limiting uncertainty. If a person puts themselves into a new situation regularly or does something without getting reassurance from others first, this can decrease the need for control and increase comfort with uncertainty.

Give up perfection. Analyze the rigid rules and high standards you give yourself, because these increase anxiety. Write the rules down to increase your awareness of them and write down reasonable alternatives. For example, instead of “I must always be liked by everyone”, say “I will be myself and do my best, but if someone does not approve, it is a reflection of them, not me.

Say no. Too often, women strive to be people-pleasers and multitaskers. Extra jobs and responsibilities take up valuable time and energy. Scale back without guilt; letting yourself recover allows you to be fully there for others in the long run.

Get help. Build up a support network that includes trustworthy friends, family and physicians. These people serve as positive encouragement and an understanding ear.

Embrace a healthy lifestyle. Foods that are associated with a positive mood include nuts, soy, milk and yogurt, dark green leafy and dark orange vegetables, broth soups, legumes, citrus, wheat germ, tart cherries, and berries. Focus on a good night sleep. Avoid alcohol, which only increases anxiety in the long run. Exercise to release feel good endorphins and burn off stress.

Consider counselling. Talking to a professional therapist or a support group can be a valuable way to learn effective coping strategies and to learn that you are not alone. If local counselling services are not available, check out www.onlintherapyuser.ca, an internet-based service run by the University of Regina.

Consider medication. Hormone therapy and antidepressants can alleviate menopausal anxiety. Some women benefit most from both. Neither kind of medication needs to be taken forever, but can make a big difference when other techniques are insufficient.

Menopausal women are not alone in feeling anxiety and there are many ways to get relief. Family physicians and mid-life health specialists are available to help women make the right management plan.

References:

www.menopause.org

https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/why-we-worry/201802/10-tips-managing-your-anxiety

https://psychcentral.com/blog/11-tips-to-help-manage-anxiety/

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While we know that a healthy diet is important to keep your immune system working at its best, there are claims out there suggesting that a specific food, diet, supplement, or herbal product will “boost” your immune system. When considering such claims, it is important to first understand the complexity of the immune system. Your chance of getting sick is influenced by diet plus other lifestyle factors. These include physical activity and rest in combination with factors such as age, body composition, overall health status, innate immunity (your body’s natural defense strategy), adaptive immunity (your body’s immunological memory resulting from past infections and vaccinations) and stress. Notice that some of these factors are within your ability to influence, while others are not. In truth, you can’t fully control whether you catch viruses such as COVID-19, nor can you fully influence how severe your body’s response will be if you do contract it.

This doesn’t mean, however, that your food choices are not important during this time. Although diet is just one of several factors that impact your body’s immune system, it is one of the factors that you can improve. In addition, the benefits of eating well extend beyond increasing immunity during this time of COVID-19, including improved mental health and helping you to feel more in control in a time when so much is out of our control.

So what foods and nutrients are important for a healthy immune system? Considering that your grocery budget may be limited, here are some tips to consider when planning your quarantine meals and snacks.

1. Eat a variety of colourful vegetables and fruits each day, which provide a host of nutrients including vitamin C, which is known to aid your body in preventing and fighting infections. Note that canned and frozen vegetables and fruits provide a cheaper alternative to fresh, and can be just as nutritious. Consider reaching for a bowl of frozen fruit (thawed, of course) to satisfy your sweet tooth. There are several fun varieties available, so you can have a taste of the tropics (pineapple, peaches, mango, etc.) even if your beach vacation was cancelled this year. Top with vanilla yogurt for an extra satisfying twist.

2. Be sure to include whole grains in your diet, including whole grain bread and pasta, brown rice, whole oats, barley, and quinoa. These foods are a source of zinc, which supports T-cells that are key players in the body’s immune response. If you have been filling your free time by baking and cooking, now may be a great time to consider swapping out some (or even all) of the white flour in your recipes for whole wheat. This swap can be made in most recipes, including breads, quick breads, muffins, pancakes, waffles, crepes, cookies, scones, and biscuits.

3. Focus on including protein-rich food sources with each meal. Protein foods include animal sources such as meat, chicken, eggs, and fish in addition to plant-based sources such as nuts, seeds, and legumes (beans, peas, lentils, and chickpeas). Your body needs protein to produce antibodies, which are protective proteins within your immune system. Using more legumes in your cooking (and even baking) may help you get the best value, in terms of both money and nutrition. As a starting point, try adding ½ cup rinsed red lentils to every ½ kg ground beef, chicken, or pork that you cook - it is unlikely that you will even notice the difference!

4. Don’t be afraid of fat, but keep your focus on plant-based sources, particularly those that contain omega-3 fatty acids. Omega-3s help to keep your white blood cells (another type of cell within your immune system) functioning well. Walnuts, flaxseeds, chia seeds and oily fish are great sources of omega-3 fatty acids. Consider canned salmon as a budget- friendly way to eat oily fish (see recipe far right). You can also add ground flaxseed to your breakfast oatmeal, cereal, or yogurt daily for an easy way to get your omega-3s.

Some people ask if nutrition supplements are beneficial during this time. This question may require a more detailed individual assessment by a health care provider such as your physician or a Registered Dietitian. However, note that vitamin D is an important nutrient that has been shown to lower the odds of developing virus-induced respiratory tract infections. Since most Canadians do not get enough vitamin D through food sources alone, a standard vitamin D supplement is recommended for most individuals.

You may have noted that the foods and nutrients mentioned above are not so-called superfoods or specialty items that will break the bank. Eating to support a healthy immune system simply involves eating a variety of whole foods which have benefits that extend well beyond immunity during this time of COVID-19.

In the far right column is a budget-friendly recipe based on pantry staples you likely have at home.

References:

https://www.precisionnutrition.com/optimize-your-immunity-infographic?fbclid=IwAR28oiyhgaGkSK-FWdURXdk0Cr2JYd69ZJGrPm-TTqFKEsaPR-5uLP8fEJ4

http://www.nutritionrx.ca/coronavirus-immunity/?fbclid=IwAR05rKX1CRhRQBSf0bKOE-35P7E1fMpH1q1bRXY2oC2FpgUKlij9JoRWiuY

https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/2020/04/01/ask-the-expert-the-role-of-diet-and-nutritional-supplements-during-covid-19/?fbclid=IwAR0VJNf-l9BB53qihChmkInbk3X_LElvM-NEqU3MuWLvxCJDENWMP722-lA

Easy Stovetop Salmon Patties

 

These emerging risks raise serious concerns that vaping’s real consequences - either to individuals or broader society - are not yet known.

Public health researchers at the University of Saskatchewan have been tracking the use of vaping products since 2014 using the Canadian Student Tobacco, Alcohol and Drug Survey (CSTADS). As negative consequences emerge, more work must be done to prevent the growing use of vaping products.

Vaping Use Continues to Increase Among Youth

According to the CSTADS surveys, in 2014 there were 6% of students (Gr 6-12)who had used e-cigarettes in the previous 30 days. By 2017, that number had climbed to 10%. In the 2019 survey, 20% had used an e-cigarette in the previous 30 days, and 40% reported daily or nearly daily vaping. Sadly, while the popularity and use of e-cigarettes have increased, the perceived risk of harm remains low. Stats from 2018-19 show only 42% of youth believe regular use of e-cigarettes containing nicotine posed a “great risk of harm,” and only 14% believed e-cigarettes without nicotine posed such a risk. Since the legalization of marijuana use in Canada in October 2018, there is concern about the consequences of that, which will extend to youth perceptions about vaping, resulting in vaping becoming entrenched among youth.

Initial Intention Backfires

E-cigarettes were initially invented to provide a more effective smoking cessation tool to help smokers to quit tobacco. Unfortunately, it has normalized smoking behaviour among youth and has not provided much incentive for smokers to quit. Expert opinion is divided as to the value of e-cigarettes as a smoking cessation tool. Despite offering a vehicle for nicotine replacement and e-cigarettes present their own health risks. Vaping may not encourage individuals to quit smoking because they do not break the link between their oral fixation and nicotine.

Nicotine: New Look, More Danger

Vaping may reverse advances made over decades by anti-smoking campaigns by Canadian organizations. A single e-cigarette pod can contain as much nicotine as an entire pack of cigarettes. Approximately 90% of students who use e-cigarettes said they used products containing nicotine. In a study published in BMI Tobacco Control that compared nicotine levels  in young people who regularly smoked pod-style e-cigarettes (eg. the very popular Juul) to those who regularly smoked conventional cigarettes, the e-cigarette smokers had higher nicotine levels. Additionally, e-cigarettes carry a greater risk of addiction, among youth, than smoking tobacco products, according to new research published in the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health. Nicotine is a powerful drug when it is delivered efficiently. This new delivery device was designed to accomplish that, and is additionally enticing because it is seen as novel and trendy.

Cannabis: Easy Access, Quicker High

With the evolution of new types of cannabis concentrates (such as shatter, crumble, budder and wax), greater risk of harm to youth has been created as these derivatives allow larger concentrations of compounds like THC to be inhaled very quickly. Concentrate vaping is rapidly gaining in popularity and further expanding the room for experimentation with vaping among youth. Recent data suggest that youth are using highly potent cannabis concentrates in the form of oil, wax or liquid preparations, the health effects of which are yet to be well- researched, tested and standardized. Furthermore, the impact of these highly concentrated products on brain development is unknown and may place youth at risk of cannabis use disorder and psychosis. This is further compounded by the emergence of vaping-related illnesses associated lung injury (EVALI), resulting in 68 deaths and over 2,807 cases in the US.

In 2019, cannabis use by youth was second only to alcohol. In the same time period, cannabis vaping was reported by 42% of youth, compared to 30% the previous year. With changing marijuana legislation, use and access to cannabis products by youth has increased, with 4% of youth reporting that it has become easier for them to get cannabis. This increased access to such products may alter how cannabis is consumed by the over 1,000,000 youth currently using it. Increased vaping and its unknown consequences threaten the health of our youth; it has been linked to higher risk of progression to cigarette smoking. Higher concentrations of nicotine and THC are becoming available to the youth consumer, with unknown prevalence and effects that warrant further research.

It took decades to understand the lethal health effects of smoking tobacco, which still kills over eight million people annually. We should not ignore those crucial lessons. We need to be vigilant and take all steps necessary to avert a public health catastrophe, now and in the future.

Original article with references was published in “The Conversation”, April 28, 2020 under a Creative Commons license. Read it at (hhttps://theconversation.com/more-young-people-vaping-despite-growing-evidence-of-risks-134467?utm_source=timminstoday.com&utm_campaign=timminstoday.com&utm_medium=referral

For information and Resources on how to Quit Smoking/Vaping:

Breathe Lung Association https://www.lung.ca/lung-health/smoking-and-tobacco

For more information about why you should quit vaping or help a loved one quit, visit www.lung.ca/vaping.

Smoker’s Helpline https://smokershelpline.ca

Documents:

VAPING: a public health issue, April 2019, Report for the Government of Saskatchewan endorsed by the Saskatchewan Coalition for Tobacco Reduction and by the Canadian Cancer Society and Breathe, the Lung Association

https://www.lungsask.ca/file/2388/download?token=nZzYpgBM 

Tobacco and Vaping Products Act, December 21, 2019 Government of Canada

http://www.gazette.gc.ca/rp-pr/p1/2019/2019-12-21/html/reg1-eng.html

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The National Fire Code requires that a smoke alarm be installed on every level of a home and outside of each sleeping area. Newer homes are required to have a smoke alarm in each bedroom and to have all smoke alarms interconnected.

When a person is sleeping, smoke will put them into a deeper and deeper sleep. The job of the smoke alarm is to wake everyone up and give them enough time to leave the home safely. Even with an adequate number of smoke alarms, it is important to make sure that every person can hear the smoke alarm, especially at night when their hearing aids are out. There are specialty smoke alarms available that have an alarm and a strobe light. Alarms such as these are necessary for everyone who cannot hear the smoke alarm when they are asleep.

Smoke alarms really do save lives but only when they are working. Most people don’t realize that smoke alarms need to be replaced every 10 years! This applies to all smoke alarms, whether they are hardwired in or battery operated. It is the sensor in the smoke alarm, not the power source that is the concern. After 10 years that sensor has been working for over 87,000 hours and often will activate too often or not often enough. This creates nuisance alarms or a situation where people think they are covered when in fact they aren’t. There are a few ways to tell if a smoke alarm needs to be replaced:

A sticker on the side of the smoke alarm stating the date it needs to be replaced. Stickers were widely used starting in 2002. Smoke alarms without a sticker generally need to be replaced.

The manufacture date that is stamped on the back of the smoke alarm. The alarm will need to be taken down to find the date.

Smoke alarms that are any colour other than white.

Besides replacing your smoke alarm every 10 years, it should be tested every month to ensure that the battery or electrical power source still works. Often it is easier and safer to use something like a broom handle to push the test button on your smoke alarm.

It is important that you also have a CO alarm to alert you if there is carbon monoxide in your home. CO is an ordourless, colourless, tasteless gas that is life threatening in higher concentrations. A working CO alarm alerts you if dangerous levels of carbon monoxide are accumulating. If your CO alarms sounds, immediately move to a fresh air location (outdoors or by an open window or door) and call 9-1-1. CO alarms often need to be replaced every seven years, depending on the manufacturer’s instructions.

“Working” smoke alarms and CO alarms save lives. Make sure you test your alarms regularly and replace them when necessary.  

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Osteoporosis and Exercise Services

Kinetik Rehabilitation Services has a new service for individuals living with osteoporosis or at risk for developing it. Kinetik Rehab's exercise therapist, Jenna Stevenson is a BoneFit™ trainer through Osteoporosis Canada. The BoneFit ™ program is an evidence-based program to prescribe safe and effective exercises for people living with osteoporosis. The BoneFit™ trainer will also educate on the disease, how to manage it through exercise and with activities of daily living modifications (e.g.; household chores, yoga, golf and/or gardening). BoneFit™ clinical exercise guidelines were released in 2010 to help create a continuum of care from the clinic to the community or home for health and fitness professionals. A BoneFit™ professional will develop an exercise program for either home or gym to work on resistance training, weight-bearing aerobic exercise, balance exercise and postural exercises tailored to each individual needs. The goal of BoneFit™ is to build muscle strength, prevent falls, protect the spine and slow the rate of bone loss as we age with a multi-component exercise approach. Fractures are often a common consequence of osteoporosis and many individuals do not realize they have osteoporosis until they have experienced a fracture. The BoneFit™ trainer will educate individuals on what is safe to do from an exercise standpoint as well as everyday activities to avoid the risk of falls or fractures. For further information visit us at www.kinetikrehab.com or call 306-655-8974 © 2019 Bone Fit™ . All Rights Reserved. Osteoporosis Canada 2019 ©

Bone Fit™


Have you been told you have osteoporosis and need to exercise? Are you looking for an exercise professional to teach you the right exercises for osteoporosis? The Bone Fit™ program is for you!

Bone Fit™ is an evidence-based program to prescribe safe and effective exercises for people living with osteoporosis.

A Bone Fit™ trainer will see you and together you will develop an exercise program to:
Protect your spine
Prevent falls
Build muscle strength
Slow the rate of bone loss


This includes weight-bearing aerobic exercise, strength and postural exercises as well as balance exercises - all following the clinical exercise guidelines for osteoporosis.

You will also receive education about the disease and how to modify daily activities to be safe and independent.

To find a Bone Fit™ trainer/program in your area contact: www.Bonefit.ca, use Locator Map.

For excellent information about osteoporosis go to Osteoporosis Canada’s website www.osteoporosis.ca

Check out the Too Fit to Fracture resources.

Bone Health During COVID-19

Subscribe to Unbreakable newsletter – a free publication of the Canadian Osteoporosis Patient Network, Osteoporosis Canada at www.osteoporosis.ca