Laughter is good medicine - Really!

Here's something interesting: a recent article from Calgary has pointed out that a paralyzed teen has begun to regain her ability to move and communicate by cultivating her sense of humour. Apparently, when her parents realized that she was showings and reacting to jokes they told her, they decided that perhaps more laughter would be the key to her recovery.

Now the teen in enrolled in a program that contains something called "Laughter Yoga", which is apparently a new health and wellness movement that focuses on, er.. well, laughing.

It seems like it's a fairly novel idea, but believe me, the organizing seems rather legitimate and wants to be anything but a novelty.

So what is it all about? Well, apart from the fact that laughter helps people get their minds off more distressing matters or pain, the Laughter Yoga movement suggests that laughing can be a full body wellness routine.

 

Going on the principle that just as our bodies cannot physically tell the difference between real and "fake" laughter, the idea here is that our bodies will reap the same psychological benefits from forced and natural laughter. Pretty interesting. I mean, who cannot deny that they feel pretty good after a decent laugh or two? As well, even fake laughter can be fun, provided it's not done in a mocking way, but rather a bunch of close friends sitting around and just plain laughing.

So I wonder then, is this something that's catching on? Laughter, after all, is contagious. Have you had a good laugh today? Maybe your body and mind will thank you.

Children's Physical Activity Watchdog Gives Canada a Big F!

Active Healthy Kids Canada, a group which studies the activity level of children in Canada, and then gives the nation an overall letter grade, continued the trend set last year by giving Canada a big fat capital F

 

This isn't meant to be taken lightly as an arbitrary letter grade, or as some form of binary as either "good / bad". It's actually the worst mark possible. The group's complete methodology and grading system can be checked out on their site, and believe me: we didn't do very well. 

I found a pie chart on their site, which illustrates (approximately) how a Canadian child's day is broken up. Moderate-to-Vigorous activity includes sports, running and. playing games outdoors with friends. Light activity would be walking, going to the park or some other activity that might naturally make up part of one's day. Sedentary habits (I say habits because we can't really call it activity) include, sitting down in class, watching TV at home or browsing the web. 

As you can see, the sedentary portion of a child's day is far greater than any of the active slices of the pie. Of course, it's not entirely likely that the moderate to vigorous category would take up most of one's day, but 8% isn't very much at all. That's less than an hour. I suppose I could get into how things were different when I was young but I hardly have the right to since my current adult lifestyle is starting to look quite a bit like the pie chart.

Though, kids are meant to be out and about and aren't really supposed to spend their days like adults. We have 8 hour day desk jobs, and offices to go to. People aren't supposed to become exhausted couch potatoes so early in life.

The study underlines the growing trend of "leisure first, activity second" which seems to dominate the way people both relax and have fun. What can we do to reverse it?

To start: parents need to be aware of what they can do to help change their children's lifestyles.

Children need to know that they can have just as much fun outside playing sports as they can indoors, on the couch playing video games. Show them the wonders of the great outdoors, and bring them to a park, a walk in the woods, or pack up and head out for a day hike. Exercise and physical activity doesn't have to be a chore, it can be just as much, if not more, fun than holding a controller and staring at a television.

"Health-Care is facing a crisis" - Canadian Medical Association

Recently I underlined the urgent need for our political parties to start taking the issues that plague our health care more seriously. It seems now that the same call is being urged all over the country. The gravest report, however, comes from Dr. John Turnbull, head of the Canadian Medical Association, who argues that our health care, due to rising costs and lower service, is facing a dire economic crisis.

 

According to recent studies, since 2001 our health care spending has increased on average 7.5% a year, whereas our country's economy as GDP has only grown by 5.2%. This means that unless something is done very soon, our health care spending will likely soar out of control, well beyond what our country's budget can afford. Currently, health care spending accounts for as much as 40% of provincial budgets. 

At the rate things are going, health care looks like it will continue to need more funding, but where will the money come from? Cutting from other sectors isn't the answer, as our other sectors and industries require funding to stay afloat as well. 

What other solutions are there? We need more doctors and nurses as is, so reducing staff will only aggravate the problem. Close hospital? Not likely. Axing health care itself is hardly a viable answer either. That would be not only an entire waste of all the resources we have already commit to it, as well as generations of dreams and striving coming to an end. So where does that leave us?

Some recent reports suggest that one of the reasons our health care is becoming overburdened is due to an overall increase in poor health among Canadians. That's not to say that suddenly people aren't living as long as they used to be, but rather that many people are not living as well as they could. Poverty isn't quite the issue here, rather it is consumption. An estimated 1.6 Billion Dollars is spent on health care dealing with problems and complicated associated with physical inactivity. As well, if Canadians as a whole went out and increased got a mere 10% more exercise a day, we could be saving as much as 150 Million Dollars a year on health care.

These are some impressive numbers, which suggest that your health is not your responsibility alone, when everyone as a whole chips in for health care. Though punishing people who are physically inactive is not the solution, neither is forcing them to pay more taxes. What we need to do, as a whole society, is work together to encourage healthier lifestyles. People won't feel motivated to change their way of life through finger pointing or accusations. Everyone needs support, and friends to share the journey with. Whether you are in great health or not, a couch potato or a regular jogger, it doesn't matter. We all need to chip in, get people on their feat, and help fight these habits of laziness that are invading our culture.

One Week to go until the 2011 Federal Election

My, how time flies: next Monday (May 2nd) we will be heading to the polls after what felt like one of the shortest electoral campaigns of all time.

 

Apart from the masses of election posters that litter our streets, doesn't it feel like the election was called just a few days ago? For some reason this past month felt quite a bit tamer than previous ones. Is it because we're all slightly more apathetic than we were last time around, or is our political scene just that bland?

Maybe I'm being too harsh. A few interesting things have happened this election. For one, we're currently witnessing a startling rise in popularity for the NDP across the country, and notably here in Quebec. Their recent surge in popularity can largely be attributed to Jack Layton's strong performance on both the English and French language debates (as well as the colourful remarks he made regarding a "hashtag fail"). Will La Belle Province be seeing things in orange on May 2nd? I guess we will have to see.

What is striking about this rise in popularity for the NDP is that for the first time ever, Instead of being irelegated as some distant third party, the NDP looks as if they might overtake the Liberals in number of votes, as well as final seat count. As their own numbers spiral downwards, the Liberal party looks now finds itself on slippery ground. The Grits have looked this bad since... well, ever.

Speaking of party's whose support is slipping: the Greens are looking like they might once again face dismal end results. Last election, the Greens were the only party to see their overall vote count increase since the election before. Despite receiving just shy of a million votes the party still failed once again to net even a single seat, largely due to the even distribution of their support across the country.

Elsewhere it looks like Steven Harper and his Tories are set once again to form a government, though whether it will be a majority or not is anyone's guess at this point.

Reality TV Weight Loss and Exercise Programs: Not So Real...

Exercise and health driven reality television shows seem to the the tour de force on TV these days. How many different shows are there that involve races, weight loss, marathons and / or other physical challenges? By my last count, quite a few. The question we have to ask ourselves about these programs is: are they actually all that real?

Oftentimes these shows center on the theme of very rapid weight loss, such as The Biggest Loser. In this shows contestants set for themselves seemingly unrealistic weight loss goals and then, as it is touted, through will and determination, lose dozens of pounds over the course of a few short weeks. In one season a contestant lost 100 lbs in less than two months. In another, a different contestant dropped 34 lbs in a single week.

While these are impressive figures (pun intended?), especially since the contestants seem to be in good health after these major body transformations, there are a few things we need to keep in mind before hoping to follow suit and trim out waistlines exponentially.

1) The weight loss plans that these shows cover are a bit of a fantasy. When a contestant enters into a reality TV show's world, that is all that they do during every waking moment of their day. Losing 34 lbs in a week is quite doable if all you do is exercise for 40+ hours. For the rest of us, we have jobs, family and friends that require a fair bit of our time. Few people have the luxury to just drop everything for a few weeks and constantly work out.

2) We have to keep in mind that losing such a serious amount of weight can be far easier than making sure that it stays gone. Someone who just dropped 50 lbs and now weighs 150 lbs will have a much harder time maintaining that weight than someone who was always 150 lbs. Adapting to your new weight can be quite tricky, as it often means one has to keep up the same routine, or a similar one, as the one that got you there in the first place.

3) Rapid weight loss has the potential to be very unhealthy. Starving ourselves, succumbing to a fad diet, or not taking proper nutrition into consideration can take it's toll on our health and well being. It can also cause mood swings, and even depressing.... quite the opposite from the optimistic weight loss we might have been going for? As well, getting into a serious exercise routine can also lead to injuries if we are not prepared and take things too fast. Being sore the next day from a work out is one thing, but having torn muscles and sprains are not pleasant experiences.

The contests on these shows get by well because they are under constant supervision. They have nutritionists looking out for their diet, they have motivators to get them up and about every morning as well as personal trainers keeping a watch on them every second that they are in the weight room.

So, remember, before you watch one of these programs, and get exciting about some rapid weight loss, remember that sometimes television is far more fantasy than reality.

Great ways to save money and have fun with 21st Century Food

 There are a ton of ways in which you can eat for less with 21st Century Food. Here are some of them:

1) In case you haven't noticed: we have an active 21st Century Food Facebook page!

Apart from being a great place to hang out and chat, we also run Nutrition Trivia every Tuesday. The question is posted at 9:30am on the wall, and contestants (I.E. all our fans) have until 2:30pm that same day to pick whichever answer they think is correct. The first 10 people to pick the correct answer win $5 off their next order!

Also, not that I'm hinting or anything, but we might be having some new and exciting giveaways coming up soon.


2) Have you heard about our customer referral program? Enjoy the meals you order? Tell a friend!

Use our referral form on our website to let a friend know about the great experience you're having with 21st Century Food. If your friend places a full order with us, we will send you a $50 gift certificate!

If you keep on sending friends who place orders, we will keep on sending you gift certificates!

3) There's our Blog, but of course you already know about that since you're here reading this ;)

What you might know, though, is that when our Blog hits 10 followers, we will give out a $10 off coupon code to our loyal readers!

Just for Fun - Foods that fight bad breath

Here's something fun that I just came across: an article that give some tips on what to eat or drink in order to fight bad breath.

When it comes to food that causes bad breath, I'm sure we're all somewhat familiar with some of the culprits. Garlic, onions and radishes, while very flavourful, can give our breath a harsh and more noticeable character. You definitely don't want to be the only person at the table enjoying some of those root vegetables.
You might want to try to balance off your palette with foods that naturally neutralize whatever bacteria is living on our gums. Parsley is great because it helps increase our saliva flow, and can even be useful in the prevention of gum disease.
Other herbs also help reduce the effect that some foods might have on our breath. Mint leaves, either in the meal or served as tea, can help impart our breathes with a much more pleasant odour (as well as not tasting all that bad either).
The other thing you might have noticed, if you have ever gone to a Thai restaurant, or fast food outlet, is that they will often serve you lime slices with your meal. Since most of the meals they serve are rather spicy, the acid in the lime can act as a palette refresher at the end of the meal. It will neutralize any lingering burning, or spiciness, as well as giving your breath a less fiery quality.
Beverages can also affect the way our breath smells. In case you haven't noticed, beer and hard alcohol do little to improve our oral hygiene. Teas on the other hand, do the exact opposite. Green tea in particular, with no sugar or milk added, can help dissolve whatever compounds are left lingering in your mouth. As a bonus, green tea is also known to offer a ton of health benefits.

So the next time you're gearing up for a big date or an important business meeting, you might want to think twice about what you eat and drink, just to make sure that you make the best impression you can.

Original article can be found at Food that fight bad breath.