To Touch, Or Not To Touch
Touching – Essential to the human condition. Today, I was listening to Senior Rabbi,Baroness Julia Neuberger on the radio. She spoke for a few minutes as part of the regular program that accompanies me through my days at home. I find her jolly sensible, down-to-earth and invariably a message in her words that ring true. Her subject today was touch…simply that, the touch of a hand. Its power to be used for the good, or in these days of mis-conduct and inappropriate-ness, if that’s a word, for worse. She spoke about how so many of us today, live with loneliness, and that’s...
Read MorePerennial Food Plants
Have you ever stopped to consider the benefit of adding perennial food plants to your garden? Unlike most food plants that are annuals, which rotate around the garden, perennial food plants require a permanent location where they will increase in size and production over time. They are best planted at the edges or the corners of the garden, to keep them from interfering with annual crop rotations. Here are some of my favourites. Globe artichokes Cynara scolymus are native to the Mediterranean, but given the right situation, they can be long-lived in temperate climates too. Plants grow to...
Read MoreTaste Preferences Change
Recently I facilitated a nutrition workshop at a senior community centre about managing chronic disease symptoms. It was a diverse group of seniors and adult children of seniors, and there was no shortage of interesting questions. One daughter and mother team stated that it was hard to cook in the household, because mother does not enjoy what I cook like she used to. This comment resonated with more participants in the workshop, and therefore I like to share this topic with you. Taste changes are common. In our infant years, the ability to recognize and enjoy flavors is developed. As we...
Read MoreLooking For The Hidden Signs.
When families get together during festive seasons after a long period of separation, it often becomes apparent an aging loved one may need help. January is often one of the busiest months for senior care organizations, largely due to an influx of phone calls after family members witness some troubling signs over the holidays. Last year, Home Instead Senior Care saw a 64 per cent jump in service inquiries from December to January. Driving Trouble: Have a look for dents or fender scrapes on your senior’s car. We all have an occasional driving incident but be aware one or several occasions...
Read More4 Ways to Stop Cravings
If you’re feeling like your cravings are controlling you, you’re not alone. Getting control over cravings is something that I’m asked for help with by almost all of my clients. While there’s all sorts of anecdotes and myths about cravings circulated by word-of-mouth and on the internet, the scientific literature doesn’t have a very thorough understanding of cravings – why we get them or what they mean. So, I’m going to share with you two ways to stop cravings from the literature and two ways that I’ve discovered in my many years of nutrition counselling. Stop Craving Tip #1:...
Read MoreMEDITATION
The following piece comes from a 20 minute writing exercise in our Thursday writing group. Sometimes I have to tear myself away from the hustle and bustle of my busy life to attend the group. Often my effort is rewarded by some self discovery that I may have missed had I not overcome my resistance to leave the hectic pace behind. This exercise was one of those times for which I am grateful to have made the effort to be present. Meditation does not come easily to me. This busy life tends to bring on the monkey brain that chatters away incessantly, either planning something or reviewing and...
Read MoreMirror, mirror on the wall…
Admittedly, my friend and I are no longer spring chickens,and it has been quite some time since the mirror was our friend. The ‘un-friending’ of the looking glass began with an unforgivable deception! The incident occurred when the faces we saw reflected were not ours but were that of our aged parents! That was a fright not to be forgotten or forgiven. From then on, the mirror gets only a cursory glance when applying lipstick to our less than luscious lips or brushing our hair which is the only “Fifty Shades of Gray” in our lives. Vanity has become such a curse. The other...
Read MoreWelcome! Gabriola is my home.
I would love to share where I live with you as your REALTOR® and your friend, specializing in all things Gabriola. You can count on me. As you move through my web site, you’ll find a store-house of resources. Photos tell it all. We are a vibrant island full to the brim with just about every product and service you can imagine, and yet we’re decided to live here, a 20 minute ferry ride from downtown Nanaimo. And, you might ask why? To this I would ask you to come and find out! Gabriola will surprise you. Life on Gabriola can be as laid-back or solitary as you’d...
Read MoreBank tips you won’t get
More new mortgage rules came into effect January 1,which have made it trickier to negotiate a mortgage for many Canadians. With a little expert advice, I can help ensure you have a happy new year that keeps you on the path to prosperity for the coming year and beyond. 1. That “best” 5-year rate? It probably isn’t. Fact is, a “best rate quote” is now meaningless, because mortgage pricing is now based on multiple factors. Everything depends on your personal situation. That’s why I start with an in-depth assessment, and then review a broad range of lenders and products for the best...
Read MoreCongratulations Chris Beryl !!!
Your poem was selected to represent the Chemainus library for Vancouver Island Regional Library’s poetry anthology 150 X 39. The goal of our anthology is to celebrate Canada 150 by capturing the character and flavour of the communities we serve through poems like yours. The anthology will be printed and released at our launch party at the Harboufront Library on Saturday December 2 from 11am. You will receive a copy of the anthology (either at the launch or mailed to your home branch if you are unable to attend in person) and your poem will be displayed in your local branch. Can you...
Read MoreFacing the challenges of dementia.
Is the Person You Care for at Risk of Wandering or Getting Lost? Joe and his wife made a wonderful life for each other on a small farm in Sooke. When Joe’s wife was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s, a degenerative disease, Joe was determined to care for her in the familiar surroundings of their family home. He found it challenging but rewarding, and things went along well until one night when his wife grew confused, having lost all memory of the 40 years they had lived together. She decided to leave the house to find the childhood home she still remembered. “The coldest night of the...
Read MoreThat Fabulous First Impression
Did you know that people size you up in three seconds? How you hold yourself, what you wear and even your jewellery has a huge impact on how you are perceived by the world. We want that first impression to be jaw-dropping. That is why only the most extraordinary fashions by the best designers grace our racks. And only the finest jewellery pieces sparkle in our boutique. Stun the crowd with eye-catching designs crafted by top notch artisans. They are all true masters of their craft, infusing the best materials and workmanship into their unique and elegant jewellery designs. Robert...
Read MoreFebruary is W.I. Month
You may have heard of us…we’re famous you know! We make jams and jellies, pickles and preserves (and LOTS of it!) we bake, and bake…and bake! You love our pies and cakes and loaves! We craft, we sew, we knit…we do SO much more than this…but do you know what we REALLY do? Read on…or check out our Provincial website at www.bcwi.ca The Women’s Institute was originally founded by Adelaide Hoodless, with it’s first meeting being held in Stoney Creek, Ontario in 1897. The WI in British Columbia, was started by Miss Laura Rose, in 1909, at the request of the Department for...
Read MoreBusting Some Big Fat Myths
Most clients I work with have an uneasy relationship with fat. It’s no wonder. In my 23 years of nutrition experience, I’ve seen the pendulum swing from one extreme to the other regarding fat. I was in University training to become a dietitian during the fat-phobic years. Back when everyone ”knew” that fat was bad for you. To be healthy, you needed to eat a low-fat diet. Pasta and bagels were the king and queen. Practically every parent fed their babies yams and rice cereal as their first foods. Contrast that to the present where my social media streams are full of avocado recipes...
Read MoreThe Word Cancer Creates Fear
So much had happened in a short time and I want others to understand why it’s important to have a mammogram. I knew I was going to be okay but the word “cancer” instigates fear. Everyone is different in processing their thoughts and I have an emotional personality so I knew I had to have courage and discover a better me after cancer. A couple of weeks before my diagnosis, I was watching “The Doctors” talk about the importance of having a mammogram, no matter how old they are. In the back of my mind I remembered thinking. “It’s been awhile, so maybe I should go for one....
Read MoreB.C. to cover cost of abortion pill
Starting Jan. 15, B.C. will join five other Canadian provinces in offering the pregnancy termination drug Mifegymiso for free. According to a B.C. health ministry press release, universal, no-cost coverage for the drug, which is also known as RU-486, will be available to patients with a valid prescription at pharmacies around the province. Mifegymiso is an alternative to surgical abortion and can be used to terminate early-stage pregnancies of up to nine weeks. “It’s the gold standard in terms of health care for women,” said Dawn Fowler, executive director of the...
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