Advice for Life Blog

Lyme disease is carried by the black-legged tick which transfers Borrelia burgdorferi bacterium through its bite. Not every black-legged tick carries the bacteria which causes Lyme disease, but some areas of Canada are considered higher risk. Ticks migrate by attaching to wildlife and birds, so they can end up anywhere. Ticks are active as soon

Seasonal allergies may be a fact of life for some, but are you suffering from spring allergy and not aware? Allergies in spring can be short or for the entire season, it depends on what your trigger is. Also known, as “hay fever”, sufferers are familiar with the symptoms of itchy or stuffy nose, irritated

Did you know that your mental health can change with the weather? Are you feeling particularly down, even with warmer temperatures? Are you wondering if there is something wrong with yourself, as your friends enjoy their days and you can’t?     With spring, the expectation is that we feel more uplifted as daylight hours

Addicted to sugar?  Pasta lover?  Did you know that many low-fat food options contain more sugar and carbohydrates than normal fat options?  You’re not alone, the number of people diagnosed with diabetes continues to rise.   Type 2 diabetes may be preventable or you can delay its progression.  If you have not been diagnosed with

Spring brings on showers, but slip and falls are also abundant as temperatures teeter between freeze and thaw. Severe fall injuries and chances of falling increase with age. More than 20% of seniors will experience at least one fall this year, and 50% of falls requiring hospitalization occur in and around the home. Did you

Winter dryness affects our skin, eyes, and sinuses. Protection from the cold and dry weather is necessary to prevent cracking heels and dry lips, eyes, and nasal passages. It is easy to forget that winter can dry us out more than summer.    As it gets colder, the humidity drops, and we make things worse

Demands on your heart may be greater in winter, increasing the risk of heart attack and stroke.  In cold weather, blood vessels will constrict so that blood to your brain and major organs is ensured, but it is harder work for your heart.   Winter living takes physical effort, walking through snow drifts, wearing heavy clothing.  Add

Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) is a form of depression.  With winter it’s not uncommon to feel a bit down.  However, winter blues should be taken seriously if it affects your daily activities, or you feel depressed beyond a few days.  Mood changes that are causing problems at home or work, feeling unusually tired, having depressive

Accessing mental health support is the largest block of mental self-care. Did you know that in a given year, 1 in 5 people will experience a mental health issue? By the time we reach the age of 40, almost 1 in 2 of us will have suffered a period of mental illness. Nearly one-half of

Thinking about kicking the habit?  That’s a better start than you may think.  Take it to the next level, and start talking about it.  Tell everyone what you hope to do, and as you get used to the idea, start talking about a quit date.  Use the people around you to motivate and keep you