I saw another young neighbour downtown with a head scarf on to hide the hair loss of cancer chemotherapy. That makes 3 in the last few months. I think that's a high incidence in a town of 2000 residents and it makes me sad, frustrated and angry. According to the Canadian Cancer Society almost half … Continue reading F*ck Cancer and F*ck Complacency about Crimes Against the Environment
Recent research suggests that use of standard over-the-counter (OTC) medicines such as aspirin, ibuprofen and acetominophen may lead to longer illnesses and increased flu infection and death rates. Some of the mechanisms by which these phenomena are believed to occur may surprise you. Recall that immune cells secrete chemical messengers into the blood to alert … Continue reading Wellness: Homemade Cold and Flu Remedies
Evelyn Coggins wrote about the upside of the flu shot, and how the vaccination works, last month on the Wellness Almanac. Check out that post, here. I opened the door and in-flew-Enza. The resident biology teacher at my junior high school wrote that joke on the board on the first day of every unsuspecting grade … Continue reading The Downside of Flu Shots
There are no guarantees in life yet many people expect them from our medical system. Take flu prevention, for example. Some people assume they are safe from the flu virus if they get the shot and are outraged when they get sick anyway. According to the experts, it's your best bet for preventing influenza. Maybe … Continue reading Wellness: The Upside of Flu Shots
‘Since garlick then hath powers to save from death, Bear with it though it makes unsavory breath.' Salerno Regimen of Health (12th Century) The story of garlic's spiritual, medicinal and culinary uses spans thousands of years of human history. Remnants have been found in neolithic caves. It was consumed by the labor force of the … Continue reading Holiday Wellness Tip #4: Revel in the Stink of Garlic
You know that moment in time when you suddenly understand a concept that has steadfastly eluded you? Perhaps you are just lounging in the grass watching the clouds race across the sky and 'it' hits you. Thinking about that moment afterward, you could almost swear you heard the sound of a key turning a lock … Continue reading GE/GMO Foods: My Isaac Newton Moment
September is a time of renewal for most of us as we resume the schedules that have been set aside in favor of the wonderful spontaneity of summer. Fitness and dance classes, volunteer commitments, school and work routines begin again and we re-establish relationships that have been temporarily set aside. For some of us, health … Continue reading Wellness: “Pure water has no fish”
I think I may have first used the term ‘slow medicine’ to explain my yearly participation in Pemberton’s Slow Food Cycle Sunday. In one of my top five eureka moments, I was dazzled by the apparent philosophical compatibility of the slow food movement and the practice of herbal medicine. Just as ‘slow’ foods nourish and … Continue reading Wellness: Slow Medicine
My fierce friend lives alongside Bathtub Trail. Battered and bloodied by careless hikers & bikers, the devil's club plant (Oplopanax horridum) tenaciously refuses to give way to oncoming traffic. Heedless passersby will be reminded of their painful encounter with the warrior for days to come. Her sharp, flat yellow spines bristle from every surface including … Continue reading Wellness: Warrior Plant Medicine
The trouble began at the public beach where my leashed, and consequently grouchy, dog did not like the other dogs running amok around him, and my two year old granddaughter, dressed to the nines in her Baby Gap beachwear, coveted all the brightly colored plastic toys strewn about the man-made sand bar. As she trotted … Continue reading A Lucky Life – A Trip to Nature’s Spa
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