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9 Ways to Avoid The “Seasonal Blues”

Beating the “Seasonal Blues”During this time of year it is easy to feel stressed-out and overwhelmed; so we’ve rounded up 9 ways to help you escape the seasonal blues.

Do Less – Enjoy More

Most of us go overboard to please others especially during the holidays, from shopping, family obligations to attending numerous events. This season why not take care of yourself, and say no to one or two activities!

Say Good-Bye To Perfection

Remember that the world is not going to end if your home is not “Martha Stewart” perfect, or if you have a pile of laundry on the kitchen table. Use your energy and focus on the important things – the people in your life.  As author Richard Carlson wrote “Don’t sweat the small stuff “!

Stop Over Scheduling

If you can’t slow down and relax during this time of year, when can you?  Your daily agenda shouldn’t make you feel stressed and overwhelmed. Slow down, simplify your schedule and learn how to delegate!

Find Time To Exercise

It may be the last thing you feel like doing when you’re stressed out, but going for a walk or attending a Pilates class can actually make you feel better. Research has found that exercise can boost your mood for up to 12 hours and can decreases anxiety.  So get out of the house and go for a brisk, 20 minute walk every day.

Health Maintenance

Take some time for yourself and schedule a massage or an acupuncture session; your health care practitioners can help you keep healthy and feeling fit.

Put Down the iPhone

Enjoy spending time with your family and friends without the constant buzz of your smart phone.  It becomes a habit that is very hard to stop, and repetitively looking at your phone is exhausting, and contributes to mounting stress.

Re-Think Old Customs

Ending old customs can be a good policy if you’re a lone or grieving.  Start some new traditions that will have happy memories associated with them.

Positive Thinking

Negative thoughts drain you of energy and keep you from being in the present moment. The more you give in to your negative thoughts, the stronger they become. On-the-other hand, a small positive thought can have the same effect -developing into a beautiful positive outcome.

Get More Sleep

Don’t underestimate the value of the power napor a good night’s sleep.  Light exercise like yoga or walking at night can help sleep as it releases tension without over stimulating the body.

Music can also help by soothing your mind and body as well as meditation, which can relieve stress in the body and mind. It’s a great technique to use before bedtime because it relaxes the body, clears the mind, and creates inner peace.

Put yourself first for a while. Take care of yourself, pay attention to your needs and desires, and find the courage to do something about them.

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6 Ways To Avoid Getting Sick During The Holidays

cold-and-flu-185711581With winter fast approaching, the cold and flu season is just around the corner.  So how can you avoid getting sick during the Holidays? Try to incorporate these 6 easy tips into your every day routines.

  • Hand sanitizer and hand washing

When hand sanitizers are used correctly, they can eliminate up to 99.9% of germs.  Make sure you use enough product so your hands still feel damp after rubbing together for 10 to 15 seconds, and that the product has at least a 60% alcohol content.

If you are washing your hands with soap; wet your hands with running water, apply soap, lather well and rub your hands vigorously for at least 20 seconds.

  • Extra package of pens

Cold and flu germs are easily passed through hand-to-hand contact, and using someone’s pen is a good way to come into contact with germs. Having your own supply of inexpensive pens will keep you safe from unwanted germs.

  • Phones and keyboards

Just as with pens, phones and keyboards can be a “mine field” of germs. Make sure to have a small package of anti bacterial wet wipes with you…. and don’t be afraid to use them!

  •  Schedule a massage

Getting a massage, can reduce stress and increase serotonin and dopamine, which are mood boosters that can help protect and increase your body’s immune system.

  • Stay hydrated

With the cooler weather, many of us forget to drink enough water. You still need to aim for about two litres of water daily for your body to function at peak performance.

  •  Increase spices and digestion friendly foods 

Many digestion friendly foods and spices have the added benefit of boosting your immune system with their  antibacterial properties. Try adding dark greens, berries, garlic, onions, ginger, cumin, and oregano to your meals.  You can also strengthen your body’s defenses by eating foods that contain natural probiotics like yogurt, miso soup, and pickled foods like sauerkraut and pickles.

These are just some of the simple things you can do to strengthen you immune system, so you can avoid getting a cold or flu this winter!

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Chiropractic Opportunity in Victoria BC

Chiropractic OpportunityDiversified Health is actively recruiting to add an additional Chiropractor to join our multi-disciplinary team. This is the perfect opportunity for an energetic, passionate and patient centred chiropractor looking to gain invaluable experience in a collaborative multi-practitioner setting.

Our multi-disciplinary clinic is located in the heart of downtown Victoria, in the iconic Mosaic Building at 1063 Fort Street.

The ideal candidate must have a sports and rehabilitation focus and incorporate diversified chiropractic techniques, as well as being proficient with time management and multi-tasking.  The successful candidate must be comfortable working in a collaborative and professional work environment.

 Key Qualities:

  • Ability to work with clinic staff  & practitioners
  • Cheerful, outgoing demeanor
  • Able to work weekends (as required)
  • Maintain the organization of treatment rooms and clinic
  • Dedication to high quality service, with an enthusiastic approach to customer service
  • Maintain a professional appearance and demeanor

We are looking for a passionate, principle based chiropractor that is looking for structured growth, can see a high volume of patients, is driven for success, and is very outgoing.

Diversified Health Clinic provides all reception services, patient billing, and inclusion in our advertising, marketing, and website.  All practitioner supplies for the room will be provided by the clinic.

Compensation:  competitive, percentage based contract.

Please submit your resume either in person to our offices at 1063 Fort Street or via email to lsteel@diversifiedhealth.ca attention to Lola Steel, Clinic Manager.

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Introduction to Traditional Chinese Medicine

acupuncture With a history of 2000 to 3000 years, Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) has formed a unique system to diagnose and cure illness. The TCM approach is fundamentally different from that of Western medicine. In TCM, the understanding of the human body is based on the holistic understanding of the universe as described in Daoism, and the treatment of illness is based primarily on the diagnosis and differentiation of syndromess

The TCM approach treats Zang–fu organs as the core of the human body. Tissue and organs are connected through a network of channels and blood vessels inside human body. Qi (or Chi) acts as some kind of carrier of information that is expressed externally through Jing-Lou system. Pathologically, a dysfunction of the zang-fu organs may be reflected on the body surface through the network, and meanwhile, diseases of body surface tissues may also affect their related zang or fu organs. Affected zang or fu organs may also influence each other through internal connections. Traditional Chinese medicine treatment starts with the analysis of the entire system, and then focuses on the correction of pathological changes through readjusting the functions of the zang-fu organs.

Evaluation of a syndrome not only includes the cause, mechanism, location, and nature of the disease, but also the confrontation between the pathogenic factor and body resistance. Treatment is not based only on the symptoms, but differentiation of syndromes. Therefore, those with an identical disease may be treated in different ways, and on the other hand, different diseases may result in the same syndrome and are treated in similar ways.

The clinical diagnosis and treatment in Traditional Chinese Medicine are mainly based on the Yin-Yang and Five element theories. These theories apply the phenomena and laws of nature to the study of the physiological activities and pathological changes of the human body and its interrelationships. The typical TCM therapies include acupuncture, herbal medicine, and Qi-gong exercises. With acupuncture, treatment is accomplished by stimulating certain areas of the external body. Herbal medicine acts on zang-fu organs internally, while Qi-gong tries to restore the orderly information flow inside the network through the regulation of Qi. These therapies appear very different in approach yet they all share the same underlying sets of assumptions and insights in the nature of the human body and its place in the universe.

Article written by the College of Traditional Chinese Medicine Practitioners & Acupuncturists of British Columbia

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Walking For Exercise

running-shoes_13602015Want to feel healthy, more energetic, less stiff…then get out and walk! The average person will walk approx.115,000 miles in a lifetime which is more than four trips around the earth’s equator.

The benefits of walking, go on and on. The Canadian Podiatric Medical Association recommends walking to ward off a number of related illnesses. Following is a list of benefits:

  • Strengthens your heart and lungs, and improves circulation.
  • Reduces obesity and high blood pressure.
  • Boosts your metabolic rate and lowers your cholesterol.
  • Improves muscle tone.
  • Reduces stress and tension.
  • Reduces arthritis pain; stops bone tissue decay.

Walking actually strengthens your heart and lungs…thereby improving circulation. Your heart is a muscle, so it is increasing in strength just as leg muscles increase in strength when they work out.

Circulatory fitness is measured by how much oxygen you transport in your bloodstream to the muscles and how much of the oxygen the muscles use. The more fit you are, the more oxygen you can use (and the more calories you burn). By walking, you elevate your heart rate and, you teach the body how to use oxygen efficiently.

The a good healthy walk should make you “warm and slightly out of breath.” Compared to rigorous sports such as racquetball or running, walking burns less, but it is an activity you can do on a regular basis.

Waking is far more effective for body endurance, tone and overall health. Walking consistently everyday, will have a more positive effect on your body rather than a two hour golf game once a week.

Many physicians recommend adding regular walking and exercise as a natural treatment to relieve a bout of depression. The cause of depression is related to brain chemistry. By getting your brain to release more of the happy chemicals – the endorphins – you achieve naturally what many prescription drugs and herbs try to do.

Walking tips:

  • Move at a steady pace. Move briskly enough to make your heart beat faster.
  • Breathe deeply.
  • Keep good posture. Walk with your head erect, back straight, abdomen flat.
  • Swing your arms, and keep them relaxed
  • Maintain proper foot motion. As you walk, land on the heel of your foot and roll forward to push off on the ball of your foot.

Waking can improve your health, your mental abilities, and allow you to enjoy nature; just by putting one foot in front of the other.

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How Sick Is Too Sick To Go To Work?

headacheYour throat feels sore, your nose is “snuffy” and your body aches. The first question most folks ask is what do I have; the second question is, I wonder if I am contagious, and the last question is, should I go to work?

How do you know if you’re contagious?

The flu is a viral infection with symptoms that range from a runny nose, watery eyes, sore throat, a cough, general body aches and pains, and a fever.

Unlike a cold, the flu penetrates deeper into the respiratory tract, accompanied with a high fever.  The flu normally goes away in about seven days, although some symptoms such as a cough can persists for many days.

The flu is contagious a day before and five to seven days after it begins.  You can go back to work, without worrying that you are contagious when a full 24  hours without a fever has occurred.

Colds can also  be caused by viruses with symptoms similar to the flu, such as a runny nose, watery eyes, and a cough. There is normally no fever associated with the common cold.

A cold usually lasts five to seven days, with varying degrees of symptoms and will be contagious from one day before you experience symptoms up until your sneezing, runny nose and cough stops.

When to Stay Home:

How well can you carry out your work duties? If you are feeling poorly, there’s a good chance you will not be at your best.  Try to work from home, re-arrange meetings, and use technology as much as possible.

If you have a viral or bacterial illness,  you are contagious, and going into work will expose your coworkers and clients, and in turn they will infect others.

Are you taking any medications that could impair your ability to think, work, or drive? If yes, stay at home.

Will resting help heal the body faster? By going back to work when you are still sick, you can actually make yourself  sicker. By letting your body fight the infection from home for the first day or two, you will be more likely to have a stronger body and be able to manage going back to work, without a relapse.

When in doubt about what type of illness you have, contact your doctor, walk-in clinic or health care practitioner.

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Becoming a Physiotherapist in BC

Interested to see what it takes to become a Physiotherapist. Watch this video on the requirements and benefits of becoming a Physiotherapist.

https://youtu.be/MvaDPQGSX_k

Video produced by workBC

 

 

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