As our community follows physical distancing and self-isolation strategies, cooking is a great way to explore creativity using whichever ingredients you have at home. Usually, in our pantries we have beans, rice, oats, pasta and a mixture of non-perishable items which may also include frozen vegetables or fruits.

Cooking new and innovative recipes with family helps to maintain positive mental health and keep yourself busy. This includes maintaining a routine of eating at the right time and focusing on healthy and nutritious recipes to maintain a healthy lifestyle. Focusing on items in the pantry limits visits to the grocery stores, prevents wastage of food and saves money!

According to the latest census, for the first time ever, the number of seniors exceeds the number of children aged 14 and under. This means that we are facing a labour shortage as there is less people entering the workforce and more people leaving it. Yet, employment rate for both men and women over 65 is increasing, especially after the end of mandatory retirement in 2006 . Delayed retirement is great for social security and the economy, but it may raise some questions – what about the health of senior workers like you? And are you able to perform well at you job past 65?

Wellness programs and initiatives have become a trend among employers in hopes to better the quality of life of their employees, create a healthy culture and save on future health care costs. The benefit of any program however is dependent on employees’ participation, among other things. Research shows that many are not even aware of what their employer offers and the wellness programs available to them, and when they are, not everyone participates. Here is why you should become aware, and participate in your workplace wellness programs and take advantage of what your employer is offering: 

Mindfulness is a state that involves the self-regulation of attention, allowing you to focus on the present moment and experience thoughts and sensations objectively, with curiosity, openness and acceptance, with the ultimate goal of controlling your reaction to those thoughts and sensations. The more you practice mindfulness, the better it works, and the greater the benefits.

To lead a healthy lifestyle, it is recommended that adults get 150 minutes of heart-pumping action each week. Learn how to take physical activity into your workplace by starting a walking group and adding movement into your workday with these healthy tips.

We have all seen toddlers cry or melt down for no apparent reason. It is usually a reaction to being tired. The same thing can happen to adults, except that instead of crying, we simply absorb the effects of fatigue, allowing it to severely affect our quality of life.

There are many different ways to exercise. Some build muscles in your legs and arms, others strengthen your back or improve flexibility. Most will increase your cardiovascular health, and some even reduce the effects of aging, significantly extending your life. Swimming does all of these things, so you don’t have to pick and choose, and it does it all with less impact on the body than with other sports. Swimming is in fact recommended for people recovering from injuries they may have suffered from over-exerting themselves in other sports. Best of all, anyone can swim, at any age and at any level of intensity. Here’s a closer look at some of the main benefits of swimming.

Remember when your mother used to say, “go outside and play in the fresh air. It will do you some good!” She was right. Many of modern society’s most urgent physical health challenges, including obesity and coronary heart disease, are connected to sedentary and indoor lifestyles. Research now confirms that exercise performed in conjunction with exposure to nature, known as green exercise, has been associated with a variety of psychological and physiological benefits. Evidence indicates that exercising in a natural environment improves mood, and attention span, lowers heart rate and blood pressure, and relieves stress. Not only does green exercise have a therapeutic effect, helping us to recover from pre-existing stresses or problems, it can have an immunizing effect, protecting us from future stresses and the diseases caused by stress – particularly from cardiovascular disease.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, it is even more important for people of all ages and abilities to be as active as possible, especially when so many of us are restricted in our movements. While gyms, community centers and public parks are closed during the pandemic, being active and getting exercise is still possible with some modifications to our normal routines.

There are so many different foods available to us now that choosing the healthiest options can be confusing. Canada’s Food Guide approaches the goal of eating well regarding daily requirements: it tells us which foods we should eat every day to give us the vitamins, minerals and nutrients our bodies require. Eating these foods can save your life. Here is a quick guide to eating well according to the Canada Food Guide.

If you research top travel destinations for Canadians, you will notice trends of new popular vacation spots. Destinations of travel are changing; more are opting for visiting famous spots in Latin America, Asia, Middle East, and Africa as opposed to an enclosed resort in a heavily explored island. This reflects love and curiosity for new places, but poses a risk of exposure to infectious diseases and other health and safety hazards. It’s no reason to fear however, the threats are preventable. With proper precaution and planning, the risks can be controlled for. Let’s talk about the before, during, and after of how to vacation safe. 

Have you ever wondered how some people manage to look ageless? Well into their 80s, they have a youthfulness that belies their age, and still participate in activities that younger adults enjoy. There are many factors affecting how we age, including financial security, but aging well, without mental and physical stress on our bodies, is within the reach of us all. Through a few simple daily practices and preventive measures, we can experience our senior years with a quality of life, rather than simply clinging to life.

When most people hear the word ergonomics, they often think of office environment and equipment, but ergonomics is much more than chairs, computers and keyboards with wrist pads. Ergonomics is the science of fitting the job to the worker, and carries an important role in worker safety and musculoskeletal disorders (MSD) prevention.

Feeling overextended at work? Burnout is a growing problem among office workers. It results from an accumulative overload of occupational stress, and causes adversarial mental or physical health conditions. When a person’s adaptive capabilities are overextended, repeatedly, burnout can occur. Researcher Evangelia Demerouti, who authored an article in the European Journal of Clinical Investigation identifies burnout as “intensive physical, affective and cognitive strain that is a longterm consequence of adverse working conditions.”

The physical health benefits of swimming are well known. It improves circulation, works the main muscle groups, lowers cholesterol and boosts cardiovascular health. Exercising in water can also be an important proponent of mental health. The rhythmic breathing and repetitive nature of swimming can have a meditative quality that promotes feelings of well being. Even light exercise in a swimming pool can help to decrease anxiety, heal depression and improve your general mood.

Stress is a killer. It can cause a variety of musculo-skeletal disorders, from back pain, and carpal tunnel syndrome to shoulder and neck tension. It can cause eye strain, chronic fatigue, gastrointestinal disturbances and headaches, and chronic stress is the leading cause of anxiety and depression.

Increasingly, medical researchers are studying ways to cope with stress that do not involve medical or pharmacological intervention, and one of these remedies is yoga. Research shows that practicing yoga has the power to beat stress, along with a myriad of health concerns that are caused by stress.

Learn about how your back works and basic body mechanics and safe lifting procedures.

Healthy eating at work has many benefits. It improves your energy level, helps you stay alert, manages stress, and feel better about yourself. So why is it so difficult for us to take healthy eating on the road?

The concept of mindfulness once associated with Buddhism, The Beatles and transcendental meditation. Today, mindfulness is a serious topic of research in the medical community, as a mounting body of evidence demonstrates that it can have a powerful effect on healthy living. This includes physical health as well as mental health. From helping people face the challenges of stress reduction to treating individuals with serious mental health issues, mindfulness is proving to be one of the most adaptive remedies for a range of wellness issues. But what is mindfulness, and how does it work?

It is common knowledge that life expectancy in Canada is increasing. Living long however is most desirable when it is accompanied by living well and healthy. According to statistics gathered in Toronto, 74% of seniors describe their general health is good, very good, or excellent, and 93% say that their mental health is good, very good or excellent. And yet, diabetes, dementia, and injuries resulting in emergency visits or hospitalizations are on the rise among those 65 and older (Healthy Aging in Toronto, 2017). Healthy, or successful aging is an outcome of many factors. Some of those factors are beyond our reach, but there is a path you can follow. It is never too late to adopt healthy behaviour or discard unhealthy ones, become more socially engaged, or reap benefits from more supportive environments. Let’s see the formula for healthy aging!

You may have heard that men live shorter lives than women. Men are live less healthy lives. According to Men’s Health Resource Center this is in part because they are more likely to go long periods of time without going to the doctor and less likely to adopt preventative health measures. For some, the only time they step into a clinic is when their health has severely declined, making the prognoses bleaker, all the while their condition was preventable. Visiting a physician is a sign of caring for your health, not a sign of weakness. Changing your health patterns can prolong your life, and improve its quality. It’s time to take care of your health. Let’s look at three health issues that are prevalent in men and four things you can do to prevent them.

Work-related burnout is the inability to manage work demands that exceed your ability to cope – is often due to diminished resources: diminishing time, mental and energetic resources, and often a consequent diminishment in the willingness to invest the effort needed to complete work tasks.

In the movies, existential anguish is considered heroic and deep. In real life, the goal is to experience as much happiness as possible, to be at peace with the world and grateful for what we have. But how does one define happiness? What are the basic principles of living a happy life. Here is a look at how researchers define happiness.

The word happiness is synonymous with quality of life or well-being. It denotes that a life is good – but what is good about that life? According to research published recently in the International Journal of Psychology, there are certain elements conducive to happiness:

Happiness may be elusive, but there is one thing we know for sure: being healthy makes you happy, and being happy makes you healthy. Being happy and healthy propels you to face the world in a positive way, every day. Just having a reason to smile lowers your blood pressure, combats stress and boosts your immune system. It builds confidence, and that helps you to achieve your goals. Best of all, it’s contagious: being happy makes other people happy. So how do you get there?

There are many ways to stay healthy, from broad categories like managing diet and exercise to niche strategies like “forest-bathing” and brain-boosting. Here are a few of the most popular pathways to well-being for the year ahead.

This website is designed for employers and includes a range of information and resources to assist with making workplaces healthier. It has information for both employers and employees.

SexandU.ca takes a real-life approach to the questions and issues around sex and sexuality that matter most to Canadians. From talking about sex, to lifestyle choices, to contraception awareness and sexually transmitted infections, SexandU.ca provides accurate, credible, and up-to-date information and education on topics related to sexual and reproductive health. SexandU.ca is an initiative of the Society of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists of Canada, Canada’s leading authority on sexual and reproductive health.

What is Brain Health? is a national campaign to help raise awareness about brain health while empowering older adults to make the most of their brains as they age.

As the TED Talk summary says these talks are for when you are feeling worn out, exhausted and bleary-eyed… they are a little something to ease your frustration and get you feeling better.

My Health Matters delivers health information based on your personal health priorities and your individual life stage. Our articles, videos, recipes and interactive tools will help you manage and improve your health. All the content is developed and written specifically for women by the experts at Women's College Hospital.

Just 2 in 10 Canadians meet the Canadian Physical Activity and 24-Hour Movement guidelines. This site shares important information to help you maximize the health benefits of physical activity.

This website provides evidence based information about healthy aging. The this site and its social media network will  brings you the best available related research evidence at the McMaster Optimal Aging Portal

Dietitians of Canada (DC) is the professional association whose purpose is to advance health through food and nutrition, They provide evidenced based food and nutrition information, support easier access to adequate safe and healthy food, promote best practices and advocate for access to dietitians. The site provides lots of great information from finding a dietitian to planning meals and eating while you are breastfeeding.

ParticipACTION is a national non-profit organization whose mission is to help Canadians sit less and move more. Originally established in 1971, ParticipACTION works with its partners, which include sport, physical activity, recreation organizations, government and corporate sponsors, to make physical activity a vital part of everyday life.

Insufficient sleep (short duration and poor quality) is associated with a range of adverse health outcomes, including obesity, type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, injuries, all-cause mortality, depression, irritability, and reduced well-being.(1) In today’s 24/7 world, insufficient sleep is common.(2)(3)