7 simple swaps to incorporate plant-based eating into your diet

 As one of the top food trends, everyone is talking about the power of plant-based eating—but putting it into practice can seem daunting. Choosing a plant-based diet isn't necessarily an overnight switch, nor does it have to mean a complete diet overhaul. We've simplified the pressures of doing the plant-based

What You Probably Don’t Know About Yoga

 Namaste. This single word is so simple yet holds so much weight. Traditionally used as a greeting and way of demonstrating respect in India, this iconic salutation – typically accompanied by a bow with one’s hands placed at the heart or forehead – symbolizes the joining of two people’s energies.

A Heartfelt Campaign

 A little more than a year ago, Ottawa’s Montfort Hospital Foundation launched a campaign to raise $2.5 million for a machine that would change the lives of people in need. The goal of the campaign – appropriately called For You, Sweet Heart – is to purchase a CT scanner featuring a

5 facts you need to know to stay healthy this winter

 Influenza, also known as the flu, is a very contagious infection caused by viruses which can cause a mild to severe infection in your nose, sinuses, throat and lungs. Although flu infections can occur at any time throughout the year, the risk increases in the fall and peaks in the

What Minister Lebouthillier Doesn’t Know About Diabetes.

 When my son was 14 he was diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes. It came out of nowhere. It was the long weekend before Labour Day; he was about to start grade 10. That summer he had an adolescent growth spurt. When a colleague met him that summer he jokingly asked

Is your paycheque connected to your health?

 Research shows the positive connection between a person's socioeconomic status and their health. The idea that wealth is linked to health has been well-documented. Unfortunately, if you're one of the estimated 4.9 million Canadians living in poverty, you are more likely to develop a serious condition and less likely to

High rates of emergency and police services signal many adults and adolescents with autism in Canada are in crisis

 By Yona Lunsky and Jonathan Weiss Canadians routinely complain about the long wait times at hospital emergency rooms across the country – and health policy experts have long flagged the high costs associated with emergency services and the impact it has on the finances of our publicly funded health system.

REPORT: Universal Pharmacare Would Save Canadians Billions

 "All Canadians, including employers, would benefit from a national pharmacare program. Such a program would be the next phase of our health care system as envisioned by Tommy Douglas."  These are the words of  Ken Neumann, National Director for Canada, United Steelworkers and they come at a time when all Canadians

Food is not medicine

 By Dylan MacKay Hippocrates supposedly said, "Let food be thy medicine and medicine be thy food." I disagree. Food is not medicine. I can hear people saying, "But Dylan, you have type 1 diabetes and a PhD in human nutritional sciences. Surely you of all people know that food has

The Other Side of Reason – Defining moments

 Involved in a bus accident that took the lives of six people, David Gibson has been battling through PTSD for over three years. In an effort to better understand himself and to communicate with others, he turned to writing. His first book was The Other Side of Reason: A Journal on PTSD, available

What medicines do we really need in Canada?

 By Nav Persaud Surveys and polls often show Canadians are proud of our universal health system, which provides publicly funded care for doctor and hospital services.  Canadians don’t have to worry about filing for bankruptcy to get care for themselves or their families when they need it. But when it

Frailty and the New Ageism

 By Kenneth Rockwood Should medicine be ageist? A young trainee doctor recently proposed to me that it should. Healthcare is overstretched, she argued. “We can’t do everything for everyone, so why spend money on old people, who have little chance of benefit?”  For her, ageism is not all that bad

Antibiotics: Are they bad for you?

 "My family physician wants me to take another antibiotic for this cold that won’t go away, but I have read that antibiotics may damage my gut and may even make me put on weight,” a client asked me just the other day. “I’ve read conflicting reviews, and I know you’ve

The Other Side of Reason – The Art of Healing

 Involved in a bus accident that took the lives of six people, David Gibson has been battling through PTSD for over three years. In an effort to better understand himself and to communicate with others, he turned to writing. His first book was The Other Side of Reason: A Journal on PTSD,

The Other Side of Reason – In a Perfect World

 Involved in a bus accident that took the lives of six people, David Gibson has been battling through PTSD for over three years. In an effort to better understand himself and to communicate with others, he turned to writing. His first book was The Other Side of Reason: A Journal on PTSD,

One in six Ontarians left behind in healthcare reforms

 Urban, poor and new immigrants less likely to get high quality care By Tara Kiran Primary care is considered the front door to our health care system. Whether you’re going for a general check-up or have just been diagnosed with cancer, your family doctor makes sure you get the tests,

Double Check the Diagnosis

 The other day I dropped by a café where I crossed paths with an old acquaintance.  As we talked, she told me her business partner had died of cancer only a year earlier.  Saddened for her, I asked her some details of his illness.  He had complained of back pain

Does Canada Have Enough Money to Fund Senior Care?

 Will the cost of senior care in Canada one day break the bank?  Probably not, contrary to common perceptions. Four health policy experts, Dr. Robyn Tamblyn, Dr. Ivy Bourgeault , Dr. Neena Chappell and Dr Michel Grignon explain why money is not the biggest issue when talking about senior care