Diabetes and the Mediterranean Diet: Is it right for you?

The Canadian Diabetes Association is hosting a webinar on the Mediterranean Diet and supportive relationships. This webinar is FREE and open to the public.

When: November 10th, 2015 at 2pm ET and 8pm ET (12:00pm MT and 6:00 pm MT)

To register for the 2pm webinar, click here.

To register for the 9pm webinar, click here.

Running away from your fork

This video by Yoni Freedhoff, MD from the Weight Matters website is seriously one of the best and to the point videos I have seen about the myths of exercise and weight loss. It stresses the health benefits of exercise and how it helps to promote healthy eating habits, pointing out that being more active can assist with weight management, when paired with healthy food choices.   Exercise alone will not provide that significant weight loss that some are striving for, unless of course you have enough hours in your day to devote to high intensity exercise sessions. 

Due to the ever increasing quick pace of life with high demands from work and family, most people find it extremely difficult to commit 30 minutes a day to activity. Unfortunately, some people who want to change their lifestyle to promote weight loss are putting too much emphasis on weight loss coming from increased activity levels. Instead they should be looking at the evidence-based research that has proven results of weight loss occurring with healthy eating choices and habits, which include journaling food intake. (click here to download a copy of our food journal)

Overall, a healthy lifestyle includes being more active, eating healthy, getting enough sleep and balancing life with work and family.  Eat healthy, journal your food to track calorie intake and keep a close eye on those hidden “liquid calories”.  Stop putting so much focus on the number on the scale, get and stay active for your health, your strength and your overall well-being. Chances are you won’t be disappointed. Check out the video, below. 

Corinne Cutler is an Exercise Specialist with the Leduc Beaumont Devon Primary Care Network. 

Modern Day Dieting Myth #5: Forks Can Be Outrun

"Approximately 80% of your modifiable weight is likely determined by your dietary choices leaving only 20% for your fitness choices. While exercise has truly fantastic health benefits and markedly mitigates the risks of weight, you're far more likely to lose weight in your kitchen than you are in your gym, and if you're exercising solely for the purpose of weight management, you run the risk of quitting perhaps the single healthiest behaviour you could adopt if and when the scales don't fly down. Unless you plan on spending a heroic part of each and every day running, you're not going to outrun your fork."

~ Yoni Freedhoff MD

Weighty Matters 

Do as I do; not just as I say.

The Leduc Beaumont Devon Primary Care Network has a team of healthcare professionals that help people living with various chronic conditions such as diabetes, pre-diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, obesity and other nutritional concerns. A smoking cessation program is also offered. Our team, which includes registered nurses, a registered psychologist and registered pharmacist, registered dietitians and an exercise specialist, works with patients through the S.M.I.L.E. Healthcare Program to help them learn strategies to improve their ability to manage their health.

S.M.I.L.E. - Self Manage to Improve your Life Everyday

The S.M.I.L.E. Healthcare team provides education and counselling to patients everyday, but do you ever wonder if they practice what they preach?

Your S.M.I.L.E. team was asked, “What is one thing you do every day that keeps your living healthy and staying active?”  Here are their answers.

Exercise Specialist: Corinne Cutler

"I do martial arts training three times per week.  Not only is it a great physical workout, the stress relief is unbeatable.  I find hitting and kicking the pads repetitively a great way to let off some steam, as my partners in training sessions can attest to!!  I also do Yoga classes twice a week to maintain my flexibility and Pilates as much as possible in my home studio, to keep my core strong."

Registered Pharmacist: Nandini Desai
"I am trying to walk up the stairs when I arrive at work each morning to help start my day off, rather than taking the elevator."





Registered Dietitian: Sally Ho
"I’ve been trying to focus on increasing my insoluble fibre intake lately, and would try to have whole grain bread at breakfast and brown rice/whole wheat pasta at lunch or dinner – aiming for whole grains/high fibre grains for 2 out of my 3 meals per day."

Registered Dietitian: Ginette Markham
"I play with my kids every day. We enjoy tobogganing, skating, dancing or a good ol’ game of mini-stick hockey in the basement (this is usually a daily ritual, and my son even lets me win sometimes!) It’s a great way to bond with my family, provide some laughs and increase my physical activity."

Registered Psychologist: Sheila Gothjelpsen
"I use deep breathing, meditation, visualization and/or self-hypnosis almost every single day to manage tension and stress.  This may even include just reminding myself to take a few slow deep cleansing breaths while driving to manage any escalating road rage (Arg!) or even using visualization (e.g. a calming scene) to slow down troublesome thoughts while trying to fall asleep at night."

Registered Nurses: Christina Vesty
"I’ve changed my thinking about why I go to the gym.   Instead of thinking how it might help my weight only, I really think how it helps my heart, my lungs and my bones and how I become a stronger person."

Registered Nurses: Cheri deBoer
"My friends and I have formed a Tupperware Dinner club.  At our individual homes, we cook a meal one night, then package the leftovers in Tupperware to give to each other the next day.  It helps to take the pressure off from cooking a different dinner each night, increases the variety in my diet, and gets rid of the leftovers quicker!"

Administrative Assistant: Penny Garton
"I try to eat breakfast every day (I'm not perfect with this but working on it) and I get up from my desk every hour and do a quick stretch."

Executive Director: Len Frank
"I run 3-4 times per week.  Running is a stress release valve for me – the monotony allows me to think about life without any distractions. If I don’t feel like running – I force myself to just get out there and tell myself that even 5 or 10 minutes of running (or even walking) is better than nothing.  Often times my longest runs start out with me “not feeling up to it” but once I get going I just keep going."

June is Stroke Awareness Month

What is a stroke?

A stroke is a sudden loss of brain function. It is caused by the interruption of flow of blood to the brain (ischemic stroke) or the rupture of blood vessels in the brain (hemorrhagic stroke). The interruption of blood flow or the rupture of blood vessels causes brain cells (neurons) in the affected area to die.

• There are estimated 50,000 strokes in Canada each year. That’s one stroke every 10 minutes (Hakim, Silver, & Hodgson, 1998).

• About 315,000 Canadians are living with the effects of stroke (PHAC, 2011c).

• Stroke is the third leading cause of death in Canada. Six percent of all deaths in Canada are due to stroke (Statistics Canada, 2012).

• Each year, over 14,000 Canadians die from stroke (Statistics Canada, 2012).

• Each year, more women than men die from stroke (Statistics Canada, 2012).

The effects of a stroke depend on where the brain was injured, as well as how much damage occurred. A stroke can impact any number of areas including your ability to move, see, remember, speak, reason and read and write.

Stroke is a medical emergency. Recognizing and responding immediately to the stroke warning signs by calling 9-1-1 or your local emergency number can significantly improve survival and recovery.

Learn more about what a stroke is and the different types of stroke, please visit the Heart & Stroke Foundation's website.

What are the warning signs of a stroke?

Weakness - sudden loss of strength or sudden numbness in the face, arm or leg, even if temporary.
Trouble speaking - sudden difficulty speaking or understanding or sudden confusion, even if temporary.
Vision problems - sudden trouble with vision, even if temporary.
Headache - sudden, severe and unusual headache.
Dizziness - sudden loss of balance, especially with any of the above signs.

If you experience any of these symptoms, call 9-1-1 immediately.

Are you at risk of a stroke? Assess your risk and receive information and tool to reduce your risk with this online tool.

Learn about risk factors you can control and stroke prevention, here.

Eat a healthy diet to reduce the risk of heart disease and stroke.

Adults should aim for 150 minutes of moderate to intense physically activity each week. Being active can significantly reduce your risk of heart disease and stroke and it can be as simple as going for a walk each day. Learn more about the basic principles of activity and determine your basic needs here.

Read the Canadian Physical Activity Guidelines.