CHEO and CMU College of Makeup Art & Design, Work Together to Craft Realistic Training Prosthetics for Medical Professionals
TORONTO, Dec. 14, 2018 /CNW/ - CHEO, formerly known as The Children's Hospital of Eastern Ontario, is a global leader in pediatric health care providing world-class compassionate care and leading edge treatment for children and youth. The work that CHEO does is inspiring and groundbreaking; constantly innovating within the medical field to improve the lives of the patients they care for. Medical training institutions are challenged with creating realistic simulations that allow for medical professionals to receive the training and practice they need to bring new skills into the medical field. It can be difficult to replicate injuries, burns and illnesses that are lifelike for these training simulations.
Enter, CMU College of Makeup Art & Design. CMU Instructors and the community that surrounds them is comprised of the top trained prosthetic artists in the world. While the prosthetics work these artists create is normally left for the movie industry, there is a growing crossover between medicine and film prosthetics and CMU College is proud to be apart of this development.
Both the medical and film industry utilize the same process to create a prosthetic appliance, whether it be for a new nose on an actor or a new nose on a real patient. While the application process and permanency of the noses may be drastically different, the art, detail and materials that go into creating the appliance are the same. The artistry behind prosthetics can be extremely helpful when it comes to creating those realistic simulations previously mentioned.
Prosthetic Makeup Artist and former CMU instructor, Neil Morrill- who is known for his work on films such as Suicide Squad, It, Hannibal and The Strain (to name a few), was brought on to this project by CMU College. Utilizing the skills Neil has as a renowned artist, he used medical reference images to create realistic pieces that represent different injuries, illnesses and burns.
With the simulation child doll CHEO provided to CMU College and the work of some recent alumni, Neil and the team were able to create moulds of the doll to help with making the prosthetic pieces. The finished product is a suit that showcases various injuries that can be fitted to the doll. If needed for the simulation, a little gel and fake blood can be added to the suit making this training resource that much more realistic. The doll will be used to help medical professionals working for CHEO be prepared for an array of different situations that can show up in the hospital.
This is not the first time CMU College has crossed over into the medical field. Previously CMU custom designed a one-week program for Ontario's air ambulance service ornge. The paramedics that work for ornge serve on the front line of emergencies, thus they need to be fully prepared to handle the worst-case scenario when they arrive on scene. In consultation with ornge, CMU College created a number of commonly found injuries and taught the trainers how to create realistic simulated accident environments. This way the paramedics that are first on scene are able to evaluate the severity of the injuries and act accordingly as they will have received ample training in the simulated environment.
CMU College is proud to lend our world-class artists to institutions such as the Children's Hospital of Eastern Ontario and Ornge. To be apart of innovation in any form is always rewarding but especially when it can help to benefit the lives of the sick or injured. A special thank you to the wonderfully talented Prosthetic Makeup Artist, Neil Morrill and to the exceptionally trained Alumni of CMU College that helped to make this project come to life.
SOURCE CMU College
Jacqueline Sacks Develops Proprietary Sustainable Fabric, Launches Saint Haven
San Francisco, CA - December 13, 2018 - Saint Haven, a luxurious line of sustainable essentials founded by Jacqueline Sacks, officially launches today, December 13. On a mission to ease the discomfort of her children's sensitive skin issues, Sacks, wife of PayPal's David Sacks, spent several years developing a brand-new, proprietary method for softening fabric, leading her to develop Saint Haven SoftTM, an incredibly soft and breathable non-toxic fabric. Saint Haven launches today with blissfully soft clothing for women, babies, toddlers and children.
As a parent, there's nothing worse than seeing your child suffer. A mother of three, Jacqueline was desperate to find a solution that would ease her daughter's discomfort from eczema. She needed a soft stretchy, breathable fabric that wouldn't irritate the skin further or soak up the salves she was using for treatment. Since most fabrics irritated her children's eczema and sensory issues, she watched her kids struggle with the daily routine of getting dressed and never feeling cozy and comfortable. Sacks therefore began lining her children's clothing with the softest fabrics from local craft stores but quickly found her DIY fix was no match for her children's growth or general wear and tear. Determined to find a permanent solution, she took matters into her own hands, developing a proprietary fabric that is a result of years of research.
From knocking on the doors of fabric manufacturers to consulting high-end lingerie and bed linen boutiques, Jacqueline spent years researching, experimenting, and mixing her own fibers first-hand. After prototyping her product nineteen times, she arrived on the softest, most breathable, non-toxic fabric. Working with ethical manufacturers throughout Portugal, Saint Haven developed a propriety method of softening fabric. The result is unlike anything available in the market today. The fabric is produced using eco-friendly modal, which is crafted from sustainably grown beech trees. The modal, which Sacks found was more breathable than cotton and also less absorbent than cotton, is spun into an ultra-fine textile. The fabric is then dipped in a non-toxic enzyme to achieve Saint Haven SoftTM. Sacks tapped Parisian-born Souad Sinai as Chief Designer. Sinai's breadth of work made her the perfect choice for this project, as it required a skilled designer with experience in kid's, men's, and women's apparel. Her previous experience includes working with top fashion brands including Nina Ricci, Sonia Rykiel, Kenzo and John Galliano.
The collection is comprised of 13 initial styles that are simple, sustainable and functional. The color palette is as soft as the fabric, featuring light pinks, blues, and neutrals. Current offerings include shirts, pants, dresses, and a robe. The majority of the collection will range in price from $30 - $80 and top price of $150 (
www.sainthaven.com).
Click
HERE for high-res images
Photo Caption: Saint Haven Founder and Mother, Jacqueline Sacks
Sexercise: 7 Exercises That Can Improve Your Sex Life
How simple fitness moves can make a huge difference in the bedroom
www.vshred.com
There are many elements that go into a great sexual encounter. Some of these components include mutual attraction and self-confidence. But when the moment comes to perform you want to know you have the strength and stamina to bring your A game and enjoy a strong finale.
“Having a body that's optimized for great sex and looking like an Instagram model are not mutually exclusive,” says Vince Sant, co-founder and lead trainer of V Shred, the online training platform that has taken the world by storm in recent years. “Some of the smaller muscle that you didn’t even know you have sometimes make the biggest difference.”
Sant explains that there’s a logical relationship between being fit and a more enjoyable sex life. Muscle tone and cardiovascular health help us perform better and have more gratifying orgasms. Mentally, physical fitness plays a huge roll in one’s confidence which is just as much a part of sex as your partner’s attraction to you.
For these 7 exercises, we are focusing on fortifying the stabilizing muscles in the pelvis, lower back, and core. This group of muscles is responsible for handling any position you get into with your partner and enjoy intense finales.
High-Intensity Interval Training (H.I.I.T)
“Your stamina and endurance are central to sex. Interval training helps increases just that. The great thing about H.I.I.T is that you can make it a part of any of your cardio and body weight routines,” says Sant who makes H.I.I.T a fundamental part of his fitness programs.
Lying Leg Raises
Not only does this move engage your lower abs, thighs, and glutes but it also challenges your hip flexor muscles. “The hip flexors include the psoas muscle which connects your spine to your legs. The Iliacus muscle located deep within the pelvis which helps rotate your thigh bone and is helpful in sustaining certain positions in bed, explains Sant. Other muscles engaged by this exercise are the rectus femoris (one of the four quads muscles), the pectineus muscle and the sartorius.
Crunches
A strengthened core gives you the ability to maintain pleasurable positions for increased passion. For added benefit, use a stability ball to enhance your crunches. This will work your balance and stability as well as your back which will improve your thrusting ability and help prevent back injury.
Push-ups
If your partner likes you being on top you have to condition your upper body and core. Push-ups accomplish exactly that. Strengthening your arms, shoulders, and chest, push-ups help you to maintain a dominant thrust and increased energy. “Remember to find ways to practice progressive overload in your push-ups and other resistance training by adding weights to your exercises or increasing repetitions. Resistance training has been shown to increase the male sex hormone, Testosterone,” says Sant.
Squats
“Squats mostly work your glutes, hamstrings, and quadriceps,” says Sant. Everything from your abs, obliques, and lower back to your calves and ankle complex are engaged in this exercise as well. The Instagram model turned fitness mogul explains that “a lot of pleasurable positions for both partners need a stronger core and lower body to sustain the positions until orgasm.”
Stretch - The Seal Pose
People overlook stretching all the time. It is an important part of preparing for your physical activity both at the gym and in the bed. The lumbar extension aims at stretching the forward curve of the lumbar spine in your lower back. “You will be using your lower back a lot during sex and making sure the lower back is prepped for activity will prevent any pulled muscle or embarrassing moments,” says Sant
Stretch - The Butterfly
You want to avoid waking up next to your partner the morning after you’ve had great sex feeling sore and unable to move your legs. “The butterfly stretch helps target the groin and inner thigh. You should use this stretch after a variety of normal leg stretches to avoid overstretching the groin,” explains Sant. He maintains that this stretch is very helpful in warding off soreness in that hard-to-stretch area.
About V Shred:
V Shred is the fastest growing fitness and nutrition brand in the world offering online training programs designed to put the fun back into fitness and nutrition. V Shred provides a results-driven enduring lifestyle change instead of a frustrating battle that is easy to give up on. With a support network comprised of trusted accredited advisors and virtual personal trainers, people meet their fitness, nutrition, and goals.
The company, co-founded in 2015 by Nick Daniel, Roger Crandall, Kevin Pearn, and Vince Sant, sought out to create a healthy fitness movement specifically designed to deliver profound changes in your body with the minimal amount of workout time. V Shred has created some of the world's most popular fitness and nutrition programs such as Fat Loss Extreme and Toned in 90 Days for women and men and Ripped in 90 Days for men.
The diet that accompanies the workouts in these comprehensive fitness programs, offers plenty of healthy food options and recipes. V Shred’s supportive coaches encourage “portion empowerment” which inspires people to eat and enjoy food knowing it’s the fuel they need to achieve the results they seek.
V Shred is based in Las Vegas, Nevada. For more information visit http://www.vshred.com
HOW TO NAVIGATE THE HOLIDAY SEASON IF YOU HAVE THESE COMMON ADDICTIONS OR DISORDERS
www.beachway.com
Holidays are a stressful time for almost everyone. We battle traffic to see family and friends, stretch our budgets on gifts and tips, deal with difficult family relations, face loneliness, fear of missing out, and in general, take stock of where we are in life. For those who battle addictions or disorders such as alcoholism, eating disorders, gambling, social anxiety or compulsive shopping, the holidays can be more than challenging. We turned to Carrie Carlton LCSW at Beachway Therapy in Boyton Beach, Florida for some tips on how to cope if you suffer various afflictions.
For Those With Eating Disorders
Carrie Carlton suggests, “Talk to your treatment team and help identify what difficulties you may expect and problem-solve some strategies for dealing with them. If you are following a meal plan try to stick to it over the holidays. Try to anticipate some of the situations that will make following it harder, such as time in transit, time changes, and not having access to your usual foods. If you are traveling, plan how or where you will get the food you need.” Have the phone numbers of your treatment team and friends available to you.
Carrie Carlton cautions, “If you need to be at a function with certain people who make you uncomfortable, plan some ways to excuse yourself from their immediate presence. Put your own health above anything else at all times. Try not to count calories and try to avoid the scale. If you feel yourself starting to panic because you are feeling too full or if you allowed yourself to eat foods that you consider to be forbidden, remind yourself it is okay to eat what you did, that food will not make you fat, and it is normal to eat more during the holidays. If you end up binging or purging, do not beat yourself up over it. Just put it behind you and move forward. Try to get back on track at the next meal.”
Recovering Alcoholics Attending Parties
Carrie Carlton offers the following tips:
Tell a reliable person about your desire to stop drinking. This may hinder you from sneaking away to have a drink.
Stay busy.
Bring your own non-alcoholic drinks. This is important to remember if you think that only alcoholic drinks will be served.
Choose only to attend parties you will really enjoy. This can limit the stress of not drinking and will reduce the chances that you will.
Avoid attending parties with alcohol.
Take along a friend. An A.A. friend or someone else you trust will help in keeping you from drinking alcohol.
Show up at a later time. If you have been invited to a dinner party, showing up shortly before dinner may limit the amount of pressure to drink beforehand.
Ask if any food dishes contain alcohol, especially if it is uncooked alcohol.
Attend an A.A. meeting or party so that you can find support in fellow members.
Schedule other plans. Figure out something else to do on the nights you are invited to parties where alcohol will be served. This will keep you from deciding to go last minute!
Remember that choosing not to drink is not rude. Forcing someone to drink is rude.
If You Are Addicted to Shopping
Carrie Carlton advises, “Avoid going holiday shopping alone. Present shopping during the holidays is inevitable. Avoid shopping alone; bring a friend with you and ask them to keep your spending in check. This is not a sign of weakness, it simply means that you know yourself well enough to know what you need this holiday.”
Here are some tips:
Avoid online shopping, period. Block sites if you need to.
Practice a 24-hour rule: No purchase can be made inside of a 24-hour “thinking” period.
Give your credit cards to a trusted friend, keeping only a debit card for daily necessities.
Find an alternative to a shopping expedition – make a plan to volunteer during the holidays or stay home and bake cookies for your neighbors.
Seek help either from a therapist or a support group like Shopaholics Anonymous, Overspenders Anonymous or Debtors Anonymous.
If You Have a Gambling Addiction
Budgeting – If you are a newly recovering gambling addict, you may have already put someone else in charge of your finances. If you are concerned about urges to gamble during the holidays, make sure you do not have access to a surplus of funds or any significant amounts of cash that could raise temptation.
Family Gathering Decisions – Request that family and friends refrain from gambling when playing games together this holiday season. Card games can be enjoyable without the transfer of money or other material goods. While it may be wise for you to refrain from playing these games at all to keep from being reminded of your past gaming activity and the feelings associated with wins and losses, a request that no gambling occurs will allow others to play without posing any immediate danger to you.
Avoid Dangerous Gifts – Similarly, request that no holiday gifts come in the forms of cash or scratch-off tickets. Carrie Carlton cautions that, “Both could trigger the urge to gamble “just this once,” and that action can spiral into the return of a your more serious addiction.”
Know Yourself – Remember what caused you to gamble before, and make sure your behaviors and habits do not change during the holiday season and trigger gambling impulses. This may mean monitoring your alcohol intake, turning down vacation daytrips to casinos with friends, and making sure no extra vacation time causes you any feelings of boredom or loneliness.
For Those With Social Anxiety
Calm Breathing: This helps you calm down quickly. Carrie Carlton say, “We tend to breathe faster when we are anxious. This can make us feel dizzy and lightheaded, which can make us even more anxious. Calm breathing involves taking slow, regular breaths through your nose. It is important to realize that the goal of calm breathing is to make it a little easier to “ride out” the feelings in social situations, not eliminate anxiety completely because anxiety is not dangerous and it’s normal to feel anxious at times.”
Muscle Relaxation: Another helpful strategy involves learning to relax your body. This involves tensing various muscles then relaxing them. This strategy can help lower overall tension and stress levels, which can contribute to anxiety problems
3. Realistic thinking
People with social anxiety tend to have negative thoughts about themselves and about what could happen in social situations.
In closing Carrie Carlton adds the following, “If you believe that social situations are threatening or dangerous, then you are more likely to feel anxious. However, it is important to realize that your thoughts are guesses about what will happen, not actual facts. People with social anxiety tend to over-estimate the degree of danger in social situations.”
Carrie Carlton, Clinical Director (LCSW)
Carrie is the Clinical Supervisor at Beachway and holds a BSW and MSW in social work from Florida Atlantic University, a MA from Barry University (Miami), and is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker. She also has a background in medical social work. Her understanding of cognitive behavioral therapy, solution focused therapy, and family systems guides her treatment of addicts and families. Her clients thrive under her guidance because of her honesty, empathy, and compassion. Recognizing the severe impact of addictions on both the addict and the families, Carrie is dedicated to consistently serve her clients..
About Beachway Therapy Center http://www.beachway.com
Beachway provides a continuum of care, from PHP (Partial Hospitalization Program) to Outpatient services. The facility offers a fully individualized treatment plan that meets the clinical and medical needs of each client usually lasting between 30 and 90 days. Beachway provides an extremely low client to therapist ratio and under high level professional supervision, clients can begin to recover in a safe, residential-like environment. CBT (cognitive behavioral therapy) motivational interviewing, addiction counseling, 12-Step orientation, DBT (dialectical behavioral therapy,) trauma-informed practices and a wide variety of supportive group therapies are offered.
It’s Christmas time in the GTA, and that means skating at Nathan Phillips, hot apple cider on the waterfront, and…visits to Markham? It’s true: Ontario’s most diverse city is a festive powerhouse, rich in holiday attractions you may have been missing out on. Don’t believe us? Read on for a primer on the “where”, “what”, and “when” that make the holiday season magical in Markham.
Where to Shop
It wouldn’t really be the holidays without some last-minute shopping, would it? If you’re caught up in a seasonal scramble for gifts, you’re going to want to check out CF Markville. Move over, Eaton Centre: Markham’s largest mall boasts 160 stores and—most importantly—a fraction of the downtown foot traffic. The presence of retail favourites like Toys R Us, Uniqlo, and Best Buy means you’ll be able to get everything in one go…and do a little less stressing about shopping this season.
Where to Revel
Distillery District feeling a little crowded this year? Check out the Christmas Market in historic Main Street Unionville! With original structures dating all the way back to 1794, Unionville serves as an ideal “Santa’s Village” with charm to spare. Head over on the 15th and 16th of December for a full day of live entertainment, festive décor, and sweet winter treats. Don’t forget to bring the whole family down on the 22nd for a special breakfast with Santa himself. We don’t know how they tracked him down, but we aren’t about to look a gift horse in the mouth.
Where to Stay
Staying in the GTA over the holidays, or just looking for a holiday home away from home? You can’t go wrong with the Toronto Marriott Markham—Markham’s all-new modern hotel. The elegantly-appointed property is conveniently located in the heart of Downtown Markham, walking distance from Cineplex Cinemas VIP & IMAX, restaurants including Ruth’s Chris and Costa Sorrento, and the Pride of Canada Carousel. You’ll feel especially jolly this season if you take advantage of their holiday promotions: a three-course holiday dinner at Draco restaurant from the 17th to 23rd and a specially discounted holiday room rate of 15%. When the weather outside gets frightful, a weekend stay at the Marriott will have you feeling delightful—and provide the perfect excuse to check out everything else that Markham has to offer.
Ready to make Markham your holiday ho-ho-home? You can book your preferred rate with Marriott’s holiday promo here.
ALS Society of Canada Dedicates Last of the Matched Ice Bucket Challenge Research Funding to Early-Career Researchers in Pursuit of a Future Without ALS
2018 funding competition with Brain Canada results in $720,000 for six trainee awards –
more trainee awards in a single year than ever before
TORONTO, Dec. 13, 2018 /CNW/ - The ALS Society of Canada (ALS Canada), together with Brain Canada, today announced $720,000 in funding for six new trainee awards, thus completing the last of the $20 million research partnership with the Brain Canada Foundation (with financial support from the Government of Canada) following the Ice Bucket Challenge. ALS Canada is also pleased to partner with La Fondation Vincent Bourque who will be providing financial support for one of these awards. Each grant has been awarded with the aim of sustaining high-quality Canadian ALS research by providing salary support for the next generation of ALS researchers currently pursuing PhDs or postdoctoral research positions.
At a given time, approximately 3,000 Canadians are living with ALS, a terminal disease that gradually paralyzes people because the brain is no longer able to communicate with the muscles of the body that we are typically able to move at will. As the connection with the brain and muscles breaks down, someone living with ALS will lose the ability to walk, talk, eat, swallow, and eventually breathe. Each year approximately 1,000 Canadians die from ALS. With no cure and few treatment options available that have a significant impact on the progression of the disease, 80 per cent of people with ALS die within two to five years of diagnosis.
"This was a tremendous opportunity to collaborate with Brain Canada and La Fondation Vincent Bourque to support more trainees in a given year than ever before," said Dr. David Taylor, VP Research, ALS Society of Canada. "For more than a decade the ALS Society of Canada has funded exceptional students and postdoctoral candidates with the goals of advancing key Canadian ALS research and creating the next generation of dedicated ALS researchers in the country. It's a program that has impact today and for many years to come."
"Since 2015, Brain Canada's much-valued partnership with the ALS Canada Research Program has resulted in a $20-million investment in ALS research. The funded projects will lead to new discoveries in the development of effective treatments for this devastating disease, and enable the next generation of ALS researchers to start or continue research in promising areas of investigation," said Inez Jabalpurwala, President and CEO, Brain Canada Foundation. "In addition, the discoveries that will result from this partnership have the potential to inform how we approach other neurodegenerative diseases with similar underlying mechanisms, such as MS, and Alzheimer's, Parkinson's and Huntington's diseases."
"An ALS diagnosis has significant impact on all areas of life – physical, emotional and financial – but the progress of research in recent years has brought hope to those living with ALS that life-changing treatments could be possible," shared Vincent Bourque, the founder of La Fondation Vincent Bourque, shortly before his passing in November 2018. Mr. Bourque was diagnosed with ALS in 2015 at the age of 40. "Future advancements in research are only limited by the amount of funding available, which is why we are proud to be helping to build the capacity for future ALS research discovery by supporting an early-career researcher."
This year's six trainee award recipients seek to answer the following questions about how ALS occurs and how it could be treated:
- Can advanced imaging techniques effectively pinpoint validated biomarkers in ALS and track disease progression? $75,000 has been awarded to Abdullah Ishaque, a MD/PhD student from Dr. Sanjay Kalra's lab at the University of Alberta. Abdullah's research involves analysing images obtained from the Canadian ALS Neuroimaging Consortium (CALSNIC), a project that was funded through the single largest grant given by ALS Canada and the Brain Canada Foundation following the Ice Bucket Challenge.
- Can restoring motor neuron inhibition prevent or stop ALS progression? In partnership with La Fondation Vincent Bourque, $165,000 has been awarded to Dr. Sahara Khademullah, a postdoctoral fellow from Dr. Yves De Koninck's lab at Université Laval. This research builds on two projects previously funded by ALS Canada that explore whether targeting the activity of upper motor neurons in the brain could be a new and unexplored way to treat ALS.
- Is a loss of C9orf72, responsible for the most common protein abnormality in ALS? $75,000 has been awarded to Lilian Lin, a PhD student in Dr. Janice Robertson's lab at the University of Toronto.
- Does a specific type of viral infection play a role in triggering ALS and its progression? $75,000 has been awarded to Yasir Mohamud, a PhD student in Dr. Honglin Luo's lab at the University of British Columbia.
- Can using worm and stem cell models of ALS to screen for new ALS drugs identify something that slows disease progression? $165,000 has been awarded to Dr. Prateep Pakavathkumar, a postdoctoral fellow in Dr. Alex Parker's lab at Université de Montréal.
- Can antibodies detect a key misfolded protein associated with ALS in cerebral spinal fluid? $165,000 has been awarded to Dr. Yulong Sun, a postdoctoral fellow in Dr. Avi Chakrabartty's lab at the University of Toronto.
The granting of these trainee awards follows a competitive peer review process, which engaged a panel of Canadian ALS experts in evaluating applications to identify the most exceptional young researchers whose projects have great potential to advance the field of ALS research. All aspects of the peer review process were executed in full partnership with Brain Canada, whose funds are provided through the Canada Brain Research Fund (with financial support from Health Canada).
With Brain Canada's commitment of matched funds now complete, the ALS Canada Research Program will now return to its historic funding levels with $1.5 million to $2 million in research grants awarded each year.
About the ALS Canada Research Program and Canada's ALS Societies
The ALS Canada Research Program funds peer-reviewed research grants and fosters collaboration amongst Canadian researchers, helping to nurture new ideas and build capacity. ALS Societies across Canada fundraise on a regional basis to provide services and support to people and families living with ALS in their province and contribute to the funding of the ALS Canada Research Program. ALS Societies advocate federally, provincially and locally on behalf of people and families living with ALS for better government support and access within the healthcare system.
About Brain Canada and the Canada Brain Research Fund
Brain Canada is a national registered charity that enables and supports excellent, innovative, paradigm-changing brain research in Canada. Since 1998, Brain Canada has made the case for the brain as a single, complex system with commonalities across the range of neurological disorders, mental illnesses and addictions, brain and spinal cord injuries. Looking at the brain as one system has underscored the need for increased collaboration across disciplines and institutions, and a smarter way to invest in brain research that is focused on outcomes that will benefit patients and families. Brain Canada's vision is to understand the brain, in health and illness, to improve lives and achieve societal impact.
The Canada Brain Research Fund is a public-private partnership between the Government of Canada and Brain Canada, designed to encourage Canadians to increase their support of brain research, and maximize the impact and efficiency of those investments. Brain Canada has committed $115 million from private donors and non-federal partners—now numbering more than 100—which Health Canada has matched with $120 million. For more information, visit www.braincanada.ca or follow us on Twitter or Facebook.
SOURCE ALS Canada
Five Everyday Alternatives to Statins
For the last 30 years, statins have been prescribed to people battling high cholesterol. While these drugs have been proven to lower cholesterol, the side effects have been debilitating to many.
Still, like with every other drug, potential side effects can cause problems just as significant as the ones that statins are treating. If your body isn’t compatible with statins, you might start to feel muscle pains, headaches, or fatigue. Additionally, in some cases, more severe liver and muscle damage are possible. Nobody wants to experience something like this, especially not from a medicine that is supposed to be helpful.
Luckily, there are other ways to cope with cholesterol problems which would allow you to reduce and even eliminate statins over time. We provide you with five suggestions.
Consult Your Doctor for Another Drug
Statins are not the only medication that can lower your cholesterol. Cholesterol Absorption Inhibitors are often prescribed, and they give good results if you combine them with a healthy diet. Sequestrants block cholesterol absorption into your bloodstream, while Niacin lowers bad cholesterol and triglycerides at the same time increasing the level of good cholesterol. All these names can be confusing, but your doctor will know the one best for you.
Be More Active
Physical activity lowers bad cholesterol, raises good cholesterol, and strengthens your heart. So, don’t be lazy. If you are out of shape, start slowly. A 30-minute route of walking every day is more than enough for the beginning. Gradually work up to jogging and running. Swimming is a cool activity too! Why not go to the swimming pool once or twice a week? The goal is to be consistent and to lose excess fat. In no time you’ll build a routine, and you’ll start feeling fresh and energetic.
Quit Smoking
Every passionate smoker has some version of a story about an old man from Cuba who’s been smoking since he was 5 and now he is 110 years old, and he feels great. Let’s face it. These are old wives’ tales. Cigarette smoke raises both the levels of bad cholesterol and a blood fat called triglycerides. By ditching this ugly habit you’ll help yourself in many different ways, and lowering cholesterol in your blood is only one of them.
Use a Supplements Clinically Proven to Lower Cholesterol
A new product that has shown to be very helpful in lowering bad cholesterol while raising good cholesterol is Cholesterade. Created by Dr. J. Robert Cade, the inventor of Gatorade, this product is a completely natural supplement that reduces total cholesterol by 17.9 % within eight weeks, even without diet adjustments.
Change Your Diet
Besides increasing your activity and quitting cigarettes, other habits can be adjusted to help fight high cholesterol. Replacing red meat with fish is a great idea. Yes, it does seem difficult to imagine a life without steaks and burgers, but you don’t have to stop eating them entirely. Replace them with fish a few times a month, and that helps. Also try to eat more nuts, oats, barley, apples, and berries.
The effectiveness of statins is documented, however, there are situations when they do not mesh well with your body. In those cases, there are other strategies to fight high cholesterol. Exercise and diet changes can be helpful. Some bad habits also should be eliminated.
Furthermore, some supplements can help as well. No matter what, don’t forget to talk with your doctor before you make any decision.
Eli Lilly’s $2bn deal highlights the increased focus on anti-tau therapies for Alzheimer’s disease, says GlobalData
Following the news (12th December 2018) that AC Immune and Eli Lilly have signed a collaboration agreement to research and develop tau aggregation inhibitors for the potential treatment of Alzheimer's disease (AD), and other neurodegenerative diseases,
Alessio Brunello, Pharma Analyst at GlobalData, a leading data and analytics company, offers his view:
“The amyloid hypothesis has been the central theory for the pathogenesis of AD, but all Aβ-targeting drugs treating AD have ended in failure, as AD drug development is considered to have one of the highest failure rates of all indications. Eli Lilly suffered many clinical failures on its candidates in the past.
“The anti-amyloid therapies have had limited success and the industry is shifting to other methods of treatment such as anti-tau therapies. This trend is confirmed also by the recent collaboration between Eisai and University College London (UCL) in the development of the first investigational drug candidate from their drug discovery, known as E2814, an anti-tau monoclonal antibody that is designed to slow the progression of AD and other tauopathies.
“Key opinion leaders (KOLs) interviewed for GlobalData’s report: ‘Alzheimer’s Disease: Dynamic market Forecast to 2026’ were enthusiastic about the anti-tau monoclonal antibodies, as they are seen as a new potential therapeutic intervention, even though it will take several years before we know if tau immunotherapies are efficacious in slowing the progression of tauopathies.
“There are currently eight clinical trials ongoing on tau immunotherapies, four in Phase II and four in Phase I, and several more in late-stage preclinical development. These trials aim to prove that tau clearance will apply in human tauopathies.
“No new drug for AD has been approved in the past 16 years, despite more than 400 clinical trials and billions of dollars being spent in an attempt to tackle the disease. Pharma companies and researchers understand the necessity and importance to look beyond amyloid approaches to treat the most significant unmet needs in AD.”
FUNCTIONAL FITNESS REMAINS CANADA’S #1 FITNESS TREND EXPECTED FOR 2019 AS ACTIVE RECOVERY CLIMBS TO #2
TORONTO, ON – December 12, 2018 – Canadians crave practical workouts, according to an annual survey of fitness professionals, conducted by Canada’s fitness education leader, canfitpro. Functional Fitness reigns as the #1 Fitness Trend for the second year in a row recognizing that people not only want to look better but need to be able to perform their everyday tasks with ease. Being stronger in movements that are relevant to our everyday lives, such as carrying groceries, taking the stairs, or shoveling snow, allows us to fully enjoy all aspects of our lives.
Active Recovery made its debut on the chart in 2018 at the fourth position, but this year, it climbs to the #2 spot. With high intensity workouts (HIIT), express options increasing, alongside overall everyday stress and overall wellness being more at the forefront of media, Active Recovery is one of the ways we take care of ourselves and our health. Active Recovery has been part of canfitpro programming since day one as it is essential to overall health.
HIIT drops to the #3 spot, the lowest position since the survey’s inception with the 2015 fitness trends. Although still wildly popular, as the format is an effective way to move and sweat in a shorter time, HIIT continues to see growth in gym chains, studios and boutiques; however, this style may need a refresh in order to continue its dominant reign.
Other survey results reveal:
* Recognizing the huge impact that what we eat has an impact on our overall health, nutrition and healthy eating programs climbs from #8 last year to #4.
* Older Adult Training drops from #3 to #5, however being able to stay independent and lead a healthy life may also be reflected in the gains of Functional Fitness & Active Recovery.
* Body Weight Training is gaining in popularity because of television and social media and the accessibility/increasing advancement in gymnastic movements, calisthenics, parkour, outdoor gyms etc.
New in this year’s survey, fitness professionals were asked, outside of physical activity, what are the health and wellness recommendations you make in 2019?
Mindfulness debuts as the top trend in that category, along with Diets, Meal Planning / Meal Prep, Self-Love & Meditation round up the top five. This is consistent with Fitness Trends: the more you work out, the more recovery you need physically and mentally.
Canada’s authority in fitness education for 25 years, canfitpro reached its nearly 24,000 members, including fitness professionals (personal trainers, fitness instructors), health club operators and industry suppliers from across Canada to gather the annual survey results.
Media Notes: National and local experts for available for interviews by request.
The top 10 Canadian fitness trends for 2019 are:
1) Functional Fitness (#1 in 2018, #2 in 2017; #1 in 2016)
Functional fitness stays put in the top spot. Using multiple muscle groups to strengthen in a holistic way (versus one specific muscle group at a time), functional fitness programs include practical, balance-challenging movements that simulate activities like shoveling snow, carrying groceries, or unloading the car. This focus helps prepare for the physical activities of daily life and counters the negative effects of a sedentary lifestyle.
2) Active Recovery (#4 in 2018)
Recognizing that the ability to work out is limited by the ability to move, active recovery exercises focus on movement and self-care with foam rollers, balls and low-intensity workouts to name a few. If we can take care of ourselves and move as freely as possible, our everyday lives are better, and training is enhanced.
3) High-Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) (#2 in 2018, #1 in 2017)
HIIT is a training methodology involving intense periods of exercise followed by durations of rest. This high-intensity approach is increasingly popular because it provides a good workout in a shorter time than steady-state cardio and because it works for all fitness levels. As Canadians work longer hours and try to maintain balance amidst a busy schedule, HIIT addresses that time crunch, burning fat and improving cardiovascular benefits quickly and effectively.
4) Nutrition and Healthy Eating Programs (#8 in 2018, #5 in 2017)
Combining exercise with healthy eating is the best approach to see the results of your efforts sooner — whether it’s weight loss or advancing your overall fitness level. More Canadian fitness professionals are taking additional training to improve their nutrition expertise, including canfitpro’s Healthy Eating & Weight Loss Coach certification.
5) Older Adult Training (#3, in 2018, #6 in 2017)
This signals the growing demand from Baby Boomers looking to adopt healthier habits to maintain their health and quality of life into their 60s and beyond. Fitness professionals are taking specialized courses and certifications to learn how to train older adults safely and effectively. canfitpro’s Active Aging Certificate is an example of the type of education required to serve this market, while organizations like the International Council on Active Aging are working to build awareness and skills to support active older adults.
6) Express Workouts (#5 in 2018, #4 in 2017)
Express workouts encourage participants to perform multiple exercises at a fast pace to generate maximum results. This is an effective approach for people on a tight schedule – perfect for lunch time or after work. Providing the ultimate convenience, an express workout typically lasts 20 minutes or less.
7) Body Weight Training (#9 in 2018, #9 in 2017)
Using your own body weight to create resistance is a growing workout trend among Canadian fitness professionals and consumers. This form of exercise builds strength and muscle and burns fat without the need for equipment, making it easy to get started and less intimidating for beginners. Enabling people to use their own body weight while doing movements like lunges, push-ups and pull-ups makes training anywhere possible.
8) Circuit Training and Boot Camps (#7 in 2018, #6 in 2017)
Circuit training involves a series of exercises performed in rotation with minimal rest. The goal is to build strength while burning maximum calories. A fitness boot camp mixes traditional callisthenic and body weight exercises with interval training and strength training. Both types of workouts are designed to push participants harder than they would normally push themselves. Both are low-cost, efficient and challenging, combining strength and aerobic conditioning to generate positive results.
9) Branded Fitness Experiences (#6 in 2018)
Branded Fitness Programs are pre-choreographed programs offered by a company. Examples include Les Mills International programs offered within GoodLife, Orangetheory classes, and a variety of others including the latest technology workouts with Peloton or Echelon for example. When attending these programs people know what to expect and can choose a workout that they enjoy no matter where they are located. The brand awareness, efficacy, and convenience of these workouts are very attractive features to their devoted fans.
10) Fusion-style Group Fitness (#10 in 2018, #7 in 2016)
New types of group fitness classes and workouts that combine disciplines — like yoga and cycling or Pilates and boxing — are springing up across Canada. Mixing totally different types of exercise to create a new workout provides variety and something new. Changing up what we do helps develop more strength, agility, balance and coordination than a single exercise discipline.
Top 10 Health & Wellness Trends for 2019
1) Mindfulness
2) Diets (ie Clean Eating, Keto, Intermittent Fasting, Paleo)
3) Meal Planning / Meal Prep
4) Self-Love
5) Meditation
6) Increase Social Time (spending time with family, friends, pets)
7) Life & Wellness Coach
8) Education through documentaries, apps, etc.
9) Holistic Nutrition / Holistic Medicine
10) Using apps to track nutrition
Feeling Unmotivated? Remove This Word from Your Vocabulary in 2019
By Carol Tuttle
I want you to pause for a moment and think of that thing you needed or wanted to do this year—but it’s December and you still haven't gotten around to yet, and you keep putting off.
The idea or project is just sitting there, and the unfinishedness of it is weighing on you. But when it actually comes down to doing it, you seem to have lost all motivation.
So how do you recover motivation to do something you think you should do?
You can start by giving up this one word in 2019—and replacing it with something much more powerful!
Say goodbye to the S-word
Should.
That one word can zap your motivation to do something faster than anything.
I've found that whenever I used the word "should" I would procrastinate and avoid the activity or project I thought I "should' do. That's because the word "should" in the dictionary indicates a meaning of obligation or duty.
Notice how often you might say something similar to these:
- I should go work out.
- I should eat healthy.
- I should lose 10 pounds.
- I should get out of debt.
- I should clean that closet.
- I should learn how to ____.
Why "Should" can sabotage your success
Whatever it is for you, it might even be a necessary or good idea (organize a closet, clean out the car, take a class, plant a garden). But if you're trying to force it, you either just won't make the time or have the energy, or you'll probably keep putting it off because you don't enjoy it. Or it might be a good thing to do, but maybe not for you to do. Or maybe not at this time.
Get clear on what you want first
Now, for every "should" statement you say, ask yourself, "Is this what I want?" Or do you think you should do it because someone told you to or you feel under some obligation to do it? Sometimes our choices are influenced more about what others want than we want.
Although they might all be great choices, until we personally own them for ourselves we will not be motivated to follow through.
So, the first step to healthy motivation in the new year is to examine your "shoulds" and get clear on what it is YOU want.
You can also clarify what it is you want so it matches the outcome you want to create (i.e. I want to clean the closet so I can always find what I need.)
Once we claim a choice for ourselves, we then can declare them with "I am" statements.
Then replace "I should" with "I am"
- I am working out
- I am eating healthy.
- I am losing 10 pounds.
- I am debt free.
- I am cleaning that closet.
- I am learning how to ____.
Take your choice even higher with gratitude
An even higher vibration of belief is to act as if you have already accomplished it and imagine your success with these statements of gratitude:
- I am grateful I choose to workout.
- I am grateful I eat healthy.
- I am grateful I lost 10 pounds.
- I am grateful I am debt free .
- I am grateful I cleaned the closet.
- I grateful I have learned how to ____.
This simple but powerful shift can make a world of difference!
Remember, when you declare your intentions you uplift your energy so it can support you with the motivation to do it when it is right and timely for you.
Carol Tuttle is a teacher, speaker, gifted healer, best-selling author of six books, and pioneer in the field of personal development. For over 25 years, she has supported millions worldwide with her life-changing books and online courses. Her newest book, Mastering Affluence, guides you through six transformative lessons to create a life you love. Get your copy and learn more at https://ct.liveyourtruth.com/.
