STEM Camp, the Saugeen Ojibway Nation and Bruce Power are pleased to announce the launch of two STEM Camp’s in the communities of Saugeen and Neyaashiinigmiing this upcoming summer. Through discussions and coordinating with the community Youth Leaders and Bruce Power's Indigenous Relations team, this initiative will be the first-ever STEM Camp to be carried out within First Nations.

The purpose of providing a STEM Camp to these communities is to provide inspirational and fun educational activities for Indigenous children aged 5 through 13 and to provide a mechanism to learn more about their history and culture through, or in conjunction with, STEM-based activities. This is a pilot project that, if successful, could be transferred to other First Nation communities.

Kevin Cougler, CEO and Founder, STEM Camp: “The STEM Camp’s in the communities of Nawash and Neyaashiinigmiing are a wonderful opportunity to merge the world of STEM and traditional Indigenous teachings together. We are extremely honoured to be asked to participate in this initiative and hope other First Nations communities will decide to participate in the future.”

“We are very excited to have our youth participate in this pilot project. We need more Indigenous engineers, doctors, and scientists in Canada. STEM Camps are a fantastic opportunity for our young people to get exposure to science and technology,” - Chief Lester Anoquot of Chippewas of Saugeen First Nation.

“We are pleased at the opportunity to bring STEM education initiatives to our community. Partnering with STEM Camp in this pilot project is something that we are proud to be a part of and we look forward to seeing the program incorporate our traditional beliefs and values. Thank you to Bruce Power for its sponsorship”.  - Chief Greg Nadjiwon, Chippewas of Nawash Unceded First Nation

"Bruce Power is proud to support the promotion of STEM in our local communities. It is particularly special to be a part of this remarkable pilot project in Saugeen and Nawash First Nations." said Mike Rencheck, President and Chief Executive Officer. "Being a part of this effort aligns with our focus areas of STEM education, cultural growth and youth development and we are excited about this program."

About STEM Camp

STEM Camp is a Canadian registered not-for-profit organization with a mandate to offer quality STEM-based programming through educational activities. STEM Camp started in 2013 and specializes in summer camps designed to inspire children ages 5-13 through hands-on and inquiry-based activities in the STEM fields. In the summer of 2017 STEM Camp was expanded in Ontario to 46 locations resulting in 8500 campers enrolled. In 2018 STEM Camp has committed to 77 locations including 15 francophone and/or bilingual and to the exploration of pilot projects within indigenous communities.

Author’s note: STEM is an acronym for Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics.

Contact Info:

Larissa Mendonca, Public Relations and Marketing

STEM Camp

t: 519-475-6600 x11

e: lmendonca@stemcamp.ca

w: stemcamp.ca

f: facebook.com/SummerSTEMCamp

Media Newsroom Page

https://stemcamp.ca/sc-news/

Harnessing that post-vacation high

According to research from 2017, nearly half of Canadians travel over March Break. Each year, we come back to work with more energy, having slept better and taken a break from stress. Warmth and sunlight in vacation destinations give us a dose of vitamin D and boost our energy.

Research published in the Journal of Occupational Health found short vacations have a positive effect on health and well-being even after you return home. It also found these positive effects diminish fairly quickly (2-4 weeks). But how can you extend that post-vacation high? Kelly Musovic, personal training divisional manager with GoodLife Fitness suggests taking advantage of the 'honeymoon period' after a vacation to hit the gym with renewed focus and additional energy. Physical activity produces 'feel good' hormones so we can feel optimistic and cheerful even after we go back to the grind. Exercise also promotes deeper sleep, helping reduce stress and function better during the day.

Musovic suggests the following tips:

Watch out for holiday creep: It's tempting to on a few extra days after your vacation to do nothing. Days can easily turn into weeks, so it’s important to get back to your exercise routine as soon as you can when you return.

Drink lots of water: Drinking eight glasses of water a day will help reduce post-vacation bloat, improve circulation and make you more alert.

Stock up, prepare healthy meals: Soon after your land. Be sure to get to the store and stock up on healthy foods. Prepare some nutritious options so you’ll have healthy meals during your first days back in action. Now’s a good time to incorporate some new foods that you tried on holiday.

Create a fitness plan: Plan your exercise routine and book it into your calendar now before the demands of work and family take over. Planning is half the battle when it comes to establishing a routine that sticks.

Start something new: Now is a great time to try a new fitness class or take up a new sport. Channel your inner dancer with a barre or ZUMBA class. Or maybe try out martial arts like kickboxing, Brazilian Jiu-jitsu or BODYCOMBAT. Mixing it up is good for your body and your motivation.

Ease back into your routine: Don’t compensate for the downtime with two hard-core hours of cardio. Lower the intensity and weights for your first few workouts, then build back up gradually.

Full body exercises: Look for exercises that target the bigger muscles. Try doing basic moves like push-ups, body weight squats, reverse lunges and dumbbell presses. Build up your reps over time and try to stop just before exhaustion.

Get your heart rate up: If you’re looking to burn fat and calories, cardio and high-intensity interval training are great choices. Try a spin class or a quick moving group fitness class like BODYATTACK. Remember to build up the intensity over the first few weeks.

Musovic and fitness experts in your area are available to talk more about harnessing the positive effects of vacation to launch a fitness routine. We can also connect you with gym members who have been away on vacation and are kicking off their spring exercise programs.

Copyright Dragan Grkic

Always choose clean and fresh eggs. When purchasing eggs, open the carton and make sure they’re clean, and intact. Handle with care: Chickens can harbor Salmonella without showing any signs of being sick, so all unpasteurized eggs -- even those that are fresh, organic, or unbroken -- can contain Salmonella. Buying in-shell pasteurized eggs reduces that risk. Wash your hands thoroughly. Everybody, including children, must wash their hands with soap and water before and after handling eggs – which includes prepping, cooking, cooling, dyeing, hiding and hunting them.

Be smart with Easter eggs. Decorating eggs for the holiday is a joy, but do it safely by using only food-safe dyes. Use care when hiding eggs outside or in. The total time for hiding and hunting eggs should not exceed 2 hours. Avoid areas where eggs would come in contact with pets, wild animals, birds, or lawn chemicals. Eating eggs that have been on the ground is not recommended. Don’t hide cracked eggs because bacteria could contaminate the inside. Cracked eggs should never be used. A good alternative is to use plastic Easter eggs for the hunt, and save the real eggs for eating.

Refrigerate, refrigerate, refrigerate - your eggs at 40°F or below. Safely storing and cooking your eggs before consumption is important. When storing eggs make sure they go inside the fridge, not the fridge door. Once hard-cooked, refrigerated eggs can be stored for up to one week. Eggs can be out of refrigeration for 2 hours (when it’s under 90°F) and still be safe to eat. Colored eggs being used as decoration (for several hours or days) should not be eaten. Even though eggs will show signs of spoilage (taste, smell, appearance) when they’re past the “best by” date, we don’t recommend using this as an indicator of an egg’s safeness – mainly because eggs that harbor Salmonella taste, smell, and appear exactly the same as “normal” eggs.

Avoid cross-contamination and cook eggs thoroughly

• Using soap and water, wash your hands and all surfaces that may have had contact with raw eggs. This includes countertops, pots and pans, utensils and dishes.
• Don’t let in-shell eggs, raw whites or yolks cross contaminate foods that will be eaten raw.
• Eggs should be cooked until the egg white and yolk are firm. A lightly cooked egg with a runny yolk increases your chance of pathogenic contamination. If a recipe calls for lightly cooked eggs, we recommend using pasteurized egg products.
• Dishes with eggs in the recipe must be cooked to a safe internal temperature of 160°F (71°C)
• Eggs should be eaten or refrigerated within 2 hours after cooking.
• Do not eat eggs that have been left at room temperature for more than 2 hours.

Know the safest way to boil eggs
According to Deirdre Schlunegger, Chief Executive Officer of Stop Foodborne Illness, when cooking hard-boiled eggs, place a single layer of eggs in a saucepan. Cover the eggs with at least one inch of water. When the water is at a full boil, remove the pan from the heat source and let the eggs stay in the water for between 12-18 minutes, depending on the size of the eggs. After the eggs have set for the appropriate amount of time, run cold water over them. When the eggs are cooled enough to handle, put them in the refrigerator.

If you and your loved ones celebrate the holidays at a restaurant, and the dish calls for lightly cooked eggs—as some sauces do—ask your server if the dish can be prepared using pasteurized eggs, or liquid egg products, when possible.

How to Improve Your Digestion While You Lose Weight

The wonderful thing about dedicating yourself to a weight loss routine is that other aspects of your health can also be improved. One such aspect is your digestion. Since weight gain occurs, mostly, due to food intake, there’s a logical link between losing weight and improving your digestion. Below, you will find a few tips on how you can improve your digestion while you lose weight.

Chew Your Food

The very first step to improving your digestion is to completely and thoroughly chew your bites of food. Swallowing partially chewed food can cause digestive issues due to large chunks of unchewed food slowing and clogging your digestive tract. Follow these simple steps to ensure that your food is properly chewed so that you can obtain optimal nutrition and energy from the meals you eat.

Probiotics

There’s a science to how your body digests the food you eat into manageable packets of chemicals that can be absorbed into your body as nutrition and fuel. One of the secrets of this science is the number of good bacteria that are present in your gut. These bacteria aid in your digestion and also create chemicals which help to prevent the growth of bad bacteria in your gut. Probiotic foods are becoming increasingly popular with those striving for a healthier body and those who are advancing in age. There is a wide range of foods that can provide you with sufficient amounts of probiotics. Additionally, probiotics can also be obtained by using one of many fermented digestive enzyme supplements on a daily basis. That way, your gut will always be in good health.

Walk it Off

Having great digestion is more than simply eating the correct foods. It’s also about ensuring that your body is physically active enough to help aid in your digestive processes. You may not realize it, but the movements of your body actually stimulate many processes and chemical functions within your body. The most notable physical activity that can improve your digestion is walking. A couple of studies performed on the theory suggests that taking a walk after a meal can not only help to speed up digestion but can also remove glucose from the blood and reduce blood sugar levels. These are vital benefits to a person who is trying to lose weight.

Fiber-Rich Diet

You can improve your digestion while losing weight by implementing a fiber-rich diet. Fiber can greatly benefit your digestive tract and can help you to feel fuller longer while eating less food which increases your chances of losing weight.

As always, before you begin a weight loss routine or change your diet drastically, consult your doctor or primary physician to ensure that you’re healthy enough to undertake such initiatives. There could always be an underlying health issue of which you are unaware that could be jeopardized by a drastic change in diet or exercise.

What's the deal with body odor?

Changes to screening protocols will drive a decreasing incidence of prostate cancer, says GlobalData

There has been a significant decline in prostate cancer incidence in recent years as changes have been made to screening protocols, but the number of cases continues to rise, according to GlobalData, a leading data and analytics company.

Actual cases of prostate cancer have increased, and diagnosed incident cases are forecast to rise in the seven major markets (7MM*) from 471,000 cases in 2016 to 548,500 in 2026, at an annual growth rate (AGR) of 1.67%.

IMAGE FOR PUBLICATION, PLEASE CLICK HERE: ‘Diagnosed incident cases of prostate cancer, men, ages 35 years and older, 7MM, 2016 and 2026’

The US will have the highest number of cases in 2026, with 186,000, growing at an AGR of 2.11%, followed by Japan with 116,500 cases and an AGR of 1.16%. No countries are expected to see a decrease in cases. GlobalData epidemiologists have attributed the increase in incident cases to male populations that are both growing and aging, as incidence is highest in men aged 65 and older.

In the US, prostate cancer is the most common cancer in men after skin cancer, and it is the third most common cause of cancer death in men. However, most of the cases are diagnosed at the age of 65 and older, and patients often live long enough that they die of other causes. Prostate cancer screening to detect early cancer is therefore questionable, as mortality and quality of life need to be balanced against overdetection and overtreatment.

The use of prostate-specific antigen (PSA) blood testing for prostate cancer screening has been widely debated. Prostate cancer survival is usually long, and early detection may not reduce the probability of dying from the condition. According to the study published this month in The Journal of the American Medical Association, a randomized controlled trial in the UK that compared a single PSA screening intervention versus standard practice without screening found no significant difference in prostate cancer mortality after a median follow-up of 10 years. The PSA screening, however, resulted in the increased detection of low-risk prostate cancer cases.

This study supports the expectations of GlobalData epidemiologists that incidence of prostate cancer will decrease with changes to screening protocols, but that there will be an increase in cases that can be attributed to the growing and aging population.

Prostate cancer screening has been controversial, and diagnosis in men who have not been affected by it – leading to unnecessary anxiety and treatment – is difficult to justify. There is therefore a specific need to develop and implement better strategies for diagnosing aggressive prostate cancers that need to be treated early.

* 7MM: US, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, UK, and Japan

High Anxiety: 5 Things that Set Us Off and What to Do

Anxiety is defined as a feeling of worry, nervousness, or unease, typically about an imminent event or something with an uncertain outcome. It's future thinking in a negative way. While it’s normal to have concerns from time to time, chronic anxiety leads to loss of appetite, insomnia, compromised immunity and other diseases. Dr. Sanam Hafeez PsyD a NYC based licensed clinical psychologist, Teaching Faculty Member at the prestigious Columbia University Teacher’s College and the founder and Clinical Director of Comprehensive Consultation Psychological Services, shares 5 common anxiety triggers and offers insights and tips for what we can do to get back into ease.

1. Retirement

Once people hit 40, they feel as if the years are going quicker and the money is running out. They panic. They look at the math and it simply doesn’t add up to a life of abundance. They’re plagued with thoughts of an unknown future with medical expenses, costs for housing, food, and with every item added to the list, they get more and more anxious. “Some people go into denial because they feel such an intense of fear. While it’s normal to want to shift your thinking, avoidance only leads to more anxiety,” explains Dr. Hafeez. She suggests settling the mind with information and action. “The more you know about your retirement goals and create a plan of action, the more you can include other family members, shift finances and get clarity on what’s real. Information combined with action will give a sense of control.”

2. Job Loss

Years ago, people would rebound faster from job loss. Within a month they would find another job often at a higher salary. Saving a bit of money as an “emergency fund” to keep up with expenses should there be a job loss was also a possibility. Times are very different now. These days people lose their job and it creates a complete upheaval in their lives. Finances are depleted and it could take months before getting another job and at times, people accept less money just to have a salary. “I have patients with good careers anxious that there will be a cut back and they’ll be let go without any idea what to do next. This scarcity mindset leads to anxiety. I always remind them to explore other income generating options of interest to them currently so they don’t feel as if their well-being is solely determined by their employer. Anxiety is rooted in fear and this fear is quite common, unfortunately,” says Dr. Hafeez.

3. Health

When you’re anxious about your health, it dominates your mind. “The worst part about health-related anxiety is that it makes you feel worse and prolongs any kind of recovery,” warns Dr. Hafeez. A lot of people make the mistake of researching different conditions online and self-diagnose. They get overwhelmed with all the possibilities of what may be. "The best thing to do is take control of your health by staying current with doctor visits, exercise, eat healthily and focus your attention on optimal health,” she advises.

4. Divorce

Marital strife is a common cause for anxiety. “It’s very common for people who are going through divorce to lose weight due to anxiety and stress. Night anxiety is also common which is when you can fall asleep, but then suddenly awaken out of a sound sleep feeling sad, panicked, unable to go back to sleep," Dr. Hafeez says. “When anxiety interferes with one’s ability to eat and sleep, consulting with a therapist can be helpful. Divorce is a major life event that radically changes one’s life. Depression and anxiety are common,” she adds.

5. Terrorism and other acts of violence.

We live in a very different world today. Unfortunately, every time we board an airplane, enter a shopping mall, go to a concert, the movies or send our kids to school, we get anxious. Terrorism is intended to make people fearful and anxious. What can we do? “Again, anxiety is triggered by a loss of control. It’s rooted in a feeling of possible danger without warning. So be vigilant. Observe your surroundings. Report anything that seems suspicious. Put an emergency plan in place with family and loved ones. When triggered by anxiety ask, what do I need to know here? What can I control in this situation? Then do what you must to feel better and prepared,” recommends Dr. Hafeez.

The common thread here is to first acknowledge the feeling of anxiety, then assess the source of it, then access information and make an action plan to make you feel more in control.

About the Doctor:

Dr. Sanam Hafeez PsyD is a NYC based licensed clinical psychologist, teaching faculty member at the prestigious Columbia University Teacher’s College and the founder and Clinical Director of Comprehensive Consultation Psychological Services, P.C. a neuropsychological, developmental and educational center in Manhattan and Queens. 

Dr. Hafeez masterfully applies her years of experience connecting psychological implications to address some of today’s common issues such as body image, social media addiction, relationships, workplace stress, parenting and psychopathology (bipolar, schizophrenia, depression, anxiety, etc…). In addition, Dr. Hafeez works with individuals who suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), learning disabilities, attention and memory problems, and abuse. Dr. Hafeez often shares her credible expertise to various news outlets in New York City and frequently appears on CNN and Dr.Oz.

Connect with her via twitter @comprehendMind or www.comprehendthemind.com 

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