Personal Safety and Health Tips
Being well prepared is a good thing, being well insured and well prepared is a great thing. Watch our website for frequent updates on tips and strategies on how to protect your home, health and business.
Being well prepared is a good thing, being well insured and well prepared is a great thing. Watch our website for frequent updates on tips and strategies on how to protect your home, health and business.
Twice a year as we change the clocks for Daylight Savings time we willing give ourselves a little mini-jetlag without the great vacation photos. Stats show that this time change is challenging to deal with and in the days directly following there is a spike in accidents and oddly enough heart attacks.
Here are some tips for helping your body to adjust as quickly as your iphone does:
It is all about rebalancing. Your internal clock or circadian rhythm is heavily influenced by patterns, behaviours, environment and drugs. You can make sure that your rhythm is dancing to a new beat simply by taking a few easy steps.
And until you adjust, take that extra second of caution and that second cup of coffee in the morning to make sure you’re ready to roll.
Getting the kids back to school is just like riding a bike. You’ve figured out what to pack for lunches, you’ve bought the last of the “must have” items and everyone is finally settling into back to school routines. Unfortunately routines too often mean that kids will get lax about safety.
Simple things that you can reinforce with your kids will make all the difference. Things like making sure shoelaces are tied so you don’t trip entering or exiting the bus, waiting until the bus stops moving before standing up to exit, and just like when mom and dad are driving – keeping the noise down so the driver can concentrate on the road.
Give your kids a great foundation by learning the rules of the road early and it will put them on a safe path for success.
Valentine’s Day isn’t the only reason to wear red in February. February is national Heart Month in Canada. Cardiovascular disease remains the leading cause of death for Canadian men and women, but there are things you can do to protect yourself and your loved ones.
It is quite a list, but don’t worry there’s an app for that. Click here to see some of the best heart-focused apps released in the last year. Prefer pen and paper to touch type? The Heart & Stroke Foundation has a Healthy Action Plan for you whether you prefer to track your efforts old school or digitally.
Take care of your heart, it belongs to someone you love.
Ghosts and goblins beware, this hallowed eve is not free of danger. Tricks, instead of treats, can be limited to harmless pranks this Halloween with a little extra care.
When planning both costumes and routes this year, makes sure you take these things into consideration:
Avoid being the person screaming the Banshee cry by heeding the advice above. This Halloween may your only true scare be from how much you gain after nibbling the treats and goodies that always seem to linger after the holidays.
Information courtesy of ICBC, IBC and the Government of Canada
Every January plans are made for a better, brighter new year. Part and parcel of these new year resolutions includes new health and fitness goals. For an easy first step, make sure you are sitting less and standing and/or walking more.
Studies in the last few years have shown that excessive sitting is literally killing us. Calorie-burning goes from 3 calories a minute when up and about to 1 calorie per minute while seated. Gaining weight is the tip of the iceberg in terms of health concerns. Dr. James Levine from the Mayo Clinic, considers sitting to be a lethal activity when done in excess of 6 hours straight. And it is not an equal opportunity killer – the death rate for men is 20% higher and 40% higher for women sitting consistently in excess of six hours a day.
Easy low impact solutions, can make a difference.
While your office might not be ready to install treadmill desks, you can plan for a long and happy life by getting yourself moving.
For more information on this study, click here.
Keeping your family and home safe over the holidays is the most important holiday tradition. To keep any and all Christmas fires confined to the fireplace – or for the more modern, the digital burning log – follow these Christmas Safety Tips:
Fireplaces & Candles:
Trees and lights:
Courtesy of the Insurance Bureau of Canada and Health Canada
Get moving. Today’s sedentary lifestyle is not helping keep Victorians feeling their best.
Many people may not know that exercise does more for you than just help you lose weight or build muscle. Regular physical activity is a prescription for helping decrease stress; relieve depression, anxiety, heartburn and constipation; increase happiness; improve your love life and fitness level; and, prevent diabetes, heart disease, weight gain, osteoporosis and cancer. Some procedures like smas facelift brings the same glow to the face, as exercise does. Ask your medical professional about fighting diabetes without medication in case it’s needed.
Experts recommend that adults over the age of 18 need to be physically active 30-60 minutes, most days of the week, to stay healthy. Physical activity doesn’t need to be hard. Any effort you expend, especially if you are just starting out, will help. Even just a few minutes a day can improve your health and generate feelings of well-being. Every little bit counts.
Start small and build physical activities into your daily routine. Here’s a 10 minute plan to get things moving:
Check out Health Canada’s Get Active Tip Sheet on how you and your family can take a step in the right direction. And don’t forget Healthy Eating as a foundation for the new you.