Technology

The COVID-19 situation continues to change not even just daily, but hourly. With everyone mandated to stay home to help “flatten the curve,” that is, curb the spreading of the coronavirus, we find ourselves isolating at home for the foreseeable future. While times are challenging, the healthy aging principles we embraced B.C. (before coronavirus) are even more important now to...

We often hear about how vitamin D helps our body absorb calcium. While it is a key player in bone health, that is not the only role it has in our body. In fact, almost every cell has a vitamin D receptor.1. Vitamin D influences the bones, intestines, immune and cardiovascular systems, pancreas, muscles, and brain.1 It is a fat soluble...

As a scientist, patient advocate and healthcare consumer, I know clinical trials are essential in the research and development of new treatments that encompass everything from drugs to innovative medical devices, lifestyle changes and other valuable healthcare interventions. While most people think of scientists and doctors developing life-changing treatments, in reality, people like you – healthy people and those of...

For many, the word ‘mindfulness’ conjures up mental images of New Age hippie types sitting cross-legged on multicoloured pillows. However, mindfulness practices are quickly becoming mainstream as more and more people are recognizing (and studying) the positive impact it can have on their overall well-being. “A decade ago, there were about 70 journal publications about mindfulness. In 2014, there...

Michael Russer, now 68, developed erectile dysfunction after surgery for prostate cancer in 2011. “I never really experienced depression, which is a state in which far too many men find themselves stuck,” says the co-founder of CancerIntimacyHelp.com and the Santa Barbara, CA-based CEO of Russer Communication. While depression can cause erectile dysfunction, it’s often the result of it, too. Many men define...

It’s easy for a 20 year old to get away with nutrition abuses – a sugar-laden cinnamon bun for breakfast and greasy slices of pizza for dinner. Later on in life, the body is less forgiving of such indulgences. It’s a reminder that as we get older and wiser, how we eat and what we eat needs to evolve...

Are you an entrepreneur or startup with a technology-based solution that can support the health and quality of life of seniors or their caregivers? The AGE-WELL National Impact Challenge is back for another run in 2020. This national competition recognizes top startups and supports entrepreneurship in Canada’s technology and aging sector. Winners will receive $20,000 in cash plus in-kind prizes. Finalists will pitch...

We all feel down, or blue, or sad, at times. Sadness is a natural human emotion, usually triggered by a loss, disappointment, or major life change. An estimated 5 to 10 percent of older Canadians will experience a depressive disorder that is serious enough to require treatment, according to Mood Disorders Disorders Society of Canada. Sadly, 90 percent will not...

If you are sitting while reading this, you may want to stand. Dr. David Alter, a cardiologist and senior scientist at the Toronto Rehabilitation Institute (TRI), says that while sitting may not be as bad for your health as smoking, it’s still pretty bad. “Smoking can decrease your life expectancy by 10 years whereas sitting can by three years. But...

“Osteoporosis is the silent disease,” says Dr. Aliya Khan, professor of Clinical Medicine, Endocrinology, Metabolism and Geriatrics at McMaster University. “We also call osteoporosis the ‘silent thief’ because it can destroy a person’s bone structure – wreaking havoc on their overall health and vitality – with little warning. While it’s often considered a woman’s disease, osteoporosis also steals the...