Reading Time: 2 minutes Undoubtedly you will have seen the rows of fortified and flavoured water drinks in just about any store, as well as energy and sports water products too. According to the advertising, these beverages are just the thing you need for your health. But are they? Canada’s Food Guide has recently been updated, and it recommends […] Read more
Guide Health: Fortified water – a good thing or not?
Many of these drinks may make sense for pro football players, but not the rest of us
Guide Health: Hearing loss – listen to this!
Too many of us mistakenly believe that hearing loss is an inescapable part of the aging process
Reading Time: 2 minutes Anywhere from 20 to 50 per cent of Canadians report some degree of hearing loss, with the higher numbers being among seniors. A great many of these people accept diminished hearing as part of aging, or alternatively do not realize that they do not hear as they once did. Often, it is actually a different […] Read more
Guide Health: Are you getting enough dietary fibre?
Start slowly — adding too much fibre too fast will result in adverse effects
Reading Time: 2 minutes You know that fibre is an important part of your diet, but do you get enough? Daily recommendations vary from 25 to 30 grams of fibre, with older people and women needing even more. A penny weighs about a gram, so that’s about 25 to 30 pennies in weight. (I suspect you can remember pennies!) […] Read more
Guide Health: Bed bugs – yuck!
Bed bugs are very resilient and can go without feeding for up to 11 months
Reading Time: 3 minutes Bed bugs of the species Cimex lectularius are certainly unpleasant. However, they are not harmful. Bed bugs are parasites, and different types of bed bugs are specific to different species of animals. They feed on blood, and when they do, they inject some of their saliva into the bite. It is this saliva that causes […] Read more
Guide Health: The cold, hard truth
If you do experience a cold injury, warm the area gently – no rubbing!
Reading Time: 2 minutes In cold weather, you will obviously want to be dressed warmly to avoid frostbite, frost nip, or even more serious injury. But it may not be as simple as you think. Cold damage is caused by ice crystals forming in your skin and tissues. It is this direct damage that leads to tissue death. About […] Read more
Guide Health: The bother of warts
Most warts may be harmless, but it’s still important to know what to do and expect
Reading Time: 2 minutes Yes, warts are usually considered harmless, but they certainly can be a bother. Warts are caused by a group of viruses known as the human papillomaviruses. About 12 per cent of the population is affected at any one time, with children and young adults experiencing warts more often. The spread is via direct skin-to-skin contact, […] Read more
Guide Health: Exposed to Lyme disease
The number of diagnosed cases in Canada is climbing, and so is the geographic area at risk
Reading Time: 2 minutes One of the hazards of outdoor activity is exposure to insects, and one of the insect-like species out there is the black-legged or deer tick (ixodid tick), which can carry Lyme disease. The name originates from Old Lyme, Connecticut, the place where the disease was first identified in the late 1980s. Recently, the incidence of […] Read more
Guide Health: What you need to know about home testing
With any home test, check to make sure you know what it actually tests for, and that you are aware of its limitations
Reading Time: 3 minutes Home tests give you information about your health or medical condition while enabling you to maintain your privacy. Some home tests are commonly used. Think about the blood glucose or sugar tests you use if you have diabetes, or the pregnancy and fertility tests that help you with family planning. The idea is to help […] Read more
Guide Health: The science of acne and how to control it
Washing your skin and keeping it clean is ideal, but don't overdo it
Reading Time: 3 minutes Acne, scientifically known as acne vulgaris, affects about 80 per cent of people between 11 and 30 years of age, so it is indeed a common skin condition. Even if you are older, you may still experience acne because 12 per cent of people continue to have flare-ups late into their lives. While it is […] Read more
Guide Health: Sorting through the alphabet on diabetes drugs
Diabetes treatment is more complex, but the principles are easy to understand
Reading Time: 2 minutes Insulin, at one time, was the only drug available to treat diabetes. Today there are many different classes of drugs which are often used together, although sorting through the different classes can be confusing. Diabetes occurs when your pancreas doesn’t manufacture enough insulin or none at all. In your body, insulin is used to metabolize […] Read more
A message from April Stewart, Country Guide's Associate Editor
