Reading Time: 5 minutes When faced with a loose box of old photos, we all feel at sea. The pictures might all be of our family over the generations, but how can we link all the individual photos into some sort of overall sequence, or fit them into some sort of order that helps us put each photo into […] Read more
Preserve those family memories
Got a jumbled box of old photos you’ve been promising to organize ‘someday’? Daina Makinson shares her secrets for getting the job done, and enjoying it too
Guide Health: Antibiotic stewardship – it’s everyone’s job
As many as half of the 25 million prescriptions written for antibiotics in Canada each year are unnecessary
Reading Time: 2 minutes Antibiotic stewardship refers to a bundle of strategies to reduce antibiotic resistance. The aim of this stewardship effort is, yes, to treat infections effectively resulting in better health, but also to use the right antibiotic at the right time for the right infection, since this is a key measure for curbing future resistance. You may […] Read more
The grieving child
Even in the strongest farm families, we often try to shelter our children rather than help them address the loss of a parent, grandparent or family friend
Reading Time: 5 minutes When a child is facing the death of a loved one, our first instinct is often to try to shelter them. Unfortunately, following that instinct may do more harm than good. One of the biggest mistakes people make is waiting too long to tell a child a loved one is dying, says Andrea Warnick, a […] Read more
Guide Health: The pitfalls of sleep medication
Reading Time: 2 minutes Getting a good night’s sleep may be something you take for granted, or alternatively it may something with which you struggle. From time to time everyone experiences some degree of sleep problems with about 10 to 15 per cent of Canadians experiencing insomnia. Of those about half have chronic difficulty with sleep. Insomnia is simply […] Read more
Time to volunteer!!
There’s a critical need for farmers and farm families to give their time to protect and enhance the quality of rural life
Reading Time: 5 minutes Volunteers are the heart of a community. Despite their isolation and sparse populations — or maybe because of it — farm communities in particular have been held up for generations as models of neighbourliness, with families supporting each other in times of need. Now, neighbourliness may not be enough. Something more structured is needed, with […] Read more
Guide Health: Rushing to get to the bathroom
Don’t ignore incontinence. Often, there’s a cause that you can correct
Reading Time: 2 minutes If you rush to the bathroom, but don’t quite make it, you are not alone. About 3.3 million Canadians experience some degree of incontinence, although even this is only an estimate because many people don’t admit to incontinence or just accept it as a normal part of aging. The two most common types of incontinence […] Read more
The table and who’s around it
Even though you’re too busy to spend hours in the kitchen, you can still have a great Sunday meal
Reading Time: 4 minutes The concept of the Sunday Supper is an old one. The traditional day of church and of rest (although not always so much for women and farmers with livestock), Sundays were a day when cooks would take a little extra time to prepare a meal. And while today most days are go-go-go, especially on the […] Read more
Guide Health: Are probiotics as good as they claim?
While probiotics are mostly considered safe, some people may need to avoid them
Reading Time: 2 minutes Probiotics seem to be everywhere these days. You find them as capsules on store shelves and as ingredients in food products, and they’re even available through internet shopping. Probiotics are promoted for a wide variety of conditions, but the main use is “good intestinal health.” Your intestines contain more than 100 trillion (yes, trillion!) micro-organisms […] Read more
The right apology
A thoughtful apology can rebuild trust. A poor one just makes matters worse
Reading Time: 5 minutes Although Canadians are known for saying “sorry” even when someone else bumps into us, this is more of a reflex and a nicety than a genuine apology. Unfortunately, when it comes to making real apologies, i.e. the ones that count when it comes to restoring the trust of those we’ve hurt or offended through our […] Read more
Guide Health: Hormones for menopause. Yes or no?
Women need to balance the risks versus the benefits of treatment
Reading Time: 2 minutes Menopause symptoms like “hot flashes” and “night sweats” are a big problem for every woman who experiences them. Yes, the symptoms will pass, but in the meantime you’re just miserable. Hormones like estrogen are involved in keeping your body temperature within a normal range, and when their levels decline in menopause, body temperature regulation is […] Read more
A message from April Stewart, Country Guide's Associate Editor
