Your HEALTH Planner 2007
Simple tasks for you to do each month, starting right now!

JULY

JUNE

MAY

APRIL

MARCH

FEBRUARY

JANUARY

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Sometimes we’re so busy taking care of everyone else that we forget to take care of ourselves – or think we don’t have time to.... Over the coming year, we will provide you with some simple tips each month to keep yourself in tip-top condition. In our 2007 Health Planner, we’ll give you health tips, health-check reminders and the latest research.

Be sure to check back every month through December.

JULY

Have a diabetes test

More than 2 million Canadians have diabetes, yet about a third of them are undiagnosed. It is recommended that everyone over the age of 40 be tested for diabetes every three years. If you have certain risk factors such as being overweight or high blood pressure, you should be tested earlier and more often. If you experience symptoms such as excessive thirst and urination, weakness and fatigue, blurred vision or foot numbness, get a blood test now.

Find a new leash on life

Is it time to consider adding a new member to your household? Living with and caring for a pet has been proven to boost your overall health and mood. Research shows pet owners visit the doctor less often, have lower blood pressure and experience less sleeping difficulties than those without a furry, four-legged friend.

JUNE

Hit the hay

Try going to bed and getting up at the same time every day, even on weekends and holidays. Your body likes routine, so you’re likely to get a better night’s sleep. Plus you’ll get higher quality slow wave sleep, which is when the body repairs and regenerates tissues. Expand your sleep education at http://www.bettersleep.ca

Be sun smart

Exposure to UV rays increases a person’s chances of developing skin cancers, cataracts and is also responsible for weakening the immune system. If you need to be outdoors between 11 a.m. and 4 p.m., when the sun’s rays are their strongest, apply an SPF 15+ broad-spectrum sunscreen 15 to 30 minutes beforehand. And don’t forget to protect your eyes by wearing sunglasses. Environment Canada issues daily UV observations across Canada. Click here for today’s UV index and to learn more.

MAY

Get your back on track

If you suffer from back pain, in addition to abdominal and back exercises that help to strengthen your core, try walking briskly or swimming regularly. Low-impact aerobic activities can condition your back muscles and promote healing and recovery. Speak to your doctor or physical therapist about which activities are right for you.

Uncover the fat on food labels

Learn to identify – and avoid – saturated and trans fats (the ones that raise your cholesterol). On food labels they’re often disguised under names such as coconut, palm and kernel oils, shortening, partially hydrogenated oil, lard or cocoa butter. Read Health Canada’s fact sheet on trans fat.

Warm up to gardening

Always do some slow, sustained back, arm and leg stretches before gardening. And rotate your chores to avoid repetitive movements. For example, after 15 minutes of raking, swap to pruning for a while. For tips on avoiding gardening injuries this spring, visit Health Canada’s Garden Safety page.

Cooking for a cause

On Saturday, May 12, 2007, you can help cook up a cure for the Crohn’s and Colitis Foundation of Canada. M&M Meat Shops coast to coast will be grilling up burgers and dogs for their 19 th annual Charity BBQ Day. The goal this year is to raise $1.9 million for CCFC. Visit M&M’s website for more information or to find a store near you.

APRIL

Cut Your Alzheimer’s Risk

Eat more vitamin E-rich foods, such as spinach, avocado and peanuts along with more vitamin C-rich foods, such as broccoli, tomatoes and oranges, and you could help conserve memory and other brain functions as you age. Studies show that vitamins E and C when used in combination are likely to have some beneficial effect in reducing the incidence of Alzheimer’s disease. Research also shows that keeping your mind active through games that stimulate your brain may also help to maintain brain health. Challenge yourself at www.gamesforthebrain.com.

Get Tested for Glaucoma

One in 100 Canadians over age 40 have glaucoma, an eye disease caused by increased pressure within the eye. Often there are no symptoms and those affected may not know there’s a problem until the damage is permanent. If you have blurred vision, see haloes around light, suffer loss of side vision or have pain in the eye, visit an eye-care specialist immediately. Once you hit 40, get tested every two years.

Check out the “Find an Optometrist” tool on the Canadian Association of Optometrists website http://www.opto.ca/en/public/08_find_opto/08_00_find_opto.asp

Learn Peak Pollen Times

Spring is hell for hay fever sufferers, but diagnosing the culprit can often help. A pollen forecast at www.theweathernetwork.com/features/pollen/index.htm lists problem trees, weeds and grasses in each province and their peak pollination times. Use it to diagnose which one(s) trigger attacks, and where possible, avoid exposure at peak times.

MARCH

Donate blood

Every minute of every day, someone in Canada needs blood—so why not chip in? A single donation can save up to three lives. Canada needs 600,000 donors across the country to maintain its blood supply. Visit www.bloodservices.ca, or call 1-888-2DONATE. In Quebec, www.hemaquebec.gc.ca or 1-888-666-HEMA.

Calculate your WHR (waist-hip ratio)

The waist-hip ratio is used to measure the proportion of fat distributed around the torso and is calculated by dividing your waist measurement by your hip measurement—there’s a calculator at www.bmi-calculator.net/waist-to-hip-ratio-calculator. A healthy WHR is less than 0.8 for women and less then 1.0 for men. It’s just one indicator of your well-being, but risks of serious problems like heart disease increase with a higher WHR.

Eat more roughage

To stay healthy, women need about 25 grams of fibre a day and men need about 38, yet most people consume less than half of the recommended amount. You can introduce more fibre into your diet simply by choosing cereal with psyllium or oat bran for breakfast, eating whole grain bread for lunch and adding beans, lentils and a variety of vegetables to your dinner plate.

Colerectal cancer month

The Colorectal Cancer Association of Canada (CCAC) lobbied for the National Colorectal Cancer Month Act, to ensure that the month of March would be recognized officially as their awareness month. Passed by Parliament last year, the act is awaiting royal assent. Visit the CCAC website www.ccac-accc.ca for information on this disease—the second-leading cause of death from cancer in Canada, killing about 8,500 people in this country last year.

FEBRUARY

Eat Healthfully

The federal government launched a new version of Canada’s Food Guide this month, which provides info and tips for healthy eating. New this year is information on the amounts and types of food you should eat according to your age and gender. Physical activity and healthy eating habits help ensure a healthy weight and may prevent chronic diseases such as some cancers and type 2 diabetes.

Visit the Health Canada website for more information, and to order a copy of the guide.

Update your first-aid kit

You never know when you might have to play doctors and nurses for real, so always keep the tools of the trade in good condition. Your first-aid kit should include eye patches, dressings, bandages, adhesive tape, alcohol swabs, eyewash, safety pins, scissors, tweezers and surgical gloves. For more information visit St. John Ambulance Canada at www.sja.ca.

Get calm with classical music

Our heart rate, breathing and blood pressure all move along with the tempo of the music we’re listening to. So to temper the pace, reshuffle your CDs, tune your radio CBC Radio Two or listen online at cbc.ca/listen.

Light Classics

JANUARY

Book in for a medical

Let’s get the tough one out of the way first: if you didn’t have a check-up last year, book one now before you go back to work. Talk to your doctor about which tests you need, based on your age, and whether your family history calls for any extra checks. For a full list of the medical tests recommended for your age group visit www.labtestsonline.org .

Stretch daily

If you have a desk job, stretch regularly to avoid neck, back and shoulder pain. Try this: Place your fingertips on your shoulders with your elbows pointing out. Move elbows as far back and then as far forward as you can ten times. Now repeat down and up. For more stretches, visit the Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety at www.ccohs.ca.