Organ Trafficking: Desperation and Temptation

In the poorest corners of India, the skeletal bodies of street beggars reach forward with outstretched hands. Sunken faces and mouths open, searching for relief from the sweltering hell of their unfortunate existence. Speech is heard but only one word is understood – help.

Somewhere across the world, help is the shared sentiment of a total stranger who is suffering from acute kidney failure, fed up with the nauseating and weakening dialysis treatments, and scared of the average eight- to 10-year wait period for a healthy kidney transplant (most dialysis patients die in half that time). When the pain of any unhealthy organ becomes anywhere from noticeable to unbearable, individuals may feel inclined to search for ulterior motives of survival. Restoration of their depreciating health is the ultimate end result. The question is, at what cost? Read more

Female Oppression in 2010 — The Voice of the Voiceless

[UPDATED]

Once upon a time, a princess and her prince lived in a high tower. Then reality arrived with a forceful push, felling the princess to her battered knees. She held her bloodied head up, her gaze in the looking glass reflecting the scars of a hostage.

Shackled by custom or written law, women and girls around the world continue to live in a dark, controlled existence that is often ignored.

From Colombia to Tajikistan, Saudi Arabia to Haiti, the fairy tale of thousands of women is to embark on a flight to freedom – the right to vote and drive and walk down the road without fear of being raped or sexually mutilated or burned or murdered. Read more

Health Watch: Slashed Pharmacists’ Allowances

Ontario Premier Dalton McGuinty’s Drug System Reforms are not the cheerful, one-dimensional guarantees his government claims they are, according to worried, independent pharmacists; but McGuinty’s government is steadfast and assures not only have the right steps been taken to ensure pharmacies’ survival, the reforms will also benefit the health care system overall.

Generic drug prices will soon drop from 50 per cent – set in 2006 reforms – to 25 per cent of their brand name counterparts, possibly saving the government more than $500 million a year. But looking past this money-saving exterior, pharmacists wonder, at what true cost to them?

In order to cut generic drug prices in half, the government must eliminate what pharmacists consider their lifeline, Read more

Live Mindfully: Find Peace and Comfort at Home

When it comes to today’s child-rearing techniques, children are often viewed as products to be refined and groomed for success. Lately, we have seen a burst of articles about ‘over-parenting,’ ‘helicopter parenting,’ ‘fear-based parenting’ – but no matter how you phrase it, the root problem is the same. Parents are feeling isolated, confused, and insecure about their ability to create a satisfying home life, so they send their children out into the world to “get ahead.” The result? A million extracurricular activities, private sessions with tutors, and a playroom stocked with enrichment DVDs.  Rather than forcing intellectual and creative development by putting your child on warp speed, try the opposite approach: make your home a “slow home.” Here are six ways to try it out: Read more

Michael J. Fox — Parkinson’s Disease Awareness

His brain and pill playing nice at alchemy, Michael J. Fox rose from the ground and onto the platform at the closing 2010 Winter Olympic Games, smoothly delivering a tongue-in-cheek monologue on Canada’s back bacon and ‘I’m sorry’ stereotypes. Comedic pokes at Canadiana aside, his flawless flow of words was what engaged the audience and viewers around the world. His unwavering gait and quick smile called for the crowd to rise to its feet to celebrate the victory and fortitude of the human spirit, garnering the loudest standing ovation on that mild Vancouver night.

He inhales conviction and exhales hope and because of that, we believe.

Michael J. Fox, 49, has Parkinson’s disease, a disease that tears at the brain, our throne of intelligence. The condition Read more

Jennifer Cohen — Unleash your Inner Rock Star

Jennifer Cohen is a health, fitness and lifestyle expert who has trained a wide range of people, from working men and single mothers, to Hollywood’s Keanu Reeves, Gabrielle Union and some of the Playboy Playmates. Cohen has written a book filled with on-the-go daily workout routines that can be done in your home, office or even while you’re out shopping.

No Gym Required: Unleash Your Inner Rock Star, teaches a reader to think outside the box when it comes to everyday routines and environmental challenges. The message Cohen is trying to get out is that “everything you need is right around you if you can just learn to use it.”

The book kicks with tips and tricks, including stacking books or magazines as a platform on which to do lunges, using Read more

Fitness and Nutrition Tips

1: There are so many different ways to take our workouts to the next level but we seem to get stuck in the same routine. Take some time to really explore all that your health club has to offer. Why not try a new kind of exercise that you don’t usually do to get different muscles working? A little push can make a big difference. www.elementsfitnesstoronto.com

2: In-home personal training could be a fast and effective way to get results. Having someone come to you means a hassle-free, no-excuses solution to your workout woes. www.puremotivationfitness.com

3: The most common mistake made by most trainees is under-eating. Muscle needs to be fed the proper nutrients. Skipping meals or not eating at least your basic metabolic requirements Read more

Bodylogix Supplements

The myriad fitness regimes and supplements on the market, combined with frantic schedules, can make it difficult to find safe and effective, personalized health products.

A name that has provided the public with many of their healthcare needs over the years has now introduced the latest in innovative fitness. Shoppers Drug Mart has teamed up with Bodylogix to unveil a comprehensive line of healthy supplements that are tailored to busy businessmen, businesswomen, and parents on the go.

Bodylogix helps bring fitness into the future. By purchasing Bodylogix supplements at any Shoppers Drug Mart location, you also gain free access to www.bodylogix.com, where an online personal trainer and nutritionist will start a customized health and Read more

Do you know your Doctor?

What you are about to read may cause the necessary level of paranoia needed in order to take the essential steps towards knowing more about your family physician. Few have the gall to ask their doctor questions pertaining to their past that could eventually affect the future. Most doctors possess the charm or at least the medical degrees that seem to speak for themselves. A recent case that highlights this discussion identifies why the public should be concerned about family physicians’ lives in and out of the clinic. It begins in Manitoba, takes a criminal turn in California, and ends up back in the Prairie provinces.

The year was 1995, and a Manitoba Medical University graduate named George Korol found himself far from the sort of honest, hard-working life that most Manitobans have come to lead. He achieved his status as a doctor on Aug. 10, 1979; Read more

Barbara Parisotto: Taking you in a Healthy Direction

With a new year comes a new resolution. And while some of us might resolve to exercise more, take up a new hobby or become more organized, the one vow that we all have in common is to adopt healthier eating habits.

After a long, indulgent season of turkey, mashed potatoes and pumpkin pie, we should venture into spring with lighter hearts and thinner waistlines. “Spring marks a new beginning,” says Barbara Parisotto, registered dietitian. “It’s a great time to cleanse our bodies of toxins and that starts with improving how we eat.”

Of course, with the tempting confections and deep-fried delights that call our name on the drive home, down the aisles of the grocery store, and even from our own pantry doors, this feat is not always easy. If you need that little push to get started, Read more

« Previous Page — Next Page »