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08/25/2026

It's Back to School shopping time. And look at the fun looking products are available at our local grocery stores: Schneiders Lunch mate

For a mere $3.97, you get some formed meat and cheese with crackers and a mini kit-kat. In total, the kit has 90 g of food inside.

400 to 600 grams of sodium, representing 30% of your daily intake. Because the ingredients are low in protein and fibre, this diet promotes juvenile diabetes. Worst of all, these kits contain carcinogens (nitrites) and not heart healthy.

There are healthy alternatives that are far less expensive and take little time to prepare. Fruit, apple sauce, seeds, whole grains (see the attached chart)

By DIY, you will save lots of money, your kids won't be as hungry (more food/bulk) and be healthier AND you will save the planet by reducing plastic.

08/12/2026

Olive oil is healthier than other oils/fats. But not all olives or olive oils are created equal. More expensive doesn't necessarily mean better or healthier. However, olive oil harvested early (green and extra virgin) means it will contain more polyphenols (antioxidant), which aid in preventing critical illnesses.

This is a very interesting video comparing different methods of farming and manufacturing olive oil and the impact on quality/price.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DkhHahSNLVI

07/12/2026

TO V**E OR NOT TO V**E NI****NE:

Va**ng ni****ne is generally considered less harmful than smoking ci******es, but it is not harmless.

For someone who has never smoked, especially a young person, starting to v**e ni****ne can:

Lead to ni****ne addiction.
Increase heart rate and blood pressure.
Irritate and inflame the lungs.
Potentially increase the risk of heart disease over many years, although the long-term risks are still being studied because va**ng products haven't been around as long as ci******es.

If a smoker switches entirely from ci******es to va**ng, most experts believe the health risk drops substantially because they are no longer inhaling thousands of toxic chemicals produced by burning to***co. (Public Health U.K.)

THE IMPACT OF NI****NE

Raises blood pressure temporarily.
Makes the heart beat faster.
Constricts blood vessels.
Highly addictive.
May worsen existing heart disease.

Most of the cancer-causing chemicals in ci******es come from burning to***co rather than ni****ne itself.

LUNG HEALTH

Va**ng can cause: Chronic coughing, Wheezing, Shortness of breath and Airway inflammation.

There are rare cases of severe lung injury associated with va**ng, especially from illicit THC products containing vitamin E acetate rather than regulated ni****ne products.

CANCER RISK

Va**ng likely carries a lower cancer risk than smoking ci******es, but decades more studies and research are needed. Greater risk comes from va**ng liquids contain small amounts of substances like formaldehyde, acetaldehyde, and heavy metals generated during heating.

CARDIOVASCULAR DISEASE

Evidence increasingly suggests va**ng may:

Increase the risk of heart attack and stroke compared with not using ni****ne.
Cause damage to blood vessel function.
Increase oxidative stress and inflammation.

However, the cardiovascular risk still appears to be substantially lower than smoking traditional ci******es.

Older adults are more likely to have underlying cardiovascular disease and ni****ne can add strain on the heart and blood vessels.

If cigarette smoking is 100 in terms of relative health risk:

Smoking ci******es: 100
Va**ng ni****ne: best guess around 10–30
Not using ni****ne: 0

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06/30/2026

Chinese scientists have achieved medical milestones by using stem cell therapies to successfully restore the body's natural ability to produce insulin. In groundbreaking clinical trials, researchers reprogrammed patients' own cells into insulin producing pancreatic islets and transplanted them back into the body, successfully reversing both Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes.

How the Treatment Works

Cell Reprogramming: Researchers (most notably from Peking University and Shanghai Changzheng Hospital) harvest the patient’s own tissue—such as fat cells. Using chemical reprogramming techniques, they revert these cells into pluripotent stem cells and then guide them into becoming functional, insulin-producing islet cells.

Transplantation: These newly grown cells are transplanted into the patient's body (often in the abdominal muscles rather than the liver, which allows for better monitoring and potential removal if needed).

Insulin Independence: Once engrafted, the cells naturally sense blood glucose levels and begin secreting insulin.

Real-World Successes

Type 1 Diabetes: A landmark study published in the journal Cell featured a 25-year-old woman with Type 1 diabetes. Just 75 days after her transplant, she no longer required daily external insulin injections and has maintained insulin independence.

Type 2 Diabetes: In a separate pioneering case, a 59-year-old man with Type 2 diabetes had a successful transplant that allowed him to completely stop taking insulin within 11 weeks. He has remained insulin-free for multiple years.

What's Next?

While these results offer unprecedented hope, the treatment is still in its experimental, early-trial phase. Scientists emphasize that more large-scale trials, long-term monitoring, and broader regulatory reviews are required before this can become a widely available or universal "cure".

06/29/2026

Oncologists warn that using heavily fragranced body washes consistently might raise cancer risk. Many body washes contain chemicals with health risks, including cancer.

"Products we believe are cleansing and revitalizing ourselves may be harming us" says Dr. Kollimuttathuillam, medical oncologist at City of Hope Seacliff.

06/25/2026

Early Detection is the best way to cure cancer!! Here's what you need to know about cancer screening:

https://cancer.ca/en/about-us/stories/2026/your-screening-questions-answered?

Your questions about cancer screening, answered.

06/23/2026

Canadian cancer research at the University of Sherbrooke showcases a bra that can detect breast cancer tumors as well as a mammogram can!! The trial results are showing 100% effectiveness!!

06/14/2026

Life expectancy is generally higher in urban areas than in rural regions due to better access to emergency medical care, closer proximity to specialized hospitals, higher average socio-economic status, and more readily available preventative care resources.

The gap in longevity between city and countryside residents comes down to a few major factors:

Healthcare Access: Urban residents live much closer to top-tier trauma centers, specialized doctors, and public health programs. In rural areas, emergency travel times are longer, which is critical during life-threatening events like heart attacks or strokes.

Socio-Economic Disparities: Cities often feature higher median incomes and a larger percentage of college-educated residents. These advantages provide better resources for nutrition, lifestyle choices, and general healthcare.

Lifestyle & Chronic Conditions: Rural populations historically experience higher rates of smoking, obesity, and cardiovascular disease. Combined with occupational hazards (e.g., farming, logging), this often leads to a higher rate of chronic illnesses.

Preventative Care Focus: City dwellers have easier access to regular routine screenings and fitness facilities, which helps catch potential health crises early before they become fatal.

There's also more obesity and smoking, and less recreational physical activity, in rural populations.

05/28/2026

According to a U.K. study, beware of persistent symptoms that could be a warning sign of cancer. These signs include:

1. Persistent cough or hoarseness - lung cancer
2. A change in the appearance of a mole - skin cancer
3. A persistent change in bowel habits - bowel cancer
4. A sore that does not heal - depends on where
5. Persistent difficulty swallowing - oesophageal cancer
6. Unexplained weight loss - several types of cancer
7. Persistent change in bladder habits - bladder cancer and prostate cancer in men
8. An unexplained lump - can be one of many forms
9. Persistent unexplained pain - depends on where
10. Unexplained bleeding - depends where but can mean bowel, cervical or vulval cancer

Our bodies immune response normally handles abnormalities quickly. So persistence or an abnormal symptom is the problem.

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05/19/2026

Colorectal cancer is the third most common type of cancer and the second most likely to be terminal. That being the case, prevention and detection is critical to reducing it. As we get older, colonoscopies are fantastic for detecting and removing tumors (polyps) in the colon. Recently, we have learned that our gut biome contains biomarkers (predictors) of colon cancer. For the research papers on these findings, click on the following NIH link:

Traditionally, the role of gut dysbiosis was thought to be limited to pathologies like Clostridioides difficile infection, but studies have shown its role in other intestinal and extraintestinal pathologies. Similarly, recent studies have surfaced showing the strong potential role of the gut....