Vision is an important part of everyday life, influencing how we learn, communicate, work, play and interact with the world. Its immeasurable value is also something that many of us take for granted, yet if we live long enough, visual impairment or blindness is likely. The good news is that common eye disorders can be prevented, stopped or dramatically slowed with nutrition and lifestyle interventions.
The eyes are particularly vulnerable to the effects of aging with degenerative changes often beginning in middle age. If you think you are experiencing changes in your vision, an eye examination is the best way to know exactly what the changes are so you can take appropriate action.

You've just been introduced to someone at a party and seconds later, as you try to introduce them to your friend, you realize you can't for the life of you remember their name. You walk into the kitchen to find your glasses but as you enter the room you go blank and can't remember why you are there. Maybe you find yourself constantly late, disorganized, forgetful, and overwhelmed by your responsibilities. Or maybe you feel that you can't focus, concentrate, or even think straight and are tired of walking around in a fog and making jokes about "senior moments". Most of us will develop some degree of decline in cognitive capacity as time progresses, but it does not affect all individuals equally; clear associations exist between the rate and severity of cognitive decline and a variety of factors, including oxidative stress and free radical damage, chronic low-level inflammation, declining hormone levels, endothelial dysfunction, excess body weight, suboptimal nutrition, lifestyle choices, social network, and other existing medical conditions. The good news is that many of these factors can be modified to a significant extent and proactive lifestyle changes, cognitive training and nutritional interventions have been shown to decrease and potentially reverse age-related cognitive decline.
Mild cognitive impairment (MCI) is an intermediate stage between the expected cognitive decline of normal aging and the more serious decline of dementia. It can involve problems with memory, language, thinking and judgment that are greater than normal age-related changes. If you have mild cognitive impairment, you may be aware that your memory or mental function has "slipped." Your family and close friends also may notice a change. But generally these changes aren't severe enough to interfere with your day-to-day life and usual activities. Mild cognitive impairment may increase your risk of later progressing to dementia, caused by Alzheimer's disease or other neurological conditions. But some people with mild cognitive impairment never get worse, and a few eventually get better. Cognitive declines usually begin in our early 30s and are primarily observed in four areas:

(1) Attention or the ability to concentrate on one thing despite other things going on around you. As we get older we become more distractible.
(2) Working-memory or the ability to hold information in our mind for a brief period of time in order to perform some task (such as following driving instructions or figuring out how much to tip). As we get older we're more easily confused as information is not always available when we need it.
(3) Long-term memory, especially recollective memory for details such as names, locations, and who told us something. As we get older we become more forgetful.
(4) Information-processing speed or how quickly we perceive, think, and act. As we get older our thoughts and actions get slower.

We often think of our 206 bones as solid and static – something that provides shape and structure for our muscles and protection for our organs and brain. But our bones are really an organ system and a reservoir of minerals that interact throughout our lifetime with the rest of our body via multiple mechanisms. Bone undergoes a continuous process of formation, resorption and breakdown called remodeling that involves communication between osteoblasts (cells that form bone) and osteoclasts (cells that break down bone). Amazingly, our skeletons are entirely renewed and replaced every seven to ten years. We reach peak bone mass in our early to mid-twenties after which a gradual loss of bone density accompanies the aging process.(1)

Osteoporosis literally means porous bone. It is a disorder of the skeleton in which the quantity and quality of the bone tissue is reduced and the micro-architecture of the bone makes it weak and susceptible to breaking, particularly in the bones of the wrist, spine, shoulder and hip. According to Osteoporosis Canada, at least one in three women and one in five men will suffer from an osteoporotic fracture during their lifetime.(2) Osteoporosis is often called "the silent thief" because there are typically no symptoms during the early stages; the first indication is often a fracture. If you suffer from any of the following, speak with your doctor about having a bone mineral density test.

• Backache – you develop a backache or sudden severe back pain, which can indicate a spinal compression fracture
• A loss of height and an accompanying stooped posture
• A bone fracture that occurred from a low-force impact that would not normally cause a bone to break
• Dental x-rays that reveal a loss of bone in the jaw

“According to population projections by the government of Canada, 1 in 6 women (a total of 2.4 million women) will hit menopause within the next decade.” (1) Menopause can begin as early as age 40 with less frequent, irregular reproductive cycles (perimenopause), and typically begins to affect more women in their 50s.

This natural and inevitable transition of life is experienced differently from woman to woman, as some will experience few or no negative side effects, and others will suffer with a range of disruptive symptoms which vary in severity and duration. Some of the most common side effects of menopause include hot flashes, headaches, sleep disruption, vaginal dryness, frequent bladder infections, weight gain, forgetfulness and the inability to concentrate.

Every day humans are exposed to a myriad of harmful organisms and environmental toxins. The bodily system responsible for defending you against these invaders is your Immune System. The most complex of all bodily systems, immunity comes from several difference organs and cells, each with its own special function, working co-operatively to protect you. Immunity can be broken down into several categories, each with its own distinction. Inborn immunity refers to the defences you are born with. They are dictated by your individual genetics. Acquired immunity develops over a lifetime, and is the result of exposure to millions of foreign substances, from toxic microorganisms, pathogens and vaccinations. Infection and disease can occur in the body for many different reasons, such as the virulence of the invading organism or its power to overcome the body’s defences, the dose or number of pathogens that enter the body at one time, the portal of entry for the pathogens, and the individual’s predisposition to infection. This last point is of extreme interest because there are several factors that can be positively impacted to enhance one’s immunity and improve your individual odds of overcoming infection rather than succumbing to it.