Now that spring is here and in recognition of North American Occupational Safety and Health week, it is important to consider what we have, keep ourselves safe and enjoy life.

Protecting your and your family’s hearing IS important.

Once lost you do not get it back. A small little ear plug does an amazing job in helping you stay safe not only at work, but when at home and during times of recreation. Get out, enjoy whatever activity you like (even mowing the lawn!) but be protected and be mindful of those little ears who are with you.

For a brief escape try Wild Sanctuary . This site not only provides an introduction to the concept of sound ecology but lets you pause to take a walk in your mind and enjoy the forest!  This is just one of the many excellent referrals available through Quiet.org.

From Health Services

Wow, the snow has finally melted (mostly) and it actually feels like spring.  Nice. Here’s this weeks collection of wellness links courtesy of the Monday Mash.

• Jazz Winnipeg has put out its lineup for the Winnipeg Jazz Festival that runs June 13^th to the 23^rd.  Despite the name, the Jazz Festival features an eclectic mix of artists covering a wide variety of jazz styles, with some soul, blues, indie rock, and hip hop thrown in for good measure. Many of the performances take place in the Jazz District in Old Market Square, just a stone’s throw from our Exchange District campuses.  You can find the full list of performers here.
• One of the best things about spring is the return of so many birds who are coming back to their summer home or migrating through on their way further north.  To familiarize yourself with bird songs, there’s some great resource books out there that have pictures accompanied with audio – such as the Backyard Birdsong Guide produced by Cornell Lab of Ornithology. I also came across a cool sounding app called iBird – which I haven’t used but might just pick up.
• If you dread this time of year, when there is non-stop hockey and basketball playoff action and the television is going non-stop, Psychology Today has some advice for you – with five tips for living with an avid sports fan.
• Ashley has passed along this piece about the relationship between chronic diseases and sitting too long. Makes you want to get up and walk a bit.

If you have a link or a photo that you’d like to share send an email to mkrywy@rrc.ca and we’ll include it in a future “Mash” edition.

This week marks the debut of the Monday Mash – a weekly list of Wellness-related links that caught our eye.

• Happy 40^th birthday to the Winnipeg Folk Festival! The lineup has been announced and tickets are on sale. The Festival is now five days long – running from July 10^th to the 14^th
• Here’s the ulitmate culinary companion – a recipe for Folk Festival Cookies that I found in the WFP archives. Five star rating.
• If migrating birds is your thing check out some of the bird watching events (and more) at Nature Manitoba as well as their birding resource page.
• Youth and Adult Soccer seasons are also set to begin. If you find yourself on the sidelines here’s some coaching resources that might help you out. Coaching Soccer 101 and the Manitoba Soccer Association.
• Ashley Blackman shared this post from Science Daily about the dangers of Second-Hand Smoke and linkages to Heart Disease.
• Melanie Bowen, a blogger for the Mesothelioma Cancer Blog Alliance has several interesting posts on the benefits of nutrition and exercise to help those who are battling cancer.

If you have a link or a photo that you’d like to share send an email to mkrywy@rrc.ca and we’ll include it in a future “Mash” edition.

When the Wellness blog debuted over a year ago, one of the first posts was a video collaboration between Doctor Mike Evans and filmmaker Nick de Pencier entitled 23 and a ½ hours: What is the single best thing we can do for our health? touting the benefits of spending 30 minutes a day taking a walk. Since posting this excellent piece (initially shared by Lucille McLeod) I had forgotten about this wellness dynamic duo until last week, when I came to work and found a Globe and Mail article on my desk.  The article was dropped off by Ashley Blackman – who is a Wellness Nut and Director of Research and Planning – as he is often sending me Wellness-related articles that he finds.

As it turns out, Dr. Evans has continued this film making collaboration, and now has several other videos featured on his YouTube channel, including the ABCs of Diabetes, Concussions 101: a primer for kids and parents, the best was to treat acne, the single best thing you can do to quit smoking and the video below dealing with stress.

Aside from the interesting advice being provided, I am drawn in by the art of storytelling, which I think these two have aced. I doubt there are many people who can make Acne interesting, but somehow they do. Like all things medical, these videos aren’t necessarily the definitive word on the subject(s), but they provide a foundation for looking further and considering other advice and information.

One in three Canadians experience dementia. Are you one of them?

Dementia affects people, families, communities and work environments. One in three of us either have dementia, are caring or supporting a person with dementia, or know someone with dementia.

In 2008 there were approximately 19,500 diagnosed cases of dementia in Manitoba. Alarming considering that the average diagnosis takes between four-to-seven years after on-set!

Did you know…

• that the number of diagnosed dementia cases in Manitoba is forecasted to double by 2038 with the advancing ages of baby boomers
• that informal caregivers supplied 9 million dollars in “unpaid” help to people experiencing dementia in 2008 and that this number is expected to reach 22 million by 2038
• that 40 per cent of Canadians aged 55-84 years reported that almost 40 per cent of the “never retired” workers financial plans for retirement were less than adequate (Canadian Community Health Survey (CCHS)
• that almost 20 per cent of “never-retired” or “returned to work” employees report problems with memory/cognition

If you have any questions about dementia, supporting someone with a diagnosis, or seeking support for yourself in your caregiving journey, contact the Alzheimer Society of Manitoba.  We are here to help!

Submitted by Maria Mathews of the Alzheimer Society of Manitoba.

* RRC is running a Lunch and Learn series on December 10th on “Alzheimer’s Disease & Dementia: The Realities of Rising Tide & Dementia in the Workplace”.  Learn more about trends in dementia-care, what it means for you, your family and your workplace. Please Register as seating is limited.

The cold weather is now upon us and this is the season for colds. We’ve all heard that washing your hands is one of the most effective ways to stave off a cold in the first place. But what if you did everything right and still ended up with a cold? You feel miserable with all the coughing and nose blowing.  Your chest hurts and you feel like the cold will hang on forever. That’s how I usually feel when I get a cold but fortunately, I have not had one for this year … yet.

About a decade ago, I had a very bad cold and after 5 weeks of coughing which seemed to get worse at night, my father finally told me to do what I used to do as a child (or what my parents used to make me do as a child). He reminded me of the tea that we drank when we had a cold (mostly because medical care was prohibitive and many elders relied on herbal remedies which always worked). Here is the all-natural recipe and here is why it works:

•  1 cup hot (not boiling) water
• 2 tsp. ground ginger
• ½ tsp. turmeric
• ¼ – ½ tsp. ground black pepper
• 2 tsp. honey

Put the hot water in a mug, preferably a thermos type. Add the other ingredients and blend until everything is dissolved. Drink this mixture throughout the day for as long as you are still coughing. You’ll start noticing that when you blow your nose or cough, there will be a lot of mucous (I know… this sounds gross) but try to blow your nose or cough it out. Within a few days, you should start noticing a significant difference in the severity of your cough.

Turmeric: there are numerous health benefits including its anti-inflammatory and detoxifying properties. It helps to alleviate the pain in your chest.

Ginger: Also helps to relieve pain and inflammation especially in the chest.

Black pepper: Eating/drinking this will help clear up your nasal passages (sometimes a nuisance but it gets rid of the cold)

Honey: Soothes your throat which is probably raw from all the coughing; anti-bacterial boosts your immune system

I have shared this recipe with many family and friends and it really does work. Since it is all natural, there are no side effects. Try it and if it works, pass it on to someone who may benefit.

Where does the time go? My last post was almost two months ago, yet it seems like yesterday. So what better time to start thinking about wellness again as the College is humming anew with instructors and students returning from an amazing summer that just won’t quit? And with only 12 more sleeps before the MS Riding Mountain Challenge on September 8-9, what better segue to your RR Rebel Riders?

Our newest Red River Rebel Rider

Your rrrr… are a rider stronger since my last post. The exuberant Dayna Graham from our Exchange District Campus jumped on board August 9th, and she has already exceeded her $250 pledge goal! Talk about get-up-and-go! So why did she join?

“The inspirational wellness blogs…, the opportunity to contribute to a charitable cause…, and my love for outdoor activity… I am continually gratified by the incredible support by Red River College toward staff development. RRC creates and encourages a plethora of opportunities which foster staff development in wellness and intellectual capacity. All of these opportunities not only aide in individual growth, they serve as a catalyst for connecting with other staff/faculty members.”

I couldn’t have said it better myself. Check out Dayna’s profile, and even better still, support her with a secure online donation.

August Red River Rebel Rider, Wayne

And returning to the team after a 3-year hiatus is Wayne Ferguson, eager to raise money again for the important work the MS Society sponsors. So what motivated Wayne to join rrrr…?

“As a young boy, during the last interglacial period, I stood in complete awe of the cyclists riding through town completing their Jasper to Banff cycling adventure. These adventurous souls didn’t have light-weight carbon or titanium bikes, but much heavier steel frames. They didn’t have 30 gear Shimano or Campagnolo drive trains to help with the climbs up Wilcox Pass or Bow Summit; they had state-of-the-art  Sturmey-Archer 3-speed bikes.  Had their feats not been chronicled in the Crag and Canyon, I wouldn’t have believed their achievement. The Banff-Jasper Highway they rode was not the current route completed in the late 1950s, but rather the narrower,  less cyclist-friendly, road built as a make-work project prior to World War 2. “

“Forty or so years later, I took up cycling, as a result of a friend’s encouragement, as a way of getting exercise in a knee-friendlier way than running. One day I saw a poster for the MS 150 and the images reminded me of the achievements of the cyclists conquering the Banff-Jasper Highway on their primitive (by current standards) 3-speed bicycles. Entering the MS ride struck me as being as good a substitute for the Rockies as could be found in Manitoba; moreover, it would have the added benefit of raising money for an important cause. The hills on the Riding Mountain Challenge are much like those on the Banff-Jasper Highway; although there are no glaciers in the background.”

So, there you have it. Dayna and Wayne (and the rest of rrrr…) are quivering with anticipation, soon to hit the Dauphin to Wasagaming trail. Please help us put an end to MS with a secure online donation today. You can pledge the team, or any individual rrrr… rider.

For the last two weeks my morning ritual has been to walk up the narrow lane from our rented house in the French port town of Marseillan to the bakery, sometimes first strolling to the harbor to catch the sun rising over the Mediterranean. A short walk back home, I fill the French press with coffee and wait for the others to get up, the bread still warm. Next is a leisurely breakfast of goat cheese Brie (75% butter fat!) and confiture d’abricots (apricot jam) or mousse au canard (incredibly smooth duck liver pate) on a baguette or pavé au lin (artisanal flax bread), or perhaps a croissant or pain aux raisins,. And whether we settle on a medieval walled town, a twelfth-century abbey, or a trendy shopping district as our main destination, no French itinerary is complete without a lunch or dinner adventure. France is food country, and enjoying it is de rigueur.

Yet I was reading yesterday that despite a diet stuffed with cream, butter, cheese, wine, and foie gras (literally, fat liver), only 11% of French adults are obese (compared with 33% of us). The French also live longer and have lower death rates from coronary heart disease. They don’t diet and they don’t spend hours panting round the gym. Go figure!

So how do those alcohol-guzzling, croissant-munching gourmands manage to stay slim and healthy while we health-obsessed North Americans are comparatively fat and coronarilly challenged? Simple:

1. Food for pleasure
   Not surprisingly, a recent study revealed that France is the country where food is the most associated with pleasure and the least with health (the US was the opposite). The French take their pleasures very seriously. Research confirms that they eat more slowly and enjoy their food more than we do. The French are in fact not gourmands (gluttons) but gourmets.
2. Red wine
   Did you know that moderate alcohol drinkers live longer than abstainers or heavy drinkers? For the French, a meal without wine is like a day without sunshine. Flavonoids, natural antioxidants found in red wine, are thought to promote health of the heart and blood vessels. As Louis Pasteur (the Frenchman we can thank for pasteurization) put it: “Wine is the healthiest and most hygienic of drinks.” King’s Head anyone?
3. Smaller portions
   People tend to eat as much as is put in front of them, even when only mildly palatable. Research has shown that French portions are notably smaller than ours and that, although the French enjoy a wide variety of very rich foods, they still consume fewer calories. I can’t imagine finding a 32-oz (about a kilo) steak on a French menu like I did at a steak house in Dallas (I opted for the 9-oz “Lady’s Fillet”, with red wine, of course.).
4. Eat fresh
   Granted, the 100-mile diet (167 km?) may be  a little easier to swing in the south of France than in Winnipeg. Not only can they grow just about anything down here, even the smallest French town will have an open-air market, a fromagerie for cheese, a boulangerie for bread, a boucherie for meat, a lingerie for lingering (ok, just kidding on the last one). Sure, markets and speciality food shops may be more time consuming and expensive, but what you get is usually far fresher and of better quality. I remember one restaurateur in Provence beaming as he explained that he didn’t even own a freezer.
5. Real food
   Ever seen that old TV commercial: “This is soup just like my mother used to make. My mother used to make Campbell’s.”? The French eat fewer processed foods and cook (not just reheat) at home more than we do, taking the time to choose the right ingredients. Home cooking is the best way to reduce your intake of preservatives, salt, sugar, additives, artificial colours & flavours, trans-fats, and who-knows-what else. Our over-processing even spoils otherwise healthful choices. Take peanut butter, for example. Most commercial brands suck out all the peanut oil, substitute cheaper hydrogenated oils, add salt and sugar or other refined sweeteners, and then homogenize the lot so it won’t separate. Holy cacahuètes!
6. No snacking
   The French tend to snack much less than we do. Instead, they try to eat more regularly. More substantial, richer foods have been shown to keep you satisfied longer, reducing that urge to snack. And less snacking on sweets and refined carbohydrates reduces our glycemic load and the risk of heart disease.
7. Une carafe d’eau, svp!
   Research confirms that drinking a good amount of water daily suppresses appetite, is good for the heart (one study showed that increasing from 2 to 5 glasses per day reduced by 41% the likelihood of dying from a heart attack), boosts energy (even mild dehydration of as little as 1-2% of your body weight makes you feel tired), has good effects on your skin, aids digestion (and with fiber, cures constipation), helps the body flush out toxins and waste, and can reduce the risk of colon cancer by 45% and bladder cancer by 50%. One study showed that the French drink over three times the water that we do.
8. Naturally active life
   Daily walking is part of the French lifestyle. Their streets are much more walker friendly and full of pedestrians. Higher population densities and the number of multi-storey old buildings with no elevator also make for a lot more stair climbing. The French, especially in cities, walk, cycle (like your rrrr…), or use public transportation much more than we do.
9. Self-discipline
   It is true; the French deny themselves very little when it comes to food. But they also tend to eat very little of it: like a piece of dark chocolate after a meal rather than a big piece (or two) of cake. They know that denial isn’t healthy and favour moderation. And if they do slip into excess one day, they are more careful the next.

So, after my flight from Paris reaches Toronto and I am asked by a Canada Customs’ agent if I have anything to declare, I am tempted to say, “Why yes! I am going to adopt a more French lifestyle when I get back to Winnipeg and thoroughly enjoy my food!”

Still not convinced of the merits of biking to work? Here are 10 good reasons to start:

1. RRRRewards
   June 4th is the Commuter Challenge Kick Off. Riding to work this week could win you a custom-built bike or an extreme bike makeover (a $700 reward!). Register at www.commuterchallenge.ca or contact Sara MacArthur (632-2166) for more information
2. RRRRigs
   Any bike will do, even that old 3-speed in your garage (especially if you win the make-over above!). A commuter bike doesn’t have to be an expensive investment. My hybrid cost $700 in 2002 (with fenders) and I have put about 25,000 km on it. I get a tune-up every year ($60-70) and have had to put in maybe $100 in parts (1 chain, 1 set of rear gears, cables, a few brake pads). Total over 10 years: about $1,500 – just over $100 per year, not much more than a single month’s bus pass or dinner for two at a nice restaurant (with wine, of course).
3. RRRRubles
   If you live 15 km from work and drive a car that gets 10 litres per 100 km (about 25 mpg), cycling daily to work could save you 15 litres and $18/week. And parking a bike is free! With an office downtown I save another $25/week. Add in the savings for reduced wear and tear, fewer oil changes, etc., and I’m sure I am $200 (600 rubles!) per month richer! And don’t ignore the long-term financial benefits of being healthier. Any way you look at it, bike commuting saves you some serious cash.
4. RRRReducing
   Bike commuting is an ideal way to shed some girth without setting aside extra workout time. My 30 km round-trip burns 900 calories and takes 50 minutes one-way, same as the bus and just 30 minutes more round-trip than by car. And bonus: the U.S. EPA estimates that every mile pedaled rather than driven saves a pound of CO2 (every 10 km saves three kilos)!
5. RRRRelief
   OK, Rush hour in Winnipeg isn’t quite what it is L.A. But who enjoys sitting in bumper-to-bumper traffic twice a day? Give my a fresh sunny morning cycle and a late afternoon cruise home at my own pace any day.
6. RRRRoutes
   Biking still requires you to be predictable and maybe even a little paranoid on the roads. But with cycling’s increased popularity, bike lanes are becoming more common, many of them dedicated, and even buffer zones between cyclists and motorists are starting to pop up.
7. RRRRegard
   Your bike commuting may so impress your co-workers that they will be inspired to join you. And if they do, the planet gets double the protection, they get in better shape, and all of a sudden, your positive contribution to world wellness is even bigger.
8. RRRRoutine
   It’s addictive. What other explanation is there for those fanatics who cycle through the dead of a Winnipeg winter? But even if you only opt for fair-weather riding, with all the bad habits in the world, bike commuting is a very sensible routine. Driving your car to work will soon just sound like a terrible idea.
9. RRRRejoicing
   Whether it’s a sticky bun, a black-bottom cupcake, or a berry crumble, I look forward to that now guilt-free reward at the end of a long ride. Just make sure your calorie expenditure exceeds your intake. 
10. RRRR…
    Well yeah! You’ll be in shape to be a Red River Rebel Rider in the September MS Riding Mountain Challenge. A summer of bike commuting will swell your calves to the point where you might consider joining the team (you have to commit to raising $250 yourself). Or, just be a kindred spirit and send a donation our way.

So, convinced? Dig out that old bike and join the growing community of Winnipeg cyclists. Your wallet, your waist, your planet, and your legs will all be glad you did.

(Originally posted on the Red Goes Green blog)

Have you been thinking about leaving your car at home? Not sure what to do without it? Let the 2012 Commuter Challenge be the time to give it a try!

RRC is taking the Challenge and we encourage you to join in! During Environment Week, June 3rd to 9th, join the more than 7,000 Manitobans who will cycle, walk, run, skate, bus, carpool or telecommute their way to work!

The Commuter Challenge is a friendly, national competition that encourages daily commuters to choose greener modes of transportation. Whether you ride Transit on a regular basis, or cycle to work for the first time ever, you qualify as a Commuter Challenge participant. So register for the Challenge and be counted – the more of us that participate, the better our chances of winning!

By registering on the website you will have a chance to win some exciting prizes, two of the largest being a $500 travel voucher from VIA Rail and a night at the Fairmont Winnipeg. You will also be eligible for the the RRC employee prizes which include a $700 gift certificate for either a new bike or an Extreme Bike Makeover at Natural Cycle. You will also help our workplace win as we strive for the highest participation rates in our population category!

On Tuesday June 5th President Stephanie Forsyth will participate in the Commute Challenge by cycling in to the NDC with Sustainability Manager Sara MacArthur. RRC has a history of high participation rates in the Commuter Challenge. In 2010 College participation won a silver placement for our staff population category. In 2009 College participation won a gold placement. Let’s bring our participation back up to gold in 2012!

Here are a few resources to help you get started…

Cycling – Manitoba Cycling Association; Bike to the Future; “The Commuter Cyclist: Tips and resources to make cycling to work as easy as riding a bike”; Winnipeg Cycling Maps are available from a number of locations, including in C409, and in the Environmental Issues display across from the bookstore at the NDC; City of Winnipeg Active Transportation; City Cycling courses being offered, see p. 82 of the Leisure Guide for details.

Walking – Prairie Pathfinders’, Winnipeg Trails Association 

Transit – Navigo, BUStxt

Carpool – www.carpool.ca