Have you ever wondered how some people manage to look ageless? Well into their 80s, they have a youthfulness that belies their age, and still participate in activities that younger adults enjoy. There are many factors affecting how we age, including financial security, but aging well, without mental and physical stress on our bodies, is within the reach of us all. Through a few simple daily practices and preventive measures, we can experience our senior years with a quality of life, rather than simply clinging to life.
 
Tips for aging successfully:
· Prevention: Many diseases in later life are preventable through even minor lifestyle changes, even for people with chronic disabilities.

·Nutrition: Nutrition is an important component of aging well, since it improves physical well-being while regulating stress and promotes social inclusion and participation.

·Physical activity: Physical activity reduces by about 50% the risk of many disorders related to inactivity, such as heart disease and type 2 diabetes.

·Mental health: Total health is not merely about the absence of infirmity or disease but a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being.

· Join a program: In Canada, the New Horizons for Seniors Program is designed to empower seniors, encouraging them to share their knowledge, skills and experience with others in the community and enhance their social well-being.
 

March 20th marks world oral health day! Thank you again to Julie from Gleam Smile Centre for sharing with us!

Got diabetes? Improve your oral health!
A new study shows that inflamed gums increase A1Cs in Type 2 diabetics. And similarly, getting your gums healthy, will significantly reduce this important marker.  In fact, improving your oral health is equivalent to taking another medication for your diabetes. 

Healthy gums in diabetics have other benefits, including feeling better. Kidney function improves and overall inflammation drops. This can be important to managing high blood pressure, to your heart health, and to the risks of stroke and pre-dementia. 

So what causes sore and bleeding gums? 
It is a medical condition called “oral dysbiosis” – a fancy term which means an imbalance of bacteria in the plaque at your gum line and under your gums. When your gums are pink and firm, the bacteria in your plaque are behaving themselves and living in harmony with all of the other kinds of bacteria. But then, for some reason, several bacteria start to dominate the plaque and begin to misbehave. They enter the blood stream and they produce nasty chemicals.   
A new painless and affordable treatment is now available to turn sore and bleeding gums back to healthy gums. Gleam Smile Centre in Hamilton has been using this treatment for years and with consistently good results with diabetics. This treatment is a safe, high-strength antiseptic which is applied painlessly and quickly by our hygienists. 

For a consultation about your oral health, and how to improve it along with your diabetes, call Julie at the Gleam Smile Centre.
678 Upper James Street, Hamilton 
Tel: (905)-387-6453

Today we are happy to have a guest blog from the "Have Your Will Team"

A will is one of the most critical documents you can have for yourself and your family. A will can legally protect your spouse, children and assets. It is a legal document that allows you to decide when and how your assets are distributed, designate a guardian for any minor children, avoid lengthy probate process and minimize estate taxes.


One common reason for not completing a will is because we believe everything will automatically go to our spouse when we die. In reality, there is not a single Province in Canada that will guarantee this will actually happen. Without a will the distribution of your estate is determined by “intestate law”, which can be rather complicated depending on your family situation. This can also be very time consuming and costly, not to mention the stress on your loved ones that often causes unnecessary fighting and family division.


It can be to late to write a will, there might come a time when you no longer have the mental capacity to write a will. With that in mind it is never to early to write a will. If you already have a will you should review and update your will based on life changes such as marriage, cohabitation, children or divorce. It is also important to review and/or update your will if you have any financial changes like buying a house and acquiring assets.


We often overlook what happens if we are not well enough to care for ourselves in the event of mental incapacity. Who will make or medical and financial decisions on our behalf? What if the wrong person is in charge of making those decisions?  Having completed your power of Attorney for personal care and Continuing Power of attorney for Property will allow you to decide who will be able to make those choices for you.


Have Your Will’s package is broken down in 3 separate legal documents. Last Will and Testament, Power of Attorney for Personal Care and Continuing Power of Attorney for Property.


Our process is simple, go to www.haveyourwill.com, fill out a request form, we will call you to set up an appointment to sit with you and your spouse to help set up your personalized will and Power of Attorney’s. This process is all done at no cost to you! If there is any other estate planning areas in which you need help with we will be more then happy to assist you as well.