Whether we admit it or not or even realize it, we have all incorporated calming strategies into our daily lives to deal with the sometimes-frenetic pace of our obligations, activities or life patterns. Some of us curl up with a good book or listen to classical music or white noise apps on our phones. Others cook or find that a rigorous physical workout does the trick, and walking the dog or even shamelessly binge-watching an admittedly silly television series can calm the nerves and centre us for the challenges ahead – all are strategies that might personally work for us and our mental health. As John Lennon once sang, “Whatever gets you through the night, it’s all right, it’s all right.”

You may notice that none of these strategies involve medications or pharmaceuticals. That’s the idea behind the Mississauga Arts Council’s new two- year Pilot ArtsCare Social Prescription program, designed to let participants enjoy creative experiences and to unleash the power of the arts to improve our mental health.

In late November last year, the Mississauga Arts Council (MAC) presented the proposal for a Pilot ArtsCare Social Prescription Program written by art psychotherapist Haley Toll to the Honourable Michael Tibollo, Associate Minister of Mental Health and Addictions. This pilot program is the next step in furthering MAC’s ArtsCare initiatives that make creative experiences and activities available to residents as a non-pharmacological way to improve mental health. The goal is to enhance individual and community health and well-being and foster resilient, sustainable, creative community support and health services for diverse populations. ArtsCare aims to reduce public health costs by implementing preventive measures and innovative services that will have long-term impacts, improving access to care and focusing on a patient’s natural strengths, at a time when many in our society are struggling with mental health challenges.

“There has never been a time when new mental health services were needed more,” according to the Ontario Provincial Mental Health Support Report released in February 2021. Extensive research has shown the power of the arts and other creative experiences to enhance mental health strategies. In his New York Times article of February 3, 2024, titled “Art Can Make Us All Better People”, David Brooks wrote, “Paintings, poems, novels and music help multiply and refine the models we use to perceive and construct reality. By attending to great perceivers,” that is, artists, “we can more subtly understand what is going on around us and be better at expressing what we see and feel.”

“In Mississauga, a strained public health system has left many children, youth and adults dealing with mental health crises without adequate support,” says Toll, former president of the Canadian Art Therapy Association. “Recognizing the need for innovative solutions, The Mississauga Arts Council and Mass Culture initiated a collaborative project to design an arts prescription model,” she explains, finding research through a datathon and connecting leading professionals in the field of arts in health through focus groups and a conference. Called “ArtsCare,” MAC’s new model is a social prescription program for creative therapies designed to provide a spectrum of care to meet the diverse needs of people experiencing isolation, mental health challenges and various forms of distress. The two-year comprehensive program, introduced initially in Mississauga, has the potential to expand across Ontario. ArtsCare is simple in its approach yet may be groundbreaking in improving mental health and well-being through the power of arts and creative experiences. We’re all aware of the various concerts, community events and festivals, painting exhibitions and other cultural activities that may be held in our neighbourhoods throughout the year. The ArtsCare prescription is to incorporate these into your daily life and experience creative events in addition to your daily jog or other strategies that work for you. The message is clear: don’t stop what you’re already doing – simply add the arts to the equation and reap the powerful added benefits.

“If you knew of a low-cost, proven effective therapy for a multitude of mental health obstacles, a solution without side effects that was guaranteed to make participants feel better, wouldn’t you seek to make it widely accessible?” says Mike Douglas, executive director of MAC. “The ArtsCare Program will help make people feel better while delivering health-care savings.”

“In a study based on a 2016 Statistics Canada General Social Survey, the Canada Council for the Arts found that 52 per cent of Canadians who participated in 15 arts, cultural and heritage activities were more likely to report very good or excellent mental health than non- attendees and participants,” says Associate Minister Tibollo. “This study looked at activities such as live music, art galleries, reading books, art and culture festivals, theatre and comedy shows.”

As the World Health Organization Regional Office for Europe observed in a September 2019 report, “arts interventions are often low-risk, highly cost-effective, integrated and holistic treatment options for complex health challenges to which there are no current solutions.”

Whether it’s yoga or tai chi, boxing, biking, long-distance swimming or cross- country skiing, all are healthy endeavours for the body, mind and soul. You should consider adding the calm of painting, music, reading or even attending art and music festivals, live theatre or comedy shows – all are proven to be effective strategies to add to your personal tool boxes, strategies to enhance your personal health and well-being. The MAC ArtsCare Social Prescription Program is a worthy initiative for improving your mental health while enjoying yourself at the same time.

The post Mississauga Arts Council: Health Through The Arts appeared first on City Life Toronto Lifestyle Magazine.

Jonathan is a father of two beautiful kids, a husband, a brother, a son and a friend to many. Most of all, he is a man of compassion, creativity and devotion to his family who puts those he loves and respects first before himself.

But the moment has now come when he and his family are calling on those who are able and willing to help.

At 23 years of age, Jonathan was diagnosed with Ulcerative Colitis, which he describes as, “a smouldering battle because it’s always lingering in the background.” Although that has been an ongoing 20-year battle, he has never been in full remission. Now, unfortunately, a secondary inflammatory disease, known as primary sclerosing cholangitis (PSC), has affected his liver.

The potential danger is a full-blown sclerosis of the liver or liver disease. While there is no specific cure for PSC, what patients need is a liver transplant.

Jonathan was placed on the transplant list as of October 20, 2023. “There is a sense of urgency for getting a live donor, specifically, because my doctors want to be able to strike this balance of being healthy enough to receive the liver so that the surgery can go as smoothly as possible,” says Jonathan.

Jonathan’s loving wife, Sabrina, constantly reminds him of the importance of keeping a positive vibe for the mind, body, and soul. He does so through spending time with his family, not taking anything for granted and making time for his creative passion — custom-designing sneakers. At the onset of the COVID pandemic, Jonathan created , an online business operated solely through Instagram that has flourished beautifully.

“My customers and the entire community have been fantastic. As I go through what I’m going through now, they have pulled together and rallied for me. It’s awesome to see,” says Jonathan.

While some may see this as a devastating moment, the Ortepi family sees it as a new beginning. That is why they are reaching out to anyone able and willing to donate a portion of their liver (a living donor). If you are between the ages of 16 and 60 with a blood type of O or B, this can be a life-saving gift.

The first requirement for the donor is to know their blood type. If you are a match, then you can be potentially eligible to donate a portion of your liver. If you are not of this blood type, you can still be considered if you apply. The liver is a complex but wonderful organ that can regenerate within hours in both the recipient and donor.

All information regarding this process can be found at the Toronto General Hospital Transplant website below. If you or anyone you know wants to help, the portal below is now open.

A message from the Ortepi Family: “We can’t thank you all enough, family and friends. We thank you all for your continued prayers; they are always welcome. Your love and support are appreciated and not unnoticed. Sending you lots of love.”

A special thank you goes to Dr. Lawrence Cohen at Sunnybrook Hospital, Dr. Gideon Hirschfield at Toronto General Hospital and Carlo Colaiacovo for all your ongoing care, positive spirit and relentless selflessness.

The post Jonathan Ortepi: A Loving Family Man in Need of a Donor appeared first on City Life Toronto Lifestyle Magazine.

NOBLETON FAMILY DENTAL
One of Dr. Diane Contino’s unwavering goals has been to create an environment that reflects the exceptional level of work performed at her clinic. The dental clinic is dedicated to every single patient who enters and offers an array of dental services under one roof, including dental hygiene and cleaning, children’s dentistry, fillings, root canals, extractions, crowns, bridges, implants, dentures, whitening, Invisalign, and full smile makeovers!

The post Dentistry Based on Compassion appeared first on City Life Toronto Lifestyle Magazine.

When we enter the month of April, we all rejoice knowing that it is the time of the year when the brutally cold weather comes to end and it is the beginning of longer and warmer days. The birds chirp and the spring flowers flourish. However, for many healthcare institutions April is Alcohol Awareness Month. According to recent statistics from the Canadian Centre on Substance Abuse, approximately 80% of Canadians consume alcohol, with 15% of those individuals exceeding the recommended guidelines for low-risk drinking.

EHN Canada is the nation’s largest industry-leading mental health and addiction treatment centre network. As the network continues to expand its presence across the country, it stays true to its philosophy, core values and mission. With roughly over 3 million Canadians at risk of developing alcohol- related health problems, EHN Canada dedicates itself to educating Canadians about the prevalence and dangers of alcohol addiction and raising awareness about the resources available for those struggling with this disease.

Now, many of us have heard the slogans and warnings about substance abuse. We have also heard the common deflections such as “Well, everything in excess is bad for you!” The time has come to take the initiative and confront the harsh realities of one of the most pervasive issues in our country. We need to understand that:

• It is indisputable that above the upper limit of the moderate risk zone for alcohol consumption (more than 6 standard drinks per week), the health risks increase more steeply for females than for males. Biological factors, such as enzymes, genes, body weight and size, organ function and metabolism are important for processing alcohol and are affected by sex-related factors. These biological factors increase the impact of alcohol on females, causing higher blood alcohol levels, faster intoxication, more risk for disease, including breast cancer, and more long-term harm, such as liver damage and injury.
• Men are more likely than women to take other risks (e.g., use other substances or drive) that, when combined with alcohol, further increase their likelihood of experiencing and causing alcohol-related harm. Overall, far more injuries, violence and deaths result from men’s alcohol use, especially in the case of per-occasion drinking.
• Cancer is the leading cause of death in Canada. The fact that alcohol is a carcinogen that can cause at least seven types of cancer is often unknown or overlooked. According to the Canadian Cancer Society, drinking less alcohol is among the top 10 behaviours that can reduce cancer risk.
• After cancer, heart disease is the second leading cause of death in Canada. For many years, it was commonly believed and widely accepted that drinking in moderation offered protection against coronary artery disease. However, in the last decade, research has indicated that drinking a small amount of alcohol neither decreases nor increases the risk of ischemic heart disease, it is a risk factor for most other types of cardiovascular disease, including hypertension, heart failure, high blood pressure, atrial fibrillation and hemorrhagic stroke.

* The above statistics are from the Canadian Centre on Substance Abuse and Addiction, Canada’s Guidance on Alcohol and Health: Final Report (January 2023).

This is a pivotal moment for us to change the narrative about how we combat this disease. By working together, not just in April, but all year-round, we can help reduce the dangers associated with alcohol abuse and provide hope and healing to those who struggle every day. We owe it to future generations. EHN Canada’s treatment programs are designed to address the physical, emotional and psychological aspects of alcohol addiction, and are delivered by experienced healthcare professionals dedicated to helping individuals achieve lasting recovery. If you think you need help or know someone in need of help – DO NOT WAIT. Reach out now.

Visit for a comprehensive breakdown of the most recent statistics concerning alcohol abuse in Canada.

The post It All Starts With Awareness appeared first on City Life Toronto Lifestyle Magazine.

Mary Marano has helped hundreds of individuals and couples navigate life’s challenges. She has helped her clients weather infidelity, trauma, addiction, and restored their hope by guiding them safely toward positive change. Her mission is to transform the way we think, feel and communicate in our relationships. Sometimes a bit of support goes a long way.

Q&A With The Owner of Life & Family Counselling, Mary Marano

Q: What is your approach to therapy?

A: My approach to therapy is eclectic, meaning that therapy is not a onesize-fits-all journey. I look at the client through a biopsychosocial-spiritual lens to understand if they are dealing with illness, disease, chronic pain, trauma, how an individual is socialized, their culture and their belief systems to understand a person in their full context. This is where I investigate the past and make connections to their present-day situation.

Q: When is it best to start counselling?

A: Counselling should not be considered a last resort because of a crisis, which often brings people into therapy initially. It could be a proactive measure of self-care; it will enhance your relationships, help you to learn about yourself and change old patterns. Perhaps you are having difficulty with parenting or simply want to self-improve — therapy is a great option.

Q: How can people work with you?
A: There are many options for people to work with me, through individual therapy, couples therapy, relationship intensive workshops and my elite coaching program.

Q: Why is relationship work important?
A: Relationship work is important because we are always in relationships — and, let’s be honest, no one teaches us how to be in a relationship. If you were lucky to have good role modelling and safe attachments growing up, relationships can be less stressful to navigate. Unfortunately, for many people, this is not the case, and, unknowingly, adverse childhood experiences can show up and repeat themselves in adulthood.

Q: Can you expand on the Changed by Mary coaching program?
A: This coaching program is available to individuals, couples and other therapists who want to elevate their life, relationships and business. It took me many years to realize that change is possible. Working with me is not for the faint of heart. It is up-close-and-personal and we leave no stone unturned.

Q: Can you expand on your “relationship intensives”?
A: Relationship intensives are phenomenal experiences. For these intensives and any coaching option, you do not need to be in a crisis. Many people and couples will join me in these programs to enhance their life and their connections. However, when a relationship is in crisis, the intensives are specifically tailored to stabilize the relationship and the couple’s connection.

Q: Are relationship intensives different from couple counselling?
A: Yes, intensives are a greater financial investment but less expensive than a divorce. They allow us to process deeper and propel the relationship forward, especially during a crisis period. An individual session can feel like starting new each time and therefore, requires couples to do work outside of session the way it is intended for better success.

Even through what appears to be life’s most difficult challenges, Mary Marano is dedicated to opening a space for individuals to experience therapy in a non-threatening way. Stay up-to-date with @lifeandfamilycounselling and @changedbymary to learn more about how you can guide yourself through therapy to promote positive mental and emotional health.

1160 Clarence St., Unit 8, Woodbridge, Ont.
416-473-2875

The post Mary Marano: The Journey of Healing & Growth appeared first on City Life Toronto Lifestyle Magazine.

There is uncompromising perfection when it comes to the healthy smiles that Dr. Diane Contino helps achieve for her patients. She skillfully merges her expertise in cutting-edge dental techniques with the fine art of aesthetics to integrate dentistry and business.

Since the inception of Dr. Contino’s practice, one of her unwavering goals has been to create an environment that reflects the exceptional level of work performed at her clinic. Combining her artistic talents with her skillful mastery of dental care procedures and techniques, she has helped thousands of patients of all ages to achieve their desired smile.

Dr. Contino, who earned both her Bachelor of Science and Doctor of Dental Surgery degrees from the University of Toronto, is passionate about people and dentistry. She firmly believes that dentistry should be gentle, high-quality, and personalized for each patient. After graduating from dental school, Dr. Contino was an associate at multiple dental offices in the Greater Toronto Area. Developing positive connections through her practice is how she maintains long-term relationships with her patients.

A resident of King Township, Dr. Contino is dedicated to the community in which she lives, participating in and sponsoring numerous events and speaking at schools annually. When she is not at the clinic, Dr. Contino spends time with her three children, as well as cooking, baking, and practicing yoga.

Her love of science and passion for helping people led Dr. Contino to pursue a career in healthcare. Dentistry was the ultimate fit because it allowed her to work with her hands, appealing to her creative side. Dr. Contino especially takes pride in helping patients overcome their apprehensions about dental offices and dental procedures.

Nobleton Family Dental has been providing dental care to patients in the surrounding area since 1995. However, it was not until 2017 that the space was purchased by Dr. Contino. The dental clinic offers and performs a wide range of dental services under one roof, including dental hygiene and cleaning, children’s dentistry, fillings, root canals, extractions, crowns, bridges, implants, dentures, whitening, Invisalign, and full smile makeovers!

The team at Nobleton Family Dental is dedicated to every single patient who enters their clinic and is devoted to creating gorgeous smiles that boost patients’ confidence and transform lives. With their patient-centred practice, Nobleton Family Dental offers comprehensive dental care with an equal commitment to preventative, restorative, and cosmetic dentistry.

Nobleton Family Dental is always happy to welcome new patients. Schedule your next appointment today and experience the importance of comfort and high-quality dental care.

13305 Highway 27, Unit 12, Nobleton, Ont.
905-859-5170

The post Dr. Diane Contino: A Passion For Smiles appeared first on City Life Toronto Lifestyle Magazine.

If there was something you could do that would benefit mind, body, and mood, wouldn’t it be a no-brainer to try it out? With the help of Lisa Kricfalusi, cold exposure therapist and mental resilience and longevity coach, we look at the incredible benefits that primal therapies like cold and heat therapy can have in our everyday lives. Not only do these therapies allow you to better overcome discomfort on a daily basis, but they also create a space to challenge our perceived limits and discover ourselves on a deeper level.

Q: Can you tell me a little bit about how you got into the field of cold therapy and heat therapy?
A: From a young age, I had the incredible privilege of being immersed in Finnish culture and its wellness traditions. I have been practising cold therapy since I was a little girl, growing up with Finnish roots and spending summers in Helsinki as a child. My grandmother taught me about sauna, simple living, connecting to nature and participating in physical activity – my passion for which culminated in my 10 years spent nationally competing as a synchronized swimmer and coach. Following my coaching and swimming career, I completed my kinesiology degree and made these practices of cold and hot therapy a lifestyle. Practicing daily for years, I was able to develop the mechanisms, protocols and experiences that elevate specific benefits of cold therapy before training others in how to practise it themselves. I then started Unbounded Well with three other founders, friends and the community.

Q: What are some of the benefits of cold and heat therapy?
A: Cold and heat therapy are often used together for treating a range of conditions. Cold therapy has the benefit of decreasing inflammation by reducing the swelling of tissue surrounding an injury, which prevents healing. It also helps reduce pain, muscle spasms and metabolic waste products from the cells. It stimulates cold-shock proteins to be released in the body, treating cell degeneration by way of repairing old and damaged nerve and brain cells. Cold therapy also supports metabolism regulation and the oxidation of white adipose tissue (mobilizing and burning fat). Cold therapy also supports converting energy stored as white adipose tissue into brown adipose tissue, supporting improved metabolism regulation and adding mitochondria (little powerhouses utilizing energy) into those cells. Heat therapy helps promote healing by increasing blood flow to injured areas, which brings essential nutrients and oxygen that stimulate the regeneration of new tissue through heat-shock protein production. In addition, it can help with muscle tension and stiffness and increase flexibility in tendons and ligaments. Ultimately, cold and heat therapy used together are extremely beneficial for aiding in the healing process. However, extensive mental benefits also exist by way of dopamine and norepinephrine release, influencing mood, attention and vigilance in the body. The prescription for longevity and healthspan is practising 11 minutes per week of cold therapy and 57 minutes per week of heat therapy.

“Our experiences leave you with elevated energy levels, greater vitality and a deeper alignment with self, others and nature, while touching on benefits extending lifespan and healthspan.”

Q: Can you talk about the term “primal therapy” and what that means?
A: Primal therapies are low-cost wellness interventions bringing us closer to our ancestral way of practising and experiencing wellness. These practices are rooted in physical, neurological and spiritual optimization, extending healthspan overall. Primal therapies include such practices as viewing low-horizon light to support circadian rhythm and clock-gene regulation, optic flow for visualization-system support, breathwork for managing stress, grounding techniques while in nature for stimulating alkalinity in our bodies, cold and hot therapies, including cold showers, plunge pools, cold water in nature paired with saunas for contrast-therapy benefits. These practices are paired with human connection exercises involving functional-movement-based patterns designed to be experienced in nature for optimal wellness impact.

Q: What type of classes, workshops, retreats and community experience events do you offer/specialize in?
A: Unbounded Well is an experience lifestyle brand that offers education, classes, workshops, retreat weekends and custom-designed experiences and spaces, each rooted in the primal therapies touched on above. Our classes offer an opportunity to connect with yourself, your community and your surrounding natural environment while practising breathwork, cold therapy, hot therapy, gratitude, and experiencing living differently. Our experiences leave you with elevated energy levels, greater vitality and a deeper alignment with self, others and nature, while touching on benefits extending lifespan and healthspan.

Q: What are some of the transformations you’ve witnessed?
A: Most of Unbounded Well’s community tries one of our classes, sessions or experiences out of curiosity, peer influence or because their health practitioner has recommended primal therapies like breathwork, or cold exposure. They continue practising because of the commitment they make to themselves, the love found in the community and for what they have found inside themselves once they realize there is so much more than cold water, breathing and nature built into the experience.There is a palpable shift felt and experienced in one’s nervous system, altering the state of well-being just enough to inspire a continued practice. Our hundreds of testimonials of transformation range from “I have never felt this connected to my body or this impacted and shifted during one single intervention before” to “I never thought I was going to feel joy again and be able to relieve myself from painkillers and medication until finding this practice” to “I have found love for myself again through this practice” to “I have been able to stay sober thanks to these experiences.” All meaningful, all profound, and all very real and consistent.

Q: Why do you believe that cold/heat therapy is becoming more and more of a trend?
A: I think the trend has a lot to do with the shift of wellness being a focus in 2022/2023 and the level of research finally coming out with peer-reviewed studies being published about the benefits of cold and hot therapies impacting longevity and healthspan, including some sought-after benefits without the same level of time or energy associated with similar results. This is called “minimum effective dose.”

Q: Who could benefit greatly from these therapies?
A: In short, everyone can benefit greatly from these therapies as long as they are deemed safe to do so for each person practising, with no contraindications present. (Even so, placing your hands, feet and/or face in cold water is a great start).

Q: Who are these therapies not suited for?
A: Great question! Contraindications include high/low blood pressure, recent surgeries, chronic illness, pregnancy, history of fainting, any open sores or wounds, hypersensitivity to cold, such as Raynaud’s disease, cold urticaria, cryoglobulinemia, and paroxysmal cold hemoglobinuria. Children under the age of 16 should be cleared by their family doctor and be supervised by parents or guardians. When in doubt, consult with your health-care practitioner.

Q: Are there any cool facts you can share about cold and heat therapy?
A: Cool facts – there are so many. Here are a few! One is our hands and feet, as well as the upper half of our face, are very efficient at heating and cooling the body, as the skin in these areas shunts the blood from arteries to veins rather quickly. Blood moves through these areas quite fast, creating the opportunity to cool the body via cooling the blood quickly as it circulates. The level of vasoconstriction in these parts of the body is more “painful” when experienced compared to the rest of the body.

Water intake is something to be very mindful of when practising cold and heat therapy, as your blood sugar levels are impacted and insulin can be released even if you have had no food intake, just simply due to the amount of sweat and the change in blood-level plasma influencing the blood-sugar-to-plasma ratio. The protocol is 10 ounces of water before, during and after your sauna.Throwing electrolytes in there would help hydration, as well!

Having a coffee pre cold-therapy session (about 20 minutes prior) will help with the release of dopamine inside the blood and body. We like to stack benefits by having your coffee black and on a fasted stomach, then starting your day optimized with your cold therapy session.

Q: What are some of the biggest health tips you can share?
A: When practising cold therapy (11 minutes per week) and heat therapy (57 minutes per week), you are not only extending your lifespan by 20 years, you are also extending your healthspan within your lifespan. Practising can look like 3 to 5 days per week of these minutes broken up into many sessions or having all the sessions built into one experience and cycling contrast therapy.

Q: What is your definition of success?
A: Success looks like sharing this education, these tools and protocols, with as many people as possible so they can experience the benefits of better health, vitality and clarity. Ultimately, success is helping people to feel good in their body and live a full life with more energy, joy and peace. By utilizing simple techniques such as cold therapy and heat therapy, we can improve our health and overall well-being.

The post Lisa Kricfalusi: Why the hottest health trend is cooler than you think appeared first on City Life Toronto Lifestyle Magazine.

The last decade or so has marked a sea change in how we collectively think about and discuss mental health issues, particularly about the cascading effects that physical illness or disability can have on our mental well-being. Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis, conditions that affect the bowel, sit at the intersection of these historically disparate areas of medicine, particularly regarding the significant lifestyle changes, embarrassment and depression that tend to result from their physical symptoms. As Dr. Kate Lee, vice-president of Research & Patient Programs at Crohn’s and Colitis Canada, explains, “People living with Crohn’s or colitis are twice as likely to develop mental health issues, especially anxiety, compared to the general population.”

“The stories you hear about how Crohn’s or colitis has affected people’s lives are heartbreaking. These diseases impact all aspects of an individual’s physical and emotional well-being and can be quite isolating. When someone is in a flare, they stay home, they can’t do anything. They’re even afraid to go grocery shopping because of the unpredictable bowel movements. They even talk about how they’ve changed their career aspirations because of knowing that they’ve been diagnosed with this disease. Their social life and travel plans are definitely impeded — so many aspects of their lives are affected by this disease.”

Dr. Lee brings up the unfortunate prevalence among Canadians in of Crohn’s and colitis, diseases that are often hidden by those who live with them. “We predict about one percent of Canadians will have an inflammatory bowel disease by 2030. That’s not a small amount. It’s a disease that is out there, and I wouldn’t be surprised that if you start talking about it, you’re going to find out that you know people who have the disease.”

To understand more about the difference between IBS and IBD, as well as Crohn’s and colitis, we asked Dr. Lee to debunk common misconceptions about the conditions and hopefully shine more light on a condition that people all too often deal with in isolation.

Q: What’s the difference between irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) and inflammatory bowel disease (IBD)?
A: Irritable bowel syndrome is not a disease and it doesn’t involve your immune system. Inflammatory bowel disease has the word “inflammatory” and “bowel” in there because it involves your immune system. Irritable bowel syndrome is an intolerance to certain food groups. So, for example, I’m lactose intolerant because my digestive system doesn’t have enough of the enzymes needed to digest lactose. That’s why I developed an intolerance and why I get uncomfortable when I eat dairy products. There’s a very big difference between the two. With IBD, your own immune system starts attacking your own gut, causing all sorts of havoc in your digestive system, including ulcerations, bleeding, scarring, blockages and fistulas, where the gut has worn away completely and fuses with other organs or body surfaces.

Q: What is the difference between Crohn’s and colitis?
A: Our organization is called Crohn’s and Colitis Canada to really recognize that the two main forms of IBD are Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis. Crohn’s and colitis stands for Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis. They’re the two main forms of a group of diseases called inflammatory bowel diseases. The reason it’s called “bowel” is because it affects your gut — for Crohn’s disease, anywhere from the mouth to bum, whereas ulcerative colitis is localized in the large bowel. IBD is an autoimmune disease, so what happens is your immune system goes awry, and your own immune system starts attacking your gut. Unfortunately, there are no cures and it can happen at anytime in your life. There are children diagnosed with IBD and there are seniors who are diagnosed with IBD. Having said that, the time when most people get diagnosed with IBD, unfortunately, is during the “the prime of life,” between the ages of 16 and 30.

Q: What are some of the symptoms that people have with Crohn’s or colitis?
A: When it first starts, symptoms can be similar to your gastrointestinal system not feeling comfortable, and maybe having to use the washroom more often. Common symptoms include frequent and urgent bowel movements and bloody stools. When things escalate, if people don’t go see a doctor and get diagnosed properly, it could lead to severe malnutrition and sometimes death. Chronic fatigue is something that a lot of patients experience because of all the bloody stools and having to use the washroom so often, and they have chronic pain, again because their gut is all inflamed.

IBD is a progressive disease, which means that the longer you have it, the worse it gets. So, the key to treating it, and to ensure that you maintain a good quality of life, is to diagnose it early, and treat it early.

Dr. Kate Lee

Q: Is it a genetic disease, brought on by something that you eat or your lifestyle?
A: It’s a combination. We say that there have to be three factors, and they kind of clash together. And when they clash in a certain way, the individual develops the disease. There’s the genetic component, there’s the environmental component and then there’s our gut microbiome.

Q: What have scientists discovered about those three factors?
A: Scientists have identified more than 200 genes that are involved in IBD and some of the treatments we have target these genes. Scientist studying the microbiome have determined that the gut flora in people with IBD are different compared to healthy individuals. We also know that industrialization (pollution) is involved. Diet also probably plays a role. Emulsifiers found in many of our store-bought foods could play a part. But the challenge is that we still don’t know what is cause and effect because all studies have been conducted after the disease has developed or in animal models. And, although animal models are a great way to try to pull apart questions like cause and effect, discoveries do not necessarily translate to humans. The only human study in the world that is trying to determine the cause or causes leading to IBD is our GEM project which has been following healthy relatives where, because of their genetic link, a proportion of them will develop the disease. We’ve been supporting this study since 2007 and we still have a ways to go. In other words, our researchers have increased our understanding of IBD significantly, but we still have much more to do.

Q: Does hygiene play a role?
A: Yes, there’s also the hygiene hypothesis, where children living in developed nations tend to be less exposed to bugs such as bacteria and viruses while growing up. Exposure to bugs during a child’s development is an important part of teaching our immune system what are good and bad bugs. Since antibiotics kill all bugs, scientists also speculate that increased antibiotic use could be a factor in developing IBD.

Q: What is important to note about IBD?
A: IBD is a progressive disease, which means that the longer you have it, the worse it gets. So, the key to treating it, and to ensure that you maintain a good quality of life, is to diagnose it early, and to treat it early. The longer you wait, the worse it’s going to be for you. So, if someone has experienced ongoing symptoms suggestive of IBD, I would highly encourage them to go see their doctor.

To learn more about inflammatory bowel disease, visit:

The post Debunking Common Misconceptions About Crohn’s & Colitis appeared first on City Life Toronto Lifestyle Magazine.

First things first: Donato Panacci likes to wake up early every morning. He gets up, makes his bed, then he likes to greet people. “He says buongiorno, good morning, to all the staff at work,” says Nadia Johnson, a PSW at Villa Leonardo Gambin. “It doesn’t matter what’s going on, he’s always happy,” she adds.

If it’s shower day, Panacci washes up (yep, by himself), then gets dressed for breakfast. When he heads to the dining room, he likes to stop by each table to say good morning to the residents and bring everyone up to speed if there’s anything that happened overnight. When Johnson starts her shift, she hears about anything that happened from Panacci himself, “and what he reports is exactly what happens,” says Johnson. Most impressive is the fact that Panacci remembers everyone’s name: “He forgets nothing!”

Perhaps the secret lies with Panacci’s first meal: every morning, he indulges in a boiled egg, two slices of toast, a small cereal with hot milk, a banana and a cup of coffee. After breakfast, he gets ready for morning activities, whether it’s exercise class or a game of bingo. And then lunch is served, typically Italian fare like polenta with a beef sauce, tortellini soup or fish with rice and vegetables. In the afternoons, Panacci likes to chat with his daughter on the phone and perhaps take a nap before dinner.

What else does Panacci like to do? Play cards! As a past president of the Italian Card Club at the Epiphany of our Lord Church for 20 years, Panacci still enjoys this pastime, challenging his fellow residents to games of Scopa, Briscola and Tresette. Donato also loves spending time with his grandchildren and great-grandchildren. He enjoys socializing, gardening — and watching his beloved Toronto Maple Leafs play hockey.

After dinner, Panacci may talk to other family members on the phone or hang out in the hallway, talking to other residents. What does he talk about? Well, he’ll often share parts of his life story. Born in the town of Frosinone, near Rome, on Aug. 8, 1917, Panacci was one of eight children. He met and married the love of his life, Teresa, and they had two children.

In search of a better life, Panacci immigrated to Canada, with his family joining him three years later. He worked for the Cascone Sewer Construction Co. for 10 years until an injury forced him to take a job as a maintenance worker in an apartment building in his later years. He likes reminiscing and, as a veteran, he has many stories about his years fighting in WWII as an Italian soldier, where he travelled to Africa, India, England and even spent time as a prisoner of war. When Panacci’s wife passed in 2008, he lived at home for five years, and then decided to move himself to the residence in 2012, where he embraced this stage of his life with his usual zest and vigour.

In fact, the residence introduced The Donato Panacci Resident Ambassador Award in 2017 as an annual award for residents who show respect for the home and for those who live and work there, who are accepting of others’ differences and who are positive, kind and helpful to others. As an ambassador, Panacci likes to support both staff and residents, motivating peers to participate in programs and assisting residents who may need help.

So really, perhaps that’s the secret: community. And Panacci is certainly all about community. Johnson likes to share the story of a new resident who wasn’t all that happy and wasn’t eating. “He told the resident they had to eat the food, which was very good, then called me over to say, ‘I prepared the food for him and it’s very good for him,’ and eventually the newcomer started to eat,” she says. He looks out for all the other residents too. “He tells them, ‘You have to be good. I live so long because I do good and, if you do good, you will live to be 105 like me,’” Johnson laughs. Panacci’s top tip? No sugar!

Asked what she loves most about Panacci, Johnson has a simple answer. “If someone is down, Donato will talk to them and calm them,” she says. “He cares about everybody.” And perhaps that’s the real secret.

The post Donato Panacci: A Day In The Life appeared first on City Life Toronto Lifestyle Magazine.

Have you ever felt the pressure to always be positive? When the world is constantly bombarded with messages like “good vibes only” and “always see the glass half full,” it’s hard not to.

To help us understand the dark side of always looking on the bright side, psychotherapist Whitney Goodman is radically honest in sharing her insights on toxic positivity and how it affects our lives. With over 500,000 followers on Instagram @sitwithwhit, and with her new book, Toxic Positivity, Goodman is helping transform the way we speak about mental health, empowering us to show up authentically in the world. As she puts it, “Toxic positivity is ultimately offering someone a very simple solution for a complicated problem that we know nothing about.”

We talked with the psychotherapist, who was at her home in Tampa, which she shares with her husband, their son and two dogs, Luna and Charlie.

Q: What makes you so passionate about what you do?
A: It’s interesting to talk to people and learn more about why they think the way they think; why they made those decisions. I’m never really bored doing this job because there’s always a new story or something different to learn from someone.

Q: What would you consider to be your expertise in the field?
A: I’m a licensed marriage and family therapist, so I’m trained from a systems perspective. I like to look a lot at how our family relationships and just our relationships with different systems in the world impact how we think and how we operate. The majority of people that I work with are typically having some sort of family issue, relationship issue. I also work with quite a number of people that are dealing with chronic health issues, and how that’s impacting their relationships or their life.

Q: Do you feel that the work you do has helped you in your own life?
A: For sure. I mean, I think there is definitely a feeling for most people that become therapists that Oh, I’m gonna figure myself out and I’m going to be able to use this on everyone I know. And in some aspects, yes, that’s true. You get more of an intellectual understanding, and it’s helpful. But it certainly doesn’t replace the actual act of doing the work on yourself and going through life.

Q: Can you share a bit about your private therapy practice?
A: I’m totally online now. I closed my regular office during the pandemic and went virtual. I mainly work with 25- to 35-year-olds, and they all want to be online. So I just never went back to the office.

Q: If you’re dealing with heavy subjects, how do you deal with the aftermath in terms of your own well-being? Do you have a therapist?
A: I do. I’ve been in and out of therapy all the time, you know, depending on what’s going on in my life. I think the biggest thing I’ve noticed as I get further along in my career is that I’ve gotten a lot better about having really strong boundaries around my work.

Q: Can you speak about how social media has changed your field in general and how you’re utilizing it to spread information?
A: I started my Instagram to promote my private practice in early 2018. People then were like, “Therapists can’t be online,” and people were telling me this was the stupidest thing I had ever done. And now every therapist is on the Internet. It’s become such a big part of my work, to be able to disseminate information like that. I have seen social media open up conversations about mental health, get people into therapy, normalize how people are feeling. I mostly think it’s been a net positive thing.

Q: Your new book is Toxic Positivity. For those who aren’t aware, how would you describe toxic positivity?
A: Toxic positivity is ultimately offering someone a very simple solution for a complicated problem that we know nothing about. And it’s like those platitudes that you think of like everything will be fine; it all happens for a reason and using those whenever someone is struggling with something or going through a hard time.

Q: Do you think that there’s any correlation between toxic positivity and the age of instant gratification?
A: I think in some ways, yes. It’s like we just want to put a bow on everything and make it good. We’re also told, especially in the United States, you grew up with this messaging of I just want you to be happy and for my kids to be happy. Happiness is always the goal. And so it makes sense that we would constantly want to be doing that for our friends and family and making sure that they’re positive and happy.

Q: How did you do your research and what did it show? How were you able to quantify what you found?
A: So, I read a lot of positive-thinking literature. So, the secret of the law of attraction all that stuff was part of my research. And then also just looking at a lot of the actual research studies that have been done on emotional suppression and positivity, and how that helps people with things like problem-solving and creativity. And we find that it’s not actually that helpful in those situations.

Q: What are some of your biggest pet peeves when it comes to positive thinking and what comes out of there?
A: A lot of it is very individualistic, in the sense that it’s like, “Change your thoughts, change your life.” And we know that it’s not that simple. You know, there are so many social determinants of health and well-being that are not totally within the control of the individual. I mean, even genetics. We can’t control everything that’s going to happen to us. And a lot of these books propose that if you get cancer, it’s your fault because you were thinking it. And we know that that’s not scientifically sound in any way.

Q: Online therapy has boomed since the pandemic as well and it’s almost not normal to not have a therapist now. What’s your take on that?
A: There’s certainly a world where you could become over-reliant on a therapist, and maybe have a relationship that doesn’t have great boundaries or where you don’t believe that you can empower yourself to do things on your own. I think it’s really important for people to think about this: is therapy helping me become more of the person I want to be in helping me to have more agency and independence in my life? Or is it making me more dependent on someone else to make decisions for me? And I think that’s going to depend on each individual person and what they’re going through at that time.

Q: If you weren’t a psychotherapist, what do you think you would be doing?
A: I think I would have liked to probably be a journalist or a talk-show host. Anything where I could get to talk to people all day!

Q: What’s your definition of happiness?
A: I think it’s living a life that’s in line with your values and knowing what’s important to you. Also knowing that happiness is just a feeling that you’re going to experience sometimes, not all the time.

The post Toxic Positivity With Whitney Goodman appeared first on City Life Toronto Lifestyle Magazine.