Mandatory retirement eliminated by courts

CARP calls on feds to remove offending provision from Canadian Human Rights Code

TORONTO, Aug. 28 /Canada NewsWire/ - The courts have done what the federal government has refused to do - eliminate mandatory retirement federally regulated industries and CARP calls on the government to remove section 15(1)(c) of the
Canadian Human Rights Act.

"Ironically, the Canadian Human Rights Act was one of the last bastions of permissible age discrimination in Canada," said Susan Eng, VP Advocacy.

For further information visit www.carp.ca

Canadian Medical Association Calls for Ban on Triclosan

by Lloyd Alter, Toronto

TreeHugger has been all over Bisphenol A this week, but there is another gender bender chemical that we have been talking about since John wrote There’s A Frog Disruptor In My Soap three years ago: Triclosan. It is in all kinds of so-called "antibacterial" products, from Right Guard to Total toothpaste. Two years ago we were quoting Scientific American in Antibacterial Cleaners Do More Harm Than Good"

"What is this stuff doing in households when we have soaps?" asks molecular biologist John Gustafson of New Mexico State University in Las Cruces. "These substances really belong in hospitals and clinics, not in the homes of healthy people."

Now the Canadian Medical Association has asked the Federal Government to ban it in consumer products because it may cause bacterial resistance. ...more story

Depressed? Get Some Fresh Air

from Green Living Ideas
by Reenita Malhotra in Personal Fitness


Is the recession getting you down? Are you in a tizzy over job losses? Finances? Family? Maybe it’s all of the above. If you are like most people, then you might be tempted to stop living your own life and turn on the TV to live vicariously through the adventures of others.

According to a recent report from the University of Maryland, unhappy people are likely to watch anywhere from 20-40% more television than happy people. Typically this leads to other forms of sedentary stress release like snacking and couch potato behavior. In the short term it might seem to be a welcome relief from life’s harsh realities but in the medium to long term, it can take a serious toll on your health.

Depression is best overcome by participating in uplifting activities associated with a happy lifestyle. Go for a walk in the park or somewhere else that you can inhale some fresh air. Socialize with your friends over a home-cooked dinner. Sweat it out at a high energy dance or exercise class. Or, if you must stay on the couch then try to replace watching TV with a good comedy book or magazine.

“Happy” activities are most likely to life your mood even in the smallest way. So, turn off the tube…it’s time to kick that recession depression.

Basil Loves Tomatoes

Basil has a famous affinity for tomatoes, as a plant companion and in the kitchen.
from the Old Farmer's Almanac

All along the Mediterranean coast, a common lunch of uncommon perfection is a crusty roll split and filled with sliced ripe tomatoes, a dash of salt, a generous splash of olive oil, and a few basil leaves, all gently squashed so that the juices soak into the bread.

The basil plant has accumulated considerable folklore.
• One of the oddest beliefs about basil is that if it is handled roughly, it will breed scorpions.
• The medieval Doctrine of Signatures, which asserted that “like cures like,” assigned basil as a cure for insect bites.

Of course, nothing tastes better than a just-picked tomato. Here are a couple of wonderful recipes with tomatoes and basil if you get tired of eating tomatoes by themselves:

Totally Tomatoes
• Harvest tomatoes when they are firm. A ripe tomato will be only slightly soft.

• Leave tomatoes on the vine as long as possible.

• The perfect tomato for picking will have full color. Regardless of size, the tomato will be very red, with perhaps some yellow remaining around the stem.

• If your tomatoes fall off before they appear ripe, place them in a brown paper bag with an apple or pear.

• To store ripe tomatoes, place them in a cool, dark place in a single layer with the stem up.

• Never place tomatoes on a sunny windowsill to ripen; they may rot before they are ripe.

• Never refrigerate tomatoes. Doing so spoils the flavor and texture that make up that garden tomato taste.

• Always serve tomatoes at room temperature for maximum flavor.

See the Old Farmer's Almanac Ripeness Guide to know when to harvest other fruits and vegetables.

Stay Cool with Tide Coldwater High-Efficiency

New detergent helps consumers reduce their environmental and energy
impact in the laundry room

TORONTO, Aug. 19 /Canada NewsWire/ - Two years ago, Tide launched Tide Coldwater
detergent, paving the way for Canadian consumers to reap the energy and
cost-saving benefits of washing their clothes in cold water, without
sacrificing quality. Last year's launch of Tide High-Efficiency detergent
helped them to take advantage of their investments in front-loading washers.
Now, with the launch of Tide Coldwater High-Efficiency detergent, Canadians
can reap both benefits of washing in cold water and using high-efficiency
machines.
"A recent survey revealed that nearly nine in ten Canadians felt it was
either very or somewhat important to use an environmentally-friendly laundry
detergent," says Robert Pettifer, product research at Procter & Gamble. "The
reality is, when it comes to laundry behaviour, the ability to make a
difference is in the hands of the consumer: Two of the best things you can do
when washing your clothes is to wash in cold water and use a high-efficiency
machine."
According to Pettifer, like switching to compact fluorescent light bulbs
or using cloth grocery bags, "these changes are easy to incorporate into our
lives because they involve something you would be doing anyway."
A Leger survey, sponsored by Tide Canada, revealed that Canadians have
embraced cold-water washing with 82 per cent agreeing that washing in cold
water can be just as effective as washing in warm or hot water. However, while
30 per cent of the respondents currently use a high-efficiency washing
machine, only slightly over half are aware that they need to use a
specially-formulated detergent for best results.
Tide Coldwater High-Efficiency is formulated specially for HE machines to
create few suds and disperse quickly to help get optimal cleaning performance
with only 20 per cent to 66 per cent of the amount of water used in
traditional machines.(xx) It also contains added ingredients to help consumers
achieve excellent cleaning results in cold water washing conditions.
Making the switch from warm/cold cycles to cold/cold cycles with Tide
Coldwater HE can save 50 per cent of the energy in every load. And even
better, consumers can do 3 washes in cold for the same energy of one wash in
hot. For consumers who still have a traditional top loading machine and an
electric water heater, they can save up to $53 per year in energy just by
switching each load to cold/cold cycles with Tide Coldwater versus washing in
warm/cold cycles.
Tide Coldwater and NEW Tide Coldwater HE are available in Canada in mass,
drug and grocery stores for a suggested retail price of $8.99(*) for 1.47 L (26
loads). Visit www.tide.com for more information.

Clover Leaf invites Canadians to reinvent fast food and "Take 5"

Chef and TV personality Michael P. Clive offers up delicious, five-
ingredient recipe ideas to help Canadians serve tasty, easy, healthy
meals in only five minutes

TORONTO, Aug. 17 /Canada NewsWire/ - Clover Leaf Seafoods is inviting Canadians to
"Take 5" when it comes time to whip up simple, healthy meals as they settle
into their busy Fall schedules and hectic back-to-school routines.

Clover Leaf's Take 5 recipes reinvent the concept of fast food using just
five ingredients to create nutritious, tasty meals that are ready and on the
table in five minutes. To create these quick meal ideas, Clover Leaf enlisted
the help of chef and TV personality Michael P. Clive, whose mantra is
care-free living mixed with top-notch cuisine.

"Canadians are looking for healthy, great tasting, quick-serve meals for
their families," says Clive, who has worked in some of Ontario's finest
restaurants, as well as a host of his own cooking show. "With a dash of
creativity, a pinch of culinary know-how - and a can opener - anyone can
create a tasty, satisfying dish in just five minutes."

Clover Leaf offers a wide variety of low sodium and flavoured tuna, as
well as skinless, boneless salmon products that make meal preparation easier
than ever.

"Tuna and salmon are already staples in most Canadian pantries," says
Clive. "It's time to take these convenient and economical foods to new
culinary heights. Let's make mealtime more manageable and turn that regular
tuna melt into something exciting!"
Clive's tasty five-ingredient, five-minute recipes can be found at
www.cloverleaf.ca/take5

Some of his delicious recipes include:

TUNA CURRY IN A HURRY
Ingredients:
1 tbsp (15 ml) butter
1 clove garlic, minced
2 cans (85 g ea.) Clover Leaf Flaked Light Tuna - Spicy Thai Chili
1 cup (250 ml) low fat sour cream
1 tsp (5 ml) curry powder

Preparation:
1. Over medium heat melt butter in a large saucepan. Add garlic.
2. Stir in tuna, sour cream, and curry powder.
3. Heat until warm and serve over rice or accompany with Naan bread, if
desired.
4. Garnish with cilantro (optional).

Serves 2

SALMON CHICK PEA SALAD
Ingredients:
1 can (170 g) Clover Leaf Skinless Boneless Sockeye Salmon, drained
1 1/4 cup (275 ml) chick peas, drained
1 cup (250 ml) cherry tomatoes, chopped; reserve 1/2 a cherry tomato for
garnish
1 sweet yellow pepper, half diced and half cut into rings
1/4 cup (50 ml) low fat Italian dressing

Preparation:
1. Toss together the salmon, chick peas, tomatoes, diced pepper and
dressing.
2. Serve over top of your favourite greens or on its own.
3. Garnish with half a cherry tomato or yellow pepper rings and a sprig
of chervil.

Serves 2

Tip: You could use any one of Clover Leaf's skinless boneless salmon
products: Sockeye, Pink or Atlantic.

TUNA MASHIES
Ingredients:
2 cans (85 g ea.) Clover Leaf Flaked Light Tuna - Lemon & Pepper
1 cup (250 ml) leftover mashed potatoes
2 tsp (10 ml) fresh dill, chopped
1 green onion, chopped
2 tsp (10 ml) lime juice

Preparation:
1. Combine all of the ingredients and stir thoroughly.
2. Serve mixture cold or at room temperature on whole grain (or wheat)
toast, cut diagonally, with a side of veggies, as a snack or for
lunch.

Serves 4

Tip: When preparing mashed potatoes, consider using mini red and white
varieties. Leave the skins on for added nutrients in addition to that
"rustic, home-style" appearance.

About Clover Leaf Seafoods

Clover Leaf Seafoods is Canada's largest branded shelf stable seafood
company. For more than 100 years Clover Leaf has been dedicated to providing
consumers with high quality canned and ready-to-serve seafood products. In
addition to household seafood staples, such as canned tuna and salmon, Clover
Leaf offers a wide variety of flavoured tuna, award-winning prepared tuna
steaks, smoked oysters and mussels, as well as specialty seafoods including
canned crab, shrimp, herring, sardines and clams. Clover Leaf is Canada's
leading brand of canned tuna and canned salmon. Clover Leaf Seafoods is a
subsidiary of Connor Bros. L.P.
For more information, please visit www.cloverleaf.ca

My Medicine List

 
Can you name all of the medications you are taking? Do you know what doses you are taking and what the medicine is for?

“My Medicine List™” can help you keep track of everything you take to keep you healthy, including pills, vitamins, and herbs.

Having a list of all your medicines in one place also helps your doctor, pharmacist, hospital, or other healthcare workers take better care of you.

Click here to download your PDF copy of "My Medicine List™." You can then fill out each line electronically, save it to your computer, and print out a copy.

NOTE: This form works best using Internet Explorer. Other browsers may not support it. If you cannot fill out the form electronically using a browser other than Internet Explorer, simply print out the list and fill it in by hand.

My Medicine List™ was developed by the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists (ASHP) and the ASHP Foundation through a sponsorship from sanofi-aventis.

 

The Value of the Internet for Improving Healthcare...

...By Deborah Leyva - Healthcare & Technology

For many older adults, print media, physicians, and advocacy groups still dominate as preferred sources of healthcare information. Although, the Internet is now gaining respect as an alternative source of data for all medical consumers.

..."The cure of diseases is doubtless a matter of great importance; but the preservation of health is of still greater. This is the concern of every man, and surely what relates to it ought to be rendered as plain and obvious to all as possible."...

The arrival of computers and new technologies into mainstream life continue to impact the way in which people receive and disseminate information on a variety of topics, particularly healthcare.

full article

...all four food groups

Your Irish coffee has "all four food groups" reminded me of some frighteningly little-known facts about why chocolate is the perfect food:

1. It is a vegetable. Yes, a vegetable. It is made from cocoa beans, which grow on a plant.
2. It also contains dairy products, used to make it smooth and creamy. Eat enough chocolate and you can forget about drinking all those glasses of milk a day that the Daily Food Pyramid suggests.
3. If you eat the kind with nuts, you're adding protein and fiber to your diet.
4. If you eat the kind with little bits of cereal in it, you're also getting a serving of grain. And it's way better than a couple of slices of wheat bread.
5. Eat the kind with raspberries in it, or chocolate-covered fruit of any kind, and you're also getting a fruit serving.
6. Eat chocolate-covered ants, and you boost the protein. However, most of us are willing to forego that.
7. Finally, buy Fair Trade chocolate, and you're doing justice work in the world.

What could be better than that?