We too have a chance to imitate nature and start afresh; we too can emerge with a bright new look and attitude! We can start with striving to nurture the seeds of dedication and determination to preserve and maintain a healthy body, mind and spirit.

Springtime is a good time as any to smile from the inside out. It’s a time to stop and look at the world around us. It’s a time to stop thinking about our day-to-day mundane lives and dream a little! First comes the dream, wish or goal. Wishing is free, so go ahead and sow that mental seed! Next – the plan and self-determined action needed to make your dream grow. Finally – the joy of seeing that flower blossom. The fulfillment of your goal, accomplished through hard work and persistence.

This issue of HK Magazine is filled with the information you need to get you there –whether your dream is running a 5K race, or embracing ways to improve the quality of your life with proper food choices – whatever your goal, this issue “Resilience” is for everyone.

Thanks to all the readers and friends who emailed, shout out with Facebook messages and called, in response to last month’s publisher’s message.

I am recovering – from the horrid experience of bodily harm threats and still finds it difficult to believe that such ‘nigger’ hate crime exist in my neighborhood, –  my home for over eight years. My wakeup call sounded–for it’s not Southern Alabama or 200 years ago when Blacks were mules. It’s the land of opportunities and in the city whose motto is “Diversity is our Strength” How unfortunate that the hard-wire mentalities and others’ ignorance have tainted my views, of me, as a free and independent woman.

Our prayers are with Pope Francis, the newly elected pope, for his strength and wisdom to guide the Roman Catholic Church. Enjoy the pages following – lots of great and valuable information inside these covers - let us know your thoughts.

Enjoy the pages following and let us know your thoughts. Email us at editor@hkmagazine.info.

Wishing you healthy knowledge!

Liz Philbert

We all know it can be difficult being a kid at school! Not only do you need to learn all of the academic things that school curriculums throw at you in neat subject-related parcels but social expectations can be incredibly tricky to navigate. We’re told that Emotional Intelligence can be a key to surviving interactions in school settings but how do our children fare in this area? What exactly is Emotional Intelligence and how can the natural stresses of school life be managed and absorbed more easily?

Emotional Intelligence was coined and recognized in the 1990’s to be as important to children’s well-being as IQ. Simply put, EI [emotional intelligence] is the ability to not only identify and manage one’s own emotions in a positive manner but it enables a child to contribute, communicate and empathize effectively with others as well. A socially adept child – a child with emotional intelligence – is more likely to fit in, while managing and balancing the daily ups and downs of life, both at school and at home. Out of recognition of the need for this important quality, Friendship in Action was born!

The mission of Friendship in Action [FIA], a small grassroots organization developed by a team of experienced educators, brings a fresh perspective to the problems faced by teachers and children these days. Their goal is to address societal issues such as self-awareness, tolerance, conflict resolution, empathy and compassion towards one another. Through a typical series of four workshops, the FIA team first meets with elementary classroom teachers in order to plan a variety of activities that will lead the children along the path towards acquiring the skills that have been identified. From Jr/Sr Kindergarten children dealing with their own and others’ basic emotions to complex social intricacies faced by older children in the upper grades, the FIA team will help them focus on positive elements such as inclusion, general notions of kindness, tolerance and eventual acceptance of differences often through recognition of common human traits. Their approach to the theme of anti-bullying for example, takes the focus off the negative behaviours, helping the children to examine what it means to be a good friend and positive acceptable ways to achieve it.

An interesting opportunity presented itself to the FIA team last year. A Special Needs teacher at an east-end public school approached FIA with her concern. A number of boys from grades 3-5 were exhibiting various forms of socially exclusive behaviour which was seen to be negative and/or isolating for the children involved. Working closely together with two of the teachers on staff, the FIA team designed a Boys’ Leadership Club where the 15 boys came together in the school’s music room at lunchtime once a week for 4 weeks. Using books, role play, active games, group challenges and discussions, many of the troubling issues were addressed with attention paid to the good qualities all were hoping might be instilled. At the end of the 4-sessions working with FIA, the teachers were able to continue with the ‘Leadership Club’ as the positive trajectory had been set in place. It was obvious that all of the boys had many issues to deal with in their lives but it was recognized that they were in a much better place now to become positive ‘leaders’ of themselves and within their school community!

Emotional intelligence, social well-being and happy healthy children are linked naturally together when we all pay attention to the details woven into our kids’ lives. The ‘Team’ is all of us so we need to work creatively on it together!
FIA workshops are run as part of the daily school activity and integrated into the curriculum. Schools pay what they can afford and in some cases, are fully sponsored. FIA has been fortunate to receive financial support form corporations and foundations.

If you think your child’s school or a particular classroom you care about might benefit from the work done by Friendship in Action, please contact Gerry Mabin: mabin27@sympatico.ca

(416) 568 3773

*The FIA team members:
Gerry Mabin, Aldonna Stremecki, Briony Glassco and Anne Cassidy

In preparation to enter this next phase of nature, this month’s issue of HK magazine compiles common health concerns from foods to houseplants; ways to cope with the tail end of winter with simple stretching exercises, body massages and yoga (ins and oms); alternative choices; current trends on issues from cremation to condoms; Canada’s recent political milestone, and the historical resignation of Pope Benedict XVl.

The Pope made a public decision relating to his mental health and well-being, a frank admission that he no longer had the strength of mind and body needed for the job. It was a heroic declaration (don’t you think) of self-respect and courage; to walk away from the demands of a job for a healthier and better quality of life. In a decision of colossal proportion, the Pope made a choice we all have considered from time to time. Although most of us cannot afford to be so aggressive towards our employment situations, we can take a little encouragement from His Holiness and review our lives working towards eliminating the baggage of stress and illness.

Happy International Woman’s Day on March 8. The theme for 2013 is “A promise is a promise: Time for action to end violence against women.” What a fitting time to bravely inspect the safety of women around the world.

The world gasps when news of gang rape and violence towards women makes the headlines. Why do women still have to live in fear of being attacked and raped?

I recently experienced that fear. It put me in flight – out of town for 4 weeks- as I ran for my safety from a brutal and aggressive attack.

“Why must women be constantly exposed to the fear of physical violence?” The only answer that prowls my mind is “because the perpetrators/rapists can.” I’m not sure what I could have done to prevent what a friend called a horrific experience, but I know for sure that this form of hate crime towards me was due to the fact that I am a (single) woman and without adequate protection.

After investigation I do not recommend contacting a ‘supposedly’ safe place like a shelter in the middle of the night without an appointment because you will be out of luck. There is a central phone number for shelters, which sure is not displayed on every street corner, and when you finally get it and call there are no guarantees, plus the qualifying process will strip your pride, enough to make you turn to a park bench.

In order for women to live full and enriched lives without the fear of being someone’s property, we need preventative protection – not judgment after the fact, when our souls and dignity have been destroyed.

It’s high time the lawmakers hear our cries for STIFFER PENALTIES for such threats and crimes. It’s about time we women feel the shackles on our bodies removed and be viewed as equal citizens in this world. Now is the time to eradicate old cultural and traditional sexist mindsets towards women.

It’s also time for our government to stop making a mockery of women by turning a blind eye to the plight of women forced into the sex trade.  Human trafficking is one of the fastest growing criminal activities. It is estimated that 30,000 victims of sex trafficking die each year from abuse, disease, torture, and neglect. They say, ‘you are as strong as your weakest link’ – so even though women today are allowed to climb the corporate ladder, produce and care for our children and rally for same sex marriages – until we are all free – this mental cloud and behavior of the oppressed will continue to endure and haunt us deep, from the pit of our womb for many generations to come.

Liz Philbert

publisher

In an era where health conscious citizens take every step to live healthy, awareness of diseases less heard of can make living healthy easier. Glaucoma is one condition which we hear of less frequently, but is the second leading cause of blindness in the world.

The worldwide prevalence of glaucoma is increasing. This is due in part to the rapidly aging population. There are more than 60 million people worldwide with glaucoma. It is estimated by the year 2010 we are going to have 8.4 million individuals worldwide who are blind from primary glaucoma and by 2020, it is estimated that there will be 11 million individuals who are blind from glaucoma. Presently, there are at least 300,000 Canadians affected with glaucoma.

Glaucoma is a group of diseases which lead to loss of vision and blindness due to damage caused to the optic nerve. The optic nerve is a bundle of more than one million nerve fibres, and acts like a cable which carries visual information from the eye to the brain. We are able to see because our brain interprets the information conveyed by these impulses, and makes us perceive them as images from our surroundings.

Glaucoma is very aptly nicknamed as the “sneak thief of sight” because most types of this disease are able to steal one’s sight without any warning or symptoms. It can affect one or both eyes, and spares no age group. However, like many other conditions, it too affects more commonly as age advances.

The journal Chronic Diseases in Canada published by the Public Health Agency of Canada stated in one of their articles in 2000, “In Canada, glaucoma is the second leading cause of blindness in people aged 50 and over, with primary open-angle glaucoma (POAG) accounting for 90% of all cases.” The article also stated that, “prevalence of POAG increases with age and the condition is found more commonly among Blacks than Whites.”

Glaucoma is the second leading cause of blindness in the world (behind cataract) and the leading cause of irreversible blindness, says Dr. Catherine Birt, an associate professor of ophthalmology at University of Toronto. “It has many different subtypes, but the commonest, primary open angle glaucoma (POAG), has no early symptoms and can result in significant loss of visual function prior to the affected persons being aware that they have a problem.”

Different ethnic groups have a different predisposition to ailments. “People of African descent have a higher risk of developing POAG, and it tends to affect them earlier and more severely than people from a European background.  In far east Asia, however, angle closure is the more common type of glaucoma,” said Dr. Birt.

1. Ginseng is an adaptogen that helps improve brain function by increasing the release of hormones. Ginseng has been used to treat those with learning disabilities.
2. Ginkgo Biloba: Acts as a tonic to the circulatory system by increasing blood flow to the brain, which also brings more nutrition to the brain. Several compounds of the plant are thought to provide the functions of both antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties to the brain. Ginkgo is a traditional Chinese herbal medicine and further research in its usefulness in brain chemistry is ongoing.
3. Bacopa is an herb used in Ayurvedic medicine to improve brain function since the 6th century.
4. Huperia serrata has been used in Chinese medicine to aid brain function. The mechanism seems to imitate that of FDA approved drugs so clinical trials are underway in the National Institute on Aging. Proper brain nutrition can go a long way in maintaining and restoring healthy brain function.

More and more of us are getting hip to the fact that taking care of ourselves and preserving good health starts with the food we eat. The word “diet” is now commonly used to describe the foods we consume, instead of the foods we are restricted from eating as in the case of “dieting.”

Over the last 10 years there has been a growing global awareness from youngsters to seniors of the importance of diet and lifestyle change. We are now the commanders of our health as we take charge and learn more about how to use preventive measures to avoid diseases and ailments.

This is a great period of time to be alive and keep well. All the information we need is at our fingertips: telephone health lines, community workshops, and print media sources like this magazine. Although the internet has proven to be a wonderful first line of information, remember it’s important to consult a qualified health professional before making any drastic changes to your lifestyle.

We call for a celebrationof all who have made it to 40 and 60 and 80 and are still going strong. Stuffed within these pages are some popular issues and updates relating to health and aging: Cataracts, Heart Diseases, Memory Loss, Viagra and High Blood Pressure Medicine (pros & cons).

February is the month of celebrations for Black History. We salute the past and present history makers and urge everyone to “not forget our history.” pages 37 – 43

This year Mardi Gras/Carnival is on the 11 and 12 of February so in our celebratory spirit, we compiled and feature a spread on Mardi Gras/Carnival around the world. pages 31 – 36

Chinese New Year is the longest and most important festivity in the Chinese calendar, this year we celebrate it on February 10.  Valentine’s Day on February 14 and Family Day observed in the Canadian provinces of Alberta, Ontario and Saskatchewan on February 18.  Lots of celebration!

Let’s continue to bring joy into our homes with proper food choices for our bodies and literature to enrich our minds. Let’s keep our culture and traditions alive for the next generation and the others following. Let’s not forget our history!

A cherished love to our readers as we wish you Happy Valentine also Healthy Knowledge!

Liz E, Philbert – Publisher

1. Which parts of the brain are affected by Alzheimer’s disease?
a. walking . seeing
b. thought . memory .language
c. speech . hearing

2 It is Alzheimer’s disease is a normal part of aging …?
a. YES
b. NO

3. How long on average do Alzheimer’s disease patients live after they are diagnosed….?
a. 1 – 3 years
b. 8 to 10 years
c. 20 – 25 years

4. Specialize doctors can diagnose Alzheimer’s disease correctly up to…?
a. 80 % of the time
b. 90 % of the time
c. 70% of the time

B is the correct answer for all

In 2012 we again witnessed global changes – many we welcomed such as President Barack Obama winning the election for another term as President of the United States of America. Many were challenging to accept, such as Hurricane Sandy, a natural disaster that destroyed whole communities and in which over 100 people died. Many were impossible to accept, such as the tragedy at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Connecticut where a gunman killed 26 women and children, or the brutal gang rape of a young woman in India that is now bringing a country to reevaluate how woman are viewed and treated.

In 2012 Ontarians declared a war against bullying. We were appalled at the cyber-bullying story of 15-year-old Amanda Todd, who committed suicide in Port Coquitlam, British Columbia. We waved banners to prevent bullying in schoolyards and on the internet – hateful behavior that destroys lives, but – did we inspect our behaviors with our friends, family and neighbors and co-workers? Did we review the hardship and mental state we cause to others by our gossiping, name-calling, threats, teasing and disrespect of differences? Can we be contributors to bullying? Is it easier to join the group than stand up for what is right? How did we get to the point of not caring for our fellow man? Bullying has no benefit. Those who cherish using their earthly powers to dehumanize someone else are cowards. When one spends their entire awake moments thinking of how to bring another down – that is not politicking.

WHAT IS GOING ON? How did we get to this point, when we are the most connected global society in history? Should we not be able to communicate BETTER, understand MORE and take revenge LESS? Are we so wrapped as individuals with Greed for material things or Greed for power? Is this the best we can do with our earthly years? Many around us are in need – some for a daily meal, others for a warm coat, many for a reassuring smile. Practicing good to all mankind calls for compassion but most of all it call for self-love. If one does not love oneself, one cannot love someone else.

In this January issue we are presenting the theme of AWARENESS – self-awareness.

Each page is designed to bring us closer to our desires, hopes and dreams for 2013. A devotion to good health and remaining healthy is a devotion to keeping a balance of mind, body and soul.

We compiled a special Daily Awareness section on pages 13 to 23 including Health Tips to Aid Body Aches and Pains, and The Secrets of Relaxation and the Discipline of the Mind. Check out a listing of the impurities we breathe in Air Quality on pages 35 to 37. Women Testing includes great ways to keeping soft and supple skin with Shea Butter on pages 31 to 32 and Laser Removal Treatment on page 30.

Yes, the promise of a New Year brings renewed joy and pride on a clean slate to do better and reach for our goals; good luck to all who dare to dream, those determine to accomplish and all who are strong tostand tall and bring goodness around them.

Happy New Year from all of us at HK magazine and thank you for your continual support and contribution that keeps us motivated to bring healthy knowledge information to you.

Walk Safe and Tall – it’s a New Year!

Liz E. Philbert

Publisher

If

If you told me to use an Ethernet cable with my laptop and keep Airport mode turned on, or to move the WiFi antennae from my bedroom and to turn it off at night or when not in use, or to get rid of WiFi all together, I would have listened, and then wondered; why would I want to do all of that?”

If you told me three months ago that baby monitors should not be placed near babies or to ask my 14yr. old daughter to text more than talk, and not sleep with her phone or computer on the pillow beside her, I would have listened but still I might not have changed a thing.

If you told me that the microwave radiation emitted by cell phones, cordless phones, WiFi antennas, cell towers and masts, WLAN and other wireless technology was an invisible culprit causing thousands of people to experience all manner of symptoms from insomnia to high blood pressure and heart palpitations, and should be avoided completely or at least whenever possible, I would have listened, but still I might not have changed a thing, after all, the government continues to approve these things, and the mass media tells us these devices are safe.

But before three months ago I hadn’t spent more than a month living 6 feet under as well as in front of 10 cell towers that were placed on the roof directly above my balcony. I was healthy, vital and slept like a baby. I didn’t wake up with numb hands and feet, my body feeling prickly all night and tingling or vibrating almost all day. I didn’t spend night after night in a hyper active state, as though electricity was running through me. I lived in a home that I loved, it was my sanctuary. I didn’t have a hissing or buzzing or high-pitched ring in my ear, known as tinnitus or microwave hearing, mostly when in that home. I didn’t get tension headaches ever, or feel like there is an invisible band around my head creating pressure, mostly when in that home. I didn’t feel bouts of nausea on a regular basis, sometimes accompanied by a metallic taste in my mouth, and I didn’t get dizzy spells mostly when in that home. I wasn’t afraid I might have a heart attack as I slept on a makeshift floor mattress in my living-room, and felt my heart race all night while my body from top to toe became increasingly numb and tingly. I wasn’t without focus and direction and unable to concentrate. I’d never gotten shocks touching my bed mattress, home light switches, pots on the stove, and with every stroke of my cats.

Before three months ago my daughter didn’t have more than one unexplainable rash that hurt ‘in’ the skin as she described it, she didn’t have headaches or feel nauseous and dizzy in our home, or experience the blood in her hand going cold. She never had sleepless nights.

Before three months ago I hadn’t abandoned my home at the advice of someone who could have sold me thousands of dollars’ worth of products and equipment by convincing me they would alleviate this situation. Instead I was told, “you have to get out of there, if you care about you and your daughters health you’re going to have to move”. I had never couch surfed with my 14yr old in tow while trying to maintain some semblance of a normal life or schedule for her.

Before three months ago I hadn’t researched everything I could find to educate myself about the real dangers of exposure to microwave radiation, or electromagnetic frequencies. I wasn’t fully aware of cell towers and this invisible Wireless web that continues to be woven above all of our heads. I couldn’t tell the difference between a Bell cell tower, a Rogers cell tower, a Globe-alive or Wind cell tower or a Telus cell tower. I’d never heard of Industry Canada or Spectrum, Canada Safety Code 6, or the Bioinitiative report. I hadn’t spoken to Health Canada, Industry Canada, Canadian Environmental Legal Association, Environmental Health Clinic, Environmental Health Association, The Environmental Protection Office, The Toronto Environmental Alliance, Public Health office, Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment, my City Councillors office, trying to find some-any answers as to how safe it is to live in such close proximity to a cell tower. So far none of them have told me it’s not safe, but thankfully I have better judgement, a body that is telling me the truth, and Liala, Kevin and Magda to confirm what I already knew.

Before three months ago I hadn’t spent 15 days getting 2 hours sleep a night because my body was vibrating/pulsating all the time, and the rest of the night in tears while feeling like I was losing my mind from sleep deprivation combined with the physical stress of feeling fight or flight 24 hours a day. I didn’t have a clear and unpleasant physical reaction to my cell phone, the use of cell phones by people in close proximity to me, the touch of my computer keyboard, or the experience of sitting close to the monitor for too long. I didn’t feel my legs tingling-and going cold and slightly numb if I spent too much time in the same room as a WiFi Modem. I didn’t feel nauseous and have sharp pains go through my hand and up my arm if I held a cordless phone or a cell phone while in use. I didn’t feel nauseous if I sat for too long or too close to a television, I do for now. I couldn’t tell you when I was standing within two to four blocks of a cell tower antenna. I never thought twice about leaning on walls or being in close proximity to the electrical wiring in a building, or lying on the floor above a basement for the same reasons. I never had to consider the effects of my neighbors WiFi antennas and cordless phone-base broadcasting through any wall that stood between us.

Before three months ago I hadn’t heard the words Electro Sensitive or Electro-Hypersensitive. I hadn’t spent hours and hours on the phone trying to find a good doctor, preferably one who knew what a cell tower was (none of them did) and the possible effects of living 6 feet under or in front of one, only to find that it is nearly impossible to find any doctor taking new patients at all. Unfortunately for me, the ones that were, who offered the kinds of analysis or treatment I might need, cost an arm and a leg or a plane ticket, which I didn’t have to spare at that time.

Before three months ago I hadn’t slept in six locations over a period of nine days in the middle of a three week period, while trying to find a place where I could get a good nights sleep because even after friends and family pulled the plug on the WiFi, cordless phones, and everything but the fridge, my body was reacting to the wireless technology from the neighbors, emitting through the walls to where I slept, and increasingly to all things electrical.

Before three months ago I hadn’t heard of EMF Solutions, Earthcalm, Magda Havas, Jim Vella, the Weep Initiative, the Electro-sensitive Society, Safe Living Technologies, a Qlink, a gauss meter or an Electro smog meter. I hadn’t read stories from hundreds of people around the world whose lives have been profoundly impacted by something we can’t see or hear (for the most part) but can most definitely feel… by microwave radiation, and electromagnetic frequencies emitting at levels not meant for human consumption, by something we are led to believe is harmless and benefits us in more ways than it bombards us, in favor of convenience and especially someone’s bottom line, over our continued health and longevity. Three months ago my life got turned upside down by exposure to microwave radiation while living 6 feet under and in front of 10 Cell towers. I am now preparing to move to a home yet to be

found, and challenged by the fact that I have to consider my recently acquired sensitivities more than the location, size, and cost. There is no doubt in my mind or my body as to when and where this all began. There is no doubt in me at all, that human beings are affected on a biological level by exposure to microwave radiation well below the levels considered safe by Health Canada’s Safety Code 6. Thankfully over time it can be reversed.

A lot can happen in three months, and like anyone else, I don’t like being blind-sided.

I share this with you not because I expect you to change a thing, but because I do want you to pay attention. Pay attention to the choices that are yours to make, and especially to the ones that are being made for you. Because even if I had listened to every piece of advice in terms of precaution, I still would have had no choice about whether or not I wanted to live in a neighbourhood rife with cell towers… or should I say live and sleep 6 feet under and in front of 10 of them.

Pay attention now, before you have to pay dearly.

Sincerely

Veronica Ciandre. 20/03/2010