Overindulging during the holidays can happen very easily given the parties, buffets and other seasonal events that feature food, but you can enjoy all of the good things this time of year brings and stay healthy with a little bit of planning.  

Mumps, once thought of as a childhood disease, has been increasing across Canada recently, primarily among post secondary students.  

Nutritious food is an important ingredient for healthy growth and development and for maintaining good health at every age and stage of life, but not everyone can afford the food they need.  

Most of us think that influenza, commonly known as the flu, is relatively minor, but in fact, true influenza is a serious illness.  

World Breastfeeding Week is an annual event that celebrates the importance of breastfeeding for the health of both mothers and children.  

World Breastfeeding Week is an annual event that celebrates the importance of breastfeeding for the health of both mothers and children. 

We rarely hear about people dying of rabies in Canada thanks to good preventative measures, but rabies is still a serious health issue across the world.  

The Human Papilloma virus, also known as HPV, is a family of common contagious viruses.  

 

Rest and relaxation may be all that’s on the mind during the carefree days of summer, but as far as mosquitoes are concerned the later days of summer are prime time for transmitting West Nile virus (WNv).  

We’ve just come through a particularly long and cold winter, and now that summer has finally arrived, we look forward to enjoying hot sunny days at one of the great beaches Simcoe Muskoka is blessed with.  

Jack had already moved the plants, gardening tools and bags of top soil to the backyard and had started to dig. Emily ran to turn on the garden hose, while Ben stood beside his dad, asking “me help?”  

Most of us probably don’t give a lot of thought to hepatitis, except perhaps when we receive a vaccine against hepatitis A or B.  

Everyone notices a beautiful smile, but a mouthful of healthy looking teeth is about more than just appearances.  

Measles, polio, diphtheria and the mumps are diseases that were once common in Canada, but are seldom seen today.  

When you were a child your mother probably told you to eat your vegetables, knowing that they are an important part of a healthy lifestyle. 

Tattooing and body piercing are fashion trends that are so popular among people of all ages that there are even television shows devoted to the topic.  

Are you beginning to wonder why those resolutions you made to improve your physical activity and eat better are so hard to keep?  

It is estimated that more than 40 million people worldwide are currently infected with Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV). In Canada, it is thought that at least 58,000 persons are infected with HIV and that about 30 per cent of them are unaware of their infection. It can take years for a person infected with the virus to show any symptoms of infection, during which time a person can unknowingly spread the virus to other people. 

As the new year opens with all of its promise I’d like to send residents of Simcoe Muskoka my best wishes for health and success in 2008. I’d also like to pass along a tried and true prescription for wellbeing – choose to become tobacco free.