Toni, the Parish Nurse, is in the North Street office Thursdays from 9:00am to 12:00pm, and can be reached at the church phone number 524-2103 or by email parish.nurse3@gmail.com

 

What does a parish nurse do? Attend to those with illness, loss and other related issues; Promote wellness in mind, spirit and body as well as the call to live our faith fully; Clarify medical terminology, delivery of care and medical issues; Advocate to ensure appropriate care and support offered by medical and community programs; Recruit, train and support volunteers as “Caring Visitors”; Offer encouragement, support and personal wellbeing often in a pastoral care setting. Toni Schaefer

Words of advice from Toni....

FIBROMYALGIA…Reducing Stress - take time to relax; learn relaxation techniques such as breathing exercises, guided imagery and meditation. Sleeping well – go to bed early; avoid caffeine at night particularly; get a comfortable mattress; avoid alcoholic beverages. Exercising regularly – stretch when you wake up; use low impact aerobics; exercise at least ½ hour 3 times a week. The first few times you exercise, you may feel pain. With time, pain will become less severe. Eating healthy – avoid alcohol, caffeine and candy; eat a balanced vitamin rich diet; quit smoking. Managing symptoms – as they arise. For dry eyes use eye drops, etc.

 

APPLYING YOUR GI DIET TO YOUR EATING PLAN…The diet really is nothing but an exchange of foods, in the same group, from the red zone to the yellow zone, or more preferably, the green zone. For example, choose oatmeal or muesli instead of corn flakes. To follow the diet:

* Eat at least 3 low GI foods throughout the day, ideally one at each meal. All carbohydrates that you eat do not need to be low GI.
* Do not avoid all high GI foods, but try to eat them with low or medium GI foods whenever possible. This will decrease the average of the total meal.
* Eat breads that contain a high proportion of whole or cracked grains, stone-groundwhole wheat flour, oats, bran and/or seeds
* Eat unrefined cereals, like large flake rolled oats, wheat bran, oat bran, muesli and cereals made with psyllium
* Eat brown, wild, basamati or parboiled rice
* Eat sweet potatoes instead of white
* Snack on fruits, vegetables yogurt or nuts
* Eat fruit or dairy based desserts such as low fat ice-cream
* Eat pasta, legumes, vegetables and low-fat dairy products more often
* Eat a variety of salad vegetables

 

Three effective forms of therapy often in conjunction with medication:

Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT)
CBT is a form of psychotherapy that helps people deal with depression by showing them how negative thought patterns can contribute to feelings of sadness and despair. Over time, individuals learn how to turn negative thoughts into more balanced ones.

Interpersonal Therapy (IPT)
IPT looks at depression from an interpersonal perspective. Personal experiences – such as the loss of a loved one or a change in role, such as retirement – can alter a person's support system and trigger a depression. IPT aims to treat the depression by finding ways to cope with and improve interpersonal relationships

Mindfulness Meditation
This form of therapy helps people stay mentally healthy after they've recovered from an episode of depression. Unlike CBT, mindfulness meditation does not attempt to change thought patterns. Instead, it helps individuals focus on the here and now,and accept their feelings without judgment.

If the shoe fits…Next time you lace up your sneakers for a walking workout, take a minute to examine the bottom of your shoes. If your treads look worn down, it might be time for a new pair. (You should replace your walking shoes every three to six months.)Taking a look at the tread wear pattern can also tell you a lot about the way you walk, whether you may be prone to certain injuries and what kind of walking shoe is best for you. Every time you take a step, your foot strikes the ground on the outside of the heel and rolls inward through to the ball of the foot. This motion is called pronation. Over-pronating and under-pronating (also known as supination) leave distinct tread wear patterns and commonly cause injury. Over pronating can cause plantar fasciitis (inflammation of the fibrous material that makes up the arch). Under pronating can cause ankle injuries on the outside of the foot.

 

Care Quilts and prayer shawls…we have given away approximately 171 quilts and 38 prayer shawls. I have spoken about these miracles before and wish to let you know that the faithful “creators” are still at it. Come join us, even for a visit and see the wonders take shape. Ladies, you hopefully know how grateful I am and how proud I am to share this story with whomever I meet.