MSM, or methylsulfonylmethane, is a naturally-occurring compound found in certain foods and supplements that has been shown to have a variety of health benefits. Some of the main benefits of MSM include:

Joint and muscle pain relief: MSM has been found to be effective in reducing pain and inflammation in the joints and muscles. This can help to improve mobility and flexibility, and make it easier to engage in physical activity.

Improved skin health: MSM can help to improve the health and appearance of the skin by promoting collagen and elastin production, which can lead to firmer, more youthful-looking skin.

Reduced inflammation: MSM has anti-inflammatory properties that can help to reduce inflammation throughout the body, which can help to improve overall health and well-being.

Improved immune function: MSM can help to improve the function of the immune system, which can help to fight off infections and illnesses more effectively.

Better hair and nail growth: MSM can help to improve the health of hair and nails by promoting the production of keratin, a protein that is essential for strong and healthy hair and nails.

Overall, MSM is a versatile and powerful supplement that can help to improve overall health and well-being in a variety of ways.

More than 90% of older adults have at least one chronic condition, and more than 75% have more than one. Plus, these figures are even higher for women than for men.

Natural changes like menopause and family medical history play a part, but healthy lifestyle choices can help you stay strong and healthy in the years ahead.

 Here are some tips to help make aging healthily a breeze.

1. Manage stress. Stress can aggravate hot flashes and other symptoms of menopause. Regular exercise helps alleviate stress and boost our mood, as does journaling, practicing gratitude, prayer, and positive thinking.

2. Limit alcohol and caffeine which can trigger hot flashes and increase inflammation and the chance of other health concerns.

3. Move more and eat more mindfully to combat the dreaded middle-aged weight gain. Your metabolism slows down as you age. The distribution of your body fat changes too, so more of those pounds wind up around your waist, increasing your risk for heart conditions and diabetes.

4. Eat soy. Many women find relief from menopause symptoms with soy and supplements, even though studies give conflicting results. See if tofu and soymilk work for you.

5. Eat more fiber and less saturated and trans fats to keep your heart healthy.  Most nuts and seeds are great sources of healthy fat.

6. Get your heart pumping. Aerobic exercise will help your heart stay strong and healthy while aiding with weight loss and reducing the risks of other diseases.

7. Build muscle. You can slow down muscle loss, and thicken your bones with strength training. Lift weights or use your own body weight for resistance, (think squats and pushups). Work hard enough to feel the challenge to build your strength and avoid osteoporosis. You don’t need to worry about ‘bulking up’.

8. Monitor your blood pressure. A vegetarian or low-fat diet has shown to reduce the risk of rising blood pressure and resting heart rate with aging. Losing weight, exercising, and limiting salt and high-fat foods may help you to avoid needing medication.

9. Screen for cancer. Age increases your risk for many forms of cancer. So do some foods, like red meat. Stay active, eat more vegetables, and reduce your red meat intake. Talk with your doctor about screening tests that spot cancers early when they're easier to treat and cure.

10. Ask a fitness professional for help.  Would you like to move, look and feel better with the strength and energy to enjoy the best years of your life? Contact me to find out how I can help you do just that!

The COVID-19 Pandemic: What Have We Learned?

Through times of self-isolation, working at home, and just trying to stay healthy, we have had a lot of time to reflect on a lot of different things. Hopefully, you had the chance to learn something new; a hobby, information on a topic that interests you, or maybe you have learned something about yourself. Our primary concern throughout the pandemic has always been keeping ourselves and others safe and healthy by being cautious about exposure to the virus, but staying healthy does not only involve maintaining physical wellness. 

1. Conquer Your Stress Through Management Techniques

We had a conversation with Dr. Bal Pawa, author of the bestselling book The Mind-Body Cure: Heal Your Pain, Anxiety, and Fatigue by Controlling Chronic Stress, where she shared her ‘REFRAME’ Toolkit; designed to look at health from different perspectives and to regulate our reactions to stress. Explanations and further details are discussed in this article.

R - Resetting your nervous system through the BMW Meditation

E - Exercise 

F - Food

R - Rest and Sleep

A - Awareness of Your Thoughts

M - Mindset

E - Examination and Evaluation

Image from Dr. Bal Pawa’s twitter (@balpawa)

With this information we can really stress the importance of not only physical health, but mental and spiritual health as well. And this is something that has become more apparent since the start of the pandemic. We have learned over the last few years that the way you feel does not only come from your physical health, but that these other factors can have just as much of an effect on how you feel overall. 

1. Stay Healthy in All Aspects

There are so many factors that contribute to a person’s wellness. This state not only involves physical wellbeing, but mental, emotional, social, and spiritual wellbeing as well. In the past, there has always been an emphasis on taking care of your physical health, but over the pandemic, it has become more apparent than ever that maintaining these other factors of wellness are just as important in your overall health and happiness. The limitations on social gatherings and events have taken a toll on our wellbeing, and we have all noticed the changes. No matter how healthy you may be physically, social isolation is not healthy because of our inherently social nature as human beings. 

There are also the introspective aspects of mental, emotional, and spiritual wellbeing. It is hard to stay positive right now, and the mental health of many individuals is suffering as a result. Self-care can seem difficult when your mood is low, but it is just as important to care for yourself mentally as it is to care for yourself physically. 

1. Don’t Overlook Your Mental and Spiritual Well Being 

These factors of physical, mental, and spiritual wellness are often intertwined - so much more so than we often ever realize! The idea of the mind-body-spirit connection utilizes this thought of intertwined wellness factors, proposing that our overall wellness comes from physical, mental, and spiritual health all working together. 

In our podcast we talked to Dr. Alexia Georgousis about this mind-body-spirit connection, where she shares the following:

“We forget that we are more than just the physical body. We are not our emotions, or our feelings. Our innate wisdom is our intuition and our ability to connect with nature. General symptoms indicate a misalignment of our inner innate wisdom because our physical and emotional bodies know how to be healthy. When we have this disconnect, it shows up and manifests into these symptoms.” 

Dr. Georgousis, a naturopathic medicine expert, emphasizes that we need a healthy mind in order to have a healthy body, and vice versa. 

1. Become Familiar with All Your Options

It is important to know how to seek help with your health, whether it is physical, mental, spiritual, or other. A great way to get started on a journey to a better overall health is to be familiar with the number of options you have when it comes to improving wellbeing. You may want to consult with a chiropractor for physical wellbeing, but you may also want to talk to a psychologist regarding mental health, or a reiki practitioner for your spiritual health. In reality, you have a lot of options for when you want to take care of not only your physical health, but all other types of wellbeing, and it is important to know that! 

A great way to do this is to join our community on PromptHealth. Here, you can learn more about all of the options available for your needs, and connect with healthcare providers that can help you to care for yourself in every way possible. 

The truth is that healthcare is not only about physical health; your overall well being pertains to your physical, mental, and spiritual health, and we want to make it a simple, personalized, and informative experience for you to access care for all of these needs and more. 

Join our PromptHealth community, and reach out to us if you’d like to collaborate! If you’re a health seeker, find your next provider through connecting and learning with the providers on our platform. If you’re a provider, create an account and start posting content to bring more exposure to your practice, and meet new providers! You can find us on Instagram, LinkedIn, ClubHouse, TikTok, Spotify/Apple Music, and YouTube. Check us out for yourself at www.prompthealth.ca and be sure to download the PromptHealth app on iOS and Android. 

February 4th is World Cancer Day, and this is a great time to talk a little bit about cancer awareness, as well as share some wellness information that could aid in keeping you healthy and lower your risk of cancer.

What is Cancer?

There is nobody in the world who has not been affected by cancer in some way. Whether it be directly or by a distant connection, the sad truth is that cancer remains the second leading cause of death to this day. So, what is cancer exactly? Cancer is not a singular disease in itself but an umbrella term. Cancer describes a type of disease that involves both abnormal cell growth in some part of the body, and the potential to spread to other parts of the body. Cancer can affect nearly every part of the body, with all types having the potential to be life-threatening. 

How is Cancer Treated?

The variety surrounding types of cancer makes treatment difficult, and unfortunately, there is no cure-all to cancer. The research industry surrounding cancer is constantly innovating new treatment methods as well as refining already implemented methods. There are many different types of treatments for cancer, including radiation, chemotherapy, bone marrow transplants, and surgery; and these methods can be more or less effective depending on the specific type of cancer that a patient has. 

Who Does Cancer Affect?

In reality, cancer can affect anyone in life. There are some cancers that are much more common than others, and there are also some gender differences when it comes to the prevalence of cancer types. For example, the three most common cancers in women are breast, lung, and colorectal cancers, which accounted for an estimated 50% of new cancer diagnoses in women in 2020. In comparison, the three most common cancers in men are prostate, lung, and colorectal cancers, accounting for an estimated 43% of new cancer diagnoses in men in 2020. These lists are similar, but they also show a clear increased risk for specific cancers in each gender. As well, there are many external factors that can alter your risk of getting cancer in your lifetime. Things like using tobacco, or exposing yourself to UV rays without protection can increase the risk of getting lung cancer or skin cancer respectively. 

How Do You Prevent Cancer?

Without a definitive cure, the best defense against cancer is to spread awareness, avoid risk factors, and be proactive about a healthy lifestyle. Over a third of all cancers can be prevented by reducing your exposure to risk factors such as “tobacco, obesity, physical inactivity, infections, alcohol, occupational carcinogens, and radiation.” Along with factors that can increase the risk of certain types of cancer, there are also factors that can help to reduce the risk of cancer. In general, many of these factors relate to overall wellness and taking as best care of yourself as you possibly can. Things like eating a healthy and balanced diet, limiting processed foods, drinking alcohol in moderation, maintaining a healthy weight, getting vaccinated, and getting regular medical care can all contribute to a lower risk of cancer. This is not an exhaustive list of things you can do to lower your risk. One of the easiest ways to protect yourself is to learn and spread information, which includes early detection. By being able to identify signs and symptoms early, it increases the chances of successful treatment.  It is important to talk about cancer and share resources that can help those who are looking for help or simply looking to learn more. 

One resource the team at PromptHealth would like to share is our podcast. In particular, an episode where we talk about breast cancer with Dr. Bal Pawa, who co-founded the Westcoast Women's Clinic. Here's what she had to say:

"We can't say that stress causes cancer, but stress does cause you to not take care of your lifestyle, and that is a factor for breast cancer... It's really important to manage stress in order to prevent the risk of cancer and to stay healthy."

The truth is, there are many factors that are out of our control when it comes to cancer, but many of the factors we can control are small changes that we can make to our lifestyle. These small changes not only act as the first line of defense when it comes to your risk of cancer but will also contribute to a healthier and happier life overall. 

We want to help you to live that healthier and happier life! In our PromptHealth community, you can learn about all of your options for wellness and learn directly from the knowledge shared by all types of wellness professionals. If you are a health and wellness provider, join today and start sharing and collaborating with other professionals. Start sharing your content on one universal platform, and begin building your online presence along with your holistic practice. Check it out for yourself at www.prompthealth.ca and download the PromptHealth app on iOS and Android. Share this information with your colleagues and tag @prompthealth. 

I AM FINE 

[VANCOUVER, BC]- The world has been upside down for most of us since the pandemic started, and a lot of people have suffered being in isolation. Pushing us to the limit after yet another version of this virus, now Omicron, there is a mental health crisis due to more restrictions once again. 

In 4 weeks Hedieh Safiyari, PromptHealth founder, has amassed a TikTok following of more than 23 thousand people. Her content and the conversation it sparks, go to show how desperate people are for help. Her intentions were to spread positive vibes and create more awareness about wellbeing, not knowing what to expect. She started creating and posting videos on a daily basis and hosted live video conversations on most nights with a variety of people in a group-type setting. 

One particular video that stands out about men’s mental health revealed people’s struggles in the comments section, sharing how they have always suppressed their feelings. Although it’s happening to both men and women, men seem to be more reserved and prone to suffer in silence. There were thousands of views and hundreds of messages all saying the same thing, all preferring self- help solutions. But the problem is often people are unaware of alternative solutions leading to repressed pain which can lead to bigger problems down the road. 

Some people are on the verge of breaking as seen by some of the comments on Hedieh’s post:

“No one’s there. I’m at my lowest right now, I attempted last week, I don’t reach out to anyone because no one cares, they just see it as weakness.” 

They seem to think they can solve it on their own but often are not well equipped with enough knowledge in terms of where to start. The several comments show how everyone is going through the same thing, yet suffer in silence not doing anything about it. 

“Don’t need to talk to anyone. I’ll deal with it on my own.” 

Multiple users on TikTok thanked Hedieh for opening the discussion about mental health and bringing awareness  to the lack of help available to them… 

“I have been through a 12 step program assistance from a psychologist and psychiatrist, as well as drug and alcohol counselLors to help me settle past trauma back where they belong..thank you for bringing these issues to TikTok and inspiring men and women to talk about their experiences!” 

Hedieh’s social media has become that “safe space” for people to come together and share 

their stories and struggles. The need to be heard, loved and accepted echoes strongly with people, especially during the pandemic. Often even a simple smile and a listening ear can have the potential to change someone’s life. Listen more carefully next time someone says I am fine…

“I am fine, three small words packing in so much power, used as a two-way shield, protecting us from the world and they from us. I am fine, when someone is saying this, truly listen, because what they are trying to say, what they truly need you to hear is, “Please help me!” 

We live in a digital era where people use all kinds of platforms, such as TikTok, to find out about alternative solutions, although the issue is the credibility of the information. PromptHealth, a platform for holistic care options was created to allow people to learn about verified and credible options for their wellbeing. When you have a mental health struggle, waiting to be seen by a professional psychiatrist, that will most likely take over a year is not the only answer. Depending on the severity of the challenges, there are different solutions that exist. 

According to Hedieh, “No one might think of talking to a life coach or have even heard of laughing yoga…it is important to know all of your options when it comes to your health, as it is not a cookie cutter approach!” 

Having spent a lengthy career in healthcare, Hedieh noticed firsthand that society viewed health through an illness focused lens. PromptHealth is on a mission to shift the focus of health to wellness, where a person is healthy in all aspects of their being including mentally, physically and spiritually. Proactively pursuing wellness through exploring alternative options can lead to longer and more fulfilling lives as opposed to dangerous breakdowns resulting in disastrous consequences by ignoring one’s wellness. 

Mental health is not independent from physical health. They are interconnected, which is why taking a step back and looking at the whole person is imperative.  A holistic approach encompasses the mind, body and soul and targets the root of the issue rather than treating the symptoms after they appear. Compared to traditional healthcare, holistic care broadens the definition of health to include the mind, body and soul. The future of wellness starts with knowing all of your options. 

The PromptHealth App is available on iOS and Android.

Media Liaison

Harry Coleman

harry@prompthealth 

(778) 881-2471

Categories of Care and Their Modalities 

Choosing the right provider can make or break your health, but finding “the one” isn’t as simple as a Google search or asking around. Everyone’s specific needs are different, and there are dozens of types of health and wellness providers, each with subcategories and areas they specialize in. On top of conventional care, there are tons of complementary care options to help create a holistic treatment system for wellness seekers. For example, someone seeking care for their mental health might benefit from a psychiatrist, counsellor, therapist, or psychologist. Think it sounds simple enough? Think again.

Within these categories, there are specific modalities. Finding the best care for yourself means deciding on a practitioner after learning of all your options.  Josette Steele, a Clinical Counsellor who offers Art Therapy, finds it important that people receive personalized care.

“As a Clinical Counsellor, Art Therapist, Substance Misuse Counsellor, Life Coach, EFT, and Reiki practitioner, I am able to draw from many different directions so, together, we can build a healing plan that fits your specific need, goals, and visions for the future”   

• Josette Steel MA, DVATI, Certified A&D Counsellor

As a lesser common modality, people who may truly benefit from it are not always aware that art therapy even exists. This acts as a barrier from them receiving care that works best for their specific needs. 

“Art therapy is a therapeutic modality. When we create art, we have a new language that many of us are not as familiar with as the one that we normally speak day in and day out. That allows our psyche or internal process to bypass all those walls and all those barriers and walls that we put up with language when we are so used to speaking” 

• Josette Steel MA, DVATI, Certified A&D Counsellor

Personalized care matters for more than just mental health, too. People seeking care for their physical health have a plethora of options depending on their specific case. For example, someone who is pregnant or a new mom will need care that focuses on pre and postnatal treatment methods.   

"[the] pandemic has been really hard on new moms, not getting enough sleep, not eating properly and not having enough time to exercise. Making yourself a priority and addressing both your physical and mental health is important". 

• Jesse Bennet, @mightymoms, episode 31 of PromptHealth podcast

Postpartum care is offered by many different practitioners, such as trainers, dieticians, chiropractors, massage therapists, acupuncturists. It all depends on what your health goal or concern is and what stage of life you are at. 

Challenges in Finding the Right Provider  

Founder of PromptHealth, Hedieh Safiyari, understands this struggle first-hand. Growing up as an athlete, Hedieh found out at a young age that she was suffering from nerve damage after returning home from a biking trip. 

“That was just the beginning of my personal health struggle. I had to go from one therapist to another trying to find a treatment that would help me.”

Hedieh was told by her primary physician that she needed an MRI, but there was a two-year waitlist just to schedule the appointment. She was told to just focus on physical rehabilitation in the meantime.

“To find relief, I ended up finding and working with a team of people including a physiotherapist, chiropractor, and exercise therapist. After two years of therapy, I finally felt normal again.” 

Years after this personal struggle, Hedieh witnessed her mother go through a similar but much more intense experience. Her mom was diagnosed with two different types of cancers, both needing different types of care. 

“We were left on our own to find this care, and spent valuable time on a journey of trial and error. After going through what felt like dozens of options - from nutritionists to occupational therapists - we finally found treatments that worked for what she needed.” 

Shortly after, Hedieh ended up starting her career working as a clinician at one of the Canadian pioneers of private healthcare. She personally was trained to work with cardiac rehab patients, but the services offered at the clinic were diverse.

“We had dieticians who were trained to work with people with diabetes, even trainers who could see new moms for pre and post-natal visits, wellness coaches who could help patients with accountability, physiotherapists who were specialized in concussions, vestibular rehab, pelvic floor therapists, and more. We helped our members with all these services, but I quickly realized most people did not even know these services existed, and thought their care options were limited.” 

Even Hedieh and her coworkers, professionals who worked at a clinic, had a hard time finding these services outside of their own center for patients who were not local but requested their help. Their referral system was limited to the people they knew in their geographical area, which consisted of a small list of people within the network or providers they found through a Google search - which consisted of a time consuming credibility check through online reviews, a system they knew was ineffective.

The Solution 

So how do people find the perfect provider? Until now, there has been no easy method that provides consumers access to all of their options - traditional conventional healthcare, and complementary care - which is a huge barrier to providing people access to holistic care. There are many different types of practitioners, such as energy healers, chiropractors, acupuncturists, osteopaths, and of course, medical doctors that are experts in functional or lifestyle medicine, all providing services people are not aware of. 

PromptHealth is the only platform where people can find their individualized options and learn directly from vetted wellness providers by expert-created content. The platform is helping people learn about individualized options for in-person and virtual care based on a network of vetted wellness providers who provide informative content about their practice and specialty to help consumers make better decisions about their wellness.

Find the perfect care and provider today using PromptHealth. Download the mobile app on iOS and Android devices. 

In this live event, Hedieh Safiyari, founder of PromptHealth, speaks with JR Burgess, and MD JR focusing his efforts on reinventing healthcare and ending physician burnout. He is also the author of multiple books, including "The Influential Doctor", which is about the importance of power transfer when it comes to optimal health.

Knowledge is key. If you are a health seeker, start searching for accredited sources. If you are a practitioner, start educating others. Let's empower each other and eliminate trial and error.  

In this live event, Hedieh Safiyari, founder of PromptHealth, speaks with Dr. Marc Bijman, a chiropractor with a focus on back pain. They discuss the topic of spinal health.

In this episode, we talk about chiropractic care and how it plays a role in alternative and natural healthcare.

In this episode, we speak with a renowned cardiologist about the risk factors for heart disease and tips for prevention.

In this episode, we speak about a personal journey and struggle in accessing care, which led to the creation of a service to help us be better advocates of our own health.

In this episode, we speak about true science-based nutrition, fasting, and an integrative model to prevent and treat major chronic diseases and extend healthy longevity.

In this episode, we speak with a family physician and health coach, to walk us through a typical journey of a client who might need to fine tune their lifestyle.

In this episode, we speak about what it means to change at the cellular level and the foundational pillars for people to create their roadmap for healthy aging.

SEE ALL EPISODE

In this informative discussion, Jaden and Naturopathic Doctor Dr. Sheldon Bjorgaard talk about insulin resistance in the context of weight management. 

We discuss how focusing on health instead of an ideal weight can help provide a healthier mentality when it comes to our overall mental and physical health.