The science of quality of life

from Modern Luxuria Vol 26 July 2022

The life of art and travel -and the endless inspiration of Gene Prokop

WORDS BY MONA ROSE BUTLER PHOTOGRAPHY SUPPLIED

Dr. Brown, owner of True Balance Medical Spa, treats not only the outward appearance of his patients, but also their health and longevity thanks to Bioidentical Hormone Replacement Therapy

When considering where to go for hormone-related concerns, a medi-spa may not typically be on the top of the list. But for those who may suffer from hormone fluctuations, a visit to Dr. Brown at True Balance Medical Spa can be the solution to feeling run down and inexplicably depressed. Though the treatment has suffered from a bad rap in the eyes of most conventional health care professionals, Dr. Brown shed a new, more positive light on this life-changing treatment he says is only the tip of the iceberg when it comes to life-improving, and life-extending therapies.

Dr. Brown began his medical career in the small town of Mundare, AB as a general practitioner, but later transitioned to specializing in OBGYN. In 2000, he attended a conference in Toronto where his wife

was pitched by a laser hair removal machine sales rep. While Dr. Brown was skeptical of the concept, his wife did her own research and presented the evidence that a service such as this would be in demand.

“We had the third laser hair removal machine in

Edmonton way back in the year 2000. My wife, along with a family member, ran the clinic and I was the medical director. As these things go, laser hair removal moved into esthetic injections and fillers, and expanded to laser resurfacing and all the machines and treatments an esthetics clinic would usually provide,” Dr. Brown said.

About 14 years ago, Bioidentical Hormones piqued his interest and he went for training at the Academy of Anti-Aging Medicine and became Board Certified. Dr. Brown believes that he has the largest bioidentical hormone and testosterone replacement program in Canada and has even written a book on the topic. “The problem with the training is that they used Suzanne Somers as a medical reference and as nice

and clever as she is, she doesn’t come from a medical background. I found it disconcerting to be telling people to read her stuff to support my point of view and my practice, so I decided to write a book.”

Dr. Brown searched medical literature to find the evidence needed to properly educate the public on BHRT and has since rewritten it in order to include

updated research on testosterone replacement therapy. The evidence compiled in his book has served as an education for potential patients who may have felt dismissed by their own doctors who are unfamiliar with the treatment. Bioidentical Hormone and on top of this, hormone replacement therapies suffer from an unfortunate reputation which has clung on through the years, even though the controversies have since been debunked.

There are three primary groups who see Dr. Brown for BHRT. The perimenopausal woman who suffers from anxiety, poor sleep, low energy and even sometimes, depression and weight gain. The menopausal woman who is suffering from hot flashes and vaginal dryness who has lost energy and libido, and her overall quality of life has seriously plummeted. And finally, he sees men who’ve felt much better 5 - 10 years ago and think it's a result of the reduction of testosterone over time, and want to go back to feeling the way they once did. Typically in all of these groups, it only takes about 4 - 6 weeks to see significant improvement.

For Dr. Brown, hormone replacement therapy is an underrated treatment that is only the tip of the iceberg when it comes to treatments that can improve longevity and quality of life. “We are like where the computer industry was when the personal computer was first out!”

The latest technology he finds most exciting, is the ability to tell your true age, or methylation status. And with that, see how much longer you may live currently and calculate how much longer you will live based on the lifestyle changes you plan on making. Considering quitting smoking or a change in diet? You’ll be able to see the exact impact it will have on you. “It will allow interventions to happen on a relatively fast basis, and people will be able to track their methylation age in relatively real-time. There are so many things coming, it is truly staggering.”

WWW.MYTRUEBALANCE.CA

A Place for Disk Golf to Call Home

In only 2 years, Calvin and his business partner have seen their online business, Gander Disk Golf, outgrow their homes and become a community hub for the Edmonton Disk Golf Community

WORDS BY MONA ROSE BUTLER PHOTOGRAPHY SUPPLIED

For most sports, you can expect to find a hub where the community gathers and a place you can visit to get advice and buy equipment that works best for your play style. Until 2020, there was no such thing for the niche-but-growing sport of Disk Golf. Players had to order their equipment from Vancouver or the States, and the only place to learn from each other was to strike up a conversation on the field.

“Much like other sports, there’s a lot of value in feeling the equipment in your hands. You want to see if you like the feel of the plastic or the exact color that it is. People in disk golf can be very particular about color, feel, and brand. The season in Edmonton is very short; you play from the moment the snow is gone. So if you order disks, it takes a while to arrive, and you never have them for as long as you’d like,” Calvin explains.

The concept for Gander Disk Golf was born during a post-game conversation about how cool it would be if someone in the city sold disks. The next day, Calvin was on the phone with suppliers to figure out how they might make that happen. From this textbook example of taking matters into your own hands, Gander Disk Golf was formed. In June 2020, the conversations began and by September of that very same year, the site was launched.

Gander quickly outgrew the pair’s garages, where they were packaging orders and leaving them in lock boxes outside of their homes for their

customers to pick up.

“We needed space either way and when we looked around, it made a lot more sense to have it so that people could come in and pick up their orders if they ordered online. There’s also a big collectible aspect to disk golf, so there’s a lot of value in people being able to see and feel what they are buying.”

During COVID, they didn’t get to interact with people as much, but with the storefront, all that has changed. It’s become a place where people can go to learn how to play, choose disks, and even attend events in the store and warehouse. “Outside of the actual disk golf courses which are usually in public parks, there wasn’t really a spot for disk golfers to get together as a community aside from people's homes. We see a lot of connections happening in the store. Families come in together and people are getting to know each other which is a really big part of this.”

As the business grows, they hope the sport will grow with it, and vice versa. While the sport is steadily growing here, there’s still quite a bit of catching up to do.

“South of the border, disk golf is a completely different thing. Here in Canada, if you’re a 16 to 17 year-old disk golfer and you’re really good,there aren’t really any tournaments that pay out a lot of money. There are not a lot of people or companies who can promote you so you can get sponsorships and make a real career. That is what we want to

change in Canada.”

WWW.GANDERDISCGOLF.CA

WORDS BY MONA BUTLER PHOTOGRAPHY SUPPLIED

Grilling Up Perfection

For those looking to ‘up’ their barbecue game this summer, Barbecue Country is serving up the tips, tricks, and tools you need

THE outdoor cooking season is short but sweet in Alberta, so it’s imperative that you make the most of it. Whether you’re beginning to dabble in barbecuing or taking it more seriously, Ryan Pankow says that Barbecue Country has been watching the trends in outdoor cooking and has what people need at every interest and skill level.

“We cater to everything for cooking outdoors. Mostly, of course, that entails barbecue, but over the years we’ve worked with the trends like smokers, which is the big thing right now. People are even returning to the old-school charcoal; there’s a lot more interest again.”

Aside from hardware and accessories, Barbecue Country carries local spices and sauces, like award winning Motley Que. “We try to do a lot of local support when we can for people who are part of the barbecue community, like pros competing in barbecue competitions. The most famous one recently is Motley Que out of Edmonton which won an award for the world’s best sauce down in the States a couple of years ago. We couldn’t keep it on the shelves when that happened!”

When shopping for a grill or smoker, evaluating the quality of the materials used in the unit is the most important part of shopping for your dream cooker. There are a few names that have become renowned as household brand names, but you want to look at the various models by each brand for signs of a high-quality piece, as well as what warranty is offered.

“If you’re looking at North American made, they actually have really good warranties. In our store in terms of the grills, we deal with Broil King, which is a Canadian company. They have some facilities in the States as well where they make and manufacture barbecues. For a long time, they were seen as a starter brand, but they have warranties that can last up to 15 years.”

On the higher end, people often opt for Weber or Napoleon, and they’ll build them into an outdoor kitchen setup rather than have a stand-alone grill. For those looking for even heavier duty, you can even shop commercial-grade cookers for your home. When you shop high-end or commercial-grade, you can expect the quality of the materials to match the price tag.

“They’re creating a complete stainless steel unit. When you’re looking at your barbecue, you might have plastic handles or plastic sides - maybe just the barbecue grills or the burners are stainless steel. For those looking for the ultimate experience, there are clients that want completely stainless steel machines. They would want Crown Verity or Lynx Grills.”

Though our barbecue season is short, there’s always a way to push your ability to cook outdoors into the fall or winter. It simply requires a few adaptations and considerations when choosing your grill and how you cook. We often think a barbecue with high BTUs is better, but those high BTUs don’t matter if the unit can’t hold the heat.

“We’re big on grilling year-round! Even if you have to set your grilling station up a little closer to the house, if you can shovel a little path, you could get to the grill quickly. Having a product that is a little more insulated helps, as you don’t want a cheap barbecue with lots of holes where the heat can escape.”

WWW.BARBECUECOUNTRY.COM