BH - December 2021/January 2022 by Lawrence Ambrocio

Contents DECEMBER/JANUARY 2022

THINGS WE LEARNED THIS ISSUE ֑

OUR VERY FAVOURITE, TIME-TESTED, HALL-OF-FAME BEAUTY PRODUCTS P.37 Special shout-out to Stila’s All Day Waterpoof Liquid Liner, a true staff go-to

We can party without the hangover (and there are a bunch of great booze-free wines and spirits to help). PAG E 7

Pomegranate juice has three times the antioxidant activity as green tea. PAG E 14

The difference between a money goal and a financial intention. PA G E 16

An $1,800 mirror just might take our workouts into the future. PAG E 18

Why birthday therapy is better than birthday cake. PAG E 2 2

How to beat the clock and find more me time. PAG E 24

The secret to flaky pie dough (both sweet and savoury).

PHOTOGRAPH BY ISSHA MARIE

PAG E 2 8

473

MILLION GALLONS OF WATER NEEDED EVERY YEAR TO KEEP UP WITH AMERICAN TOILET PAPER USE.

On the Cover

Photographer Paul Weeks had a lot of fun working on our exploding clock cover. “Not only did it get me thinking about how best to execute the shot, it got me thinking about time and my relationship with it,” he says. “This shoot posed many challenges: some obvious ones like how to disassemble the clock and rig the set-up, and some subtle and unexpected ones, like actually finding a mechanical clock and getting the tiny oiled pieces to behave.” Photograph by Paul Weeks.

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FROM THE BIG READS

Social worker and advocate Lana Maclean PA G E 10

Pastry chef Erin Schiestel PA G E 2 8

“For people in the BIPOC community, our lifeline is in the collective, not in the individual.” $Zӱ$Zӱ$Zӱ$Zӱ CHANGES WITH PSYCHOLOGIST DR. LESLEY LUTES ֑

“Even for adults, there’s always that element of wide-eyed surprise and anticipation of eating something beautiful. It doesn’t get old.”

“People intend to have healthy behaviours and make change all the time,” Lutes says. “But there’s an intention-behaviour gap.” She recommends running your goals through the SMALL test.

[ S ] Self-selected Choose goals that fit into your life and only change behaviours that you are willing to budge on. [ M ] Measurable Develop a concrete way to track your goals. Consider: “How will I know when each goal has been met?”

PA G E 5 0

Nutritional psychiatrist Dr. Drew Ramsey PA G E 5 6

Psychological astrologist Jennifer Freed PA G E 6 8

4 EDITOR’S NOTE

“The notion of exercise snacks is quite suited for the times. We don’t need to be fancy to keep fit.” “A lot of folks are living in a brain-food desert. There’s a lot of food and a lot of calories, but there aren’t the foods that are best for our mental health.” “If you’re living your life by sound bites, you’re probably not honouring your inner wisdom.” 7 TREND REPORT

16 ADVICE

28 RECIPES

[ A ] Action-oriented Having an action plan allows you to complete the steps needed to make your goal a reality. [ L ] Linked to your life Goals are best achieved if they work within your lifestyle and match your challenges and strengths. [ L ] (Time)-Limited Changes take time! Set a time frame that you’re willing to stick with while you try out your small change. More from Lutes on page 50

37 GOODS

72 PRESERVATION

DECEMBER/JANUARY 2022

PHOTOGRAPHS BY (MACLEAN) CAROLINA ANDRADE; (COOKIES) MAYA VISNYEI

Kinesiology professor Martin Gibala

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that is stealing quality of life. The prevalence of pain has spawned the opioid crisis, illustrating the desperate need for less addictive options; but there is hope. Plant-made therapeutics, including cannabinoids, are providing pain solutions to many. ZYUS is a Canadian phyto-therapeutics company focused on providing a compassionate, sciencebacked approach to pain management. The company’s CEO, %UHQW =HWWO DQG &KLHI 0HGLFDO 2ɝFHU 'U /LRQHO 0DUNV GH Chabris, share their insights on this “pain-demic” and the SRVLWLYH UROH FDQQDELQRLGV FRXOG SOD\ LQ RIIHULQJ DQ DOWHUQDWLYH to over-the-counter medication and opioids. Ȋ7KH UVW VWHS LV WR XQGHUVWDQG WKH GL HUHQW W\SHV RI SDLQ patients can experience, which are separated into two main FDWHJRULHV DFXWH SDLQ DQG FKURQLF SDLQ ȋ H[SODLQV 'U 0DUNV de Chabris. “Acute pain is a sharp pain that comes on suddenly and does not persist; for example, breaking a bone. Chronic pain lingers and is often resistant to medical treatment. A few of the most prevalent types of chronic pain include ILEURP\DOJLD QHXURSDWKLF SDLQ DQG UKHXPDWRLG DUWKULWLV ȋ The government’s Pain Task Force recently reported that 1 in Canadians live with chronic pain1. With a lack of treatment options, chronic pain and addiction continue to increase, D HFWLQJ WKH OLYHV RI SDWLHQWV =<86 EHOLHYHV WKLV LV WRWDOO\ unacceptable and that cannabinoids may help improve quality of life for these million+ Canadians. In fact, in a recent

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FROM THE EDITOR

Time is a weird thing. I’d venture many of us felt this deeply during the pandemic. How has this all been going on for almost two years? Oh, and also, what day is it again?

There are moments when I look down at my young kids, stuck at home with colds and begging me to play one of their bizarre Star Wars–themed make-believe games, and I cannot get over the fact that it’s only 9 a.m. Other days, I wake up, blink, and the day is over. Laura Hensley wrote beautifully about our fractured relationship with time for

֏ A behind-thescenes look at how you explode a clock without actually exploding a clock.

the cover story Break Up with Busy, pg. 24. As she points out, clocks tick away the hours and minutes, but our internal sense of time—that is, how we feel about it, and how we perceive it—is not so clear cut. I can tell you how I often feel: harried. And a little grumpy that I never—not ever!— get through my to-do lists. Thankfully, Hensley offers some sensible solutions for how to prioritize your available time, all in service of making room for downtime, which regulates emotions, boosts mood and allows us to recharge—all of which is vital for our health and well-being. She also recommends some lovely time-management journals (page 27) that I really should take a few minutes to investigate… One of the takeaways from her story is that we should focus on getting the right things done for the right reasons, and not try and do everything all the time. That idea is also echoed in Dominique Lamberton’s look at the micro-health movement (pg. 50), which says that incorporating small, incremental changes into our lives can have can have positive and, more importantly, sustainable health outcomes. Our personal finance columnist Zandile Chiwanza echoes that message, encouraging us to take a compassionate approach to our finances and focussing on intentions, not goals, for 2022 (pg 16). I love that. So, can we all agree to take the pressure off a little? Think small? Prioritize time for ourselves? (Maybe even find a morning for Star Wars make-believe.) It will all lead to a happier, healthier year ahead.

REBECCA PHILPS

Editor-in-chief

PHOTOGRAPH BY PAUL WEEKS

DECEMBER/JANUARY 2022

REBECCA PHILPS EDITOR-IN-CHIEF NICOLA HAMILTON ART DIRECTOR ISHANI NATH MANAGING EDITOR RENÉE REARDIN DIGITAL EDITOR REBECCA GAO ASSISTANT DIGITAL EDITOR RICHARD JOHNSON COPY EDITOR SYDNEY HAMILTON RESEARCHER CONTRIBUTORS Sadaf Ahsan, Caroline Andrade, Sadiya Ansari, Katie Carey, Zandile Chiwanza, LeeAndra Cianci, Laura Hensley, Laura Jeha, Lisa Kadane, Gracia Lam, Dominique Lamberton, Wenting Li, Issha Marie, Jacqui Oakley, Sahar Rana, Kayla Rocca, Leah Rumack, Roohi Sahajpal, Hannah Sung, Christie Vuong, Meaghan Way, Paul Weeks READER’S DIGEST MAGAZINES CANADA LIMITED CHAIRMAN OF THE BOARD PUBLISHER AND NATIONAL SALES DIRECTOR VICE PRESIDENT AND LEGAL COUNSEL EDITOR-IN-CHIEF, READER’S DIGEST CONTENT OPERATIONS MANAGER CIRCULATION DIRECTOR

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This holiday, keep the family dinner, but ditch the family drama. PAG E 10

ÿǏȾśǦȴ

Never again be forced to choose between cheesecake and crème brûlée. PAG E 2 8

Trend Report SOPHISTICATED, DE-ALCOHOLIZED SPIRITS AND WINES ARE TAKING OFF

BY REBECCA GAO ց When Jessica Jeboult first tried to give up alcohol in 2009, her only drink options on a night out were soda water or juice. At the time, Jeboult was working as a DJ in Los Angeles, where she “was paid to party and drinking was just a part of the job,” she says. Back then, being a sober DJ was out of the ordinary: Jeboult recalls feeling left out and “uncool.” Today, more people are watching their

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alcohol consumption and retooling their relationship with booze. Luckily, there are new, sophisticated drink options for those who choose not to imbibe. The market for alcohol-free beers, spirits and wines has been growing, leading to an explosion of new products. According to data from Nielsen, the global no- and low-alcohol sector has grown an impressive 506 percent since 2015. “[Sobriety] has been around for

PHOTOGRAPH BY SAHAR RANA

a long time, but bartenders and spirit companies are now starting to put out options that are way more [available] to those who don’t drink,” says Kaitlyn Stewart, a Vancouver-based cocktail curator and consultant who posts drink recipes on Instagram and TikTok as @likeablecocktails. The move towards temperance may also be a counterbalance to all the drinking we did over the pandemic: a StatsCan survey

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c onducted in Januar y 2021 found that nearly a quarter of Canadians who drank alcohol before the pandemic had increased their use. Emily Jenkins is an associate professor of nursing at the University of British Columbia who worked with the Canadian Mental Health Association to study the connection between the pandemic, mental health and substance use outcomes. She points to the pandemic’s “variety of unprecedented stressors” as the driving force behind increased rates of drinking. “People are stressed about job security, changing economic situations, relationship changes and challenges,” she says. “Then there are the feelings of isolation, changes on what we can and can’t do, and then boredom as well.” This increased alcohol consumption can exacerbate existing mental health challenges like anxiety and depression, says Jenkins. “Alcohol impacts people’s mood, things like energy and sleep patterns that are really important to our mental health, concentration and memory.” Jenkins is most concer ned about a n increase in risky behaviour, aggression and self-harm that comes with increased drinking. Plus, in the long term, excessive drinking can lead to high blood pressure, heart disease, stroke, liver disease, cancer and weakened immune systems. On top of the health benefits of drinking less alcohol, the boom in zero-proof options will help those who aren’t drinking feel included in social gatherings and celebrations—whether sobriety is a long-term decision or a choice for the night. “Sober people need alternatives to make us feel included. I’m so sick of fizzy water and coke,” says Jeboult, who founded the online sobriety coaching program A Sober Girl’s Guide. “It’s boring and doesn’t feel special. It’s like a vegan going to a restaurant and there’s nothing for them except, like, fries.” “Ordering a drink that comes out in a martini glass but has no alcohol, you feel like, ‘Oh, I’m a part of the gang.’ Even having that visual cue is nice for people to feel included during photos or toasting,” says Stewart. “Plus, some people don’t w a n t ot her s to k now why t hey aren’t drinking—for some, it can be easy to answer questions and for other people it can be very triggering.” The s e ne w low- a nd no -A BV d r i n k options entering the market are nothing like their sugary mocktail predecessors. “It’s a whole category unto itself,” says Evelyn Chick, a beverage expert and the owner of pop-up and event space Ahma in Toronto. Chick notes that non-alcoholic distillates (a product that has been distilled) have really taken the industry by

storm. Non-alcoholic beers and de-alcoholized wines have been around forever, she says, but people are getting creative with non-alcoholic spirits. And this is a good thing: “Non-alcoholic cocktails need to look like cocktails for that stigma [of not drinking] to go away,” says Chick. Bartenders like Stewart are having fun with these products and adapting their favourite creations. “I’ve done a milk punch before. It takes a couple of days to process and make, but I was able to use a non-alcoholic base and keep all the other parameters the same using interesting mixers,” she says. “You might wonder, Why take the time to do that for a non-alcoholic cocktail? But it’s part of the experience and it makes the drink as special as it would be if it were alcoholic.” Swapping a couple of bottles of your go-to spirits for non-alcoholic distillates could be an easy way to cut down on alcohol consumption at home while still enjoying your favourite cocktails. Stewart loves riffing on the classic Moscow mule by by mixing a shot of any non-alcoholic spirit with a scoop of berry jam and a squeeze of fresh lime juice, then topping the whole concoction with ginger beer. “And if you’re with someone who is drinking, you can swap out the base for some vodka or gin or whatever you have on hand.” Offering non-alcoholic options is also an easy way to make any gathering more inclusive. Placing them front and centre on your bar cart with the rest of the drinks takes the pressure off guests to disclose their sobriety. Instead of having to ask for something non-alcoholic, it’s right there with all the other options. “Everyone’s got their own reason [for going booze-free],” says Stewart. “You should never feel judged or left out of a celebration or social gathering just because you’re not drinking.”

506%

That’s how much the global no- and low-alcohol sector has grown since 2015

Cheers! THESE ZERO-PROOF DRINKS ARE ALL PARTY AND NO HANGOVER BY REBECCA GAO

DECEMBER/JANUARY 2022

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[ONE]

[TWO]

[THREE]

[FOUR]

Sobrii 0-Tequila Toronto-based Sobrii is known for their non-alcoholic gins, but their latest release, the 0-Tequila, is a zeroproof spirit that replicates the flavour profile of tequila. Tasting notes include fresh jalapeno, citrus and rosehip. $35, sobrii.ca

Lumette! LumRum From British Columbia, Lumette! specializes in non-alcoholic “alt-spirits,” like LumRum, a spiced drink reminiscent of a rum. Distilled with cinnamon, cloves, cardamom and ginger, LumRum is perfect for any cocktail that calls for dark rum. $36, enjoylumette.com

St. Regis Secco This de-alcoholized sparkling wine from Laval’s St. Regis is the perfect bubbly to pop at a holiday party. It has intense fruit and floral notes, and works as well with snacks as it does for sipping. $27, well.ca

Acid League Wine Proxies Acid League started as a vinegar company in 2020 and has since taken their gutfriendly ferments and layered in juices, teas, spices and bitters to create wine proxies— faux-wine drinks that are meant to elevate the flavours of your food. Acid League creates their products in batches, so each proxy is available for

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PHOTOGRAPH BY SAHAR RANA

a short period of time. You can purchase them individually or pay for a monthly subscription. $68 for a monthly proxy trio, $101 for a one-time purchase of four bottles, acidleague.com

[FIVE]

Seedlip Grove 42 Seedlip, the world’s first distilled nonalcoholic spirits company, has a variety of zero-proof options that evoke gin, rum, whiskey, tequila and other traditional spirits. Grove 42 is a bright citrus blend with a dry finish that works well with tonic or as a fizz. $45, seedlipdrinks.com

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In Conversation HALIFAX-BASED THERAPIST LANA MACLEAN ON HOW TO MANAGE CONFLICT AT FAMILY GATHERINGS

BY HANNAH SUNG z We dream of family holidays as a time of love, light and laughter, but a pot on the stove may not be the only thing simmering in the background. Last year at this time, one in four Canadians were feeling moderate to extreme levels of anxiety and were binge drinking. COVID case counts were climbing, restrictions were tightening and in many places across Canada, families were not able to celebrate together. This year, with more than 75 percent of Canadians fully vaccinated, holiday gatherings are likely to resume, along with the potential for family tension and disagreements. Lana MacLean is a clinical social worker and community advocate based in Halifax, where she is an eighth generation AfricanNova Scotian. We asked her for some tips on how to navigate holiday gatherings during a time when conversations about COVID and vaccination status can become tricky.

As a therapist, do you often have people asking for help with family conflict? Unfortunately, yes. But if people are seeking therapy, they’re looking for some form of reconciliation or resolution. So I think of conflict as an opportunity to stretch and grow families, not as a place to be oppositional. Therapy is about interrogating and exploring the origin of our beliefs.

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Is a holiday dinner a good time for having conversations that interrogate our values and beliefs? For example, with the COVID vaccines? No. I caution families, if you’re going to be celebrating holidays, those conversations need to be held prior to the event, not during the event. When we hosted Thanksgiving this year, my husband and I had a serious conversation about how we wanted to communicate our boundaries about keeping people safe. And so we sent a group text. We said, “Looking forward to having everyone at Thanksgiving dinner. However, we’re being mindful and asking people to attend only if you have your vaccine. We have to look out for the best interest of all. You’re welcome to a table we set up outside but you will not be walking indoors unless you are vaccinated.” My nephew, who is 22, said, “OK, Aunt Lana. I’m disappointed but I’ll show up and have dessert outdoors.” I didn’t know he wasn’t vaccinated. He said, “Can I get a to-go plate?” I said, “Of course you can.” How did Thanksgiving go? Amazing! My family members who were not vaccinated made a decision to stay home because the weather was precarious. My husband and I set the tone for family members to have reasonable expectations

PHOTOGRAPH BY CAROLINA ANDRADE

without guilt. Our family was receptive to those boundaries and, without any conf lict, people realized it’s not about them, it’s about the family. Some people may say they want to “talk sense” into their family members. Do you feel any of that? None at all. If we come from a place of anger, it only triggers other people’s defensiveness. I come from a non-judgmental place to say, “I have a responsibility to the people that I love. So if you love us, you’ll understand that this is not about excluding you, it’s actually giving you a choice of being included.” I work from a values perspective. The choice not to get a vaccine is a value. It only sets [us] up for animosity [to judge or try to change someone’s decision]. I mitigate the negative emotions that can be triggered by saying, “Well, if this is your path, here’s the option I have available.” You say that choosing not to get vaccinated is a value. Can you explain? As you know, I’m African Nova Scotian. People in the BIPOC community, our lifeline is in the collective, not in the individual. We are so interconnected as a community. If you’re making an individual choice [of not being vaccinated], people will straight up tell you, “You need to think about what this means for Granny or the kids in our family who are under 12.” A lot of racialized communities have co-morbidities— health issues like diabetes, cardiac health, asthma, respiratory distresses—as a result of health inequities. It becomes difficult if you look at it like, “I’m going to become an island, this is my individual choice.” You lose some of your social support network. So you’re saying that it’s on the host to prepare and set boundaries—and trying to change someone’s mind should not be on the menu at all. It’s done. I don’t believe the dinner table or family gatherings are the time to talk about who does or doesn’t have the vaccine. For Thanksgiving, we do a potluck. My husband and I do the turkey, salmon and ham and my auntie Sherry Ann brings a big pan of mac and cheese and my brother-in-law does a big, wonderful potato salad. And he said, “It’s those things we’re looking forward to, not talking about COVID.” In my family, it’s a time to play the piano and sing. This year, for the first time, there was a TikTok dance-off. So it’s about how we’re going to set that time up. And sometimes having that structure doesn’t allow us to fall down what I call the COVID rabbit hole and get distracted. Let’s take time to celebrate with each other.

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What general guidance do you give to someone who’s nervous about a family gathering and conflict? Come early, leave early. And let the host know. Figure out who’s in the room, who are the potential triggers and how you’re going to cognitively prepare to show up. Instead of all eight hours of the day, show up for two hours. You can say, I’m going to come for supper, but I have to be somewhere else for dessert. Two, don’t drink excessively. Drinking can lower inhibitions. And also, our tolerance for certain people’s behav iour can become thinner. Three, you don’t have to be physically present. You can Zoom in for a little bit. Also, lower your expectations of people. Have reasonable expectations of yourself

and for others. Don’t go and say this is going to be the best Christmas, Thanksgiving, wedding, anniversary ever. That’s just not your family’s functioning. Have some realistic expectations of who you can align with there and who will be your trouble points. And if the trouble point comes along, you know that you and your ally have a little code word to say, “I’m out.” Most importantly, go and spend time with the people that you do align with. You don’t have to get along with everyone. There’s a lot you can learn at the kids’ table and at the elders’ table. So choose who you want to spend time with in those gatherings. And when you need to leave, pre-program it on your phone or have somebody ring you. Just say, “OK, there’s my call. I have to leave. Wonderful seeing everyone.”

And exit. You don’t need an excuse to leave. Just like you don’t need an excuse to enter. Is there anything you want to add that you feel is important for readers who are slightly nervous about the holidays? Know that the nervousness or anxiety comes from a history. Don’t try to untangle those roots when you only have four or five hours. The goal of family celebrations is to spend time together, not to have big debates that there will be impasses on. This is not the time or place to decide to go on a rant. It’s a time and place to say, “Nice to see you.” This interview was adapted from Hannah Sung’s newsletter, At the End of the Day (endoftheday.ca).

“THERE’S A LOT YOU CAN LEARN AT THE KIDS’ TABLE AND AT THE ELDERS’ TABLE. SO CHOOSE WHO YOU WANT TO SPEND TIME WITH IN THOSE GATHERINGS.”

PHOTOGRAPH BY CAROLINA ANDRADE

DECEMBER/JANUARY 2022

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Eat More

POMEGRANATES

BY LAURA JEHA z What do ancient Egyptian pharaohs, Renaissance royalty, doctors and artists all have in common? A deep-seeded obsession with pomegranates. Across cultures, pomegranates have symbolized prosperity, fertility and regeneration. In ancient Egypt, they symbolized the afterlife, and pomegranate-shaped vases have been found in pharaohs’ tombs. They were considered a cure for ailments like coughs and liver issues, and today, pomegranates still appear on the coat of arms of the British Medical Association. Once you’ve been tipped off to their prominence, you’ll start to notice the fruit every where. You’ll spot pomegranates

in works like those by Renaissance artist Sandro Botecilli, Salvador Dali’s surrealist scenes and Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet. If you’re feeling inspired, channel good fortune and health for the year ahead and include pomegranates on your table, too. How pomegranates are grown The round, red fruits grow on shrub-like trees in South Asia, California and the Mediterranean regions of Europe. Botanically, pomegranates are considered a berry, but visually they’re in a class of their own. An outer skin contains a membrane that holds the arils, the thin skin and pulp that surround the seeds and hold the juice,

PHOTOGRAPH BY CHRISTIE VUONG

which has a sweet-tart taste. (The skin and membrane are inedible.) Pomegranates start out as red-orange flowers that bloom in the springtime. The f lowers release a sweet, distinctive fragrance that encourages pollination. In a spectacular feat of nature, each piece of pollen turns into an aril. As it grows, the flower balloons into a pomegranate, leaving a flared crown on one end, giving the fruit a regal look. Mediterranean heat is ideal for growing pomegranates—hot days ripen the arils and cool nights turn the skin red. They’re ready to harvest in early fall and are available October through to January.

DECEMBER/JANUARY 2022

VITALS

Pomegranate health benefits The fruit is best known for its high antioxidant content, especially punicalagin. Our gut bacteria and stomach acids convert punicalagin into urolithins, dynamic active compounds that have a range of health benefits, like helping to lower blood pressure. Because of these powerful compounds, pomegranate juice has three times the antioxidant activity as red wine or green tea. The arils are a good source of fibre, which keeps you feeling full, and vitamin C, which contributes to healthy immune function. Don’t forget about the seeds: Punicic acid, the primary essential fatty acid in pomegranate seeds, also has unique benefits, like lowering levels of harmful LDL cholesterol and improving responses to insulin, resulting in an antidiabetic effect. What to look for Seek out pomegranates with firm flesh and avoid those that have turned a deep red or have wrinkled skin—those are signs of age. Pick one that feels heavy for its size—it means it’s full of juice! Pomegranates will keep on the counter for about 10 days or up to a few weeks in the refrigerator before starting to dry out. How to use pomegranates Often called the “jewel of winter,” pomegranates add a pop of colour to an otherwise monochrome palette of winter foods. A sprinkle of pomegranate seeds turns any dish into the centrepiece of a meal. Add the seeds to yogurt or oatmeal, or to side dishes like rice pilafs, or use as a garnish for hearty winter salads, dips or roasted vegetables. For a stunning dessert, try adding the seeds to a whipped cream-topped pavlova or trifle. You can also buy pure pomegranate juice, which contains high levels of antioxidants and makes a healthful addition to drinks. Try using it instead of cranberry juice in a festive punch. Another offshoot is pomegranate molasses, which is made from boiling the juice into a thick, dark syrup. It’s slightly sour, making it ideal in savoury cooking. It makes a great glaze for grilled chicken, can be whisked into salad dressings or can be drizzled as a final touch for roasted carrots, imparting a depth and complexity. You can even stir a spoonful into a glass of sparking water for a not-too-sweet homemade soda. Whether it’s adding them to your morning oatmeal or jazzing up a charcuterie board, pomegranates will make your winter dishes both merry and bright. Laura Jeha is a registered dietitian, nutrition counsellor and recipe developer. Find out more at ahealthyappetite.ca.

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PREP TIP

Pomegranate seeds can be difficult to remove from the membrane. The easiest way is to cut the pomegranate in half, then hold the half cut side down over a large bowl and whack it with the back of a wooden spoon. The bowl will catch the pomegranate seeds and your palm will help the membrane stay put.

Cook This ROASTED CARROTS WITH YOGURT AND POMEGRANATE For the carrots 1 ½ lb small carrots, scrubbed, cut in half or quartered if large 3 tbsp olive oil 1 tbsp honey 1 ½ tsp kosher salt 1 tsp chili powder ½ tsp cumin ½ tsp ground coriander ¼ tsp turmeric ¼ tsp black pepper For the yogurt 1 cup 2% Greek yoghurt ¼ tsp kosher salt 1 clove of garlic, minced 1 tsp lemon juice ¼ cup of crumbled feta cheese ½ cup of pomegranate seeds from one pomegranate Serves 4 as a side dish

PHOTOGRAPH BY LAURA JEHA

Step 1 Preheat the oven to 450F and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper. Place the carrots in a large bowl, add the olive oil, honey, salt, pepper and spices, and toss. Spread carrots evenly in a single layer on the prepared baking sheet and roast in the middle rack of the oven for 30-35 minutes until caramelized and tender. Step 2 While the carrots cook, stir together the Greek yogurt, salt, garlic and lemon juice until well combined and smooth. Spread the yogurt onto a plate, top with roasted carrots and sprinkle with crumbled feta and pomegranate seeds.

VITALS

Quick Question HOW CAN I MAKE FINANCIAL PLANS WHEN THINGS STILL FEEL UNCERTAIN?

BY ZANDILE CHIWANZA z Over the last two years, many of us (myself included) have had a rough time emotionally and financially. Setting goals for the new year doesn’t feel as exciting as it used to because we’re still in survival mode, and there are still many unknowns. However, making plans, regardless of how much uncertainty you confront, is a helpful way to stay motivated. But, you also need to build in some f lexibilit y. That’s why I’m setting intentions this year, instead of goals. By setting an intention, I can be both accountable to a financial target and compassionate with myself when things inevitably shift. Every intention should be both financially savvy and emotionally satisfying, says Shannon Lee Simmons, the founder of the New School of Finance, an advice-only financial planning firm. “Not one or the other.” And whether you want to buy new clothes, treat yourself to a bucket-list vacation or save, you need to put healthy financial intentions into action. Here’s how.

Focus on conscious spending Conscious spending refers to the practice of knowing or deciding exactly how and where you will spend your money based on your core beliefs and values. To identify them, ask yourself: What is the most important thing to me? Why? What brings me happiness and gives me purpose? Find the central theme and use it as a framework for all your spending decisions. It’s important because you can buy things online within seconds, without even looking at the price, which can lead to a surprisingly big credit card bill. To counter this, Simmons believes one of the most important things you can do to feel more in control of your money is to remove your credit cards from shopping sites and apps on your phone. “Manually entering it every time is crucial because it allows your brain time to process what is happening,” she says. “Because you have to physically take out a credit card and punch in the digits, you’re more aware that you spent money.”

ILLUSTRATION BY WENTING LI

Ultimately, conscious spending is about making a decision that you’re going to feel proud of later on. Not sure where to start? Pull up the last few transactions you made in 2021 and reflect on whether they match your values and priorities. This will help you set clear financial objectives for the new year. Implement micro habits Rather than focus on aggressive financial goals, like saving 15 percent of your salary for retirement or putting aside a year’s worth of costs in an emergency fund, try to start with small actions that will result in changes in your behaviour over time. Also known as micro habits, these minor, manageable actions are so simple they can be completed in under two minutes. For example, set a waiting period between wanting something and buying it. “Put a 24-hour embargo on anything that you’re considering purchasing,” says Simmons. You can also try the HALT technique: before you buy something, ask yourself, Am I spending because I’m hungry, angry, lonely or tired? When faced with a challenge, stress or any other emotional trigger, you may turn to spending for comfort— consciously or unconsciously. Develop financial boundaries Even amid the countr y’s worst public health crisis, money was cited as the top source of stress for over one-thirds of Canadians (38 percent)—more than personal health (26 percent) or employment (20 percent) or relationships (20 percent), according to the 2021 Financial Stress Index survey. That’s why it’s more important than ever to prioritize financial wellness. Creating boundaries is a vital first step.“Pre-COVID, people got stressed out about how much they were expected to spend,” says Simmons. “And I believe that one of the lessons we can take away from all of this is that you don’t have to say yes to everything.” It’s easy to go overboard during the holidays, for example, so try setting spending limits with loved ones to avoid debt and overspending. Don’t forget to set appropriate boundaries for yourself, too, which will help you make room to say yes to things that truly bring you joy, she says. Change is difficult. As a result, self-compassion is another crucial component of financial well-being. Using an intentionbased approach to setting your goals for 2022, whether you achieve them or not, is a gentler, more empathetic way to make change or help an idea come to fruition. So, let’s move forward with intention. Whatever financial objective you have in mind, you can achieve it.

DECEMBER/JANAURY 2022

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VITALS

We Tried It LULULEMON’S MIRROR

BY REBECCA GAO z It can be hard to stay motivated and active in the colder months, especially when the pandemic has forced many of us to exercise at home. In the Before Times, I loved going to IRL fitness classes. When COVID forced me to turn a sliver of my living room into my home gym, my activity level dipped. So, when I got the chance to try Mirror, a fitness brand and product owned by Lululemon, I jumped. Marketed as a “nearly invisible, smart home gym,” Mirror is part regular mirror, part TV screen, and nothing like other athome gym options, as it takes up zero floor space—you just hang it up. Plus, while a spin bike stays a spin bike (or something to toss dirty laundry on) Mirror is a functional piece of decor when you’re not working out, which is especially nice for people with small living spaces. However, the price is sky-high: $1,895 for the equipment, then $49 each month for access to classes. For comparison, the basic Peloton and an all-access membership for its app costs the same.

֏ԡԡAbove, assistant digital editor Rebecca Gao gets sweaty thanks to one of Mirror’s energetic instructors. Unlike other at-home exercise gear, Mirror camoflauges into the rest of your decor once you finish working out. $1,895, shop.lululemon.com

I tried Mirror at the Lululemon store on Queen Street West in Toronto, and it looked like something straight out of Black Mirror. Through its sleek, thin screen, I could see my ref lection and a scrolling display of workout classes and community-member chatter. I also noticed that there was a camera in the device, which can be turned on for live classes so the instructor can see you. Thankfully, Mirror comes with a camera cover (so it can’t creepily watch me sleep—my deep-seated personal fear). Once I started working out, the sci-finess faded into the back of my mind. The mobile app that accompanies and controls Mirror is similar to the Nike app, and asks

PHOTOGRAPH BY JEN NG

for a bunch of personal details (age, skill level, goals and any limitations you have, like injuries). It then offers workout modifications at the bottom left corner of the screen to make the class more appropriate to you. Plus, Mirror will start to suggest classes based on your preferences as it gets to know you (how very Netflix of it). You can also connect any Bluetooth fitness tracker, so it can measure your heart rate and calories burnt. Mirror’s catalogue of classes is massive, with 50 different categories including yoga, dance, cardio, tai chi, pre- and postnatal workouts, ballet, Pilates and more. Classes range from f ive to 60 minutes, and you can choose from four difficulty levels, many of which require no equipment (though some classes do incorporate kettlebells and weights). On top of on-demand classes, members can join live classes. If you choose to turn your camera on, your instructor can see you and shout you out. Or, if you love competition, you can join a class where you earn points when you hit your target heart rate. Mirror also offers personal training sessions at $50 a pop. For my demo, I tried a 15-minute cardio class. I had twisted my ankle the weekend prior, so I picked a class that didn’t include injury-aggravating moves—info that the class description gave me right off the bat, which I appreciated. Despite choosing an absolute beginner class, it immediately got my heart pumping and glutes burning (no jumps meant lots of side lunges). I thought that I’d be self-consciously peering at myself during the whole workout, but instead I found it intuitive to concentrate on the instructor and wasn’t at all distracted by my out-of-focus reflection. But when I moved on to the cool-down (a 15-minute slow, restorative yoga flow class), I did catch myself watching my reflection instead of connecting to my breath. Despite how sleek Mirror is, my favourite part of the product has nothing to do with the hardware. I absolutely loved the app—the huge variety of classes, the customizable workouts and the trainers’ great energy. I think I could’ve had an equally good workout with the app’s video playing over my TV. At this time, however, users without the hardware won’t be able to st rea m M i r ror c la sses on t hei r T V through their Apple TV, Chromecast or other streaming devices. Compared to other similarly priced fitness gadgets like a Peloton, Mirror is a much more compact device with way more classes to pick from—giving it an edge over competitors. In an ideal world, I’d use the app and broadcast it to my TV to get the best of Mirror without the Black Mirror vibes.

DECEMBER/JANUARY 2022

VITALS

The Mini Guide

3 WAYS TO GET STARTED

HOW TO GET THE MOST OUT OF A PLANK BY REBECCA GAO z While you mostly feel the burn in your abs, planks are an excellent full-body workout—they strengthen your shoulder, back and chest muscles, as well as the front of your thighs, explains Charlotte Shen, the owner of Max Fitness in Toronto and a registered kinesiologist. Plus, planks are a great exercise regardless of your skill level. “No matter where you are on your fitness journey, [planks] are always still challenging,” says Whitney Dikoume, a Calgary-based certified athletic therapist. To do a proper plank, the key is to maintain good posture: Keep your legs straight, back parallel to the ground, wrists stacked over shoulders and spine neutral, says Rebecca Graham, the owner of No Borders Fitness in Midland, Ont., and a master trainer for Pound fitness classes. “Imagine that you’re trying to shorten the distance between your elbows and your toes by squeezing inwards in both directions, using all positional forces to keep the back flat.” And most importantly, squeeze your butt. “You can’t squeeze your butt enough,” says Graham. This creates tension, which helps your legs stay straight and works your core. If you’re experiencing pain in your wrists, or you’re finding it hard to stay up, drop down to your forearms—this provides a bigger base for your weight. Once you’re in position, hold the plank for as long as possible to build endurance and strength. “You should always push to exhaustion,” says Shen. “Meaning you should plank until you cannot plank any more. Like, you can’t hold it for one more

second.” You’ll f ind that the more you practice, the longer you’ll be able to hold the pose. If a standard plank is getting too easy for you, up the ante by adding movement. Plank jacks (moving your feet in a jumping jack position while you hold the plank), mountain climbers (lifting alternating knees to your chest, as if climbing) or alternating between holding the plank position on your hands and dropping down to your elbows will all work your whole body more than a static plank. Want to get even harder? Reverse and try a back plank. Start on your back and lift yourself up with your fingers facing your feet. Don’t forget to drop your shoulders and keep your body straight. “[This exercise] works your muscles on the posterior side, like your mid-back, glutes and hamstrings,” Shen says. Introducing new exercises or variations, like a back plank, to your routine is key to maintaining fullbody strength. And, to dial up the intensity even further, just make your plank bigger. This could mean getting off your knees and onto your toes, coming up from your forearms onto your hands or opening up into a side plank. “By adding side planks, by adding levels, we ultimately add intensity,” says Graham. Conversely, if you’re struggling, make your plank smaller. “By simply dropping the knee or going down to the elbow, you can shorten your range of motion,” says Graham. “These little tweaks to plank positions can offer a huge amount of relief for someone who’s starting off. Finding something that works for you is absolutely key.”

1. CORRECT YOUR POSTURE Set yourself up for success by making sure your form is correct. Keep your legs straight, back parallel to the ground, wrists under shoulders and spine neutral. 2. MOUNTAIN CLIMBERS Try mountain climbers to boost your cardio. Start in a static plank position and lift one knee at a time to your chest, as if scaling Mount Everest. To get your heart pumping, speed up. 3. FLIP THE SCRIPT Ready to up the ante? Reverse your plank to work out your posterior. Start on your back and lift yourself up with your fingers facing your feet. The key here is to drop your shoulders and stay straight.

EASY THERE, TIGER “If you’re new to planks, I suggest starting on your knees. Try to place the top part of the knees, above the kneecap, on the floor. And then, add one leg at a time: straighten your left leg for 15 seconds. Bring that back and straighten the right leg for 15 seconds. Then, as you get used to it, you can start to transition onto your toes.” —Whitney Dikoume, Calgary-based certified athletic therapist

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ILLUSTRATIONS BY MEAGHAN WAY

VITALS

Get To Know THE BIDET

BY SADAF AHSAN ¬ In many parts of the world—includ-

ing Europe, the Middle East and much of Asia—bidets enjoy plenty of popularity. Muslims use a similar tool called a lota (a small, water-filled pot that sits beside the toilet) to wash their backside—cleanliness is considered very much next to godliness in Islam, and being as clean as possible, especially prior to prayers, is essential. But in North America, there tends to be confusion around washing versus wiping, and bidets are usually a punchline. In fact, it took a global pandemic to finally make us reconsider the whole concept of bidets. During the early days of COVID-19, bidet sales rose due to toilet paper shortages across North America and an uptick in germ phobia. Tushy, a popular New Yorkbased bidet company, saw revenues rise by a factor of 10 in March 2020 in the U.S. In Canada, we've been a little more open to the device for a bit longer. Tushy's founder and chief creative officer Miki Agrawal says that bidet sales in Canada have more than doubled year-over-year for the past five years. Meanwhile, British Columbia-based bidet company Clean Touch representative Michael Xie says they’ve seen a steady increase in sales over the past 20 years, and exponential growth recently. “Because Canada has such a diverse range of cultures, including those who are already familiar with bidets, adoption isn’t as slow compared to countries with less cultural diversity,” Xie says. “These days, hygiene is very important. And besides actually taking a bath or a shower, a bidet is the best way to clean oneself after using the toilet.”

This ultra-slim add-on from B.C. company Clean Touch is an easy bidet option for any bathroom

Bidets also mean cleaner hands. According to a 2005 study involving residents of a nursing home that used bidets, the “wash-and-dry” system improved not only cleanliness but also comfort, with a reduction in bacteria content on hands and bottoms. The health benefits don’t stop there. Bidets can bring comfort to those with gastrointestinal issues, including irritable bowel syndrome, Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis, as frequent bathroom visits can cause skin irritation (especially for vigorous wipers). For older people, particularly those with mobility issues or arthritic hands, it can make cleansing easier and reduce shame. “For people with itching or discomfort in the perineal area, bidets are a great option to help mitigate that,” says Dr. Talia Zenlea, a Toronto-based gastroenterologist. “Sometimes we have patients who—because of hemorrhoids, prolapse or other similar issues—have difficulty with feeling like they have good hygiene. In that context, a strategy with water might be an option where they might feel a greater sense of cleanliness.” Zenlea adds, “Water itself is always a great approach, but when it comes to pressurized bursts, that’s a different story. Sometimes a gentle rinsing in the bath can be preferable. In the case of [post-partum] women, anything more might disrupt stitches.” Many bidets do offer pressure moderation controls (and others can have this feature added for less than $100). Still, it’s always helpful to consult your doctor if you’re feeling hesitant. But if your worry is due to a taboo around poo, just remember: No less an icon than Judy Blume has professed her love of bidets, calling them “the greatest luxury.” Bidets win sustainability points, too, for being much less wasteful than toilet paper. If wet wipes have been your seemingly clever alternative, I’m sorry to inform you that those also amount to considerable waste and can clog and damage sewer systems. A shower for your butt, however, reduces waste, helps the environment and keeps your perineal area healthier. Plus, imagine how fun it’ll be to explain that fancy new appliance in your bathroom to guests. Consider it the conversation starter you never knew you needed.

DO IT FOR THE CLIMATE

PEOPLE IN THE U.S. USE 28 POUNDS OF TP EACH YEAR ON AVERAGE. THAT TRANSLATES TO 15 MILLION TREES AND 473 GALLONS OF WATER.

BIDETS THROUGH THE AGES Bidets are introduced in France. 1800s As indoor plumbing becomes a thing, bidets mercifully move from the bedroom to the bathroom. 1928 John Harvey Kellogg (yes, the cereal guy) patents an “anal douche” nozzle. It doesn't catch on. 1930/40s American soldiers frequenting French brothels begin to associate bidets with sex work. 1980s The modern bidet seat—sometimes portable and often electric—gains popularity in Japan. 1600s

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VITALS

Life Lesson

B Y I S H A N I N AT H ց I didn’t plan to end

FORGET CHOCOLATE CAKE. MY FAVOURITE BIRTHDAY TREAT IS A THERAPY SESSION

ILLUSTRATION BY KATIE CAREY

up in therapy on my birthday. Before I started a new job, I was rushing to use up my old health benef its. I packed my calendar with massages, purchased new glasses and booked a therapy appointment. I’m not new to therapy. I’ve been in and out of counsellors’ and therapists’ offices for the past seven years, sitting through dozens of sessions of talk therapy. Initially, I was encouraged to speak with a professional to help me deal with my mother’s cancer diagnosis, then with the grief following her death. Later, I sought counselling to help navigate my every day. Am I doing enough? Am I doing too much? Why can’t I stop thinking about what my friend said? Even as my grief faded, there was always plenty to talk about. Similar to booking a massage or making time for a bubble bath, therapy felt like caring for myself, and that’s how Vancouverbased clinical counsellor Makita Wiggins sees it too. “I always promote to my clients to use therapies as self-care,” she says. For me, therapy was where I went to unpack my brain and examine those bits and pieces of myself that I didn’t realize I was carrying around. My birthday, on the other hand, is a celebration, often involving friends, cake and more than a few tequila shots. In my personal Venn diagram, therapy and my birthday were in separate bubbles. But in 2021, determined to cash in on my insurance, I found myself ringing in the big 3-2 with a virtual therapy session—and honestly, it was the best gift. Radio host Jax Irwin had a similar realization. There’s a perception of therapy as “heavy and problem-solving,” she explains, but as someone who has been going regularly for years, therapy is part of her routine. So, when Irwin’s appointment happened to fall during a birthday trip with some friends, she didn’t reschedule. Instead, with her friends still asleep, Irwin climbed atop the houseboat they had rented and started her birthday with a call to her therapist. She remembers it as a sort of “private rooftop therapy oasis.” Whether you’re on top of a houseboat, on a video call or in an office, therapy is a space where you can be yourself. You don’t have to be “the birthday girl” or mask how you’re feeling. For the duration of the session, you get to talk about whatever is on your mind, whether or not it makes for socially acceptable conversation. It truly is your party—and you can cry if you want to. “If I’m a little bit sad after, that’s OK,” Irwin told her radio co-hosts when questioned about her unconventional tradition. “Growth is growth is growth, and I want to go into the next year growing,”

DECEMBER/JANUARY 2022

VITALS

It may not seem like a fun way to commemorate a new year or birthday, but having fun isn’t the only way to mark a milestone. “Therapy sessions can go so many different ways: They can be hard and a lot of heavy lifting, but they can also be just so freeing,” says Irwin. She adds that after discussing this idea on the radio, the show heard from multiple listeners who have also integrated therapy as part of their birthday celebration, and even more people who were intrigued by the idea. To be clear, I’m not saying that therapy is easy, let alone enjoyable—this especially depends on the type of therapy you’re engaging in. Really, it can feel like the opposite of conventional self-care. Instead of escaping into your favourite TV show, therapy forces you to confront everything from harmful patterns to trauma. But while therapy may not feel good in the moment, it has the potential to help you feel good long-term. And just like your birthday is not like any other day, birthday therapy does not need to be like other sessions. Instead, a birthday therapy appointment can be used as a point of reflection and forward thinking. Irwin uses the time to set intentions for her next year. “It feels exciting to look forward with somebody who knows the ins and outs of you like that.” I had met with a new counsellor for my birthday session, someone who didn’t know me, but having them ask how I was doing and offer professional insight was healing. It was a designated time to discuss personal successes and struggles that don’t appear on Instagram or my resumé, like learning to set healthy boundaries or building self-esteem. My session didn’t solve any of these issues, but I walked away with a greater awareness of myself, my strengths and struggles, than before— something I wouldn’t have ever thought to put on my birthday wish list. Regardless of the occasion, making time to care for our mental health is becoming increasingly urgent. With pandemic-related job loss, isolation, anxiety and fear, Canadians are facing a mental health crisis. One in four Canadian adults experience symptoms of depression, anxiety and post-traumatic stress disorder, and according to Statistics Canada, these rates are on the rise. Wh i le Wig g i ns is a l l for t he idea of reframing therapy as a form of celebration, she notes that the cost of mental health services is still a barrier for many. Prices vary depending on the type of therapy, location and the provider. Treatment from a general practitioner is covered by public health insurance, but other providers’ prices vary widely and can depend on several factors, like the type of practitioner

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and location. For instance, prices range from $70 for one-on-one psychotherapy with a social worker to $200 per appointment with a psychologist. Prices can also vary based on the type of therapy, such as couples counselling versus traumainformed indiv idual sessions. A 2020 Canadian study highlighted the cost of ser vices not covered by private insurance plans as a major barrier to mental health care. I fall into that category. With my new health care plan, I will end up paying for the majority of my therapy sessions if I want

to go regularly. It’s a frustrating reality, and yet another reason why it makes sense to see a therapist on my birthday—it’s a way of treating myself. Wiggins tries to make her services accessible with sliding scale pricing and keeps a spot open for a pro bono client. But if it’s only feasible to go to therapy once or twice a year, she encourages clients to let the care provider know that, so that they can structure sessions accordingly. “Even if you just have that one-off, you learn so much about yourself in that one session,” she says. “Do it.”

Help Wanted HOW TO ACCESS FREE MENTAL HEALTH CARE Canada is facing a mental health crisis, fuelled in part by the ongoing pandemic. Yet, in 2020, fewer than half of Canadians who wanted mental health support received services, according to the Common Wealth Fund’s annual International Health Policy survey. The price tag associated with care was a major barrier. If you or someone you know needs mental health care, here are some free resources: eMentalHealth.ca This website, run by the Children’s Hospital of Eastern Ontario (CHEO), provides an extensive database of resources that can be narrowed down by the type of therapy, location, languages available and more. Users can also filter for “no fee” options. Family doctors and psychiatrists Getting mental health treatment from a family doctor or general practitioner (some of whom have training in mental health support)

is covered by provincial and territorial health plans, such as RAMQ in Quebec or OHIP in Ontario. Family doctors can also provide assessments and referrals for a psychiatrist, who is a medical doctor specializing in mental illnesses. Psychiatrists are covered by public health insurance. Wellness Together Canada Created in response to the pandemic, with funding from the Government of Canada, Wellness Together Canada provides a range of educational and counselling resources, available 24/7 at no cost. Services include immediate text support, self-guided wellness programs and individual phone, video and text counselling. There are also free peer-support programs connecting Canadians with trained individuals who have personally experienced mental health and/or substance use challenges. Services are available to all Canadians, even those living abroad.

Beat the Clock Busyness is prized in North America, even though it's bad for our health. So how do we slow down and log some vital me time? BY LAURA HENSLEY

I rarely have no weekend plans. Between household chores, a laundry list of errands and work left over from the week, the possibility of sleeping in and abandoning my phone feels like a distant dream. I often tell myself that next weekend I’ll pick up a scone or two and spend hours on the couch sipping coffee and reading a book. I’m hardly the only one desperate for quiet downtime. So why is it so hard to come by? In North America, busyness is celebrated and overachievement is a marker of success. Doing more is a sign of

efficiency. We have accepted that it’s OK to always be on the go and feel guilty if we’ve not checked off a to-do list—even though time to relax is crucial for our mental and emotional well-being. Research shows that “me time” helps regulate emotions, boosts mood and allows us to recharge. What's more, health experts warn abandoning self-care can lead to burnout, stress and mental health issues. That makes sense. For a lot of people, the pandemic threw a harsh light on the consequences of prioritizing work at the expense of everything else. “Our society evolved to this time where our culture is hyper-productive and hyper-social,” says Thuy-vy Nguyen, an assistant professor of psychology at Durham University in the United Kingdom who researches the effects of solitude. “Now, this topic [of me time] is something that people are curious about.” So how do we find time for ourselves when we know it’s central to our wellbeing, yet so much of our modern life conspires against it? First, we need to rethink the very notion of time. obsessed with managing—and optimizing—time. From “lunch and learn” workshops to quick HIIT sessions between meetings, how we use our spare time has become a marker of constant WESTERN SOCIET Y IS

PHOTOGRAPH BY PAUL WEEKS

self-improvement. Despite time tracking apps and endless self-help books on how to be better at time management, one thing is clear: Many of us feel like we still don’t have enough of it. Part of this may be due to how we think about time. Clocks tick away, measuring the hours, minutes and seconds that pass, but our internal sense of time—that is, how we perceive it—is not so clear cut. Our emotions, in particular, play a role. Time flies when we’re seeing a friend, while getting a cavity filled feels like an eternity. Likewise, the dread and anxiety that many of us have felt over the past 20 months have left us emotionally depleted and time warped. As days become months and workdays seep into evenings, it’s no wonder we feel like time no longer belongs to us. We might also overestimate how busy we really are. Author Laura Vanderkam, who has written half a dozen books on time management, has found through her research that people tend to view their busiest weeks as typical, in part because negative experiences are more memorable than positive ones. (Of course, being busy isn’t always a bad thing, but when it’s associated with stress it can be negative.) That could make it easier than expected to carve out downtime and prevent work or tasks from swallowing you whole. DECEMBER/JANUARY 2022

VITALS

COUNTRIES THAT DO LEISURE BEST

The Pomodoro technique is a time management tactic that breaks down any activity into 25-minute chunks followed by a short break of five or so minutes. Popularized in the late 1980s by Italian software product manager Francesco Cirillo, the practice says that after two hours, break time should increase to longer periods of 20 to 30 minutes. Breaks should be used to get coffee or, better, go for a walk, which is show n to boost mood and decrease fatigue. Cirillo developed the method while a student at Rome’s Luiss Business School and was inspired by the tomato-shaped kitchen timer he used to track time spent on tasks (pomodoro is Italian for tomato). The Pomodoro method is also meant to differentiate work time from free time. (There are plenty of apps, too, that help remind you when to stand, stretch and take a break.) This method also encourages people to work smarter—not longer—a tactic echoed in the book Rest: Why You Get More Done When You Work Less by Alex Soojung-Kim Pang. The book hammers the fact that rest is the key to productivity, and that no one really needs to work endless hours to succeed. For Ashley Roth, scheduling time for herself is key. As a mother of two who works full-time—she is a recreational therapist with EHN Canada, a network of mental health and recovery centres—Roth struggles to exercise unless she books a session. “I work out on my lunch break because that's the only time I have [for myself] during my day,” she says. Different activities benefit different parts of our well-being, so whatever you find time for, just do it. Puzzles can improve cognitive function, whereas going for a run can boost mood and improve physical health. Ideally, Roth says, people find time for activities that target various aspects of their health. “Those social, emotional, cognitive, physical and spiritual leisure experiences... [are] really how we balance our lives in this wild world,” she says. Without taking a break, we're not able to recharge. That means we're less able to communicate effectively or cope with external stressors. Roth suggests blocking time in your calendar—and actually writing it down either in pen or digitally—for an activity you enjoy. Some days it may be a 10-minute walk while once a week it might be dinner with a friend or a bath before bed. Breaking your day into blocks may sound overly regimented and time-consuming, but it can illuminate how you’re spending your time. If you’re struggling to read for 15-minutes every night but want to, ask yourself, is there 15 minutes you can shave off from replying to non-urgent emails so you can get to bed sooner?

BELGIUM (6.15 HOURS A DAY) / NORWAY (6.13) / GREECE (5.88) / GERMANY (5.52)

Expert Advice ROBIN SHARMA IS THE AUTHOR OF THE 5 AM CLUB AND THE MONK WHO SOLD HIS FERRARI

“Legendary producers are professional resters. The people who are able to consistently perform extraordinary work are those who out-focus, out-invent and out-work everyone around them. When they work, they really, really work...and after they’ve expressed their mastery in a hot burst of gargantuan glory, they go dark. Yes…they go ghost. Unavailable. Invisible. They regenerate. They refuel. They replenish. They renew. They read. They walk. They improve their cooking, watch great films and have fun with their family. And they nap (napping is my secret weapon).”

Excerpted from The Everyday Hero Manifesto © Robin Sharma, Published by HarperCollins Canada Ltd., harpercollins.ca

PHOTOGRAPH BY PAUL WEEKS

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/ FINLAND (5.52) / CANADA SPENDS 4.5 HOURS PER DAY, ONE OF THE LOWEST AVERAGES AMONG DEVELOPED NATIONS

organizational psychologist, writes in the New York Times that the key to productivity is to prioritize the people and projects that matter—an ideology called “attention management.” This means focusing on getting the right things done for the right reasons, not trying to do everything. We all have a limited amount of time, after all. Also, be firm with yourself. See scheduled me time as an appointment that’s just as important as any other. It’s perfectly OK to say no to requests from others during this time. If that’s hard, remember: Keeping a date with yourself will improve your well-being. Roth says the benefits of making time for yourself bleed into your relationships, both personal and professional. In other words, being compassionate towards yourself and honouring your need for me time can actually make you a better partner, parent, colleague and friend. Without time for yourself, she says, “We’re not able to be a well-rounded person.” And savouring downtime activities is just as important as doing them. It’s common for people to check emails while they’re walking around the block, or to refresh social media feeds when they’re spending time with friends. Multi-tasking might feel like a win in the productivity race, but Roth says when we’re not focused, the feelings we get from mood-boosting activities don't register, and we are unable to reap the benefits. “Feel that emotion you get from going out for a simple walk and looking at flowers and actually listening to what's around you,” she says. “If you take time to really reflect and feel the joy, the emotion from it stays with you longer.” Other parts of the world are better at leisure time and taking breaks. In places like Italy and Spain, leisure and social time is prioritized and people spend less time on work-related tasks. Spain mandates a minimum of 30 days off work a year (yes, that’s above and beyond weekends). And research shows that work-life balance is a strong predictor of happiness. North Americans, on the other hand, are obsessed with being busy. As American author Jenny Odell writes in her celebrated book How to Do Nothing, a cultural shift is necessary to rejig our priorities. “An individual body can be healed, and it can become healthy,” she writes. “But it can’t necessarily be optimized; it’s not a machine, after all.” The same holds true for society as a whole. We need to value laid-back weekends as much as we value a productive day at the office. I’m trying to remind myself that if I don’t make time for a book and a buttery scone on Sunday, I’ll be less focused come Monday. That, to me, is an incentive I can get behind.

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ADAM GRANT, AN

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MIGOALS GOAL DIGGER PLANNER

This planner does more than hold important dates. Part life coach and part self-empowerment tool, MiGOALS’ breaks down longterm and short-term goals, and prompts daily check-ins. $43, migoals.com

How I Make Time BY HEATHER PAYNE, FOUNDER OF JUNO COLLEGE OF TECHNOLOGY, AN IT TRAINING COMPANY

Track both your most pressing tasks and your larger objectives. Panda has both monthly and daily sections that allow you to list priorities, while leaving space to reflect on personal wins and goals. $45, amazon.ca

You recently announced your company, Juno, will implement a four-day workweek. Why? I’ve liked the idea of a four-day workweek since I first heard about it a couple years ago, but I wasn’t sure how to make it happen. Back then, Juno had big ambitions when it came to growth: We were trying to build a $100-million company. Over the past few months, though, we’ve refocused Juno and we no longer care about being the biggest or growing fast. We care about enduring—still being around in 100 years—and being a great place for people to work. With that change in perspective, we refocused on maintaining steady, paced growth instead of growing fast, and suddenly I realized that a four-day workweek would be possible. I expect a significant improvement to my quality of life— imagine, a day to myself each week, without any work or family responsibilities?!—and if I feel it would be good for me, I am sure my whole team could benefit.

THE 5 SECOND JOURNAL

As a leader, why is downtime—whether that’s weekends off, vacations or shutting down at 4 p.m.—important to you? I’m more than a CEO. I’m a parent, wife, sibling, daughter, friend, community member, volunteer, citizen and more. But the only way to be all of those things is to prioritize them. Being fairly strict about how much time and space work is allowed to take up is the only way I can truly be who I am. There were times in my life when I had less balance, but I can easily say that I am happier and more fulfilled today.

Motivational speaker Mel Robbin designed this planner to document your most important tasks (to prevent you from feeling overwhelmed), and offer daily prompts that ask you how you’re feeling, what you’re grateful for and what you really want to get done today. $40, chapters.indigo.ca

What’s the biggest lesson you’ve learned about prioritizing your own well-being throughout your career? I’m obsessed with sleep. A few years ago, I read Why We Sleep by Matthew Walker and it changed my life. I started tracking my sleep and built excellent sleep habits, including sleeping with an eye mask and ear plugs. I feel lucky to say that I am probably one of the top one percent of sleepers worldwide, no small feat for a mom with two young kids. Sleep can be really hard, and many have a much harder time sleeping well than I do, but my advice to anyone is to do whatever they can to improve the quality of their sleep, even incrementally. It’s so important.

PANDA PLANNER

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Bettina Schormann and Erin Schiestel have been working (and baking) together for 17 years. Their first cookbook together, Earth to Table Bakes, shares 100 everyday recipes from the two celebrated pastry chefs.

What are some of your favourite recipes in the book? BET TINA SCHOR M A NN : I can’t get enough of Erin’s croissants. And anything made with puff pastry. Those crispy layers! ERIN SCHIESTEL: I’m drawn to the angel food cake even though it’s so simple. It’s a vehicle for endless toppings. In the book, we pair it with berries, but it can go with anything. What are your go-to recipes for hosting? BS: I have an uncle who has celiac, so I get creative with my gluten-free options. Something like the Chocolate Nemesis cake is so delicious and accommodates everyone. ES: I’m really into Christmas breakfast, so quiche is my go-to—it feeds the crowd, and you can make it into whatever you want. What are your baking tips for hosts who are juggling a million things at once? BS: Read the recipe from start to finish and figure out what you can do ahead of time, even if that means days ahead of time. Don’t try to tackle everything on one day. You write about creating magical memories with baking. Tell us more. B S : I think bak ing w ith your k ids is so important. For a while, my daughter was awful to bake with—she’d just throw a handful of salt into everything. But now she likes to level off the cup, and she’s starting to learn about fractions and cracking eggs. She’s loving it! ES: Even for adults there’s always that element of wide-eyed surprise and anticipation of eating something beautiful. It doesn’t get old. Everyone’s just so grateful that you spent the time to make delicious things for them.

We often talk about baked goods as a naughty indulgence. But it’s also important to treat yourself and allow for those magical memories. How do you find the balance? ES : Our baking includes fullfat ingredients because that makes the most delicious product, which is always what we’re going for. If you’re going to spoil yourself, you may as well just do it. And if you don’t spoil yourself then your mental health will suffer. I think you need to be nice to yourself. BS: We are really good at treating ourselves. There’s a story of a baker in France who would work all night and then pick out the best baguette to take home. I always thought that was such a special way to think about it. Don’t give away everything— keep the best for yourself. And then there are the mental health benefits of eating delicious food with your loved ones. ES: And sharing what you’re making with your friends and family, or customers even. Memories are created around working together and sharing what you made. What’s the best part of sharing what you’ve made? B S : At the beginning of the meal when everyone sits down and we all hold hands— we’re not religious, but we are German— we shake th ree times and say “Guten Appetit!” Then everybody just dives into the food. My favourite moment is when nobody is talking because everybody’s eating.—Rebecca Gao This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity.

PHOTOGRAPHY BY MAYA VISNYEI

Five Spice Ginger Molasses Cookies MAKES 20 COOKIES

These ginger cookies are the perfect combination of chewy and crisp. The rolling sugar adds sweetness and a slight crunch to the spicy, chewy middles. Be sure to cream the shortening and sugar for the suggested time. It needs to be very light and fluffy to ensure that the cookies spread the right amount and to ensure the perfect final texture. 1 cup (250 mL) vegetable shortening 1½ cups (375 mL) granulated sugar, divided ¼ cup (60 mL) fancy molasses 1 large egg 2 teaspoons (10 mL) baking soda 1 teaspoon (5 mL) cinnamon 1 teaspoon (5 mL) nutmeg 1 teaspoon (5 mL) kosher salt ½ teaspoon (2 mL) ground ginger ¼ teaspoon (1 mL) ground cloves ¼ teaspoon (1 mL) ground allspice 2½ cups (625 mL) all-purpose flour

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C). Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. 2. In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the shortening, 1 cup (250 mL) of the sugar, and the molasses on high speed until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Reduce the speed to medium. Add the egg and increase the speed to high and mix for about 3 more minutes to increase the volume. Reduce the speed to medium. Add the baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, salt, ginger, cloves, and allspice. Mix to combine. Turn off the mixer and scrape down the sides of the bowl with a spatula. Add the flour and mix on low speed until just combined. Remove the

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VITALS

edges starting to brown, the cookies should be slightly puffed and the tops should be starting to crack. Let cool completely. 5. Serve immediately or store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days.

Chocolate and Vanilla Brûlée Cheesecake MAKES ONE 8- INCH (20 CM) CHEESECAKE

Why have chocolate or vanilla cheesecake when you can have both? This two-toned stunner offers the best of both cheesecake worlds. A small kitchen torch can be used for more than just crème brûlée. Try using yours to brûlée the top of this cheesecake before you serve it. The satisfying crack when your fork goes through the top is unmatched.

“SO MANY MEMORIES ARE CREATED AROUND WORKING TOGETHER IN THE KITCHEN OR SHARING WHAT YOU MADE WITH YOUR HANDS.”

bowl from the stand mixer. Stir the batter with a spatula or wooden spoon to be sure the ingredients are well combined. 3. Place the remaining ½ cup (125 mL) of sugar in a medium bowl. Roll the

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cookie dough into 1-inch (2.5 cm) balls, the equivalent of about 2 tablespoons (30 mL) of dough. Drop each dough ball into the sugar and turn it to coat completely. Arrange the cookies on the prepared baking sheets about 2 inches (5 cm) apart.

4. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, turning the baking sheets after 10 minutes, until the edges of the cookies start to turn golden brown. Because these cookies are quite dark, determining when they are done can be tricky. In addition to the

PHOTOGRAPHY BY MAYA VISNYEI

CHOCOLATE COOKIE CRUST 14 ounces (400 g) chocolate cookie wafers 6 tablespoons (90 mL) granulated sugar ¾ cup (175 mL) unsalted butter, melted CREAM CHEESE FILLING 2 cups (500 mL) plain cream cheese, softened 12 ounces (340 g) full-fat ricotta cheese 1 cup (250 mL) + 3 tablespoons (45 mL) granulated sugar, divided 4 large eggs 2 teaspoons (10 mL) pure vanilla extract, divided 7 ounces (200 g) good quality semisweet chocolate, melted 2 teaspoons (10 mL) cornstarch

1. Preheat the oven to 300°F (150°C). Lightly grease an 8-inch (2 L) springform pan. 2. Make the chocolate cookie crust. Pulse the Chocolate Cookie Wafers in a food processer until

VITALS

they turn to fine crumbs. Place the crumbs, sugar, and butter in a small bowl and stir to combine. Press the crust into the bottom of the prepared pan and up the sides to reach the rim. Use the bottom of a measuring cup to keep the inside edge nice and square. Transfer to the fridge to chill for 30 minutes, until firm. 3. Make the cream cheese filling. Place the cream cheese, ricotta, and 1 cup (250 mL) of the sugar in the bowl of a food processor. Process for 2 to 3 minutes, until smooth. Scrape down the sides of the bowl. Add the eggs and 1 teaspoon (5 mL) of the vanilla and process until smooth. Transfer two-thirds of the mixture to a medium bowl and set aside. Add the melted chocolate to the remaining mixture in the food processor and process until well combined. Pour the chocolate filling over the chilled cookie crust.

oven. Let the cheesecake rest inside the hot oven, with the door closed, for 20 minutes to set completely. Remove from the oven and let stand at room temperature for 30 minutes. Cover the cheesecake in plastic wrap and transfer to the fridge to chill for at least 3 hours. 6. To brûlée the top of the cheesecake, evenly sprinkle the remaining 3 tablespoons (45 mL) of sugar overtop. Just before serving, use a small kitchen torch to scorch the sugar, making sure to brown all of it so that no patches of granulated sugar remain. 7. Store leftover cheesecake in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.

Beet And Feta Quiche

4. In a small bowl, combine the remaining 1 teaspoon (5 mL) of vanilla and the cornstarch. Add the mixture to the reserved filling and stir with a spatula until combined. Gently spoon the vanilla filling over the chocolate filling in the pan. Use the back of a spoon to smooth it into an even layer.

Beets are an amazing winter vegetable. They’re hearty, they keep well through the long winter months, and they offer a welcome blast of colour when the weather outside feels endlessly grey. Featuring both red and yellow beets, this tart might even be bright enough to convince you it’s the middle of summer while you’re eating it.

5. Bake for about 55 minutes, until the edges are set and the centre jiggles only slightly when you move the pan. Turn off the

2 medium yellow beets 2 medium red beets ½ batch Savoury Pie dough 1½ cups (375 mL) crumbled feta cheese, divided

1. Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C). 2. Wrap each beet in aluminum foil and place them directly on the rack in the oven. Bake for 75 minutes, or until the beets are tender when pierced with a knife. Let cool to room temperature. Using a clean kitchen rag, rub the skins off the beets and discard. Cut the beets into ¼-inch (5 mm) slices and set aside. Reduce the oven temperature to 350°F (180°C).

SERVES 6

HOT TIP FOR BRÛLÉED CHEESECAKE

It is best to brûlée the cheesecake right before serving because the brûléed sugar will soften the longer it sits, and you will not get the characteristic brûlée crack when you cut into it with your fork. 32

1 cup (250 mL) heavy (35%) cream ½ cup (125 mL) whole (3.25%) milk 2 large eggs 2 tablespoons (30 mL) chopped fresh thyme 1 teaspoon (5 mL) kosher salt ½ teaspoon (2 mL) ground cumin ¼ teaspoon (1 mL) fresh cracked black pepper microgreens, for garnish (optional)

3. On a lightly floured work surface, roll the Savoury Pie Dough into a 14-inch (35 cm) circle. Roll the dough around the rolling pin and unroll it over a 9-inch (23 cm) tart pan with a removable bottom. Gently press the dough into the bottom and sides of the pan and remove any excess dough with a paring knife. Transfer to the fridge to chill for at least 30 minutes. 4. In a medium bowl, combine 1 cup (250 mL) of the feta, the cream, milk, eggs, thyme, salt, cumin, and pepper. 5. Arrange the beets in a ring in the bottom of the tart pan so that one beet overlaps the next by about half and the colours alternate. Pour the egg mixture on top. Sprinkle the remaining ½ cup (125 mL) of feta overtop. Bake for 45 minutes, or until the filling is set and jiggles

PHOTOGRAPHY BY MAYA VISNYEI

Savoury Pie Dough ֑ Our savoury pie dough is another one of our cooking hacks. By eliminating sugar and adding a small amount of black pepper, you get an equally flaky, delightful crust that pairs better with savoury pies. 2 cups (500 mL) all-purpose flour 1 teaspoon (5 mL) fresh cracked black pepper 1 teaspoon (5 mL) kosher salt 1 cup (250 mL) vegetable shortening 1⁄3 cup (75 mL) cold water Step 1 In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the flour, pepper, and salt. With the mixer on low speed, add the shortening 1 tablespoon (15 mL) at a time, until all of the shortening has been added and the mixture is crumbly. Add the water and continue mixing on low speed until the dough comes together and is smooth, almost like a paste. Step 2 Transfer the dough to a lightly floured work surface. Lightly knead the dough, about 1 minute, until it pulls away from the floured surface. Divide it into 2 equal portions. Shape the dough into 2 discs and wrap each tightly in plastic wrap. If making a half batch of dough, shape the dough into a single disc and wrap tightly in plastic wrap. Place the dough in the fridge to chill for at least 1 hour. Step 3 Store in the fridge for up to 1 week or in the freezer for up to 3 weeks. If using from frozen, thaw the dough in the fridge overnight before use. Makes two 10-inch (25 cm) shells

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Sweet Pie Dough ֑ We use this recipe in a number of different ways in this book. It goes against everything we learned as pastry chefs— never overmix and keep everything cold or you will not have a flaky dough. This dough is light, flaky, and delicious, and you cannot overmix it. 2 cups (500 mL) all-purpose flour 1 tablespoon (15 mL) granulated sugar 1 teaspoon (5 mL) kosher salt 1 cup (250 mL) vegetable shortening 1⁄3 cup (75 mL) cold water Step 1 In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the flour, sugar, and salt. With the mixer on low speed, add the shortening 1 tablespoon (15 mL) at a time, until all of the shortening has been added and the mixture is crumbly. Add the water and continue mixing on low speed until the dough comes together and is smooth, almost like a paste. Step 2 Transfer the dough to a lightly floured work surface. Lightly knead the dough, about 1 minute, until it pulls away from the floured surface. Divide the dough into 2 equal portions. Shape the dough into 2 discs and wrap each tightly in plastic wrap. If making a half batch of dough, shape the dough into a single disc and wrap tightly in plastic wrap. Place the dough in the fridge to chill for at least 1 hour. Step 3 Store in the fridge for up to 1 week or in the freezer for up to 3 weeks. If using from frozen, thaw the dough in the fridge overnight before using it. Makes two 10-inch (25 cm) shells

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around the rolling pin and unroll it over a 9-inch (23 cm) pie plate. Gently press the dough into the bottom and sides of the plate, folding any overhanging dough under itself along the lip. Crimp the edges and transfer to the fridge to chill for 20 minutes.

only slightly when you move the pan. Let stand for 10 minutes before serving. Garnish with microgreens, if desired. 6. Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 days. Before serving leftovers, reheat in a 350°F (180°C) oven for 10 minutes.

2. Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C).

Chocolate Pecan Pie

3. In a double boiler, or a medium stainless steel bowl placed over a small saucepan of simmering water, melt the chocolate, stirring occasionally, until smooth. Set aside.

MAKES ONE 9- INCH (23 CM) PIE This pecan

pie is so decadent and rich. We make it often for markets, and it makes a perfect holiday dessert. Adding dark chocolate to the pie filling may be unexpected—some pecan pie lovers may be skeptical—but it works! Dark chocolate and pecans are a sophisticated pairing. This recipe will be sure to convert pecan pie purists.

4. In a medium bowl, use a wooden spoon to stir the eggs, corn syrup, sugar, vanilla, salt, and instant coffee to combine. Slowly add the melted chocolate and stir to combine. 5. Arrange the pecans in an even layer in the pie shell. Pour the filling overtop. Place the pie plate on a rimmed baking sheet to catch any drips. Bake for 50 to 60 minutes, turning the baking sheet at about the 25-minute mark, until just set. The filling should jiggle only slightly when you tap the pie plate. Transfer to a wire rack and let cool to room temperature. Wrap loosely in plastic wrap and transfer to the fridge to chill for at least 4 hours, or overnight, before serving.

½ batch Sweet Pie dough 4 ounces (115 g) semisweet chocolate, finely chopped 4 large eggs, lightly beaten 1½ cups (375 mL) corn syrup ½ cup (125 mL) granulated sugar 1 teaspoon (5 mL) pure vanilla extract ½ teaspoon (2 mL) kosher salt ½ teaspoon (2 mL) instant coffee 1 cup (250 mL) pecan halves

1. On a well-floured work surface, roll the Sweet Pie Dough into a 12-inch (30 cm) circle. Roll the dough

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HOT TIP FOR PECANS THAT WON’T BURN Pecan halves or pecan pieces both work in this pie. Placing them in the empty pie shell first and covering them with the filling will ensure that the nuts do not burn in the oven. PHOTOGRAPHY BY MAYA VISNYEI

6. Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 days. Excerpted from Earth to Table Bakes by Bettina Schormann and Erin Schiestel. Copyright © 2021 Bettina Schormann and Erin Schiestel. Photography © 2021 Maya Visnyei Photography. Published by Penguin Canada, a division of Penguin Random House Canada Limited. Reproduced by arrangement with the Publisher. All rights reserved.

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GOODS 21

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19. Stila Stay-All-Day Waterproof Liquid Eyeliner The pigment is supersaturated but doesn’t smudge, while the micro- tip makes application easy (even for klutzes). It comes in six shades. $29, sephora.ca 20. Glossier Boy Brow This creamy wax pomade that comes in five shades has been giving everyone the bushy (but neat!) Cara Delevingne brows of their dreams ever since its launch in 2015. $20USD, glossier.com

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22. Benefit Cosmetics Hoola Matte Bronzer This award-winning powder bronzer comes in five shades and there’s a built-in mirror and brush—perfect for faking some glow on the go. $40, shoppersdrugmart.ca 23. BareMinerals Original Loose Powder Foundation Broad Spectrum SPF15 Back in the day (1995, to be exact) when foundations often looked and felt pancake-y, this product changed the game with a clean formula that didn’t clog pores. The classic comes in a “radiant finish” but if you’re more of a matte girl, they have that, too! $38, sephora.ca 24. NARS Blush in Orgasm While many blushes today promise a “just-got-some” flush, this saucy pink was the first when it launched in 1999. $39, narscosmetics.ca

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25. Bioderma Sensibio H20 Micellar Solution This affordable French micellar cleansing water is an easy way to wash your face without leaving the couch and even works on waterproof makeup. It also comes in formulas for oily and dehydrated skin. $20, shoppersdrugmart.ca 26. Estée Lauder Advanced Night Repair Synchronized MultiRecovery Complex A bestseller since it first launched in 1982, this beloved hyaluronic-infused serum was updated in 2020 with a secret complex that is said to have a direct line to a micro-signaling molecule in the skin that help repair aging skin. From $95, esteelauder.ca

27. Biologique Recherche Lotion P50T This exfoliating toner is famous for its ability to slough away dead skin for a major glow-up. It’s mostly sold at spas and dermatologists’ offices, but it’s worth the hunt. From $33, one2onestudio.ca 28. SkinCeuticals CE Ferulic Dermatologists are kind of obsessed with this vitamin C serum that’s a potent combo of 15% pure vitamin C (L-ascorbic acid), 1% vitamin E and 0.5% ferulic acid. It’s not cheap, but a little goes a long way. $190, skinceuticals.ca 29. Cetaphil Gentle Skin Cleanser This uber-gentle, soap-free cleanser has been around for a while—the original formula launched way back in 1947. The fragrance-free, ph-balanced wash means that its good for people with reactive skin. $20, shoppersdrugmart.ca

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30. ROC Skincare Retinol Correxion Line Smoothing Eye Cream This retinol cream is specially formulated for the extra sensitive eye area and helps smooth fine lines, reduce puffiness and brighten dark circles like a champ. $40, well.ca 31. Crème de La Mer Moisturizing Cream This ultra-rich cream, famously infused with its patented “Miracle Broth” (giant sea kelp, vitamins and minerals) and antioxidant lime tea, gives the thirstiest of dry skin an intense pampering. $255, crèmedelamer.ca 32. Avène Eau Thermale Tolérance Extreme Cream This hydrating hypoallergenic cream is a desert-island product for people with even the most sensitive skin. $36, at shoppersdrugmart.ca

34. Drunk Elephant A-Passioni Retinol Cream If you’re a retinol virgin, or find other formulas too strong, this fragrancefree cream—a member of Sephora’s “Clean at Sephora” tribe—has only 1.0% retinol and is sure to be your new non-irritating overnight skin treatment. $98, sephora.ca 35. Olay Regenerist Micro-Sculpting Cream Say “the moisturizer in the red jar” and plenty of people will immediately know which one you’re talking about. The niacinamideand hyaluronic acid in this creamy formula have been brightening and plumping faces since 2007, and it’s now available in a lighter “whipped” version, an ultra-rich one and a fragrance-free one, too. $40, shoppersdrugmart.ca 31

33. Embryolisse LaitCrème Concentré This milky cream is the ultimate multitasker and can be used as a light moisturizer and makeup primer, thanks to a juicy mix of shea butter, aloe vera, beeswax and soy proteins. $39, embryolisse.ca

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GOODS [H A IR]

36. Klorane Dry Shampoo With Oat Milk Dry shampoos are great for freshening dirty hair or giving a little extra oomph to limp locks, but they can be itchy and overly perfume-y. That’s not the case with this classic soothing formula. $15, shoppersdrugmart.ca 37. L’Oréal Paris Elnett Satin Unscented Extra Strong Hold Hairspray This supreme drugstore hairspray can be found in most hairstylists’s kits. L’Oréal has never changed the 1980s Glamour Shotsstyle image on the can and we’re here for it. $12, shoppersdrugmart.ca

38. Oribe Dry Texturing Spray There are texturizing sprays, and then there’s the texturizing spray. Trust us—there are no good dupes for this pricey hair pumping elixir. The yummy jasmine, bergamot and sandalwood scent only increases its appeal and helps justify its price tag. $60, holtrenfrew.ca 39. Moroccanoil Treatment This brand was one of the first to harness the nourishing properties of argan oil. They mixed it with fatty linseed extract and swish—decades of smooth, delicious-smelling hair were ours. It can be used for all hair types including curly

and coily and now comes in a lighter version. $50, moroccanoil.ca 40. Olaplex Hair Perfector No. 3 Repairing Treatment If you, too, have coloured your hair so much it’s a desiccated husk of its former self, this treatment is for you. While it can be used on all hair types and shades, Olaplex’s bonding and moisturizing power is especially useful for repairing bleached-out locks. $38, sephora.ca

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B Y D O M I N I Q U E L A M B E R T O N / P H O T O G R A P H S B Y K AY L A R O C C A

Making small lifestyle changes (think one-minute workouts and five-minute microbreaks) can have happy effects on your health and well-being.

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F I E L D G U I D E: T H E M I C R O H E A LT H M O V E M E N T

years ago, while I was working late at my desk in a downtown Toronto office tower, I came across an article that continues to haunt me: “Meet Emma, a creepy life-sized doll who represents office workers of the future,” the headline read. Below it, an image of a woman with a hunched back, swollen ankles, sallow skin and bloodshot eyes stared back at me. Commissioned by an office furniture company, Emma was created based on data about physical ailments from 3,000 European employees—a life-size warning of what largely sedentary staffers might look like in 20 years if nothing changes. I shut my laptop and headed for the subway station: The rest of my work could wait until tomorrow. I didn’t have the healthiest workday habits before the pandemic—I tended to be overcaffeinated and under-watered, spent 10 to 11 hours at my desk instead of the requisite eight, had an inconsistent exercise routine and a variable sleep schedule, with many a late night spent staring at a screen. But since transitioning to a WFH lifestyle 20 months ago, it’s somehow gotten even worse. At least in the Before Times, when I commuted to and from my office, walked around it to fill up my water bottle and attend meetings, and left my desk periodically for coffee breaks and lunches, I easily clocked 10,000 steps a day—a number that’s become a benchmark on wearable fitness devices and tracking apps. Neighbouring colleagues provided frequent social intervals, and intermittently during the workday, I’d peer out the large windows to watch the hum of the city go by. Now, in my two-bedroom apartment, I’m lucky if I reach 5,000 steps—that’s usually from a walk or two around the block if I’m diligent enough to take them. My husband, knowing that I’m still spooked by Emma, regularly warns me, as I’m curled over my laptop for eight hours (or often longer): “You’re going to turn into the office worker of the future.” I’m someone, it seems, who needs the structure of office life to build in bouts of movement and revitalizing breaks that are important for everything

WHAT’S ONE SMALL LIFESTYLE ADJUSTMENT YOU’VE MADE THAT’S BETTERED YOUR HEALTH? ֐

“I put my phone down while I eat. I used to hold it in one hand to read emails and catch up on things, but it felt like I was having desk lunches for every meal for months on end. Do I now put my phone in another room and light a candle to enjoy my avocado toast? No. But I eat it with two hands.” PAY CHEN, TV HOST, WRITER AND PRODUCER

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[T I P 1] “We don't need to be fancy to keep fit.” Some unfancy moves to get you started: Run in place / jumping ja

JENNIFER WINTER, FOUNDER AND CREATOR OF HAVE A NICE DAY PILATES

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/ squats / high knees / walking lunges / burpees / planks (see pg. 19) / hop on one foot to the kitchen / dance to your favourite song.

“I’ve been trying to live as ego-free as possible. It means taking a step back and catching my breath, instead of moving with a knee-jerk reaction. If I secondguess myself while guiding a Pilates class, I try to see those negative voices as my ego, not the reality of the situation.”

from reducing harmful sedentary time to staving off burnout. But, because I’m not heading back to the office anytime soon, I need to make some changes. As it turns out, big ones aren’t required. The benefits of micro health habits, anything from engaging in 60 seconds of exercise to taking a few minutes to unplug for your mental health, are gaining traction across health disciplines. Science is proving what feels like common sense: adding in healthy habits where you can, even if miniscule, is better than nothing. “Trying to overhaul your life all in one fell swoop is incredibly hard [and] inconsistent with the realities of life,” says Dr. Lesley Lutes, a professor of psychology at the University of British Columbia Okanagan whose areas of research include lifestyle behavioral changes and mental health and well-being. Instead, says Lutes, it’s about our ability to sustain small, meaningful changes. One sm a l l c h a nge cou ld be add i ng what researchers call “exercise snacks” into your day. The term was coined by researcher Monique Francois in a 2014 study to describe one-minute bouts of intense movement. But Martin Gibala, a professor of kinesiology at McMaster University in Hamilton, Ont., and bestselling author of The One-Minute Workout: Science Shows a Way to Get Fit That’s Smarter, Faster, Shorter, says the concept of exercise snacks is simply inter val training repackaged and rebranded. That approach to working out first gained public attention in the 1950s, when the Canadian military invented a fitness regimen for sedentary air force pilots called 5BX. “The plan, which stands for five basic exercises, eventually spread beyond the military and over 20 million pamphlets were distributed to Canadian households. It’s this idea of getting fit on your own without the need for specialized equipment, in a relatively [T I P 2] time-efficient manner,” says Gibala. In our ANY THING IS BET TER current pandemic circumstances, he says, THAN NOTHING this type of fitness resonates: “The notion Even if you’re not getting of exercise snacks is quite suited for the up for an exercise break, times—it’s reminded people of the power standing is better than sitting. There are apps to of bodyweight-style exercise, of simple remind you, like Stand things like stair climbing. We don’t need to Up! The Work Break be fancy to keep fit.” [1] Timer. Better yet, invest In a joint study between McMaster and in a height-adjustable standing desk. UBC Okanagan published in Applied Physiology, Nutrition and Metabolism in 2018, Gibala and his fellow researchers looked at sedentary young adults who vigorously climbed three f lights of stairs, three times a week for six weeks—and they saw a measurable improvement in their fitness. But, before adding three snacks a week, consider where you’re at: “If you’re completely sedentary and out of shape, anything is better than nothing,” says Gibala. “Maybe a single 20-second exercise snack, once a day, a couple of times a week, is going to be beneficial.” [2] To set myself up for success, Gibala suggests scheduling the snacks in my calendar. So I add three into my 9 to 5: at 10:30 a.m., 12:30 p.m. and 2:30 p.m. When the alert goes off for my first-ever exercise snack, I decide to travel across

F I E L D G U I D E: T H E M I C R O H E A LT H M O V E M E N T

the room via walking lunges, for a total of 50 seconds. Surprisingly, I am breathless by the end and my legs feel fatigued—but the best part is, I’m not sweaty. And, instead of filling up my coffee cup again, as I’m wont to do mid-morning, I go for a glass of water [3] before returning to my laptop. Snack one, consumed—and I’m already looking forward to the next one. While scheduling can be an effective way to work in exercise breaks [4], the opposite is true for microbreaks, those short, informal respites of self-chosen activities taken voluntarily between your work tasks. Research shows that they result in less stress and fatigue, and increased engagement, happiness and productivity. Sooyeol Kim, an assistant professor at National University Singapore, has been studying the impacts of microbreaks for a decade. He describes them as five- to seven-minute periods away from your work doing anything from getting a snack or coffee to chatting with a colleague, reading an article or watching a video. With three published studies and two more ongoing, he’s found that employees who take frequent microbreaks to relax—by doing such things as stretching, daydreaming or meditating—experience the most benefits [5]. “When you interact with others for microbreak purposes, you spend some psychological energy; and when you read something, it’s cognitively demanding. But with relaxation, you can be temporarily away from work-related tasks and resource expenditure,” says Kim. For me, the biggest challenge is ensuring my breaks stay micro. While Kim says that picking up your phone to check your Instagram feed can qualify as a microbreak, it’s important to keep it purposeful and brief, rather than a mindless scrolling session (guilty!) that will wind up depleting more energy and resources. “When we see positive or exciting news from our social [T I P 3] media, like a close friend got a job or he GO FOR A GL ASS or she is getting married, that can have a OF WATER refreshing effect,” he says [6]. I feel microNo need to chug: breaks are going to take a little more work Research shows that for me to enact with the right balance of drinking water slowly and steadily throughout both freedom and discipline, but Kim has the day is critical for a suggestion on where to start: When you everything from organ find yourself stuck on an email or a task functionality to helping at work, for example, stick your head out improve sleep quality and mood. Try a reminder the window [7] or watch a YouTube clip and tracking app like for five minutes. You’ll return to the work WaterMinder. refreshed, and maybe you’ll have generated a new idea. While these bite-sized habits are designed for easy implementation, ultimately, they’re about finding what works for you. “There is no one-sizefits-all plan,” says Lutes. She also stresses that changes don’t need to be permanent: Maybe you’ll stick with the exercise snacks for a few weeks, she tells me, and then find they’re not for you, and instead you’ll start taking five minutes to do some yoga poses or stand during meetings. “The most powerful thing you can do for your health is to start focusing on being less sedentary,” Lutes says. “A step is a step is a step, and it all adds up.”

“I’ve got two small kids, and my mornings used to be so hectic. Now, I go to bed sooner and get up a half an hour earlier, before my kids do. That’s when I have my alone time to enjoy a coffee. It gives me that breathing space. It’s taken the stress out of mornings and it sets me up for the day.” MICHELLE EPSTEIN, OWNER OF ELLE FITNESS AND SOCIAL AND ELLE ON DEMAND

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[T I P 4] “Scheduling can be an effective way to work in exercise.” Looking for more structure? Try these. The New York Times’ 4-Minute W

TAKE FREQUENT MICROBREAKS TO REL A X

Keep a face mist at hand a la Tata Harper, the green beauty guru who recommends pick-me-ups from her eponymous brand, like a spritz of the hydrating floral essence. Think of it as a micro midday spa escape.

[T I P 6] SEEING EXCITING NEWS CAN HAVE A REFRESHING EFFECT

And reflecting on your own life has benefits, too. Positive psychology research shows that being grateful is linked to greater happiness. To get started, find a few minutes each day to reflect on what you feel grateful for.

[T I P 7] STICK YOUR HEAD OUT THE WINDOW

Or, even better, take a five-minute walk around the block. Not only will you clear your head, but you’ll also top up your vitamin D supply (to maintain healthy bones, and support muscle function and brain cell activity). Using a vitamin D and UV tracker app like QSun can help ensure you’re safely exposing yourself while soaking up the sunshine vitamin.

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Psychologist Lesley Lutes on why we should ditch New Year’s resolutions in favour of micro changes

So many resolutions fail right out of the gate because people do what they think they should be doing, what they think is ideal or optimal, rather than what’s best for them. It’s about understanding what got you here, what's holding you here and how you move forward in a way that's compassionate, meaningful and sustainable. If someone says they’re going to exercise five days a week, I'm like, “Good for you, that's amazing. But how about just agreeing to get outside for 10 minutes in between the end of the workday and going to pick up the kids?” That, to me, is success, instead of setting these lofty, unrealistic expectations and then saying, “Screw it” and feeling like a failure. The exercise and dieting industries have taught us to think that we’re never doing enough. Another example: If you drink soda three times a day, can we get you down to one? It’s about making a relative change to what you're currently doing—relative, not ideal. I don’t believe that any one change should be sustained long-term—I think of it as a menu of options. You develop like 17 different strategies for making modifications that can, if you choose three small ones a day, add up. I don’t like saying, “I’ll do this every single day,” because life is so chaotic and different. So maybe a small tweak is ordering a tall drink instead of a grande, but since you may not have a latte every single day, that’s just one strategy. This year, after 20 months of the pandemic, we should take a moment to pause and reflect on what’s important to us. How do we want to move forward with authenticity and selfcompassion that's consistent with our values? It’s not about numbers on a scale or adhering to certain diets or plans. It’s about feeling happier, healthier and finding things that bring us joy and meaning in our lives.—as told to D.L.

orkout, 7-Minute Workout or 7-Minute Standing Workout / Nike Training Club App’s Bodyweight Only Benchmark 5-minute workout / Apple Fitness+ 5-minute Core workouts

[T I P 5]

food for thought c an a to o l to preve nt d e pre s s io n , anxiet y

and

oth e r m e ntal h ealth co n ce r n s b e fo u n d o n yo u r pl ate?

w r it te n by s a d i ya a n s a r i

i llu s tr ati o n s by g r ac i a l a m

w hit, Jenny Lee headed to the grocery store like everybody else, stocking up on dry pasta, canned sauces and frozen food—mostly processed foods with a long shelf life. “Not only were we in a really bad situation, we were eating like shit,” says the 36-year-old from Stoney Creek, Ont. It’s not like Lee had never used a canned pasta sauce to pull together dinner before, but the frequency with which she was cooking with processed foods increased as she worked her way through the stockpile. Her diet was also less diverse than when she’d been able to go out and grab a salad at lunch. And she just felt bad—her anxiety spiked, she wasn’t sleeping, she felt constantly sluggish as a result, and then felt guilty for not being able to care for her toddler, Miles. “They tell you that, at two, [kids] should only have an hour of screen time—I was like, yeah, not during COVID,” says Lee. “We were just surviving.” It made sense she was tired and anxious. Miles was home from daycare and both Lee and her husband were working from home, juggling video-call schedules so someone was always able to watch Miles. What didn’t make sense was how bloated she was. By the fall, she felt like she was five months pregnant—Ly could barely bend over because her stomach was so distended. She also had other symptoms she recognized as anxiety, like tightness in her jaw, numbness in her limbs and heart palpitations. Lee was used to dealing with anxiety, but the pandemic kicked it into high gear and the physical symptoms she was experiencing concerned her. She saw her family doctor and went down several investigative rabbit holes—blood tests, an ECG, tests examining her organ functionality. There didn’t seem to be an underlying problem. Then she went on a high-gluten diet for three months to test for celiac disease, and that’s when she noticed the impact of upping her intake of bread, pizza and pasta was having on her. “My anxiety just skyrocketed,” Lee says. “It felt like suffocation—like I couldn’t even get a full breath in.” She started working with a naturopath last fall, who encouraged her to eat more anti-inflammatory foods and cut out refined sugar to heal her gut. But it wasn’t until she started seeing a therapist a few months later that she really started to understand the connection between what she ate and how she felt. During the first two sessions, Lee’s therapist asked about her diet, and worked with her on how she could add healthy foods like fresh vegetables, and crowd out others, like processed foods. Ly and her therapist are not alone in using food as one tool to combat mental health concerns like depression and anxiety. W H E N T H E PA N D E M I C

There is increasing evidence of a relationship between what you eat and your mental health. As we learn more about the gutbrain connection, some researchers say the makeup of your gut microbiome—the unique mix of bacteria, fungi and other micro - orga nisms—can impact mental health, and that diet might play a considerable preventative role when it comes to conditions like depression, anxiety and ADHD.

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at Massachusetts General Hospital, use reorienting a patient’s relationship to food as an additional tool to help manage their patients’ mental health concerns. “It’s not an overnight fix or a cure-all,” says Naidoo, who is on the faculty at Harvard Medical School and the author of This is Your Brain on Food. “It’s a slow and steady lifestyle change.” told her to “eat better” but didn’t really break down what that means or why. And that’s a common experience—people aren’t generally given dietary tips as part of their mental health treatment plan. While a psychiatrist or therapist might ask if you have an appetite, it’s much less common that they ask what you’re eating. Which is funny, considering that for physical ailments like heart disease, doctors usually advise patients to cut simple carbs and sugar and eat more fresh produce. Dr. Drew Ramsey, a nutritional psychiatrist and assistant professor of psychiatry at Columbia University, says one reason food isn’t talked about at the doctor’s office in relation to mental health is that the evidence illuminating the importance of the gut-brain connection and its implications for mental health is relatively new. While there have been some exciting studies over the last decade showing a correlation between diet and mental health, they were often small, and not randomized control studies—the gold standard in scientific inquiry. But a 2017 study changed that. The SMILES study out of Australia was a significant one, as it was the first randomized control trial seeking to answer the question, “If I improve my diet, will my mental health improve?” Led by Felice Jacka, director of the Food and Mood Centre at Australia’s Deakin University, the 12-week study followed 67 participants—33 in the intervention group, and 34 in the control group. Those who participated were all over 18, all were experiencing a major depressive episode and scored low on a scale measuring diet quality—meaning they weren’t eating much fibre, lean protein, or fruit and veggies, and their diet was high in sweets, processed meat and salty snacks. One group received dietary counselling from a clinical dietician over seven sessions—weekly during the first four weeks, then every other week. Those who were part of the dietary support group were given serving suggestions for 12 specific food groups, including whole grains, fruits and vegetables, nuts, fish and eggs, and were asked to give up refined sugar, fried food and processed meats. The control group was also provided with a session of the same length and frequency, but the goal was stated to be social support, i.e., creating the feeling someone was “befriending” them. Both groups filled out a depression rating scale before and after the intervention, and participants’ scores after 12 weeks were compared to their baseline score. Almost a third, 32 percent, of those in the dietary group were in remission from their depression, compared to 8 percent in the social support, a difference the researchers found to be statistically significant. It’s also a meaningful result because some participants were already being treated for their depression, says Ramsey. L E E ’ S F A M I LY D O C T O R

spoke to her family doctor about how she was feeling, she was given prescriptions for an anti-depressant and three other medications to deal with the physical symptoms she was experiencing. She wanted to get her anxiety under control, and while Lee isn’t anti-medication, she wanted to try something she felt was more natural first. Nutritional psychiatrists like Ramsey and Naidoo see diet as one more tool that can be used to manage mental health issues—they each also provide psychotherapy and prescribe medication, which, in addition to dietary guidance, can be part of a treatment plan. Researchers are now exploring the implications of the gut-brain connection on our ability to treat disorders like depression. The WHEN LEE FIRST

The way you eat can also impact brain plasticity—the ability your brain has to make new connections, adapt and grow. This is all informing the approach of nutritional psychiatry, a burgeoning field in mental health research—one that might radically change how we think about the connection between food and mood. Nutritional psychiatrists, like Dr. Uma Naidoo, director of nutritional psychiatry

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vagus nerve connects the gut and the brain, delivering messages both ways, and is the main part of the parasympathetic nervous system, which helps regulate your immune system, mood, digestion and more. Your gut microbiome—the trillions of bacteria, viruses and fungi hanging out inside you—is unique to you, which helps explain why people react differently to certain foods, and why something like a low-carb diet doesn’t have the same effect on everyone. It turns out that the makeup of your microbiome may also have an impact on your mental health. And that might start before you’re born. “Our results suggest that, during pregnancy, maternal adherence to the Mediterranean diet—rich in legumes, vegetables, fish, and healthy fatty acids, and lower in red meat— may promote behavioural and emotional well-being in children,” reads a 2018 study of 325 mother-child pairs in the United States. And the inverse has also been found. A 2013 study by Jacka and others of over 23,000 mothers and children in Norway found that unhealthy diets during pregnancy were correlated with behavioural and emotional problems in their children. But evidence also suggests that your microbiome isn’t static; you can influence the makeup of your microbiome with what you eat. While Naidoo is excited about further research on the g ut-brain connection and the implications it may have for diet, she notes that “nutritional science is very uniquely underfunded compared to pharmaceutical drug trials.” She adds that collecting data on diet is difficult for a number of reasons, including that it’s hard to get people to accurately recall what they ate and compare it to a modified diet. And although the SMILES trial was encouraging, Naidoo notes it was still a pretty small number of subjects. While many of these findings still need more research to support them unequivocally, we have amassed enough evidence to encourage a move away from the typical North American diet, which is high in salt, sugar and saturated and trans fat.

“a lot of folks are living in a brain-food desert,” says nutritional psychiatrist drew ramsey. 60

things in packages instead of eating real food,” says Bonnie Kaplan, a professor emerita at the University of Calgary’s Cumming School of Medicine. By real food, Kaplan means the kind of food her parents and grandparents ate: fresh fruits, vegetables, legumes, nuts and fish. There is evidence that a Western diet isn’t just contributing to obesity and heart disease, but that it’s associated with increased likelihood of experiencing anxiety, depression and cognitive issues. “A lot of folks are living in a brain-food desert,” says Ramsey. “There’s a lot of food and a lot of calories, but there aren’t the foods that are best for our health and our mental health.” A 2020 review of the evidence in the journal Frontiers of Psychology in relation to the Western diet and brain function is clear: “A [Western diet] rich in fats, sugar, and salt alters gut microbiota composition and is associated with obesity, chronic inflammation, allergies, diabetes, autoimmune disorders, depression, metabolic syndrome, and neuropsychiatric disorders.” There is also evidence that a diet high in sugar and saturated fat contributes to inflammation, which may in turn contribute to both depression and anxiety. Inflammation is one way the body heals itself, like the swelling that occurs around a wound when you cut yourself. But sometimes the body can create chronic inflammation, which can lead to many different illnesses, including mood disorders. “Inflammatory factors cause more depression, but as you get depressed your inf lammatory factors go up,” says Ramsey. But certain foods, such as leafy greens rich in folate, can reduce or regulate inflammation. A diet high in processed food is simply not giving the brain what it needs to perform optimally, write Kaplan and psychologist Julia Rucklidge in their book The Better Brain. They make the argument that the lack of nutrition in the Western diet has led to a lack of resilience. We aren’t more stressed or depressed than previous generations, but because of our lack of micronutrients, we aren’t able to withstand the impact of stressors as well as previous generations. “ P E O P L E A R E E AT I N G

R E S E A R C H O F T E N F O C U S E S on one vitamin or mineral’s effect on one condition or disease, but Kaplan says that’s where science has us tripped up—it’s about a whole range of nutrients we need. When we talk about nutrition, we’re almost exclusively taking about macronutrients: carbs, proteins, fats—the stuff you see on nutrition labels at the grocery store. Kaplan and Rucklidge argue we don’t talk about micronutrients enough, which are another set of vitamins and minerals, like omega-3 fatty acids, zinc and folate. Evidence shows broad-spectrum multinutrients have more benefits for mental health conditions compared to multinutrients with limited vitamins and minerals. Kaplan and Rucklidge encourage broad-spectrum supplements in addition to dietary changes to stock up on these micronutrients we may not be getting in our diet. Ramsey takes a different approach, preferring that patients get their nutrients from food—which has elements to offer that a pill doesn’t, like fibre, bacteria and phytonutrients. Along with Dr. Laura LaChance, a psychiatrist and lecturer at McGill University, Ramsey undertook a systematic review of research on nutrients that help prevent and treat depression by analyzing 213 studies to find which nutrients out of a list of 34 had clinical evidence that could support prevention of and recovery from depression. From this, they created the Antidepression Food Score. They found 12 nutrients were particularly important to brain health: folate, iron, long-chain omega-3 fatty acids (EPA and DHA), magnesium, potassium, selenium, thiamine, vitamin A, vitamin B6, vitamin B12, vitamin C and zinc. And they also identified the top foods that contained these nutrients, including oysters, leafy greens and peppers.

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“ n utr itio nal sci e n ce i s u n i q u e ly u n d e r fu n d e d com pare d to pharmace utical drug trials ,” says n utritional dr. uma naidoo

Researchers—including Kaplan, and Naidoo and Ramsey—broadly agree that the Mediterranean diet is not only great for your physical health, but also for brain health. This includes fish, nuts, seeds, fresh fruits and vegetables, legumes and olive oil, among other food. These foods are rich in a number of the nutrients identified by Ramsey and LaChance, ranging from oysters high in iron, which helps produce serotonin and dopamine, to chickpeas high in vitamin B6, which can help prevent inflammation. In his book Eat to Beat Depression and Anxiety, Ramsey offers a six-week plan for those who want to incorporate more of these nutrients into their diet. He suggests introducing one new category a week—the first week is leafy greens, with suggestions for how to get things like kale, spinach and watercress into more meals, along with recipes like a green shakshuka. The second week moves to add more “rainbows” to meals—a variety of fruits and veggies like broccoli, bell peppers and eggplant. Week three is seafood, the following week tackles nuts, beans and seeds, and finishing with fermented food on week five. (Week six encourages readers to examine their “food roots”—where does your food come from and what is your connection to it?) Kaplan and Rucklidge advise using the 80-20 rule: eat nourishing foods 80 percent of the time, and enjoy other foods—without worrying about nutrients—for the remainder. One concern that often comes up with moving towards fresh foods and away from processed food is that they cost more. But eating well doesn’t have to be expensive—Ramsey shopped at Walmart while writing his book to ensure the tips and recipes he included were accessible. He created a guide, on his website, on how to eat healthy on a budget, encouraging people to buy in bulk where it makes sense, and not to shy away from frozen items like fish, fruit and veggies. He also notes that one of the unexpected outcomes of the SMILES trial was that participants saved over $100 a month on food when they switched to a healthier diet. of the existing literature on nutritional psychiatry found much of what has been observed is correlation, not causation—nor do we have a deep understanding the underlying factors. Additionally, many of the studies have been too small or not randomized, so generalization isn’t always appropriate until we have more randomized control trials. Further, personalized medicine, whereby a treatment plan is tailored to a patient based on unique factors like their genome

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sequence, is an exciting field of research and commercial possibility, but researchers say there isn’t enough evidence for its application yet in this sphere. There also isn’t enough evidence to know whether the companies offering to sequence your microbiome to provide an optimal custom diet might actually be effective, or even how to personalize diets or supplements yet (although studies have shown certain bacterial strains are present in those with ADHD or schizophrenia, and that certain microbes are missing in people who are depressed). “Even if you got your own gut microbiome analyzed, it’s too soon to know which [bacterial] strains could correct any specific mental health problem,” write Kaplan and Rucklidge in The Better Brain. Kaplan points out that what she might need for optimal serotonin conversion might be different from anyone else. “There’s no test in the world for that yet,” says Kaplan, adding that’s why she advocates the broadspectrum approach to taking multinutrients as a second step to a whole-food-first approach. “It’s a shotgun approach, but it’s a safe shotgun approach.” While personalized medicine isn’t an option, food plans are slowly becoming part of mental health plans—the Food as Medicine program run by the Mood Disorders Association of B.C. is one example. Since 2016, psychiatrist Dr. Leslie Wicholas has used dietary interventions with her patients, working with about 450 people. She recently presented findings from 157 patients who participated in an eight-week program, 80 percent of whom had moderate to severe symptoms of depression. There were two groups, one with a primary diagnosis of depression, the other with fibromyalgia. After weekly two-hour sessions led by Wicholas and a naturopath, both groups had statistically significant improvement in their depressive symptoms. “Positive treatment outcomes in depression were correlated to how closely people followed the dietary recommendations— those who followed the directions completely tended to respond better,” writes Wicholas in an email. For Ramsey, there’s additional appeal in encouraging a patient who is feeling really low, if they can afford it, to just go ahead buy that $9 salad they love rather than trying to put a meal together themselves when they don’t have the energy. “Maybe the medication is going to take a month to work, maybe my interpretation about you and your family and relationship problems is going to take years,” he says. But having a healthy meal is going to be immediately satisfying. “At the end of that meal, you’re like, ‘I really like that and I know that these foods are good for my mental health.”

¤ Cindy Blackstock, tireless advocate for Indigenous children

10 inspiring Canadians who stepped up to make a tangible difference in 2021. by K E L LY B O U T S A L I S , C H R I S T I N A F R A N G O U , R E B E C C A G A O , R E B E C C A P H I L P S , M E A G H A N W R AY and A N D R E A Y U

FOR CHAMPIONING THE RIGHTS OF INDIGENOUS CHILDREN

Cindy Blackstock

Cindy Blackstock has been working tirelessly to uphold Indigenous children’s rights for more than 30 years. In 2021, she had a remarkable win. Back in 2007, Blackstock, the executive director of the First Nations Child and Family Caring Society, alongside the Assembly of First Nations (AFN), filed a human rights complaint against the federal government, alleging that the disproportionate number of First Nations children in foster care stemmed from inequitable services given to children on reserve. It asked for the government to compensate First Nations families whose children endured Canada’s child welfare system, and to uphold Jordan’s Principle, the legal requirement calling for First Nations children across Canada to access public services without delay or denial. Two years ago, the Canadian Human Rights Tribunal agreed—and declared that the government had to pay $40,000 to each First Nations child unfairly taken from their homes after 2006. (That’s an estimated 50,000 children.) The federal government refused to comply and asked for a judicial review. But in late September, a federal court dismissed that review and upheld the tribunal’s ruling, stating the federal government willfully and recklessly discriminated against Indigenous children. The fight isn’t over yet: on October 29 of this year, the federal government filed a last-minute appeal to the ruling, then announced that it would resolve the dispute out of court by working with Indigenous groups like the Caring Society. Blackstock, a member of the Gitxsan First Nation in B.C., told CTV she wants to see the government “accept responsibility” for the way it has treated—and continues to treat— First Nations children. “We want this to be the last generation of First Nations kids who are actually hurt by the government directly,” she said.—K.B.

FOR MAKING THERAPY MORE INCLUSIVE AND ACCESSIBLE

ALICE CURITZ At the end of January, nearly a year into a global pandemic that challenged our collective mental health, Alice Curitz founded Our Landing Place, a therapy clinic that prioritizes inclusive, queer-affirming, sex-positive care. The clinic’s six LGBTQ2S+-identified counsellors specialize in working online with queer communities, who are at significantly higher risks for many mental health issues. LGBTQ2S+ youth, for example, experience 14 times the risk of suicide and substance dependency as their heterosexual peers. “You’re asking somebody to be incredibly vulnerable with you when they’re coming to see you for therapy,” she told the CBC in July. Having counsellors who appreciate the particular challenges their patients face, Curitz adds, “can really build that sense of, OK, this is a place [where] I can be me.” ¶ To reach people nationwide, Curitz and Our Landing Place launched Queering Mental Health: A Canadian Perspective, a full-day online conference in April. Participants, including Curitz, homed in on the barriers to mental health services that have affected the LGBTQ2S+ community and been exacerbated during the pandemic. Marginalized people experience higher rates of isolation, economic strain, anxiety and poor access to informed, inclusive and culturally appropriate care. ¶ During this unprecedented time, where socializing has become life-threatening, Curitz’s remedy to distress is connection. Says Curitz, “I believe that connection is what helps us heal and grow.”—M.W. DECEMBER/JANUARY 2022

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PHOTOGRAPHS COURTESY OF (BLACKSTOCK, PREVIOUS PAGE) MAGENTA STUDIOS OTTAWA; (SKOWRONSKI) STUDIOTWO PHOTOGRAPHY; (CURITZ) ALLISON SMALE

KYRA FLAHERTY The inequalities of life in Nunavut are abundantly clear in the TikTok videos made by Kyra Flaherty: at one Rankin Inlet grocery store, a box of diapers is priced at $66, while a box of baby formula goes for $53. ¶ The Iqaluit-based nursing student known as @arcticmakeup began posting videos near the end of 2020 that dispelled myths about living up north (like ubiquitous polar bears and igloos) and tracked the first COVID cases in the territory. But in 2021, after receiving questions in her comments about how much groceries cost, she began uploading TikToks of her trips to the grocery store. In one of the first videos of this series, she wrote that access to “affordable food is suicide prevention.” ¶ Millions have seen her videos, and the attention from the media led to an outpouring of food donations from people moved to action by her TikToks. Flaherty distributes the food and essential items mailed to her throughout the community, and in early October, she announced a new project on TikTok: she launched a GoFundMe campaign to raise money for winter coats and boots to keep children warm in Nunavut.—K.B.

FOR DISMANTLING BARRIERS TO GETTING VAXXED

Annalee Coakley

Close quarters, cold temperatures, fast-paced work and long hours: It’s no surprise meat-packing plants have been hit hard by COVID. At Calgary’s Cargill meat plant, nearly half the workers tested positive in the spring of 2021, while, nearby, the JBS beef plant had reported 650 cases among its 2,500 workers by April 2021. Getting workers vaccinated—and fast—was crucial to stopping more outbreaks. Enter Dr. Annalee Coakley, who helped organize vaccination

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efforts at both meat-packing plants (which together process about 70 percent of Canada’s beef). For nearly a decade, Coakley has worked as the physician lead with Calgary’s Mosaic Refugee Health Clinic, leading specialized primary care to support the resettlement needs of the city’s refugee population. This spring, Coakley also helped set up vaccination clinics in east Calgary, an area of the city with a large population of frontline workers that consistently faced high rates of COVID. The clinic extended its hours for shift workers, didn’t require health cards (which can be an obstacle for undocumented and migrant workers), and had staffers who could speak 72 different languages, in order to eliminate as many barriers as possible to immunization in the community. “They came into the clinic because it was convenient, it was accessible to them,” she said in an interview with the CBC. “They told us that they wouldn’t have gotten the vaccination otherwise.”—R.G.

FOR OPTIMIZING OUR VACCINATION ROLLOUT

Danuta Skowronski

In late 2020, Dr. Danuta Skowronski, the epidemiology lead of influenza and emerging respiratory pathogens at the British Columbia Centre for Disease Control, was poring over data from Pfizer about its COVID-19 vaccine when she spotted something no one else had noticed: the efficacy of the first dose was actually much higher than the company had reported. Pfizer focused on the period immediately after a person received their first shot, when efficacy reached around 50 percent. But immunity keeps mounting in the following days—that’s how vaccines work. Two weeks after the shot, efficacy hit 92 percent. Dr. Skowronski—who spent the past two decades of her career jumping from one infectious disease outbreak to the next—made a bold recommendation: Canada should postpone the second dose and put every effort into getting more first shots into more arms faster. Her advice led Canada’s National Advisor y Commit tee on Immunization to change its recommended time period between doses to a window of up to four months. “I just felt huge relief,” she says. This set Canada apart from nearly every other country, including the United States, where experts called for strict adherence to the manufacturer’s recommended three- to four-week window between doses. Canada’s chief science advisor Mona Nemer questioned delaying doses, saying it amounted to a “population-level experiment.” But as a result of Skowronksi’s advice, Canada’s vaccination rate climbed quickly. And the strategy saved lives. Recently released data from British Columbia and Quebec shows that the decision to delay and mix second doses of COVID-19 vaccines led to strong protection from infection, hospitalization and deaths.—C.F.

FOR HELPING COVID LONG HAULERS

ANGELA CHEUNG FOR CONFRONTING ANTI-BLACK RACISM IN CANADIAN HEALTH CARE

The founders of BHEC Anti-Black racism is a public health crisis. The Black Health Education Collaborative, or BHEC, is on a mission to fix it. Co-led by family doctor and University of Toronto professor Dr. Onye Nnorom, Dr. OmiSoore Dryden, chair in Black Canadian studies at Dalhousie University, and Sume Ndumbe-Eyoh, an assistant professor at U of T’s Dalla Lana School of Public Health, BHEC is a community of six prominent Black Canadian health scholars and clinicians. They’ve set out to improve Black health through targeted education and research, and by taking on anti-Black racism and the interlocking systems that affect the health and well-being of Black communities across Canada. To get there, BHEC has some ambitious initiatives. They include amplifying Black community voices to tell stories about accessing health care; creating a virtual platform for health care professionals and educators; championing education on anti-Black racism and Black health for clinicians; and developing educational resources to teach students, faculty and clinicians about racially just practices. Already, their work has led to the meaningful inclusion of education about anti-Black racism and Black health information in Canadian journals and conferences. Next year, BHEC will launch learning modules designed to educate medical students, faculty and practitioners. “Our focus is on transforming medical and health professional education curriculum,” Ndumebe-Eyoh says, “to ensure that Black patients and communities receive care that is respectful, safe and relevant across the health system.”—C.F.

Months after falling ill with COVID, countless Canadians are still battling lingering symptoms, in what’s known as postCOVID condition (or, more colloquially, long COVID). That’s why Dr. Angela Cheung, a senior scientist at the Toronto General Hospital Research Institute, along with Dr. Margaret Herridge, co-founded a longitudinal study called CANCOV to look at the short- and long-term outcomes of the illness. ¶ An Ontario Science Table report from September conservatively estimates that up to 78,000 people had or are currently experiencing post-COVID condition in Ontario alone. The discoveries made by Cheung and the study’s investigators will be critical in helping long haulers understand and manage their symptoms. “Most of the attention has been on ways to keep people alive,” she told TVO earlier this year. “But now I’m hoping that ... the attention will be on people with residual symptoms and trying to figure out what’s the best way to help them.” ¶ Treatments like supplements and herbal therapies, medications used for post-viral syndromes, cognitive behavioural therapy and physical therapy are all being researched for their effectiveness. While it’s early, Cheung has reasons for optimism. “We are still trying to work out the optimal treatment,” she said. “But I do see patients getting better.”—A.Y.

FOR RAISING THE ALARM IN LONG-TERM CARE

Vivian Stamatopoulos

“I’m not one to stay quiet when I see bad things happening.” That’s what Dr. Vivian Stamatopoulos told Ontario’s commission into long-term care in March. The list of bad things happening in longterm care was long: families kept from their loved ones, residents being neglected, and a death rate from COVID-19 in Canadian LTC homes that far exceeded the international average. When the pandemic began, Stamatopoulos, a professor at

Ontario Tech University, was still grieving her grandmother, who’d recently died in long-term care. Stamatopoulos knew first-hand how families care for loved ones there. So she started speaking out. She gave at least 250 interviews to the press before she stopped counting. And she got results. She helped secure the essential visitor policy for LTC homes, which recognized family members as providers of necessary care and granted them access to facilities. Her advocacy led to a vaccine mandate and the release of data about vaccination rates among staff and volunteers. But her work won’t end with the pandemic. Long-term care is long overdue for an overhaul, says Stamatopoulos. National reform is “the only logical and safe path forward.”—C.F.

FOR HELPING INDIGENOUS STUDENTS IN HEALTH CARE

Dawn Googoo

F OR FIGH T ING TO SECURE NURSES A FA IR WAGE

NIKKI SKILLEN In May 2020, intensive care nurse Nikki Skillen started a Facebook group for nurses in Ontario to protest Bill 124, provincial legislation that limits wage increases for public sector workers. Firefighters and police officers were exempt from the bill, and Skillen, a 22-year veteran of public health care, wanted that same exemption extended to registered nurses, registered practical nurses and nurse practitioners. “Capped at 1 percent, nurses will earn less than inflation,” Skillen wrote—a ridiculously paltry amount for essential workers putting their lives at risk during a global pandemic. ¶ Now called Ontario Nurses United and more than 20,000 members strong, the group helped nurses organize peaceful protests at MPP offices across the province. In 2021, Skillen’s advocacy work expanded to highlight issues such as burnout (60 percent of nurses reported high stress levels due to the pandemic), violence against nurses (which has increased over the past 20 months) and labour shortages (there have been more vacancies in nursing than in any other occupation). “We watch our peers suffer breakdowns while the responsibilities mount,” Skillen wrote. So in October, 300 nurses, doctors and health care staff marched in Toronto—her biggest rally in 2021. —A.Y. BESTHEALTHMAG.CA

Mi’kmaq registered nurse Dawn Googoo believes one way to advocate for the health of Indigenous peoples is to get them into the nursing profession. As the L’nu nurse initiative lead at Halifax’s Dalhousie University, she hopes to draw in more Indigenous people by offering students mentorship, emotional support and a culturally safe learning space. During her time in Dal’s undergraduate nursing program, Googoo remembers the loneliness and anxiety she often experienced being the only Indigenous person in the classroom. “Each area of nursing discusses how Indigenous people are the lowest of the health disparities,” said Googoo in an interview with the CBC. “It’s brought up in every class. And there’s no history…. There’s no explaining.” Googoo would raise her hand to offer contextual insights, which was the kind of trauma-informed teaching missing from the curriculum. That’s why her new role includes collaborating with university staff to decolonize the program of study. One of her goals is to see at least one Indigenous nurse on campus at all nurse-training institutions across the country. “We all have a right to relax, learn and work in a safe environment,” Googoo said in a welcome letter to new students. “Having a support system has brought me to where I am today.”—R.P.

HEAD IN THE STARS How I used astrology to guide my well-being, and where I drew the line WRITTEN BY

R O O H I S A H A J PA L

IL L U S T R AT I O N S B Y

LEEANDRA CIANCI

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astrolog y, health and well-being isn’t new. For centuries, health practitioners used medical astrology, a tradition also referred to as iatromathematics, as an integral tool. Lori Jones, a medical historian based in Ottawa, explains that medieval doctors, for example, were expected to have astrological knowledge, and referencing the stars was a regular part of life. “What we see in medieval medicine is the idea that physicians were very often learned in astrology, because they had to understand what position the stars, moon and sun were in, in order to know what therapies they were going to use,” says Jones. “People often would use the alignment of stars and planetary constellations to decide when they were going to do things or when they shouldn’t be doing things.” Even the term influenza, from the Italian meaning “inf luence of the stars,” was coined because of the belief that certain constellations corrupted the air and caused the respiratory disease. And though the use of medical astrology declined in the 17th and 18th centuries, its inf luence can still be seen today. Daily horoscopes began appearing in British newspapers in the 1930s and their popularity soon spread to North America. Then, in the 1970s, the New Age movement arrived. As the hit song from The 5th Dimension went, it was the dawning of the Age of Aquarius—a time when practices like astrology, tarot readings and meditation were considered tools to help with personal transformation, appealing to those looking for alternatives to traditional medicine and psychotherapy. By the 1980s, a small study indicated people sought out astrologers when dealing with stressful situations but didn’t continue to seek advice when the stress abated. Astrology, in this context, was a coping mechanism. More recently, a new generation of stargazers has started exploring astrolog y through social media and astrology apps. Co-Star, for example, is powered by a combination of artificial intelligence, data from NASA and input from astrologers and creative writers. There is also the Pattern, an app that promises in-depth insights into personality traits, or the Chani app, with THE ASSOCIATION BE T WEEN

Astrology has been a part of my life for as long as I can remember. Growing up in a Hindu household, Vedic astrology, or Jyotish, reverberated in the background of my life. In my community, it’s not uncommon for an astrologer to analyze the heavens to determine a couple’s compatibility, or use a detailed chart of planetary positions at the time and date of a baby’s birth to predict personality traits or future endeavours. In my case, astrological guidance was the reason I wore a silver moon pendant on a red string as a kid. An astrologer told my parents the necklace would strengthen the influence of the moon on my life, thereby boosting my confidence, self-esteem and intelligence. It may seem like nonsense or superstition to some, but for my family, it was a simple remedy to follow, passed down over centuries of cultural tradition. Interpreting what effects the stars and planets could have in our lives was an essential part of maintaining our well-being. Over the years, I wavered in my belief in astrology. I no longer wear my moon necklace, but reading daily horoscopes and astrological guidance gave meaning to my place in a large universe. In true Libra fashion, I constantly weighed the benefits I felt from astrology with a dose of skepticism. I wondered: can astrology play a role in modern wellness?

"I WONDERED IF I HAD STARTED TO IGNORE MY OWN INTUITION IN FAVOUR OF ASTROLOGICAL ADVICE. OR WORSE, IF LOOKING TO THE STARS FOR GUIDANCE ą Íԡ $Øâ čԡ5Ä +e Pԡ čԡą5 ӱ 5e PҼӹԡ 70

horoscope and birth chart readings from Canadian astrologer Chani Nicholas. Each of these apps offers personalized readings for the user based on their birth information, and updates on planetary transits, like when Mercury goes into retrograde, a shift believed to bring on mishaps and miscommunication. “Astrology recognizes the fundamental truth that we are intimately connected with our universe,” says Nicholas Campion, director of the University of Wales’ Sophia Centre of the Study of Cosmology in Culture. He explains that astrology, much like spirituality, allows us to zoom out and find our place in the world. Learning about Western astrology using websites and apps gave meaning to aspects of my personality, like how my decisionmaking style could be related to the position of Mercury at the time of my birth. I didn’t let my horoscope dictate my dayto-day life, but I appreciated having the gentle nudge to ref lect on my strengths, challenges and the potentially deeper purpose of my life. in popularity, especially among millennials like me, has been linked to people seeking out tools for their well-being. Emmanuella Kaputo, a 28-year-old living in Toronto, first started learning about astrology two years ago and found it to be a helpful tool for self-analysis. “Astrology helped me analyze how, as a Capricorn, I can be controlling, and to try to rectify [that]. It drove more self-awareness in me, which allowed me to release things that weren’t serving me in relationships.” More than one-third of Canadians believe in the concept of astrology, according to a 2019 Research Co. survey. Among Canadian millennials (aged 18 to 34), nearly half were believers. The “mystical services” market, comprising services like tarot and aura readings as well as astrology, is estimated to be worth $2.2 billion in the United States and astrology apps alone had a revenue of over $40 million, also in the U.S., in 2019. “Historically, the popularity of the Western tradition of astrology ebbs and flows, and [now] astrology is having a moment,” says Charm Torres, a Victoria-based professional astrologer, tarot reader and writer. Torres, who is also a millennial, founded a consultation practice in 2017 and has taken several astrology courses. Since the pandemic, she’s been seeing her clients virtually, often fielding questions about moving, relationships and money. “During the pandemic, the world was collapsing. A lot of people were losing their jobs and housing, and they were dying. People were dealing with grief, so I feel like, in that sense, people were needing a lot of guidance,” says Torres, who saw an increase in people seeking consultation. ASTROLOGY’S RECENT RISE

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McCance warns users to be wary of the Barnum effect, a psychological phenomenon often associated with tarot, horoscopes and psychics, where individuals interpret vague personality descriptions as applying specifically to them. The De La Salle study found that the more stressed individuals were, the more susceptible they were to the Barnum effect. The risk, McCance explains, is that individuals will let information that isn’t relevant to their personal situation inf luence their decision-making. While many people may be using astrology as a coping mechanism, McCance emphasizes that it’s important to consider where looking to the stars for answers falls short, and when it might be time to get mental health support instead.

In a recent Ipsos poll, 28 percent of Canadians said their mental health had deteriorated over the course of the pandemic, and 66 percent of Canadians felt as though there weren’t enough mental health supports available in their community. Researchers from De La Salle University in the Philippines looked into how the isolation and unpredictability of the pandemic might impact interest in astrology, especially for young people. They found that many university students used astrology as a way to cope and escape, providing a semblance of stability and reassurance that tomorrow will be better. Their study, published in 2021, noted that “the more stressed a person is, the higher the consumption of astrology-related information on social media,” an association that was even stronger among women. During the pandemic, this tool that I had been using for guidance and affirmation started to become an obsession. Eventually, it became a new source of stress. I didn’t want to read a post telling me a new cycle was starting and that the conjunction of the planets that day was an “optimal time to manifest.” I deleted my astrology app and unfollowed astrology accounts on social media. I wanted to just be—and wondered if I had started to ignore my own intuition in favour of astrological advice. Or worse, if looking to the stars for guidance was actually eroding my well-being. “WHETHER IT’S FOOD or sex or astrology, when we keep going outside of ourselves to find ourselves, we become addicted to

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something in a very unhealthy way,” says Jennifer Freed, a California-based psychological astrologer who has been studying this field for more than 30 years. She emphasizes that horoscopes aren’t meant to be a one-stop shop for answers. Instead, they’re a starting point for working on your life—which is also why overloading on daily affirmations and social media posts won’t help. “If you’re living your life by sound bites that some computer’s delivering to you, you’re probably not honouring your inner wisdom,” she says. In an effort to avoid dependency, Freed only gives clients one astrological reading per year. Not much has been researched on the effects astrology can have on mental health, says Freed, in part because it’s not taken seriously—an outlook that impacts research funding in this area. In addition, while different certificate programs exist to learn about the study of astrology, there’s no formal accreditation process to become an astrologer in North America. Toronto -ba sed psyc holog i st Nicole McCance says while astrology can provide a short-term boost to mental wellness, it doesn’t replace things like therapy, where you get personalized solutions and techniques to implement. “In general, I feel like if you’re not feeling good, you need therapy and not a horoscope,” McCance says. She explains that with talk therapy, for instance, clients are able to delve into issues and then receive feedback from a trained mental health professional. “None of that happens with astrology,” she says.

KEIRA ZIKMANIS, a registered clinical counsellor based in Victoria, B.C., says that although astrology can be used as a tool for self-ref lection, it’s important to have boundaries. She encourages users to be intentional about the amount of astrology on their social media and set time limits when looking at websites or apps. Beyond that, she says it’s important for people to reflect on why they use astrology. “Some questions you can ask yourself are, ‘When do I open my astrology app?’ or ‘What am I feeling before or after I look at them?’ ‘What value is astrology adding to my life?’” she says. Doing this can help identify which needs you’re trying to fulfill using astrology and then encourage you to consider if there are other ways to address those needs. “If there’s a fear of uncertainty of what might happen, you might want, in addition to looking at astrology, to reach out to a friend and talk about how you’re feeling anxious about the pandemic or feeling afraid.” For now, millennial astrology aficionado Emmanuella Kaputo says horoscopes and star charts add value to her life, though she says everything has to be in moderation. She’s eager to explore her own birth chart and learn from astrologers on social media. I’m not sure if I’ll download an astrology app again, but I plan to find an astrologer for a yearly reading to guide my personal growth. As I write this, the full moon is in Taurus, meaning the moon will appear within the V-shaped constellation representing the face of the bull, directly opposite the sun. For the uninitiated, full moons are emblematic of shining light into the darkness, and offer a time to ref lect—an optimal moment to check in with our feelings, especially as we head into 2022. As as Libra, I’m always trying to balance astrology’s health benefits with its risks. For me, the verdict is still out, but until then, I plan to keep my feet on the ground while cautiously letting my mind wander the cosmos.

PRESERVATION

[Q U O T E D]

“THERE’S A MISCONCEPTION THAT CHINESE HERBS HAVE TO TASTE ez5ԡ 5+e$e 5ӳ THAT THEY’RE ALL REALLY DARK, BLACK CONCOCTIONS THAT DO NOT TASTE GOOD. BUT THEY CAN BE USED EVERY DAY IN TEAS AND SOUPS.”

Vivian Man

The owner of Vancouver’s Kyth and Kyn on creating a modern Chinese herbal shop BY ANDREA YU

Chinese broths, herbal soups and dessert soups were frequently on the menu in Vivian Man’s childhood home. The recipes changed with the seasons. In the summer, aunties came over with chrysanthemum and goji berries, ingredients for cooling teas that help combat internal heat. In the winter months, there would be ginseng and

other warming herbs—mixes to help boost the immune system. Man learned how to make some soups from her mother but realized, in many cases, her mom eyeballed the quantities— the recipes weren’t written down or shared anywhere. “That’s why I started Kyth and Kyn—to preserve these recipes and this

culture,” says Man, who left a career in marketing to study holistic nutrition, and launched her online herbal brand in 2018. The Vancouver-based shop sells Chinese herbal soups and teas, like their Glow tea, which contains goji berries and Chinese red dates and was created in consultation with traditional Chinese medicine doctors. The best-selling Digest herbal tea blend, with peppermint, ginger root and dried tangerine peel, is designed to support digestion after heavy meals. The Nourish soup blend uses wild yam root (shan yao), chamomile and honey date for the base—add fresh ginger, carrots, shiitake mushrooms and broth for a vegan bowl of warm comfort. Man says she had Westerners in mind when she designed the line, but she also thought of Chinese people who were born in the West and who know a little bit about herbs through family members, but need guidance on how to use them. “People similar to myself, who have grown up in Canada, say they appreciate that there’s a brand out there that represents our culture and is looking to preserve it in a way that is accessible and easy to understand. It’s very nostalgic for them.” Man hopes that her business will help preserve traditional recipes that date back centuries, and make Chinese herbal medicine accessible to everyone. “I don’t want my generation and generations after mine to lose touch with our roots and culture,” she says. “I developed Kyth and Kyn for people to learn more about Chinese culture and be proud of it.”

PLANT CHAMP In 2015, the Nobel Prize for Physiology or Medicine was awarded to Youyou

Tu for the discovery of artemisinin, an antimalarial drug rooted in Chinese herbal medicine. 72

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