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Preservation
An Indigenous med
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PA G E 12

Eat More
The warming and
healthful pleasures
of chickpea curry.
PAG E 14

Fitness
The surprising joy
of taking beginner
ballet classes at 48.
PA G E 2 0
COVER ILLUSTRATION BY KRISTEN DE PALMA; (THIS PAGE) PHOTOGRAPH BY CARMEN CHEUNG;

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2 DECEMBER/JANUARY 2024
FROM THE EDITOR
“The adult ballet class ends in a reverence—
a gesture of thanks to the teacher, the pianist,
our peers and, most of all, our own bodies,
for the magic they are (still) capable of.”
PA G E 2 0
I’M NOT ONE FOR NEW YEAR’S RESOLU-
tions—at least by their strictest definition,
which to me entails “fixing” something.
Which inevitably means obsessing over
of an adult ballet body
perceived faults and follies. Then rashly
cutting out small pleasures, as some kind
of penance. It’s a pretty gloomy way to
spend the deep, dark days of January.
No thanks.
4 DECEMBER/JANUARY 2024
But I love the idea of trying something
new, and that’s how I’ve reframed this
business of annual resolutions. The start
of the year is alive with possibilities, so I
like to hone a short list of new interests I
want to explore. I don’t expect to master
anything, but I do try to edge into slightly
unfamiliar, and maybe uncomfortable,
territory. (This year, it’s pie crusts. I’m
a pretty decent cook and baker, but pas-
try is my scourge. Give me a “foolproof”
recipe and I will volley back something
bewilderingly inedible, every time.)
There’s a quote in writer Julia Zarankin’s
story about starting adult ballet classes in
her 40s (“Get Into It,” pg. 20) that really
resonated with me. Her classmate, phy-
sician Kate Reilly, said she began ballet
lessons two years ago to “work on the
insecurity of just not being immediately
great at something.” Yes! That’s a resolu-
tion I can get behind.
If you’re keen to knuckle down on
more practical things, like getting a bet-
ter night’s sleep (pg. 18), or finally tack-
ling that messy junk drawer (pg. 60),
we’ve got tips and tricks aplenty. But let’s
be real: This issue lands in early Decem-
PHOTOGRAPH COURTESY OF CANADA’S NATIONAL BALLET SCHOOL
ber, while we’re all in full holiday swing,
and probably not focused on New Year
promises. But maybe, as you sweat over
a lengthy gift-giving list, you are mak-
ing a resolution: to be more organized
about holiday shopping next year. But
that doesn’t help you now. You know
what does? Our expertly curated list of
֏ wellness and beauty gifts, plus ones that
Writer Julia Zarankin give back, at besthealthmag.com. Here’s
(second from left) to the year ahead.
says, “The definition
is simple—one that
moves, no matter its
proportions.”
REBECCA PHILPS
Editor-in-chief
 EDITOR-IN-CHIEF REBECCA PHILPS
ART DIRECTOR NICOLA HAMILTON
DEPUTY EDITOR ARIEL BREWSTER
SENIOR EDITOR RENÉE REARDIN
ASSOCIATE EDITOR ANGELA SEREDNICKI
COPY EDITOR MELISSA EDWARDS
RESEARCHERS ALI AMAD
REBECCA GAO

CONTRIBUTORS
CAITLIN AGNEW, K.J. AIELLO, CAROLINA ANDRADE, CRAIG BAGOL, LOLA AUGUSTINE BROWN, ALANNA CHELMICK,
CARMEN CHEUNG, LEEANDRA CIANCI, KRISTEN DE PALMA, JACKIE DIVES, CAITLIN DOHERTY,
LORA GRADY, DANIELLE GROEN, NICOLE HELENA, LAURA JEHA, ZIYA JONES, SARAH LAING, SHANNON LEPERE, CORNELIA LI,
LUCY LU, AUDREY MALO, ISHANI NATH, SALINI PERERA, BONNIE SCHIEDEL, KENA SHAH, SABRINA SISCO,
JAIME STATHIS, KAT TANCOCK, KENDRA THOMPSON, KATHY WAGNER, JULIA ZARANKIN

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 Could what
you eat be ruining
your sleep?
PAG E 18
Beauty Report
GOOD NEWS FOR LIP BALM ADDICTS
BY K ENA SH A H ց Keys, wallet, phone,
lip balm. For many of us, a good balm is
an item we can’t leave home without. But
why do our lips constantly need a hydrat-
ing product? Is this normal, or could there
be a deeper, underlying issue?
According to Monica Li, a double board-
certified dermatologist in Vancouver, the
main reason for your dry pout is that lips
BESTHEALTHMAG.CA
don’t have sebaceous (oil) glands, which
are responsible for keeping skin mois-
turized. That means your lips are more
susceptible to dryness than the rest of
your skin and require more care. Add a
cold and dry climate into the mix, and
you’ll experience even more moisture
loss, says Li. That’s why chapped lips
are so common in the winter. While high
PHOTOGRAPH BY NICOLE & BAGOL
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PA G E 3 4
humidity levels (think warm July days)
help lips feel hydrated because of the
extra moisture in the air, low humidity
levels (think frosty February nights) can
suck moisture out.
But other circumstances can lead to
dry lips, too. Li says being dehydrated,
over-licking, using a strong skin care
product like retinol near your lips and
9
VITALS
side effects from medications such as the
skin-drying acne pill Accutane can also
be to blame.
On rare occasions, dry lips can be a
sign of a more serious condition, says Li.
For instance, a B-vitamin deficiency, iron
deficiency, eczema and bacterial infec-
tion can cause a severe form of chapped
lips known as cheilitis. With cheilitis, lips
aren’t just dry, but also often red, swol-
len, itchy and cracked. With angular
cheilitis, the corners of the lips become
cracked and sore. There’s also actinic
cheilitis, which is a precancerous lesion
caused by long-term sun exposure and
damage. Symptoms include scaly lips
and discoloured patches. When in doubt,
and certainly if symptoms persist or
worsen, consult a medical professional.
Your treatment for chapped lips will
depend on the cause. If it’s a vitamin
deficiency, work on addressing your lev-
els, as no amount of lip product will be
enough to hydrate them. Same goes for a
bacterial infection—work on clearing that
up first. But in most cases, the cause for
chapped lips is just a matter of a lack of
moisture, and a good quality lip balm is
about enough to heal them.
Look for a balm that has ingredients
like glycerin and aloe, which, according
to Toronto-based dermatologist Geeta
Yadav, “will be able to absorb into the
lip skin to attract and retain moisture.”
That’s why these two ingredients are so
important in lip products—they’re classi-
fied as humectants, which pull water into
the skin. You may also want to seek out a
product with emollients, including lipids
or fats like shea butter, cocoa butter and
beeswax, which are also great for sooth-
ing dry and irritated skin. Ideally, these
ingredients are paired with an occlu-
sive, such as petroleum jelly, mineral oil
or silicone, says Yadav, which acts as a
barrier to lock in hydration and prevent
moisture loss. On that note, avoid apply-
ing Vaseline alone to lips, she adds. You
should apply a hydrating product first,
then layer on the Vaseline to lock it in.
To treat chapped lips, you’ll need to
apply a lip balm several times a day, says
Li. But once your lips heal, you should
really only use a balm a handful of times
a day: once in the morning, once before
bed and perhaps after eating. While your
lips are on the mend, Li says, avoid men-
thol or camphor: The cooling sensation
they offer can feel nice in the moment,
but these ingredients can further dry out
your lips. You might also need to avoid
irritating ingredients like fragrances,
dyes and preservatives—and that goes
10
for your lipstick, too, so check the label
on all of your lip products. And, of course,
make sure to keep skin care products with
active ingredients away from your lips.
If f lakes are a concern, you can use
a physical exfoliant to buff away the
dead skin, says Alain Michon, the medi-
cal director at Project Skin MD Ottawa.
(Bonus: This can help lipstick go on
more smoothly, too.) But if your lips are
tender, cracked or inf lamed, a scrub
will only make them worse. In that case,
stick to lip balm until they heal.
Once your lips are healthy, you’ll want
to keep them that way. Do so by amping
up hydration. “Increasing your water
intake and adding moisture back into
your environment will help your lips
retain more hydration,” says Yadav. A
humidifier can help, especially during the
winter when heaters are running indoors
and the air tends to be drier.
Also, think about how you breathe.
“Try to breathe through your nose and
keep your mouth closed—it will reduce
air f low that w ill dr y out lips,” says
Li. This is particularly important when
you’re sleeping. You may also want to
avoid or limit your consumption of salty
or spicy foods, which could irritate your
lips. But if you can’t give up those jala-
peño ch ips (we don’t blame you), Li
says you can just wipe your lips clean
after eating and apply a lip balm after-
ward to soothe them.
The last step in your lipcare game is
SPF, which does more than protect lips
against skin cancer. “The sun can reduce
moisture at the lip surface to cause it
to be dry and chapped,” says Li. What’s
more, the skin on the lips is super deli-
cate, so it’s more susceptible to sun dam-
age. That means if you’re in the sun, no
matter the season, a lip balm with SPF
is important.
It’s the Balm
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PHOTOGRAPH BY NICOLE & BAGOL
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11

With her gorgeous beadwork,
med student Jamie Thompson
creates anatomical works of art—
and makes Indigenous hospital
patients feel more comfortable.
BY BONNIE SCHIEDEL ¬ A pastel-hued
cross-section of a brain. A multicoloured
uterus with an IUD nestled inside. A
chestnut-brown gallbladder laced with
brilliant green ducts. Medical student
Jamie Thompson pairs the beadwork
tradition of her Indigenous heritage with
the visual aids of her studies to make gor-
geous pieces that advocate for culturally
sensitive health care in the process.
“This is a fun, creative medium for me
to reconnect to cultural ideas and spread
awareness of Indigenous folks and Indig-
enous issues in health care,” she says.
Thompson was raised in northwestern
Ontario and now lives in Thunder Bay.
She is of Métis and settler descent and
grew up with traditional hunting and
trapping practices, as well as plant-based
medicine such as healing salves.
During the lockdown summer of 2020,
she wanted to explore her Métis identity
further and took part in a Métis Nation
of Ontario youth gathering online. In a
webinar hosted by the acclaimed Métis
beadworker Mitch Case, she learned
some of t he basics. Usi ng t i ny seed
beads, craftspeople sew intricate pat-
terns onto materials such as felt, deer
hide or moose hide. While Thompson
attended virtual events that weekend,
HEART ON YOUR SLEEVE Adhesive sticker versions of Thompson’s
anatomical beadwork are just $5. A quarter of proceeds go
toward Indigenous initiatives such as the Indian Residential School
Survivors Society. Birchandbeads.ca
BESTHEALTHMAG.CA
she worked on a small f loral pattern,
and she was soon hooked.
When her first year of medical school
classes star ted that fall at Nor thern
Ontario Medical School University, she
began making tiny sketches of the organs
she was studying. Then she started bead-
ing the designs as a way to help reinforce
and memorize the diagrams. This is how
she learned the names of blood-vessel
systems in the brain, for example, or the
anatomy of the eyeball.
After about six months, she posted her
finished work on her @birchandbeads
Instagram account. Later, she began
selling some of her pieces—and stick-
ers of her designs—online. The response
was immediate.
“It’s been amazing to see the reception
to my work, and to then use that space
to talk about Indigenous health care and
cultural safety, and what non-Indigenous
health practitioners should be doing to
provide it,” she says. This means cre-
ating and supporting a patient experi-
ence where a person feels safe receiv-
ing health care in a system that’s often
marked by power imbalances, discrimi-
nation and racism.
Now in her fourth year of medical
sc ho ol, Thompson i s work i ng on a
research project investigating how com-
munity members react to beadwork in
PHOTOGRAPH BY SHANNON LEPERE
VITALS
health-care settings, and if med students
who are wearing anatomical beadwork
art—either clipped onto a lanyard, pinned
to their scrubs or glued onto a retractable
hospital badge—feel a responsibility to
uphold values of equity and sensitivity as
they interact with patients.
“The hope is that wearing beadwork in
clinical environments makes them ‘visi-
bly identifiable allies’ and, hopefully, less
likely to be bystanders to breaches of cul-
tural safety,” she explains. Wearers may
be more conscious of their interactions
with all patients and staff. She says the
beadwork functions as a physical token
“that almost says ‘hold me accountable.’”
Thompson has also started expanding
the text that accompanies her Instagram
posts, leading to larger discussions about
colonialism and Western perspectives,
whether it’s concerns about the use of
animal hides in her work or people com-
menting “Eeew!” on a post showcasing
a beautiful beaded vulva. She’s been
invited to do presentations about the
current state of the health-care system
for Indigenous patients and how bead-
work can play a supportive role.
As she learned to bead, Thompson
has learned about the importance of
your intentions as a craftsperson and
maker. It’s about “the kind of place or
space you want to be in mentally when
you’re beading, and what kind of things
you want to be sending into that bead-
work, in the time that it takes to create
a piece,” she explains. Smaller pins and
badges can take one or two hours, but
larger medallions or framed pieces can
be 10 to 20 hours of work. “And then
whoever the beadwork goes to, they’re
inheriting and moving forward with
those intentions.”
This is one reason Thompson believes
it’s OK for non-Indigenous people to
respectfully display or wear these Indig-
enous-made beaded items—it’s a sign of
cultural appreciation, not appropriation.
The beadwork is a reminder to the wearer
to be supportive, with both their words
and actions. “Do the work to make your-
self a more accountable ally,” she writes
on her website, “so that when Indigenous
folks view you with these pieces, you can
be a safe space for them.”
13
VITALS
Eat More
CURRY
BY L AU R A J EH A z Turning the corner
into a new season means shifts in your
wardrobe, weekend hobbies and food
cravings. Curry, a comfort food for many,
is the perfect way to warm up and is as
filling as it is satisfying.
Curries are a true melting pot of f la-
vours from multiple continents. While
curries originated in India, many of their
distinct tastes come from ingredients,
like chilies and black pepper, that were
introduced by Portuguese and British
settlers. Eventually, these dishes evolved
into the curries we know today.
Most curries start with the same base of
onions, garlic and ginger, but the blend of
spices is what makes each curry unique.
14
Each region uses a different combina-
tion of spices to create its own signature
flavour profile, which ranges from mild
masalas with cinnamon and cloves to red-
hot vindaloos with plenty of peppers.
In traditional Indian cooking, all spice
blends are called masalas and are pre-
pared by combining different whole
and ground spices. Most of the blended
curry powders you find at the grocery
store were first created by British colo-
nizers so they could easily recreate their
favourite Indian curries back home. One
of the most well-known is garam masala,
which translates to “warm spices.” It’s a
blend native to Northern India, and is
perfect for a mild wintertime curry.
PHOTOGRAPHS BY LAURA JEHA
The health benef its of curries are
touted in Ayurveda, the ancient medicine
system that aligns living practices and
eating habits with the seasons. During
the winter, rituals are centred on warm
food and beverages and sour, salty and
sweet flavours. According to Ayurvedic
medicine, “hot” foods can include toma-
toes, ginger, onions, mustard, pepper
and ghee, which are thought to improve
digestion and circulation. While Western
medicine doesn’t align with this seasonal
eating strategy, there are some proven
health benef its to eating warm (and
warming) foods.
Cooking fruit and vegetables breaks
down some of the food, which gives the
DECEMBER/JANUARY 2024
 VITALS

digestive process a head start. Heat can

also make the vitamins and minerals
from the cooked foods easier to absorb
because your body doesn’t have to work
as hard to break them down to release
their nutrients. For some vegetables,
cooking can also increase the amount
of health-boosting compounds in them.
For example, cooked tomatoes contain
higher levels of lycopene, a compound
with anti-inflammatory benefits.
Taste starts with scent, and because
heat encourages food to release its aro-
matic compounds, we often perceive
cooked foods to have more flavour and
feel more satisfying. We are also forced
to eat hot food more slowly, which aids
digestion and helps prevent overeating.
The spices you choose for your curry can
also lend additional benefits. Curcumin,
the primary compound in turmeric, is
a potent antioxidant. It’s enhanced when
paired with black pepper and a fat source,
which help your body absorb it more
efficiently so you can take full advantage
of its effects.

Cook This
For a flavourful curry, the ground cori-
ander that’s been sitting in your spice
cupboard for the past two years isn’t
going to cut it. Whole spices have a longer
shelf life than ground spices, as a spice’s
flavour begins to evaporate immediately
CHANA MASALA
after the grinding process. To keep your
curries punchy, lightly toast and crush 2 teaspoons cumin seeds Step 2
whole spices (see recipe for directions), 2 teaspoons coriander Preheat oil in a large pot

TIP
and use heat to make them shine. Always seeds over medium-low heat. Add
gently heat spices for a minute or two 2 tablespoons olive oil, onions, season with salt
If whole spices
along with your curry base at the begin- aren’t accessible,
coconut oil or ghee and pepper and cook until
ning of cooking. Blooming the spices in you can substitute 1 medium onion, diced softened, 10 minutes. Add
hot oil or another fat before adding in 1 teaspoon of 3 cloves garlic, minced garlic and ginger and cook
liquid ingredients further enhances the ground coriander 1 1-inch piece of ginger, 2 minutes more. Add spices
for the whole
f lavour, so they’re powerful enough to coriander seeds and
peeled and grated or and cook, stirring frequently
perfume the entire sauce. Masalas (aka 1½ teaspoons of finely chopped for 2 minutes. Add the
spice blends) can also be turned into a ground cumin for 1½ teaspoons garam tomatoes and their juices,
paste by blending with water or vinegars the cumin seeds. masala and use a wooden spoon to
to create a savoury, freezeable base for 1 teaspoon chili powder break them down. Simmer
soups and stews, or even a marinade for ½ teaspoon turmeric for 10 minutes.
meats and seafood. 1½ teaspoons kosher salt
Curries can be simple dishes, but 1 28-oz can of whole, Step 3
there’s plenty of ways to jazz them up peeled tomatoes (such as Add drained chickpeas,
with toppings. Some of my go-tos are a San Marzanos) ½ cup water and salt to pot.
dollop of Greek yogurt, a smattering of 2 15-oz cans of chickpeas, Bring to a simmer again,
fried shallots and a handful of chopped drained and rinsed then reduce heat to low and
cilantro. I’ll even borrow a condiment cook until thickened and
from Chinese cuisine and drizzle on some Step 1 bubbling. Taste and season,
chili crisp for a sweet-hot crunch. Curries Add cumin and coriander if needed. Divide between
are best when there’s a bit of sourness to seeds to a dry skillet over bowls and garnish with
balance their richness. In India, cooks medium-low heat and lightly chopped cilantro, a dollop of
will sometimes add amchoor, a tart spice toast, stirring until fragrant, plain yogurt, pickled onions
made from green, under-ripe mangos. For about 3 minutes. Remove and lime wedges. Serve
the same effect, I like to add a squeeze of skillet from heat, transfer with rice or naan.
lemon or lime juice right before serving seeds to a mortar and pestle
for the perfect endnote. and lightly crush. Makes 4 to 6 servings.

BESTHEALTHMAG.CA 15
VITALS
I ate oatmeal for a week.
Here’s what happened.
BY JA M I E STAT IS z Oatmeal is well-
known for being a good source of fibre,
for lowering blood glucose and choles-
terol levels, and for reducing the risk of
heart disease and diabetes. Plus, eating
oatmeal promotes healthy gut bacteria
and intestinal health. Although major
health changes can’t be measured in a few
days or even weeks, I decided to eat oat-
meal for breakfast every day for a week
to see what health effects I might notice.
My oatmeal experiment started the
day after Thanksgiving, which was per-
fect timing. After a decadent week of eat-
ing fatty foods—and not necessarily the
good fats—I was ready to step away from
the cheese boards.
16
Oatmeal is an undeniably healthy
breakfast, but I tend to be an egg, toast
and fruit kind of gal. I have that routine
down—and because I knew I’d be eat-
ing oatmeal every morning, I wanted to
make it easy and set myself up for suc-
cess. I decided to start my new routine
with a baked oatmeal dish made with
eggs, orange juice, berries and some
fall-friendly spices—a recipe developed
by Jill Weisenberger, registered dieti-
tian nutritionist and certified diabetes
care and education specialist.
I figured that having eight to 10 serv-
ings at the ready would be wise, espe-
cially since my mother was staying with
me. Despite her telling me, “I don’t
PHOTOGRAPHS BY (OATS) ARTX0NT/GETTY IMAGES; (SALMON) MIRAGEC/GETTY IMAGES; (BANANA) BRIAN HAGIWARA/GETTY IMAGES;
(APPLE) CHRIS COLLINS/GETTY IMAGES; (RAISINS) ALASDAIR JAMES/GETTY IMAGES
really like oatmeal!” she’d be in on this
experiment, eating it with me for the first
few mornings. I made the dish at night
so it would be ready to heat up quickly
in the morning. It smelled so good (like
a cobbler!) that I couldn’t wait. I had a
little bit for dessert with a generous dol-
lop of whipped cream.
The baked oatmeal was equally deli-
cious the next morning, but the best was
what happened next: Neither of us was
hungry or craving anything additional
for at least six hours, which is unusual
for me. I usually look for a mid-morning
snack. Weisenberger explains that this
is likely because of something called
beta-glucan: “Only oats and barley have
DECEMBER/JANUARY 2024

appreciable amounts of this unique
soluble fibre that helps both to sweep
away cholesterol from the digestive
tract before it reaches your bloodstream
and to lower insulin resistance, which
helps us to process carbohydrates bet-
ter. I always recommend oats to people
with high blood sugar or high choles-
terol because of the beta-glucan.” Beta-
glucan, and thus oatmeal, also has a
positive effect on satiety, which means
it keeps you feeling full for a longer
period of time.
After we finished the baked oatmeal,
I decided to try something different.
Because I’m more of a savour y than
sweet breakfast-eater, I asked Weisen-
berger for a suggestion. She came back
with a savoury oats and lentils recipe,
which tasted exactly like risotto, minus
the effort (and the dairy), plus a whole
bunch of nutrition. I ate a few portions
as-is, but I also got creative and put it on
a bed of fresh greens and topped it with
blue cheese. For a more breakfasty dish,
I added a fried egg.
There are a lot of ways to add nutri-
tious oatmeal to your diet. You can add
them to veggie burgers—or, instead of
breadcrumbs, use oats in meatloaf and
meatballs. You can add them to any
packaged cereal, or “sneak” them into
baked goods. Because oats take on the
flavour of whatever they’re added to, the
options are nearly endless. Weisenberger
sprinkles raw oats over yogurt or cot-
tage cheese, and she recommends raw
oats to people with prediabetes or dia-
betes as well as those with other health
concerns. (If you’re preparing oats for
a crowd that might include someone
with a gluten sensitivity, be sure to use
gluten-free oats.)
Weisenberger explains that raw oats
have another health benefit. “Uncooked
oats have resistant starch, which is starch
that’s resistant to our digestive enzymes.”
She continues: “Instead of being digested
and absorbed in the small intestine, resis-
tant starch makes its way to the colon
where our good, healthy bacteria make a
meal of it. In the process of fermentation,
the bacteria produce compounds that are
beneficial to us.”
The experiment may be over, but
I’m keeping oats in my life. I loved the
satiety component, and even though I
didn’t have bloodwork done to quantify
any changes to my health, it just feels
good to eat right and take care of myself.
I may not eat oatmeal every day, but I’ll
be sure to eat some of this nutritional
powerhouse more often.
BESTHEALTHMAG.CA
DRESS UP
YOUR
BREAKFAST
OATMEAL
Then I ate salmon for a week.
And here’s how that went.
1 I’m middle-aged and
active, so I take fish oils
Peanut butter daily to help with aches
and banana and pains, as well as to
experience the overall
benefits of fish oil: It can
lower blood pressure,
reduce cholesterol and
help ward off heart
disease. The Mayo Clinic
2 recommends fish oils for
their omega-3 fatty acids,
Apples, walnuts, which our bodies use for
cinnamon and everything from muscle
maple syrup activity to cell growth. But
what if I stopped taking
my fish oil supplements for
a week, and ate salmon
every day instead?
Heart disease runs on
3 both sides of my family, so
doing what I can to prevent
Raisins and
it feels like a responsibility,
pumpkin and
not an option. Salmon is
flax seeds
rich in the healthy omega-3
fatty acids EPA and DHA
(daily intake is linked to risk
reduction of cardiovascular
death), plus it’s an excellent
source of potassium,
B vitamins and protein (it
contains nine essential
amino acids).
After that first day eating
canned salmon for lunch
and filets for dinner, I was
buzzing at 9 p.m.—a time
of day when I’m usually
looking for my bed. The
VITALS
truth is, I didn’t sleep too
well that night.
Eating a bigger meal
earlier in the day is better
for digestion and sleep, so
for the rest of the week, I
adjusted my days to eat the
bulk of my salmon—usually
two portions—around 3
p.m., and I didn’t have any
issues sleeping the rest of
the week. Whether it was
thanks to the salmon or
the mild late-fall weather, I
found myself jogging every
day and even increasing
my distance.
Gigi Ashworth, also
known as The Salmon
Queen on social media,
eats eight to 10 pounds of
salmon weekly. She told
me salmon is one of the
only foods that doesn’t
cause her to feel bloated,
gassy, constipated, tired or
cloudy-headed after eating
it. I concur. I realized that a
lot of symptoms I typically
have after eating—
primarily, feeling stuffed
and like I need a nap—just
didn’t happen during the
week I ate salmon.
Moving forward, I’ll eat
it several times per week,
and I’ll never feel bad
about having a second
serving.—J.S.
17
VITALS
Quick Question
CAN FOOD AFFECT THE
QUALITY OF MY SLEEP?
IN PARTNERSHIP WITH NATURAL CALM
BY SARAH LAING z We’ve all heard the
classic advice: Don’t eat cheese before
bed (unless you’re into strangely vivid
dreams). Do drink a glass of warm milk
(cow’s milk only—no dairy alternatives
here). But can food really impact your
sleep this much? It turns out that those
old wives may have been onto something.
18
In fact, according to Alanna McGinn,
a certified sleep coach and founder of
Good Night Sleep Site, what you’re eat-
ing—and when—is one of the first things
she’ll bring up if you come to her for a
consultation. “Our bodies can really only
do one thing at a time,” she explains. “If
we eat right before we go to bed, our
ILLUSTRATION BY SALINI PERERA
body is going to be too busy digesting
that meal to get that good quality sleep.”
It’s the same reason you aim for a not-
too-hot-or-too-cold bedroom, so your
body doesn’t spend the night on thermo-
regulation. Ditto drinking alcohol right
before bed, adds McGinn. “Yes, it might
help you fall asleep, but your body [will
be working to process] the alcohol, so
you’re not going to get proper sleep.” Cue
the dreaded 2 a.m. wake-up laden with
existential angst.
To avoid this, she recommends eat-
ing your last meal four hours before
bedtime, and combining that with other
sensible sleep-enhancing behaviour:
reducing stress, tackling any underly-
ing medical issues that could be ham-
pering those zzzs, and practicing good
sleep “hygiene,” like moving your body
throughout the day, creating a restful
(device-free) bedtime routine and going
to bed at a consistent time each night.
“ E ve r y t h i n g go e s h a nd - i n - h a nd,
because when we’re not sleeping well,
our bodies tend to crave more sugar and
carbs, and we’re not able to metabolize
food as well,” McGinn says. She’s refer-
ring to the way our body looks for quick
sources of energ y during the day to
compensate for a lack of sleep, which
leads to spiking blood sugar and a pat-
tern of hit-crash-hit-crash all day long.
“When we’re not eating well, that then
can affect how we sleep,” McGinn says.
This can easily become a vicious cycle:
You’re mainlining candy for energ y
because you’re tired, and you’re tired
because that candy is linked to insom-
nia, just like caffeine. “Of course we
don’t drink coffee right before bed, but
people don’t understand that even hav-
ing a cup of coffee after noon can affect
your sleep.” Caffeine is in pop, choco-
late and black tea, too.
The good news? Food doesn’t solely
hamper your sleep—it can also be used to
enhance it. Just ask Abbey Sharp, a regis-
tered dietitian and self-professed insom-
niac. “There are some foods that can have
mild sedative properties,” says Sharp.
“Generally speaking, though, it comes
down to eating patterns more than spe-
cific foods having sleepy-time properties.”
For Sharp, that ideal pattern is eating
two food groups in a strategic way. “Hav-
ing [certain] carbohydrates a few hours
before bedtime can be an effective way
to help you doze off,” she says, pointing
to several studies that indicate rice, in
particular, could be good for this. One
Japanese study compared folks who ate
noodles, bread and rice before bed, and
DECEMBER/JANUARY 2024
 VITALS

researchers found that rice was associ- Sharp’s also a fan of incorporating More than anything, Sharp is big on
ated with better sleep, bread made no dairy before bed, contrary to the old the placebo effect when it comes to food
difference and noodles actually led to wives’ tale about cheese. In addition to helping you sleep. “All of these tips, in
poorer quality sleep. The theory is that protein, dairy contains calcium and mag- my experience, are more ritualistic than
this is because of white rice’s high glyce- nesium, both important for good sleep. anything,” she says. “Any ritual that feels
mic index, which pings your body to pro- You could opt for cottage cheese, Sharp’s good to you, whether it’s taking a bath or
duce sleepiness-inducing serotonin. All personal favourite. “It’s rich in some- having a specific snack, is going to serve
white rice can help you snooze, but one thing called casein protein,” she says. as a cue to help you get into that sleepy
study in the American Journal of Clinical “Unlike straight-up whey protein, casein stage a little faster.” The most important
Nutrition found that high-GI jasmine per- breaks down much slower so it keeps you thing is to do what works for you to reap
formed best in this regard. fuller all through the night.” the benefits of restorative sleep.
“A little bit of carbs at dinner is advan-
tageous, because it stimulates serotonin
and dopamine, and gets us into that
mood for relaxation,” Sharps explains.
(Serotonin is also the brain chemical that
helps you stay asleep for longer.) The key,
however, is pairing them with protein,
which helps slow down the absorption of

From Our Partner

the carbohydrates and keeps us feeling
fuller for longer.
“If you are having white rice, then tofu
or chicken is going to slow down that
blood sugar response so you don’t get
any of those dips during the night,” says
Sharp. (Low blood sugar at night, aka
hypoglycemia, can cause sleep disrup-
tions like profuse sweating, nightmares,
restlessness and feeling grumpy when
you wake up.) “And it’s going to keep you
full during the night, which is important
for sleep, si nce wa k i ng up bec au se
you’re hungry is the worst.” For this rea-
son, Sharp says a strategic bedtime snack
can be helpful for some people.
“I like to focus on grains, like whole-
grain bread or oatmeal, to reduce the
risk of insomnia,” she says. “And then
adding lots of those high-fibre fruits like
pears and berries.” Research links a high-
fibre diet with more time in “slow wave”
sleep, which is the deep sleep stage that’s
essential for everything from memory to
your immune system and just waking up
feeling refreshed.
Sharp also recommends incorporat-
ing kiwis and cherry juice, both of which
have some research suggesting they can
help improve sleep quality. Kiwis con-
tain that all-important serotonin, and
a small study in 2011 showed that eat-
ing two before bed improved total sleep
time by 13 percent.
Sour or tart cherries, particularly when
in concentrated juice form, contain mela-
tonin, a key hormone when it comes to
regulating your sleep cycle. In fact, one
(very small) study gave eight insomniac
adults 8 ounces of tart cherry juice twice
a day for two weeks. During this time,
they reported better sleep quality—an
average of 84 minutes of extra sleep per
person, per night.
SHOULD I TRY A
NIGHTCAP?
Perhaps when you were a
kid and had trouble falling
asleep, your parents would
give you a glass of warm
milk for a nightcap. That’s
because cow’s milk contains
tryptophan, which helps
boost the body’s production
of melatonin, a hormone
that signals to your body
it’s time for bed. Now, let
us introduce you to the new
adult version of a nightcap:
a glass of fizzy, fruity water
Natural Calm can
be found at your with magnesium, also
local drugstore in known as Natural Calm.
a variety of flavours, Natural Calm is a
like mixed berry.
sleep-promoting
One hundred
percent of profits go supplement that comes
to help end world in the form of flavoured
poverty through powder to be mixed
thriveforgood.org.
into a cup of hot water
before bed. Its beloved
by Canadians (including
competitive swimmer
Penny Oleksiak) as a way
to quiet a racing mind,
relax muscles and boost
feelings of sleepiness
thanks to its star ingredient,
magnesium citrate. It’s
formulated with other
sleep-inducing ingredients,
too: Magnesium glycinate
promotes relaxation, GABA
helps calm the nervous
system and lulls anxiety
and melatonin helps you fall
asleep fast and stay asleep.
Incorporating Natural
Calm into your wind-down
routine is easy. About 30
minutes before bed, after
you close your laptop and
put your phone on charge,
scoop a spoonful of Natural
Calm into a cup of boiling
water. Stir it together, and
it’ll fizz right up.
Once it settles, it’s ready
to drink. It won’t taste
chalky, it won’t be lumpy
and it won’t boast a fake-
tasting sweetness. Natural
Calm tastes like soothing
fruity tea, without any
added artificial ingredients
or sugar. Continue with
your skin care routine
and other pre-bed rituals,
and you’ll feel your body
calming itself down, ready
to doze off as soon as
your head hits the pillow.

BESTHEALTHMAG.CA 19
VITALS
Get Into It
ADULT BALLET
BY JULIA ZARANKIN z When I enrolled in
my first adult ballet class, I was nervous.
At age 41, would I be f lexible enough?
Graceful enough? Would I survive the
scrutiny of the wall-to-wall mirrors?
The first thing that shocked me when
I entered the studio was that our teacher
addressed us as “dancers.” Never mind
that the students—our bodies variously
shaped and decidedly un-balletic—ranged
in age from our early 20s to 60-plus or
that we couldn’t hold our balance for
longer than two seconds. In this space
we had a new identity, and it made us all
stand straighter.
Seven years later, I’ve become some-
thing of a proselytizer for adult ballet. I
20
don’t wear a tutu and my pirouettes are
lopsided at best, but ballet class is the
best hour and a half of my week.
Earlier this year, I took the leap and
signed up for more: a week-long sum-
mer ballet intensive at the National Bal-
let School of Canada in Toronto. It was a
physical adventure my body had never
experienced: three hours of activity a
day, which included conditioning for
dancers and ballet class, with time to
hone our technique at the barre. The last
hour was reserved for learning choreog-
raphy—in our case, the harvest dance
from Giselle. But most daunting was the
fact that the week culminated in a per-
formance for family and friends.
PHOTOGRAPH COURTESY OF CANADA’S NATIONAL BALLET SCHOOL; (SHOES) HYRBID IMAGES/GETTY IMAGES
I have long been accustomed to pub-
lic speaking and lecturing to large audi-
ences, but performing in a ballet recital
as a 40-something adult was a new one
for me. I invited my parents and hus-
band somewhat reluctantly. I’d never
stood in front of people while wearing a
body-hugging outfit, postural deficien-
cies and f labby abs on full display. But
once the pianist played our opening and
we assumed our positions, then began
to move in formation as a real corps de
ballet, I stopped thinking about how I
might be perceived. Instead, I smiled,
breathed in, imagined the top of my head
reaching toward the ceiling and let my
body present the movements it had been
DECEMBER/JANUARY 2024
 VITALS

perfecting all week. I stopped judging my

every bodily infelicity, quieted any fears
and just danced, suspended in time.
Though the French terminology might
sound intimidating at first—plié, tendu,
rond de jambe—I can assure you that the
movements quickly become familiar,
and the warm-up sequence of barre exer-
cises turns into a meditative practice.
This 45-minute barre that begins each
class is a full-body workout that fires up
every muscle, joint and tendon—includ-
ing ones you didn’t know you had!—while
focusing on alignment and the plumbline
of the body, which runs from the top of
your head right down to your feet.
Physician Kate Reilly, a family and
sports doctor in Toronto, explains that
in addition to building f lexibility, core
streng th and balance, ballet class is
also a mental workout: memorizing
the sequence of steps and coordinating
precise leg movements with fluid arms,
while keeping time with the music and
remembering to breathe. As we negotiate
these complex combinations, says Reilly,
it activates multiple parts of our brain,
Leaps and Bounds
with our “motor cortex, visual and audi-
tory centres working simultaneously.” THE HEALTH BENEFITS
The time spent at the barre sets the
body up for the more challenging, unsup-
ported movements in the centre of the
OF BALLET
studio, which combine graceful arm ges-
tures (ports-de-bras) with leg extensions Improved balance can often suffer. Ballet
and jumps that feel like an intense cardio As we age, our balance increases body awareness
workout. By the time we’re dancing cho- declines, especially after our and emphasizes lengthening
reographed sequences along the room’s mid-50s. But ballet requires your body by creating space
diagonal, most of us are beaming, not dancers to spend time between your vertebrae; as
because we’ve mastered the steps, but on one leg while moving you dance, you can imagine
because we have the confidence to travel their arms, hands, neck and your tailbone reaching
through space in a wholly new way. head, as well as rising on toward the floor and your
Reilly began ballet lessons two years tippy-toes and conducting torso stretching so tall that
ago to better understand her patients— single leg lifts that transfer you can almost feel confetti
many of whom are high-performance weight from one leg to erupting from the crown
athletes—but also as a way to “work on the other. Sometimes of your head.
the insecurity of just not being immedi- these movements are
ately great at something,” she explains. done with eyes closed to Mental health and
She also loves the mindfulness of ballet. improve proprioception, perfectionism
The adult studio is a place of inclusion a neuromuscular sense of Ballet helps us become
and deep care for the body: Every exer- the body’s position in space more comfortable with
cise is modified to adapt to the students in (which dulls with age if we failure. It’s also about the joy
the room. Unlike pre-professional train- don’t exercise it). Balance of doing something without
ing for young dancers, which has highly work can improve longevity having an end goal in mind.
specific body requirements, the defini- and help prevent falls—there Kate Reilly, a sports doctor
tion of an adult ballet body is simple— are even studies connecting in Toronto who started ballet
one that moves, no matter its propor- a reduction in mortality classes as an adult, explains
tions. Along with that comes strength, with the ability to balance it this way: “As a very type-A
grace and awareness. It’s no coincidence on one leg for 10 seconds. person who is used to
that the class ends in a reverence—a succeeding, I often have the
gesture of thanks to the teacher, the Better body alignment mindset of, ‘If I’m not good
pianist, our peers and, most of all, our Because we spend so much at it right away, why bother?’
own bodies, for the magic they are (still) time at our desks or glued And ballet challenges that
capable of. to devices, our posture mindset.”—J.Z.

BESTHEALTHMAG.CA 21
VITALS
We Tried It
A 5-MINUTE BIKE WORKOUT
BY ARIEL BREWSTER z Maybe using the
F word is a little strong, but it’s accurate:
I completely failed at exercise for the
entirety of my 30s. At least the sweaty,
heart-pounding, happy-endorphin-gen-
erating, cardio-burn kind of exercise.
I love to ski (downhill), I love a hike or
brisk mental health walk, a gentle yoga
class. I did a lot of postpartum Pilates
core classes, toting my babies along. But
a chronic hip injury, the demands of
working full-time during the pandemic
with kids mostly home and a general
state of overwhelm meant I just never
got into a solid cardio routine. The last
time I went on a jog was literally when I
was forced to, while chasing a runaway
22
toddler. But I’ve read enough about fit-
ness and aerobic activity, especially as
I venture into middle age, to know that
it’s essential for my heart health.
That’s why an efficient, effective and
short workout was so enticing to me. The
“smart” spin bike I've been trying out at
home for the past year, which is oddly
named Carol, promises five minutes to
peak fitness and is designed to help users
“swap out their 45-minute run” for super-
fast high-intensity workouts that are easy
to slide into a busy daily calendar. The
science behind it is REHIT, which stands
for reduced exertion high-intensity inter-
val training. Carol delivers AI-personal-
ized, tailor-made spin rides set at your
optimal resistance each time you hop on,
factoring in your age, weight, height, sex,
rate of fatigue, maximum pedal speed,
past resistance and heart rate.
Its signature five-minute workout is two
maximum-intensity sprints lasting 20 sec-
onds each, spaced out with low-intensity
PHOTOGRAPH COURTESY OF CAROL BIKE
warm-ups and a cool down. Two or three
rides a week, at five minutes each, is all
you’re supposed to do to increase your
aerobic fitness levels. Trainers and elite
athletes sometimes refer to these levels
as your “VO2 max”—or your maximum
rate of oxygen uptake during exercise.
A higher VO2 max is an indicator of bet-
ter cardiorespiratory fitness, meaning
improved heart health and lung health.
DECEMBER/JANUARY 2024

Niels Vollaard, a lecturer in health
and exercise science at the University of
Stirling in Scotland, is a senior author
of multiple widely cited studies exam-
ining the biological and biometric gains
of REHIT. Effective exercise must create
what Vollaard calls “a disturbance of
homeostasis.” You need to shake it up, he
says. “Your heart rate has to go up, and
your muscles have to start using their
fuel, and you have to breathe faster.” But
if you’re choosing low- or moderate-inten-
sity exercise, says Vollaard, “you have to
have lots of it.” And because not everyone
likes to exercise, and it takes longer, com-
pliance is low.
REHIT sessions can be very short,
he says, because “REHIT incorporates
‘supramaximal’ or ‘all-out’ exercise.
Doing more of it will not further enhance
the benefits you get. This is why we’ve
been looking at, ‘What is the exercise
that will disturb homeostasis the most?’
Because if you can disturb homeostasis
quickly, then you won’t need to do too
much of it.” These very short bursts of
explosive activity—pedalling like your
life depends on it—are what make the
Carol cycling workouts stand out from
other stationary bikes.
The Brit ish fema le voiceover t hat
accompanies the cycling intervals and
cool downs asks riders to imagine they’re
cave men, essentially, trying to outrun a
tiger. How hard and how fast you pedal
results in a tablet screen full of numbers:
wattage, cadence, heart rate, f itness
score, calories burned, energy output.
They all add up to your overall fitness and
whether you would have survived in a
racing-across-the-savannah, man-versus-
animal chase scenario. (I promptly dis-
abled the voice and chose music instead.)
Sometimes the tablet-screen readouts,
which are meant to be inspirational,
seem out of touch. For example, if you
choose a longer, more traditional “fat
burn” ride, the prompts are mired in
outdated admonishments about junk
food, a nd a re i ncong rous w it h cu r-
rent body-positivity trends. One read,
“My sprints burn a lot of sugar in your
thighs,” and another joked, “But no Kit-
Kats when I’m not looking!”
Unlike the popular Peloton, this bike—
which came to market in late 2018—isn’t
really about building camaraderie with
group classes, or the fun soundtrack, or
the standout instructor personalities.
Carol, which stands for Cardiovascu-
lar Optimization Logic, is designed for
people with no time. In fact, it’s main
selling point is how little time you need
BESTHEALTHMAG.CA
VITALS
We Also Tried This
CYCLING WITH
APPLE WATCH
If the price tag on a Carol bike makes
you gulp, there is an easier way. The
latest operating system update for the
Apple Watch has new bike and spin
workout features that will allow you to
use your watch as your own personal
AI while cycling, at a fraction of the cost.
With watchOS 10, you can connect to
Bluetooth cycling accessories—such as
power metres, speed sensors and cadence
sensors—to capture metrics like cycling
power and RPMs. The watch will show you
your heart-rate zones and cycling speed,
as well as elevation and race route, if you’re
actually cycling outside. Personally, I found
that the heart-rate monitor built into my
Apple Watch was just as consistent and
accurate as Carol’s chest-band heart-rate
monitor, and it’s way more comfortable
to wear while exercising. From $549 (for
series 9), apple.com/ca.—A.B.
to spend in the saddle. You don’t really it isn’t: cheap. At $3,395, plus $19 per
break a sweat, and you probably won’t month in membership fees, it isn’t real-
have to shower after. I’ve used Carol in istic for most individuals to purchase
between Zooms, while still in my paja- a Carol bike for their home. Vollaard
mas in the morning, or while my kids believes the best use of the Carol bike
conduct raucous playdates in the base- is in the office. Because workouts don’t
ment around me. take long, multiple employees can use
Truth be told, it’s one of the only forms the same bike, quickly counteracting the
of cardio I’ve ever stuck with. Trainers negative health effects of their sedentary
and fitness gurus call this consistency; workdays while the employer shoulders
doctors and researchers call it exercise the hefty price tag.
adherence. The best form of exercise is “We need a range of solutions and more
the one you’re actually going to do, week preventative care,” Vollaard explains. “If
after week, month after month, Vollaard you do only one thing—and if you would
told me, even if it doesn’t feel like you’re stick to this—you only need two or three
logging lots of miles or getting sweaty. sessions a week. That really becomes a
It’s quick, easy and perfect for people cost-effective intervention that is easy to
who don’t actually enjoy exercising. What fit in. Just hop on and get it over with.”
23
VITALS

Do it for the Climate PAPERING OVER

THE PROBLEM
Brands that boast about
their carbon offsets and

ECO-FRIENDLY carbon neutrality are likely

engaging in some serious
greenwashing. Look for

TOILET PAPER that “post-consumer”

label instead.

DEUCE
SLEUTH
While many companies
claim that their TP is
100-percent recycled, they could
be using in-factory offcuts from
non-recycled rolls. The trick is to look
for the phrase “post-consumer,”which
means it’s made from the paper you
toss in your blue bin. It’s quite hard
to find in Canada, but increased
demand will help boost supply,
so be loud and proud
about your loo-paper
preferences.

BY KAT TANCOCK ¬ Bog roll. Loo paper. Toilet tis-

sue. Whatever you call it, the average Canadian goes
through 83 rolls of it a year. But where does TP come
from, and how does it impact our ecosystem?
The perforated roll you know and love is a rela-
tively recent invention: Descended from more than
1,400 years of Chinese tradition of using paper to
clean up your business, it was patented in the U.S.
in the late 1800s as a way to “prevent waste.” Later
upgrades bragged of being splinter-free, and from
the ’50s through the ’80s stylish shoppers could
coordinate their bathroom decor with dyed paper
in shades like Green Mist or Peach Blush. These
days, it seems, backsides are made of more tender
stuff: Companies compete to provide the softest
offering possible.
Chances are the fibres your favourite TP is made
from come from “previously unlogged” Canadian
forests, and not from tree plantations, says Greg
Higgs, director of research and investigations at the
Stand.earth Research Group. “Virgin forests produce
better fibre,” he says, which translates to a cushier
feeling on the tushy. The majority of pulp comes
from Canada’s largest forest ecosystem, the boreal
PHOTOGRAPH BY ANDRIY ONUFRIYENKO/GETTY IMAGES

forest. Trees are felled, prepped and chipped, then

cooked up with chemicals into a malleable fibre
that’s cleaned, bleached, pressed, rolled and cut.
Large-scale logging in the boreal makes life precari-
ous for caribou, hares, owls and other inhabitants,
HISTORY LESSON
and releases carbon into the atmosphere that we’d Corncobs, rope ends and
be better off leaving where it is. ripped-up almanacs: Options
But there is a better way. The bottom line on what for wiping have been creative
and diverse. One to still consider
to buy? Higgs says the best pick is any brand made of
today is the soft, large leaves of
100-percent post-consumer recycled fibre. The next the invasive mullein plant—they’re
best is “tree-free” rolls made of bamboo, which is great for that composting toilet at
actually a grass, and is shipped from Asia. The less the cottage, though we don’t
recommend you flush them
toilet tissue you use, the less logging is needed. So
in a regular toilet.
maybe it’s finally time to install that bidet.

24 DECEMBER/JANUARY 2024
 VITALS
FOREST FOR
THE TREES
Tree plantations are
created when companies hire
tree planters to fill in after huge
clearcuts. These plantations have
their uses, but they’re typically
monocultures, which is very different
from a natural forest ecosystem.
Unlogged forests are worth
protecting because they host more
biodiversity and store more
carbon than their newly
planted cousins.

WIPED OUT
The Canadian boreal
forest stores twice as
much carbon as the world’s
oil reserves, and keeping
that carbon in the forest and
out of the air is one key to
fighting climate change. But
approximately one million
acres of this forest are
clearcut every year.

BIG BUSINESS
Canadian toilet
paper sales brought in
US$1.34 billion in 2022,
accounting for almost
375 million kilograms
of the soft stuff. ARE BIDETS
BETTER FOR THE
BIOSPHERE?
All signs point to yes—well,
almost. If you live in a drought-
prone area, that half litre (the typical
amount used in a single bidet wash)
could add up to a serious drain on
local water reserves. But producing
TP takes huge amounts of water and
energy, too—some 140 litres and
1.3 kWh per roll. So if you prefer
that freshly washed feeling
from a bidet, go for it.
BESTHEALTHMAG.CA 25
VITALS

A Primer On BY C A I T L I N AGN E W ց When it comes

to caring for the health of our legs, a com-
mon concern is varicose veins. Often blue
and bulging, these pesky veins can seem-
ingly appear out of nowhere, marring

VARICOSE the once-pristine canvas of our gams.

But what are varicose veins? Why do they
appear? Do they pose a health risk? And
what can be done to get rid of them?

VEINS Benjamin Barankin, a Toronto derma-

tologist, medical director and founder of
Toronto Dermatology Centre, explains
t hat va r icose vei ns a re super f icia l,
enlarged, bulging and twisted veins that
mainly develop in the legs. They’re dark
purple or blue in colour and can cause
aching, itching or discomfort. Their
cousins, spider veins, are a milder form,
consisting of much smaller red or purple
veins that are closer to the skin’s surface.

Why do they appear?

Varicose veins are due to weak or dam-
aged valves in the veins that help to con-
trol blood flow toward the heart. When
they’re not functioning properly, blood
can pool in the veins, resulting in the
veins stretching or twisting. There are
several reasons why weak or damaged
valves lead to the development of vari-
cose veins, and unfortunately, they’re not
necessarily something you can control.
Barankin says the risk of weak or dam-
aged valves is more common in women
and potentially increased by pregnancy,
menopause and possibly birth control
pills. Age also plays a factor, thanks to
wear and tear on the vein valves over
time, as does being overweight, having
a sedentary lifestyle, standing for long
periods of time and having a family his-
tory of them.

When should you worry about them?

Varicose veins aren’t necessarily cause
for medical concern. Barankin says that,
for most patients, leg veins are nothing
more than a cosmetic blight. However,
“those with varicose veins are at higher
risk of ulcers, bleeding, burst vein and
blood clots,” he says, recommending
PHOTOGRAPH AZAT AJPHOTOS/GETTY IMAGES

that anyone experiencing persistent leg

pain and swelling seek medical help.

Is it possible to prevent them?

Yes, there are some ways to reduce the risk
of developing varicose veins. Barankin
says that the best prevention is exercise
and maintaining a healthy weight. Other
tips include raising your legs when sitting
or lying down, eating a low-salt, high-fibre
diet, changing your sitting or standing
position regularly and avoiding wearing

26 DECEMBER/JANUARY 2024

high-heeled shoes and hosiery for a pro-
longed period of time.
Some people seek help from the sup-
plements and health-food aisle. “There
isn’t much data on alternative medicine,
but some have reported improvement
with horse chestnut, butcher’s broom,
grapes—leaves, seed and fruit—and sweet
clover,” he adds.
Other preventative measures may be a
bit more pleasant, if not downright bliss-
ful. Lymphatic massages, like the Detox
and Revive Body Ritual at the Park Hyatt
Stillwater Spa in Toronto, focus on cir-
culation and preventing fluid retention.
“The ritual’s physical, mechanical body
work, in conjunction with the products,
aids the body in getting the accumulated
blood and lymph f luid moving again
throughout the body,” says spa director
Kerry Werner.
What are the treatment options?
When you notice the early appearance
of varicose veins, there are some strat-
egies to help prevent them from get-
ting worse. Barankin says compression
stockings are the main therapy in early
stages. “Wear compression stockings
during the day, and apply a good mois-
turizer at night to reduce itching and
dry or cracked skin,” he says. “Avoid eat-
ing salt to reduce leg swelling, wear
more comfortable low-heeled shoes to
exercise the calf muscle and avoid tight
clothing around your waist, legs and
groin so as not to impede blood flow.”
What about removal?
For those looking to have varicose veins
professionally removed, there are a few
different options. Sclerotherapy is where
a solution is injected into the veins, caus-
ing them to scar. The scarring forces
blood t h roug h hea lt h ier veins, and
the collapsed vein then fades. It costs
roughly $200 to $400 per session and
may require three to six treatments
every other month. Post sclerotherapy,
compression socks must be worn for one
to two weeks to fully optimize results.
Another option is vascular lasers, which
can be used on spider veins, or endove-
nous laser ablation for larger varicose
veins. Fina lly, there’s su rg ical vein
stripping—a minor surgery where one or
more varicose veins are removed. This
would likely be an in-and-out procedure
with recovery at home for a few days fol-
lowing the operation, depending on how
many veins are removed. Coverage for
treatment varies by province, but only if
deemed medically necessary.
BESTHEALTHMAG.CA
And While We’re
At It, What About
SKIN TAGS
For many people, skin tags
are a fact of life, especially
as we age. But they don’t
look great, and they can
become irritated.
Skin tags are small,
benign and non-cancerous,
and generally appear as
lesions that are the same
colour as your skin (or a little
darker). They’re connected
to the skin’s surface by a
stalk. In some cases, the
stalk is visible, while other
skin tags will be firmly
attached to the skin. They’re
typically between 2 mm and
5 cm in size and can crop up
on their own or in a group.
Anyone can develop
a skin tag, and there is
no way to prevent them.
According to dermatologist
Monica Li, there’s no single
explanation for what causes
skin tags. “It may be related
to genetics or obesity, but
[they] often arise completely
spontaneously,” says Li.
She explains that friction
may play a role in the
development of skin tags:
They are often found in the
parts of the body where
there are folds in the skin or
where skin rubs against skin,
such as the neck, armpits,
under the breasts and groin.
This increased skin-on-skin
friction is also why they are
more frequently found on
those who are overweight or
pregnant or have skin laxity.
There are also certain
medical conditions that
VITALS
may predispose someone
to getting more skin tags,
like polycystic ovarian
syndrome, metabolic
syndrome or type II
diabetes.
Otherwise, skin tags
are completely harmless,
so there’s no reason to
worry about them. But
if they bleed, become
irritated, feel tender or are
located on the eyelid and
affect vision, removal may
be necessary. It can be
a simple, one-and-done
treatment, says Li; however,
it is a procedure that should
always be performed
under the guidance of a
physician. And if a skin tag
is located close to the eye,
you may need to see an
ophthalmologist.
There are three different
methods used in skin tag
removal: surgical excision,
cryosurgery (where the
skin tag is frozen with liquid
nitrogen) and electrosurgery
(where a tiny needle zaps it).
If you’re tempted to
remove the tag yourself—
don’t. There is a risk of
infection, scarring and
dispigmentation in DIY
skin tag removals, as
well as a likelihood of
incomplete removal. Li
also cautions against using
an over-the counter wart
removal product, as this
may damage the tissue
surrounding the skin
tag.—C.A.
27
VITALS
Life Lesson
I WAS FIRED BECAUSE
OF MY MENTAL ILLNESS
—SO I FOUGHT BACK.
BY K.J. AIELLO ցԡIn September of 2018,
I was fired from my job. It was an excit-
ing, new position at a large employer,
and when I accepted the role, I’d felt
ready for the challenge. I’d worked in
the legal industry for nearly a decade,
and I was good at it. I’d built a career
managing busy practices for my super-
v i sor s, ba la nc i ng t hei r dem a nd i ng
schedules and dealing with the court
systems. I was the first point of contact
for many clients. I was used to fast-
paced work environments with lots of
moving parts, I knew what I was doing
28
and I felt confident. I’d certainly never
been fired before.
But I also live with bipolar disorder,
generalized anxiety disorder and ago-
raphobia. I regulate my day-to-day by
keeping a close watch on my moods and
somatic symptoms. I take my medica-
tions, visit my doctor when needed and
attend my therapy appointments. After
20 years of dealing with this, I’ve become
a bit of a self-management expert.
As the days went by in my new job,
anxiety started creeping in. Despite the
positive feedback I was receiving from
ILLUSTRATION BY CORNELIA LI
my supervisors and colleagues, I began to
feel incompetent, and it was affecting my
ability to work quickly and under pres-
sure, which is the norm in the legal field.
I also heard harmful slanders against
folks with mental illness, and working in
a large open-concept space was triggering
my agoraphobia. For me, this manifests as
panic attacks whenever I feel like peo-
ple can see me, judge me or otherwise
threaten my safety.
One Friday afternoon, panic hit. It
started around my jaw—my muscles tight-
ening, my teeth chattering. It didn’t take
DECEMBER/JANUARY 2024

long for the panic attack to overwhelm
me. My desk suddenly felt unfamiliar,
the space hostile.
As I tried to catch my breath, furiously
wiping away tears that just kept coming,
my supervisor walked by. She stopped
and asked if I was okay. “I’m having a
panic attack,” was all I could whisper.
“I’m okay, though.” With a nod she con-
tinued on her way. No one else came by.
After a while, I was able to work through
it alone, but the rest of my day, unsur-
prisingly, wasn’t very productive. No
one ever followed up with me.
The following week, I attended a man-
datory, in-person seminar on the Acces-
sibility for Ontarians with Disabilities
Act, which took place in a boardroom
filled with about two dozen people. Dur-
ing the seminar, I noticed that there was
barely a mention of mental illness. This
didn’t seem appropriate. I’d been navi-
gating misperceptions of mental illness
in the workplace long enough to know to
speak up when I could.
Then and there, I asked if anyone in the
firm was trained in the event of a men-
tal health emergency, but there wasn’t
an answer. I followed up with inquiries
about mental health accommodations.
Again, no answer.
The group benefits offered a few hun-
dred dollars a year for therapy, and
most prescriptions were covered. But
those types of resources weren’t really
what I was concerned about. I needed
to know that if I experienced another
panic attack, there would be some kind
of support. What if I needed some time
off, or to work from home? Was that
available? And, deep down, I needed to
know whether I could feel safe enough to
be myself, mental illness included.
Three hours later, my employment
was terminated.
In an empty boardroom—the same
boardroom I’d initially been interviewed
in—my supervisor told me that it had
been a difficult decision, but it was best
for all parties. Best for whom? Why was I
being fired? What had I done wrong? Why
didn’t anyone say anything, coach me,
train me? Why was this such a surprise?
I was told I wasn’t learning fast enough,
not taking enough notes and that I’d been
seen crying at my desk. “But I was having
a panic attack,” I shot back. “You knew
that.” She simply smiled and said, “See?
This job isn’t for you.”
As I was escorted out of the office,
seething with fury, I wondered whether
there would ever be a place for someone
like me in the working world. If the only
BESTHEALTHMAG.CA
visible sign of my disability—a panic
attack—could be seen as a reason to fire
me, what hope was there?
When I got home, I told my partner all
the reasons why this simply wasn’t okay.
How could they so blatantly disregard
my rights? If that job wasn’t for me, what
job would be?
My partner sat there, quietly listening,
until he said, “Well, what are you going
to do about it?”
With his support, I hired a lawyer and
f iled an application with the Human
Rights Tribunal of Ontario. The policies
differ slightly from province to prov-
ince, but the Canadian Human Rights
Act protects employees with disabilities
from discrimination, including from
termination due to disability, even if the
I NEEDED TO KNOW
WHETHER I COULD
FEEL SAFE ENOUGH
TO BE MYSELF AT
WORK, MY MENTAL
ILLNESS INCLUDED.
THREE HOURS LATER,
MY EMPLOYMENT
WAS TERMINATED.
employee is within the probationary
period (often the first three months),
like I was. But lawyers are expensive,
usually hundreds of dollars per hour,
and the former employee—who is now
without a paycheque—must shoulder it.
Employers typically have more funds to
fight back, and a case can drag on for
months, even years. If a case settles pri-
vately, the dismissed party might have
to sign a non-disclosure agreement, and
it’s possible the employer would not be
required to admit any wrongdoing. In
these cases, because no one can speak
out, it’s likely that nothing will change
and the discrimination continues.
Yes, employees can elect to disclose
their disability at the outset of a new job.
But this wasn’t something I had ever felt
comfortable with, due to the stigma
associated with mental illness.
And the data backs me up: The fed-
eral Office of the Ombudsman for Men-
tal Health and Employee Well-Being
VITALS
reported in 2017 that 82 percent of the
confidential meetings they held over a
six-month period were with concerned
employees rather than employers (and
it was mostly women—68 percent were
female). The report found that when
workers do address their mental health
c h a l le n ge s a nd re qu i re me nt s w it h
employers, they risk facing stigmatiza-
tion or negative career repercussions.
Because of this, employees may hide
their diagnoses instead of seeking accom-
modations. So where does that leave
people with mental illness? What secu-
rity do we have?
The day after I was fired, a friend told
me about an editor at a national newspa-
per who was taking pitches. I didn’t even
know what a pitch was, but I cobbled
something together and sent it off.
I received a response within the hour:
This sounds great. I can give you 600
words. Also included was a rate and a
deadline. I couldn’t believe it. I started
writing immediately.
That assig nment opened a door: I
learned that people wanted to hear my
opinions. Not only that, to my complete
disbelief, they were also willing to com-
pensate me for my writing.
From that thought, another one began
to percolate: While legal recourse is
impossible for many folks with mental
illness, what I had was my ability to
communicate, which could help oth-
ers feel less alone. I continued to write
about menta l hea lt h, using my ow n
experience. One of my essays even won
an award.
This is what I learned: Being fired was
hard, and fighting back is even harder.
Justice can be so far out of reach that
silence and compliance feel like the only
viable next step. But maybe that’s not
good enough. What if I dared to use my
own voice? Could I possibly become
louder than the wrongs levied against
mentally ill folks? Could this be my form
of advocacy?
I’ve now left my former career behind
to pursue my own writing projects and
mental health awareness work. I know
that what I send out onto the internet
reaches thousands of people, and that
makes me proud. This is exactly the life
I’ve wanted all these years. Some days,
I don’t know how I got so lucky.
It took me a few years to realize that
my former supervisor’s comment—this
job isn’t for you—was in fact true, but
not in the way she had intended. That
job wasn’t meant for me because I was
meant for a lot more.
29

In Conversation
SCIENCE WRITER
CAT BOHANNON
ON HOW SEXISM
HELPED OUR SPECIES
THRIVE AND WHY
THE UTERUS IS A
WAR ZONE
BY DANIELLE GROEN z The biologically
female human body is an enormously
trippy thing. Set aside the whole getting-
pregnant-and-giving-birth business: Some
female eyes can detect 100 million dis-
tinct colours, which is 99 million more
than the eyes of your average folk. The
female ear hears better at higher frequen-
cies. Female muscle fibres can endure
over ultra-long distances, while female
lungs and cardiovascular systems are far
likelier to outrun disease. Given all that,
you’d think modern science might be
keen to usher these bodies under a micro-
scope. But you already know what hap-
pens instead: It’s the male body, whether
mouse or monkey or human, that gets
studied in the lab, written about in papers
and analyzed in clinical trials. And that’s
why women kept waking up in the middle
of surgery—we just didn’t bother testing
sex differences for general anesthesia
until the turn of the 21st century.
Author and academic Cat Bohannon
thinks that’s bananas. She knew we needed
a no-nonsense, rigorously researched,
highly readable user’s guide to the female
BESTHEALTHMAG.CA
mammal—and she kept waiting for one
to arrive. “I thought, someone is totally
on this right now,” she says. “And then I
realized that no one was on it, and I had
to write it.” Eventually, she did—though
it took 10 years, during which time she
also earned a PhD from Columbia Uni-
versity, got married, moved across the
country, had two kids and lived through
a global pandemic.
Eve: How the Female Body Drove 200
Million Years of Human Evolution traces
several essential traits (including our
breasts, wombs, fatty brains and meno-
pausal bodies) to their earliest known
ancestors. In doing so, the book makes
an enormously convincing case that it
was women—thank you very much—who
paved the way for language, tool use
and padding around on two legs. Here,
Bohannon discusses when we got milk,
why the uterus is a war zone and how the
image in your head of the female repro-
ductive system is totally wrong.
You write at the start of Eve that
lactation began 200 million years
PHOTOGRAPH BY LUCY LU
VITALS
ago, under the feet of dinosaurs—
and that beyond nutrition, milk is
also about infrastructure. How so?
Milk is 90 percent water, which is maybe
not surprising, because our bodies are
also very much water. But when you think
about milk, you need to think not only
about nutrition and slaking thirst. You
also need to think about immunology.
Milk initially comes about as a hot dose
of immunological aid from the mother’s
body to the infant’s body in those vul-
nerable, early periods of life. So the
infrastructure question is interesting,
because early milk is really a laxative. It’s
there to help you poop out the remain-
der of all the things you’ve ingested in
the womb. It clears the slate, as it were,
along the digestive path, and also seeds
key populations of friendly bacteria
in the gut that will train the infant’s
immune system.
Breastfeeding is a dialogue, where
the upsuck is telling a woman’s body
something important about what’s
going on in her infant’s body. How
does that mechanism work?
We love the upsuck. It’s so weird. It’s so
wonderful. It’s kind of batshit crazy when
you think about it, but it’s just physics.
Milk starts before the nipple. But once
you have a nipple on board, then you
have a docking seal; you can clamp the
offspring’s mouth around it to form
a vacuum. Because the milk is moving
back and forth, the offspring’s saliva is
sucked back into the mammary tissue,
which has ductwork lined with immu-
noagents and sensors that read that spit
like an ancient code and tailor the milk to
it. Every species seems to do something
like this. So if our baby is sick, we make
different milk to suit. That way, milk is a
co-produced biological product, because
of this communication that’s happening
around the nipple.
I want to detour for a moment to
the woeful limitations of my grade-
school sex ed. I did not realize
until I saw the diagram in your book
that my reproductive organs are
so completely smooshed together.
What’s going on down there?
Yeah, so: same. We’re taught that clas-
sic diagram—this T-shaped thing where
you have the womb, and then the little
arms of the fallopian tubes hanging out
the sides. And almost no one realizes
that this isn’t accurate. We have a lot of
organs in our lower abdomen just piled
on top of each other. I remember having a
31
VITALS
transvaginal ultrasound—which is already
awkward, right?—and the tech could not
find my freaking ovary. I’m like, did I lose
it? And she said, no, this happens a lot.
It’s just hiding today behind your uterus
or bowel, because they’re all smooshed.
But the health impacts are many and
varied. Many people get used to the weird
aches from having ovaries and a uterus.
And that signal can be diffuse, because it’s
radiating out from one organ and touch-
ing others and your intestines can come
along for the ride. So things down there
feel messed up, and we learn to ignore
the signals. But they’re often the same
signals of the early stages of ovarian can-
cer. So please talk to a doctor, but don’t
be scared. Not every gas pain is cancer.
32
But the uterus, you write, is a
war zone. How does that explain
why we, among only a handful of
species, menstruate the way
we do each month?
What’s interesting is not necessarily that
we shed the lining of our uterus externally.
It’s very annoying for us, obviously, but
what’s interesting is how we build up that
lining in the first place. We don’t wait for
a signal from an incoming embryo. We
do it pretty much right as the egg itself
is starting to develop. The reason we do
that is we have crazy invasive placentas.
That means building up the uterine lin-
ing is more like a buffer for the maternal
body—not to simply cushion and sup-
port, but rather to protect itself from
this incredibly greedy, incredibly invasive
embryo that has long evolved to suck out
as much as possible from the maternal
body. I love my children very much, but
when they were in the womb, they were
taking everything they could out of my
body, and my body was doing everything
it could not to die from the process. We
give birth when we do not because the
baby gets too big to fit out the hole, but
because doing it any longer becomes a
metabolic threat.
For a global population of 8 billion,
we are garbage at making babies.
How is the human reproductive
system stacked against us?
I will f lag that if it weren’t for modern

“I LOVE MY KIDS, gynecological care, oh my god, I’d be so
BUT WHEN dead. And so would many of my friends.
And we are not outliers. But there are
THEY WERE IN many reasons why human reproduction
THE WOMB, THEY is such a flaming garbage pile, and the
big one is the obstetric dilemma: We are
WERE TAKING trying to fit a watermelon-sized baby out
EVERYTHING THEY of a lemon-sized hole. The word for that
COULD OUT OF is problematic. The best theory going is
that when we evolved to walk upright,
MY BODY, AND MY the pelvic bowl shifted. Instead of a pelvis
BODY WAS DOING that’s shaped more outward, it rotated up
to support the different centre of gravity,
EVERYTHING which shrank the pelvic opening at the
IT COULD NOT bottom. And that makes our labour and
TO DIE FROM delivery a lot longer than it is for our most
closely related primate cousins. A chimp
THE PROCESS.” mom is usually done in 30 to 40 minutes,
while a first-time human mom takes 12 to
16 hours and sometimes much longer; I
did. But it’s not just the delivery, it’s the
lead up: the super invasive placenta, the
long, metabolically taxing pregnancy.
There’s so much opportunity for things
to go wrong. When things do go wrong,
they tend to go wrong fast, and the later
you go into a pregnancy, the more dra-
matic those risks can be. We don’t often
admit how much we’re on the edge of a
really big cliff, simply in the act of being
a pregnant person.
So modern gynecology is terrific,
but how did ancient gynecology
help us succeed as a species?
We can’t improve our reproductive suc-
cess without behavioural workarounds—
like the invention of gynecology, which
includes not simply obstetrics but also
all the interventions we have around
a female’s reproductive life. Now, we
didn’t have anything like the pill when
we were small, furry things running
around Africa. But we did have local
plants, which influence fertility cycles.
And going all the way back 3.2 million
years—so pre-human; still very chimpy—
it ’s c lea r f rom a na ly z i ng fossi l i zed
pelvic structure across many different
hominids that they shared this obstet-
ric dilemma. So it’s ver y likely they
had a midwife. Helping more people
survive that horrible process is a huge
part of how we thrived. Unfortunately,
some of that also has to do with sex
rules and sexism.
Right, let’s talk about that. How
does sexism help solve how bad we
are at making babies?
There’s no one way to go about being
sexist. Actually, we’re very diverse in
our sexism. But what we do have in
PHOTOGRAPH BY LUCY LU
VITALS
almost every human culture is a strict
set of rules that guides access to female
bodies—where they can go in a given day,
how much of them can be seen, whom
they can interact with. There’s noth-
ing in your DNA that codes for how you
feel about how short a skirt is. But we
are hardwired to care about how we fit
into our local culture and whether or not
others are following the rules. And a lot
of what these rules do is influence preg-
nancy rates. They’re very much influenc-
ing the circumstances under which you
might have sex with a man and whether,
or when, that sex is allowed to produce
a pregnancy. So those rules are what I
analyze as sort of the evolutionary roots
of sexism. It’s another behavioural work-
around that we generated over deep time
to overcome our crap reproductive sys-
tems, to work in parallel with gynecology
to keep more mothers and offspring alive.
But now that modern gynecology is so
miraculous, it has way outpaced the ben-
efits of sexism. In fact, modern sexism
works very clearly to reduce the health
and well-being of biologically female
people. It’s killing us.
A biologist would then say, well,
it’s just a matter of time before
that behaviour changes, because it
no longer serves us. But I wonder
if doing so requires a shared
acceptance of its perniciousness—
and that seems hard to come by,
as much for something like climate
change as for the effects of sexism.
I get a lot of questions about how hope-
ful this book is. And I am actually deeply
hopeful. You ask me, okay, wouldn’t we
simply evolve away from sexism? Yeah,
maybe, given enough time, but you don’t
know how long you’re going to have to
wait. Is it 100 years? Is it 3 million? We
are only 300,000 years old as a species,
which sounds like a lot, but in the scale of
deep time, it is very much yesterday. But
my hopefulness comes from scale. If you
pull the camera back, and you look at the
historical trajectory of the last 500 years,
it is very clear that many human societies
have been moving toward sex egalitarian-
ism. Now, that is not to reduce the very
real suffering of so many women and girls
and non-binary folks over those many
hundreds of years. It is not to discount
the fact that my country elected Trump,
nor that so many places in the world are
steeped in rape culture. All of that is very
real, and we must care. But by pulling the
camera back, you can tap into evidence
for why we should be hopeful.
33

Welcome to the female-friendly world of audio porn.
BY KENDRA THOMPSON z Do you ever
f ind yourself closing your eyes when
watching adult entertainment? Or maybe
you skip it altogether because the, er, art
direction isn’t really your thing? You
wouldn’t be alone. In fact, that’s the rea-
son there’s a new type of erotic enter-
tainment trending right now, especially
among women: audio porn.
Digital platforms are offering every-
thing from explainers on sex techniques
to podcasts featuring spicy stories, all
tailored specifically to women. And the
spectrum of explicitness is just as wide
as you’d find in the video porn realm,
BESTHEALTHMAG.CA
MINI GUIDE: THE NEW SEX ED
as is the quality, ranging from low-f i
recordings to grand productions with
celebrity narrators—yes, really. Demi
Moore lends her voice to the erotic pod-
cast Dirty Diana, and Grey’s Anatomy’s
Jesse Williams narrates the saucy series
The Misty Door.
Audio-only erotica has been around
for many years but has recently grown
i n p opu l a r it y t h a n k s i n l a r ge p a r t
t o adu lt enter t a i n ment compa n ies
finally marketing to women. The female-
founded, female-focused erotica platform
Dipsea clocked 5.4 million streams in
2022. OMGYes, a platform that offers
ILLUSTRATION BY AUDREY MALO
audio-only teaching techniques focused
on female pleasure, currently has more
than a million users. Even the tradition-
ally male-targeted platform Pornhub is
seeing thousands of searches for “audio
porn for women.”
It ’s about t i me fema le c u stomers
are considered. The mainstream porn
industry has historically neglected the
interests of women, despite the fact
they make up a significant portion of
the viewership—30 percent and steadily
increasing—on popular video-focused
porn websites like Pornhub and xHam-
ster. But some people just don’t get very
35
VITALS

aroused by a visual medium, and that’s

where audio porn comes in.
With audio porn, people “can use their
own imagination to create the visual
scene that alig ns w ith what pleases
them,” says Lori Brotto, a professor in
the UBC Department of Obstetrics and
Gynaecology. And that’s especially impor-
tant for women. A 2018 study by OMGYes յ
and The Kinsey Institute found that 90 QUICK
percent of women use “mental framing” QUESTION
as a technique to enhance pleasure by
tuning out distracting thoughts. In other WHAT IS
words, many women need to harness the
power of their imagination to get off. And
VABBING?
that’s exactly what audio porn fosters: It’s
a form of adult entertainment that is all This TikTok
about aural stimulation. trend is all
But it’s not just the imaginative ele-
ment of audio porn that attracts women— about dabbing
it’s also that the majority of it is made by your vaginal
women, for women. Much of it falls under secretions
“feminist porn,” which sexual health and
consent educator Samantha Bitty defines
(yup) on pulse
as “erotic materials that share the same points of
values found in feminism, including the body—
racial, gender and labour equity.” Defin-
wrists, neck,
ing porn as feminist has less to do with
the actual content than the politics of how inside the
it’s made, says Bitty, and a key aspect of elbows—just
this is consent. This emphasis on consent as you would
tends to be prominent in even the most
explicit forms of feminist porn. In fic- a fragrance.
tional audio porn, active consent is clearly Proponents
depicted in the dialogue—like the sound claim it helps
of a crinkling condom wrapper, followed
by an enthusiastic “yes.”
them attract
Many researchers in the f ield refer a partner,
to content that is female-made, female- and hang the
friendly and female pleasure–focused success on
as erotica, not porn, says Brotto, since
porn tends to be more male-centred and pheromones;
women-objectifying. While erotica cer- unfortunately
tainly sounds like a safe, mindful, positive there is

Where to find the new

approach to porn, other experts bristle at
the overt connection to wellness. Pre-
no scientific
senting audio erotica or porn as a form of evidence
self-care can downplay the importance of
shame-free sexual exploration, says Val
Webber, a postdoctoral fellow at Dalhou-
that human
pheromones age of audio erotica
sie University’s Sexual Health and Gen- exist.
der (SHaG) lab. “Saying ‘It’s okay for you DIPSEA FERLY
to do horny things because it’s good for
Dipsea is a This app is
you’ reinforces the idea that it’s not okay
subscription- aimed to help
to just be horny,” they say. based platform (browser women increase desire,
No matter how you label it, feeling and app) with collections have orgasms and pain-
sexual desire and engaging in enter- of audio stories, wellness free sex, ditch shame
sessions and sleep aids. and get to know what
tainment solely for the purpose of get-
You can try it for free they like and how to ask
ting off is perfectly healthy. “Listening with a 30-day trial, and for it. Ferly offers audio
to audio porn equips you with the lan- then subscribe for $60 guides to mindful sex
guage to talk about desire,” says Bitty. USD per year. Dispea also with evidence-based
produces the free (with techniques and a selection
“Anything that invites curiosity into our
ads) erotic fiction podcast of erotic stories. It offers
sexual relationship with ourselves and Dirty Diana, narrated by a free seven-day trial, and
others is beneficial.” Demi Moore. then costs $17 per month.

36 ILLUSTRATION BY AUDREY MALO DECEMBER/JANUARY 2024


GIRL ON
THE NET
An audio porn
pioneer, Girl on the Net
is an anonymous sex
blogger and creator of
audio porn in the form
of BDSM stories, real-
life sex stories and erotic
fiction. The browser-
based platform is free
with ads, or you can
subscribe on Patreon for
an ad-free experience.
BESTHEALTHMAG.CA
VITALS
WE TRIED IT
A showerhead
vibrator
Shower time is often spent on the basics,
like washing and shaving. But it’s also
one of the most common places people
masturbate—one U.K. survey found that
almost 40 percent of people get off
there at least once a month. And it makes
sense: The warmth and pressure of the
water stimulate skin and muscles, which
increases blood flow to the genital area
and can help trigger an orgasm, says
Shamyra Howard, a sex and relationship
expert. “It’s common practice to mastur-
bate with a showerhead since the bath-
room is often a private space.”
With this in mind, the sex toy company
Womanizer and the German plumbing
manufacturer Hansgrohe got together to
create the Womanizer Wave, a clitorial
stimulator. It looks like an ordinary show-
erhead, but it offers three water jet pat-
terns and an intensity slider so you can
easily find the water pressure that feels
best. I tried the Wave recently and it pro-
vided the targeted stimulation that, for
me, leads to a continuous orgasm almost
instantly. And the adjustable water pres-
sure is just as good for getting suds off
my body as it is for getting me off.
Of course, you don’t need a fancy new
showerhead to masturbate. Your conven-
tional one is safe and sanitary to use, even
with the inevitable greyish-green limes-
SCRIBD VOXXX cale buildup (that, yes, you should prob-
ably clean every once in a while). But,
If you like Parlez-vous
Howard says, it should only be used exter-
long-form français?
stories, Scribd is an Voxxx offers hundreds nally on the vulva—putting the shower-
open publishing e-book of French language- head inside your vagina could lead to
and audiobook platform guided masturbation tearing or infection. Howard also advises
with options for erotica. sessions voiced “by
being mindful of the water temperature,
It offers a 30-day trial, women, for women”
and after that, it’s just via podcast and online as hot water can cause injury to the vulva
$13 per month. platforms. Excerpts and surrounding skin. Another FYI: Don’t
are available, as is a use soap, as the water pressure can push
free trial with 10
it inside your vagina, which can cause
episodes. Full access
is 10€ per month. irritations or infections. And that is abso-
lutely no fun.—Rebecca Gao
37
VITALS

In her new cookbook, Everyday 3. Set a large pot over

medium heat and add the

Mediterranean, registered dietitian

oil. Add the processed
vegetables, and sauté
for 5 minutes or until

Vanessa Perrone delivers simple, softened. Stir in the

tomato paste, ensuring

satisfying recipes built around

the vegetables are
evenly coated, and cook

plants, legumes, seafood, healthy

for 1 minute. Add the
rehydrated mushrooms
and their soaking water,

fats and other hallmarks of along with the lentils,

tomato purée, thyme,

Mediterranean cuisine. Here are

basil, water and salt and
pepper to taste. Stir,
then bring to a boil.

some of our favourites. 4. Reduce the heat to

medium-low, cover
partially and simmer for
30 minutes or until the
lentils are tender. Adjust
the seasoning to taste
and serve. Any leftovers
can be stored in an
airtight container in the
refrigerator for up to
3 days or in the freezer
for up to 3 months.

Bulgur and
Roasted Brussels
Bolognese cremini mushrooms
Sprouts, Tangerine
with Lentils and and Pomegranate
2 garlic cloves
2 Tbsp (30 mL) olive oil

Mushrooms 1 Tbsp (15 mL) tomato

paste SERVES 4 TO 6 Bulgur is a
SERVES 4 TO 6 This 1 cup (250 mL) French whole grain in the wheat
plant-based sauce gets (Puy) lentils family that can easily
its sustenance from 1 jar (680 mL) KITCHEN replace rice or quinoa if
protein-packed lentils,
while mushrooms
tomato purée (passata)
1 sprig of thyme
TIP you’re looking to switch
things up. It has a chewy,
lend a depth of flavour ½ cup (125 mL) fresh The food processor nutty texture and a flavour
saves a lot of time when
reminiscent of meat. basil
preparing this sauce.
that lets other ingredients
Serve over pasta, such 4 cups (1 L) water Coarsely processing the shine. In this dish, Brussels
as pappardelle, or, Salt and pepper vegetables also helps sprouts add even more
for even more veggies, them blend right in with gut-friendly fibre and a
the lentils, giving the
along with roasted 1. Soak the dried sauce a uniform texture.
smoky flavour that works
spaghetti squash. mushrooms in the boiling This trick works for wonderfully. Serve with
water for at least 5 minutes. any bolognese sauce, fish, such as my Baked
1 package (15 g) Set aside, reserving the whether it’s with meat Salmon with Gremolata
or a vegetarian version.
dried wild mushrooms soaking liquid. Crust (see next recipe).
1 cup (250 mL)
boiling water 2. In a food processor FOR THE SALAD
1 onion, quartered fitted with a steel blade, 1 lb (450 g) Brussels
1 celery stalk, cut into process the onion, sprouts, trimmed
chunks celery, carrot, cremini 1 Tbsp (15 mL) olive oil
1 carrot, peeled and mushrooms and garlic Salt and pepper
cut into chunks into a coarse meal (see 1 cup (250 mL) bulgur
1 package (227 g) Kitchen Tip). 1¾ cups (430 mL) water

38 PHOTOGRAPHS BY ARIEL TARR DECEMBER/JANUARY 2024

 Bolognese
with Lentils and
Mushrooms
PAGE 38

PHOTOGRAPHY BY
 Bulgur and
Roasted Brussels
Sprouts, Tangerine
and Pomegranate
PAGE 38
 VITALS

heat, cover and let stand

for 5 minutes or until the
liquid has been absorbed.
(See Kitchen Tip.)

4. In a large bowl, whisk

together the oil, vinegar,
mustard, honey and

Baked
salt and pepper to taste.
Add the bulgur, Brussels
Salmon with sprouts, pomegranate arils,
tangerine, green onion and
Gremolata mint. Toss to mix and serve
Crust at room temperature. Store
leftover salad in an airtight
container in the refrigerator
and eat within 1 day.

Baked Salmon
with Gremolata
Crust
SERVES 6 Baked fish was
the first protein I ever
learned to make. It’s
surprisingly simple and
quick, yet many still shy
away from it. This recipe
wraps a beautiful salmon
filet in a fragrant, citrusy
crust. A dish fit for a
dinner party that comes
together fast enough
for a weeknight meal.

1½ lb (680 g) salmon filet

2 tsp (10 mL) Dijon
mustard
1 cup (250 mL) finely
chopped fresh flat-leaf
parsley
½ cup (125 mL) a baking sheet with ½ cup (125 mL) plain
pomegranate arils parchment paper. breadcrumbs,
1 tangerine, peeled and store-bought (such as
sliced into rounds 2. In a food processor panko) or homemade
1 green onion, sliced fitted with a steel blade, KITCHEN 1 garlic clove, minced
¼ cup (60 mL) finely
chopped fresh mint
shred the Brussels sprouts.
Transfer to the prepared
TIP Zest of ½ orange
Zest of ½ lemon
You can prep the
baking sheet. Drizzle with bulgur (step 3) in
1 Tbsp (15 mL) olive oil
FOR THE DRESSING the oil, season with salt advance and store it in Salt and pepper
2 Tbsp (30 mL) extra and pepper and toss to the refrigerator for up
virgin olive oil coat. Spread evenly on to 5 days. You can 1. Preheat the oven to
also cook more than
2 Tbsp (30 mL) white the baking sheet and bake you need for this recipe,
400°F (use convection
wine vinegar for 12 to 15 minutes, until adding in the extra setting, if you have it).
1 tsp (5 mL) Dijon caramelized. to your weekly menu, Line a baking sheet with
mustard so that it includes even parchment paper.
more whole grains.
1 tsp (5 mL) honey 3. In a saucepan, bring the
Salt and pepper bulgur, water and a pinch 2. Place the salmon on
of salt to a boil, reduce to the prepared baking
1. Preheat the oven a simmer and cook for 10 sheet and evenly brush
to 425°F (220°C). Line minutes. Remove from the the mustard all over.

BESTHEALTHMAG.CA PHOTOGRAPHS BY ARIEL TARR 41

No-Bake Honey
Yogurt Tart
PAGE 43

PERRONE’S BOOK IS FULL OF
PRACTICAL ADVICE, LIKE WHAT KIND
OF OLIVE OIL TO BUY AND HOW
TO STOCK A MEDITERRANEAN PANTRY.
3. In a bowl, combine the
parsley, breadcrumbs,
garlic, orange zest, lemon
zest, oil and a pinch
each of salt and pepper.
Stir to moisten the
breadcrumbs evenly.
4. Cover the fish with
the breadcrumb mixture,
pressing firmly so it sticks
to the mustard layer. Bake
for 15 to 20 minutes, until
the flesh is opaque in the
centre and flakes easily
when gently tested with
a fork. Serve. Any leftovers
can be stored in an airtight
container in the refrigerator
for up to 2 days.
BESTHEALTHMAG.CA
No-Bake Honey
Yogurt Tart
SERVES 6 This dessert
is inspired by one of my
favourite Greek treats:
yogurt with cherry
preserves. Here, I’ve
turned it into a no-fuss
gluten-free tart that my
little one, who suffers
from a severe wheat
allergy, can enjoy for
dessert. The ingredients
are simple and provide
a nice blend of fibre, fat
and protein thanks to
the combination of fruit,
nuts and Greek yogurt.
In fact, it can make for
PHOTOGRAPHS BY ARIEL TARR
a fun brunch option,
as it doesn’t read like a
traditional dessert.
FOR THE TART
¾ cup (180 mL) certified
gluten-free rolled oats
½ cup (125 mL) raw
walnuts
1 cup (250 mL) pitted
dates
¼ tsp (1 mL) ground
cinnamon
1 packet (7 g) gelatin
¼ cup (60 mL) water
¼ cup (60 mL) milk
1¾ cups (430 mL) full-fat
Greek yogurt
¼ cup (60 mL) honey
¼ tsp (1 mL) pure
vanilla extract
FOR THE COMPOTE
2 cups (500 mL) fresh
or frozen cherries,
pitted
¼ cup (60 mL) sugar
1 Tbsp (15 mL) water
1 tsp (5 mL) freshly
squeezed lemon juice
1. In a food processor
fitted with a steel blade,
grind the oats and
walnuts to a coarse meal.
2. Place the dates in a
small bowl and cover
with hot water. Soak for
5 minutes to tenderize.
Drain the dates and
add them to the food
processor along with
the cinnamon. Pulse to
obtain a uniform paste
that sticks between
your fingers.
3. Spread the mixture
evenly in a 9-inch (23 cm)
springform pan. Use
the bottom of a glass to
press the crust in firmly.
4. In a small bowl,
combine the gelatin
and water. Let stand for
5 minutes so that the
gelatin can absorb the
water. Heat the milk for
30 seconds in the
microwave. Add the
warm milk to the gelatin
VITALS
mixture, stirring until
the gelatine is dissolved.
5. In a large bowl, whisk
together the yogurt, honey
and vanilla. Pour in the
gelatin mixture, whisking
until smooth.
6. Pour the yogurt mixture
onto the crust and
spread into an even layer.
Refrigerate for 8 hours
or until the yogurt sets.
7. In a small saucepan
set over medium heat,
combine the cherries,
sugar, water and lemon
juice. Bring to a boil,
then reduce to a simmer
and cook for 7 to 10
minutes, until the liquid
is reduced by one-third.
Let the cherries cool
to room temperature.
Serve with the tart slices.
Any leftover compote
can be stored in an
airtight container in the
refrigerator for up to
4 days.
Excerpted from Everyday
Mediterranean by Vanessa
Perrone. Copyright © Vanessa
Perrone. Photographs by
Ariel Tarr. Published by
Appetite Books by Random
House®, a division of
Penguin Random House
Canada Limited. Reproduced
by arrangement with the
Publisher. All rights reserved.
43
 The Best Size-
Inclusive Activewear
By LORA GRADY
Photographs by CARMEN CHEUNG

To stay active,
whatever the season,
you need the right
set of clothes and the right
fit. Here, Lora Grady selects
her favourite activewear
from brands offering
more sizes for
more bodies.
HAIR AND MAKEUP BY ALANNA CHELMICK

MEC Helix Jacket, $330,

mec.ca; Smartwool Classic
All-Season Merino Base
Layer Long Sleeve Plus, $115,
smartwool.ca; The North
Face Plus Freedom Insulated
Bibs, $340, thenorthface.com.

BESTHEALTHMAG.CA SET STYLING BY CAIT DOHERTY 45

GOODS

Four-way stretch for

maximum flexibility—and
a handy utility pocket
for stashing your keys or
ID—make these super soft
leggings total winners.
Old Navy High-Waisted Cloud+
7/8 Leggings
$45, oldnavy.gapcanada.ca.

46 PHOTOGRAPHS BY CARMEN CHEUNG DECEMBER/JANUARY 2024

 GOODS

Designed exclusively
for plus-size athletes,
Superfit Hero offers
sizing up to 7X. The
soft fabric tabs on this
bra protect skin from
the metal zipper so
you can bend, stretch
and jog pain-free.
Superfit Hero Zip Front
Sports Bra, $75 US,
superfithero.com.
HAIR AND MAKEUP BY ALANNA CHELMICK

BESTHEALTHMAG.CA SET STYLING BY CAITLIN DOHERTY 47

GOODS

Keep cozy during your

outdoor workout
with a durable but soft
merino jersey base
layer top that helps
regulate temperature.
Smartwool Classic
All-Season Merino Base
Layer Long Sleeve Plus,
$115, smartwool.ca.

Wear these breathable

leggings alone or
under another pair of
pants for maximum
warmth. The flatlock
seam construction
minimizes chafing.
Smartwool Classic Thermal
Merino Base Layer Bottom
Plus, $140, smartwool.ca.

48 PHOTOGRAPHS BY CARMEN CHEUNG DECEMBER/JANUARY 2024

 GOODS

Featuring a French
terry finish and a
rounded hem with
splits at the sides,
this cowl-neck
pullover top is made
to move with you.
PENN. Active Zone
Cowl-Neck Pullover Top,
$60, penningtons.com.
HAIR AND MAKEUP BY ALANNA CHELMICK

BESTHEALTHMAG.CA SET STYLING BY CAITLIN DOHERTY 49

GOODS

Hit the slopes in these

breathable, waterproof
snow pants. Down-
alternative insulation will
keep you warm in cold,
damp weather, while inner
thigh vents and gaiter
panels can help you cool
down when needed.
The North Face Plus Freedom
Insulated Bibs, $340,
thenorthface.com.

50 PHOTOGRAPHS BY CARMEN CHEUNG DECEMBER/JANUARY 2024

 GOODS

This top’s naturally

antimicrobial merino
wool locks in warmth
without overheating,
while high polyester
content wicks moisture
away from the skin.
MEC T2 Merino Base Layer
Long Sleeve Top, $100,
mec.ca.

Made with three layers

of breathable, eco-
friendly fabric, these
bib pants have zippered
thigh pockets and a
secure chest pocket
to store your essentials
while you shred.
MEC Helix Bib Pants,
$300, mec.ca.
HAIR AND MAKEUP BY ALANNA CHELMICK

BESTHEALTHMAG.CA SET STYLING BY CAITLIN DOHERTY 51

GOODS

Lightweight but sturdy,

this jacket is also easy to
pack (you can fold it up
into its chest pocket).
Made from 100 percent
recycled fabrics and fill, the
insulation will fend off
frigid temps even when wet.
The North Face Plus
ThermoBall Eco Jacket 2.0,
$280, thenorthface.com.

These leggings are

made from temperature-
regulating merino wool
and have a wide elastic
waistband for a secure fit.
MEC T2 Merino Base Layer
Bottoms, $100, mec.ca

52 PHOTOGRAPHS BY CARMEN CHEUNG DECEMBER/JANUARY 2024

 GOODS

This is the ultimate ski

jacket, with three layers of
water-resistant, breathable
fabric, a helmet-compatible
hood, underarm vents
and large front pockets.
The best part is the built-in
Recco Rescue System
reflector, which allows
ski patrol and mountain
rescue teams to detect
and locate it under snow.
MEC Helix Jacket, $330, mec.ca.
HAIR AND MAKEUP BY ALANNA CHELMICK

BESTHEALTHMAG.CA SET STYLING BY CAITLIN DOHERTY 53

 Meet nine changemakers and determined
advocates working to build communities, welcome
newcomers, raise awareness of health-care gaps
and change the way we think about end-of-life care

by A R I E L B R E W S T E R , Z I Y A J O N E S , I S H A N I N A T H , R E N É E R E A R D I N ,
A N G E L A S E R E D N I C K I and B O N N I E S C H I E D E L
 GENDER EQUIT Y
ADVOCATE
FARRAH KHAN
IS SHARING
HER CANCER
JOURNE Y
PHOTOGRAPH BY JESSICA LAFORET; MAKEUP BY ALANNA CHELMICK
 Farrah
Khan
FOR HER SEXUAL HEALTH
ADVOCACY AND SHARING
HER CANCER JOURNEY
AS A QUEER PERSON

No matter the job, Farrah Khan does not

back away from a fight. Over the past
two decades, she has accumulated titles
including award-winning human rights
and gender equity advocate, frontline
worker, trauma counsellor, educator and
policy advisor. At Toronto Metropolitan
University, she founded one of Canada’s
first on-campus sexual violence support

Lori Nikkel
and education offices. She co-chaired
Ontario’s first expert roundtable on vio-
lence against women. And at the 2018
G7 Summit, Khan spoke to world leaders
about the necessity of gender equality.
FOR REDISTRIBUTING SURPLUS FOOD TO PEOPLE WHO NEED IT
Shortly after starting her dream role
as the executive director of Action Can-
ada, a sexual and reproductive health
and rights advocacy organization, Khan
We’re used to seeing food drives during the holidays,
learned she had a new challenge ahead. but in 2023, inflation and soaring grocery bills made
At 44, she was diagnosed with breast headlines all year long. ¶ Lori Nikkel, the CEO of Second
cancer and neuroendocrine cervical Harvest, a food rescue organization, says food charities
cancer, which is rare and aggressive.
LGBTQ2S+ patients like Khan are are experiencing record visits and at least 6.9 million
statistically more vulnerable to poorer people in Canada are living in food-insecure situations.
health outcomes due to a lack of societal “That’s one in every five people in Canada,” she says,
support and a health system that was
not designed to provide inclusive care. adding that produce and protein are particularly out of
A doctor once told Khan something reach for many. ¶ The connection between what we eat,
patently untrue: Since she was no longer how we feel each day and our long-term health is clear.
having sex with men, she didn’t need
a Pap smear—the very test that, years
“When people don’t have access to adequate nutrition,
later, would lead to her cancer diagno- they don’t have the necessary ingredients to thrive,” says
sis. In an op-ed for the Globe and Mail, Nikkel. She points out that food insecurity can lead to dia-
she shared her story to raise aware- betes, hypertension, heart disease, chronic pain, depres-
ness about sexual and reproductive
health, “particularly for queer, racialized sion, stress and anxiety. ¶ Second Harvest addresses the
people like me,” who are dispropotion- crisis by redistributing surplus healthy food from restau-
ately impacted. rants and businesses to meal programs, shelters, addic-
As Khan weathers multiple rounds
of radiation and chemotherapy, she tion centres and senior centres. In the process, millions
and her family—she has a young son of pounds of healthy food are diverted from landfills
with Ontario MPP Kristyn Wong-Tam— each year. (Food waste left to rot is a major contributor
have learned how to accept more help:
Friends have signed up to accompany
to greenhouse gas emissions.) ¶ As a low-income single
her to all her appointments. “There are mom raising three sons, Nikkel had first-hand experience
many days when it’s been hard to get with food insecurity and wants to dispel any assumptions
out of bed knowing what lies before me or stereotypes. “Many people have jobs, own cars and
in treatments. Having a care team has
made going much less daunting and live in houses, but they are still struggling to put enough
less lonely,” says Khan. “Cancer has nutritious food on the table.”—Ariel Brewster
strengthened my belief in community
care.”—Ishani Nath

56 DECEMBER/JANUARY 2024
 Hadal El-Hadi
FOR HELPING BLACK PHYSICIANS THRIVE
In May 2020, Hadal El-Hadi, a resident in the Public
Health and Preventive Medicine program at the Uni-
versity of British Columbia, created Black Physicians
of Canada (BPC), a nonprofit that unites and empow-
ers Black physicians. ¶ As a first-generation immigrant
from Sudan, El-Hadi is familiar with the challenges of
being a Black physician. After the murder of George
Floyd, she decided to partner with Teresa Semalulu,
a rheumatology fellow at the University of Toronto, to
create BPC. “It was a pivotal moment for me. I realized
that our society can longer ignore anti-Black racism,”
she says. ¶ Sometimes the physicians who require the
most support might be the sole Black doctor in their
region or city. Recruitment and retention are significant
PHOTOGRAPHS BY (NIKKEL) WALLBANGER MEDIA; (EL-HADI) EMILY COOPER; (ASINIWASIS) COURTESY OF ORIGINS DERMATOLOGY CENTRE
obstacles, says El-Hadi, and that’s related to workplace
microaggressions and volatility for marginalized prac-
titioners. (For example, racialized and ethnic-minority
med students are less likely to win academic awards or
receive positive evaluation letters than their white
peers.) ¶ A more diverse medical system is better for
patients, too. Underrepresentation “affects morbidity
and mortality of Black patients,” El-Hadi says. There are
better outcomes for Black patients when they are treated
by Black doctors. ¶ This October, BPC hosted their first
in-person conference, “I Am Because You Are: Celebrat-
ing Being Black in Medicine,” in Toronto. In 2024, BPC
will offer a free mentorship program for residents, fel-
lows and early-career physicians.—Angela Serednicki
BESTHEALTHMAG.CA
Rachel
Asiniwasis
FOR CONNECTING
INDIGENOUS COMMUNITIES
TO DERMATOLOGY CARE
“The skin is a manifestation of inter-
nal and external health,” says Indige-
nous dermatologist Rachel Asiniwasis,
who grew up in Regina and is of Plains
Cree, Saulteaux and English heritage.
Because medical dermatology is an
underserviced industry across Canada—
and especially in Indigenous communi-
ties—many people aren’t getting the
treatments they need, she says.
There’s one skin condition in par-
ticular that Asiniwasis keeps seeing in
her research and in the patients who
visit her Regina clinic: atopic dermati-
tis, also commonly known as eczema.
Symptoms include itchy and painful
inflammation of the skin that can cause
redness, crustiness, seeping fluid and
bleeding. If the condition is poorly con-
trolled, says Asiniwasis, it can have a
huge impact on quality of life, leading
to anxiety, depression, insomnia, ADHD
and risk of suicide. Because there isn’t
enough research on the genetic predis-
position of Indigenous people, it’s still
not known why eczema is so common in
these communities. But Asiniwasis says
environmental triggers, such as a lack of
clean water, crowded housing and the
challenges of accessing care, can cause
flares and worsen symptoms.
“People might have to fly or drive
long distances, take time off of work,
leave their families and pay for fuel,
transportation and accommodations,”
she says. This is why Asinawasis offers
virtual services from her clinic and
travels to remote communities in Sas-
katchewan to treat patients in person.
—Renée Reardin
57
 Tegan Killi and
Cara Rathwell
FOR STARTING A SUN-PROTECTIVE CLOTHING COMPANY
TO REDUCE SKIN CANCER RATES

After Cara Rathwell’s basal cell carcinoma diagnosis in

2019, she and her friend Tegan Killi—they’ve been bes-

Nadine ties since grade nine—had a business idea. “My surgeon

recommended I wear sun-protective clothing when I’m

Persaud outside, because I’m super high risk,” says Rathwell,

who is 42. However, most ultraviolet protection factor
(UPF) clothes are pretty sporty—great if you’re on the
FOR MAKING PALLIATIVE CARE golf course or at the beach, maybe not so appealing if
MORE ACCESSIBLE TO ALL
you’re sitting on a patio with friends. “All I could find
was athletic wear, or it looked like I was on safari,” she
says. ¶ Seeing a gap in the market, Rathwell, who had
Everyone will die, but not everyone is
able to die with dignity. This can come worked as a surgical oncology nurse before having kids,
down to the accessibility of hospice pal- and Killi, then an engineer, enrolled in a sustainable–
liative care, says Nadine Persaud, exec- clothing brand accelerator program. They founded
utive director of Toronto’s Kensington
Hospice, a not-for-profit that specializes their Calgary-based business, MorrisonRowe, in 2021,
in equitable end-of-life care. That can selling Canadian-made UPF50+ basics from natural
mean helping with last wishes, planning fibres. ¶ A full third of all new cases of cancer in Can-
a celebration of life or supporting a fam-
ily through the grieving process.
ada are skin cancers, and while overall cancer rates are
After the sudden loss of a friend in declining, skin cancer rates are rising, in part thanks to
high school, Persaud pursued degrees cumulative damage from UV rays over the years. For
in social work and a doctorate in pal-
many boomers and Gen Xers, sunburns were common
liative care. For her student placement,
she worked at a hospice, where she saw and sunscreen use was occasional. ¶ “People are like,
the power and potential of this work up ‘Oh, I know so-and-so who’s had skin cancer, this would
close. She was inspired to ensure that be great for them,’” says Killi. “But we really need peo-
the social determinants of health, such
as income level or background, don’t ple to realize this isn’t only for cancer survivors. This
impact whether people can access pal- is protecting you from getting skin cancer in the first
liative care. She says that means hav- place. We need to start earlier.” —Bonnie Schiedel
ing caregivers who ask questions like:
Does this person have a support sys-
tem? Financial resources and stable
Tegan Killi (left)
housing? What do they need? and Cara Rathwell
On an average day at Kensington, says
Persaud, 37 percent of the beds go to
people who are structurally vulnerable,
like refugees and the unhoused. She
recalls one patient who lived most of his
life on the streets, and was known for his
love of music. He arrived at Kensington
with a single grocery bag of belongings.
Every time he saw Persaud, he sang
“You Are My Sunshine.” As he passed
away, the staff sang the same song.
“It was a full-circle of care,” says Per-
saud. “If he were on the streets, he likely
would have died in the emergency room,
instead of spending his final days doing
what was most important to him.”—I.N.

58 DECEMBER/JANUARY 2024

Allison Crawford
FOR HEADING UP A NEW SUICIDE PREVENTION LINE
As of November 30, Canadians can now call or text an
easy-to-remember service called 9-8-8, designed to con-
nect people who are thinking about suicide (or worried
about someone they know) to trained responders. It’s
free and available 24/7. ¶ Allison Crawford, a Centre
PHOTOGRAPHS BY(PERSAUD) COURTESY OF KENSINGTON HOSPITAL; (RATHWELL & KILLI) ROSALIND COBEN
for Addiction and Mental Health psychiatrist and clini-
cian scientist, is the chief medical officer behind the
new program. She and her team saw the urgent need
to address suicide prevention as a public health issue,
and submitted the new proposal for 9-8-8 to the Pub-
lic Health Agency of Canada. ¶ Taking a “public health
approach” to suicide prevention, says Crawford, means
providing a phone service that’s proactive and local.
“It’s not enough to just wait until people end up in a
clinic or a hospital. We need more community-based
resources and supports, and we need more preven-
tion,” she says. ¶ People who contact 9-8-8 will be
directed to the specialized, trained responder closest to
their home. Available in English and French, there are
also specific options for people under age 18, or who
identify as First Nations, Inuit or Métis. ¶ The demand
for mental health support is soaring right now, Craw-
ford points out. The percentage of Canadians age 15 and
older with a generalized anxiety disorder doubled from
2012 to 2022. (For women between 15 and 24, it tripled.)
The 9-8-8 number is part of meeting that demand.
“9-8-8 will increase conversation about suicide preven-
tion and decrease stigma,” she says.—B.S.
BESTHEALTHMAG.CA
Anaïs
Montenegro
FOR HELPING TRANS MIGRANTS
FIND FRIENDS, SHELTER AND
GENDER-AFFIRMING HEALTH CARE
As an outreach worker at Action Santé
Travesti(e)s et Transexuel(le)s du Québec
(ASTT(e)Q) in Montreal, Anaïs Montene-
gro juggles many tasks. ASTT(e)Q aims
to improve access to health care and
social services for trans people across
Quebec, hooking participants up with
everything from housing to hormones,
and providing safe spaces for social-
izing. All of ASTT(e)Q’s staff are also
trans, something participants appreci-
ate, says Montenegro. People feel more
comfortable, she says, when they’re
working with someone who can under-
stand what they’re going through.
Each year, more than 50 of the peo-
ple who access ASTT(e)Q services are
trans migrants who are new to Que-
bec, sometimes from countries where
being LGBTQ2S+ is not supported and
trans rights are non-existent. Montene-
gro, who immigrated to Canada from
Costa Rica 38 years ago, helps them
find housing and connects them with
professionals like doctors, immigration
specialists, lawyers and psychologists.
If migrants end up involved in the
legal system (whether it’s an immigra-
tion hearing or charges stemming from
the criminalization of sex work), Monte-
negro often accompanies them to offer
emotional support. “That’s the part of
my job I’m most proud of,” she says.
“They’ll say, ‘My support worker is here,
I’m being taken care of.’”
This solidarity is crucial when trans
rights are under attack, and anti-trans
voices in Canada have grown louder.
Both Saskatchewan and New Brunswick
have introduced policies requiring teach-
ers to obtain parental permission before
using a child’s preferred name and pro-
nouns—meaning that trans kids could be
forcibly outed to their parents.
Despite the current political climate,
Montenegro says that her work can
also be really fun. She plans dinners
and social outings, like trips to Montre-
al’s Botanical Garden or to nearby farms
for apple picking. It’s important for new-
comers to connect to other trans peo-
ple, Montenegro says. “It makes us feel
strong.” —Ziya Jones
59
 Melissa Dilkes Pateras gained a huge following on TikTok for
her funny tips on housecleaning and basic home repair. In this
excerpt from her new book, A Dirty Guide to a Clean Home,
she offers clear-eyed strategies for organizing even the most
intimidatingly chaotic closets and junk drawers.
ILLUSTRATIONS BY LEEANDRA CIANCI
 A DIR T Y G U ID E T O A C L E A N H O M E

The Biggest
Clutter Culprits
These are the items that take
up way too much physical—and
sometimes emotional—space.

IF
I asked you to locate any item in your home, Gifts
wouldn’t it be great if you could you find it with Let go of things you are holding onto
ease? Imagine having a home for all those pens because they were a gift. Realize that
you “didn’t steal” from work or being able to find a safety pin the gift has already served its purpose.
when you need one last minute. Imagine being able to find Release yourself from the feeling of
the spare batteries you’re sure you have somewhere instead obligation to someone else. Its purpose
of borrowing them from your remote or digging through the was to symbolize love or thoughtfulness
junk drawer. You know the one, we all have one: It’s where you from the person who gave it to you.
have to push past the old takeout menus, past all the electronic You’ve said thank you, felt the love and
cords you have no idea what they’re for but you can’t throw are now free to let it go.
them away ’cause one day you might find out what mystery
device they charge, past the spare piece of paper with some- Books
one’s number on it and you can’t remember who it is but you There are not many good reasons to keep
might need it someday, the free toothbrush you got from the your university textbooks or that romance
dentist, a three year old ChapStick, to maybe, just maybe, find novel you read five years ago that was
a battery, but it’s a AA when you needed a AAA. All that work good but isn’t even in your top 10. Books
and now you’ve disturbed the ecosystem of the drawer—so are meant to be read and shared, not
much that now you can’t get the damn thing closed. collect dust, so if the book has served its
Here’s the thing about that drawer: When you find a bat- purpose for you, it’s time to pass it on to
tery, does it always work? Or is it an old one that’s out of juice someone who can enjoy it, just as you did.
that for some reason you chucked back in there instead of the
trash? There is a fine line between having an organizational Your kids’ schoolwork and art
system that works for you and having a messy dumpster fire of I know, I know. I know. The very idea of
a drawer. Beware of that line. getting rid of your kids’ art can feel like
When it comes to tools to get organized, the list of things you are throwing away your actual child.
you absolutely need is pretty short: Garbage bags, storage, But I am here to tell you: It is okay to say
labels (optional), a gallon of determination, a shit-ton of focus good-bye to the snowman he made from
and some time. socks four years ago. Have one box set
aside per kid to keep the most treasured
items and take a picture of the rest and
save it on a flash drive. The memories are
forever but the things don’t have to be.
START SMALL AND LIVE LARGE
Mugs
I can guarantee you that mugs are taking
I’ll tell you what we’re not going to do. We’re not going up at least twice as much space as they
to organize your entire home all at once. That’s unrealistic, should. Just remember that most mugs
overwhelming and definitely not how I roll. We are going to were given to you by people who didn’t
start small. Our first goal is to pick a section: one room, one really know you—that’s why they gave
cupboard, one shelf, or even one tiny little drawer. I’ve said it you a mug.
before and I’ll say it again: start small. My aim is to set you up
to succeed. As we’re just starting out on this organizational
journey, I don’t want to overwhelm you.
Once you conquer your first small goal, it will give you
a sense of accomplishment that will prove to you that you
can do this. It will also allow you to move at a pace that works
for you. If I asked you to organize one drawer in your kitchen,
that would seem like a doable task; but if I asked you to reorga-
nize your entire kitchen, you’d probably get an overwhelming
tightness in your chest. If we break it down, section by section,
one drawer turns into two, then three, then a shelf, then a
cupboard, and before you know it, the kitchen is done, no need
for the overwhelming tight feeling in your chest.
When setting a goal, you want to make it SMART! [That’s
Specific, Measureable, Achievable, Realistic and Timebound.]

BESTHEALTHMAG.CA
 A DIR T Y G U ID E T O A C L E A N H O M E
You’re a smar t cook ie, so make your goal SM A RT, too.
Let’s break them down so they’re not so boring-presentation-
at-a-work-conference.
Specific: Pick one section of your home to organize. Start
with a small drawer, a small shelf, that top cupboard, or per-
haps, if you’re feeling adventurous, your entire closet. What-
ever the section, be detailed and clear about what you want to
accomplish and stick to it.
Measurable: Let’s stick with the drawer example. It’s a small
space, so it’ll be easy to know when you’re finished. Once every-
thing in it is easy to access and find, meaning no more shuffling
the mess around just to get the damn thing closed, stay on track.
Achievable: Make sure the space you choose to organize is
achievable. If the thought of cleaning out your closet all at once
makes you feel overwhelmed, then pick something smaller,
perhaps just your T-shirts. That’s more achievable. Make sure
you are in the right mood to tackle the section you have picked.
The more you achieve, the more motivation you’ll have to keep
the ball rolling (and you know I love balls).
Realistic: Ask yourself, Do I have all the tools I need to com-
plete this project? If it’s a drawer, maybe you need a drawer
organizer; if it’s a closet, maybe you need shoe boxes; if it’s the
dreaded Christmas decorations in the basement, maybe you
need storage bins. Whatever the section, make sure you have
the necessary tools needed on hand and ready to go before you
start. You don’t want to have to stop halfway through to go to
the store to get the items you need, run into Brenda while you’re
there, end up having a 30-minute catch-up about how the kids
are doing and then suddenly realize you need to get home and
make dinner and no longer have time to finish the task at hand.
Timebound: This is the big one, and the real cause of our
anxiety, because it’s something we never feel we have enough
of. Make sure you set aside the time to start and finish the task.
This means, be strict and give yourself a deadline. If anyone
knows distraction it’s me, so if you only have an hour, per-
haps today is not the day to do the entirety of your closet. You
don’t want to have to stop halfway through because you have to
pick your kid up from basketball practice and then come home
and help your other kid with their science project that you just
found out is due tomorrow. So perhaps an hour is best set aside
for a drawer, or if you’re feeling courageous, perhaps two draw-
ers. Make the time that fits the space you want to tackle, pop
on some tunes, and get it done.
ABIDE BY THE KEEP, TOSS, DONATE,
SELL RULE
The best approach to a real declutter-and-organize is to
remove all the items from that space and divide them into four
piles/categories: things to keep; things to throw away; things
to donate; things to sell (yes, why not make a bit of cash while
you’re at it?).
Now that we have our piles of things we want to keep and a
nice clean drawer to put them back into, place those items back
in a way that makes sense to you. For the things you want to
throw away, put them in the trash never to be seen again. For
the things you want to donate, place those in a bag and drive it
to the donation bin now (remember to include that time as part
of the project when you’re thinking about being Timebound,
62
above). And for the things you want to sell, take some photos
and post them on an online marketplace to sell right away.
Don’t wait. The aim is for those three piles to leave your home
as soon as possible, for two reasons: to remove the temptation
of changing your mind and because you don’t want a bag of
more clutter around the house when the goal is to declutter.
Goodbye, old charger cords that no longer serve you and hello,
clean, organized drawer of AAA batteries you can find when
you need them.
Taking everything out of one small section allows you to be
critical of all the items and ruthless about what you really need
and what you really don’t. If you don’t do that, you’ll just be
shuffling things around in the space and not actually organiz-
ing anything. If you just push aside that pile of dress pants to
the back of your closet instead of taking them out, you might
not realize that one of them is a size 2 pleated black corduroy
pant that you haven’t worn since the ’90s because a) they’re
ugly and b) you haven’t been a size 2 since the ’90s.
It’s as simple as that.
But if it’s that simple, why haven’t you done it before? Well,
simple doesn’t mean easy. If it was easy, you would have
already done it. So, let’s talk about the process, the barriers
and—most important—the solutions.
GET MESSY BUT NOT DISTR ACTED
Yes, you heard it right. Organizing does involve getting a little
messy first. Like I’ve said before, when you pick your space,
whatever the space, no matter how big or how small, I want you
to remove everything in that space and survey its contents. The
taking-everything-out strategy works the same for an entire
room as it does for a single drawer. So, pick your space, take
everything out, get messy and assess what you’re working with,
but most important, stay on task, because this is where our old
friend distraction can pop by for a visit.
If you’re anything like me, it’s hard not to entertain distrac-
tion. The simple act of cleaning out your closet can sometimes
turn into a movie-montage fashion show where you’re trying
DECEMBER/JANUARY 2024
 A DIR T Y G U ID E T O A C L E A N H O M E

on old clothing and singing to the imaginary crowd attending More Clutter
your bedroom concert. We’re all guilty of it.
We’ve all experienced the nostalgic feeling of rediscovering Culprits...
those forgotten photo albums or the worst culprit...old year-
books. They instantly bring a smile to your face and trigger an
old memory. REFRAIN!!! DON’T DO IT! PUT THEM DOWN! It
can happen fast—and not quicksand fast, but falling-through- Memorabilia
a-trapdoor fast. Little old innocent Memory Lane can send you Mickey ears from Disney World,
on a detour down Where the F*ck Did the Day Go? Boulevard participation ribbon from the science
in a hurry. Mindless flipping through the pages of forgotten fair in the fourth grade, the giant foam
high school memories will quickly hurl you into an investiga- finger from the football game back
tion abyss. Once you are into that box, it’s almost impossible to in ’93. You and I both know you don’t
get out. Seeing Cheryl Farmer in that class photo will instantly go into a box and look at them often.
get you wondering... whatever happened to Cheryl Farmer? Did It’s time for them to go.
she peak in high school? What she’s doing now? At this point
it’s too late. You have already crossed into the danger zone. Towels and bedding
Next thing you know you’re on Facebook, typing in her name, We often have too many linens,
hoping it’s still Farmer. Oh look! There she is. You find out she especially with kids. Come up with a
did marry Mark Murphy after all and it looks like they have two number of how many sets you actually
kids. The plot thickens...in 2014 she and Mark split up and she need and use, then donate the rest. If
clearly invested in a quality, celebratory boob job. She loves you have kids, take my word for it, you’ll
selfies, wine, inspirational quotes and activewear. Wait...what need a few spare for those middle of
were we doing? the night pee or puke incidents. Animal
I’ve gotten distracted like this many times while organizing, shelters are a great option for towels,
and to be honest sometimes it’s the fun part—but it’s also the and human shelters are perfect for extra
part that could set you up to fail. So, if you know that you are sheet sets.
prone to this type of distraction, allow time for it. If you’ve
allotted time to specifically organize the yearbook drawer, Makeup and perfume
then by all means, flip through the pages and reminisce, but First of all, this stuff expires. Second
keep your eye on the prize. You’ve set aside an hour to clean of all, if you didn’t like the way that
out and organize this space, so perhaps just take five minutes perfume or the hand cream your best
to flip through the pages of that yearbook, but then it’s book friend gave you smelled yesterday,
down and back to the task at hand. You can investigate Cheryl’s you won’t like how it smells tomorrow.
life path another time. Why not just cut to the chase and
Now, you might think I’ve just taken the only joy out of orga- throw it out?
nizing if you can’t spend hours reminiscing, but there are other
ways to keep you entertained while still getting the job done. You Medication and sunscreen
might be thinking you’ll just pop Netflix on “in the background,” Again, these expire, and these expiration
but once that TV goes on, you’re watching it. It doesn’t matter dates are a matter of health and safety.
that I’ve seen Pretty Woman 144 times—watching Richard Gere Medications and sunscreens will become
snap that necklace box closed will always be more interesting less effective overtime and expired
than wondering how the sliding door for Barbie’s camper ended medication can be dangerous. These
up in my daughter’s sock drawer when it took me two hours and need at least a yearly purge.
a painful blood blister to assemble that thing in the middle of the
night two Christmases ago. I work best when listening to music Water bottles
or a podcast, which is in the background enough that I can stay You probably have one from every
on task but enough of a diversion that I don’t feel so painfully conference you’ve ever been to and
bored. You know yourself. Pick something to have in the back- gym you got roped into joining. It’s
ground that will keep you energized and motivated but not so okay to say good-bye to the ones you
enthralled that you want to stop what you’re doing. Think of this never use and only keep the ones
as a healthy distraction that will make the time fly by. you actually do.

Kitchen gadgets and utensils

You don’t need six spatulas, four
corkscrews, three lemon zesters and
BE RUTHLESS two different nut crackers. Think
about what you use, what you need
and get rid of the rest.
If you’re going to get organized, you are going to have to get rid
of things. No, I’m not trying to make you into a minimalist and Reusable bags
have your house looking and feeling like a sterile and vacant You need a few in the house, some
space with no personality, but I am going to get you to think in your car, maybe one or two in your
about what items you have in your home and encourage you to purse and that is it.

BESTHEALTHMAG.CA
 A DIR T Y G U ID E T O A C L E A N H O M E

get rid of the ones that no longer serve you. For some spaces this
may be a few items here and there, and for other spaces you’ll
be taking a trunk-load of bags to the donation bin. Have you ever
felt like you have the weight of the world on your shoulders?
Well, it’s not the world, it’s all of your stuff. If the idea of getting
rid of things feels scary, that’s okay, you’re allowed to feel that
way. But believe me, parting with things that no longer serve
you can actually do the opposite: It can free you. Sounds simple
right? But remember what I said, simple doesn’t mean easy.
Parting with things can feel like parting with a piece of your-
self. Maybe that old blanket or teddy bear from your childhood
is something you can’t part with. It’s okay to hold onto items
that are truly sentimental, but does the trophy you won for a
three-legged race at the fireman’s picnic in 1979 or the ticket
stub from the Depeche Mode concert you went to in high
school actually serve you in any way?
Have you ever filled a bag to drop off at a local donation bin
and had a brief second, third, or even fourth thought of regret or
uncertainty before you could let it go? You know you don’t need
the stuff, you haven’t used it in years, and the space you removed
it from looks so much better. But for some reason, you still have
a moment of hesitation. You have a little conversation with your-
self before you can let it go. Do I need it? Should I keep it just in
case? Am I being wasteful or thoughtless? You are not alone. for the one day a year you paint? If the answer to any of those
If you are having a hard time letting go of an item, put it in questions is no, get them outta there. Stop creating a function
plain sight for a while. Yes, I said in plain sight. Seeing it often for things in order to justify keeping them. This is a convenient
will have you thinking about it more often. It will be easier to tactic for hanging onto shit you really don’t need. Less is more,
decide if it actually serves you. Hidden or tucked away will almost always.
have you forgetting about it and allowing it to stay and take up
space. Out of sight, out of mind. In your sight, on your mind. Questions to ask about every item you pick up:
Understanding that your memories are stored within you • Do I love it?
and not in your stuff may help a little. With that being said, • Do I use it?
a physical possession can trigger memories. Try taking a pic- • Does it enhance my life?
ture of an item before letting it go. If you have a collection of • Would I pass it on to a loved one?
something, try hanging onto your favorites and letting go of the • Do I have more of the same item?
others. When you let go of things, you not only free up physical • Would I buy it again today if it broke?
space, but you also free up visual busyness and space, which • Would my life be more difficult without it?
will in turn free up mental space. • Do I have somewhere adequate to store it?
If you’re holding onto something simply because you fear you • Is its utility worth my time to clean and maintain?
may need it in the future, think about how many times you have
used it in the past year. The more unused and unloved posses- Stuff is just stuff. I’m a social worker, and earlier in my career
sions we hang onto, the more bound we feel to them and end up I worked with kids who had experienced difficult home lives.
devoting more time and energy to maintaining and storing them. Many of them had no possessions of their own. While out on
I’m a vegetarian but I cook a turkey once a year, so I do need a excursions, a lot of them took flyers, business cards and pam-
roasting pan. I use it annually, it serves me and therefore there’s phlets at every opportunity. The things they took were of no
a good reason to keep it. If I never used it, it would have no utility use to them, but they were theirs. Things can make you feel
and there would be no good reason to keep it. The key is deter- safe and secure, but as it accumulates you suddenly find your-
mining what items actually serve you. If they don’t, let them go. self with too much. What started as safety and security flips to
Clutter begets more clutter. But try to be honest with yourself. having the opposite effect: stress, anxiety being overwhelmed.
Do you need that T-shirt you got for participating in the charity
walk-a-thon five years ago? These are not hypothetical questions;
these are questions to ask yourself and try to answer honestly.
I get wanting a lot of clothes, truly, but there are only seven
days in a week. Listen, nobody has more clothes than I do. I THINK BEFORE YOU BUY
have had a Lululemon shirt in my closet for five years that I’ve
never worn but refuse to get rid of. I hate the sleeves and I keep
meaning to get it altered. It was $120, so it feels wasteful. But I Imagine for a moment that you’re done. Every inch of your
have to be honest with myself: If it’s been five years, what are house is decluttered and organized, and you can find things
the chances this imagined alteration is ever going to happen? and live in your space with ease. Feels good, doesn’t it? Or does
Is hanging onto the dress you splurged on but never wore it? Maybe it also brings with it that small little worry of How am
somehow earning you your money back? Do you really want to I going keep it this way?!? And that brings me to my little friend I
torture yourself by keeping that pair of jeans just in case you like to call “keep-up.” The key to keeping up your organization
lose weight? Do you really need all of those painting clothes is thinking before you buy.

64 DECEMBER/JANUARY 2024
 A DIR T Y G U ID E T O A C L E A N H O M E

Questions to ask yourself before you buy: My Favourite Tools

• Do I really need it?
• Why do I want it? For Organizing
• Where am I going to put it when it’s not in use? The key is figuring out what
• How easy it is to clean and maintain? works for you and your space;
• Do I already have one, and if so, do I really need whatever that is, that’s the
another? right answer. These are some
• Is this a replacement, and if so, am I getting rid of that I love.
the old one?

You have to think about why you want what you want, and
that’s a complicated question for most of us because shopping
isn’t just about need. Shopping can be emotional, it can be ther-
apeutic—but overshopping can also lead to clutter, which can Collapsible laundry baskets
lead to anxiety, which can lead to having a house you don’t feel They store flat, so they take up very little
comfortable in. A common example of overshopping is “It was space when they are not in use.
on sale” buying. This is when you buy too much of an item that
you use, or don’t use at all, just because it was on sale. Great Over-the-door shoe storage
that the spaghetti sauce was on sale and you want to pick up These are great for lots of things, not just
a few extras, but if you buy 47 of them, where the hell are you shoes, because they’re just pockets.
going to store it and will you ever be able to use it all before it You can use them for socks, underwear,
expires? Sometimes we feel like we need every new gadget and and belts if you’re limited on drawer
tool—new things are fun!—but there is a big difference between space; or hats, mittens, scarfs, cleaning
need and want. When the line gets blurred, we can end up with supplies, craft supplies—whatever
a bunch of stuff that we thought we needed but don’t. you want!
When you’re considering buying or upgrading to a new gad-
get, again, mindfulness is key. For example, I have a Vitamix, A non-skid lazy Susan
but new blenders come out all the time. So, I think to myself, I don’t want to put oil and other spillable
Does this new blender do something so special that renders items directly on the shelves because
mine useless? If the answer is no, then I don’t buy a new one. they could potentially damage the cabinet.
I bought a Roomba because on TV, that thing glides through A lazy Susan also helps you easily access
a house like a figure skater at the Olympics. Mine? It gets stuck and maximize your space.
on everything. It can’t get down the stairs. I bought it to make
my life easier, and it doesn’t, so I hate it. And because I hate it, I Shelf dividers and adjustable
never use it, and it’s just another appliance sitting in my garage drawer dividers
in the Island of Misfit Toys. For separating, organizing and
Most people don’t use gadgets that are complicated to clean. maximizing space.
It’s great that I can whip up a smoothie in 30 seconds but when
I have to take apart 500 pieces to wash and put back together, Sliding baskets for cupboards
it doesn’t really seem worth it. If this is you, accept that about These are great for accessing items in
yourself. There’s nothing wrong with it. It just means that appli- deeper cupboards.
ances that require a lot of maintenance are not for you.
My mission is to get you to enjoy the time you spend in Shower caddies
your home doing the things you enjoy. Buying a new gadget Like the back-of-the-door shoe storage,
might seem like it’ll help you enjoy your space, but before you can hook them anywhere and
you purchase, follow the thought process through to the end. the uses are endless. It’s great for those
You know yourself better than anyone. If you really want accessories that don’t have a home:
something, get it! But pause first and consider how it fits into belts, sunglasses, watches, ties, etc.
your life and your goal of feeling comfortable, organized and
relaxed in your home. Baskets, bins and boxes
When it comes to organizing, hopefully it feels a little These are the classic organizing tools.
lighter. I’ve taught you the how, the why and the keep-up—all Think about where you’ll be storing
you have to do now is go and do it. So remember what I them. Do you need them to be stackable?
said: one step at a time; you’re not going to move mountains Would it serve you if it was clear
overnight. Start small and stick with it. Be ruthless, be kind plastic or opaque? Are you happy with
to yourself, but be realistic. them open or do they need a lid? My
recommendation would be to go for
Excerpted from A Dirty Guide to a Clean Home: Housekeeping durability. It wins every time.
Hacks You Can’t Live Without by Melissa Dilkes Pateras, with
Carla Sosenko. Copyright © 2023 by Melissa Dilkes Pateras. Clear pantry containers
Illustrations copyright © 2023 by Alexis Seabrook. Published Visible and easy to see when
by The Dial Press, an imprint of Random House, a division of you need to replenish items such
Penguin Random House LLC. as flour, rice and pasta.

BESTHEALTHMAG.CA 65
 “I DIDN’T KNOW
HOW TO BE HIS
MOM ANYMORE”

KATHY WAGNER’S
HEARTBREAKING
MEMOIR EXPLORES
HOW TO SUPPORT
A CHILD WHO IS
STRUGGLING
WITH ADDICTION
AND HOW
TO REBUILD
YOUR IDENTITY
AND PURPOSE
AFTER LOSING
A LOVED ONE.

PHOTOGRAPHS BY
JACKIE DIVES

66 DECEMBER/JANUARY 2024
IN HER BOOK,
Here With You, Kathy Wagner writes about the ago-
nizing years she spent helping her teenage son navi-
gate the cycle of substance-use disorder and relapse.
It was an impossible balancing act of knowing
when to provide unconditional support to her son,
Tristan, and when to set hard boundaries, despite
every parental instinct telling her to intervene.
Wagner, a single mom of three kids, recounts how
she tried to ignite other passions in her son and dis-
tance him from the friends he was using drugs with
in Coquitlam, B.C., including sending him to China
to study kung fu with Shaolin monks for months at a
time, and later helping him enrol in culinary school.
In 2017, after years of watching Tristan pinball
between periods of sobriety and active addiction,
Wagner would get the phone call she dreaded: He
had suffered a fatal accidental fentanyl overdose,
likely due to the contaminated drug supply.
As the opioid crisis continues to grip many Cana-
dian communities, stories like Wagner’s are all too
common. According to the Public Health Agency of
Canada, there have been more than 38,000 opioid-
related deaths in Canada between 2016 and 2023—
the majority of them young or middle-aged men.
In this excerpt, Wagner writes about an earlier,
tentatively hopeful day a few years into Tristan’s
addiction, when he had finally agreed to go to an
in-patient treatment facility. Taking a step back—
and no longer feeling like she was the only one
able to help her son—was a huge shift for her.
Wagner dedicates the book “to every parent
who has been challenged to let their child walk
their own path, however painful, while finding
meaning in their own.” With great self-reflection,
she shares what it’s like for family members and
caregivers experiencing addiction alongside their
loved ones, their identities often intertwined in a
co-dependent tangle.
Excerpt from Here With You: A Memoir of Love,
Family, and Addiction by Kathy Wagner (Douglas
& McIntyre, copyright 2023). Reprinted with permis-
sion by the publisher.
68
I lay awake listening to the chicka-
dees. I usually wanted to wring their
sweet little necks. Anybody who chirps
so loudly at three-thirty in the morning
deserved a good swat, I figured. Pull-
ing a pillow over my head to block their
predawn jubilation was more my style,
but on this particular morning they kept
me company as I stared at the ceiling of
my dark bedroom. They felt like friends
bolstering my strength for whatever day-
light would bring.
Their innocent songs held me while
I listened for Tristan to come home.
Home. He hadn’t lived with me for almost
a year, but it still seemed like his home
was with me.
I prayed he’d remember today and have
the strength to face it. I didn’t know who
I was praying to, but I prayed Tristan was
alive and not damaged beyond repair.
I imagined my prayers calling to him,
finding him, guiding him home. I spent all
night praying and trying not to cry. And
almost succeeding.
Dawn had lost its glow by the time I
heard the front door close and his sneak-
ers thud in the hallway. Sweet relief lasted
a brief second before anxiety caught up
with me again; one hurdle down but
many more ahead.
Today was the day Tristan had said he’d
go to rehab. Finally, he’d agreed to use his
education funds to do it. But time was not
friendly to addicts, and every minute of
every hour offered a thousand ways and
reasons for him to change his mind.
I breathed in; I breathed out. I noticed
my jaw clenching and tried to relax but
my neck still twinged, and my stomach
roiled. I decided to get my tea. Just don’t
look at him, I told myself. It doesn’t mat-
ter. He’s here; that’s what’s important.
I found my housecoat in the pile of
clothing on my floor and went downstairs,
glancing at the lump on the couch. I didn’t
let myself think as I made my cup of Earl
Grey, focusing my mind on the mundane
task in front of me, a task I could con-
trol: boil the water, get the tea bag, add a
splash of milk, sit down in my chair by the
window, look outside. Success.
I mindlessly watched birds f lit from
branch to branch. It struck me as odd
that they could carry on as if this were
any other day, as if there were anything
more important in the world than what
was happening inside, here, today.
Nine months earlier, I’d moved Tristan
out of my home and into h is rented
room. The amount of time I’d needed
to conceive and give birth to him was
all he’d needed to burn his life to the
ground, twenty years later. Amid the
w reckage, t hough, t here was hope.
Today, there was hope.
DECEMBER/JANUARY 2024
Wagner pored over Tristan’s personal belongings after his death.
This is a journal he kept while in rehab.
 It had been less than two weeks since
Tristan had texted me in Mexico, finally
admitting he needed help. He knew he
couldn’t keep a job and had given up try-
ing. He was behind on his rent and his
landlord was kicking him out. If he didn’t
do something he’d be homeless. That
something needed to happen today.
I finished my tea, now cold, and looked
outside. Soft morning light had given way
to the stark brightness of day. Time to
put my thoughts aside and focus on what
needed to get done. Tristan had to call
the rehab centre before noon, or he’d
have no place to go. They’d held a bed for
him all week and this, they said, was the
last day they’d keep it for him.
I hauled my carcass out of the chair,
put my cup in the sink and then went to
look at my son. My breath caught when
I saw his beautiful face, now scabby and
gaunt with a newly swollen lip. I didn’t let
myself feel the pain rushing through me
when I saw him. I held my breath when I
dialled the phone and passed it to him,
listening to him muttering incomprehen-
sibly. I didn’t know how they could under-
stand him. Maybe it was enough that he
grunted his assent when they asked if he
was coming in. It felt like I was still hold-
ing my breath an hour later as he sat at the
kitchen table, coffee untouched, lashing
out at me. He was vaguely abusive, largely
incoherent, and threatening to walk away
from it all. I was focused only on my goal
of getting him to rehab, so his words fell
unfelt around me.
I looked at Tristan from across the table
and gently asked him to pack his things.
I was determined not to do this for him.
This needed to be his decision; he was the
one who needed to take action.
“Fuck off, already!” he moaned, wrap-
ping his arms around his head as if to
keep it from exploding, and then bringing
it to his knees, burying his face. “You’re
such a bitch.” His voice trailed off, broken.
He muttered a few more muffled curses
and my heart threatened to break.
This is not my son, I reminded myself.
This was addiction and desperation.
I tamped my emotions down and put
one foot in front of the other, unthinking,
unfeeling. I was just moving forward and
trying my best to keep Tristan moving for-
ward with me: cajoling him, feeding him,
and ultimately telling him firmly there
was no more time to delay. The treatment
centre was only half an hour away, but if
we weren’t on the road in twenty minutes,
he’d miss his two o’clock intake time—and
he had no other options.
He went upstairs, had a shower and
came down with his bag in hand.
As we walked to the car, warm sun-
shine washed over us and Tristan stopped
BESTHEALTHMAG.CA
to take a deep breath. In that moment,
he seemed almost like himself again, his
face full of love, fear and fragile determi-
nation. He looked me in the eye and said,
“I’m doing it, Mom,” then flashed a sad
smile and put his arm around me.
My heart ached from the potency of
hope and hopelessness, pride and shame,
in him and in me. The final surrender. It
AS WE DROV
E,
I HELD MY
BREATH.
I PLACED MY
FINGER ON
THE AUTO-
LOCK BUTTO
IN CASE HE N
CHANGED
HIS MIND
AND TRIED
TO JUMP
OUT AT A
RED LIGHT.
wasn’t a soft surrender, but a desperate
tap out after a long hard fight. We were
betting his life on something better aris-
ing from the ashes.
“Yes, you are, love.” I smiled and
hugged him back tightly, then kissed his
fuzzy cheek. “You’re doing it.”
As we drove, I held my breath. I placed
my finger on the auto-lock button in case
he changed his mind and tried to jump
out at a red light. I don’t know what I
thought I’d do if that happened. Kidnap
and deliver him, against his wishes, to the
rehab fairies to work their recovery magic
on him? God help me. But Tristan was
quiet, dozing, until he suddenly sat up.
“Wait!” he said, his voice coarse and
crackly. He cleared his throat and tried
again. “Which one are you taking me
to? I’m not going to the shitty one with
all the fucking doctors. I’ll live on East
Hastings before that. I want the fun one.”
Earlier that week, in return for a place to
stay and food to eat, I’d made him phone
three rehab centres. I’d read it helps
when a person chooses their treatment
facility. Tristan had made the calls but
had no opinion, made no choice. Thank-
fully, the one I wanted for him, the one
I’d added to my contact list two years
earlier, was the “fun” one: Westgate. On
the phone, the other centres talked about
their routines, therapeutic approaches,
and certifications, but this one told him
how much fun they have in recovery. This
one talked about good food, going to the
gym, dirt biking, movies, laughter, being
“a part of.” Of course, Tristan wanted
that one. What twenty-year-old wouldn’t
choose the promise of fun over therapy?
Even if it meant he had to give up smok-
ing, as well as everything else.
“It’s the fun one,” I said, relieved I’d
chosen correctly.
Tristan finished his last smoke and
tossed the butt. We crossed the road to
an unobtrusive low-rise apartment build-
ing, older but well kept. He carried his
duffle bag with the few clothes and toilet-
ries he’d haphazardly thrown in. Four or
five guys sat out front. They each greeted
us with a polite “Hi” or “How’s it going”
and plenty of eye contact. One tall, good-
looking guy in his late twenties stood up,
smiled at Tristan and said, “Hey, are you
a new guy?”
“Yeah, I guess,” Tristan mumbled, eyes
down.
“Welcome. I’m Von.” He shook Tristan’s
hand. “You’re gonna love it here. They’re
going to fatten you up—you’re skinny,
bro! Come on, I’ll f ind someone to do
your intake.”
Von held the door and got us seated in
the foyer. While we waited, half a dozen
men of all ages walked past. Every one
of them welcomed Tristan. Many gave
me words of encouragement, too. They
told me he was in a good place, that I
could stop worrying and sleep again.
They called me “Mom.” I smiled at them,
blinking back tears at the simple feeling
of being understood, of being in a place
where young men smiled.
71
 One guy asked if I wanted coffee and,
when I told him I drank tea, seemed
near giddy that he could get that too. He
returned a minute or two later, apolo-
gizing for taking so long. “I didn’t know
what you liked so I brought one of each
option.” He grinned, pulling an assort-
ment of crumpled tea bags from his jean
pockets, front and back. I wasn’t thrilled
about the teabags in his pockets but he
seemed so earnest that I couldn’t say no.
I chose Mint Medley.
An intake worker called Tristan into
the office. Before I could follow, a stocky
young guy in jeans and a Harley-David-
son T-shirt appeared and greeted me
with a handshake.
“Hi, I’m Ben. You must be ...” he looked
down at a notepad. “Tristan’s mom. I’ll be
his caseworker. Come on,” he said, put-
ting his notepad in his back pocket and
running a hand over his buzz cut. “I’ll
show you around if you like.”
The centre was spread across two small
apartment buildings and one large heri-
tage home on a typical suburban street.
Nothing fancy, but clean, comfortable,
homey. There was a huge bowl of apples,
oranges and bananas in the living room,
OUR ENTIRE
RELATIONSHIP
WAS BUILT
AROUND
ME LOOKING
AFTER HIM,
MANAGING
HIS MOODS,
MAKING HIS
LIFE WORK.
72
which felt good. Nobody was starving
here. Some guys were playing chess,
another strummed a guitar, a few wrote
in notebooks, and a bunch sat in the
sunshine talking. There was an abun-
dance of tattoos, but everybody looked
healthy and happy.
Just normal guys.
I soaked it in, knowing this would be
Tristan’s home for the next three months,
at least. These were going to be his peo-
ple. I began to hope. I wanted this so
badly for Tristan. Seeing the guys, hear-
ing their laughter, made it seem possible.
Back on the front steps I hugged Tristan
goodbye, breathed him in, and told him
I loved him. His arms hung at his side
as I wrapped mine around him. He was
uncomfortable in my hug, uncomfortable
in his body. One of the guys walked by
just then, chuckled and said, “Go on, give
your mom a hug. She deserves it, man.”
Tristan gave me a quick hug, all edges
and nerves. “Love you, Mom,” he mum-
bled, and went inside.
D r i v i n g h ome a lone, I w a s ove r-
whelmed by relief. I was still anxious:
What if he doesn’t stay? And scared: He’s
not going to stay! But above all that, I felt
relief: I’ve done my part. He’s safe. I felt
like I’d been holding my breath for years,
almost to the point of suffocation. Now,
I let it out. I could breathe.
I had so much space around me and in
me. Where did all that space come from?
What was I going to do with it?
I was not even home yet when my phone
rang, and I saw “Westgate” on the call dis-
play. Oh god, what’s wrong? Even though
I was driving, I answered the call, certain
I’d need to turn around again, that Tristan
had failed treatment in the first fifteen
minutes and now I’d need to find him a
homeless shelter. Or something.
“Hi, Kathy. It’s Ben. Tristan’s doing
fine and getting settled in no problem.”
I relaxed, immediately. I noticed I was
holding my breath again and let it out.
“That’s probably the first thing that
crossed your mind with me calling: ‘What
did Tristan do now?’ But he’s great. It’ll
take some time to stop panicking when-
ever I call, so I just like to put that out
there up front.”
“Thanks, I appreciate that,” I laughed,
and then teared up at the novelty of
being understood again—at k now ing
my fears were not unique. “You’ve done
this before.”
“Yeah. You’ve spent a lot of time wor-
rying about him. It’ll take a while not to.
What I’m calling about, though, is to see
if you can drop off some of his things at
the house whenever you have time.
He didn’t bring much with him, so any
clothes or toiletries he’ll need over the
next few months would be great. No
rush. Whenever it’s convenient.”
I told him I’d stop by the next day. I
hung up, happy to have a task, to still be
helpful to my son.
The next morning, I woke from a rest-
less sleep, sunlight streaming through
the blinds. The surprising spaciousness
I’d felt yesterday, which had seemed so
full of promise then, now felt like empti-
ness. I had no crisis to manage, no prob-
lem to fix or avoid. It was Saturday, so
no work. I had expected to feel more
alive in my new-found freedom, giddy
with the success of getting Tristan to
rehab. Instead, all I felt was an absence of
something with a rushing undercurrent
of anxiety. An absence of what, though?
I wasn’t quite sure. Maybe Tristan? Or
stress? Or purpose?
I tried to focus my thoughts on what
was important: Tristan was in treat-
ment. Then, a crashing wave of grati-
tude filled me to the brim, and I became
fully awake. When I remembered I could
take Tristan’s things to him later that
day, my residual anxiety washed away
in a flood of happiness.
I spent the morning gathering Tristan’s
clothes and doing laundry. That after-
noon, I drove back to Westgate. The
sky was a brilliant blue and my mood
was bright. I had a suitcase packed with
Tristan’s freshly laundered clothes, a new
toiletry bag stuffed with masculine bath-
room products, and a bag of candy—sour
worms, Skittles and mini peanut butter
cups. It felt good to be doing good.
As I walked up the sidewalk, into the
house and then into the office, I glanced
around, looking for a glimpse of Tristan.
He was on restrictions for the first few
weeks, which meant he wasn’t allowed
to phone me, or anyone, and I wasn’t
allowed to phone him. Apparently, this
helped the guys settle into new routines
and learn to turn to each other for sup-
port. It prevented them from continuing
dysfunctional dynamics they had with
other people when times got tough.
Tristan couldn’t call me if he wanted to
be rescued. I couldn’t rescue him. The
restrictions were in place to support us
both in f inding a new way of being. I
appreciated that.
But if I happened to bump into him,
that seemed like fair game. Short of wan-
dering through the buildings calling his
name, though, I didn’t think that was
going to happen. I decided to come right
out and ask. Ben wasn’t in the office that
Saturday so I dropped Tristan’s stuff off
with another caseworker and asked if
I could say hi.
DECEMBER/JANUARY 2024

“Oh, yeah, sorry, he’s out with a bunch
of the guys. Went to the aquarium. Beau-
tiful day for it,” he said, looking up from
the old desktop computer he was working
at. I was suddenly, inexplicably angry. On
Day One, Tristan was out having fun at
the Vancouver Aquarium?
I set Tristan’s bag beside his suitcase
and adjusted my purse to stop it from slip-
ping off my shoulder—finding any excuse
to avoid eye contact. Did they have no
idea of the stress Tristan had put me
through over the past week? Not know-
ing whether he was going to make it here
or not? Disappearing for days, and me
not knowing if he was dead or alive? And
what about all the shit he put me through
over the past six years? And the f irst
thing rehab did was reward him with a
field trip? I’d been at home worrying—no,
knowing—that Tristan was feeling alone
and miserable, angry, hating the place
and wanting to escape. I hadn’t even real-
ized I’d been worrying about him until
that moment. And here he was in rehab
BESTHEALTHMAG.CA
Wagner’s mother had been knitting
this blue blanket as a birthday
present for Tristan. She finished it
after his death.
for less than twenty-four hours and was
out watching belugas and dolphins—
doing normal-people things I hadn’t
been able to do with him for years—while
I worried about him, did his laundry and
bought him candy.
Maybe my reaction showed, or maybe
it was just predictable.
“He’s with good people, Kathy,” the
caseworker assured me. “Some of the
g uys in transition were going to the
aquarium and bought an extra ticket for
Tristan, figuring he could use a distrac-
tion. The boys here look out for the new
guys.” He smiled in a way that reminded
me of a proud father. “They know what
it’s like. It’s early days for Tristan and
he’s feeling pretty low. That’s normal. It’s
important for him to see the guys having
fun in recovery, to know he can be ‘a part
of.’ He’s likely to feel like shit today, no
matter where he is, no question. But it
doesn’t do anyone any good for him to sit
here and mope. He can be with the guys
and see them having a good time, sober.
If he doesn’t know he can have fun in
recovery, he won’t stick around for long.
That’s the truth.”
“Oh, that’s great,” I said, nodding my
head as if it helped me look more believ-
able. “That’s wonderful.” I thanked him
and went back to my car. I was happy for
Tristan. I truly was. All I ever wanted
was for him to be happy, to fit in, to have
good friends and do fun normal-people
things. So why was I so upset?
As I tucked myself into the privacy of
my car, it dawned on me that Tristan
had other people to look out for him
now. He didn’t need me anymore. He
didn’t need my sleepless nights and end-
less worrying. He didn’t need me rush-
ing out to him with fresh clothes and
Axe body wash to make him feel better.
He didn’t need me taking him to the
aquarium. He was doing just fine. And
if he wasn’t, there were other people for
him to turn to, people who understood
him and could support him better than
I ever could—or ever had. I simply wasn’t
needed anymore.
It was a tremendous loss, like every
bone in my body disappeared and I
didn’t know how to stand. It felt like I
suddenly, truly lost my son. Our entire
relationship was built around me looking
after him, managing his moods, making
his life work. I didn’t know how to be his
mom anymore.
While Tristan was wrapped in the
comfort of new friends, a new program
and a new life, I was left alone with the
emptiness of having him gone from mine.
I didn’t have a group of people in my
camp, distracting me with field trips and
outings. I didn’t know how to be “a part
of” or how to have fun, and there was
nobody to show me.
I started the car but just sat there,
hands on the steering wheel. I didn’t have
anyone to go home to, nobody to wrap me
in their arms and lend me their strength
and tell me I’d be okay. I wasn’t upset
about Tristan going to the aquarium at all.
I was upset at being left behind, alone.
After all I’d done for Tristan, it didn’t
seem fair.
73
 W H AT MOV E S YOU

STAR POWER
From their home in rural Nova Scotia, pro wrestler and
MasterChef Canada winner Jennifer Crawford works out to maintain
emotional and mental fitness as much as physical health.

Text by Lola Augustine Brown

Photographs by Carolina Andrade

Whether Jennifer Crawford is doing pull-
ups in their barn or lifting 270 pounds in
a barbell squat in their driveway, they’re
constantly striving to increase their
strength. This hard work enables them to
throw down their opponents as a profes-
sional wrestler who performs under the
moniker Moon Miss.
Even though Crawford still doesn’t self-
describe as a “fitness person,” strength
training and physical activity serve sev-
eral functions in their life. They have
always loved expressing themselves in
corporeal and kinetic ways—using move-
ment as a creative outlet. They’ve been
an athlete since childhood, starting out
as a kid who was into golf, and then play-
ing varsity rugby in university.
Primarily, f itness helps them stay
sober and well. For years, “I used alcohol
as an answer to every feeling,” Crawford
says, whether those feelings were joy or
despair, until it became clear that drink-
ing usually made life worse—and that it
was time for a big change.
2019 proved a pivot a l yea r. They
were living in Toronto and working as
a senior policy analyst. After years of
struggling w ith alcohol and a CPTSD
(complex post-traumatic stress disor-
der) diagnosis, Crawford got sober and
enrolled in an outpatient trauma treat-
ment program.
“I spent six weeks learning how to reg-
ulate my nervous system and take good
care of myself—that was a piece that was
always missing for me,” Crawford says.
“That program changed my life.”
Fresh out of treatment, Crawford—who
had no culinary training—started filming
for MasterChef Canada, a competition
show for amateur home cooks. They
won the contest and used the cash prize
to buy a farmhouse in Nova Scotia, near
where they grew up.
Once set tled in the Hants Count y
region north of Halifax, they joined a
local wrestling gym and developed the
persona Moon Miss, a drag character
they had already created for a differ-
ent cooking show, a YouTube series
called My Queer Kitchen. (In one epi-
sode, Crawford teaches viewers how to
make only in–Nova Scotia Moon Mist
ice cream, which is a combo of bubble
gum, grape and banana flavours.)
Crawford now co-produces wrestling
events in Nova Scotia through their pro-
motion company, Glory Hold Pro Wres-
tling, creating space and community for
gender-queer youth in what is otherwise
a “very cis-male-dominated” world, they
say. “Glory Hold aims to make that world
just a little bigger.”
Though there’s a lot of theatre and
performance in the ring, the wrestlers
are serious athletes who train hard and
often get hurt. Last year, Crawford had
a freak accident during a match and
sustained a tibial plateau fracture. They
were on crutches for eight weeks.
“At its weakest, my right leg had atro-
phied to f ive inches smaller than my
left,” says Crawford. They spent most
o f 202 2 slowly rebu i ld i ng t hei r leg
strength with lots of low-weight, high-
rep rehab, and by the end of October,
Moon Miss was back.
Crawford says that they have faith
their body is “hard-wired to heal, as long
as I don’t do anything stupid and stay out
of my own way.” Here’s a breakdown of
all that they engage in to feel healthy,
both physically and mentally.

BESTHEALTHMAG.CA 75
 W H AT MOV E S YOU

SETTING THE BAR Crawford revels in the painstaking work it takes to achieve a goal—like being strong enough to
do a pull-up, after training every day for months and months, “until you finally get your chin over that bar. Only
you know what you’ve been up against—it’s not just gravity. There’s something divine about that.”

FREE SOLO After years of working out in group settings, Crawford now mostly trains on their own, in a barn they’ve
outfitted to meet their fitness needs. “I push myself much harder when I’m alone,” Crawford says. “But I realize
that most people have the opposite experience.”

76 DECEMBER/JANUARY 2024
 W H AT MOV E S YOU

BUCKLE UP During matches, Crawford gets into a specific mindset as Moon Miss. They picture Moon Miss as an
alien here to visit “the earthlings,” on a quest to become the greatest wrestler in the galaxy. “Like, ‘I’m touching
down—it’s my time to shine, baby. Let’s go!’”

TOP DOG Daisy, a street dog rescued from Cairo who “fell into” Crawford’s life in June 2021, arrived with a signifi-
cant amount of anxiety and physical limitations (she only has three legs). While she can’t join her owner for long
walks or swims, she loves hopping in the car for a ride.

BESTHEALTHMAG.CA 77
 W H AT MOV E S YOU

BIG DIPPER Last March, Crawford started a daily cold-plunge ritual at a local waterfall. “I’m still coming every
day, even when it’s cooler out, and I’ll keep going as long as I can,” they say. “But I stay in the water a lot longer
in the summer.”

CHOPPING BLOCK Crawford says they learned to cook because they love to eat, and their inventiveness in the kitchen
is also clearly a creative outlet. Food is more than fuel: “It’s comfort and art and healing, connection and commu-
nity. I went through a period of my life where I counted macros and it made me feel terrible. I will never do it again.”

78 DECEMBER/JANUARY 2024
 W H AT MOV E S YOU

IN GOOD TIME “If there’s anything I have 10,000 hours of practice with, its femininity,” Crawford says. They also
perform in drag shows as Moon Mister, their character’s masculine alter ego, “because if there’s anything else I
have spent 10,000 hours studying, it’s masculinity.”

PLAY BACK Crawford is pictured here with a young fan at one of their events. In hindsight, Crawford believes they’ve
been using exercise to self-regulate for years, long before they realized that their neurodivergence was probably
why people thought they were “weird” as a kid. But it’s also what makes them so unique.

BESTHEALTHMAG.CA 79
Need To Know IN OTHER
HEALTH
THIS IS THE COLD NEWS
THAT NEVER ENDS DON’T BLOW IT
Not hard, at least:
Vigorous nose- ֑
blowing can propel
mucus into your Front Row Seat
sinuses and prolong The new Peloton Row, a
a cold. low-impact rowing machine
designed to deliver a whole-
body workout, has finally
launched in Canada. Until
January 9, the introductory
price is $3,570, including
delivery and set-up.
onepeloton.ca/row

Play It Again
According to Roku Canada,
streamers spend about
18 percent of their TV
time rewatching their
tried-and-true faves. “Our
brain releases dopamine
during activities that we
find enjoyable, like comfort
watching,” explains
Alexandra Gold, a licensed
clinical pyschologist. The
dopamine release motivates
us to repeat whatever led to

PHOTOGRAPH BY JEFFBERGEN/GETTY IMAGES; (PELOTON) COURTESY OF PELOTON

that boost, she says. Craving
the escapism of a familiar
fiction makes a lot of sense.
“A predictable show reduces
our feelings of uncertainty
in an uncertain world.”
Have you had a non-Covid cold that lasted way longer than it used
to? Or a cough that lingered...and lingered? A U.K. study led by Ancient Wisdom
Did your granny tell you
Queen Mary University of London and published in The Lancet’s
to scrub your bellybutton,
EClinicalMedicine journal has found evidence of what they dubbed behind your ears and
“long colds,” or acute respiratory infections with symptoms last- between your toes? Turns
ing for four or more weeks. The study analyzed people who’d had out her dictum is grounded
in science: A recent study
Covid, and another group who had never been infected. However, in Frontiers in Microbiology
according to Michael Gardam, an infectious diseases physician at analyzed DNA swabs from
Women’s College Hospital in Toronto, extended colds are nothing various crannies of the
body, confirming that stink-
new. It’s just our newfound awareness of long Covid that’s made causing bacteria flock to
us realize prolonged symptoms—such as inflammation in our the “moist and oily” regions
lungs, causing a persistent cough—can occur with many viruses, (ew). Drier areas such
as calves and forearms
and are experienced by some people and not others. “I don’t
had greater microbial
think there’s anything to prove that this is associated with COVID diversity—likely a sign of
infection yet,” he adds. “That would require a lot more study.” healthier skin.

80 DECEMBER/JANUARY 2024
 Penny Oleksiak, world champion swimmer
and Canada’s most decorated Olympian.

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