Health Concerns

If you enjoy eating persimmons, please know that it's best to avoid eating their skins.

Persimmon skins are one of several foods that can contribute to the buildup of an indigestible mass in the gastrointestinal tract - called a bezoar - that can lead to serious complications and a need for surgery if the mass gets large enough to obstruct the GI tract. Read more about Persimmon Skins and Other Foods that Can Cause Obstruction in the GI tract

This is a mobility exercise routine that most can comfortably do while in bed.

Begin with ankle circles while supine, clockwise and counter-clockwise. Follow this up by alternating between plantar flexion and dorsiflexion. Read more about Mobility Exercises You Can Do In Bed

In a suburb of Ottawa, there's a river that mostly freezes over in the winter and becomes a trail for snowmobiling enthusiasts. This river narrows as it runs past the backyard of a friend of mine. Narrowing translates to faster water flow, which makes it less likely that the river will freeze over in that location.

My friend tells me that just about every year, one or two unsuspecting snowmobilers come ripping down the river trail and end up going through thin ice and drowning. Just a few years ago, a man and his young daughter tragically died in this way.

Even if you aren't into snowmobiling, cross-country skiing, ice fishing, or other popular outdoor winter activities, it doesn't hurt to know how to maximize your chances of surviving if you fall through ice.

In the following videos, Dr. Gordon Giesbrecht - a thermo-physiologist and professor at the University of Manitoba - shares tips on how to survive after falling into icy cold water. Below the video, you'll find a summary of a few key points to share with loved ones. Read more about What To Do If You Fall Through Ice

This is a simple routine of spinal mobility exercises that I have long found useful to those who have a tendency to "throw out" their back or experience chronic and intermittent back pain from various sprains and strains, including those involving intervertebral discs. Read more about What To Do If You Have A Tendency To Throw Out Your Back