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By Suzanne Whittingham

March 11 is World Kidney Day. Since 2006, World Kidney Day has been held annually on the second Thursday of March. Launched jointly by the International Society of Nephrology and the International Federation of Kidney Foundations the purpose is to increase awareness and draw attention to the urgent global need for early detection and prevention of the growing epidemic of kidney disease. Every year on World Kidney Day and throughout the month of March, The Kidney Foundation of Canada, BC Branch, partners with The BC Renal Agency and health authority renal programs in BC on a range of activities and events. 

(Photo:  One of the six dialysis machines purchased in November, 2008, for the Williams Lake Dialysis Unit.)

As a result of the ongoing recall and investigation into the Salmonella contamination of Hydrolyzed Vegetable Protein (HVP) in the United States, the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA), working in collaboration with the United States Food and Drug Administration, has identified potentially affected foods in Canada.

HVP is used as a flavour enhancer in many commercially processed foods. This includes soups, hot dogs, sauces, and seasoned snack foods. All food products that include affected HVP that are also determined to pose a risk to consumers will be removed from the Canadian marketplace.

Making lifestyle changes is rarely an easy decision. If you are thinking of a way to get started, consider signing up for The Arthritis Society's Lifestyle Makeover Challenge. This is a four-week, self-directed challenge where you commit to small lifestyle improvements in order to begin a personal weight loss or physical activity journey.

Participants receive a welcome kit filled with tools to help them begin and continue their challenge, and ongoing support is available through a quarterly e-newsletter. The welcome kit contains a personal contract, an activity tracker, tips on portion sizes, healthy recipes from the Dietitians of Canada and informational booklets from The Arthritis Society, outlining the roles proper nutrition and physical activity play in managing arthritis. You can sign up for or learn more about the Lifestyle Makeover Challenge online at www.arthritis.ca/lifestyle.  www.newscanada.com

Not alone

Living in the midst of a world that daily seems to be spiraling out of control and holding little promise of a secure future, we all live with the fear of having to face it all ALONE. No one to turn to, nowhere to go, helpless, hopeless--lost. Teenager, youth, adult, elderly, single, married, divorced: sooner or later we all struggle with the desolation of isolation and the terrible despair of feeling like there is no one that cares or that we can tell what is going on deep within our hearts.

 New studies show body skin is important to age perception

Is the skin on your body playing second fiddle to your facial skin? When it comes to skin care, many women prioritize facial skin care needs in order to achieve a visibly beautiful, younger-looking face. This is only natural — people tend to notice our faces before anything else — but it can result in a marked difference between the perceived age of our face and body.

It's easy to ignore the lesser exposed areas of our body — you might think that's what clothing is for, but not every occasion calls for pants and a long-sleeved turtle neck. That's why it's important to understand the unique role body skin plays in a woman's overall perceived age.

March is National Kidney Health Month in Canada and a perfect opportunity for British Columbians to learn more about the risks of kidney disease and the benefits of early diagnosis. 

Approximately one in thirty British Columbians has some level of kidney disease, and many of these individuals are not aware that they suffer from kidney disease because there are no early symptoms. 

Do your kids think that peas come from the freezer…or that tomatoes come from a can? If so, March may be the perfect time to talk to them about where their food really comes from.

It’s Nutrition Month® and this year’s theme “Celebrate Food, From Field to Table” focuses on the celebration of nutritious food—right from where it’s grown and harvested to when it ends up on our dinner table.

The statistics are sobering.

According to the Canadian Institute for Health Information, 215 Canadians died while waiting for a donated organ in 2008, while more than 4300 waited for a life-saving transplant. During the same year, only 2,083 individuals benefitted from an organ transplant. The Canadian Organ Replacement Register indicates that three-quarters of those patients waiting for a transplant need a kidney.

Making change pays: but how do I do it?

You are dissatisfied with life or with yourself. It may be that few extra pounds. It may be your lifestyle. You may even have an addiction that is destroying your life and those around you. “It is time”, you think to yourself, “to effect a change”. But here we are already well into the new year and in the business of our daily lives we have given up on the resolutions we made so hopefully a short while ago. What we fail to realize is that the decision to change is only the beginning.

Whether it's hitting the snooze button, mindlessly surfing the Internet or even “watching and waiting” for the water to get hot enough in the shower, everyone wastes time throughout their day. Be aware of common daily time wasters; and by eliminating some (or all), you'll be able to get much more out of your day.

Lists That Work for You

If your “to-do” list is too long it may actually prevent you from crossing things off. Try creating a shorter list that includes only your top three priorities each day – you'll get a major self-esteem boost when you can cross off all three tasks, day after day, motivating you to do more in the same amount of time.