Medicare crippled when government doesn't treat us all as equals

Canadian health care violates human rights when governments cause limited or delayed access to primary and specialist care

By David Zitner
Senior Fellow
Atlantic Institute for Market Studies

Hi-Res currently unavailable

HALIFAX, N.S. /Troy Media/ - Government administration has created unhealthy inequity in the delivery of health care.

An editorial in the Nov. 1 issue of the Canadian Medical Association Journal recognizes, as have the Quebec courts, that Canadian health care violates human rights when governments cause limited or delayed access to primary and specialist care.

In Nova Scotia, medicare is evolving into a system of haves and have nots because policies of the Nova Scotia Health Authority limit the availability of family doctors and specialists.

For seniors, who have had the same doctor for many years, the problem is aggravated because these patients have increasing difficulty finding a doctor to replace physicians who are retiring.

Canadians strongly endorse the commitment made by Tommy Douglas, a founder of medicare, when he said "people should be able to get whatever health services they require irrespective of their individual capacity to pay."

Most Canadians applaud the principles of the Canada Health Act that suggest all of us should have access to the comprehensive care we need.

The fifth principle of the Canada Health Act, public administration, implies that government should be a facilitator, not a barrier to excellent care.

However, in Nova Scotia, public administration has become the barrier preventing communities, patients and medical clinics from hiring the people they need to provide timely care.

Usually, governments regulate and evaluate services. The public administration clause of the Canada Health Act puts government into the uncomfortable position of having to regulate and evaluate services that government administers.

In Nova Scotia, the insurers and administrators of care would be punished if there were an independent regulator, because many people can't get a family doctor, waiting times in emergency departments are excessive and waits for necessary surgery cause prolonged and unnecessary discomfort.

The Nova Scotia Health Authority is preventing clinics and communities from hiring the doctors they need. The result is three tiers of government-sponsored primary care.

People in the first tier, a small number, have government-funded access to care 24 hours a day, with a doctor or team of clinicians who see them in person or communicate by telephone or email.

A few other Nova Scotians also have first-tier access to around-the-clock care, but must pay privately for better access.

People in the second tier have government-funded access, mostly during the day, to a personal physician and after hours must rely on an impersonal 811 telephone service, walk-in clinics and emergency departments.

The 80,000 people in the third tier don't have a family doctor and must rely on walk-in clinics, the 811 telephone service and emergency departments for primary care.

Rather than encouraging increased access to primary care, the Nova Scotia Health Authority is using the principle of public administration to promote rationing. Clinics and communities can't hire doctors to meet the needs of the 80,000 citizens who don't have access.

Perhaps the time has come to end government's conflict of interest by removing the barrier - public administration - that prevents clinics and communities from hiring the doctors they need.

It's time to do away with the unhealthy inequity in the delivery of health care. Let governments provide health insurance so rich and poor alike have access to the care they need. Then let communities and accountable community-organized co-operatives and community-appointed boards govern and administer care.

Dr. David Zitner is a senior fellow at the Atlantic Institute for Market Studies.

© 2016 Distributed by Troy 

Everyday Living®

Healthy Fruits

A Non-Surgical Facelift Is Now an Option in the US

https://faceusa.com/news/non-surgical-facelift-now-option-us/



A Non-Surgical Facelift Is Now an Option in the US

• Posted: 12/01/2016
• Published By: FACE:USA Community
• Share:
  
  

Phyliss Cunningham is an energetic and active grandmother who wants to look as young as she feels.  “I don’t like the look of my face,” Cunningham, 59, told ABC News. “It needs a little pumping up or pulling back … just to give me a lift.”

The New Jersey resident was hesitant to undergo the surgery required for a facelift but jumped at the chance to undergo a non-surgical facelift, an option that is newly available in the United States.  The FDA cleared, non-surgical facelift is done with no general anesthesia and requires no incisions.

Dr. Julius Few, a board-certified plastic surgeon, is one of just a handful of U.S. surgeons cleared to perform the procedure, called Silhouette Instalift.  “You get to see the effect right away, but without the recovery time,” Few told ABC News.

Cunningham underwent the Silhouette Instalift last month.

The procedure involves numbing the face and then inserting a series of tiny threaded biodegradable cones in and around the cheeks and jawline. The cones are made of the same material as medical stitches and work to gently tighten the skin.

LEARN MORE About Silhouette Instalift

Cunningham said she did not feel anything during the approximately 30-minute procedure. Less than half an hour after it was complete, she saw a noticeable change. “There’s nothing hanging here,” she said. “I look gorgeous and I love it.”

Few says the results of the Silhouette Instalift last for around 18 months. The cost of the procedure starts at $3,000, a fraction of the cost of a surgical facelift. Potential side effects of the Silhouette Instalift include swelling, nerve damage and a lopsided face.

“Anytime you put a needle through the skin, you can have a small risk of infection,” Dr. Jen Ashton, ABC News Chief Women’s Health Correspondent, said of potential complications from the procedure. “There are major nerves and blood vessels in the face,” said Ashton, a practicing Ob-Gyn. “If you hit one of those you can have damage or bleeding.”

Ashton said the new technology used in the Silhouette Instalift are the cones that are threaded in and around the cheeks and jawline via a monofilament material. “These cones, or knots, in this material are thought to stimulate an inflammatory response which then triggers collagen production,” she said.

Ashton added that other options for stimulating collagen for a younger look include prescription retinoid creams and laser treatments.  When it comes to comparing the Silhouette Instalift to a surgical facelift, Ashton described it as “comparing apples to oranges.”

“Surgical facelift is really the gold standard but, again, it might not be right for every woman or man,” Ashton said. “This might be right for one person,” she said of the Silhouette Instalift. “It’s all about 

LEGOLAND® Discovery Centre Toronto identifies some family friendly holiday builds for kids

The holidays are right around the corner and that means parents will be looking for activities to do as a family when their kids are home for winter break.

"A great family activity that people don't always think about is building with LEGO® bricks," says Noel Straatsma, Master Model Builder at LEGOLAND® Discovery Centre Toronto. "Building with LEGO® bricks allows kids to use their imagination and can be a great bonding experience for the whole family."

Here are Noel's top 5 LEGO® builds to do with your kids this holiday season:

Christmas Trees – it sounds sweet and simple, but the great thing about building with LEGO® bricks is you can use your imagination! A Christmas tree can be any colour or size you want.

Gingerbread House – Avoid a sticky mess by making this year's gingerbread house out of LEGO® bricks! Whether recreating a family home or designing a funky castle, the options are endless for little budding architects. Just remember, no snacking on this one as you build!

Ornaments – If you have enough extra pieces of LEGO® bricks, work together with your kids to build ornaments for the tree! Now they can show off their work to everyone who comes to visit this holiday.

Snowman – It might be cold outside but you and your family can stay nice and warm by the fire as you build your snowman out of LEGO®. Even the most basic set of LEGO® bricks will work for this build but if you want to get more creative with colours and sizes you can find more detailed sets in the LEGOLAND® Discovery Centre Toronto store.

Santa – Who doesn’t love having Santa around the house during the holidays? Have a building competition with your kids to see who can make the best Santa and keep them on display in your home to keep you in the holiday spirit.

"Whether you are a seasoned pro when it comes to building with LEGO® bricks or someone who's just starting out, this is the perfect activity to do as a family," says Straatsma. "Everything that can be imagined, can be built at LEGOLAND® Discovery Centre Toronto and our free building stations are a great place to start this holiday."

Enjoy Rides, 4D Cinema, Master Model Builder workshops and more! Save up to 20% when booked online, and children under the age of two are free.

For more information about LEGOLAND® Discovery Centre Toronto, please visit www.legolanddiscoverycentre.ca and follow it on Facebook and Twitter.

About LEGOLAND® Discovery Centre Toronto

LEGOLAND® Discovery Centre Toronto is a heavily LEGO® themed indoor attraction that appeals to a child’s fascination with the timeless LEGO® product, taking them into a world of endless possibilities!

Gluten Free Impossibly Easy Chicken and Broccoli Pie

The whole family will enjoy this savoury pie. Loaded with chicken and cheese, it’s a great way to serve broccoli!

http://www.lifemadedelicious.ca/recipes/gluten-free-impossibly-easy-chicken-and-broccoli-pie/0dc1580c-c8a2-4571-a552-163136fee306/

What to Taste in 2017: McCormick Predicts the Future of Flavor

What to Taste in 2017: McCormick Predicts the Future of Flavor

Annual Flavor Forecast reveals the hottest flavor trends for the year ahead

HUNT VALLEY, Md., Dec. 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Today the McCormick®
Flavor Forecast® 2017 – the go-to guide for trends and ingredients set to
excite taste buds around the world – was released by McCormick &
Company, Incorporated, a global leader in flavor.

For nearly two decades, this much-anticipated annual report from McCormick
 has predicted emerging flavors – like chipotle chilies, coconut water and peri-peri
sauce – that are now found everywhere from restaurants to retail shelves and kitchen
cabinets.
"This year, the Flavor Forecast identifies cutting-edge flavors that help chefs,
 tastemakers and home cooks refresh their menus," said McCormick Executive
 Chef Kevan Vetter. "Discover a new all-purpose seasoning – Baharat. It's a
fragrant, Eastern Mediterranean blend of spices such as cumin, cardamom,
black pepper, nutmeg and more.  Sprinkle over warm, seasonal soups, stir into
tomato-based sauces, or add to your favorite chicken dish."
Here are the five flavor trends the chefs, culinary professionals, trend trackers
and flavor experts at McCormick have identified for 2017:

• Rise & Shine to Global Tastes – Breakfast options with big, global 
• flavors are being sought after by a generation of flavor adventurists not content
•  with the same boring bowl. Try warm, sweet congee or a Middle Eastern-inspired 
• breakfast hash topped with a spicy skhug sauce.
  • Taste It: Breakfast Hash with Skhug Sauce - Tender chickpeas, ground lamb
  •  or beef and roasted vegetables seasoned with a blend of coriander, cumin 
  •  and fennel.
  • Say It: Skhug [shug], this complex Middle Eastern hot sauce is made with
  •  Thai bird eye chilies, cumin, cardamom, coriander, garlic, parsley, cilantro, 
  • olive oil and lemon juice.

• Plancha: Flat-Out Grilling – Hailing from Spain, France's Basque region as well
•  as Mexico, the plancha (a thick, flat slab of cast iron) is growing in popularity 
•  around the world for creating a sizzling, smoky sear and flavor crust. Grillers can 
• easily use the plancha with meats, seafood and vegetables, paired with bold sauces,
• rubs and glazes.
  • Taste It: Espelette Pepper-Rubbed Steak a la Plancha - a zesty, 
  •  Mediterranean-herb rub enhances juicy steak grilled on a sizzling hot plancha.
    Say It: Espelette [es-PE-let] pepper, originating from the Basque region 
  • of France, delivers a distinctively smoky, sweet and mildly hot flavor.

• Egg Yolks: The Sunny Side of Flavor – Egg yolks leave breakfast behind! 
• Whether poached, fried or cured, chefs are pairing these indulgent golden gems 
• with a range of spices, herbs and sauces on lunch and dinner menus.
  • Taste It: Mediterranean Vegetable Shakshuka - Sunny-side-up egg yolks 
  •  simmered in a tomato and vegetable sauce make a rustic supper.
    Say It: Shakshuka [shahk-SHOO-kah], flavored with a savory spice blend
  •  of smoked paprika, cumin, pepper, cayenne, turmeric and caraway.

• Modern Med – Discover the new cuisine for the 21st century - melding Eastern
•  Mediterranean ingredients with Western European classics. 
  • Taste It: Persian Minestrone - Persian Ash-e reshteh meets Italian minestrone.
  • Say It: Ash-e Reshteh [OSH-e-resh-tay], a thick, hearty soup made with
  •  beans, herbs, turmeric and flat noodles.

• Sweet on Pepper – Enter the new sweet heat. With an up-front bite and lingering
•  sensation, peppercorns are finally capturing the spotlight. Their cedar and citrus notes 
•  pair perfectly with up-and-coming naturally sweet ingredients like dates and dragon fruit.
  • Taste It: Dragon Fruit & Strawberry "Poke" with Pepper Syrup - Fresh 
  •  strawberry and diced dragon fruit salad atop a dollop of peppered whipped 
  • cream and crispy wontons.
  • Say It: Poke [po-kay], create this unique take on Hawaiian poke salad with a
  •  drizzle of balsamic-pepper syrup.

To view and explore the full Flavor Forecast 2017 report, visit www.FlavorForecast.com.
About the McCormick Flavor ForecastSince 2000, the annual McCormick^®
 Flavor Forecast^® has identified top trends and ingredients driving the future of flavor.
 Each year, more than one hundred chefs, culinary professionals, trend trackers and
 flavor experts from McCormick scour and track data, insights, products, cuisines,
 recipes and restaurant menus around the globe to find what's next in flavor.  The Flavor
 Forecast is a must-have resource that inspires culinary hobbyists and professionals alike
 to explore and innovate.  Learn more at www.FlavorForecast.com.
About McCormick
McCormick & Company, Incorporated is a global leader in flavor.  With $4.3 billion in
 annual sales the company manufactures, markets and distributes spices, seasoning mixes,
condiments and other flavorful products to the entire food industry – retail outlets, food
manufacturers and foodservice businesses.  Every day, no matter where or what you eat,
you can enjoy food flavored by McCormick.  McCormick Brings Passion to Flavor™.
For more information, visit www.mccormickcorporation.com.

CONTACTS:
Laurie Harrsen	Lauren O'Leary
McCormick & Company, Inc.	APCO Worldwide
410.527.8753	646.556.9323
Laurie_Harrsen@mccormick.com	Loleary@apcoworldwide.com

Combating the over-medication of seniors

Seniors are particularly vulnerable to the effects of too many prescriptions

By Alan Cassels
Advisor
EvidenceNetwork.ca

VICTORIA, B.C. / Troy Media/ - Working aggressively to reduce their daily medication burden may be the single best thing we can do to improve the quality of life of our aging parents and grandparents.

The issue of too much medication in Canadian seniors is finally starting to be recognized as the serious problem it has become. Seniors are particularly vulnerable to the adverse effects of too many prescription drugs because aging affects their ability to process medications.

The statistics behind polypharmacy in the elderly - the term describes the simultaneous use of multiple medications - are surprising. In Canada, nearly 70 per cent of all seniors take five or more drugs and almost 10 per cent take 15 or more medications.

Many hospitalizations in the elderly are caused by adverse medication reactions, according to several recent studies. And one of the biggest health hazards for seniors is falling - often a result of multiple medications, which can cause cognitive difficulties and affect balance.

The good news is awareness of the scale of the problem is growing. More and more physicians are initiating "deprescribing" discussions with their older patients. "Deprescribing" is simply the deliberate and conscientious stopping or tapering of prescriptions to help improve health outcomes.

Some long-term care facilities are now required to do periodic medication reviews and weed out unnecessary, ineffective or hazardous pills. A recent massive  Canadian Foundation for Healthcare Improvement project has shown how to reduce the inappropriate prescribing of antipsychotic medications to seniors with dementia.

Programs, research initiatives and physician education activities on deprescribing are being carried out in most provinces. Canada's new Deprescribing Network is developing tools and information to help make deprescribing commonplace and part of the prescribing culture.

This is all a step in the right direction. Unfortunately, there's still reluctance in some quarters to cut back on medications.

Some health care providers have shown themselves to be nervous when initiating deprescribing activities, worried that they are reducing medications that specialists or other doctors have ordered. Publicly-funded medication reviews conducted by pharmacists can be flawed too, a CBC Marketplace investigation has found. Some reviews may be motivated by business reasons, resulting in more, not fewer pills for patients. The same report noted that even when done properly, medication reviews often miss the very patients who would benefit most from a review, such as the elderly or people on a high number of medications.

More than 90 per cent of seniors say they want to reduce their medications if a doctor suggests it. And who can blame them? No one wants to be on a potentially expensive medication with possible side-effects and possible risks if they don't absolutely require it.

So what should be done?

Consumer-oriented literature on medicine tends to focus on adherence and compliance to medications and not necessarily more appropriate drug treatment. And we can't forget that pharmaceutical manufacturers have a business incentive for volume and are not rewarded for appropriateness of prescribing.

Thankfully, the folks from the Canadian Deprescribing Network have identified a few areas where they see the harms of drugs often exceeding the benefits. These include, but are not limited to, benzodiazepines and other sedative medications (commonly prescribed for sleeping), proton pump inhibitors (to treat ulcers and heartburn) and sulphonylureas (to treat type-II diabetes).

Drugs that can be problematic in combination with other medications include those that treat blood pressure and glucose, where high doses of multiple medications can lead to problems. They also flag the over-use of blood thinners - which require appropriate monitoring. According to the network, these are good places to start a consultation with your doctor.

If you want to join the deprescribing revolution, don't do it by yourself. Have a conversation with your doctor or pharmacist, who will be able to help you decide if you are on the appropriate medications, which medications could be safely reduced or eliminated and how to do so.

As people get older, they should constantly ask if a new medication is going to affect the things that are important to them: their mobility, cognitive abilities and capacity to enjoy life.

Caregivers and seniors, most importantly, have to be ready to assert their wishes when it comes to taking too many medications and always be alert to the possibility that more medication might mean more problems.

Alan Cassels is an advisor with the Evidence Network and a pharmaceutical policy researcher in Victoria, B.C. He's the author of the newly published The Cochrane Collaboration: Medicine's Best Kept Secret.

© 2016 Distributed by Troy Media

Foodies Can Now Indulge in New 5-Star Home Dessert Delivery Company, Gold Leaf Gourmet

GAITHERSBURG, Md., Dec. 7, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- AUI Fine Foods, the leading
 importer of specialty pastry ingredients in the U.S., is proud to announce the launch
of their newest direct-to-consumer company, Gold Leaf Gourmet (www.goldleafgourmet.com).
 These dessert kits make the highest quality ingredients accessible to consumers, which
until now, were only available to the food service industry. 

Each kit comes pre-measured to easily prepare exquisite high-end desserts at home. 
These quality ingredients, not available in stores, provide a wonderful culinary experience
that consumers can proudly showcase at their next dinner party or event.  
"There is only one thing better than eating great desserts: making great desserts," said
 Chief Operating Officer, Augusto Martinez.  "We have been the leader in the upscale
professional pastry and baking business since 1968, and now we aim to bring that wealth
of expertise to home chefs.  These 'five star' desserts are easy to make and rival plates
even top restaurants would be proud of."

"We expect Gold Leaf Gourmet is going to satisfy a large gap in the marketplace,"
 said Beerju Patel, Director of Marketing.  "We want to be the pioneers of premium
home desserts, while staying relevant with the growing demand for at-home preparation." 
This do-it-yourself (DIY) customer takes pride in their cooking, and so we want to provide
the best ingredients in the industry to help make that a reality at home."
Just in time for the holiday season, Gold Leaf Gourmet products are available for purchase
at http://www.goldleafgourmet.com/.  Visitors can conveniently choose their dessert,
prepare at home, and enjoy with friends and family all season long.

CONTACT: Press Contact, Beerju Patel, Bpatel@auifinefoods.com, (301) 258 – 7350 x260

USDA and AUM LifeTech develop a novel Non-GMO RNA silencing approach against citrus greening with a goal to save the troubled $40 billion global citrus industry

PHILADELPHIA, Dec. 1, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- AUM LifeTech in collaboration with the
 United States Department of Agriculture has developed a novel Non-GMO RNA
 silencing approach for bacteria, insect and pathogen control with a focus on citrus
 trees and fruits. Huanglongbing, a fatal bacterial citrus disease, also known as citrus
 greening has already caused an estimated $15 billion loss in revenue to the industry.
 Citrus is the most consumed fruit in the US with an estimated annual $9 billion industry.
These numbers are rapidly changing with losses increasing and industry size decreasing
every year. According to a study funded by USDA it was noted that Florida, which
produces 66% of the total US citrus, saw an almost 60% reduction in citrus production
over the past 15 years. Brazil and China which produces almost twice than the
United States are also struggling with citrus greening.

Considering this humongous problem of citrus disease, USDA is actively looking for
 new strategies that can avoid huge losses in agriculture. Researchers at USDA are
 now using AUM's next-generation RNA silencing FANA technology to combat
with the plant pathogenic bacteria Candidatus Liberibacter and citrus pests like
citrus root weevil and Asian citrus psyllid.  Preliminary results showed an increase
in insect mortality and reduction of bacteria within citrus trees.  This is the first
evidence of successful delivery of FANA Antisense Oligonucleotides (FANA ASOs)
into plants through foliar sprays, root absorption and tree trunk injections; and provides
 a new approach for management of agricultural pests and plant pathogens.

"Given the resistance of conventional pesticides, there is an ever-growing need 
for new innovative technologies to protect plants. We are excited to share that,
 in this collaborative study with USDA Agricultural Research Service (USDA-ARS),
 our next-generation FANA RNA silencing approach has shown very promising
 data in the management of agricultural pests and pathogens due to its ability to
kill or manipulate bacteria, insects or viruses. We hope that our combined efforts
 with USDA can soon help to save billions of dollars of citrus industry," stated
Veenu Aishwarya founder and CEO of AUM LifeTech. "Importantly, although 
AUM's FANA technology works at the genetic level but it does not create
 genetically modified organisms. This is a very beneficial aspect in agriculture
 especially from an EPA registration perspective and may potentially help
 in a faster approval time," he added.

AUM LifeTech's FANA antisense technology provides a superior RNA silencing
 alternative which can provide longer persistence for topical applications in
 non-transgenic plant protection programs. Further, since FANA technology
can be self-delivered it provides significant improvements over conventional
RNAi strategies and certain gene editing technologies like CRISPR which still
need additional delivery strategies and may also have unknown permanent off-target effects.
These encouraging results in collaboration with UDSA suggest that AUM's FANA
 technology has a great potential and can be developed for insect and plant pathogen
 management for a wide spectrum of agricultural crops. The data will be presented
at the upcoming International Plant & Animal Genome XXV conference, in San Diego,
California in January of 2017.
About AUM LifeTech, Inc: At AUM LifeTech we are taking paradigm shifting steps to
 improve sustenance and human life. AUM's next generation RNA silencing and regulation
 technology has multiple applications and is being used in the development of personalized
 medicine, improving agriculture, enhancing clinical diagnostics and to advance biomedical
research. AUM LifeTech is headquartered in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA at the
 University City Science Center's Port business incubator.
For more information visit: www.aumlifetech.com

Contact Information:
AUM LifeTech, Inc
communications@aumlifetech.com 

Everyday Living®

http://www.ustrademarkexchange.com/tm/everydayliving/

Healthy body, healthy mind: a double payoff for exercise

The mental health benefits of exercise are well documented, and even moderate sadness and feelings of anxiety can be improved By Dr. Paul Latimer Columnist Troy Media KELOWNA, B.C. / Troy Media/ - Not only is exercise good for our bodies, it's also good for our minds. Most people with a regular exercise routine will tell you that it makes you feel good physically and is a helpful way of reducing stress, improving confidence and self-esteem, and increasing energy. It adds to a general sense of well-being. Although most fitness research in the past focused on physical and health benefits, growing evidence shows that exercise also improves and promotes mental health. Beyond simple stress relief, exercise can help reduce depression and anxiety, this new research shows. Exercise increases endorphin levels in the brain. These chemicals act as the body's pain killers and cause increased feelings of happiness. An American university study examined people suffering from depression over a four-month period. It found that 60 per cent of those who exercised for at least 30 minutes three times a week overcame their depression without medication. This is the same success rate as for those who only used medication to treat their depression. These are promising results - and they aren't the only ones available on the subject. Several other studies have consistently shown that exercise can lead to a significant reduction in depression. Research also shows that these benefits can begin as early as the first exercise session and may last after the exercise is finished. Other studies examined the relationship between exercise and anxiety. Analysis of many studies conducted over the past several decades found that more than 80 per cent concluded that physical activity and fitness are related to the reduction of anxiety. Aerobic exercise such as running, swimming or cycling seems to be the most effective. Of course, you don't have to have a clinically significant amount of depression or anxiety to receive the mental health benefits of exercise. Even moderate sadness and feelings of anxiety can be improved with exercise. The relationship between mental health and exercise can also work in reverse. A recent study published in the American Journal of Public Health examined teenagers. It found that those with low levels of physical activity and more sedentary behaviour had a much higher likelihood of developing depression after one year. The study concluded that this lack of activity constituted a risk factor for depression. Mental ability can also improve with exercise. Some research shows that regular exercise improves cognitive function. One study at a university in Japan looked at a group of volunteers who began a jogging regimen. Their memory and mental ability increased throughout the study. When the exercise stopped, the benefits reduced, showing the importance of regular and maintained exercise. All of this is promising for those suffering from these psychiatric conditions, but simple exercise is not be a cure-all. Not everyone will get better without more formal treatment from a doctor. If you are depressed or anxious, it is still wise to speak with your doctor about it. Don't be discouraged if jumping on the treadmill doesn't make you feel completely better. Other help is also available. On the other hand, exercise will not make you worse and everyone can benefit to some degree. These benefits can be felt even with moderate exercise. You don't necessarily have to spend hours and hours a week at the gym. The important thing is just to get out there and get moving - for your physical and mental well-being. Dr. Paul Latimer is president of Okanagan Clinical Trials and a Kelowna psychiatrist. Paul is included in Troy Media's Unlimited Access subscription plan. © 2016 Distributed by Troy Media