Connect with us

Health and Wellness

New research reveals four critical barriers to building healthier Canadian cities

Published

on

Many streets around the globe have gotten increasingly inhospitable to children and the elderly due to growing traffic and road safety problems that discourage these groups from engaging in energetic transport comparable to walking or cycling. Recently, there was an emphasis on designing cities that support the well-being of people of all ages from eight to 80 just isn’t only a catchy slogan, but a crucial requirement to adapt to changing demographic realities.

Likewise the concept City quarter-hour has gained plenty of attention in recent times – despite baseless conspiracies accusing local authorities of conspiring to confine residents to a small radius around their homes.

In a 15-minute city, an important thing is accessibility, saving time and expanding opportunities for everybody, not only the richest. Achieving this goal and designing healthier spaces starts with a comprehensive understanding of the impact of the urban environment on our health and well-being, in addition to a practical take a look at current barriers to healthier city design.

Advertisement

Our recent research — conducted with the assistance of research assistants Shanzey Ali and Agnes Fung and the Regina and Saskatchewan City Health Authority and currently awaiting peer review, aimed to understand these barriers.

Designing higher spaces

Research shows that the layout of streets, access to grocery stores, the choice of building materials when designing apartments and the distribution of public services all play a key role in influencing our health and well-being.

Neighborhoods with accessible public and community spaces and social events have been shown to improve mental health, increase happiness and offer sense of belonging and community. At the identical time, grocery stores, community gardens, and farmers markets have been shown to be easily accessible improve mental, social and physical health.

A vendor sets up his pumpkin stand at a farmers’ market in Montreal, October 6, 2020. Access to social spaces like farmers’ markets has been shown to improve mental, social and physical health.
THE CANADIAN PRESS/Paul Chiasson

So how can we create more favorable built environments? This is where urban planning comes into play, as city policymakers develop and implement policies that may change the structure, use, and regulation of public spaces in cities.

Advertisement

An advanced dance between urban planning and health takes place deep historical roots. The early use of sanitation and zoning to control epidemics of infectious diseases within the nineteenth century is well established and these efforts proceed to this present day.

Meanwhile, global agencies comparable to the World Health Organization (WHO) and the United Nations (UN) are advocating for the combination of health and equity into city governance. Actually, UN Sustainable Development Goal 11 goals to create inclusive, resilient, protected and sustainable cities. Cities are due to this fact well placed to protect population health and reduce health inequalities in a changing climate.

Daily challenges

So why aren’t we seeing more urban design policies specializing in the health and well-being of residents? Our findings make clear four key issues.

1 – Lack of shared understanding of health equity

Advertisement

Policymakers lacked a shared understanding of health and equity, highlighting the complexity of addressing health inequalities and implementing effective policies. Although the importance of physical and mental health has been widely known, there’s a glaring gap in the popularity of this health social dimension of health.



Policymakers often struggled to find common ground on health and equity, making meaningful motion difficult. As one policymaker noted, “I don’t think our (design) standards have ever been considered from a health perspective.”

2 – Evidence will likely be unavailable

Although policymakers recognized evidence (data) as a vital element of policymaking, they explained that there have been significant barriers to accessing it. Administrative roadblocks, comparable to lack of coordination between and inside provincial and municipal governments, can prevent access to key data needed to inform policymaking.

Advertisement

Financial barriers comparable to paywalls can block access to research. Meanwhile, technical barriers – including the educational community’s use of jargon and overly technical language – can hinder the accessibility of educational literature.

A large building in the background, a field and flower beds in the foreground.
The Legislative Assembly of Saskatchewan in the town of Regina, Sask. The lack of inter- and intra-governmental communication may impede free access to relevant evidence and data in provincial and municipal governments.
(Shutterstock)

As one decision maker put it, “There’s a lot of academic knowledge and terminology used that can be overwhelming, and no one wants to leave the room feeling stupid.” As a result, sometimes the most effective approach just isn’t well understood by city actors, creating greater demand for knowledge translation and accessible research.

3 – Government structures are fragmented

Another obstacle is the fragmented management structure, marked by siloing. Lack of coordination between various departments and divisions within the municipality may end in missed opportunities for cooperation. Differences in the usage of terminology can exacerbate the issue, causing confusion and hindering cross-sectoral work.

Conflicts between the goals of various departments, for instance between energetic transport planners and traffic engineers, highlight the challenges that siled management creates. As one policymaker noted, “We seemed to have implemented many policies that largely favored vehicle traffic over pedestrian and cyclist traffic.”

Advertisement


Adding complexity to the combo is limited legal power of local governments in Canada. Considered “provincial creatures”, municipalities can only exercise powers delegated to them by the provincial government, which suggests that, in theory, municipalities’ powers may be modified or withdrawn at their discretion.

Ambiguity over the roles and responsibilities of municipalities versus provincial governments creates tensions and costs as municipalities struggle with disagreements over whose jurisdiction falls on certain issues. Most often, this ends in financing decisions that impact healthy urban design.

4 – Political ideologies get in the best way

In addition to bureaucratic challenges, different political ideologies pose a formidable barrier.

Advertisement
Elevated highway with long lines of traffic.
The Gardiner Expressway is visible during heavy traffic in Toronto, Ontario. The costs to society of driving may be up to 900 times higher than cycling or walking the identical distance.
THE CANADIAN PRESS/Andrew Lahodynskyj

The integration of health in city design is rooted in the concept of ​​collectivism, which goals to maximize advantages for the community as an entire. Although the present favoring of car-oriented roads in most areas reflects a libertarian individualism at odds with collective ideals in urban design.

This imbalance is especially striking when taken into consideration much higher costs to society from driving relatively than walking or cycling.

Policymakers have noted that these political ideologies pervade public opinion, creating resistance to policies perceived as infringing on individual freedoms, while policies that only profit minorities are met with opposition in the event that they involve personal disadvantages.

We found that an example of this problem was the fierce resistance to proposals to provide safer conditions for sex employees from those that wanted them in out-of-sight areas.

Overcoming these barriers

The path to creating healthier and more equitable cities is fraught with challenges. From a scarcity of shared understanding to unavailable evidence, fragmented governance and legal constraints on municipalities, and different political ideologies, the barriers are multifaceted. However, understanding these challenges is step one towards meaningful change.

Advertisement

By fostering collaboration, restructuring governance, empowering local governments and promoting a collective mindset, we are able to pave the best way for higher integrating health into urban policies that actually support the well-being of entire communities.

This article was originally published on : theconversation.com
Advertisement
Continue Reading
Click to comment

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Health and Wellness

The new study reveals fruit that reduces blood pressure

Published

on

By


The new study suggests that dietary potassium management, especially by Eating more bananas is usually a simpler strategy for lowering blood pressure than simply focusing After reducing sodium consumption.

New research, published in, advisable He says that individuals with high blood pressure activate bananas of their food plan with a decrease in salt intake to raised manage blood pressure. Discoveries are an alternative choice to the universal practice of advising patients only to cut back sodium intake to manage blood pressure.

“Usually, when we have high blood pressure, it is recommended to eat less salt,” said Anita Layton, one among the authors of the study from the University of Waterloo. “Our research suggests that adding more potassium -rich foods to a diet, such as bananas or broccoli, can have a greater positive effect on blood pressure than just sodium cutting.”

Advertisement

Almost a 3rd of adults all over the world is affected by high blood pressure, which may result in serious complications, equivalent to heart disease, stroke, chronic kidney disease and dementia. Sodium and potassium – each vital electrolytes – HELP regulate muscle spasms and support the vital body functions, equivalent to maintaining fluid balance.

According to the newest research, INThe attachment of potassium ratio within the food plan might be simpler in lowering blood pressure than simply reducing sodium intake. The discoveries explain earlier studies, which combined higher potassium intake with higher blood pressure control, but didn’t have clear tips about the perfect potassium balance to soda needed to realize optimal results.

“Although the relationship between excessive sodium intake in the diet and increased blood pressure is well received among society, the beneficial effects of higher dietary potassium intake in the past did not return historically,” scientists say.

New study applied a mathematical model specific to gender to judge Like potassium ratio to sodiumTS Body. Scientists say that this modern approach to modeling ensures faster and more ethical ways of studying how various factors affect human health.

Advertisement

“The first people ate many fruits and vegetables, as a result of which our body’s regulatory systems could evolve to work best with a high potassium diet, low sodium content,” says Melissa Stadt’s doctorate. Candidate for the University of Waterloo and other writer of the study.

“Today Western diets are much higher in sodium and lower in potassium,” added Stadt. “This can explain why high blood pressure occurs mainly in industrialized societies, not in isolated societies.”

(Tagstranslatate) high blood pressure

Advertisement
This article was originally published on : www.blackenterprise.com
Continue Reading

Health and Wellness

It was the wellness retreat that changed my relationship with my body

Published

on

By

Getty images

Advertisement

When I first heard about the synchronization of the cycle, I was fresh after school and worked in my first industry work. It was intense, and the fraudster syndrome often causes anxiety and crying in the bathroom. A friend lent me his copy of Alissa Vitti’s Women’s code as an answer and I was obsessed. Not because I saw it as practical or concerned, but since it was so aspirative. The synchronization of the cycle is the concept of food, exercise and strategic work based on where you’re in the menstrual cycle. Vitti swore him and claimed that it was a response to lush hair, self -confidence and glow of each girl.

As someone who was in an extended -term relationship with Uber Eats, he spent 10 hours a day glued to the screens and often pulling all the impurities, I felt like I was reading about a unique species of girls, because what lived in accordance with your cycle? I examine these women about how I examine dinosaurs as a baby. They were fictitious. They needed to be. Finally, these women and the synchronization of the cycle left my mind. There was no point in keeping information that I could not use. As long as my health began to get along with me.

Weakening cramps, anxiety, migraines, heavy fog of the brain and mood swings absorbed me for 2 weeks every month. The doctors wrote it back normally, but how was my body to war with one another, be considered normal? In the late Nineteen Twenties, I reached a breakthrough point, with none answers to Western doctors.

Advertisement

Under the influence of whim, I entered Google “Women’s Hormonal Health Retreat” and got here across Bliss radiation program In Koh Samui, Thailand. Desperate answers, I immersed and reserved a nine -day retreat. It was enough to call before arrival to know that I made the right decision. Unlike Western modalities, the program was designed with the awareness that every woman was different. They desired to know the whole lot, from family history to emphasize level and reproductive goals. For the first time, it seemed that my health fears had matters, someone listened and that there have been solutions. And the retreat has not yet began.

It was the wellness retreat that changed my relationship with my body
Kamalaya Koh Samui

According to Kamalayi’s head, Kate Upton, I wasn’t alone. “Many women think that their body acts against them when they come to pathologies related to hormones-but in most cases your body fails, just your body needs are not fully supported,” he says.

“In many respects, modern culture arranges the chances of the health of female hormones, from chronic stress to poor diet and environmental toxins. Although this implementation may seem overwhelming at the beginning, it actually strengthens.”

Within nine days spent in Kamalaya, I was spoiled with 19 different treatments adapted to my specific hormonal needs, including consultation with naturopathy, acupuncture, face acupressure, IV therapy and stomach massage. Every practitioner I worked with explained the signs that showed my body and helped me understand the basic reasons for the symptoms that Western doctors told me that they were normal. While Western Medicine told me that PMS and extreme cramps were inevitable, Eastern medicine showed me in another way.
I was encouraged to steer clear of the sauna, spicy food and nuts, because I had an excessive amount of warmth and stagnation in my body, which explained my anxiety, sensitivity to the sun and a slow lymphatic system.

I also learned harmless ways that on a regular basis life disturbed my hormonal balance. There are hormonal interference around us. Items equivalent to plastic containers, nail polish, hairspray, some smell, makeup products and pesticides can interfere with hormonal regulation. Even unaded kitchen utensils can result in imbalance. According to Upton, women also need to remember more unhealthy lifestyle practices, equivalent to bad sleep hygiene, lack of borders, dysfunctional relationships, overwork and even late. And these are subtle changes that you will need to be careful for.

Advertisement

“Early symptoms of imbalance may occur as mood swings, fatigue, irregular periods or difficulties in weight management,” says Upton. “As hormonal progress progresses, they can manifest themselves as conditions such as infertility, hot strokes, night sweats, sleep disorders, headaches and chronic fatigue.” Think about these symptoms as a body that sound an alarm and asking for a solution. Ignoring them exposes to the risk of balance disorder in a more serious condition, equivalent to PCOS, hypothyroidism and endometriosis.

It was the wellness retreat that changed my relationship with my body
Kamalaya Koh Samui

Black women develop fibroids more often, Pcos and other hormone ailments than another population. With recent reports of functional aspects present in synthetic hair braid Collective lawsuit Against the brands relaxing, the reason for higher indicators of reproductive health problems seems obvious.

But the solution doesn’t necessarily require saying goodbye to the boxes of braids endlessly (because I do know I can not). Kamalaya taught me that supporting your hormonal health requires external help. It may seem like employment helps reduce stress, regular acupuncture and even switching of raw cleansing chemicals. It often seems to us that the change should be drastic, but to make it everlasting, it’s mandatory to take a small and consistent motion.

One of the biggest physical changes for me was the inclusion of lymphatic drainage by self-massage or with a therapist. For the holistic doctor, Nazanin Kourdou is the one that most frequently recommends patients struggling with PCOS and endometriosis.

“Manual lymphatic drainage massage helps the body to accelerate its natural detoxification processes, which helps to remove excess hormones that contribute to states such as PCOS, endometriosis and myomas,” he says. “Million reduces inflammation, improves circulation and helps break the scar and fibroids, which helps in flatulence, pelvic congestion and chronic pain.”

Advertisement

Other practices to think about hormonal health support are respiration classes, yoga, increased physical activity and proper nutrition.

This article was originally published on : www.essence.com
Advertisement
Continue Reading

Health and Wellness

Do you want simpler teeth or a gap between? Do not believe in Tiktok – submitting them is not an answer

Published

on

By

After a long time, Hollywood presenting a smile on a white piccie, the world fell in love with White Lotus Aimee Lou Wood.

Wood was intimidated for her appearance in her youth and He expressed gratitude In the case of positive comments she received about her teeth, since she appeared on White Lotus. She also joked that individuals should not tackle drastic measures, similar to folding teeth to repeat her famous gap.

But the influence of social media promise that folding teeth is a quick method to achieve a easy smile. Some even use influence Electric nail exercises to chop the gaps between the front teeth.

Advertisement

Several of my patients admit that they’re taking a nail file to “strengthen” or have laid down tooth edges. Many do it without understanding what they cut off.

This is why you should think twice about folding your teeth at home and why we as dentists or orthodontists now and again resort to it.

When can a dentist fold a tooth?

Dentists and orthodontists now and again assemble the tooth enamel, often called enamel, to conservingly easily replace the crushed tooth or even out a smile.

But correction For a man’s smile, there are minutes and all the time limited to the superficial layer of tooth enamel.

Advertisement

Why do dentists do not put their teeth routinely?

Dentists and orthodontists listen to what and after we cut, since the teeth do not grow back like nails or hair.

Dentists would ever only remove a minute of enamel.
Ashosa

So what is a tooth? Tooth Like an eggwith an outer shiny jacket cloak of enamelled crystal hard Already resilient dentine.

The enamel and dentin surround the central ventricle – containing blood vessels, cells and nerves – called pulp.

The outer pulp of the pulp is surrounded and nourished with special dental cells called Odontoblasts.

Advertisement

. Odontoblasts They are much like our bone cells, but they haven’t any regeneration ability. These cells ultimately cave in Age -related changes or injury.

Our enamel production cells Die when our teeth cut the gums as children, which implies that we will not make recent or repaired enamel.

Such a damaged enamel or dental on the outer surface of the tooth cannot close.

Cut teeth without sealing and filling them can leave the tooth exposed, destroying the previously well -insulated pulp and causing sensitivity and pain.

Advertisement

Infections can occur because bacteria from the plate in the mouth move into a tooth and light-weight the pulp.

And like cutting the skin, the flesh comes on and swells as a part of the healing process. But your pulp is enclosed in a hard enamelled chamber, so there is no room for extension and swelling, which ends up in a pulsating tooth pain.

What can you do if you want to alter your teeth?

You can change your smile without prejudice to the integrity of teeth. Dentists may even create or close the gaps.

And we are going to all the time offer conservative options, including “lack of treatment” to maintain as much teeth as possible and healthy.

Advertisement

Sometimes your dentists and orthodontists can offer options:

  • use orthodontic appliance move your teeth. Moving teeth can bring a different smile, and sometimes change the form and site of the jaws, lips and cheeks

  • Whiten teeth remove superficial spots in order that your smile looks more visually

  • adapt the white resin fillings or veneers Add and alter the form of the teeth, with a small or no small cut of the tooth.

If you are anxious concerning the appearance of your teeth, refer to the dentist or orthodontist about options that do not damage your teeth and do not survive the space.

Do not forget that the enduring Aimee Lou Wood smile makes it stand out from the gang. Your smile makes you special and is a part of who you are.

Advertisement


This article was originally published on : theconversation.com
Continue Reading
Advertisement

OUR NEWSLETTER

Subscribe Us To Receive Our Latest News Directly In Your Inbox!

We don’t spam! Read our privacy policy for more info.

Trending