Best Health

Activate your natural radiance

Glowing Skin + Immune Boost

www.activationproducts.com



ĉpŨŝíĉİėŝŝėƣƖƎļíƫƣśė íĉŝíĐŒś ƎėƖ ŒŝíėLjɋƎ ǂ Sėƣ ƖƣííƖŝƣĐė Ɩķ İėƎŒƋėƖí ƣƣ ķƣŨėŨśɈ ƖŒėėƋɆ

The Better Absorbing, Better Tasting,
Best Loved Magnesium!

Available wherever natural health products are sold

naturalcalm.ca RI SURâWV DUH GRQDWHG WR
KHOS HQG ZRUOG SRYHUW\
WKULYHIRUJRRG RUJ

Contents
FEBRUARY / MARCH 2021

FOUR THINGS YOU CAN DO TLTEHHAIISNRGINSSESDWUEE
TO KICK THOSE WINTER BLUES ֑

TO THE CURB P.39

Press on nails No. 1: Start playing with makeup again. Remember makeup?
are back (plus
PHOTOGRAPH BY DANI REYNOLDS 450 OConvtehre three other beauty
trends to have on
TAKBEONSTUOTMLNBEEETRPOLOADFSETYCIECOAMSRHPSOAIMSTEP.OO your radar in 2021).

PAGE 20 PAGE 7

The health benefits
of mushrooms.

PAGE 14

Whether a Peloton
bike is worth the
investment.

PAGE 16

What to do if your
online shopping
habit is getting out
of control.

PAGE 18

The new thing
people are trying
to kick-start
their sex drive.

PAGE 22

What it’s like to
be a death doula
during the Covid-19
pandemic.

PAGE 28

How to make
the tastiest Spicy
and Sour Soup.

PAGE 32

We hope you get a break during this weird winter to sit poolside
in your mind and pretend you are somewhere else (don't forget
the balloons). Photograph by Raina + Wilson; Hair and Makeup
by Sandra Yang; Wardrobe by Terri Dacquisto; Props by Leanne
Kelly. Model Shea-Lynn Noyes, represented by Plutino Models,
is wearing a sweater by Ascot and Hart, swimwear by L Space
available at Loversland, sunglasses by Le Spec available at Zane
and necklace by Deux Leon available at Zane. Bag by Susan
Alexandra available at Loversland.

BESTHEALTHMAG.CA 1

$šØ5ØÍӋԡN5 Äâ Äčӎ‰ Ä$Zԡомон

FROM THE BIG READS

Obstetrician and “It’s the fluctuation in estrogen that OOUURTTFAAKVEE
gynecologist leads to all those bothersome symptoms ֑
Dr. Lindsay in the perimenopausal period.”
Shirreff Actor Aurora
Browne:
PAGE 46 Tell me about your
tweezing set up.
Political science “On the days that are darker, we can
professor choose to embrace ever more gentleness. Writer: Now that
Aisha Ahmad When external conditions are ruthless, I’m WFH I have
compassion is a revolutionary act.” a morning light
PAGE 66 session and a 2 p.m.
session, when I
56 60 get the chin hairs
that are stiff and
Dietitian “Food nourishes us physically and have just broken PHOTOGRAPH (ANTHONY) SHEKEIDRA BOOKER; (CLOCKS) RAINA+WILSON; (BROWNE) MATT BARNES PHOTOGRAPHY
and author emotionally. And that’s okay. Oreos through. Then I do
Abby Langer are a high-value food sometimes one more session
because, sometimes, I need an Oreo.” before the sun goes
PAGE 26 “Instead of shutting down my down, when I can
vulnerability, I worked on becoming more see the hairs that
Playwright and vulnerable. Instead of telling people I was have gotten longer
life coach fine, I shared my disappointment.” and soft.
Trey Anthony “It’s just fun to go through what the
science says about the little decisions AB: Tell me about
PAGE 56 we make throughout the day. ” your mirror.

Relax, Dammit! W: It’s just a regular
author Timothy wall mirror.
Caulfield
AB: Okay, get a little
PAGE 60 10x magnification
mirror, and then put
it on the window.
Because then you
can belly up to it and
you get the best light
possible. Maybe just
make sure it’s not
a window that faces
the street, because
you’re going to
spend some time
there. You can keep
your tweezers on
the window ledge.

More from Baroness
Von Sketch’s Aurora
Browne in our
Perimenopause Field
Guide, pg. 46

4 EDITOR’S NOTE 7 TREND REPORT 14 ADVICE 32 RECIPES 39 GOODS 72 THE COMEBACK

2 FEBRUARY/MARCH 2021



FROM THE EDITOR

In the years I’ve spent making magazines,
this is the first cover shoot that’s involved
a multi-coloured inflatable pool filled with
dozens of blue balloons.

WE WANTED THIS month’s cover to feel ֏ helps to have a killer art team that sees pos-
like a shot of sunshine on what was pretty Gotta say, it was sibility where others see limitations. What
much guaranteed to be a cold, grey day hard to not be on I love most about the cover, though, is that
(it is February, after all). To feel like an set for this. Mostly it speaks to so many aspects of pandemic
escape. We were less sure of how to pull because it looked life: We are all adapting to curveballs that
it off, especially considering the inten- constantly upend our routines. We are
sifying lockdowns that rolled out across so darn fun. all solving problems in new and creative
Canada in January. I won’t give away any ways. And when the need to escape starts
industry secrets here, except to say that it PHOTOGRAPH BY RAINA + WILSON to feel more intense, we’re all daydream-
ing of being somewhere — anywhere — else.
4 (Emphasis on daydreaming, for the politi-
cians who need to hear it.)

This cover also signals another step in
the evolution of Best Health — a redesign
that aims to bring you more of the con-
tent you love. Our new “Vitals” section is
designed to educate, inform and intro-
duce fresh points of view. It’s packed with
stories about the latest fitness and beauty
trends, revealing interviews with trailblaz-
ing women and mini-guides that answer all
your burning questions, like whether can-
nabis can kick-start your sex drive. (The
short answer? It’s complicated. See page
22.) It’s also where you’ll find solid advice
on finance and nutrition, as well as healthy
and delicious ways to shake up dinner. (Do
not sleep on chef Nuit Regular’s Spicy and
Sour Soup on page 32.)

In “Goods” you’ll find product recos
aimed at everyday problems (such as how
to kick the winter blues, page 39). And our
feature section, as always, showcases in-
depth looks at the people, places, ideas
and issues (oh hi, perimenopause — page
46) that matter most to your health.

We hope this issue of Best Health offers
its own kind of mini-escape — a chance to
get lost in its pages, have a laugh and learn
a thing or two along the way. Balloons not
included.

CHRISTINA VARDANIS
Editor-in-chief

FEBRUARY/MARCH 2021

CHRISTOPHER DORNAN
CHAIRMAN OF THE BOARD
The Reader’s Digest Magazines Canada Limited

JAMES ANDERSON
PUBLISHER AND NATIONAL SALES DIRECTOR

BARBARA ROBINS
VICE PRESIDENT AND LEGAL COUNSEL

CHRISTINA VARDANIS
EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

ART DIRECTOR NICOLA HAMILTON
MANAGING EDITOR REBECCA PHILPS
RENÉE REARDIN
DIGITAL EDITOR REBECCA GAO
ASSISTANT DIGITAL EDITOR LISA FIELDING
MARTHA BEACH
COPY EDITOR
RESEARCHER

CONTRIBUTORS
Aisha Ahmad, Franny Alder, Sadiya Ansari, Alyssa Ball, Wilson Barry, Nechelle Bartley, LeeAndra Cianci, Terri Dacquisto, Christina Frangou,

Jean Grant, Danielle Groen, Laura Jeha, Leanne Kelly, Caitlin Kenny, Raina Kirn, Ka Young Lee, Geoff Martin, Ishani Nath,
Shea-Lynn Noyes, Salini Perera, Shannon Nocos, Kate Rae, Dani Reynolds, Leah Rumack, Suech and Beck, Hannah Sung, Wing Sze Tang,

Alicia Cox Thomson, Shirley Truong, Christie Vuong, Rachel Wada, Meaghan Way, Ingrie Williams, Sandra Yan

CONTENT OPERATIONS MANAGER LISA PIGEON
CIRCULATION DIRECTOR EDWARD BIRKETT

THE READER’S DIGEST ASSOCIATION (CANADA) ULC

MAGAZINE PRODUCT MANAGER MIRELLA LIBERATORE
FINANCIAL DIRECTOR CORINNE HAZAN
MELISSA SILVERBERG
NATIONAL ACCOUNT EXECUTIVE, TORONTO KELLY HOBSON
MARKETING AND RESEARCH DIRECTOR MELISSA WILLIAMS
LISA SNOW
HEAD OF MARKETING SOLUTIONS & NEW PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT
PRODUCTION MANAGER

TRUSTED MEDIA BRANDS INC.

PRESIDENT AND CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER BONNIE KINTZER
CHIEF CONTENT OFFICER, READER’S DIGEST BRUCE KELLEY
EDITOR-IN-CHIEF, READER’S DIGEST CANADA MARK PUPO

PRINTED AND PUBLISHED SIX TIMES A YEAR BY THE READER’S DIGEST MAGAZINES CANADA LIMITED.

SUBSCRIBE SUBSCRIBER SERVICE EDITORIAL OFFICE
Best Health publishes 6 issues per year and may Pay your bill, view your account online, change 121 Bloor Street East, Suite 430
occasionally publish special issues (special issues your address and browse our FAQs: Toronto, ON M4W 3M5
count as two), subject to change without notice. besthealthmag.ca/contact Email: [email protected]
Subscriptions, $26.97 a year, plus $7.99 postage, Website: besthealthmag.ca
processing and handling. Please add applicable taxes. Email: [email protected]
Outside Canada, $47.96 yearly, including postage, Write: Reader’s Digest, Customer Care Centre, P.O.
processing and handling. (Prices and postage Box 970, Stn. Main, Markham, ON L3P 0K2
subject to change without notice.) ISSN 1919-0387

MAIL PREFERENCE
Reader’s Digest maintains a record of your purchase and sweepstakes participation history for customer service and marketing departments, which enables us to offer the
best service possible, along with quality products we believe will interest you. Occasionally, to allow our customers to be aware of other products and services that may
be of interest to them, we provide this information to other companies. Should you wish, for any reason, not to receive such offers from other companies, please write to:
Privacy Office, Reader’s Digest, 5101 Buchan Street, Montreal, QC, H4P 1S4. You may also write to this address if you no longer wish to receive offers from Reader’s Digest,
or should you have any questions regarding your record or wish to examine or correct it.

Vol. 14, No. 1. Copyright © 2021 by The Reader’s Digest Magazines Canada Limited. Reproduction in any manner in whole or in part in English or other languages prohibited.
All rights reserved throughout the world. Protection secured under International and Pan-American copyright conventions. Publications Mail Agreement No. 40070677.
Postage paid at Montreal. Return undeliverable Canadian addresses to The Reader’s Digest Magazines Canada Limited, 300-5101 Buchan Street, Montreal, QC, H4P 1S4.

The opinions expressed herein are those of the respective authors and not necessarily those of Best Health or Reader’s Digest. Neither Best Health nor Reader’s Digest will
be liable for any damages or losses, howsoever sustained, as a result of the reliance on, or use by a reader or any other person of, any information, opinions or products
expressed or contained herein. Before starting any program or diet, always consult with your healthcare team.

We acknowledge with gratitude the financial support of the Government of Canada.
Nous remercions le Gouvernement du Canada pour son appui financier.

The ultimate green superfood

Naturally packed
with nutrients that
boost your health.

Use code OA15FORME
at checkout to receive
15% off your purchase.

www.activationproducts.com

All your steamy ÿǏȾśǦȴ If steamy soup’s
questions more your thing,

about sex after 35, we’ve got that
answered. covered, too.

PAGE 22 PAGE 32

Trend Report

MEET THE NEW ROCK STAR
OF THE AT-HOME MANI

Hassle-free press-ons now come in many shapes, colours and designs, and fit better than ever.
Time to have some fun. Press Refresh nails by Shirley Truong/Tips Nail Bar.

BY LEAH RUMACK z Nail bars were among $15 for a pack of 24) from brands like Helios, the owner of Tips Nail Bar, acted fast. Her
the first services to close under COVID-19 L’Oréal Paris Colour Riche, Quo Beauty, Kiss two locations for cool-girl nail art had
restrictions and the last to reopen, but peo- and Impress, nail bars across the country just recovered from the last shutdown, so
ple still want cute nail looks for a little pick- have been launching their own custom when one of her employees suggested they
me-up (it’s the small things!). Enter easy, lines of next-level pressies, created by an start a custom press-on nails brand, Colley
effortless press-ons. They’ve come a long army of talented nail artists who might oth- launched Press Refresh.
way since Lee Press-On Nails were launched erwise be out of work.
back in 1985. While there are lots of afford- “It really helps to keep our creativity
able drugstore options now (usually $10 to When a second lockdown started loom- going,” she says. The product also helps
ing for Toronto in the fall, Leeanne Colley, her customers satisfy their obsession with

BESTHEALTHMAG.CA PHOTOGRAPH BY SUECH AND BECK WITH STYLING BY FRANNY ALDER 7

VITALS

having Instagram-worthy nails. Clients instant polished look or a great base. Get a DON’T ѥ
send in their precise nail measurements, wash of rosy or champagne shimmer with MISS
and each set is hand-painted. Prices start Burt’s Bees new Color Nurture Cream Eye
at $40 for a solid shade and range from Shadow, try a sparkly shade of L’Oréal Par- Neutrogena Hydro
$75 to $120 for a designer set, where you is’s new Age Perfect Creamy Eyeshadow Boost hyaluronic
can choose from one of the designs on the or go for a saturated colour with one of the acid serum, $24,
website or collaborate directly with a Tips 24 new releases in MAC’s Pro Longwear neutrogena.com
nail artist. Bonus: If you use the included Paint Pot collection.
gel tabs to apply your Press Refresh (as Annabelle’s
opposed to a separately purchased glue), “I’m usually doing my eyeshadow in the Retractable Eyeliner
then the nails are reusable. parked car,” says Urichuk, “so I love a cream
formula — there’s no fallout, and it blends in Saffron Metal.
Colley has some strict rules, however, for really easily.” $10, annabelle.com
press-on success, whether you’re using her
boutique options or a drugstore brand. Dew That Charlotte Tilbury’s
Spring beauty is all about a low-mainte- Hollywood
“Proper prep for your natural nails is nance, nautral look and there are lots of
the most important step,” she says. Her list new goodies coming out to help you try Flawless Filter. $53,
of must-dos includes washing your nails to achieve this bright, super hydrated charlottetilbury.com
with rubbing alcohol or a nail cleanser to state. Neutrogena is expanding its Hydro
remove any natural oils, cutting your nails Boost collection with a new hyaluronic
back as short as possible and buffing them acid serum, and Vichy is releasing its hyal-
until you get rid of any shine. Colley’s prod- uronic-acid-based Liftactiv HA Wrinkle
ucts, when applied with the included gel, Filler Serum.
can stay on for up to five days, at which
point you just run them under ice-cold You can still get some of the blurring
water to freeze the gel pads and pop the goodness of foundation without wearing a
nails off. Tips is adding new options all full face by using a primer like L’Oréal Paris
the time, and Colley predicts a lot of tone- Age Perfect Blurring Face Primer or a glow
on-tone colours, geometric designs, wavy booster such as Charlotte Tilbury’s Holly-
looks, multi-shades — in which you sport a wood Flawless Filter, which has just added
different colour on each nail — and barely- five new shades.
there nudes for spring. “We just keep going
and going and going.” There’s also a newish category, imported
from the K-beauty world, of clear, illuminat-
Peep This ing liquids that can be worn alone or mixed
Masks keep the focus on our eyes, and into foundation for an instant shot of fresh-
the spring runways were here for it with ness, like Glow Recipe’s Watermelon Glow
f luffy eyelashes and amped-up cat’s-eye Niacinamide Dew Drop.
looks. Jodi Urichuk, L’Oréal Paris’s Cana-
dian makeup expert, says spiky lashes are And if you can’t let go of foundation,
out and soft, feathery lashes are in. there’s good news — Yves Saint Laurent is
coming out with a new botanically infused
To help, MAC has revamped its entire version of its lightweight luminosity veil
line of falsies, Lancôme released Cils Touche Éclat le Teint, and Bare Minerals
Booster Revitalizing Lash Serum, May- is launching a liquid version of its beloved
belline New York launched Lash Sensa- glowy loose mineral powder.
tional Sky High and CoverGirl upped its
au naturel game with the debut of Clean Better Hair Day
Lash Blast mascara.
EMBRACE FRIZZ AND
As for your lids, a cat’s eye isn’t exactly SAVE YOUR CURLS
new, but this season the look is long, with
an emphasis on creating more height BY INGRIE WILLIAMS
and extending the tail well past the outer
corner of the eye. Try Bite Beauty’s new
Upswing Extreme Longwear Liquid Eye-
liner in black, or if you want to be extra
trendy, Urichuk suggests going for colour
— we love Annabelle’s Retractable Eyeliner
in Saffron Metal or Gucci’s Stylo Contours
les Yeux in Celeste, a bright blue.

If that all seems a bit much for a time
when the glitziest thing you’ll probably be
doing is maybe — maybe! — sipping some
socially distanced wine in a back yard
with your book club, it’s a good year for
buildable, easy-to-use cream eyeshadows
you can just pat on with your finger for an

8 FEBRUARY/MARCH 2021

Ѧ VITALS
Ѩ
ѩ
ѧ
Ѫ

If you have curly or strands. They have think—and have been LUS All-in-One: Curly, enhances texture 5. This lightweight
textured hair, then a different protein told by marketing $24, lusbrands.com with flexible hold spray helps detangle,
you might have composition and to think—is that we and definition. Marc protect against heat
come out of 2020’s more cuticles on need to eliminate frizz 2. A sulphate-free Anthony Strictly Curls damage and refresh
limited salon access the outer layer, to get that perfect shampoo with low 3x Moisture Curl second-day curls.
and WFH reality in making them more curl. With textured lather gently removes Control Styling Jelly, Moroccanoil All
a much different prone to breakage. hair, you actually product buildup. $11, at Shoppers in One Leave-In
headspace. “There The essentials to have to embrace it. All About Curls Drug Mart, Rexall Conditioner, $32,
are a lot more support those needs It’s about having the Lo-Lather Cleanser, and Loblaws moroccanoil.com
women who are include sulphate- free right kind of frizz.” $10, at select hair
now embracing their shampoo, a sulphate- salons and beauty 4. Silk protein and 6. Treat curls to a
natural texture,” free and nourishing Start here: retailers, including marula oil create an hydrating trifecta of
says Janet Jackson, conditioner, and a Sally Beauty intensely moisturizing shea butter, coconut
hairstylist and owner hydrating mask. And 1. Developed conditioner that oil and aloe vera
of JouJou Hair Jackson has one in Toronto, this 3. Whether used also helps with water. Maui Moisture
Studio in Toronto. more vital take-away: nourishing cream for cocktailing with detangling. Revive & Hydrate +
Scientifically, curls “Embrace frizz,” she softens and defines another product or Nexxus Curl Define Shea Butter
are drier and more says. “A lot of times, curly hair—without simply as a finishing Conditioner, $17, Hair Mask, $10,
delicate than straight the first thing we stickiness or a step, this jelly shoppersdrugmart.ca ca.mauimoisture.com
crunchy feel.

BESTHEALTHMAG.CA PHOTOGRAPH BY SUECH AND BECK WITH STYLING BY FRANNY ALDER 9



VITALS

In Conversation became a viral phenomenon, after her new
TikTok account went from zero to a million
WRITER HANNAH SUNG followers in three months. Given her mas-
AND TIKTOK STAR sive popularity, I guess I’m not the only one
JOANNE MOLINARO who saw her account and felt like, Where
ON VEGANIZING have you been my whole life?
KOREAN FOOD AND
GOING VIRAL I caught up with Molinaro over Zoom to
talk about the privilege, and price, of being
so real.

After all this time, why do you think
you’re going viral now?
It’s def initely because of TikTok. I was
posting random stuff. I did a gamja jorim
recipe that was just me chopping pota-
toes, with my phone propped up against
the kitchen tile, my husband teaching a
piano lesson in the background, banging
away. No voice-over. And it had a million
views. That was my first viral post. And it
just went from there.

BY HANNAH SUNG z I recently stumbled us have to do this more than others. If your So your first viral post didn’t even have
upon an Instagram post that stopped me food was perceived as “weird” growing up, you talking?
in my tracks: a TikTok tutorial for budae you know what I mean. No, it was your typical, “Hi, I don’t know
chigae by The Korean Vegan. It wasn’t your what I’m doing, I just have a phone,” you
average recipe video. But at the start of the pandemic, people know? My second viral post wasn’t even
able to work from home began to delight related to food. It was a rant about a really
For 60 seconds, I was mesmerized by in dogs and babies Zoom-bombing work unkind comment on one of my posts, and I
the chopping, sizzling and hands sprin- calls, and it became a reminder that those went orbital on the commentor. I ended up
kling gochugaru as a woman’s voice told walls we build can come crashing down. deleting it because my law firm found out,
the story of her father’s life as a teenager There’s no work self or home self anymore and they were not happy.
in Korea amid the politics, protests and (unless you still have the energy to wear
tear gas. She ended the minute by quoting lipstick — in which case, I salute you!). After a conversation with my firm, I was
her dad: “Don’t forget to vote” (it was dur- We’re rediscovering what it feels like to like, alright, I’m just going to stay away
ing the countdown to the U.S. presidential be more real about who we are. I see that from politics and anything that’s not safe. I
election). as an upside of an otherwise pretty gar- started just doing food and hit a stride. It’s
bage situation. only recently, with the U.S. election hap-
There was so much story in one minute, pening, where I was like, I have to be hon-
I was dizzy. And by the end, there she Many people who are all too familiar est with myself. And politics is important
was, calmly devouring a chigae I wanted with needing to code-switch or compart- to me. That’s a part of who I am. And my
to be eating too. mentalize to survive and thrive at school employer’s been supportive.
and work still need to, of course, because
It felt like a total revelation, and it took not every space is safe. The Internet isn’t I was blown away when I first saw one
me a minute to realize why. Many of us safe. The world in a pandemic isn’t safe, of your videos. In 60 seconds, you talked
know what it’s like to compartmentalize either. But given the stakes, I am inspired about politics and your Korean family
our work lives and our personal interests by people like The Korean Vegan (a.k.a. history, were so pointed and sharp —
and politics from polite company. Some of Joanne Molinaro), who recognize the extent all while making a fantastic recipe. I
of their power and privilege, own it and put thought, oh my God, she has no walls.
Joanne Molinaro, a.k.a. The Korean it to use with a hyper-unique personal and And I loved that. How has that been,
Vegan, saw her TikTok followers rise from political voice. combining all the aspects of your life?
zero to one million in just three months. It has been very interesting. There’s this
She produces 60 second recipe videos Molinaro is a successful Korean-Ameri- book I heard about in a podcast that chal-
while telling stories about her family and can lawyer in Chicago who runs marathons lenges the notion that you have to spend
background. Her first cookbook will be and loves to eat. When she became a vegan 10,000 hours to be good at something, to
released later this year. in 2016, she started The Korean Vegan as the exclusion of doing everything else.
a blog, but it wasn’t until 2020 that she According to the author’s research, that’s
not correct. The better way to do things is
to try and fail, try and fail, try and fail, and
do lots of things so that by the time you’re
in a position where you gain maturity and
perspective, you have many tools at your
disposal. And what you are is not an expert
at one thing but an expert at being your
unique self. And I just thought that was
such a crazy idea.

BESTHEALTHMAG.CA PHOTOGRAPH BY GEOFF MARTIN 11

VITALS

So when you look at my 60-second vid-
eos, especially now, they’re an attempt at
saying, “Hi, I’m Joanne, and you’re not going
to find someone like me anywhere. Because
I’m the only Korean, American-born, from
North Korean immigrants, vegan chef, food
blogger slash lawyer.” And that’s the beauti-
ful thing about it.

Everybody has things that make them
unique, but there can be barriers to
speaking your mind freely, in this era of
online harassment. Some of the things
you’re talking about are real hot buttons,
like politics, racism, even veganism.
Yeah, for the first few years of being vegan,
it was difficult, especially being Korean,
because I felt people were like, “Oh, you’re
not actually Korean. You’re just white.”
And there was overt hostility to vegan-
ism popping up on my Facebook feed.
But I think there’s also definitely a prob-
lem with white veganism. So I felt I was
in the middle of that tension, and I had to
be very careful to explain white veganism
[the appropriation of meatless food from
other cultures and the judgment of cul-
tural foods that include meat] to people
who are rightfully outraged by the rac-
ist narrative some vegans are putting out
there, while also trying to explain, yes, but
can you also understand why it might be
offensive to me to see you roasting a pig on
my Instagram?

Have you learned about your family I COULDN’T FIND MANY RESOURCES
or Korean culture and history through OUT THERE THAT VEGANIZED KOREAN FOOD,
becoming vegan?
Yes! And that is the great irony, right? Peo- SO I THOUGHT, FINE, I’LL DO IT.
ple tend to look at The Korean Vegan and
assume I’m whitewashed and complicit she would bring the girls together to wrap influencer lawyer? Where do you see
with colonialism — especially when they mandu, and they hated it, because it takes yourself in the future?
know I’m married to a white guy. That just forever, especially if you want to make You’ve caught me at a time when I have
all fits their narrative. But in truth, I was enough for the entire village. But my grand- no idea. Everything’s so in f lux. My legal
so anxious about losing my Korean iden- mother would be like, “Oh, your mandu is career is probably more successful today
tity when I went vegan. That’s why I cre- so beautiful!” to trick them into making than it ever has been. I feel like I’m finally
ated The Korean Vegan, because I was like, more and working harder. I didn’t learn gaining some confidence as a woman of
no, you’re not going to take my Korean that until we were all sitting at the table colour at a large law firm, and a partner at
food from me. And I couldn’t find many wrapping mandu together. that. So I honestly have no idea, but I’m
resources out there that veganized Korean very grateful for all of this.
food, so I thought, fine, I’ll do it. The action unlocked the memory.
Exactly. This interview was adapted from Hannah
But if you’ve tried cooking anything, you Sung’s newsletter, At the End of the Day
know you don’t just pick it up and do it. You What are the goals for a Korean vegan (endoftheday.ca).
have to learn. And when the people you’re
counting on as sources for that informa-
tion are your mom, your waisokmo or your
eemo (aunts), or sometimes even your dad,
they’re going to tell you, “Oh, when I made
these mandu, your grandma would trick us
into folding them!” They come with these
beautiful stories.

I love that your mom used to get tricked
into folding mandu.
Yeah! My grandmother had five girls. And

12 PHOTOGRAPH BY GEOFF MARTIN FEBRUARY/MARCH 2021

Sponsored By:

Cheater,
Cheater

Stepping out on meat (part-time!)
is easier than you think.

G etting a little bored with your standard But what if I really love meat?
meat-based meal plan and curious about
meatless alternatives? You don’t have to You don’t have to give it up! But you can find new
swing full vegan or vegetarian to bring options some of the time—and they’ll taste just as
more plant-based meals into your life. Instead, try good as meat if you do your research. Well-made
the “flexitarian” approach and cheat on meat some meat alternatives (like the dozens of plant-based
of the time. It’s the one kind of cheating you can swaps from Canada’s #1 frozen meat alternative
feel good about. brand, Gardein)i taste great and have the same
texture as their meat-based counterparts.
Why should I cheat on meat?
How do I take the plunge?
Canada’s Food Guide recommends eating a variety
of protein foods each day—especially protein Start slow. For one meal each week, replace your
foods that come from plants. Why? Plant-based poultry, beef, pork or fish with a Gardein plant-
protein sources like beans, peas, lentils and soy based alternative. You might swap burger patties
tend to have more fibre and less saturated fat than for Gardein Plant-Based Chick’n Sliders, ground
animal proteins like meat, poultry, fish, eggs and beef for Gardein Gluten-Free Beefless Ground or
dairy. The food guide doesn’t recommend avoiding breaded haddock for Gardein Fishless Filets. Before
meat entirely. It simply says that you should choose you know it, you’ll be celebrating #MeatlessMonday
plant-based protein more often. every week and craving more plant-based foods
like spicy crab arrabbiata with crispy crabless
cakes or eggplant lasagna with beefless ground.
Find tons of recipes at readyseteat.ca.

Visit gardein.ca to take the “Cheat on
Meat!” quiz and find your meatless
match and enter to for a chance to win
a year’s supply of Gardein plant-based
products. NO PURCHASE NECESSARY.
Ends May 31, 2021. See gardein.ca for
Official Rules.

VITALS

Eat More

MUSHROOMS

BY LAURA JEHA z Grocery store mush- in North America, showing up in teas, counteract the immune suppression caused PHOTOGRAPH GETTY IMAGES/ISTOCKPHOTO; (TOASTS) COURTESY OF LAURA JEHA
rooms are nutritional powerhouses, con- tinctures and skin care. Functional mush- by some cancer therapies, making them a
taining over a dozen minerals and vitamins, rooms primarily grow on trees (versus in good complement to treatments like che-
including copper, potassium, magnesium, the ground) and have known benefits for motherapy and radiation. Reishi are also
zinc and B vitamins such as folate. They’re the human body. Here’s how you can har- thought to produce feelings of relaxation
also high in antioxidants like selenium and ness their powers for everyday use. and calm, so they are ideal as a nightcap.
glutathione. But other exotic, edible funghi Try them in a tea before bed.
— we’re talking beyond portobellos and oys- Reishi
ters — are also having a wellness moment. Often referred to as the “queen of mush- Lion’s Mane
rooms,” reishi were once revered by royalty. Bright, brilliant white lion’s mane mush-
Distinct in many ways from the grocery Reishi mushrooms contain beta-glucans, a rooms get their name from their stringy,
store, button variety, functional mush- type of complex sugar that may help pre- hair-like appearance. Touted for their
rooms have been used as herbal remedies vent the growth and spread of cancer cells. neurological benef its, lion’s manes are
and in daily tonics in Asian cultures for A few small studies have shown reishi can thought to improve the mild impairment
centuries. Now they’ve gone mainstream

14 FEBRUARY/MARCH 2021

VITALS

of cognitive function, including mem-
ory and thinking skills in older adults,
and may help reduce mild symptoms of
depression and anxiety. Lion’s mane also
seems to protect the mucous membrane
layer of the stomach, which can improve
symptoms related to long-term inflamma-
tion of the stomach lining, like gastritis or
stomach ulcers. Usually taken as a powder
or capsule, lion’s mane is great as a caf-
feine substitute, as it can get your brain
firing and improve your productivity —
without the jitters.

Chaga TIP
Chaga mushrooms grow on birch trees
and thrive in cold climates, like north- Season your
ern Canada, Siberia and northern Japan. mushrooms after
They look much different than other they’ve cooked.
fungi because of their dark charcoal colour Adding salt too early
and coal-like shape. These fungi are high will pull water out
in antioxidants and have antimicrobial of the mushrooms,
properties. We’re just catching on to the and they’ll be limp
chaga mushroom’s healing properties, and soggy instead of
but it’s been used as part of traditional crisp and golden.
medicine in Canadian Indigenous com-
munities for generations. The mushrooms Cook This
are typically ground into a powder and
consumed as a tea or tincture. Have the MUSHROOM TOAST
drink as a daily tonic to protect against
free radical damage and fend off infec- 1/2 lb of mushrooms such to brown, about 5 minutes.
tions. Because chaga is anti-inflamma- as shiitake, oyster and Add the garlic and cook
tory, it can also have positive skin effects cinnamon caps, sliced or 1 minute longer. Add the
and has started to pop up in skin-care torn into bite-sized pieces remaining 2 tbsp of oil and
products. 4 tbsp olive oil, divided the mushrooms. Sauté
1 large shallot, cut in half the mushrooms until soft
Cordyceps lengthwise and thinly sliced and browned, 5-7 minutes
Cordyceps are a unique type of parasitic 1 large clove of garlic, more. Add the thyme
fungus that grows out of the larvae of minced leaves, season with salt
insects and sprouts long, finger-like stems 1 tbsp of thyme leaves, and pepper and mix well.
on the outside. Despite their aggressive plus more for garnish
tendencies, cordyceps are friend, not foe. salt Step 2
They have been a fixture in Chinese and pepper Remove the mushrooms
Tibetan medicine for centuries and are 2 slices of crusty bread, such from the pan and toast
sometimes referred to as “Himalayan Gold” as sourdough, toasted the bread in the same pan
for their reported performance-enhancing 1 clove of garlic, sliced in half until golden and crisp,
properties, like improving muscle endur- then rub with one half of
ance. This effect occurs because cordy- Step 1 the sliced garlic clove.
ceps increase smooth muscle relaxation, Heat 2 tbsp of oil in a large Pile the mushrooms on top
which boosts blood flow to muscles and non-stick skillet over medium of the bread and garnish
organs. Cordyceps are ideal for when you heat. Add the shallot and with more thyme.
want to feel energized. Try them in a morn- cook, stirring frequently,
ing smoothie or drink to power through a until softened and beginning Serves 1
workout and conquer your to-do list.

The beauty of functional mushrooms is
that they are intended for daily use, helping
you adapt to whatever life throws your way.
Whether you’re trying to find a moment of
calm or looking for a way to support your
immunity, multipurpose mushrooms are
here to help.

Laura Jeha is a registered dietitian,
nutrition counsellor and recipe developer.
Find out more at ahealthyappetite.ca.

BESTHEALTHMAG.CA 15

VITALS

We Tried It

THE NEW PELOTON BIKE

BY CAITLIN KENNY z It’s been more than apart. They have a similar frame design but didn’t exactly motivate me to seek out
those types of classes (or to stay focused
two years since Peloton first rolled into and take up the same amount of space when I did).

Canada with a sleek, new way to sweat in your home (you’ll need and area that’s The screen on the Bike+ does a full
180-degree swivel in either direction and
from our living rooms. Now the New York– four feet by two feet). The ride feels almost tilts up and down, so you can follow along
when lifting weights or doing a floor work-
based home fitness brand is kicking up its identical too, with Peloton’s smooth, quiet out. It sounds like a minor adjustment —
but it makes a huge difference to my focus
offering with Bike+, designed to make it flywheel and belt-drive transmission. And and enjoyment. (The classes are hard
enough without having to crane your neck
easier to incorporate strength training with the same app and interface on both to see a screen.)

into your workout. The timing machines, you can also count Another game-changer is the auto-fol-
low feature: Instead of having to manu-
is right, with COVID-19 push- on the programming Peloton is ally adjust the resistance knob every time PHOTOGRAPHS COURTESY OF PELOTON & APPLE
the instructor gives a new cue, Bike+ can
ing us all to recalibrate our known for. automatically change it for you. Turning
a dial isn’t hard, but the main benefit
exercise routines. And with The big change with Bike+ isn’t saving you the tiny effort of adjust-
ing your resistance — it’s about removing
its global community now is the monitor, designed to the decision of whether to do so. In almost

numbering more than 3.6 mil- make it easier to incorporate

lion, it definitely seems to be strength training into your

the fitness trend du jour. But workouts. With the original

with a steep price tag of just An Ipsos poll bike, the strength and stretch

over $3,295 and a $49 monthly conducted on behalf portions of the class are done

membership fee, is it worth of Peloton found that standing nearby and peeking
the investment? 73% of Canadians at the screen when possible,
but you’re mostly following the
At first glance, it’s hard to tell prefer to exercise on instructor’s voice. It worked
the original Bike and the Bike+ their own, rather
than with a buddy.

16 FEBRUARY/MARCH 2021

VITALS

every class, there’s a point where I’m SITTREOTUCTH We Also Tried This
dripping with sweat and my quads are on
fire. When the instructor asks, “Can you 1 APPLE FITNESS+
up your resistance?” I’m in the middle of Your Spine
screaming ,“Pfffft, no!” when the dial mag- The Apple Fitness+ I started with a thigh-
ically adjusts. I’m working out harder, and Stand with feet more subscription service, burning 10-minute HIIT class
I’m completely hooked. than shoulder-width launched in December, with trainer Kim, which
serves up a new roster of left me totally out of breath,
The next enhancement only works if apart and reach trainer-led workouts every and then shifted to a
you’ve got an Apple Watch — something down to one ankle. week in a few different 20-minute hip-hop and R&B
I’ve been leaning on more and more dur- Hold for 15 seconds, categories: high-intensity dance class with LaShawn,
ing the pandemic. (Turns out, when I’m then switch sides. interval training (HIIT), who did a great job of
working from home 24-7 and the world strength, yoga, dance, pumping me back up. The
feels upside down, the simple mission of 2 core, cycling, treadmill (for next day, I combined
closing my activity rings really does help Your Back walking or running), rowing a 30-minute yoga class with
me stay grounded.) and mindful cool-down. Jessica and a 10-minute
Slowly, like a cat, strength class with Molly,
To use GymKit, you hold your wrist up to round out your It’s accessible through which was a full-body
the top of the screen at the start of class to the Fitness+ app on workout using just my body
sync your watch. The watch transmits your back, then invert it, iPhone, iPad and Apple weight and a few basic
heart rate to the Peloton screen through- like a cow. Repeat TV, but you need an Apple moves, like lunges and
out the class, and the duration, distance, Watch to use it; it collects push-ups. I finished with a
calories and more all get synced up with three times. metrics (such as your 10-minute core class with
the watch — little snippets of data that work heart rate and calories Bakari and thought my
well to motivate me. 3 burned) from the watch and abs were actually going to
Your Quads displays them onscreen catch fire. Every class
And there are other improvements that, during the workout. has a primary instructor
when you add them up, enhance the over- With arms crossed but enlists trainers from
all experience. The amped-up sound sys- and core engaged, I tried Fitness+ before its other sections to show
tem adds two front-facing speakers to the clench your glutes official launch and, after modifications that make the
original bike’s pair of rear-facing ones, months of experimenting move either harder or easier.
and a bigger display screen, as well as a and slowly lean with other streaming
better-quality camera for video chatting backwards until your workouts, I’m a fan. The At $13 a month, or $100 a
during class, all increase the enjoyment of classes range from five year, Fitness+ is definitely a
the ride (unless, like me, you’d rather not quads contract. to 45 minutes, which has good, affordable alternative
talk to anyone. But a privacy cover takes Hold for two breaths, encouraged me to group to studio-style classes if
care of that too). different types together you already have an Apple
then come up. for a custom workout plan. Watch. The ability to
The seat and handlebar knobs are also Repeat 10 times. This is a game-changer: curate your own workout
easier to adjust, which helps if you’re I hate feeling trapped in a session, coupled with the
sharing the bike with others in your 45-minute class. The cool- variety of short, intense
household. down sessions are (smartly) (and effective!) classes that
separate from the workouts, allow you to sneak in some
So is it worth it? which means you can stack movement during the day,
Until now, I’ve always felt the real draw classes together without make it worth checking out.
with Peloton is the programming rather fear of losing momentum —Rebecca Gao
than the machine. The app is really well or motivation.
designed; the instructors are inspiring;
the community is huge. The bike’s design
is great, but the pragmatic part of my brain
says that’s not enough to justify dropping
a couple thousand dollars. For just a few
hundred, I could buy a good enough alter-
native and use it with the Peloton app.
That’s all still true, but the Bike+, with its
auto-follow feature, full screen rotation
and Apple GymKit integration, has me
reconsidering. The price is still no joke.
(Though an interest-free financing option
that breaks it into $85 payments over 39
months is helpful.) But I found I was moti-
vated to exercise more frequently, and to
work harder when I do.

And at this stage of the pandemic — when
my work-life balance is completely off-kil-
ter and my living room workouts are half-
hearted at best — anything that helps me
prioritize my physical and mental health is
an investment worth investigating.

BESTHEALTHMAG.CA ILLUSTRATIONS BY MEAGHAN WAY 17

VITALS

Quick Question be curious about why you may be making
these purchases. Remember, this isn’t
HOW CAN I PUMP about stopping online shopping altogether;
THE BRAKES ON MY it’s about approaching your online spend-
ONLINE SHOPPING? ing in a different way that aligns with your
money goals.
BY NECHELLE BARTLEY z It’s probably Although physical-distancing restric-
safe to say your online shopping increased tions will continue to make online shop- The key to curbing unnecessary spend-
in 2020, most likely out of pure necessity. ping a viable option, how can you avoid ing is to start with awareness of the usual
But what happens when your seemingly credit card statement shock suspects: the when, where and why. Has
innocent online purchasing becomes a most of your online spending been with
financial problem? Even if you don’t think I encourage people to start with a curi- your favourite clothes retailer? Were these
you’re buying a lot (despite evidence to the ous and compassionate approach, and purchases made within specific times
contrary, like a package arriving at your consider that some of that shopping is a and/or days of the week? Performing this
home pretty much every day), the sober- way to deal with anxiety brought on by kind of audit will expose the triggers that
ing reality usually hits with the arrival of the pandemic.  lead you to want to buy the latest lounge-
your credit card bill. wear or facial products or [insert what-
If your credit card balances are racking ever your favourite thing is here!].
up, don’t be too hard on yourself. Instead,
Once you’re aware of your triggers,
it’s time to create practices that will slow
down the rate at which you’re making
purchases and help validate whether you
need to make them.

You can try creating a list of things you
need, and then only purchase items from
that list. The trick is to avoid buying sale
items or services that aren’t on your list
just because there’s a discount — it's a trap
for many people, so remember that it's just
distraction buying!

Then, ask yourself some questions before
you make a purchase. Why do I need this
now? Do I have something like this already
in my home that I am not using or can’t
locate? Do I have the money for this in my
bank account? And will using that money
mean I won’t be able to pay for something
else? Is what I plan to buy going to be used
within the next 30 days, and will I use it
more than once? Am I currently feeling a)
bored, b) annoyed, c) frustrated, d) sad, e)
hungry, or all of the above?

Implementing these strategies will help
you consciously spend online in a finan-
cially and mentally healthy way and will
hopefully mean a lot less anxiety when
your credit card statements arrive.

Nechelle Bartley is a financial strategist
and the founder of Money Basics Strategy
Services. She helps women transform
their relationship with money to create
wealth-building habits.

čšâԂÄ5ԡ šØԡ €š5Ӌԡ 5ӱ$š‰‰5Ä$5ԡ 5+eØeš

Statistics Canada found that, by November 2020, online shopping rose a whopping 75 percent
from where it was in November 2019. ¶ During the first nine months of 2020, orders on
Shopify’s e-commerce platform nearly doubled from the year before — to the tune of $99 billion
in sales. ¶ According to JP Morgan, pandemic shoppers in 2020 leaned towards buying
soap, vitamins and supplements, hair colour and coffee.

18 ILLUSTRATION BY SALINI PERERA FEBRUARY/MARCH 2021



VITALS

Do It for the Climate

SHAMPOO BARS

BY REBECCA GAO z Canadians throw away an esti- What exactly are they? ֏ PHOTOGRAPH COURTESY OF GOOD JUJU BODY & HOME
mated three million tonnes of plastic waste annu- Shampoo bars are a solid form of the liquid stuff, Good Juju
ally—and only nine percent ever gets recycled, minus the water. Soap- and detergent-based bars have shampoo bars
leaving the majority of it in landfills and waterways. a higher pH (nine or 10), which is great for adding vol- come in four
One strategy for cutting down on plastic use starts ume but may lead to dryness, breakage and frizziness. formulations:
in the shower. While you may use a plastic shampoo Ph-balanced bars maintain a balance of four or five normal hair, dry
bottle for a month or two, it takes an estimated 450 and are more gentle on the scalp. hair, oily/fine
years to decompose. Enter shampoo bars, a low- hair and one for
or no-packaging alternative. A shampoo bar is an How do they work? scalp care. $18,
ultra-concentrated form of what you find in a bottle Just like a normal bar of soap. Wet the bar to activate hellogoodjuju.com
— so concentrated, in fact, that you can get away with the ingredients (you can rub it in your hands first to
using less product, so it tends to last a lot longer than create lather). Rub the bar into wet hair, starting at the
liquid shampoo. Typically, one bar is equal to about roots and working down to the ends. Then, rinse.
three bottles, making shampoo bars plastic-reduction
superheroes. But do they work? We tried a few differ- Tips for first-timers
ent brands, including Good Juju and UpFront Cosmet- The amount of shampoo you need can vary, so you
ics, and (good news!) they left our hair clean, healthy may need to experiment with different bars. Let the
and hydrated. Here’s a quick rundown of what to bar dry fully between uses to extend its life. Ideally,
expect if you make the switch. keep it on a dish with proper drainage.

20 FEBRUARY/MARCH 2021



THE NEW SEX ED





VITALS

Red-hot answers to burning question s

Can cannabis kick-start your sex drive?

BY LEAH RUMACK z The first time it hap- used it for sex. “I was like, ‘Sorry, that’s not
pened, I thought I’d imagined it. The occa- a real reason. That’s like asking me to pre-
sion was a New Year’s Eve at home with my scribe you alcohol for sex.’ I was shocked.”
husband, Jason, but to make things a bit
more festive, we took some cannabis edi- Fast-forward several years, a couple
bles and settled in for a sexy, middle-aged of hopeful studies and lots of anecdotal
evening of our favourite activity — watch- reports from patients, and Love now has
ing BBC quiz shows. Except that’s not what her own line of CBD cannabis products
we ended up doing, and we ended up not (Bloom by Dr. Love, but it’s not available
doing that for quite a long and unusually in Canada), and she regularly prescribes
intense time. cannabis to help women — in particular,
peri- and post-menopausal women — who
“What was THAT?” he asked afterwards, complain about things like lack of desire,
shocked at abruptly being used so wan- painful intercourse and difficulty orgas-
tonly. “I don’t know!” I said, my eyeballs ming. It’s not a magic bullet, and it doesn’t
still careening around my skull like a car- work for everyone, but Love is glad to finally
toon. “Could it have been…the weed?” have something to suggest to patients who
have no other serious underlying medical
We laughed. As long-time cannabis con- issues causing their sexual dissatisfaction.
noisseurs, we’ve smoked a lot of pot in the
13 years we’ve been together, and it’s never “As a physician, I can do the whole psy-
had much of an invigorating impact on our chosocial aspect, but there was very little
love life. But this night was different, and actual treatment I could offer,” she says.
the difference was with me. I was suddenly “That’s what I love about endocannabinoi-
super sensitive to touch and unselfcon- dology — it offers alternatives for people we
scious about my jiggly post-kid bod, and don’t have a lot of options for.”
— how do I put this politely? — I rang in
the New Year several times with a ferocity There are high concentrations of canna-
I didn’t know I still possessed. binoid receptors in the parts of the brain
that control sexual function, and propo-
And then it kept happening. Every time nents say weed can enhance sex by increas-
I had a higher-dose (five- to 10-milligram) ing blood flow to your erogenous zones,
THC edible, I felt friskier and enjoyed sex reducing pain and anxiety, helping with
more, which was a marked improvement relaxation and supercharging the feeling
on my usual late-forties state of rarely feel- of being touched.
ing frisky at all. It actually made such a dif-
ference that I now often pre-game with my There’s a potentially massive market for
special gummies whenever Jason starts these products, and brands know it. While
cleaning the kitchen with uncharacteristic the Cannabis Act prohibits companies
cheer, a sure sign my marital shag bill is from making any health claims for their
imminently coming due. merchandise, that doesn’t stop consumers
from doing their own research — energiz-
I’d heard plenty about using weed to treat ing sativa-based cannabis strains with lim-
issues like sleep, pain and anxiety, but not onene terpenes are particularly loved for
much about using it to jump-start a sputter- their “aphrodisiac” properties, and ones
ing libido or make sex more intense. Was I with myrcene are known for giving a warm
making it all up? “body” high — or reading between the lines
of carefully named products. Because, let’s
“You’re not imagining it,” says Dr. Richa be real: Nobody seriously believes that
Love, a family doctor and cannabis expert Dosist’s Arouse vape pens hope to arouse
in Calgary, though she admits she too was your interest in brutalist architecture.
skeptical when a patient first confessed she

PHOTOGRAPH BY SUECH AND BECK & STYLING BY FRANNY ALDER 23

VITALS

But how much actual evidence is there Come one, come all ѥ PHOTOGRAPH (CHAN) STEVE STEFANIUK; (PULSACON) PARADISE CHRONICLE/WIKIMEDIA COMMONS
that cannabis can improve sex for women? Ѧ
The short answer is not much. The long WHICH
answer is more complicated. VIBES ARE ѧ
FOR ME?
While cannabis has been used for thou- Ask An Expert
sands of years in traditional medicine, the 1. I NEED FRESH TECH
body’s endocannabinoid system, or ECS, Most of your clitoris is One of the biggest
was only scientifically discovered in the internal — that wee nub you myths is that people
1990s. This means researchers and medi- see is only the beginning. have orgasms together.
cal practitioners are only beginning to Recently there’s been an The large majority of
understand how cannabis interacts with explosion of options in a couples having sex do
human bodies and, in particular, how it newer category of sex toy not and may never have
interacts with the hormonal fluctuations in that uses pulsing airwaves orgasms together. By the
women’s bodies. And even if we put aside instead of direct vibrations time one of you has an
for a moment the issue that what qualifies to stimulate the whole orgasm, the other one
as “good” sex (a more robust libido, better thing. Melt by We-Vibe, might say, “I’m actually
orgasms or just being left alone with a good $159, we-vibe.com so tired. I’d like to go
book already?!) varies wildly between indi- to sleep. That would give
viduals, research on women’s sexuality in 2. LITTLE HELP HERE, me a lot of pleasure.”
general is thin on the ground, never mind I’M NEW Do not equate that with,
research that focuses on women’s sexuality A bullet-style mini vibe can “I don’t want you.”
and cannabis. be the least intimidating
way to start exploring sex Karen B.K. Chan, a sex and emotional
There have been a couple of positive toys (and it’s also a handy literacy educator based in Toronto.
recent studies. One published in 2020 in the tool to have if you get into
Journal of Sexual Medicine found that women other toys designed to be FEBRUARY/MARCH 2021
who used cannabis had better Female Sex- powered by a bullet). This
ual Function Index scores; a 2019 study, also baby is rechargeable and
in Sexual Medicine, concluded that women has 20 different vibration
who used cannabis before sex reported patterns. Screaming O
higher sex drives, better or more orgasms Charged Vooom Bullet,
and a decrease in sex-related pain; and a $40, screamingo.com
2017 study in — you guessed it — Sexual Medi-
cine found that people who used pot had 3. I’M READY TO LEVEL UP
more nookie than those who didn’t. A rabbit-style vibe is the
ideal two-in-one toy. One
While this all sounds promising, none of “ear” is used for clitoral
those studies prove that weed use causes stimulation, while the other
better sex, but merely that there’s a self- goes to work on your
reported correlation. G spot internally. We-Vibe
Nova 2, $159, we-vibe.com
Love also stresses that the extreme
specificity of each woman’s body and sex 4. I WANT A CLASSIC
life affects how — or if — she’ll benefit from This chic standard vibrator
using cannabis, and that it’s still very much can be used internally or
a trial-and-error approach as to which externally and has an easy
product, dosage or method of ingestion single-button control,
will work in any given case. She couldn’t which makes it great for
tell me, for instance, why I personally find beginners. Extra points for
edibles so useful in this department but being a Canadian brand!
f lower is a total bust, but she says she’s Aurora by Bellesa, $99,
seen the cannabis format make a differ- bboutique.co
ence before. One 48-year-old woman came
to her complaining that she was rapidly los- 5. SUPERSIZE ME
ing interest in sex with her husband. The Old-school wand vibrators
cannabis drops Love had given her previ- can feel ridiculous because
ously helped with hot flashes but did noth- they’re just so large, but
ing for her sex drive. So Love suggested there’s a reason they’ve
vaping instead. It worked. been around for so long.
Their long reach means
As for the love shack at chez Rumack, they’re especially handy
weed has been an unexpected boon, but for people with mobility
it’s by no means foolproof. There are issues and for partner play,
always times when nothing will change the and their powerful rumble
fact that I’m too tired or would really just means you can use them
like a foot rub, and different products don’t for massaging muscles
always deliver the kick-start I’m hoping for. elsewhere too. Lelo Smart
But when it works? Those BBC quiz shows Wand Medium, $209,
don’t stand a chance. lelo.com —Leah Rumack

24 PHOTOGRAPH BY SUECH AND BECK

ѩ Also handy for that achy shoulder VITALS

WE'VE COME How do you
A LONG WAY, keep things spicy
BABY, FROM THE through midlife?
VIBRATORS OF
YORE. ONE Sex educator Karen B.K.
нхØZӱ$5ØâÄčԡ Chan weighs in
N ÿšâÄeØ5
Ѩ WAS CALLED Cut yourself some slack
ØZ5ԡ Àâ€Íš$šӋ There’s a lot to be said for mid-life. Many
A STAPLE women begin to feel more confident and
OF SEARS comfortable, and less self-conscious. When
$ Ø €šPâ5Íҽ all those things come together, it can mean
IT LOOKED LIKE more sexual satisfaction. At the same time,
AN EGG WHISK, having a family, balancing work and rela-
INVOLVED A tionships and child care, maybe caring for
HAND CRANK, elders (worrying about them, certainly)
+ԡ ÀĚ+â$5+ and juggling a lot of financial stressors —
ԡ Í5Äešầčԡ all of that often means sexuality and sex-
INTENSE ual connection become very low on the
VIBRATION. priority list. Just know: If sex is on the back
burner, that’s okay, and it does not mean
What is lube, even? this is the end of your sex life. For many
people, a resurgence happens when some
Very important question Do I need it? latex condoms, sex an applicator and of these life stressors ease up.
Lube can ease friction toys and diaphragms. can be used two or
and discomfort Silicone-based three times per week. Let go of expectations
from dryness during products will last a Lubricants are mostly Sex isn’t necessarily going to be the same
intercourse, says bit longer, and are used during sex on thing you’ve always known. It may be
Dr. Gabrielle Cassir, recommended by the area surrounding more awkward than it used to be. Let that
a gynecologist in the University Health the vagina, to make be okay, because what you’re after isn’t the
Montreal. But it Network for women insertion more same thing either. Once you’ve decided to
also just generally who are prone to yeast comfortable — but be intimate, you may expect to feel excited,
enhances sexual or urinary tract they can also be put but you should also expect to feel anxious.
pleasure. infections, or who on a finger, sex toy Especially if/when it’s been a while. Just
have sensitive skin. or penis, to help. notice that you’re anxious. Acknowledge
Which type is best it, and don’t let yourself think, “it’s not
for me? There are Oil-based formulas The UHN advises working — it’ll never work.” No. It means
three main types of tend to last the against using any you’re human.
lube: water-based, longest but can oil-based products,
silicone-based and cause damage to body lotions or Banish the mood killers
oil-based. latex condoms petroleum-based Everyday cues, from the overflowing
and diaphragms. products internally, laundry hamper to the garage door that
Cassir always as they can change hasn’t been fixed, can increase stress and
recommends water And where exactly the pH level in your decrease your desire for sex. People talk
or silicone products does it go? Products vagina. In addition, a lot about how to get things going again,
(irritation and burning labelled “vaginal silicone-based lubes but what they don’t pay enough attention
are possible, but rare, moisturizers,” which shouldn’t be used to is the things that dampen their inti-
side effects of any include creams, gels with sex toys or macy. They focus on the accelerators —
lubricant, she adds) and suppositories, vibrators, as they can What new things can we add? Should we
Water-based lube are typically inserted damage the products. watch something that’s erotic? Should we
is safe to use with into the vagina with —Alyssa Ball talk dirty? — instead of what’s causing
them to pump the breaks. The teenagers
BESTHEALTHMAG.CA STYLING BY FRANNY ALDER thrashing about in the other room are a
dampener. The baby crying in the other
room is a dampener. That tense conversa-
tion you haven’t finished. Look at your key
dampeners to see if any of them can be
set aside for a few hours.

This interview was edited for length
and clarity.

25

VITALS

Dietitian Abby Langer argues that you can
reject harmful diet culture and still promote
healthy, sustainable weight loss. We got her

on the phone to ask: how, exactly?

BY CHRISTINA FRANGOU z Abby Langer what they eat. Food has become associated “This book is NOT a diet book,” she
loves Oreos. Those black-and-white discs with guilt, shame and feelings of lack of writes in the introduction.
of hard and soft, vanilla and chocolate — control, writes Langer, As a result, women
they’ve no rival as far as Langer, a dieti- will put themselves through “psychologi- At the same time, one could argue that it
tian, is concerned. When the body craves cal, physical and emotional abuse” to stay is kind of a diet book. There’s a contradic-
an Oreo, an apple won’t do. thin and appear young. tion right on the cover: Langer aims to arm
readers with the habits they need to “ditch
When a client tells her they can’t stop Her book addresses the psychology of diet culture” and “lose weight” while fix-
thinking about Oreos with — as any careful eating, as well as the ever-changing state ing their relationship with food forever. I
checker of food labels would know — 120 of science about what qualifies as “good spoke with Langer about this conflict and
calories for two cookies and commonly food.” Langer’s philosophy is that no food the work that goes into building a shame-
maligned ingredients like sugar and high should be off-limits all the time. It’s bet- free relationship with food while maintain-
fructose corn syrup, Langer’s response? ter to make peace with the foods we love, ing a healthy weight.
“Just eat the f--king Oreo.” replace the ultra-processed ones we don’t
and eat whole or minimally processed Why did you write this book, now?
The expletive is hers. She likes a good foods when we can. I’ve seen so many people who are confused
swear word for emphasis. Langer uses about how and what they should eat, and
them often in her new book, Good Food, people who feel compelled to go on one
Bad Diet, in which she argues that if people diet after another. In my practice, I always
try to ignore all their cravings, they’ll be ask people, “How did you grow up? And
“miserable AF.” It isn’t a sign of weakness how is food and eating talked about in your
to overeat sometimes. “Trust your body. It family?” Dietitians don’t often go into the
isn’t going to end in disaster,” she writes. past when they talk about nutrition — they
just tell people what to eat. So I wrote the
In her 21-plus years of working as a dieti- book to clear up confusion about nutrition,
tian in private practice and hospitals in but I also wanted people to take a look at
Toronto, Langer has met hundreds of peo- questions of why: Why do they feel this way
ple who have counted calories and calcu- about food and nutrition? Why do they feel
lated macronutrients, and washed them compelled to punish themselves over and
down with guilt and shame, only to overeat over again? I wanted to be able to change
and then repeat the cycle. that “why” for people. You can’t make
change if you don’t change your negative
In her book, Langer takes on what she core beliefs [about food].
calls “diet culture”— the concept that
through restrictive or “clean” eating, we Right in the subtitle of your book, there’s
can achieve thinness and, with it, happi- a seeming contradiction in goals: You’re
ness. “Diet culture grabs us when we’re challenging diet culture but also giving
young and tells us that fatter equals lesser people tools to lose weight. Do you think
and thinner equals better,” she writes. that’s contradictory?
“And we’re scared like hell of being lesser, It was my decision to put “lose weight” in
so we’ll do just about anything to be — and the subtitle, and I did get a lot of shit for
stay — thin.” it from anti-diet activists. [Some] people
think you can’t reject diet culture and still
But that thinking harms people, espe- promote weight loss. I believe you can. You
cially women, she says. She believes
women should be comfortable with how
their bodies look. Instead they tend to
berate themselves for how they appear and

26 FEBRUARY/MARCH 2021

can lose weight in a healthy way without weight they think they need to lose, I think Tips from body acceptance influencers VITALS
submitting to diet culture. they will find it easier to answer that ques-
tion. I’ve had clients who count calories, HOW TO
If I don’t recognize people who feel and they’re just so focused that they don’t SQUASH
uncomfortable and want to lose weight, it’s even notice it. It’s like they’ve been doing NEGATIVE
an elephant in the room. Who’s going to this so long they don’t understand the Í5€NӱØ €z
help those people? I can’t say to them that impact of it on their life. I ask them to imag-
their desire to lose weight is invalid. There’s ine living a life that doesn’t involve punish- ”We all have an
always going be someone who really does ment and berating yourself every day and inner saboteur,
want to lose weight. That said, at the very starving or whatnot. When you stop and that little voice that
start of the book, it says this isn’t a weight- think about how it’s impacting you and tells us things we
loss book. I’m not going to give you a meal how it ripples out to your children, your shouldn’t believe
plan. I’m not going to give you a grocery partner, your relationships and your mood about ourselves. I
list. I’m not going to tell you what to eat and — is it worth it? practice appreciating
what not to eat. You may lose weight, but it one thing about
will be because of a behaviour change. You You have two young daughters. How do myself daily, so when
may not lose weight at all. you manage talks about food and body that inner saboteur
image in your own family? creeps up, I can
I f irmly believe there’s a grey area — Everybody comes in different shapes and remind myself that
something in between strict dieting and sizes. In our house, I won’t let the girls use I’m so much more
intuitive eating. Most of the people I’ve the word “fat” as derogatory. It’s horrible than those negative
seen who want to lose weight fall some- how “fat” has become such an insult now. thoughts.”—Brittnee
where in the middle, and they do best in I think we need to teach them healthy eat- Blair, @brittneecblair
the middle. They want some structure. ing behaviours and model the behaviours
And they want their desire to lose weight ourselves. I had a girl in my office who “My biggest tip
to be acknowledged. But I want to teach was eight years old and wouldn’t eat. Her would be to ensure
them how to do it properly. mother had been dieting her whole life. your social media
The little girl internalized those messages. feed is filled with
You write about the idea of high-value When kids hear the message of, “I’m not content that affects
eating. This is where Oreos come in — thin — I’m not lovable,” they internalize you in a positive
you write that they are sometimes a high- these messages. So we need to set a good way. You are much
value food, which goes against much example by not weighing ourselves all the less likely to speak
of nutrition dogma. How can ultra-pro- time or talking about fat or going on diets. negatively about
cessed cookies fit into a nutritious diet? Kids as young as five show a preference for yourself if you are not
I love Oreos, oh my god. Here’s why they thin versus fat. That’s a learned behaviour. constantly shamed
are a high-value food: Food is meant to be into it.”—Liz Rozman,
enjoyed. But it’s devolved, in my opinion, You write that stress affects our diet @lizzrozman
into a cultural idea that food is something and cravings. This is a stressful time for
to feel shameful about. We’ve been taught the entire planet. I hear people worrying ”First, ask how
that it’s not okay to nourish yourself emo- about weight gain, comfort eating and much of this is true?
tionally with food. But food nourishes us skipping the gym. What do you say to And second, use
physically and emotionally. And that’s people who are struggling right now? affirmations and
okay. Oreos are a high-value food some- First of all, you need to take care of your- mantras. Over time,
times because, sometimes, I need an Oreo. self emotionally, not just physically. We’re empowering words
Food is meant to make us feel good. It’s not going through an unprecedented time, absorb into our
only just for fuel. and it’s stressful in so many areas — health, subconscious. My
finances, everything. I tell people, “Do go-tos are: I love you,
Now if food is the only tool in your tool what you have to do.” There is no shame. I honour you, you are
box for coping with difficult situations, you If you are occasionally putting your strug- more than enough.”
need more tools. People gloss over the work gles into food, that’s understandable. But if —Raia “Coach” Carey,
of figuring out where their feelings around you cope with stress only with food, then @coach.carey
food and eating come from. Because it it’s time to get another tool for coping
can be dark; you may need a therapist to with it. Whether it’s being active or doing 27
help you through it. But I believe there is online therapy or speaking to a friend,
no meaningful, lasting change if you don’t whatever you choose, there has to be a bal-
understand why you have those negative ance. There’s a lot of BS about pandemic
core beliefs. weight gain going around. Take your foot
off the gas for a minute, because we’re all
There’s one question you ask readers to struggling. You just need to stay healthy.
ask themselves, and it made me pause: And if you eat an extra bag of chips or
“Are you willing to accept your body at some cookies, please give yourself a break
its natural comfortable weight if it meant right now.
that you didn’t have to play tug of war
with it anymore?” Do you think most This interview has been condensed and
people would say yes? edited for clarity.
Once people understand the financial,
social, emotional and physical cost of all
those things they’re doing to lose whatever

BESTHEALTHMAG.CA



VITALS

“This pandemic has they are all over Zoom. I’m not much of a
changed the way we die. technology person, and I honestly didn’t
I’ve seen it first-hand.” think it was possible to create the necessary
intimacy over a computer screen, but I have
BY JENNIFER MALLMES, AS TOLD TO doulas, but my daily mantra is that I help been pleasantly surprised. Just being there
ISHANI NATH z The titles “death doula” people live. However, during COVID-19, and listening, making sure I’m in a quiet,
and “end-of-life doula” have become more that has become much more complicated. distraction-free space and present with
well-known in the past few years, but I’ve each client, can still produce that closeness.
been doing this work for more than two It’s affected all of what we do. “Bucket
decades. I’ve gone by different titles — wishes” (since there may not be time for I’ve had clients say the virtual meet-
including palliative home care aide and a full bucket list, we narrow the priorities ings are easier since they don’t have to get
life coach — but the core tenets of my job to a few wishes) used to have the freedom dressed or out of bed to see me, which,
remain the same. I provide support, educa- to be ambitious, like taking one last family depending on their condition, can take a
tion and empowerment for clients nearing trip. Now they’ve become much smaller. lot of effort. But it’s still not ideal. During
the end of their life. If people are separated from their loved one conversation, a client said, “I wish you
ones, they can’t necessarily create the were here to hold my hand.” All I could tell
No two people’s experiences of end moments and memories they hoped to. her was that I wished that was possible too
of life are the same, but the past few They have to be creative. and that I was with her.
months have posed an extra challenge
like no other. The COVID-19 pandemic has People have also lost a certain amount I also remind my clients to take care of
changed everything, including how we die. of agency over what the end might look themselves after these types of Zoom calls.
I’ve seen this first-hand. like. One of my clients, I’ll call him “Ted,” I ask things like, “When we hang up, what is
wanted to die in a hospital so he could one thing you’re going to do for yourself?” I
I’ve always been comfortable around donate his organs. That was huge for him. try to remind them they’re not alone.
death and dying, partly because my fam- Then COVID-19 hit, and just as he was near-
ily never sheltered me from it. I witnessed ing the end of his life, the organ donation When Ted died, like many of his loved
how people could die peacefully at home program was put on hold. Ted ended up ones, I wasn’t able to go to his home or the
and how things could get complicated passing away at home. Normally I help vigil to say goodbye. We all want closure,
when someone’s final wishes were up for people come up with a plan A and a plan B and that extends to my doula relationships.
debate. As a death doula, I help clients — and now there needs to be a plan COVID- I’ve had to find new ways to develop clo-
work through their fears surrounding 19. And that plan has to keep changing. sure and help my clients do the same, in
death — to normalize these discussions and the absence of being able to say goodbyes
get people thinking and talking about what The questions I ask clients are now in person. For me, that meant having a cof-
they want in the time they have left. I also COVID-19-specific. We’re talking about fee with Ted’s wife and children when the
ask the practical questions: Do they want realities: If you enter into your final days, restrictions eased over the summer.
to die in a hospice or hospital, or at home? do you want to go to the hospital, know-
Do they have someone who will speak for ing your family may not be able to visit? If Doing this kind of work requires double
them if they are no longer capable? Where there are restrictions on funerals, who do the amount of self-care, a strong sense of
is that documented? you want there? What happens if restric- boundaries and a place to off-load emo-
tions tighten? tions. During COVID-19, doing online
I ask these questions so that there is debriefs with the End of Life Doula Asso-
no guesswork. People call us end-of-life Before the pandemic, I would’ve had ciation, being able to speak to other people
these conversations in person, but now who are going through the same thing, has
been so helpful. It’s like a support group.

At Douglas College in Coquitlam, B.C.,
where I teach, I typically begin my class by
asking, “What brings you joy?” Right now,
my own answer is shutting everything off
and stealing 20 minutes for myself. It’s a
new need, in part because my job feels
more emotionally exhausting right now.
We’re holding so much grief — grieving
the loss of normalcy and, in many cases,
of loved ones — and with the current and
changing restrictions, I’m not able to meet
all the needs of my clients.

A lot of people fear death because they
don’t know what’s next. The pandemic
adds to that unknowing — and that’s a fear
I’m not able to address. I worry that I’m not
able to give my clients their gold-star death,
that they’ll have to make trade-offs. My job
as an end-of-life doula is to empower my
clients, to help them make choices for the
end of their life. I’m doing the best I can,
but this reality isn’t on anyone’s wish list.

Jennifer Mallmes is a co-director of the End of
Life Doula Association of Canada.

BESTHEALTHMAG.CA PHOTOGRAPH BY CHRISTIE VUONG 29

VITALS BY ALICIA COX THOMSON z When Edmon-
ton-area schools shut down due to the
The Covid-19 pandemic has coronavirus last March, Kevin Metz and his
shone a light on the invisible work wife, Tammy, knew they were in for a big-
of caregiving. It’s also brought ger challenge than most. The Metzes are
a whole set of new challenges parents and caregivers to 12-year-old Parker
and nine-year-old Preston, who both have
IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PETRO-CANADA CAREMAKERS FOUNDATION obsessive-compulsive disorder and atten-
tion deficit hyperactivity disorder. Preston
30 ILLUSTRATION BY LEEANDRA CIANCI has also been diagnosed with autism spec-
trum disorder, and Parker with Tourette’s
plus. The pandemic upended the boys’ rou-
tines, which hit Parker especially hard. He
ended up going to stay with Kevin’s father
in a more isolated small town. 

Thankfully, Parker thrived with the extra
stability and support, but it was tough on
his grandfather. “My father relearned Grade
5 for Parker and worked with him through
all the online [learning],” says Kevin. “He
said he was exhausted at the end. It’s 100
percent a full-time role.”

Sheila Innes of Calgary cares for her
90-year-old father, who lives alone in the
family home. Pre-pandemic, her duties
included organizing and attending doc-
tor’s appointments, keeping his medical
history organized, making regular vis-
its and dropping off ready-made meals.
COVID-19 has removed any independence
her father once had. “Things he used to do
by himself, like go to the grocery store or
the bank, he shouldn’t right now,” Innes
says. “You just don’t want him out having
that kind of exposure.” She also makes
sure to talk to him every day. “Loneliness
is an issue as well.” 

Innes and the Metzes are among the one-
quarter of Canadians over the age of 15 who,
according to Statistic Canada’s 2018 Gen-
eral Social Survey on Caregiving and Care
Receiving, identify as caregivers. Approxi-
mately 7.8 million people said they “helped
a family member or friend who had a long-
term health condition, or a physical or men-
tal disability, or problems related to aging.”
And that number is based on those who see
what they do as caregiving; some people
view caregiving tasks as familial duties sim-
ply helping out. 

“Caregiving looks different, depend-
ing on so many things,” says Dr. Adriana
Shnall, program director at Baycrest@
Home, Clinical Programs & Innovations
in Family Caregiving at Baycrest Health
Sciences in Toronto. “It’s a multi-faceted
experience for people. It depends on what
stage of life you’re in, on what stage of life
the person you’re caring for is in, on your
financial situation, on intersectionalities; it
depends on what type of illness. It’s hard
to speak about caregiving in generalities.”

A baseline definition of caregiving is
providing regular, sustained aid — every-
thing from delivering weekly groceries for

FEBRUARY/MARCH 2021

VITALS

grandparents to advocating with teachers for 2020, Lisa Gretzky, the NDP MPP for Wind- immediate, continuous access to their loved
an ill child to bathing a disabled loved one. sor West in Ontario, put forward a pri- ones through COVID-19. 
vate member’s bill called the More Than
However caregiving manifests, the a Visitor Act (Bill 203). If passed into law, As communities across the country con-
responsibility that comes with providing it would enact a caregiving strategy that tinue to struggle to get the virus under con-
medical, emotional or physical care for will be reviewed and updated every five trol, this type of support inspires hope that
someone you love is not a light one. While years, as well as give designated caregivers the pain of the pandemic will also bring
67 percent of caregivers in the survey said about positive change. 
they received support or assistance socially
— meaning a spouse, sibling, child, close From Our Partners
friend, community or spiritual group, or
parent helps with duties in some way — only CAREGIVERS NEED
14 percent received financial support from SUPPORT, TOO
family and friends, and less than 10 percent
received federal tax credits or funds from a Family caregivers are not only will this inspire
government program. The millions of care- truly the unsung heroes more Canadians to help, but
givers who do not have sufficient family of our society. One in four it’s also key to recognizing
support reported the lowest levels of well- Canadians is a caregiver for the signs of caregiver stress
being — and people providing care for their someone with a long-term and burnout.
child or children were the group that suf- health condition, disability
fered the most. or need related to aging at Over the next 10 years,
some point in their lives. the CareMakers Foundation
And the pandemic has added an extra Not only are these caregivers will support caregiving
layer of challenges. “Caregivers are isolated unpaid, but their significant across Canada by raising
at the best of times,” Shnall says, so distanc- contributions often come at funds and offering grants to
ing orders have only compounded those a high personal cost, with support and amplify local
feelings. Other concerns include every- financial, emotional and charitable organizations
thing from supply chain slowdowns to over- even health consequences. that offer services to family
whelmed hospitals and overworked support caregivers. To date, funds
staff to massive decreases in quality of life. Petro-Canada CareMakers have been provided to
Foundation was created the BayCrest Foundation,
“There’s been a huge decline in a lot of to recognize and support Community Care, City of
our older adults with dementia through- family caregivers, many Kawartha Lakes, Association
out the pandemic.… Social isolation and of whom are overwhelmed of Neighbourhood Houses
not being able to connect with their family and unrecognized. BC, and Circle of Care at
members in the same way [has had nega- Mount Sinai Hospital.
tive effects],” says Shnall. “On top of it, “We believe that every
with people wearing masks — if you have family caregiver should feel An estimated 75 per cent
dementia, you can’t recognize the person cared for. By creating the of care is provided by unpaid
or you don’t understand why you can’t hug Petro-Canada CareMakers caregivers, saving Canadian
or kiss them.” Foundation, we will healthcare systems billions
have an opportunity to of dollars. It’s time caregivers
For women, who identify as caregivers tangibly benefit charitable were recognized and
at a higher rate (54 percent) than men, the organizations throughout supported for the integral
pandemic can deal a double blow. Beyond Canada who are working role they play in our society.
the challenges of caregiving during a cri- actively to support family
sis, the pandemic has pushed women’s caregivers,” says Leila
participation in the labour force down to a Fenc, executive director,
30-year low. Prior to COVID-19, the Metzes Petro-Canada CareMakers
employed a full-time nanny, but when that Foundation.
service was suspended, Tammy reduced
her work hours. Creating awareness of
the issues of caregiving is
Shnall is hopeful, though, that the light a big first step. Awareness
the pandemic has shone on these issues will is essential to action, and
lead to more support for caregivers in the
long term. 

“The good news, the way I see it, is
COVID highlighted the needs of caregiv-
ers,” she says. Shnall points to the Canada
Recovery Caregiving Benefit as an exam-
ple. “It’s the first time in Canada that peo-
ple are being paid to be a caregiver for an
illness,” she says. “Will it continue past
COVID and be applied to other illnesses?
I’m not sure. But the fact that this hap-
pened is huge, because this will be used in
the future by advocacy groups.” 

There are examples at the municipal
level popping up as well. In September

BESTHEALTHMAG.CA 31

VITALS Tom Yum Goong

Toronto restaurateur Nuit Regular’s Spicy and Sour
first cookbook, Kiin: Recipes and Soup with Shrimp
Stories from Northern Thailand, and Tom Yum
teaches newbies how to replicate her Paste
insanely flavourful food at home.
Here are three delicious places to start SERVES 2 When I was
young, one of the first
How did you decide which thin soy sauce. It’s lighter in pastes I taught myself to
recipes to include in Kiin? colour than regular soy sauce make was for Tom Yum
The guiding principle was to and has slightly less salt, but it Soup. I had read about this
share the food I love, of course. still gives a full-bodied flavour paste in the food section
Many of these recipes are to soups, in marinades. You of a magazine I found one
ones I learned from my mom. can even use it for dipping. The day. I wrote down the
I believe they capture a sim- third most important ingredient ingredients and method,
ple way of cooking Thai food. is Thai shrimp paste. By itself, and after I made it a few
Many of them are entry-level it smells and tastes very funky, times, I corrected the parts
for those who are curious to try but the fermented shrimps give I did not think worked in
the northern Thai approach. a rich, deep, salty, umami fla- the paste until I created
They allow home cooks to achieve the most vour to curries or relish. Then it’s Thai oys- a recipe that was perfect
traditional flavours and showcase how I ter sauce for the sweet, salty and umami for me. The spicy and sour
cook these dishes back home. flavour it gives stir-fries. And for the sour notes of this full-flavoured
component, it’s gotta be tamarind paste. soup work so well together
Which tools in your home kitchen do you Tamarind is so important in northern Thai and perfectly complement
feel are vital for making these recipes? cuisine because it grows in everyone’s back- the soft texture of the
The answer, of course, is a mortar and pes- yard, and it’s available year-round. In the shrimp. With a fresh, citrusy
tle. I brought mine back all the way from winter, when there’s no lemon or lime, we taste to invigorate your taste
Thailand. I need it to make curry paste; I can use tamarind paste to give curries that buds, this soup is a must-try
need it to make papaya salad. The flavours essential sour note. for those who like exciting
and aromas you pull from ingredients are tastes. It is no mystery
so different when you use a mortar and What’s your ideal winter comfort food? why this is Thailand’s most
pestle. You release their natural oils, which Tom Yum Goong is the very first dish I popular soup.
makes the flavours and aromas much more learned to make on my own. And for a
powerful. Also, a mortar and pestle can home cook, even though it might be intim- 2 cups water
look really beautiful on your countertop. idating because of all the ingredients, it’s 2 stalks lemongrass,
simple to make, and the payoff is worth
What are the essential pantry ingredi- it! I think it’s perfect for the cold winter lightly bruised and cut
ents for a home cook who wants to dive weather. The bright colours, the aromatic into 2-inch pieces
into the world of northern Thai cooking? herbs — it will give you a boost for sure. 5 thin slices galangal
Thai food is salty, sour, sweet, spicy and And then there’s the rich khao soi. The 9 unpeeled Thai garlic cloves
full of umami. The most important ingre- beautiful golden curry soup, the bright- (or 3 peeled regular garlic
dient is fish sauce. It gives you the salt and ness from the squeeze of lime, the smoky cloves), lightly bruised
umami, and it has a very big flavour when crunch of the deep-fried noodles — it’s got 3 medium shallots, cut in
you add to curries. Next, I would go with it all going on. —Rebecca Philps half and lightly bruised
5 fresh magrud lime leaves
32 PHOTOGRAPH BY MICHAEL GRAYDON AND NIKOLE HERRIOTT 1⁄3 cup Tom Yum Paste
(recipe follows)
10 fresh or thawed frozen
medium shrimp (size 21–25),
peeled, deveined and cut
in half lengthwise
6 ounces (170 g) oyster
mushrooms, roots cut off,
torn in half lengthwise
5 cherry tomatoes, cut in
half crosswise
1 tablespoon Tamarind
Paste (recipe follows,
or store-bought)
1 tablespoon Thai cane sugar
2 tablespoons Thai fish sauce
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
1⁄3 cup coarsely chopped fresh
cilantro leaves and stems

FEBRUARY/MARCH 2021

e Past
Yum
Spicy and Sour Soup with Shrimp and Tom

֐
Stir-Fried Flat
Rice Noodles
with Gravy

VITALS

2 green onions, cut into 1. In a small food processor, NHAM MHA KHAM Lad Nha
2-inch pieces pulse the dried shrimp until
they look stringy, almost like Tamarind Stir-Fried Flat
1 stalk fresh sawtooth floss. Set aside. Paste Rice Noodles
coriander, cut into with Gravy
1-inch pieces 2. In a small saucepan ֑
over medium heat, heat 1 Tamarind paste can be SERVES 2 Thai cuisine is a
1 to 3 fresh bird’s eye tablespoon of the sunflower a little bit tart, but it is true melting pot of Asian
chilies, lightly bruised oil. Add the chilies and cook never overpowering. It flavours. Immigration brings
until the chilies turn dark red brings a slight pucker to in many dishes from all over
1. In a medium pot over and the skin starts to plump your lips but perfectly the world, and to those, we
high heat, bring the water up and looks smooth, 1 to 2 complements any spicy add some Thai spices and
to a rolling boil. When the minutes. Transfer the chilies dish. You are sure to local vegetables to create
water is boiling, reduce the to a stone mortar and pestle. enjoy the out-of-the- a meal that is the perfect
heat to medium and add the (Alternatively, you can use a box flavour this paste combination of cultures.
lemongrass, galangal, garlic, small food processor.) adds. Tamarind paste This Thai noodle dish gets
shallots and lime leaves. is commonly used in its special flavour from the
Boil for 5 minutes. Stir in the 3. Return the pan to medium northern Thai dishes. gravy-based dishes of China.
tom yum paste and boil for heat. Add the remaining But we put our twist on it
another 5 minutes. ¼ cup sunflower oil and 1 cup water by adding sour, sweet, salty
heat for 1 minute. Add the ¼ cup (80 g) seedless and spicy flavours to create
2. Without stirring, add the garlic and shallots and cook, sour tamarind (dried our very own delicious Thai
shrimp, oyster mushrooms stirring frequently, until or block) version. Instead of pork,
and tomatoes. Increase cooked but not crispy, 2 to you can use beef, chicken
the heat to high and cook, 3 minutes. The shallots will Step 1 or tofu. Note: You’ll need
without stirring, for 2 to 3 start to look transparent. In a small saucepan to marinate the pork for at
minutes or until the shrimp Remove from the heat. over high heat, bring the least 2 hours or overnight.
are pink and opaque. Make Using a slotted spoon, water to a rolling boil.
sure to wait until the shrimp transfer the garlic and Break the tamarind into 7 ounces (200 g) pork
have had a chance to cook shallots to the mortar with small pieces and drop shoulder blade, cut
before stirring. the chilies. Leave the oil them into the boiling into long strips about
in the pan. water. Boil for 3 to 4 1½ inches wide
3. Stir in the tamarind minutes. The heat breaks Standard Meat Marinade
paste and cane sugar and 4. Pound the garlic and down the tamarind pulp (recipe below)
cook for another minute. shallots to a fine paste. and makes it easier to
Stir in the fish sauce and Add the paprika and pound separate the fibres. If ¼ cup water
lime juice. Remove from to mix. using dried tamarind, it 1 tablespoon tapioca starch
the heat. Stir in the cilantro, will start to expand. If
green onions, sawtooth 5. Return the pan to medium using a tamarind block, or cornstarch
coriander and chilies. Ladle heat and allow the sunflower it will absorb the water 10.2 ounces (290 g) fresh flat
into bowls and serve. oil to heat up for 1 minute. and start to soften.
Scoop the paste out of the rice noodles (about 2 cups)
Nham Prik Pao mortar, add to the oil and Step 2 2 tablespoons sweet
cook, stirring frequently, for Strain through a fine-
Tom Yum Paste about 2 minutes. Add the mesh sieve placed over soy sauce
shrimp floss, tamarind paste a large bowl, pressing 3 tablespoons Thai oyster
MAKES 1/3 CUP Make sure and coconut sugar. Reduce out every bit of liquid
to use large dried shrimp. the heat to medium-low and and paste. I recommend sauce, divided
The smaller shrimp tend to cook until the sugar is fully using a large bowl to 4 tablespoons sunflower
be saltier and will change dissolved, 1 to 2 minutes. help minimize the mess.
the flavour of the paste. Store in an airtight container Make sure to scrape the oil, divided
in the fridge for up to 3 days. paste off the underside 3 tablespoons minced
¼ cup large dried shrimp of the sieve and mix it
1 tablespoon + ¼ cup into the liquid. Discard unpeeled Thai garlic
the pulp in the sieve. cloves or peeled regular
sunflower oil, divided Allow to cool before garlic, divided
3 to 5 large dried red spur using. Store in an airtight 3 tablespoons coarse
container in the fridge soybean paste
chilies for up to 1 week 2 cups chicken broth or
3 tablespoons unpeeled or in the freezer for up no-salt-added store-bought
to 3 months. 2 tablespoons Thai cane
Thai garlic cloves or thinly sugar, more for serving
sliced peeled regular garlic Makes about ½ cup 2 tablespoons white vinegar
3 tablespoons thinly sliced 1 tablespoon thin soy sauce
shallots 1 teaspoon Thai fish sauce,
1 tablespoon paprika more for serving
1 tablespoon Tamarind 4 stalks Chinese broccoli,
Paste (recipe follows) leaves and peeled stalks
or store-bought cut into 2-inch pieces on
1 tablespoon coconut sugar the diagonal
White pepper
BESTHEALTHMAG.CA PHOTOGRAPH BY MICHAEL GRAYDON AND NIKOLE HERRIOTT 1 teaspoon chili powder

35

VITALS

2 tablespoons store-bought NHAM MHAK NUA SUD separated. Stir it again and finely chopped
Pickled Chili Vinegar, then stir the mixture into the 2 tablespoons finely minced
for serving, or to taste Standard soup. Simmer until the soup
(optional) Meat thickens, about 2 minutes. fresh ginger
Marinade Stir in the Chinese broccoli 3 tablespoons thinly sliced
1. In a medium bowl, and cook until the leaves
combine the pork and People always ask me wilt, about 1 minute. lemongrass
standard meat marinade. what my secret is for 1½ teaspoons coarsely
Mix with your hands. good food. It is very 7. To serve, divide the
Cover and marinate in the simple: I make sure I noodles between 2 large minced galangal
fridge for at least 2 hours put my time and energy bowls. Ladle the soup and 3 tablespoons coarsely
or overnight. into bringing out the its contents over the noodles.
best in each ingredient. Sprinkle with white pepper minced unpeeled
2. In a small bowl, stir Even if I have a perfectly to taste and the chili powder. Thai garlic or peeled
together the water and tender piece of meat, Add more chili powder, regular garlic
tapioca starch, making I will always use this cane sugar, fish sauce and 3 tablespoons coarsely
sure to work out all the marinade, as it brings some pickled chili vinegar minced shallots
lumps. Set aside. out the natural flavours (if using) to taste to 1 tablespoon Thai
and adds another level dramatically change the shrimp paste
3. In a medium bowl, of taste. I learned this taste of the noodles.
combine the rice noodles, marinade from my aunt, CURRY INGREDIENTS
sweet soy sauce and and I still use it almost Khao Soi Gaihen
1 tablespoon of the oyster every day. 2¼ cups sunflower oil,
sauce. Mix well with Chicken Drumstick divided
your hands, separating 2 tablespoons water Curry with Egg
the noodles as you go. 1 tablespoon vegetable Noodles 6 skin-on chicken drumsticks,
washed and patted dry
4. Heat a medium wok or oil SERVES 2 When Thai people
skillet over high heat for 1 teaspoon tapioca travel to the north, this 1 pound (450 g) fresh
2 minutes. Reduce the heat is the food they go searching egg noodles
to low, add 2 tablespoons starch for. It is an incredibly
of the sunflower oil and ½ teaspoon sea salt popular dish. The first time 1 cup thick part of
1 tablespoon of the minced I ate this dish, it changed coconut milk
garlic, and sauté until the Step 1 my world. I had thought all
garlic becomes fragrant, In a medium bowl, noodles were white, but 2½ cups well-shaken coconut
10 to 20 seconds. Stir in the combine the water, seeing yellow curry egg milk + 2½ cups water, well
noodle mixture and cook vegetable oil, tapioca noodles for the first time, combined (to make thin
for 2 minutes. Remove from starch and salt. Stir until and tasting the difference, coconut milk)
the heat and set aside. the salt and starch have was a delicious shock for
fully dissolved. me. The combination of 1 tablespoon coconut sugar
5. In a medium pot over this silky-smooth curry, 3 tablespoons Thai fish sauce
medium heat, heat the Makes enough to unique spices, chewy 4 cups water
remaining 2 tablespoons marinate ²⁄3 to 1 pound noodles and the crunch of 2 tablespoons store-bought
sunflower oil. Add the (300 to 450 g) of meat the crispy noodle topping
remaining 2 tablespoons results in the ultimate Thai Garlic Oil
minced garlic and the comfort food. 2 green onions, finely
soybean paste. Cook,
stirring, for 1 minute. Add CURRY PASTE INGREDIENTS chopped
the chicken broth, increase ½ cup packed coarsely
the heat to high and bring 3 small dried red bird’s
to a rolling boil. Use your eye chilies chopped fresh cilantro
hand or tongs to drop in leaves
pieces of pork one at a time ½ teaspoon sea salt 1⁄3 cup packed coarsely
so they don’t stick together. 1 black cardamom pod, chopped pickled mustard
Do not stir. Cook until the greens, rinsed, squeezed
pork no longer looks pink, seeds only dry and cored
2 to 3 minutes. Add the 2 tablespoons yellow ¼ cup coarsely chopped
cane sugar, the remaining shallots
2 tablespoons oyster sauce, curry powder 2 lime wedges
white vinegar, thin soy sauce 1 teaspoon coriander seeds Store-bought Roasted
and fish sauce. Mix well. ½ teaspoon ground turmeric Chili Oil
5 dried red spur chilies,
6. Now that some time TO MAKE THE CURRY PASTE
has passed, the water and seeded, cut into ½-inch
tapioca mixture will have pieces, soaked in warm 1. Using a stone mortar and
water for 10 minutes until pestle, grind the dried red
36 softened and squeezed dry bird’s eye chilies, salt and
2 cilantro roots with 3-inch black cardamom seeds to a
stems or 10 cilantro stems, powder. Add the yellow curry
powder, coriander seeds
and turmeric, and grind to a
fine powder. Add the dried
red spur chilies and grind to
a paste. One at a time, and
grinding to a paste after each
addition, add the cilantro
roots, ginger, lemongrass,
galangal, garlic, shallots and
shrimp paste. Set aside.

FEBRUARY/MARCH 2021

VITALS

Chicken ¼ cup sunflower oil and the
Drumstick curry paste and mix well
Curry with before turning on the heat.
Egg Noodles Once mixed, turn the heat
֑ to medium-low and cook,
stirring frequently, 2 to 3
TO MAKE THE CURRY 3. Place 2 bundles of the “When you minutes. This will bring out
egg noodles on a plate cook Thai food, the fragrance of the curry.
2. In a medium pot over and separate the noodles I always say, Stir in the thick coconut milk
high heat, heat 2 cups of the with your hands. Add the keep smiling. and cook until the coconut
sunflower oil. When the separated noodles, a few It makes your milk starts to thicken and
oil is hot, deep-fry the at a time, to the hot oil and eyes small, so bubble, 2 to 3 minutes. Add
chicken drumsticks, 3 at deep-fry until the noodles it’s harder the chicken drumsticks and
a time. Fry on one side for are light golden brown, for the chili to cook for 2 minutes. Increase
about 3 minutes, then 2 to 3 minutes. Using tongs, sting them.” the heat to medium, stir
turn to cook the other side transfer the noodles to a in the thin coconut milk
for 2 to 3 minutes. The skin plate lined with paper towel and bring to a boil. When
should be golden brown. to drain excess oil. Repeat boiling, cover and cook for
Using tongs, remove the until all the separated 45 minutes.
chicken from the oil and noodles are cooked.
transfer to a rack to drain. 5. In a small bowl, stir
Repeat with the remaining 4. In a medium pot, together ½ cup of the curry
chicken. Keep the pot of combine the remaining sauce and the coconut
oil over medium heat. sugar until the sugar is fully
dissolved, then stir into
BESTHEALTHMAG.CA PHOTOGRAPH BY MICHAEL GRAYDON AND NIKOLE HERRIOTT the pot. Stir in the Thai fish
sauce and cook for 1 minute.
Remove from the heat.

6. In another medium pot
over high heat, bring the
water to a rolling boil. Add
the remaining noodles and
cook for 5 to 6 minutes.
The noodles should be al
dente, like pasta. Drain
and rinse in warm water.
Divide the noodles between
2 large soup bowls. Add 1
tablespoon garlic oil to each
bowl. Using a fork, stir to mix
well to prevent the noodles
from sticking together.

7. To serve, scoop 1½ to
2 cups of the curry sauce
with 3 drumsticks over each
bowl of noodles. Top each
with about ½ cup of the
deep-fried noodles. Sprinkle
with green onions, cilantro,
pickled mustard greens
and shallots. Squeeze lime
wedges on top and drizzle
with roasted chili oil to taste.

Excerpted from Kiin: Recipes
and Stories from Northern
Thailand, by Nuit Regular.
Copyright 2020, Nuit Regular.
Published by Penguin Random
House Canada Limited.
Reproduced by arrangement
with the Publisher. All rights
reserved.

37

Press Reset

Supercharge your beauty routine with small
Ï̱ĻďåžƐƒĚ±ƒƐķ±īåƐ±ƐÆĞďƐÚĞýåŹåĻÏåũ

Goods Four Ways to Kick
the Winter Blues

By JEAN GRANT and WING SZE TANG
PHOTOGRAPHS by DANI REYNOLDS

֫ԡн 1. Consider this 3. Layer on volume 4. Go classic or be 6. Wear a simple wash
pearlescent powder with this whipped fanciful with your nail of one shadow, or blend
PLAY WITH a spotlight for your mascara, designed colour — these polishes as many as you like;
ALL THE cheekbones. Physicians to be featherlight come in a particularly this compact (and super
MAKE UP Formula Rosé All on your lashes. wide and whimsical affordable) kit is pretty
Day Petal Glow in L’Oréal Air Volume variety. Sally Hansen, foolproof. E.L.F. Bite
Shimmering Rose, $22 Mega Mascara, $17 from $4 Size Eyeshadow Mini
Palette, $4
2. Find a gloss in your 5. Get juicy colour
perfect MLBB (that’s that’s easy to wear 7. Make a cheeky
beauty-speak for with this melty, balm- statement with this
“my lips but better”) meets-lipstick finish. saturated berry
shade. This one packs Revlon Super Lustrous blush — a little goes
hyaluronic acid for Glass Shine Lipstick a long way. NYX Sweet
extra hydration. in Glassy Pink, $13 Cheeks Soft Cheek
Maybelline Lifter Gloss Tint in Showgirl, $1
in Stone, $10

Ѧ
ѧѩ

Ѩ
Ѫ

ѥ ѫ
39
BESTHEALTHMAG.CA

VGIOTOADLSS

֫ԡо 1. Spark up some glittery 2. Who cares if there's 3. If creating elaborate 4. Perfect for mixing
excitement! Nothing no one to see it? confectionery designs thick dough that tends
BAKE A says “party for two” like Proudly displaying even has turned into your to get caught between
BUNCH OF topping a homemade the most basic Betty version of meditation wires, this minimal,
TREATS dessert with a heart- Crocker creations on or therapy, this nine- swirly dough whisk
shaped sparkler. $7, this pretty stand can piece fondant tool set gives off a more artsy
madamegateaux.ca make you feel like can help facilitate hours vibe than its traditional
you're in the coolest of soothing detail work. counterpart. $12,
bakery in town. $65, $8, madamegateaux.ca madamegateaux.ca
easytigergoods.com

ѥ

This beauty was
made by Toronto’s
Shannon Nocos,

@make_kwento

ѧ Ѧ
40
Ѩ

FEBRUARY/MARCH 2021

GOODS

5. With its cute 6. For those who’d 7. Crafting your own 8. Not only is this
Valentine's message, rather not bother Instagram-worthy immersion blender a
this spatula might with intricate fondant treats while isolating boon for those tired
make even the detailing, these can be as easy as of hand-mixing, its
most serious bakers butterfly icing figures investing in a special easter-egg hue makes
acquiesce to demands can instantly make mold. This fluted it feel like an actual
to lick the bowl clean. basic cupcakes silicone version can treat to use, too. $50,
$12, wyrthhome.com worthy of a special produce flawless bedbathbeyond.ca
occasion (anticipation mini cakes that look
of springtime counts like they belong
as a special occasion in a café. $10,
these days, right?). madamegateaux.ca
$12, michaels.com

Ѭ

ѩ Ѫ

BESTHEALTHMAG.CA ѫ
41

GVIOTOADLSS 1. If you’re missing 2. Lighting is everything! 3. This pint-sized pocket 4. This adorable heating
the full movie theatre Tall candles in all projector, which casts pad, which is filled with
֫ԡп experience, this retro manner of odd shapes an image from five to eco-friendly buckwheat
popcorn maker has an are trending this winter 80 inches on any white and natural lavender,
MAKE attached melting tray and give off a romantic wall, is all you need is great for soothing
MOVIE so your DIY bowls can old-world feel as to turn your living Zoom-weary necks or
NIGHT be easily drizzled in they melt down into room into a private tight back muscles from
COZY steaming butter. $30, misshapen blobs. $30, screening room. $280, working on the sofa
bedbathbeyond.ca easytigergoods.com bedbathbeyond.ca all day. It also doubles
as a cuddle buddy for
solo movie nights. $36,
chapters.indigo.ca

ѥ You can never
have enough fluffy throws
Ѧ
42 and cushy pillows.
Throw, $99. Pillow, $34;

chapters.indigo.ca

ѧ

Ѩ

FEBRUARY/MARCH 2021

PRESENTED BY:

How 2020 Made us

RETHINK
HANDWASHING

L ooking back, 2020 was the year handwashing 3. DYE, PARABEN, PHTHALATE AND
went from mundane to mandatory, as one ³XnX!…z0 I«00‫ ي‬
of our regular daily routines took on a new
level of importance. From government Dial’s new Clean and Gentle™ formula was created for
recommendations on how long we should wash our consumers looking for a hand soap free of dyes, parabens,
hands, to a Canadian survey commissioned by Dial®1 phthalates, and silicones.
that showed a doubling in the number of people who
washed their hands more than 10 times a day since the ‫ ِג‬0z«X!R0( áXÁR x…X³ÁÈ«Xñ0«³‫ ي‬
pandemic set in, last year saw a growth in the hand-
hygiene narrative. Skin-care products formulated with just the right
combination of moisturizing conditioners and gentle
What kind of influence did all of this have on soap cleansers, can help give you a balanced clean.
brands? For Dial — makers of the #1 selling foaming
hand soap brand in Canada2 — it recognized a growing ‫« ِד‬0!ç!n n0 …ÁÁn0³‫ ي‬
need for gentle hand soap options.
Recycling continues to be a hot topic with many
Rita Bajzelj, Senior Brand Manager, Dial, Henkel Canada consumers, so look to packaging for information that
Corporation, says, “Dial Clean and Gentle was just speaks to its recyclability.
launched for Canadians who may be washing their
hands more frequently and are looking for a gentle According to Bajzelj, Dial took these factors into
cleansing option.” consideration in the development of its new Dial Clean
and Gentle foaming hand washes. “All Dial Clean and
If you are rethinking your handwashing routine, consider Gentle foaming hand washes use recyclable bottles and
the following: sleeves3, and the bottles are composed of 50-percent
recycled plastic. They include
ᒇِ (0«x Á…n…JX³ÁᙑÁ0³Á0(‫ ي‬ hypoallergenic formulas that are
dermatologist-tested and made
Has the product been developed and tested with the without dyes, parabens,
support of skin experts? Dermatologists are arguably phthalates, and silicones.”
considered an authority when it comes to anything
associated with our skin. Look closely at product labels Looking for a gentle clean?
for those that say Dermatologist-tested. Dial Clean and Gentle
products are ideal for all skin
‫ ِא‬R稅 nn0«J0zX! I…«xÈn ‫ ي‬ types and formulated with
just the right combination
We all know people with sensitive skin. Hypoallergenic of moisturizing conditioners
products may provide options for consumers who and gentle cleansers, giving
are looking for products that are positioned as being you a balanced clean.
gentle on skin.

1 Survey conducted in Canada in English and French by bms – marketing research + strategy in May 2020
2 Based on Nielsen unit sales data for the 52-week period ending December 26, 2020
3 Dial® Clean and GentleTM bottles are 100-percent recyclable, with the exception of the plastic pump

GOODS 1. The Bowflex SelectTech 2. Ottawa-based fitness 3. With these small-but-
840 kettlebell is like brand Saint Lyon makes mighty sliding pads,
֫ԡр six kettlebells in one, comfy workout sets in a six-by-six square
changing from eight bold shades. Swapping anywhere in your home
KEEP to 40 pounds with your ratty shorts and is all you need for a
MOVING the turn of a dial, and tees for this sunny killer core workout.
AT HOME taking up a fraction of look is guaranteed to $35, sportcheck.ca.
(YES, the space in your home boost your motivation.
STILL) gym (make that the From $38 (bra),
living room corner). from $67 (leggings),
$300, northernfitness.ca. saintlyon.com.

ѥ

Ѧ

ѧ
44 FEBRUARY/MARCH 2021

ULTIMATE PRIZE PACK DRAW OVER

WIN THE BEST $300

IN PRIZING TO
BE WON PER

PERSON!

ENTER FOR A CHANCE TO BE 1 OF 4 .7%-; 4'#&'45 61 9+0 #.. 24+<' 2#%-5 ('#674'&

Shoppers Drug Mart

9KP C UGNGEVKQP QH VJG NCVGUV ʙPFU HTQO 5JQRRGTU &TWI Mart,
because it’s time to treat yourself to something new. From
skin care to oral care, to the newest innovations in hair
care and personal care, we have what you need to add
excitement to your daily routine and enhance your self-care
moments. Check out the latest arrivals in stores and online.

Value: $209.90 | shoppersdrugmart.ca

Natural Calm Activation Products

Win a bottle of Natural Calm Magnesium Citrate in Experience a new you! You will glow with Activation Products’
FGNKEKQWU 4CURDGTT[ .GOQP ʚCXQWT CPF C %CNOHWN 5NGGR all natural, organic Whole Beauty Kit. This powerhouse combo
containing magnesium, gaba, melatonin and l-theanine is packed with a wide array of vitamins, minerals, enzymes
for a calmful night’s sleep. and pigments that promote thick, healthier and shiny hair
through encouraging cellular growth and repair, while also
Value: $54.98 | naturalcalm.ca providing you softer skin.

Value: $69 | activationproducts.com

Enter now at besthealthmag.ca/winthebest

Prize draw closes on April 8, 2021 at 23:59:59 (EDT). For complete rules, go to besthealthmag.ca/winthebest or write to : Best Health WIN the Best Prize Draw at The Reader’s Digest Association (Canada) ULC,
F R 3UL]H $ZDUG $GPLQLV WUDWRU ōV 2 I ƓFH %XFKDQ 6WUHHW 0RQWUHDO 4& + 3 6 3UL]HV PD\ QRW EH H[DF WO\ DV VKRZQ
$ SSUR[LPDWH SUL]H YDOXH