Category: Wellness in the workplace

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5 most common food intolerances in Canada

5 most common food intolerances noted in Canada

Food intolerances can be a severe health risk; more than three million Canadians self-report having at least one food intolerance; you can be born with food intolerance, or you can even develop one as an adult. Keep reading to discover 5 of the most common food intolerances in Canada and what they do.

Gluten is a common food intolerance in Canada

Gluten is a protein found in wheat and grains like rye and barley; gluten can be hard to digest, which then causes inflammation in the body. Gluten is in a lot of common food and drinks, which makes it hard for gluten-intolerant people when it comes to their diet. Gluten is also found in other things, such as cosmetics and even medications. Try not to mix up an intolerance and an allergy; they are not the same because an allergy can have more serious health complications. If someone has celiac disease, they can’t tolerate gluten at all; it triggers an autoimmune response that causes damage to the wall of their gut, which can lead to infertility and nerve damage.

Dairy causes symptoms of intolerance

Lactose intolerance usually occurs when people lack the enzyme lactase, which breaks down lactose (milk sugar) so that it can easily be absorbed. If a person is intolerant to lactose, they may experience symptoms such as stomach pain, bloating or feeling sick. Casein is one of the main proteins found in milk; cow’s milk contains around 80% casein protein. Some symptoms of a dairy intolerance are nausea, abdominal pain, hay fever, gas and asthma.

Caffeine can cause anxiety and diarrhea

Caffeine is a stimulant that reduces fatigue and increases alertness when consumed. Some people are more sensitive to caffeine and may experience reactions such as anxiety, insomnia, restlessness, nervousness, and a rapid heartbeat. People with this sensitivity to caffeine should reduce their intake and avoid food and drinks with the stimulant in them.

Eggs can cause issues for many in Canada

Eggs have proteins that some people cannot tolerate, specifically egg whites, but you should try and eliminate eggs as a whole if you have an intolerance. Symptoms can be mild or severe such as rashes, digestive problems, runny nose, and stomach pain; an egg intolerance isn’t life-threatening but will cause issues that can be avoided. It’s best always to check the ingredients of what you’re eating due to eggs being in a wide variety of food.

Peanuts are a common allergy but also a food intolerance

Peanuts are more commonly known as an allergy, not an intolerance. However, some people may have an intolerance that isn’t life-threatening. Some symptoms of peanut intolerance are stomach cramps, wheezing, tightness in the throat, and indigestion. If you are intolerant to peanuts, your body will have a chemical reaction eating them; it’s best to avoid them if you feel that you have an intolerance.

Common food intolerances in Canada

Remember that food allergies and intolerances are not the same; an intolerance isn’t life-threatening, but cutting out your intolerances will help you to feel better and improve any digestion issues you may be experiencing. To find out if you have an intolerance, you could start by doing the process of elimination or have an intolerance test. All of these are on offer in Canada, so if you have food intolerances, we can help you live a happier life. Don’t suffer in silence, identify whether you have common food intolerances in Canada today.

Shop now for your intolerance test.

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Building your own Healthy Environment

Take an intolerance test in the workplace

Here are 5 steps to improve your wellness in the workplace. We’ll be honest upfront, alongside all of these we do think you should get intolerance testing from Canada Food Intolerance to ensure everyone is happy in the workplace;

Walking helps ease intolerance symptoms1) Institute Walk and Talk Meetings

There are many ways managers can improve meetings, this is includes making them more dynamic.

There’s no hard and fast rule that says all meetings must take place in an office. With everyone seated around a table. For smaller meetings, such as employee one-on-ones, consider instituting a walk and talk policy.

Walk and talk meetings aren’t some new fad. Many well-known visionaries such as Steve Jobs, Aristotle and even Sigmund Freud were known to take their meetings on a walk.

Walking is one of the best ways to improve cardiovascular health, it reduces the risk of heart disease and stroke and improves balance, muscle strength and endurance. Physical activity is also known to boost creativity and innovation, ensuring your meetings will generate new ideas that (hopefully) lead to successful results.

Healthy workspace with a healthy mind. 2) Encourage Desk Exercising

Working in an office can be incredibly sedentary. On average, people spend around 10 hours a day sitting—this doesn’t include the time spent sitting at work.

In recent years studies have shown that sitting for long periods of time can be incredibly harmful. Prolonged periods of sitting can cause weakening in muscles, increase body fat around the waist and result in higher blood pressure.

Employers can help fight the negative effects of long periods spent sitting at a desk by educating, encouraging and building in time for employees to take small breaks. Get up and stretch and even, yes, do some desk exercises.

Leg planks, shoulder raises, even simple stretches can help break up the monotony and danger of too much sitting. Breaking for two minutes every half hour to do a simple exercise improves both physical and mental health. It gives the eyes a break from starring at a computer screen.

Intolerance testing enhancing sporting prowess3) Organize a Workplace Team

What better way to encourage physical fitness, engagement and teamwork than organizing a company sports team?

A company sports team is fun, breaks down team silos (meaning employees across multiple teams get a chance to interact and build relationships), and improves communication.

There are so many options available for team activities—football, netball, badminton, table tennis, any activity really. Creating “work leagues” or “championships” with a reward-based scheme can encourage participation.

A workplace team is a great benefit for current employees. This is a fantastic way to seal the deal with potential new recruits.

Person relaxing outside

4) Minute Mindfulness Breaks

Mental health is just as important as physical health. Work-life can be stressful—deadlines, big presentations and coordination and communication with multiple teams can take a toll on our stress levels and anxiety. Your business can help employees alleviate stress by encouraging them to take five minutes or so a day to focus on mindfulness.

Mindfulness is a great way to help a person focus. It can rejuvenate the mind, release tension and reset us to attack our work in a healthy, productive way.

Have a listen to a few of the podcasts available at Canada Food Intolerance for assistance on creating a good environment for your mind.

Regardless of what you offer, recognizing the importance of handling workplace stress, and providing employees with a safe way to do so will support and improve your staff’s mental health.

Exercise and Intolerance testing can benefit you

5) Competitive Step Tracking

A little workplace competition can be the perfect way to encourage your employees to get up and move. There are a variety of free apps (iPhone and Android) available that help people count their daily steps.

Put together a competition to see who can achieve the most steps in a month. You can make it an individual or a team competition. But remember, all competitions must have an incentive. Some sort of reward that makes the effort worthwhile.

To win, staff should be encouraged to take the stairs. They should walk during their lunch breaks. Sometimes even get off a stop or two early on the subway if they take public transportation to work.

Many people don’t look at physical activity as being fun. As an employer, you can help build positive attitudes towards better health in the workplace by showing your staff how much fun it can be.

Intolerance Testing for the workplace

Thinking about intolerance testing for your workplace in Canada, take a look here.

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An Army Marches on its Stomach.

This obviously isn’t a literal term. The true meaning of this phrase is that a well fed army will work longer and harder than an underfed malnourished army.

Now lets play a little game. From that first sentence which word is the most important?

Malnourished – Nice try

Underfed – Not even close

It’s the word well. Well fed. People will read this as quantity, but the true definition of well is “in a good or satisfactory way”

Well in this instance should be read as “in a quality, nutritious way”

WELLness – still with me?

Wellness in the workplace

Your army, whether that’s your workforce or your family need to be fed in a quality, nutritious way. This will get you the most productive army.

Some stats;

25% of employees frequently feel physically drained or exhausted after an AVERAGE day’s work.

30% of employees frequently start their workdays feeling tired or low on energy.

25% of employees frequently feel emotionally drained or exhausted after an average day’s work.

Maximising your army

A well nourished army is a productive army. It is no coincidence that the biggest corporations spend billions of £’s looking after their army.

Diet and Environment

Diet and environment are 2 quick easy solutions. Diet will enable high energy levels, which in turn will enable a replenished army. Environment plays a big part also. A happy comfortable environment will aid productivity. Somewhere you want to be will allow your army to flourish. Whether your army is your family or workplace, it is easy to accomplish with some research.

Remember, mind body and soul……………………In that Order