FamilyLife - November 2016

Comfort Foods

9 health tips from Dr. Oz

Raising a child

FamilyLife Comfort Food

November 2016

November Contents

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64

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ADVICE

ORGANIZE

FOOD

ON THE COVER

11 No siblings, No problem!

Raising a happy only child

25 How one Winnipeg family embraced minimalist decor — and you can too

64 Fall Faves

Photography by Roberto Caruso

17 10 Tips for Boosting Your Child's Reading Skills 21 Is Your Family Ready for a Pet?

33 Maximize space, family of five, three-storey home

FEATURES 47 Dr. Oz's nine age-proofing tips and tricks

IN EVERY ISSUE 8 Editor's Letter 68 Last Look

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FamilyLife EDITOR IN-CHIEF Pamela Hayford CREATIVE DIRECTOR Brendan Fisher MANAGING EDITOR Day Helesic FOOD DIRECTOR Annabelle Waugh FASHION & BEAUTY DIRECTOR Julia McEwen HOME & GARDEN DIRECTOR Sarah Gunn TEST KITCHEN SENIOR FOOD SPECIALIST Irene Fong FOOD SPECIALISTS Amanda Barnier, Jennifer Bartoli, Gilean Watts INTERN Rebecca Fallowield ART DEPUTY ART DIRECTOR Lena Diaz ASSOCIATE ART DIRECTOR Sarah Big Canoe CONTRIBUTING ART DIRECTOR Leanne Gilbert PRODUCTION SPECIALIST Genevieve Pizzale EDITORIAL SENIOR FEATURES EDITOR Megan Howard FEATURES EDITOR Mary Levitski COPY EDITORS Debbie Madsen Villamere, Stephanie Zolis EDITORIAL ASSISTANTS Marianne Davidson, Sarah Dziedzic HOME & GARDEN HOME & STYLE DIRECTOR Ann Marie Favot DESIGN EDITOR Morgan Lindsay ADVERTISING SALES, TORONTO GENERAL SALES MANAGER, CONSUMER PUBLICATIONS Kelly Whitelock SENIOR SOLUTIONS DIRECTOR, DIGITAL Myra Thompson NATIONAL SALES DIRECTORS Andrea McBride, Anna Vecera Marto ADVERTISING COORDINATION MANAGER Janice Clarke NATIONAL SALES REPRESENTATIVES Paul Cummins, Daciano da Ponte, Jillian Dann-Macerollo (Team Lead), Cathy Ellis, Gary Forshaw, Kathleen Irish, Joanne Landry, Delainie Marin, Lennie Morton, Erin Suckling, Vanessa Watson, Lindsay Weir (on leave) DIGITAL NATIONAL SALES REPRESENTATIVES Crystal Falls, Akta Sharma, Alex Vaccher SALES ASSOCIATE Patricia Mixemong

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Editor's Letter

Give Blessings Ah, siblings. There really is nothing like them. I have five: three brothers and two sisters. I am the oldest of this crazy crew, and what a ride it’s been up to this point. Oh, the stories we can tell when we are all together! Some of the craziest and funniest times I’ve spent have been with them. And some of the saddest and hardest also have been spent with this group. We’ve seen each other through growing up, marriages, births, surgeries, deaths and all the little day-to-day living that happens in between.

While we’ve known for a while that siblings play a part in shaping who we become, new scientific research has been published that looks into the role siblings play in our development and the affect they have on the person we become. Lauren Greenlee takes a look at the “Science of Siblings”. And she discovers that scientific research has proven having siblings can affect your weight and make you thinner. I need to call out my brothers and sisters and let them know they are failing me in this aspect!

I absolutely cannot believe it is November! Where did 2016 go?!? As we do each November, we pause on the fourth Thursday and turn our minds to giving thanks for our many blessings. Oftentimes, the busyness of the holiday overshadows its true meaning. Sarah Lyons shares ideas on how to cut down on distractions and make the holiday more meaningful in your home this year. Check out her terrific ideas. In the Sarver home we’re going to try her “take a break” idea. Have other ways to celebrate the holiday with more intention? Share them with me—I’d love to hear how you make the holiday less crazy and more meaningful in your home!

Happy Thanksgiving!

Pamela Hayford Editor In-Chief

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Advice

No siblings, No problem! Raising a happy only child

By MALIA JACOBSON

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Advice Parenting an only child comes with plenty of perks. Just ask Hope Austin. She has plenty of time and energy to play with her 3-year-old daughter, Grace, she isn’t drowning in childcare expenses and she knows Grace will have more money for college.

But that doesn’t mean raising a singleton is easy. “With the cost of childcare and the fact that I’m about to go back to school, I just don’t know if I can give her a sibling. But I wonder if I’m doing the right thing,” Austin says.

Increasingly, researchers say that she is. Like Austin, many of today’s parents are opting for just one child, and new research is challenging long-held assumptions that siblings are a must for a happy childhood. In fact, some researchers and authors are making a convincing case that only children may have an edge over kids with siblings in some areas—academics, for example.

In her 2011 book The Case for the Only Child, social psychologist and author Susan Newman, PhD, writes that many women are having children later in life, and more and more families are concerned about the cost of raising children. With these demographic and economic trends dovetailing with research showing that only children aren’t disadvantaged at all, understanding why single-child families are growing at a faster rate than families with more than one child is easy, Newman says.

Downsizing the family The iconic image of two parents surrounded by two or three rosy-cheeked children is dated—and quickly disappearing, says Newman. Until 1967, more than twothirds of Americans preferred a family of three or more children, but in a 2007 Gallup poll, half of Americans said the ideal family contains one, two or no children.

According to government reports, America’s birth rate declined from its 1957 peak of 3.7 children per woman to 1.9 children per woman in 1980. Today, the number of children per family hovers at 1.88, and more than 20 percent of women have only one child.

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A singular advantage?

A century after iconic psychologist G. Stanley Hall famously proclaimed that being an only child is “a disease in itself,” researchers are discovering the opposite effect.

Hundreds of studies show that only children are socially capable and academically adept.

One researcher making a strong case for only children is Douglas Downey of Ohio State University. His recent study of 13,500 kids found that any difference in social competence between only children and those with siblings disappears by adolescence. By grade seven, only children were just as popular as their peers with siblings.

In another study, Downey found that only children have an academic edge over their peers with siblings. He collected data from 24,599 eighth graders and found having more siblings lowers academic success. As family size increases, each child receives less parental attention and fewer educational resources.

And adult only children fare just fine, according to California State University assistant professor Heidi Riggio.

She found that adult singletons make friends just as easily and display similar social traits as adults who grew up with siblings.

According to Jeffrey Kluger, TIME magazine contributor and author of The Sibling Effect: What the Bonds Among Brothers and Sisters Reveal About Us, only children have some key advantages over children with siblings. “Only children tend to wind up with better vocabulary and a more sophisticated sense of humor, simply because they grow up in a house outnumbered by parents,” he says.

Advice

Skill-building for singletons

One and only

Although only children enjoy some advantages, Downey’s research shows that young only children lag slightly in some areas of social development, though the gap disappears later on. Only children have fewer opportunities to practice key social skills like negotiation and sharing, simply because they aren’t living with other children.

When deciding how many children to have, today’s parents have a lot to ponder, says Newman. “No one can decide what the right family size is for you except you and your partner,” she says. “The biggest influence on how your kids turn out is your parenting, not how many kids you have.”

It’s a message Austin appreciates. She grew up with two brothers and remembers feeling left out and excluded at times. Though she never wanted to be an only child, she can see herself raising one. Grace is happy and growing up well, and she says, “That’s what matters.”

Source: Kyle Good, Ph.D., M.Ed.

According to Seattle-area child and adolescent therapist Kyle Good, PhD, MEd, conflict is the key to social learning for only children. “Parents often shy away from conflict and want to avoid it,” says Good. “But conflict can be a valuable teaching tool.” Parents can create learning opportunities by allowing only children to observe parents’ resolving minor conflicts.

Singletons can gain some of the skills children learn from having siblings—including negotiation and joint problemsolving—by developing close relationships with friends and cousins. Childcare also can serve to boost socialization.

“Only children can get a great deal of socialization through daycare, because they’ll be interacting closely with the same children for many hours a day,” says Kluger.

Regardless of family size, family play is highly beneficial, says Good. The parent-guided interactions that take place during family play help children develop behavioral regulation and emotional understanding.

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RAISING SUCCESSFUL SINGLETONS Encourage healthy conflict resolution: Don’t shy away from family conflicts. Instead, use them as a springboard for lessons in negotiation, emotional understanding and self-control. Only children can benefit from observing parents as they resolve minor conflicts.

Promote extended family relationships: Only children can gain a deeper sense of identity and gain valuable social skills through interactions with extended family members of all ages.

Play as a family: Parent-guided interactions that occur during family play allow only children to develop empathy, social understanding and behavioral regulation.

Advice

10 Tips for Boosting Your Child's Reading Skills

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Advice Becoming a reader is one of the most exciting learning adventures your child ever will experience. Many children need little more than exposure to books and they’re off on their own. But others need guided support as they struggle with sounds, fluency and reading unfamiliar words.

Reading is a complex process, but it’s vitally important to all learning. When a child is overwhelmed by the pace of new vocabulary or the expectation to “read faster,” he is more likely to feel discouraged. You’ll want to help your child build skills step by step and maintain a high degree of enthusiasm and confidence all along the way.

Reading together regularly is the best way parents can help their children learn to read. Here are some tried and true methods to use when you read side by side with your young learner: 1. First, be sure your child is ready to read. Have you read many and varied stories, poems, nursery rhymes and a variety of nonfiction books to him? Does she know how to hold a book, turn the pages and follow from left to right?

Does he know the letters of the alphabet and the sounds they make? Can he recognize a few words, such as his name, mom and dad, stop, go, etc.? Does she know how to write some letters on her own? If the answer is no to most of these, take some time to get ready for reading. And be sure the entire process is positive and enjoyable.

2. Keep a reading/writing center in your home filled with supplies. You might include all kinds of paper, pens, markers, crayons, scissors, tape and glue, pipe cleaners, envelopes, stamps and stamp pads, etc. Children love to make their own books and write their own stories.

3. Read favorite books over and over again. Stop and let your child fill in the words. Allow her to memorize the book and “read” it herself. This kind of practice is confidence-building and sets the stage for independent reading lessons.

4. Once you’re working on early reading material, remember good readers use a variety of strategies to solve problems.

As adults we do this without giving the process much thought. Here are some of the strategies we use when we come upon a new or difficult word. Your child should use them too.

We go back and reread to make sense.

We break the word into chunks and read the parts we already know.

We read past the word to see what might make sense in that place.

We read carefully all the way through the word, part by part.

We use picture clues and other prompts from the text.

We ask ourselves questions such as “Does that make sense?” “Would that work?” “Does that sound right?”

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5. Choose the right reading level for your child. Children need some familiar and easy books to practice on their own. They also need books at their instructional level, which means books with a few challenges. When they are working on these more difficult books, you need to be with them, asking questions, prompting with correct strategies and being available to prevent reading frustrations.

Allowing a wait time of 8-10 seconds before stepping in with a prompt gives the reader time to try some strategies on his own.

6. Avoid labeling your reader with words that compare.

She’s on the road to reading and it’s not important whether she’s learning as quickly as another person.

7. Be sure the culture of your home is pro-reading. Use your local library to enrich your home with good reading material. Newspapers, magazines, baseball cards and maps are all reading material too. Your children should see you reading for enjoyment, and there should be read-aloud times every day. Family read-alouds with time for discussion are a wonderful incentive for young readers to work hard to become fluent themselves.

8. Retelling a tale out loud is a great way for children to gain the meaning of the story. They’ll become familiar with characters, settings and the action line’s beginning, middle and end.

9. Make reading fun with extensions and activities related to the stories they love. Let them draw, act out the story, make mobiles, puppets and all sorts of art projects related to the characters and action of a favorite book. Make charts and graphs to depict the characters, setting and storyline. Compare and contrast, chart the action, decide to change the ending or write new characters into the book.

10. Choose quality materials. Become familiar with great authors and illustrators. You can find lists of classic children’s literature at ALA.org. This is the national organization for libraries. Look for books that have earned accolades such as Caldecott awards for illustrations and Newbery awards for excellence in literature.

It’s a joy to watch children become fluent readers, but it can be a challenge to work daily with those children who struggle to learn. In most cases, lots of practice at the appropriate reading levels will provide growth over time.

You even may want to write a few books about your own family members and make that the reading practice of the day. Familiar names, places and activities will make the story much more engaging. Your child will pick up on your enthusiasm for reading.

Your reward? Happy, successful learners.

Advice

Is Your Family Ready for a Pet?

By GINA KLEIN

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Advice They’re cute. They’re cuddly. And doggone it, your child is begging to bring one into your home. Whether you’re considering a dog, cat, bird, goldfish or guinea pig, knowing when your family is truly ready to adopt a pet can be tricky.

While pets can become an important part of family life, be sure to weigh carefully the pros and cons of your family’s owning one.

What does it mean to own a pet?

In any household with children, an animal should be considered a family pet, not just the responsibility of one person. Everyone should participate in the animal’s care, depending on ability and age. Young children even can take turns feeding a pet or going on walks. This helps teach children that animals are part of the family and deserve the same level of care as humans do.

Teach respect.

Children of every age must understand that pets should never be handled roughly. Teaching them to touch gently and to leave the pet alone when it’s eating and sleeping is very important. Just because Johnny wants to interact with the pet doesn’t mean it’s an appropriate time to do so. Selfcontrol is very important for the safety of both your child and the pet.

If a child has a fear of animals, getting a pet isn’t a good idea —just yet. If little Judy is afraid of animals, but her siblings are really wanting a pet, ignoring Judy’s fear isn’t the cure.

This can cause the fearful child to make a mistake around the animal. What you can do to alleviate her fear is visit an animal shelter or spend time with a friend’s pet. Introduce her to calm animals, such as older dogs, rather than energetic puppies. How you interact with the pet can help guide her out of her fears.

Does your child struggle to keep up with simple chores, such as brushing his teeth, clearing the table after dinner or keeping his room tidy? If so, he may not be ready for the responsibilities of owning a pet. Once a pet joins the family, a child needs to be consistent with helping feed and care for it. Remind him that a pet cannot join the family until he shows consistency in remembering his own duties around the house. A pet will depend on him every day, just as he depends on his parents every day.

Deciding to get a pet for your children is just as wonderful as it is laborious. However, there is an extensive list of positives to it all. Besides becoming a mom/dad hero to your kids, the rewards of childhood pet ownership extend quite far.

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Responsibility and confidence.

Not only do children develop a sense of responsibility when caring for a pet, but children gain self-confidence.

When they see that they’re doing a good job taking care of their pet, they’re proud of their accomplishments.

Stress reduction.

Pets tend to bring a sense of calm for children and adults alike. Animals make us feel more relaxed, and like adults, children often turn to pets when they’re feeling upset or angry. Pets are magical in how they bring peace to almost any situation and provide humans with a sense of safety, security and unconditional love.

Discipline.

If a child has a dog, she’ll learn to train it and teach it to listen. It’s been scientifically proven that having a dog helps children learn about discipline, and some would argue that having cats can teach this as well.

Exercise.

Activity levels in children with pets are considerably higher.

Compassion.

Owning a pet contributes to children’s developing a greater sense of empathy and compassion.

Before bringing any furry pet into your home, be sure to spend time with it as a family to rule out any allergies a family member may have to the animal’s fur and dander.

And remember: You can be allergic to one dog or cat breed but not another.

Organize How one Winnipeg family embraced minimalist decor — and you can too Want to live with less? Follow entrepreneur Nils Vik's tips and make room for what matters.

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Everything in your home should be useful or beautiful.

A salon wall is a great way to display your most prized pieces of artwork. This arrangement of works created by mainly Winnipeg artists lines the staircase wall Vik's home — he is an active supporter of the arts community and was fortunate to have picked up many of these works early in the artists’ careers.

By now, most decor fanatics — and aspiring organized homeowners—have devoured the joy-sparking, clutterbusting juggernaut that is Marie Kondo’s The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up. But in 2013, when Nils Vik was building his family home, Kondo’s book wasn’t yet published — so he relied on his own design acumen to create a cozy minimalist paradise.

The owner of two Winnipeg-based coffee shops and a coffee roastery, Vik employed both his degree in environmental design and his Norwegian heritage in fashioning the 1,500-square-foot home in the neighbourhood of Saint Boniface, where he lives with his wife, Melissa, their two-year-old daughter, Marte, and Poncho, their shy standard poodle. “I grew up visiting Norway on a semi-regular basis to see my father’s family,” says Vik, who cites the utilitarian (yet warm) feel of traditional Norwegian cabins as a major interior influence.

“Norway’s pretty small, and it was relatively isolated back in the day, so people used materials around them to the best of their ability.”

From start to finish, Vik’s build was a family affair. Even with a baby on the way, a new puppy to train and the imminent opening of his second coffee shop, he managed to whip up schematic designs for his ideal abode — with a little help from his father-in-law — and circulated ideas among his friends in Winnipeg’s thriving architecture and design community. (Vik also took care of the insulation and wood finishing, but contractors handled the rest.) Between its cathedral ceilings, barn-style roof and abundance of whitewashed pine, Vik says, the home is infused with a certain nostalgia for the Scandinavian cabins of his childhood. And though he’s not fussed much by trinkets, Vik has a particular fondness for the tiny cowbell that hangs in his kitchen, a gift from his paternal grandfather. “The patina of it — you can’t recreate those things anymore.”

Though he and his brood were long moved in by the time Kondo’s book hit store shelves, Vik recently made time to read the mega-successful tome and found parts of his own philosophy reflected. “Deep down, I think we don’t need very much to be happy.”

Here are five ways to live more simply at home:

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Focus on quality, not quantity.

Vik puts thought into every piece that populates his space. “I scrutinize objects as they’re coming into and leaving our house,” Vik says. “When you start thinking critically about those things, you whittle it down to things you really like.” Vik would rather spend a little more on pieces that will last than to buy low-quality products.

Pick your spots.

Vik insisted on designing a wide and spacious staircase despite his home’s modest size. “People said, ‘It’s a small house — you could shave off six inches here,’ but I was drawn to celebrating little areas that are often overlooked.” Now it’s one of his favourite features.

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Use basic materials to add warmth.

“Scandinavian design comes with a reverence for a lack of physical materials,” Vik says, noting that natural woods and carefully placed windows add warmth to the space. “And although it’s quite sparse, the house became cozy with a bit of attention to detail.”

Design your home with only the storage you need.

Having lived in an apartment for 10 years with his wife, Melissa, Vik designed their home with minimal storage in mind. “We were quite happy with the amount of possessions we had,” he says.

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Maximize space, family of five, three-storey home What do you get when you combine a family of five, one small house and out-of-the-box thinking? A revolutionary home with smart space-saving solutions.

A three-storey 1,800-sq.-ft. home With a background in engineering, Dylan Horvath, principal of product-development firm Cortex Design, wanted his home in the city to work as well as a machine but still feel warm and inviting for his three children and his wife, Sunshine.

He enlisted the help of architect Wanda Ely to come up with a plan for the house that used every inch of available space while paying attention to all the small details. By modifying off-the-shelf systems like Ikea wardrobes and kitchen cabinets with vintage pieces and custom fittings, they achieved the bespoke look they love and the super-functional home they need.

Architect, Wanda Ely Architect Inc. Contractors, Stephen Guy McGrath & Christian Bellsmith, Bellsmith Carpentry.

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Maximize flow with smart space planning The first step in any home renovation is to evaluate the floor plan. Here the basement stairs were modified, and the landing was removed to allow for three extra feet of counter space in the kitchen.

Run shelves of varied lengths. Different lengths of shelving help to define the space and provide easy access to frequently used plates and bowls.

Add hooks for pots and pans to a vent hood or wall. It frees up cabinet space and puts everything you need at your fingertips.

Cabinets, Ikea. Backsplash & Entry tile, Olympia Tile. Hardware, Richelieu. Pendant light, Dylan Horvath. Lockers, Smash.

Turn a small nook into a coffee station This tucked-away counter conceals mess from the dining room and provides an additional prep spot.

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Use glass partitions instead of traditional stair spindles to give the illusion of space The glass opens up the area and allows light to filter in from the second floor.

Recess light switches into the wall for a custom look. Using end-grain plywood makes an oftenbumped small side wall more durable and practical.

Designate storage for each family member In the entryway, repurposed industrial lockers are given new life when built into an Ikea wardrobe that has been fitted with custom plywood doors and panelling.

Install a commercial grate floor to trap mud and dirt. Dylan loved the functionality of the indoor metal grates he saw in commercial buildings, so he installed one that allows water and dirt to fall into a cleanable tray below.

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Choose hard-wearing materials Dylan chose brick, plywood, tempered glass and marble tile for their durability and longevity. His goal was to eliminate as much easily damaged drywall as possible.

Expose beams to play up ceilings. It lends a loft-like appeal while extending the height of the ceilings.

Maximize seating with a wall-to-wall sectional.

It provides plenty of places to sit without crowding the room with furniture.

Skip the coffee table to free up space for toys and entertaining. It’s one of the ways the floor plan is kept flexible to accommodate parties and other activities.

Sectional, Gusmodern. Table, Restoration Hardware. Chairs, Design Republic. Flooring, Stone Tile.

Customize chalkboard paint to get the hue you want Dylan wanted to replicate the look of old blueprints for this art wall. It has become a place where the whole family shares ideas, and it eliminates messy paper.

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Invest in a large, rustic dining table that doubles as a homework spot Choose dual-function pieces for other places in your home too, like a daybed that turns into a guest bed.

Squeeze extra shelves into awkward spaces Even the smallest ledge will provide a place for something.

Build test tubes and jars into shelves for toothbrushes, cotton balls, hair elastics and swabs. Daily essentials are given a specific spot, which keeps the shelves looking neat and tidy.

Get more bathroom space with a narrow (but long) bathoom sink. This one has two faucets, so two family members can use it at once.

Light, Sonneman. Faucets, Hansgrohe. Tile, Stone Tile.

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Install a stackable washer-dryer in a bathroom closet Dylan and Sunshine decided to do their laundry where everyone takes off their clothes most. A heated towel warmer doubles as a drying rack and makes bathing and laundry a one-stop shop.

Use the inside of (sturdy) doors for overflow items. Here a wall caddy hides vitamins, moisturizers and haircare products and keeps the open shelves in the bathroom from getting too busy and cluttered.

Skip curtains and opt for frosted windows They create privacy without adding the bulk of drapery and allow light to filter in.

Cut into walls to create bookshelves. A dead space behind the kitchen pantry now olds shelves for cookbooks and a thermostat. Walls often hide secret pockets of space that you can use instead of adding bulky furniture.

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"November is usually such a disagreeable month . . . as if the year had suddenly found out that she was growing old and could do nothing but weep and fret over it." —L.M. Montgomery

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Dr. Oz's nine age-proofing tips and tricks Stay healthy, look great and feel young with these great tips from Dr. Oz. He shares everything from kick-starting a metabolism, to healthy habits for every decade of your life.

If you want more great advice, tune in to The Dr. Oz Show on CTV every day at 2 p.m.(EST).

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Fix 1: Boost metabolism If you want to kick your metabolism up a notch, you need more muscle on your bones! Why? Because muscle burns about three times more calories than fat. The problem is that aging makes your body lose muscle, so you need to act now. The key is to add targeted weight training to your exercise regimen by focusing on the large-muscle groups, like your shoulders, belly and thighs, which will ensure you get the best bang for your resistance-training buck.

Sneaky ways to squeeze muscle building into your daily schedule:

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1 Try doing plank exercises during commercial breaks while you watch TV.

2 Do squats or lunges while you’re in the kitchen waiting for the water to boil.

3 Replace the chair in your office with a large exercise ball to strengthen your core muscles while you check your emails.

Fix 2: Outsmart weight gain Maintaining a healthy weight is the single best thing you can do for your health. Achieve it with a simple equation: exercising and eating well. We’ve already talked about building muscle, but you also need to add cardio to your routine.

Cardio, especially interval workouts (which burn fat better than straight-up endurance work), helps you blast fat all over your body and keeps your heart healthy at the same time. If you already do cardio, add an extra five to 10 minutes to each workout, or bump up the intensity. And mix up your workouts so that your body doesn’t get too accustomed to one type of calorie burn. Try a long power walk one day, the elliptical the next and a bike ride the day after that. The variety will keep your body guessing and ensure the pounds keep falling off. Your goal should be at least 10,000 steps a day, or about 30 minutes of exercise.

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Fix 3: Stress less Excessive stress can contribute to heart disease, stroke and even depression. That’s why learning how to manage it on a day-to-day basis is so crucial. Try physical activity. When you exercise, your body releases stress-busting chemicals called endorphins, which help make you feel calmer and happier. Try a 10-minute walk when you’re feeling most anxious — it can do wonders to calm you down. Stretching exercises, such as yoga, are also a great way to de-stress. I start every morning with a seven-minute yoga routine that you can find on my website. A couple of sun salutations are also a great way tosoothe your mind right from the start. Here are some other simple things you can do to keep your day stress-free: • Get your daily dose of vitamin C. This vital vitamin allows the body to clear cortisol out of the bloodstream, which helps prevent your blood pressure from spiking in response to stressful situations.

Oranges, kiwis and red bell peppers are vitamin-C superstars.

• Have a cup of black tea. Simply taking a break and sitting down for a soothing cup of tea helpsyou destress, but there’s an added bonus: Black tea is rich in flavonoids, which can help blockyour nervous system’s fight-or-flight response.

• Try a self massage. Studies show massages help reduce stress in the body and relieve tension in both muscles and mind so that you generally feel more relaxed. Try borrowing from the ancient secrets of acupressure and tap into the pressure points onyour ears. Start by applying light pressure to your ear lobes using your thumb and index finger. Then rub the earlobes and move up the outer rim of the ear to the top of your ear. Apply pressure very gently and then work your way backdown. Do this for about two minutes. Feel better? I knew you would.

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Fix 4: Avoid injuries As you get older, wear and tear on your body builds up and you become more prone to injury. Your tendons and muscles become less stretchy and your muscles are more easily fatigued and have greater trouble recovering. Then the cushiony cartilage that protects your joints wears away, making you more susceptible to injury. But that doesn’t mean you should give up exercising altogether. In fact, it’s just as important as ever—so you may have to change your approach. Your warm-up is now a crucial part of your exercise routine.

Without a proper warm-up, your muscles will be tight and your risk of injury greater. In fact, the medical community has a new appreciation for fascia, the layer of fibrous connective tissue right below the skin that holds together your muscles, blood vessels and nerves. It’s incredibly important to stretch these tissues to prevent injuries, such as plantar fasciitis. The point of a warm-up is to get your heart beating, your blood flowing and your muscles loose so that you can gradually slide into your workout. (It’s the shock of diving right into a workout that can leave you injured.) To further protect yourself from injury, talk to your doctor or pharmacist about adding a daily dose of glucosamine (1,500 mg/day) and chondroitin (800–1,200 mg/day) to your supplement regimen. They are components of normal cartilage and may help support lost cushioning to prevent future aches and pains.

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Fix 5: Check your heart rate every day The average resting heart rate for adults is between 60 and 80 beats per minute. And a 2010 study found if a woman’s resting heart rate was above 90, she was three times more likely to die of heart disease.

By being aware of your heart rate, you can stop a heart attack or stroke before it happens. Fortunately, checking is simple: Place your index and middle fingers on your wrist bone, directly under your thumb. Press gently to feel your pulse. Count the beats for 10 seconds. Then multiply by six to get your resting heart rate. Now make sure you track it! A recent study shows that if your heart rate goes up by more than 10 beats a month, your risk for heart disease increases by 16 percent.

Under-a-Minute Tip: Take your resting heart rate before you get out of bed every morning. If it is high or keeps going up every month, see your doctor.

Fix 6: Cultivate a strong relationship Being in a happy partnership can bring you a host of health benefits, from lowering stress levels and reducing your risk of Alzheimer’s disease to improving cancer-survival rates. So how do you keep the passion alive year after year? I’ve been married for over 25 years to my lovely wife, Lisa, and I can tell you that marriage takes work. Here are some smart ways to strengthen the most important relationship — they’ve worked for us!

• Every day: Take at least 10 minutes to have a real conversation with your partner. As life gets complicated with kids and bills and demanding work, it’s easy to spend your nights discussing the minutiae of everyday problems, but that won’t help you stay close emotionally. Set aside a little time each day to talk about something real. Whether it’s your emotions, your personal problems or even a lively debate about a world problem, these talks will help you stay closer together.

• Every week: Schedule at least one family dinner or outing together. It’s important to share adventures, build memories and strengthen your bonds as a family unit.

• Every year: Review your relationship goals — and if you don’t have relationship goals, make some. They can be about things like paying off debt, parenting styles or your shared outlook on family nutrition. The point is to have common goals so you can have a common plan and be on common ground.

For more relationship advice, check out Lisa’s book Us: Transforming Ourselves and the Relationships That Matter Most.

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Fix 7: Stock up on allstar supplements 1. Multivitamin: Look for one that’s targeted to women your age. Take it once a day with food, so it won’t upset your tummy.

2. Calcium: After age 30, your bone density starts to decrease so it’s important to stock up on this key mineral, no matter how old you are!

3. Vitamin D: This is a key immunity booster and cancer fighter. Take a minimum of 800 IUs a day.

4. Omega-3s: You need both EPA and DHA omega-3 fatty acids. Fish sources are best, but you can also look for fortified eggs and other products at the grocery store.

5. Vitamin B: Simply put, a B complex is the best feel-good vitamin you can find. Plus, it can boost your metabolism and help prevent heart disease later.

Fix 8: Add one healthy habit per decade In your 20s: The best thing you can do is kick your bad habits — whether it’s smoking, tanning or heavy drinking. You may not see the effects right now, but the damage adds up. Taking a proactive approach to your health in your 20s can help you ward off wrinkles, premature aging and even cancer.

In your 30s: Take control of your stress.

Whether you’re juggling a young family or an escalating career, anxiety in your 30s can be out of control. Carve out a little time in your schedule every day just to chill with a brisk walk, a good book or some soothing music.

In your 40s: Your hormones are shifting, your metabolism is slowing and that belly fat may be starting to creep on. Add a little extra exercise to your day to help battle the bulge and decrease stress hormones. And don’t forget sex. It’s easy to let it slip by, but an active sex life can keep your marriage alive and help you feel young and beautiful.

In your 50s: You’ve lost about 90 percent of the estrogen you used to have, and the result is sagging, dry skin. Make sure to moisturize with an SPF cream during the day, and use an extraemollient moisturizer at night to keep skin smooth and supple.

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Fix 9: Put yourself first!

One of the biggest problems I see in women today is they don’t take responsibility for their own health. With kids, jobs, mortgages and husbands, your own health can fall by the wayside. It’s easy to make excuses: You’re too busy to exercise or you just don’t have time to schedule that Pap smear. But all of these things add up over time. You need to be proactive, carve out time in your schedule and take responsibility for being the healthiest person you can be — because no one else is going to do it for you!

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Food Fall Comforts

Don't sweat about dinner with these simple (yet delicious) recipes.

Photo, Roberto Caruso

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Chicken enchiladas

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Fall Faves Macaroni and cheese with roasted butternut squash

These easy weeknight dinner recipes will get food on the table fast so you can get back to enjoying fall (arguably the best season of the year).

Photo, Roberto Caruso

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Food

Macaroni and Chicken cheese with enchiladas roasted butternut PREP TIME:30 MINS TOTAL TIME:45 MINS squash PREP TIME:25 MINS TOTAL TIME:35 MINS 3 cups peeled, finely diced butternut squash , about 400 g 1 tsp olive oil 2 cups dry elbow macaroni pasta 2 tbsp butter 1/4 cup all-purpose flour 2 1/2 cups 2% milk 1 tsp Dijon mustard 1/4 tsp salt 1/8 tsp cayenne pepper , optional 1 cup grated white cheddar , preferably aged 1 cup grated light mozzarella 1/2 cup grated gruyère 1/3 cup panko bread crumbs 1. Position racks in centre and top third of oven. Preheat to 400F. Toss squash with oil on a baking sheet. Bake in centre of oven until tender, stirring halfway through, 16 to 18 min. Remove to a rack.

Preheat broiler to 500F. 2. Cook pasta in a large pot of boiling water, following package directions but omitting salt, until al dente, 7 to 8 min. Drain.

3. Melt butter in a medium saucepan over medium. Whisk in flour.

Mixture will be dry and very lumpy.

Gradually whisk in milk, Dijon, salt and cayenne. Stir until mixture comes to a boil, 5 to 7 min.

Remove pan from heat and stir in pasta, cheese and squash until just coated. Do not melt cheese.

Transfer to an 8-inch- square baking dish or 6 individual ovensafe dishes. Sprinkle panko over pasta.

4. Broil until top is golden, 2 to 3 min.

Serve macaroni and cheese immediately.

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2 tbsp vegetable oil 2 large skinless, boneless chicken breasts , cut into long, thin strips 1/2 tsp salt 1 small onion , chopped 2 garlic cloves , minced 4 tsp chili powder 2 tsp cumin 1/4 tsp hot-red-chili-flakes 4 plum tomatoes , seeded and diced 2 cups packed baby spinach 2 1/2 cups grated Monterey Jack , or mozzarella 8 small flour tortillas 1/2 cup chopped cilantro , optional 1. Preheat oven to 450F. Spray a baking sheet.

2. Heat a large non-stick frying pan over medium-high. Add 1 tbsp oil, then chicken. Sprinkle with salt.

Cook until no pink remains, 5 to 6 min. Transfer to a plate and set aside. Reduce heat to medium.

Add remaining oil to pan, then onion, garlic, chili powder, cumin, pepper flakes and 1/2 of tomatoes.

Cook until vegetables soften, 2 to 3 min. Add spinach and stir until wilted. Remove from heat. Stir in chicken, any juices and 1 cup grated cheese.

3. Divide chicken mixture into 8 portions. Scoop a portion into centre of each tortilla. Roll into a cigar shape around filling. Place seam-side down on baking sheet, spacing 1 in. apart. Flatten slightly, then top with remaining tomatoes and cheese.

4. Bake in centre of oven until cheese melts, about 5 min. Sprinkle with cilantro.

November 2016 - Family Life

Last Look

Movies

Moana November 23 Moana ( Auli'i Cravalho) is caught in a typhoon and shipwrecked on an island where she finds Maui (Dwayne Johnson), who boasts about his achievements. She demands that Maui return the heart, but he refuses and traps her in a cave. She escapes and confronts Maui, who reluctantly lets her on the camakau. They are attacked by Kakamora—coconut pirates—who seek the heart, but Moana and Maui outwit them. Moana realizes Maui is no longer a hero since he stole the heart and cursed the world, and convinces him to redeem himself by returning the heart.

Courtesy of Walt Disney Pictures

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