If you have a desk job, chances are you’re sitting down for most of the day. When you get up for a second (or third) cup of coffee, you might find that your tush is a little sore—that’s because when we sit, our glutes shut down.

Your glutes are made up of three different muscles (the maximus, the medius and the minimus) and together they are the largest muscle group in your body. The glutes are important—they help with balance and mobility, walking upstairs and uphill, carrying and lifting and keeping us upright. “They’re important to keep strong, especially as we age, especially as we try to prevent falls and stay as active as we can,” says Surabhi Veitch, a Toronto-based virtual physiotherapist and owner of the Passionate Physio.

With many of us working from home and living more sedentary lifestyles thanks to the pandemic, we aren’t using our glutes as often as we should. If you were an office worker before COVID, it’s likely that your day consisted of a lot more built-in movement: you might’ve walked to and from work; maybe you climbed the stairs in your apartment building whenever you went out; you most definitely stood around more, waiting for buses or coffees or your table at a restaurant. That loss of daily movement “has really contributed to deconditioning and the glutes have atrophied,” says Veitch. “When we start losing muscle mass like that, especially as we age, it’s really challenging to get that muscle back. We have to be really intentional about strengthening those muscles.”

Luckily, many of the things we do every day work our glutes. If you want to strengthen them, start by repeating, and adding difficulty to, some of the movements you do daily. Veitch suggests squats, which we do without thinking whenever we stand up from a seated position. Try adding in extra squats by doing 10 or 15 every time you sit down for a meal—sit down onto your chair, stand back up and repeat. “Just go down to chair height,” Veitch says. To add difficulty, you can go lower, like onto a stool or an ottoman, or try without a chair. Ideally, you would want to be able to get all the way down to the floor. One of the things Veitch works on with her elderly clients is getting down to the floor and then back up.

(Related: 4 Stretches to Improve Range of Motion as You Age)

Another daily action you can leverage for glute strength is step-ups, and all you need is a set of stairs. While the gluteus maximus helps with moving forward and climbing upwards, the gluteus medius and minimus help with hip stability and balance. To work those particular muscles, go up the stairs sideways. Strengthening gluteus medius and minimus “prevents strain on the knee and lower back, and keeps our hips more level,” Veitch says.

Dead lifts, which are commonly done at the gym with dumbbells, are another functional workout you can add to your daily routine. Like squats and step-ups, you’re likely doing dead lifts all the time without even noticing. “When you drop something in the kitchen, you’re most likely going to dead lift to pick it up,” says Veitch. “The problem is that most people just stand with their legs straight and bend from their back.” When you get into the habit of bending from the back while picking things up, you’re not training the glute muscles you need to lift with and you may be more likely to strain (or worse, injure) your lower back.

Aside from strengthening your glutes, stretching them after a day of sitting is hugely important. Tight glutes can lead to discomfort throughout your body, including lower back pain, pelvic pain and a feeling of tightness in the hips and hamstrings. Plus, releasing glute tightness may help with flexibility and range of motion, and reduce your risk of injury.  “Sometimes, when your muscles are tight, other muscles may compensate,” says Ivana Sy, a kinesiologist and physiotherapy student. This can lead to muscle imbalances or compensation patterns, like lifting with the lower back instead of with the core or glutes, which can lead to injuries. To stretch one area of your glutes, Sy recommends doing a simple seated piriformis stretch, which is often also called a seated figure-four stretch. Or try rolling out the glutes with a foam roller or lacrosse ball to get all the muscles in one session.

“If we start to integrate these movement patterns—these ‘exercises’—into our day, we’re getting more movement in without even having to set aside time,” Veitch says. So even if you’re tied to your desk or home, repeating motions you already do or working in more opportunities for movement, like taking a few laps up and down the stairs while going down to the kitchen for a snack, can have an outsized impact on your glute strength and flexibility. Ultimately, having buns of steel leads to better balance, mobility and overall physical health.

Try these glute exercises

Step-ups

This move is exactly as it sounds! Find a set of stairs anywhere and ascend. To level up, go two (or three!) steps at a time. To add some variety (and to work your side glutes), walk upstairs sideways. You can also do step-ups on a curb or with a stepstool.

Dead Lifts

Start with your knees slightly bent. Hinge at your hips and send them straight back as you bend over, keeping your back long—you should feel tension in your hamstrings and the back of your thighs. Stand back up and repeat. You can do this with a set of dumbbells, a jug of laundry detergent or bag or rice.

Figure Four

Start in an upright seated position at the edge of a chair with feet planted on the ground. Lift one ankle and rest it on your other leg, just above the knee, to create a “4” shape with your legs. Keep the lifted ankle flexed (toes pulling toward the shin). To create a stretch, gently press down on the lifted knee. Switch sides.

Next: How to Unfreeze Painful Frozen Shoulder

If odour-causing bacteria seem to be fond of your gums, tongue and teeth, you’ll want to adopt some daily habits to inhibit these inhabitants. Special rinses, attention to toothpaste and faithful brushing and flossing can begin making bad breath good.

Emergency measures for bad breath

Water: Dry mouth is a haven for the bacteria that cause bad breath. So find a tap, and swish the water around in your mouth. Water will temporarily dislodge bacteria and make your breath a bit more palatable.

Parsley: At the end of your power lunch or romantic dinner, munch the sprig of parsley that’s left on your plate. Parsley is rich in chlorophyll, a known breath deodorizer with germ-fighting qualities.

Citrus: If you can get your hands on an orange, peel and eat it. The citric acid it contains will stimulate your salivary glands and encourage the flow of breath-freshening saliva. If there are no oranges in sight, eat whatever is available, except known breath-foulers like garlic, onions or stinky cheese. Eating encourages the flow of saliva, which helps remove the unpleasant, odour-causing material on the back of your tongue.

Tongue scraper: Vigorously scrape your tongue over your teeth. Your tongue can become coated with bacteria that ferment proteins, producing gases that smell bad. Scraping your tongue can dislodge these bacteria so you can rinse them away. If you have a metal or plastic spoon, use it as a tongue scraper. To scrape safely, place the spoon on the back of your tongue and drag it forward. Repeat four or five times. Scrape the sides of the tongue as well, with the same back-to-front motion. Don’t push the spoon too far back, however; you may activate your gag reflex.

Raid the spice shelf

Cloves: This spice is rich in eugenol, a potent antibacterial. Simply pop one into your mouth and dent it with your teeth. The pungent aromatic oil may burn slightly, so keep that spicy nub moving. Continue to bite until the essence permeates your mouth, then spit it out. Don’t use clove oil or powdered cloves; they’re too strong and can cause burns.

Fennel, dill, cardamom, or anise seeds: Chew on them—it can kill the bacteria that grow on the tongue and help mask the odour of halitosis.

Cinnamon: Suck on a stick of cinnamon. Like cloves, cinnamon is effective as an antiseptic.

Choose your breath fresheners

Therapeutic oral rinse: The most obvious brand-name products advertised as breath-fresheners are rarely, if ever, effective in the long run. But with a therapeutic oral rinse, you can rid yourself of the compounds that are responsible for breath odour. These products are available both at your local drugstore and over the Internet.

Toothpaste with tea-tree oil: Use a toothpaste that contains tea-tree oil, a natural disinfectant. If you can’t find it in the pharmacy, look for it in health-food stores.

Home remedies to prevent bad breath

Use an oral irrigator: It’s a handheld device that rapidly pulses a small jet of water into your mouth, to flush out the bad bacteria, which can go deeper than a brush or floss string can reach. Try Smile Brilliant’s cariPRO Cordless Water Flosser.

Carry a toothbrush: Brush immediately after every meal. With prompt brushing you thwart the development of plaque, the soft, sticky film that coats the teeth and gums.

Store your toothbrush properly: To keep your toothbrush free of stink-triggering bacteria, store it, head down, in a lidded plastic tumbler of hydrogen peroxide. Rinse the brush well before you use it.

Soak dentures in an antiseptic: If you wear dentures, it’s possible that they are absorbing the bad odours in your mouth. Always soak them overnight in an antiseptic solution, unless your dentist has advised you otherwise.

Don’t skip meals: When you don’t eat for a long period of time, your mouth can get very dry. It becomes a perfect breeding ground for bacteria.

Avoid things that sour your breath: These include cigarettes, alcohol, onions, garlic and especially strong cheeses like Camembert, Roquefort, and blue cheese. In situations where sweet breath is a must, use the commonsense approach—just say no.

Try a probiotic: Create a harmonious balance of healthy bacteria in your mouth with the help of a probiotic supplement, such as Smile Brilliant’s Dental Probiotics.

Ask your doctor: Medication could be fouling the air you expel. Any drug that dries out your mouth, thereby depriving it of saliva, is suspect. These include over-the-counter antihistamines, decongestants, diet pills, and prescription medications for depression and high blood pressure.

Next: 6 Myths About Mouthwash That Might Be Hurting Your Health

Skin cancer can happen at any age. “It depends on cumulative sun exposure,” says Vancouver-based dermatologist Monica Li. “So it’s definitely something to be very mindful of.”

Melanoma is the deadliest form of skin cancer in Canada, accounting for almost four percent of new cancer cases each year and almost two percent of cancer-related deaths.

“That’s why it’s important to periodically look at your skin, no matter how old you are,” says Li. She recommends scanning your face and body about once a month for new and unusual spots. Anything that looks out of the ordinary must be evaluated by a physician. If you notice a new spot on your skin that’s crusted or bleeding, and it doesn’t resolve over two to four weeks, you should see a dermatologist as soon as possible, says Miami-based derm Heather Woolery-Lloyd.

But not all skin cancer is that clear to identify. For suspicious spots no matter your skin tone, Li recommends using the ABCDE method: A is for asymmetry (is it an uneven circle?); B is for border irregularity (does it have jagged edges?); C is for colour variations (does it contain more than one colour?); D is for diameter (is it bigger than six millimetres?); and E is for evolution (has it changed in size, shape and symptoms?). These are general guidelines, and there are exceptions. Still, the ABCDE method is helpful for anyone to self-examine and recognize changes in spots.

What about the areas you can’t see, like your scalp? “If there is a bump, it generally has to be looked at by a physician,” says Edmonton-based dermatologist Marlene Dytoc. Luckily, hair does protect us from the sun, she says, so a bump on your scalp isn’t automatically alarming. And be sure to examine areas of skin that can be easily missed when applying sunscreen, such as the tops of ears, the back of the neck and nails.

Basically, if you notice a spot that stands out, see a doctor. In the meantime, apply sunscreen and wear that hat!

Next: 8 Simple Tricks to Better Protect Yourself From the Sun

Fava beans are a good source of complex carbohydrates, protein and fibre, all of which help you stay fuller longer. They boast a sweet, nutty flavour and pair well with spring vegetables like asparagus, spring onions and peas, as well as herbs like mint, dill and basil—like in the recipe below.

Marinated Fava Beans and Ricotta Toast

Makes 2 toasts
Prep time: 20 minutes Total time: 30 minutes

Ingredients

For the marinated fava beans:

• 1 cup fava beans, with their outer shell, fresh or frozen
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 2 tbsp lemon juice
• 2 tbsp chopped basil
• ½ shallot, thinly sliced
• 1 small clove of garlic, minced
• ½ tsp kosher salt
• ¼ tsp pepper

For the ricotta:

• ½ cup ricotta
• ½ tsp olive oil
• ¼ tsp kosher salt
• 2 slices of sourdough or another crusty bread

Directions

1. Bring a pot of salted water to boil over high heat and prepare a bowl full of ice water. Once the water has boiled, add the fava beans and cook for one minute. Immediately transfer the fava beans to the ice water bath. Drain and shell the beans, then add to a bowl along with the olive oil, lemon juice, garlic, shallot, chopped basil, salt and pepper. Stir to combine and allow to sit for 15 minutes.
2. To make the whipped ricotta, combine all ingredients in a small blender or food processor and process until smooth. An immersion blender also works well for this, or simply whip together with a whisk or fork.
3. Toast the bread, spread with the ricotta and divide the marinated beans between each slice. The marinated beans will last up to three days in the refrigerator.

Tip: Marinated fava beans are versatile. Try tossing the mixture into cooked grains or leafy greens for a flavourful salad, spoon on top of hummus, or serve alongside cheeses as part of an appetizer platter.

Next, learn more about the nutritional benefits of fava beans and tips for buying the tastiest ones.

The beginning of spring feels like the scene in The Wizard of Oz when the picture turns from black and white to Technicolor—the colours are brighter and everything, including produce, seems more delicious. But the window for spring vegetables is brief, so make sure to add buttery fava beans to your list before they’re gone.

Fresh favas are only available from late March to early May. They’re the Russian nesting doll of the bean family: a bean, inside a bean, inside a bean. The large bright green legumes are encased in pale green skins, and between three and eight of them typically grow inside the leathery dark green pods. The beans also come in a purple variety.

One of the oldest domesticated pulses, fava beans have been a staple in Mediterranean and Middle Eastern diets for centuries. One of the reasons they’ve remained a dietary cornerstone is their high nutritional value. Fava beans are a good source of slower-digesting complex carbohydrates, protein and fibre, a nutritional trifecta that keeps you fuller longer. (They are often eaten before sunrise to help people fast more easily during Ramadan.) Fibre also feeds good gut bacteria, promotes regularity and keeps cholesterol levels in check.

Favas have an ideal fatty acid profile, characterized by a high content of monounsaturated (MUFAs) and polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs). Choosing these fats improves the ratio of good, high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol to harmful, low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol, lowering your risk of heart disease and stroke. Another key nutrient is choline, which is needed to make acetylcholine, an important neurotransmitter for memory, mood and muscle control, among other brain and nervous system functions.

When picking out favas sold in their pod, look for bright green unblemished pods and avoid ones that appear dried out. Smaller beans are tastier, so pass on any beans that look huge or are bulging out of the pods (they’re more likely to be tough). Fava beans are best as fresh as possible, so store them in the fridge and eat within a week. You can also find bags of frozen favas year-round; they have been removed from their pod but have their outer casing and can be stored in the freezer for up to six months.

While fava beans take time to prep, they’re worth it. To remove the shells, blanch the beans for a minute or two and then shock them in ice water. This allows the shells to slide off while preserving the beans’ colour and crunch. Another hack is to place unshelled beans on a baking sheet and freeze for 30 minutes, after which the beans slip out of their shells. With frozen fava beans, simply defrost, then blanch and shell as you would with fresh beans.

The sweet, nutty flavour of fava beans pairs well with other springtime favourites like asparagus, spring onions and peas, and takes to bold flavours from fresh herbs like mint, basil and dill as well as aromatics like garlic, onions and chilies. Once shelled, favas can be used in dishes that call for fresh peas or beans—think pasta, risotto, salads and soups.

Try blending cooked beans into a healthy dip, creating a minestrone-style soup with other green vegetables, or tossing together a rustic panzanella with torn croutons, mint and a fresh cheese like feta or burrata. Smash cooked favas with olive oil, lemon, garlic and chili flakes and pile on bread for a fresh take on avocado toast. If keeping it straightforward is more your speed, sauté the shelled beans in olive oil or butter for an easy side dish. Whatever the dish, get shelling! You won’t want to miss your fava fix.

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

Next, get the recipe for the perfect spring lunch: marinated fava beans and ricotta toast.

At the beginning of the pandemic, back when we were all whipping our coffees and perfecting our sourdough starters, Ottawa-based recruiter Jackie Johnson and her husband went on a beach getaway—in their living room. “We were actually trying to plan our wedding at that time, and we realized we wouldn’t be able to go on a honeymoon,” Johnson says. “So we took the date that we had expected to be down south and said, ‘Let’s try to replicate it however we can.’” Johnson cranked up the heat in her house, bought a tropical-themed photo backdrop to set the scene and served cocktails in hurricane glasses, all to mimic an all-inclusive resort. “It was fun and we were able to take ourselves out of the pandemic for a little bit.”

Since then, Johnson and her husband have planned many celebratory days while stuck at home. A highlight was their version of a music festival, which they affectionally dubbed “Fauxchella.” Johnson and her husband rounded out the at-home celebrations with a SoCal-inspired menu (featuring dishes like fish tacos) and music by the couple’s dream festival lineup. Planning these themed days has allowed the couple to “enjoy the pieces that we could from home,” she says. “It made us really happy and brought us out of the monotony of working from our dining room table.”

Johnson isn’t the only one inviting levity into the monotony of pandemic life. Elaisha Jade, the founder of the mindfulness and meditation consulting company Your Mindful, recently bought herself a cake from the grocery store just to celebrate making it through another week. Jade has been engineering celebrations, often as simple as dancing around her living room, to “ensure my days aren’t filled with doom and gloom.” When the Omicron variant ushered in new restrictions, as well as feelings of anxiety and isolation, Jade decided to launch her “Year to 30.” It was a way to celebrate various milestones leading up to her 30th birthday—small things like cutting her hair short (she wanted to feel freer) and big things like visiting 30 countries before turning 30.

It makes sense why people are turning toward joy right now: This past winter, as COVID cases skyrocketed and public health restrictions once again put a damper on the holiday season, Canadians’ mental health plummeted. A poll conducted by the Angus Reid Institute at the end of 2021 found that one in three Canadians said they were struggling with their mental health—an increase from the one-quarter of Canadians who said so in November 2021, before Omicron slowed reopening plans.

Erin Barker, an associate professor in the department of psychology at Concordia University in Montreal, notes that the public health restrictions meant that people stopped having very much to look forward to. Beyond celebratory gatherings and holiday parties, weekly dinners or a regular coffee catch-up with friends can break up the day and boost your mental health. Plus, “a lot of these [events] build and maintain social connections,” says Barker, who points out that socializing is integral to mental wellness.

“As individuals, we benefit by seeking emotional support. We feel cared for and connected to people,” she says. “On the flip side, when we are the ones giving support, we also benefit from that—it boosts our positive mood.”

Putting time aside to do something fun for yourself, to celebrate simply making it to Tuesday, can get us through the hard times by “creating positive trajectories upward,” says Barker. In other words, the more we create our own happiness, the happier we become. “We’ll have more positive relationships with other people, more resources to help other people, and then it actually creates a positive feedback loop.”

Christine Tran, a writer and a PhD researcher based in Toronto, uses gatherings with friends to reward themselves whenever they reach a writing goal. Having an excuse to socialize has been a balm. One of Tran’s favourite activities to do with friends is to apply cosmetic face gems and temporary tattoos. “It’s a way to manage intimacy in a breezy, fun, non-threatening way,” Tran says. “Being close to someone is the reward—and helping someone feel a little bit more glamorous, too.”

As well as restricting our social lives, the pandemic has seriously curbed opportunities for new experiences. “We get a sense of pleasure and reward and excitement when we try something new,” says Barker, who points to early pandemic trends like elaborate at-home baking projects (think of the bread-baking mania of spring 2020). More than two years into COVID, however, it’s difficult to find novelty at home. That’s why celebrating a writing goal with a bedazzling party or setting up a fake music festival in your living room (as artificial as it might feel) can give you a much-needed boost of mental wellness. “They’re a good stand-in for what we would normally do to boost our mood,” Barker says.

Johnson, who is preparing for Fauxchella 2022, sees her themed days as a way to pull focus from the productivity- and results-focused hamster wheel and do something purely for enjoyment. “We are career oriented, and we spend all our time together, so it’s important for [my husband and me] to really make a point of taking a day for fun,” says Johnson. “We used to dedicate a whole week to going on vacation. This isn’t the same, but it’s an opportunity to have that little bit of escape.

(Related: How a Mental Health Gym Can Transform Your Emotional Well-Being)

Party favours to kick-start the festivities

Cake By Cry Baby Cakes

Cry Baby Cakes, a whimsical bakery run by Toronto-based Brooke Cowitz, specializes in buttercream creations.Each cake is unique and made-to-order.

Cakes start at $65, order on Instagram @crybaby.cakes.

Donkey Piñata

Gotta Piñata is a Toronto-based husband-and-wife-owned business specializing in handmade piñatas. Drawing on their Mexican heritage, Gotta Piñata can make pretty much anything out of papier mâché. Just stuff the piñata with goodies to get the party going.

$35, gottapinatato.com.

Singsation Star Burst All-in-One Karaoke Party System with Microphones

Nothing beats belting out “My Heart Will Go On” at your local karaoke bar, but this Bluetooth speaker meets LED light show will just about get you there.

$100, bestbuy.ca.

Crying Out Loud Me Time Mini

This self-care package from Toronto-based Crying Out Loud contains goodies such as a chocolate bar, face mask and colourful hard candies, perfect for when you need
to treat yourself after another ceaseless Zoom meeting.

$50, cryingoutloud.ca.

Rainbow Eco Confetti

Transform your living room into party central with this 100-percent recycled paper confetti.

$8, paperandparties.com.

Simply Eco-Friendly Plates

The worst part of every party is cleaning up. Cut out the dishes with these biodegradable paper plates that will still elevate your delivery-pizza-eating experience.

$20/pack of 8, paperandparties.com

Classic Margarita Set

Nothing says a celebration like well-made cocktails. This set brings the beach to you with all the ingredients you need to make a killer margarita (including a pair of glasses with cactus-shaped stems).

$68, cocktailemporium.com.

Next: How a Mental Health Gym Can Transform Your Emotional Well-Being

I grew up very, very active.

Anything that my school offered, I played: volleyball, basketball, soccer, I threw discus, and shotput. I was on the curling team. When I wasn’t doing team sports, I was outdoors with my family. I participated in Junior Forest Wardens and in the summers, I would head up to Lasqueti Island to visit my grandparents. They lived on the ocean, so we were always in the water, swimming, and picking clams on the beach.

But when I graduated high school, I went from being super into sports and active, to being completely cut off from organized recreation. I was taking a semester off, so I didn’t have the same access to team sports and with all my friends away at university, I didn’t have anyone to explore the outdoors with either. That was when my mental health began to tank.

My experience is not unique. According to research from Canadian Women and Sport, up to 62 percent of girls 13-18 are not participating in any kind of sport at all and that number drops in adulthood. This could be because of low confidence, perceived lack of skill, or not feeling welcome. There are a whole group of young women who, for whatever reason, are not into sports—and our physical education programs don’t provide enough options. It can also be difficult, as I experienced, to continue with the activities we’re taught after high school. So, we see this massive drop-off where only 18 percent of women between the ages of 16 and 63 stay involved in sports.

When I ultimately did go to university, I studied recreation and I realized our physical education is all about sports or developing related skills. Physical activity tends to be about a goal. It’s about burning calories or achieving a certain heart rate. But I want people to know that physical activity doesn’t have to be organized, and it definitely doesn’t have to be sports.

When I think about physical activity, I think of a wide variety of ways to move your body. Taking a dog for a walk or strolling on the beach and picking up shells are just as much physical activity as training for a marathon. When the augmented reality video game Pokémon Go came out in 2016, it motivated individuals who might never have thought of themselves as athletic to spend time running around outside. There’s even some research that recognizes the benefits of daily tasks like washing windows or vacuuming. I’m not someone who enjoys vacuuming, but the point is that we need to broaden our approach to fitness and wellness.

Activities taught in traditional physical education, such as team-based sports or working out at the gym, were the sectors that were hardest hit and shut down the longest in the pandemic. So that caused potential mental and physical health challenges for people who relied on those facilities as their primary means of physical activity.

During the pandemic, we also saw an explosion in outdoor recreation. Canadians spent time walking, hiking, and camping, in part because public health officials encouraged meeting outdoors to limit the spread of COVID-19. Simultaneously, there was an increase in search and rescue calls because not everyone has the skill set for outdoor leisure activities. It raises the question: While we are taught to play basketball and soccer, why is the same focus not applied to outdoor skills as part of physical recreation? The pandemic highlighted the need for options and education programs that look beyond sports and facility-based activities.

For the past year, I’ve been doing research on leisure activities in the Yukon in partnership with the World Leisure Centre of Excellence (WLCE) at Vancouver Island University and the Recreation and Parks Association of the Yukon (RPAY). I noticed that many survey participants who identified themselves as being “moderate” to “very active” didn’t do traditional sports. Instead, one of the top summer activities was berry picking—a form of exercise that would have never been on a traditional physical activity scale. RPAY also has an incredible initiative where they lend out winter equipment, like kicksleds, to help locals try new activities.

These preliminary results made me reflect on my own life and what being physically active really means. We have a sense of: “Oh I know I should be going to the gym, but I just can’t fit it in. I don’t have time, or I don’t have the energy after a full workday or taking care of the kids.” There’s also a performative aspect to how we work out, where we feel like we have to perform physical activity in a certain way, like going for a walk in leggings instead of jeans. But we could reframe physical activity to say, “Hey, I chased my 3-year-old around all day. I don’t need to go for a run, I already did that.” In addition to adult soccer and hockey leagues, we also need to have walking clubs and leisure activities. There are so many innovative ways that we can keep people moving without loading on expectations.

Now, I know there’s going to be people who will say that leisure activities don’t carry the same physical benefits as traditional exercise. My response to that while it may not get your heart rate to a particular level, these activities offer significant benefits, like time in nature and reducing stress. The debate around sports and access to fitness facilities is also a privileged debate. If you’re worried about where your food or rent is coming from, you’re not worrying about how much time you’ve logged at a gym.

By reframing our idea of physical activity, we can recognize that if you’re on your feet all day, walking to the bus or chasing your kid around the living room, that is still movement—and ultimately, movement—not calories or heart rate—is the goal.

Aggie Weighill is a Recreation and Tourism professor at Vancouver Island University (VIU).

Next: I Need You to Know—Fitness Is Not One Size Fits All

I started taking clean beauty seriously in April 2021 when I was working on a story on how everyday products can affect fertility. Miriam Diamond, a professor in the Department of Earth Sciences and School of the Environment at the University of Toronto, explained to me how exposure to certain chemicals, like Teflon found in non-stick cookware, is leading to reproductive problems. Midway through our interview, she paused to ask if she could “get personal” for a minute. “I see you’re wearing makeup,” said Diamond. She asked if I knew that the same harmful chemicals in household products could be found in conventional makeup. (Um, no.) For years I have tried to limit my exposure to endocrine-disrupting chemicals in an effort to protect my fertility—I limit my use of BPA-riddled plastics and religiously use an air filter in my home—but I hadn’t considered how the makeup I applied every single day may be affecting me.

Yet, I wasn’t exactly eager to change my ways. I had tried a few clean beauty products about 10 years ago that left me woefully unimpressed—I assumed natural ingredients just couldn’t give me the shade, texture and coverage I wanted. But a few months after my chat with Diamond, I was introduced to Ilia’s lineup of clean makeup products with surprisingly natural-looking, easy-to-apply formulas, arguably even better than my old conventional favourites. With my skin looking a little more glowy, lashes fluffier, lips more naturally rouge, I became a total clean beauty devotee.

I’m hardly an early adopter—a 2021 report by The NPD Group found 68 percent of consumers want skin care brands formulated with clean ingredients. Why now? “Infiltration of these products alongside wellness and self-care trends has increased the demand for clean beauty,” Edited retail analyst Heather Ibberson told Forbes. With “all-natural” beauty brand Burt’s Bees launching in the 1990s, Goop’s “clean living” spotlight in the naughts, and the expansion of retailers devoted to the category, like The Detox Market, consumers have become increasingly aware of the presence of potentially harmful ingredients in beauty products and are looking to avoid them.

What does “clean” mean?

In Canada, there’s still no regulation around the term. For example, a “clean” sticker on a foundation bottle isn’t the equivalent of an organic sticker on an apple, which means the product has been certified based on specific requirements outlined by the Canada Organic Regime and regulated by the Canadian Food Inspection Agency. With no regulated definition for what constitutes a clean product, companies and consumers have created their own definitions.

Clean brands tend (or are often assumed) to avoid harmful ingredients, like PFAS (per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances), parabens and phthalates. But there are many other ingredients that are commonly avoided in clean beauty products because they’re irritants and allergens, or they may be endocrine disruptors or carcinogens. “Clean” to some companies could mean omitting a few, but not all, potentially harmful ingredients. Consumer awareness has also driven brands to advertise products as “paraben/phthalates/PFAS-free”—but that doesn’t mean they necessarily are.

Harmful ingredients in beauty products

Researchers recently learned that PFAS (which are used to make cosmetics more durable and water-resistant, but have been found to influence the body’s natural hormone production) can be found in many beauty products, whether or not they’re listed as an ingredient. A June 2021 study with the Green Science Policy Institute by professors at universities across Canada and the US found the presence of fluorine, which is indicative of PFAS usage, in many cosmetics in North America, with the highest levels of fluorine found in products labelled as “long-wearing” or “waterproof.”

“What is noteworthy is the majority of products that had high fluorine levels, including those we confirm to have PFAS, didn’t actually have PFAS listed on the ingredients list,” says Lydia Jahl, a science and policy associate at the Green Science Policy Institute in the San Francisco Bay Area who worked on the study. The reason they’re not listed could be that cosmetic retailers don’t know there are PFAS present in their products—PFAS could be used in the manufacturing process, which could leach into the products, or they could have been unknowingly added to an ingredient early on in the supply chain, says Jahl.

And these harmful chemicals are found in more than just cosmetics. While they’ve been banned in food products in Canada, they’re in just about any manufactured item, as Diamond had tole me, from non-stick cookware to furniture. Experts say their wide-ranging use means it can be hard to trace specific exposures to certain health problems, which could be the reason PFAS aren’t regulated outside of the food domain by the Canadian government.

Europe has banned PFAS (along with over 1,300 other ingredients) from beauty products, while Canada has banned around 600 and the US has banned 30. For this reason, some brands make different formulations for the European market, says Jahl. “This brings us to the very important point that PFAS chemicals, while they’re added to many cosmetics, they’re not necessary if Europe can do it without them, and there are a bunch of brands in the United States and Canada that have dedicated their brands to not including PFAS and they make great cosmetic products without them.”

PFAS aren’t the only harmful ingredient. Fragrance and vitamin A derivatives are known to cause contact dermatitis, phthalates and parabens may cause hormonal dysregulation, and formaldehyde and 1,4-dioxane are potential carcinogens—and these are all commonly used ingredients in conventional beauty products.

The health effects of harmful chemicals in beauty products

PFAS are associated with health problems including “high cholesterol, ulcerative colitis, thyroid disease, testicular cancer, kidney cancer and even pregnancy-induced hypertension” according to Jahl. There’s also some evidence about PFAS linked to increased risk of breast cancer, says Jennifer Beeman, executive director of Breast Cancer Action. For pregnant people, PFAS can also alter their hormone levels (and unborn babies’), which control brain development, growth and metabolism, and lead to higher risks of developing gestational diabetes and high blood pressure.

Who’s doing “clean” beauty

With no formal definition in Canada, retailers and brands are making their own rules to show their commitment to safe beauty products. One of the leading retailers of clean beauty is Whole Foods. The grocery store, which was founded in 1980, has banned PFAS and other harmful chemicals from their shelves.

The Detox Market, which opened in 2010 and was at the forefront of the clean beauty movement, puts all products it sells through an intense vetting process. According to founder Romain Gaillard, only 2 percent of brand submissions received are accepted. The products that make the cut contain only effective ingredients, as opposed to mere filler or texturizing ingredients. They also comply with the retailer’s extensive Banned Ingredient List, and are tested by The Detox Market team (which includes naturopaths and nutritionists) for weeks. As Gaillard told me: “It’s great to know what harmful ingredients are not in a product, but what ingredients are in it?”

“Clean at Sephora,” which launched in 2018, is a collection of products that are formulated without over 50 potentially harmful ingredients, such as sulphates (which can cause irritation) and acrylates (which have been linked to reproductive issues, neurological damage and cancer). Likewise, Holt Renfrew’s H Project Approved program, rolled out in 2020, highlights products free of ingredients including BHA (can cause skin reactions), formaldehyde (linked to cancer) and oxybenzone (another skin allergen).

Individual beauty brands also have their own sets of rules. Ilia, founded by Canadian Sasha Plavsic in 2011, is considered to be one of the first brands ever to use only natural and safe synthetic ingredients. It also follows the EU/UK’s guidelines, listing trace ingredients (i.e. chemical reaction byproducts that occur during the manufacturing) found at just 0.001 percent for greater product transparency. Beautycounter launched in 2013 with B Corp certification—the highest designation a company can receive based on its performance, accountability and transparency on a range of factors—and created “The Never List,” which includes 1,800 questionable ingredients the brand avoids in its formulations.

With no consistent standard for what it means to be clean, consumers must decipher how each individual brand or retailer defines it—and even whether clean ingredients are right for them.

Just because it’s clean doesn’t mean it’s healthy

The clean beauty market is actually pretty murky. Not all clean products are free from toxins, and not all experts support the efficacy of formulations that happen to be PFAS-free.

For the most part, dermatologists don’t typically recommend clean skin care products. “I tend to look at the product as a whole—what are sort of the deliverables that the product is offering, what are the ingredients that the product is using,” says Dr. Alex Kuritzky, a dermatologist in Vancouver.

Kuritzky warns certain natural ingredients, such as citrus and coconut oil, can actually be harmful to the skin as they can disrupt the skin barrier, cause irritation or trigger allergic reactions. And natural ingredients can also be endocrine-disruptors, says Beeman. Lavender oil, for example, has been linked to early breast growth in girls. That’s why Kuritzky says when developing a skin care regimen, it’s best to consult a dermatologist. “I’m more interested in the activity of the ingredients and whether the product is going to deliver what it states.”

How do you know what’s safe?

“You have to look at the specific brands and see what they’re devoted to,” says Jahl. Read ingredient lists, avoid PFAS, phthalates and parabens, and be aware that clean beauty is an easy marketing gimmick. “Look into the specifics of a brand’s claims, rather than just paying attention to a word or two they use in advertising,” says Jahl.

It’s time-consuming to research every beauty product before buying, and it’s easy to miss potentially harmful chemicals in the list of long, unknown ingredients. The solution? Rely on tools that do the work for you. For instance, Clearya is an app and web extension that helps identify ingredients that contain PFAS and other harmful chemicals. Environmental Working Group’s Skin Deep website gives popular products a one to 10 rating based on how clean they are.

Alternatively (and more conveniently) you can leave the research to retailers and beauty experts you trust—which is what I’ve been doing. Anything pre-approved by The Detox Market or anything made by Beautycounter is good enough for me. Beyond that, I do a little research for brands that look interesting (read: pretty on Instagram), like Westman Atelier (which has a lengthy list of “no” ingredients) and Merit (which, like Westman Atelier, is EU-compliant.)

Ready to get started? Here are my picks:

This light, hydrating serum adds a touch of coverage to skin, lending it an even-toned, dewy look and feel. Best part: It’s formulated with SPF, eliminating the sunscreen step in your skin care regimen.
Ilia Super Serum Skin Tint SPF 40, $62, iliabeauty.com

Offered in 10 shades (a true rarity when it comes to eyebrow tools), this pencil will help you create hair-like strokes to shape and fill-in brows.
Kosas Pop Clean Dual-Action Defining Eyebrow Pencil, $28, sephora.com

Foundation and concealer sticks can seriously speed up your get-ready routine—they often eliminate the need for a beauty blender and offer buildable coverage.
Westman Atelier Vital Skin Foundation Stick, $88, holtrenfrew.com

I used my previous conventional mascara for about 15 years because I adored its unclumpy, lengthening, fluffy-lash-making abilities But this clean version delivers. It gives me the light coverage I love for a barely-there look, while still lengthening and darkening my lashes.
Merit Clean Lash Lengthening Mascara, $34, sephora.com

A little dab on the cheeks is all you need from this super saturated creamy blush. With eight colours to choose from, you can add a pinky hue, a peachy glow or a hint of rose to brighten your complexion.
Beautycounter Cheeky Clean Cream Blush, $50, beautycounter.com

This set of three lip balms offers day-to-night lip hydration. Apply the clear balm when you want just a little moisture, the rose to boost your natural lip colour or the garnet for a darker pout.
GOOPGENES Clean Nourishing Lip Balm Trio, $58, thedetoxmarket.ca

Next: Beauty Veteran Jean Godfrey-June Makes a Case for Switching to Clean Beauty Products

If hemp seeds aren’t a part of your current diet, you may want to change that. Packed with fibre, omega-3, omega-6, protein, and magnesium; these small seeds can have a big impact on heart health and skin health, and may even help with weight loss.

Here’s why you may want to add them to your diet—either raw, sprinkled onto salads, into yogurt or oats, or topping baked goods.

(Related: The Great Canadian Hemp Cookie)

What are hemp seeds and where do they come from?

Hemp seeds are the seeds of the hemp plant called Cannabis sativa. They have a hard outer shell and a soft inside. Yes, they are from the same species as marijuana, but hemp seeds contain only trace amounts of THC (tetrahydrocannabinol)—the main psychoactive ingredient in cannabis. They don’t have any psychoactive properties, explains New York-based registered dietitian Alissa Rumsey, author of Unapologetic Eating: Make Peace with Food and Transform Your Life, and founder of Alissa Rumsey Nutrition and Wellness. “They have a subtle, nutty flavor and their small size allows them to be easily added to recipes to boost the protein and fat content,” says Rumsey.

Nutrition facts

Hemp seeds are a good source of protein, healthy fats, and fibre. “They are a good source of plant-based protein, with 10 grams of protein in three tablespoons of seeds, essential fatty acids including omega-3 fats, and fibre, with about one gram per three tablespoons,” says Rumsey.

According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, three tablespoons or 30 grams of hemp seeds contain the following nutrients:

• Fat: 15 g
• Sodium: 1.5 mg
• Carbohydrates: 2.6 g
• Fibre: 1.2 g
• Sugar: .5 g
• Protein: 9.5 g
• Calcium: 21 mg
• Iron: 2.38 mg
• Potassium: 360 mg
• Magnesium: 210 mg
• Manganese: 2.28 mg
• Zinc: 2.97 mg

Health benefits of hemp seeds

While hemp seeds are packed with healthy omega-3 fatty acids, they also have omega-6 fatty acids (known as linoleic acid), as well as gamma-linolenic acid (GLA). In fact, their nutrient makeup is over 30 percent fat—but it’s healthy fat. And GLA offers several benefits, such as boosting brain and bone health and keeping your metabolism humming. It has also been found to reduce inflammation, according to a study published in Inflammation.

The omega-6 and omega-3 fatty acids can also benefit your skin, relieving dryness and itchiness, suggests a study in the Journal of Dermatological Treatment.

Some research even suggests that hemp seeds help reduce the risk of heart disease thanks to their content of the amino acid arginine. Arginine produces nitric oxide which, according to a study in Current Atherosclerosis Reports, can help lower blood pressure.

“They’re also good for digestive health because they have both soluble and insoluble fibre,” says Sara Haas, RDN and food and nutrition expert with formal training in the culinary arts, based in Chicago.

Hemp seeds and weight loss

Cutting back on meat can help shed pounds, but you still need to get protein. That’s where hemp seeds can help: They’re an excellent source of plant-based protein. “The interest in plant-based protein alternatives has been increasing in recent years as people look to add more plants to their daily diets,” says Rumsey. The combination of fibre, fat, and protein can also have weight loss benefits, explains Haas, as they can help make you feel full longer and curb hunger. The fat-plus-protein combo can help you fill up faster and stay full longer—and that can lead to weight loss.

Hemp seeds risks and side effects

It’s worth noting the rare but possible side effects of eating hemp seeds. Because of their high-fat content, when eaten in excess, hemp seeds may cause loose stools or diarrhea. Also, if you have an allergy to hemp seeds, you should obviously avoid consuming them.

Where to buy hemp seeds

Hemp seeds are available at grocery stores and health good stores, and can also be purchased online through trusted retailers. Try Manitoba Harvest Hemp Hearts Shelled Hemp Seeds, $7, available at houseofwellness.ca.

Best ways to eat hemp seeds

There are lots of ways to add this superseed into your weekly menu. “You can put it on just about anything,” says Haas. “I like it on top of yogurt, dusted over my morning toast, as an ingredient for veggie burgers or whirled in a smoothie.” Hemp seeds can also be enjoyed in oatmeal, on top of salads, blended into soups or stews, added to dips, dressings, or hummus, or used in baked goods, like muffins.

(Related: Radish, Kale & Hemp-seed Salad with Lemon-Honey Dressing)

Here are two recipes from Rumsey that are a great way to incorporate hemp seeds into your diet.

Smoothie Recipe

Serves 1

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup Greek yogurt
• 1 cup of fresh fruit
• 1/2 cup of milk of your choice
• 3 tablespoons of hemp seeds

Instructions:

Add all ingredients to blender. Blend until smooth. Enjoy!

Overnight Oats Recipe

Serves 1

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup of old-fashioned rolled oats (raw)
• 2 tablespoons of hemp seeds
• 1 cup of milk of your choice
• 1/4 teaspoon of vanilla extract
• dash of cinnamon
• 1-2 tablespoons of nuts or nut butter (optional)

Instructions:

Mix ingredients together. Refrigerate overnight or at least up to 4 hours. Top with fresh fruit and more hemp seeds if desired.

Next: Should You Be Eating Chia Seeds? Here’s What Nutritionists Say

Watching crisis unfold anywhere in the world is heartbreaking, and not knowing how to help can make situations feel even more dire. Reports from inside Ukraine detail a rapid dwindling of medicine and food supplies, and families have even given up their own personal items to neighbours in need who have evacuated unsafe areas of the country. Thankfully, these Canadian charities are mobilizing support of all types to Ukraine, from delivering food and hygiene products to refugees, to donating medical kits to first responders. Here’s how you can support these national initiatives today.

Canada-Ukraine Foundation

In more ordinary times, the CUF is dedicated to supporting Ukrainian culture. Now they’re focused on a humanitarian appeal, and aim to raise $25 million in donations to help with relief efforts all over the country, including food delivery to displaced Ukrainian families. As of mid-March, they’ve reached $17 million, and secure donations of any amount can be made through their website.

Help Us Help

This Ukrainian-Canadian charity was founded in the early 1990s to assist educational and humanitarian aid efforts in both Ukraine and Canada. One of the charity’s first initiatives, which continues today, was developing summer and winter camps in Ukraine to help children develop leadership skills and social connections. They also award scholarships to orphaned Ukrainian children for post-secondary education, and provide social and psychological support for Ukrainian veterans and their families. Currently, donations to Help Us Help will assist with shipping medical kits to first responders caring for victims in Ukraine, as well as providing food and shelter to people in need.

GlobalMedic

GlobalMedic is based out of Etobicoke, Ontario, and was founded in 1998 with the goal of providing emergency response services to communities around the world. GlobalMedic’s Rapid Response Team (RRT)—volunteers and first responders who deliver aid first-hand—are currently assisting in Moldova and Romania with refugee intake and other initiatives like distributing hygiene items and food. The charity and its partners are also assisting in Ukraine, where they’ve converted a hotel restaurant into a makeshift soup kitchen offering free meals to people who have left their homes in search of safety. To donate to their Ukrainian initiative specifically, be sure to select the “Ukrainian Response 2022” option from their donation dropdown menu.

HelpAge Canada

Founded in 1975 and based out of Ottawa, HelpAge Canada assists seniors in Canada and around the world, with a specific focus on improving health and quality of life. The organization currently has 300 staff working in Ukraine (they’ve been offering aid there since late 2014) and surrounding areas delivering food and medicine to older people and their families, as well as assisting with refugee efforts. Donations of any amount can be made through their website.

Disaster Aid Canada

Disaster Aid Canada is governed by Canadian Rotarians, the group of charitable businesspeople. Disaster Aid Canada focuses on rebuilding communities after a crisis—natural or otherwise—via relief equipment like tents, tool kits and water filtration systems. Currently, the charity is directing donation funds towards portable water filters for Ukrainian refugees so they can have access to clean water.

Health Partners International of Canada (HPIC)

HPIC is based out of Quebec and is the only charity authorized by Health Canada to distribute donated medication from Canadian pharmaceutical companies. The organization follows the World Health Organization’s guidelines for medicine donations, and aims to improve access to medical supplies and boost health outcomes in vulnerable communities. HPIC is currently on a mission to raise $240,000 to send humanitarian medical kits to Ukrainians in need, as well as those in surrounding refugee camps.

Next: 19 Therapist Tips for Finding Hope in Dark Times