Instructional &
Informational Posts
Just like it’s easier to see what’s wrong with your friend’s relationship than your own, it’s often easier to see what’s wrong with a country’s health as opposed to our own native land. Time to remove our blinders and see how other countries are living well; perhaps learning a thing or two that we can incorporate into our own tuja-inspired lifestyles.
Iceland is a relatively short trip from Eastern Canada. Like Canada, they have universal health care. Like Canada, they love the outdoors. Like Canada, they have a high percentage of English speakers. However, even though Canada has a high life expectancy compared with other OECD countries, Iceland beats us with some of the longest living men and women on the planet.
Let’s learn how to add a good year or two, shall we?
A country’s diet is always one of the first things to consider. Icelandic cuisine is high in seafood, and even with a good fish to person ratio, they still supplement with fish oil. Almost all fridges of the small Icelandic population contain fish oil of some sort. 319,000 bottles of fish oil equals a lot of Omega 3s. There are a lot of inconclusive studies regarding the benefits of Omega 3’s, but evidence has shown that fish oil can help with the cognitive decline that can come with age. It can also reduce the inflammation that can influence heart attacks, strokes and rheumatoid arthritis, which can help to make the high life expectancy a healthy one as well.
Iceland has some of the world’s best drinking water, and water from the tap comes from different sources, whether it is hot or cold. When it’s hot it smells sulphuric (a polite way of saying “like rotten eggs”) and the cold water is some of the cleanest and purest you can find. With alcoholic drinks at a premium cost, this encourages hydration. Proper hydration we know helps with weight loss, maintaining muscle mass, and helping our brain (being 90% water) stay alert and engaged as we age.
The sulphuric water, also found in the Blue Lagoon, has health properties for bathing as well. Sulphur in the water has the ability to reduce inflammation and pain. It also helps to keep connective tissue flexible (although it is not a substitute for stretching). It can also be used to help treat musculoskeletal illnesses, as sulphur is thought to continue circulating in the system long after bathing directly in it. A good Canadian substitute is Epsom salt, which is made of magnesium sulfate. (Sulfate is a sulphur atom).
With a low population and a great concern for the environment, the Icelandic population has little to worry about in the way of pollution. Getting our green on is not only important for the future generations, but for our future health as well. The level of atmospheric PM10 – tiny air pollutant air particles small enough to damage the lungs – is 14 micrograms per cubic metre. Canada is close behind throughout the whole country, at 15 micrograms per cubic metre.
Finally, both of our countries know well the benefit of physical activity and have built in exercise with our colder landscapes (dog sledding, ice skating, hockey). However, we forget the impact of the public sphere and a strong sense of community to our overall health. When asked if they believed they knew someone they could rely on in a time of need, more Canadians and Icelandic people answered yes than the OECD average: 92% for Canada and 98% for Iceland.
What‘s the good of living a long life if you have no one to share it with?
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Courtney Sunday has two cats and a boyfriend who are very patient with her health and wellness obsessions. She teaches yoga, Pilates and indoor cycling and gives Thai massages through her Toronto business Om at Home Yoga. When she's tuckered out, she takes up the sport of sleeping.
