The Latest Mikey Network News

Hit That Snooze Button – How Napping can Help Your Heart Health

We’ve all been there. You were out late last night with friends so you’re already feeling a little tired – on top of that you’ve just gotten home from running a bunch of errands. Why shouldn’t you take a few minutes to nap and rest up?

Unfortunately, many of us see napping as a lazy habit; and even if we don’t, there can be a feeling of guilt from others about how you’re taking time away from them or that you don’t “need” the extra rest, “You’re just being lazy.”

Although these associations of being lazy can be true if you nap every single day, new research from the University Hospital of Lausanne, Switzerland has recently published findings in Heart, indicating that there is a correlation between napping frequency, duration and the risk of fatal and non-fatal cardiovascular disease complications. The researchers tracked 3,462 people between the ages of 35 and 75 for nearly eight years and found that those who napped once or twice a week, for between five minutes to an hour, were 48 percent less likely to have a heart attack, stroke, or heart failure, compared to non-nappers.

“Subjects who nap once or twice per week have a lower risk of incident CVD (cardiovascular disease) events, while no association was found for more frequent napping or napping duration,” the authors wrote.

Although this information was of interest to those of us who like to take a siesta once in a while, the study was an observational one. Meaning, that it only allowed researchers to identify patterns rather than determine a cause and effect. There will need to be further studying to determine if this can be beneficial.

So, for now, just enjoy a little nap here or there, while the research unfolds.

MIKEY donation honouring Danforth shooting victims and first responders

Canada’s 911 Ride honoured the victims and first responders of the Danforth shooting, where a man randomly opened fire on people along the busy commercial strip at Demetres Danforth Café in July 2018.

The officers who intercepted the shooter- Constables Alexandru Gall, Anthony Als, Volodymyr Z’vezd ‘Onkin, Hongfei Zhou and Pantelis Mastorakos, were presented with a MIKEY defibrillator to be donated to a business on the Danforth. The donation was made to Shoppers Drug Mart, 180 Danforth Ave., on September 18.

“The Canada’s 911 Ride executive wanted to honour the first police responders at the Danforth shooting on July 22, 2018,” said Mikey Network Executive Director Morty Henkle. “Most of the patrons that go into that drugstore live on the Danforth and that is why the decision was made to place it in that store.”

The defibrillator is accompanied by a plaque that reads:

This lifesaving MIKEY defibrillator has been donated to honour the Danforth shooting victims by the brave officers of Toronto Police Service 55 Division and Canada’s 911 Ride Foundation.

“We are happy that the donation was made to us and I know it will be very useful,” said pharmacist and franchise owner Farrah Jessani.

From TPS NEWS.

The 2019 Canada’s 911 Ride Roars to Mikey’s Aide

Every year the Canada 911 Foundation holds Canada’s 911 Rides, to raise funds and awareness to benefit families of fallen emergency service personnel, children who were victims of violent crimes, and The Mikey Network. 

This is our 11th year riding along with Canada 911 Foundation on the Ontario ride. This year’s Canada’s 911 Ride raised $12,500 for The Mikey Network!

This brings the total amount raised for The Mikey Network up to $242,500!

We are extremely grateful for their support. The money they have raised has enabled us to place hundreds of MIKEYs with families and organizations in need. 

Here are some pictures from this amazing ride.

How to Curb Emotional Eating

Life can sometimes come crashing down on you all at once. Does this sound familiar? -It’s a busy time of the year at your job, your mother’s new medication doesn’t seem to show any improvements, and you forgot to pick up the cake you ordered for this weekend’s party.

You rush to the bakery as soon as you realize you need to pick up your order. While you’re there, you also buy a full box of pastries. On your drive home, you nibble on one. Before you know it you’ve had an additional two pastries, but did not take the time to enjoy any of them.

If this sounds familiar, t-ese are cues of emotional eating. It’s a coping mechanism where you turn to food for comfort when you’re stressed, upset or frustrated, and even when you’re not hungry at all.

The relief you get from food doesn’t last long and the prolonged habit of emotional eating could cause weight gain if your go-to foods are high in calories, sugar, and fat- which they usually are. The excess weight could increase your risk to heart disease, diabetes, and other issues.

We all have our comfort foods and a little emotion eating is perfectly normal. If it’s getting out of hand though and the clothes are starting to get tight, we have some tips get your emotional eating under control.

Here are some tips to help you control emotional eating:

Write it down. Record the thoughts and feelings you’re experiencing before snacking in a journal. Track what you eat, how much you’re eating, and what you’re feeling when you eat. This will help you identify patterns and make connections between your mood and cravings.

Ditch the distractions. When you’re having your meals, turn off all screens and focus on eating your food. Take in all the senses of smell, taste, and look. Make sure to savour every bite, take your time to chew, and stop when your body is telling you it’s full.

Healthy eating doesn’t have to suck. If you catch yourself in the act of emotional eating, take steps to get out of it. Substitute your cravings with nutrient-dense alternatives or reduce portion sizes. Drinking a glass of water first before having a snack can help a lot. Often when we thing we’re hungry a glass of water can curb those cravings. If you’re not hungry at all, go for a walk instead!

Pace yourself. Set small and obtainable goals to change your behavior. You could start simple like eating your meals at a table than while driving. Changing your longstanding habits require your commitment and patience, so don’t be too hard on yourself when you just start out – take it step by step.

Most of all, don’t beat yourself up over it. Guilt over eating will only add to your stress. Once you identify that you want to change, take a small first step and be proud that you are making a change not guilty over why you have to make it.

A Man’s Best Friend: Owning a Dog May be Beneficial to Heart Health

Studies have found that your furry canine companion may be your heart’s best friend as well.

Researchers have found that compared to people who did not own pets, dog owners tend to have less risk factors for heart disease due to increased exercise, had healthier diets, and possessed lower blood sugar levels.

When compared to other pet owners, they were still doing better in terms of diet and exercise.

In 2013, the American Heart Association (AHA) made a scientific statement saying that dog ownership is highly linked to a lower risk of heart disease. This was based on evidence that those with dogs are more physically active, suggesting that the benefits may extend to diet and blood sugar levels.

The more obvious is that you get more physical activity from having to take your dog on walks periodically and the less obvious is how dog ownership encouraging a healthier lifestyle. Not only do dogs offer us companionship and emotional support, they get us moving and reduce stress resulting in greater happiness.

In general, more than two-thirds of dog owners (67%) met the “ideal” AHA recommendations for exercise. On the other hand, only 48% of people without pets met that ideal, as did 55% of other types of pet owners.

In terms of diet, dog owners were doing better than others: fewer than 7% scored in the “poor” range in diet compared to 16% of people without pets and 13% of other pet owners.

Do you own a dog or pet? How do you get your daily exercise? Comment down below!