Food For Thought - the Podcast

Most people (probably) think they know R2MR - test number one, what do those letters and numbers stand for? If you said, "Road to Mental Readiness" you would be right. But test number two is, how many programs do they have? You'll never guess...and also, do you know they have an App?  Let's just say there is a lot more to R2MR than meets the eye, and in this episode my two amazing guests, Alanna B...

We know how important physical, mental and even emotional and social wellness are. But for some reason we tend to either overlook or negate how important spiritual wellness is. Capt Gabriel Snyman joins me on this episode to talk about what it is, why it's important, and how we might inadvertently already being more spiritual than we think. It's a fun and interesting look at what it means to be sp...

When you think about the military...what are the things that first come to mind? Deployments, postings, serving your country going to different countries to defend their sovereignty... But what about the CANEX? This is an institution that has been around a lot longer than many people are probably aware. CANEX serves the military community in a very unique way. They are located on most Bases and Wi...

We are taking a slightly different approach to our Nutrition Month episode, because as it always does, it follows Heart Month and so we thought it only appropriate to talk about both but with a twist. Most people think of heart disease as a man's problem, but it turns out to be one of the number one killers of women too. But because it presents differently in women, it is often overlooked or writt...

When we think about "Men's Health" our thoughts might go to Movember, and prostate cancer or testicular cancer, or even heart disease. It doesn't always go straight to mental health, even though the first three letters are M-E-N... So in this episode, I'm talking with Maj Robert Reid, Psychiatrist/Flight Surgeon and Mental Health Clinical Lead here at CFB Edmonton, and we're unpacking men's mental...

If you need a break in the middle of your day or could use a little help falling asleep, give this 8 Mindful Minute Meditation a try. It's sure to help you deal with resting stress face and make you feel a little less peaked :) Enjoy!

If you have ever had a conversation with a child or a partner while driving in the car, or while doing the dishes or some other task, you will understand the value of creating a space and an opportunity to decrease the cringe factor by finding a neutral environment and one where eyeball to eyeball contact is neither required nor possible. We all need to have a place to talk about things - general...

Post annual briefing season, here's a bit more of what we really want members to know that we can do to support them, in their units, to be the most operationally ready - but also the best versions of themselves they can be. It takes a combination of individual action and organizational responsibility to create the environment that allows all that to happen, and health promotion can be the secret...

It's Christmas time...(can you hear the tune in your head)? Not sure how it's halfway through December, but here we are. We dug this one up from the archives, polished it up, turned it from an actual song (yes - it's out there somewhere on Facebook/Instagram) and turned it into a podcast worthy episode. This time there is music but Nicole and I are not singing. You're welcome. Hope you enjoy this...

You might not think of National Addictions Awareness Week, well, ever...but this year, it's worth thinking about because addictions are a growing concern. Prevention is key. Awareness is how that starts. What do you know about addictions? How do you feel about addictions? What impact does it have on you? Your work? Your family? Your future? It depends on where you fall on the spectrum of use - of...

New relationships. The stuff of Hallmark Christmas movies, Netflix series and well. Real life. Whether you're a parent watching your kid start dating, an adult giving love another try, or a part of a military couple figuring out how to reintegrate into your roles after a deployment or exercise - all relationships need work. To stay good, to be better and to evolve as we go and grow throughout our...

Do you know what and OSI is? Or what OSISS is and what it stands for? If your answer is no or you're not sure, then this episode is for you! Terri-Ann Winfield is a Peer Support Coordinator and is my guest for this first episode of Season 9! (Yes - how are we already in Season 9?!?!)  This is a great episode that talks not only about what OSISS does, but also why it's so important and how storytel...

Here we are at the end of another season, albeit a slightly abbreviated one. A few fewer episodes, but those that we got in the can highlighted some amazing guests, offered helpful (we hope you think so too) insights, and showcased the incredible resources available to CAF members in Edmonton, and in most cases at many of the bases and wings across the country.  In this wrap up episode, Nicole and...

In this episode I talk with Kevin Malahy, one of the Fitness and Sports Instructors at CFB Edmonton. He talks about the Force Evaluation, Unit PT, Selections, Injury Mitigation and so much more. If you thought you knew everything there was to know about what they do over at Fitness and Sports - prepare to be surprised! If you are interested in learning more about what the team over at F&S can...

If you have never heard of the Unit Health Promotion Representative or UHPR program...you can be forgiven. It's been tough sledding getting this out to the units in a meaningful way...until now. Join me and my team mate Nicole Emerson and 2 outstanding UHPRs, Cpls Jensen and Parry from 1 CER as we talk about the history, the journey, the vision and the way they and all our UHPRs are making a huge...

April is all about the Dental Hygiene and celebrating and promoting Dental Hygienists. In 'studio' for this episode we have Capt Ian Pressé who shares with us the things we need to consider when it comes to our oral health, how we need to care for our gums and teeth and the surprising history of cigarettes and the military. We talk about the difficulties of quitting, and how some members find them...

So that's not really the theme for this year, but you'll have to listen to hear that origin story...Join Base Dietitian Cheryl Nickurak and I as we tackle the official theme - in all its "robustness" looking at the socio-cultural aspects of food, the trends that she is seeing in her practice and hear her answers to some "questions from the field". Nutrition is about so much more than just food and...

It's that time of year again - January - Blue Monday has come and gone and it's Bell Let's Talk. While the topic of mental health should be talked about openly and authentically all year, BLT is a good excuse to put it front and centre and have conversations that get at the heart of helping to overcome the stigma around talking about mental health, and at it's core is about getting and keeping peo...

It's been another tough year and here we are on the cusp of the holiday season once again, and it's getting tougher by the minute it seems, to stay on the financial straight and narrow. Join me and my guest, Ravi Chavali, from SISIP Financial for an episode chock full of tips to keep you financially savvy all year long. From identifying what kind of spender or saver you are, to how to teach your k...

When people hear or think about Health Promotion (and we know most people don't) it is probably related to the workshops they may have taken, the briefings they may have had to sit through (trust us - we don't love annual briefings either!) or maybe a booth where we were making or handing out samples of food, or talking about Bell Let's Talk or something similar. But what is Health Promotion reall...

It's the end of Season 7...how did we get here already?!?! A bit of a departure from our past episodes, today Nicole and I talk about hopes and dreams - in terms of things we have upcoming, stuff we're working on and things that we think could really be different if we approached it in a more outside the box and creative way. Mindset is everything when it comes to embracing change, and let's face...

When you think about going to Dental at CFB Edmonton, you might be thinking about the last time you flossed or how it's time to get that cavity filled or for that root canal. But when you're there, do you notice anything...different? We did. When my colleagues in Health Promotion came back from a meeting there, they were singing the praises of the different things that had been implemented at Dent...

It's March meaning that there are many themes happening - Nutrition Month which we've covered before, but it's also Social Work month, Addictions month, Neurodiversity month and I want to talk about all of them, as well as throw in some props for Sleep. Christie Mellan, Addictions Counsellor and Social Worker from CAF Health Services joins me to talk about all these interconnected themes and helps...

When you think about Mountain Ram - what comes to mind? Grit, determination, a never give up attitude? These are things that our guest on this episode has in spades, but she also has some really great common sense approaches not only to how you can finish Mountain Ram, not once, but 6 times, but also how those same principles can help you be healthier, live better, be a better leader, partner, par...

How do you define mental health? Mental Fitness? Resilience? Do you know when to fold 'em and when to run - and I'm not talking about if you've got nothing but a pair here? Mental Health is more than a buzz word, but are we really getting the message and doing what we need to do to be there, offer help, know where to go for help or perhaps hardest of all, ask for help. Join me and my guest, Skylin...