What Dry January taught me about myself

You can’t have been on social media in January and NOT seen a post about Dry January. Dry January is a public health campaign with its roots in Britain. Launched in 2014 by the non-profit Alcohol Change UK, the organization’s aim is to reduce the harm from alcohol. According to their website, one person every hour dies as a result of alcohol. That’s certainly a sobering statistic.

When a friend on Facebook posted in late December to say she was starting a fun/casual “support group” for Dry January, I decided to join in. 31 days later, I’m sharing some of the insights and lessons I’ve learned along the way!

The Why

I didn’t publicly declare I was doing Dry January because I was afraid I wouldn’t make it. Another reason was that I really didn’t want to answer the WHY question. People think you’re either crazy, or a bit of a stick in the mud when you refuse a drink.

To be very clear: no, I’m not an alcoholic (I have many, many people in my life who can vouch for that fact.) But as I’ve written before here on the blog, I have become increasingly aware of the harmful effects of drinking culture among parents. It’s always bugged me that I rely so much on that glass of wine at the end of the day. In recent years (that previous post was written in 2015!) my resolve to drink only on weekends has certainly been successful - if you define “weekend’ as Thursday, Friday, Saturday, Sunday and the occasional Monday.

When I first entered my drinking habits into the handy “Try Dry” app, I was brutally honest and also quite shocked at how much I’m drinking in an entire month. The one glass of wine would often turn into 2 (or even 3) on weekends and who actually pours themself a UNIT of alcohol? Most of us are drinking 1.5 or 2 units per drink.

The final reason? My dermatologist recommended I try a month alcohol free to see if it would help with my psoriasis.

The How

As I mentioned above, I didn’t think I could do it! But the combination of support I received in the Facebook group, the satisfaction of clicking that little “I stayed dry” button on the app every night, and the benefits I was seeing propelled me forward. In fact, it almost became easy - sure, I still had my moments of longing, but those were few and far between the moments of pride.

To make sure I didn’t fall back into old habits, I knew I had to REPLACE or REDIRECT. I replaced my favourite brew with a non-alcoholic IPA called Partake. Obviously this was not going to taste exactly like my favourite beer, but if it was nicely chilled it hit the spot and my cravings vanished. I replaced my wine with sparkling water (often mixed with fruit juices) or kombucha, which I drank in a wine glass. I also drank a lot of vanilla rooibos tea with a dash of cream and maple syrup.

The worst time for me is right after work/school when everyone is hungry and tired. That’s when I’m most likely to pull out the wine and pour myself a glass. So I had to redirect myself to healthier habits - I tried to rest on the couch if it had been a long day, or played a quiet game with my girls. Most cravings disappear within minutes, so as long as you’re finding something else to do, you’ll get over the hump soon enough.

The Results

A few of the benefits I’ve observed:

• Brain fog is gone. I can’t believe how clearly I can think! My memory has almost certainly improved, and I’m feeling much more organized in my life.

• Mood swings and anger: I’ve noticed a huge decrease in my mood swings, which could be related to blood sugar - alcohol wreaks havoc on our blood sugar levels, and I’ve noticed I’m feeling much less angry and more calm overall. My kids are definitely feeling those effects, as I’m less likely to be snapish with them (especially around dinner and bedtime)

• Healthy habits: without alcohol, I’ve been forced to turn to healthy habits to reduce stress and anxiety in my life. I’ve found an amazing yoga class, and have also started Zumba. I’ve been taking a lot of long walks (yes, in the snow!) and have even cut down on caffeine. I think without the “fuzziness” that alcohol seems to bring on I don’t need the same caffeine kick to keep myself going throughout the day.

Sadly I haven’t noticed any change in my psoriasis. I’m convinced it would heal if I just moved to a warm and humid climate, but alas, that’s not happening anytime soon. I also haven’t noticed any change in weight, but I’m a slim person who doesn’t fluctuate anyway, so I’m not he best test case.

The Future

To say that this challenge has forever changed my relationship with alcohol is not an exaggeration. I know I won’t be going back to the same drinking habits (although many people who do Dry January do, and that’s OK if it works for you!) I don’t think I want to be 100% alcohol free, but I’m going to be much more careful about when and why I’m drinking. The Try Dry app will help me with those goals, as I’ll be able to continue tracking my drinks throughout the year. And now that I’ve done it, I know I could do it again - and for longer if need be.

The health benefits of daily alcohol intake rest on shaky evidence and there is mounting research that points to significant harms from alcohol - particularly for women. This makes so much sense to me, as I’ve always wondered why I can sometimes feel hungover after only two drinks. Women metabolize alcohol differently, and our fluctuating hormones add another layer of complexity to the issue.

Overall, I feel strong and quite proud that I achieved my goals. It’s given me more confidence in myself and has had a ripple effect on many other areas in my life. I’ll definitely be doing it again!

If you missed the Dry January boat and feel curious, why not try another month? February is shorter ;)

Winterlude 2019

The snow has been steadily falling for almost a week here in Ottawa, and February is fast approaching. Almost time for one of the best festivals of the year - Winterlude!

On the list of activities this year are some old favourites that are always a MUST for families: - the Rideau Canal Skateway, Snowflake Kingdom at Jacques-Cartier Park, and the 32nd Crystal Garden International ice carving competition. Also back this year are the WInterlude mascots the Ice Hog Family, with a special birthday celebration for Noumi and Nouma.

What’s New

• The Chimes: Visitors to the Byward Market are invited to activate this set of chimes comprising more than 30 illuminated tubes and eight loudspeakers, triggering a transformation of the space through sound and light.

• Culture Walk: The Downtown Rideau Culture Walk is a free, self-guided walking tour featuring the abundant and vibrant collection of public art, galleries, exhibits, monuments and points of interest in the district “Where Culture Lives!”

• Sparks Street Icecade: Three weekends of frozen interactive fun! Try your mitts at classic carnival games with a chilly twist. Enjoy a warm beverage as you toss, throw or shuffle.

• LGBTQ2+ Ice Mosaic: Come OUT and play: build an ice mosaic using small coloured blocks of ice in the rainbow flag colours.

Where to go

There are so many different destinations for Winterlude. You definitely don’t have to spend all your time skating on the canal. Check out this link for the complete list of events and destinations, as well as an interactive map so that you can find your way around. The easiest form of transportation is the OLG Sno-Bus shuttle service which is FREE. Ongoing shuttle-bus service is provided by OC Transpo and the Société de transport de l'Outaouais (STO), linking the Snowflake Kingdom in Jacques-Cartier Park, in Gatineau; the ByWard Market (Crystal Garden); and the Rideau Canal Skateway up to Dows Lake, in Ottawa. OLG Sno-Bus stops are clearly indicated on Winterlude signs.

Never braved the snow to check out Winterlude? My family goes every year, and I wrote a quick tips/tricks blog post back in 2016 (the year when all the ice sculptures melted….we still had so much fun!) to give families a bit more info on all the big events.

Do you attend Winterlude with the family? What’s your favourite part?

This blog post has been sponsored by Canadian Heritage. All opinions are our own.

The New Canada’s Food Guide: Encouraging Healthy Eating

The new Canada Food Guide was released on January 22, 2019, and before its publication there was a lot of speculation surrounding what foods would be eliminated and what foods that were previously highlighted would be minimized. In truth, the new Canada’s food guide encourages healthy food choices. They want Canadians to, "make it a habit of eating a variety of healthy food each day."

What does this mean? It means eating plenty of fruits and vegetables, whole grain foods and protein foods – including protein that come from plants. It also means limiting highly processed foods (note: they do not say to avoid them altogether, but to eat them less often and in small amounts).

The picture on the new Canada’s food guide shows a plate half-filled with vegetables and fruits, with the other half split between protein foods and whole grain foods. Gone are the graphics for milk, yogurts and meats. Instead, meat protein shares its space with protein from nuts, tofu and legumes.

My favourite addition is to, “make water your drink of choice.” There is no substitute for the healthiness and necessity of water. We are mostly made from water, so it’s no wonder we should be focusing our beverage choices on water as opposed to sugary and artificially-flavoured drinks. 

The new Canada’s food guide also focuses on healthy eating habits. It encourages you to use food labels, and to limit foods high in sodium, sugars and saturated fats.

In a fast-paced world, the new food guide encourages us to take our time to eat, plan what we eat and involve others in planning and preparing meals. This is especially important for families.

As a registered dietician, and mother of three young children, Cathy Richards believes eating healthy as a family does not have to be time-consuming or difficult, and she’s happy to see that the new food guide recommendations support the scientific evidence on diet and health.

“The focus is on whole foods and it’s presented in an easy to understand format. A visual of the plate makes it easy for my clients to understand how they should be aiming to balance a meal. I really like the interactive nature of the website for the guide, as it makes it a fun activity for families to explore together by trying new recipes or incorporating the tips around mindful eating.”

Food marketing to kids is also a very relevant concern and Cathy is, “happy to see some direction for parents around this. The research supports cooking at home more often and eating together as key health behaviours to prevent obesity in adulthood. To be honest, I haven’t been referring to Canada’s food guide with my clients for years but with this new addition I’ll definitely be directing more of my clients there to explore the website and learn with their families.” 

Canada’s food guide website has many healthy recipes the entire family can enjoy preparing and eating together. The guide also has tips on how to eat healthy anywhere as well as outlines nutritional needs based on age and life stages.

Canada's food guide has changed, but it has changed because with the many food options available to us in grocery stores, online and in restaurants, it can be confusing to know what eating healthy really means. After all, “healthy eating is more than the foods you eat.”  

For more information on the new Canada’s food guide, visit their website. You can even download an educational poster and post it on your fridge as a reminder of what it means to eat healthy.

Where to skate in Ottawa

With all the cold weather we have been having it’s no wonder all the skating rinks around the city are filled with eager skaters young and old. To help you decide where to lace up, here’s a list of various ice skating rinks in and around Ottawa (and a little further out too). 

Rideau Canada Skateway

Weather permitting, the Rideau Canal is open to skaters daily from roughly late December (whenever it’s ready!) to late February (when it starts to thaw). And it’s free! There are many change huts, skate rental shacks and snack stations (yum - Beavertails!) all along its 7.8 km length. We recommend checking the ice conditions before you head out to avoid disappointed little skaters should it be closed.

SENS Rink of Dreams

If the Rideau Canal is closed you can almost-always count on the SENS Rink of Dreams at City Hall to be open. This refrigerated outdoor skating rink is open from December to March from 6:00 a.m. to 11:00 p.m. It’s a large rink that features LED lighting, a heated change hut, picnic tables and benches. Skate rentals and skate sharpening are available on weeknights and weekends, check out the City’s website for information on hours.

Landsdowne Park Skating Court

Weather permitting, the Lansdowne Park Skating Court is open from early December to mid-March. There is on-street parking nearby. Free open skating sessions are available daily.

Ben Franklin Place Skating Rink

Ben Franklin Place’s outdoor skating rink in Ottawa’s West End (Nepean) has a heated changing facility and is open daily from 11 am to 8 pm (weather permitting).

Rideau Hall Skating Rink

The historic skating rink at the Governor General of Canada’s residence, located on Sussex Drive, was established in 1872. Rideau Hall’s refrigerated outdoor skating rink offers free public skating sessions on Saturdays and Sundays from roughly December through March, weather permitting.

RiverOak Skating Trail 

Located in Metcalfe, RiverOak offers a unique outdoor winter experience with more than three kms of skating trails through old growth apple orchards. Their on-site facilities include a heated changing area in a charming log cabin, food and drink, and a hockey rink for pickup games. They also have unique events happening all winter long! For details visit their website at: www.riveroak.ca

Patinage en Fort (Skating Through the Forest)

Located Lac des Loups, Quebec (about 45 minutes north of downtown Ottawa), this skating rink is a 3-kilometer open-air ice loop which winds through tall trees. There is a heated chalet onsite. A very limited number of skate rentals are available, so if you can – bring your own! Visit their website for more information.

Perth Outfitters Skating Trail

About one hour south of Ottawa in Perth, Ontario is Perth Outfitters. They offer a 400-metre (0.2 mile) skating trail through the woods (including lantern skate events on Friday and Saturday evenings). There’s also a shinny hockey rink, log cabin and warm treats. A fun way to spend a weekend evening!

Arrowhead Provincial Park Ice Skating Trail

Although it’s a bit of a drive (about 3.5 hours from west Ottawa), this ice skating trail is considered one of the most stunning natural skating rinks around the world! The 1.3 km ice skating trail winds through think Muskoka forest and is magical anytime of day! The park is very busy on weekends, so the ark recommends visiting during the week if you can.  Visit their website for more information.

City of Ottawa Outdoor Ice Rinks

There are many volunteer-run outdoor community ice rinks across the city – several even have huts to change in and out of your skates. Check out the City’s website for more information.

City of Ottawa Indoor Ice Skating

Ottawa is home to several indoor arenas that offer affordable public skating sessions and skate rentals. Visit the City of Ottawa website for more information or to find an arena near you.

Ear piercing without a piercing gun

When I was a kid ear piercing seemed like a simple business - you visited a beauty boutique at the mall, hemmed and hawed over the earring choices, and then received a quick shot to the ears with the piercing gun. Easy peasy!

Unfortunately in my personal experience, the months and years that followed my first piercing weren’t an easy experience. My ears were forever getting infected. Even pure gold earrings seemed to cause problems, and I got so frustrated I decided to take them out. To this day (at the age of 38) my piercing holes regularly become infected, even without earrings in there!

So when my 6 and 9 year olds started asking about piercing their ears, I knew I wanted to do things differently. First, I waited almost one year to be sure they were really serious about the decision. We talked about it a lot - about how it might hurt a bit, and how you needed to properly clean and care for your ears.

During this waiting period I happened to come across this post from a local tattoo parlour here in Ottawa. I had NO idea the risks associated with piercing guns, and hadn’t really considered the issue of consent. Piercing guns cannot be properly sterilized, can sometimes cause blunt trauma to the ear lobe and the advice given for cleaning/care is not accurate or thorough enough to always avoid infection.

We made the decision to use a qualified piercing artist, and started the process. The following is a bit about our experience: what to expect, the aftercare process, cost and other issues.

The Consult

The entire process began with a very thorough consult with the piercing artist. She walked us through the procedure step-by-step, talked about consent, and spent a lot of time going over aftercare. She said she would refuse to do the piercing if my daughters could not demonstrate that they had learned the 4-step aftercare process by the time the actual piercing appointment was made (we booked about 4 weeks after the consult, but you could certainly do sooner!)

The Big Day

Piercing day arrived for my first daughter. Appointments can NOT be made together, as it’s possible one child’s experience will impact the other child (seeing your sister in pain may make you wary to go ahead!) We went over all the aftercare again, and then the piercing took place. A small dot is drawn onto the lobe to map out the spot where the needle will go. My daughter was asked if she was ready, and then asked to count to three. The needle went in, and she barely flinched. Her ears were quite red and sore that evening, and we gave her a dose of Advil. The following day the pain was gone!

The Jewelry

The quality of jewelry is excellent. The earrings are titanium studs, and for an extra few dollars my kids had the option to have them coloured (my oldest chose “blurple” which is a combination between blue and purple…so pretty in the sunlight!)

The Aftercare

My daughters have to clean their piercings morning and night, with a process that involves: a sterile saline solution, water to rinse, and proper drying using a hair dryer. Furthermore, the girls were instructed to NEVER touch their ears (except during cleaning and after a good hand washing) and not to allow any friends to touch either. They can’t go to bed with wet hair (the damp can cause infection) and they were instructed not to swim to 4-6 months. So far we’ve had no problems getting them to do their cleanings, and their piercings are healing very well - we recently did our follow-up appointment to have the posts shortened now that risk of swelling has passed.

Time

Your investment of time is going to be really significant compared to a piercing done at the mall. The consult alone was over 1.5 hours, the piercings were about the same, and then we’ve got several follow-ups. There is also the time that you need to dedicate to aftercare. The parlour seemed to regularly be running late, so we were often waiting 20-30 minutes just to get into our appointments. I would suggest bringing water, snacks and activities for your kiddos.

Cost

This is where we ran into the most trouble, and caused a bit of stress throughout the whole process. When I asked for a quote from the tattoo parlour I received a “rough estimate” that was SO far from the total cost. If I had known the real costs I probably would have decided not to go ahead with both kids in the same year (it was really my youngest daughter who wanted the piercing done, so I would have told my oldest she had to wait another year!) To be clear, I think the service is worth what we paid; but I wish we’d known how much it was before we went ahead.

One of the variations in cost is dependant on the type of jewellery your child chooses. Of course mine wanted the pretty sparkly earrings rather than the round (and boring!) balls. In total we spent about $200 per child - that includes everything, including follow-up appointments.

In addition to the unexpected cost, the parlour also did not accept any type of debit or credit. So we had to trek down the street to an ATM.

I would strongly suggest that you get a very clear quote for the ENTIRE process, and find out if the tattoo parlour will take debit or credit.

In the end, I would say we are glad we went this route for ear piercings. I think that in the long-term this will pay off. The piercing will heal properly and unlike me, my daughter’s will be able to keep their earrings for life.

Have you taken your child to a piercing artist for their ear piercings? What was your experience like?