Markham Real Estate Today with Asif Khan

Aries

Born under Aries, you are sympathetic, caring and passionate. You have an independent and driven personality, which can sometimes cause you to wear yourself thin and become overbearing to others. Calm your take-charge attitude with your go-to color, red, mixed with light yellows. A bold accent color against a light base is the perfect combination for your sign.

The perfect accent for your sign? Magical Thinking horizons planter, to keep your eye on the horizon and your drive strong (Urban Outfitters, $29).

Paint color: Valspar Pantone Poppy Red (Lowe's, $3, 8 oz)

Taurus

The touchy-feely type, a Taurus person loves being loved and rewarded. Sensual, loving and hardworking, you are a true-blue perfectionist, almost to a fault. Natural palettes calm your soul, so try light beige and grays mixed with delicate shades of lilac purple and mulberry.

The perfect accent for your sign? Mala orchid pillow to cuddle up with after a long day (Nordstrom, $75).

Paint color: Valspar Pantone Lavender Fog (Lowe's, $3, 8 oz)

Gemini

The chatty and intellectual Gemini is clever and witty. Curious by nature, you love to read, talk, travel and do anything that will allow you to obtain more information, including communicating with others. Sometimes, you can be seen as too talkative, and you often get restless easily. Yellows and greens make a great combination to keep your intellect high and your anxious attitude at bay.

The perfect accent for your sign? Moss Color Study Painting to relax your mood for a rested evening with a good book (West Elm, $89).

Paint color: Valspar Pantone Paradise Green (Lowe's, $3, 8 oz)

Cancer

Quiet, gentle and very sensitive, a Cancer is protective and wise. You are a wonderful friend and a very nurturing partner, but your emotions can get in the way of your otherwise intelligent nature, and you can become moody very easily. Keep your excessive sentimentality at bay with a neutral decor. A pearly shade of white, easy gray and creamy shades are likely to ease your emotions.

The perfect accent for your sign? Ivory Pierced Border Elaina Bone Frame to hold a picture of your favorite person (World Market, $15).

Paint color: Valspar Modest Silver (Lowe's, $3, 8 oz)

Leo

Filled with an overabundant and happy personality, the Leo woman is a born leader. Extremely romantic, imaginative and attention-seeking, the Leo can sometimes be viewed as superior and self-centered. Keep your cheery disposition and leadership qualities in check with bright yellows, orange and your favorite metallic hue — gold.

The perfect accent for your sign? Quatrefoil mirror to admire yourself with (Pottery Barn, $400).

Paint color: Valspar Pantone Primrose Yellow (Lowe's, $3, 8 oz)

Virgo

The Virgo is as straight and narrow as they come, with a very organized and honest personality. You have deep love and emotion for your friends and family, which can sometimes come off as being overbearing and judgmental. Keep your cool with navy and soothing earth tones.

The perfect accent for your sign? Sanaga Stripe Curtain in navy and white to keep a fresh and clean look in your home (Anthropologie, $88 - $148).

Paint color: Valspar Indigo Streamer (Lowe's, $3, 8 oz)

Libra

Libras love harmony and peace, and they have a beautiful, serene attitude and a very easygoing nature. However, you can quickly change your demeanor to stand up for your loved ones and your beliefs. Though a wise judge of character, you can sometimes come off as arrogant. Enjoy coherence in your home with rosy pinks, light ivory shades and cooling blues.

The perfect accent for your sign? Capriz Table Lamp to keep a peaceful vibe in your work space (PB teen, $99).

Paint color: Valspar Pink Wink (Lowe's, $3, 8 oz)

Scorpio

The Scorpio is a very sexy and determined soul. Courageous and brave, you are far from shy. Steadfast perfectionists, Scorpios have the negative tendency to steamroller anybody that stands in their way. Keep your controlling nature at bay with reds, berries and black.

The perfect accent for your sign? Avalon Indoor/Outdoor Pendant, which is as sleek and sexy as you are (Pottery Barn, $299).

Paint color: Valspar Pantone Raspberry Wine (Lowe's, $3, 8 oz)

Sagittarius

The Sagittarius-born are travel lovers with an inquisitive nature. You are a direct, excellent judge of character, and you are said to have found your purpose in life early on. Bring out your knowledge and wisdom with purples, beige and an easygoing blue.

The perfect accent for your sign? Chunky Blue Cotton Blanket to carry with you on all of your adventures (Crate & Barrel, $170 - $190).

Paint color: Valspar Pelican (Lowe's, $3, 8 oz)

Capricorn

Disciplined and cautious, the Capricorn is seen as cool and elegant. Loyal and very responsible, you can sometimes look standoffish and detached. Stay practical and engaged with dark blues, greens and brown in your work space.

The perfect accent for your sign? Verna Pinwheel area rug to keep your center when on a deadline (Pier 1, $400 - $900).

Paint color: Valspar Sumatra Blend (Lowe's, $3, 8 oz)

Aquarius

The Aquarius is witty, clever and very inventive. An original in every sense of the word, you have a rebellious nature that can come off negatively in social situations. Bring out your creativity with colors of the sea, including aquas, royal blue and black for your sharp side.

The perfect accent for your sign? Tufted Ottoman in sapphire to kick up your feet when conjuring up the latest trend (Z Gallerie, $599).

Paint color: Valspar Princess Blue (Lowe's, $3, 8 oz)

Pisces

Pisces are known for their emotional, artistic and romantic personalities. Imaginative and extremely kind, you can sometimes be self-pitying and weak-willed. Keep your feet on solid ground with sea greens, teals and purples.

The perfect accent for your sign? Add the Enzo Vase in sky blue to your favorite sentimental items (Blisshomeanddesign.com, $55 - $75).

Paint color: Valspar Pantone Beach Glass (Lowe's, $3, 8 oz)

The capacity of the arts to produce beneficial health outcomes has been appreciated intuitively for some time. Nearly half of all American hospitals utilize some form of arts-based activity to serve patients, visitors, and staff. But it is only relatively recently that the healing and restorative impacts of art and music have been substantiated by careful research.

The emergence of art and music as proven sources of healing is following the path followed by the emergence of evidence-based facility design. Research on the impacts of design features, which began in the 1980s, is now applied widely to improve the health, safety, and satisfaction of patients and staff, as well as rewarding healthcare institutions with cost savings and strengthened reputations.

Now, as thoughtful clinical studies throughout the world are showing the significant healing impacts of art and music interventions in healthcare settings, arts applications are earning the right to be considered alongside today's accepted medical practices and evidence-based design principles. Some of those arts applications are as effective as accepted medical practices in addressing some conditions while at the same time they are also safer, less costly, and more harmonious with a healing environment.

Moreover, findings about the healing effects of music and art provide executives and designers with additional evidence-based tools to advance the six dimensions of quality identified by the Institute of Medicine in its important 2001 report, Crossing The Quality Chasm.

Reducing the need to administer medications

To foster and recognize innovative arts projects with strong research components, the Blair L. Sadler International Healing Arts Competition was created in 2001. The competition's jury evaluates submittals from arts projects that have been conducted in partnership with a healthcare organization and whose impact has been formally evaluated, and each year's honorees are selected for their measurable impact on healthcare delivery, their quality, and their ability to be replicated.

Many Sadler Award-winning projects (see sidebar) have shown that art and music can achieve patient outcomes comparable to those achieved by accepted medical practices. In an award-winning project from 2007, for example, a musical recording created by a team of physicians and musicians in Denmark reduced anxiety and distress so successfully in psychiatric patients who otherwise would have been treated with on-demand sedative medication that 87% of the patients relaxed, calmed down, and even fell asleep from listening to the music.

In a project from Northern Ireland that also earned a Sadler Award this year, hospital patients learned printmaking and created original prints in a highly interactive program. Nearly half (49%) of the patients reported that their pain and other symptoms were relieved, while over 90% of them felt more at ease and relaxed, with significantly improved moods.

Previous Sadler Award winners have also demonstrated important healing-related outcomes from music and art interventions. For example, when children at a Florida hospital were so anxious about a diagnostic test they were about to undergo that they would typically have been sedated by an anesthesiologist, music played to them by a music therapist was sufficiently calming to allow the test to proceed without anesthesia. Using this modality, the hospital was able to eliminate anesthesia 98% of the time for echocardiograms and 88% for CT scans, with no need at all for sedation of children under the age of six.

Another award-winning project focused on the family caregivers of cancer patients—a population within which psychological and mood disturbances can reach as high as 30%. In that study, one hour of involvement in a simple art-making exercise reduced depression symptoms, anxiety, and stress, and produced significant improvements in overall mood.

In all of these cases, the art or music application accomplished a result that otherwise might have been pursued by the use of pharmaceutical drugs, with all the risks that such usage entails. Some of those applications also eliminated the need for some medical staff to be present and made the treatment less stressful for those staff who were present.

Cost savings from using these applications can be significant. For example, it has been estimated that a large children's hospital could save hundreds of thousands of dollars by using music to calm children who are anxious about an imminent diagnostic test, rather than pharmaceutically sedating them.

It should be noted that although the research cited above often applies only to relatively narrow situations (patients in a psychiatric ward or family caregivers who are accompanying a cancer patient for treatment at a hospital facility, for example), it can reasonably be expected that these arts applications will have similar positive impacts on many other populations and in many other situations.

Improving other medical outcomes

Even when the possible need for a pharmaceutical intervention is not obviated as it was in the previous examples, music and art have significant power to improve medical treatment.

For example, in another 2007 award-winning project, a computer that translates movements into sounds and music, developed by an interdisciplinary team at Harvard Medical School, was employed to inspire stroke victims to continue their physical therapy exercise regimens. In a pilot test focused on recovering hand motor function, participants in this music-based treatment achieved movements that were more controlled, coordinated, and purposeful than those of patients receiving traditional nonmusical therapy.

The “Art While You Wait” program, an award winner in 2005, engages children in creating art works while they await treatment in busy emergency rooms where there are typically long waits. Research showed that 92% of those children experienced reduced pain and decreased anxiety.

The quality revolution and the arts

The six studies described here, along with many others, demonstrate that art- and music-based treatment modalities deserve a place in any comprehensive, quality-focused healing environment. Again, it is appropriate to compare these developments with what has been learned about how proper attention to the built environment furthers the ongoing revolution for better quality in healthcare. As Colin Martin wrote in The Lancet, “Although the premise that the physical environment affects well-being reflects common sense, evidence-based design is poised to emulate evidence-based medicine as a central tenet for healthcare in the twenty-first century.”

Just as “the premise that the physical environment affects well-being reflects common sense,” it also is commonsensical to most people that the arts can affect well-being. Anyone who has made music, created art, danced, sung, or participated in any other arts activity knows that troubles can fade, pains can dissipate, and fears can diminish in those situations.

In Crossing The Quality Chasm, the Institute of Medicine (IOM) identifies six dimensions with which quality-focused leaders and institutions should concern themselves: effectiveness, safety, patient-centeredness, efficiency, timeliness, and equity. Art and music applications are demonstrating their effectiveness, even in comparison to accepted medical practices; they are increasing safety by eliminating or reducing the use of anesthesia and pharmaceutical drugs; and they are patient-centered, because they can utilize the patient's own resources for healing rather than something extraneous to the patient, such as a pill or a physical therapist.

Regarding the fourth IOM criterion, efficiency, arts applications can reduce the need for expensive medical personnel and allow procedures to transpire more quickly than they would otherwise. They also can make treatment more expeditious because patients experiencing less pain and less distress are easier to talk to and their complaints can be addressed more quickly.

As for the timeliness criterion, the IOM says “the system should anticipate patient needs, rather than simply reacting to events.” Such strategies as beginning to reduce the pain and improve the emotional state of children in a waiting room before they see an emergency physician, or offering an effective antidepression modality to family caregivers before they come to require medical attention for that condition, help make medical services proactive rather than simply reactive.

The arts are also remarkably equitable. When respectfully chosen, music and art communicate to persons regardless of their cultural heritage or religious affiliation, education or income levels, age, or gender. The “Art While You Wait” program, for example, now serves children from diverse backgrounds in a wide range of communities that include San Diego and Oakland, California; Salem, Massachusetts; Honolulu, Hawaii; Madison, Wisconsin; and Providence, Rhode Island. The calming music described above, which was recorded in Denmark, has been used throughout the world. Art and music have the advantage of being, to a large extent, “universal languages.”

Conclusions

Paralleling the emergence of evidence-based medicine and evidence-based design, there has been in recent years a dramatic increase in documented positive impacts of art and music programs in healthcare settings. While many design improvements are usually feasible only during a major construction project, carefully chosen art and music interventions provide any healthcare organization with low-cost opportunities to improve healthcare quality within all six of the IOM's quality domains. They should become part of everyday practice throughout the country and the world.

Looking back over the research findings of the last twenty-five years related to facility design, we might be surprised by some of those findings, but for the most part they demonstrate what common sense already has told us: that patients and staff are generally healthier and happier in environments that honor the inherent human desire for beauty, peace, and inspiration. More surprising perhaps is the fact that such common sense was so often subverted by designs that honored a somber, depersonalizing, mechanical, industrial, assembly-line approach to patient care.

Today's best healthcare facilities are freed to honor the full panoply of human aspiration within their physical designs, knowing that wisely incorporating those qualities benefits patients and their loved ones, administrators and staff, the larger community and the bottom line. It is increasingly apparent from the research evidence that arts programs can accomplish similar ends. May we hope that we will not look back some years from now only to wonder why it took us so long to accept what the evidence was telling us, in confirmation of our common sense, about the place of the arts in healthcare. 

If you're looking for something unique and exciting to do in Toronto this Mother's Day weekend -- whether it's with the whole family, just you and her, or for Mom alone – we've got you covered with this roundup of events.

Shuck-U: Sustainable Canadian Oysters and Ontario Wines

Take an oyster class with expert Patrick McMurray and learn about sustainable Canadian oysters from the east and west coasts, pairing your meal with Ontario-produced wines.

Date: May 9, 5:30 to 7:30 p.m.

Location: St. Lawrence Market

Cost: Tickets start at $52, and can be purchased at Domenic's Fish Market (93 Front Street East) or online here

Toronto Blue Jays vs. Los Angeles Angels

Take her out to the ball game! The Jays play the Angels – Friday through Monday.

Date: May 9, 7 p.m.; May 10, 1 p.m.; May 11, 1 p.m.; May 12, 7 p.m.

Location: Rogers Centre

Cost: Ticket information here

Toronto Flower Market

Pick mom a bouquet of local flowers, or bring her along to the 2014 launch of Toronto's outdoor flower market, open the second Saturday of the month from May to October. Celebrate this Mother's Day with seasonal varieties and local florists.

Date: May 10, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Location: 1056 Queen Street West

Cost: N/A

"Luv Ya Mum" – Mother's Day in Yorkville

Spend some quality time shopping and pampering at the Over the Rainbow denim emporium. The independent clothing store is collaborating with Summer's Ice Cream, Lux Spa and other local businesses to deliver a special Mother's Day experience. Eat free mini cones and enjoy free manicures, plus portions of any retail purchases will be donated to Interval House, a centre for abused women and children.

Date: May 10, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Location: Over the Rainbow, 101 Yorkville Avenue

Cost: N/A

Trinity Bellwoods Chocolate Tour

Presented by Tasty Tours, spend the day with mum or another loved one eating delicious chocolate treats and sweets. Learn about the history of chocolate and tour four local stores as you explore the neighbourhood.

Date: May 10, 1 to 3:30 p.m.

Location: Le Dolci, Dundas West and Bathurst Street

Cost: $30.97 for adults; $17.70 for kids

Scenic Caves Nature Adventures

For more adventurous moms, explore the suspension bridges, zip-lines and rich history of the Niagara Escarpment, and be sure to check out the Mother's Day specials! On May 11 only, moms and up to three family members get $30 off an Eco Adventure Tour.

Date: May 10 and 11

Location: Scenic Caves Nature Adventures, 260 Scenic Caves Road in Collingwood

Cost: Free admission for moms with paid child Caves/Suspension Bridge/Mini-golf package ($20.57)

Family Day at the Gardiner Museum

The Gardiner Museum has a Mother's Day theme this weekend – with tile painting! Kids can paint a ceramic tile with a wide array of colours for their mothers, grandmothers, aunts, or caregivers.

Date: May 11, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Location: Gardiner Museum, 111 Queen's Park

Cost: Free with admission! $12 for adults, $8 for seniors, $6 students, free for children under 12

Mother's Day Brunch Cruise

Have brunch on the water aboard Mariposa Cruises' The Northern Spirit. Indulge in a buffet-style brunch, cocktails and scenic views during this special two-hour cruise along Toronto's harbourfront.

Date: May 11 at 11:30 a.m.

Location: Queen's Quay Terminal, 207 Queen's Quay West

Cost: $48.95 for adults; $24.95 for children

Mother's Day Sapphire Social

Planning something surprising this year? Mix brunch with burlesque! Try Chai French Toast or Eggs Benedict with a homemade scone among other options, including cocktails.

Date: May 11; 12:30 to 3 p.m. (show starts at 1:30 p.m.)

Location: The Libertine, 1307 Dundas Street West

Cost: $15 (not including food and drink)

Mother's Day at Medieval Times

Treat her to a day of chivalry, jousting and knights in shining armour this weekend, where mom's get in free with the purchase of an adult ticket. There's also a $20 Mother's Day package which includes a "Queen Mom" photo, "Queen of the Castle" sash, and the choice of champagne, cider or a mimosa.

Date: Ends May 11

Location: Medieval Times, 10 Dufferin Street, Exhibition Place

Cost: $65.95 for adults; $42.95 for children 12 and under (ticket packages available)

In this edition of The Weekender, a comic-arts festival, an oyster-shucking class and three other things to do in Toronto this weekend.

The Toronto Comic Arts Festival (FREE!)
Anyone who wants to take the pulse of Toronto’s comic-arts scene needs to attend TCAF, the annual two-day festival of all things illustrated. Exhibitors from Canada and around the world will be personally selling and signing their latest work, and a slate of after-hours events should provide ample opportunity for socializing with like-minded nerds, or whatever else. Among those in attendance will be Kate Beaton (Hark! A Vagrant) and Toronto’s own Chip Zdarsky (Sex Criminals), fresh off his recent Eisner Award nomination. May 10–11. FREE. Toronto Reference Library, 789 Yonge St., torontocomics.com

Love Art Fair
Art collections aren’t just for the super-rich; they’re also for the merely somewhat well-off. Aiming to prove that point this weekend is Love Art Fair, where 40 galleries will be showing a wide variety of work, half of it priced under $5,000. Some condo walls are about to get a lot more colourful. (The event is being sponsored by Toronto Life.) Until May 11. General admission $12. Direct Energy Centre, 100 Princes’ Blvd., loveartfair.com

We Are The Best
This film, a Swedish import, earned praise during its domestic debut at the 2013 Toronto International Film Festival, but has yet to find a wide audience on these shores. That’s a shame. In a world of Katnisses and Bellas, We Are The Best dares to present an image of female adolescent rebellion that isn’t all about deciding between two equally hot boys. Bobo and Klara are two 1980s tweenaged misfits with Sex Pistols hair and no musical ability—that is, until they enlist (read: corrupt) a prim classmate with guitar skills. Punk rock ensues. The screening, a presentation of CMW film fest, will be followed by performances from graduates of Girls Rock Camp Toronto. May 10. Tickets $10, teens $7. The Royal Cinema, 608 College St.,facebook.com

Canadian Music Week
Bands from around the world have already begun descending upon Toronto for Canadian Music Week, making now an excellent time to see some shows. Until May 10. Various prices. Various venues, cmw.net

Shuck U
Oyster shucking is one of the culinary world’s most dreaded prep tasks—a man-on-bivalve wrestling match that all too often ends in tears. Patrick McMurray, of Starfish and Ceili Cottage, will teach a select group of enterprising home chefs how to crack open nature’s seafood shooter without impaling themselves. Oysters and wine are included with admission. May 9. $52-$92. Miele Gallery at the Market Kitchen, St. Lawrence Market, 93 Front St. E, facebook.com 

Let's face it: Not everyone is born with the decorating gene. But if you want to make your place just a little nicer without having to spend your weekend completely overwhelmed at a furniture store, you can count on these designer tricks that will work in any home.

Your Curtains Should At Least 'Dust' The Floor Hanging your curtain rod slightly above the window also helps create the illusion that the ceiling is a little higher than it actually is. 

If You Can't Commit To Any Color, But Hate White Walls..."Griege" Goes With Everything A cross between "gray" and "beige," this neutral is unobtrusive enough to not compete with any decor choices. 

Eye-Level Lighting Is The Most Flattering Lighting Of All Make sure you incorporate a few table lamps into the mix.

The sconce on either side of the mirror, at eye level, lights your face perfectly

The Best Height To Hang Mirrors? 57" Off The Ground This is generally considered "eye level." 

Use mirrors in a space to reflect something beautiful, or to make a space appear larger and brighter. 

Choose An Area Rug That's A Little Bigger Than Your Furniture Arrangement Generally speaking, the front legs of each piece of furniture in a group should at least sit on the rug.

HOW TO CHOOSE A RUG SIZE: Rugs should be big enough so that at least the front legs of all major pieces of furniture in a conversational grouping can be placed on top of the rug.

You Don't Have To Push All Your Furniture Against The Walls If you have the space, use furniture to divide the room into separate areas.

Don't "circle the wagons" and put your furniture against the walls, create squares and rectangles and divide your space into useful areas.

From being able to kick back with an ottoman to keeping a throw in every room, we asked five decorators to share how they make a house feel more cozy.

Have Comfortable Dining Room Seating

Sleep on the Right Pillows

May 6, 2014 -- Toronto Real Estate Board President Dianne Usher announced that during April – the first full month of spring – Greater Toronto REALTORS® reported a 1.8 per cent year-over-year increase in sales through the TorontoMLS system. Total April 2014 sales amounted to 9,706, compared to 9,535 transactions in April 2013.

“April marked the beginning of the spring market, during which time we generally see the highest monthly sales totals in a given year. Despite the persistent shortage of listings, a substantial number of GTA residents were able to come to terms on a home that met their needs. However, sales levels would have been higher, but for the lack of supply,” said Ms. Usher.

“A number of factors underlie the constrained supply of listings. Studies and polling suggest that the additional upfront land transfer tax in the City of Toronto has prompted some households to stay put and renovate rather than list their home and move. In the broader GTA context, abovetrend home sales in the years leading up to the recession have meant that many households who purchased during this period simply aren’t ready to move again,” continued Ms. Usher.

The average selling price for April 2014 sales was $577,898 – up by 10.1 per cent compared to the April 2013 average of $524,868. The MLS® Home Price Index (HPI) Composite Benchmark was up by seven per cent year-over-year. The MLS® HPI strips away price fluctuations resulting from a change in the mix of home types sold from one period to the next.

“Price growth for the GTA as a whole was driven by the single-detached, semi-detached and townhouse market segments in the City of Toronto. So far this year, there has been no relief on the listings front for these home types in many neighbourhoods in Toronto and surrounding regions. Until we see a marked and sustained increase in listings, we should expect to see the annual rate of price growth above the long-term norm,” said Jason Mercer, the Toronto Real Estate Board’s Senior Manager of Market Analysis.

Markham Emergency Management

Emergencies can happen anywhere, at any time – sometimes without warning. An emergency can force you to evacuate your neighbourhood, or confine you to your home or workplace without basic services such as water, gas, electricity or a working telephone.

Is your family prepared?

It’s your responsibility to take the necessary steps of emergency preparedness for you and your family. Do you know the risks in your community? Do you have an emergency plan? Do you have an emergency preparedness kit?

Learn what you can do to prepare of an emergency.

What’s New

It is important that you and your family plan and prepare for the first 72 hours of an emergency. Many residents of Markham have pets and like every other member of your family, they also need the protection and security of an emergency plan . The responsibility of caring for your pet rests with you, the owner. It’s important to develop and create a 72 hour Pet Emergency Survival Kit, similar to the one you would create for yourself and your family. A comprehensive emergency plan includes planning care for your pets before, during and after an emergency.

Are You Prepared?

Celebrate Emergency Preparedness Week May 3 - 10, 2014, by:

1. Knowing the Risks your Community
2. Making a Plan with Your Family
3. Getting a 72hr Emergency Preparedness Kit

The week of May 3-10, 2014 is designated nationally as Emergency Preparedness Week where communities across Canada will have the opportunity to increase their awareness and understanding of emergency preparedness and participate in community events

There are a considerable amount of pet owners in Markham. In addition to microchipping and licensing your pet, preparing for an emergency is another example of responsible pet ownership. With this in mind, Markham has chosen an Emergency Preparedness Theme for 2014 focusing on pet emergency preparedness. Whether you are advised to stay at home or asked to r evacuate to a safer location during an emergency, planning in advance for you and your pet will save you time and lessen the stress during an already stressful situation.

Ensuring your pet is licensed and microchipped is important if they become separated from you during an emergency.  Reunification of owners and their pets during an emergency can be facilitated much quicker with licensing and microchipping records.

Your pet is part of your family.  Make an emergency plan for them, ensure they are licensed and microchipped and get a pet emergency preparedness kit.  You will have greater piece of mind knowing that all your loved ones are taken care of.

• Celebrate EP Week 2014 by setting aside a little time to work on your Family Emergency Plan.
• See the Resources and Planning page for children’s colouring sheets and a crossword puzzle on emergency preparedness. Getting Prepared can be FUN!

Emergency Phone Numbers

IN AN EMERGENCY CALL 9-1-1

Emergency & Health Services

• York Regional Police
  (Non-Emergency) 905-773-1221 OR 1-866-8POLICE
• York Region Public Emergency Medical Services
  905-830-4444 x4181 OR 1-800-361-5653
• Markham Stouffville Hospital
  (Non-Emergency) 905-472-7000 OR (Emergency) 905-472-7111
• Community Care Access Centre of York Region
  1-888-470-2222
• Markham Fire & Emergency Services
  905-415-7521 (8:30 am to 4:30 pm, Mon to Fri) OR 905-477-2011 (after-hours, weekends, holidays)

When talking about natural allergy relief, sometimes you hear more about the foods to avoid than about the ones you should be eating. For instance, about a third of people allergic to pollen deal with an added annoyance called oral allergy syndrome, meaning they experience generally mild symptoms of an itchy, tingly mouth, throat, or lips when they eat certain tree fruits or plants. Someone allergic to tree pollen may experience agitation from oral allergy syndrome when eating apples, cherries, plums, almonds, or walnuts. If ragweed causes you grief each hay fever season, you could also experience sensitivity to melons, bananas, chamomile tea, or echinacea in any form. And you may have heard the suggestion to give up milk and meat during hay fever season because the grass cows eat could stir up your allergies. The good news, though, is that there are lots of foods and herbs out there that can actually help bring you natural allergy relief.

Here are your secret tools for beating allergies, naturally:

1. Broccoli

This precious piece of produce serves two purposes in annihilating your allergy symptoms. It's high in allergy-relieving vitamin C and it's a member of the crucifer family, plants that have been shown to clear out blocked-up sinuses. Researchers have found about 500 milligrams (mg) of vitamin C a day can ease allergy symptoms, and just one cup of raw broccoli packs about 80 mg.

2. Citrus Fruits

To hit that 500-milligram vitamin C level from whole food sources, you can also turn to oranges, grapefruit, lemons, and limes. A large orange contains nearly 100 mg of C, while half of a large grapefruit contains about 60 mg.

3. Kale

Don't just admire kale as a garnish. Eat it! This superfood packs a one-two punch against allergies; like broccoli, it's a member of the crucifer family, but it's also rich in the carotenoid department, pigments believed to aid in fighting allergy symptoms.

4. Collard Greens

Highjacked by hay fever? Put collard greens on the menu for the same reason as kale. Their phytochemical content, mainly, carotenoids, eases allergy issues. To increase the amount of carotenoids your body absorbs, eat the veggie with some sort of fat source. One idea? Lightly cook it in olive oil.

5. Stinging Nettle

You can't discuss natural allergy remedies without hailing stinging nettle. It helps stifle inflammation that occurs when you're experiencing allergy symptoms. Stinging nettle contains histamine, the chemical your body produces during an allergic reaction, so it helps you acquire tolerance. Look for 500-mg freeze-dried nettle capsules in your natural health store, and take three times a day. That's the best form for allergy relief; it won't sting because it's freeze-dried. Long-term use of the herb is not recommended, since it can deplete your potassium stores.

6. Butterbur

Leaves and roots of the butterbur shrub contain compounds called petasines, which can block some reactions that spark allergies. Does this plant really work? Science says yes, though its use is not generally recommended for young children, people older than 65, or those with ragweed allergies. A large British meta-analysis of six studies looking at butterbur as an allergy reliever found five studies supported the claim. The roots of the perennial shrub generally contain high levels of pyrrolizidine alkaloids, which can damage the liver, so herbalists recommend looking for butterbur products that specify no pyrroli zidines, or ones that use a CO2 extracting process, which limits the amount of pyrrolizidine alkaloids. Swiss and German researchers found that butterbur was just as effective as the prescription antihistamine cetirizine (Zyrtec) after two weeks of treatment. It's also been shown to relieve sneezing, itching, runny nose, stuffiness, and watery eyes in just five days.

7. Elderberries

Immune-strengthening elderberries are often hailed as a natural flu treatment, but the berries serve a purpose in natural allergy relief, too. Try elderberry wine, juice, or jam to tap the fruit's beneficial flavonoids that reduce inflammation.

8. Onions and Garlic

Quercetin is another secret weapon that helps fight allergies by acting like an antihistamine. Onions and garlic are packed with quercetin, as are apples. (If you go with eating apples, just make sure they don't stimulate oral allergy syndrome.).

9. Parsley

According to Michael Castleman, author of The New Healing Herbs (Rodale, 2009), parsley inhibits the secretion of allergy-inducing histamine. (Parsley is a diuretic, so talk to your doctor before taking supplements or eating large amounts of it.)

10. Anti-Allergy Soup!

There's nothing like a warm bowl of soup when you're feeling sick, and while this usually pertains to chicken soup for the flu, an expert on herbs developed this soup to naturally battle allergies. In The Green Pharmacy Guide to Healing Foods: Proven Natural Remedies to Treat and Prevent More Than 80 Common Health Concerns(Rodale, 2008), herb expert James Duke, PhD, recommends this allergy-fighting soup recipe:

• Boil an onion (with skin) and a clove of garlic.
• Add ½ cup chopped leaves and diced taproots of evening primrose.
• After boiling for about 5 minutes, add a cup of nettle leaves and a cup of diced celery stalks, and boil gently for another 3 to 10 minutes.
• Before eating, remove the onion skins and eat the soup it's while still warm.
• Season with wine vinegar, black pepper, hot pepper, turmeric, curry powder, or celery seed.

The old adage 'an apple a day keeps the doctor away' may be a silly rhyme you heard as a kid, but you might be surprised to learn of apples' serious health benefits.

Your mom didn't use the term powerfood but she knew about apples. "An apple a day keeps the doctor away" was the first nutritional advice myself and many children heard from their moms. For this reason we call them "the first powerfood."

1. Apples are filled with soluble fiber (5 grams). This fiber has been shown to reduce intestinal disorders, including diverticulitis, hemorrhoids and possibly some types of cancer. It helps control insulin levels by releasing sugar slowly into the bloodstream. It cleanses and detoxifies, which helps eliminate heavy metals, such as lead and mercury.
2. Apple pectin helps reduce cholesterol levels by lowering insulin secretion.
3. In two studies researchers found that eating five apples a week lowered the risk for respiratory diseases like asthma.
4. According to Chinese Medicine: Apples strengthen the heart, quench thirst, lubricate the lungs, decrease mucous and increase body fluids.
5. Apple cider vinegar can help prevent the formation of kidney stones.
6. Studies indicate that eating apples daily can reduce skin diseases.
7. According to a Brazilian study, eating an apple before a meal helped women lose 33 percent more weight than those who didn't.
8. An apple has only 50-80 calories and has no fat or sodium.
9. Apples are packed with vitamins C, A, and flavonoids and with smaller amounts of phosphorus, iron and calcium.
10. Apples provide a source of potassium which may promote heart health.
11. So there you have it ... lots of good reasons why it is good for you to eat an apple a day! I like apples so much that when I started living by myself I substituted those sugar laden cereals with an apple.