Innholdsfortegnelse for October 2016 i Zoomer Magazine

Wayne Gretzky was the firstever cover subject of Zoomer when we launched eight years ago this month. We were thrilled that he graced our debut, not only because he is a legendary Canadian icon but he, forever frozen in our hearts as the young hockey prodigy, could be seen as an avatar of our demographic. He had retired from a successful career, had reinvented himself as an entrepreneur and was part of the sandwich generation – seeing to his beloved and widowed father while raising his five kids with his wife, Janet. And as of a year and a half ago, he became a grandfather. Gretzky is us, and we are Gretzky. As The Great One’s appeal is multi-generational, it’s only fitting that this, his second appearance on our cover,…

few scribes today are as in demand, across so many genres as Margaret Atwood – no surprise really, given the author’s penchant for exploring new media through her work. To start, she has two novels being adapted for small-screen series set to debut in 2017: The Handmaid’s Tale, starring Mad Men’s Elizabeth Moss, on Hulu; and Alias Grace, adapted by Canadian Sarah Polley and starring fellow Canuck Sarah Gadon and Anna Paquin, on Netflix and CBC. Atwood even makes a cameo in the latter, which she revealed first exclusively to Zoomer in July. On the book front, her latest novel Hag-Seed, a retelling of Shakespeare’s The Tempest, hits bookshelves in October. But perhaps her most intriguing new project is one that sees Canada’s first lady of letters break new…

Coffee outpaces even tap water as the mostconsumed beverage in the country according to an annual survey by the Coffee Association of Canada. And, in 2015, at 76 per cent, the cohort most likely to have answered having a cup in the past day was 65- to 79-year-olds. Lucky thing it’s good for more than just perking us up. Drinking two to four cups a day has been shown to lower the risk of Type 2 diabetes, liver cancer, heart failure and Parkinson’s disease. Caffeine, coffee’s prized stimulator, has also been found to help control Parkinson’s symptoms of tremors and slow movement. And coffee, whether it’s decaf or not, may also help protect against liver disease, a study confirmed. Single-serve brewers make a fresh cup for one anytime at home…

Osteoporosis is not always as apparent as stooped posture in the later years. It can start to have greater effects for peri-and menopausal women, who can have bone loss of three to five per cent a year due to estrogen deficiency – but loss begins as early as age 35 for both men and women. Regular exercise and a healthy diet are keys to slowing the loss and maintaining what we have, but we can also reduce the risk with supplements. New Chapter’s Bone Strength Take Care easy-to-swallow slim tabs are made from plant-sourced calcium, vitamins D3 and K2, while Jamieson’s BodyGuard Bone Builder is calciumfree but uses a new ingredient called Bonolive, an olive leaf extract that, according to the company, “stimulates bone formation and protects against bone loss.”…

CARP PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE for 2016 2015 saw the election of a new government in Canada. On the campaign trail, Justin Trudeau paid a special visit to a special meeting of CARP, convened a mere two weeks before D-Day; at which time our soon-to-be PM made a number of powerful promises to our Association and to the Canadian people. In return, we made it clear that we would hold him to his word, and keep his government’s “Feet to the Fire” as the Federal Liberals begin to roll out their agenda. So, how is this new government doing? So far, it’s a bit of a mixed bag. On the plus side, members welcomed the speedy rollback of the age of retirement from 67 to 65; and the agreement-in-principle to enhance the…

GO MONOCHROME FOR MAXIMUM IMPACT Left: Dressing head to toe in a singular hue – whether it’s cool greys or hot red – makes for a striking note. The wearer exudes a sense of clarity and purpose. But while it might be more palpable – and easy – to go with all grey or black, there is the powerful gratification of blood-thumping red, which is sure to send waves of shock and awe when you enter a room. And any woman dressed in scarlet is likely the one having the most fun. For lips, try Nars Satin Lipstick in Dressed to Kill. PUT POLAR OPPOSITE PRINTS TOGETHER Right: Great couturiers like Christian Lacroix and Emanuel Ungaro were once known to use this visually arresting trick to create looks that were…

FUGITIVE SLAVES William and Eliza Parker were operating a safe house in Christiana, Penn., when on Sept. 11, 1851, Edward Gorsuch, a slave master, came calling with a U.S. marshal and about 20 men looking for four runaway slaves. “The runaways were there, but my great-great-grandparents refused to hand them over,” explains Frank Parker, an automobile mechanic and life-long resident of North Buxton, Ont. “During the resistance, Gorsuch was killed and several of the marshal’s men were wounded. Arrests were made, but William and Eliza and a few others involved in the riot escaped and settled in the Elgin/Buxton Settlement in Ontario. When abolitionist John Brown visited Buxton looking for men and money for his raid on Harper’s Ferry, W.V., he wrote, ‘In Buxton, I found the man equal to…

TRUDEAUMANIA REDUX Johanna Schneller’s story on Margaret Trudeau’s evolution and present status was informative, insightful and inspiring (“Maggie’s Moment,” September). As a participant in Trudeaumania, I read with interest the disclosure of her life experiences and the wisdom she imparts about them. Sharing her perspectives is most generous and endearing for contemporaries such as myself. —C.M. Carter, Brockville, Ont. SOUR ON MILK I feel a need to comment on the milk and non-dairy beverage comparison chart in “The White Stuff” (September). An important nutrient was excluded: cholesterol. Non-dairy beverages do not contain cholesterol, and that is one reason Canadians are increasingly turning to non-dairy choices. Other reasons include lactose intolerance, increasing awareness that casein in all dairy is carcinogenic, animal welfare and sustainability. It should also be noted that protein…

In the past few years, Lyme disease has gone from a disease we rarely hear about to one that is found in many places across the country, especially along the southern border (75 per cent of all Canadians live within 100 miles of it). Lyme disease can cause chronic symptoms, including fatigue, headache, and body aches, but it can progress to serious neurological symptoms. Lyme disease is sometimes difficult to diagnose, as the symptoms can resemble several other illnesses, such as influenza, and people may not notice that they’ve had a tick bite. As with any disease, the elderly and those with serious health problems are more at risk for serious outcomes. Lyme disease is spread to humans from the bite of an infected deer tick (also called the blacklegged…

Dolly Gibb is Canada’s oldest known citizen. Born Ellen Box in 1905 in Winnipeg, she got the nickname Dolly when, as a teen, she worked at Eaton’s creating women’s accessories. Unfortunately, she had to quit when she got married because the department store didn’t employ married women in 1928. Beyond advances in women’s rights and extraordinary leaps in technology, Dolly has experienced the leadership of 17 prime ministers. Her favourite? It used to be Pierre Trudeau but not anymore. “I like the new one – Justin,” she laughs. Widowed in her 60s, Dolly had two daughters, one of whom she has also outlived by 25 years. Dolly lived alone at home in Thunder Bay, Ont., until her 100th birthday, then moved “south” to North Bay, Ont., and, now, with the…

By Leanne Delap GETTING OLDER CAN FEEL like ducking a steady stream of blows – hits to our looks, career, relationships and sex lives, and a shuffled deck of players and roles within our family, friends and communities. These losses are an affront to the upward trajectory we imagined. Didn’t we all picture ourselves sailing into the future on a wave of shiny successes? As we age, the identities of a lifetime are challenged from without and within. The rearview mirror is cruel. We all remember the first time we noticed the softening jawline or the pudge in the change room. Aging is like a bad selfie reflecting back a stranger. We carry the image of ourselves at some mystical moment of our youth, and the mirror betrays us. We…

WHAT SYMPTOMS AND CONDITIONS IS IT USED FOR? Medical cannabis has shown both anecdotal and clinical evidence in managing and / or alleviating symptoms of many illnesses, including: • Arthritis pain • Neuropathic pain • Bone or inflammatory cancer pain • Multiple sclerosis • HIV/AIDS • Fibromyalgia • Glaucoma • Crohn’s disease • Ulcerative colitis • Epilepsy • Anxiety • Post-traumatic stress disorder • Insomnia • Headaches • Loss of appetite • Nausea or vomiting from cancer treatment WHAT ARE THC AND CBD? The cannabis plant contains 144 different compounds called phytocannabinoids. The two most researched are THC and CBD. THC (delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol) • Psychoactive component • Causes the euphoric “high” • Can reduce nausea and vomiting • Can relieve pain and inflammation • Can stimulate appetite • Can help…

If you thought Thanksgiving turkey made you drowsy, try it with some of Snoop Dogg’s personal “herbal stuffing” Martha Stewart, 75, and rapper Snoop Dogg, 44, team up for a dinner party TV show. A Florida rehab centre uses augmented reality video game Pokémon Go to get senior patients active Which means grandma wasn’t losing it when she swore that she spent the morning chasing a little orange dinosaur. Russian priest, 65, flies around the world in a hot-air balloon When asked how he did it, he explained, “Well, it started when I cornered this little orange dinosaur in the basket of a hot-air balloon. The next thing I know, we’re floating away…” After a public outcry, The Amrita, a nude restaurant in Japan, will allow people over age 60…

I CALL JASMINE the unofficial flower of India,” says Canadian actress Lisa Ray. We are seated on a silken sofa in the Platinum Suite of The Room, the designer hub for fashion at Hudson’s Bay Queen Street in Toronto. Ray, 44, is excited to discuss her first fragrance, Lisa Ray Jasmine of India, available at Hudson’s Bay stores and online at the7virtues.com. It’s a project that is literally close to home as these days she splits her time between Hong Kong and Mumbai. “What’s beautiful about the jasmine flower in India is it’s threaded into everyday life. It hangs outside temples, and women put it into their hair.” She describes a typical experience of being stuck in the city’s never-ending traffic and how in the afternoon women will weave their…

I was 23 years old and had just entered hell. From the outside, it looked like paradise. Manicured lawns and stately oak doors gave the place the look and feel of a country club. But inside there was a different story. Most of all I remember the smells. The smell of hospital food, the smell of bleach, the smell of despair. As lead auditor for a group of long-term care facilities, every day I walked by people lolling in chairs or crying out from beds. Every night I went home and wept. That was more than 30 years ago, and much has changed. Great facilities now provide superb care. But for many, high prices or long wait lists place these options out of reach. More than 90 per cent of…

WAYNE GRETZKY OFFERED ME a coffee. I declined but I should have taken it if for no other reason than to discover first-hand if the legend of the “Gretzky coffee” holds any merit. According to my sources (the Internet), the Gretzky coffee contains nine creams and nine sugars – get it, 99? – and can be purchased off a secret menu at Tim Hortons. I believe they even call the ambulance for you while they pack your Timbits to go. No one knows if the order is inspired by the 55-year-old’s own preferred brew or if it’s some perverse product of Canadiana gone horribly wrong, like snowstorms in June, or Nickelback. Even Buzzfeed reported on the “Gretzky coffee” and, as you know, it is the Internet’s listicle of record. Anyway,…

DO YOU DREAM of leaving the city in your retirement or semi-retirement? When you’re no longer trekking to the office daily, there may be nothing left to tie you to an urban setting. In a small town or rural area, you can connect with nature, enjoy recreational opportunities and take advantage of lower real estate prices and taxes. “You get so much more for your money out of the city,” says Caroline Baile, a broker with Royal LePage Your Community Realty in Aurora, Ont. There are other perks, too: “It’s a slower pace of life. You don’t have that rush-hour congestion. And there’s more interaction with your neighbours, more of a community feel.” Baile, who has her Accredited Senior Agent (ASA) designation – Canadian real estate agents with the ASA…

I NEEDED TO LOSE EVERYTHING to try something new,” Ruth Reichl is saying. From bohemian beginnings in the kitchen at an early organic co-op in Berkeley, Calif., Reichl became a pioneer of gonzo food writing in the New Journalism Wild West of the 1970s. She went on to critique the food establishment from the inside: through the ’80s and ’90s, she wore a wig as restaurant critic for the Los Angeles Times and then the New York Times. Deploying a sharp pen, she lampooned pretensions and deflated outsized chef egos. But a fierce resume doesn’t guarantee a soft landing. By 2009, Reichl (pronounced RYE-shil) had hit the wall. Adrift that year in the aftermath of the shuttering of Gourmet magazine by Condé Nast, the title for which she had been…