Ramadan follows the Islamic lunar calendar, taking place at a different time every year. This mean, depending on the amount of day light during Ramadan, fasting can last anywhere from 11 to 16 hours per day.

During Ramadan, those observing will have a pre-dawn meal known as suhoor and a post-dusk feast to break their fast known as iftar. While fasting, you cannot eat or drink anything, not even water. This makes proper nutrition and hydration extra important during suhoor and iftar.

“Maintaining proper nutrition is essential, especially when fasting,” says Sunnybrook clinical nutrition student Radhika Anand. “Making sure our bodies have the nutrients they need to function at their best can help us sustain our energy levels and avoid fatigue while fasting.”

Here are some helpful tips from Sunnybrook’s clinical nutrition team to make sure you have a safe and successful fast:

 Have a well-balanced suhoor (pre-dawn) meal

A well-balanced suhoor provides slow-releasing energy to keep you full throughout the day. Here’s what to include as you begin your fast:

1. Complex Carbohydrates — foods like oats, whole wheat bread, brown rice, and quinoa help stabilize blood sugar levels and provide long-lasting energy.
2. Protein — include eggs, Greek yogurt, cottage cheese and legumes to promote fullness and support muscle maintenance.
3. Healthy Fats — add nuts, seeds and avocado for increased and sustained energy.
4. Vegetables — fill half your plate with vegetables for essential vitamins, minerals and digestive support.
5. Portion size — to ensure a balanced meal, use a quarter of your plate for lean proteins (eggs, Greek yogurt) and the other quarter for whole grains (oats, whole wheat bread).

Replenish your body during your iftar (post-dusk) meal

After fasting, your body may be dehydrated and low in blood sugar. A healthy iftar should focus on rehydration and gentle digestion. It takes about 20 minutes for your body to register fullness, so eat mindfully and stop eating when you feel satisfied. This approach reduces stress on your body and provides more sustained energy:

1. Start with fluids – break your fast with water or hydrating drinks like coconut water to replenish lost fluids and electrolytes.
2. Dates – dates are a great choice during iftar as they are high in natural sugars, fibre, potassium, and magnesium, which quickly help to raise blood sugar levels.
3. Light soups – a vegetable or lentil soup provides hydration and prepares your stomach for a heavier main meal.
4. Avoid heavy, fatty foods – overeating fried or rich foods can cause bloating and indigestion. Instead, try a balanced, nutrient-dense meal with whole foods, protein and healthy fats.

 Maintain good hydration

Maintaining good hydration can be difficult since drinking water is prohibited when fasting. Consider the following tips to stay hydrated throughout your fast:

1. Consume water-rich foods — cucumbers, watermelon, strawberries, oranges, and soups are great ways to increase your water content while providing sustenance.
2. Stay hydrated — aim for eight glasses of water a day, distributing these glasses gradually throughout non-fasting hours.
3. Limit diuretics and salt — avoid drinks with caffeine, which causes water loss through urination, and try to avoid salty foods like pickles and salted fish, which increase the body’s need to retain water.

Avoid highly processed foods

Certain foods should be limited during Ramadan to avoid energy crashes and digestive issues throughout the day. Here are some foods to avoid while fasting:

1. Sugary drinks and desserts – these foods can spike blood sugar and drop energy levels, leaving you feeling fatigued.
2. Fried and processed foods — fried and processed foods are often high in unhealthy fats, sodium, and additives, which can lead to digestive distress.
3. Refined Carbohydrates – foods like white bread, pastries and sugary cereals can cause blood sugar fluctuations.

By incorporating these helpful tips while fasting, you can make the most of this spiritual time while making sure your body is still getting the nutrients it needs to keep you going.

The post How to maintain good nutrition during Ramadan appeared first on Your Health Matters.

When Tony Kim is discharged from St. John’s Rehab this week–after a month-long hospital stay at Sunnybrook–he will be leaving as a freshly declared newlywed.

Tony was looking forward to marrying his college sweetheart Irene on the morning of September 3—the day of their ten-year anniversary—but a motor vehicle collision in early August temporarily disrupted his plans. The civil ceremony (planned prior to the car accident) was to take place at Toronto’s City Hall, however, with the support of St. John’s staff, Tony arranged to have the ceremony in the hospital gardens instead.

A pharmacist, Tony met Irene while they were studying in their hometown of Vancouver, at the University of British Columbia. It was his dedication to community pharmacy that had Tony driving home to Toronto from Muskoka (where he was providing coverage) at night, during a heavy rainstorm.

Tony’s car hydroplaned on the slick roads, and spun out of control. His right femur and hip were injured, as well as his jaw. While the early details of his hospitalization and surgeries were difficult to recall, his final days of recovery at Sunnybrook would prove to be extremely memorable.

Staff on A2 shared Tony’s excitement leading up to the big day, and reviewed the morning’s preparation and dressing with him. “I still can’t wear both shoes,” Tony said, laughing, the day before the wedding, proud to be able to stand for ten minutes with the support of a walker, and his nurses close by. “But the trees here are awesome, and the forecast looks good,” he said, excited to proceed with his long-time plans.

With the majority of Tony and Irene’s family members residing in Vancouver, the ceremony was small, with participants including St. John’s Spiritual Care Coordinator Joanne Davies, and Sister Suzanne Marie, the Spiritual Care Provider for A2.

“Tony’s sister came as a surprise for him; that was delightful,” said Joanne Davies. “In fact, the lovely wedding dress (which had been his sister’s) was also a surprise. I think that moment was the best and most poignant for me…Tony’s reaction when he saw Irene coming down the path to the spot for the wedding under the Anniversary oak tree on the grounds. Truly a fairy-tale moment, and happy tears for all of us.”

Tony was grateful to have the support of the health care team, and the manicured gardens and picturesque backdrop as the location for his wedding. As a special gift, staff on A2 temporarily discharged Tony for the evening to spend time with his new bride.

“This has been a helpful learning experience for me, overall,” Tony said, sharing praises for the various interactions he had. “Being able to talk with–and learn from–the nurses, doctors, the pharmacist Grace [Jong], the physiotherapists, and staff like Martha [Agelopolous, the unit PAA], has really broadened my spectrum of understanding, as a pharmacist.”

“Experiencing this holistic approach has been great,” he continued. “Once I started feeling better, I started writing diaries in my phone to record all of the moments and lessons I had while I was a patient.”

Tony looks forward to implementing these new lessons into his community pharmacy interactions and processes.

With A2 staff expressing optimism for his continued recovery and healing—and the ability to proceed with his full wedding ceremony and reception in April, walking his bride down the aisle with their family members in attendance—Tony is leaving his time at Sunnybrook not only as a married man, but also feeling strengthened, inspired, and professionally enlightened.

The post A Weekend Wedding at St. John’s Rehab appeared first on Your Health Matters.

Jagger Smith, Mindy Oiffer (Photo: Doug Nicholson)

On the afternoon of Tuesday, June 28 at North Toronto’s Baycrest Park, steps away from Baycrest Arena, volunteers, healthcare providers, and administrators of the Englemount-Lawrence Vaccination Clinic (ELVC) gathered to celebrate and reflect on the experience that brought over 20 organizations together to help protect their community from the spread of COVID-19.

Sunnybrook Care Navigator Kay McGarvey

Just over a year earlier, the COVID-19 landscape was very different, with vaccine doses newly released to the public. Each neighbourhood posed its own set of unique challenges, and vaccination teams had to adjust swiftly to ever-evolving policies around the vaccination process.

“In the face of several challenges, we came together as a team to vaccinate our community,” said Jagger Smith, Director of Ambulatory Clinical Services at Baycrest Health Sciences. “We delivered highly successful collaborative care at the ELVC, and that deserves to be acknowledged.”

Baycrest was charged with coordinating and leading clinic operations, along with the member organizations of the North Toronto Ontario Health Team (NT OHT).

Scott Ovenden, Stacy Landau, Dr. Jocelyn Charles, Dr. Karen Fleming, Dr. Yoel Abells, Dr. Dan Cass (Photo: Doug Nicholson)

Across the City of Toronto, healthcare and community partners rallied together to create an easily accessible and seamless experience for clinic patients, especially those from marginalized and vulnerable communities. Participation was broad throughout the clinic, including approximately 200 physicians, 60 representatives from Red Cross, 100 staff and leaders from NT OHT partners and 100 contributors from collaborators like North York Community House, Toronto Community Housing, and Liberty Pharmacy.

Together, they administered over 29,000 doses during the ELVC’s months of operation.

The ELVC appreciation picnic gave NT OHT co-leaders Stacy Landau (SPRINT Senior Care CEO), Dr. Dan Cass (Sunnybrook Health Science Centre EVP and CME) and Scott Ovenden (Baycrest Hospital President and CEO), the opportunity to present certificates of appreciation to the contributors on behalf of the NT OHT and Baycrest.

Gail Gordon, Mindy Oiffer (Photo: Doug Nicholson)

Gail Gordon, a site manager for Red Cross, recalls how volunteers from across the city came to assist with clinic operations. OR surgeons and community family doctors—with cancelled procedures and appointments—pivoted to administer vaccine doses at the clinic. SPRINT Senior Care was readily available to provide transportation services for elderly residents. Raquel Heayn (a volunteer coordinator with Reena at the time) drove members to and from Reena and the ELVC.

Bryce Watson and Emmanuel Kiplimo from Paladin Security provided security services at the clinic; they would often arrive to community members gathered outside the clinic before it opened, eager to receive their first or second dose of the vaccine.

Emmanuel Kiplimo and Bryce Watson (Photo: Doug Nicholson)

“It was overwhelming sometimes,” Emmanuel acknowledged. “We were the first point of contact to everyone arriving at the clinic. There were always many questions, and we were the people the community encountered first.”

“We would seek advice from the health professionals, and make sure we were communicating the right information at all times,” Bryce added. “We knew how important the vaccine was to people, so we had to do our best to keep everyone calm and help the process move smoothly.”

Oiffer received a call from the Canadian Red Cross requesting her volunteer services less than 24 hours after she got the first dose of the vaccine herself. Mindy became a familiar voice, a welcoming face, and another committed contributor to the ELVC mission to vaccinate as many community members as safely and efficiently as possible.

(Photo: Doug Nicholson)

Excited to reunite with the leaders, staff, and other healthcare and community workers at the ELVC, Mindy and Emmanuel reminisced about the days they spent together at the clinic.

In addition to being a memorable experience for all participants, the main objective of the ELVC—protecting the community—was clearly achieved, with over 29,000 doses administered during the ELVC’s months of operation.

“The reunion gave us a moment to appreciate the connections we made to each other as contributors to the ELVC, as well as to the people we served,” said Jagger Smith. “Seeing one another again, e-mailing with those who could not attend, and hearing a thank you from a passer-by in the park during the picnic really brought home the importance of the work we achieved together.”

In a sunny Baycrest Park, overlooking the arena, the ELVC reunion was an afternoon to feel the joy of accomplishment and professional collaboration, and to celebrate what was possible during challenging times.

The NT OHT thanks all who were involved in the ELVC for their critical work in helping to protect our community against COVID-19.

With contributions from Kimberly Taylor, Baycrest Health Sciences.

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“I wasn’t really raised with any of the culture or traditions. I had to discover that for myself later on,” says Sophie, a University of Toronto medical student and a participant of SPARK (the Sunnybrook Program to Access Research Knowledge for Black and Indigenous Medical Students).

“My mother’s grandmother was a residential school survivor and suppressed that side of her completely to protect herself,” she says, explaining the disconnect from her Indigenous background growing up.

But now as an adult and aspiring geriatrician, Sophie has been reconnecting with her roots by exploring Indigenous practices and building relationships with other Indigenous people.

“I’m at a point where I’m very proud and sure of who I am in my identity,” says Sophie. “But it’s taken a lot to come to this point, and there are still lots of challenges that I face.”

One of the challenges she has been dealing with is the emotional heaviness of the residential school graves that continue to be uncovered throughout the country.

To cope, Sophie has leaned on the relationships she’s built while reconnecting with her heritage. One of the people she’s turned to is her roommate, who happens to be the only other Indigenous person in her medical school class.

“Feeling like you have a safe place to talk can really be motivating,” says Sophie.

And while she’s grateful she has her roommate, Sophie says it’s jarring that there’s such low Indigenous representation in her class, and in medicine in general. Connected to that issue is the fact that Indigenous people are more likely to experience poor health-outcomes than non-Indigenous people.

To help address these tough realities, Sophie’s focus has been learning as much as she can—in school, from her Indigenous mentors, and through social interactions with other Indigenous individuals—so that she can inform her medical career and better support her community.

“I have a very large interest in Indigenous health, and I plan to do lots of outreach and really form my future practice around that,” she says. “I know that I can make an impact.”

The post Reconnecting with her roots and advancing Indigenous health: Meet medical student Sophie Weiss appeared first on Your Health Matters.

Compounding is the method of preparing customized medications by combining individual ingredients in the exact strength and dosage form required to help meet each patient’s unique needs. There are numerous formulations, ranging from creams and eye drops to mouthwashes and suppositories.

Medications are compounded for many different reasons. This process provides access to discontinued medications and drug strengths that are not commercially available. For some patients, medical reasons mean they need a medication to be made in a different form, like a tablet or liquid, or to avoid an ingredient they are allergic to. Compounding can also help when there is a shortage of raw materials, or an increased demand for a certain drug.

Here are some of the most common applications of compounding at Sunnybrook’s outpatient pharmacy:

Pain Management

Pain relievers have long been available commercially to address chronic pain. Compounding has now made it possible for patients to have medications tailored to their particular needs to help provide targeted relief through specialty creams, gels, sprays and capsules.

Dermatology

Many people suffer from skin problems like rosacea, eczema, acne and psoriasis. To help reduce the risk of unpleasant side effects like redness and irritation, medications can be compounded by carefully selecting ingredients for each patient’s skin type.

Pediatrics

It’s not uncommon for children to refuse to take medications because they don’t like the taste or have a hard time swallowing pills. Doses catered specifically for children may contain dyes and preservatives that cause allergy or sensitivity, or be unavailable. In these cases, compounding can individualize the treatment into a child-friendly format that’s easy to administer, like a liquid or suppository.

Geriatrics

Needing several different medications for various health issues is increasingly common as we age. Conditions like dry mouth, however, can make it hard to ingest tablets and capsules. By compounding, multiple drugs can be combined into one easy to swallow preparation. Medication strengths can be lowered if necessary, and ingredients causing sensitivity can be avoided.

Hormone Replacement Therapy

Hormones play an important role in our overall health, but their levels can fluctuate as we age. Common symptoms include mood changes and hair loss. Compounding allows for customized hormone replacement delivered through applications like creams, capsules, vaginal suppositories and topical solutions.

Sports Medicine

Sports injuries impact both seasoned athletes and those who are new to exercise. They reflect damage from a diverse range of activities that can flare up issues like inflammation, muscle spasms and fungal infections. Compounding solutions provide the ability to alter and deliver the exact strength and application of prescribed medications.

If you have questions about compounding, be sure to check in with your pharmacist.

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