WolseleyGirl.com: reflections on life in the granola belt

NIAGARA FALLS, Ont. - Patient advocates are backing a blueprint by Canada's largest doctors group to transform the health system by focusing on patient-centred care, but they admit the road forward could be strewn with obstacles. On Monday, delegates attending the annual meeting of the Canadian

WASHINGTON - A U.S. government study has uncovered a family of mouse viruses in some people with chronic fatigue syndrome, raising still more questions about whether an infection may play a role in the complicated illness. The study released Monday does not prove that having any of the viruses

WASHINGTON - Need an X-ray or stitches? Online, via text message or flashing on a billboard, some emergency rooms are advertising how long the dreaded wait for care will be, with estimates updated every few minutes. It's a marketing move aimed at less urgent patients, not the true emergencies

It's long been suggested that drinking water can help with weight loss, but now a scientific study lends some credence to the claim. Researchers presented a paper Monday at the American Chemical Society conference in Boston on a randomized controlled trial involving obese people aged 55 to 75

An attractive brunette in a tight pink top and clingy short shorts looks directly at the camera when touting the benefits of her Reebok EasyTone running shoes. The cameraman, however, has a hard time focusing on her face and instead moves the lens low before zooming in on her small, toned

MANITOWANING, Ont. - A boil water advisory for a community on Manitoulin Island has been lifted. Residents in Manitowaning were ordered to boil their water starting Thursday after the local water treatment plant was hit by lightning. The strike caused a temporary loss of pressure in the system,

WHITE ROCK, B.C. - Residents of White Rock, B.C., are being urged to boil their drinking water after E. coli bacteria were discovered in the water treatment system. The Fraser Health Authority issued the notice after the contamination was detected at a residential sampling point. The health

LAKE ROSALIND, Ont. - There were more water troubles Saturday for the municipality that includes Walkerton, Ont., where a tainted water tragedy was blamed for seven deaths in 2000. Public Health officials warned residents of the municipality of Brockton on Friday not to use water from two lakes

BRAMPTON, Ont. - Officials are confirming a new superbug first found in India and Pakistan has turned up at an Ontario hospital. The province's health ministry says antibiotic-resistant NDM-1 bacteria was confirmed at a Brampton hospital this week. Spokeswoman Joanne Woodward-Fraser says the

Casual smokers may think a few puffs a week are nothing to worry about, but new research in the U.S. claims having even an infrequent cigarette, or being exposed to second-hand smoke, could be doing more harm than people believe. The study, published in the American Journal of Respiratory and

SASKATOON - A 25-year-old man spent nearly five hours Friday trapped in a hole on a Saskatoon roadway before rescue workers pulled him to safety. "Most of his conversation was, "Just get me out," and that's quite understandable," said Dan Paulsen, assistant fire chief. The man was walking on a

EDMONTON - Edmonton Marathon organizer John Stanton knows there's something in the air, and he doesn't like it. Stanton has been keeping an eye on the acrid grey smoke from B.C. forest fires that is blanketing Alberta and has drifted into Saskatchewan, Manitoba and was creeping into northwestern

WINNIPEG - A little dab’ll do ya: E. coli and algae cropped up at some Manitoba beaches, but the water’s still safe to swim in. Although E. coli counts stood higher than recommended in water tests at Victoria Beach on Monday, by Wednesday the bacteria had fallen back to safe

ST. THOMAS, Ont. - A boil water advisory has been issued for residents in parts of southern Ontario. Officials with Elgin St. Thomas Public Health put out the advisory after a routine water test came back positive for E.coli bacteria. The advisory was issued for St. Thomas along with portions

LONDON - For Africans wondering whether the malaria drugs they've bought are real, there may soon be a quick way of finding out: sending a text message. Across the continent, more than 30 per cent of malaria medicines are estimated to be fake, and many look identical to the real thing. A new

What causes Alzheimer's disease? No one knows the answer. But an article published in the Journal, Dementia and Geriatric Cognitive Disorders, claims there's an important link between heart disease and Alzheimer's. The link is atherosclerosis (hardening of arteries). What amazes me is that since

A new antidepressant being tested in Canada appears to do what no other drug can -- increase connections between brain cells within hours to swiftly improve symptoms. The finding by Yale University researchers may explain how one dose of ketamine can reduce symptoms of depression within 40

TORONTO - Joe Doerksen isn't sure what all the fuss is about. As far as the mixed martial arts fighter is concerned, his sport is no more dangerous than most other high-contact contests and might even be safer than many recreational pursuits. "Ridiculous" is how the 11-year veteran of

Canadian health officials are warning consumers not to eat Goya brand Fruta Mamey Pulp, which has been recalled in the United States for carrying traces of Salmonella. Goya brand Fruta Mamey Pulp comes from Guatemala, and has been distributed in Quebec. The Canadian Food Inspection Agency says

NEW YORK, N.Y. - There's a lot less smoking in the movies these days, a new report shows. Tobacco use on the silver screen peaked in 2005 and has been on the decline since, according to research that looked at the most popular films from 1991 to 2009. Last year more than half of the 145 top