Health Around the World with Leilani Spring

Traveling around Ireland has been quite an ear-opening experience.  Starting off in Northern Ireland, a part of the United Kingdom (reminds me a lot of the Kingdom of Hawai'i as "part of the US" #iykyk) and spending the remaining part of my trip in the city of Dublin, I have found a commonality across the country of Ireland: a pattern of speaking freely about.... well, everything.  It felt strange and foreign to me (pun intended) given the political climate and massive division in the United States, genocide and war across the globe, and being stifled to speak given the fear of being rejected or worse.  Ir eland, however, seems to be very free-flowing with their various thoughts and opinions and they don’t mind talking about it. The major difference that drove me to dive deeper into this from a health perspective was the radical acceptance of people's thoughts (or opinions) whether in agreement or not.  It was surprisingly refreshing to be in a climate to share opini...

Travel Views Out of The Window | PC: Leilani Fischbeck Four Important Health Hacks for Traveling  All seasoned travelers have their own hacks to avoid getting sick when traveling. Whether you are a regular traveler or just preparing to venture out for the first time, here are some #healthhacks that are bound to make navigating your travels easier (and cleaner).   1. Ask them to change the air filter in hotels.   Did you know that most hotels should change their air filters more often? Every hotel varies, and it is becoming more of an outstanding issue after the #Covid outbreak. If you start to feel your allergies kick up during your stay, or experience any sort of sinus symptoms, this could be because the air filter had not been changed for a while. On top of that, the traffic in hotels is exponentially higher which means the air filter gets more use than those in your home. This creates more dust, bacteria, and particles in your breathing space so there is even more of a...

Let's talk about a subject that is guaranteed to demand attention regardless of the country you are in... sex. Entry Path | PC: Leilani Fischbeck It is difficult to walk by the colorful mural with the word "sex" painted on the sidewalk, leading up to a shop with a sign saying,  "Come As You Are" and not wonder what you might be missing. Other than great marketing, this shop tucked away on the street of Augusta St. in Kensington Market seems to offer something more. At first glance, there appears to be an overt message that expresses inclusivity and open dialogue involving this 'seriously taboo' subject of sex. The only thing to do was to check it out. Upon further investigation, this shop appears as more than tinted windows with a black curtain hanging across shelves to hide pornographic videos and sexually explicit magazines. Instead, it is a brightly lit store filled with people, displaying pleasure-purchasable items and a framed list on the wall of n...

  Author's Sidenote:  While preparing to head over to Canada to cross Niagra Falls off of my bucket list, I thought, “How does the field of recreation therapy work in other countries?” It has always been a challenge to explain my profession as a Recreation Therapist (RT), whether I am traveling or settled down in the homeland (Southern California). As many RTs will tell you, half the battle of our career is explaining what we do, why it is beneficial (to literally anyone),  and letting people know we go further than simply “playing bingo” or "having fun". I began to wonder how Recreation Therapy is practiced in other countries, particularly with our neighbors to the North. So let’s start from the ground up: here is a general idea of what the practice of Recreation Therapy looks like and how Canada and the United States view and utilize the growing practice of Recreational Therapy. _______________________________________

Opinions "Airport Food: Just because you can get away with it, doesn’t mean you should do it."   Disappointment lingered in the air at the Delta terminal at Los Angeles Airport.  I was waiting for my flight, after sitting in three hours of stopped traffic to get to the infamous LAX airport, followed by an hour of waiting in security lines and then coming into contact with whatever fungal diseases are on that mat you are forced to walk on without any shoes, right before stepping into the radiation tubular space machine that no one really understands how it works. After all of that, this hypoglycemic needed sustenance. Clearly, not in the best mood. A Sad and Expensive Selection  @ Homeboy Cafe | LAX Airport Unfortunately, there were only three options anywhere near my terminal.   I went back and forth per restaurant to find something customizable and reasonable in price. I settled here at the  Homeboy Cafe and Bakery . I stood in a long line of people, disappoint...