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Verla Fortier, retired nursing professor (McMaster University) and former Director of Patient Care (University Health Network, Toronto) manages her Lupus Erythematosus using peer reviewed green space science shared in her podcast Your Outside Mindset (ranked in the top 5% most popular podcasts globally) and her three best-selling books.

Latest Posts By Verla Fortier

3 years ago

Do You Know What an Outside Mindset Is?

In an article for Sixty and Me I talked about how naturally occurring patterns in nature, also called fractals, are perfect for relieving stress. And that is important for you to know because your health care provider usually does not have enough time…

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3 years ago

If Green Space Acts Like Medication, What Is the Dosage?

Your body’s balance is kind of like a kid’s playground see-saw or teeter-totter moving up and down between two sides of the nervous system with ease. One side of the nervous system is speedy and the other is slower. This body balance…

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3 years ago

Heart Rate Variability: Could This Be Your Secret Signal to Keep You in Better Health?

You might have heard about HRV, but you may not be sure what it is. So before I tell you how much tracking my HRV helps me with my lupus, let me cover what heart rate variability (HRV) is. In my previous Sixty and Me article…

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4 years ago

Why Your Resting Heart Rate Should Be Your Best Friend

There is so much your resting heart rate can tell you – it can predict illness, help you manage your stress, and even save your life. Our bodies are complex systems. It is impossible to know what is going on below the surface, below our level of awareness…

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7 years ago

Keep an Outside Mindset When You Travel After 60

Are you in your mid-60s? Do you have a few chronic diseases?

This combination changes the travel equation.

Why not look at how you like to spend your days at home and apply this to travel? At my home, in small town Manitoba, Canada, I let the days unfold. I don’t make big plans. I walk or cross-country ski close to home every day. I do this because I like it, but also because the research says this is good for me.

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7 years ago

A Million Reasons to See the Trees with New Eyes While in Naples, Florida

If you are spending time (with or without chronic disease) in Naples, Florida you may be unaware of why you feel so darn good most of the time. You may think it is the good company, the warm temperature, the beach, the tennis, or the golf. And this may be. Read More

7 years ago

Living with Chronic Illness? A New Christmas Tree Mindset Approach Helps to Age Well Regardless

Have your Christmas tree traditions changed over the years? Many of my friends have opted for artificial trees for ease and cost. This, at first, does make sense since they use the artificial trees year after year. Read More