Sleep, mental health, exercise and diet can all play an essential role in not only the length of our lives, but the quality of them.
Taking preventative health care steps can be challenging for most Canadians as time and resources are predominantly allocated toward treating illness, as opposed to preventing it. Socioeconomic determinants like housing and income also play a pivotal role in population health, but are largely outside of an individual’s control. Alternatively, focusing on what we can control as individuals has proven health benefits.
Join The Globe and Mail for an event on building habits that lend to a longer, healthier life. Whether you’re looking to enhance your fitness, improve your diet, prioritize sleep, or support your mental health, this event will provide context and helpful strategies with longevity in mind.
Diet quality is a leading predictor of chronic disease risk and premature death worldwide. During this presentation, Leslie will discuss key components of high-quality dietary patterns for healthy aging. The importance of an anti-inflammatory diet pattern, as well as protein intake, for preserving muscle mass, muscle strength and physical performance will also be reviewed.
This presentation will provide a comprehensive overview of sleep, covering recent scientific discoveries about its functions and its vital role in overall health. It will explore how different life stages and lifestyle choices impact sleep, from infancy to old age, and examine the unique challenges each stage faces. Learn practical strategies for improving sleep quality, including actionable tips to overcome common sleep difficulties. Gain a deeper understanding of sleep’s importance and how to optimize it for better well-being.
Manulife Canada has been helping customers protect what’s most important to them for more than 135 years. As a leading financial services provider with a clear and compelling mission – Decisions made easier. Lives made better. We offer a diverse suite of financial and health-protection solutions to individuals, families, and business owners.
Karen oversees individual insurance underwriting and claims risk management at Manulife Canada. In her almost 20 years at the company, she’s implemented industry-leading underwriting developments such as an artificial intelligence underwriting model (AIDA), reduced evidence requirements and insuring people who are HIV positive. Cutler has also served on many industry committees, including Chair of the CLHIA Committee on Underwriting Issues, and is a member of the CD Howe Institute’s Health Policy Council.
Laura C. Rosella is a Full Professor at the Dalla Lana School of Public Health at the University of Toronto, where she holds the Canada Research Chair in Population Health Analytics and established the Population Health Analytics Laboratory, the first of its kind in Canada. The lab is focused on using population data and a range of analytic methods to study longevity, health and wellbeing in populations. She has authored over 310 peer-reviewed publications in epidemiology, population health and health services research. Notably, Rosella was awarded the Brian MacMahon Early Career Epidemiology Award by the Society for Epidemiologic Research and was named one of Canada’s Top 40 Under 40. She was recently inducted into the Royal Society of Canada’s (RSC) College of New Scholars and is the current Editor-in-Chief of the Canadian Journal of Public Health.
Martin Gibala is a Professor of Kinesiology and the Faculty of Science Research Chair in Integrative Exercise Physiology at McMaster University in Hamilton. He is broadly interested in the physiology of exercise including applications to enhance health and performance. Martin is widely known for his research on high-intensity interval training. He is the author of a bestselling book on the topic of time-efficient exercise, The One-Minute Workout: Science Shows a Way to Get Fit That’s Smarter, Faster, Shorter.
Leslie Beck is a registered dietitian and the Clinical Director of Food and Nutrition at Medcan, where she also works one-on-one with clients to help them achieve their diet-related health goals. Leslie writes a weekly column in The Globe and Mail and is a best-selling author of 12 books on health and nutrition.
Born and raised in Vancouver, BC, Leslie obtained her Bachelor of Science (Dietetics) from the University of British Columbia and completed the dietetic internship program at St. Michael’s Hospital in Toronto. She is a member of the College of Dietitians of Ontario and Dietitians of Canada. She also serves as Chair of the Board of Directors of Dietitians of Canada.
As The Globe and Mail’s generations reporter, Ann Hui writes on how Canadians of different generations appear to be experiencing the world differently. She's particularly interested in the challenges Canada faces from its rapidly aging population, on the effects of Millennials outnumbering other demographic groups in the workplace, and the mental health of younger cohorts.
Previously, she covered food, Toronto city politics and national news at The Globe and Mail. As the Globe’s food reporter, she and colleague Ivy Knight were behind a 2018 investigation that revealed a wide pattern of sexual harassment and misconduct at one of the country’s most renowned wineries.
Her reporting on the economic (and animal welfare) realities of cage-free egg production was nominated for a 2016 National Newspaper Award. And, from 2013-2015, she was part of the Globe and Mail's Toronto City Hall Bureau, where she covered the turmoil of Rob Ford's mayoralty.
In 2019, Ann expanded a Globe feature on the lives of small-town Chinese restaurant owners into the bestselling book Chop Suey Nation: The Legion Cafe and Other Stories from Canada's Chinese Restaurants, published by Douglas & McIntyre. Chop Suey Nation was named one of the best books of 2019 by the Globe, The Walrus, and the CBC, and won the 2020 Edna Staebler Award for Creative Non-Fiction from Wilfrid Laurier University.
Dr. Steve Pomedli is a Primary Care Physician and a member of Cleveland Clinic Canada’s Medical Director Program. Dr. Pomedli obtained his Masters of Science in International Health Policy from the London School of Economics, before going on to complete his Doctor of Medicine at Harvard University. He then completed a Residency in Family Medicine at St. Michael’s Hospital in Toronto, followed by a Global Health Fellowship Program at the University of Toronto, comparing best practices in primary care models in Canada, the United States, and Brazil. In addition to his clinical work, Dr. Pomedli provides consultative services to local and provincial health systems, and advises health technology companies.
He has been with Cleveland Clinic's Medical Director Program since 2020, and is the Medical Director for Manulife Group Benefits.
One of the greatest challenges society faces is that we, as a species, have evolved for how things were — not how they are. In his captivating presentations, evolutionary anthropologist David R. Samson skillfully demonstrates how to tap into human nature and bridge the gap between past and present to enhance team unity, optimize wellness and performance, and promote embodied leadership. His transformative insights enable organizations to adapt and excel in a constantly evolving corporate landscape.
A common misconception is that for our species to flourish, we need to suppress our ancient, evolved instincts. As an associate professor of evolutionary anthropology at the University of Toronto, Samson’s work proves this couldn’t be further from the truth. He draws on cutting-edge, interdisciplinary research, rooted in evolutionary biology, psychology, and neuroscience, to show audiences that understanding our past is the key to boosting group cohesion, enhancing our social health, improving sleep, and optimizing our physical performance.
Samson earned his PhD in biological anthropology at Indiana University and completed a post-doctoral fellowship at Duke University. His research focused on understanding human uniqueness and what has made our species the most successful on the planet. He has studied and worked with human and non-human primates (and even wolves and dogs) worldwide to explore the behavioural, physiological, and cognitive traits crucial to our success.
Samson shares his pioneering work in his award-winning book, Our Tribal Future, which won the Writers’ Trust of Canada 2023 Balsillie Prize for Public Policy. Renowned for his energetic and interdisciplinary approach, his work has also been featured by several prominent media outlets including the BBC, TIME, The New York Times, New Scientist, National Geographic, and The Atlantic.
