1.  Before you start, map out your route.  There’s nothing that will waste gas faster than getting lost and having to double back and cover ground you’ve already gone over.  Know where you want to go and map out exactly how to get there before you head out on the road.

2.  Make sure your vehicle is properly maintained.  This means a couple of things including:

• Air pressure.  Low tires increase road friction and that means it takes more energy.  Bottom line is that your engine works harder and you burn more gas.
• Air filter.  It’s estimated that a clean air filter can increase your gas mileage by as much as 10%.  That’s no small savings.
• Tire alignment.  Improperly aligned tires are another thing that increases road friction, as well as your gas bill.
• Tuned engine.  Although modern vehicles can go a long time between scheduled tune ups, it’s important that you keep your vehicle tuned up and properly maintained.  Fouled spark plugs or clogged fuel injectors can really cost you at the gas pump.
• Gas cap.  Check to make sure that the cap on your gas tank fits properly and locks the way it was originally designed.  A gas cap that doesn’t fit properly can release fumes into the environment as well as create a partial vacuum in your gas tank preventing the free flow of fuel to your engine.
• Oxygen sensor(s).  Most modern vehicles have a number of oxygen sensors that directly affect engine performance.  Make sure yours are checked periodically and in good working order.  Replacing a faulty oxygen sensor can have a huge (as much as 40%) impact on your gas mileage.

• Know where the bargains are.  We all know that most gas stations located right off of busy streets and highways usually have the highest prices, sometimes significantly so.  Try to plan your fill ups so that you can take advantage of cheaper prices at supermarkets or Walmart.  Obviously, this means not waiting until your gas gauge is reading completely empty before you start looking for a place to fill up.  If you’ve got an iPhone or Android phone, yes there’s an app that helps you find the cheapest gas prices.
• Don’t buy Premium Grade gas.  Most cars are designed to run on Regular Grade gas (check your owner’s manual) so filling up with a higher grade of gasoline is simply wasted money.  You won’t get any better gas mileage.  True, the higher grades might give your car a little more “pep” but this may encourage you to drive a little faster — which reduces your mpg’s.  Again, a waste of money.
• Don’t fall for the “magic” gas-saving gadgets.  After testing a number of gadgets that were supposed to improve fuel efficiency, both the Consumer Reports and the US EPA failed to find any that made any significant difference.  Bottom line:  they don’t work so don’t waste your money.

4.  Be a smart driver.  As most drivers get more experienced, their driving habits sometimes get worse.  We begin to tailgate, make quick stops and starts, and are more likely to zip around “slow” vehicles because we have increasing confidence in our driving skills.  Some of these habits actually cost you in terms of gas mileage.  To be a smart driver and increase your fuel savings, try these tips:

• Slow down.  How fast you drive has a direct impact on your mileage.  Yes, I know you have to maintain the flow of traffic to keep from getting run over but you don’t exactly have to lead the pack either.
• Use your cruise control.  On the Interstate, one of the best ways to increase your mpg is to use your cruise control to maintain a constant speed.  It aggravates me to see the same car 3 or 4 times in the lane next to mine because they pass me, then slow down, then pass me, then slow down.  The cruise control is a standard option in most cars.  Use it when road conditions allow.
• Don’t make quick stops and starts.  Avoid making quick, hard stops and then “flooring it” in order to catch back up with traffic.  Best way to do that is to stop tailgating.  In neighborhoods where there’s no stop-and-go traffic, come to a stop smoothly when required, then smoothly accelerate back up to posted speeds.  By driving “smoothly,” you’ll find that your stress level also begins to “smooth” out.

5.  Reduce drag.  You’ve seen the commercials where they put the car into a wind tunnel to check for drag.  Aerodynamics are an important way for car designers to increase gas mileage without any other changes to the car.  Make sure you don’t negate the benefits of all that technology by mounting luggage on a roof rack, driving at highway speeds with your windows down, or doing anything else that can increase the amount of drag on your vehicle.  If you’ve got a pickup truck, driving with the tailgate down actually increases drag as well.  In all these cases, increased drag means lower gas mileage.

6.  Chunk the clunker.  If you own a vehicle that’s older than 10 years or so, you need to really consider getting yourself a new vehicle.  Newer vehicles tend to have more efficient engines and less drag increasing your fuel savings.  In addition, they emit fewer waste products into the environment.  And I didn’t even mention all the nifty electronic gadgets they come with….

A typical 8-cylinder vehicle tends to have an 18-25 gallon gas tank.  At an average cost of $3.40 per gallon (based on Houston prices on 8/26/11), that’s around $61 to $85 per fill-up.  Since most people tend to fill up every week or so, that’s around $244 to $340 per month.  And that’s for ONE car!  Most families have at least 2 cars with many families having 3 or 4.  Finding ways to cut your fuel costs by around 10% or so can add up to some serious money.  Following these tips can easily get you there.

Certified Fitness Nutrition Coach andPersonal Fitness Trainer (NESTA)

P.S.  Be sure to get my latest Fitness Blueprint called “Little Things That Improve Your Health.”  This ebook is packed with loads of helpful information on how to build a better body and you can get it FREE – no email, no cookies, no catch.  Download and enjoy!

Technorati Tags: mileage, savings, gas, gasoline, mpg, prices, environment

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When I first moved to Houston in the mid-70′s, I took a job with a chemical company working shift work.  I worked 12 hour shifts, 4 days on and 4 days off.  Now you might think that having 4 days off sounds like a neat thing but it wasn’t.

First of all, when you’re working, that’s ALL you do.  I can remember getting home and hardly having the strength to shower, eat, and then go to bed so I’d get enough sleep to get up early and do it all over again.  When you’re working, there’s no “after work” time (or energy) to get together with  friends, help your kids with homework, do yard-work, attend PTA meetings, or any of the other routine things that tend to come up during the week.

Secondly, shift work takes a serious toll on your mind.  During the “graveyard” shift, time seems to stand absolutely still between the hours of 2 am and 4 am.  I’d stare at the clock, work for what seemed 10 or 15 minutes, and then look at the clock again and I swear it hadn’t moved at all.

Lastly, your “4 days off” are not really 4 days off.  You spend at least1, sometimes 2, days just trying to recuperate and catch up on your rest.  Working shift work is really tough and according to a recent report, the downside of shift work just got a whole lot longer.

In June, a report coauthored by the American Cancer Society, the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, the National Cancer Institute, and the National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) contained a list of 20 items identified as possible causes of cancer in humans.  19 of these items were chemicals or chemical compounds (including welding fumes and diesel exhaust).  ”What was the last item,” you ask?  Shift work.

So how does something like shift work cause cancer?  According to the report (click here for links to the report), shift work disrupts your circadian sleeping patterns.  OK, I knew that.  By definition, when you’re working shift work, especially the evening and/or late shift, you work during the night and try to sleep during the day.  But what’s the tie to cancer?

The key appears to be in the amount of the hormone Melatonin that your body produces.  Melatonin is produced by a gland located in the brain.  This hormone helps regulate sleep and is included in many sleep aids.  It’s Melatonin that makes you drowsy so that your body can sleep and synchronize itself with its natural circadian rhythm.  Melatonin is basically the synchronizer of our body’s internal clock.

Now, here’s the tie to shift work.  Melatonin production is affected by light with that production being lowest during the day and highest at night.  Working at night in a brightly lit office, factory, or warehouse inhibits the production of Melatonin.  Trying to sleep during the day after working (or studying) all night usually results in low Melatonin production (because of the sunlight in your bedroom) making your sleep light, fit-full, and non-restful.  The end result is that the immune system is weakened because your body is not getting enough sleep nor is it getting enough restful sleep.

But there’s more.  Melatonin is also a powerful antioxidant.  Reducing the amount of Melatonin produced by your body through shift work weakens your immune system even further making it easier for cancerous cells to take hold.

So the tie to cancer seems to be that shift work:

• Causes disrupted sleep patterns resulting in non-restful sleep which weakens the immune system
• Shift work lowers the natural production of Melatonin, a powerful antioxidant, weakening the immune system even further

A weakened immune system is not only more susceptible to cancer-producing agents, it can’t fight off the formation of cancerous cells that take root.

So what can you do if your job requires that you work shift work?  Here are a couple of tips that I found while researching this topic:

1. First and foremost, keep yourself in good health (and your immune system strong) by eating right and exercising regularly.  Nothing else you do will benefit you as much as this one suggestion.
2. Consider taking Melatonin supplements after you’ve worked a graveyard shift and before you go to bed.  IMPORTANT:  everything I’ve read suggests that LOW dosages (2-5 mg) are the most effective as well as the most safe.  High dosages (greater than 5 mg) may be counterproductive and may have adverse effects including vivid dreams and lingering drowsiness.  Note also that Melatonin is normally recommended for short term use only.  See your doctor if you have doubts or questions about use or dosage.
3. If you work late and must sleep during the day (or through the morning), keep your bedroom as dark as possible.  That means rigging up some sort of “black out” curtain to block out as much sunlight as possible.
4. Melatonin also helps to regulate body temperature so make sure the temperature in your bedroom is comfortable and slightly on the cool side.
5. Try to keep your surroundings quiet.  If you’ve got small kids like I did when I worked shift work, then good luck with this one.  I still have fond memories of trying to sleep during the day with my kids making all kinds of noise as they played.  My wife would yell at them to keep quiet because Daddy was sleeping.  Ironically, it was my wife yelling that usually work me up.  OK, so the memory is not so “fond” after all.  One trick to try is to get yourself some kind of noise generator to play in the background to mask out most of the surrounding noise.  There are “noise generator” or “background sound” apps for the iPhone and you can find CD’s and audio tapes that do the same thing.  I’ve even seen alarm clocks with these features built in.  Put one of those on before you go to bed and you’ll fall asleep to the soothing sound of ocean waves or rain falling in a primal forest.  You’ll hardly hear the kids at all.

More and more research emphasizes the need for a good night’s sleep.  It’s during this period of rest that our body strengthens, restores, and repairs itself.  Key to this rest and restoration period is the production of Melatonin – and the key to that is darkness.

So, start rigging up those blackout curtains in the bedroom!

Related posts:

1. Does PureSleep Really Work?
2. Preventing Cancer

Contented cows?  Butterflies gliding slowly over green fields of clover?  Close, but not exactly.

In order to be classified as “organic” by the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) and be able to display the organic logo, a farm or food processing facility must be certified by a USDA-accredited certifying agency.  The name and address of the certifying agent must be displayed on the information panel.

Under the requirements of the USDA’s National Organic Program, the certifying agencies verify that:

For plant-based foods, they must have been grown:

• Without the aid of genetic engineering,
• Without the use of ionizing radiation,
• Without the use of sewage sludge as a fertilizer,
• Without pesticides not allowed for organic agriculture (note that this implies that some pesticides ARE allowed for organic agriculture).

For meats, it must have been raised:

• Without the use of antibiotics,
• Without the use of growth hormones,
• By being fed an organic diet (note that “organic diet” is still a pretty broad term).

For food products that contain multiple ingredients, the USDA has 4 distinct categories:

1. “100% Organic.” In order to be labeled “100% Organic,” all of the ingredients in the food (excluding water and salt) and all of the processing aids used to process the food must be organic.  If these conditions are met, the USDA “Organic” logo can be displayed on the package.
2. “Organic.” A food labeled “Organic” means that the product contains between 95 to 99% organic ingredients.  The ingredients that are not organic must have been approved by the USDA’s National Organic Program.  If these conditions are met, the product can display the USDA “Organic” logo on the package.
3. “Made with Organic Ingredients.“  Foods “Made with Organic Ingredients” must contain between 70 to 94% organic ingredients.  Up to 3 of these organic ingredients can be listed on the front of the package.  However, the package cannot display the USDA’s “Organic” logo.
4. All others. Food products with less than 70% organic ingredients can only list the organic ingredients on the information panel of the package.  They cannot use the USDA’s Organic logo and no other “organic” claims can be made.

Note that the USDA does not regulate or restrict the use of other food labeling claims such as:

• “Free Range”
• “No Drugs or Growth Hormones Used”
• “Hormone-Free”
• “Sustainably Harvested”
• “Pesticide-Free”

These are marketing or advertising claims and would fall under the “Truth in Advertising Act” administered by the Federal Trade Commission (FTC).

Although a civil penalty of up to $11,000 can be levied on any person who knowingly sells or labels as “organic” any product that does not comply with National Organic Program requirements, the chances of getting caught, especially for small operators, are pretty slim.  The USDA’s National Organic Program is a good step-in-the-right-direction and the majority of the large, brand-name food manufacturers and processors who have national reputations to uphold comply with the program pretty closely.  However, for the rest of the food industry, you still need a healthy dose of  “Buyer Beware.”

The best way to know you’re purchasing real organic products is to get to know your supplier.  If you purchase from local farmers or co-ops, don’t hesitate to ask the hard questions or to even request a visit to the farm(s).  Don’t take their claims at face value.  Ask to see proof.  Reputable dealers will be very up-front and open about their operations.  It’s the people that won’t look you in the eye, won’t fully answer your questions and act shady that probably have something to hide.

Although there’s still plenty of controversy about whether or not organically produced food is any better for you nutritionally than commercially prepared food, for many people, the choice is to go with organic whenever they can.  Hopefully this article will help make sure that you’re getting what you’re paying for.

Certified Fitness Nutrition Coach and
Personal Fitness Trainer (NESTA)

P.S.  Be sure to get my latest Fitness Blueprint called “Little Things That Improve Your Health.”  This ebook is packed with loads of helpful information on how to build a better body and you can get it FREE – for a limited time.  Just click on the title to be taken to the download page.  Enjoy!

Technorati Tags: nutrition, organic, diet, food, growth hormone, pesticide, USDA, National Organic Program, NOP

Related posts:

1. When to Go Organic
2. Review of the USDA “Food Atlas”

This case brings up an issue that many of us don’t think about – “take-home” toxins.  The fact is that many people work in a job where they can potentially bring work-place hazards home with them.  This creates the possibility of inadvertently exposing family and friends to potential health hazards.

In the article, the Australian woman would try to shake out as much dust from her husband’s overalls as she could before washing them.  What she didn’t know was that the dust she was shaking out contained large quantities of asbestos fibers.  After years of breathing this “dust” every time she washed her husband’s clothes lead to her developing mesothelioma, another name for cancer of the lining of the lung.

A 2000 USA Today article titled “Poisoning the Nest” described the problem this way:

A USA TODAY computer database investigation found that employees in more than 35 states have unwittingly transported toxins away from work sites — potentially exposing legions of family members to contaminants such as mercury, radioactive material, beryllium, lead, asbestos, PCBs, pesticides and arsenic. Toxins have been carried in workers’ cars and on shoes, socks, clothes, hair, tools, folders and briefcases. Although family members may never develop medical problems or come into contact with the contaminants, others have died or now cope with lifelong health problems and fatal illnesses. Children often are in the most danger because of their developing organs and higher metabolic rates, health experts say.

Although this article is a little dated, it still contains a lot of useful information.  You can read it by clicking here.

Taking a look at the National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), the government agency that’s SUPPOSED to be tracking these kinds of cases, leaves much to be desired.  Their web page on “Take Home Toxins” only has 3 publications – and one of those is basically a report to Congress asking for money to fund research in this topic.  However, you will find some good tips in their pamphlet “Protect Your Family – Reduce Contamination at Home.”

Who’s Most at Risk

What all these articles and government pamphlets make clear is that it’s our loved ones that are most at risk from “take-home toxins,” primarily young children and the elderly.  The immune system of both of these groups are not as hardy or as efficient as a healthy adult, the former because it’s still being developed and the former because of the effects of age.

Although our immediate family members are most at risk, there have also been cases of exposure to friends and neighbors as well.

Examples of Take-Home Toxins

According to NIOSH, some examples of toxins that have been inadvertently taken home by workers include:

Contaminants that caused health effects have among workers’ families include:

• beryllium
  Nearly 40 reported cases of chronic beryllium disease were identified among workers’ families.
• asbestos
  Asbestos reaching workers’ homes has occurred worldwide, resulting in all forms of asbestos disease among workers’ family members, including over 100 identified deaths from mesothelioma in the United States. Although asbestos is now used less and regulated more, there is still the chance for exposure among workers’ families, especially among construction workers.
• lead
  Nearly 80 reported cases of workers’ family exposure to lead contamination were identified. More than half of the reports on workers’ children have occurred since 1990.
• mercury
  In six reported cases, workers’ homes were contaminated with mercury. The occupations of the workers involved included working at a chlor-alkali plant, the manufacturing of thermometers, and extracting gold at home.
• arsenic
  Arsenic in mine and smelter dust brought home on a worker’s clothing was considered a source of a child’s poisoning.
• cadmium
  Cadmium in the homes of lead-smelter workers resulted in increased levels in the workers’ children.
• pesticides
  Pesticide poisoning resulted in fatal and nonfatal cases in workers’ household members. Most reports occurred before 1980, but three more recent cases exist.
• caustic farm products
  More than 40 farm children have been poisoned by caustic farm products.
• chlorinated hydrocarbons
  Family members have been exposed when workers brought these substances home on their clothing.
• estrogenic substances
  Boys and girls have been affected by hormone-like chemicals brought home on the clothing of farmers and drug-company workers.
• asthmagens and allergens
  Family members have had allergic reactions to allergens from animals, mushroom farming, grain dust, and other materials.
• fibrous glass
  Family members have developed irritated skin after their clothing was washed with an insulation worker’s work clothes.
• cyclothriethylenetriamine (RDX)
  One child had epileptic seizures from this chemical brought home on a parent’s work clothes.
• infectious agents
  Family members have caught diseases such as scabies and Q fever from the clothing and skin of workers from hospitals, laboratories, and agricultural facilities.

Although these include the most toxic, don’t forget the “extra strength” cleaners and solvents that many people bring home.  Many of these “industrial strength” products include ingredients that can be very irritating, if not actually toxic, to children and other family members.  Also keep in mind that most “industrial strength” cleaners, for example, typically require the use of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) such as gloves and maybe even face shields whereas products designed for home use typically do not.  That in itself should give you some indication of how harsh the ingredients can be.

How to Protect Your Family from Take-Home Toxins

Although this list is not complete by any stretch of the imagination, here are a couple of tips that immediately come to my mind.  Of course, you also need to review the articles and pamphlets referenced above.

1. “Decontaminate” before leaving work. If you work in a job that’s dusty or dirty, make sure you wash-up and possibly shower before coming home.
2. “Contain” any potential toxins in your Work-clothes. Any potential toxins in dirty or dusty work-clothes should be contained by placing the work-clothes in a plastic bag or in a bin with a tight-fitting lid.  Many employers require workers to change clothes before going home and provide containment bins for dirty clothes.  If yours does not, use a heavy-weight plastic bag to prevent any dust from contaminating your car — and your home — and wipe down the outside of the bag with a wet cloth to remove any dust and/or toxins that might be clinging to the plastic.
3. Keep work-clothes isolated. Wash your work-clothes separately and make sure that the washer tub is clean and thoroughly rinsed out before starting another load in order to prevent any cross-contamination to other clothes.
4. Reduce dust generation when washing. When handling and washing work clothes, reduce the generation of dust as much as possible.   Most take-home toxins enter the body through inhalation so do NOT shake out the clothes.  Get them wet as soon as possible in order to prevent any dust – as well as any potential toxins – from becoming airborne.  If you bring your work-clothes in a plastic bag, you might consider hosing down the bag in the front yard as you open it and then proceeding to hose down the clothes themselves.  Again, your intent is to reduce bringing in any dust, fibers, and potential toxins into your home.
5. Wash your hands after handling dirty work-clothes. This one should be obvious.
6. Don’t bring work solvents or cleaners home. Leave the “industrial strength” chemical in the work place.  There’s just too much risk of your kids being exposed to harsh and/or possibly toxic chemicals in industrial solvents and/or cleaners.

Like most potential hazards, awareness is the best form of prevention.  Knowing what can happen and being proactive to make sure it doesn’t is your best defense against “take-home toxins.”

Hiram

Technorati Tags: asbestos, fibers, toxins, industrial, chemical, hazards, NIOSH, safety, washing, work-clothes, contamination, exposure

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One of the medical teams that was mentioned in the news segment I was watching was a team from Israel.  What made them unique was their use of technology to totally document, diagnose, treat, and follow up with the people they were treating.

When a person first entered their medical “complex ” (actually, a series of tents), they were photographed with a digital camera.  All vital signs were entered into a computer.  All X-rays, lab tests, and the results of other diagnostic tests were digitized and included in the patients electronic file.

If the medical team needed to consult with outside specialists located back in Israel, they could easily transmit the electronic records and allow the specialists – thousands of miles away – to examine the same X-rays and test results, basically in real-time.  The reporter went on to say that this was “the new model” for emergency medical response.

My first thought was a sarcastic, “No s*** Sherlock, using digital technology to improve health care.  What a concept!”  After all, it’s 2010 for God’s sake.  It’s not like computers or the Internet are some “new-fangled thang” that might not catch on.  It’s way past time the American Health Care industry got on board.

The US Has Fallen Behind

I occasionally tune into “talk radio” and listen to Rush or Hannity, since they seem to be the only ones on most of the time.   One of the comments that I consistently hear from them is that “the US has the best health care system in the world.”  Sorry but that’s not true.

The study quoted most often was one performed by the World Health Organization (WHO) in 2000.  It looked at the state of health care in 191 countries in a variety of ways including “financial fairness.”  The US comes in 37th with France and Italy taking the number 1 and 2 spots respectively.

Now, I’d be the first to agree with the large numbers (including Rush and Hannity) that point out that the WHO study is very, very flawed.  But even if the US ranking was to improve by 50% to say, 18, it’s STILL not even in the Top 10.

So OK.  Let’s throw out the WHO study.  I live in Houston, TX, which has one of the best medical centers, especially for cancer treatment, in the US.  There are hospitals here that used to have entire floors of “luxury suites” designed for treating visiting Heads of State as well as the occasional Saudi Prince.  These are the types of people that can travel anywhere in the world for medical treatment.  Know what?  Many hospitals have closed these rooms down or have converted them to other uses.  The super rich are not coming to Houston, or the US for that matter, any more.  They’re seeking medical treatment elsewhere in the world.

No matter how you slice it, no matter what study you believe or what study you toss out, the end result is pretty much the same:  the US has fallen behind in the quality of our health care.

The World’s Largest and Most Inefficient

In a 2005 article in “Health Affairs” magazine, the authors of an article titled, “Can Electronic Medical Record Systems Transform Health Care? Potential Health Benefits, Savings, And Costs” (Yeah, I know, medical articles never have short titles…) stated that:

The U.S. health care industry is arguably the world’s largest, most inefficient information enterprise. However, although health absorbs more than $1.7 trillion per year—twice the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) average—premature mortality in the United States is much higher than OECD averages.  Most medical records are still stored on paper, which means that they cannot be used to coordinate care, routinely measure quality, or reduce medical errors.  Also, consumers generally lack the information they need about costs or quality to make informed decisions about their care.

Did you catch the number?  $1.7 Trillion with a capital “T.”  That’s a number so huge, it doesn’t even register with most people.  One example from a CNN news story stated that, if you had started spending a million dollars every single day since Jesus was born, you still wouldn’t have spend a trillion dollars by the time 2010 had rolled around (see video below).

Behind the Technology Curve

The US is home to Silicon Valley and MIT and a host of other organizations and/or areas at the vanguard of technology research.  Computers and the Internet were “invented” here.  We should have the home field advantage in the use of technology to improve health care.  Yet only about 15-20% of doctors offices and only about 20-25% of hospitals have any type of electronic medical record systems in place.  Why is that?

If 90% of applicable facilities adopted electronic record keeping, it’s estimated that the potential efficiency savings for both inpatient and outpatient care could average more than $77 billion per year with most of the largest savings coming from reducing hospital lengths-of-stay, nurses’ administrative time, drug usage in hospitals, and drug and radiology usage in the outpatient setting.

This number does not even begin to estimate the savings in the number of lawsuits that would be prevented.

So Why Not?

So why hasn’t the medical industry implemented this the way other industries have?  I can log onto my banking account and see scanned in copies of every check I’ve ever written, including my water bill from 3 years ago.  Why can’t I do the same with my blood tests, prescriptions, and physical exams?

There are a lot of things wrong with the Health Care Bills that are currently making their ways through the House and Senate but electronic record keeping is one thing that should be taking place no matter how the other portions of the bill turn out.  To me, this is the only “no brainer” part that I can readily understand and easily see the impact of.

Hopefully, you do to.

Hiram

Technorati Tags: medical records, transcripts, electronic record keeping, hospital, doctor, patient, nurse, drugs, physician, technology, health care

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Think you’re already a savvy consumer?  Guess again.  One glance at the Handbook’s Table of Contents will reveal a number of areas where we all can pick up a tip or two.

For example, here’s a summary of what you’ll find inside this informative publication:

• Buyer Beware – tips and info on purchasing products and services; service contracts and extended warranties; product safety recalls; and how to identify shopping fraud.
• Banking – what to look out for when getting and using ATM and debit cards; the pros and cons of prepaid cards; savings and checking accounts tips and traps; and what to do about unsolicited checks and credit offers.
• Cars – the ins and outs of buying a new or a used car; leasing and renting; your rights under recalls and lemon laws; vehicle repossessions.
• Credit – what your rights are; credit cards and credit reports; billing disputes; FICO; credit scores; how to deal with and control your debt; personal bankruptcy.
• Loans – your rights under home equity and installment loans.
• Financing Your Education – how to pay for college and get financial aid without going broke.
• Employment – what to look out for in employment agencies, work-at-home companies, multi-level marketing, and net-based business opportunities.
• Food and Nutrition – what to know about healthy food choices, food safety, and safe weight loss.
• Health Care – how to choose a doctor and a healthcare facility; how to file a complaint; dealing with prescription drugs and Medicare drug coverage.
• Housing – buying a home; mortgages and reverse mortgages; avoiding foreclosure; choosing a lender; renting or leasing; dealing with landlords.
• Insurance – types of insurance including auto, disability, health, healthcare, homeowners/renters, life, and long-term care insurance.
• Internet – choosing service providers; online file sharing; online copyright issues; online auctions and sales; preventing online fraud and dealing with spam.
• Investing – all about online investing; financial advisors and brokers.
• Phones – what slamming and cramming is; cell phones vs. pay-as-you-go phones; understanding VoIP.
• Privacy Protection & Identity Theft – tips for preventing identity loss; how to report identity theft; protecting your financial, medical, and online privacy.
• Smart Home Shopping – your rights shopping from home; the 3-day cooling off rule; online auctions and sales.
• Telemarketing & Unwanted Mail – the National Do Not Call Registry; pre-recorded messages and telemarketing sales calls.
• Travel – how to resolve travel problems; passports and travel safety.
• TV – the ins and outs of cable, satellite, and Internet TV; understanding DTV.
• Utilities – electricity, natural gas, and water.
• Wills & Funerals – planning and writing a will; choosing an executor; funerals; veterans cemeteries.
• How to File a Complaint
• Key Information Resources
• Consumer Assistance Directory

See what I mean?  I challenge anyone to thumb through this resource and not come across something you didn’t know or hadn’t thought of.  And the best part is that it’s free for the asking (or downloading).

So what are you waiting for?  Head on over to the Consumer Action Website and download or order your copy today!

Hiram
The Balanced Health Guy
Certified Fitness Nutrition Coach and
Personal Fitness Trainer (NESTA)

Technorati Tags: consumer handbook, gsa, protection, rights, online, complaint, government

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Regardless of how you feel about Climate Change (the new politically correct term for Global Warming), whether you think it’s long overdue or just a bunch of liberal bunk, the fact remains that new regulations governing greenhouse gas emissions are on the way.

I just completed two separate seminars, one a webinar and the other a half day conference put on by a major university.  At both seminars, the overall consensus was the same:  it’s not a question of “if we’ll get greenhouse gas regulations,” it’s a question of “when.”  The speakers at both seminars predicted that we would have something passed by Congress and signed by the President before the end of next year (2010).

The recently passed Waxman-Markey House bill (aka the American Clean Energy & Security Act, or ACES) and the Senate version due to be debated later this year will impact every American in one way or another.

Here’s a short summary.

The ACES bill contains provisions to reduce the amount of greenhouse gas emissions by means of a “Cap-and-Trade” system.  A “Cap-and-Trade” program is a system whereby an item, in this case greenhouse gases are “capped” at a maximum total amount.  Greenhouse gases include Carbon Dioxide (CO2), Sulfur Hexafluoride (SF6), Methane (CH4), Nitrous Oxide (N2O), Hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs),  and Perfluorocarbons (PFCs) – all converted into “CO2 Equivalents,” which is where the term “Carbon Footprint” comes from.

Industries that emit these gases will be issued “allowances,” which are basically permits allowing them to emit a certain quantity of CO2 Equivalents. Only a set number of allowances (sum total equal to the “cap”) will be issued.

If a company actually emits less than what their allowance allows them to emit, they can sell, or “trade” the balance. If a company emits more than their allowance, they must purchase additional allowances from companies that have surpluses or risk regulatory actions.

Over time, in this case by 2026, the overall “Cap,” and therefore, the number of available allowances, is steadily reduced so that the total amount of greenhouse gas emissions decreases every year eventually forcing industry to either invest in more efficient equipment or continue to purchase allowances which will become more and more scarce (not to mention more expensive).

Another way a company can stay within their emission limits is to “offset” a portion of their emissions.  The simplest example is by planting trees or vegetation that will absorb an equivalent amount of CO2.  However, there are a lot of problems with this.  Vegetation can die off and trees can be harvested or struck by lightning reducing or eliminating the offset.  What happens then?  How do you control that?

There are obviously a lot of details that are yet to be nailed down and the Senate version may throw even more variables into the equation.  However, one thing is pretty clear: all of this basically increases operating costs for business and that usually translates into higher consumer prices.

Although this program will be phased in over time, eventually it will affect 85% of the US economy making it the largest regulatory program of its kind in the world.  Like I said, all of us will be affected, either as employees, as consumers, or as both.

Where can you go for more info?  The EPA’s Climate Change page is a good start.  It contains numerous links describing what greenhouse gases are, what the health and environmental effects are, and what you can do – including a “Personal Greenhouse Gas Emissions Calculator” – to help reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

This is going to be one heck of a ride!

Hiram
The Balanced Health Guy

Technorati Tags: greenhouse gas emissions, ghg, waxman-markey, aces, epa, environment, atmosphere, co2, cap and trade, carbon footprint

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It reminded me of something that had happened to me about 2 years ago …

About 2 years ago, I was at a business function that included a presentation followed by a buffet lunch.  It was on a Friday before the Memorial Day Weekend – another patriotic holiday.  There were about 300 people in the group with most of them around my age or so (mid 40’s to mid 50’s).

After the presentation was given and we were getting ready for the buffet, the announcer asked all those who had served in the Armed Forces to stand in honor of the upcoming Memorial Day holiday.  Having spent 3 quality years in the U.S Army during the later part of the Viet-Nam War, I pushed back my chair and stood.

When I looked around, I was shocked.  There were only about 15 other guys standing as well – out of a group of around 300!  I couldn’t believe it.  This was an older, typically conservative age group.  Most of these people were “America – Love It or Leave It” kind of people.  They talked about “freedom” and “liberty” and wore their American flag lapel pins but no one was apparently willing to give up 3 years of their lives to actually help make those ideals a reality.  They talked about “Support Our Troops” but were not willing to become one.  I was dumbfounded.

My generation (I’m currently 57) grew up with the Draft.  By law, you were required to register for the Draft when you turned 18.  The government held a “lottery” every year and randomly picked which birthdays would be “called up” for military service.  If your number came up, you got a “Greetings” letter shortly thereafter from the US Government and you were officially “drafted.”

That never bothered me though.  I expected to enter military service, although not for any particular patriotic reason.  I figured it was the only way I would be able to afford college.  Still, I signed up after High School and did my duty.  As any veteran will tell you, my military experiences are memories that I wouldn’t trade for a million dollars – but wouldn’t give 2 cents to go through again!

Regardless of my initial motivation, I served my country.  You can argue whether or not my service (or the Viet-Nam war, for that matter) made any difference over the long term but the point is that I served. 

So what?  Well, here’s what I think spending 3 years in the Army gives me the right to say:

First, after watching the political theater of the last presidential election in which patriotism was used as a “political weapon,” I don’t think anyone has the right to even venture an opinion on the deployment, actions, and motivation of our troops unless they themselves have been one.  It was really crazy to listen to impassioned people argue for the rightness or wrongness of the Iraq War under the guise of “supporting our troops” without the slightest idea of what it feels like to be in the military.

Second, I think there should be mandatory national service in this country.  Now, hear me out on this one.  I honestly think that once someone, male or female, finishes High School, they should spend the next 1 to 2 years in service to their country in some way, shape, or form.  Note that this does not necessarily mean military service (although the military would be an option of course).  The term “national service” could mean working at a national park, at a veteran’s hospital, with the Corps of Engineers, or at a local community center. 

While serving (in any area other than the military, of course), you’d continue living at home and would draw some sort of salary consummate with the type of job you signed up for.  In addition to serving your country and gaining real-world experience, you’d also be earning some sort of “credits” based on the length of service.  These “credits” could then be used for college tuition, down payment for a new home, or something similar.  It would be sort of a mini-version of the old “GI Bill.”

So how do you serve your country?  What have you done to help keep America free and strong?  Give it some thought and let me know what you think. By the way, Time magazine ran some good articles on this exact topic back in 2007.  You can access it by clicking here.

Hiram
The Balanced Health Guy

Technorati Tags: national service, patriotism, veteran, country, usa, freedom, independence

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Cancer is second only to heart disease in the number of lives it takes every year and although there are some risk factors you can’t change, like genetics for example, there are quite a few that you can.

Since most cancer deaths can be prevented, it’s critical that you know the initial symptoms of this disease as well as how to reduce your chances of it.

Here’s what you need to know…

Cancer Symptoms

Let’s address some of the things you need to look for first.  The following is a list of symptoms from the American Cancer Society (ACS) that uses the “CAUTION” acronym.  According to the ACS, you might have cancer if you experience any of the following symptoms for a prolonged amount of time:

• C: Change in bowel or bladder habits
• A: A sore that does not heal
• U: Unusual bleeding or discharge
• T: Thickening or lump in the breast or elsewhere
• I: Indigestion or difficulty in swallowing
• O: Obvious change in a wart or mole
• N: Nagging cough or hoarseness

Keep in mind that this is a very simple list and that the vast majority of these symptoms can be caused by nonmalignant disorders so just because you experience some of these symptoms, it doesn’t necessarily mean that you have cancer.  Only your doctor can give you a proper diagnoses.  Also keep in mind that cancers can produce symptoms that are not included on this list, such as unexplained weight loss or fatigue.  However, the list is a useful reminder to routinely stop and pay attention to your body and to report any changes or concerns to your doctor.

What You Can Do to Prevent Cancer

Obviously, the FIRST thing you can do to prevent cancer is to routinely stop and pay attention to what your body may be telling you.  The best time to do this is either the first thing in the morning, or the last thing at night.  Ask yourself how you really feel, then stay quiet for a moment and listen for the answer.  You’ll be amazed at how your intuition will alert you to sore spots, lumps, or thickened patches of skin that otherwise might have gotten lost among the day’s thoughts, plans, and worries.

Second, follow what the Harvard Medical School calls it’s “10 Commandments of Cancer Prevention.”  These are:

1. Avoid all forms of tobacco, including exposure to secondhand smoke.  Yes, for all my redneck friends and colleagues here in Texas, this includes chewing tobacco.

2. Eat properly. Reduce saturated fats and red meat and increase your consumption of fruits, vegetables, and whole grains.  (Eating properly will not only reduce your chance of cancer, it will pretty much reduce your chances of diseases of any kind.  I know that’s a broad statement but there is simply no greater impact on our health than the foods we eat.)

3. Exercise regularly. You just can’t avoid exercise.  It’s part of EVERY plan for improving and maintaining health.

4. Lose the weight and stay lean. See the previous two points for how to accomplish this.  If your weight-loss program does not include proper nutrition and exercise, then something’s wrong.

5. Limit alcohol consumption to 1 to 2 drinks per day. Remember that many of these risk factors have a synergistic effect when combined with others.  One of the worst combinations is drinking too much and smoking.

6. Avoid unnecessary exposure to radiation. This includes UV radiation from direct sunlight (always use sunscreen).  (Note:  Although the Harvard Medical School says not to worry about the radiation from microwaves, power lines, or cell phones, my personal recommendation is to play it safe by maintaining as much distance as is practical.)

7. Avoid exposure to industrial and environmental toxins. These include things like asbestos fibers (can be found in some types of insulation), benzene and aromatic amines (found in some paints and solvents), and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs, found in some plastics).

8. Avoid infections that contribute to cancer. These include hepatitis viruses, HIV, and the human papilloma virus that may be transmitted sexually or through contaminated needles.

9. Consider taking low-dose aspirin. Although men may have the most to gain from taking aspirin on a daily basis, women should consider it as well.  Since taking aspirin for prolonged periods can create other problems (like gastric bleeding), make sure to check with your doctor first.

10. Take a Vitamin D supplement. Many experts now recommend 800 to 1,000 IU a day, an amount that’s nearly impossible to get without help. Although many of us get Vitamin D from sunlight, keep in mind item number 6 above.

Take Control of Your Health

Will following all of these “commandments” guarantee that you won’t get cancer?  Of course not.  That’s not the way life works.  However, you chances will go way down.

On the other hand, making these lifestyle changes will give you numerous health benefits in other areas such as in the prevention of heart disease, for example.  All of them add up to a healthy life.

Good health is not something we’re automatically blessed with.  It’s not a gift you get when you’re born.  Like a garden, you have to work at it, you have to build it and once you have it, you have to maintain it.

So take control of your own health.  All of the things that I’ve listed in this article are things that you can do to improve your health.  You have the control here.  Will you use it?  I sincerely hope so.

Hiram
The Balanced Health Guy
Certified Fitness Nutrition Coach (NESTA)

Technorati Tags: American Cancer Society, Cancer Deaths, Cancer Symptoms, Cancers, heart disease, exercise, nutrition, balanced health, control

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I’ve written on the effects of particulate matter and IAQ before but it just keeps coming up (search this site for previous posts or see the Related Posts section below).  I guess one of the byproducts of our modern society is an increase in the “stuff” that we breathe in day after day.  Unfortunately, it’s hard on our kids, especially those suffering with childhood asthma.

Here are a couple of things you can do to reduce the effects of PM, and asthma, on your children.

First, if you suspect that your child has asthma, get them professionally diagnosed and treated.  There has been a documented increase in kids diagnosed with asthma over the past 20 years.  No one knows the cause, they just know it’s increasing.  As a parent, your best course of action is to be watchful for any signs that your child may be developing asthma and get them treatment as early as possible.

Second, if your child already suffers from asthma, make sure to follow your doctor’s advice.

Third, “know your enemy.”  Become knowledgeable about asthma by checking out the information at reliable medical sites such as The American Lung Association and the Mayo Clinic.

Fourth, take steps to improve the quality of the air inside your home by reducing the amount of particulate matter in the air.  It’s estimated that kids spend 80% of their time indoors so make sure you’ve done everything you can to assure that this time is spent in an area with good IAQ.  Some basic tips to reduce PM include:

• Make sure that you purchase good quality air conditioning filters and that you change them frequently.  No, I don’t recommend having your air ducts cleaned since this can cause more problems than it solves.  Unless you literally have dust blowing out of your AC vents, having your air ducts cleaned is not necessary.
• Reduce the amount of carpeted area in your home.  A carpet tends to trap particulate matter in the carpet fiber and then releases it back into the air when the carpet is walked on or disturbed.
• No furry pets indoors.  “Fido” and “Fluffy” will just have to sleep outside.  Pet hair, and especially pet dander, are serious allergy and asthma triggers.
• Purchase and use a good quality vacuum cleaner with a HEPA filter on the exhaust.  A “HEPA” filter is a “High Efficiency Particulate Air” filter designed to trap and remove most of the particulate matter from the exhausted air.  Using a vacuum cleaner with a HEPA filter will assure that any dust that’s picked up stays in the vacuum instead of being exhausted right back into the room.
• Consider the purchase of a good quality air purifier for your child’s bedroom.  Make sure that you get a unit that does NOT create or release ozone, negative ions, aromatics, or anything else.
• Keep doors and windows closed to prevent dust and particulate matter from coming indoors.
• Be a careful consumer when it comes to all the “asthma preventing” attachments that are for sale for your air conditioning unit.  These include ultraviolet light (UV) attachments designed to “sterilize” the air flowing through your AC ducts to electrostatic filters that will “zap” the dust right out of the air.  These things do in fact work.  However, some of them are pretty expensive and most will only improve your overall IAQ fractionally.  You’ll have a much greater impact on the quality of your indoor by simply following the first four points (and you’ll save a bunch of money, too).

Asthma is the leading chronic illness of children in the US and is the third leading cause of child hospitalizations.  It cannot be cured but it can almost always be controlled by reducing your child’s exposure to those things that can trigger an attack.  Research is finding that particulate matter (PM), microscopic particles of dust, carbon, smoke, or soot, is one of the more significant.  The good news is that there are some simple, commonsense things you can do to protect your family from its effects.

Read the press release on the Johns Hopkins study here.

Hiram
The Balanced Health Guy

Technorati Tags: IAQ, particulates, particulate matter, PM, indoor air quality, asthma, triggers, HEPA, air purifier, allergy

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A Mold “Primer”

First, mold is everywhere and is a natural part of the environment. It’s job is to breakdown dead organic material and in the process, release nutrients into the soil where they become available for living plants. Although molds are everywhere, they only grow where there is a food source and moisture. This is the reason you usually find mold growing in damp areas due to plumbing, roofing, or other types of leaks.

Molds grow in colonies and there are thousands of different types. Once a colony finds a food source and becomes established, it defends it’s “territory” by spreading chemicals called mycotoxins in order to prevent other molds from moving in. The most familiar example of this is bread mold, which produces what we call penicillin in order to keep other molds away.

Mold Problems

Molds become a problem indoors for several reasons. The first is physical. According to the EPA’s “Mold Remediation in Schools and Commercial Buildings,” molds destroy the materials they are growing on. This can eventually lead to structural problems if the mold – and the underlying moisture problem – is not properly addressed.

Secondly, molds can create, or contribute to, health problems. Molds are microscopic and mold spores easily become airborne when disturbed. As a result, anyone living or working nearby can introduce them into their lungs through normal breathing. In many people, this can create allergic symptoms due to the mold spore itself, or chemical symptoms due to the mycotoxins.

The Link Between Mold and Depression

Although mold has been implicated as the probable cause for a number of health problems, solid proof has been difficult to come by, mainly because people can react to mold exposure in many different ways. This makes it very difficult to determine a cause-effect relationship. However, one study performed in late 2007 found a connection between mold (along with the damp conditions necessary for mold growth) and depression in the inhabitants of moldy buildings.

In an article titled “Dampness and Mold in the Home and Depression: An Examination of Mold-Related Illness and Perceived Control of One’s Home as Possible Depression Pathways” and published in the American Journal of Public Health, researchers found “…a solid association between depression and living in a damp, moldy home.” Although the study does not prove that mold causes depression (a cause-effect relationship), it does show that there is a connection, or link, between the two.

The researchers think that there are two reasons for this link. The first is the effect that mold has on a person’s physical health. These can include the allergic symptoms already mentioned. When you’re not feeling well, it’s easy to get depressed. The second reason comes from a perceived lack of control over the housing environment, the feeling that you can’t afford to fix the mold problems or move altogether.

Edmond Shenassa, the research team leader, said, “Physical health, and perceptions of control, are linked with an elevated risk for depression, and that makes sense. If you are sick from mold, and feel you can’t get rid of it, it may affect your mental health.” Shenassa also stated that “What the study makes clear is the importance of housing as an indicator of health, including mental health.”

Healthy Homes Can Promote Healthy Lives

A final comment by Shenassa was that “Healthy homes can promote lives.” Amen to that. But how do you create and maintain a healthy home? Here are a couple of tips to prevent mold from growing indoors:

• Keep your home well maintained and in good repair. Immediately repair any water leaks or wet spots that may be caused by plumbing problems, roof leaks, condensation, or any other causes.
• Routinely check for damp or wet spots around all sinks, faucets, and plumbing fixtures as well as around windows and doors. Don’t forget to check dishwashers and ice makers, too.
• Clean up any liquid spills or water leaks immediately and make sure the surrounding area is thoroughly dry.
• Your HVAC regulates humidity in addition to temperature so make sure it’s working properly.
• Frequently inspect and dry areas around moisture sources such as potted plants, aquariums, pet drinking bowls, etc.
• Get professional help with repairs and/or clean up if you need it. See the EPA document referenced above for advice and tips.

The Next Steps

Understand that preventing mold from growing indoors is just one step towards creating a “healthy home.” Other steps can include reducing the amount of particulates in the indoor air, a topic I wrote about in “Indoor Air Quality and Heart Disease.” You should also address other potential hazards such as radon, carbon monoxide, volatile organic compounds (VOC) from glues, paints, or pesticides, as well as asbestos and possibly lead-based paints. You can find more information on these in the EPA’s “The Inside Story: A Guide to Indoor Air Quality.”

Conclusion

I can’t sum up the intent of this post any better than by quoting Edmond Shenassa: “Healthy homes can promote healthy lives.” Americans spend a significant portion of their day indoors. Doesn’t it make sense that your physical and mental health would be tied to, and affected by, your environment?

Hiram

The Balanced Health Guy

Technorati Tags: IAQ, depression, indoor air quality, health, healthy home, allergies, allergy, mycotoxin, balanced health, mental health, damp home, mold

Related posts:

1. Air Purifiers and Allergies – No Magic Bullet
2. 5 Sure Ways to Beat Depression
3. Healthy Environment = Healthy Body

As shown on the diagram that’s part of this article, total health is made up of several areas or components, two of them are inside your body (internal) and two of them are outside (external). To learn how these components interact and affect your overall health, read on.

The areas that make up your total health include:

• Physical. This is what most of us think of when we think of things like health, fitness, diet, and so on. This is also the area that most fitness plans focus on.
• Mental and Spiritual. The “brain and soul” of our lives controlling what we think as well as our emotions.
• Relationships. The number and types of relationships you have with others can have a significant effect on your physical health.
• Environment. The type of environment where you spend most of your time – your home, your work setting, your classroom – all affect your body, mind, and spirit.

All of these components are interconnected, ether supporting or detracting from, the others. Keeping them in balance so that they support each other to achieve total wellness is what balanced health is all about.

Most health and fitness plans focus on only one part of the equation. For example, an exercise program only focuses on your physical body without taking into consideration the effect this is having on your mental and spiritual health, your relationships with others, or taking into account the health effects of your environment. By working so hard on just one part of your health, you’re actually pulling the other components further and further out of balance. The end result? Your overall health and wellness suffers.

So don’t fall for short term results that may actually cause long term health problems. Don’t get so focused on dieting or lifting weights that your family relationships suffer, for example. Make sure that your health and fitness program addresses (and balances) all the components that make up total wellness.

Hiram
The Balanced Health Guy

Technorati Tags: balanced health, physical, mental, spiritual, relationships, environment, diet, health

Related posts:

1. Healthy Environment = Healthy Body
2. What Is “Balanced” Health and Fitness?

I’m a nature lover and consider myself an environmentalist.  There’s nothing I enjoy more than the peace and serenity I feel when I’m out hiking or camping in the wilderness.  I want my grand kids to be able to enjoy that same experience.

I was convinced that industry is the main cause of Global Warming after reading Al Gore’s book “An Inconvenient Truth” AND watching the movie (the book is better).  However, now I’m not so sure that modern society is the root cause.

One of the items that Gore points to as evidence of global warming is the change that’s occurring in the climate of Greenland.  He makes s a dramatic point.  However, one thing that Gore doesn’t mention is that the climate of Greenland has changed before as part of a natural cycle.

This short, 10 minute video explains and brings up the point that mankind may not be the main cause of climate change, which is what the mainstream media, and many government politicians, want us all to believe.

I’m posting this because I believe that we need to review ALL the evidence from BOTH sides of an issue.  Take a look and judge for yourself.

Hiram

Technorati Tags: global warming, environment

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Ever wonder why just being by a waterfall instantly soothes your spirit and makes you feel relaxed and energized?

There are actually several reasons for this. The first is the rhythmic sight and sound of the rushing water as it gathers speed, spills over the falls, and crashes into a pool below. The motion of the water is almost hypnotic and the sound is like a lullaby that sings directly into your soul.

The crashing water of a waterfall also creates quite a bit of mist, increasing the humidity and cooling the surrounding area. A lot of mist in the air tends to create rainbows when the sun is at the right angle, another item that is pleasing to the eye and that helps to calm the spirit.

Waterfalls also create significant levels of negative ions. Negative ions not only clean the air (which is why the air around a waterfall always smells fresh and clean), they make you feel relaxed, refreshed, and energized.

Lastly, waterfalls are just plain cool. Who can watch water come crashing down from a high cliff and not be moved to amazement? Who can feel the cool mist on their face and not experience a deep connection with the Earth? Who can possibly come up with a better way to describe a waterfall than to just stare at it and say, “Cool!”?

Balanced health means more than just diet and exercise. Although diet and exercise take care of your physical body, you have to also balance your mind and spirit. Sitting near a waterfall is a great way to do that.

So whether you’re sitting near a waterfall as massive as Niagara Falls or one as small as a tabletop waterfall, take the time to really watch the water flow over the edge. Hear the water splashing on the rocks and hitting the pool below. Then take a slow, deep, cleansing breath, and say, “Cool!”

Hiram

The Balanced Health Guy

Technorati Tags: balanced health, waterfalls, negative ions, water, mental health, spirit, relaxation

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Let me try to state things so that there’s no confusion. An air purifier does only what it’s name implies – it purifies the air that is drawn into and expelled from the unit. It does not cure or eliminate any type of ailment or disease, and any salesperson, product label, or advertisement that implies otherwise is not being honest or ethical. However, if used correctly, their use is beneficial in many situations.

Why Use an Air Purifier?

Then why do I frequently recommend them? Because in many cases, an air purifier – when used as part of a complete home IAQ program – does provide some degree of relief from allergy symptoms. Notice that I did not say it cures allergies, nor did I say that ALL of your symptoms will completely disappear. I said that they do provide some degree of relief in many cases (note that this also means that in some cases, they will not provide any type of relief at all).

Why is that? Why is it that some people will get relief from their allergies and others won’t? The answer is because Indoor Air Quality in general, and allergy in particular, is a complex issue with many causes and interconnecting factors.

The Many Causes of Allergies

There are many things in a typical home that can cause allergic symptoms in those individuals that are sensitive to them. These can include any or all of the following:

• Plant and Tree Pollens, including those from indoor plants
• Dust Mites
• Household Dust
• Mold
• Chemicals from cleaners, detergents, scented or perfumed sprays or candles
• Household pests including ants and roaches
• Pet Dander from Dogs and Cats
• Some foods, food additives and/or preservatives

In order to reduce allergic symptoms, you must have a home IAQ program in place that is consistently working to significantly reduce the levels of all of these allergens inside of your house.

Clearing the Air

Since most allergens in a typical home are airborne (you breathe them in), taking steps to clean, filter, or purify the inside air makes good sense. That’s why I recommend high efficiency air filters in your HVAC system in conjunction with the use of air purifiers. However, you also have to reduce or eliminate the source of the allergen. That includes regular cleaning with a HEPA-filtered vacuum, reducing the amount of carpeted areas, using hypoallergenic detergents and cleaners, changing bed linens often, keeping pets outdoors, and so on.

There is No Magic Bullet

Because there are so many things in a typical home that a sensitive person can be allergic to, there is no one single thing that you can do that will make all your symptoms go away. There is no “magic bullet.”

Reducing the amount of allergens in your home – and thereby reducing your allergic symptoms – takes a holistic approach and the main goal of improving IAQ. An air purifier is just one tool of several that can be used to help you accomplish this.

Hiram

The Balanced Health Guy

Technorati Tags: air purifier, allergies, allergy, Environment, Health, iaq, causes of allergies, air purifiers

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Saturday morning, we signed up for what the Park Service calls “Paddling the Forks,” a 10 mile or so canoe trip down to where the Angelina and Neches Rivers fork together. Putting in our canoes at Bevilport, we learned that the town was once an important shipping port in the mid-1800′s shipping cotton and hides to New Orleans. Since the land was so overgrown with briar vines and brambles (this area of Texas is also called the “Big Thicket”), most early settlers used the rivers and bayous for transportation. It’s difficult to think of a town that’s 100 miles inland as a “port city” but it makes sense once you see the area.

You can’t believe how restful it was paddling down the river with thick pine forests on both sides and the occasional magnolia tree in full bloom peeking through every once in a while. You also can’t believe the physical workout you get paddling a canoe for 10 miles!

To properly paddle a canoe, you have to reach forward (working your back), insert the paddle into the water and essentially “pull” the canoe forward (working your shoulders, arms, and abs). After a couple of strokes, you switch over and repeat the process on the other side. It’s a full, upper body workout.

Now, I have to remind you at this point that this is East Texas so this is not whitewater canoeing where the only paddling you have to do is to keep your canoe pointed in the right direction. East Texas rivers are slow, meandering bodies of water. You have to actually work in order to get to where you’re going!

It took our group about 6 hours to complete the trip, including about a 40 minute stop for lunch. Although this sounds like a long time to be paddling, remember that this type of activity puts a very low load on your muscles for a prolonged period (as opposed to weight lifting which puts a high load for a low duration). As a result, although my muscles felt like they had been worked out, they weren’t completely fatigued. Nor did I feel any soreness the day after.

It was a great trip and a great way to get in some physical exercise while my mind and soul soaked in the beauty and tranquility of Mother Nature. It was a fun activity that renewed every part of me: the physical, the mental, and the spiritual. It was a perfect example of a balanced physical activity.

These types of activities are all around us. Take a walk or a bike ride in a neighborhood park. Get outside and do some gardening. Play catch with your kids. All of these activities provide some sort of physical exercise but more than that, they also provide mental relaxation, stress reduction, and they help strengthen your spiritual connections.

So get out there and play! Your body, mind, and spirit will love it – and you’ll be healthy as a result.

Hiram

The Balanced Health Guy

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balanced health, exercise, fitness, canoeing

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Here’s a tip that will help you pack more exercise into less time. Stake out 2 weight machines that work different muscle groups. For example, a machine that works legs and one that works upper body. Go ahead and do your first set of exercises using the leg machine. Now, at the end of your set, don’t just sit there! Walk over to the second machine and do one set of exercises working your upper body while your legs rest. When you’re done, walk back to the leg machine and start your second set while your upper body rests.

If the gym is really crowded and you can’t switch back and forth between machines without someone cutting in, do some calisthenics. Do your set on the weight machine, then drop down between the machines and do a couple of crunches (or squats, or push-ups or whatever — you get the idea). Whatever you do, it should work a different muscle group than the one you’re exercising on the weight machine.

So don’t just sit there! Put that resting time to good use working a different part of the body. You’ll increase your cardio level and pack in more exercise in less time. Not a bad deal!

Hiram
The Balanced Health Guy

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What exactly is a toxic environment? A simple definition is any environment that contains things that place an inordinate amount of stress on your body. These stressors weaken your ability to fight off disease. There are several types of stressors that you should be aware of and avoid:

Chemical Stressors

Avoid living or working in environments that have a high level of chemicals: either natural or man-made. Living next to a refinery or a chemical plant, for example, is not exactly conducive to good health. Since your body is constantly bombarded with high concentrations of chemicals, it spends most of its time trying to flush them from your system. This constant effort eventually weakens your body leaving it open to all kinds of allergies, reactions, or diseases.

Biological Stressors

Any type of environment with a high level of biological stressors is not good for your health. This can include living in a house or working in a building with high levels of mold or bacteria. Your body is constantly fighting off the effects of these biological invaders and will eventually weaken.

Physical Stressors

These include anything that stresses your body in a physical manner. Examples would include having to work in an area with a high level of noise, or vibration. Another example is having to work under a flickering fluorescent light. All of these stress the body to the point that it becomes susceptible to disease.

Psychological Stressors

Are you in a “toxic relationship?” Do you work for a boss that is constantly playing “mind games?” These are all forms of psychological stressors that upset your mental balance. And when the mind is upset, the body weakens and again, becomes an easy target for disease.

If you are constantly getting sick, it could very well be because you’re spending too much time in a toxic environment. This could be at home, at work, or during your social activities. Examine each one for the presence of the stressors I’ve listed above. Your body will thank you.

Hiram

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