Balanced Health Blueprint » News

Ringing Ears? Check Your Medication.

Hiram — Mon, 16 Aug 2010 17:05:11 +0000

Here’s a perfect example of how trying to solve one problem creates another. For the past couple of weeks, I’ve been fighting a raging case of Plantar Fasciitis – an inflammation of the tissue at the bottom of my left foot. When I wake up in the morning and take my first couple of steps, it feels like someone’s taken a baseball bat to my heel. What I’ve been trying, as well as what’s worked and what hasn’t will be the subject of another post.

One of the treatments that was suggested to me was to get on a routine of taking regular aspirin. Plantar Fasciitis is an inflammation and there’s nothing better for treating inflammation than aspirin. “Just be careful,” said Teri (a registered nurse), “because the aspirin thins your blood and you’ll bruise easily.” Made sense so I gave it a go. I started taking 2 caplets of coated aspirin every 4 hours or so (morning, noon, afternoon, and bedtime).

Know what? I started getting some relief the very next day! It literally felt like the “fire” in my heel was slowly but surely being put out. I was jazzed.

However, by the second day of my aspirin routine, I noticed a fairly loud hissing sound in my ears. Although it didn’t really interfere with my hearing (that I could tell – wait, did you say something?), it was downright annoying and as time went on, it got louder and louder. It was like being next to a raging river. There was a constant hissing sound that just would not stop. It started getting too loud to ignore.

A quick Internet search told me that this condition (“ringing” in the ears) is called Tinnitus and that it’s pretty common. I also learned that medical science doesn’t really have any direct treatment for it - which means that there are all sorts of non-FDA-approved treatments and devices out there. However, I did learn that ringing ears is a common side effect of taking too much aspirin or aspirin-containing medications, a fact confirmed by Teri when I mentioned it to her. In fact, she said that other pain relievers including ibuprofen and some antibiotics can also cause tinnitus.

“Back off a bit and don’t take as much,” she advised. The trick is to balance the problem you’re trying to cure (the plantar fasciitis) with the side effects of the medication (the tinnitus) and take only enough aspirin to relieve one without aggravating the other.

After taking her advice, I’m happy to report that the ringing in my hear has been reduced significantly. It no longer sounds like I’m standing right next to a jet plane about to take off. Although my heel still feels a little tender at times, I think I’m finally beginning to get the inflammation under control.

I guess the takeaway from all of this is that all medications, even common aspirin, have some sort of side effect. It can be minute and benign or it can be significant and quite harmful so pay attention when taking any type of medication. Make note of and discuss with a healthcare professional anything that seems out of the ordinary including headaches, stomach discomfort, and yes, even ringing in the ears.

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: tinnitus, plantar faciitis, aspirin, medication, pain relief, reliever, nsaids, ringing ear, hearing, side effect

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Mini-Vacation Benefits

Hiram — Mon, 24 May 2010 18:31:35 +0000

Spent the past 3 days on a “mini” vacation. You know, the kind of vacation where you don’t go very far, are not too expensive, and don’t last but a couple of days but are just as relaxing, sometimes more so, than a “regular” vacation.

We spend our time at the Flying L Ranch in Bandera, Texas. Located about 50 miles NE of San Antonio, the Flying L is right in the Texas Hill Country. It’s a really nice place that blends a rustic, cowboy feel with comfortable and modern amenities. There are plenty of things to do there, either alone or with the family, including golf, a full water-park, horseback riding, hiking, tennis, wildlife watching, or just sitting under a tree and reading a good book.

All of us live hectic lives of non-stop stress. Do yourself – and your loved ones – a favor and plan a “mini” vacation as soon as possible. It doesn’t have to be more than a day or two. Just make sure you leave your stress at home and relax. It will make a world of difference!

Vacation Time!

Weekly Roundup for 3/19/10

Hiram — Fri, 19 Mar 2010 15:48:12 +0000

Here are some recent posts and news on health and fitness published this week:

Knowing the Best Diet to Lose Weight (slideshare.net)
Should Women Drink More to Lose Weight? (jiggaroo.com)
How to Optimize Your Eating and Lose Weight Forever (thebestrawfooddiet.com)
Connie Bennett: Fell Off The Diet Wagon? 10 Tips To Pick Yourself Up (huffingtonpost.com)
Can you suggest affordable, healthy, easy-to-fix meals? (cnn.com)
The Simple Guide to Optimal Health & Fitness (zenhabits.net)

Productivity News

Hiram — Thu, 25 Feb 2010 21:20:16 +0000

I’m always on the lookout for ways to may myself more productive. Unfortunately, I usually spend more time on new software and techniques than I do actually working on what I’m supposed to be working on!

I came across an excellent article that both inspired me to excel as well as gave me some solid tips on how to be more productive.

Be sure to check out “Getting More Done in Less Time” by Troy White at The Total Package website.

Hiram

Muscle Supplement News

Hiram — Thu, 25 Feb 2010 21:03:31 +0000

Seems like all of a sudden, I’ve been getting a lot of emails about supplements – all kinds:

Muscle-building supplements
Pre-workout supplements
Post-workout supplements
Weight-loss supplements
Fat-burning supplements
Endurance supplements
Strength supplements
etc, etc, etc

You name it, and there’s probably a supplement out there designed to improve your performance. Although I’m not a big fan myself, you can’t deny that they do work in a wide variety of situations.

Are they right for you? Here are some links to articles that can help you decide:

Which supplements really work? An interactive guide to evidence (boingboing.net)
Discount Nutritional Supplements Is it Worth Buying? (after50health.com)
Supplements for Everything (pilatesandreikiinparadise.com)
‘Whole Food’ Vitamins Are a Cool Idea, But Proof of Benefit Is Lacking (usnews.com)
Selenium Supplements May Pose Heart Risk (nlm.nih.gov)
What you need to know about multivitamins (cnn.com)

If you do decide to use supplements, READ AND FOLLOW THE LABEL, especially the parts about how much to take and how often to take it. Also be careful about using different types of supplements since some of the ingredients in one supplement can cause unwanted side-effects when combined with an ingredient from another supplement.

In other words, purchase supplements from a reputable supplier, know what you’re getting, and use them responsibly.

Hiram
Certified Fitness Nutrition Coach and
Personal Fitness Trainer (NESTA)

Healthy Recipies from the Dallas News

Hiram — Tue, 16 Feb 2010 17:06:27 +0000

The Dallas Morning News has a section of their online paper with an entire list of healthy – not to mention delicious – recipes. Among the recipes, you’ll find:

Amaretto Apple Crisp
Apple Harvest Oatmeal
Apricot Port Chops
Balsamic Glazed Pork Chops with Blueberry Wine Sauce

The last two alone should stir your interest!

These recipes are free although you will be requested to set up an account, which is also free.

So what are you waiting for? Here’s the link again: www.dallasnews.com/healthyrecipes.

Hiram

Fitness Roundup for 2/12/10

Hiram — Thu, 11 Feb 2010 18:51:42 +0000

Based on the keyword searches that have been done on this site over the past couple of months, lots of people are searching for effective ways to stop snoring. About 25% of men and about 15% of women snore to some extent. That’s a lot of snoring!

Unfortunately, snoring is not something to kid about. It can lead to serious health issues if not addressed, and I’m not just talking about your spouse wanting to smother you with a pillow.

I’m happy to report that I had a pretty significant snoring problem that was affecting my blood pressure. You can find how I solved it by reading some of my other posts.

On this week’s Fitness Roundup, I wanted to provide some links to other blogs so you can get some ideas of how others have tackled this problem as well.

How To Stop Snoring (howcast.com)
Can you be short of breath while sleeping (respiratorytherapycave.blogspot.com)
A Beginner’s Guide to Snoring (drsharma.ca)
Stop Snoring Using natural Methods (stepbysteptips.com)
Heavy Snoring Linked To Potentially Life-Threatening Conditions (prweb.com)

Lastly, here’s a CNBC segment on an anti-snore spray that I wasn’t aware of:

CNBC program reports of the most effective way of stopping snoring with Ysnore (ysnore@singapore.com). A natural way of effective stopping the cause of snoring with natural homoepathic ingredient of ginger and yam. Applied through a nasal spray and nose drops. This stop snore remedy gives you a good night sleep. Really works for snorer.

More “Stop Snoring” Videos

Hiram — Wed, 10 Feb 2010 21:54:07 +0000

Search for “snoring” on YouTube and you’ll find all kinds of videos of people, and animals, snoring. Although most are meant to be funny – and many of them are – snoring can be a serious issue.

Thankfully, I also found a couple of videos on snoring that are really helpful and informative. Here are some of the best ones:

How to stop snoring – Interview with Dr. Jordan Josephson

How to stop Snoring – 10 Things you should know about Sleep – Number 4

Review of Stop Snoring Devices on CBS Early Show

A Visual Tour of Your Body

Hiram — Tue, 02 Feb 2010 16:55:36 +0000

The New York Times has a great webpage that essentially provides a visual tour of your body. You’ll also find informative news articles about how to improve the health of various body areas, like your skin, for example.

It’s well worth checking out. You can access the New York Times Health section by clicking here.

Hiram

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Toyota Recall and Self Reliance

Hiram — Tue, 02 Feb 2010 15:54:34 +0000

If you’ve been watching the news at all the past 2 weeks, you know that Toyota has recalled several million vehicles because of a potential gas pedal sticking problem. I say “potential” because from what I’ve seen and read, the problem only affects about “8 out of 1 million” pedals, according to an interview with a CTS representative, the company that manufacturers the pedal for Toyota.

Regardless of whether you think this issue is a serious one, or whether you think it’s been totally blown out of proportion, the media has been having a field day. I’ve seen interviews on the national news (NBC) that included a crying pregnant woman saying “It’s not right what they’re doing” to a doctor that had his Toyota dramatically towed and saying “I will never buy another car from them.” Other people are saying they won’t drive their Toyota until they get some kind of “guarantee” from Toyota the problem is fixed.

To top it off, I’ve also seen websites and blog posts bringing up the Japanese attack at Pearl Harbor during WWII and saying that anybody that buys anything Japanese gets what they deserve.

Geez! Can we all take a deep breath here?

First of all, it’s a car folks. It’s a mechanical device and mechanical devices wear out, break, or fail. That’s a plain and simple fact of life. Where do people get the idea that life comes with a 100% guarantee?

I just don’t understand the hysterics. Some of the people interviewed on the news said they were afraid to even ride in a Toyota now. Why? I don’t get it.

We all know that airplanes fall out of the sky every once in a while. It’s a terrible tragedy when it happens, but it DOES occasionally happen. Why aren’t people afraid to get on an airplane? It’s the same thing.

We all see the scenes of terrible traffic accidents every evening on the news. More people are killed on America’s highways than die in airplane accidents. People get in car crashes, pedestrians and bicycle riders get run over. It’s terrible. Why wouldn’t you be scared to death about getting anywhere near a highway? It’s the same thing.

Did you know that over 1,000 people in the US die from electrical shock every year? Everything from trying to pry out a piece of toast with a knife to simply using the microwave. Over 1,000 people every year. Why aren’t people scared to death of using electrical appliances? It’s exactly the same thing.

Face it, life is risky. The only “guarantee” you can get that you’ll never get hurt from any kind of mechanical (or electrical) device is never to use any – and even that is not 100%. Even people living in third world countries without all the conveniences that we American enjoy still die from various types of accidents – everything from getting kicked in the head by a farm animal to falling out of a tree.

The only “angle” I can think of, the only “motivation” I can see is possibly a legal one. I would really be interested to see how many of the people that have appeared on the national news all emotional and stuff are actually part of a lawsuit trying to get millions of dollars for “pain and suffering.”

One of the things that used to make this country great was our self reliance, our ability to deal with whatever life (or unscrupulous or inept manufacturers) threw our way without trying to play “the victim” in front of a jury.

If you own a Toyota, drive it or park it. Your choice. But understand that even if you trade it for a different kind of car, it’s still a mechanical device and mechanical devices occasionally malfunction and/or fail.

Life gives you opportunities, not guarantees. Understand the risk inherent in everything you do. That’s right, there’s risk in EVERYTHING you do. Balance that risk against the benefits. In other words, make an informed choice and then accept responsibility for your choices.

I know this was more of a rant but I wanted to get it off my chest. Thanks for listening.

Hiram

Full disclosure: I drive a 1998 Toyota Camry with close to 250,000 miles on it. It wasn’t affected by the recall and it’s easily been the best car, and longest lasting car, I’ve ever owned. I wouldn’t consider myself a Toyota “fan” but quality and reliability speaks for itself.

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CDC Website on Healthy Aging

Hiram — Mon, 01 Feb 2010 18:08:31 +0000

By the year 2015, an estimated 63 million US adults will be between the ages of 50 and 65. That’s 20% of the nation’s population. That number is not only big enough to be a significant influence on political events (which it is), it’s also a significant consumer of healthcare-related goods and services.

Now, here’s the bad news. According to a new study from the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), only about 1 in 4 Americans in this age group regularly take advantage of preventive health services such as screenings and immunizations. This group unfortunately neglects to take advantage of these services at precisely the time in their lives that these services can do the most good.

Want to read more? You can access the study directly at www.cdc.gov/aging/. The site also includes a number of information resources on a variety of topics.

Check it out for yourself!

Hiram

Weekly News Roundup 1/22

Hiram — Fri, 22 Jan 2010 21:26:25 +0000

A recent study by the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) has found that the heavier teens were, the more likely they were to have high cholesterol, a big risk factor in heart disease. CDC researchers studied data on 3,125 teens collected from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey for 1999 through 2006.

The study brought up the importance of teaching our kids healthy eating habits.

For this week’s News Roundup, I thought I’d provide some links to other stories on this same topic:

1 out of 5 teens has high cholesterol (seattletimes.nwsource.com)
Should We Test Teens for High Cholesterol? (abcnews.go.com)
U.S. Obesity Rates Leveling Off, but Still High (nlm.nih.gov)
Incidence of High Cholesterol Drops in U.S. (nlm.nih.gov)
Knowing cholesterol can ward off heart disease (cnn.com)
How To Lower Bad Cholesterol Without Medication – On SlideShare (slideshare.net)

On another note, I came across several articles that linked BPA, one of the ingredients in hard plastics, with heart disease. Those stories included:

Study Supports Connection Between BPA and Heart Disease (usnews.com)
Non-stick coating linked to thyroid disease (cbc.ca)
BPA cardiovascular findings replicated (scienceblogs.com)
New analysis of BPA risk confounded by dropping exposure (arstechnica.com)
Does the Plastic You Drink From Hurt Your Heart? (abcnews.go.com)

Potential Health Risks for Bisphenol-A (BPA): Medicine Matters From Sandra Fryhofer, MD

A new study links BPA to an increased risk for heart disease, diabetes, and liver problems. Dr. Sandy Fryhofer tells us what can be done to lower exposure.

Have a great weekend.

Hiram

Grab “Little Things 2.0″ for Free

Hiram — Thu, 21 Jan 2010 22:25:50 +0000

I just finished going through “Little Things that Improve Your Health” and completely updating it so I guess you can call it “Version 2.0.” This book is such a wealth of information (even if I do say so myself ) that I wanted to get it into as many hands as I possibly can.

Therefore, I’m offering it for FREE! You can sign-up for the download link either on the Home Page, or by clicking on the “Page Curl” at the top right of any page.

This 40 page book is packed full of some of the best advice I’ve got. It covers what I consider “the foundation” of good health: building a strong body, mind, and spirit.

This is not an exercise routine or workout manual. There are no “6-pack abs” or “butt-buster” routines. It’s much more basic than that. Besides, you’ll never get around to doing all those fancy exercise routines if you never seem to have the energy or just flat don’t feel good. This book will help get you to a foundational level of health where you can start trying some of those advanced routines.

So don’t delay. Get your free copy today — and then let me know what you think. Be sure to leave a comment on the download page.

Hiram

Technorati Tags: balanced health, fitness, spiritual, spirit, exercise, health, mental, little things, improve

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Weekly Roundup # 2

Hiram — Sat, 09 Jan 2010 13:31:57 +0000

It’s Friday, January 8th of the new year 2010 and here are some of the main health-related topics that were floating around this past week:

Related articles by Zemanta

The old saying goes, “How do you eat an elephant? One bite at a time.” Although most of us would never want to eat an elephant in the first place, the metaphor is breaking big projects into smaller, more manageable ones, is very appropriate. How do you change bad eating habits that have taken you a lifetime to acquire? By making one small change in your behavior at a time. Read how below.

Bad Eating Habits Succumb to the Small Changes You Make (mariaslastdiet.com)

So how exactly did we become an Obese Nation? What are the habits and lifestyles that have contributed to where we are now. Find out how we got here, as well as what we need to do to change, in this article from the Huffington Post.

Joshua Rosenthal: The Obesity Problem: How Did We Become So Fat? (huffingtonpost.com)

Seen the new “I lost weight by eating at Taco Bell” commercials? Seems like everyone, including fast food restaurants, are jumping on the weight loss bandwagon. Although the commercials may want to make you roll your eyes at first, the national focus on obesity is forcing many fast food businesses to introduce more healthy food choices. Read more in this article from CNN.

Taco Bell: Making a run for weight loss? (cnn.com)

Who doesn’t start the New Year with a list of Resolutions to lose some weight, exercise more often, make better food choices, spend more time with family, and so on and so on? Unfortunately, 78% of people who do make New Year Resolutions fail to keep them according to this post in the UK’s Guardian. Why? Because most people focus on the downside of not being successful. Those that did keep their resolutions broke them down into manageable steps and focused on the positive side of success. Small, but very powerful, differences. Read the post for more details — and a better chance at keeping your resolutions!

New year’s resolutions doomed to failure, say psychologists (guardian.co.uk)

OK, this one is just for fun. You’ll be surprised at the 10 unexpected uses for lip balm (ie: Chapstick). From helping you drive nails to actually moistening your lips, this stuff may be more versatile than you ever imagined.

Uses For Chapstick Lip Balm (wholefoodandmore.net)

That’s it for this week. As always, check back every week for some of the more informative, as well as some of the most interesting, health-related news.

Hope you make this week better than the last.

Hiram
Certified Fitness Nutrition Coach and
Personal Fitness Trainer (NESTA)

Site Optimized for iPhone!

Hiram — Tue, 05 Jan 2010 14:48:42 +0000

I’ve recently installed the WPtouch plugin that really makes it easy to read my blog posts on your mobile device. The site load really fast and you get a list of the most recent posts right up front. Clicking on the titles allows you to read the post without the side column. The plugin also supports expanded view when you rotate your phone to its side. Navigation is iPhone “standard” so it should be familiar to anyone using an iPhone or a Touch.

I’m pretty jazzed at discovering this plugin and am really grateful to the folks at Brave New Code for making it available.

What happens if you don’t like the new format? Easy. There’s a Mobile Theme “on/off” button at the bottom of the screen. Click the Mobile Theme off and the site displays the way it normally would in a regular browser.

So grab your phone and check it out!

Hiram

Fitness by iPhone

Heath News Weekly Roundup

Hiram — Thu, 31 Dec 2009 16:57:12 +0000

I plan to start a weekly summary of important health and fitness news. Most of the time, I’ll simply post the link to the news story without any additional comments. However, you might get my opinion on a few of the more controversial ones.

Here are some of the news items that have caught my eye this past week.

The Wall Street Journal’s editorial page lies about public-option polls. (slate.com)
What to do When Moving Sucks: Make A Single Healthy Action Aspirational (healthmgmtrx.blogspot.com)
“Life is really simple as far as I’m concerned. There is no luck, you work hard and study things…” (rafer.tumblr.com)

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New Year – New Theme

Hiram — Thu, 31 Dec 2009 16:50:13 +0000

2010 will be a “back to basics” year for me. I really liked my old theme. It had lots of “moving parts” that glittered and caught the eye. Every time I found another script that sparkled, I added it to the theme. Unfortunately, after a while, I noticed that my theme was starting to look like the neon lights in a bad neighborhood: so much “flash” that it looks cheap and gaudy.

So I decided to start over. This new theme is pretty basic but I think it keeps the focus on where it needs to be – on the content. After all, that’s why you come here, right?

By the way, I’ve pulled all the flashing banner ads and affiliate links. They really weren’t working for me anyway. All you’ll see is a basic Google Adsense box in the sidebar. Although I do have bills to pay, I promise to keep the ads to a minimum.

So what can you do to help? Plenty! You can comment on the articles, for one. Whether you agree with what I’m writing about or not, your comments are always welcomed.

Second, please let me know via email (hiram@balance-your-health.com) if anything is not working. I’ll be spending the next couple of weeks tweaking things so they display properly with the new theme. Please let me know if you’ve found something I missed.

Last, your suggestions are always welcomed. If you’ve come across or seen a better way to do things, let me know and I’ll give it a close look.

Meanwhile, thanks for your support in 2009 and best wishes for 2010!

Hiram

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The Cost of Not Reforming Healthcare

Hiram — Thu, 01 Oct 2009 20:46:53 +0000

Unless youve been living under a rock, theres no way you could have missed the marches, the protests, and the Town Hall meetings discussing whether or not we should reform healthcare, and if so, to what extent.

Now this is a fitness and health site, not a political one, so I really dont want to get into the many, many arguments for and against the various proposals that have been promoted and discussed by both sides of the political aisle. However, I do want to bring up one important point: we really cannot afford to sit around and do nothing.

The reason why is summed up in a recent report titled, Health Reform: The Cost of Failure by The Urban Institute, a bipartisan think tank that studies social issues. Heres what it says

The May 2009 study looked at what would happen to trends in health coverage and costs if healthcare reforms are not enacted, in other words, if we do nothing. Its not a pretty picture.

Using a computer simulation model, the Urban Institute looked at the current trends in insurance coverage and health costs and projected them out 10 years in the future for each of the 50 states. Heres a summary of what they found:

There should be no surprise that of all income levels affected, the middle-class would be hardest hit with individual and family out-of-pocket costs increasing by more than 35%.
In 29 states, the number of people without insurance would increase by more than 30%. All told, the number of uninsured Americans would reach 65.7 million.
Businesses would see their premiums continue to increase with it more than doubling in 27 states.
Every state would see a smaller share of its population with employer-sponsored insurance. (Why is that? See the previous bullet point.)
Every state would see its Medicare/CHIP spending rise by more than 75% by 2019 with half the states facing increases of more than 100%.
The amount of uncompensated care this is the cost of treating people with no health insurance and a cost that we ALL pay for in one way or another would more than double in 45 states.

Like I said, its not a pretty picture, and in my opinion, a big reason for getting some sort of reform passed. Again, I dont want to debate the specific proposals that have been put on the table. I just want to re-enforce the point that we cant afford to do nothing.

As a small business owner, Ive personally seen the cost of providing medical insurance for our employees go up significantly over the past 3 years. At first, our premiums went up around 10% from the previous year (no real change in the number of employees or number of claims). Now, our premiums have jumped 35% from the previous year again with no real change in the number of employees or in the number of claims.

No problem, you say. All you have to do is to pass that additional cost to your customers, right? Sorry, it doesnt work that way not in the middle of a recession. Theres too much competition, many of which dont provide any insurance at all for their employees, willing to do the same job for less. It doesnt take you long to realize that things have got to change.

No matter which way your political beliefs lean, no matter which news network you watch, no matter what the radio talk show hosts say, the way we insure and pay for healthcare has simply got to change.

Again, you can download the Urban Institutes report here.

Hiram
The Balanced Health Guy

Technorati Tags: healthcare, insurance, medical, hospital, reform, political, politics, health

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Vacation Time!

Hiram — Thu, 26 Jun 2008 23:18:13 +0000

One of the things I preach is the importance of taking some time off for mental, as well as physical, relaxation. Rest is an important part of a balanced health program.

Well, for the next 10 days, I’m taking my own advice and will be on summer vacation. I’ll be working on some new posts so look for those in about 2 weeks. In the meantime, I hope you’re having a great summer and will have a great 4th of July weekend.

Hiram

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Happy Holidays!

Hiram — Thu, 21 Dec 2006 19:56:15 +0000

As the year comes to a close, don’t forget to:

Strive to live a balanced life;
Give thanks, no matter what does, or doesn’t, come your way;
Build love by giving it away;
Learn to forgive;
Practice random acts of kindness;
Take care of yourself.

I sincerely hope that all of you have a wonderful and safe holiday season!

Hiram

www.Balance-Your-Health.com

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