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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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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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

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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

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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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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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