Leg Cramps

Most leg cramps select no certain age or gender. In ages under 45, there is doubt one has blockage of the arteries to the legs. However, everyone who has frequent recurrent leg cramps does deserve a medical examination.

Most leg cramps at night in people who do not have leg cramps in the daytime are not caused by poor circulation. They seem to be a reflex reaction. There are a number of things one can do for the common night leg cramps. One is to stretch the leg muscles thoroughly every night before going to bed.

Another is to wear warm long socks or even the bottoms of thermal underwear. The legs and feet cool off more than the rest of the body during sleep and that is one reason they are prone to cramps.

Your sleep position is important. Sleep on your side with one or two pillows tucked at the knee (my favorite), on your back with a pillow under the knees, or try sleeping with a covered board at the bottom of the bed so that your feet rest against it and your toes do not drop down. A major cause of muscle cramping is shortening of the muscle. With the toes pointed down the calf muscle is already in a contracted position and ready to cramp.

Men Also Get Osteoporosis

With all the hype about osteoporosis in women and the ads for calcium you would think it was just a disease of women, but that is very wrong. About one in six men who live to extreme old age do have a hip fracture caused by osteoporosis. the figure is one in three for women in the same age group.

Bone loss in both sexes begins as soon as the skeleton is fully mature, which is some time after age 30. The menopause is simply an accelerated phase of bone loss. This gradual loss may never cause a man a problem if he dies before the age of 70. However, a small skeleton in either a male or female means that bone loss will become more critical earlier in life.

Testosterone in males has a similar effect on calcium and bone in men as estrogen does in women. Men tend to maintain normal testosterone levels until late in life, unless they have an illness or use alcohol to excess Studies show that in medical situations where there is a decreased testosterone level, there will also be bone loss.

It is really not known how to stop osteoporosis related to age. But it is known that cigarette smoking and alcohol both increase bone loss.

The best approach to the problem is to prevent bone loss through developing a good skeleton, with challenging exercise and proper nutrition, in the development years, and to avoid alcohol and cigarettes.

The Importance of X-rays

In examining your spinal x-rays, your chiropractor hopes to find a normal healthy spine. However, there are several major conditions which may show up on radiographs.

Fracture Or Dislocations
A fractured or dislocated vertebra may be the result of a recent accident or previous injuries. Fractures can also occur spontaneously, due to hereditary factors, nutritional deficiencies, or degenerative processes. Fractures and dislocations may cause misalignment of the vertebrae, pinched nerves, and associated health problems.

Congenital Deformity
It is estimated that at least one out of twenty people is born with a significant deformity of one or more vertebrae. Such deformities may alter the dynamics of the spinal column, resulting in misalignment, pinched nerves and a wide variety of health problems.

Pathology
Pathology is the structural and functional changes produced by disease. Some pathological changes, affecting spinal dynamics include infections, tumors, degeneration, and inflammatory conditions such as arthritis. The presence of these conditions may cause misalignment of the spine, producing nerve interference, resulting in additional health problems in those areas serviced directly or indirectly by the affected nerve.

Disc Problems
The spinal discs play an important role in keeping the spinal column precisely aligned and balanced. That's why disc problems such as ruptured discs, slipped discs, and disc degeneration can have considerable influence on vertebral alignment and the nerve root passageways.

Neurothlipsis
The pinching or irritation of a nerve is called neurothlipsis. Although pinching or irritation can be the result of such things as slipped discs, ruptured discs, tumors and bony arthritic growths, neurothlipsis of a nerve root most frequently occurs when a misaligned vertebra alters the shape of the opening in the spine (foramen) through which nerve roots pass. Neurothlipsis can cause pain or disease in all areas of the body supplied directly or indirectly by the branches of that nerve root. Correction of the misalignment, before any permanent damage occurs, usually results in correction of the health problems associated with the pinched nerve.

Spinal Distortion
There are several common types of spinal distortions and curvatures. Examples of potentially serious conditions are;  Scoliosis (lateral curvature of the spine), Kyphosis (hunchback), and Scheuermann's Disease (inflamed growth centers of the spine). Usually less serious causes of distortions include muscle spasms, and soft tissue contraction, etc. However, any of these types of spinal distortions can lead to spinal disease, nerve root irritation, and subsequent health problems.

Spinal Imbalance
The head is located at the top of the spinal column and is normally positioned and balanced directly over the sacrum, which is located at the base of the spinal column. If your head is not properly balanced over the sacrum, our doctor is alerted to look for such conditions as misalignment of the pelvis, a shot leg, muscle spasms, muscle imbalance, pinched nerves, etc. An imbalanced spine creates enormous stress and strain on spinal muscles and ligaments, which may lead to misalignment of the vertebrae, which in turn can result in pinched nerves and associated health problems. Such stressors may also make an individual more susceptible to spinal injury.

Abnormal Range Of Motion
The human spine is designed to bend, flex, and twist; and withstand substantial strain and stress. But, adhesions and fixations can restrict the normal range of motion, reduce the elasticity of supporting tissues, and impair local circulation. Conversely, ligaments and cartilage may be over-stretched or torn, permitting excessive range of motion. This can lead to inflammation and degeneration of the joints.

Both restricted and excessive ranges of motion may lead to increased pathology, vertebral misalignment, and impinged nerves, resulting in pain or disease in the affected areas.

"Radiographs are a discovery of disease, or a map of a healthy person - RULE IT OUT WHAT COULD BE!"

Hearing Loss and Cigarette Smoking

Cigarette smokers are much more likely to develop hearing loss than non-smokers, according to research published in the Journal of the American Medical Association.

The findings are from a 5 year study that involved nearly 4,000 people between the ages of 48 and 92 years old, with an average age of 66 years. About half were smokers.

The study found that smokers were about 70% more likely to have significant hearing loss than non-smokers. Ex-smokers were about 30% more likely to have a hearing loss. Non-smokers living with smokers were also at significantly higher risk for hearing loss. Based on these findings, perhaps one of the Surgeon General's warning s printed on cigarette packages should be:

"Warning: cigarette smoking may be harmful to your hearing."

Smoking has long been suspected as a factor contributing to hearing loss because it can restrict blood flow to the inner ear. The researchers also believe that the nicotine in cigarette smoke may damage the cells of the inner ear directly. Other factors that can affect hearing include exposure to noise, hypertension, aging, genetics and physical injury.

And now we are introduced to E-Cig Vapor, another nightmare in the making ...

STAY TUNED!

Bottled Water or Tap?

The bottled water industry has exploded in recent years, and enjoys annual sales of more than $100 billion worldwide. Americans paid $13 billion for bottled water in 2014.

According to Co-op America, "as much as 40 percent of bottled water is actually bottled tap water, sometimes with additional treatment, sometimes not." The number one (Aquafina) and two (Dasani) top-selling brands of bottled water in the U.S. both fall in the category of purified water. Dasani is sold by Coca-Cola, while Aquafina is a Pepsi product. As U.S. News & World Report explains, "Aquafina is municipal water from spots like Wichita, Kansas."

There is a trade off with everything we choose in life and with bottled water there are several. There is an environmental issue to consider and often surprisingly a quality issue. A considerable number of used water bottles end up as litter, where they can take several hundred years or more to biodegrade. 90% of water bottles end up as either garbage or litter, at a rate of more than 200 billion bottles per year. When some plastic bottles are incinerated along with other trash, as is the practice in many municipalities, toxic chlorine is released into the air while heavy metals deposit in the ash. If plastics are buried in landfills, not only do they take up valuable space but potentially toxic additives such as phthalates may leak into the groundwater. This problem could be avoided simply by recycling used bottles regularly.

As mentioned above, some studies indicate that bottled water may be no safer, or healthier than tap water in many countries while selling for up to 1000 times the price.

There have been studies that have shown higher risk of certain diseases when regularly consuming city tap water and this is not likely to change in the near future. One of the best recommendations, and perhaps the best solution, would be the use of a home charcoal and reverse osmosis water filtration which will leave your water pure and tasting great.

This is one of the most important health habits you could possibly maintain. Water is essential and if you don't get enough clean water you will suffer health problems. Your exclusive beverage should be water. Try to have at least eight glasses of water a day.

The simple way to calculate the amount of water most of us need is to drink one half your body weight in ounces of water. The average adult is 150 pounds which would be two and one half quarts of water.

The bottom line is that you are better off not drinking unfiltered tap water. Chlorine used in most municipal purification processes is a toxic chemical and should not be consumed in large quantities. Avoid distilled water as it has the wrong ionization, pH, polarization and oxidation potentials. It will also drain your body of minerals.

When using bottled water, avoid purchasing the one-gallon cloudy plastic (PVC) containers from your grocery store as they transfer far too many chemicals into the water. The five-gallon containers and the ones in the clear bottles (polyethylene) are a much better plastic and will not give the water a plastic taste. If you have a question about the purity of the water call the company selling it and get an "independent lab assessment" of water quality and stick with the companies that can provide this information.

"About a quarter of the bottled water sold in the U.S. actually is just tap water."

Just Another Day

Today is just another day, as it will be tomorrow and the next day from now on until life's door has closed.

What of interest is going on? In Oregon, citizens protesting are being arrested by the government; ISIS continues to be the Islamic demon, the worst of all evil entities; floods in the east and south are and will be raging havoc over the land; horrible criminals have escaped their captivity and are now on the run; politicians are acting like juveniles in a quest for narcissist glory. What a wonderful record to start the day in this so-called modern, enlightened age. We are told that man is God's masterpiece created in His own image. Then, pray tell, why does man do such things?

Why the floods? It can be accounted for. Natural causes produce natural results and subsequent events. Man built his town in a hazardous place and the rain fell in super abundance moving everything in its path which accounted for the disasters. But why the man-produced tragedies? Why do some men regard life so cheaply as to destroy his own kind without cause? No other animal does so; they may kill for food to eat, but not as a game with little purpose or reason.

Somewhere in the Bible a psalmist exclaimed, "What is man that thou art mindful of Him?" What indeed!

We must consider God the creator of the universe including the plants, the Milky Way, the moon and stars, and all forms of life. Man being supreme in nature also does wonders. Even God would be without meaning if it were not for man and his intellect. Yet what a question mark when we consider His shortcoming on so many occasions.

"Remember when charity was a virtue, and not an organization.?"

Trouble To Yourself

Are you too much trouble to yourself? Do you take yourself too seriously, or do you just drift along the easy way with little concern?

There are different ways to consider yourself. You may be motivated by personal pride or just by ordinary habits, doing things that arouse the interest of others, or out of curiosity concerning the way you have of doing things that have a bearing on other people's lives.

Visualize if you will, a ragged hillbilly watching a man at a tourist court making use of a comb and brush, a toothbrush and nail file, and a whisk broom and shoe polish. The hillbilly boy finally, as he scratched his head, asked, "Hey Mister, are you always that much trouble to yourself?"

How much trouble are you to yourself? It is wise to have concern about appearance, all the while knowing there is a time and/or place for all things. Try to look your best on all occasions without too much public display. Be of service to others in a helpful manner without becoming subject to criticism.

Your body is "fearfully and wonderfully made" the Bible tells us; so you do not need to exercise too much trouble about yourself.

Have you thought of how wonderful your body really is? You become hungry and your appetite calls for food. You supply food of various kinds according to your taste. At once, the chemistry of your body begins to prepare the food for immediate use, exercising little thought on your part. In the process of time, common food is converted into flesh and bones, hair, skin, and nails; including blood, lymph glands, organs, and nerves with NO real trouble to yourself. It's nature's way of doing things, simple as that.

Be good to yourself without being too personal and others will love you as much as you love yourself.

Types of Auto Medical Payments Coverage

The following are types of Medical Payments (MED-PAY) Coverage that many consumers are NOT aware of. Worth the time to read and subsequently follow-up with your insurance agent. Could save thousands of dollars in the future.

"Non-reimbursable, Non-excess Med-pay" is coverage that many refer to as the last ''true med-pay", and is the type that would have been part of a "full-coverage" package many years ago. There is no repayment obligation by the consumer, and the applicability of coverage is independent of health insurance benefits. It is the most expensive of the medical payments coverage, but the added cost is not, by any means substantial. It is not uncommon for the coverage to cost $ 5-10 per $ 1,000.00 of coverage, over a six-month period. This is the type of coverage that you should have, as a consumer, and what we advise our patients to purchase.

"Reimbursable Med-pay" marks the first in the deviation from the type of Med-pay that was typically provided, and is one level lower on the scale of desired coverage. The reimbursement is described by many names, such as "Third Party Liability", "TPL", "subrogation" or "contractual reimbursement." All of these names have been used interchangeably to detail the concept that the original payor of the bills is due to receive a refund of amounts paid, from settlement or judgement against the responsible party, due to the fact that its policyholder was not at fault for the incident. The way this typically works, is that the med-pay insurer pays the bills as deemed reasonable and necessary, up to the limits of coverage. The insurer then has a claim against the settlement proceeds, or award of judgement, pertaining to the case of the policyholder. Upon settlement or judgement, the policyholder is required to pay the first funds of settlement back to the pay or of the med-pay benefits. This can cause friction between doctor and patient, and may ultimately lead to the possible destruction of the doctor-patient relationship, when it is perceived that the doctor received more money in his pocket than the patient, when the patient "was the one that was injured."

"Excess Med-pay" is the first in a series of coverage that many consumer groups feel represents illusory coverage. "Excess" refers to amounts of medical care that exceed that which the policyholder's health insurance will cover. Because of the status of the law, many carriers are refusing to consider billing above any contractual rate between the facility rendering care, and the health insurer. So, in essence, if you have health insurance and the facility is contracted with the health insurer, there cannot be excess, so therefore you have no med-pay, although you are paying for it. Most excess coverage also carries a reimbursement obligation; therefore, in the event the carrier does pay anything, they receive the amounts they paid as reimbursement. Further complicating this coverage, and giving further support for the allegations that the coverage is illusory, is the fact that without health insurance, many policies are subject to a deductible. Often times, the deductible, or "retention" is 40% of the coverage amount.

"Modified, or Coordinated Med-pay" further represents coverage which may be classified as illusory. The "Modification" or "Coordination" is between the health insurer and med-pay carrier, thus acting as excess med-pay. There is one little difference, separating the two; however, in that it pays only a percentage of the excess amounts, after the policyholder first pays a deductible. The same problems persist as with "excess" coverage, in that if there is health insurance the insurer may refuse to honor any amounts in excess of what was paid by the health insurer.

Caveats to Medical Payments Coverage

Insurance companies have been known to arbitrarily change your coverage from "Non-reimbursable" to "Reimbursable," and from "Non-excess" to "Excess." You should take the time to review any notices sent to you by your insurer, which reflect "changes to your automobile policy" and immediately reject any non-requested changes.

"Always better to have the correct coverage and not need it, than to need it and not have it."

Holiday Stress

For some people, the holidays bring unwelcome guests, stress and depression. And it's no wonder. In an effort to pull off a perfect Hallmark holiday, you might find yourself facing a dizzying array of demands, work, parties, shopping, baking, cleaning, caring for elderly parents or kids on school break, and scores of other chores. So much for peace and joy, right?

Actually, with some practical tips, you can minimize the stress and depression that often accompany the holidays. You may even end up enjoying the holidays more than you thought you would.

The trigger points of holiday stress
Holiday stress and depression are often the result of three main trigger points. Understanding these trigger points can help you plan ahead on how to accommodate them.

Here are the three areas that commonly trigger holiday stress or depression:

Relationships. Relationships can cause turmoil, conflict or stress at any time. But tensions are often heightened during the holidays. Family misunderstandings and conflict can intensify, especially if you're all thrust together for several days. Conflicts are bound to arise with so many needs and interests to accommodate. On the other hand, if you're facing the holidays without a loved one, you may find yourself especially lonely or sad.

Finances. Like your relationships, your financial situation can cause stress at any time of the year. Overspending during the holidays on gifts, travel, food and entertainment can increase stress as you try to make ends meet while ensuring that everyone on your gift list is happy.

Physical demands. The strain of shopping, attending social gatherings and preparing holiday meals can wipe you out. Feeling exhausted increases your stress, creating a vicious cycle. Exercise and sleep, good antidotes for stress and fatigue, may take a back seat to chores and errands. High demands, stress, lack of exercise, and overindulgence in food and drink, these are all ingredients for holiday illness.

12 preemptive strategies for holiday stress
When stress is at its peak, it's hard to stop and regroup. Take steps to help prevent normal holiday depression from progressing into chronic depression. Try these tips:

• Acknowledge your feelings. If a loved one has recently died or you aren't near your loved ones, realize that it's normal to feel sadness or grief. It's OK now and then to take time just to cry or express your feelings. You can't force yourself to be happy just because it's the holiday season.

• Seek support. If you feel isolated or down, seek out family members and friends, or community, religious or social services. They can offer support and companionship. Consider volunteering at a community or religious function.

• Getting involved and helping others can lift your spirits and broaden your social circle. Also, enlist support for organizing holiday gatherings, as well as meal preparation and cleanup. You don't have to go it alone. Don't be a martyr.

• Be realistic. As families change and grow, traditions often change as well. Hold on to those you can and want to. But understand in some cases that may no longer be possible. Perhaps your entire extended family can't gather together at your house. Instead, find new ways to celebrate together from afar, such as sharing pictures, e-mails or videotapes.

• Set differences aside. Try to accept family members and friends as they are, even if they don't live up to all your expectations. Set aside grievances until a more appropriate time for discussion. With stress and activity levels high, the holidays might not be conducive to making quality time for relationships. And be understanding if others get upset or distressed when something goes awry. Chances are, they're feeling the effects of holiday stress, too.

• Stick to a budget. Before you go shopping, decide how much money you can afford to spend on gifts and other items. Then be sure to stick to your budget. If you don't, you could feel anxious and tense for months afterward as you struggle to pay the bills. Don't try to buy happiness with an avalanche of gifts. Donate to a charity in someone's name, give homemade gifts or start a family gift exchange.

• Plan ahead. Set aside specific days for shopping, baking, visiting friends and other activities. Plan your menus and then make one big food-shopping trip. That'll help prevent a last-minute scramble to buy forgotten ingredients — and you'll have time to make another pie, if the first one's a flop. Allow extra time for travel so that delays won't worsen your stress.

• Learn to say no. Believe it or not, people will understand if you can't do certain projects or activities. If you say yes only to what you really want to do, you'll avoid feeling resentful and overwhelmed. If it's really not possible to say no when your boss asks you to work overtime, try to remove something else from your agenda to make up for the lost time.

• Don't abandon healthy habits. Don't let the holidays become a dietary free-for-all. Some indulgence is OK, but overindulgence only adds to your stress and guilt. Have a healthy snack before holiday parties so that you don't go overboard on sweets, cheese or drinks. Continue to get plenty of sleep and schedule time for physical activity.

• Take a breather. Make some time for yourself. Spending just 15 minutes alone, without distractions, may refresh you enough to handle everything you need to do. Steal away to a quiet place, even if it's the bathroom, for a few moments of solitude. Take a walk at night and stargaze. Listen to soothing music. Find something that clears your mind, slows your breathing and restores your calm.

• Rethink resolutions. Resolutions can set you up for failure if they're unrealistic. Don't resolve to change your whole life to make up for past excess. Instead, try to return to basic, healthy lifestyle routines. Set smaller, more specific goals with a reasonable time frame. Choose only those resolutions that help you feel valuable and provide more than only fleeting moments of happiness.

• Forget about perfection. Holiday TV specials are filled with happy endings. But in real life, people don't usually resolve problems within an hour or two. Something always comes up. You may get stuck late at the office and miss your daughter's school play, your sister may dredge up an old argument, you may forget to put nuts in the cake, and your mother may criticize how you and your partner are raising the kids. All in the same day. Expect and accept imperfections.

• Seek professional help if you need it. Despite your best efforts, you may find yourself feeling persistently sad or anxious, plagued by physical complaints, unable to sleep, irritable and hopeless, and unable to face routine chores. If these feelings last for several weeks, talk to your doctor or a mental health professional. You may have depression.

Have it both ways
Remember, one key to minimizing holiday stress and depression is knowing that the holidays can trigger stress and depression. Accept that things aren't always going to go as planned. Then take active steps to manage stress and depression during the holidays. You may actually enjoy the holidays this year more than you thought you could.

Gum And Your Teeth

Is chewing gum good for your teeth? The medical answer is quite simple.

When you chew gum, you produce more saliva. If you chew gum after you eat, the extra saliva can neutralize and wash away the acid that's produced when food breaks down in your mouth. This can help prevent tooth decay. The minerals in the extra saliva can even strengthen the hard, outer surface of your teeth (enamel).

It's important to choose gum carefully, however. The American Dental Association (ADA) recommends sugarless gum. In fact, several types of sugarless gum even bear the ADA Seal of Acceptance.

Sugared gum also increases saliva production, but the sugar in the gum may contribute to tooth decay.

"Being successful is about professionalism, and chewing gum is unprofessional."

Causes of Irritability

Fatigue
If adequate sleep is Beauty, then inadequate and/or poor sleep is surely the Beast. The health consequences of poor sleep aside, restless nights can lead to crankiness the likes of which have rarely been seen.

The Solution: Make sure you get not only enough sleep every night; ensure that it's restful sleep with the right mattress, pillow, lighting (lack thereof) and preparation.


Stress
Stress manifests in many ways, but irritability is perhaps the most common symptom. Stressed about your job, the screaming kids, the unpaid bills, your lack of motivation to hit the gym, or any number of other life challenges? Irritability can't be far behind.

The Solution: Manage stress by discussing it, dealing with it proactively and taking control; anything but avoiding it.


Hunger
Irritability that comes on like a wave and doesn't have any other obvious cause (like those above) could be due to hunger. Face facts:  People don't eat often enough, and when they do, it's high-GI foods that rush into your bloodstream and rush right back out, leaving you tired and hungry.

The Solution: Eat small, frequent meals high in complex carbs that fuel your whole day.

Veteran's Day Suggestions

I was taken last week by the overwhelming respect and gratitude shown by the Dana Hills High School's student body, and especially by the athletes and their genuine sincerity for the evening. I was one of 73 nominated veterans for the Honor the Valor ceremonies. It included a pre-game dinner sponsored by Chick-fil-A, a pre-game band honoring the veterans, a half time show that was themed patriotic, and following the game - a jersey presentation by a player who wore our name on that jersey during the game. My player was Tommy Bortnick.

Some suggestions I read some years ago have justifiable meaning regarding a veteran you may encounter. It goes something like this .... and it's the way most of us feel deeply about.

• Please don't ask us if we killed anyone in combat, or even be snide about it. It's difficult enough speaking to our spouses and family members, let alone strangers.
• Thanking us for our service is greatly appreciated.
• Please don't get into political opinions regarding our service. In our minds eye, it cheapens the meaning of a best friend who died protecting those same opinions. Sometimes it's just a good idea to keep your opinions to yourself. We are simply proud to have served.
• Far too many of us have PTSD. Should you witness us acting anxious or moving away from crowds, turning our backs to the walls, or even fidgeting, simple kindness and understanding would be most appreciated. We often need breathing room with conversations about something interesting.
• As with many of us who has a disability, please do not stare. Veterans can be sensitive about scars or injuries, and really don't wish to rewind the experience by questions asked. And remember, many of the injuries are not visible, thus be sensitive enough NOT to challenge it.

Many of us with disabilities appreciate light conversation and assistance if we look like we are in need. As for myself ... I'm damn proud to have served!

"To be a veteran one must know and determine one's price for freedom."

Water or Coke

                                                                 

WATER

1. 75% of Americans are chronically dehydrated.

2. In 37% of Americans, the thirst mechanism is so weak that it is often mistaken for hunger.

3 Even MILD dehydration will slow down one's metabolism as much as 3%.

4. One glass of water will shut down midnight hunger pangs for almost 100% of the dieters studied in a University of Washington study.

5. Lack of water: the #1 trigger of daytime fatigue.

6. Preliminary research indicates that 8‑10 glasses of water a day could significantly ease back and joint pain for up to 80% of sufferers.

7. A mere 2% drop in body water can trigger fuzzy short‑term memory, trouble with basic math, and difficulty focusing on the computer screen or on a printed page.

8. Drinking 5 glasses of water daily decreases the risk of colon cancer by 45%, plus it can slash the risk of breast cancer by 79%, and one is 50% less likely to develop bladder cancer.

And now for the properties of COKE:

1. In many states (in the USA) the highway patrol carries two gallons of coke in the truck to remove blood from the highway after a car accident.

2. You can put a T‑bone steak in a bowl of Coke and it will be gone in two days.

3. To clean a toilet: Pour a can of Coca‑Cola into the toilet bowl and let the "real thing" sit for one hour, then flush clean. The citric acid in Coke removes stains from vitreous China.

4. To remove rust spots from chrome car bumpers: Rub the bumper with a rumpled‑up piece of Reynolds Wrap aluminum foil dipped in Coca‑Cola.

5. To clean corrosion from car battery terminals: Pour a can of Coca‑Cola over the terminals to bubble away the corrosion.

6. To loosen a rusted bolt: Applying a cloth soaked in Coca‑Cola to the rusted bolt for several minutes.

7. To bake a moist ham: Empty a can of Coca‑Cola into the baking pan, wrap the ham in aluminum foil, and bake. Thirty minutes before the ham is finished, remove the foil, allowing the drippings to mix with the Coke for a sumptuous brown gravy.

8. To remove grease from clothes: Empty a can of coke into a load of greasy clothes, add detergent, and run through a regular cycle. The Coca‑Cola will help loosen grease stains.

9. It will also clean road haze from your windshield.

SOME HARD FACTS

 

1. The active ingredient in Coke is phosphoric acid. Its pH is 2.8. It will dissolve a nail in about 4 days. Phosphoric acid also leaches calcium from bones and is a major contributor to the rising increase in osteoporosis.

2. To carry Coca‑Cola syrup (the concentrate) the commercial truck must use the Hazardous material place cards reserved for Highly corrosive materials.

3. The distributors of Coke have been using it to clean the engines of their trucks for about 20 years!

Now the question is, would you like a coke or a glass of water?

Abusive Childhood Can Ruin Your Adulthood

Those who were physically or sexually abused as children are twice as likely to have C-reactive protein (a measure of inflammation) in their blood, which could be one reason that abused children have a higher incidence of heart disease and diabetes as adults. These results were obtained by monitoring 1,000 people in New Zealand from birth to the age of 32. Stress-creating factors were measured, and they were tested for levels of inflammation associated with heart disease.

Inflammation is a natural response to physical trauma, but psychological stress can also trigger inflammation. Constant triggering could reduce someone's ability to produce inflammation-suppressing glucocorticoid hormones. That could, in turn, eventually lead to an increased risk of heart disease, stroke, and other illnesses.

Negative emotions can do a great deal of harm to your physical health, including increasing C-reactive protein levels, a sure sign of heart disease and just as lethal as having high amounts of LDL cholesterol. In fact, there are many ways in which negative emotions can shorten your life. In contrast, positive emotions can make a difference in your blood pressure readings and your ability to heal.

This is merely further confirmation for something that any astute clinician can confirm. Many doctors experience that nearly all serious autoimmune diseases, including multiple sclerosis, rheumatoid arthritis, inflammatory bowel disease and chronic fatigue syndrome, have at one of their foundational roots some time of severe emotional childhood trauma that was never fully compensated for.

Children are a product of their environment. Negative emotions are like vibrations that ripple through a pond. Yes, working on the child is important, but if you look at how they have learned their behaviors, it stems back to the parents.

"Children believe what their parents show them and tell them."

Eye Floaters

Eye floaters, or muscae volitantes, Latin for “hovering flies", are those tiny, oddly shaped objects that sometimes appear in your vision, most often when you’re looking at the sky on a sunny day. They look like spots, or a squishy little amoeba, and drift aimlessly around in your field of vision. Try to get a fix on one, though, and it seems to disappear.

Floaters aren’t just optical illusions. You’re really seeing them, and they’re actually in your eye, not just on it or in front of it. The weird little squiggles are pieces of the vitreous humor, the fluid that fills the eye, breaking off and then floating about in your eyeball.

A little gross, I know, but completely normal. The vitreous humor fills the gap between your retina and lens and helps maintain the round shape of your eye. It’s made up of water bound up in a little hyaluronic acid and collagen. When you’re young, it’s thick and gel-like, but as you age, the hyaluronic acid network breaks down and releases the trapped water molecules. As this happens, the core of the vitreous humor becomes more watery and little bits of undissolved gel break off and slowly drift around. When light passes through the eye, the shadows of these pieces are thrown up on your retina and you perceive them as floaters.

Since floaters, well, float, their paths generally follow the motion of the eye. This makes looking right at them difficult, and when you shift your gaze towards them, they often move and stay at the edges. They don’t always float, though, and many of them will sink towards the bottom of the eyeball. To get a good look at them, just lie down looking up at a clear sky. Some of the floaters will settle near the fovea, a small area that sits at the back center of your eye and is responsible for your sharp central vision. The lack of movement and the even, textureless background makes it easy to scope them out and watch the blobs bob around a little.

For the most part, floaters are nothing to worry about, just a sign that you’re not a kid anymore. The sudden appearance of a lot of floaters combined with the onset of other eye weirdness, like flashes of light or blurriness or loss of peripheral vision, could indicate a problem, though. Sometimes, floaters are a symptom of the vitreous humor pulling away from the retina, a retinal tear, or the abnormal growth of blood vessels in the eye. If your floaters cross the line from curiosity to nuisance, it’s time to give the eye doctor a call.

"Just open your eyes and see the beauty in life."

Tennis & Golf Elbow

Many of my patients are taking advantage of the warm weather and spending increased time outdoors. It’s no surprise that some of my patients are making appointments based on sprains, strains and tennis and/or golf elbow. These issues crop up after too much exertion on weaker muscle groups.

Tennis/golf elbow does affect roughly 40 percent of all players, but the condition is not limited to those who spend time on the court or golf course. Manual workers, those who use a keyboard frequently or those who conduct repetitive tasks with their hands are all at risk for developing the condition.

Pain stemming from tennis/golf elbow is not always felt in the patient’s elbow, which can lead to confusing and misappropriated resources when treating the condition.

Many of my patients complain of neck stiffness or nerve irritation, but largely the symptoms for tennis and golf elbow include tenderness over the bony epicondyle and trigger points in the wrist/forearm muscles. Keep in mind that referred pain can also mask a cervical neck issue. The most common neck joint that refers to your lateral elbow is C5/6, which transmit their pain signals along the radial nerve. It’s important to remember that the radial nerve can also be a source of referred pain from reduced neural mobility.

Minimizing pain while rebuilding muscle strength should be the source of progress in regards to treating tennis/golf elbow. In recent years, there has been ample evidence shown that tennis/golf elbow is not a product of inflammation from overused tendons as previously thought. Part of the treatment plan includes educating the patient about the root causes of tennis/golf elbow so that the patient whose lifestyle or daily habits include risk for a chronic condition can augment activities to be better protected long term.

“Muscle activation facilitates healing - that’s how the healing begins. Stillness is the true enemy,” states Gary Reinl, author of Iced!

The Illusionary Treatment Option, says of muscle stimulation or as some call it, active recovery.

Reinl, a sports medicine consultant, relies on electrotherapeutic stimulation treatments to proactively support injuries like tennis or golf elbow while maximizing treatment outcomes.

“Activity recovery is the answer (ARITA) — controlled movement can help solve the problem and that’s where muscle stimulation comes in,” Reinl says. “Inactivity and over-icing will shut off the signals that alert to potentially harmful movements and put patients at the risk of more damage."

"Activity heals - inactivity creates more problems."

A Paradox Of Our Time

An observation:

The paradox of our time in history is that we have taller buildings but shorter tempers, wider Freeways, but narrower viewpoints. We spend more, but have less, we buy more, but enjoy less. We have bigger houses and smaller families, more conveniences, but less time. We have more degrees but less sense, more knowledge, but less judgment, more experts, yet more problems, more medicine, but less wellness.

We drink too much, smoke too much, spend too recklessly, laugh too little, drive too fast, get too angry, stay up too late, get up too tired, read too little, watch TV too much, and pray too seldom.

We have multiplied our possessions, but reduced our values. We talk too much, love too seldom, and hate too often.

We've learned how to make a living, but not a life. We've added years to life not life to years. We've been all the way to the moon and back, but have trouble crossing the street to meet a new neighbor. We conquered outer space but not inner space. We've done larger things, but not better things.

We've cleaned up the air, but polluted the soul. We've conquered the atom, but not our prejudice. We write more, but learn less. We plan more, but accomplish less. We've learned to rush, but not to wait. We build more computers to hold more information, to produce more copies than ever, but we communicate less and less.

These are the times of fast foods and slow digestion, big men and small character, steep profits and shallow relationships. These are the days of two incomes but more divorce, fancier houses, but broken homes. These are days of quick trips, disposable diapers, throwaway morality, one night stands, overweight bodies, and pills that do everything from cheer, to quiet, to kill. It is a time when there is much in the showroom window and nothing in the stockroom.

Remember to spend some time with your loved ones, because they are not going to be around forever.

Remember, say a kind word to someone who looks up to you in awe, because that little person soon will grow up and leave your side.

Remember, to give a warm hug to the one next to you, because that is the only treasure you can give with your heart and it doesn't cost a cent.

Remember, to say, 'I love you' to your partner and your loved ones, but most of all mean it. A kiss and an embrace will mend hurt when it comes from deep inside of you.

Remember to hold hands and cherish the moment for someday that person will not be there again.

Give time to love, give time to speak! And give time to share the precious thoughts in your mind.

And always remember, life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by those moments that take our breath away.

-Attributed to George Carlin 

Eye Exercises Help

When it comes to exercise, people all too often focus all their efforts into the body core and forget to exercise their eyes. We must remember that as we age our "focus" becomes an event that introduces poor vision and subsequent glasses into our lives.

Below are a few examples of eye exercises that may prevent an early departure from excellent sight.

*Changing Focus
Hold a magazine or book as close to your eyes as possible without the print becoming blurred. Focus on the words for 15 seconds. Then, look at an object at least 10 feet away and focus on that. Refocus on the magazine; then refocus again on the distant object. Repeat five times. This exercise helps build stamina so you don't experience eye fatigue as often when working on close tasks.

*Eye "Push Ups"
Hold a pencil at arm's length in front of your face. Slowly move it toward your nose, holding your focus at the same spot on the pencil. The objective is to bring the pencil to the tip of your nose before you see a double image of the pencil. This exercise strengthens the "convergence ability" of your eyes (that is, the ability of both eyes to aim at the same task), which helps prevent eyestrain and may eliminate the "floating print" that can occur when your eyes are tired.

*Eye rolls
Close your eyes. Slowly roll your eyes in a complete circle; then move them from left to right. Repeat this exercise three times. This improves blood and oxygen flow to your eyes.

*Palming & Cupping
Note: If you wear contact lenses, remove them before trying this exercise. Close your eyes. Place the base of your palms over your eyes and press gently for a few seconds. Then cup your hands and place them over your open eyes. Look into your cupped palms as you slowly breathe in and out through your nose for 30 seconds. This exercise relaxes tired eyes.

*Blinking or Yawning
Both actions produce tears to help moisten and lubricate the eyes.

"As long as I've got my eyesight, I'm not going to stop."

Benzene In Soft Drinks

The FDA has acknowledged that benzene, a carcinogen, has been found in U.S. soft drinks at four times the limit considered safe for drinking water.

This contradicts earlier FDA statements that the levels of benzene were insignificant. Organizations such as the Environmental Working Group have accused the FDA of concealing information about benzene in soft drinks.  Benzene has been linked to leukemia. It can form in soft drinks made with vitamin C and sodium or potassium benzoate.

Beverage Daily.Com  April 19, 2006

Many do not realize that today sodas are the leading source of calories in America. This is a tragic commentary on American dietary habits. Additionally, diet drinks do NOT cause weight loss, but invariably will actually DOUBLE your risks of obesity. This new report is not surprising as extremely high levels of benzene were found in soft drinks distributed in France and the UK. This shouldn't be a big surprise to the soft drink industry, considering how long they've known about the chemical reaction that produces benzene.

But despite that, manufacturers have been putting vitamin C (ascorbic acid) back into their products lately, hoping parents will be fooled into buying vitamin‑C‑enhanced "health drinks" that give the appearance of being far healthier than they actually are.

But benzene is just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to soft drinks. One of the simplest changes you can make to optimize your health is to start the process to stop drinking soda immediately. This is especially important if you are consuming diet sodas, as they are FAR more toxic than regular sodas.

If you are consuming large amounts soda you will want to gradually reduce it to minimize your withdrawal symptoms, which can be quite severe if you are consuming caffeinated sodas.

If you really want to do what's best for your health, stick to pure water as your beverage of choice.

Life Is About Choices

As I enter the winter of my life, I wonder of tales told of how your life flashes before you in those final moments. Presume for a moment seeing your life history is real, and that you will see your life unfold from youth to the end point. I've often wondered how mine would visualized.

Most people believe that their lives were born of circumstances, influenced by fate and created and controlled by family or the workplace. They even believe that they are not important, only a victim of the times.

I've been taught that life is not something that merely happens to you, it is something that you do! Life is not given to us to be endured, but to be lived! Often times I wish I adhered more to that philosophy.

We are unique among all the creatures on earth by being able to direct and control our lives and decide our own fate. Our thoughts and actions are not predetermined by blind instinct. They are of free will and free choices. We can choose to be different or we can choose to remain the same. We can grow and develop into anything we wish, or we can choose to remain stagnate. We can, at any time, choose new paths or we can tread the familiar, safe and uninspiring ground of tradition.

Life is always a series of choices. We can choose to let life drift along with no direction, plan or goals. Sometimes we wander and allow chance to take hold, only to find out that was a bad decision, usually based upon emotion. Or, you can choose where you wish to go, program your life with a plan and objective in mind directed at your ultimate target. The power to choose can be either fulfilling achievements or chasing rainbows.

You, at any time, can choose to change or rearrange their life. Should you follow that decision with positive action and effort, you can accomplish that change. It begins with thought ...

"There are no mistakes in life. Love yourself, trust your choices, and everything is possible."