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SCOTUS Nominee Gorsuch Could have Impact on Medical Industry

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In 1986, then President Ronald Reagan nominated a member of the US Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit to fill the Supreme Court seat of Justice William Rehnquist. The nominee was 50-year-old Antonin Scalia, who was known as a strong conservative. He was also said to be an originalist and textualist, meaning that he strongly adhered to the US Constitution and the meaning intended by the Framers who wrote our founding document.

Scalia served on the high court for nearly thirty years. During that time, he was considered to be the champion of conservative jurisprudence. He fought for the America our Founding Fathers established. He didn’t try to make it into anything different like so many liberal judges are trying to do these days.

When Scalia died suddenly, it was a shock to the conservative half of America. He was the counterbalance of the ultra-liberal rulings of Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, who many had hoped would leave the high court long before Scalia.

After placing two more ultra-liberals on the Supreme Court, Barack Obama was ready to do so again. However, knowing that he would never get the Republican controlled Senate to confirm another ultra-liberal, he tried to nominate someone he felt was more of a moderate – Judge Merrick Garland of the US Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit. As we all know, the GOP Senate refused to hold confirmation hearings on Garland or any nominee until after the election.

Now, the responsibility of replacing Scalia on the high bench has fallen on President Donald Trump who appointed 49-year-old Judge Neil Gorsuch. In 2006, then President George W. Bush appointed Gorsuch to the US Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit, located in Denver, Colorado.

According to the Washington Post:

“Our analysis suggests that if confirmed, Gorsuch might be the most conservative justice on the Supreme Court.”

A Gorsuch confirmation could also have an impact on the medical industry. According to the Star Tribune:

“But one of the most strongly expressed opinions Gorsuch would bring to the nation’s highest judicial body is a belief that federal law protects medical device makers from lawsuits filed by patients injured by their products.”

“As an appeals court judge in the U.S. 10th Circuit, Gorsuch wrote an important 2015 opinion that denied a woman the right to sue Medtronic for injuries she said were caused by the company’s improper off-label promotion of its Infuse bone graft…”

“In the Caplinger opinion, Gorsuch asserted: ‘Nothing depends on whether the plaintiff seeks to use state law to impose requirements for off-label uses or on-label uses. Rather, by its terms, the statute pre-empts any effort to use state law to impose a new requirement on a federally approved medical device’.”

“Gorsuch added that ‘a state’s judgment that a device is unsafe for a particular off-label use could require design changes that adversely affect the device’s safety for on-label uses’.”

“Having a Supreme Court justice who takes such an approach is good news for the medical device industry, which employs tens of thousands of workers in Minnesota and is home to one of the country’s most robust medical technology sectors, said John Dornik, an attorney at the Minneapolis firm of Siegel Brill, who also teaches product liability at the University of Minnesota.”

Some may look on this as a negative from the patient point of view, but others look on it as a positive for the medical device industry and a boon for jobs and medical research. One thing is for sure, if confirmed Neil Gorsuch could and probably will have an impact on the medical industry for years to come.

Your Health Skeletons May Come Back to Haunt You

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Everyone has some sort of skeletons hidden away in the closets of their past. Things they’ve done, said, should have done or didn’t do that they don’t want anyone to know about or hide from themselves. Some call it guilt. Others chalk it up to that embarrassing and sometimes uncontrollable time in our lives called youth or our teen years.

Some of these skeletons we hide away may have been something we did that was illegal or just wrong. A sin which we are now ashamed of. Some may be bad habits that we finally grew out of or changed. They tell us that with age comes wisdom, but we’ve all met some people that seem to defy getting any wiser as they grow older.

If someone asked you about the skeletons in your closet, would you even consider the fact that they may be talking about health-related skeletons? How many of you ever consider the fact that these health-related skeletons of our past may have a significant influence on our future health?

Obviously, one of the first skeletons most people think of is smoking. Did you smoke in your youth or sometime in your past, but quit? Did you know that how long your smoked and how long ago you quit may still be affecting your health today or in the future? Ask yourself if you quit smoking over a decade earlier if you are safe now? According to a report released by Fox News:

“You smoked a pack a day a decade ago
Safe: (Eh, almost.) It’s better if you never did. But kicking the habit before age 39 cut men and women’s smoking-associated risk of death from any cause by 90 percent in a 2013 study published in the New England Journal of Medicine. That’s the equivalent of nine extra years to pile candles on your birthday cake.”

What about your lack of activity? What if you were lazy or married to your desk job and just didn’t have time to exercise? What if you were a couch potato?

“Your butt used to be glued to your couch
Safe: A 2014 study published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine found that when older adults logged just one moderate or vigorous exercise session per week, they were three and four times, respectively, more likely to age healthfully — even if they used to be complete couch potatoes.”

What about your sleeping habits? The news has been filled for years with reports of how important it to your health to get enough sleep every night, but could your lack of enough sleep be one of your health skeletons hiding in your closet?

“You skimped on shut-eye regularly
Safe: Sleep deprivation is no joke. “You’re taking away vital energy that your brain needs to properly function,” Peterson, who also works with the digital health platform Zocdoc, told Fox News. “But luckily, most of the effects quickly disappear after giving your body the time it needs —and deserves — to rest and repair,” she said. The National Sleep Foundation recommends adults younger than 65 aim for seven to nine hours per night.”

Trust me, I know firsthand the effects of too little sleep. Between living in constant pain and having 3 distinct sleep disorders, I feel extremely fortunate if I get between 4-5 hours sleep a night. It’s generally closer to around 3 hours of sleep in an 8-hour period. Consequently, I feel like I have chronic fatigue. I can fall asleep very easy but I can’t stay asleep. A result of my sleep deprivation and chronic pain has resulted in a suppressed immune system, leaving me susceptible to far too many of the illnesses that sweep through the area.

What about stress in your life? Is stress something you used to have, but have finally gotten away from it and hid it in your health closet?

“You let stress build up
Not safe: Unfortunately, getting keyed up from even minor things can drag down your health a decade or two in the future, a 2014 study in the Annals of Behavioral Medicine suggests. However, having a better perspective on those stresses — not letting them bother you — can mitigate those ill effects.”

There are other health skeletons hidden in many closets that can have a direct impact on your current and future health. Too much exposure to the sun or use of tanning beds may have left your skin with enough damage that years down the road can develop into skin cancer.

Diet is another big skeleton in many health closets. Regardless if you are overweight, underweight or perfect weight, your past diet may still have an impact on your future health. Like those salty fries, potato chips and popcorn? If you have or are susceptible to high blood pressure, you need to consider cutting your salt intake as that has a direct impact on your blood pressure which can lead to other serious and fatal conditions.

“You loved your BBQ and burgers
Tie: Loading up on red meat is linked to weight gain and developing diabetes. However, over a four-year period, reducing red meat consumption by at least a half serving per day can drop your likelihood of the disease by 14 percent, a 2014 study published in JAMA Internal Medicine suggests. Peterson advised eating no more than 15 ounces of red meat per week.”

“You considered cookies a food group
Safe: Unfortunately, the sugar industry has historically downplayed the health effects of sugar, research reveals. And while eating too much of the sweet stuff can boost your odds of dying from heart disease by nearly threefold, according to a 2014 study in JAMA Internal Medicine, other research from 2015, in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism suggests you can undo some of the metabolic damage in a week or so of cutting down your consumption.”

Eventually, our past habits, those health skeletons in our closets, may and often to come back to haunt us in the future. What skeletons are in your closet? Are there any that you can eliminate? If not, what can you do now to try to keep them in the closet as long as possible?

See your doctor and get regular check-ups. Be honest with him or her because the more they know of your skeletons, the better they will be able to help you keep them there or help you deal with the ones that won’t stay hidden.

Some of my health skeletons came back to haunt me. I let myself get very overweight, knowing there is a family history of Type 2 diabetes. Once I was diagnosed as having the same, I stayed on a diabetic diet for a while but then stopped. After nearly 2 years of not watching what and how much I was eating, I ended up in the hospital with a severe bout of vertigo. I found out that my blood glucose and blood pressure levels were dangerously high. Once I got home, I took action and made changes. With my doctor’s supervision, I went on a strict diet and began walking 1-2 times a day. I lost over 80pouds, brought my blood pressure and blood glucose levels down and my last A1-C was below the diabetic level.

Democrats Blast Republicans for Trying to Fix Their Disastrous Healthcare System

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Photo: cbsnews.com

For reasons, completely unknown, the Democrats decided to tap former Kentucky Governor Steve Beshear to deliver the liberal party’s rebuttal to Trump’s address to Congress. With many prominent Democrats in Washington DC, it was more than a surprise to learn that Beshear was chosen for the sacred honor of ripping the President’s address to shreds. Perhaps one reason is the Beshear is a devout Obamanite disciple and did everything his master asked him to do.

Ask yourself why would the Democrats choose someone who just lost his political office to a Republican political novice who sounds a lot like Donald Trump? Republican Matt Bevin is a businessman who, like Trump, opposed many of the bureaucratic dictates of the Obama administration and defeated Democrat Jack Conway by a 511,374 to 426,620 vote margin.

Steve Beshear was elected governor of Kentucky in 2007. He had a big political following in the good ole boy state since he served in the state House of Representatives, state Attorney General and Lieutenant Governor. Once Barack Obama was elected, Beshear quickly made it known that he supported Obama’s socialist agenda 150%.

He couldn’t wait to implement Obamacare in Kentucky. When he was selected to be the mouthpiece for the Democratic slander of President Trump, Beshear was touted as being a champion of Obamacare in his state. All the media outlets bragged about how Beshear’s implementation of Obamacare lowered the state’s uninsured rate from 20% to 7.5%.

What they didn’t report is how much that was costing Kentucky taxpayers and how some people in Kentucky still could not afford the outrageous premiums associated with Obamacare.

After only a month in office, Bevin announced that he had put a plan in motion to transition from a state healthcare exchange program to using the federal exchange. In his statement, he stated that it makes no sense to pay twice for the same thing, meaning that those of us in Kentucky are paying taxes to support the federal exchange program and we pay state taxes to support the state exchange program. That’s an example of the failed economic plans of the Democrat Party.

Perhaps another reason so many people in Kentucky were able to get healthcare coverage under Obamacare is that they were able to qualify for the federal subsidy. We live in Kentucky and know of a number of residents who were able to purchase healthcare coverage only because they qualified for a federal subsidy. Every one of them said that without the federal subsidy, they would not be able to afford coverage because the costs were so high.

How high are the costs of Obamacare in Kentucky? My wife has a heart valve issue that is controlled with medication. I have Type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure and am overweight. When we priced an Obamacare policy in the Blue Grass State, we were shocked at the high price. The cheapest plan we could find was a bronze tier plan that had a $4,000 deductible and once that was met, would only pay 60% of covered expenses, which really equates to paying less than 50% of medical costs. How much did this great healthcare policy cost? $816 a month or nearly $10,000 a year. That’s like making a second mortgage payment each month for a plan that would still cost us thousands of dollars out of pocket.

Speaking from a diner in Louisville, Beshear stated:

“Even more troubling is that you and your Republican allies in Congress seem determined to rip affordable health insurance away from millions of Americans who most need it.

“So far, every Republican idea to ‘replace’ the Affordable Care Act would reduce the number of Americans covered, despite promises to the contrary.”

Oh really? Didn’t Obama promise that everyone in America would be covered under the Affordable Care Act? Didn’t Obama promise that the Affordable Care Act would lower the costs of healthcare insurance and increase the benefits, services and options everyone would have.

Millions of Americans lost their healthcare insurance under Obama. Millions saw their premiums skyrocket while the benefits, services and options drastically decreased. Thousands of doctors left the medical profession, numerous medical facilities and hospitals stopped taking Medicaid and other Obamacare patients because they were not getting paid as promised and many insurance companies have dropped policies and withdrawn from Obamacare.

And Beshear has the gall to criticize President Trump and Republicans for wanting to fix what they failed to deliver in the first place? This whole mess was created by liberal Democrats, not Republicans, so why are Republicans being vilified for wanting to fix or replace the Democrat’s disastrous program.

Bird Watching Good for Mental Health

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More and more Americans are becoming health conscious these days. They are eating less red meat, more fish, more leafy and colorful vegetables and more whole grain foods. The infamous food pyramid is constantly being reworked, leaving many people confused as to what food groups are what and how much of each they should be eating. Which dairy products are good and which aren’t?

One day some new study is being reported by the media that shows that coffee is good for you and then another one says coffee is not good for you.

Nuts like raw almonds and walnuts help lower blood pressure and blood glucose levels yet they contain a lot of fat that isn’t good for diet and weight loss.

Then there are always new reports on how much exercise one needs or should get every day or every week. One report says 20 minutes a day, seven days a week and another says 30 minutes a day at least 3 days a week. Other reports says that too much exercise lowers a person’s sex drive so that could be a problem as well.

But what about our mental health? Are there things we can do that are proven to improve our mental health?

YES!

I’ve seen many reports that indicating that doing things like puzzles help with mental health and can even help keep the mind of an older person sharper. I’ve read several studies that things like Sudoku puzzles are great for mental health, if one can keep from becoming frustrated. They force the mind to think and reason and are considered to be exercises for the mind on same par as walking and jogging are for the physical body.

Don’t laugh or scoff but now you can add bird watching to the list of things that are said to be good for one’s mental health. According to a new study conducted by the University of Exeter, University of Queensland and the British Trust for Ornithology:

“People living in neighbourhoods with more birds, shrubs and trees are less likely to suffer from depression, anxiety and stress…”

“The study, involving hundreds of people, found benefits for mental health of being able to see birds, shrubs and trees around the home, whether people lived in urban or more leafy suburban neighbourhoods.”

“The study, which surveyed mental health in over 270 people from different ages, incomes and ethnicities, also found that those who spent less time out of doors than usual in the previous week were more likely to report they were anxious or depressed.”

“After conducting extensive surveys of the number of birds in the morning and afternoon in Milton Keynes, Bedford and Luton, the study found that lower levels of depression, anxiety and stress were associated with the number of birds people could see in the afternoon. The academics studied afternoon bird numbers – which tend to be lower than birds generally seen in the morning – because are more in keeping with the number of birds that people are likely to see in their neighbourhood on a daily basis.”

“In the study, common types of birds including blackbirds, robins, blue tits and crows were seen. But the study did not find a relationship between the species of birds and mental health, but rather the number of birds they could see from their windows, in the garden or in their neighbourhood.”

Bird watching is easy and doesn’t require a lot of expensive equipment or knowledge. One can get a bird guide to their area and binoculars if they want, but simply watching out a window, sitting in the yard or talking a walk down the street or to the park can be all it takes to watch our feathered friends. It can be coupled with physical exercise or it can be done by anyone with physical limitations and limited mobility.

Whenever you find yourself feeling stressed, anxious or even depressed and down in the dumps, take some time to look or go outside and watch our feathered friends. According to this latest study, your stress, anxiety and depression will fly away along with the pigeons, Cardinals, robins, sparrows, wrens and more.

Although the study didn’t address added benefits of bird watching, from what I’ve read of other studies about exercising the mind, learning to identify the different birds by sight, their song or the way the fly should also prove to help with one’s mental health and keeping the mind active.

GOP Obamacare Replacement

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During his presidential campaign, Donald Trump promised to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act, also known as Obamacare. He and others have pointed out the many problems associated with Obamacare.

Millions of Americans have seen their premiums skyrocket and their coverage decrease meaning they are paying more for less. A growing number of doctors left their private practices, either joining a larger medical group or finding a whole new profession because under Obamacare, they earn less and have more rules and restrictions and paperwork. A number of hospitals have stopped accepting patients on Obama’s expanded Medicaid because they are not getting reimbursed for services as promised and are losing too much money. Obamacare established a number of co-ops to help provide coverage for lower income people, however, the majority of the co-ops have failed and closed. A number of the major healthcare insurance companies have dropped many of their Obamacare policies and others have or are planning to completely withdraw from providing any Obamacare policies. Millions of Americans have had their healthcare policies cancelled on them.

On a more positive note, a number of lower income individuals were able to purchase healthcare coverage with the help of the federal subsidies. Additionally, many people with pre-existing conditions were also able to obtain healthcare coverage for the first time in years.

However, even though Obamacare promised that pre-existing medical conditions would be covered, it never promised that coverage would be affordable. My wife has a minor heart condition that is treated with medication. I am overweight and have Type 2 diabetes and high blood pressure. When we shopped for healthcare, the cheapest policy we found was a bronze-tier plan that had a $4,000 deductible and then would only pay 60% of covered items and we all know how ‘covered items’ works. For this wonderful healthcare insurance policy, it would have cost us $816 a month. Like most Americans, there was no way we could afford to pay that much a month for so little coverage. It was cheaper to pay the tax penalty for the first couple of years. Thankfully, we both have Medicare now which although not great, is better than nothing.

In the wake of the election, President Donald Trump has vowed to keep his promise on Obamacare and has tasked Congress to come up with a workable replacement.

In the meantime, many Americans have been protesting and telling their politicians in Washington DC and the liberal media that they fear they will lose their current healthcare coverage if Obamacare is repealed. Trump has tried to reassure the worried public by saying that everyone will be covered, but saying and doing are two different things.

Many liberal critics have been saying that the Republicans have no plan to replace Obamacare with and others are saying that they have no idea how to proceed. No matter what the Republicans do or how good of a replacement they come up with, liberals will still pick and choose on what aspects to complain about. Not everyone will be satisfied and someone will always be unhappy and complain.

A recent report indicates that Washington Republicans are working on a draft for a healthcare replacement of Obamacare. Like most drafts, it is subject to change, so people should not start getting too worked up or bent out of shape over the preliminary reports such as those currently surfacing.

“The Feb. 10 document follows the broad policy outline released by Republicans last week just before they went home for a Congressional recess. It proposes cuts to federal payments to states that have expanded Medicaid and offers tax credits for people to buy health insurance…”

“Under the plan, states that expanded eligibility for Medicaid would see their supplemental federal funding rolled back. The program would also be converted from a federal-state program that pays for all the health care beneficiaries get, to one where Washington sends a fixed amount of money to each state for each Medicaid enrollee.”

“To help people who don’t get insurance through their employer buy coverage, the bill offers age-based tax credits that start at $2,000 for individuals under age 30. It would rise to $4,000 for those over 60. Those credits are unlikely to cover the full cost of a plan that pays for routine health care, but could potentially pay for insurance that protects against a catastrophic health event.”

The problem I see with offering a tax credit is that it only applies when you file your taxes, not when you have to pay out that monthly premium while trying to pay your mortgage/rent, keep the utilities on and food on the table.

Larry Levitt, Senior Vice President at the Kaiser Family Foundation commented about the early draft:

“This would mean fewer people could afford health insurance and that the health insurance would likely cover less.”

Like I said, this is an early draft and subject to a lot of change. I don’t envy those men and women tasked to find a workable placement, but be assured, Republicans are working on a plan and hopefully, it will be better than Obamacare.

Top 5 Herbs That Lower Blood Pressure

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We yearn to live our lives with excitement and passion. Our range of daily activities keep us mobile and self-revitalizing. We like running around, performing well at work, shouting at the top of our lungs and feeling the adrenaline course through our veins.

However, the bad habits we create for ourselves while living it up will catch up with us in due time. High blood pressure develops from a combination of factors such as smoking, alcohol consumption, eating fatty foods and lack of appropriate physical activities.

Family history and aging also causes our bodies to perform in sub-optimal conditions as compared to the years of our vigorous youth.

If left unattended, high blood pressure can damage blood vessels and gravitate to life-threatening conditions such as heart problems, stroke and cardiac arrest. You shouldn’t wait for it to happen to you when you least expect it.

Start taking proactive measures immediately to manage your blood pressure. It could be the best decision you could make for your longevity.

The common reliance on prescription drugs has produced no permanent cures for high blood pressure. You may want to consider nature’s solutions to keep your body in a state of wellness and equilibrium.

The following five herbs will help you experience worry-free excitement through lower blood pressure once again when taken constantly:

1. Passion Flower

Passionflower is effective in lowering blood pressure since it reduces stress and anxiety, which are factors that can directly cause an elevation in blood pressure. It is used as a natural sleeping aid for those having bouts of sleeplessness.

2. Lavender

WHERE TO BUY!

By massaging the body with lavender oil, you can dramatically reduce blood pressure by 50 percent. Lavender works as a vasodilator by relaxing and expanding the blood vessels, thereby causing the blood pressure to lower.

Lavender oil can be applied throughout the body or by bathing using either lavender flowers or the oil itself. You can also boil lavender leaves and flowers for use internally as a tea, which has the added benefits of treating insomnia or an upset stomach.

3. Holy Basil

Stress plays a destructive role in overall cardiovascular health and the adaptogenic properties of holy basil can help alleviate stress-related damage. It prevents stress-induced biochemical changes, improves energy levels and endurance, supports healthy immune functions and promotes healthy gastric tissue which is often subjected to damage during times of stress.

It also has many beneficial actions on the heart as a blood thinner and promotes good circulation. When taken daily, it can lower high blood pressure by helping optimize cholesterol levels.

4. Valerian

Valerian contains a natural tranquilizer as it relaxes muscles and lowers blood pressure. Consuming valerian daily consumption of valerian will aid in a state of overall relaxation and elimination of stress.

This process will, in turn, decrease blood pressure in people experiencing hypertension.

5. Oregano

Oregano contains carvacrol which is very effective in lowering blood pressure. It reduces you heart rate, mean arterial pressure, and both your diastolic and systolic blood pressures as well.

Oregano is also a viable alternative to salt in your meals, as the sodium in salt is a leading cause of high blood pressure. A high-sodium diet can lead to high blood pressure as each teaspoon of salt has more than 2,300 mg of sodium.

Oregano is a sodium-free food, so it does not contribute to a higher blood pressure. A low-sodium diet for individuals with high blood pressure has a limit of 1,500 mg per day.

10 Things to Throw Away for Better Health

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Source: articles.mercola.com

Each and every day, you come into contact with a large number of items—many of which have health risks that can accumulate over time. Many chemicals appear safe yet aren’t, and are not likely to be suspected when your health starts failing.

But other items that are part of the “standard” of contemporary living—such as electronics and even your office chair—can also do more harm than good in the long run.

The list of offending items can certainly be made exceedingly long, but here I will list 10 everyday items that you’d be better off without. A recent article in Time Magazine lists even more items you should throw away for better health.

#1: Artificial Sweeteners

Artificial sweeteners such as aspartame and sucralose (Splenda) trick your body into storing fat and raise your risk of diabetes, so if you’re looking for health benefits, you’d be better off throwing those colorful little packets in the trash.

The same goes for any food or beverage containing artificial sweeteners, such as diet soda. Besides worsening insulin sensitivity and promoting weight gain, artificial sweeteners also promote other more serious health problems, including heart attacks, stroke and Alzheimer’s disease.

Decreased function has been observed in pathways associated with the transport of sugar in your body, for example. Artificial sweeteners have also been found to induce gut dysbiosis and glucose intolerance in otherwise healthy people.

#2: Plastic Food Containers and Bottles

Tossing your plastic food containers and plastic bottles is a basic step to reducing your exposure to endocrine-disrupting chemicals such as bisphenol-A (BPA), bisphenol-S (BPS), and phthalates.

  • Reproductive health problems
  • Hypertension: According to one randomized, controlled trial, BPA from cans or plastic bottles can raise your blood pressure within just a few hours of ingestion
  • Reduced IQ in children
  • Hyperactivity, increased aggressiveness, and impaired learning
  • Cancer of the breast, prostate, and thyroid

Heat, along with wear and tear through multiple washings can increase the amount of chemicals being leached from containers and bottles, so holding on to old containers is not a good idea.

While I used to support switching to BPA-free containers, it’s now been revealed that even “BPA-free” plastics can leach endocrine-disrupting chemicals that are just as bad as BPA.

Your best bet is to avoid plastic containers altogether, and replace them with glass bottles and containers. Also opt for glass baby bottles if you have young children. Make the switch to glass, and you won’t have to struggle figuring out which plastic might be safer than another, only to later find out it wasn’t such a great trade after all…

#3: Non-Stick Cookware

To further clean up your kitchen act, toss non-stick pots and pans and replace them with ceramic or glass cookware. The non-stick coating is made with a chemical called perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), which has been labeled a “likely” carcinogen by an independent scientific review panel that advises the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

Although PFOA is a long complex name, it is essentially a complex chemical and relies on fluoride for its non-stick properties. The problem is that once you heat the pot or pan, the fluoride vaporizes into the air where it can kill small birds and harm you and your family. You can easily bypass this unnecessary health risk by switching to ceramic or glass cookware that do not emit toxic fluoride.

#4: Air Fresheners

Room deodorizers frequently contain 2, 5-dichlorophenol (2, 5-DCP), a metabolite of 1,4-dichlorobenzene, which has been linked to precocious puberty and other health problems, including cancer. Endocrine-disrupting phthalates are also commonly found in air fresheners and room deodorizers.

If you’re having issues with unpleasant smells, you’d be wise to address the root causes rather than masking them with chemical sprays.

Opening your windows and doors from time to time can help, and will also improve the general air quality in your home or office. If you want a scent, opt for high-quality pure essential oils, which can actually support your health and wellbeing.

#5: Antibacterial Soaps and Detergents

Routinely disinfecting your body and surroundings may actually cause far more harm than good in the long run. Not only does it promote the development of drug-resistant bacteria, but antibacterial compounds such as triclosan have also been linked to a number or harmful health effects, especially in young children.

For example, research has shown that triclosan can alter hormone regulation and may interfere with fetal development in pregnant women. This antibacterial ingredient has also been linked to:

  • Allergies
  • Thyroid dysfunction
  • Endocrine disruption
  • Weight gain
  • Inflammatory responses

Warm water and a mild soap is really all you need to safely eliminate disease-causing microbes Even the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has stated that “there is currently no evidence that [antibacterial soaps] are any more effective at preventing illness than washing with plain soap and water.”

Besides hand soaps and products specifically marketed as antibacterial, triclosan can also be found in a number of other household and personal care products, including cutting boards, toys, acne cream, and Colgate Total toothpaste—all of which are also best avoided.

One all-purpose disinfectant that works great for kitchen counters, cutting boards, and bathrooms—all places where germs like to grow—is 3% hydrogen peroxide and vinegar. Simply put each liquid into a separate spray bottle, then spray the surface with one, followed by the other.

In tests run at Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, pairing the two mists killed virtually allSalmonella, Shigella, and E. coli bacteria on heavily contaminated food and surfaces when used in this fashion, making this spray combination more effective at killing these potentially lethal bacteria than chlorine bleach or any commercially available kitchen cleaner.

#6: Commercial Cleaning Products

You can avoid quite a few hazardous chemicals simply by tossing those commercial cleaning products in the dustbin. Every single one of them can be replaced with a short list of basic ingredients. Here’s a simple starter list of what you need to make your own natural cleaning products:

Baking Soda
White Vinegar
Lemon Juice
Hydrogen Peroxide
Liquid Castile Soap
Organic Essential Oils
Mixing Bowls
Spray Bottles
Microfiber Cloths

For example, lemon juice is a natural whitener, vinegar and water makes an excellent window cleaner, and vinegar combined with hydrogen peroxide works exceptionally well as both a disinfectant and sanitizer. Baking soda is also great for scrubbing your bath and kitchen.For a great video on how to use these ingredients and other tips for cleaning your home without hazardous chemicals, please review the article “How to Keep Your Home Clean Naturally.”

#7: Personal Care Products

Chemicals are very effectively absorbed via your skin, so cleaning out your bathroom cabinet can go a long way toward reducing your toxic load. This is particularly true for women, who tend to use several different products on a daily basis. Makeup is also a hidden source of heavy metals.

In the report Heavy Metal Hazard: The Health Risks of Hidden Heavy Metals in Face Makeup,14 Environmental Defense tested 49 different makeup items, including foundations, concealers, powders, blushes, mascaras, eye liners, eye shadows, lipsticks and lip glosses. Their testing revealed serious heavy metal contamination in virtually all of the products:

  • 96 percent contained lead
  • 90 percent contained beryllium
  • 61 percent contained thallium
  • 51 percent contained cadmium
  • 20 percent contained arsenic

If you use conventional makeup on a daily basis, you can absorb almost five pounds of chemicals into your body each year– and that’s without adding in body lotion, deodorant, shampoo, conditioner, and other personal care products! To address this health-defeating cycle, switch to organic brands of toiletries and cosmetics.

The Environmental Working Group has a great database to help you find personal care products that are free of potentially dangerous chemicals. Better yet, simplify your routine and make your own products. A slew of lotions, potions, and hair treatments can be eliminated with a jar of coconut oil, for example, to which you can add a high quality essential oil for scent.

personal care products

 

#8: Stale Spices

Herbs and cooking spices contain a wide variety of antioxidants, minerals and vitamins, and help maximize the nutrient density of your meals. On a per gram fresh weight basis, herbs rank even higher in antioxidant activity than fruits and vegetables.

Many studies have also shown that most spices tend to have unique medicinal qualities. Four spices that are particularly effective at quelling inflammation are:

1. Cloves

2. Ginger

3. Rosemary

4. Thyme

Freshness matters, however, so if your pantry is filled to the hilt with old spice bottles, it may be time to refresh your stock. Expired, stale spices also will not provide you with much flavor, so if your attempts at spicing up your meals have left you unimpressed, they may simply have gone stale.

# 9: Electronic Devices

While few would consider getting rid of their smart phones or computers, you would be wise to reconsider how you use all of your devices, and just how many you surround yourself with at any given point of the day. Some kids, especially teenagers, tend to be surrounded by multiple electronic gadgets for hours at a stretch. I feel the evidence of long-term harm of EMF and wireless radiation is very clear, necessitating a prudent approach.

On May 31, 2011, the World Health Organization (WHO)/International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) issued a report admitting cell phones might indeed cause cancer, classifying radiofrequency electromagnetic fields as “possibly carcinogenic to humans” (Class 2B). The classification came in part in response to research showing wireless telephones increase the risk for brain cancer. To reduce exposure, avoid continuously carrying your smart phone on your body.

Tucking it into your bra or pocket may be convenient now, but it’s an open invitation for health problems down the road, and that may be more than just a little inconvenient!  It’s important to realize that as long as your cell phone is on, it emits radiation intermittently, even when you are not actually making a call. So wearing a cell phone on your hip for 15 hours a day is giving that area of your body nearly continuous radiation exposure.

For more tips on how to reduce exposure, please see my previous article “Heavy Cell Phone Use Can Quadruple Your Risk of Deadly Brain Cancer.” Also consider unplugging from your digital life from time to time to “smell the roses” as it were. As noted by Time Magazine:

“Mounting research indicates that information overload—what happens when you use smart devices constantly—is linked to depression and anxiety. Recent studies suggest that this is particularly true for people who are overly attached to their smartphones and tablets, and for those who use multiple devices at once (which experts call media multitasking). Power down and stow your devices in a drawer at least a few times per week to give your brain a break‚ ideally on a set schedule (for example, weekdays after 9 p.m. or weekend mornings before noon).”

#10: Your Chair

While I placed this last, mounting research clearly reveals that your chair may actually be one of the most dangerous items to have around for your health. Prolonged sitting has repeatedly been shown to be an independent risk factor for chronic disease and early demise, even if you exercise regularly and are very fit. That’s right; exercise cannot undo the damage caused by hours of daily sitting, just like it cannot undo the harm done by smoking.

Along with obesity, sitting is the new smoking, increasing your risk for lung cancer by more 50 percent. Who would have guessed that sitting is far more dangerous than second hand smoke?

Sitting has been found to increase your risk of death from virtually all health problems, from type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease to cancer and all-cause mortality. And, the less you exercise, the more pronounced the detrimental effects of sitting.

What’s the solution?

Stand up as much as possible. A standing desk is one option. Barring that, make sure you stand up at regular intervals during work hours. For a number of other tips and tricks, see my previous article, “Tips for Staying Active in the Office.”

As a general rule, if you’ve been sitting for one hour, you’ve sat too long. At bare minimum, avoid sitting for more than 50 minutes out of every hour. If you don’t already have a fitness tracker, it may be money well spent to get one. I recommend aiming for 7,000 to 10,000 steps per day, over and above any exercise regimen you may have. I was probably doing 2,000 steps a day prior to using a fitness tracker, and now I am up to about 15,000 steps a day or about eight miles.

For many, simply getting and staying out of your chair is a first step that can bring you closer to a healthier lifestyle. As you become more used to low level, non-exercise activity, you’re more likely to get motivated enough to start exercising more vigorously.

11 Super Health Benefits in Just One Celery Stalk

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Source: healthyandnaturallife.com

1. Celery eases digestion: Many say that celery tastes like “crunchy water,” and that this is the reason why it is so beneficial for your digestive system. The high amount of water in the celery, combined with the insoluble fiber in it, makes it an amazing tool for easy passage of stool. Note: because celery has cleansing and diuretic properties, people suffering from diarrhea should avoid eating it.

2. If you are watching your weight celery is a great choice. One large stalk of celery contains only 10 calories! So, next time you go to the grocery store add celery to your shopping list and enjoy it in your stir – fries, soups and salads.

3. It lowers blood pressure: Phthalides are an active compound contained in celery which has proven to boost circulatory health. Raw, whole celery reduces high blood pressure.

4. It helps you calm down: Celery for stress – relief? Oh yes! The essential oil in celery, and the minerals, especially magnesium, soothe the nervous system. If you enjoy a celery – based snack in the evening, you will sleep like a baby.

5. Celery reduces “bad” cholesterol: There is a component contained in celery called butylphthalide, which gives the vegetable its scent and flavor. Guess what: this component also reduces bad cholesterol! A Chicago University conducted a research that showed that just two stalks of celery a day can reduce bad cholesterol (LDL) by up to 7 points!

6. It contains “good” salts. Yes, it does contain sodium, but it is far from table salt. The salt in celery is natural, organic and essential for your health.

 

7. Celery can combat cancer: Two studies at the University of Illinois shown that luteolin – a powerful flavonoid found in celery, inhibits the growth of cancer cells, especially in the pancreas. Another study suggests that by regular intake of celery you could significantly delay and in some cases stop completely the formation of breast cancer cells.

8. It cares for your eyes. Up to 10 percent of your daily dose of vitamin A can be found in one large stalk of celery, a group of nutrients that prevent age – related degeneration of vision and protects the eyes.

9. It regulates the body’s alkaline balance, thus protecting you from problems like acidity.

10. This is not just hearsay: it can amplify your sex life. Dr. Alan R. Hirsch, Director of the Smeel and Taste Treatment and Research Foundation, says 2 pheromones in celery – androstenol and androstenone – boost your arousal levels. Whenever you chew on a celery stalk they are boosted.

11. Celery reduces inflammation. If you are suffering from asthma, acne, joint pains or lung infections, eating more celery will bring the much – needed relief.

Always go for the upright stalks of celery that snap when bent. The leaves should be crisp and fresh.  When selecting celery, remember this rule of thumb:  The stronger the flavor, the darker the color.

Freshly chopped celery keeps the nutrients for a longer time much better than if you chop and store it even for a few hours. Steamed celery not only retains its flavor, but also most of its nutrients – to be precise 99 percent of them!

A Midday Nap Could Reduce Your Blood Pressure

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Source:  iflscience.com

Here’s some news that nap enthusiasts definitely won’t get tired of. It turns out that a daily snooze is associated with reduced blood pressure and, even more significantly, may decrease the risk of a heart attack or other cardiovascular events.

The results were presented at the European Society of Cardiology annual conference in London. The observational study examined nearly 400 middle-aged men and women with hypertension, a condition where blood pressure is constantly abnormally high.

The study showed that midday sleepers had a 5% lower average 24-hour ambulatory systolic blood pressure compared to patients who did not nap at midday. Even though this might seem like a minor difference, the lead researcher Dr Manolis Kallistratos said at the conference that even this small decrease “can reduce the risk of cardiovascular events by up to 10%.” So a tiny drop is still of great significance.

Even better for the siesta snoozers, the study showed that a longer sleep was associated with a higher drop in blood pressure. One hour was found to be the time needed for the best results.

Kallistratos noted that there were a few limitations in the study that would be worth addressing for future research in the field. For starters, the study was only observational. It has to be assumed that it is the midday nap that is producing the positive effects in the patients, and not some other uncontrolled variable. Kallistratos is confident that this is the case since the blood pressure drop pattern seen at midday is similar to the drop people experience when they sleep at night.

The second is that the hypertension symptoms in the study participants were very well controlled, but that might not be the case for everyone. So in future it could be worthwhile including participants whose hypertension was not so well-controlled, as Kallistratos thinks they could experience an even more significant blood pressure drop with a daytime doze.

It must also be noted that a nap is superior to just resting. Kallistratos commented that the biggest drop in blood pressure kicked in just before the REM phase, which suggests actual sleep is required to lower blood pressure to the levels observed.

“Μidday sleep is a habit that nowadays is almost a privilege due to a nine to five working culture and intense daily routine,” said Kallistratos. However, given the potential benefits, making time for a midday nap might be an idea to sleep on.

Discover Key Mindset Tips for Your Child Athlete (VIDEO)

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Why does that kid play harder than my kid? Why isn’t she/he running off the field? He needs to start working out? Relax, why are you getting so stressed out?

If you’re a parent of an athlete you have probably asked your son or daughter these questions or you’ve heard someone bring it up in conversation. The answer could actually be a question- what’s the athlete’s mindset?

When two physically gifted and well trained athletes enter the competitive arena why does one seemingly have a clear advantage over another? Or as the competition enters the final round or “4 th quarter” why does one athlete seem to crack under the pressure, or seems unable to move on from a mistake. The answer is mindset training.

Some coaches take the time to research and teach positive mindset techniques to their players, some players take it upon themselves to read or watch videos of athletes they admire- in an attempt to emulate their professional heroes. If your son or daughter is fortunate to be in both of those categories congratulations they’re amongst a unique minority.

For the rest of us, our kids play for a coach that’s typically over-worked, volunteering and teaches kids a sport that has given them so much. Coaches–coach because they absolutely love it. Millennials don’t typically have that get up and go attitude to train and prepare mentally unless they’re inspired and taught how to do so.

That’s why I have become obsessed with teaching parents, coaches and players how to achieve the optimal mindset for performance. Parents have the ability to accidentally unravel months of preparation before an athletic contest and they have the power to teach and model the best mindset practices for their athlete.

With nearly two decades of experience our consulting group has seen kids as young as four take ownership over their physical preparation and fall in love with the story they created about their upcoming athletic achievements.

Check out the video on mindset training for parents of athletes- simple ideas, that aren’t necessarily easy to implement. But you can do it! Your son/daughter will be better because of your efforts.

 

Robert Anderson, Jr.
Performance Trainer/Educator/Speaker
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Robert is a New York State High School Boys Lacrosse Coach of the Year. He’s a personal trainer that specializes in speed training and lacrosse skill development. He has an MA in Education and lectures on best athletic mindset practices for parents and athletes to implement into their lives. Owner of Make The Cut Consulting, LLC that works with serious clients nationally.

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