Hard to Swallow

Do some of your pills and supplements look like they’re so big that only an elephant could swallow them?  Or maybe they’re a chalky consistency that always gets stuck in your throat?  And it could be that the smell is so horrible that you gag everytime you try to take them.

I just learned about a new product available in places like Walgreen’s and CVS called Pill Glide that can help those with problems swallowing pills. 

Pill Glide is a flavored spray that helps pills slide down your throat easier.  It comes in five flavors:  strawberry, orange, grape, peach and bubblegum.  

Pill Glide is a water-based formula with no ingredients that would react with medications or supplements and is safe for children.  Each bottle will last from 100-150 uses, depending upon whether you require 2 or 3 squirts to get your pills down.

So now you have no reason to not take your vitamins and supplements!

Heart Attack Symptoms

I spent about half my time at my parents’ home this past summer, helping my mom care for my dad who is virtually bed-ridden due to multiple ailments.  Mom has been caring for him all on her own for quite some time now and it’s definitely wearing on her.  My hope was to relieve some of the stress for her by doing the meal planning, grocery shopping and cooking (all the things she HATES). 

On one of my trips down there, I had planned on staying about a week, but when the time came that I was planning on heading back home, I just had a feeling that it wasn’t time for me to go.  I decided to stay a couple more days and am so glad I did.

Without going into all the details that transpired, it ended up that Mom had a heart attack two days after I had originally planned on leaving.  I truly believe God knew I needed to be there, otherwise Mom wouldn’t have gone to the hospital for fear of leaving my dad alone, and that’s why He laid a heavy burden on my heart to stay there.

Mom didn’t believe she was having a heart attack, simply an anxiety attack due to some disagreeable moments spent with my uncooperative sick daddy.  But when she finally agreed to let me take her to the E.R., they determined she was having a heart attack and needed to have a stent placed immediately in an artery that was 99% blocked.

Her symptoms started with a ringing in her left ear, some pressure up the left side of her neck and upper chest, at the base of her throat.  She never experienced pain, just pressure.  She also complained about pressure in her face that she had earlier tried to blame on a sinus infection, though there was no other evidence of one.

On three separate occasions, prior to taking her to the E.R., I had convinced her to take an aspirin, just in case.  I just wonder if those aspirins could have been what prevented her from having worse problems.

We’ve all seen movies where someone grabs their chest and falls to the ground in a panicked state.  Just remember, that’s not a typical heart attack.  Here are some of the signs and symptoms that might indicate a person is having a real heart attack:

• Symptoms might not come on immediately, but be slow to show up
• Symptoms might initially appear to be mild and then build
• A tightness or squeezing sensation in the chest might be the initial sign
• Pressure, fullness, squeezing or pain in the center of the chest
• Pain spreading to the shoulders, neck or arms
• Severe pain, sudden weakness, dizziness, fainting, sweating, nausea or shortness of breath
• For those with angina, any changes in the frequency, duration or intensity of the attacks, or symptoms that don’t respond to nitroglycerine.

Don’t be like my mom and refuse to go the hospital if you experience any of these symptoms; and don’t be like me and let the other person refuse to go to the hospital if someone you know and love is  exhibiting any of these symptoms.  The best thing is to call 9-1-1 rather than to get in the car and drive to the hospital. 

I’ll address some things to do now to prevent a heart attack next time.

It’s More Than Skin Deep

Ever notice the number of skin patches out there?  From nicotine patches to pain patches, birth control patches to detox patches. 

The reason there’s so many patches that have made it on the scene is due to the fact that they often get the job done quicker and more effectively without having to deal with pills that need to go through the stomach and digestive system.  With patches the medication gets absorbed into the blood stream very quickly. 

Your skin is the largest organ of your body and performs many functions: it protects your body from pathogens; it converts sun rays to Vitamin D; it sheds water; it registers heat, cold, and sharp and dull pressure; it keeps your body cool (by sweating) and it warms your body (by forming “goose bumps”), and it absorbs products spread on it.  Because it’s such a large organ, your skin absorbs a great deal of everything you put on it.

Let’s consider the types of things you spread on your skin with no thought whatsoever about the potential negative impact those things could have on your health:  soaps, deodorants/antiperspirants, lotions, toners, perfumes/colognes, shave gels, aftershaves, makeup, etc.  Every chemical that’s in those products gets absorbed into your skin. 

Most people believe (as I did) that if it’s on the market, it’s been tested and has to be safe for consumers to use as the product is intended, but that’s a far cry from the truth.  In fact, manufacturers can choose from approximately 26,000 cosmetic chemicals and most (about 96%  as of 2000) have not been tested for short-term or long-term toxic effects or for systemic effects.  But of the ones that have been tested, nearly 65% are known to contain carcinogens!  And many chemicals that are used in fragrances aren’t even required to be put on labels of cosmetics, even though they’ve been determined to be toxic!

Fragrances, scents and perfumes have been linked to causing spaciness, nausea, mood changes, depression, lethargy, restlessness, irritability, anger, memory lapses and inability to concentrate.  Ever notice the strong ”fragrances” in the cleaning aisle at the grocery store (even with the bottles tightly sealed)?  Ever notice how many of us suffer from depression, irritability, difficulty concentrating, etc.?  Hmmmmmmm…

And I was shocked to learn that hair colors account for up to 20% of all non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma in U.S. women and may increase the risk of breast cancer.  This is a very scary statistic!

So I want to encourage you to avoid using toxic chemicals on your skin.  Instead, choose cosmetics that work without causing irritation and allergies, or risking cancer, photosensitization and other acute and chronic illnesses.

Wholesale Club Member Benefits

What if Sam’s Club was offering a club membership with the following benefits:

• 100% money-back guarantee on ANYTHING you purchased, 60 days on most things, but up to 90 days on others…even if the container is empty.  
• Should you decide you don’t want to be a member anymore, you can cancel and they’ll refund your enrollment fee within the first couple of months.
• You don’t ever have to go to any of their stores.  You can simply call an 800-number or place your order online and then have them deliver directly to your door.   SWEET!  No more driving around the busy parking lot looking for a place to park and then fighting the crowds inside and standing in line for what seems like hours (a HUGE benefit to moms with young children!).
• Receive $100 in FREE stuff just for becoming a member AND after you’ve shopped with them for a few months you’re going to start getting a portion of your purchases back in Loyalty Dollars that you can buy even more stuff with.  WOW!!!  
• When you refer a friend to shop at their store, each time your friend makes a purchase Sam’s will send you a check for up to 20% of your friend’s purchase amount.  OMG!!!  You must have died and gone to heaven!
• Everything in their store is all-natural and safe for your children & pets – in fact, so safe they don’t require safety caps.
• Prices that are better than those you’ll find in your grocery store (even if you don’t buy in bulk!).
• And many more benefits on things like cell phones & plans, automobile purchases, mortgage loans, and savings/rebates from other merchants like Kohl’s, Sears, Ann Taylor, Famous Footwear, Fossil, Dockers, Barnes & Noble, etc.

Well, I’m sorry to tell you that Sam’s Club isn’t offering these things to you, but Melaleuca is.  I first became a Preferred Customer with Melaleuca about six years ago and decided a few months ago to share these wonderful products with others.  That’s why I’m sharing this opportunity  – I just want to pass on the fantastic benefits that I’ve been enjoying to you.  You can learn more about the company and its products by contacting me at deegauthier@hotmail.com or 918-606-8120.

Killing Me Softly With … Dishwasher Detergent?

As you walk down the cleaning products aisle at the grocery store, you’re met with a wide variety of household cleaning products that must all be safe, otherwise the FDA wouldn’t allow them on the shelves, right?   Not so!

Go take a look at the warning labels on your household cleaning products.  Do they say something like “Harmful if swallowed”?  The problem is, you can’t even trust that!  They often don’t address the dangers of inhaling the fumes or the negative effects of long-term exposure.

In fact, there are few government regulations concerning household cleaning products and personal care products.  According to RM Barry in The Melaleuca Wellness Guide, here are some very disturbing statistics:

• A product can be labeled “non-toxic” even though it kills 50% of the lab animals it was tested on (Doris Rapp, Is This Your Child’s World?).
• Only approximately 30% of the several thousand chemicals that are found in our household cleaning products have been tested for their negative effects on our health; and less than 10% have been tested for their effects on the nervous system (World Resources Institute, The 1994 Information Please Environmental Almanac).
• There are no laws requiring exact ingredients be listed on package labels of household cleaning products (Debra Lynn Dadd, Home Safe Home (Tarcher-Putnam, 1997)).

Pretty scary, huh?

One common cleaning product that poses a great danger to our children, our pets and ourselves, is dishwasher detergent. 

According to the American Association of Poison Control Centers, in 1993 dishwasher detergent was the cause of the largest number of poisonings due to cleaning products, resulting in eye injuries and damage to mucous membranes and throat, just to name a few.  Consider how easy it is for a young child to get a small amount on her finger when you’re not looking and then put it in her mouth or eye.

Many dishwasher detergents contain highly concentrated chlorine. When heated chlorine gas vapors are formed which are emitted into the air through the dishwasher vents and upon opening the door to the dishwasher.  This is especially hazardous to those with heart or respiratory problems.

Another consideration of dishwasher detergents is that they can leave a residue on the dishes which accumulates with each washing and is picked up by the foods we place on them, causing us to ingest a little bit with each bite.

Is it any wonder that since 1980, asthma has increased by 600%!  The Canadian Lung Association and the Asthma Society of Canada identify common household cleaners and cosmetics as triggers.  And there are many other diseases that have seen a marked increase since WWII when the number of man-made chemicals we use in our homes rose dramatically.

Whether you have young children and pets or not, it’s worth the effort for your own health to find a dishwasher detergent that contains no toxic ingredients.  However, these have a reputation of either being less effective in cleaning and more costly, so do your research to find one that works well and is reasonably priced. 

For more information about some choices in safe, cost-effective household cleaning products, visit www.saferforyourhome.com or email me at deegauthier@hotmail.com.

Oh Say Can You See Omega-3?

Last fall I started having some problems with my eyes, mainly the left one.  I felt like the inside of my eyelid was coated with sandpaper.  It was so painful and irritating.

I finally went to the eye doctor, who said I have dry eyes in addition to allergies that make my eyes itchy and red.  She prescribed some allergy eye drops once a day plus artificial tears at least four times a day.  This helped some, but my eyes were still very red and irritated.

I mentioned all of this to my chiropractor, who recommended Omega-3 fatty acids.  I began taking a vitamin pack for women that contains 500 mg  in the a.m. pack and another 500 mg in the p.m. pack. 

It took about two to three weeks, but my eyes are feeling so much better now, and I no longer use the eye drops prescribed by the doctor.  And there’s another benefit I’ve noticed… 

Several years ago I suffered a minor dog bite on one of my fingers, and the past couple of years that finger has been hurting due to arthritis that has settled in it where the injury occurred.  However, since taking the Omega-3s, the pain has totally disappeared.  This has lead me to do some extensive research on Omega-3 fatty acids. 

Apparently Omega-3s are essential to your health, but your body can’t manufacture them.  The most common source of Omega-3s is fish, but you must be cautious about the source of that fish to ensure it’s not loaded with mercury, especially if you’re a pregnant woman, a nursing mother or a young child.  Omega-3s are also found in some nut oils and plants, but it’s very difficult to eat enough of these foods to get sufficient amounts of Omega-3s.

Supplementing with Omega-3 fatty acids is the best way to get adequate amounts for optimal health.  These fatty acids help to reduce inflammation, aid in heart health, cancer and arthritis.  They are also vital for proper brain and behavior function.  In fact, much progress has been made with children with ADD/ADHD who are given Omega-3 fatty acids.  Alzheimer’s disease has also been linked to low levels of Omega-3s.

Women who do not consume adequate amounts of Omega-3s during pregnancy run the risk of giving birth to babies who are born prematurely and who have low birth weights.  Also, babies who do not get enough Omega-3s from their mother may suffer vision and nerve problems, as well as hyperactivity. 

If you suffer from any of the problems mentioned above, as well as fatigue, high cholesterol, high triglycerides, dry skin, poor circulation, mood swings or depression, try supplementing with a good-quality, good-sourced Omega-3 fatty acid, with the approval of your doctor. 

But beware, not all Omega-3s on the market are created equal; many are lower-priced AND lower-quality, having low purity and may contain that dreaded mercury that’s so common in many fish, which is where most Omega-3 fatty acid supplements come from.

Sun-Safe Savvy

In my last post, I addressed some issues with skin damage from the sun, so I’m sure you’ve sworn off catching rays completely, right?  I doubt it (and you shouldn’t for your health’s sake!).

Today I want to focus on how to stay safe while soaking up those UVBs than can give you a gorgeous tan.  As I mentioned previously, sun can really do a number on your skin and some people are prone to more severe damage than others, but there are things you can do to help minimize that damage so you can enjoy your time outside while actually benefitting your health just by being in the sun (vitamin D!).

Here are some tips for enjoying a safe and happy summer:

• Reduce sun exposure during peak hours (between 10:00 am and 4 pm) and remember, UV rays can still penetrate through clouds.
• Wear protective clothing as much as possible when outside.  Consider a wide-brimmed hat, sunglasses with UV protection and check out the Solumbra Clothing line (www.solumbra.com) which claim a 30 SPF with 97% blockage of UVA and UVB rays.
• Apply sunscreen generouly on all areas of the skin that are exposed to the sun, including lips (use a lip balm with SPF), ears, neck, hands, feet and even head if necessary.  Apply often (about every two hours), especially after swimming or just major sweating.  Be sure to select a sunscreen with broad-spectrum protection (SPF 15 or higher – 30 or more is best) to address both the long and short UV waves.  According to new research, the best products on the market contain avobenzone (also called Parsol 1789, Eusolex9020 Escalol 517 and others), titanium dioxide, zinc oxide or Mexoryl SX.  There are even some sunscreens that contain skin-nourishing and moisturizing ingredients to make your skin soft and smooth year round, indoors or out.
• Protect yourself with antioxidants, both inside and out.  All of the damage from sunlight, not to mention other environmental attackers such as pollution and even stress and normal metabolism, produce free radicals in our bodies.  These free radicals damage cells, DNA and our skin, causing skin to age prematurely and possibly result in cancer.  Some sunscreens contain antioxidants (vitamins A, C and E) to nourish the skin on the outside, but we also should be taking antioxidants in supplement-form to help repair damage from free radicals on the inside as well. 
• What about your children?  Do they need to take these same precautions?  You bet they do!  And maybe even more so because their eyes and skin are more delicate and therefore much more sensitive to the sun.  However, sunscreens shouldn’t be used on babies younger than six months because their bodies may not be able to handle the chemicals usually found in sunscreen.  If you think your baby may need a sunscreen, check with your pediatrician.  And get “real” sunglasses for your kids that also protect against UV rays.

Not So Fun In the Sun

Summer’s here and it’s time to get out and enjoy the sunshine.

But WAIT!!!  Before you head outside, there are a few things you need to consider to ensure your health and safety for many years to come.

Many people believe if the sun’s hiding behind a curtain of clouds, they’re safe from the damaging rays, but nothing could be further from the truth. In fact, up to 80% of the ultraviolet rays can penetrate clouds.  There are two different types of UV rays we need to be concerned with, UVA and UVB.

UVB rays are the primary cause of sunburn. UVB rays are most intense between 10:00 am and 2:00 pm, especially during summer months, which accounts for about 70% of the yearly UVB dose we all experience. Also, UVB rays do not penetrate glass.

UVA rays were once thought to have only a minor affect on the skin, but recent studies indicate UVA rays are a major contributor to skin damage.  UVA rays do not fluctuate with the time of day or the time of year. These rays penetrate the skin deeper than UVB and are not filtered by glass.  There are two kinds of UVA rays – short wave and long wave. Because of the the various types of rays, it’s very important to use a sunscreen with broad-spectrum protection.

The damage caused by UVA and UVB rays goes beyond just sunburn.  Some of the complications caused by too much sun include wrinkles, lowered immunity against infection, aging skin disorders and even cancer.  Scientists aren’t sure exactly why such problems occur, but believe there may be a connection between exposure to damaging UVA/UVB radiation and collagen breakdown, formation of free radicals, interference of DNA repair and inhibition of the immune system.

Some of us are just naturally more susceptible to the damage caused by UVA and UVB rays. 

• Those with fair skin (that would be me)
• red or light-colored hair; blue, green or gray eyes
• freckles
• previously treated for skin cancer
• a family history of skin cancer
• those who live or vacation at high altitudes (UV radiation increases 4-5% for every 1000 ft above sea level.)
• those who live or vacation close to the equator
• those who have certain diseases (i.e., lupus)

Also, some medications can cause photosensitivity, such as some antibiotics, heart and blood pressure medications, antihistamines, antidepressants, acne medications, oral contraceptives with estrogen and NSAIDs.

Get out and enjoy the sun, but take precautions to avoid the damaging effects of the sun.

If you have any questions about your current health or medications your doctor has prescribed, be sure to talk with your doctor about the dangers of sun exposure.

Next time, I’ll address some precautions you can take to esure a safe summer for you and your children when out in the sun.

Maintain Good Health…For Your Family’s Sake

When you fly, they tell you in case of emergency to use the oxygen mask first before giving it to your children.  This is because your children need you to be able to help them, and should you become unconscious you can’t help them.

I’ve been out of pocket for about a week now because my parents are in bad health and need help.  And since I have no brothers or sisters, that help must come from me.

Neither of my parents has ever done the things they should do in order to maintain optimal health.  They’re paying for it now, as am I with the burden of how to take care of both of them.  I don’t do this begrudgingly, but rather with much love and thankfulness for all they have done for me over the years.  But I am so saddened to see them in their current conditions when I feel that much of their problems could have been avoided.

Please do what you can to have a healthy heart and overall good health for the sake of your loved ones.  Here are some of the basics I recommend and try to follow:

• Eat a well-balanced diet.  Avoid convenience foods as much as possible.  Eat 5-9 servings of fruits and veggies each day, both cooked and raw.  Be sure to get plenty of lean protein every day.  Make healthy oils a part of your daily routine.  Keep sugar and alcohol to a minimum.
• Get plenty of exercise.  This doesn’t mean you have to work out at the gym for hours each day.  Just walking for 30 minutes a day will be very beneficial.  And you can walk 10-minute segments throughout the day.  But do try to push yourself a little by using your arms more, altering your pace, walking uphill or upstairs, etc., but don’t overdo it.  Get advice from your doctor if you have health concerns.
• Don’t smoke.  If you do, quit.  We all know what the Surgeon General has to say about this one.
• Take good supplements.  No matter how well you eat, the current food supply has been depleted of much of the vital nutrients your body needs for good health.  Before you go buy that bottle of vitamins at the grocery store, do some research to find supplements that have the best source of nutrients and are designed to be more absorbed into your blood system.  Many of the vitamins on the market have very low absorption rates, as low as 10%.  The supplements I take (Vitality 6 Essentials + Heart by Melaleuca) come from natural foods and use a special process that prebinds minerals to proteins and oligofructose fibers, similar to how they exist in plants, making them some of the most absorbable supplements available on the market today.  Do your homework to avoid flushing your money down the toilet.

Just remember why your family is so important to you and do the things that will allow you to enjoy your life with them and allow you to be there for all the special moments in their lives.

Why Do I Have So Much Dryer Lint?

Do you ever wonder how your clothes actually stay together after seeing all the lint in your dryer’s lint catcher?  After one load of laundry, there appears to be enough lint to make a sweater for your Bichon Frise.  What’s up with that? 

It’s not your dryer’s fault, so don’t think that by hanging your clothes up to dry, that will take care of the problem.  The actual culprit is your detergent and whitening agents.

The problem is that most of the laundry detergents and bleach and beach alternatives actually cause the fibers in your clothes to break down – that’s how they remove the dirt.  If you took a piece of wool yarn and placed it in bleach, after 15 minutes that piece of yarn would be nearly disintegrated.  So isn’t it ridiculous to pour this chemical into the washer and expect to get like-new results?  These grocery-store brands use harsh alkalis and caustic chemicals such as chlorine bleach that “dissolve” fabric and cause “lint pills.”  Then when you put your clothes in the dryer, those disintegrated fibers collect in the lint catcher.

Other things to consider when purchasing grocery-store brand laundry detergents is that many of them contain salts such as sodium carbonate and sodium sulfate which build up on clothes, causing them to look dull and old.  According to Textile Industry Affairs:  Label Talk Alert, Summer 1999, the life-expectancy of an article of clothing is only 50 washes.   I don’t know about you, but with the economy what it is these days, I need my clothes to last longer than 50 washings!

Today I’m here to help you learn some laundry CPR!

I want you to switch from your grocery-store brand detergent to a gentle, non-caustic and biodegradeable detergent that uses pH-balanced surfactants to clean your clothes.  This will extend the life of your clothes considerably.  The reason is that the surfactants don’t attack the fibers like those harsh alkaline formulas do, but rather they break down the dirt and stains and encapsulate them, removing them from the clothing without harm.  Then they carry the grime away in the rinse water so that the dirt isn’t redeposited back onto your wardrobe (ever notice how quickly those whites often begin to look gray and dingy?). 

Following this little piece of advice will help your clothes look newer and last longer, ultimately saving you lots of money.