Community Pitch

It has been estimated that almost half of all people snore at one time or another. Yet, nothing can kill a good night sleep faster than snoring, especially for those who have to share the same bed or room with an offender. A major complaint among married couples, snoring can affect their love lives, as well as cause both partners to feel a significant amount of irritability with one another. In addition, some medical reports have stated that there is a definite relationship between the risk of strokes as well as heart attacks and loud snoring, surmised by evidence that it can disturb the blood cells in the ceratoid artery nearest to air passages in the body (a major known cause of the disease know as atherosclerosis).

For some individuals, a moderate change in lifestyle such as losing weight and stop drinking any kind of alcoholic beverages before going to bed may help. Other people may even find that learning how to sleep on their side rather than on their back and/or a change in the type of pillows (particularly if they are made from non-allergic materials) may do the trick.

While surgery has been used to cure snoring in extreme cases, less severe snoring can often be cured with the simple solution of wearing a chin snoring strap to bed. Specially created to stop snoring chin straps are made in such a way as to gently keep the mouth shut by cradling the jaw shut. While they may not be that pretty to look at, they are certainly a lot more comfortable than mandibular splints used by dentists to pull a patient’s tongue forward in an attempt to control their snoring. Stop snoring chin straps are also readily available over-the-counter as well as online, whereas the splints require prescriptions.

photo credit: Mykl Roventine

There are many people who love the flavor of coffee but are not fans of all the caffeine that comes with it. With Keurig single cup coffee makers, this is exactly what you can get. Now that Green Mountain Roasters is working along with the Keruig Company, there are many decaf options available to you. With over 200 different coffee, tea, a cocoa selections in K-cups, there is also a large selection in decaf. See? You decaf lovers have not been forgotten. Who is to blame you for wanting to indulge in a nice hot cup of coffee at night with out having to worry about nighttime jitters and sleepless hours.

Newman’s Own Special Blend Bold Decaf is an excellent choice. It will provide you with a bold cup of coffee that is at the same time refined and very smooth. Not to mention, decaf! There is even the option of having a cup of coffee that is Half- Caff. Thanks to Green Mountain Roasters, those who want a little late afternoon pick-me-up can get exactly what they want with out the worry of sleepless nights. It has about 50% of the caffeine but at the same time keeping 100% of the great flavor.

One thing about drug addiction is that the last person to realize that they really, truly have a problem is the drug addict themselves.  This is due to the cunning nature of drug addiction and our tendency to think that we have everything under control.  The true drug addict is walking a tightrope and trying to hole everything together and they believe that they have it all figured out and that they are a pretty smooth cat.  In fact their life is crumbling around them and they are almost always the last person to admit it.  Drug addiction blinds us to the truth, to the reality that we have created for ourselves and we are always the last person to see it.  If you have the guts to ask for help and face the fear of a life without self medicating then you can change your life and make a difference.

Step up to the plate and do something different.  Or, continue on in denial.

You may have heard all about a powerful anti-aging supplement called resveratrol, but are wondering to yourself; “how does resveratrol work?”. Plants produce this compound when they are faced with particularly harsh weather, or by attacks from bacteria and fungi. It seems like resveratrol triggers a survival response when taken by animals and humans.

A type of gene called Sirtuins are activated when resveratrol is introduced into our systems. These genes are usually shut off, and calorie restriction was previously the only way we knew how to turn them on. In fact, it was the research into Sirtuins that discovered resveratrol benefits. A Harvard Medical School researcher tested hundreds of different compounds until he found one that activated these genes. Resveratrol was the winner and the researcher “almost fell out of his chair” when he made the connection between resveratrol and red wine.

The research into exactly how resveratrol works is still very young, and we may not know for certain for a few more years. However, there have been few side effects reported, with almost none of them being very serious. If this compound ends up working like some scientists think it might work, we may be able to grow old with the ones we love, while staying independent and active.

Sleep apnea can be a serious conditions for the person itself but also for his partner. Someone with sleep apnea can frequently stop breathing while he is asleep. A common effect is heavy snoring which causes sleep deprivation for snorer and partner. A possible non invasive solution for this condition is the sleep apnea pillow. It comes in many sizes and types but the most common ones provide you comfort while you are asleep. They will fixate your head, neck and spine in a comfortable way but still forcing you to sleep on your back. Heavy snoring is often increased when sleeping on your back and sleeping on your side reduces snoring and airway obstruction. Which pillow suits you best depends on your personal needs. Consider asking a professional to give proper adive before you buy one.

photo credit: Mr TGT

There are many health advantages that you can get out of inversion therapy. In addition to relieving back pain, using an inversion table can increase blood flow to your brain, reduce stress on your joints and ligaments, and (very importantly) keep you from shrinking in height. Continue reading

photo credit: cobra libre

In looking at the advantages of an inversion chair over an inversion table, there are a few key points you need to strongly consider before purchasing the equipment. While an inversion chair has many advantages, they also have a few drawbacks that you should be aware of. Continue reading

photo credit: Lost Albatross

If you are a very active, fit person then you may wish to consider purchasing gravity boots instead of an inversion table for inversion therapy. There are some great exercises that you can do with the boots that just can’t be done while being strapped into the table, which is the primary reason to purchase the gravity boots if you are physically fit enough for the boots. Continue reading

When you are on a low carb diet one of the hardest places to be true to your diet is at a party or other get together.  It seems like the amount of high carb count food is always much more than low carb fare.  Between the chips and the sweets it can sometimes be very tempting.

You can eat low carb meals at parties if you plan ahead and think about what it is you are choosing.  I find the best method for me is to think about what food will be available before hand and plan how I will deal with it.

For example at a bar-b-que the other day I new there would be hamburgers and hot dogs so there naturally would be buns.  I planned ahead to only take the pattie and the dog and then put the garnishments on those without the buns.  It worked great.

Recent studies have shown that 1 out of 10 women in the US alone have some form of an antidepressant in their medicine cabinet. That’s pretty scary if you ask me. Unfortunately it also not surprising since many women have more on their plates than ever before. Their plates are full and with the economic state, things will only become much worse before they get any better. Still, many believe that pills are the only answer. They’d never consider a healthy diet as a natural alternative to depression.

Instead, they’d rather take the easy road. Yet what many may not realize is many medications also come with side effects that may have long-term implications. Side effects can include dizziness, drowsiness, headaches, nausea, fatigue, fever, irritability, extreme weight gain, loss of sex drive, dry mouth, insomnia, bleeding ulcers and a dangerous increase in blood pressure.

And if you’re taking another medication there can be a risk of even greater dangers. Plus, many antidepressants don’t allow you to consume certain foods while taking them. That seems like more worry than help to me.

Of course you won’t find any of the above side effects from foods that come from Mother Nature. And you aren’t limited to the kinds of foods you can consume. I don’t know about you, but I don’t like to limit myself to what foods I can and cannot eat!

If a healthier alternative to medications sounds ideal to you, try loading up on foods that are rich in vitamin E, vitamin B6 and Omega – 3 Fatty Acids that may help regulate mood swings. Foods that are rich in these nutrients include, salmon, eggs, chickpeas, spinach, okra, broccoli, asparagus and poultry.

However, you should avoid foods that are processed since they contain chemicals that can do serious harm to your body. Instead look for foods from farmers markets or that aren’t packaged with labels that have hard to pronounce ingredients in them.

In addition, you may also want to add an all-natural vitamin and mineral supplement such as SeaAloe to your daily nutritional intake. Taking a nutritional supplement like Sea Aloe in addition to consuming wholesome foods may be a big help.

Please keep in mind however, that a healthy diet alone may not always be right for everyone. If you find that your depression isn’t getting any better, please seek a doctor’s help. Often women who are severely depressed may be diagnosed with a more serious health problem. Be safe, but be healthy!