HEALTHY LIVING--WOMEN AND HEART DISEASE

Did you know that heart disease is the leading cause of death for both men and women, not only in the United States, but also worldwide. However, women often experience symptoms that they may not associate with heart disease, thereby not realizing they’re in imminent danger of having a heart attack. If you experience any of the symptoms listed below, even if mild, you should call your doctor. Half of all heart attacks are preceded by symptoms, sometimes days ahead of time.

Fatigue—This is not the fatigue that accompanies a sleepless or restless night. It’s fatigue and/or weakness that occurs even when you haven’t exerted yourself, and it can manifest weeks prior to a heart attack.

Dizziness—Heart attacks can reduce the flow of blood to the heart and brain, resulting in feelings of light-headedness.

Shortness of breath—If you awaken short of breath, or you feel like you just ran up a flight of stairs when you haven’t exerted yourself, this can be an indicator of heart problems. Also, if you suddenly find your normal exercise regime seems harder than normal.

Upper body pain—Because the heart muscle doesn’t have many nerve endings, it will share nerve pathways. Pain that radiates into your jaw, neck, arms, shoulders, or back should be taken seriously.

Sweating—Breaking out in a cold sweat or excessive sweating is never a good sign, unless there’s a reason for it, like going through menopause or partaking in strenuous exercise.

Nausea—In women, especially, heart attacks often cause nausea. If you have sudden, constant nausea and can’t attribute it to something you recently ate, call your doctor.

HEALTHY LIVING--FLOWER POWER!

Are you a bear in the morning? A total grump who has a hard time starting the day? Try placing a small vase of fresh flowers on your nightstand. A study a few years ago found that women who woke up to the sight of fresh flowers were not only happier and more optimistic, they were more energetic. And all that happiness, optimism, and energy lasted throughout the day.

HEALTHY LIVING--JACKIE WATERS ON DEALING WITH CHRONIC PAIN

Photo Credit: Brett_Hondow, Pixabay

Jackie Waters returns today with suggestions on how to deal with chronic pain.

Enjoy Life Again and Ease Chronic Pain with Simple Lifestyle Changes

By Jackie Waters

If you suffer from chronic pain, you know how debilitating it can be. Chronic pain causes physical, mental, and emotional difficulties. You often feel frustrated and angry, and at times you may feel hopeless and as though you’ve lost control of your body and life. However, simple lifestyle changes can help ease chronic pain and make leading an enjoyable life a real possibility.

Keeping a Tidy Home

Deep cleaning your home can be physically exhausting and difficult for chronic pain suffers. Hiring someone to tackle the deep cleaning tasks can be helpful. They can drop by once a week, bimonthly, or once a month to help. In between deep cleans, you can follow a few simple tips to keep your home tidy and help you go longer between deep cleans.

Never leave a room without making it better than how you found it. Even just taking an item that doesn’t belong in that room and putting it where it belongs can make a difference. Try to incorporate five-minute cleaning breaks into your day. Wash a few dishes or run a load of laundry in those five minutes. Keeping on top of the dishes is helpful. Put dirty dishes in the dishwasher immediately, and run it as soon as it’s full. Also, unload when it’s done.

Likewise, rather than letting laundry pile up for “laundry day,” wash a load of laundry as soon as you have a full load. Laundry isn’t really a difficult task, but letting it pile up and having to do six loads in a day makes it overwhelming. Wipe the toilet and bathroom sink down at least once a day for another five-minute task that will make a big difference. Keep a bottle of cleaner or a container of cleaning wipes in your bathroom so you can easily do a quick wipedown during a bathroom break.

Be tenacious about getting rid of stuff or not allowing it in the house to begin with to help control the clutter in your home. Having too much “stuff” contributes to a messy house. Once a month, go through your house and fill a bag to donate to charity. Also, don’t let papers pile up; when you check your mail or empty your kids’ backpacks, immediately recycle the unimportant stuff and file the important papers and bills. Try to have several areas that you keep consistently clean and free of clutter. Most people develop clutter on their dining room tables, the kitchen counters, and the bathrooms. Find your clutter areas, and work to keep them clean.

Treating Your Body Well

Exercise can be difficult if you suffer from chronic pain, but you don’t have to perform strenuous exercise to get the benefits of working out. For example, walking and swimming are low impact and have significant health benefits. Yoga is also great exercise, especially for people with chronic pain.

Yoga gently stretches and strengthens muscle and joints, helping to alleviate chronic pain. It builds endurance and balance, and also helps lower stress levels. Stress makes chronic pain worse, regardless of the original cause of the pain, because it makes the body tense and nervous. Some yoga moves can be intense, so stick with positions that fall into your personal range of comfort and ability. “The breathing component of yoga might be just as helpful to ease chronic pain as the movement and stretching,” suggests Health.com.

Diet is equally as important as exercise. Experts say chronic pain sufferers can benefit immensely from a diet change that focuses on consuming mostly vegetables. “Patients who follow strict vegan or Mediterranean diets have seen a complete turnaround in their pain symptoms,” says the Cleveland Clinic. Whether you follow these diets strictly or use them as inspiration to eat healthier, it can make a dramatic difference.

Integrating regular exercise, controlling stress, and eating healthy foods all work together to reduce inflammation and ease chronic pain, while minimizing the need to take medications, which can become addictive. Maintaining a clean home can help control stress and even provides a little exercise. Likewise, yoga and other low-impact exercises can provide a workout while lowering stress. These simple modifications can make life easier and help alleviate chronic pain so you can get back to enjoying life with less pain.

HEALTHY LIVING--FREELANCE WRITER HELEN BENNETT ON THE IMPORTANCE OF KEEPING A JOURNAL

photo by Guy Sie from Utrecht, Netherlands

Helen Bennett is a freelance writer previously employed in the healthcare sector for many years, with a varied career that took in many aspects of helping people, particularly in matters relating to diet, nutrition and fitness. She joins us today to discuss the benefits of keeping a journal.

Could Writing a Journal Be Good for Your Health? 

If you have aspirations to succeed as a writer, than journaling everyday could change your life. Many successful writers choose to keep a journal: the importance of keeping a journal is something that Virginia Woolf wrote extensively about, sharing in her letters: 'My belief is that my habit of writing this for my own eye only is good practice. It loosens the ligaments...I believe that during the past year I can trace some increase of ease in my professional writing to my casual half hour after tea.' Other famous literary journal writers include Ray Bradbury, Susan Sontag and CS Lewis. The more you write, the more your writing skills will increase, and for writers of memoir journals, provide important lessons in chronology and forming a solid narrative arc. However journal writing is not just for writers because it does so much more than simply improve the quality of your writing: it can also improve mental and physical health and wellbeing.

Here are just some of the health benefits of keeping and regularly updating a journal:

Immune System Boosting Properties

It might seem illogical, but there is mounting evidence to suggest that jotting down just a few sentences in your journal each day can actually help to boost your immune system. University of Texas at Austin Psychologist and Researcher James Pennebaker has conducted extensive investigations into the power of journal keeping, and found that regular journaling strengthens the T-lymphocyte immune cells. By strengthening your immunity you will increase your overall health, reducing your likelihood of suffering from colds, the flu, and other contagious viral illnesses. What's more, additional research has also shown that journaling can help reduce the symptoms of chronic inflammatory disorders such as asthma and rheumatoid arthritis. It is thought this works because conditions such as these can be aggravated by external stressors: as journaling minimizes your stress levels, it reduces the impact that stress can have on your physical health. 

Reduce Levels of Stress and Anxiety

Reducing your levels of stress and anxiety is thought to be the biggest health benefit of writing a regular journal. This is why individuals who have experienced stressful life events (such as the death of a friend or family member, the trauma of addiction, of a long term health condition) are often encouraged to keep a daily journal. Because the act of writing unlocks the logical and analytical left side of your brain, it frees up the creative right side of your brain to process the emotions that you have experienced throughout the day whilst the left side is distracted and occupied. Journaling is an excellent way to clarify your thoughts and feelings, particularly about events that make you feel confused and anxious, and find solutions to problems more effectively. For individuals working in high pressure environments or living otherwise stressful lives, writing about your anger, frustration and pain can help to relieve the intensity of those emotions and enable you to look at them with a calmer and more logical mind (which means you are more likely to find a worthwhile solution to your stressors and ultimately live a more enriching life).

Pick Up Your Pen

Many people that are new to journaling often ask where they should start: the simple answer is to just pick up your pen and start writing! There is no right or wrong thing to write about, only what is right and wrong for you. From a scientific point of view, the most effective journaling is undertaken on a daily basis and lasts for around 20 minutes each day: this will enable you to be enveloped in the full cathartic effect of the experience. Ensure that you have a quiet and private place to write, and keep your journal safe from prying eyes: if you feel your journal may be read by someone else, you will unconsciously censor your thoughts, and this will remove many of the benefits of the open stream of consciousness journal writing experience.

HEALTHY LIVING WITH JANICE--GUEST AUTHOR SUSAN LOHRER ON THE WELL-BALANCED LIFE

photo credit: © Andres Rodriguez

Susan Lohrer is a contemporary romance author who writes about families bumbling through crazy situations. Learn more about Susan and her books at her website. 

A Well-Balanced Life

How often have we heard from the experts that we should eat more of this, never eat that, and start regularly doing something that pretty much feels like torture? Every day, right? And then every few years, the experts change their minds and tell us the opposite. Argh. In the last few decades, we’ve gone from “Fat and cholesterol are going to be the death of us all” to “Meh, that stuff doesn’t matter as much as we thought, and you should be eating bacon and eggs.” Not only that, but studies have discovered that an aggressive running program (think marathon runners here, people we’ve long thought of as probably some the healthiest folks out there) actually shortens your life.

So what can we learn from observing the ebb and flow of expert health advice?

1. They’re all quacks and we should just do whatever we want.

2. They know best, and we need to stick with whatever the current trend is, no matter how yucky or difficult.

3. We (hopefully) are equipped with enough common sense to interpret the stream of information for ourselves and understand that we need… balance.

Whoa, when I finally realized that I could choose between making myself crazy trying to do everything the way someone else said I should do it… and living a balanced life, did it ever take some stress off.

Mind you, balance can be a tricky thing. Whether we’re stay-at-home moms or we work outside the home, we can get so caught up in chasing our dreams, our lives become the chase. And is that what we had in mind when the dream began? Probably not. I’ve been a stay-at-home mom, and I’ve worked outside the home. And it can get crazy—never mind being all things to all people, most of us are doing all that while tracking our calories and potassium intake (you can substitute your favorite health trend for potassium) on a smartphone app. It’s nuts. How do we balance all the important aspects of our lives?

We have to understand one key concept: We can’t achieve our dreams by piling so much on ourselves that we lose balance.

Because just like it’s now a bad idea to run excessively (thank goodness), it’s unhealthy to do anything to excess. Even good stuff like reading, knitting, and watching our nutrition. What good is it to spend so much time reading about the world that you don’t ever really live in it? To knit the most beautiful sweaters but never make time to bundle up and walk your dog? To eat only healthy foods and never enjoy an ice cream cone on a summer day with your best friend?

We need balance. Our dreams need balance. And yes, for the writers out there (myself included), our writing needs balance! The formula for success as an author or any creative person always includes a body of solid work; and I believe with all my heart that the secret ingredient in that formula is not spending 20 hours a day slaving over a computer keyboard—it’s making time to write daily without sacrificing every last moment of time with family and friends… or without sacrificing, say, a good night’s sleep. To create meaningfully, we first need to really live.

Now, I have many things to accomplish today and only a few hours in which to do them. I’ll get a lot done. I’ll write a few pages of my next book. I’ll try not to get fired (again) by my daughter who has Down syndrome and doesn’t approve of the fact that my job includes waking her up in the morning. I’ll drop everyone off and take myself to work. I’ll come home and make dinner and put away the laundry. But first? The sun is shining, and I’m going to go outside and take a little walk with my dog.

A Gift for Chloe

Her carefully ordered world is turning upside down…

Linda is the one who holds her family together. She’s an absolute rock—at least, she was until her daughter announced her pregnancy (wait, isn’t 40 way too young to become a grandmother?) and delivered the news that the baby has Down syndrome.

Now she finds herself standing in the middle of a bookstore, floundering to regain her equilibrium as her carefully ordered world tumbles willy-nilly around her. Instead of making a relatively simple decision about which book to buy, she’s spent an hour waffling between two titles and trying (and failing) to come to grips with this new reality she hasn’t had nearly enough chance to prepare for. It’s not that she hasn’t already fallen head over heels in love with baby Chloe, but this is something she’s not equipped to handle—she can’t even choose a self-help book on the subject, for goodness’ sake.

Her friends and the medical professionals blithely insist she’ll forget all about special needs the moment she sees her grandchild for the first time. Even the too-good-to-be-true, optimistic fellow customer she encounters in the aisle of the bookstore seems to think she’s worried over nothing.

This handsome stranger is obviously compassionate and knows a lot about Downs, but Linda is in no way interested in striking up a conversation with him, let alone a friendship, no matter how intriguing he is… until he performs a random act of kindness she can’t ignore.

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HEALTHY LIVING WITH JANICE--RANDOM ACTS OF KINDNESS AND YOUR HEALTH

This is Random Acts of Kindness Week. Did you know that practicing kindness is more than just a nice thing to do? According to the Random Acts of Kindness Foundation, there’s scientific proof that it boosts health, happiness and societal goodwill. Read on to learn more about what the foundation has to say:

Can kindness be taught? Yes! Kindness, like physical and academic skills, appears to be something that is not fixed, but rather can be enhanced with training and practice.

A researcher from the University of Wisconsin says, “It’s kind of like weight training, we found that people can actually build up their compassion ‘muscle’ and respond to others’ suffering with care and a desire to help.”

“Compassion and kindness training in schools can help children learn to be attuned to their own emotions as well as those of others, which may decrease bullying. Compassion training also may benefit people who have social challenges such as social anxiety or antisocial behavior.” — Richie Davidson, Neuroscientist and Professor of Psychology and Psychiatry, University of Wisconsin, Madison

Can kindness really illicit change, and how?

Yes, because kindness is contagious.

Acts of kindness have a positive three-way effect: There’s the positive effect on the recipient, and the positive effect on you—you might find yourself experiencing the positive emotion of the ‘helper’s high.’ But perhaps the biggest effect of all will be on a passer-by who just happens to witness the act.

How can kindness improve your health?

Volunteering results in more health benefits than exercising or quitting smoking. “Helping a neighbor, volunteering, or donating goods and services results in a helper’s high.” — Stephen Post, Author, “The Hidden Gifts of Helping”.

People who volunteer live a longer more satisfied life. “People who volunteer tend to experience fewer aches and pains. Giving help to others protects overall health twice as much as aspirin protects against heart disease. People 55 and older who volunteer for two or more organizations have an impressive 44% lower likelihood of dying, and that’s after sifting out every other contributing factor, including physical health, exercise, gender, habits like smoking, marital status and many more. This is a stronger effect than exercising four times a week or going to church.” — Christine Carter, Author, “Raising Happiness; In Pursuit of Joyful Kids and Happier Parents”.

Giving to others reduces depression and improves wellbeing. Stephen Post of Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine serves as president of the Institute for Research on Unlimited Love, which conducts and funds research on altruism, compassion and service. His research shows that when we give of ourselves, especially if we start young, everything from life satisfaction to self-realization and physical health is significantly improved. Mortality is delayed, depression is reduced and well-being and good fortune are increased.

Committing acts of kindness lowers blood pressure. According to Dr. David R. Hamilton, acts of kindness create emotional warmth, which releases a hormone known as oxytocin. Oxytocin causes the release of a chemical called nitric oxide, which dilates the blood vessels. This reduces blood pressure and, therefore, oxytocin is known as a "cardioprotective" hormone. It protects the heart by lowering blood pressure.

Helping others increases energy. “About half of participants in one study report that they feel stronger and more energetic after helping others; many also reported feeling calmer and less depressed, with increased feelings of self-worth.” — Christine Carter, UC Berkeley, Greater Good Science Center.

Doing kind acts for others reduces anxiety. During four weeks, University of British Columbia researchers assigned people with high levels of anxiety to do kind acts for other people at least six times a week. The researchers found that doing nice things for people led to a significant increase in people's positive moods. It also led to an increase in relationship satisfaction and a decrease in social avoidance in socially anxious individuals.

How can kindness increase happiness?

"People who engage in kind acts become happier over time…When you are kind to others, you feel good as a person -- more moral, optimistic, and positive." —Sonja Lyubomirsky, Professor of Psychology, UC Riverside.

Researcher Elizabeth Dunn found that those who spend money on others reported much greater happiness than those who spend it on themselves.

The act of helping another person triggers activity in the caudate nucleus and anterior cingulate cortex regions of the brain, the parts involved in pleasure and reward. That is, serving others may produce the same sort of pleasure as gratifying a personal desire.

How can kindness build good will?

“Kindness can jumpstart a cascade of positive social consequences. Helping others leads people to like you, appreciate you, to offer gratitude. It also may lead people to reciprocate in your times of need. Helping others can satisfy a basic human need for connecting with others, winning you smiles, thankfulness, and valued friendship.” —Sonja Lyubomirsky, Ph.D., professor of psychology, University of California, Riverside. 

HEALTHY LIVING WITH JANICE--TIP FOR A GOOD NIGHT'S SLEEP

photo by Juanedc

A good night’s sleep is so important for so many reasons. A recent TED talk discussed how scientists have discovered that while we sleep, the brain undergoes a natural cleansing system that keeps toxic proteins at bay.

Studies have also found links between insufficient sleep and serious health problems such as heart disease, heart attacks, diabetes, and obesity.

Other studies have shown that both chronic pain and acute pain from injury may be lessened by getting enough sleep, although it’s often hard to sleep when you’re in pain. There have also been links discovered between sleep loss and a lower pain threshold.

Getting enough sleep will also lower your risk of injury. Drowsiness is a prime factor in many workplace and driving accidents. When you’re overtired, you’re also much more likely to suffer a household accident such as tripping or cutting yourself during food preparation.

You also tend to be much less cranky and irritable when you’ve gotten enough sleep, and that helps regulate your emotions. You’re much less likely to suffer rollercoaster emotions or say something or type an email you later regret.

So now that you know all the benefits of getting a good night’s sleep, how do you get one if you’re not currently sleeping well at night? The trick might be as simple as checking your pillow thickness. If your pillow is as little as 1-inch too thick, it can disrupt your sleep.

How do you know if your pillow is the right thickness? Lie on your back with your head on your pillow. If your chin points even slightly toward your chest, your pillow is too thick. Choose a pillow that keeps your head from dipping up or down, and you’ll sleep better.

HEALTHY LIVING WITH JANICE--COCONUT, THE NEW KALE?

photo by Tom Woodward

Is coconut the new miracle health food? Every year it seems there’s a new “super” food being touted. Lately it’s coconut. It’s everywhere. There’s coconut milk, coconut oil, coconut water, and of course, shredded coconut. Coconut apparently is the new kale.

Recent research shows that coconut is good for you from head-to-toe. According to the research, coconut can help prevent obesity by speeding up metabolism. It can improve heart health by providing the right type of fatty acids. It’s high in dietary fiber. Coconut can regulate your blood sugar, reduce your craving for sweets, improve your digestion, and give you a quick energy boost.

Some claim coconut has anti-aging properties. It can prevent hair damage, moisturize your skin, and act as a sunscreen.

Coconut can help you lose weight, and even make your brain function better. Other claim coconut has healing properties and aids and supports our immune system functions.

Is this all hype or fact? Lots of foods once touted as being good for us have later been found to be not so good. However, coconut has no trans-fats and is gluten-free. And one thing is certain, populations that eat lots of coconut are some of the healthiest people in the world.

Besides, coconut tastes good, and how many things that taste good are also good for us?

HEALTHY LIVING WITH JANICE--{{{{{STRESS}}}}}

{{{{{Stress}}}}} We all deal with it. But stress isn’t good for us. It can make us physically sick. It can make us depressed. It can affect those around us. It can hinder our work. Stress will never go away. It’s a fact of life, but there are ways to cope with it, minimize it. Even get rid of some of it some of the time.

Many people swear by yoga. Others are into meditation. Lots of us exercise to relieve stress. All are great. However, sometimes we don’t have the luxury of taking a yoga, meditation or exercise break at specific times when we’re feeling overwhelmed. We need something we can do while at our desks or when we’re stuck in a traffic jam and late for a doctor’s appointment.

Here are two stress relievers to try for those times when your usual mode of stress relief isn’t available to you:

1. Take slow, deep breaths, sighing loudly, for two minutes. Large exhalations of air help your body release tension and pent-up anxiety.

2. Sing! According to a recent survey, the breathing patterns used while singing can positively influence your heart rate and health. It’s similar to doing yoga breathing exercises. (This one is best in the car with the windows rolled up if, like me, you can’t carry a tune to save your life!)

HEALTHY LIVING WITH JANICE--HEALTHY FOOD SWAPS

Healthy Food Swaps

We all know we should eat more healthful foods, but it’s the stuff that’s not very good for us that often tastes the best—recipes made with bacon, heavy cream, fats, salt, mayonnaise—those usual suspects.

Instead of denying yourself foods you enjoy, try swapping out some of those not-so-good-for-you ingredients for healthy alternatives. Trust me, the recipes will taste just as yummy, and you’ll be doing your body a favor.

Here are some great substitutions that won’t take away from your gastronomic pleasure:

If a soup recipe calls for heavy cream, place 1/2 broth and 1/4 cup white beans in a blender. Puree until smooth. Add to soup.

Instead of salting your food, add a squeeze or two of lemon or lime to chicken, fish, rice, and vegetable dishes.

When baking muffins, brownies, and sweetened breads, replace half the oil with applesauce or pureed prunes.

Another baking tip: replace half the white four with whole-wheat flour.

Paprika mimics the smoky flavor of bacon. Sprinkle it on your morning eggs or any recipe where you’d normally add bacon.

Do you like mayo on your sandwiches? Try substituting a smear of mashed avocado on your bread.

Instead of breadcrumbs for casseroles, meatloaf, and breading, use rolled oats which you’ve first pulsed until grainy in a food processor.

When recipes call for sour cream or buttermilk, substitute plain yogurt. 

HEALTHY LIVING WITH GUEST FITNESS EXPERT AND AUTHOR JULIA DEREK

photo by Billy Coleman

Swedish-born New Yorker Julia Derek is a fitness trainer by day and writer by night. A former serial egg donor, she's the author of young adult, new adult, and romantic suspense novels. Learn more about Julia and her books at her website. 

How to Get Killer Abs—Without Killing Yourself…

A lot of people dream of having a body with a great stomach. Ab machine manufacturers take advantage of this by inventing new equipment, using models with sexy washboard abs to sell them in infomercials on TV, reinforcing the erroneous belief that if only you work your abdominals enough, it’ll be flat. The only time this may come true is if you have very low body fat and unusually weak ab muscles.  And if you happen to be one of the very few who fit these criteria, you’d still be better off saving your hard-earned cash and simply following the advice below.

1. WATCH YOUR DIET. It may seem obvious that you should eat healthy foods and only consume as many calories as you burn (fewer if your goal is to lose body fat). Still, this may be the number one reason your stomach is a lot flabbier than you’d like it to be. It doesn’t matter how strong and firm your abdominals are if a layer of fat covers them. In other words, all those crunches/ab exercises you’re doing WILL NOT also magically burn off the fat on your stomach. I’m not saying you should not include ab exercises into your workouts—pilates-style exercises AND crunches—but know that they’ll only strengthen your abs, not melt off the fat on top.

2. DO INTERVAL TRAINING. If you’re a glutton like yours truly, you must work out so hard you burn more calories than you consume. I don’t like to deprive myself of the good things in life, so I incorporate interval training into my workouts. Not only does interval training burn a lot more calories than steady-state cardio, but it drastically increases your fitness levels. Generally speaking, the harder you work out, the flatter your abs will be without you ever doing a crunch, especially if you include several full-body exercises. Read this article for maximum burn workouts.

3. IMPROVE YOUR POSTURE. Every day when I go to the gym, I see super lean people who work out like maniacs, yet some of them look either depressed or like they’re pregnant. (Well, if they’re females.) As I was teaching a small group TRX class, one of my participants pointed to a woman we often see working out around us and whispered, “Wow, is she pregnant again?” I looked at the woman and it took me two seconds to determine that this twelve-percent body fat person slouched so badly she in fact looked like she was about four months pregnant! Instead of standing up straight, her hips were pushed forward and her chest sunken in–partly due to over-training her pecs.  Avoid this look by always walking tall and proud. Lift your chest and chin and keep your shoulders down/back and the rest will fall into place!

Do you have great abs? What are your best tips to get a flat stomach?

Smiley Killer

Seventeen-year-old Riley has been fascinated with crime investigation since she discovered CSI on TV. So, when it’s announced a serial killer is loose in the city, hell-bent on killing girls like Riley’s little sister, Riley’s on full alert. Not even Mark, the super hot college boy pursuing her, can get her mind off the case. 

A victim found near the research lab where Riley’s friend Alyssa volunteers makes Riley think she’s found a lead: The killer’s signature—sad smileys—appears in the lab, so it seems the killer could be someone working there. Riley alerts Alyssa and the two notify the NYPD. But the police dismiss their claims. 

Convinced she’s onto something, Riley embarks on her own investigation together with Alyssa. When another victim is found near the lab, it seems they’re close to finding the killer. Problem is, their prime suspect is a scientist’s younger brother—who happens to be Mark… 

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HEALTHY LIVING WITH JANICE--CAN DRINKING GREEN TEA HELP YOU LOSE WEIGHT?

I came across an interesting article the other day. It said that drinking team just might help you lose weight. Since I’m constantly battling the scale—as many women do—I read further. 

Apparently, according to a professor of nutrition at Tufts University, tea, especially green tea, will speed up your metabolism and increase the fat calories your body burns. This is due to a combination of caffeine and the antioxident catechin in tea.

According to the article, you should drink at least two cups of tea a day and let the tea steep for at least three minutes for optimum catechin consumption.

Along with possible weight loss, other studies have found that green tea may reduce the risk of certain cancers, specifically lung, breast, and skin, and also slow the rate of bone loss.

Tea time anyone?

HEALTHY LIVING WITH JANICE--MORNING SMOOTHIE TIP

photo by Marcus Quiqmire

Do you enjoy breakfast smoothies but find you rarely have time to make them as you’re rushing to get out of the house on time? Here’s a timesaving tip that will make smoothies a snap each morning.

Purchase two 1 lb. bags of your choice of frozen fruits. Divide the fruit up into six quart-sized freezer bags. Add half a peeled banana. Place bags in the freezer.

In the morning, simply empty the contents of one of the bags into your blender, add milk or juice and some yogurt, cover, and push the button. Voila! Instant smoothie!

HEALTHY LIVING WITH JANICE--HEALING BRUISES

photo by Alvesgaspar

Do you bruise easily? Did you know that pineapple helps heal bruises? Pineapple contains a compound that soothes skin inflammation, but you don’t rub it on your skin. You eat it. The next time you smack your shin or bump your thigh, eat a cup of pineapple chunks and drink water throughout the day to speed up the healing process.

HEALTHY LIVING WITH JANICE--THE 20/20/20 RULE

If you sit at a computer all day, you probably suffer from eye strain. And eye strain can cause headaches and other ailments. One way to combat eye strain is to follow the 20/20/20 rule. Every 20 minutes take a 20 second break from your computer monitor by focusing on something at least 20 feet away.

HEALTHY LIVING WITH JANICE--CUT YOUR RISK OF HEART ATTACK

The next time you’re tempted to reach for a piece of candy, grab a handful of strawberries or blueberries instead. In a Harvard study of 90,000 women, researchers found that those who ate at least three servings of these berries a week had a 32% lower risk of heart attack than women who ate the berries once a month or less. The reason they found is that strawberries and blueberries contain anthocyanins, substances that make blood vessels more flexible and reduce blood pressure. 

HEALTHY LIVING WITH JANICE--GRAYCE WALTERS ON PET ACUPUNCTURE

Normally the Healthy Living segment of our blog is devoted to issues related to humans. Today we have something a bit different, a visit from Grayce Walters to discuss acupuncture for pets. Grayce is the brainchild of aspiring author Jacki Delecki who is neither an animal acupuncturist nor a veterinarian but has a vivid imagination. Learn more about Jacki at her website. 

Animal Acupuncture

By Grayce Walters

I’m very glad to have the opportunity to discuss animal acupuncture with you. And hopefully I can answer any questions you may have. I’m a veterinarian and practice animal acupuncture in Seattle. In the state of Washington only a licensed veterinarian can practice animal acupuncture. State requirements for animal acupuncture vary from state to state so it behooves you to research the training of the person you’re considering for your pet.

Because I live in an urban area, I treat mainly of dogs and cats. Animal acupuncture can be very helpful for large animals especially horses who by their level of activity often sustain injuries. I’ve experience in treating horses. I’ve also treated various large animals at Seattle’s zoo with good results.

What are indications for seeking acupuncture for your pet?

The most frequent reason for pet owners to seek acupuncture is relief of pain. There are many reasons for pain. Your pet should be evaluated by your veterinarian to determine the cause of the pain before you seek acupuncture treatment. If your pet is suffering from arthritis, arthritic joints, acute pain following a surgery, pain from disease such as cancer or leukemia, acupuncture can help relieve the pain and the subsequent stress associated with pain.

The treatment involves placement of filiform needles at sites along the meridians, the path or channel as it is called in Chinese medicine in which the qi/chi, the life energy flows. The needles may be placed in various parts of the animal’s body.

Acupuncture has been studied and practiced for over 2000 years in China. The Chinese are responsible for bringing acupuncture forward into the modern world. There is also Korean and Japanese acupuncture. The three variations use different meridian points and different techniques for needle placement.

As with most American practitioners, my practice is based on the Chinese method of acupuncture. I studied in China after finishing my veterinarian education.

Will your pet be upset or stressed by the placement of the needles thus negating the benefits of the treatment?

There is mild pain/discomfort with the insertion of the needle, like the bite of a mosquito. The amount of stress your animal will experience with acupuncture is related to many factors. First, there is the level of pain that your pet is having and how defensive their pain makes them. Next there can be additional stress by having to go into an office setting. The last factor to consider is how your pet reacts to new experiences and new people.

I’ve found it most beneficial to make home visits for treatment of very stressed pets. A safe environment is less upsetting to the pet and its owner. The skill and patience of the practitioner is the critical part of the equation for the treatment to be successful.

The practitioner needs to have an understanding of animal behavior and pain mechanisms to make an animal comfortable and trusting. The intangible part of the practitioner’s skill is the ability to empathize and communicate with animals. It’s a unique gift that can be enhanced but requires a certain intuitive ability mixed with a deep need to heal.

In my own practice, I believe that I must be in a quiet state to enable me to communicate and calm animals. I meditate and practice yoga to keep my qi/chi in balance. Animals pick up on the stress of their owners and the people around them. I find it very important to be centered before I treat my patients.

My patients usually become relaxed and often sleep through their acupuncture treatment as soon as I place the first needle. You must keep in mind that every pet and every practitioner is different.

I’d look for a change in attitude by your pet toward the practitioner over several visits to judge whether your pet’s acupuncturist is the right match for your pet and for you. 

In An Inner Fire, Grayce Walters, veterinarian and animal acupuncturist, possesses a powerful gift--the ability to communicate with animals. Sensing fear and agitation in a fire investigator’s poodle, Grayce discovers clues to arson, murder, and drug smuggling on Seattle’s Waterfront.