Nunatsiaq News.com

Improving Health with a Change of Diet

If there were one thing you could change for the better about your life, what would it be? I’m sure many would go for a vastly improved financial situation, or a happier marriage and family life, while others would opt for a change in where they lived to somewhere nicer. How many would opt for a vast improvement in their health? Maybe not as many as you would think, but with the huge numbers of overweight and obese people walking around these days, it might seem as if this ought to be the number one wish for change.

In reality, the line between being unhealthy and healthy is a lot finer than many would think. It really doesn’t take a lot of effort to change the state of your health from being under par to being glowing and healthful. What it does take is a series of small, incremental steps t hat almost anyone should be able to follow in order to achieve a lasting improvement in their overall health and well being.

It really is quite amazing how a seemingly minor change of diet can bring about so many great health benefits to the dieter. By simply cutting out drinking soda and replacing it with plain water and maybe some fresh fruit juice can cause amazing changes in a person’s weight and shape. The amount of calories that a person can save in an average day where they simply stop drinking three or four cans of soda and instead drink water is incredible. It can make the difference of a loss of several pounds each month!

Similarly, by cutting down hard on eating processed meals, convenient diets of takeout food and junk food, a person can start feeling better, more awake and alert and have more energy because their bodies would no longer be having to deal with all the toxins that are present in that type of food thanks to all the artificial additives and saturated fats that are in them. Then by cutting down on foods containing refined sugar and refined white flour and replacing them with more fresh fruits and vegetables in the daily diet, that feeling of lightness and having much more energy will become even more pronounced.

Its a funny thing, but people who make these small changes to their diet often feel so much better and livelier that they actually feel like taking more exercise and feel restless sitting in a chair watching TV. They would actually rather be outdoors in the fresh air getting some real exercise, even if its brisk walking. Some like to do some swimming or even cycling.

This all comes from making a few small yet significant changes to your diet and its not something that you have to look at and feel like its going to be hard. because its actually very easy, once you get into the swing of it and then it becomes like a case of “Why didn’t I do this before?”

TAGS: change of diet, convenience diets, healthy diet

Canadian Husky Owners – Beware the Dreaded Dog Flea!

As a freelance journalist I’ve had the good fortune to travel all over the world reporting stories on major world events and items of human interest to many of the major news institutions. When I got the opportunity to take up a full-time posting here in Nunatsiaq, I jumped at the chance. You see, I own a beautiful Husky called Bert and wanted to take him to a colder climate than Oregon, where we had previously been living.

There were a couple of reasons for this. Firstly, I have always fancied trying my hand at dog sledding as a hobby and moving to colder climes is the perfect opportunity to give this a go. Secondly, the flea problems that I had with Bert during the summertime in Oregon were no joke. And it wasn’t just fleas either; ticks were a very serious problem as well. In fact , ticks can carry some pretty serious diseases for both pet and human so you’ve really got to stay on top of your preventative flea control regime. Going through a Husky with a little metal flea comb is no joke, believe me – I’ve had to do it more times than I care to mention.

I have always been against any sort of chemical treatment for dog fleas and ticks on my pets, but I found myself with little choice in the matter. Natural treatments can work, but I found the fleas in Oregon were just too virulent and persistent and I had to switch to using the chemical spot on treatments. With the move to a colder climate, I had thought that I could go back to using the more natural approach. Boy, was I wrong!

Natural Flea Treatment for Dogs

Upon arriving in Nunatsiaq, I switched to my natural flea control regime, which consisted of regular garlic tablets and a topical treatment. These, I thought, would be sufficient to keep the fleas at bay. I had researched things thoroughly and was confident enough that when spring arrived, I didn’t expect to find any fleas hopping around on Bert’s back.

Here are the details of the treatments and why I chose them:

Garlic

Garlic is a very good homeopathic remedy for treating dog fleas when used correctly. If used incorrectly, it can be harmful or potentially dangerous. In fact, an overdose of garlic can kill your dog so always seek advice from your vet before embarking on any form of treatment. I’ve heard of some people grating garlic into their pet’s food bowl, but I prefer the peace of mind that comes with a tablet. At least then I know that I’m giving the correct dose and not putting Bert at any risk.

Natural Oils

Natural oils can be extremely effective for treatment of fleas. Again, take proper advice before using them. The formulation I used included Lemon Oil, Geranium Oil, Cedarwood Oil and Evergreen Oil. I put 3 drops of the Lemon Oil and a single drop of the others on Bert’s coat and rubbed it in all over him.

I figured this was as natural a treatment as it was possible to get and I also knew from previous experience that he doesn’t suffer allergic reactions to any of these ingredients.

The Results

So, suitably prepared for the flea season, and continuing to apply the treatment on a monthly basis, I thought I had everything under control. But as I’ve already hinted, I was grossly mistaken.

The first indication of a problem was Bert biting his back and scratching at his stomach. Pretty soon, the fleas were visible to the naked eye, jumping around his coat.

I stepped up the treatment and applied the natural oils on a weekly, then twice weekly basis. They did help but they didn’t fix the problem entirely.

Finally, at my wit’s end, I took a trip to the vet’s and got some Frontline Plus for Dogs. This fixed the problem very quickly. I have learned my lesson and will be using Frontline Plus from now on.

It’s a case of sacrificing my ideals for the health of my dog, which is a small price to pay.

Home Flea Treatment

A final tip for you on controlling fleas, which my vet reminded me of (I’m ashamed to admit that I had been neglecting it, which might account for why the natural oil treatment was so ineffective).

Always pay attention to ridding your home of fleas. The fleas don’t live on the dog all the time, they simply feed on the dog and can drop off when they have drunk their full quota of blood and will quite happily live in your carpet, or in your pet’s bedding for prolonged periods of time.

For this reason, if you find you have an infestation, you should always vacuum the area where your pet sleeps on a daily basis (as well as the rest of your house, but do pay particular attention to your dog’s sleeping area). You must also wash your dog’s bedding weekly. These are good preventative measures; don’t wait to become infested before you started doing these things. I no make them a regular part of my housework routine and have been flea-free ever since, although I’m sure the regular spot on treatments of Frontline are playing a significant part in this.

So, take my word for this: prevention is better than cure when it comes to fleas.

Get into the habit of washing your dog’s bedding on a weekly basis and vacuuming often (I think daily is too much to aim for realistically unless you have more spare time than most of the rest of us – every few days is probably fine).

Speak to your vet about using a spot on treatment like Frontline to prevent future infestations.

Go and get this sorted now, before the flea season starts. You’ll be sorry if you don’t!

A Cool Vacation Option for Wheelchair Users

One of the great things about taking a vacation is that you get to choose where you want to go and how you want to get there and back. At least that’s the way it is for most of us, unless we have a family member or partner who makes those decisions whether we like them or not! But for some people who have a physical disability that limits their mobility in some way, the choices are fewer when their own circumstances prevent them from taking certain vacations.

That doesn’t necessarily mean that many of the options that are out there have to be overlooked just because a wheelchair user is not as mobile as an able bodied person. Take for instance an RV vacation, where you are not limited by having to stay at hotels or be in a certain place at a certain time or be restricted to a vacation resort someplace. There are custom built RVs that cater for wheelchair users and those with other physical limitations with motorized wheelchair access ramps, wide aisles and doorways and full handicap bathroom facilities on board. For many, the dream of hitting the road in a wheelchair accessible RV becomes a reality when they have taken some initiative and looked around at the availability options such as rentals if they cannot afford to go and buy an RV for cash or on credit.

This, naturally opens up a whole new area of vacation decisions that you will have to make as it becomes clear that you don’t have to restrict yourself to a special resort that caters to people with disabilities and mobility issues. You can enjoy the freedom that an RV vacation can bring by getting out into the unknown and drive to wherever you feel like driving to. And you can do it without the shackles of needing to plan ahead to make sure there’s a motel along the way that you can stay at. You can stop and eat your convenience diet wherever you decide is a good spot with a nice view. You can do these things because your RV is your mobile motel as well as the means to get to where you are going!

So you see, not all exciting vacation options are off the menu if you have to get around in a wheelchair or need constant assistance from a helper. When you delve into the many options that are available to everyone no matter what their circumstances in life, you soon see that a wide vista of choices opens up to you in areas that you may never have thought were possible before you started looking!

TAGS: handicap RV, vacations for wheelchair users, wheelchair accessible RV

Some Advantages of Using Natural Bar Soap

The number of families choosing organic products is increasing considerably annually and for good reason; they are simply better for your well being and the planet. One of the trends increasing the most inside the “organic living” community is the utilization of natural bar soap. Below I am going to talk about some of the reasons why using natural bar soap is wonderful for you and your family.

Recently there has been a movement for healthier eating all over the world so a lot more people are changing towards natural foods. This health movement has grown into utilizing pure products on your skin and around your home too. As a result, organic bar soap, natural body cream and many organic cleansers have gained loads of recognition now that consumers are realizing their advantages.

Because truly natural bar soaps only utilize organic substances, they are far better for your skin, fine for the ecosystem, and just plain healthier overall. Furthermore, most of the all-natural soap bars are scented from their ingredients so they smell terrific, and are naturally coloured as well. Numerous foods possess amazing aromas that they will add to the soap, such as coconuts and grapefruits, and these are usually used when producing organic soap.

Even so, there’s no doubt that the major selling factor for natural bar soap is that they are fantastic for your skin. The pure ingredients utilized to make them are also precisely what provide them with an awesome lather and natural moisturizing properties. Furthermore, they go through a natural soap making procedure so they retain all of their glycerin, which is commonly extracted from standard commercial soap. Glycerin is a rather good moisturizer so that gives all-natural soap another edge from the beginning.

Yet another excellent thing about these natural soaps is that often times they’ve got natural exfoliating qualities. In fact, a lot of luxurious spas work with various kinds of natural soaps as part of their soothing spa treatments. When you have your own at home, you’re able to spoil your skin every day similar to the way a day spa would, but without the substantial prices.

You should also remember that the great majority of commercially made bar soap contains synthetic lathering agents, unnatural colors, and a whole bunch of chemicals most people cannot even pronounce. Nearly all of the anti-bacterial and antimicrobial soaps contain triclosan, which is a harmful chemical known to cause cancer. Your skin is porous and absorbent so it absorbs whatever comes in contact with it. Long-term utilization of those cleansers filled with chemical substances can cause the body to store them and you definitely don’t want all those chemicals inside your system!

In addition to that, those severe substances and poisons wind up finding their way into the environment. Whenever that lather washes down the drain, the pollutants are going with it into the eco-system. Therefore, organic, all-natural, homemade soap is a superior alternative to use for many reasons.

TAGS: natural bar soap, organic bar soap, pure soap

Why Canadians Will Be Learning How to Play Guitar Online This Winter

As the days get shorter and the nights grow longer, the thoughts of thousands of Canadians turn to indoor hobbies. The long summer evenings spent fishing from the boat, or sipping an ice cold tasty beverage in the afternoon heat are becoming distant memories.

Yes, it’s time to bring out the winter clothes and put the snow shovel on standby. Winter’s coming and we need to be ready.

So, having reached a state of preparedness for all that winter brings to those of us who live this far north, what do you do with your evenings? The answer, it seems, for a growing number of Canadians is learning how to play guitar.

People right across Canada play various musical instruments, for all kinds of reasons. But, with an estimated 2 million or more people claiming some level of playing ability, it seems that the guitar is winning the musical popularity contest.

A few people play or teach the guitar for a living. These folk will have spent much of their free time for many years perfecting their guitar playing and their understanding of the instrument, so they will likely be very accomplished musicians. Others will treat it as a hobby and play simply for the fun of it.

There’s no greater pleasure than making music with our fellow human beings. It’s an innate ability possessed by all mankind to recognise and gain enjoyment from listening to and creating music. Ever since the first caveman started humming along to the rhythm of his woolly mammoth’s footsteps, the human race has been hooked on music and the feelings it evokes in us.

I’ve asked many guitarists what attracted them to the guitar and why they first started playing. The answers have 3 common threads, which leave me wondering why anyone would choose to play any other instrument.

1. Guitars are easy to play. One of the major advantages that the beginner guitarist has over his counterparts playing one of the more difficult stringed instruments is that he has frets to guide him. A violinist has to judge where to place his fingers without such an obvious visual and tactile clue.

2. Guitars are easy to carry around. It’s true that the same could be argued for many other instruments, but when compared to a drum kit, or a double bass, the guitar’s portability is an obvious benefit.

Photo by Andrew Currie

3. You can sing and play at the same time. This is a fantastic advantage of the guitar and means that the singer can accompany himself and has no need for a backing band. The guitar provides the perfect accompaniment for the the human voice and can be used to play chords that act as a bed for the vocals, or double up with the singer to add depth by playing a riff or lick that fits with the vocal part. Try doing that with a trumpet or a flute!
Photo by Andrew Currie

With such obvious advantages over most other instruments, it is easy to see why the guitar is so popular with Canadians.

So what is the best way to learn guitar? More and more people are turning to, online guitar lessons as their chosen way to learn.

The reasons for this are pretty obvious, too.

For one thing, online guitar courses are far cheaper than a real-life private tutor. And with the economy the way it is at the moment, who isn’t interested in keeping costs down?

Another factor is that the student can progress at their own pace, without feeling under pressure or having to endure the frustrated “tut-tuts” of a professional teacher who can’t understand why their pupil has difficulty stretching their fingers to the position required to play the F Chord.

I think the clincher for those of us based in Canada is that you can study guitar from the comfort of your own home, without the need to travel across town in the middle of a blizzard, which inevitably leaves your fingers numb and unable to tie a shoelace never mind play guitar. Instead, you can settle down with your guitar on your lap and follow the lessons on your computer in the warmth of your living room.

So, why not join the army of guitarists strumming and plucking their way through the cold dark Canadian winter? Once learned, musical ability is a skill you’ll always have, and one that you can share with your friends and family for years to come.

It might even help you to forget that it’s 40 below outside.

Three of the Top Bear Compound Bows

The Fred Bear Archery company has developed into one of the most trusted and reliable manufacturers of compound bows made for hunters. This has resulted in the anticipation of the new line up of compound bows released by the company each year. One of the things that is very important to be remembered is that no matter which bow manufacturer you turn to, there will be a great deal of similarities found between the bows at each price level. However, it is still worthwhile finding out what is out there and the types of features they might offer the average hunter.

We will take a quick look at three of the most popular bows in the range with a view of determining who is going to benefit most from each bow.

The first bow we will look at it the Bear Assault. This is a bow that has been loaded up with plenty of features making it an all around hunting bow that will deliver both speed and accuracy in equal measure. It has a generous brace height that is well over 7 inches in length and the E-Cam system that powers the bow ensures that 300 feet per second is well within its capabilities.

The next bow is the Bear Strike. This is a bow that has been designed more for its accuracy capabilities with a brace height of nearly 8 inches. The speed of the bow reflects the size of the brace height and it is limited to a top end of just over 300 feet per second which will translate to closer to 280. It is also the budget priced bow in the range giving you significant stopping power for a reasonable price.

Finally we will move on to the power bow of the Bear line up, the Bear Carnage. The bow features the company’s Skeleton Cam System and the result is a blazing fast hunting bow that is small and maneuverable and nice and light. It is the best of all worlds and for the serious hunter represents the pinnacle of what it means to shoot with the odds stacked heavily in your favour. Although the advertised IBO of the bow is 345 feet per second this is a speed that is unlikely to be approached in the field. Nevertheless it is a bow that is going to stop most anything you hit.

Any of the bows listed above are going to provide you with a bow that will make each hunt you participate in a worthwhile event.

Kindle Fire Release Date

Amazon have done it again and the effect is going to be devestating! Their business strategy and public relations has done it again. The Kindle Fire – their latest offering which is both Kindle and tablet is now on sale. However, it is not actually ready to be shipped. The actual Kindle Fire release date is not until the 15th November. So even though we can buy one now, we’re not going to get it for another 7 weeks. Why would Amazon decide to release it this way?

There are a number of great reasons why this type of release strategy is a winner. First of all, it builds up massive anticipation. So many of us will order it straight away and then as we talk about waiting for our new Amazon Kindle Fire, this is going to raise the profile of the product amongst consumers. The result being that demand will keep on increasing.

Another factor is that there is soon going to be a new version of the Nook Color coming out soon. Rather than actually waiting until the product is ready to be shipped, Amazon have trumped Barnes & Noble and released the next generation of Kindle readers early.

It’s amazing that the Kindle Fire is just one of four Kindles that was announced on Wednesday 28th of September. The other options that we have are a standard Kindle 4, a Kindle Touch and a Kindle Touch with 3G. Take a look at this video just to see the power that is literally going to be at our finger tips. The video also mentions the price which is the reason why the Kindle Fire is such great value.

There are a variety of improvements that have been made to the regular electronic book models. Not least of these is the cheapest Kindle ever which is in fact smaller than the Kindle 3 but still maintains the 6″ reading area. Since it is smaller, it is also lighter! The electronic ink display is new and improved and we also get faster page turns.

When we take a look at the Touch models, the Kindle experience still gives us a beautiful display to enjoy our reading on. Although with the introduction of touch functionality and the removal of the keyboard, things certainly look and feel a bit different. The Kindle Touch release date is even later than the Kindle Fire. These two models will be available from the 21st of November. The good news is that the standard Kindle 4 is ready to ship right now.

Is a Kindle Fire better than iPad 2?

The answer to this question will depend upon who you ask. What we have to remember is that there are some fundamental differences. Price is a huge issue. The Kindle Fire is less than half the price! This will surely turn heads. Tech heads might not care how much things cost but for general users, the low price of the Kindle Fire is bound to win a huge fan base. Then again, it does lack a built in camera, it has a smaller screen size and it comes without 3G connectivity.

Leg Massagers Can Reduce Stress And Fatigue According To Recent Study

Many of us have been self treating ourselves after spending long hours at work by using a hand held massager on our sore muscles. Often standing up for long times especially when wearing high heels causes significant pain in the feet and legs and all you want to do when you come home is lay down and put your feet up. Putting your feet up increases the blood flow away from your feet and this way it helps reduce swelling and pain caused by lactic acid build up. This will help relax and de-stress yourself. A recent study done in the Kangwon National University suggests that you could get a similar benefit from using a professional foot and leg massager on a regular basis.

When you are standing up for long times, the circulation in your feet suffers. This causes the skin temperature in your feet to drop as there is no longer enough blood to keep it warm. Circulation is usually measured from the skin temperature as it is an easy way to see changes in your blood flow. The study called Effects of self-foot reflexology on stress, fatigue, skin temperature and immune response in female undergraduate students studied just that – the effect on massaging your feet yourself. What they wanted to know was how could a simple massage program help undergraduate women to reduce stress. This was measured with blood cortisol levels as well as urine cortisol levels – blood levels would show the immediate effect where as urine would show the total change over a longer period of time.

They found that by massaging your legs it is possible to reduce perceived stress and fatigue, but it didn’t have much effect on the cortisol levels. It seems only natural to think that if you feel less stress, you will actually reduce your stress levels in long term – if you know that once you get home you are going to get a nice foot rub and relax, chances are that you are able to wind down earlier. The most simple way to make sure that you get a foot massage on a regular basis is to get a foot massager. Since it also improves circulation according to the study it could be a reasonable way to help women prevent varicose veins and swelling of the feet. This on the other hand should promote overall circulatory health and leg and feet health which will result in a healthier individual.

An electric foot massager isn’t the same as seeing a professional massage therapist, but according to the study even self inflicted massaging is enough to produce results, there is no reason why a machine designed to apply correct reflexological pressure to your feet could do the same or even better. There is no harm in trying, and you could enjoy a nice massage at the same time!

TAGS: circulation, professional leg massager, relaxation, varicose veins

The Joy of Convenience Diets

For many people who are overweight and have come to realize that they must do something to remedy the situation, the very thought of going on a diet is enough to send them heading for the refrigerator and grabbing that last king-size slice of cream-filled pie like it’s the last thing they will ever eat. That’s because a lot of diets are so restrictive on what a person can eat that it fills the prospective dieter with images of eating starvation diets made up of lettuce leaves and celery sticks and not a lot else besides! Of course, most modern diets are nothing like that, but the image of having to go without many of the foods that a person likes is enough to really put them off dieting altogether.

But by doing just a little research into the many and varied kinds of diet plans that are currently available, it will become obvious that there is a solution to fit with the needs of almost all overweight people, whatever their personal preferences and needs may be. Of these, one genre of diet that has become hugely popular over the last decade or so is the convenience diet, which has also come to be known as the diet food delivery program.

There are several diet companies that provide this kind of program, with the more notable ones being Nutrisystem, Jenny Craig, eDiets, Diet-toGo and Bistro MD among others. They provide a meal service that goes beyond the popular conception of the more popularly imagined, hands on diet for losing weight by literally shipping all the meals a dieter will need to eat for the duration of their program directly to their home.

This means that the customer of any of these companies does not need to go to the store to buy food. They do not need to prepare or cook any food. They don’t have to bother with counting calories, weighing ingredients or measuring portion sizes. All that work is done for them by the company, leaving the customer to enjoy their free time doing whatever they like to do. This is such a huge advantage over other kinds of diet system that many people turn to these companies to help them lose weight, especially when they lead busy lives and simply do not have the time to devote to working a more conventional diet. It is also perfect for those who simply cannot cook for themselves and have had to rely on eating ready meals from the supermarket, or buying takeout food from restaurants, all of which had most likely been partly or wholly responsible for their weight gain in the first place.

So if you need to lose weight but you don’t like the idea of a conventional diet, or think that dieting is too restrictive and a lot of work, then this alternative could be just what you are looking for. After all, keeping things simple is usually the best way to get the best results in anything and losing weight is certainly no different!

Kids and Vegetables – Love or Hate?

While many parents often use the excuse of kids not liking vegetables as a reason for not serving them, is this excuse really justified? It is well known that fruits and vegetables are health promoting foods. A University of Maryland study recommends eating the following amounts of fresh produce every day if we want to avoid hypercholesterolemia – too much cholesterol in the body.

• Vegetables: 3 – 5 servings per day
• Fruits: 4 – 5 servings per day

So while we may think that the picture below is indicative of what happens when we serve up some vegetables, it needn’t necessarily be the case. So how do we go from an unhappy face to a happier one?

Yes, it’s true, kids often don’t like vegetables. But this dislike often has nothing to do with the taste of the food but rather, the environment in which we are raising our kids. In much the same way that no one is born a racist, no one is born hating vegetables. But if we grow up in a town where it is okay to be racist (or is even encouraged), we may well end up becoming prejudiced ourselves.

This is exactly what is happening with vegetables. We are allowing (or maybe even encouraging) our own children to not eat fruits and veg. Think about this for a second – do you really want to disadvantage your child by depriving them of some of the most nutritious foods on the planet?

By showing your kids different types of vegetables (before they are cooked) they’ll begin to understand a bit more about the food on their plate. If they know what it is then there is a much better chance that they’ll eat it. This video introduces a number of vegetables. This is the sort of thing that you could watch together with your children to educate them.

Before long, they may well become much happier about the prospect of vegetables for dinner. Give your kids the chance to love vegetables and they may well surprise you.

Considering the rate of Type 2 Diabetes in the United States these days, don’t you think it’s important to try and move your family’s diet in a healthier direction? By educating your kids and involving them in the food preparation, it becomes much easier as a family to make healthier choices. Blending and juicing are easy activities that even younger children can enjoy doing – UNDER ADULT SUPERVISION. Some juicing devices are more versatile than others. For the widest range of uses, read some masticating juicer reviews to find out the sorts of things you can make. It may interest you to know that a juicer can often make much more than just fruit and vegetable drinks!

As you can see, children can really enjoy themselves in the kitchen – and make healthy choices – at the same time!

For more ideas about how to get your children to eat vegetables, check out this CNN report: Ten ways to get kids to eat their veggies.