Category Archives: Bits & Pieces

Bits & Pieces

Help Your Headaches with Herbal Remedies

by Lisa J. Lehr

Headaches are among the most frequently reported health problems. Migraines are the most common type; many people suffer occasional tension headaches, with chronic tension headaches less common. These may co-exist in adults who have migraines, causing “mixed headaches”; add in sinus and cluster headaches, and the number of headache sufferers probably approaches 100%.

We generally have three categories of remedies to choose from: prescription drugs, over-the-counter medications, and so-called natural remedies. Some people go straight to the doctor for a prescription, thinking that “strongest” equals “best.” This is not a good idea, for several reasons.

First, prescription drugs can be terribly expensive. Those who have good insurance coverage may not be concerned about cost, but then there are side effects. Possible side effects of prescription medications include nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, dizziness, lightheaded, drowsiness, hair loss, muscle weakness, cramps, and (rarely) stroke or heart attack.

Taking multiple prescription medications, or even certain ones combined with certain supplements, can be extremely dangerous. Often the doctor and pharmacist don’t say anything about this because they don’t know that a patient is taking so many things—if the patient goes to more than one doctor, for example, or takes a number of over-the-counter preparations.

If your doctor has prescribed medicine for your headaches, however, do not stop without consulting your doctor.

Although the over-the-counter drugs on the market have been approved as “safe and effective,” they should be considered serious medications with potentially harmful side effects. Many people don’t realize that overuse can lead to “rebound” headache. You can stay within the dosage guidelines and still have problems; doses of as little as a single aspirin or acetaminophen a day can cause drug-rebound headaches, which can be as severe and disabling as the original headache—or worse.

These pitfalls may be avoided with a wide selection of herbal and mineral supplements. If you choose this avenue, you should still be under a doctor’s care; however, you will steer clear of most of the dangers associated with prescription drugs. The list of herbal remedies that have been found effective for headaches include:

Butterbur

Cayenne

Celery seed

Chamomile

Cinnamon

Co-enzyme Q

Eucalyptus oil

Feverfew

Ginkgo

Ginger

Honey (strictly speaking, not an herbal remedy)

Lavender

Lithium (this is a mineral—not an herbal remedy)

Marjoram

Menthol

Magnesium (this is a mineral—not an herbal remedy)

Milk thistle

Mustard

Passiflora incarnata

Peppermint

Riboflavin (vitamin B-2—not an herbal remedy)

Rosemary

Valerian

White willow

General precautions: Some of these are not recommended for pregnant or nursing women or children under age two; don’t take any of these with Coumadin or other blood thinners without consulting a doctor or pharmacist; don’t take them if you have kidney problems without consulting a doctor or pharmacist. It’s always recommended that you consult your health care practitioner before using any new supplement.

Prescription medications have truly worked miracles for some people. But instead of thinking of them as a first resort, consider them a last resort.

Lisa J. Lehr is a writer, copywriter, and health enthusiast living in Grass Valley. She can help you promote your business with a full range of online and offline marketing pieces. A member of Empire Toastmasters, she’s available to speak to your business or professional group. Visit her website www.justrightcopy.com for more information, opt in for a message series, and receive a free Marketing Guide.

Bits & Pieces

The Wooden Bowl

Once in a while I get an e-mail from a friend that seems to be worth passing on to friends. So I’m posting the e-mail. I just received and maybe it will touch your heart too.

“Here it is in it’s entirety I guarantee you will remember the tale of the Wooden Bowl tomorrow, a week from now, a month from now, a year from now.

A frail old man went to live with his son, daughter-in-law, and four-year-old grandson. The old man’s hands trembled, his eyesight was blurred, and his step faltered.  The family ate together at the table. But the elderly grandfather’s shaky hands and failing sight made eating difficult. Peas rolled off his spoon onto the floor. When he grasped the glass, milk spilled on the tablecloth.

The son and daughter-in-law became irritated with the mess.

‘We must do something about father,’ said the son. ‘I’ve had enough of his spilled milk, noisy eating, and food on the floor.’

So the husband and wife set a small table in the corner. There, Grandfather ate alone while the rest of the family enjoyed dinner. Since Grandfather had broken a dish or two, his food was served in a wooden bowl.

When the family glanced in Grandfather’s direction, sometimes he had a tear in his eye as he sat alone. Still, the only words the couple had for him were sharp admonitions when he dropped a fork or spilled food.

The four-year-old watched it all in silence.

One evening before supper, the father noticed his son playing with wood scraps on the floor. He asked the child sweetly, ‘What are you making?’ Just as sweetly, the boy responded, ‘Oh, I am making a little bowl for you and Mama to eat your food in when I grow up.

‘ The four-year-old smiled and went back to work..

The words so struck the parents so that they were speechless. Then tears started to stream down their cheeks.. Though no word was spoken, both knew what must be done.

That evening the husband took Grandfather’s hand and gently led him back to the family table. For the remainder of his days he ate every meal with the family. And for some reason, neither husband nor wife seemed to care any longer when a fork was dropped, milk spilled, or the tablecloth soiled.

On a positive note, I’ve learned that, no matter what happens, how bad it seems today, life does go on, and it will be better tomorrow.

I’ve learned that you can tell a lot about a person by the way he/she handles four things: a rainy day, the elderly, lost luggage, and tangled Christmas tree lights.

I’ve learned that making a ‘living’ is not the same thing as making a ‘life…’

I’ve learned that life sometimes gives you a second chance.

I’ve learned that you shouldn’t go through life with a catcher’s mitt on both hands.You need to be able to throw something back sometimes.”

Well I hope you enjoyed it, let me know what you think.

Bits & Pieces, Real Estate

Rush Limbaugh Sells New York Upper East Side Apartment for $11.5 Million

Rush Limbaugh railed against proposed New York tax hikes last year, and vowed to leave the city for good. It took a little while, but Limbaugh has now unloaded his ritzy Manhattan condo for about $11.5 million, the Wall Street Journal reports.

Although Limbaugh wanted $12.95 million for the Upper East Side apartment, he still comes out ahead on the deal. The conservative talker paid less than $5 million for the place in 1994.

Limbaugh hosts his top-rated radio show primarily out of Palm Beach, Fla., where he lives full time on a palatial beachfront estate. But Limbaugh occasionally treks to New York, where several of his staffers work. These days, Limbaugh’s fill-in hosts are more likely to use the New York studio.

“Basically I go to New York now for hurricane relief, whenever a hurricane hits,” Limbaugh said on his show in March 2009.  “No other reason to go there.  Well, sometimes I visit the overrated staff, but it would be cheaper to fly the staff down here to visit me than to pay these stupid tax increases!”

Even if Limbaugh traveled north only for hurricane relief and staff visits, he had a nice place to crash in the city. The Fifth Avenue spread includes four terraces, double living room, large media room and Central Park views, according to Corcoran’s real estate listing.

No word on whether or not Limbaugh will also make good on his threat to flee the country to Costa Rica for medical treatment  if the health care bill passes. It is said after he made the statement that he clarified saying he would go to Costa Rica for health care. I guess he may want to go there for the following reasons:

“Fact: Life expectancy in Costa Rica for men is 76 years and for women 79.8 years, both longer than in the USA. Also the infant mortality rate is a lot less in Costa Rica in comparison with the USA. The UN (United Nations) has ranked Costa Rica’s public health system within the top 20 worldwide and the number 1 in Latin America!

With a network sponsored by the government with 29 public hospitals and more than 250 medical clinics throughout Costa Rica, the Social Security System (CCSS) has the primary responsibility for providing health services at low costs to the Costa Rican population. Not just available for Costa Ricans, the CCSS also provides low cost medical service to any foreign resident or tourist. Foreigners who live in Costa Rica with a residence can join the CCSS by paying a small monthly fee or another option would be that they can buy an inexpensive health insurance from the Insurance Company (INS) which is owned by the State valid with over 200 affiliated doctors, hospitals and pharmacies.

The hospitals and doctors in Costa Rica have the latest equipment, and the laboratories are simply perfect. You can feel secure having most operations here in Costa Rica without having to return to the U.S. or Canada. Most operations, such as surgical procedures are a lot cheaper here! A quick example, a heart bypass costs about 1/3 of what you would pay in the USA and the professionalism is the same or better.”  Source: Century 21

You can draw your own conclusions as to why he wants to go there.

Bits & Pieces, Local Writers & Contributors

Drink Enough Water – But Not Too Much

by Lisa J. Lehr

The weather is warming up, people are heading outside to exercise, and we’ve been told our entire lives to drink “plenty of water.” Not everyone realizes, however, that it’s possible to drink TOO much. How much is enough, and how much is too much?

You may remember back in January 2007, when Jennifer Strange, 28, a Sacramento-area mom of three, was found dead in her home of water intoxication. Jennifer had competed in a radio station’s “Hold Your Wee for a Wii” contest. The contest winner would be whoever drank the most water without going to the bathroom; the prize, a Nintendo Wii video game system. Jennifer wanted to win it for her kids.

“Holding it” against nature’s urging to get rid of it is intuitively a bad idea, and putting yourself in danger in order to gain some material thing is just foolish. The bulk of the blame lies with the radio station, however; station officials had been advised that someone had previously died of the same cause in a hazing incident, and they reportedly didn’t take Jennifer seriously when she complained of feeling ill. Still, this story should be a warning to everyone who might think that if drinking plenty of water is good for us, then there’s no such thing as “too much.”

Wrong.

We don’t know for sure how much Jennifer drank, but drinking too much can lead to water intoxication as well as hypothermia. Through perspiration during and after exertion, we lose both water and electrolytes; water intoxication and hypothermia result when a dehydrated person drinks too much water without the accompanying electrolytes.

We all learned about osmosis in school, yet perhaps we don’t all have a clear idea of what osmosis actually is. Osmosis is simply the movement of water across a semi permeable membrane from higher to lower concentration; both electrolytes and water move back and forth across the cell membrane in an effort to balance concentration. Electrolytes are more concentrated inside the cells, and water outside; cells try to regain balance by pulling in water, and could eventually swell to the point of bursting.

This is a simplified version of the events taking place in your body, but you don’t need a background in biochemistry to understand that burst cells cause serious bodily damage.

Anne Marie Helmenstine, Ph.D., describes the symptoms of water intoxication at About.com:

“Electrolyte imbalance and tissue swelling can cause an irregular heartbeat, allow fluid to enter the lungs, and may cause fluttering eyelids. Swelling puts pressure on the brain and nerves, Which can cause behaviors resembling alcohol intoxication. Swelling of brain tissues can cause seizures, coma and ultimately death unless water intake is restricted and a hypertonic saline (salt) solution is administered. If treatment is given before tissue swelling causes too much cellular damage, then a complete recovery can be expected within a few days.”

If you or your workout buddy shows any of these symptoms—GET HELP.

Dr. Helmenstine says that the kidneys of a healthy adult can process fifteen liters of water a day. You probably won’t suffer from water intoxication, even if you drink a lot of water, as long as you drink it over time rather than an enormous volume at once. Much of our need for water is satisfied by the food we eat, so 8-12 eight-ounce glasses a day is a common recommended intake.

We may need more water if the weather is very warm or very dry, or during exercise. While water intoxication is very uncommon, it is not unheard-of, so be careful. If you’re exercising a lot, especially in hot, dry conditions, drink enough water—but not too much. Be sure to replace your electrolytes by consuming essential elements like potassium and sodium, and to a lesser degree magnesium and calcium. Sports drinks and “vitamin water” drinks can help. And never enter any contests that involve drinking of any kind, water included!

Lisa J. Lehr is a writer, copywriter, and fitness enthusiast living in Grass Valley. She can help you promote your business with a full range of online and offline marketing pieces. A member of Empire Toastmasters, she’s available to speak to your business or professional group. Visit her website www.justrightcopy.com for more information, opt in for a message series, and receive a free Marketing Guide.

—
Lisa J. Lehr
I write words that make you money–just ask me how.
www.justrightcopy.com
Visit my website and sign up for my fr~ee marketing tips.
New! No~cost Marketing Guide now available at my website.

Bits & Pieces

Want Spacious Living Quarters? Welcome to the “A” Yacht

Want Spacious Living Quarters? Welcome to the “A” Yacht, so called because the name of the Russian billionaire who owns the yacht is Andrey and his wife Aleksandra, Mr. Melnichenko’s Servian-born supermodel.

It has 23,600 square feet of living space and a 2,583-square-foot master suite wrapped in bomb-proof, 44-milimeter glass. At 394 long, it cost over $300 million to build and broke several of the contractors working on the yacht.

Real the full story at the Wall Street Journal

John J. O’Dell GRI SFR
Real Estate Broker
Looking for spacious homes in Nevada County?
Click Here

Bits & Pieces

San Francisco Four Days Before the Earthquake

1 Comment

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oubsaFBUcTc

A Trip Down Market Street was filmed in 1906!!

This film, was originally thought to be from 1905 until David Kiehn with the Niles Essanay Silent Film Museum figured out exactly when it was shot. From New York trade papers announcing the film showing, to the wet streets from recent heavy rainfall & shadows indicating time of year & actual weather and conditions on historical record, even when the cars were registered (he knows who owned them and when the plates were issued).. It was filmed only four days before the quake and shipped by train to NY for processing. Amazing but true!
Copied from..www.archive.org.

A trip down Market Street. The original version of which can be downloaded at….www.archive.org…suffered badly from “Film Roll” at the beginning and end, this version however has had those faults corrected and shows a lot more detail particularly at the end were the film froze and skipped frames.

John J. O’Dell
Real Estate Broker
Looking for real estate in Nevada County?
Click Here

Bits & Pieces

New IPad Smashed With a Baseball Bat

I don’t understand the purpose of this, since an IPad costs $500. However, maybe they want to become famous, since this video has had over 1,300,000 views.

Well, they managed to destroy a perfectly good Apple IPad in a few minutes. What do you think?

John J. O’Dell
Real Estate Broker
Need help with real estate
Call me at 530-263-1091

Bits & Pieces

Nevada City Area’s Campaign For Google Fiber Network

As you may or many not know, a lot of cities are vying to have Google invest in bringing high speed internet connection to their city.  We are talking here of having internet connections 100 times faster than most Americans have access to today. Even if you are not interested in high speed internet connection this video gives you the dynamics of this community and how many tech companies there are here. We consider Nevada County as a mini Silicon Valley, with many tech companies that have started and grown up in this area.

This video is Nevada City’s area (95959) to convince Google to bring Google Fiber to their community. It’s very well done.

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sFhPPAYjdVU

Here’s Google’s Statement as to what they are trying to do:

“Our goal is to experiment with new ways to help make Internet access better and faster for everyone. Here are some specific things that we have in mind:

  • Next generation apps: We want to see what developers and users can do with ultra high-speeds, whether it’s creating new bandwidth-intensive “killer apps” and services, or other uses we can’t yet imagine.
  • New deployment techniques: We’ll test new ways to build fiber networks, and to help inform and support deployments elsewhere, we’ll share key lessons learned with the world.
  • Openness and choice: We’ll operate an “open access” network, giving users the choice of multiple service providers. And consistent with our past advocacy, we’ll manage our network in an open, non-discriminatory and transparent way.”

To read their entire mission go to Experimental Fiber Network

John J. O’Dell
Real Estate Broker

Looking for real estate in Nevada County?
Looking for short sales & foreclosure?

Go to JohnOdellRealty.com