3 Tips for Dealing with a Fever During the Holidays

Cooler weather around the holidays means that your house is probably closed up for the winter. Every door and window is shut. Heaters are working their magic on your household, but this cozy scenario can lead to illness. Germs brought in from the outside have nowhere to go but into your body. If you develop a fever during the holidays, consider these tips to move past it.

Take Advantage of Restful Periods

Around the holidays, you probably have a lot of time off. Your entire family may be on vacation. Take advantage of any restful periods during this time. The nights are long so sleep for as much as possible. Fevers can be fought off when your body heals during rest. Heading out to shop or cooking in the kitchen creates too much stress on the body. Sleep and relaxation are the best weapons against high temperatures so that germs don't overwhelm you.

Pull Out Mom's Old Recipes

It's been proven among scientific circles that chicken soup is a useful tool against rising temperatures. Slow boil some chicken with onion, garlic and spices. The cooked meat and broth create a soothing meal for your body. Scientists believe that the nutrients founds in chicken broth can boost your immune system while calming the body with a warm meal. Sip on the broth when you aren't necessarily hungry to continually benefit from the nutrients.

Let It Run Its Course

Your high temperature is a tool used by the human body in order to fight off a germ or infection. Taking heavy doses of painkillers will only prolong your ailment. If the temperature is below 100 or 101 degrees Fahrenheit, allow it to run its course. Keep track of the temperature until it breaks. A temperature running higher than 101 degrees F. is cause for concern, however. An infection may be complicating the situation. This temperature must be dealt with by a professional. It can actually be hazardous if a temperature rises too high.

Dealing with a fever in children is slightly different than when you treat yourself. If you're taking care of the grandchildren, keep their doctor's number handy. Fevers in young children should be checked by a professional to ensure that their health isn't severely compromised. Fevers are useful when they're carefully monitored and controlled.

Some Semi Obvious Tips For Fighting the Cold This Winter

If you want to remain in good health, then fighting cold weather dangers is essential. A drop in temperatures can lead to serious health problems, including hypothermia or frostbite. Here are some ways to remain safe in the winter while at home or when you are using a vehicle. 

Cold Weather Tip 1: Maintain Heating Systems

Make sure that your home’s furnace is operating optimally in the winter by having it inspected by a technician who can replace worn mechanisms or change an air filter. If you don’t know how to replace the air filter in your home’s furnace, then learn how to do this once a month. You should also verify that your vehicle’s heating system is working before winter begins. 

Cold Weather Tip 2: Layer Your Garments

Layer your garments while you are outside or inside your home to avoid problems from feeling too cold. Fighting cold dangers is easier when you protect your body from the problems of poor blood circulation that can cause frostbite. If you live in a cold region, then have long undergarments to wear underneath heavy jeans, corduroy pants or thick sweaters. 

Cold Weather Tip 3: Keep Enough Food In Your Home

When the weather is inclement, it is impossible to drive anywhere, so make sure to keep enough food in your home for emergencies. In addition to having an assortment of food that is frozen or refrigerated, you should make sure to stock up on nonperishable foods such as canned meats, fruits and vegetables. 

Cold Weather Tip 4: Use Caution While Shoveling Snow

If you are not in excellent physical condition, then shoveling snow is a strenuous activity. Make sure to wear slip-resistant footwear while shoveling snow, and also, wear a hat and gloves. You may want to wear a back brace while you are shoveling snow to prevent an injury to your back. 

Cold Weather Tip 5: Remain Hydrated In the Winter

To avoid dehydration in the winter, drink a lot of water. The cold temperatures in the winter can lead to changes inside your body as moisture travels to your core to maintain your vital organs. Not only can you become dehydrated outside while trying to shovel snow or clean your vehicle, but also, you can become thirstier while you are inside a building. 

Cold Weather Tip 6: Have an Indoor Exercise Routine

Instead of having an outdoor exercise routine, plan an indoor physical activity such as riding a stationary bicycle or performing yoga poses. Fighting cold weather is easier when your muscles, bones or tendons are strong and flexible. Schedule your exercise routine earlier in the day to warm your body so that you can withstand the cold temperatures outside. 

Cold Weather Tip 7: Have Emergency Supplies In Your Vehicle

Before winter begins, make sure to store some emergency supplies in your vehicle. Keep a heavy blanket nearby to use if your vehicle won’t start, and also, carry ice scrapers along with spray deicer. Bring along a snow shovel to remove any snow that collects near your vehicle’s tires. 

4 Food Safety Tips Everyone Should Know

If you take driving safety seriously, you should take food safety just as seriously. Unless you are a professional driver, you probably spend less time driving than eating on your average day.

In a typical year, roughly one out of every six Americans gets food poisoning. That's about 48 million people. 

In most cases, it will be minor and they will recover on their own. But, more than 100,000 Americans end up needing medical care every year due to food borne illnesses. Some of them will have permanent adverse health effects and about 3000 people die every year. About 88 percent of such deaths are caused by just five organisms.

1. Keep It Clean
Food safety begins with cleanliness. The culprit here is bacteria that can grow on your hands, kitchen surfaces and on the things you consume. You want to wash your hands both before and after handling items. You need to also wash cutting boards, knives and other utensils. Kitchen counters, sinks, pots and pots and pans also need to be kept clean. 

Anything that can come in contact with the things you eat needs to be kept as germ-free as possible. Otherwise, those germs will get consumed when you eat and you can get sick from them, potentially very sick. You should wash produce, in other words fruits and vegetables. You should not wash poultry, meat or eggs.

2. Handle With Care
Meat, poultry, seafood and eggs are the primary source of dangerous bacteria. They need be kept separate from produce and other items from the start. This means you need to keep them separate while shopping at the grocery store. It means you need to keep them separate in the refrigerator. It also means you should have separate cutting boards for meats and produce. 

Produce or ready-to-eat items, like bread or snacks, tend to not grow the bacteria in question, but they can become contaminated due to exposure at the store or at home. It is important that poultry, seafood, meat and eggs be kept separate from other edibles at all times.

3. Cook It Properly
The Danger Zone is above 40 degrees and below 140 degrees Fahrenheit. This is the range in which bacteria thrive and multiply. In cool weather, you can only keep items for up to two hours in this temperature range. In hot weather, above 90 degrees, you window of safety is a mere hour. In order to be safe to eat, things need to be cooked thoroughly and kept above 140 degrees until served. A thermometer is the best way to make sure items have been properly cooked. 

4. Keep It Chill
If you aren't cooking it or eating it, you should be keeping it cold. This means it needs to be refrigerated or frozen. There are no exceptions. It isn't okay to marinate meats on the kitchen counter at room temperature, nor to defrost them this way.

If you are marinating meat, keep it in the refrigerator while doing so. Thaw items over night in the refrigerator or quick thaw in the microwave or in a Ziploc bag left in a bowl or sink of water. Warm water can thaw items rapidly for prompt cooking.

When you get home from grocery shopping, cold items need to be put away promptly. After a meal is done, leftovers also need to be put in the refrigerator within one to two hours, depending upon the ambient temperature. In hot summer months, you have less wiggle room on this.

You are what you eat, and if it contains high levels of infectious bacteria, what you can be is seriously ill. Make sure to keep it safe by keeping everything in the kitchen clean, keeping meat, fish, poultry and eggs separate from other produce and other items, cooking everything properly and chilling everything both properly and promptly.

Six Tips For Healthier Hair

Improving your personal appearance can be quite good for your self-esteem, your professional prospects and your personal life. Healthy hair is one of the most important qualities that contributes to pleasing personal aesthetics. Your hair is one of the things that really defines you as a person. Fortunately, there are many things you can do to keep the appearance of your hair within acceptable parameters. If you think that all you have to do to have healthy hair is to wash your hair every day, you've got a lot to learn about this subject. Here are four ways you can keep your hair healthy and lustrous:

1. Trim your hair often to get rid of split ends. Generally speaking, split ends make your hair look sloppier and more unkempt. To keep split ends in check, trim your hair at least a quarter of an inch every six or eight weeks. 

2. Despite what you may think, you shouldn't wash your hair every day. Just because you're showering, that doesn't mean you have to wash your hair as well. If you wash your hair thoroughly every other day, you'll maintain a perfectly clean head of hair. Too much washing strips the natural, healthy oils that keep your hair looking great.

3. These days, people are more conscious than ever about shampoo ingredients. Of the ingredients commonly found in shampoos, sulfates are uniquely controversial. Though sulfates produce a pleasing lather and do clean your hair, sulfates aren't necessary for a great shampoo. Sulfates are the cause of the stinging sensation that occurs when shampoo gets in your eye. More worryingly, sulfates can cause itchy scalp and overly dry hair in sensitive individuals. If you experience any of these issues, simply use sulfate-free shampoo. 

4. Deep condition your hair periodically for an unforgettably lustrous shine. After washing, squeeze all of the water out of your hair and dry your locks with a bath towel. Next, apply a good deal of your favorite conditioner into your roots. With a broad-toothed comb, spread the conditioner through the length of your hair. After pulling up your hair and clipping it, allow the conditioner to soak in for anywhere from 15 to 60 minutes. Now you're ready to rinse the conditioner out of your hair. Afterwards, you'll be amazed at the incredibly silky and lustrous texture of your hair. 

5. Heat is never good for your hair. If you routinely curl, dry or straighten your hair, you will experience hair damage. Fortunately, there are several ways to change the look of your hair that don't involve applying heat in any way. If you must use a curler, use coconut oil, almond oil and conditioner to treat your hair afterwards. 

6. If you want great hair, be sure to eat a hair-healthy diet. Your hair loves foods with complete proteins and plenty of amino acids. Foods and beverages that fit the bill include whole milk, greek or regular yogurt, soy, peas and all types of cheeses. It's a good idea to consume at least 12 mg of iron each day. Studies have shown that it is far better to get your iron from food instead of supplements. Because of how your digestive system works, a lot of the vitamins and minerals in supplement pills are wasted. Foods with lots of iron include leafy green vegetables, pumpkin seed, beans, chickpeas and cereal. Besides providing iron, fish can improve your health in a number of ways.

Tips to Protect Yourself from Ticks and Bedbugs

The weather may be getting warmer so you want to spend more time outdoors. Spring and summer are fun-filled days for humans, but they're also a prime time for bugs too. Insects thrive in warm weather because they're coldblooded; they depend on the warmth to loosen up their bodies for reproduction purposes. In particular, ticks and bedbugs tend to be common in most parts of the United States. Learn how you can protect yourself from these bugs as you head outdoors to enjoy the weather.

Keep Clutter to a Minimum

Both ticks and bedbugs look for hidden areas to hide and reproduce. Your home's exterior should be free of any clutter, such as mounds of wood or rusted items. Ticks will replicate in these areas and possibly hop onto you. Bedbugs also look for such opportunities in furniture and linens within the home. Between mattresses is the most common location for bedbugs where they can hide during the day and emerge at night. Removing and disturbing any cluttered areas simply forces the population to be found and eradicated. 

Vacuum Your Furniture

Vacuuming is one of the single most important things to do when ticks and bedbugs are in season. Consider a household-wide cleaning session of every upholstered item. Vacuuming physically removes a large population of bugs. You may not eradicate every bug, but it's still effective.

Spraying insecticides instead of vacuuming an area can actually be counterproductive. You might kill off many bugs, but they'll eventually become immune to the chemicals. Vacuuming removes them without giving them a chance to evolve from a chemical perspective.

Inspect Your Animals

Your home might be filled with furry friends, including both dogs and cats. These animals tend to be transports for ticks and bedbugs. On a regular basis, take a close look at your pets' furry bodies. Pull back the fur in several places so that you can see the skin below. If you notice any ticks, remove them one by one. Bedbugs are more difficult to visually pinpoint. Look for any reddened areas on the pets' skins in order to narrow down a possible infestation traveling on your furry friends.

Wear Pants

A simple yet effective way to protect yourself from any bugs is by wearing pants outdoors. As you walk through any brush or grass, bugs can latch onto your legs. By wearing pants, they don't have access to your skin. Be sure to shake or wipe the pants off before you go indoors, however. Once indoors, the bugs might detach and hide in other areas. Protecting your skin is the easiest way to avoid any bites.

Apply DEET Products

For an added level of protection, wear repellents with at least 20 percent of DEET. This particular chemical is safe for humans, but wards off most bugs. Be aware that it needs to be reapplied in a timely fashion. Bugs that come into contact with it will refrain from biting you entirely. If you miss a skin area, however, the bugs will make use of this opportunity. Be thorough about your application so that the bugs simply look for other targets.

You may be inclined to scratch your bites, but refrain from doing so. As you grow older, your wounds at the bite site may become infected if you scratch the area too much. Gently rub around the bite if you must, and apply an anti-itch cream. In most cases, the bites will fade away in time.

Tips for Gluten-free Diets Without the Mercury and Arsenic

Understanding Gluten Sensitivities While Avoiding Mercury and Arsenic

Gluten is a protein found in rye, barley and wheat, but many individuals cannot eat this substance because it leads to an allergic reaction. Some of the symptoms from gluten sensitivity include:

• Skin rashes
• Chronic fatigue 
• Abdominal bloating
• Diarrhea
• Pain in the stomach

Numerous foods contain gluten, making it difficult for someone to shop at local supermarkets. Fortunately, many manufacturers now label the foods that contain gluten to help shoppers avoid the ingredient if they are allergic to the substance. At the same time, many of the foods that are gluten-free also contain higher levels of arsenic and mercury. 

What Is Arsenic? 

Arsenic is a chemical that is commonly found in minerals, but it is poisonous when it is ingested in larger amounts. Long-term consumption of arsenic can lead to multiple health problems that can include:

• Cancer
• Nerve damage
• Heart disease
• Skin darkening
• Diarrhea
• Abdominal pain
• Thickening of the skin
• Drowsiness
• Mental confusion
• Headaches
• Convulsions
• Changes in the fingernails
• Strokes
• Diabetes mellitus

What Is Mercury? 

Mercury is another metallic chemical that can cause medical problems after it is ingested, and it also is found in many foods. Some of the symptoms of mercury poisoning include:

• Problems with vision, hearing and talking
• Cognitive difficulties
• Numbness in the feet and hands
• Skin rashes
• Poor coordination
• Muscle weakness

Many individuals are unable to consume foods that contain gluten, but researchers know that many gluten-free foods contain high levels of arsenic or mercury. Some of these foods include seafood, meat and some plants that grow in soil that contains mercury or arsenic. In addition, many water sources contain arsenic. If you want to find foods that do not contain mercury or arsenic, then you must follow these important tips. 

Tip 1: Avoid Eating Too Much Rice

You might try to make bread or pasta from rice flour, but rice contains higher than normal amounts of arsenic. To avoid eating too much rice, you must find other types of flour that are gluten-free. In most cases, brown rice has more arsenic than white rice because it has less processing. 

Tip 2: Monitor How Much Poultry You Consume

Poultry such as duck, geese and chicken are exposed to high levels of arsenic, and that means that the meat from these animals also contains arsenic. Limit the amount of poultry that you consume to avoid ingesting too much arsenic. 

Tip 3: Brussels Sprouts Contain Arsenic

While Brussels sprouts are a nutritious vegetable that you can enjoy occasionally, this food also has arsenic. When scientists tested the blood of individuals who ate Brussels sprouts frequently, they learned that the vegetables caused the individuals to have high levels of stored arsenic in their bodies. 

Tip 4: Avoid Eating Too Much Fish

Certain types of fish contain high levels of both mercury and arsenic. The most common varieties of fish that have arsenic and mercury include tuna, herring and sardines. Fish is contaminated with arsenic and mercury because the chemicals are in the water where the creatures swim. 

Tip 5: Foods Made With High-fructose Corn Syrup

High-fructose corn syrup is added to many foods as a sweetener and preservative, but recently, scientists learned that this substance contains a lot of mercury. If you want to avoid mercury, then read the labels on food packages to make sure that the items do not contain high-fructose corn syrup. 

Tips to Find the Tastiest Ways to Eat Healthy

As you get older, eating healthy becomes increasingly important. A lot of people view this as a dreaded chore and see it as the end of enjoying food, but it doesn't have to be that way. You can continue to enjoy food, even while learning to up your game nutritionally.

1) Learn to Shop
Learn how to choose good quality produce. Many fruits and veggies taste good raw or with minimum preparation, assuming they are of good quality to begin with. Melons can often be checked by feeling how firm the rind is. Generally speaking, the flesh of berries and other fruits should be firm, but not hard. If you aren't good at this, ask a friend to teach you all about it.

2) Learn to Store Food Properly
Fresh produce is best if consumed fairly promptly, but if you don't shop daily, you need to learn to store it so it stays fresh. Rinse fruits and vegetables before putting them in the fridge to remove any pesticide residue. Grapes should be pulled off the stem before being put away. Celery should be placed in a glass of water to keep it crisp. Bananas should be hung from a hook to forestall spoilage. Apples should be stored separately from other items because they give off a gas that can hasten spoilage for some items.

3) Learn to Stir Fry
Stir fry involves cutting foods up into relatively small pieces -- because small pieces cook quickly -- and cooking them on high heat for a short period of time. If you aren't a fan of oriental foods, you do not have to eat anything you find weird. You can use the same technique to make familiar foods healthier because stir frying involves less oil and less exposure to heat, thus helping to preserve nutrients and reduce the amount of fat in your diet. If you adapt familiar recipes to a stir fry version, you can improve your nutrition and cut fat from your diet without making big changes to the kinds of foods you like to eat.

4) Learn to Spice
Generally speaking, most healthy diets require you to cut fat and sugar. These are both big sources of flavor for many people. Learning to use spices can help add flavor to your diet so you don't miss the fats and sugars so much. Stir fry some sweet potato slices with cinnamon and nutmeg and you may be happy with just a pinch of brown sugar instead of a spoonful. Add onions, chives or black pepper to your baked potato and you may be less grumpy about cutting back on the butter, cheese and bacon.

Contrary to popular opinion, eating healthy does not have to be a fate worse than death. If you learn to up your game on food selection, storage, and preparation, it is possible to not only enjoy healthy foods, but to enjoy them even more than low quality junk food while also doing your body some good.