Video About An Amazing Kid Who Can See Without His Eyes

Amazing kid!  Love the mom!!

 

 

So sad to do more research and find out he passed away from cancer on Jan 19th, 2009.  You can see his website here – Ben Underwood

A Simple Way to Cut Your Heart Attack Risk!

Joseph McCaffrey, MD, FACS

Most of us know we should reduce the salt (sodium chloride) in our diet to help control blood pressure and reduce the risk of having a heart attack or stroke.  While the amount of sodium we eat is important, it’s not the whole story. A recent study has confirmed what other studies have suggested for years: sodium intake alone isn’t as important as the ratio of sodium to potassium.

The study was reported in the January issue of the Archives of Internal Medicine.¹ It evaluated the records of 2275 patients who are being followed as part of the Trials of Hypertension Prevention (TOHP) studies begun in the early 1990s.

What the study showed was that over a 10-15 year period, 193 participants had a serious cardiovascular episode (heart attack, stroke, need for coronary artery bypass or death due to stroke or heart attack).

They then compared the risk of these problems to the level of both sodium and potassium in the diet. They measured these levels by looking at how much of each was excreted in the urine each day. This is an easier and more accurate way to get a handle on how much potassium or sodium someone is taking in than recording everything they eat. It works because our bodies maintain their internal balance of sodium and potassium by excreting any excess in the urine.

The researchers found that there was little relationship between the levels of either sodium or potassium and the risk of a stroke or heart attack.

What did make a difference was the ratio of sodium to potassium.

People with high sodium levels compared to their potassium levels fared the worst. They were the most likely to have a heart attack or stroke.

Those with low sodium and higher potassium levels did the best. They stayed the healthiest.

What does this mean to you? Cut out the salt and increase your potassium.

To reduce the sodium in your diet, you’re going to need to read the labels on any prepared foods you buy. Most packaged and canned foods are extremely high in sodium (although I did finally find a brand of crushed tomatoes that doesn’t have any salt added).

When it comes to increasing potassium, many people think about bananas. Bananas are relatively high in potassium, but they also are calorie dense and high on the glycemic index so they aren’t my first choice to add potassium to my diet.

Here’s what I do.

I drink tomato juice or a tomato-based vegetable juice. One cup has about 500 mg of potassium, about the same as in a banana.

Tomato juice also contains lycopenes as well as a host of other nutrients. The positive effect of lycopenes on prostate health is well established so I want to be sure to get them in my diet.

Unfortunately, manufacturers usually add a lot of salt, but low salt and no-salt versions are available if you look for them. If you buy organic, so much the better.

I add a little potassium chloride (NoSalt is one brand) to my tomato juice because I think it improves the taste and it adds some more potassium. If you do that, be a little careful — too much potassium can be toxic.

Anyone who has kidney disease needs to be especially cautious and shouldn’t add potassium to their diet without talking to their doctor.

Also, I enjoy the taste of horseradish and there are some studies that show the glucosinolates in horseradish support liver function and suppress the growth of some cancer cells, so I add that to my tomato juice drink as well.

Cut your salt intake and have a glass of tomato juice every morning and you’ll reduce your risk of stroke and heart attacks.  You’ll also be eating one of the nine servings of fruits and vegetables you should have every day.

Reference

1. Arch Intern Med. 2009;169(1):32-40.

[Ed. Note: Joseph F. McCaffrey, MD, FACS is a board-certified surgeon with extensive experience in alternative medicine, including certification as a HeartMath Trainer.  His areas of expertise include mind-body interaction and cognitive restructuring.  Dr. McCaffrey strives to help people attain their optimum level of vitality through attention to all aspects of wellness.For more information, click here.] 

This article appears courtesy of Early to Rise’s Total Health Breakthroughs which offers alternative health solutions for mind, body and soul.

This Guy is Amazing!

Here is the Story.  I was working the Edmonton Intact Marathon Expo where I had a booth set-up for The Stick, when I noticed a man in a wheelchair moving around backwards in the tent area.  I did not think anything of it until I realized that he was in there for quite some time and was not assisted by anyone.  He was on his own.  One of the other exhibitors and I were chatting when the same guy in the wheelchair rolled up to us and tried speaking to us.  At first, it was very hard to understand him because he stuttered and had problems expressing what he was trying to tell us.  We were patient or should I say he was patient as we started our conversation. 

It turned out that his name was Ken as well!

He was dressed in a sporty track jacket and tights.  He looked athletic and boy, was he ever!  After about 10 minutes of trying to understand him, we interpreted that he just finished rolling out a 10km exercise session in about 55 minutes!  Quite impressive to say the least.  The thing that impressed us the most was he did it backwards!  That’s right, he did 10km’s backwards in his wheelchair.  The other exhibitor commented that he was just like Mater from the Cars movie and Ken liked it!

After more conversation of filling in blanks and trying to guess what he was saying.  He told us that he had his own website and a movie was made about him.  A few minutes later, he rolled away. 

That night, I went back to my hotel room and immediately surfed the web and found his website.  It is called backwheeler.ca.  Sure enough, it was his website and Ken created it with his nose!  That’s right, you read it correctly, with his NOSE!!   He calls himself the worlds only Nose Pecker!!!   It turns out that Ken has Cerebral Palsy.  He explains his life story and explains how he has been involved in wheelchair sports!  His movie created by his sister is called “Catching My Breath – The Life and Races of Ken Thomas”.

You should really check it out.  He truly was an inspiration to me and I know hew has touched the life of many others.

How to Fit a Bicycle

Hello Everbody,

My wife is about to do her first Sprint Triathalon.  Her training partner just bought a great new bike and asked me to help her out making sure the fit was right.  I don’t claim to be an expert, but I do know a few things about bikes.  I have been an avid moutain bike enthusiast for years!

To make sure I was giving her the right information, I double checked the web.  In doing so, I found this fantastic website – Peter White Cycles.  It is so great, I decided to post it here.  His section on How to Fit a Bicycle  is one of the best I have ever come across.  He goes into great detail on the following topics:

• Overview
• Crank Length
• Saddle Tilt
• Saddle Height
• The Fore-Aft Saddle Position
• What about knee over the pedal axle?
• Handlebar Position
• Handlebar width (road & ATB) and drop for road style bars
• Fine tune saddle height
• Stock frame sizing
• Methodology

Peter’s methodolgy is unique to him, but easy to follow.  Here is an exert:

 ”Notice that in most of this there is no mention of measuring body parts. And nowhere do I have you dropping plumb lines from knees, positioning handlebars so they block views of front hubs, comparing the length of your forearm to the distance between the front of your saddle to your handlebar, etc. My methodology is quite different from what most people are doing in bike shops.”

  

Needless to say, the article is too good to keep to myself.  Here is the link – http://www.peterwhitecycles.com/fitting.htm

 

Don’t forget…. cyclists love The Stick too!!  

Wisdom From a 90 Year Old!

I love to read motivating things and looking at the positive side of life. One of life lessons that I have learned is to listen to those who have experienced more than you.

You just cannot replace experiences… that is life experiences. Wisdom is something that is gained from experience. It does not just happen. Here is part of an email I received the other day that reminded me of this concept.

Written By Regina Brett, 90 years old, of The Plain Dealer, Cleveland , Ohio

“To celebrate growing older, I once wrote the 45 lessons life taught me.. It
is the most-requested column I’ve ever written.

My odometer rolled over to 90 in August, so here is the column once more:

1. Life isn’t fair, but it’s still good.

2. When in doubt, just take the next small step.

3. Life is too short to waste time hating anyone…

4. Your job won’t take care of you when you are sick. Your friends and
parents will. Stay in touch

5. Pay off your credit cards every month.

6. You don’t have to win every argument. Agree to disagree.

7. Cry with someone. It’s more healing than crying alone.

8. It’s OK to get angry with God. He can take it.

9. Save for retirement starting with your first paycheck.

10. When it comes to chocolate, resistance is futile.

11. Make peace with your past so it won’t screw up the present.

12. It’s OK to let your children see you cry.

13. Don’t compare your life to others. You have no idea what their journey
is all about.

14. If a relationship has to be a secret,you shouldn’t be in it.

15. Everything can change in the blink of an eye. But don’t worry;
God never blinks.

16. Take a deep breath. It calms the mind.

17. Get rid of anything that isn’t useful, beautiful or joyful.

18. Whatever doesn’t kill you really does make you stronger.

19. It’s never too late to have a happy childhood. But the second
one is up to you and no one else.

20. When it comes to going after what you love in life, don’t take
no for an answer.

21. Burn the candles, use the nice sheets, wear the fancy lingerie.
Don’t save it for a special occasion. Today is special.

22. Over prepare, then go with the flow.

23. Be eccentric now. Don’t wait for old age to wear purple.

24. The most important sex organ is the brain.

25. No one is in charge of your happiness but you.

26. Frame every so-called disaster with these words
‘In five years, will this matter?’

27. Always choose life.

28. Forgive everyone everything.

29. What other people think of you is none of your business.

30. Time heals almost everything. Give time time.

31. However good or bad a situation is, it will change.

32. Don’t take yourself so seriously. No one else does.

33. Believe in miracles.

34. God loves you because of who God is, not because
of anything you did or didn’t do.

35. Don’t audit life. Show up and make the most of it now.

36. Growing old beats the alternative — dying young.

37. Your children get only one childhood.

38. All that truly matters in the end is that you loved.

39. Get outside every day. Miracles are waiting everywhere.

40. If we all threw our problems in a pile and saw
everyone else’s,we’d grab ours back.

41. Envy is a waste of time. You already have all you need.

42. The best is yet to come.

43. No matter how you feel, get up, dress up and show up.

44. Yield.

45. Life isn’t tied with a bow, but it’s still a gift.”

The Stick as a Self-Massage Tool

When it comes to massage therapy, there are many, many types (to name a few):

• Swedish Massage
• Tai Massage
• Aromatherapy Massage
• Hot Stone Massage
• Shiatsu
• Deep Tissue Massage
• Sports Massage

Click here to see the 10 Most Popular Types Of Massage Therapy – By About.com

Whatever your reason is for getting a massage is up to you.  I can tell you that The Stick is the the next best thing to human touch.  The big difference is, you do not need to leave the comfort of your own home to have a massage.  It breaks down trigger points (knots) and relieves tight, sore muscles in no time flat.

Now let’s talk about self-massage.  That is treating yourself with massage therapy techniques.  Reader’s Digest.com has a very popular article called Learn the Art of Self-Massage.  The article is filled with tips and tricks for taking care of yourself.  I actually counted over 12 different tools or devices that they suggest to give yourself a massage.  Honestly, all you really need 1 tool – The Stick.