Are you happy – really happy? Some hints that you might not be...

Have you rated your happiness factor lately? 

Anyone can get stuck in a rut – but there are some behaviors to watch out for that could suggest you’re sliding down a bit on the happiness scale:

• Too Much TV Time: If this is your routine night after night, you may want to lose the remote for a while. Happier people watch less TV than unhappy people –and an increase in TV time could be red flag. 

• Troubled Relationships: Unhappier people may have more difficultly resolving issues and may not attempt to broaden their circle of friends. 

• Stressful environments: Feeling safe and comfortable generates contentment and satisfaction. Stressful environments enhance unhappiness. Those who stop making an effort to improve stressful situations are likely not very happy people.

• Constant Pleasure Seeking: This is a big red flag. Unhappy people often go too far trying to get happy. Overspending and overindulging on a hedonic treadmill will likely leave them feeling empty and wanting more.

Is your doctor a bully? Why you need to find a new one - STAT...

Many of us have encountered a doctor or surgeon with a terrible bedside manner... 

Unfortunately, the medical field has its fair share of bullies – and just because a doctor may be at the top of his or her field is no reason to put up with it. Ronald Schouten, MD, author of “Almost a Psycopath,” says it’s time to find another doctor STAT if he or she…

• Refuses to answer your questions or provide you with information about your condition.

• Is arrogant—for instance, if you ask how many procedures of a particular type he handles each year and he replies, “Do you know how famous I am for this?” 

• Is insensitive to modesty and privacy issues. You deserve a doctor who knocks before entering the room if you have been told to disrobe – and who warns you of what he is about to do during and does not leave you in an exposed position. 

• Handles you roughly. You should not sense a lack of regard for your comfort or any unnecessary prodding. 

Dr. Shouten says doctors who are self-centered, egotistical, controlling, shallow or indifferent to the needs of others can be dangerous to your health, regardless of their medical expertise. They may think they are more important than those they are taking care of and you’d be better off with someone else.

If you get stung by a bee – don’t touch it! Bee sting protocol...

The first thing most people do when they get stung by a bee is touch the area where they got stung...

It’s a natural reaction to see if the stinger is still there. But according to Isaac Eliaz, MD, that’s the worst thing to do. Touching the area will actually push more bee venom into the skin. Here is what you need to do instead:

• If you see a stinger – pull it out with a tweezers. Do not apply pressure to the area.

• Dab the area with some moistened salt or baking soda. This paste will help draw out any remaining venom and reduce itching.

• Apply an ice pack wrapped in cloth for 10 minutes to reduce swelling. Take it off for 10 minutes, then repeat.

• Take some ibuprofen to stave off some of the pain and inflammation.

If it’s your first bee sting – you need to be on the lookout for any serious reaction. Call 911 if you have trouble breathing, if your throat feels tight, if your tongue swells or if your sting swells beyond the size of a quarter.

Tis the season – for tire blowouts!

Have you checked your tires today? 

You really should. Hot temperatures in the summer increase the odds you’ll experience a blowout. It’s easy to forget about what your tires are experiencing at high speeds on hot pavement while you’re cruising along in the air conditioning. On a 90 degree day, road surfaces can reach 150 degrees. That heat build-up weakens your tires and can lead to a catastrophic failure. In order to reduce the risk of blowout, there are a few precautions you can take:

1. Check the inflation pressure in each tire - and the spare - when the tires are cold or have sat more than three hours.

2. Inflate the tires to the recommended setting outlined on the tire information placard found most often on the driver's door jamb or the vehicle owner's manual. 

3. Check the tires monthly. Tires will typically lose up to 1 psi per month, and pressure drops about 1 psi for every 10-degree drop in air temperature. 

4. Buy a good tire gauge. It's also a good idea to buy a portable compressor that works off of your car's power outlet.

5. Tires also lose air to common punctures, so if you find you're always adding air to one particular tire, it might have a slow leak. Have it checked out at a garage or your tire place.

How old should your child be to get front-seat privileges?

So when should your kids be allowed to ride up front in the car? 

Around age 13 for the average size kid, or better yet – when they’re in the driver’s seat with their own license. According to a new study from the University of Michigan, most parents give their kids front-seat privileges way too early and the longer you can put it off, the better. Safety advocates agree, the most common type of fatal crash is a front crash – and sitting in the back seat keeps kids farther away from most accident forces. The force of air bag deployment is also dangerous and can be deadly to smaller children, regardless of age.

Jennifer Stockburger, vehicle and child safety expert, says It can be tempting to graduate your child to the next level of restraint or up to the front seat for convenience - but when parents understand the increased risk for injury, they’re more likely to put up with the inconvenience for the sake of their kids’ safety. 

Car crashes are the number one killer of children in the United States between one and 13 years old. The bottom line is that too many parents are either not using child safety seats, using the wrong type, or letting their kids ride unrestrained or up front.

How green is your sex life?

Could your sex life be ruining the planet?  Some people seem to think so...

We’re supposed to be environmentally friendly in our day-to-day routines – and apparently some of us could be a lot greener in the romantic arena. Maria Trimarchi, from Discovery Health, has some eco-friendly sexy suggestions:

• Candles: You could be contributing to climate-change if that romantic lighting is from petroleum-based candles. You’re burning fossil fuels!

• Fragrances: Commercial perfumes and colognes are derived from petroleum too. Try going au naturale.

• Lingerie: Conventionally processed cotton involves synthetic pesticides that degrade the environment. Consider wearing something sexy made from friendlier elements such as bamboo and hemp.

• Chocolate: Chocolate can be very romantic and even a bit of an aphrodisiac. Just be sure it’s certified fair-trade chocolate.

• Heat: In the cooler months – you could be saving a lot of energy by heating things up the old fashioned way. Keep the thermostat down and the libido up.

You may need to re-evaluate your partner too. It’s not easy being green - if you’re with someone who is not. There are green dating services out there, such as Planet Earth Singles and Eco Dater, that cater to singles with environmentally friendly values.  And if you do find that perfect green someone, Maria goes on to say do NOT have any babies, or have fewer of them.  She says having more children and grandchildren means your family will leave behind a colossal carbon footprint.

Some really cool summer treats are in bloom right now. What we should be picking – and eating...

Have you eaten any flowers today? 

Some of them are really good for us. Naturopathic physician Jamison Starbuck says right now is the best time of year to give your diet a nutrient boost right out of the garden. Here are some of her favorite treats:

• Flowers: fresh blossoms of nasturtium, violet and calendula make a great addition to greens or potato salad. They’ll make your dish look beautiful and they’re really good for your heart, bone and muscle health.

• Heart-healthy ice pops: Squeeze any fresh purple or red fruit and freeze the juice, unsweetened. Grapes, blueberries, raspberries and pomegranates are all good choices. Fill an ice cube tray and drop those heart-healthy cubes into some water or iced tea.

• Parsley pesto: Two tablespoons of chopped parsley contain ample vitamin C and all of your daily vitamin K requirement. Make a traditional pesto recipe with half parsley and half basil. Serve on pasta or rice or as a dip.

• Sun tea. Summer-harvested peppermint, which aids digestion, is delicious prepared as sun tea. In a glass jar filled with three quarts of water, add about 12 well-rinsed six-inch peppermint stalks, leaves and stems - or eight bags of your favorite herbal tea. Add three tablespoons of honey, seal it and set it out in the sun for six hours.

Please welcome guest writer Melanie L. Bowen!

Improve Psychological and Physical Symptoms with Alternative Therapy

Just being diagnosed with cancer is enough for people to become depressed and anxious. They may begin to worry about the treatment that they will have to have. They may need surgery and after that, they may have to submit to medical treatments. All of this can cause people to become highly emotional.

Massage therapy is becoming known as a way for people to cope better with the fact that they have cancer. What is it about massage that can help people improve their emotional wellbeing? Those who perform massage rub the muscles in a manner that relaxes the patient. These motions make it possible for the muscles to receive an increased amount of oxygen and blood flow. As people are being massaged, they notice that they feel better and they report feeling less anxious than they had before the therapy session.

Massage therapy is also used to help people tolerate their mesothelioma and other cancer treatments better. When people are undergoing chemotherapy, for example, they may begin to experience pain. Massage therapy reduces this new pain. Chemotherapy may also cause stiffness and loss of the ability to move their bodies as they once had. As these patients undergo massage therapy, it has the effect of increasing their range of motion.

Specifically, patients who have massage therapy while they are also undergoing treatment for cancer will benefit from this therapy’s ability to reduce any inflammation that occurs after surgery or during the other treatments. Sometimes, people become sore when being treated and massage can help relieve this pain. Massage is even given credit for reducing stress hormones. Massage is believed to increase endorphins in the body that give the patients a sense of wellbeing and relieve pain.

The benefits of massage therapy do not stop with the advantages described above. Cancer patients who were having difficulties sleeping may begin to notice that they can sleep better at night. Chemotherapy and radiation therapy may be the reason that a patient begins to feel very tired. After massage therapy, these patients may not feel as fatigued as they had before the therapy. With massage therapy treatments, cancer patients have the potential to feel better in all aspects of their lives.

Consult your doctor today and soak up all the potential benefits massage therapy quite possibly could have in store for you. Give your mind, body and spirit a vacation from some of life’s everyday stressors and go indulge yourself in a massage today!

To learn more, visit: http://www.mesothelioma.com/blog

Transitioning from vacation mode to work can be rough. Here are some tips to make it hurt less...

You’ve earned that vacation time off – so why punish yourself on your first day back to work?

Monster.com has some strategies to make that vacation’s-over-back-to-work transition a little easier:

• Before you leave for vacation, make a to-do list for your first day back. You’ll have to think that much less when the day comes.

• Schedule an extra day off at the end if you can. Use that day to think about or catch up on a little work, readjust your sleeping schedule and have a little fun. 

• Consider going in early or late on that first day back. Staggering that first day can make transitioning back into the routine a little easier.

• Don’t slack off that first day back – but keep expectations realistic. Feeling overwhelmed or dropping the ball can ruin a smooth transition.

Joey Reiman, author of “Thinking for a Living,” says if you really dread going back to work after your vacation; consider taking another week off to find a better job.

If you want good marital advice – just ask someone who’s divorced...

Most couples who wind up divorced didn’t count on an unhappy ending...

That’s why University of Michigan psychologist Terri Orbuch decided to determine what most divorced people would have done differently. Here’s their collective marital advice in the form of the top 5 regrets:

• Show your partner you love and care for them. Simple gestures like saying I love you and holding hands can go a long way. Showing support and making your partner feel good about themself can go even farther.

• Talk money – it matters! Money is the number-one source of conflict in most marriages. It deserves some honest disclosure and discussion outside of tax time.

• Ditch the past. Get over jealousies, lost loves and childhood traumas. Your marriage should have a life of its own with a clean slate. Save the complaining about the past and regrets for your best friend or therapist.

• Quit the blame game. You married your partner’s perspective and personality – you need to start blending those with yours.

• Communication is not cliché. 41% of the divorced couples cited communication as the number-one thing they’d change in their next relationship – that includes talking AND listening.

Got food poisoning? The top 10 culprits...

Food poisoning can strike at any time of year – but it’s extra ripe in the summer...  

Barbara Kowalcyk, CEO of the Center for Foodborne Illness Research & Prevention, says one out of every six of us will get some sort of food poisoning this year. We can’t necessarily blame our last meal, because it can take anywhere from hours to weeks for symptoms to erupt. 

So which foods could it have been? Good luck figuring that out. Likely culprits are basically all meat and fish, deli products, produce, eggs, multi-ingredient foods, baked goods and beverages. But the 10 riskiest of that bunch are as follows, in order:

• Leafy greens

• Eggs

• Tuna

• Oysters

• Potatoes

• Cheese

• Ice cream

• Tomatoes

• Sprouts 

• Berries

Summer is prime time for outbreaks because bacteria grow faster in warmer temperature and because at this time of year, people tend to eat more produce raw. The good news is most cases of food poisoning are relatively mild. Just be sure to see a doctor immediately if symptoms are severe or last more than a few days.

How would you like to boost your metabolism and burn fat – by eating?

It’s true. Strawberries can actually boost your metabolism and help you burn fat! 

Leo Galland, author of “The Fat Resistance Diet,” says strawberries actually promote weight loss in at least 3 different ways. They can help curb appetite and control the rise in blood sugar that follows a starchy meal. Strawberries are also good for your brain and can help prevent heart disease and stroke. One cup of sliced strawberries has only 53 calories and is loaded with vitamin C, fiber and other good stuff. 

Dr. Galland says the fresher the better when shopping for berries. Buy organically grown when you can – they usually have higher levels of nutrients. Choose strawberries that are bright red and firm - and toss any that are bruised or soft. 

If you’ve got a dog – keep it on a really short leash. Canine crime is up...

A lot of dog owners don’t think twice about letting their dog run around in their own yard – but that could be risky...  

According to the American Kennel Club, dog theft is on the rise. They’d like to get the word out to everyone, whether you own a dog or not, to watch out for dog-nappers. Pet stores are often targeted – and thieves may even send kids in to distract the personnel while they make their grab. Dogs and puppies are most often stolen for resale – but are sometimes even held for ransom.

If you do own a dog, the AKC says you need to keep a constant eye on your dog, even in a secure yard. It’s a bad idea to take your dog along on errands with you if you’ll be leaving it in the car or outside a shop, even for a minute. And If you see more people than dogs at your local dog park, pay close attention – especially if you’ve got a purebred. 

What happens in Olympic Village STAYS in Olympic Village. The games that begin after the Olympics...

Most of us assume our favorite Olympians are training hard and behaving themselves – and for the most part, that’s probably true...  

But according to the new book “The Secret Olympics,” written by an anonymous former Olympic competitor, a whole new set of games are already underway for many athletes who’s events are over. The time between a last event and the closing ceremonies has been dubbed the “Days of Glory.” Studs and studettes from all around the world want to make the most of this experience and many of the parties are of Olympic proportion. 

The author says the stockpile of 70,000 condoms that organizers supplied to athletes at the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney ran out in 1 week. Although alcohol and drugs are technically banned in Olympic Villages, officials tend to look the other way as the games wind down.

Several anonymous Olympians have confirmed the “Days of Glory” rumors – but stop short of naming names or giving too much away. Thanks to the privacy and high-security of the walled community, what happens in Olympic Village usually stays in Olympic Village. And if many of those athletes look a little worse for wear during the closing ceremonies – blame it on the post-game games.

Does your mouth get itchy from melon or tomatoes?

Some new triggers have been identified for people suffering from seasonal allergies... 

It’s called Oral Allergy Syndrome and Clifford Bassett, clinical assistant professor at NYU School of Medicine, has some raw foods to avoid if you’re allergic:

• If you’re allergic to ragweed, avoid cantaloupe, watermelon, honeydew, zucchini, cucumbers and bananas.

• If you’re allergic to birch pllen, stay clear of almond, apple, carrot, celery, cherry, kiwi, peach pear, potato and pumpkin seeds.

• If you’re allergic to grass pollen, kiwi, melon, peach and tomato could be a problem.

Dr. Bassett says some people with OAS will react to fresh foods but not cooked or canned varieties. If you have grass allergy, for instance, you may be able to eat tomato sauce on pizza but develop itchy mouth from fresh tomato in a salad. Others may find they can eat certain varieties of a fruit, such as Macintosh apples versus Granny Smith, or fruits without their skins.