| Avoid Logs to Avoid Ticks
With summer approaching and outdoor activities increasing we need to be more aware where those activities take us. Lyme’s disease (which is carried and transmitted by ticks) has been all too common in the region the past couple of years. There are things you can do to protect yourself and your family. 
Experts said if you want to avoid ticks, then you should avoid sitting on logs.
In an experiment, researchers used themselves as bait and found that logs were the worst place to sit because they posed the greatest risk of picking up ticks. Studying the behaviors that people would normally take part in while spending time in forest preserves or other wooded areas was the main focus for the study. In 30 percent of the trials, it was found that sitting on a log for only five minutes resulted in exposure to ticks.
The tick-infested log surfaces included both the moss areas and the bare surface areas.
Gathering wood followed by sitting against trees were considered to be the next riskiest behaviors, which resulted in tick exposure 23 percent and 17 percent of the time, respectively. It was determined that sitting in leaves was not particularly risky to tick exposure.
Journal of Medical Entomology March 2004;41(2):239-48
“Watchful Waiting” Recommended For Ear Infections
The American Academy of Pediatrics is now recommending that mild childhood ear infections are best treated, by being left alone to clear up on their own. ( Pediatrics May 5, 2004;113(5) )
Every year, Two million cases of otitis media with effusion, commonly known as an ear infection, are diagnosed in the United States. It is estimated that ear infections afflict every toddler and preschooler at some point in their lives.
The treatment now recommended by experts consisted of a "watchful waiting" approach for at least a three-month period, unless the child was at risk for speech, language or learning problems.
Other experts explained the ineffectiveness of using antihistamines, decongestants, or antibiotics such as penicillin as routine management treatment options for children. Drainage tubes were also recommended as the preferred initial treatment in extreme conditions, if the child required surgery.
This article did a fine job of focusing on the ineffectiveness of many widely accepted treatments but failed to explore the safe conservative measures that have shown to be helpful in combating ear infections such as proper spinal alignment of the upper neck, herbal and homeopathic remedies to support the immune system and acupuncture.
5 Foods To ABSOLUTELY Avoid for Your Health
There are no "bad" foods, right? Only food you should eat in moderation? Well, not really. The following foods are so bad for your body that there is really no reason to eat them. Not only do they have zero nutritional value, but they also give your body a healthy dose of toxins, which should make the idea of eating them really hard to swallow.
For better health, steer clear of:
1) Doughnuts
2) Soda
3) French fries (and most commercially fried foods)
4) Snack chips
5) Non-fish fried seafood
Dr. Mercola's complete review and reasoning can be found here. This is one of my favorite sites
Conquer Heartburn, Reflux and Indigestion
Enzymes are proteins that are necessary for every chemical interaction in the body. None of the metabolic functions of the body (such as the utilization of vitamins and minerals) would ever occur without enzymes. 
Most people who follow a western diet however, virtually starve their bodies of enzymes by eating processed or cooked foods almost exclusively. When food is heated to a temperature of more than 120 degrees, all enzymes are destroyed. Enzymes in saliva help supply some of the needed enzymes, but most people don't chew their food well enough to properly start off the digestive process. This means most of the food we eat reaches the stomach without the benefit of enzymes, which means it's not properly pre-digested.
So we set the field for one of our society's most common ailments. To compensate for the lack of enzymes, stomach acids are over-produced, which can cause heartburn or acid reflux. In spite of the stomach's best efforts, food still is not properly digested. This puts a large amount of stress on the pancreas and other glands to provide of enzymes. When this stress is repeated day after day, the pancreas suffers.
There are some simple steps you can take to provide your body with sufficient enzymes and assist your digestion: 1) Eat plenty of whole, fresh, uncooked foods, 2) Take care to chew your food well, and 3)Add a digestive enzyme supplement to your meals.
We recommend a product called Pancreazyme by Energique Labs. We have seen individuals no longer need medications for heartburn and acid reflux after incorporating Pancreazyme in their diet on a regular basis.
*************************************
"Look at ME!" boasted the fit old man to a group of young people. "Every morning I do fifty push-ups, fifty sit-ups and walk two miles. I'm fit as a fiddle! And you want to know why? I don't smoke, I don't drink, I don't stay up late, and I don't chase after women!"
He smiled at them, teeth white, eyes glittering, "And tomorrow, I'm going to celebrate my 95th birthday!"
"Oh, really?" drawled one of the young onlookers, "How?"
*************************************
Do Your Kids a Favor, Say "No!"
Don't feel that your being a bad parent because you tell your children "no" from time to time. An article in Newsweek (Sept. 13, 2004) examined the topic. According to psychologist, by telling your children "no" you are teaching them valuable lessons in patience and delayed gratification. Always giving in, can in fact have detrimental effects on children in that they may not develop the skills to cope with disappointments. "They can develop a distorted sense of entitlement that gets in the way in the workplace and in relationships." This can make them more prone to depression and anxiety as adults. The article also discusses the importance of household responsibilities of children within the family.
This is an excellent article for any one with children at home of any age.
20 Activities to do With Your Kids Other Than Watch TV
 School will soon let out for the summer and children will be home all day having to occupy themselves. Many children, much like my own, will have a tendency to lounge around the house catching up on that all important video gaming and TV programming they missed out on over the school year. This article appeared on one of my favorite websites Mercola.com. He has some excellent suggestions.
Almost half of U.S. kids spend at least two hours a day watching TV. While this may sound harmless enough, numerous studies have come out showing that TV is definitely taking its toll on American children.
For instance, a study in the April 2004 journal Pediatrics found that every added hour of watching TV increased a child's odds of having attention problems at age 7 by about 10 percent. Those who watched for three hours a day between the ages of 1 and 3 were 30 percent more likely to have attention trouble at age 7 than those viewing no TV.
The notion that kids watch far too much TV is a no-brainer, literally. My strong recommendation is to minimize TV watching to no more than a few hours per WEEK, as a short attention span is only the beginning of the problem with TV. Here are some of the other negatives of kids watching TV:
TV will change your child's views and food choices
TV will make your kids fat
Make your kids more materialistic
Cause your children to go into more debt as adults
TV will cause your children to be more aggressive
May lead to smoking
Will increase your child's risk of becoming seriously injured
Although you may be accustomed to turning on the TV to entertain your kids (or yourself), there are many other options out there. Here are 20 to get you started. | 
