You Have the Time
by Lana Carson, Nationally Certified Personal Trainer, Omni Fitness Club
The most popular excuse for not exercising is, "I don't have the time."
We all have 24 hours in a day and seven days per week to squeeze in a little exercise, yet many people still cannot find even 30 minutes (cumulative, none the less!) in their busy schedule to invest in their health.
If you were to take a detailed look at your busy schedule, would you honestly find that you don't have a single minute of spare time? If so, you may want to clear your plate a little! Staying busy is not all bad as long as we are productive, we keep stress levels at an acceptable level and we take time for personal renewal every single day. So when you get out the planner or palm pilot, schedule personal exercise time as you would meetings, family commitments, etc. I truly believe that everyone could find at least a half hour to spare each day for a little physical activity.
Thirty minutes per day is just a "blink!" It means getting up a half hour earlier, it could be taking a walk around the block before dinner or before watching TV, it could be while watching TV, it could be during your lunch break - could be anytime! You don't have to get sweaty, it doesn't have to be 30 consecutive minutes and it shouldn't be so involved that it is impossible to incorporate into your life. Walk the dog, bike with your children, visit the park, walk to your mailbox, plant a garden, avoid waiting for the closest parking space. Take every opportunity throughout your day to be more physically active. Our bodies were meant to move and if we don't use our abilities we lose them and become physically deconditioned.
The most important task you have to accomplish on your "list of things to do" is to take care of your physical well-being. If you're too busy to exercise, you need it more than anyone! Hectic schedules will drain your energy both physically and mentally. Exercise will provide an opportunity for renewal.
If you have been thinking about starting an exercise program and would like help incorporating it into your current schedule, please feel free to contact Lana at the Omni Fitness Club for a personal consultation.
The time to start is now. You will never know how much better you can feel until you just get moving!
If you would like help designing a fitness program that's just right for you, call MarySue or Lana at the Omni Fitness Club at (231) 739-3391.
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Filling a Need Leads to Business Success
from Hearing Wellness Center
If you ask Peg Simon, the Audiologist and owner of the Hearing Wellness Center, what's the key to success in business, the answer will have little to do with marketing, finance and profits. She feels that each business needs to fulfill a need in the community, to make a difference and improve the lives of the customer.
Peg has spent most of her career working with a group of ear, nose and throat surgeons. Her work with the doctors helped round out the education she received after attaining her masters degree in Audiology from Central Michigan University in 1985. Most of the audiologists in this area work directly for doctors; they are able to assist those who seek help from the medical community. The rest of the people go to local hearing aid dispensers because they perceive they'll get a better value through advertised sales. The majority of these ear and hearing centers are staffed by hearing aid salespeople. They are able to expertly fit the products they are trained for, but do not have the Audiology degree which affords them the breadth of solutions available to rehabilitate hearing loss.
Feeling a need to find a better business solution to help all people with hearing loss, Peg founded the Hearing Wellness Center in 2004. Her goal is to help everyone in the community preserve their hearing and offer everything available in today's technology to rehabilitate existing loss.
Her success has been remarkable. The quotes from her patients range from "I don't hear a hundred times better...I hear a thousand times better" to " I wouldn't trust my child's hearing to anyone else". She was voted one of the 10 top working women in West Michigan in 2002 and is a member of the Academy of Doctors of Audiology, American Academy of Audiology, American Speech-Language-Hearing Association and the American Tinnitus Association. Peg is a board member of the local non-profit Deaf Hard of Hearing Connection.
Her business brought the "Loop America" initiative to the Muskegon/Tri-Cities area. The Hearing Wellness Center has looped over 40 buildings in the area; some of them completely free and most for only the cost of the equipment. She feels the donation of time to design and install these systems is adequately rewarded in knowing she's making a difference in all of the lives that benefit from the systems.
The Hearing Wellness Center has recently expanded the scope of their business by acquiring the distribution rights to the Phonic Ear brand of Loop Amplifiers, Assisitive Listening Devices and Alerting Devices for North America. Through the new business they are offering free training to teach hearing centers across the country how to implement what Peg has started here.
Margaret M. "Peg" Sass-Simon, M.A., CCA-A, is a clinical/educational audiologist with Hearing Wellness Center, 6653 Grand Haven Road, Spring Lake. In Muskegon, call (231) 798-2323.
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New Tools in the Fight Against Oral Cancers
by Monica J. Lakatos, D.D.S., Northshore Dental Associates
Recently some new devices have come to dentists' aid in the recognition and diagnosis of oral cancers.
Here are some oral cancer facts.
- 34,000 Americans will be diagnosed with oral cancer this year.
- Of these 34,000 newly diagnosed people, 48% will be dead within five years.
- Oral cancer, unlike many other cancers, has not shown a decrease in mortality in the last 30 years.
- 25% of oral cancers occur in people with no known risk factors.
- Oral cancer occurrence is rising in young people, women, and non-smokers, those people traditionally thought of as being protected from oral cancers. This is often caused by HPV, the human papilloma virus, the same virus that causes 95% of cervical cancer.
- Oral cancer is as common as leukemia and it claims more lives than melanoma and cervical cancers.
You may wonder, "Am I at risk for oral cancer?" There are several known risk factors.
Tobacco use - This is the single most important risk factor for oral cancer. This includes all tobacco types: chewing tobacco, cigars, pipes and cigarettes.
Excessive alcohol consumption - More than 15 drinks a week puts you at a higher risk. Tobacco and alcohol combined create a significant increased risk for oral cancer.
Unprotected exposure to sun - This causes an increase in cancer of the lips.
Low intake of fruits and vegetables - These foods provide protective nutrients that help to ward off cancers.
Several methods are available for detecting and screening for oral cancers. One method used is a "brush biopsy." It consists of a little brush that your dentist will use to scrape off some of the mucosal cells. The brush is sent to an outside laboratory for analysis. Another method is the Velscope. The Velscope is an early oral cancer detection device that uses a dye and light to visualize abnormal cells. Oral cancers can be seen by the naked eye only when they are quite advanced. This is why the mortality rate of oral cancers is so high. The Velscope is an inexpensive screening tool that can be utilized to see these cellular changes early on. The Vizlite is another device that uses dye and light to visualize cellular changes. These methods also can detect a change in the cells below the surface of the tissue. In the event of a positive test, all these methods would be followed up with a biopsy for definitive diagnosis.
The main purpose of these methods is to catch a cancer early. As with any cancer, early detection is the key. All of these tests are simple, non-invasive and inexpensive. If you have any concerns or have risk factors in your lifestyle, don't wait! Check it out. Your life could depend on it.
Monica J. Lakatos, D.D.S., at Northshore Dental Associates, 1179 Whitehall Road in North Muskegon, can be reached at (231) 744-6100.
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Supplements Help Keep Working Women Healthy
by Eric Johnson, Manager, Health Hutt
Understanding the basics of healthy living is essential to coping with a fast paced lifestyle.
Many excel at multitasking and pride themselves in keeping all the balls in the air at the same time, but what may be the cost to long-term health?
Eventually the stress will take its toll and what may begin as an experience of health challenges may also lead to dis-ease. Digestive complaints, fatigue, joint aches and pains, anxiety, and overweight are some of the most common problems.
At the Health Hutt we have many helpful suggestions for the many aches, pains, stress and anxiety that may be upsetting you. For aches and pains, Vitalzym is helpful along with many other types of supplements such as Repair by Enzymedica. These are proteolytic enzymes that are designed to help eat away inflammation and to help the body heal itself quicker by not taxing the intestinal area.
If stress and anxiety is a problem for you, then maybe try some old fashion Valerian, Chamomile, or one of many herbal and supplement combinations. They can help to soothe the central nervous system and help to give an overall sense of well-being. Theanine is a great amino acid that can be very soothing, also helping with sleep.
Maybe you are feeling the winter weight! Then stop by one of the three locations of the Health Hutt and try one of many popular diet supplements. Hoodia is one that is helpful at curbing the appetite, and helpful for shrinking the waste line.
We here at the Health Hutt are eager to help you with a healthy lifestyle and to make conscious decisions to better your being. Stop in today and get some great suggestions and ideas.
To ask about natural remedies or other vitamin supplements phone the Health Hutt closest to you. In Muskegon call (231) 739-1568. Be sure to watch "Forever Young" Wednesdays at 3:00 p.m. and 9:00 p.m. and Thursdays at 3:00 a.m. and 9:00 a.m. on Comcast Cable 97.
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