Walking in the Door is Hardest

by Lana Carson, Nationally Certified Personal Trainer, Omni Fitness Club

Instead of reading about the benefits of exercise this month, it's time to experience the benefits of exercise. No more excuses, it's time to get going.

This month come on in to the Omni, and find out what we can do for you, or more importantly, what you can do for yourself.

Every day people just like you walk through our doors with the desire to change the way they look and feel. The most difficult part of visiting the Omni will be putting your fears of the unknown aside and actually walking through the front doors. By the time you hit the front desk, the rest is a piece of cake (a nutritious cake with no sugar or fat or calories, of course).

Too many people believe they have to get in shape before they join a health club. Nothing is farther from the truth. We have actually had members whose first few visits consisted of nothing more than walking through the lobby and then resting on the couch. Within just a few short months these same members were comfortably walking on the treadmill or riding the bike and completing full strength training circuit!

The Omni is actually classified as a "multipurpose" fitness facility. This means that we don't focus on one specific type of member or training. Our memberships serve a wide range of ages, fitness and health levels, and lots and lots of different sizes. People are often surprised when they tour the Omni to see people just like themselves working out. It often eases their minds to see the variety of members we have there.

Because we cater to all sorts of members, it is imperative that we offer a variety of equipment that best suits the needs of different body types. The majority of people who come through the Omni comment on the amount and variety of equipment we have. Hands down, no other facility in the greater Muskegon area even comes close to what we have. It's like being a kid in a candy store (nutritious candy with no sugar, or fat, or calories, of course). With all the equipment we have, it reduces the risk of getting bored or hitting a plateau. This can be a problem in smaller facilities with only one type of training program.

Truly the most impressive part of the Omni is our commitment to member service. We understand that in the beginning, this may not be the most comfortable experience for people who are unfamiliar with the health clubs. We work extremely hard to help members feel welcome and ease them into program that best suits their needs. We know that if you look forward to coming in and actually feel better walking out the door as compared to walking in, you will continue to exercise and experience the many wonderful benefits of doing so. If you are an Omni member, you really are part of a unique club, and that's how you will feel. Remember, a lack of physical activity is a growing problem in this country (no pun intended). When you talk about going to the Omni to work out, you set yourself apart from so many people who don't exercise as well as those who wish they did.

The time is now, come on in and see what you're missing. We're committed to helping you, but you have to commit to yourself first. See you at the Omni!

If you would like help designing a fitness program that's just right for you, call Lana or MarySue at the Omni fitness Club at (231) 739-3391.

New Recommendations from the American Heart Association

by Monica J. Lakatos, D.D.S., Northshore Dental Associates

Many people with various heart conditions have had to be premedicated with antibiotics before dental treatment. This has been done for years based on the belief that antibiotics would prevent infective endocarditis.

Infective endocarditis is an infection of the heart lining and/or valves that happens when bacteria enter the bloodstream. Oral bacteria, which are harmless in the mouth, can be toxic and even lethal in the heart.

Recently, the American Heart Association changed these recommendations. As of April 2007 the AHA recommends that most of these patients no longer need short-term antibiotics as a preventive measure before their dental treatment. The AHA changed these recommendations based on a growing amount of scientific evidence that shows the risk of taking antibiotics outweighs the benefits. Some patients have had adverse reactions to the drugs, some of them life threatening. Other studies show that with the use of these antibiotics over and over again, drug resistant bacteria are developing.

Another recent finding showed that patients who take antibiotics may not be getting any protection at all in preventing infective endocarditis. The new thinking is that their hearts are already exposed to the bacteria in their mouths just by everyday brushing and flossing. The newest studies are showing that infective endocarditis is more likely to occur as a result of these everyday activities than from a dental procedure.

The patients who have taken antibiotics prior to dental treatment in the past, but who no longer need them include people with:

- Mitral valve prolapse

- Rheumatic heart disease

- Bicuspid valve disease

- Calcified aortic stenosis

- Congenital heart conditions such as vertricular septal defect, atrial septal defect and hypertrophic cardiomyopathy.

Preventive antibiotics are still advised for many other heart conditions, such as:

- Artificial heart valves

- A history of endocarditis

- Certain specific congenital heart conditions

- A cardiac transplant that develops a problem in a heart valve

These new recommendations apply to many dental procedures. Any procedure that may cause bleeding in the mouth, such as extractions, root canals, or teeth cleaning, can potentially cause endocarditis. If you are unsure of whether or not you need an antibiotic prior to dental procedures, check with your cardiologist. For those people who have had antibiotics in the past for total joint replacements; your guidelines have not changed.

Monica J. Lakatos, D.D.S., at Northshore Dental Associates, 1179 Whitehall Road in North Muskegon, can be reached at (231) 744-6100.

Better Hearing Institute Facts

from Hearing Wellness Center

FUN FACTS

- Cicadas have their hearing organs in their stomachs.

- Crickets have their hearing organs in their knees.

- Male mosquitoes hear with thousands of tiny hairs growing on their antennae.

- Fish do not have ears but they can hear. They hear pressure changes through ridges on their bodies.

- Snakes do not have ears, but their tongues are sensitive to sound vibrations.

- In World War One parrots were kept on the Eiffel Tower in Paris, France because of their remarkable sense of hearing. When the parrots heard the enemy aircraft coming they would warn everyone of the approaching danger long before any human ear would hear it.

HEARING LOSS

- Excessive noise is the number one reason for hearing loss.

- Experts agree that continued exposure to noise of 85 dB or louder, over time, will eventually harm hearing.

- If you cannot carry on a conversation in the presence of noise, it is too loud for your ears and can potentially cause hearing loss.

HEARING LOSS PREVENTION

- Hearing loss can be prevented by using ear plugs or earmuffs when engaging in activities around excessive noise (i.e. construction, dance clubs, shooting a gun). Custom hearing protection is available for various professions including construction, factory and musicians.

- If you have pain in your ears after leaving a noisy area or you hear ringing or buzzing (tinnitus) in your ears immediately after exposure to noise consider this as a warning sign that the sounds are TOO LOUD.

- Examples of dangerously loud activities which may cause hearing loss are: power tools (85-115 dB), video arcades (110 dB), movie theatres (118 dB), health clubs (120 dB), live music concerts (120 dB and above), sporting events (127 dB) gunshots (150-167 dB).

HEARING LOSS SOLUTIONS

- Modern digital hearing aids can now help the hard-of-hearing to hear in noisy situations.

- Telecoils in hearing aids improve the ability to hear in certain public places and on hearing aid compatible telephones. The telecoil connects directly to Hearing Loop Systems so background noise can be eliminated in public environments.

- Most public places (i.e. movie, place of worship, government building, schools) are required under the American with Disabilities Act to provide assistive listening devices for the hard-of-hearing. We install Hearing Loop Systems for most of our patients at no cost, and in larger facilities for only the cost of the equipment.

- Successful treatment of hearing loss with hearing aids is associated with greater earning power.

- Treatment of hearing loss will improve interpersonal relationships.

- Hard-of-hearing people are less likely to be discriminated against if they use hearing aids.

- The use of hearing aids is associated with reductions in anger, frustration, paranoia, anxiety and overall improvements in emotional stability.

- Most people who use hearing aids have improved social lives.

- The use of hearing aids is associated with improved perceptions of the hard-of-hearing's mental ability.

- People who use hearing aids report better health than hard-of-hearing people who do not use hearing aids.

- Nine out of 10 hearing aid users report improvements in their quality of life.

- One of the best ways to get a loved one to seek help for their hearing loss is to stop being their hearing helper!

- Only 13 percent of physicians screen for hearing loss. Ask your doctor for a hearing screening since it is not a routine part of physical exams, or call us for a free hearing screening appointment.

- A large number of people with tinnitus (ringing in the ears) can be helped with masking devices worn like hearing aids.

PREVALENCE OF HEARING LOSS

- One out of 10 Americans have a hearing loss. That's more than 31,000,000 people.

- Three out of 1000 children are born with hearing loss.

- 1.4 million children have hearing loss.

- 15 percent of "baby-boomers" (ages 45 to 64) have hearing loss.

- 29 percent of people over age 65 have hearing loss.

- The majority (65 percent) of people with hearing loss are below retirement age.

- The majority (60 percent) of people with hearing loss are males.

The Hearing Wellness Center on Grand Haven Road in Spring Lake services all makes of hearing aids and honors all factory warranties. Peg welcomes any patient seeking a new hearing center, as well as anyone in the community that seeks the quality and value of care they deserve. Make an appointment today for a free hearing screening.

Building The Immune System

by Erik Johnson, Manager, Health Hutt

As fall is approaching we think about having a healthy immune system and being strong enough to fight off any virus, flu, germs, or colds.

Of course, proper eating can and will boost your immune system because every cell in your body is made from the food/supplements you eat/take. Having a nutritionally deficient diet means also that you may have deficient immune cells. You can ask your dog, your grandma, your brother, your friend, your whomever you think knows it all but it doesn't change the truth. You are what you eat!

By taking systemic/proteolytic enzymes in between meals relieves stress on the immune system. Cleaning the liver with a good liver detox program helps improve the liver's ability to produce immune factors and remove harmful bacteria from the blood. By cleaning the blood with a good blood cleansing herbal formula and balancing the blood pH with alkalizing foods or using any green grass juice powders, tablets or fresh squeezed helps to improve the immune system greatly.

A supplement called Kyolic Immune Formula 103 contains aged garlic extract, a premium mushroom complex which has shown immune enhancement via activation of various immune cells, Ester C which is a patented form of Vitamin C (a known antioxidant) and has demonstrated superior absorption over other forms. It has been shown to enter the bloodstream twice as fast and remain in the body twice as long as ascorbic acid and is excreted from the body at a slower rate. Ester C has also been shown to increase tissue concentrations more significantly than other sources of Vitamin C. Kyolic 103 contains Astragalus, a potent immune enhancing herb that has been used as a tonic in China for centuries. Studies suggest it may provide nutritional support for healthy immune function. Oregano inhibits several pathogenic bacteria and fungi. Olive Leaf Extract is standardized and exhibits antimicrobial and antiviral activity.

Stop in today at one of the three locations of the Health Hutt and get busy building your immune system for a healthier tomorrow!

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 77.