Bedbug Issues

Bedbugs are back with a vengeance, but what some people are doing to get rid of them might be putting their family in danger.

In a nutshell, they are using the wrong pesticides.

Bedbugs are becoming a bigger nuisance across the country and Colorado is no exception. A recently released Terminix study found that Denver was the number 6 most infested city in the nation. And with Colorado Springs being a short distance away, you can bet we aren't that far behind. The problem is that more of these bugs are becoming resistant to common pesticides so are tougher to get rid of.

But the Environmental Protection Agency just issued a warning against the use of pesticides meant for outside use being used indoors, something it seems more desperate homeowners are trying. In addition to the obvious increased chance of pesticide poisoning from using too strong of chemicals indoors, experts are also blaming some house fires on people misusing highly flammable garden and lawn chemicals inside to try and get rid of the bugs.

So, their recommendations are to read the entire label before applying a pesticide and to closely follow directions. Also, make sure the pesticide you're using is made specifically for bedbugs.

Getting rid of bedbugs is important but not worth poisoning your family or causing your house to catch fire.

Benefits of Black Rice

Foods rich in antioxidants, like blueberries and acai, pack a powerful healthy punch. But one food choice might be better and is certainly less expensive.

Have you ever heard of black rice? My guess is you soon will because this inexpensive grain has plenty of healthy antioxidants in it.

You've probably eaten white and brown rice at one time or another. Of the two, brown rice is much healthier for you. Both come from the same grain of rice. When the outer hull is removed, you get brown rice. If more processing is done, then you get white rice.

But black rice is what they first start off with, before any processing is done. And that rice contains many more antioxidants than most of us thought. Researchers at Louisiana State Agricultural Center found that a spoonful of black rice bran contains more antioxidants than a similar spoonful of blueberries. And as an added benefit, the spoonful of rice also has less sugar and more vitamin E and fiber.

Although black rice takes a little longer to prepare than white or brown rice, the extra time is worth the health benefits you get. And my guess is that you'll start seeing it more and more in your local grocery store.

Importance of the "Sunshine Vitamin"

The "sunshine vitamin" might be more important than most of us thought.

We've known for some time that many of us walk around not having enough vitamin D in our bodies. Part of the reason is because we don't get as much sunshine as we used to, and part of the reason is that our diet isn't as good as it should be. But for years most experts thought that lack of vitamin D only meant poor bone health.

Now we know vitamin D is much more important and a new discovery is showing just how "super" this vitamin really is and how damaging not having enough of it can be. Scientist have just found that vitamin D plays a role in over 200 genes in our bodies. And these genes are ones that control everything from cancer to diabetes to multiple sclerosis.

The problem is that many of us don't have enough of this vitamin. The easiest way to get vitamin D is from sunshine but you also have to balance that with your risk of skin cancer. Most experts say 15 minutes of sun a day is enough to resupply your vitamin D needs. Also, making sure fortified foods, like cereal, milk, yogurt and tuna are included in your diet can help.

The important point is to get enough of this important vitamin to stay healthy and if your diet isn't doing it, you might want to think about taking a supplement to boost those levels.

Water Diet

Want to lose a little bit of weight? How about the "water" diet?

The secret is in "when" you drink the water---and the weight loss results were pretty impressive!

I think just about everyone has tried one type of a diet or another. But the problem is they are either too confusing, too expensive or involve eating things you simply don't want to eat. But this new trick for losing weight could be as simple as drinking a couple of glasses of water before you sit down for a meal.

Researchers found that when people drank two glasses of water before eating they ended up eating around 90 calories less. And over a five week period that helped them lose five pounds more than dieters who didn't drink the water.

Part of the reason this happens is because the water helps fill the stomach so, by the time you sit down, your body isn't telling you to eat quite as much. And the beauty of water is, unlike sweetened drinks and sodas, it doesn't have any calories whatsoever.

So, to lose weight the easy way, you might want to grab those two glasses of water before picking up that fork and knife.

Teens & Hearing Loss

Just because your teenager doesn't seem to be listening to you doesn't mean they're ignoring you. They might not be able to hear you.

More teenagers have hearing loss these days and you can probably blame it on the way they listen to music.

A new national study found that a remarkable one in five children, aged 12 to 19, had hearing problems. And although experts can't pinpoint the exact cause, teenagers more often than not have lost their hearing in the high frequency range. This type of hearing loss comes from exposure to noises like those made by an iPod or other personal music device. Teenagers tend to listen to music this way at a high volume and over time, that music can hurt their hearing.

In this case, high frequency hearing loss means the teenager won't be able to hear all words clearly and that can interfere with learning and even casual conversations. The best way to help keep your child's hearing intact is a lot easier said than done. On most iPods and other music devices you can set a volume limit. Although this might not work for older kids, you can talk with them about how permanent hearing damage is. A good rule of thumb for them is to keep the volume low enough so someone standing next to them can't hear anything coming from the music player.

Making The Most Of Your Docotor's Visit

Have you ever gone to your doctor only to walk out of the office remembering a question or two you forgot to ask?

Here are some clues on how to make the most of that visit.

The reality is that medical appointments these days aren't very long. And that means getting a lot of information passed back-and-forth during that time. But without a little homework on your part, you might end up missing some of the important information you went to the doctor in the first place for.

One thing you can do to help is to keep a medical journal. Write down as many details as you can think of about what's wrong with you and any circumstances surrounding that issue. For instance, you have a sore throat---does it hurt worse in the morning or during the day, is it bad all the time or worse when you swallow, are you having a cough along with the throat issue? I tell my patients that any diagnosis is like detective work and these clues can go a long way in helping you doctor solve the issue?

Also write down any questions you have about your condition and about your overall health and take that paper with you to your doctor's visit. That way you won't forget that question you had the day before your visit.

And at the end of the visit, when you get a prescription, ask about alternatives to the medication, including generics, and any side effects you need to keep an eye out for.

These tips should help make sure next time you walk out of your doctor's office you aren't doing the forehead slap--thinking "I should have asked about this".

Brand Name VS. Generic Drugs

When it comes to medicines we've all seen the commercials about a new powerful drug. But is that drug any better than a cheaper generic?

For most medications, the answer is no! Drug companies spend a lot of money to get you to notice their new brand name medicine. But most of these medicines also have a generic twin that costs considerably less. And most drugs have "cousins" of a different class that are close but not exactly the same as the brand name drug.

But how well do these twins or cousin drugs work. It turns out, they work just as well, at least when it comes to controlling your blood pressure.
A long term study, following more than 33 thousand patients with high blood pressure found that after eight or more years of follow-ups, a simple generic diuretic blood pressure pill was as effective and in some cases even better at preventing death from stroke or heart failure, both problems related to high blood pressure.

The bottom line here is that the latest greatest brand name medicine you see advertised might not be the only one that would work for your condition, and it might not even be the best for you. Your best bet is to talk with your doctor about all your prescribed medicines and ask this simple question:" Is there a cheaper generic medicine I can take that would be as good or better than the one I'm on now"?