Top Tips For Healthy & Happy Flights

Air travel is so commonplace these days that we rarely stop to think about possible health implications. We hop on and off aircraft like they are buses. However, on the more rare occasions where we take a long haul flight – think New York to Tokyo or San Francisco to Sydney – there are certain things to consider to keep ourselves both happy and healthy. Fifteen to Twenty hours is a long time to occupy yourself and boredom is just the start of the hazards, we also have to consider things like deep vein thrombosis and sleep deprivation. So here are some helpful hints to surviving long haul air travel.

1. Go For The Upgrade! - If you have air miles on a credit card, then make good use of them on long haul flights. Many reward programs offer free or heavily discounted upgrades. Trust me – 24 hours in a metal tube is going to be a lot more comfortable with extra legroom, a reclining chair and decent food.
2. Entertain Yourself! - You need a plan to burn long periods of time without going insane. Bring along some work, but don't rely on it. There is a point someplace in the middle where you will need some escapism, so buy the earphones and watch movies, take an iPad with favorite viewing options, a great book whatever it takes to occupy you. Plan for at least two thirds of the time!
3. You Are Not A Pack Mule! - Don't be tempted to take a load of carry on baggage to avoid checked bag fees. On a long haul flight the saving is not worth it. You are going to live in a cramped space for pretty much a whole day, so don't take it up with stuff! Only bring what you need in-flight and check the rest! While you will want to limit your carry on baggage, do bring your essential survival gear. Noise canceling headphones, neck pillows, eye mask etc. Your body will thank you! Longer flights leave more time for potential pickpockets. There are many cases of passengers falling asleep and thieves stealing from their luggage. So instead, make sure your tickets, passport and wallet are on your person and other valuables are buried deep in your baggage.
4. Be Fully Rested – Long haul flights are NOT for catching up on sleep. Sure maybe you will sleep for 12 hours, but maybe you won't! Do not stay up all night hoping you will sleep on the plane – because you won't! Be fully rested and just take nap opportunities as they arise. Don't count on them to use up the time!
5. Be Health Conscious. - Drink plenty of fluids to keep hydrated during the flight. Especially electrolyte solutions such as Gatorade. It is a combination of dehydration and being immobile for extended periods which presents the risk of deep vein thrombosis (DVT). It is recommended that you avoid alcohol for 24 hours prior to the flight, avoid diuretics lie caffeine during the flight and to dress comfortably in loose clothing. If you can get an aisle seat then do so and get up and walk around whenever possible. You will also want to wear compression socks.

Mold And Your Health

Molds are generally known to trigger allergic reactions and respiratory problems in individuals with weak immune systems such as children, the elderly and the ailing. There are several household molds that take place after a while The most shocking thing is that they cannot only be found in the dirty places, they hover around the clear houses as well. There is reason behind everything and household mold have a reason as well. The most common sources are, hidden wall leaks, undiscovered roof leak, water intrusion of any kind, like pipe leak, uncurbed humidity etc.

To deal with this problem, a complete assessment of the house has to take place by someone qualified in mold remediation. The air and the surfaces have to be checked so that the extent of the problem can be determined. To do this, you need technicians that are certified to the Institute of Investigation, Cleaning and Restoration Certification (IICRC) so you can be sure that they know exactly what they are doing. The problem is severe and it should be immediately taken care of. One can only imagine the hazardous problems these molds can produce. The first symptom of having household mold is having musty doors.

The symptoms that the human beings would get is having dry cough, burning eyes and skin rashes. If you already have them, you cannot waste anymore time but call the specialized team. You must also find the source of the problem and make sure that the right repairs are done to ensure you do not experience the same problems again.

People cannot overlook those molds because they cause more harm than people are aware of. They secretly do their job in silence and no one really knows it until they are faced with the ultimate problem. Those molds grow so fast but remain unchecked for a long time, no one pays much heed to them until they are so severe that the house owners need medical attention.

The team is specialized so they know just what to do. In the final analysis, to eliminate the problem completely is our main goal. To do this we use infra red inspection technology. This is used to inspect the walls inside to determine whether water leakage has been dealt with completely. It also helps establish whether the molds have been removed completely. It is important to use a professional for any mold remediation works.

Dealing With Sewage Clean Up At Home

Sometimes there are certain disasters in the home we can take care of ourselves, little things like a blown fuse, a leaky tap and so on. However, there are other issues which cannot be taken care of because of our health. For example, mold and sewage related incidents should never be handled on your own, because they can have a detrimental effect on your health and well being.

So let's talk a little bit more about sewage clean up. I know, I know, it's not the nicest subject in the world! However, it's the one I had to deal with this past week. My good lady wife and I had been out and about all day caught up with work and errands. We stopped off for an early dinner before heading home, but on opening the front door we were greeted by a stench the likes of which we had never smelled before – nor do I ever wish to smell again! Our septic tank had gotten backed up causing an overflow sewage. Both the main bathroom, our en-suite and the downstairs toilet were a mess! I know enough about bacteria to know that a) I was not touching this with a barge pole and b) it had to be dealt with now!

We scooted on over to the neighbors and used their phone to call in some emergency sewage removal experts who reached us in around one hour and took care of everything quickly. Amazingly, we only had to replace the flooring in the downstairs toilet which had taken the worst hit, and a few towels etc. But because we worked fast the damage was minimal.

What really struck me though was my father's reaction when we called to see if we could stop the night with him. He asked my why I hadn't just rolled up my sleeves, pulled on some waders and cleaned the mess myself. He honestly believed that it was just a case of us young folks being too darn lazy! He was appalled when I explained all of the reasons why that was NOT a great plan!

Untreated sewage has so much more than just a bad smell. It is full of micro-organisms, bacteria and parasites which can cause a laundry list of illnesses if ingested or are able to enter the blood stream view broken skin. Sewage is classed as a bio-hazard and should be treated much the same as you might treat toxic waste! I'm betting that you'd never try to clear up a toxic spill from factory right? So why would you try to clean up sewage? It can cause a multitude of stomach illnesses, skin infections and respiratory disease. That's not something you want to mess with.

Listening To Our Bodies

I always strive to maintain a fairly healthy lifestyle. I don't smoke, I rarely drink and recently I cut caffeine out of my life. When I first became interested in natural health, I was amazed at how diet can really change our lives. Our bodies are amazing and to be honest they might just be the only tool we need to keep ourselves fit and healthy! I have long since given up expensive gym memberships and exercise equipment. They can't provide anything better than my own body can! I run, go swimming.. and if I need to lift weights? I compromise by using items from around the house. One of the most interesting things I have come across is how our body tells us what we should eat and when – all we have to do is listen to it!

Have you ever really craved a certain food? We hear of pregnant women saying this all the time, but in truth we all experience cravings from time to time. It is usually a sign that our body is deficient in a certain nutrient. Our body knows it needs a top up and it tells you by making you desire foods containing it. It's actually fairly amazing to think that our bodies are capable of such things. The same applies when monitoring your diet. We do not need fancy diets or eating plans. Our body knows what it needs, it can tell us when it is hungry and when we are full. All we have to do is start listening to our own intuition and ask ourselves 'am I really hungry?' or 'do I really need a second slice of pie?'. All of the information is right there waiting for us if we were only willing to listen.

More to Damp than meets the eye

Depending on the climate you live in, it is more likely than not that you have encountered the negative effects of Damp in your Home.  Actually, I can't really imagine any positive effects .... and I always associated Damp with wet conditions, coming from the Wet n windy East Coast as I do.  But that is not the exlusive case at all, examples being the deep sultry south for instance and other areas where there is a large amount of ground water.  It's not just unslightly, it is a serious Health risk.  Asthma and Eczema are often linked to Mold spores that fill the air of any room with a Damp mold problem.  And it can be expensive too!  As a friend of mine found out in Atlanta, GA after what he thought was a foreclosure bargain, turned out to be an alergy nightmare.  He had to call in the local Mold removal experts and that cost several thousands of Dollars.  It could have been a lot worse, some of the Quotations he had got were multiples of the price the guys he settled with offered him.

Rooibos - where you been all my life

Recently I decided to give Coffee the boot.  I quit smoking a few years ago after 20 years and it wasn't long before I thought WTF did I ever smoke for?  I gave up drinking six or seven years ago, basically because I was an alcoholic (am an alcoholic? lol) and I have pretty much developed this theory, that if you NEED anything, get rid of it ;)
So yeah Rooibos, or Red Bush Tea comes from South Africa and I encountered it in my local supermarket while staring, confused as ever, at the myriad of Teas and Infusions available these days.  In fact whether it is a Tea or not, or what actually constitutes tea for that matter, I really don't quite know.  There is Tea as in Lipton that we all know from China and India and then there are all these alternatives.  Back to Rooibos - I admit I was attracted at first to the Native Chick with face paint on the box ha .... then I did a quick google on my Samsung and checked it out.  It originates not too far from Cape Town in a region called Cederberg it was used traditionally by the natives and then first experimented with as an alternative to our usual black tea, by Dutch settlers.
Anyway ... I will let you do a google around the finer points as it were, Wikipedia can set you up ready to write a thesis as usual ha ha ... but the point of this ramble is that I LOVE THE STUFF ... it has no Caffeine ... it has a really interesting taste (without sugar I think, but its traditionally drank with milk and sugar) and I just feel great alternating it with the occasional cup of Green Tea.  Give it a go and tell me what you think :)