Talyala August 2014 Newsletter

Acupuncture is a type of ancient Chinese medicine that’s been around for over 2,500 years and throughout this time it has been used for back pain relief, increasingly so in these modern times.The general belief is that the body has 20 energy flow patterns called meridians or pathways. Through these pathways it is thought that the life force or vital energy flows, this is known as the qi (it is pronounced chee) and is considered to be essential to maintain good health. There are over 2,000 points on our bodies that connect with these pathways and it is at these points which the hair-thin needles are inserted, this is done in varying specific combinations depending on the treatment required. These actions are believed to either correct the flow of qi or to reinforce it.Even though it cannot be proven that this works as a type of pain relief, it is thought that as a result the central nervous system is stimulated. Most patients say that they get a pins and needles sensation on the insertion of the needles and indeed into the duration of the treatment, which usually lasts about 15 to 30 minutes. Some people report that they feel energised or even very relaxed so it appears as if the effect can be is somewhat different depending on the individual.The acupuncturist will use up to 20 metallic needles during a treatment session and the depth they are inserted is dependent upon the area, deeper muscular or fatty areas need more penetration and the scalp for example would be just below the surface. The practitioner may turn the needles one way or another depending on what they are trying to achieve, in my personal experience they were turned on insertion, then again about half way through the treatment. At no point is the treatment painful, there is a mere sensation of the needles going in and they do not feel sharp at all, this is because unlike needles used for injections, an acupuncture needle’s tip come to a smooth point without sharp edges. They are also very thin, about 20 times thinner than a hypodermic needle. In my experience the most troublesome part of the treatment is lying in the same position without moving for up to 30 minutes, especially if you suffer from back pain or similar.Although there are many medical experts who believe acupuncture is an effective way to treat certain conditions such as back pain, there is no true consensus. Some adhere to the theories of qi and meridians whilst others attribute acupunctures’ benefits to the biological changes that are brought about in the body as a result of treatment. Needless to say there will always be the sceptics who deny that acupuncture has any effect at all, but in my opinion if you are suffering from ongoing back pain it is certainly worth trying.

 

While making visits to national parks or forest preserves, you’ll often be told to leave nothing but footprints. This is always a good policy in these types of situations. However, we often forget, or simply do not know that wherever we go, we actually leave two sets of footprints. Your physical footprint is, for the most part, a harmless indentation left behind wherever you step. Your other footprint is what is known as your carbon footprint, essentially the level of greenhouse gases your lifestyle and activity emit into the environment. We’d like to help you understand not only what your carbon footprint is, but also how to measure it and identify some simple ways to reduce it and to save energy.

Your Carbon Footprint: What Is It?
By definition, a carbon footprint is the total set of greenhouse gas emissions caused by an organization, event, product, or person. This means that if you live a lifestyle that requires the use of a greater amount of energy and fossil fuels that form greenhouse gases through combustion, the larger your impact on the environment and your carbon footprint will be. Often people consider their carbon footprint to be the result of their immediate use of fossil fuels and energy usage, like cooking with natural gas or using petroleum to run their automobile. However, your carbon footprint consists of many activities that can be far less obvious. This may include the fossil fuels used to transport the food that you buy at your local grocery store, or the energy used to dispose of the waste produced in your household. All this comes into account when trying to make an accurate estimate of what impact is left behind by your daily activities and choices.

How to Measure Your Carbon Footprint?
Perhaps not surprisingly, the U.S. has one of the largest carbon footprints in the world, ranking #2 in total emissions (other countries near the top include China #1, India #3, Russia #4 and Japan #5) but #1 in emissions per capita.  Since this much larger footprint is made up of many much smaller individual footprints, it is important to understand your contribution and responsibility to the greater whole. Individually, the average American produces 9.44 tons of carbon dioxide on their own each year! Did this surprise you? The link below will help you to calculate the size of the carbon footprint of your household: http://www.epa.gov/climatechange/emissions/ind_calculator.html.

How to Reduce Your Greenhouse Gas Emissions?
Taking small steps to reduce your carbon footprint and saving energy is actually fairly simple. Here is a list of some easy things that you can do to live a more environmentally healthy lifestyle.

• Limit Consumption of Bottled Water – The production, consumption and disposal of bottled water leaves a rather significant carbon footprint. It requires the combustion of fossil fuels to make the bottle, transport it, and dispose of it if it’s not recycled. In-house filtration systems can reduce your impact and cost for water.

• Unplug Appliances That Are Not Frequently In Use – Most of these items have a standby mode that wastes energy even when they’re not in use. Unplugging is the best way to ensure that unnecessary energy is not lost. With a powerstrip, you can even switch off more than one appliance at once.

• Use Cold Water – No, I’m not suggesting that you start taking cold showers. Using colder water to wash clothes that do not require a hot water wash is a great way to reduce your carbon footprint. While washers already require a lot of energy to run, it takes even more to heat the water. Using cold water whenever possible can make a big difference and will increase your energy saving.

• Recycle And Reuse – Recycling uses a lot less energy since it is reducing the greenhouse gas emissions that would come out of creating a completely new product.

• Upgrade The Energy Efficiency Of Your Home – New energy efficient light bulbs, filters, and appliances could have a massive impact in reducing your carbon footprint. Less energy used means less greenhouse gas emissions. Even just maintaining and taking care of the appliances and products you already own can ensure a smaller footprint without spending a lot of money. You can measure the energy efficiency of your home and your potential energy savings at www.energyresults.com.

With easy steps like these, you are on your way to increasing your energy savings and reducing the size of the carbon footprint left behind. We all have a role in trying to shrink the adverse impact we have on the environment, not only as an individual, but also as a member of a household, as a citizen of a country, and as an inhabitant of planet earth.

Five Simple Ways to Enhance Your Pet’s Health
In today’s fast paced world, many pet owners find themselves without the amount time they might like to spend caring for their pets.

Between work, chores round the house, children, and so on. There just aren’t enough hours in the day to get it all done. So, to help out, here is a list of 5 simple things you can do to improve the health of your pet.

1. Better quality Food
Yes, it’s simpler and likely cheaper to simply pick up a bag of dog food at the grocery store or buy some enormous retailer’s store brand. But is that necessarily the best food for your pet? And in the longer term is it really cheaper? You may be stunned at what you find if you scanned the ingredient lists on your favorite big name brand or store brand pet foods. Most of them contain fillers, pointless ingredients and by products that can be very dangerous for your pet and can cause long term health Problems and increased costs. Changing to a 100 percent natural or holistic name can help maintain your pet’s health and keep your general expenditures on pet care low.

2. Supplements
Supplementing your pet’s diet can be a straightforward way to help improve their well-being and fitness. There are many additions available for joint support, digestive support, skin treatment, protection, weight control, heart health, liver support, muscle support and more.

3. Dental Care
Proper dental care is essential for the health of your pet and nothing is better than regular brushing and veterinary dental visits, but there are some straightforward things you can do to help your pet maintain healthy teeth. Dental chews or treats designed to help control plaque and tartar increase also promote fresh breath. There are also dental additions that may help to control plaque and encourage healthful gums.

4. Flea, Tick & Insect Control
Fleas, Ticks and other insects like flies are some of the major carriers of illnesses in pets. Controlling these pests is straightforward with the numerous flea, tick and pest control products around. There are many flea & tick spot-ons and collars that make protecting your pet straightforward.

Plus there are easy-to-use indoor and out of doors bug elimination products that will help break the reproductive cycle of pests like fleas which should eventually make insect control even simpler.

5. Regular Exercise
Okay, so you may not have sufficient time to walk your pet each day. But there are methods to ensure your pet gets regular exercise. Be sure to provide a range of toys for them to play with. Ensure you let your pet outside for a bit every day or if you’ve an inside pet, give some space for daily play time. An exercise pen may be helpful, especially inside. Naturally you should take the time to stroll your pet as frequently as attainable. There are retractable leashes and even hands free leashes which make it easy to exercise your pet at the same time you are exercising.

Bonus Tip: Regular veterinary Visits
This may seem like a glaring point, but many pet owners don’t schedule regular vet visits.

Regular vet care is an effective way to maintain the condition of your pet. Your veterinarian will most likely see a potential concern before the owner may realize there’s a controversy in any way. Early detection can stop plenty of conditions before it is too late.