People often fear the worst in a given situation, and bad news is not something we like to hear. This is only one of many reasons that as a society, we often put off important medical checkups or appointments. There is also the financial aspect to account for, but it seems that the majority of people don’t notice anything wrong, so they avoid the checkups that could be early indicators of health problems.



Lighthouse International, a major advocate of vision protection and treatment recently published a survey that indicates that millions of Americans risk losing their vision, and fear that loss more than that of any of their other senses. However, very few are doing anything about it. More than ¾ of those at risk for diseases of the eyes do not have annual exams.



There are many risk factors for potential eye disease that most wouldn’t normally associate with the eyes, like high blood pressure for example. It has been linked with glaucoma, which in many cases has no warning signs or symptoms until it’s too late. This can cause irreversible damage, and without proper examinations to look out for the warnings, it may be far too late to treat by the time it’s discovered. There are alternative treatments like eye drops and injections to treat glaucoma, but surgery can often be needed also.

A typical eye exam can pick up on a number of warning signs for other diseases besides those associated with the eyes also. Diabetes, multiple sclerosis, autoimmune disorders, and even tumors can be detected by an optometrist.

NSAIDs
Aspirin, along with a number of other NSAIDs (Non Steroidal Anti Inflammatory Drugs) are used by many Americans not only for pain relief, but also to help thin the blood to reduce risk for stroke or heart attack. What you may not know is that it can also deplete folate and vitamin C from your system, making you more susceptible to cold, flu, and other infections that someone with normal levels may not be. Low levels of folate have also been linked to increased risk for various cancers including breast and colon cancer.

Calcium Channel Blockers
Used to treat high blood pressure, most people are more familiar with diuretics than calcium channel blockers. While it seems to be common knowledge that diuretics (which cause water excretion) can cause the depletion of important nutrients, it’s less known that calcium channel blockers can cause the same effect. The major nutrient lost because of this is potassium, which low levels of can cause fatigue and weakness of muscles. Because of this, blood pressure can rise in response to the added stress- which completely negates the intended use of the drug in the first place.

Fibrates
Prescribed to patients who have trouble managing cholesterol with statin drugs, fibrates can help to raise HDL (good cholesterol) and lower LDL (bad cholesterol) as well as triglycerides. On the downside of this equation, they can also lower natural levels of both vitamin E and coenzyme Q10. Low levels of vitamin E can increase risk for nerve disorders, heart disease, and cancer to name a few. Deficiencies in CoQ10 will usually result in muscle weakness and sometimes pain.

Diabetes drugs
The most popular oral medication for diabetes, metformin, makes cells more responsive to insulin and reduces weight gain and excessively low blood glucose better than other drugs. In addition to lowering blood sugar, it also lowers levels of vitamin B-12 and folate. Depleted levels of these vital nutrients can lead to bouts with depression, forgetfulness, and fatigue.

Mayonnaise
The problem that most people have with mayo is in the proportions. Truthfully, it isn’t that bad when you’re using a teaspoon or two as directed. However, the majority of mayo-niacs load it on much thicker than that. This can pile up the calories and fat in a hurry. Better options are lower calorie condiments like mustard, BBQ sauce, or even light mayonnaise.

Lunch meat
Processed meats may seem lean, but they often include loads of sodium and preservatives. There is also an increased risk of colon cancer now linked to the chemical preservatives that are frequently used in lunch meats. The sodium content in some lunch meats can be staggering, up close to 500mg in some cases.  Try roasting your own meat for sandwiches, or look for deli brands lower in sodium and nitrates that are contributors to high blood pressure and heart disease.

Salad dressing
Two tablespoons of any creamy salad dressing can add 12 grams of fat and 120 calories to your salad. Kind of defeating the purpose isn’t it? What’s worse is that most people use twice that amount of dressing.  Downsizing to the two tablespoon recommendation is a good idea, but even better is going for a lighter dressing in the first place to get fewer calories.

Frozen French fries
Most people keep some sort of frozen potato side dish handy as they’re usually good accompaniment for any of the three meals of the day. One small serving of the traditional potato products like French fries or tater tots can contain 10 grams of fat and over 500mg of sodium in a 3 oz serving. Take the time to bake or roast potatoes to take advantage of the nutrients they contain.

As our lives become busier and faster paced, it’s hard to remember to take the time to “stop and smell the flowers” as they used to say. Stress can build up to enormous levels that will seem insurmountable to most, and lead to some serious health risks if not dealt with in a timely manner. Everyone is familiar with the feeling of being ground down by the daily events and unexpected emergencies that can arise in our day to day lives, but many people aren’t aware of the long term effects that can be left by it. Here are just a few of the lesser known conditions that can be caused or affected by stress:

• High cholesterol
  
• High blood pressure
  
• Insomnia
  
• Headaches
  
• Hair loss
  
• Weight Gain
  
• Acne
  
• Wrinkles
  
• Cancer

One way of combating stress that won’t cost you anything more than your time is meditation. Whether or not you have any of these kinds of conditions, you can feel the effects of meditation even if it’s just for five minutes a day. Just like with exercise though, the more you can do it, the better. There are many types of meditation, but whichever you choose, do it as often as possible. Whether it’s during the day, or when you lay down to go to sleep at night.

For a quick meditation, try these few steps:

1. Take a deep breath, hold it, and count to four, then release it. As you release it, feel the tension in your body begin to drain away.

2. Repeat the deep breath, but this time hold it until a count of eight and again feel the tension lift as you exhale. Try to allow your entire body to go limp.

3. Take a third deep breath, and hold it as long as you comfortably can this time. Feel your entire body relax as you let it out.

4. Concentrate on your breath. Try to imagine seeing the air going in and out of your mouth, expanding and relaxing your lungs.

5. Imagine the oxygen filling your lungs and entering your blood stream as fresh, new energy. Energy that will revitalize your whole body. Imagine the air you breath out to be all the stress and anxieties you may carry with you.

6. Repeat this whenever you can.

• Magnesium

Magnesium deficiencies can lead to numerous health conditions, but did you know that high blood pressure, otherwise known as hypertension, was one of them? Magnesium helps balance calcium in your system by dilating the muscles in arteries that calcium causes to contract. If magnesium levels are too low, the muscles in the artery walls stay constricted and cause more pressure on the blood flowing through them. Not many foods other than fish are very high in magnesium, so a supplement or fish oil capsules are a good alternative to help keep balance as well as provide other helpful nutrients like vitamin d and omega 3 fatty acids.

• Potassium

The body’s cells need a balance of minerals like calcium, magnesium, sodium, and potassium in order to function. Most people ingest more sodium through salt and carbonated drinks than they do potassium, and this can cause an imbalance between the two. When sodium levels are too high, the kidneys may struggle to dispose of it, and in some cases vascular systems near them will close off in order to raise blood pressure, which will in turn push the kidneys to dump the excess waste products your body doesn’t need or want. Potassium supplements are available to help keep balance, but you can also get plenty from fruits and green vegetables, and even some fish like tuna or halibut.

• Garlic

Garlic contains an organic compound called allicin, which has been shown to affect lipids in the bloodstream. This can reduce cholesterol, and its damaging effects to the walls of your blood vessels. Supplements are available if you’re concerned about odor issues from whole garlic, although you get the maximum benefits of it when taken whole. Two to three cloves per day are recommended for treating hypertension.

• Fats

Everyone knows how bad saturated and trans fats are, but are you aware of the positive benefits of those good fats that exist? Polyunsaturated fats can help improve the levels of the good forms of cholesterol in your system, and also help keep blood pressure down. These are found mostly in plants like corn, soy, safflower and sunflower, whereas unhealthy saturated fats are mostly found in meats and dairy products.