Category Archives: Health

May4

Vaccine Team Pt. 2

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Vaccine Team Pt. 2

Hi! I am so pleased to announce that as of April 29th, Johnny and I are fully vaccinated with the Moderna vaccine. When we got our first shot, we drove to the location in white out snow conditions and this time around, it was like driving in a monsoon! Rain, snow, and hail were not going to stop us from getting vaccinated and I am very thankful that we made it to both appointments safe and sound.

Similar to when we got our first shot, Johnny and I were in and out in about a half hour and were feeling good for most of the evening. Then, five or so hours later, we both took a turn for the worst with really sore arms, headaches, and what felt like a fever for me and chills for Johnny. We were SO miserable that night and the following day and we both just couldn’t get any relief. There was, honestly, a part when I started crying because everything hurt so bad.

Johnny had to keep reminding us both that what we were experiencing was better than getting COVID and while that didn’t make me feel any better at the time, he is most certainly right. Being fully vaccinated despite all of the aches, pains, and restless nights makes it all one hundred million percent worth it.

Although the second vaccine shot was no joke whatsoever, I still highly encourage everyone to get themselves scheduled for their vaccination. I feel so happy and proud to do my part to keep my loved ones and complete strangers safe and am incredibly thankful to begin feeling safer around others and have people feel protected around me too. Please join me and Johnny on the Vaccine Team!

What was your COVID vaccine experience like? Which side effects did you have? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Apr22

My Top 3 “Feeling Sick” Beverages

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My Top 3 “Feeling Sick” Beverages

Hello! The last two times I saw my sister this past week, my lil niece was feeling under the weather. While Kristen and her SO, Ramon, are immune to the “Toddler Flu” by now I, on the other hand, got hit with it hard. My niece was coughing and her little nose was running faster than she could and I just had a feeling I was going to get sick. And, man, was I right because I spent the entire past weekend in complete misery.

Kristen and Ramon have parent level immune systems and were A-okay while I felt like I was going to burst from all of the congestion. During my weekend, I tried to recoup with lots of Animal Crossing, My 600 Lb. Life, and forcing myself to drink disgusting tasting daytime flu medicine. Of course, I attempted to stay really hydrated too and had a glass of one of my go to “feeling sick” beverages handy at all times. We all have them and these are my top three:

Green Tea:

I don’t need to be sick to enjoy a hot or cold glass of green tea but it definitely hits different when you’re not feeling well! I worked through an entire carton of Arizona green tea in two days and tried to drink at least two cups of hot Salada green tea per day too. In my opinion, there is nothing more soothing than tea when you’re under the weather and the steam from the hot tea offered some relief for my clogged up sinuses. Needless to say, I am going to have to restock my supply next time I go grocery shopping.

Orange Juice:

You can’t go wrong with a cup of OJ when you have a cold for an extra dose of Vitamin C. I really don’t drink juice very often but I couldn’t get enough of it this past weekend. Call it wishful thinking or whatever you will but I did feel a bit better after a glass or two in the morning. It was also nice to drink something orange flavored that didn’t taste like battery acid like all daytime flu medicine does. Orange colored anything should never taste that disgusting!

Cream Soda:

When I was little, flat cream soda was my favorite drink during a stay home from school sick day. To this day, it still reminds me of my grandma because she always had a healthy supply at her funeral home and it was such a treat to have some! Johnny had a couple of bottles of IBC cream soda in the fridge and I couldn’t not partake in one of them to not only hit me right in the nostalgia but shake some of the blahs of the worst cold imaginable away. We all need a sweet treat every once in a while. 😀

Spending my weekend sick as a dog isn’t exactly what I had in mind but I did try to make the most of it! I was so thankful to my sweet bestie, Kate, of Live In The Nautical for video chatting with my miserable self and there is nothing that a nonstop My 600 Lb. Life marathon can’t fix, either. I raise my glass of OJ to both Kate and Dr. Now for helping get me through this dark time lol! ❤

What is your go to feeling sick beverage? What makes you feel better when you’re under the weather? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Apr15

COVID Precautions I’ll Be Keeping

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COVID Precautions I’ll Be Keeping

Hello! We are all eager for the COVID-19 pandemic to be over and done with and while there is a huge light at the end of the tunnel, we still have a ways to go. It is exciting to think of what our lives will be like after the pandemic but it is important to not throw caution to the wind and act haphazardly with the health of yourself and those around you. I, for one, plan on keeping these precautions in place post pandemic:

Masking Up:

Thinking back to pre-pandemic times, it’s hard to understand why you wouldn’t wear a face mask if you aren’t feeling well and need to be out in public. I have always been good about staying home if I am feeling under the weather but I will continue to be keeping face masks handy in case I need to go to the doctor or the pharmacy. I also plan on wearing face masks even after the mandate is lifted in crowded areas like grocery stores and shopping centers. You can just never be too safe after living through a global pandemic!

Testing Frequently:

There was a point when it was SO difficult to get an at home COVID test but that is no longer the case. Grocery stores and pharmacies are in constant supply and you can order them for free through the USPS. This is such a blessing, especially considering how often I test myself for my job and those I love who are imunocompromised. You can also always look up covid testing near me if your access to an at home kit is limited. So many resources are now available and we should all take advantage of them.

Social Distancing:

I don’t know about you guys but I actually love the social distancing in public. I value my personal space and it has been nice to not have people all up in my business while running errands. Protecting my personal bubble while I am out and about will continue to be a priority for me because it really has made me feel so much more comfortable while in public.

Contact Free Grocery Shopping:

A few months ago, Johnny and I began doing contact free grocery shopping to help limit our exposure and have both agreed that we could never go back to doing in store shopping again. At our local grocery store, Giant Eagle, the curbside grocery pickup is free and incredibly convenient. Our shopping gets delivered right to the car by an employee and it has completely changed our grocery game. The curbside pickup has been an option at Giant Eagle even before the pandemic began and we will definitely keep on making the most of it.

Mental Health Breaks:

Working in the care field during a pandemic has easily been one of the most difficult things that I have ever had to do and my mental health was really suffering. I have to take care of myself, first and foremost, before I can adequately provide care for others and began being more lenient with myself about taking a day off every once in a while. My mental health breaks allowed me to chill out in the safety of my home and regroup and I would return back to work feeling refreshed and capable.

Post-pandemic, I am going to be much better about listening to my body and what it needs and if that means a day off to get myself together, then that is okay. It is really hard for me to take time away from my clients because I miss them so much even if it is just one day but occasional mental health breaks will allow for me to be the best provider I can for them and it is well worth it.

The COVID-19 pandemic has been insane, for lack of a better word. However, it taught me a lot of best practices that I plan on using long term to better protect myself, loved ones, and strangers. ❤

Which COVID precautions do you plan on keeping? What are you most looking forward to post pandemic? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Apr7

Vaccine Team

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Vaccine Team

Hello!!!! Johnny and I have been incredibly eager to get our COVID vaccine and about three weeks ago it was announced in Ohio that anyone over sixteen could get the shot after March 29th. Finally!! I am so pleased to say that by an insane stroke of luck, I was able to get Johnny and myself into one of the last appointment slots on April 1st to receive our first shot of the Moderna vaccine.

I’m not going to lie, it was very difficult to find an appointment time for the both of us because almost every single day at every single location vaccinating was fully booked. I went through the websites of pretty much everywhere in a forty-five minute range and kept coming up empty handed. So, like I said, it was a huge stroke of luck when the last location I checked still had some times available on April Fool’s Day. And the best part? It wasn’t a joke, either!

Johnny and I made a short drive to a Marc’s in Broadview Heights and it was actually pretty wild because we were driving on the highway in whiteout snow conditions. Thankfully, we arrived to our location safe and sound and were in and out in roughly a half hour. The vaccination process at Marc’s was so efficient and, frankly, I would have waited all day to get it because the feeling of relief I had after my first shot would make any waiting time well worth it. I am already counting down the days until our second shot.

While side effects after the vaccine vary from person to person, Johnny and I both experienced soreness in the arm we got the shot in for about a day and that was it. It was uncomfortable and we both agreed that the pain was similar to what we felt after we got injured in a car accident when we first started dating. But was it unbearable? Absolutely not and my arm felt much better after a nice, hot shower the following morning.

The peace of mind that Johnny and I feel after our vaccine is such a welcome sensation after being hunkered down for the past year and change. Of course, we will still be following all COVID safety precautions but it feels good to know that not only will we feel safer around other people but they can feel safe around us too.

I wanted to share my vaccine experience with all of you and am hoping that it will encourage those on the fence to reconsider. This vaccine really can save lives and it would, honestly, mean so much to me – especially as someone who has worked in the care field with high risk families throughout the pandemic’s duration. Johnny and I will be receiving our second shot at the end of April so make sure you check back for a Part Two update!

How has the pandemic changed your life? What is the vaccination registration process like in your area? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

 

Apr1

Is It Worth It? Let Me Work Out

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Is It Worth It? Let Me Work Out

Hello!! Despite not ever really “working out”, I am a fairly athletic person. In my youth, I figure skated for about ten years and had just gotten back into it a year and a half before the pandemic began. I also enjoy running and going for hikes. Throughout my life, I was never worried about the muscular lower half of my body from years on the ice. However, my upper body strength is a totally different story because I don’t have any lol.

This past month, I have been working at home quite a bit and had extra free time in between jobs. I don’t really know what inspired me to start a little at home work out routine but, I gave it a shot on one of my more low key days and have been completing my exercises every day since. In my apartment, I have been doing arm circles, walking my stairs, and doing twenty-five push ups – which I actually didn’t know I could do! Next, I plan on adding sit ups and increasing the amount to thirty.

Don’t get me wrong, I am very proud of my body and that, in itself, is a huge step for me because I had an eating disorder in the past. But, I’d like to tone up the upper half of my body for the first time in my life and I know that I am not going to achieve the results I want just sitting on the couch. Even though my work outs are small and basic, I feel really good after I do them and it’s a nice feeling to have because I haven’t been able to skate for the past year.

I’m not trying to get a six pack or super jacked arms but a bit more toning and definition and I feel confident that I will get there even with a slow and steady approach. In the past, I never bothered working out because I got all of the exercise that I need on the skating rink but there is no better time than the present to try something new. I feel proud of myself and it was awesome to hear Johnny say that he was too and I am looking forward to lots of hikes together this spring and summer. 🙂

How do you work out from home? How would you go about toning your upper half? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Mar22

3 Things To Remember When You Start Exercising Later In Life

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3 Things To Remember When You Start Exercising Later In Life

Not everyone likes to exercise and that’s okay. But even if you don’t like running or you are now at the point where you think you may have to do a little exercise, it could be hard to get into it if you’re a bit older. But whatever your stage of life, physical fitness can make you feel better and have a positive impact on a number of health conditions. But where do we begin?

The Importance of Starting Small:

One of the biggest temptations is to make up for lost time. So we think that we have to run 10k, but learning to run before you can walk, almost literally, can make you run the risk of a whole host of injuries. We can get injuries, not just because we are overreaching, but it is also due to poor form. Common podiatrist clients are the people who run too much. Starting to exercise is about making sure you get the form right before you do anything else. Whether you are lifting weights or running, you must focus on doing the move correctly. People are so impatient and want to get into the heavier, more difficult things, but the reality is that you need to slow down and start small.

Finding the Right Exercises for Your Lifestyle:

Another common misconception is that if we are to get fit, we need to hit the gym five or six days a week. This is not the case. When we think back to our ancestors, the hunter-gatherers, they only expelled energy when they needed to and we can learn from that. There are people who believe that you don’t need to exercise much in order to be healthy. And this is a very popular approach, especially for those who need to exercise quickly. This is why there are products like the X3 Bar that prove very popular because they provide the stimulus to grow muscle and cardiovascular health while doing it in a short space of time. But if you like the idea of running long distances, it’s entirely your prerogative. Whatever fits around your lifestyle will be enough to keep you fit.

Keeping At It:

This is the biggest thing we all need to overcome. When we find the right routines for our lives and perform them correctly, we have to stick to a schedule in order to achieve results. This is why many people give up at the gym at the end of January having just set up a membership only four weeks before! The best thing for you to do is to go to the calendar and mark the days where you can exercise and for how long. But in addition, you must remember that you will only make significant impacts on your life if you stick to a healthy diet. Exercising is the best way to begin, but if you want to make big changes, you’ll also need to change your eating habits.

It’s never too late to start exercising! Start small, keep it gradual, and make sure that you are doing your exercises correctly to prevent injuries.

Featured Image By: Pixabay

Mar19

4 Benefits Of Greenery In And Around Your Home

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4 Benefits Of Greenery In And Around Your Home

It’s said that nature can be beneficial for our health and well being in a variety of ways. It not only adds beautiful color to your home but can lift your spirits as well as improve your air quality. Here are four benefits of greenery in and around your home:

Nature Makes You Happy:

As humans, there are core connections that we need. One is that we need human connection with others in order to feel content and fulfilled. Whether that’s being a social butterfly or simply connecting with others over the internet or with a small family unit. The other thing is that nature and being around nature can also help make us happier on the inside. There’s something about seeing a flower blooming or that stark green color on a leaf that can improve our mood for the better.

That’s why it’s good to have plants in all of your rooms, especially in places where you need that little bit of extra life, perhaps the bedroom where you’ll wake up feeling tired or sad from a dream you’ve had. Seeing something so colorful and alive can be uplifting.

It Keeps The Air Cleaner:

Whether you’re working with a bud trimming machine in your job or doing some casual gardening outside in your backyard, having greenery around you can impact the quality and cleanliness of the air. Plants and flowers help to purify the air, making it healthier for us humans to be able to breathe in and out. It’s important to incorporate a lot of greenery in your home and around it to help contribute to this science that’s proven to help with your health on the inside.

Helps Improve Mental Health:

Gardening is an amazing activity to take up if you struggle with your mental health. It will feel so good to get outside in the sunshine, breathe fresh air, and help something grow. Gardening is a true testament that if you nurture and care for something, you will achieve beautiful results – much like tending to your own mental health. A new hobby also helps fill excess free time and will provide a deep sense of accomplishment when your first flowers begin to bloom.

You’re More Productive:

Productivity or a lapse in productivity is something that most of us will tend to experience on a daily basis. Sometimes we’ll have good moments of productivity and others, slightly less to none at all. It’s always good to find ways of inspiring and motivating you whether it’s in your personal life or work life. Plants and flowers can help bring that productivity, sending good vibes to your brain to stimulate it. So if you’ve been feeling a lack of it recently, then be sure to invest in a few more plants for your home.

The benefits of greenery in and outside your home are proven to be helpful in creating a happy environment so use these tips for yourself this spring!

Featured Image By: Pexels

Mar12

Health & Safety Checklist For Your Home

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Health & Safety Checklist For Your Home

Your home should always feel like a safe haven but is it really? Poor air quality, pests, clutter, and damaged appliances can all be potentially hazardous to the health and safety of yourself and family. Today, we are going to talk about a few key areas that shouldn’t be ignored when you are doing a walk through of your home. Tending to any of the issues as needed below will help give you peace of mind and make your home an even better place to be:

Appliance Repair:

Ovens, washing machines, dryers, and dishwashers that are in need of repair can be dangerous if you continue on without getting them fixed. Not only could you get hurt but the problem will become even more expensive if you let it get worse. Research the best repair services in your area and give them a call ASAP. Some professionals, like Appliance Repair Vancouver, will even offer a one year after service warranty.

Don’t forget that it’s always a good idea to get your heating and air conditioning systems checked yearly to make sure that they are functioning properly. A malfunctioning air conditioning system has the potential to cause breathing problems if it doesn’t get fixed.

Clear The Clutter:

Cluttered floors, of course, can cause one to fall and hurt themselves. Meanwhile, a really cluttered home can collect dust and dirt which creates a perfect hiding spot for pests and bugs as well as make your air quality suffer. Clean and dust your home often, take the trash out immediately, and pay extra attention to spaces on the counters and floors where crumbs can gather. Remember to sanitize things that are touched often like doorknobs, light switches, and remotes. And, as always, any type of pest problem should be solved quickly to better protect everyone in the home.

Step Up Your Security:

When walking through your home, be sure to take a look at all of your windows and doors that lead inside. Windows that can easily be pried open or a front door with a gap in it should be one of your highest priorities to fix as they provide burglars with an open invitation into your place. It is also wise to have a security system installed, which are better to have and not need than need and not have. You might also want to get any locks replaced if someone else had access to your keys.

Improve Air Quality:

While keeping a clean house and tending to any air conditioning repairs that might be needed will help improve the air quality in your home, there is still more that can be done. Sure, you could purchase an air purifier or you could simply crack a few windows during nice days or care for some indoor potted plants for natural ways to keep the air in your house cleaner.

Tend to the above ideas to keep yourself and loved ones safer and healthier in your home!

Feb22

Tend To The Following To Breathe Better In Your Home

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Tend To The Following To Breathe Better In Your Home

If you’ve ever had to think about what areas in your home could be damaging to your health, your first thought might be the pantry or refrigerator – the places where we keep our sweet treats and unhealthy snacks. However, there are some arguably more unhealthy areas in our homes that are a bigger cause for concern. Neglect in the following four examples all has the potential to cause breathing problems to develop over time so it is important to know what they are and how you can minimize the problem:

The Insulation:

Typically, we won’t spot insulation problems since, thanks to our heaters, they don’t really impact the temperature of our homes too much. However, bad insulation can mean paying over the odds energy bills to make up for the fact that without heat, we’d be freezing cold. But high energy bills are the least of our worries. Using heating systems all of the time can mean overheating the interiors of our homes which can cause a whole host of issues due to dry air and can impact our hair, sinuses, and skin.

Our AC Systems:

We rely so much on our AC systems for heat and air to keep our temperatures regulated throughout the year. But did you know that they can actually be making us sick? Not cool. When they break, you’re going to want to call a 24 hour AC repair place to get you back on track as having a broken, malfunctioning, or dirty AC system can make you sick. You might suffer from breathing issues, bad skin, headaches, and fatigue frequently. If this is the case, you should get your AC system checked out before symptoms get worse. You can look into a professional team like those at Platinum Air Heating & Cooling or a similar business in your local area to assess and repair the situation. Once the experts fix the problem, you will certainly be breathing easier.

Air Pollution in the Home:

The air inside your home isn’t clean.

‘But I dust and clean every day!’ you might be saying, however, in spite of this, there are still tiny particles making the air dirty floating around even if you live far away from polluted cities. Cooking smoke, cleaning products, and indoor stuffiness can impact on the cleanliness of the home. Use certain indoor plants and air purifiers to help to eliminate the issue and to improve the quality of the air in the home.

Clutter:

Having excess clutter can be a nightmare for our mental health as we struggle with the ample extra time at home during the COVID-19 pandemic. Highly cluttered spaces not only gather dust but can also attract pests and bugs who will have plenty of places to hide. Both of these instances can be dangerous to your respiratory health.

There are many things that you could be doing to improve your quality of life in the home and the quality of the air seems like a perfect place to start, doesn’t it?

Featured Image By: Pexels

Feb12

Why Online Pharmacies Are Essential During The Pandemic

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Why Online Pharmacies Are Essential During The Pandemic

Unfortunately, 2020 was the year of the COVID-19 outbreak. The virus, also known as Coronavirus, which is highly contagious and causes a whole host of health problems, is spreading fast all around the world and needs to be contained as soon as possible. From respiratory problems to joint pain, no one wants to catch COVID-19. To avoid catching the virus, many individuals and families are staying at home and minimizing their time outside. Of course, this is great, however there are still occasions when someone may need to venture out and buy some essential items. One of those essential trips may be to the pharmacy. However, that trip can be avoided thanks to the rise of the online pharmacy. Here’s why:

Pharmacies are often filled with poorly people. There are people who need to pick up prescriptions for illnesses and those who need to seek medical advice from the pharmacist. Although these people may not look like they have COVID-19, they could be asymptomatic, meaning they’re carriers of the virus without even knowing it. Someone who is asymptomatic may head to a pharmacy to pick up some plasters for a cut and pick up five or six boxes of plasters looking for the ones they would prefer. Without realizing, they have potentially contaminated those plaster boxes with respiratory droplets which could then infect someone else. Heading to a site like www.pharmacyonline.com.au and ordering essentials online can completely eradicate the possibility of catching COVID-19 whilst waiting in line to collect a prescription or make a purchase.

Another reason you can use an online pharmacy is if you are actually feeling under the weather yourself. This also applies to any illness, not just the virus going around. If you’re feeling poorly or perhaps your household has come down with the flu or a bug, do not go to a pharmacy. As previously stated, the pharmacy is often filled with sick people and going into a pharmacy knowing you’re ill could make their conditions worse or introduce them to viruses their body hasn’t come into contact with before. Plus, if you’re feeling poorly, you’re probably feeling too weak to stand in line either, making the online service a more practical solution.

If you have small children, especially infants, an online pharmacy like University Compounding Pharmacy in New Hampshire can be a lifesaver at times. Imagine, it’s late in the evening and you suddenly realize you have run out of formula. That’s not ideal! With an online pharmacy you can order your formula from the comfort of your own home without having to worry about waking a baby and taking them to the store. Not to mention, pharmacies are not open 24 hours a day, so you’d often have to wait until the pharmacy opens anyway. Ordering online and opting for next day delivery is a great way to keep on top of baby supplies without having to leave the house. Plus, babies are vulnerable when it comes to viruses and bugs so ordering online is a great way to keep them out of harm’s way.

Finally, even if you do venture out of the house to buy essentials, it’s not guaranteed that the pharmacy or store you visit will have everything you need. Whereas, if you were to browse an online pharmacy, you would be able to buy anything you need from the comfort of your bed or couch. From vitamins and minerals to make up and perfumes, you can purchase a whole range of products. Some of which haven’t been restocked in stores as shipping and distribution has been disrupted due to the virus. You could even discover new products online too as a physical pharmacy can only sell so many product ranges.

It’s important to stay safe during this pandemic and shopping for essentials online rather than heading to a store is certainly one way to look after yourself and others.