YOUR HEALTH | YOUR WEALTH | QUOTE OF THE WEEK |  SHOP ONLINE | FEATURE PRODUCT
January 2, 2002 Your Health Sniffle No More! A Guide to Cold and Flu Prevention and Relief Your Wealth Creating Positive Change Interview with Brian Tracy, author of "Focal Point" Quote of the Week! "Courage means to keep working a relationship, to continue seeking solutions to difficult problems, and to stay focused during stressful periods." -Denis Waitley Motivational speaker Click here for key books by Denis Your Health Sniffle No More! A Guide to Cold and Flu Prevention and Relief There are nearly 62 million cases of the common cold each year. According a national survey by the American Society for Microbiology, most Americans don't wash their hands after coughing and sneezing. Americans spend a combined total of 192 million days in bed each year due to the flu. According to the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention, the flu leads to more than 100,000 hospitalizations each year and about 20,000 deaths. Sources: The American Lung Association (www.lungusa.org) and Centres for Disease Control (www.cdc.gov) and Rexall/Royal Numico (www.rexall.com/cdnwellness) For most of us, the holiday season means getting together with family and friends, but this time of year also brings unwelcome visitors into your home -- cold and flu viruses. Your odds of catching a cold or the flu are greater now than at any other time of the year. That's because the traditional holiday parties, dinners and get-togethers (as well as winter's colder weather) keep us indoors and in close contact with groups of people. In fact, colds are so common that it's nearly impossible to completely avoid catching one. Most adults average two to four colds a year; young children, with their immature immune systems, suffer from an average of six to eight colds a year. Unfortunately, there's no medication that will cure a cold or the flu -- antibiotics work on bacterial infections, not viruses -- but there are ways to make yourself more comfortable while your illness runs its course (typically, seven to nine days for a cold, and three or four days for the flu). Getting plenty of rest and drinking lots of liquids, for example, is a good way to help yourself heal. Staying well-hydrated helps keep the lining of your nose and throat from becoming too dry, which helps mucus flow out of your body. But stick with water or juice; caffeinated beverages (such as coffee, tea and colas) and alcoholic beverages can lead to dehydration. If your throat is sore, try gargling with salt water, and run a cool-mist humidifier to help relieve your stuffy nose. Take care, however, to keep the humidifier clean to avoid mould build-up, which can be harmful if inhaled. Over-the-counter medications can often bring some relief from nasal congestion, fever, muscle aches and sore throat, but choose those that are appropriate for your specific symptoms, rather than reaching for the multi-symptom medicine. And remember never to give aspirin (or medicines that contain aspirin) to children and teen-agers who have flu-like symptoms because of the possibility of developing Reye's syndrome. Certain herbals may be beneficial when you have a cold or the flu. Echinacea and goldenseal are thought to have anti-viral properties and may stimulate your immune system. These herbals should be taken at the first sign of illness to decrease the severity of symptoms and help your body fight infection. Of course, the best plan is to practice cold-and-flu prevention before anyone spreads germs along with their holiday cheer. The following steps can give you a head start toward a healthy holiday season: Wash your hands often. Cold and flu germs lurk everywhere and you pick them up whenever you touch a doorknob, handrail, telephone, shopping cart, or even when shaking someone's hand. Keep your hands away from your nose, eyes and mouth. Germs can easily enter your body by these pathways. Clean surfaces you touch with a germ-killing disinfectant. (Also, a solution of one part bleach mixed with 10 parts water is effective in killing viruses.) Don't smoke, and avoid being with people who are smoking. Inhaled smoke can further irritate your throat and worsen a cough. If possible, avoid contact with people who have a cold. Get a flu shot, if your doctor recommends it. Although the flu vaccine remains the best way to prevent and control the flu, it's not for everyone. People who are allergic to eggs, for example, can't get a flu shot. (The viral material used in flu vaccines is grown in eggs.) Overall, your body's best defence against the viruses that cause colds and flu is a healthy immune system. Make sure your immune system is functioning in top form by getting the nutrients you need. Vitamins A, C, E and the B-complex vitamins are immune-system boosters; and minerals such as calcium, iron, magnesium and zinc also help strengthen your immune system. As always, it's best to get your nutrients by eating a balanced diet, but that's often easier said than done, especially at this hectic time of year. The best solution, then, is to take a nutritional supplement to ensure you're giving your body what it needs to stay healthy. Getting enough sleep, exercising regularly and reducing your stress can help your immune system fight off the germs that cause illness. Stress seems an all-too-common part of the holiday season, but studies have shown that people who are stressed are more susceptible to illness. Try deep-breathing techniques, get a massage, meditate or set aside some time just to listen to music. Research has also shown that the more social you are, the less likely you are to get sick. One theory is that having social contacts and support is less stressful than keeping to yourself. Whatever the reason, you can enjoy those parties and get-togethers without worrying about catching a cold or the flu. Just remember the prevention techniques for healthy holidays! *This newsletter is designed for informational or educational purposes only. This information is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of a qualified health professional with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition or symptom. TRY Reliev•Ol which is a homeopathic remedy formulated for the temporary, symptomatic relief of nasal congestion, coughing, laryngitis, hoarseness, rhinitis, post-nasal drip, tearing of eyes and other common symptoms. With the comforting action of a lozenge and the healing properties of natural botanical extracts, Reliev•Ol is a safe, strong medicine that does not cause side effects. Contains no antihistamines and has a pleasant taste. (24 Lozenges) Your Wealth Click on photo to order   Creating Positive Change Interview with Brian Tracy, author of "Focal Point" If your life seems to be passing you by and you feel like you're spinning your wheels, maybe it's time to create some positive change. In this conclusion of our discussion with author Brian Tracy, you'll learn his time-tested tips for finding your own focal point and making a positive difference in your life. You advocate "leveraging" other people's knowledge, skills and resources. What's the difference between your practice of leveraging and blatantly taking advantage of people? When I talk about leveraging I'm referring to your taking full advantage of the resources around you. You can leverage other people's ideas by reading books, listening to tapes, and attending courses and seminars for increasing your effectiveness and gaining better ideas or more effective marketing. Many companies, for example, will look at a method of marketing that works well in a completely different industry than their own. Then, after a little bit of tweaking and translating, it works fabulously in their own industry. You can leverage other people's efforts by effectively delegating. If there is someone who does a task better than you or at a lower salary than yours, delegate the task to that person. For example, don't type your own letters or lick your own stamps or make your own coffee; delegate that to someone for whom that work is a primary job. Use other people's energies so you can free up more of your own time to do things of higher value. You can leverage other people's money by borrowing money and using it productively to achieve business and financial goals, and for where your return is greatly in excess of the cost. Using other people's ideas, other people's energies and other people's money enables you to dramatically multiply your ability. It's the key to huge productivity and great success, and none of it has to do with exploitation or manipulation. It's simply looking at your world and finding the aspects you can use. How can efforts to simplify life bolster career achievements? Most of what we do in the course of a day is of low value; only a few things are of high value. Simplification means you constantly ask yourself the following: Does this need to be done? Does it need to be done by me? Can it be done later? Can it be deferred? If it's not done at all, will it make any difference? Keep simplifying your life and come back to the things that are most important to you. What is your goal? What is your real aim? What do you really want in life? When you have the answers to those questions and know what you really want, discontinue activities that are not in harmony with that. The critical thing is to stop and think before you begin any activity. Many people just do things automatically. The day goes by and they do dozens of little things but they haven't accomplished anything. Stop and ask yourself if the activity really contributes to your true goal. That's why clarification is such an important part of the focal point process. It means you continually come back to clarify and focus on what you really want. And once you're clear about what you want, you'll be clear on what you don't want. Some people thrive on work. Is there anything wrong with being a "workaholic"? That depends on what type of workaholic the person is, because there are two types. One type is the workaholic in the traditional sense -- the person who feels driven by the boss, driven by bills, driven by inner demons, driven by financial needs to work. He or she works longer and harder hours and becomes almost obsessive/compulsive about working. This is not a healthy personality because it ultimately leads to all kinds of psychological and physical maladies -- stress, heart attack, strokes. The other type of workaholic is someone who simply loves his work because he's doing the exact work that is suited to him. He or she makes lots of progress, enjoys the success, and wants to do more of this work. This type of person is really healthy, is very positive and has a very high level of energy. He or she usually is very productive and gets better and better throughout life. This type of person is very different from the workaholic who feels driven. The first type -- the driven personality -- thinks about work all the time, talks about work all the time, and can't leave work alone. When he takes vacations, work goes along with him. On the other hand, the second type of workaholic may work long hours but he or she can turn off the light and go home at the end of the day. It's no problem for this type of person to take a week or a weekend off with the family and not think about work at all. And that's the difference -- the healthy person can walk away from work; the unhealthy person cannot. Do you think it's possible to "have it all"? Of course, because there are examples all around us of people who lead well-balanced, highly productive, successful lives. And interestingly enough, many people who are highly successful in their professional and personal lives actually work fewer hours than people who are struggling and feeling overwhelmed by circumstance. I've studied the most successful and happy people over the years and I've found they all have specific habits and behaviours -- learnable behaviours -- that separate them from the average person. So when you learn these behaviours and practice them, your own performance will increase, and the amount of time you have to spend with your friends and family will increase as well. What's your most important piece of advice? The most important piece of advice for success is simply this: Know exactly what you want, and write it down. Secondly, decide what you really love to do in conjunction with your goals, and then throw your whole heart into doing it well. If you do these things your whole life will be great and everything else will open up for you like a summer sunrise. "Focal Point" by Brian Tracy is available at http://www.amazon.com. _________________________________________________________ FEATURE PRODUCT Ayurveda Ayurveda , the ancient system of Indian Medicine, dates back to millenniums. An interactive CD on Ayurveda produced by Invis Multimedia in association with the Department of Tourism, Government of Kerala, describes this "science of life" in detail.  Ayurveda , the ancient system of Indian Medicine, dates back to millenniums. An interactive CD on Ayurveda produced by Invis Multimedia in association with the department of Tourism, Government of Kerala, describes this "science of life" in detail. It is a unique system of medicine handed down through the centuries by ancient physicians, holding out the promise of a healthy, long life. Ayurveda is practiced with absolute dedication in Kerala, India where the tranquil shores help achieve harmony of body, mind and soul. Holistic approach Ayurveda is a 'vibrant living system' which continues to flourish despite the advent of newer systems of medicine. Today you can reap its benefits, acclaimed all over the world, because it is not only about medicines and treatments but a complete guide to a healthy and happy way of life. Ayurveda is the alternative solution for today's ailments which have no cure in modern medical science Herbal gateway to good health Ayurveda is a completely herbal-based medical treatment using only the purest of elements. As such, there are no side effects whatsoever. Kerala's natural wealth of herbs and the cool monsoon season is best suited for its curative and restorative packages. For the truly health conscious, natural herbal therapy is the best way to pamper the body and mind. Rejuvenation and revitalization In today's fast paced world, Ayurveda is your means to vibrant good health. It eliminates all toxins from the body to enhance immunity and vitality. At the physical level, it rejuvenates the senses and vital organs and heals every part of the body. On the mental plane, it instils new energy, releases stress and provides total relaxation. Natural beauty therapy In a world of artificial cosmetics and beauty treatments, Ayurveda stands out as the purest and most natural method of beauty treatment. Herbal potions and oils are used to beautify the skin, hair and the body as a whole and also to reduce weight. Ayurveda is a time-tested method for true beauty within and without. An Interactive Cd Rom which describes all the above and more is available for a price of US $ 27. Click here to buy!!		HELP SHAPE FUTURE ISSUES BY LETTING US KNOW WHAT YOU THINK. You are receiving this e-mail because you are listed in Canadianwellness or  requested to receive  this Newsletter.  To be removed from this list, click on the URL at the bottom of this page.

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