I am sure that everyone already knows that vinegar is considered a flavor enhancer and some know it can be a cleaning product for things like windows. But, did you know that vinegar may be an excellent health and beauty aid?  Don’t believe me, search the web yourself and you will find several articles on the many possible opportunities for it’s use.

If you want, you can print this out so you will have it to refer to from time to time. The list below are just few of the many uses for vinegar I found on the web that may be useful in your daily life:

• Soothe a bee or jellyfish sting by applying full strength to the stung area, (make sure the stinger is gone of course)
• It can relieve a sun burn by rubbing vinegar on your skin
• Try it if dandruff is a problem. Experts say, a solution with 1/2 cup vinegar and 2 cups warm water should be applied after shampooing, followed by a final rinse. They even say it will also help with frizzy hair, or oily hair. The say to rinse with a 50-50 mixture of vinegar and water for a natural solution to get rid of the excess oils in your hair. Not sure about this one but one suggestions tells us to to drink a mixture of 2 teaspoons of apple cider vinegar, 1 teaspoon of honey and 1 teaspoon of molasses for healthier hair.
• You can add a ¼ cup of vinegar to your vaporizer to help with sinus problems, chest cold or headache
• Some say you can gargle half vinegar and half warm water mixture to relieve a sore throat and you can repeat this method every hour as needed.
• It has been used as a diet aid to suppress your appetite. Just mix 1 teaspoon of apple cider vinegar, some honey for flavor and 8 oz. of water. This would never work for me.
• It has been used as a deodorant, by using a moistened cloth in vinegar will help you smell fresh for hours. Stinky feet, soak your feet every night for 10 minutes or more in a solution of 1 ounce of vinegar in a gallon of water. Of course everyone will be craving a salad when you are with them.
• Apply vinegar to a cold sore to help it heal quickly and relived the pain and discomfort associated with them.
• It may be a digestive aid for an upset stomach and helps to relieve gas, drink a glass of warm water with 1 tablespoon of honey and one tablespoon of apple cider vinegar.
• Treat the varicose veins in your legs by wrapping your legs with a cloth dampened with apple cider vinegar.
• Some people think drinking a small amount of apple cider daily can help avoid bladder infections. Others say it can fade age or liver spots by wiping every day with a mixture of 2 teaspoons vinegar and 1 teaspoon onion juice. When you get the hiccups they suggest you try slowly drinking a glass of warm water with 1 teaspoon of vinegar mixed in it. For really stubborn hiccups they suggest you try sucking on a lump of sugar soaked in vinegar.

This list goes on an on. Sounds too good to be true for me. What do you think?

If can clean oils in your hair and your window why not your face. They say it can prevent or eliminate facial blemishes. What is the risk given that some acne treatments are full of chemicals that also burn and dry out your skin. Some even may have significant side effects like Accutane does. Here is what they suggest, you steam clean your face by draping a towel over your head and placing your face over a pan of ¼ cup vinegar and 1 quart of water. Be sure to always use caution with anything hot. Once your pores are open, wipe apple cider vinegar over your face with a cotton ball to clean and loosen dirt and oil. Then wash your face with a half and half mix of cold water and cool vinegar to close your pores.

One report said it is good for nail polish cleaning before you apply the polish. Why stop with just your nails when you can use it in your bath. Add 2 or 3 cups of apple cider vinegar to your bath water. It may even reduce or eliminate possible yeast infections. The logic is that apple cider vinegar will help balance your body’s pH levels.

The message here is that there are just so many possible uses for vinegar so go ahead, try some that you are comfortable with if you are looking for natural solutions to common issues.  Keep in mind that everyone’s body is different and results may vary. It is already likely to be in your house and you use it almost every day in your salad so consider this…. vinegar is really inexpensive and just may work before you buy a more expensive answer.

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Here are some Bone Health  Facts:

• The average amount of time it takes a broken bone to heal is 12 weeks
• 44 million Americans are affected by osteoporosis and osteopenia
• Your bones consist of 50% water and 50% solid matter
• Only 35% of American adults who consume the recommended daily allowance of calcium.  Are you one of them?

Per the experts, learn a few Bone Health Requirements to avoid this set back in life.

Calcium is Key

Calcium is a building block mineral that helps your body build strong bones and teeth. Although you need calcium throughout your life, the amount you need changes as you grow older. Children need calcium during their “growing years” to grow bigger and stronger bones. The requirements diminish in the middle years to keep bones strong, but increased calcium is needed later in life to prevent bone loss.

Where does all this calcium go? Ninety-nine percent of your calcium is stored in your teeth and bones. The other one percent can be found circulating in your blood and other soft tissues.  Experts suggest that if you do not consume enough calcium through your diet, your body will draw the calcium it needs from your bones and teeth. If your body continuously takes calcium from your bones you will develop osteoporosis. Millions of Americans suffer from osteoporosis which is a disease where bones become thin and fragile. Therefore, more likely to break or fracture.

You can help yourself avoid this risk by getting the required amount of calcium-rich foods every day. Dairy products are a good sources of calcium. A quick look at some labels at the food store will reveal that certain fruit juices, cereals and breads have calcium added.

Vitamin D is also Important

The evidence is mounting that there is an epidemic of vitamin D deficiency.  The sun is a primary source of vitamin D for most people.  It does not take much, maybe fifteen to twenty minutes of sun exposure on the face and arms is adequate for most of us to produce the required amounts of vitamin D.  For your information, the use of sunscreen with a sun protection factor (SPF) of eight or higher will decrease the skin production of vitamin D by 95%.

How can you know if you are vitamin D deficient? The best way is by measuring your 25-hydroxyvitamin-D level. This was a test my primary doctor gave me. If you have had a fracture, it is recommended that you should be tested and if it is found low or deficient, you should discuss treatment prior to initiation of a medication for osteoporosis.

Why is vitamin D so critical for bone health? It helps the intestines absorb calcium.

Sun exposure through your skin transforms ultraviolet rays to a form of vitamin D. However, exposure to the sun brings potential risks such as wrinkles, sun burn, and skin cancer. Some research suggests that small amount of sun exposure is enough to meet daily vitamin D requirements. However, the sun’s rays vary dramatically depending on the time of day, the season and the latitude.

Fortunately, vitamin D can easily be acquired through safe and affordable supplements. You should discuss the appropriate dose with your pediatrician or primary care doctor. Some general rules include looking for foods that are naturally high in calcium and vitamin D. If you are in the sun, follow the guidelines from the National Council on Skin Cancer Prevention for sun exposure.  Of course, talk to your doctor about whether you should be tested for vitamin D deficiency.

Milk and dairy products are best sources of dietary calcium. However, some people have trouble digesting dairy products because their body lacks lactase, the enzyme that digests milk. People who are lactose intolerant experience symptoms like gas, bloating or stomach cramps when they eat dairy foods. There are a number of ways to meet calcium requirements if you are lactose intolerant:

• incorporate non-dairy, calcium-rich foods or lactose-reduced dairy products into the diet
• take calcium supplements
• use lactase pills or drops which make milk products digestible

A Word on Supplements

It is always best to get your nutrition from whole foods you eat. However, that is not always possible. What’s the best supplement to take? The simple answer is…pick a supplement that you will take regularly.

Vitamin A is another fat-soluble vitamin that is important to building strong, healthy bones. Both osteoblasts (bone building cells) and osteoclasts (bone breaking down cells) are influenced by vitamin A.  Despite it good effects, most clinical research links higher vitamin A levels with lower bone density and fractures.

One source of vitamin A is retinol, found in meat and fish. Another source of vitamin A is beta-carotene, found in dark green and orange fruits and vegetables. Beta-carotene is generally considered safe. Good sources of vitamin A are cantaloupe, carrots, cheese pizza, eggs, fatty fish, fat-free milk, kales, liver, mangoes, sweet potatoes, and spinach.

Vitamin B12 appears to have an effect on bone building cells.

A 2005, Tufts University study showed that low levels of vitamin B12 are linked to a higher risk of osteoporosis. Vitamin B12 which is found in meat and fish, making vegans, who don’t eat meat or dairy, at risk for bone loss. In addition, people in their 80′s & 90′s may develop changes in the linings of the stomach that prevents them from absorbing iron and B12. In these cases talk to your doctor about methods of bypassing the digestive tract, so patients get the benefits of the vitamin. Good sources of vitamin B12 are dairy products, eggs, fish, meat, milk, poultry, and shellfish.

Vitamin C is important for healthy gums and healthy bones. Vitamin C is essential to the building the foundation that bone mineralization is built on. Studies have associated increase vitamin C levels with greater bone density. Good sources of vitamin C are broccoli, bell pepper, cauliflower, kale, lemons, oranges, papaya, and strawberries.

Vitamin K is important to normal bone growth and development. This vitamin helps attract calcium to the bone.  Low blood levels of vitamin K are associated with lower bone density and possibly increased fracture risk. Good sources of vitamin K is broccoli, brussel sprouts, cabbage, canola oil, kale, olive oil, parsley, spinach and swiss chard.

Common sense tells me that good diet and moderate exercise will help you avoid the risk of bone fracture.

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The Internal Revenue Service (the “IRS”) announced today, October 13th, 2010, that they have deferred the “new” requirement  for employers to report and disclose the cost of coverage under their employer-sponsored group health plans on their employee’s Form W-2, by making that reporting requirement optional in 2011.

However, the draft Form W-2 does include the codes that employers may use to report the cost of coverage under any employer-sponsored group health plan they offer.  This sounds like a major backing off in their push to tax benefits as income to me. It also should bring some relief to already overburden payroll and benefit departments.

It has been reported that the change, in the implementation, is necessary to provide employers time to update their systems to comply with the new requirements. After twenty-five years in payroll and benefits, we have experienced countless other times where systems set up time was never considered a real obstacle that mattered before. Why now? The recent requirement to administer the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (“ARRA”) under COBRA comes to mind. For whatever reason, the Treasury Department and the IRS have determined that this relief will provide employers the time needed to make changes to their payroll systems or procedures in preparation for compliance with the new reporting requirement. For once thank you. The IRS reported that they will be publishing guidance on the new requirement later this year.

Although reporting the cost of coverage will be optional with respect to 2011, the IRS went on to say that the amounts reportable are not taxable. Yet! This new requirement was included in the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act passed by Congress in March, and was intended to be informational purposes only.  Sure!

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Is that old Vicodin® prescription in your medicine cabinet safe or hazardous waste?

Everyone should consider it unsafe, some people think it is hazardous to the environment. Environmentalist  believe tossing expired prescriptions in the trash may expose others, even pets a threat and leak medications into our soil. It is also believed that flushing outdated excess medications has led traces of medications showing up in ground water supplies.

Although scientist from the Environmental Protection Agency (“EPA”) have not found any adverse health effects from pharmaceutical traces in the environment, the Food and Drug Administration (“FDA”) suggests it is not a good practice to add drug run-off to soil and water.  Sounds like common sense and logical to me. What about you?

My first questions to ask yourself would be why do you have these excess prescriptions in the first place.  Is your provider over prescribing them to you? Are you not following the doctors orders as directed? Sounds like a good place to have a discussion with your pharmacist or doctor.

Why do we consider over-the-counter “OTC” medications safer than prescribed medications.  For example, Clariton® when prescribed was in that child-proof contain, now that it is sold over the counter, it comes in foil/paper packaging. Again, it seems logical to me that we treat all medications, prescription or OTC the same. It is time that we take personal responsibility for them.

So, how do you safely dispose of expired pharmaceuticals? Here are some options?

• Start by checking the disposal instructions on each medication. Some drugs specify on the label if the unused portion is safe to flush
• Check with the pharmacy that filled the prescription. Some have drug recycling programs that collect expired medicine
• Check you local municipality’s recycling program.  Many have hazardous waste collections that may include disposal of expired medications
• Put leftover medications in a resealable bag and mix it with an undesirable substance, such as kitty litter. Zip the bag closed and put it in the trash.

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