Common Sense Tips to Tame the Tick


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ertified Natural Health Professional Paula Quinlan refers to Lyme disease (LD) as “the Great Imposter.” “It masquerades with myriad symptoms,” she explains,


“often being misdiagnosed as chronic fatigue syndrome, fibromyalgia, multiple sclerosis, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), Parkinson’s disease and various envi- ronmental illnesses.” Less than 30 percent of adults and 10 percent of children will exhibit the bull’s-eye rash typically associated with LD, she notes.


“An ounce of prevention goes a long way in preventing both tick bites and LD, ” Quinlan states. She offers the following tips to help prevent contracting LD:


• Support the body’s digestive and immune systems by eating healthy, whole foods. • During outdoor activities, avoid tick-infested areas; for example, stay in the center of walking trails.


• If ticks might be present, choose light-colored clothing, so ticks are easily vis- ible. Wear a hat, closed shoes or boots, long pants and tucked-in, long-sleeve shirts. Tuck pant legs into socks or boots.


• Apply organic insect repellent on exposed skin and spray clothing with an insect repellent containing permethrin. • Check for ticks frequently during outdoor activities, and thoroughly inspect children and pets at the end of the day, followed by a bath or shower. • Once home, dry clothing in a hot dryer, followed by a wash-and-dry cycle.


If you find a tick attached to your body, gently remove it with disinfected tweezers (use alcohol) near the head, grasping close to the skin and being careful not to squeeze or twist the body of the tick. Disinfect the bite area with alcohol or soap and water. Note the date of the bite and the county location. If the county is a known infected area, see your physician immediately. Monitor anyone that receives a tick bite for LD symptoms, which may appear after three to four weeks or up to 12 months later, and get medical assistance. Education and preventive action are key to preventing Lyme disease.


For more information or to receive a Tick ID Card, which includes a Lyme disease symp- tom list and tick removal instructions, call 612-719-0228 or visit PaulaQuinlan.com.


Calcium Supplements Increase Heart Risk


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alcium supplements, usually taken to im- prove bone health, may increase the risk


of heart attack by as much as 30 percent, according to the findings of the Women’s Health Initiative, a 15-year research proj- ect established by the National Institutes of Health to address cardiovascular disease, cancer and osteoporosis. “If you take calcium supplements, you’ll build up excess calcium in your sys- tem that, coupled with mineral deficiencies and imbalances, can cause plaque in arteries, kidney stones, gallstones and more,” says Dr. Robert Thompson, co-author with Kathleen Barnes of The Calcium Lie: What Your Doctor Doesn’t Know Could Kill You. Instead, he recommends taking a trace mineral supplement, preferably in ionic form, whose electrical charge helps bond minerals with water, making the nutrients more easily absorbed. Such a supplement provides all needed minerals, including calcium, in the correct balance.


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FLEXIBLE WORK PLACES BOOST WELL-BEING


etter sleep and feelings of health are among the benefits of a flexible


workplace, according to a new study by University of Minnesota sociology profes- sors that followed 608 office employees in a collaborating company. The initiation of a performance-focused work environment that redirected the focus of employees and managers towards measurable results and away from when and where work was com- pleted, yielded positive markers. Employees that were allowed to routinely change when and where they worked, based upon their individual needs and job responsibilities, experienced improved sleep quality, higher energy levels, better self-reported health and a sense of personal mastery.


Source: Journal of Health and Social Behavior


Cheese is Better than Butter


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espite traditional cau- tions against eat- ing animal fats to keep cholesterol in check, Danish researchers have found that eating hard cheese is better for the arteries than consuming the equivalent number of calo- ries in butter.


According to their study, published in


The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, when hard cheese accounted for 13 per- cent of participants’ daily calories, their LDL (bad cholesterol) did not increase. When the same individuals switched to consum- ing more butter, their LDL levels rose. The researchers were unsure what caused the results, but noted that cheese contains a lot of calcium, which can increase the amount of fat excreted by the digestive tract.


natural awakenings May 2012 9


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