The Connection Between Obesity and Portable or Central Air Conditioners

Air conditioning is what most people turn to when the weather is hot and steamy to keep them cool and comfortable. But even though it is usually a comfort, could it be a cause of obesity? Some studies say yes.

While some studies agree that portable or central air conditioning can be a cause of obesity, they differ on the exact reason that a person exposed to air conditioning gains weight. One theory is that air conditioning keeps people in the thermoneutral zone. This is a temperature range in which the body does not have to regulate its temperature. If the temperature of the body is above or below this zone, the amount of energy the body expends is increased and energy stores like fat are decreased. Since the widespread use of heaters and portable or central air conditioners, homes and offices remain at relatively the same temperature for the whole year. The body does not have to spend as much energy because there is no warming up or cooling down. This leads to increased fat stores. A slightly different theory is that air conditioning makes you hungry because the body burns calories to warm you up. You'll feel more compelled to eat to make up those burned calories.

When these air conditioning/obesity studies came out there were a lot of dissenting opinions. Some experts did not believe there was enough evidence to tie air conditioning to obesity causally. They pointed out the fact that there are thin people in different climates. They also turned to the usual suspects when it comes to the causes of obesity: an unhealthy diet and lack of exercise.

Surprisingly there are some sneakier factors that might be causing obesity. One is sleep deprivation. Tired people most likely to do have the energy to exercise. This lack of energy also leads them to temptation when it comes to eating or overeating in an attempt to gain energy. Quitting smoking was another sneaky factor. Some people replace the habit of lighting up with snacking. Some ethnic groups have a higher prevalence for obesity as well. There is also a theory that since people marrying might be more likely to pick a partner that is similarly sized; two obese people will give birth to obese offspring. Another theory gaining speed is that the older a woman is when she gives birth, the higher the risk is of her child being obese.

Are Air Conditioners Detrimental to Aspiring Singers?

You are at a concert. It's one of your favorite bands or singers and they are really rocking the house. The whole crowd is swaying to the music. But you just cannot get into it. It is too hot in there to concentrate.

You try to figure out the reason why. Maybe all the body heat in the room is overpowering the air conditioning. Maybe you are just really excited and your body is reacting by overheating. Maybe the air conditioning is broken. Would you ever believe that the swampy misery you are suffering through is at the request of the band or singer you love so much?

It's shocking but true. There is an alarming trend among singers. They are afraid of air conditioning. Madonna requests minimal to no air conditioning in the venues she performs at. If the air conditioning is too cool for her taste, she will call out for management to turn it off. It has been known to get up to 87 degrees inside the venue by the end of the concert.

Other singers have followed suit. Aretha Franklin is also scared of cooling. She gets quite upset and leaves if air conditioning is on. She thinks coolant will destroy her voice. Celine Dion had a highly controlled temperature/humidity performance bubble built for her at Caesar's Palace. At the front of the stage there is enhanced ventilation and humidity, which are great conditions for singers. Alanis Morisette will not even walk into a room that has air conditioning. She believes that they are the cause of illness.

Mariah Carey has a twist onto her fears of air conditions affecting her voice. To protect her precious vocals, she sleeps in a steam room. She has twenty humidifiers surrounding her bed. Her bed is covered with terry cloth and the ceiling is angled so that water won't fall on her. Her television is behind glass to prevent water damage.

Are these singers just being fussy, or is there validity to their fears? Air conditioning can cause vocal problems. It can aggravate dust allergies and alter the humidity level of a room. Cold dry air can dry out your throat, causing you to be hoarse. Also, you can become more sensitive to temperature difference when entering or departing the cold air, making chills and colds easier to be caught and also potentially upsetting your system including your skin.

Some ways to preserve your voice in the face of air conditioning are:

-Drink extra filtered or spring water during the hours of exposure.

-Moisten vocal cords with steam or an atomizer.

-Don't use cough drops, tea with lemon and honey is better.

-Keep your throat warm with a high-necked sweater, shirt, coat or scarf.

-Keep your immune system strong with vitamin supplements.

So the next time your concert is sweltering, you shouldn't complain. It may be the thing that keeps your favorite act sounding great. Maybe you should avoid air conditioning is you are striving to be a singer too. If you do, you could be the next one selling out arenas. Or at least the next contestant on American Idol.

Too Much Air Conditioning at Work?

Are you always bundling up at work or shivering while the co-worker next to you seems perfectly comfortable in the air-conditioned air? This is because people experience temperature differently. Even when your office is in the "comfort range", only 80 percent of people are comfortable. You are experiencing thermal discomfort, which is a condition that can be felt even if there is only a small chance of developing a medical condition like hypothermia, heat stroke, heat exhaustion or heat stress.

To solve the problem of thermal discomfort you should identify the external sources of coldness.

Air temperature: How hot or cold the surrounding air is.

Humidity: How much moisture is in the air.

Air movement: This includes air speed (or wind speed), and air circulation.

Radiant heat: This is the heat that radiates from the sun, or emitted by plants, buildings, fixtures or processes.

You can also look for internal factors that may be causing your thermal discomfort. The hypothalamus at the base of your brain is the thermostat center in your body. The thyroid gland in your body is the way that the metabolism is regulated. Everyone has a unique ideal temperature and here are the reasons why:

Weight: The more body fat you have, the more insulation and you probably won't feel as cold.

Fitness: If you have a higher amount of dense muscle, your body will regulate temperature more efficiently. Also, exercise helps to enhance the overall regulation of your body's system.

Diet: Your body needs nutrients to work efficiently. If it does not get them, you could feel tired and cold.

Gender: Women tend to suffer from hypothyroidism more. This is a condition where the thyroid does not work enough and causes you to feel cold. Women are also affected by menstrual cycles and menopause which can affect body temperature. Less muscle mass is apparent in women which lowers average body temperature and causes temperature irregularity in some women.

Age: As people get older they do not produce as many hormones. This makes you feel colder. Hormonal surges during menopause can also cause hot flashes.

Stress: Being too tense or uptight can reduce circulation and make you feel colder.

The main thing is to listen to your body. You may just be the sort of person who has to wear more layers to feel comfortable. If you find yourself suddenly needing four more layers it may be time to see a doctor.

To manage your personal thermal discomfort at work so that you can focus on the jobs or tasked assigned to you, try these solutions:

-Blankets: can provide extra warmth

-Do physical activities, like walk around the office while completing a task

-Hats: 50% of your body heat is lost through your head

-Be Flexible: During the colder months change your schedule so that you are there during warmer hours, or try to work from home if possible. You can also rotate tasks in cooler and warmer workspaces.

The NewAir AW-280E Thermoelectric Wine Cooler Review: The Health Benefits of Wine

The French paradox: sounds like a term referring to the grammar in French language but that is not what it is. It actually is the observation that even though the French consume a diet rich in saturated fats, they have a low incidence of heart disease. It is proposed that red wine decreases the incidence of cardiac diseases. According to studies, people who drink wine moderately have a lower risk of heart disease. Red wine has more benefits than white wine. This may be because red wine contains more polypenols that white wine. Polyphenols are found in grape skins. When red wine is made, the skins are left soaking, which turns the wine red. This does not occur when making white wine.

Resveratrol, a chemical found in red wine, is also thought to have cardioprotective and chemoprotective effects. Researchers found that a low dose of resveratrol has effects that are similar to caloric restriction. Caloric restriction is a diet with 20-30 percent fewer calories than a typical diet.

A study that took place in 2007 found that red and white wine is able to guard against strains of Streptococcus. Streptococcus is the bacterium that causes strep throat. In some parts of the world, wine is used to treat wounds.

You may not get these benefits from the wine you drink if you aren't storing it correctly. You may think that the proper storage of wine entails spending thousands of dollars on a wine cellar. This isn't true if you do not need to store your wine for longer than a year. The NewAir AW-280E Thermoelectric Wine Cooler is an inexpensive way to store your wine. It has a twenty eight bottle capacity so you are ready for any occasion, whether it is an intimate dinner for two or a wine tasting party.

The ideal temperature range to store wine in is around 45-65 degrees Fahrenheit. To help you keep your wine in these optimal conditions, the NewAir AW-280E has digital temperature controls. You can set the wine cooler to a certain temperature and rest assured that the temperature will not fluctuate. This is important because rises in temperature force the wine through the cork and drops cause air to be sucked back in. The greater the changes in temperature, the greater the premature aging of the wine from overbreathing.

For your convenience, there is a touch screen and a LED light on the display. This means you can keep the wine cooler in a darker place and still be able to see what setting the temperature is at. Also, there is an LED light inside so that you can carefully select the perfect wine for your occasion. The sleek black cabinet and chrome racks add a touch of sophistication that will add to the ambiance of any home.

Vibration can also cause the premature aging of your wine. Thankfully, the NewAir AW-280E uses thermoelectric technology which means it runs silently and vibration free.

You're free to enjoy all of the health benefits of your wine when it is stored correctly with the NewAir AW-280E Thermoelectric Wine Cooler.

The NewAir ADS-600 Electric Mini-Dehumidifier Product Review: Preventing Mold and Mildew

Dehumidifiers are household appliances that reduce the level of humidity in the air. This can be helpful for those concerned about mold and mildew growing inside their homes. Mold can be allergenic which can mean irritation of the eyes, nose, throat and lungs. Besides the prevention of the growth of mold which has unpleasant health risks for human beings, humidity can cause unsightly condensation and can make it hard to dry laundry.

The NewAir ADS-600 Electric Mini Dehumidifier is an excellent dehumidifier that can help you prevent the growth of mold and mildew. Increased water vapor in the air can warp furniture and increase wood rot. This dehumidifier uses three thermo-electric peltiers to cool the air and condensate the water instead of using a compressor. This makes the dehumidifier highly efficient and silent.

How the thermo-electric peltier works is the ambient water in the air condenses onto the heat sink that is attached on the cold side of the peltier chip. The water then drips off into the reservoir to be emptied at a later time. The NewAir ADS-600 Electric Mini Dehumidifier removes up to 32 oz. of water a day in ideal conditions.

The NewAir ADS-600 also has a built in ionizer to reduce particulates. The ionizer electrically charges the molecules of the air. It generates negative ions which particulate matter sticks to. It also has an activated carbon filter which absorbs noxious odors and gases. This helps if you are sensitive to odors and smoke. This dehumidifier is ideal for small areas like closets and small rooms.

The water tank on the NewAir ADS-600 is translucent and detachable. It can hold up to 4.8 pints of water. The automatic shut off switch prevents the tank from overflowing. When the tank is full, you are alerted by a red indicator light.

Other ways to prevent mold are:

-Use an air conditioner with a HEPA filter. The filter can trap mold spores from the outside air before they circulate inside your home.

-Change the furnace and air conditioning filters regularly.

-Properly ventilate all of your bathrooms and run the ventilation fan for half an hour following a shower or bath to remove humidity.

-Remove leaves and vegetation from around the foundation of your house to promote ground water drainage that flows away from your home. Also, clean the rain gutters frequently.

-Keep straw, wicker, and hemp organic plant containers clean and dry.

HEPA Filters: Bring in the Cool, Filter Out the Funk!

High Efficiency Particulate Air (HEPA) filters can remove at least 99.97% of airborne particles 0.3 micrometers in diameter. These particles are considered the hardest to filter and the Most Penetrating Particle Size (MPPS). Particles larger or smaller than 0.3 micrometers in diameter are actually filtered with higher efficiency.

The original HEPA filters were originally designed in the 1940s. They were used in the Manhattan Project to prevent the spread of airborne radioactive contaminants. They were commercialized in the 1950s. The term HEPA became a registered trademark and generic term for highly efficient filters.

HEPA filters are made of a mat of randomly arranged fibers. The key measurements that affect their function are:

-fiber density
-fiber diameter
-filter thickness

HEPA filters are designed to target small particles by trapping them (the particles stick to the fibers).

There are three different ways HEPA filters trap particles:

1. Interception: particles following a line of flow in the air stream come within one radius of a fiber and stick to it.
2. Impaction: larger particles are not able to avoid fibers by following the curving contours of the air stream and are forced to embed in one of them directly. This method gets better with less fiber separation and increased air flow velocity.
3. Diffusion: this is how HEPAs filtrate particles below 0.1 micrometers in diameter. The particles are impeded and delayed in their path through the filter which increases the chance that the particle will be trapped by interception or impaction.

Vacuum cleaners and air purifiers are probably the most popular appliances that use HEPA filters. You might want to cool down your air as well as get rid of contaminants, though. Enter the NewAir AF-330 Evaporative Cooler. This is the only evaporative cooler with a HEPA filter.

Evaporative coolers draw exterior air into special pads dampened with water. The air is cooled by evaporation and then circulated. This is kind of how our bodies cool down after exercising. We sweat and then the perspiration dries through evaporation and causes our body temperature to drop.

The NewAir AF-330 is a lot less noisy than other evaporative coolers because it uses a motor to rotate its synthetic pad instead of a pump to bring water to the pad. The pad never needs to be replaced either. There is a remote control for your convenience and easy control buttons on the unit itself.

Be sure to note that evaporative coolers should only be used in hot and dry environments. If there is humidity in the air, the evaporative cooler will simply add more humidity. The AF-330 works best when it is very hot and the humidity is below 50%.

HEPA filters can be a huge help to those suffering from allergies or asthma. They really help you protect yourself and your family from allergens, irritants and pollutants. If you need a cooling affect as well, try a NewAir AF-330 Evaporative Cooler. As mentioned before, it is the only evaporative cooler with a HEPA filter.

Portable Air Conditioners: The Moldy Truth

Mold is not a welcome guest in your home. It appears on spoiled fruit or on forgotten items in your refrigerator and you cannot wait to get rid of it. You are right to want to get rid of mold. When exposed to mold, people can start displaying a multitude of symptoms such as sneezing, runny nose, sinus congestion, itchy eyes and skin, tightness in the chest, shortness of breath, and fatigue. If a person is continuous exposed to mold these symptoms can worsen and even lead to more sever sinus ailments, headaches, intestinal conditions and liver damage.

Mold tends to grow in places with lots of moisture, on paper products and on various other materials like dust and insulation. It can enter your home through open doorways, windows, vents, heating, and air conditioning systems. Mold in the air outside can even attach to clothing, shoes, bags and your pets and be carried indoors. It can also enter your home because of improper construction like poorly sealed windows or poor drainage in the landscaping or below-ground rooms.

To control mold growth in your home you should try to keep humidity between forty and sixty percent. You should fix leaky roofs, windows and pipes as soon as possible. Cleaning and drying everything thoroughly after a flood is crucial. There should be ample ventilation in the shower, laundry and cooking areas to keep mold from building up. What if you do not want to just control mold though? What if you want to prevent it? Here are some steps you can take to make sure mold does not make any unwelcome appearances in your home:

Dehumidify: As mentioned before, mold thrives in places with a lot of moisture. If the humidity is high in your home you should dehumidify. Dehumidifying your home not only prevents mold, it also keeps the humidity at an optimal level for your health. Excess mold spores are prevented from being releases into the air. The moistest room in your home is the bathroom so make sure you have a dehumidifier there if not anywhere else. You should empty the water tray daily and clean the unit weekly so that it does not collect and feed mold organisms instead of preventing them.

Bake your House: You are probably wondering what that means. Well, mold cannot survive in temperatures above 100 degrees Fahrenheit. During and after a rainy season, if you happen to be away for a weekend you should close all the door and windows in your home and turn the heat above 100 degrees. This will get rid of all of the mold that is currently residing in your home. Do not forget to remove your plants and pets before baking though!

Repair Water Leaks: This has been mentioned before but it cannot be said enough. Any leaks or flooding should be dealt with as soon as possible. Fix the source of the leak or flood and then thoroughly dry out the area. If a wall made with drywall is infected, you will need to remove the drywall, disinfect the area, dry it and replace it with new drywall. You should also look for poor drainage and water pooling outside of your home because a high concentration of mold spores around a building can find its way inside.

Sunshine: Let the sunshine in! Mold prefers damp and dark environments. Letting sunshine into your home by opening blinds and windows counters the build-up of mold. The UV rays from the sun will kill most mold species as well.

To prevent any symptoms from mold exposure you should maintain your good health. Make sure your immune system is functioning well. Keep up a healthy diet, regular exercise, get adequate rest and sleep and avoid emotional and physical extremes. After all, the most important part of this whole mold dilemma is you!

Stave Off Heat Illnesses With Portable Air Conditioners

The body's nervous system helps maintain a healthy body temperature. Sweating and blood flow to skin helps the body keep cool. When people are exposed to hot weather, places not equipped with air conditioners, or poorly ventilated rooms, hyperthermia (high body temperature) can set in. With hyperthermia can come a variety of heat related illness because the body cannot transfer heat effectively or because external heat gain is excessive. Some of these illnesses are:

-Heat rash: Occurs when the sweat ducts are blocked, swell and cause discomfort and itching.

-Heat cramps: Occurs in muscles after exercise because sweating causes the body to lose water and salt and minerals (electrolytes).

-Heat edema: Swelling in legs and hands that occurs when a person sits or stands for a long time in a hot environment.

-Heat tetany: Hyperventilation and heat stress caused by short periods of stress in a hot environment.

-Heat syncope: Fainting that occurs from low blood pressure when heat causes blood vessels to expand (dilate) and body fluids move into the legs because of gravity.

-Heat exhaustion: Develops when a person is working or exercising in hot weather and does not drink enough liquids to replace those lost fluids.

-Heat stroke: The body fails to regulate its own temperature and the temperature continues to rise, often to 105 degrees or higher.

These heat illnesses are caused or made worse by dehydration, fatigue, exercising during hot weather, working outdoors, overdressing for the environment, and consuming caffeine and alcohol. So when the weather starts scorching try to stay away from these things. Drink lots of water, be in an air conditioned environment when possible, and most of all chill out!

Hot Flashes of Brillance: Manage with Fans and Coolers

HOT FLASH!

If you are a woman, you probably know what they are and when you can expect to get them. Or you are already experiencing them and the heat from your computer screen is almost too much. Do not step away from the computer, though. This article just might enlighten you to some new facts about hot flashes.

A hot flash is a sudden sensation of intense body heat, accompanied by heavy sweating and the reddening of the head, neck, chest or entire body. Your skin temperature will rise but your body temperature might actually drop because of the heat lost through perspiration. You might even feel a chill afterward. If you experience a hot flash at night it is called a "night sweat."

There are three types of people who are commonly affected by hot flashes. They are:

1. An older woman who is about to experience menopause or who has already experienced menopause. It occurs when estrogen levels are declining. In these women it is not a sign of a medical problem. It is a normal response to natural hormone changes in the body. The hot flashes usually subside after the first or second year following menopause because the estrogen levels stabilize at a low level.

2. A younger woman who is menstruating or expecting to menstruate soon. These don't usually last very long, sometimes they are even as short as a minute. If these occur at another time in a younger woman's menstrual cycle, then it might be a symptom of a problem with the pituitary gland.

3. Men who experience a substantial drop in testosterone levels can experience hot flashes. They would experience this drop in hormone levels:

- after the surgical removal of testes.

- when taking medications to decrease testosterone levels for treatment of prostate cancer.

- if they have a tumor on hypothalamus or pituitary gland.

- if they have an infection like tuberculosis or HIV.

- if they are having a reaction to MSG.

- if they are having a reaction to medications like nifedipine, niacin or calcitonin.

Hot flashes in men should be evaluated by a doctor. The doctor will try to determine the cause and how to treat the cause or the flashes themselves.

One main way hot flashes are treated in women is Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT). HRT may relieve symptoms, but can also cause an increase in the risk of breast cancer, stroke and dementia. The US FDA and women's health advocates recommend trying alternatives to hormonal therapies as a first line of treatment.

There are three main ways to manage hot flashes without resorting to HRT.

1. Avoid smoking and eat and drink well. This includes:

-limiting alcohol.

-drinking cold beverages rather than hot ones.

-eating smaller meals because larger meals generate more heat when they are digested.

-eating low fat, high fiber foods.

-not smoking.

2. Stay cool. This includes:

-keeping your environment cool by using a fan, an evaporative cooler or an air conditioner.

-dressing in layers so that you can remove clothing to keep cool.

-sleeping with fewer blankets.

3. Reduce stress. This includes:

-Regularly exercising.

-Use of relaxation techniques such as breathing exercises, yoga and biofeedback.

Use Your Refrigeration Powers for Good!

Sixty-four percent of adults in the United States are overweight. Almost a quarter are obese. In fact, sixteen percent of active duty US military personnel are obese. Obesity is the largest single cause of discharge for soldiers. Obesity causes increased fat mass which is the culprit behind osteoarthritis and obstructive sleep apnea. It also causes an increased number of fat cells which is linked to diabetes, cancer, cardiovascular disease, non-alcoholic fatty liver disease. Mortality is also increased by being obese. Most researchers believe that a combination of an extravagant nutrient intake and an idle lifestyle is the main cause for the rapid acceleration of obesity in Western society. Almost every American home has a very important tool at its disposal to help fight obesity. It is THE REFRIGERATOR!

The refrigerator (or fridge) is a cooling device that has a thermally insulated compartment and a mechanism to transfer heat from it to the external environment. Fridges maintain a temperature of a few degrees above the freezing point of water. Household refrigerators were introduced in 1915. They were widely accepted in the US in the 1930s because the price fell and they started using non-toxic and non-flammable refrigerants. Sixty percent of households had a refrigerator in the 1930s.

Refrigerators like the Sunpentown RF-320W allowed families to purchase, store, freeze, prepare and preserve food products in a fresh state for longer than was previously possible. Families who did not have gardens to grow vegetables and farms to raise livestock can have a varied diet and improved nutrition because they can store food they bought at the supermarket in their freezers.

You can use your refrigerator to help you eat healthier and to prevent or beat obesity. With the use of a refrigerator you can refrigerate dairy products, meats, fish, poultry and vegetables in the same place. Families are able to consume more salads, fresh fruits and vegetables. Exotic fruits from foreign countries can be imported by means of refrigeration. That means that fruits that are out of season in your region can be trucked in from somewhere else. Refrigerators also make it possible to enjoy a cold glass of water and are useful for first aid. All of these refrigerator possibilities make fridges a key to maintaining a healthy lifestyle and losing weight.

When you lose weight with the help of your refrigerator you stand to reap the many benefits that come with weight loss. It may improve the survival of those with obesity. It may lower the blood sugar of those with type 2 diabetes, which lowers the amount of medicine they must take to control their blood sugar. It also prevented new cases of type 2 diabetes in obese people. A weight loss of 4.4lbs to 9.7lbs results in a significant lowering of blood pressure. People with asthma who lost and average of 31.3lbs over one year improved lung function and overall health. Also, the number of severe asthma episodes was reduced. People with obstructed sleep apnea who lose 10% of weight improve sleep patterns and have less daytime sleepiness. So, use your refrigeration powers for good and make today the first day of your brand new healthy lifestyle.

Jackfrost Nipping At Your Nose?

We have all heard the old wives tale that going out in cold weather can make you catch a cold. It is simply not true. The way colds are caught is by coming into contact with someone who already has a cold virus. Wet hair, cold weather and chills do not cause colds. Colds seem more contagious in the winter because people are indoors more often and the viruses are spread more easily. When you are inside you have more contact with dry air and people with colds. Dry air can possibly lower your resistance to infection.

While cold weather can not cause the cold virus, spending time outdoors in cold weather or in a building that is not well heated can cause people injuries. One of the injuries cold weather can cause is frost nip. Frost nip affects the skin on your face, ears, or fingertips. It can cause numbness and blue-white skin color for a short time. There is no permanent tissue damage.

Another injury you can develop from exposure to cold weather is frostbite. Frostbite is the freezing of the skin and the tissues under the skin because of temperatures below freezing. The symptoms of frostbite include pale or blue, cold, numb and stiff or rubbery skin. There is another thing to watch out for when you are exposed to cold weather. When you develop trench foot or chilblains, your skin looks pale and blistered after it has been warmed. The skin is not actually frozen like it is when you are frostbitten.

One very serious injury you should try to prevent when exposed to the cold weather is hypothermia. Hypothermia is when the body loses heat faster than it can make heat. Some symptoms to look out for are shivering, clumsy movement, apathy, poor judgment, and cold, pale, blue-gray skin. Hypothermia can lead to unconsciousness or death if heat loss is not stopped.

There are risk factors that will make you more susceptible to the cold weather. They are:
-Being a baby or an older adult.
-Imbibing alcohol.
-High altitudes, windy or wet weather.
-Not dressing properly.
-Having wet skin or wearing wet clothes.
-Being tired or dehydrated.
-Working in a cold environment like a cold storage unit.

Smoking cigarettes or drinking caffeine will also make you colder because it narrows the blood vessels in hands and feet and less blood flows to those places making them chillier.

Here are some keys to prevention to follow:
-Bring an emergency kit including high calorie foods, extra water, clothing and blankets when you travel to a cold climate.
-Head for shelter when the weather gets colder.
-Avoid sweating because it increases heat loss through evaporation.
-Avoid touching metal.
-Eat plenty of food.
-Drink plenty of water.
-Keep hands and feet dry.
-Wear glasses or goggles for outdoor activities.
-Wear layers.-Cover head, neck and face. A lot of your body heat is lost from these areas.

You Are My Sunshine

An attractive girl loses her job and her boyfriend in one day. She puts her belongings from work in a cardboard box and slowly ambles toward her car. She maneuvers her car through the desolate streets toward home, but suddenly, her car gets a flat. As she searches her wallet for her AAA card a picture of her ex-boyfriend flutters down to the ground. She studies it with tears welling in her eyes, and then the rain starts pouring down, mirroring her feelings. Only then does she let her tears fall. How many times have you seen a scene like this in a movie or television show? A lot of times when a character is down in the dumps, the weather turns stormy. When the weather is cloudy and cold, and the sun has not peeked his head out for awhile, some people start feeling depressed. They are not being melodramatic movie-star wannabes, though. They have Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD).

SAD is a type of depression that affects people at the same time each year. People with SAD will feel depressed during the short days of winter and happier and more energetic in the spring and the summer. As the days get longer the depression lifts. You are more likely to have SAD if you are a female between the ages of 15-55. 60-90% of people with SAD are women. You are also more likely to develop SAD if you have a relative with SAD or you live far away from the equator.

Short days and lack of light top the list of cause for this disorder. It especially affects people who have moved to extreme northern climates where winter days are very short or seasonal differences in the amount of daylight are extreme. Other possible causes that are still being studied are disturbances in the natural biological clock (circadian rhythms) of the body or problems with the regulation of serotonin (a brain chemical).

The symptoms of SAD include irritability, sadness, anxiety, decreased activity and a need for more sleep, drowsiness during the daytime, and problems with work and relationships. The symptoms that doctors look for to distinguish between sad and non-seasonal depression is increased appetite, a craving for carbohydrates and weight gain. The symptoms of SAD usually start in September or October and end in April or May. Doctors will not diagnose patients with SAD unless they have been depressed in the winter and recovered in the spring or summer for at least two years in a row.

One treatment for SAD is light therapy, where the patient sits a certain distance from artificial bright lights. Light therapy is usually done in the morning. There is also a form of light therapy that is called dawn simulation, where lights in a bedroom are programmed to come on gradually a few hours before the patient wakes up. Another treatment is antidepressant medication. If you believe you have SAD, consult with your doctor as soon as possible.

You might not have Seasonal Affective Disorder, but you might be missing the sun during these cold winter months. An infrared heater uses technology to spread warmth like the rays of the sun without the harmful UV radiation. That way, you can watch that melodramatic movie maiden crying in the rain from the warm depths of your own home.