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Preventing Kidney Stones

Kidney stones can be painful — but there are some things you can do to prevent them. Small diet changes can make a big difference in your body’s development of kidney stones. Drink more water! Six to eight glasses of water every day can help dilute urine. When urine becomes too concentrated, minerals like calcium, phosphate, and oxalate can crystallize, forming stones. The pain comes when the stones pass from the kidneys. Diluting the urine can help prevent the crystallization in the first place. Good old water is best, but you can also drink fruit juices or drinks from mix. … Continue reading →

Types of Urinary Crystals in Cats

Urinary crystals can be a serious health issue for cats. There are several different types of crystals that can form. Struvite crystals — magnesium ammonium phosphate — used to be the most common type of urinary crystal in felines. Twenty years ago, approximately seventy-five percent of urinary crystals were struvite crystals! As a result, prescription diets used to focus on preventing struvite crystals. The diets were low in magnesium. It worked — by the late 1990s, struvite crystals were to blame for less than fifty percent of urinary crystal problems. Still, struvite crystals are the most common urinary crystal seen … Continue reading →

Can Calcium Prevent Disease?

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Calcium is essential for the body’s bones. But this mineral has a big role in preventing other health problems, too! Calcium has been associated with lowering blood pressure (and the risk of high blood pressure). Researchers have noted that a vegetarian diet that is high in minerals (including calcium, magnesium, and potassium), high in fiber, and low in fat tends to lead to lower blood pressure levels. Clinical studies have also looked at the effect of an increased calcium intake on blood pressure. The National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute of the National Institutes of Health tested different types of … Continue reading →

What’s the Big Deal about Caffeine?

Of all the debates I’ve heard surrounding the Word of Wisdom, the most frequently repeated is, “So, what’s so bad about caffeine?” I’ve heard people defend their right to drink their sodas, and I’ve heard people absolutely refuse to touch the stuff, even if dying of thirst. It’s an interesting debate. It seems there are few fence-sitters. So, just what is the big deal, anyway? The Word of Wisdom does not specifically mention caffeine, and this is where some of the debate gets its furor. If it’s not in the Word of Wisdom, it can’t be bad, can it? I … Continue reading →

I Didn’t Know I Had A Heart Attack

I’ve been taking classes at a glass studio in Portland. How does this relate to heart attacks? One of the owners had one recently, and ended up having a quadruple bypass! He told me he didn’t know he was having a heart attack. In fact, he spent a weekend in discomfort but going about his usual business before finally going to the emergency room on Monday for what he thought was kidney stones. The pain didn’t get too severe until the third day after the heart attack happened — the actual attack happened on a Friday. By the third day, … Continue reading →

Tip of the Day- Go Orange Today

How many things can you think of that are orange? Naturally oranges come to mind, but what else? Where else can you find orange your life? Let’s make it an orange day today. Find an orange piece of clothing to wear, pull out your orange essential oils, and eat your orange foods. Having an orange day is all about fun. It’s about lifting your mood and boosting your health. Here are some interesting things that orange can do for you. Think of the color orange, what kinds of emotions do you associate with it? We can all have good and … Continue reading →

Tip of the Day- Drink an Extra Glass of Water

Well, go on. Do it right now before you forget or can make an excuse. Walk away from the computer, grab a glass (a big one, not your child’s sippy cup), fill it up, and chug it down! Some people like water, some don’t. I happen to be a water drinker; I’m not very fond of sodas and I can’t afford juices all the time. Besides, when I really think about it I’m drinking because I’m thirsty or because I want a specific taste of something. If I’m drinking something for the flavor that’s fine. If I’m drinking because I’m … Continue reading →