When You Meet Someone with Disability

Being introduced to a person in a wheelchair or someone who's blind may catch you off guard. Some of us are unsure of how to act and afraid of saying or doing the wrong thing. The American Association of Retired Persons (AARP) offers a few suggestions for making a good impression.

If the person...

... is visually impaired. Never pet or play with a guide dog; you'll distract the animal from its job.

... has a speech impediment. Be patient, listen attentively, and resist the temptation to finish his sentences or speak for him.

... is in a wheelchair. Sit down, if possible, so you can chat eye to eye. Don't touch the wheelchair (or, similarly, someone's crutches or cane), because it's considered within the boundaries of an individual's personal space.

... has a hearing loss. Always speak directly to the person, not to her interpreter or assistant if on is present. If you raise your voice, it becomes distorted and even more difficult to understand. Just speak clearly and slowly, facing her. People who are deaf depend a lot on facial expression and gestures for communication cues.

Preventing Foot-Care Problems

To protect feet, observe the following:

• Wear leisure shoes when walking on rough grounds to lessen the chance of corns and calluses.
• Wear flexible-soled shoes with wide, rounded toes and low heels when walking long distances. It is said that the heel of a shoe should not be more than two inches high because higher heels tend to jam the toes to the front of the shoe.
• Wear socks with tennis shoes to absorb perspiration and protect feet from blistering caused by irregularities in the shoe's lining.
• Wear elastic stockings and elevate the feet each day for about an hour, if your feet tend to swell.

Prepping for Pregnancy

1. Get a prenatal check-up --- six months to a year before you plan to conceive. If you have a pre-existing health condition or are taking any medications, ask your doctor how they might affect your pregnancy.

2. Take your vitamins. Start about three months prior to concpetion to build up a good supply in your system before pregnancy. Don't go overboard with the vitamins though. Some can be toxic in high doses.

3. Give up your vices. Both smoking and alcohol consumption increase risk of miscarriage, low birthweight, birth defects, and other problems.

4. Get to your ideal weight. Women who are at least 35 percent above their ideal weight are more apt to have very large babies.

5. Eat a well-balanced diet.

6. Start exercising. You want to prime your body for labor with workouts that strengthen your heart and tone your muscles.

Fresh Fish

Check the following when choosing fish from the market:

• Eyes must be clear and bright, not red. They must be full and often protruding not sunked.
• Scales must be shiny and intact.
• Gills must be pinkish red and not slimy.
• Flesh must be firm, tender, and should spring back when lightly pressed with the fingers.

Herbal Medicines for Aches and Pains

Herbs and other plants have been used for healing since the beginning of time. Although the use of herbal medicine is more prevalent in rural areas and among the elderly, it will not hurt to have your own little drugstore at your backyard.

Here are the most common plants used for their therapeutic physical benefits:

Lagundi and Yerba Buena. For different body aches.
Sambong. For stomach pains and swelling.
Bayabas. For headaches and swollen gums.
Alagaw. Used to relieve gas pains.

PRECAUTIONS. Some things to consider before taking any herbal medicines:

• Consult your doctor.
  
• Herbs should not be taken by children or pregnant or nursing women, unless under a doctor's supervision.

Effective Underarm Deodorant

Baking soda is a natural underarm deodorant. True.

It's simple chemistry. The unpleasant smell we call body odor occurs when skin bacteria mix with the perspiration and fatty acids that are secreted from glands just below the skin's surface. The bacteria digest these fatty acids and excrete them, causing the odor.

Baking soda neutralizes the fatty acids making them a less desirable food source and at the same time slightly weakens the bacteria.

One hitch: Baking soda will not stop wetness. So while it can keep you sweet-smelling, you may want to apply an anti-perspirant.

Do-It-Yourself-Massage

Get relief from the following body aches and pains with some of these suggested simple strokes:

Headaches. Apply pressure on your temples using your thumbs. Breathe deeply and rotate your thumbs.

Tensed Shoulders. Place your right hand on your left shoulder and gently squeeze using your palm and fingers. Hold for several seconds before releasing. Do the same with the other shoulder.

Tired Hands. Make circular movements using your thumb around the base of the palm of the other hand. Put a little pressure while doing the massage.

Backaches. Put your hands/fingers on the lower back at either side. Stroke down firmly and glide back.

Aching legs. Place both hands on the sides of the leg. Massage smoothly from ankle up to knee part repeatedly.