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In the United States, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) requires food manufacturers to list the eight most common ingredients that trigger food allergies. Those eight top allergens together comprise 90% of all allergic food reactions, so naturally, they get the most attention.

For some, the worst thing that happens when they eat is a wicked case of heartburn. But for others, eating the wrong thing can lead to hives, swelling, vomiting and even death!

The top eight food allergens are:

A mechanic was removing a cylinder head from the motor of a Harley motorcycle when spotted a well-known heart surgeon in his shop.  The surgeon was there, waiting for the service manager to come and take a look at his bike.

Adapted from The Huffington Post, by Kate Bratskeir, 09/16/2013

Martin Seligman theorizes that while 60 percent of happiness is determined by our genetics and environment, the remaining 40 percent is up to us. 

He describes three different kinds of happy lives: 

The Pleasant Life, in which you fill your life with as many pleasures as you can.

The Life of Engagement, where you find a life in your work, parenting, love and leisure.

Adapted from PewResearch, June 29, 2009

There is a sizable gap between the expectations that younger adults have about old age and the actual experiences reported by older Americans themselves.  

ts Holiday Shopping Season!  (insert groan here…)

Do you struggle with that hard-to-buy-for person?  Or, are you a gift giver that despises assembly line products that you see everyone sporting?  We have a solution for you!  We do Custom-In-House Embroidery!  And the best part is that it is less expensive than you’d think!

Have a grandson that is obsessed with Legos?  How about a T-shirt in his favorite color that says “Michael, Master Lego Builder”!

It’s that time of the year again: The “sick” season. Winter and the colder months are referred to as the “sick” season because it’s that time of year when most people who “don’t get sick” get sick.
We spend more time indoors. We spend more time shoulder to shoulder with our fellow humans. We create the perfect environment for those wonderful microscopic mortal enemies responsible for initiating the sickness.

Compression revisited.  Let’s take a moment to refresh or reset our thinking about compression garments, shall we?

What it is: 

Compression garments push dilated vein walls back into place, enabling veins to close properly and function more efficiently.  This results in increased blood flow, reducing leg swelling, pain, fatigue and risk of blood clot formation.

How and Why:

Growing up, I always thought Spring Fever was more of an “itch to get outside” after being cooped up all winter.  As it turns out, there are a bunch of physiological changes happening that cause a chain reaction to our minds and bodies.  There are reasons for feeling the way we do this time of year!

Spring in the northern hemisphere means the days start to get longer and we have more exposure to sun, which triggers changes in our bodies. Germans call it Fruhjahrsmudigkeit, which means “spring tiredness”.  

Did you know fruit juices can cause significant drug interactions?  Many people assume their medication will work no matter what they swallow it down with it, but some drink and drug combos can be hazardous to your health.  

We thought this was cute, from our friends over at www.Scrubsmag.com: 

The 5 Stages of a Nurse Vacation

Because nurses typically work three days a week, we can schedule ourselves to have extended time off without taking vacation. (We’re awesome, I know.) For example, if I work Sunday, Monday and Tuesday this week and work Thursday, Friday and Saturday of next week…that leaves me with eight days off without using my vacation time.