LIVIN

Check out this vid!

  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b_Lax4zFFoA

I think sometimes these types of images and videos get swept under the rug with all the things that are said and posted on social media.  Often people rant about their hardships, politics, religion and so on and something like this doesnt always get the recognition that it should.  I feel as though we often get caught up in the hamster wheel of life and we forget about all the simple things that really matter. Both this picture and youtube clip speak volume to the idea that we now a days tend to take so much stuff for granted because we are so accustomed to always wanting more. If we took a second each day, sat down, looked around us and appreciated everything that came with it rather than complaining about things that happened or things that we didn't get I believe people would be much happier.  I feel as though people's capabilities are limitless but in today's society people are constantly told that they can't do something or that isn't possible...in this day in age I feel that many people have forgotten how to not only dream but how to dream big.  A great quote from the video clip is when, Conner is asked, "Where is the perfect place for you and Cayden to be at in 10 years?" His response is, "You know how people have the American flag on the moon, we'll have the team Long Brothers flag on the moon." If that isn't dreaming big I don't know what is.  Lastly, at the end of the video when he is giving his speech it is funny how they pan to the crowd and people like Lebron James, Beyonce, Jay-Z and Coach K are all present and people that we generally look up to are all captivated by this young kid who has done nothing but continue to dream and push forward..he is someone we should be looking up to daily.

Make the best of each day that you are given! Time is not refundable once it is gone, it is gone forever..don't waste it!

Best,
John

Smoking is a habit that many people have and many people have trouble breaking.  Even if you don't smoke yourself, you may be in danger of being exposed to secondhand smoke.  Did you know that secondhand smoke is directly connected to hearing loss?

In January I wrote a guest post for Renee on this topic for her blog.  If you are interested in learning more about this issue, check out my article and her awesome blog at: http://healthylifeharbinger.wordpress.com/ and also here is the direct link to my article:

http://healthylifeharbinger.wordpress.com/2013/01/01/a-guest-post-the-secondhand-smoke-and-hearing-loss-connection/

As Renee states on her blog, "Be Strong. Be Informed. Be Healthy."

Our life is our own and we have the power to live it the way we would like to..why not live a healthy life then!

I hope everyone is having a great day, get out and enjoy this spring weather.

Best,
John

Why wait until tomorrow when you can make a change today?

Treat your body and mind great and you will feel and think great.  Many of us wait too long or decide to put things off by saying "I can do it tomorrow," there is no reason to push something off until the next day or week when you can take action today and make it happen.  This idea applies to all areas of life: work , family, fitness, by taking action you can make a change in not only your life but inspire many others to do the same.

Here is a quick article on the importance of magnesium and how a deficiency of it may be the reason why you feel tired or sluggish throughout the day, check it out!

http://fitlife.tv/how-magnesium-deficiency-causes-low-energy-levels/

Best,
John

Interesting article on Aspartame...an artificial sweetener that is used as a replacement to high fructose corn syrup, cane sugar and other high calorie, high fat sugars, in an effort to reduce the amount of calories that are in certain sweet foods and drinks that we consume.  Aspartame can be found in diet soft drinks, candy, breath mints, some low cal yogurts and some condiments such as ketchup and sugar free chocolate syrup. Its crazy to think sometimes how a lot of the foods and drinks that people choose to consume are doing nothing more than destroying our bodies.  Treat you're body right and feed it with the proper nutrients that it needs and deserves. Eat great..feel great..eat clean!

Check out this article,

http://fitlife.tv/the-truth-about-aspartame-2/

Make the most of today!

John

Living so close to the city of Boston, and having family and friends that live, work and go to school in the city, the bombings that occurred Monday during the Boston Marathon hit close to my families hearts and had us very worried for most of the day trying to get in touch with people we knew running in the race and nieces, nephews and cousins who attend a few of the colleges in the city.  Luckily after many phone calls and text attempts we were able to get in touch with everyone, and they were all safe.  There is not much to say about these bombings other than how tragic this event really is.  An event like the Boston Marathon which is one of the world's oldest annually held marathon's and with all of its prestige and popularity ranks as one of the world's best known road running events, is now tarnished due to the heartless acts of others.  In a day and age after 9/11 and events such as the Colorado movie theater shooting and the Newtown shootings, Americans are already on edge and nervous as to what could be next.  No one should have to live this way, wondering what may happen next if all of these kinds of horrific things keeping popping up.  Not only do these events force us to lose loved ones and make us constantly feel uneasy but they also take away our overall feeling of freedom and our piece of mind.  My thoughts and prays go out to everyone who was affected by this tragic event.  Times like these put everything into perspective, life is too short and precious to not live it fully.  Each day take the time to appreciate everything life has to offer, smile, have fun, tell people close to you that you love them because with a flip of a switch everything could be gone.

Many MLB teams paid tribute to Boston by having moments of silence and playing "Sweet Caroline" a favorite at Fenway during their games.  The city of Chicago posted this as the front page of their paper:

Our rival Yankees hung a banner outside of the stadium with each team's logos and the phrase "United We Stand" on it while some Yankees fans took it upon themselves to pay their own tribute to the Boston Bombings:

Make the most of this great day today!

Best,
John

Happy 7 months to the Fin Man..seems like yesterday we brought you home! Haven't blogged in about a month or so things have been super busy with the kids at school and sports and what not.  Hope everyone is doing well, hopefully it starts to warm up a bit, I can't stand this cold weather.

Best,
John

With all the dangers that come with contact sports, it is surprising that more organizations have not come out with something like this.  While watching the Super Bowl, in between Doritos and Taco Bell commercials, the NFL was showing clips advertising their new site NFLEVOLUTION.COM.  Not knowing much about it I decided to take a quick look and I am glad I did.  The site is full of information, facts, tips and stories in regards to sports (specifically football) and the dangers and injuries that come with playing these sports.  If you have kids that play sports I would highly recommend checking out the site, I am definitely happy that I did.  I hope everyone is having a great week..almost the weekend!

Here is a link to the site:

http://www.nflevolution.com/

Best,
John

Had a great time watching the Super Bowl Last night.  Family, friends and great food.  I thought the game was awesome and that the commercials were sub par.  I  did find the Taco Bell commercial very funny though.  This years Super Bowl was a game full of stories; the Harbaugh brothers coaching against each other, Ray Lewis retiring and the fact that Kaepernick was starting just his 10th game ever and it was in the Super Bowl. All these stories along with the blackout brought great twists to the game.  I was hoping that the Niners would come back and pull it off but I am happy that Ray Lewis was able to cash in on another Super Bowl ring and head out on a high note.  I do wonder how holidays and get togethers will be at the Harbaugh household now..what bragging rights!  I hope everyone had just as good if not better of a time than I did..check out some of the food we had going on!

Have a great day!

Best,
John

Contact Sports and Injuries

Contact sports can be very dangerous to participants if the proper rules are not set in place.  Over the past few years the NFL has been trying to implement new rules in order to increase player safety and limit the amount of injuries that occur through out the season.  Many common injuries over the past few years have been concussions and ACL tears.  Concussions often stem from some sort of severe contact to the head, while ACL tears can too occur from a major hit they also can come about due to unnecessary twisting or rotating of the knee.  Player safety is a very serious deal, as new rules to protect athletes are put into place in the pros, these rules begin to filter down into high school, college and recreational sports that our children play.  As parents we always want to make sure that our children are fully protected and safe in anything that they do.  It is our job, to make sure our kids are safe during contact sports.  We can do this by making sure they are fully equipped with all the necessary equipment, educating them on the rules of their individual sport, educating them on the potential dangers of contact sports, and also keeping an eye on our children, if they have suffered a major blow in a game or practice, it is our job to make sure we are taking the right steps in order to make sure our child is ok.  

I came across an interesting article today that highlights the problem of big hits resulting in concussions in the NFL and how they may have a serious impact on the future lives of athletes well after their career is over.  With the Super Bowl coming up this Sunday I thought it would be fitting to share this article with all of you guys.  Ed Reed of the Raven's who will be participating in this years Super Bowl is no stranger to big hits and also concussions.  The article states, "He's had just three diagnosed concussions he said, although he acknowledged there "may be more that you don't really know about." With that being said it is extremely important to keep an eye on athletes after they have been involved in any sort of severe contact.  While symptoms of concussions are often very noticeable right away, sometimes they may come gradually and can be over looked in some instances.  Concussions along with other serious sports injuries are no joke, if you feel you that your child has suffered a concussion or another sports related injury make the right choice to remove them from the game and have them checked out by the athletic trainer on hand then your primary care doctor.  Sports are fun, but they are not worth risking the healthy of our children.  Here is the link to the article below, check it out!

http://sports.yahoo.com/news/ed-reed-reflects-contradictions-of-nfl-s-head-injury-issues-214102972.html

Have a great day!

John

Tough loss for the Pat's this past Sunday, hats off to Ray Lewis and the Ravens as they head into Super Bowl XLVII next Sunday.  Although I am disappointed that the Pat's will not be playing in this year's super bowl, I am however excited to see the Harbaugh brothers, Jim and John, battle it out against each other for the ultimate family bragging rights...a super bowl title.  I am sure it will be a great game..there's not much better than the super bowl, a time of friends, family food and football. Can't wait..hope everyone is having a great week!

Enjoy,
John

Looking forward to the Pats game this Sunday against the Ravens.  After a great game against Houston last week we will be matching up against a very tough Baltimore D, led by league veteran, who plans to retire after this year Ray Lewis.  With Lewis' plan to retire after the season, he is hungrier than ever and I bet will make sure he leaves every last thing he has on the field this Sunday.  It should be an awesome game, and hopefully the Pats can pull it off en route to another Superbowl Title.

Check out this article about concussions in sports these days, head injuries can lead to hearing loss and other very serious conditions, we must ensure we are doing all we can to protect our athletes from such injuries.

http://www.neurosurgery.pitt.edu/trauma/concussion.html

Have an awesome day,

John

Hi Everyone,

Check out this new picture of Finley nappin with one of his buddies at day care.  If that doesn't brighten  up your day a bit I don't know what will!  Make today a great day!

Hi Everyone,

I recently wrote a guest post for a fellow blogger and hunter Mark.  Mark is a bowhunter who enjoys going after whitetail bucks, as well as turkeys and coyotes.  Mark's father, like my father, suffers from hearing loss due to hunting and wears a pair of hearing aids in order to help him hear well.  Take a look at his blog to check out the article and to learn more about bow hunting and his family.  Hearing loss is an on going problem not only in hunting but in sports, occupations like construction and many other facets of life such as mowing the lawn or listening to music too loudly.  Take a few minutes each day to make sure you are not damaging your hearing.  Also, take the proper precautionary acts such as wearing earmuffs while hunting or working construction, turning your ipod down or wearing protective gear when playing contact sports.  All of these can help prevent hearing loss and ensure healthy hearing  for you and your family in the future.

Here is a link to Mark's blog, check it out!

http://deathfromabove-markwhite.blogspot.com/
 

Have a great day everyone!

John

Man its been a hectic couple of weeks.  I hope everyone had a great holiday season and Happy New Year to you all.  What are everyone's New Year resolutions? Mine are to finally teach myself to play the guitar, like everyone in the world..stay fit, and to always be kind and nice to others.  I guess we shall see in 2014 if all of these worked out..I've already started the guitar and the other two are just givens.  Here are some updated pics of our pup Finley..check em out!

Enjoy,
John

Excited to be headed off to Florida soon with the family.  Big week ahead of us. Safe travels if anyone else is traveling for xmas. Merry Christmas and I hope everyone has a great holiday!

John

Hi Everyone,

Hope everyone is doing well, I have some exciting new, over the past weekend my family and I got a new puppy.  My wife and I both grew up having family dogs and we thought that it would be a great time to get one of our own. I especially missed having a dog coming from a hunting family. We have always wanted a lab of our own and since we are very active we thought it would be a great fit to our family.  We have been searching for a few months now and just this past week finally got in touch with a breeder who had a littler of 10 puppies.  When we finally called her she told us that they only had 5 left so we ought to get there as fast as possibly to reserve ours.  We were so excited to finally get one that that night we jumped in the car and headed to check them out.  We originally wanted a girl, but when we got there the "runt of the pack" as she called him Pumpkin came waddling over to us and fell asleep right beneath our feet.  With being there not even 20 mins we knew that he was the one. We then exchanged contact info and put down a deposit and we picked him up yesterday.  We decided to switch his name from Pumpkin to Finley, being from an Irish family we thought it fit well.  

Enjoy the day!

John

Remember that October is National Audiology Awareness Month and National Protect Your Hearing Month.  The month is almost over so make sure to make an appointment with a local audiologist to get your hearing checked.  Bring your spouse, the kids your parents..bring anyone!  Hearing loss is not specific to one age demographic so everyone can benefit from getting their ears checked out.  I am sure most people are tied up right now with the kids being in school, sports and Halloween right around the corner.  If that is the case make sure to block out some free time in the near future to get everyone's hearing checked.  Have an awesome day!

Best,
John

Hi Everyone,

I recently wrote a guest post for Melinda Lang on her blog titled cmtnyus.wordpress.com/.  The post talked about how making healthy living choices can help reduce hearing loss.  Doing little things like limiting your exposure to loud noises or even kicking that habit of smoking you have had for years can help protect your hearing and reduce your chances of losing it in the future.  Melinda's blog focuses mainly on Charcot-Marie-Tooth Disorder or more commonly known as CMT.  CMT is a rare genetic neuromuscular disorder that affects 1 out of 2,500 people or approximately 150,000 people in the United States.  Melinda, as I am trying to do with hearing loss, is trying to spread awareness on CMT.  Her blog is very informative, so check it out if you wish to learn more on CMT.  Below is a link to Melinda's blog and my article, thanks again!

http://cmtnyus.wordpress.com/2012/10/03/why-making-healthy-lifestyle-choices-can-help-reduce-hearing-loss/

On a side note, today is Friday and I am very excited for the weekend.  Headed out to the shooting range with my dad for the first time in about a month and a half and more importantly spending some quality time with the family as fall begins to hit full affect.  I hope you all have a great weekend!

Enjoy,
John

Hi Everyone,

October is National Audiology Awareness Month and National Protect your Hearing Month.  Both of these were established in order to increase public awareness of what audiology is and what audiologists do and the importance of hearing protection.  Here are some quick facts on hearing loss that may persuade you to get your hearing checked today!

-An estimated 36 million Americans suffer from hearing loss
-While more than have of these people are younger than the age of 65
-Hearing loss is the 3rd most common health problem in the U.S.
-1 in 3 people over 60 have hearing loss, while 1 in 2 people over 85 have hearing loss

Hearing loss does not only affect people who are over the age of 60! Children can also experience hearing loss at a young age.

-It is said that approx. 12% of all children ages 6-19 have some form of noise-induced hearing loss
-Many kids these days are damaging their hearing by prolonged exposure to loud noises.  Example, iPods, concerts, car radios, sporting events.
-Noise-induced hearing loss is permanent but is very preventable.


With that being said I have an appointment with my audiologist this Friday and I know my father who is affected by hearing loss and uses hearing aids to help increase his hearing has an appointment set up for next week.  If you or a loved one has some form of hearing loss or has seen some signs of decreased hearing levels do not hesitate to set up an appointment to get checked out.  By protecting your hearing today you could save your hearing for the future!

I hope everyone is having a great day and remember to get your hearing checked out!

Best,
John

Hi Everyone,

I recently wrote a guest post for Lindsay McLeod's blog titled lindsay-mcleod.com.  Lindsay is a registered physiotherapist who works in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.  She began her blog in an effort to inspire and lead others in living a full and healthy lifestyle, encourage fellowship and dialogue between therapists and to give some insight into her profession.  The article I wrote for her blog focused on how living a healthy lifestyle can help prevent hearing loss.  It shed light on how we should all avoid loud noises, concentrate on eating a healthy diet and why we should quit smoking.  You can all check out her blog and my post at:

http://lindsay-mcleod.com/2012/09/04/fighting-hearing-loss-with-a-healthy-lifestyle/

Enjoy,
John