Can Hearing Aids Improve Your Sex Life? It's Never Sounded So Good!

Can Hearing Aids Improve Your Sex Life? It's Never Sounded So Good!
With an estimated 10 percent of the American population
experiencing a hearing loss, it is surprising that very few
actually wear hearing aids. While the image or expense of
owning a pair might be a hindrance to some, they probably
don't realize what they are actually missing. It may be
costing them far more than they realize to not invest in a
pair.

If you are craving a little more action in the bedroom or
things there seem a little lackluster, you may want to
check your hearing. Even if you already own a pair of
hearing aids, if things are not quite the way you desire,
you may want to visit your hearing care professional. They
can help you to hear the things your partner may be trying
to tell you that you just aren't able to hear. The
following is a list of ways to overcome any hearing aid
problems that are preventing you from having your way in
the bedroom.

Image.

If you are concerned about how a hearing aid will make you
look in the eyes of your partner, then you need to check
out the latest styles. There are many available that will
not only help you to hear the things you want and need to
hear, but that will help you to still preserve your hip
look. With today's technology, there are several models
that are not that noticeable and will stay in place. No
more embarrassing episodes where your hearing aid falls out
and ruins the moment. In fact, some are so comfortable that
you may forget that you even have them in your ears. And
your mate will find you to be incredibly sexy when you can
hear what's being said.

Batteries.

If you aren't able to hear things quite as crystal clear as
when you first got your hearing aids, then you may want to
check the batteries. New batteries will provide you with a
new charge and you won't miss those sweet nothings that
your partner may be whispering your way.

Price.

If you are concerned with the price of purchasing a pair of
hearing aids, then you may want to take into consideration
the price you are paying for not purchasing a pair of
hearing aids. You are missing more than you realize. Do
yourself a huge favor and find a hearing care professional
that will offer a payment plan.

Is the cost of not being able to hear your partner a price
you are willing to pay? You may be missing out on flirting
and foreplay. Your mate may be sending you signals and
making suggestive comments to which you are not responding.
They may be getting their feelings hurt and may be finding
you to be cold, impassive, and unresponsive. That will cost
you a lot in and out of the bedroom.

Poor Sound Quality.

If you have a pair of hearing aids that are whistling or
are plaguing you with feedback, a visit to your hearing
care professional may be in order. They can help by making
adjustments to your hearing aids, or if that is not
possible, can fit you for a new pair that will make you
happier. With too much background noise, it may be next to
impossible to hear the suggestive comments your partner may
be making. There are options available that will virtually
eliminate the background noise and help you to fine tune
your listening skills. Your hearing care professional will
be more than happy to assist you in making a choice that
will benefit you the most.

Imagine how happy you and your partner will be with your
new hearing skills. You will find that those sweet nothings
your partner has been whispering your way never sounded
quite so good!

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Kelly C. Calkins, AuD., has practiced audiology for over 20
years. For more information about hearing aids or to find
the nearest hearing professional to you, call us today at
877-777-1710 or visit our website at http://www.aidright.com

Putting some "UMPH" behind your resolutions

Putting some "UMPH" behind your resolutions
Last night, a friend and I spent time working on a "New
Year's" exercise which involved taking stock of the
previous year and using that awareness to look ahead to the
upcoming year. One of the questions was: "What were your 5
most important "lessons learned" this past year?" To which
my first response was: "I'm going to skip that one."

However, upon reflection, I realized that there were some
biggies, one of which hit me like a ton of bricks: That if
I REALLY determine that I want to reach a goal and put my
mind to that goal, I will achieve it. When I am clear and
committed and focused, I know that I can do it and I WILL
do it, despite the obstacles. It is the mushy ambivalence
and lack of clear decisiveness that always, always, ALWAYS
gets in my way.

And, unfortunately, I had to face the fact:

Although I had achieved a number of my goals this year,
there was also quite a bit of that mushy ambivalence
(again), in various areas of my life. You know what I
mean: you say you want something ("I really want to lose
weight" or "I really want to start exercising" or "I really
want more balance in my life" for example), but there is
somehow something missing. There is not always the belief,
the commitment, the focus - the "I will take nothing but
this outcome" umph behind that desire.

Of course, this "umph" may be missing for a number of
different reasons: fear (one of my personal favorites);
uncertainty that it's what you really want; worry about
what others will think; perfectionism (which is really just
fear in disguise); lack of confidence; lack of support;
lack of trust in self or others; control "issues;" lack of
belief in the desired outcome; pesky, unhelpful beliefs
about yourself that sabotage you; etc. etc. etc.

So how can we create more "umph" behind our goals, our
wishes, our resolutions...? It is my personal New Year's
"resolution" to do away with the mushy ambivalence and to
set goals that I will achieve. I believe the following
guidelines include important steps guaranteed to give any
resolution a gentle "push" in the right direction.

1) Make a decision. If you want something (i.e. "I want to
get healthy and fit this year"), make a decision to work
towards achieving it - no matter what. A decision is not a
wish, it is not a hope, it is not a fantasy. Although your
decision may have arisen as a result of one of these
things, it is different: it is the clear awareness that you
are the only one that can make this happen, and you can
only make it happen if you are clear.

Notice if you are waffling. Notice if there is a little
voice in your head filled with a sabotaging message. Yes,
you might be scared. Yes, you might not know how you're
going to do it or fit it in. Yes, it might involve some
challenges and some obstacles and some setbacks. But once
you decide, allow yourself to know that you will not let
anything get in your way.

2) Become aware of your internal beliefs. Too often, you
may make a decision to do something (such as get fit and
healthy), but your beliefs - both conscious (the ones we
are aware of) and unconscious (the ones we are mostly not
aware of, but keep showing themselves in our actions or our
feelings about ourselves) hold you back. Perhaps, on some
level, you don't believe you can have what you want and you
may be filled with fear, anxiety, and self-sabotage.

Begin to become aware of your beliefs and begin to question
their "truth" (almost 100% of the time, these unhelpful
negative beliefs are not based in current reality). When
you are ready, challenge those beliefs and begin to shift
them to be more in-line with who you want to be and what
you want to do.

3) Visualize yourself having reached your goal. Much has
been written about the power of visualization, especially
recently with the popularity of the movie, The Secret. I
am a huge believer in the power of visualization for
psychological reasons as well. Our brain does not
distinguish between what is real and what is imagined.
Once you are able to see yourself doing something or
feeling something, you are able to begin to move more
easily and freely in that direction.

As an added bonus: Begin to act AS IF you've already
achieved that goal. Don't WAIT until you get fit to start
walking; don't wait until you are healthy to start doing
yoga. Let yourself imagine, as often as you can, that you
are that person already and then behave as if you are.

4) Commit to take action. You don't need to wait until you
have worked out all of your negative beliefs or until you
have no fear or until you have all of your ducks in a row
to begin to work toward your goal. All of the steps above
are only helpful if they lead to action. Make a commitment
to yourself to do SOMETHING, no matter how small, every day
that brings you closer to your goal. In the words of
Cornelius Robinson (yes, I am quoting a character from the
kids movie, Meet The Robinsons), "keep moving forward."

5) Celebrate failure. (Another Cornelius Robinson value, I
admitJ) None of us like to fail, and in fact, it is often
our fear of failure that keeps us from moving forward.
Learn to welcome failure as a sign that you are learning
what works and what doesn't. There is no way to succeed
without failure.

I'd love to hear from you about your goals for 2008. If
your goals include getting healthy, finding the right foods
for your body, feeding your family well, or finally getting
rid of a relationship to food that feels bad . . . I look
forward to supporting you on your journey and "seeing" more
of you throughout the year!

----------------------------------------------------
Karen Schachter is a licensed clinical social worker &
certified nutrition counselor who works with women who want
to have a healthier relationship with food & in turn,
improve their nutrition, improve their mood & energy,
decrease their cravings and just generally enjoy life more
fully. She helps parents figure out what to feed their
children & how to feed their children without power
struggles. Visit http://www.karenschachtermsw.com/

Why Detox?

Why Detox?
Feeling sluggish or out of sync? Having skin problems,
aches and pains, or digestive problems? Straying from your
healthier habits lately? It might be time for a detox.

Practiced for centuries by many cultures around the world —
including ayurvedic and Chinese medicine systems —
detoxification is about resting, cleansing and nourishing
the body from the inside out. By removing and eliminating
toxins, then feeding your body with healthy nutrients,
detoxifying can help protect you from disease and renew
your ability to maintain optimum health.

How Does Detoxification Work?

Basically, detoxification means cleaning the blood. It does
this mainly by removing impurities from the blood in the
liver, where toxins are processed for elimination. The body
also eliminates toxins through the kidneys, intestines,
lungs, lymph and skin. However, when this system is
compromised, impurities aren't properly filtered and every
cell in the body is adversely affected.

A detox program can help the body's natural cleaning
process by:

1) Resting the organs through fasting;

2) Stimulating the liver to drive toxins from the body;

3) Promoting elimination through the intestines, kidneys
and skin;

4) Improving circulation of the blood; and

5) Refueling the body with healthy nutrients.

How Do You Know if You Need to Detoxify?

Bennett suggests that everyone should detox at least once a
year. A short detoxifying program is generally safe; in
fact, scientific studies show that a detox is beneficial
for health. However, Bennett cautions against detoxifying
for nursing mothers, children, and patients with chronic
degenerative diseases, cancer or tuberculosis. Consult your
health care practitioner if you have questions about
whether detoxing is right for you.

Where Do You Begin?

First, lighten up your toxin load. Eliminate alcohol,
coffee, cigarettes, refined sugars and saturated fats, all
of which act as toxins in the body and are obstacles to
your healing process. Also, minimize use of chemical-based
household cleaners and personal health care products
(cleansers, shampoos, deodorants and toothpastes), and
substitute natural alternatives.

Another deterrent to good health is stress, which triggers
your body to release stress hormones into your system.
While these hormones can provide the "adrenaline rush" to
win a race or meet a deadline, in large amounts they create
toxins and slow down detoxification enzymes in the liver.
So it's a good idea to detox stressful life situations
along with detoxifying your body.

Which detox program is best for you?

There are many detoxification programs, depending on your
individual needs. Many programs follow a 7-day schedule.

Some even recommend two or more weeks. Be aware that you
may have some withdrawal symptoms such as headaches. So
drink plenty of water and that if you want to you can lie
down until the headache subsides. Rest is the best remedy.

Other popular detoxing programs include:

Cleansing supplement packages, which generally contain
fiber, vitamins, herbs and minerals. There are several safe
products on the market, with easy-to-follow instructions.

A routine of drinking only water one day each week — an
ancient practice of many cultures
10 Ways to Help Your Body Detoxify

After a detoxification program, you can cleanse your body
daily through diet, supplements and lifestyle practices.

1. Eat plenty of fiber, including brown rice and
organically-grown fresh fruits and vegetables. Beets,
radishes, artichokes, cabbage, broccoli, spirulina,
chlorella, and seaweed are excellent detoxifying foods.

2. Cleanse and protect the liver by taking herbs such as
dandelion root, burdock and milk thistle, and drinking
green tea.

3. Take vitamin C, which helps the body produce
glutathione, a liver compound that drives away toxins.

4. Drink at least 2 quarts of water daily.

5. Breathe deeply to allow oxygen to circulate more
completely through your system.

6. Transform stress by emphasizing positive emotions.

7. Practice hydrotherapy by taking a very hot shower for
five minutes, allowing the water to run on your back.
Follow with cold water for 30 seconds. Do this three times,
and then get into bed for 30 minutes.

8. Sweat in a sauna so your body can eliminate wastes
through perspiration.

9. Dry-brush your skin or try detoxifying patches or foot
baths to remove toxins through your pores. Special brushes
are available at natural products stores.

10. Exercise, walking, yoga, qigong or similar for
detoxifying or cleansing, as well as many other exercises
with specific health benefits.
Are there any side effects?

There are some possible side effects when detoxing. But
believe it or not some people don't suffer anything. I
remember my first detox where I suffered with headaches for
two days. Then I had severe body aches and pains and also
I was extremely tired. But once I got through those days I
was fine. The first three or four days are the worst. But
hang in as it does get better and you will be so proud of
yourself. As I was suffering severely with Candida and
also had two small children to take care of, I can say it
was not easy but I was determined to go through it.

Detoxing symptoms commonly include headaches, lower back
pain, dry mouth, bad breath, skin rashes, nausea, body
odor, fatigue, abdominal gas and rumblings, mucous
discharge, anxiety, boredom, joint and muscular aches and
pains, cold feet and hands, sleeplessness and more. But
remember not everyone suffers like this.

After Detox

My first detox I did for approximately 6 weeks. In a
perfect world I would have continued to live the same
lifestyle I did for the 6 weeks. But I live in the real
world and found it was just not possible. I do eat a very
healthy diet and detox at least twice a year. Exercising
regularly helps as well.

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Dixie Davey is dedicated to helping others live a healthy
lifestyle without medication. Take a look at
http://alkalize-and-detoxify.com to download your course of
free alkaline receipes and more. Also check out
http://www.DixieDavey.com