Chance Gates' Blog

by Deborah Tukua | Tuesday, September 6th, 2011 | From: Healthy Living

Do you start the day with a hot cup of java? If so, you’re among millions who do. For years, coffee has been branded as a bad guy in the beverage family. Does this drink deserve its bad reputation? The latest studies may prompt you to raise a mug and cheer.

Benefits: Did you know that coffee is a very important source of antioxidants in our diets? Coffee provides more antioxidants than anything else, because coffee is consumed more frequently than any other source of antioxidants. Caffeine, another important compound in coffee, induces the production of certain enzymes that help neutralize some potential cancer-causing substances in the body. Drip coffeemakers yield more caffeine per cup than other brewing methods, including espresso.

Heart Disease. Men who drank more than five cups of coffee a day reduced their risk of developing heart disease by 44 percent. Women who drank four to five cups each day lowered their risk by 34 percent.

Dementia and Memory. Those drinking three to five cups of coffee a day during middle age can decrease the chance of dementia up to 65 percent. “Caffeine grows brain cells in the areas of the brain responsible for long-term memory,” state authors Bennett Alan Weinberg and Bonnie K. Bealer in The Caffeine Advantage. Caffeine increases short-term memory, concentration, and the ability to think clearly.

Diabetes. Drinking six or more cups of coffee daily reduces the risk of Type 2 diabetes by 54 percent in men and 30 percent in women.

Lung Health and Asthma Relief. The chemical makeup of the caffeine in coffee can give the same effect as the asthma drug, theophylline. Caffeine helps expand air passages and keeps the respiratory muscles strong. Drinking two cups of coffee can help you breathe better for up to four hours.

And the list goes on … To read more benefits of moderate coffee drinking, pick up a copy of the 2012 Farmers’ Almanac!

Mark your favorite properties and get instant updates price changes,  new pictures and status changes.

As a Reno/Sparks real estate professional, I encourage all questions and comments on the Reno/Sparks real estate market or any of the articles posted in this blog. Please feel free to use my back door to the MLS and search the houses available in the Reno/Sparks and most Northwest Nevada neighborhoods. I can be reached by email @ chance@ballard-company.comhttp://www.myspace.com/chancegates .  You can also follow me at http://www.twitter.com/chancegates .  If you are behind on your house payment and looking for a loan modification, go to making homes affordable For a free copy of my report   “5 Steps For Reno/Sparks Homeowners To Prevent Foreclosures” go to my about page http://chancegates.com/about and ask for more information on preventing foreclosures. or   to request a modification.  If the modification fails, contact your local real estate professional to help short sale your home.  To make sure there is no deficiency judgment a homeowner might find it necessary to hire an attorney.

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By Jane Glenn Haas

RISMEDIA, November 1, 2010–(MCT)–Let’s talk about Kindles and iPads and other new, bright LCD screens: Are the millions of Americans who have bought these devices setting themselves up for headaches, eye strains and other computer vision syndrome symptoms?

Smartphones and similar devices might cause vision concerns, says Dr. Roger Phelps, spokesman for VSP Vision Care.

According to recent research with VSP eye doctors, 33 percent reported that nearly one-third or more of their patients suffer from digital device related vision problems. The most common include eye strain (82 percent), dry or irritated eyes (74 percent), fatigue (70 percent) and headaches (61 percent).

Q. You say not many patients are aware of computer vision syndrome?
A. Two out of three eye doctors say fewer than 20 percent of their patients are aware of this syndrome.

Q. What’s the difference between using a desktop computer and a Kindle or even a smartphone as far as vision strain is concerned?
A. OK. What happened in the past was you had regular eyeglasses for infinity — distance — and reading, about 16 inches.

Now there is a desktop computer screen, about 24 inches, that may require a separate pair of eyeglasses.

In addition, with a smartphone or the like, I can go to the website of, say, CNN, but it is really small. Some of these screens are best read at 12 inches — usually by a teen or someone under 40.

Q. Oh, come on! Only young people can read these small screens?
A. We can prescribe eyeglasses to read these screens, but they still must be held at a 12-inch distance from the eyes.

Q. So you are talking about eyeglasses for distance, 20 or 24 inches for desktop computers, 16 inches to read a book and 12 inches to read a smartphone screen?
A. We can prescribe progressive lenses.

Q. What’s the easiest thing people over 40 can do to avoid these eye problems?
A. To protect your eyes while using your iPads, Kindles and so on, here are a few tips:

— Pay attention to environmental lighting. Reading on digital devices provides its own light but can be difficult to see in a bright light or when outdoors. Adjusting the angle and turning up the screen brightness all the way with the auto-brightness off can help.

— Don’t forget to blink, breathe and break. Many doctors call this the 20/20/20 rule. Every 20 minutes, take 20 seconds and look at something 20 feet away.

— Use computer vision glasses. Even if you have near-perfect vision, these glasses can ease eye strain from prolonged use of a digital device.

— Get your eyes checked. Have an annual exam and talk to your doctor about your digital usage — especially if you are experiencing symptoms that include headaches, backaches, dry eyes and so on.

Q. What about using artificial tears products?
A. A lot of people get dry eyes as they get older. Sometimes they don’t realize it’s dry eye because their eyes are watering a lot. Actually, that can be a symptom as the eye tries to wash stuff away.

Check the brand you are using with your doctor.

Q. Why are these eye problems becoming more common?
A. People are spending about six hours daily working at a computer then doing other computer-screen reading — such as on the Kindle — for pleasure. Computer vision syndrome is up there with carpal tunnel problems and other work-related concerns.

(c) 2010, The Orange County Register (Santa Ana, Calif.).
Distributed by McClatchy-Tribune Information Services.

As a Reno/Sparks real estate professional, I encourage all questions and comments on the Reno/Sparks real estate market or any of the articles posted in this blog. Please feel free to use my back door to the MLS and search the houses available in the Reno/Sparks and most Northwest Nevada neighborhoods. I can be reached by email @ chance@ballard-company.com or  http://www.myspace.com/chancegates .  You can also follow me at http://www.twitter.com/chancegates .  If you are behind on your house payment and looking for a loan modification, go to making homes affordable to request a modification.  If the modification fails, contact your local real estate professional to help short sale your home.  To make sure there is no deficiency judgment a homeowner might find it necessary to hire an attorney. For a free copy of my blog titled  “5 Steps For Reno/Sparks Homeowners To Prevent Foreclosures” go to my about page http://chancegates.com/about and ask for more information on preventing foreclosures.

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RISMEDIA, October 25, 2010–Flu is a serious, contagious disease that can lead to hospitalization and even death.

In 2009-2010, H1N1 spread worldwide causing the first flu pandemic in more than 40 years. Flu is unpredictable, but the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) expects the 2009 H1N1 virus to spread this upcoming season along with other seasonal flu viruses.

CDC urges you to take the following actions to protect yourself and others from influenza (the flu):

Take time to get a flu vaccine.
* CDC recommends a yearly flu vaccine as the first and most important step in protecting against flu viruses.
* While there are many different flu viruses, the flu vaccine protects against the three viruses that research suggests will be most common.
* The 2010-2011 flu vaccine will protect against an influenza A H3N2 virus, an influenza B virus and the 2009 H1N1 virus that caused so much illness last season.
* Everyone six months of age and older should get vaccinated against the flu as soon as the 2010-2011 season vaccine is available.
* People at high risk of serious flu complications include young children, pregnant women, people with chronic health conditions like asthma, diabetes or heart and lung disease and people 65 years and older.
* Vaccination of high risk persons is especially important to decrease their risk of severe flu illness.
* Vaccination also is important for health care workers, and other people who live with or care for high risk people to keep from spreading flu to high risk people.
* Children younger than six months are at high risk of serious flu illness, but are too young to be vaccinated. People who care for them should be vaccinated instead.

Take everyday preventive actions to stop the spread of germs.
* Cover your nose and mouth with a tissue when you cough or sneeze. Throw the tissue in the trash after you use it.
* Wash your hands often with soap and water. If soap and water are not available, use an alcohol-based hand rub.*
* Avoid touching your eyes, nose and mouth. Germs spread this way.
* Try to avoid close contact with sick people.
* If you are sick with flu-like illness, CDC recommends that you stay home for at least 24 hours after your fever is gone except to get medical care or for other necessities. (Your fever should be gone without the use of a fever-reducing medicine.)
* While sick, limit contact with others as much as possible to keep from infecting them.

Take flu antiviral drugs if your doctor prescribes them.
* If you get the flu, antiviral drugs can treat your illness.
* Antiviral drugs are different from antibiotics. They are prescription medicines (pills, liquid or an inhaled powder) and are not available over-the-counter.
* Antiviral drugs can make illness milder and shorten the time you are sick. They may also prevent serious flu complications.
* It’s very important that antiviral drugs be used early (within the first two days of symptoms) to treat people who are very sick (such as those who are hospitalized) or people who are sick with flu symptoms and who are at increased risk of severe flu illness, such as pregnant women, young children, people 65 and older and people with certain chronic health conditions.
* Flu-like symptoms include fever, cough, sore throat, runny or stuffy nose, body aches, headache, chills and fatigue. Some people may also have vomiting and diarrhea. People may be infected with the flu, and have respiratory symptoms without a fever.

As a Reno/Sparks real estate professional, I encourage all questions and comments on the Reno/Sparks real estate market or any of the articles posted in this blog. Please feel free to use my back door to the MLS and search the houses available in the Reno/Sparks and most Northwest Nevada neighborhoods. I can be reached by email @ chance@ballard-company.com or  http://www.myspace.com/chancegates .  You can also follow me at http://www.twitter.com/chancegates .  If you are behind on your house payment and looking for a loan modification, go to making homes affordable to request a modification.  If the modification fails, contact your local real estate professional to help short sale your home.  To make sure there is no deficiency judgment a homeowner might find it necessary to hire an attorney.

By Stephanie Andre

RISMEDIA, October 4, 2010–October is National Breast Cancer Awareness Month, and for women, it’s never too early to start taking care of themselves, both physically and mentally. To that end, here are 10 tips for breast cancer prevention.

1. Avoid becoming overweight. Obesity raises the risk of breast cancer after menopause, the time of life when breast cancer most often occurs. Avoid gaining weight over time, and try to maintain a body-mass index under 25 (calculators can be found online).

2. Eat healthy to avoid tipping the scale. Embrace a diet high in vegetables and fruit and low in sugared drinks, refined carbohydrates and fatty foods. Eat lean protein such as fish or chicken breast and eat red meat in moderation, if at all. Eat whole grains. Choose vegetable oils over animal fats.

3. Keep physically active. Research suggests that increased physical activity, even when begun later in life, reduces overall breast-cancer risk by about 10 percent to 30 percent. All it takes is moderate exercise like a 30-minute walk five days a week to get this protective effect.

4. Drink little or no alcohol. Alcohol use is associated with an increased risk of breast cancer. Women should limit intake to no more than one drink per day, regardless of the type of alcohol.

5. Avoid hormone replacement therapy. Menopausal hormone therapy increases risk for breast cancer. If you must take hormones to manage menopausal symptoms, avoid those that contain progesterone and limit their use to less than three years. “Bioidentical hormones” and hormonal creams and gels are no safer than prescription hormones and should also be avoided.

6. Consider taking an estrogen-blocking drug. Women with a family history of breast cancer or who are over age 60 should talk to their doctor about the pros and cons of estrogen-blocking drugs such as tamoxifen and raloxifene.

7. Don’t smoke. Research suggests that long-term smoking is associated with increased risk of breast cancer in some women.

8. Breast-feed your babies for as long as possible. Women who breast-feed their babies for at least a year in total have a reduced risk of developing breast cancer later.

9. Participate in a research study. The Hutchinson Center is home to several studies that are looking at ways to reduce the risk for breast cancer. Check our website periodically for studies that might be appropriate for you.

10. Get fit and support breast cancer research at the same time. Regular physical activity is associated with a reduced risk of breast cancer.

As a Reno/Sparks real estate professional, I encourage all questions and comments on the Reno/Sparks real estate market or any of the articles posted in this blog. Please feel free to use my back door to the MLS and search the houses available in the Reno/Sparks and most of Northwest Nevada neighborhoods. I can be reached by email @ chance at ballard-company.com or  http://www.myspace.com/chancegates .  You can also follow me at http://www.twitter.com/chancegates

How sweet it is!

I only made $200 a week and I had to buy my own bullets.

If you have it and you know you have it, then you have it. If you have it and don’t know you have it, you don’t have it. If you don’t have it but you think you have it, then you have it.

Our dreams are firsthand creations, rather than residues of waking life. We have the capacity for infinite creativity; at least while dreaming, we partake of the power of the Spirit, the infinite Godhead that creates the cosmos.

The second day of a diet is always easier than the first. By the second day you’re off it.

Thin people are beautiful, but fat people are adorable.

As a Reno/Sparks real estate professional, I encourage all questions and comments on the Reno/Sparks real estate market or any of the articles posted in this blog.  You can email me @  chance at ballard-company.com or http://www.myspace.com/chancegates

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I believe that every single event in life happens in an opportunity to choose love over fear.
Oprah Winfrey

I don’t believe in failure. It is not failure if you enjoyed the process.
Oprah Winfrey

I don’t think of myself as a poor deprived ghetto girl who made good. I think of myself as somebody who from an early age knew I was responsible for myself, and I had to make good.
Oprah Winfrey

I don’t think you ever stop giving. I really don’t. I think it’s an on-going process. And it’s not just about being able to write a check. It’s being able to touch somebody’s life.
Oprah Winfrey

I feel that luck is preparation meeting opportunity.
Oprah Winfrey

I have a lot of things to prove to myself. One is that I can live my life fearlessly.
Oprah Winfrey

I still have my feet on the ground, I just wear better shoes.
Oprah Winfrey

I was raised to believe that excellence is the best deterrent to racism or sexism. And that’s how I operate my life.
Oprah Winfrey

As a Reno/Sparks real estate professional; I encourage all questions and comments, on the Reno/Sparks real estate market or any of the articles posted in this blog.

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RISMEDIA, May 24, 2010–Do you find yourself overwhelmed by the number and complexity of projects you have that need to be completed at work each day? Do you often feel the day flies by without your devoting the necessary attention to each assignment because other tasks keep landing on your desk, co-workers interrupt you with questions or you can’t get it all organized?

You probably know that effective time management will help you get more done each day. It has important health benefits, too. By managing your time more wisely, you can minimize stress and improve your quality of life.

But how do you get back on track when organizational skills don’t come naturally? To get started, follow these tips from the Mayo Clinic:

• Plan each day. Planning your day can help you accomplish more and feel more in control of your life. Write a to-do list, putting the most important tasks at the top. Keep a schedule of your daily activities to minimize conflicts and last-minute rushes.

• Prioritize your tasks. Time-consuming but relatively unimportant tasks can consume a lot of your day. Prioritizing tasks will ensure that you spend your time and energy on those that are truly important to you.

• Say no to nonessential tasks. Consider your goals and schedule before agreeing to take on additional work.

• Delegate. Take a look at your to-do list and consider what you can pass on to someone else.

• Take the time you need to do a quality job. Doing work right the first time may take more time upfront, but errors usually result in time spent making corrections, which takes more time overall.

• Break large, time-consuming tasks into smaller tasks. Work on them a few minutes at a time until you get them all done.

• Practice the 10-minute rule. Work on a dreaded task for 10 minutes each day. Once you get started, you may find you can finish it.

• Evaluate how you’re spending your time. Keep a diary of everything you do for three days to determine how you’re spending your time. Look for time that can be used more wisely. For example, could you take a bus or train to work and use the commute to catch up on reading? If so, you could free up some time to exercise or spend with family or friends.

• Limit distractions. Block out time on your calendar for big projects. During that time, close your door and turn off your phone, pager and e-mail.

• Get plenty of sleep, have a healthy diet and exercise regularly. A healthy lifestyle can improve your focus and concentration, which will help improve your efficiency so that you can complete your work in less time.

• Take a time management course. If your employer offers continuing education, take a time management class. If your workplace doesn’t have one, find out if a local community college, university or community education program does.

• Take a break when needed. Too much stress can derail your attempts at getting organized. When you need a break, take one. Take a walk. Do some quick stretches at your workstation. Take a day of vacation to rest and re-energize.

As a Reno/Sparks real estate professional; I encourage all questions and comments, on the Reno/Sparks real estate market or any of the articles posted in this blog.

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Do You two-one-one

Every hour of every day, hundreds of people need essential human services – training, employment, food pantries, help for an aging parent, addiction prevention programs for teens, affordable housing options, support groups, and ways of becoming part of their community. Often we’re confronted with a confusing array of organizations, phone numbers, and Web sites that lead us to a maze of agencies and services.

What many people don’t know is that simply dialing 2-1-1, where available, connects you with a wide variety of important services in your community. And “available” means more than 78 percent of people in the U.S., more than 28 percent of Canadians – and those numbers continue to grow.

2-1-1 is a free, confidential, one-stop service with an easy-to-remember telephone number to call for everyday needs and in times of crisis. While services vary from community to community, those services can include:

Basic Human Needs: food banks, clothing, shelters, rent assistance, utility assistance.
Physical and Mental Health Resources: medical information lines, crises intervention services, support groups, counseling, drug and alcohol intervention, rehabilitation, health insurance programs, Medicaid and Medicare, maternal health, children’s health insurance programs.
Employment Support: unemployment benefits, financial assistance, job training, transportation assistance, education programs.
Support for Older Americans and Persons with Disabilities: home health care, adult day care, Meals on wheels, respite care, transportation, homemaker services.
Support for Children, Youth and Families: childcare, after-school programs, Head Start, family resource enters, summer camps and recreation programs, mentoring, tutoring, protective service.
Natural and Man – Made Disasters: disease epidemics, power blackouts, emergency shelters, evacuation routes, travelers’ aid.

If you or someone you know want more information about 2-1-1, the web sites are www.211.org and www211.ca. And of course, the telephone number is -2-1-1!

As a Reno/Sparks real estate professional I encourage all questions and comment on the Reno/Sparks real estate market or any article posted.  I can be reached by email at chance@ballard-company.com or http://www.myspace.com/chancegates