Snow possible in Bellevue - Chiropractor driving tips

Preparing for Winter Driving - How to Drive in Snow and Ice The three key elements to safe winter driving are: Stay alert;  Slow down; and  Stay in control Winter driving conditions such as rain, snow, and ice dramatically affect the braking distance of a vehicle. The driver's capability to complete a smooth and safe stop is severely limited due to reduced tire traction. In order to stop safely, the vehicle's wheels must maintain traction by remaining on contact with the road surface while rolling, referred to as "rolling traction." When handling slippery winter roads, the keys to safety are slower speeds, gentler stops and turns, and increased following distances. It is recommended that drivers reduce their speed to half the posted speed limit or less under snowy road conditions. Don't try to stretch more miles from your tires during the winter months. If your tread depth is getting low, it can have serious effects on dry pavement, but those effects are multiplied in wet and snowy conditions. When in doubt, get new tires. Tire pressure usually lowers itself in winter and raises itself in summer. Under-inflated tires can cause a car to react more slowly to steering. Every time the outside temperature drops ten degrees, the air pressure inside your tires goes down about one or two PSI. Tires lose air normally through the process of permeation. Drivers should check their tire pressures frequently during cold weather, adding enough air to keep them at recommended levels of inflation at all times. Sand and salt play a big role in keeping roads safe. The spreading of road salt prevents snow and ice from bonding to the road surface, which is why salt is usually spread early in a storm to prevent snow build-up and to aid in snow removal operations. Unlike salt, sand does not melt and therefore helps by providing traction on slippery surfaces. Sand is often used when temperatures are too low for salt to be effective or at higher temperatures for Immediatee traction, particularly on hills, curves, bridges, intersections and on snow-packed roads. Caution must be used when snowplows are on the roadways as snowplows and salt and sand trucks travel much slower than regular traffic. Passing a snowplow can be extremely dangerous as sight lines and visibility near a working snowplow are severely restricted by blowing snow. Roads are typically cooler in shady areas and drivers may encounter another extremely dangerous element known as "black ice." Always slow down your vehicle when you see shady areas under these types of conditions. Here are some safe-driving tips that will help you when roads are slick with ice or snow: Get the feel of the road by starting out slowly and testing your steering control and braking ability. Avoid spinning your tires when you start by gently pressing your gas pedal until the car starts to roll. Start slowing down at least three times sooner than you normally would when turning or stopping. Equip your vehicle with chains or snow tires. Chains are by far the most effective, and they should be used where ice and snow remain on the roadway. Remember that snow tires will slide on ice or packed snow so keep your distance. Reduce your speed to correspond with conditions. There is no such thing as a "safe" speed range at which you may drive on snow or ice. You must be extremely cautious until you are able to determine how much traction you can expect from your tires. When stopping, avoid sudden movements of the steering wheel and pump the brake gently. Avoid locking of brakes on glazed ice as it will cause a loss of steering and control. Every city block and every mile of highway may be different, depending upon sun or shade and the surface of the roadway. (Check your vehicle owner's manual, if the vehicle has anti-lock brakes, you may apply steady pressure to the brake pedal.) Maintain a safe interval between you and the car ahead of you according to the conditions of the pavement. Many needless rear-end crashes occur on icy streets because drivers forget to leave stopping space. · Keep your vehicle in the best possible driving condition. The lights, tires, brakes, windshield wipers, defroster, and radiator are especially important for winter driving. Keep your windows clear. Don't start driving until the windows are defrosted and clean - even if you're only going a short distance. Watch for danger or slippery spots ahead. Ice may remain on bridges even though the rest of the road is clear. Snow and ice also stick longer in shaded areas. Correctly operating windshield wipers and defrosters are essential to safety while driving in snow and ice conditions. Properly maintained windshield wipers are a must; there are also special blades available that are better equipped to assist in the removal of snow from the windshield. Defroster effectiveness is essential in the initial clearing of snow and ice from the windshield - and in some instances the rear window when a vehicle is so equipped - and should be checked well in advance of need. In certain cases, a change of the vehicle thermostat will restore appropriate heat to the defroster system. Dr. Jeremy Welch is a bellevue chiropractor - http://purechiropracticcenter.com/conditions_treated/auto-accidents

Are you getting enough Vitamin D?

ARE YOU GETTING ENOUGH

VITAMIN D?

Vitamin D benefits are experienced to the fullest extent by people who maintain optimum vitamin D body stores and blood levels.  You can expect better health across the board - longer life (reduction in death from all causes), fewer diseases, stronger bones and muscles, fewer infections, less depression, pain and inflammation. In short, more enjoyment of life.  

New vitamin D benefits are still being discovered, almost everywhere researchers look. Here are some of the more important ones discovered so far:

Vitamin D regulates calcium and phosphorus

The first intimation of vitamin D's vital role was in 1782, when it was discovered that cod liver oil cures rickets (a disease of growing children whose bones bend due to lack of strength). Of course, they didn't know then that it was vitamin D in the oil that did the job.  In fact, vitamin D plays a major role in the absorption of calcium and phosphorus, and in their proper utilization. This helps keep our bones and teeth strong, and stops calcium depositing where it shouldn't (for example in our blood vessels, heart and kidneys).

Vitamin D is essential to a healthy immune system

Vitamin D helps the immune system to fight infections -  With a near-optimum blood level of vitamin D, you can expect fewer colds, 'flu, and other unwelcome opportunists (including Swineflu). Not only does Vitamin D enhance your immunity, but it inhibits the development of destructive auto-immune diseases such as diabetes, rheumatoid arthritis, lupus and multiple sclerosis.

Vitamin D is a major inhibitor of cancer, and part of this effect may be attributed to the increased vigilance of the immune system.

Vitamin D promotes cellular differentiation

Vitamin D encourages cell differentiation (differentiated cells are needed to perform specialized functions effectively) and also slows down the rate at which cells multiply, or proliferate.  Both of these effects contribute to vitamin D's cancer-fighting ability. Cancer cells are characterized by a lack of differentiation and by rapid proliferation.

Vitamin D is a potent anti-inflammatory

Chronic inflammation is coming into prominent focus as a cause of many disease processes, including major killers such as heart disease and cancer.

Vitamin D is a powerful anti-inflammatory agent, which may also contribute to its effectiveness in reducing some types of muscular pain.

Vitamin D helps regulate blood sugar levels

Optimum levels of vitamin D protect against diabetes (both type 1 and type 2), insulin resistance and hyperglycemia. Diabetes is usually associated with very low levels of vitamin D.  The pancreas also needs sufficient vitamin D in order to make and secrete insulin.

Getting enough vitamin D helps blood sugar control. It may also help prevent serious diabetic complications.

Vitamin D helps lower blood pressure -Maintaining adequate levels of vitamin D helps reduce the risk of hypertension. And optimum levels actually tend to reduce blood pressure in hypertensive people.

If you are still not convinced that you need to make sure you are getting enough Vitamin D check out this list of diseases that have all been linked to low vitamin D levels:

Acne 

Adrenal insufficiency

Allergies

Alzheimer's disease

Arthritis

Asthma

Autism

Autoimmune disorders

Bacterial infections

Bones weak (easy to fracture)

Breast cancer

Cancer (all types)

Celiac disease

Colds and 'flu

Crohn's disease

Chronic fatigue

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease

Chronic pain

Colonic adenoma

Colorectal cancer

Cystic fibrosis

Dementia

Dental cavities and misaligned teeth

Depression

Diabetes (types 1 and 2)

Fatigue

Gluten intolerance

Graves disease

Heart disease

Hypertension

Influenza

Kidney Disease

Low back pain

Lupus erythematosis

Macular Degeneration

Melanoma

Mental illness and mood disorders

Multiple Sclerosis

Muscle weakness and pain

Obesity

Osteo-arthritis

Osteomalacia (softening of bones)

Osteoporosis

Ovarian cancer

Parkinson's disease

Periodontal disease

 Peripheral artery disease

Pelvic floor disorders

Pneumonia

Post-operative infections

Psoriasis

Rheumatoid arthritis

Rickets

Seasonal affective disorder (SAD)

Sepsis

Sports injuries

Tuberculosis

Urinary incontinence

Viral infections

Dr. Jeremy Welch's  mission is to serve the patient in such a way to provide hope, encouragement, and education for attaining a higher quality of life.  To find out more about the services he offers visit http://purechiropracticcenter.com/about-us/services-and-techniques/