My Life

My Life By Lynne Thompson

How to Go Low-Flow

Alow-flow shower head that delivers the relaxing, refreshing experience of one manufactured before the implementation of gallons-per-minute restrictions? Anna Salerno, sales manager at Edelman, a home supply store with locations in Bedford Heights and Westlake, swears they exist. Here are a few of her favorites:

Speakman Icon Shower Head (Mod-

el S-2252, $94). Salerno has the 2.5 GPM model (it’s also available with 1.75 GPM and 2.0 GPM flow rates) in her guest bathroom. It’s one of her go-to housewarming gifts for friends and relatives. “When the water comes through [the sprays], it intertwines and it mixes,” she says. “So there’s never a gap in your showering.”

Moen Four-Function Shower Head (Mod-

el 3638, $117). Salerno couldn’t tell if she was using the 1.75 or 2.5 GPM version while at a Chicago-area Aloft hotel. “But, it was remarkable,” she gushes, singling out the targeted or invigorating-spray setting as “sturdy” and “strong.”

Delta Universal Showering Head (Model 52687, $193). Salerno was “overwhelmingly surprised” by the blast this three-setting, 8-inch-wide rain shower head delivered at 1.75 GPM — particularly when set on the drenching spray — during a boutique-hotel stay. “I have hair longer than my shoulders, and I had absolutely no trouble rinsing shampoo from my hair,” she says.

Hansgrohe Raindance Select (Model 26469001, $560). Salerno installed this two-setting marvel of German engineering, available in 1.5, 1.8 and 2.5 GPM options, in her own shower. She especially likes the RainAir setting. “It’s very soothing, very calming, but yet strong enough to kind of relax your muscles,” she says. “I work out a lot. I use that feature every single morning.”

Be Proactive on Pests

Spring has sprung — and a multitude of winged and multilegged pests have emerged, looking for a home to make their own. Associate certiBill Kirchner fied entomologist Bill Kirchner, president of Cleveland Chemical Pest Control, suggests taking some simple measures outside to make your house a less-accessible option.

Caulk and seal cracks

and crevices. Doing so in early fall is particularly helpful in deterring what Kirchner calls “overwintering insects” such as Asian lady beetles, brown marmorated stink bugs and cluster flies. “In the spring, there’s a lot less ways for them to get inside,” Kirchner says.

Trim any branch overhanging or touch-

ing the house. “You can have carpenter ants in the tree, and they can walk right on the roof and get in the house,” he says. “It gives squirrels and raccoons a highway right onto the house.”

Plant flowering trees and bushes away

from the house. “They may attract bees and wasps,” he warns. Subsequently, trying to mitigate the problem by sprayingan insecticide, he adds, may kill beneficial bees.

Store firewood away from the house.

Kirchner warns it can be a haven for insects such as carpenter ants. Treating it with any chemical is a no-no. “You can’t spray the firewood — you’re going to burn it,” he says.

Mulch sparingly. Kirchner advises putting down a layer no deeper than onehalf to three-fourths of an inch. “Anything heavier will hold moisture,” he says. “Then, you get all sorts of bugs.”

Don’t Ignore a Bump on the Noggin

A muttered curse, a howl of pain, maybe a few tears — that’s the way most people respond when they hit their head. That seemingly insignificant bump, however, may require more attention than a comforting rub. It could cause a concussion, according to Dr. Michael DeGeorgia, director of neurocritical care at University Hospitals Cleveland Medical Center. He defines the injury as “a disturbance in brain function caused by a direct or indirect blow to the head.”

“As a general rule, the higher the speed of the impact, then the greater the chance that you can have a serious underlying complication from that impact,” he says.

In rarer instances, the blow can cause a subdural hematoma, an injury in which blood accumulates between the patient’s brain and its protective covering, the dura, or an epidural hematoma, an injury in which blood accumulates between the dura and the skull. The resulting pressure compresses the delicate brain tissue.

“Either the brain herniates, and then they die,” DeGeorgia says. “Or, if they can get medical attention, then we can evacuate those hemorrhages and pull [them] through. That is the scariest thing because, right after the accident, they seem like they’re OK.”

DeGeorgia recommends heading to the emergency room if you experience any of the following symptoms: persistent or severe headaches, dizziness, vision problems, clear discharge from the nose or ears, trouble with balance or gait, slurred speech, numbness, weakness on one side of the body or the other, nausea or vomiting, mood swings, trouble concentrating, amnesia, confusion or disorientation, seizures or loss of consciousness.

Dr. Michael DeGeorgia

Personalize Palate Pillars

The best place to begin improving eating habits is the grocery store — that’s the idea behind the Personalized Nutrition Center by Heinen’s, a facility led by a medical doctor located in the supermarket chain’s Mayfield Village location. According to program manager Jamie Cole, Heinen’s Club Fx offers paid and free services focused on helping people optimize their health through whole foods/ whole food supplements and advanced vitamin therapies. She recommends the seven “Fx pillars” that almost anyone can use as guideposts.

“Our approach is to add foods to your diet, not to take things away,” she stresses. “Your body wants to be healthy. If you start adding healthier foods, your cravings will change.”

Eat your greens, as many as

you can, every day. According to center literature, they’re “highly alkalizing and detoxifying due to an abundance of chlorophyll.”

Eat the rainbow, at least one fruit and two vegetables, ev-

ery day. Doing so provides a diversity of phytochemicals that “promote antioxidant activity that may reduce risk of chronic diseases: diabetes, heart disease and certain cancers,” center literature says.

Dose with omega-3 fats every

day. According to center literature, the omeJamie Cole ga-3s in specific nuts such as walnuts, seeds such as chia, their butters, animal proteins such as salmon and grassfed beef, and grass-fed dairy and plant-based nut milks “manage inflammation and are essential for brain and eye health.”

Pick your protein.

“Our recommendation is to choose plant over fish over fowl over grass-fed beef,” Cole says.

Choose whole grains, pref-

erably sprouted. “Studies have shown that the vitamins and minerals in sprouted grains absorb better in our systems,” Cole explains. “They’re easier to digest and lower glycemic.”

Remember functional foods: fresh herbs and fermented foods (think apple cider vinegar, miso and kombucha).

“They reduce inflammation, they support energy and mental clarity and resilience,” Cole says.

Watch your sugar and salt.

“If you follow all of the other pillars, it’s pretty easy to satisfy pillar 7,” Cole says. 