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Step 1: Choose your spot well

• Pull off the road so that you are safely out of the flow of traffic

• Try to stop in a straight part of the road, so that passing traffic can see you from a distance

• Stop the car on a level spot, it is unsafe to jack up a car on an incline

• Turn on your Hazard lights

Step 2: Remove tools from vehicle

• Retrieve the tools listed above from the car and place them within reach

• If desired, put on the gloves, and place the blocks under the tire opposite the flat

Step 3: Loosen the lug nuts

• Remove the hubcap, if necessary on some cars won’t have hubcaps… consult your owners’ manual for proper instructions in removing the hubcaps

• Using the lugwrench, begin to loosen the lug nuts ( sometimes the lug nuts are quite difficult to loosen, if you can’t loosen them, try jumping on the lug wrench to loosen them )

• Do not remove the lug nuts, only loosen them

Step 4: Jack up the vehicle

• Consult your owners’ manual and find where the jack needs to be positioned. Usually, the jack contacts the car at a small plate on the frame of the car. This plate is usually located just in front of the rear tires, and just behind the front tires.

• Position the jack under the car, and raise the jack until it contacts the frame

• Make sure the jack is properly positioned

• Extend the jack until the tire is about 6 inches off the ground. Don’t stop raising the car when the flat tire is just off the ground. The spare tire is fully inflated and will require more ground clearance.

Step 5: Remove the flat tire

• Remove the lug nuts from the bolts, and put them aside

• Grab the wheel. It is easiest to grab the tire at the “nine o’clock” and “three o’clock” positions.

• Pull the wheel straight toward you, and off the car

Step 6: Put on the spare tire

• Position the spare tire directly in front of the wheel well

• Align the holes in the center of the spare tire with the bolts on the car

• Lift the spare tire and position it on the threaded bolts

• Push the tire onto the car until it cannot go any farther

• Replace the lugnuts on the bolts and tighten them, but not too tight…just enough to hold the tire in place while you lower the car

Step 7: Lower the vehicle

• Lower the car with the jack until the car is again resting on all four tires

• Tighten the lugnuts, starting with one, then moving to the one opposite it, and so on…

Step 8: Put the tools away

• Place the flat tire where the spare was located

• Replace the jack and lug wench in their proper locations

• Carefully inspect your work area and make sure that you’re not leaving anything

• Continue on to your destination, and have the flat tire repaired

Nail fungal infection also called onychomycosis is a infection of the fingernails or toenails. Nail fungus occurs when fungi infect one or more of your nails. A nail fungal infection may begin as a white or yellow spot under the tip of your fingernail or toenail. As the nail fungus spreads deeper into your nail, it may cause your nail to discolor, thicken and develop crumbling edges — an unsightly and potentially painful problems.

Nail fungus usually develops when nails are continually exposed to warm, moist enviromnemts, such as sweaty shoes, showerfloors, public gyms, or swimming pools. Although, Athletes and people who give trauma to their toe by wearing tight-fitting shoes or tight hosiery are at great risk of toe nail fungus, but nail fungus isn’t the same as athlete’s foot, which primarily affects the skin of the feet, but at times the two may coexist and can be caused by the same type of fungus.

If you notice that your nail or nails are thickened, brittle, crumbly or ragged, distorted in shape, dull, with no luster or shine, feel pain in your toes or fingertips and smell slightly foul odor than you may have a nail fungal infection (onychomycosis).

It’s very difficult to treat nail fungus and it’s very common for the infection to come back. There are many over-the-counter antifungal nail creams and ointments are available but they are not as effective as prescribed medication. Many doctors prescribe an oral antifungal medication, such as: Fluconazole (Diflucan), Terbinafine (Lamisil), Itraconazole (sporanox).

What these medications do is that they help a new nail grow free of infection, slowly replacing the infected portion of the nail. To completely eliminate a fungal infection, it may take four months or longer. It’s very possible for the infection to restart, especially if the nail is continued to be exposed to warm, moist envrionments.

Impacted means that the tooth is at least partially trapped under bone or at the very least a soft tissue impaction means the tooth is trapped under tissue. Most impacted teeth need to be removed surgically (cut and drilled out).

It is possible for an impacted tooth to be infected, however not all impacted teeth are infected. Impacted teeth can cause major problems, but on the other hand some people have impacted teeth their entire lives that never bother them or pose a dental threat. The more likely scenario is that it will have to be removed at some point. Most impacted teeth are third molars otherwise known as wisdom teeth.

If you suffer from high levels of blood sugar, you may be more likely to develop serious health conditions, such as infections, blood clotting, and the inability of cuts and wounds to heal. High sugar levels in the blood can also lead to conditions such as diabetes. Fortunately, there are some steps you can take to lower blood sugar levels. The best way to keep blood sugar levels steady is to eat a balanced diet, eat at regular intervals, and engage in a moderately strenuous program of physical activity.

An easy way to lower blood sugar levels is to stay fit and healthy. Regular exercise not only helps lower blood sugar levels, but also helps fight infections. Staying active and taking regular exercise can also help with blood pressure problems. Exercise also helps control the body’s weight and regulate cholesterol levels.

This exercise does not need to be a grueling workout. Thirty minutes of exercise a day, even walking, will help to lower blood sugar levels. Walking to the store instead of taking the car is all that may be necessary to provide you with some much needed exercise. Any extra exercise, including working out in a gym, should be discussed with a doctor first if you have irregular blood sugar levels.

The food that you eat also plays a part in helping to lower blood sugar levels. Low-glycemic foods that are digested more slowly by the body are a better option. High-glycemic foods enter the bloodstream easily and rapidly, causing the pancreas to work harder to produce insulin.

Low-glycemic foods that can help lower blood sugar levels include fruit such as pears, apples, and oranges. Oatmeal, peanuts, beans, peas, and granola are all low-glycemic foods. High-glycemic foods include potatoes, rice, and white bread. Research has shown that potatoes and white bread are converted extremely quickly by the body into glucose. In fact, they are converted more quickly than a candy bar would be.

Fast foods should always be avoided. The fat and sugar content in most fast foods is extremely high. Always look for a healthier option. Much food packaging now contains information on the food’s sugar content. Most restaurants and even fast food outlets now have healthy meal options, such as salads or fish dishes.

Research suggests that a little bit of vinegar could have a beneficial effect on blood sugar levels.

In a study, ingesting a couple tablespoons of apple cider vinegar before a high-carbohydrate meal was found to help dampen expected spikes in blood sugar levels from the meal.

In a recent study, ingesting 20 grams (approximately 2 tablespoons) of apple cider vinegar before eating a high-carbohydrate meal improved insulin resistance.

Study participants who experienced the blood sugar control benefits from vinegar were either diabetic or had insulin resistance syndrome. They followed the 20 grams of apple cider vinegar with a high-carbohydrate meal consisting of a white bagel, butter, and orange juice.

After the high-carbohydrate meal, the acetic acid from the earlier serving of vinegar appeared to reduce blood sugar levels by 19 percent in people with diabetes and by 34 percent in people with insulin resistance.

Acetic acid may help lower blood sugar levels by suppressing enzymes required to break down sugars, resulting in slower absorption.

Drinking plenty of water is another way to lower blood sugar levels. Drinking at least eight glasses of water per day will also flush harmful toxins from the body, help with weight loss, and keep the skin healthy. Recent research has shown that certain herbs can help lower blood sugar levels as well. Taking ginseng after meals has been shown to regulate blood sugar levels. Other helpful herbs include yarrow, huckleberries, cinnamon powder, and licorice extract.

It’s best to reseed (or overseed) your lawn in the fall, before winter.  Depending on your location, it’s best to do this in September - October. You basically want to avoid frost from damaging your seeds.

Step 1: Mow your lawn by setting your lawn mower to its lowest setting, even if it’s touching the ground. Make sure you collect the clippings.

Step 2: Rake out all debris and thatching. Seed will not germinate if it’s not in contact with the soil. So try to remove as much of the dead grass as possible.

Step 3: Loosen soil via raking or pulverizing the ground. Make sure to loosen any compact soil.

Step 4: Use top quality seed and spread onto lawn. You should reseed or overseed only 5,000 to 6,000 square feet at a time.

Step 5: Maintain mosture by watering at least 2 times a day.

If all goes well, just sit back, relax and enjoy your new grass. At least for a while until it’s time to mow, reseed or pluck some weeds out again.

Obviously the best way to rid yourself of stretch marks is to never get them. Stretch marks or striae as they are called in dermatology, are a form of scarring on the skin with an off-color hue. They are caused by tearing of the dermis, and over time can diminish but not disappear completely. Stretch marks are the result of the rapid stretching of the skin associated with rapid growth (common in puberty) or weight gain (e.g. pregnancy) that overcomes the dermis’s elasticity.  Although stretch marks are generally associated with pregnancy and obesity, they can also develop during rapid muscle growth.

Between 75% and 90% of women develop stretch marks to some degree during pregnancy. The sustained hormonal levels as a result of pregnancy usually means stretch marks may appear during the sixth or seventh month.

Only one randomised controlled study has been published which claimed to test whether oils or creams prevent the development of stretchmarks. This study found a daily application of a cream (Trofolastin) containing Centella asiatica extract, vitamin E, and collagen-elastin hydrolysates was associated with fewer stretch marks during pregnancy. Another study, though lacking a placebo control, examined a cream (Verum) containing vitamin E, panthenol, hyaluronic acid, elastin and menthol. It was associated with fewer stretch marks during pregnancy versus no treatment.

Though cocoa butter is an effective moisturizer, no research studies have shown its ability to either prevent stretchmarks, or to reduce their appearance once a stretchmark has already formed.

Various treatments are available for the purpose of improving the appearance of existing stretch marks, including laser treatments, dermabrasion, and prescription retinoids. Some cream manufacturers claim the best results are achieved on recent stretch marks; however, few studies exist to support these claims.

A study in the journal Dermatologic Surgery showed that radiofrequency combined with 585-nm pulsed dye laser treatment gave “good and very good” subjective improvement in stretch marks in 33 of 37 patients, although further studies would be required to follow up on these results. In addition, the use of a pulsed dye laser was shown to increase pigmentation in darker skinned individuals with repeated treatments.

A surgical procedure for removing lower abdominal stretch marks is the tummy tuck, which removes the skin below the navel where stretch marks frequently occur.

A new modality, fractional laser resurfacing, offers a novel approach to treating striae. Using scattered pulses of light only a fraction of the scar is zapped by the laser over the course of several treatments. This creates microscopic wounds and as such is a “no downtime” procedure. The body responds to each treatment by producing new collagen and epithelium. In a 2007 clinical trial, 5-6 treatments resulted in striae improving by as much as 75 percent. A 2007 Brazilian clinical study showed that Fraxel improved both texture and appearance of mature, white striae in skin types I-IV.