$79 Easy DOT Physical Exam Grand Junction Colorado

Commercial Driving

Improving Blood Pressure with Beets

High blood pressure is the primary reason commercial drivers have trouble that their DOT Physical. They are nervous. They come in not sure what kind of mood the doctor or nurse are in. And because the DOT Medical Exam affects a driver’s commercial driver’s license (CDL) there are ramifications for the physical. Drivers need to prepare to have low blood pressure so they will pass their exam and not have to have their physical time and time again. More and more drivers are using beets and beet related supplements. But is this the best solution? Read on to learn the truth.

Multiple Benefits

Beyond improving your blood pressure, beets show promise in how you think too. This is important for many reasons.

One of the biggest reasons drivers have hypertension is because of stress. Their profession involves dealing with other motorists, demanding dispatchers and clients. Driver need quick thinking and beets can actually improve a driver’s ability to think.

beets dot physicalBeet Truths

While we are not a big fan of supplements, often they are worth a try. But they need to be proven through research and beets for high blood pressure are well researched and proven.

When you choose to include beets into your wellness program there are a couple things you must do.

  1. Speak with your physician before starting a program especially if you are on prescription medications
  2. Plan for consistency
  3. Figure out how you are going to ‘test’ beets

You should always purchase a two to three month supply and figure out how you are going to regularly see if the money is worth it. Find an easy and accurate way of testing your blood pressure in a consistent location at a consistent time of day.

Best Options

Finding a brand at the right price can take a little work. Here, we’ll offer you three choices and you can find the product that suits your budget.

  1. Here is our #1 choice for people where money isn’t an option. SuperBeets aren’t the most affordable, but you get you pay for. CLICK HERE for more information on SuperBeets.
  2. For a middle of the road option CLICK HERE
  3. Horbaach is an affordable brand that make good products

Best Free Options

Some people want the most affordable ways to lower blood pressure. There is nothing better than…walking. Yes. Simply walking is the best way to lower blood pressure naturally.

The next best free option is to avoid processed and packaged foods. These are always high in salt. Packaged and fast food is usually the worst thing you can do.

Need More Help?

DOT Physical CDL Exam Grand Junction Colorado

If you try these or have tried these and you are not making progress, please reach out. There are additional ways to lower blood pressure beyond supplementing with beets or walking.

For instance, we offer a 12 month nutrition program specifically for commercial drivers. This is a remote program that helps drivers make one better choice at a time and often they lose weight. Our last commercial driver lost 40 pounds in 12 months. Call 970-712-8193 to schedule a free 10 minute consultation. And you get 50% when you sign up within two weeks of your last DOT Physical.

To schedule the most affordable DOT or CDL Physical Medical Exam in Grand Junction, CLICK HERE

6 Ways Truck Drivers Can Get Restful Sleep

6 Ways Truck Drivers Can Get Restful Sleep (and improve sleep apnea without a CPAP or drugs)!

Many commercial drivers face the challenge of managing consistent sleep.  On top of that, some even struggle with sleep apnea. With overnight drives, social isolation, and inconsistent working hours, drivers who have obstructive sleep apnea are still driving through sleeplessness.  As a result, the driver can fall asleep at the wheel, culminating in deadly crashes and incurring major equipment and infrastructure costs.  

Some drivers sleep with a Continuous Positive Airway Pressure Therapy (CPAP) machine to get adequate sleep to help prevent them from falling asleep at the wheel. Some drivers use anti-sleep drugs while driving and sleep-aid drugs for sleeping.  However, these drugs might cause some severe health issues – and even addiction. First Aid Occupational Health, your DOT Physical exam specialist, has some natural methods for drivers to help reduce sleeping challenges.

Ensure a proper sleeping position

For long haulers, drivers can become over-tired, making it hard to fall asleep. Thus, the first thing a driver can address is her or her sleeping posture. Try to elevate your head slightly and sleep on your side.  This can reduce snoring and sleep disruptions.

Use a humidifier

In dry areas, when a humidifier is running while you are sleeping, breathing can become easier, lessening the chances of snoring, which can cause sleeping disruptions. Also, consider adding a diffuser with your favorite essential oil scent, as it can calm your body and muscles for more sound sleep.

Lose weight

Being overweight is one of the major causes of sleep apnea.  By its nature, driving limits physical activity and it’s easy to consume extra food and put on weight. When you stop for a break, try doing a brisk 10-minute walk around the truck stop to get the blood pumping.  

Reduce or eliminate tobacco and alcohol products

Both tobacco and alcohol cause the release of hormones just like a fight or flight situation. This can place the body in an active mode, making falling asleep and getting restful sleep a chore. Ensure you have a wind-down period in which there is no substance consumption before sleeping.

Choose healthier food options

Some drivers have heartburn and digestion problems as a result of poor food choices on the road.  This makes it hard to sleep. Try replacing a processed sugar snack by pre-planning.  Have healthy whole food options on hand during your trip such as fresh fruit, avocados, or crunchy vegetables like carrots or broccoli in order to reduce heartburn and digestion problems.  

Hire a Health Coach

Did you know that First Aid Occupational Health now has a certified health and wellness coaching program to help improve your health while you’re on the road? Health coaches help you set weekly goals and help hold you accountable so you can achieve your goals. Coaching call help you implement the strategies mentioned in this article. Call (970) 812-3864 today for a free consultation or visit www.firstaidocchealth.com to inquire.  Your company may even pay for the program!

Safety Driving Tips For Commercial Drivers

Commercial driving is a risky, and error prone endeavor that is often associated to be devoid of emotional control. So, exactly what are the issues that cause so much stress in drivers? Driving can potentially be a stressful experience. Moreover, anyone behind the wheel, whether commercial or personal faces unpredictable variables that otherwise cannot be controlled like weather conditions – can be minor, traffic, fatigue, and psychological health problems which can be more challenging. It is important for commercial drivers to drive safely. Here are some safety driving tips for commercial drivers.

Cost of Road Rage

Through evolution, our bodies have been designed around a simple fight-or-flight mechanism, in relation to stressful situations. Sitting in a car ultimately results to stress build up since there is no physical outlet. We can neither fight nor run, therefore tension simply builds up with no obvious outlet.

When an outlet does present itself, for example on another driver who is being irritable, there’s a potential danger of reacting aggressively leading to the so-called road rage.

Typical drivers exhibit this rage in three different ways, as the aggressor; who takes extreme actions against other motorists, making it well known he/she has been wronged. The Communicator; who simply communicates his/her displeasure and take no action through making vulgar statements and gestures or even honking the horn frantically. Finally, the silent avenger who has the potential of becoming an aggressor or a communicator

The cost of road rage is huge often resulting in loss of lives and livelihoods (loss of insurance and jobs, in the case of a commercial driver) through accidents.

Manage Your Emotions, Lower StressSafety Driving Tips For Commercial Drivers

Your emotions, such as anger and grief, are the hidden causes of high blood pressure, the number 1 health problem for commercial drivers. While high blood pressure is caused by other factors like body chemical imbalances, unhealthy diet, or excessive weight, but it also reflects another major cause, bottled up anger and/or grief.

Luckily, there are practices that one can use to help defuse anger and manage grief to subsequently reduce blood pressure naturally. As a commercial driver, please consider these 7 strategies to manage your emotions as you drive:

  1. Remind yourself that you’re in control of yourself, your emotions and your vehicle.
  2. Recognize that it’s not your duty to manage other drivers’ behavior. Every driver is their own person and thoughts.
  3. Stay cool and always drive defensively. Be on the lookout for drivers who are going too fast, traveling too close or driving erratically. If you notice a driver driving in a manner to suggest unsafely, keep your cool and drive away, or drive off the road for a moment, let them pass and continue.
  4. Plan to enjoy your trip however it presents itself. Play your favorite jams. Have your non-alcoholic chilled beverage etc.
  5. Keep your distance both physically and emotionally. Give plenty of room between yourself and the vehicle in front of you.
  6. Set an example. Be the man, take the high road by showing others about what driving safe entails.
  7. Learn to let it go. Regardless of the other drivers’ irritability, always learn to let go of any negative feelings creeping in.

Learn more about driving safely and schedule your DOT Physical Exam in Grand Junction

Here is how the process works:

  1. Schedule and pay for your exam by clicking here
  2. Arrive ready to complete minimal paperwork
  3. We’ll do a thorough examination and determine your certification length
  4. Also, you have the option of having us recommend wellness strategies that’ll improve your health

Make life easier by scheduling and paying for your DOT Physical in Grand Junction, Colorado at www.dotgj.com and save $10

Healthy Eating For Truck Drivers

As a truck driver possibly you are thinking, with these long hours I put on the road, how can I maintain a healthy lifestyle in terms of food? Well, Healthy Eating For Truck DriveHealthy Eating For Truck Driversrs is not impossible, please read on to understand why.

It has been suggested that road truck drivers have an advantage in achieving a healthy eating lifestyle compared to office workers. Maybe its access to different restaurants along the long roads, or being able to cook with your portable stoves as you camp under the night sky, or maybe it’s that there is no stress on the open road, ensuring you don’t eat unnecessarily and unhealthy. When it comes to healthy eating habits, the core aspect is being realistic and commitment to changing your eating habits. It is unnecessary to go way overboard with all that fancy organic, low fat diet, gluten free, and sugar free and everything-free, basically a monk’s cuisine.

Instead be realistic and just eat what you need at the right time. Here are some tips to help you out;

  1. Start your day Big and end it Small

This is in tandem with the necessary daily energy requirements, it doesn’t make sense eating a huge supper only to go to sleep and skipping out on breakfast. Unless you are exercising in your sleep, eat small portions before bedtime. As you start your day keep in mind you need energy for your day and eating a huge healthy portion in the morning will do you just right.

  1. Ditch the Soda for water

Soda is a big contributor to weight gain, cutting back on soda might actually help you shed off some pounds. As you drink that soda, your body is tricked into thinking its hungry, always asking for more food, thus increasing your weight. Water, on the other hand, disciplines your tummy, sharpening its sense of hunger and fullness.

  1. Get that portable stove

Cooking your own food is better, since you control your ingredients, also it’s not that difficult, cooking a one person’s meal, and you can cook in bulk and store it in a hot pot, keeping it fresh up to the next day, at lunch time.

  1. Temet Nosce (Know Thyself)

Knowing yourself provides the opportunity to adjust yourself and develop healthy eating habits. Do you snack because you are bored? Find a hobby to keep you off snacking carelessly, or rather snack in fruits and whole cereals.

But essentially know your weaknesses to plot their downfall.

By tackling these four bits, you will be on your road to healthy eating success.

So what is a good Diet plan?

A popular question no doubt, different people offer different answers depending on their viewpoint. Ideally a good diet consists of quality nutrient-filled foods with low saturated trans-fats. It should also be highly composite of protein and fiber. Examples of good protein are chicken and beans. Fiber is also in beans, vegetables and fruits.

To help you figure out healthy eating check out this list of certified professionals. These providers have great training in helping people plan healthy diets and eating habits.

Learn more about eating healthy and schedule your DOT Physical Exam in Grand Junction

Here is how the process works:

  1. Schedule and pay for your exam by clicking here
  2. Arrive ready to complete minimal paperwork
  3. We’ll do a thorough examination and determine your certification length
  4. Also, you have the option of having us recommend wellness strategies that’ll improve your health

Make life easier by scheduling and paying for your DOT Physical in Grand Junction, Colorado at www.dotgj.com and save $10

 

Smoking Affects Your DOT Physical

Did you know that smoking affects your DOT physical? In fact, it can affect the length of your DOT medical card as well.

Smoking can increase your blood pressure which can reflect poorly on your physical. High blood pressure is one measurement that determines the length of your DOT medical card. If high blood pressure is present the length of your DOT medical card can range from 3 months to 1 year.  Two years is the longest a DOT medical card can be certified for.

The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) wants all smokers greater than 35 years of age to have a Pulmonary Function Test (PFT) using Spirometry. This test measures lung function. It also measures how damaged your lungs may be. If your DOT Medical Examiner requires the PFT that may cost you additional money to keep your DOT medical certificate.

The Cost of Smoking

The average cost of a pack of cigarettes is $5.65 in the state of Colorado but in New York the average cost is $12.85. If you were to buy a pack of cigarettes in Colorado every day for one year the total cost you would be spending on cigarettes is $2,062.25. If you were to do the same in New York the total cost would be $4,690.25. This article discusses the average cost of cigarettes in each state.

In addition to the cost of cigarettes, let’s compare the costs of a DOT physical exam over 20 years. If you’re a smoker and have high blood pressure you can expect to be getting a DOT physical annually. The cost of an annual DOT physical exam for 20 years at $70 per card is $1,400 plus the money you are spending for cigarettes. Using the Colorado average price per pack that is $41,245.00. However, the cost of a DOT physical for 20 years is less if you are coming biannually.  The cost of a biannual DOT physical exam for 20 years at $70 per car you are looking at spending $700. Therefore, smoking affects your DOT physical exam but it doesn’t have to if you’re committed to quitting.

The Easy Way to Stop Smoking

Finally, people interested in quitting smoking should read The Easy Way to Stop Smoking. Here are his top 10 tips to stop smoking if not interested in reading the full book.

Smoking Affects Your DOT Physical
The Easy Way to Stop Smoking

 

Schedule Your DOT Physical Exam in Grand Junction

Here is how the process works:

  1. Register and pay for your exam by clicking here
  2. Arrive ready to complete minimal paperwork
  3. We’ll do a thorough examination and determine your certification length
  4. Also, you have the option of having us recommend wellness strategies that’ll improve your health

Make life easier by registering and paying for your DOT Physical in Grand Junction, Colorado at www.dotgj.com and save $10