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Pro ATV Motocross: Change in diet has sparked Rastrelli toward top – Post-Bulletin

Posted: June 29, 2017 at 9:41 pm

MILLVILLE Jeffrey Rastrelli always felt a little bit "off."

No matter how hard he trained, no matter the number of hours he put in working on his bike, no matter how many times he told himself to focus, something didn't feel right.

A year ago, in the middle of his fourth full season as an AMA Pro ATV Motocross racer, he felt weak and was often vomiting on the track during practice sessions and races. So the 26-year-old from Palm City, Fla., sought some help.

"I didn't know what was going on, why I wasn't performing," Rastrelli said. "I saw a doctor who said I'd had some health issues for years. He helped me get on a certain diet and training program and it's changed my whole life."

Rastrelli has found a comfort level and success on the track this season more than ever before. He sits third in the Pro Class standings as the AMA ATV Motocross series makes its annual stop at Spring Creek MX Park this weekend.

The pro races are scheduled for Saturday afternoon, with motos set to begin at 2 p.m. and 4. An autograph session with the pro riders will be held following the second moto.

It was exactly a year ago that Rastrelli was diagnosed with low-to-no stomach acid. He said the races at Spring Creek last year were the first time in a long time he had felt close to 100 percent.

"It wasn't that I was eating bad, but the things I was eating were bad for me ... bread and certain other things," he said. "I wasn't getting any nutrients out of the food I was eating. Now I'm all healed up.

"The doctor really changed my whole career. I was always fast, but could never last through a 20-plus minute moto."

Pro motos last 18 minutes, plus two laps. Rastrelli's new-found health has allowed him to form an exercise routine that has done him a world of good on the track, in terms of both strength and endurance, two necessities for ATV racers.

"Mentally, too, it's been a huge help," he said. "I was always in a fog, always a little off. The whole diet and everything about it ... I stay to it very strictly. It's working; I've been on the podium (top-three finish) now four rounds in a row."

Rastrelli needs that strength and stamina to attempt to chase down the two riders in front of him in the standings -- second-place rider Joel Hetrick and points leader and five-time defending national champion Chad Wienen.

Wienen enters this weekend's races with 255 points; Hetrick is seven points back of him. Rastrelli has 202 points, and is likely out of title contention with just four rounds left in the championship series, but he said this season has been a great learning and growing experience.

"All-around, I have more stamina and energy," he said. "I feel like I can go all day now. Before, I'd wake up and wouldn't want to do anything. Now, I can wake up and go all day. Before, it was a drag. I had no energy.

"On the track it's unbelievable. I can't even compare where I am now to where I was then."

Rastrelli has his sights set not only on another podium finish at Spring Creek, but he wants to earn his first moto win and first overall victory (the best average finish after two motos on a race day) of his pro career.

He said a wreck in the first round of the championship this year has proven costly. He finished 17th in that moto, but has been a thorn in the leaders' sides ever since.

"I won't be able to catch those guys in the points," he said, "but my goal by the end of the year is to win one. I've (finished) second. I've finished third. But I've never won one.

Friday: Hetrick trying to track down Wienen

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Pro ATV Motocross: Change in diet has sparked Rastrelli toward top - Post-Bulletin

9 Things to Know If You’re Thinking About Starting a Raw Food Diet This Summer – Reader’s Digest

Posted: June 29, 2017 at 9:41 pm

Raw is all the rage Courtesy Fiona TappThe raw food diet is the hot new trend in wellness and health circles. If you're curious about this approach, you can try eating raw for a day with these recipes. The movement has grown steadily as an extension of veganism. Raw food advocates believe that processing and cooking food reduces its nutritional benefits; followers find they eat plenty of fresh fruit and vegetables and claim that this approach has physical and mental benefits. Melanie A. Albert is an intuitive cooking expert, author, and speaker, who is passionate about good, wholesome, and healthy foods. She has been a leader in wellness, integrative medicine, and nutrition for over 15 years, and her sprightly energetic vibe is a walking advertisement for the foods she promotes. I met her in the Arizona desert for an intuitive cooking class where she showed me how to make fresh, delicious foods from locally grown ingredients. By local, I mean they were grown steps from where we cooked! Albert talked about how she has become more interested in alternatives to cooking lately and has actually just taken a course on becoming a professional raw gourmet. She explained how the natural properties of food in its original grown state can be very appetizing, especially on warm summer days. "Raw food makes sense in our diets especially when the weather is hot and our bodies naturally crave cool foods. When you think about it, foods that cool naturally grow when the weather is warm. In the hot summer, it's all about melons, tomatoes, cucumbers, and peppers, which are all full of water and very hydrating." As I prepared Albert's recipe of dinosaur kale, fresh veggies, and nuts in the heat of the Arizona sun at The Farm at South Mountain, just 15 minutes from downtown Phoenix, I had to agree this type of cuisine certainly suits the warmer weather! If you are intrigued by this trend read on to see what you need to know...

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9 Things to Know If You're Thinking About Starting a Raw Food Diet This Summer - Reader's Digest

Second Street likely not to go on a ‘road diet’ – Gillette News Record

Posted: June 29, 2017 at 9:41 pm

A trial run for a Second Street road diet seems all but dead.

The plan to slim down the roadway from 4J Road to Highway 59 needed a test run before the city of Gillette and Wyoming Department of Transportation could decide to make the change permanent.

It was estimated that the trial run would cost anywhere from $30,000 to $40,000.

WYDOT twice unsuccessfully attempted to secure funding through a grant for the test run. One funding source, the Highway Safety Improvement Program, would be able to provide permanent striping and signal improvements, but not for a test trial.

The idea for the road diet, or narrowing the roadway from four lanes to three, was first introduced to the Gillette City Council in late May.

The reason for changing highways through a city usually is to increase safety for pedestrians, bicyclists and drivers, as well as convenience for drivers sharing the roadway, city staff said.

City numbers show that in 2015, the number of daily travelers on Second Street east of Gillette Avenue averaged 13,500, 14,000 east of Brooks Avenue and 12,600 for east of 4J Road.

In the last five years, there were 211 reported crashes on that strip of Second Street, an average of 42 a year. According to an analysis done by the planning and engineering firm DOWL, the road diet could potentially reduce crashes in the area by 18 to 22 per year.

Several downtown business owners were in favor of the change, including employees and owners of the Railyard, First National Bank and Teachers Corner/Kids Mart.

Because the funding for the test run would be the city of Gillettes full responsibility, Development Services Director Dustin Hamilton is suggesting the city abandon the idea for now.

There are infrastructure priorities on city-owned facilities that are of higher importance to be funded with city dollars, Hamilton says in a letter to the council.

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Second Street likely not to go on a 'road diet' - Gillette News Record

Lily Collins Was Complimented for Weight Loss After Playing Anorexic Character – E! Online

Posted: June 29, 2017 at 9:41 pm

Stas Komarovski / The Edit

Lily Collins' drastic weight loss for the filmTo the Bone was shockingly met with mixed reactions.

In a cover story interview for Net-A-Porter's digital magazineThe Edit, the 28-year-old actress reveals that she even received a compliment.

"I was leaving my apartment one day and someone I've known for a long time, my mom's age, said to me, 'Oh, wow, look at you!'" Collins said. "I tried to explain [I had lost weight for a role] and she goes, 'No! I want to know what you're doing, you look great!' I got into the car with my mom and said, "That is why the problem exists."

Stas Komarovski / The Edit

Collins plays an anorexic girl named Ellen in To the Bone, which is set for release on Netflix on July 14. The actress said that after filming, she was "told that a lot of media didn't want me in their magazines."

"Not just on the coverthey wouldn't put me inside looking theway I did, even though it was for a movie," she said. "I told my publicist that if I could snap my fingers and gain 10pounds right that second, I would."

The actresshas previously revealed that she herself had suffered from an eating disorder in real life. Speaking toThe Edit, she recalls the shock she felt while filming a particularly revealing scene in the movie.

"There's a scene where I'm taking my clothes off to be weighed by Carrie Preston, my stepmom in the movie, who takes a photo on her phone and shows it to me. I didn't think she'd actually take one but she did," Collins said. "I saw myself in the photo and my heart dropped. Sowhen my mom saw the film, she saw Lily's reaction because she knows me the best."

The movie moved herreal mother to tears, she said.

"The first time she was a bit in shock. The second time I looked over at the end and she was sobbing; it really hit her hard," Collins said.

"To read the full interview with Lily Collins, read The Edit at http://www.net-a-porter.com/magazine/408/12and/or download The EDIT's free app for iPhone, iPad and Android.

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Lily Collins Was Complimented for Weight Loss After Playing Anorexic Character - E! Online

Are stomach balloons the future of weight loss? – Fox News

Posted: June 29, 2017 at 9:41 pm

Obesity is one of the most serious health problems worldwide. In the U.S., a whopping 1 in 3 adults is considered obese, and 2 in 3 are either obese or overweight by clinical definitions. Its estimated that by 2030 more than half the worlds population will be overweight or obese. Associated health problems include certain types of cancer, type II diabetes, heart disease, non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, osteoarthritis, and high blood pressure.

Despite wide acceptance by physicians, weight loss surgery like the gastric bypass procedure has been largely rejected by healthcare consumers. Only 1 to 2 percent of people who qualify for weight loss surgery decide to have it. For the other 99 percent, the idea of permanently changing their bodies and the risk of life-threatening complications arent worth the potential for weight loss.

UGLY TOENAILS? IT MIGHT BE TOENAIL FUNGUS

Other consumers are discouraged by how difficult it is to get insurance coverage for weight loss procedures. Many have to appeal several times before getting approval, and some are never approved at all. And many Americans dont have the $23,000 it may cost to pay for gastric bypass surgery out of their pockets.

What Are Stomach Balloons?

Stomach balloons (also known as gastric balloons), a less invasive, cheaper weight loss therapy, are growing in popularity. Insurance companies often refuse to cover a gastric balloon, but the total cost of the procedure is under $10,000. Instead of permanently changing a patients body, a gastric balloon is meant to be a temporary weight loss aid.

A silicone balloon is inserted endoscopically (down through the esophagus) and then inflated with a sterile saline solution. The balloon takes up space in the stomach to help patients adjust to healthier portion sizes. The entire procedure takes about 20-30 minutes, and the balloon is inflated to about the size of a grapefruit. The balloon stays in place for six months, which is thought to be long enough to change the eating habits of most patients.

During those six months, patients also receive diet and lifestyle counseling to help them get the most out of the procedure. After the balloon is removed, patients continue with another six months of counseling to help them keep off the weight theyve lost.

In one study patients who had received ORBERA, the most popular gastric balloon device, lost an average of 21.8 pounds while the device was in place and maintained a weight loss average of 19.4 pounds in the six months after removal. Comparatively, patients who didnt receive a device but participated in the weight loss counseling part of the program lost an average of seven pounds.

RECOGNIZING AND TREATING HYPERARATHYROIDISM

Are Stomach Balloons Safe?

According to the FDA, the device should only be used by obese adults who have a BMI of 30-40 who havent been able to lose weight through other methods, including diet and exercise. While the device is considered a safe option for those who are clinically obese, there are risks with any medical procedure.

A study of 160 patients using the ORBERA device showed a 10 percent rate of serious adverse events. These events included dehydration, infection, and gastric perforation with sepsis, but the most common serious adverse event was device intolerance, defined as intolerable nausea, vomiting, or reflux pain that led to early device removal. Since FDA approval there have also been reports of acute pancreatitis and spontaneous over-inflation, but these events are extremely rare.

PATIENT CLAIMS DOCTORS LEFT CAMERA IN BODY AFTER TRANSPLANT SURGERY

Many doctors believe that the risks associated with obesity are higher than the risks associated with this procedure. And to put the gastric balloon device in perspective, most studies report a significantly higher rate of serious adverse events for gastric bypass surgery.

If youre concerned about your weight, talk to your doctor about your lifestyle first. Most doctors consider weight loss procedures a last resort and will recommend diet, exercise, and nutritional counseling before recommending any type of medical procedure.

This article first appeared on AskDrManny.com.

Dr. Manny Alvarez serves as Fox News Channel's senior managing health editor. He also serves as chairman of the department of obstetrics/gynecology and reproductive science at Hackensack University Medical Center in New Jersey. Click here for more information on Dr. Manny's work with Hackensack University Medical Center. Visit AskDrManny.com for more.

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Are stomach balloons the future of weight loss? - Fox News

Shonda Rhimes Wrote the Realest Essay About Her 150-Pound Weight Loss – Health.com

Posted: June 29, 2017 at 9:41 pm

According to Shonda Rhimes, the only thing worse than shedding a lot ofweight is getting the wrong kind ofattention for it afterward. In a newsletter sentto Shondaland subscribers last week, Rhimes, 47,reveals that it wasnt until she lost nearly 150 pounds that people seemed to find her valuable.

Though the Greys Anatomy and Scandal creator dropped the weight about two years ago, shes still stunned anddisturbedby the way people, even strangers,reacted to her transformation.

I did not do it because I thought I would become beautiful like in the movies, Rhimes explains. I did it because I could not walk up a short flight up stairs without stopping to take a break and wiping sweat from my brow. I did it because my body was physically rebelling against the brain that had been ignoring it for so long.

RELATED: 4 Annoying Comments to Expect When You're Losing Weight

And dont get her wrong, Rhimes still isnt taken with #cleanliving. In fact, she loathed what it took to lose so many pounds.

Losing weight is not a topic I like discussing, she writes. Why? Because there is nothing fun or interesting or great about it. I hated losing weight. I hated every single second of it. And I hate every single second of maintaining my weight, too.

What Rhimeshated even more was howslimming down changed the waypeople reacted to her."But you know what was worse than losing weight? What was SO MUCH MORE HORRIFYING? How people treated me after I lost weight," she explains.

"I mean, things got weird," writes Rhimes.Especially when women she hardly knew gushed over her new look. "Like I was holding-a-new-baby-gushed. Only there was no new baby. It was just me. In a dress. With makeup on and my hair all did, yes. Butstill the same me."

Men began to take notice of Rhimes too, she recalls.THEY SPOKE TO ME. Like stood still and had long conversations with me about things. It was disconcerting.

The newfound attention wasnt the only thing that made this high-powered TVproducer uncomfortable. She was also appalled by how breezily people commented on her appearance, calling her hot or telling her they were were proud of her.

"After I lost weight, I discovered that people found me valuable. Worthy of conversation. A person one could look at. A person one could compliment. A person one could admire," she continues.

To Rhimes, it felt like others only considered her worthy of conversation once she looked a certain way. After that realization,she began to wonder.What the hell did they see me as before? How invisible was I to them? How hard did they work to avoid me? she writes.

WATCH THE VIDEO: What 5 Olympic Athletes Can Teach You About Body Confidence

Of courseRhimes also infuses her newsletter with humor. While lamentinghow hard it was to drop the 150 pounds, she says she misses eating all the fried chicken, and not just when it was on her plate. No. I miss eating ALL THE FRIED CHICKEN, she writes. All of it. Every piece, everywhere.

Jokes aside, Rhimesmakes a powerful pointin a world where unrealistic body ideals are everywhere and a person's size is often linked to their value.Being thinner doesnt make you a different person," she says."It just makes you thinner.

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Shonda Rhimes Wrote the Realest Essay About Her 150-Pound Weight Loss - Health.com

The Real Stories Behind Three of 2017’s Most Viral Weight-Loss Photos – Glamour

Posted: June 29, 2017 at 9:41 pm

Before-and-after photos have become a full-on social media phenomenon. But these kinds of images can never really show you a start point and an end point to anyones weight or health journey. Theyre just part of a storyoften a lifelong one, with ups, downs, and U-turns. Glamour asked three women with widely viewed before-and-afters to share the real deal on their personal odysseys and what they learned that we all should know.

PHOTO: @gofitjo

About four years ago I set out to lose the 20 pounds Id put on during my second pregnancy; my older daughter had told me I looked beautiful, and Id responded, No, Im not. Im fat. (The photo above on the left was taken around that time.) I couldnt believe Id said that to her, and I didnt want to go on feeling like I wasnt taking care of myself. So I started making sure I was moving more each day, I cleaned up my diet, and I lost the weight. I felt good, and I wanted to see what I could do next. I began working out harder, doing more strength training, and eating even less. I didnt take rest days. When I posted my after photo (middle), people said I was an inspiration, which should have been motivating for me. But I wasnt happy, at least not in the way I wanted to be. I had no balance in my life. Its heartbreaking to look back and think that I couldnt enjoy playing with my kids because I was so concerned about the love handles I thought I had. So last year I changed my views. The most important thing, I realized, isnt my weightits staying true to who I am. I have stretch marks. I have loose skin. Im never going to be perfect.

When I shared this part of my story, it turned out that my failure was even more inspiring to people. Sure, on my latest photo, some people have said, So you got fat. But thats OK. I bounce back because I know Im the happiest Ive ever been. I can cope with my anxiety, my marriage is stronger, Im a better mother, and I found a new career path as a health coach. I spend more time with my kids, and Im present for it. To the negative commenters I say: Fitness doesnt have to be one thing. My goals arent to get more and more defined or lose weight; I want to be fitter and happier as a whole. Ive learned I cant evaluate fitness using someone elses definition of health. And you cant evaluate someones health by looking at a photo, either. No ones opinion about my body matters besides mine. I lost sight of whats important: Its not how I look. Its how I feel.

PHOTO: @mandas_muffintop

About a year after I had my daughter, in early 2014, I reached my heaviest weight of 330 pounds. I had back pain, and I wasnt able to be the mother I wanted to be, so under the advice of my doctor, I received bariatric surgery. After about 18 months I lost 150 pounds. I had all this excess skin, so much that I thought Id done something wrong, because no one else was talking about this part of their weight loss. I later realized its entirely normal. Because Id started with unrealistic expectations, I decided to document my journey first on Tumblr and then Instagram (@mandas_muffintop), hoping that my photos, like the two above left, would make other people feel less alone. It was painful: When I was plus-size, people told me I was unhealthy and looked terrible; with these pictures some people made fun of my loose skin (saying things like Your stomach looks like an old man). After I got surgery to remove the excess skin (right), I thought that would be the end of the criticism, but now people come at me asking how I could be body positive if Ive had skin-removal surgery. I did it to improve my quality of life: I dont have to worry about moving my skin around to sit. Of course Im body positive; how else could I put myself out there like this? Sometimes I think it would be easier if I shut down my Instagram, but then I remember the positive feedback Ive gotten. My followers tell me they feel more comfortable in their body because of me. I want people to love themselves no matter what stagebefore, after, or in betweentheyre in.

PHOTO: @chellespindler

Until two years ago, I was a smoker, I drank, and I didnt eat well. I was a crash dieter and would look in the mirror and put myself down. I wasnt happy with where I was emotionally, and Id heard working out could help with that. Then I found Kayla Itsines community online and was inspired by the supportive women there. I signed up for her plan and went from years of not exercising to logging six workouts a week. I was stronger and treating myself with more respect. I was proud of what I had accomplished, so I decided to post some before-and-after photos (far left, from my dieting days, and left, after I started working out). The next day Kayla featured my photos on her accounts. I was ecstaticuntil I read some of the comments. People said I looked better before, I looked sick now, and I must be unhealthy. For two days I obsessed about reading the posts. I was so confused and hurt. I knew I had made healthy changes in my life. I reminded myself that people didnt know that I used to eat poorly, drink, and smoke. I focused on the mental progress Ive made too, something people cant tell by looking at a photo. One person implied I was romanticizing anorexia but later reached out to me and apologized; she said she didnt realize I was a real person. I thanked her. That apology meant a lot to me. People will always say judgmental things. Im not doing this for them, but for me.

This article originally appeared in the August 2017 issue of Glamour.

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The Real Stories Behind Three of 2017's Most Viral Weight-Loss Photos - Glamour

Twin Brothers Dropped 324 Lbs. Together Through Diet Overhaul and Surgery: ‘We Like to Compete’ – PEOPLE.com

Posted: June 29, 2017 at 9:41 pm

Twins Cory and Dillon Sasvari do pretty much everything together even lose weight.

The Pennslyvania-based brothers, 25, shed a combined 324 lbs. in two years after overhauling their diet and undergoing gastric bypass surgery. Cory went from 405 lbs. to 238 lbs., while Dillon dropped from 400 lbs. to 225 lbs., according toToday.

While the brothers say they had always been overweight, their size nearly doubled after high school when they stopped playing football. They went from around 200 lbs. to 400 lbs. in few short years.

Looking at myself in the mirror I knew I needed to do something about it, said Cory.

Added Dillon: I didnt have diabetes but I was close to it.

It was their grandmother,Leona Mesler, who motivated them to change. She said Listen, you and your brother are the biggest I have ever seen you, said Cory, whose gout left him unable to move some days. My family, they were concerned about my health I was always fatigued. I was depressed.

They decided to trygastric bypass surgery, but were told by a doctor atPittsburgh Medical Centers Magee-Womens Hospital that they had to lose 10 percent of their body weight first.

FROM PEN:Half Their Size: Ashley OReilly Was Inspired by a Friends Weight Loss

With the help of a nutritionist, the twins adopted healthier habits,first cutting soda I would drink two or three liters a day, said Dillon and then swapping processed foods like sugary cereal and pizza forvegetables, fruits, lean proteins and plenty of water.

Before their surgeries Dillons was in April 2015 and Corys a week later in May the twins had lost 50 lbs. and 70 lbs., respectively.Thats how we usually do it. Everything that I do, he does, Dillon said. Luckily I had a brother who went through the same thing. We always like to compete.

Now that they can move more easily, they are playing sports again, including softball, hockey and football. They have also added weightlifting to their fitness routine.

Their goal is to reach 200 lbs. and both are committed to continuing with their new healthy lifestyle.

Surgery is not a cure all. It is just a tool to help, said Dillon. I dont want to be as big as I used to beI like buying smaller clothes. I dont want to buy bigger clothes or go back to my old clothes.

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Twin Brothers Dropped 324 Lbs. Together Through Diet Overhaul and Surgery: 'We Like to Compete' - PEOPLE.com

Curvy Blogger Calls Out TV Company Who Tried to Recruit Her for Weight Loss Show – PEOPLE.com

Posted: June 29, 2017 at 9:41 pm

Much like you should never ask someone how much they weigh, you should never blindly ask anyone to join a weight loss TV show. But thats what happened to Lottie LAmour, a London-based blogger who writes about body positivity.

LAmour received an email on Friday from Twofour production company in the U.K., which incorrectly addressed her as Gloria, and asked if she would join the upcoming show Save Money: Good Health, as theyre looking for volunteers who would like to lose weight and are open to trialling out a new diet.

I was angered, LAmour tells PEOPLE. It was a combination of the lack of attention to detail and research with the fact that it was clear this person had gone looking for plus size bloggers with the assumption that we would clearly want to lose weight. Its that perception that Im trying to challenge not all fat people have weight loss as a goal, and that is okay.

The 30-year-old says she laughed at it for about 5 minutes before sharing the email, her written response to Twofour and a few reaction selfies on Twitter, where people were overwhelmingly positive, and reached out in support.

I have had an influx of cruel messages mostly from men telling me to kill myself or that I will die early but for each terrible message, Ive had at least 10 telling me that sticking up for fat bodies has changed their life, LAmour says. Thats what makes all of this worth it.

RELATED VIDEO: Daphne Oz Has a Brilliant Response to Social Media Body Shamers

Twofour also sent her an apology email, which she shared with PEOPLE, but LAmour says she felt it was a bit weak.

Regardless, she sees this as a teachable moment.

I hope it reminds fat people that there is an alternative to self loathing, and I hope it reminds non-fat people to think twice before making an assumption about someones weight loss needs, LAmour says. Its important to me to challenge the thoughts and opinions of people around body image and body positivity.

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Curvy Blogger Calls Out TV Company Who Tried to Recruit Her for Weight Loss Show - PEOPLE.com

Trees, saws, ladders don’t mix! – Daily Herald

Posted: June 29, 2017 at 9:40 pm

LONDONDERRY, NH In February 2016, a homeowner was seriously injured after falling from a ladder while trimming branches from a tree in Frederick, OK. The man was using a chain saw to trim broken limbs from the trees around his home.

One of the limbs he severed fell into his ladder, knocking it over and causing the man to fall 12 feet to the ground. The man was discovered by a neighbor, lying face down in the yard beneath the tree.

The badly bent ladder and chain saw were strewn on the ground nearby. He was taken by helicopter to OU Medical Center due to the nature of his injuries.

This story is, unfortunately, not an isolated incident says Tchukki Andersen, Board Certified Master Arborist, Certified Tree Safety Professional and staff arborist for the Tree Care Industry Association.

There are many stories in the news media each year depicting the sad details of homeowners getting severely injured or killed by attempting to manage large tree limbs on their own.

Tree work, while appearing fairly straightforward and simple, is actually extremely complicated and technical. There is so much to understand about removing live or hanging tree branches, and it is not at all like cutting up firewood on the ground with a chain saw.

Qualified tree professionals are trained to look for and take special precautions against:

Trees or branches with decay, cracks or unbalanced weight.

Working near overhead electrical wires and other conductors.

Preventing falls from trees they are working in.

Removing portions of or entire trees without causing bodily harm or property damage.

Do-it-yourself homeowners have been hurt trying to cut their own trees in the following manners:

Extension ladders

Oops! If the ladder is too short to reach the branch, do not make the mistake of setting it on something such as on overturned garbage can to get the reach needed.

Get a sturdy ladder that will reach at least five feet beyond the branch it will lean on. When a large branch is cut from a tree, the loss of the weight will cause the rest of the limb to suddenly lurch up.

Many unaware homeowners have been severely injured, some fatally, when the ladder they are standing on falls out from under the branch they are cutting. The biggest danger is taking too big or too unwieldy of a piece at one time. Cut the limb in small pieces.

Improper tools

Oops! Planning to borrow a brother-in-laws chain saw? When was the last time the tool was properly sharpened or maintained? A dull chain forces a user to use too much pressure, causing easy loss of control.

This can lead to many problems, most of them leading to the hospital for emergency treatment of deep lacerations to the users body. Andersen notes, Use properly maintained equipment and the right size saw for the job.

Lack of knowledge

Oops! It cant be done with just one cut. This is where those lacking experience in cutting live limbs from trees get hurt almost every time. Trees are mechanically complex organisms that need to be cut in a certain way to remove pieces of them safely.

Cutting off a large section of limb to save time will usually cause the branch to fall before the cut is finished. The cut end will often tear into the branch all the way back to the trunk.

This action can cause damage to the tree (and to anyone in the way) as it swings out of control, usually onto the ladder being used or the person holding the ladder. Therefore, it is always recommended to remove a large limb in sections.

Anyone that is at all uncertain about what could happen by attempting their own tree work should contact a qualified tree care professional.

Find a professional

A professional arborist can assess the landscape and work with the owner to determine the best care for the trees. Contact the Tree Care Industry Association TCIA), a public and professional resource on trees and arboriculture since 1938.

TCIA has more than 2,300 member tree care firms and affiliated companies who recognize stringent safety and performance standards and who are required to carry liability insurance.

TCIA also has the nations only Accreditation program that helps consumers find tree care companies that have been inspected and accredited based on: adherence to industry standards for quality and safety; maintenance of trained, professional staff; and dedication to ethics and quality in business practices.

For more information, visit http://www.tcia.org or http://www.treecaretips.org.

An easy way to find a tree care service provider in the area is to use the Locate Your Local TCIA Member Companies program. To use this service call 1-800-733-2622 or do a ZIP Code search on http://www.treecaretips.org.

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Trees, saws, ladders don't mix! - Daily Herald


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