November 14, 2022 Mission To Heal The World, My Business Journey, My Faith Journey Post a Comment

Finding Peace and Joy in Contentment

I’ve been practicing gratitude lately. I was told if you are feeling negative, just focus on gratitude. Resentment and gratitude cannot coexist.

I started attending church, praying, praising God in worship, reading the Bible, and fellowshipping with others and God has been changing my heart to let go of some of my desires and focusing more on purpose and love.

Resentment and Gratitude Cannot Coexist

What does it mean to be content?

I struggled with the idea of contentment. I once believed that contentment is a myth in a consumer driven world. I conflated contentment with complacency and complacency with laziness.

I saw contentment as a hinderance to progress. How do you even make goals to become better if you are content with where you are?

How do you motivate yourself to work harder if you are happy with everything that you have?

These thoughts were leading me to a road of unhappiness.

I placed value in work and production. I accomplished achievement over achievement. Once I achieved my goal, I was on to the next goal. If I didn’t achieve my goal, I saw myself as a failure. It made me sad, bitter, and lost.

I was driven to seek acceptance and approval of others, inflate my perceived status or admiration. This stems from a place of hurt and feeling unworthy and unloved. I learned in time that these views are not only toxic but wrong.

I know now that the opposite is true. I am accepted and loved by God. I am accepted and loved by my wife, by my family, and by my friends.

Knowing that God loves me helped me let go of chasing things.

I am loved. God’s love is more than enough. God provides my every need. I have a lot to be thankful for.

Before, I equated my achievement and accomplishments with my self worth. Now I see me how God sees me.

Your net worth is not the same as your self-worth.

It’s true.

We are all valued and loved by God even though the world measures success differently.

The world exploits our feelings of insufficiency, while God says we are enough.

I have issues with insecurities and fear of rejection. At times I have an inferiority complex and overcompensate with pride.

It affects how I work, how I communicate to others, how I spend my money and present myself, and most importantly how I view myself.

There was no peace or joy in that. I was unhappy and not satisfied.That sense of entitlement of wanting more than I have comes from pride.

Pride tells me it’s not enough because I think I am not given what I deserve. Gratitude tells me that God loves us and everything I have is a gift.

Knowing that I am loved helps me with my issues with insecurity and fear of being rejected, unloved, or abandoned.

Knowing that I am loved helps me feel grateful for everything because I know that God provides everything I need and for a purpose.

God provides our home. We live in Vegas for a purpose. We live in our neighborhood for a purpose.

God provides our business. We are entrusted with our business for a purpose.

God provides beyond our needs. We are entrusted with those provisions.

When I complain about my home, my business, my income and provisions, I am disrespecting God who provides them. I am forgetting everything is a gift.

More importantly I am forgetting the giver, the Creator of the universe and master of my life, Lord of all.

When I forget that it is God who provides, I look at his provisions as mine, not His.

I now am mindful that it is God’s provisions. I now pray more and read more and listen.

The Bible says to give generously, generosity and kindness is one of the fruits of the Spirits.

If not achievement or things, what motivates us to work and grow?

Purpose and God’s calling in our lives.

God’s calling in our lives is to love our neighbors and show God’s love and that Jesus is Lord and works through us.

This applies to all areas of our lives. My family. My personal life. My business life.

This has shifted the way I view my business. How do I love and serve others better in my business?

More importantly, how will people see God working through my business so that they may see that Jesus is Lord.

That’s my prayer.

Sometimes I still desire of material things like houses, cars, travel, and other luxuries,

but the more I am in the Word, the more that I am in prayer, the more that I am fellowshipping, the more that I am worshipping God,
the less I desire them.

I am able to experience peace and joy in contentment and focusing less on myself and focusing on how I can love and serve God and others that God has placed in our lives.

This has greatly helped my mental state and have a new outlook in life.

Dear Heavenly father, thank you for everything. Continue to work on me and focus on you Lord. Continue to guide me and show me what to do. Thank you. I praise you. I love you. In Jesus name I pray, Amen.

April 29, 2022 Air Quality, My Wellness Journey, Reducing Toxic Exposure Post a Comment

Read this before buying a Rainbow or Kirby vacuum

Last week, a Rainbow salesperson came to my home to demonstrate a vacuum. I scheduled a demonstration to help out a friend. If he sets up 12 demonstrations and 2 people buy (in a certain period of time), he gets his vacuum paid for. There was no obligation for me to purchase (Only 2 people need to buy and I could be the other 10 that don’t). I got a free gift for a demonstration as well. They created a business model that works for the master distributor, sales people, and buyers.

There are two major direct sales vacuum companies in the United States: Kirby and Rainbow. They’ve been around for a long time and they use sales people to demonstrate their vacuums. The good thing about sales people is that they know their stuff (or they should) and they know their industry. They educate people about the benefits and importance of their product or service. With a million things going on, many of us don’t go through the hassle of doing the research and filtering through the marketing and making an informed decision.

I actually prefer doing my own research. We live in the information age of “informed consumers” but having a dialogue with a person helps with gaining perspective.

Long story short, I learned a lot and with the information I learned, I ended up NOT buying the Rainbow vacuum. I was offered to purchase a Rainbow for $3,299. The sales person used a Tonight Only FOMO tactic and told me the price would go up to $4,499 after. It’s an old school tactic that reminds me of the selling techniques of the 1980s.

I decided to do research on vacuums that night. To my surprise, I learned that the best vacuum on the markets are not Dyson, Kirby or Rainbow. The best (non central) vacuums on the market are Miele and Sebo (which can cost around $1000 but still less than $3,299). But Rainbow and Kirby have some merits and perform better than vacuums that you would buy in a store.

These are factors when I’m looking at a vacuum.

  • Performance (Suction, Airflow, Powerhead for carpet)
  • Performance (Air Leakage and Exhaust)
  • Maneuverability (Feel of the vacuum varies by person)
  • Durability & Warranty (Longevity)
  • Cost (Budget)
  • Cost (Value)
  • Versatility (Additional benefits and Features)

Performance of the Vacuum (Suction & Airflow)

The key measurement to performance of vacuum is suction and airflow. This has to do with the power and design of the motor.

  • The measurement of airflow is CFM (Cubic Ft Per Minute).
  • The measurement of suction is water lift in inches.

Lots of factors influence the measurement of suction including elevation. At higher elevation, it will be lower than at sea level. So the numbers by itself don’t tell the whole story except how they relate to each other. Real world application may differ than others. The type of bags used in bagged vacuum also affects the airflow.
The head of the vacuum affects the performance. For hard floors, you shouldn’t use a moving brush. For carpets, you should use a head with a spinning brush or agitator). Generally, bagged vacuums perform more efficiently than non-bagged vacuums.

It’s important to have good airflow and suction for two reasons:

  1. It picks up more dust and debris. Especially on carpet for a deeper clean. More efficient, a vacuum with more air flow and suction picks up more dust in less passes than a vacuum with vacuum and performance.
  2. The agitator draws up dust. A good vacuum will suck it up so the dust goes directly into the vacuum bag/canister. A bad vacuum will not suck up all the dust efficiently and dust is being kicked up into the air and spread around.

So how do Rainbow and Kirby stack up to vacuums in stores:

They do a lot better than my $60 Bissel  bagless vacuum that you can find in Walmart. CFMs are hard to find but after some digging I found some. Some of these measurements are done by consumers, vacuum enthusiasts and technicians and not by an organization. But it gives a ballpark on how each vacuum is.  Also there is a difference of airflow at the base, hose, and the head. There may be some discrepancy, so if there is a correction please contact me.

  • Bissel Powerforce Helix Turbo (Bagless) -$79 – 56 CFM
  • Rainbow Vacuum $3299-4800 – 70-80 CFM / 74 Inch Water lift
  • Hoover T-Series Tempo – $150-200 ~80CFM
  • Oreck XLR21 or Elevate Models $200-600 – ~90CFM
  • Sebo E3 $100 – ~120CFM
  • Sebo D4 – $1300 – 120 CFM
  • Miele C3 – $1099-1699 – ~140 CFM
  • Kirby Vacuum – $995 -2500 – 120-150CFM / 80-85 inch Water Lift.

These numbers don’t tell the whole story and there are many testers that get different numbers. But they give a general feel of which vacuum is better. For example a Miele C3 or Kirby will perform significantly lot better than a Bissel Bagless vacuum.  There’s a big difference. Try to get around 100CFM or more. Robot vacuums are generally less than 20CFM.

As you can see, you can get decent performance vacuum for around $150 (if you know which models to look for)

Performance of the Vacuum (Air Leakage and Exhaust)

My $60 Bissel vacuum had a problem with air leakage and exhaust. Basically when you vacuum, it emits dust in the air. Through the bag, through the air leaks, through the exhaust. Before 2000s almost all vacuums had this issue. Rainbow is one of the cleanest exhaust vacuum because it employs a water filter that traps dust. Rexair invented this technology in the 1930s. It dominated the clean air vacuum sector…. until the 2000s, where other players improved their air leakage through the use of HEPA filters and air seals.

I haven’t compared numbers of different models. Performance Reviews is a vacuum technician on Youtube utilizes an Air Particulate Sensor  (that cost over $1000) to measure the particulates coming from various vacuums. What I’ve learned is Rainbow is not the only vacuum that emits clean air, there are other vacuums.

It’s not enough to use a HEPA bag or HEPA filter in a vacuum. The vacuum must be sealed properly, otherwise dust can escape the seals. If the dust escapes, then it blows all over the place causing poor air quality in the home and extra work. (Vacuuming can make the place dirtier instead of cleaner)

While Rainbow does a good job in lowering dust emissions from vacuum. Vacuums like the Miele C3 emits zero particles. Sebo E3 emits some but very little particles.

This is important for performance because more leakage means you are spreading the dust, less leakage means you are containing it. Also for health reasons, you don’t want to be breathing any dust the vacuum emits.

To see how different vacuums performed, check out some Vacuum and Performance Test Reviews on YouTube.

Maneuverability

This varies from person to person. What’s best for me may not be what’s best for you. In this case, it’s best to try before you buy. The two primary styles of vacuums are canister vacuums and upright vacuums. Nowadays, you can find canister vacuums with electric driven power heads, so the the performance of canisters and uprights are very similar, but it may be easier to maneuver a wand with attachment on canister vacuums since it is lighter. With uprights, you are moving the canister/bag and the head at the same time which is heavier than just the wand. The awkwardness of the canister is dragging he canister beside or behind you, some canisters are more maneuverable than others and the hose flexibility and length makes a difference. With an upright, the hose for attachments may not be as maneuverable as a hose from a canister, and it may be difficult to balance the upright vacuum while using a hose attachment (the vacuum may tip over if you are vacuuming hard to reach places). The swivel head makes a difference. If you want to get under areas like a bed, then it makes a difference too. Then there is the weight to carry up the stairs.

For hard surfaces and versatility, a canister is recommended for better maneuverability. Upright vacuums are great for wall-to-wall carpet. Make sure the head is at the proper height to maneuver it better and for best cleaning effeciency.

So here are some questions to consider to maneuver.

  • How does it feel to turn and maneuver?
  • Do I need the vacuum to reach under the bed or other pieces of furniture?
  • Do I need to vacuum stairs?
  • How heavy is the vacuum, if I have to carry it up the stairs or push it around?

Here is where people have differing opinion and it is the reason why sellers or dealers can’t tell you what’s the best for you. I’ve read through many different reviews on which vacuum is better and a lot of differences have to do with maneuverability.

I’ve tested the Miele C3 and must say it is maneuverable. I also used the Oreck XL21 (Elevate Conquer) and it is light and easy to move around carpet. When the Rainbow salesperson came and we tried the Rainbow, it felt a lot better to use than my old Bissel vacuum.

With the rainbow, I didn’t test was how difficult it is to carry up the stairs since they only did the demo on the bottom floor. It weighs around 18 pounds without water. You need water in the vacuum, after filling it with water it weighs 32 pounds. I’m sure you empty out the water basin or carry it separately before you go up the stairs but that makes it cumbersome.

I’ve never tried the Kirby but I’ve heard stories. I discovered it weighs over 23 pounds! This is an upright, so you will be moving a 23 pound vacuum for a work out. This actually gives a benefit. A lot of people end up selling their Kirby vacuum because for their weight for a fraction of the price ($1000+), $100 or less which is good deal for a powerful and durable (but hard to maneuver) vacuum.

Other consumer vacuums are engineered to be lighter, maneuverable, and efficient. Decades ago, Kirby and Rainbow were competing against other clunky vacuums and competed based on performance. Technology has caught up and performance has caught up to Kirby and Rainbow and the maneuverability is better.

Reliability, Durability & Warranty (Longevity)

There are two ways to look at a purchase. BIFL which stands for “Buy It For Life.” or as I like to say “Buy nice or buy twice.” BIFL purchases give a peace of mind knowing they last long. BIFL vacuums last at least 10 years and some people use them for 20 or 30 years before it becomes cost prohibitive to repair. Other vacuums may last 2-6 years on regular or heavy usage and longer on light usage.

If you are going to spend over $300 on a vacuum, look for a vacuum that lasts for at least 10 years and have good warranty and quality parts. There are vacuums that are costly with lots of bells and whistles that break in a short period of time or difficult to repair. Dyson only has a 2 year warranty that may be a hassle to figure out, while other models have local dealers that can service vacuums and have a longer warranty 3, 5 or even 10 year warranties.

Vacuum technicians know best and have a different perspective than vacuum salespeople. They take the vacuums apart, see the quality of parts, see the number of failures, and observe design flaws. Besides performance, this is another reason not to drop $400 on a Dyson Vacuum or Shark.

One of Reddit’s popular AMA (ask me anything) posts is a vacuum technician doing an AMA (ask me anything) about vacuums. He gives his unfiltered opinion on different vacuum brands and their merits or flaws.

BIFL brands:

  • Sebo – A German Company. Well engineered. The “Toyota” of vacuums (or “Volkswagen”) of vacuums. Hardy vacuums that are designed to work effeciently.
  • Miele – A German Company. Well engineered. Parts cost more than Sebo.
  • Lindhaus – Great Performance and durability
  • Numatic – a UK based company, great canister vacuum (primarily recommended for hard floor not carpets)
  • Ricarr – An American Company. Although as of 2022, there are varying opinions and said quality has declined.
  • Rainbow – Interesting enough, an old rainbow still perform as well as they did decades ago and there are dealers who repair or tune them up
  • Kirby – They last long and can be repaired and tuned up

Brands that offer better than budget performance, but lower build quality than BIFL vacuums (but also depends on the model)

  • Sanitaire, Oreck, Hoover, (These brands can also last a long time), but if you are spending more than $400, you should look at the BIFL brands that last 10+ years and perform better)

Brands that are entry-level that gets the job done, but may have lower build quality. The repairs may cost more than the vacuum. When it breaks, it may be time to just buy another vacuum.

  • Bissell, Eureka, Kenmore, Simplicity (Don’t spend more than $300 on these brands, if you are spending more than $300, you may find better solutions at BIFL brands or with Sanitair, Oreck, or Hoover) IF you are spending more than $400, look at BIFL brands that last for 10+ years and perform better.

Here is an entertaining video of different vacuum brands, their history, and a vacuum technicians point of view in rating different brands.

When you pay extra for reliability, durability, and warranty, you are paying extra for a peace of mind. Anyone that have bought devices that break down know how frustrating it is to repair or wonder if it is working or not.

 

Cost (Budget)

There are different budgets. I found this guide from  r/VacuumCleaners (a Vacuum Cleaner subreddit) list of recommended vacuum models and classification.

$100 or less used (primarily carpet)

  • Oreck XL21 or Platinum or Elevate models. They all use the XL21 motor. Not worth spending full price for. If you are spending more than $200, look for a different vacuum.
  • Kirby (Used) Not worth spending full price for, but if you can find a good deal on a used/pre-owned/refurbished model for less than $100

$130 or less (primarily hard floor)

  • $60 Bissel Zing (Bagged) same model as Simplicity Jill. May have to upgrade bags and accessories for better performance. (Canister)
  • $80 Eureka Mighty Mite. $130 Sanitaire Mighty Mite. Same model different features and accessories.  (Cannister)

$180 or less (primarily carpet)

  • $150-180 Hoover Windtunnel T-Series (Tempo or Max) I saw this go on sale as low as $129 in April 2022 (Upright)

$230 (works with hard floor + carpet)

  • $230 Kenmore 200 Series (Canister with Electric Powerhead)

$260-450 (primarily hard floor) – BIFL

  • $260 – Numatic James 180
  • $300 – Miele C1 Pure Suction
  • $330-350 – Numatic Henry 160 or 200
  • $450 – Lindhaus HF6

$250-500 (primarily carpet)

  • $250 Kenmore 31140 (upright)
  • $300 Kenmore BU1017 (upright)
  • $310 Hoover Hushtone w/Intellibelt (upright)
  • $340 Karcher CV300 (Upright) -BIFL
  • $500 Sebo Dart -BIFL

$700-$850 (works with hard floor + carpet) -BIFL

  • $700 Sebo Felix Premium (Upright with brush roll switch and hose attachment)
  • $700 Miele C2 Electro+ (Canister with Electric Powerhead)
  • $750 Lindhaus Pro EcoForce (Upright with brush roll switch and hose attachment)
  • $790 Sebo K3 Premium (Canister with Electric Powerhead)
  • $850 Lindhaus HF6 w/ Electric Nozzle (Canister with Electric Powerhead.

$1000-1700 (works with hard floor + carpet) -BIFL

The top consumer vacuums Sebo E3, Sebo D4, and Miele C3 sells for around $1000-1200, if you add features and accessories, the Miele C3 can go up to $1,699 but the performance of the $1000 Miele C3 model is the same. 

  • $1000 Sebo E3 Premium, Miele C3 Kona (Canister with Electric Powerhead)
  • $1300 Sebo D4 Premium, Miele C3 Marin (Canister with Electric Powerhead)
  • $1700 Miele C3 Brilliance, Miele C3 Homecare+(Canister with Electric Powerhead)

*All Miele C3 vacuum models use the same motor and have the same airflow and suction. They vary in features and accessories

No Limit

If you want the best vacuum money can buy, go with a central vacuum with MD Central Vacuum. If you are looking for a non-central vacuum, I would spend no more than $2,000.

 

Rainbow for $3,299?

At $4,800 (through financing through Rainbow), or $4,499, I would not get the rainbow. I would start looking into Central Vacuum option. At $3,200 “Today Only” price, I still would not get the rainbow. You will get similar or better performance with vacuums that cost $700 or more.Even the top of the line German Miele C3 is $1700 and you can get the same performance from a $1000 Miele C3 with the electric brush and save $2000+. Or better yet, with that kind of money you can hire cleaners for your home (make sure they are using a good vacuum)

But really it comes down to also maneuverability and maintenance. Every time you vacuum with a rainbow vacuum, you have to dump out the dirty water meaning you are doubling the work, vacuuming and cleaning the vacuum. If you have to move it up the stairs, you have to empty and refill or carry out 32 lbs of vacuum.

Since they last for years, would it be worth getting a pre-owned rainbow (out of warranty) for a couple hundred bucks.

Another selling point of rainbow is that it is multiple devices in one. It’s not “just a vacuum,” it’s an “air filter” a wet vac, mop, extractor, etc. The sales person said for all of these things it would cost $10,000, but I can save by purchasing a rainbow to replace multiple devices. Also I would save on filter costs (on vacuums and air filters). It will take decades to truly see a savings and after doing research, it’s not a very good air filter replacement (it’s good for small rooms but is very loud)

The bottom line is that I would purchase my air filter, vacuum, and other devices separately than in an all in one unit. The sales person said I can get my Rainbow for free if I shared with 12 people and 2 of them buy, but I was not interested in leveraging off $6,500+ worth of sales to subsidize a vacuum that I feel is not worth $3,299.

Kirby for $1000-2000?

The selling point for Kirby is that they last forever without losing performance. If that’s the case, a used one will work just as well as a new one. If you can find one for $100 great. The truth is there are lighter and more maneuverable vacuums. The Kirby is the top of it’s class for airflow and suction, although there are other similar vacuums that use newer technology. For $100 it’s great a deal. For $1000, you may look else where. There is also the issue of dust leakage and exhaust. Miele is top of the class for that.

Cost (Value)

Value is not necessarily cheapest. Value is the most bang for your buck. It’s about what you prioritize most and what fits your needs and wants.

If we are going strictly on performance, a $1600 may perform 1.5-2 times better than a $160 vacuum. You are paying 10X the price for 2X the benefit. You’d expect 10X the performance if you pay 10X the price, but this an example of the law of diminishing return. In order to work deeper on the carpet, and produce more suction, airflow and better design, costs significantly go up. Other factors in cost are durability and support. Factoring all this in, you can factor a sweet spot for the best bang for your buck.

If you are looking for short term or just light usage, maybe you won’t spend more than $200 on a vacuum. I’ve seen reviews where a $200 vacuum lasted years with light usage, even if it died on year 9, they got their money’s worth. Maybe looking for something to get the job done short term.

There’s the quality of life, convenience, and personal satisfaction or joy it brings. This is difficult to measure. For some, the aesthetics of the vacuum, the extra button, or light can bring a joy.

A person that’s utilitarian may look at performance, build quality, and ease and cost of repair and maintenance. For them that’s the best value, without bells and whistles. Others may look at features that aren’t measurable and just the way it makes them feel.

For me personally, after doing research, I narrowed it down to the Sebo E3, Sebo D4 or Miele C3. Sebo and Miele are German companies that are well known in Europe. They check all the marks in terms of performance and reliability. I checked out a local dealer to explain more in detail, and decided on the Miele C3. Although I wasn’t ready to drop $1,000 on a vacuum just yet.

I looked for something just for my carpet in the meantime. I purchased an Oreck Elevate Conquer (which normally goes for $549) for $140 with extra bags worth $40 so it was like buying the vacuum for $100. It was lightly used and purchased 3 years ago. I took it home and it vacuumed a lot better than the $60 vacuum I used for over 2 years. If I didn’t get the Oreck, I’d probably get the Hoover Tempo. It normally goes for $150 brand new, and there was a sale for $129 with free shipping direct from Hoover. That vacuum also performs great. Based on the Airflow and Suction, they seem to perform just as well or better than the Rainbow at less than 1/20th of the price. They don’t perform as well as the Kirby, Miele, or Sebo, but at $140 for now, I am happy with the performance I got. My carpet feels cleaner than it’s ever did before. Later on, I plan on getting a Miele C3. I may keep the Oreck or sell it or give it away (or use it on a product video review).

 

This leads me to the “Buy nice or buy twice” philosophy. If I bought the Miele C3, I’d be saving some money because I bought an Oreck and will be buying a Miele C3. But the opportunity cost (being able to clean now) instead of waiting to clean, and utilize funds for other things. Is all things to consider.

If you are spending over $400 on a vacuum that does both carpet and hard floor, I highly recommend looking at Sebo or Miele. If you want the best, definitely look into Sebo, Miele or a Central vacuum.

If you are looking on vacuums on a budget just for a few years with less (but decent performance), there are some kenmore and hoover vacuum for carpet and some vacuums less than $100 just for hard floors.

Versatility (Additional benefits and Features)

Another factor into cost is versatility. Some vacuums can shampoo, some can act and filters. Sometimes, this can offer better value. Other times it the all-in-one device may become a jack of all trades master of none device.

There are some must have  features to look for.

  • Hard floors – Ability to use a parquet or floor attachment. These attachments are designed to suck up dust and debris from the floor without a brush. No brush means more airflow, and no electric brush means that it’s not moving the debris all over. Some upright vacuum have the ability to turn off the brush to do hard floors.
  • Carpet – Make sure it has an electric nozzle or brush aka powerhead. This is also known as an agitator. Almost all uprights have this. Not all canisters have this. If a canister seems unusually cheap, this is why. An electric head can cost around $300 and sellers market them without the electric head to reduce cost for people that are looking for a vacuum for hardwood floors.
  • Attachments – Work smarter not harder. Some attachments help the efficiency of cleaning different places. Wessel-work, a Germany company is one of the top vacuum attachment maker.
  • Compartments – Store your attachments. Have you ever lost an attachment? Well it’s good to have compartments or attachment storage option.
  • Retractable cord – Not a must have, but a great feature to have.

Here are some extra features

  • Switch at the handle.
  • Auto suction (automatically adjust suction power)
  • Lights on the head
  • Air Filter
  • Shampooer
  • Extractor (Spray water and vacuum)
  • Act as an Air Filter

Conclusion

I don’t think there’s anything bad with Rainbow or Kirby vacuums per se. They are durable, reliable, and perform well as vacuum. I personally wouldn’t spend $3,299 on a Rainbow (or $130 for 36 months with a $150 down payment for a total of $4,380). I think they do a good job educating people about vacuums who would not already been educated. 20 years ago, they costed less and vacuums on the market weren’t as good or affordable as they are today. But in 2022, we have access to free information and vacuum technology has gotten a lot better.

I think Rainbow has a great model of earning a free vacuum and accessories, but in order to subsidize it it leverages on purchases and numbers. If a person manages to not reach the target and made a sale, the master distributor comes out ahead. If a person manages to sell the vacuums and get there’s for free, the company still comes out ahead and it reaches more people without advertising. The margins are extremely high. I was told that sales people make $600 on a sale of a vacuum. The true cost of the vacuum to the regional distributor is not disclosed, but they make enough to subsidize vacuums, incentivize sales people and customers while getting a good profit. While good sales people can make good money, the leveraged income that regional distributors make is even greater.

There are “knock-off” water vacuums called the Sirena. They don’t perform as well and aren’t as reliable or durable, but they run at around $500. I also found in my research the previous model E3 Black performs better than the new SRX models.

With that said, in 2022, I’d go with a Miele C3.

I bought a used Oreck Elevate Conquer in the meantime. I hope to review the Miele C3 in the future.

Iny my next post, will write about the Rainbow sales process and fact checking the Rainbow vacuum salesperson.

 

 

Performance (Air Leakage and Exhaust)

April 19, 2022 Metabolic Wellness, My Wellness Journey, Optimizing Blood Sugar Levels Post a Comment

Diabetes Code Part 1 Notes: The Type 2 Diabetes Epidemic

Type 2 Diabetes is a hot topic in the health and wellness field. It is one of the leading causes of death and major diseases worldwide.

When I first started my journey on learning about health and promoting essential oils, I was often asked about diabetes. I had no personal experience with diabetes. My grandmother dealt with diabetes, but both my parents had no experience. I soon met a lot of people who’s lives were directly or indirectly affected by diabetes. Kidney failure. Amputation. Cardiovascular issues. Neuropathy.

It’s a struggle. Common adages like “Eat less. Exercise more.” or “Cut out carbs.” don’t seem to make a long lasting impact.

I learned a a lot about diabetes over the years. Over 53 percent of adults in the US are pre-diabetic or have diabetes (have an A1C of 5.7% or higher). This means more people are at risk of diabetes than people who are not. In 2019, my A1C was 5.6% and I made changes to to my diet, lifestyle, and essential oil and supplement regimen. In 2021, my A1C was 5.1%

Had I not made the changes in my life, where would I be today?

Prevention is a lot easier than combatting disease, but it may take conscious effort and support. We are constantly bombarded by society, culture, media, government and corporations about food and health.

I think it’s important to cut through all of these distractions to have a clear picture and create a plan and support system to support your health goals. 

There are a lot of books about Type 2 Diabetes.

I recommend  The Diabetes Code by Dr. Jason Fung. 

The Diabetes Code is by far one of the most insightful books I have read about Diabetes. It was written in 2018 by Dr. Jason Fung, a nephrologist and world-leading expert on intermittent fastin, especially for treating people with type 2 diabetes.

Diabetes Code has five parts.

  • Parts 1-3 Addresses Diabetes – The epidemic, the difference between different types of diabetes, insulin resistance and how it relates to sugar.
  • Parts 4 Addresses How NOT to treat Type 2 Diabetes
  • Part 5 Addresses How to Effectively Treat Type 2 Diabetes

The book has 288 pages and I highly recommend reading it, but if you want the “CliffNotes” version of Diabetes Code, I will break it down starting with Part 1

Takeaway points from The Diabetes Code (Part 1)

Low-fat, high carbohydrate diet promoted in the 1950s until now have had negative effects on the health of society (obesity, diabetes, and other metabolic disease)  

  • Physicians advocated lower-fat diets to combat cardiovascular disease. They falsely believed dietary fat increase blood cholesterol levels, leading to heart disease.
  • In 1980-2015, fat consumption was restricted in the Dietary Goals for the US.
  • By 1968, the US government formed a committee to look into malnutrition in the country and released a report in 1977 called the Dietary Goals for the US, and lead to the 1980 Dietary Guidelines for Americans.
    • These guidelines raised carbohydrate consumption to 55-60 percent of the diet and decreased fat consumption from 40% of calories to 30%. 
    • The 1980 Dietary Guidelines for Americans spawned the counterfactual “Food Pyramid” with the base is breads, pastas, and potatoes (foods we were told to eat every day)
  • Recent evidence refutes the link between cardiovascular health and total dietary fat.
    • In 2016, restrictions on total dietary fat was removed from the  Dietary Guidelines for Americans. 

Type 2 Diabetes is an Epidemic 

  • In 2013, an estimated of 11.6 percent adults in China had type 2 diabetes eclipsing the US at 11.3 percent.
  • Between 2007-2018, 22 million Chinese have been newly diagnosed with diabetes.
    • Only 1 percent of Chinese had type 2 Diabetes in 1980
  • The International Diabetes Federation estimates that the worldwide rate of diabetes will reach 1 in every 10 adults by the year 2040.
  • In the US (2018), 14.3 percent of adults have type 2 diabetes and 38 percent of the population has pre diabetes totaling 52.3
    • Prevalence of type 2 diabetes has increased only in the last forty years. this is not some genetic disease or a part of normal aging, but a lifestyle issue. 
  • In 2012, diabetes cost the US $245 billion due to direct health costs and lost productivity
  • The WHO estimates 15 percent of annual health budgets.
  • In 2001, less than 3 percent of newly diagnosed diabetes in adolescents was type 2. Only a decade later, by 2011, this had increased to 45 percent. 

There are several types of Diabetes. Type 2 Diabetes is the most common, making up an estimated 90 percent of cases

  • Diabetes mellitus comprises a group of metabolic disorders characterized by chronically elevated blood glucose or hyperglycemia.
    • prefix “hyper-” means “excessive”
    • glyco means “sugar, glucose or it’s derivatives” 
    • suffix “-emia means “in the blood”
  • Four broad categories
    • Type 1 diabetes is an autoimmune disease, meaning that the body’s own immune system damages the cells that secretes insulin. Overtime, cumulative destruction of insulin-producing cells causes type 1 diabetes to progress to severe insulin deficiency. There is strong genetic disposition to type 1 diabetes, but what eventually triggers the autoimmune destruction is uncertain.
    • Type 2 diabetes. Hyperglycemia occurs due to insulin resistance rather than the lack of insulin as in type of diabetes. Insulin resistance is the failure of insulin to lower blood glucose. The body overcomes this resistance by increasing insulin secretion to maintain normal blood glucose. When insulin secretion fails to keep pace with increasing resistance, blood glucose rises, leading to diagnosis of type 2 diabetes.
    • Gestational (by definition not a chronic disease, if it persists after pregnancy it mus be reclassified as Type 1, Type 2, or another type)
    • Other specific types such as genetic defect, pancreatic disease, drug or chemical induced, infections (other types of diabetes are rare)
  • Type 1 Diabetes is characterized by low insulin levels. Type 2 is characterized by very high insulin levels. Both have high levels of blood sugar.

Diabetes may be diagnosed through one of two blood tests: the hemoglobin A1C or the blood glucose test.

  • Hemoglobin is a protein found inside the red blood cells that carries oxygen to the entire body. Over the average three-month lifespan of a red blood cell, glucose molecules attach to the hemoglobin in proportion to the prevailing blood glucose levels. The ammount of glucose attached to the hemoglobin can be measured and reflects the body’s average level of blood glucose over three months.
    • <5.7% – “Normall”
    • 5.7-6.4% – “Pre-diabetes” (high risk to progression to diabetes)
    • >6.5% – “Diabetes”
  • Fasting blood glucose test, a patient is asked to have no caloric intake for at least eight hours. A blood sample is taken. A level above 7.0 mmol/L (or 126 mg/dL) is considered diabetic.
  • Oral glucose tolerance test, a patient is asked to ingest 75 grans of glucose. A blood sample is taken two hours later and the amount of glucose in the blood is measured. A level above 11.1 mmol/L (or 200 mg/dl) is considered diabetic. 

Unlike virtually every other known disease, Diabetes has the unique and malignant potential to devastate our entire body.  

  • Diabetes may lead to microvascular complications (small blood vessels). Damage to small blood vessels result in:
    • Visual problems (Eyes) Approximately 10,000 new cases of blindness in the US are caused by diabetic retinopathy each year. 
    • Chronic kidney disease (kidney) More than 100,000 patients are diagnosed with chronic kidney disease annually. Diabetic kidney diseases is the leading cause of end stage renal disease in the United States accounting for 44 percent of new cases in 2005. To stay alive, patients require four hors of dialysis, three times per week, indefinitely, unless they receive a transplant. 2 percent of type 2 diabetes develop kidney diseases each year. Ten years after diagnosis, 25% of patients will have evidence of kidney disease. 
    • Nerve damage (nerves). Diabetic nerve damage (Neuropathy) affects approximately 60-70 percent of patients with diabetes. Diabetic neuropathy affects the peripheral nerves first in the feet and then progressively in hands and arms as well. Damage to different types of nerves will result in different symptoms including tingling, numbness, burning and pain.
      • Pain protects us against of damaging trauma, it lets us know that we should quickly adjust ourselves in order to prevent further tissue damage. If we are unable to feel pain, we may continue to experience repeated episodes of trauma. 
  • Diabetes may lead to macro-vascular disease (large blood vessels)
    • Damage to larger blood vessels results in narrowing called atherosclerotic plaque. (hardening of the arteries. Diabetes greatly increases the risk of developing atherosclerosis. 
    • When the atherosclerotic plaque ruptures, it triggers the inflammation and blood clots that cause heart attacks, strokes, and gangrene of the legs.
    • Heart attacks known medically as myocardial infarctions are caused by atherosclerosis of the blood vessels supplying the heart. The sudden blockage of these arteries starves the heart of oxygen. 
    • Stroke is caused by atherosclerosis of the large blood vessels supplying the brain. A sudden disruption of the normal blood flow starves the brain of oxygen and a portion of the brain may die. Approximately a quarter of all new strokes occur in diabetic patients.
    • Peripheral vascular disease is caused by atherosclerosis and disruption of normal blood flow starves the legs of oxygen-carrying hemoglobin.  Pain or cramping is a common symptom of PVD. PVD affects mobility. Skin with a poor blood supply is more likely to be damaged and takes longer to heal. Patients with gangrene requiring amputation may never walk again which can result in a cycle of disability. 
  • There are other related health complications.
    • Diabetics are more prone to all types of infections. Decreased blood circulation associated with PVD contributes to poor wound healing. High Blood sugar may impair the immune system. Poor Blood circulation decreases the ability of infection fighting white blood cells to reach all parts of the body.
    • Skin and nail conditions. Acanothosis nigricans is a gray-black velvety thickening of the skin caused by high insulin levels. Diabetic dermopathy, also called. shin spots are often found on the lower extremities as dark, finely scaled lesions. Fungal infections in nails. 
    • Erectile dysfunction 60-60 percent of diabetic men above the age of 50. Diabetes and poor circulation is a key risk factor. 
    • PCOS patients share many of the same characteristics as type 2 diabetics including obesity, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and insulin resistance. PCOS is caused by elevated insulin resistance. 

Those are the notes for Part 1 of 5 of the Diabetes Code. It’s pretty straight forward and people familiar about diabetes may already know most of the information. Part 1 merely establishes the Type 2 Diabetes epidemic, the history and what society knows about diabetes. The next parts (Parts 2-5) however challenges popular beliefs and the common approaches to Diabetes, which is why this book is one of the top books on the subject. I will continue taking notes and share key takeaways from the book.

March 22, 2022 Integrative Medicine, Metabolic Wellness, My Wellness Journey, Natural Solutions, Overcoming Depression (and Bipolar Disorder) Post a Comment

My first doctor visit at Prime Meridian Healthcare

When I moved to Vegas, I had to find a new primary care physician. My wife and I have had challenges finding providers that we were completely satisfied with. In 2017, dōTERRA International (the company we promote) announced that they were going to start a healthcare initiative which integrates traditional and and holistic healthcare. dōTERRA already had research initiatives which focused on the study of essential oils and supplements. Their vision was to have doctors incorporate this research into medical practice. They announced Prime Meridian Healthcare, a direct primary care provider. I loved the concept and wanted to be part of that mission.

In the early stages of Prime Meridian’s development, we visited a partner provider in St. George, Utah and we absolutely loved our experience. Dr. Scott Noorda DO spent an hour on my appointment, and an hour on my wife’s appointment. He ordered bloodwork. We were traveling a lot at the time, and we did tele-medicine while we we were in the Philippines. He recommended supplements to support our health goals. It was our first experience with a Direct Primary Care (DPC) provider. For a monthly retainer fee, we had direct access with the doctor that provided us insight to nutrition, lifestyle and our health. His is medical expertise help make us better choices for health. For the first time, I felt treated like a human being and not just a medical chart. 

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March 21, 2022 Metabolic Wellness, My Wellness Journey, Overcoming Depression (and Bipolar Disorder) Post a Comment

Good doctors are an invaluable part of a wellness support team

There’s many different views of doctors and the healthcare industry (or sick-care industry depending on your point of view). I’ve personally have had great experiences with doctors. I’ve also had not-so-great experience with doctors. For me, doctors are an invaluable part of a wellness support team.

They provide a professional medical opinion based on years of education and experience that the general public doesn’t have. They are trained and taught what to look for and take the proper steps to diagnose and treat disease. Besides issues of liability, this is the reason why I recommend seeking medical advice as a disclaimer. They understand risks such as drug interactions or health conditions that I may not understand. Your doctor knows your personal situation. They often work with other medical professionals to make better decisions.

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March 20, 2022 My Wellness Journey, Overcoming Depression (and Bipolar Disorder) Post a Comment

I support my mental health by improving my physical health

Mental health is important to me. I know what it’s like to not feel in control of my thoughts and emotions. It’s not very pleasant. It affects how I work. It affects my personal relationships. It affects my quality of life. It keeps me from living life to the fullest and living out my purpose and helping others.

There are many ways to address mental health. I’ve addressed my mental health in different ways.

  • I’ve sought professional help through therapy and medical treatments
  • I’ve sought healing through faith and prayers
  • I’ve made lifestyle changes to improve my sleep, manage stress, improved my nutrition and incorporated phytotherapy (the use of plants and other natural substances) in my life 

I’ve found that improving my physical health greatly improved my mental health. When I first saw a psychiatrist when I was 18, he emphasized the importance of taking care of my physical health and that it was essential for my recovery. Talk therapy and other treatments alone may not be enough. If I wanted the best recovery, I needed to address my poor eating habits (nutrition), sedentary lifestyle, and sleep.

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March 18, 2022 My Faith Journey, My Wellness Journey, Overcoming Depression (and Bipolar Disorder) Post a Comment

My search for the Christian Spiritual Gift of Healing

As I mentioned in my previous post, faith plays a huge role in my emotional healing. 

I believe God answers prayers for sickness in our natural world through wisdom such as doctors, science and understanding of physiology and medicine.  I also believe God also works in the supernatural, such as answering prayer, faith healing, the laying of the hands, and the miracles that were presented in the Bible.

Desperate to find answers, I asked around and found out that there are different approaches to the spiritual gift of healing based on different interpretations of the Bible. There’s a lot of debate on whether some of the approaches are valid or doctrinal. At the time, I just wanted to see what was out there and hopefully find the answers I was looking for.

I grew up praying and believing. Although I learned about spiritual gifts empowered by the Holy Spirit, I had no idea there were different views on faith healing. 

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March 17, 2022 My Faith Journey, My Wellness Journey, Overcoming Depression (and Bipolar Disorder) Post a Comment

Faith plays a huge role in my emotional healing

I believe in God. I attended church from an early age. I am a Christian. I believe the following passage:

For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because they have not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son. 

John 3:16-18

Faith for me was more than a religious value system or moral tradition, it was an intimate and personal relationship with God, the creator of the universe and others. Because I believe in an omnipotent God, I believe that anything is possible. I believe that God is Jehovah rapha, the God who heals.

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March 17, 2022 My Wellness Journey, Overcoming Depression (and Bipolar Disorder) Post a Comment

My life after I stopped taking my Bipolar Disorder medication

Before I share my story, I first like to say that I am huge proponent for mental wellness and seeking professional help and treatment. In another post, I shared about my experience working with psychiatrists. I found relief through talk therapy and taking mood stabilizers. I also shared my negative experience with discontinuing medication and the problems it caused. I am not a medical professional or a doctor, and this post should not be taken as medical advice. I’m just sharing my personal experience, views, and journey.

As such here is my Disclaimer:

Disclaimer: I am not a doctor and this post should not be considered medical advice. Please consult with a physician or other healthcare professional regarding any medical or health related diagnosis or treatment option. 

I was diagnosed with Bipolar Disorder when I was 18 years old. I found some success with conventional treatments. Eventually, I became dissatisfied with the side effects. Based on my options at the time, I decided to discontinue treatment altogether. I share my story in a previous post.

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March 16, 2022 My Wellness Journey, Overcoming Depression (and Bipolar Disorder) Post a Comment

My life after I was diagnosed with Bipolar Disorder

I never considered the possibility that I had a mental disorder growing up. From the 6th grade on I had behavior issues. Most of the time, I was an obedient student. I did well in my studies. I was bit of a bookworm. I acted out occasionally. My actions were disregarded as raging hormones during puberty, but there were instances where my behavior was out of social norm. I disrupted class, yelled at teachers, walked out of class, and threatened other students. When I was upset I harmed myself, by slamming my head into the wall, desk, or locker. Those are some of the things I’m willing to share (there are other things that are too cringeworthy to share online). 

I didn’t realize it at the time, but I had a lot of stressors in my life at the time. I moved to a lot of different homes, and changed schools several times. Both my aunt and my mother had cancer. My aunt passed away that year. My family was going through financial hardship. Although, we downsized, went to the food bank, pulled out of private school, we weren’t destitute. In fact, we were pretty blessed. My mother went into partial remission and all seemed well. Unfortunately my mother’s cancer came back more aggressive by the time I was in the 8th grade. My parents flew to a different state to seek treatment. We moved a couple times after that. My mother passed away when I was in the 9th grade. I worked everyday after school. Sometimes I’d sleep in class. My behavior problems continued, but again most of the time, I was an obedient student. It was just split moments under stress, when something triggered me. I sometimes saw the school counselor, or spent time with friends and teachers. While others overcome similar challenges. I did not know how to process my emotions. Often ignoring them and distracting myself with hobbies, work or schoolwork. I didn’t think there was a problem until I had a nervous breakdown after I graduated from high school.

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