13 posts from September 2009

I am wondering if our society is becoming too obsessed to being "healthy"?  We are far more cautious of everything - car safety, food safety, mental strains, restless leg syndrome (come on - this is just plain silly).  I found this interesting article about going overboard on health..

6 Healthy Habits That Could Make You Sick
by Therese Borchard

As a society, we are constantly striving to lead healthier, happier lives. But with these efforts, we sometimes run the risk of going too far. As a rule of thumb, any extreme is unhealthy, but rarely are we made aware of the "cons" of healthy habits, instead led to think any good thing is better if done as often as possible. Not so fast...

Here are some examples of healthy habits that can backfire when done in excess:

1. Over-Exercising: Your body and mind do not need more than 3-4 days a week of 30-45 minutes of cardio activity. Cardio/aerobic exercises should be done every other day alternating with Yoga, Pilates, walking, and weight training on the off days. Hiking, swimming, tennis, golf, team sports and a simple variation in exercise over the course of the week, month and season is the best way to stay lean, toned and energized.

2. Staying Out of the Sun: Our bodies need Vitamin D to stay strong by making healthy bones and ward off illness by boosting our immune system. The only way to get Vitamin D into our system is via sun exposure. Don't make yourself overly neurotic about sunscreen. If you are going to the pool or beach or participating in outdoor sports that involve more than 20 minutes of sun exposure, slather on the SPF 30, but if you are simply doing your daily errands outdoors, enjoy the feeling the sun on your skin. The only part of your body that should always be protected is the face.

3. Antibacterial Soaps and Gels: Antibacterial soaps and gels are good to carry in your purse or car but becoming obsessed with the sanitization they promise could weaken your body's ability to fight off "good bacteria." Using them is okay, but use regular soap as well.

4. Sleeping: The average person needs 8 full hours of undisturbed sleep at night. If you are regularly getting fewer or more than nine hours sleep, you are not doing yourself much good. Human beings are not built to think, process or function optimally on more or less than 7 to 9 hours of sleep a night. Not to mention too little or too much sleep is bad for our skin and causes bloating, overeating, confusion and depression.

5. Air Conditioning: While air conditioning feels great on a hot, humid summer day, don't sit and breathe in cold recycled air all day and night long. The air may contain bacteria and germs and certainly all kinds of particles of dust. Every few hours, turn the air off, open the windows, go for a walk outside and breathe in the fresh air -- don't forget to wash your air conditioning filters with warm water and soap and let them air-dry every month you're using them. And if you work in an office building where windows never open, bring a sweater to keep your core temperature warm and get out of the office at least for lunch and a mid-afternoon break

6. Organic Food: While organic foods - such as fruits, vegetables and packaged goods - tend to be expensive, the real problem is that unless you eat them directly from the farm, they to can contain pesticides or be processed. Make sure to read the labels of the food you are purchasing carefully even if you are buying them from the health food store. Foods don't need to be "organic" to be healthy. Stick with labels that have simple and few ingredients, and a low amount of natural sugars (like honey, turbinado sugar, cane sugar), sodium and processed carbohydrates.

Read more at www.huffingtonpost.com

Some of the interesting things I found on the web today...

- Good article on Credit Scores from Reader's Digest online.  In this challenging state of the economy, understanding your credit score is key.  Gives you the lowdown on how your credit score is calculated, where to get a free credit report (not from the company with the annoying commercials), and recommendations for raising your score.

- I generally find something to busy myself with everyday, but I wonder if I am truly being effective.  Zenhabits shares the idea of "doing less" to become more productive - The author, Leo Babauta, has some great tips for on how to do less:

    * Slowly cut back on non-essential commitments.
    * Have fewer meetings.
    * Say no to requests, as much as possible, so you can focus on doing something great.
    * Cut out distractions, especially the Internet.
    * Single-task and focus.
    * Make it something you will be proud to claim credit for.
    * When you find yourself doing busy-work, stop, put it off, find ways to cut that out of your life.
    * Whatever blocks you from doing your great work, kill it.
    * Set limits on how many things you do each day.
    * Focus on the most important tasks first, before you get distracted.
    * Set limits on your work hours.
      Check out the article to find out more.

- Sarah Carlson's review of Vampire Diaries is spot-on...I was bored watching the season premier and she helped to articulate my "angst" with this latest newcomer to the vampire lore.

Have a good one ;o)

Admittedly, I have been sucked into the viewing population who continues to watch Tyra Bank's "America's Next Top Model."  As the series limps on, now trying to re-create itself going outside the model stereotype (plus-size, petite)..I have to admit this below chart from Cracked.com is quite compelling..

ANTM_chartcopy

As the US Healthcare debate continues to heat up, one journalist emerges from the crowd to examine the one of the loudest opponents to President Obama: Dick Armey.

Respected journalist, Bill Moyer, takes a closer look at Armey's actions over the past few decades, focusing specifically on his personal history with healthcare and leadership of Freedomworks (the organization sponsoring all those lovely "tea parties").

"Dick Armey is the epitome of those people with power and privilege who are insured against the vicissitudes of life and want no government assistance for any suffering except their own," Moyers says.

This story will air tonight on PBS - Check out a brief clip at Huffington Post