May, 2009
A “Bad” Habit That’s Good
Posted on May 29, 2009 |
Here’s the rap sheet on gum: It may cause pressure headaches or jaw pain, create gas (at either end, unfortunately), sound annoying to people around you and terrorize the bottoms of shoes. But as long as you’re chomping on the
sugarless kind, it’s a perfectly fine habit. Why? The sticky stuff often contains xylitol, a sugar substitute that may clear your mouth of bacteria to help prevent tooth decay (especially good for kids), and chewing it even
burns a few calories—though we don’t recommend subbing a few sticks of Trident for your gym membership.
During times of stress, unleashing pent-up emotions in a low-calorie stick of cinnamon can foster healthy coping and, more importantly, keep you from cramming more dangerous foods into your
mouth. After all, if you’re going to have a packaday habit, this is certainly the kind to have.
Tennis is a terrific workout
Posted on May 15, 2009 |
Tennis is a terrific workout: You can burn major calories sprinting to return a killer shot, and tone your arms while volleying and serving. But if you want more intense exercise, try cardio tennis. Never picked up a racket? No problem.
This is a fast-paced, action-packed workout, and it doesn’t matter if you get the ball over the net. What does: getting your heart rate up by doing sprints and drills with 6 to 10 other players per court. Some clubs even pipe in funky music to keep you going. Most classes run 60 minutes. Why try it? You’ll burn 300 to 600 calories an hour, learn skills to improve your game and, oh yeah, you’ll have a great time! You can try cardio tennis indoors or out, at one of more than 1,000 tennis centers across the country; classes are about $10 each. Find a location near you at cardiotennis.com.
Dangerous fluoride levels in water
Posted on May 1, 2009 |
Despite scary headlines, most people can keep sipping from the tap. The
EPA says water with 0.7 to 1.2 mg of fluoride per liter is safe, and most
public water supplies are well within that range.
Moderate amounts of fluoride strengthen tooth enamel, preventing decay,
but a recent National Academy of Sciences report found that high levels (4 mg/L) can weaken bones and give kids mottled, pitted teeth. Excess fluoride may also cause other health problems, but only a small percentage of water supplies have levels this high. It’s a good idea to know how much is in your water, since fluoride also comes from other sources (toothpaste, some bottled waters). Ask your water utility for a copy of the Consumer Confidence
Report to find out fluoride levels in your H2O.