Along the same lines as germy handbags, here’s a post on disgusting keyboards and how to clean them (right away):
A new UK study shows that keyboards swabbed from an ordinary London office had more harmful bacteria than—you know what’s coming—a toilet seat. Yeeks!
9thApril
This planet is undoubtedly a stressful place to live. Many people spend their time working at jobs with long hours, raising kids, maintaining a home, paying bills and saving for future wants and needs. Of course, when it is said that way, life sounds more stressful than most would prefer it to be.
Solution to Stress
It is no wonder that every year many people suffer from anxiety attacks. The stress that consumes individuals on a daily basis can be overwhelming and resulting unwanted reactions surface. The solution is to somehow find your balance and realizing when to seek help.
Relieve Your Stress
Throughout your day it is vital to stop and take a deep breath. This might seem silly to some of you, but it really helps avoid panic and relieve anxiety from the mind.
Seek Help
If you are like many, and suffer from recurring anxiety attacks it would be in your best interest to seek outside assistance from a relevant professional. This matter can be approached a few different ways.
Stress Doctor, Now
Your main objective should be to find a trained doctor that has previous experience in dealing with this specific issue. The web is a great place to collect valid information and find local doctors. Another suggestion that might help you in your healing process is message therapy or acupuncture.
Improve Your Health and Happiness
It doesn’t matter what route you take, just be sure the steps are helping you to achieve a stress free life. Now is the time to take care of your health and improve your happiness!
14thFebruary
Are you one of “those” who have tried every diet out there, purchased every exercise DVD, or joined multiple gyms in the past and never used the memberships?
I am an anti-dieter or so I thought until I tried something that I had recently read about and done some studying about. I’m talking about the use of Vitamin B12 shots. I have been a big fan so far. Vitamin B12 shots are available over the counter. No doctor visits and co-pays and no prescriptions needed! There are many websites that you can find online to purchase the Vitamin B12 shots and there are even videos that will show you how to safely inject the shots yourself.
I do 3 injections per week. I know, you’re probably thinking you can’t possibly do the injection yourself or some may be squeamish overall at the thought of any needle. Well, there are other options like the Vitamin B12 patch and of course your normal Vitamin B12 pill. These too are available over the counter.
Vitamin B12 provides a boost of energy and helps maintain healthy red blood cells. As hectic as my week is trying to balance a full time job and 3 children as a single parent, I find it hard some days to keep up and energy is hard to come by. So, when a friend of mine told me about B12 for weight loss, I started researching it and decided to give it a try. I should say that in addition to my B12 injections, I have cut out fast food and drink plenty of water throughout the day and pair this all up with exercise 3 times a week.
Now I’m not saying this is for everyone and if you have questions or are concerned about the use of Vitamin B12, you should consult your doctor first.
I’m happy to say that in the past 2 weeks, I’ve lost 4 pounds. 21 pounds to goal!
13thFebruary
Have you ever noticed the women who sit their handbags on public toilet floors? I myself hang mine on the door. But they go from there to putting their handbags on the kitchen or dining room table at home or at someone’s house. It happens way to much. So if you think about it, it’s not always the restaurant food that causes stomach distress. Sometime what you don’t know will hurt you!
This is an email my mom sent me about this subject. I thought it was worth sharing with all the people who come here and read the site:
Mom got so upset when guests came in the door and plopped their handbags down on the counter where she was cooking or setting up food. She always said that handbags are really dirty, because of where they have been.
It’s something just about every woman carries with them. While we may know what’s inside our handbags, do you have any idea what’s on the outside? Women carry handbags everywhere; from the office to public toilets to the floor of the car. Most women won’t be caught without their handbags, but did you ever stop to think about where your handbag goes during the day.
“I drive a school bus, so my handbag has been on the floor of the bus a lot,” says one woman. “On the floor of my car, and in toilets.”
“I put my handbag in grocery shopping carts and on the floor of the toilet,” says another woman “and of course in my home which should be clean.”
We decided to find out if handbags harbor a lot of bacteria. We learned how to test them at Nelson Laboratories in Salt Lake , and then we set out to test the average woman’s handbag. Most women told us they didn’t stop to think about what was on the bottom of their handbag. Most said at home they usually set their handbags on top of kitchen tables and counters where food is prepared. Most of the ladies we talked to told us they wouldn’t be surprised if their handbags were at least a little bit dirty. It turns out handbags are so surprisingly dirty, even the microbiologist who tested them was shocked.
Microbiologist Amy Karen of Nelson Labs says nearly all of the handbags tested were not only high in bacteria, but high in harmful kinds of bacteria. Pseudomonas can cause eye infections, staphylococcus aurous can cause serious skin infections, and salmonella and e-coli found on the handbags could make people very sick. In one sampling, four of five handbags tested positive for salmonella, and that’s not the worst of it. “There is fecal contamination on the handbags” says Amy. Leather or vinyl handbags tended to be cleaner than cloth handbags, and lifestyle seemed to play a role. People with kids tended to have dirtier handbags than those without, with one exception. The handbag of one single woman who frequented nightclubs had one of the worst contaminations of all. “Some type of feces, or possibly vomit” says Amy.
So the moral of this story is that your handbag won’t kill you, but it does have the potential to make you very sick if you keep it on places where you eat.
Use hooks to hang your handbag at home and in toilets, and don’t put it on your desk, a restaurant table, or on your kitchen countertop. Experts say you should think of your handbag the same way you would a pair of shoes. “If you think about putting a pair of shoes onto your countertops, that’s the same thing you’re doing when you put your handbag on the countertops” Your handbag has gone where individuals before you have sneezed, coughed, spat, urinated, emptied bowels, etc! Do you really want to bring that home with you? The microbiologists at Nelson also said cleaning a handbag will help. Wash cloth handbags and use leather cleaner to clean the bottom of leather handbags.
Reprinted with permission from The So Called Me blog.
25thNovember
The main reason most people complain about cell sites near their homes is because they’re worried that they will cause health problems.
There are a lot cases all over the country where people want to stop cell phone sites from being built, but usually the cell phone companies win, because federal law doesn’t allow rejection due to health risks. According to the government, “no studies have shown conclusive evidence that radio-frequency emissions, a form of electromagnetic radiation (EMR), from cell towers are harmful.”
Comfortingly, the American Cancer Society also says there’s minimal risk. This is what they say:
Public exposure to radio waves from cellular phone antennas is slight for several reasons. The power levels are relatively low, the antennas are mounted at high above ground level, and the signals are transmitted intermittently, rather than constantly.
They’ve done animal studies, and no incidences of cancer arise because of cell tower exposure. Since there are going to be more cell towers built, with all the cell phones people use, this is good news.
1stNovember
Getting a new spa tub was my inspiration for an aromatic trip to Bath & Body Works. After splurging on lots of yummie bath goodies, I rushed home and proceeded to enjoy the most relaxing bubble bath I’ve taken in years. It was worth every penny of my shopping spree!
While filling the tub with warm water and lush bubbles from Simply Divine Cherry Pie Body Wash, Bubble Bath and Shampoo, I attached The Sweetest, Softest Bath Pillow on Earth to the back of the tub. After lighting the Window Candy Apple candle – a fabulous blend of crisp apple, sweet orange and pineapple mingling with cinnamon spice, I didn’t know whether to eat it or breathe it.
A glass of Riesling completed my pre-bath necessities, and I stepped into the bubble, lying back on my sweet, soft bath pillow to sip the crisp, fruity white wine, and inhale the combined heady aroma of cherry pie, apples, oranges and cinnamon. I let my mind float away…
Too soon the water cooled and it was time to end my period of bliss. After drying off with a big fluffy towel, I wrapped myself in The Sweetest, Softest Robe on Earth and slipped on the Sweetest, Softest Sleep Socks on Earth. Engulfed in this new luxury, I brushed out my hair using my new Fekkai Classic Brush – the natural bristles stimulated my scalp and felt wonderful. Pricey, but worth it! After slathering on Patricia Wexler M.D.’s award winning Intensive Night Reversal & Repair Cream it was all I could manage to toddle off to bed for the deepest, most restful sleep I’ve had in ages.
I can’t wait to do it all over again!
1stNovember
A low-carbohydrate diet not only helps you lose weight, it is often used to help control blood sugar, blood pressure, and lower cholesterol. Atkins, South Beach, and Zone are all popular low-carb diets.
Experts say the high carbohydrates in typical modern diets is unhealthy, and has lead to increasing problems with diabetes and obesity, as well as higher insulin levels which can lead to insulin resistance, high cholesterol, and high blood pressure.
When you reduce carbohydrates, the tendency is to eat larger portions of protein and fat. You can do this in a sensible manner by replacing the carbs with healthful sources of protein and limited amounts of fat.
Popular low-carb diets range from almost zero carbs to about 35% (about 175 grams per day), but to stay within a healthy range you should have about 130 grams of carbs per day, or 26% of a standard diet of 2,000 calories.
Read nutrition labels to help keep count of your daily carbs. Choose healthy carbohydrate sources that are high in fiber such as whole grains, fruits, and vegetables. People with diabetes or insulin resistance may find that choosing carbohydrate foods with a low glycemic index works best for them.
Most of your calories should come from lean meats, fish, beans, low-fat dairy products, and unsaturated, non-hydrogenated oils that are free of trans-fats. Meat that has been preserved with nitrites should be avoided.
Below are some food suggestions to incorporate into a healthful low-carbohydrate diet.
Protein (meat, poultry, fish, eggs, nuts, and beans):
Dairy products and dairy substitutes:
Bread, cereal, rice, and pasta:
Fats and oils: