Healthy home and life

Archive for June, 2010

Nowadays, with the threat of terrorism becoming more and more prominent, there is an increased need for effective surveillance. Video surveillance systems are really affordable nowadays, and used in thousands of homes throughout the country.

When they were very first introduced, videosurveillance systems were mostly utilized with medium to big businesses. Power substations play a crucial role in delivering electricity to consumers by converting transmission voltage to the lower voltage used in homes.

• Vital Juice spotted New York chef Andrea Lennon perusing the chamomile at a local greenmarket. Find out here how she plans to prepare the edible bud. [Vital Juice]

• California recently cracked down on unauthorized dispensaries dolling out medical marijuana, but many may reopen. Read why one concerned mom isn’t so keen on having pot handed out in her neighborhood. [MomLogic]

• A fitness center in Oklahoma City recently told a woman she was too heavy to use its equipment. Did the gym staff perhaps not realize that that was the reason she was coming to the gym in the first place? [Lemondrop]

• Stop sabotaging your workouts! You work way too hard to keep making these four common mistakes. [That’s Fit Canada]

• If you’re on the prowl for a steamy summer fling, make sure you’re getting down and dirty on dry land. Getting busy in the ocean, a pool, or a hot tub pretty much guarantees you only one thing: an infection. [FitSugar]

• You’d think after all that time—and money!—spent on medical school, your doctor would be one smart cookie. Which is why we were appalled by these 12 health myths doctors believe. [AOL Health]

• Runners and athletes decked out in the latest compression gear undoubtedly look serious, powerful, and intimidating. But new research questions whether this gear really impacts performance, or if it’s just a passing fad. [Time]

• Think pasta is off-limits when you’re on a diet? This diet-friendly recipe for ravio-sagne will have you asking for guilt-free seconds! [Fox News iMag]

Previous news from Around the Web:

Manicurist Mila Yagoudaief showed Health reader Lisa Heywood insider tricks to pulling off a salon-perfect pedi at home. View the slideshow.

Summer has arrived here in Birmingham, Ala. While that doesn’t mean an end to outdoor workouts, having something to sip while I sweat has moved from nicety to necessity. One thing I dread, though, is that moment at which the sun turns my beverage from refreshingly cool to revoltingly warm. So I was intrigued to hear about  CamelBak’s new Podium Ice water bottle, whose insulation supposedly keeps water cold four times longer than regular bottles’.

I devised an admittedly less-than-scientific test to check that out. At 6:30 a.m., I filled the Podium Ice and a regular water bottle with ice cubes and water. An hour later, the ice had melted in both, though the water was still chilly. The regular bottle was covered with condensation. However, the Podium Ice was dry on the outside—score one for CamelBak, if only because I hate it when my water bottle sweats more than I do.

I checked the bottles every 30 minutes for the next couple of hours, and the water in the Podium Ice was consistently cooler. By 9:00 a.m. the liquid in my regular bottle was lukewarm, but the CamelBak’s still had a touch of chill. So I put it outside in direct, 85ish-degree sunlight, (until then, I’d kept both bottles inside). Two hours later, the water was still drinkably cool. That impressed me.

Other things to like: Instead of a pesky screw top, the bottle has a valve you can open and close without actually touching the drinking tip with germy fingers. And when it’s closed, it simply doesn’t leak, no matter how often you tip it over. Plus, even though it’s marketed as a “bike bottle,” the Podium Ice fits perfectly into the hydration belt I wear for walking and skating.

A couple of less likable things: You can’t put it in the dishwasher (a noteworthy minus for busy working moms like myself), plus it looks really utilitarian.

But hey, if the trade-off for refreshing summer-workout sips is a little extra time at the sink and a bit of hydration homeliness, so be it.

Product: CamelBak Podium Ice water bottle

Category: Gear

Pros: It keeps water cool during long, hot workouts and won’t leak when tipped.

Cons: You have to hand wash it.

Cost: $20 at CamelBak.com

Extra tip: Click here for helpful tips from the American Council on Exercise on exercising safely in the heat.

Previous posts by Su Reid-St. John:

These great finds will enhance lashes, protect lids, and fight fine lines all summer long. View the slideshow.

Get solar-empowered with these secrets for staying healthy (and looking gorgeous!) in the sun. View the slideshow.

“It’s cold season. Help!”

Neither. When it comes to fighting off a cold, there’s no definitive evidence that vitamin C or echinacea really work. In fact, a Cochrane Library review of 30 studies found that C is only effective for people under high physical stress, like marathon runners. And several studies have concluded that echinacea is ineffective for preventing colds.

“Anecdotally, I have patients who swear by both,” says Brent Bauer, MD, director of the Complementary and Integrative Medicine Program at the Mayo Clinic and author of the Mayo Clinic Guide to Alternative Medicine 2007. If taking something makes you feel better (regardless of the evidence), most experts suggest that you go with C: “There are too many variables with echinacea,” Bauer says. Vitamin C is safer, less complex, and more affordable. “You don’t have to worry as much about where it came from or what it really is,” he explains. “It’s something our bodies need anyway, and its anti-inflammatory properties might make you feel a bit better, even if it’s not really preventing colds.”

Want to avoid a cold this winter? Experts agree on this: Wash your hands. A lot.

 
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