FitSugar

Wash Up! Clean Hands Quiz

FitSugar — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 04:30:35 -0800

With cold and flu and swine flu season upon us, it's imperative to get into the healthy habit of washing your hands. But this everyday activity has plenty of facts and fiction tied to it. Do you know your hand-washing facts? Take my quiz and see if you clean up.

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Do You Use Herbal Remedies?

FitSugar — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 07:00:56 -0800

I ran into a friend this week who was on his way to an herbal medicine shop to bulk up on tinctures and teas because his wife is sick.

I've dabbled a little bit with herbal remedies - ginger for an upset stomach and echinacea for a cold - but not to the extent that he and his wife do. He said that for minor illnesses they only use herbal remedies, and that they're more effective than drugstore meds.

I'm still dubious about herbal remedies because the research is a bit spotty, but I think there may be some benefits to their use. What do you think of them? If you've had any experiences with using herbal remedies, share your thoughts in the comments section.

When Is It OK to Work Out Sick?

FitSugar — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 04:30:12 -0700

'Tis the season for coughs and sniffles. If you're like me, the idea of having to skip a workout because of a small cough seems crazy. When is the best time to choose rest over a treadmill though? Take my quiz to find out . . .

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Zinc and Echinacea vs. the Common Cold

FitSugar — Mon, 03 Dec 2007 15:30:00 -0800

Nobody wants to get stuck with a cold, so when you hear that you can take something simple and inexpensive to prevent a week's worth of misery, why not jump at it? Echinacea and zinc are much buzzed-about when it comes to preventing or shortening the duration of colds, but do they really work?

When it comes to zinc, hundreds of studies have been conducted, including one in 2000, which found that taking zinc lozenges during a cold produced "modest" benefits. A more recent study published by Stanford Medical School analyzed data from 14 previous studies and reported that the effectiveness of using zinc to treat a cold "has yet to be established." Hmm.

Well, what about echinacea? To find out read more

Over the summer, a large study published in the Lancet Infectious Diseases journal said that taking echinacea can reduce your risk of catching a cold by 58 percent. This contradicted an earlier study published in the New England Journal of Medicine, which said that echinacea didn't help at all. It's tough to determine echinacea's effectiveness, because so many parts of the plant are used to make tinctures, teas, and pills. More research definitely needs to be done to figure out what part of the plant is helpful.

Fit's Tips: The bottom line is that there really is no consistent opinion about whether zinc or echinacea really benefits you when it comes to colds. During this season of sickness, instead of wasting money on things that possibly help, stick to doing things that are proven to work. Be sure to eat a healthy diet, exercise regularly, get your daily supply of vitamin C (75 mg), and get plenty of rest each night. This will help to keep your immune system strong, so if your body does come in contact with germs, it can fight them off so you don't get sick.

It Pays to Know How to Blow Your Nose

FitSugar — Tue, 09 Oct 2007 08:45:00 -0700

Having a cold can really put a damper on your daily life. One of the major symptoms of having a cold is a runny and/or stuffy nose, and believe it or not there is a right way and a wrong way to deal with all that leaky congestion. First off, you don't want to sniffle it back into your head, so you are going to need to blow your nose frequently.

According to Web MD, you don't want to blow your nose too hard because this can cause an earache. The best way to blow your nose is similar to how most people put their pants on in the morning, one side at a time. Let me be explicit here: Press a finger over one nostril, and then gently blow to clear the other side. Reverse this action as needed. Also, you should wash your hands after blowing your nose to help prevent spreading germs.

Source

The Cold, Hard Facts of the Common Cold

FitSugar — Wed, 03 Oct 2007 11:00:00 -0700

It is the time of sniffles! Cold and flu season is upon us. By some accounts as early as August, and others think there really is no such thing since we can catch a virus anytime of the year. Thought it would be good to review some of the cold, hard facts of the common cold.

Source

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Get Physical: Winter Camping

FitSugar — Sat, 03 Mar 2007 07:17:03 -0800

If you love the outdoors and have someone who loves it equally as much, why not plan an overnight excursion? I know it's February, and it's cold out, but winter camping is a huge sport. What's so great about it? No bugs!

If you plan ahead and pack the right gear, you'll beat the cold and have a ton of fun. Here's what you'll need:

Waterproof Tent and a tarp to lay underneath it
Warm mummy style sleeping bags for each of you, preferably made of down like this one from The North Face
Always use a sleeping pad under your sleeping bag so you're not resting on the cold earth
Warm clothing - pack wool base layers to help keep you warm, extra pairs of wool socks, a warm hat and mittens, a waterproof coat and pants, and waterproof boots.
Enough water for the both of you. Keep your water bottles from freezing by placing them in a wool sock or insulated bottle cover.

Want to see what else you need? Then read more

A camera to hold onto the memories
Cell phones just in case
A pocket knife
Plenty of snacks and food to cook. Remember to bring pots, plates, can opener, and utensils - everything you'll need in order to eat. Canned foods or one pot meals work best. My favorite camping meal is macaroni and cheese.
Waterproof matches or a lighter and plenty of firewood to start a campfire. (You may as well pack some marshmallows to toast as well)
Bring snowshoes or cross-country skis to use during the day
If you're hiking to your camp site, pack all your stuff in a comfortable back pack or pull it along in a sled.

Fit's Tips: Very important: Make sure you plan your trip and tell family and friends exactly when and where you're going. It's a scary reality that something could happen, so this way, people will know where to look for you.

Wool Socks - These are Darn Tough

FitSugar — Tue, 06 Feb 2007 13:00:00 -0800

Merino wool really is the way to go when it comes to active wear, and socks are no exception. I just found this sock company named Darn Tough. They're a small company - they make all of their socks in their mill in Northfield, VT.

Their socks are made with a combination of warm and breathable merino wool, and soft and strong Coolmax fibers. They insulate to keep you warm, and the wool is great at wicking moisture away from your foot when you sweat.

Plus, they're on-mountain socks to cover your entire calf and shin, keeping them warm and cushioned from the pressure of your ski boots.

These socks, although made from wool, aren't the slightest bit itchy. They also make shorter socks for running and hiking.

I'm a huge fan of Darn Tough (as are a ton of other people) mostly because they make one awesome, comfy and durable sock, but also because I like to support smaller companies. Find a pair nearest you and I'm sure you'll agree.

Why Do My Teeth Chatter?

FitSugar — Wed, 31 Jan 2007 14:00:00 -0800

Whenever I go skiing and I'm riding up the chairlift, it gets really cold with the wind blowing, and my teeth always chatter and my body quivers. And it's totally out of my control. What's up with that?

The brain - the hypothalamus, to be specific - monitors your temperature. Get too cold and the hypothalamus sends nerve impulses to the skin and you get goose bumps, which do very little to make us warmer. When furry critters get goosebumps, the hairs lift up and trap air next to their skin, which acts like a blanket to keep them warm.

We're hardly furry enough to use air as a blanket, so our bodies came up with a different strategy to regulate our body temperature. When you get cold, your muscles get a signal to start contracting - that's the shivering and teeth chattering. The by-product of the muscle contractions is heat.

So the next time you start shivering and chattering, you can thank your body for doing its job to keep you warm.

Stay Warm at the Office

FitSugar — Tue, 16 Jan 2007 13:00:00 -0800

If you work in front of a computer all day, sitting at your desk can be bad for your circulation. This makes for cold feet and hands, especially in the winter.

Being cold is more than uncomfortable - it's bad for your immune system. It has to work extra hard, trying to warm you up, when it should be focusing all its energy on fighting germs that may come its way. Being cold might actually give you one.

Well, you can keep your tootsies warm with wool socks and warm shoes, but what about your hands? You can't exactly work with down mittens.
Check this out - A heated mousepad - kind of funny looking, but totally gets the job done. It's basically a fish-shaped sleeping bag - just slide your hand and mouse inside and your hand will stay toasty warm.

Too weird for you? How about these $22 USB Gloves. They're heated and have open fingers so you can type.

Want to a look a little more professional? You can also get a heated computer mouse for $22.

Fit's Tips: Stay warm - stay healthy.