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Five Spooky Myths For Halloween

Leta Shy — Thu, 14 Oct 2010 15:00:27 PDT

Night comes early, leaves fall from trees, and Halloween is right around the corner. It's the perfect setting for spooky myths that you may have believed as a child. Take a look at these five superstitions and let us know if you still believe!

Let Them Eat Cake...And Candy Canes!

LilSugar — Tue, 23 Dec 2008 06:00:23 PST

I've never bought into the whole concept that candy makes kids hyperactive so I've never denied my children sweets when it came to holiday festivities. But, now there's reason for the moms who do attribute their tykes' energetic behavior to treats to relax. This Christmas, let your lil one have a candy cane. Guess what myth topped the list of holiday myths? To find out,

read more. On the subject of sugar making kids hyperactive, one report said:

The researchers cite 12 controlled studies that couldn’t detect any differences in behavior between children who had sugar and those who did not. Even when kids had a diagnosis of hyperactivity problems or were said to be more sensitive to sugar, they did not behave differently whether they ate sugar-laden or sugar-free diets. In fact, the biggest effect of sugar may be on parents. Parents rate their children as being more hyperactive if they are told the child has consumed sugar - even when the child hasn’t really had any sweets.

Slice of the Yule log, sweetie? Source

Can You Debunk Diet Myths?

FitSugar — Mon, 16 Jun 2008 09:00:00 PDT

Losing weight is hard, but finding misinformation about dieting is frighteningly easy. Although I spend a lot of time debunking diet myths on FitSugar, I also never cease to get questions from readers wondering about the latest facts and fads. Can your separate truth from fiction? Take my true or false quiz to find out.

Source

Take the Quiz

The Top Five Gender Myths

babysugar — Wed, 28 May 2008 06:00:00 PDT

The second you start showing, random people offer their unsolicited opinions on what the baby's sex will be. I couldn't put the kibosh on the predictions, since I didn't know the sex until I delivered. Sometimes it was fun to hear people take a gander, but often it was bizarre and unwelcome.

Let's see if you know these common myths for gender guessing.
Source

Take the Quiz

Epilepsy Myth

FitSugar — Fri, 27 Jul 2007 02:00:00 PDT

I just read this and knew I had to share it: it is a myth that a person having a seizure can swallow their tongue, therefore you should never put anything in their mouth. If you put an object in someone's mouth who is having a seizure, they could bite it and the piece of stick or pencil could get lodged in their throat and block their ability to breath. Which is ultimately more dangerous than a seizure.

A recent survey conducted at University College London found that many myths surrounding epilepsy were prevalent in about 30 - 35 % of the population questioned, about 4,600 people.

Seizures are caused by sudden bursts of electrical activity in the brain, which interrupts normal communication between the brain and the body and epilepsy is diagnosed in people who have regularly recurring seizures. Experts recommend that if someone has a seizure, objects around them should be removed and their head needs to be cushioned if they are on the floor. Apart from that the seizure should be allowed to run its course. An ambulance should be called in the case of: first seizures, those lasting over five minutes, if the person is hurt or has several seizures.

I think it is important to shed light on old myths and share the facts - you never know when you might need them.

Does Muscle Turn to Fat?

FitSugar — Thu, 14 Jun 2007 13:30:00 PDT

True or False: Drinking Water Before Working Out Causes Cramps

FitSugar — Thu, 24 May 2007 11:00:00 PDT

True or False: Drinking water before (and during) exercise will lead to cramps.

To find out the answer,

read more FALSE! The truth is that cramps can be a symptom of dehydration and drinking water will help ensure that you are not dehydrated, which will ultimately reduce your risk of getting cramps. Most people wait until they are thirsty to drink water, but that is not the best idea, especially when exercising. So here are some tips on keeping hydrated while working out:

Drink 8 oz of water 20 to 30 minutes prior to exercising.
Drink 4-8 oz of water every 10 to 15 minutes during exercise.
Drink an additional 8 oz of water within 30 minutes after exercising.
Drink 16 oz (2 cups) of water for every pound of body weight lost after exercise.

How much water should you be drinking on a daily basis? Check out my Fit Calculator to find out. Source

Myths on the Pill Debunked

FitSugar — Wed, 14 Mar 2007 07:30:00 PDT

Do you take "the pill?" If so, you're not alone. However, despite the overwhelming number of women on the pill right now, there are still some serious myths floating around out there, giving the pill a very bad rep.

Health.com has taken note and talked to the professionals to finally debunk the most common myths on the pill:

It’s risky to stop your period: Studies show it’s safe to suppress your period using various methods: Seasonale, a pill that limits you to four periods a year; Seasonique, a similar pill that may help fight PMS; or others like Depo-Provera injections that may eliminate your period. “The hormones keep the lining of your uterus thin, so nothing builds up,” says Rebecca Gould, MD, an OB-GYN at Delaware County Memorial Hospital in Drexel Hill, Pennsylvania. Side effects that usually go away include breakthrough bleeding. Menstrual suppression is great for women with particularly heavy flows, painful cramps, and menstrual migraines.

Does the pill make you fat or give you cancer? To find out,

The Pill ups your cancer risks: Actually, the risk of endometrial and ovarian can-cers goes down the longer you’re on the Pill. After one year, endometrial-cancer risk decreases by 50 per-cent, and after just three to six months, ovarian-cancer risk decreases by 40 percent. After 10 years, the risks are 80 percent lower than normal. “The longer you keep the endometrium thin and the ovaries inactive, you are reducing the chance of the inappropriate cell divi-sion that characterizes cancer,” explains Katharine O’Connell, MD, assistant clinical professor of OB-GYN at Columbia University.
The Pill may also lower the risk of colon cancer: What about breast cancer? The research is inconclusive. A recent review of previous studies, published in the Mayo Clinic Proceedings, suggests a tiny elevation in risk among current users, which disappears when you quit. (There’s no debate for women who have-or have had-breast cancer: They should steer clear because the hormones can stimulate some cancerous cells.)
The Pill makes you fat (and frigid): Wrong. Most women link the Pill to weight gain, but only breakthrough bleeding is a proven side effect. (Women often put on pounds after getting the Depo-Provera injection.) As for libido, while some studies show a decreased sex drive, others show an increase-a lower chance of pregnancy can be quite an aphrodisiac.
An IUD ruins your fertility: The Dalkon Shield, pulled from the market in the 1970s, may have contributed to infections that led to infertility. It was also linked to 17 deaths. But not the new and safe IUDs, such as ParaGard and Mirena. Plus, they’re more effective and cheaper than the Pill.
The Sponge is as good as the Pill: Nope. The Sponge, which blocks the cervix and contains a spermicide, leaves much to chance. Its failure rate is 32 percent for women who have delivered a child vaginally (because the cervix is larger after childbirth); for those who haven’t, the failure rate is 16 percent. For better protection, pair it with condoms.
Long-term use of the Pill is a no-no: You may risk getting pregnant if you take a break. “This is how my brother was conceived,” Gould says. There’s no medical reason to stop. It’s possible to get pregnant right away after quitting. Half of women get pregnant within three months-a good reason not to take that break!
Pill side effects last forever: Not at all. The first three months of any new hormonal birth control method brings side effects that eventually go away, Gould says. It’s past month three, and your doctor’s telling you to “gut it out”? Time for a second opinion.
Taking the Pill past age 40 is risky: Not if you’re healthy. You can take it till menopause. But if you’re over 35 and you smoke, or have uncontrolled high blood pressure or long-term or uncontrolled diabetes, your heart disease and stroke risks are elevated, and the Pill raises them. Anyone who fits this profile is fine on a progestin-only “mini-pill” (or Depo-Provera).
It’s OK to take any medicine with the Pill: Wrong. St. John’s Wort, a popular sup-plement used for depression, cuts the Pill’s effectiveness. Researchers think the herb makes your body speed up the metabolization of the Pill, preventing the hormones from doing their job. On the flip side, the Pill may exaggerate antidepressant effects.
The Pill makes migraines worse: The Pill doesn’t aid or aggravate migraine symptoms. But birth control pills may increase stroke risk in women who suffer from migraines with aura (added symptoms like numbness, weakness, hallucinations, or blurred vision). For them, the mini-pill and other estrogen-free hormonal methods are OK.

To read the full article and other fabulous information, visit Health.com.

Microwave Myths Busted

FitSugar — Tue, 20 Feb 2007 03:00:00 PST

Here are some myths about your microwave that need clearing up:

1. Microwaving your food kills all the nutrients. FALSE. A microwave works by emitting radio waves called, you guessed it, micro waves. These waves aggravate the food particles, making them vibrate, which causes heat. Cooking food in a microwave heats it faster than on a stove, so it should retain more nutrients.

2. Microwaves leak radiation, putting you at risk for developing cancer. This could be TRUE, but if your microwave is working properly, it doesn't leak enough to cause cancer.

3. Microwaving food in plastic containers releases toxic chemicals called dioxins into your food. FALSE. According to the FDA, plastic containers and plastic wraps don't contain dioxins.

Also be aware that when you heat something in the microwave, it can get really hot very quickly. So do be careful when taking food out because it could burn you.

6 Ways To Be Your Own Best Valentine

YourTango — Mon, 13 Feb 2012 04:00:17 PST

We're happy to present this excerpt from one of our favorite sites, YourTango.

Once again, February 14th is right around the corner. And this year, for whatever reason, you don't have a Valentine to call your own. You may be single or separated, divorced or widowed. Unfortunately, so many of us who find ourselves in this situation fall into feelings of deep inadequacy and despair. We tell ourselves: "I'm not good enough; something's wrong with me; I'll never find someone." The reasons why we're "alone" don't matter. What matters is learning how to address these feelings so that you embrace Valentine's Day 2012, feeling the fullness of love rather than the black hole of emptiness and lack.

Here are six proven ways for you to be your own best Valentine this year:

Avoid the black hole! You may be tempted to judge or blame yourself because you are alone. Don't do it! Say to yourself, as often as necessary, what your deepest wisdom knows to be true: "I am lovable and connected to everyone, forever." You don't have to believe it for this to work! Cherish the daily miracles that might easily be missed - the smile of a stranger, the movement of a child, a lovely connection with a service person.
Buy yourself the most beautiful Valentine's Day Card several days before the "big day." Then spend some time writing a heartfelt note to yourself and literally mail it to your own address. When the card arrives in your mailbox, enjoy opening it and reading it on Valentine's Day. Inhale your message, feeling its beauty in your heart. Then let that radiate to your whole body.

Get the other ideas when you finish reading the rest of the story on YourTango: 6 Ways To Be Your Own Best Valentine

Written by Dr. Lynda Klau for YourTango.