Have you been tuning in along with the rest of North America? The Dr. Oz Show is all the hype since its launch this September, and I must tell you, I wish I had TiVo!
It’s such a breath of fresh air to have an informative health show on everyday well-being, as oppose to all the soap operas and shopping channels that make up daytime TV these days. [Read more →]
Recently, some research has emerged that show how magnets inside of iPod-style headphones can interfere with implanted heart defibrillators and pacemakers.
If you wear an implanted heart device, you can still rock your MP3 player and ear buds - just keep the cords and devices at least an inch from your device. But what about the urban legend about MP3 players boosting your risk of being struck by lightning? [Read more →]
To commemorate the 40th anniversary of Sesame Street, here’s Dr. Thad and the Medications with their 1978 hit “The Ten Commandments of Health”:
I think this Sesame Street tune offers kids (and grown-ups) some wise and simple health advice, don’t you? For the record, Dr. Thad sings the praises of these 10 healthy habits:
1. Wash your hands before eating. What timely advice!
2. Brush your teeth after meals. Well, here are a few caveats to this recommendation.
3. See your doctor for checkups, even if you’re healthy. Here’s how to make the most of the precious time you get with your doc.
4. Cover your nose when sneezing. Good idea, since sneezes travel very quickly!
5. Cover your mouth when you cough. That’s definitely a good reminder for kids.
6. Dress warmly in cold weather. Check out 9 ways to stay warm as temperatures drop.
7. Exercise to keep in shape. And here’s how much you need as a “grown-up”.
8. Bathe or shower at the end of each day. But maybe not everyday once it gets really cold.
9. Eat lots of fruits and vegetables. Especially fruits and veg in these 9 nutritious colours!
10. Give your body the sleep it needs. Fact-or-fiction check 4 sleeping beliefs and know the 9 signs you’re not getting enough.
Now I’m reminiscing about my favourite Sesame Street moments and characters! I still have a soft spot for Snuffleupagus and I adore those skits with Grover as a waiter to the impatient little customer with the mustache. Share your cherished Sesame Street memories in the comments below!
Hooray for Global Handwashing Day! It couldn’t come at a better time, as cold and flu season sets in. Our busy hands are virus vectors and bacteria bait, and poor hand hygiene is one of the 8 sure-fire ways to catch a cold.
And congratulations to Canada! An international survey suggests that Canadians have the best understanding in the world of the role that good hygiene plays in preventing infection.
You may soon find yourself coughing, sneezing, and rubbing a runny nose, so now is as good a time as any to scrub up on your hand hygiene know-how. And if you’re a man, pay special attention! [Read more →]
Who doesn’t love a nice, hot shower first thing in the morning to wake us up or right before bed to feel refreshed and ready for slumber? I’m definitely a morning showerer - without it, it’s like being half-asleep all day. Pick up that plush shower sponge and that herbal bath lotion, feel the steam opening up your pores, and sing along with whatever’s on your favourite radio station - everything else in the world can wait.
But every once in a while, I accidentally gulp down some of that shower water, and at the back of my mind I would wonder whether or not the water is “clean.”
We’ve known for quite some time now that the water springing forth from our kitchen sinks and bathroom faucets are not sterile and contains a variety of microbes. While these microbes do not pose any serious harm to anyone - one microbe that researchers at University of Colorado were interested in was Mycobacterium avium.
Ladies and gentlemen, yes, it’s that time of the year again - the kids go back to school, and if you are one of those parents sending a wide-eyed child off to college or university, you’ll remember what welcomes them: frosh week!
Aahh, the week of drunken street parties, bar hopping, body paints, wet t-shirt contests, oh, and of course, school stuff - a week I gladly resign about my university experience. But before we block this week of activities out of our minds or deny its existence altogether, you should know about a study that has come out online this week, in advance of its November journal publication. The study conclusion? Cheap drinks mean more drunks. [Read more →]
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