• Some people eat when they’re happy, some when they’re sad.
• Some people cope with grief by pigging out.
• Some people have chronic pains that make exercise difficult.
• Some people exercise too much, and then binge on food.

Here are five tips to personally develop your weight loss:

1. Keep a daily list of what you eat for one week. When you have to sit down at the end of that week to see how many donuts, candy bars and pizza slices you’ve eaten, you’ll be extra motivated to get in shape.

2. Leave your debit card at home. Working at an office can mean afternoon trips to the deli to get something sweet. Without any way to pay for it, you’ll save money and calories.

3. Don’t start too hard. Sometimes motivation/shame get the best of us, and our first work out in months makes everything too sore to continue. Keep it simple and build.

4. Stay away from Chuck Norris. Infomercials make their money convincing you that a c-level celeb got totally fit by stepping up for 20 minutes, doing ab work for 8 minutes, taking a magic pill or some other silly idea. Jogging for 30 minutes a day and making one meal entirely fruits and veggies will keep your weight down more than some tonic.

5. Any progress, even slow progress, is progress. Sure, losing 20 lbs in two weeks sounds great but it’s: a. not healthy; b. not sustainable; and c. not realistic. Lose one pound a week for twenty weeks and that weight will be easier to keep off.

Here are some truths and some tips on bottled water:

• In 2003, Americans spent $7 billion on bottled water.  If you spent $10 a week on bottled water, that’s over $500 a year.  Put that into a high-yield savings account or a 401k and you can save yourself a bundle.
• In a study done on bottled water, it turns out 25% or more of the water in each bottle is actually just tap water.
• In a blind taste test done in New York, 75% of people preferred tap water taste to bottled water.
• In another test of 1,000 bottles of water, 33% of those bottles turned out to be contaminated with bacteria, synthetic organic chemicals and/or inorganic contaminants such as arsenic.
• The plastic bottle your water comes in can actually decompose over time and contaminate your water.  The longer the water has been in the bottle, the greater the risk of decomposition and contamination.

How’s that Aquafina taste now?

If you want to be able to take care of your family, your aging parents, your employees and so on, you need to manage your own health as a primary concern. Does this mean drinking all the orange juice in the house and yelling at your spouse if you get less than seven hours sleep? No, but it does mean you need to realize that your body is a machine, and machines need a certain amount of care in order to run properly.

Here are some tips to keep your own body running like a well oiled machine:

1. Quit the leaf! Whether it’s tobacco, chewing tobacco or even marijuana, these things have harmful affects on your body. Legality aside, the harmful chemicals brought into your system as a result of using these items are known to cause cancer, emphysema and other serious medical conditions.

2. Green is your favorite color. And not just for the environment, green should be the color of most of your food as well. Raw leafy greens are fantastic forms of vitamins, anti-oxidants, nutrients and more. Spinach, broccoli, asparagus, romaine lettuce and all their wacky cousins will give your body what they need.

3. Don’t be a juicer. No, I’m not talking about steroids, I mean orange, apple, pineapple and cranberry juice. Check out the sugar content on the label of your favorite drink and you’ll see that you’re ingesting high amounts of fructose, high fructose corn syrup and all sorts of unnatural items. Water, tea, natural juices (check the label) and other drinks low in sodium and sugar are where it’s at.

4. Find your happy place. You need 30 minutes of alone time a day, not matter how hard it is to find that time, you need it. Find it in your car, the bathroom, a closet, wherever and whenever you can get time to clear your head, read the bible, zone out and whatever else you need to do. There will always be needy people, but you need time to yourself as well.

5. Know your booze. A glass or two of red wine is actually healthy, even a beer now and then isn’t bad. However, three Red Bull and Grey Gooses every Thursday through Sunday is gonna turn your liver into mush and ruin just about every other organ as well. Hard liquor can be enjoyed in moderation, but moderation means high quality liquor once a month, tops.

6. Quit fast food, as fast as you can. Watch “Super Size Me.” Then, after you’ve finished cursing McDonalds, make an eating chart that you keep in your bedroom or bathroom. Keep track of every item you eat during a month and see how often you eat out, that means pizza, Taco Bell, Burger King, restaurants and so on. Eliminate as much garbage from your diet as you can, especially if it’s made by people wearing silly hats offering you fries with your meal.

7. Practice the three R’s: Reading, reading and reading. Yes, television is the cheap whore who will give herself to you as often as you want her. But, it’ll ruin your physique, cause you to lose your vocabulary and even keep you on the couch eating chips so much that you’ll forget what the sun felt like on your skin. Subscribe to two magazines you like to read, make a list of books and try to bang one out a month and set one night aside in your home to focus on reading something, maybe even out loud.

I drive a hybrid. Tipper and I got a Lexus hybrid. And we have a couple of Priuses in the family with our children. And I encourage people to make environmentally conscious choices because we all have to solve this climate crisis.”

What kind of car do you drive? Is it helping planet earth? Is it helping your wallet? Almost every manufacturer is changing over to hybrid vehicles, or at least offering hybrid versions of current classics, there’s even a new hybrid Yukon! Take a serious look at whether or not a hybrid vehicle will help save you money, save the world and maybe even save some face with Al Gore.

“If we did not take action to solve this crisis, it could indeed threaten the future of human civilization.”

Al’s not talking about global warming, he’s talking about the cleanliness of your home. When was the last time your carpet was cleaned? How dusty are the backs of the cabinets in your kitchen? Have you cleaned your garage in the last two years? If not, the junk and filth is piling up in your environment and all you’re doing about it is…nothing.

“If you want to go fast, go alone, if you want to go far, go together”

What’s your family and friend environment like? Are you properly stewarding the relationships around you, or do you just hurt people as you go? Part of the environment’s problem is that for decades no one paid any attention to the damage being done, and no one spoke up about the pollution being created. The same may go for your friendships. Evaluate each relationship you have, take time to realize where some work may need to be done in order to repair hurts and wounds.

“The will to act is a renewable resource.”

Action is needed in your life. Your career, savings, personal growth and future success depend upon it. But, like all things, inertia will damage your environment more than anything else. Laziness and inactivity breed more laziness and inactivity. If you’re going to move forward in life, you’ll need to operate with a bit more electricity than ever before. Get inspired, read books that inspire you, listen to inspiring music and fight the war against inactivity to help nurture your environment.

“We are the enemy, just as we have only ourselves as allies. In a war such as this, then, what is victory and how will we recognize it?”

Want to know what’s keeping you from your dreams? Go look in the mirror. Your unhealthy work and home environments have one main polluter, YOU! However, they have a hero as well, that very same person in the mirror. Take stock of your environment, realize that change is a decision away and start choosing success rather than accepting failure.

Missing from these stories are important facts. For instance they don’t report that that MRSA (methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus) or, Mursa is a strain of Staph (Staphylococcus) and Staph has been around for eons. They also don’t report that Mursa usually manifests as a skin infection that can often be treated by simply administering topical antibiotics and covering the wound. Finally, they don’t report that Mursa is a form of Staph that’s resistant to penicillin and its derivatives, but there are antibiotics effective against it.

During the 1940’s when penicillin was used to cure everything from VD to the common cold, Staph developed resistant strains and Mursa was born. Initially it was exclusively the big bad bug found in hospitals. Today hospitals around the world still battle it, but a few years ago it escaped into communities. Thus the big news story about school kids developing Mursa infections.

Here’s what you need to know

It’s true that Mursa can be a nasty bug, but usually when it takes up residence on our skin; it lives benignly without us ever being aware of its presence. Mursa prefers those moist areas on us like our nose, armpits, penis, or vagina. There are some estimates that up to 30% of us tote the Mursa super bug around on us. But wait, before you race out and douse yourself with bleach or buy a bubble suit, let me ease your concern. Though it’s true that MRSA can kill you, so can a whole host of other organisms. So can a car. So can a tree falling on your head. So can lightning, a shark, a bear, a lion, a tiger, you’re angry neighbor, a spider, a snake, a flood, an earthquake, and lots and lots of other things many with far greater likelihood than Mursa.

Staph, including Mursa, is only life threatening when it becomes systemic, which is rare. Usually MRSA manifests as a sore that may resemble a rash, spider bite or boil. So, all sores should be treated just in case a Staph bug (Mursa or otherwise) is the cause of the wound. Slather the area with antibiotic ointment and cover it to prevent contamination. And for crying out loud, if you treat a wound on yourself or someone else, wash your hands with hot soapy water or use an alcohol wipe.

If a sore doesn’t heal or if you spike a fever or feel ill, go see a doctor right away. If the illness falls on the tail of a sore that doesn’t heal properly, insist on a culture to identify the infecting organism. A misdiagnosis is what carries perfectly treatable patients to an early grave.

As in most situations, the most vulnerable to the dangerous systemic infections are the very young, the very old, and the immune deficient. There’s a clue here. Keep your immune system in tune.

The best way to prevent the spread of MRSA is the same as for any other microbial induced disease. Wash your hands. Wash your hands. Oh, and did I mention, wash your hands. This is particularly true when you’re out in public since Staph can survive on surfaces for an hour or so after they have been contaminated. Therefore, after touching counters, grocery basket handles, door knobs, elevator buttons, gym equipment and so forth., it’s a good idea to wash your hands before you chew that tasty fingernail or shove a goodie past your lips.

If you have kids, they aren’t going to heed any advice about hand washing and they aren’t going to keep their grimy little fingers out of their mouths. However, they are going to share towels, washcloths, food, and beverages with nary a care. For them you need to watch for symptoms, treat open sores right away, and make sure they eat right and get plenty of exercise so their immune systems are in top shape.

When you read those scary articles in the paper or hear them on the news, don’t panic and immediately sound the alarm to all your friends and relatives. Deal from facts, not fear. Don’t let fear guide your life. It only adds stress and stress weakens your immune system.

Tidbits

Learn more at:
http://www.hpa.org.uk/infections/topics_az/staphylo/staphylo_FAQ.htm#q25
http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/dhqp/ar_mrsa_ca.html

How to get it

• Skin to skin contact with an infected individual
• Opening in skin such as hangnails, cut, and abrasions
• Contaminated items such as towels, washcloths, and clothing
• Contaminated surfaces
• Poor hygiene

Where it is most likely to be found

• 85% of invasive Mursa infections were healthcare related
• 14% of all Mursa infections are community acquired

(Statistics from the Journal of the American Medical Association 2007;298(15):1763-1771)

How to prevent it

• Wash hands after being in public and before touching any open sores.
• Wear pants when working out at gym to put barrier between skin and equipment.
• Practice basic good hygiene
• Cover open wounds that would allow Mursa access

Staphylococcus Aureus

Don’t let kids eat raw eggs when baking holiday treats.

Kids love to eat raw cookie dough and lick the spoons when you’re making a cake, but anything made with raw eggs can give your kids Salmonella.

Follow safe cooking procedures when preparing your holiday meal.

Wash your hands after you handle meat, poultry or eggs before you touch any other food.

Wash your counters, sinks, and anyplace else the uncooked poultry came in contact with immediately.

Use separate cutting boards for meat and poultry than you use for other foods. Don’t dice your veggies on a cutting board you just used for your chicken or turkey. Realize that wood cutting boards absorb the meat or poultry juices, which may contaminate your other foods even if you wash them.

Wash utensils promptly before you use them on anything else. For example, the knife you use to cut chicken shouldn’t be used on your veggies without first thoroughly washing the knife in hot water with soap.

Cook your poultry well.

Turkeys should be cooked at a minimum of 325 degrees F. Cooking time will vary based on the size of your bird.

The inside of poultry should reach 165 degrees F.

Always use a meat thermometer when cooking poultry. Don’t rely on built-in pop-up thermometers that come with turkeys and chickens, because the breast gets cooked faster than the inside.

For optimum safety, use two thermometers. One thermometer should be placed in the innermost part of the thigh and wing, and the other in the thickest part of the breast, as these are the place that heat up to proper temperature last.

Don’t cook your stuffing inside the turkey. Stuffing should be cooked separately and should reach 165 degrees F.

You can read the USDA’s advice on properly cooking a turkey for more information:
http://www.fsis.usda.gov/Fact_Sheets/Lets_Talk_Turkey/index.asp

Deal with leftovers promptly.

Your turkey shouldn’t be left out for very long after you’ve eaten. The longer you leave poultry out, the bigger risk you’re taking of your family getting salmonella from the leftovers.

Put your leftovers into wide, shallow containers so they cool thoroughly. Get them refrigerated within an hour.

Know the risks and symptoms of food poisoning.

E. coli and Salmonella are the most common types of food poisoning. Salmonella generally comes from poultry or uncooked eggs, while E. coli generally comes from beef or other cow meat. E. coli can also come from leafy greens, unpasteurized juice and milk.

E. coli infection usually starts with severe abdominal cramps followed by painful diarrhea (usually bloody). Vomiting may or may not occur, but there is generally no fever. Symptoms usually begin between 3-9 days after the contaminated food has been eaten, but some people experience symptoms within 24 hours. The symptoms can last a week. Healthy adults with normal immune systems often recover without hospitalization, but e. coli infection once spread to the bloodstream can cause a painful form of kidney failure (called Hemolytic Uremic Syndrome). HUS often kills children and the elderly.

Salmonella infection symptoms include sudden nausea, abdominal cramping, and bloody diarrhea with mucous, and fever. Vomiting may or may not occur. Other symptoms include headache, muscle ache and joint pain. Symptoms usually begin within 6-72 hours after the contaminated food has been eaten, and usually lasts 5-7 days. In rare cases, Salmonella can cause Reiterís Syndrome, a debilitating form of arthritis.

Subtly email this article to the ones cooking

According to the World Health Organization, approximately 33.2 million individuals are infected with HIV worldwide and 2.5 million of them are newly infected; of those one million reside in the United States. 2.1 million are believed to have died last year as a result of AIDS or AIDS related complications. There was one number that scared me the most: one-forth. Of the estimated one million infected with HIV in the United States, as many as one-forth are unaware of their HIV status. One-forth! Wow, that’s 250,000 people. Just think what if only half of them end up using protection in a sexual encounter?

As we walked to the subway station, my boyfriend and I talked about getting tested. I was tested six years prior, while in college. Yet, now I’ve had more sexual partners and unprotected sex (with my boyfriend, without a condom, but with birth control). Even though I considered myself low risk, it still scared me. My boyfriend on the other hand, had never been tested, had more partners than me, and was not worried. Wanting to get tested was first planted in my mind when my friend Ellen, who had participated in some risky behavior, got tested last year (she tested negative). Now the thought had grown into a nasty weed, cramping my good thoughts from growing. It was not that I felt I was participating in risky behavior or that I didn’t trust those who I had been with as much as a feeling of lack of control. Not knowing was killing me.

When I got to work I looked up Planned Parenthood. I called and found out I could make an appointment for that day, get the results 40 minutes after the test, but it was going to cost me $60 dollars and if both of us got tested, $120. Ugh. It’s the holiday season and I’m alright cutting it close. I figured there’s got to be a cheaper way. From the Planned Parenthood phone call I’d learned the test I wanted was called the Rapid HIV test, so I googled “Free rapid HIV test New York City”. To my surprise and delight several listings popped up. I called the first one that was close to my office and had hours on Friday.

As I was talking to the receptionist she mentioned that the test was confidential but not anonymous. So, what? Doesn’t confidential and anonymous both mean that no one finds out? Furthermore, regardless of which test you choose, your employer, insurance company or university will never know the results. So what’s the difference?

Confidential testing is treated the same as any other medical test, meaning that your identifying information is attached to it (i.e. name, birthday, etc), making it more legitimate. There is a record that you took the test, however the results of that test are confidential, unless you choose to share them. It becomes part of your medical record and can be used to help you gain treatment access. This is the test you want if you need proof of your HIV status, for instance to give to a future lover, or something you might do before consenting to unprotected sex with a current lover. Conversely, anonymous testing is given through number or code system. Your name is not given and there is no material proof so there is nothing that can link you to the test. Essentially, it is as though it never happened.

I decided I wanted anonymous. This time I googled, “Free, anonymous, rapid HIV testing New York City”. The New York Department of Health and Mental Hygiene popped up. They had several testing centers within the five boroughs, and the one closest to me had late night hours on Tuesdays and Thursdays. It was Thursday. Yes, looks like we hit a winner. I called my boyfriend to tell him my plans and he said, “I don’t understand why you’re worried. With every other person I used protection and before me you never had unprotected sex. Plus, we only did it a few times.” I then asked if he was absolutely positive that he had never had unprotected sex with another person. He said, “Basically”, I said, “It’s a yes or no question, which is it?” He said, “Yes” and then I said, “But you said basically?”, then he said, “I’m at work, this is totally inappropriate, I can’t talk about this now.” I said, “Fine, I’m going to get tested, we’ll talk about this later.”

I arrived at the Department of Health a little after 5:20. There I was instructed to grab a number (it was the same machine as the one at grocery store deli counters), fill out a white card and take an information sheet. There was also a bin filled to the top with condoms, I grabbed some of those too. The white card had two sections to it, anonymous and confidential (it was also in English on one side and Spanish on the other). The anonymous section requested my birthday and my zip code-two identifiers not linked.

After about 10 minutes a counselor called me into her office. She asked what I was there for (I said rapid HIV test), whether I wanted it anonymous (I said yes), gave me an ID number (13N, uh, not my favorite) and sent me upstairs to the testing area. I dropped my envelope in the bin and sat down in a room with about 30 other people all in different stages of the testing process. There was a TV blasting no smoking information in front. I was relieved I had my book with me.

About 15 minutes later another counselor called my new number (13N). When I sat down he said, “Now I’m going to ask you a bunch of possibly uncomfortable questions to asses your risk.” I said bring it on. He asked about my previous sexual history within the last three months and my complete unprotected sex history. He told me he felt I was at low risk and then discussed the test. Here is where I found out the best news. No needles! Whoohoo!!!! This made my night. The test was going to be an oral swab. It would take about 20 minutes to get the results.

I went into the testing room next, where a tech took this plastic tongue depressor thing and quickly scraped my upper and lower gums (You are supposed to do it yourself, but I did it wrong, so the tech ended up helping).

30 minutes and 22 pages later counselor number two called 13N. I hadn’t even shut his office door before he told me, good news everything is ok. Whew. I asked about the reliability. If you test negative then it is negative (100% accuracy), however if you test positive there is only a 99.3% accuracy rate. Thus out of 1000 people who test positive, 7 of them will be false positive. Therefore everyone who tests positive will be followed up by a blood test to confirm there status. As I left the waiting room, one girl was coming out of a counselor session and said to her friend “it was a false positive.” Which just goes to show it does happen.

Walking out of the Department of Health, I felt relieved, but more I felt proud of myself. The first time I had an HIV test it really freaked me out, and I was a mess for a week (back then it took longer to get the results). This time I approached it with a calmer, more understanding attitude. That was in part due to the things I learned during the process. First, and most important, I learned about the Rapid HIV Test. Waiting is not my strong suit, especially in matters of health, and the fact that I could get my results that night immensely helped my pre-test mental state. Secondly, I found a center that fit within my schedule and location. Lastly, it was free. Taking the financial burden out made the decision to take the test so much easier for me, it was going to cost me nothing and the potential benefits…

My boyfriend called on my way home. I told him all about the test, and taught him what I learned. When asked about what he meant by “basically” he said once a condom fell off when he was with someone else. I told him I was glad he told me, and he agreed to get tested.