Archive for July, 2006
I have just conducted two days of vigorous research, and could not wait to share my findings. The subject is… How can one recharge their mental batteries and “zero out” extraneous stress?
My recommended technique is something new that I refer to as a “vacation”. Preferably, it should involve one or more loved ones, a king sized bed in a luxurious hotel or B&B, a Jacuzzi for two, possibly a theme park, excellent food and the alcoholic beverages of your choice (if you are so inclined). Computers are to be avoided at all costs.
I can categorically assert that this method achieves the stated goal. Regular posting resumes tomorrow. In the mean time, here’s a great article from the NYT (you know about BugMeNot, right?):
So Big and Healthy Grandpa Wouldn’t Even Know You
July 31st, 2006
Grasshopper New Media is an exciting project, an alliance of bloggers setting out to create an audio/video content network that will allow people like Chris Brogan, Jimmy Moore, myself - and maybe even you - to build their personal brand while promoting their own personal passions.
My place in this insanely great org is as executive producer of health programming. I am proud to have been asked, and I am proud to ask you: Do you have a contribution to make? Do you have ideas on health, fitness, or related subjects that you are passionate to share on an ongoing basis?
If so, we want to talk to you. We want to help promote you and your message.
Specific areas of interest: Aspects of Physical fitness (running, gym workouts, yoga, weights, cycling, etc.); Weight Loss/nutrition; personal motivation, body-image and self-esteem.
Contact me at kevinks@grasshoppernewmedia.com.
Read More at: www.chrisbrogan.com, www.grasshoppernewmedia.com, and www.fatguygetsfit.com
Interested in contributing to the non-health oriented content channels? Contact Chris at chris@gnmnetworks.com.
July 28th, 2006
Watermelon is a great fruit as it is not only high in fiber, but lycopene and beta-carotene as well. But the way we store these melons can have a huge impact on their nutritional value- and not in a commonsense way, either.
We were all taught either in Home-Ec or at home that if you want to keep food fresher longer, refrigerate it. That’s not a great idea for Watermelon, though.
Watermelon will continue to develop lycopene and beta-carotene after it is picked. How much? A lot! Up to 40 percent more lycopene and 50 to 139 percent additional beta-carotene, but only if stored at around 70º F (room temperature in an average air-conditioned home). Chilling will slow or even stop the production of these nutrients.
Another reason for storing these beauties in a cool but not cold place is that refrigeration actually decreases their shelf-life. A fresh picked Watermelon can stand at 55º for 14 to 21 days, whereas at 41º, after a week rot will set in.
Of course, people love their Watermelon chilled on a hot day, and that’s perfectly fine. Plop it in the fridge a few hours before eatin’ time and be sure to have a lot of napkins on hand. And a seed bowl.
UPDATE: For the record, one thick slice of watermelon has 68 calories and 2.8 grams of fiber. No fruit is a better source of lycopene.
Read More:
Ice-cold watermelon is less nutritious [Yahoo]
July 28th, 2006
The Bronx Elf has posted a fascinating take on the subgroups of personality that fall under “introvert” and “extrovert” and some of the implications these traits can have in interpersonal communication.
Where do you fall in the spectrum, and how does it affect your interactions with others? Are you aware of the personality types of those you interact with, even if only online?
Read More:
The Great Equalizer
July 28th, 2006
Fraser at BlogJam has posted an offbeat DIY for taking the edge off a bad hangover.
Potentially inspired by his former employer’s (UK rockers The Cure) fetish for Pepto Bismol, Fraser decided to make ice cream out of the pink peptic pacifier.
His post is complete with correspondence with Proctor and Gamble (they said not to do it), a complete set of photos, and an easy to follow recipe.
From the article:
“The taste? Actually, it’s quite nice. The vanilla and sugar temper the metallic bitterness of the medicine, giving the end result a flavour not too dissimilar to black cherry. And as a hangover cure? Initial studies are encouraging, with no negative side-effects experienced as yet. A mild mid-week drinking session provided the first test, and while my cross-breed concoction certainly didn’t eliminate the suffering altogether, the benefits did not go unnoticed.”
Read More:
pepto-bismol ice cream [BlogJam]
UPDATE: A related post? Zoo fights heatwave with meat ice cream [MyWay]
July 27th, 2006
Chris Brogan has just put up installment #11 of the Grasshopper New Media podcast Fat Guy Gets Fit. Chris wears many hats, but is perhaps best known to Health-Hack.com readers as a contributing editor at Lifehack.org(sorry-edited).
Fat Guy Gets Fit is a great program covering topics like exercise and diet for people who are not already an Adonis (or the female equivalent). There is a fitness challenge listeners can participate in as well.
This installment has the first segment that I’ve contributed - a nutrition/diet hack. I hope this is just the beginning of a great content partnership!
Check it out and let us know what you think either here or at GNM.
Read More:
http://fatguygetsfit.com/
Subscribe:
http://feeds.feedburner.com/FatGuyGetsFit
July 26th, 2006
In the olden days, gentlemen knew the proper way to stop bleeding from minor cuts such as shaving nicks. Sadly this occult knowledge has largely slipped into the dim recesses of our cultural heritage. Who among us can remember the caustic but efficient tool known as the Styptic Pencil?
If you are among the select few who remember the Styptic Pencil, you may have involuntarily flinched at the mention of it.
A Styptic Pencil is a block of mostly Alum, formed into a small stick or wand. When moistened and wiped across a fresh cut it will create a sensation that is worthy of an Altoids advertisement, but will immediately stop the bleeding. This has several advantages over the more common toilet paper or teeny-tiny Bandaid solutions, the primary one being that others will not openly ridicule you.
For those who have recently gotten on the trendy high end shaving paraphenalia bandwagon [del.icio.us], I can recommend to you the Caswell-Massey Alum Block, a favorite of dandies and country squires alike.
For superficial abrasions that cover a medium to large area, on the other hand, I can offer a different old-timey remedy. My grandma Edith showed me this trick that her parents taught her during the great depression.
Clean the affected area, then slap a scrap of brown paper (as in a brown-paper bag) over the wound. Hold it in place with light but even pressure until the paper sticks to the scrape on its own. This always seems to speed up the clotting very nicely, especially after bike accidents. As I recall gingerbread cookies also seemed to do wonders for the pain, but perhaps my memory isn’t quite so clear on that point.
Knowing what we know about germs today, it makes sense to add a middle step in there involving neosporin or the like.
July 25th, 2006
All in the name of furthering Medical Science and refining the legal lexicon, I present to you the opportunity to learn how depraved you are!
This is a bona fide research project with some quite serious implications in the real world.
Do It:
The Depravity Scale [depravityscale.org]
July 24th, 2006
David Garrod of St George’s, University of London, has been leading research into a new area of allergy prevention. The medicines being tested directly prevent allergens from entering the body tissues. Garrod projects that clinical trials of the therapy may begin in 2010.
From the article:
“The technology is based on our earlier discovery of how allergens, the substances that cause allergy, enter the body through the surface layer of cells that protect the skin and the tubes of the lungs,” he said.
“Allergens from pollen or house dust mites are inhaled and then dissolve the binding material between the cells that form these protective linings; they can then enter the body by passing between the cells to cause an allergic response.
“The drugs we are developing — called Allergen Delivery Inhibitors (ADIs) – are designed to disable these allergens so they can no longer eat through the protective cell layer and block the allergic reaction before it occurs.
Read More:
Allergy Battle Could Be Won In Five Years, Says Scientist [Science Daily]
Technorati Tags: allergy, allergies, allergens, health
July 24th, 2006
Yesterday I posted the article “Study: Men Sleep Better Alone” which discussed research from Vienna about how men and women rate their quality of sleep.
In the study, men and women were questioned and tested on sleep quality when sleeping together and apart. Thinking about the results at greater length, the following points come to mind:
- The couples tested were in their twenties.
- The article cited does not specify how long the couples were in their relationships and how long and how regularly they do sleep together.
- The couples were unmarried.
- The study was limited to a mere eight couples.
What is really interesting, though, is the fact that the men were either mistaken or lying about their quality of sleep, while women’s responses were judged to be accurate.
Are men clueless, or just telling our significant others what we think they want to hear?
The source article:
Bed sharing ‘drains men’s brains’ [BBC]
Technorati Tags: Sleep, sexes
July 21st, 2006
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