An Antioxidant Boost for Your Tea

Tea is good for you. We’ve discussed it plenty of times here at Families.com. It’s full of healthy antioxidants that can provide all sorts of health benefits! Green tea has become the superhero of the tea world, with a ton and a half of good press. Are you ready to make your green tea even healthier? A study from Purdue University has figured out how to kick your antioxidant absorption up a notch — add a splash of citrus juice. Just three tablespoons of your favorite citrus juice (lemon, lime, orange, or grapefruit) can improve the stability of catechins — … Continue reading →

Flood Health: Other Illnesses

When a natural disaster strikes in your area, you have to be careful to prevent illness and other injuries. Safe food and water is a priority. Here are some things the U.S. Centers for Disease Control suggest to help keep you and your family safe and healthy during a flood or other disaster. Avoid floodwater — don’t drive vehicles or equipment through standing water because you don’t know how deep it is. If you will be working in or near water, be sure to wear a life jacket. Prevent mosquito bites by wearing long sleeves and pants or using an … Continue reading →

Flood Health: Food and Water

In light of flooding in the Midwest, this is a good time to look at how to stay safe and healthy during a flood. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control suggest looking at preventing illness from three different perspectives: Preventing illness from food Preventing illness from water Preventing other illness and injuries Make safe food and water a priority after a flood. If the power is out, try to keep fridge and freezer doors closed as much as possible to keep the cold air in. If the power will be out for more than four hours, you can add block … Continue reading →

Preventing Salmonellosis

With all the hubbub over contaminated tomatoes in the news, I thought this would be a good time to take a look at different ways you can prevent salmonellosis — food poisoning with salmonella bacteria. Don’t eat raw or undercooked eggs. Eggs are a common carrier of salmonella. Beware of raw eggs in some foods like salad dressings, sauces, and condiments. And try to resist tasting cookie or cake batter! Don’t eat raw or unpasteurized milk products or dairy products. Pasteurization treats milk and dairy products to make them safer for eating. Cook meats until they are well done. Meats … Continue reading →

A Healthy (and Sanitary) Bedroom and Bathroom

Where and how you store your stuff can make a big difference in how clean and healthy your bathroom and bedroom are. Here are some tips to keep things sanitary — and help keep you and your family healthy. For a clean and healthy bathroom: Move your toothbrush away from the sink. The best place to keep your toothbrush is in a cabinet, behind closed doors. Why? Even the cleanest toilet is full of microbes that can become airborne when you flush. Do you want toilet water landing on your toothbrush? (I don’t. I’m moving mine into a cabinet today.) … Continue reading →

A Healthy (and Sanitary) Kitchen

Where and how you store your stuff can make a big difference in how clean and healthy your kitchen is. Here are some tips to keep things sanitary — and help keep you and your family healthy. Don’t put your pocketbook on the kitchen counter. Studies from the University of Arizona have found up to ten thousand bacteria per square inch on the bottoms of purses! Think about some of the places you stick your pocketbook — under your seat at lunch, on the floor in the bathroom at work — do you want that on your kitchen counter? Don’t … Continue reading →

Sanitize Your Sponges

That sponge sitting near your kitchen sink can be harboring huge amounts of germs. Bacteria, yeast, and mold can all live in a kitchen sponge — meaning that the cleaning you do can actually spread germs around! Health experts suggest cleaning your sponge at least once every week (though twice a week is better). The best way to clean your sponge? Use the microwave. Simply wet the sponge and microwave it for a full minute. A study from the United States Department of Agriculture’s Henry A. Wallace Beltsville Agricultural Research Center in Maryland found that the microwave was the best … Continue reading →

Healthy Workout Tips

Regular exercise is an important part of a healthy lifestyle. Here are some tips to boost your energy, boost your calorie burn, and love your workouts more. Change your shoes. The usual advice on replacing your sneakers is to pick up a new pair every 400 miles or so. But if your activities aren’t measured in mileage, what do you do? Try to replace your sneakers after 150 hours of activity — that’s every five months if you wear your sneakers for an hour every day. They may still look new at that point, but the important internal cushioning may … Continue reading →

Preventing Kidney Stones

Kidney stones can be painful — but there are some things you can do to prevent them. Small diet changes can make a big difference in your body’s development of kidney stones. Drink more water! Six to eight glasses of water every day can help dilute urine. When urine becomes too concentrated, minerals like calcium, phosphate, and oxalate can crystallize, forming stones. The pain comes when the stones pass from the kidneys. Diluting the urine can help prevent the crystallization in the first place. Good old water is best, but you can also drink fruit juices or drinks from mix. … Continue reading →

Ten Ways To Celebrate National Eating Disorder Awareness Week

Sign the Declaration of Independence from a Weight Obsessed World from the National Eating Disorders Association. Free yourself from the three Ds: Dieting, Drive for Thinness, and Dissatisfaction with your Body. Avoid making comments about body size or shape — for yourself and for other people! A person’s value is not determined by size or shape. Donate clothes that no longer fit comfortably to a local charity. Donate jeans that don’t fit comfortably to the Great Jeans Giveaway. Someone else will appreciate the gift of clothes, and you won’t have to feel bad about clothes that don’t fit. Start every … Continue reading →