Dismayed by endless unproven hype by the media about what’s best for our health, and seeing we can’t put a muzzle on them, I need to add 6 more tips with common sense by Dr. Schwartz of Cinergy Health that we should follow.
1) Over-Exercising: I know too many people who have been rigorously exercising their whole life that ends up with tendonitus, knee & hip injury, shin splints, etc etc. Been told power walking or swimming is the best form of frequent exercise which won’t wear and tear your body. Dr. Schwartz recommends only 3-4 days a week of 0-45 min of cardio activity, done every other day, alternating with yoga, walking, weight training on the off days.
2) Staying out of the sun: Vitamin D makes healthy bones and ward of illness by boosting immune system (remember to take the Ds during the flu season). Although the Dr says the only way to get Vitamin D into our system is via sun exposure. SPF 30 is recommended, no higher, during outdoor recreation time that exceeds 20 minutes. During simple days of running errands, only your face should be protected with sunscreen! This calls for all the Asian ladies who keep their sun umbrellas open throughout the year.
3) Antibacterial Soaps and Gels: They are good to have around, but again, excessive usage can weaken your body’s ability to fight off “good bacteria”. Using regular soap will do.
4) Sleeping: Snap! I wonder if my middle sister, who likes to snooze till 11am and take daily naps, gets aloof from having too much siesta… They say we only need 8 hours of sleep, not less or more. Supposedly, we are not built to function optimally on more or less than 7-9 hours of sleep a night, or else it’s bad for our skin and causes overeating, confusion, depression… This explains my over-eating since our kids have started school and I’ve been getting 6.5 hrs of sleep.
5) Air Conditioning: Don’t sit and breathe in cold recycled air all day and night because the air may contain bacteria and germs, not to mention all kinds of particles of dust. Every few hours, turn the air off and open the windows, or go outside and breath some fresh air. Also wash your air conditioning filters with warm water and soap and air dry EVERY MONTH. Is this why people in Miami always keep the AC on while the windows are open?
6) Organic Food: The Dr. suggests foods don’t have to organic to be healthy, so stick with labels that have few ingredients and low amounts of natural sugar (honey, cane sugar, turbinado sugar), sodium and processed sugar. Unless you get organic fruits and vegetables directly from the farm, they can still contain pesticides. Make sure to read the labels even if you are buying them from the health food store..