Internet Blues
It’s depressing enough that we waste our lives watching the boob tube, but now it seems there’s another box to worry about--the computer. According to a study from Carnegie Mellon University, Internet users may be more likely to be lonely and socially withdrawn. Many online users beg to differ, explaining they’ve become more gregarious than ever on the Internet. But researchers argue that users are in denial about their social isolation. Perhaps a good way to wean yourself off the Net is to start watching more TV.
Chew on This
Americans spend about $54 billion a year on dental services and $2 billion a year on chewing gum, according to the good folks at Arm & Hammer. They put these two things together, but in a way you might not think. The company is marketing Sugar Free Dental Care: the Baking Soda Gum. The result of years of research, the gum removes an additional 25% more plaque from teeth than just plain brushing, the company claims. That’s incredible. What’s next? An extra fatty meat that actually lowers your cholesterol?
Men and Their Flab
Even though summer is just about gone, try to resist the temptation of putting on the pounds for the blustery winter season. The October issue of Men’s Fitness offers a number of tips to trim a pound of body fat per week. Among them: Eat six small meals per day instead of three large ones, cut carbohydrate intake in half at the last meal of the day, and schedule a cheat day every so often. Oh, yeah, also do a cardiovascular workout five times or more a week and weight train three times a week. Get busy!
Caveman Diet
People looking for a healthy lifestyle may need to look no further than our ancestors--the caveman and cavewoman. According to an article in the October issue of Shape magazine, our cave forebears can teach us modern sophisticates a thing or two about health and fitness. Their plant-based, nutrient-rich diet and vigorous lifestyle may have helped protect them from cancer, diabetes, hypertension, osteoporosis and other diseases, the article says. If you must eat red meat, unlike our Stone Age cousins, cook it first.
