LK's Grab Bag

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Tuesday, November 25th: I am away this week…. but hang with me here for a minute. Grab your iPod with your favorite high-energy music. Warm up with a quick-paced walk or jog for about 3 minutes. Then spend the next 10-20 minutes alternating between 30-90 seconds of fast walking/running or calisthenics or whatever gets you truly OUT OF BREATH, then give yourself 1-2 minutes of recovery. Repeat. Don’t forget push-ups! Faster. Rest. Again. FASTER. You can do this. Rest. Now again… PUSH IT. See… you don’t even need me 🙂

Tuesday FDA Screw-Up: Surely by now you are familiar with my new obsession, CosmeticsDatabase.com. If you have not yet done so, go there and look up a few of your lotions or soaps or cosmetics. Lots of interesting information there. But… I digress.

CosmeticsDatabase.com is offered and maintained by the EWG, the Environmental Working Group. Check them out to see how they are structured, and what they do. If you don’t have time, perhaps you can trust me when I say that they have all the right reasons and a very sound approach with everything I have seen them do.

You probably heard a few months ago that new and more serious concerns have been leveled at plastics containing Bisphenol-A, or BPA. The EWG was an important element in bringing this information to the public. What may have been lost on many was the position of the FDA, our supposed guardian at the gate of health hazards. Here is one reporter’s information:

“This September the FDA stated that bisphenol A (BPA)—used in plastic baby bottles, toys, dental sealants and food packaging—was safe. Now a draft report published October 31 by an FDA science board subcommittee has declared that the FDA’s assessment created “a false sense of security” since it overlooked “a wide range of potentially serious findings.” In particular, the report noted that the FDA ignored studies showing effects at low exposure levels and should include more recent research that raised concerns about neurobehavioral and other effects caused by BPA. An FDA advisory board voted unanimously to endorse the report.”

Tuesday BPA Clean-Up:

What you can do to reduce your exposure to BPA:

Avoid plastic dishware, bottles and utensils marked with #7 polycarbonate. 

Do not microwave food in polycarbonate plastic food containers.

Reduce use of canned foods. 

Opt for BPA-free baby bottles and use glass or stainless steel food and drink containers. 

Ask your dentist for a BPA-free dental sealant.

For more tips, see “Purging Your Pantry of Bisphenol A.”

Tuesday Brain Game: Dragger

Tuesday Fun Stuff: The ongoing dilemma… is it better to be lucky or good? Last week’s video showed just how lucky some can be. Now, here’s what good can get you: