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Now that the kids are back in school and the weather is starting to change, it's time to start worrying about the cold and flu season.  But this year your worrying can be less if you take the following dos and don'ts into consideration and protect your family and yourself.

Flu and Cold Season Tips

Do use hand sanitizer.  Always carry a pocket-size hand sanitizer with you and use it generously whenever you are in public places.  Germs are everywhere and on everything and by using hand sanitizer you are protecting yourself from bringing home these flu viruses.

Do wash your hands frequently.  It may seem like the simplest thing to do but be sure that you are washing your hands frequently with warm water and soap, and for at least 15 to 20 seconds.  Teachers are now telling students to sing the ABC's or Happy Birthday to themselves while they are washing their hands to be sure you are washing for a full 15 to 20 seconds.

Do sneeze into the crook of your elbow.  By sneezing into your elbow, you are avoiding transmitting flu viruses to your hands and will keep you from passing the virus to others. It may seem socially awkward at first, but soon you will see more and more people doing this when they sneeze.

Don't shake hands.  To keep from transmitting germs, avoid shaking hands with people when you greet them.  Try a head nod, waving or smiling instead to greet someone.  If you can't avoid shaking someone's hand, then be sure to use your hand sanitizer following the hand shake.

Don't use someone else's phone or computer mouse.  Phones and computers harbor some pretty heinous germs for hours.  Avoid sharing someone else's phone or computer mouse if possible.  If you do have to use someone else's phone or computer wipe it down with an alcohol swab prior to using it.

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Despite what many people believe, not all workouts are effective and conducive to losing weight and toning up.  There are several workouts that you will see people doing at your gym any given day of the week that are ineffective.

Unless you have the best form and are using some of these machines like textbook, then you may be doing more harm than good to your body.

Ineffective workouts

The following are some examples of the least effective exercises that you can do:

  • Behind the Head Lat Pull Downs: Unfortunately, only those with very mobile shoulder joints can keep their spine straight enough to get a good workout from the behind the back lat pull down bar. The move done wrong can tear the rotator cuff.
  • Behind the Head Military Press: This exercise done similarly to the behind the head lat pull down, can cause the same problems with the rotator cuff that other exercise could cause.
  • Lying Leg Press (with knees bent too deeply): This exercise is typically done to work your quadriceps, hamstrings and glutes and is done on a machine where you use your feet to push a weighted plate up and down.  If you bend your knees too far, then you can seriously injure your back and/or knees.
  • Squats on a Smith Machine: While the Smith Machine is generally an effective machine, the bar on the machine doesn't give, which can force the body into risky positions, including placing their feet too far in front of them while doing their squats.
  • Using Bad Form on Cardio Machines: While using bad form is not good on any machine, using bad form on cardio equipment is a big no-no. Hunching over can throw off your alignment, jarring your spine, shoulders and elbows.
  • Always Lifting with a Weight Belt: Unless you have a back injury, are lifting a lot of weight or if you have some other medical reason, then a weight belt is not necessary.  Wearing a weight belt too often can weaken your core muscles, throwing off your entire workout.

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  • Sweet potatoes are an excellent source of vitamin A in the form of beta carotene and vitamin C.
  • The nutrients in sweet potatoes are also anti-inflammatory, which means that besides being great tasting, sweet potatoes can help reduce the severity of conditions like asthma, osteoarthritis, and rheumatoid arthritis.
  • In addition, sweet potatoes are a good source of vitamin B6.

Sweet Potatoes

Recipe: Golden Sweet Potato Brownies

  • 1 cup butter
  • 1 cup packed brown sugar
  • 1 cup white sugar
  • 4 eggs
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 2 cups peeled and finely shredded sweet potatoes
  • 1 cup powdered sugar
  • 2 tablespoons butter or margarine
  • 2 tablespoons milk

Preheat the oven to 350. Grease a 9x13 inch baking dish. In a large bowl, cream together the butter, brown sugar, and white sugar until smooth. Beat in the eggs one at a time, then stir in the vanilla. Combine the flour, baking powder, and salt; stir into the batter just until blended. Fold in the shredded yam. Spread the batter evenly in the greased baking dish. Bake for 30 minutes. Mix together the confectioners' sugar, butter and milk until smooth. Spread over the brownies while they are still warm.

Recipe: Spicy Baked Sweet Potato Fries

  • 6 sweet potatoes cut into French fries
  • 2 tablespoons canola oil
  • 3 tablespoons taco seasoning mix
  • ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.

In a plastic bag, combine the sweet potatoes, canola oil, taco seasoning, and cayenne pepper. Close and shake the bag until the fries are evenly coated. Spread the fries out in a single layer on two large baking sheets.

Bake for 30 minutes, or until crispy and brown on one side. Turn the fries over using a spatula, and cook for another 30 minutes, or until they are all crispy on the outside and tender inside. Thinner fries may not take as long.

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Last year, Consumer Reports sent a survey team to several schools to find out how much weight kids were lifting , in their backpacks.  Parents were shocked to learn that of the students surveyed, the average weight hauled by second-graders was 5.3 pounds, fourth-graders carried 4.6 pounds and sixth-graders averaged 18.4 pounds.

Backpack Weight

To help alleviate some of the back pain and stress, Consumer Reports suggest that parents should keep the following factors in mind:

  1. Check for good stitching that can hold a decent amount of weight.
  2. Shoulder straps anchors should be about 1- to 2- inches below the top of the shoulder.
  3. The bottom of the backpack should go along the curve of the lower back and the backpack itself should not fall more than 4 inches below the waist.

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If you are lactose intolerant or if you know someone who is, here are some things that will help you to learn more about this condition:

  • Our bodies produce an enzyme called lactase and when you drink a glass of milk or eat cheese, lactase helps to break down the milk sugar, or lactose, into simpler sugars that are eventually absorbed into your bloodstream.  People that are lactose intolerant have a lactase deficiency.
  • Many other illnesses have symptoms very comparable to lactose intolerance.  It's best to check with your doctor regarding your symptoms and he/she may suggest that you cut out dairy and denote any changes.  A breath test or tests of your stool can determine whether you are lactose intolerant.
  • Undigested lactose can cause a variety of gastrointestinal symptoms, typically within two hours of having a dairy product, including nausea, bloating, abdominal pain, flatulence and diarrhea.  Although some people may have a lactase deficiency and have none of these symptoms at all.
  • While a few babies are born with a lactase deficiency, most people become lactose intolerant from age 2 to 12.  And even though most people become lactose intolerant during their childhood, they typically do not show signs of the intolerance until late adolescence or early adulthood.
  • Almost 65% of people worldwide or nearly 30 million Americans suffer from some degree of lactose intolerance.  It is more common among Asians, Africans, Hispanics, or Native Americans and less likely if your ancestors are from northern or western Europe.
  • Lactose intolerance is not the same thing as a milk allergy.  If you are allergic to milk, then your body is fighting dairy as if it were a harmful intruder in your body.  Symptoms are far more severe than lactose intolerance and may include itchy eyes, rash and wheezing.  People who are allergic to milk must avoid it entirely.
  • People with lactose intolerance can consume some amounts of dairy without any symptoms.  Most people can drink up to a half-cup of milk without it affecting them at all.