CNN has recently become my browser homepage and I have been really keeping up on the current events around the Bay Area, in California, in the United States and in the World.
In accordance with some of my previous posts, I wanted to share the truths about some popular health myths!
You can find the article here to read more, I will only share the ones that I find really interesting!
*If You Go Out With Wet Hair, You'll Catch a Cold.
My family has always told me this one!
The truth: You will feel cold but will be just fine health-wise, says Jim Sears, a board-certified pediatrician in San Clemente, California. He cites a study done at the Common Cold Research Unit, in Salisbury, England, in which a group of volunteers was inoculated with a cold virus up their noses. Half the group stayed in a warm room while the rest took a bath and stood dripping wet in a hallway for half an hour, then got dressed but wore wet socks for a few more hours. The wet group didn't catch any more colds than the dry. Sears's conclusion: "Feeling cold doesn't affect your immune system."
*If You Cross Your Eyes, They'll Stay That Way.
I remember that my friends and I would make funny faces to each other and my mom or the mom that was around would tell us that our faces would stay that way if we didn't stop doing it! Now I know they just didn't want us making those faces and were trying to scare us out of doing them...sneaky moms!
The truth: "There's no harm in voluntary eye crossing," says W. Walker Motley, an assistant professor of ophthalmology at the University of Cincinnati College of Medicine. But if you notice your child doing this a lot (when he's not mimicking a cartoon character), he might have other vision problems.
*Gum Stays in Your Stomach for Seven Years.
I wasn't a big gum chewer, and when I did chew gum I don't remember swallowing it...not to say that I have never swallowed gum before...that I have never swallowed gum before...
The truth: Your Little Leaguer's wad of Big League Chew won't (literally) stick around until high school graduation. "As with most nonfood objects that kids swallow, fluids carry gum through the intestinal tract, and within days it passes," says David Pollack, a senior physician in the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia Care Network. And even though gum isn't easily broken down in the digestive system, it probably won't cause a stomachache, either.
*An Apple a Day Keeps the Doctor Away.
I still find myself saying this quote to my friends...especially to my Sweeter because, get this, he doesn't like fruit! I know...crazy!
The truth: A handful of blueberries a day will keep the doctor away more effectively. Blueberries are a nutritional jackpot, rich in antioxidants and fiber, and they're also easy to toss into cereal and yogurt. That said, eating a variety of fruits and vegetables is important to prevent many chronic illnesses, such as heart disease, high blood pressure, and diabetes, down the road. (To find out how much earth-grown goodness your child should be getting, enter his or her age, sex, and level of physical activity at fruitsandveggiesmatter.gov.)
*To Get Rid of Hiccups, Have Someone Startle You.
I remember take a gulp of water and then doing handstands to swallow it to try to get rid of the hiccups. I got a bad case of it this summer and I was told to hold my breath WHILE drinking the water...that seemed to work...I will have to try to remedy below to let you know if it REALLY works!
The truth: Most home remedies, like holding your breath or drinking from a glass of water backward, haven't been medically proven to be effective, says Pollack. However, you can try this trick dating back to 1971, when it was published in The New England Journal of Medicine: Swallow one teaspoon of white granulated sugar. According to the study, this tactic resulted in the cessation of hiccups in 19 out of 20 afflicted patients. Sweet.
*You Shouldn't Swim for an Hour After Eating.
Yeah because you will get a cramp....
The truth: Splash away. "After you eat, more blood flows to the digestive system and away from the muscles," says Cohen. "The thinking was that if you exercised strenuously right after eating, that lack of blood would cause you to cramp up and drown." But that won't happen. Sears concurs: "You might have less energy to swim vigorously, but it shouldn't inhibit your ability to tread water or play."
All of this is very interesting! Try some of them out and see what you find!
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