It's bad enough that you lose your sense of smell when you get a cold, but the U.S. Food and Drug Administration says that a popular homeopathic remedy might leave without olfactory abilities long after your sniffles stop. And to add more bad news to an already dour economic outlook, if you're looking for a job, you might want to give up the smokes, as at least one company--a large insurer--is requiring that new employees kick the habit. This week's popular links have my mind racing, especially the final one. Read on for more info, and share your thoughts on the week's top headlines. Humana: We won't hire smokers "Humana of Ohio will require all new employees who smoke to quit the habit. The insurer, which employs more than 1,200 people at its new headquarters in Walnut Hills and hundreds more at a distribution center in West Chester, said Monday it would give all new employees a questionnaire. If the workers use tobacco, they will have 31 days to enroll in a program called Breathe." Should smokers be required to quit or risk losing a job? The story is hazy on details, but do you think not hiring smokers is a fair practice? From Cincinnati.com Healthy Salad Dressings "Spice up a boring salad without adding tons of calories using these healthy salad dressings." How do you top your salads? Do you reach for a bottle or make your own? (Personally, I'm keen on salsa, guacamole, hummus or light sour cream with fresh herbs!) From Fitness Magazine F.D.A. Warns Against Use of Popular Cold Remedy "Federal drug regulators warned consumers to stop using Zicam, a popular homeopathic cold remedy, because it could damage or destroy their sense of smell." Have you used Zicam? Did it affect your sense of smell? From the NY Times How-To: Heal Cracked Heels "Warm Summer weather inspires many of us to wear flip-flops and walk barefoot. When your feet are exposed to air, it can cause dry skin on your feet, which will create calluses. The pressure of pounding your feet on the ground when you run can then lead to heel fissures, or cracks in the skin. They most often occur on your heels, but you can get them anywhere you have extremely dry skin." Do you suffer from dry skin during summer? It's tough, because sunscreen isn't the most moisturizing of products, and who wants to apply thick lotion when you're hot and sweaty? How do keep dry heels at bay? From FitSugar Daily Dose: True Confessions Women's Day Health Editor Barbara Brody says: "Whenever I meet someone new and tell them that I’m a health editor, one of the first things they want to know is whether I follow my own advice for healthy living. The answer is that I try, and I think I do a decent job about 75% of the time. Here’s the truth about what I practice and what I just preach."" Do you practice what you preach? From Women's Day How fast R U? Teen Iowa girl wins US texting title "The nation's newest texting champion has a message for parents across the land — although they might not want to hear it. "Let your kid text during dinner! Let your kid text during school! It pays off," 15-year-old Kate Moore said Tuesday after winning the LG U.S. National Texting Championship." Her thumbs will be aching soon enough. What do you think: Should we reward fast texters? Do you let your kids text any time they want? From Yahoo! News Lower Your Blood Pressure with Your Breath "A breathing technique used in yoga can lower your blood pressure, a study in Applied Psychophysiology and Biofeedback reports. After subjects practiced alternate-nostril breathing for four rounds of seven and a half minutes, their systolic and diastolic blood pressure dropped one point each¯a significant dip from such a simple activity, researchers say." Hmm, that sounds familiar. I just blogged about that! Has it worked for you? From Women's Health Money-Saving Meals: Healthy, Low-Cost Dinner Recipes "Eating healthy on a tight budget is easy with these expert money-saving tips for grocery shopping and low-cost meals. The number-one piece of advice: Plan your dinners in advance. It's easy with these healthy, budget-friendly dinner recipes." What is your favorite money-saving dinner recipe? From Fitness Operation Beautiful From blogger Caitlin: "One of my biggest personal crusades is ending Fat Talk. If my little blog only does one productive thing, I hope it helps readers realize how truly toxic fat talk is -- it hurts you emotionally, spiritually, and physically. I want to reach as many people as possible with my End the Fat Talk message. I've begun leaving positive messages on the mirrors of public restrooms -- at work, at the gym, at the grocery store. I scribble down whatever comes to mind -- "You are beautiful!" or "You are amazing just the way you are!"" Are you guilty of "Fat Talk"? Will you participate in Operation Beautiful? From Healthy Tipping Point |
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