(ARA) - It all starts with the coughing in the next cubicle, or the sneeze by a coworker in the conference room. Before long, everyone in your area gets sick. Cold and flu have shown up for work and everyone seems to catch it.

More than just close quarters, your work might be making you sick. Or at least working in your building, according to the World Health Organization, which has been tracking this phenomenon called “Sick Building Syndrome” since 1982. And it’s more serious than people think. “There are multiple symptoms associated with Sick Building Syndrome,” said Dr. Kelly Reynolds, microbiologist at The University of Arizona. “This can include eye, nose and throat irritation, skin rash, headaches, frequent throat infections or coughs, hoarseness or wheezing, nausea and dizziness.” The accumulation and transfer of germs in indoor environments have a significant impact on the fact that five to twenty percent of the U.S. population will develop influenza this year, on average missing three days of work.

With more than 200,000 cases serious enough to be hospitalized and close to 36,000 deaths from the flu or its symptoms, this highly infectious disease is one of the top 10 leading causes of death in the U.S. “We’ve known for years that air conditioning and office ventilation systems, which continuously circulate contaminated air throughout the building, were the main culprit in spreading germs and bacteria,” Reynolds added. But besides frequent handwashing, there wasn’t much available to solve the problem.

New UV-C technology may change all that. By penetrating the nucleus of airborne pathogens, ultraviolet light renders them sterile and incapable of spreading. “Long been used in hospitals and other commercial settings, this technology has exciting consumer potential in the war on germs,” she noted. “In fact, a new product, the Germ Guardian air sanitizer, is now available. It uses UV-C light to kill more than 99.9 percent of targeted airborne germs.” The Germ Guardian is an air sanitizer that uses a quiet, yet powerful fan to pull air through a specially-constructed UV-C chamber. As air is pulled into the intensifier chamber, the UV-C, ultraviolet light destroys 99.9 percent of the targeted airborne germs and the sanitized air is circulated back into the room. With the ability to process a massive 700 cubic feet of germ-laden air per hour, the Germ Guardian is effective in almost any size room. While an occasional sick day may do wonders for employee mental health, incorporating UV-C technology into an office setting may actually allow them to call in sick, without being sick.

Top

Choosing Bottled Water Wisely (ARA) Are there really any differences between the various brands and types of bottled water?

Types of Bottled Water
While many consumers think of it as drinking water, bottled water is actually considered a food product in the United States.

As part of their regulations, the FDA sets identity standards for many types of bottled waters. Seven of the most common types of bottled water products available on the shelf today include:

* Artesian Water: Artesian bottled water comes from a confined underground source. The bottler drills a well into an underground aquifer and then pumps the water to the surface.
* Drinking Water: Bottled drinking water comes from many different sources, including public water supplies. It generally undergoes filtration and disinfection.
* Fluoridated Water: Fluoridated bottled water contains either naturally occurring fluoride or fluoride that is added back into the water after treatment. Typically, the minimum fluoride presence is 0.8 milligrams per liter.
* Mineral Water: Bottled water that is classified as mineral water contains at last 250 parts per million total dissolved solids and originates from a protected underground water source.
* Purified Water: Purified bottled water products are produced through distillation, deionization or reverse osmosis. Such processing significantly reduces the mineral content (or total dissolved solids) of the original source water.
* Sparkling Water: Bottled water that contains, after treatment, the same amount of carbon dioxide that it did when it first emerged from the source.
* Spring Water: Bottled spring water comes from an underground formation where the water flows naturally to the surface of the earth.

There are no official FDA classifications for bottled water products described as “natural” or “pure,” so keep in mind that such words do not reflect the source, treatment or quality of the bottled water. Instead, make sure you look for one of the above-referenced standards of identity on your favorite bottled water to be sure of its source. Bottled Water Testing In addition to understanding the differences between the various types of bottled water available, many consumers are confused about what testing bottled water products are required to undergo. The FDA requires bottled water products to be tested regularly for the same contaminants for which our public water supplies are monitored, including inorganic contaminants (arsenic, nitrates, lead, and mercury), volatile organic chemicals (pesticides, chlorination byproducts), bacteria and radioactive elements. Courtesy of ARA Content

Top

Tips for Choosing the Right Nutrition Expert (ARA) - Who is the most qualified nutrition expert? Sometimes it’s hard to tell. Letters after a person’s name don’t necessarily qualify them to give reliable nutrition advice.

In many states, titles like “nutritionist” and “diet counselor” are not regulated, so these terms may be used by people who are not properly qualified. March is National Nutrition Month, when the American Dietetic Association advises consumers to look for the RD credential for the best food and nutrition advice.

What can a registered dietitian do for you?

1. You have diabetes, cardiovascular problems or high blood pressure.

2. You are thinking of having or have had gastric bypass surgery. A registered dietitian will help you learn to eat again.

3. You have digestive problems. A registered dietitian will work with your physician to help fine-tune your diet so you are not aggravating your condition with fried foods, too much caffeine or carbonation.

4. You’re pregnant or trying to get pregnant. A registered dietitian can help make sure you get nutrients like folate, especially during the first three months of pregnancy, lowering your newborn’s risk for neural tube or spinal cord defects.

5. You need guidance and confidence for breastfeeding your baby. A registered dietitian can help make sure you’re getting enough iron, vitamin D, fluoride and B vitamins for you and your little one.

6. Your teenager has issues with food and eating healthfully. A registered dietitian can assist with eating disorders like anorexia, bulimia and overweight issues.

7. You need to gain or lose weight. A registered dietitian can suggest additional calorie sources for healthy weight gain or a restricted-calorie eating plan plus regular physical activity for weight loss while still eating all your favorite foods.

8. You’re caring for an aging parent. A registered dietitian can help with food or drug interaction, proper hydration, special diets for hypertension and changing taste buds as you age.

9. You want to eat smarter. A registered dietitian can help you sort through misinformation; learn how to read labels at the supermarket; discover that healthy cooking is inexpensive, learn how to eat out without ruining your eating plan and how to resist workplace temptations.

10. You want to improve your performance in sports. A registered dietitian can help you set goals to achieve results.

Top

"I saw the angel in the marble and carved until I set him free."

- Michelangelo Buonarroti

Dear Flabby,
After the hurricane here I moved around twice and i just can't get a routine going. I used to run twice a week and then go to the gym once a week. Now that I'm out of my home I've gained about 25 pounds and i can't find my old physical way of doing things. Help me!

Jennie T. - formerly of New Orleans

Dear Jennie,

Change is hard, and you've been through one of the biggest of all, but get over it! Start small, go for a 10 minute walk 5 mornings a week for 2 weeks. Then switch two of the walk days for a run day (this will help you slowly establish a pattern). It's not where you are it's what you are doing. It sounds like everything is muddled and confused for you, but forcing this routine will help you establish new ones, just remember to do it no matter where you are: stuck in a motel, a basement suite, on vacation, wherever. Stick to the routine!
My favorite quote: "We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit"

( send your question to dearflabby@prosnack.com )

Top