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Posts Tagged ‘Health’

Is It A Cold…Or Is It Allergies?

I have been sick three – THREE – times since February. I know, suppressed immune system (so that you don’t reject the baby, which is, of course, half-comprised of someone else entirely), etc etc…but I am sick to death of being deathly sick.

When I woke up all sorts of miserable yesterday, though, I thought that maybe the intense heatwave had brought on heretofore unknown allergies (everyone else seems to be complaining about them). This would be an especially bad thing, because while the typical cold lasts just a few days, allergies can go on…and on…and on. Or so I hear. I don’t think I’ve ever had them.

Or have I?

Very confused.

Enter this helpful chart from WebMD (thanks to Christine for the link):

As it turns out, I totally do not have allergies.

Probably.

More Cure-What-Ails-You Advice (click through links for more info)

My Ex-Boyfriend’s Go-To Fever Remedy

Francesca’s Ginger-And-Apple Cold Cure

All-Natural NyQuil Recipe

Reader-Submitted Cold Cures



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May 31st, 2011 | Lifestyle | 2 Comments »

I Do Not Like My Vaporizer

Acting on doctor’s orders, I picked up one of these on Friday:

I wish that I hadn’t.

For a thingamajig with exactly two parts and instructions that tell you to a) pour in water, and b) plug in machine, it is unbelievably finicky. Seriously, it took us at least an hour to get the thing clicking along (we turned it over and over looking for a secret on/off switch, and ended up having to add a ton of salt to the water before we could get it operational), and even now it only works sporadically. And I threw out the box (the actual thought process was “this thing has, what, two whole parts? It’s not like it’s not going to work”)…so I can’t return it.

Anyway, I wish that I had bought one of these instead:

They’re humidifiers rather than vaporizers, and a bit more expensive than what I bought ($45.99)…but they’re just the cutest things ever. And safer to keep around animals. And the cutest things ever.

If you’re interested, the main differences between humidifiers and vaporizers are as follows:

1. Humidifiers release cool moisture into the air, while vaporizers boil the water and release warm moisture.

2. Vaporizers may cause burns, and should be kept out of reach of children or animals.

3. Humidifiers may be more pleasant to use in warm climates, or in warmer months (you don’t want heated air blowing on you in the summer).

4. Since the water in vaporizers is boiled, vaporizers may be less likely to spread bacteria/mold.

Note: Whichever method you chose, it’s very, very important to change the water every day and keep the machine clean.

Source: Essortment.com



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December 6th, 2010 | Home | 12 Comments »

So How’s The Healthy(er) Living Going?

Great, actually!

You may recall that around this time last month, I decided to lay down a few health-related resolutions. First, the exercising: I am actually doing quite well at this, making at least three trips per week to the David Barton gym on the UES. The space is beautiful, airy and peaceful – a completely different world from the hyper-stylish, awesomely chic Astor Place location, but probably a bit more in line with what I’m personally looking for in a gym. Exactly in line with what I’m looking for, actually: I feel centered just walking through the doors of the place. And “centered” isn’t an emotion I’m particularly familiar with.

See? Beautiful, peaceful, airy.

Now, I wouldn’t say that I’m all of a sudden turning into Bodybuilder Barbie – my idea of exertion involves hopping around on an elliptical for 30 minutes while reading Star – but I am absolutely feeling like a new, endorphin-addled person, and I think a lot of it has to do with how good working out feels, and how much I want to keep that feeling going for as long as possible. I’ve been drinking iced green teas, for god’s sake…and settling in for the evening with nightcaps featuring chamomile and mint rather than Jack and Jim.

Also! While I wouldn’t say that my eating habits have changed much, I have 100% stuck to my guns with the vitamins-and-flossing thing. So: overall, I’d call the past month a major step in the right direction. I don’t know if I look better, but I certainly feel better…and of course that’s what really matters, when it comes down to it.

I plan on keeping this madness up.

Trial membership provided gratis by management.



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September 28th, 2010 | Play | 3 Comments »

Just got a call from the doctor and my biopsy came back negative. This is obviously fantastic news, but the experience was still pretty jarring…and an excellent wake-up call to be much, much more vigilant about my health. 

Go here to learn how to perform a skin self-exam. 



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November 11th, 2009 | Photo | No Comments »