Friday August 6 is National Fresh Breath Day

A group of dentists in New York, tiptoeing into a sensitive area, have proclaimed Friday August 6 as National Fresh Breath Day. The idea is to make people aware that having fresh breath is part of overall health and wellness, and that the solution to bad breath -- technically known as halitosis -- can be relatively simple. Sometimes, chronic bad breath can be a symptom of a serious illness. Mostly, it's one of life's most personal problems and has an impact on social and workplace relationships. The problem is stressed in advertising for a variety of products, and Americans spend a lot of money to achieve fresh breath. Mouthwashes, for example, are part of the more than $33 billion a year industry making various toiletries.

7 tips on coping with the heat when you exercise

We've all heard, "drink plenty of water during hot weather."

But during the summer, water isn't the only fitness tip to keep in mind as a way of coping with the heat when you exercise.

 Dr. James Muntz, an internal medicine and sports medicine physician at The Methodist Hospital in Houston, offers these top 7 tips to monitor your fitness condition during the summer: 

1. Make sure you are sweating properly. If you stop sweating when you are exercising you are dehydrated.
2.  If you realize your pulse rate in the morning is 10 to 15 beats higher than your normal rate, you should take the day off from exercising. Normal pulse rate is around 70-90/ minute.
3. Get acclimated to the heat before you begin an exercise regimen. Start off with 15 minutes and slowly work your way up to 45 or an hour.
4. Forget about the "no pain, no gain" mantra. Recognize warning signs and take the appropriate action immediately.
5. Avoid exercising between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m., the hottest part of the day.
6. Don't try to diet by sweating. It will only result in water loss, not true weight loss.
7. Wear loose-fitting, light-colored clothing, and sunscreen.

Muntz also talks about the different between drinking water and sports drinks.

“Drink water before you go outdoors, so you can be properly hydrated when you begin activity,” says Muntz. "But if you plan to be active in the heat for an hour or more, water may not be enough – sports drinks, or electrolyte drinks, are a good supplement.”

Sports drinks contain electrolytes, like potassium and magnesium to help replace salt and water lost in sweat when exercising heavily. "Carbohydrates, sodium and potassium help move fluids out of the body and to the muscles, where it needs to be when we are working out in the heat,” Muntz explains.

Drinking too much water in a short period of time can lead to a condition called hyponatremia, which occurs when sodium levels drop in the body. Muntz suggests raising sodium levels after activity by eating some food with salt, such as pretzels, pickles or even potato chips.

Symptoms of hyponatremia include vomiting, loss of appetite, headache, restlessness/fatigue, confusion or hallucinations, muscle weakness and convulsions.

Muscle Milk flexes its muscles for Cassie Scerbo and other beautiful bodies at X Games

Monday, August 2nd, 2010 X-Games 16 got lots of love from the young and trendy over the weekend and, of course, Silicon Valley was well represented both in people and in... Keep Reading »

ONE WEEK FREE YOGA during National Yoga Month September

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If you're into yoga - or have been thinking about it - this September, people from across the country can get ONE WEEK FREE YOGA at participating yoga studios and join over 1,000 National Yoga Month events in communities nationwide. Whether you’re trying it for the first time or are an experienced yogi looking to deepen your practice, there’s never been a more opportune time to practice yoga.

National Yoga Month is a grassroots campaign administered by the Yoga Health Foundation, a 501 (c) 3 non-profit organization. All funds benefit the national awareness campaign and Yoga-Recessin School to bring yoga-based health and fitness education into classrooms.

I've been unable to find a free class here in Silicon Valley, though if memory serves me there were three or four last year so maybe there will be classes by September.  But there are classes in a lot of other locations so if you've been considering giving yoga a try, check it out.

CUTCO donates over $500,000 to American Heart Association Go Red for Women

I know not everyone grew up with  CUTCO Cutlery - but I did.  My aunt was from New Kensington, PA where the brand was born, and every knife we had in our home was a Cutco.

So it somehow gave me a pride of ownership to see that the company, still going strong, has donated over a half million dollars to support the American Heart Association's Go Red For Women® movement.

A press release today announced that since 2007, CUTCO has donated $540,000.  By the end of its current agreement in March 2011, the kitchen cutlery company expects to donate more than $600,000 to the fight against heart disease in women.

Besides a corporate-level donation, CUTCO also donates 10 percent of the sales of 4-Pc. Red Table Knife Sets and Red Super Shears to the cause.

According to the press info, CUTCO is the largest manufacturer and marketer of kitchen cutlery and accessories in the United States and Canada, which surprises me considering I practically never hear of the brand these days. I did see them at a recent home fair, and last year, I took advantage of the company's "Forever Guarantee," and sent in my 60 year old cutlery (yes, it was pretty much the only thing that my folks had that lasted long enough to hand down to me) to the factory for free sharpening.  They even replaced one knife which couldn't be sharpened, which was pretty astounding considering the age of the knife.

Anyway, if you're looking to do some good for the American Heart Association, this is a product I can complete endorse. For more information about CUTCO, call 800-828-0448 or visit www.CUTCO.com.