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Cell Phones and Health

2010-10-04T04:51:00.000-07:00

One of the most common sights we see these days, is that of people with their mobile phones next to their ears. A boon for better communication, cell phone usage nonetheless has many health hazards. Various studies indicate that the emissions from a cell phone can be extremely harmful, causing genetic damage, tumors, memory loss, and increased blood pressure and weakening of the immune system. This is alarming information, and one has to take into account all these factors..

CELL PHONES AND HEALTH

Though there is no evidence of cell phones causing cancer or any such illness, but the suspicion, or fear of the same is not baseless either. The electromagnetic radiation from cell phones does have a potential link to cancer. The fact that this radiation is invisible, intangible, and enters and leaves our bodies without our knowledge makes it even more intimidating.

Possible hazards:

Two minutes of exposure to emissions from mobile phones can disable a safety barrier in blood causing proteins and toxins to leak into the brain, could increase chances of developing Alzheimer's multiple sclerosis and Parkinson's. (Scientists at Sweden's Lund University)
Scientists say exposure to the phones' low-level radiation causes red blood cells to leak hemoglobin and can lead to heart disease and kidney stones.
Recent studies suggesting a link between cell-phone use and brain tumors, and the possibility that the microwaves could ignite petroleum fumes at gas stations.
A cell phone unit, or communications tower, has so many of thee radiation emanating gadgets. This can be a problem for its immediate environment.

SPECIFIC HEALTH CONCERNS

Cancer / Tumors
Studies have been conducted suggesting that rats that have been exposed to microwaves similar to the sort generated by mobile phones but more powerful, showed breaks in their DNA which could indicate an adverse effect. Also, mice exposed to radiation for 18 months developed brain tumors. Though of course, these studies are not concrete proof.

Blood Pressure
It was observed that people using cell phones were prone to high blood pressure. Again, there isn't any concrete evidence of the same.

Pregnancy
A study at the University of Montpellier in France was carried out on 6000 chick embryos and suggested that the heavily exposed chick eggs were five times less likely to survive than the control group. This study raised questions about possible effects on pregnant women but it has not yet appeared in peer-reviewed scientific literature or been reproduced, so its findings are difficult to assess.

Headaches, Heating Effects, Fatigue
A study brought out that longer the people used mobile phones, the more likely they were to report symptoms such as hot ears, burning skin, headaches and fatigue.
The study did not include a control group (that is people who do not use mobile phones, to make a comparison); therefore the symptoms reported could have been caused by any number of other factors in the mobile phones users' environment, such as working with computers, stress, driving or reading.

Memory
There have been various studies into the connection between mobile phones and memory loss. A study looked into the effect of radiofrequency (RF) on the section of rats' brains that is linked with the memory. The results showed that RF could modify signals in the cells in a part of the brain that is responsible for learning and short term memory.

Posture (holding phone between raised shoulder and ear)
Some researchers claim that holding a mobile phone between the raised shoulder and the ear could have a damaging effect on muscles, bones, tendons and discs. These problems would apply equally to a cordless phone or a landline phone as to a mobile phone and are the effect of bad posture.

Mobile Phones and Children
Because of their smaller heads, thinner skulls and higher tissue conductivity, children may absorb more energy from a given phone than adults.

PREVENTION TIPS

Cell phones should be used for emergencies, and not for long conversations.
A small chip-like cell phone microwave radiation protection device is available, which has the ability to absorb electromagnetic energy waves from your mobile phone. It helps in reducing the potential harmful effects of these emissions to the human body.
Using a mobile headset is a good idea, you don't have to hold phones next to your ears all the time
Use a hands free mobile car kit while driving, without taking your hands off the steering wheel

THE WHO (World Health Organisation) RULES

Mobile phone users should limit their exposure to harmful radio frequencies by cutting the length of calls.
Hands-free devices cut exposure by keeping the instrument away from the head and body.
Driving cum mobile phone talking should be banned.
Mobile phones should not be used in Intensive Care Units of hospitals as they can pose a danger to patients by interfering with the working of pacemakers and defibrillators.
People with hearing aids should not use mobile phones.
Base stations, which have low powered antennae on their terrace to communicate with cell phones, should not be located near children's schools and playgrounds.

CELL PHONES WHILE DRIVING
Studies indicate that a lot of car accidents have happened, while the driver was on the phone. This is because while driving, one obviously needs to concentrate, and talking on a phone doesn't help. Some countries like Portugal have banned the use of cell phones, which may not be very practical, as their main use is to be reachable while you are on the move. Thus, it is important to take certain precautions while driving:

Position your phone within easy reach so that you don't have to take your eyes off the road.
Get to know the features of your cell phone - speed dial, redial, voice mail, they can be your lifesaver. But don't dial and drive at the same time. Use a hands free kit.
Avoid using a phone when road conditions are hazardous or traffic is heavy. You can let your voice mail take messages and then call back later.
Don't engage in stressful conversations that may distract your attention from the road.
Don't take notes or look up phone numbers whilst driving, wait till you can pull over.
User abbreviated speed dialing. In fact, voice activated dialing is even better. It leaves both hands free. Frequently called numbers can be programmed.
Have an answering machine installed that could take messages until you can return the calls. Let your co-passenger handle the calls if you are not travelling alone.

Dust Off Your Dreams

2007-10-29T09:16:00.000-07:00

Dust Off Your Dreams

Spring has sprung. The trees are budding. Flowers blooming. There's a feeling of anticipation and excitement in the air. A sense of newness fills you with hope. You look forward to the days getting longer AND warmer.

Let's put those feelings of enthusiasm, excitement and hope to use. Let's get your dreams out of the mothballs of your mind, dust them off and infuse them with energy ready to launch. What's your dream? Do you have one? Is it something that excites you right down to your toes when you think about it? Or did you bury it long ago out of frustration that you couldn't seem to get it launched? Whether you've buried it or it burns brightly within you, let's get the launching pad set up and get that dream moving. HERE'S WHAT YOU DO

A dream is something that inspires you to move forward. When you consider your dream, you're filled with excitement and passion. You can ignite that passion and excitement for your dream through the process of visualization. Visualization is the most powerful process available to humankind to make life changes. Albert Einstein said, "Imagination is more powerful than knowledge." He used the power of imagination to develop the theory of relativity by imagining himself riding a rocket into outer space.To use the power of visualization, you must evoke your senses and emotions. Usually when people spend time visualizing, it's as if they're looking through the lens of a camera at their little self. It's as if your visualization is something outside of you. That's not visualization. For visualization to work, you must "feel" as if you're actually LIVING your vision. By using the power of visualization repeatedly, you're actually programming your subconscious to act as a compass leading you toward your dreams. More than that, when you use the process of visualization AND you pay attention to how you feel while you're doing it, you'll uncover your true beliefs, at a gut level.

Those beliefs must be in agreement with you living your dreams. If they're not, your job is to spend enough time in visualization that those beliefs and your dreams become congruent.Next you must have the courage to step out and take the action necessary to achieve your dreams. If you've spent enough time in visualization, you'll be full of ideas to make your dream manifest. And in fact, you'll probably experience opportunities presenting themselves to you, doors opening and people coming forward to support you.Lastly, remember to appreciate yourself as you move forward. If you'll spend time reviewing your life since childhood, I'll bet you will discover a lot of things to appreciate about your awesome self. You have made great strides. Consider where you are in your life right now from those meager beginnings.

MAKE YOUR DREAMS A REALITY

Follow these steps:
1. Set a clear intention toward achieving your goal. This can be your ultimate dream or a mini-goal along the way.
2. Chart the course you believe is necessary to attain it. This is where visualization comes in.
3. Gather the necessary tools and techniques.
4. Take action.
5. Meet any challenges.
6. Incorporate the new information discerned from the challenge.
7. Review your initial goal in light of the new information.
8. Re-establish or revise the goal and, importantly . . .
9. Begin again.

Does money make you mean?

2007-10-08T08:41:00.001-07:00

Money may not be the root of all evil, but studies reveal that those with money on their minds tend to be indifferent to helping or even interacting with others.

We all know that money can't buy love or happiness. But could just thinking about money actually make you mean?

A new behavioral study finds that folks with money on their minds are less helpful, less considerate and less willing to ask for assistance or engage with others than those who have not been "preconditioned" to money. On the bright side, the money-minded tend to be more independent and focused, and they tend to work longer on a task before asking for help.

The nine experiments in the study, published as "The Psychological Consequences of Money" in a recent issue of Science Magazine, used random samples of students and nonstudents at the University of Minnesota, Florida State University and the University of British Columbia.

Kathleen Vohs, an assistant professor of marketing at the UM Carlson School of Management who authored the article with Nicole Mead of FSU and Miranda Goode of UBC, says she was surprised at how consistent the findings were across the nine experiments.

"Money may not be the root of all evil, but it might be the root of some indifference," she says. "It does make you perhaps indifferent to others."

At the drop of a pencil

To determine whether money in mind leads to self-sufficient behavior, Vohs and her team divided their subjects into groups. The control group received neutral preconditioning while the "money prime" group was subtly reminded of money in various ways: a word scramble puzzle that contained money references, a poster depicting different currencies, stacks of play money or tokens, or reading an essay that mentioned money.

After the preconditioning, the groups were given a task or placed in a staged situation that tested measurable subconscious behavior.

In the first two experiments, subjects were given a puzzle and told that help was available for the asking, either from the experimenter or a peer who had just completed the exercise. Result: The money-prime participants waited significantly longer than control subjects to ask for help.

In the next four experiments, subjects were asked for help in several scenarios: by the experimenter, by another participant, by a passer-by who spilled a box of pencils in a random accident or by the suggestion that they donate to the University Student Fund. Result: The money-prime subjects offered to fill out fewer data sheets, spent less time helping a peer, picked up fewer pencils and donated less to the student fund than their neutral counterparts.

In the final three experiments, money-prime participants placed more physical distance between themselves and a participant partner, preferred solitary to group leisure activities and more frequently chose to work alone rather than with a peer compared to the control participants.

Social cluelessness

But does that necessarily mean money makes you mean?

"No, we don't find any evidence of that," Vohs says. "We take a lot of emotion measures, and money reminders don't put people in a different mood. Since mean people are generally in a bad mood, we rule that out. In nine studies, we found no effect on mood."

Then again, money primes weren't exactly candidates for Mr. or Miss Congeniality either.

"We didn't find any animosity; it was more of a sense of social cluelessness. They're not mindful of other people. We don't have any indication that they were being rude to these people. It was more 'I can't help you' or 'I don't know how to help you.' Granted, being helpful would be a nicer thing to do, but the intention wasn't to be selfish or mean; they just didn't see that they had a role in this person's life."

The study doesn't surprise New York psychologist April Lane Benson, author of "I Shop, Therefore I Am." She's been counseling clients for years that the acquisition of wealth for the wrong reasons is virtually a prescription for unhappiness.

"So much of the literature says that there is an inverse relationship between subjective well-being and materialism," she says. "But it only holds when the motives have to do with the desire to hoard, amass and use money for power and control, keep up with the Joneses, rather than as a vehicle for generosity. It does not hold when you want money in order to educate your children or save for the future."

Benson notes with interest that the study's findings were remarkably consistent, regardless of geography or the wealth of the participants.

"The fact that it is consistent over nine studies might tell us that there aren't that many of us around who want money for the right reasons," she says.

Money changes everything

Vohs says the study's findings may have broad implications from the boardroom to the schoolroom. If just the thought of money tends to alter behavior, an increased awareness of that might one day lead to more productive relationships at work and at home.

"I think there is a power here to be used for good as well," she says. "Depending on the results you are seeking to bring about, you can either underplay or enhance the role of money."

Take "Dilbert," which portrays the prototypical dysfunctional corporate cube farm where the well-intentioned efforts of the engineers are continually undercut by the bottom-line reasoning of a clueless management.

"If, as a manager, your goal is to get work groups to be very, very cooperative, you want to really minimize the presence of money and the importance of money, because if cooperation is the key, that's going to be problematic," says Vohs.

"On the other hand, you can use money to orchestrate certain situations. For instance, if you had a task where you really wanted people to just go at it full force and independently because maybe teamwork would slow the project down, then you may want to motivate them with money."

On the home front, where money battles rank as the No. 1 cause of divorce, an ounce of awareness of the potency of the subject may eliminate the need for a ton of counseling.

"In interpersonal relationships, we know that it's very difficult to talk about money," Vohs says. "Couples, and even parents and children, need to approach the topic with very open eyes and realize that disagreements that arise might just be because of the money and not because of what the other person is saying."

When it comes to raising kids, motivating with cash may defeat your purpose.

"You're working at cross purposes if you're going to incentivize with money. I think it's important to learn just to learn. On the other hand, I think that things like making the bed or helping set the table could be incentivized with a weekly allowance, and I think that would be just fine because those are daily tasks that they're not going to find much love in anyway. You can use money as an incentive to help kids be more self-reliant, but downplay the role of money when you're teaching values."

Benson agrees: "These are important findings that parents should know about. These studies show parents that if they're throwing money and money talk around too much, this is the kind of long-term effect it could have."

Five Ways to Beat Workplace Stress

2007-10-08T08:39:00.000-07:00

"After all the highways, and the trains, and the years, you end up worth more dead than alive," said Willy Loman in "Death of a Salesman."

Do you no longer feel that you are getting satisfaction from your job, or are you questioning whether you are in the right job? Are you contemplating looking for a new position? If so, you are probably suffering from burn-out and not necessarily from a bad job.

It is caused by the way that you react to both positive and negative stress in your job. Stress is part and parcel of any job, so it is important to be able to identify the stress -- causing factors and turn them into positive experiences.

Here are some suggestions on ways to eliminate burn-out and stress.

1. Remember the good times
Think of the times when you felt a sense of professional achievement and identify the factors that contributed to that success, such as selling the big deal you had been working on for so long, winning promotion or creating new ideas.

2. Avoid negativity
Henry Ford said: 'If you think you can or you think you can't, you're probably right'. Using positive language creates an image in our minds that the subconscious soaks up. Researchers at the University of Pennsylvania interviewed 350,000 executives and discovered that the top 10 per cent performers held a higher sense of optimism.

So, instead of looking at your new sales target and saying, "That's unrealistic." It is better to say, "If I break this down into manageable, smaller targets I can see how I will achieve this."

Backbiting colleagues, gossips and office politics can, given time, have a negative effect on you. Counteract negativity by focusing on the positives aspects of your work -- the "neg-heads" will soon realise that you won't entertain their bemoaning.

3. Get out more
Allow time to get out of the office and go out for lunch or coffee instead of sitting at the desk where you spend so much of your day. Turn off your phone, Blackberry and laptop and take some "me-time" away from work. These may seem like frivolous acts but you will return to work feeling refreshed and rejuvenated.

4. Change your daily routine
The monotony of performing the same tasks daily can be frustrating. Take a different route to work, reorganise your desk or ask your boss for a new challenge -- perhaps taking on the responsibility of running the next team meeting or training new starters.

5. Finally, ask for help
There is no shame in asking for help, we are all human beings not human doings. All of us go through tough periods and you will earn the respect of your managers and peers if you ask for their advice and support. In my experience, what comes around goes around -- one day you may be the one that someone turns to for help.

To use a cliché, knowledge is power. Now you know what you can do when you are burnt-out and avoid letting things slip out of control like Willy Loman in Death of a Salesman. It is not the situation that you are in now that matters; it's what you do about it.

Breakfast and your health

2007-10-08T08:38:00.000-07:00

Your mother was right (again): It is important to start your day with a good breakfast. But the hearty feast of bacon and eggs that you may remember from your youth is hardly a good start by today’s standards, and the doughnut and coffee that have replaced it in today’s fast-paced world is no better. Why is breakfast so important, and how can you plan a meal that is enjoyable, convenient, and healthful?

Morning metabolism

Retaining the patterns that served our hunter-gatherer ancestors so well in the Stone Age, your metabolism maintains a nearly steady supply of energy whether food is on board or not. It’s a good thing since your brain can’t store any energy on its own, depending instead on a constant infusion of glucose (sugar) from the bloodstream. After a meal, food is digested in your stomach and intestines; carbohydrates, proteins, and fats are broken down into smaller fragments that are absorbed into your bloodstream. As your blood sugar level rises, your pancreas secretes insulin, the hormone that allows glucose to enter cells, where it powers the body’s metabolism. Glucose that’s not needed on the spot is converted into glycogen, which is stored in the liver and muscles to meet future energy needs. But the body can store only a small amount of glycogen; most of your energy reserves are in the fatty acids that are socked away in your body’s fat deposits. In contrast to the treatment of other nutrients, your body does not store excess protein; it converts it into fat.

When it’s not getting new supplies of food, your metabolism goes into reverse, thanks to hormones such as glucagon, adrenaline, and cortisol. Your liver converts glycogen back into glucose and produces additional glucose to keep your blood levels nearly steady. If you need even more energy, your body releases fatty acids that can be burned for energy. But since all your proteins are serving important functions, they stay put during short periods of energy deprivation. In times of real famine, however, the body cannibalizes itself, burning protein for energy it can’t get any other way.

A lapse of 10 or 12 hours between dinner and breakfast is hardly a famine, but it’s enough to put your metabolism into a fasting, energy-mobilizing mode. Your first meal of the day will help flip the switch back to energy storage, so it’s important to do it right.

Patterns, not perfection

There is no such thing as a perfect food or even a perfect meal. But there is surely a dietary pattern that is best for health. Harvard’s Health Professionals Follow-up Study of 51,529 men compared the effects of a "prudent pattern," characterized by a high consumption of whole grains, fruits, vegetables, legumes, fish, and poultry, with a "Western pattern," marked by the consumption of high-fat dairy products, refined grains, sweets, processed meat, red meat, and fried potatoes. No surprises here: The men who followed a prudent diet had a much lower risk of heart disease and diabetes than the gents who ate a typical 21st-century American diet.

Your diet should be prudent but not punitive or even boring. Choose a variety of foods and experiment with new ones. Keep your fat consumption low to moderate (20%–30% of your daily calories) by reducing your consumption of saturated fat from meat and whole dairy products and trans fatty acids from stick margarine, fried foods, and snack foods. Favor omega-3 fats from fish and nuts and monounsaturated fats from olive oil. Eat only a small amount of simple sugars and other rapidly absorbed carbohydrates, but get enough complex, slowly absorbed carbohydrates to bring your total carbohydrate intake to 50%–65% of your daily calories. Eat foods that provide at least 25 grams of dietary fiber a day. Don’t neglect protein, but don’t feel you have to push your ration above 15% of your daily calories.

How can breakfast fit into this healthful pattern? Few men will choose to start their day with vegetables, beans, or fish, even though they are excellent foods. But breakfast is the best time to get complex carbohydrates and fiber. In fact, if you don’t start out right at breakfast, you’ll find it hard, even impossible, to get the fiber you need.

Cereal: The heart of the matter

Cereal is the key to a healthful breakfast, but only if you choose the right one. Unfortunately, most cereals are made from refined grains and many are laced with extra sugar. Despite this, many cereals tout their health benefits. Don’t be misled by bold print that boasts about vitamins, minerals, or even whole grains. You should focus on two criteria: fiber content and personal preference. Look for a cereal that provides at least 6 grams of fiber per portion; 10–12 grams would be even better, but you’ll still need lots of fruits, vegetables, nuts, and seeds later in the day to meet your target of 25–30 grams.

Dietary fiber comes in two varieties, soluble and insoluble. Both are good for you. Most high-fiber cereals are made with wheat bran, which is rich in insoluble fiber. Oats are an excellent source of soluble fiber, but many popular dry oat cereals contain only a trace of the oat bran fiber that really counts.

Insoluble fiber draws water into the intestines, making stools bulkier, softer and easier to pass. That’s why people who consume lots of fiber enjoy a reduced risk of constipation, hemorrhoids, and hernias. And two important 2003 studies link dietary fiber to protection against intestinal polyps and colon cancers.

Soluble fiber delays the stomach’s emptying and keeps your blood sugar from rising too fast after a meal, so it lowers insulin levels. It also helps reduce blood levels of LDL ("bad") cholesterol. A study of 11,864 American adults found that blood cholesterol levels are lowest in adults who eat cereal and highest in breakfast skippers.

It’s easy to understand how dietary fiber protects your intestinal tract, but can it actually help other parts of the body? Two Harvard studies say it really does protect the heart. The Health Professionals’ Follow-up Study reported that a high-fiber diet reduced the risk of heart attack by 41% over a six-year observation period. For each 10-gram increase in a man’s daily fiber intake, his risk of heart disease dropped by 19% — and just one bowl of high-fiber cereal can provide those 10 grams of protection. Similarly, the Nurses’ Health Study of more than 68,000 women linked a high intake of fiber to a 47% reduction in heart disease over a 10-year period. And when researchers compared various sources of fiber, they found that cereal was even more protective than fruits and vegetables.

Intestinal woes and heart disease should be enough to persuade you to choose a high-fiber cereal for breakfast — but there’s more. Harvard researchers report that whole grains are associated with a 38% lower risk of diabetes and a 31% reduction in strokes. And the Health Professionals Follow-up Study found that men who eat whole grain cereals regularly enjoyed a 17% lower death rate than those who ate them infrequently.

You don’t have to munch on bran fiber from dawn to dusk; men benefited from 29 grams a day, women from just 23 grams. Take a look at the table on page 3 to see how various cereals stack up. Even better, read the fine print on your cereal’s nutrition label before you open the paper at breakfast tomorrow.

Fiber and flavor are the main criteria for a cereal, but other factors may influence your choice. An ideal cereal should have almost no fat; that rules out many "healthy" granola-based brands. Sugar adds calories at the expense of health; pick a cereal with less than 10 grams of sugar per serving. A high potassium content is a plus, but sodium and iron are not. Whole grain cereals also provide selenium, the mineral that’s been linked to a reduced risk of prostate cancer. As for vitamins, FDA mandates ensure that all cereals are fortified with folic acid. It’s a good thing, since research has already demonstrated that folate-rich cereals substantially reduce blood levels of homocysteine, the amino acid that has been linked to heart attacks, strokes, and even dementia. Other added vitamins may be a slight advantage, but if you take a daily multivitamin diligently, you don’t have to depend on your cereal.

It may take a while to get used to a truly high-fiber breakfast cereal. You may find the transition easier if you start out with 2% milk, then gradually switch to 1% or nonfat milk; all will provide some of the calcium and vitamin D you need. Bananas, berries, or even apple slices can go a long way toward turning your cereal into a treat — and fruit will add valuable vitamins and minerals.

Cereal now also comes in bars. They can be useful as snacks or for people who simply can’t sit down for breakfast. All Bran bars, for example, provide 5 grams of fiber — quite good for a snack, but only half as good as All Bran cereal and with nearly twice as many calories.

Comparing some cereals
Cereal	Portion Size	Fiber (to the nearest gram)	Calories
All Bran Extra Fiber	1/2 cup	13	50
Fiber One	1/2 cup	13	60
Bran Buds	1/3 cup	13	70
All Bran	1/2 cup	10	80
100% Bran	1/3 cup	8	80
Raisin Bran	1 cup	7	190
Oat Bran (hot)	1/2 cup	6	150
Grape Nuts	1/2 cup	6	200
Bran Flakes	3/4 cup	5	90
Shredded Wheat	2 lg. biscuits	5	160
Oatmeal	1 cup (dry)	4	150
Wheaties	1 cup	3	110
Cheerios	1 cup	3	110
Instant oatmeal	1 oz.	2	108
Smart Start	1 cup	2	180
Corn Flakes	1 cup	1	100
Special K	1 cup	0	110

Beverages

You need milk on your cereal, and a glass of low- or nonfat milk is also fine for breakfast. Citrus fruits and juices will add vitamin C and other nutrients. Men who take certain medications, including some cholesterol-lowering statins and various antihypertensives, should choose orange juice rather than grapefruit juice, which can boost the blood levels of some drugs. Coffee or tea? Your preference rules. Caffeinated beverages are perfectly okay unless you experience unpleasant side effects such as heartburn, palpitations, or headaches.

Other grains

Bread and toast are American breakfast traditions. If you like them, choose whole wheat or pumpernickel bread, which have a low glycemic index. Bran muffins are tricky; some are high in fat, and most provide only a few grams of fiber. Bagels are low in fat (unless you cover them with cream cheese) but very low in fiber. All in all, there’s nothing wrong with any of these baked goods — unless they displace your breakfast cereal.

Spreads

Breakfast spreads present opportunities as well as perils. Avoid the regular use of butter (saturated fat) and stick margarine (trans fat). Honey and jam have no fat but are too sugary for daily use in large amounts. Soft margarine from a tub is acceptable, but plant stanol margarines such as Benecol and Take Control are even better, since regular use will help lower LDL cholesterol levels.

Fruit

The best diets include at least two to four portions of fruit a day. Breakfast presents a great opportunity to take the first step toward that goal. Pick the fruits you like best; there are no bad choices.

Eggs

It’s enough to make the average guy’s blood boil. Conflicting messages have scrambled the traditional wisdom about eggs, and modern nutritional science has not yet cracked the problem.

An average egg contains 213 mg of cholesterol and 5 grams of fat, virtually all in the yolk. Even though dietary cholesterol won’t raise blood cholesterol levels nearly as much as saturated fats, it does contribute to the total. That’s why the American Heart Association (AHA) recommends a daily consumption of just 300 mg or less of cholesterol, or 200 mg for people with high blood cholesterols. It’s a sound recommendation, and it’s taken eggs off the heart-healthy breakfast table. Fortunately, egg substitutes can be used to make fine baked goods and even omelets and scrambled "eggs."

But that’s not the end of the story. In 1999, the news media triggered a massive backlash when they announced that a Harvard study found that eggs did not contribute to cardiovascular disease. The study of more than 37,000 men and 80,000 women reported that "consumption of one egg per day is unlikely to have a substantial overall impact on the risk of cardiovascular disease or stroke among healthy men and women." One egg a day — that’s only 213 mg of cholesterol, well within the AHA guidelines. And the study found that more than one egg a day was linked to a twofold increase in cardiovascular risk among diabetic men.

Designer eggs are adding to the confusion and controversy. You can already buy omega-3, organic, free-range, and vegetarian eggs, and more varieties are on the way. Until reputable scientists tell us otherwise, an egg is an egg is an egg. That means they’re fine on Sundays or for that special brunch, but a distant second to high-fiber cereal for your daily breakfast.

Not recommended

There is room for debate about eggs but little debate about some of the other foods Americans eat for breakfast. Doughnuts, croissants, waffles, and fried potatoes have too much fat. Processed meats, including bacon, ham, and sausage, have too much fat and salt. And the McBreakfasts at your nearby fast-food drive-in have too much of everything (except, of course, fiber).

Breakfast and your belly

Many people assume that skipping meals will help them lose weight. It’s not true, particularly if the missed meal is breakfast. For example, a study of 16,452 American adults found that breakfast eaters were leaner than breakfast skippers — and people who ate cereal for breakfast were leaner than those who ate meat or eggs. A study of 2,831 young adults agreed, finding that people who ate breakfast regularly were only half as likely to be obese as those who usually skipped it. And a smaller Massachusetts study reported that skipping breakfast was associated with a fourfold increase in the risk of obesity. Not surprisingly, eating breakfast at home was more beneficial than eating out.

Start right

If breakfast isn’t "the most important meal of the day," it is a very important start to a healthful day. Numerous claims to the contrary, a good breakfast probably won’t boost your mental skills, but it can help you lose weight. And if you eat a high-fiber cereal, breakfast will reduce your risk of heart disease, stroke, and diabetes, especially if you add nonfat milk and fruit.

Above all, perhaps, a good breakfast is an ideal way to start changing to a healthful diet. The food choices are simple, and you can measure your progress quite easily. Experiment until you find a healthful breakfast you can really enjoy. And if you eat right and stay healthy, you can afford to "cheat" from time to time — though if you’re like most men, you’ll gradually lose your craving for the bacon and eggs of yore.

If nostalgia is your thing, go for oatmeal.

Workplace Taboos: Are You Guilty?

2007-10-08T08:19:00.000-07:00

Six Top No-No's

Ever think there's shady stuff goin' down in your office? Be thankful you don't work the Scranton, Penn., branch of Dunder-Mifflin. Jim Halpert kissing his co-worker, Pam Beesly, on Casino Night. Meredith Palmer downing numerous vodka-based drinks at work. Michael Scott spreading rumors (even though they were true) about Oscar Martinez's sexuality.

It's a walking taboo.

Smooching co-workers, consuming alcoholic beverages and spreading rumors about colleagues are all considered workplace taboos, according to a new CareerBuilder.com survey. Thirty-five percent of those surveyed have puckered up with a co-worker and 31 percent have tipped the bottle while on the job. Not to mention the 19 percent of workers who have spread a rumor about a fellow employee.

"As companies continue to embrace more casual environments, employees may develop a false sense of informality when it comes to the office behavior," says Rosemary Haefner, Vice President of Human Resources at CareerBuilder.com. "Employees should make sure they are aware of company policies, so something that initially seems 'harmless' doesn't end up negatively impacting a career."

Other workplace taboos that American workers have committed include:

Falling asleep at work (42 percent)
Stealing from the office (21 percent)
Snooping after hours (17 percent)
Lying about an academic background (4 percent)
Taking credit for someone else's work (2 percent)

Shameless industries

Certain industries reported engaging in office taboos more frequently than others. For instance, nearly two-thirds (63 percent) of government workers admit to having fallen asleep on the job compared to just 31 percent of all retail workers. Twenty-five percent of hospitality workers snooped around the office after hours compared to 15 percent of healthcare employees.

Check out how the following industries weighed in on these office taboos:

1. Falling asleep at work

When Michael F. was having trouble with his cable service, a technician came out to fix the problem. After waiting on the phone with the support team for over an hour to activate the new modem, the technician fell asleep -- on Michael's couch.

Forty-one percent of sales representatives have snoozed on the clock, along with over half (51 percent) of all information technology (IT) workers surveyed. Another 43 percent of healthcare and hospitality workers have dozed off at their desks, along with 41 percent of those employed in banking and finance.

2. Kissing a co-worker

The aforementioned kiss between Jim and Pam didn't initially fare well for their work relationship -- in fact, shortly after, Jim transferred offices completely. OK, things worked out for them in the end, but not before Pam called off her wedding with Roy, Roy tried to attack Jim and was fired, and Jim entered into an ill-fated romance with co-worker Karen.

More than half (52 percent) of hospitality workers and 38 percent of all retail workers have smooched with a co-worker, according to the survey. Just 33 percent of education workers have puckered up compared to nearly half (47 percent) of IT workers.

3. Drinking alcohol on the job

In February 2007, CBS 2 News launched a hidden camera investigation that caught several construction workers drinking beer and whiskey on their lunch break before heading back to work. Despite safety issues and lack of concentration after drinking, startling percentages of workers have tipped the bottle on the job.

Sales representatives led the industries surveyed with 30 percent of workers admitting to knocking back a few at work. Twenty-six percent of banking and finance employees have drank on the job, along with just 12 percent of healthcare workers.

4. Stealing from the office

Anthony Zuniga, 53, was recently arrested and imprisoned for stealing 5,937 Netflix DVDs and 1,497 Blockbuster DVDs from the mail when he worked as a U.S. postal worker. While most employees are nabbing staplers and pens, it's stealing all the same.

All industries surveyed admitted stealing from the office within five percent of each other, ranging from 21 percent of healthcare workers to 26 percent of education employees, with the exception of retail workers, who reported 15 percent.

5. Spreading rumors about a co-worker

Gossiping about co-workers is no minor offense -- in May 2007, four workers with 46 years of experience between them were fired for gossiping and starting rumors about a colleague and the town administrator.

Thirty-nine percent of government employees plead guilty of the same crime, according to the survey. Twenty-five percent of sales representatives have fed the rumor mill in their offices, while only 12 percent of IT workers have done so.

6. Snooping after hours

You name it, it's been done -- whether digging through someone's desk, sifting through discarded files and even logging onto co-worker's laptops. Bonnie R. nosed around a co-worker's background. She created a fictitious company to obtain information on someone she knew was fired by a law firm. She called the law firm's HR department and identified herself by saying, 'I'm with Quick Staff, a temporary staffing agency. I'm going over the application of Peggy Sue Smith. Peggy was quite candid with me over her recent firing so I'm just contacting you for a little background.'

"While I expected to obtain some information I was not prepared for the in-depth level of dishing this firm's top HR person then dished," Bonnie says.

Retail workers were least likely to snoop after hours according to the survey, with only 14 percent of employees having done so. Government employees led the industries with 26 percent of employees having poked around after hours.