SAY ANYTHING Put your foot in your mouth again? You may need rest. We’re far more likely to make a verbal gaffe when we’re tired or stressed, a study at the University of New South Wales in Sydney reveals. Foil a faux pas by pausing a moment to collect your thoughts before speaking.
-Self
OM FOR BETTER BREATHING Just 20 minutes of yoga three times a week significantly
improved respiratory function in young adults over a six-week period, according to a new study presented at the Experimental Biology 2006 conference.
-Fitness
THE HIDDEN CULPRIT IN COUGH SYRUP Some children’s medications cause cavities, especially cough syrups
and those that contain sugar and have a high acidity. To help prevent decay,
give children medication at mealtimes instead of bedtime, then have them
brush their teeth and rinse with water or chew sugar-free gum.
-Academy of General Dentistry
DOUBLE VISION When men older than 40 have LASIK surgery, they require a second or third treatment significantly more often than younger
men, one study found.
-Men's Health
THE GOOD POSTURE DIET You’ll eat 10 percent less if you sit up straight during a meal. Food settles more quickly into the lowest part of the stomach, where receptors send “I’m full”
signals to the brain.
-First for Women
KEEP KIDS IN THE BACK Think your middle-schooler is ready to ride in the front seat?
He probably isn’t. Kids shouldn’t sit up front in cars with air bags until they’re 15, according to a review of a national crash database by Oregon Health and Science University researchers. Although government guidelines say the front seat is OK for kids 13 and up, the review found that children 14 and under were up to six times more likely to suffer serious injuries from an air bag. In children 15 and older, however, air bags reduced the odds of serious injuries by almost 70 percent. Surprisingly, kids’ heights and weights made no difference. Instead, the researchers say, increases in bone density and muscle mass during puberty probably protect the older kids.
