How to Be Healthy and ‘Green,’ From the Harvard Health Letter

BOSTON, March 28 /PRNewswire/ — You can improve your health while benefiting the health of the planet. The April 2007 issue of the Harvard Health Letter suggests the following “green” health tips:

   1.  Walk or bike to work. Combining exercise and a commute builds       healthful activity into your day and reduces fuel use and vehicle       emissions. Could there be a better good-for-you, good-for-the-planet       twofer?   2.  Go to bed early. Studies have identified a correlation between short       sleep and being overweight. Meanwhile, all the TVs and computers that       help keep us up at night use electricity.   3.  Turn down the heat and air conditioning. Humans control body       temperature by adjusting their metabolisms. But when air temperatures       are in the thermoneutral zone — the 70s — we burn fewer calories. So       by adjusting your thermostat, you may keep your metabolism from       getting lazy and also reduce your energy use.   4.  Eat the right kind of fish. Eating fish is healthful in many ways. But       some species are contaminated with pollutants, and others are       suffering from overfishing. Making the right “eco-choice” involves       homework. Find useful guides at http://www.oceansalive.org/ and       http://www.blueocean.org/seafood.   5.  Eat local fruits and vegetables. Transporting fruits and veggies long       distances is energy intensive. Give some preference to locally grown       food.   6.  Don’t take more medications than you need. Our bodies only use a       fraction of any drug we take; the rest gets excreted. Pharmaceuticals       in waste water adversely affect ecosystems. So your own sake and that       of the water supply, don’t take unnecessary medications.    Also in this issue:    — Delirium and cognitive decline   — Connections between heart disease and Alzheimer’s   — Niacin to increase HDL levels   — Postmenopausal hormone therapy and colon cancer   — Coaching patients   — By the way doctor: Sudden hearing loss   

The Harvard Health Letter is available from Harvard Health Publications, the publishing division of Harvard Medical School, for $28 per year. Subscribe at http://www.health.harvard.edu/health or by calling 1-877-649-9457 (toll free).

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