How to Be Healthy and 'Green,' From the Harvard Health Letter
Posted on: Friday, 30 March 2007, 09:00 CDT
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).
Media: Contact Christine Junge at Christine_Junge@hms.harvard.edu for a complimentary copy of the newsletter, or to receive our press releases directly.
Harvard Health Publications
CONTACT: Christine Junge of Harvard Health Publications,+1-617-432-4717, Christine_Junge@hms.harvard.edu
Web site: http://www.health.harvard.edu/health
Source: PRNewswire
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