President’s Council on Fitness, Sports & Nutrition
If you’re a product of the 60s and 70s like me… you probably remember that the President’s Council on Physical Fitness was a big deal in elementary school. At least it was in Tucson where I grew up. By practicing things like chin ups, rope climbing, and running a mile in a certain time you could qualify for a cool badge and [...]
Mid-Monsoon West Nile Update
Monsoon rain and humidity is great (at least I think so)… but with it comes mosquitoes that carry the West Nile virus. Every year since West Nile virus was introduced to AZ in ‘04, we’ve had human cases of West Nile Virus (meaning it’s endemic now). The total number of cases bumps around every year from our high of 391 cases [...]
Monsoon Food Safety
With the monsoon comes an increase in foodborne illnesses in Arizona. While outdoor pool parties, barbeques, and family gatherings are cool, it’s important to remember some tips for handling food safely to protect your family and guests from a nasty bout of foodborne illnesses. According to the CDC, reducing foodborne illness by just 10% would keep 5 million Americans from getting sick each year. [...]
Valley Fever Monsoon Refresher
We’re smack dab in the middle of monsoon now, which means it’s time to think about Valley Fever. It’s a lung infection caused by a fungus that lives in the soil in the desert (below 4,000 feet). People get it by breathing in dust that contains fungal spores. Valley Fever causes cough, fever, headache, feeling tired, and shortness of breath. [...]
Killer Painkillers
According to a new CDC report, about 18 U.S. women die every day of a prescription painkiller overdose, totaling more than 6,600 deaths in 2010. This is a stunning increase of 400% since 1999. Every 3 minutes, a woman goes to the emergency department for prescription painkiller misuse or abuse. The report explains that women are affected differently than men [...]
Healthier School Lunches
There are more than 100,000 schools in the United States and last week, the USDA said that for the first time, they'll be ensuring that food sold in those schools will be held to stricter limits on fat, calories, sugars and sodium. This means all foods sold in schools, from the cafeterias to the vending machines. It's the result of a child nutrition law [...]