Health and Safety Habits We Usually Overlook

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As much as we are familiar with some do’s and don’ts for our health and safety, we should also be aware of a few small habits that we might be taking for granted. Here are some:

1. We brush and floss our teeth, but do we use them to remove tags and open food packs? Yes, we might be giving extra care for our teeth: brushing, flossing, going to regular dental checkups. But according to dentist Kimberly Harms, a spokesperson for the American Dental Association, using our pearly whites as an all-purpose tool can cause chips and cracks, and will wear down the hard enamel protecting our teeth. It increases the risk of having tooth sensitivity and decay. A piece of advice: Don’t use your teeth to tear non-food items, crunching on ice included.

2. Some of us might not wear shoes in our house, but do we place our handbag on the dining table? Dr. Kelly Reynolds, a microbiologist who was part of a study in 2008, found that 90 percent of bacteria in shoe soles transfers to the floor of houses. And he also found out that the bottoms of most handbags had tens of thousands of bacteria — 30 percent of which are fecal bacteria. She advises everyone to wipe the bottoms of handbags with disinfecting cloths or regularly wash the whole thing if possible.

3. We might not smoke, but do you stay near someone who does? The American Lung Association (ALA) reports that about 41,000 deaths a year are due to second-hand smoke. According to Bill Blatt, national director of Tobacco Programs at the ALA, moving seats in a restaurant with a smoking area doesn’t help because the smoke stays in the air even after the smoker goes away. Just totally leave the place and tell the staff why.

4. Don’t text and drive. Don’t text and walk as well. According to Dr. Alam Hilibrand, a spokesperson from the American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons, people who have this habit of distracted walking risk themselves into dangerous traffic conditions and tripping over curbs or potholes. About 1,300 emergency-room visits were attributed to walking while texting in 2015 based on the data from the Consumer Product Safety Commission. Step out of the flow of cars, bicycles and people first before checking your phone.

Source: http://www.realsimple.com/


*This article was taken from Kerygma magazine October 2016 issue. BE A KERYGMA subscriber! Our magazine has been hailed as “The Publishing Miracle of Asia” and has been blessing thousands of readers for over 25 years. If you wish to learn more about how to live a fantastic life, click here or call us at 725-9999.

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