28 Tuesday Jul 2020
Posted in Intelligence for Your Life
Tags
bacteria, Connie Sellecca, conniesellecca, cotton, cotton t-shirt, dead skin cells, dirt, intelligence for your life, intelligenceforyourlife, oil, polyester, synthetic, t-shirt, team jersey
Your polyester team jersey, or cotton t-shirt? Microbiologist Dr. Adam Roberts says your synthetic jersey collects more bacteria than natural fibers. Because it offers less ventilation, and holds onto more dead skin cells, dirt, oils AND bacteria.
14 Tuesday Jul 2020
Posted in Intelligence for Your Life
Tags
acne, bacteria, Connie Sellecca, conniesellecca, hand sanitizer, intelligence for your life, intelligenceforyourlife, pimples, Purell, sanitizer, zits
You may have heard putting hand sanitizer on a zit will get rid of the bacteria and dry it up. NOT TRUE! Dermatologists at Stony Brook University say using hand sanitizer on a pimple will only make things worse. First, your skin will produce even more oil to compensate for the drying effect. And the active ingredients in the gel can irritate the thinner, more delicate skin on your face. As a result, you can get more pimples and redness, as a rebound effect. Instead, use a product made to fight pimples that contains benzoyl peroxide.
06 Wednesday Nov 2019
Posted in Intelligence for Your Life
Tags
bacteria, Connie Sellecca, conniesellecca, cotton towel, germs, gym, intelligence for your life, intelligenceforyourlife, microfiber, MRSA, sweat
So you bring a towel to the gym and use it to wipe down machines before you use them. Well, if it’s a plain ol’ cotton towel, it’s not doing much good! Microbiologists from the University of Arizona found that a cotton towel just moves MRSA from one spot to another. It hitchhikes on your towel. And if you use it to wipe off sweat, too, you’re transferring the bacteria to your skin. A better bet is to bring a microfiber towel to the gym. It’s less likely to transfer germs and bacteria from one surface to the next because the tighter weave traps germs in the fibers. Just make sure you toss it in a hot-water wash after every gym visit.
17 Thursday Oct 2019
Posted in Intelligence for Your Life
Tags
bacteria, Connie Sellecca, conniesellecca, gargle, gargle with salt water, intelligence for your life, intelligenceforyourlife, salt, sore throat, virus
Start gargling with salt water now. Salt is anti-bacterial – so gargling will reduce the chances of bacteria or a virus latching onto you by 25%. So mix a half-teaspoon of salt in warm water and gargle a couple times a day.
22 Thursday Aug 2019
Posted in Intelligence for Your Life
Tags
bacteria, burgers, Connie Sellecca, conniesellecca, dirty hands, germs, hamburger, intelligence for your life, intelligenceforyourlife, restaurant, wash your hands
But do most people wash up before eating? Not even close. Only 1‑in‑8 people do, even though our hands carry hundreds of times more germs than a park bench or escalator handrail. And that means the germs already on our hands are more likely to make us sick than any germy thing we touch in a restaurant. So don’t worry so much about the bacteria-riddled menu or the ketchup bottle that hasn’t been cleaned, ever. Instead, before you pick up that burger, ask yourself, did I wash my hands? Since our hands are in constant contact with our mouth – or what we put IN our mouth – it makes them the fastest route to illness.
19 Monday Aug 2019
Posted in Intelligence for Your Life
≈ Comments Off on Don’t get sick from your next flight!
Tags
antibacterial wipes, Auburn University, bacteria, carry-on bag, Connie Sellecca, conniesellecca, E. coli, flight, flying, germs, intelligence for your life, intelligenceforyourlife, MRSA, plane, sick
Here are a couple important numbers to remember the next time you fly, according to a new study from Auburn University:
First, the number 7. That’s how many days the superbug MRSA can survive in an airplane seat pocket. In other words: Think twice about using that pocket to store snacks and drinks.
Also, remember the number 3. That’s how many days bacteria like e.Coli can survive on tray tables.
The lesson? It’s time to start adding some antibacterial wipes to your carry-on bag.
13 Tuesday Aug 2019
Posted in Intelligence for Your Life
Tags
bacteria, chlorine, Connie Sellecca, conniesellecca, germs, gross, intelligence for your life, intelligenceforyourlife, pee in pool, pools, red eye, swimming, swimming pool, waste, water quality, Water Quality and Health Council
…from the Water Quality and Health Council.
First: 1‑in‑five adults admit to peeing in the pool.
Also, nearly 70% of swimmers don’t shower before swimming. That just adds to the germ soup already in the pool.
Then, if your eyes are turning red, get out of that pool! It’s NOT a reaction to chlorine, because the only thing that causes pool red-eye is bodily fluids and waste.
Finally, a chemically, chlorine smell doesn’t mean there’s too much chlorine in the pool – it means there’s not enough – and what IS in there is reacting with waste matter.
11 Tuesday Jun 2019
Posted in Intelligence for Your Life
Tags
bacteria, clean cleaning, Connie Sellecca, conniesellecca, cutting board, germs, hand towel, intelligence for your life, intelligenceforyourlife, kill germs, kitchen, microwave, sanitize, sanitizing, toothbrush
The microwave. That’s according to microbiologist Dr. Kelly Reynolds. She says the heat a microwave generates can kill germs. So try it on these things:
Your kitchen hand towel. Dr. Reynolds says get it completely wet. Wring it out as best you can. Then zap it in the microwave on high for 2 minutes.
You can also sanitize your toothbrush.
Place it in a cup of water, bristles down, and heat on high for 5 minutes. Just keep an eye out to make sure it doesn’t melt.
Lastly, you can use your microwave to clean a wooden cutting board. Soak it completely in water for a few minutes. Then put it in the microwave for 4 minutes on high.
13 Monday May 2019
Posted in Intelligence for Your Life
≈ Comments Off on If you’re planning to spend a week at the beach, ask yourself:
Tags
bacteria, beach, beach towel, Connie Sellecca, conniesellecca, Dr. Mehmet Oz, Dr. Oz, germs, intelligence for your life, intelligenceforyourlife, towel, UV rays
…is your beach towel a bacteria bomb that needs washing every day? No! Dr. Mehmet Oz says it’s OK to use the same towel for several days running – IF you hang it in direct sunlight to dry. The sun’s UV rays will kill 90% of the germs, leaving bacteria levels too low to make you sick. But, if the towel’s still damp the next day – toss it in the dryer. Because with moisture, bacteria can multiply 100-fold after each use.
07 Tuesday May 2019
Posted in Intelligence for Your Life
Tags
American Academy of Dermatology, athlete's feet, athlete's foot, bacteria, Connie Sellecca, conniesellecca, feet, fungus, garlic, intelligence for your life, intelligenceforyourlife, smell, smelly, smelly feet, stinky, stinky feet
This fix for foot fungus may work, but it may also make your feet stink to high heaven. It’s garlic! It’s antimicrobial, which is how garlic protects itself from being eaten by bugs and rotted by fungus. But that’s also how it can help athlete’s foot! Just crush 2 garlic cloves and mix with a few tablespoons of olive oil. Massage the mixture on your feet and between your toes. Let it sit for 5 minutes, then rinse and dry your feet thoroughly. Do that once a day until the rash goes away. The American Academy of Dermatology says garlic is better at fighting foot fungus than the most popular over-the-counter foot spray!
