August 5, 2000- Mascara Toss
Throw out old eye makeup. Throw out old eye makeup. Your eyelashes naturally harbor bacteria, so a mascara brush becomes contaminated the first time you use it, say ophthalmologists at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, Texas. Over time, a build up of bacteria in the container increases the chance of an eye infection. Your best bet is to replace your old eye makeup every three to four months.
SOURCE: Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, Texas, ©2001

August 12, 2001- Burn Relief
Minor burns respond best to cool water. Minor burns respond best to cool water. Forget the old folklore about using butter or ice on burns. Butter isn't effective, and it's painful to remove. Applying ice to a burn can actually damage the skin further, say burn specialists. For a small burn that doesn't break the skin, hold the area under cool running tap water for a minute or two until the pain eases. If the skin is broken, apply a mild ointment or cream.
SOURCE: Harvard Medical School, ©2001

August 19, 2001- Less Power to You
To keep from tiring out during long endurance events, some people eat energy bars. But researchers from Ohio State University found that blood-sugar levels actually crashed a half hour after subjects ate energy bars high in carbohydrates and fat--meaning you'll feel more tired than when you started. Better solution for more energy: Eat a tablespoon of peanut butter on a piece of white bread. That has the perfect energy-boosting ratio (40 percent carbohydrates, 30 percent protein, and 30 percent fat) needed to keep your energy up.
SOURCE: Ohio State University, ©2001

August 26, 2001- Puffing for Back Pain
The latest study from the American Journal of Epidemiology has reconfirmed that smoking increases ones odds of developing low back pain by 2.2 times.  This is not the first, but one of many studies that show smoking plays a role in increasing the occurrence of low back pain.  Researchers believe that some of the the increased risks comes from soft issue damage and increasing pressure in the low back from coughing.
SOURCE: American Journal of Epidemiology, Vol. 154, ©2001