Risky Behaviors, and You Don’t Even Know It — Dave’s Diary

Coming in off a weekend of excess at the Bite of Yakima (it was great, hope you were there) I am reminded by my beast mode Mrs. that I need to hit the gym -- but instead I opt for Men's Health magazine. Baby steps, right?  Men’s Health magazine is an amazing publication featuring hundreds, no thousands of tips and ideas, some of which I’m sure will actually work. I want it to inspire me to get out and get sweating, but so far I’m just reading it for the articles and the ads.

I have to say I don’t consider myself a risk taker, but I may have to rethink that assessment. The magazine’s latest list points out some of

the “less than healthy behaviors” we engage in without even realizing the risks! Check the list -- are you living on the edge?

You brush your teeth just after breakfast
Brushing after eating acidic foods especially fruit and juice can weaken enamel, says Mark Wolff, D.D.S., Ph.D., of NYU College of Dentistry. That may lead to discoloration or greater odds of cracks and chips. Rinse and wait. Did not brush before eating? Swish with water and wait 40 minutes for the calcium in your saliva to remineralize weakened areas. Then brush.

You commute with the windows open
Air pollution on highways can be up to 10 times what it is in the 'burbs, says Scott Fruin, an environmental health researcher at USC. Diesel fumes may contribute to headaches, cancer and heart disease. Shut the windows and hit "recirc" on your AC. Doing this can cut your particulate pollution exposure fourfold, one of Dr. Fruin's studies found.

You microwave your lunch in plastic
BPA-free? It is better, but not perfect. Phthalates can still leach into your food, potentially altering hormones, says Germaine Buck Luis, Ph.D., a director at the National Institutes of Health. Transfer food to glass before nuking it, or warm it on the stove at home and pack it in a stainless-steel Thermos to keep it hot.

You drive home after happy hour
People with a blood alcohol concentration (BAC)of just .01 percent -- well below the .08 percent legal limit -- are 46 percent more likely to cause a crash than drivers who are totally sober, a UC San Diego study concludes. Cut your BAC by 30 percent by eating beforehand, says Aaron White, Ph.D., of the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism.

You check your work email before bedtime
Managers who use their Smartphone for work after 9 p.m. wake up groggy, a University of Florida study found. And a large Singaporean study shows that too little sleep can raise your odds of dying of stroke. Keep the charging station out of the bedroom, and turn off email notifications after 9 p.m. if it is an emergency, someone will call.