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Taking our pulse

Shaken…or stirred?

Before you drink that soy or rice beverage, or calcium-fortified orange juice, you should shake the box or carton just before pouring. As much as 85 percent of added calcium in rice and soy drinks, and 50 percent of the added calcium in orange juice, never makes it to the glass because it’s settled to the bottom of the carton.

— Adapted from USA Today

Women: Step onto the scale

Could you be making some health mistakes? You might be surprised at some of the things women do that can end up jeopardizing their health.

Consider these:

  • Always ordering salad. Many restaurant salads are loaded with more fat than those notorious fat-laden fast-food sandwiches. And restaurant salads often offer very little fiber and contain high levels of sodium.
  • Never stepping on a scale. Many women have anxiety about their weight and would rather not know. But being overweight can affect your health in many negative ways.
  • Forgetting to floss. Many women might not understand how important it is to floss. About 23 percent of women ages 30–54 have severe gum disease, and 44 percent of women over 55 have it, according to the Academy of Periodontology. Gum disease is a serious bacterial infection.
  • Avoiding weight training. Lifting weights helps increase bone mass and reduce belly fat — lowering your risk for developing osteoporosis, diabetes, and heart disease.
  • Ignoring aches and pains. Many women ignore symptoms for weeks or months that are indicative of heart attacks, strokes, or cancer because they don’t have time to “coddle” themselves.
  • Not getting enough sleep. Sleep deprivation can cause all kinds of conditions, including weight problems and anxiety.

— Adapted from Six stupid health mistakes, by Amanda Spake and Stacey Schultz, on Prevention.com

Too sick for school?

In the midst of winter cold and flu season, how do you decide whether your child is too sick to attend school?

Use these guidelines to help make your decision. Keep your child home if the child:

  • has a temperature of 101.5 degrees Fahrenheit or higher.
  • is having bouts of vomiting or diarrhea.
  • has a sore throat coupled with fever or fatigue, or has a sore throat for more than one day.
  • has chicken pox and is experiencing new lesions and fevers.
  • has an ongoing cold.
  • has pinkeye (conjunctivitis).

— Adapted from Parenting magazine