Things to Think About

Look at your hands.  If your ring finger is taller than your index finger, studies say you are twice as likely to suffer from arthritis in your knees.  The bigger the difference, the greater the risk.  Upon examination, it looks like I may need to start worrying about my knees.  Great, one more thing to worry about!  (Wow, my hands look old!)

Did you know that the bottom of your purse can have 16,000 times more germs than a toilet seat?  Think about setting your bag on the floor at a restaurant or at work.  Now don't ever do it again!  I always hang my bag on the back of my chair at restaurants.  And if that doesn't work for some reason, I hold it in my lap.  Several years ago, Hubby and I returned home from a restaurant where I had placed my bag on the floor.  When we got home, I set it down on the kitchen floor and saw a huge, giant bug scamper out of it.  I screamed (I'm a wimp), and sent Hubby after it.  He trapped it and went to the light to inspect it.  (He once worked as an exterminator so he can handle these kinds of things.)  Then he confirmed my worst fear:  it was a roach!  Needless to say, I never ate at that restaurant again.  And I never placed my bag on the floor again!

Your car's dashboard is another place that can harbor tons of bacteria, especially in warm climates.  Dashboards in cold climates are prone to mold.  So you lose no matter where you live!  You should regularly wipe down your steering wheel, radio, and controls with antibacterial wipes.

One place you certainly don't want bacteria is on fresh produce.  But guess what?  It's there.  You know those little misters that spray water on your head every time you go in to grab some broccoli?  They harbor bacteria and spread it to your fresh food.  So make sure you clean your produce well before putting it away at home.

Do you get enough sleep?  The National Sleep Foundation published a study on how much sleep people need at different ages in life.  Newborns (0-2 months) need 12 to 18 hours of sleep a day while infants (3-11 months) need 14-15 hours.  Toddlers (1-3 years) should receive 12-14 hours of sleep and Preschoolers (3-5  years) 11-13 hours.  School-age kids require 10-11 hours.  Teens and tweens from age 10-17 need 8 1/2-9 1/4 hours.  And the amount of daily sleep recommended for adults is 7-9 hours.