Medical Fact vs Fiction...Part 2!

Which of the following is actually TRUE??

1. That Z-Pack will get rid of that cold.

2. Stretching prior to exercise will help avoid injuries.

3. Back Pain? Then you should rest.

4. Yawning is contagious.

5. Fresh fruits and veggies are better than frozen.

Did you guess right? It's #4. Yawning IS contagious! The others are actually all false!

Ouch! What do you do
with that back pain?

1. Ahhh...the infamous Z-Pack. Don't get me wrong, I love me a Z-pack too...BUT it will NOT...I repeat...will NOT get rid of a cold! A cold is a virus. A Z-pack kills bacteria. Two. Different. Things. Moral of the story?? Don't get all upset when your doctor refuses to write you a script for antibiotics (and don't think that if he or she doesn't that she is a "terrible doctor")...maybe..just maybe...your doctor is right!

2.  There is still a lot of confusion about this one, but the latest research is indicating that stretching prior to exercise to help prevent injury may be a bunch of crap. Most people stretch to prime their muscles for what is about to come. Do we have any proof that stretching prevents injury? Not really. BUT, we know that stretching and flexibility overall leads to wider range of motion which in turn may help to improve balance and prevent injuries. My verdict? Take the 3 minutes to stretch a little. Not going to hurt, right?

How cute! Did you
yawn yet?

3. This one is a favorite of mine. Most of the time the trick of the trade "if it hurts, rest it" is true. The big exception here is back pain. Obviously, be sure to check with your doctor first, but 9 times out of 10, back strains and pulls should be treated with careful walking and movement, among other things. Laying flat is most of the time, one of the worst things you can do.

4. True! Yawning is contagious. Why? No one knows! You can read online the hundreds of different theories, but frankly, no one knows. Go ahead....yawn....yawnnnnn...I dare you to not do it! Just reading the word YAWN makes you want to YAWN! :)

5. Surprisingly, no! Most times, fruits and veggies are frozen at their ripest stage, and therefore are jam packed full of nutrients. Freezing them does not take away any of these healthy antioxidants and other good stuff in them. Also, fresh fruit, as it is being transported from where ever it came from to your kitchen, is exposed to a lot of different elements, including light, which may degrade some of the vitamins.

Did you win Fact vs. Fiction??

Until next time....

xo,