health news
THE INFORMATION YOU NEED TO STAY WELL
{ get sporty }
SNOW BUSINESS
Step into a pair of snowshoes for a
workout that’s just as much fun as it is
fitness. Snowshoeing is a family-friendly
activity that is, well, snowballing; it’s the
fastest-growing winter sport in America,
increasing by about 22 percent a year. The
learning curve is fast, and the equipment
isn’t too pricey, says Michael Bucek of the
U.S. Snowshoe Association, who likes to
have a hot chocolate waiting for him at
the end of the line. Besides the calorie
burn, it gives a rush of feel-good
endorphins, says Jake Thamm, president
of Crescent Moon Snowshoes. A
150-pound woman can burn about 300
calories in 30 minutes of snowshoeing.
Set your own level of intensity, from a
leisurely shuffle in a neighborhood
park to a heart-pumping pace through
the backcountry.
{ home remedy }
f
GREEN TEA FOR
ARTHRITIS
Four to six cups of green tea
r
throughout the day may be helpful in
keeping arthritis and other chronic diseases
at bay. “Globally, green tea has been studied
for different ailments—cancer, cardiovascular conditions, and more—and
the results have been impressive,” says Salah-Uddin Ahmed, Ph.D., an
assistant professor of pharmacology at the University of Toledo. “We have
found in experimental systems and animal models that components in
green tea can inhibit certain proteins that cause disease, especially
arthritis,” he says, adding that clinical trials are needed to determine if
green tea and its components have similar benefits in humans.
by the numbers }
o F
perature.at
which tongues
freeze to flagpoles
In case one o f th e neighborhood kids
falls fo r this classic triple-dog-dare-you
trick this w inter, here’s h o w to dazzle
th em w ith a little scien ce— and get
him unstuck. Scientists call it therm al
conductivity. Icy-cold m etal extracts
heat and m oisture fro m th a t youthful
to ng ue and puts Ju n io r in a fix, says
Frank J. DiSalvo, p rofessor o f physical
scien ce at C ornell University. S o w h at
should yo u do, besides run fo r a
cam era? G rab a glass o f w a rm — not
hot— w ater, says DiSalvo. Po u r th e
w a te r slow ly o ver th e point of
attach m en t and this will raise th e
te m p e ra tu re o f th e m etal enough to
painlessly release th e tongue.
— JE A N N E A M B R O S E
GOINS FDR GOLD
Crescent Moon’s
Women’s Gold 13,
ieftt
was the first
snowshoe designed
for a woman’s stride.
It’s a great choice for
beginners, too.
$239,
crescent
moonsnowshoes.com
128
JANUARY
2010
BETTER HOMES AND GARDENS
PHOTOS: (SKIING) VEER; (TEA): GETTY IMAGES
