Best & Worst Times to Do Things!

 Fun Facts--

Best times to get airline tickets...Tues. night or Wed. morning at least 21 days ahead.  Airlines look at their weekend sales and set deals on Monday or Tuesday, says Expedia travel expert Erin Krause.

Best time to get a Hybrid car....
The last or second to last day of the month in Sept., Oct., and Nov.  New models are coming in at dealerships and dealers are trying to meet their quotas.

Best time to get a gym membership....
January.  This is when fitness centers cut the most deals to help you with your New Year's resolution.

Best time to avoid waiting at the airport....
Early in the morning on a Tues. or a Sat.  This is when the airports are the least busy and your flight has the best chance of being on time.

Best time to shop for groceries....
A weekday morning.  Supermarket traffic research shows that stores are busier in the evenings and are more hectic over the weekends.  For the freshest food, try Tues. and Fri., which are the days deliveries are usually scheduled.  Or ask the produce manager for delivery dates.

Best time for dental procedures....
Jan. and Feb.  The end of the year flurry of people trying to use up their flexible spending account funds has passed, leaving dentists with more open days in their schedules.

Best time to go running is...
Late in the day if you're racing.  At this time of day your muscles are more powerful, and your heart is at its most efficient.  Health-wise, though, early morning is better because there are fewer exhaust-spewing cars on the road, and the sun hasn't had a chance to intensify pollutants in the air.

Best time to get gas is...
Early in the morning or after sunset.  According to the Environmental Protection Agency, cooler temps mean less evaporated gasoline emissions or pollution.  You actually get more gas for your money since gasoline is more dense when it's cool, so you get slightly more than if you get gas when its warmer outside.

Worst time to get a prescription filled is....
The beginning of the month.  That is when social security checks go out and pharmacies are the busiest.

Worst time to have elective surgery is...
July and August if it's at a teaching hospital. Inexperienced medical interns are just starting out.  It is usually better to wait till they've had more experience in the winter and spring.

Deborah Mumm,
http://www.Healthy-Environments.com
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7 Top Germiest Locations

 Here are the 7 Top Germiest Locations!  I'd say to avoid them, but most of them are places we would have trouble avoiding.  So be prepared....

Lemon Wedges

According to a 2007 study in the Journal of Environmental Health, nearly 70% of the lemon wedges perched on the rims of restaurant glasses contain disease-causing microbes. When the researchers ordered drinks at 21 different restaurants, they found 25 different microorganisms lingering on the 76 lemons that they secured, including E. coli and other fecal bacteria. Tell your server that you'd prefer your beverage sans fruit. Why risk it?

Condiment dispensers

It's the rare eatery that regularly bleaches its condiment containers. And the reality is that many people don't wash their hands before eating, says Kelly Reynolds, PhD. So while you may be diligent, the guy who poured the ketchup before you may not have been, which means his germs are now on your fries. Squirt hand sanitizer on the outside of the condiment bottle or use a disinfectant wipe before you grab it. Holding the bottle with a napkin won't help; napkins are porous, so microorganisms can pass right through, Reynolds says.

Restroom door handles

Don't think you can escape the restroom without touching the door handle? Palm a spare paper towel after you wash up and use it to grasp the handle. Yes, other patrons may think you're a germ-phobe--but you'll never see them again, and you're the one who won't get sick.

Soap dispensers

About 25% of public restroom dispensers are contaminated with fecal bacteria. Soap that harbors bacteria may seem ironic, but that's exactly what a recent study found. "Most of these containers are never cleaned, so bacteria grow as the soap scum builds up," says Charles Gerba, PhD. "And the bottoms are touched by dirty hands, so there's a continuous culture feeding millions of bacteria." Be sure to scrub hands thoroughly with plenty of hot water for 15 to 20 seconds--and if you happen to have an alcohol-based hand sanitizer, use that, too.

Grocery carts

The handles of almost two-thirds of the shopping carts tested in a 2007 study at the University of Arizona were contaminated with fecal bacteria. In fact, the bacterial counts of the carts exceeded those of the average public restroom. Swab the handle with a disinfectant wipe before grabbing hold (stores are starting to provide them, so look around for a dispenser). And while you're wheeling around the supermarket, skip the free food samples, which are nothing more than communal hand-to-germ-to-mouth zones.

Airplane bathrooms

When Gerba tested for microbes in the bathrooms of commercial jets, he found surfaces from faucets to doorknobs to be contaminated with E. coli. It's not surprising, then, that you're 100 times more likely to catch a cold when you're airborne, according to a recent study in the Journal of Environmental Health Research. I bring sanitized wipes to clean the tray off.  I also take an Immune Support product before the flight.

Doctor's office

A doctor's office is not the place to be if you're trying to avoid germs. These tips can help limit your exposure.

1. Take your own books and magazines (and kid's toys, if you have your children or grandchildren with you).

2. Also pack your own tissues and hand sanitizers, which should be at least 60% alcohol content.

3. In the waiting room, leave at least two chairs between you and the other patients to reduce your chances of picking up their bugs. Germ droplets from coughing and sneezing can travel about 3 feet before falling to the floor. 

For all these places, just remember to wash hands frequently with soap and water.

Now that you are totally disgusted, just realize you are bound to come in contact with germs just about everywhere...so wash hands and BE SMART!

 Deborah Mumm, The Allergy Queen
http://www.healthy-environments.com 

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