A recent study shows that colon cancer rates among Americans over the age of 50 fell by 1/3 between 2000 and 2010. The reason? In a word, colonoscopies. In that 10 year period, colon cancer screenings for those between the ages of 50 and 75 rose from 19% in 2000, to 55% in 2010. For those 50 and older, colonoscopies are recommended every 5 to 10 years. I had my second one last October and passed with flying colors. No doubt you may have heard the horror stories about the procedure and the preparation leading up to it. While it is nowhere near as much fun as a weekend in Vegas, I was surprised at how pain free it really was. All my appprehensions and misgivings proved to be baseless. If you're over 50, do yourself a huge favor and have the screening. If you're 65 or older, Medicare will foot the bill. And if you're under 65, many insurance companies will pay for the procedure in full.
No doubt all of you have heard of the five second rule, right? Drop something edible on the floor, and if you pick it up within five seconds it's still safe to eat. True or urban legend? In reality it's half true. If you drop dry food on the floor, like a cracker or cookie you're probably safe. On the other hand, if you drop something wet or moist on the floor, like a piece of meat or chewing gum, toss it in the garbage. Germs will immediately adhere to anything moist, even if it's within 5 seconds. Yuck! One more thing. Laminated and tiled floors increase the risk of contamination from E Coli and straphylococcus aureus. Surprisingly enough, carpeting poses far less of a risk than hard floors. And if you drop something in the toilet? Fuggetaboutit!
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