Domestic Geek

A gross topic, I know. Guys, feel free to skip this one.

As I mentioned last time, antibiotics kill off the good bacteria in our bodies that keep yeast in check. Everyone, men and women alike, have yeast in their bodies. It's only when our bodies get out of whack that it becomes a problem.

Yeast infections are also not just vaginal or in the genital area. I've had out of control yeast in my armpits and in my mouth. It's an extremely painful.

There are several steps you can take to keep yeast in check. One already mentioned is to use antibiotics sparingly. Diet is also important. Eating natural yogurt with live cultures (and no high fructose corn syrup) helps keep yeast in line. In the mouth, don't overuse mouthwashes and as far as other areas of the body, keep them clean and as dry as possible. Yeast thrive in warm, damp area.

When I was a little kid, I spent a whole lot of time being sick. In addition to the constant cigarette smoke I was breathing and causing major respiratory problems, anytime I got the slightest fever, Mom (bless her well meaning heart) would give me Tylenol, aspirin or some other fever reducer. We also had a pediatrician that would give me a booster shot of penicillin and prescribe antibiotics for the slightest hint of sickness (even for viruses that wouldn't be affected by them).

It wasn't until I was in college that I learned that you should let fevers run their course unless they're dangerously high. I seriously didn't know that it was the body's way of fighting off microorganisms that had invaded it. See, some of these can only live in a body at normal temperature. By popping drugs at the first sign of fever, I was allowing them to take over my body and ultimately it would take me longer to get well.

Look at what has happened in medicine thanks to the likes of my pediatrician. There are more and more drug resistant strains of many bugs. Not only that, but antibiotics throw off the delicate balance in our bodies by killing off good bacteria (such as those that keep yeast in check).

Quitting smoking is the best thing you can do for your health. My friend Marisa agrees. She used to be a smoker and has succeeded in giving them up. I know many people that smoke get really irate when you bring up this fact. Seriously, though, they call them cancer sticks for a reason.

This one is near and dear to me because I lost my mother indirectly to smoking. She developed pneumonia while being sick (smoking lowers your immune system), slipped into a diabetic coma and ultimately passed away. While she was in the hospital, they were pumping all of the crap out of her lungs and it was solid black for days. Totally grossed me out.

You can't get proper oxygen to your system when you're choking it out with smoke. Then there are the chemicals you put into your system. Besides being bad for you, the danged things are expensive. Just to let you know that I've been there, I used to smoke back when I was in college (late '80s) and gave them up then because they were costly. Look at how much the price has increased since then!

I have a couple of other friends online that are trying to give up the habit — good luck to Marcus W. and Cass in this endeavor.

One of the best (and easiest) forms of exercise we can get is walking. We've become such a sedentary, lazy society...we don't even have to walk around the grocery store anymore if we get our groceries delivered. There are also safety concerns about being out and about, especially for a single female.

Walking doesn't require any special equipment other than a decent pair of shoes. You can do it any time. Many malls have mall walk programs if you don't want to be out in the elements or don't feel safe walking in your own neighborhood. You can even make it a social activity — grab your friends and take off. Also, take along a dog and both of you can get some exercise.

My friend Colleen suggests getting a pedometer so you can get a good idea of how much you're walking everyday. She's the queen of walking knowledge as she does her own cancer fund raising over at 3DayMom.com by participating in a Breast Cancer 3-Day to support the Susan G. Komen Foundation every year.

As with anything related to our health, the experts put out mixed messages as to whether alcoholic beverages are healthy or not. Beer is good. Beer is bad. Wine is good. Wine is bad. Wine is OK as long as you drink only red and limit it to one glass. Maddening, isn't it?

I'm going to give my humble opinion of this matter. Unless you're an alcoholic, moderation is the key. If you can't stand the taste, don't drink it just because somebody says it is healthy to do so. I personally can't stand red wine (or grape juice for that matter). I enjoy having a beer once in a while, but I don't drink 3 a day.