One health-related gadget that I fully approve of if you do decide to get one is the Basis wristband. The wristband, which is not yet out in the market but is already available for reservations, looks just like an ordinary and somewhat even a bit ugly wristwatch until you look more closely. It is in fact a multi-sensor band that stands out among other heart rate monitors because it also collects other data like calories burned, physical activity, and sleep patterns. What’s even more impressive is that it does more than just gather data for you, but it actually processes this data and helps you make sense out of it to so you can adjust your daily activities to help you achieve your health goals, whether that be weight loss or improve your sleep quality. You can access all your health data on your personal online dashboard, which you can view on your PC, your tablet, or your phone. In short, this is a real all-in-one health monitor that you can use regardless of what your current lifestyle might be.

And if my rave is not good enough for you, know that the Basis wristband has been awarded the CES 2012 Best of Innovations Award for Health and Wellness.

Image via Basis

As a consumer myself, I have to admit that I have fallen multiple times for the great spiels that marketers have spent much effort into making their health products seem more believable. I too have used an “easy-to-use” exercise machine that just weren’t easy to use at all, fallen for vitamin supplements that I later found out was not FDA approved, and felt like buying so many health gadgets that I thankfully were able to resist buying mostly because of steep prices.

On the other hand I have also found supplements that, while not doing wonders, seems to be helping me boost my energy and curb my mood swings, a good pair of sneakers that has seen some better days but did me a lot more good than any exercise machine, and lots of healthy recipes that have become go-to meals in our house.

In my quest to become healthier, what I have learned is that the equation less is more usually works best. If you feel like you need to buy something in order to start your journey to better health, you are doing yourself a great disservice. You can start getting healthy with what you have today. Sure, there are some great products out there that will surely benefit you health-wise, but they will only be truly effective if you put in the required effort to live an overall healthier lifestyle.

Go ahead and buy health products and gadgets if you must, but be discriminating in your choices. Make sure you only get those that will truly be good for your health and that you know you can use regularly. Don’t become overly dependent on them. Focus more on the simple choices you make every day for a healthier you, and maybe a healthier wallet too! And as the image above implies, if you’re not making smart choices then guess what kind of choices you’re making.

Image credit: Eating Yourself Healthy

Recently, though, I have been hearing a lot of rumors about Tylenol being dangerous for you. Mass e-mails about the FDA saying that acetaminophen (the active ingredient of Tylenol) can damage your liver beyond repair have been flooding my Inbox(es) – yes, all of my e-mail accounts have been bombarded. Friends and colleagues, who know of my affinity for this pill, have not been slow to inform me either.

Naturally, I had to do research of my own in order to get to the bottom of this issue once and for all. Thank goodness for Paula Kue, MD, who wrote an article about this exact thing in Yahoo. She said the magic words:

Well, STOP! Please, stop your worrying.

Acetaminophen is a truly safe medication for reducing fevers and treating pain. Unless you have a known liver disease like hepatitis, or are on medications that are themselves toxic to the liver or that already contain acetaminophen, the current dosing guidelines for Tylenol are very safe.

YAY! That’s all I can say. I don’t have hepatitis and as far as I know, I am not taking any medication that is toxic to the liver. So there!

Today, calcium deficiency is one of the main concerns for women in their 30s or even early 20s. The great fear is that when we reach our 50s or 60s, osteoporosis would set in. That is why you can see a plethora of advertisements regarding calcium and different products supposedly containing adequate amounts of this mineral.

Because calcium is not that easy to acquire from the natural food that we eat everyday, the best course for the busy woman these days would be to take calcium supplements. There are a lot of different forms of calcium supplements – calcium caltrate, calcium carbonate, oyster shell or bone meal based calcium supplements, coral calcium, calcium lactate.

You have to be careful when choosing which kind of supplement you take. This is because calcium is not easily absorbed by our body. So the fact that you are taking supplements doesn’t mean that the body is actually benefiting from it. Different supplements may have different instructions on dosage and the manner of intake. You can ask our doctor to help you determine which supplement is the best for your needs.

According to Karen Collins, M.S., R.D., C.D.:

A study of children fed soy protein formula for more than six months showed no hormonal effects. A study of men in their 50s and 60s found that the men who ate soy foods twice a day for three months showed no change in testosterone levels, but had a 14 percent drop in levels of PSA (an indicator of prostate growth used in screening for prostate cancer).

She goes on to say that all the noise about the negative effects of soy on men is actually NOT based on sound scientific research. However, she also says that the idea that soy and other soy based products can prevent prostate cancer has NOT really been proven yet.

Another interesting thing that Collins points out is how different types of soy products can have different effects:

Fermentation may change how easily our bodies absorb isoflavones, which means that fermented soy foods (miso, tempeh, natto) may have a different effect on prostate cancer risk than non-fermented soy foods (soy milk, tofu and edamame). Some studies suggest that the effect of soy foods may depend on its interaction with other food compounds; the lycopene from tomatoes is one such interaction under study.

The bottom line is that you SHOULDN’T fear soy foods. If you like it, go ahead and eat it!

According to the Food Standards Agency of Britain, eating organic food does NOT provide additional health benefits. As shocking as it may seem, the FSA strongly stands by its statement. Early this month, the agency made the announcement that the nutritional differences between organic and conventional food are insignificant – practically amounting to zero. The study was conducted by Dr. Alan Dangour and his team at London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine (LSHTM).

Naturally, this announcement sparked a debate all across the country. Organic food advocates got all riled up and the researchers have even received hate mail because of their work. In spite of all this, the British government says that the study is valid and scientific.

What does this mean for us? I suppose it simply is a matter of taking in the information and making our decisions based on it. Personally, I like the idea of organic food. Being practical, however, I realize that I do not have to spend tons of extra money on organic produce if I can get the same nutrients from conventionally produced food for a much lower price. After all, we should also look after our financial health as much as we take care of our physical well being.

Several months ago, our company had a project wherein all the employees were given free flu shots. No one had to pay (the company shouldered the expense) and you just had to sign up to get the shots. Interestingly enough, only about 50 percent of the employees took advantage of the offer.

Several months down the road, I decided to take a quick look into the numbers. How many people got the flu between getting the shots and now? How many of those who got sick got flu shots? How many of those who didn’t get flu shots got sick? You know what I found out? Most of those who got the flu had the shots several months back! And many people who didn’t get the shots – including yours truly – have not contracted the flu.

Is this concrete evidence that flu shots don’t work? I would not go as far as to say that but the numbers are leaning towards that conclusion, at least in my company. One thing that I found out is that flu shots differ from year to year. That is because the formula is changed depending on the previous year’s strain of the influenza virus. Perhaps, the strain that hit a lot of people recently is different from the strain that was used in last year’s formula? That would explain the high number of people who got sick.

Needless to say, it is still prudent to get flu shots and to do so on a regular basis.

The Wii Sports package is another story altogether. I love sports – I used to play soccer and basketball a lot. Now that I am living a rather sedentary lifestyle, sports on video games is the nearest I can get to playing. I have heard the hype about the Wii Sports package helping people lose weight but what do the experts have to say about this?

A personal trainer says:

The best game currently available on the Wii from a cardio fitness standpoint is Wii Boxing. When done properly it can utilize a significant portion of the body while keeping your heart rate elevated with little risk of injury (outside of accidentally punching your friends in the face.)

This sounds really good to me since my favorite game right now is Wii Boxing. My partner and I play it for a few minutes and we both end up really sweaty and gasping for breath – not to mention our aching arms.

Another encouraging thing I read is from WebMD:

Bryant says Wii Fit isn’t likely to replace regular trips to the gym — especially for those who are already fit.

“It’s great for the person who hasn’t been doing a whole lot,” he says. “But for individuals who exercise quite a bit, it isn’t going to be a huge challenge.”

Now I think I am going to spend more time boxing – albeit virtually.