Blog Posts by Vitamin G, Glamour Magazine

My dears, you won't believe this: I was at the grocery store over the weekend, and I found two outdated food products--one expired in 2007! Wait until you hear what they were...

Yes, I was a tad bit horrified when I realized that a jar of baby food I almost bought for my son expired in 2007. 2007! That's 3 years ago, people. (And yes, I promptly walked up to the front of the store and told everyone who would listen at customer service!)

Related: Put this healthy (and fun!) thing on your to-do list for the week!

But that wasn't all: A can of condensed milk I was looking at also expired 6 months ago.

OK, yes, recently expired canned/jarred foods probably aren't going to kill us, but there's a reason why food comes with expiration dates: freshness and taste often takes a nosedive after the sell-by date and nutrients can drop off too. And for some products (hello condensed milk!), an expired date could mean a health risk.

I know, checking expiration dates is a

Everyone always snickers a little when the topic of Persistent Genital Arousal Disorder comes up. But, it can be devastating, and very sad, for women who suffer from it. Here's proof...

Jezebel pointed out a post on BoingBoing.com about an anonymous woman who shared her heart-wrenching life with PGAD. "During my second semester of senior year, I counted orgasms on a sheet of paper," she wrote. "I was having 100 and 200 a day."

Imagine living life this way:

"Every time I do something, I have to evaluate my situation. Where am I? Are there other people around? How well do I know them? What is the likelihood that, if I don't get someplace private in time, things could get complicated? Can I make noise? (Being vocal isn't necessary, but it helps release more of the pressure.) I avoid triggers--things like music with heavy bass, vibrations from riding a train or an idle car, cold air, musky cologne, darkness, stress, scary movies, romantic movies, unexpected touch, a full

I know, for every bad story we hear about nurses, doctors and hospital workers there are 1,000 good ones, but seriously, the news stories lately haven't made me feel very good about health care. Exhibit A and B...

One former Pennsylvania mental hospital worker has reportedly been charged with reckless endangerment for teaching an 18-year-old mental health patient how to swallow nails. The woman, Athena Marie Sidlar, who was a hospital aide in training, apologized at her sentencing Thursday and explained that she has bipolar disorder, which is, she says, why she swallows nails and other metal objects. (The patient had to have several nails removed from her stomach.)

And, in other news: A nurse at a hospital in Ft. Lauderdale is under investigation for allegedly reusing disposable IV equipment. Now, 1,800 patients have been notified that they may have been exposed to diseases such as HIV and hepatitis. Dear Lord.

Sorry, this post is a downer, I know. But doesn't this fire you

Doesn't it seem like we're hearing about a new scary food recall every day? If you have any doubts about the safety of your food (hello, cookie dough!), this post might not be very encouraging. Still, knowledge is power, right? Read on for what some experts say is a list of 10 foods regulated by the FDA that have the highest chances of making you sick ...

The Center for Science in the Public Interest (the CSPI), compiled a list of foods that--statistically--are linked to more cases of illness and death than any other foods. Important note: Don't stop eating these foods, just take special caution when preparing them. See my notes below:

1. Leafy greens: 363 outbreaks involving 13,568 reported cases of illness
Stay-healthy tip: Even if the bag of pre-washed lettuce has been "triple washed"--wash it again. An extra rinse in your own kitchen may help rid your greens of residual bacteria that can make you sick. Still, in some cases, like the E.coli outbreak of last year, the

My dears, let's take a sec to do a few healthy things today, shall we? Set your work aside for just a moment and think about a few things you can do to improve your wellness (that means body and mind!) today...

1. Eat a crisp fall apple (organic, if possible--apples show up on many lists of foods with high pesticide residues)! (These apple brownies sound good, don't they?!)

2. Hug a breast cancer survivor--it's Breast Cancer Awareness month!

3. Listen to some classical music on your iPod, or just quietly at your desk--research hints that it might improve your mood and productivity!

4. Call your friend, and tell her to meet you at the gym tonight. A fitness buddy can increase your chances of sticking with fitness goals.

5. Think of something yummy and non-alcoholic to drink after work tonight. Even if you keep your wine (or beer or cocktail) to one glass per night, some health experts worry that daily alcohol consumption could increase your risk for breast cancer.

Guys, you know I love to clean. I'm well aware that this makes me sound like a nut, but there's something so stress-relieving about a good scrub of the bathtub or a whole-house vacuuming tirade. But, a while ago, I realized that the cleaning product I was using to scour my bathroom was leaving me feeling a bit woozy and wheezy. A health warning for you (and me) and a great healthier product to try ...

I recently broke up with Comet (you know, the powdered cleaner for the bathroom?). I'm a little embarrassed to admit it, given my interest in green living, but I've been using this not-so-eco-friendly cleaner for years. Don't shoot me! My mom used it when I was growing up, as did my grandma. It was my norm!

But, several months ago, I realized that I actually felt a bit sick after cleaning the bathroom--cough, mild nausea, headache. Whoa! And then one day, after scouring out the sinks, I noticed that my lungs sort of felt weird. Every time I took a deep breath, I felt like

We've heard all kinds of reports about who might be the germier sex. Of course, you know that women's restrooms tend to be dirtier than men's, according to studies, which is a fact that still surprises me. We also know that men's fingernails tend to be dirtier than women's. So, who is the germier sex, in total? Results are in!

Women!

Well, that's according to a recent Wall Street Journal article anyway. And, the article seems to point out that it's our offices that are the major offenders:

"After testing surfaces and objects in 113 offices in five cities, the Arizona researchers found that women's offices had more than twice the bacteria of their male counterparts. Makeup cases, phones and purses had the highest number of bacteria."

How about we all go clean and sanitize our offices and phones, right now--what do you say?

P.S. If you want my unscientific opinion, I still think that dudes are germier. Sorry guys! Just my hunch.

More reading:

• The germy facts

Do you dread calling in sick? Whether it's the fear of a judgmental boss or just concerns about missing out on important happenings, health experts want to put you at ease. There are times when making the call is a must. Confused about whether staying home is a good idea? Here are five signs that a sick day is in order...

According to a recent Glamour.com poll, only 21 percent of readers say they make a point to stay home when they're sick. The rest of you do sometimes or not at all.

Guys! The world will not end if you stay home and a.) rest and recover so you can get well again, and b.) prevent the spread of your germs to others.

But, I know it can be confusing about whether a sick day is in order--especially at 6 a.m. Here are five signs, from the experts at WebMD, that you need to make the call to your boss and head back to bed:

1. If you wake up feel pretty icky with a sore throat and the sniffles (which weren't there yesterday). Health experts say that the first few