That's Fit

The body is an amazing piece of equipment. I am in awe every day, really, when I think about how my body -- even after an attack by cancer -- is able to survive, even thrive. Wired for sustaining life, our bodies give and give and give. It's only after a whole bunch of abuse or a whole bunch of disease that it generally gives out. Simply amazing how our bodies last for as long as they do.

Here are some amazing body facts featured in Laura Lewis' book 52 Ways To A Healthy You -- yes, our very own That's Fit blogger, Laura Lewis. She's a wealth of knowledge, a fountain of wisdom, and while I've only just skimmed her book so far, I plan to dive right in very soon. And then I'll be back with more. For now, though, take some time to marvel at these six human body feats.

• The human body has 45 miles of nerves.

• A nerve impulse travels at the speed of light.

• Each square inch of human skin consists of 20 feet of blood vessels.

• Your tongue print is as unique as your fingerprints.

• Twenty-five percent of all the oxygen in your body is constantly being used by your brain.

• The average human heart beats about 100,000 times every 24 hours.

With all of its potential, just think how great our bodies would work if we treated them like they deserve to be treated, if we ate right, exercised right, slept well, minimized stress -- you know the drill. Think about it. And see what you can do to let your amazing machine serve you the best it can.

With spring break right around the corner, alcohol will flow like water on the beaches where so many young people will flock to like birds. Somewhere in the course of all that frivolity, binge drinking may occur. It's a topic that has been studied, researched and enjoyed by countless people. But what's the reasoning behind why people binge drink?

On some level, researchers have found that there's a self-fulfilling pattern to booze. For example, one study observed students who were given alcohol, and what they thought was alcohol. The latter was merely a super chilled drink made to resemble icy vodka. But the results showed that people who thought they were getting drunk (who weren't) still acted the same way!

Whether it was aggression or affection, the expectations behind the alcohol fulfilled almost the same results as the people who were actually getting tipsy. But this binge drinking behavior could be rooted in some people's need to take a mental vacation. For others, it could be a reason to act out of character. It's one of those questions that may never fully be answered.

A woman almost sent me to the hospital last night because of her overuse of perfume. I was walking down an aisle in Target, when I completely lost my breath! She must have poured half the bottle on her, and I swear I didn't respond so strongly when I was gassed in a Paris subway ten years ago. What is up with that?

I literally had to sprint away from the woman to escape suffocation. It was an obnoxious example of odor abuse. I feel like more and more people are abusing their fragrances every day. Now is this such a big deal? Yeah...Kinda!

Do you use painkillers--both prescription and over-the-counter--on a regular basis to ease your aches and pains? I am only an occasional pill-popper but I know many people who've made painkillers a regular part of their day.

But regular painkiller use is the problem, not the solution, according to new research. Regular use of such medication can actually cause headaches. What's more, the body becomes resistant and accustomed to the pain pills, and the body can produce withdrawl symptoms, even with mild painkillers, according to this article from The Daily Mail. Yikes. That's pretty frightening if you ask me.

But there's more yet -- click here for more info if you're using pain medication on a regular basis.

In what could be considered one of the wackier lawsuits in recent medical history, the state of Kentucky is suing Purdue Pharma over its pain relief narcotic drug, OxyContin. However, the suit has no basis in patients with a prescription having troubles after taking the drug. No -- it has to do with the drug itself being so addictive that it's being widely abused. Are you kidding me?

In prime litigious fashion, an attorney for Pike County, Kentucky stated this in relation to the suit: "Make no mistake about it - this is war." Apparently in Kentucky, the mere fact that some choose to abuse a prescription painkiller is grounds for a lawsuit. Perhaps this will allows all who choose to abuse pain drugs the chance to sue the drug's manufacturer. Maybe pot growers could be next, eh?

On the surface, this appears to be a waste of any judicial resources, but hey -- this is the land of meritless, frivolous lawsuits, right? This one seeks reimbursement for costs for drug abuse and rehab programs, among other things. Sigh -- I'm rarely for pharma companies, but I am on this one. Although OxyContin was found to be addictive in recent times, where does idiocy and personal responsibility meet? Nowhere, from the looks of things.

The National Gay and Lesbian Task Force released a new report on homelessness in LGBT youth. Of the estimated 1.6 million homeless American youth, between 20 and 40 percent are lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender and are at risk on the streets as well as in the shelter system. Considering that between 3 percent and 5 percent of the U.S. population identify as lesbian, gay, or bisexual it is clear that LGBT youth experience homelessness at a disproportionate rate. Once these youth come out to their parents many are told to leave home. Many leave home on their own to get away from physical and mental abuse.

The report touches on the harassment and violence that many of these youth experience in the shelter system and also on critical problems affecting their mental health like depression, loneliness, withdrawn behavior and delinquency. Homeless LGBT youth run a higher risk of substance abuse and risky sexual behavior leading to many sexually transmitted diseases. LGBT youth face the threat of victimization everywhere, at home, at school, at their jobs, at shelters, and on the streets. To learn more information on this topic visit the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force website. Get involved as a volunteer with these youth and become a mentor.

Well, not really, but a new finding reveals that it can kill brain cells. This helps identify why some athletes are prone to "roid rage" when the substance is abused. What is really interesting is that when the body has too much testosterone, cells tend to "self-destruct" much in the same way that Alzheimer's patient cell's do.

The researchers explain that this may be the reason why so many gym aficionados on steroids tend to have wide mood swings and anger bouts. Long-term damage is being done to the brain cells due to excess in testosterone. They also tried the same thing with estrogen, but the results were quite different. Apparently estrogen is almost protective and there was less cell death.