That's Fit

Traveling is easily one of my favorite activities. Whether it's a short road trip with friends or an across the globe adventure, as long as I can get the time off work and scrape together enough money to go, I'm in. The only thing I don't like, is the dazed and crazed look I often sport after several hours of travel time.

I wrote not so long ago about an article that gave tips on how you can maintain your good looks while on a flight -- drinking lots of water and no alcohol, sleep and movement are all key. This time I've come across an article that will help you prepare beforehand, including advice on what to pack and which beauty treatments to try before you hit the road. Whether you're traveling for business or for pleasure, the advice listed here will make sure that you're looking great as soon as you land.

A big part of watching out for your health is watching out for your own and your family's safety. There are many dangers out in the world, but one of the biggest safety risks involves something you do everyday without even batting an eyelid: jumping in the car.

Making the decision on which car to get for your family is a big one that involves a lot of factors, but one of the most important is safety. According to Forbes this is the top 10 list of the safest in family cars:

First there was the whole foods diet. Then there was the low-carb craze. Then eating organic was all the rage. And I'm sure you've heard of cage-free, free range and grass fed. Now there's eating locally. Well, eating locally isn't exactly a new concept--after all, farmer's markets have existed probably as long as farms, but it finally seems to be catching on as a dieting trend.

So what exactly does it mean to eat locally, and what are the benefits? I mean, we've all seen farmer's markets, perused their offerings and even occasionally indulged in some of their maple syrup candy and apple cider but what does eating locally really translate to?

"Local" is defined as anything within a hundred miles. That makes for a lot of possibilities in terms of food options, depending on where you live.

To me, farmer's markets were always the opportunity to get a little something different than what you'd find at a local supermarket. I know the one in Grand Army Plaza in Brooklyn used to house a woman we referred to as the Cheese Lady who always had THE BEST cheeses anywhere. She had this one spicy white cheddar with horseradish in it that was TO DIE FOR. Sadly, at some point she took her wares elsewhere.

The airbag is a wonderful invention, and it saves countless lives every year. But airbags can also be dangerous in their own right, because they need to deploy so quickly and with such force. It's already a well-known fact that young children are at risk for injury from airbags, but some adults are too?

A new study shows that although airbags do a good job at decreasing injuries for adults of average height, they actually increase the risk of getting hurt for very short and very tall individuals. People under 4'11" run a 4% greater risk of getting seriously hurt, and those over 6'3" run a 5% greater risk.

That's got to be stressful for people who fall into those more dangerous height ranges. Airbags come standard on most vehicles these days, so it's not like the minority of very short or very tall people have the choice to pass on that option when buying a new car.

I once had a friend who liked that "new car smell" so much he actually found an air freshener scented like it and put it in his old beater car. He loved it. But have you ever thought about why new cars smell the way they do? And they usually smell that way for weeks, if not months to a year or more (depending on how many fast food meals and to-go coffees you spill!). Unfortunately, it's due to chemicals used during the manufacturing process like bromine, chlorine, and even lead that give off harmful fumes for up to 3 years.

Suggestions for limiting your exposure include avoiding sunny parking spots whenever you can, using a screen on the windshield when you park, and then letting the car air out before you get in. Click here for a listing of the 10 worst cars tested, and the 10 best.

If you drive a car, and most of us do (except maybe you New Yorkers out there), you probably spend a great many waking hours in that tiny space traveling to and from all kinds of places. Your car really is a big part of your life -- some of us even name our cars like they're people, or pets, or something.

But a good question to ask yourself next time you're getting comfortable in that cushy seat is what kind of germs are lurking nearby? And how many are there? More than you think, I'd be willing to bet.

What area is the worst? Obviously, anywhere you've ever spilled food and not cleaned and sanitized properly ranks #1. Some other places, though, surprised me a little. Like the dashboard -- the dust on the dashboard -- harbors a LOT of bacteria. And some places you might think would be full of germs, like the radio knob or door locks, are actually some of the cleanest on the list.

I guess I need to make another entry on the "Spring Cleaning" to do list.

The University of Michigan recently took a look at the habits of about 3,500 young people, and what they found is that people with friends who drink and drive are much more likely to do so themselves. It's less about peer pressure, and more about social circles and what people think when they consider the risks involved -- apparently many aren't thinking things through very well.

The study is prompting policy-makers to take a new look at how they approach the issue, with new efforts focused on changing perceptions of just what the risks of drinking and driving are (it involves so much more than just getting a ticket or losing your license!) and attempting to lessen the social pressures that encourage excessive drinking in the first place.