Bike Helmets Save Lives, Here are 5 Helmets for Women We Love

Guys, not-so-newsy newsflash: Bike helmets save lives. (More specifically: Bike helmet laws save lives.) This really should be obvious, but given the number of people I see on a daily basis who clearly haven't gotten the memo, it's something we need to talk about. According to brand-new research out of Boston Children's Hospital, states with bicycle helmet requirements have significantly lower rates of deaths and "incapacitating injuries" after bicycle-motor vehicle collisions.

The study, presented today at the Pediatric Academic Societies annual meeting, has led its authors to recommend that all cyclists -- regardless of age -- wear helmets; they also support more laws to make them mandatory for all. Currently only 21 states and the District of Columbia require bike helmets, and even then, only for children. So while the study could only examine the impact of these youth helmet laws, it's safe to assume that helmets protect adult cyclists, as well.

About 900 people die each year in bicycle crashes, three-quarters of them from head injuries. And yes, it's important to ride cautiously and to know the rules of the road; but there are some things -- like, um, cars -- that you simply can't control. So be safe and wear a helmet, every time you get on your bike. Need a new one? Here are five of our faves.

Liv/giant Women's Orion Helmet: Not sure if you're a S, M or L? This model is one size fits most, with a removable visor to shade your eyes from the sun. $55, giant-bicycles.com

Specialized Andorra Mountain Biking Helmet: Most of Specialized's 2013 women's helmets have a "hairport" -- that's a larger-than-normal space in the back designed for your ponytail to fit through. Brilliant! This one offers extended coverage that's great for mountain bikers. $75, specialized.com

Bern Lenox Helmet: We wrote about this one back during snowboarding season, but the smart all-weather design deserves another mention. Just swap out the liners for summer or winter activities! $64.99 bernunlimited.com

Giro Air Attack Shield: At a higher price point, this new model is for ladies who are striving for a new PR, whether in a time trial race or a triathlon. Its aerodynamic design slices through the air (without looking totally ridiculous like those super pointy helmets) and has a magnetic attachment to protect your eyes. $240, giro.com

Lazer Kiss Helmet: This women's design, from the world's oldest helmet manufacturer still in business, uses a dial on top of the helmet to adjust the fit -- that means no band across the back of the head to cut off your ponytail. $60, lazersport.com

What helmet will you rock this summer? Tweet us at @amandaemac and @SELFmagazine.

RELATED LINKS:

--

For daily health tips follow SELF on Facebook and Twitter.

Get SELF on your iPad and KindleFire!

View the original article here

Less Salt, More Potassium = Millions of Lives Saved

Title: Less Salt, More Potassium = Millions of Lives Saved
Category: Health News
Created: 4/4/2013 8:36:00 PM
Last Editorial Review: 4/5/2013 12:00:00 AM

View the original article here

Cut Salt, Save 500,000 U.S. Lives Over a Decade, Study Finds

By Robert Preidt

HealthDay Reporter

MONDAY, Feb. 11 (HealthDay News) -- Reducing salt in Americans' diets would save hundreds of thousands of lives over 10 years, according to a new study.

Excess salt, the primary source of sodium, contributes to high blood pressure and cardiovascular disease, the leading killer in the United States.

Immediately reducing people's salt consumption from current levels to the upper limit of the U.S. government guideline -- 2,300 milligrams a day -- would save 500,000 to 850,000 lives over the next decade, largely by reducing heart attacks and strokes, the study found.

Gradually reducing sodium levels in processed or restaurant foods by 4 percent a year for 10 years would still save 280,000 to 500,000 lives over a decade, the researchers concluded.

The average American consumes about 3,500 mg per day, and men tend to ingest much more than that, according to the study, which was published Feb. 11 in the journal Hypertension.

"No matter how we look at it, the story is the same -- there will be huge benefits in reducing sodium," study lead author Pam Coxson, a mathematician at the University of California, San Francisco, said in a university news release.

For the study, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention brought together three groups of scientists who used different computer models to estimate how lowering salt intake would save lives.

All the models showed consistent, substantial benefits if current sodium intake were reduced to a level close to the upper limit of the federal guidelines.

Many people believe that taking the salt shaker off the dinner table will reduce their sodium consumption to a healthy level, but 80 percent of the sodium consumed by Americans comes from processed foods, Coxson noted.

Bread and other cereals account for about one-third of daily sodium intake. Other types of processed foods that have high sodium levels include canned soup and processed meats. Even fresh chicken is sometimes injected with salt solutions before packaging. Restaurant meals are also high in sodium.

In commercial settings, salt is primarily added for flavor and sometimes to preserve foods.

More information

The U.S. National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute outlines how you can reduce salt in your diet.

View the original article here

A Diffusion Line That Actually Lives Up To The Original

Designer diffusion lines have plateaued in a sea of undistinguishable prints and itchy fabrics, but we’ve found one that’s actually worth splashing out for

Continue reading...

View the original article here

Change Women’s Lives Today

Change Women’s Lives Today - Browse through the latest beauty products online at Glamour.com. Visit Glamour.com for beauty product reviews and advice.

Continue reading...

View the original article here