Health

When The Opioid Crisis Gets Really Real

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I had a conversation this week with a neighbor about her outrage about seeing disposal bins for dirty syringes in the bathroom of our local public library.

“I can’t believe they put these things in places where my children can see them,” she said.  “This is only encouraging drug use.  It is just not responsible.” (On the left is a picture of the bin she is talking about.)

But what is responsible here?  The opioid crisis is a very real problem everywhere, including in public libraries, where staff members and patrons are put into the unfortunate position of seeing this problem first hand.  Users are shooting up in the library.  Apparently, there have been 25 “narcotic related illnesses” in Boston public libraries in the last year and librarians sometimes have to administer Narcan to overdose victims.  This is a fact, whether you are comfortable with it or not.  I am not a public health expert and don’t know of a better solution; however, I would prefer the libraries to have needle disposal bins so at least if the user is shooting up, they will dispose of their needles safely.  I have been in five bathrooms in other public spaces in the last four months where I have found dirty needles in the sink, on the floor, in the regular trash bin or even in the toilet. Would my neighbor prefer her kids encountering the needles that way?

I ride the T a lot and have seen my share of people overdosing on the train or bus.  One time a woman sitting across from me on the train passed out, fell to the ground and started foaming out of her mouth.  Other passengers had the train stopped and took her off.  An ambulance came a few minutes later and took her away.  I hope she survived.  Another time, I was standing near my local commuter rail station and saw a woman lying down on the bench.  I just thought she was a homeless woman sleeping at first, but when I looked closer, I thought she couldn’t be homeless, as she was very well dressed, but lying face down with a very slow breathing pattern. Another woman came up from behind me and shook the lying woman to wake her up, which she didn’t.  Then I noticed there was a used syringe lying under the bench.  At that moment, the other woman called an ambulance.  The ambulance came and took the overdosed woman away. I hope she survived too.

Again, I don’t know what the solution here is, but life has become really real.

The Many Benefits of Walking

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Last week I was watching TV, and an environmental activist appeared on a chat show to discuss how to be more green in your everyday life through transportation.  She hit on all the major points like cycling more and taking public transit instead of driving a car.

What I found lacking in this and other alternative transport discussions are any mention of the most energy efficient and cheapest mode of transportation – walking.  As a matter of fact, pedestrians reduce their CO2 emissions by 14 percent! I have been a “lifelong” pedestrian, meaning I have never owned a car and take public transit to places I can’t walk to in a short amount of time.   Of course, I lived in a major urban area with pretty decent pedestrian and public transit options.  However, walking as a primary mode of transport may not be an option for others, like for those living in rural or suburban communities, disabled, have small kids or have to take large objects around with you on a regular basis.

With that said, walking more has many benefits:

  1. It’s healthy: It goes without saying that walking more is better for your health.  Even low-impact walking to run errands around your neighborhood can help you burn more calories.  Also, walking is a complimentary, restorative exercise for more rigorous activity.  I usually run three times a week.  On my off days, I like to do yoga or walk longer distances to continue the caloric burn.
  2. Lowers health care cost: A healthy lifestyle means fewer hospital bills.  Many studies show that residents in urban areas that walk or cycle regularly have lower rates of cardiovascular disease, cancer, and diabetes.
  3. It reduces unwanted waste: When you have to walk, you are less likely to buy and carry around things you don’t need.  For example, when you go shopping while walking, you only buy what you can carry in (hopefully reusable) bags, especially if you walk long distances.  You will also tend to not want to carry items that have a lot of packaging, which weigh more.  Less packaging equals less waste.
  4. It saves money: You can save a lot of money when you don’t have the hassles of maintaining a car or even buying a T pass!  The numbers prove this; a recent study from the American Public Transportation Association shows that people that use public transit over a car save up to $800 per month.  The number goes up even higher for people who primarily walk.

Life Cycles: Shining Sea Bikeway

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shining sea bikewayWith the summer coming to an end, a couple of my friends and I decided to make our last cycling trip on Cape Cod for the season a couple of weeks ago, this time to the Shining Sea Bikeway.  This is one of my favorite places to cycle on the Cape.  It is a 10-mile scenic route between Woods Hole and North Falmouth.  About three miles of it is along the Vineyard Sound, and the rest of it goes pass beach homes, farms, cranberry bogs and a lot of wonderful Mother Nature!

I stopped a few times during our ride to take some photos.  Ah, summer…

Can We Talk About Apple Cider Vinegar?

apples-and-vinegarSo I was having lunch with a friend of mine last week.  She just had a baby three months ago, and was having a difficult time with losing weight and was feeling sluggish.  I had suggested that she consider doing an apple cider vinegar cleanse.

Apple cider vinegar (ACV) has proven to have many health benefits, including improved digestion and weight loss, stabilizing diabetes, and improved skin and hair care.  I usually drink a liter of water with two tablespoons of ACV and juice from one freshly-squeezed lemon at throughout the week for the last three years and I feel so much more energized and healthy.  I usually use the Bragg’s ACV brand because it has the “mother” (vinegar bacteria) at the bottom, which makes it healthier.  I have tried the recipe featured in this video and it is really good!

You can also use it as an alternative to unhealthy, cleaning chemicals in your household.  I use it as my main cleaning concoction and disinfectant, by mixing three tablespoons of ACV with water in a one-liter spray bottle.   I use it to clean appliances in my kitchen, my bathroom, floors, windows and mirrors.  I even know some people who use it to clean their pets and for flea reduction.

I found this video that better explains the health benefits.

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