LegendaryLife Blog

A new study out of Australia has found out that working next to some laser printers is just as unhealthy as working next to a smoker! Just when you thought your office was safe, yet another reason to think otherwise! This may be yet another reason why many people working in large “recycled air” office buildings suffer from sick building syndrome.

Study Findings

• 62 printers tested
• 60% of printers emitted no particles at all
• 27% of laser printers are considered high particle emitters
• one out of the 62 printers produced the equivalent of a smokers cigarette
• cartridge age and toner coverage (on printed page) are risk factors
• some printers may emit volatile organic compounds (VOCs), Ozone and various particles
• concentration of hazardous substances in the office where significantly higher during work hours then non-working hours
• during working hours, indoor air quality was WORSE then air quality found outside
• very few studies exist regarding harmful byproducts of printer (electronic) usage

Emitter sorted by Printer

Results for Printer Emission Investigations, Based on the Ratio of Submicrometer Particle Number Concentration Peak Value Emitted by the Printer to the Background Value (measured by P-Trak)

non-emitter (ratio 1)

• HP Color LaserJet 4550DN
• HP Color LaserJet 8500DN
• HP LaserJet 2200DN
• HP LaserJet 2300dtn
• HP LaserJet 4 plus
• HP LaserJet 4000N
• HP LaserJet 4000TN
• HP LaserJet 4050N
• HP LaserJet 4050TN
• HP LaserJet 4si
• HP LaserJet 5(b)
• HP LaserJet 5000n
• HP LaserJet 5100tn
• HP LaserJet 5N
• HP LaserJet 5si
• HP LaserJet 5si/NX
• HP LaserJet 8000DN
• HP LaserJet 8150DN
• Mita DC 4060 (photo copy)
• RICOH Aficio 2022
• RICOH Aficio 3045
• RICOH Aficio 3245C
• RICOH Aficio CC3000DN
• TOSHIBA Studio 350

low level emitter (ratio < 1.1-5)

• Canon IRC6800
• HP LaserJet 5M
• HP LaserJet
• 9000dn
• RICOH
• CL3000DN

middle level emitter (ratio < 5.1-10)

• HP LaserJet 1020
• HP LaserJet 4200dtn

high level emitter (ratio > 10)

• HP Color LaserJet 4650dn
• HP Color LaserJet 5550dtn
• HP Color LaserJet 8550N
• HP LaserJet 1320N
• HP LaserJet 1320n
• HP LaserJet 2420dn
• HP LaserJet 4200dtn
• HP LaserJet 4250n (old)
• HP LaserJet 4250n (new)
• HP LaserJet 5
• HP LaserJet 8000DN
• HP LaserJet 8150N
• TOSHIBA Studio 450

What is Toner anyhow?

Toner is mostly made of plastic which is in the form of very small particulates which then adhere to the page as it gets printed by the printer. It does not evaporate like water, it travels by air currents and what doesn’t settle on paper eventually does so on surfaces such as desks, chairs, floor and any other office equipment or people. If you vacuum your office, be sure to get one that traps particles down to 0.3 microns in size to pickup this particulate matter, otherwise, your lungs will be the eventual filter.

The Bottom Line

This isn’t the first study confirming that indoor air quality is worse then that found outside, so always keep a window open next to your workplace.

Buzzvia

http://pubs.acs.org/cgi-bin/sample.cgi/esthag/asap/html/es063049z.html

Much like alcohol, the substances in cola acts as fantastic leaching agents throughout the body. Cola such as Pepsi and Coke, should only be given to the drain.

Study finds the link

A study by the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition has found a link between women who consume colas and the risk of acquiring brittle bone disease (Osteoporosis). The study was conducted on 2500 men and women who where just under 60 years of age. Essentially, the more cola consumed, the lower the mineral bone density found in the test subjects. An important note is that this occurred regardless of the amount of calcium (vitamin D) intake, alcohol, age, cigarette or alcohol consumption. Oddly enough, it isn’t the carbonation that seems to have caused a decrease in mineral bone density as other types of soda pop didn’t produce a decrease in density.

What is Cola anyhow?

Colas are a product category invented by Coke, hence why you see Coca-Cola on many of their products. They where once promoted as a “health supplement” leading to optimal health and wellbeing… I hope this rings a very loud bell in your head regarding “health and wellbeing” products being sold today. The base ingredients in most types of cola are citrus, lime, orange, lemon, cinnamon, vanilla and nutmeg along with a host of sweeteners. The name originally comes from the kola nuts that where once used as a base component but has since fallen out of favor.

What does Cola do to your body?

There is nothing healthy about the ingredients used to produce a cola beverage, put a steel nail in a glass of coke for 24 hours and this will give you an idea of what occurs inside of you when you drink these products. They are extremely acidic, hence, your body must use minerals from throughout your body to neutralize the acidity level for further processing.

The Bottom Line

Colas, like alcohol, can be easily replaced with other liquids such as water, juices and teas.

Buzzvia

http://abcnews.go.com/Health/story?id=2536421&page=1

http://www.pubmedcentral.nih.gov/articlerender.fcgi?artid=162805

Being the eldest child, I find it interesting that a study by the Norway National Institute of Occupational Health along with the Norwegian Armed Forces Medical Services have reached a conclusion that I knew all along. First born children have a higher IQ then their siblings

Military Statistics

Based off over 240 thousand Norwegian men drafted in the arms forces during roughly a decade at about 18-19 years of age here is what they found.

• IQ of first born male was 103.2
• IQ of second born male was 101.2 (102.9 if first born brother died)
• IQ of third born male was 100 (103 if first two brothers died)

Why this makes sense

As this study proves my own bias, I am not going to be balanced. I believe this makes logical sense because the first born gets more attention then the subsequent siblings. I was the first to talk, the first to eat, the first to comb my hair and walk. By the time the second child comes along, the newness of this has faded slightly and so forth. What this means is that I, as a first born, got more attention (directly or indirectly) then the next ones in line. This extra attention lead to increases in intellectual stimulation, allowing me to develop quicker. In nature, this also makes sense as the first born may have to take care of the siblings in case the parents got eaten by a Saber Tooth Tiger. Higher IQ would allow me to outsmart the siblings and take care of them better to help pass on our collective genes. Of course, there are exceptions to this rule, but as this doesn’t prove my biased case, it will be ignored I am sure the same holds true to first born daughters as well.

The Bottom Line

First born are smarter… now we finally have proof!

References

http://abcnews.go.com/Technology/wireStory?id=3302770

Health.com has written a rather interesting article about odds of dying from any particular disease during any given year to help put into perspective our fears of catching them. I have put next to them, lifetime odds and preventative steps you can do RIGHT NOW to increase your odds for the better. Keep in mind that although there is a strong genetic component to some of these diseases, lifestyle has also has a huge influence not only acquiring them but their overall effect on your body (severity of the condition).

Bird Flu: this year (almost zilch), lifetime (almost zilch)

For all the media hype in the past few years that we will be hit by the next Black Plague or Spanish Plague, nothing has happened (yet again). Governments have been stockpiling medicines and vaccines whose effectiveness is less then promising, big businesses have had to develop contingency plans using high priced consultants and large scale public unrest (stress) has been hashed out. The truth of the matter is that although your chances of dying from Bird Flu should you acquire it are pretty high, it’s the acquiring part that is statistically near zero. So far, it has only spread from bird to human and not human to human. So far, it has killed people rapidly but they where living with their livestock. So far, major outbreaks affecting dozens of people have all been isolated in third world countries where modern medicine isn’t as widespread. Well, now you know how to avoid getting it. One caveat is that if you should be so unfortunate to acquire Bird Flu, it’s still a genetic lottery whether you will pull through or not at this point.

Find out more about Bird Flu @ http://myfoodcount.com/healthylife/whatis/avianinfluenza.html

Breast Cancer: this year (1/680), lifetime (1/8)

Just about every week, there is a new fund raiser to support breast cancer, you can now buy products who send a pittance of their profits towards the fight as well. The truth is, breast cancer only has a 10% mortality rate after five years of diagnosis and out of the 122 000 000 women in the United States, only 178 000 will be diagnosed. Put another way, you have a 0.1% chance of developing breast cancer this year. How to cut your chances? Easy, stop drinking alcohol which increases your risks by 21%, avoid hormone therapies and get regular mammograms. Diet and exercise also play a major role in avoidance, keep in mind that 90% of ALL cancers are completely avoidable by lifestyle choices.

Find out more about Breast Cancer @ http://myfoodcount.com/healthylife/whatis/breastcancer.html

Heart Disease: this year (1/42), lifetime (1/3)

One of the more easily preventable diseases out there, Heart Disease is predominantly a cumulative couch potatoes disease lead by a lifelong avoidance of proper nutrition, exercise and generally taking your body for granted. Alcohol consumption and smoking habits are also big risk factors.

Find out more about Heart Disease @ http://myfoodcount.com/healthylife/whatis/coronaryarterydisease.html

Osteoporosis: this year (1/101), lifetime (½)

More people are diagnosed with an osteoporosis-linked hip fracture every year then the totals of breast, ovarian and uterine cancer. Osteoporosis is also one of the more easily preventable diseases out there as well, regular weight training, proper diet and limit alcohol consumption which acts as a leaching agents throughout your body. Remember that bones grow and strengthen based on the stress exerted upon them, this is why one of the larger problems with extended space travel is that astronauts loose their bone density very quickly. Osteoporosis is also treatable with drugs, but if you can avoid them with their associated side effects by hitting the gym, aren’t you worth it?

Ovarian Cancer: this year (1/5440), lifetime (1/69)

Ovarian Cancer is still a silent killer, by the time people go see a doctor and get diagnosed, it’s often too late. As such, Ovarian Cancer has a 50% mortality rate after 5 years of diagnosis. If you feel yourself full more then a third of the month and have abdominal pain with bloating, ask to get a CA-125 blood test to check for Ovarian Cancer, especially if you have a strong genetic predisposition (ei: somebody in your family suffered from Cancer).

Find out more about Ovarian Cancer @ http://myfoodcount.com/healthylife/whatis/ovariancancer.html

Factors outside of our control

The above statistics can all be influenced by environment. If you breath in toxic air, bathe in polluted waters and drink / eat contaminated products then you are best to move because the chances of you acquiring any disease shoots up exponentially. Lifestyle doesn’t only include diet and exercise choices, it also includes where you live choices.

Sobering, the double meaning

The reason why I gave this article the title Sobering Disease Statistics is because, alcohol consumption is a risk factor for not only the diseases listed above but a host of other ones. Sure, there are studies as to the benefits of red wine that come out every year around Christmas time but grape juice has even more of the detoxifying agents in them without the detrimental effects of alcohol leaching. If you can remain sober for the entire year, you are not only saving yourself a small mint but also improving your life. For guys, alcohol also lowers your testosterone level for a few days AFTER consumption, which over time, decreases muscle mass, increases fat stores and leads to mood swings.

The Bottom Line

The good news is that living based on an optimal life plan leads to both longer life and disease avoidance.

References

http://www.health.com/health/article/0,23414,1623415,00.html

Modesty aside, when you talk about health, you simply cannot skip over sex. It’s how we procreate, how we share our passions and most importantly, a fantastic workout! There is nothing bad, evil nor gross about sex… think of it this way, if your parents lived a life of celibacy, you wouldn’t be reading this!

CDC Stats on Sexual Health

Although these statistics are from 2002 relating to the United States population, I doubt sexual patterns change very much unless there is a huge cultural upheaval.

• by age 24, 97% of males and females have had sexual contact with the opposite sex (oral, intercourse, touching etc.)
• by the age of 44, 97% of the population has had sexual intercourse, 90% have had oral sex and 40% anal with a female
• during a lifetime, 6% of males have sexual experiences with another male, this percentage is 11% for females
• surveyed people between the age of 18 to 44 described themselves 90% of the time as heterosexual, 2.3% homosexual, 1.8% bisexual, 3.9% something else with 1.8% not answering the question

Although they didn’t ask the number of sexual partners they have had in their lifetime, I heard joke once that said whatever the total given by a guy is, it needs to be divided by three while for females, you need to multiply the answer given by three.

What does this mean?

Well, if you find love later in life, most likely neither of you are virgins and that most likely, you’re both heterosexuals. The problem with sex based surveys is that you cannot test people on the answers given, if their family or partner is present, they may not be entirely truthful or due to changes in religious convictions, their perceptions may change. Basically, just about everybody has sex, including those who vow not to as we found out a few years ago.

One statistic that doesn’t surprise me though is there is more of a willingness for females to experiment with the same sex then males during their lifetime, genetically, this makes perfect sense. Females want to produce the absolute best children with a male that will provide for both the child and mother, if a male is at a perceived pinnacle, they are more willing to share to achieve this goal. On the other hand, there is no biological motive for males to share their mate with another male as they may end up having to take care of an offspring that isn’t genetically to their advantage. Males are built to share their genetic potential while females are built to nurture the resultant offspring. Put another way, the cost of procreation for a male is about 5 seconds (6 if we take our time) but for a female this drags on over the period of 9 months! This is why males remain relatively virile throughout their lifespan while for women, this decreases dramatically after the genetic age of 30.

Everybody has had more sex then me!

This is a humorous animation that comes from the perception (real or imagined) that everybody else has had more sex then you!

Pentagon R&D: Sex as a weapon!

I saw this video and I thought to myself, what a fantastic idea! Imagine how short wars would be if aphrodisiacs where used instead of explosives! After a few hours, everybody would be completely exhausted, couldn’t care less about what they where fighting for and return to their daily lives. Civil disobedience or riots, spray the crowd with a love potion and any thoughts of violence are replaced with love for your fellow human being… brilliant!

The Bottom Line

Sex is great and fun… if done safely.
References

http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/products/pubs/pubd/ad/361-370/ad362.htm