The #1 way to staying healthy is through proper and consistent hand washing. Many illnesses are shared by being transfered to others by our hands (E-Coli, C-Dif, Staph etc). There is a proper technique and it takes about 20 seconds to accurately perform it. Hand sanitizer works in many cases. Take approximately a nickel to quarter size drop of sanitizer in the palm of your hand and rub all over front, back, between fingers and around nails. Then allow to dry completely. For visibly soiled hands and after using the restroom, soap and water is more effective for removing harmful germs than sanitizer. Most people, especially children, don't not wash their hands long enough to get all areas of the hands adequately clean. Knowing the proper technique and singing/humming a song that's about 20 seconds long gets us into the habit of washing hands in a way that will prevent the spread of germs and illness. This video shows you how.
Brushing teeth is another very important habit to develop to prevent illness and keep your teeth! It is also something in which most of us don't use the right technique or enough time to do it properly. Using a soft toothbrush, up & down and small circle motion and covering all surfaces of each tooth (include gums and brush tongue too) for the recommended time of 2 minutes is required to clean the mouth well. Food particles and sugars from food and drinks left on teeth for 24 hours develops plaque. Plaque is produced when these sugars decay and the bacteria already in the mouth 'eats' that sugar, multiplies and leaves behind it's waste. This bacteria causes-
- bad breath
- inflammed gums
- bleeding gums
- gum infection
- tooth loss
- tooth decay
- increased risk of heart disease (infection can get into bloodstream and damage the heart)
Here's another video on technique-tooth brushing to song.
Now, another song that is VERY important to health and safety is Staying Alive! Yes! You read it right! According to the new guidelines from the American Heart Association, the proper way to do CPR is "hard and fast-hands only" chest compression. You no longer have to worry about mouth-to-mouth. The song "Staying Alive" has the exact rythm needed to keep the right speed for this life saving move!
Of course, always remember to also call 911!
We've always known music was good for the soul but who knew that it was so handy for learning how to stay healthy?
