Yahoo! Answers

**Secret Revealed**

You probably don’t think about it much, but if you did, you’d notice that it often feels like one nostril or the other is always plugged. That’s completely normal for about 70% of adults.

Assuming you’re healthy, your “plugged” nostril actually allows a tiny amount of air through and your other nostril handles the rest. After an average of 2.5 hours, the cycle will shift and use the alternate nostril as the primary source of air. The following scan shows one nasal passage mostly blocked and the other mostly open.

For a long time, Eastern medicine has had theories about the purpose of this cycle and a number of exercises that involve moving air through a specific nostril. On the other hand, Western scientists didn’t come up with a physiological purpose for this phenomena until more recently.

Research indicates that the high/low flow approach in the two nostrils optimizes your sense of smell. As you’ve probably discovered first hand, or shall we say finger, the inside of your nose is lined with mucus. This mucus continues deep inside your nasal passage and is very important; it acts as a barrier and helps protect your brain from infection. But, it also means that something you smell has to be absorbed by the mucus before you can smell it.

This mucus absorbs different chemical compounds at different rates. Therefore, some smells are better detected when they are absorbed in more concentrated levels in the slow moving airstream of your plugged nostril while others are better smelled when absorbed in lower concentration through the fast moving airstream of the other nostril.

Humans have about 1.6 sq inches (10 cm²) of smell receptor cells in our nasal passage. By contrast, dogs have 17 times more space dedicated to these same receptors, and in greater density, which explains why their sense of smell is so much better than ours.

Chad Upton is the editor-in-chief of Broken Secrets and an official Yahoo Answers contributor.

Thanks for reading,

Sources: wikipedia (Nasal Cycle, Olfaction)

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October is the month of the pink ribbon.

In fact, I myself have worn the pink ribbon proudly as I know many women who have been afflicted with breast cancer. Some of them bounced back to life after surgery or treatment and a few others succumbed to the disease.

So when I decided to write a blog post about breast cancer, I was absolutely certain that it would take me less than ten minutes to do so. After all, I knew stories about all these women. And I thought I was mighty pink because as a woman I knew how to protect myself. Right?

Wrong. As I started to write this post, I realized how little I actually knew about this deadly disease though it had touched my life often enough, albeit indirectly.

Photo by merfam

Worldwide, breast cancer comprises 10.4% of all cancer incidence among women, making it the most common type of non-skin cancer in women and the fifth most common cause of cancer death. This explains the number of awareness campaigns about breast cancer during the month of October.

And yet I was finding it difficult to write about breast cancer. So I decided to take a look at Answers.

It was no surprise that I found a list of commonly asked questions about breast cancer. I decided to post these questions so it could help women and men like me who know about breast cancer but are hardly aware of the facts relating to the disease.

Links to save a life!

Understand this cancer better so you can treat it on time if need be!

• How does breast cancer develop in women and what are the preventive measures for it?

• What are the symptoms of breast cancer and what are the consequences?

• What kind of tests or examinations should be done for breast cancer?

Three typical doubts about preventing and treating breast cancer

• Is it true that deodorants can cause breast cancer in women?

• Are there any Ayurvedic treatments for breast cancer?

• How exactly does breast feeding lower the risk of breast cancer?

Other useful links to understand breast cancer better

I may have breast cancer, what questions should I ask my doctor?

• http://www.medicinenet.com/breast_cancer/article.htm#1imayhave

• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Breast_cancer

And here’s how you can help people with breast cancer. http://shine.yahoo.com/page/breast-cancer-awareness-2010!

So do you have a breast cancer story? Is there some knowledge about breast cancer you would like to share? Do send us your story at  y_answrs_favorites@yahoo.com or leave us a comment.

Go pink!

Bhumika Anand – Community Manager, IN

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Photo by inka7791

Welcome to week two of the Yahoo! Answers “Get Fit Program.” Last week we told you how you can meet other people looking to share fitness ideas in a Yahoo! Group called “Get Fit, Stay Healthy,” shared some practical exercise tips for corporate employees, and provided a few tips on how to shed excess pounds to tone up your muscles.

This week, our fitness pros, Joanne and Joan from Plus One Health Management have picked a few more questions to answer from the community—you can find their answers below.

Question: “I need help with eating healthy at school when all they sell is cheese fries and pizza!” – Danni

Answer: I can understand your frustration, if you are trying to eat healthy but the healthy options are limited.  You may want to bring your lunch to school, to avoid temptation, and to be prepared.  You can also talk with the foodservice provider to suggest healthier options.  Healthy foods that cafeteria providers sometimes have include sandwiches, yogurt, fruit, baked chicken or fish, and pasta with veggies. Good luck! Also remember that if you are limited on food and have to eat pizza, you can try walking around your school campus with friends to ensure that you’re including a healthy activity with your lunch.

Question: What’s the best way to stretch before working out? – Chris

Answer: Prior to a workout, a warm-up that includes dynamic stretching should be performed. Dynamic stretching involves performing low-intensity movements similar to your workout activity. For example, squats help to get the muscles warm for any type of lower body activity. Static stretching (stretch and hold) is the most beneficial if it is performed after a workout. Not sure what the difference is between dynamic or static stretching is? Check out the definition from our pros, here.

Question: Are there any standing up ab exercises you could do, say, in the shower or waiting in line (that might be awkward)? – Hah.

Answer: Wow you’re really thinking! However, I don’t recommend exercising in the shower as you could slip and injure yourself. Instead, when you’re safe and dry, try standing up tall and tighten your abs. Practice good posture, suck in your abs and maintain normal breathing—all of these things will help you maintain a tight core and help work your abs.

Question from Shine: How do I start exercising when I’m already out of shape?

Start slowly, but make it count—don’t overdo it. Progress quickly,  keep it up, and read this article for even more tips from Shine.

Check back next week for even more tips from our fitness gurus as they answer even more of your health and fitness questions!

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Last week we asked the Yahoo! Answers community, “How can Yahoo! Answers help you meet your fitness goals in 2010?” – after reviewing your questions, we brought them to our fitness gurus, Joan Arico and Joanne Haggerty  who work with Plus One Heath Management.

As promised, over the next few weeks, we’ll be posting Joan and Joanne’s answers to some of your health and fitness questions here, to help inspire you to meet your fitness goals for 2010. So let’s get started!

Question: “Can you help hook us up with a diet/exercise buddy where we can commiserate or compare and help keep other on track?” – Love Life

Answer: You bet! We know that part of what makes losing weight tough is feeling like you’re on your own. To help you feel like you’re a little less “on your own” we’ve set up a Yahoo! Group called “Get fit, Stay Healthy!” (http://groups.yahoo.com/group/getfitstayhealthy) for anyone looking to find a buddy, share their story, or share weight-loss tips.

Please remember this group is NOT open to spam or marketing, so please don’t join it looking to promote your acai-berry shakes, or your weight loss pills. We’ll also cross-post our fitness tips there each week, as well as fitness and health tips from the health editors over at Shine. We hope to see you all there!

Question: “What are some practical fitness options for corporate employees? Some of those guys spend up to 10 hours in their offices. People are designed to be active, but sometimes our jobs make that impossible for us. We aren’t a country of farm and factory workers anymore. We sit in offices and stare at computer screens. What are some easy ways to step back from the desk and get active, even if we have to do it at home?” – Austin D

Answer: Office workers have to work a little harder to burn calories because of the hours of sedentary living. To counteract this, you can try: walking or exercising during lunch breaks, stretching at your desk, workout before or after work. Or, better yet, have meetings while you walk.

An easy solution when your in the office is to take the stairs instead of taking the elevator, and park as far away from the building as you can—that way you’ll have to walk clear across the parking lot to get to your car in the morning and the evening.

When you get home from work, play with your kids outdoors to cut down on TV time and make exercise a family activity. All of these things can help make corporate employees more active (and productive!) both at home and in the office.

Question: “i was just about to ask this question: i am not muscular. i need biceps and a six pack. should i exercise every day? what should i do? i love yahoo answers. i find everything i need on here. thanks yahoo!”  — wil

Answer: Thanks for the kudos. For us to see those muscles, you have to work off excess body fat and then have muscles to show! Think healthy eating, cardio, and weights! For a few easy and quick workouts, check out this article from Shine.

For more tips and tricks, and to see what questions our fitness gurus answer next, be sure to check back here next week!

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Photo by colonnade

Each January many people across the world make a similar New Year’s resolution: to lose weight, get fit, or get healthy. And each January, they start the year off right—with the best of intentions, and the best laid plans, but about a week in, they run into a road block: where do they go from here?

If you’re one of these people, Yahoo! Answers is here to help! We’ve enlisted the help of Joan Arico and Joanne Haggerty: two fitness pros from Plus One Health Management, Inc., who work with us here at Yahoo! Headquarters.

Over the next few days, you’ll have the opportunity to post your fitness related questions to the open question found here and Joan and Joanne will select a handful and answer them over the next few weeks. With your questions and their help, together we’ll help get the Yahoo! Answers community in shape for 2010!

Each week, we’ll feature one question on the blog, as well as health tips and tricks that will help you get in shape and meet your health goals for 2010.

Joan and Joanne: Our Fitness Gurus

Joan Arico

Joan has over 25 years of experience in Corporate Fitness and is certified in both Group Exercise Instruction and Personal Training . She is an AFAA Certified Group Exercise Instructor, AFAA Certified Personal Trainer, BS Degree Recreation Administration, CPR/AED Certified.

Joanne Haggerty

Joanne believes that physical activity should be an integral part of your life as much as is brushing your teeth, but far more fun and enjoyable. She is a personal trainer and works in both individual and group wellness programs.

Between the two of them, they have more than 33 years of fitness and health experience in both the personal and professional sector. Both enjoy sharing fitness and lifestyle tips with others in addition to keeping Yahoo! healthy!

Please note that all questions must be in line with the Yahoo! Answers Community Guidelines and you should always check with your medical professional before starting any new treatment or health routine. Please review the full disclaimer here.

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