Om Malik, the founder of Giga Omni Media, Inc. and executive editor for the technology blog GigaOM published an article yesterday revealing to his readers that he recently had a heart attack.

I had a heart attack on Dec. 28. I was able to walk into the hospital for treatment that night and have been recovering here ever since. With the support of my family and my team, I am on the road to a full recovery. I am going to be OK.

It’s good to know that Om Malik is doing okay and is recovering well. The recent heart attack had something to do with his lifestyle and diet. Why? Because he admits to smoking, drinking coffee, alcohol and eating fatty foods. He could’ve avoided it if he was more careful with his diet but everything happens for a reason. Although he learned his lesson late, better late than never right? Who knows, if this didn’t happen maybe he wouldn’t have realized that his health was important and that he should be careful with what he eats and drinks.

We can learn something from his experience and this is a good a reminder for us bloggers that our health is important. This is especially true for those who have blogging as a profession, for probloggers like Darren Rowse, John Chow, my kababayans Abe Olandres and J. Angelo Racoma just to name a few. If they get sick, they can’t blog and if they can’t blog, there’d be no content in their blog. No content, nothing for the readers to read, no site traffic, no income. You don’t want that to happen, right guys? As the saying goes, “Health is wealth” and I say “Stay healthy, stay wealthy”. Hehe

To Om Malik, hope you have a speedy recovery and God bless!

Note:
If you want to send your get well messages to Om Malik, you can do that by leaving a comment in this post.

Are you cautious with your diet and lifestyle? What measures are you taking to keep yourself healthy? Please share your thoughts, experiences and comments. We’d love to hear them.

The study shows that 30% of the laser printers tested emit dangerous particles that can cause lasting damage in the same scale of inhaled cigarette smoke. How is this possible? It turns out that whenever you print something, not all of the printer toner attaches to the paper and the toner dust particles mix with the air we breathe. These tiny dust particles get lodged deep into our lungs and could cause lung irritation or even lead to full-on cancer.

Also, new printer cartridges emit more dust particles than the older cartridges. A document with heavy graphics produce more particles when printed compared to a plain text document. Makes sense because it uses more of the printer toner. The more toner we use, the air quality becomes worse.

Here are some ways you can minimize emission and exposure to printer toner dust particles:

• Limit the use of printers. (only print important documents)
• Isolate printers in a separate room away from the workplace.
• Make sure that your office or room is well ventilated

I was alarmed when I first read this article coz I’ve never heard of it before and never realized the danger of exposure to printer toner dust particles and the health risks it causes. Most of us use our printers on a daily basis and are continually exposed to these hazardous dust particles. I wanted to share it with you guys in case you aren’t aware of this yet.

If you’re interested to know more about the study conducted with regards to this issue, the full study is now available online.

If you have any other suggestions or tips on how to minimize the emission or exposure to printer toner dust particles at home, school or in the office or if you want to share your ideas and opinions feel free to leave a comment.

[ via Yahoo! Tech ]

What is the secret to getting a solid 7 to 8 hours of sleep? Head for the kitchen and enjoy one or two of these 10 foods. They relax tense muscles, quiet buzzing minds, and/or get calming, sleep-inducing hormones – serotonin and melatonin – flowing. Yawning yet?

Bananas. They’re practically a sleeping pill in a peel. In addition to a bit of soothing melatonin and serotonin, bananas contain magnesium, a muscle relaxant.

Chamomile tea. The reason chamomile is such a staple of bedtime tea blends is its mild sedating effect – it’s the perfect natural antidote for restless minds/bodies.

Warm milk. It’s not a myth. Milk has some tryptophan – an amino acid that has a sedative – like effect – and calcium, which helps the brain use tryptophan. Plus there’s the psychological throw-back to infancy, when a warm bottle meant “relax, everything’s fine.”

Honey. Drizzle a little in your warm milk or herb tea. Lots of sugar is stimulating, but a little glucose tells your brain to turn off orexin, a recently discovered neurotransmitter that’s linked to alertness.

Potatoes. A small baked spud won’t overwhelm your GI tract, and it clears away acids that can interfere with yawn-inducing tryptophan. To up the soothing effects, mash it with warm milk.

Oatmeal. Oats are a rich source of sleep – inviting melatonin, and a small bowl of warm cereal with a splash of maple syrup is cozy – plus if you’ve got the munchies, it’s filling too.

Almonds. A handful of these heart-healthy nuts can be snooze-inducing, as they contain both tryptophan and a nice dose of muscle-relaxing magnesium.

Flaxseeds. When life goes awry and feeling down is keeping you up, try sprinkling 2 tablespoons of these healthy little seeds on your bedtime oatmeal. They’re rich in omega-3 fatty acids, a natural mood lifter.

Whole-wheat bread. A slice of toast with your tea and honey will release insulin, which helps tryptophan get to your brain, where it’s converted to serotonin and quietly murmurs “time to sleep.”

Turkey. It’s the most famous source of tryptophan, credited with all those Thanksgiving naps. But that’s actually modern folklore. Tryptophan works when your stomach’s basically empty, not overstuffed, and when there are some carbs around, not tons of protein. But put a lean slice or two on some whole-wheat bread mid-evening, and you’ve got one of the best sleep inducers in your kitchen.

For an extra treat, here’s the ultimate sleep-inducing snack…

Lullaby Muffins
Makes 12 low-fat muffins
Between the bananas, the whole wheat, and the honeyed touch of sweetness, these muffins are practically an edible lullaby.
· 2 cups whole-wheat pastry flour
· 1/2 teaspoon salt
· 1 tablespoon baking powder
· 2 large, very ripe bananas
· 1/3 cup applesauce
· 1/4 cup honey
· 1/2 cup milk or soymilk

Preheat oven to 350F. In a large bowl, combine the flour (make sure it’s whole-wheat pastry flour or you’ll produce golf balls, not muffins), salt, and baking powder. In a blender, puree the bananas; add the applesauce, honey, and milk. Blend well. Pour the banana mixture into the dry ingredients and stir until just moistened. Line muffin tins with paper muffin cups, pour in batter, and bake 30 minutes or until tops are lightly brown and slightly springy.

Nutrition Facts:
Per serving: 119 calories; 1g fat; 2.5g protein; 27g carbohydrates; 10g sugars; 133mg sodium; 3g fiber; 35mg magnesium

Source: Yahoo! Food