Acupuncture

Today I am covering a story on acupuncture for Kurriosity. I have never been to an acupuncturist (?), and I can’t say that I remember too many people who have. Is it considered alternative medicine? Is it an Eastern medicine technique? I don’t know, but I’m about to find out.

It’s pretty cool to think that we live in a time where we can sample the medicinal techniques of other cultures from faraway places, the same goes for food too. Life would be pretty boring if it were just hamburgers and fries, who doesn’t love a good Thai stir-fry, or Indian curry?

I am looking forward to having some random stranger shove a bunch of needles into my body, if you ask me, anything is better than paying some person too much money to write me a prescription for a medication that will probably cause me anxiety, or hair loss, or god knows what else.

Could be time to discover what else our friends from that part of the world recommend.

Nick Davey

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Locker Room to Board Room

Finding the right gym bag for your daily commute and workout is tough. It has to be large enough to hold the change of clothes, make-up, and toiletries that you haul around every day. It has to be sturdy enough to manage that heavy load without breaking. And it has to be stylish enough that you can carry it in public and to work everyday without looking like a gym rat.

It’s easy enough to find a bag to fit the first two criteria, but most will be squishy, shapeless nylon duffels in Day-Glo colors—not exactly what you want to be hauling to the office. So instead, take your pick from nine of my favorite options below, and prepare to get your gym on—in style!

 

The Big Black Bag

A basic black bag is always in style and makes clashing nearly impossible. The gorgeous canvas and leather bag on the left can easily double as your weekend bag (a perfect investment for the holidays!). The middle option is perfect for the more casual gal (with a lot to carry). And option #3 is a supple, simple leather bag with minimal hardware—but plenty of room for all those extra winter layers.

 

Colorful Carry-Alls

If you’re looking for a gym bag that’s a colorful contrast to your camel or black coat, these bright carry-alls are just for you. Try this beautiful jewel toned green bag, which has a convenient outer pocket to store the key to your locker and some hair bands, or this sophisticated-but-fun coral tote that can easily transition from locker room to board room. Or, this large red leather shopper, which will go with any outfit (red is, after all, basically a neutral).

 

Funky and Fit

For all my ladies who like something a little more offbeat, try one of these fun bags. On the left, this patterned carpet and leather tote will be the most original bag at the gym. Or, choose a simple color blocked bag that’s perfectly on-trend for the season—these orange and navy or mint green and cream bags are anything but boring.

 

Photo courtesy of Maegan Tintari.

Grueling X-Country Ski Race

Participants in one of the world‘s most grueling cross-country ski races are at increased risk of developing a heart rhythm disorder (arrhythmia), according to a new study.

 

Researchers looked at nearly 53,000 people who completed the 90-kilometer (56-mile) Vasaloppet in Sweden between 1989 and 1998 and were followed until 2005. The Vasaloppet is the world‘s oldest, longest and largest cross-country skiing race.

The risk of developing an irregular or abnormally fast heart beat (atrial fibrillation) or a too-slow heart beat (bradyarrhythmia) was highest among skiers who completed the most Vasaloppets and had faster finishing times than other contestants, according to the study, published online June 12 in the European Heart Journal.

 

"We found that those who completed five or more races in a period of 10 years had a 30 percent higher risk of developing any arrhythmia than those who did one race only. Similarly, skiers who had the fastest finishing time relative to the other participants also had a 30 percent higher risk of developing any arrhythmia in subsequent years," Dr. Kasper Andersen, a cardiologist at Uppsala University Hospital in Sweden, said in a journal news release.

 

He noted that previous research has examined the effects of endurance exercise on cardiovascular problems such as heart disease and stroke. But only a few, smaller studies have investigated its effect on heart rhythm problems, and these studies have tended to look at people who are less active.

 

"The present study investigates the higher end of the physical activity level scale and shows how very high physical activity level affects risk of arrhythmias," Andersen said. "The skiers in our study are as a group healthier than the general population. We have previously shown that besides higher leisure-time physical activity, the participants in Vasaloppet smoke less, have lower fat and higher fiber consumption, and better physical and mental health than the general population."

 

The findings suggest a dose-response relationship -- "the more races skiers complete and the faster they go, the greater their risk of subsequently developing arrhythmia," Andersen said. "However, it is important to stress that this study does not show that the exercise causes arrhythmias, only that it is associated with an increased risk," he added.

 

The racers have about half the death rate compared to the rest of the population, Andersen said. This is probably because of the training level of the participants, and also because they need to be healthy to even consider participating in the race, he added.