Issue Date: May 30, 2004
Overcome fear of flying
Ever wonder why airport bars open early in the morning? At least one in eight Americans is afraid to fly, and the most common "treatment" for pre-flight anxiety is alcohol. But the best medicine for nervous fliers doesn't come in liquid form. It's a three-part therapy cocktail made up of education, relaxation and gradual exposure to air travel.
The keys are education, relaxation and exposure.
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"People have stylistic variations on that," says William Scott, a clinical psychologist and professor of psychology at the College of Wooster in Ohio. "But they can't get anywhere without those basic components."
Education includes understanding safety issues, such as that more people are killed on U.S. highways every three months than have died in commercial airplane accidents in the past 60 years -- worldwide.
Relaxation methods range from meditation to medication. Some combine anti-anxiety drugs like Paxil or Xanax with techniques like deep breathing and positive thinking; others skip the drugs.
Technology has made exposure faster and less costly. First came video simulators, which brought the flying experience to the controlled setting of a doctor's office. Then a company called Virtually Better developed virtual-reality therapy, which is now offered in dozens of offices nationwide. Patients sit in airplane-style chairs and wear virtual-reality masks while therapists run tailor-made programs that reproduce the sights, sounds and motions of air travel. "It's like an IMAX theater," says Mark Frazier, a clinical psychologist at Virtual Therapy Associates in Miami. And it's very effective: Most patients can expect to overcome their phobia in about eight sessions, he says.
Kimberly Lisagor, a travel writer in San Luis Obispo, Calif., is the author of "Outside's Wilderness Lodge Vacations" (W.W. Norton, $22.95).
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An apple a day ...
Eating the skin of apples provides about twice the anti-cancer activity as eating only the pulp, Cornell University studies show. That's why this recipe says not to peel the apple. You may wonder about the hefty amount of fat in each serving. Don't: 90% of it is good monounsaturated fat from avocado and pecans.
Romaine With Apple, Pecans and Blue Cheese
4 1/2 cups hearts of romaine lettuce, torn into pieces
1 large unpeeled apple, chopped
1 Hass avocado, cubed
1/2 cup chopped red onions
1/4 cup toasted pecan pieces
In a large bowl, combine salad ingredients. Toss with 1/2 cup Creamy Blue Cheese Dressing (recipe below). Serves 4.
Per serving, with 2 Tbs. dressing: 240 calories, 19g carbohydrates, 7g protein, 16g fat (4g saturated), 4g fiber, 225mg sodium.
Creamy Blue Cheese Dressing
1/3 cup (about 2.5 ounces) blue cheese
2 Tbs. white vinegar
1 tsp. Dijon mustard
1/3 cup orange juice
8 ounces plain non-fat yogurt
In a small bowl, mash cheese with a fork. Add vinegar, mustard, juice and yogurt; stir to combine thoroughly. Makes 1 1/2 cups.
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3 ways to can spam
One down, one to go. A recent survey found the Federal Trade Commission's do-not-call registry has been a huge success, but the Can-Spam Act -- a new-in-2004 array of legal tools to fight unwanted e-mail -- has been less so. If you are bothered by spam, these steps can help:
Maintain at least two e-mail addresses -- one for public use (shopping, blogging) and one for friends and family. Posting an e-mail address on a blog, message board or newsgroup greatly increases the chances you'll be found and spammed (the FTC has actually tested it). It can happen in less than 10 minutes.
Make your address unusual, using an odd combination of letters and numbers. There are spam harvesting programs that scour the Internet looking for obvious addresses (such as jdoe@aol.com).
Sign up for a disposable e-mail address service. Two reputable ones are Mailshell.com and Spamex.com. They maintain all your addresses, then forward mail to your permanent account. If one address becomes troublesome, you can cancel it without disrupting your permanent address.
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Skin cancer dos and don'ts
DO
Avoid the sun between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. (standard time), when the rays are strongest.
Wear protective clothing: comfortable, long-sleeved cotton shirts and pants/ cover-ups; hats with brims to cover the ears and neck.
Use sunscreen. It should have an SPF (sun protection factor) of 15 or higher and should be reapplied every few hours.
DON'T
Use tanning booths.
Use baby oil for tanning.
Fall asleep in the direct sunlight.
Stay out in the sun for prolonged periods, especially at the beginning of summer.
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