Tanning in the Sun or Tanning at a Tanning Salon. “There is no such thing as a safe tan, regardless of how you obtain it,” says Stuart Zweibel, MD, dermatologist for the Dermatology Division of Westchester Health Associates in Mount Kisco and Scarsdale.
Power Walking or Jogging. “In terms of the amount of calories you can burn, the benefits are equal, especially if the power walker uses dumbbells and/or walks up hilly terrain,” says Dr. Jerold Millendorf, medical director of MD Fitness Group in Mount Kisco.
Bottled Water or Tap Water. “When it comes to Westchester, bottled water isn’t necessarily better,” says Ellen Weiser, chemistry professor and physical sciences department chairwoman at Pace University’s Pleasantville Campus. “Our county water is fine because it is sourced from an aqueduct rather than a well.” Weiser, a Pleasantville resident, suggests using a filter such as Brita if you’re in doubt of your tap-water quality. “Bottled water has its own potential health problems because of the reusing of plastic.” As for wells, Heather McGill, program administrator, Public Health Information & Communications for the Westchester County Department of Health, says, “If a
homeowner’s well has not been tested or if there is any question of bacterial or chemical contamination, bottled water would
be preferred.”
Butter or Margarine. Says Joan Gussow of Piermont, New York, professor emerita (nutrition) at Columbia University Teachers College: “Probably the only thing I am really famous for is something I said about twenty-five years ago: ‘I prefer butter to margarine because I trust the cows more than the chemists.’ Real food is preferential to chemical combinations. As a spread, I use butter. I’ve made it to eighty-one in excellent health, so I must be doing something right.”
Antiperspirant or Deodorant. “Antiperspirants will keep you drier,” says Amy Newburger, MD, founder of Dermatology Consultants of Westchester, PLLC, in Scarsdale. “An antiperspirant is an OTC drug, which blocks sweat production, while deodorants simply contain fragrance to mask body odor. Most products on the market are combinations of both. I like Dry Idea Unscented deodorant/antiperspirant and Dove Clinical.”
