Hospital Emergency Codes

Have you ever wondered what the classic "Code Red" means when you hear it announced in the background of your favorite hospital television show? Or maybe you've actually heard a "code" announcement at your hospital?

Reader's Digest to the rescue! Below are the definitions of the common hospital codes that they published in their May 2012 issue (although codes can vary).

CODE:

RED: fire
BLUE: adult medical emergency
WHITE: pediatric medical emergency
PURPLE: child abduction
GRAY: combative person
SILVER: combative person with a weapon and/or hostage
YELLOW: bomb threat
PINK: infant abduction
ORANGE: hazardous-materials spill
BROWN: bed full of excrement

Actually, those all sound awful! Let's just hope and pray that we all only reference this guide because we hear them on tv!

"Decision Fatigue"

According to the May issue of Reader's Digest, "Decision Fatigue" has become a catchphrase. In their words:

[The definition]: The notion that the mental work of making decisions over and over again can warp your judgement and lead to poor choices. In one example, an Israeli study found that judges granted more parole requests early in the day than they did after making a series of rulings. According to the New York Times, "the more choices you make throughout the day, the harder each one becomes for your brain."

Of course, does everyone agree that granting parole requests is the "better" choice? :)

Luckily, it's all explained more thoroughly in the New York Time's article. To read it, click here. Lots of good learning to be had there! It seems like we probably all can relate to feeling worn out after using a lot of mental energy. Check it out!

Why Is A Marathon 26 Miles?

From the "Word Power" section of the April issue of Reader's Digest:

A marathon is 26 miles and 385 yards. The word and that oddly specific distance date back to the 490 BC battle of Marathon, Greece, in which the Greeks defeated the Persians. A messenger carried news of the victory to Athens across some 26 miles. Centuries later, in the 1896 Olympics, the footrace debuted and adopted the name marathon in honor of the runner.

Is anyone else wondering how long it took that messenger to carry the message? :)

Vinegar: A Dieter's Friend?

For those of you just joining us, I am recapping some of the things I've learned this year (so far) from my favorite little magazine Reader's Digest.

Today's fact comes from April's issue in an article about their new book, The Digest Diet. It explains the health benefits of eating vinegar (their example was in a salad dressing):

[Why do salads at the beginning of meals starves off hunger?] One reason is that salads are a great source of fiber: lettuce greens, carrots, tomatoes, and the like all have plenty of this macronutrient. Fiber's effects on increasing feelings of satiety are well documented. 

The surprise here? The vinegar that comes along for the ride in salad dressing also helps you feel full. Research has shown that vinegar can lessen the glycemic effect of a meal (meaning it tends to not spike your blood sugar), which has been linked to satiety that reduces food intake. Vinegar may also prevent body-fat accumulation, according to a 2009 animal study by Japanese researchers. Mice that were fed acetic acid, the main component of vinegar, for six weeks accumulated less body fat.

Not a bad condiment! Especially paired with something with fiber, it appears.

If you don't like salad, though, snacking on pickles or pickled things can accomplish the same goal. Or there is a long list of vinegar-based recipes on homecooking.about.com if you're interested!

Words That Should Exist In English 3

I am always on the lookout for words that can save me time and energy. Oftentimes, unfortunately, the most "efficient" new words I learn only exist in other languages. Maybe if we all work together, we can popularize them in the melting-pot English language?

Reader's Digest appears to share my love for these words. Last year, I posted some they found. In their April 2012 issue, they published some more in an editorial humor section written by Andy Simmons, so I thought I'd pass them along to you, too:

Cotisuelto: One who wears his shirttail outside his trousers.
(Caribbean Spanish)

Bakku-shan: The experience of seeing a woman who appears pretty from behind but not from the front.
(Japanese)

Kummerspeck: Excess weight gained from emotional overeating. Literally, "grief bacon".
(German)

Pesamenteiro: Someone who joins a funeral party just for the refreshments.
(Portuguese)

Zeg: The day after tomorrow.
(Georgian)

I am sure these will save you tons of words when texting, as you probably use these phrases all of the time.

ie. Dale, a contisuelto, was so upset about the bakku-shan, he became a pesamenteiro and gained a ton of kummerspeck. He's going to another funeral zeg!
words saved: approx. 39

:)