The Real Deal On The Five Second Rule

Who hasn't done this: You drop a piece of food on the floor, pick it up within five seconds and pop it in your mouth. It's still okay to eat, right? Not exactly. According to a recent survey, women are more likely to invoke the "Five Second Rule" than men. Not surprisingly, everyone's more inclined to eat a dropped cookie than a dropped piece of broccoli. But is it really okay to eat something you dropped on the floor? Well, there are a few schools of thoughts on this.

First, at the University of Illinois, floor tiles were purposely contaminated with E.coli. Then researchers placed cookies and gummi bears on the tiles for anywhere between one and ten seconds. The upshot was: Almost-instant food-poisoning.

But a new study was done at the University Chicago and University of Iowa. Researchers tossed gum, cookies, chicken legs and hot dogs on different types of floors. They found the safest surface is the kitchen floor. Only the hotdog was contaminated enough in five seconds to make you sick. The living room carpet isn't quite as clean. Both the hot dog and the chicken leg were contaminated within five seconds. And basically, anything you drop on the bathroom floor or the lawn is a germ-freak's nightmare. Every item that fell on those surfaces was contaminated enough to make you really sick.

Want to know who the first person was to invoke the Five Second Rule? Experts say it was Genghis Khan, but he used a "20 Hour Rule." And anything that had been lying in the dirt for less than 20 hours was still safe to eat. So if you drop a cookie on the kitchen floor, go ahead and eat it within five seconds. Chances are good you won't get sick. But if you're at a picnic and drop any food on the grass, toss it out!

Energy Drinks

What are Energy Drinks?

Energy drinks are canned or bottled beverages sold in convenience stores, grocery stores, and bars and nightclubs (in mixed drinks). Most energy drinks are carbonated drinks that contain large amounts of caffeine and sugar with additional ingredients, such as B vitamins, amino acids (e.g. taurine), and herbal stimulants such as guarana.

Energy drinks are marketed primarily to people between the ages of 18 and 30 as a stimulant, which is why energy drinks have names that convey strength, power, and speed, and sexuality, such as:

• Red Bull Energy Drink
  
• Monster Energy Drink
  
• Full Throttle Energy Drink
  
• Amp Energy Drink
  
• XS Energy Drink
  
• Redline Energy Drink
  
• Rock Star Energy Drink
  
• Spark Energy Drink

History of Energy Drinks

Although sales of energy drinks in the United States were $3.5 billion in 2005, according to Beverage Digest, the category was only recently created with the launch of the Red Bull Energy Drink.

Red Bull was created by Dietrich Mateschitz, an Austrian who adapted the energy drink from a Thai beverage called Krating Daeng, a popular drink with rickshaw drivers in Thailand. The key ingredient in the Thai energy drink was taurine, an amino acid that was first discovered in bulls (this association is responsible for the Red Bull urban legend that the drink's active ingredient is bull urine or semen). Red Bull was introduced to Europe in 1987 and to the United States in 1997.

Energy Drinks Contain Caffeine

Red Bull, one of the most popular energy drinks, contains nearly 80 mg of caffeine per can, about the same amount of caffeine as a cup of brewed coffee and twice the caffeine as a cup of tea. Other energy drinks contain several times this amount. The amount of caffeine in an energy drink isn't always indicated on the label, so it is difficult to gauge how much one is consuming.

Another problem with energy drinks is that unlike hot coffee or tea, which is sipped slowly, it's common for typical energy drink consumers to drink large amounts quickly.

Some people are sensitive to caffeine and experience anxiety, palpitations, irritability, difficulty sleeping, and indigestion with relatively small amounts. People with heart conditions should avoid large amounts of caffeine, because it is a stimulant.

The Combination of Ingredients in Energy Drinks Has Not Been Studied

One of the biggest concerns is that we just don't know enough about the effect of the combination of ingredients in energy drinks. Many ingredients are believed to work synergistically with caffeine to boost its stimulant power.

For instance, one can of Red Bull contains 1000 mg of taurine. A German double-blind study compared a taurine and caffeine drink, a caffeine-only drink, and a placebo drink. Stroke volume--the volume of blood ejected with each beat of the heart--was increased only in the group taking the taurine-and-caffeine drink. Taurine appears to play an important role in muscle contraction (especially in the heart) and the nervous system.

Red Bull also contains 600 mg of glucuronolactone, a substance that is naturally found in the body. There is a lack of published information on the health effects of glucuronolactone supplementation in humans or on the safety of this combination.

Energy drinks contain sugar (although sugar-free energy drinks are now available), because it is a quick source of energy.

B vitamins are sometimes added to energy drinks in small amounts. It makes energy drinks appear healthy, although they probably contribute little. B vitamins are needed to convert food into energy.

Some energy drinks contain guarana, a South American herb that is an additional source of caffeine.

Energy Drinks Should Not Be Mixed With Alcohol

Red Bull and vodka has become a popular mixed drink at bars because it has a reputation for reducing the depressant effects of alcohol (e.g. fatigue) while enhancing the "feel good" buzz. But while people may not feel impaired, their blood alcohol concentration is still high. People may consume larger amounts of alcohol as a result.

A study compared the effects of alcohol alone to an alcohol plus energy drink combination. Researchers found that the alcohol plus energy drink significantly reduced subjective alcohol-related symptoms such as headache, weakness, dry mouth, and impairment of motor coordination, even though breath alcohol concentration and objective tests of motor coordination and reaction time didn't reflect this.

The caffeine in energy drinks is also dehydrating, which may slow the body's ability to metabolize alcohol.

Energy Drinks Should Not Be Consumed During Exercise

Energy drinks should not be confused with sports drinks such as Gatorade, which are consumed to help people stay hydrated during exercise. Sports drinks also provide carbohydrates in the form of sugar and electrolytes that may be lost through perspiration.

The caffeine in energy drinks acts as a diuretic and promotes dehydration.

A California high school was the first to ban energy drinks after two students experienced dizziness and disorientation after drinking an energy drink before football practice.

Did Depression Offer an Evolutionary Advantage?

A provocative new theory explores the possibility that depression is an evolutionary condition that protected our ancestors — from infection.

Such a theory could explain the ubiquity of depression which affects one in 10 adults in the United States. As such, experts believe the hypothesis that depression is “hard-wired” into our brains must be considered.

This has led biologists to propose several theories to account for how depression, or behaviors linked to it, can somehow offer an evolutionary advantage. Some proposals have focused on how depression influences behavior in a social context.

In a new article, a pair of psychiatrists addresses this puzzle in a different way, tying together depression and resistance to infection.

In this theory, researchers propose that genetic variations that promote depression also helped our ancestors fight infection. An outline of their proposal appears online in the journal Molecular Psychiatry.

Co-authors Andrew Miller, M.D., and Charles Raison, M.D., recognized that depression is often linked to inflammation or an overactivated immune system. People with depression tend to have higher levels of inflammation, even if they’re not fighting an infection.

“Most of the genetic variations that have been linked to depression turn out to affect the function of the immune system,” Miller said. “This led us to rethink why depression seems to stay embedded in the genome.”

“The basic idea is that depression and the genes that promote it were very adaptive for helping people — especially young children — not die of infection in the ancestral environment, even if those same behaviors are not helpful in our relationships with other people,” Raison said.

Until development of sulfa drugs and antibiotics in the early part of the 20th century, infection was a major cause of death. Surviving infection was a key determinant in whether someone was able to pass on his or her genes.

The authors propose that evolution and genetics have bound together depressive symptoms and physiological responses that were selected on the basis of reducing mortality from infection. Fever, fatigue/inactivity, social avoidance and anorexia can all be seen as adaptive behaviors in light of the need to contain infection, they write.

The theory provides a new explanation for why stress is a risk factor for depression. In theory, the stress-depression link is a side-product of a process that pre-activates the immune system in anticipation of injury.

Similarly, a disruption of sleep patterns can be seen in both mood disorders and when the immune system is activated. This may come from our ancestors’ need to stay on alert to fend off predators after injury, Miller said.

Experts believe the new theory could also guide future research on depression. A particular area of focus could be the use of inflammation biomarkers to help predict whether someone will respond to various treatments for depression.

Miller and Raison are involved in ongoing research on whether certain medications, which are normally used to treat autoimmune diseases, can be effective with treatment-resistant depression.

Eating Eggs and Life Expectancy

Are Eggs Good or Bad?

Eggs have to be one of the most confusing foods out there. Eggs were first healthy, a good source of protein. Then we discovered that eggs had cholesterol and every one thought eggs would give you a heart attack. Then it was discovered that the cholesterol in eggs was “neutral” and we could eat a few eggs a day. Eggs were good for you again. Well, now it seems that having 7 or more eggs a week increases your risk of death. What is the story here?

Eggs are Bad (Again)

A Harvard study of over 21,000 male physicians found that men who ate up to 6 eggs a week had no increase in their rate of death. But once they ate a seventh egg, their risk of death went up 23%. The men were studied over a 20-year period and routinely surveyed about their health status and eating habits. During that period, 1,550 had heart attacks, 1,342 had strokes and 5,000 died.
To make matters more confusing, if the men had diabetes and ate any eggs, then their risk of death over the 20-year period was doubled.

Why Are Eggs Bad?
The cholesterol in eggs is the most obvious culprit. This cholesterol can clog arteries and contribute to heart attacks and strokes. Interestingly, in the study, the eating of eggs was only linked to the men who died, not to the men who had heart attacks or strokes. Clearly we don’t have the whole picture here.

So If I Don’t Eat Eggs, I’ll Be Better Off?
Not really. This study (and most nutritional studies) was not able to really sort out the full differences between men who ate no eggs, 6 or fewer eggs or eggs every day. The researchers did say that the lots-of-egg eating men were also more likely to be smokers, eat more vegetables, drink more and exercise less.

Play Armchair Epidemiologist
When you think about it, what is different about men who eat eggs every day compared to men who don’t? We could make up a lot of theories here. They are not eating oatmeal as much (because they are having eggs for breakfast); they are more likely to eat toast with lots of butter? How about bacon -– that goes with eggs a lot. The study didn’t address these kinds of links. You can come up with your own reason that men who eat lots of eggs would be less healthy -– a lot is left out of this picture.

Headache Cures

Your headache medicine could be giving you a headache! An article we read said that using over-the-counter pain relievers more than twice a week sets you up for rebound headaches. So, here’s how to break the cycle, and live pain-free:

• Relax. Dr. Sheena Aurora is the director of the Swedish Headache Center in Seattle. She says that tight muscles in the neck and shoulders are a major cause of headaches. So, when you’re feeling anxious, take deep breaths and do a few head and shoulder rolls to relieve the tension.


• Headache cure #2: Cold-and-heat therapy. Experts aren’t sure why changes in temperature are effective, but they work. So, wrap a cold pack in a cloth, and place it where you hurt. In five minutes, switch it for a heating pad or hot water bottle. Then, repeat the hot-cold process until your headache disappears.


• Another headache cure that works – IF you’re careful: Caffeine. Johns Hopkins researcher Dr. Jason Rosenberg says that some headaches are caused by dilated blood vessels that put pressure on your brain. Caffeine constricts those vessels and relieves the pressure. So, sipping coffee at the first sign of a headache can ease your pain, but the blood vessels in people who consume lots of caffeine stop constricting when the caffeine levels in their body rise - so, stick to one cup a day so you don’t overdo it.


• The last headache cure proves just how connected the different parts of our bodies are: Peppermint tea. It soothes your stomach, which in turn heals your head. Dr.Audrey Halpern is the director of the Manhattan Center for Headache and Neurology. She says that the neurochemical changes related to headaches can stimulate the part of the brain that makes us feel nauseous. You can also get a headache when you’re nauseous, but since peppermint eases the spasms in your stomach, and those muscles send signals to your brain to stop the headache – sipping peppermint tea can make your head pain go away.

Helping Overweight Children Get Healthy

Childhood obesity affects many children. We also know that it can cause all kinds of health problems, from Type-2 diabetes to high blood pressure to kidney stones. When it comes to parenting overweight children, experts say that most times, we’re blowing it! Most parents know when their kids are heavier than they should be, but they don’t know what to do about it. One mother we read about was concerned when her already-chubby daughter became visibly heavier than her middle school classmates, but she didn’t want to say the wrong thing and make things worse. Even though some overweight kids slim down as they grow up, it’s not always the case. According to the Centers for Disease Control, an overweight preschooler has only a 30% chance of growing to be an obese adult, but an overweight teen has a 70% chance. So how can parents help their overweight kids?

• First, learn basic nutrition. Dr. David Ludwig is the director of the obesity clinic at Children’s Hospital in Boston. He says that many parents think that low-fat Twinkies, and low-fat microwave mac-and-cheese are healthy. Instead, make sure your child’s diet is filled with real food – lean meats, fruits, veggies, and whole grains like brown rice – not processed foods.


• The next way to help your overweight kids: Emphasize activity. If you’re lying on the couch and telling your kid to get some exercise, they’ll follow your example. Instead, do something together, like riding bikes, playing ball, or going for a walk. Turn off the TV. Studies show that kids who spend more than two hours a day watching TV or playing video games are more likely to be overweight.


• Don’t focus on the scale. Researchers found that focusing specifically on weight loss only makes kids feel bad about the way they look, and they’ll turn to a reliable source of comfort: food. Instead, focus on their health.

Thinking About Going Vegan?

Veganism isn’t just for hippies anymore! Hollywood celebrities, like Ellen DeGeneres and Tobey McGuire, are going vegan to slim down and get healthy. According to the National Restaurant Association, the hot new trend in the restaurant world is vegan entrees. However, veganism is still on the fringe for many eaters, so let’s see if we can bring it into the mainstream. Here are the answers to some common questions about vegans.

• How is being vegan different from being a vegetarian? The main difference is vegetarians avoid eating animals, while vegans don’t eat anything that even comes from an animal. That includes thing like honey, eggs and milk.


• Why bother? The truth is going vegan can be a hassle; you can’t just slap together a cheese sandwich when you’re hungry. The health benefits can be huge. Studies have shown that vegans have lower cholesterol and blood pressure and a lower risk for diabetes and some cancers. Why? Because vegans usually eat less saturated fat and more nutrients, fiber and vitamins. They also tend to eat fewer processed foods, which is where most of us get the bulk of the sodium, sugar and fat that we consume.


• Vegans also tend to weigh about 15% less than non-vegans, which is about 25 pounds on average. Not all of them. There is such a thing as a junk-food vegan. Think about it: there are no animal products in chips, and cookies made with coconut oil are technically vegan but they’re also high in calories, corn syrup and saturated fat. If you go vegan to lose weight, you need to fill up on healthy proteins like beans and tofu and eat junk-vegan food in moderation.


• Since vegans don’t eat animal protein, they miss out on some essential nutrients and can become anemic and lethargic. You can make up for it by eating a variety of fruits and veggies for essential nutrients, and soy and legumes for protein, iron and zinc. You might also need to eat nuts and flax seeds for vitamin B-12, an important nutrient that keeps you cells operating properly and is usually found in fish and eggs. For more tips on going vegan check out VeganSociety.com.

Computer Screens Are Damaging Your Vision

Computer Screens Are Damaging Your Vision

Did you look at a computer or smart phone screen today? If the answer is “yes,” then you could have damaged your eyes. Experts say there’s a new condition called Computer Vision Syndrome that causes blurry vision, literally short-term near-sightedness. It typically lasts for a few seconds, but over time, it can become permanent. You’re at risk if you look at any electronic screen for two hours or more a day. So why are screens destroying our vision? Here’s what the American Optometric Association has to say:

* Our eyes see in 3-D. So, we end up over-focusing to search for 3-D images that don’t exist on a 2-D screen, which causes eye strain.

* Another reason screen time destroys our vision: Because we’re too up close and personal with our gadgets. Our eyes naturally focus 20 feet away from our face, but since most of us look at a computer or smart phone screen from less than two feet away, it’s forcing our eye muscles to work non-stop. In fact, they get so strained that they simply can’t relax, even after you look away.

* Finally, we barely blink when we look at screens, which causes dry eyes. That's the perfect breeding ground for major infections. A recent study found that people blink an average of 16 times per minute, which regularly washes away debris and keeps our eyeballs well-lubricated. When we stare at digital screens, we blink less than six times per minute, boosting our odds of seriously dry and infected eyes.

So, how can you protect yourself?

* Follow the 20-20-20 rule. That means every 20 minutes, look away from your screen and focus on a fixed point 20 feet away for 20 seconds.

* Adjust your computer monitor so the top of it is level with your eyes. Your eyes focus best when they're looking downward.

* Wear “computer glasses” when you’re looking at a screen. An optometrist can prescribe them to you. Instead of correcting for distance or close-up, they boost your midrange vision in order to reduce computer eyestrain.

Surprising Results From One of The World’s Longest Longevity Studies

Surprising Results From One of The World’s Longest Longevity Studies

We’ve got surprising results from one of the world’s longest longevity studies. For the past 80 years a group of 1,500 people have had their lives, and their children’s lives combed through by researchers. The journey started when they were children in 1922, when a Stanford professor, named Lewis Terman, pulled them out of their classes and recruited them for his groundbreaking study. Terman followed his group, who became known as the “Termites,” until his death in the 1950’s but other scientists picked up right where he left off. Two of them are psychology professors Howard Freidman and Leslie Martin and they’ve just finished a book breaking down the most important findings in the study. They say their goal wasn’t just to find out how to live longer, it was how to live healthier too. Some of what they found is turning conventional wisdom on its head! Here are the top three surprising things Terman’s termites tell us about living a longer, healthier life:

* Stressed out worrywarts don’t always die young. Why? Because neurotic or conscientious people are less likely to get themselves into dangerous situations. They’re more likely to seek help when they have health issues and remember to take prescriptions. There’s more! Worriers may actually have different brain chemistry that makes them less susceptible to diseases!

* Job stress is also not going to force you into an early grave. The longevity researchers found that even when people don’t LOVE their jobs, the fact that they worked hard at them was a predictor of long life. That's because being productive and engaged indicates health and happiness.

* The final surprising finding: strenuous exercise doesn’t lead to a long life. The authors found that over the long term, doing things you really enjoy, like walking with friends or gardening, will help you stay healthier longer than running marathons.

Scientifically-Proven Ways to Boost Your Happiness

There are scientifically-proven ways to boost your happiness – which are backed by more than 60 studies. Here’s how anyone can become a happier person:

• Spend time with the “right people.” The people who make you happiest are most likely to be friends, family and significant others, but most of us spend most of our time with coworkers. The best way to take advantage of that “forced togetherness” is to have a “best friend” at work – or a boss you like. You can also boost your happiness by avoiding small talk – which has been proven to make people unhappy. The fix: Find a few coworkers who aren’t interested in celebrity gossip, and strike up a real conversation.
  
  
• Another happiness booster: Make more social connections. Numerous studies show that you can increase happiness by hanging out with friends. You also get the same boost from volunteering. That’s because helping others makes you feel generous, and happier about your own life.
  
  
• Another happiness booster: Make plans for the future - and daydream. Or, as researchers put it, enjoy the experience without spending the time. Numerous studies show that the part of the brain responsible for pleasure can be activated just by thinking about something pleasurable, and planning ahead fills your life with anticipation. In fact, the anticipation of something enjoyable – like a vacation – is often more enjoyable than the actual experience.
  
  
• Finally, know this: Aging changes the way people experience happiness. Studies show that young people tend to equate happiness with excitement, so they get a boost spending time with interesting new friends, but as people get older, they associate happiness with feeling peaceful. So, older people get more joy from spending time with close friends and family.

The Science of Salt, and How to Cut Back

What’s the latest science on salt? It’s addictive, it’ll make you fat, and it can kill you. That’s according to Prevention magazine. They say salt is one of the most dangerous ingredients in the food we eat – and the one people pay the least attention to. Excess salt can cause high blood pressure, heart attacks and stroke, as well as osteoporosis, dementia, cancer and other serious health problems. Since salty foods are usually also packed with fat and calories, it can add inches to your waist. The news about salt is so bad, the U.S. government is revising sodium health guidelines downward. They now recommend no more than 1,500 milligrams a day for an adult. That’s two-thirds of a teaspoon. However, most of us get double what’s recommended. Most of the salt we get comes from processed and packaged foods, like commercial crackers, cookies, cereal, soup, frozen dinners, and pasta sauces, which pack in the salt to boost flavor, protect color and texture, and prevent spoilage. That doesn’t even cover fast food and other restaurant meals.

Scientists point out your body does need a little salt to maintain the right balance of fluids, transmit nerve impulses, and work your muscles. However, when you eat a lot more than the necessary 500 milligrams a day, it triggers the release of the feel-good chemical dopamine – which makes salt as addictive as nicotine and alcohol. The more salty foods you eat, the more you crave. Salt also changes the way your body uses fat. A high-salt diet boosts the production of insulin, and the more insulin you have, the more fat you store, and the more weight you gain. Salt also makes you thirsty, and that’s a problem, since we tend to turn to sodas to quench our thirst. However, sodas are also full of sodium!

So, how can you cut back on salt? Eliminate processed and packaged food, restaurant meals, sodas and alcohol for two weeks. That’s how long it takes to get a whole new set of taste buds. Cutting excess sodium will also boost your metabolism and increase your energy, and it’ll help you feel thinner, because you’ll drop water weight from bloating.

Don’t Be a Jerk – You’ll Live Longer!

Don’t Be a Jerk – You’ll Live Longer! That’s the gist of nearly a dozen new studies, which have been compiled and published in the journal Psychological Science in the Public Interest. The research involves millions of people, who were tested and studied at different times over the past seven decades! The results are fairly unanimous: Smart people who do good deeds for others tend to live longer - and suffer fewer diseases - than bullies with lower IQs.

- For example, one study found a strong link between lower IQs and a higher likelihood of being admitted to the hospital.

- Also, a 30-year Scottish study found a strong relationship between lower intelligence and a higher risk for heart disease and stroke.

- In a 65-year study, researchers found that grade-school students who showed signs of being conscientious – or charitable towards others - were more likely to still be alive in their 70s!

So what’s going on here? In a nutshell: Researchers say smarter people make smarter decisions, meaning they’re more likely to understand the benefits of exercising, eating a healthy diet, and the hazards of smoking. Smart people also tend to be better at using common sense to avoid accidents, and they’re less likely to be injured in fights, or to die by suicide.

The shocker in this report is the conclusion that being nice to others can influence how long you live. Because in study after study, people who were highly conscientious were less likely to develop diabetes, high blood pressure, bone problems, stroke, and Alzheimer’s! However, “mean” people who were self-absorbed were more likely to die at a young age. Why would this happen? Researchers say one explanation is that selfish people tend to be more cynical and distrustful of others, so they’re less likely to see doctors. Selfish people also tend to be overly confident, so they take more risks with their health and well-being - thinking “bad things happen to other people, not me.” Turns out, they’re dead wrong.

Your Guide to Better Sleep

From Journal Psychology Today:

It's what we do in response to a bout of insomnia that determines whether we will end up with long-term sleep problems. The fact is the sleep system tends to right itself after a few nights of insomnia—provided you make no adjustments to your sleep-wake cycle.

We all know that sleep is crucial to having the energy and ability to perform whatever it is we want to do. All it takes is one or two sleepless nights to drive home that point—and we all have a sleepless night or two sometimes. It's the cost of being human and having the capacity to worry about the future and chew over the past.

Yet, it's what we do in response to a bout of insomnia that determines whether we will end up with long-term sleep problems. The fact is that the sleep system tends to right itself after a few nights of insomnia—provided you make no adjustments to your sleep-wake cycle.

Unfortunately, most people take special measures to get some rest. They nap in the afternoon or evening. Or they go to bed early the next night, or sleep late the following morning. Or they take a drink or two to fall asleep.

Every one of these "corrective" measures interferes with your body's sleep "homeostat," a mechanism that builds up pressure for sleep and helps assure a good night's rest. The homeostatic pressure for sleep depends on how long you have been awake—and how active you are while awake.

I spoke to Dr. Michael Perlis, head of behavioral sleep medicine at the University of Rochester. An expert on insomnia, he has plenty of advice to offer on how to get the rest you need while steering clear of sleep problems.

• Get more exercise—physical and mental. It primes the sleep homeostat. It's a myth that exercise at bedtime is bad. Sex is, among other things, a great exercise.
  
  
• Set a regular bedtime—and keep it. Your body needs reliability.
  
  
• Set up conditions so that you catch the wave of sleep. Sleep has to be permitted. Take obstacles out of the way, and give up the notion that you can control sleep.
  
  
• Learn simple meditation and practice it before bedtime; it cuts down nervous system arousal.
  
  
• Put sleep in the background of your life. Don't monitor it, don't evaluate it.
  
  
• Jack up your body temperature with a warm bath before bed. Exaggerating the normal drop in body temperature that accompanies lying down abets sleep.
  
  
• Keep your bedroom dark, especially as you get older. Even small amounts of light and noise can disturb sleep as you age.
  
  
• Don't overheat your environment. Sleep loves cold. Keep your bedroom cold but load up on blankets.
  
  
• Less is more. The less you do in response to a bout of sleeplessness, the faster your sleep patterns will return to normal.
  
  
• Keeping your wake-up time constant but going to bed one hour later will help 25 percent of insomniacs in one to two weeks. Prepare to feel sleepy at times and avoid driving then. After two weeks, add back the time in half-hour increments.
  
  
• Look on two or three nights of insomnia as a gift—the gift of time you wanted to get done all that you have to get done. Insomnia may be functional, a signal that you need to attend to what got you up.
  
  
• Don't fight the insomnia. The homeostat makes sleep a self-reparative system—if you stay out of its way.
  
  
• Don't worry about the consequences of not sleeping. Worrying about insomnia can create insomnia.
  
  
• Don't sleep with your pets! Animal dander can create allergies that manifest only at night, and the movement of any pet on your bed can wake you up.
  
  
• Do not sleep later to make up for lost sleep. It de-primes the sleep homeostat and reduces pressure for sleep the next night, turning a night of sleeplessness into insomnia.
  
  
• Don't make up for a night of sleeplessness by napping. That undermines the sleep homeostat and makes it less likely you will sleep through the next night.
  
  
• Don't make up for an acute bout of insomnia by going to bed early.
  
  
• Do not try to induce sleepiness by drinking alcohol. Yes, it's a great relaxant—but it is metabolized so quickly it creates rebound insomnia within the night; it's so fast-acting you'll be up in four short hours.
  
  
• Limit caffeine to one cup of coffee in the morning. At age 18, caffeine has a half-life of 4.5 hours, which increases with age. Gradually eliminate caffeine altogether if you have trouble sleeping.

Increase Your Odds of Living to 100

From Rodale Publishing: Would you like to live to be 100? Here are a few ways to increase your odds:

• Live at a higher altitude. Researchers in Switzerland found that people living at high altitude had a 22 percent lower risk of dying of heart disease. That's because thinner air at higher elevations means more UV rays from the sun, which boost the production of heart-healthy vitamin D. Most experts point out that 77 percent of North Americans are vitamin-D deficient, which can lead to bone disorders and heart disease. So, eat more D-rich foods, like tuna and wild salmon, and talk to your doctor about taking a supplement.
  
  
• Another tip for living to 100: Breathe cleaner air. People living in cities with relatively good air quality live about one year longer than people in more-polluted areas. A study in the New England Journal of Medicine found that dirty air can trigger inflammatory reactions, and even mild inflammation can contribute to heart disease. So, avoid exercising near streets. You’ll be exposed to extra pollution from passing vehicles, and you’ll inhale more of it because you’re breathing deeply.
  
  
• Lastly: Accept your age. Researchers in Germany asked people how they felt about their age. Those who were comfortable with it lived about two years longer than those who were bothered by it. Partly because people who are content are more likely to exhibit healthy behavior, and people who compare themselves with their younger selves are often disappointed and stressed by the changes. Instead: Compare yourself with your contemporaries. Plenty of them will be worse off than you – and those who are better off will provide inspiration.

Negative Thoughts Are Literally Bad For Your Health

From LiveScience.com:

It’s official: The way you think has as much impact on your health as the food you eat, and the amount of exercise you get! Need proof? Here’s a list of negative thoughts that are literally bad for your health:

- Negative thought #1: Cynicism. Scientists often define cynicism as “hostility,” because cynical people tend to be suspicious and mistrustful of others. The problem is that when you’re always second-guessing other people’s actions, you’re always feeling stressed. A study found that people who showed the greatest levels of cynicism were 25% more likely to develop diabetes and heart disease.

- Negative thought #2: Predicting doom and gloom. People who constantly fear the worst are said to have a “Type D personality.” Type D people tend to have fewer friends, because they bottle emotions and feel depressed. Research has shown that depression raises stress levels, which increases deadly plaque buildup in arteries.

- Another negative thought: Feeling like your life is out of control. Like when you’re frequently late for appointments, or disorganized. In a study involving more than 9,000 people, researchers found that organized, self-disciplined people live at least three years longer than those who lead more unstable lives. Why? Experts say it’s because people who take control of their lives tend to feel less stressed – so they’re less likely to smoke or drink.

Are you noticing a theme here? Most negative thoughts tend to be linked to higher stress. Since prolonged stress both weakens your immune system and raises your blood pressure, experts say negative thinking raises your risk of being killed by anything from a heart-attack to a common cold.

Cell Phones and Your Health

Holding a Cell Phone Against Your Ear May Be Hazardous to Your Health

Holding a cell phone against your ear may be hazardous to your health. So may stuffing it in your pocket. According to The New York Times, every cell phone comes with a printed warning to keep it away from your body. Like the manufacturers of iPhones and BlackBerries, who say your cell should never be closer than about one inch, but judging by the number of people with their phone glued to their ear, nobody notices the warnings.
The International Association for the Wireless Telecommunications Industry insists that all FCC-approved phones are perfectly safe, but Dr. Henry Lai is a professor of bioengineering at the University of Washington. He points out that radiation from cell phones is the same radiation that heats food in a microwave.
The largest study of cell phone use and brain cancer was conducted in 13 developed countries – including Israel, France, Sweden and Finland. The result: People who were cell phone users for more than 10 years doubled their risk of developing a type of malignant brain tumor, and heavy users quadrupled their risk of benign tumors. Even worse, 10 years ago, most people didn’t even have a cell phone. Today – people talk on a cell an average of 12 hours a month – which makes all of us heavy users, and raises our risk for cancer. Children are more vulnerable. Radiation reaches much deeper into the brains of children because their skulls are eight times thinner than an adult’s. Their brains also contain more fluid – making them absorb radiation more easily. So, how can you protect yourself and your family?
- Keep your phone away from your head or body, and used the phone’s speaker, or a wired headset.
- Also, since most radiation comes out of the back of your phone, keep the keypad toward you if it’s in your pocket or handbag.
- Finally, children under age 16 should text instead of calling, and pregnant women should keep their cell phone away from their abdomen.

Perception of Time Can Increase Stress

By Selena Chavis:

In the driven U.S. social scene of full-time jobs, after-school children’s activities, volunteer obligations and just managing the day-to-day, many find that they are under increased stress.
Research conducted by a faculty member at New Jersey-based Rowan University suggests that the way people perceive time can either increase or decrease that stress.
Dr. Tejinder Billing, assistant professor of management in the Rohrer College of Business has studied the correlation between stress, time and work-family conflict in three different countries: the U.S., her native India and Venezuela.
Through her research, she has determined that while objective workload may represent a certain reality, the perception of that workload by an individual is more important.
“Individuals have a threshold level for workload, beyond which work is perceived as overload. When an individual’s workload exceeds the optimal level that he or she is comfortable with on a daily basis in the work situation, then psychological strain is the likely outcome,” she said
A silent variable in this equation of work and perception of work, according to Billing, is time.
“The essence of work overload is to do too much work in given amount of ‘time.’ Although we all continually refer to time, we quite easily forget about it when reflecting on stressful events,” she said.
Billings’ studies into time and workload commenced while she was studying at the University of Memphis and realized that people in the U.S. are “driven by the clock.”
“I actually didn’t find one single room in my school that didn’t have a clock. In India, clocks are not of such importance,” she noted, adding that cultural differences and attitudes toward time affect the way people manage time and deal with stress.
While Latin American and Asian cultures view time as an abundant resource, their Western counterparts are much more sensitive to the boundaries of time, Billings said, adding that people need to be aware of these differences when dealing with other cultures.
“If I’m not sensitive toward time like in Western countries, I can be in trouble when everyone is sensitive,” Billing said. “If I’m time-driven and you’re taking me to Latin America where perception of time is abundant, I’ll be stressed out.”
Billings said that people in the U.S. who put high emphasis on planning are better able to deal with work overload than those who do not emphasize planning and scheduling of activities in both their work and non-work lives.
In both the Indian and Venezuelan cultures, though, planning did not produce the same positive impact, which points to impact of perception of time across cultures.
Billings suggested that a key finding of the research is that people in the U.S. can manage and reduce stress more effectively by planning. “For individuals who emphasize planning and scheduling, the strength of the relationship between stressors and psychological strain is weaker than for individuals who do not emphasize planning and scheduling,” she said.
Research indicates that other factors influence our perception of time such as whether we were brought up to do things in sequential order or multi-task.
“We all have different attitudes toward time. We have different senses of time. And as a result we perceive and use time differently,” Billings noted.
One concept about time and perception rang true for all three cultures. Research revealed that people in the United States, India and Venezuela all feel stress when they perceive themselves as having too much work and too little time in which to get it done.
The differences are revealed in how they experience stress.

Signs You Have an Anger Issue

From CBS News:

We all get annoyed if someone cuts in line in front of us, but there’s a difference between an occasional outburst and being an angry person. Here are four signs you have an anger issue:

Anger issue #1: Getting mad at the little things – like having to wait for an elevator. Dr. Redford Williams is a psychology professor at Duke University and author of the book, “In Control” and he says anger can have a positive effect – and urge us to take action. In fact, without anger, Rosa Parks would have sat in the back of the bus. Racial discrimination is a big issue. When someone gets angry at the little things they can’t control, that’s a problem.

The next anger issue: Interrupting. Angry people tend to be impatient, and have trouble letting others finish what they’re saying. Even when they let someone talk, they might only be pretending to listen.

Then there’s complaining: Dr. Williams says people who spend a lot of time ranting about politics, sports, the PTA, or the shortcomings of other people often have anger management problems.

Another sign of anger management issues: Being easily offended. Comments that others might laugh off can get under the skin of someone who’s on the edge of anger. They’re often waiting for others to mess up so they can pounce.

The final sign of anger management issues: Getting red in the face. Emotional heat can make your face red – just like hot temperatures you can measure on a thermometer. Anger can also cause labored breathing, fidgeting, and pacing back and forth, as well as serious health problems like high blood pressure and a higher risk for stroke, heart attack, and ulcers – because an angry body releases chemicals that reduce blood flow to the gut.

If any of these qualities describe you or a loved one, you can find help at the site Anger-management-Resources.org.

Lose Weight for Summer

(HealthCastle.com) All winter and spring you've been hiding under your layers. But now the first beacon of summer - Memorial Day - has passed, and summer is officially in full swing. It's time to finally shed your layers for warmer weather! If your diet hasn't been up to par and you're worried about shimmying into a swimsuit, don't despair… there's plenty of time to lose weight the healthy way and shed your cover-up with confidence.
Eight Ways to Kick-Start your Diet Back and Get Back on Track to Lose Weight for Summer

* Start now.
Don't wait for next week, Monday, or even tomorrow. Finish this article and set out to make positive changes right away. Setting up a “start date” can backfire, since many people overeat in anticipation of cutting back for an upcoming diet. The trouble is, too many false starts and “last treats” can add up to hundreds of extra calories, not to mention lots of frustration. Remember, dieting isn't about ditching all of the things you love to eat - it just means eating less of them and replacing the balance with healthy foods.

* Set some goals.
Most people wouldn't set out for a big adventure without a map, directions, or even hotel reservations. So don't set out on a diet without simple goals; they are your roadmap to losing weight with success. Jotting down a few realistic expectations can give you something to aim at. Want to wear a swimsuit to a party you know is coming up later in the summer? Do you have an upcoming vacation planned, and you'd like to feel confident lounging on the beach? Make a diet road map and get going!

* Plan for a healthy breakfast.
Choose a doughnut, and you're more likely to continue to choose less-than-healthy picks throughout the day. Choose a healthy breakfast that gives you an energy boost from whole grains or fruit-based carbohydrates, plus protein to sustain you, and you'll set in motion a day of better choices. Your breakfast does not have to be time consuming or fancy - cereal and milk with fruit or a whole grain English muffin with 2% cheese and an apple are perfect.

* Stay hydrated.
Sometimes it's easy to confuse hunger for thirst; staying properly hydrated can be a big diet help. In fact, a 2005 University of North Carolina study found that people who drank about 6½ cups of water ate nearly 200 less calories throughout the day - not to mention the fact that your body requires water to work well (which includes burning calories). When your body is working the way it should, it's easier to find the motivation for exercising, cooking, and eating right.

* Use a hunger scale.
If you're not eating mindfully, it can tough to figure out why you are eating; are you hungry, stressed, sad, or bored? Try picturing a scale where 10 means you're ravenously hungry and 1 means you're not hungry at all. Before you eat, think of the scale and consider where you are on it, then match that assessment to how much you will eat. For example, if your hunger is at "1," you really don't need to eat - but perhaps need another diversion like taking a walk or responding to a few friendly emails. And while you're eating, keeping a hunger scale in mind will help you stop eating before you are over-stuffed.

* Set up your kitchen for success.
If you find that, say, a package of Oreos tempts you into eating too many, get rid of them! It's OK to have a splurge every now and then, even when you are trying to lose weight. But sometimes it's just easier to have a single splurge, like going to the ice cream shop and enjoying a cone, rather than buying a carton of ice cream to keep (and tempt you) at home.

* Try a new recipe.
Sometimes it's easy to feel unmotivated to make a change to your diet if you are tired of eating the same old foods. So, try a new recipe using healthy ingredients. Take a trip to the store (or better yet, the farmers' market) to inspire a culinary creation out of some of the beautiful, fresh, and super-nutritious produce finds that are ripe and delicious this time of year.

* Keep a food journal.
Those bites, licks, and tastes can really add up to big calories! Make this your mantra: if you bite it, write it. You may be surprised at where you are taking in extra calories that are keeping your weight loss efforts from taking off. Plus, a journal makes it easier to find times during the day that you can pinpoint stress eating or overeating; you can then use the journal as a tool to devise a solution to diet-destroying eating patterns.

- The Bottom Line
Commit to making some healthy changes now! Most importantly, find the combination of motivators that gets you started and keeps you going. Make this your summer to lose weight for good!

The Top Germ Magnets Lurking Inside Your Hotel Room

Have you heard? Travel experts have announced that the era of “stay-cations” is over, as people begin to book real summer vacations again! If your travel plans include staying in a hotel, we want to remind you that most hotel rooms aren’t as clean as you think. So, here’s a refresher course on some of the hidden germs lurking in hotel rooms, according to the Web site Smarter Travel .com:

* Germ magnet #1: The Alarm clock. Just think of how many guests set that alarm with their dirty, sweaty hands. That’s why our expert recommends using an antibacterial wipe on all high traffic areas in the room - including doorknobs, light switches, dresser handles, and the telephone!

* Another hotel germ magnet: The bed. No matter how clean the bedspread looks, it’s one of the least washed linens in any hotel room. So, take it off and toss it on the floor before you ever plop down on the bed. Then, take a close look at the headboard, sheets and mattress. If you see any small black or red specs, beware: Those are common signs of bed bugs.

* Another place germs hide in hotel rooms: Drinking glasses. Unless each glass is individually wrapped in plastic, you should never use them. That’s because cleaning crews often wash those glasses with the same chemicals they use to clean the toilet!

Know this – just because a hotel room is expensive, doesn’t mean it’s clean. ABC News asked microbiologist Charles Gerba to test $500 a night hotel rooms. He swabbed nine items in each – from the irons, to sinks, toilets, and drinking glasses. What did he find? One three-star hotel turned up fecal coliform and MRSA, a serious germ known to cause severe skin infections. One place hotel guests may not think about when it comes to germs is the room-service menu, but at one swanky five-star hotel, the experiment uncovered high levels of bacteria on the menu. One last surprising hotel germ hotspot? The hair dryer! In almost every case, Gerba found it had far more germs on it than the hotel toilet seat.