Not So Healthy: Catching Up On Your Sleep
Sleeping in late on the weekend to make up for winks lost during the week can actually make you feel more lethargic, according to studies done at Houston's University of Texas. Why? "Changing your wake-up time confuses your suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN), a cluster of brain cells that acts like a biological clock, dictating when everything from energy and strength to creativity will peak and plunge,"
Not So Healthy: Filling Up On Low-Fat Fare
Following a super-strict low-fat diet? You may want to work some more fat into your meal plan. Including one tablespoon of fat with every meal, as long as you're not opting for foods that are deep-fried or laced with trans fats, can cut triglycerides in half, reducing heart disease risk as much as 25 percent, according to researchers at the University of Connecticut. Triglycerides, a form of fat found in the blood, can block up arteries the same way cholesterol does. But enjoying a modest amount of dietary fat can actually help your liver keep triglyceride production in check,
Not So Healthy: Cutting Egg Yolks Out of Your Diet
Egg yolks are nature's richest, and best-absorbed source of lutein and zeaxanthin, two powerful antioxidants that have been shown to protect delicate eye cells from damaging ultra-violet rays, say USDA researchers. Plus, according to recent research at the University of Connecticut, the cholesterol in eggs is so poorly absorbed that normal consumption doesn't raise levels of LDL cholesterol (the "bad" cholesterol) one iota. Yet antioxidants in the yolk may actually rev up the liver's production of healthy HDL cholesterol as much as 17 percent.
Not So Healthy: Drinking Decaf
It seems like a smart health move, but women who drink hefty amounts (four cups or more) of decaf coffee daily are twice as likely to develop rheumatoid arthritis, suggests research from the University of Alabama. While the exact reason remains unknown, experts suspect the chemicals used to decaffeinate coffee may cause arthritis-inducing inflammation in joint's connective tissue.
Not So Healthy: Perching Over Public Toilets
Crouching to avoid contact with public toilet seats (something 60 percent of American women do) can actually increase your risk of urinary tract infections, according to British researchers.The awkward position makes it tough for women to fully empty their bladders, and the urine left behind then fosters the growth of bacteria, setting the stage for a painful bladder infection.
Smarter Strategy: Use a seat liner, and then stop worrying. Repeated studies have shown toilet seats are actually the least germy surfaces in public and office restrooms. And no matter how badly the nearest available toilet grosses you out, use it! Holding urine for long periods of time has been shown to be the leading cause of overflow incontinence, in which the bladder muscles and nerves become damaged, resulting in leakage, according to researchers at Pittsburgh's Allegheny General Hospital.
Not So Healthy: Taking a Tech Timeout
Frazzled and fried? You may be tempted to take a break from all electronic gadgets but that may actually be counterproductive. Spending 30 minutes listening to your favorite songs on an iPod can rev up your production of calming alpha brain waves, reducing blood pressure and anxiety for up to four hours straight, according to researchers at Sweden's Orebro University. Studies conducted by New York City's Mount Sinai Hospital also suggest texting a friend daily can double your ability to succeed at tough health goals like quitting smoking or sticking to a weight loss plan. Feeling connected ups the brain's production of mood-elevating hormones like dopamine and oxytocin and that makes it easier to keep your resolve when you're making major lifestyle changes, explains Jay M. Winner, M.D., director of patient education at the Sansum Clinic in Santa Barbara, Calif.
Smarter Strategy: To maximize the health perks of a high-tech break, follow these simple guidelines: Ignore what's popular and choose the type of musicyou find most soothing and make sure the person you text for support is truly your most upbeat, supportive friend like me.!!!!!!!!!
Not So Healthy: Taking Your Multi in the Morning
Breakfast may seem like the ideal time to take your multivitamin -- but if you pair it with a high fiber cereal, you could be losing out on its health benefits. "Bran fiber binds to minerals, including zinc, selenium, magnesium and even bone-building calcium, forcing them to be excreted instead of absorbed," explains Larrian Gillespie, M.D., author of The Goddess Diet. Miss out on your minerals, and studies conducted at New York's St. Luke's-Roosevelt Hospital suggest you could double the severity of PMS, plus struggle with fatigue, more frequent headaches, and colds that last 30 percent longer than they should.
Smarter Strategy: Take your vitamins an hour beforebreakfast so they have time to be better absorbed, or down them with lunch or dinner instead.
Not So Healthy: Perfect Posture
Sitting ramrod straight can double your risk of back pain, according to New York University researchers. Their studies also show that people with long commutes in addition to desk jobs have some of the worst flare-ups. Prolonged sitting can squish the shock-absorbing discs of the spine, weaken the muscles supporting the lower back and hinder flow of blood and nutrients to the spine, speeding its degeneration.
Smarter Strategy: Take a two-minute motion break every 20 minutes, say researchers at Scotland's Woodend Hospital. During each break, spend at least 20 seconds leaning back in your seat as if it's a partly-reclined La-Z-Boy. That will take painful pressure off your lower back. Then get up and walk around the room, which increases the circulation of blood to weary discs and vertebrae.
Holiday Hazard: Scented Candles
A row of softly-glowing scented candles can look -- and smell -- beautiful in a house decorated for the holidays. But some research suggests that the ingredients used in commercially-available decorative candles can emit a hefty amount of unhealthful chemicals, including lead and formaldehyde. "Exposure to those toxins can quickly make women feel achy, tired and out-of-sorts," says Paula Baillie-Hamilton, M.D., environmental health researcher at the University of Stirling,
Holiday Hazard: Fasting Before You Feast
Though surveys suggest 52 percent of women skip occasional meals to make up for big holiday feasts, scientists say this strategy can actually backfire. Researchers at Boston's Tufts University found that women who take the starve-in-advance approach struggle with fatigue, headaches, indigestion and other symptoms, thanks to digestive and nervous system disruptions triggered by prolonged periods of time without nutrients. Plus they plow through at least 35 percent more food when they hit the buffet table!
Seasonal Save: Hang Up Some Mistletoe
Kissing a loved one can dial down cortisol production as much as 25 percent instantly, say University of North Carolina researchers. Their studies also suggest that just 20 seconds of hugging, or 10 minutes of hand-holding, can have the same powerful effect.
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