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6 “Healthy” Eating Choices to Rethink

In the pursuit of optimal vitality, many health-motivated people reach for food they think is good for them. Unfortunately, many such so-called healthy choices turn out to be less beneficial than we assume. Because they often involve swapping fats and sugars for a slew of chemicals, they may actually undermine, rather than support, your health goals.

Not quite sure how well you’d score on a healthy-eating pop quiz? Here are the subjects on which many well-intended eaters remain confused, and a review of the often misunderstood gaps between hype and reality.

1. Low-Fat Dressings

Hype: When studies in the early ’90s found that salad dressings were a surprisingly high source of fat in women’s diets, food makers rushed in to offer low-fat options. Today, dozens of low-fat and fat-free salad dressings crowd supermarket shelves, and one in three women (and one in five men) say they always opt for low-calorie dressings. The appeal of low-fat and fat-free dressings is the notion that they are in some way “heart healthy,” cholesterol reducing or helpful in supporting weight loss.

Reality: You’re better off making or buying salad dressings with a healthy dose of high-quality oils or natural fats such as olive oil or grape-seed oil, and even augmenting your salad with additional ingredients rich in healthy fats (think nuts, seeds and avocado). That’s because a well-built salad not only tastes great and satisfies longer, it’s a smorgasbord of vitamins, minerals and other micronutrients. Striving to keep your salad fat-free, or even low fat, not only reduces the pleasure you take in eating the salad, but it reduces your body’s ability to make use of those nutrients.

It turns out that the human gut simply can’t absorb key nutrients, such as carotenoids (organic pigments that give orange and red fruits and veggies their bright colors), without a dollop of fat. Researchers estimate that the gut needs roughly 6 grams of fat to wrestle carotenoids from their plant moorings and whisk them into the body.

Another reason to pass on low-fat and fat-free dressings? Peruse the ingredient list of most fat-free ones and you’ll likely see artificial flavors and a hefty glob of high-fructose corn syrup. The syrup is particularly hazardous, since studies suggest it lowers metabolism while shutting off the brain’s master switch for appetite control. Some low-fat salad dressings also contain hydrogenated oils (trans fats), which you want to avoid at all costs.

“Fat-free dressings rob you of the chance to integrate healthy fats into your diet,” says Michelle Babb, RD, a nutritionist at the Bastyr Center for Natural Health in Seattle. Moreover, she notes, “A salad with fat-free dressing will leave you hungry an hour later because you didn’t get the satiety that comes with eating fat.”

This last point is important, because a lack of eating satisfaction can lead directly to unhealthy snacking and overeating of sugars and refined carbs, both of which pose a larger threat to lipid profiles and healthy-weight maintenance than the fats found in most salad dressings.

Better choice: Give preference to dressings that have an olive oil or other healthy-oil base and that contain only natural, whole-food ingredients. It’s easy to make your own single-serving dressing. Start with a tablespoon of high-quality, extra-virgin olive oil and mix in a teaspoon of Dijon mustard. Add a couple teaspoons of your favorite vinegar, plus sea salt and fresh-ground pepper to taste. Prefer a creamy dressing? Add smaller amounts of the ingredients above to a base of plain, full-fat yogurt.

Not a fan of salad dressings? Get many of the same benefits (and then some) by adding avocado to your salad. At 115 calories and 10 grams of fat, one-half of an avocado will help your body absorb good stuff from the salad, as well as deliver vitamin B6, vitamin C, folate, potassium and omega-3 fats.

2. Whole-Grain Breads

Hype: Read the packages in the bread aisle and it’s easy to think you’ve hit the nutrient jackpot. Every label features words like “whole,” “multi-grain,” “oats,” “natural” and “fiber.” For generations raised on white bread, the mere hint of brownness and texture may be enough to signal wholesomeness.

Reality: When it comes to bread, you can’t judge a loaf by its wrapper — or its color. Nor can you assume that even a healthy bread is going to be healthy in any and all quantities.

First, read the fine print. Check the first few ingredients of most mass-market-brand breads and you’re likely to find “enriched flour,” meaning it’s made mostly of refined white flour — the same stuff in Wonder Bread.

“Just because it says ‘made with whole grain’ doesn’t mean it’s good for you,” says Michael Aziz, MD, author of The Perfect 10 Diet (Cumberland House, 2010). Also, make sure your whole-grain bread doesn’t contain added ingredients such as high-fructose corn syrup, molasses, artificial flavors, trans fats or industrial, unhealthy oils (soybean and cottonseed, for example, which are used because they are cheap, not healthy).

Keep in mind, too, that even the best whole-grain bread products require moderation. “Whole wheat has become a get-out-of-carb-jail-free card,” says John La Puma, MD, author of ChefMD’s Big Book of Culinary Medicine (Crown, 2008). People tend to think that when they choose a whole-wheat product, they can eat it with impunity. “Some whole-wheat bagels are the size of tricycle tires,” he notes.

La Puma suggests that people strive to replace some of their grains with nonstarchy vegetables and legumes. When we do choose whole grains, he recommends eating a moderate serving (one slice of regular-size bread, for example) and pairing it with a healthy protein, such as nut butter, to slow digestion. A healthy serving of whole grains equals one slice of whole-grain bread, 1 cup of whole-grain cereal or a half cup of brown rice.

Better choice: Although many nutrition experts recommend eating bread sparingly, you don’t have to give it up completely. If you want to stick with conventional products, look for a loaf with fewer than five ingredients. Look at fiber and protein next, Ward advises. “You want four to five grams of fiber and some protein in each slice.” If you’re willing to sacrifice smooth, fluffy texture for a heartier, chewier one, Ward suggests opting for specialty breads made with sprouted grains and seeds. She likes them because “the sprouting process makes them more digestible and higher in key nutrients, like protein, than other breads.” Breads containing seeds also tend to satisfy hunger longer.

3. Artificial Sweeteners

Hype: In the 1960s, artificial sweeteners found their way into soft drinks and were marketed as a dieter’s dream: all the sweet and none of the sin. Today, saccharin (Sweet’N Low), aspartame (NutraSweet, Equal) and acesulfame-K and sucralose (Splenda) are ubiquitous parts of the American diet. Aspartame alone appears in more than 6,000 products and is gulped down by 54 percent of Americans. Because artificial sweeteners are low in calories and sugar-free, food makers market them to both dieters and people with diabetes (two groups with ever-expanding memberships). The sell is that calorie-free sweeteners are healthier than sugar and less likely to contribute to weight gain or blood-sugar disorders.

Reality: Research has shed light on the possibility that these sugar substitutes may hurt the very people they are purported to help. In a study of more than 3,600 people, published in 2008 in the journal Obesity, researchers at the University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio were stunned to discover that people who drank artificially sweetened beverages, such as diet sodas and artificially sweetened tea and coffee, gained 47 percent more weight during a seven- to eight-year follow-up period than people who avoided artificial sweeteners. These findings were based on long-term changes in individuals’ body mass index, or BMI, and all analyses were adjusted for each person’s BMI at the start of the study. Specifically, it found that consuming more than 21 artificially sweetened beverages per week (vs. none) was associated with an almost doubled risk of becoming overweight or obese among the 1,250 individuals who were normal weight at the study’s outset.

So what gives? Although the study didn’t investigate the underlying mechanisms of weight gain, lead investigator Sharon Fowler, MPH, suggests a couple of plausible scenarios: For starters, she says, “The brain is very good at counting calories.” Meaning, it likes to consume the same amount of calories every day. “So, if you switch from Coke to Diet Coke and cut out 400 calories a day from sugar, your body may try to compensate elsewhere.” The upshot is that you may end up eating all the calories you saved, and then some.

Then there’s a dynamic known as “taste distortion.” Artificial sweeteners, made to fit snugly into the mouth’s sweet-taste receptors, are up to 13,000 times sweeter than sugar. Fowler and her colleagues speculate that teasing the taste buds with noncaloric sweeteners may stimulate appetite without providing any of the calories that would produce satiety. Instead, she explains, “they create a craving for intensely sweet, highly caloric food.”

Other research suggests that noncaloric sweeteners may also trigger the body’s cephalic phase response, in which the brain responds to the taste of something sweet by releasing insulin (the body’s normal response to a rise in blood sugar) even though there’s no sugar for the insulin to process. The net result: disrupted blood sugar, sugar and carb cravings, and resultant weight gain.

If you’re svelte, it might take more than a fear of weight gain to pry that Diet Coke from your hand. But Fowler cautions people not to underestimate the other health risks of artificial sweeteners. “These drinks are just a slurry of chemicals, and we’ve not yet begun to understand their total health risks.” She is particularly leery of sucralose and aspartame, pointing to research and consumer experiences that indicate aspartame can trigger responses ranging from skin rashes to migraines — and worse. One possible culprit may be formaldehyde, an indirect metabolite of aspartame. “People who are highly sensitive to formaldehyde may be the canaries in the mineshaft,” she says. “I’m concerned that the long-term effect on other vulnerable individuals may be a slow, neurological toxicity.”

Better choice: First, strive to reduce your intake of sweets and sweetened beverages overall. If you are in the habit of enjoying several sweetened beverages a day (regardless of how they are sweetened), make it a priority to replace them with water or herbal tea.

When you do choose to enjoy a sweetened food or beverage, give preference to sweeteners closest to their natural state, such as honey, maple syrup, agave nectar or raw sugar. But remember, sugar is sugar, and most natural sweeteners digest as quickly as refined sugar — so don’t overdo it.

If an inflammatory disease, such as diabetes, heart disease, cancer or arthritis, has you cutting back on the sweet stuff, but you still crave the occasional treat, agave nectar is probably your best bet. Extracted from cactus sap (the same cactus used to make tequila), agave nectar is three times sweeter than white sugar but its glycemic index is four to five times lower than that of honey. That means it digests more slowly and, therefore, won’t spike blood-sugar levels.

Stevia is another option, but its calorie-free status raises some of the same concerns critics have noted about artificial sweeteners. While small amounts of Stevia (and its processed brand-name counterpart, Truvia) are not likely to pose any health risks, high doses of the herb have caused reproductive problems in rats, so consider it a second choice, and avoid commercial products that rely on Stevia as a sweetening ingredient.

No matter which sweetener you choose, keep in mind that feeding a sweet tooth is simply going to increase your cravings for more sweets and refined carbs and will also reduce your ability to enjoy the natural sweetness of fruits, vegetables and whole grains. So, swap good sweeteners for bad, but use them in moderation.

4. Egg Substitutes

Hype: Thanks to their fat- and cholesterol-rich yolks, eggs have gotten a bad rap. For decades, we’ve been told to steer clear of cholesterol-containing foods because diets high in cholesterol increase our risk of heart disease. So it’s no wonder that many health-minded people have turned to egg-replacement products as an easy substitution — especially since the tantalizing labels on these products promise “zero cholesterol.”

Reality: Dietary cholesterol is not a major culprit in contributing to heart disease and other health woes. Foods that incite inflammation in the body — sugars, refined grains, trans fats and other processed foods — not egg yolks, are the real problem. Egg yolks actually contain a variety of healthy fats and proteins and are full of vitamins and minerals that actually help support your body’s health.

Fake and yolk-free egg mixes, meanwhile, manage to reduce dietary cholesterol (and in some cases, calories) only by making some important nutritional compromises. To make up for removing the egg yolk, manufacturers often add polyunsaturated vegetable oil, a category of industrial fat known to stoke the fires of inflammation. “Heated polyunsaturated oils create free radicals that harm the arteries,” says Aziz. Other additives required to reintroduce flavor and texture add little or nothing in the way of nutrition and increase the daily burden of chemical compounds your body must deal with.

That’s why today’s well-informed nutrition experts are recommending that if you like real, whole eggs, you should go ahead and enjoy them. For starters, eggs are a good source of protein (about 6 grams in a large egg), and about half the protein resides in the yolk. The yolk also contains most of an egg’s minerals and vitamins, including vitamins A, D and E — not to mention micronutrients, such as lutein and zeaxanthin, that give the yolk its vibrant color. Free-range and flaxseed-fed chickens produce eggs especially high in omega-3 fats.

There may also be a variety of other nutritional cofactors built into whole eggs that science has yet to discover, but the upshot is that whole eggs taste great and satisfy well, and since they’ve now been exonerated as a cholesterol- and heart-disease-causing suspect, there’s no reason not to enjoy them as nature made them.

Better choice: Enjoy whole eggs, choosing those from pastured chickens (meaning they roam freely outdoors) whenever possible.

Ward advises her clients who love eggs to enjoy them soft boiled or poached. “Scrambling exposes them to heat, oxygen and light, which can oxidize cholesterol and other fats,” she says. “So protect the yolk as much as you can.”

While frequency recommendations vary, there’s no evidence that eating eggs even several times a week poses any health risk. Just make sure you’re building enough nutritional variety into your diet and complementing your egg breakfasts with vegetables and legumes (consider adding a side of sautéed tomatoes, dark greens, zucchinis, sweet potatoes or black beans) whenever you can.

5. High-Fiber Breakfast Cereals

Hype: Ads for adult cereals lead people to believe there is nothing more wholesome than starting the day with a heaping bowl of vitamin- and mineral-enriched flakes. Many fiber-rich cereals are emblazoned with health claims about cancer fighting, heart health and weight loss. But the truth may be a little harder to stomach.

Reality: Studies do show that a diet rich in whole grains and fiber can help thwart colon cancer, diabetes and heart disease, but it pays to be discerning. “In most whole-grain cereals, the grain is pulverized into a fine powder,” says La Puma. “And, once inside the body, it acts almost the same as a starch or sugar. The presence of ample fiber may help slow the release of all that sugar into your bloodstream and may also help you with regularity, but the cereal itself is unlikely to be a particularly nutritious day starter — even if it is fortified with a range of vitamins and minerals. Studies have shown that isolated nutrients, such as those added to many fortified cereals, don’t confer the same health benefits as eating whole foods.

In fact, one of the key problems with many high-fiber cereals is that they take a relatively unhealthy, conventional cereal product and then just add supplemental fiber and isolated nutrients to the mix. The product may still contain all kinds of other questionable ingredients and heavy doses of sugar.

Worse, relying on a cereal to fulfill daily fiber and nutritional requirements may discourage people from including more authentically nutritious whole foods (berries, nuts, seeds, proteins) in their breakfast regimens and may reduce their motivation to seek out vegetables, legumes and other fiber-rich foods throughout the day.

Better choice: Many dietitians prefer to see their clients eat breakfasts of yogurt with nuts and berries, eggs, steel-cut oatmeal, whole-food smoothies, or even leftovers, because these options are more naturally packed with nutrients as well as proteins, which help ward off hunger. If you enjoy having cereal for breakfast, however, just strive to have it a couple of times a week, rather than daily.

Take some time to select one or two truly nutritious cereal options. Most leading-brand products are heavily refined. Less-processed cereals, such as granolas and mueslis, may be more nutritious but can be surprisingly high in sugars and very dense in calories, so watch your serving sizes.

In choosing a fiber-rich product, select an unsweetened or minimally sweetened cereal that contains mostly whole-food, minimally processed ingredients and does not rely on “enriched” strategies for its nutritional merit. Make a point of topping whatever cereal you choose with nuts, berries, chopped apple, and ground flax or shelled hemp seed — or, better yet, start with a base of ingredients like these and then add a handful of cereal on top. Then add milk, yogurt or a milk alternative such as soy, hemp, rice or almond milk.

Avoid eating cereal plain out of the box for a snack. People tend to overeat cereal this way, getting a big infusion of fast-digesting sugars that can lead to hunger and cravings later. Instead, “toss cereal into a trail mix with nuts and seeds,” suggests Ward. Each of these options fuels the body with a steadier stream of energy and nets you more phytonutrients, fiber and healthy fats.

6. Meal-Replacement Drinks/Weight-Loss Shakes

Hype: Promoted as healthy, handy alternatives to eating actual meals, many weight-loss and meal-replacement drinks promise to get you a huge helping of vitamins and minerals in just a few gulps. Most advertise their low-cal and low-carb attributes.

Reality: Labels of weight-loss shakes reveal these concoctions are little more than skim milk, high- fructose corn syrup or artificial sweeteners, and artificial flavorings and colorings. Yes, they have supplemental nutrients thrown in, but as noted above, research has indicated that most nutrients are best absorbed when delivered by whole foods, not isolated and mixed with chemicals.

“Your body doesn’t know how to respond to new-to-nature molecules, like artificial colors and sweeteners,” says Babb. “We are learning that some of these chemicals, like high-fructose corn syrup, may trick your body into thinking it’s still hungry when it’s not.”

Another problem with these shakes is the chewing dilemma. “Weight-loss shakes don’t satisfy our need for chewing, for texture, for enjoying the sensory aspect of our food,” says Suzanne Havala Hobbs, DrPH, MS, a registered dietitian and professor of public health at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. “Our body doesn’t properly register the calories we consume in beverages. So, if anything, they are counterproductive because they leave you wanting more.”

Finally, relying on prepackaged, processed food replacements for your sustenance establishes poor eating habits and may contribute to a sense of being “out of control” of your eating when you do attempt to enjoy regular food.

Better choice: Eat real food whenever you can, and commit to developing sustainable eating habits that support your health and vitality. Do not rely on liquid nourishment to support weight loss.

If you want to incorporate nutritional shakes as an energy-boosting snack during the day, make your own and take it with you. Babb advises her clients to start with a high-quality protein powder, add a cup of fresh or frozen fruit, pour in some milk or a milk substitute, and top it off with a tablespoon of ground flaxseed or hemp seed.

Want to feel even more virtuous? Add a handful of raw spinach leaves, a whole tomato or a scoop of a supergreen supplement, such as spirulina, to send your nutrient count skyrocketing.

Healthy Habits That Can Make You Sick

1. Over-Exercising

Your body and mind do not need more than three to four days a week of 30 to 45 minutes of cardio activity. Cardio/aerobic exercises should be done every other day alternating with Yoga, Pilates, walking, and weight training on the off days. Hiking, swimming, tennis, golf, team sports and a simple variation in exercise over the course of the week, month and season is the best way to stay lean, toned and energized.

2. Staying Out of the Sun

Our bodies need Vitamin D to stay strong by making healthy bones and ward off illness by boosting our immune system. The only way to get Vitamin D into our system is via sun exposure. Don’t make yourself overly neurotic about sunscreen. If you are going to the pool or beach or participating in outdoor sports that involve more than 20 minutes of sun exposure, slather on the SPF 30, but if you are simply doing your daily errands outdoors, enjoy the feeling the sun on your skin. The only part of your body that should always be protected is the face.

3. Using Antibacterial Soaps and Gels

Antibacterial soaps and gels are good to carry in your purse or car but becoming obsessed with the sanitization they promise could weaken your body’s ability to fight off “good bacteria.” Washing your hands with warm water and soap for twenty seconds will do the trick.

4. Sleeping

The average person needs eight full hours of undisturbed sleep at night. If you are regularly getting fewer or more than nine hours sleep, you are not doing yourself much good. Human beings are not built to think, process, or function optimally on more or less than seven to nine hours of sleep a night. Not to mention too little or too much sleep is bad for our skin and causes bloating, overeating, confusion and depression.

5. Relying on Air Conditioning

While air conditioning feels great on a hot, humid summer day, don’t sit and breathe in cold recycled air all day and night long. The air may contain bacteria and germs and certainly all kinds of particles of dust. Every few hours, turn the air off, open the windows, go for a walk outside and breathe in the fresh air–don’t forget to wash your air conditioning filters with warm water and soap and let them air-dry every month you’re using them. And if you work in an office building where windows never open, bring a sweater to keep your core temperature warm and get out of the office at least for lunch and a mid-afternoon break.

6. Eating Organic Food

While organic foods–such as fruits, vegetables, and packaged goods–tend to be expensive, the real problem is that they can still be heavily processed. Make sure to read the labels of the food you are purchasing carefully even if you are buying them from the health food store. Foods don’t need to be “organic” to be healthy. Stick with labels that have simple and few ingredients, and a low amount of natural sugars (like honey, turbinado sugar, cane sugar), sodium and processed carbohydrates.

Can’t Get a Good Night’s Sleep? 5 Surprising Reasons

It’s natural to blame sleep problems on stress or physical changes that come with age. But many cases of either sleeplessness or poor sleep are caused by a handful of specific problems, most of them fixable with lifestyle changes or the help of a doctor. Here, five little-known causes of sleep problems and what to do about them.

1. Light

How it disrupts sleep: You probably already know that when you stay up late under bright lights, you interrupt your body’s natural sleep-wake cycle, because light tricks your brain into remaining in daylight mode. Less well known is that the light from computer screens and iPads shining directly into your eyes at close range is especially troublesome. Why? Part of the problem is that the light from these devices is at the blue end of the spectrum, which scientists believe is particularly disruptive to circadian rhythms. Blue light, although common during the day, doesn’t occur naturally during the evening.

The evidence: Studies have long shown that shift workers and those who work late at night have poorer sleep and higher incidences of certain conditions associated with lack of sleep than those who regularly sleep eight or nine hours at night. A recent study published in Cancer Causes & Control, for example, found that the countries generating the most light at night have the highest incidence of breast cancer. And studies at the Light Research Center at Thomas Jefferson University in Philadelphia have found that the use of computers, lighted readers, and TVs at close range is tied to a higher incidence of sleeplessness.

Who’s at risk: Everyone exposed to light shortly before bed or during sleep. Light is also bad for hearts, which need deep sleep to recharge. Surprising fact: Every year there’s a spike in the number of heart attacks just after the start of daylight savings time in the spring.

What to do: Dim the lights and turn off all lighted screens at least an hour before bed. If you use a reading light, make sure it’s not any brighter than necessary and doesn’t shine in your eyes. Do a “light police” room check: Are there streetlights outside your windows? Use blackout curtains or shades and make sure they fit the windows tightly so no light seeps in around the edge. Charge laptops, phones, cameras, and other devices in another room. Use an alarm clock without a lighted dial, or turn it to face the wall. Keep a flashlight next to your bed and use it whenever you have to get up to use the bathroom or let the dog out — and be careful to point it away from yourself so you don’t look into the beam. Don’t turn on an overhead light, and never use nightlights. If you must use a laptop, turn down the screen brightness as low as you can tolerate and prop the laptop as far away from you as your typing arms will reach. If you love eReaders, try a Kindle or other device with a screen that’s not backlit.

2. Pain

How it disrupts sleep: Just about any kind of pain signals sent by the brain — jaw pain, headaches, back pain, or arthritis, for example — disrupt sleep, lifting you from the deep, restful REM cycle into lighter sleep or causing you to sleep fitfully and partially wake up over and over, which experts call “microarousals.”

The evidence: Surveys of chronic pain sufferers reveal that between 60 and 90 percent sleep poorly. But many don’t realize that their pain is the cause of their poor sleep. “This can become a vicious cycle,” says Thomas Roth of the Sleep Disorders and Research Center at the Henry Ford Hospital in Detroit, because “even partial sleep disruptions can increase sensitivity to pain.” In other words, even mild pain causes poor sleep, which in turn leads to more pain.

Who’s at risk: Anyone who suffers chronically painful conditions such as arthritis, back or neck pain, jaw alignment problems, dental pain, fibromyalgia, headaches, or any other type of chronic pain.

Note: The pain doesn’t need to be severe; studies show that even mild pain disrupts sleep. According to Roth, frequent microarousals can occur throughout the night without your being aware of them. The result is that you never attain deep REM cycle sleep and wake up feeling tired and grumpy, but you don’t know why.

What to do: Take steps to treat your pain proactively. Using over-the-counter pain relief is a start, but it’s always best to consult with a doctor and develop a comprehensive pain-relief program. For example, you may need physical therapy to combat back and neck pain, or migraine medication if your frequent headaches might be migraines. If bruxism (teeth grinding) or jaw clenching is leading to jaw pain, a mouth guard is often the solution.

3. Disrupted breathing

How it disrupts sleep: When oxygen flow to the brain is interrupted, your brain sends a warning signal that wakes you up either fully or partially, causing fitful sleep or preventing deep, restful sleep. The result: You wake feeling like you didn’t sleep well, even if you were out for nine hours straight.

The best known version of this is apnea, which is a complete stoppage of breathing. A much more common and less recognized problem is upper airway resistance syndrome, or UARS. In UARS, structural blockages somewhere in the airway — nasal congestion, your tongue falling back and blocking the back of the throat, or just having a smaller airway to begin with — begin to interfere with the flow of air. What happens is that you wake up over and over again without knowing it, but the sleep interruptions last only a few seconds, too short to be detected by a standard sleep apnea test.

The evidence: “Even subtle levels of restricted breathing can lead to deep brain stimulation and arousals that prevent your ability to stay in deep sleep,” says otolaryngologist Steven Park, an otolaryngologist and author of Sleep, Interrupted: A Physician Reveals the #1 Reason Why So Many of Us Are Sick and Tired. “You don’t realize you’re waking up, but your brain wakes up, so it’s now in a light sleep. We see people who are waking up 100 times a night.”

Who’s at risk: People who breathe through their mouths or have chronic congestion, such as from asthma or allergies. If you sleep more poorly on your back, this can be a sign of UARS, because when you sleep on your back your tongue is more likely to sink back and block the entrance to your throat. If you have a narrow face, a thin neck, or had extensive orthodontic work to correct a crowded jaw, you’re likely to be at particular risk for UARS, says Park.

What to do: Start with some self-tests. Try using pillows to keep yourself on your side, or put a tennis ball in the back pocket of pajama bottoms, so you can’t sleep on your back. If your nose often feels stuffed up, you might find relief with breathing strips, available at the drugstore. Another option is to try is a device designed to hold the nostrils open; brand names include Nozovent and Breathe with Eez. A saline nasal spray works for many people. If you have congestion due to seasonal allergies, try an antihistamine. (But if you take one that can act as a stimulant, such as Claritin or Sudafed, don’t take it too close to bedtime.)

If none of these help, ask your doctor to refer you to an ear, nose, and throat (ENT) specialist, who can evaluate whether you’re a candidate for Continuous Positive Airway Pressure (CPAP), a nasal mask that delivers air directly through your airways. An ENT can also determine whether tongue position is causing your UARS, in which case a dental device that pushes the jaw and tongue forward can help.

For many people, losing a few pounds can be the ticket to better sleep, since excess weight is linked to all kinds of breathing problems, including UARS, snoring, and sleep apnea.

4. Medications

How they disrupt sleep: Medications sometimes have side effects that trigger sleeplessness or interfere with deep sleep. Most common culprits: asthma medications, corticosteroids, blood pressure medications, and antidepressants.

Also, many ingredients in common medications act as stimulants. They may cause jitteriness during the day and trigger sleeplessness or prevent deep sleep at night. Example: Bronchodilators like albuterol and salmeterol, commonly used to treat asthma, bronchitis, and COPD, can amp you up and interfere with sleep, yet patients are often directed to use them at the end of the day. Other common medications that can interfere with sleep include SSRIs, such as Prozac and Paxil, and beta-blockers taken for high blood pressure and heart disease.

Sometimes medications sabotage your sleep indirectly. Diuretics, for example, can interfere with sleep by causing you to use the bathroom at night. Tagamet (generic name cimetidine), taken to control reflux and ulcers, can cause sleeplessness, especially when combined with caffeine or other medications. Like many side effects, sleeplessness from medications can affect some people but not others; Propecia, used to treat hair loss, and the antihistamine loratadine (brand name Claritin) are both known to cause sleeplessness in a percentage of those who take them. Some people react to opioid pain medications with rebound sleeplessness, feeling sleepy at first but then waking up and being unable to get back to sleep.

The evidence: Although every medication is tested for side effects during the FDA approval process, in many cases evidence of side effects mounts over time as a drug enters more widespread use. Albuterol has been widely reported to cause restlessness, nervousness, and sleeplessness. An article in the European Journal of Clinical Pharmacology also found that beta-blockers interfere with melatonin release.

Recent studies have found that Prozac, Zoloft, Celexa, and other SSRIs affect sleep in a significant number of patients. If you’re using an antidepressant, be sure to talk to your psychiatrist about any possible sleep problems and ask about alternative antidepressants if this is an issue.

Who’s at risk: Those taking regular medication for a chronic condition such as asthma, depression, high blood pressure, or pain. A medication that you take once is less likely to cause an ongoing sleep issue because you take it for a short period of time and are more likely to notice the side effect. When you have a chronic condition, you’re more likely to attribute any sleep problems to the condition rather than the treatment.

What to do: Any time you’re prescribed a new medication, ask the doctor to discuss in detail all side effects you should be alert to. It’s always a good idea to ask both the doctor and the pharmacist, “How will this medication affect my sleep?” Because some medications cause sleepiness, some interfere with sleep, and some do both, asking the question in an open-ended way will get you the most information.

5. Depression

How it disrupts sleep: Fatigue is one of the most prevalent symptoms of depression, yet many people don’t realize how closely related depression and poor sleep can be. Depression wreaks havoc with your natural biological rhythms; many people with depression have trouble getting out of bed in the morning, and they oversleep or get fatigued and nap during the day. Yet their sleep is fitful and of poor quality, so despite spending more hours ostensibly sleeping or trying to sleep, they don’t feel well rested. Then at night, depression sufferers often have trouble maintaining a regular bedtime routine. Having slept late in the morning or napped late in the day, they may not feel sleepy. Anxiety, which often accompanies depression, may cause excessive late-night worry that contributes to sleeplessness.

The evidence: Because the relationship between depression and insomnia is a chicken-and-egg cycle, experts have studied it from both directions. Psychological studies have found that a high proportion of those with depression suffer from either sleeplessness or disrupted sleep, and a recent study by the University of Maryland found that 40 to 60 percent of people with sleeplessness show signs of depression.

Who’s at risk: Those with a history of mood disorders such as depression and anxiety, or anyone who has recently undergone a stressful life event likely to trigger depression.

What to do: One of the most effective steps you can take in this situation is to exercise vigorously during the day. According to experts at the University of Maryland, exercise combats depression by increasing serotonin levels in the brain. It’s also one of the best ways to get your sleep-wake cycle back on track. Do 45 minutes to an hour of physical activity before dinner, and you’ll feel tired earlier and sleep more deeply. If your low mood persists, consult a therapist or ask your doctor for a referral to a psychologist or psychiatrist.

Things You Should Never Buy Used

1. Cribs and children’s furniture: If there’s any chance that you’ll put your children at risk by buying used, just buy new. Used children’s furniture, especially cribs, can be a safety hazard because you can’t be certain of a potential recall or if the crib was installed correctly.

2. Car seats: Even if a used car seat looks OK, damaged car seats aren’t uncommon. Considering that safety technology improves every year -- and the fact that car seats can go for as little as $50 -- buying new is usually the better option.

3. Bicycle helmets: Usually, a crash would only crush the foam inside the helmet casing, so the damage to the helmet may not be visible. However, since helmets are meant to protect against one accident only, buying new would be a safer bet.

4. Tires: Sometimes it’s hard to tell if used tires were once part of a totaled wreck. If they have been in an accident, they’re bound to be unstable and unreliable. Putting your safety at risk for the sake of saving a few bucks just doesn’t add up.

5. Laptops: Because of their portability, laptops are prone to all sorts of abuse and problems. When you buy a used laptop, unless it’s refurbished, you have no idea what it’s been through or when important parts will die on you. You also don’t get the warranties and tech support that come with buying new.

6. Software: Most software comes with a serial number that you register with the company when you activate the software on your computer. If the serial number on your use software has already been registered, you can’t use it again.

7. Plasma and HDTVs: The cost for fixing or replacing the parts on plasma or HDTVs is high. Sometimes, it costs as much as buying a new TV. Considering the repair costs, you’d want to get an extended warranty, but that isn’t an option if you buy your TV used.

8. DVD players: While it’s smart to buy used DVDs, this doesn’t apply to DVD players. DVD players have lasers that will eventually wear out. The cost to repair or replace may cost more than the player is worth.

9. Digital and video cameras: Like laptops, used digital and video cameras are likely to have been dropped and banged around. It may not be obvious, but once the damage kicks in, it’ll be expensive to repair. If you know what to look for in a digital camera, you can get a great new camera without breaking the bank.

10. Speakers and microphones: Speakers and microphones are sensitive audio equipment that don’t stand up well to blasting and mishandling. Like laptops and cameras, the damage may not be obvious, but their performance would be severely compromised.

11. Camera lenses: An SLR camera lens is the most expensive part of a camera. It also directly affects the quality of your images. Any damage to the lens, however slight, will show up in your photos.

12. Photo light bulbs: Not the ordinary light bulbs you use at home. We’re talking about the light bulbs used with photography equipment. They’re relatively expensive, but their life span is short enough that you likely won’t get much use out of them if you buy second-hand.

13. Mattresses and bedding: Just think: You may be sleeping with other people’s mold, mites, bacteria, and bodily fluids. Besides, even the really good mattresses are only supposed to last eight to 10 years, and it’s hard know for sure how old a used mattress may be.

14. Swimsuits and undergarments: This is probably a no-brainer, but it needs to be said: Do not, do not, do not buy used swimsuits or undergarments. They’re worn too close to the body -- someone else’s body -- to consider buying used.

15. Wet suits: Wet suits lose the ability to keep you warm over time. If you’re a scuba diver, or the last owner was one, the constant change in water pressure will eventually wear out the wet suit and make it more likely to tear.

16. Shoes: If you get used footwear, it’s likely they’re already molded to the last owner’s feet. Poor-fitting shoes are not only uncomfortable but can cause all sorts of health problems, as well.

17. Hats: Hats are likely not cleaned before they’re resold or donated. If you buy a used hat, you don’t know if you’re also getting skin infections, old sweat stains, hair products, and other cringe-worthy remnants. Now that’s a deal you don’t want.

18. Makeup: A good thing to remember about used makeup is that it’s a breeding ground for bacteria and a number of contagious diseases. The great deal you found may come with pink eye and cold sores. Instead of buying used, consider making your own beauty products (it's easier than you think) or skip makeup altogether.

19. Pet supplies: Old stains and odors continue to ferment even if used pet supplies are sitting around in storage. If cleanliness is ever an issue, just say no.

20. Vacuum cleaners: Vacuums are among the heavy-duty household appliances that tend to get a lot of use and abuse. They can also cost more to fix than if you bought them new right from the start.

Tips for Cleaning on the Cheap

Sure, it’s easy to drop-off your wine-stained dress at the dry cleaners, or call in a professional service to take care of those ink spills on the carpet, but what if you could fix those problem areas yourself? For barely any money? Here are 20 ways to clean on the cheap:

Clothing

1. Remove red wine stains. Saturate the stain with table salt ASAP and let it sit for a couple of hours, then wash in cold water. Another trick is to pour some white wine on the stain and wash accordingly.

2. Remove coffee stains. Scrub the stain with baking soda paste. To make baking soda paste, just mix baking soda and water.

3. Remove grease/oil stains. Blot the stain with dishwashing detergent. If the stain has soaked in, mix one part vinegar with two parts water to make an all-natural cleaner. Apply to the stain and wash.

4. Remove ink stains. Spray the stain with hairspray or rubbing alcohol and blot the area. Repeat until most of the stain is gone, then wash.

5. Remove lipstick stains. Treat lipstick stains the same way as ink stains (spray-blot-repeat), but follow up by scrubbing with dishwashing soap. FYI, your top of the line lipstick will be more difficult to remove because of the greater depth of pigments.

6. Remove blood stains. First, make sure your stained item doesn’t bleach out. Then, pour some regular, drugstore hydrogen peroxide and let it soak before washing it in cold water.

7. Remove body odor. Spray the problem area (usually the armpits) with a 50/50 dilution of alcohol and water, and then hang it up to line dry. You want to kill the bacteria without damaging the garment.

8. Remove moth ball odor. Try dry-hanging your clothes out in the sun first. If the moth ball smell doesn’t dissipate, seal your clothes in a plastic bag with some dryer sheets or dry lavender, a natural moth repellant. So the next time you put your clothes into storage, use dry lavender instead of moth balls. These methods are safe to use on 100 percent cotton or cotton/synthetic blends, but not all of them are applicable to all fabrics.

Carpets and Floors

9. Clean mud off carpet. Let the mud dry completely, then remove as much as possible with a knife. Mix one quart of water with one-quarter teaspoon of hand or dish soap. (Make sure the soap doesn’t contain bleach of lanolin.) Pour the solution into a spray bottle: spray, rub, blot.

10. Remove rust stains off carpet. Mix vinegar and water in a spray bottle, spray the solution onto the stain, and let it sit for a few minutes. Clean the area with a brush or sponge using warm, soapy water. For really tough stains, spray on a good amount of lemon juice (but don’t wet the padding underneath), let it sit for five to six minutes, and blot with a paper towel.

11. Remove grease/oil stains off carpet. Remove as much as possible with a knife and blotting. Pour rubbing alcohol onto a clean white cloth (or white paper towels). Blot until the stain is removed. If the stain is small, be sure to blot in one direction only so the stain doesn’t spread.

12. Clean wood laminate floors. Sweep up the loose stuff first. Then, add two to four tablespoons of vinegar to a small bucket of warm water. Wet two terry cloths in the solution, wring them out, and lay them flat on the floor. Step on the cloths and walk across the floor in sweeping motions and scrubbing with your toes where necessary. Let it air dry or walk on microfiber towels.

More Cleaning Tips

13. Clean the stovetop. Boil water in a kettle. Dribble a very shallow layer of water over the entire stovetop and it sit for about five minutes. Scrub, wipe with soap, and rinse. This method may not work for all stoves. If you own a ceramic or induction stove, be sure to check the instruction manual and other documents.

14. Clean grill racks. Heat up the grill until it’s super hot to make it easier to scrap off the clumps. Cut an onion in half and attach the round end of a half-onion to a fork. Point the flat side of the onion facedown and rub the grate.

15. Clean windows. Make a cleaner by mixing three teaspoons of vinegar to one quart of warm water. Pour the solution into a spray bottle and spray onto the glass, wiping it dry with crumpled newspapers. To prevent streaking, don’t clean while the sun is on the window.

16. Remove crayon marks off painted walls. Apply baking soda paste onto the crayon mark, rub gently with a clean cloth, and wipe clean. If that doesn’t work, you can also rinse the area with a sponge soaked in liquid dish soap and water, then scrub in a circular motion. Be sure to first test the cleaner on an inconspicuous spot (like near a corner or behind a door).

17. Remove mildew smell from towels. Put the towels into a washing machine and add one or two cups of white vinegar. (Don’t add any other products at this time.) Run the washer using the hottest water setting available. When it’s done, leave the towels inside and wash them again at the hottest water setting -- this time with laundry soap (but no fabric softener or other products). Dry the towels in a dryer using the high heat setting. If the towels aren’t completely dry, run the dryer again, or hang them up outside in the sunlight.

18. Clean vinyl or plastic shower curtains. Take off the rings and put the curtains in a washing machine. Add one cup of bleach, one cup of detergent, and a few dirty towels to help scrub off the soap scum. Run the washer on the gentle cycle with either warm or hot water. Right after the spin cycle, take the curtains of the washer, shake it out gently, and let it drip dry. Don’t worry about the wrinkles: Hot steam from a couple of showers (plus gravity) will smooth out your curtains in a day.

19. Clean soap scum. For the soap scum buildup in your bath and shower area, spray it with vinegar and wipe off with a damp sponge. You can also sprinkle baking soda, borax, or powder laundry detergent onto a damp sponge and scrub.

20. Clean cloudy glassware. To remove hard water deposits, scrub cheap, white toothpaste all over the glass and rinse thoroughly.

Surprising Sources of Home Air Pollution

1 Air Purifiers


You are so concerned about the quality of the air in your home that you spend hundreds or even thousands of dollars on an air purifier, believing that it will, as one company claims, deliver a "shock treatment designed to kill mold and bacteria."

But wait, there's more! That "shock treatment" comes in the form of a highly touted mega-dose of ozone. Companies selling these air purifiers claim that's a good thing.

Health officials know better. Ozone is the chief component of smog. It can scar lung tissue, trigger asthma attacks, cause coughing fits and lead to permanent damage that could shorten your life. That's why the EPA has been cracking down on the sources of ozone outdoors. In other words, ozone is nothing that you want indoors.

The American Lung Association advises people against buying any air "purifier" that produces ozone.

2 Paint

Looks good on the walls -- but what does it do to your lungs ... or your brain, for that matter.

Lead paint is a fairly well-known danger, 30-odd years after the U.S. banned it. Older homes, however, still have lead paint on the walls, and the deteriorating, cracking and peeling paint can produce lead-tainted dust that can easily get on children's hands ... and childrens' hands, as any parent knows, are a remarkably efficient delivery method for getting anything to their mouths. Lead can cause permanent brain damage, so maintaining old paint is critically important.

But old lead paint isn't the only, or most surprising way paint can damage indoor air quality. New paints release volatile organic compounds that may have a range of subtle health effects if breathed even in low doses over a long period of time. Ventilation is one key to reduce the harm from off-gassing paints, but the better choice is selecting a low-VOC or no-VOC paint in the first place.

Hobby paints and glues can be just as bad, or often worse, so avoid using solvents, glues or paints indoors. If there's no other option, go overboard ventilating.

3 Carpets


What's so bad about a rug?

First, the obvious: Carpets harbor dirt, dust mites, pet dander, dirt, fungus and other unhealthy particles that can irritate the lungs, trigger asthma attacks or send some people into allergic fits.

Less obvious is the presence of suspect chemicals used to manufacture carpets that "off gas" and can fill the room. The most common is formaldehyde, which will not only irritate the nose and throat, trigger asthma attacks and cause other lung damage, but could, based on laboratory studies on animals, cause cancer, according to the EPA.

Carpets are concerning enough that the American Lung Association recommends avoiding them completely. (If you already have one, the association recommends using a HEPA [high efficiency particle air] vacuum.) There are carpets on the market that are made with nontoxic materials (though they can still harbor dirt, dust and dander like any other rug).

4 Cleaning Products 

Spray bottles, sponges and the cleansers that break up dirt are supposed to leave your home cleaner, but many can also introduce unhealthy compounds into the air.

The first thing that must be said is: Never mix a chlorine-based cleanser with an acid-based cleanser, like vinegar or ammonia. Don't even clean the same surface with one and then the other. The result of mixing these two cleansers is potent -- often deadly -- chlorine gas. That's the same chlorine gas that ties counter-terrorism experts up in knots. You don't want it in your house.

The larger point, though, is that many off-the-shelf cleansers contain powerful and often toxic solvents, antibiotic pesticides and other nasty chemicals. Chlorine is poisonous. Many household cleansers are unnecessarily hazardous, given that simple recipes with vinegar, baking soda and the like will do just as good a job without any of the risks.

5 Cabinets and Furniture

Cabinets, furniture, shelving, countertops and any other household item made with pressed wood is likely stuck together with glue that contains formaldehyde.

As with rugs, the formaldehyde in the glue will "off-gas" over time, releasing small amounts into the air in your home.

To avoid formaldehyde, avoid pressed wood products unless you know they are free from formaldehyde.

6 The Kitchen Stove 

We all know that ventilating a bathroom is important to maintain good indoor air quality. Failing to turn on the fan after a few hot showers, and mildew and mold will inevitably sprout. Ventilating the kitchen is also important, though, according to the American Lung Association.

Just the simple act of cooking on the stove, particularly a gas stove, can actually introduce unsafe levels of nitrogen dioxide into the air, increasing the risk of asthma attacks and other respiratory illness. Also a concern is simple steam, which can do the same work as moisture in the bathroom at promoting unwanted mold growth.

The solution is simple: Eat out at McDonald's every night. (Please don't take us seriously: fast food diets have been linked to more than obesity; too many burgers and fries may cause asthma in children.) The better solution is simply to properly ventilate your stove so that the exhaust vents to the outdoors.