Month: December 2016

Nosh

Are You Throwing Away The Best Parts Of These Foods?

Post author By Jessica Serdikoff
Post date December 21, 2016

We walk into the supermarket with the best of intentions. We’re brought face to face immediately with vibrant fruits and vegetables, and we cart our treasures home to arrange attractively on the counter or to fill up our refrigerator crisper drawers.
And then a week or two later, after we’ve forgotten about them or gotten busy, they start to look a bit, well, sad. Wrinkly. Limp. Moldy, even. We shrug or make a face of disgust, toss them absentmindedly into the garbage, and wash our hands of the whole situation.
Next week, will we do it all over again?

HealthyWay — Getty Images News / Christopher Furlong

Food waste affects more than just your wallets.

The number 40% has been thrown around a lot these days by environmentalists and foodies alike. It’s the estimated amount of U.S. food that goes to waste. This waste can happen in restaurants, at supermarkets, and all the way back at the farms. It’s a complex issue with a plethora of consequences.
We talk about the urgency of finding a way to feed the world’s growing population, investing millions in biotechnology and other controversial endeavors because we “just aren’t growing enough.” But what if we could make better use of what we already do grow? It may not independently end world hunger, but shifting the way we approach food versus waste could be part of the solution.
When we waste food, we also waste water, an increasingly grave concern. We devote so much water to grow crops that are then discarded in the field, trashed in a processing facility, sent back to the kitchen by restaurant-goers, or left to rot in our homes. The 1.3 billion tons of food wasted annually translates to about 45 trillion gallons of wasted water.
Food waste in landfills presents a third problem: rotting food significantly contributes to atmospheric methane, damaging the Ozone and hastening climate change. Pretty big flipping deal.
Of course, financial considerations of food waste are serious, too. Instead of complaining about how much healthy food costs (side note: it doesn’t really), why not identify areas where you could save a little money? One option is simply finding ways to use more of what you already buy.
Read on for some of the ways to turn what we view as food “trash” into food treasures.

Food In Jars and Containers

Aquafaba: It sounds fancy, but it’s nothing more than that goopy liquid in a can of beans that you generally wash down the drain. This water contains some of the nutrients, including starch, from the beans, allowing it to take on some interesting properties. Aquafaba is famous for its capabilities as a vegan whipped topping alternative, as it forms stiff peaks like whipped cream when beaten, but that’s only the tip of the recipe iceberg.
Other condiment brines: The oil left in a jar of sundried tomatoes could be used as a cooking oil or incorporated into a dressing; and a few tablespoons of pickled jalapeno brine can add a pop of mild heat to a stir fry or rice dish. To balance the sodium found in many of these condiments, add less to the rest of the recipe and be mindful how much you use.
Almost empty nut (or seed) butter containers: They’re the perfect size for a single serving of overnight oats! If the jar is glass, you can even pop it in the microwave to warm up the next morning, softening the nut butter and making it even easier to get every last bit! Once I’m done with my overnight oats, I wash out the glass jars well to re-use, allowing me to all-but phase out my plastic storage containers.
Tomato paste: Many recipes only call for a tablespoon or two, and that half-used container is likely to sprout mold before you get around to finishing it. Instead, spoon the leftover paste into ice cube trays and freeze. Each cube is about two tablespoons, which will be quick to thaw when you ne

Past-Their-Prime Fresh Foods

Stale bread: I usually keep my bread in the freezer, but if you’ve left bread out on the counter a bit too long, it doesn’t have to be tossed automatically. As long as it’s not moldy, there are a dozen ways to put it to good use. Try a healthy twist on bread pudding, croutons, or even bread crumbs (unused bread butts are particularly great for this)! And if you’re wondering if this same idea applies to other stale, bread-like products (such as bagels, cereal, and starchy snacks), the answer is a resounding yes.
Limp vegetables: Fruits and vegetables are made up primarily of water, but over time, they start to lose that moisture content. Crisper drawers and proper storage strategies help slow this process down, but if you find yourself with limp or wilty vegetables, have no fear! Celery and carrots perk up when soaked in cold water, while asparagus prefers a warm bath (but only submerge the ends, not the tips). Slightly wilted greens are great for soups, casseroles, and pesto.
Over-ripe or bruised fruit: Just because an apple has a bruise on it or a banana is browner than you prefer for general snacking doesn’t mean it’s time for the trash! Bruises are easy enough to cut around (or, honestly, just eat), but it is important to use bruised fruit quickly, as structural damage can make bacteria and spoilage more likely. If you’d prefer, use them for baking or making apple and fruit sauces. Bananas past their prime are excellent candidates for the freezer, and make creamy additions to smoothies, baked goods, and “nice” creams.

Skins, Peels, Zest, and Rinds

We tend not to eat the outsides of many foods, especially fruits and vegetables, but with a little creativity there is a lot that we can do with them!
Watermelon rinds: These can be pickled, candied, juiced, or incorporated into any number of food or drink recipes, including vinaigrettes, salads, pies, and slushies!
Cheese rinds: Any Italian chef will tell you they make famously good additions to soups and stews, imparting a salty flavor to the broth. You can also add them while cooking grains or beans and, as long as the rind does not have a waxy coating, you can even grill it to use as a topping for bread.
Citrus zest: Never let the peel go to waste, as it imparts an incredibly fresh flavor to dishes of all kinds. Try adding it to your oatmeal, yogurt, dinner grains, marinades, and salad dressings! You can also use citrus zest for candying, drying for tea, infusing liquor, and with fireplace kindling.
Apple peels: You can avoid waste altogether by using them even if a recipe tells you not to; usually if you grate the apple as opposed to chopped or slicing, it comes out just fine. If that’s not your style, consider making some apple peel tea, DIY cleaner, or jelly. (That last one uses the apple peel and core, by the way!)
Potato peels: These can also often be left on in recipes: try a heartier “smashed” potato over a super-creamy mash, for example. There’s also nothing quite like a potato skin that’s been allowed to crisp up in the oven and drizzled with just a touch of oil and salt. Potatoes, as it turns out, are one of the most wasted foods, and it’s a shame, as there are so many options for using them!

Cores, Bones, Stalks, and Stems

Corn cobs: If you’re able to throw yours outside, the wildlife will love you. This does keep them out of landfills and help with biodegradation, but we can do better than just that. They are also used for soup stocks, jelly, and as fire starters!
Bones: Stop spending an arm and a leg on cartons of bone broth that someone else made for you, while you throw away the very basic ingredients you need to make some yourself! (As an aside, the slow cooker is great for this! Add a splash of vinegar to help pull the collagen into the broth.)
Broccoli stalks: I never throw these in the trash. Instead, I peel away the extra-tough outer layer, trim off the very end that gets a bit dried out, and slice the rest to roast or steam with the florets! You’ll get pretty much the same nutrition, plus an extra serving that you already paid for at the store!
Asparagus ends: These guys are too woody to enjoy on their own, but if you simmer them in stock or broth until tender and then blitz in a high-powered blender, you can make a great asparagus soup! I prefer to strain mine before serving, as even with a Vitamix it can wind up a touch pulpy.
Chard stems: This tougher end of the leafy green is great for sautéing, but be sure to add to the pan at least five minutes before the leaves, as they’ll take longer to tenderize. I generally add them along with any other hardy vegetable the recipe calls for, like onion or Brussels sprouts.

Leafy Greens

We tend to think of our greens as isolated vegetables sold in convenient clamshells or bags at the store; yet so many of the other veggies we buy naturally grow with their own set of greens attached, too! Many of these greens are perfectly edible but may be a bit gritty or sandy, so take care to wash them extra-well. I’ll usually put them in a salad spinner and fill with water, soaking and changing the water at least once. The strainer basket in the spinner makes it easy to change and drain the water, and the spinning function helps them get particularly dry.
Beet leaves: These leafy greens are excellent sautéed or steamed, as are their stems; but remember, as with the chard above, the stems will take longer to soften and should be started first. Add the greens to wilt.
Cauliflower leaves: Try roasting them!
Carrot tops: No, they’re not poisonous, and in fact can be turned into a variety of dishes, including pesto, salads, and chimichurri. (And no, they’re not poisonous!)
Fresh herbs: Recipes rarely if ever call for an entire bunch, but don’t let that stop you. Wash, dry, and chop up the leftovers before they go to waste. I freeze them in little baggies just like that, but other recipes will tell you to blend them with oil and freeze in ice cube trays.
An added benefit of buying these vegetables with their greens still attached is that you’ll often find them without any packaging. This isn’t the case with cauliflower, which always comes with its greens attached and is often wrapped in plastic; but it’s certainly true for beets and carrots. Less packaging means even less waste in our landfills and waterways!

A Change in Perspective

Beginning to adopt a mindset of reducing food waste requires a shift in the way we think about and prepare food.
Change how you shop: So much of our produce is thrown away because consumers falsely equate minor blemishes or irregular shapes with inferior quality. It’s also important to not jump to toss slightly wilted or lackluster produce. Make sure, as well, that you meal plan and work to reduce how much you buy that you can’t use or don’t really need. Keep shopping lists so that you don’t double up on ingredients you already have.
Change how you cook: Planning a “leftovers” night at the end of the week of stir fries, soups and stews, pasta, and “tapas” style meals are all great options for using up a random assortment of fresh ingredients that aren’t going to last much longer. You can also get in the habit of cooking plainer, versatile ingredients, which can be reused throughout the week without feeling stale or boring. For example, cooking up some plain chicken and rice at the beginning of the week could become an Asian stir-fry one night, a Mexican burrito bowl another, and an Italian casserole a third.
Change how you serve: Focus on small servings, since you can always go back for more but can’t easily reuse half-eaten food left on someone’s plate. You can also portion meals into freezer containers immediately after cooking and cooling, so leftovers don’t get shoved to the back of the fridge and forgotten. Lastly, drinking straight from multi-serving cartons and dipping multiple times into condiments, ice cream, and peanut butter promote bacterial growth and will hasten the spoilage of the food.

Become A Trash-Versus-Treasure Expert

Learn the terminology: Familiarize yourself with the nuances of package dates, as most refer to general product quality and have nothing to do with safety concerns. If you’re worried about the flavor or freshness deterioration, know that the dates are ultra-conservative to protect companies from dissatisfied customers; I bet you won’t be able to tell a difference. The one exception is the sell or freeze-by date on meats, which should be adhered to pretty strictly and does refer to product safety. If you aren’t sure, check out the Still Tasty database.
Identify foods that are unsafe to eat: Spoiled foods will typically smell rancid and they will certainly taste off. And when it comes to mold, you’ll definitely want to seriously consider whether the product is still usable. The more moisture is in the food, the more dangerous it is to eat. With harder products like potatoes, carrots, and hard cheeses, you can cut widely around the mold areas and still use the rest of the product. Sometimes you can also pick off a moldy berry, and perhaps the few that surround it to be extra-safe, and still be fine; but don’t buy food that’s already visibly moldy in the store and don’t mess with liquid or softer products that have grown mold.
Compost what you can’t or won’t use: Lastly, seriously think about how you dispose of the perishables that you can’t salvage. Composting is a sustainable option available in both rural and urban areas, thanks to new innovations and a little creativity. The biggest things to avoid composting are oils (or grease in general) and animal products, including both meat and dairy.
It might take a little practice, but remember this if it ever feels overwhelming: it doesn’t matter how big or small you start; just try something. Choose one product or practice to tackle and get familiar with it. Once you realize how manageable it is, you’ll be hooked!

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Nosh

This Baby Has Never Eaten Sugar In Her Life

Post author By Nick Horn
Post date December 20, 2016

When you hear the words “baby food,” what comes to mind is probably something along the lines of a small glass jar of pureed sweet potatoes or carrots purchased from a grocery store shelf. Or, maybe you’re thinking of a slice of toast with the crusts cut off.

You almost certainly aren’t envisioning a quarter of an avocado, a scoop of sauerkraut, eggs fried in coconut oil, and a small serving of steamed vegetables…but that’s exactly the sort of breakfast that Brisbane, Australia, mother Shan Cooper serves her infant daughter on an average morning.

Eating Like a Caveman

Grace, Shan Cooper’s daughter, has eaten according to the paleo diet since birth. The controversial diet, originally created in the 1970s, but more recently popularized in Australia by celebrity chef Pete Evans, centers around eating the sorts of foods that “cavemen could scavenge for,” as Cooper tells the United Kingdom’s Daily Mail.

The idea behind the diet is that human genetics haven’t yet caught up to the changes in our diet caused by agriculture and industry. So, according to Evans’ logic, humans should eschew the foods that have come about as the result of these technological advances.

Foods to avoid include those such as cereal grains, dairy, refined sugars, legumes, refined vegetable oils, and salt—basically anything that couldn’t have been hunted or scavenged by our ancient ancestors. Instead, Evans’ diet tells us, we should consume only foods that were available during the Paleolithic era (the prehistoric era of history which lasted from the first use of stone tools by humans roughly 2.6 million years ago, until the dawn of the Mesolithic Era, about 12,000 years ago). This includes foods such as grass-fed meats, fish and other seafood, fruits and vegetables, eggs, nuts and seeds, and a small set of non-refined oils like olive and coconut oil.

Proponents of the diet claim that it presents a slew of advantages to those who follow it, including weight loss, reduced the risk of disease, increased energy levels, reduced sensitivity to allergies, and and even improved brain functioning, among a variety of other boons.

Critics of the diet point to factors including increased grocery bills, negative effects on energy resulting from lack of grains and dairy, and the diet’s lack of protein sources for vegetarians. Cooper has decided to press on.

A Day in the Life of a Baby Caveman

Considering the fact that an infant’s teeth can’t exactly handle a regular diet of raw vegetables and steak, you may be wondering to yourself, you may be wondering exactly what Grace does eat. So what does the paleo lifestyle look like for a 13-month-old child?

Cooper says that when it comes to feeding Grace, she does deviate from the usual paleo diet restrictions in one small, but enormously important way: She violates the restrictive diet’s strict prohibition on dairy consumption by breastfeeding Grace twice daily. Aside from breastmilk, Cooper gave the Daily Mail an example of what Grace’s meals might consist of on an average day.

Cooper says that breakfast usually starts with a couple of eggs cooked in coconut oil (generally fried, scrambled, or poached). Alongside the eggs, Cooper serves Grace leftover vegetables from the previous evening’s dinner—this might include roasted sweet potatoes, carrots, potatoes, and steamed broccoli. On Thursdays, Cooper supplements the eggs and roasted vegetables with a small scoop of sauerkraut and quarter of an avocado.

For lunch, Cooper says she feeds Grace organic roasted chicken, and more leftover vegetables from the previous night’s dinner.

When it comes to the daily afternoon snack, Cooper feeds Grace a small serving of fresh fruit. While she says she aims for variety, Cooper admits that Grace’s favorites are strawberries and bananas.

For dinner, Cooper says she feeds Grace spaghetti Bolognese prepared with organic beef. Zucchini noodles take the place of traditional grain pasta noodles, and the tomato sauce is all organic.

In case you were wondering about dessert, Cooper says that Grace generally doesn’t eat dessert, though Cooper did make her a strawberry panna cotta with coconut cream for her first birthday.

Staying Healthy

Cooper, who has a degree in agricultural science, has written an e-book of healthy recipes—in addition to maintaining her popular healthy-eating website, “My Food Religion.” She claims that the diet she serves her daughter has strengthened Grace’s immune system and prevented her from getting sick as frequently as other children whose parents feed them a more conventional diet. According to Cooper, Grace has only been sick once in her life, and that even then, it was a minor cold that passed quickly.

In an interview with Daily Mail Australia, Cooper is quoted as saying of Grace, “She spends a lot of time around other kids who are sick all the time—who have snotty noses, coughs, colds—but she just doesn’t pick it up.”

She continues, “It’s certainly not because I’m shielding her from any of that stuff. I absolutely think a nutrient-dense diet is giving her a strong immune system.”

Cooper, while she’s always been health-conscious, didn’t adopt the paleo diet herself until around five years ago, when she read a book on the subject. She had been suffered ongoing problems with food allergies for years and, as a result, had already imposed many of the paleo diet’s primary restrictions on her diet, including avoidance of dairy, gluten, and eventually all processed foods.

“I just got sick of not feeling great,” Cooper says of her decision to go paleo. “That had been my normal and (I decided) that wasn’t going to be normal anymore.”

When Grace was born a few years later, Cooper felt that it only made sense to not only continue to eat according to the paleo diet, but also to extend her paleo lifestyle to her newly born child.

Where the Rubber Meets the Road

While more than the first year of Grace’s dietary life has been spent either breastfeeding exclusively or abiding by the strict meal plan her mother has set up for her, the prospect of friends’ birthday parties filled with cakes, candy, and sugared-up soft drinks looms just over the horizon for the Coopers. In spite of the fact that preparing the diet she feeds both herself and her young daughter takes a ton of time and effort, Cooper says that she’s not too worried about the inevitable day when Grace is exposed to non-paleo foods.

Questioned on the subject, Cooper says, “I’m not going to not let her go to kids’ parties,” according to Daily Mail Australia. “I’m never going to go to Grace, ‘You can’t eat anything at this party—but I packed you some Kale. Here you go.’”

All jokes aside, Cooper seems surprisingly laid-back about Grace’s diet in the future, considering the tightly regimented meal plan by which the two currently abide at home.

“(What she eats now) is not anything strange, that normal people wouldn’t eat. She loves it,” Cooper tells Daily Mail Australia. “I don’t feed her toast or cereal or anything like that. Again I think, ‘Sure that stuff is not going to kill her.’”

Cooper says that by the time Grace is old enough to go to parties, “She’ll be old enough to know she can choose whatever she wants to eat,” continuing, “She’ll probably come home all jacked up on sugar and cake and say, ‘Mum I don’t feel very well.’” Cooper continues, “And next time instead of eating 12 cupcakes she might only eat three.”

A Philosophy of Food

Cooper has her own distinct way of thinking about how humans learn to interact with food. Her reasoning is that kids are purely intuitive eaters, eating the things that make them feel good physically and avoiding the things that don’t, since they haven’t yet had the opportunity to develop emotional associations attached to food. Cooper also believes that humans begin to eat more emotionally as they reach adulthood, consuming foods that make them feel a certain way emotionally, rather than physically.

When you consider ubiquitous childhood experiences like receiving a lollipop as a reward for a doctor visit or being rewarded with ice cream for good grades, the idea does begin to make some sense. Cooper says she hopes to teach her children what foods to eat to make themselves feel good by both providing a positive example and setting up positive habits early on.

Despite how strict the diet Cooper curates for herself and her daughter seems, she says that there is a certain level of flexibility. Cooper says, “I don’t think eating a piece of bread is going to kill me. When I go out to dinner with friends…I’m just going to eat what’s on the menu. I’m not going to be a jerk about it.”

Cooper also tells Daily Mail Australia, “I don’t want there to be any disordered eating around here,” continuing, “Females particularly have enough problems with eating disorders. I want Grace to eat what makes her feel good.”

When it comes to Grace’s dietary development Cooper says that, with the dietary foundation she’s provided, Grace will “also learn what makes her feel good and what doesn’t.”

“That’s the reason I eat this way,” she says.

What the Experts Say

While Cooper’s confident that her dietary decisions are the right choice for Grace, at least one dietician has some reservations about her feeding Grace according to the paleo diet.

Dr. Rosemary Stanton, a respected dietician says that she would offer a word of caution to other parents considering following Cooper’s lead, telling Daily Mail Australia, “It’s really not usually a good idea to put a child on such a restricted diet, particularly when there’s no grounds for it.”

Stanton goes on to say that she hopes Cooper “knows an awful lot about nutrition.”

Stanton says her greatest concern about Grace’s nutrition centers around two specific types of foods not included in the paleo diet: “Depriving her child of grains and legumes will make it much more difficult to achieve a balanced diet.”

Dr. Stanton does approve of Cooper’s choice to breastfeed her child despite the dairy restrictions of the paleo diet, saying that it “helps a lot.” Cooper also says that she may introduce other dairy into Grace’s diet further down the line.

While Stanton doesn’t outright denounce the dietary choices Cooper is making for Grace, she does have a few words for other parents thinking about doing the same for their your children, saying, “I’d certainly sound a note of caution [to other people considering following her].” Stanton emphasizes that parents looking to feed their children according to a diet as restrictive as the paleo diet should first consult with an accredited dietician.

In response to such criticism, Cooper reacts with a mixture of indignation and confusion. “(Why) eating real food is such a scandalous topic is just bizarre,” she says, questioning why those who feed their children fast food aren’t subject to the same criticism.

“If you want to feed your kid one of the most nutrient-void pieces of crap ever, knock your socks off.”

Another Controversy in Child Nutrition

While Shan and Grace Cooper provide an interesting example of tension between different ideologies when it comes to parents’ responsibilities regarding child nutrition, they’re far from the only difference of opinion about making sure that kids are getting all the nutrients they need for healthy development.

Back in the U.S., controversy about kids’ nutrition has even involved high-profile figures such as First Lady Michelle Obama. In 2012, in a move championed by the first lady, the USDA rolled out new requirements for school lunches which required students taking part in the federal lunch program to choose either a vegetable or a fruit alongside the rest of their meal.

Critics of the program anticipated that those students with pickier eating habits would just throw away the fruits and vegetables, contributing to greater waste. Supporters of the program, on the other hand had greater confidence in children, saying that opponents should give the kids more credit and that they believed children would make good dietary choices when presented with the opportunity and a gentle push in the right direction.

Unfortunately for the program’s supporters, a study completed and published by Public Health Reports in 2015 confirms the fears of the plan’s detractors. According to Sarah Amin, the study’s lead author, “The basic question we wanted to explore was: does requiring a child to select a fruit or vegetable actually correspond with consumption. The answer was clearly no.”

In fact, while children took nearly 30 percent more fruits and vegetables than before the program’s implementation, consumption of those same items actually went down by 13 percent. Perhaps even more worrisome was the fact that students were throwing away 56 percent more food than before.

A Problem With Unclear Answers

According to most studies on the subject, the prevalence of childhood obesity as measured by body mass index (BMI) has been steadily rising since 1999. The World Health Organization says that a minimum of 41 million children throughout the world are currently obese or overweight, approximately 10 million more than a quarter-century ago.

Experts also emphasize that there are numerous negative consequences of childhood obesity. In a recent statement, Sania Nishtar, co-chair of the Commission on Ending Childhood Obesity says, “Overweight and obesity impact a child’s quality of life, as they face a wide range of barriers, including physical, psychological, and health consequences,” going on, “We know that obesity can [have an] impact on educational attainment too and this, combined with the likelihood that they will remain obese into adulthood, poses major health and economic consequences for them, their families, and society as a whole.

There is some cause for optimism, though. While childhood obesity rates both in the United States and around the world continue to grow, some progress has been made on the small scale. According to one report by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, some U.S. states and cities are displaying declines in overall childhood obesity rates. The study specifically cites the cities of New York and Philadelphia, along with the states of Mississippi and California as leaders in the downward trend.

The study also illustrated, however, that there are still significant disparities between racial and socioeconomic groups when it comes to progress on childhood obesity.

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Lifestyle

16 Examples That You Lead a Gross, Filthy, Unclean Life

Post author By Mary Pimmel-Freeman
Post date December 20, 2016

Everyone’s house gets messy from time to time, but some people live in a constant state of filth. It’s unpleasant to live surrounded by clutter in an unclean house and can lead to increased stress. It can also be hard to have friends or family over to visit because there would be nowhere for them to comfortably sit! On top of this, an unclean house can make you sick! If you can relate to these 16 examples of what it’s like to live in a filthy house, it might be time you finally cleaned (or hired a cleaning crew).

1. Your house always has a stench.

No matter how much cleaning you pretend to do, the rooms in your home always have a slightly odorous stench. While scented candles, air fresheners, and scented sprays can mask the smell for a short period of time, the room always goes back to stinking. It could be a leftover stench from a mess left a very long time ago that you forgot to clean up. Or there could be a dead animal rotting in your basement, and you haven’t bothered to look hard enough for it. Take some time to do a thorough search of your house so you don’t have to wrinkle your nose every time you come home.

2. You eat in bed.

There are a few exceptions to eating in bed: if you’re being treated to breakfast in bed on special occasions or if you’re sick. But your bed should not take the place of a dining room table. No one likes crumbs in their bed (besides your dog). Besides being very gross, eating in bed is also unsanitary. Small pieces of food can be left behind and go bad, attracting unwanted bugs and bacteria.

3. You can’t remember the last time you washed your sheets.

You think your sheets look pretty clean (in spite of the crumbs), but you can’t remember the last time you washed them. According to CNN, you should strip your bed and replace the sheets at least once per week. During this time, wash the old sheets so that you have clean ones to put back on next time. If you are not cleaning your sheets regularly, you could have dust mites living in your bed. Dust mites are tiny bugs that love being close to the warmth and humidity our bodies give off. If someone in your home has asthma or allergies, they can be especially sensitive to dust mites. Washing your sheets weekly in hot water will help prevent them becoming a problem. From now on, keep your food at the table, keep your sheets clean, and have a much more restful night’s sleep.

4. Spring cleaning is just a saying.

Some people give their entire house or apartment a thorough scrubbing at least once a year. To you though, spring-cleaning sounds like a nice idea or just a myth. You couldn’t imagine going through with it. But giving your house a thorough cleaning annually is a must if you want to get rid of all the dust and dirt that naturally accumulates in your home.

5. Laundry baskets are a nice thought.

While the concept of a laundry basket is a nice one, you don’t see the purpose for it when you can just toss your clothes on that growing pile on the floor. It’s hard to tell what’s dirty and what’s clean, and some of your clothes are starting to smell too. If you haven’t vacuumed or swept your floor in a while, your clean clothes are going to pick up whatever has been accumulating on the ground. You’ll end up wasting time and water having to clean your clothes all over again. Get a laundry basket or a hamper to separate your dirty clothes from clean ones (and then actually do your laundry).

6. If you can’t see a surface, you don’t clean it.

The tops of your shelves have probably collected a pretty thick layer of dust by now. However, since you don’t see these surfaces, it doesn’t cross your mind to clean them. The same goes for any other area of the house or apartment that’s literally over your head. That includes the top of ceiling fan blades, light fixtures, and door frames. Imagine all the dust that has accumulated up there! A duster would take care of all that dirt in no time!

7. You haven’t seen the bottom of your sink in a very long time.

Everyone has dirty dishes in the sink from time to time, and they may even pile up on occasion. But you can’t remember the last time you saw the bottom of your sink. You always have dishes overflowing from your sink. In fact, you may have resorted to using plastic utensils and paper plates just to avoid doing the dishes. When dishes sit in the sink for a long time, the leftover food gets so caked on they are extremely hard to clean. Food can get moldy and grow nasty bacteria while it waits to get cleaned up. The old food also puts off a nasty smell that can attract flies, roaches, and other bugs. Who wants creepy crawly things in the area where they prepare their food?

8. You Don’t Know What’s Hiding In The Back Of Your Fridge

Your weekly groceries tend get squished into the very front of your refrigerator because that’s the only place they’ll fit. You have leftovers that went bad long ago and produce that has broken down into unrecognizable mush. If you are in this situation, please stop what you’re doing immediately and clean out the rotten food that is likely stinking up your whole kitchen. You’re at risk of catching some bad germs from rotten food and any liquids that have spilled and gathered on your fridge shelves or drawers. You may be used to working around these messes, but they could be making you sick. Clean the refrigerator shelves and drawers with a mix of warm water and baking soda. Hopefully your refrigerator will look so clean and sparkly that you’ll never let it go back to the mess it was.

9. Your blender has seen better days.

If you’re not washing your dishes, you’re probably not bothering to clean your kitchen appliances. Smaller appliances like your blender need to be taken apart to be cleaned. Every time you make a smoothie, you need to screw off the bottom of your blender and clean each part. The smaller parts at the bottom of the blender can accumulate a build-up of leftover liquids leading to the growth of salmonella and E.coli. Nobody wants those lovely little things ending up in their margaritas!

10. You don’t own a vacuum cleaner.

You haven’t seen a need to vacuum your carpets since you moved in. If you can’t see the dirt, that means it’s not there, right? Wrong. Vacuuming and dusting weekly is recommended to keep dust mites and allergens out of your home. When you finally get around to buying a vacuum cleaner, find one that has a HEPA (high efficiency particulate air) filter. These filters help more than 99 percent of air particulates that pass through your vacuum cleaner. If you don’t use a HEPA filter, your vacuum will spew the dust and dirt from your floor into the air. Clean or replace your vacuum bag regularly and keep the windows open while your vacuum to cut down on potential lung irritation.

11. You can smell something funky coming from your bath mat.

You don’t think twice about stepping on to your bath mat after you get out of the shower. You’ve just gotten clean in the shower, so you can’t be getting any dirt on your mat, right? You use this line of thinking to keep from ever washing your bath mat. If that’s true for you, we think we might know what’s causing that mildew smell in your bathroom. Bath mats are notorious for harboring mold, bacteria, and dust mites that love the warm, wet environment the bath mat provides. Using baby powder on top of the bath mat just makes the situation worse. Lower your risk of catching a cold or irritating your allergies by cleaning your mat a couple times a month. Drying yourself off in the shower before stepping on the mat will also help.

12. You never give your shower head a second glance.

Shower heads are supposed to keep you clean, but researchers have found a nasty bacterium in them called Mycobacterium avium. This bacterium has been found in 30 percent of shower heads in people’s homes and can cause lung infections and pulmonary disease. Take your shower head apart on the regular to give it a good cleaning.

13. You don’t give a second thought to your cleaning products.

You consider it a success if you can locate your cleaning supplies in whatever random drawer or closet you last threw them into. It’s even more momentous if you have enough energy leftover after finding the cleaning supplies to use them. But we’ve got some news for you about the cleaning supplies you may have in your house. Many common cleaning supplies contain chemicals that can irritate your eyes, cause headaches, make it difficult to breath, and can be carcinogenic. Check the ingredients labels and avoid buying products that contain 2Butoxyethanol, Alylphenol extholytes, Dye, Ethanolamines, Fragrance, Pine or Citrus oil, and Quaternary ammonium compounds. Look for eco-friendly cleaning products or use precautions when using the cleaning supplies you already own. Wear gloves, open windows while you clean, and add water to the product to dilute it. Alternatively, you can use vinegar and water to clean glass and windows. Baking soda also works as a good scrubbing agent.

14. You’re hoping that isn’t mold on the ceiling.

Friends who manage to make it into your home have started staring apprehensively at your ceiling. There is a dark spot up there that has an ominous look (and smell). This is not something you should ignore, though you might be tempted to. Mold is more common than ever, growing as an unfortunate side-effect of our energy efficient homes. Mold can grow on wood, drywall, and wallpaper, and it grows more quickly in a moist environment. As you can imagine, breathing in mold is not good for anyone with breathing problems or allergies, especially the young and the elderly. Instead of cleaning this problem area yourself, call a professional to assess how bad the problem is.

15. You don’t clean up after your pets.

You can never seem to find the time to clean up after your pet, not in your house and not outside. It is extremely gross to not pick up after your pet and is also very unsanitary. Really, you don’t want to be THAT person who doesn’t pick up their dog’s poop when you go for a walk. You want your neighbors to at least kind of like you, right? Letting your dog’s poop pile up in the backyard isn’t great either. It makes it hard for you to use your backyard, and it also increases the chances that your dog will eat its own feces. Gross as it is, it does happen. Dog feces can also attract flies and spread any Giardia, roundworms, hookworms, Salmonella, and E.coli that are lurking in them. This also goes for your cat’s litter box.

16. You have no idea what an HVAC system is.

A heating, venting, and cooling (HVAC) system is responsible for temperature control in your home. If you didn’t know what it was, it’s likely you’ve never had it cleaned. The system can breed mold and bacteria with moisture left over from cooling your house. It can lead it asthma, allergies, coughing, and headaches. Try to have your system cleaned every few years to cut down on illness.

Tags 50006759, care, Commerce, hemingway

Sweat

10 Warning Signs Of Dehydration

Post author By Mary Pimmel-Freeman
Post date December 20, 2016

Dehydration is a common condition that results from the body losing more fluids than it takes in. Typically, dehydration occurs when a person does not drink enough water. Our bodies lose water in a variety of ways including sweating, going to the bathroom, and even breathing! We need to consume enough water to keep our bodies balanced and working to their fullest capacity. If you are experiencing any of the following symptoms, get yourself some water!

1. Your urine is a deep yellow.

The longer urine stays in your body, the deeper in color it will be. Your urine should be only slightly yellow or straw-colored. If your urine is darker yellow or orange, you should drink more water. Staying hydrated helps flush toxins out your body and makes your urine an appropriate color.

2. You are having difficulty concentrating or thinking clearly.

Our brains require sufficient water to function properly. If you are dehydrated, your brain will not be working at its optimal level. This presents itself in a number of ways. If your brain is dehydrated, you may notice a change in your cognitive function or in your mood. If you suddenly find yourself confused or unfocused, have a glass of water and see if you feel better.

3. You have halitosis (bad breath) or a dry mouth.

When you are hydrated, your mouth produces enough saliva to keep it from feeling dry. Since saliva has antibacterial properties, saliva keeps the level of bacteria in your mouth in check. When you are dehydrated, your mouth will not produce adequate saliva. When your mouth is dry, microbes can form on the tongue which is a leading cause of bad breath. If you constantly feel like your mouth is dry or has a bad taste in it, try drinking more water to rebalance your mouth’s bacteria.

4. You are constipated or have other digestive issues.

If you are experiencing constipation or having hard stools, you may be dehydrated. As the food you eat passes through your digestive system from your stomach to your colon, your body absorbs nutrients and liquids. If you are dehydrated, your body will be trying to absorb even more fluid from what you’ve eaten. This leads to very uncomfortable experiences in the bathroom. You can keep your stool softer by drinking plenty of water.

5. You have sudden food cravings.

The body often mistakes thirst for hunger. When you are dehydrated, your body cannot properly absorb nutrients from the food you eat. Your liver also needs water to release energy to your body, triggering your body to crave more food. If you are dehydrated, your body may crave any kind of food, but it is likely you will want something sweet. This is because your body needs help producing glycogen. Instead of grabbing something sugary, have a big glass of water. Fill up with fruits and vegetables which contain lots of water. Foods like cantaloupe, strawberries, watermelon, cucumber, celery, lettuce, and tomatoes are more than 90 percent water.

6. You suffer from fatigue or lethargy.

Many people who feel fatigued may actually be dehydrated. Even professional athletes can experience this. They often feel fatigued because they are not drinking enough water, not just because their muscles are overworked. Water helps your body regulate blood sugar and oxygen levels in the body, helping you feel energized. If your body doesn’t have enough water, you will likely feel tired.

7. You feel your heart racing.

Some symptoms of dehydration can be very scary. Some people who are dehydrated experience heart palpitations. Being dehydrated throws off your body’s electrolytes and can lower blood pressure. This puts extra strain on various parts of your body including your heart. If you can feel your heart racing or have an abnormal heart rate, it may be a sign that you need water ASAP.

8. You have scaly, dry skin or lips.

Water helps your skin look healthy. Well-hydrated skin appears doughy and bounces back when you pinch your skin. You may think of dehydrated skin as sweaty, but once you go through all the stages of dehydration, your skin will get very dry. Your blood volume drops, and your skin loses its elasticity. If you experience this, you should go get yourself a glass of water. If you have chronic dry, scaly skin, you should try drinking more water on a regular basis.

9. You have joint or muscle pain.

As you’ve hopefully figured out by now, our bodies need water to perform optimally. If you are dehydrated, your joints and muscles will not have enough fluid to work properly. When your joints and muscles aren’t well lubricated, you’ll likely be in pain. You may especially notice this if you work out regularly. Take a break, rehydrate, and see if your joints and muscles feel any better.

10. You have headaches or dizziness.

Being dehydrated can wreak havoc on your body. When you don’t drink enough water, you may get a headache. This occurs because of the brain’s anatomy. The brain is protected by a fluid sac that needs plenty of water to keep a comfortable barrier between your brain and your skull. When the fluid sac gets low due to dehydration, you can get a massive headache. Dizziness can occur because your body is not able to process nutrients without water. If you have constant headaches or dizziness, see if drinking some water doesn’t help you feel better.

Think you might have experienced one of these symptoms but aren’t sure if you’re dehydrated? Read on to learn about a few simple dehydration tests.

If you think you might have experienced one of the symptoms we mentioned, but aren’t sure if you’re dehydrated, read on. You can check for dehydration with one of these tests. The simplest test is to check if you are thirsty. If you’re feeling thirsty, you are already dehydrated. Drinking water regularly (even when you don’t feel thirsty), will keep you hydrated.

Skin elasticity is a sign of good hydration, and you can test for it very simply. Grab a bit of your skin on the back of your hand between two fingers. Gently pinch the skin up about half an inch, then let it go. If your skin moves back into position within a few seconds, you are hydrated. If it takes longer to move back, you could be dehydrated.

We mentioned that the color of your urine can also be a sign of dehydration. Checking your urine is a third very simple dehydration test. A well-hydrated body will produce urine that is very light yellow or mostly clear. If you see full-out yellow, chardonnay, or orange, you are likely dehydrated. When you see yellow, your body is about 3 percent dehydrated. Chardonnay (yellow-orange) indicates your body is around 5 percent dehydrated. If you see orange, that is a sign your body has reached dangerous levels of dehydration, more than 5 percent dehydrated.

How much water should you be drinking?

Your total water intake is a combination of the water you drink, the water you take in from the foods you eat, and water you get from other beverages you consume. Guidelines from the Institute of Medicine suggest that women get 12 cups of water a day and men get 15 cups a day.

How can you stay hydrated?

Keep a water bottle with you throughout the day. Many people assume you have to work out to become dehydrated, but you can become dehydrated just by sitting at a desk all day if you don’t drink enough water. Keeping a water bottle next to you will encourage you to keep drinking without having to think about it.

Some people say they just don’t like the taste of water. If you fall into this category, make your water more appealing by adding a tiny bit of fruit juice or frozen fruit to give it some natural flavor. You can experiment by infusing your water with different combinations of fruit and make each cup a treat.

You can also drink cups of unsweetened tea in lieu of water. If you really don’t like drinking plain water, try some iced tea during the day and warm cups of peppermint or chamomile tea in the evening. Tea still counts towards your total fluid intake!

You can also help your body stay hydrated by paying attention to what you eat.

You can help hydrate your body by choosing snacks with higher water content. Trade in dry, salty snacks like chips, pretzels, and crackers. Choose fruit and yogurt, a tasty smoothie, or veggies and hummus instead. Filling up on healthier snacks will help your body get the fluid it needs to stay hydrated!

Eat more fruits and vegetables at meal time. Most Americans fill up their plates with protein and carbs. To help your body stay healthier, make up your meals with about 50 percent vegetables and fruit. Not only will you get more water, you’ll also give your body more fiber, vitamins, and minerals.

Don’t skip water at mealtimes. Drinking small amounts of water while you’re eating a meal will force you to eat slower. You’ll stay hydrated, and you will also give your brain a chance to catch up to your stomach to prevent overeating.

How can you prevent loss of fluids?

Reducing the amount of water your body loses will decrease the amount of water you need to take in to stay hydrated. Continue on for more tips!

Follow these tips to help prevent dehydration.

Bring water with you to outdoor activities and anytime you will be sweating. Getting hot and sweaty will increase the amount of water your body needs. Athletes and people who work outside should always keep water with them.

Limit your activity when it is especially hot outside. If the forecast calls for a high heat index, stay inside as much as possible. If you have outdoor activities planned, try to reschedule them for cooler parts of the day.

Take special care of infants and the elderly. The very young and very old are more sensitive to effects of dehydration and should be protected from hot temperatures.

If you are worried about dehydration, limit your alcohol intake. Alcohol dehydrates the body and will make your body lose water even faster when it’s warm outside.

Choose your outfit carefully when spending time outside on a hot day. Wearing light-colored and loose-fitting clothes will help keep your body cooler and reduce the amount of water you lose. Hand-held fans and mini water misters can also help cool you down in hot temperatures.

If you are spending time in hot weather, it helps to take breaks in a cooler place. Step out of the sun into a nice shady place or move into an air-conditioned space. Reducing the risk of overheating will help limit the amount of water your body loses.

Now, if you haven’t done so already, go drink a glass of water!

Tags 50006104, body, hemingway

Wellbeing

Here's Why You Jerk Awake Right After Falling Asleep

Post author By Mary Pimmel-Freeman
Post date December 20, 2016

The best part of the day is plopping into bed and sleeping like a log. It’s the time of the day when you try to set aside all your worries and prepare for a few hours of rest. It can be hard to stop thinking about the stressful events of your day, but once you fall asleep, there should be nothing but sweet dreams ahead of you. Sweet dreams, that is, until you suddenly jerk back awake.

You quickly look around your room, and remember you are safe and sound. For seemingly no reason, your body just forcefully woke you up. Many of us have had this experience, but what is it all about?

The phenomenon is known as a “hypnic jerk.”

It’s also known as a “sleep start” or “night start.” It is a quick muscle reflex whose intensity varies from person to person. Reactions can also be different for different people. Some people don’t even realize they’ve had a hypnic jerk while others may scream while it’s happening.

For years, scientists have been trying to figure out what causes it. and now they’re starting to understand a little more about it. The condition occurs most frequently when people are exhausted and fall asleep quickly.

Many people who experience hypnic jerks report having dreams at the moment they wake up.

In these dreams, people are often falling, jumping, or tripping. Sometimes you may feel like you’ve lost your balance while other times you may feel like you’re falling off a cliff!

Scientists that study sleep disorders are trying to determine what causes this phenomenon. Dr. Carl Bazil M.D. Ph.D., and the director of the Sleep Disorders Center at New York-Presbyterian/Columbia University Medical Center is a sleep expert.

He says that hypnic jerks seem to result from a conflict between the brain system that keeps you awake and the brain system that helps you fall asleep.

Jolting up is usually accompanied by dreams of falling, tripping, maybe even leaning too far back in your office chair. You get the sensation that you’re losing your balance, and you jerk awake.

Michael Breus, Ph.D., a sleep doctor, clinical psychologist, and fellow of the American Academy of Sleep Medicine, explains, “We don’t have a great answer to the visual component, but we think it might be the easiest way for the brain to interpret the rush or feeling of falling into sleep too quickly, like a lack of balance if you faint while standing up.” Because these dreams are so individualized, it can be hard to study.

Scientists aren’t sure why you have dreams of falling.

“One of the things that happens as you fall asleep is your muscles relax, but the awake part may still be stimulating enough that it will temporarily overreact and you get this jerk of muscle activity,” he says.

Doctors are still uncertain why you see the images you do when you have a hypnic jerk. Because hypnic jerks are only about as harmful as hiccups, they have not been a high priority research topic. While that is reassuring in some ways, many people would still be glad to know the reason they jerk awake as they are calmly trying to fall asleep!

A hypnic jerk is not the same as a bobbing head.

If you’ve fallen asleep sitting up at your desk or on an airplane, you likely know the feeling of your head suddenly bobbing and waking you up.

This is another natural reaction, but it likely occurs for a different reason than a hypnic jerk. “Your head weighs roughly eight pounds so if it falls over too far, it will bend your air pipe in a way that makes it difficult to breathe. The brain jerks your head back up to straighten the air pipe back out so you can breathe properly,” says Breus.

There are several theories for what causes this phenomenon.

Since hypnic jerks occur naturally as the body falls asleep, many hypothesize that this is just the body preparing for rest. Scientists also believe hypnic jerks can happen when the body doesn’t spend enough time in the first stage of sleep. This is more likely to occur when you are overly tired.

Typically, the first stage of sleep lasts a few minutes. During this time, the body begins breathing more slowly and the heart rate also slows. You are sleeping lightly in this stage but can still easily wake up. When you are exhausted, your body may go through the first stage of sleep too quickly, making your brain think you are dying.

Perhaps this is the fastest way the brain knows how to wake the body up. Anyone who suffers from this condition can tell you that it certainly does the trick. Breus says “It might be a kind of protective mechanism, but we really aren’t sure because it’s difficult to study.”

You could be experiencing hypnic jerks without realizing it.

Even if a hypnic jerk technically wakes you up, you might fall back to sleep so quickly you don’t even remember what happened. It can be difficult to sleep with someone who jerks around in their sleep every night. “I’ve had patients whose hypnic jerks are so frequent and intense that partners have had to move into a separate bed to avoid waking their partner,” Breus says.

Hypnic jerks are more likely to happen when you are sleep deprived, stressed, or intoxicated.

When you are getting enough sleep, either in quantity or quality, you could experience more hypnic jerks. This means not getting between seven and nine hours of sleep or not getting restful sleep.

If you are having disrupted sleep, you may be affected by stress or be drinking too much caffeine. You may even have a sleep disorder such as sleep apnea or insomnia. Drinking alcohol can also increase your chances of having hypnic jerks. Breus confirms this saying, “Alcohol is another huge factor — many people get hypnic jerks after a night of drinking.”

Hypnic jerks aren’t dangerous, but they can keep you awake.

Hypnic jerks can’t hurt you, though your hypnic jerk dreams could trick you into believing otherwise. But Breus says there’s nothing to worry about. “There are no serious consequences, it won’t give you a heart attack or anything — the worst that could happen is you jerk so hard that you fall out of bed,” says Breus.

But for some people who have very strong hypnic jerks all the time, they become apprehensive about falling asleep. In these cases, hypnic jerks can indirectly lead to insomnia.

If you notice them becoming a problem for you, keep track of how often you have them and what has happened to you during the day that could have caused them.

The best cure for getting rid of hypnic jerks is getting on a regular sleep schedule.

Do your best to get seven to nine hours of sleep a night. Even better, try to fall asleep and wake up at the same time every day. This allows your body to fall asleep more slowly.

While sleeping in on the weekends is tempting, it can easily throw off your sleep schedule. You’ll have a harder time getting to sleep in the evenings, and you may not feel rested during the week.

You can also benefit from increasing the quality of your sleep.

If you are sleeping regular hours and you are still having hypnic jerks, you will want to assess the quality of your sleep. Breus uses this advice with his patients, “I suggest eliminating alcohol, reducing caffeine especially closer to bedtime, and trying to get to sleep and wake up at the same time every day.”

If this still doesn’t end the hypnic jerks, you may want to set up an appointment with a sleep specialist. Together, you can talk about your sleeping patterns and figure out what is happening. The specialist will likely address your hypnic jerks as a symptom, not a cause, of your sleep problems.

Your other option is get used to falling off a cliff every once in awhile.

The National Sleep Foundation estimates that about 60 to 70 percent of people have hypnic jerks. That is a whole lot of people who are woken up unexpectedly! If you want to try some other methods to sleep better before calling a specialist, the National Sleep Foundation has some helpful tips for you.

First, as we mentioned, try to stick to a sleep schedule with a consistent bedtime and wake up time. Keep your schedule as consistent as you can, even on the weekends. Your body clock should respond with an expectation of falling asleep at a certain time, and you should start naturally feeling tired.

Second, create a bedtime routine to perform nightly. Do the same relaxing things every night before you fall asleep. Turn off electronics, dim the lights, get your pajamas on, read a good book, and do whatever you need to get yourself ready for bed.

Third, cut out naps if you have a hard time falling asleep at night. While naps are extremely tempting if you’re tired during the day, they could be throwing off your body clock. If you can’t get through the day without a snooze, try a power nap in lieu of a long nap.

The National Sleep Foundation has a few more tips for people having difficulty sleeping.

Next, daily exercise has been shown to help you sleep better at night. Rigorous activity is preferable, but any activity is better than none at all. The time of day shouldn’t matter, as long as it doesn’t interfere with your bedtime.

Additionally, you should take a look at the room you are sleeping in to make sure it is conducive to restful sleep. You want your room to be inviting with calming colors and objects that are soothing to look at. Keep your room free of clutter so you don’t have anything you can trip over in the middle of the night.

The temperature should be between 60 and 67 degrees, and the room should be quiet during sleep time. Try to keep your room as dark as possible, using blackout curtains or eye shades if needed.

If you have a partner that keeps you awake, you may wish to use earplugs or a white noise machine to help you sleep better. Humidifiers and fans have also been shown to create an environment conducive to sleeping.

Finally, sleep on a firm mattress with comfortable pillows. A supportive mattress that is less than 10 years old is recommended. It helps to wash your sheets weekly in warm water to cut down on allergens and dust mites. You’ll also sleep a lot better knowing you’re sleeping in fresh, clean sheets.

Tags 50006754, hemingway, mind

Wellbeing

Symptoms Of Vitamin D Deficiency That Most People Ignore

Post author By Staff Writer
Post date December 20, 2016

What does vitamin D deficiency look like? In its most extreme form, prolonged and severe vitamin D deficiency during childhood, known as rickets, can delay growth and lead to visible skeletal deformities.
Today, rickets is relatively rare, but that doesn’t mean that vitamin D deficiency is—more than 40 percent of Americans are deficient. The potential health consequences of this epidemic are serious, as vitamin D deficiency is linked to osteoporosis, heart disease, diabetes, autoimmune diseases, high blood pressure, and poor pregnancy outcomes.

D-ficient? Odds are you don’t know.

According to the Vitamin D Council, symptoms of vitamin D deficiency can be subtle—or even nonexistent—in the early stages. You might experience some tiredness and general aches and pains, but these symptoms are easy to dismiss because there are many things that cause them.
Aches and pains? You can easily chalk them up to the aftereffects of your last workout—or simply not being 20 anymore. Tiredness? That could be because you aren’t getting enough quality sleep.

Lindsay Obermeyer, MS, RDN, CLT, a Portland, Oregon–based registered dietitian nutritionist and owner of Your Time Nutrition, said she personally experienced chronic joint pain, had labs done, and discovered that her vitamin D was 29 ng/dL (nanograms per deciliter), which is considered deficient by some standards. She started taking a daily dose of vitamin D3, and her joint pain was gone within a week.
[pullquote align=”center”]I had two different clients with the same symptoms, had them tested for vitamin D, both were less than 30, both had relief from joint pain after supplementing. It’s a very common problem up here in the Northwest.[/pullquote]
It can sometimes be hard to tell when you’re in need of more vitamin D. Here are 15 signs that will help you know if you’re vitamin D deficient.

1. Muscle Weakness

You should be aware that muscle weakness can present as generalized body fatigue. If you’re experiencing a more general fatigue around your body, muscle weakness issues in specific areas may stay hidden and go unnoticed for months.

As vitamin D deficiency worsens, symptoms become stronger and harder to ignore. General aches and pains may become muscle and bone (musculoskeletal) pain, and tiredness may progress to muscle weakness. Still, it’s easy to search for answers in the wrong direction.

2. Bone Pain

In a study of 150 patients referred to a clinic in Minnesota for persistent, general musculoskeletal pain, 93 percent had vitamin D levels equal to or below 20 ng/mL, a level considered deficient by most experts.
As an adult, your bones are no longer growing, but new bone tissue constantly replaces the old. Severe vitamin D deficiency interferes with that replacement, leading to the softening of bones known as osteomalacia (or “adult rickets”), which causes pain and increases of osteoporosis.

Shunning the sun and avoiding dairy can leave you with a vitamin D deficiency that might lead to bone pain. This can be difficult to distinguish from muscle or joint pain, but it generally manifests itself as a deep, aching pain that isn’t isolated in an exact area.

My bones had been so hurty. So much pain and stiffness and I was miserable.

Remembered to take vitamin d three days ago and suddenly the bone pain has eased. My hands work again! My knees feel only like normal arthritis pain! It's like magic.

— Veronica Foale (@VeronicaFoale) March 25, 2018

There are some indicators that can help differentiate bone pain from muscle pain. Muscle pain is usually centralized to one point and is exaggerated by movement or physical activity. Bone pain, on the other hand, is broader and deeper.

3. Constant Respiratory Problems

Studies show that vitamin D may help defend against respiratory illness, and this is especially true in children. If your child has severe asthma, you may want to increase their vitamin D intake.
Constant respiratory problems may present in different ways. Someone suffering from these issues may feel easily winded after a task they’d normally be fine handling. Or it may be as seemingly obvious as struggling to catch a breath for an extended period.

Breathing issues need to be addressed by a medical professional quickly because they can lead to other issues. Often, a person suffering constant respiratory problems will also suffer from an anxiety disorder, like panic attacks. The inability to take a full breath may quickly spiral into a panic that your life is in immediate danger.

4. Sweaty Head

Years ago, doctors used to ask new mothers if their newborns’ heads were sweating more than normal. This can be a very early sign that a baby is vitamin D deficient. If you’re breastfeeding, it may be helpful to consume more foods that are rich in vitamin D or include some vitamin D drops in your regimen to make sure your baby is getting a sufficient amount.
https://twitter.com/mpsunday/status/940702963319877633
Foods that contain higher concentrations of vitamin D include fatty fish (such as tuna), orange juice, soy milk, and some cereals. You’ll also want to stock up on dairy products, such as cheese, that are enriched with vitamin D.

Don’t be fooled into thinking that head sweating from a lack of vitamin D only affects infants. If you find sweat pouring from your forehead in situations that wouldn’t normally cause you to perspire, then you may want to talk to a healthcare professional.

5. Depression

As it turns out, the sun is vital to keeping a smile on your face. Vitamin D is often referred to as the sunshine vitamin because it is activated in your skin by sunlight. If you live in a place that sees less sunlight than global averages, the lack of light could literally kill your mood.
https://twitter.com/HazelmuttART/status/992413305946943488
According to the Vitamin D Council, this essential nutrient helps your brain’s neurotransmitters produce serotonin, which affects our feelings of happiness. Studies have linked low levels of vitamin D with episodes of depression.
In Alaska and other locales with significantly less sunlight for months out of the year, depression due to lack of sun exposure is treated as a very serious medical issue. Residents are encouraged to purchase light boxes—devices that emit therapeutic light that will help them maintain vitamin D levels during dark winter months.

It’s important that light therapy be used to deal with depression caused by vitamin D deficiencies because the two can become seriously intertwined.
There are many different types of light boxes that can improve your health. The Sperti Vitamin D Light Box is “the only recognized ultraviolet light box for vitamin D production,” and the NatureBright SunTouch Plus Light and Ion Therapy Lamp, a bestseller on Amazon, “balances your [linkbuilder id=”6517″ text=”body clock”], leaving you feeling rested, refreshed, and nourished all over.” Each type has the potential to improve your health, but if you’re in need of light therapy, choose one based on what you hope to get out of it.

6. Infertility

Research suggests that vitamin D deficiency may play a role in the development of polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), a leading cause of female infertility. One common symptom of PCOS is acanthosis nigricans, which results in dark, velvety skin patches.

“In the fertility world in the Northwest we like to get a baseline on all of our patients and we see many who are deficient,” said Seattle-area registered dietitian nutritionist Judy Simon MS, RDN, CD, CHES, of Mind Body Nutrition.
“One young woman in her early twenties had visible acanthosis nigricans around her neck and on her chest. She had PCOS and pre-diabetes. After six weeks of Vitamin D supplementation the acanthosis was practically gone and she was feeling much less fatigued.”

7. Chronic Infections

Vitamin D is known to have an effect on over 2,000 genes in the [linkbuilder id=”6518″ text=”human body”], so it’s no surprise that the strength of your body’s immune system is also tied to how much vitamin D you are taking in.
When there’s a healthy amount of vitamin D being processed by your body, your immune system is resilient and able to fight off infections and disease. However, a lack of vitamin D can be devastating to your overall health and leave you vulnerable to constant attacks and health problems or scares.

Vitamin D supplements are sold everywhere, but make sure your doctor helps you select the best option for you based on your health needs.

8. Cardiovascular Disease

Cardiovascular diseases are heart conditions that may include damaged blood vessels or frequent blood clotting, among other issues. Articles published by the National Institutes of Health have shown that deficiencies in vitamin D can lead to congestive heart failure.
Some cardiovascular disease-related symptoms that are easier to spot are dizziness, heavy bloating (particularly in the legs), respiratory issues, and chest pain. If you’re experiencing any of these symptoms, you should contact your doctor immediately.

If you want to make sure you’re on the right path, home tests are available to check for a lack of vitamin D. These tests will screen your blood and possibly show you if you need to make some changes in your supplementation routine.

9. Psoriasis

Psoriasis may present itself as a scaly rash on your scalp or other parts of your body. Often it can be agitated by stress (unfortunately, finding out you have psoriasis tends to cause stress too). Although psoriasis is not always connected to a lack of vitamin D, the vitamin is sometimes used during treatment. The Mayo Clinic claims that if you have a lack of vitamin D, it will be harder for your body to defend itself against psoriasis.
There is no cure for psoriasis, but it is controllable with treatment. Besides reducing stress and getting your vitamin D, there are other methods for dealing with troubles caused by psoriasis.

For example, specially medicated shampoos can be prescribed to keep your scaly rashes at bay. Depending on the severity of your condition, there are also ointments, oils, and other treatments that could help reduce your psoriasis-related discomfort.

10. Chronic Pain

If you experience chronic, widespread pain throughout your body, it could be due in part to a lack of vitamin D. This connection was only recently discovered. In 2010, researchers began looking into the link between chronic pain and a lack of vitamin D.
Studies have now shown that low vitamin D levels increase a person’s chances of having chronic pain; supplements can sometimes help relieve it. So, if you’re in pain, talk to your physician about the best way to boost your vitamin D intake.

If you want to try a preliminary test for determining if what you’re experiencing is the same thing as chronic pain, doctors have a recommendation: Press against the area of your chest known as your breastbone (also called your sternum). If you feel a sharp pain when you press down on that area, it’s likely that you’re experiencing chronic pain related to vitamin D deficiency.

11. Tiredness

Vitamin D is one of the vitamins your body needs to create energy, and without it, you can end up feeling tired most of the day. This will make it hard for you to get around or even get to work. Without much energy, you may start changing your daily behavior in negative ways, which in turn may impair your overall health.

Continued tiredness can contribute to other symptoms caused by low amounts of vitamin D in the body. If you’re tired, you’re less likely to exercise or go outside. Avoiding activity or sunshine can amplify the effects of a vitamin D deficiency. If you fall into a routine that involves avoiding strenuous activity or sunlight, you’re much more susceptible to issues like depression or mood swings.
Listen to what your body is telling you. Something might be seriously off if you notice that you just don’t have the drive to stay active anymore. You should consult your doctor if you have constant feelings of tiredness that last longer than a few days.

12. Hypertension

Harvard University conducted review of health studies across numerous cohorts that associated increased risk of multiple health outcomes including cardiovascular disease and hypertension (abnormally high blood pressure) with vitamin D deficiency.
Another study, published in Circulation in 2015, considered the viability of vitamin D supplementation as a treatment for patients with hypertension and prehypertension.

It’s important to note that high blood pressure can significantly increase your risks for serious health issues such as heart attacks and strokes.
But don’t panic if you think or know you’re suffering from hypertension. It’s a common health issue that affects more than 3 million people in the U.S. every year. It can be identified without any blood or medical tests but will require an official diagnosis from your doctor, at which point appropriate treatment can be prescribed.

If you do suffer from anxiety, you may want to consider purchasing vitamin D supplements and adding them to your daily routine for that reason. Vitamin D has been proven to have positive effects similar to antidepressants and may reduce your overall blood pressure.

13. Crankiness

As we mentioned in relation to depression, vitamin D affects the levels of serotonin in your brain, which is what affects your mood. If you’re feeling cranky, it might be because you’re not producing enough serotonin. Vitamin D will help your moods stay balanced by ensuring your brain is working with the materials it needs to stay energized and focused.

If you notice mood swings that seem out of the ordinary, visit your doctor for a simple blood test. They will be able to identify what’s going on, and if a lack of vitamin D is the issue, they’ll help you make a plan to get better.
The solution may be as simple as getting out in sunlight more often or eating foods that are rich in vitamin D. For people who can’t handle too much direct exposure to the sun, supplements are readily available, so consider reaching for some before going off on anyone or getting too frustrated with yourself!

14. Chronic Kidney Disease

Kidneys help remove waste from your blood. When they’re not functioning correctly, your bloodstream can fill up with waste, seriously damaging your health. Doctors have recently connected kidney health to cardiovascular disease. They’ve also discovered how important vitamin D can be to your kidneys’ health.

As you get older your kidneys are not as efficient at processing vitamin D. Be sure to eat some vitamin D–rich foods or take a supplement. If you do take a supplement, also consider taking vitamin K2 to activate the right proteins in the digestion process. Ensuring that your kidneys are working properly to process vitamin D is just as important as getting your proper nutrients.

15. Reduced Endurance

If you’re an athlete and you’re seeing your endurance decrease for no apparent reason, it might be because you have low vitamin D levels. Experts in athletic circles now realize that vitamin D is crucial to energy levels, especially when it comes to endurance. Even active people who get outside every day can experience these issues, despite getting more than the recommended amount of sunlight per day (20 to 30 minutes).

Fortunately, if vitamin D deficiency is causing your issues, your endurance should return to normal when you get your vitamin D levels back to normal. Remember: You don’t always need to opt for pills to get your proper dose of vitamin D. Try a supplement in powder or liquid form to mix with your smoothies or protein shakes.

A Side Effect of Modern Life?

For many of us, work means days spent at a desk and leisure means binge-watching the latest Netflix series or catching up on social media. That’s a lot of indoor time, but even when we are outdoors we’re likely to double down on sun protection to prevent premature aging and skin cancer.

Dairy products are fortified with vitamin D, but milk sales are in decline, as more people avoid dairy due to restrictive diets, milk allergies, or lactose intolerance.

What’s your risk?

Although 4 in 10 Americans may be deficient in vitamin D, some people have a higher risk. As mentioned, if you spend a lot of time indoors and protect your skin with clothing or sunscreen when you are outdoors (as you should), your risk increases. Living in northern climates—where winters are longer, colder and darker—amplifies this risk. But a few other risk factors might surprise you:

1. Dark skin. The darker your skin, the more sun it takes to make vitamin D.

2. Body mass index (BMI) over 30. Vitamin D can become “sequestered” in excess body fat instead of making its way to the bloodstream.

3. Past gastric bypass surgery.

Why It Matters

Linke says that bringing vitamin D levels back to the normal range has been a “game changer” for many of her clients who have autoimmune conditions. She cites another client—a woman in her late twenties—whose vitamin D was a 4.

Her rheumatoid arthritis was very bad, she couldn’t walk down stairs unassisted, couldn’t walk without holding on to walls, couldn’t fit into her shoes so she wore flip flops.

Within 10 days of starting vitamin D, along with magnesium (magnesium deficiency can interfere with vitamin D metabolism) and dietary changes, she was able to wear regular shoes and walk without assistance.
As with all health-related issues, talk with your doctor or another medical professional if you are seeing any signs or symptoms that concern you. Deficiency is simple to test for and simple to treat. If in doubt, talk to your healthcare provider.

Tags 50006399, balance, Commerce, hemingway

Sweat

8 Men's Grooming Products Women Should Start Using

Post author By Katie Winzenburger
Post date December 20, 2016

The next time you are at the store with your beau, don’t be so quick to split off to your the pretty-in-pink aisle. You may be surprised to find that what is good enough for your man, is good enough (or maybe even better) for you. The number one reason to peruse the male aisles? Cost.
For many beauty products, there is an upcharge for women. You will probably find cost effectiveness to be the top reason to make the switch from female to male versions of your most used grooming items. For me, however, I am very fond of the freedom to choose whatever scent of soap, cologne or lotion that I want. Life doesn’t always have to be a bouquet of roses…or lilies…or sparkles.
Until the celebratory day when “Touch of Gray” is fashionable for women, these hacks for using men’s grooming products will hopefully get you through.

Pomade

Women can be quick to jump to the hairspray or hair gel, leaving our hair dry and crunchy. I carry a little bottle of lotion to tame the winter static hair, but pomade might be an actual solution to this problem, sans the greasy feeling of lotion. If you have a little longer of a ‘do like me, pomade can help your hair look healthier, so even if you’re not slicking it back but just letting it hang naturally, it still can serve a purpose.
A water-based medium hold pomade is good to rub on halfway down the hair through the ends for a nourished look and to keep hair a little more in place. Water-based will set you back a little more than oil-based, but it will wash out a lot easier. If you have curly hair, however, oil-based may be better for you to hold those bouncy locks in place, and with more workability than a gel. They also make a thickening pomade to give oomph to fine hair, also something I could stand to check out.
If you’d like a more organized chart of what pomade to use for what hair type, this blog gives an organized list of what I just summarized for you.

Allure put out a similar article with a list of pomade suggestions for each hair type. The main ingredients of pomades marketed towards women do not appear to be any different from the male pomades, but the scents will vary between the genders. The type of pomade may be more important than the gender it’s geared towards. Choose one that is good for your hair type and will help you accomplish the look you are going for.
With there being so many specific types of pomade, it may be easier for you to manage your hair challenges with a more precise product, than the all-purpose spray or gel. I, for one, wish I would have known about a water-based medium hold pomade to thicken my hair and hide my split ends while growing my hair out for my wedding.
If you don’t want to buy either male- or female-marketed pomade, try a hand at making your own.

Deodorant

Avoid odorous armpits and likely at least a dollar surcharge for being a woman by opting for male deodorant. They must smell our desperation to be clean and tidy, or some serious body odor, to warrant that extra cost. On top of it being cheaper, I have found men’s deodorant tends to do the job a little better as well. There are quite a few scents to choose from, so if neither pine nor cedar is your thing, you still have some options.
Turns out, both genders make a fresh scent.

There are a growing number of ladies making the switch. This beauty blogger found that the men’s deodorants work better, and she did not miss the lady sticks’ lack of protection that left her with flowery body odor. She also was pleased that Old Spice is aluminum-free.
Although there is no definitive research linking aluminum to breast cancer or Alzheimer’s, there was some research released years ago about this controversy. However, nothing was definitive and the research was called poorly designed. If you err on the side of caution though, Old Spice may be worth considering.

This blog hilariously explains that her uterus did not fall out when using the men’s deodorant; we’re free to use whatever scent we want. She was excited to smell the pheromone raging scent of a man all day long, as did Beth. Besides the great reminder of good smelling men, what did these women also unanimously find? The men’s deodorant worked better. Apparently, women’s deodorant makers have underestimated how hard we hit the gym.
Personally, I use a gender neutral “natural” deodorant now. However, on the way to making that switch, my husband’s deodorant was the only one I used for many of the reasons these brilliant women have laid out. From a common-sense standpoint, my biggest reason was that there were two sets of all our products. So, I started with his deodorant. It doesn’t need to be Noah’s Ark in our house. Do we really need two of everything?

Razor Switch

There was a rumor going around that razors for men provide a closer shave and thus wasn’t good for a woman’s sensitive skin. This is both true and false. Reader’s Digest did a piece comparing male and female razors, the biggest contrasts being different angling and arc of the razor heads. These architectural differences do get the men’s blades closer to the skin, but the false part of this is that it irritates every woman’s skin. It can depend on how often a woman shaves, thickness of hair and skin sensitivity.
I haven’t used a woman’s razor in at least five years, and I have truly sensitive skin. I am much happier with the results of the men’s razor. Perhaps it may bother one woman but not another. If you are getting disposable razors, however, the only difference is the color. There is not much to their design, gender aside.

Another “fact” brought up by big wigs that make razors? Women complain more about nicks, and men do not mind walking around looking like a pizza face. I can’t remember a time when I went up to my husband and started whining about the nicks I endured from his razor, and I cannot really picture any of my girlfriends in that scenario either. Also, he does not leave the house with any nicks, maybe one or two a year. Perhaps we both know how to use a razor, but I have faith that most people also have had good education.
It would seem there would be no bias behind a razor company’s opinion that there is a difference between a woman and a man’s razor. After all, the companies make razors for both genders. They would miss out on that extra money they get for the women’s razor though, appropriately named the pink tax. It is hard to clearly decipher if they have our skin’s best interest in mind, knowing our pink tax is their green bonus.

Approximately 30 percent of women have made the switch to a razor made for dudes. Many women seem to be enjoying that close shave with no issues, and in fact, they are enjoying the lower cost thanks to the lack of pink. The Dollar Shave Club even goes as far as listing one of their FAQs as “Can women use your razors?” Answer: “Absolutely. Our lady members rave about the Executive Razor.” Bottom line, don’t feel compelled to look for flowers to identify a good razor for yourself.

Wet Shaving

While on the topic of shaving, it might be worth your time to consider the concept of wet shaving. In a nutshell, if you ever went with your grandpa to the barbershop when he got a shave, it’s a lot like that. Like most trends, old is new again. There are a lot of advantages to this art of shaving, economical and eco-friendly to name a few. Random cuts and ingrown hairs could also be less of a problem for you with this method. The shaving brush, along with a shaving soap or cream, will create a rich layer for you to use with a very economical safety razor.

The badger brush is a good starting brush or you can use a synthetic brush. If you are ready to revolutionize shaving, your shave brush is going to need a few friends. First off, its most important mate is a good shave soap. Men’s Soap Company makes a much loved one which lathers well and leaves skin feeling very soft. As the cherry on top, it does not contain harsh chemicals that will dry out your skin. Don’t shed tears over nixing the canned shaving cream. Shaving creams and gels in the cans are usually made with harsher ingredients that irritate skin. They are quicker and cost less, but it might cost your skin. Shaving soaps do require the brush and bowl to lather, but they make for the most efficient shave. This does not fall under either category, but I’ve been using good old hair conditioner for shaving and getting better results than the can stuff. I was tired of paying for another product to do what my conditioner already does, soften.

Lastly, you could continue to use a regular razor from the store (pink or blue), but the best tool for this sport of hair removal is the safety razor. The shift to commercial razors from simple safety razors was a successful marketing ploy from the big shaving companies. Yes, they do make shaving a little more convenient and time saving, but it’s also not that good for us. A shave so close that the hair is cut beneath the skin, leads to more ingrown hairs. The cost is amazing, five blades will set you back less than $2.00. Mother Earth will thank you, considering right now two billion disposable blades get dumped on her yearly. One blade < five blades, which we are all marketed to as being the best, because more is always better. This one from Vikings Blade has a five-star rating and an added benefit is the built-in mini comb, which helps navigate long hairs. Winter, anyone?

Body Wash

There are a lot of invigorating scents of men’s body wash products, a bonus if you shower in the morning. We like the outdoors and spices, too. Who says a girl doesn’t like the smell of pine, especially during the holidays? If a pine smell is not your thing, however, there are other scents. Dove makes scents such as “clean comfort” and “extra fresh”, and Nivea makes “Relax” and “Aloe Vera” scents. Last time I checked, women like to be clean and relaxed. Marketing teams apparently decided there are girl and boy scents, discounting a girl’s desire to be clean and relaxed.

The best part? You guessed it! Lower cost. If you want a hilarious explanation of why the men and women’s aisles exist at all in the self-care sections, you should check out this video. If you don’t have the time, let me recap. By dividing us into categories, marketers hypothesized more profits by tailoring products that appeal to our gender: soft and curvy packaging for women and hard lines and digital font for men. They were right, because they are laughing all the way to the bank. Don’t be fooled though, price check your body wash against one in the men’s aisle, per ounce.

Don’t judge a wash by its packaging. Find a scent that appeals to you, and pay less for showering. If anyone gives you grief for being in the wrong aisle, tell him you like money. It could be a conversation starter, and who knows, maybe shopping in the men’s section will put online dating out of business.

Trimming Unwanted Hair, or Not

Trimming of unsightly body hair is amongst other grooming habits we ladies hide from our men. Is it hard for men to accept that body hair knows no gender? I’m of the Italian lineage and let’s just say we’re not bald everywhere except for our heads. I’m sure the Kardashians would agree; they seem to be getting a lot of laser hair removal. It wasn’t always this way, where women are expected to remove hair everywhere except their head, and luckily the trend is moving towards doing whatever you want. A long time ago, a woman’s hairless body meant it was clean, and then the fashion industry left armpits bare, so of course those needed to be hairless too. Men seem to have only chosen between beard or no beard. We have the whole bottom half of our body to worry about, plus a pair of armpits and some stray hairs in surprising areas.

So, if you prefer the polished look, facial hair scissors are not just for beards. There are also wide-grip tweezers, because not all girls have dainty hands. Some of us hit three letters on the keypad when trying to text. However, you also have the option to let those brows grow out naturally. Just as guys have the option, so do we. It may be a good idea to leave a little more hair, no matter what your gender. It provides protection from sun, dirt and chaffing, depending on the location. Celebs like Miley Cyrus are tweeting pics of underarm hair; perhaps a movement is starting. If you’re on the fence, you have the safety net of winter to give it a shot.

The Concept of After-Shave

While it may not be a great idea to just grab your guy’s after-shave and apply to the legs, the idea of it is important. I’ll admit that my lotion routine is not up to par. In fact, a girlfriend and I have gotten into debates over whether it is truly needed. I thought my skin was soft on its own, even in the winter. Depending on how much dishwashing I do (which my husband may say is very little), I might need some extra lotion for the poor dry hands. The debate of lotion or no lotion, could depend on skin type and time of year.
I was convinced that the “lotioners” were a cult, but per this myth-busting article, skin does not become dependent on moisturizing, neither do your lips on lip balm. Moisturizing is the best thing you can do in the winter, when the heat makes for dry air. Looking back, the times that I started using lotion, my skin probably felt drier on the days I did not, because I had something to compare it to: moisturized skin.

I may not have been using lotion on my entire body, but I try to remember to at least use it on my legs after shaving. They feel like the Sahara after shaving, which is common, because we take off the top layer of our skin when we shave.
A spokesperson for The Art of Shaving stated that lotion on the legs after shaving should never be skipped; you need to nourish the new skin. Write it in your planner. Bold it. Underline it. She went on to say that what product best works will depend on the girl, but to look for one preferably with glycerine, which is a great moisturizer, and anthenol and allantoin, which help fight irritation. She added that fragrance free may be best for women with highly sensitive skin.
Based on experience, a good quality moisturizer with no alcohol, or at least alcohol listed towards the end of ingredients, seemed to be less irritating for me. Find a moisturizing product that fits you best, and rub it anywhere that razor touched your body.

Cologne

Cologne is a unisex term, but it is often used more so to describe men’s fragrances than women’s. In the sixth grade, my favorite cologne was a gray bottle of Calvin Klein’s cologne spray. I honestly do not remember what it was called, but I loved it. It smelled so clean and sharp. I don’t think I have seen a bottle of it since 1998, so they may not even make it anymore. If not male cologne, it was unisex. As an 11-year-old, I enjoyed more of an immunity to advertising, so I do not have a clear memory on that.
The point is, I walked around with svelte confidence, because it was a scent that I liked, not one that was marketed to me.

I get it, scent is very personable. I do like the smell of lavender and lilac, but that does not mean that I don’t like wood and salt, a fragrance in a boxed set that I purchased before my wedding. Sense of smell is also powerful. It can bring you back to a time and place very quickly, perhaps this goes into a woman’s choice to abandon perfume for men’s cologne. This woman’s story lists her reasons for having always loved men’s cologne. She enjoys the clean and fresh scents which are not popularly worn by women, so she receives many inquiries of what scent she is wearing, very mysterious. She also likes the fact that men’s cologne, for her, seems to last longer and is easier to layer. Here is a list of one woman’s favorite men’s colognes, which includes a powdery fresh scent. She, too, never felt an identity with women’s fragrances.
If you like the cucumber melon stuff, that is more than fine, but if you have found yourself perking up at the male deemed scents, that’s okay too. If anything, it’s good to know we’re not alone.

So, go ahead and go rogue. Shop in the men’s aisles and save that hard-earned money. If enough of us do it, perhaps we can send a message that we are just trying to get clean. We don’t need small and dainty packages. Chances are you can wrap your hand around the entire men’s deodorant stick.
As the number of blogs of women detailing women switching to men’s products has shown, we will not be the only girls smelling like a glorious romp outside. Muster up some girl power and switch up that routine! See you in the men’s aisle.

Tags 50007256, body, hemingway

Nosh

Food And Medication—What Should You Avoid?

Post author By Megan Senseney
Post date December 20, 2016

Chili and chocolate. Maple and bacon. These are just a few examples of incredible food combinations that you might not expect to work well together. However, while you can often combine two foods together for an unexpectedly great result, the same isn’t usually true of many different food and drug combinations.
Most people are aware that there are some things you shouldn’t mix, usually because the warning is usually right on the medication label, but there are a few terrible combinations out there that aren’t well-known.
Additionally, what many people don’t know is that you don’t have to be taking a prescription medication for it to interact badly with another substance, even another medication. Over-the-counter drugs can be just as likely to cause negative interactions with certain foods as prescription drugs and, in some cases, the effects of either type of interaction can actually be fatal.

According to Jack Fincham, a professor at the Presbyterian College School of Pharmacy in Clinton, South Carolina, “This is a big issue and a lot of people aren’t aware of it.”
Because so many of these combinations aren’t well known, it’s important to speak with your doctor about any potential interactions a new medication might have with any other substances, whether it’s the smoothie you plan on drinking for breakfast or the migraine pill you take before bed.
In some cases, it could just be that a certain combination makes your medicine less effective, while other mixes could actually be causing you harm.
Fortunately, the solution could be as simple as a quick change to your diet—well, simple depending on what it is that you’re going to have to cut out. Here’s what you need to know before taking that next pill.

1. Cough Syrup and Limes

Most people have heard that grapefruit can cause a variety of unwanted reactions when taken with certain medications, but did you know that’s true for many different citrus fruits? Thankfully, the standard naval or Valencia orange aren’t typically culprits, but another common citrus fruit is—the lime.
Along with Seville oranges and pomelos, limes can react with certain cough medicines by blocking the production of a particular enzyme that breaks down dextromethorphan, a common cough suppressant. This causes the medication to build up within the bloodstream, which can then increase your risk of certain side effects from that medication, according to Mary Ellen Gullickson, a Marshfield Clinic pharmacist in Wisconsin.

For dextromethorphan in particular, these side effects can include drowsiness and hallucinations. If you eat limes while taking this type of medication, any of the gnarly side effects you experience could last for at least a day, so it’s best to just avoid the combination altogether.

2. Black Licorice and Heart Medications

Thankfully, there aren’t a lot of people out there who actually enjoy black licorice, but those who do need to be careful if they take certain medications. Digoxin is a medication that is typically given to patients with heart failure and issues with heart rhythm.

Black licorice contains a compound called glycyrrhizin which, when combined with digoxin, can lead to an irregular heartbeat—consume enough of the compound and the effects could even be fatal. In addition, the compound can make other medications less effective, including certain types of birth control, pain relievers, and blood-pressure medications.
Artificially flavored black licorice candy won’t have any effect, however, so a digoxin user is free to consume this to their heart’s content.

3. Caffeine and Bronchodilators

Bronchodilators, more commonly known as inhalers, are devices that are used to treat a number of different conditions, including asthma and chronic bronchitis. The medication they contain is used to relax the person’s airways during an asthma attack so they can breathe without any obstructions.

It should be a no-brainer, but something used to relax your body mixed with something used to energize your body isn’t the best idea. For those that use inhalers for whatever reason, it’s best to avoid caffeine as much as possible, but especially after you’ve taken your medication.

4. Dairy and Antibiotics

When taken with dairy products, certain antibiotics can bind to things like iron and calcium in the dairy and prevent the medicine from being properly absorbed by the body. If the antibiotics you’re taking aren’t fully making their way into your system, they’re not going to be as effective when it comes to fighting an infection and it won’t go away as quickly.

Two specific classes of antibiotics, tetracyclines and fluoroquinolones, are most well-known for interacting with dairy, so it’s important to avoid things like milk, yogurt, and cheese two hours before and after you take your medication. Supplements that contain calcium and iron can also have the same effect, so be aware of when you take those, too.

5. Soy and Thyroid Medications

Soy doesn’t necessarily interact with thyroid medication itself, but instead interacts with the actual thyroid gland. Compounds contained within soy can have a wide variety of effects on the thyroid gland, causing it to function either too much or too little, though the exact reason why this happens isn’t well understood at this point.

Soy is also considered to be a goitrogen, which means that it can enlarge your thyroid gland to the point that it’s considered a goiter. For people taking thyroid medications, eating too much soy can affect how your body absorbs those medications, even rendering them useless.

6. Smoked Meat and Antidepressants

This one might sound a little strange, but a certain amino acid often found in smoked foods can interact with a specific class of antidepressants called monoamine oxidase inhibitors (MAOIs), which includes medications like Nardil, Emsam, and Parnate. Smoked foods contain tyramine, an amino acid that can interact with these medications and cause an increase in blood pressure that can sometimes be life threatening.

Foods that are out? Smoked salmon, summer sausage, aged or smoked cheese, and soy sauce, among others. Fortunately, many newer antidepressants aren’t really affected by tyramine according to Nicole Gattas, and assistant professor at the St. Louis College of Pharmacy just be sure to ask your doctor about your specific medication.

7. Chocolate and Ritalin

Chocolate not only contains caffeine, but it also contains another stimulant called theobromine. For those who take ritalin for conditions like attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), combing a stimulant medication with a food that contains two other known stimulants can easily lead to serious side effects, including extremely erratic behaviors and even seizures.

The good news when it comes to coffee and chocolate for those who take ritalin is that you can still have it you may just have to have to test yourself to find out how much you can handle before you start to feel shaky, irritable, or nervous. Every person is different, though, so tread lightly at first.

Apple Juice and Allergy Medication

If allergies have you running for your bottle of Allegra, you’ll need to avoid apple juice for about four hours afterwards, according to Gullickson. Why? When you take this type of medication, your body produces a peptide that helps transport the medication into your bloodstream.

Apple juice, however, will prevent this peptide from being produced and prevent the medication from having an effect. In fact, it can make the medication up to 70 percent less effective when it comes to putting a stop to your symptoms. Gullickson also says apple juice can affect other medications that are absorbed using the same peptide, including antibiotics, asthma medications, and thyroid medications.

Cinnamon and Blood Thinners

If you’re taking a blood-thinning medication like warfarin, you might want to skip that morning bowl of cinnamon-dusted oatmeal, as delicious as it may be. Well, depending on what kind of cinnamon you have, that is. Cassia cinnamon is rich in a compound called coumarin that also acts as a blood-thinner, and it can lead to excessive bleeding when it’s mixed with a blood-thinning medication.

Eric Newman, M.D. of Baltimore’s Mercy Medical Center recommends that anyone taking this type of medication use only Ceylon cinnamon, which contains far less coumarin than cassia cinnamon. Ceylon cinnamon might be a little bit harder to find than cassia, but it’ll be worth the search if you just can’t give it up.

Grapefruit and Statins

Statins are a type of prescription drug that are typically used to lower cholesterol. They work by preventing your body from making cholesterol and helping the body to reabsorb what cholesterol it already has. For those who take two specific statins, Zocor and Lipitor, it’s important to avoiding eating grapefruit or drinking grapefruit juice.

Grapefruit contains furanocoumarin, a chemical compound that can prevent the body from absorbing statins, which means that they stay in your bloodstream longer. When this happens, it makes them less effective and can also cause side effects like digestive issues, liver damage, and high blood sugar levels.

Bananas and ACE Inhibitors

Angiotensin-converting-enzyme (ACE) inhibitors are a type of drug that treat certain heart conditions, mostly congestive heart failure and hypertension. These medications can cause an increase in your potassium levels, which can eventually cause someone to have an irregular heartbeat or develop heart palpitations. For anyone taking this type of medication, it’s important to avoid eating too many foods that are known to be high in potassium, one of the most common being bananas. Other foods to avoid include oranges, salt substitutes, sports drinks, and leafy greens.

Kale and Blood Thinners

We can understand why someone might want to add a daily kale smoothie into their diet, but make sure to have a talk with your doctor first if you use blood thinners. Kale is touted as the king of all superfoods, so you might not imagine that there are any downsides to eating it. However, anyone who takes blood-thinning warfarin should stick to romaine lettuce in their salads, because kale could make the medication less effective.

In addition to kale, foods like broccoli, Brussels sprouts, spinach, and cabbage contain large amounts of vitamin K, which can interact with warfarin and make it less effective at thinning the blood. Depending on your condition, this could lead to severe complications, including blood clots.

Walnuts and Thyroid Drugs

Walnuts are another great-for-you food that aren’t so great when mixed with certain thyroid medications. Walnuts are fairly high in fiber, which most people would consider to be a pretty great benefit. However, high-fiber foods can prevent your body from absorbing thyroid medications like levothyroxine, meaning that you’ll need more of the drug for it to be effective. Other high-fiber foods that can cause a similar effect include soy flour and cottonseed meal.

For those who need thyroid medications but aren’t too keen on changing their diets, studies suggest that the medications will be better absorbed if you take them before bed, rather than taking them in the morning before eating.

St. John’s Wort and Various Medications

Supplements can interact with different medications just as food and drinks can, and St. John’s Wort is one that can cause negative interactions with a few different substances. When mixed with certain antidepressants, migraine medications, and over-the-counter cough medications, St. John’s Wort can cause a dangerous condition called serotonin syndrome.

When it’s severe, serotonin syndrome can cause extreme symptoms including confusion, drastic changes in blood pressure, seizures, unconsciousness, and even death. Along with St. John’s Wort, it’s important to tell your doctor about any supplements you are taking before you begin taking a new medication to avoid any serious complications.

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Lifestyle

8 Things You Should Keep in Mind Before Getting LASIK Surgery

Post author By Jami Ganz
Post date December 20, 2016

Sure, most of us have heard of LASIK, and we know it has something to do with the eyes, but what is it really? What are the risks? Are you a candidate? Read ahead for some of what you should anticipate before jumping into LASIK—also, as with most medical procedures, it’s probably best to not just jump in.

What exactly is LASIK surgery?

First thing’s first, what does LASIK mean? Well, it’s an acronym, and it stands for laser-assisted in situ keratomileusis. To be fair, that probably doesn’t help clear up much of anything. FDA-approved near the end of the 20th century in 1998, LASIK is described by the American Academy of Ophthalmology (AAO) as “an outpatient refractive surgery procedure used to treat nearsightedness, farsightedness, and astigmatism.”

Astigmatism is defined by the AAO as “an imperfection in the curvature of your cornea”. There are two types of astigmatism—corneal and lenticular—though both result in “your vision for both near and far objects [appearing] blurry or distorted,” which the AAO equates to a fun house mirror.

Understandably, the procedure varies based on your reasoning for getting it. Basically, it utilizes a laser that will “reshape the cornea … to improve the way the eye focuses light rays onto the retina at the back of the eye.” Sounds like a piece of cake, right?

If you’re nearsighted, your cornea will need to be flattened, and if you’re farsighted, you’ll need your cornea to be steeper. It’s said to be able to rectify astigmatism through normalizing the shape of the cornea. One thing you shouldn’t count on LASIK fixing though, is “presbyopia, the age-related loss of close-up focusing power.”

According to the AAO, over 90 percent of LASIK patients are able to come away with vision that lands between 20/20 and 20/40 sans contacts or glasses. They stipulate that patients should also prepare in case they need a subsequent surgery, also known as an enhancement or retreatment, and that glasses might still be necessary for things like nighttime driving, as well as reading.

What makes a good candidate?

As with any surgery, there are certain factors that will determine whether or not the impending patient is truly a prime candidate for said procedure. If any of these apply to you, you might want to rethink LASIK: dry eye syndrome, thin corneas, keratoconus, or large pupil size. These are only a select few of the conditions listed, so be sure to check out the FDA’s own advice.

Insofar as dry eye is concerned, leaving it untreated before you get the surgery could affect your post-op results, though if “diagnosed and adequately treated before surgery, you will have the same chance of a successful outcome as a patient without pre-existing dry eye.” If your dry eye is severe though, you might want to rule out LASIK entirely. The risk for dry eye increases with age, particularly for post-menopausal women.

While thin corneas may render you a less-than-ideal candidate for LASIK, it doesn’t rule out the possibility of other similar surgeries. You can and should ensure that “the thickness of your cornea” is examined prior to any surgery.

Keratoconous, “a condition in which the clear tissue on the front of the eye (cornea) bulges outward,” is something that your doctor should ensure that you don’t have, prior to the procedure. It’s always better to take precaution, after all.

In terms of your pupil size, which will be determined during your pre-LASIK exam, a large pupil “has been thought to be a factor in undesirable side effects such as ‘glare’ and ‘halos.’” As it happens, “the relationship between pupil size in low light and these disturbing visual symptoms” isn’t entirely clear.

According to Paula Cofer, who underwent LASIK only to have her eyes forever changed—and not for the better—says she was never briefed about the issues she might later encounter, as she should have never ben a candidate, given her large pupils and propensity for severe dry eye. Back in 2010, a decade after her surgery, Cofer not only continued to endure “severe dry eyes and blurry vision,” but she noted that her eyes were always burning, and she even had to use a slew of products for them, such as eye rinses, drops, a mask to help with dry air, and more. She was also wearing goggles to help maintain moisture, which she said made her resemble a fly, and she called them “very unattractive.”

What sort of preparations should be made prior to surgery?

In addition to speaking with your doctor and ensuring you don’t have any of the aforementioned conditions, as well as the others listed in the links above, there are still plenty of things you should be doing to prepare yourself, some of which vary depending on whether you wear glasses or contacts. For the latter, you should “stop wearing them before your baseline evaluation and switch to wearing your glasses full-time.” Though how far in advance you should stop wearing them varies, based on the type of contacts you wear—soft, toric soft or RGP, or hard—as they can alter the shape of the cornea.

Make sure you disclose any medical or eye-related conditions to your doctor, regardless of whether the condition is a current or past one, as well as any medications you’re currently taking or could possibly be allergic to.

During an eye exam prior to your surgery, ensure that your doctor covers “the risks, benefits, and alternatives of the surgery,” what to anticipate, what sort of candidate you are, and “what your responsibilities will be before, during, and after surgery.” Don’t forget to ask any and all questions you have regarding the surgery so you can make an educated decision about how to proceed.

The day before your surgery is scheduled, the FDA recommends that you stop using perfumes and cosmetics, as well as lotions and creams, as any of these could pose an increased risk regarding possible infections.

You should ensure you have a ride to and from the procedure, as well as to your first post-op visit. Aside from possible blurry vision, the medicine you’ll have “impairs your ability to drive.”

What can be expected during the procedure?

Referred to by the American Refractive Surgery Council (ARSC) as “quick and virtually painless,” a LASIK procedure should actually only take up about a half hour of your time, says the FDA, if not less. It sounds like a pretty comfortable setup, especially for a doctor’s office, as you get to lie down in a reclining chair.

The procedure begins with a topical anesthetic, says the AAO, and that’s meant to numb the eye, after which the area surrounding your eye is going to be cleaned. Just like those tools the dentist uses to keep your mouth wide open, something similar will occur here with your eyes. Get ready for the lid speculum.

If you want to read a more detailed and in-depth description of what exactly the procedure entails, the FDA provides a description on their site, as does the AAO. One thing you should be aware of is that you won’t need stitches after, but you will need to use some sort of shield to protect your eye. This will “prevent you from rubbing your eye and putting pressure on your eye while you sleep, and to protect your eye from accidentally being hit or poked.” This is something you will need to continue wearing until you’re all healed.

According to the ARSC, given the technological developments since LASIK was first approved, there are additional technologies now used in the procedure. Excimer lasers, whether wavefront-guided or optimized, are one such example, as is 3D digital mapping of your eye. The ARSC points out that these help to increase the safety and accuracy to patients, “enabling surgeons to customize procedures for the patient and better visual outcomes.”

What other normal activities should be avoided, when can they be resumed, and are there other things to watch out for?

If you’re used to an active lifestyle, LASIK might pose a bit of a problem for you. Granted, for non-contact sports, it’s only advised that you wait one to three days after your operation to resume these—though it’s dependent “on the amount of activity required, how you feel, and your doctor’s instructions.” For contact sports, it’s not quite so lenient, as you should not be participating in any of these for a minimum of four weeks following your procedure. These sports include, but are not limited to, karate, boxing, and football.

Regarding the creams, lotions, and other cosmetics that you were supposed to stop using prior to getting LASIK, you shouldn’t resume using them just yet. In fact, the FDA suggests that, “To prevent infection, you may need to wait for up to two weeks after surgery or until your doctor advises you otherwise.”

Be aware that your vision is prone to changing over the course of the months following your operation. For instance, it could take “three to six months for your vision to stabilize after surgery,” which sounds like a lot if you’re not prepared, but this is why you should know all the facts going in. During these months, it’s possible that symptoms such as “glare, haloes, difficulty driving at night, and other visual symptoms may also persist.” If you do happen to need enhancement, you’re advised to “wait until your eye measurements are consistent for two consecutive visits at least 3 months apart before re-operation.”

While distance-related vision has the propensity to improve after a subsequent operation, glare or haloes likely won’t, so keep that in mind. No matter what, if you find yourself having new or unusual symptoms, or anything is, again, turning worse rather than better, reach out to your doctor right away.

Are there alternative procedures? If so, what?

As mentioned above, it’s possible that you might have some underlying conditions that would mean you’re not a prime candidate for LASIK. Don’t give up hope though, there are other refractive surgeries you might be eligible for. One such procedure is called Wavefront-Guided LASIK, in which “computer imaging technology creates a very detailed three-dimensional ‘map’ of the patient’s cornea that looks a bit like a miniature mountain range. …Wavefront technology can measure very subtle abnormalities in the surface of the cornea, enabling wavefront-guided LASIK to achieve vision correction beyond what is possible with glasses or conventional LASIK.” This type of operation has, according to studies, also proved to “reduce side effects, such as problems with night vision and contrast sensitivity (the ability to clearly see objects against a background, such as black letters on a white page), and also to increase the percentage of patients who achieve 20/20 vision.”

Photo refractive keratectomy, also known as PRK, is another alternative, utilizing an excimer laser, as LASIK does. According to the AAO, the results for a patient’s vision correction are pretty comparable, though PRK doesn’t have anything to do with a flap. Apparently, it can take “a few days before vision stabilizes for PRK patients.” There’s also wavefront-guided PRK, though, as, “the FDA approval process has not yet taken place … wavefront-guided PRK is considered an ‘off-label’ use of the technology.”

Other options include LASEK and EpiLasik; in both procedures, the epithelial layer tends to take around four days to heal. Alternative surgeries you might prefer include Conductive Keratoplasty (CK), Phakic Intraocular Lenses, also known as IOLs, and Refractive Lens Exchange, also referred to as Clear Lens Extraction.

What are the extreme risks?

In addition to the risks mentioned above, you should be wary of both undercorrections and overcorrections, according to the Mayo Clinic. Undercorrections occur when “the laser removes too little tissue from your eye.” This then results in your post-op vision not being as clear as you might have been aiming for, though this is a more prevalent issue with nearsighted patients. If this occurs, you could need one of those enhancement surgeries previously noted, to get the rest of the necessary tissue. As with many things though, “Less is,” as the old adage says, “More.” In this sense, it’s much less of a hassle to be saddled with undercorrections than overcorrections—“a complication of refractive surgery where the achieved amount of correction is more than desired,” as defined by the FDA. As the Mayo Clinic says, this “may be more difficult to fix than undercorrections,” as it means too much tissue was removed.

You also run the risk of eventually regressing back to your “pre-surgery vision,” which, according to the Mayo Clinic, could occur because of “abnormal wound healing, hormonal imbalances or pregnancy.”

Oh, and remember when we told you LASIK can sometimes help your Astigmatism? Well, it can also cause it, if there’s “uneven tissue removal. It may require additional surgery, glasses or contact lenses.” That sort of defeats the purpose, doesn’t it?

You might also recall us mentioning that people with severe dry
eye probably shouldn’t get the procedure. Well, the Mayo Clinic says that, “LASIK causes a temporary decrease in tear production.” If this is the case, you’re able to get an additional “procedure to get special plugs to put in your tear ducts to prevent your tears from draining away from the surface of your eyes.”

Remember, these aren’t the only risks, you can check out this link for more information.

What should you ask your doctor?

As is emphasized throughout this piece, there are certain things you and your doctor really need to go over before you decide to get LASIK. You should, as a precaution, ask these regardless of which refractive surgery piques your interest. Here are some of the things you should be asking, based on points made above.

Ask about the range in which your refractive error falls, and if it’s “within the approved range,” as “LASIK is approved by the FDA to treat certain degrees of nearsightedness, farsightedness and certain types and degrees of astigmatism, alone or in combination with near- or farsightedness.” As AAO says, if your refractive error is severe, it “reduces the chance of success and increases the chance that pretreatment may be needed.”

Ask if your current age and “life-stage” are ideal for you to undergo the procedure. Ask if, over the past 12 months or so, your eyes have constituted as “relatively stable,” which can be proven by your glasses and contact prescription. Inquire if and how LASIK will fit into your lifestyle. You should ask your doctor what retreatment could consist of, should you get it. Make sure you ask how other health conditions—be they related to your eyes or not—could affect your eligibility for LASIK, and whether they need to be taken care of prior to the procedure. Some of these could be diabetes, glaucoma, and autoimmune diseases.

Don’t forget to ask about the cost of the surgery and anything related to it, like subsequent treatments—should you need any of that.

Of course, these questions aren’t the only ones you should be asking, but they are a good place to start.

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Lifestyle

15 Things Doctors Wish Men Actually Knew

Post author By Mary Pimmel-Freeman
Post date December 19, 2016

You’re not the only guy that doesn’t like going to the doctor. Visiting the doctor was easy when you were a kid. Your parents set up your appointment, drove you to the doctor, and gave you a treat if you got a shot. Now the responsibility is all on your shoulders, and if you’re being totally honest, you miss the days you could get chauffeured to the pediatrician. Many men have a hard time visiting the doctor. Men admit to being too busy, feeling afraid of what a doctor might tell them, and wanting to avoid being naked in front of a stranger at all costs. While these feelings are understandable, they can have serious consequences for your health. Read on to learn what doctors wish men knew, and see if you aren’t convinced to finally schedule that appointment.

1. Your doctor isn’t going to judge you.

Assuming this isn’t your doctor’s first year out of medical school, he’s likely already seen a lot. Whatever you’re going to tell him (or show him) probably isn’t going to surprise him. Whether it’s been a long time since your last checkup, or you eat too many cheeseburgers, or you have one too many drinks for time to time, your doctor isn’t going to judge you. Your doctor just wants what’s best for you. His job is to work with you so that you can be at your best health.

2. You should go to the doctor even if you feel healthy.

Even if you take great care of yourself, you should still see a doctor for regular check-ups. Getting regular physicals gives your doctor a good knowledge of where your healthy baseline is. If you have problems in the future, you and your doctor will both know how your body functions when it is healthy. Your doctor can also give you tips if you want to try to become even healthier. Exams can also reveal problems that may be hidden. Ana Fadich, MPH, the vice president of the Men’s Health Network explains, “You could have an accumulation of plaque that could lead to a heart attack or stroke. …You could have high cholesterol and not know about it. There are people who are vegan who have high cholesterol because it runs in their family.” You might find out nothing is wrong, but it’s better to be safe than sorry.

3. Don’t wait for an emergency to see your doctor.

When we get sick, most of us just hope our body will eventually heal itself. While this sometimes happen, there are times when you need to see a doctor to get better. You may have had a cough for a few weeks and assume you just have a virus, but you could have something more serious like pneumonia. Waiting until your problem has gotten out of control will make it that much harder for a doctor to treat you when you finally go in for a visit. Regular check-ups can help doctors catch problems before they become major issues. Building a relationship with your doctor will also make it less scary to call when you get sick in between physicals.

4. You’re not alone in fearing bad news.

When people think something is wrong with them, they have a tendency to procrastinate calling their doctor. It’s not that they want their problem to get worse, they’re just afraid of what the doctor is going to tell them. While it might be easier not knowing what’s happening in your body, ignorance doesn’t make the problem magically go away. The longer you put off getting checked out, the worse your issue can get. If you’re in this situation, call your doctor and get some answers.

5. Doctors know what you’re going through.

Dr. Jamin Brahmbhatt and Dr. Sijo Parekattil are the founders of the Orlando Health’s Personalized Urology & Robotics Clinic. They are men’s health activists, and they took a trip around the country to encourage men to prioritize their health. Brahmbhatt says that he understands why men are reluctant to see their doctor. He doesn’t look forward to having a rectal exam done either. Since he gets his health care at the hospital where he works, he also gets nervous about being naked in front of a colleague. He spoke with the Huffington Post about how doctors can relate to the apprehension of their patients. He said, “You’re getting some of the most sensitive parts of your body examined. But we, as physicians, are very [aware] about the sensitivity in some of these private organs, so we’re not out to hurt you.”

6. Visiting a doctor can challenge gender norms.

In our society, men are supposed to be strong and impervious to weakness. You’re not supposed to be vulnerable, and there are few things more exposing than asking for help from a doctor when you’re wearing a paper-thin hospital gown. Professor Glenn Good teaches at the University of Florida and studies masculinity and male psychology. He says, “Going to a physician involves a couple of things that may feel uncomfortable for men. They don’t want to ask for directions and they don’t want to have to consult an expert about something that they know less about.”

Even though women are supposed to be the ones who struggle with their body image, many men also feel self-conscious about their weight and their appearance. This might be enough for some men to put off a doctor’s appointment. Good says that it can be good to think about strength in a different way. “The metaphor of a tree is a helpful one,” he said. “A truly strong tree can flex and bend in the wind, but a tree that is really rigid and stiff is more likely to get snapped.” If you can adapt your idea of strength to include getting naked at the doctor’s office without being totally terrified, you’ll be well on your way to better health.

7. Routine check-ups can save your life.

Dr. Brahmbhatt has seen this first hand. He had a patient who was a firefighter. The man was in great shape and exercised regularly. The man found a bump on his testicle, but like many people would do in his situation, he hoped it would go away if he just ignored it. When the man visited Brahmbhatt, he was told that he had testicular cancer. “If he had waited another six months or a year, it would have definitely spread to the rest of his body,” Brahmbhatt said. This is just one example of how regular visits to your doctor are necessary for optimal health.

8. Good health care is about teamwork.

Good health care depends on a strong doctor and patient partnership. Being open and honest with your doctor will help him give you the best care he can provide. He can’t treat you for something if he doesn’t know about it. This is why it doesn’t help to hide things out of embarrassment. Give truthful answers if your health assessment, and if you’re experiencing pain or are having problems, let your doctor know. Remember that you don’t have to handle everything by yourself. But because health care is a partnership between you and your doctor, you also have a responsibility to be forthcoming and to follow through on recommendations your doctor gives you. If your doctor suggests cutting back on red meat or trying to exercise more often, it’s in your own best interest to listen to what he says.

9. It helps to know your health history.

Obviously, doctors don’t expect you to know the exact date of every cold and virus you’ve ever had. But it helps them to know what you’ve experienced in your life. They’ll likely ask you if you’ve had any surgeries or major operations. They’ll also ask you about chronic conditions and what prescriptions you take (if any). Doctors recommend eventually keeping track of your medical records including copies of x-rays, pathology and operative reports, and medication lists with information about why and when you take them. This will help you stay “health literate” and be an expert of your own health.

10. An STI test isn’t a once in a lifetime thing.

Every sexually active person should be tested for sexually transmitted diseases. Doctors also recommend being retested every time you have sexual relations with a new partner. This is a health precaution but is also pretty logical. If you have contracted an STI since your last test, chances are your most recent partner infected you. This saves you the awkwardness of calling all of your past sexual partners to let them know about your STI test results. One last thing: if you have male sex partners, you could be at a higher risk of contracting HIV and other STIs. Even more reason to see your doctor regularly.

11. Watching TV (or searching the internet) doesn’t substitute for seeing a real doctor.

Don’t believe everything you hear on TV. Doctors wish their patients knew how to decipher between facts and exaggerated promises made in “direct-to-consumer” ads. Reading WebMD and listening to self-proclaimed health experts like Dr. Oz does not give you the ability to diagnose yourself. There is a reason websites and TV shows come with so many disclaimers. They are not evaluating you as an individual, so they can’t compare to the real examination your doctor can provide.

12. Know the recommendations for special health screenings.

Your doctor can tell you when you will need to be screened for certain diseases and conditions. There are age recommendations for when screenings are typically done, but based on your family history and other factors, your doctor may wish for you to have your screenings done earlier. Prostate exams begin at age 50, but black men should get screenings done at 45 if they’ve had a close relative diagnosed with prostate cancer younger than 65. Most men between 18 and 39 should have a blood pressure screening every two years, but some men may need an annual check. Men above 45 need to have a diabetes screening every three years. This test may start earlier for men who are overweight. Cholesterol and heart disease screenings begin at 35 and occur every five years. Finally, colon cancer screenings begin at age 50 and continue every five to 10 years until you turn 75. Get in the habit of tracking your screenings now, then when you’re in your fifties, you won’t get scheduled for annual colonoscopies accidentally.

13. Don’t forget about mental health.

Many men are raised to not talk about their feelings or to show certain emotions. But studies show that about 30 percent of men admit to having experienced depression. If you think you may be depressed or are experiencing another mental health issue, speak to your doctor. Sharing your feelings, no matter how hard it may be, could save your life. Suicide is the seventh leading cause of death for men, and men are four times more likely to commit suicide than women. Even if you don’t feel that you are at this point, talking with your doctor may help you feel better.

14. Seeing the doctor when you’re young can help create healthy habits.

Seeing the doctor for routine check-ups when you’re in your twenties will give you opportunities to learn about creating lifelong healthy habits. Your doctor can give you information about how to achieve your best health and lower your risk for certain diseases. Heart disease is the number one cause of death in men and women, but certain habits can prevent people from getting the disease in the first place. Eating healthy foods, eating in moderation, exercising, not smoking, reducing sodium intake, and drinking alcohol in moderation are all way to keep heart disease at bay. See your doctor when you’re young so you’re not trying to cover lost ground after having something like a heart attack when you’re older.

15. This is the only body you get.

Like we said, there’s no reason to be embarrassed about your body, your habits, or your lack of visits to the doctor. If you haven’t seen your doctor for a while or haven’t even established with a doctor as an adult, now is the time to do it. “You can’t go rent another body and you can’t go use someone else’s body,” says Brahmbhatt. “It’s all you have, so why not take good care of it as you do everything outside your body that has a price tag?”

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