The Cost Of Your Sleepless Nights: $2,280 A Year

Here's a wake-up call for workers everywhere: Your sleepless nights are costing you. And we're not just talking about that $19.95 you spent on the perfect meatloaf pan at 2 a.m.

The average American employee loses about 11.3 days of productivity per year due to insomnia, according to a new study in the journal Sleep. When converted to cash, that's about $2,280. And spread across the national workforce, that adds up to 252.7 days and $63.2 billion down the tubes. The staggering numbers are based on a survey of 7,500 of us working stiffs.

Snooze Like A Baby

But most of these costs aren't due to sleepyheads skipping work, says Donna Arand, Ph.D., of the Sleep Disorders Centers at Kettering Hospital in Dayton, Ohio. "People with insomnia don't miss work more than others. They're there, but they're not fully engaged with what they're doing," she says. (Confession: As the creators of the 101 Hottest Women of 2011 photo gallery, we rarely have this problem.)

So, what's a guy to do the day after he's tossed and turned? Try these tips for perking up in the office from Craig Schwimmer, MD, M.P.H., F.A.C.S., medical director of The Snoring Center in Dallas.

Sleep Better For More Energy

Salute the sun: Making sure you're exposed to sunlight in the morning will reinforce your natural biological rhythms, Schwimmer says. After all, you're supposed to be awake now, even if you didn't get enough rest last night.

Get your blood flowing: Do a light workout before your commute. And we mean light—think 10 to 15 minutes of brisk walking, not a 10-mile run. It's stimulating enough to increase sympathetic activity, the part of your nervous system that controls your internal organs,  says Schwimmer. "This elevates alertness and preparedness for action."

Resist sugar: That Snickers bar might fire you up for a few minutes. But when your body produces extra insulin in response, you'll feel a rebound crash, the effects of which are amplified if you're low on sleep. Instead, eat small meals rich in protein and complex carbohydrates, like these 5 perfect snacks.

Power nap: Take a 15-minute snooze during your lunch break. "If you are sleep-deprived, getting some sleep—even small amounts—typically improves psychomotor performance, mental functioning, and job performance," Schwimmer says.

If you have trouble sleeping for more than a few weeks or if insomnia is making your life difficult, it's time to talk to your M.D., Arand says. Your doc might recommend medication, counseling, or even alternative treatments like acupuncture.

How Dangerous Is Your Child's Car Seat?

Crushed Cheerios, crumbs, pacifiers, toys, socks…they're all things you commonly find in the cracks of your child's car seat. Add to that list lead, flame retardants, and toxic plastics. HealthyStuff.org, a project of the Michigan-based Ecology Center, has released the results of its 2011 car seat tests, and found that many of the seats contained varying levels of those unhealthy chemicals. On the up side, they found that many did not—and that no matter what car seats you have for your children, there are ways to protect them from toxic chemical exposure.

The details: The Ecology Center's scientists purchased 150 2011-model infant, convertible, and booster car seats from various retailers in Michigan, where the Center is located. The seats were tested for levels of lead, which is sometimes used as an additive in plastics; chlorine, which indicates the presence of PVC, or vinyl, (a toxic plastic that contains hormone-disrupting phthalates) and bromine, a sign that the car-seat companies are using neurotoxic brominated flame retardants. (Chlorine is also used in certain flame retardants whose safety is highly suspect.) The scientists also tested for a variety of metals that can trigger allergies or cause cancer and other health problems: antimony, arsenic, chromium, cobalt, copper, mercury, nickel, and tin.

Is Your Baby Breathing Flame-Retardant Chemicals?

The good news is that 40 percent of the products tested didn't contain any of the chemicals above, a marked improvement over the 2008 and 2009 tests, says Rebecca Meuninck, environmental health campaign director at The Ecology Center. And the levels of brominated flame retardants fell 18 percent from previous test levels. "But the fact that 60 percent of the car seats contained at least one of the chemicals we tested for is disconcerting," says Meuninck. Those flame retardants were the most commonly detected chemical, cropping up in 44 percent of the car seats.

More good news: Price didn't seem to be a determinant in the level of chemicals found. "In some cases, the lower-priced seats turned out to have low levels or no chemicals, whereas some of the higher priced seats had high levels," she says.

Overall, the seats with the lowest levels of chemicals were:

• Infant Seat: Chicco KeyFit 30 in Limonata, Graco Snugride 35 in Laguna Bay, and Combi Shuttle 33 in Cranberry Noche

• Convertible Carseat: Graco Comfort Sport in Caleo, Graco MyRide 65 in Chandler and Streamer, Safety 1st OnSide Air in Clearwater, and Graco Nautilus Elite 3-in-1 in Gabe

• Booster Seat: Graco Turbo Booster in Anders


The seats with the highest levels were:

• Infant Seat: Graco Snugride 35 in Edgemont Red/Black and Graco SnugRide 30 in Asprey

• Convertible Seat: Britax Marathon 70 in Jet Set and Britax Marathon in Platinum

• Booster Seat: Recaro Pro Booster in Blue Opal and Recaro ProSPORT Toddler in Mist

Study: Car Seat Mistakes Cause Injuries


What it means: Meuninck stresses that these results don't in any way mean you shouldn't keep your baby in a car seat. But considering that babies can spend a lot of time in their car seats, they're potentially being exposed to a lot of chemicals that can interfere with their developing lungs, brains, and reproductive systems. As part of the report, the Ecology Center launched a petition asking Graco and Evenflo, the two largest car-seat manufacturers, to remove harmful brominated flame retardants from their car seats.

"For parents, this can be incredibly overwhelming, so one thing we want to tell folks is that there are some ways to reduce exposure," Meuninck says.

• Don't let your baby nap in the car seat. An hour or two napping in a car seat is an hour or two of exposure to chemical-laden dust, and it could pose a breathing risk for your baby, anyway. A small 2006 study in the British Medical Journal of nine babies found that the upright sleeping position that infant car seats impose puts them at risk for obstructed airways. Infants don't have good head control, and the doctors who authored the study noted that if their heads slump forward while napping, it could narrow their upper airways and cause breathing problems. If they're not actually being driven somewhere, take them out of the seat.

• Hold your baby! Along those same lines, it's not a good idea to use the car seat as an all-purpose carryall. And not just because of chemical exposure. According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, there's been an increase in something called "positional skull deformities," or, simply put, flat spots on infants' skulls, which they attribute to babies' spending too much time in car seats, infant carriers, and other devices that put pressure on the back of a baby's skull. In most cases, these deformities disappear once a baby starts sitting upright, but the Academy still recommends that babies don't sleep or spend much time in car seats. Try a sling or a baby carrier instead, both of which can be found in flame-retardant-free organic cotton.

• Vacuum your car. "Under heat and UV light, the chemicals in car seats can break down and migrate out," says Meuninck. So treat your car the way you treat your house: Vacuum it frequently with a HEPA-filtered vacuum and damp-mop the hard surfaces to limit dust exposure, and do the same with the actual car seat. Doing so protects parents, too: Flame retardants, which are found in high levels of car dust, according to past HealthyStuff.org tests, can cause thyroid problems in adults.

• Find (or create) shade. To keep UV and heat from breaking the chemicals down even faster, park in the shade or under some form of cover as often as you can. And consider investing in some (legal) window films or shades that limit solar heat gain but don't impair a driver's visibility.

5 Bright Ideas for Coping with Darker Days

Does winter get you down? Plenty of people suffer mood changes ranging from mild "winter doldrums" to full-blown seasonal affective disorder (aptly acronymed SAD), all due to the decrease in daylight that occurs in fall and winter and the hormonal changes that coincide with it.

"SAD is a serious condition—a subtype of major depressive disorder in which life can be severely compromised by fatigue, low mood, anxiety, reduced sex drive, and more," says psychologist and SAD specialist Michael Terman, PhD, director of the Center for Light Treatment and Biological Rhythms at New York–Presbyterian Hospital in New York City. "But SAD is really just the tip of the iceberg," he adds. Far more of us experience similar but less intense symptoms, becoming just short of clinically depressed. And that's just, well, sad.

Why Is Antidepressants Use On The Rise?

Light therapy for SAD, and other tactics, will combat both general seasonal sadness as well as full-blown disorder, Terman says. Here's what you can do:

1 Stop hitting the snooze button. That is, try your best to keep to the same sleep hours on workdays and weekends. "Oversleeping, even if only on weekends, allows your circadian rhythms [your internal body clock] to drift later, out of sync with local time," says Terman. "And that can trigger the lethargy and low mood associated with winter."

2 Eat at the same time every day—And no later than 8 p.m. for dinner (to avoid interfering with your sleep). "Just as with light, our biological clocks respond to meal timing," says Terman, "and consistency is the name of the game."

How To Eat To Defeat Depression

3 Schedule some outside time. Light therapy for SAD or milder mood problems begins outdoors. If your schedule allows it, make a point to exercise outdside, after the sun is up. "Less exposure to natural light is at the root of the winter doldrums," says Terman. "By working out in daylight, you're getting more light than you otherwise might and you're fighting depression with aerobic exercise." When your schedule precludes outdoor time, gym workouts can still make depression less likely. Make sure you work out at the same time most days, says Terman, and avoid working out in the late evening hours before sleep.

4 Let there be light. To counter the season's reduction in light, create it—by purchasing a light-therapy box (a box that emits bright light that mimics natural outdoor light, which is more intense than normal household lighting). "By my estimate," says Terman, "half the U.S. population would benefit by using a light box for 30 minutes before work [light therapy can cause insomnia if performed late in the day]. It's just a highly convenient and effective breakfast-table routine." By the time you're done with your eggs and the paper, he says, you'll likely have received enough light therapy to prevent any mood shifts and stay energetic throughout the day.

The trick is to opt for the best box. "Light boxes come in all shapes and sizes, and with many uncontrolled properties, so the choice of device is very important," says Terman. He recommends light boxes that have been clinically tested and provide a broad field of illumination from above the line of sight. Also, UV radiation should be filtered out, and the light should be smoothly diffused, to eliminate glaring bright spots.

5 Win the battle of the bulb. To a lesser extent, indoor light can also help combat the doldrums. But you don't need full-spectrum light bulbs, which can cost more than 10 times their non-full-spectrum cousins. "At the intensity needed to achieve an energizing/antidepressant effect, full-spectrum lighting is glaring and uncomfortable and it's no more effective than regular indoor light, at an appropriate intensity, at easing winter symptoms," Terman says. Instead of scouring the aisles for full-spectrum bulbs, Terman suggests choose light bulbs based on color temperature ratings. "A color temperature around 4100 Kelvin is ideal," Terman says. "Higher color temperatures of 5500 Kelvin and above should be avoided."

Still feeling blue, despite actively trying to lighten your days? You may have clinically significant depression. To get an objective assessment of where you fall on the seasonal-depression spectrum, check out the Center for Environmental Therapeutics' Personal Inventory for Depression and SAD—an online symptom self-assessment at www.cet.org. And, of course, consult your doctor.

Is Retinol As Good As Everyone Says?

Retinol, retinol, retinol. It's all dermatologists talk about; it's all I read about; sometimes I feel like it's all I write about. Well, to be clear, I'm actually referring to retinoids, an entire class of compounds chemically related to vitamin A that includes the subcategory of retinol. But my point is the same: If you want to look younger, everyone suggests retinoids as a fix.

Last week, however, I listened in on a very frank discussion between two top dermatologists, and one of them actually brought up a downside of using retinoids, one I've recently become aware of myself: Some docs think retinoids can actually contribute to the appearance of telangiectasias (the dilated superficial blood vessels that look like squiggly red lines on your face). I haven't been able to find proof of this in any clinical studies, but I can say from experience that I never had telangiectasias until I started using a retinoid.

Beauty Treatments for Better Skin

That's why I'm intrigued by a new line of anti-aging products from laser specialist and dermatologist Eric Bernstein, MD. Instead of creating products with the industry standard retinol, which many women actually find to be irritating, Dr. Bernstein packed his LaseResults line with citric acid (an AHA that's also an antioxidant), resveratrol (another antioxidant), and peptides that help repair skin damage.

"I didn't use retinol because I think the AHAs work better, much better—and the clinicals bear this out in my opinion," Dr. Bernstein says. For example, in a blind clinical study, after only two weeks of using the LaseResults PM Focused Repair Lotion, 100% of subjects showed improvement in skin firmness and 71% showed improvement in skin tone. After 4 weeks of use, 100% of subjects showed a reduction in pore size, 87% showed improvement in skin clarity, and 86% showed improvement of fine lines and wrinkles. From that evidence, it seems like LaseResults may just give retinol a run for its money!

Simple Steps to Repair Damaged Hair

One of the many great things about summer is that its casual vibe allows you to wash and go, giving your hair a much-needed break from abusive heat styling. But when winter returns, most women bust out the hair dryer and flattening iron. "You're more likely to load up on treatments such as hair coloring and chemical straightening in the winter months—especially around the holidays," says Los Angeles–based hairstylist Michael Shaun Corby. Following are the two most common types of damage and simple steps for nursing your mane back to health.

Chemical Damage
Too many chemical treatments, like highlights and hair straightening, sap strands of natural moisture, leaving them dull and brittle. "Chemicals penetrate into the hair and eat away at the protective lipid layer, which is what keeps your locks nourished and glossy," says Emily Overton, a principal scientist for Procter & Gamble.

How Healthy Is Your Hair?

How to heal:  Do a steam treatment once a week to help open the cuticles and let your conditioner really seep in to rehab your hair, says New York City colorist Rita Hazan. Here's how: After shampooing, apply a deep conditioner with protein and essential fatty acids to wet hair. Try Living Proof Restore Mask Treatment ($42, at Sephora). Microwave a big bowl of water for three minutes, then put on rubber cleaning gloves to prevent your hands from getting burned. Quickly dunk a medium-size towel into the bowl, wring out excess water, let it cool for a few seconds, and then wrap it turban-style around your hair. After five minutes, rinse.


Heat Damage
Hot tools such as hair dryers and curling irons fry off your hair's cuticles, the first line of defense against dryness, leaving the cortex exposed. The parched cortex is left no choice but to soak up moisture from the air to compensate, causing frizz. And if you continue using hot tools on damaged hair, it will become even more brittle and eventually break off completely, warns Overton.

Repair Your Hair

How to heal:  Prior to blow-drying, towel-dry hair (pat, don't rub) and spritz on a heat protectant with panthenol—it will help evenly distribute heat, and coat and condition areas that are already damaged and weak, says Overton. Try Pantene Pro-V Medium-Thick Style Heat Protection & Shine Spray ($6, at drugstores).
Then use a dryer with a powerful airflow, which reduces styling time and minimizes heat exposure, and a nozzle attachment to create a safe distance between your hair and the dryer's piping-hot metal coil. Try Remington Fast Finish Hair Dryer ($28, at Target).

If you flatiron, go over each section just once, and turn down the heat. Corby says 360°F is enough for fine hair; use 410°F for thicker strands.

What Are the Best Hair Products For You?


10-Second Healthy-Hair Test
Pluck a strand from your head and drop it into an eight-ounce cup of water. The faster and deeper it sinks, the less protein and moisture it has. If your hair floats, it's healthy.

Tanning Beds May Be Even Riskier Than Thought

New research published online Oct. 6 in the Journal of Investigative Dermatology suggests that the main type of ultraviolet rays used in tanning beds -- UVA1 -- may penetrate to a deep layer of skin that is most vulnerable to the cancer-causing changes caused by UV rays.
The new study comes as the U.S. Food and Drug Administration considers banning the use of tanning beds among children under 18. The American Academy of Pediatrics is on record that it supports such a ban.
In the study, 12 volunteers were exposed to UVA1 and UVB rays on their buttocks. (One difference in the waves is length: UVB waves are shorter.)
The UVA1 was more damaging to the skin's basal layer then the UVB light. The UVA1 induced a type of lesion called thymine dimers on the deeper basal layers of the skin. UVB radiation caused more of these lesions, but they did not go as deep, and thus may be less likely to cause the changes linked to skin cancers.
"The doses we used were comparable for erythema -- sunburn -- for UVA and UVB. That would be roughly equivalent to the doses needed for tanning in each spectrum," said study co-author Antony R. Young, a professor at the St. John's Institute of Dermatology at King's College School of Medicine in London.
"Indoor tanning is like smoking for your skin," said Dr. Doris Day, a dermatologist at Lenox Hill Hospital in New York City. "It's the single worst thing you can do in terms of skin cancer and premature aging."
Many indoor tanning salons advertise that tanning beds can help boost the body's production of vitamin D, known as the sunshine vitamin because skin makes it when exposed to the sun's rays. "This is nonsense and an excuse," Day said. "We know people burn in tanning beds and that UVA and UVB are toxic."
Teens are particularly vulnerable, she said. "They are immortal in their mind, and skin cancer and aging seem a long ways away." Melanoma, a potentially fatal form of skin cancer, "is not an old person's disease," she said. The new study provides "a little bit more muscle in helping to warn people about the dangers of tanning, but an FDA ban is what we need," she added.
"I do think there should be legislation on sunbed use under 18 years of age," said Young, who added that such use is already prohibited in England.
John Overstreet, executive director of the Indoor Tanning Association, a Washington, D.C.-based trade group representing the industry, said that if there was science to back up many of these claims, the FDA would have acted by now. The agency has been mulling these claims since March 2010, he noted.
What's more, the new study is about ultraviolet radiation, not tanning beds, he said. "Tanning beds have the same ratio of UV waves as the sun. UVA-1 is the primary wave length emitted by the sun, too," he said. "The sun and indoor tanning pose the same risks and benefits if you don't burn. There is no science that shows non-burning exposure to sun or a sun lamp causes cancer."
Dr. Heidi A. Waldorf, director of Laser and Cosmetic Dermatology at Mount Sinai Hospital in New York City, said that the new study adds to the body of evidence about the damaging effects of the sun's rays. "This finding fits with our understanding of UVA as the deeper penetrating 'aging' rays," she said. "The data is important as we discuss regulatory changes in the labeling of broad-spectrum sun protection products and as we educate patients, particularly young women, about the dangers of indoor UVA tanning beds."
The FDA now requires sunscreens to have a minimum sun protection factor (SPF) of 15 and be labeled as broad spectrum to show that that protect against both UVA and UVB waves.

Diabetes Treatment

The immediate goals are to treat diabetic ketoacidosis and high blood glucose levels. Because type 1 diabetes can start suddenly and have severe symptoms, people who are newly diagnosed may need to go to the hospital.
The long-term goals of treatment are to:

• Prolong life
• Reduce symptoms
• Prevent diabetes-related complications such as blindness, heart disease, kidney failure, and amputation of limbs

These goals are accomplished through:

• Blood pressure and cholesterol control
• Careful self testing of blood glucose levels
• Education
• Exercise
• Foot care
• Meal planning and weight control
• Medication or insulin use

There is no cure for diabetes. Treatment involves medicines, diet, and exercise to control blood sugar and prevent symptoms.
LEARN THESE SKILLS
Basic diabetes management skills will help prevent the need for emergency care. These skills include:

• How to recognize and treat low blood sugar (hypoglycemia) and high blood sugar (hyperglycemia)
• What to eat and when
• How to take insulin or oral medication
• How to test and record blood glucose
• How to test urine for ketones (type 1 diabetes only)
• How to adjust insulin or food intake when changing exercise and eating habits
• How to handle sick days
• Where to buy diabetes supplies and how to store them

After you learn the basics of diabetes care, learn how the disease can cause long-term health problems and the best ways to prevent these problems. Review and update your knowledge, because new research and improved ways to treat diabetes are constantly being developed.
SELF-TESTING
If you have diabetes, your doctor may tell you to regularly check your blood sugar levels at home. There are a number of devices available, and they use only a drop of blood. Self-monitoring tells you how well diet, medication, and exercise are working together to control your diabetes. It can help your doctor prevent complications.
The American Diabetes Association recommends keeping blood sugar levels in the range of:

• 80 - 120 mg/dL before meals
• 100 - 140 mg/dL at bedtime

Your doctor may adjust this depending on your circumstances.
WHAT TO EAT
You should work closely with your health care provider to learn how much fat, protein, and carbohydrates you need in your diet. A registered dietician can help you plan your dietary needs.
People with type 1 diabetes should eat at about the same times each day and try to be consistent with the types of food they choose. This helps to prevent blood sugar from becoming extremely high or low.
People with type 2 diabetes should follow a well-balanced and low-fat diet.
See: Diabetes diet
HOW TO TAKE MEDICATION
Medications to treat diabetes include insulin and glucose-lowering pills called oral hypoglycemic drugs.
People with type 1 diabetes cannot make their own insulin. They need daily insulin injections. Insulin does not come in pill form. Injections are generally needed one to four times per day. Some people use an insulin pump. It is worn at all times and delivers a steady flow of insulin throughout the day. Other people may use inhaled insulin. See also: Type 1 diabetes
Unlike type 1 diabetes, type 2 diabetes may respond to treatment with exercise, diet, and medicines taken by mouth. There are several types of medicines used to lower blood glucose in type 2 diabetes. See also: Type 2 diabetes
Medications may be switched to insulin during pregnancy and while breastfeeding.
Gestational diabetes may be treated with exercise and changes in diet.
EXERCISE
Regular exercise is especially important for people with diabetes. It helps with blood sugar control, weight loss, and high blood pressure. People with diabetes who exercise are less likely to experience a heart attack or stroke than those who do not exercise regularly.
Here are some exercise considerations:

• Always check with your doctor before starting a new exercise program.
• Ask your doctor or nurse if you have the right footwear.
• Choose an enjoyable physical activity that is appropriate for your current fitness level.
• Exercise every day, and at the same time of day, if possible.
• Monitor blood glucose levels before and after exercise.
• Carry food that contains a fast-acting carbohydrate in case you become hypoglycemic during or after exercise.
• Carry a diabetes identification card and a cell phone in case of emergency.
• Drink extra fluids that do not contain sugar before, during, and after exercise.

You may need to change your diet or medication dose if you change your exercise intensity or duration to keep blood sugar levels from going too high or low.
FOOT CARE
People with diabetes are more likely to have foot problems. Diabetes can damage blood vessels and nerves and decrease the body's ability to fight infection. You may not notice a foot injury until an infection develops. Death of skin and other tissue can occur.
If left untreated, the affected foot may need to be amputated. Diabetes is the most common condition leading to amputations.
To prevent injury to the feet, check and care for your feet every day.
See: Diabetes foot care

Diabetes Signs and tests

A urine analysis may be used to look for glucose and ketones from the breakdown of fat. However, a urine test alone does not diagnose diabetes.
The following blood tests are used to diagnose diabetes:

• Fasting blood glucose level -- diabetes is diagnosed if higher than 126 mg/dL on two occasions. Levels between 100 and 126 mg/dL are referred to as impaired fasting glucose or prediabetes. These levels are considered to be risk factors for type 2 diabetes and its complications.
• Oral glucose tolerance test -- diabetes is diagnosed if glucose level is higher than 200 mg/dL after 2 hours. (This test is used more for type 2 diabetes.)
• Random (non-fasting) blood glucose level -- diabetes is suspected if higher than 200 mg/dL and accompanied by the classic diabetes symptoms of increased thirst, urination, and fatigue. (This test must be confirmed with a fasting blood glucose test.)

Persons with diabetes need to have their hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) level checked every 3 - 6 months. The HbA1c is a measure of average blood glucose during the previous 2 - 3 months. It is a very helpful way to determine how well treatment is working.

Diabetes Symptoms

High blood levels of glucose can cause several problems, including:

• Blurry vision
• Excessive thirst
• Fatigue
• Frequent urination
• Hunger
• Weight loss

However, because type 2 diabetes develops slowly, some people with high blood sugar experience no symptoms at all.
Symptoms of type 1 diabetes:

• Fatigue
• Increased thirst
• Increased urination
• Nausea
• Vomiting
• Weight loss in spite of increased appetite

Patients with type 1 diabetes usually develop symptoms over a short period of time. The condition is often diagnosed in an emergency setting.
Symptoms of type 2 diabetes:

• Blurred vision
• Fatigue
• Increased appetite
• Increased thirst
• Increased urination

Three major types of diabetes:

• Type 1 diabetes is usually diagnosed in childhood. Many patients are diagnosed when they are older than age 20. In this disease, the body makes little or no insulin. Daily injections of insulin are needed. The exact cause is unknown. Genetics, viruses, and autoimmune problems may play a role.
• Type 2 diabetes is far more common than type 1. It makes up most of diabetes cases. It usually occurs in adulthood, but young people are increasingly being diagnosed with this disease. The pancreas does not make enough insulin to keep blood glucose levels normal, often because the body does not respond well to insulin. Many people with type 2 diabetes do not know they have it, although it is a serious condition. Type 2 diabetes is becoming more common due to increasing obesity and failure to exercise.
• Gestational diabetes is high blood glucose that develops at any time during pregnancy in a woman who does not have diabetes. Women who have gestational diabetes are at high risk of type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease later in life.

Diabetes affects more than 20 million Americans. Over 40 million Americans have prediabetes (early type 2 diabetes).
There are many risk factors for type 2 diabetes, including:

• Age over 45 years
• A parent, brother, or sister with diabetes
• Gestational diabetes or delivering a baby weighing more than 9 pounds
• Heart disease
• High blood cholesterol level
• Obesity
• Not getting enough exercise
• Polycystic ovary disease (in women)
• Previous impaired glucose tolerance
• Some ethnic groups (particularly African Americans, Native Americans, Asians, Pacific Islanders, and Hispanic Americans)

Diabetes Causes, incidence, and risk factors

 

Insulin is a hormone produced by the pancreas to control blood sugar. Diabetes can be caused by too little insulin, resistance to insulin, or both.
To understand diabetes, it is important to first understand the normal process by which food is broken down and used by the body for energy. Several things happen when food is digested:

• A sugar called glucose enters the bloodstream. Glucose is a source of fuel for the body.
• An organ called the pancreas makes insulin. The role of insulin is to move glucose from the bloodstream into muscle, fat, and liver cells, where it can be used as fuel.

People with diabetes have high blood sugar. This is because:

• Their pancreas does not make enough insulin
• Their muscle, fat, and liver cells do not respond to insulin normally
• Both of the above

 

Dandruff: Some Effective Remedies

In the present scenario dandruff is quite a common problem among people. It could appear because of excessive exposure to cold or heat. It could also arise because of stress, chronic constipation, fatigue, using various hair style products, pollution etc. Dandruff is also popularly known as Pityriasis simplex capillitii as well as scurf. Because dandruff flakes develop over the scalp, which becomes quite embarrassing for us

Some remedies for dandruff:  
•    Soak a tsp of fenugreek seeds in a cup of water (overnight). Drain the water in the morning & make a fine paste of the seeds. Use it over your affected scalp & allow it to stay for almost 30 minutes. Now use hot water to clean it thoroughly.
•    You can also use fresh Aloe Vera gel over your scalp. Let it stay for almost 30-40 minutes & then wash it thoroughly.
•    Take 4-5 tbsp of wheat germ oil (hot) & massage it thoroughly over your scalp. Now use a warm towel to wrap your head & let it stay for almost 30-40 minutes. Now use water to wash it well.
•    One of the options to get rid of dandruff is tea tree oil. It has anti-fungal properties, which helps to remove the dandruff.  Add a few drops of tea tree oil into your hair oil & massage it well over your affected scalp.
•    Take the coconut oil & heat it gently. Now massage it over your scalp. Allow it to stay overnight & wash your hair well in the morning. You can do this thrice in a week to get the best result.
•    Prepare a mixture with 3 parts of water along with 2 parts of cider vinegar. After applying shampoo & rinsing it well, use the mixture for the ultimate wash.
•    After washing your water take a mug of water & pour a tsp of lime juice into it. Now use the mixture for the ultimate wash for your hair.
•    Instead of coconut oil you can also use the olive oil to massage your hair & let it stay overnight. Wash your hair thoroughly in the morning.
•    Beat a ½ cup of yoghurt well & then apply it well over your scalp. Let it stay for almost 30 minutes & then use hot water to wash it well.
•    Make a mixture of amla juice as well as lime juice (same quantity). Use it over your scalp & let it stay overnight. In the morning wash your hair thoroughly.
•    Prepare a mixture of fresh lime juice (1 lime), ground black pepper (10 grams) & milk (1/4 cup). Mix it well & gently massage it on your scalp. Keep it for almost 60 minutes & then wash it thoroughly with water.

Food for sound sleep

• Having some dairy products (milk, yoghurt etc.) can also enhance your sleep. Calcium has been found to be quite competent in lowering your stress level as well as in stabilizing your nerve fibres.

• Having a banana (you can also mix it with a cup of milk & prepare a smoothie) can help you to get a quality sleep, because banana is a great supplier of potassium as well as magnesium. It will assist you to relieve your stressed muscles. Tryptophan is a great switcher to serotonin with melatonin, which you can also figure out in this ingredient.

• Tough we believe that avoiding caffeine is a good option to get a good sleep, however experts have spoken on the behalf of decaf varieties. To get a safe as well as sound sleep they have mentioned about chamomile tea. They also revealed that green tea is a rich supplier of theanine, which can help you to boost your sleep.

• Researchers also believed that miso soup is quite a good choice when you are suffering from insufficient sleep. It’s a rich container of amino acid, which could enhance the manufacturing of natural hormone melatonin & it will help to get the quality sleep.

• Instead of having sugar, carbohydrate rich candy or cake having a cheese or an egg or any other rich protein supplier can help you fall asleep.

• Edmame has also been found to be beneficial for getting your sleep, especially for people suffering from menopause associated indicators. One of the easiest recipes of Edamame is as follows:  Blend 2 cups of cooked, shelled edamame along with one tablespoon of salt , a little bit of olive oil and a single clove of garlic until you get a smooth mixture.

• Clinical nutritionists believe that a bowl of hot oatmeal can help you to get into a good night’s sleep. It’s a great supplier of phosphorus, potassium, magnesium, calcium etc., which will fulfill your nutritional desire so that you can get the sleep. However using too much sugar as a topping can have a reverse effect so switch to fruits in term of toppings.

• Expert revealed that almond is a rich supplier of magnesium, which boosts your sleep as well as is quite helpful in muscle relaxation. Almonds are also a great container of protein & while you are sleeping its able to keep your blood sugar level steady. It satisfies your sleeping needs by converting with your alert adrenaline cycle with your rest & digestive cycle.

• Researchers have revealed that, consuming cherry juice (especially tart cherries) can help people suffering from insomnia. Though they are still not sure how many cherries would be the best for you.

• Experts have also identified that foods which are a great source of complex carbohydrates which can enhance the access of tryptohan  in your bloodstream, which in turn helps you to get your quality sleep. So having a cereal just before going to bed can give you the desired result.

Simple Tips for a Healthy, Glowing Skin in Winter

Summer is great and your skin feels alive. Whenever winter is in its full swing, dryness is at its peak.

Drink more water:

Everything has a natural way of keeping itself healthy, and skin is no exception. In order to make your skin look healthy and glowing, drink lots and lots of water, for water is the main source of moisture for your skin. Also avoid the intake of caffeine and alcohol for they absorb your body’s moisture and make your skin dry and cracked.
 

Avoid Bubble Baths:

Avoid taking bubble baths in winter. Soap and other detergents have bases like sodium hydroxide in them and these hydrophilic (water loving) in nature i.e. they absorb the moisture from your body quickly. So take a normal water bath instead.

Don’t Blow Dry:

I am afraid to tell you that a blow dryer is not your friend in winter. It dries up the moisture and makes your scalp dry and itchy.

Frequent Oil Massages:

Oil massages are also a good way of getting rid of dead skin and creates a layer of oils that prevent moisture from escaping from your body. It is also extremely relaxing and helps after a hard day’s work.
 

Tips to Wake Up Fresh in the Morning

After getting up in the morning if you find yourself quite tired then there are various other reasons attributing to it. The following reasons will help you to understand as well as to avoid it and to get a quality sleep.
 

• If you are inconsistent in your sleep schedule then it could hamper your sleep cycle. When your sleeping time varies from weekdays to weekends, then you are inconsistent.

• Improper functional activity can reduce your energy considerably. When you find yourself bored, then try something new, which can help your energy to boost up.

• When you are anemic then it prevents the traveling of sufficient oxygen through your whole body. It could easily make you tired. So consult with your doctor to become aware of your present condition & then he will definitely help you to improve such condition.

• Not getting enough sunlight can leave an impact over the releasing of energizing chemical serotonin. It mostly happens with people involved in a desk job or working in an artificial light. As per the WebMD at least 20 minutes of outside time can change your energy level noticeably, which will help you in your sleep.

• Getting enough exercise is also considered useful for boosting up your energy level. Research shows that getting exercise helps you to recover from your fatigue. So next time when you are thinking for napping, just overcome such thinking & get some exercises.

• If you are feeling stressed all the time, it could affect your sleep. To get rid of such anxiety yoga, meditation, exercise could also help you.

• Stress related hormones like adrenaline and cortisol will give up an initial boost but gradually they will wear you down as your inner monitoring systems will be continuously in an alert state. People suffering from chronic stress gradually get drained of all the energy and there comes a stage where they are no longer able to cope with any problems in life. Yoga , Meditation are some of the most effective measures of dealing with stress. They will help in improving your sleep pattern and will make your brain more focused.

• When you are low in energy then chopping off your coffee could be tough. However caffeine could also leave a negative impact on your sleep. So try not to have caffeine within six hours before going to bed.