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Monthly Archives: May 2017

Which is worse: Being too hot or too cold when you go to bed?

31 Wednesday May 2017

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bed, bedtime, cold, Connie Sellecca, conniesellecca, core temperature, hot, insomnia, intelligence for your life, intelligenceforyourlife, sleep, sleep hormones, temperature, too cold, too hot, worse

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Sleep specialist Dr. Cathy Goldstein says it’s worse to be too hot!
That’s because our core temperature needs to drop to trigger our sleep hormones. So if we’re too hot, our body thinks it’s not bedtime yet, so it keeps our brain alert. And if you do fall asleep when you’re too hot, you’ll miss out on slow-wave sleep – the most restorative kind. Ideally, the bedroom should be between 60 and 67 degrees. That’s the optimal temperature for sleep.

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Add stair climbing to your workout mix!

30 Tuesday May 2017

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5-K, 5K, aurobics, Connie Sellecca, conniesellecca, Dr. Nieca Goldberg, exercise, heart rate, intelligence for your life, intelligenceforyourlife, run, running, spin class, stair climbing, stairs, workout

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Even if you’re fit enough to run a 5‑K or take a spin class – climbing a staircase can still leave you breathless. Cardiologist Dr. Nieca Goldberg says unless you’re a StairMaster junkie, climbing stairs can elevate your heart rate quickly, leaving you short on oxygen. Especially since you’re essentially doing uphill lunges and fighting gravity, while lifting your whole bodyweight one leg at a time. And running up 20 stairs versus running 20 steps on flat terrain combines aerobics with strength training. So yes, even if you’re in great shape, a flight of stairs can leave you gasping.

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Forget allergy pills: Get a pet!

26 Friday May 2017

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allergens, allergies, allergy, cat, children, Connie Sellecca, conniesellecca, dog, immune, immunity, intelligence for your life, intelligenceforyourlife, kid, kids, microbiology, pet, pets

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Microbiologist Dr. Susan Lynch says owning a dog reduces the risk of allergies, in kids and adults. That’s because pets – especially dogs – introduce new microbes to the home and your body. And that helps us build up our immunity to more allergens.

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Don’t buy too much food…

25 Thursday May 2017

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Connie Sellecca, conniesellecca, eat more, empty, family, food, fridge, groceries, intelligence for your life, intelligenceforyourlife, kitchen, overstock, refrigerator, too much

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It’s better to have a kitchen pantry and fridge that’s a little on the empty side. Because when our kitchen coffers are stocked, we feel pressure to eat more food. In fact, when people stockpile groceries, they gobble them down twice as fast! So only keep as much food on hand as you and your family can eat in a week.

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Need to chill out fast?

24 Wednesday May 2017

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bach, Beethoven, breathe, breathing, calm, chill, chill out, classical music, Connie Sellecca, conniesellecca, heart rate, intelligence for your life, intelligenceforyourlife, relax

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Load these two classical pieces on your phone: Beethoven’s “Moonlight Sonata” and “Air on a G String” by Bach. Both are about 70 beats per minute – which mimics your resting heart rate. So listening to them can slow your breathing, and heart rate, to a calmer pace.

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Ever wonder WHY it’s healthier to have a big butt, than to have a beer belly?

23 Tuesday May 2017

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abdominal fat, aerobic exercise, aerobics, beer belly, belly, belly-fat, blood sugar, cholesterol, Connie Sellecca, conniesellecca, diabetes, fatty acids, fiber, healthy, heart disease, heart health, intelligence for your life, intelligenceforyourlife, padding, University of Oxford, unsulin, visceral fat

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Here’s the answer, courtesy of researchers at the University of Oxford. Belly fat – also known as abdominal fat or visceral fat – is dangerous because it often surrounds vital organs and releases inflammatory chemicals into your system on a consistent basis. And those chemicals have been linked to heart disease, insulin resistance, and diabetes. But extra padding around the hips and thighs produces beneficial hormones that trap fatty acids, which boosts heart health and keeps blood sugar spikes in check. So what should you do if you have more abdominal fat than lower body fat? Eat fiber-filled foods to lower insulin and cholesterol levels. You should also do aerobic exercise – at least 30 minutes a day – to lose the fat. And get your blood sugar and blood fats tested to check for abnormalities.

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Take your pills with water!

22 Monday May 2017

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American Pharmacists Association, Connie Sellecca, conniesellecca, damage, drink water, esophagus, heartburn, intelligence for your life, intelligenceforyourlife, medication, medicine, pills, swallow, vitamins, water

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Are you one of those people who can swallow a pill without water? You may want to stop. According to the American Pharmacists Association, popping pills dry can cause heartburn – or worse. Without water to wash it down, a pill can release chemicals that could potentially damage your esophagus. Plus, the water helps you absorb the medicine better. So, even though it’s a cool party trick, take your pills with water.

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So you fell asleep on the couch in front of the TV…

19 Friday May 2017

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Connie Sellecca, conniesellecca, deep sleep, fall asleep, intelligence for your life, intelligenceforyourlife, memory, refreshed, sleep, sleeping, tired, USC, USC Sleep Medicine

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Can you add that to your recommended 8 hours of sleep? Not really. That’s according to Dr. Raj Dasgupta from USC’s Sleep Medicine division. He says the type of sleep we get when we conk out during the nightly news isn’t quality sleep that will help us wake up feeling refreshed. Its more like a nap, that only takes you to the lightest stage of sleep – not the restorative, deep sleep which clears away harmful brain proteins, improves memory and encourages the formation of new cells. So, just because you caught 20 winks on the couch, doesn’t mean you can sleep less once you go to bed for real.

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You’ve heard of “white coat hypertension,” right?

18 Thursday May 2017

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blood pressure, Connie Sellecca, conniesellecca, doctor, exam, hypertension, intelligence for your life, intelligenceforyourlife, nurse, stress, stressed, stressed out, systolic, white coat hypertension

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Where the minute a doctor or nurse starts taking your blood pressure, it spikes, simply because you’re stressed about being examined. Well, next time they’re about to put a blood pressure cuff on you: Take 3 or 4 deep, slow breaths over 30 seconds. In a study, people who did that lowered their systolic number by 15 points – that’s the top number. Deep breathing works to slow your heart rate, which triggers the reflexes that control blood pressure, and brings it down to where it normally is when you’re not on an exam table.

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Your smile could help you live longer!

17 Wednesday May 2017

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Connie Sellecca, conniesellecca, fun, happy, heart disease, intelligence for your life, intelligenceforyourlife, live longer, longevity, reduce stress, serious, smile, smiling, stress, Wayne State University

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People who smile a lot live longer than people who tend to look somber and serious… A whole seven years longer! Researchers at Wayne State University studied photos of hundreds of baseball players taken in 1952. Of the players who’ve since died, those who were seen smiling the most, lived an average of 80 years – while non-smilers lived to only age 73, on average. The researchers say it’s because being happy reduces stress, which also lowers our risk of heart disease.

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