Healthy Living

leep can be an elusive thing. Experience a couple nights of tossing and turning in bed, and it's all too tempting to reach for a sleep aid. But before you do, consider that several recent studies conducted at major institutions all over the country show that, despite their ordinary nature, simple behavioral strategies--like going to bed at the same time every night and avoiding afternoon naps--really do work. What's more, over-the-counter sleep medications can leave you feeling sluggish the next day, and "there’s very little evidence that these sleep aids actually result in significant sleep," says Mark Mahowald, M.D., director of the Minnesota Regional Sleep Disorders Center in Minneapolis.

What about prescription sleep drugs? For acute, short-term insomnia--such as that brought on by a stressful event, like a death in the family--experts say these medications can help. "In fact, by treating acute short-term insomnia [with prescription sleep aids] when it first occurs, we can actually prevent the development of long-term insomnia," says Dr. Mahowald. But for the occasional sleepless night, consider the following 10 tips. You may find they help you get to sleep just as well as popping a pill!

t’s hard to resist quick-and-dirty medical tests. After all, they’re fast, easy, cheap and noninvasive. The only problem is that their accuracy is limited. For the past several decades, the standard quick-and-dirty test for obesity has been the Body Mass Index (BMI): Multiply your weight in pounds by 703, and divide the result by the square of your height in inches. A normal BMI is 18.5 to 25; anything over that means you’re overweight. Sure it’s easy -- all you need is a calculator -- but is it accurate?

ast January, Lisa Morrow's 88-year-old grandmother woke her at 3 a.m. complaining of back and shoulder pain and feeling clammy. The two debated what to do for nearly two hours. "I thought it was the flu," says Morrow, a 38-year-old New Yorker. Finally, Morrow convinced her grandmother to go to the ER. Doctors quickly diagnosed a heart attack and put in four stents to open up a fully clogged artery. The surgery helped, briefly, but the attack had weakened the heart muscle so much that it perforated several hours later. Sadly, Morrow's grandmother did not survive.

"A heart attack was the last thing on my mind," says Morrow. Indeed, a recent study reveals that while 92 percent of adults know the most obvious sign of a heart attack -- chest pain -- only 31 percent know all five major signs, reports lead author of the study, Jing Fang, M.D., epidemiologist at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Division for Heart Disease and Stroke Prevention.

Although gel hand sanitizers have proven in tests to reduce gastrointestinal illnesses and the spread of contagions compared to ordinary soap and water, their high alcohol content can be poisonous to children who ingest them. Photo: Living is Easy with Eyes Closed, courtesy Flickr.

ear EarthTalk: My pediatrician swears by those gel hand sanitizers for lowering the risk of my family getting sick during cold and flu season. But I've also heard that these products can be dangerous to kids if ingested. Are there any safer alternatives that work just as well?
--Jason Blalock, Oakland, CA

A 2005 study by the Children's Hospital in Boston compared illness rates across a study group of 292 families—half of them got hand sanitizers while the other half were given literature advising them of the benefits of frequent hand washing. The findings revealed that those families who used hand sanitizers experienced a 59 percent reduction in gastrointestinal illnesses and that the increased use of sanitizers correlated to a decreased spread of contagions in general.

Conventional chocolate is often produced by clear-cutting rainforest land, applying chemical pesticides and through the use of child labor in hazardous conditions. However, a number of companies now offer organic, sustainably-grown and "fair trade" varieties that adhere to environmentally and socially responsible production and processing standards. Pictured here: some offerings from Endangered Species Chocolate, Dagoba and others. Photo: Jason Kremkau.

ear EarthTalk: I heard a reference to “Earth-friendly chocolate” and was wondering about what goes into chocolate that would raise environmental concerns.
--Ben Moran, Providence, RI

Like coffee beans, the cacao seeds from which we derive chocolate can only be grown successfully in equatorial regions--right where the world's few remaining tropical rainforests thrive. As worldwide demand for chocolate grows, so does the temptation among growers to clear more and more rainforest to accommodate high-yield monocultural (single-crop) cacao tree plantations. What are left are open, sunny fields with dramatically lower levels of plant and animal diversity. Adding environmental insult to injury, most cacao plantations use copious amounts of chemical fertilizers, pesticides and fungicides that further degrade the land that once teemed with a wide variety of rare birds, mammals and plants.

here's no need to just hope for the best when you can plan for the worst. Don't wait until disaster strikes to figure out how to respond. Here's how to prep today so your family will be ready for tomorrow.

Come Up with Your Emergency Plan
"The first thing to do is to plan how you'll meet and contact each other in case of an emergency," says Keith Robertory, a preparedness expert with the American Red Cross. Start by setting a meeting place right outside your home; that way, in a fire, for example, you won't have one family member rush to the backyard and one to the front and then wonder if the other's still trapped inside.

haven't really safety-proofed the kitchen and it scares me," says Sharlene Breakey, mom of 5-year-old Zeke and 3-year-old Edie in New York City. "But I have basic rules I follow: I only use the back burners, unless I'm standing by the stove, and I never leave knives on the counter." Breakey also lays down the law for her little ones: They know not to touch the stove, because it's hot, and other kitchen basics. "I believe in the value of teaching kids to be safe themselves," she says. "They really do seem to understand that when I'm cooking, it's dangerous."

They're smart kids. Each year, more than 67,000 children are injured in the kitchen -- 43,000 of them four years old and under. "The only way to truly prevent kitchen accidents is to closely supervise your child and enforce rules, like no sitting on the counters," says Andy Spooner, M.D., director of general pediatrics at the University of Tennessee in Memphis. "Gizmos sold to improve kitchen safety are nice, but they can't take the place of adult supervision." What else can you do to prevent accidents? Here are Dr. Spooner's top recommendations

Some health advocates recommend not re-using bottles made from plastic #1 (polyethylene terephthalate), including most disposable water, soda and juice bottles. Studies indicate they may leach DEHP - a probable human carcinogen - when they are in less than perfect condition. Photo: Getty Images.

ear EarthTalk: Are the rumors true that refilling and reusing some types of plastic bottles can cause health problems?
--Regina Fujan, Lincoln, NE

Most types of plastic bottles are safe to reuse at least a few times if properly washed with hot soapy water. But recent revelations about chemicals in Lexan (plastic #7) bottles are enough to scare even the most committed environmentalists from reusing them (or buying them in the first place). Studies have indicated that food and drinks stored in such containers—including those ubiquitous clear Nalgene water bottles hanging from just about every hiker’s backpack—can contain trace amount of Bisphenol A (BPA), a synthetic chemical that interferes with the body’s natural hormonal messaging system.

hat do your kids do for fun? If you answer "watch TV" or "play video games," your kids may be facing a serious health challenge, especially later in life. Obesity and inactivity are sharply up among today's children, and while schools are trying to reverse the trends, the real battle is on the home front. You have to get them moving, and you can't depend on your child's school to do it for you.

You don't need to force pushups and squats on your children, or march them through an adult workout routine. Kids love to play. You just need to encourage them to channel all that energy into active play.

regnancy ain't easy. Oh sure, there's your friend--we all have one--who sails through the nine months smiling, bouncy and glowing and can't wait to do it again. She's never felt better in her life. But most of us are not that woman.

Most of us are more like me. When I was pregnant, my first sign was that my sense of smell went berserk. I could tell what everyone was having for dinner in a five mile radius, and just how good their personal hygiene was. (Bus rides were torture on that last point.) And then came the hip problems, the back problems, blah blah blah.

From the first spells of nausea before you even realize that you are pregnant to the swollen ankles of the third trimester, there are plenty of uncomfortable symptoms that go along with pregnancy. You can't get rid of them, but here are a few tricks to making these pregnancy discomforts easier to manage.

t's like a black hole that occasionally swallows me up, from out of nowhere. I can't work, I can't sleep--and yet I can't stay awake--I can't take care of myself, and all the color and hope drains from the world.

"It" is depression, and for me it's a chronic condition that cost me jobs and relationships before I finally found effective help. For me that help was pharmaceutical, but I use several natural methods as well to keep the black hole at bay.

I'm not alone. Depression affects millions of people worldwide and can range from being fairly mild to completely devastating. It's estimated that a quarter of all American women will suffer from clinical depression at some point in their lives, and that women are twice as likely to suffer from it as men. Only 30 percent of depressed people get any form of treatment at all, which is a big mistake. Without treatment, the frequency and severity of symptoms tend to increase over the years--just like other diseases. Take depression seriously. It can be just as deadly as cancer, especially in the elderly.

here are some things you're allowed to slack off on, like ordering take-out once in a while instead of cooking a healthy meal. But you would never slack off, of course, when it comes to the safety of your family. As you know, a smoke alarm on each floor of your house is a must-have. But it's difficult to keep track of which ones have fresh batteries. Luckily, DuPont has invented a self-charging smoke alarm that connects directly into ceiling mounted light sockets.

: My three year old always tells me when she needs to use the potty at home, but at daycare she continually wets her pants. What should I do?

Giving babies nutritious food is not only good for their health, but it will also help establish positive eating habits, unlike our spokesbaby here. Photo: Getty Images.

ear EarthTalk: I want to give my baby fresh, organic food but I don't have the time to make her special meals. What options are out there?
--Marie L., via e-mail

Babies deserve the best possible start in life, so giving them nutritious food is a must, not only for good health but also to establish positive eating habits as early as possible.

According to Consumers Union (CU), publisher of Consumer Reports magazine, commercial baby foods, many of which are made up of condensed fruits and vegetables, can contain high concentrations of pesticide residues. “A lot of these pesticides are toxic to the brain,” says Philip Landrigan, a professor of pediatrics and preventative medicine at Mount Sinai School of Medicine in New York City. Citing studies that have linked smaller head circumference and reduced intelligence in babies to in utero exposure to pesticides consumed by their mothers, Landrigan says it is best not to gamble when it comes to baby food.

Researchers say that antibacterial soaps using triclosan as the main active ingredient are no better at preventing infections than plain soaps. Further, they may actually pose a health risk because they can kill beneficial bacteria and reduce the effectiveness of some common antibiotics. Photo: Getty Images.

ear EarthTalk: Is it true that anti-bacterial soaps are no better at preventing infections than plain soaps and that they are actually harmful to the environment?
--Avery Bicks, New York, NY

University of Michigan researchers reviewed numerous studies conducted between 1980 and 2006 and concluded that antibacterial soaps that contain triclosan as the main active ingredient are no better at preventing infections than plain soaps. Further, the team argued that these antibacterial soaps could actually pose a health risk, because they may kill beneficial bacteria and also reduce the effectiveness of some common antibiotics, such as amoxicillin.

iabetes, known formally as diabetes mellitus, affects 20 million Americans, with many more at risk. Adult onset, or type II, diabetes continues to rise. People with diabetes cannot either make or use insulin, which is a hormone produced by the body that assists in the breakdown of sugars in our food for fuel. When the body can't do this, the blood stream and the urine become full of sugar molecules, called glucose.

Type II dabetes usually comes on gradually. In fact, it's possible to stave off the disease for a long time, if you watch for early signs that you may have a problem. It's not inevitable, even if it runs in your family, and can be controlled through diet and exercise.

till trying to lose post-baby weight? The first step may be to stop worrying about it. It's no secret to most of us that dieting doesn't work in the long run. In fact, a recently published Brigham Young University study showed that women who ate whatever and whenever they wanted -- called intuitive eating -- had lower body mass indexes and better cholesterol levels than women who watched what they ate.

Here's why: Dieting can actually lead to cravings for "bad" foods and bingeing, the body's physical and psychological kick-back to being deprived. The result is a helpless cycle of failure and guilt. But a woman who doesn't follow eating rules is more likely to see food as necessary and satisfying, and to eat in a healthy way.

If you're a chronic dieter, here are some first steps to a healthier relationship with food, from Evelyn Tribole, author of Intuitive Eating (St. Martin's Griffin).

ime was, herbs were the only way we had to take care of our skin. As synthetic products came on the market, we gradually forgot the plant wisdom of our grandmothers.

Now, herbs are all the rage in skin care products, but the commercial versions have drawbacks. Often, they're not really herbal at all, but just add scents or a little splash of essential oil to make them appear herbal. The "real" herbal ones are often only available in specialty stores. And both can be prohibitively expensive.

So why not make your own? Here are some easy home recipes and ideas for my favorite herbal skin care products that you can make up quickly, easily--and cheaply!

very family has a reference shelf. On ours you'll find the phone book, the almanacs for 1997 and 2001 (the years the girls were born--a family tradition on John's side), a thesaurus, a dictionary, some foreign language dictionaries, two different versions of the Bible (I need to look up the odd reference now and again), an atlas, and the AA Big Book.

It's also where we keep our family health references. Here are five books that every home should have on its reference shelf, plus one that should be in the kitchen.

new mother spots herself and her tiny newborn in the mirror. She smiles at her baby's reflection and then: "Holy--that's my body?!" And she wonders: Will she ever look the same again?

Short answer: No.

Long answer: Your body will always be slightly different. Maybe your hips are wider, your breasts not as perky. For crying out loud, you just made a baby out of bits of yourself! Even so, you don't need to carry around baby pounds for years after the birth. A healthy weight loss is possible for every mother with a bit of patience, time and the right techniques.

: What's the best way to prevent and treat cradle cap?

: Cradle cap is another name for seborrheic dermatitis, which occurs during infancy. While the condition is usually easy to treat, there's no real way to prevent it.

vitamins. You hear about them all the time, but what do they actually do? It's not too far a stretch to say that the B vitamins keep your body running properly. Just about all of the body's functions rely on B vitamins to perform, from the brain to the heart to just about every other organ in the body.

B vitamins are especially important when we're stressed. If you're under chronic stress, look into taking extra B vitamins. John takes Nature's Way B-Stress every day, and we notice it when he doesn't.

Here's a quick look at the B vitamins, what they do, and how to get them. (Remember, don't take this article as any kind of diagnostic gospel; talk to your health provider before adding any kind of supplement to your diet--even something as innocuous as B vitamins.)

: What are angel kisses and stork bites? That's what my friend called a red mark on my child's forehead.

: Angel kisses and stork bites are also called salmon patches. They are thought to be sites where the blood vessels have not fully matured by birth and are somewhat dilated, giving the red appearance. Angel kisses are the ones on the face at the eyelids and the lower forehead at the midline. Stork bites are the ones at the back of the neck.

t is going to be 102 here in Portland today, which is far, far too hot. And many parts of the country are suffering under the same heat wave, which means that dehydration warnings are in effect. Here are my six "ifs" of dehydration.

1. If you are thirsty, you're already dehydrated. Start drinking now and don't stop just because you're no longer thirsty. Keep drinking until you start sweating and until you're peeing a lot. It should be light in color; the darker it is, the more you need to drink.
2. If you have kids, make them drink. Don't rely on them to tell you they're thirsty. Schedule water breaks, and monitor their sweating and urine output. It's really easy for kids to get dehydrated quickly, and they just don't have the internal monitors yet to know when they're in trouble.

Click through for all six...

: What's the best way to prevent and treat baby acne?

y former cardiologist once said rather condescendingly, in front of me no less, to a resident on her cardiac rotation: "Lynn doesn't think much of Western medicine." (He then went on to recommend risky bariatric surgery when I weigh 240 pounds--down 40 from my top weight--and he himself is nearly as overweight as I am.)

Let me rephrase that, doc: I don't think much of Western-trained doctors, because I have gotten terrific health care from nurses and, bless them, pharmacists. Doctors, not so much.

All of that is in preface to my take on the new book, "The 24-Hour Pharmacist," by Suzy Cohen.

Short version:
It's going on my medical reference shelf.

Long version:
If you are interested in the safe and researched use of supplements, you absolutely have to get this book. If you have chronic health problems your doctor doesn't want to or doesn't know how to address (snoring, exhaustion, insomnia), you have to get this book. Especially if you want to avoid drugs for common health problems, ironically, you should get this book.

Suzy Cohen goes through the most common troubles we suffer as humans, from snoring to hormones, and goes through the non-drug alternatives, including supplements. Her chapter on fatigue alone is worth the cost of the book. I know a good deal about supplementation and nutrition, and Cohen is on top of it. And if you're on a number of drugs, as I am, she goes over drug/supplement interactions as well--invaluable and life-saving information.

"Thinking outside the pill," as Cohen puts it, is essential these days. Drugs are not as thoroughly researched as they should be, and so many doctors are prescription-happy. More than ever before we are in charge of our own health, and "The 24-Hour Pharmacist" is a great tool for your home health medical bag.

*What that means is, I got a free copy of the book and a $20 Amazon gift certificate for reviewing it, in full disclosure.