The easiest way to experience these health benefits is through gradual change:

1. Slowly cut out meat. This stage is actually several smaller stages. You might try starting with Meatless Mondays and then, over time, expanding to other days of the week. Another common idea is to start by cutting out red meat, and then poultry, then seafood, in gradual stages of a month or even six months. There is no rush — do it at the pace that feels good to you. Another important point is that, as you eliminate meat, don’t just fill it with starches (which don’t have that much nutrition). Try new foods, experiment with ethic recipes, and explore different nutrients as you make these changes.
2. Eliminate eggs. After you cut out red meat and poultry, you’ll be pescatarian (seafood). When you eliminate seafood, you’re vegetarian! If you’re eating eggs and dairy, that’s called a “lacto-ovo” vegetarian. You can then eliminate eggs — and no, they’re not cruelty-free. This is one of the easier stages, in my experience.
3. Cut out dairy. This tends to be harder for most people. Not because of milk (soymilk and almond milk are good alternatives that just take a few days to adjust to) … but because of cheese. I hear a lot of people say, “I can’t give up my cheese!” — and I empathize, as this was a sticking point for me too. It helps that there are better and better cheese alternatives these days (Daiya being a favorite of many). But for me, what made all the difference is not focusing on what I was giving up, but on the good things I could eat!
4. Eat whole, unprocessed foods. This is the phase that I’m in, and I wholly recommend it. You can go straight here if you have no problems changing your diet, but people eating the Standard American Diet will find it difficult, because the foods are very different than what most people eat. For example, most people in the U.S. don’t eat many vegetables, and find them distasteful, especially dark green leafy veggies, which are the best. I now love vegetables, and kale is my best friend. Most people dislike protein-rich plant foods like tempeh, tofu, seitan, and beans. Most people don’t eat raw nuts — they eat roasted and salted nuts. However, all of this can change over time, which is why I recommend that you move into this slowly. What exactly is this phase? See the next section for details.

What to Eat

So what do you eat when you’re on a plant-based diet that focuses on whole foods? Lots!

A few categories of foods to include regularly:

1. Beans and other protein. This means the regular kinds of beans, like lentils, black beans, kidney beans, pinto beans, garbanzo beans, etc. But it can also mean soybeans (edamame), tofu, tempeh, and seitan (protein from wheat, not good for gluten-intolerant people). It can also mean soymilk, soy yogurt, and the like, which are often fortified. Get organic, non-GMO soy.
2. Nuts and seeds. My favorites include raw almonds and walnuts, along with ground flaxseeds and chia seeds, and hemp seed protein powder. Almond milk is also good. And quinoa — it’s like a grain, but really a seed, and full of nutrition.
3. Good fats. Fats aren’t bad for you — you should just look to avoid saturated fats. Luckily, not many plant foods have saturated fats. Plants with good fats include avocados, nuts and seeds mentioned above, olive oil and canola oil.
4. Greens. This is one of the most important and nutritious group of all. Dark, leafy green veggies are awesome, and full of calcium, iron and a ton of vitamins. My favorites: kale, spinach, broccoli, collards. Eat lots of them daily! They also have very few calories, meaning they pack a ton of nutrition in a small caloric package.
5. Other fruits and veggies. Get a variety — I love berries of all kinds, figs, apples, citrus fruits, peaches, mangoes, bananas, pears, bell peppers, garlic, beets, celery, cauliflower … I could go on all day! Get lots of different colors.
6. Good starches. Starches are not bad for you — but ones that have little calories aren’t great. So find starches that give you lots of nutrition. Sweet potatoes, red potatoes, squash, brown rice, sprouted whole wheat, steel-cut oats, among others.
7. Some other healthy stuff. I love red wine, green tea, cinnamon, turmeric, spirulina and nutritional yeast.

OK, by now you might be overwhelmed by all of this. How do you put it together? It’s not that hard once you get used to it. Start learning some recipes that combine some of these foods into meals, and over time, you’ll have a few go-to meals that you love that are full of nutrition.

Some examples that I like (but don’t limit yourself to these!):

• Tofu scramble w/ veggies: some organic high-protein tofu crumbled and stir-fried with olive oil, garlic, diced carrots and tomatoes, spinach and mushrooms, and spiced with tamari, turmeric, sea salt and coarse black pepper.
• Steel-cut oats: cook some steel-cut oats, then add ground flaxseeds, raw nuts, berries, cinnamon.
• Stir-fry: Here’s my secret … you can make an endless combo of meals by cooking some garlic in olive oil, then cooking some veggies (carrots, bell peppers, mushrooms, etc.) and some protein (tofu, tempeh, seitan, etc.) and some greens (kale, broccoli, spinach, etc.) and some spices (turmeric or coconut milk or tamari & sesame oil, black pepper, salt).
• Veggie chili over quinoa: Black beans, kidney beans, pinto beans with olive oil, garlic, onions, tomatoes, bell pepper, diced kale, diced carrots, tomato sauce, chili powder, salt, pepper. Maybe some beer for flavor. Serve over quinoa or brown rice.
• One-pot meal: Quinoa, lentils, greens, olive oil, tempeh (or a bunch of other variations). Read Tynan’s post on cooking this all in one pot.
• Whole-wheat pasta: Serve with a sauce — some tomato sauce with olive oil, garlic, onions, bell peppers, diced kale and carrots, diced tomatoes, fresh basil, oregano.
• Big-ass Salad: Start with a bed of kale & spinach, throw on other veggies such as carrots, mushrooms, cauliflower, snow peas, green beans, tomatoes … then some beans, nuts and/or seeds … top with avocado. Mix balsamic vinegar and olive oil, or red wine vinegar and olive oil, sprinkle on the salad. Yum.
• Smoothies: Blend some almond or soy milk with frozen berries, greens, ground chia or flaxseeds, hemp or spirulina protein powder. Lots of nutrition in one drink!
• Snacks: I often snack on fruits and berries, raw almonds or walnuts, carrots with hummus.
• Drinks: I tend to drink water all day, some coffee (without sugar) in the morning, tea in the afternoon, and red wine in the evening.

My Food Journal: If you’d like to see my food journal (admittedly not always perfectly healthy), I’ve started one that you can see here.

Frequently Asked Questions

I’ll add to this section as questions come in, though obviously I can’t answer everything.

Q: Isn’t it hard to get protein on a vegan diet?

A: Not really, as long as you eat a variety of whole foods, and not a bunch of processed flours and sugars (the white kind that has little nutrition). There is protein in vegetables and grains, and even more in beans, nuts and seeds. I often eat protein-rich plant foods like tempeh, tofu, seitan, edamame, black beans, lentils, quinoa, soymilk, and raw nuts. Read more here.

Q: What about calcium or iron or B12?

A: Again, it’s not difficult at all. I’ve calculated the iron and calcium in my diet at various times, and as long as I’m mostly eating whole foods, it’s really easy. Nuts and green veggies are your best friends, but there’s also calcium-fortified soymilk and tofu and the like. Eat some kale, quinoa, raw nuts, various seeds, broccoli, tofu or tempeh … it’s not difficult. Vitamin B12 is a bit more difficult to get from regular plants, as the main source of B12 is usually animal products — including eggs and dairy. But actually, vegans have figured this out, and now if you drink fortified soymilk or almond milk, or use nutritional yeast or a few other good sources like that, you will have no worries. More reading on iron, calcium and B12 for vegans.

Q: Isn’t soy bad for you?

A: No. That’s a myth. I would stick to organic, non-GMO soy, but actually soy is a very healthy source of protein and other nutrients, and has been eaten by very healthy people for thousands of years. More info here.

Q: I follow the Paleo diet and believe this is how humans are meant to eat.

A: Well, if you’re eating unprocessed foods and have cut out white flours and sugars and deep-fried foods, you’re probably healthier than the average American. I admire the Paleo crowd that focuses on whole foods and that eats lots of veggies and nuts and seeds, but when it’s just an excuse to eat lots of meat, it’s not as healthy. It’s also not true that hunter-gatherer societies ate mostly meat — the crowd that believes this has made a flawed review of contemporary hunter-gatherers. Most traditional societies eat, and have pretty much always eaten, mostly plants, including lots of starches — respected anthropologists such as Nathanial Dominy, PhD, from Dartmouth College say that the idea of hunter-gatherers eating mostly meat is a myth. Also read this. I’d also warn against low-carb, high-protein diets over the long run — in the short term, you’ll see weight loss, but in the long run they’ve been shown to increase cardiovascular disease (from June 21, 2012 issue of British Medical Journal).

Q: It sounds difficult and complicated.

A: Actually it’s very simple — you just learn to eat a variety of plants. It does mean learning some new meals, but instead of seeing that as a hardship, think of it as something fun to learn. If you slowly change your eating patterns, it’s not hard at all. Be flexible and don’t be too strict — you’ll find that it’s much easier if you allow yourself an occasional meal with animal products, especially in the first 6-12 months.

Q: What about fake meats and cheeses?

A: There’s nothing wrong with giving them a try now and then when you’re having a craving for something, but in all honesty you don’t need them. They’re more expensive and less healthy. Basically, they’re convenience foods.

Q: What if I’m allergic to soy or gluten or nuts?

A: It’s still possible to get all the nutrition you need from a plant-based diets without a specific kind of food (like gluten or soy), from what I understand. More here.

Q: It sounds expensive.

A: Actually it can be a lot less expensive, if you stay away from the vegan convenience foods (which are fine on occasion). Meat is more expensive than beans or tofu, for example. While fresh, organic veggies can cost a bit, you should get these in your diet even if you eat meat — and in the long run, you’ll save much more on medical bills.

Q: There’s no way I’ll give up (eggs, cheese, ice cream, etc.)!

A: Well, you don’t have to. If you want to eat mostly plants but also eggs and cheese, that’s much better than eating meat. But there are cheese substitutes you can try, and vegan ice cream, and in the long run, you might find that giving these things up isn’t as difficult as you think.

Q: What about eating out at restaurants or social gatherings?

A: I’d recommend you take it slowly at first, and eat mostly plants at home, and be more liberal when you eat out, for a little while. You don’t want to make this too difficult on yourself. But actually, once you learn some simple strategies, it’s not that hard to find vegan food in restaurants — some are easier than others, and sites like Happy Cow make it easy to find veg-friendly restaurants in your area. As for eating at friends’ and families’ houses, I’ve learned to offer to bring one or two vegan dishes, and it’s not usually a problem.

Q: What if my family and friends don’t support this change?

A: It’s best if you don’t start preaching — people don’t like it. This article might seem like a violation of that, but actually I rarely push veganism on this site, and when I do it’s only as a way to show others a healthy and compassionate alternative. Remember that those around you probably don’t know much about veganism, and are likely to react defensively. Take the opportunity, when they bring up the topic, to share what you’re learning, and the concerns you yourself had when you first learned about it. Show them some great vegan food. Share this guide with them. And always be patient.

The CDC reports that American adults catch the common cold approximately three times per year, with most of these colds taking place during the winter. This winter, you no longer have to be a slave to the tissue box. A combination of lifestyle changes and herbal remedies can help you to boost your immune system and survive cold season.

Drink Chicken Soup

Your grandma may have been right when she forced you to drink bowls and bowls of chicken soup whenever you felt sick. It’s a centuries-old home remedy, and scientists are now discovering that there may be merit to this practice. One study found that chicken soup worked as an anti-inflammatory agent, helping to reduce symptoms of the common cold in our respiratory tract. Another study, this one in the American Journal of Therapeutics, found a compound in chicken soup called carnosine that may also help reduce inflammation and halt the development of the common cold.

Get Steamy

During the winter, the cold, dry air can really wreak havoc on our health. Researchers have found that maintaining the proper level of humidity in a room can reduce a virus’ ability to survive. Dry air can also lower our defenses to the cold virus and exacerbate the symptoms of the common cold. Run a humidifier in your living space, or try sitting in a hot, steamy shower.

Juice Some Ginger Root

Whether in supplement form, in a soup, or juiced and added to your favorite green smoothie, this pungent root has been shown to fight the common cold effectively. A study in the Journal of Ethnopharmacology found that ginger didn’t just help fight the common cold, but it also helped block infections from many other viruses.

Spice Up Foods with Garlic

Garlic is high in various antioxidants and beneficial compounds, but here’s one more reason to mince it up and add it to your next meal. A double-blind, placebo-controlled study in the Advances in Therapy Journal found that garlic lowered the incidences of cold infections in study groups. That may be because garlic’s many compounds work as antiviral agents.

 How to Protect Yourself and Others

Once you are exposed to a cold or get a cold, the CDC recommends a few practical ways to limit your risks and reduce the risks of exposing your friends and loved ones to the virus:

• Wash your hands often with soap and water. Scrub them for 20 seconds, and help young children do the same. If soap and water are not available, use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer. Viruses live on your hands, and regular handwashing can help protect you from getting sick.
• Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth with unwashed hands. Viruses can enter your body this way and make you sick.
• Stay away from people who are sick. Sick people can spread viruses that cause the common cold through close contact with others.

If you have a cold, you should follow these tips to prevent viruses from spreading to other people:

• Stay at home while you are sick.
• Avoid close contact with others, such as hugging, kissing, or shaking hands.
• Move away from people before coughing or sneezing.
• Cough and sneeze into a tissue then throw it away, or cough and sneeze into your upper shirt sleeve, completely covering your mouth and nose.
• Wash your hands after coughing, sneezing, or blowing your nose.
• Disinfect frequently touched surfaces, and objects such as toys and doorknobs.

There is no cure for a cold. To feel better, you should get lots of rest and drink plenty of fluids. Over-the-counter medicines may help ease symptoms but will not make your cold go away any faster. Always read the label and use medications as directed. Talk to your doctor before giving your child nonprescription cold medicines, since some medicines contain ingredients that are not recommended for children. Learn more about symptom relief.

You should call your doctor if you or your child has one or more of these conditions:

• a temperature higher than 100.4° F
• symptoms that last more than 10 days
• symptoms that are severe or unusual

If your child is younger than 3 months old and has a fever, you should always call your doctor right away. Your doctor can determine if you or your child has a cold and can recommend therapy to help with symptoms.

It seems easier to lose the first 30 pounds than the last bit of fat around your middle.

And if you’re like me, you want to get lean — for reasons that may vary from improved physical performance to better health to better looks. It’s not always easy to get rid of that stubborn belly fat — or any fat, for that matter, as you can’t “spot reduce” just your belly fat.

So I’ve created a list of things you can do to break through that plateau, if you’ve been exercising and eating fairly healthy for awhile but have seen your progress slow considerably. That’s the situation I found myself in recently, and these are the techniques I’ve been using to pretty good success.

Who Should Use These Tips

Again, this post is aimed at those who have been exercising regularly for at least a few months and who already eat fairly healthy. It’s for those who want to break through a plateau and speed up their fat-burning, lean-making progress. It’s for those who are looking for leanness and not hugeness.

If that’s you, read on.

If you don’t exercise regularly, I highly recommend you start right away (assuming you don’t have major health problems) and that you start out slowly. These tips aren’t for you. Start with: get healthy and fit with exercise, and 4 simple steps to start the exercise habit.

If you regularly eat junk food — that’s sugary foods, fried foods, fast foods, fatty foods, processed foods, or refined carbs — this isn’t the place to start. Better to start with the basics — learning to slowly wean yourself from these junk foods and start eating mostly whole foods instead. I’m not saying you can never have sweets or french fries, but you should cut back on them and only have them in moderation. Start here: get healthy and fit by eating healthy.

If you are looking to build massive amounts of muscle, this post isn’t for you. To do that, the prescription is pretty simple: 1) do compound lifts like the squat, deadlift, bench press, standing military press, standing barbell row, power clean, pullup, etc.; 2) lift heavy and continue to progress; 3) eat a LOT, including lots of protein. I recommend lifting 3 times a week, full body routine, unless you’re a serious bodybuilder (in which case, you know better than I do how to reach your goals).

But if you’re looking to get lean, as I said, these tips will help take you from your foundation of healthy eating and regular exercise to your goal of losing that last bit of stubborn fat.

How to Rev Up Your Fat Burning

You don’t have to do all of the following tips — pick ones that will work best for you and give them a try. If they don’t do much after a few weeks, try some of the other tips:

1. Lean Your Diet. I typically eat pretty healthy. As a vegetarian, I stick with lots of veggies, fruits, lean protein, nuts, whole grains, low-fat dairy, and good fats. For the most part. But I also allow myself some indulgences, including veggie pizza, some sweets, and other treats. And while I think that’s a good lifestyle to have, sometimes you have to get a little strict with yourself for a little while to achieve your goals. So right now I’m on a self-created diet with only one menu plan — I eat the same things every day. I have a set breakfast, set lunch, set dinner, and set snacks. I’ve taken the choice out of eating, and for me that’s been working. That might not work for everyone. The key is to cut out the junk food and other treats (except for maybe 1-2 cheat meals a week). Cut back on grains for a little while and focus more on lean protein, veggies, fruits and good fats. With a diet like this, you’ll get lean faster.
2. Intervals. If you do cardio exercise such as running, cycling, rowing, or what have you … rev it up with higher-intensity intervals. This means going at a little under full speed for a short interval, and then going slow for another short interval. There are tons of great interval workouts, but one of my favorites recently are Tabata Intervals — basically 20 seconds of intense exercise, then 10 seconds of rest … and repeat those intervals 8 times. That’s a total of four minutes — a great workout in a short amount of time. I suggest easing into interval training if you haven’t done much of it before — just pick up the pace for a minute, then go slower for another minute. Don’t overdo it at first. Also realize that if you do intense intevals, you will probably have to cut back on the duration of the exercise.
3. Metcon Workouts. These are usually workouts that combine strength training with cardio at high intensities. Generally they’re about 20 minutes (give or take 10 minutes), and they use a combination of exercises with no rest in between. Crossfit is the ultimate expression of this philosophy — typical workouts include doing four rounds of 400-meter sprints and 50 squats (as fast as you can) … or 100 pullups, 100 pushups, 100 situps, 100 squats (as fast as you can). See Crossfit’s “girl named Workouts of the Day” for more examples.
4. Hills. If you normally run, add some challenge to your runs with hills. Hills are like strength training for runners. They add intensity and are a great way to rev up the fat burning. I suggest easing into hill running if you’re not used to it. Start by running a slightly hilly course — gentle, rolling hills. Then run a course with hills that are a bit tougher. Then, when you’re good and strong (after a few weeks), do some hill repeats up a challenging hill — run hard up the hill, then go easy down the hill, for 5-7 repeats. You’ll curse my name when you’re done.
5. Heavy Weights. If you normally do strength training, but only do bodyweight exercises (which are great) or do high reps with lighter or medium weights, try increasing the intensity. Do this gradually, of course, as you don’t want to overdo it at first. Shoot for 3 sets of 5 reps with a heavier weight, for each exercise you do. This will help you to build more muscle and increase your metabolism.
6. Compound Lifts. Combine the above tip of lifting heavier weights with this tip — only do compound lifts. That means no isolation lifts, where you’re only working one muscle group at a time. Be sure that each lift uses two or more joints. Bicep curls are an example of an isolation lift — only the elbow joint is involved. Examples of compound lifts include the bench press (shoulder and elbow joints involved), the pullup (again, shoulder and elbow), squat (knees and hips and back). With compound lifts, you are working more muscles at once, and as a result you’re going to build more muscle overall. Compound lifts are also more functional — they mimick real-world motions. No one lifts anything like they do in a bicep curl, but we squat every day (think of picking something up off the floor, or sitting down and then getting up).
7. Extra Activities. If you’re doing all of the above tips, you’re on a great track to get lean. But if you’ve stepped up the intensity and are eating super lean for a month or so and want to take it to the next level, then add some extra activities to your schedule several times a week. These could include anything where you get active for at least 30 minutes: playing sports, going on a hike, doing some yardwork, doing some intense house cleaning (no, the Roomba doesn’t count), going swimming, etc. Just get active, in addition to your regular workouts. This extra activity will help you burn those extra calories and help break through your plateau.

‘The art of living well and the art of dying well are one.’ ~Epicurus

I don’t have health insurance, so I have a big investment in staying healthy. And so I did a little research today — I found the top causes of death, then created a spreadsheet for the controllable risk factors for each.

Some things can’t be controlled, such as your age, family history of diseases and gender. But other factors can be changed. And those things aren’t a huge surprise — you already know not to smoke, drink too much, or eat crappily.

It’s interesting, though, how all of the major diseases are caused by the same things: smoking, diet, exercise, alcohol and stress.

Below, I’ll list the top habits you can change right now, today, and four simple tips for achieving the healthy change you need.

The 8 Habits of Healthy Living

1. Stop smoking. This is by far the most important habit, as it affects almost every single one of the leading causes of death. While it’s also the hardest of these habits to change, it’s not at all impossible — I quit six years ago.

2. Lose weight (if you’re overweight). This is not exactly a habit — the best habit to form to lose weight is to eat less. Or eat more of things that don’t have a lot of calories, like fruits and veggies. Being overweight is just below smoking in terms of the worst risk factors for many diseases.

3. Exercise. You don’t need me to tell you to exercise, but listen to this: Lack of exercise is a major risk factor for heart disease, stroke, colon & rectal cancers, diabetes, breast cancer, high blood pressure and high cholesterol. If you don’t exercise, you’re just asking to get a major disease. It’s almost a magic pill: do a bit of exercise every day, and you get healthy. You don’t need much — start with 5 minutes a day in the morning.

4. Drink only in moderation. Heavy drinking is one of the worst risk factors for many diseases. That’s more than two alcoholic drinks a day for men, and more than one drink for women. A glass of red wine is a good thing, but too many and you’re greatly increasing your risk of disease.

5. Cut out red and processed meats. Eating red meats, and processed meats like sausages, bacon, canned meats and so on, is a risk factor for colon/rectal cancer, stomach cancer, and high cholesterol, which in turn is a leading risk factor for coronary heart disease and stroke. While this won’t sit well with many people, the overwhelming mass of research supports this. I recommend going vegetarian.

6. Eat fruits and veggies. This is obvious, but it’s amazing how few veggies most people eat. Eating fruits and veggies reduces your risk of several leading diseases, and it’s one of the easiest habits to form. Eat a salad (without heavy dressings, bacon or other meats, croutons or cheese). Add veggies to soups or veggie chili. Cook up veggies as a healthy side dish with dinner or lunch. Eat fruits with breakfast and as snacks.

7. Reduce salt, and saturated/trans fats. Salt and saturated or trans fats are in so many processed or prepared foods, and they increase risks of high blood pressure and high cholesterol, which increases your risk for heart disease and stroke. Despite what the Weston Price Foundation and other people on the Internet tell you, saturated fat isn’t healthy — read the sources. Note that this isn’t a controversy in the medical community, but the “harmlessness” of saturated fats is perpetuated by the diary and meat industries, and lay writers like Gary Taube. Cook your own healthy meals instead of eating out or eating prepared foods.

8. Reduce stress. Stress is a risk factor for heart disease and high blood pressure, which is itself a risk factor for stroke. Simplify your workday so that you’re not overly stressed, and exercise to relieve stress.

How to Form the Habits

This might seem like a lot to change, if you’re not already doing these things, but let me share something with you: I changed all of these in the last six years.

In 2005, I was incredibly unhealthy. Then I learned to change my habits, and slowly I:

• Quit smoking.
• Started running.
• Became vegan.
• Lost 70 pounds.
• Cleaned up my diet and got rid of unhealthy stuff.
• Simplified my life and reduced stress.
• Cut drinking down to one to two glasses of red wine a day.

I did it, and so can you. I changed one habit at a time, slowly, in tiny tiny steps, and it wasn’t hard. Don’t try to change everything, and don’t make it hard on yourself. It’s actually very easy if you’re patience and if you just start.

Here’s how to change these habits:

• Change only one habit at a time. It doesn’t matter which habit you choose. Just choose one. You’ll want to do more than one, but don’t.
• Create positive habits you enjoy. Read the last word again — if you enjoy it, the habit change will be easy. Replace smoking with positive habits you enjoy that fulfill the needs that smoking now fulfills (stress reduction, social lubrication, boredom relief, etc.). Replace red meats with healthy foods you enjoy.
• Start as small as possible. Just do five minutes of exercise the first week, and try to be consistent as possible. Then do 10 minutes. Small change is by far the most effective method I’ve used for changing habits. Slow change lasts.
• Make it social. Find a partner or group to change the habit with you, so you’re more likely to stick with it.

These work. I’ve done them many times, and every time I stick to these principles, I’ve changed a habit. Healthy living isn’t impossible, or even especially difficult. It’s just slower to come by than most people care for.

“It seems too obvious to state, but the most common sign that someone is not getting enough sleep is that they are sleepy during the day,” says Patty Tucker, a sleep medicine specialist who has worked with thousands of patients at an American Academy of Sleep Medicine-accredited sleep disorders center. “Falling asleep or even nodding off briefly when you don’t intend to is a sure sign of excessive daytime sleepiness,” she says.

Other signs can be less visible.  “Another less obvious sign of sleep deprivation is emotional fragility,” reports Tucker. “Someone who feels overwhelmed, is too quick to react, is overly sensitive or is generally irritable may just need more sleep.”

But it’s about more than just yawning awkwardly at your work colleague or nodding off during lunch. Sleep deficits create precarious, physical hazards. In fact, the CDC notes that approximately 24 million Americans experience difficulties with driving due to their lack of sufficient sleep. Meanwhile, an estimated 7.2 percent of Americans between the ages of 25 and 35 actually report that they have occasionally fallen asleep while at the wheel. “The most dangerous result of sleep deprivation is probably death from car crashes,” warns Tucker. “More than 1,500 people are killed in drowsy-driving accidents every year.”

And the list goes on and on, like a bad nightmare. “Sleep deprivation leads to problems from head to toe,” says Tucker. “Fuzzy thinking, impaired memory, depressed immune function, increased risk of heart disease and diabetes, decreased human growth hormone and testosterone levels are all linked to sleep deprivation.”

Apples and other fiber-rich foods can help you burn 30 per cent more calories.

When you’re trying to lose weight, you often shun snack food like a supermodel shuns carbs during New York Fashion Week. But that can be as unhealthy for you as it is for the models. You don’t have to give up snacks when you’re watching your weight. In fact, you may want to add snacks to your daily routine if you’re not a current snacker.

“This idea that snacking is wrong is almost part of a bygone era,” says Dr. David Katz in an interview with Explore magazine. That’s because snacks can keep you from binging on unhealthy things like donuts and potato chips. And even better, several snacking tricks may actually help boost your metabolism and help you get the leaner, slimmer bod you want.

Make Protein the Focus

Add at least one protein-rich snack to your schedule today, as long as it’s a lean protein source. A great example includes nuts and legumes, such as edamame. A 2004 medical study in the Journal of the American College of Nutrition found that “convincing evidence exists that protein exerts an increased thermic effect…compared to fat and carbohydrates.” If you’re wondering what that medical mumble-jumble means, it’s basically saying that protein works your metabolism and requires more energy to process than fats or carbs, thus helping you to burn more calories in the long run. Numerous studies have also found that protein helps keep you feeling full, so you’re less likely to grab for that bag of M&Ms.

Hide the Sins, Focus on Fiber

Speaking of M&Ms, psychologists say that out-of-sight can really mean out-of-mind. Toss out any junk food in your home, or at least hide them away in really inconvenient spots — that top shelf above your fridge is a great idea. This keeps you from being tempted.

But absence truly does make the heart grow fonder, so be sure to swap in healthy snacks for the now-missing junk food. Focus on fiber-rich foods, which help slow the digestion process and keep your tummy happy for extended periods of time. And an additional benefit: Fiber-rich foods like carrots, celery and fruit often take more work to chew. In a 2011 study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, researchers in China found that being forced to chew food longer helped participants consume 12 per cent less calories. Meanwhile, a Japanese study reported that having to chew food caused a calorie-burning boost of approximately 30 per cent!

Watch What You Drink, But Drink Often

Snacking is often accompanied with a few sips of your fave bevvie, but be careful — drinks are the Trojan Horse in the calorie saga. For example, drinking a single can of soda every day for a year can lead to an average weight gain of 15 lbs., warns the Harvard School of Public Health. Instead, wash your snacks down with a few sips of crisp, refreshing water. Or, even better, drink cold or hot green tea. Several research studies have found that the epigallocatechin gallate in green tea boosts your metabolism and may help you to burn approximately 100 extra calories a day.

It’s also important to note that people often misinterpret thirst for hunger. Staying hydrated can thus help stave off perceived hunger pains.

Six Slimming Snack Ideas

1. Fat-free Greek yogurt (or vegan soy yogurt) topped with nuts and fresh fruit. A single 6 oz. cup of Greek yogurt nets you 15 g of protein in only 80 calories, while nuts and fruit boost the protein and fiber content.

2. 2% chocolate milk over whole-grain cereal. A 16 oz. glass of chocolate milk yields 17 grams protein, and a study in the Journal of the American College of Nutrition concluded that chocolate milk may be one of the best muscle-building recovery drinks for athletes and bodybuilders.

3. Edamame seasoned with just a tiny pinch of sea salt. A 1/2 c. serving gets you lots of fiber and protein in under 100 calories. It’s the perfect panacea for any savory cravings you may have.

4. Roasted soy nuts. The average 1/4 c. serving gets you 6 g of protein in approximately 120 calories. Go for a spicy variety for added slimming help; some medical studies have hinted that spicy foods help to rev your metabolism.

5. A banana or apple with a dab of peanut butter. This sweet-and-savory pairing provides fiber, protein and healthy fats, plus a dose of electrolytes and antioxidants from the fruit.

6. Trail mix. This is for road warriors who can’t find a nearby grocery store. When you’re facing the vending machine, opt for the unsweetened trail mix. Nuts and dried fruits make a nice couple.

In a new study published in the Diabetes Care medical journal, researchers followed more than a thousand men and women in Sweden. They found that exposure to pthalates, a common chemical used in fragrances, was associated with increased blood sugar and an up to 30 percent increased risk of type 2 diabetes (read the full study abstract here).

Besides diabetes, some medical professionals also worry that exposure to pthalates elevates your risks of other health problems, such as cancer. Avoid pthalates by taking a few lifestyle and dietary precautions today:

1. Stop using products that contain perfumes or fragrances. Aim for unscented products instead, such as unscented laundry detergent, unscented shampoo and conditioner, and natural beeswax candles instead of scented air fresheners.

2. Eat fresh, organic food. A study in the Environmental Health Perspectives journal noted that pthalate exposure was cut in half when people ate fresh food instead of packaged or canned food.

3. Avoid plastics. If you can’t do without them, check the recycle code on the bottom of the plastic item. Items stamped with a “7” or a “3” may contain higher levels of both phthalates and BPA.