5 Health Mistakes You Make Every Day
You're not as healthy as you think you are.
— -- intro:Your day is fraught with peril--from the dumbphone that bloops while you're driving to the NSFW website that beckons at 3 p.m. Those risks you know. How about these?
quicklist: 1category: Health Mistakestitle: 7 A.M. - You Brush Just After Breakfasturl:text:Brushing after eating acidic foods - especially fruit and juice - can weaken enamel, says Mark Wolff, D.D.S., Ph.D., of NYU College of Dentistry. That may lead to discoloration or greater odds of cracks and chips.
RINSE AND WAIT
Didn't brush before eating? Swish with water and wait 40 minutes for the calcium in your saliva to remineralize weakened areas. Then brush. (Diagnose every pop, crack, and whistle before they become something worse with these 6 Weird Body Noises Explained.)
quicklist: 2category: Health Mistakestitle: 8:30 A.M.- You Commute with the Windows Openurl:text:Air pollution on highways can be up to 10 times what it is in the burbs, says Scott Fruin, D.Env., an environmental health researcher at USC. Diesel fumes may contribute to headaches, cancer, and heart disease.
RECIRCULATE
Shut the windows and hit "recirc" on your AC. Doing this can cut your particulate pollution exposure fourfold, one of Dr. Fruin's studies found.
quicklist: 3category: Health Mistakestitle: 1 P.M. - You Microwave Your Lunch in Plasticurl:text:BPA-free? It's better, but not perfect. Phthalates can still leach into your food, potentially damaging sperm and altering hormones, says Germaine Buck Louis, Ph.D., a director at the National Institutes of Health.
BET YOUR BUTT ON GLASS
Transfer food to glass before nuking it, or warm it on the stove at home and pack it in a stainless-steel thermos to keep it hot. (Frozen entrees can help you avoid overeating because the calorie-control work is done for you. These Best Frozen Meals for Guys are rich in protein and fiber--and actually taste good.)
quicklist: 4category: Health Mistakestitle: 7:30 P.M. - You Drive Home After Happy Hoururl:text:People with a blood alcohol concentration (BAC) of just .01 percent-well below the .08 legal limit-are 46 percent more likely to cause a crash than drivers who are totally sober, a UC San Diego study reveals.
CHEW BEFORE BREWS
Cut your BAC by 30 percent by eating beforehand, says Aaron White, Ph.D., of the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism.
quicklist: 4category: Health Mistakestitle: 10.30 P.M. - You Check Your Work E-Mail Before Bedurl:text:Managers who use their smartphone for work after 9 p.m. wake up groggy, a University of Florida study found. And a large Singaporean study shows that too little sleep can raise your odds of dying of stroke.
POWER DOWN
Keep the charging station out of the bedroom, and turn off e-mail notifications after 9 p.m. If it's an emergency, someone will call.Set your body on snooze control with this guide to Sleep Right, Tonight.