Why Good Benefits Matter

Who wouldn't love to take a day off from work to curl up in front of Oprah when we feel a tickle in our throat? And what new mom wouldn't like more time to stare into her baby's big round eyes (and then take a much-needed nap)? But family-friendly policies like paid sick days and maternity leave aren't just luxuries that would make our lives more pleasant--they're essential, and they actually benefit all of us.

- Studies show that workers need a week of sick leave each year to take care of their own health needs, and moms needs paid time off to care for sick kids (and often ailing parents) too. Parents with paid sick days are more likely to take the time to provide preventive health care for their kids, and their involvement help kids recover more rapidly from illness and injury, which ultimately means fewer days off for the worker. sick employees actually reduce productivity, and workplaces with paid sick days experience lower job-turnover rates. read more...

Five Stages of Sleep: What's Up While You're Down?

In a typical eight-hour night, if you sleep well, you'll experience four or five 90-minute sleep cycles before waking up for the day.

Waking Stage
Your body prepares for sleep. You're awake in this stage, but very relaxed. Your eyes can be open or closed.

Sleep Stage 1: Drowsiness
At this stage--lasting anywhere from 10 seconds to 10 minutes--you transition from being awake to falling asleep. Your breathing becomes shallow and irregular. People often say they are half-asleep in this stage. You respond fairly quickly to disturbances since you're still aware of your surroundings.

Sleep Stage 2: Light Sleep
During this stage, your eye movements come to a halt, your blood pressure drops, and your muscles relax more. This is the actual beginning of sleep, because at this point you're no longer aware of your environment. read more...

10 Sneaky Saboteurs That Make Sleep So Elusive

It seems so simple. Sleep. If only! Discover the changes you can make to your habits--and your habitat--that will turn you into an overnight success.

1. A disturbing story on the internet or a problem that lands in your inbox can set your mind running. Plus, lights stimulate your brain. Shut down to get some shut-eye.

2. Sharing a bed with a partner makes women sleep less soundly, according to a recent study. If your guy snores, convince him to see a sleep specialist--most snoring can be treated.

3. If a stuffy nose is keeping you up at night, you may have a dust mite allergy. Monthly pillow washings (not just the cases) will keep dust mite allergens to a minimum. read more...

Five Easy Ways to Live Healthy

Stop Drinking all that water
Guzzling lots of agua is the one health move that most of people actually manage on a regular basis. So imagine the disappointment when you heard that it doesn't do a darn thing! "There was no scientific evidence that water can help rid your body of toxins, promote weight loss, ease headaches, or improve skin tone," says Stanley Goldfarb, M.D., author of a recent study review on the topic. "You drink more water, you just pee more." If you're convinced that your skin looks clearer thanks to H2O, it may be just a powerful placebo effect. So instead to trying to chug eight glasses of water every day, let your body be your guide. "Drink when you're thirsty and only enough to feel satisfied," says Goldfarb read more...

Eight Daily Habits That Keep You Calm

These tips will help you relax.

Move
Regular daily exercise (such as walking for 20 minutes) can lower levels of stress hormones.
Take a deep belly breath.

Abdominal breathing increases the amount of oxygen in your blood, triggering the brain to decrease the concentration of stress hormones.

Get your zzz's
A good night's sleep helps your body
block the surge of stress hormones. read more...

Germ-proof Yourself and Stay Healthy All Winter!

You drink your juice and take your vitamins. But you may be overlooking some simple strategies that could stop you from catching a bug this year:

1. Using Hand Sanitizers
No question about it: Hand washing gets rid of germs. Studies show scrubbing with soap and water for 15 seconds before eating and after using rest rooms cuts the risk of infection 10 fold! But when you can't get to a sink, use an alcohol-based hand gel like Purell or Avant. They destroy up to 83% of germs in 10 seconds! "They're so effective, the CDC recommends them," notes Phillip Tierno, Ph.D., of the New York University Medical Center.

2. Sanitizing Your Cellphone
Sanitizing your cell phone and your home phone. Your remote control and any other gadgets that are commonly shared. In a recent study, One in five cell phones tested positive for dangerous types of drug-resistant bacteria, says University of Arizona microbiologist Charles Gerba. To de-germ shared devices, wipe them at least once a week with disinfecting wipes---not sprays or liquids, which might damage internal components. read more...

Cure Those Cramps

PMS disappears once you get your period, but for some girls this isn't really a consolation because that's when the cramps start.

The body produces the hormone called prostaglandins, which makes the uterus contract more strongly during menstruation. Some girls produce more amounts of it, while other s may just be more sensitive to the "Menstrual cramps also help expel the discharge," says Ob-Gyne Joan Tan Garcia, MD. But how just do you make your period easier to bear? There are already a lot of medications available in the market. read more...

No More Pms!

Say goodbye to bloating, mood swings and those awful cramps.

Premenstrual Syndrome. The mere mention of the words is enough to make any girl wince (and any guy scurry to the nearest exit). It's a group of physical and psychological symptoms that occurs 5 to 11 days before you get your period. Those all too familiar body-related symptoms include: bloating sensation, breast tenderness, headaches and migraines, nausea, diarrhea or constipation, fatigue and vomiting. Pretty huh? As for the psychological or behavioral changes, when PMS hits suddenly you find yourself snapping at your seatmate for borrowing a pen or going into a sobfest upon seeing your crush laughing with some pretty girl; your moods from crappy to crappier.

Blame it on progeste-what?

Yes, every month our hormone levels, more specifically progesterone, normally rise and drop according to what our body normally needs. PMS is the abnormal response to those normal hormonal changes, according to the National Institute of Mental Health in the US. While research has proven that there is a link between the presence of female sex hormones and PMS symptoms, the hormones aren't necessarily the cause of disorder, because not all women experience PMS. As to why some girls have it and some blessedly don't, it's still not known.

We've got you covered!

Even if certain questions surrounding PMS remain a mystery, we've finally figured out how to cope during those totally dreadful days. Joan Tan Garcia, MD, an obstetrician-gynecologist from St.Luke's medical Center suggests the following: read more...