Chocolate

Bad news for chocolate lovers: Chocolate seems to cause more reflux than any other food. It’s a triple whammy:

1. Chocolate contains caffeine and other stimulants such as theobromine, which cause reflux.
2. Chocolate is high in fat, and fat causes reflux.
3. Chocolate is also high in cocoa, and cocoa causes reflux.

Theoretically, dark chocolate isn’t as bad as high-fat milk chocolate, but let’s face it—all chocolate is bad for reflux.

Soda

Soda and other carbonated beverages are some of the main causes of acid reflux. The bubbles of carbonation expand inside the stomach, and the increased pressure contributes to reflux. Sodas with caffeine and those that are acidic (almost all) are even worse.

Fried food

Fried food is the single most recognized cause of reflux. It is also the food most often associated with heartburn, which is chest pain from esophageal reflux.

Alcohol

Beer, liquor, and wine are believed to contribute to reflux. Many alcoholic beverages are not very acidic. However, alcohol is believed to relax the valve at the bottom of the esophagus (where it joins the stomach), leading to reflux.

High-fat dairy products

All high-fat foods cause reflux. There is no reason to believe that one high-fat butter or cheese is better than another in this regard. If you have reflux and a serious cheese habit, something has to give.

High-fat meats

Acid reflux is caused by high-fat cuts of meat—beef, pork, lamb—which stay longer in the stomach and increase the chance of acid reflux.

Caffeine

One cup of coffee or espresso a day is fine, but people who drink coffee all day long are courting reflux—if they don’t have it already.

• Cold and dry weather. Such weather can dry out your skin, which makes the chances of having a flare-up worse. In contrast, hot, sunny weather appears to help control the symptoms of psoriasis in most people.
• Stress. Having psoriasis can cause stress itself and patients often report that outbreaks of symptoms come during particularly stressful times.
• Some drugs. Certain drugs, such as lithium (a common treatment for bipolar disorder), drugs for malaria, and some beta-blockers (used to treat high blood pressure, heart disease, and some heart arrhythmias) can cause flare-ups of psoriasis.
• Infections or disease. Certain infections, such as strep throat or tonsillitis, can result in guttate or other types of psoriasis. Psoriasis may worsen in people who have HIV.
• Trauma to the skin. In some people with psoriasis, trauma to the skin — including cuts, bruises, burns, bumps, vaccinations, tattoos, and other skin conditions — can cause a flare-up of psoriasis at the site of the injury. This condition is called “Koebner’s phenomenon.”
• Alcohol. Using alcohol may increase the chances of flare-ups, at least in men.
• Smoking. Some experts think that smoking can worsen psoriasis.

• Keep it rinsed. Wash off your toothbrush thoroughly with tap water every time you use it.
• Keep it dry. Bacteria love a moist environment. Make sure your brush has a chance to dry thoroughly between brushings. Avoid using toothbrush covers, which can create a moist enclosed breeding ground for bacteria.
• Keep it upright. Store your toothbrush upright in a holder, rather than lying it down.
• Keep it to yourself. No matter how close you are to your sister, brother, spouse, or roommate, don’t ever use their toothbrush. Don’t even store your toothbrush side-by-side in the same cup with other people’s brushes. Whenever toothbrushes touch, they can swap germs.

Back position

Good for: Preventing neck and back pain, reducing acid reflux, minimizing wrinkles, maintaining perky breasts
Bad for: Snoring

Side position

Good for: Preventing neck and back pain, reducing acid reflux, snoring less, sleeping during pregnancy
Bad for: Your skin and your breasts

Fetal position

Good for: Snoring less, sleeping during pregnancy
Bad for: Preventing neck and back pain, minimizing wrinkles, maintaining perky breasts

Stomach position

Good for: Easing snoring
Bad for: Avoiding neck and back pain, minimizing wrinkles, maintaining perky breasts

Celiac disease is a digestive disorder that occurs in reaction to gluten, a protein found in rye, barley, wheat, and hundreds of foods made with these grains. The body’s immune system reacts to the gluten and causes damage to the intestine. Celiac disease, also known as celiac sprue or gluten-sensitive enteropathy, is fairly common. One in 133 Americans has the disorder and needs to follow a gluten-free diet.

Symptoms of celiac disease can vary from mild to severe. Some people have no symptoms, although they still are developing intestinal damage. Celiac disease is sometimes misdiagnosed as irritable bowel syndrome, Crohn’s Disease or gastric ulcers. Digestive symptoms may include:

• Abdominal bloating and pain
• Diarrhea
• Vomiting
• Constipation
• Pale, foul-smelling stool

Many adults with celiac disease don’t have digestive symptoms at all. But the failure to absorb nutrients may lead to other problems, including weight loss and malnutrition. Signs and symptoms related to weight loss or malnutrition can include:

• Anemia
• Fatigue
• Osteoporosis
• Infertility or miscarriage
• Mouth ulcers
• Tingling, numbness in the hands and feet

For some people, celiac disease causes an itchy, blistering rash known as dermatitis herpetiformis. It may begin with an intense burning sensation around the elbows, knees, scalp, buttocks, and back. Clusters of red, itchy bumps form and then scab over. It often first occurs in the teenage years and is more common among men than women. The rash usually clears with a gluten-free diet but can be treated with medication.

Some people with celiac experience depression, irritability, poor memory, and trouble concentrating. The strain of having a chronic disease can contribute to problems with mood and memory, particularly when there is chronic pain or fatigue related to anemia.

Headache, dizziness, breast tenderness

Nausea

• This reaction will probably go away in a couple of months. If it doesn’t and you’re using oral contraceptives, try taking them with food. If you’re using the ring or the patch, you might need to switch methods.

Breakthrough Bleeding

• Talk to your doctor if you’re concerned about spotting.

Decreased Libido

• Try a different formulation if you experience this side effect.

Mood Swings

• If it’s really the birth control and not some other factor that’s bringing you down, you may need to find a nonhormonal method.

Move It!

Even 30 minutes of physical activity five days a week (20 minutes three times a week for vigorous exercise, such as jogging) can help lower LDL cholesterol and raise HDL cholesterol — although more exercise is even better. It also helps you maintain an ideal weight, reducing your chance of developing clogged arteries. You don’t have to exercise for 30 minutes straight — you can break it up into 10-minute increments.

Walk It Off

If you’re not used to exercising — or hate the thought of going to a gym — just go for a walk. It’s easy, healthy, and all you need is a good pair of shoes. Aerobic or cardiovascular exercise such as walking lowers risk of stroke and heart disease, helps you lose weight, and keeps bones strong. If you’re just starting out, try a 10-minute walk and gradually build up from there.

Work Out Without Going to the Gym

If exercise sounds like a dirty word to you, here’s some good news: You can boost your heart health by incorporating physical activity into your day. Any kind of cardiovascular activity counts — gardening, dancing, or taking the stairs instead of the elevator. Even housework can qualify as exercise — as long as you’re doing serious cleaning that gets your heart rate up and not just light dusting.

RA Stress Buster 1: Get Physical Activity                                                       

• Go for aerobic exercise. When your joints ache, you may not feel like going for a brisk walk or swimming laps. However, regular exercise has concrete benefits for people with RA. It reduces pain, improves mood, reduces stress, and helps keep joints mobile. Make sure to follow your doctor’s advice: Some people need to rest during flares.
• Try strength training and range-of-motion exercises. In addition to aerobic exercise, weight lifting and resistance training can help people with RA build stronger muscles to support their joints. Researchers have also found that yoga and tai chi can help people with RA strengthen muscles, calm the mind, and reduce pain.
• Consider physical therapy. Exercise helps relieve stress. So, if RA symptoms get in the way of exercise, work with a physical therapist — one who specializes in treating people with RA. You’ll learn ways to build strength, feel better, and reduce stress.

RA Stress Buster 2: Calm Your Mind

• Relax mindfully. Studies have found that mindful meditation can help improve mood, reduce distress, and ease pain. As you meditate, focus on what you experience in the present moment, such as your breathing. Aim for awareness and acceptance of living in the moment. Other meditative techniques such as deep breathing and guided imagery may help, too. In guided imagery, you form mental images of places or situations you find relaxing. Try to use all your senses, and imagine seeing it, smelling it, feeling it.
• Get relaxing sleep. Get up and go to bed at the same time each day to set a regular sleep cycle. If you can, don’t take work home from the office. Turn off the TV, computer, and phone at least an hour before bed.

RA Stress Buster 3: Make Some Lifestyle Changes

• Work around problems. When RA symptoms flare up, everyday tasks can become painful and frustrating. Don’t just suffer — come up with solutions. If typing hurts your hands, look into voice recognition software for your computer. Maybe new utensils with bigger grips will make cooking easier. Small improvements could have a big effect on your pain and stress level.
• Don’t smoke. While some people with RA smoke to deal with the stress of their condition, that’s not a good idea. Studies have found that smoking can make RA worse and make medication less effective.
• Do what works. There’s no one-size-fits-all approach to stress reduction. Think about activities that have calmed you in the past, such as talking to a trusted friend, reading on the patio, or seeing a movie. Build those calming activities into your weekly schedule — even when you don’t feel you have the time. If you push yourself too hard and get stressed out, your RA symptoms may flare up, and that could really throw you off track.

RA Stress Buster 4: Get Support

• See a therapist. Talk to a psychologist, social worker, or counselor. Together, you can learn new ways to cope with daily stress at work and home, as well as explore deeper, unsettled issues. If your stress is getting unmanageable, medication for anxiety or depression may help, too.
• Join a support group. By meeting other people with RA, you’ll learn new ways to cope with symptoms and feel less alone. Crunched for time? Online support groups offer support and access to others living with RA. Studies have found that support groups can even reduce pain.
• Take a role in your treatments. Research shows that people with RA who take an active role in their treatment feel less pain. And they need to see the doctor less often. Learn about your disease. Ask your doctor questions. You’ll gain a sense of control by becoming a well-informed participant in your own care — and that can cut down on your stress.

• Always supervise children. Never leave a child out of eye contact — not even for a second. Never assume a child is water-safe, regardless of swimming lessons or experience.
• Always swim with a buddy. Children should understand that they are never allowed to swim alone.
• Talk to children about dangers. Make sure children get swimming and water safety lessons. Never allow a child to play in a way that would permit hair to come near a drain cover. They should not stick fingers, toes, or body parts into drains. They should not play the “hold your breath underwater” game.
• Require good behavior from kids.This means:
  • No playful screaming for help (false alarms) that might mask a real emergency
  • No running or pushing near the pool
  • No toys like tricycles near the pool; they can lead to accidental falls into water
• Establish rules on diving.That means:
  • Don’t allow diving if your pool is less than five feet deep.
  • Teach children to dive with their hands in front of their faces.
  • Teach them to swim immediately toward the surface after diving.
• Respect storms. Never swim before, during, or after a thunderstorm.
• Limit alcohol. No under-age drinking is allowed. Adults should limit drinking near the pool. Just two or three drinks can affect a person’s judgment, even though he or she may not feel or appear to be drunk. Even a small amount of alcohol can slow reflexes — especially if the drinker is tired or taking medication like cold/allergy drugs or prescriptions.

Eat the Foods You Like

Having diabetes doesn’t mean you can’t eat your favorite foods. But you need to know how your food choices will affect your blood sugar. A diabetes educator or dietitian can help you learn skills — such as counting carbs, reading food labels, and sizing up portions — that will let you keep your diabetes in check while still enjoying your favorite meals.

Define Your Plate

Use a rule of three to build a healthy, satisfying meal. This rule can help you lose weight and manage your diabetes by increasing your intake of non-starchy foods. Divide your plate in half. Fill one half with non-starchy vegetables like spinach or broccoli. Next, divide the empty side into two halves. Use one for starchy foods like bread or pasta. In the last section, add meat or another protein. You can also add an 8-ounce glass of low-fat milk and a ½ cup of fruit.

Manage Your Medicine Cabinet

You may take pills or injections to manage your diabetes. Try to keep 3 days’ worth of your diabetes medicines and supplies on hand in case of an emergency, as well as a list of all your medicines. Your drugs may interact with other medicines, even ones that can be bought without a prescription. Make sure to tell your doctor before you take any new medicine. And always take your list to your regular doctor and dental appointments.

Fight Everyday Stress With Activity

Living with diabetes can make you sad or unhappy at times. Stress not only affects your mood, but it can raise your blood sugar, too. Stress may cause you to make poor food choices and drink more alcohol. But an easy way to feel better from everyday stress is to get active. Being active raises the levels of chemicals in your brain that make you feel good. If you don’t want to exercise in a gym, join a sports team or take dance lessons to keep moving.

Exercise in Short Sessions

It may be hard to find time to exercise. It can also be hard to keep going if you’re not used to exercising for 30 minutes straight. The good news is you can spread your 30 minutes throughout the day. Three 10-minute walks are as good as 30 minutes at once. So don’t hold out to exercise when you have a lot of time. Moderate physical activity (both strength building and cardio) will help you control your blood sugar, lower your blood pressure and cholesterol, and reduce stress.

Check Your Feet Every Night

Use a hand mirror or ask someone to help you look for cuts, swelling, or color changes on your feet. Don’t forget to look between your toes, too. If you see unhealed cuts or broken skin, call your doctor right away. Make foot care part of your daily routine: Wash and moisturize your feet and trim your toenails as needed. Talk to your doctor about treating corns or calluses. And have him examine your feet during every visit.

Drink Alcohol Only With Food

Your doctor may say it’s OK for you to have an occasional drink. Drink alcohol only when you can eat something along with it to avoid low blood sugar. Even snacks like pretzels or popcorn can work. Also have a no-calorie beverage like water at your side in case you get thirsty. Mixed drinks can raise blood sugars. If you choose to drink, women should drink no more than one alcoholic drink per day, and men no more than two a day.