Doing exactly the right thing can seem impossible. These quick methods come close.
Cardiovascular Activity
The ideal: Do 30 minutes most days of the week. The surgeon general advises this near-daily regimen will help lower LDL (bad) cholesterol, raise HDL (good) cholesterol, and improve cardio health, reducing the risk for diabetes and heart disease.
The next best thing: Take three 10-minute walks each day. Short bursts have real health benefits, says Cris Slentz, Ph.D., a senior research scientist at Duke University Medical Center, in Durham, North Carolina. Assuming the intensity is identical to that of a 30-minute workout, you’ll burn the same number of calories and get the heart-health benefits.
A few ideas:
- Devote 10 minutes of your lunch hour to a brisk walk.
- Climb a few flights of stairs several times a day instead of using the elevator.
- Offer to take a friend’s (energetic) dog for a walk.
Fresh Fruits and Vegetables
The ideal: Have five to nine servings of fresh fruits and vegetables daily. Eat such a bounty and you’ll get a full array of nutrients, as well as plenty of fiber, says Claudia Gonzalez, a registered dietitian in Miami.
The next best thing: They may not be farmers’ market–worthy, but sneak in servings this way:
- Try vitamin-rich dried fruits and single-serving packs of applesauce (applesauce has less fiber than fresh apples but still contains some vitamin C).
- Using frozen berries, whip up a fruit smoothie, which can hold up to three servings of fruit.
- Try canned. Vegetable and bean soups are good sources of fiber and can be as nutritionally rich as fresh produce, says Gonzalez. Go ahead and take a multivitamin if you’re still falling short. It may cover key nutrients. Find out how much of each nutrient you really need.
Fish
The ideal: Eat it twice a week. Fatty fish, like salmon, trout, and sardines, are packed with DHA and EPA omega-3 fatty acids, which have been found in many studies to reduce the risk of heart disease and boost the immune system.
The next best thing: Add flaxseed or fish oil to your diet. Here are two easy ways:
- Sprinkle one to two tablespoons of flaxseed on salads or oatmeal, says Tracy Gaudet, M.D., a women’s-health expert and the director of Duke Integrative Medicine, in Durham, North Carolina. For optimum absorption of nutrients, the seeds need to be broken, so if you have only whole flaxseed, run it through a coffee grinder for a few seconds.
- Talk to your doctor about fish-oil supplements. The American Heart Association suggests 1,000 milligrams of omega-3s a day for certain people at risk for heart disease.
Sleep
The ideal: Get at least seven hours each night. Skimping on sleep can have a major impact on your health. A 2007 study at the University of Warwick, in England, found that women who slept fewer than five hours a night were twice as likely to suffer from hypertension as women who got seven hours of sleep. Previous studies have linked lack of sleep to weight gain and a weakened immune system.
The next best thing: If you’ve been short on sleep, take a nap. A recent study found that people who took a short daily nap had a lower rate of dying from heart disease than did those who never snoozed during the day.
Two suggestions:
- Lie down for a 20-minute siesta in the afternoon to revive yourself.
- Take a quick catnap when you get home from work to counteract the effects of lost sleep.
Wednesday, July 8, 2009
Thursday, July 2, 2009
Are diet pills safe?
Q: Is there a diet pill available that is safe to use and really works?
A: I wish we had a pill that could help people lose weight easily. None of the medicines on the market are worth using, if you ask me.
Drugs for weight loss that are sold over-the-counter, such as dietary supplements and appetite suppressants don't have a strong effect on weight loss. And using these drugs can cause side effects.
Prescription weight loss drugs have drawbacks, too. They include orlistat (sold as Xenical and Alli), sibutramine (sold as Meridia) and phentermine (sold as Adipex and Ionamin). In some European countries, you can buy rimonabant (sold as Acomplia). It is not sold in the United States.
In November 2007, the British Medical Journal (BMJ) looked at the benefits and of prescription drugs for weight loss. The article summarized the weight loss results and side effects for orlistat, sibutramine and rimonabant.
The findings in this study closely matched a report on rimonabant that came from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in August 2007. It also is similar to FDA testimony about sibutramine at a Senate hearing in 2004.
How do these weight loss drugs "size up?" They are not very impressive. According to the BMJ study, after using the drugs for 1 to 4 years, people lost:
6 pounds on average with orlistat
9 pounds on average with sibutramine
10 pounds on average with rimonabant
Previous studies have found an average weight loss of 2 to 13 pounds with phentermine.
Most patients would need to spend more than $1,000 a year on the drugs in order to see these results. Cost is one reason that a lot of users don't stick with these medicines. A Canadian study showed that fewer than 10% of people who use sibutramine or orlistat stay with it for at least a year. Fewer than 2% of people stay with it for two years.
Another problem with weight loss medicines is their side effects:
Orlistat causes oily stool, grease spots on underwear, and uncomfortable urges to have a bowel movement in up to one-third of people who take it. It also may decrease the absorption of vitamins from your diet.
Sibutramine raises blood pressure and pulse rate. In up to 1 out of 5 patients, it can cause insomnia, nausea, dry mouth or constipation.
Rimonabant was associated with symptoms such as depression and anxiety in up to 1 out of 4 users. At usual doses:
9% of patients developed depression
5% needed to start medicine for depression
9% had to start an anxiety medicine or sleeping pill
The suicide rate doubled
Phentermine can cause a rapid heartbeat, high blood pressure, restlessness, anxiety, or diarrhea
Phentermine formerly was used along with the drug fenfluramine. This combination was known as Fen-Phen. In some people, it led to heart valve damage or abnormal artery pressures in the lungs. Fenfluramine is off the market. But similar problems might occur if phentermine interacts with drugs that are like fenfluramine. This includes antidepressants such as Prozac. These drugs can't be safely combined with phentermine.
Surely, there must be a better way to lose weight.
As old fashioned as it sounds, modest daily calorie intake and regular exercise are still the cornerstones of weight control. Weight loss drugs certainly can be a part of treatment for a person who is severely overweight. However, they are not good enough to substitute for other strategies. I don't recommend them for most people who need to lose weight.
Monday, June 29, 2009
Michael Jackson -- Death by Medicine, How to Avoid this?
Michael Jackson, dead at age 50. Probable Cause of death: medicine. Celebrities in the U.S. are killer drugs faster than their sometimes wild lifestyle. The list of great men are killed by medication only in the last year: Michael Jackson, Heath Ledger and Anna Nicole Smith. Michael Jackson is the most recent celebrity to be killed by drugs.
Taking drugs can kill
Michael Jackson was the pain and possibly other benzodiazepine drugs. Both drugs produce physical and mental depression. Drugs produce adverse effects.
The right question to ask before he or she have any drugs for any situation is: "How much damage am I willing to live or die with the desired effects I'm looking for?" Remember that the impact on the upper edge of the former drug-action and creates a deteriorating condition, even if you do not immediately perceive.
Each individual will react differently to medications. There is no such thing as a drug, according to the laws of nature, like gravity or liability. Every drug, even over the counter medications such as aspirin or Tylenol, kill more people each year than the flu.
Who's Making A Killing the sale of drugs
Who benefits by the people, drugs and the effects of damage? The people and companies that produce, market, sell and make a living with drug sales.
Many people in the industry want to sell drugs to help others be healthier and happier. Few want people to suffer or experience loss. But why are people not better than drug effects, before they begin looking for them?
The doctors have told patients not taking drugs, when all the bad effects were well publicized. Therefore, doctors are not their Hippocratic oath. Part of that oath is to warn and full disclosure to patients on the effects of drug therapy.
Drug sales fueled by effective marketing popular for the general population and physicians, medical students and organizations such as the FDA and Health Canada on this side of the border.
Currently, pharmaceutical sales representative, the so-called "Drug Details", at the doctors and government leaders about the risks and benefits of drug therapy. Most drugs are details rented for their appearance, communication and seller of drugs.
Get the full disclosure of all drug offenses effects from your doctor or pharmacist
Where does this leave the consumer? A victim of drug or innocent spectators of the damage caused by ignorance. Doctors have a duty to their patients. Physicians should inform their patients fully informed of all medicines impacts suggest drug use.
Alternative Recommendation First, either by an integrative physician or alternative medicine doctor, you can prevent further suffering, your doctor ignorance.
Taking drugs can kill
Michael Jackson was the pain and possibly other benzodiazepine drugs. Both drugs produce physical and mental depression. Drugs produce adverse effects.
The right question to ask before he or she have any drugs for any situation is: "How much damage am I willing to live or die with the desired effects I'm looking for?" Remember that the impact on the upper edge of the former drug-action and creates a deteriorating condition, even if you do not immediately perceive.
Each individual will react differently to medications. There is no such thing as a drug, according to the laws of nature, like gravity or liability. Every drug, even over the counter medications such as aspirin or Tylenol, kill more people each year than the flu.
Who's Making A Killing the sale of drugs
Who benefits by the people, drugs and the effects of damage? The people and companies that produce, market, sell and make a living with drug sales.
Many people in the industry want to sell drugs to help others be healthier and happier. Few want people to suffer or experience loss. But why are people not better than drug effects, before they begin looking for them?
The doctors have told patients not taking drugs, when all the bad effects were well publicized. Therefore, doctors are not their Hippocratic oath. Part of that oath is to warn and full disclosure to patients on the effects of drug therapy.
Drug sales fueled by effective marketing popular for the general population and physicians, medical students and organizations such as the FDA and Health Canada on this side of the border.
Currently, pharmaceutical sales representative, the so-called "Drug Details", at the doctors and government leaders about the risks and benefits of drug therapy. Most drugs are details rented for their appearance, communication and seller of drugs.
Get the full disclosure of all drug offenses effects from your doctor or pharmacist
Where does this leave the consumer? A victim of drug or innocent spectators of the damage caused by ignorance. Doctors have a duty to their patients. Physicians should inform their patients fully informed of all medicines impacts suggest drug use.
Alternative Recommendation First, either by an integrative physician or alternative medicine doctor, you can prevent further suffering, your doctor ignorance.
Saturday, June 6, 2009
America's cancer capitals for men
The Mormons may be onto something. (No, not polygamy—that ended in 1890.) Salt Lake City is our pick for the most cancer-free zone in the nation. Credit the Mormons' no-smoking and no-drinking policy, plus the fact that the city is religious about outdoor sports. See, lung cancer causes nearly 30 percent of deaths from untamed tumors, and a report from the World Cancer Research Fund shows that lifestyle changes, such as limiting alcohol and exercising regularly, can help prevent a third of cancers.
First, we analyzed data on smoking, exercise, obesity, drinking, and fruit and vegetable consumption (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention). Then we factored in cities' UV indexes (Accuweather.com) and cancer incidence (National Cancer Institute). Last, we went to the CDC to see who's being tested for colon and breast cancer, plus how many people have fallen to the big C.
10 Least Cancerous Cities 10 Most Cancerous Cities
Salt Lake City Jacksonville, Fla.
Burlington, Vt. Philadelphia
Seattle Oklahoma City
Aurora, Colo. Las Vegas
Atlanta Indianapolis
Yonkers, N.Y. Columbus, Ohio
Oakland, Calif. Birmingham, Ala.
New York City Memphis, Tenn.
Fremont, Calif. Baltimore
Minneapolis St. Louis
Invest in Your Life
We already have a powerful weapon in the war against cancer: cash. No, money can't tame a prostate tumor, but it can help address the imbalance in federal funding for cancer research. In 2007, only 8 percent of funds in the National Cancer Institute's budget were spent on detection and diagnosis. While it's critical that scientists find a cure, we also need better ways to spot cancer in its earliest stages. Give to the Canary Foundation, a group that donates all proceeds to detection research.
Dye, Cancer!
Doctors can't defeat colon cancer if they can't find it. Enter chromoendoscopy, a procedure in which a person's colon walls are dyed before a colonoscopy. Harvard scientists found that this method revealed precancerous polyps in a third of people who'd been cleared after a regular screening. Ask your doctor about the test.
First, we analyzed data on smoking, exercise, obesity, drinking, and fruit and vegetable consumption (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention). Then we factored in cities' UV indexes (Accuweather.com) and cancer incidence (National Cancer Institute). Last, we went to the CDC to see who's being tested for colon and breast cancer, plus how many people have fallen to the big C.
10 Least Cancerous Cities 10 Most Cancerous Cities
Salt Lake City Jacksonville, Fla.
Burlington, Vt. Philadelphia
Seattle Oklahoma City
Aurora, Colo. Las Vegas
Atlanta Indianapolis
Yonkers, N.Y. Columbus, Ohio
Oakland, Calif. Birmingham, Ala.
New York City Memphis, Tenn.
Fremont, Calif. Baltimore
Minneapolis St. Louis
Invest in Your Life
We already have a powerful weapon in the war against cancer: cash. No, money can't tame a prostate tumor, but it can help address the imbalance in federal funding for cancer research. In 2007, only 8 percent of funds in the National Cancer Institute's budget were spent on detection and diagnosis. While it's critical that scientists find a cure, we also need better ways to spot cancer in its earliest stages. Give to the Canary Foundation, a group that donates all proceeds to detection research.
Dye, Cancer!
Doctors can't defeat colon cancer if they can't find it. Enter chromoendoscopy, a procedure in which a person's colon walls are dyed before a colonoscopy. Harvard scientists found that this method revealed precancerous polyps in a third of people who'd been cleared after a regular screening. Ask your doctor about the test.
Thursday, June 4, 2009
Why does my ear feel plugged?
Q: I have a plugged left ear problem. It usually starts about 4 p.m. and last about three to four hours. I cough, clear my throat, yawn, close my nostrils and blow-nothing seems to help.
A: It seems like you have had this problem for a while, so my first suggestion is to see a doctor and start the process that would lead to a diagnosis and proper treatment.
The diagnosis of almost any ear problem starts with a few basic questions. One of the most obvious is also one of the most important: have you lost any hearing? Sometimes people experience hearing loss as a plugged-up feeling, so some tests may be necessary to sort that issue out. Doctors then ask patients with ear complaints about Dizziness, pain, ringing in the ears, or fluid discharge. The answers help steer diagnostic testing and other detective work. Ear Dizziness, problems with the room-spinning kind that's the main feature of true vertigo, might merit investigation into whether someone has Meniere's disease, a rare condition caused by an imbalance of fluid in the inner ear. Ear pain is a good clue that the problem is a middle ear infection. Ear pain with a moist discharge is a common symptom of Swimmer's ear.
Other important questions: Are both ears affected or just one? Did the symptoms come on suddenly or gradually? Do they persist or come and go?
Your ear may feel plugged up simply because it is - with earwax. I can not explain the regular late-afternoon onset, but earwax blockage can wax and wane (forgive the pun!). They can get worse after a shower, for example, because the wax Soak up water. As Tempting as it might be, do not try to remove earwax yourself. Cotton swabs and pencil Erasers can break off in the ear canal, which is not the straight passageway that it appears to be from the outside but one that bends and Narrows. Let a doctor take a look.
Another possibility is that you have eustachian tube dysfunction. You can not see the eustachian (pronounced you-STAY-shun) tube. It's entirely inside your head, connecting the middle ear to the nasopharynx, the area at the very back of the nasal cavity near where it joins the throat. In adults, the eustachian tube is a little over to inch long and runs forward and downward from the middle ear to the nasopharynx. It's made of Cartilage and bone and is lined with a moist, mucous membrane.
Normally, the eustachian tube helps Equalize air pressure on either side of the eardrum by allowing air to flow in and out of the middle ear. If it gets blocked, then there's less pressure in the middle ear, which creates a little suction, so the eardrum gets pulled inward. This causes a full, plugged feeling in the ear and makes the eardrum thus less able to Vibrate, then hearing will seem a little off If the blockage is severe and last awhile, the low pressure in the middle ear can pull fluids out of the surrounding tissue and blood vessels, so the middle ear fills up with fluid.
A cold or allergies can cause the lining of the eustachian tube to swell shut. And in situations when the air pressure is changing rapidly, as it does when you're in an ascending or descending airplane, your eustachian tubes must function well to keep the air pressure on either side of the eardrums the same. When you blow out with your mouth closed and your nostrils squeezed shut to "pop" your ears, you're Forcing air up the eustachian tubes and bringing the air pressure back into equilibrium.
Some people have eustachian tubes that do not function very well, so they get the plugged-up ear sensational rather easily from a cold or during airplane travel or without any apparent precipitating event. This may be your problem.
Bad cases of eustachian tube dysfunction can be treated by inserting little plastic tubes into the eardrum to aerate the middle ear from the external ear canal, rather than depending on the eustachian tube to do the job.
If the plugged-up feeling is constant and is affecting only one ear, then a doctor needs to check the opening of the tube in the nasopharynx to make sure it is not blocked by a cancerous growth of some kind.
If the plugged-up feeling comes and goes, then what can you do? While there's no real proof that anti-histamines or decongestants help, I tell patients to feel free to try them if they wish.
- Jo Shapiro, MD, Brigham and Women's Hospital
A: It seems like you have had this problem for a while, so my first suggestion is to see a doctor and start the process that would lead to a diagnosis and proper treatment.
The diagnosis of almost any ear problem starts with a few basic questions. One of the most obvious is also one of the most important: have you lost any hearing? Sometimes people experience hearing loss as a plugged-up feeling, so some tests may be necessary to sort that issue out. Doctors then ask patients with ear complaints about Dizziness, pain, ringing in the ears, or fluid discharge. The answers help steer diagnostic testing and other detective work. Ear Dizziness, problems with the room-spinning kind that's the main feature of true vertigo, might merit investigation into whether someone has Meniere's disease, a rare condition caused by an imbalance of fluid in the inner ear. Ear pain is a good clue that the problem is a middle ear infection. Ear pain with a moist discharge is a common symptom of Swimmer's ear.
Other important questions: Are both ears affected or just one? Did the symptoms come on suddenly or gradually? Do they persist or come and go?
Your ear may feel plugged up simply because it is - with earwax. I can not explain the regular late-afternoon onset, but earwax blockage can wax and wane (forgive the pun!). They can get worse after a shower, for example, because the wax Soak up water. As Tempting as it might be, do not try to remove earwax yourself. Cotton swabs and pencil Erasers can break off in the ear canal, which is not the straight passageway that it appears to be from the outside but one that bends and Narrows. Let a doctor take a look.
Another possibility is that you have eustachian tube dysfunction. You can not see the eustachian (pronounced you-STAY-shun) tube. It's entirely inside your head, connecting the middle ear to the nasopharynx, the area at the very back of the nasal cavity near where it joins the throat. In adults, the eustachian tube is a little over to inch long and runs forward and downward from the middle ear to the nasopharynx. It's made of Cartilage and bone and is lined with a moist, mucous membrane.
Normally, the eustachian tube helps Equalize air pressure on either side of the eardrum by allowing air to flow in and out of the middle ear. If it gets blocked, then there's less pressure in the middle ear, which creates a little suction, so the eardrum gets pulled inward. This causes a full, plugged feeling in the ear and makes the eardrum thus less able to Vibrate, then hearing will seem a little off If the blockage is severe and last awhile, the low pressure in the middle ear can pull fluids out of the surrounding tissue and blood vessels, so the middle ear fills up with fluid.
A cold or allergies can cause the lining of the eustachian tube to swell shut. And in situations when the air pressure is changing rapidly, as it does when you're in an ascending or descending airplane, your eustachian tubes must function well to keep the air pressure on either side of the eardrums the same. When you blow out with your mouth closed and your nostrils squeezed shut to "pop" your ears, you're Forcing air up the eustachian tubes and bringing the air pressure back into equilibrium.
Some people have eustachian tubes that do not function very well, so they get the plugged-up ear sensational rather easily from a cold or during airplane travel or without any apparent precipitating event. This may be your problem.
Bad cases of eustachian tube dysfunction can be treated by inserting little plastic tubes into the eardrum to aerate the middle ear from the external ear canal, rather than depending on the eustachian tube to do the job.
If the plugged-up feeling is constant and is affecting only one ear, then a doctor needs to check the opening of the tube in the nasopharynx to make sure it is not blocked by a cancerous growth of some kind.
If the plugged-up feeling comes and goes, then what can you do? While there's no real proof that anti-histamines or decongestants help, I tell patients to feel free to try them if they wish.
- Jo Shapiro, MD, Brigham and Women's Hospital
Thursday, May 28, 2009
Tips for more youthful-looking skin [added later]
HANDS OFF YOUR EYES
You are too thin—at least around the eyes. Don't rub, poke, or otherwise fiddle with the skin there. "Every time you do, you risk breaking delicate blood vessels, which leads to darkening, dulling, and thickening of the surrounding skin," says Fusco.When choosing an eye cream, look for gentle anti-aging ingredients like peptides (Olay Professional Pro-X Eye Restoration Complex) or zinc (found in Relastin Eye Silk)—a current favorite of Leslie Baumann, director of the University of Miami Cosmetic and Research Institue. "It's been shown to increase elastin production, which can reduce crepiness," she says.
DON'T DRINK, DON'T SMOKE
What do you do? Take care of your body to take care of your skin, that's what. Smoking is an infamous wrinkle factory that destroys collagen and elastin. (But you knew that.) Less well known is that more than one glass of alcohol increases inflammation in the bloodstream, "which can hasten sagging over time," Brandt says. Eating too much sugar is also a vice for your skin (not to mention your waistline), he says—it may affect the body's ability to repair damaged collagen.
CLEAN UP YOUR ACTIONS
Remember the little things. They can lead to big trouble—like premature aging.• Stop squinting (sunglasses help). And if you wear eyeglasses or contact lenses, make sure your prescription is up to date.• Avoid sipping through a straw. It contributes to lines around the mouth.• Break the habit of resting your chin on your hand. (It stretches the skin.)• Switch to a smooth satin pillowcase. The creases in cotton eventually make their mark on your face.
DON'T FORGET YOUR NECK AND HANDS
They're the body parts most likely to betray the age that's on your passport even when your face doesn't. Get them on the same daily maintenance program as your face, with sunscreen every morning and retinol at night. Dab hydroquinone on sunspots, and exfoliate twice a week. (We like the gentle but powerful St. Ives Elements Microdermabrasion scrub).
You are too thin—at least around the eyes. Don't rub, poke, or otherwise fiddle with the skin there. "Every time you do, you risk breaking delicate blood vessels, which leads to darkening, dulling, and thickening of the surrounding skin," says Fusco.When choosing an eye cream, look for gentle anti-aging ingredients like peptides (Olay Professional Pro-X Eye Restoration Complex) or zinc (found in Relastin Eye Silk)—a current favorite of Leslie Baumann, director of the University of Miami Cosmetic and Research Institue. "It's been shown to increase elastin production, which can reduce crepiness," she says.
DON'T DRINK, DON'T SMOKE
What do you do? Take care of your body to take care of your skin, that's what. Smoking is an infamous wrinkle factory that destroys collagen and elastin. (But you knew that.) Less well known is that more than one glass of alcohol increases inflammation in the bloodstream, "which can hasten sagging over time," Brandt says. Eating too much sugar is also a vice for your skin (not to mention your waistline), he says—it may affect the body's ability to repair damaged collagen.
CLEAN UP YOUR ACTIONS
Remember the little things. They can lead to big trouble—like premature aging.• Stop squinting (sunglasses help). And if you wear eyeglasses or contact lenses, make sure your prescription is up to date.• Avoid sipping through a straw. It contributes to lines around the mouth.• Break the habit of resting your chin on your hand. (It stretches the skin.)• Switch to a smooth satin pillowcase. The creases in cotton eventually make their mark on your face.
DON'T FORGET YOUR NECK AND HANDS
They're the body parts most likely to betray the age that's on your passport even when your face doesn't. Get them on the same daily maintenance program as your face, with sunscreen every morning and retinol at night. Dab hydroquinone on sunspots, and exfoliate twice a week. (We like the gentle but powerful St. Ives Elements Microdermabrasion scrub).
Sunday, May 24, 2009
Tips for more youthful-looking skin
SHRINK YOUR PORES
Your pores expand as gunk accumulates in them—and the older you get, the more likely they are to stay expanded. Put them on a diet by switching to a cleanser with salicylic acid, which "dissolves the oil in the pores," says New York City and Coral Gables, Florida, dermatologist Fredric Brandt. It also helps slough away dead skin that can lead to clogging. We like Neutrogena Oil-Free Acne Wash Pink Grapefruit Facial Cleanser and Bioré Blemish Fighting Ice Cleanser.
LET IT RIPD
eflate and clean pores—like the ones on your nose—once a week with pore strips. (Try Bioré Deep Cleansing Pore Strips.) "They really do work," says Francesca Fusco.
SLATHER ON THE SUNSCREEN
By now you probably know that you need a broad-spectrum sunscreen with at least an SPF 30, that the ingredients Mexoryl and Helioplex offer the longest-lasting protection, that you have to slather a tablespoon's worth of the stuff on your face and a shot glass–size dollop on your body...and that it's necessary to reapply every two hours if you're outdoors, including any time spent in your car. Now you just need to do it—every single day. We recommend Neutrogena Ultra-Sheer Dry-Touch Sunblock SPF 55 (with Helioplex) and La Roche-Posay Anthelios 40 (with Mexoryl), because neither will turn your skin ghost white or greasy.
GET MORE BEAUTY SLEEP
If you go to bed 15 minutes earlier, progressively, for four nights running, you'll establish a routine where you get an extra hour of dark circle-zapping rest. For your best shot at the necessary eight hours, quit the coffee after 3 P.M. and avoid exercising in the three hours before bedtime. Log off in plenty of time, too—your face is more important than Facebook. And stop hitting the snooze button the next morning—fragmented sleeping just makes you groggier.
REMEMBER THE RETINOL
Retinol rules—it's "the only thing that's been proven to reduce fine lines over the long-term," Brandt says. But like even the best long-term relationships, it isn't 100 percent perfect. It can increase sun sensitivity (that's why it's best applied at night) and it makes some women peel, flake, redden, and itch. New York City dermatologist Howard Sobel advises taking things slow: Dab it on every other night, or dilute it with plain moisturizer, until you know your skin can handle it. (Try Dermadoctor Poetry in Lotion 1.0 or RoC Retinol Correxion Deep Wrinkle Night Cream.)
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