4 Weight-Loss Tricks That Can Totally Backfire

Photo: Getty Images

From tube feeding to tape worms, I’ve seen people take some pretty drastic measures to lose weight. But even clients who try more common strategies (like calorie counting) often find that their efforts backfire. Many go-to diet tricks can leave you feeling hungry, moody, irritable, or downright miserable—things I never want my clients to feel. What’s worse, after you finish a quick-fix weight-loss tactic, you’ll often gain back all of the pounds you lost (or more!). In reality, the only way to shed pounds, keep them off, and stay sane in the process is by adopting habits you can actually stick to long-term. Below, four common weight-loss tricks that don’t fit that criteria—and in my opinion aren’t worth your time or effort.

RELATED: 7 Crazy Weight-Loss Methods You Should Never Try

Cutting out ALL sugar

Sugar is currently the top nutritional villain, and I can’t say I disagree. I am a fan of cutting back on sugar. After all, most Americans eat nearly four times the recommended daily max. However, I’ve seen many of my clients get too strict about sugar, which typically leads to binge-eating forbidden sweets, or abandoning healthy eating altogether.

Another issue with this tactic: many people also ditch fruit to slash sugar. Not only does this deprive your body of key nutrients, it’s counterproductive: Research shows eating fruit helps you shed pounds (even more so than veggies!). This could be because fruit is loaded with antioxidants (which have been tied to leanness in research), or simply because fruit tends to replace sweet, processed snacks.

As for added sugar, even the strictest guidelines from the American Heart Association allow up to six teaspoons worth per day for women. This means there’s still room for healthy indulgences, like nutrient-rich dark chocolate, which has been shown to help curb cravings for both sweet and salty foods (score!). The fact is, cutting out all sugar simply isn’t realistic for most people. So stick with the fruit (without overdoing it) and pre-plan can’t-live-without treats. It tends to be a much more manageable and maintainable approach.

RELATED: 10 Easy Ways to Slash Sugar from Your Diet

Obsessively counting calories

Most of my clients are shocked when I advise them to stop counting calories. But trust me, it’s for the best. First of all, when it comes to calories, quality is often more important that quantity. I’ve had clients actually start losing weight after upping their calorie intake, because they swapped processed fare for fresh, whole foods. In fact, research confirms that not all calories are created equal—some foods like pulses, almonds, and avocado trigger caloric burn, feelings of satiety, or delayed hunger.

Just the stress of counting calories can also do a number on your waistline. One study found that women who simply monitored their caloric intake (without restricting it) experienced spikes in cortisol, a stress hormone tied to increased belly fat. A more effective alternative to calorie counting is focusing on healthy portions. For example, you can slash 125 calories by simply pairing a half cup of brown rice with one cup of greens, instead of one cup of brown rice with a half cup of greens.

RELATED: Top 10 Calorie Searches of 2105

Extreme portion control

Serving yourself healthy portion sizes is generally a great diet strategy. However, there are a number of methods that take portion control too far, like eating only with chopsticks, or stopping after a few measly bites of your meal. Again, while this may result in weight loss, who could keep this up forever? Plus, eating too little can result in a number of counterproductive side effects, like feeling too tired to exercise, losing calorie-burning muscle, weakening your immune system, and constant crankiness. Not to mention, there are plenty of foods you can eat in large portions and still lose weight. For example, these veggies pack less than 30 calories per cup: kale, mushrooms, red bell pepper, zucchini, eggplant, cauliflower, asparagus, and many others. So stop trying to nibble your way through the day. And instead, strategically chose the foods that make up the bulk of your meals and snacks.

RELATED: 14 Ways to Cut Portions Without Feeling Hungry

Eating one single food

Whether it’s bananas or potatoes—there are plenty of diets that involve literally eating one food. While this restrictive approach may indeed lead to weight loss, it’s typically temporary. A healthier method is picking a single balanced meal (a combo of lean protein, healthy fat, and nutrient-rich carbs) and repeating it on a short term basis. Check out this guide for ideas. I’ve found that narrowing your meal repetoire can be a great kickstart for breaking an unhealthy pattern and making way for a better one.  But the key is that it has to be a transitional strategy. So before you even start, be sure you have a plan to sustain these healthier habits for the future. After a month of clean eating, you’ll feel so happy and energized, you’ll never look back.

What’s your take on this topic? Chat with us on Twitter by mentioning @goodhealth and @CynthiaSass.

Cynthia Sass is a nutritionist and registered dietitian with master’s degrees in both nutrition science and public health. Frequently seen on national TV, she’s Health’s contributing nutrition editor, and privately counsels clients in New York, Los Angeles, and long distance. Cynthia is currently the sports nutrition consultant to the New York Yankees, previously consulted for three other professional sports teams, and is board certified as a specialist in sports dietetics. Sass is a three-time New York Times best-selling author, and her brand new book is Slim Down Now: Shed Pounds and Inches with Real Food, Real Fast. Connect with her on Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest.

from Health News / Tips & Trends / Celebrity Health http://ift.tt/1TSxgG4

5 Famous Women on How They Stay Body-Positive

Photo: Getty Images

A few of our favorite celebs on cultivating self-love.

On passing confidence to the next generation

“I stand in front of the mirror and say to [my daughter] Mia, ‘We are so lucky that we’ve got a shape. We’re so lucky we’re curvy. We’re so lucky that we’ve got good bums.’ And she’ll say, ‘Mummy, I know. Thank God.'”
—Kate Winslet, on the Today show

RELATED: 5 Things Cancer Taught Me About Loving My Body

On recognizing the beauty in others

“I am comforted by the fact that I find a real range of female bodies beautiful, and I hope that other people do, too.”
—Lena Dunham, to Gothamist.com

RELATED: 5 Rules for Loving Your Body From Model Ashley Graham

On appreciating your best features

“My smile [is my favorite part of my body]. I think a smile can make your whole body.”
—Serena Williams, to Harper’s Bazaar

RELATED: What to Say to That One Friend Who’s Always Criticizing Her Body

On remembering what’s really important

“I wake up and I want to be a smarter person. That’s my focus. That’s what I’m encouraging my girls—that if they can make their inside and who they are really, really, stunning, then everything falls together.”
—Angelina Jolie, on 60 Minutes

RELATED: 5 Body-Positive Resolutions We Should All Make in 2016

On accepting yourself

“I’m imperfect. The imperfections are there. People are going to see them, but I take the view you only live once.”
—Kate Hudson, to The Telegraph

from Health News / Tips & Trends / Celebrity Health http://ift.tt/1Rq0viI

Horses May Know What You’re Feeling, Study Suggests

WEDNESDAY, Feb. 10, 2016 (HealthDay News) — It may come as little surprise to people who know and love horses, but the animals appear to be adept at identifying emotions on human faces.

New research suggests horses can distinguish between positive and negative human facial expressions, a team from the University of Sussex in England reports.

“What’s really interesting about this research is that it shows that horses have the ability to read emotions across the species barrier,” said study co-author Amy Smith, a doctoral student in the university’s Mammal Vocal Communication and Cognition Research Group.

“We have known for a long time that horses are a socially sophisticated species, but this is the first time we have seen that they can distinguish between positive and negative human facial expressions,” she said in a university news release.

In the study, a team of psychologists analyzed the spontaneous reactions of 28 horses when they looked at images of happy or angry facial expressions of unfamiliar men. The researchers noted that these horses had no previous training in doing so.

The investigators noticed that the horses tended to use their left eye more when looking at photos of angry faces — an equine behavior typically associated with negative stimuli.

Angry photos also boosted the heart rate of the horses and triggered more stress-related behaviors, according to the study published Feb. 10 in Biology Letters.

“The reaction to the angry facial expressions was particularly clear — there was a quicker increase in their heart rate, and the horses moved their heads to look at the angry faces with their left eye,” Smith said.

She believes the horses had a functional understanding of the facial expressions they were shown.

How does this happen? Study co-lead author Karen McComb, professor of animal behavior and cognition, theorized that “horses may have adapted an ancestral ability for reading emotional cues in other horses to respond appropriately to human facial expressions during their co-evolution. Alternatively, individual horses may have learned to interpret human expressions during their own lifetime.”

Whatever the cause, she said it’s intriguing that negative emotions can be perceived “across the species barrier,” despite the fact that horse and human faces are shaped so differently.

“It’s interesting to note that the horses had a strong reaction to the negative expressions but less so to the positive,” Smith added. “This may be because it is particularly important for animals to recognize threats in their environment. In this context, recognizing angry faces may act as a warning system, allowing horses to anticipate negative human behavior such as rough handling.”

More information

The nonprofit organization Habitat for Horses provides more information on the interaction between horses and humans.

---

from Health News / Tips & Trends / Celebrity Health http://ift.tt/1T7iN8w

Frequent Monitoring May Keep Alcohol Offenders Sober

TUESDAY, Feb. 9, 2016 (HealthDay News) — A South Dakota program that requires people involved in alcohol-linked crimes to stay away from booze and be closely monitored for drinking appears to reduce deaths, a new study finds.

Offenders in the program must undergo breathalyzer tests twice a day or wear bracelets that continuously check for alcohol. Those who skip or fail the tests are immediately jailed for a short time, typically a day or two, the study authors said.

The 24/7 Sobriety Program was launched as a pilot program in 2005 and was associated with a 4 percent drop in deaths at the county level. The largest reductions occurred among causes of death linked with excessive drinking, such as circulatory conditions, according to RAND Corp. researchers.

“Our findings suggest that criminal justice interventions that reduce heavy alcohol consumption may, in turn, influence mortality,” lead author and senior economist Nancy Nicosia said in a news release from the nonprofit research organization.

“Further work is needed to better understand how programs like 24/7 Sobriety affect not only participants, but also those who are not direct participants, such as their spouses, partners or peers,” she added.

The findings were published online Feb. 9 in The Lancet Psychiatry.

Nearly 17,000 people — about 3 percent of South Dakota’s adult population — took part in the program between 2005 and 2011. Nearly half entered the program after a repeat drunk driving offense, while others had first-time drunk driving, assault or domestic violence offenses, the researchers said.

In a previous RAND study, investigators found that the 24/7 programs reduced county-level repeat drunk driving arrests by 12 percent and domestic violence arrests by 9 percent. The program is now being implemented in other parts of the United States.

More information

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has more about alcohol.

---

from Health News / Tips & Trends / Celebrity Health http://ift.tt/1LfsU4x

Smog’s Health Effects Persist for Decades, Study Finds

TUESDAY, Feb. 9, 2016 (HealthDay News) — Air pollution can increase the risk of premature death, even decades later, one of the longest running air pollution studies suggests.

British scientists found the negative health effects of air pollution — such as a higher risk of lung and heart disease — can persist for more than 30 years. The study authors suggested that more research into the long-term health effects of air pollution — often called smog — is needed.

“Air pollution has well established impacts on health, especially on heart and lung disease,” study author Dr. Anna Hansell, from Imperial College London, said in a university news release. “The novel aspects of our study are the very long follow-up time and the very detailed assessment of air pollution exposure, using air-quality measurements going back to the 1970s.”

The researchers monitored air pollution levels in areas of England and Wales for nearly 40 years. They estimated pollution levels in 1971, 1981, 1991 and in 2001.

From 1971 to 1991, the scientists measured levels of black smoke and sulphur dioxide air pollution. These types of pollution are primarily from burning fossil fuels, such as coal and oil, the researchers said.

In addition, the investigators measured particulate air pollution, or tiny particles in the air. This type of pollution is typically associated with natural sources, such as soil and sea salt, as well as industrial and construction activities. These miniscule particles can travel deep into the lungs, and may even be small enough to enter the bloodstream, the researchers said.

The investigators also tracked the health of 368,000 people living in the study areas. Lung diseases — such as bronchitis, emphysema and pneumonia — were the most likely to be tied to exposure to air pollution, as was death from heart disease, the study revealed.

The study results showed that for every additional unit of pollution per cubic meter of air that people inhaled in 1971, the risk of death between 2002 and 2009 increased by 2 percent.

According to study co-author Rebecca Ghosh, “Putting this in context, an individual who lived in a higher polluted area in 1971 had a 14 percent higher risk of dying in 2002 to 2009 than someone who had lived in a lower polluted area.”

More recent air pollution exposure made a bigger difference on health, the study authors said. For each additional unit of pollution that people were exposed to in 2001, the risk of death between 2002 and 2009 increased by 24 percent, the findings showed.

Hansell said that more recent exposure to air pollution was more important for health than older exposure. “But we need to do more work on how air pollution affects health over a person’s entire lifetime,” she said.

Still, Hansell added, air pollution’s effects on your health are small compared to other risk factors. Someone’s risk of dying early is much more dependent on other aspects of lifestyle, including smoking, exercise levels, weight and medical conditions, such as high blood pressure, she explained.

“Our study adds to the weight of evidence that suggests breathing in air pollution isn’t good for us in either the short- or long-term. We need to continue collective efforts to reduce air pollution levels, both in the U.K. and internationally,” Hansell said.

The findings were published Feb. 8 in the journal Thorax.

More information

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has more information on the health effects of air pollution.

---

from Health News / Tips & Trends / Celebrity Health http://ift.tt/1LfsU4s

Birth Defect Tied to Zika Virus Can Leave Children With Lifetime of Health Woes

By Dennis Thompson
HealthDay Reporter

TUESDAY, Feb. 9, 2016 (HealthDay News) — The thousands of babies born in Brazil with abnormally small heads and brains — believed to be caused by infection in the womb with the Zika virus — typically face a lifetime of health challenges, doctors say.

But not all are destined to a life of medical woes.

The Brazilian babies — who may number more than 4,000 — have the condition known as microcephaly. And in 85 percent to 90 percent of microcephaly cases, infants also suffer from stunted brain development, said Dr. Edward McCabe, senior vice president and medical director of the March of Dimes.

The severity of developmental disability depends largely on how badly the virus has stunted brain growth, said Dr. Ausim Azizi, chairman of neurology at Temple University’s Lewis Katz School of Medicine in Philadelphia.

“If the brain is really, really small, it’s more likely the child will have severe disability,” Azizi said. “If the brain is moderately small, the child likely will have less disability.”

There is no cure for microcephaly. Most children born with the birth defect will struggle their entire lives, and some may require life-long care, said Michelle Kelly, a pediatric and neonatal nurse practitioner and an assistant professor at Villanova University in Pennsylvania.

“Affected children will require early developmental intervention, physical therapy, speech therapy, occupational therapy, as well as daily medications to control seizures and other neuromuscular conditions,” Kelly said.

And while it’s yet to be proven that the mosquito-borne Zika virus is to blame for the wave of birth defects in Brazil, the pathogen appears to represent a public health emergency “with the potential to devastate the child, the family, and overwhelm the health and educational resources of communities worldwide,” Kelly concluded.

From what researchers can tell so far about Brazil’s microcephaly epidemic that began last spring, pregnant women in their first trimester appear to be at greatest risk from the Zika virus. First identified in Uganda in 1947, the virus only seems to pose a health threat to a pregnant woman and her fetus.

But in a curious twist, government leaders in Colombia reported over the weekend that, while there have been roughly 3,000 cases of Zika infection in pregnant women in that country, there’s no evidence that the virus has caused any birth defects.

In the United States, microcephaly is a rare birth defect, affecting between two to 12 babies out of every 10,000 live births, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Viral infections other than Zika have previously been linked to microcephaly. Babies exposed to chickenpox, measles, toxoplasmosis or cytomegalovirus in the womb also are at risk for developing the birth defect, said Dr. Lisa Emrick, a pediatric neurologist with Texas Children’s Hospital in Houston.

Genetics can also play a role in microcephaly. Babies exposed to alcohol, drugs, chemicals and even lead in the womb also have an increased risk of microcephaly, according to the March of Dimes.

In addition to mental and developmental disabilities, children born with microcephaly can suffer from seizures or cerebral palsy and not be able to properly control their muscles, Emrick said. Some babies with microcephaly may also experience hearing or vision loss, according to the CDC.

These disabilities occur along a range, however, and McCabe noted that in 10 percent to 15 percent of cases, babies born with microcephaly will suffer no problems at all.

“By definition, they’ll have microcephaly, but they’ll have completely normal development,” McCabe said, adding that it’s not necessarily a birth defect for every baby who has it.

Experts stress that rehabilitation is the only real treatment for microcephaly. The earlier a child is given therapy to address his or her specific deficiencies, the better, McCabe said.

“It’s not something the baby is going to grow out of,” he said. “Putting it off and hoping the baby will grow out of it is not an appropriate approach.”

Beyond therapy, children also might need daily medications to help control their seizures, or help them gain more control of their arms and legs, Emrick said.

Microcephaly can be detected in the womb, using ultrasound or fetal MRI scans during the second or third trimester, Emrick said.

When microcephaly is caused by a virus, doctors can try to limit the damage by treating a mother with antiviral drugs.

“There are potential treatments you can give the mother to help decrease the viral load,” Emrick said, although she added this type of preventive therapy is still experimental.

If apparent brain damage is too significant, some families may consider abortion, Azizi and Emrick said.

“It’s very hard and it’s very difficult for families,” Emrick said. “It’s the most difficult conversation you can have with a person, that your normal pregnancy is not normal.”

Kelly added: “Regardless of the cause, children with microcephaly have significant developmental delays and cognitive impairment. They will require significant support through childhood, starting with early developmental intervention services. The implications of a generation of children whose mothers are affected by the Zika virus are overwhelming to families, to communities and to the larger global community.”

Because of microcephaly’s potentially devastating consequences, U.S. health officials are urging pregnant women to avoid travel to more than 30 countries and territories affected by the Zika virus and to refrain from sex or use a condom if their partner has traveled to, or lives in an area where Zika infection is active. Those hot zones are located throughout Central and South America and the Caribbean.

More information

For more on Zika virus and microcephaly, visit the March of Dimes.

To see the CDC list of sites where Zika virus is active and may pose a threat to pregnant women, click here.

---

from Health News / Tips & Trends / Celebrity Health http://ift.tt/1LfsVFz

Homemade ‘Dewshine’ Can Be Deadly

TUESDAY, Feb. 9, 2016 (HealthDay News) — Experts are warning about the dangers of a potentially deadly homemade concoction known as “dewshine,” which is a mixture of racing fuel and Mountain Dew, a soft drink.

In a recent case, two Tennessee teens died after drinking the toxic combination. It was the first known incident in the state. Two other teens were also treated, but survived, according to doctors.

The dewshine mixture is used to get drunk quickly, but the racing fuel can cause severe symptoms, including blindness and death, said Dr. Donna Seger, medical director of the Tennessee Poison Center.

“Racing fuel, used for drag racing, is almost 100 percent methanol. This affects the body at a cellular level and causes the cells to die,” said Seger, who is also a clinical professor at Vanderbilt University Medical Center in Nashville.

Drinking homemade dewshine can trigger nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, blurred vision, seizures, coma and death, depending on how much methanol is consumed, Seger said in a university news release. Methanol also affects the retina and can lead to permanent blindness.

The poison center, located at Vanderbilt University Medical Center, is educating doctors and the public about the dangers of the potentially deadly drink.

“These deaths are so unfortunate, because I’m sure these people did not understand the lethality of this combination. This is so toxic. Drinking methanol is a recipe for disaster,” Seger said.

This poisonous mixture should not be confused with the Mountain Dew product sold in stores and online, called DEWshine, which is a nonalcoholic citrus-flavored soda, made of real sugar.

If you suspect a poisoning, you can reach a poison center anywhere in the United States by calling 1-800-222-1222.

More information

The U.S. National Library of Medicine has more about methanol poisoning.

---

from Health News / Tips & Trends / Celebrity Health http://ift.tt/1QTZw8q

Is Beer The New Recovery Drink?

Photo: Getty Images

Whether you tuned in to watch the entire Super Bowl, or just to see Queen Bey slay her half-time performance (Yes, Chris Martin and Bruno Mars performed too, but, well, you know…), chances are you caught a couple of the now infamous commercials. One that made us do a double take: Michelob Ultra’s “Breathe.”

Weighted back squats, battle ropes, boxing, a lot of heavy breathing—at first you probably thought you were watching the latest campaign from some big athletic brand, right? Then came that shot of the twist-off cap at the end, followed by the words: “Brewed For Those Who Go The Extra Mile.”

RELATED: Fitbit’s Super Bowl As Is Just the Inspiration You Need Today

Smart move, Michelob, sneakily suggesting that a cold one is what your body needs after a kick-ass workout. After all, research does show that folks are more likely to imbibe on days they sweat. But how good is a post-exercise beer (or two) for your body, really?

“It might be ‘natural’ for folks to think that beer would be a good recovery drink since it contains electrolytes and carbs,” says Michele Olson, PhD, an exercise physiologist at Auburn University at Montgomery in Alabama. “However, after exercise we need to rehydrate, and alcohol can be dehydrating.”

If you are about to cite that 2013 study from the International Journal of Sports Nutrition and Exercise Metabolism in defense of your must-have draft, don’t. That research is not necessarily condoning sipping on suds after a workout as a means of rehydrating, but rather saying that if you are going to booze it up, a low-alcohol beer—one with 2.3 alcohol by volume content (ABV)—with added sodium is a sufficient compromise. (FYI: Michelob Ultra’s ABV is 4.2)

RELATED: 4 Delicious Post-Workout Snacks for Recovery

Plus consuming alcohol after getting it in in the gym can impair muscle growth and protein synthesis. In other words, all of your hard work may be for naught. What’s worse: Drinking could interfere with your future workouts, too.

Not feeling this whole choose-between-your-favorite-brew-and-your-workout scenario? Olson says that if you are going to imbibe, select “a very light beer, but don’t forget to chase it with water and proper nutrients.” Your best bet though, “Always rehydrate with water and consume easy-to-digest protein (such as low-fat yogurt) along with a carb source (such as a banana) to improve recovery after exercise,” she says.

from Health News / Tips & Trends / Celebrity Health http://ift.tt/1Lf95dK

Pregnant Women Benefit From Tamiflu at First Sign of Flu: Study

TUESDAY, Feb. 9, 2016 (HealthDay News) — Early treatment with the antiviral drug Tamiflu (oseltamivir) may shorten hospital stays for pregnant women with the flu, especially those who are severely ill, new research suggests.

Pregnant women are at increased risk for serious illness, complications and death from the flu, the study authors said.

The new study looked at 865 pregnant women in 14 states who were hospitalized with the flu between 2010 and 2014. Sixty-three were severely ill.

Among severely ill women, the median hospital stay was 2.2 days for those who began Tamiflu treatment within two days of developing flu symptoms, compared with 7.8 days for those who began treatment later, according to the study.

The findings were published online Feb. 3 in The Journal of Infectious Diseases.

Among those with less severe flu, those who began Tamiflu treatment early also had shorter hospital stays than those who began treatment later, but the difference was not as great, the researchers said in a journal news release.

“Treating pregnant women who have influenza with antiviral drugs can have substantial benefit in terms of reducing length of stay in the hospital,” study senior author Dr. Sandra Chaves, of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, said in the news release.

“The earlier you treat, the better chances you have to modify the course of the illness,” she added.

Pregnant women suspected of having flu should be treated with antiviral drugs as soon as possible, without waiting for test results to confirm the illness, the CDC recommends.

The study also found that pregnant women hospitalized with severe flu were less likely than those with a milder illness to have received a flu shot, 14 percent versus 26 percent.

All pregnant women should receive flu vaccinations, and they can get them at any stage of pregnancy, the CDC says. Previous research has suggested that a flu shot during pregnancy not only protects the mother, but also her newborn during the first six months of life.

The study was supported by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and the authors did not report any conflict of interest.

More information

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has more about pregnant women and the flu.

---

from Health News / Tips & Trends / Celebrity Health http://ift.tt/20TVem5

New Sign of Sleep Deprivation: Compulsive Facebook Checking

Photo: Getty Images

It’s no secret that your late-night social media habit can interfere with your rest. But did you ever suspect your daytime Facebook use could be related to the quality of your Z’s?

A new study, to be presented this spring, suggests that browsing your feed a few dozen times a day could be a symptom of sleep deprivation. Researchers at the University of California, Irvine, analyzed the activities of a group of 76 undergrads and found that those who weren’t logging enough sleep at night were logging more time on the social-networking site during the day.

RELATED: 30 Sleep Hacks for Your Most Restful Night Ever

Over the course of one week, informatics professor Gloria Mark, PhD, and her team gathered computer and smartphone data from the study participants with special software. The students also completed a sleep survey each morning and night; and throughout the week, the researchers polled them on their moods, how engaged they felt with their work, and how difficult they perceived various tasks to be.

After the researchers accounted for gender, age, work loads, and deadlines, they discovered a direct link between chronic lack of sleep, worsening mood and productivity, and increased web browsing, including Facebook checking.  They also found that the exhausted subjects shifted their attention from one screen to the next more often than the well-rested students.

RELATED: 14 Reasons You’re Always Tired

“When you get less sleep, you’re more prone to distraction,” Mark explained in a press release. “If you’re being distracted, what do you do? You go to Facebook. It’s lightweight, it’s easy, and you’re tired.” Another finding to note: Sleep-deprived students said they felt that social media helped keep them energized.

If you find yourself compulsively toggling back and forth to Facebook or Instagram or Snapchat, it can’t hurt to start hitting the hay earlier. Pretty soon you may find you don’t need a social media fix just to stay alert.

from Health News / Tips & Trends / Celebrity Health http://ift.tt/1T4Mnv9