Life Hacks

When you’re leaving home, how often do you go to the bathroom “just in case” before you leave? Well, experts say it’s a habit we should STOP.

This comes from  Dr. Fei Zang, a pelvic floor therapist. She says, normally, when we have to “go,” it’s because receptors in our bladder have sent signals to our brain, saying our bladder’s “full.”

But when we regularly force ourselves to go – when our bladder’s NOT full – it can desensitize receptors in a way that makes our brain think we need a bathroom break, even if our internal tank is only at half, or even a-quarter, of its capacity. And that often leads to even MORE frequent urges to go.

Ideally, Dr. Zang says, if you can sleep all night without a bathroom visit, that’s a sign of healthy bladder control. And if you’re regularly hydrating throughout the day, it’s fine to go every two or three hours.

But here’s the bottom line: Forcing yourself to pee “just in case” is an unhealthy habit that could lead to bigger problems in the future.

Here’s good news if you’re thinking about your golden years……

Retirement can make you healthier! 

Researchers from the University of Sydney studied the lifestyle habits of over 25-thousand working adults over age 45. They looked at things like their activity level, smoking, diet, alcohol consumption and sleep patterns.

Three years later, when around 11 percent of the participants had retired, they followed up to see how their habits had changed. And it was mostly for the better!

The researchers found that retirees were more active than those who were still working……and they sat less. In fact, on average, retired people got an additional 93 minutes of physical activity each week. They also got more sleep, sat one hour less each day – and women, in particular, were more likely to quit smoking after retirement. 

Why are you so tired today? It could be from all the sugar you ate yesterday!

Because, according to the Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine, eating a lot of sugar is linked to lighter, more disrupted and less restorative sleep. In fact, the more sugar you eat during the day, the more often you’re going to wake up in the middle of the night.

And even if you don’t fully wake up, the sugar in your system can prevent deep sleep, making you feel exhausted the next day. And the same goes for eating a bunch of refined carbs, like white bread and pastas. Because they turn to sugar in the body and delay the release of the sleep hormone melatonin.

So, the journal scientists suggest we cut back on sugar and refined carbs and get more fiber in our diet. Fiber improves sleep because it digests slowly and keeps blood sugar steady. And a higher fiber intake is associated with more time spent in the deepest, most restorative stage of sleep.