One-Way Ticket from Jet Lag

What you can do to say "Sayonara" to jet lag.

Whether you're heading out on a plane for travel or pleasure, the trip always comes with the risk of some major jet lag. But it doesn't have to. With a few small steps, you can beat the odds and enjoy a jet lag-free trip from start to finish.

Get There Early

Getting married three time zones over? Have a presentation in front of thousands of people? Don't get there 10 minutes early and slur your "I do" or forget where your speech was going. Instead, if possible, head to your destination a day or two early. This will give you an entire day to knock the jet lag out of your system and help your body recover and grow accustomed to your new bedtime and wake time.

Swap the Beer

While on a plane, many people ask for an alcoholic beverage. Any time you've got to figure out how to live in a new time zone, staying away from alcohol will help your body adjust faster. Instead of alcohol, drink plenty of water to help your internal clock ticking strong and ready to make necessary adjustments. You should also avoid caffeine, as it, too, can cause you to suffer prolonged jet lag.

Do Your Homework

If you don't have the time or resources to get to your destination a day or two early, you can work the jet lag out of your system while at home. To do this, begin hitting the hay a bit earlier or later (whichever is appropriate for your trip) for a few nights before the trip. By hitting the hay at the time you'll need to go to bed at your destination, you slowly force your body to acclimate to the earlier or later bedtime.

Arrive in Your Mind

Getting your mind in gear is as important as preparing your body for your new schedule. An easy way to do this is to spend some time on the plane thinking as if you're already at your destination. Adjust your watch to the new time zone and think of what you'll be doing when you arrive. Just make sure what you think about is accurate for the time it will be at your destination.

Hit the Shower

Traveling in a cramped plane can cause your muscles to tense up, which in turn makes it difficult to fall asleep. Before trying to force yourself to sleep when you arrive at your new destination, take the time to wind down and prepare for sleep. Want a faster trip to Sleepville? Get in the shower or bath and make sure the water temperature is nice and hot. This will help you relax and put you in sleep mode.

Eat Breakfast

Regardless of how much or how well you sleep the first night at your new destination, getting a good breakfast will help you stay awake and alert throughout the day. For the greatest boost to your energy and alert levels, get plenty of protein via eggs, yogurt, granola with nuts, or peanut butter.

Use Light Properly

Ever wondered why you have a hard time sleeping in the middle of the day? It's because your body recognizes light as the time you're supposed to be sleeping. When it's time to hit the hay, let your internal clock know it by pulling the curtains tight and leaving the television off. In a short amount of time, your body will get the message and leave you to your peaceful sleep.

How about Pill Popping?

If you travel enough, you have probably been tempted to swallow some snooze-inducing medication, such as Ambien®. Created to help people overcome insomnia, Ambien can do a good job helping you get to sleep. Unfortunately, that's the only perk you may enjoy.

Once you wake up, Ambien may possibly do a couple of unwanted things to you. It can change your mood, possibly causing you to get rather angry, or it can leave you with a frustrating hangover. As neither of these side effects will help your trip be more enjoyable, you may want to stick with more natural suggestions to sidestep jet lag.

Snoring, Suffocating Sleep Apnea

What it is, what it looks like, and why you should be concerned.

Sleep apnea is a tricky condition that affects millions. Unfortunately, many of them aren't even aware that they're living with the condition. Though it may seem nothing more than a mild nuisance, untreated sleep apnea can lead to a variety of annoying, dangerous, and even deadly consequences.

Do you know enough about sleep apnea to stay out of its grasp? You will soon.

What It Is

Each night, sleep apnea robs millions from getting good sleep. It does it by causing the individual to take shallow breaths or to experience breathing pauses during sleep. These breathing pauses can occur as many as 30 times an hour, lasting anywhere from two or three seconds to two or three minutes. When breathing is resumed, it is usually accompanied by a choking sound or a loud snort.

Sleep apnea is caused by a blockage in the airways, and is more likely to occur in men, individuals with small airways, and smokers. These blockages can be caused by the aging process, having a large tongue or tonsils, or being overweight.

What It Looks Like

Usually, you won't know if you suffer from sleep apnea. But the person who sleeps with you will. Telltale signs of sleep apnea include snoring, sudden gasps for breath, and pauses in breathing during sleep.

Don't share your bed with anyone? Other symptoms of sleep apnea include having to use the restroom in the middle of the night, suffering morning headaches, having a dry throat after waking up, experiencing memory or concentration problems, and feeling depressed or irritable.

Why You Should Be Concerned

If sleep apnea goes undiagnosed and untreated, it can lead to a number of complications. The most frightening is the potential for death. As sleep apnea causes you to stop breathing, it also slows down your heart. When you begin breathing again, your heart is jolted back into beating. Of course, it can also lead to death if your breathing pauses last too long.

In addition to the risk of death, sleep apnea causes you to sleep poorly, which puts you in a bad mood, causes you to feel tired, and makes it difficult to focus throughout the day. Your sleep apnea also puts in you at increased risk for high blood pressure, diabetes, arrhythmia (irregular heartbeat), and obesity.

Finding the Fix

Frightening as sleep apnea is, there are solutions available to help you breathe better while you sleep. Proper diagnosis of sleep apnea requires a number of tests, including a sleep study. During the study, you will be connected to a number of small electrodes that allow a sleep specialist to monitor your breathing, heart rate, and other vital signs as you sleep.

Once a diagnosis is made, you may find relief with a few lifestyle changes, such as losing weight, sleeping on your side, stopping smoking, and avoiding alcohol. When these steps aren't enough, a mouthpiece may be prescribed to help hold your airway open through the night. Or your physician may recommend the use of a continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) machine.

The CPAP requires you to wear a mask at night. While you sleep, the mask blows air through your throat, keeping your airway open all night long, preventing you from suffering short and long pauses in your breathing. While the idea of wearing a mask as you sleep may seem obtrusive, many people who use a CPAP sleep and feel better than they have in years. As a final option, your physician may recommend surgical removal of excess tissue inside your nose or throat that causes your airway to close off.

Totally Thin Thighs

A leggy tutorial on what it takes to get firm, shapely thighs.

Every celebrity has them, and you want it for yourself. Fortunately, shapely thighs are not a pipedream or reserved for those who can afford to have their pictures tossed in magazines and touched up beyond recognition. In fact, even little old you can get the sleek, sexy thighs your heart desires. But you can't keep doing what you're doing right now if you want to reach your goal. You've got to make some life changes, so get to work!

Don't Eat Late

It may be a hard adjustment, but to keep your thighs thin and shapely, you're going to need to cut back on late-night snacks. A good rule of thumb is to stop eating after 7 p.m. Otherwise, your body may fill up on calories right before bedtime, and if you're not awake to work them off, those calories will go wherever they want. And yes, this includes going to your thighs. If you must eat something late, make it something light, such as a salad. Before giving in and eating something late in the night, grab your discipline and go to bed.

I have flabby thighs, but fortunately my stomach covers them. - Joan Rivers

Go Cardio Crazy

Okay, so you don't want to go completely psycho over your cardiovascular routine, but you'll probably need to pump up the amount of cardio you subject yourself to on a regular basis. How much cardio should you be getting each day? Shoot for an hour, but get at least 30 minutes. While you may want to push yourself to your limit the entire time, doing this may add bulk to your legs. If you prefer thin, shapely legs, you'll get the best shape if you stick with a low or moderate intensity for your routine.

Work Your Entire Thigh

Though your thighs are often thought of as a single muscle, they're made up of a number of muscles: adductors (inner thighs), quadriceps and hip flexors (front of thighs), abductors (outer thighs), and hamstrings (back of thighs). If you don't know whether you're working the entire thigh, listen to your legs. If the pain is all concentrated on the front, back, or side of your thighs, then you need to get some new thigh-trimming exercises in your repertoire. If, on the other hand, your entire thigh is screaming in agony after a workout, you're doing a good job.

Always Exercise

The great thing about your thighs is that they can be exercised with relative ease, whether or not you're in the gym. A good exercise to begin thinning your thighs is wall sits. With your feet about a foot from the base of a wall, push your back against the wall and slide down the wall to a sitting position, stopping when your thighs are parallel to the ground. Hold as long as possible. Another smart way to keep your thighs in shape is to skip the elevator and escalator and go for the stairs when shopping or making your way through an airport. A good third exercise is to begin sitting in a chair, only to stop in midair right before landing in the chair. Hold for as long as possible, plop down in the chair, and smile knowing your thighs are getting stronger and thinner as a result of a few small steps. For an added thigh-thinning boost, slowly raise yourself back to your standing position, or hold a couple notebooks full of paper for added pressure on your thighs.

Five of the Fattiest Foods

You may love these foods, but they're no good when it comes to your good looks and good health.

Need to hit the store or a restaurant to pick up something to eat? There are some things you'd be better off avoiding. What makes these foods even worse is that the fat found isn't just your everyday, run-of-the-mill fat. Much of it is trans-fat. These do much more than add unwanted weight to your arms, legs, and middle. Trans-fats are a highly dangerous fat that turns into cholesterol once in your body. In other words, these fats increase your weight and instantly increase your likelihood for suffering heart disease and stroke.

Here is where to watch for fat in the course of your dietary day.

Breakfast

Overflowing with 659 calories and 45 grams of fat, the Bob Evans Country Biscuit Breakfast may be the worst way to start your day. While it may taste good going down, the long-term effects of eating such an unhealthy breakfast counteract any happiness the flavor may provide. And if you're drinking soda with your breakfast, it's time to stop. There is no nutritional benefit to drinking soda, and when matched with the Bob Evans Country Biscuit Breakfast, you're setting your body up for a short and diseased existence.

Lunch

If you're heading out for lunch, you may want to steer clear of the Wild Buffalo Chicken Strip Basket at Dairy Queen. While you may expect chicken to be relatively healthy, these fried up goodies pack an 870-calorie, 96-gram punch. In the event you choose to take a drive to pick up some fries from another establishment, stay away from Jack in the Box's large order of Natural Cut Fries. Dipped in grease and fried to fattening perfection, they come with 300 calories and 33 grams of fat.

Snack

Between meals, you need something to keep your energy level on high. What you don't need is excessive fat. So stay away from Nacho Cheese Doritos. If you think there is nothing dangerous about those little chips, you may be surprised to learn that a single ounce (approximately 11 chips) has 8 grams of fat. Since you probably never eat a mere 11 Nacho Cheese Doritos, you're probably getting a lot more fat than you think. Oh yeah - there are also 140 calories in that tiny bag, another reason to steer clear of the chips.

Dinner

It may not be the fattiest dinner dish available, but the 12-inch Blimpie Veggie Supreme is listed here because of the cunning nature of the item. The Veggie Supreme sounds like a perfectly healthy option for you and your family. However, with 1,106 calories and 56 grams of fat, this sandwich is not nearly as healthy as its name implies. If you're hungry for a hoagie loaded with all kinds of goodness, you can easily cut the fat grams in half or more by making it yourself at home.

Dessert

If there's one food item to avoid purchasing, Baskin Robbins' large chocolate Oreo shake is it. Containing an amazing 2,600 calories (yes - that's more than you should eat in an entire day), 139 grams of fat, and 1,700 milligrams of sodium, this seemingly innocent after-dinner delight is one of the most dangerous additions to your diet. While it may look beautiful and taste fantastic, eating a large chocolate Oreo shake cannot be excused by anyone with a desire to live healthily

Swap It Up

Feeling down because some of your favorite foods are on the fatty list? Cheer up! With a few substitutions, you can easily make your favorite dish a little less fatty. Sometimes, all it takes is asking your server for a lighter option. At other times, you may need to request a food be cooked a different way (grilled instead of fried). In yet other circumstances, you may have to cook it yourself or change your order altogether.

Whatever it takes, remember - you're doing it for the health and longevity of your body, so any sacrifice you have to make is well worth it.

To Give Is To Receive

A look at a few of the many, many benefits of giving.

In a culture that is committed to watching out for number one, giving may seem a thing of the past. But it doesn't have to be. When you consider the benefits that come from giving - both big and small benefits - the decision to open up your wallet and heart to others makes more sense than dollars.

So what are the benefits of living a philanthropic life?

Intrinsic Rewards

One of the most immediate benefits of giving is the knowledge that you're making a difference. Whether you help send a missionary family to Guatemala or help a needy family pay for a corrective surgery for their youngster, financial gifts often have immediate impact that lets you feel good about yourself. And these good feelings aren't centered around you. They're centered around the people you helped and the delight you receive in playing a small part in making life a little bit better for a deserving person, family, or organization.

Sense of Community

The community that gives together stays together. When the people of a community rally together to support a cause - particularly if it's a local cause that will help local residents - a bond takes place. People who give together have a mutual respect and trust of one another, which in turn builds a stronger sense of community. Any time there is a strong sense of community, other perks such as a safer community follow.

No one has ever become poor by giving.
- Anne Frank

Influence

No, your charitable gift shouldn't put you in a position that allows you to call the shots. (That isn't charitable giving.) But your gift does put in you a position to influence people. When others in your community learn that you gave to a particular cause or organization, they, too, are encouraged to give to those organizations that mean the most to them. Your gift can also be used as a training tool to teach your children the necessity and benefits of regular gifts. By raising the next generation of givers, you play an incredible role in supporting your community for years to come.

Tax Relief

While it may not be the most respected benefit of giving, the tax benefits of donating are often enough to get even the biggest Scrooge to consider a financial gift. The tax benefits of a charitable gift vary depending on a number of variables, but almost all charitable gifts help ease the burden you feel during tax season each year. Gifts that can result in tax benefits include financial gifts as well as donations of clothing, furniture, and automobiles to charitable organizations.

Longer Life

Believe it or not, research has proven that giving prolongs your life. In one study, the gift of time was shown to increase an individual's lifespan despite his or her health. So if you're interested in living life to the fullest and longest, give a little time and get ready to get some back. From volunteering at a homeless shelter to mowing a disabled neighbor's lawn, your gift of time and energy will be returned to you many times over.

It Takes All Sizes

One of the most frequent obstacles to people giving is the thought that a financial gift doesn't count unless it's a large sum of money. However, that idea couldn't be farther from the truth. Every gift counts, regardless of whether it is $7 or has seven figures. The most important thing is that you're looking beyond yourself and giving to a cause or organization that is in a position to do the most good for the most people.

Determining which organizations to support takes wisdom (you don't want to throw your life savings at every organization that knocks at your door), but once you determine what you choose to support, give regularly. Because your gift matters!

Going, Going, Grapefruit!

Gaining an appreciation for the wonderful, round grapefruit.

Even a sliver of grapefruit can make your eyes squint and your mouth pucker. But if you're sidestepping grapefruit because of its tartness, you're also sidestepping an array of health benefits.

Why should you start tossing a little grapefruit in your daily diet? It's as easy as APC.

Antioxidants

In the health world, few words get as much applause and attention as "antioxidants." And grapefruits are filled with the stuff. In addition to giving grapefruit its pretty pink and red color, the antioxidant lycopene is responsible for fighting runaway cells (free radicals) that have the potential to damage cells and cause cancer.

As grapefruit juice contains some of the highest levels of antioxidants (along with grape, apple, and cranberry juice), you can get your grapefruit-based antioxidants in liquid form. Regardless of whether you eat or sip on your antioxidants, getting plenty of grapefruit in your diet gives you an advantage over a number of cancers.

Having a hard time choking down that grapefruit? Drizzle a little honey on top. It'll cut the tart and leave you with a great big pile of health-boosting perks.

Pectin

A type of fiber found in grapefruit, pectin's main benefit isn't keeping you regular. It's keeping you out of the long reach of high cholesterol. A number of studies have found that the pectin found in any kind of grapefruit lowers bad cholesterol (low density lipoprotein cholesterol). If you eat red grapefruit, you'll also enjoy the benefit of reduced triglycerides - the chemical form fat takes on in foods and in your body.

Along with pectin's magical ability to lower cholesterol levels, it also helps reduce cholesterol's effects on the arteries. In other words, eating grapefruit or drinking grapefruit juice can help your arteries avoid the narrowing that occurs when excess cholesterol and fats build up inside the artery walls, a process that leads to heart disease, the number one killer of men and women in America.

C

Everyone hails the high vitamin C content of oranges, but did you know that grapefruits also contain this essential vitamin? With enough vitamin C in your system, you can battle a number of conditions with confidence, from the common cold to cancer. Chowing down on a vitamin C-filled grapefruit can also reduce the severity of asthma, arthritis, and other diseases that are brought about by inflammation.

With so many wonderful reasons to grab a grapefruit, it only makes sense to add some pink and red to your diet.

Keep Away from Medicines

Though grapefruit juice has a number of health benefits, it isn't for everyone. If you take medication on a regular basis, you may need to avoid grapefruit juice as it can modify how much medicine gets in your bloodstream.

Normally, enzymes lining the small intestines destroy a certain portion of the medication you take, causing only a limited amount from making its way to your blood stream. However, grapefruit juice wields the power to prevent your intestinal lining from working appropriately. When grapefruit juice keeps these enzymes from doing their jobs, you wind up with an extremely large amount of medicine in your body, which can be dangerous.

Certain medications that treat high cholesterol, seizures, depression, high blood pressure, and abnormal heart rhythms are all likely candidates for this frightening effect. If you're taking any of these medications, talk with your physician before drinking grapefruit juice with, before, or after taking your medication.

If you're stuck on grapefruit juice, ask your physician if there is an alternative medication that can be taken safely with grapefruit juice.

Do You Need A Life Coach?

Feel a bit confused by life? Want to get a handle on it all, but don't know where to get started? You may need a life coach.

A fairly recent phenomenon, life coaches gain applause in some circles and ridicule in others. If your life seems to be falling apart, the thought of a life coach may come with a mixture of appeal and embarrassment. After all - shouldn't you be able to get over this by yourself?

What can you expect from a life coach, and is it the best option? Or is it better to get your stuff together on your own? Keep reading to get a quick introduction to the services provided by a life coach and how you may benefit from having one on your side.

A life coach does for the rest of your life what a personal trainer does for your health and fitness. -Elaine McDonald

What Is a Life Coach?

Put simply, a life coach helps get you ready for the future. Whereas therapists work you through the errors of your past, a life coach is only concerned with the past as much as it helps him or her determine an appropriate path for your future. They're much more interested in the present and future.

Some life coaches have backgrounds in psychology, which helps them understand the best way to motivate you. Others are certified through organizations such as the International Coach Federation. Still others have lived full lives and feel they have the experience needed to set other people's life on track. Regardless of their training or experience, all life coaches try to get you where you want to be faster than you can get there on your own.

What Services Does a Life Coach Provide?

One of the first questions you're likely to encounter from a life coach is, "Where do you see yourself in one, five, or ten years?" From relationships to personal growth to career choices, life coaches offer guidance and assistance in making better decisions and ultimately leading a fuller, happier life. They do it by teaching specific stress-reducing techniques that meet your exact needs. They do it by holding you accountable. They do it by pushing you to take Gandhi's advice and be the change you want to see.

If the first change doesn't work, the life coach will quickly guide you to another technique. But not before a close inspection of the failed methodology. Doing this determines the cause of the failure and helps you avoid this same downfall with other techniques. The trial-and-error process is largely led by you, so you have ownership over your own improvement, while the life coach is simply an aide to your betterment.

Do you suffer from severe depression or another mental health issue? A life coach is not the route you should take. Though you may think a life coach could help pull you out of the pit of despair, you require a more medically based approach for appropriate care.

Who Needs a Life Coach?

Practically everyone is a candidate for using a life coach. However, if you feel like you keep making the same bad decisions, wish you could do something to bring about more permanent happiness, desire to feel more at peace with your life, or would like to pump up the passions in your life, you're more likely to gain the most benefit.

Of course, like any good coach, a life coach doesn't make the changes in your life for you. He or she simply makes suggestions on ways to improve. So if you're not going to follow through on a life coach's advice, you are not a good candidate for a life coach, regardless of how discontent you may be with your life. Also, hiring a life coach can be very expensive, so this is open only to those with a good bit of expendable income at their disposal.