Oz News: Health A fun

Parched as a cactus? We lose more moisture from our skin to the dry air in winter, so drink up.

HEALTHY BODY

OZ NEWS: HEALTH 5 THINGS WE JUST LEARNED

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1

Dehydration Is a Winter Thing, Too!

We know to drink more when it’s hot out. But cold weather can be a perfect storm for dehydration as well: It makes you pee more, yet you feel up to 40% less thirsty, research shows. You don’t have to chug water all day to stay hydrated, though. We get up to 20% of our fluids from other liquids and foods. Warm beverages like coffee, tea, and cocoa all count—as do juicy fruits and soups.

2

THERE’S PROGRESS ON THE SKIN CANCER FRONT

Indoor tanning rates among women have dropped in the past few years—from 8.6% in 2010 to 6.5% in 2013—according to new research published in JAMA Dermatology. However, an estimated 7.8 million women are still indoor tanners. That number should be zero. “There is no such thing as a safe tan; tan skin is injured skin,” reminds Darrell Rigel, M.D., a clinical professor of dermatology at NYU Langone Medical Center. Find your faux glow in a tube!

This Game Blocks Temptation

Keep your eyes on the falling blocks until you stop dreaming of something sinful. Playing Tetris for three minutes weakens cravings by 14%, a new study shows. The ever-shifting puzzle can interrupt these mental images, so the cravings fade. Not a Tetris type? Try any visually interesting game.

4

Sitting May Stress You Out The more time you spend on your butt, the more likely you are to feel anxious, a new review of research found. One possible factor: Sedentary habits like too much TV may isolate you from your social circle. Skip the Netflix binge when you’re feeling frazzled, and meet a friend for a walk instead.

Who’s the trumpeter in your bed?

A Simple Snoring Fix Exists

About 90 million Americans snore. If you (or worse, your partner) are a loud snoozer, doing simple mouth and tongue exercises could help stop the honking—they firm up the floppy tissues and muscles that cause upper-airway obstructions, according to a new study in the journal Chest.

Start with 20 reps for each of these moves, and do them three times a day. In a few weeks, your spouse can thank us.

Say “aah.” (Yes, just that—it works the muscles you’re trying to target.)

Push the tip of your tongue against the roof of your mouth, and then slide it backward as far as you can.