Life Kit: Health

Carbs get a bad rap. Here's the science behind why eating too much starch isn't good for you — and smart tips to integrate more slow carbs into your diet.

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When is snoring just annoying or the sign of a bigger health issue? Life Kit's Allison Aubrey and Maddie Sofia, host of NPR's new daily science podcast, "Short Wave" get answers from a doctor, as well as some tips to achieve a snoreless sleep.

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Healthy eating can be easy if you follow a few simple rules. We guide you through three types of healthy food you should eat more of, and three foods to cut back on.

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None of us is prepared to be caregivers — the role is thrust upon us. More than 40 million Americans are caring for an elderly parent or loved one. Here are six tips to make the caregiving burden more sustainable:
- Accept help, and don't be afraid to ask for it.
- Break down caregiving tasks into bite-sized solutions.
- Don't tell your loved one what to do. Ask about the quality of life they want and how you can get them there.
- Be an empowered medical advocate for your loved one.
- Get your legal ducks in order so you can focus on your relationship.
- Make sure to take care of yourself, too.


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Finding out you have a serious medical condition can leave you reeling. These strategies from medical and lay experts will help you be in control as you navigate our complex health care system and get the best possible care.
Here's what to remember:
- Your primary care doctor is the captain of your health care team.
- Don't be afraid to get a second opinion.
- Get organized, and find someone to help you if you can't do it yourself.
- If you need a procedure, go to someone who does it all the time.
- Use the Internet, but use it wisely.
- Figure out what matters to you, and fight for it

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Going to a doctor who puts you at ease can actually improve your health. We have six tips for finding a primary care doctor you click with — and how you can make the most out of that relationship.
- Figure out what type of patient you are, and let that guide your choice of doctor.
- Seek out a doctor who makes you feel comfortable.
- When you go to the doctor, go prepared.
- Be clear about your agenda.
- Be yourself at the doctor's office.
- You have a right to give your doctor feedback. But if things aren't working, don't be afraid to break up.

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So many food labels proclaim their eco-virtues these days — organic. Pasture-raised. Cage-free. Non-GMO. What do they actually mean? Here are six ways to make sense of it all.

- "Natural" or "sustainable" labels have no legal standard.
- "Organic" means it's better for the planet, but may not be better for you.
- Non-GMO is not organic. The food was still grown with pesticides.
- Labels like "Animal Welfare Approved" mean the animals got to live outdoors.
- "Fair Trade" products deliver a little extra money to small farmers in cooperatives.
- Don't let labels stress you out. When it comes to solving the world's problems, your shopping decisions aren't nearly as important as your political decisions.

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Knowing when and what to eat may sound simple, but dieting can mess up our connection to hunger cues. The practice of intuitive eating can help people make peace with food.

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The way many of us think about weight loss is totally counter-productive. Focus on healthy habits you can sustain instead of the numbers on the scale.

Here's what to remember:
- Forget goal weights. Instead, focus on behavioral goals.
- Start with small changes and let them snowball.
- A loss of only 3% of your body weight can meaningfully improve your health.
- Remember that your best weight is the one you reach when you live the healthiest life you can actually enjoy.

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Our biology makes it hard to lose weight. In this episode, we won't tell you how to lose weight — or whether you even need to. We will give you five realities about biology, and they might even help you be kinder to your body.

Here's what to remember:
- Metabolism slows when you lose weight.
- Hormonal changes that come with weight loss make you hungrier.
- What you eat is more important than how much you exercise.
- Exercise seems to play a big role in maintaining weight and preventing further gain.

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We all can feel the effects of weight stigma, no matter what our size is. In this episode, we help you feel good about the body you're living in and give strategies to improve your health without obsessing about your weight. Here's what to remember: - Recognize that weight stigma can actually harm your physical health. - Remember that weight and body mass index are imperfect indicators of your health. - Focus on well-being, regardless of your weight. - Even if you don't experience weight stigma in daily life, ask yourself: Am I helping to perpetuate it?

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Difficulty sleeping can cause anxiety, which often leads to more trouble sleeping. Life Kit host Allison Aubrey talks to sleep experts about how cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia can bring relief for people with chronic sleep issues.

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From mediation to melatonin to putting on a pair of socks, we all have routines to help us reach that blissful state of slumber. These are the ones that work:

- Forget sheep. Instead, use mental imagery — picturing a walk in the woods or a stroll on a beach — to help relax.
- Relaxation and meditation apps can help you unwind.
- Melatonin supplements might ease your way into sleep, but too much melatonin could disrupt it.
- Over-the-counter sleep medications may knock you out, but they won't result in effective sleep.
- If young kids wake you in the wee hours, don't react in a way that increases their stress — but do find strategies that make it no fun to be up.
- Sleep rituals are personal. If you believe in yours, that might be all you need.

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From the moment you wake up, your body starts to prepare for sleep. We show you how to adjust your daytime habits to get the best possible night of rest.

Here's what to remember:
- Start the day with natural light — from an east-facing window, or even better, go outside — to put the brakes on melatonin.
- Cut the caffeine off by late morning. Even if it doesn't keep you up, caffeine impacts how much deep sleep you're getting.
- Get moving during the day. Exercise can increase the quantity and quality of your sleep.
- Avoid the nightcap. Alcohol makes you feel sleepy but disrupts deep sleep.
- Ban the smartphone and TV from the bedroom. Too stimulating, when you should be letting go.

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