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6 Strange But True Health Tips

Six takeaways:

While prevailing health advice can at times be relatively intuitive (“eat less and exercise more to lose weight)- there are many proven health tips that buck conventional wisdom. Here are Time Magazine’s favorites:

1. Drink Coffee to Have a Better Nap– A Japanese study found that a “coffee nap”—drinking around 200 milligrams of caffeine (about one to two cups of coffee) followed by a 20-minute nap—boosted alertness and performance on computer tests. The 20-minute nap aligns with the caffeine kicking in, which clears the brain of adenosine, a molecule that causes drowsiness. Since both napping and caffeine reduce adenosine, this combination doubles the alertness effect..
2. For healthy teeth, don’t brush after eating – Acidic foods—like citrus fruits, sports drinks, tomatoes, and soda—can soften tooth enamel, making it “like wet sandstone,” according to Howard R. Gamble, past president of the Academy of General Dentistry. Brushing right after eating these foods can accelerate enamel erosion, so Gamble advises waiting 30 to 60 minutes before brushing after you eat.
3. To wear a smaller size, gain weight – The weight in question, of course, is muscle weight rather than fat. Muscle takes up less space than fat- so focus on building muscle and “gaining good weight” by moving heavier amounts and cutting back on overall calories.
4. To eat less, eat more– Opting for a 100-calorie snack pack of cookies or pretzels might seem healthy, but it can leave you hungrier, due to its high carbohydrate and sugar content. Instead, protein-rich snacks like peanut butter or string cheese with an apple will help you feel full faster and stay satisfied longer, ultimately leading to fewer calories consumed overall.”
5. Skip energy drinks when you’re tired– Energy drinks can have up to five times the caffeine content of coffee, but their energy boost is short-lived and often accompanied by side effects like jitteriness, irritability, and a racing heartbeat. Any boost you gain from an energy drink will likely be followed by a crash- leading you to want another energy drink!
6. Drink a hot beverage to cool off– reaching for a hot coffee on a hot day will cool you off faster than drinking an iced one. When you sip a hot beverage, your body senses the change in temperature and increases your sweat production. Then, as the sweat evaporates from your skin, you cool off naturally.

Everyone’s health profile is different, of course. But these general guidelines and tips–as unexpected as they are– may help us take stock of our own habits and build out a better understanding of our own wellbeing.

By Time Magazine Staff
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