Kick Your Sugar Kick: New National Dietary Guidelines

Remember when national dietary organizations started telling us to eat low-fat diets?  You could walk down the grocery aisle and find box after box, can after can, all stamped with "fat-free!" in big, red, blocky typeface. But those boxes weren't telling you the complete story. When companies started slashing fat content, they needed to substitute something to maintain flavor. Enter sugar.

However, recently federal nutrition panels revised their guidelines, suggesting instead that Americans limit their sugar intake. True, that translates to fewer sodas and Sour Patch Kids, but their suggestions don't stop here. While they still advise avoiding saturated fat, they encourage people to consume 35% of their daily calories from other, healthier fats—like those found in nuts and fish.

But the biggest change to dietary guidelines? Organizations have stopped "micromanaging." Instead, they encourage people to adopt healthier eating patterns in general. Whether you're following a paleo, vegan, or Mediterranean diet, just make you're not eating too many almond flour cupcakes, dairy-free brownies, or sticky baklava.

Top 5 Sleep Mistakes

1.) Don't scarf down a full plate of meatloaf right before bed.
Try to time dinner so that you can digest for at least two hours before heading to bed.

2.) Don't hydrate.
It's not that we aren't huge proponents of thorough hydration; it's just that guzzling down a full water bottle prior to bedtime will likely leave you running to the bathroom at 1 am. 

3.) Don't Tech.
TV in your bedroom? Move it. Cell phone ringer on? Turn it off. Not only can text messages wake you up in the middle of the night, stimulation before bed has been shown to inhibit deep sleep. 

4.) Lights Out.
This might seem like a preference, but studies show that ambiance is important for a good night's sleep. Low lighting, along with silence, is a crucial factor.

5.) Don't nap!
--for longer than 30 minutes, that is. Doing so will have you wide awake when the rest of your house is off to dream land. 

What You Should Know About Sleep!

A Difficult Parting: When to Toss Your Beauty Products

I get it; you spent $45 on that designer eye shadow, and the thought of tossing it is about as appealing as using a crisp 50 as toilet paper. Unfortunately, that little palette of over-priced eyelid bling is bad for your skin. (Of course, I say this without fully knowing the effects of newly minted currency on one's backside.) Nevertheless, expired make-up and skincare products are fertile ground for bacteria, which can worsen acne symptoms. How would you like a little Staphylococcus corynebacterium with your night serum?

The truth is that all beauty products expire and, while their life spans may be longer that of, say, your skim milk, it's important to pay attention to directions on the label. The "PAO" (or "period after opening") is indicated by an open jar icon followed by a number (e.g. 12) and the letter "M"—like this:

Is there anything you can do, oh broke-teenager-who-can't-afford-tri-monthly-cosmetic-restocking? Actually, there is. Avoid purchasing products in glass jars, as these are the most likely varieties to grow bacteria. Also, store your products in a drawer or cabinet to prevent degradation by sunlight. And please, please, mind your PAO.