WASH AWAY ALLERGIES If you find yourself sniffling in bed, crank your washing machine to the hottest setting. In a South Korean study, laundering cotton sheets at 140 degrees killed 100 percent of dust mites, while a warm 104-degree wash destroyed just 6.5 percent. A machine’s “sanitize” setting is likely hot enough; check the manual if your model lacks this option. Some units heat water internally—but others use what flows through the pipes, so you may need to boost your water heater. (Caution: This temp can scald in five seconds.)
-Prevention
5 WAYS TO BOOST YOUR METABOLISM
Eat breakfast.
Lift weights. A pound of muscle consumes twice as many calories as fat.
Add more lean protein, such as chicken or fish, to your diet.
Eat smaller meals more often.
Mix up your cardio regularly.
-Fitness
OPTICAL DELUSION People underestimate portion sizes for flat eats such as pizza and quesadillas and overestimate thick bites like cake, a study in the Journal of the American Dietetic Association shows. For wedge-shaped foods, focus on the plate underneath to get a
sense of scale.
-Self
BE A HEALTHY ROLE MODEL In a recent study, husbands and wives were five to six times more likely to quit smoking and drinking, 50 percent more likely to start exercising and
80 percent more likely to
get a cholesterol test if their partner did too.
-Health Services Research
MIND YOUR P'S AND Q'S Using the word “please” in work e-mails can come off as a sign of
frustration, so avoid using it. And it’s disconcerting to others when you say “thanks” in advance when asking them to do something.
