10 Silent Signals You're Way Too Stressed

By The Editors of Prevention
 The occasional manic Monday is a fact of modern life. But if you're under chronic stress—suffering a daily assault of stress hormones from a demanding job or a personal life in turmoil—symptoms may be subtler, says Stevan E. Hobfoll, PhD, chair of the department of behavioral sciences at Rush University Medical Center. (Make YOUR well-being a priority this year! Join Prevention and other leading minds in health & wellness for our annual R3 Summit.) If you experience any of the signs that follow, take some time out every day, he says, whether it's to go for a walk or simply turn off your phone.

1. Stress Symptom: Weekend headaches

A sudden drop in stress can prompt migraines, says Todd Schwedt, MD, director of the Washington University Headache Center. (Here are 4 crazy things migraines increase your risk of.) Stick closely to your weekday sleeping and eating schedule to minimize other triggers.

 2. Stress Symptom: Awful period cramps

 The most stressed-out women are more than twice as likely to experience painful menstrual cramps as those who are less tense, a Harvard study found. Researchers blame a stress-induced imbalance of hormones. Hitting the gym can soothe cramps and stress, research shows, by decreasing sympathetic nervous system activity.

 3. Stress Symptom: An achy mouth

 A sore jaw can be a sign of teeth grinding, which usually occurs during sleep and can be worsened by stress, says Matthew Messina, DDS, a consumer advisor to the American Dental Association. Ask your dentist about a nighttime mouth guard—up to 70% of people who use one reduce or stop grinding altogether.

 

4. Stress Symptom: Odd dreams

 Dreams usually get progressively more positive as you sleep, so you wake up in a better mood than you were in when you went to bed, says Rosalind Cartwright, PhD, an emeritus professor of psychology at Rush University Medical Center. But when you're stressed, you wake up more often, disrupting this process and allowing unpleasant imagery to recur all night. (Find out what else your dreams are trying to tell you.) Good sleep habits can help prevent this; aim for 7 to 8 hours a night, and avoid caffeine and alcohol close to bedtime.

 5. Stress Symptom: Bleeding gums

 According to a Brazilian analysis of 14 past studies, stressed-out people have a higher risk of periodontal disease. Chronically elevated levels of the stress hormone cortisol may impair the immune system and allow bacteria to invade the gums, say researchers. (Here are 7 weird things your teeth are trying to tell you.) If you're working long hours and eating dinner at your desk, keep a toothbrush on hand. And "protect your mouth by exercising and sleeping more, which will help lower stress," says Preston Miller, DDS, past president of the American Academy of Periodontology.

 6. Stress Symptom: Out-of-nowhere acne

 Stress increases the inflammation that leads to breakouts and adult acne, says Gil Yosipovitch, MD, a clinical professor of dermatology at Wake Forest University. Smooth your skin with a lotion containing skin-sloughing salicylic acid or bacteria-busting benzoyl peroxide, plus a noncomedogenic moisturizer so skin won't get too dry. If your skin doesn't respond to treatment within a few weeks, see your doctor for more potent meds.

 

 7. Stress Symptom: A sweet tooth 

  Don't automatically blame your chocolate cravings on your lady hormones—stress is a more likely trigger. When University of Pennsylvania researchers surveyed pre- and postmenopausal women, they found only a small decrease in the prevalence of chocolate cravings after menopause—smaller than could be explained by just a hormonal link. (Satisfy that craving in a healthy way with these 10 not-so-guilty chocolate treats.) Study authors say it's likely stress, or other factors that can trigger women's hankering for chocolate.

 8. Stress Symptom: Itchy skin

 A Japanese study of more than 2,000 people found that those with chronic itch (known as pruritis) were twice as likely to be stressed out as those without the condition. Although an annoying itch problem can certainly cause stress, experts say it's likely that feeling anxious or tense also aggravates underlying conditions like dermatitis, eczema, and psoriasis. "The stress response activates nerve fibers, causing an itchy sensation," explains Yosipovitch.

 

 9. Stress Symptom: Worse-than-usual allergies

 In a 2008 experiment, researchers from Ohio State University College of Medicine found that allergy sufferers had more symptoms after they took an anxiety-inducing test, compared with when they performed a task that did not make them tense. Stress hormones may stimulate the production of IgE, a blood protein that causes allergic reactions, says study author Janice Kiecolt-Glaser, PhD.

 

10. Stress Symptom: Bellyaches

Anxiety and stress can cause stomachaches, along with headaches, backaches, and insomnia. One study of 1,953 men and women found that those experiencing the highest levels of stress were more than three times as likely to have abdominal pain as their more-relaxed counterparts. The exact connection is still unclear, but one theory holds that the intestines and the brain share nerve pathways; when the mind reacts to stress, the intestines pick up the same signal. (Try one of these 2-minute stress solutions). Because of this link, learning to manage stress with the help of a clinical psychologist, meditation, or even exercise can usually help relieve tummy trouble too. However, if you have frequent bellyaches, see your doc to rule out food allergies, lactose intolerance, irritable bowel syndrome, or an ulcer.

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  Photograph by TommL/Getty Images

  9. Stress Symptom: Worse-than-usual allergies

These Are the Most Motivational Books Ever Written

We asked our readers to name the motivational books that have inspired them. These are the 18 reads they loved the best.

By Geoffrey James

Contributing editor, Inc.com@Sales_Source

 

Three years ago, I identified the "Top 10 Motivational Books of All Time," but with a twist: I left the No. 1 spot blank and asked Inc.com readers to name their favorite.
In hundreds of comments, our readers named almost 300 books, but there were 18 that turned up consistently. Here are the books Inc.com readers truly love:

1. Delivering Happiness

Subtitle: A Path to Profits, Passion, and Purpose
Author: Tony Hsieh
Summary: Zappos CEO Tony Hsieh shares the different lessons he has learned in business and life, from starting a worm farm to running a pizza business, showing how by concentrating on the happiness of those around you, you can dramatically increase your own.

2. Good to Great

Subtitle: Why Some Companies Make the Leap...and Others Don't 
Author: Jim Collins
Summary: Collins and his research team identified a set of elite companies that made the leap to great results and sustained those results for at least 15 years. These good-to-great companies generated cumulative stock returns that beat the general stock market by an average of seven times in 15 years.

3. How to Stop Worrying and Start Living

Author: Dale Carnegie
Summary: A set of practical formulas to eliminate 50 percent of business worries, avoid fatigue--and keep looking your best, add one hour a day to your waking life, and find yourself and be yourself. There's no need to live with worry and anxiety that keep you from enjoying a full, active, and happy life.

4. How to Win Friends and Influence People

Author: Dale Carnegie
Summary: Teaches the three fundamental techniques in handling people, the six ways to make people like you, the 12 ways to win people to your way of thinking, and the nine ways to change people without arousing resentment.

5.Think and Grow Rich

Author: Napoleon Hill
Summary: This is the first book to boldly ask, "What makes a winner?" The man who asked and listened for the answer, Napoleon Hill, claimed to have spent "a fortune and the better part of a lifetime of effort" to produce the "Law of Success" philosophy that forms the basis of his books.

6. The 4-Hour Workweek

Subtitle: Escape 9-5, Live Anywhere, and Join the New Rich
Author: Timothy Ferriss
Summary: Forget the old concept of retirement and the rest of the deferred-life plan--there is no need to wait and every reason not to, especially in unpredictable economic times. This step-by-step guide to luxury lifestyle design teaches, among other things, how to trade a long-haul career for short work bursts and frequent "mini-retirements."

7. The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People

Subtitle: Powerful Lessons in Personal Change
Author: Steven R. Covey
Summary: The integrated, principle-centered 7 Habits philosophy helps readers find solutions to their personal and professional problems and achieve a life characterized by fairness, integrity, honesty, and dignity.

8. The Alchemist

Author: Paulo Coelho
Summary: The mystical story of Santiago, an Andalusian shepherd boy whose quest will lead him to riches far different--and far more satisfying--than he ever imagined. His journey teaches us about the essential wisdom of listening to our hearts, of recognizing opportunity and learning to read the omens strewn along life's path, and to follow our dreams.

9. The Four Agreements

Subtitle: A Practical Guide to Personal Freedom
Author: Don Miguel Ruiz
Summary: The author reveals the source of self-limiting beliefs that rob us of joy and create needless suffering. Based on ancient Toltec wisdom, it offers a powerful code of conduct that can rapidly transform our lives to a new experience of freedom, true happiness, and love.

10. The Go-Giver

Subtitle: A Little Story About a Powerful Business Idea
Authors: Bob Burg and John David Mann
Summary: The story of an ambitious young man who feels as if the harder and faster he works, the further away his goals seem to be. Desperate to land a key sale at the end of a bad quarter, he seeks advice from an enigmatic sage.

11. The Last Lecture

Author: Randy Pausch
Summary: When Randy Pausch was diagnosed with terminal cancer, he gave a "last lecture" about the importance of overcoming obstacles, of enabling the dreams of others, of seizing every moment. It was a summation of everything Randy had come to believe. It was about living.

12. The Magic of Thinking Big

Author: David J. Schwartz
Summary: A carefully designed program for getting the most out of your job, your marriage and family life, and your community. You don't need to be an intellectual or have innate talent to attain great success and satisfaction--but you do need to learn and understand the habit of thinking and behaving in ways that will get you there.

13. The Monk Who Sold His Ferrari

Subtitle: A Fable About Fulfilling Your Dreams and Reaching Your Destiny 
Author: Robin Sharma
Summary: A lawyer is forced to confront the spiritual crisis of his out-of-balance life, and the subsequent wisdom that he gains on a life-changing odyssey enables him to create a life of passion, purpose, and peace.

14. The Power of Now

Subtitle: A Guide to Spiritual Enlightenment
Author: Eckhart Tolle
Summary: The book takes readers on an inspiring spiritual journey to find their true and deepest self and reach the ultimate in personal growth and spirituality: the discovery of truth and light. It awakens readers to their role as a creator of pain and shows them how to have a pain-free identity by living fully in the present.

15. The Secret

Author: Rhonda Byrne
Summary: Allegedly based on fragments found in the oral traditions, in literature, in religions and philosophies throughout the centuries, the book provides examples of people who have compelling stories of eradicating disease, acquiring massive wealth, overcoming obstacles, and achieving what many would regard as impossible.

16.The Slight Edge

Subtitle: Turning Simple Disciplines into Massive Success and Happiness
Author: Jeff Olson and John David Mann
Summary: Explains why some people make dream after dream come true, while others just continue dreaming and spend their lives building dreams for someone else. The book shows how to create powerful results from the simple daily activities of your life, by using tools that are already within you.

17.The Success Principles

Subtitle: How to Get From Where You Are to Where You Want to Be
Author: Jack Canfield
Summary: Presents principles and strategies that can be adapted for your own life, whether you want to be the best salesperson in your company, become a leading architect, score top grades in school, lose weight, buy your dream home, make millions, or just get back in the job market.

18. Who Moved My Cheese?

Subtitle: An Amazing Way to Deal With Change in Your Work and in Your Life
Author: Spencer Johnson
Summary: Most people are fearful of change because they don't believe they have any control over how or when it happens to them. Since change happens either to the individual or by the individual, this book shows us that what matters most is the attitude we have about change.

14 Weird Things That Happen When You’re Ovulating

How your body, brain, and behavior change during your most fertile part of the month. 

 

All about your cycle

by Hallie Levine
Each month, about two weeks before your period is due, your body preps for a potential pregnancy by ovulating, a process where an egg is released from an ovary into the fallopian tubes, where it may be fertilized by sperm. Your estrogen level peaks during this time, and progesterone begins to rise sharply, but these hormonal surges don't just affect your reproductive system—they affect your behavior, too. Read on to learn about some surprising things that happen to your body and your brain during ovulation.
 

Your sense of smell is sharper

Women are more sensitive to smell around the time of ovulation, according to a study published in 2013 in Hormones and Behavior. In particular, ovulating women were more sensitive to androstenone and androsterone, human pheromones found in male sweat and urine, as well as to a musky odor, compared to women who were taking birth control pills (and therefore not ovulating). It’s possible that a heightened sense of smell helps you better sniff out a potential mate during this time of peak fertility.
 

Your gaydar is at its peak

When female college students were asked to look at photos of 80 men—half of whom were straight, and half gay—and determine the sexual orientation of each, they were more accurate the closer they were to ovulation, according to a study published in 2011 in Psychological Science. “Past studies have also shown that women's preferences for men's faces varies depending on where they are in their cycle, so it makes sense that their ‘gaydar’ might vary with these hormonal changes as well,” explains study coauthor Nicholas Rule, PhD, associate professor of psychology at the University of Toronto.
 

You’re a little more flush

Your skin color changes ever so slightly throughout your menstrual cycle, according to a 2015 University of Cambridge study. When women were photographed without make-up at the same time every day for a month, they had the most facial redness at ovulation. These changes are so slight they’re not actually detectable by the human eye—but researchers suspect they may be linked to other changes in appearance or behavior, since other studies have found men rate women more attractive when they’ve ovulating.

Your voice changes

Women use a higher, more feminine pitch when they’ve ovulating, according to a 2009 UCLA study. A higher voice pitch is associated with being younger (and thus more fertile), which may help explain why an earlier study in Evolution & Human Behavior found that women’s voices were rated as more attractive during ovulation. “We’ve also found that women show many behavioral shifts during ovulation, including dressing and walking differently, which when all put together may be the way women inadvertently reveal their fertility status,” explains Greg Bryant, PhD, a psychologist at the Center for Behavior, Evolution and Culture at UCLA and coauthor of the 2009 study.
 

You dress to impress

Speaking of dressing: Ovulating women are more likely to choose revealing clothing, a University of Texas study found, and an earlier UCLA study found that people were more likely to rate women in their most fertile phase as “trying to look more attractive,” compared to women post-ovulation. As if those bids for attention weren’t enough, other studies have found that women are more apt to wear pink or red clothing during their most fertile window—the idea being that men are sexually attracted to women who are wearing red.
 

You may have an easier time quitting smoking

Women experience their most intense cigarette cravings right after their period, according to a 2014 study that measured brain activity in men and women who were shown both smoking-related and neutral images. “It may be low levels of estrogen and progesterone worsen withdrawal symptoms by interacting with other brain neurotransmitters that spur cravings,” explains study coauthor Adrianna Mendrek, PhD, a psychologist at the University of Montreal. Conversely, women’s brains reacted much less to smoking-related cues just after ovulation, when both hormones are at their peak.
 

Your asthma may improve

Got wheezing? It’ll most likely get better for a day or two around ovulation, according to a 2012 Norwegian study. When researchers charted symptoms of nearly 4,000 women over the course of their menstrual cycles, they found that while wheezing and shortness of breath were higher during the middle two weeks of the month (when estrogen levels are naturally high), both symptoms dipped right around the time of ovulation (days 14 to 16). “We see this anecdotally, too, so it makes sense that a woman should talk to her allergist about individualizing her asthma treatments to her menstrual cycle,” says Bryan Martin, DO, president of the American College of Allergy, Asthma, and Immunology.
 

Your cholesterol starts to dip

If you need to get your cholesterol checked, don’t do it before ovulation. That’s when it’s at its highest, according to a 2010 National Institutes of Health study published in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism. Researchers found that women’s total cholesterol levels rose in the first half of their cycle, as estrogen increased, dropped immediately before ovulation, then declined rapidly post ovulation, in the second half of the cycle. Testing at the end of your cycle—when your levels are at their lowest—reduces the risk that you’ll get a false positive.

You play the field

It probably comes as no shock that you cast a wide net in the dating pool when you’re ovulating, since it’s your most fertile time. But surprisingly, you do the same thing when you’re shopping, too. When researchers surveyed 20- and 30-something women who weren’t pregnant or taking hormonal contraceptives, they found women were more likely to try a new product—everything from makeup to candy bars—when they were ovulating. “We didn’t see this among women who were already in a committed relationship, who were more likely to say they were sticking with both the same partner and brands,” explains study author Kristina Durante, PhD, associate professor of marketing at Rutgers Business School.
 

Your vote may swing

One 2013 study (also by Durante) found that single women who were ovulating were more likely to vote for Barack Obama in the 2012 U.S. presidential election, while ovulating women in committed relationships preferred Mitt Romney. “We found that single women were more likely to relax their views about politics and religion when they’re ovulating, possibly because their sexual desire is ramped up during this time,” says Durante, who also notes her group saw similar results in men when their testosterone levels were high. Coupled-up women, however, were another story entirely, becoming more religious and conservative during this time. “We’re not sure why, but it could be that their increased libido made them feel guilty, especially if they fantasizing about men they weren’t involved with,” theorizes Durante. 

You become extra competitive with other women

Durante has also found that women near ovulation are much more interested in boosting their status compared to other women. In a 2014 study, researchers had ovulating and non-ovulating women play the “dictator game,” where they were given a fixed amount of money to share with other women. Ovulating women shared only half as much as the non-ovulating ones. Not only that, when men were added to the game, ovulating women gave about 60% to the guys, as opposed to 25% to the women. “This is consistent with other research that’s been done on animals,” says Durante. “Female monkeys, for example, go all Real Housewives with one another when they’re at their most fertile.”
 

You dis your dad

Ovulating women are half as likely to talk to their fathers, and speak to them for about half their usual length, while cell phone calls with Mom increase in both frequency and duration, according to a 2010 UCLA study. It may be that you just subconsciously don’t want Pops lecturing you about your dating life—and exerting any sort of control over you—in your most fertile time. Or, as study researchers darkly predict, it’s an evolutionary defense against inbreeding.

You choose bad boys

You’re not only more likely to choose that Shia LeBoeuf type around ovulation—you’re also more likely to convince yourself he’ll make a devoted father and provider, according to Durante’s research. In a 2012 study, women were shown online dating profiles of either a charismatic hottie or a reliable “nice guy” at different points of their menstrual cycle, and then asked to rate how helpful they thought the guy would be at caring for a baby, food shopping, cooking, and helping with other household chores. “We found that when women were under the hormonal influence of ovulation, they basically deluded themselves into thinking the sexy bad boy type would be better than the more reliable one,” explains Durante.
 

Your guy becomes more jealous

Research has long shown that women gravitate toward “masculine” looking males during ovulation: think strong jaw lines and thin lips. But your partner is also more likely to feel threatened by these manly men, according to a study done at the University of Liverpool in the UK. Men whose female partners were ovulating rated other men with masculine features as more dominant (someone who looked like they could “get what they wanted”), compared to men whose female partner was on birth control, or not near ovulation.

14 Foods That Make You Look Older

Your diet may be aging you beyond your years. Here's how to diminish the damage. 

 

Age-accelerating foods

by Kiera Aaron
There's a reason why your skin feels a little off after a series of holiday parties, BBQs, or mojito-filled beach days: "What you eat affects your skin—for better or worse," says Ariel Ostad, MD, fellow of the American Academy of Dermatology. While a few indulgences won't age you overnight, a continuously poor diet can accelerate the aging process of your skin (and teeth) over time. Here, 14 foods to consume in moderation in order to look as young as you feel.
 

Sweets

Sugar overload may kick-start a process called glycation. The theory: When you eat more sugar than your cells can process, the excess sugar molecules combine with proteins, creating "advanced glycation end products" (appropriately referred to as "AGES"), explains Dr. Ostad. Ultimately, AGES may damage your skin's collagen (the protein that keeps skin firm and youthful).

Unsurprisingly, too much sweet stuff is also bad for your smile. "Sugar sticks to your teeth, encouraging bacteria, decay, and discoloration," says Brian Kantor, a cosmetic dentist who practices in New York City. If you treat yourself to something sweet, swish water around your mouth afterward to remove any buildup. 

Alcohol

A healthy liver means healthy skin. "When your liver is functioning well, toxins that could potentially affect the skin are expelled naturally through your body," says Dr. Ostad. "But if toxins build up in your liver, and aren't broken down properly, your skin can develop a variety of issues, like acne, sallowness, and wrinkles." Drinking can also trigger rosacea outbreaks.

To top it off, alcohol is dehydrating and bad for your sleep, which was associated with accelerated aging in a Case Western Reserve University study. "Inadequate sleep is linked to wrinkles, uneven pigmentation, and reduced skin elasticity," says Dr. Ostad.
 

White wine

White wine falls into its own category because of its surprising dental damage. While a glass of red will give you instant "wine mouth," the acid in white wine damages your enamel and makes your teeth more prone to longer-lasting stains. So if you always end your day with a glass of chardonnay, your teeth may be more vulnerable to those coffee stains the next morning.

Here's what not to do: brush your teeth immediately after drinking (same goes for any acidic drink). Brushing already acidic teeth can further the erosion of your enamel. "You need to give your teeth time to remineralize after being bathed in an acidic beverage," says Maureen McAndrew, clinical professor at the New York University School of Dentistry. "I'd wait an hour after drinking before lifting a toothbrush."
 

Charred meat

That black char on your burger? It may contain pro-inflammatory hydrocarbons, which could present a problem since inflammation breaks down the collagen in your skin, explains Dr. Ostad. You don't necessarily need to banish BBQ from your vocab, but at least make sure you scrape off the black stuff, and clean the grill afterward so you don't contaminate your next meal.

 

Salty foods

You might not cook with salt, but that doesn't guarantee your intake is low. "Many canned foods are preserved with sodium, which can make you retain water and cause a 'puffy' look," says Ranella Hirsch, MD, former president of the American Society of Cosmetic Dermatology & Aesthetic Surgery, and dermatologist practicing in Massachusetts. Watch out for these 13 foods that are saltier than you realize, and if you need a quick fix, combat fluid retention with a moisturizer that contains caffeine (it's known for reducing puffiness when applied topically).
 

Processed meats

Think: Deli meat, sausage, and bacon. "Many of these meats have sulfites and other preservatives, which can trigger inflammation in the skin, and accelerate the appearance of aging," says Dr. Ostad. They also tend to be high in salt, which can make you look puffy. (Not to mention, processed red meats have been linked to heart disease.) Try swapping the deli meat on your sandwich for chicken or turkey. If you can't say goodbye for good, use less meat, and load up on veggies.
 

Spicy food

Spicy food aggravates rosacea-prone skin, but it can also do damage during menopause. "It's believed that the blood vessels in the skin are more reactive then," says Dr. Ostad. Since spicy food dilates your blood vessels, menopausal women may find their skin looking blotchy and less youthful during this time. Don't worry about indulging in the occasional spicy curry, but regular flare-ups could lead to spider veins, puffiness, and/or permanent redness, says Dr. Ostad. Order your food mild when possible. 

 

Red meat

"Fatty meat generates free radicals," says Dr. Ostad. Free radicals are in search of missing electrons, they snag electrons from healthy cells, damaging them in the process. This damage ultimately affects your skin's ability to protect itself and generate collagen.

While it's fine to eat a burger here and there, don't make it a daily habit. "You're better off with leaner meats, like a turkey burger or chicken," says Dr. Ostad. And remember to load up on antioxidants, both in your fridge and in your beauty bag: "Antioxidant-rich foods and serums help combat age-promoting free radicals," says Dr. Ostad. Look for serums that have vitamin C (also known as ascorbic acid).
 

Energy drinks

Energy drinks may make you feel like you have the pep of a kid, but they have a not-so-youthful effect on your teeth. In fact, teeth exposed to energy drinks were stripped of more enamel than sports drinks, according to a General Dentistry study. Energy drinks were also found to be more acidic—no coincidence there. (Remember: Acidity makes your teeth more vulnerable to stains.) If you really need your energy drink fix, sip from a straw: "The less contact with your teeth, the better," says Kantor.
 

Lemonade

All citrus wears away your enamel, but lemons may be the worst of the worst: lemon juice created the most dental damage, compared to orange and grapefruit juice, in a General Dentistry study. "Add the sugar in lemonade to the equation, and you have enamel wear from the acid, plus plaque buildup from the sugar, creating stains and decay," says Kantor. As with energy drinks, sip from a straw if you must.
 

Anything caffeinated

"Caffeine is like any other diuretic; it can make you excrete fluid, and deplete your body of moisture," says Dr. Hirsch. And yes, that includes your skin: "Anything dehydrating can dehydrate your skin, making it look dull and aged."

Good news: It's simple to combat the consequences of one too many cups of coffee. "Moisturizer, hands down, is the easiest way to look younger instantly," says Dr. Hirsch. Try one that has hyaluronic acid, a super-moisturizing ingredient that holds 1,000 times its weight in water. 

Trans fats

In case the risk of heart disease isn't enough to make you swear off trans fats for good, they may also be bad for your skin. "Trans fats promote inflammation," says Dr. Ostad. (Inflammation is also bad news for your collagen.) Plus, the unhealthy fats may make you more vulnerable to UV damage, which is the number-one cause of aging, according a preliminary mouse study published in Lipids. Don't be fooled by a label that says "0g trans fat," as it can still contain under 0.5g of the artificial fat. Make sure to avoid products that list a partially hydrogenated oil on the ingredient label, too.
 

Coffee

Caffeine isn't the only reason drinking coffee can age you beyond your years—coffee is hard on your teeth. "Acidic beverages can create microscopic pores on the surface of the enamel, causing erosion overtime," says McAndrew. Not ready to give up your java? (You shouldn't: Research shows drinking coffee has several health benefits, including a possible link between coffee/caffeine and a reduced risk of skin cancer.) Just follow with a glass of water: "Water has a neutral pH, which washes away the acid," says McAndrew. "Sugar-free gum can also reduce discoloration, since it boosts your saliva production, and saliva remineralizes your teeth." (Remineralization helps protect your enamel.)
 

Black tea

Thanks to the high tannin content, tea drinkers don't get off stain-free, either. Good news, though: a new study published in the International Journal of Dental Hygiene found that the casein in milk reduced tea-induced tooth stains. Make tea au lait your go-to, and pass on the lemon: Much like the acid in coffee, citric acid makes your enamel more porous, and thus more susceptible to stains, says McAndrew.

This Is the Best Way to Handle Your Anger

If you're mad as hell and not doing much about it, you're not alone. But stifling your anger (as so many of us do) only makes you more stressed. Learn how to harness that emotion and achieve a happier, calmer state of mind. 

By:  Cara Birnbaum 

 

When you hear the words "anger problem," you don’t think of someone like Bethany. Actually, the 40-year-old sales analyst and mom of one in Brooklyn, N.Y., says she rarely gets full-throttle angry. Instead, she’ll spend weeks stewing over a self-entitled co-worker or her own hatred of the gym. Nobody would know, though; she keeps it all to herself. 

Which is exactly the problem: not feeling anger—which is hardwired into the human brain—but burying that useful emotional response until it turns into a quiet simmering. While some women vent and move on, many of us were taught to not make a scene. We’re overworked, sleep-deprived, always on call and generally cranky about it. And as anyone with a social media account knows, we feel outraged daily—about GMOs, Common Core, the Kardashians, you name it. In fact, “the modern, connected lifestyle has put us in an almost constant state of tension,” says Ryan Martin, PhD, chair of the psychology department at the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay and founder of the blog All the Rage.

While you don’t want to explode, holding in the emotion could be just as bad for you. “Rumination is like a ticking time bomb,” says Matthew J. Zawadzki, PhD, assistant professor of psychological sciences at the University of California, Merced. A paper he co-authored a few years ago suggested that simply thinking about whatever pissed you off days, weeks, or even months earlier jacks up your blood pressure and heart rate as much as the original event did.

Whether you stew or rage, your anger is trying to tell you something—about your life, mind, and body. Here’s how to use it as a catalyst for change.

RELATED: 10 Things You Should Never Do When You're Angry

Fear factor

As bad as being peeved feels, it’s actually a protective response to what usually starts out as fear or pain, explains Veronica Rojas, MD, a psychiatrist and co-founder of the Mindfulness Forum of Ridgewood in Ridgewood, N.J. Before you can even make sense of a threat, your amygdala, the almond-shaped emotion center of the brain, triggers a release of adrenaline and other stress hormones. Your energy surges as your breathing quickens and your heart rate and blood pressure rise. “Your face might flush, your thoughts narrow, and it’s very difficult to think about anything else for a few minutes,” says Dr. Rojas.

It takes several seconds for that initial burst of fear or pain to become anger. As you start thinking things through, your analytical prefrontal cortex—the brain’s chief decision maker—contextualizes the threat: Why does she speak to me that way? How am I still working at this crappy job? “That’s why we call anger a secondary emotion,” explains Dr. Rojas. “It never occurs alone.” It’s your brain’s way of jolting you out of a vulnerable place and into self-protection mode.

Most of us stop short of putting on the boxing gloves. The prefrontal cortex nips angry impulses in the bud. But if you constantly tamp down your annoyance, those blood-pumping stress hormones can remain elevated, says Dr. Rojas. This kind of prolonged stress leaves you more prone to a host of illnesses and diseases, found 2012 research from Carnegie Mellon University—partly by interfering with your immune system’s ability to regulate inflammation throughout the body.

Short-term simmering all too often becomes chronic: The higher your stress level, the more an otherwise minor issue (like someone swiping your skinny latte) makes you ready to burst into flames. Snapping—whether it’s at that coffee thief or your vaccine-skipping friends— can worsen matters. “Anger is the most viral emotion,” says Martin. It’s more contagious than joy and sadness, according to a 2013 study that looked at social networks.

Brooding over your feelings may be no better: A study in the Journal of Abnormal Psychology showed that rumination contributes to depression and anxiety. When Dr. Rojas sees patients suffering from either of the above, it often turns out to be rooted in years of anger.

The same can be true for high blood pressure, irritable bowel syndrome, headaches, and a host of other chronic ailments, all of which can be exacerbated by persistently high levels of stress hormones, says Mary Coussons-Read, PhD, professor of psychology at the University of Colorado, Colorado Springs. And, tellingly, married couples who regularly suppress anger have a higher risk of premature death than those who express it, according to University of Michigan research.

Of course, the news isn’t great for folks who repeatedly lash out, either. Recent research in the European Heart Journal showed that the risk of heart attack is nearly five times higher in the two hours after an angry outburst.

RELATED: The Best and Worst Ways to Cope With Stress

How to get mad

So what’s a ticked-off girl to do? Remember that anger is a flashing sign telling you to address something. “Conflict is healthy only if you try to figure out what’s wrong and do something about it,” says Ernest Harburg, PhD, research scientist emeritus in epidemiology and psychology at the University of Michigan. First, though, take a moment to note the reaction: “If anger arises, observe your bodily sensations without trying to push them away,” advises Susan Smalley, PhD, professor emeritus of psychiatry and founder of the Mindful Awareness Research Center at UCLA. Relax your shoulders and breathe deeply so your stomach slowly rises and falls—all cues to the mind that your body is calming down.

Leave the scene if you can, adds Gail Saltz, MD, a Health contributing editor and clinical associate professor of psychiatry at Weill Cornell Medical College in New York City: “It’s OK to say, ‘I notice myself feeling pretty topped out. I want to be able to discuss this logically, so I’m going to take a walk.’” Even ducking into the ladies’ room gives you a few minutes to reset. For Dr. Rojas, running a stream of water over one wrist does the trick. For Coussons-Read, it’s singing “Viva Las Vegas” in her head.

With calm should come the clarity needed to problem-solve, says Gretchen Rubin, best-selling author of The Happiness Project and Better Than Before. “If you feel angry going to work every day,” she asks, “is it because work seems meaningless? Because you can never get all your tasks done? Or because you have a conflict with a co-worker?” They’re all legit reasons—each with its own path to resolution.

Asking yourself questions like this may loosen anger’s grip, letting you see events in context. “A common setup for anger is not thinking about what the other person is going through,” says Alice Domar, PhD, executive director of the Domar Center for Mind/Body Health in Boston. Then you can get to constructive dialogue, which allows you to avoid the feeling of powerlessness that can cause anxiety and depression. It’s all about taking action—only not in anger this time. 

RELATED: 20 Weird Ways Breathing Right Can Improve Your Life

Pre-anger is a thing. Here's how to diffuse it

The prickly, stressed-out state we’re often in before an angry stimulus hits—what psychologists call “pre-anger”—is important to manage to avoid full-on rage. These little steps will help keep insignificant triggers from getting you worked up.

1. Hide the right 10 Facebook friends
You know—the ones forever posting crappy news you have no power to change. Get them off your feed for a month and see if you miss waking up to the angst. 

2. Don't get hangry
A healthy carb with fiber combined with a little protein—like an apple and a cup of yogurt, or whole-wheat crackers with peanut butter—will help keep blood sugar and mood on an even keel.

3. Declutter your desk
No one is saying you have to go all Marie Kondo, “but many people feel calmer and more in control when their work and living spaces are tidy,” says happiness expert Gretchen Rubin.

4. Do one thing at a time
Studies show that multitasking makes us sloppy and less efficient. And as Ryan Martin, PhD, points out, it pretty much ensures you’ll feel constantly interrupted and snippy about it.