Who doesn’t love the crispy, golden allure of French fries? But often, the deep frying involved can be a bit too much. Today, I’ve got a special treat for you – a recipe for French fries that doesn’t involve deep frying, yet promises all the delightful crunch and flavor. These healthy, delicious alternatives are ready in just 5 minutes, making them perfect for a quick snack or a side dish for your meals. Let’s get started on this scrumptious journey!

The Secret to Healthy and Quick French Fries The magic of this recipe lies in its simplicity and the use of healthier cooking techniques. You’ll be amazed at how easy and satisfying it can be to make French fries without the usual hassle of deep frying.

Ingredients You’ll Need:

• Potatoes (as many as you like)
• Olive oil or your preferred cooking oil
• Your choice of seasoning (salt, pepper, paprika, garlic powder, etc.)

Step 1: Prep Your Potatoes Start by washing your potatoes thoroughly. You can peel them if you prefer, but leaving the skin on provides extra nutrients and texture. Slice the potatoes into your desired thickness for fries.

Step 2: Seasoning Time In a large bowl, toss the potato slices with a dash of olive oil and your chosen seasonings. Make sure each slice is evenly coated for the best flavor.

Step 3: Ready, Set, Cook! Spread the seasoned potato slices in a single layer on a microwave-safe plate. Avoid overlapping to ensure each fry cooks evenly.

Step 4: Microwave Magic Pop the plate into the microwave and cook on high for about 5 minutes. The exact time might vary depending on your microwave and how crispy you like your fries, so keep an eye on them.

Step 5: Crispy Perfection Once done, let the fries sit for a minute as they crisp up further. Then, carefully remove them from the microwave – they’ll be hot!

Step 6: Serve and Enjoy! Serve your healthy, delicious French fries while they’re warm and crispy. They’re perfect on their own or with your favorite dip.

And there you have it – a simple, quick, and healthy way to satisfy your French fries cravings without the need for deep frying. These fries are not just a treat for your taste buds but also a lighter option that you can enjoy any day. So go ahead, give this recipe a try, and delight in the crispy goodness!

Whether you’re seeking relief from pain, inflammation, or detoxification, cabbage can be a game-changer for your well-being. Let’s dive into the surprising world of cabbage and its remarkable results for your feet.

1. The Healing Power of Cabbage:

Cabbage, a humble vegetable found in kitchens around the world, has a rich history of being used in natural remedies. This section delves into the incredible healing properties of cabbage and its role in traditional and modern wellness:

Cabbage’s use in natural remedies dates back centuries, with records of its medicinal applications in ancient civilizations.
Explore how different cultures have employed cabbage for various health concerns, from ancient Europe to Asia.

Therapeutic Properties: Cabbage contains compounds such as glucosinolates, which have potent anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties.
Discover how the high sulfur content in cabbage leaves can promote detoxification and alleviate common health issues.

Versatility in Health Remedies: Cabbage leaves are known for their versatility in addressing a wide range of health concerns.
Learn how cabbage wraps have been employed for conditions like joint pain, arthritis, swelling, and even detoxification.

The surprising results of wrapping your feet in cabbage are within your reach, offering a natural and cost-effective approach to various health concerns. The wonders of this time-tested remedy have amazed countless individuals throughout history, and it’s now your turn to experience the benefits.

2. How to Prepare and Apply a Cabbage Foot Wrap:

Using cabbage leaves as a foot wrap requires careful preparation and application to ensure the best results. Follow this step-by-step guide to select, clean, and prepare cabbage leaves, wrap your feet effectively, and secure the wrap for comfort and effectiveness:

Step 1: Gather Your Materials:

Gather fresh, green cabbage leaves. Look for leaves that are free from blemishes and damage.
You’ll also need a cutting board, a knife, and a rolling pin or a similar tool.

Step 2: Select and Clean the Cabbage Leaves:

Choose a few cabbage leaves and carefully remove them from the head of cabbage. Then, Rinse the leaves thoroughly under cold water to remove any dirt or impurities.

Step 3: Soften the Cabbage Leaves:

To make the cabbage leaves more pliable and comfortable for wrapping, use a rolling pin or a similar tool to gently flatten and soften them.
Be careful not to tear the leaves but ensure they are flexible.

Step 4: Trim and Cut the Leaves:

Place the cabbage leaves on a cutting board, and trim the thick stem from each leaf to make them easier to work with.
Cut the leaves into sizes that will comfortably wrap around your feet.

Step 5: Warm the Cabbage Leaves (Optional):

If desired, you can briefly warm the cabbage leaves in a microwave or with hot water. Warming the leaves can enhance their soothing effect.

Step 6: Wrap Your Feet:

Sit in a comfortable position and place the softened cabbage leaves on the soles of your feet. After that,
Wrap the leaves around your feet, ensuring they cover the areas you want to address. You can overlap the leaves slightly for better coverage.

Step 7: Secure the Wrap:

To secure the cabbage leaves, you can use medical tape or elastic bandages. But Ensure the wrap is snug but not too tight, allowing for comfortable circulation.

Step 8: Relax and Wait:

Once your feet are wrapped, it’s time to relax. Leave the cabbage wrap on for about 30 minutes to 1 hour to allow the healing properties of the cabbage to work.

Tips for Securing the Cabbage Wrap:

• If you use elastic bandages, make sure they are not too tight, as overly tight wrapping can impede blood flow.
• While the wrap is on, you can elevate your feet to enhance the effects.
  Keep an eye on your skin during the process. If you notice any irritation or discomfort, remove the wrap immediately.

By following these steps and tips, you can properly prepare and apply a cabbage foot wrap, ensuring comfort and effectiveness.

The process allows you to harness the healing properties of cabbage to address various health concerns with this natural and time-tested remedy.

Explore our website for more fascinating home remedies and wellness tips that can help you enhance your health and well-being in the most unexpected ways. It’s time to try the extraordinary benefits of cabbage foot wraps for yourself!

We’ve collected tips on how to chew properly, choose wisely, and we’ve also suggested 4 healthy snack options at the end.

1. Snack slower.

Enjoy every piece. Stretch the process of snacking. Try to allocate 10 minutes solely for a snack and do not be distracted by other factors, like TV, phone, or a conversation with someone.

2. Choose the right time.

The best time for a snack is between 12 pm to 5 pm. Snacks in this timeframe will not only prevent binge eating, but also help curb unhealthy snack choices — which is often the reason for gaining excess weight.

3. Choose baked, not fried.

Fruits and vegetables are not good in just any form. For example, bananas and potatoes are best baked, not fried. And while roasting sounds healthy, the fact is that it usually occurs with the addition of oil, and fried oil is not a very good friend to our body.

4. Do not eat at your desk.

Mindless eating at your desk, especially without controlling portions, is dangerous. An open stack of cookies in front of a computer can go unnoticed while you are working on a project.

5. Сhoose healthy alternatives.

When your collegues having tea or coffee at work with a sweet, bring healthy alternatives: like cheese and fruit.

6. Eat more fiber and dairy products.

If you have a sedentary job, eat more fiber and dairy products. This will help the intestines cope with inactivity. Fiber is found in all vegetables and many fruits, as well as bran and whole grain bread.

7. Try bran.

Try crunchy bran. They quickly saturate and help lower the level of cholesterol in the blood. You can add it into your smoothie, sprinkle it on fruit salads, or mix it with cottage cheese. But do not eat more than 30 grams of bran per day and be sure to drink plenty of water.

8. Do not drink your calories.

Any high-calorie drinks like juices or smoothies will not satisfy you for a long time and will probably exceed the permissible limits for calorie and sugar content.

9. Prepare snacks at home.

In stores or fast food restaurants, you can rarely find something healthy in ready-made form, so it’s easier to just grab a chocolate bar and run back to work. If you prepare something at home like a healthy cookie, dried bananas in the oven, apple slices – you have more control over the ingredients you are eating and when you bring your own yummy snacks, you will be less tempted to buy something bad for you.

BONUS: What to eat for a healthy snack?

Cottage cheese

A great snack option at any time. For lunch, you can have cottage cheese with berries and fruits. For a salty snack you can try cottage cheese with vegetables.

Any fruit

Apples, pears, bananas, oranges, grapefruit, peaches, 4-5 apricots or a bowl of seasonal berries. But don’t overeat them. Fruits are high in calories and contain fructose, so it’s easy to overdo it with them.

Nuts and seeds

Don’t eat more than 25 grams. Nuts are very healthy, because they contain unsaturated fats. But they are also high in calories.

Here’s a list of 10 ordinary things that can cause damage to your health. Take care!

1. Crossing your legs

The first to speak about the harm caused by crossing your legs in was a food complement manufacturing company in 1999. They even launched a large-scale campaign in the US called The Great Cross-Out, which wasn’t just an ad trick: numerous studies confirm that sitting with your legs crossed (on a chair or on the floor) results in hypertension, varicose veins, and nerve damage.

2. Feeding birds

Feeding pigeons is one of the favorite outdoor activities parents like to do with their kids. Unfortunately, it’s not only fun, but also dangerous. The chances of a city bird carrying a contagious disease are more than 50%. Pigeons carry ornithosis, colibacillosis, histoplasmosis, salmonellosis, tuberculosis, listeriosis, rabbit fever, Newcastle disease, toxoplasmosis… Are you sure you want to know the full list?

3. Wearing poor quality sunglasses

In their striving to save money, manufacturers use cheap plastic that doesn’t protect your eyes from UV, which, in bright sunlight, can lead to retinal burn. The shading makes your pupils dilate and receive a double dose of ultraviolet, which is even more harmful than not wearing sunglasses at all. Excess UV may cause cataracts, damage your eyes, or even result in cancer.

4. Drinking lots of water

Yes, you read that right: drinking a lot of water isn’t always healthy, although so is drinking too little. Researchers insist that the body’s water needs are individual. If you move a lot and do sports, drink more; if you have kidney or cardiovascular issues, better drink less. In either case, the best way to find your daily requirement is thirst – if you don’t feel it, then don’t push it.

5. Treating yourself with a hot water bottle

Applying cold or heat to a painful spot is our favorite way to relieve pain, but there is a whole list of ailments that specifically do not require use of hot water bottles. These include bleeding, acute inflammation in the abdomen (appendicitis, cholecystitis, pancreatitis), and in the first few hours and few days after a sprain or injury. Thermal procedures are also harmful as cancer treatment.

6. Preparing popcorn in a microwave

It’s not about the way you cook it – it’s about the contents of the corn for home use. The danger here is in a chemical called diacetyl. It’s a synthetic oil and a flavoring 2-in-1. Vaporizing when heated, it gets into your lungs and damages them. You can reduce the risk to your lungs by letting the popcorn cool down before eating it.

7. Eating at your work desk

There are various different kinds of work place, yet most of them aren’t suited to eating and, more dangerous still, accumulate tons of bacteria that aren’t exactly good for your digestion. If that’s not enough for you, remember that the smell of your food may bother your colleagues, your brain needs rest, your legs need a workout, and your stomach can’t digest food because your brain isn’t concentrating on consuming it.

8. Wearing open footwear in cities

Wearing open everything is a must in summer, including footwear, as many think. What are the risks, though? There is a good chance that you’ll get your feet cut in open shoes, and any small wound, be it an insect bite or a blister, is easily infected. And that infection may spread to your whole body eventually.

9. Drinking fat-free milk

It may seem to be same as milk just without the fat, but it actually isn’t. Zero-fat milk is not even close to regular milk in terms of usefulness. When fats are extracted from milk, vitamins go with them, replaced by synthetic substances that aren’t quite good for you. Many manufacturers “strengthen” fat-free milk by adding milk powder, which may oxidize the cholesterol in milk. There isn’t any clinical evidence yet, but animals consuming oxidized cholesterol have been known to have experienced a build up of arterial plaque that could increase the risk of heart attack.

10. Not minding your posture

Correct posture means the symmetrical position of all the organs. Take care of your spine – adjust your office chair and monitor it correctly. Here’s the checklist:

• The height of your chair should correspond with the length of your thigh, and its seat should be firm.
• Your buttocks should fill no less than 2/3 of the chair.
• The back of your chair should fit your spine.
• Lean on the chair with your back so that your spine is placed firmly against it.
• Make sure your shoulder blades are brought together, your shoulders are on the same level, and your stomach is relaxed.
• Don’t cross your legs – this will hinder your blood circulation.
• Move smoothly so that your spine doesn’t hit the back of the chair.
• Don’t hurry to change your pose when you start feeling uncomfortable. Let your muscles get used to the correct position. Part of them will gradually relax, making this pose a habit, but that won’t happen at once.

Activated charcoal

Activated charcoal is one of the easiest and most inexpensive ways to naturally whiten your teeth. Crush up one charcoal tablet into a powder. Dip your clean wet toothbrush into it, and brush your teeth as you normally do.

Powdered milk and toothpaste

Powdered milk will help to maintain your teeth healthy and beautifully white. Brush your teeth after putting toothpaste on your toothbrush and topping it with powdered milk.

Sea salt, lemon juice, and toothpaste

Mix half a teaspoon of sea salt and some freshly squeezed lemon juice with a small amount of toothpaste in a bowl. Apply the mixture to your teeth, and leave it on for a minute before rinsing your mouth thoroughly.

Baking soda and lemon juice

Put a pinch of baking soda on your toothbrush, and add a few drops of lemon juice over it to get a set of shining teeth. Remember not to use this whitening method more frequently than once a week.

Hydrogen peroxide

Before using hydrogen peroxide, make sure that your teeth aren’t too sensitive. If everything is fine, simply dip a cotton swab into the peroxide, and gently rub your teeth. However, this whitening technique isn’t recommended for frequent use as it can harm your enamel.

Baking powder and lemon juice

A teaspoon of baking powder and a teaspoon of freshly squeezed lemon juice will work wonders in just 2 minutes. Don’t keep this mixture on your teeth for more than 2 minutes.\

Lemon juice and water

А mixture of equal parts lemon juice and water will help to restore whiteness to your teeth and completely disinfect your oral cavity.

Apple cider vinegar and water

Dilute half a teaspoon of apple cider vinegar in a glass of water. Rinse your mouth with this solution every morning before brushing your teeth.

A strawberry

Take a ripe strawberry, and mash it up with a spoon. Brush your teeth with this “paste” for a few minutes to get rid of yellow stains.

For many people, the first thing they search to ease this common cold is home remedies. But are they effective? Well, there are some that really work and others that don’t work. And keep in mind that home remedies for cold can’t cure a cold. But they might help alleviate your symptoms.

Here’s a list of home remedies for cold that sure will help ease your symptoms.

1. Honey

Honey is known as a popular home remedy for cough and cold. Researchers say that honey can be effective in treating cough by soothing irritated throats and is believed to have antioxidant and antibacterial effects. You should take raw or organic honey that contains high antioxidants to get the most benefit.

Note: Never feed honey to children under 1 year old, as it usually contains botulinum spores. The baby’s immune system is still not able to fight them off.

What you need to do is simply drinking honey in tea with lemon or you can ingest a spoon of honey.

2. Ginger

Ginger is another home remedy that can be used to quickly treating cold symptoms by warming up the body. Ginger is used in traditional India and Chinese medicine as a tonic root for its effectiveness to treat cold and cough.

There is evidence that ginger can prevent cold, soothe a sore throat and reduce inflammation.

Adding a few slices of ginger to boiling water then add tea may help relieve a cough or sore throat. You can also add honey to hot ginger tea.

3. Stay Hydrated

Get enough water! It helps relieve congestion, make your throat moist and prevent dehydration. You can also drink juice, clear broth, electrolyte solutions and eat something like warm chicken soup and stew might help too! Avoid caffeinated soda and coffee which can make dehydration worse.

4. Hot Packs

When the mucus dries, it gets thicker and more likely to clog inside your nose and makes it harder to breathe from your nose.

The best to treat this is by taking a washcloth and put it in a bowl of warm water or you can take a damp washcloth and microwave it for 30 seconds after that put the washcloth on your nose. Don’t forget to test the temperature of the washcloth.

After you do this, your nose will open like you open the windows in the morning and feel a fresh cool breeze wafted through.

5. Warm Bath

A warm bath may help reduce cold and flu symptoms in adults and kids’ because the moisture from a hot shower can help loosen up your stuffy nose.

6. Vapor Rub

Ointments such as vapor rub can help to reduce cold symptoms. Try a small dab under your nose can help open the air passage to relieve congestion, reduce coughing and improve sleep.

7. Humidity

Influenza spread more easily in a dry environment. You will notice your nasal passage become dry in a dry indoor environment which may cause irritation.

Increased humidity in your room can reduce nasal inflammation, making it easier to breathe when you are sick. Temporarily running a humidifier to your bedroom may make you feel more comfortable and your nose moist.

8. Saline Spray

To combat dryness in your nose you can use saline spray that helps break up the congestion from a cold. Nasal sprays also can reduce the duration of cold symptoms.

You can easily make your own at your home and use it on infants, kids or adults.

To make this natural home remedy all you need is 3 tsp of salt, 1 tsp of baking soda and water. Add 1 teaspoon of salt and baking soda mixture to 8 oz or 240 ml of lukewarm boil water and mix well until the salt dissolves.

Make sure you use sterile, distilled or previous boiled water to make this remedy. read this to really know how to use it.

9. Rest

Rest is the best medicine when you get a cold. It’s really important because when you got cold or flu It helps your body focus its energy to fight the viruses. You can lie under the blanket to keep your body warm.

Home Remedies For Cold That Don’t Work

Antibiotics are designed to fight bacterial infections. Since the cold is a viral infection, there is no need to take antibiotics because it has no effect on the virus.

How To Prevent Common Cold

Common cold can be caused by more than 200 types of viruses and there’s no vaccine and medicine for the common cold, that’s why there’s no cure for the common cold. However, you can still prevent the common cold. These simple suggestions may help reduce the common cold :

• Wash your hands frequently with water and soap or use sanitizers
• Follow cough and sneeze etiquette
• Keep your distance from an infected family member
• Avoid touching your face if you’re exposed to a person with a common cold with unwashed hands
• Maintain a healthy lifestyle. Get enough sleep, eat a balanced diet with plenty of fruits and vegetables, and exercise regularly to stay healthy and boost your body’s energy levels.

The FDA is warning consumers against using one popular UVC device

UV disinfecting lights have been a popular pandemic purchase, with the devices promising to kill COVID and other germs in mere seconds without using harsh chemicals.

Unfortunately, the FDA warns that the Safe-T-Lite UV Wand, manufactured by Max-Lux Corporation Limited, could be doing consumers more harm than good. “Do not use the Max-Lux Safe-T-Lite UV Wand. Consider using alternative disinfection methods, such as chemical cleaners to kill germs in the home or similar spaces,” the FDA recommends.

Use of the device could expose you to excessive radiation.

The FDA is warning customers against the use of the Safe-T-Lite UV Wand due to the excessive amount of UVC radiation it may produce.

The authority reports that the device’s UVC radiation is “more than 3,000 times stronger than what is recommended by an international group of experts,” and is typically held mere inches from the user’s body, making it likely that users will be exposed to said radiation.

After only a few seconds of use, individuals using the Safe-T-Lite UV Wand may experience photokeratitis, a condition similar to a sunburn on the eye, which may lead to pain, redness, headache, and, in rare cases, a temporary loss of vision, according to the American Academy of Ophthalmology. The device may also cause erythema, a skin condition that can cause pain, itching, redness, swelling, discoloration, or open wounds, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Exposure to UVC radiation can cause more serious injuries over time.

In addition to the development of photokeratinitis and erythema, exposure to high levels of radiation emitted by UVC lamps or use of said lamps for an extended period of time can potentially lead to the development of skin cancer or cataracts, the FDA warns in a separate notice.

The authority also notes that some UVC devices can produce ozone, which can cause respiratory distress.

UVC radiation may not be as effective at killing COVID as some consumers expect.

While UVC lights may help disinfect surfaces inside your home, they’re far from foolproof when it comes to killing viruses and bacteria.

“The effectiveness of UVC lamps in inactivating the SARS-CoV-2 virus is unknown because there is limited published data about the wavelength, dose, and duration of UVC radiation required to inactivate the SARS-CoV-2 virus,” the FDA warns. The authority notes that dust or dirt on a surface may mean that a UV wand makes incomplete contact with the germs it’s supposed to kill and that UV wands may not be effective at killing viruses and bacteria on porous surfaces or on the underside of surfaces being exposed to the UV light.

Keep Alcohol-Based Sanitizer in the Car

Don’t wait to get home before sanitizing your hands. Keep alcohol-based liquid, gel, or wipes in your car and wipe down your hands, the wheel, and your keys. In addition to hand sanitizer, you may wish to also keep clean plastic baggies and face masks in your glove compartment. After exposure to the outside world, wash your hands thoroughly, remove your used mask, and place it in a plastic bag for laundering and sanitizing.

Wear a Garment You Can Take Off and Wash

Reduce germs in your home by wearing an outer garment—jacket, sweater, sweatshirt, pants—that you immediately remove and wash when you get home. Germs spread in one of two ways: from person to person, and from person to surface to person. While it appears that Coronavirus spreads mainly by direct contact with other people—through microscopic droplets from the nose and mouth that can

Be Mindful of Your Child

While most kids are homebound these days, they may still be playing outside and coming into contact with germy surfaces. Teach your children the essential skill of thorough hand-washing: Scrub with soap and water for at least 20 seconds every time you enter the house. Also show kids how to shield their sneezes and coughs with the crook of their elbow instead of with their hands. The American Academy of Pediatrics has a helpful page with hygiene strategies for kids and parents.

Don’t Share Personal Items

Whether you are completely healthy or immunocompromised, these days, you can’t be too careful. One important strategy for reducing germs in the home is keeping your personal items to yourself. So don’t share bags and purses, items of clothing, and especially water bottles, utensils, lunchboxes, and food storage containers. If in doubt, label yours and your kids’ items with tape and a permanent marker.

Disinfect Doorknobs

Certain areas of the home are more germ-ridden than others, and doorknobs are a worst offender. Through his research, microbiologist Charles Gerba found that germs on a single doorknob can spread a virus throughout an entire office building in a matter of hours. Washing your hands after touching a doorknob is absolutely key to stopping the virus from spreading. You may also wish to disinfect your outside and inside doorknobs with an EPA-registered disinfectant.

Be Cautious of Reusable Bags

Some states that banned disposable plastic bags are rescinding these laws temporarily in light of COVID-19. Lawmakers and governors are understandably worried that reusable bags may be more likely to spread the virus than single-use plastic bags. Be sure to follow your local grocery store’s policy on reusable bags, which should be displayed at check-out. If you do bring reusable bags, be sure to wash and disinfect them regularly to stop germs from entering—and leaving—your home.

Be Careful of Plastic Bags Too

While reusable bags have their downsides, single-use plastic bags are not without risks. It appears that “plastics are among the surfaces that human coronaviruses may survive on for the longest,” according to studies cited by Greenpeace. These highly contagious viruses can live on plastic and stainless steel for up to 72 hours, so you’ll want to be cautious when unbagging groceries at home. Set aside a designated spot to place grocery bags. When you’re done unbagging, wipe down any surface you touched with bleach or an EPA-registered cleaner.

Use Credit Cards or Contactless Payment

Viruses and germs can be transferred into your home via contact with surfaces like keypads and money, which are touched by countless hands. To limit your risk, pay using non-cash methods like credit cards as much as possible. Another option is contactless payment, which uses RFID (radio frequency identification) via smartphones, credit and debit cards, as well as Google Pay, Apple Pay, FitBit Pay, and mobile banking apps that support this feature. To reduce germs in your home even further, consider shopping online for necessities.

Create a Mail Zone

Germs can hitch a ride on almost any surface, including your letters and packages. However, it’s not clear whether coronavirus in particular can be transmitted via mail. It’s best not to over-worry and instead to have a plan of action. Designate an area of your entryway or garage as a mail opening zone and dispose of all packaging and unwanted junk mail there. This cuts down on potential risks, even unknown ones.

Set House Rules for Family and Friends

While we are all trying to obey rules and recommendations intended to keep us safe, many of us still leave the house for essential errands from time to time. We also may stop by a friend’s house to check on them—keeping six feet apart, of course. Make sure you set clear rules for family and friends who may enter your home, including these imperatives: Wash hands immediately after entry and dry hands using a separate hand towel or paper towels.

Seek Knowledge and Stay Sane

Keeping germs away from your home environment is important—and so is your mental health. A lot of unsubstantiated tips and rumors are flying around, so be sure to do your own research using reputable sources. Check the CDC’s official website for Coronavirus updates, and stay abreast of local news impacting your city and state. Beyond common sense hygiene practices, learn about additional measures for immunocompromised individuals. Your home should be your refuge, so try to leave undue worries at the door—along with germs.

1. Sugar hurts your heart

Researchers at Harvard University studied thousands of American adults over the course of 15 years and found those who consumed 25 percent or more of their daily calories from sugar were, in that time, more than twice as likely to die from heart disease as those whose diets included less than 10 percent of added sugar a day. (The worst offenders? Sweetened beverages, grain-based treats, fruit drinks and dairy desserts.)

2. “No sugar added” doesn’t mean “healthy”

If the label says “100 percent juice,” don’t chug with abandon. Even if the drink has no added sweeteners, its naturally occurring sugars are far more concentrated than you’d find in a piece of fruit. And unlike an orange or apple, which are high in fibre, juice offers empty calories and is of minimal nutritional value.

3. Excess sugar is linked to dementia

Researchers at the University of Bath found a molecular link between sugary diets and early Alzheimer’s. The scientists discovered that glycation—a reaction through which glucose affects cells—causes damage to an important enzyme that’s involved in the reduction of abnormal protein buildup in the brain, which is characteristic of the disease.

4. Sugar won’t make kids hyper…it’s worse than that

A meta-analysis in the Journal of the American Medical Association found that sugar does not affect children’s behaviour. “It may simply be the environment where certain food is being served (i.e., parties) that causes children to be more excitable,” says Andrea D’Ambrosio, a registered dietitian in Kitchener-Waterloo, Ont. But it does spike blood pressure and cholesterol. One 2016 study in the journal Obesity showed that reducing young subjects’ sugar consumption for just nine days led to immediate improvements in those areas, as well as blood sugar levels.

5. Stealth sugar stows away in snacks

These five convenience foods may appear to be healthier choices, but they often contain startlingly large amounts of the sweet stuff. Consider homemade alternatives instead:

• Smoothies: On average, a medium (473-millilitre) store-bought smoothie contains between 30 and 80 grams of sugar. Instead: Make your own with non-fat milk, half a banana, frozen berries and a sprinkle of omega-3-rich flaxseeds, then add a drop of vanilla extract to bring out the natural sweetness of the milk.
• Trail mix: Conventional wisdom suggests stashing trail mix in your car for a healthy snack on the go, but a quarter cup of a commercial variety can contain 16 or more grams of sugar. Instead: Make your own mix and go heavy on the protein-rich nuts and seeds, lighter on the dried fruit (and nix the chocolate chips altogether).
• Yogurt: A 118-millilitre serving of fruit-flavoured yogurt can contain 13 grams of sugar. If you top it with a quarter cup of store-bought granola, you’re downing another six grams. Instead: Reach for plain Greek yogurt and add your own fresh fruit and nuts. (Greek yogurt offers more protein than the fruity varieties and only a third of the sugar per half-cup serving.)
• Oatmeal: Flavoured oatmeal packets may seem like a healthy strategy for busy mornings, but they can contain as many as 12 grams of sugar per serving. (Heaping on another tablespoon of brown sugar adds an extra 12 grams.) Instead: Take the 10 minutes required to cook your own quick oats and add a quarter cup of diced apple and a dash of cinnamon. (Here are eight oatmeal recipes you need to try.)
• Salad dressing: Grabbing a salad for lunch may seem like a savvy dietary choice, but it’s important to know that some bottled dressings, such as French and raspberry vinaigrette, often have four or more grams of sugar per two-tablespoon serving. Instead: Opt for a drizzle of oil and vinegar over your salad.

6. You’re probably eating twice as much sugar as you should

The average Canadian eats the equivalent of 20 bags of sugar in a year—without realizing it. The Heart and Stroke Foundation recommends that sugar comprise only 10 percent of an adult’s daily calories, which means each of us should be consuming only 48 grams—slightly more than a bag of Skittles—of added sugar per day, rather than the 100 grams we currently ingest.

7. Experts fear sugar may kill you sooner

Laura A. Schmidt, a professor at the University of California San Francisco School of Medicine, worries about all the damage sugar is doing to our bodies. That’s why she became lead investigator for UCSF’s SugarScience research site, developed as an “authoritative source for the scientific evidence about sugar and its impact on health.

8. Sugar is as bad for your liver as alcohol

Unlike other forms of sugar, fructose, which occurs naturally in fruit, is processed in the liver. We’re consuming too much of it, thanks to our penchant for foods with added sweeteners, and it’s leading to a rise in non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). One visible red flag: a sugar belly (yes, like a beer belly). Why? The liver breaks down excess fructose into fat globules that travel through the bloodstream and lodge around your midsection and internal organs. And, like the liver damage caused by alcohol, NAFLD causes inflammation and scarring. “It is one of the leading causes of liver transplants,” Schmidt says.

9. “Healthier” sweeteners are no better for you

Those trying to cut down on sugar may be drawn to studies that tout the healing power of honey or the antioxidant benefits of maple syrup. Ignore them, says D’Ambrosio. “All sugar provides energy in the form of calories but it doesn’t add a significant amount of other nutrients,” she says. “Sugar is sugar, so it’s best used in moderation no matter what form it takes.”

10. Teen boys are the biggest sugar enthusiasts

The average Canadian teenage boy each day is consuming 172 grams of sugar per day, according to the Canadian Community Health Survey. (The leading culprit among kids aged 9 to 18? The added sugars in pop.) Excess sugar is linked to weight gain, Type 2 diabetes, cavities and high cholesterol in children, while obesity rates for young people have nearly tripled in the last 30 years, according to the Government of Canada.

11. Cancer cells are sugar fiends

New research from the University of Texas at Dallas shows a link between sugar and squamous cell carcinoma, which is hard to treat and accounts for a quarter of all lung cancers. The study also found that four other types of squamous cell cancer also consume a lot of sugar.

12. Your pop is literally making you older

You age an additional 4.6 years if you drink a 591-millilitre sugary beverage every day. (The effect is comparable to that of being a regular smoker.)

13. Sugar may keep us up at night

A 2016 study in the Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine shows eating more sugar (along with less fibre and more saturated fat) is associated with lighter, more disrupted and less restorative sleep.

14. We’re still drinking too much liquid sugar

Good news: we’re drinking less pop than we were a decade ago. Bad news: we’ve replaced it with options that may be just as unhealthy, says Amanda Nash, a dietitian with the Heart and Stroke Foundation in Winnipeg. A 2017 report from the University of Waterloo found sales of energy drinks increased by 638 percent in the last 12 years, while sales of specialty coffees increased by 579 percent. Energy drinks contain 84 grams of sugar, sports drinks contain about 40 grams, and your average flavoured latte comes in at around 36 grams.

15. Sugar messes with our cholesterol

A 2010 study of 8,495 Americans over 18 in the Journal of the American Medical Association found that as subjects’ added-sugar intake went up, their levels of HDL (good cholesterol) dropped, increasing their risk for cardiovascular disease. The study also found that women in particular who ate more added sugar had higher levels of LDL density (bad cholesterol).

16. Most packaged foods contain added sugar

A Canadian Medical Association Journal study from 2016, which analyzed more than 40,000 packaged foods on the shelves of one of the nation’s biggest retailers, found added sugar in 66 percent of the items.

17. It’s bad for your BMI

Researchers from the University of Reading, the University of Cambridge and Arizona State University studied the sugar intake of 1,700 men and women aged 39 to 77 in Norfolk, U.K. According to a study published in 2015, they found that those who ate the most sugar were 54 percent more likely to be overweight (that is, have a BMI over 25)—and were also more likely to have underreported how much of the substance they consumed.

18. Food labels can hide sugar content

At long last, revised nutrition labels for packaged foods are coming to a shelf near you. Look for them on everything from crackers to corn flakes by the end of this year.

What’s changed: All sugars are grouped together. There’s a new % daily value (DV) for total sugars (5 percent of your DV is a little, 15 percent is significant).

What’s missing: The label doesn’t differentiate between added sugars and naturally occurring ones, so you’ll need to dig around.

Helpful tip: 4 grams of sugar = 1 teaspoon (A can of Coke contains 40 grams of sugar, which is equivalent to 10 teaspoons.)

19. Beware: you may be eating incognito sugar

Here are 10 sneaky pseudonyms manufacturers use to fool you into thinking their food isn’t packed with the sweet stuff:

• Amazake
• Carob powder
• Corn syrup
• Dextrose
• Evaporated cane juice
• Fructose
• Fruit juice concentrate
• High-fructose corn syrup
• Honey
• Maltose

20. Sugar takes your breath away

Scientists have long suspected a link between sugar-sweetened beverages and asthma. After analyzing data from 146,990 adults in the U.S., they found that, sure enough, adults who downed at least two of these drinks a day were more likely to have respiratory issues.

Using a paper toilet seat cover

You may feel more comfortable in public restrooms when you can place that thin sheet of paper between the bare toilet seat and your bare behind, but in reality, you might as well sit straight down. Those toilet seat covers, which are often made of tissue paper, are absorbent, and any bacteria or liquids will quickly be wicked up to your tush. But don’t fret. Your skin is all the protection you need. Any potentially problematic bacteria you might pick up would have to find a way into your body through an open wound or, more likely, your hands.

Living by the five-second rule

Everyone does it—scoop up a snack, pacifier, or utensil that just hit the floor and claim that it’s OK thanks to the “five-second rule.” Research shows, however, that this bit of wisdom is a myth. Yes, the longer something stays in contact with a dirty surface, the more bacteria it will pick up. But germs can be picked up in as little as one second, so wash it or toss it—the damage is done.

Using your shirt sleeve to open a bathroom door

Creating a block between a germy door handle and your hands is a good idea, but your own shirt sleeve isn’t idea, says Jessica Pettit with statefoodsafety.com. “Using your own clothing, such as a shirt sleeve, to open doors doesn’t actually help you avoid germs, because any bacteria that are on the door handle will just move to your clothing,” she says. “It can hold on to pathogens easily, and the moment your hands brush against the clothing, they will become contaminated.” Your best bet is to use something disposable, like a paper towel, she adds.

Pressing elevator buttons with your knuckle

Some people, in an effort to avoid bacteria and viruses on public surfaces, will use the back of their hands, forearms, or even elbows to touch surfaces. That’s an admirable effort but not very effective, says Nidhi Ghildayal, PhD, an infectious disease researcher at the University of Minnesota. “The thought process behind this habit is likely that less skin is being exposed to the unwanted germy surface,” she says, “but the back of your hand, just like your front, also has a likelihood of subsequently touching your face or other vulnerable areas. So using the back of your hand may or may not actually be helping you.”

Flushing public toilets with your feet

“Flush handles do harbour a lot of bacteria,” Ghildayal says, “but it’s partially due to individuals using their feet rather than their hands to flush. The floor and the bottom of your shoes are generally some of the dirtiest parts of a bathroom.” You can skip this precaution because what’s the next thing you’ll do after flushing? That’s right—wash your hands, which is the best way to avoid transferring bugs.

Another reason to skip this habit, says Ghildayal, is that the bacteria you’re trying to avoid are likely already dead. “Gut bacteria don’t thrive for long on the cold, smooth surfaces of public restrooms, such as bathroom fixtures, as this environment is quite different than inside the human body.”

Holding your breath when someone sneezes or coughs

“Remember when someone last sneezed or coughed in your face and you instinctively held your breath for the germs to pass?” asks Caleb Backe, a health and wellness expert for Maple Holistics. “Unless you can manage to rapidly move away from the affected area, the chances of holding your breath long enough to avoid any germs are slim.” The bigger issue is—ick—any droplets that transfer from the sick person to you. Most germs transfer through the hands, so the next time you scratch your nose or rub your eyes, you’ll be giving the germs entry to your body.

Cleaning your kitchen with an antibacterial wipe

Keeping your house clean will help protect you and your family from infectious bugs. However, you may be doing more harm than good if you’re hurriedly wiping down multiple surfaces with one antibacterial wipe. You may end up spreading bacteria around the room if you don’t frequently swap to a fresh wipe; look closely at the directions and you’ll probably see that the surface should stay wet for four or more minutes after wiping if you want them to clean properly. Plus, some harmful bacteria survive a cursory swipe—they need a more potent solution to knock them out.

Wearing gloves indoors

Slipping on a pair of gloves to grip potentially grimy handles, doorknobs, or poles may not achieve what you’re hoping. The material is most likely absorbent, and many of the bacteria and viruses you’re coming into contact with may live just as long on fabric gloves as they do on your hand. When you pull them off or put them back on, you’ll still pick up living germs on your bare hands. Even worse: gripping the fingertip of a glove with your mouth to take it off.

Using hand sanitizers all the time

While these gels are handy when you don’t have access to soap and water, too much sanitizing with these products may actually be bad for your health, Ghildayal says. “While many hand sanitizers have been found to be just as effective as hand-washing,” she says, “overuse can cause your natural skin bacteria to be stripped away, and that leaves you more vulnerable to other bacteria.”

Hovering over the seat to urinate

Women may think it’s safer to hover over a toilet seat than sit down for fear that bacteria on the seat may stick to your skin when you stand up. They will, but as we’ve already learned, that’s OK. The problem with this habit is that, according to the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, hovering can make emptying your bladder more difficult. Do that too often, and you could end up with bladder problems.