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Dr. Peter A. Fotinakes, medical director of the Providence St. Joseph Hospital Sleep Disorder Center in Orange County, California, says this afternoon lull is a great time to get some shuteye, as it fits in with an overarching cycle of sleep-wake that most people naturally experience.

“Napping is a healthy part of our sleep cycle. Within our 24-hour sleep cycle, we enter into two sleep phases – a long phase that occurs during the night and a shorter 30- to 45-minute phase in the afternoon,” says Fotinakes. “We become physically sleepy during these two periods, which encourages and promotes sleep.”

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Prepared the right way, potatoes can make a delicious, satisfying, and healthy dish. . . .Potatoes are a good source of fiber, which can help you lose weight by keeping you full longer. Fiber can help prevent heart disease by keeping cholesterol and blood sugar levels in check. Potatoes are also full of antioxidants that work to prevent diseases and vitamins that help your body function properly. . . .The fiber found in potatoes is a special type called “resistant starch,” which has the health benefits of both soluble fiber and insoluble fiber and causes less gas than other types of fiber. You can up the amount of resistant starch in potatoes by cooking them a day ahead of time and cooling them in the fridge overnight. Feel free to reheat them before you eat.

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5 Foods that Mess With Your Brain

1. Alcohol – While a single glass of wine or beer is unlikely to mess with your mind, alcohol directly affects the brain’s communication pathways. The more you drink, the more difficult it may be to process new information or remember things.
2. Sugary Sodas & Drinks – Research has found that people who drink a lot of soda, sweet tea, and other sugary beverages are a lot more likely to have memory trouble.
3. Diet Sodas – Research finds that people who sip at least one diet soda a day are nearly three times as likely to have a stroke or develop dementia. Scientists think that artificial sweeteners may be the offending ingredient.
4. French Fries & Fried Foods – These guilty pleasures cause inflammation, which can damage the blood vessels that supply the brain with blood and hurt the brain itself.
5. Red Meat – It’s high in saturated fat, which is bad for your heart as well as your brain.

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Wheat Bran & Oat Bran – 2 Winners

Wheat bran is particularly helpful for digestive issues, because the insoluble fiber can help bulk up your stools and limit your risk for constipation and other digestive issues. Oat bran, with it’s high soluble fiber content, may help you better control your blood sugar levels. A study published in the “European Journal of Clinical Nutrition” in September 2011 found that consuming 6 grams of soluble fiber per day from oat bran may help you lower your cholesterol and triglyceride levels and also limit the amount of energy you absorb from your food, potentially making it easier to maintain a healthy weight.

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Health Benefits of Popcorn

Popcorn contains lots of fiber and antioxidants, which can help prevent some serious health conditions. In addition to being high in fiber, popcorn also contains phenolic acids, a type of antioxidant. Popcorn is a whole grain, an important food group that may reduce the risk of diabetes, heart disease, and hypertension in humans. popcorn has a low glycemic index (GI), meaning that it may help you maintain your blood sugar levels more easily and avoid fluctuation associated with foods high in GI. Diets with a lot of low-GI foods can help people with type 1 or type 2 diabetes improve their glucose and lipid levels. Eating popcorn without a lot of added salt or butter may help you lower your blood pressure or lower the risk of developing high blood pressure.

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9 Benefits of Eating Whole Grains

1. 1. They’re linking to a lower risk of type-2 diabetes. 
   2. They’re high in fiber.
   3. They’re a good source of complex carbs.
   4. They’re linked to a lower risk of heart disease.
   5. They provide a protein boost.
   6. They improve digestion and satiety.
   7. They’re linked to better gut health.
   8. They’re a good source of plant based iron.
   9. They’re linked to a reduced risk of certain cancers.

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Is Spinach More Nutritious Raw or Cooked?

It Depends. Boiling vegetables causes a significant amount of nutrients that dissolve in water – vitamin C, folate and thiamin (vitamin B1) – to be leached away. Steaming is much gentler on nutrients because vegetables don’t come in contact with cooking water. Dry cooking methods like grilling, roasting, stir-frying and microwave cooking without water also preserve a greater amount of nutrients than boiling or pressure cooking.  Green vegetables such as spinach, beet greens and Swiss chard are high in calcium, but their high levels of a compound called oxalic acid binds calcium and reduce its absorption. Cooking releases some of the calcium that’s bound to oxalic acid. Three cups of raw spinach, for example, have 90 milligrams of calcium, whereas one cup of cooked has nearly triple the amount (259 milligrams). Cooking vegetables also increases the amount of magnesium and iron that’s available to the body.

Note: Raw spinach is still a powerhouse veggie.

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Immune System Boosting Foods

1. 1. Citrus fruits – Oranges and other citrus fruits like grapefruit, tangerines, lemons and limes are packed with vitamin C. They increase the production of white blood cells which helps you fight viruses. It is best to incorporate vitamin C enriched foods into your diet now so that if you do get sick, your body can fight the sickness faster. Insider Scoop: Red bell peppers actually have twice as much vitamin C as citrus fruits.
   2. Spinach & Broccoli – These two items are packed with vitamins A, C and E but also provide the body with needed antioxidants. Spinach retains its nutrients best when cooked very little.
   3. Sunflower seeds – While small, sunflower seeds pack a big punch. With copious amounts of phosphorus, magnesium, vitamin B-6. vitamin E, and antioxidants, these small seeds a great to include in your diet at all times of the year.
   4. Green tea – Green tea is wonderful to drink while you are sick but can also help prevent you from getting sick. Unlike other teas, green tea is steamed (not fermented) so the Epigallocatechin Gallate (EGCG) is preserved. Whether you drink it hot or cold, this refreshing tea is great for helping fight sickness.
   5. Yogurt – Yogurt is a wonderful item to start your day with. The live cultures can help trigger your body to fight diseases and also bad breath! One of our favorite things about this breakfast item is that it can be combined with other sickness-fighting foods like fruit. Insider Scoop: Almonds are full of vitamin E which can also be beneficial in fighting sickness. Make a smoothie and include yogurt, citrus fruit and almonds for an extra immune system boost this cold and flu season.

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