Doctor Knows Best: 5 Health Tips Top Docs Use to Stay Healthy

By Ted Spiker

Along with all the disease stomping, heart reviving, baby delivering, and overall people healing they do, doctors have another full-time job: keeping themselves healthy. Scratch that -- keeping themselves healthiest. So instead of peeking into their medical practices, we looked at what they actually practice -- in their own lives. Use personal strategies and insider tips from the best medical pros to supercharge your health this year.

How to Head Off a Headache
Start double-fisting beverages the minute the throbbing begins. "I'll have a bottle of water in one hand and a coffee in the other," says Jennifer Ashton, MD, author of Your Body Beautiful and cohost of ABC's The Revolution. That's because many headaches are caused by dehydration, while caffeine is known to curb them. If the drinks don't alleviate the pounding in an hour, she pops ibuprofen.

Take a Time Out
"As soon as I feel an illness coming on, I go to sleep for at least nine hours," says Hilda Hutcherson, MD, clinical professor of ob-gyn at Columbia University Medical Center. "I also lie on the floor with my legs elevated and propped against the wall and breathe deeply for five minutes." It helps lower stress, which weakens the immune system.

Stay Sharp
An app a day keeps brain farts away. Gary Small, MD, professor of psychiatry and biobehavioral sciences at the University of California, Los Angeles, and author of The Alzheimer's Prevention Program, plays Scrabble and Words With Friends on his smartphone most days. These word games are perfect brain boosters, because they build not only verbal and math skills but also spatial abilities as you position letters to create words. "Combining several mental tasks strengthens multiple neural circuits," Dr. Small says. "It's like cross-training for your brain."

Fight Cravings
Mehmet Oz, MD, host of The Dr. Oz Show, eats raw walnuts (about one ounce) a few times a day for their hunger-quashing protein and heart-healthy fat. "The rap against nuts is that they're high in calories, but research is showing that our bodies may not actually absorb all the fat they contain," Dr. Oz says. "So we probably end up taking in fewer calories than what's listed on the package."

Prevent Skin Cancer
In addition to getting annual skin checks from your dermatologist, recruit your hairstylist to scope out your scalp each time you visit, says Mona Gohara, MD, a FITNESS advisory board member and an assistant clinical professor of dermatology at Yale University in New Haven, Connecticut. Scalp cancers often occur because people neglect to protect their heads, especially the part in their hair, with sunscreen or hats. And the cancers go undetected because they're hard to spot. "Tell your hairdresser to look for any sores that are bleeding or crusting or don't seem to be healing," Dr. Gohara says.

Home Remedies for Snoring

If you're a snorer, you're probably getting more sleep than the person lying next to you. Changing your sleeping position may be all it takes but for many people losing weight is often theHome Remedies for Snoring real key to a tranquil night. This article discusses home remedies and some things you should avoid to prevent snoring.

If you're a snorer, you're probably getting more sleep than the person lying next to you. Changing your sleeping position may be all it takes but for many people losing weight is often the real key to a tranquil night.

Put yourself in a good position

Home Remedy for Snoring No. 1

Buy yourself a few extra pillows and proper yourself up in bed rather than lying flat on your back. You'll prevent te tissues in your throat from falling into your air passages.
Home Remedy for Snoring No. 2

Raise the head of your bead. An easy way to do it is to place several flat boards under the legs at the top end of the bed. A couple of old phone books under each leg should also raise the bed high enough will do the trick.

Home Remedy for Snoring No. 3

Sleep on your side. Of course, there' no guarantee you'll stay in that position but at least start on your side with your arms wrapped around a pillow. There's a good reason you don't want to sleep on you back. In that position, your tongue and soft palate rest against the back of your throat blocking the airway.

Home Remedy for Snoring No. 4

If hugging a pillow doesn't help, you can tackle the problem by using a tennis ball Sew a little pouch onto the back of your pajama top and tuck a tennis ball inside. At night, if you start to roll onto your back while you're asleep, you'll get a nudge from the ball prompting you to get back on your side.


Home Remedy for Snoring No. 5

If nasal congestion is causing your snoring, try taking a decongestant or antihistamine before you go to bed. But use these only as a temporary measure if you suspect that a cold or allergy is to blame.

Home Remedy for Snoring No. 6

Tape your nose open with nasal strips, available from most pharmacies. Their effectiveness is debatable, but as they don't hurt they're worth a try. Following the directions on the package, tape one of the strips to the outside of your nose before you fall asleep. They work by lifting and opening your nostrils to increase airflow.

Home Remedy for Snoring No. 7

Gargle with a peppermint mouthwash to shrink the lining of your nose and throat. This is especially effective if your snoring is a temporary condition caused by head cold or an allergy. To mix up the herbal gargle, add 1 drop of peppermint oil to a glass of cold water.

Home Remedy for Snoring No. 8

Don't eat a heavy meal or drink alcohol within 3 hours of bedtime. Both can relax throat and muscles more than normal.

Home Remedy for Snoring No. 9

Losing weight can reduce your snoring by easing the constriction of the upper airway.

Home Remedy for Snoring No. 10

Daily products are possible food allergens that may create excess mucus, thereby worsening congestion in the respiratory system.

Home Remedy for Snoring No. 11

Give up smoking. Tobacco smoke irritates mucous membranes so your throat swells, narrowing the airway. Smokers always have more problems with nasal congestion.

Home Remedy for Snoring No. 12

Dry air can contribute to snoring. There are lots of ways do battle with dry hair. A humidifier or steam vaporizer in the bedroom can keep your air passages moist. Just be sure to clean it regularly.