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Who hasn’t bolted upright in the night, awakened by a sudden and terrible burning sensation in the pit of their stomach? Whether you indulged in some overly spicy chili, or overdid it on those late-night leftovers, these quick heartburn remedies will soothe your fiery stomach and help you get back to sleep!

1. The first thing you’ll want to do when you’re awakened by heartburn pain, is to stand up. This helps keep the acid at bay while you go and get a full glass of cool water.

2. Drink the whole glass of water, and follow it with a mixture of 1 tablespoon of baking soda, and half a glass of water. Be careful though, if you have high blood pressure or are pregnant, this can cause water retention or increase your blood pressure.

3. DON’T drink milk or suck on mints to relieve heartburn. Milk might feel nice and cool going down, but it actually contains fats and proteins that cause your stomach to secrete MORE acid and make your heartburn worse! Mints, while they may feel soothing, actually relax the small valve between your esophagus and stomach, whose purpose it is to actually KEEP acid at bay! When this valve is relaxed, more acid can seep up and aggravate heartburn symptoms!

4. This is going to sound strange, but downing a teaspoon of vinegar can help soothe heartburn immediately! Why give your stomach MORE acid when it already seems to have enough, you ask? Sometimes, heartburn is caused as a result of too little acid, and vinegar helps quell indigestion by giving your stomach a little extra “juice” (no pun intended!) to do its job!

5. Certain foods can cause nighttime heartburn, including: soda pop or beverages with caffeine (which you shouldn’t be drinking before bed anyway!), alcohol, garlic, chocolate (sorry!), citrus fruits, tomatoes and tomato-based products. Avoiding these types of food can help ease your indigestion if you frequently find yourself awakened with that intolerable burning!

6. Eating a banana each day works like an antacid to soothe heartburn. If you’re already stricken with indigestion, eating pineapple or papaya (or drinking the juice) can help settle your stomach naturally. Some people also claim that eating a teaspoon of mustard (yuck!) can work immediately.

7. Avoid eating at least two hours before you go to sleep. Those late night snacks can keep your stomach busy all night and prevent you from easing into a deep, restful sleep. You may also find that sleeping on your left side or sleeping at a somewhat upright angle can keep acid down where it belongs.

If you are awakened by heartburn on a regular basis, or the pain is severe, or if you have heartburn with vomiting, you’ll want to consult your doctor immediately as it may be a sign of a more serious condition such as an ulcer. Above all, avoid spicy, fatty and caffeine-containing foods before bed, and you should be able to drift off to sleep easily.

Sweet dreams!

In a study by Kimberly-Clark Professional, 39% of survey respondents feared picking up germs in a public restroom more than any other place. Is there good reason for the fear or are people overly concerned? Can you reduce the risks?

WHAT'S IN THERE - CAN IT HURT YOU?

Without getting too specific, there are many germs that can thrive in restrooms. Bacteria live off of moisture and organic food (or waste) which can be plentiful in public restrooms.

Fears of contacting STD's (sexually transmitted diseases) from a public washroom have more to do with the fear of the disease than the likelihood of picking it up in a washroom. Many of these bacteria and viruses do not live long enough outside the body to be easily transmitted. However, some experts admit there is a theoretical risk of herpes or crabs being contracted under certain - but unlikely - conditions. Some public facilities provide flushable toilet seat covers, antibacterial cleansers or you can line the seat with toilet paper.

Of greater concern are salmonella and shigella bacteria which can be transferred by contact with feces. The infected person can transmit the bacteria on their hands which can then be transferred to flushing handles, door handles and faucets.

RESTROOM HYGIENE - BATTLING BACTERIA

Foul odors, lack of supplies and puddles on the floors can all be signs of improper maintenance.

Odor that comes from public washrooms can be caused by urine in tile grouting. If the floors aren't properly cleaned daily (or more) then the uric acid salts will not be removed with regular cleansers. These salts provide a food source for bacteria whose digestive processes give off the foul odor.

Products like MicroGuard (tm) from AllDura and even stainless steel can reduce the maintenance required to keep bacteria growth to a minimum.

A lack of supplies (toilet paper, hand drying towels or soap) can also increase the unhygienic conditions of a restroom. Overly crowded restrooms can suffer from a lack of supplies or a lack of available sinks, soap dispensers or dryers.

PERSONAL HYGIENE - THE MAGIC WEAPON

It is the simple truth that hand washing will drastically cut the chance for germ transference. A study done by Scott Papers found that more than nine out of ten respondents claimed to wash their hands when using public restrooms. However, only 67% were actually observed doing so.

As manufacturers of paper products, including towels, the company also states that drying hands thoroughly is imperative in practicing proper hygiene. The moisture left on hands can still carry bacteria. Because of this, air drying machines may not be enough protection since many individuals do not use them long enough to thoroughly dry their hands.

The knowledge that proper washing and drying can protect you from even unsavory public restrooms is comforting. The fact that public washrooms still need to provide the basics for good hygiene, as well as good maintenance is something that needs work. Carrying an antibacterial gel for emergency use is recommended when visiting a public area. 

You've heard the popular advice on weight loss diets. Cut the fat! Cut the carbs! Cut the calories! Eat a balanced diet! But how can you cut though all of the confusion, and eat a diet that's balanced and healthy?

Here's the advice from nutritional science:

Cut the JUNK fats: Most people do not need an ultra low fat diet. But most of us could improve our diet by cutting out the junk fats. Basically, these are the processed fats: hydrogenated fats, polyunsaturated oils that have been heated, and fats that are combined with junk carbs. Processed fats are the fats most likely to put on flab and clog your arteries.

Cut the JUNK carbs. Most people do not need an ultra low carb diet. But unfortunately, so many people who go on a low fat diet continue to eat highly processed foods - they switch from processed high-fat to processed low-fat. And when food manufacturers create low fat foods, they tend to replace the fat with junk carbs, which tend to pile on the pounds. Basically, junk carbs are low-fiber carbs, like sugar, fructose (and all the other *oses), flour, cornstarch, fruit juice. Yes, fruit juice is a junk carb too! - After all, how much fiber is there in fruit juice? - Virtually none - it's yet another junk carb. You should eat the whole fruit instead, with its fiber intact.

Cut the JUNK calories. Most people do not need an ultra low calorie diet. But just think what your diet would be like if you dropped the processed fats and the low-fiber carbs. You'd be eating mainly natural proteins, with lots of vegetables plus whole fruits - and the odds are that you would be eating far fewer calories as well. That's the kind of calorie cutting most of us should be doing.

Eat a balanced NATURAL-FOODS diet. By natural foods, we mean the foods that would have been eaten by your hunter-gatherer ancestors: - lots of whole vegetable foods for vitamins and fiber; moderate to small portions of meats, fish, seafood, and other animal and protein foods, grilled, stewed or baked; and small portions of fresh whole fruit in season. This is the diet on which the human race evolved, and the diet which, for the vast majority of people, makes for optimum health

So the next time you're about to order a meal with fries and sugary soda, think about how it could be improved. Replace the fries with a salad, and the soda with mineral water, and you've already made significant progress towards a healthier, balanced meal.

And at home, look for recipes that use whole, fresh foods, with a minimum of processing. Make sure your meals include natural unprocessed foods, with lots of healthy vegetables, both cooked, and raw in salads. Avoid processed fats and processed low-fiber foods.

A sample menu:

- grilled fish with steamed green beans, and peppers

- large mixed salad, dressed with small amounts of olive oil and vinegar or lemon juice

- fresh fruit platter

Yes - A healthy, balanced diet can be that simple!