Sleep
DON’T get a sleep tracker for serious problems
They are fine if you are just curious about how your lifestyle affects you. “Lots of people are interested in measuring the effects of coffee late in the day, or the impact of alcohol on sleep,” says Alice Gregory, professor of psychology at Goldsmiths specialising in sleep. “And that’s all good.” But they are not helpful if sleep has become a real issue. In fact, they could make things worse.
Obsessing over data can induce an unhealthy preoccupation with achieving optimal sleep – orthosomnia. “People are getting information which is sometimes not reliable,” Gregory says, “and then getting very worried about certain aspects of their sleep that they actually don’t need to worry about at all.” Sleep stages like “light”, “deep” and “REM” aren’t as meaningful as the apps would have users believe.
DO go to the GP
They should be your first port of call, Gregory says. Medical professionals can help you access proven resources, such as the Nice-approved CBTi programme, Sleepio. “There’s data to support its effectiveness,” Gregory says, “as a good first-line treatment for someone with chronic insomnia.” They can also check if issues with sleep indicate other problems, such as anxiety or depression.
Diet
DON’T count calories
There is evidence that logging food intake on an app to help reduce how many calories you eat can be very effective in helping those with obesity, says Dr Alaina Vidmar, who specialises in paediatric endocrinology and obesity at Children’s Hospital Los Angeles. The trouble is that dietary restriction doesn’t work long term. “People just get burned out on it and they stop.” This is why it tends to be something they “maybe engage in for six to eight weeks”. That said, what works is certainly very individualised. “For many people, the nutritional intervention that is effective for them is the one they can engage with continuously.”
DO use a continuous glucose monitor
Vidmar uses CGMs to treat patients with diabetes – which is what these devices were developed for. A sensor sits on your upper arm, sending real-time blood-sugar updates to your phone. But in her clinical research, working with “young people in larger bodies”, she has also seen their benefits as a tool to help people make sustainable healthy lifestyle changes: “There’s growing research that they really can lead to overall improvements in health.”
One of the key benefits is seeing in real time which foods cause blood sugar spikes and which are best for your own, deeply personal metabolic health. “And we’re learning a ton about how nutrition interacts with, say, time of day,” Vidmar says. “That’s a really important way for us to understand how to nourish our bodies, and how to educate families to nourish their children’s bodies.”
Vidmar’s only caveat is that lay people need to learn how to use and interpret the near-constant data they receive: “We have to thoughtfully educate people about what this tool is and how to use it so it doesn’t become disruptive and cause anxiety or stress.”
Skin
DON’T bother buying eye cream Anjali Mahto, consultant dermatologist at Self London, says, “It’s not an absolute must-have in a skincare routine because many facial moisturisers are formulated to be safe for use around the eyes.” Active ingredients such as hyaluronic acid, ceramides and peptides in facial moisturisers can, she says, “effectively hydrate and nourish the delicate skin without causing irritation”.
We should, however, take care with creams that have “potent ingredients”, such as retinoids, or exfoliating acids like AHAs and BHAs. “Just use a basic moisturiser on the eye area instead,” says Mahto, who uses CereVe lotion around her eyes. “It’s unfragranced and very hydrating. Other good options include La Roche-Posay Toleriane, Cetaphil Daily Hydrating Moisturiser and Paula’s Choice Barrier Repair Moisturiser.”
DO use sun cream around your eyes
The best thing you can do for this delicate area, says Mahto, “is apply a broad spectrum (which protects against UVA and UVB rays) sunscreen daily. Sunscreen protects the skin from UV rays, which can accelerate ageing and lead to wrinkles, fine lines and pigmentation – especially around the eyes.”
Don’t skimp on the SPF level – choose 30 minimum – and, says Mahto: “Apply it generously to the entire face, including the eye area. Sunscreen helps prevent collagen breakdown and maintain skin elasticity, and reduces the risk of skin cancer.”
Two good options for the eyes: La Roche-Posay Anthelios ultra-light fluid SPF50+ and Eucerin Sensitive Protect face suncream SPF50+.
Teeth
DON’T rely on mouthwash
Dr Mick Armstrong, chair of the British Dental Association’s health and science committee, says mouthwash is no substitute for brushing properly. You should especially avoid products that contain alcohol or the disinfectant chlorhexidine, which are designed to kill bacteria, because they will also kill off including the friendly stuff that actively helps oral health.
“There’s just not really any scientific evidence to say they do any good, but they potentially do some harm,” he says. They can’t do anything to shift the substrate that collects on teeth after eating, that the bacteria feed on. Not all the bacteria will be killed, and their feeding produces acid which harms the teeth.
Some mouthwashes can make your teeth more susceptible to staining, says Armstrong: “If you use chlorhexidine, for instance, and then drink tea or coffee.” Other mouthwashes might be gentler, offering instant minty freshness with added fluoride, but if you’re brushing properly, you get all the fluoride you need from your toothpaste.
DO floss
The best thing for everyone, says Armstrong, is to spend two minutes flossing your teeth twice a day: “If you’re going to spend time on oral hygiene, spend it brushing and flossing all the surfaces of each tooth.” Unlike mouthwash, flossing does more of the good work of brushing – physically removing food and plaque.
Nutrition
DON’T fall for health haloes of ‘plant-based’ foods
Many food products labelled vegan or plant-based are ultra processed and high in salt, fat and sugar. “After all,” says Duane Mellor, a British Dietetic Association spokesperson and registered dietitian, “table sugar is both vegan and plant based.”
Organic is another health-halo term, but organic plant milks aren’t the healthier option, says Mellor. “Rules for organic certification mean that they cannot have any fortified nutrients. So an organic soya or oat milk cannot contain added calcium, B12 or iodine – key nutrients we get from cow’s milk which are added to many non-organic versions.” To be considered a “good source” of these, you’re looking for 15% of the RDA per 100ml.
DO eat at least 20 different plants a week
“Go for at least five portions of fresh, frozen or tinned vegetables and fruits a day,” says Mellor. And it’s best to make three of the five vegetables.” If you’re keen on optimal nutrition, diversity is key: “Some researchers suggest more than 30 different plants a week,” because each plant contains different useful micronutrients. They don’t have to be organic – overall there isn’t hard evidence that they will make you more healthy, says Mellor.
Hair
DON’T overdo supplements for hair
Neil Harvey, chair of the Institute of Trichologists, says products that promise fast-growing, longer and stronger hair “can do more harm than good”. If you haven’t been diagnosed with a specific deficiency, excessive intakes of supplements may actually cause hair loss. Harvey says: “Targeted blood tests are the best option if you want to discover whether they are going to be beneficial.”
Too much vitamin A and selenium can lead to increased hair loss, and too much vitamin A or iron can be toxic.
DO buy a shower head filter
If you live in an area with hard water, says Harvey, the water from your shower will deposit limescale on your hair every day, “and the deposits left behind may cause your hair to become more frizzy, brittle and prone to tangling.”
Over time, the effect will slowly build up and become worse. “A simple shower head filter will remove these minerals, helping both skin and hair to look and feel much healthier, and coloured hair will last longer too.”
Menopause
DON’T splash out on expensive menopause supplements
Even though some supplements contain an enticing-sounding mix of botanical ingredients, vitamins and minerals (such as sage leaf, ashwagandha root and isoflavones), specialist dietitian Laura Clark is not sure if they help with various menopausal symptoms: “While there is some research to back up certain compounds, the results are quite mixed and studies vary in the quantity of active ingredients.”
The truth, she says, is that the industry is largely unregulated – claims made by such products do not need to be backed up by credible scientific research – and no supplement will replace the good foundation you get from eating a healthy, well- balanced diet.
DO take a step back and look with curiosity at your eating habits
“What are the drivers of your eating behaviour?” asks Clark. “Do you eat how you think you eat? Is there a balance of food groups that will help you feel better? What do you notice about how your eating habits relate to your ability to recognise hunger and fullness cues? If we really observe what we’re eating, we can spot patterns in how it makes us feel, like noticing how refined carbs keep us hungry, whereas protein and fibrous veg keep us going between meals.”
Rather than taking supplements, we’d all do far better to focus on the basics: “Eat a diverse range of fibres from fruit and veg, plant-based proteins (pulses, lentils, nuts, seeds) and whole grains, and omega-3 fatty acids. These are most readily absorbed in “long” form from oily fish, but are also in nuts and seeds, such as walnuts, chia and flaxseeds.”