Blog Posts by Liz Vaccariello, Editor-in-Chief, PREVENTION

When I'm tired my body always lets me know it. But the reality for most of us is that we're so used to being sleep deprived that we remain oblivious to how impaired we really are. Sleep debt isn't something you can pay off in a weekend, researchers say-it can take weeks of building up restorative sleep habits. Here are some signs you may need to make sleep a more urgent priority.

1. Simple decisions stump you

You're up late one night booking your next vacation, and even though you know the dates and destination, you're overwhelmed by minor details.

Should you get a refundable ticket? Window or aisle seat? Rent a car now or later? When you're tired, you're less able to distinguish between important and irrelevant information, such as your seat assignment, according to Sean Drummond, PhD, a sleep researcher at the University of California, San Diego. The result: Even the simplest decision takes on exaggerated importance.

Tired people also take riskier gambles to

I'm trying to eat less processed food (better for me, better for the planet), but the journey from fresh to processed is not a simple one, nor is it always clear what, exactly, makes something highly processed (the quick answer: the more a food is sliced, diced, and added to, the more processed it is). Here are 12 "fake" foods to avoid and the more natural options you should eat instead:

1. Frozen Veggie Burgers

Eat instead: Fresh edamame (whole soybeans)

2nd Choice (Somewhat Processed): Tofu

Shopping Tip: Try a gilled tofu kebab over highly processed veggie burgers as an easy vegetarian option.

9 easy ways to clean up your diet

2. Apple Toaster Pastry

Eat Instead: Whole apple

2nd Choice (Somewhat Processed): Applesauce

Shopping Tip: While applesauce is a healthy choice, it has fewer nutrients than a whole apple.

3. Orange Drink

Eat instead: Whole orange

2nd Choice (Somewhat Processed): 100% orange juice

Shopping

Your nose is a hub of activity. We all have millions of smell receptors that, as soon as they detect a scent, shoot the information to the olfactory bulb-a pea-size cluster in the brain that sorts the signals and sends them to the limbic system, a primitive part of the brain that governs many memories and emotion. Because of their close proximity, the neurological controls for these behaviors often become entangled. That's why, for instance, during the early stages of attraction, dinner is often a prelude to romance.

It also explains how odor can help lower stress levels, improve mental and physical performance, ease pain, end insomnia, and even help us lose weight, research shows. Here's how to use your sense of smell to your advantage.

1) Sniff green apple (or another pleasant scent) to resist a snack attack

A fragrance you love can help manage cravings, according Alan Hirsch, MD, founder of the Smell & Taste Treatment and Research Foundation in Chicago. In one study,

Did you know that more than 41 million women in America have heart disease? And that more women than men will die from it? In fact, it's the leading health problem that kills women (not cancer-a common myth).

But the good news is that just five lifestyle guidelines-moderate alcohol, a healthy diet, daily exercise, normal body weight, and not smoking-can cut your heart attack risk by a whopping 92%, according to a Swedish study of more than 24,000 women. Incorporating just the first two into your routine cuts your risk by more than half.

The seven tips that follow are designed to help you get started. Try one a day for a week, and then stick with as many as you can for the long haul.

Day 1: Drink Green Tea

This potent beverage contains several powerful antioxidants that reduce cholesterol and may even lower blood pressure. To make a day's supply, bring 20 ounces of water to a boil, drop in three decaffeinated green tea bags, cover, and steep for 10 minutes. Remove the

Providing information about women's health is my job, and even I get whiplash from all the conflicting news. That's why it is so easy to fall short on smart health habits, even if you think you're making the best choices. Here are six so-called "good" habits that may actually be derailing your health, the surprising things you're doing wrong-and how to fix them.

1. You Always Order a Salad

Truth is, a lot of take-out and restaurant salads are basically a burger in a bowl, says Brie Turner-McGrievy, RD, clinical research coordinator for the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine (PCRM) in Washington, DC. That's because add-ons like fried chicken, croutons, and full-fat dressing pack major calories, fat, sodium, and other unhealthy nutrients. One example: McDonald's Bacon Ranch Salad with Crispy Chicken and Newman's Own Ranch Dressing has 540 calories and 35 g of fat; a Big Mac has 540 calories and 29 g.

The Fix: Don't scratch take-out salad off your menu; just use

Our resident cardiologist, Arthur Agatston, MD, told Prevention that the first question he asks patients when they walk in his office is "How's the traffic?"

It's not small talk but a valid medical query. Being stuck in traffic raises blood pressure and triples heart attack risk. So if a patient has had a tough commute and her BP is elevated, he'll recheck it later in the appointment. There are other surprising situations and times when the chance of heart attack rises dramatically. If you or someone you know has a history of heart trouble, here's when to be watchful.

1. First thing in the morning

The risk of heart attack increases 40% in the morning, Harvard researchers estimate.

As you awaken, your body secretes adrenaline and other stress hormones, increasing blood pressure and a demand for oxygen. Your blood is also thicker and harder to pump because you're partially dehydrated. All this taxes the heart.

Protect yourself: Build some time into your schedule so

For years, doctors have observed that patients with one illness may be stricken by another condition that's seemingly unrelated and sometimes more serious, known as a "shadow disease." One of the most well-known is the connection between migraines and heart attack or stroke. Now researchers are uncovering even more linked ailments and zeroing in on why they appear to travel in tandem.

Studies show that these couplings occur for different reasons. In some cases, one disease creates damage that causes the second illness. In others, troublesome genes or poor health behaviors, such as smoking or lack of exercise, trigger one problem, then the other. Being alert to the following dangerous connections can help you avoid the shadow disease or get early diagnosis and treatment, leading to a better outcome.

1. Migraine

Its Shadow: Stroke or Heart Attack

If you regularly suffer from migraine pain (especially if you develop auras, which are visual or sensory phenomena that

Your doctor can order a host of complex tests to gauge the health of your heart, but Prevention's resident cardiologist, Arthur Agatston, MD, shared three new methods of predicting heart disease that are surprisingly simple and effective. One can be done with your eyes closed-literally. Another can be ordered the next time you have a blood test, and the third involves taking the temperature of your finger. Here's a rundown of how each one works:

1. The Sleep Test

Answer this question: Do you feel drowsy during the day? If so, you may be harming your heart. Every extra hour of sleep middle-aged adults can add to their nightly average reduces their risk of coronary artery calcification by 33%, according to a study reported in the Journal of the American Medical Association. When you're even a little sleep deprived, your body releases stress hormones that constrict arteries and cause inflammation. If you routinely wake up feeling tired or need an afternoon nap, then you're