A recent study shows that when we don’t get enough sleep, it actually alters our genes, and can lead to degenerative disorders. When we sleep, our bodies get to work repairing themselves, and if we don’t let them, it can damage our immune systems. Our cells have to replenish and replace themselves, and sleepy cells don’t like to work.

Lead researcher Colin Smith said, “There was quite a dramatic change in activity in many different kinds of genes … clearly sleep is critical to rebuilding the body and maintaining a functional state, all kinds of damage appears to occur—hinting at what may lead to ill health. If we can't actually replenish and replace new cells, then that's going to lead to degenerative diseases."

So here's a funny story. The Encinitas United School District in California started an in-school yoga program. You know, because it's fun and relaxing and helps kids focus and all that. But some families got their pants all up in a bunch over the whole idea -- because they think yoga is a religious practice, and what about separation of church and state, and now it's time to sue the school district. Yup, a family just filed a lawsuit to stop the yoga classes.

SIGH. I know this isn't the last time I'm going to say this, but here goes: Yoga is not a religion -- certainly not the way it's being practiced in the Encinitas schools, where it's taught as a physical fitness program. Don't these people have better things to do than sue over YOGA?!? Oh my god, this lawsuit is so freakin' stupid, I feel like ... I need to ... OMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM

So, hopefully you haven't spent a significant portion of your life eating been eating margarine instead of butter because you were led to believe that margarine is more "heart-healthy" than the real stuff. Hopefully you haven't spent a significant portion of your life eating margarine instead of butter because of the taste, either (HA! HA HA HA!). Point is, hope you haven't been eating margarine! Because guess what?

Decades of deceptive marketing to the contrary, margarine isn't actually better for your heart than butter. In fact, the opposite is true -- according to a "recent" study. Which was conducted decades ago. Confused yet? Allow me to explain.

The other day I bought some fruit punch ‘drink’ boxes to put in my kids’ school lunches. As I was unloading groceries, my husband made a comment along the lines of, “I could have mixed some sugar and water together for a lot cheaper than whatever you paid for these.”

He’s probably right. At that moment in the store, I just didn’t really care that much. They were on sale, and even if they were full of sugar, at least I knew my kids would drink them. Score a point for hydration!

By now, you've no doubt heard all about how this year's flu epidemic is reaching, well, epidemic proportions. And besides being widespread, sounds like it ain't a pretty strain (or strains) of flu this time around, either. Maybe you've already experienced the flu, maybe you were first in line for the flu shot, maybe you're contemplating getting a flu shot but your doctor is wiped out of stock ... whatever your current flu status, you're probably wondering what else you can do to prevent the flu (or any of the other nasty bugs lurking out there).

Thankfully, there are some measures you can take to protect yourself and your family, and they really do work -- although some of these tips might take you by surprise.

When you're pregnant, you probably take any and all precautions to be as safe and natural as you possibly can be. As you should -- you're growing a human inside of you! When I was preggers, I used only natural deodorants, as opposed to ones that actually work. I eliminated as many chemicals as I could from my cleaning and beauty products. And I totally didn't feel guilty spending 9 million dollars a day on organic, non-GMO, faerie-infused foodstuffs. But I did use my cellphone. It definitely felt a little "unnatural" doing so, as everybody knows cellphones emit low levels of radiation (and radiation + pregnancy = no bueno), but what are you supposed to do? Not use your phone at all? Actually, maybe. A new study from a big-brained doctor at Yale says, "Congrats on your pregnancy! Now go out and buy a rotary phone. Your iPhone is slowly sizzling your unborn child."

Considering the amount of ibuprofen I consume on a regular basis combined with the number of times I find myself saying "What?!" per day, my initial reaction to news of a study linking women's use of pain relievers such as the aforementioned ibuprofen to long-term hearing loss was one of, let's say, alarm. Especially considering that this latest research, which also implicates acetaminophen, seems to think that "twice-a-week" is a regular basis. I don't know about you, but in my life the urge to reach for painkillers occurs more like twice-an-hour. And I really do wonder if I'm going deaf sometimes, though it's possible I'm just developing "selective hearing," that classic physical manifestation of mommy burnout ("MOM! MOMMOMOMOM!!!" "Oh, sorry sweetie, I didn't hear you.").

The cure for cancer may be a ways off, but a young biologist in Madrid identified a plant with quite a bit of promise at slowing the disease. Yes, it's the very same plant that the U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency considers at the top of its schedule of controlled substances: Marijuana. Cristina Sanchez found that aggressive brain cancer cells died every time they were exposed to tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) -- the main psychoactive ingredient in marijuana -- and other "cannabinoids." 

Believe it or not ... This happened back in 1998. And ever since, mounting evidence all over the globe has concurred that marijuana shows major promise for slowing cancer growth -- even going so far as to directly attack tumors -- as well as manage many cancer symptoms (nausea, pain, loss of appetite, fatigue).