7-Eleven

Fanta Mango is the first flavor of Lite Slurpee. Next up: Strawberry Banana and Cherry Lemonade.

It probably says something more about America than it does about 7-Eleven, but starting this month the retailer is rolling out a product that seems right for its time: a sugar-free Slurpee.

Fanta Sugar-Free Mango is this month’s diet flavor. 7-Eleven said it has spent two years coming up with the formula for a simple reason: customer demand.

“For years we’ve gotten calls through our guest relations hot line, ‘When are you going to have a diet Slurpee?’” company spokeswoman Margaret Chabris said. The calls have come not only from the weight-conscious but from diabetics and those with other nutritional issues, she said.

“We worked at that formula for two years, trying to nail the right attributes of the Slurpee. Not just the taste. But you need to have Slurpee all the way to the bottom of the cup, not just water and ice.”

Cost will be the same as a standard Slurpee. Formulas may differ, but for example the Fanta Wild Cherry is 66 calories for 8 ounces. The diet equivalent is 20 calories. It will be available at all participating 6,700 7-Elevens in the U.S.

It's unknown how many people, if any, drink Slurpees in 8-ounce servings. According to 7-Eleven literature, each year Americans drink enough Slurpees to fill 44 Olympic-sized swimming pools

It also makes business sense to try something new. Americans are drinking fewer soft drinks --  although it’s still about two a day for each person.

“The whole carbonated soft drink category is down,” said John Sicher, editor and publisher of Beverage Digest, a trade publication. “Between 2000 and 2011, though the soft drink category has been losing volume, diets grew from 24.7 (percent) of the business to 29.1 percent.”

This marks the first time 7-Eleven has tried its own diet Slurpee recipe. The company previously tried a Diet Pepsi and a Crystal Light Slurpee.

“Those didn’t last long,” Chabris said.

According to company research, Chabris said, “Just under 50 percent say they would drink a diet frozen beverage. Most of that 50 percent would do it occasionally, and there is a small group that would drink only diet.”

Elisa Zied, a registered dietitian, said low-cal, artificially sweetened drinks like the Slurpee aren’t necessarily bad for you, but consumers should mix it up.

“Anything you drink provides fluids for your body and helps hydrate you. A drink is a drink is a drink. But it’s important to look at all of these drinks in terms of how much you are drinking each day.”

Diet drinks can be an issue “when you over-rely on these beverages and you don’t get enough healthy options,” she said.

The Slurpee Lite is sweetened with Splenda. Other flavors coming up: Strawberry Banana and Cherry Lemonade. The company won’t disclose much beyond that, as new flavors are generally kept secret.

“We have committed to flavors through most of the rest of the year,” Chabris said. “We think it has big potential, as long as we make sure it has the same consistency.”

Monika Graff / Getty Images

Vendors offer organically grown produce at the Union Square farmers market in New York City.

Renate Raymond has encountered her fair share of organic food snobs, but a recent trip to a Seattle market left her feeling like she'd stumbled onto the set of "Portlandia."

"I stopped at a market to get a fruit platter for a movie night with friends but I couldn't find one so I asked the produce guy," says the 40-year-old arts administrator from Seattle. "And he was like, 'If you want fruit platters, go to Safeway. We're organic.' I finally bought a small cake and some strawberries and then at the check stand, the guy was like 'You didn't bring your own bag? I need to charge you if you didn't bring your own bag.' It was like a 'Portlandia skit.' They were so snotty and arrogant."

As it turns out, new research has determined that a judgmental attitude may just go hand in hand with exposure to organic foods. In fact, a new study published this week in the journal of Social Psychological and Personality Science, has found that organic food may just make people act a bit like jerks.

"There's a line of research showing that when people can pat themselves on the back for their moral behavior, they can become self-righteous," says author Kendall Eskine, assistant professor of  the department of psychological sciences at Loyola University in New Orleans. "I've noticed a lot of organic foods are marketed with moral terminology, like Honest Tea, and wondered if you exposed people to organic food, if it would make them pat themselves on the back for their moral and environmental choices. I wondered if  they would be more altruistic or not."

To find out, Eskine and his team divided 60 people into three groups. One group was shown pictures of clearly labeled organic food, like apples and spinach. Another group was shown comfort foods such as brownies and cookies. And a third group -- the controls -- were shown non-organic, non-comfort foods like rice, mustard and oatmeal. After viewing the pictures, each person was then asked to read a series of vignettes describing moral transgressions.

"One vignette was about second cousins having sex," says Eskine. "Another was about a lawyer on the prowl in an ER trying to get people to sue for their injuries. Then the groups made moral judgments on a scale from one to seven."

In another phase of the study, the three groups were asked to volunteer for a (fictitious) study, with each person writing down the amount of time -- from zero to 30 minutes -- that they would be willing to volunteer.

The results did not bode well for the organic folks.

"We found that the organic people judged much harder compared to the control or comfort food groups," says Eskine. "On a scale of 1 to 7, the organic people were like 5.5 while the controls were about a 5 and the comfort food people were like a 4.89."

When it came to helping out a needy stranger, the organic people also proved to be more selfish, volunteering only 13 minutes as compared to 19 minutes (for controls) and 24 minutes (for comfort food folks).

"There's something about being exposed to organic food that made them feel better about themselves," says Eskine. "And that made them kind of jerks a little bit, I guess."

Why does eating better make us act worse? Eskine says it probably has to do with what he calls "moral licensing."

"People may feel like they've done their good deed," he says. "That they have permission, or license, to act unethically later on. It's like when you go to the gym and run a few miles and you feel good about yourself, so you eat a candy bar."

Eskine says he was surprised by the findings ("You'd think eating organic would make you feel elevated and want to pay it forward," he says) and hopes to do additional studies that look at conditions that might prompt people to act differently.

Until then, organic eaters may want to rein in those self-righteous stink-eyes.

"At my local grocery, I sometimes catch organic eyes gazing into my grocery cart and scowling," says Sue Frause, a 61-year-old freelance writer/photographer from Whidbey Island. "So I'll often toss in really bad foods just to get them even more riled up."

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TODAY

Scared of the dentist? You're not alone. Hoda's freaked out by the drill, too.

So Thursday morning, to explore her "dentaphobia," the ladies Skyped in an actual dentist to allay her fears. Hoda has an appointment next week with another doctor in this guy's group, and admitted that she gets nervous and claustrophobic in the dentist's chair.

Dr. Gregg Lituchy gave Hoda a "dental fear intervention" (after jokily waving around a pair of pliers while the crew helpfully played scary audio of a drill). So how do you get over your fear?

If tooth work makes you nervous, Dr. Lituchy says the most important thing is finding a doc and an office you trust so you can relax and open up. Or one who who does massages like they do at his office. Now THAT'S what we're talking about. 

More: Sorry, everyone else. KLG & Hoda nailed the 'Call Me Maybe' dance-off
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Julieanne Smolinski is a TODAY.com contributor. Just give her the gas.

Ryan Mcvay / Getty Images stock

Contrary to popular belief, it can actually cost more to eat badly. In fact, a new government report finds that nutritious foods – such as grains, vegetables, fruit and dairy – typically cost less than items high in saturated fat and added sugars.

Researchers from the USDA compared the prices of 4,439 “healthy” and “less healthy” foods commonly available in supermarkets around the country, examining price of edible weight, price per average portion, and price per calorie.

John A. Rizzo / Getty Images stock

It can be cheaper to eat a healthier cereal than a more sugary one.

When price of edible weight or price per portion were used to determine costs, the researchers found healthy foods like toasted oat cereal (a grain), vegetables, fruits, and low-fat milk and plain, low-fat yogurt (dairy) were more affordable than most protein foods (lean roast beef, chicken breast, or canned tuna ) and other less healthful ‘moderation foods’ — foods that typically pack in an excess amount of saturated fat, added sugar, and/or sodium.

Examples of moderation foods include ice cream sandwiches, low-fat fruit flavored yogurt, and macaroni and cheese. When another measure — price per calorie — was used to compare foods, many healthful fruits and vegetables cost more than less healthy ‘moderation foods’ — especially those high in saturated fat and/or added sugars (such as chocolate candy, ice cream and tortilla chips ).

Although previous studies that used price-per-calorie to measure food costs similarly suggested healthy foods were often more expensive than less healthy options, a 2011 study by the USDA that used price of edible weight found that, although whole grains cost more than refined grains, and fresh and frozen dark green vegetables cost more than starchy vegetables, healthful items such as skim and 1 percent milk were less expensive than whole and two percent milk. Bottled water also tended to be less costly than carbonated nonalcoholic drinks.

In the current study, researchers used the USDA’s Center for Nutrition Policy and Promotion Food Prices Database to estimate costs and compare all food items included.

Comparing the cost of commonly available foods is important because, at a time when two-thirds of Americans are overweight or obese and many low-income families struggle to control their grocery bills, the belief that healthier foods are always pricier adds to the problem.  According The NPD group, a market research firm, it’s no surprise that Americans come close to following federal dietary guidelines on only seven days per year. Although many variables—personal preferences, convenience, and cultural factors—play a role in what we buy at the supermarket, cost may play an even greater role in our food choices.

“It’s a common perception that healthy foods are more expensive than less healthy foods—and this perception, real or hypothetical, may prevent many individuals from choosing healthy foods,” says David Katz, MD, Director, Yale University Prevention Research Center. 

So what’s a family to do to consume a more healthful and affordable diet?

Judy Caplan, R.D., a spokesperson for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, suggests the following:

• Plan meals ahead of time to cut down on food costs and reduce impulse buying.
• When you cook, make extra and freeze leftovers in individual portions. That can minimize waste and give you an alternative to grabbing take-out or convenience food.
• Since protein foods such as meat and poultry can be expensive, use them more as a condiment than a main course. You can also replace some or all of the meat or poultry used in chilis and stews with beans.
• Eat more ‘south of the border’ meals like whole grain tortillas with beans, cheese, and salsa. Choosing healthy fats like avocado (used to make guacamole) can also promote satiety and help you feel full longer.
• To trim produce costs, buy fruits and vegetables that are in season. You can save even more money if you plant your own backyard garden using seed packets. Plant the five vegetables your family eats most often. Continuous plantings throughout the summer will insure a steady supply. If you don't have a backyard, container gardening is another option.

 Elisa Zied is a New York registered dietitian and contributor to msnbc.com. To follow, pin, like, or learn more about Elisa, visit www.elisazied.com

By MyHealthNewsDaily.com

Weight gain may caused in part by eating on an odd eating schedule, rather than only by eating too many calories, a new study in mice suggests.

Mice in the study that were fed a high-fat diet and allowed to eat whenever they wanted to, not surprisingly, gained weight. In contrast, mice that had their feeding restricted to eight hours a day were protected against obesity, despite the fact that they consumed just as many calories as the unrestricted mice.

The findings suggest that restricting meal times might be an underappreciated way to help people keep off the pounds, the researchers said.

"Every organ has a clock," said study researcher Satchidananda Panda, of the Salk Institute for Biological Studies in La Jolla, Calif. That means there are times that our livers, intestines, muscles and other organs work at peak efficiency, and other times when they are — more or less — sleeping, Panda said.

These metabolic cycles are critical for processes such as cholesterol breakdown, and they should be turned on when we eat and turned off when we don't, Panda said. When mice or people eat frequently throughout the day and night, it can throw off those normal metabolic cycles, he added.

Over the 18-week study, the time-restricted mice were protected from the adverse effects of their high-fat diet, and showed improvements in their metabolism compared with the unrestricted mice. They gained 28 percent less weight than unrestricted mice and suffered less liver damage.

Further work is needed to show the same thing happens in people, the researchers said. More studies should collect information on when people eat, and not just what they eat, Panda said.

Panda said there is reason to think our eating patterns have changed in recent years, as many people have greater access to food and stay up late into the night, even if just to watch TV. And when people are awake, they tend to snack, Panda said.

The study is published online today (May 17) in the journal Cell Metabolism.

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With news reports of a second case of “flesh-eating bacteria” in less than a week, many Americans are beginning to worry about their own risk – and whether this type of rare infection is on the rise.

Just days after a Georgia woman was rushed to the hospital with a life-threatening infection that began in a wound she sustained in a zip-lining accident, Lana Kuykendall, a South Carolina mother of twins, sought help for a painful leg sore that turned out to be necrotizing fasciitis, the clinical name for flesh-eating bacteria.  

It’s not clear yet how Kuykendall’s leg became infected. She had just returned home after giving birth to her twins when she noticed a spot on the back of her left leg. Thinking it might be a blood clot, Kuykendall, who is a paramedic, checked herself in to the hospital.

“Around 11:30 it was the size of her palm,” Kuykendall’s friend, Kayla Moon, told TODAY. “By the time she went in to surgery and they thought they knew what it was, it had consumed practically her whole leg.”

As it turns out, Kuykendall’s quick trip to the hospital may have made all the difference. Doctors think she will not lose any limbs. Amy Copeland, the Georgia woman, wasn’t so lucky. She’s already had a leg amputated and may also lose some fingers.

Experts say that the only protection against damage from necrotizing fasciitis is vigilance. Though there are only 500-1,000 cases a year, a good 25 percent are fatal, NBC health editor Dr. Nancy Snyderman told TODAY’s Matt Lauer.

“Most victims will lose body tissue [and end up with] a dent in the leg or the loss of an appendage,” Snyderman said.

That’s because the only real treatment for necrotizing fasciitis is to remove all infected tissue, said Dr. William Pasculle, an associate professor of pathology, infectious disease and microbiology and director of microbiology at the University of Pittsburg Medical Center.

While patients will also receive antibiotics, the drugs can’t get to the fascia – the area of the body where the infection takes hold and from which it spreads.

“The fascia is the thin layer of tissue that lies between your muscles,” Pasculle explained. “They’re what allow the muscles to slide over each other. When you feel your bicep move over the other muscles in your arm, it’s the fascia between them that allows that to happen. What’s important to know is that the fascia has no blood supply.

“And when an organism gets down into that layer and multiplies and produces toxins, the white blood cells can’t get into those tissues because they’re carried by the blood. That’s why antibiotics don’t work. They are also delivered by the blood.”

The most scary thing about the infection is that it can speed so quickly along the super highway created by long stretches of fascia.

“And because there’s no blood supply, a person can be asymptomatic for a bit and by the time you know it’s there, it’s often rip-roaring,” Pasculle said.

The only way to deal with an infection of the fascia is to cut away all infected tissue – so the longer it takes before someone gets to the hospital, the more tissue will be lost.

Usually it takes a deep, penetrating wound for bacteria to get in to infect the fascia, Pasculle says. And while strep bacteria are the most common cause for necrotizing fasciitis, the deadly infection can arise from almost any of the bacteria so ubiquitous in our environment.

There’s no real protection against necrotizing fasciitis, Snyderman said. The only thing you can do is be on the lookout for symptoms.

“Everybody should treat every wound the same way, initially,” Snyderman said. “Wash it with soap and water, not hydrogen peroxide. Put on antibiotic ointment, then a bandage – and check the bandage often. If [the wound] gets red, puffy, and disproportionately painful, and/or if it looks like a bruise that is growing, you need to get to a hospital quickly.”

And make sure your doctor understands the level of your pain, Synderman said.

“Many times this is misdiagnosed by patients and doctors,” she added. “I teach residents that if a patient says it hurts like hell, don’t assume they are a wimp. Pay attention. Get the infectious disease people in there and call a surgeon.”

Though the two recent cases have drawn attention to necrotizing fasciitis, experts don’t think it’s on the rise.

“Necrotizing fasciitis has been known as long as there have been bows and arrows,” Pasculle said. “What’s required is inoculation of bacteria deep into the tissues.”

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Hint: Don't do this!

Have your healthiest summer yet! Ease into the dreaded "swimsuit season" with healthy tips from TODAY experts. All throughout May, we'll offer smart do-it-yourself ways to look, eat and feel better. So stop stressing about that swimsuit, and read on.

By April Daniels Husser
SELF 

Who doesn't love a sun-kissed glow? These days, however, you're much better off getting your color from a bottle or a great bronzer, because despite all the products with SPF at our disposal -- and all the info out there about the dangers of tanning beds -- more young women than ever before are developing melanoma, the most dangerous type of skin cancer. 

So what's going on? And how can you keep yourself safe?

More than two million people are diagnosed with skin cancer each year, according to the Skin Cancer Foundation. And, according to a new study from the Mayo Clinic, the last 40 years have seen a dramatic increase in cases of melanoma. In the past, it's been true that men have a higher lifetime risk of melanoma than women, but this study shows a reversal of that trend in young adults. Between 1970 and 2009, melanoma increased eightfold among young women and fourfold among young men ages 18 to 39. 

"It's definitely an epidemic," Marina Peredo, M.D., F.A.A.D, Associate Clinical Professor of Dermatology at Mount Sinai Hospital in New York and founder of Marina I. Peredo, M.D., P.C. Dermatology and Spatique Medical Spa in Smithtown, N.Y., tells HealthySELF. 

But what's behind this epidemic? Doesn't everyone know to wear sunscreen? "It's twofold," says Dr. Peredo, who thinks it's a combination of the fact that people are still using tanning beds, and that the dermatological community is diagnosing more skin cancer in the earlier stages.

Ah, yes -- tanning beds. Dr. Peredo herself likens them to smoking and having unprotected sex in terms of deadly heath risks. "They're bad. Really bad," she says. 

The International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) agrees: In 2009, they elevated tanning bed use to the highest possible cancer risk category -- "carcinogenic to humans" -- right up there with cigarettes. And a new study, funded by the National Cancer Institute and the American Cancer Society, found that if you have ever used an indoor tanning device, you are about 75 percent more likely to develop melanoma than non-users. Frequent users (meaning at least 50 hours, at least 100 sessions or at least 10 years) are 2.5 to 3 times more likely than non-users.

Dr. Peredo explains there are three most common types of skin cancer -- Basal Cell Carcinoma, Squamous Cell Carcinoma and Melanoma. The first two, which are most often sun-induced, are usually less dangerous than melanoma, says Dr. Peredo. "They're normally just locally aggressive -- they can invade into the surrounding tissue, cartilage and muscle, but they rarely metastasize." 

Melanoma, on the other hand, is caused both by sun exposure and by having a genetic predisposition (for example, having a lot of moles and/or having a family history of melanoma), says Dr. Peredo. "If melanoma is not caught very early, it's deadly," she says. "It will metastasize and can spread to your lungs, liver, brain -- and kill pretty rapidly."

So with all this in mind (yikes!) -- how can you protect yourself?

1. Avoid tanning beds. Really. Stay away from them. Do you just love the way tanning salons make you feel? SELF shows you how to get the same results without putting your life at risk here. 

2. Use sunscreen daily and in the proper amounts. Dr. Peredo recommends using SPF 30 or above, every day. If you're going to be out in the sun, say at the pool, the amount you should be using is a full shot glass over your whole body for one application. "If you use half of that, the SPF of 30 will be cut in half to 15," says Dr. Peredo. "If you're in the sun for a couple of hours, you should reapply every 30 minutes.

3. Try to avoid the sun between the hours of 11 a.m. and 3 p.m., which, says Dr. Peredo, is when it's at its most intense.

4. Don't think you can't get burned on a cloudy day. Use sunscreen.

5. Don't think you can't get ultraviolet radiation through a window on a sunny day.

6. Do regular skin checks on yourself. What are the signs to look out for? The American Academy of Dermatology (AAD), as well as many other cancer resources, recommends using the "ABCDE's of melanoma" when checking yourself for signs of danger:

A for Asymmetry: One half is different than the other half.

B for Border: The borders of the mole can be scalloped, jagged, uneven or poorly defined.

C for Color: Dr. Peredo explains that melanomas are usually dark in pigment, but they can be lighter; basel and squamous cells are usually pinkish.

D for Diameter: Melanomas usually are greater than 6mm. "They can be smaller, but a general rule is to look for something greater than a pencil eraser," says Dr. Peredo. Also look for something with an uneven color, usually different shades of brown or black when it comes to melanomas.

E for Evolving: Warning signs include a mole that's different from all your other moles, or is changing in size, shape or color. "Look for anything that's new or that has changed," says Dr. Peredo, "for example, if you have a mole that was always there, but suddenly it starts bleeding or itching or bubbling up."

Also -- keep in mind that skin cancer cells aren't always raised. "Basal and squamous cells in particular can be flat, smooth, or scaly; they rarely have pigment and can even look like dry patches of skin in the early stages" says Dr. Peredo. "Melanoma can be flat or raised."

7. Finally, if you see or suspect ANYTHING suspicious, get thee to a dermatologist! In fact, if you have a lot of moles, or have never visited a dermatologist for a precautionary check, it's a good idea to make an appointment, says Dr. Peredo. 

"With melanoma, the difference between life and death is early detection," she says. "A lot of people think, 'Maybe if I ignore it, it will go away.'" No. "If something looks unusual or different -- get it checked. A lot of the time it's nothing, but that's OK! Don't be scared of the unknown," says Dr. Peredo. "But if you do find that something is wrong, get it off your body."

For more about Dr. Peredo, visit Spatiquemedicalspa.com.

More from SELF:

• SELF Healthy Beauty Awards: Best Sun Protection
• How Three Women Gave Up The Tanning Bed
• 8 Steps to Your Perfect Faux Tan

More from TODAY Health's Summer Shape Up series:

• What's the best way to blast belly fat?
• Common diet busters -- and how to avoid them
• Don't get burned! Know these 3 sunscreen myths

Don Ryan / AP

Bicyclists travel with traffic down Broadway Street in Portland, Ore., which Bike Score, a new site from Walk Score, just named the second most bike-friendly city in the nation. (Pay no mind to the helmet-less daredevil on the right.)

Biking across your city can be a great way to sneak in a workout while getting from Place A to Place B -- not to mention, you'll avoid traffic jams and you never have to fight for parking. If you've been wanting to try a two-wheel commute, now might be the perfect time, as we happen to be approaching National Bike to Work Day (Friday), which comes at the end of National Bike to Work Week (this week), which is all part of National Bike Month (May). What, you didn't know that already? 

Walk Score, the site that rates neighborhoods for their "walkability," just released a list of the top 10 most bike-friendly cities. Each city in this initial top 10 list is scored based on the number and quality of bike lanes and trails, destinations and road connectivity, number of bike commuters and hills. (Speaking of hills, San Francisco nabbed the third spot on the list. San Fran cyclists, we'd love to hear your strategies for handling those hills!)

A score of 90 to 100 means the city is a "Biker's Paradise"; scoring 70 to 89 means the area is "Very Bikeable," while 50 to 69 means the city is merely "Bikeable." Any lower than that, and the city is deemed only "Somewhat Bikeable." A trio of public health professors at the University of British Columbia helped develop Bike Score. 

Check below to see if your home made the list. If your city is left out, Bike Score invites you to tweet your annoyance at the oversight -- scores for the top 10 most-tweeted-about cities will be added next.

Bike Score's most "bikeable" cities:

1.  Minneapolis (Bike Score: 79) 
2.  Portland (Bike Score: 70) 
3.  San Francisco (Bike Score: 70) 
4.  Boston (Bike Score: 68) 
5.  Madison  (Bike Score: 67) 
6.  Washington, D.C. (Bike Score: 65) 
7.  Seattle (Bike Score: 64) 
8.  Tucson (Bike Score: 64)  
9.  New York (Bike Score: 62) 
10.  Chicago (Bike Score: 62) 

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Wake up, folks: There is no health risk in rousing a sleepwalker from their somnambulistic stroll. Well, no risk to them, anyway. You, on the other hand, might suffer a swift, roundhouse kick to the dome.

Long-repeated medical myths have held that if you forcibly snap a sleepwalker back to a wakeful state it will A) induce a state of shock or possibly even insanity, B) give them “lockjaw,” and, C), our personal favorite, cause their soul to become trapped outside their body. The truth matters now more than ever: On Monday, the Stanford University School of Medicine released new research estimating that 8.5 million U.S. adults (3.6 percent of the grownup population) went sleepwalking during the past year -- a far higher rate of nocturnal wanderers than previously thought by doctors. 

“It’s not dangerous for the sleepwalker to wake him up,” said Dr. Mark R. Pressman, a psychologist and sleep specialist at Lankenau Hospital in Wynnewood, Pa. “You’re not going to do them any harm.”

But there are two potential pitfalls in attempting to yank them back to the conscious world. First, sleepwalkers take their short journeys with eyes open yet without turning on a key part of their brain -- the frontal lobe, a portion that controls social interaction. They are momentarily trapped in an altered, gray state that falls between alertness and full sleep, making them quite difficult to bring back to the real world, Pressman said.

“You just can’t talk to them and say ‘Hey!” and have them wake up,” Pressman said. “I’m not even sure where that myth began that you shouldn’t wake them. But the more you dig back (to try research that legend), the more you’ll find that sleepwalking once was thought to be mixed in with spirits and demonic possessions.”

Most sleepwalking episodes last only seconds or a few minutes, ending with the person either sitting or lying on the floor and returning sleep or eventually trudging back to bed.

“It’s very likely to go away on its own while the family is watching,” Pressman said.

You can try to verbally redirect a sleepwalker -- especially a child -- by standing a short distance away and speaking to them in short, easy commands: “Stop, turn around, go back to bed.” But don’t expect them to answer or even to recognize you, Pressman said. Those particular neurons are still snoozing. “Hopefully they turn around and go the other way.

“There’s really no reason to dive in and stop it unless the sleepwalker is about to climb out a window or fall down some stairs. If that’s the case, the family member doesn’t really have much choice,” he added.

If you do approach a sleepwalker -- especially if you physically block or grab one -- they may flash some "defensive aggressiveness,” Pressman said. “This is a very primitive response to what they see as a potential attacker. They may become violent.

“The first thing, obviously, is you have to protect them anyway you can. That’s the bottom line: safety. So you may have to be prepared to take a punch or kick.”

Just don’t expect your zombified loved one or housemate to offer an apology. 

Related:

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• Why do our eyelids get heavy when we're sleepy?

By April Hussar
SELF.com

Happy National Women's Health Week, ladies! This week is all about YOU -- and we have all the advice you need to make the most of it and end the work week healthier than when you started.

National Women's Health Week, now in its 13th year, is a week-long health observance coordinated by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services' Office on Women's Health. Dedicated to empowering women to make health a top priority, this year's theme is, "It's Your Time."  

"Healthy, strong women are essential to having healthy strong children and communities, but too often women place the needs of others before their own needs," says U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius.

Here are 5 ways to put YOURSELF first this week by improving your physical and mental health and lowering your risks of certain diseases:

1. Visit a health care professional to receive regular checkups and preventive screenings. Monday, May 14 was National Women's Checkup Day. Now, you already know you should be getting a yearly checkup from your general practitioner, and keeping your annual gyn appointment (right?), but don't forget about your teeth, your skin and your eyes! Most health care insurance plans cover a dermatologist checkup, something to take advantage of, considering that between 1970 and 2009, melanoma increased eightfold among young women and fourfold among young men ages 18 to 39, according to a new study from the Mayo Clinic. And if you need to get your teeth cleaned but are worried about the costs, here are SELF's three ways to lower your dental bills.

2. Get active. You might say "no duh" to this one, but remember that getting active doesn't have to mean working out at the gym or going for a run (though those are super healthy ideas, of course!). The American Council on Exercise (ACE) has a great idea for a fun way to burn 100 calories in 20 minutes -- wash your car by hand! You'll get some fresh air and save some money, and it's a fun excuse to put on some cut-offs and splash your cute neighbor with some suds! For 58 (yes, 58) more fun ways to burn 100 calories, check out SELF's slideshow of fun suggestions.

3. Eat healthy. Another no-brainer, but sometimes it just seems "easier" to grab a slice of pizza on the go or swing through a drive-through on your way to work. We've got you covered! Here are 8 "no-excuses" grab-and-go breakfast ideas, and for tasty, easy and healthy dinner recipes, check out SELF's 14 Quick Weeknight Meals.

4. Pay attention to your mental health, including getting enough sleep and managing stress. Fitness doesn't stop at the banishment of your muffin top. One surefire way of improving your beauty sleep is to banish technology from your bedroom. Desktop computers, iPhones, BlackBerries ... Joseph M. Ojile, MD, board member of the National Sleep Foundation and founder and CEO of Clayton Sleep Institute in St Louis, MO, says they're all "extremely disruptive" -- from the bright light of the screen to the cognitive distraction of wanting to reply to emails or texts. Getting a truly good night's sleep goes a long way to helping you feel good -- in body and mind. 

And if you need more ways to combat stress, SELF has 19 of them here (from dining by candlelight to brightening up your desk).

5. Avoid unhealthy behaviors, such as smoking and not wearing a seatbelt or bicycle helmet. What if for one week, you treated yourself with the care you'd give to your own kid? Buckle up, don't give in to a "social smoke," wear your sunscreen and make all those smart decisions you'd want your own daughter or best friend to make.

For more about National Women's Health week, visit womenshealth.gov/whw

Related Links:

The Healthy Way to Lose 2 Pounds in 7 Days

How to Undo Your Past Health Mistakes (Smoking and Tanning Included!)

Sign Up for SELF's Free 60 Days to Healthier Ways Plan!

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"I have a very serious question for you," Kathie Lee asked Hoda. "Are you happy with your sex life?"

She wasn't being nosy — it was purely for science purposes. A new survey from Yahoo! Shine and Fitness magazine asked women if they were as satisfied as they could be, in the bedroom area.

Hoda said she was "very happy" and KLG said she was "thrilled to pieces." The majority of the 1,000 survey respondents said they were getting down with their significant other between 1 and 3 times a week. And what gets the average lady in the mood? Dinner, a sexy movie, and wine.

"Just the wine for me," twinkled Hoda.

KLG tried to bring up the effects of Mexican food on intimacy again, but Hoda swiftly cut her off and shouted, "Stop talking about that!" That's probably for another kind of sex survey entirely.

Julieanne Smolinski is a TODAY.com contributor. She thinks there's nothing sexier than a good survey.

More: When's your best sex time? Survey says Saturday night
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Are you happy with your sex life? Take our poll

Have your healthiest summer yet! Ease into the dreaded "swimsuit season" with healthy tips from TODAY experts. All throughout May, we'll offer smart do-it-yourself ways to look, eat and feel better. So stop stressing about that swimsuit, and read on.

Who isn’t always looking for ways to boost the results of a summer weight-loss plan? Your best efforts can be undermined by “diet mistakes” that often sound like good advice, but can sabotage the efforts of even the most well-intentioned dieters, new evidence shows.

Eating too often.  While skipping meals will sabotage a diet effort, eating three times a day is sufficient for healthy people. No need to “fuel” constantly, as eating more often frequently leads to eating more calories.  And grazing often prevents the biological development of strong hunger and fullness signals, which help keep your food intake under control.

Skimping on protein. A diet rich in colorful fruits and vegetables is a major plus for weight-loss success. But don’t swap out protein. Protein enhances your sense of fullness and is also essential to fuel muscles - a plus when bumping up your exercise effort. Stick with animal proteins like lean cuts of beef, skinless poultry, fish, whole eggs or egg whites, and low or non-fat dairy. Vegetable proteins like soy (as tofu or burger/chicken substitutes) and beans are other sources.

Confusing healthy and low-calorie. It’s hard enough to swap out artery-clogging fats for heart-healthy ones, but the calories are the same for butter and olive oil. Avocados and nuts are tasty and satisfying because they contain a lot of heart-healthy fat -- but the calories add up quickly. For best control, choose single serving packs of nuts (100-150 calories), or the new 100-calorie guacamole packets. Measure out the portions and avoid “eyeballing” serving sizes of your high-fat favorites.

Overestimating calorie output from exercise.  Exercise is a major boost for mind and body, but when it comes to weight loss, don’t be fooled. Just like we don’t accurately estimate food intake, we’re all just as unreliable in our estimates of calorie use. It’s not just duration, but intensity of your exercise matters. Covering one mile burns about 100 calories, roughly 15-20 minutes if you walk, and 10 minutes running.  Sweating is also not an indication of calorie burn. Get an electronic monitor or go online for more precise estimates. Be wary of exercise equipment calculators; they are just a ballpark number as well.  To boost weight loss, view your activity calories as  “saved” --  not a reason to overindulge with food later.

More from Madelyn Fernstrom:

• Watch for hidden calories with every sip

Check out more of TODAY Health's Summer Shape Up:

• Jenna Wolfe: What's on my summer playlist
• This yummy protein breakfast speeds summer weight-loss
• 4 summer skin tips you should know