One way to cut down on the stress in your life: Stop worrying so much. Easier said than done, right? Some things we simply must worry about -- the safety of our kids in this scary world, for example. But here are nine things we can strike from our worry lists, starting today.

Toilets
Yes, it's possible to contract an infection from potty seats -- see this previous post -- but it's not as likely as you might think. In fact, as long as you wash your hands after a trip to the bathroom, you'll likely never get one. You see, bacteria can't pass through intact skin so in order to catch something, you'd have to not wash your hands and then touch your mouth, nose, or eyes. As for STDs -- they are acquired only by having sex.

Doorknobs
Wash your hands in public restrooms, open doors with your elbows or use a paper towel to turn the knob and you'll fare just fine in the germ department.

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Some claim that using microwaves is unhealthy, that these cooking contraptions are capable of killing the nutrients in our food and reversing the benefits of beverages like tea. This doctor -- the well-known Dr. Katz -- says microwaving may actually be the least damaging to nutrients. Microwaves ovens are not unhealthy, he says. They are, in fact, a very nutritious way to cook.

Microwaves allow for quick cooking and in most cases, the less time a food is exposed to heat, the higher its nutrient levels. As for tea, all you're doing is heating the water and adding the tea bag later. There's just no way nutrient levels can be adversely affected in this case.

The only argument Dr. Katz can identify against microwave cooking is this: It can leave food a bit dry or perhaps with a different taste. But it won't leave your diet any less nutritious.

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