First available

Smart, easy, life-saving—and did I mention easy? Also, 7 other things worth your time.

What percentage of the Internet do you suppose is devoted to people telling you that if you can be richer, healthier or happier, if only you'll change "one easy thing" in your life?

Most often, the supposedly "easy thing" turns out to be darn near impossible, or at least impractical: Just lose 30 pounds, or become vegan, or skip your morning coffee to make an extra monthly mortgage payment. 

Sure, okay.

This is why I nearly laughed when I finally came across a scientific study, approved by the University of Pennsylvania institutional review board, that legitimately suggests a single thing you can do to improve your health outlook and possibly live longer.

It's not particularly sexy, but it makes sense, and it has to do simply with the time of day that you make appointments with health care providers.

52,722 patients

Writing in JAMA Network Open, the authors examined doctor visits involving a total of 52,722 patients, whom they calculated should have been eligible for either breast cancer o…