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12 Superfoods for Faster Weight Loss

2010-09-25T17:00:00.000+08:00

Eat up and slim down with these fat-fighting foods.

Our old American diet has cost us dearly: One in three of us is now overweight or obese, and a third of American children will develop diabetes in their lifetimes. But the answer isn’t eating less food—it’s eating more of the right foods: 12 of them in particular, called the New American Diet Superfoods. Read on for the list of 12, and for more secrets on how to lose weight and keep it off for good, order your copy of The New American Diet.

Nuts

Nuts are New American Diet smart bombs. They’re packed with monounsaturated fatty acids, those good-for-you fats that lower your risk of heart disease and diabetes, and, according to new research, help you control your appetite.

Researchers from Georgia Southern University found that eating a high-protein, high-fat snack, such as almonds, increases your calorie burn for up to 3 1/2 hours. And just 1 ounce of almonds boosts vitamin E levels, increasing memory and cognitive performance, according to researchers at New York Presbyterian Hospital. In another study, people who ate pistachios for 3 months lost 10 to 12 pounds, on average. Follow these 10 strategies for successful weight loss and you're guaranteed to reach your goal.

Whole Grains

It's not a magic disappearing act, but it's close: When Harvard University researchers analyzed the diets of more than 27,000 people over 8 years, they discovered that those who ate whole grains daily weighed 2.5 pounds less than those who ate only refined-grain foods.

Another study from Penn State University found that whole-grain eaters lost 2.4 times more belly fat than those who ate refined grains. Whole grains more favorably affect blood-glucose levels, which means they don’t cause wild swings in blood sugar and ratchet up cravings after you eat them. Plus, the antioxidants in whole grains help control inflammation and insulin (a hormone that tells your body to store belly fat). Whole grains also strengthen your heart, helping you live longer. Add even more years to your life by eating these 40 age-erasing superfoods.

Avocados and Other Healthy Fats

Just because a food has plenty of fat and calories doesn’t mean it’s fattening. See, certain foods cause you to gain weight because they provoke hormonal changes that trigger cravings, or “rebound hunger.” One hunger-control hormone, leptin, becomes blunted by starchy, sweet, fatty, and refined-carbohydrate foods. That's why a bagel is fattening: It's a high-calorie load of refined carbohydrates that double-crosses your natural satisfaction response. Avocados, on the other hand, aren't fattening, because they’re loaded with healthy fat and fiber and don't cause wild swings in insulin levels. So enjoy the fat in avocados, olive oil, and nuts. Research shows that diets containing upward of 50 percent fat are just as effective for weight loss as those that are low in fat. Discover the New Laws of Leanness.

Meats (Pasture-Raised and Free-Range)

Grass-fed beef, chicken, and pork are leaner and healthier than conventional livestock—and can help trim away pounds. A 3.5-ounce serving of grass-fed beef has only 2.4 grams of fat, compared with 16.3 grams for conventionally raised beef. In fact, grass-fed beef is so much more nutritious than commodity beef that it's almost a different food.

Grass-fed beef contains more conjugated linoleic acid (CLA), which has been shown to reduce abdominal fat while building lean muscle. It also has more omega-3s and less omega-6s than corn-fed beef. It’s the same with chickens. According to a recent study in the journal Poultry Science, free-range chickens have significantly more omega-3s than grain-fed chickens do, and less harmful fat and fewer calories than grain-fed varieties. This is important because omega-3s improve your mood, boost your metabolism, sharpen your brain, and help you lose weight. Click here to learn the truth about packaged meat.

Environmentally Sustainable Fish

Choosing seafood these days isn't easy. Some species (swordfish, farmed salmon) contain obesity-promoting pollutants (dioxins, PCBs). Others are fattened with soy, which lowers their levels of healthy omega-3s. In fact, the American Heart Association recently urged people who are concerned about heart disease to avoid eating tilapia for just that reason. Wow. That goes against conventional wisdom, doesn’t it?

So what kind of fish should you eat, and how can the New American Diet help? Generally, small, oily ocean fish (herring, mackerel, sardines) are low in toxins and score highest in omega-3s. Wild Alaskan salmon, Pacific halibut, rainbow trout, and yellowfin tuna are generally low in toxins and high in nutrients. And then there are fish that we should avoid at all times: farmed (or “Atlantic”) salmon, farmed tilapia, Atlantic cod, Chilean sea bass, and farmed shrimp. (Follow this simple guide to prepare perfect fish every time.)

Raspberries and Other Berries

A recent study by researchers at Yale University school of medicine discovered that after eating a high-carb, high-sugar meal, free radicals (rogue molecules produced when your body breaks down food) attack the neurons that tell us when we’re full. The result: It’s hard to judge when hunger is satisfied. Escape the cycle of overindulgence by eating foods that are rich in antioxidants. And berries top the charts.

The berries that give you the most antioxidant bang per bite, in order: cranberries, black currents, blueberries, blackberries, raspberries, strawberries, pomegranates. For a delicious way to add berries to your diet, try these smoothie recipes.

Instant Oats

Fiber is the secret to losing weight without going hungry. One U.S. Department of Agriculture study found that those who increased their daily fiber intake from 12 grams to 24 absorbed 90 fewer calories per day than those who ate the same amount of food but less fiber.

Instant oats are one of the easiest ways to get more real fiber into your diet. (Click to learn all the facts about fiber.) Plus, new research indicates that oats can also cut your risk of high blood pressure and type 2 diabetes, and even reduce your risk of weight gain. Oats also have 10 grams of protein per half-cup serving, so they deliver steady muscle-building energy. Choose oatmeal that contains whole oats and low sodium, like Uncle Sam Instant Oatmeal, which also has whole-grain wheat flakes and flaxseed.

Cruciferous Vegetables and Other Folate-Rich Greens

The more folate you have in your diet, the lower your risk of obesity, heart disease, stroke, cognitive impairment, Alzheimer’s and depression. And a recent study in the British Journal of Nutrition found that those with the highest folate levels lose 8.5 times more weight when dieting. And cruciferous vegetables, like broccoli, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts, kale, cabbage, Swiss chard, and bok choy, are not only rich in folate, they’re also rich in potassium. Researchers at the Department of Agriculture's Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging, at Tufts University, found that foods rich in potassium help preserve lean muscle mass. Another stunner: New research shows that folate helps protect against damage from estrogenic chemicals like bisphenol-A (BPA), which have been linked to obesity. Use this guide to discover which foods pack the most nutritional benefit.

Apples and Other Fruits

What makes the apple so potent? In part, it’s because most of us eat the peel: It’s a great way to add fiber and nutrients to your diet. But there’s a downside: The peel is where the fruit tends to absorb and retain most of the pesticides they are exposed to, apples and peaches being the worst offenders. That’s why, for maximum weight-loss potential, we strongly recommend you buy organic versions of apples, pears, peaches, and other eat-the-peel fruits.

You’ll experience a terrific payoff if you do: In a UCLA study, normal-weight people reported eating, on average, two servings of fruit and 12 grams of fiber a day; those who were overweight had just one serving and 9 g. Credit that extra 3 g of fiber—the amount in one single apple or orange—as the difference maker. Use these tips to pick the freshest, most nutrient-dense produce.

Navy Beans and Other Legumes

Study after study reveals that bean eaters live longer and weigh less. One study showed that people who eat 3/4 cup of beans daily weigh 6.6 pounds less than those who don't eat beans. Another study in the Journal of the American College of Nutrition found that people who eat one and a half servings of beans a day (3/4 cup) have lower blood pressure and smaller waist sizes than those who skip beans in favor of other proteins. Imagine each bean you eat is a perfect little weight-loss pill. Gobble ’em up! Follow these 7 strategies to lose weight without ever feeling hungry.

Dark Chocolate

A new study from Denmark found that those who eat dark chocolate consume 15 percent fewer calories at their next meal and are less interested in fatty, salty, and sugary foods. And research shows that dark chocolate can improve heart health, lower blood pressure, reduce LDL ("bad") cholesterol, decrease the risk of blood clots, and increase blood flow to the brain. Dark chocolate boosts serotonin and endorphin levels, which are associated with improved mood and greater concentration; it's rich in B vitamins and magnesium, which are noted cognitive boosters; it contains small amounts of caffeine, which helps with short-term concentration; and it contains theobromine, a stimulant that delivers a different kind of buzz, sans the jitters. Dark chocolate is also one of the best foods for better sex.

Ice Cream and Other Healthy Desserts

Calcium-rich desserts like ice cream bind to fatty acids in the digestive tract, blocking their absorption. In one study, participants who ate 1,735 mg of calcium from low-fat dairy products (about as much as in five 8-ounce glasses of milk) blocked the equivalent of 85 calories a day. Plus, half a cup of vanilla ice cream gives you 19 milligrams of choline, which translates to protection from cancer, heart attack, stroke, and dementia. We’re not suggesting you have a bowlful of ice cream every night. But a scoop (the size of a tennis ball) every few days isn’t the diet saboteur it’s made out to be.

For even more tips that will transform your body—and your health—check out this food prescription from The New American Diet.

Gluttony, Sloth and Not Counting Calories: How to Avoid Common Weight Loss Errors

2010-09-24T17:00:00.000+08:00

by Kathleen Donnelly for MSN Health & Fitness

High on any list of weight loss mistakes you'd expect to find one of the original seven deadly sins: gluttony. And if gluttony means regularly consuming portion sizes that might be best measured in bushels, many of us are going to have more than one problem when it comes to fitting through the Pearly Gates.

"It's not the food, it's how much you're eating," says Jane Kirby, a registered dietitian and author of the recently revised guide, "Dieting for Dummies" (John Wiley & Sons, 2003). "People on a low-carb diet might think, 'I can eat all the ham and Swiss cheese rollups dipped in mayonnaise that I want.'" She sighs. "No, you can't. It's portion, portion, portion."

We've known about at least one deadly sin of weight loss for a long, long time: Eating too much too often is not a winning strategy. It doesn't matter that ham and cheese is low in carbohydrates, or, for that matter, that bagels are fat-free. You cannot eat more calories than you expend day after day and expect to have a happy experience on the scale.

This brings us to a second big mistake many dieters make:

Trusting in a miracle diet. We all want weight loss to be quick and easy, and if it means six weeks of eating nothing but somebody's secret recipe for slimming soup, we'll do it. Unfortunately, it's not taking off the pounds that bedevils many dieters, it's keeping them off. That's why many weight loss researchers prefer the term "weight management" to "dieting." Staying fit and healthy – and at a reasonable weight – is not something you do for six weeks. It's a lifelong commitment. And no one can eat that much soup.

Not counting calories. At its most basic, losing weight is a matter of taking in fewer calories than you expend. So as tedious as it sounds, Kirby says calories do count, and counting them can help you stay on track. For example, ignoring the nibbles and sips you take each day can foil your weight loss plans. An energy bar and a sugary sports drink – even if you consume them at the gym – both count toward your daily calorie total.

Eating too little. If eating too much is bad, shouldn't sealing your lips to everything but leafy greens and an all-purpose vitamin work? Not necessarily. Eating too few calories may slow your metabolism, the process your cells use to burn food and create energy. Researchers vary on how few calories it takes before you slip into starvation mode and begin conserving calories, and the number depends on your own body and activity level. But as a general rule, Kirby says, going below about 800 calories a day may be counterproductive.

Expecting too much. How much weight do you want to lose, and how fast do you want to lose it? If the answer gets you back to your junior high weight in a week or two, it's probably not a reasonable goal. Keep in mind, says Kirby, that losing just 5 to 10 percent of your body weight – that's 10 to 20 pounds if you weigh 200 pounds – can provide health benefits as well as make you feel like a winner.* Once you attain that goal, you can always set another.

Skipping exercise (also known as sloth). Let's revisit the calories in vs. calories out concept: Exercise burns calories. Therefore, add exercise to your routine and the "calories out" part of your equation jumps up. But just as important, says Cedric Bryant, Ph.D., chief exercise physiologist for the American Council on Exercise, is what exercise does for your resting metabolism. It takes more energy to maintain lean tissue than it does to maintain fat. So, by building your lean tissue, exercise helps you burn calories even when you are not moving. Because of this, Bryant adds, research shows that people who are physically active are more likely to keep weight off once they lose it.

Neglecting your exit strategy. No matter how you choose to lose weight – especially if you opt for a "miracle diet" – make a plan for keeping the weight off. You've come too far to go back to your old eating and exercise habits, which led to weight gain in the first place.

"One big deadly mistake is thinking that you are going on a diet, and when it's over, that's it," says Kirby. "If people can think more about doing something good for themselves, as opposed to denying themselves, I think they'll find it a more successful strategy."

Correction, September 16, 2005: This article originally stated that losing 5 to 10 percent of your body weight would equate to "10 to 15 pounds if you weigh 200 pounds" which is inaccurate. This error has been corrected. Return to the corrected sentence.

Could Drinking Water Before Meals Help You Lose Weight?

2010-09-23T17:00:00.000+08:00

People who drank two glasses prior to eating dropped more prounds, study found
By Jenifer GoodwinHealthDay Reporter

(HealthDay News) -- Close the diet books and skip the pills. The latest weight-loss trick may be as simple as gulping a couple of glasses of water before you eat.

A new study found that middle-aged and older adults who drank two cups of water before each meal consumed fewer calories and lost more weight than those who skipped drinking water.

Researchers divided two groups of overweight and obese men and women aged 55 to 75 into two groups: one group was told to follow a low-fat, low-calorie diet; the other group was told to follow the same diet and to drink two cups of water before breakfast, lunch and dinner.

After 12 weeks, those who drank water before meals had lost 15.5 pounds, compared to 11 pounds for the non-water drinkers, a nearly 30 percent difference.

The researchers got the idea for the weight-loss program from their prior research, which found that when middle-aged and older adults drank water before meals, they ate between 75 and 90 fewer calories at the meal.

What they weren't sure about, however, was if water drinkers would compensate by eating more throughout the rest of the day, said senior study author Brenda Davy, an associate professor in the department of human nutrition, foods and exercise at Virginia Tech. But after 12 weeks of dieting, that didn't happen.

"Drinking more water is a pretty simple strategy that may be helpful to people trying to lose weight," Davy said. "We're not saying, 'Drink more water and the body fat will melt away'. But for people who are trying to lose weight and trying to follow a low-cal diet, it's something they can do as part of that."

The research was to be presented Monday at the annual meeting of the American Chemical Society in Boston.

One of the most vexing issues with dieting is how difficult it is to keep the weight off long-term, Davy said. After the 12 weeks were up, Davy and her colleagues have continued to follow the participants.

After one year, preliminary data shows that those who continued to drink water before meals not only kept those pounds off, but have even continued to lose a bit more -- about 1.5 pounds on average.

Yet pre-meal water chugging comes with one caveat: it may only work if you're middle-aged or older, Davy said.

Prior research has shown that in those aged 18 to 35, drinking water before the meal did not cause them to eat fewer calories at the meal, Davy said.

In older people, it takes longer for the stomach to empty, which may be why the water helps them feel fuller and less hungry, while in younger people, water begins leaving the stomach almost immediately, Davy said.

Barry Popkin, director of the University of North Carolina Nutrition Obesity Research Center, called the findings "promising." His research has shown people who drinks lots of water drink fewer sugary beverages, eat more fruits and vegetables and overall consume fewer calories throughout the day.

One culprit in the obesity epidemic is that Americans consume some 300 calories more a day in sugary beverages than they did 30 years ago, Popkin added. That includes soda, punch and fruit juices with added sugar, sports drinks and sweetened tea.

"If you drink some more water right before a meal and fill up a little bit right before, there is the potential you may reduce your food intake," Popkin said. "But what we're concerned with is encouraging people to drink water to replace all the caloric beverages we're drinking."

Another challenge to the water-before-meals weight-loss strategy is getting people to do it, said Carla Wolper, an assistant professor in the Eating Disorders Center at Columbia University and a research faculty member at the New York Obesity Research Center at St. Luke's Hospital in New York City.

"The question is, do people continue to drink the water in a non-study situation?" Wolper said. "We know there are a lot of simple things people could do to lose weight. Clinical trials have shown if people write down what they eat, they lost twice as much weight. Yet it's very hard to get people to write down what they eat. Or, if people would reduce portions just a little bit, they would lose weight. But people don't do it."

The same goes for drinking more water. Even seemingly small changes require commitment. "Changing a pattern of behavior is complicated, and requires time and energy," Wolper said.

Still, it could be worth a try, she added. "Unless people overload on water, it's harmless, inexpensive. And if over the course of the entire day, it reduces the amount of food people take in, then of course it's a good idea," Wolper said.

Dieticians often will suggest a non-caloric drink such as club soda with lemon, diet soda or tea to help resist the urge to snack after dinner, Wolper said.

More information

The Harvard School of Public Health has more on eating a healthy diet.

The Best Foods for Focus

2010-09-22T17:00:00.000+08:00

Odd as it sounds, the workplace can be entirely counterproductive to getting work done. Consider: As soon as you sit down in the morning, your phone lights up, your e-mail account nags, and the morning headlines cry for your attention. Even when you actually start working, your mind might be in 10 other places, causing to you slog through the day with minimal progress. Face it—our daily lives are chock-full of distractions, much more so than they ever used to be.

But there’s still hope for productivity: You can counteract that wandering mind by monitoring how you fuel it. In fact, studies show that you can be up to 200 percent more productive if you make the right eating choices. Here are seven super foods to help you battle the brain drain.

To Calm Your Nerves

Low-Fat Yogurt or Mixed Nuts

Scientists in Slovakia gave people 3 grams each of two amino acids—lysine and arginine—or a placebo, and asked them to deliver a speech. Blood measurements of stress hormones revealed that the amino acid-fortified guys were half as anxious during and after the speech as those who took the placebo. Yogurt is one of the best food sources of lysine; nuts pack loads of arginine.

Bonus tip: Eating healthily doesn’t have to break the bank. In fact, if you are consistently eating well, you may be less apt to splurge on food cravings. Just make sure to avoid these 30 “Healthy” Foods That Aren’t.

For Long-Term Memory

Blueberries

Antioxidants in blueberries help protect the brain from free-radical damage, which could decrease your risk of Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s diseases and improve cognitive processing. Wild blueberries, if you can find them—check the freezer section—have even more brain-boosting antioxidants than the cultivated variety.

Bonus tip: Blueberries might seem like a splurge, but buy them frozen and you’ll still reap the benefits. They make a healthy and tasty mid-afternoon snack or even appetizer. Sign up for a free e-mail newsletter.

For Short-Term Memory

Coffee

Fresh-brewed joe is the ultimate brain fuel. Caffeine has been shown to retard the aging process and enhance short-term memory performance. In one study, British researchers found that people consuming the caffeine equivalent of one cup of coffee experienced improved attention and problem-solving skills. Need more convincing? Besides boosting alertness for up to 90 minutes, that morning cup is the No. 1 source of antioxidants in the American diet and can help decrease your risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease by as much as 60 percent.

Bonus tip: By coffee, we mean the black stuff—before the addition of syrups, sprinkles and whipped cream, which do a body no good. Check out our list of other nutritionally lethal concoctions—the Worst Beverages in the Supermarket.

For Sharper Senses

1 Tablespoon of Ground Flaxseed Daily

Flax is the best source of alpha-linolenic acid (or ALA)—a healthy fat that improves the workings of the cerebral cortex, the area of the brain that processes sensory information, including that of pleasure. To meet your quota, sprinkle flaxseed on salads or mix it into a smoothie or shake.

Bonus tip: Flax will help you craft a powerfully healthy salad, but some restaurants haven’t quite mastered the formula yet. Instead of loading their salad plates with healthy options, they’re overloading the dishes with toppings and sauces that weigh the greenery down. For some jaw-dropping examples, see the 15 Most Atrocious Salads in America.

For an Energy Boost

A Handful of Trail Mix

Raisins provide potassium, which your body uses to convert sugar into energy. Nuts stock your body with magnesium, which is important in metabolism, nerve function, and muscle function. When magnesium levels are low, your body produces more lactic acid—the same fatigue-inducing substance that you feel at the end of a long workout. Ever notice how hard it is to concentrate when you’re feeling sluggish?

Bonus tip: It’s easier than you think to fuel your body properly. With discipline, it can even become second nature. Download Eat This, Not That! to your iPhone!

For Focus

Peppermint Tea

Researchers found that it took a mere whiff of peppermint to increase subjects’ concentration and performance on tedious tasks, and a professor in West Virginia claimed that he used the magical herb to improve athletes’ performance.

Bonus tip: Think that all tea is created equal? Think again. In today’s sugar-laden environment, it’s easy to consume an overwhelming percentage of your daily calories in liquid form—some researchers estimate that we consume about a quarter of our day’s calories through beverages. Swapping sugar-saturated drinks for smarter choices is an easy way to take pounds off—click here to see the shocking list of the 30 Worst Drinks in America.

For Extra Brainpower

Salmon or Mackerel

The omega-3 fatty acids found in fish are one of the primary building blocks of brain tissue, so they’re essential to boosting brainpower. Salmon is also rich in niacin, which wards off Alzheimer’s disease and slows the rate of cognitive decline.

Bonus tip: Want an easy way to hit your 1-2 servings of fish a week? Throw some on a sandwich. Just make sure you pay attention to the nutritional content—it’s easy to get caught up in fixin’s and not realize that you’re piling on the calories. Need proof? Check out our list of the 30 Worst Sandwiches in America.

8 Secret-Weapon Foods to Power Up Your Diet

2010-09-22T00:05:00.001+08:00

Superfoods that fill you up out.
By Brierley Wright, M.S., R.D., EatingWell.com

It’s that time of year when I’m looking for an extra edge to stay slim and get in better shape. I’m already exercising regularly and eating well. So in the interest of further powering up my efforts, I went looking for foods that do a little of the work for me. Here they are: 8 health-food superstars.

If you’re not quite at the point where you’re looking for an extra edge, don’t despair, this list is still for you. Consider it a diet cheat sheet of sorts with 8 secret food weapons to recharge your dieting efforts.

Apples: For a mere 95 calories, a medium-sized apple contains 4 grams of fiber. And recent research, published in the Journal of Nutrition, suggests that boosting your fiber intake may help you to prevent weight gain—or even encourage weight loss.

Oatmeal: Eating a breakfast made with “slow-release” carbohydrates, such as oatmeal or bran cereal, 3 hours before you exercise may help you burn more fat, suggests a recent study in the Journal of Nutrition. Here’s why: in the study, eating “slow-release” carbohydrates didn’t spike blood sugar as high as eating refined carbohydrates, such as white toast. In turn, insulin levels didn’t spike as high and because insulin plays a role in signaling your body to store fat, having lower levels may help you burn fat.

Soup: Research, published in the journal Appetite, has shown that people who start a meal with vegetable soup eat 20 percent fewer calories over the course of their meal.

Low-Cal Desserts: OK, so this isn’t exactly a “health food,” but it really is welcome news that it may be easier to stick to your diet if it includes a little sweet treat. According to a new study in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, banning sugary foods could lead to overeating. One reason may be that removing access to sweet foods stimulates the release of a molecule in your brain called corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF), produced when you’re afraid, anxious or stressed, says Pietro Cottone, Ph.D., lead study author. And increased stress levels may lower your motivation to eat more nutritious foods, making it more likely that you’ll binge on junk food.

Mushrooms: Research reports that when people ate mushroom-based entrees, they felt just as satisfied as when they’d eaten those same dishes made with beef—though they’d taken in a fraction of the calories and fat.

Eggs: In one study, dieters who ate eggs for breakfast felt full for longer and lost more than twice as much weight as those who got the same amount of calories from a bagel for breakfast. Think beyond breakfast, too: eggs boost a salad’s staying power and make for a satisfying snack.

Hot Chile Peppers: In one study, consuming a little hot pepper (in tomato juice or in capsules) 30 minutes before a meal helped study participants feel less hungry and eat about 10 percent less.

Almonds: Chew more to curb hunger. That’s what researchers concluded in a recent study in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition in which they asked participants to chew a 2-ounce serving of almonds 10, 25 or 40 times. Participants got maximum satisfaction—they felt fuller longer—from the nuts when they chewed 40 times. Chewing more may cause a greater release of fat from the almonds, which triggers hormones that curb hunger, speculates Rick Mattes, Ph.D., R.D., professor of foods and nutrition at Purdue University, study author and an EatingWell advisor.

Brierley Wright, MS. RD. is an associate editor at EatingWell.

Dr. Oz's 6 Worst Meals in America

2010-08-12T17:29:00.003+08:00

With the help of Andrew Knowlton, restaurant editor for Bon Appetit magazine, Dr. Oz identified the 6 most diet-busting meals in America. But you can enjoy healthier versions of your favorite unhealthy dishes with SELF.com's good-for-you alternatives.
By merrit watts

Ice cream with mix-ins (candy, brownie bits, sprinkles and sauce)

This sweet treat was caught with 1,344 grams of sugar, thanks to the added toppings. Dr. Oz's advice: If you want to indulge a bit, just stick to a plain scoop or order gelato or sorbet instead, which are often lower in sugar; also trade candy mix-ins for fresh fruit.

Or, try these frozen faves that both slim and satisfy: Sharon's Sorbet, Mixed Berry (110 calories, 0 g fat per 1/2 cup); Edy's Light Slow Churned Neapolitan (100 calories, 3 g fat per 1/2 cup); and Yoláto Frozen Yogurt Gelato Bars Swirled With Pomegranate Sorbet ((80 calories, 0 g fat per pop).

Breakfast Sandwich

This diner sandwich consisting of pancake-wrapped egg, sausage and cheese has 973 milligrams of cholesterol. The average amount of cholesterol recommended per day? 300 milligrams.

"Eggs, sausage and cheese stuffed in any kind of bread—even whole-grain—is not a healthy combo. But wrapped in a pancake? That's a serious offense," Dr. Oz says.

Pasta with breaded shrimp

Pasta with breaded shrimp has 196 grams of carbs, nearly an entire day's worth. Huge portions of inexpensive carbs like pasta or fries are common offerings at restaurants. Such ingredients are both cheap and make the customer feel stuffed, as if they've gotten a great deal, Dr. Oz warns.

But there's no need to skip the carbs altogether. Research shows high-fiber varieties are so satisfying, they'll curb cravings to keep you slim and may help ward off cancer and heart disease.

You can definitely put pasta on your plate, but keep servings modest (one cup of cooked pasta has about 220 calories) and pair it with other healthy foods like vegetables and protein to round out your meal. Substitute a whole-grain variety in any recipe, which is naturally higher in fiber, protein and iron than the white stuff. Swap rich cream and butter toppings for marinara and other vegetable-based sauces.

Pepperoni and meatball pizza

The average slice of pepperoni and meatball pizza has 25 grams of fat, about half a day's worth. But one of America's favorite pastimes—going out for pizza—doesn't have to be a caloric catastrophe if you stick with the basic and stop at two slices. Steer clear of cheese-filled crusts; they can add 10 grams of fat per slice.

Dr. Oz advises ordering "Neapolitan-style" pizza with a thin crust and classic, beautiful ingredients like tomato sauce, fresh cheese and basil. (Want to make 100% sure your slice is healthy? Prepare it at home.)

Fish encrusted with parmesan cheese, served with spicy rice

You think you're making a healthy choice by ordering the fish, but not if it's served encrusted with salty breadcrumbs and parmesan cheese and seasoned rice on the side, Dr. Oz warns. (Eaten in moderation, however, parmesan is also a top weight loss food.) This salt-laden dish has 3,300 milligrams of sodium; the average maximum daily intake should be 2,300 milligrams. Not only will taking in too much sodium prompt your body to hang on to water weight, which causes bloat, but it's also harmful to your health. When cooking at home, add flavor with hot peppers and onions instead of salt.

Chicken burrito and chips

This lunch special has 1,700 calories—almost an entire day's worth! High-calorie ingredients like refried beans, white rice, cheddar cheese and sour cream make this dish a diet don't.

But cheese doesn't have to be a no-no. Women who had one serving of whole milk or cheese daily were less likely to gain weight over time, a study in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition finds. Whole dairy may have more conjugated linoleic acid, which might help your body burn fat.

Love avocado? It's actually a top weight loss food. The heart-healthy monounsaturated fat it contains increases satiety. Add avocado to your sandwich instead of mayo for a creamy texture and a shot of flavor. Avocados do contain a lot of calories, however, so it's best to watch your portions.

Wake Up With More Energy!

2010-06-27T18:19:00.001+08:00

Escape snooze-button hell with these easy tips, and soon you'll be bounding out of bed.
By Loren Chidoni, Women's Health.xncxjvhxncjv

Even if you log a full eight hours of shut-eye at night, you might not be getting the deep sleep you require. That's right—just like crunches and sex, when it comes to snagging Z's, quality counts as much as quantity. "Time in bed doesn't necessarily translate into good, restful sleep," says Joseph Ojile, M.D., founder and CEO of the Clayton Sleep Institute in St. Louis.

Think of it this way: Your body refuels with sleep; in order to wake up revved, you need premium octane. Along with making sure you have enough energy to power through the day, getting solid slumber can reduce your risk of heart disease, diabetes, and depression; make you more alert; and help you process information faster. Follow these tips to treat your body to restorative sleep.

Skip the nightcap

Just because your Uncle Ed always nods off after a few glasses of spiked eggnog doesn't mean that booze is a liquid lullaby. "Alcohol may help you fall asleep faster, but once your body begins to remove it from your system, it acts as a stimulant," says Donna Arand, Ph.D., clinical director of the Sleep Disorders Center at Kettering Medical Center in Kettering, Ohio.

"Four or five hours after your last drink, you'll wake up, and it will be hard to fall back to sleep." So instead of reaching for a glass of pinot noir, start a nighttime ritual that actually promotes sleep: Take a warm shower (when you step out, your body begins to cool off, a process it goes through before sleep) or sip a cup of decaf chamomile tea.

Stop relying on late-night infomercials to zonk you out. Get your Z's on with these 15 other tips for a better night's sleep.

Breathe easier

If you're one of the 12 million Americans with sleep apnea, you're about 80 percent more likely to feel sluggish during the day, no matter how many hours you sleep, Ojile says. The condition occurs when the soft tissue at the back of your throat blocks your airway during sleep, stopping your breathing and waking you up as many as hundreds of times a night. "Imagine how exhausted you'd feel if someone were constantly poking you awake," Ojile says. "Apnea deprives your brain of oxygen, increases your heart rate, and saps your energy levels."

Two common signs of apnea: loud snoring and, more seriously, waking up to the feeling that you're choking. If you experience either of these symptoms, visit your doctor and start sleeping on your side instead of your back with your head propped up on two or three pillows. "If you rest your upper body at a 30-degree or greater incline, it may make a more direct path for air to move in and out of the lungs," Arand says.

Jump Your Way to Slim

2010-06-27T18:15:00.002+08:00

Jumping rope isn't that tough, which is why kids love it so much. Boxers use it routinely to build cardiovascular endurance and stamina needed to make it to the last round. It also helps improve footwork, coordination, and balance. Muhammad Ali said that he loved skipping rope as part of his training. It helped perfect what he called his "prancing and dancing" in the ring.

It's best to start out slow and steady, so you don't get tripped up—especially if you haven't jumped rope since your elementary school days. However, since our workout calls for quite a bit of jumping rope, building to 12-minute sessions, you'll need to mix it by learning some footwork and arm moves. Before trying any tricks, keep these guidelines in mind:

Keep it simple, relax, and find your rhythm.
Jump with both feet and land on the balls of your feet.
Lift your feet off the floor just high enough for the rope to pass quickly. Avoid jumping too high or landing too hard.
Wear sneakers with plenty of padding to absorb the shock of your body weight. (Lightweight cross-trainers or running shoes are best.) Always wear socks to prevent blisters.
Bend your knees slightly, rather than locking them. This will help absorb the force of your body weight.
Keep your shoulders relaxed and your hands at your sides and turn with your wrists—not with your arms.
Be patient. Start out slowly, and then increase your speed once you become more comfortable.

The right rope

There are many different kinds of jump ropes. When choosing the right one for you, make sure the length is correct. Hold the rope and stand with your feet on the middle. If the length is just right, the handles should just reach your armpits. The handles should be thick and comfortable.

Once you've gotten the hang of jumping, try running in place while turning the rope for variety and an additional challenge. Turn the rope and step over it with one foot. On the next turn, step over the rope with the other foot. You should feel like you're jogging in place while jumping rope.

Coach's corner

Jumping rope improves footwork and balance. Skipping from foot to foot involved in jumping rope is great practice for shifting your weight into your punches.

"I used to hate jumping rope and not be able to do it. But after three months of getting laughed at, I now can jump for 20 minutes at a time!” —Alexis, age 23

How fast to go

It's important to gauge how hard your body is working, based on how you feel, not how you think you're supposed to feel. (For some people, walking up one flight of stairs is all it takes to get short of breath. For others, it'll take running up 10 flights to get that same response.)

That's why, when it comes to your rope skipping, we're not going to tell you how fast to turn the rope or how many jumps to squeeze in per minute. Instead, pace yourself based on your perceived level of exertion, using this one-to-10 scale:

1-2: Just barely moving

You're moving, but you're certainly not putting yourself out at all. Think window shopping or strolling through the park.

3-4: Easy

This is your brisk, warm-up pace. Your blood is pumping, and your muscles warm, but you're still breathing at or close to normal.

5-6: Moderate

Now, you're starting to work hard. You should feel your heart pounding and sweat forming on your forehead. You should also be breathing faster than normal, but not so hard that you can't hold a conversation without gasping for air between sentences.

7-8: Intense

You can feel your heart beating. You're breathing so heavily that you can't talk without pausing for air between phrases. In the ring, this is how you'll feel when you're going all out during the last 30 seconds of the last round.

9-10: All out

You are performing at your body's maximum capacity, which you can only sustain for a very, very short period of time. (If ever you're working this hard, there is probably a hungry bear running toward you.)

You should start out jumping at an easy pace, then move to a moderate level followed by an intense level. Because it's difficult to go "all out" for very long, that level is too intense. And if you're barely moving, you'll need to push harder to reap full benefit.

8 Surprising Foods That Lower Cholesterol

2010-04-21T19:00:00.000+08:00

Certain foods have been shown to decrease heart disease risk by lowering LDL (“bad”) cholesterol levels and raising HDL (“good”) cholesterol. And while you probably know about the cholesterol-busting powers of oatmeal, beans, and olive oil, you may be surprised to discover that some of your favorite foods can also make an improvement in your cholesterol profile. Here, the authors of The New American Diet lay out the science behind some surprising foods that can help protect your heart.

And click here to order your copy of The New American Diet and lose up to 15 pounds in 6 weeks!

Pasta

The antioxidants in pasta help control inflammation and insulin, which in turn helps reduce levels of harmful LDL cholesterol and triglycerides. When Harvard University researchers analyzed the diets of more than 27,000 people over 8 years, they discovered that those who ate whole grains daily weighed 2.5 pounds less than those who ate refined grains. Barilla, a major manufacturer of pasta products, recently released a line of whole-grain pastas that are almost identical to the average supermarket brand, and you can buy them in bulk at discount stores!

Scrambled Eggs

A study in the Journal of Nutrition found that eating eggs increases good (HDL) cholesterol but not bad (LDL) cholesterol. So eggs actually help your arteries stay clear! In another study, overweight participants ate a 340-calorie breakfast of either two eggs or a single bagel 5 days a week for 8 weeks. Those who ate eggs (including the yolk) reported higher energy levels and lost 65 percent more weight—with no effect on their total cholesterol levels.

Hamburger (from Grass-Fed Beef)

The perfect heart-healthy diet is balanced in its ratio of omega-3 to omega-6 fatty acids. While conventionally farmed beef is about 1:20 in its ratio of omega-3 to omega-6, grass-fed beef is more like 1:3—close to the ratio found in most fish. And grass-fed beef has twice the vitamin E and only about 15 percent as much fat as conventionally raised beef. Grass-fed beef is available through a variety of Internet sources or at most farmers’ markets.

And if you must grab a burger on the go, be sure you don't pick up any of the 15 worst burgers in America.

Egg McMuffins

It might not be perfect, but a fast-food breakfast is better than none, and the Egg McMuffin’s nice balance of protein, carbs, and fats with just 450 calories make it one of the best go-to options in fast-food land. The National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey II revealed that serum cholesterol levels are highest among those who skip breakfast. According to Harvard researchers, eating breakfast makes for smaller rises in blood sugar levels throughout the day. And regulating blood sugar helps reduce levels of harmful LDL cholesterol and triglycerides.

Almonds

When researchers at Purdue University had people eat 2 ounces of almonds a day for 23 weeks, they found that not only did they not gain any weight, but they decreased their caloric intake from other unhealthy food sources while improving cardiovascular risk factors like lipid metabolism and cholesterol levels.

Almonds are also great muscle-builders, which in turn revs up your metabolism. Check out this list for more foods that pack on lean muscle.

Chipotle Grill’s Carnitas Bowl

A fast-food pork dish can improve your cholesterol profile? Yes. Chipotle Grill uses naturally farmed pork that’s high in stearic acid—the same kind of heart-healthy fat found in olive oil. By skipping the carbohydrate-laden wrap and adding black beans, you’ll get a healthy dose of protein and fiber as well.

If Chipotle isn't your choice for eating out, try one of these other surprisingly healthy restaurant foods.

Dark Chocolate

Research shows that dark chocolate can improve heart health, lower blood pressure, reduce LDL (bad) cholesterol, decrease the risk of blood clots, and increase blood flow to the brain.

Choose the best dark chocolate and other packaged foods with the Men's Health list of the 125 best foods in your supermarket.

Anchovy Pizza

The magic of the anchovy pizza comes from its combination of fish and garlic. Fish is loaded with minerals such as zinc, copper, iron, iodine, and selenium that work as cofactors to improve the effectiveness of cholesterol-lowering fish oils. Adding garlic to the mix lowers total cholesterol better than eating those fillets or cloves alone. Any fish/garlic combination will work, but few others will show up at your door in 30 minutes or less. Just be sure you don't order any of the worst pizzas in America.

Here are three 'healthy' foods that won't help:

Tilapia

You might think ordering the fish is always the best idea, but a 2008 report from the Journal of the American Dietetic Association stated that eating farmed fish such as tilapia may actually do harm to people suffering from heart disease. The reason: Tilapia is naturally low in omega-3s and high in omega-6s, and often served breaded and fried, making it no better or possibly even worse for your heart than fried chicken.

What you think is good for you sometimes isn't.

Applesauce

An apple a day might keep the doctor away, but when you strip away the apple’s fiber-dense skin and add sweetners, as most applesauce makers do, you create a processed food that’s high in sugar and low in fiber—a perfect recipe for blood-sugar swings that raise cholesterol levels. Conventionally grown apples also tend to be high in pesticides, which have been linked to obesity and metabolic syndrome.

Tofu

Isn’t soy supposed to lower cholesterol? A study in the journal Circulation found that you’d need to eat 2 pounds of tofu every single day to lower your LDL cholesterol by a measly 3 percent. As a result, the American Heart Association no longer recommends soy as a heart-healthy food. Still, Americans eat enormous amounts of soy already, and recent studies show that soy makes it harder to retain muscle and easier to store fat.

5 Ways to Be Happier and Less Stressed

2010-04-20T19:00:00.000+08:00

Try these simple tweaks to boost your mood.

Experts attribute about 50 percent of a person’s happiness to genes and another 10 percent to circumstances—where we live, how much money we make, how healthy we are. That leaves 40 percent of our happiness in our control. Fortunately, science has much to say about how we can make the most of that 40 percent. Even small improvements in mood can have cascading effects. The trick is to pay attention to what strategies work best for you. Try these for starters.

Savor mystery

In a culture obsessed with the power of information, the fact that most of us are a little unnerved by uncertainty is hardly surprising. Yet research suggests that a dash of mystery can make positive experiences last longer. In one study, University of Virginia psychologist Timothy Wilson, Ph.D., and colleagues found that students who were given a $1 coin with little explanation reported feeling happier a few minutes later than those who were given either the same amount of money for a clear reason or no money at all. Next time you're nearing the end of an engrossing book, save the final pages for a few days later. Or shop from catalogs so you won't know exactly when your purchases will arrive—if you're lucky, when they do you may have forgotten what you've ordered.

10 secrets of happy people

Diversify your good deeds

Being kind and helpful makes most everyone feel good. But just as the novelty of a new car or electronic gadget inevitably wears off, so does the warm glow that comes from doing the same good deed over and over. People who performed various small acts of kindness every week for 10 weeks—shoveling a friend’s sidewalk, giving pets a special treat, sending a birthday card—grew happier with each passing week, and the benefit lasted for at least another month, found a study by University of California, Riverside psychologist Sonja Lyubomirsky, Ph.D., and colleagues.

Hope for small changes, not big ones

Research shows that even major life events, such as winning the lottery, hardly nudge people’s overall sense of satisfaction. But that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t try to improve your well-being. Recent research finds that the little things we do regularly, like exercising or attending religious services, can have a major impact on our happiness. In one study, Yale University psychologist Daniel Mochon, Ph.D., and colleagues at Harvard and Duke universities discovered that people leaving religious services felt slightly happier than those going in—and the more regularly people attended religious services, the happier they felt overall.

Small changes for major health benefits

Invest in experiences, not stuff

Doing things, not buying things, gives you the most bang for your buck. Why? For one thing, says University of Colorado at Boulder social psychologist Leaf Van Boven, Ph.D., it’s easier to reinterpret experiences than to retool material purchases. If your new smart phone disappoints, you have to either shell out for a better one or lower your expectations. But if it rains on a hiking trip, you can recast the drenching experience in your memory as a character-building challenge.

Why a to-do list keeps you healthy

Shift your focus

From work to relationships to health, we have choices about where to concentrate our attention. When a snowstorm keeps you from getting to the office, do you choose to focus on how behind you’ll be by tomorrow or on the eight-hour gift of time you’ve just been given? The answer to such questions has a big influence on your well-being, writes Winifred Gallagher, author of Rapt: Attention and the Focused Life. Studies show that focusing on positive emotions—curiosity instead of fear, compassion instead of anger—leads to broader, more flexible thinking, more playfulness and exploration, and richer social connections.

7 Reasons You're Still Hungry

2010-04-19T19:00:00.000+08:00

Do you sometimes feel ravenous, even though you just polished off a tasty lunch, a full dinner, or a midnight snack? Some food ingredients can trick our bodies into not recognizing when we’re full, causing “rebound hunger” that can add inches to our waistlines. But these simple tweaks from the authors of The New American Diet can help quiet your cravings.

Craving culprit: You’re bored

Researchers at Flinders University in Australia found that visual distractions can help curb cravings. To test yourself, envision a huge, sizzling steak. If you’re truly hungry, the steak will seem appealing. But if that doesn’t seem tempting, chances are you’re in need of a distraction, not another meal.

Craving culprit: You’re not staying fluid

Dehydration often mimics the feeling of hunger. If you’ve just eaten and still feel hungry, drink a glass of water before eating more, and see if your desires don’t diminish.

If you're sick of H2O, but need to replenish fluids, reach for one of these 10 surprising water alternatives.

Craving culprit: You don’t stop for tea time

According to a study in the Journal of the American College of Nutrition, people who drank one cup of black tea after eating high-carb foods decreased their blood-sugar levels by 10 percent for 2.5 hours after the meal, which means they stayed full longer and had fewer food cravings. Researchers credit the polyphenolic compounds in black tea for suppressing rebound hunger.

Craving culprit: You skipped the salad

Most Americans don’t eat enough leafy greens, which are rich in the essential B-vitamin folate and help protect against depression, fatigue, and weight gain. In one study, dieters with the highest levels of folate in their bodies lost 8.5 times as much weight as those with the lowest levels. Leafy greens are also high in vitamin K, another insulin-regulating nutrient that helps quash cravings. Best sources: Romaine lettuce, spinach, collard greens, radicchio.

Also include these 15 new superfoods in your meals for delicious ways to flatten your belly.

Craving culprit: Your breakfast wasn’t big enough

After following 6,764 healthy people for almost four years, researchers found that those who ate just 300 calories for breakfast gained almost twice as much weight as those who ate 500 calories or more for breakfast. The reason: Eating a big breakfast makes for smaller rises in blood sugar and insulin throughout the day, meaning fewer sudden food cravings.

Craving culprit: Your dinner came out of a can

Many canned foods are high in the chemical bisphenol-A, or BPA, which the Food and Drug Administration recently stated was a chemical “of some concern.” Exposure to BPA can cause abnormal surges in leptin that, according to Harvard University researchers, leads to food cravings and obesity.

Craving culprit: You drink too much soda.

Sodas, iced teas, and other sweetened beverages are our biggest source of high-fructose corn syrup—accounting for about two-thirds of our annual intake. New research from the University of California at San Francisco indicates that fructose can trick our brains into craving more food, even when we’re full. It works by impeding the body’s ability to use leptin, the “satiation hormone” that tells us when we’ve had enough to eat.

To prevent your waistline from expanding when you sip, avoid the 20 worst drinks in America.

Order your copy of The New American Diet and lose up to 15 pounds in 6 weeks!

Thin on the Outside, Obese on the Inside

2010-04-18T19:00:00.000+08:00

fitting into size 2 ins't all it's cracked up to be if you're really fat inside.
By Martica Heaner, Ph.D.

To the world, they’re picture-perfect: enviably thin and free of the health problems associated with being overweight, and they can fit into the skinniest of jeans. But to researchers like Jimmy Bell, Ph.D., a professor of molecular imaging at the Imperial College at the University of London, skinny people—even supermodel types—can be superfat: “Everyone expects an overweight person to have lots of fat, but it can be a shock when a thin person has as much internal body fat as an obese, or even morbidly obese person.”

Normal-weight obesity is a term used for thin people who are really fat because, despite weighing light on a scale or having a “normal” body mass index of 24.9 or below, they have high levels of body fat.

Researchers have long used the BMI, derived from height and weight, as a surrogate measure of fat and the health risks associated with it, although BMI does not actually measure body fat. A BMI of 25 or above is classified as overweight, since this is the point where health risks start to rise. A BMI of 30 or above is considered obese, because risk factors increase exponentially at that point.

While classifying people by BMI is convenient, the measure is not without limitations. BMI can convey a false sense of risk to people who are heavier but fit—either because they are cardiovascularly trained from regular exercise, or because they have more muscle and less fat.

But as it turns out, presumably healthy BMIs can be misleading, too. People with a normal BMI may have a high level of risk if they have a high level of body fat. And as many as 30 million Americans may fall into this normal-weight but obese category, according to a 2009 study in the European Heart Journal.

Researchers looked at the BMI and body fat of more than 6,000 U.S. adults. When BMIs were compared with body fat percentages, a surprising number of people who were normal-weight according to BMI were actually obese judging by body fat levels. Worse, this study found that many of these thin-but-fat people had cardiovascular disease (heart attacks or strokes) and/or signs of metabolic syndrome such as abnormal cholesterol levels and high blood pressure. The skinny-but-fat had four times the prevalence of metabolic syndrome as those with less body fat, and normal-weight women with a high level of body fat had more than twice the risk of death from cardiovascular disease compared with those with a low level of body fat.

“People get so obsessed with how much they weigh and what they look like, and they think that if they are thin, then they are healthy,” Bell said. “But you can’t judge by how you look, because you can’t tell what’s on the inside by looking on the outside.”

And where your fat is turns out to be as important as—or more important than—how much of it you have. Today’s high-tech lab equipment is allowing glimpses of body fat like never before. Bell has centered much of his research on quantifying the amounts and locations of fat within the body using magnetic resonance imaging machines. This, and similar technology, has revealed that not only do people of all shapes and sizes have the pinchable or jiggly fat known as subcutaneous fat, or fat that is just under the skin, but that fat is also stored internally throughout the body.

Internal fat can be in the intra-abdominal area, from the top of your hips to the top of your liver. Within this area is a depot of visceral fat, deep within the belly. Fat can be ectopic—hidden in and around organs such as the liver and pancreas. It can also be stored in and around muscles. “The more internal body fat a person has, the more they are setting themselves up for health problems later, because internal fat is correlated with more health risks than external fat. A thin but overfat person without health problems may eventually reach a tipping point where suddenly they develop high blood pressure or Type 2 diabetes,” Bell says.

So how can you gauge whether you are too fat?

“Pinching an inch or more at the waist is a wonderful wake-up call that you may have too much fat,” says Len Kravitz, Ph.D., a professor of exercise physiology at the University of New Mexico.

Measuring waist circumference can be an indicator of the amount of fat in the torso. (Higher health risks have been shown in women with waists that are 35 inches or more and in men with waists at or larger than 40 inches.)

But a little bit of flab around the middle won’t tell your overall body fat percentage or how much internal fat you may have. “Getting measured with skin fold calipers from a trained professional in a health club, university or clinical setting is the easiest way to get an estimate of total body fat and lean mass,” Kravitz says. More precise body-composition measures include the Bod Pod, an underwater-weighing scale, or the DEXA (or DXA) scan, but they are hard to find and expensive.

The only way to get an idea of your fat distribution, or how much internal fat you have and where it is deposited, is to get an MRI, CT or DXA scan. These expensive machines aren’t usually available for those who are simply curious about their body fat. But check your local university or research hospital; you may be able to enroll in a study and get a scan performed as part of your participation.

How can you lose the internal fat?

You don’t really need to know how much internal body fat you have to reduce it. To lose it, you just need to start exercising, if you’re not already. Bell conducted a study in the journal Lipids on 17 normal-weight women, having them perform aerobic exercise three days a week for at least 30 minutes. The women did not diet. After six months, MRIs showed significant fat losses—an average 17 percent reduction in the internal fat and a 25 percent decrease in visceral fat. “Some women lost up to 60 percent of their internal fat, showing a great improvement in metabolic health,” Bell says, “yet they were all disappointed because they did not lose weight on the scale.” Bell and colleagues also measured fat in slim men who were fit and in men who were slim, but unfit and inactive. Their 2009 study, published in the International Journal of Obesity, showed that the fit men had lower levels of visceral and liver fat than the unfit men.

“Your main exercise thrust should be to do a combination of cardio exercise on most days of the week with resistance exercise on two to three days a week,” Kravitz says. And don’t get too obsessed with how much you weigh, since the scale can’t reveal the true picture of what shape your body is in.

To Stretch or Not to Stretch Before Working Out?

2010-04-17T19:00:00.000+08:00

it is safe to skip flexibility moves before running or taking a fitness class?
by Martica Heaner Ph.D., M.A., M.Ed.

Q. I got to serveral exercise classes where we dont't before going into the workout. Should I be concerned?

A. As long as you are warming up before you start doing vigorous or intense physical activity—and that includes strength training as well as cardio—you can safely skip a pre-workout stretch. In fact, some research suggests that you may perform better if you don’t stretch before intense or dynamic exercise. Most people tend to respond better to flexibility exercises when muscles are thoroughly warmed up anyway, so to increase flexibility, stretching at the end of a workout makes the most sense.

If skipping your pre-exercise stretches seems like surprising advise , it's because stretching before exercising is almost a ritual in some fitness disciplines. Dancers typically start off by doing “isolations” (exercises that move a joint through its normal range of motion) and long-held, deep, static stretches. Many martial arts include deep stretches before dynamic high kicks and jumps. And starting in the ’80s, the typical aerobics class format began with a few minutes of easy movements followed by deep stretches of all the major muscles. Many people believe that they will suffer injuries if they don’t stretch first. So it’s not uncommon to see people in the gym stretch before they run on the treadmill or launch into a heavy-duty workout.

But just because this approach is status quo doesn't mean it's the best way to start off a workout. In fact, research has shown that stretching, especially slow, deep, still (or static) stretches can create a pre-workout relaxation state in muscle fibers that actually inhibits their ability to contract powerfully. And if you are moving quickly (running, jumping) or powerfully (climbing, sprinting or lifting heavy weights), the last thing you need is muscle fibers that are slow to contract.

In 2007, the journal Sports Medicine published academic reviews looking at the effects of stretching on strength performance and at the research on the role of warming up and/or stretching in the prevention of injuries to muscles. Both reviews concluded that warming up was essential.

Warming up involves easy movements that take joints through their natural range of motion. So walking for five or 10 minutes is a warm-up for running. Marching in place and moving the arms and/or legs gently in different directions (doing arm raises, knee lifts, etc.) can warm up the body to do most any kind of exercise. The point of a warm-up is to increase body temperature, increase the lubrication of the joints, increase the blood flow to muscles and prime the nerves to transmit signals to muscles. A warm-up literally prepares the body to work efficiently once the intensity starts to increase: Muscles contract more easily, joints bend more smoothly, and so on.

Stretching, on the other hand, is not universally recommended. The research on whether it helps or hinders a workout—or leads to injury or prevents it—is contradictory. This is partly because of different research designs that have used a wide variety of stretches (from slow and deep to fast, dynamic stretches to contract-relax muscle maneuvers) and protocols (stretching for 10 seconds versus 90 seconds, for example).

The review on stretching before lifting weights found that strength performance could be hampered by stretching first. Other research has found that it’s better not to relax muscles with long, deep stretches just before asking them to contract with great force or intensity.

On the other hand, the review on how stretching and warming up affects injuries concluded with a recommendation that a warm-up with stretching should be performed up to 15 minutes before exercise. The authors point out that muscles work effectively when they can easily move through a joint’s normal range of motion, and that poor flexibility has been associated with higher injury risks. It’s unclear whether people who are very flexible—such as those who dance or do yoga—should emphasize maintaining a high level of flexibility or try to become even more flexible.

More research on what kinds of stretching are beneficial, how much and on which bodies needs to be conducted.

Find all articles by Martica.

Do you have a fitness or weight-loss question for Martica? Send e-mail to experts@microsoft.com. Please include Ask Martica in the subject line. Each of our experts responds to one question each week and the responses are posted on Mondays on MSN Health. We regret that we cannot provide a personalized response to every submission.

Martica Heaner, Ph.D., M.A., M.Ed., is a Manhattan-based exercise physiologist and nutritionist, and an award-winning fitness instructor and health writer. She has a Ph.D. in behavioral nutrition and physical activity from Columbia University, and is also a NASM-certified personal trainer. She has written hundreds of articles for publications such as Self , Health , Prevention , The New York Times and others. Martica is the author of eight books, including her latest, Cross-Training for Dummies. (Read her full bio.)

Fast-Food Dieting: Can You? Should You?

2010-04-16T19:00:00.000+08:00

what you should know about lower-calorie menu items at fast-food restaurants.

by Martica Heaner, Ph.D., M.A., M.Ed.

Q. Is it OK to diet by eating smarter fast-food choices?

A. As Jared of Subway-dieting fame proved, you can lose weight eating fast food. But, as Morgan Spurlock, the star and director of the 2004 documentary Super Size Me, showed, your food choices at fast-food restaurants matter. Spurlock ate nothing but fast food from McDonald’s for every meal for one month. Not only did he gain weight and grow a substantially larger belly, many indicators of his health plummeted—including a worsening of his liver function—likely due to increased fat stored in the liver from the super-high-fat diet.

Of course, that was then and this is now. Most fast-food restaurants took notice of this award-winning exposé and have started offering some low-calorie, low-fat, non-trans-fat or otherwise healthier versions of their foods.

With a little research, you can figure out which foods have fewer calories and less fat. Most every major fast-food chain now provides extensive nutritional information on their Web sites. And in some states and cities, the calorie content of products is listed on the menu boards.

Posted calorie counts can be eye-opening. For example, not many people realize that the average cookie or slice of cake at Starbucks ranges from 300 to 500 calories. Who would have thought that meeting a friend for a midday coffee drink at Starbucks and nibbling on a piece of cake can pack an extra 800 to 1,000 calories into your day? (That’s as much as a Big Mac and fries and can add up to nearly 50 percent of your calorie quota for an entire day!)

When you’re on the road and making a spontaneous food stop, Web site information won’t help, and you may not be in a city that offers detailed nutritional info. So, a helpful resource to carry with you is the book Eat This, Not That, written by the editor of Men’s Health magazine, David Zinczenko. The book contrasts the nutritional and calorie content of a variety of foods at the different major fast-food outlets and guides you to the better option.

Some chains, such as Taco Bell, are making concerted efforts to offer healthier choices, specifically items from its “Fresco” line, including a crunchy taco that contains around 92 calories, and a bean burrito that has only 213. It’s important to keep in mind, however, that these figures may not be reliable. A 2010 study in the Journal of the American Dietetic Association analyzed 39 lower-calorie fast-food items and frozen meals from supermarkets. On average, the fast-food items contained 18 percent more calories than stated on their menus (the frozen meals contained an average of 8 percent more calories). Some of the items came with free side dishes that may not have been included in the published calorie estimate, or portion sizes varied, which accounted for the caloric differences. These discrepancies were mostly within the ranges of deviation allowed by the Food and Drug Administration in packaged foods. But three of the 39 items actually had double the amount of calories stated. While the differences in calories were not found to be statistically significant, if you are closely monitoring calories and get just 50 to 100 more than you calculated, theoretically that could add up to an extra five to 10 pounds gained (or not lost) per year.

Should you diet with fast food?

There are some advantages to dieting with fast food. Mainly, it’s cheap and your portion sizes are determined for you. So it’s easier to control what and how much you eat—as long as you stick to the predetermined healthiest fast-food items.

Of course, it’s important to keep in mind that fast food is processed food. Even lower-calorie items may not have as much fiber or other nutrients as you may need. And you may also be getting a dose of preservatives, extra sodium or other undesirable ingredients with your lower-calorie choice. For example, you might miss out on many important nutrients from fruits and vegetables if you eat mostly fast-food fare. The typical vegetable offerings center on lettuce and tomato. If you’re going Mexican, you might stumble across some beans, avocado or peppers (all very nutritious). But for the most part, you are not going to be able to obtain a green, organic, high-fiber diet with these meals.

To ensure that your focus is not only on calories at the expense of nutrition, make sure that you are eating plenty of fresh fruit in addition to your fast food, always order menu items that contain beans if they are offered (high in fiber and plenty of nutrients) and ask for extra vegetables, such as tomatoes, on whatever you order. Try to supplement by eating extra veggies during your other meals.

How to diet eating fast food

You should approach a fast-food diet like any other: Aim to eat fewer calories per day than normal. General recommendations are to reduce the amount of calories that you normally eat by around 250 to 500 calories per day. Of course, this implies that you already know how many calories you take in, on average. If you don’t, read my article here to figure it out. Then take the total you normally eat, subtract 250 to 500, and use the resulting number as your calorie-intake goal while you are dieting. Choose menu items and other foods in your day that total up to this number. Remember to supplement with extra fruits and vegetables, and order beans when you can.

Also, don’t forget to exercise. It is nearly impossible to lose weight in a healthy way if you are not exercising while you do it. Regular cardio activities, such as walking or cycling, and weight lifting can help prevent you from losing muscle mass and can help you lose deep belly fat as you lose weight.

Find all articles by Martica.

How Bad Are Your Health Vices?

2010-04-15T19:00:00.004+08:00

Can you ever reverse the damage of a past smoking habit or the savage tans you sported into your 30s? Here, what's forgivable, what's regrettable, and how to get healthier.

Content provided by:

OTC Diet Pills: Forgivable

The FDA continues to recall various OTC diet pills because of health and safety concerns.
Most recently, it pulled the plug on Hydroxycut because of liver injuries (complaints ranged from jaundice and elevated liver enzymes, an indicator of potential liver injury, to liver damage requiring liver transplant). Others may contain untested active pharmaceutical ingredients, including antiseizure meds and diuretics. Yet another substance found in some products (sibutramine) can cause high blood pressure, seizures, tachycardia (rapid heartbeat), palpitations, heart attack, or stroke, or interact with other medications that patients may be taking. A few years ago, the FDA banned ephedra after 16,000 reports of adverse events revealed two deaths, four heart attacks, nine strokes, and one seizure.

If you're concerned about whether you will experience longer-lasting effects from these drugs, ask your doctor. In many cases, the chemicals leave your system quickly so there's less of a long-term damage risk. For example: "Ephedra, like most stimulants, is out of your system after 12 hours," says Shari Midoneck, MD, an internist at Weill Medical College of Cornell University.

Fasting: Forgettable

If you've ever been suckered into a weekend detox fast at one of those high-priced spas where supermodels go to slim down for Fashion Week, relax.

The effects of fasting once or twice a year won't make you ill—and you won't lose bone mass the way you might with yo-yo dieting. On the downside, despite the claims, doctors say that fasting won't rid your body of toxins or result in lasting weight loss.

Yo-Yo Dieting: Forgivable

This is generally defined as gaining and losing 10 pounds at least five times in your life.
Though there's no definite evidence that this is harmful, "some studies have suggested it may be," says Sharonne Hayes, MD, director of the Women's Heart Clinic at the Mayo Clinic. One University of Michigan study found that people with a history of yo-yo dieting had reduced blood flow to the heart; another study suggested it may also lead to decreased bone mass. The potential upshot: heart and bone problems after menopause.

However, experts aren't sure whether the yo-yoing itself is the culprit or whether extreme diets lead to nutritional deficiencies that can affect long-term health. To break the cycle, set your sights on a realistic goal and try to maintain that weight. If you must diet, "aim to lose only a pound or two a month and try not to gain 10 pounds over the winter," says Hayes. Get yearly cholesterol and blood pressure checks to detect early signs of heart disease.

Alcohol: Forgivable

First, be honest about your drinking days: Did you occasionally overdo it on weekends? Or were you a problem drinker who downed up to four drinks a night, several times a week, for an extended period?

The former is repairable, says Robert M. Swift, MD, a professor of psychiatry and human behavior at Brown University, because the major organs affected by alcohol—the brain, liver, and pancreas—are fairly resilient. Moderate amounts, about one drink a day for women, may even prevent heart disease and certain cancers and could make you live longer. However, if you put yourself in the latter category, ask your primary care doctor for an ALT (alanine transaminase/aminotransferase) test, which detects liver damage. And make sure you watch your waistline. Scientific research has found that more than four drinks a day predisposes you to belly fat, which can increase your risk of heart disease; the same amount of alcohol can put you at risk of stroke.

Also, be sure to get an annual mammogram. In a study by researchers at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center in Seattle, older women who had consumed two or more drinks a day for 20 years—and were still drinking—had 3 times the risk of getting hormonally sensitive breast cancer than did abstainers. Finally, drinkers should know that one study found that just two drinks a week can raise the risk of certain types of cataracts by 13%, so visit an ophthalmologist every year.

Fast Food: Forgivable

Studies show that just hours after you've eaten a typical fast-food lunch, fat globules start to obstruct your blood vessels. Continued consumption of these unhealthy meals can trigger heart problems, obesity, and diabetes.

That's not to say that if you enjoyed regular drive-thru meals when your kids were young, you should check in to the hospital now. Much of the damage from a poor diet can be undone. "A general rule: As long as it took for you to get to an unhealthy state, that's about how long it takes to become disease free," says Merz. Research suggests that taking 1,200 IU of vitamin E and 500 mg of vitamin C before an unhealthy meal can help your heart by alleviating fat-induced inflammation. Over the long run, following either a low-fat vegetarian regimen or a Mediterranean diet that's rich in healthy fats, whole grains, and vegetables has been shown to reverse heart disease risk. Getting 30 minutes of aerobic exercise at least three times a week works, too.

"Women who eat a fast-food diet tend to miss out on calcium, which helps build healthy bones, because they don't drink milk," says Judith S. Stern, ScD, RD, a professor of nutrition and internal medicine at the University of California, Davis. Premenopausal women should be vigilant about getting 1,000 mg of calcium per day; older women need 1,200 mg. Weight-bearing exercise, such as walking, hiking, or lifting weights, also boosts bone density, and is a must for former junk-food junkies.

Loud Concerts: Regrettable

If you spent college weekends swaying to live Grateful Dead jams, don't blame your ringing ears and hearing loss on age.

One-third of the 28 million Americans with hearing loss can attribute the problem to noise exposure, according to the National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders. Loud sounds destroy the ear's sensory nerve cells, sometimes so gradually that you don't even notice it. Although you can't repair this damage, you can preserve what you have left. The golden rule: "If you're in a noisy room where you have to raise your voice to be heard by someone 3 feet away, then it's too loud," says Greg Flamme, PhD, an assistant professor in the department of speech pathology and audiology at Western Michigan University. Also, play your iPod on the lowest volume that's audible to protect against further damage. And if you return to the concert arena or climb onto the back of a roaring motorcycle, please do so sporting protective earmuffs or musicians' earplugs.

Sunburns: Regrettable

Although dermatologists know that ultraviolet (UV) radiation alters DNA, which can eventually cause cancer, they don't know how much UV exposure it takes to cause DNA damage.
They also can't say for sure who will get cancer, or how soon after a blistering burn cancer could develop. All the more reason for former sun worshippers to follow this four-point plan: 1) See a dermatologist every year for a skin cancer screening. 2) Wear SPF 15 sunscreen every day; use 30-plus when spending time outside. 3) Avoid being outdoors between 10 AM and 4 PM. 4) Try to cover yourself with a long-sleeved shirt, pants, and a broad-rimmed hat if you must be in the sun.

Too Much Coffee: Forgettable

Don't worry too much if you can't stop jonesing for java.

"There's no proven link between caffeine and heart disease or cancer as long as you stay under six cups of coffee per day," says C. Noel Bairey Merz, MD, director of the preventive and rehabilitative cardiac center at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles. Even better, long-term coffee consumption may reduce your risk of type 2 diabetes. And an alkaloid in coffee may prevent cavities. However, more than 300 mg of caffeine a day combined with insufficient calcium could contribute to bone loss, so coffee, tea, and cola drinkers should compensate with a calcium supplement. The final word on caffeine from one bone-health and nutrition expert: "Stick to two cups a day, and add milk for the calcium," advises Jasminka Ilich-Ernst, PhD, an associate professor of nutrition at Florida State University.

Pot: Regrettable

Sorry, Cheech, but scientists have determined that this habit is as unwholesome as tobacco.

"We used to think that marijuana was safe, but it contains many of the same cancer-producing chemicals as cigarette smoke and has the same health-harming effects," says Diane Stover, MD, chief of pulmonary service at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center in New York City. Ex-tokers would be wise to follow the same advice given above for ex-smokers.

Cigarettes: Regrettable

By Daryl Chen, Prevention

Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer death in women. It turns out that the 4,000 chemicals in tobacco appear to be even more lethal when ingested by women than by men.

Lung damage from emphysema or bronchitis can't be reversed, but your cardiovascular system can bounce back. "Within 24 hours of stopping smoking, there is improvement in the function of the blood vessels. After 1 year, there's a 50% reduction in the risk of having a heart attack," says Sharonne Hayes, MD, director of the Women's Heart Clinic at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, MN. Thirty minutes of exercise a day will speed the return to normal heart function.

Although everyone should eat at least 5 to 7 servings of fruits and vegetables a day, ex-smokers should consider making one or two of those servings strawberries or black or red raspberries, which may prevent the onset of esophageal cancer, according to research at Ohio State University. Getting one to two times the daily value of folate (found in whole grains and greens) and B12 (in meat and dairy products) can reduce cell damage that may lead to cancer.

How Nutritionists Eat Fast Food

2010-04-14T19:00:00.000+08:00

Find out what dietitians and other food experts eat when they're on the go.

Cold Stone Creamery: Sinless Cake Batter with Fudge

“Cold Stone Creamery is famous for its Cake Batter ice cream flavor because it’s just like licking batter from the bowl,” says Krieg, who oversees new flavor development for the ice cream chain. But the “Sinless” option saves you about half the calories and 95% less fat per serving. “In terms of dessert, I always feel less guilty about treating myself to ice cream compared to other sweets because I know it also provides an extra serving of calcium,” Krieg says.

Nutrition info: 230 cal, 8 g pro, 52 g carbs, 0 g fiber, 2 g fat, 1 g sat fat, 0 mg chol, 230 mg sodium

Subway: Roasted Chicken Sandwich

Subway’s dietitian Lanette Kovachi, R.D., has advised the company on nutrition info for the last 8 years—so we were very curious for her take on how to build a healthy, tasty sammie. Her secret: Mound it with all the fresh veggies—doing so provides 2 full servings. Kovachi orders the 6-inch oven-roasted chicken on 9-grain bread (one of the more fiber-filled options) with water and baked potato chips. “I love the way this tastes, plus it fills me up,” she says.

Nutrition info (for sandwich and chips): 382 cal, 25 g protein, 79 g carbs, 8 g fiber, 7 g fat, 1 g sat fat, 25 mg chol, 1,180 mg sodium.

Samurai Sam’s: Teriyaki Chicken Bowl

“There are so many healthy options at Samurai Sam’s to choose from,” says Krieg. “My favorite is the regular Teriyaki Bowl with white meat chicken. The grilled chicken provides an excellent source of protein, while the brown rice has more fiber than white rice and the fresh steamed vegetables round out the meal."

Nutrition info: 470 cal, 36 g protein, 68 g carbs, 5 g fiber, 5 g fat, 1.5 g sat fat, 80 mg chol, 520 mg sodium

Great Steak: Chicken Philly Slider

“These new little Philly Sliders are perfect for people looking to save calories and dollars,” says Krieg, who helps plan the menu of the Great Steak chain. “I like to share them with a friend over lunch along with a salad.” The mini offerings provide healthier, realistic portion sizes. “I’m always on the lookout for ‘little’ serving sizes when I’m eating out,” she says.

Nutrition info (for 1/2 slider and 1/2 salad with ranch dressing): 415 cal, 21 g pro, 31 g carbs, 4.5 g fiber, 22.5 g fat, 7 g sat fat, 53 mg chol, 980 mg sodium

TacoTime: Soft Chicken Taco

“So often when people think of Mexican food, they don’t think healthy,” says Krieg, TacoTime’s nutrition expert. “But here we focus on fresh, quality ingredients, so there are several options for anyone looking for lighter menu items. My favorite is the Soft Chicken Taco.” Swapping the typical fried taco shell for the soft cuts calories and fat, “but it’s still filled with seasoned chicken, lettuce, salsa fresca, and cheddar cheese, so you get all the flavor of a classic taco along with some lean protein, vegetables, and fiber."

Nutrition info: 360 cal, 28 g pro, 40 g carbs, 7 g fiber, 9 g fat, 4.5 g sat fat, 50 mg chol, 860 mg sodium

McDonald’s: Premium Southwest Salad with Grilled Chicken

“Each of our salads provides about 3 cups of greens, so I’m getting a great veggie serving,” says Cindy Goody, Ph.D., R.D., director of nutrition for McDonald’s USA. “I like that it gives me protein from the grilled chicken and beans, plus a variety of vegetables like corn, tomatoes, and chiles.”She uses half of the Southwest dressing packet, which shaves 50 calories off her meal, and her beverage of choice is a small Diet Coke.

Nutrition info (for salad, full dressing packet, and soda): 420 cal, 31 g protein, 41 g carbs, 6 g fiber, 15 g fat, 4 g sat fat, 90 mg chol, 1,320 mg sodium

See 25 mouthwatering salads you can make at home.

Ranch 1: Teriyaki Grilled Chicken Sandwich

“This new sandwich is one of the lower-calorie options on the Ranch 1 menu,” says Krieg, who also oversees the nutrition and menu for this chicken-focused chain. “But just because it’s low-cal does not mean it’s low in taste—I love how the teriyaki sauce and grilled pineapple complement each other. Plus the grilled chicken breast provides a good source of lean protein.”

Nutrition info: 400 cal, 30 g pro, 56 g carbs, 2 g fiber, 7 g fat, 1.5 g sat fat, 70 mg chol, 980 mg sodium

Panera Bread: Black Bean Soup & Mediterranean Veggie Sandwich

“I always do a ‘You Pick Two,’ which is any two of the following: a half sandwich, a half salad, or a soup,” says Scott Davis, chief concept officer and senior vice president at Panera Bread, who lost 60 pounds last year “pretty much by eating Panera.”

He likes to get the Low-Fat Vegetarian Black Bean soup (a spicy vegetarian broth with onion, red bell pepper, cilantro, garlic, and cumin) with the Mediterranean Veggie Sandwich on tomato basil bread (sweet piquante peppers, feta cheese, cucumbers, lettuce, tomatoes, red onions, and cilantro jalapeño hummus).

“It’s the right combination of carbs, protein, and fiber to keep me going all day,” says Davis, who washes down his meal with an unsweetened iced tea.

Blimpie: Turkey and Provolone Sandwich

"This sandwich on wheat bread is a great lower-calorie lunch option any day of the week,” says Nola Krieg, research and development chef for Kahala Corp., which runs Blimpie and other national chains (more on those later). “The turkey meat is sliced in front of you so you know it’s quality, fresh meat—a good source of protein. The sandwich also comes with lettuce, tomatoes, and onions, and I always think it’s a good idea to pile your favorite veggies on any sandwich.”

Her favorite trick for kicking up flavor: Extra pickles, which add taste without a bunch of fat or calories.

Nutrition info: 380 cal, 27 g pro, 45 g carbs, 6 g fiber, 10 g fat, 4.5 g sat fat, 45 mg chol, 1,950 mg sodium

Burger King: BK Veggie Burger

"I typically order the BK Veggie Burger, but I hold the mayo,” says Stephanie Quirantes, R.D., the nutrition and health manager for Burger King Corp., North America. For a side and beverage, she has the Fresh Apple Fries and either fat-free milk or water. “This gives me four of the main food groups—grains, protein, fruit, and dairy.”

Nutrition info (for burger, apple fries, and milk): 465 cal, 32 g pro, 66 g carbs, 8 g fiber, 8 g fat, 1 g sat fat, 5 mg chol, 1,180 mg sodium

Give your favorite foods a makeover with this easy tool.

By Lauren Gelman, Prevention

We all know it’s healthier to skip the drive-thru, but everyone eventually finds themselves at a roadside rest stop or caves into a late-night french-fry craving. The trick is making the best meal choice you can.

So we turned to the nutrition experts who created the menus for our favorite fast food joints to find out what healthy meals they order when they eat on the job.

Note: Most of the foods that follow are pretty good in terms of calories and fat, but they’re still loaded with sodium. Most adults should have less than 2,300 mg daily, and many of these meals provide half that amount or more!

Remedies for Incontinence

2010-04-13T19:00:00.000+08:00

Substitute Cranberry Juice

Cranberry juice is key to bladder health because its acidity helps prevent urinary tract infections, a common problem to people who live with many forms of incontinence. Cranberry juice also helps deodorize the urinary tract, making accidents a little less noticeable.

It's a good idea to empty your bladder on a regular basis, Dr. Jeter says. For example, don't sit at the dinner table and hold it until dinner's over. Holding too long may lead to bladder infection and an overstretched bladder. Also, if you have a too-full bladder and a weak sphincter muscle, she says, you're likely to leak when you cough, sneeze, or laugh. Your best bet is to empty your bladder before and after meals, and at bedtime.

25 nutritional superstars at the grocery store

Slide show content includes excerpts from The Doctors Book of Home Remedies (Rodale, 2003).

Panel of Advisors

Cheryle Gartley is the founder and president of the Simon Foundation for Continence in Wilmette, Illinois.

Katherine Jeter, Ed.D., is founder of the National Association for Continence in Spartanburg, South Carolina.

Joseph Montella, M.D., is director of urogynecology and an associate professor of obstetrics and gynecology at Jefferson Medical College of Thomas Jefferson University in Philadelphia.

Abraham N. Morse, M.D., is an assistant professor of urogynecology at the University of Massachusetts Medical School in Worcester.

Neil Resnick, M.D., is a professor of medicine and chief of the division of geriatric medicine at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center.

Robert Schlesinger, M.D., was formerly a urologist at Faulkner Hospital in Jamaica Plain, Massachusetts.

Stay Loose

Constipation can contribute to incontinence. So eat a high-fiber diet, and be sure to drink adequate amounts of fluid. One incontinence clinic's prescription is daily helpings of popcorn!

Your body's 10 strangest health clues

Buy Special Supplies

There are several brands of absorbent underpants, pads, and shields. The products absorb 50 to 500 times their weight in water, neutralize odor, and conceal fluid to prevent leakage. The kind you need depends on your individual anatomy and the kind and degree of incontinence you have. It's understandable if you're embarrassed to buy them. Find an understanding pharmacist and ask to have your purchase waiting for you when you arrive, or purchase them online and have them delivered to your door.

8 little health tricks from your hands

Don't Smoke

Nicotine and other chemicals in tobacco smoke can irritate the bladder, says Dr. Montella. "People who smoke may have chronic irritation that can lead to an overactive bladder," he explains.

Also, if you have stress incontinence, coughing can trigger leaking.

14 worst health mistakes even smart people make

Go Easy on Fluids

Your bladder diary may reveal that you've been downing gallons of water a day, Dr. Jeter says. "Usually, it's because a person is on a diet that requires forcing liquids. If you drink a little less, your incontinence problem should ease up."

Take note of the timing, too. It's better to sip water throughout the day rather than pouring it down all at once. And it's especially important to stop drinking water within 3 to 4 hours of going to bed, especially if you get up several times during the night to go to the bathroom, adds Joseph Montella, M.D.

But Not Too Easy

Cutting your fluid intake to below-normal levels without your doctor's approval can lead to dehydration, worsening urinary problems and possibly causing serious illness. Doctors usually advise people to drink eight glasses of water daily to prevent dehydration.

9 tips for good health

Reduce the Tension in Your Life

"Whenever you're anxious or depressed, your body sensations are magnified in a negative way," says Dr. Morse. "If you're anxious to begin with, feeling as though you have to rush to the bathroom is one more thing that can put you over the edge."

Take a hint from your bladder and unwind. Give yourself an hour each day to do something that's just for you, like taking a long walk, watching some television, or going to a movie or museum.

Another strategy for sudden urges is to "breathe deeply, calm yourself down, and have confidence that you're not going to make a mess," says Dr. Morse. If you can calm yourself for 30 to 60 seconds, there's a good chance the urge will go away, he explains.

"The idea is to get control over your bladder, rather than having a panic situation," adds Dr. Montella. "Wait until you're calm, then go to the bathroom."

10 body clues you're seriously stressed

Lose Excess Weight

Foundation president Cheryle Gartley says that letters from patients seen at the Simon Foundation for Continence in Wilmette, Illinois, show people who lose even a few pounds can reduce incidents of incontinence.

Lose weight and firm up with these free downloadable total body workouts

Do Special Exercises

Kegel exercises were developed in the late 1940s by Arnold Kegel, M.D., to help women with stress incontinence during and after pregnancy. The experts say that these exercises reduce and may even prevent some forms of incontinence in both sexes and at all ages. Here are the guidelines from the National Association for Continence.

Without tensing the muscles of your legs, buttocks, or abdomen, imagine that you're trying to hold back a bowel movement by tightening the ring of muscles (the sphincter) around the anus. This exercise identifies the back part of the pelvic muscles.
When you're urinating, try to stop the flow, and then restart it. This identifies the front part of the pelvic muscles. (For women: Imagine you're trying to grip a slipping tampon.)
You're now ready for the complete exercise. Working from back to front, tighten the muscles while counting to four slowly, then release. Do this for 2 minutes, at least three times a day—that's at least 100 repetitions.

Avoid Caffeine

Caffeine is another well-known diuretic. Caffeine also irritates the bladder and stimulates muscle contractions, which can aggravate the symptoms of urge incontinence, explains Abraham N. Morse, M.D.

Caffeine is found in beverages, but also in foods such as chocolate and in medications such as Excedrin. Doctors advise limiting caffeine intake to no more than 200 milligrams daily, about the amount in 12 ounces of coffee. Your diary will help you notice whether you're getting too much.

Switching to decaffeinated coffee or to tea will help, but it may not eliminate the problem, Dr. Morse adds. Other substances in coffee and tea also act as bladder irritants.

8 natural cures experts swear by

Urinary incontinence is a symptom, not a disease.

"The vast majority of people with mild to moderate symptoms do not have to rush off to see a doctor. Give yourself 3 months to see if lifestyle measures work," says Abraham N. Morse, M.D.

Other symptoms—painful urination, for example, incontinence that accompanies painful intercourse, or urine that's cloudy or tinged with blood—are signs that it's time to call a doctor right away. Urinary tract infections or even tumors can cause the bladder to go into overdrive.

You should also call a doctor if you're having large "accidents" rather than small leaks. Or if accidents are accompanied by numbness or weakness in your arms or legs, vision changes, or a change in bowel habits. These symptoms may be a sign of nerve damage or other neurological problems, such as Parkinson's disease.

Solve pesky health issues with easy home remedies

11 Craziest Health Myths

2010-04-12T19:00:00.000+08:00

Q: Are dental fillings that contain mercury dangerous?

A: Probably not. These dental fillings contain a mix of mercury, silver, tin, and other metals; they release tiny amounts of mercury vapor when they are placed in or removed from teeth, as well as when a person chews. Some consumer groups claim this vapor could trigger health problems, including Alzheimer's disease, multiple sclerosis, and other chronic illnesses, particularly in children, although virtually every major US health organization has declared these fillings safe.
If you have amalgam fillings, the FDA doesn't recommend you have them removed. But if they break down or require replacing, request nonmercury material, such as resin composite or gold, recommends Prevention advisor Andrew Weil, MD.
Surprising habits that protect your teeth

Q: I got an e-mail that lipsticks contain lead and can cause cancer. Should I be concerned?

A: An FDA analysis of 10 different lipstick brands did detect very low levels of lead (0.09 to 3.06 parts per million), but the amount is minimal, compared with other common sources, says LuAnn E. White, PhD, a toxicologist and professor of environmental health at the Tulane School of Public Health. The permissible level for paint is 90 ppm, for example. While the FDA doesn’t regulate lead in cosmetics, the Canadian government is trying to. Their proposed standard for maximum safe levels: 10 pm.
7 new places to look for lead

Q: Do you really have to stop drinking while on antibiotics?

A: It's best to keep the wine bottle corked while you're on an antibiotics regimen, says pharmacist Richard Harkness. You can't predict how your body may react. Alcohol can interfere with the absorption of erythromycin or the efficacy of doxycycline, for example. With certain antibiotics or antifungals--like cefoperazone (Cefobid), ketoconazole (Nizoral), metronidazole (Flagyl), and tinidazole (Tinda_max)--even a sip of alcohol may lead to flushing, nausea, abdominal cramps, headache, low blood pressure, rapid heartbeat, and shortness of breath.
Top 10 worst things for your immune system

Q: I keep getting e-mails about açai pills for weight loss. Is there anything to them?

A: No. There's no proof that supplements made with açai help with weight loss or have any other miracle benefits. The berry is very high in antioxidants (similar to those in blueberries and red grapes) and contains some heart-healthy fats, but more research is needed before it can claim to fight cancer, lower cholesterol, or do anything else, says Lona Sandon, RD, assistant professor of clinical nutrition at UT Southwestern Medical Center.
Find answers to all of your questions – and ask your own!

Q: Can cracking your knuckles cause arthritis?

A: Nope. If you're suffering from osteoarthritis in your hands, it certainly has nothing to do with this nervous tic. One study at the former Mount Carmel Mercy Hospital in Detroit compared 74 people (age 45 and older) who had been chronic knuckle crackers for decades with 226 who always left their hands alone; researchers found no difference in the incidence of osteoarthritis between the two groups.
But there are reasons to stop this annoying habit: The same study found knuckle crackers to be far more likely to have weaker grip strength and greater hand swelling, both of which can limit dexterity. As for osteoarthritis, that's more likely due to genetics and increasing age.
Break your bad habits today. Here’s how.

Q: Can thong underwear cause infections down there?

A: “I haven't heard any complaints of infections from my patients who wear thongs, and I'm not aware of any studies linking the two,” says Prevention advisor and ob-gyn Mary Jane Minkin, MD. But in theory, it's possible, because the thin strip of fabric that forms the back of the thong sits right over the anus and has a direct line to the vagina or urinary tract, making it a potential conduit for fecal bacteria.
What's more likely, however, is that a thong can create tiny cracks in the skin between the anus and the vagina or cause other irritation to the very delicate tissues down there. However, if your thong underwear doesn’t bother you, there's certainly no medical reason to stop wearing it.
How to feel great naked

Q: Is it true that liquid eyeliner causes sinus infections?

A: This rumor presumes that eyeliner is able to drain into the sinuses, get trapped, and cause an infection, but that's not possible, says Richard Rosenfeld, MD, chairman of otolaryngology at Long Island College Hospital.Your natural tearing process can funnel bits of makeup into the tear ducts, but they drain into the nose and out the nostrils. If you develop eye irritation and sinus symptoms after wearing eyeliner, you probably had an allergic reaction.
100 easy anti-aging beauty tricks

Q: Does Listerine mouthwash help keep mosquitoes away?

A: No. Although Internet postings swear it's true, scientists beg to differ. Our research has found that people who sprayed Listerine on their arms were just as likely to be bitten as those who didn't use any repellent, says Grayson Brown, PhD, a University of Kentucky public health entomologist. The myth persists thanks to a strong placebo effect and because Listerine has eucalyptol, an ingredient found in some botanical bug sprays. But the concentration in mouthwash (less than 1%) is too low to have an impact.
6 natural cures experts swear by

Q: Can muscle really turn to fat?

A: No. Fat and muscle are different tissues, and one cannot morph into the other, says Wayne L. Westcott, PhD, Prevention advisor and fitness research director, Quincy College. But sometimes it may seem like they do. That's because you start to lose muscle mass in your 30s, especially if you don't strength-train. This can slow metabolism by 3% per decade. The fat usually shows up in the spots where you once had firm muscle, like the backs of your arms.
Tone your arms in just 10 minutes

Q: Is it really bad to use a cell phone in the hospital?

A: The jury’s out. There's a chance that a cell phone call in the wrong spot can cause ventilators, syringe pumps, or even pacemakers to pulse incorrectly, according to a 2007 Dutch study.
But those findings countered a Mayo Clinic study a year prior that found no instances of "clinically important" interference between cell phones and medical machines. In fact, Mayo researchers advised hospitals to revise or drop their cell phone bans.
See the worst places to use your cell phone

Q: Do colon detox products work, and are they safe?

A: No, and they can be dangerous, says Richard Harkness, a consultant pharmacist and author of five books on evidence-based natural medicine. "Colon cleansing" procedures are based on the faulty theory that fecal matter and toxins—such as parasites, pesticides, or chemicals—accumulate and stick to the colon wall, causing assorted ailments. In fact, fecal matter does not cling to the colon wall, and experts have found no evidence that toxins build up there.
Bizarre home remedies that really work

Between e-mail forwards, the Internet, and misinformed friends and relatives, it's become harder than ever to separate health fact from fiction. Whatever their origin, misleading health “hearsays” can cause unnecessary anxiety and distract you from wellness habits that truly deserve your time and energy.
Here, the biggest watercooler myths and what’s true, what’s misunderstood, and what’s just downright wrong.

The 6 Healthiest Foods You Aren't Eating

2010-04-11T19:00:00.000+08:00

Some foods just aren’t taken seriously. Consider celery, for example—forever the garnish, never the main meal. You might even downgrade it to bar fare, since the only stalks most guys eat are served alongside hot wings or immersed in a Bloody Mary.

All of which is a shame, really. That’s because besides being a perfect vehicle for peanut butter, this vegetable contains bone-beneficial silicon and cancer-fighting phenolic acids. And that’s not even what makes celery so good for you.

Eat This, Not That! has rounded up six of the most underappreciated and undereaten foods that can instantly improve your diet. Make a place for them on your plate, and you’ll gain a whole new respect for the health benefits they bestow—from lowering blood pressure to fighting belly fat. And the best part? You’ll discover just how delicious health food can be.

Celery

Per large stalk:

10 calories
0 g fat (0 g saturated)
51 mg sodium
1 g fiber

This water-loaded vegetable has a rep for being all crunch and no nutrition. But ditch that mindset: Celery contains stealth nutrients that heal. (For other cool food fixes, click here.)

Why it’s healthy

“My patients who eat four sticks of celery a day have seen modest reductions in their blood pressure—about 6 points systolic and 3 points diastolic,” says Mark Houston, M.D., director of the Hypertension Institute at St. Thomas Hospital, in Nashville. It’s possible that phytochemicals in celery called phthalides are responsible for this health boon, since these compounds relax muscle tissue in artery walls and increase bloodflow, according to nutritionist Jonny Bowden, Ph.D., author of The 150 Healthiest Foods on Earth. And beyond the benefits to your BP, celery also fills you up with almost no calories.

Seaweed

Per Tbsp, dried:

20 calories
1 g fat (0 g saturated)
73 mg sodium
4 g protein

While this algae is a popular health food in Japan, it rarely makes it into U.S. homes.

Why it’s healthy

There are four classes of seaweeds—green, brown, red, and bluegreen—and they’re all packedwith healthful nutrients. “Seaweeds are a great plant source of calcium,” says nutritionist Alan Aragon, M.S. They’re also loaded with potassium, which is essential for maintaining healthy blood pressure levels. “Low potassium and high sodium intake can cause high blood pressure,” Bowden says. “Most people know to limit sodium, but another way to combat the problem is to take in more potassium.” (Here’s a cool hint: You can buy sheets of dried seaweed at Asian groceries, specialty health stores, or online at edenfoods.com. Use a coffee grinder to grind the sheets into a powder. Then use the powder as a healthy salt substitute that’s great for seasoning salads and soups—certainly beats the heart-harmful salt in any of these 20 saltiest foods in America.)

Scallops

Per 1 ounce, steamed:

31 calories
0 g fat (0 g saturated)
74 mg sodium
6 g protein
111 mg Omega-3 fatty acids

Perhaps these mollusks are considered guilty by association, since they often appear in decadent restaurant meals that are overloaded with calories. (But then again, so does asparagus. Check out our list of health foods that aren’t to see what foods you should really be avoiding.)

Why they’re healthy

Scallops are more than 80 percent protein. “One 3-ounce serving provides 20 grams of protein and just 95 calories,” says Bowden. They’re also a good source of both magnesium and potassium. (Clams and oysters provide similar benefits.) Try them: It’s a fast, easy way to prepare them.

Hemp Seeds

Per 10 grams:

57 calories
5 g fat (0.5 g saturated)
3 g protein

Cannabis classification aside, these seeds aren’t for smoking. But they may provide medicinal benefits.

Why they’re healthy

“Hemp seeds are rich in omega-3 fatty acids, which reduce your risk of heart disease and stroke,” says Cassandra Forsythe, Ph.D., a nutrition researcher at the University of Connecticut. What’s more, a 1-ounce serving of the seeds provides 11 grams of protein—but not the kind of incomplete protein found in most plant sources. Hemp seeds provide all of the essential amino acids, meaning the protein they contain is comparable to that found in meat, eggs, and dairy. Toss 2 tablespoons of the seeds into your oatmeal or stir-fry. Or add them to your post-workout shake for an extra dose of muscle-building protein.

Lentils

Per cup:

230 calories
1 g fat (0 g saturated)
16 g fiber
18 g protein

It’s probably no surprise that these hearty legumes are good for you. But when was the last time you ate any?

Why they’re healthy

Boiled lentils have about 16 grams of belly-filling fiber in every cup. Cooked lentils also contain 27 percent more folate per cup than cooked spinach does. And if you eat colored lentils— black, orange, red—there are compounds in the seed hulls that contain disease-fighting antioxidants, says Raymond Glahn, Ph.D., a research physiologist with Cornell University. Use them as a bed for chicken, fish, or beef—they make a great substitute for rice or pasta.

Dark Meat

Per chicken drumstick:

112 calories
6 g fat (2 g saturated)
14 g protein

Sure, dark meat has more fat than white meat does, but have you ever considered what the actual difference is? Once you do, Thanksgiving won’t be the only time you “call the drumstick.”

Why it’s healthy

“The extra fat in dark turkey or chicken meat raises your levels of cholecystokinin (CCK), a hormone that makes you feel fuller, longer,” says Aragon. The benefit: You’ll be less likely to overeat in the hours that follow your meal. What about your cholesterol? Only a third of the fat in a turkey drumstick is the saturated kind, according to the USDA food database. (The other two-thirds are hearthealthy unsaturated fats.) What’s more, 86 percent of that saturated fat either has no impact on cholesterol, or raises HDL (good) cholesterol more than LDL (bad) cholesterol— a result that actually lowers heart-disease risk. (The kind of fat you should really be afraid of is trans-fatty acids. Avoid any items on our list of the trans-fattiest foods in America). As for calories, an ounce of dark turkey meat has just 8 more calories than an ounce of white meat.

Top 10 Detox Foods

2010-04-10T19:00:00.000+08:00

Fruits, fruits, fruits

They're full of almost all the good things above—vitamin C, fiber, nutritious fluids, and all kinds of antioxidants. Besides, nothing tastes better than a ripe mango, fresh berries, or a perfect pear. Find recipes that feature these and more healthy foods with the RealAge Recipe Finder.

Psyllium

A plant that’s rich in soluble fiber, like oat bran, but more versatile. It mops up toxins (cholesterol, too) and helps clear them out. Stir powdered psyllium into juice to help cleanse your colon, or have psyllium-fortified Bran Buds for breakfast.

Cabbage

There are two main types of detoxifying enzymes in the liver; this potent veggie helps activate both of them. Coleslaw, anyone?

Sesame seeds

They're credited with protecting liver cells from the damaging effects of alcohol and other chemicals. For a concentrated form, try tahini, the yummy sesame seed paste that’s a staple of Middle Eastern cooking.

Broccoli sprouts

Get 'em at your health-food store. They pack 20 to 50 times more cancer-fighting, enzyme-stimulating activity into each bite than the grown-up vegetable.

Green tea

This antioxidant-rich brew is one of the healthiest ways to get more fluids into your system. Bonus: It contains catechins, which speed up liver activity. Here’s another beverage your liver loves.

Garlic

Add it to everything—salads, sauces, spreads. In addition to the bulb's cardio benefits, it activates liver enzymes that help filter out junk. Discover the best way to prepare it.

Watercress

Put a handful into salads, soups, and sandwiches. The peppery little green leaves have a diuretic effect that helps move things through your system. And cress is rich in minerals, too.

Lemons

You need to keep the fluids flowing to wash out the body, and fresh lemonade is ideal. It has vitamin C—considered the detox vitamin—which helps convert toxins into a water-soluble form that’s easily flushed away. Bonus: Lemons may also help fight asthma.

Leafy green vegetables

Eat them raw, throw them into a broth, or add them to juices. Their chlorophyll helps swab out environmental toxins (heavy metals, pesticides) and is an all-around liver protector. They also help keep your heart healthy; find out how.

7 Tricks for Getting a Better Night’s Sleep

2010-04-09T19:00:00.000+08:00

Let scent send you to sleep

Aromas widely considered to be relaxing are rose, lavender, vanilla and lemongrass, but different ones work for different people (some people find lavender stimulating). If one calms you, keep a sachet near your pillow at night to whiff at will, or use a scented hand lotion.

Learn how you can take more years off your age with Amy Wechsler’s The Mind-Beauty Connection.

R-e-l-a-x

Progressive relaxation, an effective technique that’s been used since the 1930s, couldn’t be simpler. It’s also worked for me ever since I was a homesick kid at sleep-away camp for the first time and couldn’t sleep at all. A counselor taught it to me and I still use it when I need to. What to do: Stretch out in bed and, one by one, squeeze and release all the muscles in your body, starting with your scalp and working down to your toes. Ironically, tightly tensing up your muscles before relaxing them helps them relax more than just plain relaxing them.

Make like a corpse

Assuming the yoga corpse pose (savasana) is, well, a little like playing dead. Basically, you lie on your back on a cushioned surface, legs slightly rotated out, arms at your sides but not touching your body, palms up. Then slowly s-i-n-k into the pose, breathing naturally and letting your whole body go limp. Stay in this position for a few minutes, or for as long as you like.

Get out of the bedroom

We all think that if we lie in bed long enough, sleep will come. Instead, our minds tend to get busier and our muscles tenser as we stress over being awake. Give it a rest. If you can’t get to sleep within 20 minutes, slip out of bed and go to a safe haven—a place that’s comfy, has dim lighting, and no distractions. Just sit comfortably. Or do your breathing exercises. Or read. No e-mail, television or other electronics, though. The point is to give your mind-body a respite from trying so hard to nod off. After 20 minutes or so, go back to bed and see what happens when you’re more relaxed. Repeat once or twice if necessary.

Try a bedtime snack

The best bedtime snack is one that has both complex carbohydrates and a little protein, plus some calcium. Calcium helps the brain use the amino acid tryptophan to manufacture melatonin. This explains why dairy products, which contain both tryptophan and calcium, are one of the top sleep-inducing foods. And by combining carbohydrate together with a small amount of protein, your brain produces serotonin, the pleasure hormone with strong ties to mood.

Take something

Sometimes, to kick insomnia and get back on a better sleep cycle, all you need is to break the pattern. My cheap, super-simple, method: Take an antihistamine 30 minutes before bed (regular Benadryl—not a non-drowsy formula!—works fine) for one to three nights. Antihistamines make many people sleepy. No prescription needed.

Alternatively, try valerian herbal tea or the combo of chamomile and valerian in Celestial Seasonings Sleepytime Extra Wellness Tea. It definitely helps some people. Others swear that melatonin, the sleep-regulating hormone you can find now in a supplement form over the counter, helps them, but I’m not a fan. The amount in different products can vary wildly, despite what the labels say. It may not work for you, and its long-term safety has yet to be determined. (It’s also highly unlikely that you have a melatonin deficiency; you simply need to establish better sleep habits.) I’d rather see you sleep according to your own body’s clock and rely on your own production of natural melatonin.

If your body clock is off, try getting some natural morning sunlight on you, do some exercise during the day, don’t stay up until the wee hours of the morning cleaning house, and set aside time to wind down before bedtime.

Logging eight hours of sleep per night can take as much as three years off your real age. Sleep deprivation, on the other hand, lowers circulation, causing you to look pale and washed out. Here’s how to get the sleep you need to wake up glowing:

Don’t take your to-do list to bed

Write down the next day’s list early in the evening and stick it in your bag or on the fridge. Then you won’t start anxiously making mental notes the minute your head hits the pillow.

Foods Not to Ditch When You Diet

2010-04-08T19:00:00.002+08:00

Fruit

Slim-down effect: Soothes a sweet tooth naturally for few calories

Some dieters skip this low-calorie fare when they start watching the scale, thanks to once-popular diets that eliminated fruit in their most restrictive phases. But new research published in the journal Obesity Reviews looked at 16 different studies and found overwhelmingly that eating fruit is associated with weighing less. In one study from Brazil, women who added three small apples to their regular meals and snacks lost 2 pounds in 10 weeks without dieting. Although fruit does contain the natural sugar fructose, it doesn't raise blood sugar levels like table sugar does; plus, it's high in water and filling fiber and low in calories.

Aim to have three servings of fresh fruit daily—but skip the high-calorie juice. Great picks (with average calories per cup): fresh melon (50); grapes (60); berries (70); and citrus fruits (75).

Dark Chocolate

Slim-down effect: Satisfies a common craving to prevent bingeing

Up to 97 percent of women experience cravings, and chocolate is the most common and "intensely" craved food, according to a recent study. Having an occasional small serving of a favorite treat is better than depriving yourself, which may lead to a binge, says Greaves. In fact, people who tried to not think about chocolate ate two-thirds more of it than people who were told to talk about it freely, according to British research.

Dark varieties are more satisfying than milk chocolate, say scientists at the University of Copenhagen, but measure your portion, and be mindful when you eat. Slowly savoring one or two squares of a high-quality dark chocolate bar will satisfy a craving more than wolfing down M&M's in front of the TV.

Cheese

Slim-down effect: Great source of calcium, which burns calories and fat

At about 100 calories and 5 grams of fat per ounce, cheese usually tops the no-no list, but its calcium improves your ability to burn calories and fat, according to a recent research review. Not getting enough of this mineral may trigger the release of calcitriol, a hormone that causes the body to store fat. Scientists at the University of Tennessee found that people on a reduced-calorie diet who included an extra 300 to 400 milligrams of calcium a day lost significantly more weight than those who ate the same number of calories but with less calcium. Scientists aren't exactly sure why, but eating calcium-rich foods is more effective than taking calcium supplements—and cheese has about 200 milligrams per ounce.
Just stick to 2-ounce portions, and choose light varieties to get health benefits for half the calories.

Peanut Butter

Slim-down effect: Rich in healthy fats that help banish belly flab

Studies show that diets high in mono-unsaturated fatty acids (abundant in peanut butter and nuts) prevent accumulation of fat around the midsection, boost calorie burn and promote weight loss. In fact, women who eat one serving of nuts or peanut butter two or more times a week gain fewer pounds than women who rarely eat them, according to recent research from the Harvard School of Public Health. One reason: A snack that includes peanut butter helps you stay full for up to 2 ½ hours, compared with 30 minutes for a carb-only snack such as a rice cake, finds research from Purdue University. (Carbohydrates satisfy a craving, while nuts keep you feeling full.)

Peanut butter and nuts are high in calories, so stick with a 2-tablespoon portion—about the size of a golf ball.

Potatoes

Slim-down effect: Form resistant starch, a fiber that burns fat

These veggies may be one of our most misunderstood foods. Fried or doused in sour cream, they're not going to help you lose weight. But when boiled or baked, a potato's starch absorbs water and swells. Once chilled, portions of the starch crystallize into a form that resists digestion—resistant starch. Unlike other types of fiber, resistant starch gets fermented in the large intestine, creating fatty acids that may block the body's ability to burn carbohydrates. In their place, you burn fat.

A healthy potato serving is about the size of a fist.

Pasta

Slim-down effect: A high fluid content keeps you satisfied longer

Cooked pasta and rice are about 70 percent water—and eating fluid-rich foods keeps you fuller longer, compared with dry foods, according to research from the British Nutrition Foundation. Like bread, the carbs in pasta boost serotonin to help curb overeating. The proper portion of pasta is a half cup cooked, or about the size of an ice-cream scoop.

Choose whole grain varieties for filling fiber, and add grilled chicken and lots of veggies to bulk up your dish even more.

Bread

Slim-down effect: Contains carbohydrates, which boost brain chemicals that curb overeating

Bread is an excellent source of carbs, which your brain needs to produce serotonin, a neurotransmitter that promotes feelings of comfort and satisfaction, says Nina T. Frusztajer, M.D., a Boston-based physician who specializes in nutrition and is co-author of The Serotonin Power Diet. "As your body digests carbohydrates, it releases insulin, which helps channel tryptophan—an amino acid—into the brain. Tryptophan then gets converted to serotonin," she explains. When serotonin levels are optimal, you feel calm and happy and have fewer cravings; when they're low, you feel depressed and irritable, making you more likely to overeat.

Breads containing whole grains are healthiest, and one serving equals one slice of bread, half an English muffin, or a small roll.

How Your Favorite Foods Can Help You Lose

You want to shed some pounds, and immediately your personal list of no-no's grows. No bread or potatoes—too many carbs. No chocolate—too fattening. Sound familiar?

Diets don't have to be so strict. In fact, forbidding certain foods can backfire says Milton Stokes, MPH, R.D., a Connecticut-based dietitian. "Thanks to fad diets that aren't based in solid science, I often see clients avoiding foods that would help them control overeating or fight belly fat and ultimately lose weight," he says. "Worse still, having an off-limits list is like stuffing your cravings into a plastic bag. Eventually it's going to burst open, unleashing all your food urges at once, which leads to bingeing."

The real key to weight loss? "Mind your p's and q's—watch portions and choose quality, nutrient-rich foods," says Sari Greaves, R.D., a national spokesperson for the American Dietetic Association. Here, how the top foods typically dismissed by dieters can help you happily slim down.

12 Ways to Boost Your Brainpower

2010-04-08T19:00:00.000+08:00

Of all things we gain with age—wealth, wisdom, children—a sharper mind isn’t one of them. Instead of being a steel trap like it used to be, it’s probably starting to resemble a colander. Life keeps pouring in, but you retain less and less of it.
But researchers are discovering that there are ways to forestall the decline. The secret? Stop taking your gray matter for granted, says P. Murali Doraiswamy, M.D., chief of biological psychiatry at Duke University’s medical school. “You can add 10 or more years to your brain’s useful life just by paying some attention to it,” he says. Here are 12 everyday tips to boost your brainpower—and then get more health, fitness, and beauty secrets in our new book, Age Erasers for Women!

Go Green
Drinking five or more cups of green tea per day can make you 20 percent less likely to experience psychological distress than if you drink less than a cup, according to a new study in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.
125 best packaged foods

Floss Your Teeth

Inflamed, bloody gums can signify bodywide wellness issues. Not only do unhealthy mouths unleash bacteria into the bloodstream, where the bugs can travel to vital organs, but people with gum disease also have worse mental functioning than those whose gums are healthy, according to a U.K. study of more than 6,500 adults.
Get more tips for a beautiful smile

Study Another Language
Parlez-vous français? Non? Then you may find yourself less able to stave off dementia when you're older. In a 2007 study at York University in Toronto, bilingual seniors kept the worst effects of the condition at bay four years longer than those who'd never ventured beyond their native tongue. Learning a second language appears to increase the density of gray matter in the areas of your brain that govern attention and memory, says researcher Ellen Bialystok, Ph.D. During your commute, play some language-instruction CDs, such as the ones from Macmillan's Behind the Wheel series.
Look 10 years younger

Raid the Spice Rack
Sprinkle some rosemary on your entrées and side dishes. The carnosic acid found in this spice has been shown to reduce stroke risk in mice by 40 percent, according to a study published in the Journal of Neurochemistry. Carnosic acid appears to set off a process that shields brain cells from free-radical damage, which can worsen the effects of a stroke. It can also protect against degenerative diseases like Alzheimer's and the general effects of aging. But rosemary is not the only "mind spice" on the shelf: Cinnamon, turmeric, basil, oregano, thyme, and sage can all protect your brain from inflammation, says neurologist Eric Braverman, M.D., a clinical assistant professor at Weill Cornell Medical College. Shoot for 3 to 7 teaspoons of any combination of these spices each day. "Add a teaspoon of cinnamon to your morning yogurt or coffee," says Dr. Braverman. "Sprinkle basil and oregano on a sandwich, or stir a teaspoon of rosemary into tea. It'll add up."
Eat to stay young

Disconnect the cable
A 2005 study published in Brain and Cognition found that for each additional hour per day a person spent watching TV between the ages of 40 and 59, the risk of developing Alzheimer's later in life rose by 1.3 percent. Top out at two hours a day, recommends Aric Sigman, Ph.D., psychologist, biologist, and author of Remotely Controlled: How Television Is Damaging Our Lives, and consider joining a reading group. "Reading is good for your brain only when it involves storing and retrieving information," says Dr. Amen. "And the social aspect of book groups adds another dynamic that bolsters cognitive functioning."
Improve your memory with these moves

Hit the Hay
Getting plenty of snooze time is key to keeping your head on its toes. According to a 2007 study at Harvard Medical School, z's help memories lodge themselves in your brain (as anyone who has ever pulled an all-nighter and then tried to recall important details can attest). The study showed that the brain gathers disparate pieces of information and weaves them into a coherent whole while you're asleep. Clock seven hours of shuteye, recommends Dr. Amen. "Science shows that people who sleep for seven hours exhibit significantly more brain activity than those who don't," he says.
10 Sleep myths – busted

Take a YouTube Timeout
You can counteract stress—and roll back psychological aging—with laughter. Even the anticipation of a good laugh decreases the stress chemicals cortisol and epinephrine by 39 percent and 70 percent, respectively, say researchers at Loma Linda University. Laughter is also great for the heart. When participants in a University of Maryland study watched stressful film clips, they experienced vasoconstriction—a narrowing of the blood vessels—while the blood vessels of those watching funny films expanded by 22 percent.
Quick and easy ways to reduce stress

Hydrate Your Mind
In a 2006 University of South Florida study, people who drank three or more 4-ounce glasses of fruit or vegetable juice each week were 76 percent less likely to develop Alzheimer's disease than those who drank less. The high levels of polyphenols—antioxidants found in fruits and vegetables—may protect brain cells from the damage that may be caused by the disease, says study author Amy Borenstein, Ph.D. Eight six-ounce glasses of water a day will do you good, too. "Your brain is 80 percent water, and if it's not hydrated, your neurons can't perform properly," says Dr. Amen.
The healthy eating plan for the rest of your life

Keep on Moving On
Multitasking is like Kryptonite to gray matter. When you have a crammed to-do list, rather than layer projects, take on one task at a time and change them up every hour. Can't finish something in 60 minutes? Schedule another slot for it later in the day. "Switching from one project to the next will engage different areas of the brain, keeping you mentally alert," says Gary Small, M.D., director of the UCLA Center on Aging and the Semel Institute Memory Research Center and the author of The Longevity Bible.
Scary truths about your heart

3. Crack Some Eggs
The ideal breakfast is an egg, according to Larry McCleary, M.D., author of The Brain Trust Program. The incredible edible contains B vitamins, which enable nerve cells to burn glucose, your brain's major energy source; antioxidants, which protect neurons against damage; and omega-3 fatty acids, which keep nerve cells firing at optimal speed. Similarly, McCleary says that the best brain foods are those that would rot if the power went out. Pick fresh fruits, veggies, and lean proteins and avoid the dreaded duo, trans fats ("they diminish brain cells' ability to communicate with each other") and high-fructose corn syrup ("it can shrink the brain by damaging cells").
Antioxidants: The 13 healthiest foods

Visit the Gym
According to a 2007 Columbia University study, working out at the gym may help you sprout new cells in the dentate gyrus, an area of the brain vital to memory. Researchers measured blood volume in the brains of adults who worked out four times a week for four months and found that all that activity sparks the production of more neurons.
Big results with bodyweight moves

Dance, Dance, Dance!
"Few activities stimulate as wide a variety of brain systems as dancing does," says Daniel Amen, M.D., author of Magnificent Mind at Any Age. "Dancing requires everything from coordination and organization to planning and judgment." Ditto for martial arts. "Both require you to position different parts of your body simultaneously and in synchronicity—and with dance, you've got to move along to music," says John Ratey, M.D., author of Spark: The Revolutionary New Science of Exercise and the Brain. "That's a lot of mental stimulation."
Find the best workout for your body type

Surprising Ways to Manage Chronic Pain

2010-04-07T19:00:00.000+08:00

From massage to volunteering—pain management beyond the usual medications.

Mindfulness meditation

Though it might seem as though focusing on “being in the moment” without judgment would make pain worse, several studies now show that a form of meditation called “mindfulness”—which encourages people to do just that—can be a painkiller.
“Don’t reflect on the past and don’t anticipate the future: If you can do that, you are essentially being mindful without even the meditation component,” Zeidan says. His research found that college students given just three 20-minute training and meditation practice sessions actually raised their pain thresholds.
Before the study trials began, each person was tested to see how much electrical current applied to the forearm would be experienced as “high” and “low” pain. Afterward, it took much more current to cause similar levels of pain—but only in the group that was trained in meditation. “Meditation had a very comprehensive effect on altering the perception of pain,” Zeidan says. “We had to turn juice up to get them to feel pain even when they were not meditating.”

Video: The Mystery of Chronic Pain

Antidepressants

As with therapy, antidepressants are used to treat both pain and depression. But they don’t work only by relieving depression. Says Clauw, “Lots of patients get offended when they have pain and the doctor gives antidepressants.” Nonetheless, appropriate medications fight pain even if the patient isn’t depressed.
Not just any antidepressant will do, however. “Drugs that only increase serotonin don’t seem to be effective,” he says. Effective medications act on the neurotransmitter norepinephrine as well, including the older tricyclic antidepressants such as Elavil (amitriptyline) or so-called dual reuptake inhibitors such as Cymbalta (duloxetine).

Video: Pain Questions Answered!

Cognitive behavioral therapy

Though some think that using talk therapy for pain implies that the pain somehow isn’t “real,” in fact, the mind and body can’t be separated. Even pain from the most “physical” problems like cancer or injuries is literally “all in your head,” and the rest of what goes on there influences how bad it will be.
“If you’re in a bad mood, if you’re highly anxious, if you have fear and if you anticipate a painful stimulus—all of those things will increase your perception of pain,” says Fadel Zeidan, Ph.D., research fellow in neurobiology at Wake Forest University School of Medicine.
Another mental factor that makes pain worse is “catastrophizing.” This includes thinking, for example, that if one thing goes wrong, everything else will soon follow—and if pain is bad now, it will be bad forever. Clauw studied the effects of a Web site that teaches cognitive behavioral techniques to increase patients’ sense of control and to fight catastrophizing and other behaviors that worsen pain, showing that it was helpful in fibromyalgia. The content was licensed by the drug company Lilly and is now available for free at knowfibro.com.

Video: Moods & Pain

Exercise

Clauw views exercise as the best drug we have for the chronic pain of fibromyalgia. “Exercise has been shown repeatedly in any chronic pain state to be an effective treatment,” he says.
His research found that exercise is especially potent for some people. “If you take asymptomatic healthy college students and deprive them of routine exercise, some people don’t feel different, but some, within a week, will develop pain, fatigue and memory problems.”
This group typically discovers early in life that activity is vital for them, but if they have a major injury or illness, they are more prone to develop chronic pain from immobility. While exercise can help anyone with pain, “Exercise and regular sleep are necessary to feel normal and not have pain in a subset of the population.”
Be sure not to overdo it, however, Clauw cautions. “Often people try to do too much too soon and that leads to an exacerbation of pain and then they believe that exercise is bad rather than good. In general, as with drugs, start low and go slow.”

Video: Treating Muscle Pain

Acupuncture

Like massage, acupuncture is difficult to study because it’s hard to give a “fake” massage or “placebo” acupuncture. Says Clauw: “In ‘sham’ or placebo controlled trials in chronic pain, more studies have shown that acupuncture doesn’t work. But that doesn’t necessarily mean that it’s not effective—it might be that there really is no such thing as sham acupuncture. Acupuncture might somehow be effective in engendering a placebo response.” Whether that matters if someone feels significant pain relief is a question only the patient can answer. “The best evidence that it’s effective is that a lot people will pay out of pocket to use it,” he says.
Clauw himself conducted a fascinating imaging study of acupuncture, finding that while patients with fibromyalgia reported decreased pain with both fake and real acupuncture, fake acupuncture affected brain opioid receptors in a way that was more comparable to that seen with placebo. “Sham acupuncture may work via placebo effects and active acupuncture may work by more specific effects. That could help explain why trials don’t show much difference,” he says.
Some have claimed that electroacupuncture—which runs a small current through acupuncture needles—is more effective than needles alone, but Clauw says it’s even harder to parse out placebo effects here. “It may give a stronger placebo effect,” he says. For people in pain, however, that could be a good thing.

Video: The Body in Balance: Exploring Acupuncture

Connect and help others

Pain can make you feel hopeless and helpless—and feeling despondent can make pain worse. To escape this cycle, try to improve your sense of control over your life. Research finds that people with pain who see themselves as having greater power over their situation suffer much less.

"Don’t buy into an utterly passive ‘sick’ role," says Stephen Post, Ph.D., author of Why Good Things Happen to Good People. "Tell yourself, ‘I’m still an agent of purpose, goodness and moral creativity in the world.’”

There’s a growing body of research showing that giving gifts, volunteering and performing other acts of kindness and altruism not only feel good but also cut pain. For example, one small study of patients with chronic pain conducted by researchers at Boston College in 2002 found that those who trained and then volunteered to help others in pain cut their pain intensity almost in half after six months. There was also a significant reduction in pain-related disability.
“They get a greater sense of purpose. You see a reduction in depression levels as well, but what’s really interesting is this decrease in chronic pain,” says Post.
It’s important, however, that helping be voluntary, not forced. Research shows that people with overwhelming caregiving obligations—like spouses of Alzheimer’s patients—are actually more stressed than others. Uncontrollable stress can increase pain.

Video: Simple Life can make you Healthier and Happier

Massage (giving, not just getting)

Between 30 million and 50 million Americans suffer from serious, chronic pain—but while painkillers and other traditional treatments provide essential relief for many, they’re not always enough. Here are some unusual approaches and alternatives that may help.

Getting a massage can often relieve pain, but research shows that giving massages has profound physiological and psychological effects, too. In fact, massaging infants reduced stress hormones and doctor visits by elderly volunteers more than receiving massage did. Although this study, published in 1998 in the Journal of Applied Gerontology, did not directly measure pain, the reduction in stress hormones or doctor visits, the improvement in social functioning and decrease in anxiety and depression that were seen all suggest benefit.
Physical affection and touch are an important aspect of social support, which is important in relieving pain. Dr. Daniel Clauw, director of the Chronic Pain and Fatigue Research Center at the University of Michigan, says, “If you touch someone, it doesn’t matter what disease they have, the patient will do better. Social support has been shown over and over again to be predictive of [good] outcomes across all diseases, not just pain.
“There’s not great evidence [supporting the use of massage in chronic pain] but I do think it’s useful, especially deep-tissue massage.”

Video: How to Give a Neck and Shoulder Massage

5 Foods Every Man Should Eat More Of

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Fatty Fish
The American Heart Association recommends eating fish—particularly fatty fish—at least twice a week. Fatty fish are incredibly nutritious; some of the best picks include salmon, mackerel, lake and rainbow trout, tuna, anchovies, sardines, and herring. All are high in protein, low in saturated fat, and are rich in calcium and heart-healthy omega-3 fatty acids.

First, let's talk fats. Ounce for ounce, wild coho salmon has about half the saturated fat content of a 95 percent lean beef patty, and slightly more protein. And unlike the saturated fat in that burger, which greatly increases the body's production of blood cholesterol, the omega-3s found in fish have a cleansing effect on the circulatory system. They reduce blood viscosity and clotting and lower lipid levels and blood pressure. Omega-3s not only minimize your risk of stroke and heart attack by preventing the damage that causes them, they also help heal tissues damaged from poor circulation by promoting better blood flow.

For general health, they're not so bad, either. Omega-3s reduce the bodily inflammation that contributes to many types of disease, and research suggests they may play a role in preventing Parkinson's and Alzheimer's diseases. Salmon, mackerel, and sardines have the highest levels of healthy omega-3 fats, although all seven fish listed above are good sources.

Omega-3s aren't the only nutritional benefits you'll find in these fish, though. Tuna is a rich source of such minerals as selenium, magnesium, and potassium, as well as B vitamins, including niacin, B1, and B6. It's also an excellent source of the amino acid tryptophan, which helps regulate appetite and improves sleep and mood. Salmon has high scores in all the same nutrients, in addition to being a good source of B12 and a concentrated source of vitamin D. Fatty fish are the richest food source on earth of naturally occurring vitamin D—salmon, tuna, and mackerel score particularly high. Sardines offer vitamin D, B12, and calcium (thanks to their edible bones). Herring, a close relative of the sardine, is often sold, packaged, and marketed as sardines. Herring is an excellent source of B12 and selenium, and a good source of B6 and phosphorus.

Oceans Alive, a division of the Environmental Defense Fund, lists many of these fatty fish on its "Eco-Best" list, meaning they're not only good for you but they're being caught or raised in ways that are also sustainable and healthy for the environment. If you're worried about contaminants like mercury and industrial pollutants like PCBs, visit the Oceans Alive Web site for information on the levels of contamination in all types of fish, along with recommendations about how often you can safely incorporate them into your diet. A good rule of thumb: Smaller fatty fish, such as anchovies, herring, and sardines, tend to be lower in contaminants than larger fish.

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Whole Oats

Oats are an excellent source of manganese and a good source of selenium, tryptophan, phosphorus, vitamin B1 (thiamin), dietary fiber, magnesium, and protein. One cup of cooked oats provides more than 6 grams of protein, more than almost all breakfast grains, particularly those that are corn- or wheat-based.

Harvard researchers who followed 21,376 participants over a period of nearly 20 years in the Physicians' Health Study found that men who had a daily serving of whole-grain cereal had a 29 percent lower risk of heart failure. Oats contain a soluble fiber known as beta-glucan that provides numerous health benefits, from helping reduce fat in the blood to preventing hardening of the arteries that can lead to heart attacks, stroke, or dangerous blood clots. Not only does beta-glucan protect against cardiovascular disease, it also supports the body's immune response by stimulating white blood cell activity. And it stabilizes blood sugar, lowering your risk of type 2 diabetes.

One of the best things about oatmeal is that it's a perfect canvas for pairing with other tasty, healthy ingredients. Walnuts and flaxseed, for example, are even more concentrated in omega-3s than fatty fish; two tablespoons of flaxseed provides 146 percent of the amount recommended for a man's daily diet, while a quarter cup of walnuts provides 95 percent of the daily recommended amount. Almonds and raisins are rich in boron, which enhances testosterone levels in men, helping build muscle and contributing to bone health. Boron has also shown protective effects against prostate cancer. Other good oatmeal toppers include hazelnuts, pecans, and pumpkin seeds; all three contain a plant sterol that's been shown to ease the symptoms of benign prostatic hyperplasia, a common prostate condition in men over 40. If you like your oatmeal sweetened, try raw honey—it helps lower total cholesterol and is loaded with protective antioxidants.

Tomatoes

Tomatoes and derivative products, such as tomato sauce and ketchup, contain many nutrients that support overall health, but there are two primary reasons they made this list: First, they're a great source of the potent antioxidant lycopene; and second, unlike a couple of other lycopene contenders (namely, watermelon and guava), they're available everywhere year-round.

Research shows a strong association between high lycopene consumption and lower rates of prostate cancer—the second leading cause of cancer death in men. In addition to exhibiting preventive effects, lycopene also seems to inhibit the spread of existing cancer and to decrease malignancy. It has shown protective benefits against pancreatic cancer, which is more common in men than women and is one of the most fatal of all cancers, largely due to late diagnosis. Lycopene is also being studied for its effect on male fertility; research suggests that it may boost sperm concentrations in infertile men.

Finally, tomatoes contain phenolic acids, which combat lung cancer, the second most common cancer in men and by far the leading cause of cancer death in both men and women, according to the American Cancer Society.

Mushrooms

Jessica Black, doctor of naturopathic medicine and author of The Anti-Inflammation Diet and Recipe Book, points out that mushrooms are a powerful immune stimulant and immune modulator. "They're great detoxifiers because they thrive on what's decaying around them," she says. Black adds that reishi mushrooms have been shown to reduce cancer-causing free radicals by 50 percent.

You don't have to restrict yourself to the more exotic varieties of mushrooms, though. You'll find health benefits in all types of mushrooms that are available at your local grocery store or farmers' market.

Take creminis, for example. Available at almost any grocery store across America, creminis are an excellent source of selenium, copper, tryptophan, potassium, phosphorus, and the vitamins B2 (riboflavin), B3 (niacin), and B5 (pantothenic acid). They're also high in zinc, manganese, protein, and vitamins B1 (thiamin) and B6 (pyridoxine). For good measure, creminis also provide decent amounts of folate, dietary fiber, magnesium, iron, and calcium.

Here are just a few of the benefits of B vitamins: They combat fatigue, maintain energy levels, help lower cholesterol levels, stabilize blood sugar, coordinate nerve and muscle activity, aid in the development of nerve cells, and support mood and proper heart function. The essential trace element selenium has been used to treat male infertility and has shown benefit in protecting against Parkinson's disease. It's also been shown to trigger the repair of damaged DNA and to inhibit the spread of cancer and stimulate apoptosis (destruction) of cancer cells.

If that's not enough, consider how much animal protein you consume in your everyday diet. Then ask any vegetarian what he or she makes for die-hard carnivorous friends (the ones who start sweating at the thought of a single meal without meat) at a dinner party. Nine times out of 10, you'll get the same answer: mushrooms. All mushroom varieties have a nice, earthy flavor when cooked and can be used as a base for savory gravies, soups, stews, or casseroles. Portobellos in particular make an excellent and flavorful meat substitute due to their size and robust texture. Make them the star dish: Roast them, barbecue them, stuff them, use them in place of burgers. The options are endless.

Mollusks

Mollusks comprise one of the largest animal groups on land, in oceans, or in fresh water. Bivalves, the class of mollusks that includes clams, mussels, oysters, and scallops, are extremely rich in a unique combination of nutrients that promote men's health. Think red meat is your best bet for protein and iron? Think again. Bivalves are a superior source of low-calorie protein loaded with iron. In addition, they're virtually fat free and are packed with zinc and vitamin B12.

Consider clams: They're super-rich in iron, manganese, phosphorus, vitamin B12, vitamin C, and are a good source of niacin, potassium, riboflavin, selenium, and zinc. Three ounces of raw clams will only cost you 63 calories, but you'll get 11 grams of protein, 66 percent of the daily recommended amount for iron, and 700 percent of the daily recommended amount for vitamin B12. Chinese medicine recommends clams for treating hemorrhoids.

Mussels are high in iron, manganese, vitamin B12, and selenium and are a good source of phosphorus, riboflavin, thiamin, vitamin C, and zinc. Three ounces of raw blue mussels contain only 73 calories, but you'll get 10 grams of protein, 19 percent of the daily recommended amount of iron, upward of 50 percent of the recommended amount for selenium, and more than 100 percent of the recommended amount for manganese, which aids in wound healing and optimal brain functioning. In Chinese medicine, mussels are used to treat impotence, low back pain, and goiter.

Six medium raw oysters, which is roughly equivalent to three ounces, provides 31 percent of the daily recommended amount for iron and 6 grams of protein for just 57 calories. Oysters are high in iron, B12, zinc, selenium, manganese, magnesium, and phosphorus. What's more, oysters contain the amino acid tyrosine, which is converted into dopamine in the brain, resulting in a mood and mental boost.

Scallops are an excellent source of tryptophan and a good source of protein, vitamin B12 (cobalamin), phosphorus, magnesium, omega-3 fatty acids, and potassium. To give you an idea how scallops measure up, three raw ounces provide 14 grams of protein and a good amount of B12, all for 75 calories.

Vitamin B12 is a power player in the world of nutrition. It takes on a crucial role in the normal functioning of the brain and nervous system, aids in digestion and proper absorption of nutrients from foods, fights chronic fatigue, and helps expedite the release of melatonin, improving sleep patterns and resulting in better, more restful sleep. B12 also helps maintain red blood cells and nerve cells and aids in the formation of DNA.

Zinc helps balance blood sugar, sharpens smell and taste, and supports immune function. Zinc also plays an important role in supporting male reproductive health. Inadequate zinc has been shown to adversely affect sperm quality, while zinc supplementation has shown benefits in overall sperm health, including higher sperm counts. Other good sources of zinc include sea vegetables.