Bottled water: 6 Things you should know

Trying to purchase bottled water can leave you feeling more confused than ever. With the myriad of choices out there, how do you pick one that provides you with hydration, MINUS the hype? Water companies make fancy claims, but think about it: These companies are competing for your attention in a market where there is really no need for additives. Devise a game plan for water that makes waves!

1. Choose water without artificial sweeteners or added. Terms like Aspartame (brand name Nutrasweet), Sucralose (brand name Splenda), are artificial and have no place lurking in your water! Add lemon, lime, a slice of orange or even cucumber to your beverage for refreshment. Or, choose a bottled water like Metromint (www.metromint.com) that uses mint essence and natural flavorings. Create a splash of flavor by freezing blueberries and raspberries in ice cube trays. Add the frozen berries to sparkling water and serve in fancy glasses for a special occasion.

2. Become Ingredient Savvy. Just as an embellished “beverage” at your local coffee joint can set you back more calories than a hamburger, flavored waters can have calorie and sugar levels that rival soda. Check the ingredients and look for the term “water” without a list of lots of other ingredients.

3. Beverages aren't Real Food. With the exception of soups and smoothies, beverages do not provide us with a feeling of fullness or satiety, the way a meal does. For example, an ounce of almonds contains 160 calories, 3 gm fiber and 6 gm protein, and can help tide us over between meals. But sip a 160 calorie sugar-infused water and you’re likely to be just as hungry as you were before, if not more. The sugar causes your body to secrete insulin and you may find yourself on a high/low blood sugar rollercoaster.

4. Steer clear of terms that belong in your science textbook. In other words, many waters use coloring, flavors and preservatives that are anything but natural. If you can’t decipher the terminology on the bottle, cruise on to clearer waters. It may surprise you, but preservatives such as sodium benzoate (known to be carcinogenic or cancer-causing) are still used in beverages you find on the grocery store shelf. Scary, huh?

5. Bottled isn't always Better. Interestingly, bottled water is not necessarily any healthier than tap water, despite what water companies would have you believe. "20/20" took five bottles of bottled water plus a sample of tap water and sent them to a microbiologist to test for bacteria. Surprisingly, there was no difference between the tap water and the bottled waters. To help the environment, you might also think about investing in a permanent water bottle such as Camelbak.

6.Sail past the waters with hyped up health claims. Because it is difficult for one water company to distinguish itself from another, companies use clever packaging and fancy words to compete for consumers’ attention. They convince you that you will feel younger, more invigorated, soothed, energized, beautiful, etc. if you drink their water. Now, let’s be realistic. If there exists a fountain of youth, it is simply this: Eat Well, Get Adequate Rest and Exercise and Take Care of Your Spirit.

Sometimes less is more, and with water, this is the case, plain and simple. How do you enjoy water?

Written by Brooke Benlifer, R.D.

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5 Reasons Why You're Not Getting Healthy

Do you primarily try to be healthy, but have occasional slip-ups? Do you wonder what's getting in the way? It's the holidays and it's getting colder by the minute (depending on your location) forcing our discipline to fly out the window when it comes to certain indulgences. Once you realize the mistakes you are making then it'll be easier to get back on track. Here are five major things that are getting in the way of your healthy lifestyle:

1. Comfort foods
We tend to load up on these as the temperature starts to drop. Instead, realize that you just might need to put on more layers of clothing (not fat) to keep content. Try drinking a hot cup of tea instead of coffee and snack on veggies or nuts instead of chips and cupcakes. If stress is a problem for you, read How to Avoid Stress Eating, because combating it is half the battle.

2. Smoking
This clearly doesn't apply to everyone, but did you know that smoking to lose weight is a myth...it doesn't actually work. So if that's you're reason for smoking then you should probably quit. Plus we all know what long-term effects it can have on us: cancer.

3. Drinking
A social comfort that isn't just a part of the holidays. Try limiting yourself to one or two glasses of wine or light beer and make it last (no chugging). Alcohol easily packs on unwanted pounds and dehydrates you (duh) making you more susceptible to catching a cold or the dreaded swine flu.

4. Lack of exercise
Exercising is a must for a healthy lifestyle! It's easier then you think to fit into your daily life. Don't skip out on this; you'll feel more energized and, of course, burn more calories!

5. Lack of sleep
Lastly, make sure you are getting the doctor recommended eight hours of sleep per night. WIthout it, it can cause disorientation, lack of focus and fatigue and no one wants to deal with that on a day-to-day basis!

By Style Caster

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Are You Addicted To Food? 6 Steps Out Of Food Addiction

Is it time to step up to the plate (so to speak), take an honest and courageous look at your life, and make a commitment to loving yourself? Are you ready to let go of belief systems and habits that no longer serve you? Are you ready to step into a healthier 2010?

Is your weight stopping you from moving forward? Might you be a food addict? Please take an honest look at the following questions and answer, 'yes' or 'no.'

1. Do you find that you have no 'stopping mechanism' and even though you want to 'stop' eating, you can't?

2. Are you obsessed with food? Think about food all the time? And your weight too?

3. Have you attempted one diet plan after another, with no lasting success?

4. Do you binge and/or purge?

5. Do you eat in secret? Are you a closet eater?

6. Are you an emotional eater? Do you use food to escape your feelings?

7. Do you eat even when you are not hungry?

8. Do you eat and then exercise excessively to burn it off?

9. Do you eat, and then feel shame or guilt for about the foods you've just eaten, and then beat yourself up for doing so?

10. Have you put your life on hold until you lose weight? Do you say, "When I lose weight, then I will _________?"

What do you think? Are you a food addict? And if yes, are you ready to do something about it now? If not now, when?

Since it all starts with our thoughts, here are
6 Steps Toward Healthy Thinking! A good start!

Step 1: The Truth. Keep it honest. When we tell the truth, we unleash the forces of positive change. Being in denial, coming up with excuses, rationalizations and untruths may feel like it's working in the short run, but it comes with a great cost. It limits the possibility of change.

Step 2: Be Aware of Your Thoughts. The first step to being in control of your eating habit patterns is to begin to be aware of your thoughts and gain control of your mind. That's right ... you are controlling your mind. No one else!

Step 3: Commit. Commitment is about pledging, promising, taking a vow. It's about being loyal, dedicated, having allegiance to and faith in oneself.

I never thought I'd be quoting football coaches, but as football legend Bill Parcell's points out, "Commitment is about giving your all to every play. It's about choosing the right path; not the easiest one."

Step 4: Practice Awareness/Mindful Eating. Although many of us are intellectually aware of what 'consciousness' refers to, we have not yet made the leap that integrates this type of awareness into our own mouths! In order for 'consciousness' to permeate our lives, we need to experience it (as opposed to intellectualizing it).

Step 5: Seek Support. No man is an island unto himself. Ask for help from friends, family, and/or support groups! Join the Kick in the Tush Club!

Step 6: Motivate Daily. Zig Ziglar said it best, "People often say that motivation doesn't last. Well, neither does bathing - that's why we recommend it daily." Stand in front of the mirror each and every day and remind yourself that you can do it!

By Janice Taylor

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2-Minute tricks that beat stress

The next time you’re having a bad day (or week or month) take heart: you can perk up your mood quickly and simply. According to experts, life circumstances account for only 10% of happiness. Half depends on your genetic “set point,” which is kind of like the weight your body bounces back to after a crash diet. And about 40% of your happiness is influenced by what you do deliberately to make yourself. Here are a few easy tricks to try:

1. Flip through Old Photos
When you’re feeling down, break out your kids’ baby albums or pics from your favorite vacation. It may actually make you feel happier than a square of chocolate would! That’s what researchers at the United Kingdom’s Open University found after they examined how much people’s moods rose after eating a chocolate snack, sipping an alcoholic drink, watching TV, listening to music, or looking at personal photos.

The music and chocolate left most people’s moods unchanged; alcohol and TV gave a slight lift (1%), but the winner by a long shot was viewing pictures, which made people feel 11% better. To keep your spirits high at work, upload your favorite pics to your computer and set them as a rotating screensaver. Or splurge on a frame that flips through digital photos; amazon.com has plenty of options at a wide range of prices.

2. Munch on Nuts
Or sneak salmon into your salad for lunch. They’re both packed with omega-3 fats, which may make people less prone to depression—and easier to get along with, say researchers from the University of Pittsburgh. They measured the blood levels of omega-3 fats (a reliable indicator of consumption) of 106 healthy adults and gave them psychological tests. Those with the highest omega-3 blood levels scored 49 to 58% better on the tests than those with the lowest blood levels.

3. Inhale a Calming Scent
In an Austrian study, researchers wafted the smell of oranges before some participants and lavender before others. The two groups felt less anxious, more positive, and calmer when compared with participants who were exposed no fragrance at all. Add a few drops of either oil to a room diffuser (we like the Scentball, available at amazon.com) and use in your office on stressful days.

4. Open Your Shades
To feel happier in seconds, let the sunlight stream in when you first wake up. One study of more than 450 women found that those who got the most light, particularly in the morning, reported better moods and sleep. Got more time? Eat breakfast near a window that gets plenty of daylight, and put exercise equipment near a bright view. Some researchers speculate that combining exercise with morning light exposure may amplify light’s beneficial effects on mood, sleep, and alertness, says Anthony Levitt, MD, a University of Toronto light researcher.

5. Clear Away Clutter
For some, “clutter is a reminder of things that should be getting done but aren’t,” says Elaine Aron, PhD, author of The Highly Sensitive Person. “It can make you feel like a failure.” For a quick fix, straighten up a few surfaces in your office or in the areas of the house where you spend the most time. “It’s when every bit of space is messy that it’s most disturbing,” says Aron. Don’t bother to organize unless you have a chunk of time. Instead, arrange papers, books, and other detritus of daily living in neat piles or store them in baskets. “Just the illusion of order is enough to ease the mind,” she says.

6. Think Fast
Turn your thoughts into a race—it can lift the blues in minutes, says Princeton University psychologist Emily Pronin, PhD. For example, when your mother-in-law is driving you crazy, give yourself 30 seconds to make a list of all the ways she’s been helpful to you in the past—you’ll feel better fast. (If nothing nice comes to mind, quickly jot down other ways she bugs you; speed thinking negative thoughts can still improve your mood, Pronin found.) Researchers believe that rapid thinking may release feel-good brain chemicals—or it could just be a helpful distraction.

7. Cue Up YouTube
Stanford University researchers literally saw this on fMRI scans, where they traced changes in brain activity to a region called the nucleus accumbens (NAcc), which rewards behaviors such as eating and sex (and laughing) by releasing dopamine, a natural opiate. When stress builds up or you feel as though you may snap at any minute, make yourself giggle: Watch a funny video clip online, or stop by the office of a wisecracking pal for a quick chat.

8. Put On a Happy Face
Studies show that even muscular changes in your face can elevate your happiness, as can good posture, says Lyubomirsky. Call it the blush effect: To apply blush to your cheekbones properly, you need to smile. Smiling works, she says, because “if you act like you’re a happier person, you can experience all these positive social consequences. You make more friends. People are nicer to you. And these things can have real consequences.”

by Liz Vaccariello, Editor-in-Chief, PREVENTION

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V-Shape Shortcuts

Prep for a spring show-off by working your upper body.

By the Editors of Men's Health

If you're going to work your vanity muscles (nothing wrong with that!), choose exercises that provide fast results. This routine uses overhand, underhand, and neutral grips, which combine to demand more of your biceps and triceps. Also, the multimuscle moves will build your chest, back, and shoulders, says Matt McGorry, C.F.T., who created the routine. (And if you want to ignite new growth, be sure you work these six muscles you ignore—but shouldn't.)

1. Bench press

Lie on a flat bench. Using an overhand, shoulder-width grip, hold a barbell straight above your sternum, lower it, pause, and press it back up. Keep your elbows tucked so that when you're in the down position, your upper arms form a 45-degree angle to your body.

2. Chinup

Hang from a chinup bar using an underhand, shoulder-width grip. Pull your chest to the bar. Once the top of your chest touches the bar, pause, and then slowly lower yourself.

If chinups are too hard, try a pulldown machine instead, and use an underhand grip.

(Not seeing the results you want from your workout? Try these eight weightlifting fixes for more muscle.)

3. Seated dumbbell shoulder press

Sit at the end of a bench with your torso upright. Hold a pair of dumbbells just outside your shoulders with your palms facing each other. Press the weights up until your arms are straight, and then slowly lower them to the starting position.

4. Barbell row

Grab a barbell with an overhand grip that's just beyond shoulder width. Keeping your back naturally arched, bend at your hips and knees and lower your torso so it's almost parallel to the floor. Let the bar hang, and then pull it toward your upper abs. Pause, and slowly lower the bar.

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Posted in: Fitness,Muscle Building

6 Muscles You Can't Ignore

By: Ted Spiker

Where would we be without our supporting cast? Peyton Manning wouldn't have time to throw, captains would be swabbing their own decks, and the Dunder Mifflin paper company's brainstorming meetings wouldn't be considered entertainment. Success typically depends on behind-the-scenes help, and your body is no different. While your abs and biceps receive all the glory, here's a secret: It's the little-known muscles that make the big ones stand out. The problem is, working the muscles you can't see—like the ones deep inside your core, hips, and shoulders—can be a difficult process. But target those areas, and your whole body benefits. Not only will you look better, but you'll also have more strength and suffer fewer injuries.

These six muscles may never earn top billing, but they may rejuvenate your workouts and ignite new growth.

Supraspinatus and Subscapularis

Know them: The supraspinatus is one of the small muscles at the top of your shoulder that makes up the rotator cuff; the subscapularis is a large muscle on the front of your shoulder blade. Blame your desk job for weak shoulders: If your upper body is rounded, it's most likely because your chest is tight, which means the opposing muscles in your shoulders are weak. Strengthen the stabilizing muscles, and you'll see improvement on your bench press and in overhead sports like swimming or tennis, as well as in your overall upper-body power.

Test them: Bring your arms straight out in front of you at about a 45-degree angle, your thumbs pointed up—like you're about to hug someone. Have a friend stand in front of you and push your arms downward with moderate pressure. (The friend's hands should be positioned above your wrists on your forearms.) If you feel soreness in your shoulders or can't resist the pressure, you probably need to strengthen your supraspinatus, Plasschaert says.

Improve them: "A lot of people think they need to work the rotator muscles like crazy," says Scott. But a simple move is all you need, says Robertson. Stand holding a light pair of dumbbells in front of your thighs, palms facing each other. Keeping your thumbs pointed up, raise your arms up at a 30-degree angle to your torso until just above shoulder height. Hold for 1 second, and lower to the starting position. Do 2 sets of 8 to 10 repetitions. The exercise will help you add pounds to your bench by improving the stability of your shoulders.

Tensor Fasciae Latae

Know it: This muscle (also known as the TFL) starts along the outer edge of your hip and can affect lateral movement (abduction), which is movement away from your body. A tight TFL can mean you're at increased risk for lateral knee pain, because it attaches directly to your ilio-tibial band--tissue that runs vertically along the outsides of your thighs to help stabilize your knees. Weak or tight abductors means you're constantly getting beat off the dribble, or you're late getting to the ball on the tennis court.

Test it: Try old-fashioned leg lifts. Lie on your side with your legs straight, and raise your top leg to about a 40-degree angle. Then lower it. You should be able to lift your leg in a straight line, without your hip or thigh moving forward, says Jeff Plasschaert, C.S.C.S., a strength coach based in Gainesville, Florida. Make sure you're using hip strength, though; many people substitute motion from their core and lower back to finish the movement.

Improve it: Stretching the TFL is the secret to improving your performance, say Robertson. To stretch your left TFL, stand with your left hip adjacent to a wall. Cross your right foot in front of your left foot. From this position, contract your core and left glute, and then push directly into your left hip. Don't let your hips move backward, and instead make sure your left hip pushes to the side. Hold for 20 to 30 seconds, and then switch legs so your other side faces the wall. Perform 2 or 3 reps on each leg every day.

Psoas

Know it: The psoas (so-az) muscle runs through your hips to connect the lower portion of your back to the top of your thigh. It's one of your body's main back stabilizers and hip flexors (the muscles that line your hips and allow you to bring your knees toward your chest). If you sit all day, the psoas becomes rounded like a banana; then, when you stand up, the psoas pulls on your back, making you more prone to pain and lower-back injury. "A weak psoas also means you'll end up with assorted knee issues, because other secondary hip flexors take over and cause pain," Robertson says.

Test it: Lie on your back and pull one knee to your chest. Keep your other leg straight. If the psoas is of normal length, your straight leg will rest on the floor. If your leg sits above the floor, your psoas is either stiff or shortened, says Bill Hartman, C.S.C.S., a strength coach based in Indianapolis.

Improve it: The only way to strengthen a weak psoas is by bringing your knee above 90 degrees. Sit with your knees bent on a low box or bench (6 to 10 inches high) (3). Maintaining good posture and keeping your abs tight, use your hips to raise one bent knee slightly higher than your hips. If you lean forward or backward, you're not performing the exercise correctly. Hold for 5 seconds, and return to the starting position. Complete 3 sets of 5 repetitions per leg. Also, to help release some of the pressure you may feel, use your thumb to press on your hip flexor; it'll be on your side and a little lower than your belly button.

Piriformis

Know it: This muscle near your gluteal (butt) region helps with thigh rotation and tends to suffer from overuse. Why? Because weak hamstrings and glutes force the piriformis to take on some of the work those big muscles should be doing, says Keith Scott, C.S.C.S., a strength coach based in New Jersey. This creates back and hip pain, and weaker lower-body performance.

Test it: Sit on a chair and cross one leg over the other, with the crossing ankle of one leg resting on the bent knee of the other. If you can't get your top leg parallel to the ground, your piriformis is probably tight.

Improve it: Increase your mobility with windshield wipers, says Robertson: Lie on your back with your knees bent and your feet placed wider than shoulder-width apart on the ground. Press your knees together, and then return to the starting position. Do 2 sets of 10 to 15 repetitions. Now add some soft-tissue work: Sit on a foam roller with your weight shifted to your right butt, and place your right ankle on your left knee. Roll your right glutes from top to bottom, working any painful areas. Continue for 45 to 60 seconds, and switch sides. Do this daily.

Serratus Anterior

Know it: This muscle, located on the side of your chest along your ribs, attaches to and allows you to rotate your shoulder blade (a.k.a. scapula). It plays a vital role when you raise your shoulder to flex your arm and move it away from your body; that's why it's prominent in boxers but not your average guy. The reason? Blame the bench press. Because of the support provided by the bench, the serratus anterior doesn't receive much direct challenge during this popular exercise, says Mike Robertson, C.S.C.S., a strength coach in Indianapolis.

Test it: Do a pushup without wearing a shirt and have someone look at your back during the move. If you have a winged scapula, your shoulder blade will stick out; this means your serratus is weak, says Robertson. A strong one suctions your scapula in during the movement, eliminating the winged look.

Improve it: Standard pushups strengthen the muscle, but doing pushup variations is the quickest way to correct a weakness, says Robertson. Use a power rack to perform incline pushups on a barbell. Start with your body at the lowest incline that doesn't allow your shoulders to wing—which means placing the bar relatively high. Perform 3 sets of 8 to 12 repetitions. As you become stronger and learn to control your scapular motion, work your way down the rack until you're doing regular pushups with perfect body alignment.

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Posted in: Fitness,Muscle Building

7 Reasons You're Still Overweight and How to Get Slim Fast

Why do some people pack on the pounds effortlessly? It’s not always genetics and it’s not always gluttony, and you can’t always blame it on lack of exercise. Indeed, becoming overweight is often a result of some simple—and easily correctible—bad habits, especially when it comes to dining out.

As we began researching Eat This, Not That! Restaurant Survival Guide, we discovered plenty of egregious examples of super-fattening foods in both America’s supermarkets and our chain restaurants. And we learned that if you simply know what to order and what to avoid, you can shave off pounds effortlessly. For example, does On the Border really need to stuff more than a day’s worth of calories into its Dos XX Fish Tacos? (Remember when fish was healthy?) And shouldn’t Chili’s warn parents when a selection on its kids’ menu comes with 82 grams of fat, like its Pepper Pals Little Chicken Crispers does?

If you know these secrets, the power to eat what you want and still stay slim is in your hands. That's why we created the Eat This, Not That! iPhone app! It’s like having your own personal nutritionist at your fingertips.

In the meantime, here’s the hard truth: There's more contributing to America's obesity problem than just fattening food. The restaurant industry has spent decades studying human behavior and figuring out all sorts of subliminal ways to make us want to order and eat more. And a lot of those psychological tricks have become ingrained in our behavior.

In a study in the journal Obesity, researchers looked at the habits of people dining at an all-you-can-eat buffet. Those with the highest body mass index (BMI)—a measure of obesity—shared many of the behaviors listed below. Know them so you can take charge of your waistline—and your health.

#1. Overweight people use larger plates.
When offered two plate sizes, 98.6 percent of those with the highest BMI took the larger of the two plates to the buffet. A bigger plate tricks your eye into thinking you’re not eating as much when you stuff more food onto the surface—and into your mouth. Use a smaller plate, get a smaller belly.

Bonus tip: The same principle holds true for drinks, as we've found while researching the upcoming Drink This, Not That! The larger the cup, the bigger your gut. Check out our list of The 20 Worst Drinks in America and The 40 Best and Worst Beers for two eye-opening lineups of belt-busting beverages that'll drown your diet aspirations. (It's baffling that some drinks can pack more than 2000 calories!)

#2. Overweight people eat while looking at food.
Of those with high BMIs, 41.7 percent took seats that overlooked the buffet, instead of sitting in a booth or facing in a different direction. The sight of food tends to make our minds think we have more work to do, eating-wise. Keep your food stored in the fridge or stashed in the pantry, not out on the countertops.

#3. Overweight people eat with maximum efficiency.
While Chinese buffets offer chopsticks, 91.3 percent of obese patrons opt for forks. That just makes it easier to shovel in the food.

Bonus tip: For simple steps to live a longer and healthier life, read through Dr. Oz's 25 Greatest Health Tips Ever. His tips will dramatically improve your life.

#4. Overweight people clean their plates.
Of those patrons who were the heaviest, 94 percent cleaned their plates so there was nothing left. Ignore Mom’s advice—let a little linger, or take it to go.

#5. Overweight people chew less.
Researchers actually monitored the chewing habits of the buffet-goers and discovered that the heaviest one-third among them chewed their food an average of 11.9 times before swallowing. The middle one-third chewed an average of 14 times, and the leanest one-third chewed 14.8 times.

Bonus tip: Whatever you do, don't chew on these 20 Worst Restaurant Foods in America. Some of these secret meals pack days' worth of salt, sugar, trans-fat and saturated fat! Learn exactly which ones so you can steer clear.

#6. Overweight people dive in.
The leanest people in the study typically took a lap around the buffet first, to plot out what they wanted to eat. But the more overweight group charged right in; doing so means you may fill up on some less-appealing items, then have to go back to snag that one nosh you have to have but missed the first time.

#7. Overweight people skip breakfast.
A simple habit, but missing this crucial meal raises your risk of obesity by a whopping 450 percent! Start your day with some lean protein and fiber—which will jumpstart your metabolism and keep you full. (An egg sandwich is actually a great choice.)

Bonus tip: Save calories, time, and money with the FREE Eat This, Not That! newsletter. Sign up today and you’ll get the Eat This, Not That! guide to shopping once and eating for a week for free.

Article by David Zinczenko, with Matt Goulding

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Should I use hormone replacement therapy (HRT)?

Introduction
Over the past decades, menopausal women have been encouraged to use hormone replacement therapy (HRT) for its apparent health- and youth-preserving benefits. It is true that HRT lowers the risk of osteoporosis and possibly colon cancer. But, compared to women not taking hormones, women taking HRT have slightly higher rates of breast cancer, ovarian cancer, heart attack, stroke, blood clots, and Alzheimer's disease as well as other forms of dementia.

Although HRT risks are not high for most women, on average, the small risks outweigh the small benefits. As a result, women's health experts now recommend that, for most women, HRT use should be limited to one or both of the following:

• Short-term menopausal symptom relief.
• Severe osteoporosis risk (when nonhormonal treatments have been considered and/or tried first).

This information will help you understand your choices, whether you share in the decision-making process or rely on your doctor's recommendation.

Key points in making your decision
Consider the following when deciding whether to start or continue taking hormone replacement therapy (HRT):

• The risks of short-term HRT use are small but significant, particularly for women with preexisting risk factors.
• After 1 year's use, HRT is linked to changes on mammograms in 40 out of 1,000 women. These changes aren't diagnosed as cancer but require further testing.
• After 5 years' use, HRT is linked to breast cancer in 4 to 6 out of 1,000 women. This risk increases with prolonged HRT use.
• The risk of blood clots in the legs or lungs is greatest during the first 2 years, affecting about 6 out of 1,000 women.
• Heart disease is the number one killer of women, and HRT use causes heart disease in a small number of women.
• Heart risk from HRT does not seem to affect women in their first 10 years after menopause. Review your personal heart risk profile versus possible HRT benefits as part of your treatment decision process.
• For perimenopausal symptoms, consider non-HRT treatments, including breathing-for-relaxation exercises; certain antidepressants, low blood pressure medicines, and black cohosh for hot flashes; and vaginal lubricant or vaginal estrogen (cream, ring, or tablet) for dryness and irritation.
• If you decide to use HRT for symptom relief, use the lowest effective dose for the shortest possible time, and see your doctor regularly to reevaluate your personal benefits and risks.
• HRT helps prevent bone loss and osteoporosis. If you are at high risk for osteoporosis, HRT is one of several treatments you can consider.

Medical Information

What is menopause?
After several years of fluctuating hormone levels and irregular menstruation in your 40s or 50s, your estrogen and progesterone levels begin to decline. After 6 months to 1 year of decline, your estrogen level drops past a certain point, and your menstrual cycle ends. Menopause is the point in time when you've had no menstrual periods for 1 year.

During the first year or so after menopause (postmenopause), estrogen levels continue to decline, which can cause perimenopausal symptoms like hot flashes and insomnia or make them worse. After your hormone levels reach a stable low point, these symptoms are likely to subside. This typically takes 1 to 2 years. But some women continue with symptoms for years, perhaps because their estrogen levels are lower than average.

Low estrogen is part of the healthy, natural state of the postmenopausal phase of life—it is tailored to the way your body is meant to function after your childbearing years. Low estrogen is good for you in the sense that it lowers your hormone-related cancer risk. But because estrogen also plays an important role in skin and bone health, low estrogen creates some health concerns for the postmenopausal woman.

• Following years of gradual decline in bone density and strength, low estrogen after menopause speeds up bone loss, which increases your risk of osteoporosis.
• Low estrogen leads to low collagen, a building block of skin and connective tissue. As a result, the vaginal lining and the lower urinary tract also thin and weaken. This condition, called genitourinary atrophy, can make sexual relations difficult and can increase the risk of vaginal and urinary tract infection.

What other treatments are available for perimenopausal symptoms?
Although the perimenopausal transition itself is a natural body change that doesn't require treatment, severe symptoms can disrupt a woman's life and sense of well-being. The first and best approach to reducing your perimenopausal symptoms (and long-term health risks related to aging) is to lead a healthy lifestyle—avoid excess caffeine, alcohol, and stress; eat well; and exercise regularly.

If you need additional relief, you have several non-HRT treatment options to choose from. Slow, rhythmic breathing exercises may help you manage hot flashes and emotional symptoms. Vaginal lubricants (such as Astroglide or K-Y Jelly) are useful for vaginal dryness, and vaginal estrogen (cream, ring, or tablet) can help with vaginal dryness and irritation. Certain types of antidepressants or blood pressure medication (clonidine) may reduce hot flashes. Black cohosh may help with hot flashes and other hormone-related symptoms.

Before menopause, you can also consider low-dose estrogen-progestin birth control pills for perimenopausal symptoms and pregnancy prevention, as long as you have no risk factors for heart disease or breast cancer and you do not smoke.

What is hormone replacement therapy?
Estrogen replacement therapy (ERT) refers to the daily use of estrogen to increase a woman's hormones to premenopausal levels. Women with a uterus who take estrogen also need the hormone progestin to prevent the estrogen from affecting the uterine lining (endometrium), which can lead to endometrial cancer. The combination of estrogen and progestin is called hormone replacement therapy (HRT). Women with a uterus take HRT. Women who have had a hysterectomy to remove the uterus take ERT.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has updated its HRT recommendations and now only approves estrogen-progestin HRT for:

• Short-term treatment of perimenopausal symptoms. Women who do decide that HRT benefits outweigh their risks are advised to use the lowest effective dose for as short a time as possible, not exceeding 3 or 4 years.
• Osteoporosis prevention and treatment, in select, severe cases. Most experts recommend that HRT only be considered for women with significant risk of osteoporosis that outweighs their risks from taking HRT.10 Women are now encouraged to consider all possible osteoporosis treatments and to compare their risks and benefits.

The FDA is reviewing its ERT recommendations, based on March 2004 stroke risk information from the Women's Health Initiative ERT study. Other low-dose ERT research is currently in progress.

What are the benefits of taking estrogen?
When taken as ERT or HRT, estrogen:

• Helps prevent osteoporosis after menopause by slowing bone loss and promoting some increase in bone density.
• Reduces hot flashes and sleep problems in most, but not all, women.
• Maintains the lining of the vagina, reducing irritation.
• Maintains skin collagen levels, which decline as estrogen levels decline. Collagen is responsible for the stretch in skin and muscle.
• Increases the amount of HDL (“good”) cholesterol and decreases the amount of LDL (“bad”) cholesterol in the blood.
• Reduces the risk of dental problems, such as tooth loss and gum disease.
• May reduce the risk of colon cancer.

What are the risks of hormone replacement therapy?
HRT increases the risks of breast cancer, ovarian cancer, blood clots, heart disease, stroke, and dementia. Estrogen alone (ERT) is also linked to increased stroke, ovarian cancer, dementia, and possible breast cancer risk. No particular form or dosage of ERT or HRT has been proved safer than another.

Among the women using HRT in the recent Women's Health Initiative trials, most did not develop major health problems. But after the first 1 to 4 years of using HRT, a small yet significant number of women did develop signs of cancer, blood clots, heart disease, stroke, and dementia.

• Within the first 2 years, HRT use slightly increased the risk of blood clots in the lungs (pulmonary embolism) and legs (deep vein thrombosis) in all healthy postmenopausal women regardless of risk factors.
• During the second year, HRT use began to slightly increase heart attack and stroke risk in all healthy postmenopausal women, regardless of risk factors. Early signs of heart disease first became apparent during the first year of use. Heart disease risk does not increase for women in the first 10 years after menopause.
• After 1 year, HRT use increased the number of abnormal mammograms by approximately 4% each year. Daily estrogen-progestin increased breast density compared with estrogen alone or placebo. Although the abnormal mammograms required additional medical evaluation, they were not linked to an early increase in breast cancer. Studies are ongoing to learn more about breast density change from HRT.
• After 4 years of use, HRT-related breast cancers first became apparent. The number of HRT-related breast cancers increased with each additional year of HRT use. Women taking HRT generally had larger, more advanced tumors than women who developed breast cancer while taking a placebo treatment. (But some of these cancers may respond more favorably to treatment.)
• After 4 years, HRT use slightly increased the incidence of Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias in women ages 65 and older. HRT does not provide protection from dementia or cognitive impairment, as was previously believed. (Most of the women in this study started HRT several years after menopause, when Alzheimer's risk naturally increases. So, experts do not yet know whether the effect of HRT on Alzheimer's risk is the same for younger women who use short-term HRT starting at menopause.) An HRT-related increase in dementia has been observed in women older than 65.

Your risks. It is impossible to know whether you will develop health problems from HRT. If you have no personal or family history of breast cancer, ovarian cancer, heart attack, stroke, blood clots, and dementia, your increased HRT risks are likely to be small. If you have a personal or family history of breast cancer, ovarian cancer, or heart disease, your HRT risks are likely to be higher than average, making the risks outweigh the benefits. If you have had breast cancer, which can be triggered or made worse by estrogen, taking HRT is not safe for you.

Low-dose HRT. The typical HRT dose is 0.625 mg of estrogen plus 2.5 mg of progestin. In March 2003, the FDA approved a low-dose version of Prempro, containing 0.3 mg of estrogen and 1.5 mg of progestin. This low-dose version may help hot flashes and bone density and is hoped to reduce the risks related to higher-dose HRT, but it needs more study.

Low-dose estrogen for osteoporosis. Researchers are studying the effects of low-dose estrogen therapy. A small early study has shown that a low estrogen dose—0.25 mg per day—may keep the bones as strong as the higher dose. But the long-term risks of taking low-dose estrogen are not yet known.

How and when do I stop taking hormone replacement therapy?
There is no way of knowing in advance whether you will have perimenopausal symptoms when you stop using HRT (or ERT). While some women have no symptoms, others are mildly affected, and some have moderate to severe symptoms. Most women find that their symptoms subside over time.

How to stop HRT. There are currently no evidence-based guidelines for stopping HRT. Talk to your doctor about how you should stop HRT. Your doctor may want you to stop HRT right away or try tapering off. You may taper off by lowering your daily dose, increasing the time between dosages, or trimming back an estrogen patch over time.

When to stop HRT. Ultimately, it is up to you and your doctor to decide how long you will take HRT. After weighing the risks, some women will continue to take HRT for years to come, while others stop as soon as they learn of the risks. If you have been taking HRT for many years, talk to your doctor about stopping HRT.

There are currently no evidence-based guidelines for when to stop short-term HRT. But based on the risks, HRT use for 4 or more years is considered "long term."

If you develop symptoms when tapering or suddenly stopping HRT, consider how severe your symptoms are, what other treatment options are available for symptom relief, and how long you've been taking HRT. You can:

• Slightly increase your HRT dose until symptoms subside. After another 6 months to 1 year, try to taper off again.
• Continue with your plan to stop HRT and see whether symptoms subside over a few months.
• Continue with your plan to stop HRT and try another type of treatment.

If you need more information, see the topic Menopause and Perimenopause.

Your Information
If you have decided that you are in need of symptom treatment after menopause or that you need to treat or prevent osteoporosis, your choices are:

• Use another treatment for perimenopausal symptoms or osteoporosis prevention.
• Use low-dose hormone replacement therapy for the shortest time possible.

The decision about whether to take hormone replacement therapy takes into account your personal feelings and the medical facts.

Making a decision about HRT

Reasons to take HRT

• Low-dose, short-term HRT (up to 4 years). You have no risk factors for heart disease, blood clots, stroke, or breast or ovarian cancer, are willing to accept the small increase in risks of cancer and heart disease, and you:
  
  1. Have considered or tried other treatments.
  2. Have moderate to severe perimenopausal symptoms that are disrupting your sleep and/or daily life.
• Long-term HRT. You are willing to accept the breast and ovarian cancer, blood clot, heart disease, and possible dementia risks of continuing HRT for longer than 4 years, and you:
  
  1. Are at high risk for osteoporosis and have considered or tried other osteoporosis therapies.
  2. Have long-standing perimenopausal symptoms (such as hot flashes) that only HRT will relieve.

Are there other reasons you might want to take hormone replacement therapy?

Reasons to not take HRT

• You have not considered or tried other treatment options.
• You are concerned about blood clot and stroke risk.
• You are 10 or more years past menopause and are concerned about heart disease risk.
• You have been taking HRT for longer than 4 years and are concerned about increased cancer and dementia risks.
• You only have vaginal or urinary tract symptoms, which can be treated with vaginal estrogen (cream, ring, or tablet).
• You need a preventive treatment for heart disease or stroke (HRT does not prevent these conditions).

Do not use HRT if you have:

• A personal history of breast cancer, ovarian cancer, or endometrial cancer.
• A personal history of pulmonary embolism, deep vein thrombosis, heart attack, or stroke. (Your risks may also be higher if you have a family history of these conditions.)
• Vaginal bleeding from an unknown cause.
• Active liver disease (oral estrogen stresses the liver; an estrogen patch or cream does not).

Are there other reasons you might not want to take hormone replacement therapy?

These personal stories about deciding whether to take HRT may help you make your decision.

Wise Health Decision
Answer these questions with Yes/No/Unsure, to help you make your decision. After completing it, you should have a better idea of how you feel about hormone replacement therapy (HRT). Discuss the answers with your doctor.

1. I have tried other perimenopausal treatment options.
2. I can consider using low-dose birth control pills because I have not yet reached menopause.
3. I am in my 50s and consider my cancer, heart disease, and dementia risks to be low.
4. I have a high osteoporosis risk.
5. I have a personal or family history of heart attack, stroke, blood clots in the lungs or legs, or breast or ovarian cancer.
6. I have unbearable perimenopausal symptoms that other therapies cannot control.
7. I think I would take HRT for as long as I need relief from bothersome symptoms.
8. I have been taking HRT for more than 4 years.
9. I would consider taking HRT, but only for a short period of time.

What is your overall impression?
Your answers in the above questions are meant to give you a general idea of where you stand on this decision. You may have one overriding reason to use or not use hormone replacement therapy.
Article by Robin Parks, MS

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90 seconds to slim

Tired of countless sets and reps? Make "one and done" your workout mantra. With this get-lean routine you'll do each move only once, which will leave you twice as much time to enjoy your sleek new physique!

Slow down to firm up. You can tone all over with a single rep. The key? Stretch out each exercise over a full 90 seconds. "Stop-and-hold training is more effective than traditional strength training because it maximizes muscle tension throughout the total range of motion," says Pete Cerqua, author of The 90-Second Fitness Solution (Atria Books), who created these slow-mo moves exclusively for SELF.

You'll need A pair of 5- to 10-pound weights and a stability ball

You'll do One rep (or one on each side) of each sculptor twice a week on nonconsecutive days. Go with the slow!

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Busted! 5 Major Eating Mistakes

By Holly McCord, RD, with Gloria McVeigh, Prevention
Ever get the guilty feeling that you're being watched as you toss the double fudge brownie mix into your grocery cart? Well, you are! We checked with some of the top US nutrition experts, who admitted they secretly spy on the rest of us as we make real-world choices in restaurants and grocery stores. Here are their top five gripes.

1. We can't tell the good fats from the bad ones.
"Most people still don't get that some fats are actually good for you," says Alice Lichtenstein, DSc, an American Heart Association spokesperson. "You want to avoid saturated and trans fats, but you need more monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats. Good sources are fish, nuts, avocados, and soybean and canola oils."

Smarter: Fit in good fats. "If you keep track of total calories, you don't have to worry about how much fat you eat, just what kind," explains Dr. Lichtenstein. Grandpa Po's Slightly Spicy Nutra Nuts use only canola oil (160 cal, 10 g fat, 1 g sat. fat, 2 g fiber, 60 mg sodium); at healthy food supermarkets.

2. We supersize to save money.
"People think that supersizing a restaurant meal is a money saver, but it's not a health bargain if it has way too many calories," says Karen Weber Cullen, DPH, RD, research nutritionist at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston.

Smarter: Judge with your palm, not your purse. A serving size is about what fits into the palm of your hand (larger for men than women, smaller for children). For most meals, pick one protein, one starch, one veggie, and one fruit based on the serving that will fit into your palm.

3. We think anything liquid has no calories.
"What freaks me out is the amount of sugared soda and juice we drink," says Judith Stern, ScD, RD, professor of nutrition and internal medicine at the University of California, Davis. "I'd like to see all the sugared drinks sent out into space, where they could orbit the Earth forever." Sugared drinks balloon your calorie intake and squeeze out more nutritious foods.

Smarter: Try a cup of tea. Available in myriad varieties, the calorie-free brew promotes heart health, staves off several types of cancer, strengthens bones and teeth, and protects the skin.

4. We don't know how "hungry" really feels.
"If you don't know when you're hungry, you don't know when you're full, so you won't know when to stop eating," says Elisabetta Politi, RD, nutrition manager of the Duke University Diet & Fitness Center in Durham, NC.

Smarter: Tune in with mindful eating. Here's how.
1. Before you eat, relax, and rate your hunger from 1 (hungriest) to 7 (fullest).
2. Eat slowly, pausing often to rate how your hunger changes.
3. When finished, rate yourself one more time. Try to stay between 2 1/2 and 5 1/2: not too ravenous when you start and not completely full when you stop.

5. We have a microwave addiction.
Many women come home from work and pop a frozen entrée into the microwave. "Eating too many heavily processed foods can leave you short on fiber and antioxidants such as vitamin C," explains Jo Ann Hattner, RD, clinical dietitian at Stanford University Medical Center.

Smarter: Complement a frozen entrée with a green salad, a 100 percent whole wheat roll, and fruit for dessert. Stock up on the freshest fruit for maximum flavor.

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Instant Ab Flatteners

Achieving a toned, sexy tummy might seem like a pipe dream this time of year. Baggy sweaters abound, egg nog is served and Frosty the Snowman doesn't offer much in the way of flat-belly inspiration. But getting a sleek, sexy stomach is easier than you think. Spend just five minutes a day on toning your abs and you'll get an amazing middle.

We rounded up five of the most effective tummy toners around. Work three or four of these exercises into your routine (easing them in will minimize soreness). Do the number of reps indicated, resting one minute between moves. The only equipment you will need is a hand towel. Washboard abs, here you come!

Pike 90
Lie faceup; raise legs until perpendicular to floor, feet flexed. Lower right leg so it hovers 1 or 2 inches off floor and place hands lightly behind head. In this position, do 15 crunches, lifting chest toward ceiling and lowering. Switch legs and repeat.

Crunchy frog
Sit with knees bent, feet flat. Keeping legs together, raise feet several inches and bring knees toward chest. Wrap arms around knees without touching legs. Extend legs and stretch arms to sides, palms forward. Return to wrapped-arm position; repeat. Do 15 reps.

Tornado
Stand with feet hip-width apart, right leg in front of left, right foot turned out. Bend elbows and raise arms out to sides at shoulder level (like goalposts). In one motion, raise right knee to lowered right elbow. Return to start; switch sides and repeat to complete one rep. Do 15 reps.

Corkscrew
Lie faceup. Press legs together and raise them toward ceiling until they're at a 90-degree angle, with knees slightly bent and toes pointed. Raise butt and legs off floor using ab muscles; twist legs slightly to left. Repeat, twisting to right, for one rep. Do 15 reps.

Side arm balance
Start on floor on knees. Lean to left and place left hand on floor under shoulder; extend right arm up and to left, palm down. Straighten right legs out to right with foot on floor, resting on left knee. Hold for 5 breaths. Return to start; switch sides. Repeat twice per side.

By Lucy Danziger, SELF Editor-in-Chief

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Stop Snoring

For most people, snoring is not a major problem, and most people snore at least occasionally. Men and overweight people are more likely to snore and snore more often. The frequency and intensity of snoring will likely increase with age if not dealt with at an earlier stage.

Mild snoring might seem harmless, but it can actually lead to more serious health problems, including sleep deprivation. Persistent snoring has also been linked to problems in cardiovascular health, type II diabetes, hypertension and metabolic syndrome.

Snoring is caused when there is a narrowed passageway between the nose and the throat. The passageway narrows because the muscles in your throat are more relaxed when you sleep. When inhaling oxygen while the passageway is narrowed, air will have to move faster than before, and will hit the tissues of the soft palate and the uvula with more force causing vibrations which in turn create snoring sounds.

Causes of Snoring
There can be many causes to why one snores when they sleep, anything that causes the air passageways to narrow will likely cause snoring.

• Substances that promotes muscle relaxation such as alcohol or drugs that promote drowsiness will cause your throat muscles to relax thus narrowing the air passageway and also causes the tongue to relax and fall back limit the air passageway thus encouraging snoring.
• Snoring can be brought on by a stuffy nose which can be brought on by a cold or sinuses. When one's nose becomes stuffy, less air can go through the nasal passage so the throat has to pull air in through the mouth with extra force, which will in turn cause snoring.
• The physical makeup of your body can be a cause of one's snoring problems; if one is overweight there will be more fatty tissues in the throat which means a narrower air passageway. Also if one has a long uvula and/or soft palate will also cause a narrower air passage and an increased likelihood of snoring. Other physical characteristics which may bring about snoring include large adenoids and large tonsils, a long tongue, a small lower jaw or a deviated nasal septum.
• Asthma and/or smoking can also increase the chance of one snoring due to the irritation and constriction of the air passageways which is brought about.
• Sleeping on your back makes one more likely to snore because gravity pulls the tongue and jaw down to the back of the mouth and limits the air passageway.

Before resorting to drastic measures (or being booted from the bedroom), try the natural ingredients in SnoreZip Homeopathic Spray for gentle, effective relief of the symptoms that may be causing you to snore. So you and your partner can get the benefits that come with getting better quality sleep.
Click Banner for more information

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Best Anti-Aging Foods

These six food groups hold the "power" to help you lose weight and turn back the clock. Don't miss our easy seven-day meal plan and delicious anti-aging snacks!

1. Produce
Piling your plate with fruits and vegetables is a no-brainer when it comes to weight loss — they're low in calories, high in nutrients, and filling — but the latest studies show that certain ones can provide surprising anti-aging benefits.

There's buzz about blueberries, for instance, for their memory-boosting potential. But berries of all hues are antioxidant-rich, reports Navindra P. Seeram, Ph.D., assistant professor at the University of Rhode Island College of Pharmacy in Kingston. That means they combat free radicals, molecules that can cause widespread cell damage and are linked to chronic inflammation. Unlike the inflammation that occurs when you sprain an ankle or strain a muscle, the type that contributes to aging is persistent, and thought to be at the root of most chronic diseases, from cancer, heart disease, and diabetes to Alzheimer's, arthritis, and osteoporosis. Berries' beauty bonus: They're chock-full of vitamin C, another potent antioxidant that may help keep your complexion looking smooth by fighting those pesky (skin-damaging) free radicals.

To keep your vision sharp, set your sights on spinach and other dark leafy greens. These veggies are prime sources of lutein and zeaxanthin, plant pigments that protect your eyes from the harmful effects of ultraviolet light. Leafy greens are also rich in vitamin K, a nutrient that plays a role in reducing bone loss and preventing fractures.

2. Protein
This key dietary component becomes even more critical starting in the 40s, when muscle mass begins to decline by up to 1 percent a year. That drop slows metabolism, which makes the pounds pile on more easily. The double whammy consequence: Added weight puts your health at risk, and down the road, diminished muscle mass can throw off your balance (upping chances of a fall), sap your strength, and even threaten your ability to recover from an illness or accident.

To hang on to your metabolism-boosting muscle — and keep you feeling full after meals (another protein plus) — experts recommend eating plenty of skinless chicken and turkey breast, lean beef and pork, eggs, beans, and seafood. And don't forget protein-rich dairy: Minerals (primarily calcium, phosphorus, and potassium) in fat-free milk and yogurt as well as low-fat cheeses help to keep blood pressure healthy, pudge in check, and bones strong. News flash: Calcium can't build bone if you're not getting enough protein, and current recommendations — about five ounces a day for a 145-pound woman — are too low, says Robert P. Heaney, M.D., professor of medicine at Creighton University in Omaha. Our Anti-Aging Meal Plan provides about 11 ounces of protein daily.

Another reason to spoon up some yogurt: Eating at least 1/4 cup every day led to a 60 percent lower risk of gum disease and a 50 percent lower risk of tooth loss in a Japanese study published in the Journal of Periodontology. The effect is thought to be linked to the probiotics in yogurt, but not in most other dairy.

3. Omega-3-Rich Fish
Fatty acids in seafood help quench the flames of chronic inflammation. In addition, "there's very good new data suggesting that omega-3 fats from fish act on an area of the brain that leads to improved mood and attitude among healthy people," says Artemis P. Simopoulos, M.D., author of The Omega Diet. These improvements in outlook lead to feeling healthier and more vigorous, she explains. The omega-3s in fatty fish like salmon and tuna have the most potent anti-inflammatory effects. But it's smart to consume omega-3s from plant sources, like walnuts and flaxseed, too — especially if you're not fond of fish.

4. Whole Grains
A 2008 review of these diet-friendly foods — which include whole wheat, oats, and brown rice, and the bread, cereal, and other edibles made from them — concluded that a meal plan loaded with whole grains helps you stay slim, thanks, in part, to fiber's role in appetite control. Their low rankings on the glycemic index (a system that rates the effect of different carbohydrates on blood sugar levels) may also play a role.

A raft of research has also shown that whole grains offer protection against diabetes, heart disease, stroke, colon cancer, high blood pressure, and gum disease. These benefits are tied to the array of vitamins, minerals, plant chemicals, and again, fiber that work together to promote health. (That's why refined grains, which filter out these nutrients during manufacturing, and add some back later in the process, don't offer the same advantages.)

5. Exercise
It's an anti-aging bonanza: Being active maintains muscle mass, boosts metabolism, and keeps your heart and lungs primed, among other benefits. Now, a recent study has found that running, in particular, promotes a long, independent life. Researchers at Stanford University School of Medicine followed a group of runners and non-runners for 21 years and found that elderly runners put off age-related disabilities for 16 years beyond their non-running counterparts. Runners also lived longer: 19 years into the study, only 15 percent of them had died compared with 34 percent of the non-runners. And the active ones were less likely to die from heart disease, stroke, cancer, and neurological conditions. While this study examined running, 30 minutes of more moderate aerobic activity, five days a week, will keep you healthy, according to recently released guidelines from the American Heart Association and American College of Sports Medicine. What should also be on your fitness agenda: strength training twice a week to maintain muscle and keep your metabolism humming.

6. Red Wine and Other Drinks
What other diet recommends red wine? Ours does because the ruby beverage's Resveratrol is a potent antioxidant, inflammation damper, and artery protector. Plus, animal research suggests that high amounts of Resveratrol may counteract cell death in the heart and brain, which could mean this compound has even greater potential to prolong your life. Limit yourself to one five-ounce glass a day; more could be harmful.

If you're not a wine drinker, no worries: Put on the coffeemaker or the kettle instead. Coffee appears to lower the risk of type 2 diabetes and Parkinson's disease, and evidence suggests that java drinkers have a lower chance of dying from heart disease. Some of the benefit may come from caffeine, but coffee also contains chlorogenic acids, antioxidants that might also play a protective role. Drinking tea may lower your risk of heart attacks, strengthen your immune system, protect tooth enamel, and help fight memory loss associated with aging. Choose green, black, white, or oolong — their leaves all come from the camellia sinensis, or tea plant. And their polyphenols (antioxidants), fluoride, and caffeine — which are thought to contribute to these health benefits — are largely missing from herbal brews.

Two Secret Age-Defying Treats
They seem like diet no-no's because of their calorie load, but dark chocolate and a handful (not a canful) of nuts have longevity and weight-loss benefits.

This just in: Nuts give you a surprising diet edge. A recent study found that despite being a high-fat, high-cal food, they don't promote weight gain. The reason: People find nuts filling and after eating them, offset some of the calories by eating less later on. Best of all, up to 20 percent of the calories in nuts don't get absorbed.

Craving something sweet? Dip into dark chocolate. The latest evidence suggests that cocoa flavanols (more predominant in dark chocolate than milky versions) may lower inflammation, keep blood pressure in check, prevent platelets from clotting (which could, in turn, prevent strokes and heart attacks), and boost brain power.

Anti-Aging Healthy Snacks
Our Anti-Aging Meal Plan provides everything you need to look younger and get thinner. We've even made room for extras — like a splash of milk in your coffee or honey in your tea. Every day, you can have up to 50 "free" calories to use any way you'd like. (Or save up for two or three days so you can have a 100-calorie or 150-calorie treat.) You can choose an item that's already on the menu (say, extra crackers or another egg) to have seconds, or select a different food or drink that you want to splurge on (our lists can help you keep a calorie tally).

Up to 50 Calories:
1 tbsp 2% milk - 8 calories
1 tsp sugar - 16 calories
1 tsp honey - 21 calories
1 tbsp grated Parmesan cheese - 22 calories
1 tbsp reduced-fat sour cream - 26 calories
3 slices (1 oz) deli thin lean ham - 30 calories
2 tbsp Cedar's Cucumber Garlic Tzatziki with 5 celery stalks - 35 calories
2 Ak-Mak crackers - 46 calories
1 Sargento Reduced Fat Colby-Jack cheese stick - 50 calories
1 Mini Babybel Light cheese - 50 calories

Up to 100 Calories:
1 hard-boiled egg - 70 calories
1 6-ounce container of Dannon Light & Fit yogurt (any flavor) - 80 calories
1 Nature's Path Organic Pomegran Plus Waffle - 80 calories
2 Blue Horizon Organic Chinese-Style Shrimp Spring Rolls - 87 calories
1 small banana - 90 calories
1 Tall Skinny Latte from Starbucks - 90 calories
Any 100-calorie snack pack - 100 calories
1 Whole Treat Organic Fudge Bar - 100 calories
5 Triscuits - 100 calories
3 Hershey's Bliss Signatures in dark chocolate - 100 calories

Up to 150 Calories:
1/2 cup Edy's Slow Churned Rich & Creamy Chocolate Ice Cream - 110 calories
1 Kashi Chewy Cherry Dark Chocolate Bar - 120 calories
1 5.3-ounce container FAGE Total 2% Yogurt with Fruit (any flavor) - 130 calories
1 Pack World of Grains Cookies - 130 calories
1 Kozy Shack Original Rice Pudding - 130 calories
1 Bumble Bee Sensations Easy Peel Bowls Sundried Tomato & Basil - 130 calories
1 Tin Sweet Riot Cocoa Nibs - 140 calories
1 Kahiki Naturals Chicken Egg Roll - 140 calories
21 almonds - 150 calories
14 baby carrots with 1 packet Wholly Guacamole 100 Calorie Snack Packs - 150 calories

By Samantha B. Cassetty, M.S., R.D. and Delia Hammock, M.S., R.D

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4 Reasons you are "fake hungry"

Our appetites can be quite the pranksters. They often fool us to think we are hungry, when often, we may be suffering from something completely different. Distinguishing between false hunger and true hunger will help you know when your body really needs food and when it needs something else.

1. Hunger Due to Eating the Wrong Food:
Symptoms include craving high sugar foods or feeling “hungry” soon after eating a meal. If you just had a big meal that is high in simple carbohydrates and did not contain fiber, protein or healthy fat, all of which help provide a sense of satiety, you may have experienced a drop in blood sugar. In this case, have a healthy snack, such as a piece of fresh fruit and nuts, or cottage cheese or celery and peanut butter or 1/2 of a sandwich on whole grain bread).

2. Emotional Hunger:
Sometimes, our appetites can go haywire when we are experiencing boredom, fear, anxiety, stress or loneliness. Try taking a walk, journaling, listening to some favorite music, calling a friend or chewing a piece of mint gum instead. Read a book, go to a “safe place” like a library or museum or park where you will not be tempted to overeat or distracted by food. Take a bath, meditate, or think about what REALLY would satisfy you, vs. eating to stuff down emotions you do not want to confront.

3. Hunger Due to Sleepiness:
Experts at http://www.webmd.com/ state that two major hormones, leptin and ghrelin, affect and control sensations of hunger and fullness. Ghrelin stimulates appetite, while leptin, made in fat cells, alerts the brain that you have had enough to eat. Lack of sleep causes a significant drop in leptin levels as well as an increase in ghrelin levels, a so called double whammy for appetite control and feelings of satiety. Daytime fatigue may lead people to overeat (often, high sugar, nutrient poor foods) in an attempt to get an extra surge of energy. This is equivalent to placing a Band-Aid on the true problem. It provides only temporary relief, which is soon followed by a crash in energy levels and a resurgence of “hunger” leading to more snacking, increased sugar cravings, etc….a vicious cycle. If you are feeling mid-afternoon hunger pains, try: a brisk 10 min walk around the block (fresh air helps, as does exercise, to boost alertness and increase circulation), a cup of green tea (high in antioxidants and low in caffeine relative to coffee), a 1/4 cup of almonds and a small apple (high in protein, healthy fat and carbohydrates, low in sugar, and a good source of magnesium and fiber). Even taking a few deep breaths can help curb fatigue!

4. Hunger Due to Thirst:
We often mistake thirst for hunger. Try drinking a glass or two of water to identify whether you are truly hungry or just slightly dehydrated, in which case water is the perfect antidote!
When you are really experiencing true hunger, however, it is pretty clear to identify. For instance, a growling stomach will cause us to be cranky and unfocused…until we get some food, that is! If it has been four hours since your last meal or snack, you may well be truly hungry. Don’t ignore true hunger…doing so may exacerbate it and cause you to overeat to compensate for the missed calories. It is important to eat regularly and consistently to keep energy levels elevated and avoid dips in blood sugar. Try to include fruits and vegetables at each meal and snack, along with some protein (cheese, beans, lean meat/poultry/fish) and some healthy fat (avocado, olives, nuts, oil). This whole foods approach will help keep you at a healthy weight and lessen the likelihood for emotional hunger to rear its head!

Written by Brooke Joanna Benlifer, RD (www.brookejoannanutrition.com) for Sheer Balance

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5 Bogus Diets That Will Do More Harm Than Good

With obesity as one of our number one killers, it is no surprise that Americans are scrambling for any kind of weight loss help. Unfortunately, in this eternal struggle to be thin and healthy, people end up looking for salvation in all the wrong places. Instead of relying on exercise and following the credo "everything in moderation," we turn to miracle solutions, diet supplements, and calorie deprivation. The results are the following bogus diets that may work in the short term, but may also cause severe harm to your body over time.

1. The Cabbage Soup Diet
The title is self explanatory: the dieter's survival is based on a constant intake of cabbage soup. Even on the Cabbage Soup Diet website, red flags are evident. The first being the opening words on the homepage, warning that the diet should not be used long term and that followers of the Cabbage Soup Diet have felt light-headed, weak, and have suffered a lack in concentration. The second red flag appears in the suggested seven day menu. Each day, the dieter is instructed to "stuff themselves" with a different food group. How about a little "moderation?" The third warning lies in the "Health" section of the website, warning the dieter that the diet lacks "complex carbohydrates, proteins, vitamins, and minerals," all of which are necessary for your body to function properly.

2. The Grapefruit Diet
The Grapefruit Diet functions the same way as the Cabbage Soup Diet; both are only successful because they deprive the body of calories, but at the same time leave out essential nutrients that keep you alive and healthy. The Grapefruit Diet claims to allow the dieter to eat a wide array of foods that they would not think possible, but as long as you follow your meal with half a grapefruit, you will lose weight. This claim is both startling and far-fetched. As predicted, and mentioned on the website, the Grapefruit Diet is dangerous. The Grapefruit Diet website suggests that the diet may lead to dehydration due to the low amount of calories and high levels of caffeine involved. The restrictions in this diet also make it an incredibly difficult and unlikely regiment to follow.

3. The Hallelujah Diet
Developed by Rev. George Malkmus, the Hallelujah Diet is mainly comprised of organic raw fruits and vegetables, and the miracle worker of this diet: barley juice. Because the Hallelujah Diet strictly prohibits meat and dairy, the barley juice is meant to fill that vitamin and protein void with its high nutrition content. While not necessarily depriving the dieter of essential nutrients, the Hallelujah Diet's highly restrictive nature makes this diet hard to live on and therefore, not ideal.

4. The Martha's Vineyard Detox Diet
The regiment alone explains why this diet is both dangerous and bogus. The diet is meant for the short term, "lose 21 pounds in 21 days," where the dieter survives on highly nutritious cocktails, a short list of raw vegetables, and soup. According to the itinerary for the Martha's Vineyard Detox Diet Retreat, dieters enjoy a breakfast of "detoxification cocktails." Hourly cocktails follow until lunch where an assortment of raw juices are available. Dinner is slightly more filling, with the option of nutritious soup. What can be described as a mild eating disorder, surviving on nutritious cocktails and juices will only deprive your body of nutrients and the minute you begin to eat normally, the weight will pack back on.

5. The Apple Cider Vinegar Diet
Once used as a cure for Scurvy amongst American soldiers, apple cider vinegar is now used as an appetite suppressant amongst dieters. According to various evaluations of the Apple Cider Vinegar Diet, the diet toes that fine line between a dangerous and regular diet. The most dangerous part is the apple cider vinegar itself, which when taken in the recommended doses of 3 tbsp gets dangerously close to the point of damaging your stomach due to its high acidity. However, the diet's regimen includes eating in moderation and daily exercise, which is most likely why people lose weight on this diet, not the apple cider vinegar. It is still unclear as to whether or not the vinegar actually assists you in losing weight at all, apart from making you so sick that you don't want to eat anything at all.

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Top 10 Healthiest Snacks : You Can Just Keep on Eating

Your body needs food - its fuel - in mod - crate doses throughout the day so it always has nutrients available. Having four or five 'mini-meals' daily helps most people prevent cravings and ultimately achieve and maintain healthy weight. The choice of a healthy snack involves - variety, balance, and moderation. Try to limit the snack calories to 100 to 200 calories.

Try thinking of snacks as foods eaten between meals rather than as treats or rewards," suggests Barbara Whedon, R.D., a dietitian and nutrition counselor at Thomas Jefferson University Hospital in Philadelphia.

Big Benefits from Grazing.
Grazing can keep your metabolism, or calorie-burning mechanism, running high. Your body uses calories when you eat and digest food. By consuming smaller amounts of food more frequently, you can end up burning calories very efficiently. You'll be less likely to gain weight, even though it may seem like you're eating more than you did before.Researchers have only recently begun investigating the possible health benefits of the small-meals-plus-snacks style of eating. Here is an example of what grazing can do for you.

• Snacking sends pounds packing.
  Women who want to lose weight often skip breakfast as a way to lower their calorie intakes. Studies have shown that this practice does more than good. Not eating your morning meal actually makes you more likely to compensate for the missing calories - and then some - by over-eating later in the day. On the other hand, eating small meals and snacks more frequently helps you to manage your appetite better, so you never get too hungry.
• Snacking fights fatigue.
  When more than four hours go by between meals, your body's energy supply - your blood sugar, or glucose - dips low enough to allow fatigue to set in. Well-timed snacks give your body steady supply of fuel, so you're at your best physically and mentally throughout the day. Studies have shown that a snack between 2:00 and 4:00 in the afternoon can improve cognitive skills such as memory, arithmetic reasoning, reading speed, and attention span.
• Snacking combats high cholesterol.
  Research comparing people who eat six or more mini-meals a day with people who eat the customary three squares has consistently shown lower cholesterol levels in the nibblers. In one study, consuming six mini-meals a day shaved cholesterol levels by 8 percent, which translates to 16 percent reduction in heart attack risk. To put it another way, a 1 percent reduction in cholesterol lowers the risk of heart attack at least 2 percent, according to evidence from several other studies.
• Snacking fends off heart attacks.
  A small-meals-plus-snacks eating strategy can help reduce your risk of heart attack by keeping your heart's workload during digestion to a minim. Whenever you eat, your heart has to pump extra blood to your stomach and intestines to aid the digestive process.

One study demonstrated that meal size can make a difference in terms of cardiovascular demand. When women ate 240-calorie of cornflakes and skim milk, their hearts pumped an extra 84 quarts of blood over the next two hours. When they ate a 720 - calorie meal with added sugar, bread, and honey, their hurts pumped an extra 258 quarts of blood - enough to fill your car's gas tank five times over. This might help explain why doctors see an increase in the number of heart attack patients with in 24 hours after big holiday meals.

The 10 Healthiest Snacks.
We've ferreted out 10 noteworthy low-fat noshes recommended by the American Dietetic Association that will more than satisfy your taste-buds while sneaking in generous amounts of some very important nutrients. No, cookies, ice cream, and potato chips didn't make the grade. But we'll guarantee that once you get used to this new way of snacking, you won't even miss that high-fat, high-calorie fare.

1. Bagel
One two - ounce enriched bagel supplies two milligrams of iron - 11 percent of the Daily Value (DV) - along with good doses of the B vitamins- niacin, riboflavin, and thiamin. Instead of topping it with full-fat cream cheese, try cottage cheese or part-skim ricotta. Their heartiness makes them more filling than a croissant, and without any type of topping (i.e. cream cheese, butter, or jelly), they are a reasonable 200 calories.

2. Banana
Widely recognized as a good source of potassium, bananas are also surprisingly rich in vitamin B6. One four-ounce fruit contains about 0.7 milligram of B6, or 35 percent of the Daily Value. A medium-sized banana provides 400 mg of potassium -11% of daily value- and contains 110 calories and 4 grams of fiber. Bananas also contain plenty of carbohydrates which are the body's main source of energy. They are also easy to digest. Convenience and nutritional value of bananas make them a good post-exercise snack.

3. Bran muffin
A tasty way to boost your fiber intake: One 1 1/2 -ounce muffin provides three grams of the nutrient. You also take in 1.8 milligrams of iron, which is about 10 percent of the Daily Value.

4. Broccoli
You get over half a full day's supply of vitamin C - 41 milligrams, or 68 percent of the Daily Value - in 1/2 cup of chopped, raw broccoli. This nutrient - rich veggie offers some folate and good amount of vitamin A, too. Broccoli also has as much calcium as milk, and is therefore an important source of nutrition for those with osteoporosis or calcium deficiencies. Eat it with low-fat dip.

5. Cantaloupe
Another stellar vitamin C source: One cup of cubed cantaloupe provides 68milligrams of C, or more than 100 percent of the Daily Value.

6. Carrot
Eat a single medium-size carrot, and you'll more than satisfy your vitamin A needs for an entire day. Just one contains 17,158 international units of A, which is close to 3 1/2 time of DV.

7. Mexican-style beans
A 1/2 - cup serving of this filling, flavorful fare provides an impressive 7 grams of fiber - about 26 percent of the DV. Just be sure that the brand you buy doesn't go overboard on sodium.

8. String cheese
This lower-fat variation on mozzarella cheese supplies 250 milligrams of calcium per 1 1/2 - ounce serving. That's about 25 percent of the DV.

9. Tuna
Three ounces of tuna, canned in water, is an excellent source for your daily requirement for vitamin B 12. You'll get 2 micrograms of the nutrient, or 32 percent of the DV. If you need to add mayonnaise to your tuna, just make sure it's low-fat.

10. Yogurt
Here's another top-notch source of bone-building calcium, with 415 milligrams - about 42 percent of the DV -in every one - cup serving. Be sure to choose nonfat or low-fat varieties. Plain yogurt contains one third of the fat than one piece of apple pie does. Knowing that many fast food choices are loaded with fat and calories, you can still choose wisely and make eating on the run a part of your healthy diet. Plan ahead, and arm yourself with a booklet containing nutrition facts for fast foods or ask the clerk for a pamphlet at the restaurant. You'll be able to choose foods that will meet your nutritional guidelines and enjoy your healthy snack.

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