First, the amounts are usually tiny; for example, you’d have to drink almost five 12-ounce cans of Diet Coke Plus to get your RDA of vitamins B3 (niacin), B6, and B12. Second, certain water-soluble vitamins break down over time in an acidic environment like soda, says DerMarderosian, particularly if left unrefrigerated. Drinks like Vitamin Water may avoid this, but they usually are full of sugar. A better idea: Get your vitamins from a well-balanced diet....
Researchers from the Pew Research Center recently revealed that only 10% of Americans with smartphones have downloaded health-related apps. And while a health app can’t replace your doctor, it can positively impact your health—you just have to know how to use ’em. Here are eight health apps worth a download: Emergency Medical Center Locator This app locates and contacts the closest and best treatment centers during a medical emergency. Simply choose your care center—burn, cardiac, eye, pediatric, stroke, or trauma—tap the Nearby Centers button, and the top rated care centers with the best patient outcomes appear within seconds....
You use your smartphone to check maps when you’re lost, “Like” our latest health tips on Facebook, and even check your bank balance. But could all that mobile browsing be putting you at risk for fraud? Experts at the Georgia Institute of Technology think so. They examined web browsers on Androids, Blackberries, iPhones, and Windows Mobile phones to see if those browsers met security guidelines set by the World Wide Web Consortium, and then implanted attacks on browsers that didn’t meet the guidelines....
For Blah Skin (And A Hungry Belly) The ingredients in this mask, recommended by natural beauty expert Paula Simpson, will help improve your skin’s texture from the inside out and vice versa—vitamin C-rich pineapple and strawberries help diminish wrinkles; greener-than-green spirulina packs anti-inflammatory properties. Blend: 1 cup Greek yogurt + ½ cup strawberries + ½ cup pineapple + 1 tablespoon coconut oil + 1 teaspoon spirulina powderApply: Drink about three-quarters of the smoothie for breakfast....
Squats are great strength-training exercises to work your quads, your hamstrings and your glutes. If your knees are hurting, you are probably not following proper form. Try these instructions: Stand with your feet hip-width apart and your abs tight. Bend your knees and lower your body into a squat position as if you are sitting back into an imaginary chair. Stop when your knees are at 90 degrees. Make sure you are sticking your buns back, keeping your chest lifted and most importantly keeping your knees above your ankles....
The research: The Australian study team analyzed nearly 20 years of health and heart disease data on more than 32,000 women. Using a statistical measure called PAR (which calculates the number of people who would be saved from a disease if everyone avoided a specific risk factor), the researchers found that, for women older than 30, physical inactivity was a bigger contributor to heart disease rates than high BMI or even smoking....
Once you make these yourself, you’ll wonder why you ever brought home the store-bought ones that sometimes come packed with preservatives. It’s crazy simple. It’s clean. And it’s damn delicious. MORE: Party in a Bowl: Tri-Color Confetti Salad Total time: 3 hoursMakes 1 cup 1 pt grape tomatoes, halved lengthwise ½ Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil ¼ tsp salt ¼ tsp pepper Heat oven to 300°F.2. Place all ingredients into small mixing bowl and toss to coat....
The smaller your dish, the less you’ll eat. You’ve heard health experts offer this as a simple psychological trick to lower your calorie intake. But a new study suggests that small plate may actually be detrimental to your diet. When 85 people served themselves from a buffet, those spooning their food onto large plates did not consume any more calories than those given smaller dishes, according to the study published in the journal Appetite....
Learn More about the Diabetes DTOUR Diet! Meet the Fat-Fighting 4DTOUR Works! See the Amazing Success StoriesTry the 1-Week Meal Plan–for FREE!Dig In: 10 Sugar-Busting DTOUR DinnersGet the Complete DTOUR PlanBuy the Diabetes DTOUR Diet book!
Adults are happier with their decisions when they feel those choices were guided by their true selves, finds new research in the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology. Investigators asked study participants to rank the importance of several decision-making strategies, and evaluate how important each strategy was for personal satisfaction. Number one on the list? “Following who you really are” outranked strategies like getting info from others, weighing pros and cons, or letting fate decide....
Rooibos Made from the South African red bush plant, with a sweet, nutty flavor, it’s rich in several rare polyphenols that have potent antioxidant and cancer-fighting power, according to a report from nutrition researchers at Tufts University. White tea Made by lightly processing the same tea leaves used to make black and green tea, white tea retains a high concentration of catechins, powerful antioxidants found in fresh leaves. It has a mild, pleasant taste....
For times like this, turn to these nine inventions that make eating easier for even the laziest of foodies. 12-Course Meal In A Can Ain’t nobody got time to make a 12-course meal that’s complete with dishes like pickled Kobe beef with charred strawberries and roast pork belly with celeriac root puree. Except for Chris Godfrey, of course. He not only made all 12 courses; he also stuffed them layer by layer into an aluminum can....
Sure, you’ve probably been burned by an oversimplified pancake recipe before (we’ve certainly ended up with plenty of rubbery breakfast fails made from eggs and banana). MORE: Gluten-Free Quinoa Pancakes with Caramelized Apples and Hazelnuts But this one’s the real deal—and you don’t even need to break out a single measuring cup to get it done. For an effortless flavor boost, add a few drops of vanilla extract, and for fluffier texture, try a pinch of baking soda....
It helps you lose weight Calling peanut butter a diet food, with 180 to 210 calories per serving, may seem counter-intuitive. But it has the enviable combination of fiber (2 g per serving) and protein (8 g per serving) that fills you up and keeps you feeling full longer, so you eat less overall. Plus, there’s nothing more indulgent than licking peanut butter off a spoon–and indulgence (in moderation) helps dieters fight cravings and stay on track....
In real life, that’s translated to more brands than I can count and my inability to make a cider selection in less than 30 stressful minutes. One reason I’m so indecisive: I want something that tastes good, but isn’t loaded with double-digit grams of sugar. Which one strikes the perfect balance? In the name of good service journalism, I decided to find out. Naturally, that meant rounding up five friends and all the cider I could get my hands on....
Many of them have been leading active lives since grade school, and they swear by healthy habits like superfood smoothies and more than 8 hours of sleep. Yoga Clothes You Can Wear With Heels In most cases, they’ve also made being active not just a passion, but a profession. If their toned physiques and glowing complexions featured here don’t inspire you, maybe a workout with them will? Colleen Saidman Yee, Owner of Yoga Shanti, Age: 52 Saidman Yee might be a former model, but she credits 25 years of yoga with keeping her young....
The research: Triggered by stress, injury, or infection, inflammation can lead to all kinds of health issues, from heart disease to arthritis. And since nothing stresses people out more than strained relationships with friends, family, and significant others, researchers from University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill wanted to see just how much that might impact inflammation. So they analyzed 647 adults who participated in the Midlife Development in the United States study from 1995 to 2009, which looked at the many factors that contribute to health and well-being....
Some entrants answered eating right; others emphasized exercise or spoke of nurturing the mind and spirit. Our five finalists do all three and more–plus they encourage others to do the same. They showed us that life does get better after 40, and that you can find your healthy path no matter how many twists and turns it takes to get there. So, congratulations to Eileen Friedman, Becky Griggs, Colleen Kelley, Mary Kay Mullally and Maria Ruoff–our 2008 Picture of Health Winners!...
Now, a small new study in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism might tell us why: Researchers at UC Davis found that eating sugar shuts down the release of the stress hormone cortisol. In other words, sugar soothes us when we’re feeling stressed, which could be making us come back for more and more. MORE: 4 Restaurant Sugar Bombs And Their Healthier Swaps Nineteen women were assigned to one of two diets: The first drank beverages sweetened with plain old sugar, and the second drank beverages with the artificial sweetener aspartame....
Algae. It might be slimy and green, but algae’s also up to 70% protein, something nutraceutical companies are starting to take advantage of. Aurora Algae already churns out protein supplements derived from the sea plant, while the industrial biotech company Solazyme is making microalgae-based food ingredients like oil and protein powder to serve as a lower cal alternative to eggs, butter, and oil in baked goods. If that means a healthier chocolate cake, we’ll take it....
