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As it turns out, the influence of smells, especially ones we link to specific times and events, is more significant than previously thought. Neuroscientists are learning that the human sense of smell, while pitiful compared with that of the average hamster, a German shepherd, or our cave-dwelling ancestors, is a powerful asset—10,000 times more precise than our sense of taste, and capable of recognizing thousands of aromas. Originally designed to alert us to such dangers as smoke, poison, and a lurking predator, odor now serves a thoroughly modern utility: Research shows it can lower our stress levels, improve mental and physical performance, ease pain, end insomnia, and even help us lose weight....

In fact, it’s better than either of these things. Zoats is a short, catchy name for zucchini oatmeal, or oatmeal made with the addition of shredded zucchini. Why is that great? Aside from giving your morning porridge a virtuous green color, zucchini has a lot of volume to make you feel extra full. At the same time, it’s low in calories and practically tasteless. Which makes it a genius way to add bulk to your breakfast without piling on extra calories or adding any weird flavors that would clash with whatever you already have going on, explains registered dietician Sarah Pflugradt....

But what if ubiquitous celeb imagery could actually make you feel better about yourself? A simple trick, suggested by new research in the journal Social Psychological and Personality Science, just may turn images of pin-thin celebrities into valuable opportunities to love your own body. More from Prevention: 4 Body Language Tricks To Boost Your Confidence In a series of experiments, psychologists tested the idea that women exposed to thin media figures might actually feel better about themselves if they liked—or at least found similarities with—those celebrities....

Follow our guide for an easy tune-up. When you wake up 6 am: Wake up and smell the coffee. One of the scents most stimulating to the brain is coffee, according to findings from the Kyorin University School of Medicine in Japan. So even if you don’t plan to drink any, you should still brew some and take a good, long sniff. Or better yet, actually drink a cup. In one French study, women age 65 or older who knocked back more than three 5-ounce cups a day were 33% less likely to experience decline in verbal fluency than those who drank less than a cup....

MORE: 9 Morning Exercises To Start Your Day Stress-Free Here’s how to do it: RECOGNIZE that you’re feeling stressed and take a timeout so you can put your feelings and thoughts on hold. SHIFT your focus to the area of your heart. Now breathe in as if your breath is flowing in through the center of your chest and out through your stomach area. Practice breathing this way to ease into the technique....

Ashley’s answer: Don’t toss your D supplement just yet. Research often offers conflicting conclusions; wasn’t it just last June that we learned calcium and vitamin D together before exercise improve bone density? Don’t let the headlines give you mental whiplash. (There’s no supplement for that!) The most recent results didn’t change any recommendations that I would make, and I doubt they’ll sway those of my healthcare colleagues. Here’s the key reason why: the study attempted to pit calcium versus vitamin D to determine what one needs for bone health as we age....

And, unsurprisingly, this has gotten a lot of people pissed off. Consumers have been filing class action lawsuits left and right, accusing the makers of artificially sweetened powdered drink mix packets and high fructose corn syrup–laden granola bars of improperly using the term to sell highly processed products. People have also submitted petitions to the FDA itself, asking for a straight-up prohibition of the word “natural” on foods. So far, it’s all amounted to a whole lot of screaming into the void....

Meet The Paleovedic Diet—a new book by integrative medicine physician Akil Palanisamy, MD, that’s being released this January. Sure, it sounds a little gimmicky, and my first assumption was that it was simply trying to ride the coattails of Paleo. But after chatting with the author, this way of eating makes some serious sense. Here’s why: It’s way more personalized than Paleo. As someone who follows a mostly Paleo diet, I’ve come to understand that it’s more of a starting point than a realistic long-term way of eating—you have to tweak it based on what your body truly needs, which often requires some experimentation....

Creamy peanut butter has a touch more protein, but crunchy PB has more folate and fiber, a nutrient that helps maintain bowel health. At the end of the day, though, their nutrient profiles are pretty darn close. Unless you’re strictly watching your saturated fat intake (there’s more of the nutrient in creamy peanut butter) there’s no reason you shouldn’t just choose the spread you enjoy the most.

That’s because strawberries are so perfectly portable and sweet. As for watermelon? You’re might as well be glugging a glass of water, as a majority of the fruit is made of the stuff. But if you had to choose just one, which one should you snack on? Read on to find out. Strawberry vs. Watermelon Calories Strawberry: 47 caloriesWatermelon: 84 calories Fiber Strawberry: 12% of your daily valueWatermelon: 4% of your daily value...

But it seems he’s also a party to the deforestation that’s putting orangutans on the brink of extinction. The culprit: palm oil, the hot new health ingredient found in those delicious peanut butter cups and hundreds of other natural health foods. The oil, derived primarily from African palm trees, is also in our cosmetics as “sodium lauryl sulfate” or “sodium laureth sulfate.” MORE: When Pineapples Grow In Canada In an excellent post for io9’s Animals section, Jason G....

Dog breath is more than just pet-joke fodder. It can be a sign of serious dental-health issues in dogs and cats. A pet’s abnormally bad breath may indicate a possible infection, broken tooth, or tumor, says Kris Bannon, DVM, president-elect of the American Veterinary Dental Society. It can also signal the onset of medical issues such as periodontal disease, which starts in the mouth but can be associated with heart, liver, and kidney disease....

Before: 249 poundsAfter: 147 pounds The Lifestyle “My entire life has been a roller coaster of my weight just going up and down. In elementary school, I was a little on the heavy side. I’d always go for the cheesy and fatty food when I could. I’ll admit it—I was chunky as a kid. But I guess I started to eat better and move more as I phased through junior high and high school because I was ’normal’—meaning I looked like everyone else....

Health-Ade KombuchaFlavors tested:Calories:Sugar: Pink Lady Apple, Beet, Ginger-Lemon 60 to 80 per bottle4-6 g per bottle If we had to take one kombucha with us to a desert island, this organic, raw brew would be it. Our testers appreciated the great fizz, low sugar content, and the interesting flavors that didn’t overshadow booch’s signature tang. Pink Lady is like a sophisticated sparkling cider. Ginger-Lemon would be amazingly refreshing when you have a cold....

The culprit? The “health halo.” “From a distance, some foods seem like healthful choices because of the way they’re packaged or labeled,” says Janel Ovrut, MS, RD, a Boston-based dietitian. “But just because a product’s marketing gives it an aura of health doesn’t necessarily mean it’s good for you.” Here, 11 health-food impostors, plus smarter swaps that up the nutritional ante and still give you the flavor you crave....

Eat with your nondominant hand. According to researchers at the University of Southern California, making this simple switch will help you eat less. “Although we think our eating is driven by hunger, much of it is actually determined by environmental cues,” explains Leslie Heinberg, PhD, director of behavioral services for Cleveland Clinic’s Bariatric and Metabolic Institute. For example, in this USC study, moviegoers ate the same amount of popcorn whether it was stale or fresh....