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Also, eat at least one vegetable salad a day. (You can use any of these ingredients: lettuce, peppers, cucumbers, carrots, onions, broccoli, tomatoes, and 2 tablespoons of low-fat dressing.) Men can have an additional two fruits and one milk daily. In addition, take a multivitamin/mineral supplement that contains 100 percent of the Daily Value of most nutrients, plus 100 to 500 mg of vitamin C and 500 mg of calcium (if you’re under 50); take two 500-mg doses of calcium (morning and evening) if you’re 50 or older....

[sidebar]In the study, researchers met with recently divorced people to assess how they were coping. They noticed that some people were much better able to move on without their relationship woes interfering in their day-to-day life—and the effects continued for nine months after the initial visit. Their secret? They were nice to themselves. The good news is that whether you’re naturally nice to yourself or not—it can be learned. “Self-compassion is a perspective people can take with respect to difficult experiences in their life,” says lead researcher David A....

Eating three meals without snacks may be healthier than grazing on the same number of calories in the form of smaller bites or mini meals throughout the day, says new research published in the journal Hepatology. In the study, 36 lean, healthy adults were assigned to either high-calorie or normal-calorie diets for six weeks. Among those in the high-calorie group, some were given three high-fat, high-sugar drinks along with each of their meals, while others were given the same three drinks two to three hours after each meal....

Rest The Joint Sprains don’t necessarily hurt a lot at first, and people may assume it’s okay to keep doing the activity that got them into trouble in the first place. But pushing an injured joint too hard makes the damage worse. “Minor sprains need a couple of days of rest,” says McShane. You don’t have to limit your daily movements altogether, but you will want to avoid vigorous activities that stress the injured area....

Your problem: an admiration shortage, one that starves your relationship of love and causes you to become overly critical. “When you admire your spouse, you bathe your brain in mood-elevating chemicals, leading to a more positive relationship,” says couples therapist Vagdevi Meunier, PsyD. Here, three ways to rekindle affection and bring back that lovin’ feeling. [sidebar] 1. Celebrate your partner’s successes.When you exclaim, “Wow, that’s fantastic! I’m so happy for you!...

Why Doctors Keep Secrets If costly hospital stays, inconvenience, and potentially serious health problems aren’t enough to turn you into a more conscientious (and paranoid) patient, consider this: Hospital-acquired infections kill 31,000 patients every year. If you do find yourself at the ER, follow these guidelines for making sure you don’t get any sicker than you already are. Check your hospital’s history. Ask your doctor about your hospital’s infection rates....

[sidebar]But if the only flexible thing in your life is that extra spending account, you’re not alone. As we age, both our muscles and tendons lose their flexibility. Plus, if the only exercise we get is flipping through the TV listings at breakneck pace, our muscles flex even less, getting stiffer over the years. “Aside from the aging process, our habits and daily activities can also cause our muscles and tendons to shorten,” says Willett....

DAYS 1–13Your cholesterol spikes. Total cholesterol levels rise by almost 20% during the follicular phase, according to a recent study. Book doctor visits at the same time of the month for consistent comparisons. You’re more injury prone. Research suggests that hormones may decrease muscle control during this time, making women more susceptible to knee injuries. Jumping exercises can cut your risk. (Try these 6 moves to strengthen your knees.) DAYS 14–15Multitasking is harder....

The guest list included four other friends, all of whom were somewhat skeptical about attending, despite often sharing secrets with me. In a group email invite laden with puns—“Come over (and over and over)"—I reassured them that this was NOT a sex party and that no one would be expected to test any toys in person, nor would they be expected to buy anything, as I was just planning to give away my free swag....

In the 22-year-long Nurses’ Health Study, researchers at Brigham and Women’s Hospital at Harvard Medical School examined the calcium intake of 58,354 women between the ages of 39 and 66. What they found was that women who consumed the most calcium through food and supplements had a 44% reduced risk of developing PHPT, which is marked by an uncontrolled release of the parathyroid hormone. (Check out five more vitamins every woman needs....

The research: Tulane University epidemiologists reviewed 47 years of epidemiological studies that compared the effects of low-carb diets to their low-fat (less than 30% of calories come from fat) counterparts on weight reduction and cardiovascular risk. And as it turns out, they’re pretty similar. Both diets can help you lose weight, though the low-carb diet may have a slight advantage when it comes to changing your body composition and weight circumference for the better—in other words, you may lose more belly fat on a low-carb diet....

Watch More Fitness Videos More from Prevention.com: Get a Flatter Belly At Any Age [sidebar]

Eight women and seven men with high blood pressure were given 250 mL (just over a cup) of water or beetroot juice, then monitored over 24 hours in a small study published in the American Heart Association journal Hypertension. Those who drank the beetroot juice experienced a drop on systolic blood pressure—the top number—by an average of 11.2 points and experienced an overall lower systolic blood pressure. Beets are just one of several vegetables—including lettuce, spinach, kale, turnips, radishes, carrots, and chard—high in dietary, or inorganic, nitrate....

The flexible plastic ring delivers small, time-released doses of levonorgestrel—the same synthetic progestin currently delivered by the IUDs Mirena and Skyla, and tenofovir, a prescription drug prescribed to treat HIV. And there’s reason to think the duo might have other safe-sex benefits: Tenofovir lowered herpes transmission rates in women in at least one study, says study author Patrick Kiser, PhD, a professor in Northwestern University’s department of biomedical engineering. By rolling the two drugs into a simple device that provides a constant supply of the drugs for 90 days, the research team hopes to eventually provide low-cost, condom-free protection for sexually active women....

For people who’d rather not use medication to do so, mindfulness may work just as well, according to new research. MORE: 9 Surprising Signs Of Depression The study found that depression relapse rates are similar among people who continue antidepressant treatment and those who swap meds for a treatment called mindfulness-based cognitive therapy (MCBT), a mixture of cognitive-behavioural therapy and mindfulness-based stress reduction. The researchers split 424 UK adults with recurrent major depression into two groups....

Maybe you’ve put on a few pounds “all in your face.” Or maybe you’ve lost weight, but your face hasn’t gotten the memo. What’s behind the round cheeks and fuller chin? “Generally speaking, when we gain or lose weight, we are not increasing or decreasing the number of fat cells, called adipocytes,” says Stephen S. Park, MD, president of the American Academy of Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery. “Instead, the cells themselves are enlarging or shrinking....

The latest news to tip the precarious pro-con balance? The Mayo Clinic’s release of brand-new data on the link between caffeine and menopause symptoms. This new report, published in a recent issue of Menopause, is the largest study ever to examine this connection, and included survey responses from 1,800 female patients at the Mayo Clinic between July 2005 and July 2011. “It’s a preliminary study,” says lead author Stephanie S....