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(Want to pick up some healthier habits? Sign up to get healthy living tips, weight loss inspiration, slimming recipes, and more delivered straight to your inbox!) If you’re debating whether a getaway is worth your time and money consider this: Research suggests that a vacay—especially one focused on wellness and rejuvenation—is a great investment, and one that can actually improve your well-being. A recent Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine study showed that a one-week wellness trip improved vacationers’ physical, mental, and cognitive health....

Well, be prepared to have your mind blown. Not only is your toaster oven good for so much more, but it’ll also help you feel like a badass eco warrior since it uses a fraction of the energy required to power your actual oven (about 750 watts versus 3,000 watts). Here, six recipes that’ll make your toaster oven earn its place on your kitchen counter. DIY Dried Dill Take this spice rack staple to gourmet proportions by making your own....

Called prediabetes, this condition is when your blood sugar levels are higher than normal, but not high enough to be type 2 diabetes. Those with prediabetes typically have some insulin resistance, or their pancreas is unable to make enough insulin to keep their blood sugar at a healthy level. Although those with prediabetes have up to a 50 percent chance of developing diabetes over the next 5 to 10 years, with lifestyle changes—like eating foods that lower blood sugar—you can reduce your risk....

We would never tell you to take weight-loss pills or to try something super sketchy like the corset diet. In general, making small, sustainable lifestyle changes is the best route to weight loss. But we get that doing something quick-and-easy is more appealing—so we talked to top weight-loss experts to find out which get-fit-quick tricks will actually help you slim down (and are also totally, 100% safe). (Take back control of your eating—and lose weight in the process—with our 21-Day Challenge!...

Parmigiano-Reggiano Cheese Cheese makers use an enzyme called either “rennet” or “chymosin”, which is derived from the stomachs of young animals like lambs and calves, to coagulate liquid milk into curds and whey. Although all hard cheeses used to be made with animal rennet, Sue Sturman, director of the Academie Opus Caseus cheese academy, says about 95% of American-made cheese is now made with Fermentation Produced Chymosin (FPC), a vegetarian, kosher, and halal ingredient....

The research: A lot of what we hear about rebound relationships—you know, the idea that moving on to another relationship right after one ends is a recipe for more heartache—hasn’t actually been studied (just perpetuated by girlfriends over cocktails, apparently). So researchers from Queens College in New York and the University of Illinois recruited more than 200 non-singles and singles to answer a series of questionnaires. Non-singles answered questions about their current relationship, (e....

The study, published in The Archives of General Psychiatry, builds on earlier research that also found an association between autism and air pollution. In this particular report, researchers at the University of Southern California (USC) analyzed data on 279 autistic kids and 245 children without the condition. By using the address of each mother during her pregnancy, researchers estimated the pollutant exposures during each pregnancy trimester and each child’s first year of life....

A family history of asthma and exposure to viruses or allergens set the stage for asthma, says Sally Wenzel, MD, associate professor at the University of Colorado School of Medicine and a pulmonary specialist at the National Jewish Center for Immunology and Respiratory Medicine, both in Denver. Asthma can be serious—even fatal. Experts speculate that the people who succumb to asthma tend to smoke cigarettes, abuse drugs, and misuse their asthma medications....

“I love planks,” says Prevention’s Fitness expert Chris Freytag. “You get a killer core workout but it also works your upper body, chest, and helps with shoulder mobility.” It engages more muscles, turning a great flat-belly exercise into a total-body toner. This week, take your plank to a new level with Freytag’s more challenging version that combines two effective ab exercises in one. When you’re trying the exercise, be sure to keep your abs tight, pulled in towards your spine, and engaged throughout the entire move....

In 5 Weeks You Can… Boost your memory An Australian study found that folate boosts memory in as little as 35 days. Women who participated in the study, published in the Journal of Nutrition, saw improved memory performance after taking 750 mcg of folate daily—that’s about 1 cup of cooked spinach and 1 cup of cooked lentils. Though folate supplements (folic acid) are recommended during pregnancy to help prevent birth defects, you should otherwise get your folate from food, says Gerbstadt....

WORST: Handshake Illustration by Tobatron Your palm = germ hot spot, and the extended contact makes it a no-go in cold-and-flu season. If you must clasp hands, wash up ASAP. BAD: High five Illustration by Tobatron It’s a hit-and-run handshake: same germy contact point but only half the bacteria transfer on account of the speed. OK: Cheek kiss Illustration by Tobatron Generally safe if neither greeter is coughing or sneezing....

In an Arizona State University study, people with type 2 diabetes or a precursor condition called insulin resistance had lower blood sugar levels if they consumed about 2 tablespoons of vinegar just before a high-carb meal. “Vinegar contains acetic acid, which may inactivate certain starch-digesting enzymes, slowing carbohydrate digestion,” says lead researcher Carol Johnston, PhD. In fact, vinegar’s effects may be similar to those of the blood sugar levels-lowering medication acarbose (Precose)....

“Most dieters have no idea that their skeletons may be losing weight, too,” says Sue Shapses, PhD, RD, a Rutgers nutrition researcher. “Calorie cutting causes shifts in three hormones (parathyroid, estrogen, and cortisol) that may make it harder for your body to absorb calcium from food and supplements.” Here are her bone-rescuing diet tips: Know Your Calcium Goal The recommended daily goal is 1,000 to 1,200 mg, but Shapses says women over age 50 should aim for at least 1,500 mg to offset lower absorption rates while on diets....

Adults should get 150 mcg of iodine daily (220 mcg if you’re pregnant, 290 mcg if breastfeeding). Before you take any iodine or kelp-based supplement, talk with your doctor first. You can satisfy your daily needs by eating: One serving of ocean fish Two servings of low-fat yogurt A few forkfuls of seaweed salad, such as kelp or wakame.