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The study team evaluated overall H2O consumption among more than 15,000 Americans. Those numbers included drinking water, but also H2O from other beverages and foods. Among adults aged 20 to 50, 43% of men and 41% of women failed to meet the daily water intakes recommended by the US Institute of Medicine (IOM) (about 6 pints for women and 8 pints for men). People aged 50 to 70 were even less likely to meet the guidelines, and the numbers tanked among older adults; roughly 95% of men and 83% of women 71 and older don’t drink enough water, the research shows....

Unlike half the population, she did not discover a love for avocados via Instagram. “I grew up on avocados. It’s one of the first foods your mom gives you,” says Jinich, of her childhood in Mexico City. “It just practically goes into everything—avocado from morning to night.” She’s continued with that habit, and even become a spokesperson for Avocados From Mexico, a role that’s made her experiment even more with the trendy fruit....

CORE the apples from the top with a paring knife or melon baller. Leave a bit of core at the bottom so the filling doesn’t fall out. PEEL a half-inch strip from around the top of the apple with a paring knife or vegetable peeler so the skin is less likely to burst. PACK the filling into the apple cavities, pressing it down firmly with your fingers. POUR the honey, lemon juice, and apple juice mixture around the apples....

Because dry eyes are prone to infection, cover products tightly and toss liquid cosmetics after 3 months—moist environments breed bacteria. Sharpening your pencils and washing your brushes regularly can help keep contamination at bay. Also key: nightly removal of makeup, which can get into your eyes while you sleep. More from Prevention: 9 Solutions For Dry Eyes

“Based on the available scientific evidence and the findings of expert scientific panels, the FDA has made a final determination that there is no longer a consensus among qualified experts that partially hydrogenated oils (PHOs), which are the primary dietary source of industrially produced trans fatty acids, are generally recognized as safe (GRAS) for any use in human food,” said the FDA-issued notice. MORE: Why You’re Probably Still Eating Trans Fat In case you need a refresher, trans fats are those controversial lab-made fats designed to cheaply add texture to foods and boost their shelf life....

However, the best way to absorb calcium with the least risk of constipation is to get most of it from foods such as low-fat dairy products and fortified orange juice. Between calcium supplements and your diet, you should consume about 1,000 to 1,200 mg of calcium a day. Make sure you’re also getting 21 to 25 g of fiber daily from whole grains and green leafy veggies, or from a supplement....

The first study, published in the journal Aging, tested to see if the powerhouse compound had any effect on the lives of honeybees. The verdict: Bees that were fed resveratrol lived 38% longer than those who were not. What’s more, when it came to eating, these same bees ate less than those that weren’t fed the compound. “Resveratrol may be working by a mechanism related to caloric restriction—a dietary regimen long known to extend lifespan in many organisms,” says lead study author Brenda Rascón, a doctoral student at Arizona State University’s School of Life Sciences....

Here are 6 of AICR’s 15 rules to live longer. Eat five or more servings of antioxidant-packed vegetables and fruits daily (the new national guideline is five to nine servings a day). Eat seven or more daily servings of whole grains, legumes, and root vegetables (they’re also good sources of antioxidants). Eat no more than 3 ounces of red meat per day. Limit saturated fats such as lard, butter, and trans fats....

And the last thing you want is surgery on the fly. So take the first steps in protecting yourself: Track the exact location and duration of the pain, and any changes you notice, says David Rubin, MD, chief of gastroenterology, hepatology, and nutrition at the University of Chicago Medicine. Finding the correct diagnosis means communicating these things clearly to your doctor. A few more disclaimers before the main event: Talk to your doctor immediately if you’re losing weight rapidly, waking up in pain, or see blood in your stool....

Because allergies can be extremely difficult to identify, patients aren’t always the best judges of what’s bugging them. For example, when Mayo Clinic researchers asked 100 patients to predict which substances they were allergic to before getting a skin test, most of them flunked. Eighty-eight percent of them incorrectly guessed they were allergic to mold, and more than 70% of them incorrectly guessed they were allergic to dust mites and tree, grass, and weed pollen....

Two years ago, the city of Concord, Massachusetts, made waves by becoming the first city in the country to ban the sale of bottled water. But how do tens of thousands of people actually survive without bottled water? The answer is surprisingly simple: They just do. Where once there was bottled water for sale, maps of strategically-placed water fountains all over the city are posted. Schools have special filling stations with spouts tall enough to dispense water into personal containers....

Stop right there. No one likes a nutritional nag—plus, it’s not a persuasive approach to helping someone else help herself. Instead, check out these sneaky ways to spread some good health: Take the professorial approach. Bring up a recent nutritional study you read, suggests Susan Shapiro, PhD, a registered dietitian based in Los Angeles. Saying you were shocked to learn how many teaspoons of sugar lurk in a can of soda (10!...

Heartburn is caused by the backflow of gastric acid into the esophagus and is a symptom of GERD, the acronym for gastroesophageal reflux disease. It has long been associated with an increase in esophageal cancers, but its link to other head and neck cancers has been less clear. More from Prevention: What is GERD? Research published in Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention seeks to clarify the link between gastric reflux and cancers of the pharynx (throat) and larynx (vocal cord) by asking 631 individuals with head and neck cancer and 1,234 in a control group to complete detailed questionnaires....

A: It’s possible. Raw foods are high in fiber and contain digestive enzymes that our bodies need. We do produce some digestive enzymes ourselves to help us break down the food we eat into smaller, absorbable particles, but we need the enzymes in plants to help us absorb vital nutrients. Those enzymes are destroyed when we heat produce above 115°F. Age, eating too many processed foods (and not enough fiber), rushing through meals, and not taking enough time to chew because you’re on the fly all contribute in some way to decreased levels of the digestive enzymes your body produces....

After examining three previous studies involving about 80,000 people, researchers in the UK discovered that people who ate the most fruits and veggies were less likely to exhibit nervousness, anxiety, depression, and other mental disorders. They were also more likely to be happy and satisfied with their lives. Plus, the more produce people consumed, the happier they were. More from Prevention: 8 Ways To Have Your Best Day Ever “In every study we looked at, there was a correlation in fruit and vegetable consumption and mental health,” says study co-author Sarah Stewart-Brown, professor of public health at the University of Warwick....

[sidebar]1. Fiber: Lowers Total Cholesterol, Helps Control Weight There are two types of dietary fiber: insoluble and soluble. Most plant foods contain both types of fiber in varying amounts. Insoluble fiber is found in high amounts in wheat bran and other whole grains. Soluble fiber forms a gel in water that helps to bind acids and cholesterol in the intestinal tract, preventing their reabsorption into the body. This may be why soluble fiber helps to lower cholesterol levels (and decreases the risk of heart disease) and also maintains steady blood sugar (glucose) levels....

[sidebar]“Poor diet is the biggest cause of a weakened immune system in healthy individuals,” says William Boisvert, PhD, an expert in nutrition and immunity at The Scripps Research Institute in La Jolla, CA. While an all-around healthy diet is the key to stronger immunity, these particular immune system-boosting foods can keep you in fighting condition. 1. Beef: reinforce your weak spots Zinc deficiency is one of the most common nutritional shortfalls among American adults, especially for vegetarians and those who’ve cut back on beef, a prime source of this immunity-bolstering mineral....

Hey, it’s not like I didn’t want to. But with work, family, exercise, volunteer obligations, and a dog to walk, my husband and I were always getting home late and starving—a setup for take-out or flung-together sandwiches. Getting a healthy meal on the table is a major challenge for most people these days. Maybe that’s why there has been a boom in new food delivery services—companies that deliver groceries to you, storefronts where you assemble a meal to bring home, and everything in between....