Knee lipo; strange plastic surgery procedure

According to some experts, the most commonly hated part of the female body is not the belly or the butt, but the knee. “Almost every woman who comes in for lipo hates her knees,” says Dr. Joel Schlessinger. “Perhaps because they can easily see them in the mirror, whereas they can’t always see the hips and thighs.”


Schlessinger says knee liposuction is usually done along with other areas, but that not all women are candidates for the procedure. “Not all women have fat there,” he says. “Many times it’s muscle.” If it is fat and the patient wants it removed, a doctor (make sure it’s a board certified cosmetic surgeon) will do so through tumescent liposuction, an outpatient procedure that involves a local anesthetic such as lidocaine. The procedure takes a few hours (the patient can be in and out in a morning); recovery time is one to two days.


Cost for knee lipo alone is difficult to break down since most people have other areas done at the same time. One liposuction procedure, however, usually runs between $2,000 and $4,000.

Radish calf; strange plastic surgery procedure

Incredibly, there’s a name for an overly muscular lower leg, especially on a woman: radish calf. And along with a name, there’s a proposed treatment, albeit a highly controversial (and many would say, ill-advised) one. According to a 2004 study in the journal Dermatologic Surgery, Botox can be used to contour oversized, muscular calves, which according to the authors, “can cause psychological stress in women.”


The 2004 study only looked at six “radish-legged” women, but the test subjects were all said to show a slight reduction in the muscle after the injections without suffering any “functional disabilities.” A query about using Botox to reduce big calf muscles on the consumer review site RealSelf.com, however, produced a dozen or more warnings from doctors about the practice, who termed it “dangerous,” “outlandish” and “a very bad idea.”

“You’d have to inject large amounts [of the toxin] to reduce the size of the muscle and if you do that, you’d be running the risk of not being able to walk properly,” says Dr. Hema Sundaram, a Washington, D.C., dermatologist. “And there’s no way the manufacturers of Botox and Dysport would recommend this. I don’t consider this medically advisable.”

Golf ball chin; strange plastic surgery procedure

Unwanted lumps, bumps and dimples don’t just happen on your hips and thighs. Some people get dimpling – or cobblestoning -- on their chin. So many, in fact, the condition has a name (well, several names): golf ball chin, pebbled chin, apple dumpling chin and the rather elegant “peau d’orange chin.”


Not surprisingly, there’s also a way to get rid of it. “Golf ball chin happens when people have been wrinkling their chin as a habit for years,” says Dr. Joel Schlessinger, who’s treated about 250 men and women for the condition over the years. “It gets dimpled like a golf ball. But we can decrease or eliminate it with a couple of well-placed injections of Botox or Dysport.”

When performed correctly (it’s a tricky procedure, and if performed wrong, you could end up with a droopy lip), the injections smooth out the dimpling for about three months, says Schlessinger. Cost for the procedure is around $150 and patients may only need a one-time injection. “The beauty of the treatment is that it doesn’t allow patients to wrinkle their chin for thee months,” he says. “It’s like splinting a broken arm. By the end of that time, they may have broken their habit.”

Fillers in your feet; strange plastic surgery procedure

High heels may look glamorous, but wearing them for hours on end can be grueling -- especially the sky-high styles currently gracing the catwalk. Rather than kicking cruel shoes to the curb, though, some women are turning to dermal fillers to give their feet a little extra cushion. “Dermal fillers in the feet are common in New York City and other places where high heels are part of the culture,” says Dr. Joel Schlessinger, former president of the American Society of Cosmetic Dermatology and Aesthetic Surgery.

Typically, fillers like Restylane or Perlane or Juvederm are injected into the pad of the toe, the ball of the foot or the heel, but the procedure is considered “highly off-label.” And, perhaps, ill-advised. “We heard from one woman – a dancer – who had her foot pad injected with Juvederm to give her more cushion and she ended up on crutches,” says Tom Seery, president and founder of RealSelf.com, a consumer review site for the cosmetic industry.

“Many of the doctors or clinics that would do this are trying something that’s highly experimental. There is no real science or clinical evidence that it should be used in that manner.” Cost for a pair of “filler heels” runs from $500 to $2,000, according to Schlessinger, with a touch-up required every six months. Gel insoles run a bit cheaper at $20 to $40 a pair.

Earlobe lift; strange plastic surgery procedure

Believe it or not, the ears are one of those body parts that can instantly give away your age. But thanks to enterprising cosmetic surgeons and dermatologists, they’re now being plumped and padded just like the face. “Earlobes lose volume, just as your face loses volume as you get older,” says Dr. Hema Sundaram, a Washington, D.C., dermatologist and author of “Face Value: The Truth About Beauty and a Guilt-Free Guide to Finding It.” “You don’t want a situation where the face looks lifted and the earlobes still look like sad sacks.”


Sundaram says she regularly repairs earlobes damaged by heavy earrings or trauma (elongated holes, torn lobes, etc.), then adds volume and strength by injecting dermal fillers such as Restylane or Perlane. Lasers are also used to tighten sagging skin and elongated earlobes can also be nipped and tucked with a surgical procedure that removes a wedge of tissue. Cost for a nonsurgical lobe lift (using dermal fillers) is between $450 to $650 for both ears and the procedure lasts for 4 to 12 months -- or longer. “I’ve had some patients going strong for two to three years,” says Sundaram.

Cankle lipo; strange plastic surgery procedure

After countless cracks about Hillary Clinton’s calves and Gold’s Gym recent Cankle Awareness Campaign, it’s no surprise women are turning to cosmetic surgeons for help with a perceived new problem: chubby cankles. But is surgery to the delicate ankle area a good idea? Some plastic surgeons say liposuctioning the lower leg is definitely doable (a French cosmetic surgeon recently discussed his success with the technique at the annual meeting of the British Association of Aesthetic Plastic Surgeons).


But others point to severe pain, excessive post-surgery swelling and a lengthy recovery time as arguments against cankle lipo. “The ankle is a tough area,” says Dr. Joel Schlessinger, a board certified dermatologist from Omaha, Neb. “There’s not a lot of fat there but there are a lot of nerves and blood vessels and the lymphatics that allow fluid to drain are somewhat less available in that area. Trauma to them can lead to swelling which leads to a prolonged recovery.” As Schlessinger puts it, “There are so many other areas where tumescent liposuction performs brilliantly. But this isn’t one of them.”

Parents to blame for teen acne?

Teenagers' odds of developing moderate to severe acne, may largely depend on whether their parents had the problem, suggests a new study.

Most teens have occasional acne breakouts with hormonal shifts of adolescence, especially the increase in testosterone, the main cause. But some teens and adults, develop more-comprehensive acne that requires treatment with appropriate prescriptions, or oral medications such as antibiotics or Isotretinoin, a synthetic form of vitamin A.

It has been unclear why some teenagers are prone to more severe acne.

The new findings from a study of 1,000 Iranian high school students, suggest that family history can be key.

The researchers found that 14 percent of the students had moderate to severe acne, with the prevalence varies considerably, based on family history. Of teenagers who have parents or siblings have had moderate to severe acne, 20 percent had the same problem.

In comparison, the price was 10 percent among adolescents with no such family history, researchers report in the Journal of Investigative Dermatology.

The findings point to the importance of genetics in whether a teenager will have more severe acne, according to senior researcher Dr. Christos C. Zouboulis, in Dessau Medical Center in Germany.

"Therefore, children with parents who have experienced severe acne must be followed up regularly and treated earlier, when acne lesions occur," he told Reuters Health in an e-mail.

And mothers' history may be particularly important, Zouboulis and his colleagues found.

Mom's acne tripled teen risk

Teens whose mothers had moderate to severe acne were three times as likely to develop problems as their peers were. When fathers had skin condition, the children's risk increased twofold.

This, according to the researchers, increases the chance that a genetic characteristic associated with the X-chromosome plays role. (All inherits an X chromosome from their mother, while fathers contributes an X chromosome of female children only.)

Besides family history, there were other suspects in the high school students' acne risk, Zouboulis and his colleagues found.

Teens with oily skin, for example, were more likely than those with "normal" skin to have moderate to severe acne. And for girls, the problem was more likely to flare up shortly before their menstruation.

There was also evidence of a higher risk among teens who often ate greasy or sugary foods.

Most previous studies have suggested that certain foods play little or no role in acne development. But, said Zouboulis, some more-recent research suggests that diet may have an effect on acne severity.

But, he added, it remains unclear which foods or food components may be involved.

The real cause of obesity [2]

The genes that control food intake and metabolism act to keep weight in a stable range by creating a biological force that resists weight change in either direction. When weight is gained, hunger is reduced. When weight is lost, the unconscious drive to eat is stimulated and acts to return weight to the starting point. Moreover, the greater the amount of weight that is lost, the greater the sense of hunger that develops. Thus, when the obese lose large amounts of weight by conscious effort, their bodies fight back even more strongly by increasing hunger and reducing energy expenditure. If you think it is hard to lose 10 to 20 pounds (and it is), try to imagine what it would feel like to lose many tens or even hundreds of pounds.

Anyone who doubts the power of this biologic system should study the case of a young boy in England a few years back. He had a mutation in a critical gene, the one that produces the hormone leptin. Leptin is made by fat tissue and sends a signal informing the brain that there are adequate stores of energy. When leptin drops, appetite increases. Because of a genetic error, this boy could not make this hormone, which left him ravenously hungry all of the time. At age 4 he ate 1,125 calories at a single meal—about half of what a normal adult eats in an entire day. As a result he already weighed 90 pounds and was well on his way to developing diabetes. At the time, his similarly affected cousin was 8 and weighed 200 pounds. After a few leptin injections, the boy's calorie intake dropped to 180 calories per meal, and by the time he was 6 his weight had dropped into the normal range. Nothing changed except the hormone levels: his parents weren't more or less permissive, his snacks did not switch from processed to organic, his willpower was not bolstered. Rather this boy was a victim of a malfunctioning weight-regulating system that led to an uncontrollable drive to eat. This examples illustrates that feeding behavior is a basic drive, similar to thirst and other life-sustaining drives. The key role of leptin and other molecules to control feeding behavior undercuts the common misconception that food intake is largely under voluntary control.

While mutations in the leptin gene like the cases described above are rare, nearly 10 percent of morbidly obese individuals carry defects in genes that regulate food intake, metabolism, and body weight. The evidence further indicates that the rest of the obese population carries genetic alterations in other, as yet unidentified, single genes or combinations of genes (polygenes) interacting with environmental factors.

So if you are thin, it might be more appropriate for you to thank your own "lean" genes and refrain from stigmatizing the obese. A broad acceptance of the biologic basis of obesity would not only be fair and right, but would also allow us to collectively focus on what is most important—one's health rather than one's weight. There is no evidence that obese individuals need to "normalize" their weight to reap health benefits. In fact, it is not even clear whether there are enduring health benefits to weight loss among obese individuals who do not suffer from diabetes, heart disease, hypertension, or liver disease. What is known is that the obese who do suffer from these conditions receive a disproportionately large benefit from even modest weight loss, which together with exercise and a heart-healthy diet can go a long way toward improving health.

While research into the biologic system that controls weight is moving toward the development of effective therapies for obesity, we are not there yet. In the meantime we must change our attitudes toward the obese and focus less on appearance and more on health. In their efforts to lose weight they are fighting against their biology. But they also are fighting against a society that wrongly believes that obesity is a personal failing.

The real cause of obesity

Despite receiving a MacArthur genius award for her work in Alabama "forging an inspiring model of compassionate and effective medical care in one of the most underserved regions of the United States," Regina Benjamin's qualifications to be surgeon general have been questioned. Why? She is overweight. "It tends to undermine her credibility," Dr. Marcia Angell, former editor of The New England Journal of Medicine, said in an interview with ABC News. "I do think at a time when a lot of public-health concern is about the national epidemic of obesity, having a surgeon general who is noticeably overweight raises questions in people's minds."

It is not enough, it seems, that the obese must suffer the medical consequences of their weight, consequences that include diabetes, heart disease, and cancer, and that cause nearly 300,000 deaths in the United States each year. They must also suffer the opprobrium heaped on them by people like Angell or Rep. James Sensenbrenner (R-WI), who advised the obese to "Look in the mirror because you are the one to blame." In our society, perhaps no group is more stigmatized than the obese.

The abuse is nothing new, of course. Four hundred years ago, Shakespeare had Prince Hal hurl a barrage of insults at Falstaff, calling him "fat-witted," "horseback-breaker," and a "huge hill of flesh." But Shakespeare had an excuse. In his time essentially nothing was known about the real reasons that people are fat. Today we have no such excuse. Modern medical science has gone a long way toward explaining the causes of obesity, and the bottom line is clear: obesity is not a personal choice. The obese are so primarily as a result of their genes.

Genetic studies have shown that the particular set of weight-regulating genes that a person has is by far the most important factor in determining how much that person will weigh. The heritability of obesity—a measure of how much obesity is due to genes versus other factors—is about the same as the heritability of height. It's even greater than that for many conditions that people accept as having a genetic basis, including heart disease, breast cancer, and schizophrenia. As nutrition has improved over the past 200 years, Americans have gotten much taller on average, but it is still the genes that determine who is tall or short today. The same is true for weight. Although our high-calorie, sedentary lifestyle contributes to the approximately 10-pound average weight gain of Americans compared to the recent past, some people are more severely affected by this lifestyle than others. That's because they have inherited genes that increase their predisposition for accumulating body fat. Our modern lifestyle is thus a necessary, but not a sufficient, condition for the high prevalence of obesity in our population.

Over the past decade, scientists have identified many of the genes that regulate body weight and have proved that in some instances, different variants of these genes can lead a person to be fat or thin. These genes underlie a weight-regulating system that is remarkably precise. The average person takes in a million or more calories per year, maintaining within a narrow range over the course of decades. This implies that the body balances calorie consumption with calorie expenditure, and does with a precision greater than 99.5 percent. Even the most vigilant calorie counter couldn't compete, if for no other reason than that the calorie counts on food labels are often off by 10 percent or more.

The genes that control food intake and metabolism act to keep weight in a stable range by creating a biological force that resists weight change in either direction. When weight is gained, hunger is reduced. When weight is lost, the unconscious drive to eat is stimulated and acts to return weight to the starting point. Moreover, the greater the amount of weight that is lost, the greater the sense of hunger that develops. Thus, when the obese lose large amounts of weight by conscious effort, their bodies fight back even more strongly by increasing hunger and reducing energy expenditure. If you think it is hard to lose 10 to 20 pounds (and it is), try to imagine what it would feel like to lose many tens or even hundreds of pounds.

8 Things in Your Home That May Be Harming You [5-8]

Your laundry

Nobody thinks of the washing machine as a germ magnet—that’s where clothes get clean, right? Not if you’re using a public machine, and especially if that machine uses water that’s not hot enough, says Tierno.

Here’s why: Lower temperatures can encourage the spread of germs. Researchers at the University of Arizona found that intestinal viruses such as hepatitis A can be easily transferred from underwear to other garments during the washing process. Even worse, some germs can lurk in public washing machines and find their way to your clothes.

What to do

Wash your underwear and towels separately, using bleach if possible, and wash all towels in water that’s at least 155 degrees, which will kill most germs. Not sure if your apartment’s water temperature is hot enough? Talk to the building manager.

Your humidifier

Watch out for the humidifier, say germ experts. “If it’s not cleaned properly, a humidifier can become a repository for legionella and other pathogens that cause respiratory infections,” says Tierno.

What to do

If you like sleeping with a humidifier in your room, be sure to clean it often—at least a few times a week—by mixing a solution of one-part bleach to 19 parts water (for most humidifiers, this would equal about a half or full cup of bleach) and letting it sit for a few minutes before rinsing well.

Your doorknob

Think of the people who have touched your front doorknob in the past 48 hours: the UPS man, a neighbor, a solicitor, your friends—it’s easy to lose count. Now think of all the places they’ve been—the subway, public restrooms, grocery stores. Those germs are all on your doorknob right now, says Tierno.

Most people let their guard down when it comes to their own door handles, he says, but we shouldn’t: “Viruses can survive for days on doorknobs, and you can easily get cross contamination from them,” he says.

What to do

Make a habit of wiping down your doorknob frequently with sanitizing wipes or sprays. Have a copper doorknob? You may be in luck. Researchers in England found that copper door handles had 95 percent fewer microorganisms on them compared with other doorknobs. Scientists believe that many germs, including MRSA, may not be able to survive on copper.

Your salt and pepper shakers

When’s the last time you cleaned your salt and pepper shakers? Exactly. These unassuming little items get touched in all parts of the meal-prep process. Example: You give your sauce a dash of salt after touching raw chicken (oops) and then later set the shaker on the table.

What to do

Nobody thinks of cleaning their salt and pepper shakers, says Elizabeth Scott, Ph.D., assistant professor and co-director Simmons Center for Hygiene and Health in Home and Community at Simmons College, but to avoid cross-contamination and food poisoning, you should. “Best to wipe them with an EPA-registered disinfectant,” she says. “But better still, always wash your hands after handling raw foods and before touching anything else.”

by Sarah Jio

8 surprising home health risks [1-4]

Home sweet home, right? Well, sort of. You may be unaware of the potential health dangers lurking in your abode—from critters in the kitchen to bugs in the bedroom. Here’s what you need to know and what to do.

Your kitchen sponge

Maybe you’ve heard about the germs on your kitchen sponge (gross news flash—there may be as many as 20 million microbes on it right now). But here’s the deal: Your method for “cleaning” that sponge may be leaving it loaded with potentially hazardous bacteria that can make you ill. Researchers at the USDA’s Agricultural Research Service found that some common cleaning methods for sponges—soaking them in a bleach solution, lemon juice or water—did not eradicate the germs.

What to do

The best ways to clean a dirty sponge, they say, are in the microwave (on high for one minute) and in the dishwasher, which will kill 99.9 percent of all germs.

Your bed

Have you been on a trip recently? If so, you may have brought home some hitchhikers—of the creepy-crawly variety. Bedbugs, tiny bloodthirsty insects, are hosts to organisms that cause hepatitis B and Chagas disease, say health experts. But the real problem seems to be the infections and allergic reactions that can sometimes result from bedbug bites.

According to the Environmental Protection Agency, bedbugs are on the rise and becoming an increasing health problem. The insects, which hide in the crevices of mattresses and bedding, are showing up everywhere, from hostels to the swankiest hotels, and they often find their way into people’s luggage, transporting themselves to unsuspecting homes.

What to do

If you’ve done some traveling recently, and especially if you’ve noticed any mysterious bug bites, wash everything in your luggage and consider scrubbing your suitcase with a stiff brush before giving it a good vacuuming.

Your laptop

You’re the only one who uses it, so how dirty can it be? In a word: filthy. A study by researchers at the University of North Carolina Health Care System found that keyboards were loaded with germs.
Even more disgusting, the average public toilet bowl contains 41 germs per square inch. The average personal keyboard? Some 21,000 germs per square inch. “Toilet bowls get cleaned,” says Philip M. Tierno Jr., Ph.D., director of clinical microbiology and immunology at New York University Langone Medical Center, “but keyboards rarely do.”

What to do

Tierno says the best way to keep your laptop or computer’s keyboard clean is to gently wipe it down daily with disinfecting wipes.

Your shower curtain

According to research by the Center for Health, Environment & Justice, shower curtains and liners made from polyvinyl chloride (PVC) may be harmful to your health.

Their study suggests that PVC releases potentially harmful chemicals into your bathroom. While there is still some debate among health experts about how much of these chemicals could be deemed harmful, many believe that limiting your exposure to chemicals, wherever possible, makes sense.

What to do

Check your shower curtain’s label to see if it’s made of vinyl or PVC. While not all manufacturers disclose this information, some retailers, like Ikea, have banned PVC shower curtains altogether, and Target has promised to phase out the material in its shower-curtain products in the months ahead.

12 Surprising Signs You'll Live to 100 [7-12]

You had a baby later in life.

If you got pregnant naturally after age 44, you're about 15 percent less likely to die during any year after age 50 than your friends who had their babies before age 40, reports a recent University of Utah study. "If your ovaries are healthy and you are capable of having children at that age, that's a marker that you have genes operating that will help you live longer," says lead researcher Ken R. Smith, Ph.D., professor of human development at the university.

Your pulse beats 15 times in 15 seconds.

That equates to 60 beats per minute—or how many times a healthy heart beats at rest. Most people have resting rates between 60 and 100 bpm, though the closer to the lower end of the spectrum, the healthier. A slower pulse means your heart doesn't have to work as hard and could last longer, says Leslie Cho, M.D., director of the Women's Cardiovascular Center at the Cleveland Clinic.

You don't snore.

Snoring is a major sign of obstructive sleep apnea, a disorder that causes you to stop breathing briefly because throat tissue collapses and blocks your airway. In severe cases, this can happen 60 to 70 times per hour. Sleep apnea can cause high blood pressure, memory problems, weight gain, and depression. An 18-year study found that people without OSA were three times more likely to live longer than those with severe apnea. If you snore and have excessive daytime drowsiness or mood changes, talk with your doctor about a referral to a sleep center.

You embrace techie trends.

Learn to Twitter or Skype to help keep brain cells young and healthy, says Sherri Snelling, senior director for Evercare (part of United-Healthcare), a group that sponsors an annual poll of U.S. centenarians. Many of the oldest Americans send e-mails, Google lost friends, and even date online. Researchers say using the latest technology helps keep us not only mentally spry but socially engaged: "Stay connected to friends, family, and current events, and you feel vital and relevant," says Snelling.

You started menopause after age 52.

Studies show that naturally experiencing it later can mean an increased life span. One reason: "Women who go through menopause late have a much lower risk of heart disease," says Mary Jane Minkin, M.D., clinical professor of obstetrics and gynecology at Yale University School of Medicine.

You make every calorie count.

Researchers in St. Louis reported that men and women who limited their daily calories to 1,400 to 2,000 (about 25 percent fewer calories than those who followed a typical 2,000-to 3,000-calorie Western diet) were literally young at heart—their hearts functioned like those of people 15 years younger. "It's about not just eating less but getting the most nutrition per calorie," says study author Luigi Fontana, M.D., Ph.D., associate professor of medicine at Washington University School of Medicine. Study subjects stuck to vegetables, whole grains, fat-free milk, and lean meat and nixed white bread, soda, and candy. If you cut empty calories and eat more nutrient-rich foods, your health will improve, says Fontana.

12 Surprising Signs You'll Live to 100 [1-6]

You're the life of the party.

Outgoing people are 50 percent less likely to develop dementia, according to a recent study of more than 500 men and women age 78 and older from the Karolinska Institutet in Sweden. Participants also described themselves as not easily stressed. Researchers speculate that their more resilient brains may be due to lower levels of cortisol—studies show that oversecretion of this "stress hormone" can inhibit brain cells' communication. Science-backed ways to cut cortisol levels: Meditate, sip black tea, or take a nap.

You run for 40 minutes a day.

Scientists in California found that middle-aged people who did just that—for a total of about five hours per week—lived longer and functioned better physically and cognitively as they got older; the researchers tracked runners and nonrunners for 21 years. "What surprised us is that the runners didn't just get less heart disease—they also developed fewer cases of cancer, neurologic diseases, and infections," says study author Eliza Chakravarty, M.D., an assistant professor of medicine at Stanford University School of Medicine. "Aerobic exercise keeps the immune system young." If you don't like to run, even 20 minutes a day of any activity that leaves you breathless can boost your health, she says.

You like raspberries in your oatmeal.

Most Americans eat 14 to 17 g of fiber per day; add just 10 g and reduce your risk of dying from heart disease by 17 percent, according to a Netherlands study. Dietary fiber helps reduce total and LDL ("bad") cholesterol, improve insulin sensitivity, and boost weight loss. One easy fix: Top your oatmeal (½ cup dry has 4 g fiber) with 1 cup of raspberries (8 g) and you get 12 g of fiber in just one meal.

Try some of these other potent fiber-rich foods: ½ cup of 100 percent bran cereal (8.8 g), ½ cup of cooked lentils (7.8 g), ½ cup of cooked black beans (7.5 g), one medium sweet potato (4.8 g), one small pear (4.3 g).

You feel 13 years younger than you are.

That's what older people in good health said in a recent survey of more than 500 men and women age 70 and older. "Feeling youthful is linked to better health and a longer life," says researcher Jacqui Smith, Ph.D., professor of psychology at the University of Michigan. "It can improve optimism and motivation to overcome challenges, which helps reduce stress and boost your immune system and ultimately lowers your risk of disease."

You have a (relatively) flat belly after menopause.

Women who are too round in the middle are 20 percent more likely to die sooner (even if their body mass index is normal), according to a National Institute on Aging study. At midlife, it takes more effort to keep waists trim because shifting hormones cause most extra weight to settle in the middle. If your waist measures 35 inches or more (for men, 40 inches or more), take these steps:

Work two or three 20-minute strength-training sessions into your weekly exercise regimen to preserve lean muscle mass and rev metabolism.
Eat a daily serving of omega-3s to help combat inflammation and seven daily servings of fruits and vegetables, loaded with disease-fighting antioxidants.
Get 25 percent of your daily calories from healthy fats—such as monounsaturated fatty acids—which protect your heart and may help you store less fat in your belly (for a 1,600-calorie diet, that's 44 g).

You get your blood tested for vitamin D levels.

For optimal disease protection, we need at least 30 nanograms of vitamin D per milliliter of blood, reports a study in the Archives of Internal Medicine. Nearly 80 percent of Americans have less than that. Vitamin D not only helps bones ward off osteoporosis but may also reduce your risk of cancer, heart disease, and infection, says lead researcher Adit A. Ginde, M.D., M.P.H., an assistant professor of surgery at the University of Colorado Denver School of Medicine. If needed, you can take a daily supplement to get your numbers up. Doctors can measure your levels with a simple blood test, but periodic monitoring may be necessary—vitamin D turns toxic at 100 to 150 ng/mL.

How stress, diet affect your skin

You may feel 40 and fabulous (and you!), But your skin may be over. Lifestyle habits can be broken or the actual age of your skin, then for better or worse. As you care for your people is key, too. You skin friend or foe? Take advantage of our research has proven tips to stop and reverse the premature-aging.

Your Younger Skin Strategy

1. Wash at night. "The most important point for cleaning the person before you hit the sack," said, Doris Day, MD, New York-based dermatologist. Dirt, bacteria, makeup and left on overnight can cause irritation of the skin, clog pores and cause breakouts. Remove this top layer of dirt with a gentle face wash (the skin should feel pleasantly tight for a period of 10 to 15 minutes after cleansing), which also allows anti-penetrate deeper managers to improve results. Since oil production dips to the hormonal changes in your 40, cleaning twice a day can dry out your face and wrinkles appear more pronounced. To refresh your skin in the morning, splash with warm water.

2. Be vigilant about UV protection. Nothing is more important than wearing sunscreen (ideally, SPF 30), if you want a young promising skin. Even 10 minutes of daily exposure UVA "aging" rays may cause changes that lead to wrinkles and blemishes in the sun a mere 12 weeks. If your moisturizer is not formulated with a built-in a broad spectrum SPF-30 sunscreen, be sure to use one as a daily block UVA and UVB rays.

3. Manage stress. Emotional upheaval may make your skin look 5 years older than your chronological age, said New York City dermatologist Amy Wechsler, and a psychiatrist, MD, author of The Mind-Beauty Connection. Constant anxiety increases the stress hormone cortisol, which causes inflammation that destroys collagen. It also causes a chain of responses that can lead to facial redness and acne outbreaks. To suppress the inflammation, there are antioxidant-rich foods such as berries, oranges, and asparagus. When you feel tense, Wechsler recommends several minutes of deep breathing (inhaling through the nose, hold for 3 counts, and the release through the mouth).

4. Use the retinoid. Studies show that these vitamin A derivatives turnover rate of cells and collagen to smooth fine lines and growth of wrinkles and brown spots disappear. Prescription strength retinoids such as Renova provide quick results, you'll begin to see changes in about a month. To help acclimate to any skin redness and peeling, apply only to pea size drop on your face every third night, the building the night before use. Milder versions of OTC (look for retinol) is gentler, although it may take up to 3 months to see visible results.

5. Update your skin routine. Change one thing about your treatment every 6 to 12 months, jump-starts a dramatic improvement in tone and texture. "In applying the products constantly, your skin slides in maintenance mode after one year," says New Orleans dermatologist Mary P. Lupo, MD. To keep his willingness to rejuvenation, to replace the cream that contains alpha-hydroxy acids for your prescription retinoid twice a week to increase profits. Or Bump your off-retinoid to the Rx formula.

6. Eat omega-3. These "good fats" in foods such as salmon, flaxseed, and almonds boost of hydration, which keeps skin soft and hard. The same is not true for saturated fats in dairy and meat products, which increase free radical damage, which makes the skin more susceptible to aging. Limit saturated fat to 17 grams daily.

7. Exercise regularly. The research found that women who regularly have a good skin than nonexercisers. Reason: Exercise infuses the skin of oxygen and nutrients needed for the production of collagen. To soften the skin, to make time for at least three 30-minute heart-pumping exercise per week.

Tricks for getting healthy without trying hard

Doing exactly the right thing can seem impossible. These quick methods come close.

Cardiovascular Activity

The ideal: Do 30 minutes most days of the week. The surgeon general advises this near-daily regimen will help lower LDL (bad) cholesterol, raise HDL (good) cholesterol, and improve cardio health, reducing the risk for diabetes and heart disease.

The next best thing: Take three 10-minute walks each day. Short bursts have real health benefits, says Cris Slentz, Ph.D., a senior research scientist at Duke University Medical Center, in Durham, North Carolina. Assuming the intensity is identical to that of a 30-minute workout, you’ll burn the same number of calories and get the heart-health benefits.

A few ideas:

- Devote 10 minutes of your lunch hour to a brisk walk.
- Climb a few flights of stairs several times a day instead of using the elevator.
- Offer to take a friend’s (energetic) dog for a walk.

Fresh Fruits and Vegetables

The ideal: Have five to nine servings of fresh fruits and vegetables daily. Eat such a bounty and you’ll get a full array of nutrients, as well as plenty of fiber, says Claudia Gonzalez, a registered dietitian in Miami.

The next best thing: They may not be farmers’ market–worthy, but sneak in servings this way:

- Try vitamin-rich dried fruits and single-serving packs of applesauce (applesauce has less fiber than fresh apples but still contains some vitamin C).
- Using frozen berries, whip up a fruit smoothie, which can hold up to three servings of fruit.
- Try canned. Vegetable and bean soups are good sources of fiber and can be as nutritionally rich as fresh produce, says Gonzalez. Go ahead and take a multivitamin if you’re still falling short. It may cover key nutrients. Find out how much of each nutrient you really need.


Fish

The ideal: Eat it twice a week. Fatty fish, like salmon, trout, and sardines, are packed with DHA and EPA omega-3 fatty acids, which have been found in many studies to reduce the risk of heart disease and boost the immune system.

The next best thing: Add flaxseed or fish oil to your diet. Here are two easy ways:

- Sprinkle one to two tablespoons of flaxseed on salads or oatmeal, says Tracy Gaudet, M.D., a women’s-health expert and the director of Duke Integrative Medicine, in Durham, North Carolina. For optimum absorption of nutrients, the seeds need to be broken, so if you have only whole flaxseed, run it through a coffee grinder for a few seconds.
- Talk to your doctor about fish-oil supplements. The American Heart Association suggests 1,000 milligrams of omega-3s a day for certain people at risk for heart disease.


Sleep

The ideal: Get at least seven hours each night. Skimping on sleep can have a major impact on your health. A 2007 study at the University of Warwick, in England, found that women who slept fewer than five hours a night were twice as likely to suffer from hypertension as women who got seven hours of sleep. Previous studies have linked lack of sleep to weight gain and a weakened immune system.

The next best thing: If you’ve been short on sleep, take a nap. A recent study found that people who took a short daily nap had a lower rate of dying from heart disease than did those who never snoozed during the day.

Two suggestions:

- Lie down for a 20-minute siesta in the afternoon to revive yourself.
- Take a quick catnap when you get home from work to counteract the effects of lost sleep.

Are diet pills safe?

Q: Is there a diet pill available that is safe to use and really works?

A: I wish we had a pill that could help people lose weight easily. None of the medicines on the market are worth using, if you ask me.

Drugs for weight loss that are sold over-the-counter, such as dietary supplements and appetite suppressants don't have a strong effect on weight loss. And using these drugs can cause side effects.

Prescription weight loss drugs have drawbacks, too. They include orlistat (sold as Xenical and Alli), sibutramine (sold as Meridia) and phentermine (sold as Adipex and Ionamin). In some European countries, you can buy rimonabant (sold as Acomplia). It is not sold in the United States.

In November 2007, the British Medical Journal (BMJ) looked at the benefits and of prescription drugs for weight loss. The article summarized the weight loss results and side effects for orlistat, sibutramine and rimonabant.

The findings in this study closely matched a report on rimonabant that came from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in August 2007. It also is similar to FDA testimony about sibutramine at a Senate hearing in 2004.

How do these weight loss drugs "size up?" They are not very impressive. According to the BMJ study, after using the drugs for 1 to 4 years, people lost:

6 pounds on average with orlistat

9 pounds on average with sibutramine

10 pounds on average with rimonabant

Previous studies have found an average weight loss of 2 to 13 pounds with phentermine.

Most patients would need to spend more than $1,000 a year on the drugs in order to see these results. Cost is one reason that a lot of users don't stick with these medicines. A Canadian study showed that fewer than 10% of people who use sibutramine or orlistat stay with it for at least a year. Fewer than 2% of people stay with it for two years.

Another problem with weight loss medicines is their side effects:

Orlistat causes oily stool, grease spots on underwear, and uncomfortable urges to have a bowel movement in up to one-third of people who take it. It also may decrease the absorption of vitamins from your diet.

Sibutramine raises blood pressure and pulse rate. In up to 1 out of 5 patients, it can cause insomnia, nausea, dry mouth or constipation.

Rimonabant was associated with symptoms such as depression and anxiety in up to 1 out of 4 users. At usual doses:

9% of patients developed depression
5% needed to start medicine for depression
9% had to start an anxiety medicine or sleeping pill

The suicide rate doubled

Phentermine can cause a rapid heartbeat, high blood pressure, restlessness, anxiety, or diarrhea
Phentermine formerly was used along with the drug fenfluramine. This combination was known as Fen-Phen. In some people, it led to heart valve damage or abnormal artery pressures in the lungs. Fenfluramine is off the market. But similar problems might occur if phentermine interacts with drugs that are like fenfluramine. This includes antidepressants such as Prozac. These drugs can't be safely combined with phentermine.

Surely, there must be a better way to lose weight.

As old fashioned as it sounds, modest daily calorie intake and regular exercise are still the cornerstones of weight control. Weight loss drugs certainly can be a part of treatment for a person who is severely overweight. However, they are not good enough to substitute for other strategies. I don't recommend them for most people who need to lose weight.

Michael Jackson -- Death by Medicine, How to Avoid this?

Michael Jackson, dead at age 50. Probable Cause of death: medicine. Celebrities in the U.S. are killer drugs faster than their sometimes wild lifestyle. The list of great men are killed by medication only in the last year: Michael Jackson, Heath Ledger and Anna Nicole Smith. Michael Jackson is the most recent celebrity to be killed by drugs.

Taking drugs can kill

Michael Jackson was the pain and possibly other benzodiazepine drugs. Both drugs produce physical and mental depression. Drugs produce adverse effects.

The right question to ask before he or she have any drugs for any situation is: "How much damage am I willing to live or die with the desired effects I'm looking for?" Remember that the impact on the upper edge of the former drug-action and creates a deteriorating condition, even if you do not immediately perceive.

Each individual will react differently to medications. There is no such thing as a drug, according to the laws of nature, like gravity or liability. Every drug, even over the counter medications such as aspirin or Tylenol, kill more people each year than the flu.

Who's Making A Killing the sale of drugs

Who benefits by the people, drugs and the effects of damage? The people and companies that produce, market, sell and make a living with drug sales.

Many people in the industry want to sell drugs to help others be healthier and happier. Few want people to suffer or experience loss. But why are people not better than drug effects, before they begin looking for them?

The doctors have told patients not taking drugs, when all the bad effects were well publicized. Therefore, doctors are not their Hippocratic oath. Part of that oath is to warn and full disclosure to patients on the effects of drug therapy.

Drug sales fueled by effective marketing popular for the general population and physicians, medical students and organizations such as the FDA and Health Canada on this side of the border.

Currently, pharmaceutical sales representative, the so-called "Drug Details", at the doctors and government leaders about the risks and benefits of drug therapy. Most drugs are details rented for their appearance, communication and seller of drugs.

Get the full disclosure of all drug offenses effects from your doctor or pharmacist

Where does this leave the consumer? A victim of drug or innocent spectators of the damage caused by ignorance. Doctors have a duty to their patients. Physicians should inform their patients fully informed of all medicines impacts suggest drug use.

Alternative Recommendation First, either by an integrative physician or alternative medicine doctor, you can prevent further suffering, your doctor ignorance.

America's cancer capitals for men

The Mormons may be onto something. (No, not polygamy—that ended in 1890.) Salt Lake City is our pick for the most cancer-free zone in the nation. Credit the Mormons' no-smoking and no-drinking policy, plus the fact that the city is religious about outdoor sports. See, lung cancer causes nearly 30 percent of deaths from untamed tumors, and a report from the World Cancer Research Fund shows that lifestyle changes, such as limiting alcohol and exercising regularly, can help prevent a third of cancers.

First, we analyzed data on smoking, exercise, obesity, drinking, and fruit and vegetable consumption (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention). Then we factored in cities' UV indexes (Accuweather.com) and cancer incidence (National Cancer Institute). Last, we went to the CDC to see who's being tested for colon and breast cancer, plus how many people have fallen to the big C.

10 Least Cancerous Cities 10 Most Cancerous Cities
Salt Lake City Jacksonville, Fla.
Burlington, Vt. Philadelphia
Seattle Oklahoma City
Aurora, Colo. Las Vegas
Atlanta Indianapolis
Yonkers, N.Y. Columbus, Ohio
Oakland, Calif. Birmingham, Ala.
New York City Memphis, Tenn.
Fremont, Calif. Baltimore
Minneapolis St. Louis

Invest in Your Life

We already have a powerful weapon in the war against cancer: cash. No, money can't tame a prostate tumor, but it can help address the imbalance in federal funding for cancer research. In 2007, only 8 percent of funds in the National Cancer Institute's budget were spent on detection and diagnosis. While it's critical that scientists find a cure, we also need better ways to spot cancer in its earliest stages. Give to the Canary Foundation, a group that donates all proceeds to detection research.

Dye, Cancer!

Doctors can't defeat colon cancer if they can't find it. Enter chromoendoscopy, a procedure in which a person's colon walls are dyed before a colonoscopy. Harvard scientists found that this method revealed precancerous polyps in a third of people who'd been cleared after a regular screening. Ask your doctor about the test.

Why does my ear feel plugged?

Q: I have a plugged left ear problem. It usually starts about 4 p.m. and last about three to four hours. I cough, clear my throat, yawn, close my nostrils and blow-nothing seems to help.

A: It seems like you have had this problem for a while, so my first suggestion is to see a doctor and start the process that would lead to a diagnosis and proper treatment.

The diagnosis of almost any ear problem starts with a few basic questions. One of the most obvious is also one of the most important: have you lost any hearing? Sometimes people experience hearing loss as a plugged-up feeling, so some tests may be necessary to sort that issue out. Doctors then ask patients with ear complaints about Dizziness, pain, ringing in the ears, or fluid discharge. The answers help steer diagnostic testing and other detective work. Ear Dizziness, problems with the room-spinning kind that's the main feature of true vertigo, might merit investigation into whether someone has Meniere's disease, a rare condition caused by an imbalance of fluid in the inner ear. Ear pain is a good clue that the problem is a middle ear infection. Ear pain with a moist discharge is a common symptom of Swimmer's ear.

Other important questions: Are both ears affected or just one? Did the symptoms come on suddenly or gradually? Do they persist or come and go?

Your ear may feel plugged up simply because it is - with earwax. I can not explain the regular late-afternoon onset, but earwax blockage can wax and wane (forgive the pun!). They can get worse after a shower, for example, because the wax Soak up water. As Tempting as it might be, do not try to remove earwax yourself. Cotton swabs and pencil Erasers can break off in the ear canal, which is not the straight passageway that it appears to be from the outside but one that bends and Narrows. Let a doctor take a look.

Another possibility is that you have eustachian tube dysfunction. You can not see the eustachian (pronounced you-STAY-shun) tube. It's entirely inside your head, connecting the middle ear to the nasopharynx, the area at the very back of the nasal cavity near where it joins the throat. In adults, the eustachian tube is a little over to inch long and runs forward and downward from the middle ear to the nasopharynx. It's made of Cartilage and bone and is lined with a moist, mucous membrane.

Normally, the eustachian tube helps Equalize air pressure on either side of the eardrum by allowing air to flow in and out of the middle ear. If it gets blocked, then there's less pressure in the middle ear, which creates a little suction, so the eardrum gets pulled inward. This causes a full, plugged feeling in the ear and makes the eardrum thus less able to Vibrate, then hearing will seem a little off If the blockage is severe and last awhile, the low pressure in the middle ear can pull fluids out of the surrounding tissue and blood vessels, so the middle ear fills up with fluid.

A cold or allergies can cause the lining of the eustachian tube to swell shut. And in situations when the air pressure is changing rapidly, as it does when you're in an ascending or descending airplane, your eustachian tubes must function well to keep the air pressure on either side of the eardrums the same. When you blow out with your mouth closed and your nostrils squeezed shut to "pop" your ears, you're Forcing air up the eustachian tubes and bringing the air pressure back into equilibrium.

Some people have eustachian tubes that do not function very well, so they get the plugged-up ear sensational rather easily from a cold or during airplane travel or without any apparent precipitating event. This may be your problem.

Bad cases of eustachian tube dysfunction can be treated by inserting little plastic tubes into the eardrum to aerate the middle ear from the external ear canal, rather than depending on the eustachian tube to do the job.

If the plugged-up feeling is constant and is affecting only one ear, then a doctor needs to check the opening of the tube in the nasopharynx to make sure it is not blocked by a cancerous growth of some kind.

If the plugged-up feeling comes and goes, then what can you do? While there's no real proof that anti-histamines or decongestants help, I tell patients to feel free to try them if they wish.

- Jo Shapiro, MD, Brigham and Women's Hospital

Tips for more youthful-looking skin [added later]

HANDS OFF YOUR EYES

You are too thin—at least around the eyes. Don't rub, poke, or otherwise fiddle with the skin there. "Every time you do, you risk breaking delicate blood vessels, which leads to darkening, dulling, and thickening of the surrounding skin," says Fusco.When choosing an eye cream, look for gentle anti-aging ingredients like peptides (Olay Professional Pro-X Eye Restoration Complex) or zinc (found in Relastin Eye Silk)—a current favorite of Leslie Baumann, director of the University of Miami Cosmetic and Research Institue. "It's been shown to increase elastin production, which can reduce crepiness," she says.

DON'T DRINK, DON'T SMOKE

What do you do? Take care of your body to take care of your skin, that's what. Smoking is an infamous wrinkle factory that destroys collagen and elastin. (But you knew that.) Less well known is that more than one glass of alcohol increases inflammation in the bloodstream, "which can hasten sagging over time," Brandt says. Eating too much sugar is also a vice for your skin (not to mention your waistline), he says—it may affect the body's ability to repair damaged collagen.

CLEAN UP YOUR ACTIONS

Remember the little things. They can lead to big trouble—like premature aging.• Stop squinting (sunglasses help). And if you wear eyeglasses or contact lenses, make sure your prescription is up to date.• Avoid sipping through a straw. It contributes to lines around the mouth.• Break the habit of resting your chin on your hand. (It stretches the skin.)• Switch to a smooth satin pillowcase. The creases in cotton eventually make their mark on your face.

DON'T FORGET YOUR NECK AND HANDS

They're the body parts most likely to betray the age that's on your passport even when your face doesn't. Get them on the same daily maintenance program as your face, with sunscreen every morning and retinol at night. Dab hydroquinone on sunspots, and exfoliate twice a week. (We like the gentle but powerful St. Ives Elements Microdermabrasion scrub).

Tips for more youthful-looking skin

SHRINK YOUR PORES

Your pores expand as gunk accumulates in them—and the older you get, the more likely they are to stay expanded. Put them on a diet by switching to a cleanser with salicylic acid, which "dissolves the oil in the pores," says New York City and Coral Gables, Florida, dermatologist Fredric Brandt. It also helps slough away dead skin that can lead to clogging. We like Neutrogena Oil-Free Acne Wash Pink Grapefruit Facial Cleanser and Bioré Blemish Fighting Ice Cleanser.

LET IT RIPD

eflate and clean pores—like the ones on your nose—once a week with pore strips. (Try Bioré Deep Cleansing Pore Strips.) "They really do work," says Francesca Fusco.

SLATHER ON THE SUNSCREEN

By now you probably know that you need a broad-spectrum sunscreen with at least an SPF 30, that the ingredients Mexoryl and Helioplex offer the longest-lasting protection, that you have to slather a tablespoon's worth of the stuff on your face and a shot glass–size dollop on your body...and that it's necessary to reapply every two hours if you're outdoors, including any time spent in your car. Now you just need to do it—every single day. We recommend Neutrogena Ultra-Sheer Dry-Touch Sunblock SPF 55 (with Helioplex) and La Roche-Posay Anthelios 40 (with Mexoryl), because neither will turn your skin ghost white or greasy.

GET MORE BEAUTY SLEEP

If you go to bed 15 minutes earlier, progressively, for four nights running, you'll establish a routine where you get an extra hour of dark circle-zapping rest. For your best shot at the necessary eight hours, quit the coffee after 3 P.M. and avoid exercising in the three hours before bedtime. Log off in plenty of time, too—your face is more important than Facebook. And stop hitting the snooze button the next morning—fragmented sleeping just makes you groggier.

REMEMBER THE RETINOL

Retinol rules—it's "the only thing that's been proven to reduce fine lines over the long-term," Brandt says. But like even the best long-term relationships, it isn't 100 percent perfect. It can increase sun sensitivity (that's why it's best applied at night) and it makes some women peel, flake, redden, and itch. New York City dermatologist Howard Sobel advises taking things slow: Dab it on every other night, or dilute it with plain moisturizer, until you know your skin can handle it. (Try Dermadoctor Poetry in Lotion 1.0 or RoC Retinol Correxion Deep Wrinkle Night Cream.)

Hidden secrets of weight gain

Some people ask why they do not lose weight when they are religiously following "diet". Some said that they also carried out. Well, there are several things that cause lack of weight in the diet. They include:

1. You actually eat more calories than you think.

2. You have the right calories, but food or drinking products that slow down or even stop your weight loss.

3. Did you not enough for weight loss.

4. You reduce your Neat (without the implementation of Thermogenesis), not realizing that this did not happen.

5. You are decreasing your body's energy boost from the decline of hormones, or anemia.

6. Your lack of sleep or poor quality sleep, is the intervention in your weight loss.

7. You were in the same exercise routine for too long.

8. Your subconscious does not want you to lose weight, and draws attention to itself.

9. You are taking drugs that block your weight to stop your weight at all.

10. Some, such as a significant other, to sabotage your diet in calories.

11. You polycystic ovary syndrome.

12. You're a dreamer night, and you do not understand it at the conscious level.

13. You also from Monday to Friday, but when the weekend comes your diet disappears.

Why does my sweat smell like cheese?

Question: In the last three months, my husband started sweating profusely when he was asleep. His sweat has a strong cheesy smell, and I can no longer tolerate it. His health is perfect. It is in his fifties. I am afraid this may be a sign of something serious. What would it be?

Answer: night sweats are very common and most often the cause is not serious. As cheesy smell as it is not unusual. Some Swiss researchers have studied, in fact, smell the sweat of men and women. Sweaty men tend to like the smell of cheese, while women sweaty smell like onions and grapefruit.

When a patient comes to me with a new night sweats, I will begin with a question about the temperature in the bedroom, and the number and type of blankets. Assuming that this is not an issue, I would next like to know if your spouse has a fever during the day, and if he loses weight, does not try. If he had not yet tested his temperature several times a couple of days, it should be.

If he has fever or weight loss, the cause may be serious. It could be an infection, it is not infectious inflammatory disorder, or cancer.

If he feels good during the day, and no fever or weight loss, the major cause is less likely. But some important opportunities to be considered:

Sleep apnea, especially if he snores is sleepy during the daytime, or both
Anxiety
A side effect of the drug. It should consider any medicines, herbs, or supplements he takes with the pharmacist
Low blood sugar (although this is unlikely if he has diabetes)

In overactive thyroid gland (hyperthyroidism). Usually there will be additional symptoms such as weight loss despite good appetite, rapid heartbeat, sweating during the day, and feeling nervous.
Other rare hormonal disorders

He should see a health care to discuss it at night sweating. At the same time, there are some things he may try to reduce sweats:

Store in a cool bedroom and open the window
Avoid spicy food, especially at night
Avoid alcohol for a while
Come on, towel off and change the bed sheets, and immediately as necessary

Quite often, no specific causes for night sweats found. In these cases, sweats, usually leave on their own.

Stop pain in its tracks with these remedies [5]

Low-back pain

Understand it: "The most common problem is muscle strain," says Dr. Matava. "The muscles are stretched and microscopic tears occur in those fibers, which release chemicals that activate nerve endings throughout the area."

Stop it: Take ibuprofen and heat the area for 10 to 15 minutes a few times a day. But don't shut things down completely. "Bed rest leads to stiffness and decreased flexibility, both of which only increase pain," says Dr. Smith. Dial down your activity a bit, and then dial it back up as the pain begins to ease.

Still hurts? If dialing down your activity level doesn't work, the next steps might include physical therapy, deep-tissue injection, or even surgery. So see your doctor.

Prevent it: Stretch your hamstrings once your body is already warmed up, not before. "When the hamstrings are tight, they can pull on the small postural muscles of the low back, causing pain," says Perry Fine, M.D., a professor of anesthesiology at University of Utah school of medicine.

Pain lets you know that health trouble has arrived. But sometimes pain won't go away after delivering the message. Consider the case of Dave Brown of Lancaster, Pennsylvania, who develops GPS systems for fire departments. He's 27, but when he rolls out of bed he feels like he should be AARP-eligible next June. "My pain is nearly constant," says Brown, who attributes his achy back and neck to 14 years of soccer. "I deal with it, but it makes me less productive." At night he usually winds up on the couch, too drained to move.

"When pain is no longer useful, it becomes detrimental to the body," says Carol A. Warfield, M.D., a professor of anesthesia at Harvard medical school. "It can affect everything from mood to quality of life." But with these tips from top medical experts, you can learn to control pain, not be a slave to it.

Stop pain in its tracks with these remedies [4]

Tendinitis

Understand it: The thick cord that attaches muscle to bone becomes worn, irritated, or inflamed, causing pain or range-of-motion limitations at your shoulder, elbow, Achilles tendon, or knee. Blame repetitive use, like swinging a golf club or a tennis racket too often, or using incorrect technique, or both.

Stop it: Take a week off from the activity, during which time you can dull the pain with a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug, such as naproxen (e.g., Aleve). Dr. Matava also recommends icing the tendon for 15 to 20 minutes, two or three times a day, until the pain subsides.

Still hurts? See a physical therapist or certified athletic trainer, says Dr. Matava.

Prevent it: "Cross-training helps relieve stress on the muscles and tendons involved," says Dr. Matava, who encourages incorporating swimming, cycling, and weight training into your workout regimen along with regular tendon testers like running or tennis. Just be sure it doesn't involve the affected area.

Toothache

Understand it: Bacteria-filled plaque that settled on your teeth has been feasting away on sugars and other carbohydrates. The acidic by-products ate away at the tooth enamel; the resulting cavity allowed bacteria to invade the tissues and nerves inside, causing a painful infection.

Stop it: Take a few ibuprofen to help with the pain, and ask your dentist to call in an antibiotic before your appointment if you can't come in right away. "Although the antibiotic won't cure the toothache, it can reduce the infection in the gum and jaw around the tooth, easing pain," says Jerry Gordon, D.M.D, owner of the Dental Comfort Zone in Bensalem, Pennsylvania. He recommends rinsing with warm salt water four to six times throughout the day to ease any swelling associated with the infected tooth.

Still hurts? "Once a toothache occurs, the only solution is a root canal or having the tooth pulled," says Dr. Gordon. Too late for a mere filling, your cavity has now reached the pulp inside the tooth.

Prevent it: Limit your intake of high-carbohydrate foods like candy and sugar-frosted cereal. "Every exposure to these foods allows an acid attack on the teeth for about 20 minutes," says Dr. Gordon. If you must drink soda or sugar-filled drinks, he says, sip through a straw to bypass your teeth. To rid your mouth of cavity-causing plaque, brush three times a day, floss, and consider using an oral irrigator, such as the Conair Interplak Dental Water Jet.

Stop pain in its tracks with these remedies [3]

Sunburn

Understand it: Ultraviolet rays inflame skin cells and irritate nerves. Reinforcements — bloodborne repair cells and nutrients — arrive on the scene. Skin temperature rises. Friends remind you of this crazy new invention called sunblock.

Stop it: To reduce inflammation, take a few ibuprofen and apply a cool, wet cloth. Next, slather yourself with skin cream. (We like Neutrogena Skin Aid; it contains glycerin, which is used in burn centers.) "Nerves that are exposed to the air hurt," says Adnan Nasir, M.D., an adjunct clinical assistant professor of dermatology at UNC Chapel Hill. "Covering them with a moist ointment can reduce the pain on contact." For extra cooling, pop the lotion into the freezer for 10 minutes or so before application.

Still hurts? Take 900 micrograms of vitamin A and 15 milligrams of vitamin E every day for 2 weeks after a toasting. "Sunburn creates cell-damaging molecules called free radicals," says Dr. Nasir. "Damaged cells increase inflammation, causing even more pain. These two vitamins help by scavenging free radicals."

Prevent it: Read the sun-exposure warnings on your Rx labels. "A whole range of medications, from antibiotics to blood-pressure medications, increase sensitivity to the sun," says Dr. Nasir.

Migraine headache

Understand it: Changes in brain chemicals activate neuropeptides that invade the brain's covering, resulting in increased bloodflow and inflammation. The result is a throbbing, pulsing headache that can last for hours or days.

Stop it: Try Excedrin Migraine for a mild to moderate migraine — it has caffeine, which will help your body absorb the pain-relieving ingredients faster. You, on the other hand, should slow down. "People with migraines have hyperexcitable brains, so they're more prone to headaches after experiencing stressors," says Steven M. Baskin, Ph.D., director of the New England Institute for Behavioral Medicine. Laying a pack of frozen peas across the back of your neck for 10 to 15 minutes can help, too.

Still hurts? If your condition is severe, talk to your doctor about migraine-specific drugs called triptans, which are very effective when taken in moderation, says Baskin.

Prevent it: Decipher your migraine triggers by downloading a headache diary at achenet.org/tools/diaries. Then add 600 milligrams of magnesium (gradually--too much at once can cause diarrhea) and 400 milligrams of riboflavin to your daily vitamin intake. Studies have linked low levels of magnesium to migraine attacks, and in one Neurology study, nearly 60 percent of people who took riboflavin daily for 3 months cut their migraine days by at least half.

Stop pain in its tracks with these remedies [2]

Heartburn

Understand it: Stomach acid spills into your esophagus, burning like a forest fire.

Stop it: Reach for an over-the-counter acid blocker such as Pepcid AC or Zantac 75, or chew sugarless gum. A study in the Journal of Dental Research found that chewing gum for 30 minutes after a high-fat meal lessens acid reflux by generating enough saliva to make you swallow more and push acid back down.

Still hurts? You might have gastroesophageal reflux disease, or GERD. See a doctor; GERD can lead to esophageal cancer.

Prevent it: Make stomach acid work against gravity at night by placing 2-inch blocks under the legs at the head of your bed, says Ted Epperly, M.D., president of the American Academy of Family Physicians.

Also, if you're a smoker, here's one more reason to quit. "Nicotine relaxes the LES valve, the muscle at the end of the esophagus, which usually opens only to allow food to pass into the stomach," says Dr. Smith. "Once it's loosened, acid can shoot back into the esophagus."

Hemorrhoids

Understand them: The veins in or around your anus are swollen and irritated.

Stop them: Apply a hemorrhoid-shrinking nonprescription ointment (such as Preparation H) in the morning, at night, and after each bowel movement. And soak the offending area in a tub filled with several inches of warm water for 15 to 20 minutes, three to four times a day. This can help decrease the painful swelling, Dr. Smith says.

Still hurts? If the pain persists after 2 weeks, you may require surgery.

Prevent them: Consume at least 25 grams of fiber and slug back no fewer than eight 8-ounce glasses of water a day.

Carpal tunnel syndrome

Understand it: A nerve running from your forearm to your wrist is squeezed or inflamed within the narrow passageway of ligament and bones at the base of the hand.

Stop it: Hit the mat. A study in the Journal of the American Medical Association found that a twice-weekly yoga regimen practiced for 8 weeks eased symptoms and improved grip strength. You can also wear a wrist splint at night or while typing or driving. "It keeps your wrist neutral, which prevents further compression and irritation of the nerve," says Tanya J. Lehky, M.D., director of the Clinical EMG Lab at the NIH's National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke.

Still hurts? Ask your doctor for a referral to a hand surgeon, who can either inject corticosteroids into the carpal tunnel to reduce swelling and inflammation, or perform surgery to correct the problem.

Prevent it: "Set your keyboard at a height that allows your hand to work in a straight or neutral position," says Dr. Lehky. "Bending your wrist too far forward or backward pressures the nerve."

Stop pain in its tracks with these remedies [1]

A scorched mouth (pizza burn)

Understand it: "The tissue in the roof of the mouth is very thin, so it's sensitive and prone to a painful burn when hot food meets your palate," says Michael W. Smith, M.D., chief medical editor for WebMD.

Stop it: Pop an ice cube for damage control; you're numbing the area and reducing swelling. Anbesol or another oral-use topical anesthetic can help, too.

Still hurts? After eating, rinse with a solution of 1/8 teaspoon of salt in 8 ounces of warm water. The salt will help disinfect your mouth. Just don't swallow.

Prevent it: Be careful with foods coming out of the microwave. "While the outside may feel just warm, the inside may be scorching hot," says Dr. Smith. Let any nuked meal rest for at least a few minutes before digging in.

Plantar fasciitis

Understand it: The band of tissue that runs along the arch of your foot is inflamed from hitting the treadmill or pavement.

Stop it: Ease up on the cardio until the stabbing pain's edge dulls. If it flares back up, take ibuprofen (e.g., Advil) and ice your heel for 15 to 20 minutes. Loosening up the area might also help. "Men with this problem often have tight calf muscles and Achilles tendons," says Matthew Matava, M.D., an associate professor of orthopedic surgery at Washington University. Try rolling each foot over a tennis ball for 10 to 15 minutes, several times a day.

Still hurts? Use a night splint to keep your foot, calf, and plantar fascia stretched overnight, reducing the pain, says Nicholas A. DiNubile, M.D., an orthopedic surgeon and the author of FrameWork: Your 7-Step Program for Healthy Muscles, Bones, and Joints.

Prevent it: Don't set the treadmill on an incline. "Running uphill strains the plantar fascia," says Dr. Matava, who recommends finding running shoes with strong arch supports that fit your foot's structure to relieve pressure. (We like the Asics Gel-Evolution 4.)

Swine flu facts and questions

Mexico is contending with an outbreak of swine flu, suspected in the deaths of dozens of people and sickening perhaps 1,000. In the United States, at least eight cases have been confirmed with the infection, all of them in California and Texas; only one person was hospitalized. Here are some questions and answers about the illness:

Q. What is swine flu?

A. Swine flu is a respiratory illness in pigs caused by a virus. The swine flu virus routinely causes outbreaks in pigs but doesn't usually kill many of them.

Q. Can people get swine flu?

A. Swine flu viruses don't usually infect humans. There have been occasional cases, usually among people who've had direct contact with infected pigs, such as farm workers. "We've seen swine influenza in humans over the past several years, and in most cases, it's come from direct pig contact. This seems to be different," said Dr. Arnold Monto, a flu expert with the University of Michigan.

Q. Can it spread among humans?

A. There have been cases of the virus spreading from human to human, probably in the same way as seasonal flu, through coughing and sneezing by infected people.

Q. What are the symptoms of swine flu?

A. The symptoms are similar to those of regular flu — fever, cough, fatigue, lack of appetite.

Q. Is the same swine flu virus making people sick in Mexico and the U.S.?

A. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said the Mexican virus samples match the U.S. virus. The virus is a mix of human virus, bird virus from North America and pig viruses from North America, Europe and Asia.

Q. Are there drugs to treat swine flu in humans?

A. There are four different drugs approved in the U.S. to treat the flu, but the new virus has shown resistance to the two oldest. The CDC recommends the use of the flu drugs Tamiflu and Relenza.

Q. Does a regular flu shot protect against swine flu?

A. The seasonal flu vaccine used in the U.S. this year won't likely provide protection against the latest swine flu virus. There is a swine flu vaccine for pigs but not for humans.

Q. Should residents of California or Texas do anything special?

A. The CDC recommends routine precautions to prevent the spread of infectious diseases: wash your hands often, cover your nose and mouth when you cough or sneeze, avoid close contact with sick people. If you are sick, stay at home and limit contact with others.

Q. What about traveling to Mexico?

A. The CDC has not warned Americans against traveling to Mexico but advises that they be aware of the illnesses there and take precautions to protect against infections, like washing their hands.
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Source: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

Swine flu cases spreading

MEXICO CITY – Mexico's president assumed new powers Saturday to isolate people infected with a deadly swine flu strain as authorities struggled to contain an outbreak that world health officials warned could become a global epidemic.

New cases of swine flu were confirmed in Kansas and California and suspected in New York City. But officials said they didn't know whether the New York cases were the strain that now has killed up to 81 people in Mexico and likely sickened 1,324 since April 13, according to figures updated late Saturday by Mexico's health secretary.

Tests have confirmed swine flu as the cause of death in 20 of the cases.

Mexican soldiers and health workers patrolled airports and bus stations as they tried to corral people who may be infected with the swine flu, as it became clearer that the government may have been slow to respond to the outbreak in March and early April.

Now, even detaining the ill may not keep the strain — a combination of swine, bird and human influenza that people may have no natural immunity to — from spreading, epidemiologists say.

The World Health Organization on Saturday asked countries around the world to step up reporting and surveillance of the disease and implement a coordinated response to contain it.

Two dozen new suspected cases were reported in Mexico City alone, where authorities suspended schools and all public events until further notice. More than 500 events, including concerts and sports games, were canceled in the metropolis of 20 million.

Mexican authorities ordered schools closed in the capital and the states of Mexico and San Luis Potosi until May 6, and the Roman Catholic Church announced the cancellation of Sunday masses in the capital.

The Mexican government issued a decree authorizing President Felipe Calderon to invoke special powers letting the Health Department isolate patients and inspect homes, incoming travelers and baggage. But officials said it was designed to free health workers from possible legal reprisals and to speed disease control efforts.

A team from the Centers for Disease Control had arrived in Mexico to help set up detection testing for the swine flu strain, something Mexico previously lacked.

The U.S. Embassy said the U.S. has not imposed travel constraints to and from Mexico but is suspending the processing of visas and other services through Wednesday to avoid creating crowds.

It issued an earlier message advising U.S. citizens to avoid large crowds, shaking hands, greeting people with a kiss or using the subway.

While suspected swine flu cases have been reported in about 16 Mexican states, Health Secretary Jose Cordova said "it has not spread to the entire country."

WHO Director-General Margaret Chan said the outbreak of the never-before-seen virus has "pandemic potential." But she said it is still too early to tell if it would become a pandemic.

WHO lays out three criteria necessary for a global epidemic: The virus is able to infect people, can readily spread person-to-person and the global population has no immunity to it.

Early detection and treatment are key to stopping any outbreak. WHO guidance calls for isolating the sick and blanketing everyone around them with anti-viral drugs such as Tamiflu.

Now, with patients showing up all across Mexico and its teeming capital, simple math suggests that kind of response is impossible.

Mexico appears to have lost valuable days or weeks in detecting the new virus.

Health authorities started noticing a threefold spike in flu cases in late March and early April, but they thought it was a late rebound in the December-February flu season.

Testing at domestic labs did not alert doctors to the new strain, and Cordova acknowledged Mexican labs lacked the necessary profiling data to detect the previously unknown strain.

The first death occurred in southern Oaxaca state on April 13, but Mexico didn't send the first of 14 mucous samples to the CDC until April 18, around the same time it dispatched health teams to hospitals looking for patients with severe flu or pnuemonia-like symptoms.

Those teams noticed something strange: The flu was killing people aged 20 to 40. Flu victims are usually either infants or the elderly. The Spanish flu pandemic, which killed at least 40 million people worldwide in 1918-19, also first struck otherwise healthy young adults.

Even though U.S. labs detected the swine flu in California and Texas before last weekend, Mexican authorities as recently as Wednesday were referring to it as a late-season flu.

But mid-afternoon Thursday, Mexico City Health Secretary Dr. Armando Ahued said, officials got a call "from the United States and Canada, the most important laboratories in the field, telling us this was a new virus."

"That was what led us to realize it wasn't a seasonal virus ... and take more serious preventative measures," Cordova said.

Asked why there were so many deaths in Mexico, and none so far among the 11 cases in the United States, Cordova noted that the U.S. cases involved children — who haven't been among the fatal cases in Mexico, either.

"There are immune factors that are giving children some sort of defense, that is the only explanation we have," he said.

Another factor may be that some Mexican patients may have delayed seeking medical help too long, Cordova said.

Some Mexicans suspected the government had been less than forthcoming. "They always make a big deal about good things that happen, but they really try to hide anything bad," Mexico City paralegal Gilberto Martinez said.

Airports around the world were screening travelers from Mexico for flu symptoms. But containing the disease may not be an option.

"Anything that would be about containing it right now would purely be a political move," said Michael Osterholm, a University of Minnesota pandemic expert.

Scientists have warned for years about the potential for a pandemic from viruses that mix genetic material from humans and animals.

This swine flu and regular flu can have similar symptoms — mostly fever, cough and sore throat, though some of the U.S. victims who recovered also experienced vomiting and diarrhea. But unlike with regular flu, humans don't have natural immunity to a virus that includes animal genes — and new vaccines can take months to bring into use.

A "seed stock" genetically matched to the new swine flu virus has been created by the CDC, said Dr. Richard Besser, the agency's acting director. If the government decides vaccine production is necessary, manufacturers would need that stock to get started.

Mexican authorities did lay to rest one persistent doubt, after Mexican museum director Felipe Solis died this week, just days after accompanying U.S. President Barack Obama on a tour of National Anthropology Museum on April 16. Cordova said Solis had a pre-existing illness and died of pneumonia unrelated to influenza.

Slim Down for this Summer

Tired of sweating all over every piece of cardio equipment at the gym and still getting zero love from the scale? You need more iron. Not in your diet—in your hands. According to the National Center for Health Statistics, a mere 21 percent of women strength train two or more times a week. What you don't know: When you skip the weight room, you lose out on the ultimate flab melter. Those two sessions a week can reduce overall body fat by about 3 percentage points in just 10 weeks, even if you don't cut a single calorie. That translates to as much as three inches total off your waist and hips. Even better, all that new muscle pays off in a long-term boost to your metabolism, which helps keep your body lean and sculpted. Suddenly, dumbbells sound like a smart idea. Need more convincing? Read on for more solid reasons why you should build flex time into your day.

Torch Calories 24/7

Though cardio burns more calories than strength training during those 30 sweaty minutes, pumping iron slashes more overall. A study in The Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research found that women who completed an hour-long strength-training workout burned an average of 100 more calories in the 24 hours afterward than they did when they hadn't lifted weights. At three sessions a week, that's 15,600 calories a year, or about four and a half pounds of fat—without having to move a muscle.

What's more, increasing that afterburn is as easy as upping the weight on your bar. In a study in the journal Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise, women burned nearly twice as many calories in the two hours after their workout when they lifted 85 percent of their max load for eight reps than when they did more reps (15) at a lower weight (45 percent of their max).

There's a longer-term benefit to all that lifting, too: Muscle accounts for about a third of the average woman's weight, so it has a profound effect on her metabolism, says Kenneth Walsh, director of Boston University School of Medicine's Whitaker Cardiovascular Institute. Specifically, that effect is to burn extra calories, because muscle, unlike fat, is metabolically active. In English: Muscle chews up calories even when you're not in the gym. Replace 10 pounds of fat with 10 pounds of lean muscle and you'll burn an additional 25 to 50 calories a day without even trying.

Target Your Trouble Spots

If you've ever tried to ditch the saddlebags and ended up a bra size smaller instead, you know that where you lose is as important as how much. As great as it might be to see the numbers on the scale go down, when you're on a strict cardio-only program your victory is likely to be empty. A recent study at the University of Alabama at Birmingham compared dieters who lifted three times a week with those who did aerobic exercise for the same amount of time. Both groups ate the same number of calories, and both lost the same amount—26 pounds—but the lifters lost pure chub, while about 8 percent of the aerobicizers' drop came from valuable muscle. Researchers have also found that lifting weights is better than cardio at whittling intra-abdominal fat—the Buddha-belly kind that's associated with diseases from diabetes to cancer.

Just don't rely exclusively on the scale to track your progress in the battle of the bulge. Because muscle is denser than fat, it squeezes the same amount of weight into less space. "Often, our clients' scales won't drop as fast, but they'll fit into smaller jeans," says Rachel Cosgrove, owner of Results Fitness in Santa Clarita, Calif. And it's the number on the tag inside your bootcuts you want to get lower, right?

Start Pumping

Begin with three weight-training sessions each week, recommends Joe Dowdell, founder and co-owner of the New York City gym Peak Performance. For the greatest calorie burn, aim for total-body workouts that target your arms, abs, legs, and back, and go for moves that will zap several different muscle groups at a time—for example, squats, which call on muscles in both the front and back of your legs, as opposed to leg extensions, which isolate the quads.

For each exercise you do, try to perform three sets of 10 to 12 reps with a weight heavy enough that by your last rep you can't eke out another one without compromising your form. To spark further muscle building, William Kraemer, Ph.D., a professor of kinesiology at the University of Connecticut, suggests alternating moderate-intensity workouts of eight to 10 reps with lighter-weight 12- to 15-rep sets and super-hard three- to five-rep sets.

And remember to fuel your workout properly. Too many dieters make the fatal error of cutting back on crucial muscle-maintaining protein when they want to slash their overall calorie intake. The counterproductive result: They lose muscle along with any fat that might have melted away. Sports nutritionist Cassandra Forsythe, Ph.D., co-author of The New Rules of Lifting for Women, recommends that you eat one gram of protein for every pound of your body weight that does not come from fat. For instance, a 140-pound woman whose body fat is 25 percent would need 105 grams of high-quality protein. That's roughly four servings a day; the best sources are chicken or other lean meats, soy products, and eggs.

How to get a bikini body fast

Why wait in line at the gym when you can get the same results at home? This total-body exercises Dumbbell Mike Mejia, CSCS, a personal trainer in Long Island, New York, hit several large muscle groups, and if you move one after another without rest, you torch serious calories.

The six to 10 representatives from each course and then proceed to the next. After doing all four moves, rest for 60 seconds, then repeat. Choose a weight that allows you to complete six to 10 members of the Bent-Over Row. To see the results on May 1, to train two or three times a week.

Pass: Work the lower body parts

Get the dumbbells and stand with feet together, hands at your side. Thrust forward, right leg, while the right thigh is almost parallel to the floor. Back to top. The next step back with left foot and sinks in the attack. Back to the top, and then lunge forward with left foot and then back lunge with right leg. This is one representative.

Bent-Over the line: Works upper back and biceps

Get the dumbbells and stand with your feet shoulder width from each other, knees slightly bent. With your arms at your side, bend forward from hips until back is almost parallel to the floor. Pull the dumbbells up, squeezing your shoulder blades together. Pause, then losing weight. This is one representative. Fill in all the representative standing.

Romanian Deadlift: Works glutes and hamstrings

Get the dumb-bell, and be with your feet hip-width from each other, knees slightly bent. Place the dumbbells in front of your thighs, palms facing your body. Keeping your knees slightly bent, press your hips back as you bend at the waist and lowering the weight on the floor. Squeeze your glutes to return to standing. This is one representative. Up to a big problem? Try to go on one leg.

Curl and press: Works shoulders, biceps and triceps

Get the dumb-bell, and be with your feet hip width separately, hands at your sides. Step forward with right leg as you curl both dumbbells to your shoulders. Sink in the attack, and then dumbbells directly overhead, rotating your hands so that your palms face forward at the top of the move. Pause for two seconds, then return to the beginning. This is one representative.

America's Worst Lunches—And What You Should Eat Instead

A healthy lunch can help you maximize the afternoon, but if you are in a hurry to get and go, you can not take the time to sort through the menu hits and misses. Let Eat This, is not it! folks to be efficiency experts: Do NOT order the following items. Participation Status instead of the less outrageous options (also below), and reap the benefits of the bonus time.

QUIZNO'S

Large Prime Rib Teak Cheese Sub

1490 calories
92 g fat (22.5 g saturated, 2 g trans)
2620 mg sodium
Fat accordingly: As eating 4 Dunkin Donuts cheese danish!

It is difficult to do NOK argument for a cheese Danish, but four? And we're only talking fat here-with more than 800 calories of things in just one sandwich. You also fill up with more than a day's worth of sodium and saturated fat. Although this is one of the worst you could choose, the rest of Quizno menu also has risks. But if colleagues insist on eating there, order:

Small Turkey Ranch and Swiss Sub

410 calories
17 g fat (2.5 g saturated)
1230 mg sodium
Chili's

Crazy Sweet Chile glazed Chicken Crisp
1930 calories
112 g fat (17 g saturated)
4190 mg sodium
Calorie equivalent: Like eating an entire medium Pizza Hut 12 "pepperoni pizza!

If you have time for a sit-down meal, you have the time to think through. Chicken Crisp is fun, but accounts for almost a whole day's worth of calories and almost two days worth of sodium. Your smarter option is to eat this instead:

Classic Chicken fajitas

370 calories
11 g fat (1.5 saturated)
2000 mg sodium
And other tips for a healthy sit down lunch: forgo the appetizers. Chili's Texas Cheese Fries with Jalapeno Ranch Dressing made the top of our list when we rounded up the worst starters money can buy. Watch the other appetizer land mines here. You will be shocked.

ARBY'S

Roast Turkey Ranch and Bacon Sandwich

817 calories
37 g fat (11 g saturated 0.5 g trans)
2146 mg sodium
Calorie equivalent: Like eating 23 Thin Mints (a whole sleeve)!

Just because you can make your home does not mean it is good for you when you order it from home the Roast Turkey Ranch and Bacon Sandwich Service packs almost half your daily allowance of calories and almost a whole day's dose of sodium. Does not much room for anything else, does it?

Eat this instead:

Sourdough Melt roast beef

351 calories
14 g fat (4 g saturated)
1048 mg sodium
Dairy QUEEN

Chicken Strip Basket with Country gravy (6 piece)

1640 calories
74 g fat (12 g saturated, 1 g trans)
3690 mg sodium
Sodium equivalent: Like eating 11 large orders of McDonald's French fries!

Talk about a value meal: One Chicken Strip Basket gives you almost two days' payload of sodium! If you think about it does not raise your blood pressure, eat the can. Do not be a statistic.

Eat this instead:

Crazy Chicken Sandwich

560 calories
28 g fat (3.5 g saturated)
980 mg sodium
Breaded

Italian Combo on ciabatte sandwich
1050 calories
47 g fat (18 g saturated, 1 g trans)
3050 mg sodium
Fat accordingly: By eating 6 slices of Papa John's cheese pizza!

You were on the right track in selecting Breaded, but not be sidelined by the lure of the Italian Combo. Ciabatte bread may sound advanced, but you will not look as refined as you lugging that spare Pirelli around the midsection.

Eat this instead:

Smoked Turkey breast sandwich on Sourdough

470 calories
17 g fat (2.5 g saturated)
1680 mg sodium
CHIPOTLE

13 "Tortilla with beef, black beans, rice, cheese, sour cream and salad
955 calories
38 g fat (18 g saturated)
1600 mg sodium
Calorie equivalent: Like eating 37 Hershey's Kisses!

The good news about this Tortilla is that it contains 56 grams of protein, but it is hardly worth the outrageous calorie and carbohydrate-load with 94 grams of carb you have already covered a third of the recommended daily intake, and you are taken in almost a day's worth of sodium and saturated fat. Down to drop pounds.

Eat this instead:

Three hard trip with beef, Pinto beans, sour cream and salad

615 calories
24 g fat (11 g saturated)
710 mg sodium
(Another tip: When it comes to Chipotle chips, just say "no". They are an outrageous 570 calories and 73 grams of extra carb.)

Hardee's

2/3-lb Monster Thickburger

1420 calories
108 g fat (43 g saturated)
2770 mg sodium
Saturated fat equivalent: Like eating 43 strips of Oscar Mayer bacon!

It is called the Monster for a reason. It is a monster load of saturated fat (more than two days left). The good news is that it has a friendlier, healthier cousin in 1/3-lb Low-carb Thickburger, with 1,000 fewer calories and a third the amount of fat. Even better, the Low-carb Thickburger is true of the name it has only 5 grams of quick-burning carbohydrates, compared with 46 grams of Monster.

Eat this instead:

1/3-lb Low-carb Thickburger

420 calories
32 g fat (12 g saturated)
1010 mg sodium
Burger King

Triple Whopper Sandwich with cheese and mayo

1250 calories
84 g fat (32 g saturated 2.5 g trans)
1600 mg sodium
Fat equivalent: Like eating 10 slices of Papa John's cheese pizza!

You should know now not to order a triple something. In this case you can egregious calorie, fat and sodium overload. It is not bad, but compared with the shocks on our list of the trans-fattiest food in America. Choose a regular cheeseburger instead and slash 920 calories, 68 g of fat, and save yourself from the judgmental stares of your colleagues, which is three times as likely to be grossed out!

Eat this instead:

Cheeseburger

330 calories
16 g fat (7 g saturated 0.5 g trans)
780 mg sodium

Can liquids still make you fat?

Did you know that a latte consumption from Monday to Friday each week, could lead to weight gain of 14 pounds in a year? I know this is surprising, but the reality of liquid calories.

If you drink soda, juice or lattes, keep in mind those liquid calories do not make you feel full and will not help reduce the number of calories you eat your next meal. There is no question, even if the calories you have a few minutes before eating. They are simply adding to the total number of calories you eat in one day.

How important is this weight gain? Well, more than 20 percent of the calories you consume are liquids. Take a look at the label and see how many drinks contain calories. How many calories you consume over what you eat?

There is one exception to this rule. Beverages that contain a minimum of 20 grams of protein to decrease your appetite. My team and I created a high protein, ready-to-drink shake that we have our clients use for breakfast, snacks or meals, sometimes when they can not get good food. We found that the earthquake which provides satiety as needed. The next time you take a drink, ask yourself this: What is liquid high-protein calories that you drink to help give you a chance to share your next meal?

How to do Pull-Up, Forward Lunge, Hidden Push-Up Elbow, and Inverted Row

Pull-Up/Chin-Up

Hang from the bar with hands slightly wider than shoulder width apart [left]. (Use tongs to the top and one below the pullup grip chin-up.) Pull your chin up past the bar [right], then lower your body down. If it is too difficult, do not chinups: Use a box or bench to stimulate strong chin on the bar. Then lower your body as slowly as you can.

Focus on your body to draw squeezing shoulders to use the muscles of your back.

Forward Lunge

From the standing position [left], take a large step forward with one leg. At first your thigh is parallel to the ground and your knee is back on the ground [law] to take a second. Then return to the starting position and repeat with other leg. Made more difficult by holding down the position for five seconds.

Made more difficult by holding down the position for five seconds.

Hidden Push-Up Elbow

Assume a push-up position [left], but keep your elbows back against your side as you lower you until your chest is about one inch above the ground [right], then push yourself . With your form, place your hands at least shoulder width, about 6 inches.

With your form, place your hands at least shoulder width, about 6 inches.

Inverted Row

Set a chin-up bar at hip height in a door frame. Lie under the bar with your heels on the floor and take the helm, hands 1 or 2 inches in width beyond the exception [left]. Keep your body straight, pull your chest with your bar back muscles [right]. Slowly until your arms are straight.

Keep your arms close to your body and do not let your hips sag.