13 Worst Food in Your Fridge

1.  Flavored yogurt:  Strawberry, blueberry, vanilla - a typical 6-ounce serving of flavored yogurt has 3 times the sugar of plain.  Try some plain full-fat yogurt with fresh berries and nuts.  You'll get less sugar, more fiber and lots more nutrients.  And full-fat yogurt helps curb hunger better than non-fat yogurt - and that may help you lose weight.

2.  Ketchup:  You may not think about that seemingly harmless bottle when you count the calories in your new low-sugar diet.  But imagine that a quarter of it is filled with sugar - 4 grams per tablespoon - and that might change your view.  Try a little spicy homemade marinara sauce with those eggs instead.

3.  Mayonnaise:  A tablespoon has about 110 calories.  The same amount of Dijon mustard has about 15 - though you'd probably use far less of it.  It's too tempting to slap on sandwich if it's right there in the fridge, so toss the mayo.  Keep the mustard.

4.  Flavored non-dairy creamer:  It's highly processed and has sugar or artificial sweeteners and artificial flavors.  Ingredients can include corn syrup, soybean oil, cottonseed oil, sodium caseinate, dipotassium phoshate, mono- and diglycerides and sodium stearoyl lactylate.  Just use milk - you know what it is.

5.  Soda:  No surprise here.  It's loaded with empty calories and has almost no nutritional value.  Pitch it: You can't drink it if it's not there.  For an alternative, try some seltzer with a little lemon for flavor.

6.  Hot dogs: Meat that's been processed to make it last longer (through curing or smoking, for example) has been linked to colorectal cancer and possibly stomach cancer as well.  This includes hot dogs, ham, sausage and corned beef, among others.  

7.  Tonic water:  The quinine that gives tonic water its unique bitter taste is sweetened to the tune of 124 calories per 12-ounce bottle - that's almost the same as cola.  If you use it as a cocktail mixer, try some club soda and lime instead - it works well and has far fewer calories.

8.  Gourmet ice cream:  Small containers, crazy flavors, loads of fat and sugar - often more than double the amount of other ice cream.  The best substitute is plain yogurt with fresh berries and granola.  But if you just gotta have ice cream, check the fat and sugar content and choose a brand that keeps them to a minimum.  

9.  Creamy salad dressing:  It's often high in fat.  And when it's low-fat, it's usually high in sugar or salt or artificial sweeteners - and filled with ingredients you can't pronounce.  It's easy to dress your own salad with nothing but olive oil, sea salt and a touch of vinegar - simple and delicious.

10.  Frozen french fries:  They're tough to resist when the guy at the restaurant ask, "You want fries with that?"  Don't make it harder on yourself by having those delicious, fat-soaked, calorie-packed salt sticks in the freezer. 

11.  Pickles:  Most grocery store pickles are loaded with salt.  But cucumbers, which pickles are made from, are good for you.  They have lots of water, which can help you stay hydrated.  They also have antioxidants and help curb inflammation.  Why not buy them fresh?  If you want a little extra zip, mix them with a bit of vinegar.  You could even throw in a dash of salt, but not too much.

12.  Frozen pizza:  A typical frozen pizza is loaded with calories (1920 in a typical "6-serving" pizza), saturated fat (30 grams) and sodium (5040 milligrams).  Keep some berries, veggies and soup in your freezer instead.  

13.  Beer:  If you like to have one beer after work, you may get some health benefits from it.  But if it's too easy for you to knock back a 6-pack during a football game, then don't tempt yourself.  Besides the empty calories, that much alcohol is linked to numerous health problems and hangovers.

15 Things You Can Do for Your Health Today

1.  Eat slowly:  This gives your brain the chance to get the signal that you're full, so you're less likely to overeat.  And if you take it slow, you're more likely to think about what you're eating and make sensible, healthy choices.

2.  Socialize:  It's not about how many people you know or how often you see them,  What matters is a real connection with others.  It can make you happier, more productive and less likely to have health problems.  So call up a friend and go to dinner or join a team or club to make some new ones.

3.  Ditch the juice, eat the fruit:  If you like orange juice, have an orange instead,  Even 100% pure juice loses nutrition when you process it, and it can put a lot of hidden sugar in your diet.  On the other hand, actual fruits are good sources of vitamin C, potassium, fiber and folic acid.  And they're low in fat, sodium and calories.

4.  Take time off:  It's time when you can bond with family and friends, which is good for your mental and physical health.  People who take more vacations live longer and are less likely to have heart disease and other health problems.

5.  Watch the fat:  It's not as clear-cut as it sounds.  You definitely want to keep an eye on trans fats, which are added to some foods (like frozen pizza and baked goods) to keep them fresh.  They've been linked to heart disease.  But some fat - from dairy, whole eggs, fish, avocado or nuts, for example - is good for you as part of a balanced diet.  And high-fat dairy may even help you lose weight better than low fat.  This may be because the fat satisfies your hunger better than other calories.

6.  Have a drink:  Yes, we're talking about alcohol.  Two a day at most for men, one at most for women.  More than that and the health benefits move quickly in the opposite direction.  But a little alcohol can be good for your heart health, your stress level and even your sex life. 

7.  Manage your stress:  We all have stress in our lives.  It makes your muscles tense and your heart race.  If this happens a lot - during your daily commute for example - and you don't handle it well, it can cause serious health problems, including high blood pressure, ulcers and heart disease.  So take time to breathe, do something that calms you and try to accept what you cannot change - like rush-hour traffic.

8.  Cut back on sugar:  Most of us get way more of it than we need.  It's not just the added calories and the lack of nutritional value: It also can make your blood sugar spike and then crash, and that leaves you tired, hungry and irritable.

9.  Be active:  Exercise is a proven way to improve your health, your mental well-being and even your libido.  You don't have to sign up for the New York Marathon - just get your heart rate up for 30 minutes or so a few times a week.  Gardening works and so does a walk around the block.  If you can't make it a habit on your own, try to make it social: Join a local sports league or plan regular runs with a friend.

10.  Keep moving:  If you work in an office, get up and walk around every hour or so, or try a standing desk for part of the day.  You'll burn more calories, improve your circulation and start more alert.  It may even help prevent certain health issues like diabetes and high blood pressure. 

11.  Eat your greens:  Kale, spinach, collards, romaine, arugula, bok choy, broccolini - make sure you get plenty of these leafy green vegetables.  They're chock full of nutrients, low in calories and have loads of fibers, which fulls you up and satisfies your hunger.  

12.  Dance:  It keeps your mind sharp because it's a skill that involves body movement, and that's especially good for your brain.  It's also social and can be lots of fun, which bring health benefits of their own.  And you might not even notice that you're exercising!

13.  Have sex:  It's linked to heart health, brain health, a long life, a strong relationship and even happiness.  Just keep it safe.  Get started for STDs and use condoms to protect yourself and your partner against diseases and unwanted pregnancy.

14.  Get your ZZZs:  A lack of sleep can lead to diabetes, heart disease, obesity and depression.  If that't not enough reason to get your ZZZs, it also causes car crashes and other accidents.  Adults should get 7 to 9 hours each night.

15.  Get outside:  The sunlight helps set your sleep clock and leads to more exercise.  You'll also get more vitamin D, which may Americans don't get enough of.  It's important for cell function, mental health and heart health.  But don't stay in the sun too long and wear sunscreen.  Too much sun is linked to skin cancer. 

Easy Ways to Burn More Calories

1.  Metabolic rate is strongly influenced by your body composition.  People with more muscle and less fat generally have a faster metabolic rate, while people with more fat and less muscle generally have a slower metabolic rate. 

2.  Studies show that the body requires more energy to process a high-protein diet, which means that as your body digests high-protein foods, your metabolic rate rises. 

3.  Men tend to have a higher metabolic rate than women because women have a high proportion of fat.

4.  "Metabolism" is how your body converts or uses energy for activities such as breathing, digestion, building muscle, storing fat, and circulating blood - things you need to do to live.

5.  "Metabolic rate" is the rate at which you burn calories.  It's not the same as your metabolism.  Strictly speaking, "metabolic rate" is the rate at which you burn calories while your body is at rest - something that is more properly referred to as your "resting metabolic rate", or measured a slightly different way, your "basal metabolic rate".

6.  Several things affect your metabolism and metabolic rate.  Genes play a very important role.  They're one reason that some people stay thin no matter how much they eat, while others find it harder to lose weight.  Your lifestyle, particularly diet and exercise, also matters.  So does your age: your metabolism is likely to slow down as you get older. 

7.  Your thyroid regulates your metabolism.  It does that by making hormones that affect almost every aspect of how your body performs: how fast or slow you burn calories, when or whether you build proteins or store energy as fat and how your body responds to other hormones.  Not surprisingly, disorders of the thyroid can cause problems for your metabolism.  An under-active thyroid ("hypothyroidism") produces fewer-than-normal thyroid hormones, causing a slower metabolism and consequently often cause weight gain.  An overactive thyroid ("hyperthyroidism") on the other hand, can cause the metabolism to speed up, often resulting in weight loss.

8.  Strength training can help you lose weight by changing your metabolic rate.  Exactly how that happens isn't fully understood.  Some claim that by building muscle and trimming fat, strength training boosts your resting metabolic rate, helping you burn more calories just sitting still.  But according to the American College of Sports Medicine, for most people, this won't result in much weight loss.  Instead, they say the main weight loss benefit is due to its effect on calories burned while doing strength training or as a direct result, as your body burns calories building muscle.

9.  As you age, you tend to lose muscle.  This makes your metabolic rate start slowing as early as your 20s by about 2% per decade.

10.  Diets backfire if you cut calories too much, studies show that people who eat less than 1,200 calories per day tend to have a slower metabolic rate - which can make it more difficult to burn calories and lose weight.  Even going too long between meals can slow metabolic rate.  That's why experts recommend eating small healthy meal or snack every 2 to 3 hours.

11.  Caffeine is a stimulant, so it raises your metabolic rate.  This is why it is often an ingredient in weight-loss diet supplements. Studies have shown that one cup of American coffee can increase metabolism by about 3% to 4% for a short time.  

12.  Some spicy foods can raise your metabolic rate.  In particular, the capsaicin in hot peppers can help burn calories but probably not enough to help you lose weight. 

13.  Many dietary supplements claim they can help you lose weight by boosting your metabolism.  Buyer beware.  Ephedra, a stimulant, is banned by the FDA due to serious health risks.  Also, there's little evidence that other metabolism booster supplements such as L-carnitine or bitter orange can help you lose weight.  Most doctors, nutritionists and fitness trainers recommend that you boost your metabolism the old-fashioned way: through diet and exercise.  

14.  Your body has to work hard to maintain its optimal natural temperature.  In cold weather, your metabolism must speed up to keep your body warm.  And in hot weather, your metabolism has to speed up to keep you cool.  People living in tropical climates have a resting metabolic rate that's 5% to 20% higher than people living in more temperature regions, estimates show.

15.  Your body burns more calories to keep you alive than for physical activity.  Still, being active can torch up to 30% of the calories you burn in a day, and it's one of the best ways to boost your metabolic rate.

Surprising Things That Can Damage Your Liver

1.  Too much sugar isn't just bad for your teeth, it can harm your liver too.  The organs uses one type of sugar, called fructose to make fat.  Too much refined sugar and high fructose corn syrup cause a fatty buildup that can lead to liver disease.  Some studies show that sugar can be as damaging to the liver as alcohol even if you're not overweight.  It's one more reason to limit foods with added sugar such as soda, pastries and candy.

2.  Even the herbal supplements's label says "natural", it may not be OK for you.  For instance, some people take an herb called kava kava for menopause symptoms or to help them relax.  But studies show that it can keep the liver from working right.  That can lead to hepatitis and liver failure.  Some countries have banned or restricted the herb but it's still available in the U.S.  You should always talk to your doctor before you take any herbs to make sure they're safe. 

3.  The extra fat can build up in your liver cells and lead to non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD).  As a result, your liver may swell.  Over time, it can harden and scar liver tissue (doctors call this cirrhosis).  You are more likely to get NAFLD if you are overweight or obese, middle-aged or have diabetes.  You may be able to turn things around.  Diet and exercise can stop the disease. 

4.  Your body needs vitamin A and it's fine to get it from plants such as fresh fruits and vegetables, especially those that are red, orange and yellow.  But if you take supplements that have high doses of vitamin A, that can be a problem for your liver.  Check with your doctor before you take any extra vitamin A because you probably don't need it.

5.  Research shows that people who drink a lot of soft drinks are more likely to have non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD).  Studies don't prove that the drinks were the cause.  But if you down a lot of sodas and have been meaning to cut back, this could be a good reason to switch what you sip.

6.  You've got a sore back or headache or a cold and you reach for a pain reliever.  Be sure to take the right amount!  If you accidentally take too much of anything that has acetaminophen - for instance, a pill for your headache and something else for your cold and both have acetaminophen in it - it can harm your liver.  Check the dose and how much is OK to take in one day.  Stick to those limits and you should be fine. 

7.  Trans fats are a man-made fat in some packaged foods and baked goods (You'll see them listed as "partially hydrogenated" ingredients).  A diet high in trans fats make you more likely to gain weight.  That's not good for your liver.  Check the ingredients list.  Even if it says "0" grams of trans fat, it may still have a small amount and that adds up.

8.  You probably already know that drinking too much is bad for your liver.  But you might not realize that "too much" can happen without you being an alcoholic or addicted to alcohol.  It's easy to drink more than you think.  Many glasses can hold a lot more than one standard serving, which is 5 ounces of wine (that's a little more than half a cup), 12 ounces of regular beer or 1.5 ounces of liquor.  If you drink, be sure to keep it moderate - that's one drink a day for women and up to 2 per day for men.

Do Apple Cider Vinegar Remedies Work?

1.  Vinegar is made when bacteria feed on sugars and alcohol in fruit juices, wine, honey and similar liquids.  The result is an acetic acid solution that may have other nutrients.  Apple cider vinegar starts with juice made from apples.  

2.  In one study, overweight people who drank 1 or 2 ounces of vinegar (diluted with other liquid) lose weight at a slightly faster rate and they lost belly fat.  But there's no evidence that lots of vinegar will help you drop lots of pounds.

3.  Vinegar can help someone with diabetes control the amount of glucose in their blood after a meal as well as their A1c, a measure of "average" blood sugar for the past few month.  A couple of teaspoons in water or food at mealtime works best.  High blood sugar over time can lead to heart disease, kidney disease, stroke and blindness.

4.  Vinegar can also help keep insulin levels lower after you eat.  Your cells need this hormone to take glucose from your blood to use for energy.  But too much insulin released too often can make your body less sensitive to it - a condition called insulin resistance that can lead to type 2 diabetes or make it worse.

5.  Apple cider vinegar - any vinegar, will kill some germs because of the acetic acid in it.  It works best in your food - to clean up bacteria lingering on your salad leaves, for example.  It's not very good at disinfecting a cut or wound.  And because it's an acid, there's chance it could chemically burn delicate skin.

6.  It's long been suggested - for different reasons - as a rinse to tame a flaking scalp.  But there's no evidence to confirm that vinegar kills yeast bacteria or fungus, or that it removes shampoo residue or product buildup, or that it makes your scalp more acidic.  Stick to products made to treat dandruff and follow the instructions.  If the problem doesn't clear up, see a dermatologist. 

7.  Some people say vinegar is a good way to get rid of these little critters (lice) and their eggs.  Science says otherwise.  Even when tested against other home remedies - rubbing alcohol, olive oil, mayonnaise, melted butter, petroleum jelly - vinegar came in last.

8.  Vinegar may brighten your teeth but it also wears away their enamel - the thin, hard, outer layer of protection.  In fact, wait for at least 30 minutes after you eat or drink diluted vinegar to brush your teeth.  If your teeth are discolored, look for whitening toothpaste or products approved by the American Dental Association or talk to your dentist.

9.  Polyphenols are chemical compounds in fruits, vegetables, wine, coffee and chocolate.  They're antioxidants, which protect your cells from damage linked to cancer and other disease.  There's no reason to think the polyphenols in apple cider vinegar can't be just as helpful, but we need more studies to be sure.

10.  Though some studies show that diluted vinegar (2%) may help with ear infections, the solution can also irritate swollen skin in the area.  It could also damage specialized hairs of the cochlea, a part of the ear that helps you pick up sounds.  Don't try it.

11.  1-2 tablespoons a day is plenty to drink.  There's little evidence that more can help and too much can cause stomach problems, wear away your teeth and lower potassium levels.  It can also affect the way some drugs work, including water pills (diuretics), laxatives and medicines for heart disease and diabetes.  Talk to your doctor or pharmacist before you start taking vinegar.

ADHD in Women and Girls

1.  ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder) is a medical condition that affects a person's attention and self-control.  They have a harder time staying focused and harder to control behavior.  

2.  ADHD develops in childhood and can happen to anyone, but your genes play a strong role.  It's estimated that between 5% to 11% of children have ADHD with majority are girls.  Some kids outgrow it, but more than three-quarters of people who had ADHD in childhood will continue to have it as adults.

3.  There are three main kinds of ADHD: inattentive, hyperactive-impulsive and combined inattentive and hyperactive-impulsive.  The inattentive type is most common in girls.  It doesn't always catch the attention of teachers and parents.

4.  Common symptoms of inattentive ADHD include:

• Lack of focus and trouble listening and paying attention
• Being easily distracted, disorganized and frequently forgetting and losing things
• Failing to follow through
• Making mistakes that seem careless

5.  Girls with ADHD often have trouble in school but they're less likely to get in trouble for acting out.  Girls with ADHD tend to be seen as daydreamers.  They may have a harder time socializing too.  For adult women, ADHD can make it hard to stay on top of a job and handle the stresses of day-to-day life.  Women with ADHD might struggle to manage personal finances, complete household tasks and care for children.

6.  Girls with ADHD are more likely than boys with the disorder to blame themselves when they have problems getting things done.  Having ADHD can also make it hard to read social cues, which can make some girls feel insecure.  That can leave them prone to depression, anxiety and eating disorders.  Girls with ADHD are more likely to develop anorexia or bulimia than girls without the condition.

7.  Having ADHD can be a challenge, but it's one that children and adults alike can learn to handle.  Although there's no cure, people who get the right care can reach their potential and enjoy a happy, fulfilled life.