Daily Health Tips: Trusted Medical Information, Health Tips and Advices

Go ahead. Fire up the grill and feast to your heart's content on your favorite barbecue fare. Just use these prep-and-cook methods to healthy up things first. Rethink your marinade: Rather than drown meats in spices and high-fat oils, make fruit juice, vinegar, or wine the focus of your marinades. Going light on the oil but heavy on the spices and acids will add plenty of moist flavor to your grilled meats without all the extra calories. Plus, marinated meats produce far fewer carcinogenic by-products during high-heat cooking.    Make over your burgers: Might sound strange, but tart cherries make for juicier, tastier, more healthful burgers. Just mix one-third cup of chopped tart cherries into a pound of ground turkey or beef before forming your patties for the grill. Your burgers will not only have less fat but also produce 90 percent fewer heterocyclic aromatic amines (HAAs) – carcinogenic by-products that form during high-heat cooking.    Turn down the gril

You might think of daydreaming as a slacker habit, but it turns out that it's good for your brain. So let your mind wander a little bit today. Zoning out doesn't mean your mind is on vacation. Just the opposite. New research involving brain scans showed that when people daydream, the brain actually works harder, and in different ways. Stop Paying Attention A new study compared brain activity during two different conditions -- when people played an easy game and when their minds simply wandered freely. And daydreaming lit up the brain areas that researchers expected it to, such as those areas that handle routine daily activities. But, surprisingly, the activity of daydreaming also activated the lateral prefrontal cortex and the dorsal anterior cingulate cortex -- the so-called executive network of the brain, where complex problem-solving happens. Which led researchers to conclude that giving your brain a break allows these higher-function areas to work on the w

Get more blood flowing to your brain -- and more clever thoughts flowing from it -- by drinking a little beet juice in the morning. Like every other part of your body, your brain requires good blood flow in order to function quickly and effectively. And research shows that a morning shot of beet juice may help ensure good circulation to your cranium. Brainy Beets Why beet juice instead of apple or orange? Beets are a good source of nitrates, helpful little substances that get converted into nitr ites by bacteria in our saliva. And nitrites do a world of good for blood vessels, helping them to relax and better assist blood flow and oxygen circulation. When researchers recently upped participants' nitrate intake by having them drink 16 ounces of beet juice with breakfast, among other dietary changes, a brain scan done just a day later showed noticeably better blood flow to white matter in the frontal-lobe region of the brain, an area where blood flow often suffers ov

Nearly One-Quarter of U.S. High School Students Drink Regular Soda Every Day Two new reports provide a snapshot of the physical activity and beverage habits of U.S. high school students. About one in 10 high school students gets the recommended amount of aerobic and muscle-strengthening exercise, and nearly a quarter of students drink at least one sugary soda every day. Both reports, which appear in the CDC's Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, analyzed data from the 2010 National Youth Physical Activity and Nutrition Study that looks at the height/weight, diet, and exercise habits of high school students. In the physical activity study, 12.2% of high school students met the Healthy People 2020 objective for aerobic and muscle-strengthening physical activity, which calls for 60 or more minutes of aerobic activity every day and some muscle strengthening on three or more days per week. Healthy People 2020 sets 10-year national goals for improving the health of A

Article on easy-to-do exercises which you can do at your home. Many people can’t take out the time to hit the gym due to their busy schedule. These exercise can help you stay fit. We understand that you have an extremely busy schedule. We also understand that there is not a good gym where you live or maybe you don’t really like going to one. So we tell about the top 5 exercises which can be easily done at home. No excuses now! Here are 5 great exercises that you can do at home, without the need for any equipment:   Push-ups This is one of the most useful exercises that can be easily done at home. If done correctly it can rev up your stamina and build your pecs and triceps. How to do it: Lie face down with your palms on the floor about shoulder width apart from each other. Push your whole body up with your back and legs in a straight line and then lower yourself back down towards the floor. To strengthen your chest more place your arms wider apart. To strengthen your tri

Anyone who's been to the Saturday farmers market knows there are lots of veggies out there to choose from. But do you know what ones are richest in antioxidants? A recent study of close to 30 different types of veggies put these three at the top of the list: broccoli, beets, and bell peppers (the red kind). Yep, the top-notch veggies all start with B. Makes it easier to remember, doesn't it? Let's Hear It for the B's The recent tests measuring total antioxidant content of the veggies revealed that they were particularly high in phenols -- that category of disease-fighting plant compounds that does everything from bolstering artery function to inhibiting the kind of cell damage that might lead to cancer or Alzheimer's. Broccoli and bell peppers are also a top source of antioxidant vitamin C. And beets are full of blood-pressure-friendly potassium. Why They Deserve to Win Though broccoli, bell peppers, and beets were tops in the recent study, it t

Orange juice isn't the only beverage you can grab when you want to help your immune system fight off illness and infection. New research suggests that grape juice may be an immune system booster, too. In a study, people who sipped Concord grape juice daily for 9 weeks had higher blood levels of a special type of infection-fighting cell. Bolster Your Defenses The study involved middle-aged folks who were basically healthy. But something interesting happened when they added about 1½ cups of grape juice to their daily diet . After 9 weeks, they had significantly more T cells compared with the control group. T cells are a type of white blood cell that fights off infections. And in the study, drinking grape juice increased participants' levels of specialized T cells called "surveillance" cells, found mostly in the lungs, intestines, and gastrointestinal tract. Researchers think that these cells act as the first line of defense against invading pathogens.

Your immune system is responsible for helping fight off everything from the common cold to cancer. A tall order! Send in some reinforcements so it doesn't get battle fatigue. Here are four foods your immune system loves. Sweet, Creamy, Steamy, Crunchy . . . Oranges, yogurt, tea, and pumpkin seeds are the order of the day when it comes to giving your immune system a treat, Oranges are chock-full of vitamin C, an antioxidant vitamin that helps your immune system fend off disease-causing invaders. Other good C options: bell peppers, strawberries, cantaloupe, and broccoli. Or take 400 milligrams of vitamin C three times daily. Yogurt (unpasteurized) contains Lactobacillus acidophilus -- a healthy bacterium that helps thwart fungus-related infections. Or take a 20-milligram acidophilus supplement twice daily.   Tea is full of flavonoids, powerful vitamin-like substances that reduce immune-system aging. You'll also find them in oats, onions, broccoli, tomatoes,

 1. Walnuts Walnuts are already in a heart-healthy league of their own because of their cholesterol-improving powers. And now a small new study suggests that eating walnuts every day may help give blood vessels a much needed tune-up in people with diabetes. 2. Beans Fiber is great for balancing your blood sugar, but which fiber source is best -- legumes or grains? Pass the peas, please. In a study, a diet high in lentils, nuts, peas, and other legumes seemed to be more helpful than a diet high in wheat fiber when it came to tamping down blood sugar.  3. Black Tea There are powerful little chemical compounds in tea -- called polysaccharides -- that may do your blood sugar a bit of good. And one of the best ways to get them? Black tea. Researchers recently discovered that the polysaccharides in black tea may be tops over those in green or oolong teas. Make mine black! 4. Peanut Butter  There's something sweet and creamy that kids love

You could drop your risk of colon cancer by as much as 65 percent with this simple and delicious diet switch. Trade that meat-and-potato kabob for a fish-and-vegetable one. That's right. As you wait breathlessly for spring to turn to summer, start planning your barbecues now. And plan on making fish and vegetables -- and, what the heck, a little fruit, too -- the mainstays of your hot-coal-fired meals. Cancer-Countering Diet A diet that's bursting with fruit, vegetables, whole-grains, and healthy protein choices like fish rather than meat is smart for a variety of health reasons. But it appears that the good things in this diet -- like fiber, antioxidants , vitamins , and minerals -- may work synergistically to keep the colon healthy and free of cancer. For good measure, add beans and low-fat dairy -- two more diet choices that appear to be an important part of a healthy-colon diet. (You can make meats safer for your body by using this slow-grill method.) Dep

Firing up the grill this weekend? Keep your choice meats on the healthy side with this cooking philosophy: low and slow. Cooking meat at a lower temperature is better for your health. It may take a little longer, but the reward is fewer body-aging by-products. Douse the Flames When cooked at high heat, meat proteins can form cell-damaging, inflammation-promoting oxidants. And getting too much of these oxidants, called advanced glycation end products (AGEs), may actually shorten life span, according to early-stage animal studies. Researchers think certain aging genes may be turned off or on in the absence or presence of these AGEs.    Better Barbecue Regardless of how you cook, make sure you practice food-safety habits, and heat meat to the right internal temperature. Check out this article for safe grilling tips and target temperatures .

Generally, what's harmful to your heart also is also harmful to your brain. Make no mistake about it: While fried potato skins are busting your buttons, there's also a portion that gets shuttled up through your arteries to your gray matter. Saturated fats, for example, clog arteries that lead to your brain, putting you at risk of stroke, while omega-3 fatty acids -- the good fats found in fish -- are helpful for your brain because they help keep your arteries clear. They also alter your neurotransmitters and reduce depression. These are the best foods to keep your brain and your RealAge young: Food Why Recommended Amount RealAge Difference Nuts Nuts contain monounsaturated fats to keep your arteries clear, as well as levels of precursors of serotonin to boost mood. 1 ounce of nuts a day is just right. (More is fine, but be careful of calorie overload.) An ounce is about 12 walnuts or 24 almonds. Men: 3.3 years younger. Women: 4.4 years younger.

Every house needs fire-extinguisher foods -- good-for-you snacks that will put out three-alarm starvation fires. Ideally, you'll want to always be satisfied and not hungry, meaning you can go much longer without food. But sometimes, we know, it feels as if you haven't eaten since junior year of high school. Here's our list of foods to reach for when that happens: Cut-up vegetables. Cut them, bag them, eat them. Nothing wrong with baby carrots, grape tomatoes, and broccoli florets, but if you prefer jicama, sugar snaps, and orange pepper strips, go for it. Sauteed vegetables. Saute them in olive oil with chopped garlic, red pepper flakes, or a good dash of turmeric. Refrigerate, and then reheat when you need a snack. Nuts. A handful of almonds, peanuts, or walnuts. (But just a handful; as healthy as they are, they're still high-calorie foods.) Edamame. Another name for soybeans; look for microwave bags in the frozen food section. Soups. Once a week

There are several types of detox diets . There are those in which you can only eat fruits and vegetables, those in which you can only eat "clean" foods, those in which you can only drink fruit and vegetable juice , and the most extreme type where you can only drink water . You can also do specialized cleanses designed specifically for certain area of the body, for instance the liver, kidneys, blood or lungs. However, most detox diets just involve cleansing the entire body. Below, there is a sample of a seven day detox diet that you can try. First of all, it is important that you have regular bowel movements during a detox because this will lessen the likelihood of toxins being reabsorbed by the body. A good way to make sure you will eliminate regularly is to take 2 tablespoons of ground flax seeds in lemon water in the morning, and drink lemon water throughout the day. Flax seeds provide the body with fiber and lemon water has a slightly laxative effect. It

Wouldn't it be nice if, just once, you were able to say no to those office muffins or that second helping of Friday night pizza? Well, guess what? Yoga could give you that willpower. That's right. Aside from making you stronger and more flexible, yoga may help you become smarter about food, too. Mind over Muffins In a study, researchers surveyed more than 300 adults on their exercise and eating habits. Detailed questionnaires revealed that people who regularly practiced yoga had a different eating style than people who did other types of exercise. Yoga practitioners were more tuned in to their appetites and were better able to judge when they were full and actually lay down the fork at the appropriate time. Could this be why the yoga devotees had lower body mass indexes on average, too?   Work Your Will Yoga requires calm and focus. The poses also require people to pay close attention to their bodies. And researchers suspect the increased mind-bo

A sore hip makes everything more difficult -- from sleeping to walking up stairs. But you could keep those hips of yours feeling fine if you're a lover of garlic and onions. About 15 percent of older adults regularly deal with hip pain. But in a recent study of women, those who tended to eat lots of produce -- particularly herbs from the allium family, such as onions and garlic -- showed fewer signs of hip osteoarthritis in x-ray tests. Arthritis-Fighting Allium The study analyzed the diets of a large group of middle-aged adult twins, most of whom did not have symptoms of arthritis when the study started. Eating lots of allium herbs correlated with less arthritis in the hip. And in a separate lab analysis, researchers also found that diallyl disulphide -- a substance found in the allium family -- appeared to help inhibit enzymes that can cause damage to joint-protective cartilage.    Culinary Cartilage Protection Garlic and onions are probably the widest known

Easing arthritis symptoms isn't just about exercise and pills. The foods you eat could help joints with osteoarthritis feel better, too. Food as medicine. It's a wonderful concept because it gives us an empowering and fun way -- eating -- to do something helpful for our bodies, like easing joint pain. And some day, doctors may very well prescribe exercise, medication, and a special diet to help keep people's arthritic joints healthy. But right now, the only way diet likely enters your osteoarthritis conversation with your doctor is when you talk about losing weight. Because although there's no way to cure arthritis through food, if you are overweight, a weight loss diet may be one of the best things you can do for the health of your joints. Still, quite a bit of promising research has shown that certain foods and nutrients may help ease osteoarthritis symptoms. More study is needed to confirm the results, but since most of the foods studied to date are g

For the ultimate excuse-busting exercise routine, try this easy no-shower-no-change-of-clothes-required workout, courtesy of Good Housekeeping's Drop 5 Pounds: The Small Changes, Big Results Diet . Start with a 15-minute walk. Afterward, climb stairs for 5 minutes. Then, do just 4 minutes of wall push-ups and chair squats. Finish with a 1-minute stretch. Excuse-Proof Exercise It's a total "anytime, anywhere" workout that covers all of the major muscle groups and has a healthy mix of cardio and body building to boot. Best of all, it doesn't require any special equipment or clothes, and you're done in just 25 minutes. Here's Good Housekeeping's breakdown on each step: Walk anywhere. Pace the halls, circle the block, or walk in place for 15 minutes. This will get your blood pumping and your metabolism fired up. And, as a bonus, it will burn about 60 calories. Stair-step it. Climbing stairs for 5 minutes will tone and tighten your

Eating lunch at your desk? Good for productivity, maybe. But very bad for your waistline. Research confirms it. Seems that eating when your mind is somewhere else -- whether it's on a work project, a YouTube video, or a magazine article -- can make you apt to eat more than you need to. Food out of Focus In a study, men and women were served a lunch consisting of several different foods. Half of the participants played a computer card game while eating; the other half had a distraction-free lunch. After the meal, people who played the game reported feeling less full compared with the nongamers, and they ate twice as many cookies during a taste test 30 minutes later. The card players also had more trouble listing in order the food items they had eaten for lunch.    Multitasking Mayhem A number of studies have shown that people tend to eat more while watching TV. But this study associates the effects of distracted eating with other activities. Basically, anything

Marinate your meat or poultry in oils and spices? Heck no! Not when you can do these dishes a healthy and delicious turn with this twist: wine or fruit juice marinades. Oil-based marinades can make a high-fat meal even fattier. But a low-fat marinade that relies on fruit for flavor can add moist taste, help control calories, and even cut down on harmful by-products produced by high-heat cooking. Eat, Drink, and Be Merry The key is to choose a marinade that is light on oil and high in spices and relies on vinegar, wine, or diluted juice for the majority of the liquids. The next time you marinate beef or poultry, enjoy the rich flavor in this low-fat marinade: Rosemary-Red Wine Marinade . For pork and fish, try this fruity-spicy tropical marinade: Pineapple-Chipotle Marinade . More Smart Swaps The great cooking and baking ideas that help make holiday favorites better for your waistline. Just think how great it will feel to be ahead of the game when the New Year&#