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

So you grabbed a bag of chips, and a short while later, you were down to the crumbs. How'd that happen? While you're figuring that out, here's how you can stop it from happening again: Practice mindful eating . There's a growing army of slim people singing this savor-the-moment practice. Your Mantra: Relax, Focus To teach yourself how to eat mindfully, start with a raisin. Take a deep, relaxing breath as you pick it up. Look at it for a few seconds. Smell it. Place it in your mouth and roll it around on your tongue. Feel the wrinkles. Now bite. Note the chewy, gritty texture -- the sweet, fruity, astringent taste. Extract all the flavor before you swallow. That's kind of the idea with mindful eating -- to savor the look, smell, texture, and taste of every bite. And it works! It had a huge impact on curbing chronic binge eating in a recent study. A Few More Ways to Eat Less While you focus on every bite, give these other appetite-control tips a try...

Report Suggests That Many Drinks That Sound Healthy Have Lots of Sugar and Calories It's no surprise that many sodas have a lot of sugar. What may be more surprising is that many fruit drinks, often billed as healthier alternatives, are often loaded with close to the same amount of sugar and calories. That is one of the findings of a new report from Yale University. The report, being presented today at the American Public Health association annual meeting in Washington, D.C., also finds that many beverage companies are marketing their drinks to kids and teens despite a promise to stop. The American Beverage Association, an industry trade group, takes issue with the new findings. It says the beverage companies have taken many positive steps to protect children's health, including advertising only certain types of drinks on programming to children 12 and under. Calories in Drinks Researchers from Yale University's Rudd Center for Food Policy and Obesity lo...

If the economy's ups and downs are making you feel like a bronco-busting rodeo cowboy (every day you're rattled and sore) we have one word to get you through this ride calmer and stronger: omega-3s. Longtime RealAgers know these heart-healthy fats have a list of benefits longer than Kim Kardashian’s wedding attendees (and way longer than her 72-day marriage!): They boost brainpower, deter colon cancer, ward off osteoarthritis, protect your vision, and more. ( Check out this slide show from Eating Well, showcasing foods for better eye health. ) The Ultimate Stress Protection But here's what's giving omega-3s top billing for uncertain times: They also reduce inflammation and anxiety. Why is that such big news? Stress and anxiety are some of today's biggest mind-body agers, and inflammation damages cells in ways that invite all kinds of trouble, from arthritis and cancer to heart disease and stroke. Omega-3s can cut anxiety symptoms by 20% and redu...

A California lawsuit claiming that fish oil capsules are contaminated with PCBs -- banned chemicals that have been linked to cancer and birth defects -- is producing news stories right out of a blockbuster horror movie. We wouldn't blame you if headlines like Fish Oil Takers Beware inspire you to trash your capsules and give up on these good fats. But take a breath. The last thing we want is for the news media to come between you and your omega-3s. These healthy fats -- found in salmon and trout (the only fish with plentiful omega-3s in the United States), fish oil capsules, and a few other superfoods -- are just too important. They're already credited with protecting hearts against deadly offbeat rhythms, lowering depression risk, cooling inflammation, and helping babies grow healthy brains. Now, omega-3s are also showing promise for encouraging weight loss and discouraging belly fat. So what's up with the lawsuit? A California group tested 10 types of fish...

Researchers Say Supplements Contain 'Significant' Amounts of Thyroid Hormone Nine out of 10 "thyroid support" pills tested by Mayo Clinic researchers contain "risky" levels of thyroid hormones. A wide range of supplements that claim to support or improve thyroid function are available online and in retail stores. Some list only herbs as ingredients. Others are capsules filled with dried, ground-up thyroid gland from pigs or cows. People take the supplements because they may feel tired, or for unexplained weight gain -- symptoms they interpret as a sign their bodies are making too little thyroid hormone. When a number of his patients told him they were taking the supplements, endocrinologist Victor Bernet, MD, of the Mayo Clinic, Jacksonville, Fla., became curious. Might they contain the same thyroid hormone as Levothroid, Levoxyl, Synthroid, Unithroid and other prescription drugs used to treat thyroid hormone deficiency? Yes, Bernet says...

Need weight-loss help? This will make a big belly difference: Start your day with a high-protein breakfast (think eggs, maybe in a frittata). This shifts your appetite into neutral, where it will idle happily till lunch. Add some fiber to the meal, such as whole-wheat toast, and you'll curb afternoon cravings. Imagine getting halfway through a day of healthy weight loss without needinged any willpower! That’s because having plenty of protein and fiber early keeps you fueled and full for hours. ( Discover why breakfast makes you happier as well as slimmer. ) Not an egg lover? Have oatmeal topped with walnuts (make it overnight in the slow cooker), or smear peanut butter on your whole-wheat toast. Ready to just grab the toast solo as you zoom out the door? Think again. You'll be elbow-deep in the candy bowl before lunch. Block Snack Attacks with Protein News flash: If you don't get a certain amount of protein each day, but especially in the morning, your ap...

That bowl of cereal you have for breakfast each morning? It just might be giving you an all-day edge when it comes to feeling happy. Compared with cereal abstainers, people who regularly ate cereal had more energy, thought more clearly, and felt less stressed and depressed in a recent study. Flaky Fan Be it flakes, clusters, or toasted O's, cereal may have something more than fiber going for it. When researchers compared people who got equal amounts of fiber from cereal or from fruits and veggies, only the cereal eaters experienced improved well-being. And even though increased fiber intake was proved to benefit bowels, the results didn't account for the feel-good effects.    A Better Breakfast The feel-good feelings may have something to do with energy levels. The cereal eaters in the study reported about a 10 percent bump. And that energy surge comes from the breakdown of cereal in the gut. Cereal is broken down into short-chain fatty acids, which supply ab...

Researchers Say Men Are Often Not Included in Studies About Binge Eating Eating disorders such as anorexia and bulimia are more common among women than men. Binge eating, however, occurs at similar rates among both sexes. Yet men are rarely included in research studies on binge eating and its consequences and treatments, a study shows. The researchers analyzed data from 21,743 men and 24,608 women who participated in a health risk self- assessment. Binge eating in the past month was reported by 7.5% of men and 11.19% of women. The study is published in the International Journal of Eating Disorders . Binge eating disorder is marked by: Frequent episodes of eating large amounts of food in short periods of time Feeling like you have no control over your eating Eating when not hungry Eating in secret Many people feel ashamed and/or disgusted by their binge eating. Health Risks of Binge Eating There are serious health risks associated with binge eating. These includ...

Study Suggests Benefits to Taking Blood Pressure Drugs Before Going to Sleep Taking at least one blood pressure medicine at bedtime cuts the risk of heart problems, according to new research. The study also shows that participants taking at least one blood pressure pill at bedtime had lower blood pressure while asleep. Earlier studies have suggested that bedtime dosing of at least one blood pressure medication may help control blood pressure. But the new study is believed to be the first to look at whether the timing makes a difference in terms of heart attacks, strokes, and death. Ramon C. Hermida, PhD, director of the bioengineering and chronobiology labs at the University of Vigo in Spain, studied 661 people with both high blood pressure and chronic kidney disease. "Taking blood-pressure-lowering medication at bedtime, compared to [taking] all medication upon awakening, not only improved blood pressure control, but significantly reduced the risk of card...

Practice is an essential part of gaining excellence in a specific skill, but to become truly great other qualities must come into play, such as IQ or working memory, according to researchers who studied how practice affects the success of chess players. For the study, published in the October issue of Current Directions in Psychological Science , the researchers also considered earlier research and noted that practicing harder or longer doesn't compensate for the lack of other important traits relevant to a certain activity. The study authors pointed out that there is a theory that people will do better in areas such as sports, music and chess if they practice more. "But the thing is, of the people that achieved the master level, there are people that achieved it in 3,000 hours. Other people did, like, 30,000 hours and achieved the same level. And there are even people that practiced more than 30,000 hours and didn't achieve this," Guillermo ...