Health and Fitness: 2010

Bottled water: 6 Things you should know

Trying to purchase bottled water can leave you feeling more confused than ever. With the myriad of choices out there, how do you pick one that provides you with hydration, MINUS the hype? Water companies make fancy claims, but think about it: These companies are competing for your attention in a market where there is really no need for additives. Devise a game plan for water that makes waves!

5 Reasons Why You're Not Getting Healthy

Do you primarily try to be healthy, but have occasional slip-ups? Do you wonder what's getting in the way? It's the holidays and it's getting colder by the minute (depending on your location) forcing our discipline to fly out the window when it comes to certain indulgences. Once you realize the mistakes you are making then it'll be easier to get back on track. Here are five major things that are getting in the way of your healthy lifestyle:

Are You Addicted To Food? 6 Steps Out Of Food Addiction

Is it time to step up to the plate (so to speak), take an honest and courageous look at your life, and make a commitment to loving yourself? Are you ready to let go of belief systems and habits that no longer serve you? Are you ready to step into a healthier 2010?

Is your weight stopping you from moving forward? Might you be a food addict? Please take an honest look at the following questions and answer, 'yes' or 'no.'

2-Minute tricks that beat stress

The next time you’re having a bad day (or week or month) take heart: you can perk up your mood quickly and simply. According to experts, life circumstances account for only 10% of happiness. Half depends on your genetic “set point,” which is kind of like the weight your body bounces back to after a crash diet. And about 40% of your happiness is influenced by what you do deliberately to make yourself. Here are a few easy tricks to try:

7 Reasons You're Still Overweight and How to Get Slim Fast

Why do some people pack on the pounds effortlessly? It’s not always genetics and it’s not always gluttony, and you can’t always blame it on lack of exercise. Indeed, becoming overweight is often a result of some simple—and easily correctible—bad habits, especially when it comes to dining out.

Should I use hormone replacement therapy (HRT)?

Introduction
Over the past decades, menopausal women have been encouraged to use hormone replacement therapy (HRT) for its apparent health- and youth-preserving benefits. It is true that HRT lowers the risk of osteoporosis and possibly colon cancer. But, compared to women not taking hormones, women taking HRT have slightly higher rates of breast cancer, ovarian cancer, heart attack, stroke, blood clots, and Alzheimer's disease as well as other forms of dementia.

90 seconds to slim

Tired of countless sets and reps? Make "one and done" your workout mantra. With this get-lean routine you'll do each move only once, which will leave you twice as much time to enjoy your sleek new physique!

Slow down to firm up. You can tone all over with a single rep. The key? Stretch out each exercise over a full 90 seconds. "Stop-and-hold training is more effective than traditional strength training because it maximizes muscle tension throughout the total range of motion," says Pete Cerqua, author of The 90-Second Fitness Solution (Atria Books), who created these slow-mo moves exclusively for SELF.

Busted! 5 Major Eating Mistakes

By Holly McCord, RD, with Gloria McVeigh, Prevention
Ever get the guilty feeling that you're being watched as you toss the double fudge brownie mix into your grocery cart? Well, you are! We checked with some of the top US nutrition experts, who admitted they secretly spy on the rest of us as we make real-world choices in restaurants and grocery stores. Here are their top five gripes.

Achieving a toned, sexy tummy might seem like a pipe dream this time of year. Baggy sweaters abound, egg nog is served and Frosty the Snowman doesn't offer much in the way of flat-belly inspiration. But getting a sleek, sexy stomach is easier than you think. Spend just five minutes a day on toning your abs and you'll get an amazing middle.

Stop Snoring

For most people, snoring is not a major problem, and most people snore at least occasionally. Men and overweight people are more likely to snore and snore more often. The frequency and intensity of snoring will likely increase with age if not dealt with at an earlier stage.

Best Anti-Aging Foods

These six food groups hold the "power" to help you lose weight and turn back the clock. Don't miss our easy seven-day meal plan and delicious anti-aging snacks!

Top 10 Healthiest Snacks : You Can Just Keep on Eating

Your body needs food - its fuel - in mod - crate doses throughout the day so it always has nutrients available. Having four or five 'mini-meals' daily helps most people prevent cravings and ultimately achieve and maintain healthy weight. The choice of a healthy snack involves - variety, balance, and moderation. Try to limit the snack calories to 100 to 200 calories.

Try thinking of snacks as foods eaten between meals rather than as treats or rewards," suggests Barbara Whedon, R.D., a dietitian and nutrition counselor at Thomas Jefferson University Hospital in Philadelphia.

5 Bogus Diets That Will Do More Harm Than Good

With obesity as one of our number one killers, it is no surprise that Americans are scrambling for any kind of weight loss help. Unfortunately, in this eternal struggle to be thin and healthy, people end up looking for salvation in all the wrong places. Instead of relying on exercise and following the credo "everything in moderation," we turn to miracle solutions, diet supplements, and calorie deprivation. The results are the following bogus diets that may work in the short term, but may also cause severe harm to your body over time.

Our appetites can be quite the pranksters. They often fool us to think we are hungry, when often, we may be suffering from something completely different. Distinguishing between false hunger and true hunger will help you know when your body really needs food and when it needs something else.