Number of Women Without Children Reaches All Time High

The number of American women without children has risen to an all-time high of 1 in 5, a jump since the 1970s when 1 in 10 women ended their childbearing years without having a baby, according to the Pew Research Center.

About 1.9 million women aged 40-44 -- or 18 percent -- were childless in 2008, an 80 percent increase since 1976, when just 580,000 -- 10 percent of those in that age bracket -- had never given birth, the Census Bureau's Current Population Survey shows.

Childlessness has increased across racial and ethnic groups and most education levels, but has dropped among women with advanced degrees in the past decade, according to the research.

Part of the reason for the rise in the number of childless women is an overall pattern toward delaying marriage and having kids, the research showed. Experts say that a drop in societal pressure to be a parent is also responsible for the trend, along with an increase in career opportunities and an improvement in birth control options and effectiveness.

"People put off getting pregnant," said women's health expert Dr. Laura Corio, a member of AOL Health's Medical Advisory Board. "Even when they're married they're putting off getting pregnant. Then they wake up one day and they're 40 and they want to have a child. It's like, hello?"

Explanations for the trend vary, but for some, the reason behind delaying parenting is a simple joie de vivre.

"They're freer. People are enjoying their lives: they're traveling, shopping, eating out," Corio told AOL Health. "Putting a baby into the situation is going to change everything."

Though the most educated women are still among those most likely to never give birth, there was a 31 percent decline in those aged 40-44 with master's, doctoral or professional degrees who had not had babies between 1994 and 2008, when 24 percent of women in that category were childless.

The data represents combined statistics from 2006 and 2008 (referred to as 2008 in the study) and from 1992 and 1994 (referred to as 1994).

White women remain the most likely not to have had a child, but the childless rates have grown more quickly for blacks, Hispanics and Asians over the past decade, according to the figures.

Never-married women still had the highest incidence of childlessness, though those rates also have declined over the past 10 years. By comparison, the childless rates have increased for those who are married or were at one time -- referred to as the "ever-marrieds."

"A lot of women can't find someone, or they're very picky or very educated," Corio said. "Contraception is also better. A lot of pregnancies in the past may have been accidents where they decided to keep the baby. It's also money -- they think, we're not in the financial situation [to have children]."

Among the women aged 40 to 44 without children, the number of those who didn't want to have children equaled the number of those who did but weren't able to conceive, according to figures from the National Survey of Family Growth.

In 2003, about 6 percent of women in that age group were voluntarily childless, 6 percent were involuntarily childless and 2 percent didn't have children but wanted them in the future.

Along with the population changes have come shifts in attitude, with public opinion showing more acceptance of women without children, Pew Research reported. Most adults -- 59 percent in 2002 -- said they disagree with the statement that people who don't have kids "lead empty lives," compared to only 39 percent who didn't agree with the statement in 1988.

Similarly, a 2007 Pew survey showed that 41 percent of adults believe children are important for a successful marriage, down from 65 percent who expressed the same views in 1990.

About 46 percent of people said the trend has no bearing on society, according to a 2009 Pew survey, but 38 percent said it was bad for society -- up from 29 percent in 2007.

American Schoolchildren Smoking Less, But Tobacco Use Decline Is Losing Steam

The number of middle and high school children who use tobacco products has dropped since 2000, but the decline has been slowing down in recent years, says a CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) report Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report. The report calls for laws that require more impacting health warnings on tobacco packaging and advertisements, as well as greater funding for anti-tobacco programs.

The Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR) informs that tobacco consumption is still the single leading preventable cause of death and disease in America. Over four-fifths of all regular adult smokers started smoking before they became adults.

CDC analyzed data from NYTS (National Youth Tobacco Survey) for the period 2000-2009. NYTS is a school-based survey which gathers data on tobacco use and related behaviors and attitudes among middle school (grades 6-8) and high school (9-12) pupils. The 22,679 study participants were asked to complete self-administered questionnaires annually from 2000 to 2009.

Significant Number of Dads Experience Postpartum Depression

The after-baby blues aren't just a mom phenomenon. Turns out, dads also get postpartum depression, the Journal of the American Medical Association is reporting.

About 10 percent of fathers feel depressed either before their babies are born or after, with rates peaking in the three-to-six-month postpartum period, according to an analysis of previous research published in the mental-health-themed May 19 issue of JAMA.

Researchers call the findings significant.

"There are many implications of these findings," the authors write. "The observation that expecting and new fathers disproportionately experience depression suggests that more efforts should be made to improve screening and referral, particularly in light of the mounting evidence that early paternal depression may have substantial emotional, behavioral and developmental effects on children."

The report's co-authors, James F. Paulson, Ph.D., and Sharnail D. Bazemore, M.S., of the Eastern Virginia Medical School in Norfolk, conducted a meta-analysis to measure rates of paternal prenatal and postpartum depression, as well as its link to mothers' postpartum sadness.

Researchers included studies documenting depression in dads between the first trimester of pregnancy and the first year after the baby's birth, identifying 28,400 participants from 43 different surveys to take into account for their own article.

They estimated that the overall rate of paternal depression was 10.4 percent, compared with a 4.8 percent rate of depression in the course of one year among the general population.

There was also marked variety in the timing of fathers' baby-related depression, with the highest rate, 25.6 percent, occurring three to six months after birth and the lowest rate, 7.7 percent, happening in the first three months after birth.

Just 5 Minutes Outside Boosts Mental Health

A new study published in the American Chemical Society's "Environmental Science & Technology" says just five minutes of "green exercise," such as a walk in a park, working in a backyard garden or hiking on a nature trail will benefit your mental health.

Jules Pretty and Jo Barton, of the Interdisciplinary Centre for Environment and Society and Department of Biological Sciences at the University of Essex in Colchester, England, define green exercise as "physical activity in the presence of nature." Previous studies have shown that outdoor activities decrease the risk of mental illness and improve self-esteem, but until now, there were no specifics on how much time you should spend with nature to reap these rewards.

The authors analyzed 1,252 people of different ages, genders and mental health statuses, during activities such as walking, gardening, cycling, fishing, boating, horse-riding and farming. Results showed that, although everyone benefitted in some way from the green space, the greatest health changes occurred in the young and mentally ill participants.

"So we believe that there would be a large potential benefit to individuals, society and to the costs of the health service if all groups of people were to self-medicate more with green exercise," Barton said.

Pretty also noted that all natural environments were beneficial, but green areas with water seemed even better for health. Overall, the study showed that the largest positive effect on self-esteem came from a five-minute dose.

"We know from the literature that short-term mental health improvements are protective of long-term health benefits," Pretty said.

What Does This Tool Measure ?

Although everyone responds differently, major life changes are some of the biggest causes of stress, both positive and negative. This interactive tool gauges your stress level based on the number of life changes you have had recently. Your score shows a rough estimate of your current stress level and the likelihood that you will have health problems due to stress in the next 12 to 18 months.
Short-term (acute) stress can keep you awake at night and make you feel irritable and edgy. High stress levels over a long period of time (chronic stress) can cause serious health problems such as high blood pressure. And high stress can weaken your immune system and make it difficult for your body to fight disease. Stress is linked to health conditions such as depression, heart disease, and asthma.

Diagnose and Manage Your Stress Type

Be it that immediate, knot-in-stomach feeling or a broader sense of discomfort, long-term stress is at an all-time high, according to the American Psychological Association. It's especially pervasive among women: Over 80 percent report feeling prolonged stress about money and the economy, and 70 percent say they're often worried about health problems affecting themselves and their families.

In "So Stressed: The Ultimate Stress-Relief Plan for Women," practicing doctors Stephanie McClellan, M.D., and Beth Hamilton, M.D., have not only identified the four most common stress responses unique to women, they've also pored over the research to identify actionable solutions.

Dangerous Ways to Relax

Remember these words: The poison is in the dose. They apply to all of the following nine items in this rogue's gallery of dangerous things we commonly do to relieve anxiety, stress and boredom. Every one of the following items has a split personality. They may be (and frequently are) a source of pleasure but all have the potential to wreck havoc with your life and health.

Watching TV
Every major study has found a strong relationship between TV watching and obesity. According to research in the Journal of the American Medical Association, for every two-hour increase in TV watching there's a 23 percent increase in obesity and a 14 percent increase in the risk of diabetes. And it's not only because you spend time zoning instead of exercising. TV rewires you to be a passive spectator rather than an active participant in life. It also exposes you to thousands of commercials for junk foods, many of which you consume while watching. Pick a few of your favorite programs and the rest of the time step away from the couch.

11 Ways to Pick Out Healthy Food

Although VitaminWater sounds healthy (and it says so on the label), a federal judge recently begged to differ. The drink doesn’t meet the FDA standard for labeling, he ruled.

It’s a common ploy. You can walk down any grocery store aisle and be bombarded with "all natural" and "immunity boosting" claims touted on boxes, bags, and bottles.

With so many enthusiastic labels shouting out to you, how can you tell which packages are healthy and which ones are nutritional nightmares? Here's how to break down the nutritional information and ingredient list for 11 common food buys.Most cereals are similar in serving size and calories but differ in fiber and sugar content, says American Dietetic Association spokesperson, Keri Gans, RD.

Buy those with at least 5 grams of fiber per serving and less than 12 grams of sugar per serving. The only way sugar in cereal is good for you is if it comes from dried fruit, and not in the form of high fructose corn syrup, molasses, or honey, Gans says.

In general, the fewer the ingredients the better (for example, shredded wheat is usually just that). Stay as close to 5% of your age group’s recommended daily allowance (RDA) of sodium as possible, and definitely don’t consume more than 20% with your cereal.Look for bread with no more than 100 calories and 150 milligrams of sodium per slice, and at least 3 grams of fiber (which rules out white bread).

And not all wheat bread is healthy. "Just because something says it might have whole-wheat flour in it doesn’t mean it’s 100% whole wheat," says Gans. Instead, look for breads that say, "100% whole grains."

And it’s worthwhile to read the ingredient list. Whole wheat, oats, or other whole grains should be the first ingredient, as opposed to refined flours. If whole-wheat flour is listed first and followed by other flours, that bread will be lower in fiber. Limit molasses and other sweeteners too.

Snack bars

Pay attention to the protein content, along with the calories, fat, sugar, and fiber, in these portable noshes. The best buys have at least 5 grams of protein and 3 grams of fiber, less than 10 grams of sugar, and no more than 200 calories, if it’s a snack.

It can contain 300 calories if it’s a meal, says Gans, and 8 to 10 grams of protein is fine, but 20 grams is probably too much. Limit yourself to about 10 grams of total fat, and no more than 1 gram of saturated fat, but also check where the fat is coming from. "Nuts are the best source of fat in a snack bar," Gans says.

Microwave meals

Even low-cal options can contain more than 30% of your daily sodium. “You need to compare brand to brand, because most frozen dinners are going to have more salt than they should,” Gans says. “Look for the ones with the smallest percentage of daily value.”

Also, fat and calorie content is an issue with these meals. They can include unsaturated fats from olive oil and salmon but not saturated fat from cream or butter. Also aim for less than 500 calories. And since this is a meal, make sure you have 10 grams of protein or more per serving.

But bear in mind that you’re probably not going to get enough veggies from a frozen dinner, so enjoy a side salad too.

Fish Tacos With Sesame Ginger Slaw

Love to cook but avoid pricey ingredients? Get all your favorite foods for less calories and less cash by using these 7 mouthwatering and wallet-friendly recipes.

Fish Tacos With Sesame Ginger Slaw

Tilapia is a relatively inexpensive fish, and the tangy topping is made of condiments that won't break the bank. Plus, with plenty of filling fiber, you won't be sneaking up to the fridge for a midnight snack.

Ingredients: Tilapia fillets, cooking spray, salt, pepper, low-fat Greek yogurt, limes, dark sesame oil, low-sodium soy sauce, fresh ginger, honey, coleslaw mix, corn tortillas

Calories: 390

Black Forest Trifle

A diabetes diagnosis doesn't mean you have to eliminate sweets from your diet. But it does mean making simple substitutions when baking. Try these five decadent desserts that modify your favorite recipes into treats that fit your diet.

Who says you can't have chocolate when you're watching your sugar intake? Made with sugar-free chocolate-cake mix and instant pudding, this moist trifle will have your resident chocoholic licking her lips. Cool Whip trims the fat off traditional recipes and cherries add a boost of vitamin C and antioxidants, which are thought to reduce bad cholesterol.

Hand Sanitizers Boost Wellness, Productivity at Work

Hand sanitizers have become trendy since last year's swine flu scare, and dispensers pumping them out have cropped up everywhere from airports and office buildings to restaurants and stores.

But new research has taken the sanitizer craze a step further, claiming that the alcohol-based variety can improve on-the-job productivity and reduce the number of days employees are out sick.

A research team from Germany led by Nils-Olaf Hubner found that absenteeism among public administrations due to colds, fever and coughs dropped dramatically when hand sanitizers were used by staff.

The authors of the study, published in the open access journal BMC Infectious Diseases, looked at the data on sick days and health symptoms for 129 participants. Subjects were divided into two groups, with those in the control group told to keep up their usual hand-washing rituals and those in the other group instructed to use hand sanitizer at least five times during the workday.

The researchers urged those given the disinfectant to use it liberally -- particularly after activities likely to expose them to germs.

"Our study found that hand disinfection reduced the number of episodes of illness for the majority of the investigated symptoms," Hubner wrote, according to a bulletin about the research.

Researchers saw fewer symptoms of common illnesses even during periods when participants weren't out sick. They surmised that those results translated into a rise in at-work productivity and wellness.

Hubner did not respond to AOL Health's requests for comment.

Prior studies have documented the positive effects of hand sanitizers in hospitals, child care centers and other public places where bacterial infections and viruses thrive.

But the disinfectants' link to employees' health in the workplace and their performance on the job hadn't previously been examined.

"Hand disinfection can easily be introduced and maintained as part of the daily hand hygiene, acting as an interesting and cost-efficient method of improving workforce health and effectiveness." Hubner concluded.

4 Skinny Tricks for Enjoying a Diet Splurge Guilt-Free

Two months later, I’m still celebrating my 30th birthday. Last Saturday, my uncle and aunt treated me to a fancy dinner at Top of the Hub, a fine-dining restaurant with gorgeous views of the city at the top of the Prudential Center in Boston. We enjoyed good conversation and lots of laughs while feasting on foie gras, lobster, red wine, and chocolate ganache cake. It was definitely a night to remember!

Even with all of that delicious food right in front of me, I didn’t stress about overdoing it. I planned to indulge—it was my “birthday” dinner after all. Still, I didn’t go overboard, as I may have before I found my Feel Great Weight. Here’s what I did to keep my calories in check for the night.

Filled my stomach with water. Before I even took a bite of food, I drank an entire glass of water. A recent study suggests that drinking water helps fill your stomach, making you less hungry and less likely to overeat. I felt more in tune with my hunger cues, so when the appetizers and entrées were served, I didn’t stuff myself.


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Skipped the breadbasket. At indulgent meals with lots of courses, I always skip the breadbasket. Dinner rolls and sliced bread are basically all the same to me. Unless there’s a special or unique offering, I save my calories for later.

Tasted the appetizers, then put my fork down. Appetizers are supposed to stimulate one’s appetite for the main meal—they don’t constitute an entire meal. I keep this in mind and only taste each of the appetizers served at the table. Usually my husband and I split one, or if I’m dining out with friends, I try a bite or two of of their appetizers and put my fork down until my entrée is served.

Visualized half of an entrée. Once my entrée arrives, I visualize a line down the center of my plate. I eat the food on one side of the plate and save the rest to pack up with me for later. Restaurant portions are usually oversized, so this way, I don’t end up eating too much. Plus I have tasty leftovers for next day’s lunch!

Trying to Lose Weight? Drink More Water

Drinking two 8-ounce glasses of water before breakfast, lunch, and dinner while also cutting back on portions may help you lose weight and keep it off for at least a year, according to research presented today at the annual meeting of the American Chemical Society, in Boston.

“As part of a prudent, low-calorie weight-loss diet, adding water may help with weight-loss success,” says Brenda Davy, PhD, the lead author of the study and an associate professor of nutrition at Virginia Tech, in Blacksburg.

Dietitians have long recommended drinking water as a way to shed pounds, but little research has been done to confirm this conventional wisdom, the researchers say. Though small, Davy’s study is the first randomized controlled trial to examine the benefits of “preloading” with water before meals.

The study included 48 overweight or obese men and women between the ages of 55 and 75 who were on a low-calorie diet (1,200 calories per day for women and 1,500 calories per day for men). Half of the people were instructed to drink 16 ounces of water—the amount in a small bottle of spring water—before meals.

After three months, the participants who drank water had lost an average of about 15.5 pounds, compared to just 11 pounds in the control group, according to the study, the first results of which were published earlier this year in the journal Obesity.

And the weight loss appears to be lasting, new data suggests. After a full year of the same regimen, the water drinkers had slimmed down by an additional 1.5 pounds, on average, while those who didn’t load up on water before meals gained about 2 pounds, Davy says. (Unlike the data published in Obesity, the findings presented today have not been thoroughly vetted by other experts in the field, as is required by most medical journals.)

Davy and her colleagues aren’t sure why drinking water before meals encourages weight loss, but the main reason appears to be that it helps fill your stomach, making you less hungry and less likely to overeat.

Oil-Cleanup Workers May Face Lung Trouble

Cleanup workers exposed to spilled oil may be at long-term risk for breathing trouble and other health problems, according to a new study examining the aftereffects of a 2002 oil spill in Spain.

However, it’s not clear whether the respiratory problems reported by the workers in the study are likely to crop up in the 50,000 people who have helped clean up the spill in the Gulf of Mexico caused by the explosion of the Deepwater Horizon oil rig.

“We can’t assume it’s going to be the same here as it was there,” says David Savitz, PhD, a professor of community health and ob-gyn at the Brown University School of Medicine, in Providence, R.I.

“But this shows that there is the potential for health effects that go well beyond the immediate period of exposure, and it reinforces what we’ve known before—that respiratory health effects are high on that list,” adds Dr. Savitz, who co-authored an editorial accompanying the study.

The study, which appears in the Annals of Internal Medicine, included 501 fishermen who helped clean up spilled oil after the tanker Prestige sank off the coast of Spain in November 2002. The researchers compared the workers with a similar group of 176 fishermen who did not participate in the cleanup efforts.

Two years after the accident, the fishermen who were exposed to oil were more likely to report wheezing, chronic cough, and other respiratory symptoms compared to those in the control group. The breath of the exposed fishermen also contained higher levels of chemicals associated with lung damage. (Smokers were excluded from these tests.)

In addition, the researchers found higher rates of chromosome changes in the white blood cells of the exposed fishermen—changes that have been linked to an increased risk of cancer in other studies, says Gina Solomon, MD, a senior scientist with the National Resources Defense Council, a nonprofit environmental group.

“Given these chromosomal abnormalities, I’d also worry about effects on sperm and egg cells,” says Dr. Solomon, who was not involved in the study.

The study results “indicate that participation in the cleanup of oil spills can have undesirable effects on health,” says the lead researcher, Joan Albert Barberà, MD, but he stresses that the cleanup workers in the study weren’t sick.

“No evidence was found of any active illness, only biological alterations that might predispose to develop disease,” says Dr. Barberà, a professor at the August Pi i Sunyer Biomedical Research Institute (IDIBAPS), in Barcelona.

Diabetes-Prone People at Risk for Alzheimer’s Plaques

People at risk for type 2 diabetes are also more likely to have brain abnormalities associated with Alzheimer’s disease, according to a new study from Japan. The study is the latest evidence of a diabetes-dementia link.

The researchers found that men and women in their 60s with higher-than-average levels of blood sugar (glucose) or insulin—two signs of type 2 diabetes—are between three and six times more likely to have certain protein deposits in their brains a decade or more later, according to the study, which appears in the journal Neurology.

The deposits, known as plaques, don’t always lead to Alzheimer’s disease, but they do raise the risk of the memory-robbing condition.

If future research confirms that high glucose and insulin can in fact cause some cases of Alzheimer’s, it may open the door to preventative drugs that target the insulin system, says William Thies, PhD, chief medical and scientific officer at the Alzheimer’s Association, a nonprofit research and advocacy group.

“That’s ultimately why people are so interested in this relationship,” says Thies, who was not involved in the new research.

Alzheimer’s disease affects as many as 5 million people in the U.S., and the cause is largely unknown (although genes play a role).

About 24 million people in the U.S. have diabetes, and about 90% of those have type 2. Type 2 diabetes is caused by insulin resistance, a condition in which the body loses its sensitivity to the hormone insulin. The result is greater production of insulin—as the body struggles to overcome resistance—and high blood sugar, because the insulin that’s produced can’t move the blood sugar into the liver and muscles.

Obesity and a lack of exercise raise the risk of type 2 diabetes, and several studies have shown that people with type 2 are at increased risk of dementia and faster cognitive decline as they age.

In the study, researchers autopsied the brains of 135 Japanese people from a single town who died between 1998 and 2003. (The average age at death was just under 80.) Ten to 15 years earlier, the researchers had given the study participants a glucose tolerance test, a common test for diabetes. They also measured other health factors such as blood pressure, cholesterol, and body mass index.

Walk Off Every Bulge

Who’s afraid of the big, bad three-way dressing-room mirror? Not you! Especially not after you shape your body from head to toe, back to front, and all the way around with this super-effective, 45-minute workout that alternates calorie-and-fat-torching interval walking with body-sculpting strength moves. How good is it? It comes straight from Los Angeles-based celebrity trainer Kathy Kaehler, who helps walk Julia Roberts into amazing shape.

Siblings on the Frontlines for People With Disabilities

My brother Clarence has autism. He is 41, I am 43. Many years before the influential National Alliance on Mental Illness formed in 1979, and before Mental Health America launched its powerful online community this summer, it was left to sisters and brothers of those with disabilities to put up our dukes and protect our defenseless loved ones from bullies and discrimination.

Years before I even reached puberty, I had to learn to fight for the rights of my brother who was openly derided as "Cheryl's retarded brother." Society's expectations for my dear brother, who wanted to be a cartoonist, were so abysmally low that my other siblings and I had to form a protective web of love and support around Clarence, and encourage him to live out his artistic dreams in spite of those who sought to relegate him to a subhuman status. Along with our mother, we created a defensive strategy to ensure his inalienable right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. As he grew older in the 1970s, a network of dedicated mental health activists joined in our advocacy.

EPA to Start Reducing Mercury Emissions

On August 9th, the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) finally took its first real steps to limit the amount of mercury that is spewed into the air in this country. But, it took quite a bit to get the EPA to set its new rules for mercury emission from cement plants.

The impetus included four lawsuits over the preceding 12 years from a coalition of environmental and public health groups, but it also took having the Obama administration in office. Without the new administration, it is certain that the new EPA rulings would not have been made. The EPA began its move to limit mercury emissions by focusing on the approximately 100 cement plants in the United States, whose mercury emissions account for about 7 percent of the total mercury air emissions. The two other greater sources of mercury emissions are large-scale boilers (15 percent of total emissions) and coal-fired power plants (51 percent of total mercury output) will hopefully be next in line for new rules. While I would prefer that the EPA limit the release of mercury from coal-fired plants, we should all be grateful that some reductions are being made.

Mercury is a toxic heavy metal that is found in all U.S. residents, and can cause a host of health problems. It is a potent neurotoxin causing mood swings, depression, anger outbursts and insomnia. It can also make thinking difficult and can cause tremors in sensitive individuals. It also reduces the ability of the white blood cells in the body to mount a defense against invading bacteria and viruses (ever notice how hard it is these days to actually get over the flu?) and has been associated with the development of autoimmune disorders. It also causes a great deal of "oxidative damage" in the body (the main mechanism by which aging occurs), and is a powerful poison to the power-producing organelles inside of every cell -- the mitochondria. When the mitochondria are unable to make the energy that the host cell needs, that host cell (whether it be a brain cell, eye cell, liver cell, etc.) cannot do its job. And when the mitochondria throughout the body are not functioning as they should, the entire body will feel fatigued! (Know anyone, other than a three-year-old, who does not complain of fatigue?).

We get the majority of our mercury burden from eating fish and other foods that have mercury in them. The Centers for Disease Control recently published the CDC 4th National Report and for the first time showed that the vast majority of mercury in the blood of U.S. residents was organic mercury (from fish). According to the EPA's National Fish and Wildlife Contamination Program (2008 National Listing of Fish Advisories), over 1.2 million miles of rivers and 16 million acres of lakes in the United States have mercury fish advisories, meaning that anyone catching fish in these bodies of water should not eat them. Also, over 42 percent of U.S. coastal waters, including the entire eastern seaboard, as well as the Gulf of Mexico, has mercury fish advisories. But, I bet you have NEVER seen any such advisory posted when you went to a Florida seafood restaurant or to a fish market. Have you?

Alarmingly, the number of mercury fish advisories in the U.S. has been skyrocketing year-by-year. The 1.2 million miles of river advisories in 2008 numbered less than 50,000 in 1993. The 16 million lake acres with too much mercury in 2008 started at only a hair over 2 million in 1993. Each year in between 1993 and 2008 the numbers jumped.

So, how did the fish in your favorite lake, stream or ocean get so loaded in mercury, and why is it increasing at such an alarming rate? Fish get the mercury from the water that passes through their gills, and from eating other fish. In the ocean, the biggest fish have the most mercury, because they eat all the smaller fish (and after one fish meal accumulate ALL the mercury that the other fish had taken its' lifetime to accumulate). But freshwater fish that are far smaller than swordfish or tuna can have as much, if not more, mercury than those big salt water fish do. The mercury in the water comes from the coal-fired power plants, institutional boilers and cement plants. The more mercury they put out every year, the more mercury in the water and fish, the more mercury in YOU and YOUR FAMILY.

It is about time that the EPA does its job and starts to reduce the toxic load that industry dumps on us every day. Hopefully, the winds in Washington D.C. will continue to blow in the direction of cleaner air through more stringent restrictions on industry.

The Problem of Women's Self-Expression: A Scientific Perspective

What happens when a woman doesn't use her voice to express herself fully? I have been thinking a lot about this question lately, and have been struggling with using my own voice in a way that feels aligned with the bigger picture that I feel inside of me. For those who know me, you might think this sounds silly since I am expressing myself all of the time - through writing, social media, and basically living life as a "talker." But the reality is that I feel there is so much more inside of me not being expressed ... and I wonder how many other women are going through this same thing?

I spoke recently on this topic with Marcy Cole, Ph.D., a licensed clinical social worker in private practice in Los Angeles. Marcy is also the Executive Director of First Tuesday USA, a women's group dedicated to creating a community of extraordinary women through social connectivity, professional networking and social service. I met Marcy through First Tuesday, and recently asked her if I could to tap into her expertise as a psychotherapist to learn more about what keeps us, as women, from expressing ourselves fully. Why are we blocked?

Marcy told me that she sees two primary common blocks: First, she says, we are blocked because we are disconnected from who we are. "As women, if we have not yet come to know, appreciate and love ourselves, it is impossible to truly access our authentic voice and determine what we are here to share with the world," says Marcy. Second, according to Marcy, is that for many women the locus of control is "other-directed" versus "self-directed." "When the focus is on pleasing others in order to gain acceptance and affection, there is a consequential fear of losing admiration, respect, and ultimately love if we do express our truth," she says.

But why are we, as women, so focused on the "other?" Are men also hung up on what others think?

According to Louann Brizendine, M.D., a neurobiologist and psychiatrist at the University of California, our distinct female biology provides an explanation of why we are so focused on the "other." In her bestselling book, The Female Brain, she examines the roots of female brain development. "Baby girls are born interested in emotional expression. They take meaning about themselves from a look, a touch, every reaction from the people they come into contact with. From these cues they decide whether they are worthy, loveable or annoying," she says. In her book, Dr. Brizendine points that compared to the male brain, the female brain has a larger communication center and a larger area for processing emotion and reading social cues. In short, the female brain is wired to value communication, connection, emotional sensitivity, and responsiveness more than the male brain.

The result?

"Whether or not she is being listened to will tell a young girl if others take her seriously, which in turn goes to the growth of her sense of a successful self. If she does not connect, her sense is of an unsuccessful self," says Dr. Brizendine.

In an interview with Catherine DeMonte, LMFT, a licensed marriage, family and child therapist in Calabasas, CA, I learned more about what holds women back from expressing ourselves. In her work, she has found a common theme that when women shared their voice and their gifts as young girls, they were often told they were "bratty" or "showing off." Sound familiar? Catherine explained that this was often internalized as, "If you don't want to hear from me, then I'll just be quiet."

She has found that men, on the other hand, more commonly took a different attitude in response to being criticized as boys. Instead of getting quiet, they got loud. "Men tend to act out, and women tend to go in," says Catherine, who also leads a women's group called "Women Living Fully Out," to help women fully express themselves.

I ran across a video recently on Facebook that shows very clearly one reason why it is so important express ourselves. Did you know that in order to be polite and be a "good girl" many women never question a doctor's advice or get a second medical opinion when surgery is recommended? The result of this is not always so nice. Check out the video here.

Along with surgical risks, if a woman does not express herself fully, there can be mental and emotional health repercussions ... later leading to physical disease. "Many illnesses are quite simply the end result of emotions that have been stuffed, unacknowledged, and unexperienced for years," says Christiane Northrup, M.D., specialist in women's health and author of Women's Bodies, Women's Wisdom. "Unexpressed emotions tend to 'stay' in the body like small ticking time bombs," she says. "They are illnesses in incubation."

In addition to our own health risks, there may be planetary consequences as well. As Dr. Cole puts it: "Women are natural nurturers, healers, intuitives, creators, visionaries, and peace makers. When we dis-empower ourselves by withholding our voices, we ignore the call for feminine leadership that is absolutely crucial for this planet at this time."

While we may feel it is risky to speak our truth for fear of being mocked, rejected, or ostracized, there may be some more serious risks on the table if we insist on remaining the polite "good girl."

Egg Recall: U.S. Chose Not To Require Vaccine For Salmonella Egg Threat

Low-cost vaccines that may help prevent the kind of salmonella outbreak that has led to the recall of more than a half-billion eggs haven't been given to nearly half the nation's egg-laying hens.

The vaccines aren't required in the U.S., although in Great Britain, officials say vaccinations have given them the safest egg supply in Europe. A survey conducted by the European food safety agency in 2009 found about 1 percent of British flocks had salmonella compared to about 60 to 70 percent of flocks elsewhere in Europe, said Amanda Cryer, spokeswoman for the British Egg Information Service.

Since Britain's vaccinations began, the only salmonella outbreaks in eggs have been linked to those imported from elsewhere in the European Union, Cryer said. Overall salmonella cases in the country dropped by half within three years.

There's been no push to require vaccination in the U.S., in part because it would cost farmers and in part because advocates have been more focused on more comprehensive food safety reforms, those watching the poultry industry said. And the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has not yet determined how the hens in Iowa became infected.

But Darrell Trampel, a poultry veterinarian at Iowa State University, predicted vaccination will become more common after the recent outbreak.

"I think (vaccination) will move from hit and miss to being a standard," Trampel said.

About 125 million of the 218 million egg-laying hens in the U.S. have been vaccinated, said Gary Baxter, a spokesman for French pharmaceutical company CEVA, which makes some of the vaccines available in the U.S. The salmonella vaccine prevents chickens from becoming infected and then passing the bacteria on to their eggs. It has been available in the U.S. since 1992.

There are two forms. One is a spray that uses a live bacteria, and chickens inhale it. The other contains dead bacteria that's injected. Jewanna Porter, a spokeswoman for the Egg Safety Center, an industry group, said both forms provide good protection. The injected vaccine lasts longer, but veterinarians recommend both be updated.

Everybody Needs to Wear Sunscreen

You know who doesn't wear sunscreen practically at all? People of color. That's right -- African American and Hispanics often don't believe they need to use sun protection -- and that's causing them to die of melanoma at an alarming rate. Although people of color develop skin cancer at rate much lower than Caucasians, when darker-skinned people do get skin cancer, they die more often than their white counterparts. According to the American Medical Association, the five-year melanoma survival rate is only 58 percent among African Americans, compared to 84 percent for Caucasians. That's a big difference, primarily due to the fact that when the skin cancer is detected, it has progressed to a deadlier stage.

New Retirement Rules: Caught Between the Dow and the Tao

The current financial "reckoning" is causing large numbers of pre-retirees to seriously rethink their current and future lives. While these distressing times have caused many retirement dreams to shrink or even disappear altogether, they're also providing a much-needed social/financial/spiritual wake-up call.

There's an existential battle going on to create a better balance between the Dow and the Tao - between the material and the spiritual, work and play, spending and saving, now and tomorrow. Yes, these are tough times, but I think they are perceived to be so partly because we've had it pretty darn good for so long. Our grandparents and parents certainly endured tougher sledding than this. Nevertheless, dealing with today's problems is a challenge for all of us: to be hopeful when we've lost a lot of money and time; to be encouraging when friends and relatives need our help or have lost their jobs; to be positive when there's so much vitriol and negativity in the media.

Is This Common Kitchen Appliance Harming Your Health

By now, you probably know that what you eat has a profound impact on your health. The mantra, "You are what you eat" is really true.

But you need to consider not only WHAT you buy, but how you cook it.

Eating much of your food raw is ideal. But most of us are not going to be able to accomplish a completely raw diet, and we'll end up cooking some percentage of our food.

Smart food preparation starts with high quality foods and food preparation and that means saying sayonara to your microwave oven. Need to sterilize a dishcloth? Use your microwave. But zapping your casserole is a BAD idea if you are interested in preparing healthy food.

Why the no nukes policy?

When it comes to microwave ovens, the price for convenience is to compromise your health. In this article, I will review what we know about the effects microwaves on your food and on your body.

Migraine With Aura Linked to Small Rise in Heart, Stroke Risks

People who suffer migraines with aura are at increased risk of dying from heart disease and stroke, but the individual risk for a migraine sufferer is low, two new studies show.

Auras — temporary visual or sensory disturbances that occur before or during a migraine headache — affect about one in five migraine sufferers, according to the U.S. National Women’s Health Information Center.


Both studies were published in the Aug. 25 online edition of the BMJ.

In one study, Larus Gudmundsson from the University of Iceland and colleagues examined the impact of mid-life migraines in 18,725 men and women born between 1907 and 1935 who took part in research (the Reykjavik Study) that was launched in 1967 to study heart disease in Iceland.

Based on their analysis of a 26-year follow-up of the study participants, Gudmundsson’s team concluded that men and women who suffered migraine with aura were at increased risk of dying from heart disease and stroke, as well as all other causes. Those with migraine without aura were not at increased risk.

In addition, the researchers found that women with migraine with aura are also at increased risk of dying from causes other than cardiovascular disease or cancer.

The individual risk faced by migraine sufferers with aura is low and efforts to reduce their risk of heart disease-related death should focus on eliminating conventional risk factors, including high blood pressure, smoking and high cholesterol, the study authors said.

Additional research is needed to learn more about the link between migraine with aura and increased risk of death from cardiovascular disease and other causes, the team stated in a news release from the journal’s publisher.

“Finally, studies are needed to determine if reducing the frequency of attacks with migraine preventive treatment might reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease,” Gudmundsson and colleagues concluded.

The second study found that women who have migraines with aura are at increased risk for hemorrhagic stroke (bleeding in the brain). Hemorrhagic strokes account for about 20 percent of all strokes. However, Dr. Tobias Kurth and colleagues at the National Institute of Health and Medical Research in France said the risk remains low and further research is required to confirm their findings.

It’s unclear whether doctors should inform patients about the increased risk of death associated with migraine with aura, Dr. Klaus Berger, of the University of Muenster in Germany, wrote in an editorial accompanying the first study.

Berger believes that “for many people the information will cause an unwarranted amount of anxiety, although others may use the opportunity to modify their lifestyle and risk factors accordingly.”

Doctors “must carefully weigh the decision whether or not to discuss the risks related to this condition,” Berger concluded.

Heart Risks the Same With 2 Diabetes Drugs: Study

A new study finds that the risk of heart attacks or death after taking the glucose-lowering diabetes drugs Avandia and Actos are about the same.

This is a direct contradiction to numerous other studies that found that the risk was elevated for Avandia (rosiglitazone) but not for Actos (pioglitazone). The findings are, however, in line with some other previous studies, further muddying the picture for patients and doctors trying to select the best drug with the least side effects.


“The rosiglitazone story gets more and more interesting and confusing. It seems every time we have a study that indicates a problem with the drug, another one finds no trouble with it,” said Dr. Kirk Garratt, clinical director of interventional cardiovascular research at Lenox Hill Hospital in New York City.

In July, members of a U.S. Food and Drug Administration advisory panel recommended adding a second black-box warning to Avandia’s label warning of the cardiac dangers, while essentially clearing Actos, at least for the time being.

But one expert feels that both drugs, which belong to a class of medications known as thiazolidinediones, should be avoided.

“Purely from a heart standpoint, none of these medicines have been shown to help and probably do increase the risk [of heart problems],” said Dr. Bryan Henry, a cardiologist and assistant professor of medicine at the University of Rochester Medical Center in New York. “I think glucophage or Metformin should always be the first-line drug to start treatment.”

While not preventing heart attacks or strokes, Avandia and Actos have been shown to prevent some of the microvascular complications of diabetes, such as kidney trouble and neuropathy.

The new study, published Aug. 24 in the journal Circulation: Cardiovascular Quality and Outcomes, differed from many previous trials in several respects, which may account for the differences in findings.

“The patients in this study seem to have been younger [average age 54] and healthier than we’ve seen in other studies: only about 2 percent had significant pre-existing cardiac conditions,” Garratt said. “Most importantly, [cardiovascular] event rates were remarkably low. In fact, event rates were so low it wasn’t possible to analyze subgroups, to see if things like kidney function or prior heart attack influenced the response to rosiglitazone.”

The study authors analyzed prescribing data for about 30,000 patients with type 2 diabetes, all of whom were members of a private insurance group.

The risk of a heart attack, heart failure or dying hovered at 4 percent over close to three years no matter which medication the patient was taking.

“Our study looked at a population of commercially insured patients so these potentially could represent healthier and younger patients,” said study lead author Debra Wertz, outcomes research manager for HealthCore, Inc., the research subsidiary of the insurance company WellPoint, which funded the study.

The time frame of this study — early 2001 through late 2005 — may also have affected the findings. “Over the course of time, treatment patterns may change and could impact differences. Avandia use, for instance, has changed quite a bit,” she said, with fewer prescriptions written.

“As a general statement, this is not going to change prescribing per se, but it does offer another tool for patients and providers for evaluating the use of rosiglitazone and pioglitazone,” Wertz added. “I think it’s helpful for doctors and patients to be aware of all the available data and then use that information when making decisions.”

Vitamin D May Influence Genes for Cancer, Autoimmune Disease

Scientists have discovered a link between vitamin D and genes related to autoimmune diseases and cancer.

The finding may explain why vitamin D deficiency is a risk factor for a number of serious illnesses, including multiple sclerosis, type 1 diabetes and rheumatoid arthritis, according to researchers from the United Kingdom and Canada.


In the study, Sreeram Ramagopalan of Oxford University and colleagues noted there is a growing amount of evidence that vitamin D deficiency is a risk factor for a wide range of diseases, but it’s not known exactly how vitamin D is involved. It has been suspected that genetics may contribute to this connection.

Vitamin D has an effect on genes through the vitamin D receptor, which binds to specific locations on the human genome to influence gene expression (the process by which a gene’s information is converted into the structures operating in a cell). In this study, the researchers mapped sites of vitamin D receptor binding — information that can be used to identify disease-related genes that might be influenced by vitamin D.

The investigators found that vitamin D receptor binding is significantly enhanced in regions of the human genome associated with several common autoimmune diseases, such as multiple sclerosis, type 1 diabetes and Crohn’s disease, and in regions associated with cancers such as leukemia and colorectal cancer.

The findings, published in the Aug. 23 online edition of the journal Genome Research, highlight the serious risks associated with vitamin D deficiency, especially for people who may be genetically predisposed to be sensitive to vitamin D deficiency, the study authors explained in a news release from Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory.

“Considerations of vitamin D supplementation as a preventative measure for these diseases are strongly warranted,” Ramagopalan stated in the news release.

People should consume between 200 and 600 international units of vitamin D daily, according to a U.S. Institute of Medicine guideline, and the American Academy of Pediatrics recommends 400 international units daily. The U.S. guideline is currently under review, and many experts have called for an increase in the recommended intake levels.

Exposure to sunlight triggers the body to naturally produce vitamin D, although it can be hard to get enough in some regions during certain parts of the year. Vitamin D is also found in certain foods, such as fish, cheese, egg yolks and fortified milk and breakfast cereals.

Nicotine Can Fuel Breast Cancer, Study Suggests

Nicotine may directly promote the development of breast cancer by binding to a certain cell receptor, says a new study.

Many chemicals in tobacco are believed to be carcinogens but little is known about how nicotine might contribute to cancer cell growth. What is known is that when nicotine binds to the nicotinic acetylcholine receptor (nAChR), it promotes smoking addiction.


In this study, Taiwanese researchers analyzed 276 breast tumor samples to determine whether subunits of nAChR were overproduced in breast cancer cells compared with surrounding normal cells.

The researchers found that breast cancer cells consistently overproduced the alpha 9 subunit of nAChR (a9-nAChR) and that production of this subunit was higher in advanced-stage breast cancer than in early-stage cancer. They then conducted laboratory tests that showed reducing levels of a9-nAChR inhibited tumor growth, while increasing levels of the subunit or treating more normal breast cells with nicotine led to the development of cancer characteristics.

“These results imply that receptor-mediated carcinogenic signals play a decisive role in biological functions related to human breast cancer development,” concluded Yuan-Soon Ho, of the Taipei Medical University, and colleagues in a news release from the Journal of the National Cancer Institute, which published the study online.

Slowed Reflexes in Aging Could Be Due to Brain Changes

Breakdowns in brain connections may be the reason why your physical response times slow as you age, a new study has found.

The decline occurs in an area of the brain called the corpus callosum, which helps regulate “cross-talk” between the two sides of the brain, said lead author Rachael Seidler, an associate professor in the School of Kinesiology and psychology department at the University of Michigan.


Normally, one side of the brain controls movement on the opposite side of the body. For example, the left side of the brain controls movement on the right side of the body.

But when regulation of cross-talk between the two sides of the brain starts to break down with age, both sides of the brain talk simultaneously while one side of the body tries to move, resulting in slower response times, the researchers explained.

Seidler and colleagues studied the response times and brain activity of adults aged 65 to 75 as they used computer joysticks, and compared them to a group of 20-25 year olds.

They also used a functional MRI to image the blood-oxygen levels in different parts of the brain, as a measurement of brain activity in the older group.

“The more they recruited the other side of the brain, the slower they responded,” Seidler said in a University of Michigan news release.

The study was published online recently in the journal Frontiers in Systems Neuroscience.

Study Suggests Link Between Diet Sodas, Preterm Delivery

Could drinking one or more artificially sweetened, carbonated diet sodas a day boost a woman’s odds of premature delivery? A new study from Denmark suggests such a link.

The researchers looked at the soft drink habits of nearly 60,000 Danish women enrolled in a national study there from 1996 to 2002.


The investigators found a link between the intake of diet carbonated drinks and, to a lesser extent, diet noncarbonated drinks and delivering a baby early.

The study is published online and in the September print issue of the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.

In the report, the researchers conclude: “Daily intake of artificially sweetened soft drinks may increase the risk of preterm delivery.”

The researchers defined preterm as delivering before 37 weeks’ gestation. They categorized the women into groups depending on beverage drinking habits: those who never drank soft drinks or those who drank less than one per week, one to six per week, one each day, two or three per day, or four or more daily.

In all, 4.6 percent of the women delivered early, and one-third of those deliveries were medically induced.

The team found no association between the premature delivery and the intake of carbonated drinks sweetened with sugar.

However, compared with those who never drank the beverages, women who downed four or more diet (artificially sweetened) carbonated drinks a day were 78 percent more likely to deliver early than women who never drank the beverages. And those who had four or more diet, noncarbonated drinks daily were 29 percent more likely to deliver early.

Those who had one or more carbonated diet drinks a day were 38 percent more likely to deliver early.

Why the diet drinks, especially, were linked with early delivery is not known, but the researchers speculate that the link may be driven by high blood pressure disorders in pregnancy. They note that other studies have found a link between soft drinks and high blood pressure in non-pregnant women.

The beverage industry took exception to the findings.

In a statement, Beth Hubrich of the Calorie Control Council said: “As a dietitian (and mom) I am deeply concerned that this information may unduly alarm pregnant women. The overwhelming majority of scientific literature shows that low-calorie sweeteners are safe for use in pregnancy.”

The study also doesn’t prove cause-and-effect, Maureen Story, senior vice president for science policy at the American Beverage Association, said in a statement. ”The authors themselves acknowledge the fact that their findings cannot demonstrate cause-and-effect,” she said.

But other experts said pregnant women may want to take heed of the study results. In a statement, Shelley McGuire of the American Society of Nutrition, said the findings “may be really important in terms of preventing premature births, especially those that are medically induced by a woman’s health care provider.”

She suggests pregnant women focus on water, juices and milk.

And in a statement, Dr. Alan R. Fleischman, medical director of the March of Dimes, said that “pregnant women should eat smart and make sure that most of their food choices are healthy ones. Artificially sweetened drinks don’t make most lists of healthy foods. As the authors point out, additional research is needed to understand the impact of these beverages on pregnancy and fetal development. Until that is clear, it is prudent for pregnant women to drink these beverages in moderation. They also should discuss with their doctors their risk of preterm birth and the signs and symptoms of preterm labor. “

Antibiotics Now Recommended Before C-Sections

Pregnant women about to undergo a cesarean delivery should be given antibiotics right before the procedure to help prevent infections, the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists now recommends.

Infection is the most common complication of cesarean delivery and occurs in 10 percent to 40 percent of women who have the procedure, compared with 1 percent to 3 percent of women who deliver vaginally, according to the college.

A Little Drinking Cuts Death Risk for Older Adults

While the debate over the possible health benefits of drinking continues to bubble, a new study finds that abstainers and heavy drinkers have a higher mortality risk than moderate drinkers.

“This fascinating, detailed and very meticulous study approached the well-established association between moderate alcohol intake and health benefits with a skeptical eye,” said Dr. David L. Katz, director of the Prevention Research Center at Yale Medical School, who was not involved in the study.

Obama to Appeal Stem Cell Ruling

U.S. scientists reacted with dismay to Monday’s decision by a U.S. judge to halt any expansion of stem cell research using federal funds.

The temporary injunction, which basically blindsided the scientific community, effectively takes embryonic stem cell research back to the pre-2001 days. That was when then-President George W. Bush ordered that federal monies could only be used to fund research involving embryonic stem cell lines created before 2001.

Health Care Gap May Raise Rates of Colorectal Cancer Death in Blacks

Unequal health care may explain why black colorectal cancer patients have a much higher death rate than white patients, a new U.S. study suggests.

Researchers analyzed national colorectal cancer death rates between 1960 and 2005. During that time, there was a 54 percent reduction in deaths among white women and only a 14 percent reduction among black women.

Short-Term Overeating Could Make Long-Term Weight Loss Tougher

If you think a few weeks of slothful behavior and caloric overindulgence can be easily worked off at the gym, think again.

New Swedish research suggests that just a month’s worth of unhealthy living changes physiology, making piled-on fat even harder to lose.

Chronic Drinking Linked to Circadian Disruptions

Chronic drinking can disrupt production of the genes that control the body’s daily biological (circadian) rhythms, leading to problems such as sleep disruption and mood changes, new research reports.

The researchers compared blood samples from 22 male alcoholics and 12 healthy men and found that the circadian clock genes in the alcoholic patients had significantly lower levels of an RNA molecule (known as messenger ribonucleic acid) that helps to manufacture proteins.

In Some Patients, Hypertension Meds Raise Blood Pressure

Popular prescription medications taken to control hypertension may actually boost blood pressure in a “statistically significant” percentage of patients, researchers report.

The warning stems from a new study appearing in the online edition of the American Journal of Hypertension. The research involved 945 New York City residents participating in a program designed to control high blood pressure in the workplace from 1981 to 1998.

Biosynthetic Corneas Show Promise in Transplants

Swedish scientists report that they’ve successfully implanted “biosynthetic” corneas in 10 patients, potentially paving the way for more accessible treatment for those with cornea-related vision problems.

“The patients’ own cells and nerves grew back, and there was an overall improvement in vision,” said study co-author May Griffith.

Are The Eggs in Your Fridge Safe to Eat ?

If you’re like millions of Americans, the recent news of a massive egg recall due to salmonella contamination has probably made you refrain from ordering “sunny side up” the past couple of weeks.

But now some time has passed, and you’re starting to crave an omelette. So you’re wondering: Is it safe to eat the eggs languishing in your fridge or are you inviting a bout of vomiting and stomach cramps?

Link Between Diabetes, Alzheimer’s Disease Strengthened

Two of the most common and dreaded illnesses in America may share a connection, with new research suggesting that having insulin resistance or type 2 diabetes raises your risk of developing the brain plaques associated with Alzheimer’s disease.

After adjusting for other risk factors, the Japanese study found that people with the highest levels of fasting insulin had nearly six times the odds of having plaque deposits between nerves in the brain, compared to people with the lowest levels of fasting insulin.

How to Get a Beautiful Butt

Get your rear in gear for shorts season with this super shape-up plan from Wendy Larkin, who leads the Belly, Butt, and Thighs Bootcamp at Crunch in San Francisco. Do this 10-minute routine 3 times a week for 8 weeks to sculpt a tighter, better-toned derriere—and trim up to 2 inches off your hips and thighs to boot! Begin with feet hip-width apart, knees bent, and a 3- to 5-pound dumbbell in each hand. Leaning forward slightly for balance, hop, crossing your left leg in front of your right while lifting your right leg back. At the same time, extend your right arm in front of your left knee while reaching your left arm slightly back, as if skating. Jump back to starting position, and repeat on the opposite side; that’s 1 rep. Do 3 sets of 10 reps.

Trainer tip: Instead of simply bending your lifted leg, actively squeeze your heel in toward your butt.A. (far left) Start in a shallow lunge with your right foot forward and left foot back, resting on a low step or stack of books (left knee should be slightly bent) and holding a 3- to 5-pound dumbbell overhead between both hands.

B. (bottom right) Slowly lean forward over your leg, bending your right knee to deepen the lunge. Squeeze your butt as you return to starting position. Do 10–15 reps, then switch sides and repeat. Do 3 sets.

Trainer tip: Use your core to move your upper body down and up. you should feel it in your abs, not your lower back.With feet hip-width apart, slowly lower into a half-squat, keeping knees over toes. Raise right knee to hip level, then extend right leg to the side, straightening left leg as you push out through your right heel. Pull right knee in, and return to starting position. Do 10 reps; switch sides, and repeat. Do 3 sets.

Trainer tip: To help with balance and make the move even more effective, squeeze your butt as you lift your leg.A. (far left) Stand with your feet together, holding a 5- to 8-pound dumbbell in your right hand. Bend your left knee slightly to raise your foot ankle-high.

B. (bottom right) Keeping your back flat, hinge forward from your hips and lower the dumbbell toward floor, going as low as you can go without rounding your back. Your right leg will sweep slightly behind you. Return to the starting position, and keep your right foot raised. Do 10–15 reps, then switch sides, and repeat. Do 3 sets.

Trainer tip: Remember to squeeze your butt as you lower and lift your chest.

Szechuan Spicy Eggplant

The versatile veggie does a whole lot more than add color to your plate—it contains plenty of vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants. Enjoy it roasted or raw in these simple yet sensational recipes.

Szechuan Spicy Eggplant

This perfectly seasoned side dish combines mild eggplant with contrasting sweet and salty flavors.

Ingredients: Japanese eggplant, low-sodium chicken broth, brown sugar, low-sodium soy sauce, mirin, balsamic vinegar, chili-garlic paste, vegetable oil, garlic, ginger, ground pork, salt

Calories: 155

America’s Healthiest: 10 "Vices" That Are Actually Good for You

Permission granted

By Susannah Felts and Jeannie Kim

You can officially stop feeling guilty about those little “bad-for-you” habits you can’t seem to break. Turns out, many of life’s greatest indulgences bring big health benefits—helping you stay slim, fight off the blues, and kick disease to the curb. And we’ve got the 10 best right here, conveniently ranked by Health’s expert panelists.

Start at the top of the list to get the most bang for your healthy buck, and keep moving on down to learn how to boost your well-being in the most decadent ways possible.

Molly Sims: Fab for Fall

You think you’d feel self-conscious around a supermodel style expert. And yet meeting with 37-year-old Molly Sims—who rose to fame as a model for Sports Illustrated and Victoria’s Secret and a host of MTV’s “House of Style”—leads to anything but.

In her easy Kentucky accent, Molly talks work and play: how she’s recently added jewelry designer to her résumé with her new line Grayce by Molly Sims, why her strict workout regimen lets her not stress about what she eats, and what she’s most grateful for.

Q: You’re a believer in healthy eating, right?
A: I think I’ve done every crazy diet there was in the beginning, but it’s weird: I’m thinner now than I was when I was modeling. I don’t obsess about it. I have a really strict regimen of exercise, so I pretty much can eat what I want…but, no, I hate saying that.

Q: Because then people think you’re just eating pizza and chocolate cake.
A: ’Cause I’m not. No, I work out for an hour to an hour-and-a-half, five to six days a week, hardcore. I mean, my butt was up at 7:30 this morning and at [the studio of trainer] Tracy Anderson to work out at 8. They’re great, they push you.

Q: You’re from Kentucky. Is there anything about you that speaks of that?
A: I still love red velvet cake. My mom FedExes a red velvet cake she makes from scratch to me every birthday. And she walked four miles a day for 25 years. She always said, you should take care of yourself, you shouldn’t let yourself go. That’s a very Southern thing. I can remember watching her doing Jack LaLanne on the back of a chair, for sure! The apple doesn’t fall far from the tree.

Q: What do you do to feel healthy?
A: I watch my wheat intake. I drink a hot lemon water when I wake up. It cleanses your palate. And I dry brush, which is great for your circulation. Oh my God, it’s amazing.

Q: You’re full of great health tips!
A: I should have a blog! If you want to get into a dress, watch your salt intake for three days. Don’t down soy sauce and sushi. I think if more people were healthy, they’d have
a better outlook on life.

Eating Smart for Your Whole Body

Eating well just got easier: Simply match these good-for-you foods to your body parts.
Here’s why: We knew there was a reason that our breasts resemble melons! Oranges and melons are rich in immune-boosting vitamin C, and some studies indicate that a C-heavy diet (from food, not supplements) helps prevent breast cancer.Bok choy is an excellent source of calcium, a mineral that’s essential for keeping bones strong and dense. And rhubarb, another bony-looking veggie, is rich in vitamin K, which helps activate three proteins involved in bone health and increases bone-mineral density.An Italian study found that women whose diets included a lot of olive oil had a 30% lower risk of ovarian cancer. The reasons are unclear, but the healthy fats in the oil may help suppress genes predisposed to causing cancer.Walnuts, with their funky lobe-like shape, are a great source of essential omega-3 fatty acids, which help brain cells communicate with each other and are essential to cognitive performance, memory, and nerve health.Carrots are rich in beta-carotene, which the body converts to vitamin A. Your eyes need A to maintain the health of the cells in your corneas, the transparent tissue that covers the eye and protects it from germs, dust, inflammation, and infection. Is it any wonder, then, that a sliced carrot reveals concentric circles that look like your pupil and iris? Red and purple grapes (along with other dark fruits and vegetables) contain flavonoids, which experts say protect against heart disease, as well as cancer and brain-aging. A recent study from the University of Michigan also found that the heart-shaped clusters of fruit may help control your blood pressure.Pancreas-shaped sweet potatoes release sugars gradually into the bloodstream. That means they don’t stress the organ, which helps regulate blood-sugar levels.