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America's Worst Supermarket Foods
There may be no place on the planet more daunting than the American supermarket.
By David Zinczenko and Matt Goulding, Men's Health

From the produce section to the frozen-food aisle, the modern-day market is loaded with 50,000 food choices, all vying for your hard-earned money. That's why we created the Eat This, Not That! Supermarket Survival Guide, the brand-new follow-up to our national bestselling nutrition books that will help you cut through marketing mysteries and food-label lies in order to make the smart choices that lead to fast and permanent weight loss for you and your loved ones.

And there's no better way to start slimming down in 2009 than by eliminating the most egregious offenders in the supermarket from your shopping cart. Some are conspicuous calorie bombs, others are junk food masquerading as healthy food, but all 20 of these foods have one thing in common: They'll undermine your efforts to lose weight and feel great. So study up on the list of the Worst Supermarket Foods (and while you're at it, don't forget the 20 Worst Restaurant Foods in America), and resolve to master your market in 2009.

20. WORST CRUNCHY SNACK

Gardetto's Special Request Roasted Garlic Rye Chips (1/2 cup, 30 g)

160 calories
10 g fat (2 g saturated, 2.5 g trans)
40 mg sodium
Gardetto extracts the worst part of its Original snack mix and tries to serve it as a gourmet snack—a sneaky move that might have serious repercussions for even casual munchers. Each single serving exceeds the amount of trans fat deemed safe to consume daily by the American Heart Association.

Fat equivalent: 3 strips of bacon

Eat This Instead: Snyder's of Hanover Sourdough Nibblers (16 pieces, 30 g)

120 calories
0 g fat
200 mg sodium
19. WORST COOKIE

Pillsbury Big Deluxe Classics White Chunk Macadamia Nut (dough; 1 cookie, 38 g)

180 calories
10 g fat (3 g saturated, 2 g trans)
13 g sugars
Stick to Nestlé Toll House when it comes to big-brand cookie dough; the people of Pillsbury have a penchant for scattering trans fats across your market's refrigerated section. This cookie has one load of dangerous oils mixed into the flour and another blended with sugar and interspersed throughout the dough as "white confectionery chunks."

Fat equivalent: 5 "fun" size 3 Musketeers bars

Eat This Instead:

Toll House Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough (1 1/2-inch ball, 28 g)

130 calories
6 g fat (2.5 g saturated)
11 g sugars
18. WORST YOGURT

Stonyfield Farm Whole Milk Chocolate Underground (6 oz.)

220 calories
5 g fat (3 g saturated)
36 g sugars
Stonyfield is notorious for being a little too generous with the sugar, but the nearly 3 tablespoons in their Chocolate Underground is bad even by their supersweet standards. Not even Ben & Jerry's makes a flavor of ice cream with this much sugar. (Check out the rest of America's Most-Sugar Packed Foods.)

Sugar equivalent: 4 Cherry Popsicles

Eat This Instead:

Breyers Cookies n'Cream YoCrunch Lowfat with Oreo Pieces (6 oz.)

120 calories
2.5 g fat (1 g saturated)
11 g sugars
17. WORST CANDY

Twix (1 package, 2 oz.)

280 calories
27 g sugars
14 g fat (11 g saturated)
Twix takes the already-dubious candy-bar reputation and drags it through a murky pool of saturated fat. With more than half the USDA's daily consumption recommendation for these dangerous fats in each package, this is one hazardous after-lunch snack.

Saturated fat equivalent: 11 strips of bacon

Eat This Instead:

100 Grand (1 package)

190 calories
22 g sugars
8 g fat (5 g saturated)
16. WORST CONDIMENT

Eggo Original Syrup (1/4 c)

240 calories
40 g sugars
Breakfast is the most important meal of the day, but not when this sugar slick hits the table. Excluding water, the first three ingredients are all different forms of sugar. If you want real syrup, make sure it's 100 percent maple.

Sugar equivalent: Two Häagen-Dazs Vanilla & Almond ice cream bars

Eat This Instead:

Smucker's Sugar Free Breakfast Syrup (1/4 c)

20 calories
0 g sugars

15. WORST ICE CREAM

Häagen-Dazs Chocolate Peanut Butter (1/2 c)

360 calories
24 g sugars
24 g fat (11 g saturated)
Häagen-Dazs makes great-tasting ice cream with an impressively short ingredient list, but that doesn't make up for the fact that their pints are consistently the fattiest in the freezer.

Fat equivalent: 1 McDonald's Double Cheeseburger

Eat This Instead:

Edy's Slow Churned Peanut Butter Cup (1/2 c)

130 calories
13 g sugars
6 g fat (3 g saturated)
14. WORST DRINK

AriZona Kiwi Strawberry (23.5 oz. can)

353 calories, 0 g fat
82 g sugars
It claims to be blended juice, but only 5 percent of this can is any sort of real-fruit derivative. The remaining 95 percent is a blend of water and high-fructose corn syrup. (Believe it or not, this pales in comparison to some of the other Unhealthiest Drinks in America.)

Sugar equivalent: 4 Original Fudgsicle Bars

Drink This Instead:

Tropicana Lime Raspberry Fruit Squeeze (15.2 oz. bottle)

35 calories, 0 g fat
7 g sugars
13. WORST "HEALTHY" PANTRY ITEM

Pop-Tarts Whole Grain Brown Sugar Cinnamon (2 pastries)

400 calories
14 g fat (4 g saturated)
5 g fiber, 28 g sugars
Whole grain ain't the whole truth. There's also a glut of vegetable oil and seven types of sugar stuffed inside.

Sugar equivalent: 1 Snickers bar

Eat This Instead:

Sun-Maid Raisin English Muffins with Cinnamon (1 muffin)

170 calories
0.5 g fat (0 g saturated)
2 g fiber, 13 g sugars
12. WORST FROZEN "HEALTHY" ENTRÉE

Healthy Choice Complete Selections Sweet & Sour Chicken (340 g)

430 calories
9 g fat (1 g saturated)
600 mg sodium
29 g sugars
Since when has fried chicken been healthy? Certainly not when it's cloaked in sugar.

Sugar equivalent: 2 scoops Breyers Reese's Peanut Butter Cup ice cream

Eat This Instead:

Kashi Southwest Style Chicken (283 g)

240 calories
5 g fat (0 g saturated)
680 mg sodium
11. WORST CEREAL

Quaker 100% Natural Granola, Oats, Honey & Raisins (1 c)

420 calories
12 g fat (7 g saturated)
6 g fiber, 30 g sugars
Granola, for all its good reputation, is usually weighed down by a deluge of added sugars. In fact, for the same amount of sugar, you could have a bowl of Cocoa Pebbles more than twice the size—and you'd get more fiber and save about 60 calories in fat.

Calorie equivalent: 8 chicken wings

Eat This Instead:

Kashi GOLEAN (1 c)

140 calories
1 g fat (0 g saturated)
10 g fiber/6 g sugars
10. WORST PACKAGED PASTA

Pasta Roni Fettuccine Alfredo (1 c prepared with 2 percent milk and margarine)

450 calories
25 g fat (7 g saturated, 3.5 g trans)
1,140 mg sodium
Once again Alfredo proves itself to be the biggest belt-busting option on the shelf.

This side has a meal's worth of calories, and if you try to turn it into a meal in itself, expect to top 1,000 calories.

Sodium equivalent: 4 medium orders of McDonald's French fries

Eat This Instead:

Pasta Roni Nature's Way Olive Oil & Italian Herb (1 c prepared with water and olive oil)

250 calories
8 g fat (1.5 g saturated)
800 mg sodium

9. WORST BAKED GOOD

Otis Spunkmeyer Banana Nut Muffins (1 muffin, 114 g)

460 calories
22 g fat (3 g saturated)
2 g fiber, 32 g sugars
Despite popular belief, muffins are very rarely healthy. Case in point: The first ingredient in this muffin is sugar. The result is metabolic mayhem: Blood sugar climbs, pancreas goes into overdrive, and the body begins storing sugar as fat. Shortly after, you'll feel sluggish and crave more sugar.

Sugar equivalent: 3 1/2 Rice Krispies Treats

Eat This Instead:

Vitalicious Apple Berry Muffin (1 muffin)

100 calories
0 g fat
5 g fiber, 10 g sugars
8. WORST FROZEN TREAT

Toll House Ice Cream Chocolate Chip Cookie Sandwich (1 sandwich)

520 calories
23 g fat (9 g saturated)
44 g sugars
Do you really want more than a quarter of your day’s calories to come from an ice-cream novelty? If you're going to take in this much fat and calories in one sitting, it better be dinner.

Calorie equivalent: Two slices of hand-tossed pepperoni pizza from Pizza Hut

Eat This Instead:

Skinny Cow Low Fat Vanilla Ice Cream Sandwich (1 sandwich)

140 calories
2 g fat (1 g saturated)
15 g sugars
7. WORST INDIVIDUAL SNACK

Hostess Chocolate Pudding Pie (1 pie)

520 calories
45 g sugars
24 g fat (14 g saturated, 1.5 g trans)
Skip past the enriched flour and water on the ingredient list and here's what you get: animal shortening, corn syrup, high-fructose corn syrup, sugar, modified corn starch, butter, chocolate liqueur, and so on. Any one of these ingredients alone might prompt you to raise an eyebrow, but taken together they should invoke a gag reflex and a sprint for something far healthier.

Saturated fat equivalent: 2 McDonald's Quarter Pounders

Eat This Instead:

Chocolatey Drizzle Rice Krispies Treat

100 calories
8 g sugars
3 g fat (1 g saturated)
6. WORST PACKAGED LUNCH

Oscar Mayer Maxed Out Turkey & Cheddar Cracker Combo Lunchables (1 package)

680 calories
61 g sugars
22 g fat (9 g saturated, 1 g trans)
1,440 mg sodium
Here's your first clue that this meal has issues: The ingredient list—in its squinty small type—is a full 4 inches long. It includes just about every form of fat and sugar you can imagine. Your child deserves better.

Calorie equivalent: 15 Chicken McNuggets

Eat This Instead:

Oscar Mayer Deli Creations Fajita Beef & Salsa Flatbread (145 g)

280 calories
9 g fat (4 g saturated)
890 mg sodium
5. WORST STIR-FRY

Bertolli Grilled Chicken Alfredo & Fettuccine Complete Skillet Meal for Two (1/2 package, 340 g)

710 calories
1,370 mg sodium
42 g fat (22 g saturated)
A dinner for two should get your blood flowing, not stuff your arteries with more than the entire day's saturated fat.

Saturated fat equivalent: 22 strips of bacon

Eat This Instead:

Birds Eye Steamfresh Meals for Two Grilled Chicken in Roasted Garlic Sauce (1/2 bag, 340 g)

340 calories
880 mg sodium
13 g fat (5 g saturated)
4. WORST FROZEN BREAKFAST

Jimmy Dean Pancake and Sausage Links Breakfast Bowls

710 calories
890 mg sodium
31 g fat (11 g saturated)
As if the calories, fat, and refined carbohydrates weren't bad enough, Jimmy D tops the whole thing with two Hershey's bars' worth of sugar.

Calorie equivalent: 6 bowls of Froot Loops

Eat This Instead:

Jimmy Dean D-lights Breakfast Bowls Turkey Sausage (198 g)

230 calories
730 mg sodium
7 g fat (3 g saturated)
3. WORST FROZEN PIZZA

DiGiorno for One Garlic Bread Crust Supreme Pizza

850 calories
1,450 mg sodium
44 g fat (15 g saturated, 3.5 g trans)
The bloated crust and the greasy toppings will saddle you with 60 percent of your day's sodium, 75 percent of your day's saturated fat, and nearly twice the amount of trans fats you should take in daily.

Calorie equivalent: 6 slices Domino's Thin'N Crispy Cheese Pizza

Eat This Instead:

South Beach Diet Deluxe Pizza

340 calories
660 mg sodium
11 g fat (4 g saturated)
2. WORST FROZEN ENTRÉE

Hungry-Man Classic Fried Chicken

1,020 calories
1,570 mg sodium
57 g fat (12 g saturated)
They should rename the company Hungry-Men, because there's no way a single man needs more than a pound of fatty fried chicken, oily potatoes, and a brownie.

Calorie equivalent: 5 Krispy Kreme Original Glazed Doughnuts

Eat This Instead:

Banquet Select Chicken Parmesan

350 calories
870 mg sodium
15 g fat (3.5 g saturated)
1. WORST PACKAGED FOOD IN AMERICA

Marie Callender's Creamy Parmesan Chicken Pot Pie

1,060 calories
1,440 mg sodium
64 g fat (24 g saturated)
Marie Callender's perpetrates the ultimate sleight of hand here: The nutrition information says this medium-size entrée has two servings, but honestly, when have you ever split a potpie? Lard-strewn pastry tops and cream-based fillings are the lowest common denominators of the nutritionally nefarious potpie, and this one, with an ingredient list that reads like an O-Chem final, beats out dozens of horrendous iterations to earn this special place on our list.

Sodium equivalent: 8 small bags of potato chips

Fat equivalent: 23 strips of bacon

Calorie equivalent: 7 Taco Bell Fresco Beef Tacos

Eat This Instead:

Marie Callender's Oven Baked Chicken (369 g)

320 calories
990 mg sodium
12 g fat (3 g saturated)

4 Body Quirks, Solved
Sometimes it's the little things that make getting older a drag. We show you how to get rid of skin tags, dry mouth, and more.
By Chris Woolston, Prevention

You do right by your body, and in return you expect it to behave—but as the years go by, it can start to rebel and embarrass you on a regular basis. From excess gas to skin tags, these minor physical betrayals don't threaten your health, but they can present major challenges to your self-esteem and body image and make you feel older than you are. Fortunately, there are quick, easy solutions to these grating annoyances.

Dry mouth

Got a sandpaper tongue? Experts say a seriously dry mouth affects more than half of people over 65. That's bad news, because saliva does more than moisten your food—it also slows the growth of bacteria that cause tooth decay and bad breath. In fact, due to declining production of saliva, people in their 60s are twice as likely to develop cavities as people in their 30s.

Suck on sugarless candy to stimulate your salivary glands and lubricate your mouth. If you drink plenty of water throughout the day (8 glasses or more) and still feel cotton-mouthed, talk to your doctor: Your meds may be to blame, says Matthew Messina, D.D.S., a Cleveland-area dentist and the consumer advisor for the American Dental Association. There are 400 different drugs—including commonly prescribed blood pressure medications and anti-depressants—that can leave you parched, he says. Switching to a different med could turn the spigots back on.

Spider veins

These small tangles of red or blue blood vessels—usually seen on the legs and face—are skin-deep and, like their namesakes, spindly and not so welcome. About 50 percent of all women get spider veins, which are mini versions of varicose veins and can be caused by genetics, prolonged standing, or even sun exposure.

Spider veins can be easily erased by a dermatologist, but the procedures can be expensive, so try to prevent these veins from occurring in the first place: Elevate your legs when resting, walk or run regularly to improve circulation in your legs, and avoid too-tight pants, shorts, and undergarments. Medical support stockings can also help ward off spider veins. (FootSmart sells a variety of different styles, ranging from $5 to $15; go to footsmart.com and click on "Circulation Therapy.")

To eliminate a spider vein, a doctor will inject it with a solution—either concentrated saltwater, a special detergent, or another tonic—to make it shrink. The procedure, called sclerotherapy, may cause some bruising or discoloration, and you may need several sessions ($400 or more per visit). For small spider veins on the face, lasers work well and are the best remedy (cost: $2,000-plus per laser treatment).

Skin tags

A little pouch of flesh dangling by a thin stalk ... what in the name of dermatology is going on? Skin tags, which affect one in four adults, pop up in early to late middle age and seem to thrive in places where skin rubs against skin—around the eyelids, neck, or armpits or under breasts.

Using special scissors, a dermatologist can snip off a tag with no scarring and very little pain, says Jenny Kim, M.D., Ph.D., associate professor of medicine and dermatology at UCLA. If the stalk is too short for that procedure, an electric probe can burn off the whole tag—a technique called electrocauterization—with minimal discomfort or bleeding. Cryotherapy (freezing) is another option. Just don't attempt DIY skin surgery at home, says Kim. You could cause very real pain, as well as scarring and infection. Besides, a doctor should check any growth to rule out skin cancer.

Flatulence

Digestion typically slows with age, giving bacteria extra time to transform your meals into hydrogen and methane. The gas itself may not behave as discreetly as it once did, either; in an older person, it tends to build up in the lower colon before making a sometimes rapid and noisy escape, says Karen Hall, M.D., Ph.D., an associate professor of medicine at the University of Michigan who specializes in geriatrics and gastroenterology. "There isn't necessarily more gas," she says, "but there's a higher potential for embarrassment."

Gas-producing foods such as beans, cabbage, and broccoli are healthful, so don't cut back too much. Try probiotics, gut-friendly bacteria available in supplements and foods like yogurt, kefir, and tempeh. A 2005 Mayo Clinic study of 48 patients found that taking probiotics containing acidophilus and bifidobacterium bacteria for 4 weeks decreased flatulence and bloating.

You can also keep excess air out of your system by going easy on carbonated beverages and slowly swallowing—not gulping—your meals and drinks. And get regular exercise, which keeps things moving in your digestive system, giving bacteria in your intestines less time to make gas.

Starting Our Nest Egg
We're broke: Should my wife sell her eggs to an infertile couple?
Posted Thursday, Feb. 26, 2009, at 6:47 AM ET

From "Dear Prudence"
(Questions may be edited.)

Dear Prudie,
My wife and I have been married for a thoroughly enjoyable three years, but we've recently fallen on hard times. At nearly 30, I now realize becoming a screenwriter should be Plan B, although I still have to find Plan A. My wife is a 24-year-old student. We'd like to start a family but can't for a few years. She has suggested egg donation. From the various listings, it sounds like we could make $6,000-8,000 per shot. As she sees it, we'd be helping a determined couple have a family, we could use the money, and she's just "flushing them down the toilet every month" anyway. Any child would be lucky to share her genes—she's smart and gorgeous. But I have concerns. First, I think these hopeful parents should consider adopting. Second, despite the technicalities, I have a hard time seeing her eggs merely as genetic material. Part of me feels that since any child that results from this would be half my wife, I would feel a sense of responsibility for it and its well-being. What should we do?

—Leggo My Eggo

Dear Leggo,
Obviously, your gametes can't get you out of your financial hole. Sperm are a dime a dozen, but, oh, those golden eggs. You need to consider this step carefully because it will have implications for the rest of your lives. However, since the whole point of this exercise is that the recipient family gets to raise the child, you can stop worrying about that obligation. Also on the plus side, your wife might be the answer to an infertile couple's prayers. Egg donation is a low-risk but intrusive process, and there is the possibility of complications. This report(1) has information about the medical issues. There has been little research on the psychological impact of egg donation, but this study(2) looks at donors' mental state (generally fine) two years later. It used to be that egg and sperm donation was kept secret by the recipients. But the legal and cultural world of assisted reproduction is in flux, and as this report(3) shows, opinion is shifting toward telling the child about his or her beginnings. This article(4) describes how "donor conception is creating new family forms"—radically extending the notion of extended family. So you have to consider that one day triplets might ring the doorbell wanting to meet their biological mother. (This might be the basis for a movie, but I agree you should get out of the screenwriting business.) I can't make a decision for the two of you. But as you think through this possibility, your wife needs to do more than shrug and say egg donation is simply a lucrative alternative to flushing the toilet.

—Prudie

(1) http://www.health.state.ny.us/community/reproductive_health/infertility/eggdonor.htm

(2) http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/news/fullstory_73227.html

(3) http://adoptioninstitute.org/publications/2009_02_OldLessons.pdf

(4) http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/02/090223221352.htm

not really heath care but friend care, or I guess mental care

How to Spot a Real-Life Vampire
Twilight's Edward Cullen puts his life at stake to save his love, but many mortals are not so kind. They may not have visible fangs or a fear of sunlight, but there are certain types of people who suck up your time, money and love. Cosmo IDs the toxic villains who make your blood boil.

By Ashley Womble

The Buddy Thief
She's a new acquaintance who hijacks your social life by befriending all of your pals.

How to spot:
She only wants to go out with you if you're getting an amazing group together. You suddenly notice a ton of your friends on her Facebook page. You hear from your girls that she's invited them to dinners and parties — and hasn't included you.

The Flaky Friend with Benefits
He's lurking in your life — soaking up your love and affection — but refuses to commit.

How to spot:
You only see him after dark. You don't know what his voice sounds like on the phone. The only meal you've ever shared is late-night pizza.

The Clingy Coworker
Her constant need for help and reassurance tests your patience.

How to spot:
She appears to only be able to speak in interrogative sentences, such as, "How do I do that?" and "Where is the copier, again?" You're constantly having to tell her, "No, the boss doesn't hate you," and "No, you're not getting fired." When she can't manage to complete a project, it magically lands on your desk.

The Mooch
This friend drains your bank account by taking advantage of your generosity.

How to spot:
When she invites you over for dinner, you somehow wind up bringing the main dish, salad, and wine. At bars, she often claims to have forgotten her ATM card at home. You tell her she can crash on your couch for a week between apartments, and she's still there three months later.

The Drama Queen
Empathizing with her takes up nearly all of your time and energy.

How to spot:
She always writes "911" text messages to be sure you will call her immediately. It doesn't feel like a normal conversation unless she breaks down in tears at least once. She asks for your advice and then promptly does the exact opposite.

The High-Maintenance Boyfriend
This dude likes to be doted on and insists on monopolizing your attention at all times.

How to spot:
He doesn't know how to turn on the oven. He thinks foreplay is a one-way street that leads to his p***s. He insists you hang out with his friends, and then won't so much as talk to yours.

America's Portion Distortion
8 foods you're likely over-indulging in without realizing it.
By Coeli Carr

When you pile food on your plate, do you have any idea how many calories you've signed up for? Do you calculate the recommended serving size by checking out the label or back-of-box nutrient information? Or do you tend to guess?

The recommended serving sizes of certain mainstays on the family menu are often much smaller than you think, so it's easy to become oblivious to the amount of food you and your loved ones are eating. Here are eight foods with suggested serving sizes that may surprise you—plus some health consequences of such portion distortion.

Pizza

Do the math: Even the most disciplined eaters have difficulty keeping their pizza intake to one slice. But even one slice of cheese pizza may be a dietary liability. Each contains about 12 fat grams and approximately 300 calories—or more, depending on the amount and types of cheese, and the size of the slice. Cheese has a fair amount of saturated fat, which is unhealthy for the heart, says Joan Salge Blake, M.S., R.D., a clinical associate professor of nutrition at Boston University and author of the college textbook Nutrition & You (Benjamin Cummings, 2007). And, she adds, many people just nibble off the cheese and sauce and leave the crusts, so they feel less full. "It's the equivalent of eating a cheese meal," says Blake.

The fix: Have a salad before you start eating the pizza, suggests Blake, who cites research showing that eating a salad with light dressing before a meal may help you reduce the calories of the main part of your meal by about 10 percent. And, if you're eating out, she recommends you finish your salad—which probably will have helped sate your hunger—before placing your pizza order. You may then find that one slice, ideally topped with vegetables, is all you need. Making pizza at home, preferably with whole-grain dough and a generous amount of oven-roasted veggies to add flavor, is the best way to keep calories and fat low. Blake recommends you top it with a minimal amount of reduced-fat mozzarella or other cheese.

Salad dressing

Do the math: One of our favorite types of salad dressing is the blue cheese variety. Unfortunately, the typical serving size of two tablespoons of this dressing—which many people might consider minuscule—contains 16 fat grams, says Carol Byrd-Bredbenner, Ph.D., R.D., a professor of nutrition at Rutgers University. In other words, she says, 94 percent of the calories from this dressing are from fat.

"High fat intake is a risk factor for cardiovascular disease and obesity," she says. "This raises blood lipid levels, and fat can be deposited into arteries over time."

The fix: The ideal, says Byrd-Bredbenner, is to stick with low-fat dressings. However, if you're crazy about the blue cheese variety, you can combine low-fat and full-fat varieties together. Better yet, she says, is to make your own blue cheese dressing, using a very minimal amount of the high-fat ingredients. "Aim simply for flavor and not pieces of cheese," she says.

Ice cream

Do the math: The standard serving size for ice cream is half a cup. But, Blake asks, how many people actually get four portions out of a pint, or 16 servings out of a half-gallon container? The danger, she says, is how quickly the calories add up. A half-cup serving of chocolate ice cream contains about 150 calories, she says. And, she notes, choosing a reduced-fat ice cream doesn't always solve the problem. "Because it's 'light,' people think they can eat more of it, and they often do," she says. "Even though the fat is reduced, the ice cream will still contain a fair amount of calories, so over time, you put yourself at risk for obesity."

With ice cream, the eye is easily fooled, she says. A study published in 2006 revealed that the participants who had chosen larger bowls unwittingly served themselves one-third more ice cream. People using larger serving spoons also dished out more of the sweet treat.

The fix: To help keep portions in check, buy an ice cream scoop, says Blake, or a small cup that will allow you to keep its contents to half a cup. Another trick, she suggests, is to fill an 8-ounce cup—a recycled yogurt container will do—halfway with ice cream, and then top it off with fresh fruit, such as low-calorie berries. And use common sense: "Don't use the ice cream container as your bowl," she says.

Orange juice

Do the math: Orange juice is one breakfast staple just about everyone can agree on. But, Blake says, many people tend to consume too much because it's perceived as a healthy drink full of vitamins and phytonutrients. While it's high in vitamin C, a typical eight-ounce serving contains about 112 calories, which can add up over time. And a recent study conducted at Rutgers University noted that a typical portion of orange juice has increased by 40 percent compared to 20 years ago.

Better to keep your OJ intake to one cup daily, and satisfy your fruit intake the rest of the time with whole fruit, including fresh, frozen or canned, says Blake. Whole fruit contains fiber, which makes for a more satisfying and filling snack, she says.

The fix: "Don't guzzle out of the container!" advises Blake, who suggests pouring a small amount of juice—an ounce or two at a time—into water or sparkling water, which you can then sip slowly.

Soft drinks

Do the math: The typical eight-ounce serving of soft drink, such as cola, contains 95 calories and 24 grams of sugar, says Byrd-Bredbenner. But who guzzles just one cup?

Fast-food establishments regularly dispense 64-ounce containers filled with these beverages. But even a 32-ounce serving adds up to 96 sugar grams, which can significantly promote weight gain if consumed regularly. "Increased weight gain increases the risk of type 2 diabetes, heart disease and certain types of cancer," she says, noting that tooth decay is another possible consequence.

The fix: "Drink water. It's calorie free!" says Byrd-Bredbenner. If you prefer your beverages flavored, you have healthful and tasty options. Add lemon juice, or a little fruit juice, such as pomegranate, to regular or sparkling water, she says. Or try naturally flavored waters (read the label and avoid those with sugar, corn syrup or other sweeteners; experts say many commercially available flavored waters are high in empty calories). Buying diet soda, or diluting soft drinks with sparkling water, are other options.

If you don't want to give up high-caloric soft drinks, buy smaller containers, or, if you're at home or in your office, try pouring it into eight-ounce cups. Here's a handy do-it-yourself tip for a 64-ounce bottle: Mark the bottle with a marker so that you've indicated eight equal portions so you can tell when you've poured out a full serving.

White rice

Do the math: Go to a restaurant, and you're likely to receive a mound of white rice that's the equivalent of between two or three cups. Without question, people tend to eat all the white rice they've given, even if it's triple the amount they should be eating, says Connie Diekman, M.Ed., R.D., who counsels and oversees the nutritional needs of students at Washington University in St. Louis. A half-cup serving of white rice contains about 15 carbohydrate grams. Two cups boosts that to 60 grams. "Carbohydrates, whether ingested as fruits, vegetables, grains or table sugar, all end up in the body as glucose," says Diekman. "If you take in more sugar than is necessary to support bodily activities, those carbs wind up as stored fat." White rice's low fiber content—a result of removing the outer layers—is at least partly to blame. Food that's missing the healthful and filling fiber tends not to satisfy, she says.

The fix: Choose rice with veggies, suggests Diekman. She suggests starting with one cup of rice—visualize a portion the size of a baseball—and piling on either steamed, sautéed or microwaved vegetables. Experiment with flavors by adding small amounts of sauces. Then work your way to a half-cup portion of white rice no larger than half a baseball. If you're a person who likes to see the rice unmixed with other ingredients, add some color to your plate, says Diekman. "Color improves the eating experience."

Potato chips

Do the math: Those tiny one-ounce bags that fit into the palm of your hand usually don't satisfy most chip lovers. But that handful still contains 168 milligrams of sodium, which represents 4 percent of the adequate intake of between 1,200 and 1,500 milligrams for adults, says Byrd-Bredbenner. But beware when eating from a larger size bag. A six-ounce bag—which is easy to finish off in one sitting—increases your sodium total to more than 1,000 milligrams. And, in moments of weakness, who hasn't grabbed even a larger-sized bag?

"About 10 percent of the population is sodium sensitive, which means you can increase your blood pressure if you increase your sodium intake," she says, noting that high blood pressure is a risk for cardiovascular disease.

The fix: Byrd-Bredbenner suggests buying unsalted chips. You can use herbs to flavor the chips, or sprinkle a minimal amount of salt on them, or use a combination of both strategies, she says. She advises checking the label on the back of the herb products you use to make sure there's no added sodium. And, she adds, because 60 percent of calories in regular chips are from fat, it's best to buy baked chips.

For portion control, potato chip fans can divide chips from large bags into more manageable, smaller bags. Or designate a bowl specifically for chips that, when filled to the brim, holds an appropriate number of chips.

Burgers

Do the math: If the burgers you love to eat spill out over the bun, chances are the patty's too big. The dietary guideline for daily total cooked protein intake for adults is between 5 to 7 ounces, says Diekman. And, she says, even though meat shrinks during cooking, a very large burger could easily fulfill one's suggested daily total protein allotment. Fat intake is another concern—a 4-ounce cooked burger can contain as many as 20 grams, up to half of that saturated.

Use a deck of cards to visually gauge 3 ounces of cooked meat.

Diekman cites a study that looked at college students' perceptions of healthy portion sizes. Many people have either lost or never had the ability to make those assessments, she says, adding, "We eat out so frequently, that we now tend to eat larger-than-good-for-you restaurant portions at home."

The fix: If you're eating out, says Diekman, ask for a small patty, and request them broiled so the fat drips away. If small sizes are not possible, cut the burger into two portions as soon at it arrives at the table, and put one into a take-out container. Eating either soup or a salad before tackling your burger will help you feel satisfied with less meat, she says.

If you're cooking at home, choose ground beef that's more than 80 percent lean, she says, and add different ingredients—oatmeal (instead of bread crumbs), grated carrots, or fresh herbs, such as parsley or coriander—to a smaller amount of meat. Visualizing half a baseball is another way to measure about 4 ounces of meat, says Diekman.

Causes of Feeling Cold All the Time
By Howard LeWine, M.D., Harvard Health Publications

Q: I am cold all the time. Sometimes I get so cold that all I can do is take a really hot shower or bath. Then I wrap up in pajamas, a robe, and three or four blankets and just ride it out. This even happens in the summertime. I also cannot stand the wind blowing on me. It has gotten to the point where being so sensitive to the cold interferes with my work and life. What causes this problem, and what can I do?

A: While feeling colder than others around you is quite common, your symptoms are more pronounced than usual. Therefore, I would definitely suggest a visit with your doctor.

Here are some of the more common reasons for feeling colder than normal:

Low body weight. Both fat thickness and muscle mass assist in keeping us warm. Muscle activity generates heat and fat acts as insulation. If you have lost a lot of weight recently or you have always been thin, you might be sensitive to ambient temperatures that would be comfortable for most people.

Skipping meals. Some people get cold when they skip meals or take in too few calories. The body conserves energy and produces less heat in response to fasting.

Being overly tired. Not getting enough sleep and feeling tired all the time may be contributing to the cold feeling.

An underactive thyroid (hypothyroidism). Feeling cold can be a symptom of hypothyroidism. A simple blood test for TSH (thyroid stimulating hormone) can determine if you have this problem.

Low red blood cell count (anemia). While anemia can cause a person to feel colder than other people in the same room, it would be unusual for it to cause the extreme cold feeling you describe. Again, it's easy to check for anemia with a simple blood test.

Raynaud's phenomenon. The normal response to cold temperatures is to shunt blood away from the skin to keep the internal organs warm. In people with Raynaud's phenomenon, that natural response is extreme. The tiny blood vessels get severely narrowed and markedly reduce blood flow to the skin, most often in the fingers and toes. One or more digit turns white or blue, temporarily. People with Raynaud's tend to be much more sensitive to even minor drops in air temperature than other people. In addition to wearing gloves and thick socks, they need to keep their core body temperature up by wearing lots of layers of clothing.

Howard LeWine, M.D. is a clinical instructor of medicine at Harvard Medical School and practicing internist with Harvard Vanguard Medical Associates and Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston, Massachusetts. He serves as Chief Medical Editor of Internet Publishing at Harvard Health Publications.

First Kisses: The New Rules
5 secrets to ensure that first kiss is a winner!
By Sari Locker, Ph.D.

Your lips touch for the first time: The earth moves. The angels sing...or, at least, that's what you hope will happen, right? The reality is, anticipating that first smooch can be one of the most exciting and nerve-wracking moments in your dating life. So much hangs in the balance: Will your date like how you kiss? Will there be chemistry? Does this person even want to lock lips with you in the first place?

As a sexuality educator, I've helped thousands of singles and couples navigate this tricky first-kiss terrain. And don't worry, there are plenty of ways to pull it off with ease while letting your date know there's plenty more where that came from. Here's how:

Secret #1: Time it right
The most common question I get about first kisses is this: When should I do the deed? An understandable concern. No one wants to make the move too soon and get the dreaded cheek turn, and yet, wait too long and it sends the vibe you're not interested or that you lack confidence. So when should you dive in? Most women I've spoken to say it should happen on the first or second date — provided you don't wait until that very end when you're standing in their doorway. That's too predictable, awkward and likely to be framed by those "Umm, I had a really good time…" comments. Instead, go for something sexier and more spontaneous. Says Missy Barcic, of New Vernon, NJ: "A first kiss has to have something that's dynamic to it. Surprise me, catch me off guard. That's passion." And creativity, which earns bonus points, too. Women have told me about incredible kisses happening on the way into a restaurant (getting it out of the way early), across a dinner table, in a movie theater (during the opening credits), and just walking down the street, when the guy "noticed" that there was a romantic full moon overhead.

Secret #2: Guys and girls can take the lead
Some people think that it's a guy's responsibility to initiate a first kiss. But what I've heard over and over again from men is this: They love, love, love it when a woman makes the first move. "My best first kiss was when my now girlfriend just went for it. We were standing in the kitchen, getting ready to go out, and all of a sudden she just pushed me against the wall, and we sort of melted into each other," recalls Tao Nguyen, of Washington, D.C.

Guys love knowing that they're wanted, so I say, go ahead, girls, give him a break and go for it. One woman I interviewed did this with fabulous results. "After our third date, we stayed up talking until 4 am, and still no kiss!" she says. "So at the very beginning of our fourth date, I walked into his apartment, and instead of saying, 'Hello,' I kissed him and we wound up making out for hours. Sometimes I wonder if I hadn't given him that first kiss if we'd even be together today. He assures me that he would have gotten around to it, but I am glad that I took charge. It gave me kind of a rush."

Secret #3: Leave 'em wanting more
Sure, you want your first kiss to be passionate...but that doesn't mean rough or messy. As one woman put it, "The worst first kiss is an aggressive, overly wet kiss. If a guy plunges his tongue in my mouth and spreads saliva all around my mouth, I tell him that I have to be at work early in the morning to cut things short." Super-deep kissing communicates that you're overeager, which can convince someone to put on the breaks. Give the recipient some air — that way, they'll be raring for more. "The one time I kissed a guy for the first time I made sure to pull away after a few seconds," recalls one woman. "It was great, since it gave me a second to look into his eyes and silently ask, 'Is this okay? You liking this?' before we dove back in. If we hadn't hit pause, I would never have known whether he was just kissing me to not be rude."

Secret #4: You'll win points for sensuality...
While a standard first kiss can be great, the men and women I've spoken with always remember — longingly — the ones that had an extra maneuver that heightened the romance factor. Usually, these are little moves that ramp up the kiss's sensuality. For instance, Samara O'Shea of New York, NY, recalls a great first kiss in which her guy "put his index finger gently on my chin to guide my mouth toward his — it was so sexy." And Lori Conte, of Providence, RI, shares this moment: "My boyfriend first kissed me softly on my neck, worked his way up to my ear, and finally found my mouth — that pretty much blew me away." Guys also love this kind of thing: Dan Allen, of San Antonio, TX, says, "One of my best-ever first kisses was when my date gently raked her nails through my hair — that got my nerve endings revved in an unexpected way." So feel free to add a little something extra.

Secret #5: You won't win points for weirdness
While playing with your date's hair or ear may be great, please — don't go out on a limb in the name of originality. A 38-year-old married woman put it this way: "The first time my now-husband kissed me, he licked my face, kind of like a dog. I thought, What the heck is this? Believe me, I thought twice about ever seeing this guy again… I still tease him about it today by calling him 'puppy lips.'"

So there are two lessons to this story: Originality isn't always a good thing when it comes to first kisses, but — if there's enough of a connection there — even the worst of first kisses can be forgiven.

Sari Locker is a sex educator, TV commentator and author of the bestseller,The Complete Idiot's Guide to Amazing Sex. She was the host of Late Date with Sari on Lifetime Television; she has an M.S. in Sexuality Education and an M.A. in Developmental Psychology. Her website is www.sarilocker.com.

Live off the land -- in the city
Wild greens, mushrooms, fruit and even fish and game can be harvested in America's urban jungles. Dandelion salad, anyone? Or some batter-fried squirrel?
By Donna Freedman

Feeling squeezed at the supermarket? Maybe you should be looking for food in the parking lot, or in your neighbor's yard.

We're talking dandelions, feral mushrooms, gleaned fruit, local fish or even those wascally wabbits that overrun city greenbelts. Ingenuity plus a little sweat equity can put fresh, healthful food on the table and possibly provide other benefits as well: exercise, relaxation and a different way of looking at your neighborhood.

For example:

Chauncey Niziol fishes for bass and bluegills in downtown Chicago.

Steven Rinella traps squirrels and catches pigeons in Brooklyn, N.Y.

Jeff Yeager harvests shoots from bamboo that grows in his suburban Washington, D.C., yard.

Katy Kolker harvests tree fruit that otherwise would have rotted in Portland, Ore.

"Radical ecologist" Nance Klehm plucks salads out of city sidewalks and leads urban foraging walks around her home city of Chicago. A few clients are survivalists, she says, or foodies who are looking for "unusual tastes." But most are simply "curious about the world around them." Foraging is "about a connection and an interaction with an environment," she says.

Chowing down on chickweed
According to her Spontaneous Vegetation Web site, Klehm grows or forages nearly everything she eats. The wild greens she harvests are what most people would think of as weeds: wood sorrel, mallow, chickweed, wild mustard and the like. Some can be eaten only at certain times of the year; dandelions, for example, are best when very young.

Klehm recommends using wild plants in moderation at first, because their flavors can be strong. Besides, "if you don't have a very flexible or curious palate, you might not find them tasty" in large quantities.

Urban farms: US cities get their green on

What's most important, however, is knowing what you're eating. The difference between the right plant and a look-alike is the difference between a nice salad and a trip to an emergency room. Where you find your food is important, too, because you could be sickened by food from polluted soils or waterways.

Klehm recommends buying a reputable field guide to local flora. It's also smart to seek out community-college classes or local plant walks; if neither exists, get a group of like-minded folks together and pay a local botanist to educate you on what and where to pick. Keep that field guide handy whenever you go out on your own, though.

Mushrooms, bamboo and ferns, oh my
Books by the late naturalist Euell Gibbons introduced Yeager, aka "The Ultimate Cheapskate," to wild edibles. Yeager, who grew up in Ohio and now lives about 20 miles south of Washington, doesn't harvest as many wild things as he once did. But he still keeps his eyes peeled when walking or bicycling.

For example, why pay for chicory when you can find it growing volunteer? "The wild stuff is much more potent," says Yeager, whose mom and dad were pleased when he brought home this coffee enhancer. They were also fond of the wild onions that he dug up and pickled: "My parents liked those in their martinis." (Yeager preferred the onions in a cream soup.)

Sometimes a "wild" plant is a cultivated variety that jumped a fence or was spread by birds or carelessly dumped garbage. Yeager has found asparagus, zucchini, black raspberries and even watermelons growing in fields and along roads. His own yard is "packed with bamboo" -- an increasingly common landscape plant -- so he cooks the young shoots in the spring.

While Chicago native Niziol focuses mostly on fishing and hunting in his weekly ESPN radio program, he's not strictly carnivorous. Niziol swears by a good plate of fiddlehead ferns, fresh wild carrots (aka Queen Anne's lace) or a mug of sassafras tea ("it tastes like root beer").

And mushrooms? Don't get him started. "I use them every which way I can. I put them in stews, I dry them, I make a killer mushroom soup," says Niziol, a former outdoors columnist for the Chicago Tribune.

Mushrooms must be picked with care, he notes, because some fungi are poisonous. A good field guide is essential. What's even better is to find a local mycological society and start taking walks with experts.

Catfish are jumpin'
Some people assume fish from urban waterways are poisonous. At times this reputation is justified; check your state's department of fish and wildlife for advisories. But many metro areas have healthy fish and healthier fisheries: Anchorage, Alaska; Grand Rapids, Mich.; Miami; Detroit; and Phoenix, for example.

Phoenix? Seriously?

Seriously. The Phoenix area has 16 lakes stocked with trout, catfish, bass, sunfish and carp, and you can keep up to 17 fish a day. Demand for fishing licenses is up 18% this year, according to the Arizona Game and Fish Department.

Crab and shrimp cost a bundle at the market but can be had for free in some regions. Nancy Leson, who writes the All You Can Eat blog for The Seattle Times, recently pulled up a dozen Dungeness and rock crabs from the waters near her home in Edmonds, Wash., population 40,000.

"Hugely expensive had we bought it at the store," says Leson, who notes that some of the best shrimp hauls she's seen were pulled up in homemade traps made out of hardware cloth.

Outdoors expert Niziol concurs that you don't need to spend a bundle on gear. Rods and reels can be found for pennies on the dollar at yard or estate sales. Some Illinois libraries lend fishing gear to kids for free. That plus Illinois' $13.75 annual fishing license equals "lots of cheap protein," Niziol says.

"There's this thing called catch and release," he says. "But I also believe in hookin' and cookin'."

Pigeons in the 'hood
In recent years cities such as New York, Cincinnati and Washington have had special archery hunts to thin out deer herds. Some areas of Arizona are experiencing nuisance populations of rabbits.

"We have got bunnies galore," says Arizona Fish and Game spokesman Rory Aikens. Rabbits can be taken in the city limits with a bow and arrow or slingshot. So can "very edible reptiles," including the chuckwalla, a large lizard that Aikens describes as delicious when barbecued: "high protein, zero fat." Pigeons are also fair game, he notes; as a domestic species gone wild, they are not classified as wildlife, and no hunting license is needed.

Steven Rinella, the author of "The Scavenger's Guide to Haute Cuisine" and "American Buffalo: In Search of a Lost Icon," catches pigeons in his Brooklyn neighborhood. (Because they carry mites, he recommends they be cleaned and plucked outdoors.) Rinella also traps squirrels, which isn't strictly legal because in New York you're supposed to hunt them. He doubts anyone will press charges, given the huge population of the rodents.

"I like to catch some squirrels and pigeons and do them up in nice ways," says Rinella, who's hunted since his Michigan boyhood. The best pigeons are the flightless young ones, also known as squabs, which taste "just amazing."

Aikens, who grew up in Los Angeles, says that in his boyhood he and pals would swipe young pigeons from nests under bridges. Then they'd sell them to "two very famous restaurants where the movie stars went."

Many cities host decent populations of other animals once commonly eaten, such as opossums, raccoons, muskrats and armadillos. Though these may seem a little gamey to some, there are plenty of Americans who'd gladly throw a possum on the barbie or roast up a "Hoover hog" (a Depression-era nickname for the armadillo). Detroit retiree Glemie Dean Beasley finds plenty of takers for the raccoon meat he sells to supplement his Social Security checks.

Check your state's department of fish and wildlife to see which species can be hunted, and how it can be done legally, in your area. (Here's a place to poke around for squirrel, squab and opossum recipes.)

Lastly, many states offer families, churches and charities the chance to salvage game animals (such as deer, moose and elk) that have been struck by cars. A moose can yield hundreds of pounds of meat. Of course, you can't be squeamish, but it's fresh, and it's organic. Make sure you check locally on the rules, because salvage is illegal in some places.

Free fruit for the picking
If sautéed fiddleheads or batter-fried squirrels are a little too adventurous for your palate, how about a freshly picked apple? An organic fig? A juicy pear or a handful of black cherries?

"Urban gleaning" programs such as the Portland Fruit Tree Project help put fruit that would otherwise go to waste into the hands of hungry people. Co-founder Kolker says that in 2008 the group harvested more than 4,500 pounds of fruit with the blessing of homeowners who couldn't use all their backyard bounty. Half the fruit goes to Portland food banks and the rest to those who do the picking; at least 50% of those pickers are low-income residents.

"There are so many people who can't afford to buy fresh fruit," Kolker says.

No urban gleaning in your area? Craft your own. Last summer I posted a Freecycle ad offering homemade jam in exchange for the fruit with which to make it. I proposed the same deal to a neighbor, whose response was, "I'm glad someone wants it." Thus, a little chutzpah landed me with the makings for several dozen pints of jam plus enough apples, pears and plums to preserve in jars.

This year, I'm hoping the ad will net me somebody's surplus raspberries. Don't neglect sources of wild berries either. In Seattle, that's mainly blackberries -- they grow just about everywhere. In Anchorage, I picked blueberries and cranberries. No wild nuts grew there, but they're abundant in some cities. Ask around.

Want to live off the land? Here are a few more tips from the folks I interviewed:

Obey local fish and game laws.

Don't pick without permission. Check local regulations about harvesting on city, state or federal land.

Don't take more than you can actually use.

Don't try to memorize the entire field guide overnight. "Get to know one or two (plants) well," Klehm advises. "Then you can add to that (knowledge)."

Search online for local sources such as Urban Edibles, a "community database of wild edibles" in Portland, Ore.

Save money today
Hanging it up: On the Smart Spending blog, a writer from partner blog Wise Bread woman explains how she copes with having "cut the cord," i.e., ditched her land line.

How to speak frugalese: Are ECBs and MIRs your friends? Do you know the difference between a peelie and a blinkie? Smart Spending co-editor Karen Datko provides a quick primer.

Reduce, reuse: I've found a new life for bags from 16-ounce bags of frozen vegetables. Readers chimed in with some pretty cool ideas of their own, including a new use for those mesh bags that onions and oranges come in. Read about it here.