Blog Posts by The Editors at RealAge

By Michael F. Roizen, MD

Are routine dental x-rays a smart idea?If you're always looking for a reason to cancel your dentist appointment for fear of another dental filling, radiation from dental x-rays might be another good excuse. Although dental x-rays are generally safe, nobody needs extra radiation. You and your dentist can reduce your (and your kids') radiation exposure several ways. At your next dental checkup, ask these three questions:

Wondering what your smile says about your health? Take the new MouthAge Test!

1. Do you use high-speed film? You want your dentist to use faster E- or F-speed film for conventional dental x-rays. Older, slower D-speed film delivers about 50% more radiation, though it's still widely used. (Digital imaging is even better, but it's not common yet.) Always ask for a lead apron with a thyroid shield or collar. The thyroid gland is extremely sensitive to radiation, especially in kids.

2. When do you take 3-D scans? While a 3-D scan -- called a dental cone-beam computed

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Rev up your workouts with interval training.We know how it goes -- a hectic day of work, carpools, and putting dinner on the table easily gets in the way of your exercise routine. So, should you leave your workout until tomorrow or try to squeeze at least some exercise? Here's a secret to turbocharging a short workout so you burn more calories, even on a tight schedule: interval training.

Learn how interval training helps you burn more calories after working out.

Long beloved by athletes as a way to build speed and stamina in a hurry, interval training can help you burn more belly fat in less time. It's easy, too. You can add interval training to any workout, whether your thing is walking, running, swimming, or cycling -- even inline skating.

Marc Gillinov, MD, and Steven Nissen, MD, deliver the hows and whys of interval training in their new book, Heart 411 (Three Rivers Press). Here are their recommendations:

• Alternate periods of puff-hard-can't-talk-effort with periods of recovery. If you're walking, step up

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Got a cut that won't heal? Get checked for diabetes.Could you have diabetes? Some diabetes symptoms are well known: unrelenting thirst, frequent urination, and always feeling tired are surefire tip-offs that something's amiss. But other symptoms are more subtle. In fact, many people may have no symptoms at all until a blood test tells them they have diabetes. This matters because the earlier you catch diabetes, the sooner you can control of it and prevent complications. Here are 10 signs that point to diabetes.

1. You feel "fine." Early on, diabetes symptoms can be vague, so you dismiss them or confuse them with other problems. That means even subtle changes in the way you feel can be a good reason to see your doctor.

Could it be diabetes? Take this risk assessment.

2. You always have to pee. People with diabetes may urinate as much as 20 times a day, says Melvin Stjernholm, MD, an endocrinologist in Boulder, Colo. When you have extra glucose in your blood, due to diabetes, your kidneys work overtime to get rid of it. As

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Lentils and fish are two foods that can help fend off allergy symptoms.Are you sneezing, sniffling, and suffering through the worst seasonal allergy season in years? So are a lot of us. Here's a tip for smart allergy relief: Load your plate with foods from the Mediterranean diet to help reduce allergy symptoms. In several studies, people who ate a Mediterranean diet had fewer allergy symptoms than those who didn't. These 6 Mediterranean-style foods may help boost your allergy relief:

What's causing your allergies? Take this quiz.

1. Fruits and vegetables. Fresh produce is a key part of the Mediterranean diet. Red, yellow, and orange varieties are especially high in carotenoids -- antioxidant compounds that may have anti-allergy qualities, according to some research. A mix of carotenoids works best, so shop for an array of red peppers, tomatoes, dark leafy greens, carrots, squash, cantaloupe, and tangerines.

Red vs. orange tomatoes: Which are best?

2. Red grapes. We know -- grapes count as fruit, but this Mediterranean staple is a

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Those fancy flip-flops might be hurting your feet.By Deborah Wilburn

Spring is here, and so are chic ballet flats, flip-flops, and sky-high platform sandals. They're comfortable shoes, and trendy, too, but are they good for your feet?

Not so much, says Dawn Olsen Figlo, MD, a certified foot surgeon in New York City. Even though many women think flats are a foot-friendly alternative, "ballet slippers are the worst shoe anyone can wear," she says. "There's no support whatsoever and the ankle can turn in too much or turn out."

Easy fix for foot pain

Does that rule out flip-flops, too? "It's not great to be in a super-flat shoe," says Figlo. "It overstretches the plantar fascia -- the tissue that covers the bottom of the foot -- and can cause plantar fasciitis, which is an inflammation of that tissue." In terms of flip-flops, "the cheap ones with a flimsy strap and no support throw your body off [balance]," she says. Your toes need to grip the shoe in order to keep it on, which strains your foot.

Her

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Which cities have the best diets?Which cities have the best diets, and which have the worst? To find out, we considered two dietary factors in our RealAge 2012 Youngest & Oldest Cities in America Report: fruits and vegetables, and whole grains. Eating these nutritious foods can help your body feel up to 6 years younger by helping prevent weight gain, diabetes, and hypertension.

10 best foods to fight diabetes

Did your town make the best-cities list, or is it among the worst?

5 Best Cities for Nutrition

1. San Francisco. Did you know that San Francisco allows community gardens in its public parks? That could be why Bay Area residents rank number one for eating plenty of fruits and veggies. They're also second in the nation for eating whole grains. That helps keep their cholesterol and blood pressure down to fend off heart disease and diabetes.

2. Minneapolis. This city was once the world's flour-milling capital, and its residents still love their grains. They take the nation's top spot for Read More »

Are your eco-friendly grocery bags a health threat?By Deborah Wilburn

You're trying to do your bit to save the planet by using eco-friendly grocery bags. But if those reusable bags aren't cleaned frequently and properly, you may be putting your family's health at risk for contracting nasty foodborne illnesses, such as salmonella, listeria, and E.coli O157:H7.

A new survey shows that only 15% of Americans regularly wash their reusable grocery bags, according to the Home Food Safety program, a collaboration between the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics and ConAgra Foods. Dirty grocery bags create a breeding zone for harmful bacteria that can contaminate your food. Each year, 48 million Americans contract food poisoning from contaminated foods.

5 steps to avoid foodborne illness

So how can your reusable grocery bags make your family sick? "The pathogens on meat and poultry are easily spread because many people, trying to be eco friendly, don't use plastic bags for their vegetables," says Pat Kendall, PhD, RD, associate

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Many over-40 women find their libido has a literary bent.By Deborah Wilburn

There's a reason why the erotic novel 50 Shades of Grey (Vintage) is the number one book on Amazon, and it's not because it gives women over 40 an amazing array of hair color options.

7 steps to unforgettable sex

This literary libido booster revolves around the improbable romance between virginal college student Anastasia Steele and young, handsome, super-successful Christian Grey and their white-hot sexual relationship. The sex is far from run-of-the-mill, and perhaps that's part of the appeal for women who, at least in book form, are willing to go past their real-life boundaries. In case you're wondering what those boundaries are, suffice it to say that Fifty Shades Freed, book three in the trilogy and scheduled for release on April 17, features a pair of handcuffs on the cover.

So what about 50 Shades has over-40 women so, um, excited? "An extremely titillating book like this slows you down and gives you a fantasy from the reality of your

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