Blog Posts by The Editors of Prevention

Protect yourself from these common outdoor hazardsThough summer is filled with backyard parties and BBQs, entertaining outdoors could put your guests at risk for some scary health consequences. Check out how to protect yourself and your company from these top outdoor health hazards.

1. Dangerous grill placement
Is your grill right next to the edge of your deck? You may want to move it. A charcoal grill next to combustibles (say, a wooden deck rail or low-hanging tree branches) is a leading cause of BBQ fires, according to the National Fire Protection Association.

Easy Fix: Always make sure to leave a 10-foot clearing between your grill and deck rails, the side of the house, and overhanging plants, says David Markenson, MD, chairman of the American Red Cross Advisory Council on First Aid and Safety. (Plus, always follow these 5 Golden Rules of Safe Grilling.)

2. Toxic plants
More than 68,000 people a year are poisoned by plants, reports the American Association of Poison Control Centers. Most end up with nothing worse than an upset

What to add and subtract from your diet to look and feel slimmer in less than a week What to add and subtract from your diet to look and feel slimmer in less than a week If your belly is sapping your body confidence, don't despair. The reason for your puffy midsection may well be bloat, not fat. That's because one of the worst culprits for this problem--a slow digestive system--is common among women over age 40. However, exciting research now suggests you can get your digestion moving and beat bloat with a few easy menu and lifestyle tweaks. Put all of these ideas into effect right now, and you should be flatter, sexier, and fitting comfortably into your clothes in less than a week.

PLUS: 50 More Flat Belly Tips

1. Add: Two kinds of fiber
Start the day with a better breakfast

Why It Beats Bloat: Constipation distends your belly, and one easy way to get rid of it is by starting each morning with a breakfast cereal that guarantees your body a daily dose of fiber. This gets the digestive system moving within a day or so and keeps it that way. Based on a study of

Fix these everyday blunders to help take the weight off for goodLAre you eating wrong?

When you're eating, your stomach takes its sweet time to get in touch with your brain. So even when your stomach has had plenty to eat, your brain may not realize it for as long as 20 minutes. The result? You could keep on eating like it's your last meal, take in way more food than you need, and throw your weight loss goals off in the process.

But there's a simple healthy eating solution for this: Eat more slowly.

We know, we know; you've heard this before. But here's why it's time to actually give it a whirl: First, you'll be more aware of what you're eating and how full you're feeling, which means you'll more likely eat the right amount. Second, you'll actually enjoy the taste of your food more. Third, eating more slowly may prevent undesirable gastrointestinal effects like heartburn and burping.

RELATED: 18 Foods That Boost Metabolism

It should take you 20-30 minutes to finish a meal. The good news? You can easily increase the length of your meal (and

Learn how to fit in 150 minutes of cardio per week your way!If sticking to a regular workout plan is near impossible, the surprising culprit could be your rigid exercise schedule. Luckily, your path to getting fit doesn't require a strict plan. Logging just 2 1/2 hours of cardiovascular exercise each week will help you burn calories, brighten your mood, and reduce your risks of heart disease and diabetes. In fact, new research shows that adults who rack up this amount of moderate to vigorous activity each week can live up to 5 years longer than sedentary adults. So, your goal for this month: Squeeze in at least 150 minutes (2 1/2 hours) of exercise every 7 days your way; it doesn't matter how you do it!

"Look at your schedule and figure out the best days and times to fit chunks of heart-pumping cardio into your week," says Prevention's fitness expert Chris Freytag. "Maybe you'll divide your 150 minutes into a 30-minute brisk walk 5 times a week, or maybe it's a 90-minute hike on Sunday and a 60-minute Spinning class Wednesday night. You can

Written by Leah Zerbe for Rodale.com

To keep your holiday picnic full of cheer, avoid these pet dangers. Picnics are fun! So it's no surprise that as we head into Memorial Day weekend, many people are planning to take attend or host holiday cookouts and BBQs with their dogs by their sides. Sure, social dogs will likely enjoy a day out on the town, but typical picnic fare could turn a fun outing into a life-threatening situation. We asked Tina Wismer, DVM, medical director at the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center, to ID the top picnic foods your dog needs to avoid.

Alcohol
Dogs can get drunk just like people. Not only can they get tipsy, but they can also go into a coma or even die from ingesting alcohol. "With dogs, many will drink beer readily," Dr. Wismer says. "Dogs and cats will also drink mixed drinks that tend to have a cream or milk base, like white Russians."

Since most alcohol exposures involving pets are accidental--perhaps someone puts their glass down and the dog gets up on table and gets into it-educate picnic guests

Must. Eat. Sugar. NOW! Craving control is all about changing your thinking. Here's howAh, cravings. We've all had them. They strike fast and hard. Before you know it, you've downed handfuls of potato chips or half a dozen chocolate chip cookies. Not the best reaction for weight loss.

But contrary to popular belief, you can control your food cravings. Try these tips, and you'll begin giving in less often when those cravings hit.

Confront the thought of the food directly.
Make a reasonable decision. Ask yourself whether you really must have the food that's popped into your mind? Making statements such as, "I know I'm not hungry, I don't have to eat a food every time I think of it" or "Each time I think about a food and do not eat it, it will become easier" can help.

Substitute your food thought with another thought.
Replace food images with other thoughts or images (like how you'll look after your weight loss, compliments you recently received, etc.). Thinking of alternative images will work better than trying to stop particular food cravings.

TRY THIS: 7 Superfoods

Ditch these time wasters for moves that really matterIt's a rare bird who loves hanging out at the gym. Most of us count the minutes until the workout's over and we can get on with our (way more fun) day. So the last thing we want to do is spend time using exercise machines that don't do anything for us. While no machine is totally useless if used properly, some just aren't terribly effective, says Lani Muelrath, MA, fitness expert and author of Fit Quickies. Plus, they put you at risk--too great a risk--of injury, she says.

Swap out these 10 useless machines for more effective, expert-recommended moves.

1. LEG-CURL MACHINE
Why it's useless: Your hamstrings perform two movements: knee flexion and hip extension. The leg curl machine works only knee flexion, which limits the benefits, says Muelrath.

What to do instead: Choose a machine or movement that works both hamstring functions at once, such as the fitness ball hip raise and curl.

To do: Lie on your back with legs straight, heels on the ball. Raise your hips by pressing your heels into the

Before you do anything, you must do thisTake a moment to check in with yourself right now. How are you feeling lately? What's good in your life right now, and what would you like to change?

The questions seem simple enough, but they're actually the keys to improving your life-whether you'd like to lose 20 pounds, enjoy more family time, or give up a bad habit. Getting specific about your goals is the best way to put power behind your intentions and bring your dreams closer to reality.

"An intention is a goal, an aim, or a purpose," says Prevention's fitness expert Chris Freytag, creator of the Prevention 28-Day Challenge. "When we lack intention, we tend to go through our days on autopilot. Often, the day ends with you feeling as though you haven't accomplished anything truly meaningful. Setting an intention helps you take your dreams and turn them into goals by giving them deadlines, and then work toward them with action."

Follow these steps to set an intention that will transform your life.

1. Focus