Blog Posts by Health.com

By Sarah Klein

Getting that tattoo seemed like a good idea at the time. But now that blast from the past on your back or tribal band around your arm may seem like a bit of body art you could live without.

If you're ready to get a tattoo removed, you're not alone: According to a 2006 survey in the Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology, 24% of 18- to 50-year-olds have tattoos, and 17% have considered tattoo removal.

There's good news and bad news when it comes to getting a tattoo removed. The bad news is that tattoos are meant to be permanent, and even state-of-the-art removal techniques won't work for everyone; your chance of success varies with your skin color and the tattoo's pigments and size.

The good news is that you don't have to undergo your mother's tattoo removal technique. The de-inking process has evolved in recent years, from a cringe-worthy, potentially skin-damaging process to a safer, more sophisticated method that uses laser technology.

Don't try these at

By Sarah Klein

Elaine Murszewski is a self-proclaimed coffee addict. "I have been a coffee drinker for more years than I can remember," she says. "My coffeemaker must have an auto-start feature so that when I wake up, it's ready." The 53-year-old former software company representative from Aurora, Colo., never uses cream or milk because they just "spoil the taste." She prefers coffee over alcohol-even at a bar.

Murszewski has a lot of company. More than half of adults in the U.S., or 54%, are habitual coffee drinkers, according to the National Coffee Association. In fact, 146 billion cups are consumed in the U.S. each year, nearly three times more than tea.

But for years, coffee had a bad reputation. Linked in many people's minds with smoking, coffee is associated with over-caffeination and insomnia. The caffeine found in coffee can stay in your system for up to 12 hours, making it more difficult to fall asleep, and it affects your quality of sleep as well. Caffeine is also a

Getty ImagesBy Lisa Zamovsky

Everyone wants to have a healthy heart. Still, cardiovascular disease affects more than 1 in 3 adults in the United States.

The good news is that some simple, everyday habits can make a big difference in your ability to live a healthy lifestyle.

Here are the 17 worst habits for your heart, and how to avoid them.

Getty ImagesBy Matt McMillen

Science has finally confirmed what anyone who's ever been in love already knows: Heartbreak really does hurt.

In a new study using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), researchers have found that the same brain networks that are activated when you're burned by hot coffee also light up when you think about a lover who has spurned you.

In other words, the brain doesn't appear to firmly distinguish between physical pain and intense emotional pain. Heartache and painful breakups are "more than just metaphors," says Ethan Kross, Ph.D., the lead researcher and an assistant professor of psychology at the University of Michigan, in Ann Arbor.

Health.com: How to keep chronic pain from straining your friendships

The study, which was published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, illuminates the role that feelings of rejection and other emotional trauma can play in the development of chronic pain disorders such as fibromyalgia, Kross

Getty ImagesBy Su Reid-St. John

Going to the gym can be like walking onto an overwhelming playground for grown-ups-so many toys, so little time! You just want to know: Which piece of equipment is the absolute best for transforming your trouble spots? And what the heck do you do with it to get fast and fabulous results?

To find out, we turned to the hottest trainers around and asked them to reveal the best workout gizmo for each goal-flat belly, toned thighs, etc.-plus the ultimate move to whip that area into amazing shape.

Workout like a pro
Read on for the ultimate picks and moves from Ramona Braganza, a Los Angeles-based celeb trainer whose clients include Jessica Alba and Halle Berry; Amy Dixon, a Santa Monica, California-based trainer, exercise physiologist, and fitness DVD star; and Health's own Kristin McGee, a New York City-based trainer and yoga and Pilates instructor with nine exercise DVDs to her credit.

Health.com: Celebrity trainers' best moves

To use this guide, pick the move

Getty ImagesBy Kate Stinchfield

Pregnancy is full of challenges-and even more so if you have type 1 or type 2 diabetes.

So how do you handle a demanding disease and pregnancy? It may not be as hard as you think, says Cheryl Alkon, author of Balancing Pregnancy With Pre-Existing Diabetes. But you do need a plan.

Before starting a family, check out these 7 tips that can help you ace diabetes management and have a healthy pregnancy.

Health.com: Pregnancy advice myths and facts

Get your blood sugar under control
If you're thinking about getting pregnant, you need to kick bad habits (like smoking), lose weight (if you're overweight), and take prenatal vitamins. You can add one more item to the list if you have diabetes: Get your blood sugar under control.

If your blood sugar levels are too high or too low, you may have a tough time getting pregnant. "In that case, your body may recognize that it's not a hospitable place for a pregnancy," says Alkon.

Women with type 2 diabetes are

You work out. You watch what you eat. But you don't want to have to prepare every meal at home for the sake of your health-nor should you have to. If you're like us, you eat out more than ever-and, as nice as it is to not have to cook, those meals out can actually feel like work. How do you navigate the minefields of huge portions, hidden fats, and sky-high sodium levels? We surveyed chain restaurants and found 10 surprisingly healthy standouts.

By Sarah Klein

Five years ago, Juli Ackerman never thought she'd be able to buy an off-the-rack wedding dress. At 5 feet 10 inches, the software-company executive from Newport, California, then 40, was 280 pounds. Her weight had always fluctuated, but she decided that she wanted to slim down once and for all.

She stumbled upon the Web site of the Hilton Head Health Institute, a self-billed "weight loss spa retreat center" in South Carolina, and signed up. "I went there not knowing much about what I was in for," she says. "I didn't want to get pampered; I wanted to get healthy."

Weight-loss retreats, spas, and resorts for adults-the grown-up version of fat camps-have been around for decades. But now, fueled by growing awareness of the health risks of obesity and the popularity of weight-loss shows such as The Biggest Loser, they seem to be on the rise. But do they work?

Health.com: America's healthiest spas

Yes, according to Ackerman. After two weeks of swimming and