Blog Posts by Health.com

CorbisBy Matt McMillen

A few cups of coffee a day may help keep the blues at bay. According to a large new study, women who drink caffeinated coffee are less likely to become depressed-and the more they drink, the more their risk of depression goes down.

The study, which was published today in the Archives of Internal Medicine, included more than 50,000 women between the ages of 30 and 55 who periodically filled out surveys about their coffee consumption and health. None of the women had depression symptoms (or a history of depression) at the start of the study, but during the next 10 years roughly 5% received a depression diagnosis or began taking antidepressant medication.

Compared to women who drank little or no caffeinated coffee, those who averaged two to three cups per day were 15% less likely to develop depression, even after the researchers took into account a wide range of potentially mitigating factors including marital status, church or community participation, and various

By Sarah DiGiulio and Frances Largeman-Roth, RD

Who says you have to shop the perimeter of the grocery store to be healthy? We put 500 new convenience foods to the test and found great picks in every aisle. Shop smarter with our list!

Sarah Michelle Gellar-who's starring on the new CW show-Ringer-shares her secrets to a buff body, healthy home (juicer, anyone?), and incredibly balanced life By Amy Spencer

On a soundstage in Los Angeles, Sarah Michelle Gellar, 34, has just finished filming a scene for her new CW show, Ringer. We sit on a couch on set, a well-thumbed script beside her. Still in an olive gown and full makeup, she's ready for her next scene-oh, except for the pair of white Nikes on her feet.

It's a perfect illustration of how this working mom (of 2-year-old Charlotte) and wife (of nine years, to Freddie Prinze Jr.) manages both sides of her life. Much like the twins she plays on TV, she has twin personas: "I'm Sarah Michelle Gellar when I'm at work," she says, "and I'm Sarah Prinze when I'm not."

As the crew sets up the next shot, Sarah talks about her healthy food obsession, why she naps during lunch, and the "weekends off" rule she credits for keeping her happy.

Q: How do you think growing up in

Getty ImagesByJulie Upton, RD

I'm a world champion at sleeping, but I know my diet is worse when I don't get my regular eight to nine hours. I tend to reach for more food-especially carbs-to help wake me up. It never works and probably makes me feel less energized.

Research now backs up why less sleep equals more calories.

Getty ImagesBy Anne Harding

People with diabetes are at increased risk of having a heart attack or stroke at an early age, but that's not the only worry. Diabetes appears to dramatically increase a person's risk of developing Alzheimer's disease or other types of dementia later in life, according to a new study conducted in Japan.

In the study, which included more than 1,000 men and women over age 60, researchers found that people with diabetes were twice as likely as the other study participants to develop Alzheimer's disease within 15 years. They were also 1.75 times more likely to develop dementia of any kind.

"It's really important for the public to understand that diabetes is a significant risk factor for all of these types of dementia," says Rachel Whitmer, Ph.D., an epidemiologist in the research division of Kaiser Permanente Northern California, a nonprofit health-care organization based in Oakland, Calif.

Health.com: Signs and symptoms of type 2 diabetes

Whitmer, who studies risk

Getty ImagesBy Su Reid-St. John

Recently, I stood and surveyed my impressive pile of workout shoes. I have running shoes, walking shoes, court shoes (my old gym had a racquetball court), cross-trainers, cycling shoes; you get the picture. I've long wondered-and I know I'm not the only one, as several friends have voiced this same question-how many pairs of fitness shoes one truly needs.

Health.com: Finding the perfect shoe

I decided to pose the question to none less than Michael J. King, DPM, president of the American Podiatric Medical Association and a practicing podiatrist in Fall River, Mass. He didn't hesitate.

"While it would be great if you could afford a different, activity-specific shoe for every sport you do, that's a hard thing to recommend in today's economy," King points out. "And really, you don't need to." Basically, he told me, you can get away with having just two kinds of shoes for most sports and activities: a pair of running shoes and a pair of court shoes.

"Running shoes

CorbisLong to lose weight this week? Here, nutrition experts divulge their tricks.

Make veggies the star
"I make sure my plate contains up to 2 cups of fruits and veggies as the 'main course,' with 1/2 cup of wholesome carbs like wild rice, and 3 ounces of lean protein like chicken or steak.

Health.com: 8 healthy steak recipes

Making produce the focal point means you can eat more, stay full, and easily cut up to 700 calories from your day.' -Marissa Lippert, RD, author of The Cheater's Diet

Shake it up
"I whip up a 300-calorie smoothie. Drinking one in place of a restaurant meal can save up to 500 calories. I combine 2 cups of almond milk, 1 tablespoon of protein powder, 1 chopped apple, 2 tablespoons of ground flaxseed, 1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon, and a few ice cubes." -Sharon Richter, RD, a healthy-eating expert in New York City, NY

Health.com: 11 diet-friendly milk shakes and smoothies

Hydrate, hydrate, hydrate
"Chugging 8 to 12 cups of water a day is one of the most important keys to

Getty ImagesBy Amanda Gardner

State laws that place restrictions on teenage drivers and require them to "graduate" from an intermediate license to a full license do seem to prevent fatal crashes involving teens, but only among the youngest drivers.

A new analysis of national crash data published this week in the Journal of the American Medical Association found that between 1986 and 2007, the rate of fatal accidents involving 16-year-old drivers was 26% lower in states that prohibited teens from driving at night and carrying certain passengers, compared to states with neither restriction.

Among 18-year-olds, however, strong graduated driver licensing (GDL) programs were associated with a 12% increase in the fatal crash rate, which effectively cancelled out the benefits among younger drivers. When teen drivers of all ages were pooled together, the link between these programs and the rate of fatal crashes was statistically negligible.

Health.com: Your car made healthy

"Right now, we're not