Blog Posts by Health.com

Getty ImagesBy Sarah Klein

Working mothers are less likely to be depressed than stay-at-home moms, a new study suggests.

However, working moms who thought women should be able to do it all are at greater risk for depression at age 40 than those who had more realistic expectations before they had kids.

"Holding a job is likely to improve your overall mental health and well-being, which is ultimately a good thing for yourself and your family," says Katrina Leupp, the University of Washington sociology graduate student who led the research.

Health.com: Fight depression for free

But it's not a bad idea to "accept that balancing work and family is difficult, rather than feeling guilty or unsuccessful if you can't devote as much time as you would like to your job or your family," she says.

Leupp analyzed U.S. Department of Labor data, which included 1,600 married women who were approximately age 40 in 2006. The women had been surveyed in 1987, when they were around 20, about their thoughts regarding

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Getty ImagesNO
Rob van Dam, PhD, adjunct assistant professor of nutrition at Harvard School of Public Health

• For most of us, java isn't harmful.
It's true that caffeine may raise blood pressure, so if you have hypertension, it's smart to switch to decaf. Caffeine can also interfere with sleep; if you suspect it's causing you to toss and turn, cut back. Otherwise, there is no health reason to stop drinking it.

Health.com: 12 surprising sources of caffeine

• It may lower your risk of becoming diabetic.
Every cup of coffee you drink seems to reduce your risk of the disease. In fact, a review of research in Archives of Internal Medicine found that after three or four cups a day, you see a 25 % lower risk. Other research shows that decaf may also cut your risk of diabetes, which suggests that it's not the caffeine but something else in coffee, possibly an antioxidant called chlorogenic acid, that's responsible. Coffee drinkers may also be less likely to develop cirrhosis of the liver and liver

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By Roshini Rajapaksa,MD

Q: Every time I hear about a deadly E. coli outbreak, I wonder: How do I tell the difference between harmless food poisoning and the life-threatening kind?

A: While a bout of food poisoning totally sucks, most of the time the vomiting, diarrhea, aches, and fever will go away on their own in a couple of days. But in rare situations, a more virulent pathogen-such as certain strains of E. coli bacteria that produce a poison called Shiga toxin-can lead to severe, life-threatening dehydration or kidney failure.

If you have diarrhea along with a fever of 101 degrees or higher; if you feel very thirsty, dizzy, or light-headed; or if you have diarrhea that persists for more than three days, see a doctor. Head straight to the ER if you have a lot of blood in your stool or a pounding or skipping heart, or if you think you got sick from eating poisonous mushrooms, bad shellfish, or a contaminated canned item (toxins from these foods can have especially serious

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Getty ImagesCutting-edge advances are transforming ovarian cancer from a death sentence into a disease women can beat. By Ginny Graves

Four years ago, Angie DeWilfond of Moline, Illinois, was diagnosed with advanced ovarian cancer. "I was distraught," says the 41-year-old. "I couldn't bear the thought of not being around to raise my kids."

She underwent surgery and chemo twice; both times, the cancer came back. Then in November 2010 she enrolled in a clinical trial of a new class of drugs called PARP inhibitors. Amazingly, blood tests now show that her tumor markers have dropped to the normal range.

"If the drug continues to work, I could survive on it for a very long time," DeWilfond marvels.

And that's a major deal. No one wants cancer, but the ovarian kind in particular can seem like the worst-case scenario.

Health.com: My ovaries or my life

In fact, it's the most fatal gynecologic cancer. That's because its symptoms are subtle, so it usually isn't caught until it has spread to the

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Colin Anderson/Getty ImagesHeard you're destined to gain at certain life stages (marriage, motherhood, meno)? Don't believe it. By Maridel Reyes


It's true that there are certain times in your life (after getting married, post-kids, during perimenopause) when extra poundage seems to appear out of nowhere … and settle on you. In fact, experts have honed in on the exact moments when you're most vulnerable to weight gain.

"Life transitions, having a baby, and going through menopause cause many women to pile on pounds," says Susan Albers, Psy.D., author of But I Deserve This Chocolate!: The 50 Most Common Diet-Derailing Excuses and How to Outwit Them. "But with planning and prep, you can stay thin."

We asked top experts for their strategies to help you ward off weight creep-and even shed pounds-at these tricky stages. Solutions ahead.


Health.com: 25 ways to cut 500 calories a day

Getting married
Heavier ever after? It can be the flip side of wedded bliss: "Six out of 10 of my clients come back heavier after the

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By Caitlyn Elf

There's really no denying the allure of brownies. Fudgy, gooey, and filled with decadent chocolate flavor-it's pretty impossible to pass one up when offered. Luckily, I've put my skills to the test and have managed to create a heart-healthy recipe that's not only guilt free but, one could argue, actually good for you!

Health.com: How to make chocolate a healthy indulgence

Using this recipe for completely indulgent Chocolate Fudge Brownies, follow the four simple substitutions I made below and you'll be in ooey, gooey brownie heaven, complete with all the flavor and none of the guilt!

Health.com: Simple swaps to cut 500 calories

Ingredient substitutions:
• 1 cup butter, softened - I replaced this with one 15-ounce can of black beans, a common substitution in vegan baking and a heart-healthy option as well.
• 4 large eggs - I substituted 2 large bananas. (This yields a strong banana flavor, so if you're not a huge banana fan, I would suggest

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Interval training-speeding up and slowing down at set times-is one of the best ways to burn more calories during your run (plus improve speed and stamina). It's also a great way to turn walking workouts into running ones. Here are two plans to try.

Health.com: 20 ways to torch 200 calories

For newbies

• Pick up the pace (30 minutes).
• Walk at a brisk pace for 5 minutes.
• Run for 3 minutes at a comfortable but challenging pace.
• Power-walk for 2 minutes to catch your breath.
• Repeat steps 2 and 3 three more times.
• Walk at an easy pace for 5 minutes.

Health.com: 10 ways to walk off fat faster

FYI: As you gain strength, spend more time running and less time walking.

For seasoned runners

• Go faster, stronger, longer (45 minutes).
• Walk at a brisk pace for 3 minutes, then run at an easy pace for 7 minutes.
• Run as hard as you can for 2 minutes.
• Run at an easy pace for 3 minutes.
• Repeat steps 2 and 3 four more times.
• Cool down with 7 minutes of

Read More »from Burn more fat: Just add intervals to your run

Getty ImagesBy Amanda Gardner

Middle-aged women searching for a safe alternative to hormone therapy to prevent bone loss and ease the symptoms of menopause are in for another letdown.

The latest in a series of disappointing studies finds that soy supplements, an increasingly popular substitute for hormone therapy, do not stave off hot flashes, night sweats, and other uncomfortable menopausal symptoms.

Nor did the supplements reduce the aging-related bone loss that can lead to osteoporosis, the study found.

Health.com: Can supplements ease menopause symptoms?

"Isoflavones, the plant-derived estrogens found in soy, are very weak estrogens, so it is not surprising that they have not shown to be as effective...as hormone therapy," says the lead author of the study, Silvina Levis, M.D., the director of the osteoporosis center at the University of Miami's Miller School of Medicine.

"Women taking soy isoflavone tablets to alleviate hot flashes and prevent bone loss at the time of menopause might

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