Blog Posts by Redbook

by Jessica Smith, REDBOOK

OK, so you already know that diet pills aren't the healthiest way to lose weight, but what's the real harm in using them? They aren't that bad, are they?
While the side effects are written (in small print) on the label, have you ever really considered what those diet pills could do to your body? We asked Dr. Jaime Schehr, a naturopathic doctor and registered dietitian in New York City, to tell us the five most dangerous diet pill side effects, and how they can really be damaging to your health:

1) Liver damage and/or toxicity This is a very serious possible side effect of some diet pills. "The liver is the organ responsible for clearing or eliminating most chemicals (drugs) from the body. When the liver is damaged it is not able to perform its function of chemical clearance as efficiently, leaving potentially dangerous chemicals circulating in the body," says Dr. Schehr.
Why it's so dangerous: it could be irreversible. While your liver could return to

By Britt Reints, REDBOOK

On June 1, 2011, my family of four-myself, my husband, my 11-year-old son and 6-year-old daughter-moved out of our home in the Orlando suburbs and into a 24-foot RV. Our plan is to travel around the United States for a year, living on a small bit of savings and my income as a freelance writer and professional blogger. We decided to take this trip for many reasons. We wanted to spend more time together and learn more about what really matters to us as a family and as individuals. Most importantly, we wanted our children to have a broad understanding of what it means to be American. There are a lot of people from a lot of different places who use the term American to describe themselves, and I think it will make our children better citizens to be able to see that diversity and shared patriotism firsthand.

Related: 3 Ways to Have More Fun This Summer

My family pulled into Myrtle Beach, South Carolina and was instantly mesmerized by the billboards and flashing

Caylee Anthony

By Charlotte Hilton Andersen, REDBOOK

It's not the defense team's job to prove innocence. Nor is it the job of the accused to come up with a believable alternate story. I wasn't in the jury yesterday that found Casey Anthony not guilty of killing her 3-year-old daughter Caylee and so I didn't hear all the evidence. I know all this and yet ever since yesterday I've been holding all my kids a little bit tighter.

Related: Reduce Your Family's Exposure to Chemicals

A baby died. In an apparently horrific manner. And nobody knows how or why. (Or if they do know they're not saying until they get that million dollar advance for their "memoirs".) Sometimes not knowing how a child died is worse than knowing her mother killed her.

Every time a child is killed and especially when the cases are as high profile as this one has been, my level of fear and mother paranoia goes up another couple of notches. (Which is saying a lot since I'm already at the high end of the anxiety

By Nicole Yorio, REDBOOK

Here are five easy steps to boost your mood and be at your happiest.

1. Short-circuit the negative. Every time you think a negative thought, replace it with a positive one. Instead of fuming if a car cuts you off, think, This is a reminder for me to drive safely. You can also stave off dark thoughts by inserting sunny ones into your daily routine: Recite a mantra like "Life is good" whenever something goes right.

Related: 43 Ways to Look Younger

2. Do a joy inventory. Each night, jot down or make a mental list of three things, big or small, that brought a smile to your face that day (you got a seat on the bus; your boss loved your proposal). This happy list will keep your optimism soaring. The more you look out for life's little joys, the more of them you'll find.

Related: How to Fit Exercise into Your Busy Day

3. Inspire others to smile. Compliment the checkout clerk at the grocery store or help a sick friend. Making someone else feel good has a boomerang

By REDBOOK

Get healthy this month by eating more eggs, reassessing portion sizes in your cookbooks, and more!

1. Embrace the egg. Eggs have gotten a bum health rap over the years, but they're not as rotten as you think. The American Dietetic Association says that healthy folks can have them every day without raising their cholesterol levels-and researchers in Canada believe that eating eggs might help reduce high blood pressure. How? They've found that proteins called peptides-which exist in all eggs but are most plentiful in hard-boiled and fried eggs-seem to work the way some blood-pressure drugs do. So get cracking with this delicious deviled-egg recipe.

Related: The Best and Worst Summer Drinks

2. Say bye-bye to UTIs. As the mercury rises, so do hemlines, gas prices-and your chances of getting a urinary tract infection. UTIs become up to 17 percent more common for every 10-degree increase in temperature, a recent Oregon State University study shows. Beat the odds by drinking four

By Nell Casey, REDBOOK

Starting your own business can be a little intimidating-to say the least. Here are some tips to make sure your entrepreneurial debut is a success.

1. Get to know your market: Surf the Web to research competitors and find out what they charge for their products or services. "Talk to your ideal core audience," suggests Ellen Parlapiano, cofounder of mompreneursonline.com. "Find out if they're interested in your product and what they'd pay for it."

2. Plan for your success: "To get financing from investors or a bank, you'll need to write a business plan-or at the very least, come up with a mission statement and objectives," Parlapiano says. For guidance on writing a business plan and more check out business.gov.

Related: What Guys Really Think About Women's Fashion

3. Play by the rules: Investigate whether or not you'll need special certification or permits for your venture. If you're dealing with cosmetics, for example, Parlapiano says, you'll need a Board of

By Aaron Traister, REDBOOK

DEAR WHYS GUY:

Why do men never appear to be listening to you, but then when you ask them what you just said, they can repeat back a whole bunch of stuff verbatim?

Related: 10 Things Never to Say to a Man You Love

DEAR REDBOOK READER:

Have you ever seen The Wire? In order to listen in on the drug dealers' conversations, the cops have a little box on the phone-tap marked "pertinent." If it's not pertinent, they don't listen in, and it can't be recorded or used later in the prosecution of the case. I have a little box like that in my head. Karel has a lot of stuff that she thinks is important, but that little box in my head lets me know when it's time to pay attention and record information that may be needed later and when it's time to tune out. But just like the cops on The Wire, I don't want to tip my hand and let Karel (who is like the drug dealers in this scenario) know what is being listened to or recorded for later use, so I keep the same

By Aaron Traister, REDBOOK

DEAR WHYS GUY:

What's your take on the maxi dress trend sweeping the country? Hot or not?

Related: The 5 Outfits Guys Secretly Hope You'll Wear

DEAR REDBOOK READER:

I had no idea what these things were, so I asked Karel. According to Karel, a maxi dress is the type of long patterned dress that she wears (and she is quick to point out that she's been wearing them for several years-I can back up that claim). I've been calling them Mrs. Roper dresses. Actually, I love Karel's Mrs. Roper dresses-they're casual and form fitting, and, along with gas prices, crumbling infrastructure and high unemployment, they make me feel like I'm back in the '70s, which I firmly believe is the decade I was supposed to live in.

Related: Why Men Need More Touch

So my take on "maxi dresses" is a positive one (fine: hot). Karel can slip one on and sashay around the house while I wear my throwback Eagles t-shirt, questionably tight Levis and drink Yuengling from a can while we