Blog Posts by The Editors of Prevention

You know what calories are, and you probably know that if you eat too many, you'll gain weight. But do you know how many are in your favorite deli sandwich? Or how many calories you should really eat each day? Most Americans don't. Only 12% can accurately estimate the number of calories they should consume in a day someone their age, height, weight, and physical activity, according to a 2010 survey by the International Food Information Council Foundation. So what is it about calories that keeps us baffled? Here are 8 reasons you're confused about calories and the simple steps that will help you do the math.

What's Your Daily Caloric Intake?

1. Portions sizes are out of control
You've all heard about the rapidly expanding serving sizes of restaurant and fast food portions, but just how bad are they? Portions sizes in restaurants may contain double or triple the calories of home-cooked meals, and studies show eating out is associated with a higher BMI. Unfortunately, those portions

Photo by Nina Matthews Photography via FlickrYou may love caffeine's feel-good effects, but overdosing can harm your health. Here's how to tell if you're overdoing it

You know you're a caffeine addict when your eyes won't open before you've taken your first sip of morning Joe, or if your co-workers call you "Crabby" when you skip your afternoon Diet Coke. While the best part of waking up may indeed be Folgers in your cup, being over-caffeinated may also be harmful. "Studies have found that some caffeine can improve mental acuity and performance throughout the day, but too much caffeine can negatively impact your mood, energy, and even health," says Erin Palinski, RD, CDE, CPT, who has a private practice in New Jersey.

New Secrets for All-Day Energy

Enjoying a latte probably won't hurt you, and may even have surprising health benefits such as lowering your risk of Alzheimer's disease. Just keep in mind that-as with most delicious things in life-it is possible to have too much of a good thing.

"Some research has

Photo by Drongowski via FlickrEating too much sugar certainly isn't wise for your waistline, but did you know that overindulging in dessert can add years to your face? And even if you do strenuous cardio workouts each week, you'll be missing out on potential anti-aging body benefits if your exercise schedule doesn't include yoga, weight training, and rest.

"Good nutrition is a fundamental building block of healthy skin," explains Leslie Baumann, MD, a Miami Beach dermatologist. The natural ingredients in whole foods such as romaine lettuce and strawberries help increase cell turnover, and boost production of collagen fibers to help keep skin smooth and firm. Conversely, foods with little-to-no nutritional benefits, like sugar-packed doughnuts, can actually damage the collagen and elastin that keep skin firm and youthful.

Breakfast Ideas for Younger-Looking Skin

Even if your diet is wholesome, you could be making exercise mistakes that age you as well. For example, if you only do cardio at the

To be considered a healthy workplace these days, a company needs to offer a whole lot more than insurance; it needs to set things up so that its employees never need to choose between work and wellness. By providing access, incentives, and subsidies, the employers on our list pretty much guarantee that their female employees exercise, eat right, and get the preventive care they need. But even free flu shots and swank office gyms won't keep women healthy if stress is their 9-to-5 companion, so we singled out companies that also provide strategies for making women's work/life balance more manageable. Ladies, start polishing those resumes.

14 Walking Workouts that Blast Fat

Bright Horizons Family Solutions, Watertown, MA
Prioritizing women's health is a no-brainer at this nationwide provider of child care and early childhood education, since a whopping 98% of its employees are women. It's no surprise that employees receive 50% discounts at the 600 centers the company operates, but the

What you need to know about 3-D mammograms and why you'll want one for your next visit.

On March 7 of this year, a woman in Boston got a mammogram. Yes, so have tons of others before her and, hopefully, since her. But you should care about this particular lady on this particular day because she was the first patient in the United States to use a three-dimensional mammography imaging machine-the only of its kind approved for use by the FDA and the one that Elizabeth Rafferty, MD, spent over a decade helping to create. "I wish we could prevent breast cancer, but we're not there yet," says Dr. Rafferty, director of breast imaging at Massachusetts General Hospital. "The best tool we have to save lives is early detection-and at its cornerstone, mammography. The hope is that this new 3-D technology will find more breast cancers and find them sooner."

7 Health Tests That Could Save Your Life

Why is that superimportant? When the cancer is found early and it's still confined to the

Unless you've been hiding under a rock, you're probably aware October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month. You've probably seen more pink products than you can count and been part of (or at least witnessed) several walks or runs.

Besides the usual fundraisers, there are several groups that are getting creative in their ways to raise money for breast cancer. Below are some brilliant event ideas that will inspire you to increase awareness all year long.

Celebrity Faces of Breast Cancer

Lunafest
This traveling film festival showcases short films by, for and about women that travels to over 150 cities throughout the year. Not only do these event benefit the Breast Cancer Fund, but they also raise funds for their local non-profits. You can either attend an event or host one! Get details at lunafest.org

Pass the Plate
Cook up donations with this easy fundraiser. Just buy a plate, make a delicious recipe, and pass it along to a friend. That friend can then register

Eyebrow-raising new research from the British medical journal The Lancet showed that Weight Watchers is more effective for weight loss than standard treatment from your family doctor. But you don't need to belong to Weight Watchers-or any commercial program-to benefit from the secrets behind the plan's success, according to obesity expert and Prevention advisor David Katz, MD. Make these five things central to your own healthy lifestyle and you'll see the pounds come off, whether you join a formal program or not.

Get Fit in 10 Minutes

1. Offers You A Community: Weight Watchers meetings, where members swap stories and support, are effective at maintaining motivation over the long haul, says Dr. Katz. Build your own network of like-minded friends and family, and check in once a week (online or in person) to trade tips and cheer each other on.

How Healthy Are Your Friendships?

2. Uses A System: "Weight Watchers Points are easy to use, but they aren't the only way to make good food

It's no wonder your friends aren't available to hang out on Sundays in the fall and winter-according to a 2005 Gallup Poll, 64% of Americans claim to be professional football fans, and as of 2010, women make up 44% of the NFL fan base.

Being a sports fan doesn't mean you're expected to know all the players and stats of your hometown teams and destined for a beer gut-it's about coming together in the name of good times as part of a community.

25 Best Foods For Your Health

"Bonding over sports-the highs and lows of the game-strengthens ties, helps us feel supported, and makes it easier for you to open up about personal things," says Renee Clauselle, PsyD, who runs a private psychology practice in Long Island, NY.

17 Unexpected Side Effects of Exercise

Rooting for the same team creates an immediate sense of family, says Daniel Wann, PhD, a Murray State University professor who has been studying the psychology of sports fans for over 20 years. "If you identify with a local team, you