Blog Posts by The Editors at Sharecare

Get more health tips from RealAge:

• Is your body younger than your years? Take the RealAge Test.
• Ever wonder whether you have ADHD? You might if this seems familiar.
• Should you rush your kid to the ER? Here's what to do in an emergency.
• Give yourself a smile check. Take this tour of your mouth.
• Suffering from allergies? Use these tricks to keep them at bay.

Could carrying around a bottle of water, like the grown-up version of a sippy cup, make you slimmer? A study done in Berlin and another more recently by some of the same researchers claim that downing 16 ounces of H2O a day boosts metabolism by 24% to 30%. Impressive? You bet. But before you buy that BPA-free, high-tech water bottle, (there's even one with a sensor that tells you when to sip) consider this: Nobody's been able to replicate these results, say scientists who tried. The best they could get? Extremely cold water might raise your metabolism by 4.5% for a few minutes.

But even if drinking water doesn't up your calorie burn, it can still support your weight loss efforts. Here's how:

Switching from sugary drinks to water could slash your calorie intake by up to 9%. If you regularly drink sugar-sweetened sodas, teas, or fruity beverages, this one swap could save you 203 calories per day. This switch may be more powerful than cutting food calories, simply because

You probably started out the summer with the best sun-protection intentions -- sunscreen on your face and arms every day and at least an ounce on your body every 2 hours at the beach. (Lots more than that if you're swimming a lot.) It's now midsummer, and somehow feeling virtuous is being outweighed by the bust in your beauty budget. Using about half of an 8-ounce container of sunscreen over the course of a day in the sun -- the amount you should be applying -- could be costing you more than beach parking.

Of course your skin is worth it. No wrinkles for you! And no cancer either. But no need to go broke. Use our bargain sun-protection tips for the rest of the summer and you'll have money left over for a Shellac manicure, and maybe eyelash extensions, too.

1. Don't fork over for fancy brands. Generic SPF 30s (the minimum you should use) with UVA/UVB protection are fine unless you have ultrasensitive skin or you're buying sunscreen for a baby. This year, Consumer Reports

The biological trip to manhood is all about testosterone, also known as the "male" hormone (even though women have some of it, too). For boys, the journey to maturity may take as long as 8 years, but the signs of masculinity begin sprouting as soon as testosterone starts to flow. Usually between the ages of 10 and 14, the brain sends a message to the testicles to wake up and start pumping out testosterone, which triggers a multitude of changes, from a deepening voice and increasing body hair to a full-fledged sex drive and bigger muscles.

Need help talking with your child about tough topics? Here are some icebreakers.

Here are answers to the six most common questions boys have about their developing bodies -- some of which they may be too shy to ask. They're all from YOU: The Owner's Manual for Teens, the latest book from RealAge experts Mehmet Oz, MD, and Michael Roizen, MD.

1. Is it okay to have wet dreams?
   Absolutely. It means the plumbing in your sexual

That big, juicy pimple greeting the world from the center of your chin is too ugly to resist. It's a day wrecker for sure, and the urge to squeeze it into oblivion overwhelms reason. (You know you could make it worse.)

The problem is that when a pimple is squeezed hard enough to pop, a little bit of the pus (white cells that eat up bacteria) may be pushed below the skin."Pus is pretty inflammatory, and if it gets into the oil gland that lives at the base of the hair follicle, the goop can get below the skin, causing further inflammation," explain RealAge experts Mehmet Oz, MD, and Michael Roizen, MD, in their new book, YOU: The Owner's Manual for Teens. But the docs have a satisfying fix for your urge to pop that pimple. And this tip doesn't just apply to teenage acne. It's great for adults who break out, too (millions do).

How to Pop It

Follow these directions precisely so you don't risk scarring. Ideally, you'd have a skin doc do this, but who has a dermatologist

Recent news headlines like "More Calcium Doesn't Mean Stronger Bones" may make the mineral seem passe, but don't give up on this crucial bone builder just yet. You still need it, but you don't have to chugalug four glasses of milk a day -- or even one -- to get it.

By the way, most of us don't have to worry about the megadoses of calcium that, like megadoses of anything, have come under fire (in this case, for increasing your risk of heart attacks and, ironically, bone fractures). In fact, it's still a good bet that you aren't getting enough, according to a recent University of Connecticut study. Here's how to bone up on calcium if you can't tolerate dairy:

Get at least half of your daily 1,200 milligrams (mg) of calcium from food. There's evidence that a supplement/food combo is best for your bones. Just mix and match from this list of nine high-calcium, no-dairy choices. Any two or three will get you the daily 600 mg you need from food.

1. Calcium-fortified soy milk (up

You grew up singing Can't Buy Me Love. But now -- with your personal debt ceiling likely reaching new heights while your income stagnates -- you may feel like singing the blues. Don't even go there. The best things in life -- the ones that will keep your spirits up despite fiscal frugality -- really are free. And simple, too. Research proves it. Find out how to keep your life happiness-rich in these slides.

Get more health tips from RealAge:

• Find out how your good health habits add up. Take the new RealAge Test.
• It's never to late to learn to manage ADHD. Here's how.
• Ready for your close-up? Take this tour of your mouth.
• Is it allergies or just a cold? Learn what's causing those itchy eyes and runny nose.
• Keep your energy up and your blood sugar steady with this eating plan.

Losing too much weight is a risky business. Along with the belly fat and the hip pads can go muscle (including the heart), brain tissue, bone, and more. Sure, this level of skinny is extreme, but it's exactly why eating disorders can be so, so dangerous: The starving body gradually consumes itself.

So how do you know whether someone you're close to -- probably someone who's lost a lot of weight and already looks thin to you -- needs help? Here are the 20 classic signs of an eating disorder, from YOU: The Owner's Manual for Teens, the newest book from RealAge experts Mehmet Oz, MD, and Michael Roizen, MD. If some of these signs sound familiar, consider that a very large red flag. Don't attempt to tackle this yourself; eating disorders are very tough to treat. And don't make comments about food, dieting, or body image; you could trigger even more extreme dieting.

Instead, try to get your friend or loved one to see a doc for a checkup. An astute physician will take it from