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So you've decided to get healthy, once and for all -- but your overflowing fridge and highly processed pantry sure aren't making things easy. Why not set yourself up for success with a quick-and-dirty kitchen makeover? With a sparkling cupboards stocked for maximum nutrition and ease, your housework AND your healthy new habits will soon feel like second nature.

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Going green can sometimes seem a daunting task. I can come up with 20 things a day that I do that have a negative impact on the environment. I really do care about helping out Mother Earth whenever and wherever I can. I think about it all the time, in fact. But at times I feel frustrated, like it's a lost cause. But never fear! There truly are many big AND little things we can do to green up our lives and make a difference, and the kitchen is an excellent place to start! Follow these 7 simple tips to get on track for a greener kitchen…and life! - By Jane Maynard

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Remember when a racy prom dress involved a plunging neckline, bare midriff, or thigh-high slit? Now that was pushing the envelope! And maybe you'd pair it with dyed-to-match pumps and opera gloves to look really swank. Well, all the rules have gone out the window this year with leopard print, revealing cutouts, peacock feathers, mullet hemlines, and acid green ruffles adorning the most popular new styles. Trendy prom dresses from any decade can be embarrassing or regrettable when looking back, but have gowns today hit a new low? Check out some of the tackiest offerings of 2013. By Joanna Douglas, Senior Fashion and Beauty Editor

These delectable desserts have one unexpected ingredient in common: the awesome avocado. While guacamole may be its claim to fame, this fruit is capable of so much more! By Ericka Sanchez

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by SELF Staffers


Want to try a #MeatlessMonday but just can't get inspired? Look no further. Here are a dozen ways to go veg--even for just a night whether you're a huge fan of Asian-inspired dishes or you're more of a pizza type. Oh, and every single recipe is 450 calories per serving or less.

And yes, that includes a recipe for decadent-looking nachos.

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Most people have stared down a pint of ice cream or a bag of chips and tried to figure out how much more they'd need to work out in order to burn off the extra calories. Unfortunately, you can't really eat whatever you want and just work out a little more later. "No, it is not an even exchange," Franci Cohen, a personal trainer, certified nutritionist, and exercise physiologist in New York City, told Yahoo! Shine. "In fact, over-exercising will actually cause the muscles to break down instead of build up, and the metabolism slows down as a result of excess exercise as well." Still, a Texas Christian University study of 300 adults presented at the Experimental Biology 2013 conference in Boston this week found that learning how much more you'd need to exercise to work off a burger was enough to make people pick a lower-calorie meal. Wondering if that candy bar is worth it? Here's what it would take to work off some of our favorite indulgences. -- By Lylah M. Alphonse, Senior Editor, Yahoo! Shine

It's National Immunization Week (April 20-27) here in the US, part of the World Health Organization's larger World Immunization Week (April 24-30). According to the Centers for Disease Control, "During WIW, all six WHO regions, including more than 180 Member States, territories, and areas, will simultaneously promote immunization, advance equity in the use of vaccines and universal access to vaccination services, and enable cooperation on cross-border immunization activities," all in the fight to end childhood disease around the world. The CDC notes, "Through immunization, we can now protect infants and children from 14 vaccine-preventable diseases before age two." They add, "Routine childhood immunization in one birth cohort prevents about 20 million cases of disease and about 42,000 deaths." 7 of the most common childhood diseases now preventable by vaccine are listed below, along with the homeopathic, sometimes strange and often ineffective ways people tried to treat them. We've come a long way, baby! - By Carolyn Castiglia

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I'm a fan of coconut milk. That can of creamy, naturally-fat goodness is perfect for everything from dinners to desserts. You can whip it into a no-dairy mousse, or create a beautifully tender chicken recipe. With that magic little can you can make everything form cupcakes, sorbet, and coconut bread to curries, soba noodle dishes, and even popsicles! Coconut Milk is so versatile! Run to the grocery store, grab a can (or four!) and get to know this amazing ingredient even better. You're going to LOVE these ideas (from sweet to savory!) and have so much fun trying out these fabulous ways to cook up coconut milk! Click through for 7 ways to use a can of coconut milk! -By Brooke McLay

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These easy, inventive hot-cereal upgrades will give you new reasons to rise and shine.

By Charlyne Mattox and Lindsay Hunt