In a series of three experiments, researchers evaluated the impact of a man’s smile on a woman’s body language, and her perception of the man in question. When observing a man in a dominant role (in this case, he was giving instructions), women were more inclined to like the man if he smiled—even if that smile followed an overtly sexist statement. Women were also more prone to narrow their posture when confronted with a man who smiled, rather than one who remained serious....

Skip the cookies, but chug the milk. According to a study in the International Journal of Obesity, an increased dairy intake can help you lose more weight. Researchers reviewed 14 randomized controlled clinical trials—the gold standard of studies—that examined the link between weight, body fat mass, and dairy consumption. The results: People who ate the most dairy while on a calorie-restricted diet had a 1.6-pound greater reduction in fat mass and a 1....

Then Reggie, a black miniature poodle, entered her life. Today, Bromley is winning her battle with cancer, walks up to five miles a day with her dog, and does yoga. She credits Reggie with helping her adopt a healthier lifestyle and attitude. “Reggie always puts me in a good mood after chemotherapy,” she says. “I really feel I’m a medical miracle, and I give credit for these extra years, in part, to my dog....

Close grandparent-grandchild relationships are linked to fewer depressive symptoms for both parties, according to research Dr. Moorman presented at the American Sociological Association’s annual meeting. What’s more, grandchildren can bring an extra mental health benefit to the table simply by letting their grandparents help them. Older adults were less likely to be depressed if they reported helping their adult grandchildren, whether in the form of material support or simply shared advice....

The research: Between 1959 and 1967, researchers from the Public Health Institute in Berkeley, CA enrolled more than 14,000 pregnant women and tracked their health for the next 50 years. They found that women with irregular menstrual cycles (defined as an unpredictable cycle, a cycle that regularly varies in length by more than 10 days, or a cycle that’s regularly longer than 35 days) had a 2.4-fold increased risk of death due to ovarian cancer....

If you care about eating clean, you almost certainly carry around a mental list of foods that are “good” or “bad.” Hooray for spinach. Boo for French fries. Shoving foods into categories like this makes it easier for us to make decisions on the fly, and saves our precious mental resources for tasks more important than planning our next meal. Generally, this is a good thing, but attaching judgment to particular categories can get you in trouble....

I’m going to put it out there: This is one of my all-time favorite meals, especially for entertaining. When I make this for friends, they give rave reviews—and they don’t even know it’s got a super-satiating 50 g of protein and 13 g of fiber. MORE: The 10 Healthiest Fish on the Planet Prep Time: 5 minutesTotal Time: 1 hour 20 minutesServes 2 2 blue-eye cod fillets (about 7 oz each) 1 tsp harissa paste ½ c green lentils ½ c walnuts 1 Tbsp coconut oil ½ Tbsp honey 1 red bell pepper ¼ preserved lemon ½ c mint, finely sliced 1 sm red onion, finely sliced 3 Tbsp yogurt...

It does, just not in the way you might think. The truth is, all molds, even common molds like Chaetomium and Mucor (the ones that colonize your shower), can make you sick. Mold comes in thousands of different strains, but only a few, including the notorious Stachybotrys chartarum, aka black mold, produce toxins. Researchers acknowledge that these toxins are potent enough to cause serious problems in healthy people. But they are still debating whether people are actually exposed to high enough concentrations to cause major illness....

“An apple a day keeps the doctor away” True? YesIt sounds too simple to be believable, but eating an apple a day does seem to have some specific health benefits. A 2013 study published in the British Medical Journal suggests that prescribing one apple a day to all adults over 50 years old in the UK would prevent or delay 8,500 cardiovascular deaths (like fatal heart attacks or strokes) every year....

Baked chips vs. FriedNeither option should be considered a health food. Baked chips generally have less fat and calories than classic chips, but some varieties are highly processed and contain more ingredients, sometimes even sugar. “When the fat comes out, other ingredients go in to maintain the flavor,” says Deborah Beauvais, RD, a spokesperson for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. Classic fried chips often contain just potatoes, oil, and salt, while some baked ones have those plus ingredients like cornstarch and soy lecithin....

This beautiful side dish recipe is one of my favorite things to eat—you’d never believe a plate of beans could taste so good! If you can’t find white beans, don’t worry: Regular green beans will work just as well. MORE: Crispy Avocado Tacos with Sriracha Beans Prep Time: 2 minutesTotal Time: 12 minutesServes 2 1 c pine nuts 2 tsp coconut oil 2 cloves garlic, finely sliced ½ lb white or green string beans ½ c fresh sage 4 slices prosciutto ½ Tbsp apple cider vinegar ½ Tbsp maple syrup ½ c raisins 1 sm red chile, finely chopped...

Jen Rustemeyer and her husband Grant Baldwin didn’t worry themselves with thoughts of scurvy and E. coli when they set out to make Just Eat It, a food waste documentary that’s won rave reviews in Canada and is now screening in the US. Instead, they were more interested in what—and how much—people were tossing. “I just didn’t believe the stat that 40% of food gets wasted,” says Jen. “We wanted to point fingers and see who was doing it....

In case you needed proof that bangs do, as hairstylists always promise, make you look younger, how’s this: At 17 years older than the legal drinking limit, I was carded the other night at a wine store! For the first time in Dionysus-knows-when. (Lose up to 25 pounds in 2 months—and look more radiant than ever—with the new Younger In 8 Weeks plan!) This isn’t the first such bangs-take-off-years incident I’ve experienced: Several years ago, right after a haircut involving bangs, I went out for pizza with my friend Jolene—who had also gotten bangs, because, you know, that’s what girls do when they’re not having pillow fights—and the waiter asked if we wanted a drink: “Like a root beer or sumthin’?...

About 80% of people with sleep apnea—a condition where you repeatedly stop breathing while you’re sleeping, resulting in less oxygen to the brain—don’t know they have it. And according to a growing body of research, sleep apnea can result in an increased risk of serious medical conditions like cancer, diabetes, dementia, and depression. Despite tell-tale symptoms—like snoring, waking up with a sore throat, and daytime sleepiness—most people don’t get tested because they don’t want to have to spend the night at a sleep center, says Michael Coppola, MD, president and chief medical officer of the American Sleep Apnea Association....

He’s stoic about it, but he’s in pain. I know this because the man who bikes to work, as well as everywhere else in Los Angeles, has actually rented a car (a notably unglamorous Chevy Impala sedan), into which he is throwing a bag so he can go on a post-interview stroll. “I feel silly,” says the cohost of the Emmy Award-winning The Doctors. “I’m doing a 100-mile mountain bike race this summer....

A: It’s great to have a plan if you start choking, because you’ll be feeling pure panic. The panic is even worse when you’re alone. I know this from experience. Just after college, before I had any medical training, I was driving when I choked on a piece of candy. Fortunately, as soon as it happened, I began to cough. Coughing is your first line of defense against choking, and the good news is that people often do it automatically....

Obese patients with too much visceral fat—a type of fat that surrounds internal organs—were found to be at a significantly increased risk of developing diabetes, according to a new study in the Journal of the American Medical Association. In contrast, patients with excess subcutaneous fat—the “pinchable” fat that’s right underneath the skin—didn’t have that same danger. “What we’re seeing is that not all obese individuals are going to get diabetes,” says lead study author James de Lemos, MD, a professor of internal medicine at the University of Texas Southwestern....

[sidebar]To gently ease yourself into gear, do a mini-stretch routine right in bed. It loosens your muscles and gets your blood flowing before you even put your slippers on. It gives you a few more minutes in bed, yet wakes you up. And it only takes about 5 minutes. These moves will have you feeling refreshed and ready for your morning stroll! Knee to Chest Lying on your back with your legs straight, lift your right leg, and grasp it behind your thigh with both hands....

In a recent episode, Kimmel’s team headed to a local farmers’ market to interview your average person (and by average, he means a Los Angeles-based farmers’ market devotee) about the issue. “As I usually do when people take a stance on a complicated issue, I wondered how many people who are against GMOs really know what they are,” he says in the intro to his piece. Of course, nobody fairs terribly well with answering questions about GMOs....

“I learned that a lot of times when I thought I was hungry, I was really eating for emotional reasons, for comfort,” says Pekrul, who lost 17 lb during the 12-week program. “I learned to recognize and respond appropriately to my emotions.” If you’re bored or stressed, for instance, do a craft, or listen to a meditation tape instead of eating. Pekrul uses a scale, as part of her weight loss program, to help her identify when it’s time to eat....