When it comes to our eating habits, there are some foods you know you should consume in moderation. But there’s a handful that are particularly bad for our diets that you are really doing a number on our bodies, causing damage like weight gain, increased risk of heart disease and stroke, or worse.

There are a few foods in particular that dietitians suggest avoiding:

Grilled meats are delicious, but that char on the outside could potentially give you unwanted carcinogens to ingest. Using a less fatty or marinated cut will cut back on the dripping that goes into the grill fire and there’ll be less burning and smoking from the flames.

Cold cuts are very high in sodium and they often have nitrates and nitrites that have linked with an increased risk of cancer. And washing it down with soda won’t help – it’s just empty calories and loads of sugars, that can help increase a risk of diabetes. Same goes for candy or other drinks like fruit juice, smoothies, and even sweetened iced tea.

Breakfast is the most important meal of the day, but if it’s cereal with sugar, artificial sweeteners and colorings, you’ll want to skip that – look for ones with low sugar, and high fiber and protein.

Finally, fried foods are usually done in an oil that gives the food some toxic compounds, which can lead to a host of health problems like diabetes, heart disease, kidney failure, Alzheimer’s, and premature aging.

You don’t have to cut these totally out of your life, but if you practice moderation, a healthier lifestyle awaits!

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Now that you’ll be spending more time inside as the weather cools, you don’t want to get sedentary and put aside your healthy habits. But is there more that you could be doing? Are there supplements that you could take that would help you burn fat?

There’s a few – and make sure you consult your doctor before trying any new diet regiment – but you probably have some in your cabinet already!

• Turmeric is typically in some recipes, but it doesn’t go with everything, so look for a capsule that sometimes goes by the name curcumin – and it’s got great anti-inflammatory capabilities.

• The caffeine in your morning coffee is a stimulant that makes you more alert, increases energy, burns calories, and helps break down fat.

• You’ll also find that caffeine in Green tea, but the tea helps even more with preventing weight gain, by lowering the amount of fats and sugars we absorb.

• Fish oil is an easy to take omega-3 fatty acid, but you’ll find it naturally in salmons, oysters, flaxseeds, and walnuts – and it assists with your metabolism, making you less likely to snack throughout the day.

Keep up those healthy habits – you don’t want to lose the momentum you made this year!

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Let’s face it – many of us need glasses or contacts or some sort of help for our eyes as we age. For most of us, our vision deteriorates over time. Unless you’re Paul McCartney.

He’s still writing and performing, and doesn’t need any vision help because of eye yoga!

Back in 2010, he created a video that’s only recently gone viral, after he traveled to India where he learned the technique. He met a yogi who told him that your eyes are muscles, and they can be exercised just like any other muscle.

Sir Paul’s technique is to keep your head still, look up far as you can, and hold for three seconds, then down and hold. Repeat that three times, then do the same for left and right, and then diagonally.

Now does it actually prevent someone from needing glasses? Probably not – but ophthalmologists say it is good for you. It won’t cause harm, and eye exercises of any kind can help delay the need for corrective lenses. It can also help with eye fatigue – especially for those of us working with screens all day.

Most importantly, get your eyes checked regularly – regular checkups will help catch conditions like glaucoma or cataracts early.

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If you wanted to live a little longer, and all it took was changing your diet, would you do it? How about if it was an extra decade?

A new study shows switching to a healthier, more plant-based diet could add ten years to your life for women, and 13 years for men.

A lot of red meat and processed food is what needs to go – switching to an optimized diet is key, one that’s focused on fruits, veggies, nuts, and whole grains.

The earlier you change your lifestyle, the better. So that extra decade applies for those who make changes in their 20s. But even if you start later in life, it can still have a huge benefit.

By age 60, it’ll improve lifespan for women by 8 years, and 9 for men.

Eating right – it’s the key to a long – and longer – life.

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Well we moved the clocks back on Sunday, but maybe you’re still feeling the effects – a nap might help, as long as you don’t sleep too long.

According to a specialist in behavorial sleep medicine, the perfect nap is 20 to 30 minutes – any longer, and you start to get into deep sleep, and that can actually lead to waking up feeling even more groggy.

That 20 to 30 minute nap gives you what you need – a boost in energy, it helps you focus, and even will improve your mood.

The trick is to set an alarm for 30 minutes – then you’ve got the 10 minutes to fall asleep, and you’ll be asleep for the 20 that you need. But don’t do it late in the day – you don’t want to do it less than 8 hours before your normal bedtime, otherwise you’ll mess with your regular sleep schedule.

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