Add 5 minutes to your regular workout each week for a month, and you will burn more calories easily

You should lose no more than 1 or 2 pounds per week for lasting weight loss. Dramatic loss is usually fluid and will come back quickly.

Don´t even think of exercising in a rubber suit or similar garment. It won´t melt off fat and is dangerous. Any weight loss you see afterward is because you´ve dehydrated yourself, and it will come back. Belts meant to take fat off your abdominal region are not so dangerous, but they don´t work either.

If you´re trying to lose weight, divide your food into several small meals throughout the day so you don´t get hungry.

For each hour of television you view per day, you have a 2% increased chance of becoming obese. It probably works in the other direction too, so try taking one of those TV hours and doing something active instead.

Eat your beans! Nutrient compounds called 'flavonoids' have been found to be effective antioxidants that help protect against heart disease and cancer. These flavonoids are found in the coating of such beans as navy, pintos, kidney, great northern and black beans.

New Test for Predicting Heart Disease: If you're over 40 and have any family history of heart disease, take heart! A new speedy scan warns patients of cardiac problems before they have a heart attack. This test could save your life. Most heart attacks are the first and last warning a person gets. The newly devised test is the electron beam tomography (EBT) that takes 3D pictures that point out calcium in coronary arteries, a known predictor of heart disease. The test is not offered everywhere yet so if you qualify, ask your doctor where it's available.