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This important healthy fat is easier to get than you may think. By EatingWell, EatingWell.com Edamame Lo Mein While a Recommended Dietary Intake (RDI) has not been determined for omega-3s, the American Heart Association suggests aiming for 1,500 to 3,000 milligrams (mg) per day of plant-based omega-3 fatty acids and 500 to 1,800 mg from fish. Some Suggestions in Milligrams: Soybeans (1 cup) = 3,000 Milligrams Walnuts (1 oz.) = 2,570 Albacore tuna (5 oz.) = 2,131 Atlantic salmon (5 oz.) = 1,987 Canola oil (1 Tbsp.) = 1,568 Ground flaxseed (1 Tbsp.) = 1,300 White tuna, canned (3 oz.) = 730 Purslane, raw (1 cup) = 250 Omega-3-fortified egg (1 lg.) = 100-350 From MSN Health

Though Americans are eating more fruit these days (go us!), more than half are the old standbys: bananas, apples, and oranges. Ready to mix it up? Here's a quickie primer on some of the smartest "exotic" picks based on their health benefits — and how to serve them in place of common favorites. For Perfect Blood Pressure Good: Bananas Better: Fresh figs Why: Six fresh figs have 891 mg of blood pressure-lowering potassium, nearly 20% of your daily need — about double what you'd find in one large banana. In a recent 5-year study from the Netherlands, high-potassium diets were linked with lower rates of death from all causes in healthy adults age 55 and older. You'll also get... a boost to your bones. Figs are one of the best fruit sources of calcium, with nearly as much per serving (six figs) as ½ cup of fat-free milk! Shop for figs that are dry on the surface and feel heavy in the hand. A perfectly ripe fig may have slight cracks that are bursting with the fruit...

1. Quinoa "Move over white rice and make room for this South American grain," says Lynn Grieger, an online health, food, and fitness coach (lynngrieger.com). Although technically a seed, this protein source contains a complete set of branch chain and essential amino acids, making it a tissue- and muscle-building powerhouse. "Its nutritional composition is better than most grains, so try to have one cup a week, alternating it with other healthy starches such as sweet potatoes and brown rice," says Bowerman. "It's a great breakfast cereal, especially when flavored with cinnamon." 2. Grass-Fed Beef Nothing beats pure protein when it comes to building muscle. The problem with most store-bought beef, however, is that the majority of cattle are grain fed, which gives their meat a relatively high ratio of omega-6 to omega-3 fatty acids. That, in turn, contributes to inflammation. The fatty acids in grass-fed beef, on the other hand, are skewed toward the ome...

By Joyce Hendley, EatingWell.com EatingWell Better known as "the food lab," Penn State’s Laboratory for the Study of Human Ingestive Behavior looks like a series of anonymous dressing rooms. In these plain, curtained-off cubicles, where test subjects eat carefully prepared and measured foods, Barbara Rolls has been debunking some of the most enduring beliefs about eating and appetite. Despite what diet gurus had espoused for decades, Rolls’s lab discovered that drinking water before meals has little effect on reducing hunger. Her work also unraveled the widely recommended advice that eating a variety of foods can help us eat less. In fact, she found, we eat more when we’re given lots of foods to choose from—and less when the range is so narrow that our variety-craving palates, in essence, become bored and we stop eating. This concept explains the short-term success of those diets that have us eating nothing but cabbage soup—and their ultimate failure when our bored palates ev...

Focus on what you can do right now. By EatingWell, EatingWell.com When it comes to "natural" ways to improve blood pressure, sodium restriction snags the spotlight. Most experts agree that limiting sodium is a smart strategy for those looking to lower blood pressure, but why focus on what you can’t—or shouldn’t—have? Shift your emphasis to positive lifestyle changes you can make to improve blood pressure. 1. Nosh on plenty of produce. Fruits and vegetables are low in sodium and rich in potassium, which offsets sodium’s effect on blood pressure. Potassium-packed picks: baked potatoes, baked sweet potatoes, spinach, winter squash, bananas, oranges, cantaloupe, beans and tomatoes. 2. Enhance meals with healthy fats. Substituting some carbohydrates in your diet with sources of healthy fats helps control blood pressure, according to a recent study. Remember to swap, and not add, them in. Think: Nuts instead of croutons—not both—on your salad. 3. Go for whole grains over refined st...

By Lauren Murrow, Men's Health Men's Health Salty food may seem like the least of your worries, especially if you're among the 40 percent of people who mindlessly shake salt on every dish. An extra dash here, a few sprinkles there — what's the big deal? A lot, when you consider the fact that a mere teaspoon of the stuff contains all 2,300 milligrams (mg) of your recommended daily allotment. Yet daily salt consumption is on the rise in the United States — from 2,300 mg in the 1970s to more than 3,300 mg today. And according to Monell Chemical Senses Center researchers, 77 percent of that sodium intake comes from processed-food purveyors and restaurants. Their motivation: Pile on the salt so we don't miss natural flavors and fresh ingredients. Why is that a problem? With ever-expanding portion sizes, supersalty foods are displacing fresh fruits and vegetables, which are rich in potassium. And a 1:2 ratio of dietary salt to potassium is critical for your health. Studie...

Sometimes I eat a meal, sometimes a smoothie or piece of fruit. by Martica Heaner, M.A., M.Ed., for MSN Health & Fitness Q: I know that eating breakfast is good for you. But how much food, and how long after waking is what you eat considered “breakfast”? It takes me an hour to get ready in the morning. Sometimes I have time for a meal like cereal, or I’m able to make a smoothie for my drive to work. But if I’m running late, I don’t have time for any of that. So, it might be up to three hours after waking before I eat. If I wait this late, am I still getting the breakfast benefit? Or would it be better for me to strive to have a smoothie every morning? A: The brain- and body-boosting benefits of breakfast have been widely publicized. A healthy morning meal provides energy and helps fuel your brain, allowing you to be more alert. Eating breakfast is associated with better cholesterol levels and helps regulate how much you eat all day. (People who skip breakfast are more likely to b...