The 7 Best Ways to Cut Empty Calories

When you’re trying to slim down or get healthy, cutting empty calories are the easiest way to give your efforts a jump start.

By empty calories, we mean soda, desserts, doughnuts, chips—stuff that you eat and drink that delivers calories with little long-term satisfaction and precious few nutrients. To pare them down, you don’t need to start cooking every meal from scratch (although that’s not a bad idea. See what happened when our fitness director tried it). But you do want your food to be filled with something other than calories. Like hunger-busting and health-boosting fiber, or muscle-friendly protein. And lots and lots of micronutrients that come from plants that your body runs on.

The Most Fattening Holiday Drinks of All Time

Splurging on red cups full of cocoa while you shop and sipping festive cocktails at parties can get anyone in the holiday spirit, but drink with caution. The comforting, seasonal drinks we all love can wreak havoc on your diet and turn you into a serious Scrooge when you step on the scale.

15 High Fiber Foods You Should Probably Be Eating

When you hear the word “fiber,” you probably picture one of two things: your grandma’s tasteless bran muffins, or a creepily joyful cartoon sun double-fisting scoops of raisins.

But fiber doesn't have to be bland and boring. There are plenty of fiber-filled foods you’ll enjoy eating.

This is super important, because you’re likely not getting nearly enough fiber. The Academy of Nutrition & Dietetics advises that most men try to eat about 38 grams of fiber per day, but most guys only get about 15 grams per day.

30 Foods You Didn't Know Could Kill You

Turns out, there are plenty of dangerous things in your kitchen, and many foods that often taste delicious can post a threat to your health if you're not careful. Do a sweep of your fridge and pantry for these items to ensure safe eating.

Mushrooms
Not every mushroom is created equal. Crimini mushrooms might make perfect pasta toppers, but some species contain poisons that can kill.

7 SURPRISING SOURCES OF PROTEIN THAT AREN’T MEAT OR DAIRY

Most guys looking to gain love a juicy piece of chicken breast, and with good reason. Your body needs protein to build and maintain lean muscle. Plus, the essential macronutrient helps keep you full, regulate your hormones, and build strong bones.

Loading up on foods like fish, chicken, turkey, beef, eggs, and milk is the most efficient way to get enough protein, and research suggests you ideally want to aim for 30 grams per meal. Meat and dairy often contain a much higher amount of protein per serving compared to plant-based protein, explains Lisa Moskovitz, R.D., a nutritionist and certified personal trainer, so you don’t normally need to eat as much to reach your daily needs.

7 Foods You Should Stop Eating For Breakfast

Bagels, doughnuts, and pastries—all so tempting. You already know you should avoid this stuff at breakfast, and for the most part, you’re probably pretty good at steering clear.

But sugary, buttery cakes-in-disguise aren’t the only foods you should skip during your morning meal (take these 7 seemingly healthy foods nutritionists avoid). There are plenty of other everyday breakfast offenders that are devoid of nutrition or set you up to feel hungry and crave junk later on—and some of them might surprise you. Here are seven AM staples to cut from your breakfast menu ASAP.

4 Smart Ways to Kill Sugar Cravings

If you have a tough time resisting those cookies on the conference table, you’re not alone. It’s no secret that Americans love sugar. Most guys eat more than double the amount the American Heart Association recommends.

While it’s tempting to blame your dessert habit on the simple fact that sweet foods taste delicious, there are far more physiological, mental, and even emotional factors that send us searching for sweetness. Consider the following:

6 Ways to Eat Healthy On a Budget

You want to eat better, but you’re worried about what it’ll do to your wallet.

So just how expensive is a healthy diet, anyway?

Good news: The answer may be “not that much.” Eating more healthfully costs about $1.50 more per day per person compared with less nutritious food habits, according to a 2013 Harvard study. As background, the scientists compared a diet based on fruits, vegetables, nuts, and fish against one based on processed foods, processed meats, and refined grains.

That said, while $1.50 per day is not much if you have a little extra cash in your pocket, the difference over the course of a year adds up to $550 per person, which can be a burden to many people—especially if you multiply that cost by a few family members.

How to Make a Shake That Will Actually Keep You Full For Hours

Making your shake thicker can trick your brain into keeping you full for longer, new Dutch research suggests.

Researchers had 15 men try two different shakes, both on an empty stomach on different days. One shake was 100 calories and thick like pudding while another was 500 calories but thin like milk.

The researchers then measured the amount of food in the subjects’ stomachs with an MRI and surveyed them on how hungry they felt for the next hour and a half.

Even though the 500-calorie shake stayed in the subjects’ stomachs for longer, the 100-calorie shake kept them feeling as full or more full than the higher-calorie one.

5 Trendy Health Foods That Aren’t Really Healthy

If your coworkers, your college pal who you still follow on Facebook, and your gym buddy are all buzzing about a miracle food, it’s gotta be good, right? Well ...

When it comes to health foods, the trendiness-as-truthfulness model doesn’t always apply.

Skeptical? Just look at these 5 crazy-popular picks. They might be everywhere, but that doesn’t necessarily mean they deserve a daily spot in your diet.

Why You Bruise More Easily When You Drink Alcohol

A dry mouth, a pounding head, and an upset stomach: Those are just a few side effects you might expect after drinking alcohol the night before.

One you might not think of? Waking up with black and blue marks across your body.

That’s because boozing can make you more susceptible to bruising.

Alcohol is a vasodilator, meaning it causes your blood vessels to temporarily relax and expand.

The Meal Your Dad Really Wants This Father’s Day

Instead of joining the rest of the maddening restaurant crowds this Father’s Day, cook for Dad at home.

But don’t do the burgers and dogs he’s had at every summer cookout since before you were born. Surprise him with a massive cut of meat: prime rib.

This recipe involves a simple rub, a straightforward cooking technique, and a few lazy hours. Present the prime rib at the table, hand Dad the carving knife, and then sit back to reap his praises.

5 Things Losing Weight Will Never Fix

Think losing weight will make you happier, more confident, and kick-ass at work? Well, it doesn't really work like that...

That's something Kelsey Miller, author of Big Girl: How I Gave Up Dieting And Got A Life, learned the hard way. “I used to tell myself, 'You can do this when you’ve lost X pounds.' That feeling was holding me back in my career and my friendships—it even stopped me from leaving the house," she says.

“The message that weight loss will fix our problems surrounds us,” says clinical psychologist Terese Weinstein Katz, Ph.D., author of the ebook Eat Sanely: Get Off The Diet Roller Coaster For Good. “There’s a fantasy that thin people are ultimately happier.”

While losing weight might make you feel unstoppable at first (and possibly improve your overall health), there are a few issues that dropping pounds definitely won't resolve. So before you set a goal weight, make it your mission to work out the kinks now—not post weight-loss success.

3 Ways to Avoid a Same-Day Hangover

Ernest Hemingway summed up the daytime drinking slump the best: Death in the Afternoon. Which, fittingly, became the name for his infamous cocktail of absinthe and champagne, and questionable hangover cure.

We can’t recommend making a Hemingway cocktail to fix your head, but we can help you with holding off the mid-day crash that comes long before last call.

It turns out the key to avoiding premature hangovers isn’t found inside a glass at all—it’s the glass itself.

10 Easy Ways to Lose Weight Without Starving

You can stage a coup on calories without ruining your life or eating a single rice cake: Just follow this simple advice. You might even be surprised by how easy (and delicious) some of these tips are to follow.

1. Always Eat a Man's Breakfast
No more Lucky Charms—you want some protein and fat. Scrambled eggs and a few sausage links will keep you fuller longer than an airy doughnut will.

The Supplements You Should Stay Away From

You can walk into a drugstore and buy any supplement you’d like. But that doesn’t mean taking it would be a good idea for you—even if your buddy swears by it.

Just like prescription meds, a supplement that provides health benefits to one guy can prove ineffective or even dangerous for another, says Matilde Parente, M.D., author of Healing Ways: An Integrative Sourcebook.

Everything from your overall health to your prescription meds to the way your body breaks down drugs can change the way a supplement works for you, says Bill Gurley, Ph.D., a chemistry professor at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences.

The Science behind Why You’re a Picky Eater

You call your palate “selective.” Your friends call you a picky eater. But researchers have discovered that there are actual scientific reasons that may explain why the short list of foods you eat mostly comprises of chicken fingers, buttered noodles, grilled cheese, and pizzas.

“Like many behaviors, it appears to be the result of a complex interaction between your genes and the environment,” says Marcia Pelchat, Ph.D., a researcher at Monell Chemical Sense Center in Philadelphia who focuses on food preferences.

Let’s start with genetics. Variants of a gene associated with taste, called TAS2R38, determine how strongly you taste bitter flavors, like coffee or kale, researchers say. And if you perceive that broccoli, for instance, as being unbelievably bitter, you may shun it.

It Only Takes 5 Days of Indulging in Fatty Foods to Mess with Your Muscle Function

No matter how much you try to eat healthy, things happen—you indulge in daily bacon cheeseburgers with a side of piña colada on vacation or end up ordering takeout a lot in one week.

We’ve all been there, which is why we’re filing this news under “terrifying”: A new study from Virginia Tech has discovered that eating a high-fat diet for just five days can change the way your body’s muscles processes nutrients. That can lead to weight gain, obesity, and diabetes, among other long-term health issues.

It Only Takes 5 Days of Indulging in Fatty Foods to Mess with Your Muscle Function

No matter how much you try to eat healthy, things happen—you indulge in daily bacon cheeseburgers with a side of piña colada on vacation or end up ordering takeout a lot in one week.

We’ve all been there, which is why we’re filing this news under “terrifying”: A new study from Virginia Tech has discovered that eating a high-fat diet for just five days can change the way your body’s muscles processes nutrients. That can lead to weight gain, obesity, and diabetes, among other long-term health issues.