8 Teeth Whitening Products That Actually Work

These days, there are so many teeth whitening products on the market that the very idea of brightening your smile can become more overwhelming than exciting. Should you invest in teeth whitening kits or trays? Toothpaste or gel? Strips or pens? And which of the countless treatments available garner the best results—or any results at all?

Then there’s the biggest question of all: Is it better to whiten your teeth at home or at the dentist’s office? “When you choose to whiten at home, you’re choosing to take a slow and steady approach to whitening, which translates to less side effects, such as tooth sensitivity,” says New York-based cosmetic dentist Edward Alvarez, D.D.S. “You’ll also have a healthier mouth overall because you’re using products that will increase the pH of your mouth for a sustained period of time, ultimately killing bacteria and lessening decay.”

Plus, let’s not forget how much money you’ll save. But still, which teeth whitening treatments are worth the money you do spend? Here, dental pros share their top product recommendations.

Why You Should Work Your Abs First

Your core—the dozens of muscles between your shoulders and your hips—contracts first in every exercise, he explains. All the energy you exert starts in your midsection, and is then transferred to your limbs.

A strong core allows you to apply more force to a barbell, whereas a weak core decreases the amount you can apply.

But in order to prime your core muscles so they fire better during your workout, you need to train your core right after your warmup, he says.

How to Work Your Abs with a Basketball

When it comes to working your abs, a basketball probably isn't the first tool that comes to mind. But BJ Gaddour, C.S.C.S., CEO of Men's Health StreamFIT, came up with a fun—but tough—way to add it to your core routine.

The move: Dribbling a basketball while holding the top of a pushup position.

It's hard for two reasons, he says. First, you have to hold the position with only one arm.

The Worst Work Hours for Your Health

Bad news if you burn the midnight oil: People who regularly work night shifts are twice as likely to have diabetes, finds new research from the University of Pittsburgh.

And the risk remains even after they've retired and returned to a normal sleeping schedule.

How come? Previous research shows that messing with your biological clock and limiting sleep can lead to decreased resting metabolic rates and increased blood glucose concentrations, which set the stage for diabetes and other diseases, says study author Timothy Monk, Ph.D.

Could a Smile Make Your Meds Work Better?

You know you

  should heed the glass-half-full mentality—it’s been linked to a longer, happier, and healthier life. But now, Harvard Medical School researchers say that following the old adage could even make you think a drug works better than it actually does.

In the study, researchers found that people reported 30 percent more pain relief when they were told positive information about a migraine medicine they were on than when they were told nothing or negative information—even if the drug was a placebo!

10 Weird Beauty Tricks that Really Work

By Augusta Falletta, Beauty High
At our office, we're always hearing of ridiculous beauty tricks that sound too good (or crazy) to be true, but there's no better feeling than making a weird beauty discovery that really works. After spending some time with the most common beauty problems everyone encounters, we've put together all of our favorite weird beauty tricks that do what they say they'll do. Our hope is that some of your most frustrating beauty problems will be solved with these tricks!

1. To avoid stray mascara marks, hold a plastic spoon (curve out) over your eyelid when applying your mascara so the excess can go on the spoon, not your lids.

2. To reduce puffy eyes, cut raw, peeled potatoes in half and place over your eyes for 10 minutes. The potato will cool your eyes and any swelling will decrease.

Does the Honey Diet Really Work?

By K. Aleisha Fetters, Women's Health

Forget soothing sore throats. Drinking hot water with lemon and honey can help women lose three pounds a week--at least, according to the aptly named "honey diet."