We are pumped to share one of our fave stories from Shape here on FitSugar. Nothing puts a crimp on a Spring run like sneezing, snot, and watery eyes. And since seasonal allergies can worsen over time, early intervention can be the difference between enjoying the outdoors and being stuck inside with a box of tissues. To help you avoid that unfortunate fate, we pulled together this list of the best natural ways to keep your allergy symptoms under wraps. View Slideshow ›

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You may overeat because you’re famished, bored, or just in front of something delicious, but whatever the reason, regularly eating more than you should can make you feel gross and doesn’t do great things for your waistline. Here are three quick tips to stop overeating before you reach that uncomfortable threshold. Use tricks to tell yourself you’re full: To help you stop going back for more, use a few of these tricks to listen to your body’s hunger signal when your mind is telling you to go back for seconds. Grab a mug of soothing peppermint tea or eat something a little sweet to signal the end of meal. Read more of our tips for sending yourself the “I’m full” signal . Don’t fill your plate: Chances are, it may be too big! To prevent mounding on the calories, don’t fill up a large plate with what could be more than a serving size. Or, choose a smaller plate to fill up since it’ll look like you’re getting more. Savor it: Taking time to enjoy your food and the experience of eating will help you eat less of it, according to recent studies. Besides chewing slowly, incorporate these two easy changes for better (and slower) eating to appreciate your food more.

Cantaloupe Panic: The California cantaloupe industry is reeling from the spillover effects of a listeriosis outbreak tied to tainted fruit from a farm in Colorado, the Associated Press reports . Even though cantaloupes from other areas are safe, sales have fallen amidst general consumer fears about the fruit. Meantime, the cantaloupe harvest has only just started in Arizona, where growers fear a similar drop in demand. The outbreak has so far killed 23 people and sickened at least 116 , according to the CDC. Personality Affects Pain Evaluation: Participants in a newly published study rated a person’s severe pain as lower if the person was described with negative adjectives such as “arrogant,” the WSJ’s Ideas Market blog reports . A study author said, however, that because participants weren’t health-care professionals, it’s impossible to conclude that unpleasant people would face less sympathy or different treatment from a doctor or nurse. Time to Enroll: Medicare beneficiaries who want to enroll in a new Medicare Advantage or Part D prescription-drug plan can do so starting tomorrow, Kaiser Health News reports. That’s earlier than in previous years, and enrollment must be completed by Dec. 7 — a change the Medicare Rights Center says may throw off people who have grown accustomed to enrolling at the end of the year. But people can switch to the most highly rated Medicare Advantage plans at any time during the year, KHN says. A “No” From NICE: A preliminary decision from the U.K.’s National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence finds Bristol-Myers Squibb’s melanoma drug Yervoy isn’t cost effective, Bloomberg News reports . The pharma company tells BN it’s “extremely disappointed” by NICE’s decision and will submit further information to the agency in the hopes it reverses its stance in its final decision. Image: iStockphoto

Charles asks… Can Rescue Remedy be used during the duration of pregnancy? I have anxiety /panic disorder and am considering getting pregnant . I wonder which medicines/ natural cures will work and not affect the baby. Jonjune answers: Natural cures are generally not regulated by the FDA and are therefore not recommended during pregnancy because there isn’t necessarily a correlation between what you think you are taking and what you are taking. There are a number of prescription medications that generally appear safe during pregnancy. However, they should only be considered if the benefits outweigh the risks. If you are on medications that work for you, you could speak to your obstetrician or a genetic counselor about concerns know for those specific medications. It is great that you are thinking about this prior to pregnancy, when it is best to get you on the safest medicines. Jenny asks… morning sickness question…all who had it or didn’t/those who know of people who did? Me and my boyfriend are going to try for a baby soon, after I’m done with blood tests/health check/body detoxification and all of that (want to be perfectly healthy before we conceive) My only problem: Morning Sickness. I am a severe emetophobic (fear of vomiting) it’s pretty serious. I am not taking anti anxiety medications nor anti emetic medications for it (especially while preggers) and the counseling doesn’t work (tried two different people) so I am basically doomed with this phobia until I die. I just wanted to ask a few questions regarding morning sickness and certain remedies that worked for some people. I know that this will cause huge stress for me while pregnant , so I want to get all the info I can before actually getting pregnant (only want one kid because of this!) I know that a baby will be wonderful, but it still will not stop my anxiety from this dreadful fear.(seriously, one of the worse things I’ve ever had to encounter) you can avoid heights and you can avoid spiders, but you cannot avoid vomiting! I belong to an online emetophobia message board but it still doesn’t help me. I don’t want this to prevent me from having a baby.It’s been my life long dream since I was five and I was surprised to find a guy who actually wanted kids at a young age as well (we want one before the age of 25) I know all about the crackers and ginger ale, taking pre natals at night instead of during the day, eat something before you get out of bed and always keep food in your tummy and all of that, so please do not suggest them. My questions: Be honest.I know that some answers are going to sound like a God send and some are going to sound like my worst nightmare.I just want to see what you all have experienced.I will ask my doctor about natural remedies , but I would rather hear from you all. 1: Did you have morning sickness? 2: When you had morning sickness, was it: nausea,vomiting, and/or dry heaving? 3: What is something that triggered your nausea besides smells? 4:How far along were you when you had morning sickness? 5: When did your morning sickness end? 6: What remedies worked for your morning sickness? 7: What remedies didn’t work for your morning sickness? 8: Has anyone tried “Morning Sickness Magic by Mommy’s Bliss”? 9: If so, did it help any? 10: Is vomiting from morning sickness any worse than vomiting from a stomach bug? 11: Would taking remedies to help the morning sickness before you actually have morning sickness help any or at least lessen the effects? 12: Did anyone take prescription remedies , if so, what did you take? 13: Did the prescription remedies help any? 14: Is protein suppose to help calm morning sickness? 15: Did you feel nauseas or vomit while in labor, delivering your baby or afterwards? 16: Do you normally have a “strong” stomach or “weak” stomach? (By the last question, I mean are you easy to vomit if you are nauseas when you were not pregnant ) That’s all i can think of right now.LOL. Replies will be much appreciated (sorry for the length of the post, just wanted to cover everything) wow poppy, you are lucky! I hope i’m like you. And just to clarify, I know not every women gets morning sickness. Jonjune answers: 1: Did you have morning sickness? Yes 2: When you had morning sickness, was it: nausea,vomiting, and/or dry heaving? Mostly nausea and gagging, but I threw up a couple of times 3: What is something that triggered your nausea besides smells? Nothing in particular triggered it. Brushing my teeth would make me gag though 4:How far along were you when you had morning sickness? It became severe at 6 weeks 5: When did your morning sickness end? Much improved by 12 weeks, but at 20 weeks I still have nausea off and on. 6: What remedies worked for your morning sickness? It was severe so I was put on diclectin…I’m still taking one tablet a day, sometimes 2 7: What remedies didn’t work for your morning sickness? Soda crackers. Horrible aftertaste, and just made me produce more bitter tasting saliva 8: Has anyone tried “Morning Sickness Magic by Mommy’s Bliss”? No 9: If so, did it help any? 10: Is vomiting from morning sickness any worse than vomiting from a stomach bug? Not nearly as violent as being sick with the flu. The vomiting itself really isn’t bad, its the incessant nausea that got to me. 11: Would taking remedies to help the morning sickness before you actually have morning sickness help any or at least lessen the effects? I doubt it 12: Did anyone take prescription remedies, if so, what did you take? Diclectin 13: Did the prescription remedies help any? It was the only way I could function…nothing else helped me. 14: Is protein suppose to help calm morning sickness? I think the idea is that protien keeps your stomach fuller longer than just plain old carbs. When your stomach is empty, that when you feel the worst. I always made an effort to eat small meals of a carb and a protien every 3 hours or so. It helped. 15: Did you feel nauseas or vomit while in labor, delivering your baby or afterwards? Haven’t gone through it yet, but knowing my history I probably will. Lol 16: Do you normally have a “strong” stomach or “weak” stomach? I don’t normally vomit all that much, and it doesn’t really bother me much if I do vomit. Good luck Mandy asks… Meds for cat’s marking their territory? My cats are driving me NUTS! We moved to a new house when I was 8 months pregnant . We changed their environment and added a new member to the family. Ever since then (14 months ago!) they have been fighting and marking things. They pee on the bed ALL-THE-TIME, rugs, towels if left on the floor, ect. I have tried natural remedies from petalive.com for stress, calming, and urination problems. Nothing is working!!! The vet ruled out bladder infections, UTI’s, and all other health issues. It is a behavior issue. I haven’t been back to the vet in a while about this issue. I remember him saying that there was a medicine he could give them. I think it was Prozac or something similar?? I just wanted to try natural remedies first so I wasn’t paying much attention. I’m not big on medicines, but I have to try something else! Anyone know what the calming or anxiety medicine he could have been talking about? And how much does that usually run on average? I know it’s a monthly shot and I have 3 bad kitties that need it. Thanks for reading all this and thanks for any advice! * I have tried those pet calm plug-ins and they do not work either. I tried 3 brands to! Also, getting rid of the cats is not an option. They are all rescue cats and I took the responsibility to care for them and I plan on sticking to that no matter what. Thanks! Thanks for the links! I’ll read them now. Also they are females and they are all fixed. OH YEA! I spent SOOOOO much money on Feli-away. Did not do anything at all. Oh! If that price is similar to what my vet would charge then that is very affordable! How long have your cats been on it for? 8 cats!!! I have 6 cats! LOL! I’ve had these 3 cats for over 5 years. They use the same litter boxes, same litter, and I’m constantly cleaning the litter boxes every day. It’s just stress from the move and the baby. I know they mean it and I love them anyways. It’s just alot of work to scrub down the sofa and the bed every day. I do use an enzyme cleaner. It’s amazing. It’s called Icky Poo. It’s the only thing that works at getting the smell out. * I meant to say: I know they don’t mean it… it’s late here. I’m waiting for the sheets to dry. They had peed on them about an hour ago *sigh* Jonjune answers: I have a few male cats that still mark their territory in my house. The vet ruled out bladder and urinary tract infections so he put the cats on Valium (I get the generic called diazepam). I get it from the vets office and it cost me around $7.00 for 45 pills. It worked so I hope this is the medicine you are thinking of. That is a vets first choice usually with problems like you are having. Linda asks… Worried about feeling unhinged and crazy during pregnancy.? I am 20 weeks pregnant and have definately felt teary, sensitive and cranky so far, which dosent bother me because I can deal with that an apparantly it is ‘normal’. However this last week i have been feeling paranoid and really needy/insecure with my husband ( who is a beautiful big marshmallow very emotionally supportive) and I feel like Im thinking differently, like my mind has been affected by the hormones. Also a general joyless feeling and anxiety . I am terrified of being depressed as I struggled with this earlier in my life and overcome it. I dont want to take anti depressants again ( altho im not knocking them..they were what i needed at the time..i just dont want to put anything in my body now) but i am scared of basically myself ! As i said its just the last week ( which has been really stressful for me). Does anyone know any natural remedies or any advice? I dont want it to get worse but i dont want to be alarmist! thanks… Jonjune answers: This is all so normal. Just keep in mind that what you’re feeling is pregnancy related, and will go away after you’ve had the baby (of course then, you might have to deal with post par tum depression… I never did though, so don’t get scared.) I have been having similar feelings this pregnancy, I keep having dreams that my husband is cheating on me, even though I know that would never happen, and just feeling really self conscious. I think the funniest time though, was when I started crying at the dinner table because I thought my nose was growing… You get weird during pregnancy, and later you’ll be able to laugh about it. Good Luck:) David asks… help depression or could it be borderline bipolar disorder? I was diagnosed with depression about 2 months into my relationship with my husband 7 years ago. I took prozac until I became pregnant , a couple of years after having my daughter I decided to go back on meds, but while prozac made me abit happier, it made me lose my sex drive so my husband was not to happy. I switched between antidepressants and anxiety pills, I had too many different and scary moods, 1 pill I was taking gave me so much self confidence but i still had a negative outlook, in turn then I would always stand up for myself for all the wrong reasons, if you know what I mean, I felt I could win all fights and I picked most of them,I figured that drug would get me killed, so no more. I tried prozac again recently but I felt I was losing my interest in sex again so I stopped taking them. Lets try and make my story short now. I am ruining my families life, I am always angry, irritated, agitated, sleepy, weak, restless, I can not concentrate, complete anything, I do have bouts of energy with ideas of unattainable goals, but i soon realize it and get depressed. My mood change very rapidly, I have no support at home, my husband I think hates me because when I go off on one of my rants I be little him, I have no family to ask for help, I feel trapped and I wonder how others deal with depression and anxiety and bouts or craziness. I also wonder if anyone feels like the have to wash there hand 25 times a day and have things done thier way like u have to have control or it all fall apart. Oh well, I took a sleeping pill I am wondering if any of this makes sense. What meds have worked for others, what kind of therapy or maybe a natural remedy. please no negative input, I give myself enough, and If i could tell myself to snap out of it I would I hate never being able t sit calmly or sleep and turn my brain off, gosh I am so alone I am looking for support on a ask website, please be nice I am sensitive, Jonjune answers: Honestly the doctor just needs to figure the right cocktail of meds… Meanwhile just excuse yourself and say sorry or keep to yourself when need be Powered by Yahoo! Answers Related Blogs

Looking for a healthy burger recipe this Memorial Day? Take a nod from the OnSugar blog Sophie’s Sweeties and make these Mediterranean-inspired turkey burgers. Lighter turkey burgers? Is that an oxymoron? Believe it or not, store bought turkey burgers are not always as lean as they appear. This recipe, however, leaves out all the mystery ingredients and uses only the basics to make a delicious and satisfying turkey burger. Keep reading to see the recipe!

I finally bit the bullet, saved up my pennies, and purchased an item that’s been on my wish list for the past year - a DNA Testing Kit from 23andMe. This innovative contraption made it onto our February Must Haves list , but let me refresh your memory on the details of the test kit. For $199 (down from their original price tag of $499), 23andMe mails you a kit, which includes detailed step-by-step instructions and the necessary materials. First, you create an online profile at the site and register your kit; then, you just need to spit in the provided tube, and mail it off to a fancy lab for analysis. From just a tiny saliva sample, using the latest DNA technology, scientists extract DNA from cheek cells in your saliva. From there, the DNA is copied multiple times so that it can be used in the genotyping step. Here’s a more in-depth, scientific explanation on how the entire DNA analysis process works . Here’s what happens when you get your DNA results.

Being on a budget may be a way of life these days, but cutting back on expenses doesn’t mean you have to sacrifice your health goals. If a gym membership isn’t in the cards, the good news is you can still get a great workout in your own home. Don’t think it’s possible? Check out these five ways you can leave the gym behind, raise your heart rate, and stream it all on your home network. Netflix – More than endless movie and TV possibilities, Netflix also has a great selection of workout videos to choose from. Stream them at home, or add them to your queue, and keep them for as long as you want. For $9 a month for unlimited access, I’d say that’s a steal. OnDemand – Ever look at your cable provider’s OnDemand section? Besides new pay-per-view movies, you can get a great workout with ExerciseTV, under the Sports & Fitness category, which offers classes like yoga, kickboxing, and cardio workouts to blast fat. See the rest after the break.

  Here’s the trajectory of a communicable disease in an era of jet travel: A woman infected with measles travels from the U.K. into Dulles Airport in Virginia on Feb. 20. Two days later she flies from Baltimore Washington International Airport to Denver, where she transfers to another flight to Albuquerque. Now, according to the CDC, local and state health departments are trying to find people she might have exposed to measles during her travels. The unidentified 27-year-old woman wasn’t immunized against the disease, according to the Associated Press . If you think you might have been on her flight, or at the airport at the same time she was, and are experiencing symptoms including a fever or a blotchy rash, get thee to a doctor. According to the CDC , symptoms generally start between one and two weeks after exposure. Early symptoms are a fever, runny nose, cough, red eyes and sore throat, and a few days after that, white spots may appear in the mouth. Within a few more days, the rash characteristic of measles appears. Tom Skinner, a CDC spokesman, tells the Health Blog the usual procedure when an air traveler is infected with measles is to notify people sitting within five rows of the infected person. But because some of the flights were on Southwest, which has an open seating policy , that wasn’t possible — so authorities are trying to contact everyone on those flights. That will be labor- and cost-intensive, he says. “This serves as a reminder of the importance of being vaccinated against vaccine-preventable diseases,” says Skinner. Image: iStockphoto

First came toning shoes , designed to help you burn more calories with every step. And now you can dress yourself head to toe in toning gear, at least in bottoms and tops. Fila just introduced a new line of toning clothes. According to Fila its Body Toning System works three ways. First, the layering of fabric in the construction of the clothes makes you work harder, wearing the pants or capris is said to increase “muscle effort by 50 percent.” The second level is compression. Fila states that the compression fabric provides 41 percent more support for your muscles, which helps increase “blood flow and oxygenation,” which in turns helps your muscles to do their thing more efficiently. And lastly, the pants and capris, due to their reinforced structure, are supposed to suppress the jiggling of your wobbly bits and smooth out the appearance of cellulite. In essence, the Body Toning gear makes you work harder while helping you feel better about the appearance of your backside. Fila sent me a pair of capris ($50) to test out. I put them on and modeled the new look for my husband, and his response was that the pants “looked industrial.” Nice. However, I did feel my lower love handles, as I lovingly refer to my saddlebags, looked significantly smaller. My legs and abs (the capris are fairly high-waisted, coming almost to my navel) definitely felt tucked in and smoothed out. My lower body felt supported without feeling tight or squeezed, as if I were wearing pants a size too small. A few more details, when you read more. I cannot confirm or deny the claim that the pants made my legs work harder – I have no method of measuring that – I didn’t feel like I was working harder. Although the capris felt stiff around my knees when walking, running was no problem. I must admit I kind of liked the supportive feel of the compression pants. I wore them for a tempo run , and my legs felt great the next day. Was it the pants? I don’t know. I wore them for a circuit workout too and similarly cannot say they made the workout any more challenging. These pants will definitely stay in my rotation of workout gear. Have you tried any of Fila’s Body Toning gear? What did you think?