American Spirit cigarettes are all natural and don’t contain any additives. But did you know that American Spirit cigarettes have also been released in an organic version as well? Why not, right?

We have organic apples, chicken, oranges, you name it, isn’t it a good thing that we also have organic cigarettes? It seems reasonable to assume that a cigarette without any added chemicals is “healthier” than a regular cigarette.

But each pack of American Spirit cigarettes states plainly the following: “No additives in our tobacco does NOT mean a safer cigarette.” (more…)

Oprah Winfrey seems unstoppable. But the talk show host revealed in the October O magazine that thyroid problems this spring took a toll on her body, mind and spirit.

“I was so exhausted, I was numb,” Winfrey, 53, wrote, saying she gained 20 pounds from hypo-thyroidism, a hormone deficiency that slows metabolism. That followed a case of hyperthyroidism, which speeds up metabolism (”Most people lose weight. I didn’t,” Winfrey joked).

L.A.-based endocrinologist Margaret England explains that, “About 10 percent of patients with hyperthyroidism end up in obesity clinics because they overeat,” adding that treatment includes synthetic hormones (about 10 percent of women older than 50 have thyroid failure). (more…)

Continued from The Dorm Room Diet.

Daphne Oz, author of The Dorm Room Diet, is one college student who didn’t gain the “freshman 15.” In fact, she lost excess weight and became healthier than she’d ever been.

In The Dorm Room Diet Planner – aimed at young women and chock-full of tips to lead them to wellness – Oz uses her experience to help other students improve their lifestyles through diet and exercise. (more…)

There’s a “D” in FDA partly because it’s up to the agency to monitor drug advertising for misleading information.

When Big Pharma tries to slip one by, it receives a warning letter – or it’s supposed to.

A new study in the New England Journal of Medicine reveals that it takes 3 months for a warning to be internally reviewed, approved, and issued; the same process took just 1 week in 1997. (more…)

Some people use restaurants as an excuse to indulge. But when you’re eating out for a week straight, it’s easy to gain a few pounds. Here are some tips on how to dine out the healthy way, so you won’t regret it.

Portion control Restaurants tend to serve huge portions. Tell the waiter ahead of time that you only want half of your meal served; have the other half wrapped to go.

Start with soup Vegetable-based soups are a great way to fill up so you don’t overeat. (more…)

Queen Latifah is not shy about her size. As a young girl, Letifah admits she felt “akward” about her buxom build, but over the years, “I grew into my looks,” she says. In 2003, Letifah had a breast reduction surgery because she was suffering from years of shoulder and back pain.

The 5′10″ Latifah weighs “in the 2’s” and is very happy with herself and life in general. Here is an excerpt from her recent interview in which she discusses her breast reduction surgery and how she is dealing with not being stick-thin.

You just finished filming Mad Money in Shreveport, La., with Katie Holmes, who always brought cupcakes and treats to the set. How did you manage to maintain your figure? I don’t know! I’m not really a big sweets person. I’m more a meal eater. [Katie] is really cool. She shipped some Gino’s East pizza down from Chicago. That was the bomb. That put a hurtin’ on. I just kept working out. They had a little gym I would go to and I would walk the track behind a high school. (more…)